Category: LGBTQ Book Reviews

A Jeri Release Day Review: The Ghost in the Mirror (Samuel Dexter #1) by Faith Gibson

Rating: 4 Stars out of 5

the-ghost-in-the-mirrorIf you are looking for something a little different, look no further than The Ghost in the Mirror. Sam Dexter “Dex”, is injured while on a tour of duty in Afghanistan. When he wakes up in the hospital, he finds his memories gone- even the woman claiming to be his grandmother brings him nothing. He is sent home with her to recover, and while he wants her to tell him everything, she wants him to try to remember things on his own.

While in the hospital he was seeing visions of his military brothers who lost their lives. He chalked it up to his head injury and tried to forget about it. Until he starts seeing a little girl when he gets home. After finally admitting to his grandmother what he is seeing, she tells him of HER grandmother who was said to have the same gift.

And so begins Dex’s quest to find out what happened to the little girl and along the way is reintroduced to his high school love Orlando, Orlando’s nephew- who seems to have a special connection with Dex, and Orlando’s sister.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book because although the ghost element could have been really cheesy- it wasn’t at all. Four stars  instead of higher because I don’t think the way Dex dealt with- or didn’t deal with- his amnesia were very realistic. He just seemed accepting of the fact that he had no memories and wanted to get them back. I wanted him to get mad. Throw a fit. Yell at someone. But he was very complacent.

I am going to hazard a guess that this book is the beginning of a series. Although a good story in and of itself, there is a lot of set up for future books.  I look forward to reading them and watching Dex regain more and more of his memory.

Cover art by Jay Aheer is eye catching and perfect for the story.

Sales Links

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Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 267 pages
Published September 29th 2016 by Bramblerose Press LLC
ASIN B01LBWB6S0
Edition Language English
Series Samuel Dexter #1

In the Spotlight: The Ghost in the Mirror by Faith Gibson (excerpt and giveaway)

Title: The Ghost in the Mirror (Samuel Dexter #1)
Author: Faith Gibson
Genre: M/M Romance
Release Date: September 29, 2016
Photographer: Randy Rls Sewell

What do you do when you have no memories of your life except the one moment that took everything away?

My name is Dex and I’m a Marine. Somewhere in the horrors of the sand overseas, an explosion took out not only most of my unit but also my memories of everything that happened before that day. When my memories don’t return, the explosion also ends my career in the military. That one moment costs me everything.

Starting from scratch sucks. I don’t even know what foods I like or what types of music I listen to. Am I a boxer or briefs man? Do I like women or men? I also have to figure out what I’m going to do with my life from this point on.

While adjusting to my new life, I start seeing things — things that no one else can see. I think that maybe my head injury caused more than amnesia. When one of my “visions” won’t leave me alone, I have no choice but to believe in ghosts.

Along with the ghosts during the day, at night I dream vividly of two men. But are these two men merely dreams, or are they memories? When one man steps through the door of my hospital room, I have the answer. This man literally tries to lead me down memory lane, culminating in a searing kiss. Too bad my brain isn’t cooperating, because this man is breathtaking.

With the help of my sassy grandmother, I begin to rebuild my life.

I am Samuel Dexter, and these are my stories.

WARNING: This book contains scenes that might be considered triggers for some. Sam is a Marine involved in an explosion. This book also (mildly) describes children being kidnapped in the past and their remains found later.

 

“Let me say I love the characters in this book!” – Tasty Wordgasms

“It draws you in and you have to keep reading.” – Alpha Book Club

“Love, love Faith!!!! I highly recommend this book. Another smashing success by a very talented author.” – Reader Review

I sat down on the stump and allowed the sound of the water to soothe my soul. When I had complained about karma coming after me for some wrong I’d done, Grams chewed my ass out and said I was being kept alive for something I had yet to do. Fate had tried to kill me twice, and I had survived both times, so I obviously had a purpose for still being here. That purpose manifested itself in front of me. I was so used to Cindy being around me now that I had stopped being surprised when she showed up. She climbed down the bank and stood in the water.
“Can you feel that? Can you feel the water rushing over your feet?”
She shook her head no. The little girl bent down and tried to run her hand through the rolling water, but nothing happened. It was in that moment that I vowed to stop being a whiny bitch. This little girl had lost her life, most assuredly in a horrific way, and I was complaining because I was alive. She floated back onto the bank and walked toward me. Cindy climbed up on my lap and leaned her head against my good shoulder. I would have given anything to feel her hair tickling my neck. This precious child needed comfort, and I couldn’t give it to her.
“I’m sorry I got hurt, but I promise I’ll start searching for clues again real soon. I have to go to see Dr. Carr tomorrow, so I’ll stop by the old fairground then.” Her essence combined with mine briefly, letting me know she was okay with what I had said. It was the strangest feeling, having another entity flow through you. She leaned back and mouthed something. Of course I couldn’t hear her and reminded her of it. She jumped down from my lap and mimed singing into a microphone. “You want me to sing?” Cindy nodded so hard, her hair bounced up and down. “Okay, kid. It’s your ears.”
I’d been in a pensive mood ever since Orlando’s visit at the hospital, so I decided to sing something upbeat. I started belting out Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours”, and my little ghost started dancing. She grabbed the sash of her dress, holding on to both dirty ends as she twirled around, making her blue dress float around her. For the first time since she appeared to me, Cindy smiled, and I laughed. I was so caught up in the connection between the two of us that I didn’t hear the footsteps behind me. When a voice joined mine, blending in perfect harmony, I froze and Cindy disappeared.
I wanted to stop singing so badly, but I wanted to continue hearing his beautiful voice worse. I closed my eyes and sang, because if I looked up at Orlando, I’d have probably done something really unmanly. Like cried. And begged. And begged while I was crying. I’m not sure what I’d have begged him for, but it seemed the right thing to do. After the song was over, only then did I open my eyes. “We always did sound good together,” he whispered.
“I wish I could remember that.” I spoke honestly, keeping my eyes to the spot where Cindy had been. “I want so badly to remember it all, and I bet you’d probably like to forget.”
“Honestly? Yes. Most days I would like to forget I ever met you. Then there are the good days I cling to what we had and hope it wasn’t my only shot at ever finding love. But if it was, then at least I knew a love like no other.”
Orlando’s words killed me. Stabbed me in the heart, twisted, and pulled the organ out of my chest, tossing it to the ground where it landed with a flat thud at my feet. Then I remembered that he had a wife and child. If what he just said was true, he didn’t love his wife. God, how screwed up was that?
“Before we get to the reason I’m here, would you mind telling me who you were singing and laughing with when I walked up?”
Well, fuck.

 


Faith Gibson is a multi-genre author who lives outside Nashville, Tennessee with the love of her life, and her four-legged best friends. She strongly believes that love is love, and there’s not enough love in the world.
She began writing in high school and over the years, penned many stories and poems. When her dreams continued to get crazier than the one before, she decided to keep a dream journal. Many of these night-time escapades have led to a line, a chapter, and even a complete story. You won’t find her books in only one genre, but they will all have one thing in common: a happy ending.

 

When asked what her purpose in life is, she will say to entertain the masses. Even if it’s one person at a time. When Faith isn’t hard at work on her next story, she can be found playing trivia while enjoying craft beer, reading, or riding her Harley.

 


 

Faith is the author of The Stone Society, a paranormal, post-apocalyptic shapeshifters series; The Music Within, a MM romance series; and The Samuel Dexter books, stories about a retired Marine ghost hunter who has lost all his memories from before the accident that took him out of commission.

Want an Authorgrpah?  Head over to http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/authorFGibson now

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Coffee Sip and Book Break with ‘Turn The Page….A Charity Anthology

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That was only the end of the chapter, not your whole story….

Turn The Page…. a donation anthology

by Tempeste O’Riley, Dianne Hartsock, Nikki Prince, Grace R. Duncan, Sue Brown, Aine P Massie, Carole Cummings, Hope Ryan, Mark Zubro, Antonia Aquilante, D. Zander Crane

M/M F/F Transgender Genderfluid

Contemporary Urban Fantasy Paranormal BDSM Romance

(Each story is unique and special, so the genre varies wildly. All are LGBTQ)

Publisher: Abbey of the Brew City Sisters
Cover Artist: Jess Small

Release Date: October 7th, 2016 (ebook/print)

Length: Novel / 270 pages

Order:

♥ ♥ Amazon ♥ Create Space ♥ Smashwords ♥ ♥

Description:

Turn The Page…. began as a simple idea and grew from there. No matter how bad things seem to be, just turn the page, there’s more—better—things to come. This is only one chapter in your life. It’s not the whole story. With this simple idea, Novice Sister Eroti-Quill—whom most know better as Tempeste O’Riley—began their quest to help Suicide Prevention and Awareness programs in their area. They managed to con (excuse me, convince) other authors to donate their time and stories to the project, and now, many months later, Turn The Page is born!

The authors in this anthology donated their talent as a way to support Eroti-Quill’s hope for others, to help bring strength to programs that so desperately need funding. It will allow them show those that need support but may not have it, or that may be afraid to reach out, just how much love and understanding surrounds them. Turn The Page…. is a diverse range of stories about the journey of love, hope, and acceptance.

Individual Blurbs:

Happy Birthday to Me by Tempeste O’Riley

When Dave’s best friend drags him out for his birthday—nearly kicking and screaming, he finds more than he expected at Sovereign, the BDSM club he half owned but had refused to step foot in for two years other than for administrative things while it was closed. He didn’t go to clubs. He didn’t sub anymore. Period.

Well… until he sees Master Nicky. Then his plans for his birthday change and he decides that maybe giving himself a present, might not be quite such a bad idea after all.

Robin’s Confession by Dianne Hartsock

How can Robin find true love without accepting himself first?

Purr by Nikki Prince

Sasha’s love was in imminent danger. All she wanted was to keep Tori safe. Stay at the cabin wait for the verdict from the council. That’s all they had to do. One little dip in the lake couldn’t hurt could it?

Lockdown by Grace R. Duncan

Gylam’s never been that great at communication and this time he’s gone too far. His penchant for keeping his mouth shut resulted in a disastrous trip to the local dungeon. Jackson, his partner—both cop and at home—and Dom, is well familiar with Gylam’s tendencies. The punishment he gives Gylam is just shy of his limits, but Gylam knows he’s earned it. It remains to be seen if it teaches him anything, though.

Ducks in a Row by Sue Brown

David spends his afternoons feeding the ducks, a peaceful activity until the day Jeff and his Labrador dog burst into his life. David and Jeff get to know one another, punctuated by Bozo’s mishaps, but David is unwilling to share all his secrets. Will Jeff give him the time he needs?

Butterflies by Aine P Massie

Kyndra visits Jaiden’s shop for a little birthday shopping but is there for more than the pretty blown glass designs she makes—lovely though they are. What she really wants is a date with the beautiful craftswoman. But can she push her fears aside and ask, or will her past get in the way? With Jaiden’s help, can who Kyndra is inside finally shine?

Once Step Back by Carole Cummings

When Sahir is busy running for his life, it never occurs to him that the being in wrong place at the wrong time might turn into the right place at the right time. Not until he literally collides with Nicholas and salvation comes by way of magical intervention. But when Nicholas ends up being the one who really needs help, Sahir has to decide the best way to give it—and how to offer it to someone who can’t even figure out if he wants it.

Superheroes by Hope Ryan

Many people reach a point where they think life can’t get any worse. Rock bottom, where the future is so bleak, they begin to ask, “why bother?”

When homeless gay man Wayne Kent reaches that point, standing on a Pittsburgh bridge on a cold Tuesday in April, the last thing he expects is to get stopped—especially by a man named Bruce Clark.

But Bruce has been there, he’s seen that, he’s thought and felt the things Wayne is now and he refuses to see the beautiful, hurting man become another statistic. Coffee and a sandwich is a first step and Bruce hopes it’ll lead to a permanent step up for Wayne. And maybe even a step toward more together.

Unworthy by Mark Zubro

A love lost over half a century ago. Is there really redemption for all of our regrets, or at least perhaps for one regret? A chance to change the decision you made over half a century ago, or at least a chance to say what was unsaid, to say what could be said now? The love you missed so long ago, and if you could have one moment again, once last chance.

Love and Hope and Magic by Antonia Aquilante

Once each century, a ritual is performed, the magic of which sustains the land and protects it and its people for the century to come. But the person who performs the ritual never survives. This time Ailill is chosen. He is honored and content with his fate, but his best friend Lorcan is not. Lorcan can’t accept the loss of Ailill and can’t see a life without the man he thinks of as his other half. But Ailill knew Lorcan perhaps better than Lorcan knows himself, and he knew a life of love and magic is waiting for Lorcan after Ailill is gone, if only Lorcan can find the courage to reach for it.

Façade by D. Zander Crane

David struggles with his gender identity as he searches his city for a woman-murdering madman in his female alter-ego, Façade. Can he overcome his depression and confusion long enough to stop the Grinning Reaper?

Programs Helped:

     

About the Authors:

Tempeste O’Riley

Homo-Erotic Romance Author, Tempeste O’Riley is an out and proud pansexual genderfluid whose best friend growing up had the courage to do what they couldn’t – defy the hate and come out. He has been their hero ever since. Tempe is a hopeless romantic who loves strong relationships and happily-ever-afters. They count their friends, family, and Muse as their greatest blessings in life.

Tempe is also a PAN member of Romance Writers of America®, Rainbow Romance Writers, and WisRWA.

Website: http://tempesteoriley.com/

Dianne Hartsock

Dianne is the author of paranormal/suspense, fantasy adventure, m/m romance, and anything else that comes to mind. She lives in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon with her incredibly patient husband, who puts up with the endless hours she spends hunched over the keyboard letting her characters play. She says Oregon’s raindrops are the perfect setting in which to write. There’s something about being cooped up in the house with a fire crackling on the hearth and a cup of hot coffee warming her hands, which kindles her imagination.

Currently, Dianne works as a floral designer in a locally-owned gift shop. Which is the perfect job for her. When not writing, she can express herself through the rich colors and textures of flowers and foliage.

Website: http://diannehartsock.wordpress.com/

Nikki Prince

Nikki Prince is a mother of two, who’s always had a dream to be a published author in the romance genre. Her passion lies in raising her children as readers, gaming, cooking, reading and her writing. Her mother can now breathe easy about the child who used to get in trouble because she was hiding books everywhere and reading when it wasn’t appropriate.

Nikki’s a multi-published author with several epublishing houses. She loves to write Interracial romances in all genres, but wants to let everyone know to not box her in, because there is always room for growth.

Nikki’s also a member of Romance Writers of America National chapter and is president of the OCC/RWA local chapter. She is also a member of the online chapter Passionate Ink RWA, The Beaumonde RWA, and the Rainbow Romance Writers (RRW).

Website: http://authornikkiprince.com

Grace R. Duncan

Real, erotic, forever… Grace Duncan grew up with a wild imagination. She told stories from an early age – many of which got her into trouble. Eventually, she learned to channel that imagination into less troublesome areas, including fanfiction, which is what has led her to writing male/male erotica. A gypsy in her own right, Grace has lived all over the United States. She has currently set up camp in East Texas with her husband and children – both the human and furry kind. As one of those rare creatures who loves research, Grace can get lost for hours on the internet, reading up on any number of strange and different topics. She can also be found writing fanfiction, reading fantasy, crime, suspense, romance and other erotica or even dabbling in art.

Website: http://www.grace-duncan.com

Sue Brown

Sue Brown is owned by her dog and two children. When she isn’t following their orders, she can be found plotting at her laptop. In fact, she hides so she can plot, and has become an expert at ignoring the orders.

Sue discovered M/M erotica at the time she woke up to find two men kissing on her favorite television series. She had an Aha moment and put pen to paper that same day. Sue may be late to the party, but she’s made up for it since, writing fan fiction until she was brave enough to venture out into the world of original fiction.

Website: http://www.suebrownstories.com/

Áine P Massie

Áine is a proud member of the Rom-Critters, the Romance Writers of America®, WisRWA, and Rainbow Romance Writers. Áine has always had a particular fascination with vampires, mythology, and the unusual. When she can escape from her children and books, she enjoys… oh yes, reading, playing, ritual, a good cappuccino, and working with her healing stones.

Her first published work came in high school where she was part of a writing and drama group. However, she has been reading the likes of Shakespeare and Poe since late elementary school and enjoys most forms of fiction.

Website: http://apmassie.com

Carole Cummings

Carole lives with her husband and family in Pennsylvania, USA, where she spends her time trying to find time to write. Recipient of various amateur and professional writing awards, she is the author of nine published speculative fiction novels, two series, and… more short stories than she can keep track of.

Website: www.carolecummings.com

Hope Ryan

Young adult/new adult author who loves to write the tough stuff…but always with a happy ending.

Hope Ryan is an out and proud bigender, bisexual, wife of a loving guy and mother to three, including an amazingly brave genderfluid son. She loves to write about the tough stuff, but also wants to see her characters happy in the end. She feels strongly about showing there is hope for everyone, no matter where you come from, how you identify your gender or who you love. Hope likes to play board and card games and can often be found playing God with her Sims or running around, fighting monsters in a virtual version of Middle Earth. Her TV and movie preferences lean towards anime, sci-fi and fantasy, though she’ll never turn down a good happily ever after love story, either. As long as there are explosions or action, she’s happy. She loves to read books of all kinds, though prefers stories about love in its many forms.

Website: http://www.hoperyan.com

Mark Zubro

Mark Zubro is the author of thirty-four novels and five short stories. His book A Simple Suburban Murder won the Lambda Literary Award for Best Gay Men’s mystery. His latest young adult mystery, Gentle, is just out. His science fiction trilogy, Alien Danger, continues to outperform expectations. He spends his time reading, writing, napping, and eating chocolate.

Website: http://markzubro.com

Antonia Aquilante

Antonia Aquilante has been making up stories for as long as she can remember, and at the age of twelve, decided she would be a writer when she grew up. After many years and a few career detours, she has returned to that original plan. Her stories have changed over the years, but one thing has remained consistent – they all end in happily ever after.

Born and raised in New Jersey, she is living there again after years in Washington, DC, and North Carolina for school and work. She enjoys being back in the Garden State but admits to being tempted every so often to run away from home and live in Italy.

She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the New Jersey Romance Writers.

Website: www.antoniaaquilante.com

D. Zander Crane

D. Zander Crane is an aspiring, if occasional author, computer troubleshooter, and semi-professional putt-putt golf commentator. He resides in West Chester, Ohio, with the ghost of his mother, a Manx named Hae Yu, and a dozen unfinished manuscripts. His inspiration is long-time friend Tempe.

eMail: donovanacrane@gmail.com

A MelanieM Audiobook Review: Fear of Frogs (Brimstone #2) by Angel Martinez and Narrated by Vance Bastian

Rating: 4.5 stars out of  5

fear-of-frogs-audibleWhile Shax recovers from a near fatality, his shipmates have been busy. He’s rather proud of them taking the initiative and finding them a lucrative cargo run. His pride turns to outright horror, though, when he finds out what sort of cargo. Unfortunately, he’ll soon discover that a healthy fear of frogs doesn’t prevent frog-driven disasters. Time travel has never been so messy.

I read  Fear of Frogs (Brimstone #2) by Angel Martinez as part of a Brimstone collection (Brimstone: Demon Owned & Operated (Brimstone #1-3) and loved it then.  But I’m always curious to see what new elements a good narrator can highlight or expose that I  never noticed before in a story that I’ve previously read so I was delighted to listen to Vance Bastian narrating Fear of Frogs!

What a joy all over again!  Spawning frogs, the wild west, demons in love, , but  most of all our demon prince Shax, his demon best friend Verin, his fallen angel lover Ness, that crazy drag queen I.A.. Ivanna and more on the spaceship Brimstone.  Vance Bastian does a beautiful job of capturing the many personalities of the crew of the Brimstone.  Bastian slides from our main couple to the outrageous drag queen I.A. to the gruff Verin to the cowboys and back to our fallen angel with ease.

I thought I could type and listen since I already was familiar with the story but before I knew what was happening my typing got slower and slower as once more I got caught up in the recovery of Shax and the anxiety of Ness, his lover, their predicament after the event of “the frogs”, and boom! I was listening and not typing at all.  As the events I already knew about unfolded, it all seemed so fresh.  And yes, I loved it more.

I never did get back to my typing.

I just sat back and listened as Angel Martinez’ wonderful story played out through the wonderful voice of Vance Bastian and the crew of the Brimstone got into some pulse quickening adventures and then triumphed once more.  I hated for it all to come to an end.

So here is another audiobook recommendation for you.  It made a book I loved even better.  Are you a fan of science fiction, Angel Martinez, humor in space or all three?  Throw in a narrator guaranteed to bring it all to life and you have Fear of Frogs (Brimstone #2) by Angel Martinez and Narrated by: Vance Bastian.  I can’t wait to the others to come out on audiobook as well.

Cover art by Freddy McKay is fanciful and perfect.

Sales Links

Mischief Corner Books LLC

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Audiobook Details:

Audible Audio, First
Published 2016 by Mischief Corner Books, LLC (first published February 20th 2014)
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series Brimstone add to your Goodreads shelf here:

A Stella Review: God of Jazz: Fugue, Concord by Varian Krylov

RATING 5 out of 5 stars

the-god-of-jazz-fugueAfter years struggling to realize his dream of directing a feature film, on the final night of his fundraising campaign Godard is on the cusp of having everything he ever wanted. The man he loves is upstairs waiting for him, and he’s just a few dollars short of his GoFundYourself goal.

Then everything falls apart.

His personal and professional life in ruins, when his old nemesis from film school offers to fund his dream project if he’s willing to shoot it in Spain, Godard knows it’s a deal with the devil. But he also has nothing left to lose.

Among the labyrinthine streets of Barcelona’s Barrio Góthico, the city’s vibrant music scene, and the sun-gilt beaches of the Costa Brava, Godard begins shooting his dream project and putting his life back together, largely under the domineering gaze and deft touch of Ángel, the god of jazz.

But Ángel is keeping a secret, and a deal with the devil always comes at a price.

The God Of Jazz: Fugue, Concord is not the usual Varian Krylov book. I was grateful for the choice of stay away from all the pain I went throught when I read Dangerously Happy or Bad Things. I need stories like this new release. Of course there were some parts a little hard to take but nothing too heavy. Definitely sweeter, unexpectedly sweet and so hot, but nothing new in this.

IMO the story was very good, it engaged me from the start and it was impossible to put it down. I soon felt a connection with the characters. Although it wasn’t exactly love at first sight with Godard, I actually needed some time to warm up to him, still not sure why, but I was able to see the best part of him only when he met Angel. And then there was no coming back. To me it was a crescendo, each scene I like Godard a little more. Instead I soon fell in love with Angel and no one can blame me. He is an amazing character, mysterious at the beginning, perhaps as a way to protect himself, and so open and powerful in his feelings later. A perfect man, caring, gentle and sexy as hell.

Apart from the plot which I quite liked, what deeply took my interest, was how the author did a good job at showing me the characters’ emotions. I didn’t miss one little bit of what went into their hearts, the fear of letting go and trusting the person beside them, the hope for a future for their dreams, the hope for a future together when they finally overcame themselves and opened their souls. The connection between them was unbelievable and it was beautiful to see how they made each other happy. And of course the sex scenes were hot how only this author can describe them.

A mention about the secondary characters cast, each of them was well portrayed and had an important (to the plot and to the MCs’ lives) role. How they worked and spent the days together and the fierce protectiveness and support they treated each other often brought little tears in my eyes.

I feel to recommend The God Of Jazz: Fugue, Concord to everyone. If the author scared you in the past, I totally understand you but no need to be afraid of this story. One of the best book I read this year.

The cover art by Bey Deckard is the only little thing I don’t like, it just doesn’t work for me. At all. I admit I wouldn’t have picked it if it wasn’t for the author.

Sales Links

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Book Details:

Published September 25th 2016
Kindle Edition, 326 pages
ASIN B01M1S6BNI
Edition Language English

An Alisa Audiobook Review: Opposites (Opposites #1) by T. M. Smith and Greg Boudreaux (Narrator)

Rating:  3 stars out of 5

 

opposites-audioIn the year 2081 our planet survived global warming of an apocalyptic scale. When the dust settled and the water receded Dr. Anthony Smith, one of only a few hundred survivors of GWI, started society anew. Having come to the conclusion that injudicious breeding played a huge role in the destruction of Earth as we knew it in the twenty first century, he worked closely with other survivors to isolate the Dionysus gene. This gene has the ability to manipulate human DNA to ensure that all male children be born gay, and all female children be born lesbians. A new society is born.

 

In the year 2300 Dr. Smith’s descendants are ushering in the twenty fourth century having maintained control of the government that still rules society. Twins Aiya and Aiyan are preparing to meet their matches and take control of House Gaeland, the current ruling House. But not everything is as it seems.

 

Love is Love, it knows no gender and doesn’t conform to restrictions and boundaries. Aiyan has found his soul mate in Kaden, the prince of House Devi that he is matched with and eventually marries. But when the person Aiya falls in love with tests the boundaries put in place after GWI, all hell breaks loose. And in the midst of one secret unraveling, another will emerge. There is a growing anomaly that threatens to destroy over two hundred years of progression. This anomaly is known as Opposites.

 

This was an interesting book and a bit different from what I usually read.  There is a lot going on with along with a large number of characters to keep track of.  Each person has a set of both mothers and fathers since they are primarily homosexual in this world.  Most of the focus is on Aiya and Aiyan’s relationships and those directly connected to them, soon to be spouses and their families.

 

This story is told from all points of view at some point which can make it hard to keep track of what’s going on or who we are listening to at the moment, it probably took me until about a third of the way in the story to be able to keep better track of everything once I learned the characters.  The author did a great job of building the story and the world around these characters, there was never something missing in the world, sometimes there was a bit more explaining than I thought was necessary.  I was left wanting to know what will happen in the next story due to the ending, but am not going to spoil it for anyone.

 

Greg Boudreaux did a nice job narrating this story.  The different voices for the characters made it a bit easier to keep track of what was going on.  He did a good job of separating the numerous characters that we see which helped.  While he separated the voices I got most of the characters emotions from the writing than from his speaking.

 

Cover art is nice and catches your eye.

 

Sales Links: Audible | Amazon

 

Audiobook Details:

Audiobook, 6 hrs 16 min
Published: September 22, 2016 (ebook first published June 1, 2013)
Edition Language: English

Series: Opposites #1

Audiobook HIghlight with ‘Writing the Dystopian edge’ by T.M. Smith and his Opposites audiobook release! (guest post and giveaway)

Opposites is now available on Audiobook 
Written by T.M. Smith
Narrated by Greg Boudreaux

Writing the Dystopian edge by T.M. Smith

Hello everyone, and thanks for stopping by Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words for their stop on the Opposites Audiobook tour. I thought I’d talk about the Dystopian edge to the world that I created for Opposites. I’m a huge fan of books like Dune, The Lord of the Rings and the Matched series by Allie Condie. I pulled elements from these three series when I started writing Opposites.

In Dune, people don’t have last names, they have Houses. Since Opposites took on this elemental saga with a huge cast of characters, I decided not to give the characters last names, but to give them Houses that they’d be tied to. So you have Aiyan of House Gaeland, Kaden of House Devi and so on. There’s also the intricate storyline in Dune with the worms and the drought, there are similar elements in Opposites with ‘Global Warming Ignition’ or GWI as I refer to it within the story. Opposites is set some 200 plus years in the future after Global Warming basically ignited and annihilated our planet. Society was reborn from the ashes and the Houses were created and the smartest people still alive are put in charge of these Houses.

Tolkien’s epic saga is one of my favorite books, series and movies. While this is an older series, it’s still wildly popular and, dare I say, almost a cult classic in its own right. I love the costumes, the era, the weapons and sword play. I included this ancient but recent style of clothing and weapons in the Opposites series. I also tried to keep the clothing and weapons somewhat liken to the area or region that the specific characters were from. I think I had the most fun with House Devi when describing culture and clothing, especially the Mehndi.

The Matched trilogy is exactly what the title says. It’s a future society where everyone is matched, sometimes without having even met each other. It’s what can happen when you’re incompatible that really plays into the story. Taking it one step further, what if in this society I have created where as being Gay/Lesbian is the norm, one of the royal houses children is very much straight? She’s matched to a young woman that she very much admires and loves, though not the way it was intended. How will the relationship shape these two women?

I promote the Opposites series as Dystopian SciFi because there are elements of both in the world I’ve created. If you’re a fan of either sub-genre, I’m confident you’ll enjoy this series. But at its heart, Opposites is about romance, passion, figuring out who you are and deciding that the person you want to be is up to you… not some preconceived notion of what a relationship should be. I hope you’ll grab a copy, Greg Boudreaux really outdid himself with all the various accents and characters. Each dialect is accurately portrayed and brought to life with rich accents and nuances.

In the year 2081, our planet survived global
warming on an apocalyptic scale. When the dust settled and the water receded,
Dr. Anthony Smith, one of only a few hundred survivors of GWI, started society
anew. Having come to the conclusion that injudicious breeding played a huge
role in the destruction of Earth as we knew it in the twenty first century, he
worked closely with other survivors to isolate the Dionysus gene: the gene has
the ability to manipulate human DNA to ensure that all male children be born
gay, and all female children be born lesbians. 

A new society was born

In the year 2300 Dr. Smith’s descendants are
ushering in the twenty fourth century having maintained control of the
government that still rules society. Twins, Aiya and Aiyan, are preparing to
meet their matches and take control of House Gaeland, the current ruling House.
But not everything is as it seems. 


Nature vs Nurture 

Love is Love… it knows no gender and doesn’t
conform to restrictions or boundaries. Aiyan has found his soul mate in Kaden,
the prince of House Devi, that he is matched with and eventually marries. But
when the person Aiya falls in love with tests the boundaries put in place after
GWI, all hell breaks loose. And in the midst of one secret unraveling, another
will emerge. There is a growing anomaly that threatens to destroy over two
hundred years of progression. This anomaly is known as Opposites. 

*WARNING* Opposites is an Adult Dystopian
majorly M/M novel that contains explicit sexual content and relationships
between gay, lesbian and straight couples. There are brief scenes of violence. 



Opposites: Audible | Amazon Audio | iTunes

Meet the Narrator of the Opposites series; Greg Boudreaux. 
The spicier side of the oh so amazing narrator, Greg Tremblay, Boudreaux brings the more erotic LGBT titles to life like the Opposites series by TM Smith – the Fitting In series by Silvia Violet and the Assassin/Shifter series by Sandrine Gasq Dion, just to name a few! 

You can find Boudreaux on Facebook, Twitter or Audible.

 
☆  ☆ The Opposites series Audiobooks and links ☆  ☆

Opposites: Audible | Amazon Audio | iTunes
The Library, an Opposites novella: Audible | Amazon Audio | iTunes
The Cellar, an Opposites novella: Audible | Amazon Audio | iTunes


 

Opposites
The Opposites series, book 1 
The Library 
An Opposites novella {book 1.5} 

 

Appearances
The Opposites series, book 2 

 

The Cellar 
An Opposites novella {book 2.5} 
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | Amazon DE | iTunes

Coming Soon: Snapped, Opposites series book 3

 

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A military brat born and raised at Ft. Benning Georgia; TM Smith is an avid reader, reviewer and writer. A Texas transplant, she now calls DFW her home. Most days she can be found curled up with a good book, or ticking away on her next novel.
 
Smith is a single mom of three disturbingly outspoken and decidedly different kids, one of which is Autistic. Besides her writing, she is passionate about Autism advocacy and LGBT rights. Because, seriously people, Love is Love!
 
Author links: Amazon || ARe || Smashwords || Website || Facebook || Twitter 
Goodreads || Pinterest || Youtube

 

 

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A MelanieM Review: Optical Illusion (Paint #1) by Emma Jaye

Rating: 4.5 Stars out of 5

optical-illlusionSmile, wiggle, lie, apologise, and run for the hills.

That’s the formula Chris has used all his life, but this time, he has something he’s never had to lose before, a family that cares. The problem is, his new brother’s very edible friend isn’t fooled by his act. If his secrets are revealed, they won’t want him and he has nowhere else to go.

Thanks to a suicide bomber, ex-military police sergeant Jase Rosewood is back in the English countryside. His plans for quiet recuperation are ruined by the effervescent, go-go dancing twink who has everyone wrapped around his little finger. Luckily for the gullible Matt, Jase can smell a liar a mile away, and Chris Bacon, if that’s even his name, stinks to high heaven. Assigned ‘Chris-sitting’ duty while Matt’s on honeymoon, Jase has a week to discover what is hidden beneath the bright camouflage. It’s a job, just like any other, so why does it feel so different?
Unfortunately, Jase isn’t the only one drawn to the boy who can’t stay still, but instead of wanting to reveal his true colours; they want to dull them forever.

Contains issues of physical abuse, but not between the central couple.

What an incredible story.  Emma Jaye, a new author for me, has written an angst filled, gritty book almost guaranteed to make you run through a range of emotions, not all of them welcome.  I was very surprised by the shift in tone and feel of the story from the beginning.  I was really expecting a different story than the one the author delivered.  From the blurb, it comes off  much lighter in theme and tone.  Not  so.  This is a dark story in almost every aspect and those expecting a light romance will be not only disappointed but find it  overwhelming in its pain and mystery at points. There is a gang rape.  Well handled, not as graphic as it could have been but its there. And the aftermath on the character is realistic and horrific.  But lets back up. I’ve gotten ahead of myself.

Jase Rosewood…layered complicated man, home with his planned career gone and his future uncertain meets Chris while at his best friend’s wedding.  A best friend who he used to be in love with.  Oh the complications.  But that’s all very straightforward because Chris Bacon is a Rubik’s Cube of a character.  He’s really beautifully written.  Jaye take’s her time showing us and Jase one side, only to start ripping that to shreds the next, unveil another, then that one is gone too.  Its done  with such angst, pain, and vulnerability on the part of Chris that our heart just bleeds for him and Jase, and all around him.  His past has  taught Chris one thing, his present is trying to show him another is possible and Chris can’t believe in a future for himself.  Its heartbreaking.  As much as Jase tries to protect Chris, and Chris wobbles between his past and present, the reader is caught up in the author’s scary storyline and both their lives.

There are any number of mysteries here.  A relationship between Jase and Chris that tries hard to find itself, an almost impossible feat given the characters and the circumstances surrounding them.  Things that I cannot go into because this whole book is one big spoiler, one small mention can lead to you knowing what’s coming in the next.

But my biggest disappointment is that cliffhanger ending.  Its why this book didn’t get the 5 star rating it probably deserves.  I have rated other cliffhangers higher but those were serialized stories, meant to end in such a manner.  Not a novel.  A novel, for me at least, comes with a certain expectation of at least some ending, even though you can see where another story will pick up.  Not a ending like this.

The second book, Blank Canvas, is out.  Boy, am I going to approach that one with trepidation and a ton of curiosity.   I need to know what happened here but I’m afraid to know what this author will do to these outstanding characters and my heart in the process.  She’s really that good.  I guess I’ll be finding out.  I must know.  That means you will too.

So who should read this story?   Those who love their romances dark, angst filled and hurt/comfort.  This is not for those who like sweet, light romances.  Emma Jaye is a new author and this is a terrific story.  Take a chance on it if it sounds like the type of love story you like.  I highly recommend it.  I’m on to book two.

Not crazy about the cover.  Could have been so much better.

Sales Links

7104e-waxcreative-amazon-kindle

 

 

 

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 333 pages
Published September 1st 2016 by Purindoors Publications
Original TitleOptical Illusion
ASINB01KCB8UX0
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesPaint:

 

Jackie Nacht Talks Inspiration behind ‘Engineering Love’ on Release Day! (giveaway and guest blog)

engineering-love-by-jackie-nachtEngineering Love by Jackie Nacht
Publisher: Rainbow Ninja Press

Release Date:Early Download at Rainbow Ninja Press – 5 October 2016
Third Party Pre Order – 12 October 2016
General Release – 19 October 2016

Buy Links

Rainbow Ninja Press – http://www.rainbowninjapress.com/engineering-love
Rainbow Ninja Press – EU Customers – https://payhip.com/b/uDr2

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to  have Jackie Nacht here today to talk about her latest story Engineering Love and the inspiration behind it.  Welcome, Jackie!

~~~

 

Georgia Peaches and Spaghetti Junction

First, Id’ like to thank Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words for having me here today. Thank you!

Okay so what inspired Engineering Love? Well I guess it was the setting.

Engineering Love was based on a place I used to live. Suwanee, Georgia. It was a way to go back and remember the places I used to love to visit and see with my husband while we lived there for six years.  The Suwanee Trail was some place we often ran and my husband named parts of the trail in the story as I used to torture him on our runs. evil cackle

Spaghetti Junction was a place of horror for me. More than once, when I was going down to SunTrust to work, I got lost or seen things unimaginable in the morning commute. You better believe the stuff that happened in the book to Adrian are things I saw. And more…so much more…LOL

Every road began with Peachtree…No joke. I lived off of Old Peachtree, Peachtree Industrial and Peachtree Parkway. It was a miracle I made it to my destination. LOL Oh and giving direction to my family wipes the tears of laughter from my eyes It was hysterical hearing the silence or curses (depending on which family member I was helping) on the other line as they made their way from Hartsfield-Jackson.

On our anniversaries, we used to enjoy going to Buckhead and eat at Bones. Lenox Mall, Mall of Georgia were our stomping grounds.

My husband and I had two sweet children in Georgia. To this day I call them my little peaches.

So, in a way, it was going down memory lane destination wise. I have a great fondness for Georgia and yeah, I think it make a great setting for two college boys finding love.

Hugs,

Jackie Nacht

Blurb

When north meets south, sparks fly.

Adrian is a student from a northern college transferring to Georgia Tech. Used to seeing snowmobiles outnumbering the cars on campus, Adrian finds himself living in a state hotter than hell and feeling completely lost in the heart of Atlanta. A chance encounter introduces him to Davis who Adrian knows is trouble, but can’t help falling for.

Davis is the picture of big man on campus and oozes with confidence, at least until he meets Adrian.  Something about Adrian has Davis’s usual charm flying out of the window and everything goes from smooth to hell as Davis tries to make Adrian his own.

Between awkward dates, second-degree burns, study sessions, and snow, the two stumble their way into a relationship neither had planned. Will Davis give up the bachelor life to take a chance at a relationship with Adrian, or will he walk away from something special just to stick to his original plan?

Excerpt

Ten minutes until kickoff and it was like every person in the student body had showed up. Adrian was squished next to Mark and a girl wearing glitter tattoos on her cheeks. She and her friend were taking selfies, and somehow, Adrian got tugged into one.

“What’s your name?” the girl hollered.

He leaned in, yelling, “Adrian.”

“Mara.” She smiled over at him.

“Mara!” a guy called from behind them, then he landed on Adrian’s back.

“Careful, Davis!” Mara yelled.

Bending over from the weight of the guy, Adrian would have face-planted into the person in front of him if it hadn’t been for Mark grabbing his shirt. The fucking game hadn’t started, and he was about to be on the injury list. And Adrian wasn’t even playing in the game!

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” The guy on his back grabbed him and wrapped an arm around Adrian’s chest.

The person in front of him turned with a scowl on his face before he smirked at the man behind him and raised his hand. “Davis!”

Hands clapped over his head, and the damn bull in the china shop behind him still had his arm around Adrian.

The two chatted above him, and Adrian glanced over at Mark who was rolling his eyes. “That’s Davis.”

Oh yeah, because that explained everything. It’s Davis so it’s natural to start chatting it up with Adrian snuggled right in. Boundaries, people, boundaries. Apparently, tackle-boy Davis seemed to know everyone since people all around shouted his name. Adrian felt Davis’s deep chuckle and wondered why the hell he was still being held by him.

Adrian turned and glanced over his shoulder, then kind of wished he hadn’t. Davis was laughing while talking to the guy Adrian almost fell into before. Davis was hot… like hotter than Atlanta. Black hair and a five o’clock shadow around a strong jaw. Built enough to belong on the football field and damn, and he had light ice-blue eyes. Adrian had an urge to reach out and touch Davis’s face to make sure he was fucking real. The only thing that detracted from the model-perfect looks was a small scar on his bottom lip, which Adrian thought was sexy as hell. The white line bisected plump full lips, which made Adrian want to kiss it. And he shouldn’t be thinking that.

With a small twist of his arm, Adrian was free of Davis. He glanced back at him.

“Don’t trample the newb, Davis,” Luke hollered from down the row.

Davis’s blue eyes glinted in the noonday sun, and a crooked smile appeared on his face. Adrian felt like prey in the presence of a predator, trapped by a sea of fifty-five thousand people.

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32324708-engineering-love

Categories: M/M Romance, Gay Fiction, New Adult
Word Count: 20,802

About the Author

Short, sexy and sweet—where a little love goes a long way.

That’s the best way to describe Jackie Nacht’s stories. I was introduced to M/M Romance through my sister, Stephani, and read it for years. Then, I thought it was time to put my own stories on paper. I began writing short and sweet stories that ended with a happily ever after…and sometimes more than one, in the case of my YA Fork in the Road series, which has interactive endings.

Thinking back to my own book addiction, where there were many nights I stayed up way too late so I could read just one more chapter—yeah, right—I decided to write short romances for young adults as well as adults. Hopefully, they will give high school and college students, or working men and women something they can read during their lunch hour, in between classes or just when they want to briefly get away from the daily stresses of everyday life.

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jackie.nacht
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JackieNacht
Website: www.jackienacht.com
Blog: www.jackienacht.com
Email: jackie.nacht@yahoo.com

Giveaway

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Rafflecopter Prize: Engineering Love (PDF)