Category: LGBTQ Book Reviews

A MelanieM Review: Blue Steel Chain (Trowchester Blues #3) by Alex Beecroft

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

BlueSteelChain_600x900At sixteen, Aidan Swift was swept off his feet by a rich older man who promised to take care of him for the rest of his life. But eight years later, his sugar daddy has turned from a prince into a beast. Trapped and terrified, Aidan snatches an hour’s respite at the Trowchester Museum.

Local archaeologist James Summers is in a failing long distance relationship with a rock star, and Aidan—nervous, bruised, and clearly in need of a champion—brings out all his white knight tendencies. When everything falls apart for Aidan, James saves him from certain death . . . and discovers a skeleton of another boy who wasn’t so lucky.

As Aidan recovers, James falls desperately in love. But though Aidan acts like an adoring boyfriend, he doesn’t seem to feel any sexual attraction at all. Meanwhile there are two angry exes on the horizon, one coming after them with the press and the other with a butcher’s knife. To be together, Aidan and James must conquer death, sex, and everyone’s preconceptions about the right way to love—even their own.

There are certain books you approach with definite expectations of what you will find with the characters and plot.  Sometimes those expectations are met, other times they aren’t.  But on those rare occasions, something else happens, a book doesn’t exceed your expectations, it blows them all to hell, widening your horizons and smacking you in the face with your assumptions.  That’s what occurred  with Alex Beecroft’s Blue Steel Chain, the 3rd book in the Trowchester  Blues series.

My love for the previous novels is apparent in the reviews I wrote and the author interview I conducted.  Alex Beecroft brought alive the small village of Trowchester, with its canals, long boats, antique bookshops, Morris Dancers, historic reinactors and characters of every type imaginable, every type except boring and uninspired. Up until now Beecroft has ushered me into her world with such amazing details such as musical instruments of antiquity I yearned to hear, dances I wanted to watch and a place I desperately wanted to be real.  Her characters, wounded, snarky, and amazing made me laugh, cry and nod my head in recognition and joy.   Then came Blue Steel Chain and everything went topsy turvy.

Where to start when everything is unexpected and sometimes hard to understand?

Blue Steel Chain is beautifully written and thought provoking.  And for me, it was also hard, emotionally, to digest at times.  At the heart of all the thoughts and feelings whirling around in my head is the character of Aidan Swift.  At sixteen, already thrown away by his family for his sexuality, he is fair prey for an older man hiding sick, abusive behaviors and deeds.  Now eight years later, Aidan is a perpetually frightened, submissive, abused young man.  Sometimes left chained and alone for hours as punishment, isolated from all around him, his state of mind is one of fear, chaos, an overwhelming need to please and much , much more.

Alex Beecroft makes Aiden so real your heart bleeds for him and your stomach churns during the scenes he has with his abuser.  Trust me, those are hard to take because we have quickly come to love Aiden so.  But Aiden has another secret.  He’s asexual.  That makes those scenes where he is being sexually abused even more problematic.  Why?  Because of the way he sees them.  I thought I understood what  asexuality meant.  Apparently not.

I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a character  (or author for that matter) recently that made me question my assumptions about sexuality and relationships as Aiden and Alex Beecroft have. We live in Aiden’s skin here.  Every moment, every thought that occurs from his  brief secret excursions away from the house where he is kept, out over the meadows, into the local museum where archaeologist James Summers is toiling over the latest batch of “finds” and having his own relationship issues.  Aiden’s brief moments of joy, his initial fear of Jamie, his curiosity and ,man,, this makes me want to cry again, his love of pottery and the art he was forced to abandon…we are there inside him, listening and weeping.  And hoping for a rescue.

Jamie too needs help. We’re let into his point of view as well, important in a story such as this one. His long term  relationship has diminished to the point that he rarely sees his “partner, and when he does, he dissolves into  a doormat for his rockstar lover to walk over. Jamie too is a believable human being, full of frailties, preoccupied with his bits and pieces of antiquity and his life in Trowchester.  It takes the arrival of Aiden in his life to shake up the status quo and get him moving again.  Jamie is not asexual but gay with a healthy appetite that’s been repressed by his current relationship and lover.

There are some incredibly scary scenes that involve characters from the previous stories who help Aiden escape and start a new life.  These moments in the novel are heart-stopping, white-knuckle, “wap your head against the wall” exciting and frustrating, all at the same time.  You know those bits where you are yelling at the actors on the scene to get moving?  Yep, that happens here.  But its what comes later that will blow your perceptions of romance and a relationship to bits.  Some will like it, some will love it and others won’t get it at all.  At times, I was all  three.

Ever think what it must be like to be asexual and love someone who is not?  What does it mean to be in a relationship when one partner loves sex and the other doesn’t?  How does that work?  If it does? Beecroft takes those questions and gives us some answers through the relationship dynamics between Jamie and Aiden.  At times I found myself shaking my head, thinking this can’t possibly work  But a conversation with a friend who is asexual basically confirmed that is does, more often than we think.

Can a relationship work when you must schedule times for sex because to do otherwise is an abuse of another’s wishes and needs?  Can a sexual being truly understand how an asexual person feels and act accordingly?  And visa versa?  These are all issues Alex Beecroft brings into her characters and storyline.  It made me rethink my own assumptions about relationships, what works, what doesn’t and  Steel Blue Chain has left me with even more questions and jumbled ideas, making me revaluate what I thought I knew about people, recovery and love. And did so through the character of a wounded,yet resilient young man called Aiden.

Blue Steel Chain came very close to a five star rating but a few things still bothered me at the end.   There was so much going on here that I thought the idea of all those years of abuse would leave mental, emotional scarring far wore than the physical marks Aiden wore from his time in captivity.  Yes, it was mentioned he was seeing a therapist, but it felt a little glossed over and not in keeping with the realism of the rest of the story.   Perhaps that would have made this a 600 page story, who knows?

Still, I find that Blue Steel Chain is the most ambitious and surprising of the three novels.  Is it my favorite? No. Is it the most remarkable?  Yes, I think so. Blue Steel Chain will challenge your perceptions of love and romance, it will make you rethink your definitions of love and long term happiness.  And it makes me yearn for more of this remarkable village, its incrediblely human and addicting inhabitants, and the stories they still have to tell.

Cover Art by Lou Harper.  I  like the branding, the tone and design works with all three stories but I’m just not sure that model works for any of the characters within.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | All  Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 250 pages
Published July 27th 2015 by Riptide Publishing (first published July 25th 2015)
original titleBlue Steel Chain
ISBN139781626492066
edition languageEnglish

Trowchester: it’s the fourth smallest city in Britain, and visitors sometimes think it hasn’t left the Middle Ages yet. There’s a Bronze Age barrow, a wide network of ley lines, the best tea shop in the county, and more morris dancers than you can shake a stick at. Trowchester attracts those who have been hurt and those who are looking for sanctuary from the modern world. But scratch the surface and there’s murder and mayhem aplenty. People come here to find love, but they’re forced to learn bravery first.

The release order of the Trowchester series is Trowchester Blues, Blue Eyed Stranger, and Blue Steel Chain, but you can start with withichever book catches your eye; they each stand alone. I highly recommend them all.

Trowchester Blues (A Trowchester Blues Novel)
Blue Eyed Stranger (A Trowchester Blues Novel)
Blue Steel Chain (A Trowchester Blues Novel)

Alex Beecroft Returns to Trowchester with Blue Steel Chain (Trowchester Blues #3) A Stunning Novel! – giveaway

BlueSteelChain_600x900

Blue Steel Chain (Trowchester Blues #3)
by Alex Beecroft

Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Cover Artist: Lou Harper

Sales Link: Riptide Publishing

BlueSteelChain_TourBanner

About Blue Steel Chain:

At sixteen, Aidan Swift was swept off his feet by a rich older man who promised to take care of him for the rest of his life. But eight years later, his sugar daddy has turned from a prince into a beast. Trapped and terrified, Aidan snatches an hour’s respite at the Trowchester Museum.

Local archaeologist James Huntley is in a failing long distance relationship with a rock star, and Aidan—nervous, bruised, and clearly in need of a champion—brings out all his white knight tendencies. When everything falls apart for Aidan, James saves him from certain death . . . and discovers a skeleton of another boy who wasn’t so lucky.

As Aidan recovers, James falls desperately in love. But though Aidan acts like an adoring boyfriend, he doesn’t seem to feel any sexual attraction at all. Meanwhile there are two angry exes on the horizon, one coming after them with the press and the other with a butcher’s knife. To be together, Aidan and James must conquer death, sex, and everyone’s preconceptions about the right way to love—even their own.

Blue Steel Chain by Alex Beecroft is available from Riptide Publishing on July 27.

About Author Alex Beecroft

Alex Beecroft is an English author best known for historical fiction, notably Age of Sail, featuring gay characters and romantic storylines. Her novels and shorter works include paranormal, fantasy, and contemporary fiction.

Beecroft won Linden Bay Romance’s (now Samhain Publishing) Starlight Writing Competition in 2007 with her first novel, Captain’s Surrender, making it her first published book. On the subject of writing gay romance, Beecroft has appeared in the Charleston City Paper, LA Weekly, the New Haven Advocate, the Baltimore City Paper, and The Other Paper. She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association of the UK and an occasional reviewer for the blog  HYPERLINK “http://speakitsname.com/” \n _blankSpeak Its Name, which highlights historical gay fiction.

Alex was born in Northern Ireland during the Troubles and grew up in the wild countryside of the English Peak District. She lives with her husband and two children in a little village near Cambridge and tries to avoid being mistaken for a tourist.

Alex is only intermittently present in the real world. She has led a Saxon shield wall into battle, toiled as a Georgian kitchen maid, and recently taken up an 800-year-old form of English folk dance, but she still hasn’t learned to operate a mobile phone.

She is represented by Louise Fury of the L. Perkins Literary Agency.

Connect with Alex:

Website:  “http://alexbeecroft.com/
Blog:  http://alexbeecroft.com/blog
Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/AlexBeecroftAuthor
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Alex_Beecroft
Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/Alex_Beecroftt

BlueSteelChain_TourBanner

Giveaway:

Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a signed paperback from Alex Beecroft’s backlist. (Any title which has a paperback edition, excluding Blue Steel Chain.) Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on July 25. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Don’t forget to add your email so we can contact you if you win!  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

Trowchester Blues ( A Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words ★★★★★ Series)

TrowchesterBlues_Series

Trowchester Blues coverBlue eyed Stranger coverBlueSteelChain_600x900

 

 

 

 

Trowchester: it’s the fourth smallest city in Britain, and visitors sometimes think it hasn’t left the Middle Ages yet. There’s a Bronze Age barrow, a wide network of ley lines, the best tea shop in the county, and more morris dancers than you can shake a stick at. Trowchester attracts those who have been hurt and those who are looking for sanctuary from the modern world. But scratch the surface and there’s murder and mayhem aplenty. People come here to find love, but they’re forced to learn bravery first.

The release order of the Trowchester series is Trowchester Blues, Blue Eyed Stranger, and Blue Steel Chain, but you can start with withichever book catches your eye; they each stand alone.  We highly recommend them all.

– See more at Riptide Publishing’s Trowchester Blues  series page.

 

Its More Storming Love with MLR Press’ Storming Love: Earthquake Collection (giveway)

Earthquake Combo - Release

MLR Press: Storming Love: Earthquake
Publisher: MLR Press
Cover Artist: Kris Jacen

Sales Links: Amazon

 | MLR Press

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Author Mini Interview with Nicole Dennis

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Nicole Dennis, author of Earthquake: Xavier & Devin

Hi Nicole, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

Hello and thanks for having me. I’m a quiet single author with a furry kid – known as Fat Cat. I grew up in NJ and moved to Florida with the family. For some odd reason, I stayed in this sauna of a state. My current book is part of the MLR Press Storming Love series of natural disasters. From the title – this is the Earthquake series, one of six books, all set in the same place during the same disaster. Since everyone is familiar with California quakes, the other authors and I decided to change things up. We chose the great state of Alaska.
• Where do you find your inspiration?
From almost anything can inspire me. A movie, a TV show, another book, and music. Sometimes those darn plot bunnies come all on their own and attack with ideas.

• When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I dabbled for so long, I was always a writer. I became an ‘author’ when I signed my first contract for a short story that was part of an anthology.

• Do your characters become like real people to you?
Oh yes, I argue and complain to them all the time about not cooperating with me or going a completely different direction than I decided.

• If you weren’t a writer, what else would you like to have done?
I would love to have been an artist of some type. No matter what, I have this creative need.

• What do you want your tombstone to say?
LOL. What a question… Umm.
A writer who shared her rainbow with others.

Now more about the Storming Love: Earthquake Collection!

Book Names & Blurbs:

7/3 Gabriel & Avery by Ann Anderson

Earthquake Cover - AnnLoneliness has been Gabriel’s companion for since his parents’ passing, growing with each sibling that leaves home to start their own life. When a big earthquake hits Alaska, Gabriel finds himself taking in Avery, his two daughters, and their grandmother and relishes not being so alone. Yet, Gabriel feels a spark of recognition he can’t explain about Avery, but more than that, he likes the company and wishes he could have a deeper relationship with the man. But when the small family has their new home, what could make Avery want to stay?

7/10 Derek and Hayden by Megan Linden

Earthquake Cover - MeganDerek Warden is certain his boss sent him to cover the conference in the middle of nowhere, Alaska, to punish him for something. After an unpleasant phone call from his father who tries to stop him from going, Derek is ready for the whole thing to be over before it even begins.

Hayden Shaw has been looking forward to this conference for months. The problem of fracking is very dear to his heart and he couldn’t wait to spend the long weekend with like-minded people.
Neither of them expected the big earthquake, but most importantly – they didn’t expect each other. Meeting again after over a decade may result in something even more surprising that the ground trembling under their feet.

7/17 Rhody & Brendan by Diana DeRicci

Earthquake Cover - DianaRhody Witte is on his way to Alaska for two weeks of fishing and not much else. Mountains, clean air, and all the bait he can waste. What he gets is the largest earthquake to rock the Alaskan wilds in sixty-plus years.

Brendan Skorvarski isn’t the kind of man Rhody usually finds himself attracted to, much less want to know, but there’s something in the gentle giant that Rhody can’t seem to resist.

When they’re locked up in a cabin together for days in the Alaskan wilderness, resistance seems futile when survival takes precedence. Especially their survival when Rhody sees a bear outside their window.

7/24 Anders & Ujaruk by Caraway Carter

Earthquake Cover - CarawayGeologist Anders Thorpe has sworn off relationships with colleagues, after his last one ended in a dirty little game of sabotage. Six months later and he’s preparing to camp and investigate a gold mine that might still be active. He’s joined by Ujaruk an archaeologist who fights an inner battle with the fact that he’s a native Aleut, and wondering if he’ll ever find the perfect man.

Will Anders break his vow? Will Ujaruk find the right guy? Will they survive whatever is thrown their way?

7/31 Xavier & Devin by Nicole Dennis

Earthquake Cover - NicoleTremors are a part of everyday life in big Alaska.

Bush pilot, Xavier Markovic, goes with nature’s flow and loves it. He guides guests through Denali National Park to show off his beloved state. Until health issues arise for his mentor, Daniel Chevalier, and Xavier flies him to the hospital.

An almost fatal tumble down a mountain ends Devin Chevalier’s professional mountain biking career and brings him to a crossroads. Learning his grandfather is ill, he makes a rash decision. Uprooting his life for a chance to meet Daniel, he crosses paths with a brash Alaskan.

Alaska throws them another surprise in the form of a huge earthquake. Differences put aside while they struggle to survive.

8/7 Asher and Emmett by Anna Lee

Earthquake Cover - AnnaCelebrating their fifth anniversary, Asher and Emmett are on a romantic getaway in a cabin in Alaska. They have plans to adopt when they return home. But their paradise is destroyed when a huge earthquakes hits. Being a firefighter and a paramedic, both men put themselves at risk to save others when the tragedy strikes. Will they be able to make it home to start a family?

Pages or Words: Varies by book

Categories: Contemporary, Erotica, Gay Fiction, Historical, M/M Romance, Paranormal (Please keep in mind that not all stories feature all categories)

 

Author Names, Bios, and Release Dates:

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7/3 Ann Anderson
Born and raised in Illinois, Ann spends her time reading, writing, working, and playing video games whenever the cats, and her family, don’t demand her attention. The second born of four, Ann has learned to listen and observe, a skill she’s honed because the simplest words or gestures can be the next big story idea, and she’s always on the lookout for ideas.
Contact Info:
E-mail: author_ann_anderson@yahoo.com
Blog: http://authorannanderson.blogspot.com

7/10 Megan Linden
Megan is one of those people who dreamed of being a writer since they were a little kid and then didn’t do anything about it for years. Then as a teenager she was introduced to fandom and… well. She fell head first into it and never looked back. At some point she decided to try writing her own characters in her own stories. And that’s where she is today.
Megan is also a psychologist and continues to learn the hard way that she can’t give all her clients their happy ending (she truly believes everyone can save themselves, though). That’s why she makes sure to give it to her characters, always.
Contact Info:
Email: meganlindencom@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/megan.linden.54
Website/Blog: http://www.meganlinden.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7789392.Megan_Linden

7/17 Diana DeRicci
Diana DeRicci is the sexy, flirty pen name of Diana Castilleja. A romance author at heart, DeRicci’s writing takes you into a saucier spectrum of sensuality and sexual adventure, where a happily-ever-after is still the key to any story. Diana lives in Central Texas with her husband, one son and a feisty little Chihuahua named Rascal. You can catch the latest news on all of Diana DeRicci’s writing and books on her website. Feel free to drop Diana an email. She’d love to hear from you.
Contact Info:
Website/Blog: http://dianadericci.com/

7/24 Caraway Carter
Caraway Carter has worn numerous hats. He’s been a furniture salesman, a dresser, a costumer, an actor/waiter, a rabble rouser, a poet and most recently a writer. He married his husband on Halloween and they are the loving parents of two rambunctious cats. He loves words and stringing them together, he loves sex and sexy men, he loves seeing how far his muse will take him and he’s looking forward to entertaining you.
Contact Info:
Email: carawaycarter@gmail.com
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/CarawayCarter?fref=nf
Website/Blog: http://www.carawaycarter.com/
Goodreads: Group: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13539002.Caraway_Carter

7/31 Nicole Dennis
A quiet one growing up, Nicole Dennis left reality for the comfort of books, filling a personal library over the years. Characters started talking about their own stories. Writing them down whether during or after class, she continues to this day. She lets others meet her characters, walk through her worlds, and sigh as a romance overcomes all obstacles. All of her romances include delightful twists of GLBT, paranormal, fantasy, and erotica and always have their Happily Ever Afters.
She lives and works in Central Florida. Thanks to a quiet working environment, she can escape into her stories. At home, a semi-demonic tortie calico, affectionately known as Fat Cat on social media, rules their home.
Contact Info:
Email: nicoledennis.author@gmail.com
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nicoledennis.author/
Website/Blog: http://nicoledennisauthor.blogspot.com
Goodreads: Member: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2791975.Nicole_Dennis

8/7 Anna Lee
Anna Lee graduated from the University of California Riverside with a Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing. Living with a disability, she has overcome many challenges and puts her passion for life and love into her writing. She lives with her family and dogs and enjoys writing late into the night. When she isn’t writing, Anna enjoys spending time with her nieces and nephew or chatting with her friends about her favorite books and TV shows.
Contact Info:
Email: annalee509@gmail.com
Twitter: annalee59
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/authorannalee
Website/Blog: http://www.storiesbyannalee.com

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $30 gift card.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by the MLR Press and Pride Promotions.
Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Final

Tour Dates & Stops:
9-Jul
Dawn’s Reading Nook
16-Jul
The Hat Party
Bayou Book Junkie
23-Jul
Velvet Panic
30-Jul
Mikky’s World of Books
Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
6-Aug
Hearts on Fire
Jessie G. Books
13-Aug
MM Good Book Reviews
The Novel Approach
20-Aug
Happily Ever Chapter
Prism Book Alliance
27-Aug
Inked Rainbow Reads
BFD Book Blog
Love Bytes

There’s a New LGBTQIA Press In Town! Welcome to NineStar Press (Launch & Competition)

NineStar Press logo

 

There’s a new LGBTQIA Press in town.  NineStar Press is no open for business…early!  Check them out and enter their fabulous contest for 52 free  books!

Welcome to NineStar Press!

“We’re so thrilled now to let you know that the full NineStar Press website is live! You can check it out here: http://www.ninestarpress.com . We hope it appeals to you, and that you find our brand something you’d be happy to promote in future. We really love how it’s turned out, and we can’t wait until our big launch in November so we can start bringing our books to readers!

And speaking of readers, we’ve just opened a competition for one lucky reader to win free NineStar Press books for a year: http://ninestarpress.com/competition/ . One free book a week, every week, for a whole year — 52 free books!

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr to keep up to date on the new releases and authors at NineStar Press!  Or just sign up for our newsletter email!

Many thanks, NineStar Press”

A Paul B Review: Needing Noel (Moon Pack #14) by Amber Kell

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars                   ★★★★

Needing Noel coverNoel lost his first mate and their daughter to a fire more than ten years ago.  Will he be able to accept his second mate after such a devastating loss?

Noel Thistleborn has spent the last few years as personal assistant to the king of the fae.  He tries to keep busy to help him forget about the fire that killed both his mate and their daughter.  As part of his duties, he must organize the dragon-mating ball that is being put on by King Kylen.  While he would prefer not to attend the ball itself, Kylen has ordered all single fae must show up.  Kylen gives a concession to Noel in that he can make a brief appearance before he may leave for the night.

Hartmut (Hart) has had a crush on the dragon leader for a number of years.  However, Rhaegar has recently met his mates, a fae and a wolf shifter.  Now he wants the same kind of unconditional love that he sees his friend has.  He hopes that the upcoming ball being held by the fae king to help dragons find their mates will produce some positive results.

When Hart arrives at the ball, his dragon smells something wonderful and indicates to Hart that his mate is in the area.   He tracks Noel down and tells him that he believes Noel is his mate.  Noel tells Hart that he has already had a mate and he does not want another one.  When Hart explains that unlike fae, dragons may only get one mate and that he just wants to get to know Noel better, Noel agrees to a dinner date.  However, having been initially turned down by Noel, Hart wonders if it is even worth the bother.

As the party is winding down, Rhaeger informs Noel that while Hart is a dragon, he has a soft heart.  Just as he is ready to leave, Noel is confronted by his former brother-in-law and is told that the fire almost ten years ago was not what it may seem.  Could either his first mate or his daughter still be alive?  How will Noel convince Hart that he does truly want him while finding answers to questions his brother-in-law put forth?

This fourteenth book in the Moon Pack delivers, as have previous books.  I have enjoyed how Ms. Kell has expanded the universe in the series.  This has allowed her flexibility to keep the series continuing to great success.  The one issue I did have with the book was the epilogue.  While it does further the overall Moon Pack storyline of Anthony becoming a full fledge god grandson of Zeus, the three characters in the epilogue appeared no where else in the book except for brief mentions by the main characters in the story.  Those who have not been reading the series might not know what to make of seemingly extra material.

The cover design by Meredith Russell is simply stunning.  The top half of the cover has our two protagonists shirtless standing in some room.  The bottom half shows Hart’s dragon either landing or about to take off with his wings fully extended beside the fae castle.

Sales Links:  All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

Ebook:  84 pages
Published:  July 17, 2015 by Amber Kell Books
ASIN:  B011YXUIVC
Edition:  English
Series:  Moon Pack

  • Attracting Anthony (Moon Pack #1)
  • Baiting Ben (Moon Pack #2)
  • Courting Calvin (Moon Pack #3)
  • Denying Dare (Moon Pack #4)
  • Enticing Elliott (Moon Pack #5)
  • Finding Ferro (Moon Pack #6)
  • Getting Gabe (Moon Pack #7)
  • Hunting Henry (Moon Pack #8)
  • Inflaming Inno (Moon Pack #9)
  • Judging Jager (Moon Pack #10)
  • Keeping Kylen (Moon Pack #11)
  • Loving Leif (Moon Pack #12)
  • Marking Mikel (Moon Pack #13)
  • Needing Noel (Moon Pack #14)

A Stella Review: Crossing Borders (Crossing Borders #1) by Z.A. Maxfield

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

Two dudes walk into a bookstore…

Crossing Borders coverTristan knows he’s got issues. His latest ex-girlfriend knows it too. He can’t blame her for dumping him—even though she gets her brother to do it for her. Since he can’t stop staring at said brother’s package, he figures it’s about time to put a label on those issues. He likes guys.

He heads to a local bookstore with what he’s sure is a foolproof plan to find someone to show him what he’s been missing. But who should crash his little adventure? Officer Michael Truax, who gave him a really expensive ticket back in high school for skateboarding without a helmet.

Michael has been trying to catch Tristan for years…to give him a second ticket. Suddenly faced with “Sparky”, all grown up and looking to get laid, Michael’s protective instinct kicks in—and presents him with an opportunity that’s hard to resist. After all, the kid must know what he’s getting into, so why not? 

But when a man with a plan connects with a man with a hunger, the result is nothing short of explosive.

Crossing Borders is the first book written by the talented ZA Maxfield in the 2007 and the first published work. This second edition by Samhain pub is not so different from the first one. I liked the author’s note at the start of the book, she was right, it was fun to see how things has changed in almost 10 years.

I didn’t read the first edition and I can tell you why. Honestly I didn’t like the old cover, at all. I know I’m a totally cover whore so I couldn’t pass the book anymore when I saw the amazing new one made  by Kanaxa. It’s simply beautiful or better, HE is beautiful. And I’m not going to talk about freckles or red hair, my truest weaknesses.

It was a while when I didn’t read a ZAM’s book, I forgot how well she can writes and creates amazing characters. And how hot too her stories are! I loved the chemistry between Tristan and Michael, or as they call each other, Sparky and Officer Helmet. Crossing Borders went straight to my fave shelf. It has everything I want in a story. First of all well defined characters. Tristan and Michael were perfect, their story was, i don’t know how to say better, almost dissected and told us in detail, just how a real relationship would have developed. They were adorable in their bickering, in their loveable loving.

The story was sweet too and if you have read other reviews I wrote you know I need my books to be sugary (this one just a little bit). There were some really hilarious parts, that lightened it even more. Moreover I enjoyed the second characters too a lot, especially their moms, supportive, caring and loving.

The age difference, which I love in my books, wasn’t so huge as I was expecting. Considering Tristan is so young, just 19 years old, it could have been more evident but I didn’t feel it at all.

What I loved more in the story was the feeling of belonging I got from the MCs even when they weren’t full aware of it yet. It kept me from put the book down for a minute.

There was some drama but no angst in the book; the only thing that bothered me a little was the part just before the ending, it ruffled something that was too smooth to upset to me, I could have done without easily. That’s why I haven’t give Crossing Borders a full five stars rating but it’s there, I am just being a nit picker! So highly recommended.

COVER ART by Kanaxa.I already said it was this cover that pushed me to finally read Crossing Borders but I want to add that I love her art style, especially in some m/m series she’s working on, like The Plumber’s Mate or The Shamwell Tales by JL Merrow, or the Love Lessons by Heidi Cullinan but most of all the Bend or Break by Amy Jo Cousins. I find them clean but always fitting the stories in their simplicity.\

Sales Links:  Samhain Publishing  |  All Romance (ARe)  |  Amazon  |  Buy It Here

BOOK DETAILS

Published August 4th 2015 by Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Kindle Edition, 271 pages
ASIN B00YE202W6
Edition Language English

previously published story, 2nd edition

Its Fantasy and Romance with Surrounded by Crimson (Sumeria’s Sons #4) by Lexi Ander (excerpt and giveaway)

Print

Surrounded by Crimson (Sumeria’s Sons #4) by Lexi Ander
Release Date: July 1, 2015

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Goodreads Link
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Cover Artist: Londen Burden

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Sales Link:   Less Than Three Press | Amazon

 

STRW Author BookSynopsis

Tristan has agreed to bond with Ushna but there is still much to do and returning to Tribe Enkidu puts everyone on edge. Tristan is being stalked like prey all the while fighting depression as he mourns the loss of Nikita and enduring a battle of wills with the Elder Council over his birthright. The pleading of his adoptive daughter only adds still more stress to the situation.

Stumbling onto a secret prison while searching for Ushna leads Tristan to risk everything to free a lost God. But breaking the tie to his Flame has more repercussions than Tristan knew and the assistance of a forgotten Goddess and a centuries old lover may not be enough to save him.

Pages or Words: 48,000 words

Categories: M/M Romance, Menage/Poly, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

Ushna was out of the car and greeting his parents before I unbuckled the seatbelt. Hami wasn’t as tall as his son but he was wide, very wide, barrel-chested with a set of deltoids on him the size of small children. His dark hair was cut above the ears and I’d never seen the man without at least three days growth of facial hair. It looked good on him. That kind of scruff made me resemble a bum.

Donya was tall and lean, one of those women who had a natural sway when she walked. Her blue-black hair fell to her waist in thick glossy waves. Her skin was a deep almond, darker than her husband’s or son’s, and her bright, emerald-green eyes were large and expressive.

They both greeted Ushna with festive exuberance, and why not? I’d kept him away from them for a very long time. I observed them for a moment over the hood of the SUV. Hami picked his son up in a bear hug, laughing loud and boisterous. Donya took his face between her palms as she gazed deeply into his bi-colored eyes—eyes that were forever changed by me. At that thought, I wondered how they truly perceived me. My stomach rolled with anxiety-induced queasiness.

With all the grace of someone my size, I made my way into the house, leaving Ushna to his family reunion. I had hoped we wouldn’t see them until after the children were born. I’d entered the home stretch of my pregnancy. Even with the ring of illusion, I had a hard time hiding my condition. Early in my pregnancy, Gregori had fashioned a ring of magic, creating the illusion that hid my continually growing stomach and constructed a normal appearance.

A pregnant male wasn’t something we wanted to explain to humans. With the looming threat of assassination, if my identity was discovered, we thought it best to continue to keep my birthright a secret until after the children were born. So I’d continue to wear the illusion even though the ring wasn’t much help now. The giveaway was in the walk and the way I stood. People could see there was something different by how I held my body and it couldn’t be helped. I was able to hurry, in spurts, and then I lumbered like an elephant—very National Geographic.

Neesie followed me into the kitchen. She was dressed differently than what I’d become accustomed to. Gone were the combat boots, black jeans, and white tees. She wore a pale blue silk blouse, a pinstriped pencil skirt, and knee-high black stiletto boots. She appeared fierce in a whole new way.

“Why didn’t you wait and greet Ushna’s parents?” she asked.

With a plate in hand, I inspected the cold cuts tray that sat on the kitchen counter. I was starved and wanted something quick to eat before everyone came in. When I didn’t answer Neesie, she took the plate from me and started placing fresh vegetables on it.

“I thought I’d give them some time to catch up,” I finally replied. It wasn’t a complete lie. “They haven’t had their son to themselves in quite some time. They don’t need me hanging out in the background.”

Neesie pinned me with her golden-brown gaze. “That is such bullshit and you know it. What’s the real issue?”

I quirked a smile at her. “You know I love ya?”

“Yes, and you’re the one who called me for dating advice because you suck at subtle. Your ‘hey moron, get your hands off my sister’ ranked right up there.”

“I can’t help it if Mr. Octopus Arms was oblivious to his audience.”

“Go ahead and keep playing that song because I know you still refer to him as Lonnie Fucking-Fowler. Before you walked into the house, your face turned green and you practically sprinted in here.”

“Ahh, stampede!” I gave mock crowd screams. Neesie was not impressed.

“Spill, jackass.” She shoved a full plate into my hands and a chair under my ass. Neesie glared at me but her expression was filled with concern.

“Fine, you tyrant. I wanted to make a good impression. I wanted to be able to show them that I am a strong partner and worthy of their son’s love and devotion. But right now I’m huge, and miserable, and swollen, and hungry. Why did you give me carrots? You know I hate carrots. You’re trying to torture me, aren’t you? I’m an elephant, not a rabbit. I get like peanuts or something, not Bugs Bunny hand-me-downs.” I threw the carrot at my cackling sister. The woman was not remorseful.

“Tristan.”

I threw another carrot at Neesie before turning to see who called for me. I swallowed a curse as I faced Donya. She stood in the doorway, her large green eyes soft and liquid as she searched my expression.

“Ma’am?” Embarrassingly, my voice cracked like I was fourteen years old.

“How can we not be proud of you, son?” Donya crossed the room in a smooth glide and gently took me in her arms. “We’ve always been proud of you, Tristan, don’t ever believe differently.” Tentatively I embraced her in return and ignored Neesie’s sniffles.

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STRW Author Bio and Contacts

Lexi has always been an avid reader, and at a young age started reading (secretly) her mother’s romances (the ones she was told not to touch). She was the only teenager she knew of who would be grounded from reading. Later, with a pencil and a note book, she wrote her own stories and shared them with friends because she loved to see their reactions. A Texas transplant, Lexi now kicks her boots up in the Midwest with her Yankee husband and her eighty-pound puppies named after vacuum cleaners.

Where to find the author:
Web site: http://www.lexiander.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexi.ander.9
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LexiAnder1
Blog: http://lexiander.blogspot.com/
E-mail: lexi.ander.author@gmail.com

 

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Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and Prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions. Enter to win the Rafflecopter Prizes:
• Prize offered: $20 Amazon Gift card, $20 All Romance Gift card, hard copy of Surrounded by Crimson, swag (pens, bookmarks)
• $20 All Romance Gift card, hard copy of Surrounded by Crimson, swag (pens, bookmarks)
• hard copy of Surrounded by Crimson, swag (pens, bookmarks)
• e-book copy of Surrounded by Crimson
• e-book copy of Surrounded by Crimson

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A MelanieM Review: Fallout (Flight HA1710 #4) by Meredith Russell

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Can missing a fatal flight be the wake up call Harrison needs?

Fallout coverWhen Harrison Kelley is banned from getting on Flight HA1710, it seems to be the perfect ending to a crappy couple of days. Not only did he wreck a wedding, but he’s drunk way too much and been on the receiving end of the groom’s brother’s fists. Being escorted out of the airport by security was just the icing on the wedding cake.

Elijah Pettifer has lusted after Harrison from afar for years but Harrison never sees him as anything more than a friend. If he ever saw him at all. While attempting to defend what little honor Harrison has left, Elijah gets caught up in the wave of chaos surrounding his teenage crush. But missing his flight home because of Harrison’s mess might just be the luckiest thing to ever happen to him.

With a 24 hour ban imposed by the airport, and having only each other for company, the two men grow closer. But will the fate of the airplane they should have been on be the push Harrison needs to walk away from the toxic relationship of his past? And can Elijah make Harrison see exactly what he’s been missing out on because of it?

The saga of doomed Flight HA1710 continues with Fallout by Meredith Russell.  This time the crash and aftermath affects not the passengers or crew but two people who missed the flight.  Harrison Kelley’s closeted boyfriend of many, many years is getting married, only not to Harrison but to an unsuspecting woman.  Harrison is but one of the wedding party at a destination wedding attended by many of a close set of friends.  One of those friends is Elijah Pettifer, is  crazy about Harrison, has been since their school  days but Elijah has always been overlooked because of Harrison’s passion for Anthony,  your basic self centered user.

Now all gather to celebrate Anthony’s wedding and the situation combusts when Anthony not only expresses his intention of continuing their “secret” affair after the wedding but is caught by Harrison with another man.  Talk about an unhealthy relationship.

And that’s part of my issue with this story.   So much of it is Harrison acting like a jerk, weeping over his long term affair with the closeted Anthony, who is as self serving as he is  emotionally cold.  Harrison, of course, gets drunk and acts out, and behaves generally like a “lover scorned” instead of the adult he is supposed to be.  Harrison’s connection to Anthony is almost one of obsession, one that’s a little masochistic at that.  If, as a reader, you connect to Harrison’s misplaced (and years long) passion for Anthony and sympathize with him, then you will like this story.  If, like me, you found yourself growing tired of his whining and actions, then you will find yourself getting impatient with the characters and the storyline.

Elijah is a caring person, a man who lusts after Harrison because of a drunken kiss in their youth. Yes, there is a pattern of alcohol abuse (Harrison’s) that is not directly addressed here and I think it should have been given its many mentions in the plot.  It takes most of the story before Harrison is able to see him as a person and treats him accordingly.  And yes, it often felt as though Elijah had a doormat in place of a spine.

What saves this book for me is the lack of instant love and a relationship. This is definitely a “promise” of more, instead of an actual romance.  The aftermath of the crash and the emotional impact is handled believably.  The character of Harrison feels realistic too, he’s just not someone I connected with.  For me, it was a nice story in a collection of novels I’m enjoying but not an especially memorable one.

Cover art by Meredith Russell.  Wonderful covers for this series, great for branding and for the characters in each story.

Sales Links:  All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook
Published July 3rd 2015 by Smashwords Edition
ISBN13 9781785640162
series Flight HA1710 #4
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Flight HA1710 series

6 authors, 6 primary works

When Flight HA1710 crashes killing seven people the after effects are too many to think on. But how does the crash change people’s lives? From the pilot to the guy who missed the plane we chart the stories of those whose lives were impacted by the crash.

 

A Paul B Review: Remy’s Painter (The Werewolves of Manhattan #2) by A.C. Katt

 Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Remy's Painter coverRemy Clavier has just taken over as second in command of the North American Council of Werewolves and Garou Corporation. While searching for a base of operations in Manhattan, he finds a series of buildings in Brooklyn. As soon as he can get his townhome renovated, he can move out of the leader’s condo that he is staying in while the Alpha and his mate go on a year long combined honeymoon and business trip.

Ian Sullivan is desperate. His brother and father have been killed in a car accident. However, Ian believes that it was no accident. He believes that their deaths are attributed to the loans that his brother owes to Sal Ferrara, a member of one of the New York mobs. During the funeral, the mobster comes to Ian and tells him that he know owes his brothers debt. He can either pay up or become his personal sex toy. He gives Ian until Friday to come up with the first payment or else Ian becomes his.

Not wanting to have anything to do with the Sal, Ian decides to keep the one appointment remaining before his family was killed. Now being a one-man operation instead of three, he knows there it little chance of getting the job. He vows he would rather kill himself before he has to fulfill the terms set out by Sal.

When Remy opens the door to the man who is bidding to repaint the townhome, he recognizes two things. First, Ian is his mate. Second, the desperation smell coming of Ian. Third, the man is human. He makes up his mind to convince the young man to be his. He bends over backwards to award the job to Ian. Then he sets out a plan to convince Ian to accept that werewolves are real and that he can help him solve his problem with his mob stalker. When Remy sends representatives to pay off the debt, he is flatly refused. Remy realizes that this is personal. How can he solve Ian’s problems without starting a war with the mob?

I enjoyed this second novel in the Werewolves of Manhattan series. It follows the same basic premise of the first in which a human is in trouble and stumbles into his werewolf mate rescuer. Sal is a decent bad guy and furthers the story line of the tense relationship between the New York mafia and those of North American Council of Werewolves. I expect this tension to continue in further novels.

The gorgeous cover by Winterheart Designs shows depiction of Remy and Ian as I would picture them with Remy’s wolf howling at a moon. This is set above a New York skyline.

Sales Links:   MLR Press  |  All Romance (ARe) |  Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:
Add it to your Goodreads List here
EBook: 172 pages
ASIN: B0106CFR7C
Published: June 2015 by MLR Press
Edition: English
Series: The Werewolves of Manhattan:
His Omega (Werewolves of Manhattan #1)
Remy’s Painter (Werewolves of Manhattan #2)