Category: LGBTQ YA Fiction

Sean McKissack’s ‘To Be a Different Someone’ Book Blitz and Giveaway

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Title:  To Be A Different Someone

Author: Sean McKissack

Publisher: Torquere Press

Release Date: August 17, 2016

Heat Level: 1 – No Sex

Pairing: Male/Female

Length: 53,000 Words

Genre: Romance, Young Adult,

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Synopsis

James Kane could be summed up in one word: loser. He silently lived as a ghost amongst his parents and he had zero friends at school…unless you count his cousin who had to defend him against the abusive Matt Tracker.

When his parents divorce, James moves to Montana and stays with his grandmother, where he makes an extreme adjustment to his life-becoming a different someone named Jennifer. The transition comes with frightening issues Jennifer never thought of. After two years of recovery, she returns to her old high school to start over but she meets up with her past tormenter and gets caught in a web of secrets as she finds herself falling in love.

Her conscious gets the best of her as she tries to be truthful to Matt about who she once was, but will he accept her as his girlfriend, Jennifer, when she was once his punching bag, James?

Excerpt

“Do I need to blame this on your father?”
“If I had a penny for every time I heard that…”
“James.”
“I’m not James, I’m Jennifer. I have it on m’license, birth certificate and my school enrollment. Do I have to show you the rest of me to prove it?”
“No, that’s not necessary.”
“It’s not new. I am who I’ve always been”
“No, you used to be named James.”
“I also used to be ‘this close’ to slitting my wrists.”
“I think you need to leave.”

Purchase

Torquere Press

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Meet the Author

Sean McKissack’s ability to view the world around him and find a story and truth enables him to prepare the stage in a reader’s mind for a heart-felt life cinema. His writings epitomize the good and the bad in life, the joys and the pain, culminating in the coming of age and wisdom.

Sean hails from Southaven, Mississippi and he’s always thinking of new stories to write while looking for that perfect cup of coffee.

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A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: Run for it All by Carolyn Levine Topol

Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

run-for-it-allDavid Martin isn’t happy when he finds out he has to go live with his father and his father’s partner while his mothers are overseas on a work-related project during his sophomore year.  But his tune changes after he gets to know Kevin Ringer, the captain of the track team—the young man who will eventually be David’s lover.

During the first six months or so, living with his dad and his dad’s partner, Scott, who also happens to be his high school track coach, he’s shocked by how much he comes to appreciate Scott. So much in his life changes within such a short time that he finds himself wishing for even more time with Kevin, Scott, and his dad, who has now become very important to him. It surprises them all when he reveals how much he now respects Scott and even loves him, and he makes Scott’s day when he announces he’s decided to call Scott Pop. 

There’s plenty of drama throughout the story as his father learns the meaning of being a full time parent and acquires the skills to express his love and respect for his son; there’s also an ongoing issue with the track team member who was previously involved in an attack on Kevin.  And, of course, there’s the love story developing between David and Kevin and David’s angst over whether or not he has to leave behind everything and everyone he’s grown to love.

It might have been a good story, but I didn’t care for the author’s writing style, including the portrayal of David’s character and personality, which I comment on further below.  But—here’s one of my biggest quirks with the writing—when the author first used the phrase “(he) rolled his lips,” I thought it was supremely awkward, but then it was used again and I started to squirm. The third time, I began to highlight the instances on my app and ultimately found it was used 8 times!  I’m sorry, but no. First, it’s too weird to picture, and second, that’s way too many times to use a term like that in one story.  I’m surprised the editor didn’t pick up on it.

Another issue, and granted, I may be very old-fashioned, but I found the way David spoke, whether with family or friends, to be extremely mature and somewhat formal. Yes, he’s a smart kid and was raised by intelligent women, but I just felt his language and behaviors were over-the-top too formal and mature for a fifteen year old. And speaking of fifteen—I also found it odd that both sets of parents saw no issue in letting the boys stay overnight in each other’s homes, knowing they were having sex. I may have lost touch with today’s reality, but there wouldn’t be full, penetrative sex in my home and condoned by me if my child was that age. Thankfully, the sex was off page, but I’m still surprised because most YA books I’ve read have held off mentioning having full sex until both boys were eighteen.

So, although the book was okay, and I liked a few parts, primarily the relationship between David and his two “dads,” I wouldn’t recommend it.

The cover by Alexandria Corza features head shots of two young men set against a background of a track meet, depicting the primary focus of the story.

Sales Links

Harmony Ink Press

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Book Details:

ebook, 200 pages
Expected publication: September 22nd 2016 by Harmony Ink Press
ISBN 1634770668 (ISBN13: 9781634770668)
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Free Dreamer Young Adult Release Day Review: Do-Gooder by J. Leigh Bailey

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

do-gooder-by-j-leigh-baileyNo good deed goes unpunished, and for seventeen-year-old Isaiah Martin, that’s certainly the case. The gun he was caught with wasn’t even his, for God’s sake. He only had it to keep a friend from doing something stupid. No one wants to hear it though, and Isaiah is banished—or so it seems to him—to live with his missionary father in politically conflicted Cameroon, Africa.

However, when he arrives, his father is so busy doing his good deeds that he sends Henry, the young, surprisingly hot do-gooder with a mysterious past, to pick up Isaiah and keep him out of trouble. Even while Isaiah is counting down the days until he can go home, he and Henry get caught in the political unrest of the region. Kidnapped by militant forces, the two have to work together to survive until they are rescued—unless they manage to find a way to save each other first.

“Do-Gooder” was an exciting, action-packed read. The romance mostly took a back seat, since the protagonists were a little busy trying to survive.

I mostly decided to read this book because of the setting. Not a lot of m/m books are set in Africa and I’ve always liked reading about exotic places. We don’t get to read much about the culture, though, since the story is mostly set in the middle of nowhere, with our two protagonists as prisoners of international mercenaries. I didn’t mind too much, since there were plenty of other things to keep me interested.

It’s interesting how the author managed to keep the story so suspenseful, even though it’s mostly set in a single hut and the MCs mostly just talk. Still, there’s the constant worry about Isaiah’s health, the mystery of Henry’s past and of course the mystery of why they were kidnapped and the worry about the next step of the kidnappers.

Even more amazing is the fact that she also managed to keep the feel of the story very realistic. All the explanations we get throughout made sense and the whole plot seemed like something that could totally happen under those circumstances.

The one part I didn’t really like was the romance. Not so much that it played only a minor role, but Isaiah’s feelings felt awfully rushed. It’s pretty much insta-love for him, which is a trope I despise. I didn’t quite buy into the intensity of the feelings. It read more like a crush to me and they just didn’t spend enough time with each other for me to believe that this was grounds for a serious relationship. Maybe Henry’s POV would have helped, because we only get to see Isaiah’s side. As it is, I didn’t really get the impression that Henry was returning Isaiah’s feelings for a long time.

The result was that I didn’t buy into the ending either. It felt like a forced HEA and pretty unrealistic. A HFN ending might have worked better, at least for me.

If you’re looking for a light, fun read, keep looking. This is not the book for you.

If, however, you’re looking for an action packed story full of intrigues and mystery, with a dash of romance, you’ll love this book.

The cover by Aaron Anderson represents the story perfectly: bullet holes and the all-important backpack with an African landscape on it. I’m not too fond of the background colour, but otherwise this is a great cover.

Sales Links

Harmony Ink Press

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Book details:

ebook, 200 pages
Expected publication: September 15th 2016 by Harmony Ink Press
ISBN 1634772903 (ISBN13: 9781634772907)
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: Into You by Jay Northcote

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

into-you-by-jay-northcoteWhat do you do when the body you wake up in isn’t yours?

Olly and Scott promised to be best friends forever. They grew up on the same street, went to the same school, and did everything together. But one hot summer night, teenage experimentation caused hurt feelings and confusion, and their friendship was destroyed.

Four years later they’re both eighteen years old and in their final term at school. Scott is a football star and Olly’s preparing for a main role in the school play. After a heated argument in the street—witnessed by their mysterious, elderly neighbor—they wake up the next morning stuck in each other’s bodies.

With no idea how to get back to normal, they have to co-operate in order to hide their secret. Spending time together rekindles their friendship, yet feelings run deeper for both of them. With the end of school fast approaching, the clock is ticking. Unless they discover how to change back, they could be stuck in the wrong bodies forever.

Olly and Scott haven’t spoken in years and when Scott speeds around a corner on his way home in his shiny new car, he scares Olly so much he falls from his bike, hurting him in the process.  Instead of making up, however, the two have a heated argument, and Olly limps home, heartbroken that the guy he once thought he loved could be so mean.

What he doesn’t know is that Scott is equally sad about losing his friend and about the way they parted soon after an experimental kiss when they were fourteen. Scott doesn’t quite know why Olly turned away from him, not realizing that he broke Olly’s heart, but he accepts that it’s just the way it is, and it’s unlikely to change.  Unfortunately for both boys, their elderly neighbor, Miss Wychwood, doesn’t see it as unchangeable, and she and her magic are about to turn the boys’ world upside down.

When they wake up the next morning, they discover just how upside down they are as Olly looks at Scott’s body in Scott’s mirror and Scott looks at Olly’s in his.  Somehow, they’ve switched and both are in a panic to switch back.  But this is the start of what, at first, is a forced closeness and later grows to renewed friendship and then ultimately to admitting their love for each other.

The story is lighthearted, sweet, humorous, and entertaining.  I enjoyed the author’s writing style as much as I enjoyed the way the story unfolded.  The characters were three dimensional, their parents realistic, and their schoolmates typical. What a great way to spend my reading time! I recommend this to all who enjoy a lighthearted young adult/new adult MM romance.

The cover by Garrett Leigh features a close-up of a cute young man against a bright blue background.  It doesn’t tell the story, but it is attention-getting. 

Sales Links

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 170 pages
Expected publication: September 9th 2016 by Jaybird Press
ASINB01LK3XK66
Edition LanguageEnglish

What Happens When Love Pulls a Switch? Find Out with ‘Into You’ by Jay Northcote (release day blog)

Jay Northcote – Into You

Author: Jay Northcote
 
Cover Design: Garrett Leigh @ Black Jazz Design
Length: 57,000 words
 
Release Date: September 9 2016
 
Buy Links: Amazon US Amazon UK
 

Blurb

 
What do you do when the body you wake up in isnít yours?


Olly and Scott promised to be best friends forever. They grew up on the same street, went to the same school, and did everything together. But one hot summer night, teenage experimentation caused hurt feelings and confusion, and their friendship was destroyed.


Four years later theyíre both eighteen years old and in their final term at school. Scott is a football star and Ollyís preparing for a main role in the school play. After a heated argument in the streetówitnessed by their mysterious, elderly neighbouróthey wake up the next morning stuck in each otherís bodies.


With no idea how to get back to normal, they have to co-operate in order to hide their secret. Spending time together rekindles their friendship, yet feelings run deeper for both of them. With the end of school fast approaching, the clock is ticking. Unless they discover how to change back, they could be stuck in the wrong bodies forever.

 

 

Excerpt


The sound of music playing pulled Scott from a thick blanket of sleep into wakefulness. He lay curled on his side; his room was darker than usual, as though someone had come in and closed the blinds while he slept. His bed felt weird, softer than it should be, and it smelled different.

He sat up, blinking in confusion as he looked around. He took in the room, the details unclear in the half-light that crept around the edges of the blind, but it was enough for him to realise where he was.

The posters on the wall were new, but the layout hadn’t changed in four years.

What the fuck?

It wasn’t possible. Logic told Scott there was no way this could be happening.

He’d gone to sleep in his own bed—he hadn’t been drunk or high. So why the hell was he waking up in Olly’s room with no recollection of how he got there? And where the hell was Olly? The music that had woken him was coming from a phone on a docking station by the bed. He picked it up and pressed some buttons until it stopped. His brain was fogged with sleep and he couldn’t think clearly.

Scott got out of bed on shaky legs. His hip ached as though it was bruised.

Actually, his whole body felt weird. Perhaps he was sick? Maybe this was all some bizarre hallucination?

Pulling the cord to raise the blind, Scott flooded the room with light. He looked down at himself, only….

He closed his eyes and shook his head. When he opened them again, he still didn’t see himself. His body was too thin, his skin too pale, the hair on his legs darker than usual, and he definitely didn’t own any snug purple briefs like the ones he was currently wearing.

Stomach roiling with disbelief and terror, Scott turned to the full-length mirror on the wall and blinked.

Olly’s reflection stared back looking as horrified as Scott felt. Scott raised his hands to his face, and so did Olly in the mirror.

“This isn’t happening,” he said.

The voice was Olly’s too, softer and a little higher-pitched than Scott’s own.

It was the weirdest, most vivid dream Scott had ever had.

He pinched himself hard. “Ouch!”

Why wasn’t he waking up?


Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep!

Olly shot up, heart pounding at the shrill sound. He opened his eyes and blinked in the sunlight.

Ugh. Too bright.

He looked around wildly and closed his eyes again, refusing to believe what he saw. Obviously he wasn’t awake yet because he couldn’t be in Scott’s room. He hadn’t set foot in Scott’s house in years.

Olly cracked his eyes open again but still saw the white walls, the posters of Scott’s football heroes that Olly remembered from years ago, and the freakishly tidy desk that definitely wasn’t his.

The alarm clock by the bed was still making an awful racket, so he found the button to silence it.

“Scott?” he said hesitantly, then coughed.

What the fuck was wrong with his throat? His voice was deep and rough sounding. Oh God, no, please don’t let him be getting a cold. He couldn’t afford to lose his voice with all the play rehearsals coming up.

He pushed the duvet off and swung his legs around to get out of bed. He’d find

Scott and work out what the hell was going on. Maybe he had some weird amnesia after his accident yesterday, although he hadn’t hit his head. There had to be some explanation for why he was apparently in Scott’s bed rather than his own.

Then Olly looked down at his legs—and froze.

They were thicker and more muscular than they should be. Olly only dreamed of having legs like that. The hairs on them were light brown instead of dark, the skin more tanned. He looked at his hands, they were all wrong too, thicker and sturdier than they should be. He lifted one to run it through his hair, the way he often did in times of crisis.

“What the fuck?” No long floppy fringe falling in his eyes. Instead he found short-cropped hair and his ear piercings were gone.

Now convinced he was dreaming, because that was the only possible explanation, Olly got up to look in the mirror. Scott’s handsome face stared back at him, the mouth slack with surprise and the blue eyes wide.

Olly shook his head in disbelief. No way could this be happening. No way. This was the stuff of Hollywood movies, not reality. But cold, creeping panic rose in his gut, because apart from the fact that he appeared to be in the wrong body, everything else felt normal. Way too normal for it to be a dream.

“No,” he said loudly, putting his hands up and touching Scott’s nose, Scott’s cheekbones, Scott’s lips. He felt every brush of his fingertips. “Oh, Jesus Christ on a bike, this is not happening. No.”

 

Author Bio:

 
Jay lives just outside Bristol in the West of England, with her husband, two children, and two cats.
 
She comes from a family of writers, but she always used to believe that the gene for fiction writing had passed her by. She spent years only ever writing emails, articles, or website content. One day, she decided to try and write a short story, just to see if she could, and found it rather addictive. She hasn’t stopped writing since.