Category: M/M Anthologies

Get Into the Holiday Spirit with Mischief Corner Books ‘Chestnuts Roasting’ Anthology from Angel Martinez, Silvia Violet, Freddy MacKay, and Toni Griffin (book tour and contest)

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 Book Name: Chestnuts Roasting Anthology
Goodreads Link
Authors Names: Toni Griffin, Angel Martinez, Silvia Violet, Freddy MacKay

Four authors, four different perspective on the holidays.  Now for something a little different.  Instead of a full author interview, I asked each of the authors one question. Where did your inspiration come from?  Here are their answers…

Angel Martinez:

Yes. Everywhere. Everything. A conversation, a painting, a moment on the street, Freddy daring me to try something – there are no limits or predictable patterns for inspiration. I use a lot of science news and folktale as starting points, but those are certainly not my only inspirations.

Silvia Violet:

My story is set in Baton Rouge. I lived there for six years so all the celebrating Christmas when it still feely summery outside comes from personal experience. A scene with a barista asking out a guy who considered himself straight just popped into my head one day. I wrote it down, knowing I’d use it eventually and when I started thinking about Christmas stories, there it was.

Freddy MacKay:

I decided I wanted to write a fantasy, so I went shopping for mythical creatures. I like to go for the more obscure, lesser used/known creatures. When I found my “demon” I was hooked because I knew I hit something different and fun for me to write.

Toni Griffin:

My story, Wreath of Fire, is book two in my Smokey Mountain Bears series. It’s my only series set outside of Australia and the reason for that is in 2012 I visited Gatlinburg TN and the surrounding areas. I met some amazing people, had the time of my life in one of the most relaxing, picturesque settings I could have ever imagined. This place needed to be put down on paper. When the idea for the Cabin for Two anthology was being thrown around I knew exactly what I wanted to write. A Bear in the Woods was born. It’s taken me a little while to get back to the characters and write book two, but I can guarantee you won’t have to wait as long for book three.

 

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Author Group Bio:

Mischief Corner Books is an organization of superheroes… no, it’s a platinum-album techno-fusion group…no, hold on a sec here…

Ah, yes. Mischief Corner is a diverse group of authors who met on a mountain in Tennessee and decided since we probably were too easily distracted to rule the world that we’d settle for causing a bit of mayhem instead.

In addition to making mayhem, we publish books with a diverse range of genres and topics… we live to break molds. 

MCB. Giving voice to LGBTQ fiction.

Author Contact:

Mischief Corner Books Website and Store
MCB Facebook page

Publisher: Mischief Corner Books, LLCChestnutsRoasting10x15
Cover Artist: Catherine Dair
Sales Links:  

 

Blurb(s):

Christmas means different things to everyone, but most often it’s all about pulling loved ones close and brightening the gloom. The fire’s crackling. The snow is piling up outside, even if it’s only in your dreams. Time to snuggle up with some cocoa and some stories carefully crafted by the Mischief Corner Crew to warm hearts and cockles.

Wreath of Fire: Smokey Mountains Bears 2 – Toni Griffin:

Michael’s trying to start a new life away from his abusive father, but he’s drifting and not sure what he wants. When he accidentally starts a kitchen fire, the hot new fireman who comes to the rescue is not only another bear shifter. He’s Michael’s mate. Michael desperately needs to get his act together and figure out what he wants if he has any hope of claiming the bear fated to be his.

A Christmas Cactus for the General – Angel Martinez

Exiled to Earth for perhaps the worst failure in Irasolan history, General Teer must assimilate or die. Earth is too warm, too wet, too foreign, but he does the best he can even though human males are loud, childish louts whom he can’t imitate successfully. When a grieving seaplane pilot strikes up a strange and uneasy friendship with him, he finds he may have been too quick to judge human males. They are strange to look at, but perhaps not as unbearable as he thought.

Holly Jolly – Silvia Violet

I’m not gay. I just notice men sometimes. Everybody does, right? I notice Dane a lot, like every time I’m near him, but just because I think he’s an attractive man that doesn’t mean I like him, does it?

I’m also not a fan of Christmas. Too many years “celebrating” with my Bible-thumping family ruined the holiday for me. So what if I envy all these cheerful souls dashing about with smiles on their faces? I don’t have to like Christmas, do I? If anyone could get me in the Christmas spirit, it would be Dane with his easy, relaxed manner and his gorgeous smile. If that were going to happen, though, I’d have to find the courage to talk to him and to admit that maybe I don’t know myself all that well after all.

Snow on Spirit Bridge – Freddy MacKay

Alone in Japan, Finni is struggling against the constant distrust, avoidance, and xenophobia he experiences every day. He misses home. He misses his family. Nightmares come all too frequently because of the stress, and well, Christmas is just not Christmas in Japan. Not how he understands it.

Distressed by how miserable Finni is, his roommate, Mamoru, offers to be Finni’s family for Christmas. Little does he know how much one agreement would change everything between them, because both of them kept secrets neither ever dreamed were true.

Categories: Contemporary, Fantasy, Humor, M/M Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy (Please note: Not all tags refer to the collection of stories.)

Excerpt From Snow on Spirit Bridge by Freddy MacKay

Chapter One

There should be snow. Lots of it. Moreover, it should be below freezing with clouds, not this sunny and fifties crap. People should be huddled together and hurrying to get inside. It didn’t feel like Christmas otherwise.

With a sigh, Finni glanced around the train platform.

If he’d been home in Chicago, snow would blanket the streets and salt would crunch under his feet. Shop windows with mannequins would line the Magnificent Mile with Christmas winter scenes. The tree would be up at his parents’, decorated with bright lights and homemade ornaments he and his siblings made over the years. One or two presents would lie under the tree as a teaser for the younger cousins. Warm drinks would be waiting for him as he stepped through the door and brushed the snow off his coat. His family would smile at him and voices would call out to him.

If he’d been home in Chicago.

Tokyo wasn’t home.

A big, bustling city, yes, but not home.

As people hurried from one shop to the next, got on and off the trains, and ran about in their jackets and sweaters, Tokyo couldn’t have been farther from home. Yes, decorations were up at cake shops and at the department stores, but they weren’t the same. The plastic Christmas trees seemed more likely to come alive and hunt people down than give off a relaxing pine scent. They didn’t give off the same cozy family feeling Finni connected with. Everything was geared toward couples.

Since when was Christmas about couples?

A pang of loneliness ate at Finni’s gut. All he wanted was his parents, his brothers and sisters, and his cousins, aunts, uncles, and some snow. He needed to see everyone was happy and okay. Was that too much to ask for?

A chilled wind blasted Finni, and he looked up, expecting the train, but nothing rattled down the tracks. Other people grabbed their coats and hunched. Some young girls squealed and huddled closer to each other. Finally, a shiver wracked Finni, clueing him in to the unusual temperature drop.

Temperatures had plummeted from the fifties to almost thirty since he’d arrived on the platform, not normal weather. In only a T-shirt, even Finni felt the cold.

Finni sighed, closed his eyes, and concentrated on sunshine and warm thoughts. He almost laughed under the circumstances. The people would think he was odd and leave an even bigger circle around him. One more oddity to make Finni miss home even more.
The swoosh and rattle of a train making its way down the tracks caused Finni to open his eyes, watching expectantly with the others.

About damn time. Usually the trains didn’t run late unless something untoward happened. Like a jumper, which occurred more often than Finni comprehended. He risked a glance around and saw the people more relaxed, the extreme temperature flux now gone, just an oddity to discuss among themselves.

The train hissed to a stop, the doors popped open, and everyone hurried on, ready to leave the unusual drop in temperature behind them. While the men and women bumped into each other, the girls giggling as they passed Finni, he still got a wide berth as he ducked through. The crowd moved and swayed in a loose circle around him until Finni got to his spot by the doors and faced the window.

Once again, the seat next to him remained empty, no one sitting down even though the train was packed. Not every foreigner got quite the same treatment he did, but his size—not to mention the blond hair and blue eyes—made people’s reaction to him more extreme. Finni ignored the slight, though it stung more than it had the past couple of months. He’d learned not to notice when people stared or jumped in surprised when they looked up at him or moved away as soon as they noticed him after they sat down. Better to stay quiet and pretend nothing happened than draw attention to the behavior. It only made things worse.

Except today, the unfounded fears of the people he’d rode the train with since his move mid-October dug into him like claws. He sighed, leaned against the windows, and closed his eyes, exhausted.

Sleep wasn’t easy lately. Nightmares waited for him, ones that made it harder to be away from his family. He yawned, fighting off the weariness, but the rocking of the train called to him like a siren to a sailor.

No matter the direction he looked in, Finni only saw white. The snow beat down on him as he cried out. Torrents of wind spiraled all around him, the weather mimicking his heart.

Why hadn’t anyone come? The sky was dark. Someone should have found them by now. He trembled in the cold and felt so tired. He just wanted to sleep.

But he couldn’t. Not yet.

Finni tried to call out, but his voice had given out long before the sun went down.

He clutched Gunder to him. Realization had finally sunk in, but as he sniffed, Finni knew he’d never let Gunder go. No matter what.
He should’ve kept up with him. Kept Gunder in his sights, but his brother ran so much faster than he did. His legs were so long and big compared to Finni’s scrawny ones. Someday, he’d be bigger than Gunder, though, he just knew it. Then he’d be able to outrun his brother.

When they were grown up, three years wouldn’t be that big of a difference in age.

“Hear that, Gunder?” Finni asked in a whisper, pressing his face against his brother’s. “I’m going to be bigger than you someday. Be able to run faster. So…so…so…”

He broke down, sobs torn from his chest. How did they get home? Finni just wanted Mom and Dad. He just wanted to go home with Gunder.

“Mom!” His voice barely made it out, but he had to try. “Dad! Somebody!”

Nothing. He was alone. All alone.

Mom. Dad. I don’t want to be alone.

He screamed and the wind picked up, whipped around him in a cyclone. The temperature dropped farther.

“Finni! Gunder!”

Who was that?

“Finni! Where are you boys?”

“Gr-gr-grandpa?” Guilt warred with hope. He should hide. Everyone was gonna be mad. So, so mad. They’d never like him again.
The wind’s moaning stopped. The snowflakes stirred no more. Grandpa’s huge, hulking figure appeared.

“Grandpa,” Finni cried out. The hiccups came as he tried to get it all out. “G-G-Gunder fell through the ice… I-I-couldn’t reach him. Gunder…he… I-I-tried to g-g-get us home.”

“Oh, oh. Oh, Finni,” his grandpa said quietly. Tears ran down his cheeks.

Oh no. Grandpa was mad.

“My little boy.” Grandpa wrapped his big arms around them and kissed his forehead. “My poor boys.”

Finni wailed, and the snow picked back up.

 

Snow on Spirit Bridge – Freddy MacKay – Angel Martinez Reading The Excerpt – so wonderful!

Pages:

MCBBadgeTour Dates/Stops:

20-Nov

Amanda C. Stone

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

21-Nov

Parker Williams

24-Nov

Love Bytes

Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

25-Nov

Hearts on Fire

26-Nov

BFD Book Blog

27-Nov

MM Good Book Reviews

28-Nov

Velvet Panic

1-Dec

Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings

Molly Lolly

2-Dec

Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves

Cate Ashwood

3-Dec

My Fiction Nook

Queer Town Abbey

Prism Book Alliance

4-Dec

Multitasking Mommas

Cathy Brockman Romances 

 

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: First prize: $25.00 GC (choice of Amazon or ARe) and a choice of Tote or Mug from the MCB Redbubble store (choice of graphic). Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Use the link provided for the entry form and for all additional contest details.

Second prize: $5.00 GC (choice of Amazon or ARe) and choice of sticker from the MCB Redbubble store
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Begin Your Holidays with the Three of Hearts Collection from Riptide Publishing-You Choose The Charity Sales Benefits

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Begin your holidays with a very special offer from Riptide Publishing and the author of Three of Hearts, Kelly Jamieson.  Help Choose The Charity This Season!

For the Choose the Charity contest, check out all the details below.  The Three of Hearts is one of three stories in this heartwarming holiday collection from Jane Davitt, Kelly Jamieson and Sydney Croft.

 

Book Title: Three of Hearts!
Author:  Kelly Jamieson
Share the Love Collection, authors Kelly Jamieson, , Jane Davitt, and Sydney Croft
Publisher:  Riptide Publishing
Cover Artist: L.C. Chase
Titles available for pre-order.

Sales Link:  Three of Hearts link Riptide    Share the Love Collection at Riptide

ThreeOfHearts_500x750Three of Hearts Blurb:

Haylee Tremayne is tired of the road. The concert tour for Three of Hearts was a success, but she’s confused by the inexplicable tension between her bandmates, Ben and Lucas. She’s also ready to go home to her boyfriend in Nashville. Time off would probably help everyone relax, even if it is Christmas, a season with too many bad memories.

But right before their last concert, Haylee discovers she’s been dumped for a sexy girly-girl. Story of her life: all guys see is tomboy Haylee. At the after-concert party, she drowns her sorrows and—desperate to feel feminine for once in her life—asks Ben and Lucas for a threesome. And it’s just as sexy and fun as she hoped.

Back in Nashville, Ben and Lucas prove again and again that their first night wasn’t a mistake. But the tension between them is still high, and on Christmas Eve, their ménage takes a stunning turn. When it all falls apart, Haylee is terrified that their crazy relationship might cost them the band, their success, and worst of all, each other.

Begin Your Holiday Gift Giving here….

Each year, Riptide Publishing releases a holiday collection in support of an LGBTQ charity. Twenty percent of all proceeds from the  Share the Love collection  will be donated to the  It Gets Better Project.

This collection would not be possible without the talent and generosity of its authors, who have brought us the following holiday stories:Share the Love Bundle

Three of Hearts  by Kelly Jamieson (releasing November 17)
Lucky Strike  by Jane Davitt (releasing November 24)
Three the Hard Way  by Sydney Croft (releasing December 1)

About Kelly Jamieson

Kelly is a married mother of two who lives a very ordinary life outside of her imagination. When she’s not writing, she’s usually reading. She also likes to cook, and that means she likes to read cookbooks and cooking magazines. In the summer she enjoys spending time gardening, and in the winter she likes to read gardening magazines and seed catalogues. She loves lying on the beach or on her deck with a glass of wine and a good book. She also loves to travel. As you can see, pretty much all of her activities involve reading somehow! Although she doesn’t have as much time for it anymore, she also loves to shop, especially for clothes and shoes. Some think she’s obsessed with shoes but that is not true (although her husband would point out that there is no room left in our closet).

She loves to hear from readers, so visit her on her  website, tweet her on Twitter, leave her a comment on Goodreads or Amazon or her  blog, or email her at  info@kellyjamieson.com.

Giveaway

Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a $25 Riptide Publishing store credit. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on December 7. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries.

Every year, Riptide Publishing releases a Holiday charity bundle with themed stories by bestselling authors. Twenty percent of the net proceeds of each bundle goes to a charity that serves the LGBTQ population.

Royalties from Riptide’s 2013 Home for the Holidays charity collection have raised over $14,000 in nine months for the Ali Forney Center, and continue to yield several hundred dollars per month in royalties donations. Our 2014 Share the Love charity collection will be raising money for the It Gets Better Project, and we hope to report even better results than in 2013.

For 2015, the theme will be Holiday Surprises, and we’ll have stories by HelenKay Dimon, Christine d’Abo, and Marie Sexton. But we don’t have a charity yet.

We need YOUR help to choose the 2015 charity. Nominate your favorite LGBTQ charity below and Riptide might choose it as the 2015 Holiday bundle charity!

The chosen charity for 2015 will immediately receive a $5,000 advance against royalties (paid in 2015 on announcement of the award recipient). The charity will continue to receive 20% of all lifetime net sales income from the 2015 holiday charity collection, in the form of a monthly royalty check.

Three honorable mention charities will each receive a $250 donation.

Click here to nominate a charity. Both supporters and representatives of a charity can submit a nomination

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A History of Halloween as Samhain (All Hallows Eve) Approaches and the Week Ahead at Scattered Thoughts

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Happy Samhain!

 

October 31st is almost upon us. Known by many names, this time of year is celebrated by people all over the world and in far different ways than we might imagine.  A little history first.  Known first as Samhain (pronounced Sa win or sow en depending upon which Celtic dialect you use), it is an ancient Celtic festival celebrated from sunset on October 31 to sunset on November 1. This date  falls about halfway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice. The festival marks the end of summer and fall (harvest season) and the beginning of winter, the darker, colder half of the year.

During Samhain, people bring their livestock down from the upper grazing pastures.  Now was the time of separating the animals, choosing which to keep as breeding stock and which to choose for slaughter for winter. Households take careful stock of their pantries and food supplies in order to prepare for the long, cold weather ahead. Unlike the Gaelic festival of Beltane, which celebrates life and growth, Samhain honors the darker side of things.  These months are considered a “liminal” time of the year, passing from the abundance of summer into the darkness and harsh times of the winter. It is also thought to be the time of the year when the walls between our world and the next plane of existence thin and the spirits can reach out to the living.Lag_BaOmer_bonfire

It is believed that the deceased spirits would return to the homes and places they knew, seeking comfort and sometimes revenge.  In order to appease these spirits, people would place a dinner plate at their table and/or bowls of food or treats by their front door. People took special care not to offend any wandering spirits, and if they left their homes they would disguise themselves with masks and costumes to avoid recognition. Eventually the tables were turned, and the masked citizens started imitating the spirits they once feared by going door-to-door demanding treats and threatening to perform mischief of their own.

Into this celebration came large bonfires,  lit to keep away bad spirits and even act as an imitation sun.  The bones from  freshly slaughtered animals were tossed into the fires known as “bone-fires”, which eventually became bonfires.  People carried part of the bone-fires with them by placing a hot coal inside a hollowed-out turnip, potato or beet.  Yes, that’s where our jack ‘o lanterns came from.   According to lore and historian Hannah Kincaid*:

The lanterns were frequently carved with creepy faces to represent and scare away the wandering spirits. The term “jack-o’-lantern” comes from an old Irish myth about a man nicknamed “Stingy Jack.” According to lore, the drunkard Stingy Jack tricked the devil into never condemning him to Hell. When Jack died, however, God wouldn’t allow such an unsavory soul into heaven, either, so Jack was sentenced to eternally wander the Earth with nothing but a coal nestled inside a hollowed-out-turnip for light. The Irish referred to Stingy Jack’s Jack-o'-Lantern_2003-10-31ghost as “Jack of the Lantern,” which eventually became “jack-o’-lantern” as we know it today.

So how did Samhain become Halloween?  Blame it on the Church…the Catholic church that is.  Here is the best explanation courtesy of Hannah Kincaid again:

The term “Halloween” is a result of Catholic interference with Samhain in the year 609. All Saints Day is a Roman Catholic holiday that honors and remembers all Christian saints both known and unknown. Pope Gregory IV decided to officially move the date of All Saints Day to November 1, the same day as Samhain. All Saints Day is also called “All Hallows” because “hallowed” means sanctified or holy (for those of you who know The Our Father prayer, think of the part “hallowed be thy name.”) The evening before All Hallows was a popular time to celebrate, so the term “All Hallows’ Eve” was used quite a bit. Eventually the term All Hallows’ Eve morphed into Halloween as we know it, and along the way it snatched up and mingled with many of the Samhain traditions that had already been happening for thousands of years.

The history of Samhain reminds us that we once celebrated holidays because of a shared human connection that resonated with the Earth’s cycles — the weather, the moon, the harvest — instead of a celebration of consumerism or heroic dominance.*

 

So how do you intend to spend this All Hallows Eve?  Masked, costumed, ready to explore into the night and see what spirits are afoot?  Or will you be staying home, listening for the sound of footsteps big and small, the sound of giggling and howls upon the night air?   Do you have your candy ready or will there be a trick or two in store for those who venture near?  Me and mine will light a candle or two, keep the wee doggies inside safe and warm, and have the goodies ready to share for those who visit.  Happy Samhain, everyone!raven and moon

Now for the Week Ahead at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words:

Monday, October 27:

  • Belinda McBride’s Prince of Faith Book Tour and Contest
  • A MelanieM Review:  Accidental Contact and Other Mahu Investigations (Mahu #7.5)
    by Neil S. Plakcy

Tuesday, October 28:

  • D.T. Peterson’s Seduction in Red Book Tour and Contest
  • Alexis Duran’s To Catch a Threeve Book Tour and Contest
  • A PaulB Review: Phoenix Heart (Stolen Elements #1) by A.L. Wilson
  • A MelanieM Review: Cutting Out by Meredith Shayne

Wednesday, October 29:

  • Silvia Violet’s Shifting Hearts Book Tour and Contest
  • Lila Bruce’s The Scent of Jasmine Book Tour and Contest
  • A MelanieM Review:  Red Dirt Heart 3 by N. R. Walker

Thursday, October 30:

  • John Simpson and Robert Cummings’ The Marine Book Tour and Contest
  • Iyana Jenna’s Love’s Home Book Tour and Contest
  • A Barb, the Zany, Old Lady Review:  The Trouble with Elves by Theresa Woodson

Friday, October 31 (Happy Halloween):

  • Garrett Leigh’s Heart Book Tour and Contest
  • A MelanieM Review:  Confetti, Cake, and Confessions by KC Wells
  • October 2014 Summary of Reviews and Best Covers of the Month

Saturday, November 1:

  • An Aurora YA Review:  The Key to Behliseth by Lou Hoffmann

 

*references Hannah Kincaid,  History of Halloween (history.com), Telegraph uk

 

Want a Creepy Quickie? Get 3! It’s the Bump in the Night Book Tour from Riptide! (contest)

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Feel that cold creeping into the room?  Getting the shivers?  Let’s welcome some frighteningly awesome authors here today to clue us into the creepy quickies they have in store for us all…

Hey, everyone! We’re Heidi, Kari, Laylah, and Sam, and we’re here touring with our three Creepy Quickies releases! Laylah’s bringing you Resurrection Man, about a man who will go to any–and we do mean any–lengths to bring his lover back from the dead. Kari has Mating Season, for those of you who love amorous aquatic beasts and mad scientists. And finally, Heidi and Sam wrote Blasphemer, Sinner, Saint, about a demon deal set in 1880s Whitechapel.

Originally written for the horror anthology Bump in the Night, our three stories span the gamut of the genre, from spine-chilling scares to stolen moments of tenderness to inescapable dead ends.

To celebrate our release, we’re giving away a $10 Riptide gift card! Just comment below–or on any of our other stops, all of which can be found on our blog tour page–with an email address to reach you, and we’ll select one lucky winner at the end of the tour!

ResurrectionMan_500x750About Resurrection Man

Necromancy means never having to say good-bye.

Consumption has claimed the life of Adel St. Claire, cutting him down in his prime. But his lover, Josef Leitner, isn’t ready to let him go. To get Adel back, Josef is willing to risk the anger of Adel’s family, make unsavory deals with a corrupt mortician, and challenge the authority of death itself.

Even if he can reanimate Adel’s body, Josef’s next challenge may be more daunting still: when a man returns from the dead, what will it take to satisfy his needs?

Riptide says “Have a free read on us! Get Resurrection Man for free right now!

About Mating Season

MatingSeason_500x750He didn’t believe in the monster of the lake . . . but that didn’t make it any less real.

When Danny needs a getaway, his best friend goads him into a week-long hiking trip. Who cares if local superstitions and old wives tales warn the wary to avoid the lake once summer nights turn chilly? The trails are still pretty, the wildlife just as plentiful, and the fall colors beautiful for the lens of Danny’s digital camera. Nothing sinister could happen, not here.

Danny was wrong. Assaulted by lusty tentacles that push his body—and his sanity—to the brink, Danny is then held captive by his best friend, betrayed for the sake of science. Unable to escape and terrified of the changes in his body, Danny’s alternatives are few. He will be returned, over and over, to the monster.

But maybe his future isn’t as bleak as it originally seemed.

 Riptide says “Get Mating Season here“.

About Blasphemer, Sinner, Saint

BlasphemerSinnerSaint_500x750Tobias Sinnet has left his boyhood days of sin behind him. As the caretaker of a boys’ orphanage in Whitechapel, he teaches the children to live by the word of God, keeps his daily prayers, and goes to bed each night with a clear conscience
.
Until David, the boy who tempted him in their youth, arrives on his doorstep. Forced to prostitute himself to keep his younger brother in school, David has grown ill, and all he wants is for Tobias to agree to look after his brother when he’s gone.

But as they reconnect, Tobias finds it unexpectedly difficult to let David go—and, thanks to a mysterious stranger offering Tobias the deal of a lifetime, he may not have to.

Get Blasphemer, Sinner, Saint here.

CreepyQuickieBump_150x300Read more about Heidi, Kari, Laylah, and Sam by visiting their author pages at Riptide Publishing.  Go now and get your holiday Spook On early!!

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words September 2014 Summary of Reviews and Best Covers

 

 

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Summary of Book Reviews and Best Covers of September 2014

 

September 2014 Book Review Summary

*Key:
STRW S series
C contemporary
F-fantasy
SF-science fiction
PN-paranormal
SP-supernatural
H-historical
HR-horror
N-Nonfiction
YA-young adult

Rating Scale: 1 to 5, 5 stars is outstanding

5 Star Rating:

A Forbidden Rumspringa by Keira Andrews STRWCS
Aftershocks by T. A. Webb (PF2014)
Blown Chance by Havan Fellows (PF2014)
No Fae Is An Island by Angel Martinez (STRWFS)
The Path by Ariel Tachna (STRWC)
Yakuza Courage (The Way of the Yakuza #2) by H.J. Brues STRWCS

4 to 4.75 Star Rating:

A Rose by Any Other Name by Charlie Cochet, (4.5) STRWHS
A Suitable Replacement (Deceived #5) by Megan Derr (4) STRWFS
A Tooth for a Fang by Liv Olteano (4) STRWSNS
Bliss by Heidi Belleau and Lisa Henry (4.5) STRWSF A Barb Review
Elijah’s Ghost by Amber Kell (4) STRWSPS
Finally Home by Zee Kensington (4.5) STRWCS
Firestorm (SoulShares #4) by Rory Ni Coileain (4.5) STRWFS
Frankie’s Knight (PF2014) by T.A.Webb (4.75) STRWPF2014S
Lukos Heat by Megan Derr (4) STRWFS)
Midsummer Curse by Megan Derr (4.25) STRWSPS
Midsummer Moon by Megan Derr (4) STRWSPS)
Pulling Leather (Pickup Men Series) by L.C. Chase (4.5) STRWCS
Solitude by Anna Martin and Tia Fielding (4.25) STRWC
The Last Thing He Needs by J. H. Knight (4.5), STRWC
The Last Wolf (Sapphire Ranch Wolves #1) (4) STRWSPS
The Lost Weekend (Infected 7.5) by Andrea Speed (4), STRWSPS
The Nesting Habits of Strange Birds by Charley Descoteaux (4.25) STRWC
Wolf in Gucci Loafers by Tara Lain (4) (STRWSPS) A Barb Review

3 to 3.75 Star Rating:

David’s Dilemma by Rae Brewster (3) STRWSPS
Living Again by Brynn Stein (3.5) STRWC A PaulB Review
Men of the Manor Anthology (3.75) STRWHA

2 to 2.75 Star Rating:

N/A

Best Covers of July 2014

Forbidden Rumspringa coverA Rose by Any Other NameA Tooth for a FangDavid's Dilemma

 

 

 

 

 

A Forbidden Rumspringa, cover artist Dar Albert
A Rose By Any Other Name, cover artist Aaron Anderson
A Tooth for a Fang, AngstyG cover artist
David’s Dilemma, cover artist Jess Buffett

 

Infected-the Lost Weekend coverLiving Again coverLukos Heat coverNoFaeIsAnIsland_200

 

 

 

 

 

 

Infected: The Lost Weekend, cover artist Paul Richmond
Living Again, cover artist Bree Archer
Lukos Heat, cover artist Julie Wright
No Fae Is An Island, cover artist Winterheart Designs

 

 

Pulling Leather coverThe Last Wolf 400x600The Path coverYakuza Courage

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pulling Leather, cover artist/author L.C. Chase
The Last Wolf, cover artist Meredith Russell
The Path, photographer Ariel Tachna
Yakuza Courage, artist Reese Dante

Cover Reveal for From Chicago, With Love, a GRL Anthology (contest)

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 Are you heading to Chicago in October for GRL 2014?  Check out the special anthology prepared just for this occasion!  More than 80 authors and stories for all.  It’s going to be awesome!  Don’t need to be attending to enter the contest.

Book Name: From Chicago, With Love
Book put together by: Cate Ashwood
Author Name: More than 80 of the Featured and Supporting Authors of GRL
Cover Artist: L.C. Chase

Sales Links: This is an exclusive at GRL 2014 in Chicago

 From Chicago, With Love Blurb:

Writing is a solitary activity, and yet authors would be useless without readers to devour the words they create. GayRomLit brings the two together; a community made up of people with different tastes and styles, from all over the world, all with one thing in common: a passion for romance.

From science fiction to urban fantasy, from historical to paranormal to contemporary, enjoy an eclectic collection of stories and excerpts from the authors attending GayRomLit 2014 in Chicago.

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TCWLBadgeTour Dates: 9/24/14

Tour Stops: Carly’s Book Reviews, Parker Williams, The Novel Approach, Angel Martinez, Amanda C. Stone, Kimber Vale, Tara Lain, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Prism Book Alliance, Andrew Q. Gordon, Cathy Brockman Romances, Jade Crystal, MM Good Book Reviews, The Blogger Girls, Foxylutely Book Reviews, 3 Chicks After Dark, Queer Town Abbey, Sinfully Sexy, Wake Up Your Wild Side, Kimi-Chan, Dawn’s Reading Nook, , Love Bytes, Fallen Angel Reviews, Multitasking Mommas, My Fiction Nook, SA McAuley, Iyana Jenna, Cate Ashwood

 

Contest:  Rafflecopter Prize: $10 ARe gift card.  Use the Rafflecopter link provided for the entry form and for additional contest details.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Good luck!WillPride

 

Rafflecopter Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway

A MelanieM Review: Men of the Manor: Erotic Encounters between Upstairs Lords and Downstairs Lads by Rob Rosen

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

MenOfTheManorCover2-413x600Thirteen authors with thirteen stories that take you back to the turn of the century to explore the Lords of the Manor and their varied relationships with the servants of the back halls and downstairs.  From the naughty to the salacious, from the  humorous to the romantic, all sorts of relationships are set against the backdrop of pre World War I Europe, a time where the wealthy aristocrats may only think they rule the world but the working class has far different ideas

Thirteen stories by various authors such as Dale Chase, J. L. Merrow, Rob Rosen, Brent Archer, Michael Landon and more explore the ups and downs, ins and outs of the Lords of the Manor and the downstairs help who serve them in so many ways.  Randy members of the ruling class and footman, manipulative butlers and hedonistic lords, and even a stable boy or two to bring joy and kink into an aristocrat’s life…variety is the spice of life and this anthology has it all.

Stories in this anthology in the order they appear in the anthology:

  • The Maze by Dale Chase
  • Finnias Laredo by Alex Stitt
  • Finsloe by Xavier Axelson
  • Booting by Salome Wilde
  • Seducing the Footman by Brent Archer
  • Folly’s Ditch by Felice Picano
  • Manor Games by Michael Roberts
  • Brass Rags by J.L. Merrow
  • Mutable Memories by Michael Bracken
  • Front Door, Back Door by Logan Zachary
  • Chauffeur’s Hole by Landon Dixon
  • Master Jeffy Learns a Lesson by Sasha Payne
  • Bohemian Rhapsody by Rob Rosen

Men of the Manor Anthology is described by its editor Rob Rosen as a sort of layered english drama of classes. Or in his words “Think Downton Abbey and Upstairs, Downstairs, but with enough sex to make the town vicar blush.”  So how you feel about those shows and the expectations you bring to this anthology will determine what you think about the mixed bag of stories this anthology represents.

Only some of these stories can be considered romantic, one or two pornographic or  “erotic” depending upon your  classification of a “sex only” type of  short story.  There are a few revenge type tales or getting their comeuppance plots.  One of sexual exploration and epipanies as well as some hilarious installments that kept me giggling past the endings.  I loved those with humor, clearly they were my favorites.

What did I find mostly absent?  Stories that included romance, and perhaps deeper feelings that might just be love.  What can be found in abundance?  Sexual encounters of all kinds and places.  Sex scenes both casual and coarse as well as sexual liaisons that were instructive, illuminating and guffaw inducing.  One story of one type, a couple of another, and so on.  To appreciate this collection of authors and plots, a reader should bring an appreciation for a variety of sexual relationships and encounters found within this anthology’s stories or  they will find this a disappointing read.

Which were my favorites?  Brass Rags by J. L Merrow.  Merrow’s Algy, aka Lord Algernon Huffingham, had me in stitches for the entire story.  Algy, a sort of perverted Bertie Wooster (P.G. Wodehouse), is in search of his own Jeeves, one who comes equipped to deal with Algy’s very specific and kinky sexual desires.  He finds him at Blithering Coombe, the country estate of his friend Cedric’s father.  Oh the joys of Algy’s mind and musings.  Whether Algy is remembering fondly why he was banned from his father’s stables (being discovered being ridden and whipped like a pony by a stable boy will do that) or despondently telling Cedric that he prefers “horny-handed sons of toil” , Algy and his story will leaving you grinning and wishing they had their own series.  His humorous and singular voice deserves it.

On the more serious side is  Front Door, Back Door by  Logan Zachary.  A short tale of increasing anxiety and dread over the actions of a spoiled son of the landed gentry,  Zachary weaves a lovely tale of tenderness and comeuppance.  I thought the ending of Front Door, Back Door was especially well done and unexpected.  Just lovely.

Back to the unexpected and humorous, Brent Archer’s Seducing the Footman contained a wonderful unexpected twist that made me appreciate his story even more.  Manor Games by Michael Roberts has a loyal and mischeivous gentlemen’s gentleman, Tompkins, whose Master is unfortunate at cards.  What happens to level the playing field and bring a certain Kensington-Ffoulke to heal is an entertaining and hilarious game of cards never to be forgotten.  Master Jeffy Learns a Lesson by Sasha Payne is a delight if for no other reason than that title.  Good thing the well crafted characters and comical situations inside the story match up nicely with each other as well as the title.

Those were my favorites and they consisted mostly of the stories that you would consider light hearted, droll, and oh so entertaining.  I love the characters and the situation they found themselves in.  They “tickled my fancy” as none of the others did.  Plus they had staying power.  For a different reader, perhaps they might find them too light hearted and would be content with the offerings from the other authors.

Men of the Manor is only available in paperback format which can make buying a collection more problematic when such variety is involved.  That’s why I am hesitating in my recommendations.  If this was an ebook, I would absolutely recommend it.  Brass Rags by J. L. Merrow and Sasha Payne;s Master Jeffy Learns a Lesson would be worth the price alone.  But a paperback?  Not so sure.  You must decide.  If you are a fan of a majority of those authors, than go ahead and pick it up.  You will have a better understanding of what type of story awaits you inside.

Cover art by Scott Idelman/Blink.  Wish it had a more historical feel to it. Just ok.

Sales Links – Paperback and ebook: Cleis Press   All Romance $15.95   Amazon from $12.16  Men of the Manor

Book Details:

Paperback only, 232 pages
Expected publication: October 7th 2014 by Cleis Press (first published September 9th 2014)
ISBN 1627780661 (ISBN13: 9781627780667)

 

New Reviewers, Winner Announcements and Our Week Ahead!

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New Reviewers and GRL is Almost Here!

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words continues to grow this week as we add two new reviewers to the blog.  Welcome to Sam and Aurora!  Aurora is our new YA reviewer and Sam will join myself, Barb the Zany Old Lady and PaulB in reviewing all LGBTQ fiction that comes our way!  Check out their bios under Reviewers and give them a welcome!  I am starting to compile a list of all the wonderful author interviews as well. Changes, and more changes. What a merry week its been!

It makes perfect sense for all these changes to happen in the season of Change.  Autumn is upon us.  The leaves are starting to change color and fall, beech nuts, walnuts, and seeds are finding their way into the house via dog and wind, mostly dog.  I have never seen or pulled so many “hitchhikers” from Kirby’s coat than I have this past week.  And the beechnuts?  Wedge themselves into the paws and then into the house.  Can the squirrels be far behind?  Or the stinkbugs for that matter?

GRL (Gay Rom Lit) 2014 is getting closer.  It will be held in Chicago this year and I can hardly wait to go.  I promise to post pics when I get back.  Last Saturday our local M/M Group had a luncheon at the BareBones Grill in Ellicott City, MD, where we had special guests.  Seth Fornea and Jared Bradford.  They are as nice as they are gorgeous!  Was it a marvelous lunch?  Why, yes it was!  And the anticipation builds for GRL!

Jarod and Seth

Winner Announcements:Announcement clip art

  • Deanna Wadsworth Contest:  2 winners:  Sula and Rissa
  • Bailey Bradford: Sula22
  • Angel Martinez’ No Fae Is An Island Contest:   Alana
  • Winners of Havan Fellows’ Whispering Winds contest are: ardent.ereader@gmail.com – winner of a complete set of the series Whispering Winds (including a pre-release of book 5 as soon as it is available) and cathybrockmanromance@gmail.com – winner of a $10 gift card at ARe
  • Raine O’Tierney’s Most Beautiful Words contest:  Sara T.
  • Kimber Vale’s Hard Act to Follow contest winner is:  Emily

 

The Week Ahead in Book Tour, Contests, Author Interviews and Reviews:

Monday, September 22, 2014

  • Erica Pike’s Black Hurricane Book Tour and Contest
  • A MelanieM Review:  The Path by Ariel Tachna
  • On Tour with Lou Hoffmann’s The Sun Child Chronicles and the Key to Behliseth (contest)

Tuesday, September 23, 2014:

  • Dev Bentham’s Driving into the Sun Book Tour and Contest
  • Jason Lloyd’s Book Anniversary Tour and Contest
  • A MelanieM Review:  Men of the Manor Anthology, edited by Rob Rosen

Wednesday, September 24, 2014:

  • Cover Reveal for Damian’s Discipline by KC Wells and Parker Williams
  • Cate Ashwood’s cover reveal for the GRL book, To Chicago, With Love
  • Book Tour: Will Parkinson’s Wet Paint (contest)
  • A MelanieM Review:  Solitude by Anna Martin and  Tia Fielding

Thursday, September 25, 2014:

  • JK Hogan ‘Love and the Real Boy Book Tour and Contest
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Wolf in Gucci Loafers by Tara Lain
  • A MelanieM Review:  Midsummer Curse A Tale of Midsummer’s Night 2 By Megan Derr

Friday, September 26, 2014:

  • Galactic Treasure (Earth Con) by Theodora Marie Adams Book Tour and Contest
  • Elin Gregory – A Taste Of Copper Book tour and contest
  • Book Tour: Hidden Gem Author: Lissa Kasey (contest)
  • A MelanieM Review:  Dead Things by Meredith Russell

Saturday, September 27, 2014:

  • A Paul B Review: Elijah’s Ghost by Amber Kell

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the STRW Spotlight: Rob Rosen’s Men of the Manor Tour (contest)

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Focusing In On:  Rob Rosen and the Men of the Manor Anthology

 

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Rob Rosen here today to talk about the Men of the Manor Anthology, and sit down for another great author interview.  Rob has brought along a great contest to enter.  

Contest: a pdf format copy of Men of the Manor. Leave a Comment below with your favorite historical era or book, make sure it has an email address where you can be reached. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Contest ends 9/21.

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Men of the Manor Anthology

Edited by Rob Rosen

Blurb:MenOfTheManorCover2-413x600

The country estate, masters and servants, mystery and intrigue,
sex and money. All go hand in hand in these turn-of-the-century
tales of what goes on behind the manor’s closed doors. Does the
master lure the butler to the phonograph room for a romp
behind the sofa, or does the stable boy have a tryst with the
footman while the lord longingly watches on? Does the aristocrat
drop his foppish manners when the butler helps him undress?
And do the classes exchange more than pleasantries when the
lamps are dimmed and the ladies retire for the evening?

Rob Rosen has gathered the hottest stories of romance and sex
between wealthy aristocrats and the hard-working estate staff,
all with a pre–World War I backdrop, including the fashion and
art and the latest inventions of the day. War is years way, the
estates are huge and sprawling, the fashionably elite have too
much time on their hands, while the toiling underclass are always
on the lookout for a means to a brighter future — no matter
whose bed they end up in. Think Downton Abbey and Upstairs,
Downstairs, but with enough sex to make the town vicar blush.

Men of the Manor: Erotic Encounters between Upstairs Lords and Downstairs Lads
by Rob Rosen

Buy Link ebooks:    All Romance eBooks  Amazon      Men of the Manor Anthology

It is also in paperback.

 My Interview with Rob Rosen on all things Men of the Manor….

STRW:  Pre WWI era, why that setting?

Rob Rosen: It was during this time that manors, and hence servants, were commonplace. After WWI, and as a result of it, this way of life quickly began to vanish. Since the collection is about masters and servants, the timeframe I picked seemed to make the most sense. Plus, it offers a glimpse into an era that’s both intriguing and so vastly out of sync with our own.

STRW:  You seem to have all the genres covered: Mystery, Romance, History…a kind of Downton Abby for Lords and Lads. I love the idea for this collection. How did that all come about?

Rob Rosen:  Well, you already hit the nail on the head. Downton Abby is still a huge hit, and so a collection like the one I’ve put together seemed ripe for the picking. Cleis Press readily agreed with me, and, voila, Men of the Manor was born. Plus, I’ve always been a fan of stories about the haves and the have-nots, and the struggle between the two classes that results.

STRW:  Historical fiction is one of the hardest genres in my opinion to write. So many things have to be accurate for the time frame, including dialog and laws. How did that play into the authors chosen to write the stories or did it?

Rob Rosen:  Those things were actually secondary in my decision process. I simply chose the best stories, the hottest ones, but the ones that were highly literary as well. Still, you’re correct; the dialog did have to ring true, as did the social mores of the time, the dress, the way a manor is run. Fortunately, the authors in this anthology are all superior writers and were all adept at keeping with the theme.

 STRW:  Saucy lads and naughty lords…just the thought makes me gleeful. Any particular Lord come to mind when this subject matter popped up? Lord Darcy? Lord Byron, for example?

Rob Rosen:  Not really, no. In fact, the lords and masters in the collection are all strikingly different from one another. Some are caring and some cruel, some seeking the sex out, some chancing upon it. Yet all are well-aware of their power over their servants, and all the servants, in turn, are aware of their places in the house, which is what makes the inevitable sex that much more illicit, steamier, sexier.

STRW:  Do you see this as a one time collection or something that could be repeated with additional authors?

Rob Rosen:  I’d love a sequel! But, hey, only time will tell. Fingers crossed that Men of the Manor will be a big enough hit to merit one.

STRW:  I think I may have asked you this before but what do you find sexy?

Rob Rosen:  Literarily speaking, I find unexpected encounters sexy, when the characters find themselves in situations they never saw coming. Men of the Manor is chock full of just such unexpected encounters, of masters of the house suddenly finding themselves, sexually speaking, with the help and vice-versa, and then having to deal with the ramifications. These kinds of scenarios make for great plot twists as well.

STRW:  If this collection runs the gamut of the social structure of the time, does it do the same fiction wise? From serious angst to lighthearted comedy?

Rob Rosen: For sure! In fact, I wouldn’t have it any other way. A well devised anthology gives the reader the full spectrum of human emotion. So while some of the stories are deep and/or brooding, several are also lighthearted, romantic, sweet. And a couple are downright whimsical in nature.

STRW:  I won’t ask favorites, that’s not fair. But do you have a favorite historical novel or movie that you love to watch over and over again?

Rob Rosen: Hands down, Tea with Mussolini. But who doesn’t love a movie starring Cher and Judi Dench? In terms of novels, I’m a huge fan of Gore Vidal. I’ve read all of his historical novels: the Narratives of Empire series. I even got to meet the man and shake his hand!

STRW:   What’s up next for Rob Rosen?

Rob Rosen: There’s, thankfully, lots coming up. My next anthology, the renowned Best Gay Erotica 2015, will be out in December, followed by Warlords and Warriors early next year. And in February, my eighth novel, Creature Comfort, will be released.

If you want to keep up with all this and much more, please visit me at www.therobrosen.com or on his Goodreads author page.

Author Bio:

Rob Rosen is the author of the critically acclaimed novels, “Sparkle: The Queerest Book You’ll Ever Love”, the Lambda Literary Award Nominated “Divas Las Vegas”, which was the winner of the 2010 TLA Gaybies for Best Gay Fiction, “Hot Lava”, “Southern Fried”, the Lambda Literary Award Nominated “Queerwolf”, “Vamp”, and “Queens of the Apocalypse”. His short stories have appeared in more than 200 anthologies. You can find 20 of them in his erotic romance anthology, “Good & Hot”. He is also the editor of “Lust in Time: Erotic Romance Through the Ages” and “Men of the Manor: Erotic Encounters between Upstairs Lords and Downstairs Lads”. Please visit him at his website.