A MelanieM Review: Foundation of Trust (Cost of Repairs #5) by A.M. Arthur

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Not everyone gets a second chance with their first love.

David Weller had it all and then it was gone. Once day David had a loving partner and soon to be stepson, a business he enjoyed and his health. In one day’s time, everything David thought he knew and had in his life shattered and was gone. A devastating diagnosis,and a partner who disappeared along with his son. All gone.

Now four years later, David is still trying to cope with the past and not doing a very good job of it. He has started a catering business with a friend that’s thriving but his private life is a mess. Afraid to trust, filled with anger, David spends his nights in one night stands and increasingly dangerous hookups, using pain to assuage his memories and fear. And then the impossible happens when his ex partner reappears, son in tow and everything changes.

Owen Hart has a life filled with poor life choices and bad decisions. But Owen thought he left everything behind him when he met David Weller. Knowing and loving David meant accepting his own homosexuality, loving David meant having a home not only for himself but for his son. Then Owen was forced to leave David and the life they had built together. No warnings, Owen and his son just disappeared. Now years later, Owen is back to make things right and hopefully make David love and forgive him once more.

A chance encounter proves to David and Owen that the feelings they had for each other remain as explosive as ever, but the wounds inflicted on David by Owen’s disappearance are deep. Can David ever forgive Owen for his deception and the pain he caused David? Both men have changed in the years gone by but when a second chance at love and a future together opens up, can the past be forgiven in order for them to have a future together?

Foundation of Trust is the fifth story in the Cost of Repairs series by A.M. Arthur. As it is also the only story I have read from that series, I approached with carefully wondering how it would work as a stand alone tale. I shouldn’t have wondered, Foundation of Trust is a beautifully written and well structured story that works on its own. A tale of poor life choices and second chances, it’s enduring theme and characters pulled me into their story completely, keeping me happily committed from the beginning to end.

I love the reunited lovers trope. In Foundation of Trust, A.M. Arthur works her magic to give us two wounded men who are truly incomplete without the other, no matter how hard one of them tries to deny it. In bits and pieces, the author slowly unravels the steps and bad choices that destroyed their partnership and drove Owen to disappear, taking his son who David loved like his own with him. The devastation that action had upon David and the emotions and pain that followed come across as utterly deep, and long lasting. The betrayal and disappearance shattering David just when he needed Owen’s support the most.

A thread that runs throughout this story is the impact a heartrending medical diagnosis can have upon a person’s life and mental outlook. Without support and with a disasterous back history, learning that one has a serious medical condition is shattering and Arthur is able to bring that situation to life with David’s character. It was a realistic and moving choice and it works here beautifully.

Owen too has had a troubled past, one that refuses to let him go. Without giving away any spoilers, I thought that Owen, his strained relationship with his son, and the tough fight ahead of him to make amends and be forgiven are all realistically portrayed. Owen is as full of pain over the damage he caused, not only to David but his son as well. Arthur makes sure that there is no instant forgiveness or easy solutions to these mens issues and problems of the past.

I enjoyed this story so throughly that it will send me back to the rest of the series to see what else A. M. Arthur has in store for the characters involved here. If you love a story of lovers reunited, of past hurts and betrayals overcome and redemption earned, then Foundation of Trust by A. M. Arthur is the story for you. I highly recommend it and am now off to search out her other stories and series to date.

Cover artist Lyn Taylor did a wonderful job of bringing the characters and tone of the story to the design and tone of the cover.

Sales Links: Samhain Publishing All Romance eBook (ARe) Amazon Foundation of Trust

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 239 pages
Expected publication: October 21st 2014 by Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
original titleFoundation of Trust
ASINB00KT23WJU
edition languageEnglish
seriesCost of Repairs #5

Books in the Series Include:

Cost of Repairs (Cost of Repairs, #1)
Color of Grace (Cost of Repairs, #2)
Weight of Silence (Cost of Repairs, #3)
Acts of Faith (Cost of Repairs #4)
Foundation of Trust (Cost of Repairs, #5)

A MelanieM Review: Red Dirt Heart 2 (Red Dirt #2) by N.R. Walker

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Charlie Sutton had lived a quite, solitary life on his family’s ranch, the Sutton Station, one of Australia’s Northern Territory’s largest farms. It’s harsh desert landscape and couple million acres of red dirt, and scorching sun made his self isolation as easy as hiding his sexuality. It was a situation that Charlie had gotten comfortable with, even loved at times.

Then a Texas agronomy grad, Travis Craig appeared in his life by means of an international diversification education program and nothing was ever the same. Now Charlie’s life is lively, crowded, upended and confused. Travis is proudly gay and crazy about Charlie just as Charlie is about him. Six months of having the one thing he never thought possible is making Charlie happy, and throughly scared. And all the confusion, self doubts, and questions about their future is starting to make Charlie feel trapped in a way he never felt before.

As problems communicating and issues of exposure rise, one big question looms on the horizon. Will Travis stay or will he go?

The saga of Charlie Sutton, Travis Craig and the Sutton Station continues and happily, it has just grown in dimension and complexity with this new installment. I fell in love with Charlie, Travis, and all the inhabitants of the enormous farm called Sutton Station in the first story, Red Dirt Heart 1 where N. R. Walker introduced us to the uncompromising, yet beautiful landscape of the Northern Territory in Australia. Here the people and animals inhabit a vast territory, living in some of the harshest conditions found on earth. Brutal heat, a desolation that stretches for a million acres where nature, not people, make the rules and the cost of disregarding them is perilous and often deadly.

Through vivid descriptions and a beautiful use of the Australian culture, language and lingo, Walker envelopes the reader once more into the remote world that is Sutton Station and the romance of Charlie Sutton and Travis Craig. Just as making a living off under such uncompromising conditions takes work and communication, so do relationships. That that’s where Charlie and Travis are having trouble.

Walker’s Charlie Sutton is a complex, wonderful character. I almost wrote man because he feels so real and alive to me. Charlie grew up under the less than benevolent parentage of a father as harsh as the land around them. That voice that Charlie hears inside his head saying that “no fairy son of mine will ever run the station” is his father’s, a voice and bigoted outlook so ingrained into Charlie’s head and heart that he fears the very openness that Travis represents. The internal struggles that Charlie must work through are mirrored by the battles that must be fought externally in town and the other stations. And no matter what front the battles are being fought on, internal or otherwise, it always comes across as believable, immediate, and powerful. Since the story is told from Charlie’s pov, the reader is there for every skirmish, all the mental and emotional arguments and musings running through Charlie’s head and heart as he tries to find a way forward and a future. Walker had me so involved, so committed to Charlie and Travis that I couldn’t put this story down once I started.

And while its Charlie’s voice and thoughts we hear, we see, learn about and come to love all the others through his eyes. Travis, of course, comes first. A man of endless passion, movement, and need to being doing, something, anything, his big open heart is one the reader finds easy to embrace. Following quickly on his heels are Ma, George, Bacon, Trudy, Billy and Ernie. Even those darn animals like Matilda the red kangeroo baby, Texas and Shelby, their horses, everything pours itself into your heart like the red dirt of Sutton Station, inescapable, memorable, and final.

In a funny and welcome addition, N.R. Walker lays out for the reader early on certain vocabulary and colloquialisms non-Australians will find necessary. I started to correct realise to realize only to find out that no, realise is the Aussie spelling, not ours. And our Mickey D’s? Nope, that’s not what it’s called down under, a funny scene I will let you find on your own. There is no part of this story and series that doesn’t have me seriously enraptured. I want to go there. Pull on my Akubra and Driza-bone, take a ride in their utes, to experience the country and people I have met through the Red Dirt Heart series.

There are two more books to go, unless we can convince N. R. Walker to extend the series. Red Dirt Heart 2, in fact the entire Red Dirt Heart saga, is one of Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Best of 2014. And N. R. Walker is now on my automatic author buy list. Pick up these stories and start your journey in this remarkable land and it’s equally intrepid and complex characters. You will laugh, your heart will hurt, and some tears are going to flow in joy and sorrow. What a saga and series await you in Red Dirt Heart!

Cover art by Sara York is wonderful in branding the series and showcasing the landscape.

Sales Links: All Romance eBooks Amazon Red Dirt Heart 2

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 250 pages
Published August 17th 2014
ASINB00MT7VJZM
edition languageEnglish
seriesRed Dirt #2

Series to include 4 books that should be read in the order they were written and released for character and relationship development:

Red Dirt Heart 1
Red Dirt Heart 2
Red Dirt Heart 3
Red Dirt Heart 4

Find my author interview with N.R. Walker here.

A Sammy Review: Ben Raphael’s All-Star Virgins by K.Z. Snow

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Pride that depends on the approval of others is a false pride, layered on from outside yourself like gold leaf. When the leaf begins to flake and chip, you see the base material beneath it. When you see the base material, the shiny deception exists no more. What are you left with?

Soul-crushing disillusionment. A sorrow that seems absolute.

There’s something about youth that is so wonderful and yet so sad. This is displayed perfectly in the story of five young boys who attend Ben Raphael Academy, a boarding school, together. They’re more than friends, they’re family, but in the midst of a chaotic world filled with typical teenage drama, they’re virtually invisible.

When one of them comes up with a plan to change that, to make them become noticed and to highlight their “mystique” as virgins who aren’t trying to chase tail, a rare breed among boys their age, the rest go along. What starts out as a simple act to try and make a quiet, forgotten group noticed and desired winds its way into a far darker journey of discovery, loss, and love.

I forced myself to look at the sky. The stars wheeled thickly overhead. This night, they seemed like a gateway to infinite possibilities, not a glittering veil over a dark, suctioning void.

I went into this thinking it was going to be a fun, cute Young Adult story. I’m not typically one for that genre, but this sounded interesting.

Well, I can say for certain that cute and light were not quite what I got out of this. It speaks volumes about the thought process of youth and how they seek to be seen, but more than that seek acceptance. It was all a very sad reality to me. And while there is an element of romance in this between Rider and Jake, I feel the heart of the story lies more in the group of boys themselves.

Reading the blurb again, I think it sounds a bit cheesy toward the end in regards to an unspeakable tragedy, and when I read what this tragedy was, it may have at first seemed over-dramatic and far-fetched, but the more I thought about it, the more realistic it actually was – and that thought made me incredibly sad.

*POTENTIAL SPOILER REGARDING POSSIBLY TRIGGERING TOPIC: I was also surprised at the heaviness of a certain topic in this. I will say that if anyone has a hard boundary line when it comes to relationships between minors and adults of the more manipulative nature, you should steer clear of this. For some reason, I didn’t expect it to happen. Granted, this isn’t a long book, but it still surprised me when the initial idea was hinted at and then fleshed out.

I do think that the tragedy aspect of it, as well as the taboo relationship part, would’ve been more impactful in a book of novel length. With this being 134 pages, everything was quick, and the brief glimpses we got of this issues being dug into were quite nice, but just not enough given the weight of them.

In general a good story, but certainly not something I’d suggest if you want a quick, light read. Quick, yes, but light, not so much.And although I’m not an expert regarding the classification of a young adult story, this does depict teenage boys going through life. While there are several references to sexual activities, and times when we see what leads up to it and the aftermath, there are no explicit sexual details. As such, I’d say it does fall pretty well into the Young Adult category.

Cover Artist: Maria Fanning provided a simple cover that at first seems quite basic in regards to the type of story. Boys in a boarding school – thus a boy with a uniform on the cover. Yet, when you get into the story, the backdrop of the cover comes to have a great meaning, and really highlight a beautiful element of the story.

Sales Links: Harmony Ink eBook All Romance (ARe) Amazon Ben Raphael’s All Star Virgins

Book Details:

ebook, 134 pages
Published September 25th 2014 by Harmony Ink Press
ISBN139781632162571
other editions
None found

A Paul B Review: A Heart for Robbie by J.P. Barnaby

Rating 4.5 out of 5 stars

Celebrated gay author Julian Holmes writes young adult books where his heroes face demons, spirits and other things that go bump in the night. Those are nothing compared to the problems he faces when his newborn son Robbie is diagnosed with a serious heart defect. Julian must now navigate the health system for a possible cure for his son. When he meets Simon Phelps, the hospital insurance coordinator, Julian might find someone who will help complete his new family. But this new relationship could possible hurt as much as help Robbie in his fight for life.

During the delivery of his son by surrogate and best friend Erin, Julian Holmes is worried when his son does not immediately cry after his birth. The doctors rush the child to the NCIU and arrange for transport to St. Mary’s Children’s Hospital in downtown Chicago for more exams. Once there, the doctors diagnose Robbie with a serious heart defect that will only be corrected with a heart transplant. Without it, Julian would lose his son around his first birthday.

At St. Mary’s, Julian meets the hospital transplant team, which includes doctors, social workers, psychologist and Simon Phelps, the insurance coordinator. Whereas Julian is out and proud, Simon is deep in the closet. He is afraid of the reaction from his deeply religious mother and the youth center where he volunteers. He agrees to have dinner with his parents and potential dates that his mother has set up for him from her church.

After taking Robbie back to the hospital, Julian runs into Simon in the cafeteria. As they talk about what has happened in the last couple of months, Simon asks Julian what if it was scary to be out. Julian answer sometimes but Robbie’s health problems are actually scarier. After lunch, Simon receives and email from Julian what it is like to be deep in the closet.

Later, Julian takes Robbie in for a test. When Robbie codes, Julian is a wreck. Once Robbie is stabilized, Simon offers to take Julian to get something to eat and then drive him home. At the restaurant, Julian has a bit to drink to help drown his sorrows. Simon offers Julian a place to crash for the night. While there, their passion for each other takes over and they enjoy a night of love making. In the morning, they decide to try to pursue a relationship but keep it quiet as it would be against hospital regulations for Simon to be involved with a patient’s father.

As Simon grows closer to Julian and Robbie, he finds himself spending more and more time with them. A couple of months after the start of their relationship, Robbie is having trouble breathing and is rushed by ambulance to the hospital. The next day, as Simon is comforting Julian in a conference room, the head of the transplant team catches them, resulting in Simon’s dismissal and threatening to take Robbie off the transplant list. The two manage to convince the doctor to leave Robbie on the list while the state auditor conducts an investigation to see if anything illegal had occurred.

After that incident, a gay newspaper finds out about the relationship. The youth center asks Simon not to come back. As the information is about to get out to the mainstream press soon, Simon decides to tell his parents about himself. As expected, his mother does not take it well but his father is tired of losing his children due to her actions and tells Simon that he will work on his mother. Julian provides support for Simon during this time. Simon decides that he has his family, whether or not his parents are part of it or not.

Just shy of Robbie turning five months, Julian gets the call that a heart is available. As he informs his family, Julian is glad that Simon no longer has to hide his support for him. While the operation runs longer than expected, all appears to be fine. When some post operational complications show up, Julian wonders if it was all worth the effort. With a change in medicine, the doctors inform Julian that the prognosis is good for Robbie.

J.P. Barnaby has crafted a great novel with A Heart for Robbie. It starts with a prologue which is a passage from one of Julian’s books. This serves as an introduction to Liam and Clay, the heroes of the “Black Heart” series. These characters appear throughout A Heart for Robbie as manifestations of Julian’s hopes and fears. As Julian’s relationship with Simon grows, his need to consult with his characters lessens.

While I was a little disappointed that Julian and Simon’s first night together was brought about by a night out drinking, it was totally understandable. Julian needed to let go of his worries for a night and thus his night of drinking. The way the relationship was built was well done. I could feel Simon, who never thought about children of his own, fall in love with Robbie and his father. The fact that they had to keep the relationship quiet due to Simon’s work and being in the closet was understandable. The actions the two took during this time made sense.

The cover art by AngstyG might seem strange for a gay romance novel but was well done in the context of the story. The big teddy bear (Julian) holding the injured teddy bear (Robbie) just tugs at your heartstrings. The injured teddy bear in fact makes an appearance in the story.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press ebook Paperback All Romance ebooks (ARe) Amazon A Heart for Robbie

Book Details:

Ebook, 216 pages
Published July 10, 2014 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN: 978-1-63216-067-6
Edition language English

Get Fired Up with Morticia Knight’s Sin City Uniforms Book !, All Fired Up (tour and contest)

Book Name: All Fired Up (Sin City Uniforms #1)
Goodreads Link
Author Name: Morticia Knight

Author Bio:

M/M and M/M/F Erotic Romance author Morticia Knight enjoys a good saucy tale – after all, who doesn’t? Since she loves several genres, you may find your heroes in a contemporary, historical, paranormal or sci-fi setting. One of her passions is bringing people’s fantasies to life on the page, because life is too short for even one boring moment. Her stories are volcanic in heat, deep in emotion, and sprinkled with doses of humor.

When not indulging in her obsession for books, she loves the outdoors, film and music. The Pacific Northwest is the ideal spot to enjoy both hiking and beachcombing. Once upon a time she was the singer in an indie rock band that toured the West Coast and charted on U.S. college radio. She now resides on the northern coast of Oregon, where the constant rain and fog remind her of visits to family in England and Scotland when she was a child.

She is currently working on the Sin City Uniforms Series and a BDSM spin-off to the Gin & Jazz series entitled The Hampton Road Club. A follow-up to Bryan and Aubrey’s story in Rockin’ the Alternative will be available in 2015.

Author Contact:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/morticia.knight
https://twitter.com/MorticiaKnight

Publisher: Totally Bound
Cover Artist: Posh Gosh
Sales Links: https://www.totallybound.com/all-fired-up

All Fired Up Blurb:

Officer Shawn Everly patrols the Strip and one night, fireman Trent Marshall saves him when danger strikes. But it’s still uncertain whether Trent can save himself from getting his heart broken by Shawn.

The party never ends on the Las Vegas strip but neither does the danger. Officer Everly is new to the beat, having recently relocated to Vegas from Los Angeles. Foot patrol on the Strip is a demanding assignment because he’s up close and personal with the public. But what he’d really like to do is get up close and personal with Station 32’s hunky fireman, Trent Marshall.
Trent has been a fireman for over ten years and is dedicated to his job. He’s built tough and is a no-nonsense man of few words. At a local blood drive, Trent meets the handsome new officer on foot patrol but won’t let himself get too close. He’s lost love before when his policeman lover was killed in the line of fire.

During an emergency, Trent’s over-protective instincts kick in when he believes Shawn is in harm’s way. He ends up embarrassing and angering Shawn in front of their fellow officers, which seems as though it will end any hope of Trent having a chance with the young man he can’t push from his mind. Shawn can’t decide whether he wants to punch or kiss Trent. Kissing wins. Once they spend some time together away from the stresses of their jobs, they find that they’re not just compatible—they’re combustible.
But Trent can’t seem to accept that there are hazards that come with working in law enforcement. Right as they’re discovering how much they mean to one another, the danger escalates on the Strip. The underground vigilante group, The Citizens Against Immorality, have raised the stakes. Will Shawn and Trent be their next targets?

Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance, Thriller

All Fired Up Excerpt:

“Oh shit! He hasn’t come back up yet!”

One of the onlookers pointed in the direction of where the swimmer had been only seconds before. All that remained were small ripples on the surface of the water.

Goddammit.

Moving quickly, Shawn tore off his duty belt, frantically toeing off his shoes as he did. Before Vicki had the opportunity to register what was happening, Shawn thrust the equipment at her. To her credit, she wordlessly grabbed it. He boosted himself over the banister and dropped into the water—it wasn’t deep enough at the banks for him to dive safely, only about four feet. But it was fucking cold, much more so than he’d expected. Shawn gritted his teeth and swam desperately toward the dark shape floating just below the surface of the lake. He was soaking wet but his mouth was dry. His heart beat wildly as he propelled himself forward.

By the time he reached the victim, he was no longer able to touch the bottom at all. He turned the man over, wrapping his arm around his chest, keeping his head above water. Shawn’s muscles burned with the stress of hauling the limp weight of the unconscious drunk to safety through the frigid waters, and from swimming using only one arm to pull them both along.
Taking in big gulps of air, he noted that several emergency vehicles had arrived. He could barely make out the yellow engine that he was certain would be from nearby Station 32. There were additional police units, the red truck of Las Vegas Fire and Rescue, as well as at least one ambulance.

The drunk woke with a start, choking and gasping, fighting Shawn’s attempts to save his life. Shawn was pulled under – he’d barely had a chance to take a breath. His feet hit the bottom and Shawn propelled both of them back up out of the water. It was only a few seconds before he was dragged under again. Weakening, Shawn tried once more, but he barely broke the surface. Right as he sucked in a breath, he was yanked down and he took in more water than air.

Oh shit. Might be drowning.

Tour Dates/Tour Stops:
October 6: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
October 7: Rainbow Gold Reviews, The Novel Approach
October 8: Sinfully Sexy, The Hat Party
October 9: Cathy Brockman Romances
October 10: All I Want and More Books, Guilty Indulgence Book Club
October 13: Andrew Q. Gordon
October 14: Fallen Angel Reviews, Hearts on Fire
October 15: Jade Crystal
October 16: Boy Meets Boy Reviews, Because Two Men Are Better Than One
October 17: Regular Guys, Hot Romance, Butterfly-O-Meter
October 20: Prism Book Alliance
October 21: Multitasking Mommas, Dawn’s Reading Nook
October 22: Inked Rainbow Reads
October 23: Tara Lain
October 24: Carly’s Book Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews, Up All Night, Read All Day
October 27: Wake Up Your Wild Side, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Amanda C. Stone
October 28: Queer Town Abbey, Kimi-Chan
October 29: My Fiction Nook
October 30: Cate Ashwood
October 31: Foxylutely Book Reviews, Love Bytes

Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card + Signed copy of All Fired Up. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Use the Rafflecopter link provided to enter and for additional contest details.

Contest Scavenger Hunt Secret fact from Fired Up:
1. Firefighter Trent Marshall has a thing for cops, but he’s afraid of losing another lover in the line of fire.

Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal for Unicorns and Rainbow Poop by Sam Kadence (contest)

????????????????

Need a little wonder in your life? Check out the new cover for Sam Kadence’s Unicorns and Rainbow Poop! There is an excerpt to read and a contest to enter! Now on to our cover reveal…

Book Name: Unicorns and Rainbow Poop
Author Name: Sam Kadence

Author Bio:

Sam Kadence has always dreamed about being someone else, somewhere else. With very little musical talent, Sam decided the only way to make those dreams come true was to try everything from cosplay at the local anime conventions to writing novels about pretending to run away to become a musician.  Sam has a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing, sells textbooks for a living, enjoys taking photographs of Asian Ball Joint Dolls to tell more stories, and has eclectic taste in music from J-pop to rock and country. All of which finds its way into the books eventually.

Author Contact:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008292783586&fref=ts&ref=br_tf
https://www.facebook.com/SamKadence
@parisbvamp

Publisher: Harmony Ink Press
Cover Artist: Aaron Anderson
Sales Links for Dreamspinner Press: eBook Paperback

Unicorns and Rainbow Poop Blurb:

Ex-boyband member Dane Karlson is struggling to overcome an eating disorder and a body dismorphic disorder. His fall through a glass table puts him in rehab and on the road to recovery. Then a friend dies. When depression causes him to lose ground, he calls for the only person he trusts–former bandmate Tommy. But Tommy doesn’t know how to help. He begs his friend Sebastian “Bas” Axelrod to aid them through the emotional struggle.

Bas, an openly gay high school student who’s recently lost his grandmother, is trying to survive his last few months of school before escaping to Stanford. Having just lost the only person in his family to care for him, he is victim to the cruelty of the others. His younger brother bullies him, and his parents are suing him for his gran’s inheritance. When Tommy calls, Bas can’t help but run to his side.

Together Dane and Bas find a middle ground, supporting each other through the lows, dancing together during the highs. They build friendships and plan for the prom and graduation, thinking positively as long as they are together.

Categories: YA, Contemporary, m/m

Unicorns and Rainbow Poop Excerpt:

“So I was thinking since you and I both care about Tommy, we have something in common. See, Tommy is stressed, and I thought we could do something nice for him.”

Dane sat but glared at the man suspiciously. “What sort of nice thing?”

Bas motioned to the bags. “We’re going to make him cookies.”

Dane gulped. “I don’t like food.”

“You won’t be eating it. Tommy will. He canceled a class to come here. Did he tell you? He was taking a theater class at the community college back in Minnesota. Had to withdraw to be here. And with college, you know that means giving up any money paid. Not that money matters much to you guys. Though as young as you all are, I hope you’re well invested.”

Bas shrugged at him and began taking things out of the bags. Flour, eggs, sugar—both white and brown—food coloring, butter, vanilla, and lemons.

“I didn’t know,” Dane said quietly. He’d thought Tommy would be the least affected by his problems. Of course he’d been wrong about that too. Couldn’t he do anything right? “I don’t know anything about cooking.”

“That’s okay. I got this recipe online. It’s pretty easy. We’re making unicorn poop cookies.”

“What?”

“They are sugar cookies with food coloring in them to make them all rainbow-like. Unicorns are good luck and all that. Supposed to be the embodiment of goodness and purity.” Bas picked up his tablet, tapped the screen, and flipped it so Dane could see. The cookies really did look like a big pile of rainbow poop.

“Looks tasty,” Dane grumbled.

“We shall see, right? Think you can measure for me?” He pulled out a couple of cookie sheets and turned on one of the many ovens. “I got permission to use the kitchen here, but we can’t get too rowdy or they’ll kick me out.” He winked at Dane. “I’m pretty sure the orderlies outside are to make sure I’m not burning the place down.”

Dane got up and moved around the counter to stare at the list of ingredients. Bas plugged in a big mixer and took the mixing bowl out of it, bringing it to the counter for them to fill.

“This is really for Tommy?”

“Sure. We can send some to Ru and Adam too if you’d like. I heard they are only an hour or so away.”

“I don’t want Ru to know I’m here,” Dane said immediately. He didn’t need to mess up anyone else’s life.

“No worries. We need tell them nothing other than that they are from you.”

Tour Dates: October 6, 2014

Tour Stops: Parker Williams, Andrew Q. Gordon, Amanda C. Stone, Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, BFD Book Blog, My Fiction Nook, The Hat Party, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Foxylutely Book Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews, Cathy Brockman Romances, Fallen Angel Reviews, Rebecca Cohen Writes, The Blogger Girls, Cate Ashwood, A_TiffyFit’s Reading Corner, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Boy Meets Boy Reviews, Smoocher’s Voice, Will Parkinson, Love Bytes, Multitasking Mommas, Twinsie Talk, Iyana Jenna

Contest: Rafflecopter Prize: $20 Amazon Gift Card. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Use the Rafflecopter link provided to enter and for all additional contest details.

Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Glorious October and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

This year our fall has been glorious! The weather is perfect, holding off those cold temperatures while still giving us a taste of the clear, crisp air and blue skies that I think of when fall arrives in Maryland. The Farmers markets and stores are full of Crisps, Cortlands, Stayman’s and Winesaps! Am I thinking of homemade apple pies? You betcha!

The leaves are just starting to turn here so I hope there will be plenty of color around when I return from Chicago and GRL. As we approach the dates for GRL, we are starting to lighten our schedule in anticipation. It’s just temporary and we will be back up and reading away upon our return. So many things to prepare for, think to pack, and get excited about. So many great authors will be there and I can’t wait to hear about all the new books, events, and author readings that will be taking place.

This week, our young YA reviewer, Aurora, has her first review on Saturday. I can’t wait for more of her reviews and fresh perspective from someone with much younger eyes and mind than mine! lol PaulB, Barb, the Zany, Old, Lady and Sammy are well accounted for too. How much fun is this? But if you want to review for Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words, we have plenty of room for more reviewers. Drop me a note and let’s talk!

Quick Cool Announcement: Riptide Publishing has a new Josh of the Damned story, Merry Christmas, Josh from Andrea Speed, free at Riptide right now. Go here to download! If you love the Josh of the Damned warped universe as much as I do, this is a great gift to get for yourelf! Do it now!

Now onto to our schedule for this upcoming week.

The Week Ahead at Scattered Thoughts And Rogue Words

Monday, October 6:

Cover Reveal for Unicorns and Rainbow Poop by Sam Kadence
Morticia Knight’s All Fired Up Tour (contest)
A PaulB Review: A Heart for Robbie by J.P. Barnaby
A MelanieM Review: Midsummer Baker by Megan Derr

Tuesday, October 7:

Skylar Wood’s Jade Book Tour and Contest
A MelanieM Review: Hidden Gem by Lissa Kasey
A SammyL Review: All Star Virgin by Ben Raphael

Wednesday, October 8:

Riptide’s Bump in the Night Book tour and contest
A MelanieM Review: Red Dirt Heart 2 by N. R. Walker

Thursday, October 9:

RJ Scott’s GRL Guest Blog and Contest
A MelanieM Review: A Foundation of Trust by A.M. Arthur

Friday, October 10:

Andrew Q. Gordon’s A Closed Door Book Tour and Contest
Garrett Leigh’s “Slide” Book Tour and Contest
A MelanieM Review: Accidental Contact and Other Mahu Investigations by Neil Plakcy

Saturday, October 11:

An Aurora YA Review: “The Ocean at the End of the Lane” by Neil Gaiman

A MelanieM Review: Red Dirt Heart (Red Dirt #1) by N.R. Walker

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Welcome to Sutton Station: One of the world’s largest working farms in the middle of Australia – where if the animals and heat don’t kill you first, your heart just might.

Charlie Sutton runs one of the largest working ranches in middle Australia, Sutton Station. It is something he was born to do and Charlie can’t picture himself anywhere else even if he feels his sexuality would make him an outcast not only among the people he works among but the other stations and store owners he does business with as well. The recent death of his powerful, overbearing father has done nothing to still his father’s voice inside his head that threatens his self worth and instills Charlie with a fear about being gay and out. Then a new arrival at the station upends the status quo, including Charlie’s perceptions of himself and the Sutton Station family.

American agronomy student Travis Craig arrives for a work study internship at Sutton Station. Travis feels that his background as a Texas rancher and college area of study will help him fit in while hoping his studies will be beneficial to both countries. While Travis expects to research how the Australian farmers make a living from one of the harshest environments on earth, he doesn’t expect to find that he learns to love not only the harsh beauty and red dirt of Sutton Station but Charlie Sutton himself.

Under the intense desert sun of the red dirt of Sutton Station, can two men find love and the ability to have a future together?

Readers, meet my latest obsession and its author, the Red Dirt Heart series by N. R Walker. All it took was the first paragraph to pull me totally into the life of Charlie Sutton and the Sutton Station set in the Northern Territory (which is about the same size as Lebanon and based on a real working farm). This author is amazing. Walker manages to make the people and places in Red Dirt Heart so believable, so vivid, that you will feel the dust and heat enough to feel the need to brush the red dirt off the pages (or Kindle cover) as you read.

The story is told from Charlie Sutton’s point of view. That perspective enables Walker to bring all the Aussie terminology, colloquialisms, culture and frame of mind to life. It also lets us into the heart and soul of this vulnerable, and marvelously complicated young man. There is so much to Charlie. From the insidious voice inside his head left by his father that tells him he will never be good enough or “man” enough to run Sutton Station because he is gay to the considerate, smart, and appealing person others find him to be. What a great character!

Travis Craig, is his equal in every manner. A Texas agronomy student who is openly gay, Travis starts to upend Charlie’s life and life at the Sutton Station from the moment he arrives. Travis not only works himself into Charlie’s heart but the readers as well. Their dialog together is serious, humorous, and telling in its many meanings and impact.

Every aspect of life at Sutton Station comes across as authentic and real as the red dirt itself. From Ma in the kitchen to the drovers that work for Charlie, the reader is immersed into the every day experiences of life lived seasonally and the hard work it takes to exist and succeed under some of the harshest conditions known. It’s not just the romance but all the layers found here in this story and series that makes it work and resonate deeply with the readers, myself included. I did say it was my newest obsession, didn’t I?

Red Dirt Heart is that amazing self published story that you want to go telling everyone about. I couldn’t put it down and then was lucky enough to already have in my possession the sequel to dive into once the first was finished. And then I wanted more. I wanted to move to Australia, experience the red dirt and vastness of the Northern Territory and wander until I found a Charlie and Travis of my own. Trust me, you are going to feel the same. The third story in the series is almost here. Pick up the first two and get ready to fall in love with Charlie, Travis, and the Sutton Station itself.

Cover Artist: Sara York. I like it. It works for the story and series branding.

Author’s Note: Please note: This book is set in Australia, using Australian English and lingo

Sales Links: All Romance eBooks (ARe) Amazon Red Dirt Heart 1 $1.50 at Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 162 pages
Published February 20th 2014
edition languageEnglish
seriesRed Dirt #1

Books in the series to date in the order they were written and should be read to understand the relationships, events and characters:

Red Dirt Heart 1
Red Dirt Heart 2
Red Dirt Heart 3 to be released early October 2014

In the Author Spotlight: Jamie Lynn Miller and her release, Out of the Shadows (contest)

✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍

In Our Author Spotlight: Jamie Lynn Miller

and Out of the Shadows!

How my real-life law enforcement experiences inspired a romance story by Jamie Lynn Miller

Thanks so much, Melanie, for having me here today. I’m Jamie Lynn Miller and I’d like to talk about my book Out of the Shadows and my inspiration for writing it.

My tagline says it all: “Men in uniform…and out”. Give me a cop, a fireman or a paramedic and I’ll write a story about them.

I’ve been interested in law enforcement since I was a kid and had aspirations of joining the FBI after college. But that’s another story for another time. Instead, over the past many years I’ve taken six different citizen police and fire academy classes, spanning over 72 weeks in total.

I’ve gone on ride-a-longs with the police department and fire department. I’ve been inside a live burn tower. I received the marksman award on the firing range. I worked with the SWAT team. I sketched a crime scene and collected fingerprints and other evidence. I learned how to find my way blind in the dark in a smoke filled room wearing an oxygen tank and mask and full turnout gear. I learned self-defense moves the police use to subdue suspects. I used the Jaws of Life to pry a door off a car and used an axe to break out a windshield.

And during all this, I took notes. Lots and lots of notes. Notebooks full. Because I knew someday I was going to write a story. Or four. 🙂

Then two things came together that gave me the inspiration for Out of the Shadows – I spent time working with two separate K-9 units and I attended a lecture on domestic violence. Being a pet lover I was instantly drawn to the K-9 teams and I was fascinated with how they worked and how they trained and the bond between human officer and canine officer. Part of the lecture on domestic violence and how the police handle such cases was the fact that men are abused, too, but it’s hardly ever reported. That just really stuck with me and I began to wonder how to write a story about a man who found himself in an abusive relationship and how he would find the strength and courage to leave. Then suddenly a handsome K-9 officer worked his way in and Out of the Shadows was born.

So here it is, the story of Shane and Tyler and how they found their Hollywood happy ending. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Out of the Shadows Blurb:

For K-9 Officer Shane Walker, transferring from the Tulsa police department to the elite L.A.P.D. was a dream come true. He nearly forgets he’s in Hollywood until he responds to a 911 call that brings him to the home of actor Tyler Donovan.  It appears that Tyler has it all – a career that’s on fire and a loving, long-term relationship with his partner, Alex. But then Shane uncovers the truth that Tyler had been trying to hide, and the illusion comes crashing down.  Can Shane help Tyler break free of a life he’s convinced he deserves before it’s too late, and in the process help them both find love?

Out of the Shadows Excerpt:

Shane arrived at Tyler’s house hours later, after being reamed out by Nick, still no less furious with the other man. He could’ve called, like Tyler asked, but what he had to say needed to be said face-to-face.  Tyler must’ve heard his truck pull up, for he was standing with the front door open as Shane walked up the steps. He brushed by Tyler and stood in the living room, hands on his hips.
“Shane – ”

“What were you thinking?!” Shane yelled, cutting Tyler off.

“I wasn’t!” Tyler yelled back, fire in his blue eyes. “I just reacted! You needed help!”

“That’s why I’ve got Chase!”

“He’s not a human, Shane!” Tyler countered. “You needed another pair of hands! I couldn’t just sit there and watch you wrestle with him!”

Shane took a step toward Tyler, his body vibrating with anger and suppressed fear. “He had a gun, Tyler! What if he’d have had it on him and turned around and started shooting? What if he would’ve shot you? I can’t -” his voice broke and he felt himself start to shake. “I can’t lose you!” He swallowed thickly around the lump in his throat, taking another step toward Tyler as the other man did the same. They met halfway and Shane crushed his mouth to Tyler’s, pouring out his fear and love in the demanding kiss.  Things started escalating in the blink of an eye. Tyler’s arms wound around Shane, holding tightly, hands gripping Shane’s t-shirt, trying to get their bodies even closer together. One of Shane’s hands cupped the back of Tyler’s head while the other went around his waist. Shane was still shaking, the fear being replaced by desire and anticipation now, like everything was about to change.  Tyler must’ve felt it too, his mouth demanding against Shane’s, his tongue sliding hard against Shane’s own. This was by far the most aggressive, passionate kiss they’d ever shared, Shane’s head dizzy with it as their mouths crashed together again and again.

“Ty…” Shane whined into the kiss, pleading. “Need you…”

~~~~~
CONTEST: To win a $10.00 Amazon gift card, leave a comment here with the answer to the following question: “Who is Shane’s ‘non-human’ partner?” Contest ends Monday, October 6th. Winner will be randomly selected on October 7th.

BUY LINKS:

Amazon
LuLu (Paperback and epub):
Kobo
Barnes and Noble
Dreamspinner
Also available at the iBookstore

Author Bio:

Jamie Lynn Miller has been writing fiction since childhood and decided to take the plunge and go pro in 2008, finding to her amazement that people truly enjoyed her love stories. She’s a romantic at heart, and her tales reflect the desire we all have to find “the one,” persevering through trials and heartache for that happy ending.

Jamie has a degree in fine arts and has spent the last twenty years working as a graphic designer, though she’d much rather be writing. She was born in Chicago and still lives there today with her husband and their two furry, four-footed children, er… cats.

If she’s not brainstorming story ideas, you can find Jamie at a sci-fi convention, in front of a furnace doing glass blowing, or on a mat twisted into a yoga pose.

CONTACT INFO: Jamie Lynn Miller

Email: jamielynnmiller@live.com
Website: http://www.jamielynnm.wordpress.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jamielynn.miller.3

In Our Author Spotlight: Carol Lynne on Tour with The Brick Yard, A What’s His Passion Imprint from TB! (contest)

✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Carol Lynne here to talk about her latest release from Totally Bound’s What’s His Passion Imprint, The Brick Yard. Check out the book information and don’t forget to enter the contest included in the tour!

✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍

My Love/Hate Relationship with Secondary Characters
By Carol Lynne

Let me start by saying how much I love to write secondary characters. I love them so much that I can’t stop thinking about them after I finish a story. That, of course, leads to a sequel. Then, in the sequel, I have to introduce another set of secondary characters, which will inevitably lead to a third book. Are you starting to see a pattern? Yep, I’m a series junky. I’ve tried numerous times to kick the habit, but it’s a pull like none other.

When I was asked to write a stand-alone title for the What’s His Passion imprint at Totally Bound, the first thing that popped into my head was how am I going to pull off a stand-alone? What about secondary characters. Am I really supposed to write a story with secondary characters who will never see a happily-ever-after? How can this be? My brain simply doesn’t work that way.

Well, in The Brick Yard, I tried to give life to the secondary characters while reigning in my thoughts about future stories. It wasn’t easy, honest. That said, I know that all the secondary characters in The Brick Yard will go on to lead very happy and productive lives. I may not have a chance to write them, but I’ve told myself they will be fine without my interference.

I have no doubt that once people read The Brick Yard, they will email to ask if Jax is going to get a story or Jake or Mac…the list goes on. This is where the hatred for writing secondary characters comes in. Believe me, I’d love to know what happens to them in the future as much as some of you do, but, again, this is a stand-alone. How do authors write standalones? I think the next time I’m asked to write a single book, I’m going to set it on a remote island or something where only the two main characters are in the story because the only way I know not to fall in love with my secondary characters is simply to not write them in the first place.

Despite my ramblings, I hope you’ll fall in love with the secondary characters in The Brick Yard as much as I did.

Blurb for The Brick Yard, the debut novel in Totally Bound’s What’s his Passion? imprint:

For Lucky Gunn, the hardest fight of his life happens outside the cage.

On the south side of Chicago sits an old gym called The Brick Yard.

Ten years ago, on a bitterly cold day, Lucky Gunn wandered into The Brick Yard dressed in a threadbare jacket, looking for refuge. He hadn’t expected the owner, Tony Brick, to welcome him with a job and a place to sleep when Lucky’s abusive and drug addicted mother made it too dangerous to return home.

Dray was a gay man living in a world of straight fighters. When his secret was exposed to the media, he dropped out, giving Lucky a piece of advice, if you want to make it as a MMA fighter, bury the part of yourself that won’t be accepted.

Lucky discovered the cage was the perfect place to keep his demons at bay, but when he learns his trainer and mentor, Brick, is suffering from end-stage cancer, he begins to spiral out of control. After eight years, Dray returns to help Lucky and Brick deal with the devastating news.

With Dray so close, Lucky’s old desires return, and Dray teaches him more than how to fight. Torn between his career and the passion he feels for Dray, Lucky finds that his past demons resurface in full force, threatening his sanity and his budding relationship with Dray.

Despite leaving the cage years earlier, Dray finds himself in the battle of his life with the only man he’s ever loved. Will he stand and fight or walk away like he did years earlier?

Like the sound of The Brick Yard? Buy it here!

Author Bio for Carol Lynne:

An avid reader for years, one day Carol Lynne decided to write her own brand of erotic romance. Carol juggles between being a full-time mother and a full-time writer. These days, you can usually find Carol either cleaning jelly out of the carpet or nestled in her favourite chair writing steamy love scenes.

Sales Links: Samhain Publishing All Romance eBook (ARe) Amazon Foundation of Trust

Books in the Series Include:

Share this:

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Series to include 4 books that should be read in the order they were written and released for character and relationship development:

Share this:

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Sales Links: Harmony Ink eBook All Romance (ARe) Amazon Ben Raphael’s All Star Virgins

Share this:

Rating 4.5 out of 5 stars

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press ebook Paperback All Romance ebooks (ARe) Amazon A Heart for Robbie

Book Details:

Share this:

Book Name: All Fired Up (Sin City Uniforms #1) Goodreads Link Author Name: Morticia Knight

Author Bio:

Author Contact: https://www.facebook.com/#!/morticia.knight https://twitter.com/MorticiaKnight

All Fired Up Blurb:

All Fired Up Excerpt:

Share this:

????????????????

Need a little wonder in your life? Check out the new cover for Sam Kadence’s Unicorns and Rainbow Poop! There is an excerpt to read and a contest to enter! Now on to our cover reveal…

Book Name: Unicorns and Rainbow Poop Author Name: Sam Kadence

Author Bio:

Author Contact:

Publisher: Harmony Ink Press Cover Artist: Aaron Anderson Sales Links for Dreamspinner Press: eBook Paperback

Unicorns and Rainbow Poop Blurb:

Unicorns and Rainbow Poop Excerpt:

Tour Dates: October 6, 2014

Contest: Rafflecopter Prize: $20 Amazon Gift Card. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Use the Rafflecopter link provided to enter and for all additional contest details.

Rafflecopter Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Share this:

The Week Ahead at Scattered Thoughts And Rogue Words

Monday, October 6:

Tuesday, October 7:

Wednesday, October 8:

Thursday, October 9:

Friday, October 10:

Saturday, October 11:

Share this:

Sales Links: All Romance eBooks (ARe) Amazon Red Dirt Heart 1 $1.50 at Amazon

Share this:

✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍

In Our Author Spotlight: Jamie Lynn Miller

and Out of the Shadows!

How my real-life law enforcement experiences inspired a romance story by Jamie Lynn Miller

Out of the Shadows Blurb:

Out of the Shadows Excerpt:

Author Bio:

Share this:

✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Carol Lynne here to talk about her latest release from Totally Bound’s What’s His Passion Imprint, The Brick Yard. Check out the book information and don’t forget to enter the contest included in the tour!

✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍

My Love/Hate Relationship with Secondary Characters By Carol Lynne

Blurb for The Brick Yard, the debut novel in Totally Bound’s What’s his Passion? imprint:

Like the sound of The Brick Yard? Buy it here!

Author Bio for Carol Lynne:

Share this:

Book Name: All Fired Up (Sin City Uniforms #1)
Goodreads Link
Author Name: Morticia Knight

Author Contact:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/morticia.knight
https://twitter.com/MorticiaKnight

Book Name: Unicorns and Rainbow Poop
Author Name: Sam Kadence

Publisher: Harmony Ink Press
Cover Artist: Aaron Anderson
Sales Links for Dreamspinner Press: eBook Paperback

Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Love/Hate Relationship with Secondary Characters
By Carol Lynne