Category: M/M Contemporary Fiction

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

A MelanieM Review: A Forbidden Rumspringa (Gay Amish #1) by Keira Andrews

Rating:  5 stars out of 5

When two young Amish men find love, will they risk losing everything?

Forbidden Rumspringa coverIsaac Byler’s life changed when his family moved from their Amish home in Ohio to follow their new bishop to northern Minnesota.   Their previous bishop and settlement, while holding to the Amish ways, was never as strict as the Swartzentruber Amish life they are expected to lead in Zebulon.  All it took to shake up their community was a horrible accident that cost their small Ohio town the lives of several of their teenagers on a Rumspringa.  Now in Zebulon, that outlet and glimpse into the English world is forbidden as is all but the smallest contact with the outside world.  Every aspect of their lives is rigorously charted, inspected and regulated by their bishop and laws.  And Isaac is feeling smothered and guilty about the fact.

Isaac is also turning 18, an age where he is expected to join the church and marry, two things he has been avoiding at all costs.  The reasons behind his continued postponement are ones Isaac refuses to acknowledge.  But that’s about to change as well.  His parents have apprenticed Isaac to the community’s carpenter, David Lantz, a young man supporting his mother and sibling after his father died.  Isaac has been avoiding David too because being near the carpenter raises unseemly and forbidden feelings in him that he is supposed to save for his wife.

When David and Isaac start to work together, their attraction and feelings towards each other grows as does their guilt and confusion over their futures.  David too shares Isaac’s desires, and he harbors another secret as well.  But can their love withstand the pressures of their  families, community, and religion to conform and marry?  Or will they take the chance on a life together outside in the English world and face the possibility of never seeing home and family again?

What a fantastic book!  I had heard rumors about this novel circulating around certain LGBTQ internet groups for a little while but it still I was unprepared for the engrossing stunner of a story that is A Forbidden Rumspringa by Keira Andrews.   Andrews brings us into the heart of the Amish, in particular the  type of Amish known as the Swartzentruber, a super conservative, almost fundamentalist, religious sect within the Amish community that believes in zero contact with the outside world.  I mean a total rejection of anything that could be said to be modern, English, or prideful.  That includes rubber wheels for their buggies, shoes outside of church, and a rigid adherence to a strict “by the bishop” lifestyle where everyone is under constant surveillance and every part of their lives dictated by their bishop and religion.

Keira Andrews introduces us to this society and new settlement through the eyes of Isaac Byler, a 18 year boy, who is questioning their new lifestyle under their bishop and his future as it has been laid out for him by his parents and community. What little freedoms they had in their previous Amish community in Ohio have been left behind them when they fled their settlement because of an accident that killed several teenagers on a Rumspringa.   For those readers unfamiliar with the Amish lifestyle and religion, the Rumspringa is (in some Amish communities) “a period of adolescence in which boys and girls are given greater personal freedom and allowed to form romantic relationships, usually ending with the choice of baptism into the church or leaving the community.”  In other words, a time to get wild and get it out of their system before accepting communion and becoming a part of the church and community.  But due to that tragedy, an Ohio settlement shatters and a splinter group that includes the new bishop and several families leaves, heading to Minnesota in search of an isolated stricter life.

All this information as to their past history is imparted through Isaac’s memories and musings. How I loved and understood Isaac.  He is at a juncture in his life where he is expected to join the church, marry and start a farm of his own. None of which he wants to do.  Not only is Isaac (and his best friend) chafing under the new restrictions but Isaac’s beloved older brother has left for the outside world and been shunned for his actions.  Isaac is a bundle of questions,, guilt, and forbidden attractions towards men, especially the carpenter, David Lantz, to whom he is to be apprenticed.  Andrews pulls us completely into Isaac’s world, so intimately that we feel as though we are his constant companion, privy to all his thoughts and feelings.  We are so much a part of Isaac that we feel connected to him by his interactions with his family, his love for his brothers and sisters, the responsibility he feels towards his parents, everything that he treasures that is now starting to butt up against the clear realities of life in Zebulon.  Because nothing is thriving in Zebulon except the bishop.

Slowly as the narrative proceeds,  the author enlarges the reader’s view of Isaac and Zebulon to include the community’s farms, neighbors, and the group in general as Isaac interacts with various members of Zebulon. What a contrast between the healthy Amish community in Ohio they left and the starving, reduced one in Minnesota.  That no family can grow enough, make enough supplies or have enough resources to survive is adding to the  pressure for Isaac to stay and help support his family.  The portrait of this type of Amish community is startling.  I am sure that the pressures and strains represented here are the last ones to come to mind when you think of an Amish family but this story and its well drawn characters push the reader into forming other opinions or perspectives here.  Another gem of this story and author.

Especially well done is the familial bonds and community ties that hold Isaac and David in place.  You feel the emotions and love that tugs at them at the same time you totally understand the guilt and fear that threatens to overwhelm them.  David’s character is one that straddles both communities, that of the English or outside world and that of the Amish.  But deep within David remains that love and ingrained religious beliefs that continue to frame his life if not his thoughts. He is another great character, someone who is brave, troubled,and confused yet is still the impetus for the actions and events to come.

If those ties are all you have known, what amount of courage does it take to even think of leaving it and your families forever behind?  Huge questions posed by the author and characters on an intimate scale.  And every bit of emotional turmoil and pain is relayed from page to reader in believable scene after scene.  The descriptions, the dialog, and the settings are all so authentically elevated and yet on the same level as each other.  It all rings true.  Not one aspect appears more realistic or well researched than another.  The reader will throw their heart into this story and characters.  And that will make it hard to leave them all behind by the time this tale is over.  Luckily for us, Keira Andrews will pick up their story in a sequel to come.

A Forbidden Rumspringa is one of Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words’ best stories of 2014.  As is that remarkable cover, so evocative of the novel and the Amish community found within.   I highly recommend this book to all readers, add it to your TBR list today.

Cover Design by Dar Albert.  Best cover of the month and of 2014. Love it.

Sales Links:    All Romance eBooks (ARe)     Amazon          A Forbidden Rumspringa

Book Details:

ebook, 231 pages
Published September 3rd 2014 by KA Books (first published August 31st 2014)
ISBN139780993859823
edition languageEnglish
seriesGay Amish #1
settingMinnesota (United States)

 

On Tour with Brooke Johnson & Natalya Parks and The Need To Touch (contest)

 

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 I am sitting with authors Brooke Johnson and Natalya Parks to find out more about themselves and The Need To Touch.  They’ve brought along a prize of  two signed paperback copies to give away.  To enter to win, visit this Rafflecopter link to enter and for more contest details.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

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STRW:   The Need to Touch is the first book in the Stay True series.  Which came first the idea for the series or the first story?

Brooke and Natalya: The story, when we first started writing we hadn’t decided on the ending. But now that the story is finished we have an idea how the whole series will play out.

STRW:  Regional “voices” can be tricky.  Go too far and the character can fall into caricature ville. Not go far enough and the character is left without any local “flavor”.    How did you all avoid that syndrome?

Brooke and Natalya: Brooke was married to a country boy and Natalya grew up on a farm. We used this to create Ryder. Ben is a lot like Brookes friend from high school who was the original idea for the book.

STRW:    Ryder Harrison grows up on a small ranch in Montana.  Is that location and setting based on research or experience?

Brooke and Natalya:The location of Montana is from research. We chose it because it wasn’t too far from California but would still be a huge change and adjustment for Ryder. The ranch setting is from experience.

STRW:    Bentley Carter has a background of abuse.  That also is such a sensitive topic that writing that into a character needs to be handled believably.  Do you all feel that came across?

Brooke and Natalya:Yes, Brooke has an associate’s degree in adolescent psychology and is working on her bachelors. Natalya grew up in an abusive environment.

STRW:  Why write with a partner?  How did that come about?

Brooke and Natalya: We’re both gifted in different ways when it comes to writing. Where one of us is a little weaker the other one is stronger in that area. We have a lot of fun when we start brainstorming story ideas.

Brooke had a gay friend in high school who committed suicide at the age of sixteen. She wanted to write this story to inspire young adults that true love can prevail no matter how old you are. Brooke started an outline and asked Natalya for help and we went from there.

STRW: Do you find writing with a partner presents more challenges or less when trying for cohesion and fluidity in a story?

Brooke and Natalya: We actually feel in our situation it helps. Brooke writes faster which pushes Natalya to write more. Brooke tends to get attached to one character and has some difficulty brining out the other characters as much as the one she’s attached to. Natalya has an easier time seeing all the characters. Brooke is good at getting a basic story going where Natalya is good at adding details and making the story stronger. We have come to the conclusion that having two people write two different characters makes it easier to ensure the personalities of the characters are stronger and more realistic. Brooke does not enjoy editing. Natalya actually kind of enjoys it. We feel we make a very good team.

STRW:   Why go with teenagers to begin with?  Do you intend to “age” them through the series?

Brooke and Natalya:Actually they’re young adults. Ben is 20 at the beginning of the story and turns 21. Ryder is 19 and turns 20. Yes we do intend to age them throughout the series.

STRW:   Or will each story feature different characters?

Brooke and Natalya:The series will continue to be about Ben and Ryder. We will be bringing new characters into each book and characters will be leaving.

Book Name: The Need to Touch
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21455376-the-need-to-touch?ac=1
Author Name: Brooke Johnson & Natalya Parks
Authors Bio:
Brooke Johnson:

Brooke Johnson lives in Louisiana with her five girls, wonderful boyfriend, and many pets. When she is not working on finishing her current degree, she can be found fishing, coloring, or blowing bubbles with her kids. Just over a year ago, Brooke decided she wasn’t going to back down from her dreams, and started writing full time. With the encouragement of her family she is proud to be publishing her books for the world to read.

Brooke started reading later in life. Unlike many authors who have always had a special love for reading, Brooke didn’t pick up a book until she was in her late teens. She remembers wanting to find something to do with her mom, who has always been her best friend. One day her mom was talking about a romance novel that she just read. Not being interested in it all, Brooke gave in and read the book. She’s been her mom’s reading partner ever since. They can now sit and talk, laugh and even cry about all the books they have read over the years.

So, with great pride and honor, Brooke is happy to thank her mother for encouraging her to not only read, but to follow her heart, and write her own books. What started as simple poetry on scrap paper, at the age of seven, is now a dream come true. Brooke started writing but felt something was missing. When she started writing with Natalya Parks, everything seemed to fall into place, and now here they are. Launching books, and writing more. This may be the first you see of them, but Brooke is determined that this won’t be last. Brooke is excited for you to meet their characters, and fall in love with the men that they have spent many hours with over the last year, just for you!!

Natalya Parks:

Natalya parks lives is Louisiana with her beloved dog, Napoleon. Natalya enjoys spending as much time as possible with her children and grandchildren.
Natalya has had an ongoing passionate love affair with books since she was four years old. While her friends were getting in trouble for not reading she was getting in trouble for reading. She was late for dinner, forgot to do her chores, stayed up past her bedtime, forgot about homework and was late for the school bus on many occasions; because she couldn’t put the book down. Her most embarrassing moment caused by reading a book occurred when she was in seventh grade. The school bus pulled up to her stop and of course she couldn’t possibly stop reading. The story was just too good. So with her nose still in her book she slowly made her way down the aisle of the bus. She as she got to the top of the stairs she tripped over an instrument case that was jutting out just a bit into the aisle. Where she promptly fell head first down the stairs landing in a heap in the dirt, her feet resting on the bottom step. Natalya was wearing a dress that day.

She has wanted to be a writer since she was a teenager but never thought she could write anything good enough for someone else to want to read. Her dear friend Brooke convinced her otherwise and literally dragged her into the world of writing. Something she will be forever grateful. Now, not only does she get to love and enjoy works by other authors but also those that she has contributed to as well. Her mind still goes tilt, tilt when she thinks about the fact that she is a published author. Dreams really can come true.

Author Contact:
http://www.coolbeanspe.com
Amazon

Need-to-Touch-for-AmazonSMTitle:  The Need To Touch by Brooke Johnson & Natalya Parks
Publisher: Cool Beans Publishing and Editing, LLC
Cover Artist: Aj Corza

Sales Links:     Amazon   Barnes & Noble   Smashwords        All Romance (ARe)   Website

 

The Need to Touch Blurb:

You can only win someone’s heart once you’ve captured it.

Nineteen year old Ryder Harrison grew up near a small town in Montana, working on the family’s ranch and in love with his best friend, Landon Pennington. That was until his Grandfather decided he needed to go to college in California. Ryder promised his Mom before she died that he would finish his education. Staying true to his word, Ryder packs his clothes, and heads to California, confident that it would all be one big disaster. The only thing he hadn’t planned on was meeting Bentley Carter.

Twenty year old Bentley Carter has enough emotional issues to write his own ‘How to Cope’ manual. Surviving an abusive childhood, he made a personal promise to always stay true to himself, and never let emotions overrule his common sense. Content with his current life and friend with ‘benefits’, Ben is determined to not let his new roommate affect him.

Uncertain about their places in the world, and with each other, Ryder and Ben struggle to understand the person who is not what they thought they wanted, yet who they are unable to live without. Living in a sometimes cruel and unforgiving world they are determined to embrace the reality of falling in love and the challenges that follow.

The Need to Touch Excerpt:

Ben

Two days since meeting Ryder and I was considering changing majors.

It’s been thirty minutes since this lecture began, and I couldn’t remember one word the professor said. The cause of my distraction was chewing on his pen, two rows down from me. I groaned, and then tried to cover it with a cough. My face felt hot as the girl next to me glared in my direction. Why did he have to do that with his pen? It wasn’t until everyone closed their books that I realized I had stared ay Ryder through the entire lecture.

I continually found reasons to spend time with him. So I shoved my stuff in my bag and rushed out of the classroom. I was eager to run into him in the hallway, maybe then I’d get him to talk to me.

I rushed past a bundle of people gathered in the hallway. It wasn’t as though he was hard to find. Ryder was tall and solid muscle; I bet he looked even better naked. Ryder smiled as I fell into step next to him.

“So, what did you think?” I asked as we took the stairs to our dorm room.

“It was okay. I could swear someone was watching me the whole time.” Ryder said.

Tour Dates/Stops:
8/25: MM Good Book Reviews
8/26: Andrew Q. Gordon
8/27: Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings
8/28: Jade Crystal
8/29: Amanda C. Stone, EE Montgomery
9/1: Parker Williams
9/2: LeAnn’s Book Reviews, Iyana Jenna
9/3: The Hat Party
9/4: Love Bytes
9/5: Kimi-Chan
9/8: Cate Ashwood
9/9: Prism Book Alliance
9/10: Hearts on Fire
9/11: Fallen Angel Reviews
9/12: Foxylutely Book Reviews
9/15: Love of Bookends
9/16: Wake Up Your Wild Side
9/17: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
9/18: Hearts on Fire
9/19: My Fiction Nook

Rafflecopter Code:  Rafflecopter Prize: One of two signed paperbacks.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Please use the link below for the entry form and for all contest details.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Get some Love & Punishment with Susan MacNicol! On Tour, Answering Questions with Love & Punishment! (contest)

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What Makes A Man?  Let’s find out.   Susan MacNicol is here today on her book tour.  She’s brought a lovely contest to enter and agreed to sit down and answer some questions!  For all the contest information, head directly to the bottom of the post for the entry link and details.  Now on with our interview…

STRW:  When you write your stories, do you find yourself tailoring them to European readers or worldwide?

Susan M: I don’t write for any particular nationality or country. I obviously write using English slang, English words, and the flavour of the country I live in. It’s honest and the most natural way for me to tell my men’s stories. I’d say 90% of my readership is in the US though, but I don’t Americanise my spelling or my colloquialisms. My American readers seem to enjoy my English turn of phrase, and the idiosyncrasies of my language and of course, of me! I do hope that my stories appeal all over the world, and that everyone gets pleasure out of them.

STRW:  Is there any difference do you think?

Susan M: I think the answer I gave above probably settles this one. No, I don’t think it makes a difference. The one thing I would say is that when I write books using a language that isn’t my own, I always get a native speaker of that language to double check and sense check my phrases. In ‘Stripped Bare’ , Matthew Langer spoke German, in ‘Love and Punishment’ Anthony speaks some Italian. I’ve had some people criticise the language use and say it was wrong, or perhaps not how ‘they’ would have said it. All I can do is take the advice I’ve been given by those native language speakers and hope it’s the best we can do.

STRW:  Love and Punishment. Which came first?  Title or story?

Susan M: Oh, definitely the story. I’ve got some fairly fixed views on certain controversial issues myself and the ability to write some of these into a story using my characters is fascinating. Then, as I wove some of the elements of those views into my story, and the characters grew and the ideas surfaced and all of a sudden I had a gripping erotic romance thriller with some sexy male heroes, the title sort of crept into the mind. Love – in whatever form and depth and Punishment -both in the legal aspect, the justice view and of course, the self recrimination and guilt. It all wound together really nicely to give birth to the title.

STRW: What sparks your creative process for each story?  A Muse?  An idea?

Susan M: An idea. I get this bee in my bonnet, decide, ‘Yep, I really fancy writing about a crazy serial killer who is being hunted by a sexy Italian detective’, and then it just develops from there. The story tends to bulk out as I write and sometimes I’ll sit there and think,’ Where the hell did that come from? I didn’t even have the vestige of that idea when I started out’. Crazy story, twisting and turning and taking me along on its magic carpet ride.

STRW: What do you find sexy in a person?

Susan M: I have fantasies just like any other red blooded woman and being able to project those into my writing and create characters that I’d love to meet, be friends with, even be in love with, (sorry oh hubby of mine, you just lost out to a fictional character) really floats my boat. I love tight butts, slim, muscled, well toned bodies (not a fan of hair or too much body builder muscle -my daughter and I argue about it all the time as she’s a fan of big men), warm eyes, great eyebrows (like Robbie Williams) and a sense of humour plus intelligence. That’s my ideal man.

STRW: Favorite character you have written and why?

Susan M: Unfair question! I plead the Fifth. It’s impossible to answer this. It’s like the decision of King Solomon as to which half of the baby to give to which mother. I mean, if you had the pick of half of a sexy bloke, which half would you pick? (I’d actually be interested in the answers and the rationale for which half anyone chooses….) I love all my characters equally. Some are tough, some are more emotional. Some are jokers, some are too serious with OCD tendencies, some are fools that rush in where angels fear to tread…they have one thing in common though. They are all beautiful men inside (and out of course) and have the ability to feel love deeply and without reservation.

 

LoveBanner300x250BlueBook Name: Love & Punishment
Author Name: Susan Mac Nicol
Author Bio:

Susan Mac Nicol was born in Leeds, Yorkshire, in the United Kingdom. At the age of eight, her family moved to Johannesburg, South Africa where she stayed for nearly thirty years before arriving back in the UK in December 2000. Currently, She lives in the rural village of Bocking, in Essex, with her family.

Sue is a PAN (Published Author’s Network) member of Romance Writers of America and a member of the Romantic Novelists Association in the UK. Also, she is a member of a rather unique writing group, called the Talliston Writer’s Circle, which in itself has a story all of its own to tell. She has written nine novels, two novellas and a screenplay since February 2012 and clearly believes in keeping herself busy. She has found herself wanting to stay in the sub-genre that is M/M Romance so more can definitely be expected.

Her plan is to keep writing as long as her muse sits upon her shoulder. Her dream is to make enough money to give up the day job and get that big old house in the English countryside overlooking a river, where she can write all day and continue to indulge her passion for telling stories.

Author Contact:

Love and Punishment2SMCover Artist: Boroughs Publishing Group
Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group  
Buy Link:  Boroughs Publishing Group

Blurb:

On the search for a serial killer, Detective Anthony Parglietto and Flynn Parker learn that every man must make a choice: to kill, to live, to love.
FROM DARKNESS AND LIGHT

Someone is leaving a trail of bodies throughout London, and Detective Anthony Parglietto is determined to end the violence. Then he’ll return to the man he loves.

Tough, street-savvy, and used to dealing with lowlifes, Flynn Parker is the last person Anthony thinks he has to protect. Then the Bow-Tie Killer strikes close to home and the world turns upside down. Right is wrong, black is white, and a policeman might become a monster. But in the name of love, justice must be served. In the name of love, pain can be endured. In the name of love, a man can taste the very essence that defines him.
Video Link:   View Trailer Here

Excerpt:

Anthony walked down the hall. He reached the bedroom and gently pushed the door open. He saw Flynn framed in the light of the lamp shining from the lounge. He lay, apparently asleep, on the leather and wood divan Anthony had brought over from Italy. Its dark burgundy colour contrasted with what Flynn wore, which was nothing but a black thong lying stark against his pale skin. The divan was under the window. The bed covers were rumpled, as if Flynn had been sleeping. His robe was draped across the foot of the bed. Anthony moved towards the gleaming body of his supine lover.

Flynn’s face was turned away towards the back of the sofa. His dark hair was tousled and his arms stretched above his head to the right. He wore a blindfold. Anthony felt a stir in his groin seeing those lean, hairy legs stretched out wantonly, inviting him to run his hands up and over his groin. Even appearing asleep, Flynn had the power to excite him, to make Anthony hard and ready. He stepped towards him, watching the rise and fall of Flynn’s chest with their already hardened nubs. Anthony wanted to run his tongue over that chest, with its smattering of fine hair, to take Flynn’s nipples in his mouth and suck them until Flynn groaned in pleasure. As he got closer in the dim light he saw the hands with their bonds of silk. Green bonds lay dark against Flynn’s wrists, fastened to the wooden struts of the upright chair arm. His hands were tight fists. Anthony chuckled softly, a noise that sounded loud in the stillness of the room.

“Been waiting long?’ he whispered as he took off his jacket. ‘I tried to get home as soon as I could.”
Anthony knew the bonds would be loose so Flynn could break free if needed but he also knew he wouldn’t. It was the way the game was played.

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Tour Dates/Stops:
8/29: The Hat Party, It’s Raining Men
9/1: My Fiction Nook, Tara Lain
9/2: MM Good Book Reviews, EE Montgomery, Sarah Madison Fiction
9/3: Love Bytes, A_TiffyFit’s Reading Corner
9/4: Parker Williams, Amanda C. Stone
9/5: Full Moon Dreaming
9/8: Hearts on Fire, Rainbow Gold Reviews
9/9: Jade Crystal, Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves
9/10: Prism Book Alliance, Fallen Angel Reviews
9/11: Book Reviews and More by Kathy, Book Suburbia
9/12: Havan Fellows, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings
9/15: Decadent Delights, 3 Chicks After Dark
9/16: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Because Two Men Are Better Than One
9/17: Regular Guys, Hot Romance, Joyfully Jay
9/18: Louise Lyons, Gaylist Book Reviews
9/19: Cate Ashwood, Iyana Jenna
9/22: The Novel Approach, Crystal’s Many Reviewers
9/23: Inked Rainbow Reads, Wake Up Your Wild Side
9/24: LeAnn’s Book Reviews, Emotion in Motion
9/25: The Blogger Girls, Velvet Panic

Contest: Enter to win the Rafflecopter Prize: One copy of each of Double Alchemy and Double Alchemy: Climax. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Use the Rafflecopter link provided below for the entry form and additional contest details.
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Feel Lucky? Check in with Moriah Gemel’s “Load the Dice” VBT (Contest)

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Moriah Gemel has stopped by on her VBT for Load the Dice.  She’s answering some questions, brought along an excerpt and even a contest to enter.

 Contest: Moriah will be awarding a free download of an Interlude Press eBook title or an author/book swag pack (US ONLY) to TEN randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour as well as a Grand Prize of a $25 B&N gift card to a randomly drawn winner. A $25 B&N gift card and print edition (to be released at conclusion of the series in January) of Load the Dice will be awarded to a randomly drawn host.  Use this Rafflecopter link to enter and for additional contest details.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

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My Interview with Moriah Gemel on Writing, Favorite Books, and Inspiration

 STRW:  What was your inspiration for the story?

Moriah Gemel:  A friend and I were discussing what it would be like to meet someone through a game, to start a romance that way. I write a great deal of BDSM romance, and I thought, what better way to play a game? A BDSM scene can be much like a game—there are rules, and a set progression through agreed-upon activities, but all in the name of fun, and everybody wins–so what kind of game could two people meet through? And so Load the Dice was born.

STRW:  Do you have a muse?

Moriah Gemel:  Not that I think of as personified, no. I like to think of my inspiration as energy—some days I have plenty of it, and it just flows out through my fingers. But other days it’s stuck, and needs some jolting to get out, and that’s when I seek inspiration from other sources.

Do you work on one project at a time or many?

Moriah Gemel: I try to work on one thing at a time, but inevitably I forget that I’m supposed to be doing that and take on something else.

Hero or Antihero? Who would you chose and why?

Moriah Gemel:  I think it depends on the story. Characters are just people, and every person is different and does things their own way. And so both have their own merit depending on which character you’re throwing into which situation. For Load the Dice, I needed Eric to be a hero, of a sort—he needed to be honest and open and good, as much as he could be. Another character could easily have become an antihero though.

People say write what you know. Do you think that is right or is that even important?

Moriah Gemel:  I like to say, “Write everything.” That includes what you know, what you don’t know, what exists, what doesn’t exist. Why limit yourself when there really are no bounds?

What is the first book you read that really meant something to you?

Moriah Gemel:  When I was six years old, my grandfather handed me Watership Down by Richard Adams. And so I read it, and understood so very little. I wasn’t mature enough. But his advice was to keep reading until I got it, and so I did—I read it over and over and over, and I still read it from time to time. There’s always something new to discover.

What do you find sexy in a man?

Moriah Gemel:  I love a good pair of arms on a guy. I like them strong and thick, hard enough to hold me tight and hold me up. That and respect—nothing hotter than a guy who treats me like a person, you know?

What’s next up for you?

Moriah Gemel:  I’ve just outlined my second novel! I’m excited about it, it’s completely different and a new challenge for me.

Thank you, Moriah, for sitting in our author’s chair and giving us some insight into your books, inspiration and writing.  Now let’s take a closer look at Moriah Gemel’s book Load the Dice.

Cover_LoadTheDiceLoad the Dice (Episode One)
by Moriah Gemel
Publisher:  Interlude Press
Sales Link:  Load the Dice at Interlude Press

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Load the Dice Blurb:

Eric left the BDSM scene years ago because he couldn’t find the right partner, opting instead to meet men in quiet coffee shops and piano bars. But when his friend invites him to a posh hook-up party, he meets first time sub Jamie, who he convinces to detail his sexual fantasies during a passionate night together.

The pair soon embark on a relationship that introduces Jamie to the BDSM scene, and plays out his fantasies one by one. But as they approach the final fantasy, will Eric be able to walk away?

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Load the Dice Excerpt

He crawls onto the bed and straddles Jamie’s thighs, his clothed body barely touching Jamie’s, and Jamie whimpers. “Are you still wearing all your clothes?” he asks breathlessly, and Eric leans down and kisses the top of his spine, letting him feel the fabric of his clothes over his bare body.

“Yes, I am,” Eric says, and Jamie rocks down into the bed.

“Oh god, that’s so hot.”

Eric chuckles, and then sits back up, making sure to keep as little contact as he can.

“I want you to tell me about your fantasies,” Eric says. “For every fantasy you tell me, I will explore one part of your body with my mouth and hands. The more details you give, the more I will pay attention to the spot I’m on.” This gives Jamie just a little bit of control, and lets Eric know the kinds of touches he likes best. Jamie can decide if he wants to keep Eric somewhere or move on—it’ll keep him on his toes, and Eric has one more trick up his sleeve to ensure it.

“But if you stop talking,” he adds, “and you don’t move on to the next fantasy, or tell me more about the one you’re on, you will be punished. Is that understood?”

Jamie whimpers again, nodding.

“I need an answer, Jamie.”

“Yes, sir.”

Eric kisses the top of his spine again. “Good boy. Number the fantasies as you go. You may begin.”

 

Eric smiles. It’s a start.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:AuthorPic

Moriah Gemel has developed a dedicated following for her realistic, sexually-charged stories over twelve years in online fan communities. Passionate about a realistic depiction of BDSM, her goal is to both entertain and educate readers about the BDSM community.

Load the Dice originated as a short work of fan fiction, written in three parts. For her first work of professional fiction, she has turned it into a serialized novel in ten parts.

She is married and has a young son.

Connect with the author at:

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a Rafflecopter giveaway – see contest details and prizes listed at the beginning of this post.

A MelanieM Review: Pulling Leather (Pickup Men #3) by L.C. Chase

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

 The toughest ride of his life is all in his head.

PullingLeather_500x750Bull rider Scott Gillard has been fighting all his life, only to have it culminate in a horrific act of hate committed upon someone who used to be one of his closest friends.  While Scott didn’t himself commit the crime, Scott was both the impetus and accelerant for his friends actions and it has cost him everything.

After the brutal beating that cost Tripp Colby his career and almost his life, Scott has left the professional  bull rider circuit  behind.  His past actions and anger have cost him his sponsorships and his career as a bull rider is all but over.  But the past two years have been Scott try to become a better man who is responsible for his actions and more accepting of the sexuality he has always denied.   Scott is trying to change and make amends but will the other rodeo riders and professionals forgive him and let him come back?

Pickup man Cory Ackerson has never backed away from who he is, even if it meant constant harassment and bigoted attacks.  He’s confident in his skills, whether it is acting to save a bull rider on the circuit or putting on his eye liner.  A constant on the gay rodeo circuit, Cory is intrigued when Scott Gillard shows up at one of their rodeos looking to make amends and searching to see if there is a place for Scott somewhere in the rodeo scene.

Cory reaches out to Scott when Scott’s entrance is met with anger and Scott’s only action of one of quiet defense and pain.   Slowly the two form an unlikely friendship between one who is so flamboyantly gay and one who is still struggling to come out of the closet and find acceptance.  When friendship turns to love, Scott must finally decide which path he will take, the one that leads out of the closet or the one that lets fear lead the way away from the one man he loves.

I think that Pulling Leather is absolutely the best so far of the Pick Up Men series by L.C. Chase.  Scott Gillard was a creature of fear and hate in the previous stories.  And while we may have guessed at the secrets he was hiding, he never completely rose above a shallow portrait of a bigot.  Now L. C. Chase gives Scott Gillard his story of redemption and love and pulls the readers along each step of the way.

The prologue offers a glimpse into the action two years prior that caused all the anguish and shattered lives in the process.  When Pulling Leather finally begins Scott is coming off two years of intensive therapy and self reflection.  Now his friend and therapist thinks it is time for Scott to confront his feelings, make amends for his past actions and abuse, and take those first shaky steps out of the closet.  Thankfully, this is a realistic portrait of a man still in need of support, and work.  Scott Gillard is uncertain, apprehensive, and emotionally fragile.  That all that is hidden behind a large, gruff exterior makes his acceptance and turnabout harder for others to accept.  I think L.C. Chase has made Scott such a believable, “rough around the edges” sort of cowboy.  His background is especially painful and it is revealed slowly over the length of the story as Scott gains enough confidence in Cory to reveal parts of himself and his upbringing known only to his therapist.

Cory Ackerson is such an appealing character.  It will be easy for the reader to connect with such a strong character who is unapologetically, flamboyantly gay!  He’s open, non-judgmental yet not without flaws.  I appreciated the fact that Chase didn’t make Cory Scott’s salvation as only Scott could do that for himself.  But Cory and the manner in which he lives his life works to be a lovely example of life lived outside the closet and not only for Scott.

Some readers may find Scott’s progress too slow but I thought that was one of the most authentic touches here.  Scott has a ton of anger and denial to overcome and that is never a swift journey.  Other aspects of this story draw on Chase’s strengths as an author.  Her rodeo universes, both straight and gay, are realistically portrayed as are the people who participate in them.  I believed in this story and her characters because you can almost smell the sawdust from the arena as well as the smell of sweat covered leather from all the rodeo professionals here, male or female, straight or gay. Chase does a terrific job in making all her bull riders and pick up men credible and down to earth.  Loved that.

I am not sure how many stories she has planned for this series but I do know it keeps getting better and better with each installment.  I hope she continues it because its obvious there are so many more stories in this universe that need telling.  Consider this highly recommended but don’t start the series here.  Check out the list below and start at the beginning with Pick Up Men!  If you love cowboys and the rodeo circuit, this is a series for you!

Cover art by L.C. Chase.  That cover is so perfect for the character and story.Love that cover! One of the best of the month.

Sales Links:    Riptide Press      All Romance eBooks (ARe)   Amazon Pulling Leather

Book Details:

ebook, 177 pages
Published September 1st 2014 by Riptide Publishing
original titlePulling Leather
ISBN139781626491618
edition languageEnglish
seriesPickup Men #3

The books in the Pick Up Men series in the order they were written and should be read are:

Pick Up Men by L.C. Chase
Let it Ride (Pickup Men, #2)
Pulling Leather (Pickup Men #3)

On Tour with K.A. Merikan and her Guns ‘n’ Boys (contest)

Welcome, K.A. Merikan, to Scattered Thoughts And Rogue Words!  Kat Merikan is here to talk about her latest release Gun’s ‘n’ Boys, a dark novel of crime, lust, and suspense!

Contest:  K.A.Merikan is giving away an ebook copy of Guns ‘n’ Boys. To enter to win, leave a comment below along with your email address where you can be reached if chosen.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Contest runs until midnight 9/21.

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 K. A. Merikan on Guns ‘n’ Boys…

If you’ve ever dreamt about an assassin who doesn’t just do the killing behind the scenes – Domenico Acerbi is right for you.gunsnboys_book1Part1_450

If you’re tired of the brutal antagonists always turning out to be undercover investigators – Domenico Acerbi is right for you.
If you’re tired of harsh men who completely lose their cool and melt into fluffy teddy bears the moment they find The One – Domenico Acerbi is right for you 😉

Yes, I know this sound like a vintage ad. Seriously though, while in real life I stay as far away from violent or assholish people as possible, they do excite me in books and other media. Anti-heroes may be baddies, but they are not straight-up villains. Sure, they frequently engage in criminal activities, they beat people up, produce illegal drugs, even kill, but at the same time they have redeeming qualities that make us root for them. One of them is that antiheroes do things that most people secretly wished for at some point in their life, for example punching an obnoxious person, or killing a person who escapes punishment that they deserve. But every good anti hero needs to draw a line somewhere.

That’s why the main character of Dexter only kills a certain kind of people, and the viewers can’t help but cross their fingers for him. Most movie assassins declare that they won’t touch women and children, but they have no qualms about torturing an innocent man. Audiences are inclined to be forgiving of violent behavior but only if they understand the character’s motivation, and I confess I am very guilty of that 😉 After all, who doesn’t like a bad boy in their fantasies once in a while?

Order at Amazon!

 

— Love is sour like a Sicilian lemon. —

The Family is always right.
The Family doesn’t forget.
The Family pays for blood in blood.

gunsnboys_book1Part1_450Domenico Acerbi grew up in the shade of Sicilian lemon trees ready to give his life for the Family. Ready to follow orders and exceed expectations. A proud man of honor.
When Seth, the younger son of the Don is kidnapped, it’s Domenico who is sent to get him back. The man he finds though, is not the boy he knew all those years ago. Lazy, annoying, spoiled, and as hot as a Sicilian summer.

Seth Villani wants nothing to do with the mafia. Unfortunately, he doesn’t get a say when the Family pulls him right back into its fold after his mother’s death. Thrown into a den of serpents otherwise known as the Villani Family, Seth has to find a way to navigate in the maze of lies. But when Domenico Acerbi, the most vicious snake of them all, sinks his fangs into Seth, the venom changes into an aphrodisiac that courses through Seth’s veins.

Domenico knows his life is about to change when he gets the order to train Seth up to the role of future Don. Seth isn’t made for it. He isn’t even made. But a man Domenico knows he would never have to fear might just be someone he’s always needed.

If Seth is doomed to follow in his father’s footsteps, he might as well enjoy himself–with the most intoxicating man he’s ever met. Maybe he can even fool himself into believing that Domenico isn’t a handsome sociopath who kills for a living.

POSSIBLE SPOILERS:

Themes: Enemies to lovers, mafia, homophobia, assassin, organized crime

Genre: Dark, twisted erotic romance / crime thriller

Erotic content: Explicit gay sex, coercion

Length: ~110,000 words

WARNING: Adult content. If you are easily offended, this book is not for you.
‘Guns n’ Boys’ is a gritty story of extreme violence, offensive language, abuse, and morally ambiguous protagonists. Behind the morbid facade, there is a splash of inappropriate dark humor, and a love story that will crawl under your skin.

About the author:

K.A. Merikan is a joint project of Kat and Agnes Merikan, who jokingly claim to share one mind. They finish each other’s sentences and simultaneously come up with the same ideas. Kat and Agnes enjoy writing various kinds of stories, from light-hearted romance to thrillers. They love creating characters that are not easy to classify as good or evil, and firmly believe that even some villains deserve their happy endings. It is easiest to find them in galleries, restaurants and historical sites, always with a computer or notebook, because for Kat and Agnes, every day is a writing day. Future plans include lots of travel, and a villa on the coast of Italy or a flat in Paris where they could retire after yet another crazy venture, only to write more hot homoerotic stories.

As K.A. Merikan, Kat and Agnes have published a number of books, which cross genres while always staying homoerotic.

You  can contact/follow K. A. Merikan at: