An Alisa Review: Once Bitten (A Darker Hollow #2) by Shannon West and T.S. McKinney

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

 

When Mason comes back to Dark Hollows, he doesn’t quite get the homecoming he’d hoped for.

 

Mason, who has become something not quite wolf and not quite vampire, has new powers of his own that he’s still trying to figure out, not to mention a complicated relationship with his new mates. He knows his brother Jax will be shocked to find out he’s still alive, and he’d expected some resistance to his new mates, Finn and Valerian, but not the open hostility he meets when they arrive.

 

The Dark Hollow alphas, Marco and Cade, are not at all pleased to have another alpha like Finn in their territory. And as for the beautiful vampire, Valerian, only Mason’s sudden display of his startling new powers forces an uneasy and tentative truce among them. Meanwhile Mason is still struggling to forgive Finn and Valerian for what they did to him in the past, and his mates are growing impatient for him to make a decision about their lives together.

 

The sudden reappearance of an ancient, evil vampire named Cassius makes the entire pack hyper-vigilant and uneasy. When Mason and Finn discover the creature is Valerian’s sire, they fear Cassius’s influence over him.

 

Betrayal, infighting, and even some romance. The next rousing adventure in Dark Hollows is here.

 

I enjoyed this story.  Mason is working towards forgiving Finn and Valerian and the way they are treated when they arrive at Mason’s home and the events thru the story brings them together more.  However, I am unsure how far after the last story this one takes place.

 

These men all need to learn to open up to each other and trust them with their secrets.  I could see their feelings for each other even if they have trouble voicing those feelings.  Most of this story is seeing confrontations between Mason, his mates and his previous pack and I’m not sure how much of it helped the story; it just made many of the alpha’s seem like jerks that they couldn’t even recognize Mason let alone welcome someone different.  I was left wanting more, I look forward to seeing how they will adapt and grow their relationship.

 

The cover art by E Keith is great and follows the style of the first book.

 

Sales Links: Painted Hearts Publishing | Amazon

 

Book Details:

ebook, 188 pages

Published: September 4, 2017 by Painted Hearts Publishing

Edition Language: English

Series: A Darker Hollow #2

Julia Fangs and her latest release ‘Catnip (Dead and Breakfast #1)’ (guest post)

Fangs and Catnip (Dead and Breakfast #1) by Julia Talbot
Dreamspinner Press

A Dreamspun Beyond Title
Cover Artist: Aaron Anderson

Available for Purchase at Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Julia Talbot here today on her tour for Fants and Catnip.  Welcome, Julia!

✒︎

 I’m here to give you a little info about Fangs and Catnip, my very first Dreamspun Beyond from Dreamspinner Press.

Carter is the new manager at the Dead and Breakfast Inn, and he falls for vampire silent partner Fallon, who is sure they don’t need a were-cougar as a manager…

The folks here were kind enough to give me some questions to answer, so here they go!

If you could imagine the best possible place for you to write, where would that be and why?

Oh, in Glenwood Springs, Colorado at the Hot Springs Lodge. I would write, then get a massage, then go to the hot springs pool. Fallon, the vampire character in Fangs and Catnip is a writer, and he’s in a B&B in Colorado near where my spot is.

 

With so much going on in the world today, do you write to explain?  To get away?  To move past?  To wide our knowledge?  Why do you write?

I write because there has to be good, and fiction makes me happy. Paranormal makes me smile. Sex makes me hot. It’s escapism for sure. Romance is love, and with love I can believe the world will right itself.

 

What’s next for you as a writer?

I’m working on another paranormal for the Dreamspun Beyond line for Dreamspinner. None of them are shifters! Gasp.

What traits do you find the most interesting in someone? Do you write them into your characters?

Humor. I love someone who can laugh with me, or laugh at themselves. Wicked smart people fascinate me. Half of my best friends over the years have been Mensa members. I love crafty and arty people. Making things makes me bounce, and I love folks who want to do it. I try hard to write them into my books in some way, like the humor in Fangs and Catnip.

 

Have you ever put a story away, thinking it just didn’t work?  Then years/months/whatever later inspiration struck and you loved it?  Is there a title we would recognize if that happened?

OMG all the time. I’m he queen of starting projects I never finish, or that I pick up later because it’s too good or too long to waste. My next story to come out with Changeling Press (hopefully this month) is one of those stories that languished for a year, but I picked it up and dusted it off.

Thanks so much for having me, y’all!

XXOO

Julia Talbot

Blurb

A Dead and Breakfast Novel

A romance worth fighting for—tooth and claw.

Solitary vampire Fallon Underwood gets all the social interaction he needs being the silent partner at the Dead and Breakfast B and B high in the Colorado mountains. Change is hard for Fallon, so when his business partner, Tanner, suggests hiring a new manager for the inn, he’s adamant that they don’t need help, especially not in the form of bouncy werecat Carter Hughes.

Carter is a happy-go-lucky kitty, and he loves the hospitality industry, so the D and B ought to be a great place for him. He falls for Fallon as soon as he picks up one of Fallon’s novels, and begins to woo the vamp with gifts. When Fallon finally succumbs to Carter’s feline charms, the results are unexpected, to say the least. Their mating will have irreversible consequences—for their bodies and their hearts.

About the Author

Stories that leave a mark. Julia Talbot loves romance across all the genders and genres, and loves to write about people working to see past the skin they’re in to love what lies beneath. Julia Talbot lives in the great mountain and high desert Southwest, where there is hot and cold running rodeo, cowboys, and everything from meat and potatoes to the best Tex-Mex. A full time author, Julia has been published by Dreamspinner and Changeling Press among many others. She believes that everyone deserves a happy ending, so she writes about love without limits, where boys love boys, girls love girls, and boys and girls get together to get wild, especially when her crazy paranormal characters are involved. She also writes BDSM and erotic romance as Minerva Howe. Find Julia at @juliatalbot on Twitter, or at http://www.juliatalbot.com “The mountains are calling, and I must go”

Contact Julia through the following:

www.juliatalbot.com

https://twitter.com/juliatalbot

https://www.facebook.com/juliatalbotauthor

Release Blitz for On Your Knees, Prospect (Kings of Hell MC #3) by KA Merikan (excerpt and giveaway)

 

 
Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK
 
Length: 130,000 words approx.
 
Cover Design: Natasha Snow
 
Kings of Hell MC Series
 
Book #1 – Laurent & The Beast – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #2 – My Dark Knight – Amazon US | Amazon UK
Book #4 – Gray’s Shadow (Coming 2018)
 
Blurb
 

— There is freedom in blacking boots for the right man. —


Jake. Kings of Hell MC Prospect. Obedient. Desperate for approval.

Vars. Dominant. Stern. Undead.


Jake is itching to become a patched member of the Kings of Hell MC.

For two years he’s toiled as the only prospect. So when a new guy swans in and thinks he’ll get a patch in no time just because he’s got friends in high places, Jake is there to stand in his way.

Only that the guy is older, more experienced, drives a Harley, and has the kind of boots Jake craves to lick.

But he won’t.

Because he only fucks patches.


Vars is ready to find a new home in the Kings of Hell MC after a messy relationship led him straight to hell. In comparison, the pretty, blue-eyed prospect could be just the pleasant rebound he needs.

The boy is a brat, but that could be amended with a firm hand and a gag.

If only Jake was ready to admit to his submissive needs, Vars would gladly take him under his wing.

That is, until he finds out something inhuman resides inside of Jake.

Vars didn’t cheat death only to call out to it again.


But stuck together in one room, keeping each other’s secrets, they might just have to become allies, no matter how unwilling. Because if there is something Vars can’t resist, it’s a boy with pleading eyes.


“You are mine now, boy. This room is soundproof. No one will hear you scream.”
“Yes, sir. My body is yours.”


WARNING: This story contains scenes of violence, offensive language, and morally ambiguous characters. 

 
Excerpt

Jake wouldn’t be subjected to this indignity. He hit right back at Vars, even if the man was solid as a rock. “I’m no slave! I do what I’m asked, and yes, if that means sucking dick, so be it. It’s called dedication. I bet you’ve never heard of it!”

Something flashed in Vars’s eyes, and he descended on Jake, twisting back his arms and pushing him forward as if Jake barely weighed anything. With a yelp, Jake clenched his eyes shut, unable to breathe as he braced himself for impact with the floor, but his body met hard steel instead.

Dampness started soaking into his clothes, and his chin slid over Knight’s newly-cleaned car. It smelled of detergent, sharp and unpleasant, but the large body pressing him down overpowered all his senses.

He struggled against the firm hold but knew he could put more strength into it. His mind drifted off to the leather flogger and cuffs that have occupied it from the moment Jake had made the mistake of touching Vars’s toy bag.

The cool touch of the car’s hood was a relief to his burning cheek. It was increasingly difficult to remind himself every day that Vars was a prospect like him when the man carried himself with so much authority.

“You sure of that?” Vars whispered, leaning over Jake until his lips were inches away from Jake’s ear. The movement pressed his hips tighter to Jake’s ass, and even though there was no trace of arousal in those leather pants, sensing the heat of Vars’s groin had Jake’s flesh feel like molten fire. Were Vars’s pubes salt-and-pepper as well, or had that been his imagination?

“Of what?” Jake’s voice came out trembling so heavily he didn’t recognize it at first. What was he doing? He couldn’t possibly give into this weird thing Vars was pulling him into. Vars had no right to him. No patch. And yet everything about the energy Vars exuded spoke to Jake on a level he didn’t understand.

So he stayed put and stopped the pretense of struggle.

Vars breathed fire down the back of Jake’s neck, and while his body still pressed down hard, and his powerful hands still kept Jake’s arms in a twist, something about the hold changed. Vars hesitated with his answer, his hips swaying gently against Jake’s buttocks as he inhaled and exhaled so close to Jake’s ear it was almost like shouting.

“That you want to serve. That polishing all those shoes on your knees gets your dick hard.”

Yes? No? Maybe? No. Yes.

So he might actually enjoy doing things for the members. Big deal. It was a lucky thing, since he’d been stuck as a prospect for years.

Jake couldn’t understand why he was so nervous. Why his body reacted so violently to this inquisition. Vars’s bulk pressing against him wasn’t helping with focus, but it was the hold on his arms that was making Jake’s senses spiral out of control. He’d gotten a glimmer of that when wrestling with Gray before, but there was something different about Vars holding him down. He just didn’t know what.

“I just want to please,” Jake whispered so quietly he wasn’t sure he’d be heard.

 

Author Bio

K.A. Merikan are a team of writers who try not to suck at adulting, with some success. Always eager to explore the murky waters of the weird and wonderful, K.A. Merikan don’t follow fixed formulas and want each of their books to be a surprise for those who choose to hop on for the ride.


K.A. Merikan have a few sweeter M/M romances as well, but they specialize in the dark, dirty, and dangerous side of M/M, full of bikers, bad boys, mafiosi, and scorching hot romance.



FACEBOOK PROFILE
K.A. MERIKANíS TWITTER (RUN BY KAT)
AGNES MERIKANíS TWITTER
K.A. MERIKAN ON GOODREADS
PINTEREST
M/F ROMANCE BY MISS MERIKAN

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An Alisa Review: Corey’s Christmas Bundle (Atherton Pack 5) by Toni Griffin

Rating:  5 stars out of 5
Being pregnant is not all it’s cracked up to be, especially when you’re male and a shifter. Even though the world now knows about wolf shifters, their male’s ability to bare young is still a closely guarded secret. Since Corey’s pregnancy is now visible, he’s been stuck at home working on code and waiting for company to drop by. Problem is, though, the human government wants to know where Corey is.
As Christmas and Corey’s due date draw ever nearer, Ben devises a plan that will not only get Corey out of the house, but allows the wolves of Atherton Pack to give the community some Christmas cheer.
This was a great look at the men from Atherton.  Corey’s pregnancy came as a surprise to their friends but he loves the feeling and knowing that he is carrying his and Ethan’s child.  I really wish I would have been able to see him as Santa but my imagination did a pretty good job.
All these men will do anything for their friends even if it means being in an embarrassing situation.  I loved seeing them all again and can’t wait to see more and the rest of their friends finding their mates and happiness.
The cover art by Freddy MacKay is wonderful and I love it.
Book Details:
ebook, ~20,000 words
Published: December 6, 2017 by Mischief Corner Books
Edition Language: English
Series: The Atherton Pack #5

Release Blitz for Raven (Elsewhere #2) by HJ Perry (excerpt)

RELEASE BLITZ

 

Title: RAVEN (#2 Elsewhere series)

Author: HJ Perry 

Publisher: LoveLight Press

Release Date: December 6, 2017

Genre/s: Gay Fantasy/Paranormal Shifter Romance

Length: approx. 40k words.

Sales Links:  myBook.to/RavenHJPerry

Raven is a hot and steamy gay fantasy with a guaranteed Happy Ever After and no cheating.

It is book two in the new Elsewhere series featuring powerful men who are not of this world.

Blurb

There’s more to life than books.

Antisocial bookworm Caspian hopes to reconnect with nature and find his inner child when he takes on the task of exploring the woods around Beaumont. Or at least he’ll find a new place to curl up with his eReader.

There are birds.

After rescuing an injured bird who miraculously heals within minutes, at night Caspian has vivid and erotic dreams, which he doesn’t want to wake up from.

And there’s the Prince of Ravens.

Birds haunt him in the daytime, and a particular man haunts his dreams. The connection is far greater than Caspian can imagine…

Mate, and it’s for life.

From another world, the Raven Prince can take bird or human form, but he takes only one lover. As a human of our land, it’s difficult for Caspian to grasp that soulmates bond for life.

 

 

Excerpt

The bedsheets in Caspian’s dream were made of black silk. They covered a mattress so soft, he sank into it as if it were an oversized pillow. He blinked open his eyes and stretched out. Thousands of flickering flames from candles danced in unison, lighting up the room.

A familiar smell hung in the air, almost like rain. He recognized this same scent from something in the forest—what exactly, though, he couldn’t say.

Caspian sat up, supporting himself on his elbows.

The sheets slid across his bare thighs as he shifted his position. He realized then that he was naked.

Even though it felt so real, Caspian knew it was a dream.

He remembered going to bed in the stiflingly hot guest room, underneath a central overhead light and surrounded by huge old wooden furniture. Not a candle in sight. Wearing his cotton pajamas, he’d made the bed up with white sheets. It was so hot that he’d only put on one cotton sheet to go over him. He doubted he’d find black silk or satin anywhere in Dr. Kilpatrick’s house.

Caspian had undoubtedly fallen asleep while reading a book, as was his normal way of dozing off. The eReader, still lying on the bed beside him, had switched to sleep mode when he didn’t ‘turn’ the page.

Sensing eyes on him, Caspian glanced around, his eyes adjusting to the warm flickering light. “Hello?” he called out before actually seeing the man who stood in the shadows at the edge of the room.

Dressed from head to toe in smart black clothes, the stranger had slicked-back black hair, too. The man stood in front of a dark background, which was probably why Caspian didn’t notice him right away.

He saw him now.

Except, he realized that the stranger wasn’t standing, and also wasn’t in the room. Not exactly. In the doorway, he leaned at an angle, a shoulder against the door frame propping him up. There wasn’t a door, as far as Caspian could see, just an opening to something beyond, which lay in darkness.

The tall man cut a striking figure. He was older than Caspian by a few years—likely in his late twenties. His handsome face was classically good looking with strong chiseled features.

“Hello,” he said, taking a step forward into the light. His black hair shone a sleek, iridescent blue. It struck Caspian as familiar, but he couldn’t place from where.

Unafraid, fully aware it was a dream, Caspian kept the sheets modestly over his lap. He wasn’t ashamed of his body or his looks, but even when asleep, he wasn’t an exhibitionist. Well, he only occasionally had those fantasies.

The stranger took another step forward, his gait a confident swagger. His fingers worked at the black buttons of his shirt as he drew nearer. Enticing black chest hair appearing at the top of the shirt, which fell open.

Caspian gulped. “Who are you?”

Without answering, the stranger didn’t stop moving.

Reaching the foot of the bed, he paused to kick off his shoes and shook his open shirt free of his slender frame.

Mouth watering, Caspian took in the sight of muscular arms and a torso covered in fine, velvety black hairs. He longed to run his fingers over the hairy chest but didn’t move.

The sure-of-himself stranger ran a pointing finger from his navel suggestively down the length of the thick black treasure trail until he reached the top of his pants. He made short work of unfastening the belt and removing it from the loops before dropping it out of sight.

When the belt snapped free of the loops, the pants dropped a little, clinging to his hips and emphasizing the bulge of his crotch. The bulge seemed to be all that held them up.

When he dropped the belt, the dreamy stranger used a free hand to cup his prominent package, dragging fingers up either side to emphasize its size and shape, and to draw attention to his erection. He didn’t need to, though. It had Caspian’s attention.

With unfathomable skill and dexterity, the man ran his fingers around the silhouette of his cock under the black fabric and undid his fly at the same time. He moved his hips in a small circular motion, and the pants glided down, over his thighs.

It took quite some balls for a guy to perform a private striptease in this way.

Enjoying every moment of the show, Caspian licked his lips, subconsciously attempting to summon moisture back into his dry mouth. All thoughts focused on the now-naked man at the foot of the bed.

On the bed.

Naked and crawling on hands and knees, up the bed.

Over him.

Overconfident, brazen, and not stopping to check that the man in the bed was happy with this development, although he was.

Caspian drew in a breath but didn’t back up. He stayed still as the presumptuous stranger crossed the bed, over his legs—still covered by the sheet—and straddled his lap, with a very hard cock prominent between them, and Caspian’s equally aroused member pushing against the silk sheet and body above it.

The stranger smirked as they grew close.

Face to face, the sharp, aristocratic point of the stranger’s nose brushed against Caspian’s.

Caspian’s heart hammered in his chest. He hoped he wasn’t blushing. The touch, as slight as it was, felt electric. The air sparked with sudden, impossible chemistry.

“Hello,” the stranger said again before stealing a kiss.

Closing his eyes, Caspian gasped into the stranger’s mouth. After a brief moment of hesitation, he kissed the stranger back. Arousal surged low in his stomach and bound him to the moment.

Nothing else had ever been so important, so captivating.

They sank onto the bed together. The stranger pressed down, with only a slither of black silk to separate their naked bodies. Sheer smooth silk protecting him from a stranger.

 

RELEASE BLITZ SCHEDULE

 

December 6

Reviews by Crystal    

Millsy Loves Books    

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words  

Lily G Blunt

December 7

Valerie Ullmer | Romance Author   REVIEW

Blazing Zane Book Blog   REVIEW

Xtreme Delusions  

Gay Book Reviews

December 8

Noteworthy Book Reviews  REVIEW

MM Midnight Cafe   

Smokin’ Hot Reads Book Blog   REVIEW

MM Good Book Reviews   REVIEW

MJ’s Book Blog and Reviews 

Louise Lyons 

Tangents and Tissues  

 

About the Author

HJ Perry is a 49 years old mother of three school aged children. They live by the English seaside and from her hometown she can see France. Helen loves reading. If it were possible, she’d do nothing else. She reads science fiction, fantasy, young adult, all types of LGBT fiction, and, of course, gay romance. Aside from reading she likes walking and watching films, most often science fiction or thrillers.

HJP has written many books about men falling in love in England where, for the most part, LGBT people are treated with the same respect as anyone else. Having worked in the construction industry for years in real life, she has written many fictional characters working in similar macho, male dominated environments.

Despite reading American books and watching American shows, writing American characters has been a huge challenge for her. With a lot of help, Rescued from Paradise is her first novel featuring Americans and set in the US.

Social Media Links

Blog/Website
Facebook Author Page

Audiobook Tour for Dyeing to be Loved by Aimee Nicole Walker and Narrator: Joel Leslie (excerpt and giveaway)

Dyeing to be Loved Audio Banner

DYEING TO BE LOVED

CURL UP AND DYE MYSTERIES SERIES, BOOK 1

AIMEE NICOLE WALKER

M/M ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

RELEASE DATE: 11.08.16

AUDIO RELEASE: 11.07.17

Dyeing to be Loved Audio Cover 

 

PHOTOGRAPHER: Wander Aguiar

COVER ARTIST:  Jay Aheer/Simply Defined Art

Narrator: Joel Leslie

Listening Length: 8 hours and 49 minutes

BLURB 

Gabriel Wyatt is a big city Detective living in a small Ohio town. He expects a peaceful existence once he moves from Miami, Florida, but that’s the last thing he finds. Instead, Gabe discovers murder, mayhem, and one smart-mouthed stylist he can’t get out of his head.

Josh “Jazz” Roman is a small-town business owner with big dreams and an attitude to match. He finds himself in the middle of a case that brings the dreamy detective to the front door of his Curl Up and Dye Salon. Josh learns that the biggest threat to him isn’t a killer; it’s a man who wants something from him that he vowed to never give again – his heart.

Both men deny that there’s something between them, even though they’re drawn together like magnets. Can Gabe convince Josh to let down his guard or will Josh let past hurts destroy his chance at a happy future?

AMAZON US:  http://amzn.to/2BmNBOn

AMAZON UK: http://amzn.to/2jZfqbz

 

Dyeing to be Loved Teaser 1

Dyeing to be Loved Teaser 2

EXCERPT

 My ringing phone woke me up. I was disoriented because it had grown dark while I napped on the couch with Diva and I momentarily forgot what day it was. I looked at the caller ID and was shocked to see who was calling me. I debated on letting it go to voicemail for about two seconds before I answered it.

“Hello?”

“How are you doing?” Gabe’s deep voice warmed parts of me that no amount of purring from a cat could affect.

“I’m doing okay,” I replied. Was I?

“You feel like having company?” I heard the slight hesitation in his voice, as if he wasn’t sure how well his question would be received.

I knew what happened almost every single time that we were alone together. Was that what I wanted right then? “Yes,” I said answering both of our questions.

“Good,” he said, his voice deepening because he also knew what would happen. “Come down and let me in.”

“You’re here now?” I stood up and ran my free hand through my hair in an attempt to smooth it into place.

“Yes. Come down here and let me in. I’m freezing my nuts off,” he groused.

“Give me a few minutes,” I said and then hung up. I flipped on a few lights on my way to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I rushed through my routine so that I didn’t keep him waiting long. It was freezing outside and I didn’t want his balls to freeze. I was pretty fond of them, even if I was unsure of the man they were attached to.

“It’s about time,” he said when I opened the door to him. “What the hell took so long?”

I grabbed him by the coat and pulled him into me, pressing my lips against his. Gabe parted his cold lips and I slid my tongue inside to explore his warm mouth in a languid kiss. For once, I didn’t want to rush him into bed. I wanted to take my time and get to know his body better. Hell, I hadn’t even wrapped my lips around his big cock yet; a mistake I planned to rectify immediately.

“Minty fresh,” Gabe said, when our kiss ended. “You’re forgiven for making me wait.”

“Come upstairs with me and I’ll show you other things I can do with my minty fresh mouth.” I laughed when Gabe growled playfully. I needed to be careful or else I’d start liking the detective and the things he made me feel. 

Aimee Logo

I am a wife and mother to three kids, three dogs, and a cat. When I’m not dreaming up stories, I like to lose myself in a good book, cook or bake. I’m a girly tomboy

who paints her fingernails while watching sports and yelling at the referees.

I will always choose the book over the movie. I believe in happily-ever-after. Love inspires everything that I do. Music keeps me sane.

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Dyed and Gone to Heaven, Book 3

I Do, or Dye Trying, Book 4

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December,Time to Say Goodbye, Time to Remember the Best of 2017. This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

It’s December.

Time to Say Goodbye, Time to Remember the Best of 2017

At the end of the year, it’s time to look back and reflect on everything and everyone that made an impact on us this year.  Instead of remembering what was lacking in 2017, better to remember on those things and people that made life better for us…all of us in 2017 and make note here.

I’m not talking just books this year but people too.  This year saw the passing of Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words reviewer Paul Berg, someone who’s lively presence here in his reviews and in my emails telling me about his backgammon tournaments I still miss. This  year we also lost author Eric Arvin after a long illness, thankfully his amazing stories ensures his incredible mind, heart, and imagination will always be with us.  Those two people were just the main two that I was thinking of when writing about those that have made such a lasting impact on me this year.

And not just people.  Many of the older LGBT publishing houses closed or have announced they are closing.  That includes Loose ID on Friday after 13 years in operation.  They join Samhain Publishing, Torquere Press, Musa Publishing, Ellora’s Cave, Wilde City Press, ARe (All Romance eBooks), and others that temporarily escapes me.  All gone or on the way out.    That represents a hosts of authors, editors, cover artists….so many people working to bring LGBTQIA stories to us where before our choices were slim to almost zero.  I don’t think I need to tell you that the competition is the primary reason.  I know they will tell you the same.

I think of all the first time authors who were cared for by these presses, helped to craft their stories and then given a place for us to find them long before Amazon ever cared about our niche fiction and its readers.  How they will all be missed but what an amazing impact they left behind. For that alone, they should be remembered.

Who has made an impact on you this year?  Start thinking about it.  Next week starts our Best of 2017 Giveaways.  We need your Best of in whatever Categories you would like to submit.  Have a Best of Covers?  Great!  How about a Bests of Supernatural Romance? Perfect! Best Historical Romance? Love it!  Getting the idea?  So what’s your Best of 2017?  I will be gathering mine for the next 2 weeks and will trot them out at the end of the month.  Prizes will be offered up!

Now, this week more Advent Release Day Reviews and holiday stories, along with our regular release day reviews, tours and giveaways.  Something for everyone!  Happy Reading.

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

 

Sunday, December 3:

  • Time to Say Goodbye, Time to Remember the Best of 2017
  • Romeo Preminger on Thiago
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Advent Release Day Review: The Peppermint Schnapps Predicament by Clare London
  • A Lila Release Day Review: Thiago by Romeo Preminger
  • A Stella Release Day Review: Laugh Cry Repeat by John Inman

Monday, December 4:

  • Dyeing to be Loved by Aimee Nicole Walker Audio Tour
  • Review Tour – Joanna Chambers’  Merry & Bright
  • A MelanieM Release Day Review: Regret Me Not by Amy Lane
  • A Stella Release Day Review: Hope Is the Thing with Feathers by Brandon Witt
  • An Ali Review:  Merry & Bright by Joanna Chambers

Tuesday, December 5:

  • Dreamspinner Press Promo Tara Lain on Snow Balls (Balls to the Wall #6)
  • INTERLUDE TOUR If the Fates Allow Holiday Anthology
  • Spotlight on Only With You by JD Chambers
  • Riptide Publishing Tour and Giveaway: Junkyard Heart by Garrett Leigh
  • A MelanieM Advent Release Day Review: Salvaging Claus Day by J. Alan Veerkamp
  • A MelanieM Review: The Botanist (The Sin Bin #3) by Dahlia Donovan
  • A Stella Review: If the Fates Allow Holiday Anthology
  • An Alisa Review: My Choice, My Chance by Taylor Rylan

Wednesday, December 6:

  • DSP Publications Promo David C. Dawson
  • Release Blitz for Love Happens Anyway  by RJ Scott
  • Release Blitz for Raven by HJ Perry
  • A Jeri Release Day Review: ​Snow Balls (Balls to the Wall #6) by Tara Lain
  • A Stella Advent Release Day Review: The Mature Man’s Guide to Surviving Change by Chris Scully
  • An Alisa Review: Corey’s Christmas Bundle (Atherton Pack 5) by Toni Griffin

Thursday, December 7:

  • DSP Dreamspun Promo Julia Talbot
  • Spotlight on Andrew Grey
  • Release Blitz for Jesus Kid by Kayleigh Sky
  • Release Blitz for On Your Knees, Prospect by KA Merikan
  • A MelanieM Advent Release Day Review: An Open Window by Rick R. Reed
  • A MelanieM Review: Hurricane (Stormy Weather #3)  by B.A. Tortuga
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: Embrace the Fire (Through Hell and Back #3) by Felice Stevens and Kale Williams (Narrator)

Friday, December 8:

  • Amy Lane on Writing, Books, and her release Regret Me Not
  • Solstice Prince by SJ Himes Blog Tour
  • Review Tour : Deep Edge (Harrisburg Railers #3) by RJ Scott & VL Locey
  • A MelanieM Review:Deep Edge (Harrisburg Railers #3) by RJ Scott & VL Locey
  • A MelanieM Advent Release Day Review: Red Popcorn Strings and Gumball Rings by Nell Iris
  • An Alisa Review: Once Bitten (A Darker Hollow #2) by Shannon West and T.S. McKinney
  • A Lila Audiobook Review: Fool of Main Beach (Love in Laguna #5) by Tara Lain and K.C. Kelly (Narrator)

Saturday, December 9:

  • An Alisa Advent Release Day Review: Pining for Perfect by Ki Brightly
  • Blog Tour Snow Falling by Davidson King
  • Release Blitz for Ruby Moone’s The Mistletoe Kiss 

 

 

Publisher Loose Id is Closing

Publisher Loose Id is Closing

An announcement came out yesterday on Facebook from Loose Id that after 13 years, they are closing up.  It seems that like Samhain Publishing, Wilde City Press, and others before it, the cost of competition and doing business is just too high.  Such a shame to lose such another class act in our world of LGBT stories.  They will be missed.

If you have any books or want any books from authors there, make sure you get them before the May deadline.  And you might want to stop by their Facebook page and drop them a note if you feel so inclined.

This is Loose ID’s notice:

All things, it’s said, must come to an end. For Loose Id, that time has come. Rather than risk the reputation and goodwill that we have worked very hard to build, on May 7, 2018, we’ll be closing our doors for good. We want to thank all of our authors, artists, editors, employees, customers and friends for your help making this company a success.

This is not a decision made in haste, panic or financial distress. The market has changed over the past few years, and a four-person company can no longer compete effectively with the Amazon mega-store. As of this message, we are closed for submissions.

We want to assure you, our customers and friends, that authors and staff are being paid, purchases will be honored, and we will remain in constant communication throughout the closing process. We will do our best to monitor social media during this busy time, but if you have questions, email through our satisfaction@loose-id.com email will be the best channel. We will be compiling questions from that account to repost for everyone’s convenience.

Thirteen years, more than three thousand titles and four hundred authors, and uncountable smiles–it’s been a hell of a ride. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for sharing this journey.

 

An Alisa Release Day Review: Fangs and Catnip (Dead and Breakfast #1) by Julia Talbot

Rating:  4 stars out of 5
A romance worth fighting for—tooth and claw.
Solitary vampire Fallon Underwood gets all the social interaction he needs being the silent partner at the Dead and Breakfast B and B high in the Colorado mountains. Change is hard for Fallon, so when his business partner, Tanner, suggests hiring a new manager for the inn, he’s adamant that they don’t need help, especially not in the form of bouncy werecat Carter Hughes.
Carter is a happy-go-lucky kitty, and he loves the hospitality industry, so the D and B ought to be a great place for him. He falls for Fallon as soon as he picks up one of Fallon’s novels, and begins to woo the vamp with gifts. When Fallon finally succumbs to Carter’s feline charms, the results are unexpected, to say the least. Their mating will have irreversible consequences—for their bodies and their hearts.
This was a pretty cute story about a cross species mating and I really liked it.  Carter is just starting his first job since finished college, he can’t help but be drawn to Fallon.  Fallon has spent so much time alone he has trouble understanding why he feels like he needs to be around Carter so much.
Carter is so bouncy and I think it is adorable.  Fallon likes to make everyone think he is the typical broody vampire but there are a few he has allowed close enough to let them see the real him.
This story is told from both of the characters’ point of view and it make it easier to understand their thoughts and feelings.  It seemed odd that neither of them really knew anything about mating and how to deal with the problems it caused.  I could feel how heartbroken Carter felt when Fallon pushed him away even though he thought he was doing what was best.  These characters seemed ruled by their other half’s baser instincts than many I usually read about, but it worked well.  The only thing I had trouble keeping up with was the timeline, it all seemed to happen really fast but it would be talked about as having taken time.
Cover art by Aaron Anderson is great and I love the picture.
Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon |
Book Details:
ebook, 220 pages
Published: December 1, 2017 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN-13: 978-1-63533-977-2
Edition Language: English
Series: A Dead and Breakfast Novel, Dreamsun Beyond

An Alisa Review: Resurrected (Alpha’s Warlock #2) by Kris Sawyer

Rating:  3 stars out of 5
Terry has returned from the shadows of death to be with Clyde, but he has more questions than he has answers. The pack is suspicious, and even his lover has doubts about his outlandish story. Desperate to clear his name and learn more about his forgotten past, Terry embarks on a journey of discovery. What he finds will change everything.
Deep in the pine forest, a tormented creature seeks revenge on the pack that has held him captive. More powerful than the werewolves, he wants to destroy. The hybrid hides among them and waits for his chance to pounce. The Alpha senses that his pack is once again on the brink of destruction, but without Clyde’s warlock, he fears all hell is about to break loose.
This story pretty much takes place right after Cursed.  Terry doesn’t know anything about his past but wants to learn while Clyde believes that Terry was the one who murdered the boys from the first book.  Clyde continues to have trouble standing up to the others in his pack.
Terry acts much more grown up than Clyde in this story.  Truthfully, I’m not sure how his search for his past will really help the storyline.  It gave one insight into what may happen but most of it doesn’t seem that helpful.  Mostly I feel that Clyde needs to grow a pair as he doesn’t seem like much of an Alpha and doesn’t know how to stand up for himself or those he cares about.  I’m not sure how their relationship will continue but I’m sure they will figure something out.
The cover art by Sidney Lowell is a nice picture and follows the pattern for the series.
Sales Link: Amazon
Book Details:
ebook, 114 pages
Published: November 16, 2017 by Creative Minds Promotions
Edition Language: English
Series: Alpha’s Warlock #2