In Our Book Release Spotlight – Sweet Summer Sweat by Clare London (excerpt and giveaway)

Sweet Summer Sweat – Clare London

Author: Clare London
 
Release Date: September 20 2016
 
Publisher: Jocular Press
 
Length: 74,000 words
 
Buy Links:  to come
 
Blurb
 
When you find a place where lust and sex rule life, and your every desire can be fulfilled, why would you ever want to leave?
Young runaway Scot and his boyfriend Jerry escape their deadbeat homes and families, hoping to leave prejudice behind them and travel to a new life in Las Vegas. Unprepared and naive, they’re lost almost at once, and shelter at a run-down, deserted motel in the middle of the scorching hot Nevada desert. A place with secrets, run by staff both gorgeous and uninhibited, and driven by a mysterious sexual connection Scotís never even dared to dream.
All but drugged by the lazy heat and the hedonism around him, Scot watches as Jerry is seduced away and realizes their relationship was nothing more than shared lust. Restless, Scot knows he wants true love and real understanding. Could he find it with the mysterious and elusive owner of the motel, Connor Maxwell? Connor seems to think so, every time he appears and pursues Scot for his own. But where does Connor come from? It seems the passion calls him into being at its own whim.
Eventually, what binds Connor and his friends to the motel may be too strong for Scot to break through. Scot has ambitions to travel, to make something of his life ñ but is his only option to embrace life at the motel in his true loverís arms?
Or will that love be strong enough to release them both…
 

Excerpt

Scot had been dreaming, he was sure he had, though he couldn’t recall it clearly. It had been a suffocating, disorientating dream: he could still feel the shudder in his limbs, the throb of his heart. A wet dream?

you were happy. You were laughing

The details were slipping away from him like smoke, even as his mind cleared. But he remembered a tall stranger leaning over him with a hypnotizing smile, and an expression of delight. Someone welcoming, with hands on him, soothing him, caressing him. A comforting, sensual presence beside him, within him, talking to him….

I’ve been waiting for you

Scot shook his head to clear such nonsense. A presenceWhat the hell kind of weird word is that? He and Jerry had been to plenty of movies about vampires, succubi and other monsters, though they’d spent most of the time making out in the darkened back seats of the theater. Was one of those special effect creatures teasing his dreams now? But he hadn’t watched a movie like that for a long time. They didn’t scare him like they were meant to, and besides, he knew all too well the difference between movies and reality.

He stretched, his movements languid. The tangible feeling persisted. It felt soft and thick, flowing like viscous liquid, stroking like feathers, full of warmth and color and a really delicious smell.

talking to you

It wanted him. It slid inside his clothes, between his legs, seeking an entrance to his body.

want you

Startled, Scot sat bolt upright. His heart was beating far more quickly than usual. For the first time, he acknowledged he was in nothing but his boxers, with no memory of undressing. And he had a throbbing erection. It tented the fabric, causing a damp patch at its tip. This was fiercer than his normal waking reaction, and it showed no signs of dying down.

Shit. He’d never had such a strange, erotic dream before, not even about Jerry!

He shifted on the bed, unsettled and horny, the sheet creased beneath him. Had Jerry undressed him? Surely it wouldn’t have been anyone else. The erection nagged at him, persistent and demanding. He toyed with the idea of running his hand a little lower, and giving it what it needed—

Then a door at the back of the room opened, bringing a waft of scented, wet air from what was obviously the bathroom.

“Scot? You’re awake then.” It was Jerry, his voice soft and sleepy too. The hard edge of their last conversation had gone, replaced by the caressing tone Jerry often used when they were making out.

“Where have you been?” Scot grumbled. “Come closer.”

Jerry walked over to the bed, toweling at his hair. He was naked, except for another towel twisted around his slim waist. A fuzzy patch of moonlight bathed his bare chest, highlighting a single, erect nipple.

Scot ached somewhere deep inside, wondering at the emotions that stirred him so strongly. He lusted after Jerry, of course he did, but this ache was something else. Damned dreams. “How late is it? Have you had a shower? I thought the lights were working now.”

“They are.” Jerry’s smile was more relaxed. “But I liked the candlelight in the dining room, so I thought we could have the same in here. It’s only ten p.m. or so. My headache was easing off so I left you sleeping and took a shower. It’s a very small bathroom so we’ll have to take a turn.” His gaze flickered over Scot’s stretched limbs, the shape of his swollen cock under the sheet. “I thought you needed the sleep.”

“Thanks.” Scot sighed and wriggled his hips on the bed. “But now I need something else.”

Jerry laughed and turned to the dresser, lighting a candle in one of the holders there. When he turned back to Scot, the chiaroscuro effect made him look alternately sensual and sinister. The faint smell of sulfur from the match trailed in the still air.

Scot sighed contentedly, and fell back on to the bed. “Didn’t I say to come closer?”

A strange expression flitted over Jerry’s face, but he grinned easily enough and climbed onto the bed beside Scot. “Yes, boss.”

Scot chuckled, then caught his breath. Jerry’s body beside him was so different from his dream. It was real. “It’s just us now, isn’t it?”

“Yes, thank God. This is our new beginning. For us, Scot—together. They won’t chase us any more, there’s no one to keep us apart. To tell us who we can and can’t see.”

It sounded rather melodramatic to Scot, but no less the truth. “To swear and spit at us?”

Jerry nodded. He stretched out a hand and slid it around Scot’s neck. “I know how bad it was—”

“No, you don’t.” Scot tried to keep the pain and anger out of his voice, but sometimes he wondered if he ever would. He’d struggled with life for as long as he could remember, first of all trying to keep beneath the radar of his miserable home situation, then to hide the true nature of his friendship with Jerry. He’d once told Jerry that he lied so much to his family and colleagues, he couldn’t always remember what was the truth and what was his cover story. He’d been forced to do it all because he’d been drawn to a man: they’d wanted each other.

Was that so wrong? He didn’t know which caused him the more pain—the persecution and abuse he’d suffered, or the cowardly way he’d tried to cope with it all.

“Hey, it’s okay. There’ll be no more of that crap,” Jerry whispered. He rolled across the bed, nudging against Scot’s body. “You’re so damned hot.” He winced as he shifted his cock under the towel. “You make me so fucking horny.”

Scot smiled and pressed his mouth to Jerry’s shoulder. His heart was beating fast again, but for a very different reason. “No more sneaking around, doing it in corners. In cars and alleyways.”

Jerry grinned. “Not always so bad, though? Sometimes the danger adds to the excitement.”

Scot hid his shiver. “But we have a choice, now, Jerry. A choice of when and where. Not just snatched half hours at lunch, or after dark, or while my parents are getting wasted at some bar or other.”

Jerry nodded. “Sure, whatever.” His hands ran gently down Scot’s chest, cupping his belly.

Scot’s muscles tightened. So maybe he’d found their secret life much more distressing than Jerry had. And it had been exciting, in its own way. Jerry in particular had seemed to enjoy the risk. Their groping sessions had been desperate and awkward, but Jerry had never hesitated to take any opportunity to fuck. Scot had been carried away with the desire too, but he regretted the fact they’d never had much time together to explore each other’s bodies. Everything had been rushed, the feelings anguished, the lovemaking awkward. Scot felt he had years of frustration and repression still to set free.

“Jerry….”

“Hmm?”

“My choice is now, Jerry. I want you here—and now.”

“Sure.” Jerry smiled at him. He didn’t seem to be listening that carefully, his eyes unfocused and his breathing shallow. Scot could feel Jerry’s cock thickening under the towel. He reached down, jerked the cloth away, and took firm hold of it.

Author Bio


Clare London took her pen name from the city where she lives, loves, and writes. A lone, brave female in a frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home, she juggles her writing with her other day job as an accountant.

She’s written in many genres and across many settings, with award-winning novels and short stories published both online and in print. She says she likes variety in her writing while friends say she’s just fickle, but as long as both theories spawn good fiction, she’s happy. Most of her work features male/male romance and drama with a healthy serving of physical passion, as she enjoys both reading and writing about strong, sympathetic, and sexy characters.

Clare currently has several novels sulking at that tricky chapter three stage and plenty of other projects in mind… she just has to find out where she left them in that frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home.


Clare loves to hear from readers, and you can contact her here:


Website: http://www.clarelondon.com 
E-mail: clarelondon11@yahoo.co.uk
Blog: www.clarelondon.com/blog
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clarelondon
Twitter: https://twitter.com/clare_london
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/clarelondon
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/clarelondon/
Google+ : https://plus.google.com/u/0/+ClareLondon/posts

 

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A PaulB Review: Orion’s Circle (Sirius Wolves # 1) by Victoria Sue

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

orions-circle-by-victoria-sueAden is being hunted.  As an omega werewolf, he is there for the amusement of the pack.  Things are so bad for Aden he wishes for death sometimes.  As he is corned by Alpha Richard and his pack mates, a new voice orders them to leave Aden alone.  The man says that Aden is not in danger anymore.  When Richard stakes his claim for Aden and sends some of his wolves after him, five of his pack mates end up dead.  The other wolves begin to retreat and Richard admits defeat, at least for now.  Aden then promptly passes out from the starvation and torture that he has endured.

Aden’s three saviors are Blaze, Connor and Darric.  Born many centuries before, they were chosen by Sirius to lead the werewolves into a new ear.  However, in order to complete their mission, the Alpha Triumvirate must find their omega mate.  As the trio is protecting Aden, they all agree that they have found their man.  Now they must make sure that Aden is safe from his old pack. 

While dealing with the problems posed by Aden’s pack, the three men are in delicate negotiations with the United States government about bringing the existence of werewolves to the public and helping the military.  This is the first step in bringing peace to the world, what the trio, now quartet have been charged to do.  However, Richard is not finished with Aden yet.  His plans, along with his pack, will force the Alpha trio to divide their attention in order to get their mate back. 

This is a great start to the series by Victoria Sue.  The idea of a trio of alphas running their own pack and ultimately the greater werewolf world is unusual.  Each alpha has a unique ability that allows them to work together effectively after hundreds of years.  They were born for this and are relieved that they have finally found their missing mate and will do everything to protect him.  Sirius also does what she can in order to help them get the job done but is limited according to the rules of the gods.  Meanwhile, Aden’s world gets turned upside down when he finds out that omegas should not be treated as he has been.  Instead of being abused as a plaything, he is cherished by his three lovers.  Aden’s unique ability will change the dynamic of this new forms family.  With an enemy on the loose, it will take all they have to protect it.

The cover art by E Connors has a well-built man in a muscle shirt and jeans in front of a cloudy night sky.  It is a good representation for Blaze. 

Sales Links

Dark Hollows Press LLC

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Book Details:

ebook, 156 pages
Published June 30th 2015 by Dark Hollows (first published June 29th 2015)
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series:  Sirius Wolves – add to your Goodreads shelf here:

The Narrator and Audiobooks – Our Interview with Narrator Joel Leslie (Audiobooks Part II/Giveaway) & This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

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The Narrator and Audiobooks – Our Interview with Narrator Joel Leslie (Audiobooks Part II)

Last Sunday, I started our conversation about the fast-rising audiobook industry with my blog  Are You Listening Now? The Popularity of Audiobooks.  This Sunday, that conversation continues with The Narrator and Audiobooks – Our Interview with Narrator Joel Leslie (Audiobooks Part II).

As I have said before, and as reviewers/listeners we have noted many times in our reviews, a good or great narrator makes or breaks an audiobook.  It doesn’t matter that you have read it before.  Listening to a book makes it fresh once more.  It gives a reader a new and different perspective.  Often times I hear things I missed in the story, or  catch things from a narrator’s inflection that highlights a previously hidden element.  I love that about this format.

Also the opposite is true.  A narrator you don’t connect with, or one with a flat delivery, or monotone voice…well, that can sink a terrific story faster than a lead anchor.  So what’s the key?  How to get some insight into those people behind the voices we love to listen to?

Well I was so lucky to hook up with the very talented Joel Leslie who agreed to answer some questions for me.  A favorite narrator for both Barb, our Zany Old Lady and Ali, I was delighted to have this chance to talk audiobooks, voices and favorite genres.  Here is my interview with Theatrical Director, Designer, and Audiobook Narrator Joel Froomkin , known to most of the LGBTQIA listeners of audiobooks as Narrator Joel Leslie.  For you authors out there thinking of putting your story out on audio?  Hmmm, I think you might find this as enlightening as our readers.

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Welcome, Joel, to Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words.  We love our audiobooks here, including several you have narrated including Dinner at Fiorello’s by Rick R. Reed and  Ali’s Audiobook Review of Desert Heat and Native Tongue by Lucy Felthouse. I have so many questions for you but these were the first ones that came to mind.

My Interview with Joel Leslie

  •  How did you get started with narrating audiobooks?
Long answer… lol…
It was a long and winding road actually – but I’m so grateful to have landed here. My undergrad was in performance at USC and then I did my MFA there in design and directing.  My entire professional career up until the past few years has been concentrated on directing… I did a lot of assisting as well, working on shows with Dame Maggie Smith and lots of other amazing folks.  About ten years ago my partner and I started a theatre company in Indiana.  It was a labor of love, but despite our efforts the community wasn’t able to financially support the scale of professional productions we aimed to do.  I have also been a college professor, teaching dialects at NYU and I was the Director of Drama at a university here in Indiana for a while.
While we were doing shows, in between productions I would sometimes present one-man radio dramas… I would abridge classics like Christmas Carol, Treasure Island, Jekyll and Hyde and do them for a few nights.  The audiences loved them.  As we were looking to be able to move the theatre company to another area, one of my long time friends who is a fantastic female narrator suggested I give it a try.  So I began auditioning and the first contract I landed has actually been most successful series (the SkylerGo Foxe Mysteries by Haley Walsh).
foxe-tail-audiobook
It is a perfect blend of skills really – because 99% of the time with audiobooks you are directing yourself… so my performer background is obviously helpful, but also being able to listen to yourself with a critical ear and shape the performance I think is a terribly useful tool.  And now it’s a full time job.  I’m booked through February at the moment!  Eep.
  • Do you listen to audiobooks yourself and was that an element in your career or just a plus?
I came to audiobooks largely because I was a huge fan of them.  I have always loved the theatricality of an actor playing multiple roles in front of an audience… the ability to be a chameleon.  And I fell in love with audiobooks because of that.  My favorites were Jim Dale, Davina Porter and Roy Dotrice… they don’t just read a story – they perform it for you.  I listen to an audiobook every night… I think that one of the trickiest things is actually working of authors who AREN’T listeners to audiobooks, because they don’t really have a familiarity with the art form and what the audience wants.
  • What is the hardest part of narrating a story?
Gosh – great question.  I narrate under two names… Joel Froomkin for most of my material and Joel Leslie for my m/m material (simply so that I have a consistent brand for my m/m listeners).  But Joel Froomkin does a lot of historical and fantasy stuff – and I hate doing battle scenes.  It’s difficulty to not try to over act them, or speed up to make it seem exciting… and those are traps.  I just think they are hard.  Maybe cuz I’m not into sports lol!  Other than that, I have a tough time when there are a lot of alpha american men in conversation with each other in a scene.  Flamboyant characters can have quirks and personality that make them easily identifiable… and when you are doing a British book it’s so much easier because class and level of education is so distinctive with their speech and also dialects change in England every 21 miles… so you have great variety for how you make characters sound to pull them out for the listener.  But if I have a bunch of super-butch American alpha males in a room having a conversation in a book I usually have a panic attack.
It’s also very challenging to do a series where the author gives you multiple POV chapters.  Usually you would make your main character your own voice… because it’s going to be the most authentic and resonate as the most truthful with the reader… but when you have a bunch of characters speaking in first person… you can’t do that.  And it can be a real challenge.  I’ve had two like that recently (“Absolution (The Protectors #1)” by Sloane Kennedy (which is the first in an amazing series) and “Guns Blazing” by Eva Lenoir and Andrea Smith) that I sweated bullets over.
  • And the easiest?
People are so shocked to hear this…but the sex scenes.  Because usually there isn’t that much dialogue and it’s all descriptive.  So you can just settle back and read… it’s kind of like putting your car on cruise control.  And after doing this for almost two years now, there really isn’t much I can read that will make me blush!
  • I can remember listening to books being read to me as a child.  How they were read had a huge impact on me.  Using different voices, no matter how silly it might have seen to the adult (bears, rabbits…you know…childrens books).  The same carries over here.  In some stories, you play many characters where there are different pov.  Or do you only narrate stories with a singular pov?
It depends on the narrator… but I am very much a narrator who creates characters.  It’s funny that you mention animals, because when I first get a book I send the author a bunch of questions and one of them is “if your character was an animal what would they be”… Finding the voice for someone is much easier if you know the author thinks they are a ferret  vs. a hamster or a Persian cat. But I think the m/m listeners that really respond to my work usually do so because they enjoy how much individuality I try to give my characters.  Also, because I grew up in the UK with American parents, I’m kind of a dialect ambidextrous lol.  I jump between authentic British and American accents and I do as much British work for British authors as I do for American authors.  Listeners who have tried multiple books of mine are often confused about what my real voice sounds like.
  • I would imagine, being a narrator lets you go into any genre you want…am I correct in that?  Or do you have a particular favorite
Well I love that I get to do so much m/m work. I find it really important and empowering to be able to put those kind of stories out into the world.  I know the main audience is female for m/m romance, but I also think about the young adults who are struggling to feel ok with themselves and they might discover one of these stories by the brilliant authors I get to work for and find some hope.  And the thing about audio is it’s so private… you really are one-on-one with the listener.  So it means a lot to be able to give voice to m/m romance.  I also love doing fantasy stuff because it means you can use every dialect in the universe and play with crazy voices.  You don’t get to do everything you want – I think you can get pigeonholed as a narrator.  But I’m luckily not in that place yet, and my audiobook career has a lot of room to grow.
  • What’s your favorite types of stories to read or listen to?
I am such a sucker for cozy mysteries.  I don’t know why.  I LOVE MC Beaton and the Hamish Macbeth and Agatha Raisin books.  I think that’s why I love doing Haley Walsh’s Skyler Foxe so much…because it really is a gay spin on that type of mystery.  I think TJ Klune is one of the most amazing authors out there in any genre.  I don’t think I could ever get tired of listening to Jim Dale doing Harry Potter or Roy Dotrice doing Game of Thrones… they are just extraordinary examples of old-school storytelling.  I’m also so lucky to have an ongoing relationship with authors like N.R Walker, Kim Fielding, Andrea Smith, Kiernan Kelly, TM Smith and Grace R Duncan – they always seem to have something wonderful for me to play with.
  • What current projects are you working on that you want to share with our readers?

Absolution, the first in the protectors series by Sloane Kennedy just came out, as did Fame and Fortune by TM Smith.  Upcoming things I’m really excited about are the sequel to Black Balled called Hard Edit by Andrea Smith and Eva Lenoir, the second book in the Red Dirt Heart series by NR Walker and The Naked Prince and Other Fairy Tales by Joe Cosentino.

  • If you were an bard of old….how would you start your story of your life and what would it be called?

 

“Once upon a time there was a kid who could never keep his big mouth shut… It took two decades for him to realize there was a career for that.”

Thank you, Joel, that was a wonderful interview.  I’m sure there are many more questions rumbling about inside my head.  I hope you will stop back by Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words for another conversation about  narration and audiobooks and any future projects you want to share with us.

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To listen to Joel, here are three different excerpts:

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If you want to reach out to Joel, we have listed his contacts below.  We also have a giveaway today for our readers brought to you by Joel who is giving away 10 copies, yes 10 winners… the winners could choose the first book in any of my series they wanted to try (Skyler Foxe, The Protectors, Jimmy McSwain Mysteries, All Cocks, or Black Balled)!

About Joel Froomkin

Joel is a UK transplant, growing up with an American parents in a British commonwealth.  He is often cast for his unique ability to deliver native, authentic combinations of both American and British sounds.  His wit and comedic timing also appeal to producers.  He has developed a strong body of work for young audience, historical, fantasy, new-adult, romance and m/m fiction.

His author’s have praised him as “a narrator among narrators, a man whose ability to create different characters rests on the power of his voice and his impeccable delivery”,  and a “true delight…” “legendary, and his professionalism, good humor, and charm make him a dream to work with”, “Anyone else would only be second best”.

Joel records under two names, for mainstream and children’s fiction as Joel Froomkin, and for m/m and adult material under Joel Leslie and has consistent access to home studio for all production needs.

 

 
You can contact Joel Froomkin at:

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Giveaway

We are giving away 10 copies (1 copy a winner so 10 winners overall) , all thanks to Joel Froomkin!  The 10 people chosen will get to chose from the first book in any of Joel’s series they wanted to try (Skyler Foxe, The Protectors, Jimmy McSwain Mysteries, All Cocks, or Black Balled).
To be entered, tell us who’s your favorite narrator or narrators are. Tell us what you like best about a narrator and maybe name some of your favorite audiobooks. New to audiobooks?  OK,  name the ones you’d love to be able to listen to if you had a way to listen to audiobooks.  And after you do that, make sure you leave a contact name and email address where you can be reached if chosen.  Contest is open until midnight, September 30th.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
(Special Note:  If you are a Amazon Prime user, Audible is now free with your account.)
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This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

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Sunday, September 18:

  • The Narrator and Audiobooks – Our Interview with Narrator Joel Froomkin (also known as Joel Leslie)(Audiobooks Part II)
  • This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
  • A Paul B Audiobook Review:  The Autumn Lands by J Scott Coatsworth

Monday, September 19:

  • Riptide Tour and Giveaway ~ Bitterwood by Rowan Speedwell
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Dad’s Nerdy New Boyfriend by JM Snyder
  • An Alisa Release Day Review: Power Bottom by Rowan McAllister
  • A Lila Release Day Review: Safe House (Buchanan House #4) by Charley Descoteaux
  • A Paul Review: Orion’s Circle (Sirius Wolves # 1) byVictoria Sue

Tuesday, September 20:

  • Release Blitz & Tour – Sweet Summer Sweat by Clare London
  • An Alisa Review: Broke by Amanda Young
  • A MelanieM Release Day Review: The Pill Bugs of Time (Offbeat Crimes #2) by Angel Martinez
  • An Ali Review: Looking for Group by Alexis Hall
  • A Stella Review: Three More Wishes by Sean Michael

Wednesday, September 21:

  • Its Release Day for Flight: Queer Sci Fi’s Third Annual Flash Fiction Contest Anthology (QSF Flash Fiction #2) by J. Scott Coatsworth , Angel Martinez , et al.
  • Series Recap Tour – Guns n’ Boys by KA Merikan
  • A Stella Review: Resistance (Village Love #1) by Lillian Francis
  • A MelanieM Release Day Review: Taming the Wyld by Lucie Archer
  • A Ali Review: David, Renewed by Diana Copland

Thursday, September 22:

  • Riptide Tour and Giveaway: Gambling on Love by Jane Davitt
  • A Stella Review: Gambling on Love by by Jane Davitt
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: Run for it All by Carolyn Levine Topol
  • An Alisa Audiobook Review: The Queen & the Homo Jock King (At First Sight #2) by T.J. Klune and Michael Lesley (Narrator)

Friday, September 23:

  • Keep Me In Mind tour: Deanna Wadsworth ‘Too Good To Be True‘ (Excerpt and Giveaway)
  • In the Spotlight: Immortal Watch by Olivia Helling (blitz, excerpt and giveaway)
  • An Alisa Audiobook Review: Breakaway (Scoring Chances #1) by Avon Gale and Scott R. Smith (Narrator)
  • An Ali Releases Day Review: Raven’s Rest by Stephen Osborne
  • An Alisa Audiobook Review: Model Citizen (Haven Investigations #1) by Lissa Kasey and Mike Pohlable (Narrator)

Saturday, September 24:

  • A MelanieM Review: Wriggle & Sparkle by Megan Derr

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A Caryn Release Day Review: Waiting for Patrick by Brynn Stein

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
 
waiting-for-patrickElliot is a rolling stone.  He’s spent his entire life moving from place to place, never stays anywhere more than a few months, doesn’t believe in relationships, has no family, and very few friends.  He’s a loner, and as the story progresses, you see why — Elliot can be a self-centered asshole.  He lives for his work, enjoys casual hookups, and overall is perfectly satisfied with his life.  He’s built a business of flipping houses into a thriving architectural design corporation and is now able to spend time doing the type of renovations he enjoys as well as those that are profitable.
 
All of this changed when he acquired a civil war era plantation home in South Carolina.  From the beginning, Elliot was drawn to this property in a way he’d never experienced before, and felt a sense of peace there that was also alien to him.  He decided to live in the house and do some of the work himself as the renovation proceeded, rather than contracting everything out like he usually did.  And he surprised himself by sticking around long enough to become attached to the house as well as a few local people that became friends.  Over the following weeks, he found out that not only was the house haunted, but the ghost, Ben, was able to communicate with Elliot in increasingly more specific ways, until Elliot knew not only Ben’s history of enlisting in the Union army with his lover Patrick, but also of Ben’s death in the house, and of his promise to wait for Patrick to return for him.  Ben and Patrick were true soul mates, so that was more of an eternal vow than a simple promise, and Ben is faithful to it.  Elliot’s friends were amused that he was becoming close to a ghost — certainly closer than he’d ever gotten to a living person — but they were surprisingly supportive of him.  After all, how do you carry on a romance with a ghost?  Especially a romance doomed to end because Ben insists that Patrick will come back?
 
The rest of the book was not exactly predictable (at least not from the beginning), but before each new event or revelation occurred, there was so much foreshadowing that I knew exactly what was coming and wanted the author to hurry it up.  Elliot’s not dumb, so his inability to get a clue about so many things was not only irritating, but didn’t really match his personality.  That disconnect kept taking me out of the story.  The pace of the book is slow, because of all the build up.  There were occasional meanderings into side plots that went nowhere and seemed pointless.  The secondary characters were not as well fleshed out as I feel they should have been given the length of the book, as a lot of the conversations and interactions were repetitive.  Elliot was the only character who grew and changed.  The others were pretty static, which made them increasingly irrelevant.  I think that may have been intentional, a way for the author to emphasize the growing connection between Elliot and Ben and Elliot’s gradual withdrawal from the real world, but if so, it was not entirely successful.  And finally, the paranormal aspects — communicating with a ghost, retrieving memories, finding a lost soul mate, and even the entire concept of a soul mate — were over-explained.  I think an author should let magical realism happen, or not, but trying to explain the magic by mundane physical rules just ruins it.  
Cover art by Bree Archer is wonderful and speaks to the story.
Sales Links
        
Book Details:
ebook, 280 pages
Expected publication: September 16th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1634773985 (ISBN13: 9781634773980)
Edition LanguageEnglish

A MelanieM Review: Heart of the Warrior (The Tameness of the Wolf #4) by Kendall McKenna

Rating: 2.5  stars out of 5

heart-of-a-warrior-by-kendall-mckennaTerrell Hubbard, decorated Marine sergeant, proudly serves as Beta wolf to his True Alpha and Dominant. During a mission, he meets Staff Sergeant Kai Thayer, Pack Leader of the Camp Fallujah sippe. Terrell is thrown completely off balance by the strength of their mutual attraction and the intensity of their passion. His entire world felt perfect though, each time they came together to mark and claim one another.

In the chaos of a surprise attack Kai shows poor judgement, driving a wedge between Terrell and him, and landing Kai on the True Alpha’s bad side. Terrell is torn between his ferocious loyalty to his True Alpha, and his new but powerful feelings for Kai. In the battle’s aftermath, Terrell and Kai are drawn together in passion, hoping it’s not the final chance to mark their claims.

First off let me say that I love this series and its author Kendall McKenna.  The first story was one of those novels that combined  all sorts of unusual elements (the Marines, Afghanistan, deployment, a unique shifter mate bond) and pulled them all together in a powerful story and beginning of a first series.  I adored it and so did tons of other readers.  I’ve followed it through the sequels and the love affair has continued.   Then came Heart of the Warrior and I have no idea what’s happened here.

Heart of the Warrior (The Tameness of the Wolf #4) by Kendall McKenna is really only a third to a half of a story and a fractured one at that.  Its the story/romance meeting of Terrell Hubbard, Marine sergeant and Staff Sergeant Kai Thayer, Pack Leader of the Camp Fallujah sippe (both characters we have meet in previous stories).  As with the other stories, a sniff sets the pair into motion but here its a flawed usage.  We get little feel for the characters. I think we are supposed to remember them more than we do but its been a while since the last story.  While Terrell is the strongest (in every way) MC in Heart of the Warrior and couple, Kai suffers from lack of time as a character present in the story here other than as a bed partner.  His character seems to shift from one personality to another or maybe because its just that we don’t know him that well.  Anyway the bond we feel towards the fleeting couple is limited because of the treatment he gets here.  He’s supposed to be an important Pack Leader of the Camp but we get no indication of that here, a flaw in the story that’s carried forward in the relationship.

Also this tale slides around, jumping ahead over apparently key scenes from previous stories you are supposed to have remembered if you’ve read the other stories.  If not you are completely out of luck and totally confused.  The battle scenes we drop in and out of?  Have no idea what’s going on.  Its one big mess.  And that’s unusual for this  series.  Its as though scenes from other novels were used here.  In fact, parts of this book feel more scrapped together than intentionally written.

The ending is perhaps the worse.  It just abruptly ends.  As if it was just a chapter in a much larger story.  But here it goes no further.

There’s not to say I didn’t enjoy parts of this story.  I did.  It holds promise as does this couple.  But you have to put the pieces together from a jumbled mess of a story.

Who should read this book?  I suppose those who are addicted to this series and need a fix.  You will get glimpses of your favorites couples.  But if you are new to this author and series.  Give this story a pass.  It does justice to neither.

I like the cover for the story.  Its terrific.  Wish I could say the same about the novel.

Sales Links

MLR Press

6f71e-all2bromance2bbutton7104e-waxcreative-amazon-kindle

 

 

 

Book Details:

ebook
Published August 19th 2016 by MLR Press
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series: The Tameness of the Wolf  – add to your Goodreads shelf here

 

Are You Listening Now? The Popularity of Audiobooks and This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

grateful-54-audiobooks

Are You Listening Now? The Popularity of Audiobooks

I’m not quite sure when I first started noticing the increase in audiobook reviews  on our website.  A year ago?  Two?  Whenever the year or month, audiobooks and our reviews of them are definitely on the increase.  In fact, according to  Audio Publishers Association and MarketWatch*, audiobooks racked up over $1.5 billion in sales last year alone and remain, “the fastest-growing segment of the book publishing industry.”* No we aren’t saying the old print is dead thing again, or that e-books are a thing of the past.  No.  Just that along with those other formats, audiobooks has not only taken their place along side them but perhaps surpassed them in sales.

Not that I’m surprised.  With our fast-paced lives, driving to and from either work, soccer games or what have you, moving about the apartment, or whatever you may be involved in from packing up a house to pushing through some other chore, listening to a book is a wonderful way to pass the time or lose yourself for a while.

Yes, romances are among the top sellers, not that any genre or type of book is outselling another.  Self help?  Yep, its there among top audiobooks,  But so are business books and action thrillers along with the love stories I just mentioned.  People want to listen to them all.  Again, according to  MarketWatch, Amazon reports that its Audible sales are approximately 4 times higher than its books in the printed formats, although Amazon didn’t want to be precise about the numbers.  That’s a staggering  figure in a short amount of time, especially as it includes self published authors or authors producing their own audiobooks for the first time.

Another surprising factor to audiobooks I’ve seen here at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words?  That an audiobook can make a reader take a fresh look at a book or series.  Why?  It all comes down to that one  elemental factor ~ the narrator.  How well the narrator or in some cases as a book this week, narrators, does their job, can make or break an audiobook.

I know that the reviewers here often ask first who is the narrator when an audiobook comes across for review.  Yes, narrators often accumulate a following when they are good or even spectacular (or not so spectacular).  The ability of a narrator to bring individual voices alive for a reader or in this case a listener goes back I think to the storytellers or bards.  Whether they were gathered around a campfire or in a great hall, a bard’s ability to engage their audience, to connect with them and pull them in varies little emotionally with  our narrators today.  Both need to hook their listeners, make them feel the characters, move them to tears or laughter.  That’s a great narrator.PatchworkParadise_Audiobook

We’ve interviewed a narrator and an author who narrated their own novel.  See the links below.

Dreamspinner Press, Riptide Publishing, Less Than Three Press, Mischief Corner Books are, along with other publishers and Audible, companies who offer audiobooks for sale.  I know there are others.  Mind blank, send me names and help me out.  Authors are also putting out their  own audiobooks, like Jay NorthcoteTasting Notes Audiobook for one.  Our options to listen are getting enormous.

I hope to bring in more narrators for interviews.  What questions would you like to ask them?  Do you have favorite narrators of your own?  Send me their names.  I know several reviewers here have already accumulated their own lists.

Audiobooks have come a long way and are here to stay.  Again MarketWatch is reporting that famous actors are getting into the narrating business.  I’m not sure that’s a great idea.  I want to be lost in the character…not thinking “oh, that’s Clint Eastwood or whoever doing the voice over”.  How do you all feel about that?

And lastly, can any of you name your favorite audiobook to date?  Hmmm?  Start thinking about answers to all these questions.  You just might find that answering them will get you a prize come the first of October.

Now on to  our schedule at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words and yes, there are audiobooks being reviewed this week!

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This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

cougar-chaos-by-aj-marcuskyle-by-rj-scottcommitment-ranch-by-ba-tortugathe-burnt-toast-b-b-audiobook

Sunday, September 11:

  • Are You Listening Now? The Popularity of Audiobooks
  • This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, September 12:

  • Riptide Publishing’s Blog Tour and Giveaway – Counterbalance by Aiden Wayne
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Counterbalance by Aidan Wayne
  • A MelanieM Release Day Review: Obsidian Moons by Jon Keys
  • An Alisa Release Day Review: Cougar Chaos (Mountain Spirit Mysteries #4) by A.J. Marcus

Tuesday, September 13:

  • In the Spotlight: Bread, Salt & Wine by Dev Bentham (excerpt and giveaway)
  • Jay Northcote’s Into You Release Tour
  • A MelanieM Review: Heart of the Warrior by Kendall McKenna
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: A Cowboy’s Home (Montana #3) by R.J. Scott
  • A Caryn Review: The Eleventh Hour by Elin Gregory

Wednesday, September 14:

  • Series Spotlight: Crooked Tree Ranch Recap by RJ Scott (excerpt and giveaway)
  • Blog Tour and Giveaway: “Is This Desire?” by R. Paone
  • A MelanieM Review: Open Road by M.J. O’Shea
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Kyle (Legacy Ranch #1) by R.J. Scott
  • An Alisa Audiobook Review:  The Burnt Toast B&B (Bluewater Bay #5)
    by Heidi Belleau and Rachel Haimowitz with Dorian Bane (Narrator) andTobias Silversmith (Narrator)

Thursday, September 15:

  • Riptide Publishing’s Blog Tour and Giveaway:  Rented Heart by Garrett Leigh
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review:  Rented Heart by Garrett Leigh
  • A MelanieM Release Day Review:Commitment Ranch (Leaning N #1) by B.A. Tortuga
  • A Free Dreamer Release Day Review: Do-Gooder by J. Leigh Bailey

Friday, September 16:

  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: Tied Up in Knots (Marshals #3) by Mary Calmes
  • A MelanieM Review: Skyships Over Innsmouth by Susan Laine
  • An Alisa Audiobook Review: Sweetwater by Lisa Henry and Dorian Bane (Narrator)
  • A Caryn Release Day Review: Waiting for Patrick by Brynn Stein

Saturday, September 17:

  • A Stella Review: Resonance by Lillian Francis
  • A MelanieM Review: Midlife Crisis by Rob Rosen
  • A Paul B Audiobook Review: Black Balled (Black Balled #1) by Andrea Smith and Narrator Eva LeNoir

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Series Recap Time for The Case of The Purple Pearl (End Street Series #5) by Amber Kell & RJ Scott (excerpt and giveaway)

Series Recap Tour & Giveaway

The Case Of The Purple Pearl

 (End Street Book #5)

 Amber Kell & RJ Scott

Authors: Amber Scott & RJ Scott
 
Cover Design: Meredith Russell
 
Blurb
 
After failing in a quest to win the Fae Queenís approval, Halstein is locked in a world of stone. Forced to remain a gargoyle he spends his days on Samís desk pining for his lost love.

Prince Idrisís lover went missing and was presumed dead. Alone, Idris lives a life away from court, starved of energy but unwilling to sleep in the room he once shared with his beloved.

Can Sam and Bob save these fated lovers before it’s too late? And will Bobís ultimate sacrifice be enough to free Hal from his prison?



Author Bios

 
Amber Kell has made a career out of daydreaming. It has been a lifelong habit she practices diligently as shown by her complete lack of focus on anything not related to her fantasy world building.
 
When she told her husband what she wanted to do with her life, he told her to go have fun.
During those seconds she isn’t writing, she remembers she has children who humor her with games of “what if” and let her drag them to foreign lands to gather inspiration. Her youngest confided in her that he wants to write because he longs for a website and an author nameótwo things apparently necessary to be a proper writer.
 
Despite her husband’s insistence she doesn’t drink enough to be a true literary genius, she continues to spin stories of people falling happily in love and staying that way.
 
She is thwarted during the day by a traffic jam of cats on the stairway and a puppy who insists on walks, but she bravely perseveres.
 
 
E-mail: amberkellwrites@gmail.com

 


RJ Scott is the bestselling gay romance author of over ninety MM romance books. She writes emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing. 
 
RJ also writes MF romance under the name Rozenn Scott.
 
The last time she had a weekís break from writing she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldnít defeat.
 

 Giveaway

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Find Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Highly Rated Review of  The Case of The Purple Pearl (End Street Series #5) by Amber Kell & RJ Scott here.

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

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sales Links

Book Details:

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

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

Jay Northcote – Into You

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

Blurb

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


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


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


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

 

 

Excerpt


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

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

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

What the fuck?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“This isn’t happening,” he said.

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

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

He pinched himself hard. “Ouch!”

Why wasn’t he waking up?


Beep beep beep beep beep beep beep!

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

Ugh. Too bright.

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

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

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

“Scott?” he said hesitantly, then coughed.

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

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

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

Then Olly looked down at his legs—and froze.

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

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

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

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

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

 

Author Bio:

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

A MelanieM Review: Re-Inventing Love by Storm Grant

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Re-Inventing LoveEngineer and assistant inventor,Maximilian Grun is in love with his employer, but he daren’t reveal the truth. It’s 1910 and if Canadian authorities learned of his homosexuality, they’d deport him back to Germany where the country of his birth would become the country of his death.

When promising young inventor and mathematician,Dr. Jasper Hamilton expresses his own feelings for Max, the young German regretfully declines. He cannot risk their partnership, their reputations” their very lives!

Then a rival inventor sabotages their inventions. Jasper is caught between the physical and the metaphysical, reduced to atoms, and transported to the spirit plane! Max is devastated, deeply regretting his lost chances.

But Jasper manages to communicate across the aether, telling Max he must reverse the machine’s polarity. But without Jasper’s talent for mathematics, the calculations defeat Max.

Can the would-be lovers bridge the gap between life and death to finally be together?When a ghastly lab accident blows a respected inventor away, his loyal assistant must devise a way to bridge the gap between the planes of existence to reunite them in life and in love.

I was not sure what to expect from Re-Inventing Love by Storm Grant.   The premise was intriguing and the author was completely new to me.  Two things I liked.  Plus it was historical, another bonus.  The story  turned out to be so much more than I ever  imagined.  It was a wonderful historical novel, rich in elements from that era.  It was a paranormal tale, filled with inventive touches real and imagined.  The author’s note where Grant’s give’s a nod to the inspirations behind the story should not be missed. Finally, its a sweet, touching romance, still in keeping with the era, noting that such same gender love is forbidden, likely to lead to imprisonment and death.  And on every level that it explores and incorporates into the story, it works beautifully.

The story starts off in Germany,  with a young apprentice and his older mentor working on a special invention and things go very badly.  We follow the the young man’s recovery through various scary scenes and months which I won’t spoil here.  They are of high importance in making the character of Maximilian Grun feel authentic, as both a scientist and as a damaged man.  We get the full history on Max…his troubles, his pain, everything.  Even his naivete’.  And Grant surrounds him in the elements of the era, from laws to major points in the history timeline.

When the story lands in Canada, and the household of Dr. Jasper Hamilton and his forward thinking sister, Octavia, I was throughly entranced.  Then became even more so.  Dr. Jasper was already an inventor who along with his trouser-wearing sister (and house servants/assistants) had filled his house with his inventions from toasters (that burnt toast if you weren’t careful) to washer tubs for washing clothes.  A marvel indeed and based on inventions present at the time.  Octavia, a widow, is a bright, sparkling presence, whose personality leaps off the pages alongside that of her brother and their other household occupants (cat included).  Really, be prepared to fall in love with this entire household.

How Max comes to find employment and a home here with Jasper and Octavia is a neat twist of tale and villain.  Yes, the author has engineered a believable villain for this story.  His actions are both plausible and reprehensible, thoughtless and based on self gain, no matter the cost.  So you get a layered and understandable man to cringe at his every appearance.  Its wonderful.

There is also the paranormal element here, ghosts, another plane of existence to explore.  Its deliciously done.  Storm Grant is clearly having fun here, from the name of the device (see the author’s notes again) to the racket, explosions, and results that occur).  Most are mind boggling, all are marvelous and great for the story.  I enjoyed each and every scene, right up to and including the unexpected final one.

I often watch a series here called The Artful Detective. I believe the author refers to the same show as the Murdoch Mysteries in her notes.  A Canadian detective in the 1900’s who uses science (often ahead of his time) and inventions to solve crime.  It was one of the inspirations behind the story as both incorporate actual history and real inventions into their storylines.  Both the series (I bet the name difference is due to the country where it airs) and this story are charmers.

Whether you are a fan of historical novels, this is one story you won’t want to miss out on.  Its got a little bit of something for everyone.  But mostly?  Its just plain wonderful.  I highly recommend Re-Inventing Love by Storm Grant.  Now I need to seek out and read other books by this author.  What a treat.  And while you’re at it check out The Artful Detective as well.

Cover art by Deana Jamroz.  I liked this cover.  A bit old timey true in keeping with the paperback mysteries and dime novels.

Sales Links

MLR Press LLC

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 236 pages
Published April 21st 2016 by MLR Press, LLC
ASINB01ENHDG6U
Edition LanguageEnglish