A MelanieM Review: The Shape of Honey by Ki Brightly

Rating: 2.75 stars out of 5

The Shape of HoneyYulian Volkov is an entrepreneur and lone werewolf who hates the city. At a pack meeting, he learns the only member he’s attracted to is being expelled for crimes unspecified. Yulian strikes a deal with the pack leader to allow Rolly Witten to live on his farm and work in his Meadery. Although enjoying handsome Rolly’s company, Yulian must tread carefully, since Rolly doesn’t trust him and the pack doesn’t acknowledge homosexuality exists. Meanwhile, Yulian stealthily courts Rolly by teaching him the value of his wolf side.

Rolly, who’s known he was gay since he was a teen, has accepted a life of solitude-and a life of crime. He has no desire to relocate. Yet Yulian’s trust in his ability to do honest work builds his confidence. As life is settling well for them, Rolly learns a friend from his old pack had a crush on him, and he’s torn between returning his friend’s feelings or pursuing the budding relationship with Yulian. But that’s not their worst problem. Assassins are trying to take out both wolves, and they need to figure out who wants them dead or all the trust and happiness they’re building together won’t matter.

The Shape of Honey by Ki Brightly had some wonderful elements, things going for it. The author conceived of an interesting plot, came up with Yulian Volkov and his Meadery, a working Meadery, readers! And then created a troubled Rolly clearly in need of Yulian and all that the Meadery offered. What a great concept. What terrific characters and to back those two up, Brightly had a ancient Russian wolf shifter culture thrown in as well, especially the thuggish, hard scrabble nature of the shifters we meet inside it. So what happened? A multitude of voices, too many plots, that left this novel feeling muddied and the bright elements trampled. That’s what happened.

Rolly’s self centered mother’s got a new mate, which precipitates Rolly leaving home and finally being thrown out of the pack due to his friends. Rolly was hanging around with a bad group of kids/kits/werewolf juvenile delinquents, each of whom is given their own major voice here and  part of the story, especially once Rolly separates from them.  You can only imagine how frustrating that becomes when over and over again you are deeply connected to the drama and dynamics of the Rolly/Yulian relationship  when suddenly the author switches over to the small pack of wolves/brats that got Rolly in trouble, specifically a ruthless young female shifter, Ava.

The worst  part?  Ava is a great character who really deserves her own story, but to throw her in here along with the others, and their  competing plots, just continues to muddy this novel further until it becomes a total quagmire of competing wolf gangs, serpent shifters, destroyed loyalties and somehow the real relationship basics are almost totally forgotten.

The things I loved about this story were absolute treasures.  The Meadery, the employees and the gruff Yulian who built it and loves not only the honey and mead he makes but has such a deep connection to the land?  That’s the element that rings so true.  Rolly?  So torn and in need of love?  Perfection when combined with the old, almost rock-like elemental nature of Yulian.  Oh for the editor with a ruthless pen and good sense to have slashed everything else away.  Or to have left it for another story.

Well, that didn’t happen and I have to review The Shape of Honey and the promise left at the door.  That means I just can’t recommend this story, especially if you are asked to invest yourself in over 390 pages of your time.  I hope Ki Brightly uses her wonderful imagination to create more tales for us, because of all of the wonderful elements that shine so brightly here.

Cover Art by Aaron Anderson is beautiful. I love the mix between man and wolf as well as the meadow below. Perfection.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 400 pages
Published October 19th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
ASINB0160ALC5K
Edition LanguageEnglish

Law and Supernatural Order? Its Silvia Violet’s Sex on the Hoof! (excerpt and giveaway)

SOTHBlogBanner

Sex on the Hoof

Silvia Violet

M/M Romance

Sex on the Hoof Cover

Cover Design: AJ Corza

Cover Photo:  Stock Photo

Release Date: 12.31.15

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1PeLrl8

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1QD5Y68

Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/1J15apd

iTunes: http://apple.co/1QD6gK7

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1NwQj4E

ARe: http://bit.ly/1OEFjzS

BLURB:

 A stag and a vampire. Mortal peril. True love.

Deer shifter, Jason Fleetfoot, has turned his life around. After years of taking chances, he’s working as a crime lab technician, and he’s determined to forgo the risky behavior of his past. Then he meets Drew Danvers, the only undead detective in the city. Jason hates vampires, or does he? Drew defies all the stereotypes of his kind and something about him has taken hold of Jason and won’t let go. Jason might just dare to take a chance on a man others would label a risk to his health if not his very life.

This novella was previously published. It has been re-edited and expanded by over 35%.

TEASERS

SOTHTEas

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EXCERPT

I’m Jason Fleetfoot. I’ve made a lot of stupid mistakes in my life. The stupidest of all was taking a job with some assholes intent on manufacturing illegal chemical weapons.

My sister, Natalie, lost her job when her company folded, and I lost mine because my fucking boss was a bastard. I’ve got authority issues. And control issues. All right, I’m seriously fucked up, but I wasn’t going to let my sister starve because I couldn’t keep it together.

So I made a deal with the devil and damn near got myself and Natalie killed. She saved me. She and her cop boyfriend, Wolf. The name’s not a joke. He’s a werewolf. Did I mention we’re shifters, Natalie and I? Deer shifters. If you think my human form is impressive, you should see me as a ten-point buck. So yeah, a werewolf and a deer shifter. Somehow they’re making it work.

When I was a kid, we were all in hiding—wolves, deer, rabbits, foxes, and all the other shifters, vampires and demons too. Then the Big Collapse happened. Worst econ crash since the Great Depression. The world was in chaos, the US Government near collapse, the unemployed filling the streets. A bunch of supernaturals said, fuck it, the humans can barely keep themselves together, it’s time we had our day. I thought there’d be a war, but none of us were organized enough to attack and the humans had their own problems so now we all live together.

Peacefully? Fuck no. Most humans tolerate us, just. Some love us only for the thrill we can give them. And others would like to kill us on sight, but at least we don’t have to pretend anymore. I love what my body can do and I’m never going to apologize for it.

But that’s enough history. Let’s get back to the now and my life on the straight-and-narrow, working hard to earn an honest dollar. I fucking hate being beholden to Wolf, but I wouldn’t be where I am now if it wasn’t for him. Once the Atlanta PD cleared me, Wolf helped me get a job in the crime lab where I can use my knowledge of chemistry and computers for the good guys.

As the newest hire, I work nights, babysitting the equipment and working on what comes in during the wee hours. For the most part, I like it. It’s quiet and I get a chance to play around with new techniques and do a bit of programming. There’s only one problem: Detective Drew Danvers.

He works nights too. Not because he’s new, but because he’s a goddamned vampire. They say he was Changed against his will. But what the hell was he doing picking up a vampire at a bar? I certainly have no intention of fucking a vampire. No matter how damn fuckable Drew is. Yeah, I like men, what of it? And Drew is a fine specimen of a man, like some Viking warrior. He’s at least six three with sculpted arms and pecs that make him look like he could lift a truck one-handed. Considering he’s a vamp, he probably can.

Getting involved with Drew would be stupid on too many levels to count. And I’m finished with making stupid decisions. So why does my body want so desperately to be impaled on him—his cock, his fangs, anything he’d like to stick in me. Natalie’s right, my dick really doesn’t communicate with my brain. I don’t just want to fuck him, I want to be taken by him, and I never want that. Like I said, I have control issues. But with Drew… No, there’s never going to be anything with Drew.

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Silvia Violet writes erotic romance in a variety of genres including sci fi, paranormal, alternate history, and historical.

She can often be found haunting coffee shops looking for the darkest, strongest cup of coffee she can find. Once equipped with the needed fuel, she can happily sit for hours pounding away at her laptop. Silvia typically leaves home disguised as a suburban stay-at-home-mom, and other coffee shop patrons tend to ask her hilarious questions like “Do you write children’s books?” She loves watching the looks on their faces when they learn what she’s actually up to. When not writing, Silvia enjoys baking sinful chocolate treats, exploring new styles of cooking, and reading children’s books to her wickedly smart offspring.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

Newsletter: http://silviaviolet.com/newsletter

Facebook: http://facebook.com/silvia.violet

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Silvia_Violet

Tumblr: http://silviaviolet.tumblr.com

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/silviaviolet/

 

GIVEAWAY

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A MelanieM Review: The Case of the Sinful Santa (End Street Detective Agency #4) by Amber Kell and R.J. Scott

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

The Case of the Sinful Santa Zephariel, the Angel of Vengeance, Nick Klauson, nephew to Santa, Christmas magic, zombies in the school and a necromancer causing chaos…and at the center of it all—Mal.

Zephariel is the Angel of Vengeance and is tracking down his cousin Danjal for misuse of brimstone. When he walks into a bar and finds Nick Klauson drowning his sorrows, he is instantly drawn to him. Could this be his fated mate?

When Nick and Zeph join forces to deal with zombies in Mal’s school, sparks fly. Add in a demon, a wolf and a necromancer, and Sam and Bob have a hunt on their hands.

When I started reading this story, I had three books of the series in my possession and somehow I must have thought (I mark it up to holiday stress) that this was the first.  Uh, no.  Of course, I jump into the series at book four and once I started, I couldn’t stop. Why? Because if the rest of the stories are anything like this one, then Amber Kell and RJ Scott have an engaging cast of characters and an apparently intriguing linked group of mysteries at the heart of the End Street Detective Agency.

The Case of the Sinful Santa comes to the End Street Detective Agency,run by Sam, a man who refuses to accept his clearly paranormal genealogy and the many endearing, scary and wild beings that revolve around him, including his vampire lover, Bob.  One of the things about coming into a series so late is that so many things are already established.  That’s not necessarily a bad thing here. Sam and Bob are an official couple (not so in the beginning of the series) and have a vampire child, Mal (will backtrack to that story).  This tale starts out with the focus on Zephariel (angel) and Nick Klauson, one of the many Klausons,  Santa Claus is his Uncle and he is part of the family business.

Amber Kell and RJ Scott come up with an intriguing job for Nick that sort of makes sense, in a fantasy kind of way. Nick is in town because of a darkness that Santa noticed along his flight plan. Nick is there to take care of it. But there’s more to come. Up pops a ghastly disappearance/murder mystery to solve that brings not only Zeph and Nick together but the rest of the End Street Detectives into the case. I thought there was a nice balance between the fear/mystery and the love/romance going on here.  Plus its not just the romance between Zeph and Nick but the ongoing issues that continue between Sam and Bob.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and characters, Zeph and Nick get their HFN which means we will probably see them again in this series and we get a peek at the next book to come…dragons my favorite.  Only now I need to  go backwards and see where it all started.  Stay with me, I’ll be filling you in.  Until then, if you are a lover of the supernatural or the paranormal, throw in a mystery or romance or two, this has the making of a series to delight you on every front.  I know its doing that for me.

 

Cover art by Posh Gosh. I love the cover.  It works mostly for Zeph.  Nick is missing the frosty white hair and white complexion so that is a fail.

Sales Links:   | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

Book Four in the End Street Detective Agency series

ebook, 1st Edition, 94 pages
Published November 29th 2013 by Totally Bound (first published November 28th 2013)
Original TitleThe Case of the Sinful Santa: End Street Detective Agency Series
ISBN 1781848548 (ISBN13: 9781781848548)
Edition LanguageEnglish

SeriesEnd Street Detective Agency 

 

A Stella Review: How to Walk like a Man by Eli Easton

Rating 4.5 stars out of 5

How To Walk Like A Man coverDeputy Roman Charsguard survived Afghanistan where he lost his best friend—his K-9 handler James. Roman was a military dog until two years ago when he developed the ability to shift into a human. It’s not easy to learn how to be a man. He found a place to live in Mad Creek, a haven for the secret world of dog shifters. Finding a reason to live has been harder. That is, until a certain human walks into the Mad Creek Sheriff’s office and starts making trouble.

Matt Barclay has the worst luck. First he was shot in a SWAT drug raid, then he was sent as DEA investigator to Mad Creek, a little town in the California mountains. Matt’s job is to keep a lookout for illegal drug farms, but nobody in the town wants him there. And then there’s Roman, Matt’s erstwhile baby-sitter. He’s the hottest guy Matt’s ever seen, even if he is a bit peculiar. If the town doesn’t kill him, sexual frustration just might.

The town is counting on Roman to prevent Matt from learning about dog shifters, Matt’s counting on Roman to be his work partner and tell him the truth, and Roman’s trying to navigate love, sex, and a whole lot of messy human emotions. Who knew it was so complicated to walk like a man?

I was anxious to read Roman story since I first met him in  How to Howl at the Moon  , the first book in the Howl at the Moon series by Eli Easton. I was intrigued by this character cause I could feel he would be different and I wasn’t disappointed. I learnt to love him a little more with each page I read in How to Walk Like a Man.

His story was a little strange because Roman, as the title says, needs to start his human life, to learn how to walk like a man and not only as a dog. He lost his human James in Afghanistan, the one who saved a hurt Roman from a sure death.The flashbacks that showed the relationship between them, were all very emotional especially in the clear connection with James and in Roman sense of loneliness when he woke up for the first time in his doggie cage as a human and had no idea what was happening.

It was surely not the usual m/m book and Roman is not our usual character. That’s the reason why in this case I loved the slow burn story with Matt, it couldn’t have been different, since Roman has no clue about human life at all. And it didn’t bored me for a minute cause Matt and Roman were together from the first page, becoming friends little by little and starting to trust each other.

Moreover How to Walk Like a Man not just Roman and Matt’s story. There is so much more going on and I can assure you won’t have enough. It was sweet, simple and beautifully different as Roman is, with some emotional parts and some light and funny, like when Roman discovered for the first time his penis and the related sexual maneuver. I laughed so much at Lance’s embarrassment when Roman called his friend in the middle of his first erection asking for help with his problem.

How To Walk Like a Man and the whole series is highly recommended. I’d love to know if there will be more about these great characters in a near future.

Cover art by Reese Dante. There really is nothing to say about this cover, I can see Roman in the dog eyes, so it’s perfect to me.

Sales Links:  All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 241 pages
Published November 13th 2015 by Pinkerton Road
ASIN B0176KQPH8
Edition Language English

Howl at the Moon series

  • How to Howl at the Moon #1
  • How to Walk Like a Man #2

A Stella Review: Vampire Prince (Paranormal Nobles #1) by S.J. Frost

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Vampire PrinceThree years ago, Sebastian Beaumont, was starving and struggling on the streets. An offer for safety and shelter was nothing but the lies of a vampire. Since then, he’s been trapped, surrendering his blood and body as a blood slave to vampires, all for the hope of gaining one more day of life and maybe, someday, his freedom.

Having crossed more than three hundred years of life, Valentin Wyndham, is a prince among vampires. Memories of betrayal still haunt him and love isn’t something he seeks. When his need for blood becomes too strong, he breaks his usual habits and visits a blood house. Though he tries to resist, he can’t help but be captivated by the beautiful Sebastian.

Unable to deny the intensity between them, Valentin frees Sebastian from the blood house, but danger follows them both from those who don’t want to let Sebastian go.

Vampire Prince is the story of Sebastian, a young man taken from the streets three years ago by Wesley with promises of a better life (or at least some food) and brought in his blood house as a blood slave, where people like him, runaways and people no one is going to miss, are used and abused by vampires. This mansion is become his prison, but he has no choice, he needs to stay safe and play the good boy, pretending to enjoy the entertainment he provides vampires. But Sebastian is really tired, three year in this life are really too much and he knows the time for his death is near.

Prince Valentine has just moved to Savannah from England. He doesn’t like the kind of blood house he’s going to, but it’s his only choice at the moment to not become a danger with his thirst. There he meets Sebastian and the insta-attraction will bring them to a sweet and steamy relationship.

I enjoyed this story a lot, I haven’t read the previous edition so I’m not sure about differences or changes SJ Frost made in the plot/writing. I found the writing good and I was surprised by the plot, I was waiting for the usual “vampire story”, instead I got an interesting and original book, light and funny. I felt soon a connection with Valentine and Sebastian, both well developed and likeable.

I can say I am particularly curious to read the next books in this series. Sal and Basil, Valentine’s friends, were both so well done, sometimes took away attention from the MCs.

The reason why I can’t give Vampire Prince an higher rating is that I often found myself bored by too many sex scenes and sugary sentences  (a little too much even for me). Still I can’t wait for the next one.

Cover art by Scarlet Tie designs. I really like this cover, it’s mysterious and dark, and it soon caught my attention.

Sales Links:  MLR Press | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon |

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 236 pages
Published November 28th 2015 by MLR Press (first published March 7th 2014)
Original TitleVampire Prince
ASINB018GKSB74
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesParanormal Nobles #1
CharactersSebastian Beaumont, Valentin Wyndham settingSavannah, Georgia (United States)

Cover reveal for Eden Winters ‘A Bear Walks Into A Bar’ (Cover reveal, excerpt and giveaway)

A Bear Walks Into A Bar


Release Date: January 16, 2016

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Rocky Ridge Books
Cover Artist: Jacqueline Sweet

Blurb

It takes one strong alpha with a tight grip to keep a mountain full of shifters under control. Sawyer Ballantine’s contending with an uppity wolf leader and a herd of shifter elk bound and determined to take over. He might be the lone bear on the mountain, but he’s not going to allow another four shifters to just move in, especially not when they whiff of power. They’ll either be his in all ways, or they’ll be gone.

Dillon, Jerry, Kevin, and Brad have no one but each other since their shifter groups kicked them out. The young bear, wolves, and fox make a merry ménage, pooling their meager shifter skills and serving beer. They’ve stumbled into more than they understand, caught in the dispute between the Urso of Ballantine Mountain and the elk. But winter’s setting in, and they don’t know how to keep Dillon safe for hibernation.

And then a bear walks into their bar.

 

Pages or Words: 63,000 words
Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, M/M Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Consensual Non-Monagomy

Excerpt

“Where exactly are you going? Would you at least tell me that?”

“A town nobody’s heard of about thirty-five miles from home.” If Sawyer needed to hide, he’d find a similar out of the way spot. Too bad this particular spot sat on the border between elk and predator. Just because they lived off vegetation didn’t mean his rivals weren’t a threat—an expert marksman had joined the herd a few years ago. He’d been tough and stringy, but ceased being a problem.

Conversation grew impossible when Sawyer fired up his bike. Mother Moon, but he loved the rumble of the big Harley between his thighs, the wind on his face, tempting his sensitive nose with a million different scents: moss, pines, rabbit, clover, chicken barbequing on a grill at a campsite downhill, all awaiting him once he reached his mountain.

Fluffy clouds overhead cast shadows over the scenery, and the crisp scent of snow drifted over the highest mountaintops. Colorado. No greater place existed on earth.

Occasionally he caught a whiff of human emotions: anger, fear, sorrow, lust. Especially lust.

Damn, he needed to get laid.

Buy the book: All Romance EbooksAmazon

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Meet the Author

You will know Eden Winters by her distinctive white plumage and exuberant cry of “Hey, y’all!” in a Southern US drawl so thick it renders even the simplest of words unrecognizable. Watch out, she hugs!

Driven by insatiable curiosity, she possibly holds the world’s record for curriculum changes to the point that she’s never quite earned a degree but is a force to be reckoned with at Trivial Pursuit.

She’s trudged down hallways with police detectives, learned to disarm knife-wielding bad guys, and witnessed the correct way to blow doors off buildings. Her e-mail contains various snippets of forensic wisdom, such as “What would a dead body left in a Mexican drug tunnel look like after six months?” In the process of her adventures she has written fourteen m/m romance novels, has won several Rainbow Awards, was a Lambda Awards Finalist, and lives in terror of authorities showing up at her door to question her Internet searches.

When not putting characters in dangerous situations she’s a mild-mannered business executive, mother, grandmother, vegetarian, and PFLAG activist.

Her natural habitats are airports, coffee shops, and on the backs of motorcycles.

Where to find the author:

 


Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, Bayou Book Junkie, The Hat Party, BFD Book Blog, Mikky’s World of Books, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Ogitchida Book Blog, Love Bytes, Boys on the Brink Reviews, Velvet Panic, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, V’s Reads, Charley Descoteaux, Happily Ever Chapter, Multitasking Mommas, Bonkers About Books, KathyMac Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews, Dawn’s Reading Nook, 3 Chicks After Dark, Andrew Q. Gordon, Alpha Book Club, Tara Lain

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘A Bear Walks Into A Bar’ by Eden Winters.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

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Lingering Farewells and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

 

Lingering Farewells…

 

Sometimes its so hard to let go of the past.  From continually writing 2015 on everything that needs a date to calendars forever December 2015, never quite getting that flip over to January, moving forward can be a hard thing to do.

It’s no wonder its a theme that we read so often in our stories, because its one that happens so often in our lives.  From small things to big, letting go of the past is amazingly difficult, even when we have the best of reasons to do so.

I say this writing amongst the detritus of 2015, surrounded by envelopes and just plain stuff I keep meaning to toss and shred.  Muttering I’ll do it this afternoon/tomorrow/this weekend/ and somehow that never happens.  Well, that bag is coming out today and with a sweep of the hand, it will be gone.  I promise.

I finished a story last night from CJane Elliot, There You Are, full of the repercussions of what happens when people let the past rule their present.  In many instances, I thought she got it right.  Because sometimes for many the past is full of so many good times, that letting them go is unbearable.  Especially in the face of a present that stuck, so you want to hold on. But move forward you must.  The seasons tell us so.

We’ve been holding on…in a milder form here.   We still have leftovers, the Christmas lights are up as is the Christmas tree which burns bright each night.  Those will be coming down in a week…or two.  I hate to rush those things.

But that chirping Verizon backup battery still waiting to be replaced?  Sigh.  I fear that reminder will be with me a little longer.  Captain, the African Grey has decided he likes that sound and now mimics it perfectly.  So even once I’ve gotten around to doing the deed, the reminder will still be there.  Yes, somethings will never go away, just like those Christmas tree needles you still find months later, often in summer.  They leave you full of memories and wonder (where they heck where they hiding all this time when the vacuum was out).

Anyhow, now I have a weekly schedule to get out, its still light as we are all recovering from the holidays.  But there are some outstanding audiobook reviews coming your way. In fact this week has wonderful reviews, including a new terrific dragon book from Mell Eight (love her), one of Mika’s absolute Best of 2015 is reviewed this week Sunset Park by Santino Hassell, Ali is kicking it out of the park with her audiobook reviews from Riptide Publishing as is BJ who also continues with her reviews of the wonderful Lyn Gala series. If you are a SJ Frost fan, Stella has her latest novel, Vampire Prince from MLR Books…so many wonderful reads, stay with us all week!  I will be dealing with the detritus of 2015, don’t even get me started on resolutions. Wish me luck!

 

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunset ParkThe Harvest 3Winter BallDefinitely Maybe Yours cover

Sunday, January 3:

  • Lingering Farewells and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, January 4:

  • Cover reveal for Eden Winters ‘A Bear Walks Into A Bar (excerpt and contest)
  • Coffee Sip and Book Break with Grein Murray’s ‘Forever Joshua’ (excerpt and giveaway)
  • Maggie Kavanagh ‘Blind Spot’ book tour and contest
  • A Mika Review: Sunset Park by Santino Hassell
  • A Stella Review: Textual Attraction by K lee Klein

Tuesday, January 5:

  • In the Spotlight: Alone Together by DC Juris (excerpt/giveaway)
  • Warriors are Back in Ari McKay ‘Herc’s Mercs: The Harder They Fall’ (excerpt and giveaway)
  • A Paul B Review: The Harvest: A Tah’Narian Christmas (The Harvest #3) by M.A. Church
  • A Stella Review: For Want of a Christmas Miracle by Olley White

Wednesday, January 6:

  • An Ali Review: Winter Ball by Amy Lane
  • A MelanieM Review: Wild and Precious by CJane Elliott
  • A BJ Review: Affiliations, Aliens, and Other Profitable Pursuits (Claimings, #3) by Lyn Gala
  • A Free Dreamer Review: Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling

Thursday, January 7:

  • An Ali Audiobook Review: Touch & Geaux (Cut & Run #7) by Abigail Roux , J.F. Harding (Narrator)
  • A MelanieM Review: Dragon Consultant (Supernatural Consultant #1) by Mell Eight
  • A BJ Review: White Knight by L. Valko
  • A Stella Review: Vampire Prince by SJ Frost

Friday, January 8:

  • In the Book Spotlight: Rob Rosen’s ‘Fate’ (excerpt and giveaway)
  • ‘Painful Lessons’ by S.C. Wynne Book tour and guest blog
  • An Ali Audiobook Review: Stars & Stripes (Cut & Run #6) by Abigail Roux , J. F. Harding (Narrator)
  • A MelanieM Review: There You Are by CJane Elliot

Saturday, January 9:

  • Best of 2015 Review: A Mika Review: Definitely Maybe, Yours by Lissa Reed

 

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Best of 2015

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 From Books, Audiobooks to Book Covers

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Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Best of 2015

Happy New Year! Looking back over 2015 I’m  amazed at all the changes here and marvelous tales that came to our door. I’m thinking about the new reviewers we’ve added,  all the wonderful books we’ve read, new authors we’ve discovered, and the way Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words has grown in this past year.  Along with new reviewers, came new columns like Paul’s Paranormal Portfolio (his New Year’s edition is posted today), our Author Discovery along with all our author interviews and guest posts.

As the market for audiobooks has increased so has our reviews.  Even a audiobook virgin like myself jumped into the format and found that I enjoyed it immensely. What a surprise…for me!

I hope 2016 brings a new look to Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words, a few new reviewers to help us read more, listen to, review more about the thing we love…books! I hope we find more new authors to discover, and more ways in which to write about them and the writing process.

But before we move forward, we’re going to look back at the books and covers we loved best.  So here are some of our favorites. Free Dreamer is traveling, and Paul was working on his Paranormal Portfolio but some of the rest of us had our lists ready. Are some of yours among them?  Which ones do you think we left out?  And are there new discoveries among those we love so much? Check out our Best Books and Covers of 2015 below…

 

 

From BJ:

✪Favorite Books Read in 2015:

Captive Prince One and Two by C.S. Pascat
The entire Straight Boys series by Alessandra Hazard
The entire Guardians of the Pattern series by Jaye McKenna
For Real by Alexis Hall
Control by Cordelia Kingsbridge
Give an Inch by K.D. Sarge (because it was so cute AND it was written from my prompt)

✪ Best Audiobook of 2015:

Into Deep Waters by Kaje Harper, Narrated by Kaleo Griffith

✪Favorite Covers of 2015

Ghost in the Mythe coverFor Real coverSong of the NavigatorBurn The Sky cover

Ghost in the Mythe by Jaye McKenna, artist Chinchbug
For Real by Alexis Hall
Song of the Navigator by Astrid Amara
Burn the Sky by Jaye McKenna, artist Chinchbug
Leythe Blade by Jaye McKenna, artist Chinchbug
Something Like A Love Song by Becca Burton
In Discretion (Ylendrian Empire, #3) by Reesa Herberth
Neskaya (Bittersweet Dreams) by Augusta Li

Leythe BladeSomething Like A Love SongInDiscretion_500x750Neskaya

I really admire original covers that are drawn or created specifically to represent that book so much more than those that just use stock photography…so here are some I love.

 

 

From Stella:

 

✪BEST BOOKS

Beneath the Stain by Amy Lane
Sacrati by Kate Sherwood
✪BEST COVERS
Sand and Gold and RuinThe Fifth Son coverCabin NightsACID coverStormBeforeTheCalm[The]FS
Sand and Ruin and Gold by Alexis Hall
The Fifth Son by Blaine D Arden
Cabin Nights by Ashley John
ACID by Wulf Francu Godgluck and S. van Rooyen
The Storm before the Calm by Cate Ashwood
✪BEST AUTHOR DISCOVERIES
Family of Lies Sebastian by Sam Argent
Go On Your Own Way by Zane Riley
The Rules of Ever After by Killian B Brewer
The Union of Sun and Moon by Gus Li
The Last Yeti by Tully Vincent
In the Middle of Somewhere by Roan Parrish

                                                                                        From Ali

✪ Best books:  These are my top 5 plus

The Subs Club by JA Rock
Darker Space by Lisa Henry
Trust the Focus by Megan Erickson
Kick at the Darkness by Keira Andrews
Sutphin Boulevard by Santino Hassell
Lonely Hearts by Heidi Cullinan
Crash & Burn by Abigail Roux
A Seditious Affair by KJ Charles

  ✪Best Short Stories:

Fawn by Nash Summers  **this was probably my favorite thing I read this year in this genre
One Perfect Night by Lisa Henry
Lima Oscar Victor Echo & the Truth About Everything by Suki Fleet
Ten Simple Steps for Surviving the Apocalypse by Cari Z
Waiting for Clark by Annabeth Albert

 ✪ Best Covers:

 Sutphin Boulevard coverIn the Middle of Somewhere coverFawn coverStygian
Stygian by Santino Hassell
Fawn by Nash Summers
Sutphin Boulevard by Santino Hassell
Level Hands by Amy Jo Cousins
Level Hands
In the Middle of Somewhere by Roan Parrish

From Mika

✪My Favorite Books of 2015

. Sunset Park by Santino Hassell & How To Be A Normal Person by T.J. Klune. They are tied for me. I loved these books. (

Rest in any order
Conscious Decisions of the Heart by John Wiltshire
Carry the Ocean by Heidi Cullinan
Trust the Focus by Megan Erickson
Breakaway by Avon Gale
Fish Stick Fridays by Rhys Ford
Kick at the Darkness by Keira Andrews
Him by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy
Definitely Maybe, Yours by Lissa Reed
The Subs Club by J.A. Rock
Restless Spirits by Jordan L. Hawk
Down & Dirty by Rhys Ford

✪Best Covers:

Conscious Decisions of the Heart civCarry the OceanTrust the Focus

Carry the Ocean by Heidi Cullinan
Conscious Decisions of the Heart by John Wiltshire
Trust the Focus by Megan Erickson

From Sammy:

✪Best Books of 2015:

– Unwrapping Hank by Eli Easton
– Dirty Dining by E.M. Lynley
– The Wrong Man & The Right Time by Lane Hayes
– The Shearing Gun by Renae Kaye
– Slasherazzi by Daniel A. Kaine
– Where There’s Smoke & Where There’s Fire by Cari Z
– The World in His Eyes by A.J. Thomas
– The Ultimate Team by Tricia Owens
– The Biggest Scoop by Gillian St. Kevern (A YA pick!)
And an upcoming release in 2016 that I had the pleasure of beta reading:
– Thorns & Fangs by Gillian St. Kevern

From Melanie

For me there  were so many. You really had to look no further than our best book of the month to see that.  Its especially hard in a year where favorite  series came to a finish.  Those were so tough on the heart.  But so were so many others. I laughed with these characters and boy, did I cry.  Sometimes, I did both at the same time.  Looking at you Renae Kaye and John Inman!
Alex Beecroft and Alexis Hall almost deserve their own section.  Beecroft’s Trowchester Blues was a trilogy so marvelous it was illuminating.  And Alexis Hall?  His words flow with a lyricism and magic  that make reading his stories a privilege.
John Wiltshire’s excellent series More Heat Than The Sun starts off with one of my favorite books of 2015, Conscious Decisions of the Heart (also Best Cover).  Heidi Cullinan’s Minnesota Christmas trilogy which ends with my favorite story of them all, Eden Winter’s Diversion series (be still my heart) got a new installment that I’ve read several times, see?  I can  go on and on.  And I haven’t even talked about Astrid Amara who is on several of the other reviewers lists!

✪Best Books

The Shearing Gun by Renae Kaye
Waiting for the Flood by Alexis Hall
Sand and Ruin and Gold by Alexis Hall
Conscious Decisions of the Heart by John Wiltshire
Holding Out for a Fairy Tale (Least Likely Partnership #2) by A.J. Thomas
My Magical Palace by Kunal Mukherjee
Blue Eyed Stranger (Trowchester Blues #2) by Alex Beecroft
Trowchester Blues (Trowchester Blues, #1) by Alex Beecroft
Blue Steel Chain (Trowchester Blues, #3) by Alex Beecroft
Blowing Off Steam by Joy Lynn Fielding
Redemption (Diversion #5) by Eden Winters
Tigers on the Run (Tigers and Devils #3) by Sean Kennedy
A Solitary Man by Shira Anthony and Aisling Mancy
Where the Grass is Greener (Seeds of Tyrone #2) by Debbie McGowan and Raine O’Tierney
Winter Wonderland (Minnesota Christmas #3) by Heidi Cullinan *loved them all
******************************
(Humor & Pathos Division)
Shawn’s Law by Renae Kaye
Coming Back by John Inman
You Are The Reason by Renae Kaye
 ***********************
Four of Club series by Parker Williams (Pulp Friction 2015)
Jack of Spades series by Lee Brazil
King of Hearts series by Havan Fellows
******************************

Best Audiobook

Best Covers:

Theory Unproven 400x600Blowing Off Steam coverConscious Decisions of the Heart civWaiting for the Flood cover

 

 

 

 

 

Theory Unproven by Lillian Francis, artist Meredith Russell
Conscious Decisions of the Heart by John Wiltshire
Waiting for the Flood by Alexis Hall, artist Simone
Blowing Off Steam by Joy Lynn Fielding

 

Sand and Gold and RuinSnowman coverForging the future coverRunning with the Wind cover

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shawn's Law coverChasing the Swallows coverSomething Like A Love SongFirst Comes Marriage

 

 

 

 

 

Shawn’s Law by Renae Kay, Paul Richmond artist
Something Like A Love Song by Becca Burton, unknown artist
Chasing the Swallows by John Inman, artist Maria Fanning
First Comes Marriage by Shira Anthony, artist Paul Richmond

The Sub Club by J.A. Rock, artist Kanaxa
My Magical Palace by Kunal Mukherjee, artist unknown
Winter Oranges by Marie Sexton, artist L.C. Chase
Trowchester Blues trilogy by Alex Beecroft, artist Lou Harper
Trowchester Blues cover

 

 

TheSubsClub_600x900Winter Oranges coverMy Magical Palace

Paul’s 2016 New Year’s Paranormal Portfolio

Pauls Paranormal Portfolio Header

Paul’s New Year’s Paranormal Portfolio

A couple of weeks ago, Melanie told us that the full moon and Christmas coincided this year.  She also shared her favorite werewolf series and commented that I might want to share some of mine.  So I am devoting this edition of PPP to my favorite werewolf shifter series.  I will be focusing on series where the primary focus is on werewolf shifters, though other paranormal beings might be featured.

I would like to start off by echoing Melanie’s suggestions.  I found the With and Without You by JL Langley series enjoyable.  Whenever I have a few minutes to spare, I pull up a book in either the Mates or Tameness of the Wolf series by Kendall McKenna and reread them to pass the time.  Both offer unique takes on the werewolf genre.

The Southwestern Shifter series by Bailey Bradford starts off with a veterinarian helping out an injured wolf on the road.  What follows is a battle to assert the rightful claim of leadership of werewolves.  The main group of characters travels to Europe and South America to help restore order to those parts of the world.  In this series, the process of being turned into a werewolf is painful but sometimes necessary in order to stay alive.

One of my favorite authors is Kaje Harper.  Her Hidden Wolves series is one of the reasons why.  Again, it starts with an injured dog being rescued by a vet.  But Paul soon learns that this is not a dog but a wolf and a shifter in fact.  In this world, being a gay wolf is taboo and telling anybody about shifters is punishable by death.  But these wolves have not met someone as spunky and outspoken as Paul.  Soon, this pack becomes a refuge for unwanted gay werewolves.

What is better than a series about werewolves?  How about werewolves who are assassins?  Yes, I am talking about Sandrine Gasq-Dion’s popular Assassin-Shifter series.  What started out as a contract hit on a successful business owner turns into a fight against rogue werewolves that want to convert all werewolves to their rabid ways.  My favorites in the story actually do not do any fighting yet.  I am talking about the young Kane and Matty, the future leaders of werewolves when they grow older,

One last series I would like to mention for now is Charlie Richard’s Wolves of Stone Ridge series.  This series started with one of the Stone Ridge werewolves sold to a local zoo by a group of hunters and expanded into a worldwide conspiracy of evil scientists who have been doing experiments on shifters for almost 200 years.  And yes, another vet is in the first book.  (Do I see a pattern?)  This series spun off three other series all set in the same universe, which feature non-wolf shifters, vampires, and gargoyles.

This is by no means a complete list of my favorites.  I will include more in a future edition of the Portfolio.  I hope everybody has a healthy and prosperous New Year.

You can find all the books at the series pages below:

A Ali Review: Uninvited Guest by Brian Lancaster

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Uninvested GuestFate is conspiring against lawyer Anton Swann. First his grandmother dies, then he hits the worst traffic of his life on the way home from her funeral, keeping him from friends in London—and possibly a much longed-for sighting of his ex. And finally the detour he thought would save him time ends with the electrics failing on his car, leaving Anton to trudge through heavy rain back to an old cottage he’d passed along the way, hoping to find help.

What he finds instead is the mysterious Dr. Stephen Miller, a man fighting his own battles. Anton is invited inside to join the tail end of an all-male dinner party, but this is no chance encounter. What Anton thought was fate is actually a spirit at work making sure he ends up at the cottage—and stays there until unfinished business is resolved for both Anton and Stephen.
 
This was my first time reading this author so I wasn’t sure what to expect.  I was pleased with this story.  The writing had a nice flow to it and the characters were well developed.  I liked the slight paranormal twist to it.  It was just the right amount in my opinion.  It was a bit insta-love which in general isn’t my thing but for some reason it still worked for me.  I didn’t care for some of the terminology in the sex scenes though, things like “soft, muscled boundary” and “squirting rivers of hot  nectar ” didn’t work for me and made the scenes kind of awkward.
Overall though I thought this was a solid, nice story and I will definitely try more from this author in the future.

Cover art by L.C. Chase is just gorgeous.

Sales Links:    Dreamspinner Press |  All Romance (ARe) | Amazon  | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 200 pages
Published November 13th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press (first published November 12th 2015)
ISBN 1634767020 (ISBN13: 9781634767026)
Edition LanguageEnglish