Category: M/M Paranormal Fiction

A MelanieM Review: Dead Money: Jack of Spades #5 by Lee Brazil (Pulp Friction 2015: Altered States Book 17)

Rating: 5 stars out of 5   ★★★★★

Dead Money coverBarton Montoire’s fragile hold on his emotions is worn thin by exorcisms and fear. Even though he’s beginning to realize the full potential of his abilities as a ghost, he has no power to stop his lover’s plot to end the darkness that has threatened their relationship for close to a year, not with all their friends in the line of fire.

In all of time, there have existed few men who transcend the bonds of life and death, who see the spirits as clearly as the living. These men possess the ability to summon others, creating doorways between realms, physical and metaphysical. A dusty tome written in cryptic language reveals terrifying secrets, but with a little help from his friends, Sabine Brusilov knows what must be done. For the good of humanity and supes alike, he must call forth the shadowy demon, leading it into a trap.

Unfortunately, talent is not skill, and the ability to summon cannot be mastered by taking a class or two and scouring the internet for information. With Bart at his side and his friends at his back, Sabine brings talent, skill, and strength of will to battle evil before it can join the gathering forces of darkness that menace New Orleans.

With dead money on the table, is love enough to take the hand?

Well, Dead Money by Lee Brazil is the book I have been waiting for this entire series.  It’s just plain outstanding!  With this one story, Lee Brazil takes all my previous irritations and uncertainties with the plot, the characters, their relationships,  and dismisses them firmly and resoundingly.   In fact, had this been a stand alone series, Dead Money would have made the perfect  series finale.

For most of the series, I have felt that the relationship between Bart and Sabine to have been very unequal in power and affection, at least that’s the way it translated in the narrative for me.  But here and now, after all their travails,  they come across as deeply committed partners, people in love, no matter their corporeal status. Lovers reunited who are facing one of the greatest evils they will ever know.  Brazil has built up the demon they face with vividly scary descriptions and pain-filled scenes of horror but still what comes is far, far worse.  Something no one, not Bart, not Sabine and certainly not the reader is prepared for.

The other characters in the series are there trying to help as well, but its Bart and Sabine you fear for and the ending when it comes is both shocking and shockingly satisfying.  I’ll say no more.  But oddly enough, I’m so  happy with this story, I don’t feel like I need a book six, which might be just as well.  I love this book and the way it all turned out.  How on earth or on any other supernatural plane could you possibly improve on this?  Five stars plus?

And yes I highly recommend this author and series.  Not only for a Scary Halloween Read but for any time of the year!

The book cover is also the best in the series.  Apparently everything was waiting until Round 5.  Well done.

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

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 47 pages
Published October 13th 2015 by Lime Time Press
ASIN B016NFRTO0
edition language English

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About Pulp Friction 2015

Lee Brazil ~ Havan Fellows ~ Parker Williams ~ Laura Harner

The Pulp Friction 2015 Altered States Collection.
Four authors.
Four Series.
Twenty books.
One supernatural finale.

Spend a year with the creatures that go bump in the night…fighting for their rights to exist and protecting the innocents of The Big Easy. A diverse group of friends trying to find their place in a world they never had to “fit” into before.

Although each series can stand alone, we believe reading the books in the order they are released will increase your enjoyment.

Round One:
Drawing Dead (Jack of Spades: 1) by Lee Brazil
Blind Stud (King of Hearts: 1) by Havan Fellows
The Devil’s Bedpost (Four of Clubs: 1) by Parker Williams
Diamonds and Dust (Ace of Diamonds: 1) by Laura Harner

Round Two:
Dead Blind (Jack of Spades: 2) by Lee Brazil
Stud Player (King of Hearts: 2) by Havan Fellow
Up the Ante (Four of Clubs: 2 ) by Parker Williams
Diamond Draw (Ace of Diamonds: 2) by Laura Harner

Round Three:

Dead Button (Jack of Spades #3) by Lee Brazil
Blind Man’s Bluff (King of Hearts #3) by Havan Fellows
The Devil’s Playground (Four of Clubs #3) by Parker Williams
Diamonds Edge (Ace of Diamonds #3) by Laura Harner

Round Four:

Dead Man’s Hand (Jack of Spades 4) by Lee Brazil
Blind Heart (King of Hearts 4) by Havan Fellows
High Stakes (Four of Clubs 4) by Parker Williams
Diamond Flush (Ace of Diamonds 4) by Laura Harner

Round Five:

Dead Money (Jack of Spades 5) by Lee Brazil

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About Pulp Friction 2015

Lee Brazil ~ Havan Fellows ~ Parker Williams ~ Laura Harner

The Pulp Friction 2015 Altered States Collection.
Four authors.
Four Series.
Twenty books.
One supernatural finale.

Spend a year with the creatures that go bump in the night…fighting for their rights to exist and protecting the innocents of The Big Easy. A diverse group of friends trying to find their place in a world they never had to “fit” into before.

Although each series can stand alone, we believe reading the books in the order they are released will increase your enjoyment.

Round One:
Drawing Dead (Jack of Spades: 1) by Lee Brazil
Blind Stud (King of Hearts: 1) by Havan Fellows
The Devil’s Bedpost (Four of Clubs: 1) by Parker Williams
Diamonds and Dust (Ace of Diamonds: 1) by Laura Harner

Round Two:
Dead Blind (Jack of Spades: 2) by Lee Brazil
Stud Player (King of Hearts: 2) by Havan Fellow
Up the Ante (Four of Clubs: 2 ) by Parker Williams
Diamond Draw (Ace of Diamonds: 2) by Laura Harner

Round Three:

Dead Button (Jack of Spades #3) by Lee Brazil
Blind Man’s Bluff (King of Hearts #3) by Havan Fellows
The Devil’s Playground (Four of Clubs #3) by Parker Williams
Diamonds Edge (Ace of Diamonds #3) by Laura Harner

Round Four:

Dead Man’s Hand (Jack of Spades 4) by Lee Brazil
Blind Heart (King of Hearts 4) by Havan Fellows
High Stakes (Four of Clubs 4) by Parker Williams
Diamond Flush (Ace of Diamonds 4) by Laura Harner

October Scary Reads and Other Things that Go Bump in the Night – Narratively Speaking!

Scary October Books Header

October Scary Reads and Other Things that Go Bump in the Night

Melanie’s Scary Novels and Frightfully Wonderful Storiesskeleton reading books

I’m the first to admit that while I like my vampires and werewolves and ghosts and ghoulies I don’t want my stories to go dark DARK ! Taunt me with details…that make my mind goes horrible places, don’t really give me the specifics.  Go ahead, call me chicken.  I own it.  I do like my angst, suspense,   knuckle biters, eye popping “oh no, you didn’t” scenes and many of the  books, series and authors I’m  going to mention gave me that and so much more.  There’s no order to my list, its more along what popped up in my head…as usual.  Some are old releases, some new, something a little Monstery?

Here they are:

Author Missouri Dalton:

Hanged Man's GhostNightShift185Hellfire Legacy coverVampirism and You cover

 

 

 

 

 

Her Night Wars Series will gut you (dead children and more). I read them out of order. Don’t.

The Hanged Man’s Ghost (The Night Wars, #1)
The Night Shift (The Night Wars #2)
The Hellfire Legacy

Guidebook Series

Vampirism And You! (Guidebook 01) ~ my review here
Necromancy and You (Guidebook 02) ~ my review here

Pretty Monsters coverPeek A Boo coverTriple Feature coverJosh of the Damned The Final Checkout

Author Andrea Speed:

Josh of the Damned Series – humor and the Supernatural -killer combo along with outstanding covers

Josh of the Damned Triple Feature #1 (Josh of the Damned #3) by Andrea Speed
Pretty Monsters (Josh of the Damned, #1)
Peek-a-Boo (Josh of the Damned, #2)
Night of the Dust Bunnies (Josh of the Damned, #3.5)
Josh of the Damned Triple Feature #2: The Final Checkout (Josh of the Damned #4)
Merry Christmas, Josh! (Josh of the Damned #4.5)
Josh of the Damned: The Complete Collection

Also don’t miss out on Andrea Speed’s Infected: Prey series…but that’s for another time and reviewer – see Paul’s Paranormal Post this month.

The Devil's Bedpost coverDrawing Dead PF 2015 coverBlinds Man's Bluff coverDiamond Draw cover

Pulp Friction 2015 – Authors Lee Brazil, Havan Fellows ,Parker Williams and Laura Harner

There there is the Hauntingly Marvelous Pulp Friction 2015 Series this years with authors  Parker Williams, Havan Fellows , Lee Brazil and Laura Harner.  There are ghosts, ghost hunters, sexy succubi, werewolves in love with vampires, psychics, demons and so much more all wrapped in interconnected stories and mysteries that pull at your heart strings while making you jump that the evil goings on.  Right  now Round Five is just beginning. The first in each series is listed below.  5 books in each series, 6th book is written by all the authors.  Splendidly frightening, sexy too!

I also love a little elegance with my horror.  That brings up the following stories and authors:

The Mingled Destinies of Crocodiles and Men by Eric ArvinMingled Destinies of Crocodiles and Men cover

And finally, two short tales of such lyrical elegance and narrative poetry I read them over and over in admiration.   These should be on everyone’s must read list!

Lily CoverLily by Xavier Axelson

Sand and Ruin and Gold by Alexis HallSand and Gold and Ruin

What are you reading this All Hallows Eve?

 

 

 

Now from some of our other Reviewers:

In A Dark Wood civerKraken coverWinter Kills coverDown cover

BJ:

Now BJ loves her dark stories, just check out her review for Kraken by M. Caspian just last week. Missed it, did you?  I’ve linked it to her creepy recommendations listed below.  She also loves one of my all time favorite author’s, Josh Lanyon, a not to be missed author.

Creepy Halloween M/M Romance Recommendations from BJ

In a Dark Wood by Josh Lanyon: If you want something scary-creepy to make you cower under the blankets and double-check the doors and windows. Look no further. Who knew Lanyon could rival King, in this I see the making of the Master of M/M horror. And this horror buff wants more of this style of writing from Lanyon please.

Winter: Haunted Heart by Josh Lanyon: For those who want more of haunted-creepy, Lanyon has you covered there as well. Check out this lovely ghostly mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed. The audio version’s narrator is excellent if you’re into audiobooks.

Kraken by M. Caspian: Ready for the creature feature now guys? Then check this one out. It takes creepy to a whole new level. You know the slimy, make-your-skin crawl kind. *shiver*

Down by Ally Blue: Features violence and death trapped seven fathoms below the deep. Creatures with glowing purple eyes and sharp teeth and a horror that could annihilate the human race-EEK! Tantalizing beginning and an ending that circled nicely back to it. The author’s writing style didn’t work well for me personally, but many others loved it and the story is most certainly eerie and quite unique.

 

From Sammy:

Slasherazzi cover

As for favorite scary reads…
Slasherazzi by Daniel A. Kaine

Favorite shifters…
The Tameness of the Wolf series by Kendall McKenna

From Barb the Zany Old Lady:

Hainted coverHainted by Jordan L. Hawk

Spirit by John InmanSpirit cover

A Paul B Review: A Scarred Mate (The Werewolves of Manhattan #3) by A.C. Katt

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Scarred mate coverMarc Thierry is the alpha of not only his pack in Northern Minnesota but also the packs of the upper Great Lakes region of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ontario and Manitoba.  As he has recently been appointed third to the North American Garou council, he spends a lot of time traveling between Minnesota and Manhattan.  As the Alpha and second on the North American Garou council have recently found their mates, Marc is forced to spend more time in Manhattan.  So he buys the top three floors of an apartment complex so that he does not have to always stay in hotels.  One day, when his cook has the day off, Marc decides to order delivery from his favorite Chinese restaurant.

Colin Callahan is a graduate student working on his master’s degree.  He also writes gay werewolf romance novels.  As the royalties from these books has just become enough to live on while going to school, he decides to give up his delivery job at the Chinese restaurant he has been working at for the past few years.  As the restaurant nearest his home has closed, he works at the owner’s Manhattan location.  Today is the last day he is working for Mr. Zhou.  He is given an order to take to an apartment a few blocks away.  He makes sure his hoodie is pulled up and takes off on his bike.

When Marc opens the door the door to the delivery guy wearing the hoodie, he realizes that he has finally met his mate.  He invited the delivery guy to join him and his associates (who are actually Marc’s betas) to join them for dinner.  After getting the go ahead from Mr. Zhou, Colin agrees to stay.  When Marc tells Colin to remove his hoodie and get comfortable, the young man hesitates.  When Colin finally does remove his hoodie, the scar he received when he was eleven years old that stretches from his ear down through his cheek is shown.  Marc thinks that the scar is not something to be ashamed about but realizes that it causes his mate discomfort.  Colin meanwhile cannot believe that the three men have not only not mentioned the scar but made no outward reaction to it.  Usually he finds men he is interested in run to the hills when they see his disfigurement.  Does Marc honestly not care about the scar or is he setting him up for a fall later on?  When Marc finds out that Colin is a popular author among werewolves, he hopes that he can prove to Colin that they really do exist and not frighten the skittish man away.

I continue to enjoy the Wolves of Manhattan series.  While the trouble for the human mates in the past has come from running away from organized crime in New York, this time it comes from closer to home.  Unrest from Marc’s pack with the Alpha Bitch (the lead female werewolf in the pack) causes the pair to return to Minnesota sooner than expected.  When Marc declares her a rogue wolf, she vows to get revenge on Marc through Colin.  I really enjoyed how the three alpha mates seem to bond throughout the book.  As they are three men who had no experience with werewolves before their mating, they support each other’s efforts.  I hope when they meet the next mate that he will feel as welcome as Colin has been.

The cover art by Winterheart Design is once again nicely done.  The Manhattan skyline is placed in the lower third.  The upper third has Colin in his hoodie and Marc in a unbuttoned blue dress shirt.  Just above them in the background is Marc’s wolf howling.

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

Book Details:

Ebook, 186 pages
Edition Language:  English
ASIN:  B016DZ4SYO
Published:  October 8, 2015 by MLR Press

Series:  Werewolves of Manhattan

Paul’s Paranormal Portfolio ~ My Favorite Non typical Shifters

Pauls Paranormal Portfolio Header

Welcome to another edition of the Paranormal Portfolio. 

While Halloween is fast approaching us, I would like to do something a little different.  I would like to discuss my favorite non typical shifters.  These would be those creatures that are not typically written about in shifter stories.  So no wolves, tigers, lions, or bears are in this list.  Dragon shifters have also been excluded.  This is a list of my favorites from books I have read.  So if yours is not in the list, please leave a comment so I can possible find another favorite.

Most of the nontraditional shifters I have found have come basically from two series that I have been reading.  The first is the Midnight Matings series.  This is a collaborative effort of Gabrielle Evans, Joyee Flynn, and Stormy Glenn.  The other series is actually a collection of series that populate Charlie Richard’s Wolves of Stone Ridge universe.  This includes the spin off series of Kontra’s Menagerie, A Paranormal’s Love, and A Loving Nip series.   There are others out there but these will be a good start.

Two shifters that inspire the aww factor are Casey the albino rabbit and Yuma the penguin in Charlie Richard’s universe.  Casey was Swimming with Penguins coverfound at one the labs that the wolves infiltrated and destroyed early in the series.  After being experimented on and losing some leg muscle to the scientists, Casey is deathly afraid of needles.  So naturally Casey’s mate would turn out to be a vampire!  Yuma is penguin shifter who likes to wear eyeliner and frost the tips of his hair.  He acts as the nurse assistant to Kontra’s group even though he is squeamish around blood.  So naturally he passes out when he is accidentally shot by his mate’s father while in his penguin form.

Two of the strangest shifters that I enjoyed also come from the Stone Ridge universe.  Lyle Sullivan is a detective that knows about shifters.  He is kidnapped by the scientists that are plaguing the area.  They perform experiments hoping to create a new type of soldier.  After his rescue by the wolves, the Stone Ridge doctors must complete the experiment to save Lyle’s life.  When he makes his first shift he turns into a monitor lizard.  The other shifter came about from a request to Ms. Giving Perrin Life coverRichards.  Kai Sudderson is swimming in the lake near his cabin when his tail gets stuck in a trap.  Yuma, the penguin shifter, sees Kai struggling and helps out the platypus.

A supporting character I would like to highlight comes from Eden Winter’s Naked Tales.  The story is of a man coming back to the town where his parents lived before they were killed.  He left with his maternal grandmother to live in Chicago afterwards.  HeNaked Tails Cover returns after his paternal grandmother’s passing.  Unbeknownst to Seth McDaniel, the town including is filled with possum shifters.  He is met by what he describes a Valkyrie.  The woman, whom he would find out is named Monica, detests Seth for abandoning his grandmother, especially near the end of her life.  However, when Seth is called upon to lead this town of shifters, it is Monica who trains him in all things possum and shifting to make it possible.

These are just some of the nontraditional shifters that I have enjoyed.  As I read more, I will write a follow up, which will include comments from my fellow reviewers.  If you have any suggestions for alternate forms of shifters that I and fellow readers might be interested in, please feel free to use the comment section.

Paul

Scary Spotlight: Haunted Hotties 2 Anthology from Torquere Press (excerpts and contest)

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Authors Name: McKay, Rob Rosen, Dakota Caudill, Elizabeth Coldwell,
Jessica Payseur, Jessica Chase, Louisa Bacio, Charles Payseur,
Helena Maeve, Avery Dawes

Anthology: Haunted Hotties Volume II
 Release Date: October 28, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Torquere Press
Cover Artist: BSClay

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Blurb

This Halloween collection has a little something for everybody. With demons, ghosts, psychics, reapers, shifters, and witches… a rainbow of paranormal/supernatural is included.

In Everything a Big Bad Wolf Could Want by McKay, Whimsy has to decide if he’s in love with his straight, next-door neighbor by Halloween or risk losing him forever. In Casper the Horny Ghost by Rob Rosen, Chris not only inherited a long-abandoned house, he also inherited the ghost that came with it. In Necromantic by Dakota Caudill, Kaitlyn’s always felt like she was waiting for something, but she never expected her new girlfriend to be able to raise the dead. In The Man in Green by Elizabeth Coldwell, Richard intends to cut down all the trees surrounding his new property, but the man in the woods has other ideas. In Haunts Old and New by Jessica Payseur, Rosalie doesn’t like the new ghost that’s in her house and yet, she can’t seem to stay away from her. In The Fisher Lot by Jessica Chase, it turns out being dared to spend the night in the local “haunted house” might be the best thing that’s ever happened to Barney.

In Open by Louisa Bacio, Martina keeps trying to pretend that everything is fine, but the ghosts in her new B&B are just as determined to get her attention. In A Friendly Ghostbusting by Charles Payseur, an old rival who once humiliated him is not what Cas needs as he sets out to explore an old psychiatric prison. In Darkling by Helena Maeve, Eugene tried to warn Caleb and his friends away from Ledwich University and soon enough they’ll learn… they really should have listened. In The Devil’s in the Details by Avery Dawes, since they died during the Civil War, Oliver and Francis get one night a year together; but they have to be careful or they’ll never get another one.

 

Pages or Words: 63,000 words

Categories: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, Historical, Horror, Humor, Lesbian Romance, M/M Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Anthology – Please remember not all stories in an anthology encompass all catetgories.

Excerpt

Excerpt from Everything a Big Bad Wolf Could Want by McKay

He rolled his head to look at Harlan, wanting to make sure he was all right, only to find Harlan lying on his side, looking at him. They gazed at each other in silence for a long moment, then Harlan reached out and stroked Whimsy’s cheek.

“My wolf likes you,” he said, his voice raspy with a strange undercurrent like a growl beneath the surface.

“That’s good, isn’t it?” Whimsy mustered a smile, trying to resist the urge to nuzzle against Harlan’s fingers. That wasn’t his right.

Suddenly, Harlan moved, and Whimsy found himself pinned beneath Harlan’s large, heavy, naked body. “It likes you more’n it likes Barbara.”

This close, Whimsy could see something feral in Harlan’s eyes, as if the wolf hadn’t loosened its grip completely yet, and he wanted to call it forth. He wanted to belong to it, and he was overwhelmed by a desire to show his throat and surrender that he’d never felt with anyone before.

“Maybe that should tell you something,” he said boldly. If he were a noble, self-sacrificing man, he would have extricated himself and encouraged Harlan to think only of his girlfriend, but he wasn’t that noble or self-sacrificing, and he couldn’t bring himself to feel terribly guilty about it at the moment.

“I like women. But there’s something about you, Whims…” Harlan bent his head and ran his nose along the length of Whimsy’s throat as if scenting him, and Whimsy shivered as he tilted his head back.

Whimsy shifted beneath Harlan just enough to seat Harlan’s lean hips in the cradle of his thighs, and Harlan settled there like they were made to fit together. Feeling bolder, Whimsy slid one hand along Harlan’s arm to rest on his shoulder, testing to see what Harlan would allow.

“Liking women doesn’t mean you can’t like men too,” he pointed out. “It’s not an either-or thing for some people. Maybe you like both.”

“Maybe I do. I’ve thought about other men before, including you. I don’t know.” Harlan released a long, slow sigh. “There’s a lotta things I don’t know these days.”

“I know I like you a lot,” Whimsy whispered, sliding his hand to the back of Harlan’s neck and stroking it gently. “I think we could be good together.”

 

Buy the book: Torquere Books

 

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Where to find the authors:

 


Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, The Hat Party, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Jessie G. Books, KathyMac Reviews, Happily Ever Chapter, BFD Book Blog, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Havan Fellows, Bayou Book Junkie, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Inked Rainbow Reads, Unquietly Me, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Charley Descoteaux, Cheekypee Reads and Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews, Bonkers About Books, Divine Magazine, Posy Roberts, Velvet Panic

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Haunted Hotties II’.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

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In our Supernatural Spotlight: Packmaster ( Full Moon Rising #1) by Jess Buffett (excerpt and giveaway)

Packmaster_FMR

Packmaster ( Full Moon Rising #1) by Jess Buffett
 Release Date: October 16, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Jess Buffett
Cover Artist: Jess Buffett

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Blurb

Kyan had never known true kindness, or what it felt like to be completely entranced by one person…until he met Blaise. When his life spins out of control, and a whole new world is opened up to him, he finds that the only human being he can turn to, may not even be human at all.

Blaise has spent months trying to figure out the best way to approach his shy and nervous mate. As the Packmaster in the small town of Rowan Oak, he isn’t used to having to show restraint or patience. When he finally makes his move a turn of events involving a forgotten note, a disappearing mate, and trouble with a group of hunters leads to disastrous results.

When Blaise finally catches up to Kyan, what he finds and the answers he gets are nothing like what he had been expecting. Will the pair be able to straighten out their misunderstandings and find the happiness they both long for, or will the Packmaster lose the only thing he has ever had to fight for?

 

Pages or Words: 20,710 words
Categories: Fantasy, M/M Romance, Paranormal, Romance

Excerpt

Kyan ran. His legs burned, his chest was tight and the fear that clogged his throat was so completely overwhelming that he just knew at any minute his entire body would give out on him. The heavy rain pelted down hard, and his small stature, with hardly any muscle or bulk of any form, quivered from the strain. He pushed himself through the pain, refusing to give up. The abhorrent idea of allowing the monsters that chased him, to catch up, was the only thing that kept him moving. That, and the small flutter he felt in his stomach. The reminder that he was not only running for his own life, but that of his unborn child’s. Even now, with the small protrusion in his lower abdomen, the thought almost sent him careening off course.

Pregnant! How could a man be pregnant? It just shouldn’t be possible.
Kyan swiped his auburn hair out of his face, so that he could see better. The normally spiky locks hung plastered to his forehead by sweat and rain.

“There he is. Get him!” One of the many voices that had taunted him for the last hour, shouted.
Alarm shot through him when he realized just how close they had gotten to him. A whimper broke free as he darted his way through the thick foliage and branches that stuck out and cut through his skin. He almost lost his footing over a protruding tree root, but luckily he was able to leap at the last moment, landing firmly on his two feet.
Just as he regained his stride, a heavy mass ploughed into his side, sending him careening to the ground. He barely had enough time to twist so as not to fall onto his stomach. His entire frame ached, and all he could do was curl up into a ball, protecting himself and his child as much as possible.

“Please,” he begged. “God, please.”

“Shhh,” came a vicious hiss from above him. Firm hands clamped down hard on him as he attempted to shrug them off. “Do you want them to find us? Keep still and be quiet.”

He froze at the menacing yet familiar voice, and only then became aware that at some stage he must have closed his eyes. Prying them open, Kyan stared at the hulking man above him in shock, confusion and not a little bit of fear.

“Blaise?”

A hand quickly covered his mouth as Blaise growled. “For the love of god, Kyan. Shut. Up.”

 

Buy the book:  Amazon  |  All Romance (ARe)

RC

Meet the Author

Jess Buffett was born and raised in New South Wales, Australia. She is a mum of two, married to her high school sweetheart.

Jess is a hopeless romantic who is a huge fan of M/M and M/F romance with a happy ending—anything with hunky men in all their glory, whether they be Shifters, Vampires, Cowboys, or the boy next door.

A caffeine addict who shamefully can’t make a decent cup of coffee to save her life, Jess believes in soul mates, happily ever afters, and in love at first sight, but that sometimes people need a second or a third for the brain to catch up.

Where to find the author:

 

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Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, The Hat Party, 3 Chicks After Dark, Molly Lolly, Bayou Book Junkie, Full Moon Dreaming, QUEERcentric Books, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, BFD Book Blog, KathyMac Reviews, Havan Fellows, Mikky’s World of Books, Bike Book Reviews, EE Montgomery, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, SiK Reviews, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Jessie G. Books, Happily Ever Chapter, Carly’s Book Reviews, Hearts on Fire, Divine Magazine, Iyana Jenna, Louise Lyons, MM Good Book Reviews, Bonkers About Books, The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat, Nautical Star Books, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Inked Rainbow Reads, Redz World, Moonbeams Over Atlanta, Cheekypee Reads and Reviews

 

Final

Giveaway

 

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Packmaster’ by Jess Buffett.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

 

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A Free Dreamer Review: Hemovore by Jordan Castillo Price

Rating: 2 stars out of 5

Can art imitate death? Oh no, girlfriend. Don’t even go there…

Hemovore coverTen years ago, the Human Hemovore Virus blazed through the world, and left the few victims who survived unable to eat, allergic to sunlight and craving the taste of blood.

Mark Jensen used to think V-positives were incredibly sexy with their pale, flawless skin and taut, lean bodies. Not anymore. Not since he’s been stuck procuring under-the-counter feline blood for his control-freak boss, Jonathan Varga. Why cat blood? Mark has never dared to ask.

It’s not as if he’s usually at a loss for words. He can dish an insult and follow it with a snap as quick as you can say “Miss Thang”. But one look at Jonathan’s black-as-sin gypsy eyes, and Mark’s objections drain away.

So he endures their strange, endless routine: Jonathan hiding in his studio, painting solid black canvases. Mark hurling insults as he buffs the office to a shine with antiviral wipes and maps out the mysterious “routes” he’s required to drive.

Then a blurb in Art in America unleashes a chain of events neither of them saw coming. As secrets of Jonathan’s past come to light, it becomes clear all his precautions weren’t nearly enough.

I picked up Hemovore by Jordan Castillo Price in the hopes of a creepy Halloween read. Sadly, I was very, very disappointed.

The premise sounds intriguing: Vampires aren’t some sort of mythical creatures. Vampirism is an illness that can’t be cured. Either you die or you turn into a vampire. That’s definitely a unique idea I haven’t come across before. But that’s pretty much the only positive thing I have to say about this book.

First of all, I simply hated Mark. He was a whiny snob and was convinced everybody around him was either a homophobe, a vampire hater or both. When he’s forced into hiding, he whines about the cheap clothes he’s forced to wear. No more hand tailored suits for poor, poor Mark. Imagine the horror! It was comments like that that made me instantly dislike him. He was a bit of a homophobe himself. His constant obsession with looking like a “sissy” or a “drama queen” or an “overly dramatic queer” got annoying very fast.

He’s also one hell of a lousy friend. He forgot to give his new number to his best friend. Whoops. Oh well, everything’s right as rain once he calls him for the first time in two years. Yay for friendship! The best friend was annoying too, but he didn’t get much screen time, so it was okay.

At one point, Mark complains that Jonathan didn’t tell him he’s gay and that he doesn’t behave the way a gay man is supposed to. It’s totally unfair of Jonathan to keep Mark guessing about his sexuality. Now, with a comment like that, I’d expected Mark to be out and proud. But apparently he’s not. Eventually we learn he hasn’t even told his family. So what right does he have to complain about Jonathan not being out and proud?

Mark is supposed to be forty. He doesn’t act like it. If we didn’t get the constant reminder that being forty meant getting fat and unfit and wrinkles and generally being ugly, I would’ve said he’s a teenager. Early twenties, at the most.

Then there’s a romance part. I totally get that Mark has a crush on the mysterious, sexy artist guy. Who wouldn’t? But where do Jonathan’s feelings suddenly come from? I’m supposed to believe he’s been secretly in love with Mark all these years? But he’s a poor, tortured artist, so he could never act on those feelings. Oh yeah, and let’s not forget that vampirism is highly contagious. So no sex for those two!

What I really didn’t understand was why Mark worked for Jonathan in the first place. I mean, he’s incredibly paranoid about becoming v-positive himself. I would be, too, considering 85% of the infected die before they turn into vampires. But if it is so incredibly contagious, I have a hard time believing Mark didn’t catch it before now. Hell, I wonder how ANYBODY was still v-negative in this world. We never get an explanation as to how and why Mark started working for Jonathan. It seems like an unusual job for me. Maybe he just needed money to buy made-to-measure suits. Who knows?

There wasn’t much of a plot either. First, we get Mark pining and drooling over Jonathan. Then, stuff happens and they’re constantly running and hiding. We also get some more of Mark pining and drooling and whining. And doing absolutely mundane things like eating pizza (and whining because he’s used to better things) and pitying the people who aren’t filthy rich like him. Those poor people can only afford two small fridges! The horror!

There were a few big “mysteries” that weren’t very mysterious after a couple of pages. Only Jonathan and Mark were too dumb to figure it all out.

The ending was too easy for me. Everything just kind of smoothed out naturally and the two of them get their cheesy HEA. The friend from the beginning of the book is forgotten once more and the famous Aunt Trixie doesn’t get a call that her favourite nephew is doing fine. Mark is too busy being all lovey-dovey with Jonathan, so that’s understandable.

To sum it up, I really, really didn’t like this book. It earned more than a few eye rolls and annoyed sighs. I hated Mark, the plot was boring and the romance didn’t make much sense. The potential of the world made me tack on a second star. To be fair, it might just be me being weird again, since every other reviewer I’ve come across seems to have loved this book. I absolutely can’t relate.

 The cover by Kanaxa is well done and conveys a bit of the mystery that was missing in the book itself.

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

Book Details:

ebook, 1st Edition, 197 pages
Published July 28th 2009 by Samhain Publishing (first published July 2009)
original title Hemovore
ISBN 1605046345 (ISBN13: 9781605046341)
edition language English

A MelanieM Review: Diamond Flush: Ace of Diamonds Four by Laura Harner (Pulp Friction 2015: Altered States Book 16)

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

Diamond Flush coverFor Alpha Jet Gorman, discovering the origins of his pack’s newest members has provided more questions than answers. Like why would someone deliberately expose the existence of supernatural beings to the human world through in vitro fertilization? And more importantly…cui bono? Who benefits most from the Revelation? With the threat of betrayal a constant presence running through the Vieux Carré, at least Jet can count on Nico to have his back.

Ancient vampire Nico Sanzio da Urbino has been given an order to kill a werewolf—not unusual given his job as an enforcer. The problem lies in the fact the targeted Alpha is often in Nico’s bed—or vice versa—and may just be that elusive soul mate he has never quite believed in. Not to mention Jet’s blood fairly sings through Nico’s veins. Caught somewhere between the Paranormal Odd Squad, the all powerful Vampire Council, and a promise to his oldest friend, Nico must make a choice before someone realizes he hasn’t carried out his orders—and takes the matter out of his hands.

With the New Orleans preternatural population continuing to increase at an unnatural rate, the local Alpha and the Odd Squad’s chief enforcer should have their attention focused on maintaining the human-to-super status quo, but with things between them at an incendiary high, their mutual distraction could prove deadly—for everyone.

Heading into the all important fifth book, Laura Harner lines up her angst and mysteries here, her characters waiting to see who will survive the upcoming evil tide of events.  Nico and Jet’s relationship has gotten deeper and richer, despite the fact that both are keeping important secrets from each other.  But Nico’s maybe the most important of them all as he has been ordered to kill the Alpha, who just happens to be his lover and perhaps his soulmate Jet.  Jet also is keeping things hidden from Nico, the worst betrayals seeming only moments away and all blended together with scenes of smoking hot sex.

One of the things I so appreciate about Laura Harner is her ability to balance the elements of  sex, suspense and horror with those of tenderness, love, and angst.  The early scene of Jet and Artie had me in tears.  It was quiet, moving, and a needed reminder of what was at stake for them all.  A gem of a moment among many.

So here we are.  So close to the end.  I have thoughts about where this might go but rarely does that line up with the author’s! This is a superb series as are all the interconnected stories associated with it.  They make a perfect Halloween read, or book choice for anytime of the year.  I highly recommend this for lovers of the supernatural, the paranormal, for M/M romance…it really has it all.

Cover art by Laura Harner.  I think its missing that wonderful sexy aspect of the last cover.  Not my favorite.

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

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 67 pages
Published September 29th 2015 by Hot Corner Press
ASINB0160AL7V4
edition language English

 

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About Pulp Friction 2015

Lee Brazil ~ Havan Fellows ~ Parker Williams ~ Laura Harner

The Pulp Friction 2015 Altered States Collection.
Four authors.
Four Series.
Twenty books.
One supernatural finale.

Spend a year with the creatures that go bump in the night…fighting for their rights to exist and protecting the innocents of The Big Easy. A diverse group of friends trying to find their place in a world they never had to “fit” into before.

Although each series can stand alone, we believe reading the books in the order they are released will increase your enjoyment.

Round One:
Drawing Dead (Jack of Spades: 1) by Lee Brazil
Blind Stud (King of Hearts: 1) by Havan Fellows
The Devil’s Bedpost (Four of Clubs: 1) by Parker Williams
Diamonds and Dust (Ace of Diamonds: 1) by Laura Harner

Round Two:
Dead Blind (Jack of Spades: 2) by Lee Brazil
Stud Player (King of Hearts: 2) by Havan Fellow
Up the Ante (Four of Clubs: 2 ) by Parker Williams
Diamond Draw (Ace of Diamonds: 2) by Laura Harner

Round Three:

Dead Button (Jack of Spades #3) by Lee Brazil
Blind Man’s Bluff (King of Hearts #3) by Havan Fellows
The Devil’s Playground (Four of Clubs #3) by Parker Williams
Diamonds Edge (Ace of Diamonds #3) by Laura Harner

Round Four:

Dead Man’s Hand (Jack of Spades 4) by Lee Brazil
Blind Heart (King of Hearts 4) by Havan Fellows
High Stakes (Four of Clubs 4) by Parker Williams
Diamond Flush (Ace of Diamonds 4) by Laura Harner