Category: M/M Paranormal Fiction

Sports Romance and This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sports Romances and M/M

We started talking sports and romance last week.  Baseball and hockey primarily.  And what sports are and were featured in LGBT romances. I’ve been reading a lot of MM hockey romance this month, getting caught up on our hockey recs and books/series I had missed.  Last week’s discussions also prompted me to start thinking about what other sports are featured highly in LGBT contemporary romances?  Right away rugby jumped into my brain.  Sean Kennedy’s outstanding series Tigers and Devils as well as Dahlia Donovan’s sexy  The Sin Bin series.  Soccer and rugby, English and Aussie rules, totally different, I know. Hot men in shorts with great legs.  Kill me now.

Don’t get me started on the French Rugby calendar Dieux du Stade  fans self!

So yes, those sports as well as hockey are right up there in romances.  Also ice skating seems to be on the rise as well.  A hockey and ice skating combo?  Hot hot hot.  There is one in the RJ Scott/VL Locey Harrisburg Railers Series.  And a couple of standalones if I could jog my memory.  I really need a better system of recording these stories.

Swimming.  Sean Michael has several of those.  BA Tortuga and her rodeo cowboys, in fact, loads of bull riders and ropers out there.  But NFL and MLB? I can’t think of too many as I said last week.

Some gymnastics….also Sean Michaels….comes into mind.  It might even be the same series.  I wondered what you had to say and this is what HB replied:

 

From HB:Basketball and football in romance seems less frequent to me. I think I’ve only read one basketball sport romance in 10+ yrs of reading m/m fiction and only seen a handful maybe less with ones that have football. I think there are less popular ones out there like soccer, ice skating, lacross, rugby and equestrianism that get even less attention. Swimming I think is a big one after hockey and the focus usually falls over the two.

Yep, forgot about the equestrian sports.  That’s a big one.  Jumping, Polo, Dressage, Racing!  From Mickie Aisling to others.  Horses are well represented in romance along with the men who love them.

So you know what’s coming.

Recommendations. Let’s divide them up by category.

Rugby/Soccer.

Ice Skating

Rodeo

Equestrian (Polo,Jumping, Racing, Dressage)

Water Sports (do not go there!)

Baseball/Football American NFL

Other

Let’s see what we can come up with.

Meanwhile I’m still reading and reviewing my way through Avon Gale’s incredible Scoring Chances series and will finish it up this month.  Stay with me.  Here is our schedule this week.

 

This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, August 24:

  • Sports Romance and This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, August 25:

  • Review Tour – RJ Scott – Today (Single Dads #2)
  • Release Blitz Tour – Joanna Chambers – Gentleman Wolf
  • Review  Audio Tour Wake Up Married serial, Episodes 4 – 6: Fight Their Feelings, Meet the Mob, Happy Ending (Wake Up Married #4-6) by Leta Blake ( and Alice Griffiths
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review:Today (Single Dads #2) by RJ Scott
  • An Alisa Review : Already Home (Finding Home #4) by Carly Marie
  • A Caryn Review: An Uncommon Whore (An Uncommon Whore #1) by Belinda McBride
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audio Review: Wake Up Married serial, Episodes 4 – 6: Fight Their Feelings, Meet the Mob, Happy Ending (Wake Up Married #4-6) by Leta Blake ( and Alice Griffiths

Tuesday, August 26:

  • BLOG TOUR Heel by KM Neuhold
  • PROMO Mason Thomas
  • Book Blitz – Ann Lister – A Rhythm You Feel (The Rock Gods: East Coast Label Book One)
  • A MelanieM Review: Omega from the Ocean (Heron Manor Book 1) by Amy Bellows
  • A Chaos Moondrawn Review The Witchstone Amulet by Mason Thomas
  • An Alisa Review Heel by KM Neuhold

Wednesday, August 27:

  • BLITZ A Noble Cause by Mickie B. Ashling
  • Review Tour for Escape (Rebellion #1) by Annabelle Jacobs
  • PROMO Belinda McBride
  • A MelanieM Review :Escape (Rebellion #1) by Annabelle Jacobs
  • A Lila Review: Soul on Fire by Tal Bauer

Thursday, August 28:

  • Release Blitz – Marshall Thornton – Code Name: Liberty
  • TOUR LOVE UNDER GLASSE by Kristina Meister
  • An Alisa A Alisa Audio Review :In Safe Hands (Heroes and Babies #1) by Victoria Sue
  • A MelanieM Review:Overtime (Scoring Chances #3.5) by Avon Gale

Friday, August 29:

  • Audio Blitz Dirty Mind – Roe Horvat
  • A Chaos Moondrawn Review : Hitting Black Ice by Heloise West
  • A MelanieM Review: Empty Net (Scoring Chances #4) by Avon Gale
  • A Stella review If You’re Going Through Hell Keep Going (Mann of My Dreams #1) by Tinnean

Saturday, August 30:

  • Blog Post – Joanna Chambers – Gentleman Wolf
  • A MelanieM Review:Coach’s Challenge (Scoring Chances #5) by Avon Gale

A MelanieM Review: Mainly by Moonlight (Bedknobs and Broomsticks #1) by Josh Lanyon

Rating: 4.25 out of 5

A gay high-society wedding. A stolen book of spells. A love-threatening lie. Can a witch avoid a murder rap without revealing the supernatural truth?

Cosmo Saville guiltily hides a paranormal secret from his soon-to-be husband. Thanks to a powerful love spell, uncertainty threatens his nuptial magic. But when he’s arrested for allegedly killing a longtime rival, he could spend his honeymoon behind bars…

Police Commissioner John Joseph Galbraith never believed in love until Cosmo came along. Falling head over heels for the elegant antiques dealer is an enchantment he never wants to break. So when all fingers point to Cosmo’s guilt, John races to prove his fiancé’s innocence before they take their vows.

As Cosmo hunts for the real killer among the arcane aristocracy, John warns him to leave it to the police. But with an unseen enemy threatening to expose Cosmo’s true nature, the couple’s blissful future could shatter like a broken charm.

Can Cosmo find the lost grimoire, clear his name, and keep John’s love alive, or will black magic “rune” their wedding bells?

Mainly by Moonlight is the first book in the sexy Bedknobs and Broomsticks romantic gay mystery series. If you like spellbinding suspense, steamy fun, and a dash of paranormal, then you’ll love Josh Lanyon’s charming tale.

It was with fond memories of the 1958 movie Bell, Book and Candle (Kim Novak, Jimmy Stewart) that I dived into Josh Lanyon’s Mainly by Moonlight, the first in Lanyon’s new Bedknobs and Broomsticks series.  With elements that reminded me of that story, I immediately knew this was going to be a wild and bumpy fun ride.  It starts with Cosmo Saville, an engaged antique store owner who is also a witch and heir to the local arcane aristocracy.  The last being a secret to  his fiance’, the mortal Police Commissioner John Joseph Galbraith.  In fact, that there are witches, warlocks, or any type of arcanes at all is a secret to all mortals and it’s intended that it stays that way.

Something that will be not only awkward but hard to do when John and Cosmo are married, even with Cosmo’s desire to leave most of his magic behind.  And that’s to happen shortly.

Until a murder takes place.  And everything points to Cosmo as the killer.

As the first story in the series, especially one with as many layers as this series looks to have, Lanyon has a lot to do.  That includes two worlds to build. The mundane and the arcane.  The one that John resides in plus the one that Cosmo was born into. Then there the grey middle area that Cosmo straddles trying to keep a foot in each world and not doing it very well.  As he lies to John about what and who he is.  The mundane world and it’s cast with the police station and John’s circle seems relatively easy a foundation to conceive but the arcane is much murkier and larger to behold.  I trust it will grow as the series does, as will our knowledge of the aristocracy that rules it.  All this is shadow and magic, on purpose, by the author because nothing is as simple as it seems.

Especially not a murder with witches involved.

The murder and its investigation is full of twists and suspenseful turns.  Its ramifications will spread into other stories in the trilogy.

I think the characterizations are terrific, although the magical ones feel more complex and intriguing.  All of them,. Somehow the mundane just sort of pale in comparison. It’s hard sometimes for the mortal to compete with the magical.  Cosmo shines just that much more brightly than does the rather stoic John in their relationship, even given the strange particulars which I won’t go into because of potential spoilers. I wanted something deeper between these two and feel that it’s “lack” again is intentional.  I’m waiting for the second book because I’m betting some surprises are in store here.

And did I mention there is a familiar? A cat as well?  Wouldn’t be right without one.

Mainly by Moonlight (Bedknobs and Broomsticks #1) by Josh Lanyon closes the curtain on one murder, mostly, only to open the stage to a much larger investigation.  I won’t say by whom …that’s for the next story to tell.  But there will be more mystery, more murder, more romance, and yes, more relationship issues to come.  And definitely more magic.  I simply can’t wait.

Cover art by Reese Dante:  This comver is simply gorgeous. It suits the character, the tone of the story and draws the eye in. Perfect.

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 222 pages
Published August 1st 2019 by JustJoshin Publishing, Inc.
Original Title Mainly by Moonlight
ISBN 139781945802911
Edition Language English
Series Bedknobs and Broomsticks #1

An Alisa Audio review The Spirit Key (Lock and Key #1) by Parker Williams and Collin Carcy (Narrator)

Rating:  2 stars out of 5

When he was eight years old, Scott Fogel died. Paramedics revived him, but he came back changed. Ghosts and spirits tormented Scott for over a decade until, thinking he was going mad, he did the only thing he could.

He ran—leaving behind his best friend, Tim Jennesee.

Scott’s had five normal, ghost-free years in Chicago, when the spirit of Tim’s mother comes to him and begs him to go home because Tim’s in trouble and needs him.

He isn’t prepared for what he finds when he goes home—a taller and sexier Tim, but a Tim who hasn’t forgiven Scott for abandoning him… a Tim whose body is no longer his own. The ghost of a serial murderer has attached itself to Tim, and it’s whispering dark and evil things. It wants Tim to kill, and it’s becoming harder for Tim to resist. To free the man who has always meant so much to him, Scott must unravel the mystery of the destiny he shares with Tim.

This story was not executed well for me.  I had the biggest problem was the first sex scene, it was anger sex and I didn’t feel any of the love Scott said he felt in it and just worried that Tim would hurt Scott.  And then the fact that an adult who sees herself as a surrogate mom could watch Scott drug himself into a stupor and runaway instead of helping him understand what is happening to him.

There were all these parts about them learning what they were to do and apparently that is the tradition, but seriously all that does is hurt the Lock and Keys when they are trying to navigate their connection.  I get the first ones having to do it but not those centuries later.  I thought the story premise was interesting and may read the next book but it may need to be the ebook as I’m not sure the narration helped this book.

I unfortunately did not really enjoy Collin Carcy’s narration.  It was very slow, I mean seriously I have another book that is the same page length but is over 3 hours shorter.  The voices were inconsistent and while I was able to keep track of the story, the most notable was Scott’s, it constantly went deep and then back into normal range.  However, since this is the first book I have listened to by him I will at least try out another book by him in the future.

The cover art by Reese Dante is what caught my attention first and I love the visual is gives of Scott.

Sales Links:  Audible | Amazon 

Audiobook Details:

Audiobook, 10hrs 29mins
Published: July 5, 2019 by Dreamspinner Press
Edition Language: English

Series: Lock and Key #1

Eva Muñoz on Writing, HEA, and the new release I Dare You to Break Curfew (Inshari Chronicles #1)

I Dare You to Break Curfew (Inshari Chronicles #1) by Eva Munoz

Harmony Ink Press/Dreamspinner Press

Published August 20th 2019

Cover Art: Kanaxa

Sales Links:

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Eva Munoz here today talking about writing, happy endings, and the new release I Dare You to Break Curfew. Welcome, Eva!

✒︎

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Interview with Eva Munoz

  • How much of yourself goes into a character?

A: I really see myself in Camron. My curiosity always gets me into more trouble then I should be in. I’ve had my share of rebelliousness in high school. Saying I can’t do something is the fastest way to actually get me to do it. How anyone hasn’t figured this out about me yet is a blessing.

  • Does research play a role into choosing which genre you write?  Do you enjoy research or prefer making up your worlds and cultures?

A: I research as I write. When I’m putting together a scene and something pops up that I need more information on, I do a quick Google search. As much as possible, I want all the information I have to come from the story itself, that way the world building is much stronger.

  • Do you like HFN or HEA? And why?

A: I’m a romance fan so an HEA is important to me. But, when I’m writing a series, the HEA only lasts until the end of the book. By the next book, everything is fair game. That is actually what is happening with the second book. Poor Camron.

  • Do you read romances, as a teenager and as an adult?

A: Yes. Anything with romance catches my attention. I love falling in love and I love reading about characters falling in love and the obstacles they face along the way. Reading romance is so satisfying even if you know what the ending will be. There is a comfort to that.

  • How do you feel about the ebook format and where do you see it going?

A: If you read I DARE YOU TO BREAK CURFEW, I specifically have a scene where Camron debates the merits of ebooks versus physical books. Since I stare at a screen for most of the day, reading from a physical book is a great rest from the bright LCD glare. Plus, the smell. Don’t we all love that book smell?

  • Do you have a favorite among your own stories?  And why?

A: I love this Inshari series because it’s my love latter to vampires. I grew up on Anne Rice and Twilight and Holly Black’s THE COLDEST GIRL IN COLD TOWN. I wanted to share the Inshari with the world and I can’t wait for all of you to read the next book in the series.

  • What’s next for you as an author?

A: Harmony Ink just signed my racing book that I can’t wait to share with all of you. Think Fast and Furious but with LGBT characters. All that high-octane action with a sprinkling of romance set in a murder mystery. This is going to be a cool book, I promise.

Blurb

Inshari Chronicles: Book One

To save humankind, Camron may have to fall in love.

Vampires are real, and they are called the Inshari. After Camron Masters breaks curfew the first time, he discovers them living beneath Braylin Academy. The second time he breaks curfew, he meets a mad scientist who convinces him to take part in an experiment in exchange for more information about the Inshari. A small pinprick later, Camron wakes up as one of them and finds himself bonded to the prince of his dreams—vampire or not, Troyan is dark, brooding, and oh so delicious. But there’s the enigmatic Zaire vying for his attention too. Or is Camron just a pawn in a centuries-old feud?

All Camron’s ever wanted was to live his own fairy tale. But there’s always a catch after meeting Prince Charming

 

 

About the Author

Eva Muñoz loves dreaming of worlds filled with hot guys falling in love with each other. She believes that love is love is love and everyone has a right to find their person. Her love for writing began in high school. It was because her teacher complimented a story she had written that put her on the path she is on today. She would spin yarns on her father’s electric typewriter, bind the pages together, and bring the finished product to school for her classmate to pass around and swoon over. Little did she know at the time that writing would be a career she never knew she wanted.

She may have taken a circuitous path towards her passion for writing, but when she finally made that decision to stick with it after countless rejections, she never looked back. A degree in creative writing helps too. When she’s not at her favorite coffeeshop thinking up new worlds and characters to explore, you can find Eva in a classroom teaching creative writing of all things. Talk about passion meets day job. Today she is molding impressionable minds the way her teacher once did for her.

Twitter: @EvaMunozAuthor

A Lila Review: I Dare You to Break Curfew (Inshari Chronicles #1) by Eva Munoz

Rating: 3.25 stars out of 5

To save humankind, Camron may have to fall in love.

Vampires are real, and they are called the Inshari. After Camron Masters breaks curfew the first time, he discovers them living beneath Braylin Academy. The second time he breaks curfew, he meets a mad scientist who convinces him to take part in an experiment in exchange for more information about the Inshari. A small pinprick later, Camron wakes up as one of them and finds himself bonded to the prince of his dreams—vampire or not, Troyan is dark, brooding, and oh so delicious. But there’s the enigmatic Zaire vying for his attention too. Or is Camron just a pawn in a centuries-old feud?

All Camron’s ever wanted was to live his own fairy tale. But there’s always a catch after meeting Prince Charming.

I Dare you to Break Curfew lives to its name. It’s the starting point to the story even when Camron was daring himself. It starts into the action and gives the reader a good understanding of the MC’s personality.

This  story has an interesting premise and a new world hidden in plain sight. The characters were well thought as well as the world, culture, and the differences with the real world. It also makes a clear distinction to what the reader believes to be vampires characteristics.

I like the dynamic between Troyan and Zaire. How they reacted to Camron and how he changed them. The Inshari’s world meshed with the action and its occupants. The secondary characters were an interesting bunch too.

My main issue with the story may be a good point in favor of the author. During parts of the story I was as confused as Camron. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel a connection to his internal turmoil. I was an spectator not a participant, which took me out of the story. I read two other books in between to take time away.

I do want to read the next books in the series to learn more about this interesting world.

The cover by Kanaxa is a bit generic but it shows the main characters in the story. It has the feel for the setting and style of the Inshari’s.

Sale Links: Amazon | Nook | Harmony

Book Details:
ebook, 238 pages
ISBN: 978-1-64405-002-6
Published: August 20, 2019, by Harmony Ink Press
Edition Language: English

Series: Inshari Chronicles
Book #1: I Dare You to Break Curfew

A VVivacious Prerelease Review: Nemesis (Alpha Unit One #2) by Chris T. Kat

Rating: 5 Stars out of 5

Nicky and Sam are back and there is a new drug on the streets, Nemesis. As the team works to stop Nemesis from claiming more lives, Nicky finds himself rethinking his every move.

As the force adapts to baby shifters working among them, Nicky finds himself curbing some of his natural urges as a baby shifter. Over time, this seems to make Nicky unable to do the job he loves. With things coming to a head in the search for Nemesis’ creators, things take an unexpected turn and it is up to the team to deliver justice.

I loved this one. It has been a year since I read the first book in this series and I wasn’t even aware that there would be a sequel, but my glee at knowing that this book exists was way over the top. I just couldn’t wait to get my hands on it and the moment I started reading I found myself back in this world and it was like I never left. I loved how the story just picks up and you find yourself caught in the flow.

At the beginning of this book there was just so much to fix that I was overwhelmed. Nicky is hiding things from Sam and this fact had alarm bells ringing in my head and I realised that while things were better they were no where near settled. People on the force are still getting used to working alongside baby shifters and as the team comes under scrutiny for having baby shifters on board, Nicky finds himself second-guessing his ability to do his job.

The amazing thing about this book was that despite the fact that, there was so much up in the air at the starting, everything is handled exquisitely. Just seeing things work out so perfectly for Nicky and Sam made me so happy. The best thing was that their compromise was so flawless it didn’t even appear to be a compromise, it just felt like a part of being an amazing mate.

Nicky and Sam were so amazing in this book. I love these two so much. There entire team is so so good. Connor and Jesse are still working out things but I love where we leave them by the end of this book. I would really love for them to work things out between themselves. In fact, dare I say, I would love to have a book with them as the main characters. I really want to know more about these two. Roland is amazing, I love him, I love how good he is at supporting everyone in his team and seeing him with Nicky and Connor at the end was so heartwarming. He is so good. We get more of Annie who is as fearless as ever, Jake, Julie, Chris and Reese and I appreciated them all.

I can’t wait to delve more in this world and the ending makes me optimistic that we might just get another book in this series. I have said this before and I will say this again, I love the world the author has created for this series, it is so ingenious. If you liked the previous book in the series, this is one you definitely don’t want to miss.

Cover Art by Cate Ashwood. The snow leopard steals the show in a pretty magnificent cover. I like how the covers of the books in this series give off the same vibe despite being different.

Sales Links:   Amazon
Book Details:
ebook, 1st edition, 164 pages
Expected publication: August 16th 2019 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN13 9781644054246
Edition Language English
Alpha Unit One #2