Cover Reveal – Burn (Witchbane #1.5) by Morgan Brice

COVER REVEAL

Book Title: Burn (Witchbane #1.5)

Author: Morgan Brice

Cover Artist: Lou Harper

Release Date: September 30, 2018

Genre/s: urban fantasy MM paranormal romance

Sexy, satisfying supernatural suspense.

Blurb

One hundred years ago, a sheriff’s posse killed dark warlock Rhyfel Gremory, but his witch-disciples escaped, and their magic made them nearly immortal. To keep their power, each year one of the witch-disciples kills a descendant of one of the men in the posse, a twelve-year cycle that has cost dozens of lives, including that of Seth Tanner’s brother, Jesse.

Seth uncovers the cycle of ritual murders that feed the witch-disciples’ power, and he saves Evan Malone, one of the warlock’s potential victims. Neither Seth nor Evan expected to fall in love, but when the dust settles, they find themselves on the run and on the road together, heading toward Pittsburgh, on the trail of the next killer.

Seth wonders whether Evan will come to regret his choice to stay together, now that he’s living the reality of Seth’s nomadic life and the risks that come with it. He wants Evan to stay, but he’s afraid that Evan would be better off without him, living a normal life. Evan’s whole world has been upended, but there’s one thing he’s sure of, his love for Seth. Evan worries that he’s a liability, not yet able to hold his own in Seth’s rough-and-tumble world, but determined to do whatever necessary to have Seth’s back. On the way to face the next warlock, supernatural threats abound, forcing them to learn to fight as a team.

Fate and danger threw them together. But once the adrenaline fades, will love last?

About the Author

Morgan Brice is the romance pen name of bestselling author Gail Z. Martin. Morgan writes urban fantasy male/male paranormal romance, with plenty of action, adventure and supernatural thrills to go with the happily ever after. Gail writes epic fantasy and urban fantasy, and together with co-author hubby Larry N. Martin, steampunk and comedic horror, all of which have less romance, more explosions. Look for her other books—Witchbane and Badlands. Coming soon—Dark Rivers (Witchbane novel #2) and Lucky Town (a Christmas Badlands novella).

Social Media Links

Blog/Website

Facebook: The Worlds of Morgan Brice

Twitter: @MorganBriceBook

Pinterest: Morgan Brice board

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

A Free Dreamer Review: Witchbane by Morgan Brice

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Seth Tanner and his brother Jesse’s fun evening debunking local urban legends ends with Jesse’s gruesome murder. Seth vows revenge on Jesse’s killer – too bad the murderer has been dead for a hundred years. Seth uncovers a cycle of ritual killings that feed the power of a dark warlock’s immortal witch-disciples, and he’s hell bent on stopping Jackson Malone from becoming the next victim. He’s used to risking his neck. He never intended to risk his heart.

The blurb of “Witchbane” reminded me a bit of “Supernatural” and I had rather high hopes.

The idea behind the story has potential. I like urban legends, ghosts, witches and other supernatural elements like that. So I did definitely enjoy the plot itself. There was the occasional moment that made me break out in goosebumps.

The sex scenes were plentiful and hot. I liked that the author made a versatile couple, even if there wasn’t much variety otherwise.

I did figure out the bad guy’s identity pretty soon, there wasn’t all that much suspense for me on that front and I actually found it a bit hard to believe that the two MCs didn’t realize it much sooner.

What didn’t quite convince me was the romance part. Our MCs fell for each other pretty fast and pretty hard. Not quite insta-love and I can see how extreme situations can make awaken extreme feelings. Still, I found it a bit baffling that the of them were just about ready to spend the rest of eternity with each other after only four days.

There’s a backstory of an abusive stalker ex that didn’t get enough screen time in my opinion. It comes up every now and then, when it’s convenient for the plot, but it just didn’t feel fully resolved.

Toward the end, Jackson got on my nerves. He had reason to mistrust Seth’s motives but he was blinded by it and turned into a bit of a “too stupid to live” character, which made me really mad. There’s a bunch of relationship drama as well caused by it, which never gets properly resolved.

Another thing that really bothered me was the somewhat sloppy editing. There were quite a few spelling mistakes that drove me to distraction. Like the final sex scene, where we get a “wonton” invitation. Instead of getting all hot and bothered, I broke out into hysterical giggles. Way to destroy the mood!

Overall, “Witchbane” was an alright book. It had its ups and downs but overall it was enjoyable. I’ll read the next short story but I’m not sure yet if I’ll continue with the series after that.

I quite like the cover. It’s nice and spooky.

Sales Links: Amazon

Book details:

Kindle Edition, 1 edition, 275 pages

Published February 19th 2018 by Darkwind Press

An Alisa Release Day Review: Guarding His Melody (Enhanced World Standalone) by Victoria Sue

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Deaf since childhood, Sebastian Armitage had a promising musical future until his dreams were shattered when he transformed at twelve years old. In a world where enhanced humans are terrorized and imprisoned, his life shrinks around him even more as he suffers the torment of his father’s experimental research to enable him to hear.

Gray Darling—struggling with the scars left by his experience in Afghanistan—agrees to provide short-term personal protection when anonymous threats escalate into assault on those closest to Seb.

As the lines between protection and attraction blur, Gray and Seb can’t ignore the intense feelings drawing them together. But secrets and betrayals might prove deadly, unless Gray is willing to risk it all. And Seb must find the strength to make his own future and sing his own song….

I love this series so much! This book doesn’t focus on the team but gives us a more in depth look into the lives of a civilian enhanced and how restrictive their lives may be.

Seb pretty much just exists, he loves playing music but his sickness and the continued surgeries and testing he goes through make his life almost unbearable. Gray has been running from his past for a long time, taking care of Seb forces him to take a look and gives him a chance to move forward. I missed seeing the guys but we get s short visit from them and see a hopefully future connection with these characters.

Gray is such a caring man, I love that he makes his protecting Seb into caring for him which is what Seb needs most, someone to put him first. Seb is so innocent in many ways as he was sheltered by his upbringing and his father’s money but that didn’t mean he wasn’t completely immune to enhanced problems. These two are wonderful together and give each other the courage to go forward and follow their dreams. I felt for Seb and how much his father betrayed him, I was just glad he got what was coming in the end and it helped Seb that he knew he had Gray’s love and support.

I love the cover art by Jay Aheer it’s somewhat similar to the others in the series but many elements related to this story.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | B&N

Book Details:

ebook, 200 pages

Published: September 25, 2018 by Dreamspinner Press

ISBN-13: 978-1-64080-799-0

Edition Language: English

Series: Enhanced World

Bru Baker on Characters, Writing, and Hiding in Plain Sight (the last in the Camp H.O.W.L. trilogy)

Hiding In Plain Sight (Camp H.O.W.L. #3) by Bru Baker

Dreamspun Beyond Title from Dreamspinner Press
Cover Art: Aaron Anderson

Buy links:

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Bru Baker today on tour for her latest release, Hiding in Plain Sight. Welcome, Bru!

~ Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Interview with Bru Baker ~

Do you feel there’s a tight line between Mary Sue or should I say Gary Stu and using your own experiences to create a character?

I think those are two totally different animals. We make our characters richer by using our own experiences to help shape them. That’s a far cry from a Mary Sue character where we’re inserting ourselves into the story and living vicariously through a character. Readers connect with our characters when they have personalities that leap off the page, and the way we as authors accomplish that is by giving them strong feelings and experiences that can appeal to a variety of people. Some of our first impressions of Harris in the opening scene of Hiding in Plain Sight tells the reader he loves sleeping in on his rare days off and he has a low tolerance for cutesy couples and PDA. These are traits I share, and Harris’s sarcastic take on them is definitely influenced by me. But that doesn’t mean Harris has my personality or that I’m envisioning myself as Harris as I write. Instead, by choosing a few things that I feel passionately about to include in his character, I’m able to write him with real emotions and quirks that I can easily describe to build a scene for the readers.

Has your choice of childhood or teenage reading genres carried into your own choices for writing?

I read everything that wasn’t nailed down. I still would, if I had unlimited time in the day! I think reading across a broad swathe of genres has made me more well-rounded as a writer. I also went through a period where I was obsessed with thrillers, and I’m having fun incorporating some suspenseful elements in the Camp H.O.W.L. series. That will continue into the spin-off series, since the first book features a shifter NYPD detective and a werewolf who ends up on the wrong end of a crime ring.

Do you like HFN or HEA? And why?

Both! There are definitely times where I like that HEA wrapped up for me in a bow, both as a writer and a reader. But I also love shorter-form stories that end with that HFN and that delicious promise of an undefined but assumed amazing future for the couple. If I can end a book on a happy sigh, that’s a good ending–whether it’s an epilogue showing the couple married and established in their future or one that ends shortly after their first kiss and dangles the promise of that HEA down the road.

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

As a teenager I read all the romance of all genres I could get my hands on. Nora Roberts’ early books are still comfort reads for me, as well as Danielle Steel and of course, the Harlequin category romance books. The first book with romantic elements I read was Erica Jong’s Fear of Flying, stolen off my mother’s bookshelf when I was around nine. I feel like that explains a lot about my choice to write romance with erotic elements.

As an adult I still enjoy reading broadly across the romance genres. Paranormal, romantic suspense, gothic romance, category romance, historicals, contemporaries–basically as long as it has some great banter and a swoon-worthy love story, I’m in.

If you write contemporary romance, is there such a thing as making a main character too “real”? Do you think you can bring too many faults into a character that eventually it becomes too flawed to become a love interest?

I think it all comes down to the author’s skill in showcasing all the facets of a flawed person’s character. One of my favorite romantic characters in fiction is Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights, and it’s hard to find a character more flawed than him. He’s by all accounts unlovable, but we understand why and we see how that haunts him, and we see him try, at least as best he can. For me, that’s what makes a character real and relatable. I don’t want to read (or write) someone who has a perfect life. I want characters who make mistakes and have fatal flaws but still manage to find love despite them.

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

I’m drawn to people who are comfortable with who they are as a person. Someone who has the confidence to be flawed or quirky and finds happiness in that despite what anyone else might think of them. Luna Lovegood is one of my favorite characters in the Harry Potter series because she’s unapologetically herself. I love being with people who have a passion for something–even if it’s something I don’t personally care about. If they have the ability to throw all of themselves into something it usually means they’ll do the same for a relationship. (It also often means they’ll forget to eat/pick up the kids/be human, which is probably why I have developed such a love taking care of people!)

I do tend to write characters who share the same passions and hobbies as the people I surround myself with . Most of the main characters I write have a deeply rooted sarcastic side or a quirky sense of humor, and that comes from my circle of friends and family, too.

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

I have multiple folders of unfinished WIPs on my hard drive, as I imagine most authors do. As readers have to put a book aside because it’s not the right fit for our mood, and the same thing happens to authors. Sometimes you have that lightning-strike moment where you feverishly plot out a book and you’re able to stay with that until it’s finished, and sometimes it’s a plod and you feel like you can’t do it justice at that moment. I wish I could say I’ve picked all those up and run with them later, but I probably have 20 or so unfinished WIPs, some pushing 50 to 60,000 words, in those WIP folders.

I did recently pull one out and finish it. Downward Facing Dreamboat is a novella that was part of a giveaway on Instafreebie a few weeks ago, and I hope to offer it in Kindle Unlimited soon.

What’s next for you as a writer?

I’m currently working on another Dreamspun Desires book that was inspired by an unexpected overnight layover in Dallas on my way home from the Romantic Times convention in Reno earlier this year. I’m also working on edits for the spin-off series for Camp H.O.W.L., which will follow the wolves to New York City as they integrate with the Connoll Pack. We’ll get to explore all the Supes we learned about in Hiding in Plain Sight and more, since the city is a hotbed for Supernaturals!

Blurb:

Hiding in Plain Sight: A Camp H.O.W.L. Novel

Happily ever after is right under their noses.

Harris has been keeping a big secret for years—his unrequited mate bond with his best friend, Jackson. He’s convinced himself that having Jackson in his life is enough. That, and his work at Camp H.O.W.L., keeps him going.

Things get complicated when Jackson applies for a high-ranking Tribunal job in New York City—far from Camp H.O.W.L. The position requires he relinquish all Pack bonds… and that’s when his wolf decides to choose a mate. Suddenly Jackson sees his best friend in a sizzling new light.

Their chemistry is through the roof, but they’re setting themselves up for broken hearts—and broken bonds—if Jackson can’t figure out a way to balance his career and the love that’s just been waiting for him to take notice.

About the Author

Bru Baker writes sophisticated gay romantic fiction with strong characters, real-world problems, and plenty of humor.

Bru spent fifteen years writing for newspapers before making the jump to fiction. She now balances her time between writing and working at a Midwestern library in the reference department. Whether it’s creating her own characters or getting caught up in someone else’s, there’s no denying that Bru is happiest when she’s engrossed in a story. She and her husband have two children, which means a lot of her books get written from the sidelines of various sports practices.

Visit Bru online at www.bru-baker.com or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.

Final Thoughts on Literary Titles ! and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Final Thoughts on Literary Titles !

Hard to believe that once again September is winding down. Well, it has been an eventful month. Hurricanes, flooding, and well, just plain old tons of rain pouring through my communities have a dampening effect that washed away my planned thoughts for posted blogs. Maybe we will see those slip into October, one of my absolute favorite months!

Yes, its still pouring outside even as I type. This will go down as the wettest two, maybe three months recorded for our area. The mold being reported is off the charts. I will try to locate plants that love water for the backyard. Submergents anyone?

Meanwhile back to some wonderful suggestions for our own literary days of the month. Remember we had a giveaway going?

This was the contest:

Literary Event Title Giveaway

If you all were to suggest a Literary Event for the calendar, what would it be? An International LGBT Romance Story Day? Triad in Lust Day? Quiltbag Aliens HEA Day? Give me some titles for our own special September literary events. Let’s call it our LGBTQIA Literary Event Title Giveaway! Have your title chosen and we will have Stella set you up with a $10 gift card from Dreamspinners. And here’s what you all came up with.

Here from Purple Reader:

It does look like quite the week lined up. I’ve seen a cpl of Free Lib boxes pop up in my neighborhood here in Chicago, and I had to smile. Some more ideas for days:
– GLBTQ Reads That Surprised You Day
– Older GLBTQ Readers Can Have Fun Too Day
– Read a GLBTQ Book Together Day
– Smile & Touch through Words Day
– Read the Book, Visit the Scene Day
– Honoring GLBTQ Books Where You Live Day
– GLBTQ Books That Changed the World Day
– Ok, I gotta stop this day, lol

From Ami: Read in Public Transportation Day

From H.B. Donate a Book Day

From Jen:

If I were to add another literary event to the calendar, it would be “Give a Kid a Book” day because reading meant so much to me as a kid and it means a lot to my kids. Reading can help kids in so many ways.

And also from P.R….Ok, This has been stimulating … and dangerous. Here goes with my imagination (I hope this is what you had in mind, because I had some fun here after not having time to think even scattered thoughts for a while):

Question Mark Day (Never Stop Asking Why)
Readers With Guilty Pleasures Day
Out-of-the-Limelight GLBTQ Genres Day (spreading the love to less popular genres)
Out of Your Comfort Zone Reading Day
Readers Reviewing Reviewers Day (let’s give THEM some feedback!)
Co-Authors Day
Pay It Forward with Words Day

Thank you everyone for participating. Congratulations to Purple Reader on the winning ….many of them entries! Please contact Stella about the gift certificate!

Meanwhile, we have a great week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words. Great tours, great books (audio and ebook), and did you all notice we slipped in another new reviewer on you? Welcome, Ashez, our new reviewer to Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words!

It’s going to be quite the week. So don’t miss out on a day of it.

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, September 23:

Release Day Blitz for Of Sunlight and Stardust by Riley Hart & Christina Lee (excerpt and giveaway)
Final Thoughts on Literary Titles and Our Giveaway
This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, September 24:

Dreamspun Bru Baker on Hiding in Plain Sight
Review Tour – Darcy by RJ Scott & Meredith Russell
BLOG TOUR Ride or Dye by Aimee Nicole Walker
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Counterpoint (Twisted Wishes #2) by Anna Zabo
A Stella Review: Of Dreams and Ceremonies (Butterfly Hunter #2) by Julie Bozza
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Darcy (Boyfriend for Hire #1) by R.J. Scott and Meredith Russell

Tuesday, September 25:

DSP Promo John Inman+giveaway
OWI TOUR grydscaen: beginnings Author: Natsuya Uesugi
RIPTIDE TOUR RUNNING BLIND, a Havoc novel by SE Jakes
A Lila Release Day Review: Dragonslayer (Twitterlight #1) by Matthew Lang
A Lucy Review: Hard Truths by Alex Whitehall
A Stella Release Day Review: Strays by A.J. Thomas

Wednesday, September 26:

DSP Publications Matthew Lang on Dragonslayer
Review Tour – C.J. Baty – Starting Over
The Hunt by J.M. Dabney & Davidson King (Michelle) Blog Tour and Review
Blog Tour “no way out” by Eric Alan Westfall
An Alisa Release Day Review: Guarding His Melody by Victoria Sue
A MelanieM Review: The Hunt by J.M. Dabney & Davidson King
An Alisa Review: Starting Over (The Knights Club #1) by C.J. Baty

Thursday, September 27:

DSP Promo Xenia Melzer
Guarding His Melody (A standalone in the Enhanced World) by Victoria Sue
Release Blitz Tour – RJ Scott & V.L. Locey – Ryker
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Band Sinister by KJ Charles
A Free Dreamer Review: Witchbane by Morgan Brice
A Lila Audio Review: His Leading Man Author: Ashlyn Kane and Kenneth Obi (Narrator)
A Stella Review: Falling Into Love by Nell Iris & Kris T Bethke

Friday, September 28:

BLOG TOUR COUNTERPOINT by Anna Zabo
Exclusive guest post – CJ Baty Starting Over
Release Blitz – A Taste of Agapi by Chris Ethani
An Alisa Release Day Review: Love you so Special by Tara Lain
A MelanieM Review: Building Forever by Kelly Jensen
A Stella Review: The Thousand Smiles of Nicholas Goring (Butterfly Hunter #3) by Julie Bozza

Saturday, September 29:

Release Blitz – Distant Cousins by Eric Huffbind
Release Blitz – Keira Andrews – Honeymoon For One

A Chaos Moondrawn Review: Italian Weddings and Funerals (Italian Stallions #1) by A.J. Llewellyn

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

Luca Dell’Oro is the owner of an event planning business in California. He takes a job in Italy to cater a funeral for an Italian opera singer. The client is a grieving widower, the man Luca loved in sixteenth-century Italy. Luca is a vampire, but how is Francesco still alive? That seems obvious, but the details are sad and Francesco has many reasons to hold a grudge. At first, we’re not sure what his motives are for hiring Luca to bury his wife, Elettra. I will say the blurb is a little misleading, almost to misdirect you about the plot when there isn’t a lot of plot to begin with. This is a pretty straightforward second chances story with a lot of baggage.

I’m not sure why, but I didn’t expect this to be so funny. Everything in the first half of the book is entertaining. Luca does like to hear himself think. His reminiscences allow us to get to know him. Italian Weddings and Funerals, which he runs from his home, allows him to stay involved in the life around him. I loved learning about his unique vampiric powers little by little. He seems a man content in his life and in charge of his surroundings. He has hired an interesting cast of quicky employees. I was drawn in by the descriptions of them from Luca’s point of view. Unfortunately most of them are either not there or fade into the background during the second half of the book. The new characters we meet are not fleshed out. Even the man Luca shares a room with in Italy is barely mentioned.

In the second half, the tone changes which makes sense going from planning a wedding, to planning a wake. Still, Luca also changes when he arrives in Italy and the book seems to be more wrapped up in what is happening around him. In many ways, he ran away from Italy, his friends, his lover, his life–oh, there were reasons, but this is the first time he has had to confront his losses. It seemed strange to me that although Luca is quite wealthy, he chooses to cater for a living and basically be the help, and be treated as such by those who were once his equals. I couldn’t help but wonder if it was a form of self punishment for being a vampire, like denying himself food and love. He also seems to have been in mourning for centuries, never really living once separated from Francesco. I’m not sure I like this new Luca. But, Luca is a much more solid person as compared to Francesco, who comes across as selfish and weak–bound by the expectations of others and definitely spoiled.

The sex scenes are well written and explicit, but don’t seem meant for titillation so much as just part of what happens. Vampires like sex and blood, so if it will bother you for the main characters to have sex with others in the same story, be warned. I wonder if we will see Luca’s lover Keefe again since we spent so much time with him before Italy, although this too now seems like a pattern for Luca.

I will say I was pleasantly surprised by the way it ended, however it was also an abrupt turnabout. I mean they have been separated for centuries and jump right back into being together. Don’t you think they might have changed a bit over time? Wouldn’t they get to know each other again, and I mean for longer than a couple of weeks? Also, Francesco did seem to care for his wife to have spent 500 years with her and he really hasn’t had any time to mourn. It will be interesting to see how things develop in book two because nostalgia and memories are quite different than daily reality and right now, I think Luca deserves better. I also liked Luca better as a character without Francesco, or maybe just the humor and confidence he showed in his home environment in California. I would call this a HFN (happy for now.)

The cover art is by Martine Jardin. It has an old fashioned sepia feel and shows a place they spent time together in the past when they were young lovers and both met Elettra.

Sales Links: eXtasy Books | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 1st Edition, 109 pages
Published March 15th 2011 by eXtasy Books (first published March 14th 2011)
ISBN139781554878253
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Caryn Review : Diego (Endangered Fae #2) by Angel Martinez

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I am having so much fun reading fantasy books that incorporate ancient mythology! Diego, the sequel to Finn, is all about Celtic mythology, mixing Irish deities with the Welsh, along with a bit of reincarnation and earthly as well as fae magic. The end result is pure enchantment!

The first book introduced Diego, a human who is much more than he realizes, and Finn, a pooka who rose from a long hibernation to find a modern human world that was slowly poisoning him. Through a series of adventures that reveal they are much stronger together than apart, Finn and Diego forged a relationship that was more than just a rekindling of the love they shared in previous lifetimes. I didn’t expect a sequel because the story arc was complete, but I was really happy to see this book pick up just where the first left off.

Despite all they’ve been through, Diego is still a bit of a puritan, and has a hard time believing that Finn would ever give up his life of sexual freedom and adventure to settle down. So when he came home to find Finn in a compromising position – even though there was a perfectly innocent reason – he allowed his anger to overtake his reason, leading to an explosion of magic that ripped a hole in the world, and he woke up on the other side of the veil, in the Otherworld, kingdom of the Sidhe. Finn was also unwittingly transported to the Otherworld, but in the land of the Fomorians, enemies of the Sidhe. I remember as I was reading through the adventure where Finn and Diego got caught between the Danu/Balor feud that this was enough for a novella all on its own, especially when our heroes managed to bring the two kingdoms together. Next came a mysterious illness, for which again, Diego and Finn managed to find the cause, and provide the cure. Once again, the story could have ended here! But our intrepid author managed to push it yet further, and the culmination of the story involves clandestine government agencies capturing and experimenting upon the fae who were with Diego and Finn at their house in Montana. I loved how the story went from fairy tale to X-Files!

It was clear in the first book that Diego, AKA Taliesin, was powerful, and probably the most magical human that ever existed. His power was never really manifested though, and he was first and foremost a humble and gentle man. In this book, he finally came to believe in and even embrace that side of himself, which made him more sure of his worthiness to be with Finn, but unfortunately made Finn feel that he did not deserve Diego. A great deal of the book was the push and pull between the two of them wondering if they were indeed right for each other, and facing new jealousies related to old relationships. Diego was revealed not to be as kind and forgiving as he thought he was, while Finn found humility. They both made mistakes, but as in every good fairy tale, true love wins in the end. I have to admit that the ending was cheesy in a lot of ways (and I had to laugh when the US lost out to Canada as the host for Faerie’s chosen earthly location!) but that is part of the author’s charm.

Very enjoyable, with some surprising twists, and a whole lot of learning to love your neighbor despite differences

Cover art by Emmy @ studioenp has a very nice representation of the hole in the veil, with the ubiquitous headless torso.

Sales Links: Pride Publishing | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 328 pages
Published August 14th 2018 by Pride Publishing (first published September 16th 2010)
Original TitleDiego
ASINB07FCT4SVR
Edition Language English
Series Endangered Fae #2
Characters Danu, Finn Shannon, Diego Sandoval, Lugh, Balor…more settingMontana (United States)
Otherworld

A MelanieM Review: Infinite Blue by Natalina Resia

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

When a shifter and a human are bound by fate, neither man knows if their connection will be enough to save not only their growing love, but their lives.

Shahin Halcón has been taught that if and when he meets his soul mate, he’ll know immediately. Always the rebel, he doesn’t believe it until the day he crosses paths with Cai, a full-human.

Plagued by unsuccessful relationships and heartache, Cai Banes’s life is quiet and unexciting. When he meets young and wild Shahin, his life is turned upside down, and he’s not sure he likes it.

But neither can deny the powerful pull that draws them together.

Old secrets and ancient myths about cross-species relationships plague their romance and threaten to put their happiness and lives at risk. Will their love for each other be strong enough to survive?

Sometimes it just comes down to the fact that a story and a reader just aren’t a good fit for one another. I think that’s pretty much what happened here with Infinite Blue by Natalina Resia. We got off on the wrong cover, uh um, start and never quite recovered.

I love shifter stories and grab them up immediately but, if I’m honest I’m also picky because of my wildlife biologist background. Those predator/prey couples? Always bother me, kept thinking one day, one was going to end up an appetizer. And the ones where the authors are really loosey goosey with naturali history. Hmmmmm. Ok, I get it, they are shifters got to be pretty relaxed over the natural history bits with that in the mixture but some authenticity and research is nice (and appreciated).

That especially comes into play here with an author who uses scientific names and takes the trouble to obviously include some correct details of a certain raptor species natural history into her story. So why right off the bat am I faced with a blue eyed hawk shifter? Seen many blue eyed hawks these days? Nope. Just look at that cover. So immediately that was an itch I couldn’t scratch.

Throw in instant love between Cai and Shahin, that, yes, is explained by a mate bond, but their chemistry is something I never felt. Again, I will totally own up that I could be my fault here. But these characters just didn’t ring true. Hospital visits, blood and shifters wouldn’t be an issue? Plus I won’t go into migratory patterns. The writing and author was working on doing her part but right from being dropped into a “stalker like” situation with Shahin without any back filler, it just felt odd and disconnected from their relationship and the storyline.

It didn’t help that a family drama further into the book was resolved far too easily given the severity of the crime. I was, to use one of my favorite words, gobsmacked!

No, Infinite Blue and I were not a good mix. There was a possible explanation for the eyes at the end but by that time, my irritation had set in, Cai’s occupation as an anthropologist never felt believable, and I just kept waiting for more feathers to sprout.

I’m sure other readers will love this romance. They will find it sweet, the hawk shifters fascinating, and the whole mate bonding journey one to love. Sometimes it is oil and water. Check it out and find out for yourself.

Cover Art would be dramatic excerpt for those darn blue eyes.

Book Details:ebook
Published September 8th 2018 by Hot Tree Publishing
ISBN139781925655841
Edition LanguageEnglish
URLhttps://www.hottreepublishing.com/infinite-blue

Blog Tour for Infinite Blue by Natalina Resia (excerpt and giveaway)

Natalina Reis has a new MM paranormal shifter book out: Infinite Blue.

When a shifter and a human are bound by fate, neither man knows if their connection will be enough to save not only their growing love, but their lives.

Shahin Halcón has been taught that if and when he meets his soul mate, he’ll know immediately. Always the rebel, he doesn’t believe it until the day he crosses paths with Cai, a full-human.

Plagued by unsuccessful relationships and heartache, Cai Banes’s life is quiet and unexciting. When he meets young and wild Shahin, his life is turned upside down, and he’s not sure he likes it.

But neither can deny the powerful pull that draws them together.

Old secrets and ancient myths about cross-species relationships plague their romance and threaten to put their happiness and life at risk. Will their love for each other be strong enough to survive?

Giveaway

Natalina is giving away two prizes with this tour – an eBook copy of “Lavender Fields” (backlist, m/m paranormal romance) and a $10 Amazon gift card. Enter via Rafflecopter:

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Excerpt

Cranky didn’t even start to describe how Cai woke up that morning. The day ahead loomed over his horizon like a large bird of prey ready to pounce on him. Why hadn’t he said no? Why was it always so hard for him to say no to his sister? All she had to do was bat her thick lashes and he was lost.

A little witch is what she is.But he loved her and he was hopeless against those baby blue eyes of hers.

He was going to suck it up and be a man. How bad could it be? He would go to the assigned meeting place, meet this guy his sister was so excited about, and if he was as bad as Cai thought he was, all he had to do was make some excuse and flee the scene. Memories of the last time his sister tried to set him up with someone flooded his mind. He remembered a red-purplish face as his date emphatically declared himself “very straight” many times over. Lyra had assumed the man to be gay and had been determined to pair them together.

Oh shit. This could be bad.

By the time he left his house, his bad mood had reached fever pitch, and if anyone was unfortunate enough to approach him, he was afraid he would eat them alive. There were very few things he hated more than blind dates. He was not exactly someone who qualified as a hot number. Even though he was in his midthirties, his hair had gone silver many years back and he wore it as a protective shield against possible disastrous relationships.

On his way to the restaurant where he was to meet the amazing Shahin—his sister’s words—he decided he needed some strong coffee if he was to survive the humiliation of another failed attempt at romance. It hadn’t been a bed of roses for him since Jack, his boyfriend of many years, had made the startling announcement he’d met the love of his life. As if the shock of betrayal had not been enough, Jack announced—shortly after the breakup when Cai’s heart was still hemorrhaging—that he was marrying his high school sweetheart, a woman Jack had frequently referred to as only a friend.

Starbucks was on the way, a beacon of promised comfort and relief. A cup of good coffee had always been his self-medication—nothing a good cup of java wouldn’t cure. The line was long and the room was packed with the usual crowd, a mixture of college students, writers, and a few moms with their toddlers in tow. As Cai waited for his turn, he scanned the room. He loved people-reading, a term his sister had coined a few years ago after realizing that was one of her brother’s favorite pastimes.

“You should talk to people, interact,” she had said, her protective sisterly claws fully out. “Instead, you sit there watching them.”

“Anthropologists have been doing it for a long time.” His usual comeback.

“Anthropologists actually interact with the people they’re studying, bro. What you do is just a bit creepy. And definitely sad.”

She wasn’t wrong. It was a little pathetic that a thirty-five-year-old would be satisfied to sit in a coffee shop observing people and life happening around him without ever stepping in to participate. Satisfied was not the right word for it though. Cai feared what may happen if he stepped out of his comfort zone. He had taken a chance with Jack and look what it got him—nothing but heartache.

A deep blue caught his eye from across the coffee shop. A pair of amazing eyes met his scrutiny with a take-a-good-look-I-dare-you glint. Cai’s first instinct was to look away, but he couldn’t, captured and paralyzed by the electrifying vibe the man with the deep ocean eyes was emitting. The man—younger than him—had short honey-colored hair that spiked slightly on top and left his face and neck exposed. An intricate black ink tattoo stretched down the side of his neck to hide underneath the plain white T-shirt he was wearing, only to emerge again from below the short sleeves and down his well-defined biceps.

Were those roses? Cai’s body caught on fire as the desire to trace the edges of the tattooed flowers grew to alarming heights. He stuck his hands in his jeans pockets, trying to control the itch on his restless fingers. The strange man with the bottomless eyes was still staring at him, caressing without touching, tender and passionate all at the same time.

“Can I take your order?”

The voice startled him and Cai looked away momentarily, placing his order for a flat white. When he looked back, those eyes were still glued to him. Cai swallowed hard as his admirer licked his lips.

I need a cold shower right now.

The phone vibrated in his pocket. Reluctantly, he pulled it out and answered. “Yes?”

The other man was still staring at him with a fire that defied the laws of physics, for it soothed as much as it burned.

“Are you there yet?” It was his sister. There where? Then he remembered.

“On my way,” he lied. “Stopped for liquid courage.”

“For God’s sake, Cai. You sound like you’re walking to the gallows.” Sometimes he wished Lyra didn’t read so much. She didn’t talk like normal people her age.

“I might as well be, Lyra.” He stole a quick glance across the room to check if the handsome stranger was still there. He was. God, Cai was the arrow in a compass and he was the North Pole. Irreversibly and powerfully attracted.

“Don’t embarrass me by not showing up, Cai.” He had almost forgotten about his sister on the other end of the phone line. “He’s my coworker’s cousin. Please, bro. I promise I won’t ever try to set you up again.”

Not that he believed her, but it was a very tempting proposal. “Okay, I promise. I’m leaving right now.”

Hanging up, he took a couple slow breaths, trying to get in control of his body. Good thing he was wearing a long duster coat he could use to disguise how much the stranger affected him. Cai held the coat by the edges, wrapped it closely around him, and grabbed the coffee cup to leave. As he walked by the object of his sudden madness, the other man’s sexy full lips stretched into a wicked smile, releasing a million butterflies in Cai’s chest.

How would it feel to touch my lips to his?The coldness of the silver snake bite he wore on his lower lip rubbing against Cai’s unadorned mouth and tongue would be as thrilling as exploring the muscles barely hidden under the T-shirt. Cai shook his head and made himself lower his eyes to the floor. Like it or not, he had committed to this blasted blind date, and he was not one to renege on his promises.

Just as he was about to walk past, the stranger reached out quickly and handed him a business card. “Call me.”

Author Bio

Natalina wrote her first romance at the age of 13 in collaboration with her best friend, Susana. Since then she has ventured into other genres, but romance is first and foremost in almost everything she writes. She’s the author of seven romance novels that reflect the amazing diversity of humankind and the universal power of love.

After earning a degree in tourism and foreign languages, she worked as a tourist guide in her native Portugal for a short time before moving to the United States. She lived in three continents and a few islands, and her knack for languages and linguistics led her to a master’s degree in education. She lives in Virginia where she’s taught English as a Second Language to elementary school children for more years than she cares to admit.

Natalina doesn’t believe you can have too many books or too much coffee. Art and dance make her happy and she is pretty sure she could survive on lobster and bananas alone. When she is not writing or stressing over lesson plans, she shares her life with her husband and two adult sons.

Author Website: https://catarinadeobidos.wordpress.com/

Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/natalina.bell

Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/authornatalinareis/

Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/TichaB

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14883335.Natalina_Reis

Author QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/natalina-reis/

Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/default/e/B01ADQ9FJW/

A MelanieM Release Day Review: Hiding in Plain Sight (Camp H.O.W.L. #3) by Bru Baker

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

Happily ever after is right under their noses.

Hiding in Plain Sight by Bru Baker finishes out the Camp H.O.W.L. trilogy that I’ve loved reading and become so fond of. A series built around a great premise, a high security, upscale camp for weres, mostly teens, going through their First transformation, it’s featured a succession of couples who have meet through jobs there, mated, and then moved forward. Mostly to a pack in New York City. More on that later.

Along with their stories we got to see some stories of the younger campers, the dynamics of the camp, and exactly why the isolation and intense training was required to let those enrolled survive not only their First transformation but become even a Pack member. The rigors at times placed were incredible yet needed. I enjoyed this series on so many levels, from the interaction between the teenagers in transition and adults guiding them to the couples finding their way to each other. At each step, the stories had so much to offer.

But it wasn’t until I was perhaps halfway through Hiding in Plain Sight that I realized that the author was preparing us to say goodbye to Camp HOWL. I won’t tell you the specifics but I could see she was getting ready to move her characters forward even when I wasn’t sure I was ready for that myself. Baker even introduced several new elements here, different supernatural species that interact with the weres and the Council that I’m wondering what roles that will play in upcoming stories. Yes, after this a new series centering around the Connell Pack in NYC begins. That’s where all the other couples went to begin their new lives as mates.

As to Hiding in Plain Sight? It’s that friends to mate love story with a dash of intrigue and adventure thrown in. I thought the characters were great, their chemistry off the charts, and the secondary cast strong as usual. The author was laying a lot of ground work here for the next series to come. There’s an afterword (yes, I read those as well) that explains the new series that’s arriving. I have high hopes that its as strong as Camp HOWL is. I will miss all the campers however, food fights, forest hunts, and the high drama of teenagers and even one adult going through the changes and all those couples finding love and their mates.

I can’t wait now for the new series to start. If you haven’t read this trilogy and are lovers of the supernatural, weres in particular, than grab up all three stories and do a little binge reading in advance of the new series release! I definitely recommend them all.

Cover Artist: Aaron Anderson. I like the cover and that’s my idea of Harris too. Lovely.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 256 pages
Expected publication: September 18th 2018 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781640808669
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series Camp H.O.W.L. Trilogy:

Camp H.O.W..L

Under a Blue Moon

Hiding In Plain Sight

COVER REVEAL

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Hiding In Plain Sight (Camp H.O.W.L. #3) by Bru Baker

~ Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Interview with Bru Baker ~

Blurb:

About the Author

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