



Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
Daydreaming! Reviewing LGBTQIA Books, all formats ! Binge Watching A World of Romance




Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5
Barney Teegarden knows what it’s like to be alone. He knows what it’s like to have a romantic heart, yet no love in his life to unleash the romance on. With the help of a friend, he acquires a lease in a seedy apartment building perched high on a hill in downtown San Diego. The Belladonna Arms is not only filled with the quirkiest cast of characters imaginable, it is also famous for sprinkling love dust on even the loneliest of the lovelorn.
At the Arms, Barney finds friendship, acceptance, and an adopted family that lightens his lonely life. Hell, he even finds a cat. But still true love eludes him.
When his drag queen landlord, Arthur, takes it into his head to rescue a homeless former tenant, he enlists Barney’s help. It is Barney who shows this lost soul how to trust again—and in return Barney discovers love for the first time in his life.
It’s funny how even the hardest battles can be fought and won with laughter, hugs, friends, plus a little faith in the goodness of others. All it takes to begin the healing is the simple act of coming back.
Two books ago I fell in love with a dilapidated apartment building on top a hill in San Diego, filled full of gay misfits looking for love. The Belladonna Arms, old neon sign sputtering to life each night, apparently is home to love pollen, the stuff just “rains down the walls” as one resident after another finds their soulmate in John Inman’s wonderful heartwarming Belladonna Arms stories. With one tragic exception.
In Coming Back, John Inman, heals that terrible wound and gets the Belladonna Arms love pollen working overtime again with a new arrival in Barney Teegarden, a friend and coworker of Pete (husband of Sylvia’s). Barney is looking for a new place to live and for someone to love and love him back. The latter being important. Most of the people Barney has loved haven’t returned the emotion and he’s ready for that to change. Pete swears that the Belladonna Arms can work magic but after seeing the rundown place Barney’s just not sure. Barney has just arrived at the multi-couple yard sale in front of the Belladonna Arms so he can meet Arthur, the owner and manager.
The next thing I knew, I was face-to-face with the gigantic drag queen in the platinum Veronica Lake wig. At the moment, he had four feather boas draped around his tree-trunk-sized neck, each gaudier than the next. He was waving them around, trying to attract a buyer, until Pete shoved me into his face, and said, “Arthur, I want you to meet Barney. Barney needs a place to live.”
Arthur slipped ham-sized hands into my armpits and lifted me a foot off the ground to stare directly into my eyes. I hung there like a Christmas ornament, wishing the fuck he would put me down. “You’re a cutie,” he said in a booming baritone that rolled through lips saturated with peach-tinted lip gloss. “And you’re a friend of Pete’s?”
“Yes, sir. I mean, ma’am. I mean, sir.” His lips spread wide in a grin. He gave me a little shake, as if he were trying to dislodge some fruit from my branches, then gently set me on the ground.
“Done,” he said.
“What’s done?” I asked.
“Your apartment. It’s ready for you to move into whenever you’re ready. There’s a vacancy right next to Pete and Sylvia.”
I blinked. “No shit?”
“No shit.”
“I’m a tenant?”
“You’re a tenant.”
And just like that Barney has become a member of a wonderfully quixotic and dear group of people who make up the family that is the Belladonna Arms. It helps that Pete and Sylvia are next door neighbors and good friends already.
“Thank you, Arthur!” Pete cried. “Barney will be your best tenant ever.”
Arthur pinched Pete’s cheek and ruffled his hair. “I’m sure he will.” Then he turned to me. “Got a lover?”
“Uh… no.” Arthur pulled me into his massive, hairy, Opium-scented arms and squeezed me so hard I thought I felt an organ burst. “Well, don’t worry, honey. The building will take care of that.” “The building,” I grunted, trying to draw a breath. He eyed me with his one visible eyebrow cocked high. “That’s right. The building. Ever hear of love pollen?”
“Uh, nope.”
He blessed me with a secretive smile. “You will. It simply rains down from the walls in this place. And when that pollen touches you, you’re lost.”
I gazed over the feather boas draped across Arthur’s shoulders, tried not to sneeze because one of them was tickling my nose, and stared up at the homely old edifice standing in front of me. “Love pollen,” I whispered beneath my breath, wondering what the hell the guy was talking about. I gave myself a shake to dislodge any droplets of insanity that might have drifted down upon me like the ever-present glitter, and thought, Oookay, not my circus, not my monkeys. But since the Belladonna Arms was apparently my circus now, and since I would soon be one of the many monkeys inhabiting the joint, I found myself grinning in spite of myself. Because I suddenly knew—I just knew—this particular circus was going to fit me like a glove. Love pollen or no love pollen, for one of the first times in my life, I felt as if I’d come home. I blushed one last time when Pete planted a kiss on one of my cheeks and Arthur planted a kiss on my other. Both men loomed over and around me, patting and cooing, making me feel safe and loved and welcome. Embarrassed by the sudden surge of emotion welling up inside me, I plucked one of the boas from around Arthur’s neck, and draped it over my own. “How much?” I asked in a ragged voice. Arthur gave the boa a theatrical flourish, fluffing it beneath my chin and flipping it rakishly over my shoulder so the end trailed down over my ass. When he was satisfied I was properly adorned, he gave me another peck on the cheek. “For you, honey? Nothing. It’s a housewarming gift. Welcome home.”
The way John Inman writes that scene, I feel as though I had been swept up in Arthur’s embrace as well. And into the Belladonna Arms Barney goes. But you have to be a special sort of person to look past the dated exterior, the patches and painted over windows to see the magic, and Barney is that sort of person, knobby furred knees and all. Barney has an open mind and heart that’s a perfect match for the quirkiness and eccentrics that reside in the Belladonna Arms and for the events that occur there. And Arthur has a plan in mind and needs Barney’s help to make it work.
If John Inman is able to bring laughter to love, he doesn’t forget the pain that sometimes arrives as well. In Coming Back, Barney and Arthur try to deal with the horrific aftermath of a love affair gone lethally wrong in the previous book. In some of the most moving moments in the story, Arthur and Barney go to reclaim a human being and bring them back home. I cried buckets. I loved this whole aspect of the story. It was beautifully written, sensitive and real. It brought the Belladonna Arms stories into another level of authenticity and grittiness it did quite have before.
Of course, then it then switched course and we flow into some of the funniest passages John Inman has ever written, starting with:
“THUS BEGAN, according to Arthur, an orgy of butchery not seen since Vlad the Impaler started hosting block parties at his fixer-upper castle with the dungeon to die for back in Romania in the fifteenth century.”
No, no, we’re talking cutting hair! Really, people. And the author brings back that apartment jumping cat, only even that cat seems to be wanting some stability and a home. How I love this series..
Coming Back is a book to warm your heart, make you cry more than once and make you feel so good that you go to sleep smiling, thinking about the story and the characters and love pollen. This is a feel good novel and one I absolutely recommend as I do all the Belladonna Arms stories. I know there are more stories on the way, I can’t wait to see who the next newcomer is to get their dose of love pollen!
Cover art by Aaron Anderson is a little too dark and sepia toned for me. I get what he was going for, still too one color for a place as full of vibrant characters as the Belladonna Arms.
Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here
Book Details:
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
My dad always says if there aren’t zombies involved in a catastrophe, it’s not worth worrying about.
Larry Myers works tirelessly to get his doctorate. That means long hours and grueling shifts of sometimes seeing the worst possible things happen to people, especially on his rotation in the ER. Though he loves what he’s doing, it’s not exactly conducive to a relationship, so he often resorts to Grindr for a little destressing between the sheets.
One day he stumbles upon the picture of a man who captures him with his eyes. He takes the chance and writes to the guy named Brandon. What starts as an innocent way to get release quickly becomes more when the two manage to connect on a level that’s night normal for a hookup. But between their jobs, family, and some disagreeable friends, a relationship may be out of the picture, but maybe it’s worth a shot.
“He can’t take on the world,” Larry insisted. “But he’s the only one who’s ever tried to take on the world on my behalf.”
From the very moment I saw this prompt up for claim for this years Don’t Read in the Closet event (Love is an Open Road), I was incredibly excited. This screamed for the author to tell an honest story that didn’t disregard race or use it as some sort of ploy. When A.J. Thomas picked it up, my excitement grew. What I’ve read by her has been quite good, and I was looking forward to seeing what she could do with this.
She did not disappoint. She created this story of two men who are both very independent. Larry, a black man striving to be a doctor and dealing with his mother being in a nursing home, and Brandon, a man who is living in his father’s shadow at the software company he works for. They both felt so real to be… like two completely honest characters, down to some of the quirks of hooking up with a doctor (they may have to leave you midthrust when their pager goes off, whoops!)
It had dashes of humor and the right touch of seriousness. There were so many strong characters, such as Larry’s mom, who Larry didn’t give enough credit to but was a truly shining part of the story. Then you have Larry’s best friend (and ex-girlfriend) August who is a strong female and made me smile a few times.
I thoroughly enjoyed every word of it, and I would love to see A.J. Thomas write more about real black characters. Why? She didn’t ignore race. She brought it in perfectly without making it the focus of the story. It felt real, it was real. There needs to be more of those kinds of characters in M/M stories. Thank you for giving me one, A.J. If you happen to want to write more, well, I’m here to gobble it right up.
The cover art by A.J. Thomas is very simple. While it’s not the most design heavy, I’d prefer that from an author who doesn’t have experience in graphic design. She seemed to understand that and not try to make it into something it wasn’t, so I do appreciate that. It’s simple but not ugly.
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Book Details:
Rating: 4 out of 5 starts
Returning home from a negotiation mission for his wolf shifter pack, Cayden Rochette smells the scent of his mate upon entering the house he shares with his brothers. Can he convince the skittish cat shifter that his problems are behind him and to accept Cayden as his mate?
Ajax has recently been rescued from a group of scientists. Having spent most of his life in his Andean mountain cat form trying to survive in the wild after the death of his mother, he prefers that form to his human one. Currently staying with a wolf pack that helped attain his freedom, Ajax is waiting for the time to leave the wolves behind and return to his favorite pastime of climbing trees away from civilization.
Cayden Rochette is a negotiator for the Stone Ridge wolf pack. He has been away talking with a local coyote pack about expanding the wolf pack’s territory. He arrives back home and is met by his brothers. When he goes to introduce himself to the shifter that is staying in their collective home, he realizes that the Andean mountain cat is his mate.
After Cayden convinces Ajax to shift and tells him that they are mates, Ajax has no idea what he is talking about. However, Ajax is drawn to Cayden because of the mate pull. Afraid that hunters might take him again, Ajax expresses his concern to Cayden. Cayden assures him that they are on pack lands and nothing will happen to him. However, one of the coyotes of the pack that Cayden negotiated with is not happy with the deal that he made with the coyote alpha and comes to renegotiate the terms of the deal. When Cayden says he will deal only with the alpha, the coyote shifter promises to be back.
This is the thirtieth edition of the Wolves of Stone Ridge series. As with a few of the books in this series, it deals with a rescued shifter who meets their mate because of their rescue. Ajax’s innocence and naivety comes across as sweet even though it has been used before in this series. However, Ajax does show he is not to be messed with later in the book.
The cover art by Angela Waters shows Cayden in his human form with Ajax in his mountain cat form in the background. It is a pretty standard cover for the series.
Sales Links: eXtasy Books | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here
Book Details
Ebook, 104 pages,
Edition: English
ISBN: 978-1-4874-0473-1
Published: August 1, 2015 by Extasy Books
Series: Wolves of Stone Ridge
Find the list of all 30 books to date
at eXtasy Books or at Goodreads Wolves of Stone Ridge Page
Buchanan House by Charley Descoteaux
Release Date: August 19, 2015
Goodreads Link
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: LC Chase
Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon
Eric Allen, thirty-three-year-old line cook, moved in with his grandmother, Jewell, after a disastrous coming-out when he was in middle school. She raised him, and he cared for her when she fell ill. When Jewell died she left everything to Eric—angering his parents and older brother. The inheritance isn’t much, but Eric and his bestie Nathan pool their money and buy an abandoned hotel on an isolated stretch of the Central Oregon Coast. The hotel isn’t far from Lincoln City—a town with its own Pride Festival and named for a president—so they christen it Buchanan House after James Buchanan, the “confirmed bachelor” president with the close male friend.
Eric and Nathan need a handyman to help them turn Buchanan House into the gay resort of their dreams. Eric finds Tim Tate in the local listings and over the months leading to opening weekend Tim reveals himself as a skilled carpenter with many hidden talents. Eric falls hard for Tim, but before he can see a future with the gorgeous handyman he has to get over twenty years of being bullied and shamed by his birth family. It would be much easier if Eric’s brother Zach weren’t trying to grab part of the inheritance or ruin opening weekend.
Pages or Words: 45,000 words
Categories: Romance, Bisexual, Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance
Timothy Tate knocked on the front doors at eight o’clock sharp. Eric had barely been up long enough to start coffee, and Nathan had yet to emerge. They’d slept in one of the rooms on the first floor. The official reason was to avoid having to clean two rooms, but the unofficial reason was to talk into the night like they had back in middle school. Slumber parties for thirtysomethings. Somehow that didn’t make Eric feel any better about meeting this Tim person.
But opening the door sure did.
Tim Tate was as tall as Nathan, so six one, and he had curly black hair and eyes so dark you could get lost in them.
“Morning.” He wasn’t much for smiling, though.
“Good morning. Please come in. I’m Eric.”
Tim nodded and seemed to be looking at something behind Eric’s right shoulder. As soon as Eric remembered to step aside, Tim came in. “You bought this place?”
“Yes. Isn’t it lovely? The inspector said the bones are solid, and someone did amazing work on the rooms. Right now, we need help with the kitchen and some reno on the public areas.”
“Should tear it down and start fresh.”
“I beg your pardon. That’s a horrible thing to say. You don’t discard something just because it’s not perfect. With a little love—maybe this isn’t going to work out.”
Tim shrugged and looked around the room. His face seemed to soften into… nostalgia? It held a wistful quality, of that much Eric was certain.
“Have you been in this room before?”
Tim had turned away a little, so the left side of his face pointed toward Eric.
Is that his best side?
He didn’t answer, so Eric repeated the question, a little louder.
“Huh? Oh, yeah. When I was a kid. Sometimes the local clubs would use it for summer camps. It’s been empty for over ten years.”
“Why? I mean, did something happen here?”
“No. The owners died, and their kids didn’t want to live out here. Can’t blame ’em. Entertainment isn’t easy to come by.”
Nathan chose that moment to enter, in his pink robe with the ostrich-feather trim. He spoke quickly, almost dancing through the room and toward the aroma of coffee. “Good morning. You don’t mind I borrowed your robe? And this must be Tim. Lovely to meet you, sweetheart. Coffee, then business.” He flounced into the kitchen.
Eric and Tim watched him go. The silence in his wake stretched out a little too long for Eric, mortified by the thought Tim might believe the robe belonged to him.
Charley Descoteaux has always heard voices. She was relieved to learn they were fictional characters, and started writing when they insisted daydreaming just wasn’t good enough. In exchange, they’ve agreed to let her sleep once in a while. Charley grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area during a drought, and found her true home in the soggy Pacific Northwest. She has survived earthquakes, tornadoes, and floods, but couldn’t make it through one day without stories.
Where to find the author:
Tour Dates & Stops: August 19, 2015
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Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Before Ness, before Corny, before Leopold and Heckle and Mac, there was just Shax and Verin and a newly stolen, er, acquired cargo ship. Join Shax on his first adventure in space in which a pampered demon prince has a lot to learn.
When a steel trap of celestial and infernal politics threatens to close around them, Shax and Verin flee Earth’s system in a stolen ship, leaving everything behind. It’s an elegantly simple plan, with a new ship and a new life as carefree brigands among the stars.
But the ship seems to hate them, and in order to have any sort of life they need funds. A frightened man offering them a contract to deliver three mysterious crates comes just in time, and Shax is sure their troubles are over. Out of his environment and in over his head, Shax scrambles to understand the players and the consequences of his new life. With cargo that’s not what it seems, shadowy motives around every turn, and a gorgeous rogue named Julian for a dash of added confusion, Shax’s grand schemes of a new start may be his demise before he can even begin.
First of all. Angel Martinez. Let’s just get that out of the way. That author’s name is all I need to pick up a book. The title Potato Surprise in combination with science fiction certainly added that dash of anticipation of the quirky, the oddball, the unexpected, and the highly imaginative. You will get all that here. Loved it.
Potato Surprise is a prequel to Brimstone (a collection I grabbed up after reading this wonderful story). Here we get our first introduction to the space faring or fleeing demon Shax, his companion Verin, and their newly acquired ship, renamed The Brimstone. The Brimstone has a delightful IA with a drag queen personality, Ivana Cockatoo! Together the three of them form a slightly less than formidable ship of privateers, willing to trade/ship merchandise legal or otherwise, especially otherwise across the galaxy. This includes those surprising potatoes.
Angel Martinez’ imagination is fearless. Her demons may know other demons that fit within our prescribed notions of what demons should look like and how demons should act, her demons may even be related to demons that act that way. But Shax? He is one surprise after another, loyal, with an endless and often troublesome appreciation for the “pretties”, his charm is as boundless as his enthusiasms. I adore Shax. Verin is a little more hard core or perhaps hard shell,..hard to say. The other books I just now reading let me have more of a feel for his character and background. But here Verin is a solid, loyal as well, presence in both the stories and in Shax’s life and he anchors the stories. Verin may blow smoke, but there’s definitely fire behind it.
Oh, Ivana! Ever since Kirk ended up temporarily with a flirtatious computer on the Enterprise, IAs with entertaining or wildly scary personalities have appeared in stories and screen plays. I love Ivana Cockatoo. Ivana immediately embraces the new name and new owners. They certainly are a better fit for Ivana than the previous owner and this IA jumps into the new life with a joy that’s downright infectious. Ivana is an equal partner in crime and party here, and valued family member.
Why Shax and Verin had to flee Earth is only sketchily filled in here. More details come in the later stories. There is a planet side romance, don’t all pirates have one? That has its own tender, loving element of its own. There are moments of beauty, scenes of glee and disgust, then its time to leave once more. Off on more adventures, more travels and certainly more transactions that will get them into danger and the money they need to continue charging through the galaxy together.
The Brimstone’s crew has me hooked good and proper. This prequel did that job beautifully. I love Shax, Verin, and Ivana. I can’t wait to see how far Angel Martinez takes this crew and what amazing things and places they get to go and what mayhem they commit when they get there. Let me tell you floating bovines is in your future if you love this as much as I do! Its not to be missed!
Cover art by Fredi McKay. Wild and includes elements from the story, although not as I had pictured them in my imagination.
Sales Links: Mischief Corner Books | All Romance (ARe) |
Book Details:
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Jake Tanner is a gay asexual man who finds peace on his small Australian farm and is content to lead a quiet life taking care of his animals. Then a random act of kindness on his part sets in motion a complex series of events that results in him playing the piano in a local pub and meeting Damien Jamieson, a sexy gay biker with a penchant for leather. Damien finds Jake instantly irresistible, but that could be the worst thing for their budding relationship, as Damien is determined to bed the reluctant Jake. However, Jake has no intention of going along with his plan. If there’s a chance for anything between them, Damien will have to figure out how to turn Jake on without scaring him off.
ACE was my first novel by Jack Byrne, non considering the story done for the A Taste of Honey anthology (still waiting for the sequel BTW!). I know he usually writes historicals and in fact his Bushrangers series is next on my reading. I picked up ACE because I was really curious about the asexual aspect, as last month I read another book on the same subject and really liked it.
I read ACE and soon loved it. It’s well written but most of all it’s real, emotional, sensitive and sexy too. I was caught up in Damien and Jake’s story from the start. The characters were well defined. Especially Damien, so sure of himself, he is sexy and wants Jake no matter the cost. He seems so strong but he hides a deep insecurity due to his young years spent on the streets taking care of himself and the person who become his daughter, Diane.
The story was unusual to me, starting just with the relationship between Diane and Damien, never met a 29 years old father of an (adopted) 24 years old. It was interesting look at their dynamics. Moreover, the relationship between Damien and Jake was strange too and I’m not talking about the asexual aspect. It was strange but absolutely believable because it felt real and possible. All the struggles, emotionally and physically, of two people so different from each other, still so needy and full of love to give. Two aspects, the physical and the emotional one, so fused together, seeing Damien so frustrated to not be able to be completely himself with Jake and use the sex as the only way to show his feelings, the only one he knows about. And it’s exactly when that way is barred that I found the realism in the story.
And where some people had some misunderstanding with the blurb, I can say that I didn’t find this strong feeling Damien has in wanting Jake as a constriction or a duty, just as something normal and real. I know, I’m saying the world real a lot, sorry.
Now about the asexual aspect, I could have a lot to say but I’ll keep it brief. I read the book when I still knew nothing about ace people, I wanted to see how the author dealt with it. The word “asexual” was at no time mentioned by the two MCs. The story is a discovery journey, one Jake is still working on. It’s a complex and well done story and later, when I went looking for more clarifications about a couple of things that seemed to be “unclear”, I discovered the author makes his stories this way.
I was pleasurably surprised by ACE and I’m going to read more by this author soon. I want to highly recommend it.
Cover art by Christy Caughie. The cover is clean and fits the story perfectly. I like it.
Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here
Book Details:
ebook, 210 pages
Published July 15th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN13 9781623801670
Edition Language English
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Julian “Quinn” Quinetro, a gruff, tough Miami SWAT officer, has been injured on the job, and all he’s looking for is a little peace and quiet to recover—difficult to achieve with his large Cuban family. An adventure in picking up his prescriptions puts him in the path of his geeky, brownie-baking neighbor, Spencer Morgan. Spencer sweeps into Quinn’s life like a tropical storm of sunshine and rainbows. Not surprisingly, it’s chaos at first sight. Quinn’s in need of a little tender loving care, and Spencer decides he’s just the man for the job. Their very different lives might clash, but they might also find some common ground—and maybe more.
Funny scenes, sweet moments and scorching times. You definitely can tell this is a Charlie Cochet story. This was a cute novella. I really liked the character development that we got for Spencer and Quinn. Spencer was adorable in his chef aprons and super hero clothing. I did see some similarities between him and another character of hers, so clearly that’s her comfort zone. Quinn was uber hot. I liked him a lot, I thought his beginning sexy was extremely sweet. I enjoyed seeing Quinn’s family rain down terror on him. I enjoy reading about families, and Quinn’s were no different. I think where Spencer lacked masculinity he made up for it in confidence.
I’d love to see this as a full length novel, or even a sequel where we catch up with more characters, especially Javier and Quinn’s cousin. What was that all about? LOL.
Cover Art by Anne Cain: I think the cover was nicely done. An good representation of Spencer. Definitely liked the chef’s apron aspect.
Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here
Book Details:
book, 68 pages
Expected publication: August 19th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781634764780
edition languageEnglish
charactersSpencer Morgan, Julian “Quinn” Quintero settingMiami, Florida (United States)

Ezra Levin retired from Hercules Security to pursue his dream of being a private chef. But when the life of his gorgeous employer, Judge Mason Whittaker, is threatened, Ezra quickly realizes that once you’re a Merc, you’re always a Merc.
Pages or Words: 44,325 words
Categories: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Thriller
Mason shook his head. “I wasn’t paranoid enough,” he said. “You were. You knew it could get bad. I didn’t believe it — didn’t want to believe it. It almost killed me.”
“I did not want to believe it either. I hoped I was wrong, but my instincts were telling me something bad was going to happen. Now that it has–” Ezra’s voice broke, and he brought Mason’s hand to his cheek, clinging tightly. “I cannot be objective. When I saw you there, saw all that blood…” He shook his head, and Mason thought he saw the glimmer of tears in Ezra’s eyes before Ezra looked away. “I cannot be merely an employee. I tried. If you want me to recuse myself, I will.”
“What?” Mason was confused, but he could see Ezra’s pain, and he reached over with his free hand, touching Ezra’s cheek. “Are you saying you want to leave Jamie and me?”
“No!” Ezra stared at Mason, wide-eyed. “No, I don’t want to leave. But if you want me to remain only your employee, I cannot do that any longer. I tried to maintain my professional distance, especially after I overstepped so badly, but I cannot do it after this.”
Ari McKay is the professional pseudonym for Arionrhod and McKay, who collaborate on original m/m fiction. They began writing together in 2004 and finished their first original full-length novel in 2011. Recently, they’ve begun collaborating on designing and creating costumes to wear and compete in at Sci Fi conventions, and they share a love of yarn and cake. Arionrhod is an avid costumer, knitter, and all-around craft fiend, as well as a professional systems engineer. Mother of two human children and two dachshunds who think they are human, she is a voracious reader with wildly eclectic tastes, devouring romance novels, military science fiction, horror stories and Shakespeare with equal glee. She is currently preparing for the zombie apocalypse. McKay is an English teacher who has been writing for one reason or another most of her life. She also enjoys knitting, reading, cooking, and playing video games. She has been known to knit in public. Given she has the survival skills of a gnat, she’s relying on Arionrhod to help her survive the zombie apocalypse.
Where to find the authors:
Facebook Author Page
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AriMckay1
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/arimckay
Website: http://www.arimckay.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6153630.Ari_McKay
Amazon Author Page
Tour Dates & Stops: August 18, 2015
Amanda C. Stone, Bayou Book Junkie, BFD Book Blog, Bike Book Reviews, Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, Charley Descoteaux, Divine Magazine, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Happily Ever Chapter, Inked Rainbow Reads, MM Good Book Reviews, Molly Lolly, My Fiction Nook, Parker Williams, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance, The Jena Wade, V’s Reads, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Velvet Panic, Wake Up Your Wild Side
Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Herc’s Mercs: The Bigger They Come’. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.
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Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Amelia Bishop, author of Uncharted Hearts. Welcome, Amelia and thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.
Hi! Thanks for having me here.
My current book is an m/m/m romance, set in 1795. It’s a story about making your own family, even if that family is outside of the norm. I hope that even though it is set in the past, this story will appeal to readers who don’t often choose historical romances.
Open up your recipe box! Give us something that would thrill us.
Oh man I just stumbled across this recipe a few months ago, and it became an instant favorite in my family: S’mores bars.
I’ll confess, I don’t really like s’mores all that much. Which is funny, considering I am a Girl Scout leader and an avid camper. But I’m not a big marshmallow fan, and s’mores are just so messy and hard to eat. Also I feel like the cookie-to-filling ratio is all off in traditional s’mores.
But then I found this recipe, and I love it!
It’s a little more work than actual s’mores, because you have to make the dough and assemble them, but the end product is so superior it is worth it.
Now, I will agree, there is something magical about roasting marshmallows over a fire, and assembling s’more sandwiches in the flickering firelight. And even the strings of melted marshmallow goop sticking in your hair and on your chin might be part of the appeal, for s’more purists.
But personally, I’m just all about getting as much of that chocolate-cookie-marshmallow combination into my mouth in the most efficient way possible. And this recipe, my friends, is the way.
(There are a lot of recipes out there for s’mores bars. This one is unique, though, in that it completely encases the chocolate and marshmallow, just like a regular s’more.)
I highly suggest visiting this site: http://lovintheoven.com/day-11-smores-cookie-bars/ and making these s’mores bars this summer! They taste pretty good around a campfire, too.
Thanks so much for having me here today!
Clayton Taylor is smart and skilled, and born into privilege. His expertise with navigation lands him a job on The Irish Lady, a ship which promises a world of new experiences. Half in love with Peter, The Lady’s roguish captain, Clayton signs on for adventure and a chance to test his skill against the sea. Once aboard he meets Jorge, a pillar of quiet strength.
Clayton’s life among the sailors and thieves is happy, wild, and free. He learns to sail, to fit in with the crew, and to cheat at cards. There isn’t a course he can’t chart, or a job he can’t design.
But Clayton can’t navigate love, nor can he plan for the whims of his heart. Bold and direct and often stubborn, Clayton’s uncharted heart will plot its own course, bound for a union with two men who need him as much as he does them.
Together Clayton, Peter, and Jorge will discover the heart has no need of map and compass.
Pages or Words: 240 pages
Categories: Fiction, Historical, M/M Romance, Menage/Poly, Romance
The Irish Lady’s gangway was up, and I had a flash of panic. Was I too late? I caught a glimpse of Peter on deck, and called out to him. “Sir! Peter Simpson!”
He turned and strode back to the rail, a light in his eyes and a smile on his face. My trunk seemed suddenly much easier to haul.
A large black man lowered the gangway, and looked me over as I struggled up it, raising an eyebrow at my large case. He wore his hair in long twisted locks, and his shirt, open at the chest, revealed heavy glistening muscles. I swallowed hard. Was this a ship full of temptation? Would I spend my entire time here aroused and useless?
“You came!” Peter rushed to me, not hiding his excitement.
I nodded, smiling.
“I’m so glad.” He brushed his fingers over my cheek in a move much too affectionate for public display. I glanced at the large man, but he’d turned away.
“Come, I’ll get you settled in and explain your position.” Peter hoisted one end of my trunk, and led us toward the hatch.
I felt as if I had to ask him, before I went below, exactly what kind of situation I was signing on to here. “Just what sort of a ship is this, precisely? I’m sure you aren’t an entirely reputable merchant?”
He dropped his side of the trunk, and I feared I’d erred. Perhaps that was too forward a thing to ask. But his crooked grin told me he was not offended. “Is that a problem?”
Good lord, he was sexy. His chin was shadowed with a fine dark stubble, and his hair was gathered at the top of his head in some sort of ridiculous knot, which only accentuated his chocolate brown eyes and thick brows. “No…” I smiled. “But you’ll have to teach me.”
His mouth opened on a gasp. Finally, I’d unbalanced him.
“Gladly,” he rasped, and picked up the trunk again.
I am a reader and writer of romantic erotic fiction of all varieties. Sometimes, the little stories in my head just need to be shared (and sometimes they are just for me). I enjoy red wine, black rum, shell-hunting walks along the seashore, and solo late-night drunken dance parties.
Where to find the author:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amelia.bishop.507
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/ameliabishopauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/anotheramelia
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ameliabishop507/
Blog: http://www.ameliabishop.wordpress.com
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Tour Dates & Stops:
14-Aug
Prism Book Alliance, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Inked Rainbow Reads
17-Aug
BFD Book Blog,
18-Aug
Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Just Love Romance
19-Aug
MM Good Book Reviews, Love Bytes
20-Aug
Bayou Book Junkie, EE Montgomery