A Stella Review: The Belgian Chocolate Remedy by Julie Lynn Hayes

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

The Belgian Chocolate Remedy coverMilan, a Belgian chocolatier, lost his beloved brother. Yet life goes on, and he must ready his booth for Outfest—Ludolf would have wanted him to carry on. Jesse is a rudderless soul, unable to cope with the rejection of his lover. He comes to Lafayette, Indiana at the request of his best friend, Reggie. She inveigles him into helping her friend Milan…A way to pass the time, or something more?

The Belgian Chocolate Remedy by Julie Lynn Hayes is a really short and sweet story, romantic and sad.Milan is a chocolatier who has just lost his brother Ludolf in a car accident. They moved to Lafayette from Belgium to open a candy store but now without Ludolf he still have to open it and most of all he needs help to get ready for the Lafayette Outfest, the annual display of gay pride. Luckly his best friend Reggie has found the perfect assistant.

Jesse is having a hard time too both in his personal life than in the working one. But now he is interested in another guy, Milan, for the first time after so long and he has no idea how to act on it.

What I loved is the feeling of hope that fills all the story, even thought Milan and Jesse seemed to be lost and insecure of everything. This is what made the book special.

Of course the relationship rushes through the end but this is a really short story, just 29 pages, it couldn’t have been otherwise. Nonetheless I’m sure these two characters deserve a little more development, maybe in a sequel.

So if you are in a mood for something sweet and quick, The Belgian Chocolate Remedy is the right book.
Cover Art by Latrisha Waters. Love it. It makes me hungry!

Sales Links:  eXtasy Books      Amazon   Buy It Here

BOOK DETAILS
Published February 1st 2015 by eXtasy Books
ebook, 29 pages
ISBN13 9781487402211
Edition language English

On Tour with T.M Smith and Opposites Series (contest)

TheCellar

Opposites Series by T.M. Smith
(book 1, Opposites – The Library, an Opposites novella – book 2, Appearances – The Cellar, an Opposites novella)
Opposites 1 – 4 (should be read in order)

ORC
Release Date: June 1, 2013
Goodreads Link

About Author T.M. Smith

A military brat born and raised at Ft. Benning Georgia; Smith is an avid reader, reviewer and writer. She now calls TexasAuthor Ink home from her small town on the outskirts of the DFW Metroplex. Most days you can find her curled up with her kindle and a good book alongside a glass of something aged and red or a steaming cup of coffee!

At 42 years young, she’s decided to enter the next phase of her life by adding the title of “author” to her list of accomplishments that includes single mom of three disturbingly outspoken and decidedly different kids, one of which is Autistic. Smith is and outspoken advocate for Autism and equal rights for the LGBTQ community.

Her Opposites series is based outside the normal parameters of social acceptability, examining a ‘what if’… What If to be gay or lesbian were the norm? What if to be straight labeled you as an Opposite and made YOU the Outkast?

Where to find the author:

Author Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/T.M.-Smith/e/B00D8N818E
Author website: http://www.ttcbooksandmore.com
Author Twitter – https://twitter.com/TTCBooksandmore
GoodReads book: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17619257-opposites
GoodReads author: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6997897.T_M_Smith
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTMSmith
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/ttcbooksandmore/
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJjm1BpCFi7kCt_KK_VyReA

Publisher: TTC Publishing
Cover Artist: T.L. Shreffler of Runaway Book Design

Sales Links:

Blurb:

In the year 2081 our planet survived global warming of an apocalyptic scale. When the dust settled and the water receded Dr. Anthony Smith, one of only a few hundred survivors of GWI, started society anew. Having come to the conclusion that injudicious breeding played a huge role in the destruction of Earth as we knew it in the twenty first century, he worked closely with other survivors to isolate the Dionysus gene. This gene has the ability to manipulate human DNA to ensure that all male children be born gay, and all female children be born lesbians. A new society is born. 

In the year 2300 Dr. Smith’s descendants are ushering in the twenty fourth century having maintained control of the government that still rules society. Twins Aiya and Aiyan are preparing to meet their matches and take control of House Gaeland, the current ruling House. But not everything is as it seems. 

Love is Love.. it knows no gender and doesn’t conform to restrictions and boundaries. Aiyan has found his soul mate in Kaden, the prince of House Devi that he is matched with and eventually marries. But when the person Aiya falls in love with tests the boundaries put in place after GWI, all hell breaks loose. And in the midst of one secret unraveling, another will emerge. There is a growing anomaly that threatens to destroy over two hundred years of progression. This anomaly is known as Opposites.

*WARNING* Opposites is an Adult Dystopian majorly M/M series that 4x6thelibrary_largecontains explicit sexual content and relationships between gay, lesbian and straight couples.*

Categories: Adult dystopian majorly MM romance. I market as an LGBT romance because I have gay, straight and lesbian couples.

Excerpt:

Standing outside the door to the room Kaden barely occupied, Aiyan placed his hands on either side of him planting him against the wall. He stared at Kaden for several moments before he smiled, and kissed him. Kaden pulled back and shot a warning glare at him.

“You should go.” Kaden whispered breathlessly. “Goodnight Aiyan.”

Aiyan grinned that crooked smile and planted a kiss on his neck and whispered, “Go where, here?” He moved up and nipped Kaden’s ear lobe with his teeth. “Or here?” he asked. Kaden was beginning to slide down the wall as his legs turned to jelly.

Aiyan stood back laughing, his eyes glistened and he smiled. “Goodnight Kaden, I love you.” Placing a quick peck on his lips, he turned to go.

“And I you.” Kaden said and closed the door behind him before sinking to the floor, no longer able to support himself. He ran the tips of his fingers across his still tingling lips, and smiled.
Pages or Words: 199 pages (Opposites)

Contest:  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: Three different winners. 1/e-book copy of 1 book in the series (winners choice) 2/$15 Amazon e-gift card 3/ Surprise Swag pack (US only shipping).

Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway


21952171Tour Dates & Stops:

5-Mar

Velvet Panic

The Hat Party

12-Mar

Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

Amanda C. Stone

19-Mar

The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat

Inked Rainbow Reads

26-Mar

MM Good Book Reviews

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

Prism Book Alliance

2-Apr

Love Bytes

Parker Williams

9-Apr

Emotion in Motion

Bayou Book Junkie

16-Apr

BFD Book Blog

Charley Descoteaux

23-Apr

Molly Lolly

Cate Ashwood

Dawn’s Reading Nook

A Stella Review: Jumping In (ALPHAS #6) by Cardeno C.

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

 

When love’s on the line, the brave jump in with both feet…



Jumping In CoverSmall town cop Clint Rivera can’t catch a break. His ex of two weeks is suddenly getting married, his dogs tore up his furniture, he’s getting evicted, and he’s out of beer. When he decides to solve his alcohol shortage by going to his ex’s engagement party, Clint winds up too drunk to drive himself home.

Enter gorgeous deputy mayor Hawk Black, the man who constantly shows up unexpectedly and sends Clint’s body and mind into a tailspin with nothing but his whiskey voice and blue eyes. After months of patience, Hawk can finally seduce the man he’s been craving.

Clint’s day might not have started out well, but Hawk’s going to make sure it ends with a bang, preferably in bed. He’ll show Clint some rewards are worth the risk. With love on the line, Clint will need to decide if he can open his heart, tear down his shields, and jump in with both feet.

Jumping In by Cardeno C is the story of Clint, a small town cop, and Hawk, the new deputy mayor. Clint moved halfway across the country to start a new life, but being in the closet isn’t what he was looking for. So after breaking up with his boyfriend and  camping for two weeks with his two delicious puppies, he comes home to discover his ex boyfriend (of just two weeks) is going to be married. This news will be just the first of a few things that will make his day really bad . Luckly at the end of it, he will find a hot deputy who knows everything about his life and is just waiting for Clint to open his eyes and his heart, only if Clint can stop fantasizing and thinking out loud about Hawk’s (lack of) underwear while talking to him!

This is the first book I read in the ALPHAS series from All Romance eBooks. I was really hoping in something better but I can understand the story, being so short, couldn’t be more developed and everything moved very quickly. Cardeno C is an auto buy author to me, I can see her style in it but Jumping In definitely doesn’t do justice to her works.

This too short story was a funny and light read, romantic but not so realistic to me as the previous books I read by the same author. Nevertheless I liked it. We have two sexy alpha men simply explosive together and the sex really hot. I loved the chemistry between them and the dialogues too, made the story very engaging.

Cover artist- unknown.  Nothing special about not just this one but the covers of all the series. Not a bad one but surely not eye catching.

Sales Links:  Available only at All Romance (ARe)

Published February 6th 2015 by OmniLit / All Romance eBooks, LLC
ebook, 58 pages
ISBN13 9781936387830
Edition language English
Series:  ARe Alphas, #6

 

A BJ Review: Wizard’s Moon by Josh Lanyon

Rating:  4.5 stars out of 5

“I wish to buy a boy.”

Wizard's Moon coverA handsome one-eyed stranger visits a whoremaster asking to buy a boy and ends up with Faro. But not everything is as it seems, and Faro soon comes to question whether he was purchased for the reasons he’d assumed.

This is not your typical Josh Lanyon, although there is a kernel of mystery to be found. Lyrical and lush writing wrapped me up like a blanket as it whisked me away to another place/time. Knowing this story was short, I deliberately chose not to read it all in one sitting. Because Josh Lanyon writing a rentboy fantasy? I knew this was one to be savored slowly.

Often the fantasy genre invests a lot of storytelling time into world building, sometimes to the point where the story get bogged down in it. I was delighted that it wasn’t the case here. The author gave just the right amount of detail to create an extremely satisfying visual of a dark and moody world that I want to explore.

All the characters were rich and interesting, even those we see for only a short time such as the whoremaster at the beginning and the witch-wife near the end. Moren Ke creeped me out, such evil in a beautiful package. And Faro and Jaxon Re had me intrigued from the beginning. Their connection and chemistry came across well despite the speed of its development.

In the short forty-six pages of this well-written book, we have sexy men, suspense, magic, torture, knife play, angst, sex and mayhem. What more could one ask for? Well, I do wish it had been longer, but overall this is a yummy tidbit.

Lanyon indicates in the afterward that the story was written some time ago. I’m glad he released it for us, but my wish is that he’d expand on it. The end left all sorts of possibilities. Mr. Lanyon, more please?

Cover Artist: ?   Those beautiful eyes in such an intense and sad face set against the lush mysterious background screamed fantasy as it caught my eye. When I saw the author name snugged in small amidst the title, it was an instant had to read.

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


Book Details:

ebook, 46 pages
Published March 8th 2015 by JustJoshin Publishing, Inc.
ISBN139781937909772
edition languageEnglish

A Mika Review: Signs by Anna Martin

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Signs coverAfter spending most of his life in special schools, Caleb Stone now faces public high school in his senior year, a prospect that both excites him and threatens to overwhelm his social anxiety. As a deaf teenager, he’s closed himself off to the world. He speaks a shorthand with his parents and even finds it hard to use American Sign Language with people in his local deaf community. But Caleb finds comfort in his love of photography. Everything he can’t express in real life, he posts on his Tumblr.

Struggling to reconcile his resentment for his father’s cruelty with the grief of losing a parent, Luc Le Bautillier scrolls through Tumblr searching for someone who might understand his goth look and effeminate nature. When Luc reblogs a photo by Caleb, sparking a conversation, they both find it easier to make friends online than in person.

Luc and Caleb confront their fears about the opinions of the outside world to meet in New York City. Despite Caleb’s increasing confidence, his parents worry he’s not ready for the trials ahead. But communication comes in many forms—when you learn the signs.

Anna Martin’s writing usually goes two ways for me. I either love it enough that it’s a 5 star read, or it’s a DNF for me. I was super skeptical of reading this because of the blurb.  My main weakness is hurt/comfort, throw in a disability and I’m trapped. I read this book and one sitting and I feel in love with the characters.

I love the main characters of the story, not so much the execution. I’m giving 5 stars for Luc & Caleb because this was a love story between two sweet boys. That’s my basic description of the story. I’m not really sold on the writing aspect as much as the character development. Let me explain; she was able to bring the most vulnerable boys together and put them together to show they had the strength and determination in them all along.

Luc is this short, emo/goth twink who was just living. Not really doing anything but waiting for high school to be over and move to Seattle to face his dreams. He is closed off to the world, and most of it is because that’s they way he wants it. He grew up with no comfort, love from his parents except from his sister who basically was his surrogate mother. I love Ilse… his sister was so supportive. I definitely liked her as soon as she entered the picture. Caleb was the total opposite of Luc he is this 18 year old boy  in Boston, who lives with his parents who are his biggest support system. Caleb wants the normal, he wants the friends at school, he wants to answer question when the teachers ask them. They meet through Tumblr through Caleb’s photography blog and Luc’s music blog it’s sweet and mostly innocent. From there we definitely see the characters develop really fast. Caleb has this protective streak for Luc, it’s adorable. It is a definite re-read for me.

They meet, fall in love with each other and we just see them shine in different roles. I loved that Luc feels the need to take charge on some things regarding Caleb’s well being. I like the Caleb knows Luc well enough to expect unexpected visits. I fell in love with these two boys. That’s it, that’s all there is for me. I would have really liked to see what happened after the summer. Where do these two go? What happened to the question Caleb asked Luc using finger ASL? I would have liked an epilogue for these two, but again they bring a smile to my face just writing this review.

Cover Art by. Ethan James Photography. I loved this picture so much, it definitely reminded me of Caleb all the way. He is one of my favorite characters by this author.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press eBook & Paperback   All Romance (ARe)  Amazon   Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 200 pages
Expected publication: March 20th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781632168115
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.dreamspinn

In the Spotlight: The Jewel Cave by Elizabeth Noble (author interview and contest)

STRW In The Spotlight Header

 The Jewel Cave by Elizabeth Noble
Release Date: April 1, 2015
Goodreads Link

JCBanner300x250

 

And Now An Interview with Elizabeth Noble…

Q. What was the inspiration behind the Title The Jewel Cave or is that going into spoiler territory?

Jewel Cave National Monument is an actual place. A good portion of the story and back story happen in that area.

Q. It sound as though the story contains a stalking element or a character with an obsession. Do you treat that as a person with an illness or with criminal inclinations or both?

In the story I’ve treated this as someone who develops an obsession due to illness. The stalker doesn’t see life properly because of his illness. This is often the case in real life. I tried very hard not to blame the stalker for his illness, but for his actions. He takes that obsession to the point of criminal activity.

Q. Again what prompted you to include such a topical subject matter into your plot?

It’s a fact of life, people commit crimes and sometimes hurt other people. Mainly I wanted to write a story about two men who are faced with adversity and how they work to survive and overcome those traumatic events. I wanted to tell a story that showed bad events don’t always have to tear people apart, but can sometimes make them stronger and bring them closer together.

Q. As a dog lover myself (3 terriers), I do admit to loving an animal element in the story (pets, what have you) but it can go wrong if not handled in a way that readers will accept. The pet gets hurt, or disappears halfway through the story never to reappear. How do you balance the needs of the reader with the needs of your plot?

First of all I have to say I’m a veterinary nurse and no pet is killed in my books. One or two might die of old age, that’s it. I treat the animals I use in my books the same way I do my human characters as far as continuity and wrapping up their part of the story.

In many of my books a dog or horse becomes a supporting character. This is the case in Jewel Cave. The dogs play important parts in the crime, investigation and aftermath of the events.

Q. Or do you feel that is even something an author should take into consideration?

The animals I write are characters. For me it’s something I have to take into consideration.

Q. I have to ask you,what dogs own you?

Right now I own (more like I am owned by and live to serve) an utterly delightful canine princess named Rosie. I’ve had her since she was three and a half weeks old, she’s 10 now. She’s a rescue and a collie/corgi type mix. She was the inspiration for one of the dogs in the book, Fern.

Q. Do you write what you love to read?

 

Very much so. In genres I mean? Yes. I love mystery/suspense and action as well as scifi. I think it’s great there are so many of these types of books that also feature M/M relationships.
Q. What’s next for Elizabeth Noble?

I’ve just completed the manuscript for book one of an espionage series featuring a few of the guys from The Sleepless City series I wrote with Anne Barwell. The last two books of that series will be out later this year. Anne wrote book #3 and I brought up the caboose with book #4.

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

About author Elizabeth Noble

Elizabeth Noble started telling stories before she actually knew how to write, and her family was very happy when she learned to put words on a page. Those words turned into fan fiction that turned into a genuine love of M/M romance fiction. Being able to share her works with Dreamspinner is really a dream come true. She has a real love for a good mystery complete with murder and twisty plots as well as all things sci-fi, futuristic, and supernatural and a bit of an unnatural interest in a super-volcano in Wyoming.

Elizabeth has three grown children and is now happily owned by an adorable mixed breed canine princess named Rosie, and two cats, Murphy and Yeti. She lives in her native northeast Ohio, the perfect place for gardening, winter and summer sports (go Tribe!). When she’s not writing she’s working as a veterinary nurse, so don’t be surprised to see her men with a pet or three who are a very big part of their lives.

Two of Elizabeth’s books have received Honorable Mentions in the Rainbow Awards.

Author Contact:
Website  http://www.elizabeth-noble.com
Circles website: http://elizabeth-noble-circles.weebly.com/
Dreamspinner Circles Page
Dreamspinner Author Arcade
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.noble.77
Tsu: https://www.tsu.co/ElizabethNoble
Google+ pages:  https://plus.google.com/110207268360224371489/posts
Twitter: @elizabethnoble1

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist:

Sales Links:

STRW Author BookSynopsis

Through ten wonderful years Griff Diamond and Clint Bishop weathered good times and bad together. Lately they haven’t spent as much time together as they’d like, and their physical relationship is suffering. Then Clint loses his job at the steel mill. Instead of worrying, he sees it as an opportunity to lean on his steady partner, start his writing career, and rekindle the passion they’ve lost.

But a friendly relationship with another author turns to obsession, putting Clint’s life in danger. Taken against his will to the Jewel Cave system in South Dakota, Clint must rely on the skills he’s learned from Griff to survive.

Fearing the worst, Griff tracks Clint across the country. As a US Marshall, Griff’s always been the man who keeps everyone safe, but he doesn’t know how he and Clint will survive this.

Categories: Contemporary, Crime Fiction, Gay Fiction, Mystery, Romance

SMJewel Cave Final 12614 copy

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

It was time to back away from Dylan, what had been a friendship had definitely shifted to territory uncomfortable to Clint. He didn’t want to hurt Dylan’s feelings. He’d tried sending a few emails telling Dylan some of his pictures weren’t appreciated, but it did no good. The guy was either dense or stubborn.

Unlike some of his other friends, Clint knew nothing about Dylan’s family or the people who lived near him. As far as Clint could tell, Dylan was alone in the world, and his sudden attachment to Clint was starting to feel creepy. So, lately, Clint had been taking longer and longer to answer emails and tried to keep subjects of conversation as neutral as possible or focused on writing projects.

The pictures Clint deleted. Griff would flip if he ever knew about those photos, not that Clint would blame him in the least. He would have loved to share some of his other concerns about Dylan’s wellbeing with Griff, but Clint knew the man would turn Dylan into one of America’s Most Wanted in under a minute.

Such was the hazard of sharing his life with a US Deputy Marshal.

He’d made a vow to himself long ago he’d never use Griff’s job or badge unless there was a solid, valid reason. Someone he’d known for a few years all of a sudden annoying him online was not solid or valid in Clint’s mind. Clint kept reminding himself Dylan was lonely and had no family. He was probably merely one of those people who didn’t get the concept of boundaries. That didn’t make him a criminal, just socially awkward.

Clint nearly jumped out of his skin when someone’s strong arm snaked around his waist and pulled him back against a firm body. Warm breath blew in his ear along with the words, “You left the door unlocked again. I could be the neighborhood whack job here to bludgeon you to death after defiling you.”

“You scared the crap out of me!” Clint yelped, trying to squirm away, but it was useless. “You’re the guy on this street with all the big guns.” Behind him Griff chuckled and used one finger to move Clint’s hair away from his neck. He pressed a soft kiss to the spot. Clint glared down at the dogs. “And you two! You need watchdog lessons.”

Griff gave a little jerk forward with his hips and snickered. “And those big guns are all yours.” He let go of Clint, turned him, and shook him by the shoulders for a second. “Lock the goddamn doors. Even if someone smashes through the storm door, you’ll at least hear them.” He raised his eyebrows and leaned away from Clint, letting him go. “For me. Please. ’Cause the only defiling that goes on in this house is done by me.”

Clint burst out laughing. Griff’s blue-gray eyes twinkled, and the corners crinkled in a way Clint loved when Griff smiled. “Sorry, I’m late,” Griff said. He used his free hand to pet the dogs.

Pages or Words: 42,000 words

STRW Spotlight Contest Header

 

Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-book copy of The Jewel Cave. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Rafflecopter link and prizes provided by Pride Promotions.

Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

JCRC

Tour Dates/Tour Stops:

25-Mar

Inked Rainbow Reads

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

Multitasking Mommas

Hearts on Fire

1-Apr

MM Good Book Reviews

Dawn’s Reading Nook

Smoocher’s Voice

Nephylim

Parker Williams

8-Apr

Romancing The Book

Because Two Men Are Better Than One

Velvet Panic

Love Bytes

Cate Ashwood

15-Apr

Jade Crystal

Molly Lolly

Fallen Angel Reviews

Bayou Book Junkie

22-Apr

Wake Up Your Wild Side

Queer Town Abbey

BFD Book Blog

Christy Loves 2 Read

The Blogger Girls

Foxylutely Book Reviews

Amanda C. Stone

6-May

3 Chicks After Dark

Prism Book Alliance

13-May

Rainbow Gold Reviews

My Fiction Nook

Barb, A Zany Old Lady Review: Light from the Dark by Mercy Celeste

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Light from the Dark coverI really like Mercy’s Celeste’s work so it’s not unusual for me to expect a good story from her, but this one is the best I’ve ever read! My first thoughts upon completion: awesome, complex, convoluted plot, extremely damaged yet loveable MCs, an intriguing mystery, amazing sex, and a story that will remain with me for quite a while.

The blurb doesn’t do justice to the full scope of this story, but in a nutshell—former US Marshal Micah Beasley, tired of living with the guilt and negative thoughts of the disaster his last job took, decides to accept a job offer as bodyguard for what he assumes is a spoiled rich kid who can’t (or won’t) leave his house. Thinking it will be a cakewalk, when asked what salary he’d like, he asks for a million dollars. Imagine his shock when he gets it!

Christopher (Kit) Auberon is all that’s left of the very wealthy and powerful Auberon family. Unable to speak, scarred from spending two years in prison for the attempted murder of his uncle, white-haired from that same imprisonment, he’s also a brilliant computer gamer. Loner doesn’t begin to describe his isolated existence, however.

Unfortunately, recent break-ins at his supposedly secure estate, coupled by escalating memories of a time when he was kidnapped as a child after seeing his parents killed, are sending Kit into a place in his mind from which he may never return.

The scope of the story is so huge that I need to break it down a bit to do justice to a review. Starting with the MCs—first, Micah Beasley, blond, muscular, with a scar that slices his face on one side, former US Marine, former US Marshal, not out to his family, burdened by guilt connected to his last case when his work partner, Heath, was killed along with the child they were protecting. Heath was also his lover, and Micah feels that if they hadn’t taken fifteen minutes for a quickie before picking up the little girl, she wouldn’t have been killed, Heath wouldn’t have died, and Micah might have some semblance of a career left. Instead, his affair with his married co-worker comes out in the investigation, and Micah is relieved of duty, retired quietly, and sent on his way. Stewing over all of this for over six months, he’s shocked when his name is suggested for the bodyguard position but realizes it might be just what he needs to join the living again.

Kit Auberon was only eight years old when he was kidnapped from the scene where both his parents were murdered and their home burned to the ground. When he later wanders into a convenience store, covered in blood, he’s unable to speak and has no memory of what happened or where he’s been. And if that isn’t bad enough, we learn that he has psychotic episodes in which he shuts down completely after exhibiting violent behavior. During one of these when he was only a young teen, he attacked his uncle with scissors and nearly killed him. His uncle refused to back off and Kit was sent to a horrible mental institution for two years during which he was physically and mentally abused. When he was finally released to the custody of his grandfather’s chosen guardians, his hair had turned completely white, he had scars all over his body, and he faced a long road back to recovery. The experiences this young man went through in the past and goes through in the present in this story, are heartbreaking and tragic. This reviewer came to love him, his strength of character, his will to continue to fight his demons, his brilliance in putting his intellect to work by creating computer games and tweaking artificial voice controls in order for him to communicate with those around him. He alternates between sign language and the computerized voice, and I found myself wishing I could be there to help him in some way.

Over the course of the first week that Micah is with Kit, Micah discovers that Kit is highly intelligent, sweet and innocent in regards to relationships, definitely a virgin, impotent, and someone with whom Micah could easily fall in love. In fact, he’s one of the only people Kit trusts in his inner circle, outside of the few household staff who have been with him most of his life, and Kit begins to have feelings for Micah as well. Kit’s nickname for Micah is Beastly, not because of the scar which slashes across his face, but because of his lion-hearted strength and his rough blond good looks and hairy body. The two develop a rapport that runs much deeper than either expected, and it’s Micah who is finally able to help Kit fight his darkness and find his way back to stability when their safe environment goes to hell in a handbasket.

The mystery surrounding the childhood kidnapping is eventually revealed in all its complex twists and turns, as is the time Kit spent in the psychiatric facility, and the details of Micah’s own past with the complex situation which led to his dismissal from the department. I swear I was going to get out my spreadsheet and plot a few graphs to help me get through the cast of characters and their relationships to each other, to Kit, and to the mystery itself. At the heart of the last few chapters of the story is the deep and abiding love that Micah has developed for “Chris”, and the mutual understanding and reliance upon each other as they battle their demons and ghosts, both past and present.

I can’t begin to express how very much I enjoyed this story. It’s much more than a simple M/M romance. It’s a journey of two men’s struggles to come out of the depths of despair and fight for stability and happiness in a situation which seems virtually hopeless. I highly recommend this one to lovers of M/M romance, mystery and intrigue, and those who want to have an opportunity to stretch their imaginations to new lengths. Don’t miss this one!

~~~
Cover Art by Reece Notley is a photo of a gruff-looking man in a suit as he holds the jacket closed, showing tension in every line of his body. This is a good representation of MC Micah Beasley and the tension under which he has been living.

Sales Links:       Amazon      Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 246 pages
Published March 6th 2015 by MJC PRess (first published March 5th 2015)
original titleLight from the Dark
edition languageEnglish
url https://mercyceleste.wordpress.com/

A Mika Review: Carry the Ocean (The Roosevelt #1) by Heidi Cullinan

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Normal is just a setting on the dryer. 



carry the ocean coverHigh school graduate Jeremey Samson is looking forward to burying his head under the covers and sleeping until it’s time to leave for college. Then a tornado named Emmet Washington enters his life. The double major in math and computer science is handsome, forward, wicked smart, interested in dating Jeremey—and he’s autistic.

But Jeremey doesn’t judge him for that. He’s too busy judging himself, as are his parents, who don’t believe in things like clinical depression. When his untreated illness reaches a critical breaking point, Emmet is the white knight who rescues him and brings him along as a roommate to The Roosevelt, a quirky new assisted living facility nearby.

As Jeremey finds his feet at The Roosevelt, Emmet slowly begins to believe he can be loved for the man he is behind the autism. But before he can trust enough to fall head over heels, he must trust his own conviction that friendship is a healing force and love can overcome any obstacle.

Warning: Contains characters obsessed with trains and counting, positive representations of autism and mental illness, a very dark moment, and Elwood Blues.

It has to be something in the air with these MM NA (new adult) books. I’ve read two back to back and fell in love with characters from both books. I would never have picked up this book if it wasn’t for the cover which is beautifully done and a friends review of it. I read this book in one sitting, and I will reread it again. I found myself crying uncontrollably because Emmet was amazing. He did things or said things that just warmed my heart.

Emmet is one of the bravest guys I’ve ever read about. His explanation of things and willingness to do them just kept on exciting me. Every little step he’s taken was with precaution and determination. He didn’t allow his Autism or Brain Octopus dictate his life. I love that when he needed help he reached out to his family. I liked that he took out time for Jeremey and explained certain things to him. From that first moment of him on the page his reasoning was so well thought out. I liked that the writing kind of related to how he would speak. I loved that he knew he was different in a certain aspect but didn’t want that to be his main focus. I love his parents and his aunt. His support system is amazing. I like they he thinks of Jeremey well being constantly.

Here’s the thing, I know a lot of people won’t like Jeremey, but I did. I don’t think it’s fair to be frustrated with him because I don’t live with major depressive disorder or clinical anxiety. I’ve never once felt the way he had. I don’t know what it is like to feel like I’m carrying everyone’s emotions. I don’t know what it feels like to have my brain go against me. I don’t know how those dark times control everything about me. I don’t know what it feel’s like to be scared all of the time. I don’t know what it feel’s like to not have a voice. That is how Jeremey feels, and I’m okay with that. Sure I found it extremely frustrating how hard he was on himself, or him standing up for himself. I get it though and I Hate that he didn’t love himself enough back then to get help.

I think Jeremey became complacent in his life, and I would have hated to see how he would have acted if his parents for college on him. I HATED his parents; they were inexcusable by their actions. I kind of felt that way towards his sister as well, and I know I shouldn’t but no one was there for him after his panic attack.

I really enjoyed the pace and flow of the story and really liked the relationship between the two guys. The writing was really good.

Cover Art by Kanaxa. I absolutely loved this cover. It’s what drew me in at the first place. I think it’s a great visual for how these two books carry things around. I love that it’s most likely Jeremey’s reasoning for how he feels about stuff. It is really beautiful.

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

Book Details:

ebook
Expected publication: April 7th 2015 by Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
original titleCarry the Ocean
ISBN139781978161922
edition languageEnglish
url http://www.heidicullinan.com/Carry_the_Ocean
seriesThe Roosevelt #1

In The Spotlight: Driven By Fire by Draven St. James (excerpt and contest)

STRW In The Spotlight Header

Driven by Fire (Firehouse Six #4) by Draven St. James
Cover Artist: Dar Albert

Release Date: March 24, 2015

Goodreads LinkSMDSJ_Driven by Fire

Firefighters are hot!  Draven St. James’ firefighters from Firehouse 6 are back in Drive By Fire.  Check out the blurb and excerpt below and don’t forget to enter the contest at the end of the post!  Happy reading.

STRW Author BookSynopsis

Publisher: Loose ID
Cover Artist: Dar Albert
Sales Link:  Loose id  Amazon  All Romance (ARe)

About Driven By Fire:

Taber Delane is lucky to be alive, but his career as a firefighter ended
the day a beam snapped, resulting in a crushing spinal injury. Most of his
friends are willing to give him space, everyone except paramedic,
Deacon Hall.

Deacon hasn’t met a challenge he couldn’t tackle and he knows Taber
needs someone in his corner who isn’t afraid to stand up to the big bad
fireman. The longer he’s around Taber, the more the sexy vulnerability
of the man comes through. Deacon finds he doesn’t just want to be
Taber’s live-in caregiver, he wants a chance at the passionate man
beneath the stubborn shell.

A shell that is cracking, no matter how Taber tries to hold it together.
Deacon being in his home starts to open him up—and open his eyes to
the man Deacon hides from the rest of the world. Without seeing it
coming, Taber soon craves more. A lot more.

Now if only Deacon can get Taber to see that it isn’t so bad having him
there to assist. Even if and maybe especially when Taber is naked,
dripping wet, and angry as hell.

Pages or Words: 43,556 words

Categories: Contemporary, Erotica, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance

DSJBannerTemplate

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

from Driven By Fire...

“You’re not giving me a sponge bath,” Taber snapped and glowered at Deacon as he wheeled himself into the locker bay. The sweat ran down his temples, his shirt soaked through with it. He took in his motionless legs and grimaced before shooting Deacon another irritated look.

Deacon sat with his feet on one of the peeling dark blue benches, his back reclined against a bank of gray lockers along the far wall in the physical therapy building. A book was balanced on his knees, and black-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. His shaggy auburn hair fell to curl around his ears in disarray.

Deacon peered at him with pale green eyes. “There go my dreams of rubbing you down and tweeting the pics.”

 

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

Draven St. James is a born and raised Oregonian. She has traveled extensively in search of mischief and mayhem to fill her books. Her ventures have been quite successful in inspiring a wealth of stories. Of course at the end of the day, coffee within reach, laptop at the ready is where she finds her peace.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/draven.stjames
Facebook Author Page: https://dravenstjames.wordpress.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DravenStJames
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/dravenstjames/

DSJBanner300x250

Tour Stops and Dates:

Parker Williams, Bayou Book Junkie, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, My Fiction Nook, BFD Book Blog, Amanda C. Stone, Divine Magazine, Molly Lolly, Inked Rainbow Reads, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Kimi-Chan, Carly’s Book Reviews, Kristy’s Brain Food, Decadent Delights, Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Bike Book Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews, Because Two Men Are Better Than One, LeAnn’s Book Reviews, The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, 3 Chicks After Dark, Rainbow Gold Reviews

STRW Spotlight Contest Header

Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: A book from Draven’s backlist. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Rafflecopter link and prize provided by Pride Promotions.

Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Sammy Review: Song of the Lonesome Cowboy (The Society of Masters ) by Lynn Kelling

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

If William could find love and escape oppressors, find his own kind of happiness, maybe there was hope for all of us—myself included. I wanted to write a song about that—the struggle to own your dreams, to chase them and hold on no matter who tried to kick you down. Sometimes it was like love and happiness was a big bucking bull, trying to knock you off, to bolt free or throw you into the dirt, and all you could do was hold on and pray.

Song of the Lonesome Cowboy coverThey say that fame comes with a price. For many people that price means their privacy, the constant, watchful eyes of people just waiting for you to mess up so they can catch it on camera. That’s one payment for fame, but for Tucker, that’s barely a paper cut compared to the way his debts have been paid.

He sold himself to get where he is now, famous and just finishing a tour with his best friend. For six years he’s had a shadow following him, haunting him inside and out. The end of the tour and a champagne delivery bring that shadow into view, looming even greater.

Jess Grayville, a member of the band, seems to be the only one to see through the facade Tucker’s carefully constructed and always thought he held in place so well. But Jess isn’t just going to let him drift along anymore, but in order to move on, Tucker will need to face unimaginable demons, starting with himself.

Everyone had secrets. People wanted to fit you into a neat little box, but life wasn’t like that. We were all more complicated than we appeared to be on the outside. It was a good thing, something to be thankful for. All of those unexpected details were what gave people and circumstances their beauty.

First, I want to put it out there that I’m a fairly heartless person when it comes to books. Yeah, I feel what they write, but I don’t really become captivated easily. When people say dark, I often expect it to be a difficult topic with a lot of angst and pain thrown on top of it. This book I would consider to be truly dark – not just an imitation of the theme.

The author doesn’t simply skim by horrible memories of rape and abuse, Ms. Kelling takes them head on and in graphic detail. The thing is, as horrible as it is, she doesn’t do it just to have these scenes thrown in. They serve a purpose, a point… they are necessary to understanding Tucker and his pain. I truly felt my heartstrings being pulled on during this book, and the sadness ran quite deep. To put it simply, this book is not for the faint of heart. At times, it’s literally like reading someone’s living nightmare.

So why do it? Well, because books like this give me faith in humanity. They show people in their darkest, most vulnerable moments, and then it gives them hope. Is this hope always easy? No. It’s difficult and oftentimes tragic, the road is rocky, but the fact is that there is a road, and these are stories worth telling.

The author did a fantastic job of capturing the thought process of someone with an abusive past. There was conflicted thoughts and Tucker really went through a process with himself, one that continued even after the last page. There was no easy fix, and I appreciated the reality in that.

Now to the relationship, which really was not, in my eyes, the primary focus of this story, but it was a really lovely part. I really enjoyed seeing them come together. I would’ve loved to find out more about Jess though, as I felt his story was half told. But still, I appreciated their love and how they grew together.

The story was hard to get through but it was still a good book. Unfortunately, the cover by Siolnatine is a complete no go for me. I appreciate the symbolism of things such as the chains and the dark background, but beyond that, it’s really not an attractive cover for a good book.

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

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 270 pages
Published February 10th 2015 by Fantastic Fiction Publishing
original titleSong of the Lonesome Cowboy
ASINB00S8HLP9C
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://forbidden-fiction.com/library/story/LK1-1.000185
seriesThe Society of Masters