Two men face different challenges in their lives. Can the two of them find a happy life together despite the odds?
Michael Campbell struggles to get by in life. Unable to keep a job for more than a few weeks, Michael thinks he has screwed up his latest effort to keep a job by being late for work once again. His boss is on the verge of firing Michael but relents. Michael must stay late to make up for the time that he missed that morning. Near lunchtime, Michael points out what appears to be a drunk walking near the school property where he is currently working.
Joshua Stone struggles to get by in life. Born with cerebral palsy, Joshua has a hard time moving around. Unable to drive, Joshua uses a tricycle to get to where he needs to go. However, whenever he is tired, Josh’s movements are even more labored than they normally are. He gets upset when one of the construction workers thinks he is drunk.
After school Joshua is having troubles getting to his trike so that he can go home. The construction worker who he thought was a jerk apologizes for any offense he caused earlier for not knowing of his condition. Michael then offers to give Joshua a ride home as he sees Joshua is clearly struggling just moving, much less trying to pedal a bike home.
During the drive home, the two men begin to learn about the other. Joshua cannot believe that this hunk might be flirting with him. Michael learns about Joshua’s condition and the struggles he must live through. After Michael leaves, Joshua realizes that Michael has driven off with his backpack. With no way to contact Michael, how will he get it back?
I enjoyed this book and the main characters a lot. Both have questions going into the relationship. Michael is not sure that a disabled person could be gay. Joshua cannot believe someone as good looking as Michael could be interested in someone as damaged as he is. The romance grows just like any other with a couple of limitations due to Joshua’s disability. This is another sweet story from the author. At the end of the book, the author gives a preview of the sequel called “Against All Odds.”
The cover art by Valerie Tibbs shows our two protagonists above a bridge or park. The images convey what I would think our two men would look like.
Book Details:
ebook, 114 pages
Published June 3rd 2015 by Dreamspinner Press LLC
original titleDespite the Odds
ISBN139781634760263
edition languageEnglish
series: Odds Are #1
Being a witch doesn’t mean one can beat the devil forever.
Jeffrey Overton, unemployed IT professional turned poker player, pushes his luck once too often and runs afoul of the host of an illegal card club. The man sent to escort Jeffrey to a “meeting” about his supernatural winning streak arrives at Jeffrey’s crappy North Portland apartment, lock-picking tools in hand and a charm to block Jeffrey’s magick.
Head muscle for said host, Mike Wells, is a Daisy from Daisyville. He isn’t a witch. What he lacks in magickal talent he makes up for in brawn, so he doesn’t expect the guy he’s after to overpower him. But once Mike renders Jeffrey helpless, he’d rather seduce him than bring him in.
Jeffrey and Michael ditch the “meeting” and end up hunting some of the same people they ran from, trying to get Jeffrey back into his own body. And that’s only part of the adventure. The pair travel halfway across the country on the quietest road trip in history and find missing people, empire-building witches, and maybe even the families they’d both thought lost to them.
Last week four lovely blogs hosted excerpts from Jeffrey’s point of view. This week, it’s Michael’s turn. The Pinch of the Game is a Romance, but it’s also an adventure story. With magick and mayhem—my favorite kind!
Michael
By the time we were three hours out, I wasn’t sure if I’d strangle Jeff with my hands or my cock. The guy talked nonstop and thought he was damned clever. We made Pendleton and I couldn’t take it anymore and pulled off.
“Are we there yet?”
I tried to growl at him—heard it’s intimidating. He kept grinning. And he didn’t stop when I pulled into a Motel 6 parking lot and killed the engine. He made a soft purring noise when I reached over, and for a heartbeat I hesitated. But then I grabbed both of his thumbs, slipped a tie around his wrists, and zipped it tight.
“Hey!”
“It’s for your own good. Just sit here and be quiet. I’ll be right back.”
I didn’t expect him to still be there, but he hadn’t even tried to escape. I grabbed his bag from the trunk and tossed a long-sleeved shirt over his arms to hide the tie. Unlikely anyone would notice, but I wasn’t looking to make any more new friends. In fact during the drive I’d seriously questioned my sanity and hadn’t heard a reasonable answer yet. What the hell was I doing? Sure, I’d thought about quitting, getting another kind of job, but seriously—how the hell was this going to end?
Bloody, is how.
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.
Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $10 gift card and backlist book of choice. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by Pride Promotions and the author.
After being abandoned by his mates, Shiki Kirishima, beta of the Dragons of the Fang werewolf tribe, returns to his home in Tokyo.
Crippled by grief, Shiki decides to end it all by going into the territory of the Siberian Killers tribe and challenging them to a battle to the death.
His death.
Ganzorig, beta of the Siberian Killers, however, sees the potentially disastrous consequences of having Shiki die in battle.
Instead, he saves him.
Having suffered loss himself, Ganz takes it upon himself to help Shiki deal with his pain.
Blake, Shikiís best friend since childhood, is as determined to show him there is life after a wolfís ultimate loss.
Could there also be something ëmoreí for them after friendship?
Book Trailer
Pre-order Links
Donít miss the Tickle Me Pink sale on the Wayward Ink Publishing site ñ 25% off all list prices.
When I got to my apartment, I wasnít feeling any better. I was restless and hurting and angry as fuck and their mixed scents in my place werenít doing me any favors. I fumbled with the backpack I had dropped on the floor of my living room, trying to find my phone. I was greeted by a dozen or more messages from Vicks, one of my twinís mates. Since she had mated my brother she had this weird connection to me too and could feel whenever I was experiencing strong emotions for an extended period. I assumed everything that had happened since yesterday would qualify for that. I sent a quick ìIíll be fineî type of reply to stop her from harassing me and went through my contacts.
Even if I hadnít called that particular number in a couple of months, it was still at the top of my favorites list. He was my best friend since childhood, so it made sense Iíd call him more than anyone else. It just hit me then that Iíd been so lost in my own life, I barely had time to catch up with him or my family unless something critical was going on. I pressed the call button and plastered the phone to my ear, pacing around the room as it rang a few times.
ìCome on, Blake, fucking pick up!î I hung up and tried again. I really needed to talk to my best friend right now. It rang twice and went straight to voicemail. Hearing Blakeís voice brought tears to my eyes and something snapped inside of me.
ìBlake, I wish youíd have picked up the phone.î I laughed softly, shaking my head. ìItís funny, I think this is the first time I call you and you donít pick up. Either wayÖ thanks for being my friend, chibi. IÖ I donítÖ.î I lowered the hand that was holding my phone and let my head fall back, taking a few deep breaths. ìBlakey, tell everyone I love them andÖ yeah, those who know me, really know me, will understand. Sayonara, chibi-tan.î
I hung up and let the rage take over. I turned around at impossible speed and threw the phone with a loud roar. It hit the wall and shattered into a million pieces. I was crying. I knew because I could feel the heaves and tears, but the crushing pain was battling with the anger taking over my mind. I had lost my soul and my reason to live when Iíd lost Kieran and Kayden. What was left of me was nothing more than the warrior inside. A true samurai would not waste away, waiting for death to claim him at the end of a miserable life. Heíd die in battle, an honorable death his final legacy.
My twin, Shishou, my co-beta, Ren, my sister, even BlakeÖ theyíd get it, theyíd explain it properly to my children. They probably wonít understand, just like I hadnít when my parents had left us. I prayed that unlike their father, they would never get to a point in life where theyíd understand this decision of mine. It meant theyíd go through a world of pain and that was the last thing I wanted for Ryuu and Kimmie.
I took off everything but my jeans. No point in having anything else on. Werewolf rules were sometimes mind-boggling. You could shift into your wolf and back, and you always kept one item of clothing. The picks were random and you might be left in nothing but your underwear. Or keep a tight top and nothing else to cover your lower body. It was wise to choose your own clothes for the occasion. I then promptly flashed to the weapons room in the Alpha mansion, right in front of the wall display of my fatherís katana. I kneeled before it, my legs spread, and then bowed deeply. Getting up, I closed the small distance between me and my objective and removed the katana. I glanced at the wakizashi he always used to wear with his katana. Double sword, traditional samurai sign. I decided Iíd use them both, just as he had in his final battle. I unsheathed the two blades and adjusted my grip. With a final bow, I flashed out.
When I took form at my destination, a small shiver coursed through my body. It was pretty cold out here. Well, northern mountains in Mongolia werenít known for their excessive heat in the middle of autumn.
I had chosen Siberian Killer territory, the fastest way to pick a fight with other werewolves. The one rule they had was any shifter that stepped foot on their territory would be killed. Here I was, standing tall, all focused, muscles bulging under the strain and excitement of an impending battle, taunting whoever was nearby.
About the author
Writer, traveler, and coffee addict, ALINA POPESCU has been in love with books all her life. She started writing when she was ten and she has always been drawn to sci-fi, fantasy, and the supernatural realm. Born and raised in Romania, she finds her inspiration in books of all genres, in movies, and the occasional manga comic book. She is a proud geek who needs her fast Internet and gadgets more than she needs air.
Whew! What a day it was yesterday! My Twitter and FB blew up with happiness and excitement as soon as SCOTUS came out with their historic ruling. Even the White House got into the act with a new look! The White House was lit rainbow colors on Friday, June 26, in celebration of the Supreme Court ruling that allows same-sex marriage across the US. The 14 states in which such marriages remained illegal, in the South and Midwest, must now lift their bans. The court’s 5-4 ruling (hell yeah!) is the culmination of decades of campaigning by gay-rights activists. Yesterday, the hopes, dreams, and wishes came true for so many across the nation and we celebrated in our hearts, if not in the streets…dancing with joy! And the media went crazy too!
People changed with pictures to reflect this historic ruling and fireworks and incredible memes were everywhere. Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi made the happiest of vids for Vine, (really don’t miss out on that one), George Takei, and it just kept coming in heartstopping wave after wave…and yes, the tears flowed copiously.
This is truly a Gay Pride Month to end all Pride Months! 2015! A toast and a cheer for Equality for All. Now finally is can just be Marriage-not gay marriage or straight marriage…just marriage. Hell to the Yes!
This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
Sunday, June 28
Its Official! Marriage Equality is Here! This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
Monday, June 29:
The Pinch of the Game by Charley Descoteaux tour and contest
Cate Ashwood & L.J. LaBarthe ‘Brick by Brick’ book blast and giveaway
A Paul B Review: Despite the Odds by Chris T. Kat
A BJ Review: Gremlin’s Last Run (Guardians of the Pattern #2) by Jaye McKenna
Tuesday, June 30:
Devil’s Food at Dusk by MJ O’Shea and Anna Martin Release Tour and Giveaway
A Mika Review: Toy with Me by Annabelle Jacobs
A MelanieM Review: Velocity by Sara York
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Helping Hand by Jay Northcote
Wednesday, July 1:
Lessons for Idle Tongues by Charlie Cochrane Tour and Giveaway
Get Your Kink on With K.C. Wells ‘Make Me Soar’ (Collars and Cuffs #6) Tour and Contest
In the Book Spotlight: Annabelle Jacobs ‘A Casual Thing’ (excerpt and giveaway)
A MelanieM Review: Lessons for Idle Tongues by Charlie Cochrane
A MelanieM Review: Bulldust by d.j. brumb
Thursday, July 2:
A Closer Look at Lissa Kasey ‘Model Citizen’ (excerpt and giveaway)
‘University of Southern Georgia: Davy & Tony’ by Heath Greenfield (contest)
Be Dazzled by E.M. Lynley’s 24-Karat Conspiracy (excerpt and contest)
Ashavan Donovan ‘Andrew’s Prayer’ book blast and giveaway
A MelanieM Review: Cherish the Land (Lang Downs #5) by Ariel Tachna
Best Books of June 2015
Friday, July 3:
Ada Maria Soto ‘Empty Nests’ Keep Me In Mind Tour and contest
A STRW Exclusive: Eli Easton Interviews Her Audiobook Narrator (interview and contest)
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review; How To Howl at the Moon by Eli Easton (audio book)
A Mika Review: Wild Pitch by Sloan Johnson
A MelanieM Review: The Pinch of the Game by Charley Descoteaux
Saturday, July 4th (Happy Independence Day to the USA):
A story too secret, too terrifying—and too shockingly intimate—for Victorian eyes.
A note to the Editor
Dear Henry,
I have been Simon Feximal’s companion, assistant and chronicler for twenty years now, and during that time my Casebooks of Feximal the Ghost-Hunter have spread the reputation of this most accomplished of ghost-hunters far and wide.
You have asked me often for the tale of our first meeting, and how my association with Feximal came about. I have always declined, because it is a story too private to be truthfully recounted and a memory too precious to be falsified. But none knows better than I that stories must be told. So here is it, Henry, a full and accurate account of how I met Simon Feximal, which I shall leave with my solicitor to pass to you after my death.
I dare say it may not be quite what you expect.
Robert Caldwell
September 1914
I can’t believe I’m saying this I like it, but didn’t love The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal by K.J. Charles as much as I normally do her stories. I did not feel like the two mc’s were connected enough for me. I liked some of the stories, some were clever to read about, and a few had me re-reading the sentences to make sure I was reading them right. I’m pretty sure I was confused about the Pieball story, as well as the Priest story. I got it, but all the words in my head were not making sense at all.
As usual K.J. Charles has some memorable characters. I love reading her books, she gets the time frame, setting, and linguistics down packed every time. I liked the anthology style writing that was presented. We have Robert Caldwell who decided to write a short book in the 1900’s based on his experience with Simon Feximal the ghost hunter extraordinaire. From that first meeting to their presumed death was illustrated. It brought forth the introduction of numerous characters, some stand outs like The Fat Man<–*Swooning, Mycroft Holmes is the S***, the Diogenes Club, Miss Kay, Mr. Silence, and the utterly disgusting Mr. Park, and Dr. Berry.
I thought the cast was good, and some of the stories were scary. This is classified as romance and I felt like the relationship between Simon & Robert was nowhere to be found. I was underwhelmed with them. I don’t know if it was the nonexistent communication or the lack of love, but I was not into them like I found myself with her other characters from previous novels. Of course I’ll continue to read Charles’s writing, one not so good book does not disqualify her from being one of my favorite authors writing one of my favorite genres.
Cover Art by Kanaxa: I thought the cover is fitting. It’s the beginning between the two mc’s. The mirror is an important factor to Simon, as the house is important to Robert. I liked the cover; it definitely keeps up with the book setting as well.
ebook, 224 pages
Published June 16th 2015 by Samhain Publishing
ISBN139781619228726
edition languageEnglish
seriesThe Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal
The Caldwell Ghost and Butterflies are previously published short stories. The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal continues and completes Robert Caldwell and Simon Feximal’s story with primarily new material.
Product Warnings
Contains a foul-tempered Victorian ghost-hunter, a journalist who’s too curious for his own good, villainy, horror, butterflies, unusual body modifications, and a lot of tampering with the occult.
Some people might call Avery Babineaux a prick. He’s a hedgehog shifter from an old-money Louisiana family with a penchant for expensive shoes and a reputation for being a judgmental snob. His attitude is why he and his fated mate are estranged. Not that Avery cares. He doesn’t want to be mated to some blue-collar werewolf anyway. Or so he keeps telling himself.
No werewolf likes to be looked down upon, least of all Dylan Green. He doesn’t need a mate, especially not some snotty hedgehog who sneers at his custom motorcycle shop and calls him a grease monkey. But when Avery gets into trouble with a shady loan shark, Dylan can’t stand by and let him be hurt—whether he wants the brat or not.
Yet once Dylan steps into Avery’s world, he realizes there’s more to Avery than his prickly exterior, and that unexpected vulnerability calls to Dylan’s protective instincts. The sassy little hedgehog needs a keeper, and despite their horrible first impressions, Dylan starts to believe he might be the wolf for the job.
Piper Vaughn Bio
Piper Vaughn wrote her first love story at eleven and never looked back. Since then, she’s known that writing in some form was exactly what she wanted to do. A reader at the core, Piper loves nothing more than getting lost in a great book—fantasy, young adult, romance, she loves them all (and has a two thousand book library to prove it!). She grew up in Chicago, in an ethnically diverse neighborhood, and loves to put faces and characters of every ethnicity in her stories, so her fictional worlds are as colorful as the real one. Above all, she believes that everyone needs a little true love in their life…even if it’s only in a book.
Kenzie Cade Bio
Kenzie Cade was born and raised in the South where she spends her days in the sometimes stressful field of private medicine observing interesting people and committing them to memory for later use. When she isn’t reading, experimenting with recipes, or being distracted by social media, Kenzie spends time with her family, friends, and the Pomeranian/Long-haired Chihuahua mix who likes to keep her company while she writes. As a young girl, Kenzie dreamed of princesses and their white knights. As an adult (or sort of adult), she dreams of princes and their proverbial white knights, which she attributes the fellow Arkansan S.E. Hinton and her novel The Outsiders. Writing to keep the fictional voices at bay, Kenzie enjoys the journeys her characters travel to find their happy endings, and she loves the challenge of writing a great love story. Contact Kenzie at kenziecade.author@gmail.com. You can also find her online at her blog: kenziecade.wordpress.com; on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/kenziecade.author; and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/thekenziecade.
Tour Dates & Stops: June 25, 2015
Parker Williams, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Divine Magazine, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Prism Book Alliance, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, BFD Book Blog, Inked Rainbow Reads, Full Moon Dreaming,
Hearts on Fire, Molly Lolly, Bayou Book Junkie, Carly’s Book Reviews, The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat, Wake Up Your Wild Side, MM Good Book Reviews, Cate Ashwood, Amanda C. Stone, It’s Raining Men, Michael Mandrake, The Hat Party, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Multitasking Mommas, Velvet Panic, Three Chicks After Dark, Mikky’s World of Books, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Chris McHart, Nephylim, Kristy’s Brain Food, The Novel Approach, Happily Ever Chapter, Up All Night, Read All Day, Love Bytes, Lexi Ander, Lexi Ander
Contest
Rafflecopter Prize: Copy of the ebook or paperback (when book is released) & $10 gift card to Amazon, ARe, or Barnes & Noble (Winner’s choice)
Rafflecopter Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway
Jin Church is back where he started, alone, wandering, and uncertain of his path. It’s not by choice but by circumstance, as he remembers he’s a werepanther… but not much else. He knows one thing for sure—he needs to find the beautiful blond man who haunts his dreams.
Logan Church is trapped in a living hell. His mate is missing, his tribe is falling apart, and he’s estranged from the son he loves with all his heart. His world is unraveling without his mate by his side, and he has no one to blame but himself.
If Jin can regain his memory and Logan can overcome the threats to his leadership, then perhaps they can resume their lives. The question is: Is that what they want? Back to the same house, the same tribe, the same troubles? They can choose from various roads leading to their future… or they can forge their own path.
When an author or publisher announces a book that ends a beloved series, it unleashes a flood of mixed feelings. Shock…the series is ending? Sadness…I love this series and can’t bear to seem them go. Happiness…I get to read about some of my favorite couples and characters. Fear…how will the series end and will I be happy? Anticipation…how will the author pull it all together and will I be content to let them go? Mary Calmes gave me the perfect answer to all my questions with Forging the Future, the last in the Change of Heart series.
I fell deeply and totally in love with Jin Raine and Logan Church, Mary Calmes’ panther shifters, from the moment I met them in Change of Heart (Change of Heart #1). Each character had such a rich and varied back history to them, it had a interesting location of Reno, Nevada, and the drama that swirled around them was layered, full of pain, discrimination, and race pride. I couldn’t get enough of them or their story. I read the book twice. Finished it the first time and started rereading it all over again. Yep, hooked.
But it wasn’t just the characters that drew me in, it was the fascinating culture and enthralling species history that Mary Calmes built book by book that had its origin in Egypt and egyptian mythology. Especially when the plot and characters ended up on Sobek, Egypt, ancestral home of their kind, then I was riveted. Calmes wove the plight of her characters (often horrific and gutwrenching) into the idea of Egyptian myths come alive and an ancient shifter tribe on the brink of change and the result was gripping and magnificent.
So what does Mary Calmes do with her last Jin and Logan story? She terrifies us! From the very first sentence, the reader is plunged into a living nightmare. It’s Jin at his most heartbreaking and horrific. Jin has been stripped of everything he fought so hard and so long to have. He’s alone, amnesiac, and heartsick, although he doesn’t know why. No Logan, no family or friends or tribe. Its chilling, and his panic and uncertainty becomes ours from the outset. And overtop of what Jin is feeling is the fact that we can imagine just what Logan and the others must be going through at Jin’s absence. Above all, the question looms for Jin and us….what the hell happened to blow everything to bits?
That answer comes slowly and with great suspense. Mary Calmes’ approach here is masterful. It is suspenseful, gripping, and excruciating in the anticipation it creates along the way. I loved it. And when the reunion comes, the scene explodes with just the sort of power and emotion we have come to expect from this story and characters. My heart was pounding along with Jin’s. But it doesn’t stop there but just starts gather more strength and energy as the pieces start to fall into place and Jin’s memory returns. I went back and forth reading and rereading passages for the shear amazement and total enjoyment that brought to me as a reader and fan of this series.
What else did I love? That the author brings her saga full circle, back almost to the beginning and then launches it upward with new direction and hope for the future. This story has all the elements I look forward to in a Change of Heart story and then some. Calmes gave us more mythology and also filled in some world building that was extremely practical and down to earth. Things made sense at the end. I found myself nodding “yes” at certain turning points and crosspaths in the narrative.
And it all made me want to go read it from the start all over again. Which I am going to do.
What can I say? I thought this was perfection. It ended better than I hoped, with a smile and laughter and utter joy in all the characters and the new future ahead for them all. Am I sorry its over? Absolutely. But did Mary Calmes give Jin, Logan, Yuri, and all the rest the ending they deserved? Without question. Change of Heart remains a series close to my heart and Forging the Future is one of the Best of 2015! I highly recommend this book and the entire series. Now you must excuse me, I have a series to reread!
Cover art by Anne Cain is just perfection. Perfect for the last cover in the series.
Will he sacrifice everything for the sake of his human mate?
Thwarted in his efforts to become head of the Amsterdam pride of lion shifters, Kaspar de Wit flees to England. He finds himself in Bath, home of the biggest English pride, and begins to make a new life among friends. What he doesn’t know is that he’s moved to a city steeped in bloody ritual. Destiny seems to have drawn Kaspar to the place where he’ll meet his mate–but does something more horrifying lie in wait for him, too?
Jon Fellowes, professor of archaeology at Bath University, is obsessed with the standing stones that dominate the Somerset landscape and the people who raised them. He’s heard tales of strange creatures, half-man, half-lion, that once roamed the land, but dismisses them till he meets the beautiful Kaspar and learns the bizarre truth of his nature. As an ancient rite is revived and terror stalks the countryside, can Jon and Kaspar overcome the natural distrust between humans and shifters to find true love? Or will one of them be forced to make the ultimate sacrifice?
Taming The Lion is the second book in the Lionhearts series by Elizabeth Coldwell. Since I enjoyed the first book, The Pride Of Amsterdam, I was really curious about this new story, especially as I was hoping to know more about this new lion universe the author has built. Well, I didn’t get what I wanted because the book is set in Bath, England, so I got nothing about my beloved Kees and Arjan.
Moreover this book was heavier and darker, with some really hard to take scenes which I was so not expecting, they destabilized me. I was expecting a paranormal book and shifters.
What I got was:
1) A lot of sex, as in the first book. If you have already read my other reviews, you already know it’s something I need to have in my stories. Here the sex scenes were well done so it was ok.
2) Nothing new about this particular shifters’ world. The book could almost pass for a normal one instead of a paranormal universe because the shifter aspect at the end it wasn’t exactly relevant, apart for a couple of sections.
3) A really dark mystery with dark scenes. It surely made the story entertaining but it was predictable from the start as in the first book. I figured out the bad person from the start and that’s something I don’t like. I liked the plot but I’d have preferred it was addressed in a totally different way.
4) The story between the MCs is really too simple, Kaspar finds in Jon, a human, his mate and Jon discovers Kaspar is a lion shifter and everything is okay. No drama, no doubts, nothing.
My opinion on the Lionhearted series hasn’t improved reading Taming The Lion, on the contrary. The thing that keeps me from giving up on it is the writing. I found both books well written and I like the author’s style. So I think maybe I’m going to read Vintage Pride too. Maybe.
Cover art by Posh Gosh. It’s slightly different from the cover of the first book in the series. It’s absolutely well done and eye catching but I would have loved something different since I already had seen this one.
Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there that have made such a huge impact on their children’s lives. That includes my father whose sterling qualities, indomitable will, intelligence and loving heart has always had a large part in my life and that of my daughter. I’ll be heading over to the farm shortly to help celebrate with all the family – together, boisterous, and loving.
But June is Pride Month. That combined with Caitlyn Jenner’s brave coming out, the ABC Family Channels series “Becoming Us“, “The Foster’s“, and more has me thinking about names, identities and the need for choice and change. What happens to the Mother’s Day and Father’s Day celebrations when one parent is transitioning? Or is Genderqueer or Genderfluid? Don’t those Greeting Card appellations become exclusionary instead of celebratory? I’m thinking that perhaps they do and unnecessarily so.
Why not combine the two and have a universal Parent’s Day? Or “Thank My Guardian” Day, ” Thanks for all the Love, Support, & Sacrifice-Love You” Day ? Yeah, yeah, I know, none of those have the zing and emotional tone that Mother’s and Father’s Day have. But a change in attitude and outlook might supply the needed patina of familial love and memories over time that it lacks now. And then there are the children to think about.
Why make it necessary for a child to explain that they have 2 dads on Mother’s Day or two mothers on Father’s Day when asked to “make cards for (insert name here)” in school, church, or whatever organization is asking the kids to do this as a craft? A universal day of thanks, joy and family for those that raised you would make those explanations unnecessary, as they should be. And it would include all those parents and caregivers that are part of the LGBTQIA community.
It’s time to enlarge our thinking along with our hearts. The world has gotten bigger, let’s hope it grows more inclusive and loving as well.
Happy Parents Day! It’s Going to Be A Good One, cross my heart!
This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
Sunday, June 21, 2015:
Let’s Snuggle Up To Cardeno C’s Strange Bedfellows (tour and contest)
Happy Father’s (?) Day. This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
Monday, June 22:
Sword of the Gladiatrix by Faith L. Justice tour and contest
Silver Scars by Posy Roberts guest post and giveaway
Jeff Laver’s ‘Elder Petersen’s Mission Memories‘ book blast and contest
A Stella Review: Taming the Lion by Elizabeth Coldwell
A MelanieM Review: Retrograde by RJ Scott
Tuesday, June 23:
Riptide’s The Tide of War by Lori A. Witt Tour and Giveaway
Ana J. Phoenix ‘Branded’ book blast and contest
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: The Summer House by RJ Scott
A MelaneM Review: Forging the Future by Mary Calmes
Wednesday, June 24:
Summer Love YA Anthology from Duet (YA Imprint at Interlude Press)(contest)
New tour: LJ LaBarthe – Waiting For the Moon and You (excerpt and giveaway)
A Mika Review: Cheeky Hipsters & Jocks (BFP:The Secrets Collection) by Posy Roberts
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Spell Bound by Jacob Z. Flores
Thursday, June 25:
Cover reveal ‘Prickly Business‘ by Piper Vaughn and Kenzie Cade
A Stella Review: Coffee Cake by Michaela Grey
A Mika Review: Falling by Suki Fleet
A BJ Review: Psi Hunter (Guardians of the Pattern #1) by Jaye McKenna
Friday, June 26:
In the Book Spotlight: VL Locey’s ‘Long Change’ – author interview and giveaway
Letters from a Cowboy by Sue Brown blog Tour and contest
Helping Hand by Jay Northcote – Book Blast and Giveaway
A Mika Review:The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal by K.J. Charles
Can the billionaire son of a Democratic president build a family with the congressman son of a Republican senator? Forget politics, love makes strange bedfellows.
As the sole offspring of the Democratic United States president and his political operative wife, Trevor Moga was raised in an environment driven by the election cycle. During childhood, he fantasized about living in a made-for-television family, and as an adult, he rejected all things politics and built a highly successful career as far from his parents as possible.
Newly elected congressman Ford Hollingsworth is Republican royalty. The grandson of a revered governor and son of a respected senator, he was bred to value faith, family, and the goal of seeing a Hollingsworth in the White House.
When Trevor and Ford meet, sparks fly and a strong friendship is formed. But can the billionaire son of a Democratic president build a family with the congressman son of a Republican senator? Forget politics, love makes strange bedfellows.
Excerpt:
“Where’s your bedroom?” asked Ford Hollingsworth as he tipped his head back to make room for the man licking a path down his neck.
The handsome stranger shoved Ford’s coat to the floor, slammed him against the wall, and wedged his thigh between Ford’s legs, rubbing up against his balls.
“Oh. Oh.” Ford bucked. “Your bedroom?”
Despite being mostly clothed, Ford was seconds away from coming in his pants. The inner voice he’d spent most of his life ignoring piped up to remind him that he’d never been this aroused with any woman and never would be. But acknowledging that voice meant walking away from his family and his aspirations, so Ford tried ignoring it, something that had gotten increasingly difficult with every passing year and was now impossible.
“Trevor?” Ford had no idea if that was the dark-haired guy’s real name or if he’d created an alias to use with a bar pickup, which was what Ford himself had done. Either way, he was proud he remembered the name, considering he was more turned on than he’d ever been in his life.
Without responding, the man reached for Ford’s shirt buttons and popped them open while he caressed Ford’s chest.
Cardeno C. – CC to friends – is a hopeless romantic who wants to add a lot of happiness and a few “awwws” into a reader’s day. Writing is a nice break from real life as a corporate type and volunteer work with gay rights organizations. Cardeno’s stories range from sweet to intense, contemporary to paranormal, long to short, but they always include strong relationships and walks into the happily-ever-after sunset.
Cardeno’s Home, Family, and Mates series have received awards from Love Romances and More Golden Roses, Rainbow Awards, the Goodreads M/M Romance Group, and various reviewers. But even more special to CC are heartfelt reactions from readers, like, “You bring joy and love and make it part of the every day.”
Winner’s choice of ebook from author’s backlist (excluding box sets or anthologies). Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Links and prizes provided by the author and WLK Book Promotions.
Michael Campbell struggles to get by in life. Unable to keep a job for more than a few weeks, Michael thinks he has screwed up his latest effort to keep a job by being late for work once again. His boss is on the verge of firing Michael but relents. Michael must stay late to make up for the time that he missed that morning. Near lunchtime, Michael points out what appears to be a drunk walking near the school property where he is currently working.
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