Category: M/M Supernatural Fiction

A BJ Review: Human Frailties, Human Strengths (Guardians of the Leythe #1.0) by Jaye McKenna

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Human Frailties Human Strengths coverAshnavayarian was a powerful, god-like being of the leythe, the place from which magical energies emanate. But Ash has been a bad boy. His thoughtless, selfish meddling and manipulating has led to a war and disturbances within the leythe. Ash needs to be taken down a peg or two, so the goddess Jhara punishes him by forcing him to live in human form with most of his power stripped from him. She hopes he’ll learn that using other creatures for his own amusement isn’t right and that some of the things he considers human frailties (like compassion and love) are just what he needs to learn. Of course, that doesn’t go over well with Ash, and he’s determined to thwart Jhara by any means necessary and break his exile. Jhara throws Ash another curveball when she leythe-bonds him to Toryn MacAran, a human!

Tor has never fit in and always harbored a painful emptiness inside, like something is missing. When a strange encounter at a bookstore one night ends up landing him at the feet of the handsome Ash, he may have found the answer. Ash’s touch takes his emptiness and pain away and makes him feel compete.

Both main characters are well developed and interesting in their own right, but when they come together, oh boy! The chemistry goes off the charts. I adored the interaction between these two. An emotional rollercoaster.

Ash is a self-centered, full of himself ass at the beginning of this story, but he’s so damn fun. Tor is the broken boy that I always adore. And I do adore him… except that by the end, I’m so in love with Ash that even Tor’s delicious brokenness cannot compare. These guys go through hell and back in this story, but the growth of the characters throughout is such a treat to read.

This is a complex fantasy that takes place on another world separate from the earth (from which Tor came). The world building is quite intricate and yet so smoothly woven that it never felt cumbersome as some fantasies do for me. Fast-paced, lots of wit, smoking hot sex, angst, sexy long-haired men (my fav!), and some freaky bad guys to hate from Lucano in the first section on to some of his horrible creations in the second.

And then there’s Carrik Tarn, a very interesting and pivotal secondary character. I won’t say much about him for fear of it being a spoiler, but I’d really like to know more of his background. Maybe that will come out in a sequel. Oh, and there’s this one scene where I just wanted to kick him in the nuts so bad I could taste it. Except, well, that would have been impossible even if I were there at the time.

So much happens in this book, much more than I’d expect for the number of pages. It has the depth of a much longer read–almost like an epic. I read the first half, Human Frailties, about a year ago as a freebie. Since I’d enjoyed the first half of the story quite a lot, I really have no idea why I waited so long to read the full story. But very glad I finally did because the second half took the tale into awesome territory. The second half made me fall in love.

So if you’ve read Human Frailties and never went on to read the rest, don’t wait! It only gets better.

Ash and Tor need a sequel, and actually, I’m pretty sure there is one currently in the works. I can’t wait. And one last thing–I have to mention how much I love the name Ashnavayarian and all its interesting variants!

The cover by Cinchbug depicts both characters just as I’d pictured them along with the other important elements of the story. The dark, mysterious mood is perfect.

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

Book Details:

ebook, Smashwords, 272 pages
Published September 30th 2013 by Jaye McKenna, via Smashwords
ISBN139781301308873
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.smashwords.com/books/view/363010
seriesGuardians of the Leythe #1.0

In the Book Spotlight: The Altered 2 by Annabelle Jacobs (excerpt and giveaway)

 

TheAltered2-final2-RGB (1)

 The Altered 2 by Annabelle Jacobs
Release Date: May 28, 2015

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Publisher: Annabelle Jacobs
Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

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Sales Links: Amazon UK – Amazon US – All Romance (ARe)

STRW Author BookSynopsis

A remote farmhouse in Cornwall seems the perfect place for Ash to settle into his recently altered status. Starting a new life there with Sam—the shifter he can’t stay away from—should be easy this far from London where they faced so much danger. So why does adjusting seem impossible?

Sam has issues of his own. He has to get used to his human form again after living the last eight years as a wolf. It’s hard when human worries weigh so heavily on his shoulders. Life is much more straightforward from a wolf’s perspective, until Ash needs his human support.

Ash’s problem is simple: he’s fearful of shifting fully. How can he believe he won’t hurt Sam when his genes were altered to create a killer? Despite repeated reassurance, his anger and resentment increase. Only one thing is certain: if Ash can’t learn to trust himself soon, he’s in danger of proving himself right.

Pages or Words: 37,000 words (approximate)

Categories: Fantasy, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

Ash knocked twice, only pushing the door open a little when Sam howled softly for him to come in.

“Oh, hey.” Ash stuck his head around the door, frowning when he saw Sam. “Um… Keira said today was a human day. But… er….” He came fully inside and closed the door behind him. “Don’t you fancy it?”

Ash walked over to Sam’s bed and sat down on the bottom corner, propping his elbows on his knees.

Sam sighed and padded over to sit next to him, placing his head in Ash’s lap. As soon as Ash’s fingers were in his fur—stroking back and forth—Sam felt a hundred times better. The soothing touch spread warmth throughout his body and Sam closed his eyes, letting it chase away whatever had been bothering him earlier.

Ash’s touch always had this effect on him. Sam had known what that meant from the very first time they’d met.

Ash was meant for him.

Everything about Ash: the way he looked, his scent—which drove Sam crazy sometimes—and even his voice, made something in Sam settle. Something he’d been missing for years. It was that feeling that had helped Sam to shift back in front of other people for the first time in eight years. That, and the fact that some fucking guard had a gun pointed at Ash’s head.

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STRW Author Bio and Contacts

Annabelle Jacobs lives in the South West of England with her husband, three rowdy children, and two cats.

An avid reader of fantasy herself for many years, Annabelle now spends her days writing her own stories. They’re usually either fantasy or paranormal fiction, because she loves building worlds filled with magical creatures, and creating stories full of action and adventure. Her characters may have a tough time of it—fighting enemies and adversity—but they always find love in the end.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ajacobsfiction
Facebook Author Page
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJacobs_fiction
Website: http://www.annabellejacobs.com

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Tour Dates & Stops: May 28, 2015
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Kimi-Chan, Velvet Panic

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Barb, A Zany Old Lady Review: Butt Riders on the Range by Kage Alan, JP Barnaby, Ally Blue, TC Blue, Shae Connor, Jevocas Green, Kiernan Kelly, and Eden Winters

Rating: 3.25 stars out of 5:

Butt Riders on the Range coverThis is the third “Butt” anthology I’ve read, and I expected it to be the best because there’s nothing sexier than a cowboy, IMHO. However, I didn’t like it nearly as much as the other anthologies produced by these authors, and there were very few stories that I would rank as high as any of the authors’ previous works. In some cases, it felt as if the author was just putting words together to meet the loose outline of the anthology, then maybe throw in a cowboy here and there, mix ’em up and pop out an adequate story.

Hung Like a Horse by JP Barnaby
The first story in the anthology was a sweet story about a horse shifter, with a different twist— when he shifted, the ectoplasm exploded out of him. Theoretically, it makes sense that when he went from a large horse to a smaller man, there would be extra body mass so I liked that idea. Another interesting twist is that the change was forced when his protein levels reached deficiency, and let’s face it— horses aren’t carnivores so he couldn’t stay as a horse without shifting to meet that need. Riley, the shifter, was rescued by the ranch owner who is also a horse shifter and knew what Riley was. He was waiting for Riley to shift to a man so that he could help him. Fortunately, there was an attraction between the two, and the story ended with a promise for a hopeful future. 4 stars

Chinchilla Chimichangas by Kage Alan
I disliked this story. It’s told mostly from the POV of a wannabe author, Chris, who has constant voices in his head— voices of the characters Miss Tis and Miss Kiernan. I found it very annoying with the switches from Chris speaking or thinking, to having the voices in his head speak. The plot was quite juvenile as well. Chris is taking a bus trip to throw his dad’s ashes in the Pacific behind the Hotel del Coronado, the place he had always wanted to take Chris’s mother on their honeymoon. The bus is stranded in an Oklahoma town during a storm, and Chris ends up going home with a young man who reminds him of Dustin, the hero in the story he’s writing. They have sex, fall in love, and part with a promise to get together after Chris completes his mission. 2 stars

Squatting with Spurs On by Kiernan Kelly
This was a cute little ghost story about a young man who inherits a haunted house only to find out that the ghost was his lover before he died a hundred years ago. It was a nice twist on time travel and paranormal activity mixed with a healthy dose of romance and everlasting love. 3.5 stars

Faux Cowboy by Shae Connor
When Doug shows up at a western-style gay bar in New York City, he’s happy to see that there seems to be another cowboy just like him in the bar. When they get to know each other, they decide to go dancing and after one thing leads to another, they spend a hot night together. The next morning, truth comes calling and the guys find out that they weren’t quite honest with each other, but since they’re in the very early stages of a relationship, they decide to forgive and forget and move forward toward a possible future together. 3.5 stars

Hooves and Horns by Eden Winters
This was a cute and humorous shifter story about two rodeo cowboys, both of whom are shifters. One is the famous bull, Diablo, and the other is the famous bucking bronco, Greased Lightning. Lovers, then adversaries, the bronco, aka Kerry, is jealous because Diablo, aka Armando, was seen hanging with other bulls in the off-season, and Kelsey thought he had cheated. But once Armando can pin Kerry down and explain, all is finally well, and they have their HEA. 3 stars

The Boy from Battalion Bluff by Jevocas Green
I saw this one as little more than PWP. It’s the story of an irresistible guy in the Old West that locals call Dr. Feel-Good. He gets all over town on any given day to make people feel good by having sex with him. He overlooks young Toby the stable boy, but Toby wants him and goes after him just as they all find out that he’s not what he seems. He’s really an alien prince, and he never gets pleasure from sex unless it’s with his true mate. His betrothed, Tyler, shows up to take him home, and while Tyler’s trying to prove his worth by having sex with Johnen (Dr Feel-Good), Toby interrupts and Johnen invites him to participate. Lo and behold, Toby is his true mate. Once that’s settled, they all go back to the home planet and live happily ever after. 2 stars

The Five Hells War by Allly Blue
In this story, an attorney named Balthazar Shellenbarger comes to a remote planet, very reminiscent of an Old West town, to represent Cavendish Farms, a large company that wants to buy Five Hells Ranch from Salvador “Rocky” Flint. The ranch is the only piece of property that Cavendish hasn’t taken over in their plan to have a monopoly on boomer meat. Boomers are considered a delicacy and are a protected species on this planet that is the only place in the universe that supports their life form. This is the final offer— if Rocky doesn’t sell, they are going to get the place somehow. But what happens instead is a romance between “Balty” and Rocky and it’s one of the better stories in the book. Balty is so impressed with Rocky and his heritage and his love of the land that he decides to stay and help fight the conglomerate. Together they’ll defeat the bad guys and go on to live their HEA. 4 stars

And the Horse He Rode In On byTC Blue
This is a great story about a leopard shifter caught killing lambs on a sheep farm– a farm that happens to be owned by a horse shifter who catches him and kicks him in the head. The resulting shift back to his human form is a shock to both men and when the leopard, Jason, finds out that the “battle pony” who kicked him in the head is Tyler, the good-looking man who owns the ranch, he’s intrigued. He’s never been a part of a Pard, never even realized such a thing exists since the guy who Made him took off before telling Jason anything. When Jason’s shift occurred in a home he was house-sitting, and he trashed the place, he took off and has been in leopard form, running for his life, ever since then. As they begin to fall for each other, Tyler introduces him to the world of shifters and helps Jason come to terms with who he is. The two work for it and ultimately get their HEA. This was my favorite of the stories in the anthology. 4.5 stars

I’d recommend this to anyone who likes their M/M romance in very off-the-wall stories, non-wolf shifter stories, and alternate universe adventures.

The cover art by Wilde City Press depicts a cowboy, shirt open and head down. Bright and colorful, it also lists the names of the authors vertically down the opposite side. Very appealing.

Sales Links:  Wilde City Press    –   All Romance (ARe) –   Amazon    Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook
Published April 29th 2015 by Wilde City Press
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.wildecity.com

 

A MelanieM Review: The Hidden Wolf (Sapphire Ranch Wolves #2) by Sue Brown

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

The Hidden Wolf coverSheriff Milo Clarke has met his mate, Eli Watkins, and now they’re conducting a long distance relationship while Eli runs the Cavalry, the security firm protecting Joe and Cal at the Sapphire Ranch from the hunters.

The long distance loving is hard on all three of them, Eli, Clarke and Clarke’s wolf, who is becoming more restless as Clarke refuses to shift. When Clarke going to give into the other side of him and how will Clarke and Eli resolve the distance between their lives?

The Hidden Wolf picks up shortly after the events in The Last Wolf.  Cal is in hiding with his mate Joe at Joe’s Sapphire Ranch.  Sheriff Milo is working with his mate, Eli and The Cavalry, the security firm hired to protect what’s left of Cal’s pack and take down the hunters.  Milo, half shifter, half human, is deeply divided as to how to handle his current situation as a closeted gay man and secret wolf shifter and his needs and that of his mate, Eli.  The push to be together, openly is hindered by the pressing need to hide Milo’s status as a shifter to keep him safe from the hunters as well.  Lots and lots of things going on or getting ready to happen.  And that’s part of the issue I have with The Hidden Wolf.  The potential for action and intrigue is present but the focus on the overall plot is sidelined by a side story, however poignant, and the fact that mostly nothing happens except repetitive arguments that go like this….Joe, Eli says “I want you (Cal, Milo) to go into hiding, I want you safe”. (Cal,Milo) ” My place is here with my (mate, job, responsibilities). I can’t go.” Then go back to the first sentence and repeat ad infinitum.

There is an unexplained incident, very mysterious, but nothing really comes of that either, although I believe the author is saving that for the next story.  All in all, very little is added to that interesting wolf shifter universe the author started in the first book and very little shifts in the couple dynamics or character development.  Yes, there is some hot sex, a micro inch forward towards coming out for Milo.  But the expected explosions and denouements are completely absent.  One scene with Milo’s boss that might have been compelling and add more suspense to the story disappears and that ending comes up so abruptly that I thought I had an incomplete copy.  Its as though someone was speaking directly to you and then quit mid sentence.  You are left dumbfounded and wondering what happened and why?

I normally don’t mind any more when a story that is part of a  series or trilogy involves a cliffhanger.  But I do expect a logical framework and at least a few minor plots to be pulled together tightly.  I felt both were missing here.  Why the 3 stars?  Because I still think all the characters show so much promise and charm as does the wolf shifter history that has only been sketched in.  That I enjoyed immensely.

What I need now is that next story…to see if its the glue to bring the first and second book together in a cohesive whole.  I will let you know what I find.

Cover art by Meredith Russell works perfectly for the  men and story inside.  Great job.

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

Book Details:

ebook
Published May 22nd 2015 by Love Lane Books Limited
edition languageEnglish
seriesSapphire Ranch Wolves #2

 

The Sapphire Ranch Wolves Series to Date:

In the Book Spotlight: “His Womanly Ways” by K. Lynn (excerpt and giveaway)

His Womanly Ways cover

His Womanly Ways by K. Lynn
Release Date: May 27, 2015

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Publisher: Torquere Press
Cover Artist: BS Clay

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Sales Links: Torquere Books

STRW Author BookSynopsis

 

Alex is a womanizer. He makes no excuses for it. Yes, he picks up women at the local bar, leaving them with just a memory of a good night and a good lay, but he hasn’t had any complaints yet. That is, until he picks up the wrong woman. Not satisfied to be tossed aside as just another notch in Alex’s bedpost, she curses him, wishing he “knew what it was like for a woman.” And he’s about to find out what she means, embarking on a genderswap journey that he can’t stop.

Alex starts slowly gaining secondary female characteristics. Waking up with his cock gone, replaced by a vagina, was bad enough. Then it gets worse, as his body becomes more like a woman than the man he used to be. Alex tries to hide the changes he’s going through, for fear that someone will discover his secret, but keeping this quite literally “under wraps” might be impossible before the curse runs its course.

With the help of his female best friend, Eve, Alex tries to deal with who he is becoming. He feels like he’s lost his identity, his mind not matching the body he now has. But Eve sticks by him, and they become closer as Alex’s changes progress. What started out as friendship may become something more before Alex’s journey is over. Perhaps this curse was actually a blessing in disguise.

Pages or Words: 65,000 words

Categories: Bisexual, Contemporary, Erotica, Fiction, Humor, Lesbian Romance, Body Horror, Romance, Transgender, Transformation, Genderswap, Gender Change, Cursed

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

“I don’t need you to courier anybody, okay?” he growled. “This is more serious.”

She gave him a raised eyebrow. “I’m not helping you get rid of a body either. That was just a joke. You can’t hold me to anything I say when I’m drunk.”

“Shut up, there’s no dead body,” he said, untying the strings on the front of his sweatpants. “There’s something wrong with me.”

“For fuck’s sake, Alex, I don’t want to see your diseased dick,” Eve said, covering her eyes. “Go to the clinic.”

“I don’t think the clinic can help me with this,” he said, pulling his pants and underwear down and sitting on the edge of the bed in front of her. Alex pushed his legs apart, splaying them so there was no way she could miss the problem when she opened her eyes again.

“Eve, just look,” he urged, looking up at her.

“No!” she said, keeping her eyes fully covered.

“Please, Eve, I’m freaking out here and you’re the only person I knew to call,” his tone was pleading now and he was starting to freak out again. “Just look at me.”

“I told you,” she began as she started taking her hand away from her face, “I don’t want to see…what the hell is that?!” Her eyes widened as she saw him in full glory, her face losing all trace of color as she stumbled back.

“You should know, you’ve got one yourself,” he said with a pasted-on smirk, but his attempt at humor fell flat.

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

About the author:

K. Lynn has been an avid reader and writer since childhood. In her youth, she could most likely be found in the local library, devouring books that covered everything from WWII History to Dr. McCoy’s latest adventures aboard the Enterprise, with some X-Men thrown in for good measure. Once she had read everything that was on the shelves, she turned around and read them again. K. Lynn was also known to create elaborate adventures that more than once made it to the page. Ink-filled papers gave way to overflowing computer memory as the years went on, but the stories never ceased.

While in college, K. Lynn increased her involvement in LGBT issues and writing within the LGBT fiction genre. She has become a long-time fan of the authors that seek to explore the commonality that exists within all sexualities and genders. Most of K. Lynn’s work features LGBT characters, many of whom are in established relationships and show how love perseveres through every trial and tribulation that life holds. She also has a particular interest in seeing transgender characters gain a larger foothold within the LGBT fiction genre, hoping that the market for these works expand in the future.

Where to find the author:

Twitter: @WriterKLynn
Livejournal – (I have a personal one at http://kimberlyfdr.livejournal.com/, but it’s not K. Lynn specific…though I do speak about my writing there and welcome friending)
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6294892.K_Lynn
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/K.-Lynn/e/B009PNS6VS
Website: http://writerklynn.com/

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Tour Dates & Stops: May 25, 2015
Parker Williams, Cate Ashwood, Inked Rainbow Reads, Bayou Book Junkie, The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat, Havan Fellows, BFD Book Blog, Molly Lolly, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Wake Up Your Wild Side, Happily Ever Chapter, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Divine Magazine, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Chris McHart, Iyana Jenna, The Hat Party, Up All Night, Read All Day, Bending the Bookshelf, Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves

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The Wolves from Sue Brown’s Sapphire Ranch Wolves Series are Back in The Hidden Wolf (excerpt and giveaway)

 

 

 

Title: The Hidden Wolf
Series: Sapphire Ranch Wolves – Book Two
Author: Sue Brown
Publisher: Love Lane Books
Cover Artist: Meredith Russell
Length: 32,700 words
Release Date: 22nd May, 2015

 

Blurb: Sheriff Milo Clarke has met
his mate, Eli Watkins, and now they’re conducting a long distance relationship
while Eli runs Cavalry, the security firm protecting Joe and Cal at the
Sapphire Ranch from the hunters.

The long distance loving is hard on all three of them,
Eli, Clarke and Clarke’s wolf, who is becoming more restless as Clarke refuses
to shift. When Clarke going to give into the other side of him and how will
Clarke and Eli resolve the distance between their lives?

 

Sheriff Milo Clarke leaned against the kitchen
cabinets as he watched Eli Watkins and his team, the Calvary, remove the
remains of Randy Streerson from the kitchen of Sapphire Ranch. He’d offered to
help and been told firmly to stay the hell out of their way as they committed a
felony.
Staying to one side was a damned sensible move.
What used to be Randy Streerson, the head of a group of hunters that pursued
and killed shifters, now covered the kitchen walls, floor, and dripped from the
ceiling after young shifter Callum Pope shot him with one of the hunter’s
bullets.
Cal was a distant shifter relative of Milo’s. His
father had been related to Milo’s mother. Cal’s father and two elder brothers
had been killed by a band of hunters led by the Streerson family. The pack had
splintered in an effort to survive, and Cal had turned up on Sapphire Ranch
after running hundreds of miles to get away from the hunters, only to discover
the owner of the ranch was his mate. A lot had happened in a few days. Eli’s
men took away what remained of the body and now they scrubbed the kitchen,
surprisingly efficient. Milo didn’t have to be a cop to know this wasn’t the
first time the Cavalry had cleaned away evidence that a murder had taken place.
He was stuck between duty and likely survival. On
one hand he’d witnessed the struggle between Cal and Streerson for control of
the gun before Cal had pulled the trigger. On the other…
How the hell would he explain to his deputies
what had just taken place? They would want to know where he’d been hiding for
the past few days, why he’d been lying to them, who the victim—who was no
fucking victim—was, and what the hell was a shifter?
He was a shifter. At least a half-shifter. His
mother had been a werewolf and Milo could change, he just chose not to. Instead
he lived among the humans as a sheriff and hadn’t given in to that side of him
for over five years except for one glorious moment a few days ago. Milo tried
not to think about it even as his wolf grumbled inside.
Milo watched the team—at least he watched Eli.
His whole attention was focused on the dark-haired man. Just watching him made
his mouth dry and his dick hard. From the second Milo had shifted to prove the
existence of werewolves to Eli and his assistant Ross, he’d realized that Eli
was his mate.
Unable to resist, he’d trotted up to Eli and laid
his head on his lap. Tentatively Eli had stroked his head, and Milo leaned into
the caress, wanting Eli to touch him more. Eli filled his wolf senses. He
smelled woodsy with a touch of citrus. He smelled good.
“Good doggy,” Eli had murmured.
Doggy? Milo gave a low growl at the insult,
grinning in wolfy satisfaction as Eli snatched his hand back. He wouldn’t have
hurt him—much.
And Eli had seemed equally drawn to him, finding
it hard to take his eyes off Milo, even as they’d talked strategy with Joe,
Cal’s mate and the owner of Sapphire Ranch.
But they hadn’t gone near each other, hadn’t
touched each other at all beyond that one brief contact. Milo had been relieved
because they had needed to focus their minds, not their dicks, to defeat the
hunters. Relieved—and frustrated beyond belief to have his mate so close and
not be able to touch him.
There was another issue. They hadn’t connected
telepathically.
Milo had thought that happened immediately. But
he was only a half-shifter, with limited shifter abilities in his human form,
and Eli was a human. What would happen if they didn’t connect? Could they walk
away from each other? It would make life so much simpler.
Milo caught Eli frowning at him, and he looked
away, feeling guilty. Eli didn’t need to know. They hadn’t connected. He need
never know. Milo’s wolf howled inside him at the thought of walking away from
his mate, and for once Milo didn’t try to hush him. The thought hurt his human
side just as much. But Milo had spent his whole life hiding his true nature,
and now, through no fault of his own, everything he’d worked to hide was liable
to be exposed. Among humans he hid the fact he was half-shifter. Around
shifters he tried hard to fit in, even though his human side affected his wolf
senses. And with both communities he hid the fact he was gay.
Milo had spent his whole life in hiding and with one
phone call Joe had exposed him to humans—both as shifter and as gay. He wasn’t
fucking ready for it. And didn’t that suck?
Love Lane Books   – Amazon – All Romance eBooks
THW FBEvent Banner-1
Sue Brown is owned by her dog and two
children. When she isn’t following their orders, she can be found plotting at
her laptop. In fact she hides so she can plot and has gotten expert at ignoring
the orders.
Sue discovered M/M erotica at the
time she woke up to find two men kissing on her favorite television series. The
series was boring; the kissing was not. She may be late to the party, but she’s
made up for it since, writing fan fiction until she was brave enough to venture
out into the world of original fiction.
AUTHOR
LINKS
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25: Scattered
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Scott

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26: Elisa
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27: Hearts on Fire || MM Good Book Reviews

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28: Andrew Q. Gordon || Elin Gregory

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29: Cia’s
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2: The
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3: Nessa’s
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5: The
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8: Love Bytes Reviews

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A MelanieM Review: Up The Ante: Four of Clubs Two (Pulp Friction 2015 Book 7) by Parker Williams

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Up the Ante coverTwo months ago, Ben Nelson stepped between a vengeful demon and psychic Artie Middleton—and has been paying for that decision ever since. Now that the last rites have been administered, doctors are ready to pull the plug on the young police detective. The trouble is, Artie has seen his future and knows that Ben belongs there.

When a friend suggests a solution that seems…out of this world, Artie must face Ben’s parents and convince them that there’s a chance their son can be saved. Unfortunately, even if he succeeds, every good deed comes with a price.

And someone is always waiting to up the ante.

I’ve been waiting impatiently to see what happened next after the soul gathering demon attacked Ben and Artie in The Devil’s Bedpost (love that title).  And while I was waiting, I heard through ripples in the Force, that this story was going to make me want to hunt the author down with a torch and pitchfork because of the ending. Did that happen?  Yes, trust in the Force!  What a story!  And what a spine tingling ending that is almost quaranteed to make you scream in frustration and anguish.

Pulp Friction stories and their series are always accompanied by a rollercoaster of suspense, chills, close calls and lethal encounters.  But never more so than in this year’s inter-connected stories in the Altered States universe.  And that brings us back to the last moments in The Devil’s Bedpost where we weren’t sure who lived, who died…we were just left to panic and ponder.

Well, the wait is over.  Up The Ante picks up two months after the events in the  first book, and things are as disheartening and unsettled as never before.  Ben lies in a coma in the hospital, hooked up to the machines with everyone losing hope for his recovery.  And Artie is blaming himself and isolating himself from the few friends he has.  It’s a desolate picture and Williams brings us into Artie’s heart and thoughts as he despairs of finding a way of helping Ben.  We feel Artie’s pain, exhaustion, and desperation and we are there with him in spirit because we have become so fond of Ben ourselves in such a short amount of time.

One of the things that helps to complete a characterization, to give it a full fleshed out persona, is to make the supporting players around that character so believable that they add weight to his authenticity.  That happens here with Ben and his family.  We meet them all in the hospital where they have gathered, helplessly waiting to hear more from the doctors.  There’s his mom, dad, sister and her husband.  Each a well-defined character that grounds Ben in a family that loves him.  And that element helps to point out its lack in Artie.  Artie’s family is made up of a dog of a surprising nature, and his small weird group of supernatural friends.  That they are his family as well is something Artie becomes aware of during the story.   How I loved/hated these hospital moments with Ben so close to death because it allows Artie to finally start to accept his feelings for Ben and the idea that Artie might have/had more of a life then he ever dreamed of.  It’s lovely, and sad, and life changing.

It’s the entrance of Tempest, the witch who works in the occult bookstore owned by Travis Boudreaux (Altered States series). She’s a strong female character, just as charismatic as the rest and I adored her.  She heralds a sea change for those characters we have been concentrating our emotions on for so long.  And hope appears along with her…

But remember those ripples in the Force I was telling you about?  And yes, because this is only the second story, you know that things have to get nasty before they get better, so yes again, Parker Williams throws a boulder into the water at the end, and it’s not ripples but a tidal wave of emotion that will hit you at last word.  I’d get out my pitchfork as threatened but I need the author to continue the story, to fix things and make it all better for all of us.  Argh and sigh…because the ante has most definitely been “upped”.

But ignore all that gnashing of teeth and pulling of hair, I am loving every angst-filled bit of this story and series.  It’s so well written, that the pages and plot fly by so I often have to go back and reread parts to see what clues or omens I may have missed.  And really, that dog Duke?  Priceless.  Grab up this series and prepare to fall in love with peculiar and wonderful men in love, a story full of shocks and surprises and world building elements that never stop entertaining or intriguing you.  Don’t start here, however, go back to the first story and read them in sequence.  It’s the only way to understand the overall series plot and character development.  Happy Reading and Anxious Waiting!

Cover art by Laura Harner.  I still wish for more of a dark element (not dark colors) to be included.  This is a series that includes demons and the occult so I wished for more of that in the design than a serious, sort of grumpy model.

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

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 61 pages
Published May 13th 2015
ASINB00XNPWOCG
edition languageEnglish

About Pulp Friction 2015

Lee Brazil ~ Havan Fellows ~ Parker Williams ~ Laura Harner

The Pulp Friction 2015 Altered States Collection.
Four authors.
Four Series.
Twenty books.
One supernatural finale.

Spend a year with the creatures that go bump in the night…fighting for their rights to exist and protecting the innocents of The Big Easy. A diverse group of friends trying to find their place in a world they never had to “fit” into before.

Although each series can stand alone, we believe reading the books in the order they are released will increase your enjoyment.
Round One:
Drawing Dead (Jack of Spades: 1) by Lee Brazil
Blind Stud (King of Hearts: 1) by Havan Fellows
The Devil’s Bedpost (Four of Clubs: 1) by Parker Williams
Diamonds and Dust (Ace of Diamonds: 1) by Laura Harner

Round Two:
Dead Blind (Jack of Spades: 2) by Lee Brazil
Stud Player (King of Hearts: 2) by Havan Fellows
Up the Ante (Four of Clubs: 2)  by Parker Williams
Diamond Draw (Ace of Diamonds: 2) by Laura Harner