Category: M/M Supernatural Fiction

A BJ Review: The Protector by Cooper West

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

The Protector coverGuardsmen teams comprised of a human Handler and a weredog Protector are rare and highly valued but also feared by some because of their unusual abilities. Protectors always die within a short period of losing their Handler. Except that Alex Taylor didn’t. He’s lived as a widower for three years after his partner’s death. The pairs normal bond in their teens or early-twenties, but Handler Marcus Stephanek, at twenty-six, is well past the age when most have bonded to their Protectors. He’s almost given up hope of ever fulfilling his destiny as a Handler when he meets and bonds with Alex. But Alex is still grieving over his previous Handler and unwilling to let Marcus into his heart. Unexplained murders and strange events seeming to surround Alex, but he doesn’t put two and two together until a friends’ life is on the line. Handler and Protector will need to learn to trust and accept their bond if they are to work together and survive.

Well-written and enjoyable read with a fascinating premise revolving around one of my favorite things… DOGS! The author created a captivating world where Guardmen pairs (Protector dog and Handler) live intertwined lives. The outstanding history behind this AU world was enthralling reading. Early on, I was sure that this would be an easy five star for me. Unfortunately, it lost a bit of ground when it came to building the relationship between Alex and Marcus.

As separate characters in the time before they bonded, I adored both Alex and Marcus. I was rooting so much for them to get together that I could hardly wait for it to happen. When they finally met, the initial bonding was nearly instantaneous and picture perfect—exactly what I’d craved. In the period after the initial bond though, I felt no chemistry between the pair coming through. With so many callous and uncaring actions on both side sprinkled liberally with lots of bickering, the storyline came across as lots of hurt and very little comfort. I wanted to see love grow between them, but I felt as if they were tearing each other apart.

The turnaround between the two men finally came, but by then it felt weak to me, more like an acceptance of their fate and a giving in to their need for one another than the thrilling tale of falling in love I’d hoped for after the initial build up at the beginning. It felt like compromise.

This AU world where dogs and men bonded was beyond awesome. Some well-developed and fun secondary characters added depth as well, but in the end, the MCs love story felt too weak to warrant a five star.

Cover art by Reese Dante who created a lovely cover with a gorgeous representation of the two MCs plus the Protector in his canine form.

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


Book Details:

ebook, 250 pages
Published May 5th 2014 by Dreamspinner Press (first published May 4th 2014)
ISBN 1627984437 (ISBN13: 9781627984430)
edition languageEnglish
url http://www.cooper-west.com/

The Cherry Blossoms Are Out and This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Our Japanese Cherry Blossoms are out in our neighborhood as well as those  along the tidal basin in DC.  And all it took was a day of  warmth and sunshine to bring them out.  How I love this time of the year.  The snowdrops are fading but everything is just starting to come into its own.

We do have an announcement to make.  It’s the two winners chosen by Abigail Roux to win those fabulous Go Bags of Ty’s.  See the announcement below:

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Winner Announcement for the Crash & Burn, Ty Go Bag Contest:

Abigail Roux is pleased to announce the two winners from the Crash and Burn tour:
Maya Jade and alohahelper – chosen from more than 1800 entries!

Congratulations to them both. I’m envious!

We have some wonderful books and yes, more new authors, at least to us, that we are reviewing this week.  Barb the Zany Old Lady is reading and reviewing Dreamspinner Press’ new Curious Cookbook series, 6 authors, 6 stories and what a line up it is. Sammy has Fallout by Lisa Henry and M. Caspian that you won’t want to miss, BJ is here with The Protector, Stella has Thirty Things by Cate Ashwood, Mika is reading contemporary romance, I’m all about the fantasy and science fiction this week and we round out once again with Aurora’s YA Saturday.   Interspersed among the reviews, you will find more author interviews, giveaways and announcements.  Stay Tuned!

        This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

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Sunday, April 12:

  • The Cherry Blossoms Are Out and This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, April 13:

  • The Other Side of Winter Tour (Riptide)
  • In the Spotlight: Rebecca Cohen’s Under Glass (contest and interview)
  • A Sammy Review: Fallout by Lisa Henry and M. Caspian
  • A MelanieM Review: Baked Fresh by Annabeth Albert
  • A BJ Review: The Protector by Cooper West

Tuesday, April 14:

  • Book Blast: When The Band Came To Town  by Author: H. Lewis-Foster (contest)
  • Jennifer Cie’s Down the Other Street Vol. 2 Tour and Giveaway
  • Annabeth Albert ‘Baked Fresh‘ (Portland Heat #2) Excerpt and Giveaway
  • A Sammy Review: Cronin’s Key by N. R. Walker
  • A Mika Review: You In My Arms by A. C. Katt

Wednesday, April 15:

  • V.L. Locey’s Two Man Advantage Excerpt and Giveaway Blast
  • Get Supernatural with Tina Blenke’s Shifting Cargo Excerpts and Contest
  • In the Spotlight: Andrew Q. Gordon’s ‘The Eye and The Arm’ (contest)
  • A Stella Review: A Boy Called Cin by Cecil Wilde
  • A MelanieM Review: Unproven Theory by Lillian Francis

Thursday, April 16:

  • Cover reveal for Thianna Durston’s ‘A Good Family Man’‏ (contest)
  • In-Decision by Sue Brown‏ Creative Minds Tour
  • In the Spotlight: ‘Every Inferno‘ by Johanna Parkhurst‏ (interview and contest)
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: For A Rainy Afternoon by RJ Scott
  • A MelanieM Review: Emerald Keep by A Catherine Noon and Rachel Wilder

Friday, April 17:

  • Just The Way You Are by E E Montgomery release day book blast and contest
  • In the Spotlight: Kjartan the Gentle by Catherine L. Byrne (excerpt and contest)
  • A Stella Review: Thirty Things by Cate Ashwood
  • A Barb Review:The Silence of the Stars by Kate McMurray ~ Audiobook narrated by Michael Ferraioulo

Saturday, April 18:

An Aurora YA Review: There Is No Fear (Children of the Knight, #3) by Michael J. Bowler

Fallout coverThe Protector coverYou in My Arms coverA Boy Called Cin

 

 

 

 

 

 

Want Some Zombie Love? Spotlight on My Zombie Boyfriend by T. Strange (excerpt and contest)

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My Zombie Boyfriend by T. Strange

Goodreads Link
Release Date: April 15, 2015

STRW In The Spotlight Header

New author T. Strange is here with her first book, My Zombie Boyfriend.  Check out the blurb and excerpt below and don’t forget to enter the contest at the end!

STRW Author BookSynopsis

 

About My Zombie Boyfriend…

Edward Grey is a medical student by day, necromancer by night. He lives alone with the first zombie he ever raised, his childhood cat, Boo. Edward’s life is simple: studying medicine, training his necromantic powers with his mentor, Mariel, and having weekly dinners with his parents. When he finds a very attractive corpse in a park and brings it home to reanimate, he accidentally creates a sassy, free-willed zombie who believes Edward is the one who murdered him.

With no memory of his former life, Edward names the zombie Kit and tries to win his trust. Kit slowly adjusts to his new un-life with Edward’s help, though he’s still suspicious of Edward’s role in his death and is convinced that Edward is hiding his former identity. Edward is very attracted to Kit, but understands why Kit doesn’t trust him. As they become closer to one another, Kit turns to Edward for comfort and love. The fragile trust they’ve built together will be tested when Kit unexpectedly regains his memory and seeks revenge on his murderers.

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Pages or Words: 64,000 words

Categories: Humor, Romance, Horror, Contemporary, M/M Romance, Urban Fantasy, New Adult, Fiction, Gay Fiction, Paranormal

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

Kit took one look at the concoction and raised his eyebrows in disbelief and disgust. “What is that supposed to be?”

“It’s your food. Mmm! Delicious, brains! Zombies love brains!” I could see right away that I had gone too far.

“I am not a dog or a child, Edward. And I don’t appreciate your stereotyping.”

Oh, great. I had offended a zombie. What a schmuck. “I’m sorry, Kit. Won’t you at least try it?”

“Is that a slice of brain?”

“…yes. Technically. It’s not human!”

“Oh, it’s a brain, but it’s not human. That makes it all better. What’s in the rest of it?”

“The rest of the cow?” No, this was not going at all well. I pleaded. I cajoled. I begged.

He poured it down the sink.

Publisher: Torquere Press
Cover Artist: B. S. Clay

Sales Links:  Torquere Press

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

About Author T. Strange

My Zombie Boyfriend is T. Strange’s first full-length novel, though she has published several shorter works with Torquere Press. When not writing, T. enjoys gardening, spending time with her horse, and, of course, reading. T. lives in Canada with her wife, surrounded by pets.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tq.strange
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTStrange
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TqStrange
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/tqstrange/
Goodreads Author Page
Tumblr: http://tqstrange.tumblr.com/
Torquere Author Page

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Tour Dates & Stops: April 10, 2015

Parker Williams, Bayou Book Junkie, Tara Lain, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Molly Lolly,

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Love Bytes, Charley Descoteaux, Decadent Delights, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, BFD Book Blog, Cate Ashwood, Divine Magazine, MM Good Book Reviews, TTC Books and More, Andrew Q. Gordon, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Wake Up Your Wild Side, 3 Chicks After Dark

 

STRW Spotlight Contest Header

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘My Zombie Boyfriend’ by T. Strange. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Rafflecopter link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

In the Spotlight: Annabelle Jacobs “The Altered” (excerpt and contest)

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The Altered by Annabelle Jacobs
Goodreads Link

STRW In The Spotlight Header
Release Date: April 9, 2015

STRW Author BookSynopsis

Twenty years ago the UK’s water supply was contaminated with an experimental pathogen, Lycanaeris, causing widespread panic across the nation. Terrorism was suspected but never proven, and when nothing happened–no epidemic, no unexplained illnesses–the whole episode was written off as an elaborate hoax. But Lycanaeris was selective. Only those of a certain age, and with a specific gene in their DNA were infected. Time would reveal the pathogen’s true nature, when those susceptible grew up Altered.

Daniel is one of thousands forced to hide his altered status by living a quiet life. He’s not like the others, though.

Daniel can’t help looking so distinctive or being able to see every altered for what they really are. To those abducting altereds, that skill makes him valuable.

For Jordan, shifting from human to wolf means living under the radar to avoid unwanted attention. Meeting Daniel complicates matters. Daniel’s existence is a threat to Jordan and his friends, but Jordan can’t seem to shake the strange connection between them. When danger threatens, there’s little time for Daniel and Jordan to work out their feelings before lives are at stake.

Pages or Words: 209 pages, 75,000 words

Categories: M/M Romance, Paranormal

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

He laughed at the joke Matt was in the middle of telling, chipping in for a bit and teasing him, and then he felt it again, creeping up the back of his spine like icy fingers. Daniel stayed perfectly still, suppressing his body’s natural reaction, and carefully turned to place his empty pint glass on the bar.

He let his gaze wander along to the end of the bar, past the couple he’d spotted earlier, and—

Bloody Hell.

He sucked in a sharp breath before he could stop himself. Usually he got a flash of images, depending on how much they’d been altered—claws, teeth, and fur if they changed fully, but never anything like this. One minute Daniel was looking at a tall dark-haired, really hot man, and in the blink of an eye he’d changed into a huge black wolf, fangs bared in a snarl—clearer than anything he’d seen before.

The image vanished almost as soon as it appeared, and the noise from the bar suddenly jarred Daniel back to his senses.

Fuck.

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Publisher: Annabelle Jacobs
Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

Sales Links:  Amazon US – Amazon UK

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

About Author Annabelle Jacobs:

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: April 9, 2015

Parker Williams, Inked Rainbow Reads, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Cate Ashwood, Amanda C. Stone, Gaylist Book Reviews, Havan Fellows, Molly Lolly, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Rainbow Gold Reviews, BFD Book Blog, Chris McHart, MM Good Book Reviews, 3 Chicks After Dark, The Hat Party, Lee Brazil, Bayou Book Junkie, Emotion in Motion, Divine Magazine, Carly’s Book Reviews

 

STRW Spotlight Contest Header

Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: Any book from Annabelle’s backlist. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

It’s Release Day for The Climb by Kirifox!

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Title: The Climb
Author: kirifox
Genre: gay romance, M/M, paranormal/supernatural
Length: short story

Synopsis

A hidden Rocky Mountain alpine meadow and glacial lake are an escape, a small personal paradise for Jessie. Climbing to the overview above camp, however, proves he does not know his sanctuary as well as he thought. How can a strange storm, a fog, and the scent of flowers change his worldview, and ultimately, his life?

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Buy Links

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Climb-kirifox-ebook/dp/B00UUE5J4S/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Climb-kirifox-ebook/dp/B00UUE5J4S/
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/Climb-kirifox-ebook/dp/B00UUE5J4S/
WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/the-climb-by-kirifox/
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-climb-kirifox/1121479586?ean=9781925222333
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-theclimb-1766729-145.html

Excerpt

I pounded on the door with my fist, getting more and more upset, but no one answered. The cabin was solid and definitely there. No way could anyone have constructed this thing in the little time I was gone. I cracked the door open and peered inside; entering when I found it was empty. I discovered a few belongings, a pile of blankets, and tanned skins on the floor, and a handmade table and bench seat, with a couple of tin dishes and a large black pot near the open fireplace. Reaching toward the ashes, I could feel some warmth, so the fire hadn’t been out too long. Someone had to be close by.

The door slammed open. I jumped, ashamed to have been caught where I didn’t belong.

“What ya doin’ in my home? Who are ya?”

As I turned, I was stunned into silence. A well-built man stood silhouetted in the doorway. I couldn’t see his face, but his shoulders were broad, his bare forearms muscled, and he was holding an axe in front of him as if to ward off an enemy. Belatedly, I realized that enemy was me.

“Speak man! Who are ya?”

I shook my head, but couldn’t get my tongue unstuck. Holding my hands in front of me in the universal sign of surrender and peace, I prayed he wouldn’t start swinging until I could get my wits about me.

“Are you mute, boy? Can’t cha talk?”

“I-I can talk.” I stuttered.

“Whatcha doing here? You lost?”

Shaking my brain loose, still unable to see his face in the gloom of the cabin, I started to lower my hands when he motioned with the axe to keep them where they were.

“Listen, I don’t know what’s going on, but I woke up in a cave in the cliff and I was all alone. My friends are supposed to be right here, right now, and this cabin wasn’t here a few hours ago. If this is a prank, can we just get to the funny part and have a good laugh?”

About the author

kirifox-avikirifox is an accountant by day and a writer by nightóat least, when the muse allows!

She has been an archaeologist, a minister, and a salesperson in her past lives, moving from Ohio to Maine, and then to Colorado where she lives today. Her three kids, of the feline persuasion, love to sit on her keyboard and ëhelpí her write. Angel, Eagle, and Lotus think it is their duty to make sure ìmomî always has a tail in her water glass, a fuzzy mouse near her computer, and a lap full of love.

In her limited spare time she enjoys counted cross stitch, making jewelry from beads and found objects, building 1/12th scale miniature furniture, gourmet cooking and gardening, not necessarily in that order. Her Lego castle collection fills one wall of her library. She reads voraciously and has at least three books open at all times. She thinks eBooks are awesome, although nothing will ever replace the smell and feel of a print book.

Writing fills a creative need for kirifox. As a child she made up stories to amuse herself and her friends. Then life got in the way and more mundane chores filled her days, until she discovered fanfiction. Writing about her book and movie loves turned into an obsession, fueled by reviews, both good andÖless good. The friends she developed through her fanfiction reading and writing led kirifox to the belief she could write stories other people wanted to read. The only difference between her childhood writing and today is she types her stories into the computer rather than keeping steno pads and sketchbooks filled with messy handwriting and drawings. A small notebook still collects ideas, sentence fragments, and sketches in the middle of the night, or anytime a computer is not accessible.

She has two published short stories, both with Wayward Ink Publishing, and is working on two full length books.

kirifox can be found at:

Website: www.kirifox.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joann.fox.140

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kirifox01

A Paul B Review: A Rose for Paul’s Protector (A Loving Nip #2) by Charlie Richards

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

a Rose for Paul's Protector coverJaymes Martinez has been waiting for the last three months for his beloved, Paul Cosborn to come of age. Unable to claim his beloved until his eighteenth birthday, the leader of the Amarillo coven has been setting the stage for Paul’s arrival. Will someone from Paul’s past come between them before Jaymes finally claims his beloved?

Jaymes Martinez is the coven leader of the Amarillo vampire clan. Jaymes goes about preparing his coven for the arrival of his beloved, Paul Cosborn. During the three month since meeting his beloved, Jaymes has been showing symptoms of the separation. He is short tempered to his best friend and second in command. He exists on bagged blood that the doctor is preparing for him as drinking from known donors has no appeal to him. The bright spot in the past three months has been the constant emails exchanged between him and Paul. Jaymes is determined to have his coven and the dude ranch that the coven runs prepared for the arrival of his beloved around Valentine’s Day.

Paul Cosborn has recently turned eighteen. He has been living with his “Big Brother” Korbin for the past three month, having escaped his foster home after being falsely accused of molesting the fifteen year old son of the family he was living with. Korbin and his beloved Daystrum plan a vacation for Paul to a dude ranch near Amarillo where he can reconnect with Jaymes, who helped him out of the situation in the foster home.

Upon arriving at the ranch, Jaymes begins the task of making Paul his. Jaymes takes Paul on a personal tour of the stables, where he shows Paul his gift to him, an Arabian horse. Unsure why Jaymes would buy a gift for someone who is only staying a week, they share their first kiss. The next day, they share a ride through the ranch and a picnic lunch where Paul learns Jaymes is a vampire. Things begin to progress well between the two until Paul is found missing one morning. Jaymes is enraged that his beloved has been taken so shortly after the process of bonding has started. He must find the missing Paul and deal with those who have taken him in order to begin their new life on the dude ranch.

This is a nice first love paranormal story. Paul has just turned eighteen and is new to the world of love. He has been crushing on Jaymes for the past three months and the anticipation on both sides is palpable. Having had a terrible past with his mother’s drug abuse and the terrible situation in the last foster home he was in makes Paul want to be needed and cherished as Jaymes has promised to do.

The one problem I had with the book was an off page death at the end of the book. Deaths in the paranormal genre are regular and I usually do not have a problem with them. However, this death, while justified because of the actions of the deceased, still gave me pause because of his age.

This is the second book in the Nip of Love series by Charlie Richards. It is set in the same universe as her series The Wolves of Stone Ridge, Kontra’s Menagerie, and A Paranormal’s Love Story. The focus on this series is the various vampires and covens that have been introduced in the previous series. The characters from the other series do cross over from time to time. While the book can be read as a standalone, having read previous books in the other series will help the understanding of these characters and overall arc of the story.

The cover art by Carmen Waters shows the young Paul sniffing a rose with a rural Texas landscape in the background. It is a well done representation of the ending of the book and draws the reader in.

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

Book Details:

ebook, 94 pages
Published February 15th 2015 by Extasy Books
ISBN139781487402303
edition languageEnglish
Series A Loving Nip:

  • A Nip of Good Cheer (A Loving Nip, #1)
  • A Rose for Paul’s Protector (A Loving Nip, #2)

A Paul Review: To Touch the Sky (Leap of Faith #2) by M.A. Church

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Leap of Faith: Book Two

He can run, but he can’t hide…

ToTouchTheSkyThis is the second book in M. A. Church’s Leap of Faith series. This book’s timeline is concurrent with the first book of the series and as such can be read as a standalone. Reading the first novel will give some back story to a couple of the characters and events mentioned but it is not necessary to enjoy this book.

In pre-Colonial America, Chetan is a warrior of The People, a group of Native American shifters of Wha-Tay. On a buffalo hunt with his tribe, Chetan is in charge of supervising his nephew Isi, who is on his first hunt. Things begin to go wrong and before Chetan can react, Isi is killed by a stampeding buffalo who escaped the hunt. Devastated, he goes into seclusion in a deserted cave. While there, he dreams of his fated mate, a white man with blond hair. Having failed his nephew, Chetan vows never to put himself in a position to hurt someone close to him again.

In modern times, Chetan is now called Gus Hawkins or Hawk for short. He owns a bar on the outskirts of Memphis. He has developed a reputation of player who only dates dark haired men, never lets the sleep over and never sleep with someone more than three times. This way he feels that he will never find his fated mate and will never develop feelings for someone to let them down again, like his nephew.

Simon Carter is a blond twenty something who most people would describe as a twink. He is a web designer for one of the major oil refineries in the Memphis area. He is a spitfire who takes the term twink and rails against it, going so far as to turn down a date when someone uses the term to describe him. So instead of the date that he was going to go on, he decides to go to this out of the way bar which has a reputation as being gay friendly. While playing pool, he nearly gets into a fight with some drunken college guys who are throwing homophobic terms at him. Then this big Native American step in to protect him from the possible gay bashing. Thus Simon is introduced to his fated mate, Hawk.

Hawk and Simon must overcome things in Hawk’s past and the reputation that Hawk has developed in the meantime. Simon cannot believe that Hawk could possibly be interested in him as Hawk never dates blonds. Hawk must convince Simon that he is a special case and that the rules do not apply to Simon, his mate. Hawk must also introduce Simon to his culture and the fact that he is a shifter and by agreeing to be his mate, Simon will become one too.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author puts a different spin on the shifter genre with emphasis on the Native American culture. The shifter spirit, called a totem, often talks to the human side. The conversations between Hawk and his totem are both hilarious and insightful. You could call the totem a second conscious for Hawk. He implores Hawk to do what is needed but in many instances Hawk ignores the totem and does what he has always done. I am looking forward to the next book in this highly entertaining series.

The cover art by L.C. Chase is well done. It depicts the blond Simon in the foreground with a hawk soaring in the night sky in the background. It is a well done representation of the novel.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press       All Romance (ARe)       Amazon      Buy It Here – April 3

Book Details

Ebook, 189 pages
Edition: English
Publish: April 2, 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN: 978-63216-913-6
Book Series: Leap of Faith
Shadows in the Night (Leap of Faith #1)
To Touch the Sky (Leap of Faith #2)