Category: M/M Supernatural Fiction

Mix it Up with B.A. Tortuga’s Deconstructing Channing Book Tour and Contest!

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Today our focus is on a blog favorite, B.A. Tortuga, and her latest shifter release, Deconstructing Channing!  It’s a M/M/F story and typically Tortuga hot!  Enter to win an eBook copy of Deconstructing Channing by using the Rafflecopter link here or at the end of the magnifying glass and bookpost!  Happy Reading all! Don’t forget, you must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

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Book Name: Deconstructing Channing
Author Name: BA Tortuga

Author Bio:
Texan to the bone and an unrepentant Daddy’s Girl, BA Tortuga spends her days with her basset hounds, getting tattooed, texting her sisters, and eating Mexican food. When she’s not doing that, she’s writing. She spends her days off watching rodeo, knitting and surfing porn sites in the name of research. BA’s personal saviors include her wife (still amazing to say that), Julia Talbot, her best friend, Sean Michael, and coffee. Lots of coffee. Really good coffee.

Having written everything from fist-fighting rednecks to hard-core cowboys to werewolves, BA does her damnedest to tell the stories of her heart, which was raised in Northeast Texas, but has gone to the high desert mountains and fallen in love. With books ranging from hard-hitting GLBT romance, to fiery menages, to the most traditional of love stories, BA refuses to be pigeon-holed by anyone but the voices in her head.

Author Contact:

deconstructingchanning_msrTitle:  Deconstructing Channing
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Cover Artist: Kelly Martin
Pairing: M/M/F menage

Sales Links:   Ellora’s Cave          Amazon
Blurb:
When they were young together back in their werecat pride, Bowie and Channing experimented with love and sex, as well as flirting with a threesome with their best friend, Emma. Channing and Emma both ran from their needs, leaving Bowie to break away and find his own life. Now a confident master dominant, Bowie discovers Channing again through a video of a consummate sub, one who Bowie knows he needs to find once more.

When Bowie shows up on his doorstep, Channing feels like a teenager again, all confusion and need. He doesn’t date his own kind, only humans, and he’s not in the market for a full time master. Bowie is impossible to deny, a force of nature, and while both men know they’ll have to think about Emma eventually, now is the time to see if they can get to know, and love each other, all over again.

Excerpt:

The trip was designed to give him time. Time to figure out what he was going to say to Channing Lanier when he saw the sorry son of a bitch again.
He could start with “Hey, you rat bastard. Amazing how you came out after you dropped me like a hot rock.” That would be fun. Or maybe, “I thought you weren’t into spanking and bondage, and your precious asshole was sacrosanct, but now you’re a bottom in the underground BDSM scene,” would work better.
Bowie wouldn’t even be going to see said bottoming asshole if it wasn’t for the flyer tucked neatly away in his briefcase.

Tawny Catnip.

Seriously?

Their Emma was a fucking stripper?

A Vegas stripper? The revue was touted as a classy burlesque show and topless nightclub called Catnip Crazy.

Hell, the crazy thing was that both of his ex-lovers had called him a goddamn perv.

Him. Because he’d wanted them both. Because he’d wanted Emma over his lap. Because he’d wanted to see Channing bound and on his knees between the both of them.

Fuckers.

BlueBadgeChanningTour Dates: 8/27/14

Tour Stops: Parker Williams, Cate Ashwood, Inked Rainbow Reads, Andrew Q. Gordon, Prism Book Alliance, LeAnn’s Book Reviews, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Fallen Angel Reviews, Love Bytes, the Twins: Talon ps & Princess so, Iyana Jenna, Tara Lain, Wake Up Your Wild Side, MM Good Book Reviews, Carly’s Book Reviews, The Hat Party, Michael Mandrake

Rafflecopter Code to win an eBook copy of Deconstructing Channing...
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Cover Reveal for Rae Brewer’s David’s Dilemma!

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It’s Cover Reveal Time!  Rae Brewer is unveiling her cover for David’s Dilemma today. To celebrate, there is a contest to win one of 3 copies of David’s Dilemma.  Use the Rafflecopter link at the end of the post to enter to win.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. 

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Book Name: David’s DilemmaDavidsDilemma600x600Banner
Author Name: Rae Brewer

Author Bio:

Rae Brewer is new to writing romance and has found a niche in the M/M paranormal genre. After growing up in San Francisco, Rae now calls Chicago home.
Author Contact: Author Page on Facebook

 

 

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Title:  David’s Dilemma by Rae Brewer
Publisher: JK Publishing, Inc
Cover Artist: Jess Buffett

Sales Links:
Amazon
All Romance eBooks
Smashwords
Kobo

  David’s Dilemma Blurb:

It’s been three years since David broke up with Michael. He’s ready to find his mate. Only the only man he’s attracted to at all is a hookup from a bar. After hours of passion they separate and David only discovers the next morning the man was his mate. Where can he find him again? And what is his name?

 

 

 

 

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 David’s Dilemma Excerpt:

David woke late Sunday afternoon with a headache, which didn’t seem fair because he hadn’t drunk very much the night before. Damn head cold! He still remembered every minute of the night before. Part of him wished he’d broken his own rule and let the handsome hunk stay over. He got what he wanted, he would have blown me off when he saw me in the light of day. Getting out of bed he stumbled to the bathroom sneezing. He decided to take a hot shower, the steam would clear up his sinuses, for a while. He wanted a clear head so he could convince himself it was time to settle down and find a forever love. No more casual sex!

Setting the temp as hot as he could stand, he stepped into the oversized stall. The room quickly filled with steam and his nose started running. He gave a fleeting thought to the scents he was washing down the drain before he remembered his sheets. His cougar wasn’t very happy with him for kicking HH, the handsome hunk, out of their bed and was pouting by being silent. Of course his cougar was generally subdued when he was showering.

After twenty minutes in the steam his muscles were loose and he could breathe again, for now. Stepping out of the shower onto the bathmat he grabbed a clean towel off the shelf and after a quick rub down, wrapped it around his waist. Taking a look in the mirror he decided to take some cold medicine and spend the day being lazy. He was already envisioning a long afternoon on the couch snuggled in a blanket with a pitcher of lemon water and some chicken soup within easy reach. I’m wallowing, because I already miss him.

First though, he needed to strip the bed and put the sheets in the wash. Later, he knew he’d want cool fresh sheets to sleep in. And right now he was as awake, alert, and as energetic as he was going to be for the rest of the day. Walking through the door to the bedroom the scents from his sheets hit him all at once. His inner cat roared and David was so surprised he didn’t stop the shift.

Leaping onto the bed in his puma form, he rolled around in the sheets before sneezing. Sitting up in the bed he had a sheet wrapped around him, the end flopping over his head. He could see his reflection in the mirror on the opposite wall. Big tough cat, not! Mate! We found our mate!
Shifting back into his human form allowed him to say what he was thinking. “Shit! Shit, shit, shit!” Untangling himself from the bedding he began to pace around the room. I don’t even know his name!


DavidsDilemmaBadgeTour Dates: 8/26/14

Tour Stops: Parker Williams, LeAnn’s Book Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews, My Fiction Nook, Love Bytes, Cate Ashwood, Fallen Angel Reviews, Amanda C. Stone, Prism Book Alliance, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads, Emotion in Motion, Foxylutely Book Reviews, For the Love of Bookends,  Michael Mandrake
Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rafflecopter Prize: One of three copies of David’s Dilemma

A MelanieM Review: Semper Fae (Endangered Fae #3) by Angel Martinez

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Semper Fae coverAs the Fae settle into their life on Tearmann Island, a Fae nation now established on Earth, Diego and the Fae are busy attending to the new state of affairs and international negotiations on the Fae’s behalf. Fae Collective Ambassador, Prince Lugh mac Ethnenn, and his bodyguard and personal aide, Zachary Morrison, who retired from the U.S. Marine Corps, are in New York City at the Fae Embassy established there to promote Fae Awareness while Diego Sandoval, the Human Consul for the Fae Collective and his Pooka lover, Fionchadd or Finn, remain on the island.

But things are never calm for long.  Finn comes down with an “uncommon cold” which makes him change shape with every sneeze.  Diego is trying to comfort his ill lover and deal with all incoming requests, including one from a group that says they can work magic, and want  Diego to mentor them. But these messages turn ominous when Diego ignores them.  At the same time, Prince Lugh not only kisses Zach, outing him to his family when the picture is posted, but Zach is critically injured when he is attacked in New York City  by a being that looks remarkably like a werewolf. In fact all sorts of supernatural beings are appearing all over earth, from vampires, to ghouls to werewolves….an occurrence that shouldn’t be happening.

That’s just the beginning.  A new love is fraught with problems, misunderstandings and stress,  while an old love pushed to its limits by an evil that is close and familiar. The recently established nation of Fae on Earth is threatened with new sanctions and laws that might making living together with humans forbidden once more.  And the one man they need to help save the situation has lost a piece of his mind.  Now they need to save Diego in order to save them all.

Angel Martinez’s Semper Fae (Endangered Fae #3) elevates a series that was already marvelous and complicated into a saga that is rare in its layers of mythology and whose intricacies of plot astonish at each new twist and turn of the author’s pen.   Angel Martinez has a multitude of important plot threads running through her story and its how the author intertwines them with each other with a richness and depth that is truly amazing.  It really doesn’t seem to matter whether Martinez is dealing with the day to day relationship dynamics of an established couple, even a couple where one is a Pookie and the other a hugely powerful mage or revealing the wider ranging complications that arise when the magical meet the mundane, its how Martinez is able to fold reality into mythology and have the final product feel so real and alive that is an amazing quality all of its own.  I really can’t get  enough of this series or its addicting characters.

The first tale, Finn (Endangered Fae #1) introduced Finn, a lost and ailing Pookie, to Diego Sandoval, a romance author of hispanic heritage.  It laid a solid foundation for the next story and for the love between Finn and Diego, who turns out to be a powerful mage.  Diego (Endangered Fae #2) brings all the other Fae into play and a new cast of characters is established, along with the idea of malignant interference from the American military.  As Angel Martinez has already established the “normal” threats that might appear to Diego and Finn’s happiness as well as that of the Fae now living on Tearmann Island, a new entity is revealed to crush all that they have worked hard to create.  The entity that Martinez creates is both ingenuous and heartbreaking.  And its arrival is on top of  other perilous situations created by the attack on Zach and outside forces is totally unexpected.

It’s frustrating to write a review here because almost any mention of any part of this story can unintentionally bring a spoiler or two.  But Semper Fae is both a recounting of deeply felt love stories as well as a powerful and convoluted tale of mythic beings and a struggle for survival at the most basic level.  Here Martinez brings into question what makes a person or being who they are? What happens if one of the basic building blocks of that person’s character is removed? This haunting idea forms the basis of one of the most important plot threads here.

Martinez also deals with the nature of identity on more than one level.  Zach has been hiding his homosexuality from his family.  A paparazzi’s photograph outs him and then a physical assault changes Zack forever but do either of those events change who Zach is on the inside? Questions upon questions, and not just for the new romance is between ex Marine Zach Morrison and Prince Lugh.   Finn and Diego are also in trouble, one that starts off quite funny as a Fae common cold. Even the recently established state of Fae on Tearmann Island comes under attack.  The problems mounting here are internal as well as external, subtle and outright.  And some are caused by the very people and beings we have come to love.

In Semper Fae, there be dragons (oh how I loved these dragons) with a propensity for Rubic’s Cube and Silly Putty and vampires who lack the taste for blood.  As I said the complications build from the beginning of the story and there will be no easy resolution even at the end. That’s as it should be as this story will feed into the fourth tale of this saga. The issues and complications that Martinez has raised here have huge implications for all and the reverberations will continue to spread through relationships of all types and creature bonds.

I will tell you I cried like a baby at times here.  This story has its lighthearted moments, and its scenes of darkness and terror.  All are beautifully written with vivid descriptions vying with charismatic characters for your attention and heart.  You will want to be there with Zach in the dragon’s lair and flee with Finn and other others from a city street flowing with blood.  In fact, you won’t want to miss a single sentence from Finn to Semper Fae and beyond.  Endangered Fae is one of ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords Best of 2014!  Don’t pass it by.  But start at the beginning and work your way through an amazing series and characters that are easy to love.

Cover Art by Winterheart Designs.  Love the cover.

Sales Links:     MLR Press             All Romance eBooks (ARe)            Amazon            Semper Fae

Book Details:

ebook
Published July 11th 2014 by MLR Press (first published January 13th 2013)
edition languageEnglish
seriesEndangered Fae #3

Series in the order they were written and should be read for the events and relationships to be understood:

Finn (Endangered Fae #1)
Finn’s Christmas (Endangered Fae #1.5) folded into Finn.
Diego (Endangered Fae #2)
Semper Fae (Endangered Fae #3)
No Fae Is An Island (Endangered Fae #4) not yet released

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Focusing In On Midnight Rodeo: Homecoming by Kiernan Kelly, Julia Talbot and BA Tortuga (contest)

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Welcomes Kiernan Kelly, Julia Talbot and BA Tortuga

and their latest anthology,

Midnight Rodeo: Homecoming!

Rope, wolves, leather, vampires, demons, hats, bears.

Rodeo.

 

Kiernan Kelly, BA Tortuga, and Julia Talbot have combined their wild imaginations and talent to come up with the Midnight Rodeo: Homecoming Anthology.  It’s an irresistible combination of “rope, wolves, leather, vampires, demons, hats, bears”…and the rodeo!

When offered an interview, I grabbed at the chance to float some questions by these terrific authors.  My interview with them follows directly.

Today there’s a contest to enter, an excerpt to read and much more.    The link for the Raffecopter contest can be found here and at the bottom of today’s post.  Winner receives an eBook copy of Midnight Rodeo:Homecoming.  So don’t forget to enter to win.  As always you must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Good luck and Happy Reading!

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Contest:  Rafflecopter Prize: E-Book of Midnight Rodeo.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Visit this link or the one at the bottom of the post to enter.

Book Title: Midnight Rodeo: Homecoming

Authors Name: Kiernan Kelly, Julia Talbot, BA Tortuga

 

 

A ScatteredThoughts Interview with Kiernan Kelly, Julia Talbot and BA Tortuga! 

 

 

STRW:  You all have been friends/SOs (congratulations to B.A. and Julia on their wedding) and co-authors for a long time. Has that affected each other’s writing styles, do you think?

  • Julia Talbot: Thank you! I think it definitely affects our writing. I mean, for one thing, we were all kinda pioneers in taking m/m from online chats and boards to mainstream fiction, so we set our own “house style” if you will. Then there’s the fact that we’ve all co-written and been critique partners for years. Bound to spill over some in each author’s work.
  • BA: Oh, lord yes. There isn’t a single thing that Julia has written that I haven’t read as she worked on it and vice versa. I get to see Kiernan stories chapter by chapter. We all listen to each other talk and visit together. We all share a part of the brain. 😀
  • KKelly: think our writing styles are naturally similar enough to blend nicely in an anthology, yet still remain distinct enough for a reader to recognize the author’s voice in each one.

STRW:   Which comes first? The anthology idea or similar stories you are all working on?

  • KKelly: I usually work on stories simultaneously, with preference given to whichever deadline is looming.
  • BA: I would say that the anthology idea almost always comes first. We go…Ooh! Shiny idea! And then we go… Oh, look. Look at this boy! 😉
  • Julia Talbot:  The anthology idea, generally. We get together at cons and someone says, what if there was this bar…

STRW:  Between the three of you, you all have written about a multitude of professions. Which is your favorite profession to assign a character and why?

  • BA: Well, I’m a cowboy fan, for sure. Rodeo cowboys, working cowboys, country western singers in Stetsons. Honestly, I love a blue-collar working man.
  • Julia Talbot:  Mine is pretty broad. Someone pointed out recently that I like uniforms. Military, cops, doctors, skinwalkers. I like the trappings of a false skin.
  • KKelly: That’s a good question. I like blue collar workers (I find something inherently sexy about a man who works with his hands), but I’ve written lots of white collar professions as well. My favorite (even if I’ve only done it in one story, Change of Heart, and its sequel, Change in Attitude) was to make a shifter a veterinarian. In Change of Heart, the shifter is hit by a truck while in wolf-form, and ends up in his own vet clinic. That was a great deal of fun to write.

STRW: BA, Bullriders or wolf shifters?  Do you have a favorite?  I have been waiting for a wolf shifter bull rider to arrive (although I am not sure that would work due to the predator prey nature) and it looks like I will get my wish along with other supernatural beings.  How did that come about?  Did it involve alcohol or a yarn binge?

  • BA (only):  Well, the funny thing is that the whole idea happened because I couldn’t decide between bullriders and werewolves. They tell you, as a writer, you have to pick a genre, and I was stressing it. Do I write cowboys or werewolves? Cowboys? Werewolves? Ack! Then I went…Oh.

OH!

PARANORMAL COWBOY BUTTS OMG.

And then I may have sparkled. 😉

STRW:   Historical fiction (westerns included) is among the hardest genres to write. Supernatural fiction probably the most fun. Do you each have a favorite type of story to write?

  • KKelly: I write in every genre, but I love to write paranormal romances because the usual laws of physics don’t necessarily apply. My particular favorite are shifters, although I tend to favor unusual creatures over the more familiar wolves. My “In Their Own Skins” trilogy features just about every type of animal-form I could think of – hawks, horses, bear, T-Rex, velociraptors… You just can’t do that in a contemporary romance. LOL
  • Julia Talbot:  I have a long love of historicals. They’re not hard to write for me as I love research. They are a harder sell, though, because they’re so much more subjective. What if someone really hates 16th century Spain? I also love paranormals, because I love the animal nature of shifters, the alien apex predator nature of a vampire.
  • BA: I love my westerns, modern and historicals, but it’s very very difficult for the paranormal elements not to creep in. I also adore writing horror. 😀

STRW:   Cowboys and rodeos are a real passion for many, including myself. Can you all explain why they act as a muse for your writing? Is there a particular bull rider on the circuit today you root for? Or even a bull for that matter?

  • KKelly: I was introduced to bullriding back when I wrote “Riding Heartbreak Road.” I knew next to nothing about the rodeo, but I had this image in my head of a hunky cowboy wearing nothing but his hat and chaps. I knew if I wanted to write the scene, I needed to do research about the rodeo, and since I liked the idea of cowboys trying to stay on the back of a two-thousand pound monster for a mere eight seconds, I narrowed my research to bullriding. I began by watching PBR (Professional Bull Riding) on television, and became so involved in the sport that I began to go to local PBR events. I’ve always been a fan of Guilherme Marchi and Mike Lee, and little Gage Gay is just so darn adorable, I’d like to pick him up and carry him around in my pocket.
  • Julia Talbot:  Oh, my grandpa was a cowboy, and to some extent so was my mom. I married into a family of them. I tend to root for the Brazilian bullriders now, but my all-time favorites are Chris Shivers and Mike White.
  • BA: I grew up with cowboys – my daddy’s a cowboy, my brothers are cowboys. Those are the people I know and love. I can’t imagine choosing another muse. I am totally old school, and currently I’m rooting for the Brazilians in the PBR. Guilherme Marchi makes me fluttery. Will Lowe is my favorite PRCA rider. My all time favorite cowboy is Ty Murray. No, Jim Shoulders. Wait…

STRW: (for BA) I find the older bullriders/bronc riders especially poignant.  It’s such a young man or woman’s sport.  I know and love BA’s Rough Stock series that has some retired cowboys.  But any plans for a story or series about the bull riders or rodeo riders who are forced to retire or leave that lifestyle behind?

  • BA: I actually do have a series in the works called Out to Pasture featuring the ‘old guys’ – old guys in Roughstock are, what? 25? 😉

STRW:  . The PBR and Gay Rodeo circuits…any overlap that you see these days? Has the PBR gotten any more LGBTQ friendly? Or is your writing a way to bring that element to the mainstream?

  • KKelly: I’m not sure if the doors are open yet on the PBR circuit. You don’t hear about gay riders. They’re probably there, but they keep it on the down-low. I’m afraid the PBR isn’t the most open operation, and definitely not as welcoming to everyone as the IGRA (International Gay Rodeo Association). I think the PBR is still very much a “good ol’ boys” network.
  • Julia Talbot:  I wouldn’t be able to speak for any organizations with any certainty. My writing of cowboys in particular is a fantasy of how I would love people to react to all things LGBTQ.
  • BA: All I’ll say on that subject is that, once Julia and I came out the closet, our attendance has gone from 10-12 events a year to maybe 1 a year. I write a fantasy world wherein love is accepted.

STRW:   Vampires or werewolves? Do you all have a favorite and why?

  • Julia Talbot:  Werewolves. I mean, I am a vamp fan since Dracula at 11, and later, Anne Rice and Poppy Z Brite. But I adore writing werebeasts and exploring how their animal side makes them react to human situations.
  • KKelly: Again, I’ve written both, but I do favor werewolves over vampires.  I think there are many reasons for my preference – I’m an animal lover (no, not in THAT way, thank you very much), so the wolves play into that. I like that wolves mate for life, and I enjoy exploring the pack mentality. Wolves are affectionate with each other, strong, agile, and noble creatures. Vampires…yeah, not so much. Vampires are by nature solitary, decadent creatures, usually interested solely in their own survival. Plus, with vampires, unless their love interest is also a vamp, you need to worry about the whole immortality-watching-your-love-age-and-die thing. Werewolves need to worry about three things: the full moon, silver bullets, and wolfsbane. That’s about it. Vampires, on the other hand, need to watch out for garlic, crosses, running water, sunlight, holy water, crucifixes, wooden stakes, etc. In other words, vampires are high maintenance.
  • BA: Werewolves. I mean, I love vamps, but werewolves!!! 😀 I love animals and the whole concept of pack structure and being driven by instinct makes me incredibly happy.

STRW:  Next projects up for each of you?

  • Julia Talbot:  A menage novella called Georgia Knights out in September from TQ. I have the third Elemental Ops book with Changeling Press out in August and a long novella contemporary out in January or February with Dreamspinner. Find all the things at my website, http://www.juliatalbot.com
  • BA: I am working on a m/m contemporary about kids and cowboys tentatively titled “Ever the Same”, Brazilian bullriders, the next story for the Cereus universe, and a contemporary m/m about a redneck musician and his bodyguard. I’m also finishing up a f/f YA novel currently titled, “Stealing Bases”.
  • KKelly: I’m currently working on an m/m YA titled “Mad About the Hatter,” a short story for the next book in the “Butt” series, Butt Babes in Boyland, which I’ve tentatively titled, “Elf Esteem,” and an m/m novel about a vampire (I know, I know – high maintenance) and an angel/vampire hybrid titled “Riding Lucifer.”

 STRW:  That was a butt load of questions and the answers from all three of you were wonderful.  Thank you so much for taking the time to spend a little  time here with us today!

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Author Bios:

  • BA Tortuga:

Texan to the bone and an unrepentant Daddy’s Girl, BA Tortuga spends her days with her basset hounds, getting tattooed, texting her sisters, and eating Mexican food. When she’s not doing that, she’s writing. She spends her days off watching rodeo, knitting and surfing porn sites in the name of research. BA’s personal saviors include her wife, Julia Talbot, her best friend, Sean Michael, and coffee. Lots of coffee. Really good coffee.

Having written everything from fist-fighting rednecks to hard-core cowboys to werewolves, BA does her damnedest to tell the stories of her heart, which was raised in Northeast Texas, but has answered the call of the high desert mountains. With books ranging from hard-hitting GLBT romance, to fiery menages, to the most traditional of love stories, BA refuses to be pigeon-holed by anyone but the voices in her head.

Links:
Website: http://www.batortuga.com
Twitter: @batortuga

  • Kiernan Kelly:

Kiernan Kelly lives in the wilds of the alligator-infested U.S. Southeast, slathered in SPF 45, drinking colorful tropical, hi-octane concoctions served by thong-clad cabana boys.

All right, the truth is that she spends her time locked in the dark recesses of her office, writing gay erotic romance while chained to a temperamental laptop, drinking coffee, and dreaming of thong-clad cabana boys.

Sigh.

To date, Kiernan has over a dozen novels in print and ebook, and a plethora of short stories in both formats.

Links:
Website 
Email:  KiernanKelly@KiernanKelly.com
Facebook

 

  • Julia Talbot:

Julia Talbot lives in the great Southwest, where there is hot and cold running rodeo, cowboys, and everything from meat and potatoes to the best Tex-Mex. A full time author, Julia has been published by Torquere Press, Ellora’s Cave, and Changeling Press. She believes that everyone deserves a happy ending, so she writes about love without limits, where boys love boys, girls love girls, and boys and girls get together to get wild, especially when her crazy paranormal characters are involved.

Find Julia at:
Twitter  at @juliatalbot
Website  
Facebook

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Midnight Rodeo Homecoming coverMidnight Rodeo: Homecoming
Authors: Kiernan Kelly, Julia Talbot, BA Tortuga
Cover Artist: Anne Squires
Publisher: Torquere Press

Buy Links:    Torquere Press

Blurb(s):

What happens when rodeos start to get too tough for humans to compete in? Midnight Rodeo, of course, where supernatural creatures like shifters and vampires work for the prize money, and for the awe of their audience.

In Welcome to the Pack by BA Tortuga, when head bullfighter Denton is killed by a demon bull, his twin, Denver, comes back to take his place. Denver was gone for years, working mundane rodeos and missing his twin. He’s not sure the pack can heal him since the other bullfighters challenge Denver at every turn. All except Blaine, who’s an outcast himself, and who knows Denver is like no one he’s ever met.

In Oklahoma Rain by Kiernan Kelly, psychic Blaze scouts locations for the rodeo company, Darque and Knight, where he finds another psychic talent, Zack, who’s hot as the Fourth of July. Zack is complicated, though, thanks to his sidekick, Mikey, a damaged kid. Blaze invites the pair back to the rodeo, but not everyone is as happy as Blaze to have them there.

In Big Bear, Little Bear, by Julia Talbot, bear shifter Ben is returning to the rodeo after a long injury recovery. Big bear shifter Ozzie is the barrel man and clown, and he’s been waiting for Ben to come back to the big show. But is Ben ready to ride again, let alone be the lover Ozzie is ready to take on?

Excerpt:

Denver was– wow.

Denton had been stunning, making Blaine stare a lot. A lot. Still, Dent had been off-limits, and he’d bet Denver was, too. No one could be that hot and be like Blaine.

He was the weird one, the one brought into the pack by a she-wolf who had already had a single pup. Blaine figured he was lucky no one had killed him when he was a kid.

Everyone else was broad and wide, shaggy headed with eyes like green glass. All of them came from the same line. Denver was the spitting image of Denton, really. A little harder around the edges, a little more wild. A shit ton more bruised.

The guys had been taking turns. Two a night, just like clockwork, they’d come and challenge Denver. One at midnight, one at three a.m. Greg and Vince went, then Carter and Caul, and finally Hank and Mike. Boom.

He supposed Denver was waiting for him, now. Blaine sighed. He had no intention of trying to take the pack. God, the very idea made his head hurt.
The real question was, were they going to just start over, or was Denver going to get a night off, a chance to sleep before they settled in town for tonight’s show?

✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍

Tour Dates/Stops: 7/28 – 8/22

 

BadgeMR Homecoming Rev
7/28: Prism Book Alliance
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8/1: LeAnn’s Book Reviews
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A MelanieM Review: Midnight Rodeo: Homecoming by Kiernan Kelly, Julia Talbot, B.A.Tortuga

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

Midnight Rodeo Homecoming coverDoes just the thoughts of a rodeo fill you with anticipation of fun, knuckle cracking suspense and danger?  And good looking cowboys too?  What happens when you take all that and add in demons, vampires,  weres of all types, and a ghost or two?  The answer to the last question is Midnight Rodeo: Homecoming ,a collection of three stories by authors Kiernan Kelly, Julia Talbot and BA Tortuga.

The Darque and Knight Rodeo is famous for its wild bulls, great bull riders ,over the top bullfighters and much, much more.  If only the humans who came to watch knew who and what were really behind the gates and stands when this rodeo came to town.  Three stories look into the lives and loves of the Darque and Knight Rodeo. This rodeo is run and employees nothing but Supes as the Supernatural are known, in search of a home, love and a family.

Those stories are Welcome to the Pack by BA Tortuga, Oklahoma Rain by Kiernan Kelly, and Big Bear, Little Bear, by Julia Talbot. Don’t miss out on a single one!

This book checked all the boxes for me.  It’s got the rodeo and cowboys (as such), it’s got  weres (both cat, wolf, and more), vampires, demons, and paranormals…all on the search for love, home, and a family.  It’s also by Kiernan Kelly, BA Tortuga, and Julia Talbot, a trio of authors who always manage to bring it home with their stories and viewpoints.  All three stories are centered around the Darque and Knight Rodeo (love that play on words).

I’ll be taking a look at each story as they appear in the book.  First up? A werewolf homecoming of sorts in “Welcome to the Pack”.

“Welcome to the Pack” by BA Tortuga – 4.75 stars

Bullfighter Denver returns home when his twin brother and pack Alpha, Denton, is killed by a bull at The Darque and Knight Rodeo.  Denver left the pack when it was decided that Denton would be the Alpha and now Denver is returning to reclaim the role and get the pack in order.  It’s been decades since Denver has been back and the pack isn’t all that happy to see him. Denver must fight for the right to be Alpha and try to heal the hole caused by the loss of his brother.  Only another outcast, Blaine, seems to be in his corner.  A necessary support to have when all the bulls they fight are possessed by demons!

My favorite story of the three but not by much.  The universe building here is superb.  I can’t get enough of this rodeo and all the beings that make up this rodeo!  This is a tale of two brothers, really.  One has died by the beginning of the story but Denton’s presence is felt throughout as Denver greatly misses him and is often compared to his brother.  Denver has been working the “mundane” rodeo circuit as humans are called and now returns to his former pack in disarray.  They’ve gotten sloppy, mean, and not exactly welcoming to Denver.  As Denver fights his way back into the pack, he finds a mate and a home.  Along the way the readers finds out such details as there is a caged demon inside of each bull.  I’m sure that many cowboys would find this entirely plausible! The cat shifters, a pride, that runs the cafeteria, food stands, and give massages to those they care for.  I would love a story about that Pride and its members.

Blaine, an outsider by way of his unusual birth and size, is a wonderful character.  I adored him and his relationship with Denver.  This is the longest story of the three and could easily have been its own book.  And series.  Plus there is a Russian tiger shifter, Dimitri, in need of a mate.  I need that story as badly as he does his HEA!  I wonder if BA Tortuga takes bribes?

Oklahoma Rain by Kiernan Kelly – 5 stars

Blaze Morgan  looks like a mundane but he’s not.  Instead Blaze has a hidden psychic talent that allows him to scout out the locations in small towns along the rodeo circuit where Darque and Knight can set up for a while.  Blaze supplies patches when holes appear in the magic wards that kept their real identities masked and the magical nature of their rodeo hidden from the mundanes that buy the tickets at each stop. Blaze even has a talent for mind control but that only applies to the humans he meets and not any Supes he comes into contact with.  That proves to be a problem when Blaze finds a homeless pair hiding out on the deserted farm where Darque and Knight are getting ready to set up for a run.

Zack and 10 year old human Mikey have been using the farm as their home for a while and Blaze’s appearance shattered the temporary home they have made together.  Telekinetic Zack saved Mikey from abusive kidnapper, and the farm has served them both as a place for Mikey to try and heal and a  haven for Zack.  Blaze invites them to join the rodeo as they can always use another psychic but not everyone is happy to have a human child around.

This story got me too.  Loved poor damaged Mikey and his relationship with Zack.  Zack, Blaze and Mikey make a wonderful family but not everyone is happy to have them there.   Kelly builds the suspense and anguish skillfully as she does the love and bonding between the two men and the wounded child.  As it all comes to an explosive ending, the reader is fully engaged and ready to do battle along side Zack, and Blaze to keep their family safe and together.

Loved this story too as so many other types of beings appear here to deepen the universe all three authors are building.  Vampire Cody and Demon Philip own and run Darque and Knight, dragons are used as barrel racers and a single burp can set the tents on fire.  Cheetah shifters and wolf shifters and so many others are bull riders, barrel racers, and more.  There is even a Grand Wizard Dermid who sets the spells that enchant the rodeo to keep it safe. It just keeps getting more fascinating the more you know about it.

Big Bear, Little Bear, by Julia Talbot – 4.5 stars

Grizzly bear shifter Ozzie is the barrel man and clown for Darque and Knight Rodeo. Little Black Bear shifter, Ben, trains and supplies the best rodeo horses while managing on being the worst bulldogger. And Ben has the biggest crush of Ozzie but Ozzie thinks Ben’s too young and inexperienced. Then Ben is badly hurt and sent home to recover. When Ben comes back, Ozzie is surprised how much he has missed the little bear. But there’s something different about Ben, something he’s hiding and Ozzie is determined to get to the truth and let the little bear know how much he cares.

Of course, the barrel man and clown is a Grizzly shifter! How perfect!  And Julia Talbot gets the feel of a bear in human form just right as they lumber along with their love of honey, fruits, and finally each other.  The author brings the natural history of bears into her story in subtle but genuine  ways and it just elevates this story up another notch.  Ben’s injury almost killed him and the ensuing trauma has had enormous side effects, as it should.   Ben’s gentleness and forlorn demeanor plays off beautifully against the jovial good nature and confidence of Ozzie.  They are made for each other and Julia Talbot’s lovely story charts the  path of their romance  from start to finish.  More please, much, much more!

I really adored Midnight Rodeo: Homecoming.  I can only hope that this book is a precursor of more stories to come.  Darque and Knight Rodeo is full of amazing beings, each with their own stories to tell.  How did Philip and Cody get together? A demon and a vamp?  What about Dimitri and the Pride of cat shifters?  Plus there is Denver’s triplet brothers to get in trouble and surely other paranormals that could use a job at a rodeo?  I can think of character after character with a story that needs telling and these three authors are just the ones to do it.

I highly recommend Midnight Rodeo: Homecoming.  Its fun, lively, engrossing….just a great read.  Pick it up and become involved in the lives of the supernatural and paranormal as they find their way to HEA and a home.  You will be happy you did.

Sales Links:  Torquere Press           All Romance eBooks (ARe)              Amazon                    Midnight Rodeo: Homecoming

Cover by Anne Squires.  Love this cover.  I only wish there had been a bit of a supernatural air about it, maybe claws on the hand or something.

Book Details:

ebook, 228 pages
Published July 16th 2014 by Torquere Press
ISBN 1610407776 (ISBN13: 9781610407779)
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=76&products_id=4220

Review: Hero by Heidi Cullinan

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

Hero coverHal Porter left his family and home believing that his large Catholic family would never accept his homosexuality.  In fact, Hal is not even sure he accepts it.  But he thought that a new city, new apartment and job would bring a new perspective.  Instead it brought more questions, long hours as a construction worker and loneliness.

Strange things are happening at the construction site Hal is working on.  There’s a huge empty lot in the middle of the job that all avoid.  A lot on which a strange bar appears and disappears at will.  And at times Hal swears he sees a crystal tower and a balcony on which stands the most beautiful man Hal has ever scene.  Something about that lonely figure calls to Hal like nothing ever has in his life.

When a strange fox like woman approaches Hal from the bar, she has a quest for Hal.  A long enchanted shape shifter needs saving, needs a hero…and Hal is that person chosen to save him.  But can Hal be the hero when all his life he has been told he is nothing special?  And when love approaches in the form of the shape shifter, will Hal be able to accept his homosexuality in time to save them both?

Hero is large in heart while short in length.   I loved so much about this story that I wished it was as large in length as it was in emotions and depth of storyline.  Heidi Cullinan took this “prince in a tower needing to be saved” story and gave it quite a few marvelous and fresh twerks, not the least of which is a prince instead of a princess who needs a hero.

Some of the wonderful surprises Heidi has in store for the reader are things that should be left as elements to wonder at when you come upon them in the course of the tale.  But others, like choosing the kitsune as the shape shifters and Japanese lore as a foundation for those magical beings are both charming and new.  I wish Cullinan had gone a little more in depth into the kitsune legends but what is here is marvelous and intriguing.

And then there is the bar/tower.  Such an amazing idea and construct.  This aspect of Hero almost made the entire story for me.  But the figure of Hal Porter must always remain at the top.  He is such a lovely, gentle man.  A Catholic who is wrestiling with the church’s idea of homosexuality versus his love of men, Hal is a man divided between the mother and family he loves and being true to himself.  Cullinan brings Hal and his internal monologues into sharp focus.  We love Hal for the decent, caring person he is and understand the insecurities and lack of self esteem his upbringing has caused.  Hal Porter is a wonderful character and we are happy to follow in his footsteps towards acceptance, bravery and love.

This book has not yet been released yet  (August 13) by Wilde City Press but when it is, grab it up and start reading.  I think you will be as charmed as I was by Hal Porter, the kitsune prince and the quest for love no matter where you find it.

Cover art by Wilde City Press.  That is an unbelievable cover.  One of the Best of 2014 for me.  And it works perfectly for the story in every way!

Buy Links:         Wilde City Press                  All Romance eBook (ARe)                        Amazon  – links to come

Book Details:

Sequel to MILES AND THE MAGIC FLUTE

Length: 60,000 words
Link: http://www.wildecity.com/books/gay-mainstream/hero/#.U9Mhys3OjFM
Release Date: August 13

ebook, 2nd Edition
Published May 27th 2014 by Wilde City Press (first published December 4th 2009)
original titleHero
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.heidicullinan.com/books/hero