Category: M/M Supernatural Fiction

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

Review: Strength of the Mate (The Tameness of the Wolf #3) by Kendall McKenna

Rating: 4.5  stars out of 5

Strength of the Mate coverAdam Madison, convoy driver for the military contractor Ares in Iraq, is a good man suffering under a ton of issues.  Younger brother to Major Tim Madison, a officer assigned to werewolf military, Adam has long association of resentment of his brother and poor judgement calls he has made throughout his life. Plus the death of his youngest brother has continued to haunt him. Now assigned to Camp Fallujah, Adam is driving supply trucks for the Marines.  But things are tense at the camp.  The werewolves stationed there lack discipline and the Camp Alpha seems to reward bad behavior instead of controlling and dispelling it with his authority.  It’s affecting morale and their mission.

When Noah sends his Omega, Dawson Rivers, to get the camp and the shifters under control, Dawson finds that Adam helps him understand the conflicts inside and out of the camp.  Their old attraction flares up again as they work closely together to bring order back to Camp Fallujah.  But Adam has had little contact with shifters before and he lacks the necessary information and back history to understand all the issues at stake, including what Dawson’s actions towards him means.

As their relationship strengthens into a bond, the insurgents up their attacks on the Camp and the convoys.  When one such ambush succeeds, the end result is devastating. Only through Dawson and Adam’s bond might their relationship and each other survive.

Strength of the Mate, the third in The Tameness of the Wolf series by Kendall McKenna, brings back a divisive character from the previous stories, Adam Madison, Tim Madison’s younger brother.  In the last story, Strength of the Wolf, Adam’s scenes with his brother were full of anger, jealousy, and pain.  Long estranged from Tim, Adam’s actions were often petulant and explosive.  And while the reader was given part of the back history of Adam’s problems, it didn’t exactly make him a likable character.  Now he gets his own story and the switch in perspective changes everything.

I love Kendall McKenna’s characters.  Steeped in military tradition and settings, they always come across as gritty and real.  Adam is no exception.  He is cool under fire, fueled by adrenaline, and proud of his capabilities.  Adam has grown up in Iraq, and the long distance and his missions have given him a new slant on his brother and their relationship.  But the one thing they do not have in common is Tim’s close association and knowledge of shifters..  Adam works with them at Marine Corps Base Camp Fallujah, Fallujah, Iraq but the Camp Alpha has everything in such turmoil that Adam isn’t sure what and how a were should act.  As seen from Adam’s eyes, the Camp is as dangerous a place as the insurgent controlled outskirts of town.  Weres are fighting other weres, and harassing the human Marines as well.  It’s a horrible situation, one that Adam flees while he drives his truck.

Into this mess strides Dawson Rivers, the True Alpha’s Omega.  Sent to get the camp under control, what happens almost instantaneously is that the attraction between Adam and Dawson reignites as soon as they do.  Having met previously back in the States, working together to restructure the Camp and  out on the convoys, their attraction deepens into first a connection and then a bond.  It’s sexy, complicated and at times, uncertain but the author  always lets the reader know  that these men are intended for each other.

With Kendall McKenna, its hard to separate her men from their locations as it is so much a part of who they are as Marines or in Adam’s case, a military convoy driver.  McKenna’s descriptions are tight, gritty, and authentic in detail and atmosphere.  You can feel the blazing sun and the dust from the desert sands of Camp Fallujah.  The small showers, the cots and mess, they all are so vividly described that scene after scene pulls you down into their experiences and makes it yours.  Going about their duties in camp are a host of human and shifter Marines that play a number of important roles in Strength of the Mate.  Whether it is Corporal Jason Rodriguez, the young shifter who rides guard with Adam in the truck or Private First Class Roger Allen, as well as Lance Corporal Will Borovec, a shifter who gets picked on, you embrace these young Marines the more  you get to know them.  Kendall McKenna has paid as much attention to getting these  secondary characters right as she does to her main ones. Each is a marvelous portrait of a youngster at war. Some are cocky, a little arrogant, some like to kid around, others not so much.  But their actions and reactions to the situations they find themselves are recognizable and it makes them all easy to relate to.  How I love these guys, every single one.

The romance and bonding of Adam and Dawson is the center thread of this tapestry and it runs passionate and bright through all the turmoil at Camp, the insurgents whose actions are increasingly putting the convoys and the Marine’s mission in danger, and all the other elements McKenna has introduced into the plot.  It helps to introduce Adam to more of the shifter history, it gives him a better perspective on Tim and his mate, Jeremy, and it provides a needed solace to his old pain.  I wish we had a little more of Dawson’ s internal thinking and emotions but I loved what the author delivered to us.  Dawson is amazing.  Although, I did find myself wishing that his “violet eyes” had been mentioned a little less throughout the narrative.  That was my only issue here. Had the author cut back on the epithets for Dawson’s eye color, than this would have been a five star story.  As it is, that issue is a minor irritation, nothing more.  And others may find it doesn’t bother them at all.

There is already another story in the works, Strength of the Warrior (The Tameness of the Wolf, #4).  I can’t wait for that to come out.  Kendall McKenna has created an amazing soldier shifter universe here and with each new story, she strengthens and deepens her world building and the incredible characters that are so much a part of this series.  I loved Adam and Dawson.  Their story was alternately, gripping, suspenseful, lusty, and romantic.  Or sometimes all at the same time.  I couldn’t put it down.  Strength of the Mate is one of ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords Favorites and Most Highly Recommended Stories and Series.

Cover Art by Jared Rackler.  Love this cover, hot, hot, hot!

 

Buy Links:      MLR Press            All Romance (ARe)                Amazon      Strength of the Mate

 

Book Details:

ebook, 356 pages
Published June 20th 2014 by MLR Press (first published June 2014)
original titleStrength of the Mate
edition languageEnglish
seriesThe Tameness of the Wolf #3
charactersAdam Madison, Dawson Rivers, Tim Madison, Lucas Young, Noah Hammond

Books in The Tameness of the Wolf series include in the order they were written and should be read:

Strength of the Pack (The Tameness of the Wolf, #1)
Strength of the Wolf (The Tameness of the Wolf, #2)
Strength of the Mate (The Tameness of the Wolf, #3)
Strength of the Warrior (The Tameness of the Wolf, #4) coming soon at MLR Press.

In the Author Spotlight: Chatting with Angel Martinez on Writing, Endangered Fae and Much More! (contest)

spotlight on booksDiego Endangered Fae coverFinn_432(1) coverSemper Fae cover

ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords Sits Down with

Angel Martinez to chat about  her Endangered Fae series, writing, and 

much more!

 

 

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I fell in love with Angel Martinez and her Endangered Fae series from my first introduction to Finn, the Fae in question, and his lover Diego in Finn (Endangered Fae#1).  A first interview with the author followed, as did the second book, Diego (Endangered Fae #2).  By now I was captured up in the universe Martinez had built for her series and the characters involved.  So  when I heard the third  novel was coming out, I knew that a second interview was needed to learn more about the author and the series as it evolves.

Contest: Angel Martinez has brought along a copy of  Finn (Endangered Fae #1) to give away.  To enter to win an eBook copy of Finn, leave a comment below, along with an email address where you can be contacted.  In addition, STRW is offering up a eBook copy of Semper Fae as a prize as well.  Two Endangered Fae books, two winners! You must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Contest ends midnight EDT on July 25th.

 

✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍Now on to my interview with Angel Martinez:
STRW:  Endangered Fae combines a number of mythologies. Native American, Irish…what prompted that combination and which ones to choose from?

Angel Martinez: Myth and folklore are passions of mine, from when I was very young. Part of that probably stems from the leftover bits of the old ways in my mother’s and grandmother’s kitchen wisdom, (Stir that in one direction! You’ll upset the kitchen spirits!) and partly from a fascination with fairytales that morphed into something more.

The Irish/British Isles mythology stems right from the pooka himself, who is a mostly Irish spirit. In the second book on, Finn’s associations extend to more of the creatures of that myth/folklore region since those would be the people he knew. Later on, the world expands further as we travel further, so we run into creatures of Arabian myth as well.

The Algonquian mythology was also a matter of geography. Finn and Diego travel to Nova Scotia, so what they met there needed to be local as well.

STRW:  The Fae continue to fascinate and they appear in many forms from the elegant “human” type to the alien and frightening “Good folk” in the old tradition. Which appeals to you?

Angel Martinez: I actually like both, and pookas, while they can appear as handsome humans, are more “good folk” than Tolkien elvish. For the purposes of romance, the fae I’ve chosen throughout the series as love interests are ones who are more humanoid and beautiful, but our heroes encounter many different types along the way, some lovely, but some alien and strange.

STRW:  Did or do you have a muse for this series? If so, what was it? Or who?

Angel Martinez:  I don’t often have muses, but Finn insisted on taking the job. He’s more real to me some days than the people in my neighborhood (and often more sensible.) Authors often talk about characters communicating with them or demanding things. It often seems a silly conceit, but Finn’s been beside me, whispering in my ear, for many years now.

STRW:  You write in a number of genres. Do you feel that is important for you as a writer to continue to do so? Do you have a favorite?

Angel Martinez:   I think it’s important for an author to have a recognizable milieu. You pick up Anne Rice, you’re pretty sure what you’re going to get. While I’ve done a couple of short contemporary pieces, I concentrate on Science Fiction and Fantasy because that’s what I love, as a reader and as a writer. I’ve set myself up so that readers (I hope) will see the name and make that instant connection (Oh, yes! She writers SFF.)

Mind you, I’m adamant about the fact that Science Fiction and Fantasy are *not* the same thing. There are distinct differences that shouldn’t be muddied if you want a believable story and when I write, I feel that they use different parts of my brain. SF uses that more rational side of the brain, even when I’m writing SF humor, and Fantasy uses that more fanciful, surreal side of the brain. (SF = plan, build, measure Fantasy = wheeee!)

I do write both adult SF and all ages (under my given name) as well, though I don’t really consider those different genres, just different focuses of story arc.

STRW:   How long have you been writing?

Angel Martinez:  Writers get asked this a lot. Most of us will tell you we’ve been telling stories all our lives, whether we wrote them down or not. I’ve written stories from the time I could write, but didn’t finish my first novel (that will never see the light of day) until the late 1990’s. My first published work was picked up in 2006 and my first gay romance published in 2007. So I’ve been around the block a few times 😉

STRW:. How long does it take you to research a story? Have you ever traveled for your research or folded your experiences into a story?

Angel Martinez:  It depends what I’m trying to do. If the subject matter is something I have a lot of experience with and a lot of source material lying around, research might take a couple of days. If it’s something I’m struggling with, it could take weeks to hammer out the basic points (as in a new interstellar spaceship propulsion method.)

I wish I had the money to travel just for research. That would be lovely. But I do often use places I’ve been in stories: New York, Nova Scotia, Los Angeles, Wilmington. I sometimes do rough sketches of things I see to get the details right later. All of us pick bits and pieces of our experience out of our brains and use them for our stories, whether it’s conscious or not.

STRW:   What’s next in the series?

Angel Martinez:  Semper Fae, the third Endangered Fae book, just released from MLR Press on 7/11/14. That one’s Zack’s story, for all my readers whoSemper Fae cover said the Marine needed his own story. But never fear, Diego and Finn (especially Diego) play a huge part in the plot still.

After that, I’ve just finished No Fae Is An Island, in which we have Diego and Finn traveling farther than ever and getting into just as much trouble as usual, and some new characters, one of whom we’ve met in Semper Fae, get to be the heroes.

Here’s a sneak peek blurb for No Fae Is An Island:

“Three years ago, Danu banished Diego for a time from the human world. Three years and three days doesn’t seem that long to be away from home but time among the wild fae can change a man and the human world returns the favor by changing while he’s away. Human governments haven’t all had humane reactions to magic users. There’s a vampire on Tearmann Island’s security force. A curious selkie’s followed him home. So much to do to keep the world safe…but Diego’s no longer sure he has the right to interfere.

Theo Aguilar started his vampire life on the wrong side of the law. He’s killed and knows how dangerous he can be if he doesn’t stay in control every moment of every day. But the fae took him in and Prince Lugh has given him a position of trust. He owes them more than gratitude, so when Diego and Finn are arrested on a diplomatic mission far from home, he knows his duty. He’s striking out on his own to rescue them, a lone vigilante once again, though this time for the good guys. The only glitch? The selkie, Limpet, can’t seem to understand the alone part.”

STRW: Do you write one story at a time or have several at different stages at one time?

Angel Martinez:  Ideally, I have one at a time. I’m not one of those writers who can switch back and forth from one story to another. But I do, sometimes, start a story and then have to set it aside for another deadline. At one point this year, I had three stories started and had to work on a fourth. We’re now down to one at the edit stage, one started and set aside and one that needs immediate attention.

STRW:   Finally, why do you write?

Angel Martinez:  *tortured, dramatic sob* Because I must! Seriously, though,I enjoy it. It’s what I love best. And if you find something you love, why would you do anything else?

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Thank you, Angel Martinez, for stopping by and sitting in the Author’s Spotlight chair for a moment.  I can’t wait to read the next two stories in the Endangered Fae series.

For those of you new to the series and, perhaps, the author as well, be sure to leave a comment below and be entered to win an eBook copy of Finn (Endangered Fae #1) from Angel Martinez and a second winner will be chosen to win a eBook copy of Semper Fae from ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords.  Happy Reading!

Stories in the Endangered Fae series are to date:

Finn (Endangered Fae #1)
Diego (Endangered Fae #2)
Semper Fae (Endangered Fae #3) released 7/11 (5 stars review to follow!)
No Fae Is An Island (Endangered Fae #4) to be released

Author Bio:

Angel Martinez currently lives part time in the hectic sprawl of northern Delaware and full time inside her head. She has one husband, one son, two cats, a love of all things beautiful and a terrible addiction to the consumption of both knowledge and chocolate.

Angel’s alter ego writes the all-ages science fiction – Sandra Stixrude.

You can contact//follow Angel Martinez at:

More Winner Announcements and the Week Ahead at ScatteredThoughts

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Books, reading clipart 090

 

It’s the 13th already?  How the time just flies by, it will be August before we know it and there is still so much I have to do.  And that’s inside, outside and at my desk.  Trying different things on the blog, so if you see bits appear and then disappear, you know I am tinkering, albeit in my Scatteredway.

❖And I have a question for you all.  How important is it for you to have a review blog with one reviewer or multiple reviewers?  When a review blog has more than one reviewer, do you remember the individual reviewers name or just the review?  This inquiring mind wants to know….thanks.

I have several winner announcements to make.  The winners of the following contests are (all have been notified):

  • Of Madeleine Ribbon’s “Faire Protector“Contest:  the winner is JeanReads2
  • Of Mina MacLeod’s Swords,Sorcery and Sundry Contest:  the winner is felinewyvern
  • Of B.A. Tortuga’s Wolf Run:  the winner is JillP
  • Of Eden Winter’s Diversion Tour:  the winner is Karen R.
  • Of Havan Fellows’ Hidden Needs  Tour:  the winner is Allison H.
  • Eric Thompson’s “Absolute” Book Tour & contest:  the winner is Serena

More to come.  Congratulations to all the winners.  Thank you to everyone who left comments and participated.  You rock my world!  RJ Scott’s contest is still open so don’t forget to drop by and leave a comment to be entered into her terrific giveaway.

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I have been reading lots of new authors, to me at any rate.  Rory Ni Coiliean, Lou Sylvre, and Charley Descoteaux in advance of some upcoming book tours and I can’t wait to share some of their stories with you.   I am also reading the next in Kendall McKenna’s Strength of the Pack series, Strength the Mate, and its blowing me away.  Look for my review this Saturday.

What can’t I share?  Riptide has made me promise not to talk about Aleksandr Voinov’s final story in the Scorpion series, A Taste For Poison.  But do I love this story? Yes.  Do I love this character and series?  Absolutely.  Not a romance by any means but that’s fine.  That term doesn’t work for a story as brutal at times as this has been.   But it is so outstanding that  I would more readers would find it and spread the word.  I am also reading, viewing, whatever you do with a photograph non fiction book, a book of photographs taken of different drag queens called, appropriately dr.a.g. (bookthefilm edition).  The pictures by various photographers are glorious as are the drag performers inside. I can’t wait to share my review of that with you as well.

But enough of what’s still in progress, here is the week I have planned for you all this week:

Monday, July 14:

  • On Tour with SE Jakes and her latest release Running Wild (contest)
  • Book Blast with SA McAuley and “Damaged Package” Tour and Contest

Tuesday, July 15:

  • T.A. Chase’s Mountains to Climb “What’s His Passion?” Imprint Book Tour/Contest
  • Audio Book Tour:  Tara Lain’s The Pack or the Panther Tour/Contest
  • Review:  Running Wild by SE Jakes

Wednesday, July 16:

  • On Tour with L.A. Witt and Noble Metals, a Steampunk Romance (contest)
  • Review:  Noble Metals by L.A. Witt

Thursday, July 17:

  • In the Author Spotlight:  Angel Martinez and her Endangered Fae series (contest)
  • Book Blast:  Jennifer Cie’s Down On The Other Street Story Collection (contest)

Friday, July 18:

  • Diana DeRicci’s “Not Quite Broken” Book Blast and Contest
  • Does Size Matter?  Find out with Sean Michael’s Size Matters Book Tour/Contest

Saturday, July 19:

  • Review:  Strength of the Mate by Kendall McKenna

 

I want to leave you all with two summer cocktails to drink if you are watching the World Soccer Cup in Brazil or just hanging out.  Whether your teams lost or in the finals, here are two drinks for you:

sangriafloraSangria Flora

Created by St. Germain

1 bottle Sauvignon Blanc or Dry White Wine
1 cup St-Germain
2 Fresh Peaches
5-6 Fresh Strawberries
6 Fresh Raspberries
1 bunch Fresh Grapes

Stir ingredients in a pitcher or carafe. Soak for approximately 15 minutes (or longer if desired). Serve in an ice-filled glass, then telephone your physician and regale him with stories of your exemplary fruit consumption. Serve with St-Germain spoon-straws to enjoy the fruit while drinking

 

 

MangoCarnivaleSVEDKA Mango Carnivale
Created by SVEDKA

1 ½ oz. SVEDKA Mango Pineapple
½ oz. SVEDKA Vanilla
½ oz. Fresh Lime Juice
½ oz. Simple Syrup
8-10 Mint Leaves
3-4 Dashes of Angostura Bitters

Combine mint leaves, simple syrup and fresh lime juice in a Collins glass. Add crushed ice and swizzle. Fill three quarters of the glass with more crushed ice and add SVEDKA Mango Pineapple and SVEDKA Vanilla-then swizzle again. Top with crushed ice and then float a layer of bitters on top. Garnish with mint sprigs.

 

 

Review: Wolf Run by B.A. Tortuga

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Wolf Run coverLone wolf Mick Eagleheart is just passing through the small town of Arroyo Seco in New Mexico when an intriguing scent catches his interest.  Following his nose, the scent trail leads him to a battered Airstream trailer out in the scrub lands and a young wolf shifter running the fence line that  surrounds the place.  At first Mick is outraged that someone should cage up a wolf pup so.  But the story behind the pup and the sad trailer is anything but what Mick expected.

The young wolf’s name is Scotty Miller.  And instead of being abused, he is being taken care of by his young mate, Daniel, to the best of young Daniel’s ability.  Thrown out of their pack by their Alpha, the young mated pair is barely making it on the money Daniel makes washing dishes and cleaning up at the local diner.  Starving, exhausted and working too many hours, Daniel no longer shifts at the full moon.  Scotty is cute, spends most of his time in wolf form and is far too scattered to hold down a job.  Two young wolves who need help and quick.

Mick is lonely and has been looking for a mate to settle down with.  But after meeting Scotty and Daniel, Mick realizes not only that they need him badly but they might just be the mates he needs too.  Two are better than one when you are a wolf, but three is better still…it’s a pack.  Now only if he can convince Scotty and Daniel of that fact.

I am such a fan of B.A. Tortuga and this story is an excellent reason why.  B.A. Tortuga takes the wolf shifter genre and puts her own quirky Tortuga spin on it with Wolf Run, her m/m/m wolfshifter story.  One of the delights of a Tortuga tale is the dialog and behaviors of her characters.  The dialog sparkles and dances, full of colloquialisms and regional sayings that not only give a character a geographical foundation but a cultural one as well.  And the behaviors of her characters can be counted on to jump, bump, and sometimes grind, as full of sexuality, fun and vivacity as can be.  In short, a B.A. Tortuga story is fun, sexy, a romp you won’t want to miss and those words are perfect to describe Wolf Run!

Tortuga’s wolf shifters maintain a lot of their animalistic behaviors and that’s an element I really appreciate.  Like most canines, high on their priority list is food, sex, and companionship, in other words pack.  Whether it is from association with her own Bassett hounds or research, this author is connected to her canines and it shows.  The  purposeful interest with which Mick approaches the fence as well as the cautious and respectful manner Scotty, in wolf form, greets Alpha wolf Mick bespeaks of canine greeting behavior with all its mannerisms intact.  That element of bringing a realistic wolf conduct into the actions of the characters continues throughout the story.  It’s never overdone but it’s a consistent part of their personas and lives and its gives this fun loving story an unexpected depth.

Some readers might shy away from a m/m/m storyline but it works beautifully here.  Wolves are a pack animal and never have I read about two young wolf shifters in need of an older Alpha lover than Scotty and Daniel.  Adding Mick Eagleheart to their relationship not only makes sense but its so sexy as well.  Daniel has been trying to be an Alpha he’s not and he’s failing to meet not only Scotty’s needs but his own.  It’s a poignant, loving, and desperate situation that Scotty and Daniel find themselves in when Mick happens along and enters their lives.  Of the two young wolves, Daniel’s existence is the most precarious.  But we don’t realize that fact immediately.  B.A. Tortuga slowly leads us and Mick to that conclusion as their story reveals itself and more of their back history comes to light.

That’s another reason I love this author.  Even if you have a story that comes with a “lighthearted, sexy, fun” label, the sadness and pain that life delivers up is only as far away as the next dirt road and bad paying job.  B.A. Tortuga never forgets that.  A hint of darkness, a dash of hurt, those exist within the parameters of a Tortuga storyline along with the fun and joy and exuberance to be found there.

One of the issues I see with B.A. Tortuga’s stories is that she makes what she accomplishes with them look so easy to do.  The words, characters, and situations just flow off the page without a hint of the complex edifice beneath it.   The realistic behaviors folded into a human reference?  The dialog that snaps, sings, and yet remains individualistic?  The settings and locales that breathe of desert air and the desperation of a poor economy?  It’s all there, even if its impact is never fully noticed.

Part of my job as a reviewer is to take apart a story to see how it well it was written, if the characters, structure, and plot pull together for a joyous reading experience.  I can say wholeheartedly that B.A. Tortuga has always delivered that for me and Wolf Run is another “home run” for this prolific author.

If you are new to B.A. Tortuga, well, you lucky person, you!  There is a whole backlist to read your way through.  If you love wolfshifters, this is a lovely place to start.  Then work your way over to her cowboys and bull riders and such.  If you are already a B.A. Tortuga fan, add this to be TBR pile.  To all of you, happy reading!

This is how it starts (Wolf Run excerpt):

Mick liked to go for a wander. His wolf form was perfect for it, too. No need for a backpack or a water bottle. Sure, the occasional hunter or farmer tried to shoot him, but then he’d just flash into his feral wolf form and scare the bejeezus out of them.

That was pretty fun, too.

Today, he was on the outskirts of Taos, where he’d left his truck, in a wee town called Arroyo Seco. Dry gulch. How hilarious was that? He’d sniffed around and growled away a couple of big herding dogs, but now, something else caught his nose. A scent he knew but was unfamiliar at the same time.

The scent of someone like him. Not from his clan, but a wolf like him.

His head tilted, and he started moving closer, nose working hard. Sweet, sharp. Nummy. Definitely male, which was his preference. Young enough to intrigue him.

The scrub out here was sparse. Trailer homes were scattered like giant building blocks. There was an old Airstream trailer that sat back on its own, surrounded by a fence improvised out of scrub, wood and wire.

Inside, a young wolf ran from one end of the makeshift yard to the other, over and over.

Pretty. Gray. Tail like a plume. Nice.

Skinny though and a little desperate, running in circles to relieve stress. Poor baby. Who had him all penned up? The place was like a bad dog run. Only it was a wolf run, right?

Mick slowed, letting the pup see him, scent him, and the sweet skinny thing stopped and stared at him, tail drooping. Mick let his tail lift and wag. No sense not being friendly.

The pup came to the fence. Tail beginning to swipe back and forth, the youngster barked happily, greeting him.

 

 

Cover art by Kris Norris. Great sexy cover, wish I had a little more of the wolf here.

Buy Links:   Resplendence Publishing       ARe          Amazon   Wolf Run

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 118 pages
Published June 4th 2014 by Resplendence Publishing
ASINB00KRVSCAC
m/m/m wolf shifter story