Category: Shifters, Weres

A MelanieM Review: Wolf in King’s Clothing by Parker Foye

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

 

An exiled shifter. His alpha mate. And a desire so intense it could be the death of them…

York, England, 1912

Kent was a pack outcast. His shifter instincts cruelly muted, he was collared and kept as a stray. Until he was offered his freedom—for something in return. He must rescue Hadrian, an alpha held hostage in the wolf highlands. It’s a pleasure for Kent to follow the captive’s scent, one so wild and virile it gives him a rush. Though he despises being treated like a mutt called to heel, he’ll gladly fall to his knees for an alpha like Hadrian.

Hadrian has never met anyone like this damaged wolf warrior. His savior who licks the blood from his wounds and who arouses in him feelings he doesn’t understand or want to control. But Hadrian suspects that more than desire binds them. It’s betrayal. Pawns in an elaborate and feral deceit, they’re now caught in the deepening maze of a vengeful shifter world, where navigating the mysteries of the heart could prove just as unpredictable and dangerous as the enemies they face.

I thought Wolf in King’s Clothing by Parker Foye had many terrific elements to it.  Foye’s  writing was able to engage me in Kent’s situation and his need for Hadrian.  In fact, Kent is the best thing about the story.   He’s almost feral, a wild being yet one we are able to connect with.  Foye’s decision to make him a berserker was a good one that plays out against his size and constant state of disorder and more.  We feel compassion for Kent and that allows us to come to his side of the story and remain there.

Hadrian is more of a shadow character, elusive as we don’t have as much background on him and honestly, I didn’t believe in his character as I did Kent’s.  Or the ugly people and beings that surrounded Kent, they were very much alive.

I found it odd that  Foye decided to place his story in York, England, 1912.  There didn’t seem to be any firm reason for that.  This could have been any fantasy world or alternate world, there was nothing or no real reason other than to bring the Titanic into it (and that was sort of absurd).  Anything else, avalanche, earthquake, bomb, could have been used to the same effect…get rid of a bunch of leaders in one place.  Because the reference disappears and you really don’t care when the story is placed again.  It’s merely an oddity and a jarring one at that.

The pathos at the end of the real is real.  It tugged at my heart.  I felt for both characters.  But again, with the good comes the bad.  I was also let down because there was no comeuppance for the person who put Kent through all that.  It was “oh well, that happens”.  I’m all about the revenge here.   Ah well.

As I said, there were some good elements here, enough that overrode the bad that I’m giving it 3 stars.  The writing made me connect to one of the main characters, enough to pull at me at the end when it looked like he was going to die.  I only wish the author had built on the  good elements they had going, and scattered the others away.

 

Cover art is just so so.  Doesn’t speak to the era or  show the interesting characteristics of the MC’s. Could be any book.

Sales Links  

Carina Press – Amazon: CA / COM / UK – Kobo

Book Details:

This book is approximately 32,000 words\ebook

Expected publication: May 15th 2017 by Carina Press
Original TitleWolf in King’s Clothing
ISBN139781488078521
Edition LanguageEnglish

Cardeno C on the Mates series + Giveaway

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Cardeno C. today, celebrating the author’s Mate series and a new release in May!

The author is  happy to offer a giveaway for your blog readers –  three randomly chosen winners with each getting one of the books. To be entered to win, leave a comment with an email address where you can be reached if chosen.

Until Forever Comes (Mates, #2) by Cardeno C.


Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25926739-until-forever-comes

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Until-Forever-Comes-Mates–Collection-ebook/dp/B011STPHA4/

A sensitive wolf shifter and a vicious vampire challenge history, greed, and the very fabric of their beings in order to stay together until forever comes.


Plagued by pain and weakness all his life, Ethan Abbatt is a wolf shifter who can’t shift. Hoping to find an honorable death by joining his pack mates in a vampire attack, Ethan instead

learns two things: draining his blood releases his pain and his wolf, and he has a true mate – a vampire named Miguel.


Over four centuries old, strong, powerful, and vicious, Miguel Rodriguez walks through life as a shadow, without happiness or affection. When a young shifter tells Miguel they’re true mates, destined to be together, Miguel sends him away. But Ethan is persistent and being together comes so naturally that Miguel can’t resist for long. The challenge is keeping themselves alive so they can stay by each other’s side until forever comes.


Word Count: 60,702

 

Wake Me Up Inside (Mates #1) by Cardeno C.


Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25967103-wake-me-up-inside

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Wake-Me-Inside-Mates–Collection-ebook/dp/B0137I04VQ/


A powerful Alpha wolf shifter and a strong-willed human overcome traditions ingrained over generations and uncover long-buried secrets to fulfill their destiny as true mates.


Regarded as the strongest wolf shifter in generations, Alpha Zev Hassick is surprised and confused by his attraction to his best friend. His very human, very male best friend. A male shifter has to mate with a female shifter to keep his humanity, so shifters can’t be gay. Yet, everything inside Zev tells him Jonah is his true mate.


Maintaining a relationship with the man he has loved since childhood isn’t easy for Jonah Marvel, but he won’t let distance or Zev’s odd family get in their way. When unexplained ailments begin to plague Jonah, he needs to save his own life and sanity in order to have a future with Zev.


Zev and Jonah know they’re destined for each other, but they must overcome traditions ingrained over generations and long-buried secrets to fulfill their destiny.


Word Count: 74,755


In Your Eyes (Mates, #3) by Cardeno C.

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25927403-in-your-eyes

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/In-Your-Eyes-Mates–Collection-ebook/dp/B011STPGGO/


Two very different men with a tumultuous history must overcome challenges from all sides and see past their society’s rules to realize they are destined for one another.


Raised to become Alpha of the Yafenack pack, Samuel Goodwin dedicates his life to studying shifter laws, strengthening his body, and learning from his father. But despite his best efforts, Samuel can’t relate to people, including those he’s supposed to lead.


When Samuel meets Korban Keller, the son of a neighboring pack’s Alpha, he reacts with emotion instead of intellect for the first time in his life. Resenting the other shifter for throwing him off-balance, Samuel first tries to intimidate Korban and then desperately avoids him. What he can’t do is forget Korban’s warm eyes, easy smile, and happy personality.


When a battle between their fathers ends tragically, Samuel struggles to lead his pack while Korban works to break through Samuel’s emotional barriers. Two very different men with a tumultuous history must overcome challenges from all sides and see past their society’s rules to realize they are destined for one another.


Word Count: 60,875


COMING MAY 4, 2017

To Touch You


“His name is Salvatore Rossi. He’s a vampire. And he’s my true mate.”


By not relying on anyone except himself, Salvatore Rossi escaped a dead-end existence and reached the height of corporate success. But just when he has everything he always wanted, fate throws Salvatore a challenge he can’t solve alone and a young wolf shifter comes to his rescue.

Since childhood, Yoram Smith’s family was certain he would grow to become Alpha and save their beloved pack from its slow demise. When the time comes for a new leader, Yoram is forced to juggle his duty to care for a splintering pack with his duty to care for an absent mate, and his own strength suffers.

Being turned into a vampire didn’t alter Salvatore’s life philosophy: if you don’t rely on anyone, nobody can let you down. But when the boy who saved his life becomes a man who needs his help, the icy vampire must find his humanity.

 

CC

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heartwarming Stories. Strong Relationships. Forever Love.
 

 

A Paul B Review: Sealed With Acceptance (Signed, Sealed, Delivered #5) by Caitlin Ricci and A.J. Marcus

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Adrian screwed up big time three years ago.  While at a party that his boyfriend did not want to go to, Adrian got drunk and had sex with a stranger.  Three years later, he still cannot recall details of the incident.  He does recall how he broke Jacob’s heart.  Now, his parents are asking him to move on from Jacob as they intend to mate his younger brother Charlie with Jacob.  He must meet with Jacob in order to patch things up as thing could get awkward at family gatherings otherwise.

The past three years have been hard on Jacob.  He never thought Adrian would cheat on him but he did.  Being drunk at the time doesn’t matter.  Jacob believes he will not be able to trust Adrian again.  He is surprised to receive a call from him after agreeing to mate with Charlie.  Of course Adrian picks THEIR spot to meet on the beach, where they would shift into their whale (Jacob) and crab (Adrian) forms.  Even after the betrayal, Jacob has not really moved on.  He had played with West, the young cougar shifter who helps Jacob take care of his mother who has early onset Alzheimer’s.  He knows how important Adrian and Charlie’s parents feel that the two families should come together, but he does not love Charlie.  Even though they seem to be a good fit on paper, Charlie will always be Adrian’s kid brother to him.

When Jacob comes over for dinner with Adrian, Charlie and his parents, things hit the fan.  Charlie, believing that Adrian and Jacob are meant to be together, believes this might be a step toward reconciliation.  When he finds out that he Is to be mated to Jacob, he explodes.  Charlie wants to mate for love, not for some alliance that would further the family’s standing in the community.  He runs out of the house with his parents chasing after him.  Meanwhile, Adrian and Jacob talk some more and Adrian comes to the conclusion that Jacob will never really forgive him to try again.  Charlie deserves a good man and there are none better the Jacob.  But it still hurts like hell.  He sees that nobody here is winning (except maybe his parents) and cannot find a way to make it better.  Luckily Charlie has a plan to make things better. 

I enjoyed this fifth book in the Signed, Sealed, Delivered series a bit more than the others I have read.  While the parents are once again heavy handed in trying to control their sons’ futures, the children take matters into their own hands sooner than in other books.  You would think parents in this day and age would care more about their children’s happiness instead of antiquated ideals of the past.  The thing I found interesting is that Jacob’s mother is struggling with Alzheimer’s.  In most shifter books, they are immune from human diseases.  While not as progressive as the human variety, Jacob’s mother suffers just the same.  Charlie is one determined young man and I cannot wait to see what plans he has for West in a future book.

Latrisha Waters provides a good cover for the book.  Adrian is seen with an opened button down shirt while Jacob’s whale is swimming in the background.  This is a fairly standard cover for this series.

Sales Links

eXtasy Books

Book Details

EBook, 80 pages

Edition Language:  English

Published:  October 7, 2016 by eXtasy Books

ISBN:  978-1-4874-0898-5

Series:  Signed, Sealed, Delivered

  • Sealed With Honor (Signed, Sealed, Delivered #1)
  • Signed with a Heart (Signed, Sealed, Delivered #2)
  • Delivered to Hope (Signed, Sealed, Delivered #3)
  • Delivered from Anguish (Signed, Sealed, Delivered #4)
  • Sealed with Acceptance(Signed, Sealed, Delivered #5)

In Memoriam – Paul Berg

In Memoriam – Paul Berg

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words lost one of its wonderful reviewers recently.  Paul Berg died suddenly during one of his beloved backgammon tournaments, a game he was passionate about.  I’d like to think his love of LGBTQIA Science Fiction kept him occupied between tournaments and visa versa!  He was always talking about the next books he was reading or the next topic for his Paul’s Paranormal Portfolio blog he wrote for us.  His excitement was contagious!  It didn’t matter what genre the characters and stories he was reading were from…he just loved all the books and their couples (from the supernatural shifters to the alien ones) to the paranormal to fantasy to the science fiction..Paul loved them all so.

And he wanted to share his love of those stories with all of you.

Paul did that through his reviews and through his blog, Paul’s Paranormal Portfolio, where he shared his love of all the characters and formats that came his way.  He had discussed with me expanding it in the future to include the serial stories he loved reading and some graphic novels.  I’ll miss those too.

But Paul left so much of him behind in the joy, swift intelligence, and gift of himself that he shared with others.  Whether it was through his reviews of books or his presence and fierce competition at the backgammon tables or as a great friend and family member, Paul Berg made an impact in this world.  He will be deeply missed.

 

Burial and Memorial for Paul Berg by Benjamin Friesen – GoFundMe

The best portion of a good man’s life: his little, nameless unremembered acts of kindness and love.

William Wordsworth

British poet William Wordsworth (born April 7, 1770) was a key figure in the Romantic Age, which privileged emotion over reason and was seen as a cultural revolt against the Industrial Revolution.

A MelanieM Review: Skim Blood and Savage Verse (Offbeat Crimes #3) by Angel Martinez

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Words damage more than just feelings as Carrington hunts feral books menacing the city.

When a ferocious book attacks Carrington at his own birthday party, he believes it’s an isolated incident. But similar books soon pop up all over town, menacing innocent people with harsh bits of poetry and blank verse that deliver damaging physical blows. It’s a frustrating case with too many variables and not enough answers, and the stakes go up with each attack.

With the help of his misfit squad mates at the 77th and the public library’s Rare Books Department, the missing pieces decrease but not Carrington’s vexations. His commanding officer rakes him over the coals at the beginning of every shift. His police partner has lost patience with what she sees as his delusional relationship choices and his inability to pick the right man in a vast field of two. City Hall demands that the books be stopped immediately. It’s enough to put a nutritionally challenged vampire off his skim blood.

The book rattled violently on the table in an imitation of a step dance and printed words leaped out of the pages at frightening speed. Just before they slammed into Carrington’s head, the flying words shrieked at him.
“You starveling, you eel-skin, you dried neat’s tongue, you bull’s pizzle!”
He had time for a split second of horror before the words rammed into him with the force of several fists.

                                                  from Skim Blood and Savage Verse (Offbeat Crimes #3) by Angel Martinez

Yes, feral books are rampaging about the city slinging deadly poetry at people’s heads!  Angel Martinez, you might as well drop the mike and leave the building! This is why I love to read, to come across passages and indeed an entire story full of such paragraphs and plot threads so imaginative and lively that I burst into giggles still at the very thought of them.  And that’s just one element here.

Yes its poor Carrington, that vampire who needs to exist on skim blood with the worst taste in men who is the focus here (well one of them at any rate).  His feral book attack launches an investigation and soon his squad realizes there have been attacks all over the city.  The librarian in the Rare Books Department at the Public Library is just the sort to set him, well not straight, but on the path to HEA, if Carrington can get past his own proclivities for picking up the most shallow, mean-spirited men around.  That’s a terrific storyline going on while in pursuit of the rampaging feral books (I can never get enough of those). The author gets us into Carr’s head and heart here.  While we are often frustrated with him, its also easy to understand why Carr is why he is.

But there’s another romance here.  One I rate just  as highly.  LJ, also known as Leather Jacket. Yes, an animated object of clothing who’s a member of the squad (loosely) gets a lover. I won’t go into the details because they are too wonderful and should be explored within the story itself.  This romance turned out to be so adorable, so charming and mysterious (and on-going probably into the next story) that I was just as equally invested in them as well as in Carrington and Erasmus, the librarian.   I will, however, mention that for those who  like a quick romance, that doesn’t happen.  Carr has plenty of issues and those have to be dealt with first.   But we get a closer look at Carr’s family, his partner Amanda (who I also adore) and other respective members of 77th Precinct.

There’s a dangling bit of mystery left here at the end, a rather large bit that I hope leads into the next story.  The 77th Precinct and all its members are downright addictive! You never know what wildly scary case will come their way with love tromping along too.  Or maybe being propelled by fairies or blasted by fire.  Probably not.  All too mundane.  Which is why I cannot wait for the next book in the series to arrive.  Pill bugs from space and now deadly poetry spitting flying feral books!  What will Angel Martinez come up with next?  I’ve got the popcorn and am patiently waiting to find out.

Cover art by Posh Gosh is very pretty and includes that flying book.

Sales Links

Pride Publishing | Amazon

 

Book Details:

ebook, 137 pages
Published April 4th 2017 by Pride Publishing
ISBN139781786515520
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series Offbeat Crimes 

Review Tour and Giveaway – Annabelle Jacobs’ Bitten By Design

Buy Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2mRvGMr

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2odcOb1


Length: 80,000 words


Regent’s Park Pack Series


Bitten By Mistake (Book #1) Amazon US | Amazon UK


Blurb

When the last thing you want, is everything you need….

Seb Calloway isn’t interested in shifters. After his best friend bonded with one, he avoids getting involved with them—no matter how hot they are—to prevent the same thing from happening to him. Why take the risk for a few hours of fun?

Tim Walters is the pack doctor. Considered to be mild-mannered and non-threatening by pack standards, he prides himself on being able to stay calm and maintain his control at all times. Desperate for a bond of his own, he knows his interest in Seb is an exercise in futility, but he can’t seem to help himself.

When news emerges that threatens Seb’s safety, he and Tim need to fake a relationship to keep Seb safe. Despite Seb’s refusal to be anything other than friends with benefits, what starts out as pretend, quickly becomes more—for Tim at least. If Tim doesn’t want to end up heartbroken, he needs to prove to Seb that loving a shifter doesn’t mean losing himself.

 

Read Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 4.5 star Review here

 

 

 

 

Author Bio

Annabelle Jacobs lives in the South West of England with 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.

Twitter ñ https://twitter.com/AJacobs_fiction
Website ñ www.annabellejacobs.com
Email ñ ajacobsfiction@gmail.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ajacobsfiction

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