A MelanieM Review: A King and a Pawn (Leader Murders #3) by Liv Olteano

Rating:  4.75 stars out of 5

A King and A PawnBert Cooper’s life used to be great, until his sister turned out to be a traitor. Now Bert feels the whole pack looks on him with doubt and suspicion. To prove his loyalty, he volunteers to be the first ambassador at Fey Court, gathering information to finally solve the Leader Murders and punish those plotting against the Council and community. At least, that was the plan….

When Bert meets Sir William Matthew Sims, Court Interrogator, and one hell of a sexy man, life becomes a balancing act. And when the Fey King is assassinated, things become really messy.

Pack politics, fey politics, treason, suspicions of treason…. Bert has to choose between being ruled by his fears or standing up for what—and who—he believes in. And it might just break his heart.

Liv Olteano’s Leader Murders series caught my eye from the first book, A Tooth For a Fang (Leader Murders #1) with its unusual take on the mate bond and its the potential for abuse normally not mentioned in other shifter fiction.  The author runs this theme throughout the two books that follow, throwing in multiple supernatural beings, political plotting and of course, murder mysteries that need to be solved all the way to the end. In each story  there’s a major couple linked heavily to each other in a memorable way.  In the second story A Counselor Among Wolves (Leader Murders #2), we ended with Bert Cooper, the somewhat pudgy beta to the wolf Alpha Weiss devastated by a betrayal and trying to deal with the consequences.  A King and a Pawn (Leader Murders #3)  picks up immediately after the events have taken place.

Bert is one of those characters readers flock to emotionally like geese to water.  He’s vulnerable, full of self doubts, loving, loyal, capable of being so much more than he thinks he is.  He’s overweight but instead of feeling bad about himself, he accepts it.  He likes it in fact…because in truth he will never give up his sweets or the fact the he adores cooking.  The model on the cover?  A perfect representation of Bert Cooper…chef, beta, manny, and werewolf.  Trust me there is no way not to fall in love with this character.  He’s fully fleshed out, anxieties included and watching him fall in love and find his strengths here is such a joy I intend to sit back and read it all over again.

Sir William Matthew Sims?  The Fey Court Interrogator?  Another gem of a character, along the lines of a hard diamond.  The history Olteano has created here for the Fey and the families is nothing short of nightmarish.  And believable as narrated by Will to Bert.  From their initial meeting to all the revelations about Will’s character and background…well, its a stunner.  And I never enjoyed anything more. For Will and Bert to become a couple requires them to overcome not just a Mount Everest of distrust but battles at court and more things then I  can go into here without making some major spoilage noise.  But the storylines are many and rich, you’ll never be bored and there is a sideline with families that hooked me completely.  I really hope Olteano considers revisiting this world at some time to check in on all the couples here to see how they are progressing.

And yes, all the other couples make appearances here as do minor secondary characters.  Plot lines get tied up,  the fat lady sings, true love wins out, and the ending is everything I hoped for and more.  Really I adored this book and series.  If you love shifters, or even if you just love romance, you will too.

Need a new series?  Love romance?  This isn’t a stand alone…so read all three!  I highly recommend them all.  But this is by far my favorite.  Oh, Bert Cooper!  How could Will not fall in love with you!

Cover art by Angsty G is absolute perfection.  Rarely do I say that when it has characters on it but Angsty G’s idea for Bert and Will mesh completely with mine and the story’s.  Great job.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 234 pages
Published June 17th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 163477342X (ISBN13: 9781634773423)
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series: Leader Murders  – add to Goodreads here

In the Supernatural Spotlight: A King and a Pawn (Leader Murders #3) by Liv Olteano

AKingAndAPawn-Preview

A King and a Pawn by Liv Olteano
Series: Leader Murders
Release Date: June 17, 2016

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: AngstyG

Blurb:

Bert Cooper’s life used to be great, until his sister turned out to be a traitor. Now Bert feels the whole pack looks on him with doubt and suspicion. To prove his loyalty, he volunteers to be the first ambassador at Fey Court, gathering information to finally solve the Leader Murders and punish those plotting against the Council and community. At least, that was the plan….

When Bert meets Sir William Matthew Sims, Court Interrogator, and one hell of a sexy man, life becomes a balancing act. And when the Fey King is assassinated, things become really messy.

Pack politics, fey politics, treason, suspicions of treason…. Bert has to choose between being ruled by his fears or standing up for what—and who—he believes in. And it might just break his heart.

 

Pages or Words: 234 pages, 82,000 words

Categories: Contemporary, M/M Romance, Mystery, Parnormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Wolf Shifters

Excerpt from A King and a Pawn by Liv Olteano:

“Would you take me in as a trophy, Bert?” he asked, smiling oddly, a sort of indulgent look in his eyes.

I wasn’t going to outsmart him, that was for sure. Luckily I didn’t think I had to.

“I wouldn’t be taking you in at all. You and your kids would simply accompany me. I’m sure you can find something of value to offer me so I’ll be willing to go that way. And then you’d find something of value to offer Weiss and the Council to give you guys, say, political asylum?”

“You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you?”

I shrugged. “I’m sure you did. I don’t think you’re a fool, Will. I’m sure you’re not, in fact. So I’m giving you the courtesy of not treating you as one. A courtesy I hope you’ll give me too.”

“Implying that I have not so far?” he asked, stepping toward me again.

My pulse spiked. “I wasn’t implying that at all.”

We were face-to-face, a step apart at most. My mind stuttered over the few stray thoughts I managed to recognize. It was unusual someone’s presence would affect me this much, this soon. Was he that special? Was our chemistry that special? Or was he using some sort of spell on me? I didn’t think that was beneath him. Magic wasn’t beneath any magic-wielding fey, just like changing into a wolf wasn’t beneath me as werewolf. It was a natural part of who we were. I just wasn’t that used to his natural part, and the very idea made me smile.

“What could I offer you that you’d like to have?” he asked as his breath touched my face with every word he uttered.

“Oh, I could think of several things,” I replied.

He leaned toward me. His lips brushed against mine now when he spoke. “I could think of several things I’d like to offer you as well.”

I gulped. Shit, I couldn’t think with my dick. Not now at least. I so wanted to. It would be so easy to whisper it sweetly: “Fuck my brains out and I’ll be on your side.” But I wasn’t here for shits and giggles, so I couldn’t. There was no reason I couldn’t hope I’d get a fuck out of the situation somewhere down the line. The more time we spent together, the better chance of that happening. That was pretty solid motivation to spin things in a way that would benefit us all in the end. There. I wasn’t doing this for my selfish fuck-greedy self but for the greater good. I was a fucking humanitarian, feyitarian, whateveritarian.

“I’ll only ask for one small thing for myself,” I whispered softly.

He brushed his lips against mine. The touch sent little fiery thrills down my nerve endings, from the skin of my lips right to the pulsing muscle of my heart. I felt his breath hitch at the contact, and the idea it might affect him almost as much as it was affecting me sent a shiver down my spine. We could have been faking it, both of us. This was a negotiation of sorts, and now was the time to bring on our top game. But I felt it in my gut that this connection was real, that it wasn’t bullshit for either one of us. I just knew it in the pit of my stomach. I wondered if he knew it too, as clearly as I did right in that instant.

His scent didn’t assault my senses since he’d been hanging out in my personal space for a while now. My senses were bathed in his scent already. But I could feel the pounding of his heart as I deepened the kiss; I could feel his muscles clench and unwind with sensual tension while my body sang with it. Fuck me sideways, I wanted him right now. I wanted him so bad it almost gutted me. The feel of him languidly moving his tongue against mine made my blood turn into liquid fire, scalding my insides and bringing up my body temperature to heights I didn’t think I’d felt before after just kissing. Everything in my body screamed, This. This is it. This is what you’ve been waiting for, for so fucking long!

“What do you want?” he asked after he pulled back, his forehead leaning against mine.

Fuck, fuck it, fuck! “I want all the information you can get from the Archives on a certain topic.”

 

Buy the book:

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7849

 

 

 

 

Meet the author:

Liv Olteano is a voracious reader, music lover, and coffee addict extraordinaire. And occasional geek. Okay, more than occasional.

She believes stories are the best kind of magic there is. And life would be horrible without magic. Her hobbies include losing herself in the minds and souls of characters, giving up countless nights of sleep to get to know said characters, and trying to introduce them to the world. Sometimes they appreciate her efforts. The process would probably go quicker if they’d bring her a cup of coffee now and then when stopping by. Characters—what can you do, right?

Liv has a penchant for quirky stories and is a reverent lover of diversity. She can be found loitering around the Internet at odd hours and being generally awkward and goofy at all times.

Where to find the author:

 


Tour Dates & Stops:

30-Jun

Parker Williams, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Happily Ever Chapter, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews,

MM Good Book Reviews, The Jena Wade, The Dark Arts, Book Lovers 4Ever, Velvet Panic,

Charley Descoteaux, Alpha Book Club, Molly Lolly, Oh My Shelves

 

1-Jul

Bayou Book Junkie, A.M. Leibowitz, BFD Book Blog, Full Moon Dreaming, My Fiction Nook,

Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Havan Fellows, The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat,

EE Montgomery, Gay Media Reviews, Kirsty Loves Books, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words,

V’s Reads

 

Giveaway

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Cover Reveal for Werewolf’s Tale and a Druid’s Sword by Lexi Ander (cover reveal and giveaway)

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Lexi Ander reveals the beautiful cover art of her next book titled WEREWOLF’S TALE AND A DRUID’S SWORD coming out from Less Than Three Press.
It releases on August 31, 2016.
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BLURB
After he’s kicked out for being gay, still reeling from being abandoned by the man he loves, Jude goes to live with his brother Beck, who thankfully is more than happy to take him in. But Jude has other secrets he’s yet to share, for fear that even Beck will reject him, leaving him well and truly alone.
Then he draws the attention of werewolves, and discovers that everything he thought he knew about Levi, the man who abandoned him, is a lie. But one lie leads to another, ending in a vast conspiracy that threatens to destroy everything Jude loves—and that doesn’t even begin to include the challenges that Beck is facing.
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PRESENTING
 
Cover Art by Aisha Akeju
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TEASER
 
If fairytale beings walked the earth and there were humans who had extraordinary abilities, then what he saw could be something along those lines. Perhaps he wasn’t such a freak. Could there be a place for him where people believed him, where he could fit in? Even though he was reticent to share that part of himself, Jude did want to tell Beck and Diego, but how did he prove something no one else could see? 
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
AuthorPic
Lexi has always been an avid reader, and at a young age started reading (secretly) her mother’s romances (the ones she was told not to touch). She was the only teenager she knew of who would be grounded from reading. Later, with a pencil and a note book, she wrote her own stories and shared them with friends because she loved to see their reactions. A Texas transplant, Lexi now kicks her boots up in the Midwest with her Yankee husband and her eighty-pound puppies named after vacuum cleaners.
 
||  Website  ||  Blog  ||  Facebook  ||  Twitter  ||  Email  ||  Amazon Author Page  ||
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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
 
Winner’s Prize: $15 Amazon Gift Card
Runner Up Prize: $10 Amazon Gift Card
2nd Runner Up Prize: $5 Amazon Gift Card

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Cover Reveal of The Orchard of Flesh By Christian Baines

The Orchard of Flesh

The Orchard of Flesh

The Orchard of Flesh By Christian Baines
B
old Strokes Books

Release Date  August 1, 2016

Pre-order/Read An Excerpt Here


Reylan’s last assignment for The Arcadia Trust brought a rebellious human servant under his roof, and a volatile werewolf lover named Jorgas into his bed, leaving the self-reliant Blood Shade—known to the outside world as vampires—in no hurry to risk his immortality for them again.

But when a new terror starts disappearing humans from a bad part of town, Reylan must do everything in his power to keep Sydney’s supernatural factions from the brink of war. Having an ambitious, meddlesome human in the mix is only going to make things worse…especially when that human is Jorgas’s father.
Reylan will need all his determination and cunning to keep the peace under his roof, between the night’s power brokers, and in his lover’s troubled heart.

Genres Paranormal & Urban Fantasy

Words   85000

Pages   264

ISBN-13  978-1-62639-650-0

About the Author

Christian Baines

Christian Baines was born in Toowoomba, Australia. He has since lived in Brisbane, Sydney, and Toronto, earning an MA in creative writing at University of Technology, Sydney along the way. His musings on travel, theater, and gay life have appeared in numerous publications in both Australia and Canada.

Dual passions for travel and mythology (both of which he attributes to growing up in Australia’s bible belt) have sent him chasing some of the world’s most feared monsters, including vampires in New Orleans, asuras in Bangkok, and theater critics in New York. His first novel, The Beast Without, was released in 2013, followed by his erotic short story, “The Prince and the Practitioner.”

Puppet Boy is his second novel.

This is a continuation of the story that started with The Beast Without
by Christian Baines* A Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Highly Rated Novel.

Back To Hot Summer Reads And This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sun Reading

Hot Summer Reads

So after appropriately, my computer summer meltdown, we are back to discussing what’s hot in this summer’s reading list.  Are you a reader that haunts your favorite writer’s blog looking for any word on their upcoming releases?  Do you search out the most recent book news via their publishers or Goodreads? How do you get your book news?

I get it all those ways  and more….I follow authors on their twitter accounts, blogs, Goodreads, ravenously gobble up the upcoming new releases news that come my way via all the publishers and even the authors themselves.  New Rhys Ford, oh my!  Charlie Cochrane…woohoo!  Alex Beecroft, Amy Lane…actually I have a long, long, list.  I bet you do too.

Plus there’s plenty of  room on my lists for my author discoveries and new books that I read and fall in love with.  But back to the business at hand.  I haven’t had time to compile my summer  reading list with all the computer casualties to deal with and the new startup.  So help me out. What authors and what releases are on your list for this summer?  What are the hot summer books?  Tell me! And you just might end up with a hot summer prize!

girl reading between stacks of books summer

This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, June 26:

  • Back To Hot Summer Reads
  • This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, June 27:

  • No Master by Christine d’Abo Series Finale Tour and Giveaway
  • Practice Makes Perfect by Jay Northcote – Blog Stop -Charity Book
  • A Stella Review:  Practice Makes Perfect by Jay Northcote
  • A Free Dreamer Review: King of the Storm by B.A. Brock
  • A VVivacious Review: A More Perfect Union Anthology

 

Tuesday, June 28:

  • Blog Tour for They Called Him Nightmare by Deja Black
  • Cover Reveal of The Orchard of Flesh By Christian Baines
  • A Free Dreamer Review: Dark Blood by Caleb James
  • A Lila Review: Elemental Love by L. M. Somerton
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: They Called Him Nightmare by Deja Black

Wednesday, June 29:

  • A Stella Review:  Snakes Among Sweet Flowers by Jason Huffman-Black
  • Anthony by JP Barnaby Tour and Giveaway
  • An Ali Review: Anthony by JP Barnaby
  • An Alisa Review: Murder Most Yowl by Quinn Dressler
  • A BJ Audiobook Review: Dirty Laundry by Heidi Cullinan
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: Sacrati by Kate Sherwood

Thursday, June 30:

  • Blitz and Giveaway – Relearning the Ropes by DC Juris
  • An Ali Review: Hot Dogs and Kisses by JD Walker
  • A Paul Review: A Time to Rise by Tal Bauer
  • A Lila Review: Amnesia by Sean Michael
  • A MelanieM Review: Absinthe of Malice by Rhys Ford

Friday, July 1:

  • Werewolf’s Tale and a Druid’s Sword by Lexi Ander (excerpt and giveaway)
  • blitz for July 1st for K Lache’s novel, Valor (excerpt and giveaway)
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: A Second Harvest by Eli Easton
  • A BJ Audiobook Review: Romanus by Mary Calmes
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: A Kind of Romance by Lane Hayes
  • A MelanieM Review: Ace In the Hole by Ava Drake

Saturday, July  2:

  • An Ali Review: Heaven Sent boxed set by Jet Mykles
  • A Paul B Review: The Werewolf Tutor (Shreds #1) by Jade Astor

 

girl reading under palm tree

 

 

Of Computers, Technical Difficulties, and Moving Forward. This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

computer going bad 1

Of Computers, Technical Difficulties, and Moving Forward

As  you all may have noticed (I hope you all noticed) things did not run smoothly for us last week. Yes, it was computer problems.  Mine to be specific.  It decided to die.  Slowly.  Day by day…it just refused to work at certain things.  Wheels spinning, posts taking honestly hours to get out until it finally ground to a complete halt.  Ordered a new one. Issue solved. Right? Nope.  Order messed up, as was delivery.  New one ordered…saga continued until yesterday…when after a 24 hour learning curve (mine)…we are now back and up and running,  to our reviewers and co manager’s relief and mine.

Hopefully, yours too.

So first my apologies to the authors, publishers, and promotions companies.  For all the missed deadlines on tours….we are playing catchup and they will go out asap.  Our reviews too.  Nothing I hate  worse than missed  deadlines, ditto for Barb on reviews, so here we go.

Our new look is coming…still! I promise…its just slid into July or August at this point.

Next week we continue our look at our summer reading lists and anticipated summer big or even little books.  What are you reading, what are you looking at reading….what new releases are you highly anticipating?  Let me know! Trust me I need the diversion.

And now for something old and new at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words this week.

 

This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, June 19:

  • Of Computers, Technical Difficulties, and Moving Forward
  • This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
  • In the Spotlight:  Unbidden Dragon by Louisa Kelley (excerpt and giveaway)
  • Why Love Matters by Jay Northcote– A charity book release Announcement
  • An Alisa Review: Sins of the Past by Amanda Young

Monday, June 20:

  • Beauty, Inc by Tara Lain Tour and Giveaway
  • A Lila Audiobook Review: Lollipop by Amy Lane
  • A MelanieM Review: 7 & 7 Anthology
  • An Ali Audiobook Review: How to Be a Normal Person by TJ Klune
  • A Paul B Review: Wolfsong by T.J. Klune

Tuesday, June 21:

  • Wet Heat by RD Hero—Blog Tour—Riptide
  • Blood & Milk by N.R. Walker Tour and Giveaway
  • A Paul B Review: Delivered With Hope by AJ Marcus and Caitlin Ricci
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Wet Heat by RD Hero
  • A MelanieM Review:  Blood & Milk by N. R. Walker

Wednesday, June 22:

  • Picked Fresh (Naked Organics #2) by Posy Roberts (excerpt and giveaway)
  • Taking a Chance—Blitz—Indigo Marketing Tour and Giveaway
  • Roped In by Marie Sexton and L.A. Witt— Riptide Blog Tour and Giveaway
  • A Barb the  Zany Old Lady Review: Roped In by Marie Sexton and L.A. Witt
  • A MelanieM Review: Finding Family by Connie Bailey

Thursday, June 23:

  • Collars ‘N’ Cuffs, A Wayward Ink Publishing Anthology Book Tour and Giveaway
  • Independence Daze Tour Blitz and Giveaway
  • Release Event and Giveaway : Picked Fresh (Naked Organics #2) by Posy Roberts
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Rekindled Flame by Andrew Grey
  • A MelanieM Review: Sandman’s Family by C.J. Elliot

Friday, June 24:

  • In the Spotlight: ‘Daniel & Erik’s Super Fab Ultimate Wedding Checklist’ by K.E. Belledonne
  • Blog Tour  – The Pinkerton Man Series by CJ Baty
  • Taking the Plunge by Scott Kramer—Blitz and Giveaway
  • A MelanieM Review: Mud, Movies, Bullets and Bulls by B.A. Tortuga
  • An Ali Review: Reaping Fate by AJ Rose

Saturday, June 25:

  • An Alisa Audiobook Review:  Little Wolf by R Cooper
  • A Paul B Review: Psychic Says by JJ Black

 

 

Summer Reading Lists and This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

summer images with book

What Books Are on Your Summer Reading List?

So its time for that wonderful rite of summer …the big summer book and reading list. Unless you are downunder where its winter time, we are looking at summer…relaxation, the beach, or the mountains or wherever you love to go for vacation and total relaxation. Time to read.  Time for the Kindle, Nook, paperback, hardback or however you get your books these days.

So what books are you anticipating this summer?  What books are you reading this summer?  Or even what books are you looking forward to releasing and then reading this summer?  If you are a lover of the Rhys Ford Sinners series, then you will be crazy over Absinthe of Malice, a continuation of that series I will be reviewing when it releases on June 22.  A Must Have, Must Read trust me.  Waiting for the next Bluewater Bay story?  Barb the Zany Old Lady will be reviewing one this week with more to come! Check it out!

I know many of us follow authors personal blogs, waiting for book announcements, or Goodread’s authors updates and scan the publishers like Dreamspinner, MLR,Riptide Publishing. and so many others for their upcoming novels as we eagerly await our favorites authors and series updates.  So who and  what are on your lists this summer?

Write and let us  know!

Here is our schedule this week….its going to be a wonderful time here.

☀☼☀☼☀☼☀☼☀

This Week At Scattered Thoughts And Rogue Words

 

Sunday, June 12:

  • What Books Are on Your Summer Reading List?
  • This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, June 13:

  • All The Wrong Places by Ann Gallagher, Bluewater Bay Riptide Tour and Giveaway
  • Cover Reveal for – Blood Lines by A.L Bates
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review:All The Wrong Places by Ann Gallagher
  • A F. D. Review: Love Can’t Conquer by Kim Fielding
  • A Jeri Review: Out in the Field by Kate McMurray

Tuesday, June 14:

  • In Our Spotlight: A Kind of Romance by Lane Hayes (excerpt and giveaway)
  • Release Blitz  – Truly, Madly, Boys by JL Merrow & Josephine Myles (excerpt and Giveaway)
  • A MelanieM Review: Truly, Madly, Boys by JL Merrow & Josephine Myles
  • A Stella Review: How To Wish Upon A Moon by Eli Easton
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review:  Love Complicated by Teegan Loy.

Wednesday, June 15:

  • Cover Reveal for Collars ‘N’ Cuffs, A Wayward Ink Publishing Anthology (cover reveal and giveaway)
  • Book Tour: Heart Ripper (Sex&Mayhem #9) KA Merikan
  • A MelanieM Review: 7 & 7 Anthology
  • A Lila Review: The High Kings Golden Tongue by Megan Derr –

 

Thursday, June 16:

  • Cover Reveal for  – The Pinkerton Man Series by CJ Baty
  • In the  Spotlight: Elysium (Reunion #3) by JJ Harper (excerpt and giveaway)
  • A BJ Audiobook Review:  Second Hand by Heidi Cullinan
  • A Stella Review: Shifting Silver by Brandon Witt
  • A MelanieM Review: Finding Family by Connie Bailey

Friday, June 17:

  • Always Another Side- by Annabelle Jacobs tour  and book release
  • An Ali Audiobook Review: How to Be a Normal Person by TJ Klune
  • An Alisa Review: Sins of the Past by Amanda Young
  • A Lila Audiobook Review: Lollipop by Amy Lane

 

Saturday, June 18:

  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Rekindled Flame by Andrew Grey
  • A MelanieM Review: Sandman’s Family by C.J. Elliot

Get A Bundle of Love with the ‘Love Off the Radar Collection’ by A.J. Llewellyn and D.J. Manly (excerpt and giveaway)

 

Euphoria Banner

Title:  Love Off the Radar Collection

Author: A.J. Llewellyn & D.J. Manly

Publisher:  Torquere Press

Cover Artist:

Release Date:  6/8/16

Heat Level: 5

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 119K

Add to Goodreads

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Synopsis

Love off the Radar features fourteen tantalizing, otherworldly tales of love, romance, passion, and mystery, by the best-selling team of A.J. Llewellyn and D.J. Manly. In Chaos, a fallen god looks for love at a truck stop. A young man hovers between love and death in Hardsex. Before Morning is an erotic, romantic, volcanic vampire tale set in Feudal Japan – with a serious twist. Mojo Rising is a scandalous tale of same-sex love set in the South Seas.

D.J. Manly addresses BDSM in Disciplining Baron, and the two authors join forces for the paranormal title story Love off the Radar. Which will kill Mo Dingley first? Love, or a curse? Speaking of curses, Have you ever read the personal journals of a werewolf, or a vampire? Now’s your chance! We’ve also got two very different love stories set in the time of Atlantis, and the sad but sweet Clean Monday, a coming-out story with a surprising hero. There are sexy, spicy tales involving zombies, where boys meet boys and almost…eat them. We have it all because love is love, and can’t always be wrapped up in a neat little bow.

Excerpt

From the title story Love off the Radar:

Mo should have suspected the universe was about to hose him when he arrived at the office and found the receptionist sniveling over her laptop. He’d assumed she was having some personal crisis. He felt a little guilty now that he’d uttered a brusque “Good morning” and had walked right by her.

When Jonathan Sampson personally buzzed Mo and invited him into the conference room for coffee, he’d assumed—again, stupidly—that he was about to be given a raise. He’d played the imaginary conversation in his mind as he quickly combed his thick, sandy-colored hair, straightened his bolo tie, and had run his fingertips over his unruly eyebrows.

He’d walked in, full of smiles, hoping to be commended for the brilliant job he’d done designing and overseeing a synagogue completely built out of recycled materials and powered by solar energy. It had appeared on the evening news, and Architectural Digest was featuring it next month.

Mo suspected that the big-bucks job hadn’t impressed Buckley and Sampson because the synagogue was a GLBT one. And gay didn’t go down too well in the company, even though their lone gay architect had, in three short months, brought them almost four million dollars in revenue.

No. What he got was a year in fingle-fangled Japan. It beat his last job where he’d spent a year in Kentucky designing the same ergonomic office spaces over and over again.

Mo stared into his still full cup of coffee, prepared for him by the sniveling receptionist. He wondered if she’d wept into his cup.

“Well?” Sampson asked.

“May I think it over tonight?”

Mr. Sampson looked disappointed. “I’ll give you twenty-four hours. You’ll need to leave by Monday.”

Mo swallowed. Hard. “What about the accounts I’m working on?”

Mr. Sampson couldn’t look at him. “We’re going to hand them over to some of our junior executives.”

“But those are my accounts. My relationships brought in those deals.” Asshole. I just figured it out. They used me to get the contracts, now their straight account executives are going to complete the projects. They’ll never do the job I could do.

He left the office for the meeting he’d scheduled with the rabbi. He adjusted his black Stetson on his head, straightened his bolo tie and used a bristle brush to clean his black suit. Not that he needed it.

It was always good to make sure though. Sometimes when he morphed back into human form, he forgot himself and wolf hairs stuck to him.

Damned curse.

He stared down at his black cowboy boots. He’d come to California with three pair and these were his favorite, lucky boots. Well, they weren’t so lucky this morning.

Mo drove to West Hollywood in a daze, trying to imagine not being here anymore. He was surprised when he hit the turnoff on the ten for La Cienega Boulevard and headed south. On Pico, he found street parking and almost didn’t pay for the meter. Just out of spite. But it would be just his luck if a parking ticket haunted him across the Pacific.

He slid his credit card into the meter, paid for two hours, not that he thought he’d need it, then stood back to survey his golden beauty. From the outside, the synagogue looked very utilitarian. Inside, it was cozy, temperate, and gorgeous. As he strode into the building, he admired once again the carpet that had been fashioned by his ex-lover, Andrew, out of recycled jeans.

Each and every item used in the construction of the Temple Ruth Center had been a labor of love for Mo, and the artisans he’d brought in to help him with the project. Though not Jewish, he admired the rabbi, Beth Cohen, and the synagogue’s motto of ikkun olan (repair the world).

He believed in beautiful spaces. He believed in being responsible and being accountable. Even as he shook the rabbi’s hand and greeted the reporter from Architectural Digest, he knew his time in LA was short. He could sniff it out, like a coming Santa Ana wind and knew.

Mo Dingley was going to Japan.

He slept badly, falling into a restless snooze on the sofa whilst watching a design program on HGTV. He awoke to canned laughter and raised his head from the cushions tucked under his arm. Somehow he’d rolled over onto the remote and he’d hit an obscure cable station. An old episode of Seinfeld was playing. He’d never seen this one before, but in it, Kramer was renting out drawers in his bedroom bureau to stranded Japanese tourists. He watched as Kramer tucked them into their makeshift beds, wishing them a good night’s sleep.

I can’t sleep in a drawer! Are beds really that small there?

He hit the Internet and checked the address that Sampson had written down for him. He was astonished at how wonderful it seemed. The apartment, located in the neighborhood of Akasaka (Red Hill in English) in the Minato-ku district, was right near his new office, and two blocks from the American Embassy. According to the blogs he read, foreigners gravitated toward this area because of its international supermarkets. Almost everybody spoke English. During the day, it was a hard-working business area. At night, its restaurant and clubs ensured a busy evening, as well. Weekends, according to his research were much quieter, because the working men went to their own neighborhoods.

The ancient streets featured some geisha houses, which tickled him. He wondered if there were gay ones. How far was it from the gay district? And what was it called, anyway? He checked. Shinjuku Ni-ch?me. Popularly known as Nich?. Now that looked really cool. Saunas, coffee shops, bars. Beautiful men.

As long as he could escape into solitude each full moon, he’d be fine.

I think I could live there. He studied the apartment building. The Akasaka Tower building was so tall it made him dizzy looking at him.

This ain’t no mustang ranch, sport. He took a deep breath. He was able to view an apartment via virtual tour. It looked very modern and clean, with granite countertops in the kitchen and surprisingly huge windows overlooking the city.  The bedroom looked  big enough. It sure beat the heck out of being unemployed.

He eyed the time on his VCR/DVD player. Ten fifteen P.M.

On the TV, as Jerry and Elaine acted shocked about Kramer renting the Japanese tourists his bedroom drawers, Kramer defended himself by saying, “Have you ever seen the business hotels in Tokyo? They sleep in tiny stacked cubicles all the time! They feel right at home!”

He sighed at the racist overtones to the plotline. Maybe this was his opportunity to offer his input into ikkun olan. Maybe he could help in some way make a contribution to repairing the world.

Mo picked up the phone and called Jonathan Sampson. He wasn’t surprised when the man answered.

“I’m in,” was all Mo said. And then he started to pack.

Purchase

Torquere Press

Euphoria SquareMeet the Author

 

A.J. Llewellyn

A.J. Llewellyn’s obsession with myth, magic, love, and romance might have led to serious stalking charges had it not been for the ability to write. Thanks to the existence of some very patient publishers, A.J.’s days are spent writing, reading and dreaming up new worlds. A.J. has definitely stopped Google-searching former boyfriends and given up all ambition to taste test every cupcake in the universe to produce over 200 published gay erotic romance novels.

A.J. wants you to read them all. A.J. can be found lurking on Facebook and Twitter—part-time class clown being another occupation. When not writing or reading, A.J.’s other passions include juggling, kite-boarding, and spending a fortune buying upgrade apps for Pearl’s Peril and Farm Heroes Saga.

D.J. Manly

I write not only for my own pleasure, but for the pleasure of my readers. I can’t remember a time in my life when I haven’t written and told stories. When I’m not writing, I’m dreaming about writing. Eroticism between consenting adults, in all its many forms is the icing on the cake of life but one does not live by sex alone. The story of how two people find love in spite of the odds is what really turns me on.

 

Social Media Links:

Amazon Author Page:

http://www.amazon.com/A.J.-Llewellyn/e/B002DBJBC2

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/aj.llewellyn

http://www.facebook.com/dante.manly

Pinterest:

http://www.pinterest.com/ajllewellyn

Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/ajllewellyn

http://www.twitter.com/djnovels

Website:

http://www.ajllewellyn.com

http://www.djmanlyfiction.com

Giveaway

Rafflecopter Prize: One winner will be selected to win an eBook copy or a signed paperback copy of Love off the Radar.

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What Genres Do You Think Get Overlooked? This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

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What Genres Do You Think Get Overlooked?

When thinking of genres in that LGBTQIA stories can fall into, the ones that most quickly fall into mind are contemporary, supernatural, fantasy, SciFy, paranormal, action adventure, mystery, romance, all sorts of combinations thereof and somewhere down the line comes historical and western.  And I’m not sure why.

Contemporary romance with cowboys?  Yes, and lots of them.  But historical romances, and those with cowboys? Maybe not so many…

And I absolutely adore them.  When they are done right.  That’s a spectacularly hard thing to do.  Between the language, the feel of the times and locations, and the rules and  laws that changes by crossing a river…well the challenge to a author is daunting to say the least.

And yet  there are those writers that can bring you into the hills and times of our past and bring them alive in ways that make history and their characters sing to your heart.  Is or was it possible for men to have a happy ending in the past or was every story a Brokeback Mountain?  Hmmmm…..write me and let me know your opinion.

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This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

 

Sunday,  May 15:

  • What Genres Do You Think Get Overlooked?This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, May 16:

  • Stumptown Spirits by EJ Russell – Riptide Tour and Contest
  • A Lila Review: Enemies of the State by Tal Bauer
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Rhythm & Blues by Shae Connor
  • A MelanieM Review: Locked by Anyta Sunday

Tuesday, May 17:

  • In the Spotlight:  Dusk Peterson ‘The Balance’ (excerpt and contest)
  • A MelanieM Review:  Sweet William by Dianne Hartsock
  • A Lila Review: The Servant by Mary Calmes
  • A VVivacious Review: Five Times My Best Friend Kissed Me by Anna Martin
  • An Ali Review: Violated by Jamie Fessenden

Wednesday, May 18

  • A Stella Review: Risk Aware by Anita Gormley
  • A Paul B Review: First Omega by Rebecca James
  •  A Lila Review:  Werewolves of Chernobyl by LA Witt
  • A MelanieM Review:  The Cattle Baron’s Bogus Boyfriend by Nicki Bennett

Thursday, May 19

  • Blog Tour – Eli Easton book: How to Wish Upon a Moon
  • ON HIGHER GROUND BY MELISSA COLLINS: Release and review tour information 🙂
  • New book blast: AE Ryecart ‘The Story of Love’ (excerpt and giveaway)
  • Pre-release Celebration for The Debt by K.C. Wells (tour and giveaway)
  • A Jeri Review:  On Higher Ground by Melissa Collins
  • A Paul B Review: Second Alpha by Rebecca James

Friday, May 20

  • Coffee Sip and Book Break with Carrie Pack’s ‘In The Present Tense’ (excerpt and giveaway)
  • A BJ Review:  Audio Review – Tackling the Tight End by Tara Lain
  • A MelanieM Review:  A Place to Call Their Own by Dean Pace-Frech
  • A Lila Review: Prince of the Seas by Emily Carrington

Saturday, May 21

  • In the Spotlight: AC Katt ‘Alexi’s Mouse’ (excerpt and giveaway)
  • A Stella Review:  What Remains by Garrett Leigh

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dive Back into the Magical AURA Fantasy Series with Kellen’s Awakening (AURA #3) by Bellora Quinn and Angel Martinez

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Kellen’s Awakening (AURA #3) by Bellora Quinn and Angel Martinez
Release Date: May 3, 2016

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Pride Publishing
Cover Artist: Emmy Ellis

Blurb

The staff at AURA has had a busy summer. Between chronic understaffing, dealing with warring goblin factions and an unusual number of hazardous Events, everyone is overworked. Sinistrus the incubus, newly hired as an AURA medic, actually enjoys his busy new life of responsible employee and faithful lover to his gorgeous police sergeant, Ness the centaur. Life would be perfect, except for a niggling suspicion about a colleague. Everyone else seems to disagree, but Sin’s certain something’s not right with that pixie.

Kellen, a pixie crossover, loves his job working in AURA medical, even if he is something of an outsider. His job and the friends he manages to make are happy spots in an otherwise dark and secretive life. As the rest of AURA tries to discover the root of the inexplicable rise in violence and large scale Events, Kellen fights to preserve his own life and what dignity he has left.

These two unlikely heroes must put their differences aside and navigate tragedy and ever-escalating disaster together in order to stop the sinister forces that hold Kellen in thrall.

 

Pages or Words: 69,000 words
Series should be read in order
Categories: Alternate Universe, Contemporary, Gay Fiction, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy

 Special Excerpt

Tenzin glanced up at the clock and realized the time had gotten away from him. He kissed Kai’s cheek and gathered up their lunch things. “I’m sorry, love. I have an interview and must be off. New medic, I’m hoping.”

Kai made shooing motions with both hands. “Go, go. I hope this one works out better than the last three.”

The last three had been human, one hopelessly underqualified, one perhaps not entirely comfortable being interviewed by a yeti and the third hiding pernicious bigotry behind a bright smile. The one today was reported to be a pixie, and Tenzin wasn’t disappointed when he found the slender, fidgeting slip of an applicant waiting in the elevator lobby.

Hello, there.” Tenzin extended a hand. “I’m Tenzin, the medical department supervisor. You must be Kellen?”

Yes. I am. Nice to meet you.” He shook his hand, brief but firm.

Come into the department. We’ll talk in one of the empty patient rooms.” Tenzin led the way, pleased that the pixie hadn’t flinched at his appearance. When they had settled, Tenzin on the little plastic chair in the room, Kellen on the rolling stool, he leafed through the interview file and began. “Why don’t you start by telling me about your prior experience.”

I don’t have a lot of experience, yet.” Kellen answered. “The placement counselor asked about my skills when I crossed over and thought I might do best working in some way for AURA. I couldn’t pass the test for enforcement, and I didn’t think research was a good fit, so I asked to take the classes for medical.”

Tenzin tried hard not to frown. “I see. You do seem to have passed the classes with good academic scores. What did you do in your past life? Before you crossed over?”

Well, I would have probably become a soldier eventually. Most of us do. I wasn’t old enough to join the ranks though. I was good at organizing things.”

Even without his wings out Kellen seemed to droop a bit, perhaps realizing that he wasn’t exactly painting a stellar picture of his skill set. While Tenzin didn’t disbelieve the revelation about pixie soldiers as someone else might have, he had experience with fierce flower fairies after all, he had the feeling something was off here.

Organization is important in a medical department,” Tenzin said gently. “What sorts of things did you organize?”

Nectar and honey, mostly.”

Ah, food supplies. For your family?”

For the colony. See, the collection squads were always going to the closest hives and groves first, and by the time anyone got to the outer reaches the fruit would be over ripe, or some of the neighboring colonies had poached the farthest hives. So I set up a rotation, so they went out to collect more evenly. Our stores increased almost thirty percent.”

Tenzin nodded. “That’s very resourceful.”

He didn’t need another trainee, he needed someone who could step into the breach, as it were. But Kellen seemed like such a sincere, intelligent individual, Tenzin didn’t want him to slip through the cracks. He was trying desperately to think of a solution when the air above his head erupted in chittering from whirling colorful beings. His troop of flower fairies zipped around his head, chattering with such agitation he couldn’t understand them. A blur of pink hovered in front of his nose, Brianna pointing sternly at the flower fairies by his right shoulder.

Oh, dear. How did this happen?” Briac and Tara cradled sapphire-blue Timon between them, his wing bent at an impossible angle. “It’s alright, it’s alright little ones. We’ll set it. I think perhaps some surgical tape will hold it in place.”

Kellen made a small sound and Tenzin looked over at him to see him shaking his head. “Not tape. The wing membrane needs to breathe, and the adhesive might tear the wing when it’s removed. A gauze wrap would be best.”

The words were soft, almost apologetic, as if Kellen were afraid to contradict him. Brianna scolded, telling Tenzin she would’ve told him the same thing, but he held up a finger to halt her.

Very sensible. Would you like to do it, Kellen? Supplies are in the cabinet there.”

Rather than answer Kellen simply set to work. With a roll of gauze and some cotton swabs he used forceps and scissors to fashion a tiny flexible cast and sling to hold the wing immobile and support it from below. Timon sat still for him on the table while the rest of the troop alternately hovered or landed on Kellen’s head and shoulders while he worked. He hummed soothingly under his breath when he set the wing in place, while his fingers worked oh-so-delicately on the fragile wing.

Tenzin blinked in surprise. Not that he’d spent much time with pixies, but he didn’t expect the healing song like the ones the elf healers used. He glanced at Brianna who gave him a nod and glowed in approval. The youngster didn’t have much field experience, but, goddess knew he needed someone with knowledge of wing membranes. Timon flexed his uninjured wing and let out a little chirping sigh, obviously relieved when Kellen had finished.

Well then.” Tenzin picked Timon up and let him nestle into his shoulder fur. “I only have one question left. Do you have issues working with any race or species?”

No. We’re all in this together now, aren’t we. I just want to be able to help people.”

There was a lie in there somewhere, or perhaps an omission, but Tenzin felt confident they could deal with whatever the obstacle was if it came up. “So when can you start?”

 

Buy the book:  Pride Publishing

 

RC

 

 

 

Meet the authors:

Angel Martinez

The unlikely black sheep of an ivory tower intellectual family, Angel Martinez has managed to make her way through life reasonably unscathed. Despite a wildly misspent youth, she snagged a degree in English Lit, married once and did it right the first time, (same husband for almost twenty-four years) gave birth to one amazing son, (now in college) and realized at some point that she could get paid for writing.

Published since 2006, Angel’s cynical heart cloaks a desperate romantic. You’ll find drama and humor given equal weight in her writing and don’t expect sad endings. Life is sad enough.

She currently lives in Delaware in a drinking town with a college problem and writes Science Fiction and Fantasy centered around gay heroes.

Bellora Quinn

Originally hailing from Detroit Michigan, Bellora now resides on the sunny Gulf Coast of Florida where a herd of Dachshunds keeps her entertained. She got her start in writing at the dawn of the internet when she discovered PbEMs (Play by email) and found a passion for collaborative writing and steamy hot erotica. Soap Opera like blogs soon followed and eventually full novels.

The majority of her stories are in the M/M genre with urban fantasy or paranormal settings and many with a strong BDSM flavour.

Where to find the authors:

Facebook:

Facebook Author Page:

Twitter:

  • @BelloraQ
  • @AngelMartinezrr

Pinterest:

 


Tour Dates & Stops:

3-May: Oh My Shelves, The Novel Approach

4-May: Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Molly Lolly, My Fiction Nook

5-May: Love Bytes, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, A.M. Leibowitz

6-May: Havan Fellows. MM Good Book Reviews, BFD Book Blog

9-May: Prism Book Alliance, Bayou Book Junkie, Nephy Hart

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $10 Pride Publishing gift card.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
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