Category: Vampires

A Paul B Review: Not a Line of Bull (A Loving Nip #6) by Charlie Richards

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Not A Line of Bull coverCassium Jones is a vampire that has lived nearly 400 years. During his forced seclusion from society, he is tending to a small ranch owned by his coven. One day while he is riding checking the property, he notices that the fence line has been compromised and in need of repair. While repairing the fence, he notices blood around the area. He goes to check his herd of cattle to see if any of them have been hurt. When he reaches the heard, he notices an injured bull laying about the cows. When he checks on the injured bull, he discovers that not only is he a bull shifter but also his beloved.

Garth Omicron has been driven from his shifter herd. Having refused to mate with the mother of his second calf because he doesn’t love her and she is a terrible mother to his two children, Garth is beaten and gored by the inner circle of the herd. He wanders into a field some miles away from his herd territory and finds an Angus cattle farm. When the owner confronts him as to why he is vampire territory, he thinks things have gone from bad to worse. However, contrary to how he had been taught, this vampire seems to want to help him for some unknown reason.

While Cassium suspects that they might be mates, Garth has no concept of the idea. In his herd, people of paired together based on bloodlines to prevent inbreeding among the herd. Outsiders are rarely brought into the group, which for the most part live a self-sufficient life. The only people allowed to have contact with the outside world are the inner circle. When Cassium hears of the treatment of most of the shifters, he promises to help them out, especially Garth and his two children. The big question is whether or not Garth will accept Cassium as his mate despite all that his herd has been taught and accept the proffered help.

This sixth book in the Loving Nip series is another satisfying read in the author’s paranormal universe. Garth is an interesting character as he is a bull shifter but is not one of the dominant shifters in his herd. Having a somewhat submissive bull plays against stereotypes. I was somewhat surprised that the resolution to the herd’s mess occurred mostly off the pages of the book with one major exception. However, the resolution did provide a hint at one of Ms. Richard’s upcoming books in her universe.

The cover art by Carmen Waters shows Cassium as a well-built farmer in an open plaid shirt in front of a valley vista during sunset. It is another well done cover in the series.

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

Book details

Ebook, 89 pages
Edition: English
Published: September 15, 2015 by Extasy Books
ISBN: 978-1-4874-0477-2
Series: A Loving Nip
A Nip of Good Cheer (A Loving Nip #1)
A Rose for Paul’s Protector (A Loving Nip #2)
An Unforgettable Bite (A Loving Nip #3)
More than Patient (A Loving Nip #4)
Sharing a Demon’s Blood (A Loving Nip #5)
Not a Line of Bull (A Loving Nip #6)

Supernatural Book Spotlight: Cronin’s Key III by N. R. Walker (excerpt and giveaway)

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Cronin’s Key III by N.R. Walker
Release Date: September 18

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Goodreads Link
Publisher: BlueHeart Press
Cover Artist: Sara York

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Buy the book:  Amazon

STRW Author BookSynopsis

History isn’t always what it seems…

Twelve months after his change, Alec MacAidan is still getting used to his many vampire talents. While most vampires would give anything to have more than one supernatural power, Alec craves nothing more than peace and time alone with Cronin. But when Alec meets entities from outside this realm, he’s left powerless in their presence.

Zoan are half-lycan, half-dragon creatures that have slipped through time and reality, seemingly undetected by man and vampire. Or have they? They bear an uncanny resemblance to gargoyles, leaving Alec’s view on all things weird to get a whole lot weirder.

This new quest leads Alec, Cronin, and their band of friends to Paris, Rome, and Moscow, where they learn that gargoyles aren’t simply statues on walls. In the underground pits beneath churches all over the world, Alec discovers the Key’s true destiny. Facing the Zoan might take every talent he has. And he may need help from the dead to get them all out alive.

Pages or Words: 58,800 words
Categories: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

CHAPTER ONE

Alec sat back in the chair and held in a sigh, feeling every bit the lab rat he’d become. Since he’d become a vampire a year ago, he’d been put through test after test, so each and every one of his unending list of talents could be explored and documented.
He’d agreed to this, and he knew it was the right thing to do, but in that very moment, he wished to be doing anything else.
And with talents for making errant thoughts an instant reality—like setting fire to sofas and making Xbox controllers explode in Eiji’s hand because he’d somehow won—it wasn’t a good frame of mind to be in.
He loved Jodis. He really did. She had become one of his best friends. But she’d also taken it upon herself to document his talents, and he’d just about had enough for one day. If replicating wasn’t a talent so frowned upon in the vampire world, he’d make a copy of himself to endure Jodis’ tests while he and Cronin hid out in their bedroom. He’d replicated himself a few times, experimentally of course, and found it too taxing on himself anyway.
“Can you do it again?” she asked, notepad and pen in hand.
Alec had found a certain talent he’d dubbed the chameleon, for obvious reasons, because he could make things change color. It was absurd, really, and probably of no better use than a party trick. But he could, if he concentrated, turn a red pen blue or a white shirt black. The talent could only manifest by touch, and it lasted only a few minutes before returning to its original color, but Jodis was rather intrigued.
Alec, on the other hand, had passed bored like it was standing still and was well on his way to irate. “Jodis, I’ve kinda had enough of this today.”
“Last one, I promise.”
For Alec, it wasn’t so much as reining in a temper anymore, where the most damage done was a cutting remark. Now it was keeping a lid on a few dozen talents that reacted poorly to anger. He only had to get really pissed off and a rage would barrel out of him like nuclear fallout, literally knocking humans and vampires off their feet. Or he could burst eardrums with a furious roar, or maybe he could turn them to stone, or dust. Or maybe, just maybe, he could rip an earthquake through the apartment so he didn’t have to do any more of these stupid fucking tests.
“Alec,” Eleanor cautioned from the next room.
“I wasn’t actually going to do that,” he replied petulantly. He knew Eleanor, with the gift of foresight, saw possible outcomes of decisions made, and that did nothing to quell his frustration. “Jesus, now my thoughts aren’t even my own.” Standing up, he snatched the purple notebook off the desk, holding it for half a second and slamming it back down. It was now black, as was every page inside it, and it was smoldering as though it almost caught fire.
Cronin was suddenly in front of him, a hand cupped to his face. “He’s had enough,” he said to Jodis, and they disappeared.
* * * *
As soon as Alec’s feet hit the soft earth, he took a deep breath of fresh air and reveled in the silence.
His life hadn’t exactly been quiet in the last twelve months.
He felt the warmth of Cronin’s hand in his, smelled the sweet aromas of heath and moss from both the vampire beside him and the cool air of the long-abandoned battlefield, and Alec exhaled loudly.
Cronin had somehow learned to quiet his mind a little and it gave Alec the silence he so desperately needed. In the last twelve months, Cronin had taken Alec on more time-outs than he could count. Knowing when he’d had enough and was reaching breaking point, Cronin would simply remove Alec from the situation, leaping him somewhere quiet where his mind could have some much needed solitude. But with a gentle squeeze of his hand, Cronin reassured him he was there.
“I’m sorry,” Alec said.
“Don’t apologize,” Cronin said adamantly. “I can’t begin to imagine your frustrations.”
“Jodis is only trying to help. I behaved badly.” He could very well speak words directly into Jodis’ mind and tell her privately that he was sorry. But he’d prefer not invade the thoughts of others, preferring to apologize in person.
“She understands,” Cronin said, trying to pacify him.
Alec sighed loudly and allowed the quiet to envelope him. “I love it here,” he said eventually.
The field at Dunadd, Scotland, had become a sanctuary for Alec. No voices in his head, no city of millions with flurrying thoughts unbidden through his mind, no politics of vampire councils, no meetings, no one hovering.
Just Cronin.
“It affords you a great privacy,” Cronin said. His Scottish accent and formal tone still made Alec smile. “Your talents as a vampire are a burdensome gift.”
Alec had learned very early on to block out the voices and thoughts of those around him, but living in a city of millions made it a constant effort, and his display of anger at Jodis just minutes ago bothered him. “These talents are a pain in my ass.”
Cronin laughed quietly. “Your control over them still astounds us all.”
“The control you keep talking about is a talent in itself. It’s like casting a net over a thousand different fish.” Alec sighed loudly. “I’ve told you that before.”
“I know. Though it amazes me still.” Cronin squeezed Alec’s hand again and looked out across the field of long grass to the line of trees that fronted the river. “Lie down with me.”
Cronin simply lay flat on his back in the middle of the field and when Alec lay down next to him, Cronin snatched up Alec’s hand again. And together in the mind-clearing silence, they watched the blanket of stars glide across the sky.
It was a clear autumn night in Scotland, cold and dark. Neither of those things impeded a vampire of course, and Alec would never tire of the simple changes he’d gone through when he became a vampire. It was the complex changes he was beginning to struggle with. The talents he’d been given made him unique: the only vampire ever to have all vampire talents, some he was still discovering a year after his change. It was these talents that made his life hectic, his obligations as the key to the vampire world that gave him a great responsibility, and as Cronin had said, it was becoming a great burden.
Alec loved that Cronin would leap them to the very field where his human life had ended. The old battlefield in Scotland was also where they’d first made love, where they came to talk, to be by themselves. Like now.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” Alec whispered, his anger and frustration from before almost gone. “I feel like I can breathe here.”
“Is that not what husbands do?” Cronin asked with a smile. “Save the other from the myriad of madness?”
“Husbands,” Alec said, bringing Cronin’s knuckles up to his lips and kissing them softly. “Now that is something I’ll never tire of.”

 

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance.

She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn’t have it any other way.

She is many things; a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who live in her head, who don’t let her sleep at night unless she gives them life with words.

She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things…but likes it even more when they fall in love.

She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal.

She’s been writing ever since…

Where to find the author:

 RC

Tour Dates & Stops:
Parker Williams, Just Love Romance, Divine Magazine, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, My Fiction Nook, LeAnn’s Book Reviews, The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat, Full Moon Dreaming, Bayou Book Junkie, MM Good Book Reviews, SA McAuley, The Blogger Girls, V’s Reads, The Jena Wade, BFD Book Blog, Carly’s Book Reviews, Reviews by Jessewave, Nephylim, Inked Rainbow Reads, Jessie G. Books, Iyana Jenna, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Molly Lolly, Foxylutely Book Reviews, Mikky’s World of Books, Amanda C. Stone, Prism Book Alliance, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance, Kimi-chan, Up All Night, Read All Day, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Charley Descoteaux, Multitasking Mommas, Ogitchida Book Blog, The Novel Approach, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Velvet Panic

 

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Rafflecopter Prize: One copy from backlist, including Cronin’s Key III
Rafflecopter Code:
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Final

What Happens When Demons Fall in Love? Check Out Base Instincts by Larissa Ione (tour and giveaway)

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Base Instincts by Larissa Ione
Publisher Riptide Publishing
Cover Artist Jay Aheer

Buy it here at Riptide Publishing

Hi, everyone! I’m so excited to be on the Base Instincts blog tour. Raze and Slake’s story was a labor of love for me, and while theirs isn’t the first m/m story I’ve written, it’s a first for the Demonica/Lords of Deliverance series. If you’re curious about how it all started, be sure to enter the giveaway for a chance to win the first two books set in the Demonica/LOD universe, and for more information, head on over to http://www.LarissaIone.com!

Blurb

As a Seminus demon, Raze’s life literally depends on having sex with females. The problem is that he doesn’t desire females, and it’s physically impossible for him to be with males. Thankfully, he and his best friend, Fayle, have an arrangement that keeps him alive . . . if lonely. He finds some solace in his work as a medic at Thirst, a vampire club known for its rough clientele. But his carefully structured world turns upside down when he meets a mysterious male who makes him want what he can never have.

Slake is an assassin used to getting what he wants, and what he wants is Raze. But he also wants to earn back the soul he sold when he was a much different demon. All he has to do is capture a runaway succubus named Fayle and hand her over to her family. What he doesn’t count on is being caught himself by a web of lies—and his attraction to Raze.

Raze and Slake must navigate a dangerous world to be together. But as Fayle’s jealousy of their relationship turns deadly, they find themselves embroiled in a battle not only for their love, but their lives and souls.

HYPERLINK “”

 Base Instincts is part of the Demonica Universe

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The demon is a prince of the air and can transform himself into several shapes, delude our senses for a time; but his power is determined, he may terrify us but not hurt.
– Robert Burton, Anatomy of Melancholy

Humans go to hospitals. Animals go to veterinarians. But where do injured, ill, and decapitated demons go? It isn’t as if every supernatural being possesses the ability to grow a new limb to replace one that’s been hacked off by a demon slayer scumbag. Fear not, fellow vamps, werewolves, and demons, for help has arrived. Three brothers, incubus demons by birth, human in appearance (mostly), have pulled together to make the most of the healing skills common to their species. Welcome to Underworld General Hospital, where sexy demons are doctors, HMOs are non-existent, and the blood bank sometimes doubles as the cafeteria. And you don’t even want to know what goes on in the supply closets…

About the Author

About Larissa Ione

Larissa Ione is an award-winning New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. An Air Force veteran and former EMT, she traded in a career as a meteorologist to pursue her passion for writing. She now spends her days in pajamas with her computer, strong coffee, and supernatural worlds. She believes in celebrating everything, and would never be caught without a bottle of champagne chilling in the fridge . . . just in case. She currently lives in Wisconsin with her US Coast Guard husband, her teenage son, a rescue cat named Vegas, and her very own hellhound, a King Shepherd named Hexe.

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Giveaway

Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a tote bag with swag and signed copies of Pleasure Unbound and Desire Unchained, the first two books in the Demonica/Lords of Deliverance series! Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on September 19. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Don’t forget your email so we can contact you if you win!  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Good luck everyone!

Prizes are a tote bag with swag and signed copies of Pleasure Unbound and Desire Unchained, the first two books in the Demonica/Lords of Deliverance series!

A Sammy Review: Cronin’s Key II (Cronin’s Key #2) by N.R. Walker

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

Cronin's Key II cover“I am forever by your side.”

“As are we,” Jodis said.

Finally, Alec smiled. “Just like the musketeers, huh? All for one and one for all.”

Cronin pulled back a little so he could see Alec’s face. “They weren’t vampires.”

Life hasn’t been a picnic since Alec MacAidan had his world turned upside down. Finding out you’re fated to a vampire, have pretty much been stalked by another since your birth, and are some kind of mysterious key that could save the world is a lot to swallow. But now that he’s started to embrace it, Alec wouldn’t change a thing.

But if he thought there would be rest for the wicked, he was wrong. With rumors of vampire covens fleeing Russia and disappearances in China, there’s no mistaking that Alec’s job as the key has come into play again. But this time, it’s not his life on the line, it’s his forever.

Completion.

Alec understood now what that really meant. It wasn’t some prudish, polite way to describe an orgasm. It was to be at one with Cronin, to be whole, to be complete.

To be fated.

I was beyond excited to read the second book in this series. The first set a great stage for world building and a lifelong (and then some) romance between Cronin and Alec. In this book, we get even more of that world building and romance, and let me tell you, Walker cranks up the steam.

One of my favorite aspects of the first story was the alternate history, and we got even more of that here. Hell, I’d have loved for pages of it (though most readers wouldn’t, so I understand her limiting it.) The author did a nice job of balancing the copious amounts of information with humor and the rest of the story so that it didn’t feel to heavy or like a huge info dump.

And that humor… oh that humor. It was just spot on. I adore Alec and in this book we got to see more of some past favorites and meet some new ones. I hope to see more of Jorge, and even when Alec and Cronin’s story concludes, I’d love to see what Walker could do with Jacques or Kennard. They both have a lot of potential as stars in their own stories.

But… I do have a bone to pick. Or, well, a few. First, the editing. I literally cringed at some of the mistakes. Commas were missing at points, commas were thrown in where they shouldn’t be, words were wrong… it’s a shame, because someone should’ve picked up on those things before it was published. Normally I can get over a few mistakes, but there were enough in this one that I was actually distracted a few times when reading.

Another issue I had was luckily resolved, and that was the portrayal of Dissociative Identity Disorder (or DID, as most people in the field would call it.) I was glad things changed at the end, because I was pretty unhappy with how this was written.

And then my last issue was with how quickly things happened at the end and the lack of emotion I felt for those parts. It was like two books of build up to that moment and… well, it basically went out with a little whimper instead of a bang. I’d love to see Walker push for more emotion in those parts of her story. Make it less of the motions and more of the feelings. In the end, it just felt too neat and clean. And when we found out who was behind stuff… it literally was like “huh? Oh… okay.” I was totally bummed by that.

Still, I love the world building and the characters, and I can’t wait to read more of these two.

The cover art by Sara York is a nice compliment to the first. It’s still not the prettiest thing in the world, but it ties in with the story and the series.

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

Book Details:

ebook, 195 pages
Published May 22nd 2015 by N.R. Walker
edition language English
series Cronin’s Key #2

A MelanieM Review: Blind Hearts (King of Hearts 4) by Havan Fellows

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Blind Hearts coverIn a world where supernatural creatures openly exist, who can blame them for coalescing in one of the most fascinating and erotic places on earth? Welcome to New Orleans.

Emotions are a human flaw, certainly nothing he’s familiar with…

Yet when Laurant looks at his mysterious lover, something happens deep within him. He’s a sex demon who has eyes for only one man. Man? When did he stop referring to his lover as a meal? And when did he turn into a green-eyed demon? Perhaps when family came calling, requesting help. No one wants their lover surrounded by sex demons. If Laurant can’t get a grip on his newly found emotions, humans and supernaturals alike will be in danger.

He lost his one chance of finding out who he is, what he is…

Gun’s been hunting down the witch that pilfered his memories and issued him false ones to no avail. It’s like she disappeared off the face of the earth. Unfortunately, that scenario is quite plausible. It leaves Gun with a major dead end and a mind that is no longer his friend. Memories of a false love with a beautiful woman hinder his present unexplainable need for a certain incubus. But does he truly belong here…with a lover who can’t feel love, a city that isn’t his home, and a ragtag group of poker players that now call him friend? It’s time for Gun to forget the past and create a future for himself. At least the forgetting part is simple.

They both have personal issues to conquer, if they could just stop trying to conquer each other first.

Havan Fellow’s round four story, Blind Hearts is so very aptly named.  You couldn’t find two characters with bigger blinders on their hearts than Gun and Laurant.  Gun is in the dark about his identity, right down to the type of being he is, except that its definitely not human.  Not a comforting fact to be in possession of.  Laurant seems to have so many people messing with his future, including his father.  The fuddy duddies of the Incubus world aren’t happy that Laurant goes the male route instead of the approved female one when feeding. And one top of that?  That Laurant is feeding from another supe, supernatural that is?  As against the laws as they come.  Plus there is a very big evil in town and…. now they are discovering they have feelings for each other to deal with? Nope, they would rather keep their focus straight ahead rather than have to look inside at what’ their hearts are telling them.  Self imposed blindness indeed.

Fellows has created a merrily as sin, deliciously sexy as, well hell, demon, Laurant,  and paired him up with an enigma of power, Gun. That the enigma is comes in the wrapping of a gorgeous hunk is all that Laurant needs to be hooked, not that he is ready admit it.  The author has let the layers built up around Laurant at the beginning of the story fall away book by book, revealing a complex individual underneath the flamboyant persona Laurant shows to the world (all dimensions of the world).

Its been a wonderful show, one I have reveled in.  Gun on the other hand, has had to be built up from nothing, added to layer by layer, book by book, a balancing act that’s been sort of mesmerizing to read about.  Each character’s truth being revealed by adding or subtracting layers, scene by emotional scene.  And still each is blind to the other man’s feelings about the other.

Blind Hearts takes off the blinder’s.  At the end, of course.  And does so with a kick to the heart and the head.  But never with any definite knowledge of what it all means, if anything.  It could still be all smoke and mirrors.  Or not. Maybe its something far worse.  A cliffhanger that will break your heart.

We will have to wait for book five to find out.  I’ve heard  tell I should be sharpening my pitchfork because of the events that are coming.  Hmmmm.  I can’t wait.  I love the anticipation.  Bring it on!

Cover art by Laura Harner.  I can see Laurant in this model.  He’s sobering up a bit, who wouldn’t under the circumstances.

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

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 53 pages
Published August 31st 2015 by Appleton Publishing Avenue
ASINB014RDYY52
edition languageEnglish
seriesKing of Hearts #4, Pulp Friction 2015 #14

 

 

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About Pulp Friction 2015

Lee Brazil ~ Havan Fellows ~ Parker Williams ~ Laura Harner

The Pulp Friction 2015 Altered States Collection.
Four authors.
Four Series.
Twenty books.
One supernatural finale.

Spend a year with the creatures that go bump in the night…fighting for their rights to exist and protecting the innocents of The Big Easy. A diverse group of friends trying to find their place in a world they never had to “fit” into before.

Although each series can stand alone, we believe reading the books in the order they are released will increase your enjoyment.

Round One:
Drawing Dead (Jack of Spades: 1) by Lee Brazil
Blind Stud (King of Hearts: 1) by Havan Fellows
The Devil’s Bedpost (Four of Clubs: 1) by Parker Williams
Diamonds and Dust (Ace of Diamonds: 1) by Laura Harner

Round Two:
Dead Blind (Jack of Spades: 2) by Lee Brazil
Stud Player (King of Hearts: 2) by Havan Fellow
Up the Ante (Four of Clubs: 2 ) by Parker Williams
Diamond Draw (Ace of Diamonds: 2) by Laura Harner

Round Three:

Dead Button (Jack of Spades #3) by Lee Brazil
Blind Man’s Bluff (King of Hearts #3) by Havan Fellows
The Devil’s Playground (Four of Clubs #3) by Parker Williams
Diamonds Edge (Ace of Diamonds #3) by Laura Harner

Round Four:

Dead Man’s Hand (Jack of Spades 4) by Lee Brazil
Blind Heart (King of Hearts 4) by Havan Fellows
High Stakes (Four of Clubs 4) by Parker Williams
Diamond Flush (Ace of Diamonds 4) by Laura Harner

Morning Coffee Sip and Book Break: Discovery (Drakyl Ranch #1) by Thianna Durston

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Discovery (Drakyl Ranch #1) by Thianna Durston
Release Date: September 1st, 2015

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Publisher: Thianna Durston
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer – Simply Defined Art

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Sales Links: Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing (sort of)  Thianna Durston author of Discovery.  Hi Thianna, thank you for bringing your character, Aaron Drakyl along to be interviewed:

My Interview with character Aaron Drakyl from Discovery

What do you find attractive in a man?

  •     *grins* Well, up until lately it was kind of slim pickin’s. There were a few men at the local bar, closeted gay men who would meet me behind the grocery, but they weren’t really my type. If I had to say what attracts me first? It’s their mouth. I love lips, especially ones that quirk up on one side.

The first thing that went through your head when you saw Jaret.

  • Mostly that he couldn’t be real. He has almost the same skin tone as I do and that’s not normal.

Do you think you’ll insist the author visits you again?

  • I’m lucky in that I’m the head of my house. Since she’s writing the stories for my cousins, she kind of has to include me and Jaret. *grins* I think she has a crush on Jaret.

Before you met Jaret, what was your ideal man?

  • Well, now, this is embarrasin’. My ideal man before this was one that breathed and was willin’ to meet me behind the grocery. That’s not to say I wouldn’t have loved to meet a guy, fall in love, etc, but I never thought that would happen to me. I’m a gay cowboy. I kinda took what I could get. I never imagined I’d get the ultimate prize when Jaret walked into that bar.

You’re going out for dinner. What’s your favorite food?

  • That’s simple and yet it’s not. Human blood. But I’d prefer it came from a donor. I don’t like killin’. Jaret laughs at me ’cause I won’t kill a human for the blood. Blood drives are an amazin’ thing. If human blood’s not on tap, cougar is good, too. Ever tried it?

cowboy with lasso silhouette at small-town rodeo. Note: added grain.

Blurb

Living in Montana and working the ranch is all Aaron wants to do for the rest of his life. Diagnosed as allergic to the sun thirteen years previous, every day is a struggle to get out of bed. Having to wear long-sleeved shirts, gloves, and even material to cover his face from the effects of the sun, just makes it all worse. Now, in his thirty-second year, he is sure this will be his last summer. While he hates it, he knows he needs to come to terms with the truth and put things in order for his younger cousins. Before he does so, he heads out for one night of pleasure before facing what’s coming.

Jaret loves excitement and new adventures. For over five hundred years, he has sought them out. In Montana on a whim, he comes across someone he doesn’t expect, someone who makes him feel things he does not understand and does not want to give up. In no time at all, he feels like he cannot live without Aaron. The only problem is Aaron doesn’t know who he is, what he is, nor that he isn’t going to die. Not on Jaret’s watch. With a plan to help the other man discover who he is in place, he only has one thing to worry about: whether an ancient enemy will come and destroy everything he now holds dear.

Warning: This book is a paranormal m/m romance with some horror elements. It also crosses cowboy and vampire genres. If you don’t think cowboys look hot with fangs, you’re missing out.

Categories: Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Paranormal, Western/Cowboy

Excerpt

“You’re not going to die, Aaron.”
“You don’t know that. This sickness, ailment, curse…whatever the fuck it is. It’s gettin’ worse. And it’s changin’. Morphin’ into somethin’ scary. My nightmares lately have been horrible.”
“What kind of nightmares?” Of course, Jaret knew. They were the same kind all of them had during the change. Fire and ice as the body went through horrendous chills and soaring high fevers. They would only stop once the change was complete. For after that, there was no real sleep anymore.
“Bein’ caught on high mountains, pelted with snow. Of the forests here bright with orange fire. Of you—” His voice broke. “Callin’ out my name only I’m no longer here to respond.”
“Babe,” Jaret said in a soft voice, not understanding why but knowing he was closer to this drakyl than he had ever been to anyone. “We’re going to get you cured. Then you can come out with me at night. We’ll keep the place predator free while your cousins slave in the sun. How does that sound?”
A sad attempt at a laugh left the other man’s throat. “Promise me you won’t leave until I’m gone?”
Fury swept along Jaret’s veins. Anger at the sun, the fact the man next to him was terrified, and at Davis for not explaining to the poor man earlier what he was. But mostly, he was furious at himself for not telling Aaron the truth. Leaning in, he placed his nose against Aaron’s. “I promise you,” he said in a deep growl, “that you are not going to die, Aaron Drakyl. I won’t let it happen.”

grunge background

About the Author

Thianna loves to write strong stories with even stronger heroes. While all of her books have an erotic overtone, it is the story that is the most important to her. “The story should be able to stand on its own. The erotic elements are an add-on.”

She enjoys writing about couples with kink, paranormal couples, and straight out strangeness. But more on that later… You can find her at mm.thiannad.com.

She also writes m/f under the name Thianna D.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thiannaDismyname?fref=ts
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/ThiannaDurstonAuthor?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/the_weremouse
Website: http://www.mm.thiannad.com

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Discovery’ when it comes out.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.
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Tour Dates & Stops:
31-Aug Amanda C. Stone

1-Sep Hearts on Fire, Rainbow Gold Reviews

2-Sep Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

3-Sep Parker Williams

4-Sep Prism Book Alliance

7-Sep Mikky’s World of Books, Divine Magazine, Inked Rainbow Reads

8-Sep MM Good Book Reviews

9-Sep Love Bytes

10-Sep BFD Book Blog

11-Sep The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat

14-Sep Velvet Panic, Dawn’s Reading Nook

15-Sep Cathy Brockman Romances, Up All Night, Read All Day

16-Sep Molly Lolly

17-Sep Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance

18-Sep Jessie G. Books

21-Sep It’s Raining Men, Book Reviews and More by Kathy

22-Sep Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My

23-Sep Bayou Book Junkie

24-Sep Happily Ever Chapter

25-Sep My Fiction Nook, Iyana Jenna, Michael Mandrake

WillPride

A BJ Review: Charmed and Dangerous: Ten Tales of Gay Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy – authors Jordan Castillo Price, Rhys Ford, Ginn Hale, KJ Charles, Nicole Kimberling, Jordan L. Hawk, Astrid Amara, Andrea Speed, Lou Harper, Charlie Cochet

Charmed and DangerousTake a cauldron full of magic, add a pinch of humor, a dash of snark and a huge dollop of m/m goodness, and what do you get? Charmed and Dangerous: Ten Tales of Gay Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy. This all-new collection is packed with arcane action and intrigue, and every story will whisk you away to a fantastical world where the hero finds his prince and the paranormal investigator always gets his man.

Overall Rating:  4.25 stars out of 5

Tales of magic in some of its many forms with, according to the intro, a theme of sympathetic monsters. Well, hell, doesn’t that play right into my love for a good anti-hero! Plus when I saw the lineup of authors on this one, my mouth just about fell open. What a line up! I’m so on board to read this one. Please note that a few of the stories hook into a series and doubtless you will enjoy them those few more if you’re familiar with the series. One of them was a series I’d read, but the other, unfortunately, I was not at all familiar with as it’s a new to me author. Therefore, I discussed that one but did not rate it as I didn’t feel I had the background to do it justice.

The stories are listed in the order in which they appear in the anthology rather than by rating.

Dim Sum Asylum by Rhys Ford – 3.5 stars
Half-fae Detective Roku MacCormick works Arcane Crimes in San Francisco’s Chinatown. He’s cleared for duty after shooting his last partner and back on the job with a new case and a new partner. Trent Leonard, isn’t at all what he’d expected.

I own some books by this author that I’ve not gotten around to reading, but after this I definitely will soon. Because she can tear up the page.

Rich with description and detail, and since I’ve actually lived in San Francisco for a while, that was pretty cool for me. It starts with a rip-roaring chase scene through the streets of Chinatown complete with dragons and mermen, but despite the action I found the story hard to sink into. I felt lost, like I’d been thrown into the middle of an action movie with nothing to hold on to or maybe like jumping into part two of a series when I’d missed the beginning–it was jarring and confusing. Chapter two did clear up a lot of things and bring me more smoothly into the world and story, but the overall fast pace continued and it was hard for me to connect with the characters until closer to the end. That said, the imagery, imagination and details are amazing and vibrant. And the sex was smoking. If you like a kick ass story that goes from zero to sixty in five seconds flat with a flaming hot sex chaser, this story is for you!

Swift and the Black Dog by Ginn Hale – 3.75 stars 
The wizard Jack Swift became a national hero when he killed a tyrant and won the revolution. They even made movies about him! But now it seems like someone in the new government wants him dead.

Well-written, superb imagery. So wizards aren’t well accepted; they’re mostly considered trouble. And gay men are scorned as well. That, and living with his past, makes life hard for Jack despite his hero status.

First few chapters, the author did three things. One: The beginning of this story was slow to pull me in—until suddenly it grabbed me by the throat. Two: I didn’t like Jack much—and then it was made vividly clear that neither did he. Three: In one paragraph, one sentence really, I suddenly hated Peter with a fiery passion that put me completely in Jack’s corner yelling, “Kill the bastard, Jack. Kill him NOW!” Except that would be real hard considering… ah, well… no spoilers.

There’s a romance here, but it’s neither sexy nor sweet. Mostly this story is an eloquent, twisted tale of betrayal and revenge.

A Queer Trade by KJ Charles – 4 stars
Apprentice magician Crispin Tredarloe returns to London to find his master dead and some of the papers he’d written spells upon sold. Some of those spells might mean death so he sets out to get them back. Waste paper seller Ned Hall can’t resist Crispin, but can the two find the papers and prevent a disaster?

Well-written with a beginning that pulled me into it quickly. I enjoyed that it was written from both character’s POV as it gave me a connection to them both. Two likable main characters, but Ned especially for sticking by Crispin as he did. There was chemistry and some lovely hot, sexy bits between them. Nice plot that picked up speed as it went along with a satisfying resolution.

However, I should mention that this story did have parts that rather grossed me out. So warning, possible high ICK factor here, depending on what pushes your ick buttons, of course. *shudder*

Magically Delicious by Nicole Kimberling – 4 stars
Attacks against NIAD agents aren’t Keith Curry’s department–until his transmogrified goblin boyfriend, Gunther, is the target. Keith begins working the case even though that means pissing off powerful mages, crossing leprechaun picket lines, and braving dinner with goblin parents.

This one was so much fun. Mages, goblins, leprechauns, and pixies, oh my! The beginning just sucked me in immediately. Such interesting characters that I wanted to know all about them. Love the mage pistol and well, heck, this was just a super imaginative story. I figured out where the pixie dust had come from long before it came out, but it was still a fun ride getting to the bottom of exactly why and how. Gunther’s goblin family were great fun. The pixies and leprechauns (esp. Carrot Beard) were hilarious. But most of all, I adored Gunther the transmogrified goblin and would love to read more about him and Keith’s relationship, how they came to be together and definitely more in depth sexy bits please.

Everyone’s Afraid of Clowns by Jordan Castillo Price – 3.75 stars
Psychic medium Victor Bayne can spot a ghost any day of the year, but Halloween holds some special surprises. Victor and Jacob are on their way to a Halloween party, when Victor remembers something from his past. His psych-groupie boyfriend Jacob coaxes him to the location of the old spirit sighting, but they can’t ghost hunt without enduring a cheesy “haunted house” that’s even more disturbing than they realize.

Within the bowls of an old theatre, the guys encounter far more than just a ghost clown needing to cross over. As always between these two, any excuse for a sexy encounter is taken and the heat level between them is as hot as ever.

Well-written with ghost exhibitionism, glitter and goo, painted pumpkins and lots of spooky imagery. I’ve always found clowns and fun houses to be extremely creepy, but I do love this series. Victor and Jake are so darn hot together—wherever they are.

The Thirteenth Hex by Jordan L. Hawk – 5 stars
Dominic Kopecky is a Metropolitan Witch Police fanboy who failed the magic aptitude tests when he was young. He’d dreamed of working at MWP with witches and their familiars who take the form of birds, toads, and cats. But his lack of magic led him to become the next best thing—a hexman who does the grunt work of using ink, paper and gemstones to create spells that witches later activate with their magic. But hexes were an exact science and a badly done one could turn very deadly when activated.

When the beautiful unbonded crow familiar, Rook, seeks Dominic’s help investigating murder by hex Dominic isn’t sure why. He’s not a witch, the case has already been closed, and someone seems willing to kill to keep it that way.

I loved this one right from the start. Well-written, well-paced, intriguing characters, and a very unusual world set up. I thought it was funny that the familiar was a crow and Dominic’s last name was KoPECKy. Made me laugh. As did some of lines like ‘keep your beak out of it’ and a bunch of others. A lovely sweet romance, some nice heat, and a fun story. Overall, it just hit all the right notes for me.

The Soldati Prince by Charlie Cochet – 5 stars
Riley Murrough is a barista cleaning up after a day’s work when he’s suddenly being chased by demons, and rescued by tigers, one of which transforms into a huge man covered in tribal tattoos. If that wasn’t bad enough, he’s told that he bears the mark of a shapeshifter and whisked off to a magical realm.

Well-written story told from both Riley’s and Khalon’s POV, this story started off a bit confusing for me but very soon that changed and it sucked me in. At first witty, snarky fun with some really interesting side characters, but then things begin to shift. Within a chapter, there was a sweet romance that made me swoon and events that had me in tears and I completely loved Khalon and Riley. I really want to read more about this world and especially about the side characters Toka and Rayner as well. Loved those guys, too. The way Khalon and Rayner (best friends) bickered rocked. And the ending line was perfect Riley!

This was my first read by this author and will definitely not be my last, I really enjoyed her writing style.

One Hex Too Many by Lou Harper – 4.25 stars
Veteran detective Mike Mulligan is an expert on violent occult crimes at the Extramundane Crimes Division. Most of his fellow officers consider him cursed because of how many partners he’s lost and refuse to partner with him. Detective Hugh Fox is a rookie, eager to partner up and prove himself. However, Mulligan is accustomed to flying solo and not used to trusting a partner with his life. Not helped when one of the first things out of Fox’s mouth is to point out to Mulligan that he’s not gay.

Communicating via the bathroom mirror. Rogue hacker wizards=wackers (love that). A flamboyant blond desk clerk who can change sex at will uses glamour and charm spells on everyone in the force regularly as exposure training. All that in the first few pages let know right away that this was going to be a fun ride.

The duo is assigned to track a killer using dark magic—an offense at the top of the list of Prohibited Practices. Despite having gotten off to a rough start, I liked how Mulligan treated Fox from the get go. He seemed such a natural at training for a guy who hadn’t wanted a partner. Considerate of not making him look bad by correcting in front of others even when he was a trainee for instance. Early on a semi-drunken kiss motivated by a big red bed after the two of them had sung some off-note Karaoke made things a bit awkward—and yeah, that’s the kind of fun that ensues. The pace of their relationship development is fairly slow, which I liked, but I wanted to see/feel more heat. I enjoyed this new to me author’s writing style, quick paced, witty and fun, but with close attention to details of world building as well as the mystery elements. I would love a story about Leslie.

Josh of the Damned vs. the Bathroom of Doom by Andrea Speed 
It’s a boring night at the Quik-Mart for Josh and his friend Doug. Until a vampire with a grudge—and the most adorable backup ever—crashes the store. Can Josh survive the Bathroom of Doom?

A new to me author and I’m not familiar with this series, so right off that put me at a bit of a disadvantage going into this. Overall well-written story, but I was rather lost some of the time and for that reason, I am not going to assign this story an individual star rating. Honestly this story squicked me out, including how Josh described and thought about things—I’m pretty sure this had to do with my total lack of background reference on him to go on, but I have to be honest and say that Josh and Doug didn’t appeal to me. The Medusa bracelet was cool. I think fans of this series will enjoy this well-written quirky story. It just wasn’t for me.

The Trouble With Hexes by Astrid Amara – 5 stars
P.I. Tim Keller has a problem. And the only person who can solve it is his ex-boyfriend, Vincent, whose job as a hexbreaker was the reason they broke up. It’s hard admitting he was wrong, especially when coughing up organs. But there’s a missing person to find, a hexmaker to hunt down, and a romance to repair before Tim breathes his last.

Wow, this one grabbed me by the throat. With a death grip. Tim broke up with Vincent, a tattoo artist, six months ago because he didn’t believe in the mumbo jumbo he’d started working with in his spare time and couldn’t stomach the danger it put him in. Conversely, Vincent made more effort to hide what he was doing than to explain and show it to Tim right up until the blow up at the end.

A few months later, Tim began to sicken and when doctors found no cure he had to face the truth he’d sensed all along… he’d been hexed. He shows up on Vincent’s doorstep a mere shadow of the man he’d been, suddenly having no choice but to believe in what he’d scoffed at. But even if Vincent wants to help him, it turns out that breaking a withering hex is no easy matter.

The writing in this last and lengthiest story is excellent as is the pacing. The characters are well-drawn and sucked me right into their life and world. Plenty of heat, some “aww” moments, and some parts that made me teary. And even a sweet little dog. What more could I want? My favorite of this anthology—for me, an excellent example of saving the best for last.

Cover is both hot and intriguing, it also most definitely says paranormal to me and made me want to check this book out upon first sight.

Sales Links:  JCP Books |  Amazon | Buy It Here


Book Details:

ebook, Goodreads link
Expected publication: August 25th 2015 by JCP Books LLC
original title Charmed and Dangerous: Ten Tales of Gay Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy
ISBN139781935540809
edition language English