This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

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This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, April 17:

  • This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, April 18:

  • Return to Bluewater Bay with Selfie by Amy Lane (Riptide Tour and Contest
  • RJ Scott’s Love’s Design Tour and Giveaway
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Selfie by Amy Lane
  • A Lila Audiobook Review: Buchanan House by Charley Descoteaux

Tuesday, April 19:

  • A.M. Arthur ‘The Heart As He Hears It’ book blast and giveaway
  • L.J. LaBarthe’s Book, Line, and Sinker  Dreamspinner Author Tour
  • T.J. Klune’s Guest Blog for Withered + Sere (Release Day Author Spotlight)
  • A BJ Review:  Withered + Sere Review by TJ Klune

Wednesday, April 20:

  • Lord of the Hearth, Lord of the Hollow by Sara Kane Guest Blog
  • A MelanieM Review: Lord of the Hearth, Lord of the Hollow by Sara Kane
  • A Stella Review: Old Town New by BA Tortuga release day review
  • A MelanieM Review: Professional Distance by Silvia Violet

Thursday, April 21:

  • Old Town New by BA Tortuga Author Blog
  • In the Spotlight: Tali Spencer ‘Victory Portrait’ (Excerpt and giveaway)
  • A MelanieM Review: Hidden Wings by Ana Raine
  • An Alisa Audiobook Review:  Pulling Leather by L.C. Chase

Friday, April 22:

  • COZZI COVE: MOVING FORWARD by Joe Cosentino, guest blog
  • A Lila Review: Pride Weekend (A Buchanan House Love Story )Charley Descoteaux
  • A Paul B Review: A New Alpha in Town by A J Marcus
  • A BJ Audiobook Review: The Two Gentlemen of Altona by Lisa Henry and J.A. Rock

Saturday, April 23:

 

  • A Free Dreamer. YA Review: “Boy Meets Boy” by David Levithan

 

Love The Supernatural? Sean Kerr is Talking Writing, the Supernatural and His Latest Release, Dead Camp (interview,excerpt and giveaway)

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Dead Camp (Dead Camp #1) by Sean Kerr
Release Date: January 1, 2016

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Extasy Books
Cover Artist: Latrisha Waters

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is so happy to have author Sean Kerr here today to share his thoughts on writing, the supernatural and his latest release, Dead Camp.  Welcome, Sean.

✍✍✍

  • Why do you write?

I love to create stories and characters, it’s a fantastic escape from every- day living. I love to take an idea and start developing a story and characters around it, and I love to see where it takes me! If I am lucky enough that an audience likes it and reads it, then that really is the ultimate thrill!

  • When did you decide to become a writer?

It was not a conscious decision. I have written since I was a child, and I am now 46! But when I decided to write Dead Camp, when the idea became so powerful and would not let me sleep, I decided that I would do everything in my power to get a publisher and get the work into as good a situation as possible. And it worked! Extasy books have been fabulous.

  • What genre are your books?

Supernatural, paranormal, horror, gay, a general sprinkling of erotica, conspiracy, history. Have I left anything out?

  • What draws you to this genre?

I have always loved supernatural/paranormal books, LOVED Twilight, LOVED the True Blood books, and that sent me off wanting to do my own spin on that genre. Plus I have always wanted to write a Vampire story, but one that changed the conventions, and hopefully does something a bit different with the genre.

  • What made you decide to sit down and actually start something?

I had an idea and it would not let me sleep. The idea grew and grew and I knew it would take a number of books to see it through, so I had to write it. I started Dead Camp to see where it would lead me, and now I know exactly where it is going and how the very last page of the series will look. I’m so excited about it that it stops me from sleeping because I keep seeing bits of it in my head. It’s an obsession, as is writing in general I think.

  • Do you write full-time or part-time?

Part time. I have an Interior Design business in Cardiff called Home Zone Design, with my fabulous business partner Jayne, so that takes up all my working days sadly. If I could walk away from that and write all day I would, but sadly we cannot afford to hire anyone so that isn’t going to happen lol!

  • Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured?

I try to do a couple of hours a night and I try to do as much as I can on days off. However, my debut novel Dead Camp has just gone live on extasy books and Amazon and all my time has been spent doing social media stuff and trying to get the book out there, so I have been a bit lack of late!

  • How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?

Not sure about that. I do think my writing has improved dramatically over this process, my editors at extasy have been fantastic! I’ve always had a pretty active imagination, and this series is pushing that to the limits and I love it. The one thing that does happen when you write it that the more you do it, the better you become, and the more ideas you have!

  • What have you written?

Dead Camp is my first published work. I have written loads over the years, lots of bad stuff, lots of screen plays. I have a file full of half-finished things and ideas that I am looking forward to getting back to once the Dead Camp series is finished. While to go there yet though lol.

  • Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just seeing where an idea takes you?

I start from a rough outline, and before I start writing I always know where I need each character to go and where the story needs to go. Dead Camp is going to be a big series, possibly 6 books, and I know exactly where each one will be, start, end, and how each one affects the next, and I know exactly how it ends.

  • How do you market your books?

Facebook, twitter, Goodreads, yahoo groups. That is my main thrust at the moment and believe me it all takes a lot of doing. How effective it is I don’t know yet, I am a very small fish in a very, very large sea.

  • Is there any marketing technique you used that had an immediate impact on your sales figures?

Facebook. As soon as I announced the publication of the book, people were buying it. Also, because I am lucky enough to have a fantastic publisher in extasy books, they also sell it from their website, and they have a huge following, so hopefully at some point that will kick in.

  • What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Never give up. Keep writing, even if it’s bad, because you will improve. If you have an idea, go with it. Don’t get sidetracked either, as I am now lol. You have to write all the time, to develop your style and your skills. Never take ‘NO’ as the final answer. I was refused by every agent in the Readers & Writers Handbook, but just when I thought there was no point in going on, I approached six publishers directly and within three weeks I had three offers.

Sadly, no-one is going to do it for you, so you have to do it for yourself!

  • Give us an insight into your main character. What does he do that is so special?

Eli is so arrogant and so self-assured, that you can’t help but love him. It’s not so much what he does that is special, it’s the horror he has been through. He has been through so much that you would think it could not get any worse. But as Dead Camp begins, it does get worse, and his history unfolds through the books to the point where you really need something good to happen to him. He thinks his arrogance and his sexy attitude can get him through it all, but he discovers that nothing is further from the truth.

  • Where do your ideas come from?

The strangest of places. Dead Camp came to me while watching a World War two film. Documentaries on the Discovery channel also fuel my imagination. Also, there are a couple of future books I would like to write inspired by some terrible nightmare I had as a child that have always stayed with me.

  • What is the hardest thing about writing?

Getting the time to write!

  • What was the hardest thing about writing your latest book?

Finding someone to take it seriously and publish it. Agents didn’t want to know. Three publishers did straight away.

  • Who is your favorite character in your book and why?

Eli, because he is so naughty and I would love to be him!

  • Who is your least favorite character and why?

Melek. He is so bad that you can’t help but love him. Not all evil is as dark as you think.

  • What is your next project?

Dead Camp book two out so I am trying to get the third one written as we speak!

  • Who is your favorite fictional character and why?

Count Dracula. I have read that book so many times I can almost recite it! He is not strictly evil, and I think in the end he just wants to be loved. That feels as relevant today as it did when it was first written.

  • What one person from history would you like to meet and why?

Judy Garland. I’m gay, need I say more?

  • If there was one thing you could do to change the world, what would it be?

End poverty.

  • Who is your favorite author?

Charlaine Harris

  • What is one thing you hate about being a writer?

That I have to work in a shop in order to survive instead of writing all day lol.

    Thank you, Sean!  That was outstanding.  Now I can’t wait to read your story.  More about Dead Camp below….

RC

Blurb

Eli is an ancient vampire with an ego the size of a planet and a sex drive to match, but his tumultuous past left him broken, so he hides from humanity and cowers from love, left to endure the crushing guilt that haunts his every waking moment. Even his best friend Malachi, a ghost who is hopelessly in love with Eli, remains unaware of all that transpired in London. Malachi can never know the truth.

When the Angel Daniyyel pays an unwelcome visit, Eli must face his secrets, secrets that he has tried so long to hide. To make matters worse, a chance encounter with the most beautiful man he has ever seen shatters his beloved isolation, pushing him into the world of the living once more. Something about this strange man seems so familiar, but Eli can’t even remember who he was before he became a vampire, never mind explain the unwanted emotions the enigmatic stranger ignites in his dead heart. So Eli has a choice—return to the world that ruined him, or continue his self-imposed exile with no hope of salvation.

 

Pages or Words: 87,422 words, 260 pages

Categories: Dark Themes, Erotica, Fiction, Gay Fiction, Historical, Horror, M/M Romance, Mystery, Paranormal, Romance, Vampires/Demons, Thriller

Excerpt:

Three prisoners had died in my block that night, two elderly and one young man not old enough to grow pubes. It sickened me. Never, in all my years, had I witnessed such a callous waste of human life. And then to see my fellow prisoners undressing the dead, striping their cold stiff bodies before my unbelieving eyes horrified me even more, and I clung onto Jakob’s broken body for dear life. All around me the clunk of bodies against wood and concrete. My eyes tried not to see and my ears tried not to hear.

A cold clammy hand gently caressed my arm and I nearly shot off my shelf in shock. I didn’t scream. I refused to scream.

“My friend, I’m sorry, my friend, but you must undress him. The rubbish men will be here soon and you must strip him of all clothing before they take him. Please, you must do this for him—they will be less kind than you. Do you understand?”

“Why? Why must we do this?”

“His clothes are of value, my friend. They will be re-used for the next intake.”

“And what of his body, what will become of Jakob?”

“You don’t want to know, my friend.” His whispered words made every hair on my body stand on end. A sound outside caused him to return to his unsavoury task with renewed urgency. “Quickly, they are here.”

What followed felt like a dream. I had undressed many a man under many circumstances, but that was a first. Already poor Jakob stiffened, and it pained me to hear and feel his bones crack as I gently prised his pale thin body from the clothes. I whispered my apologies into his unhearing ears and I hated my eyes for glancing across his pale dead flesh.

I had to free them, all of them. That place, that death camp, it had to end.

I lifted his dead naked body into my arms. Emotion, so alien to me, invaded the shrivelled blackness that was my soul, and I knew my eyes betrayed my grief. Emotions made you weak. Emotions made you vulnerable, emotions hurt. And I was hurting. The passing of that human, that mortal man I had known for less than a day, had brought back that affliction from which I had been running from for so very long.

I had only opened my heart to the world again but for the briefest of moments. And already I felt pain.

Gideon hurt me. He made me feel unloved, unwanted, he made me feel ugly. How I would crave for his touch, how desperate I was for his love, to feel the thrill of his fingers upon my bare flesh, to feel his attraction to me, to feel wanted. But all he ever did was refuse me. Every time I tried to touch him, he turned me away. He was not in the mood, he told me to come back later.

Come back later.

But later never came.

I carried that pale body into the grey wet misery of morning. The sun was trying desperately to penetrate the thick layers of brooding clouds that clung stubbornly over the camp, but the sun was losing. Rain dripped incessantly from the skies, melting the remaining snow into a muddy slush. Grey skies, grey ground, grey people. The camp drained the colour out of everything. Welwelsburg was like me, a vampire, sucking the life out of everything it encountered, sucking away hope and dignity, leaving nothing but pale grey husks clinging to the brink of existence.

Two men stood next to a large flatbed trolley. Dead, naked bodies lay crumpled in a pile on top of the trolley, legs and arms sticking out at all angles like some grotesque starfish. I saw children amongst the corpses.

Pale white flickering figures surrounded the trolley. Insubstantial wisps of lives spent before their time. The rubbish men looked at me expectantly but I could not move for the sight of those spectral beings and I clutched Jakob’s dead body tightly to my chest, unwilling to relinquish my charge. If I put him on that trolley then he would be dead, another lump of cold meat on the pile. He deserved more than that.

The ghostly figures turned to look at me, each one knowing me, seeing me, seeing me see them. And they smiled at me. Cold shivering prickles erupted across my skin as their eyes took me in and they were such kind eyes, such trusting eyes. A figure pushed its way between them, its shadowy form brushing gently against the others as it came to stand before me.

Buy the book

Extasy books  | Amazon UK  | Amazon US  | Barnes & Noble Nook | Kobo

 

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Meet the author:

I think that as I approach that milestone that is fifty, I must be one of the oldest gamers on the face of this earth. Many a day you will find me lashed to my PS4 enjoying a good session of Skyrim. Who doesn’t love a good session of Skyrim?
I love writing—I have done it since I was a child when I would happily write about the latest episode of Doctor Who (Tom Baker in those days) in my schoolbooks. Growing up and becoming a business owner with my friend Jayne left little time to pursue my dream of publication, but of late the desire and the compulsion to put words onto paper have once again dominated my life so that now, my laptop has become surgically fused to my fingertips.
There is something desperately satisfying about telling a story. My fascination with History, Religion and Conspiracy theories have, in this instance, gone hand-in-hand with my love of all things vampire, fantasy, sci-fi and horror. I drove my parents nuts when I was young because that was all I would read about in books, all I would watch on television, but they have held me in good stead, and long may my obsession with the subjects continue, at least, that is, until the day they put me in my own wooden box. And imagination is such a wonderful thing. I once had a rather vivid dream about David Tennant and the Tardis console, but I could not possibly go into details about that here. Let’s just say that my polarity was well and truly reversed.
Dead Camp is just the beginning. I have to check my knickers every day at the thought that this book is now in the public domain. My first book, and I hope the first of many. And to those out there who love to write, who love to transport us to new worlds, or old worlds with a twisted perspective, I say to you keep going. I never thought I would ever see my work available to download, and thanks to eXtasy Books, the dream that I always thought unobtainable has finally come true. So thank you all at eXtasy, I am one happy homosexual thanks to you, and thank you the reader for taking the time to read this strange tale and allowing Eli and the incomparable Malachi into your lives.
And now I really need Skyrim.

Where to find the author:

 


Tour Dates & Stops:

29-Mar: Full Moon Dreaming, Velvet Panic, BFD Book Blog

5-Apr: Rednecks and Romance, Jessie G. Books, Hearts on Fire, The Dark Arts

12-Apr: Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

19-Apr: Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads, Emotion In Motion, Book Lovers 4Ever

26-Apr: Bonkers About Books, Divine Magazine, Nephy Hart, The Hat Party

3-May: My Fiction Nook, MM Book Escape, Bayou Book Junkie

10-May: Dawn’s Reading Nook, Cathy Brockman Romances, Unquietly Me

17-May: Kirsty Loves Books, The Novel Approach

24-May: Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Havan Fellows

31-May: MM Good Book Reviews, Making It Happen, Love Bytes

7-Jun: Happily Ever Chapter, Alpha Book Club

14-Jun: Molly Lolly, A.M. Leibowitz, Outrageous Heroes

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win.

 

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Cloudy with a Chance of What? This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

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Cloudy with a Chance of What?

As I sit here in my big chair, Kindle in hand, dogs clustered about, I’m looking out the window and watching snow flakes fly by.  In April.  In Maryland.  In a yard that has hyacinths blooming, not to mention a few scarce cherry blossoms struggling to hold on after all the fierce winds we’ve had lately. There are violets out like mad, and a pollen count off the charts enough to keep Winston sneezing along with everyone else, now we have snow, frigid temperatures and more on the horizon.

Not just the expected frosts, but actual snow.  Sigh.

And only a few days ago it was in the 80’s, thoughts of flowers, plantings, bar-b-ques and flip flops were in my head or actually walking down the street.  My winter coat was tucked away, along with gloves, hats, and, my ever present scarves.

Now all are back and I can’t tell you for how long and neither can the meteorologists.

From day to day I never know what to expect from the weather these days. Snow, heat, torrential downpours, light rains, gale force winds to gentle lovely breezes that stir the air…we’ve had them all recently, and sometimes within a manner of a week or two.

Life feels a lot like that in many respects.  Whether its health or family issues or things like a computer who doesn’t feel like upgrading this morning and just shuts down,  the unexpected seems to rise up and then wait to see how well you deal (or don’t) with the results.   I’m still working on those.  How about you?

For now, I’m still looking out the window as the snow appears to be giving up…for now.  I do know that Spring is coming, the weather will eventually turn, finally, for the better and then we’ll all be complaining about the heat.  But for now? The forecast by looking at our skies is cloudy with a  chance of  what exactly?  Mother Nature’s not telling.  It’s a toss up here.   So I’m returning to the chair, the dogs and my Kindle for the rest of the day.  Seems like a reasonable course of action.  But here is our schedule for the upcoming week.  There is something wonderful for everyone.  Check it all out.

☁♢☁♢☁♢☁♢☁

 

 This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, April 10:

  • Cloudy with a Chance of What? This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, April 11:

  • Our Author & Book Spotlight: Meg Harding on Inspiration and ‘The Last Favor’
  • Mary Newman’s ‘A Prince’s Ransom’ Book Blast and giveaway
  • Determined Mate (Holland Brothers #2) by Toni Griffin  Audiobook Tour and giveaway
  • ‏Black Dust by Lynn Charles Book Blast and giveaway
  • An Alisa Review: Planting His Dream by Andrew Grey
  • A Stella Review: Ravel by R. Phoenix

Tuesday, April 12:

  • Cover reveal: Elizabeth Noble ‘Code Name Jack Rabbit (excerpt and giveaway)
  • Up Close and Personal with AJ Marcus on her release Moose Fever and more (Guest Post)
  • Coffee Sip and Book Break with Knit Tight’ by Annabeth Albert (excerpt and giveaway)
  • A MelanieM Review:  Knit Tight by Annabeth Albert
  • An Ali Review: Moose Fever by AJ Marcus

Wednesday, April 13:

  • Bad Magic (Spell Slave #1) by Evelyn Elliott  – excerpt and  giveaway
  • J. Scott Coatsworth’s Myths Untold- Faery Anthology  Release and Guest Blog
  • In the Spotlight: The Case of The Thwarted Lovers by L.G. Fabbo-Gonnella (excerpt and contest)
  • A Jeri Review: Pop LIfe by Ryan Loveless (a release day review)

Thursday, April 14:

  • In the Spotlight: The Dilemma by Victoria Sue (excerpt and giveaway)
  • Cornelia Grey’s Devilish Circus is back with ‘The Empty Hourglass’ by Cornelia Grey (giveaway and guest blog)
  • You’ve Never Been Hurt by Jaime Samms  (tour and contest)
  • A Paul B Review: Enemies of the State by Tal Bauer
  • An Ali Review: Better Than Safe by Lane Hayes Audiobook Review

Friday, April 15:

  • Cover reveal for North to Zombieville by Meg Bawden
  • Jay Northcote ‘Imperfect Harmony’ Book Tour and contest
  • Second Skin by Alex Whitehall. Riptide Tour and contest
  • An Ali Review: Grizzly Discovery(Mountain Spirits Mysteries book 2)‏ by AJ Marcus
  • A MelanieM Review:  Hidden Wings by Ana Raine

Saturday, April 16:

  • A MelanieM Review:  Professional Distance by Silvia Violet

 

 

 

 

A Stella Review: Neon White E4 (A Tooth Claw and Horns Chronicle #4) by Wulf Francu Godgluck

RATING  5 out of 5 stars             ★★★★★

Neon White Episode 4Is the path to vengeance truly worth the secrets it will reveal? Everyone is seeking answers and, more importantly, retribution for those responsible.

Raven’s life is dangling between fine lines. Being forced to face his own demon, one he never knew existed, is proving more deadly than anyone could have predicted.

Jessy works against the clock to keep Raven’s condition hidden from the Caption, but when an acquaintance pays the precinct a visit, she finds time has run out. It’s a man both she and Landon had hoped never to lay eyes on again.

Meanwhile, Bla’Gar seeks out an old friend in hopes of gaining answers to help Raven, wondering if  she might leave a very nasty bite of her own instead.

And Niko reflects on his past, that has brought him to the present; one he could never have foreseen.

Some truths are better left unsaid; others…might be too painful to face.

Some warnings before I give you my thoughts on Neon White Episode 4 by Wulf Francu Godgluck.

First of all, if you haven’t read the series or even the last episode, and you are planning to do it, don’t read this review, it will spoil your reading.

Please be aware the A Tooth Claw and Horns Chronicles series is not for everyone. As I had already said in the reviews of the previous episodes, it’s very dark, violent, hard to understand and complicated. If you are not comfortable with these triggers, don’t buy it. BUT the first book is still free, so if you want,  you can give the series a chance and not make your wallet cry.

This 4th episode seemed to me more complex and full than the previous ones. There is a lot going on, not just in the MCs couple but in the secondary characters too.

Detective Raven is been bitten at the end of episode 3, he has no sire, he is not a human anymore, but a vampire, not a normal one because he burns in the moonlight and not sunlight. Bla’Gar has no idea how to help Raven, he tried everything he knew but nothing worked. He should have killed Raven since his first drink of demon blood, but he couldn’t. He needs to save his Raven before he loses him to the darker nature that will just kill him.

Raven’s point of view broke my heart, I could read his thoughts and see him suffering through a deep agony. He can’t fight it, he’s struggling through two parts of himself, where the Strigoi virus is feeding the darker part. The dualism in Raven is hard to witness till the the ending, unexpected.

This is not only Raven and Bla’Gar’s story, here you can find out how Nick and Bruce met, and  let me tell you, in so much darkness, their scenes were so welcome. Plus there’s still the mystery of the disappearance of Seth, the alpha of Bla’Gar’s Lycan clan, to solve (we get just a glimpse of him and I can’t wait to know more). Then we know a little more of what it is going on into Jessy’s life too.

Just a note on the writing, there are multiple PoVs, a lot, and I’m not a fan of them, but in this case they aren’t  a negative choice because they worked perfectly and were necessary for a plot like this.

The next episode will be the season finale, I can’t wait for it to come out and I really hope the evil author will give a HEA to these troubled characters.

The COVER ART by Wulf Francu Godgluck follows the style of the whole series and it’s well done and different from the usual.

Sales Links:  ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 78 pages
Published March 19th 2016 by Wulf Francu Godgluck
ASIN B01D04CNIO
Edition Language English

A Tooth Claw and Horns Chronicle series (with links to Stella’s reviews)

A Free Dreamer Review: Devil at the Crossroads (Deal with a Devil) by Cornelia Grey

Rating: 5 stars out of 5            ★★★★★

Devil at the CrossroadsThe devil covets more than his soul …

Six years ago, Logan Hart sold his soul to the devil to become the greatest bluesman of all time—and now the devil has come to collect.

The irony is that Logan squandered his gift. High on fame, money, and drugs, he ignored his muse and neglected his music. And despite managing to escape showbiz in a moment of clarity, it’s too late to redeem himself. All that’s left is to try to go out with some dignity. Alas, the prospect of an eternity in Hell isn’t helping much with that goal.

But Farfarello, the devil who bought Logan’s soul, isn’t ready to drag him down to Hell quite yet. He’s just spent six years working his ass off to whip a bluesman into shape, and he refuses to let that—or the opportunity for more sinful pleasures with Logan—go to waste.

A blues guitarist selling his soul to the devil. Well, been there, done that, right? That’s what I thought when I first read the summary. But “Devil at the Corssroads” is a really interesting take on that trope.

The sex scenes were sizzling hot and made me drool. But even before they got at it, there was this sexual tension that made the butterflies in my belly go crazy. Cornelia Grey definitely knows how to write sensual and erotic characters. “Devil at the Crossroads” pretty much oozes sexiness and passion from the beginning right through the end.

But what made me give this novella five stars wasn’t the hottest sex I’ve read in ages. There’s more to this than simple pornography. I often find novellas lacking something. Usually I feel like it’s incomplete or the plot is not detailed enough or a million other little things that I missed. But “Devil at the Crossroads” is different.

The characters were very well developed and unique. Farfarello really isn’t what you think of when you hear the word “devil”. I loved the way Miss Grey described his looks. Definitely a unique character.

I really liked Logan as well. The shame he felt at ruining his chance at fame was very compelling. I felt really bad for him.

The balance between plot and porn was perfect. The storytelling is utterly compelling. I felt like I was right there with the characters, living their experiences through them. It all felt very realistic. Even though we only got to see short snapshots from those six years, I felt like I knew everything there was to know. And I most definitely liked the ending.

I also loved the references to other famous blues musicians. Talking about Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and the like made me really enjoy the whole setting. I’ve always had a thing for blues, and when Logan mentioned a song title, I immediately felt the urge to look it up. Thanks to this book and a dear online reading buddy, I’ve also discovered my favourite singer: some of Hozier’s songs fit the mood perfectly.


To sum it up, “Devil at the Crossroads” is an incredibly hot novella with unique characters and a very realistic setting. A must read!


The cover by Jared Rackler is absolutely gorgeous. It’s so simple and yet it fits the mood perfectly.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | ARe | Amazon

Book details:

ebook, 75 pages
Published September 23rd 2013 by Riptide Publishing (first published September 21st 2013)
ISBN139781626490581
Edition LanguageEnglish

SeriesDeal with a Devil

Note: While this is technically part one of the “Deal with a Devil” universe, each story can be read as a stand-alone.

A Lila Review: The Assassin’s Pet by Nana G

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

The Assassin's PetCamille Adnet is a new vampire trying to survive on his own. We first met him, alone and hungry, as he tries to will himself to kill. As a nobleman, he lived a life of comfort and not even when hunting for sport, he was unable to kill his prey. Things had not changed now that he’s a vampire.

As he traveled, he stops by an isolated cabin and gets the opportunity to get a kill. When he’s on the side of a sleeping woman, Damien let his presence be known, stopping Camille. From that moment on, the vampire is drawn to the Sulis assassin.

His luck didn’t get any better, as Camille follows bandits trying to scavenger his meals. He has lost a lot of weight, his eyes turned red, and his skin has a blue hue due to the lack of nourishment. Camille is becoming desperate and contemplating ideas on how to survive. Is then that he recognizes Damien’s scent and decides to offer his services, his loyalty, and his submission in exchange for regular meals and protection.

Becoming Damien’s pet isn’t what they expected. The bond between them cemented into a lovely relationship that brings Damien’s protectiveness and Camille’s loyalty to the forefront. Together, they start a journey that would bring them closer, sealing their faith and future into one.

The Assassin’s Pet is Nana G’s first novel. A delightful mixture of fantasy, paranormal, and erotic elements. The story is very well-written, and the characters will bring a smile to your face, even when they are killing to survive. The author has a way with words, wrapping the reader into the events and the developing relationship.

The beginning and the end felt a little rush, but the central aspects of the tale were interesting and enticing. We get to explore the MCs’ world with them, as we learned more about Damien’s job and way of living. And how Camille’s innocence and life struggles shaped their future. Damien more than an assassin is an angel of death and Camille his reason to live.

Their journey and the fantasy elements are up-to-par. We get to see vampires, mages, assassins, necromancers, priests, and other traditional tropes, but all with a particular twist, unique to the author. I’d love to see more stories set in this world, perhaps more from Camille and Damien, or new couples that existed in the same realm.

The story is label as a gay erotic fantasy with light BDSM, but in reality, these elements are minimal. Yes, the sex is explicit, the MCs are in a Master/Slave relationship, and there’s some spanking involved (not for punishment), but their journey is about so much more. It is a romance story with a philosophical view of life and death. Topped with a strong HFN and the possibility of new adventures to come. Definitely, a fantasy story worth reading.

The cover is very dark, but it shows a good depiction of Camille wearing Damien’s gift. Perhaps, hiding in the shadows.

Sale Links:  Amazon | Smashwords

Book Details:

ebook, 189 pages
Published: January 3, 2016, Self-Published
ISBN: 9781310868450

Edition Language: English

Into Our Spotlight: Stay With Me by Lily Adile Lamb (guest post, excerpt and giveaway)

AwkwardInLove AboutTheBook Stay With Me

Stay With Me by Lily Adile Lamb
COVER ARTIST: Melissa Bell
RELEASE DATE: March 02, 2016

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words wants to welcome Lily Adile Lamb here today to share something about herself and her latest story, Stay With Me. Welcome, Lily.

 

I was born in Turkey and trained to be a nurse in UK. After some years of working as a counsellor and a nurse, one night I saw an advert on the paper seeking nurses to work in Western Australia. Before the paper could disappear, I grabbed the pen and paper that night to prepare my resume for the agency. It was the best decision I ever made because I also met my husband in Perth a few years later. Living in WA is a land of opportunity for me where I work full time as a nurse in day time and commenced writing LGBTQ stories later at night once my husband had retired to bed.

I support Marriage Equality and stand by same sex parents because I believe all a child needs is a loving and protective home. For me, an individual’s gender identity and expression are influenced by many factors including but not limited to, culture, religion, social restrictions, customs and beliefs…this makes one’s gender very diverse and fluid so my main focus in my stories are people who want to express themselves in the way they feel right for them and others.

I love writing multi-cultural stories of people from all backgrounds. The LGBTQ community is universal and exists in all countries and cultures. In some cultures, coming from an LGBTQ background is not easy and they are the people for whom I want to promote.

I decided to write Joseph’s story, following an article in the newspaper, about domestic violence in the home. I wanted to highlight some social issues in my story but also bring some sweetness as well so that readers can smile after reading the final page.

Joseph and Curtis are dear to my heart, partly because their story is my first story. The other reason is because they represent how hard I try to move forward in life. I worked hard and dreamed a dream to make it come true… the result is “Stay With Me”.

AboutTheBook

It has been weeks since Curtis first saw the young waiter with the haunted eyes. No matter how often he went to the café to find the right opportunity to introduce himself, that moment simply did not come that quickly. Joseph was aware of the gentle giant who quietly came to have his lunch and then left day after day. Fearing his father’s wrath and under his ever watchful eyes, he made no moves nor overtures. Until one day when the other man approaches to him… Hope can turn to love… interracial love.

Excerpt

Joseph did his best to keep a low profile all day. He washed the dishes in the evening, hoping his father would go home on his own and forget all about the gentle giant. But his father was sitting on the sofa, waiting for him. Whenever his father sat stoically without uttering a single word, he knew the man was quietly simmering.

Feeling his heart hammering as he dreaded what was about to come, Joseph took a shower. His feet felt like lead, not wanting to go back to the lounge room, but he knew if he didn’t, his father would soon look for him. As he sighed, Joseph left the security of his bedroom.

Joseph walked towards him to get his punishment over and done with.

“I don’t like how that man looks at you. He makes it obvious that he’s interested in you. Bastard, pervert. I don’t want you to look at him or smile at him anymore! I want him to get fed up coming to our corner, so you make sure you discourage him.”

Joseph stood in front of his father with his hands by his side, doing his best not to trigger the man’s anger any further. Staying silent always worked, unless he was asked to respond.

His father wrinkled his face in distaste. “You have no money, nowhere to go and no one to turn to. Remember that, boy.” Knowing the man was right, Joseph steeled his heart and continued to look at his father. He was startled when his father suddenly stood up.

His father brought his face close to him when he shouted, frightening him and making him shake all over. His father’s jeers made Joseph look down and protectively fold his arms in fear, in case the old man punched him in the stomach.

Humiliated and petrified, Joseph shook. Lifting his head as he was ordered, he bit his lip to control his facial expression. The harder he bit his bottom lip, the more he concentrated on the sting. When his father yelled at him so forcefully that spittle landed on Joseph’s face, Joseph felt too frightened to wipe it away. Hating the man’s sudden silence, Joseph’s insides quivered, not knowing what would come next.

His father snorted and pushed him away as he spoke. “Just go to your room. The sight of your face turns my stomach.” Feeling worthless and ugly, Joseph bowed his head and left the room. He made sure he closed the door softly behind him.

He sat quietly on his bed, trying to swallow his panic and slow down his rapidly beating heart. His stomach ached from stress, and he couldn’t stop shaking. Tensing his body to ward off shaking but failing so miserably, Joseph clenched his fists hard. Years of beatings and punishments had left Joseph scarred deep inside, to the point that he adapted some coping strategies that caused more physical pain to distract him from inner turmoil. Feeling the pain of his nails digging deeper into his palms, he felt breathing was somewhat easier.

After a while, he felt calmer as he reassured himself his father wasn’t coming. Once the house was quiet, Joseph allowed his tears to roll down his face. When his sobs became louder, he quickly bit his hand to dampen the noise.

Once his tears eventually dried, Joseph raked his hands down his face and tried to breathe slowly and deeply to calm himself. Joseph was aware that he’d lost all confidence in himself.

LENGTH: 32,800 words approx

GENRE: Contemporary, M/M, Interracial Romance

AuthorPic

AuthorBio

Lily Adile works as a nurse by day and writes GLBT Romance by night. Lily’s focus in her GLBT stories are mere mortals because she believes that love is universal. Her mortal heroes and heroines are not rich, famous or incredibly handsome males with six pack bodies or stunning women… rather they are just everyday people who work hard and deal with whatever that life throws at them.

Lily believes that an individual’s gender identity and expression is influenced by many factors including but not limited to culture, religion, social restrictions, custom and beliefs…this makes one’s gender very diverse and fluid.

Lily is actively involved with Marriage Equality and stands by the same sex couples who want to have children.

Lily especially thanks her husband with all her heart for his endless patience, love and support. He is the love of her life and apple of her eye….he is the home she goes to at the end of a hard day at work.

Lily Adile was born in Ankara, Turkey and then worked in other countries. She visits her family in Turkey regularly and travels to Singapore to visit the other family members.

Facebook  ||  Twitter  ||  Google+

A Paul B Review: Quentin Heart, Vampire Bounty Hunter by Amber Kell

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars               ★★★★★

Quentin Heart Vampire Bounty HunterQuentin Heart basically has no time for a social life. Between finishing up his wizardry degree and taking care of his mother who has had a relapse with cancer, life seems to pass him by. To make matters worse, bill collectors are demanding payment for his mother’s treatments, none of which seem to be working. Quentin spots a flyer advertising bounty hunting services for paranormals. As he is entering the wizardry lab at the university, his best friend Glenn calls him and demands that Quentin joins him at the club that evening. After several hours of research, Quentin leaves the lab building only to find a pack of bone wolves (werewolves made from the hides of dead animals) that lead him to the body of his friend Glenn. After dealing with authorities,

The next day, after guest lecturing for a class at the university, Quentin visits his mother at the hospital. She explains that his father was a fae who was part of the royal family. One of the wolves that has been following him around is actually his father trapped in a spell along with his uncles. Quentin next goes to claim the body of his friend to arrange for burial when he is informed that it is no longer in the morgue. It has walked away. Pissed that a reckless vampire turned his friend, Quentin decides to work for the bounty agency in the hopes of making sure no one else suffers Glenn’s fate.

His first assignment is to bring in the leader of the local vampire clan. Quentin marches into the clan’s mansion, casts a spell and transports the vampire to the local police station. The clan’s second, who has now become leader due to Quentin’s actions, thanks Quentin for getting rid of the leader nobody liked. Jakinson, the new leader, states that since the bounty hunter has done him a favor, he owes a favor in return. He gives Quentin a necklace that Quentin would later find out marks him as Jakinson’s mate. Quentin must now deal with a very possessive vampire on top of finding his wayward newly made vampire friend, the rogue vampire that attacked Glenn, and deal with his mother’s declining health and the bills that are associated with her care. If you throw in somebody who seems to be after him, life just got a lot more complicated for Quentin.

Amber Kell is one of my favorite authors and this book did not disappoint me. She has a way with books about powerful wizards. Quentin Heart is your typically preoccupied nerd researcher that has his world turned upside down but circumstances that are beyond his control. He shows his strength in that he makes Jakinson realize that he will not be the submissive mate that most vampire leaders expect. He is faced with some tough decisions that involve his family but comes through them in the end. I also enjoyed the fact that the author has given Quentin enough possible enemies that there should be several more books in the series to come. I highly recommend the first book in this new series.
The cover art by Meredith Russell shows our hero wearing his glasses holding one of his spell balls with the city landscape in the background. It is how I would picture Quentin would look like. It is an excellent cover for the book.

Sales Links:  ARe  | Amazon

Book Details

EBook, 314 pages
Published: January 29, 2016
Edition Language: English
ISBN: 978-1-311-09104-8

Best Laid Plans and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Best Laid Plansthermometer-clip-art-black-and-white-A_Black_and_White_Cartoon_Woman_Sick_In_Bed_with_a_Thermometer_In_Her_Mouth_Royalty_Free_Clipart_Picture_110106-148563-641053

So, I had this post all planned out, I was going to write this fabulous blog on ideas I had on changing our look, a poll I wanted to create and insert, little creative screen shots of how they might look….and then the flu hit and it all went out the window.  This post barely made it.  I’m telling you, I know that sound wimpy, but its true.

All that will happen next week, I promise.  Change will come with the spring winds.

Until then let the thoughts percolate in your mind.  What changes would you like to see here at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words.  You just might see them included in the next big makeover with a prize to that person whose change we select to be included as part of our makeover.  Send them to me at melaniem54@msn.com with the header changes at STRW.

Until then, sniffles and tissues all.  And here is our schedule in the upcoming week.

 

Books, reading clipart 090

 

 

This Week’s Schedule At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, February 21:

  • Best Laid Plans and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, February 22:

  • Riptide Publishing Tour: The Unicorn by Delphine Dryden
  • In Our Spotlight: Shifting Gears by Riley Hart (excerpt and giveaway)
  • A Lila Review: Country Soul by Remmy Duchene
  • A VVivacious Review: Einstein’s Peep Show by Josephine Myles
  • A Free Dreamer Review: Traitor’s Moon by Lynn Flewelling

Tuesday, February 23:

  • Charley Descoteaux ‘Torque’ Keep Me In Mind Tour and Giveaway
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: Let It Ride by LC Chase
  • A Jeri Review: The Law of Attraction By Jay Northcote
  • A BJ Review: Bright Star by Talia Blackwood
  • A Stella Review: Second to None by Felice Stevens

Wednesday, February 24:

  • Can Love Overcome the Pain of the Past? When Adam Fell by Pat Henshaw Answers the Question (excerpt and giveaway)
  • A MelanieM Review: Wolf, by Rory Ni Coileain
  • The Fire King by Ellis Perry: A Dreamspinner Tour
  • A MelanieM Review:  When Adam Fell by Pat Henshaw
  • A MelanieM Review: The Fire King by Ellis Perry
  • A PaulB review: Quentin Hart Vampire Bounty Hunter by

Thursday, February 25:

  • Cover reveal for ‘6 Days to get Lucky’ by LE Franks on February 25
  • BA Tortuga ‘Refired’ Keep Me In Mind Tour and Giveaway
  • A Ali Review: A Frost of Cares by Amy Rae Durreson
  • A VVivacious Review: Hoofbeats by A.J. Marcus and Nicold Godfrey
  • A BJ Review: Prelude to Claimings, Tails, and Other Alien Artifacts (Claimings 0.5) by Lyn Gala

Friday,February 26:

  • Go Nutty Over Love with Rise of the Alpha Squirrel by Kate Lowell (excerpt and giveaway)
  • Thianna Durston’s ‘Finding His Home’ book blast and giveaway
  • In the Spotlight: Rustic Memory by Nic Starr (excerpt and giveaway)
  • A Paul B Review: Nuts About You (Nutty Romances #1) by Kate Lowell
  • A Lila Review: Convincing the Secretary by Ava March‏

Saturday, February 27:

  • ‘Love Unlocked: A Beaten Track Anthology’ (excerpts galore and giveaway)
  • A Sammy Review: Cronin’s Key III by NR Walker

 

 

 

Its Super Bowl Sunday,Top 10 Greatest Ancient Athletes and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

ancient games

Its Super Bowl Sunday and the Top 10 Greatest Ancient Athletes

Its Super Bowl Sunday,  more than that, its Super Bowl 50 so all the celebrations, commercials have been kicked up a notch.  I have to admit, I love the commercials. The Budweiser Clydesdales always  slay me whether the commercials are in a funny vein or outright reaching for the heart.  Horses, dogs…check and done.  Helen Mirren on drunk drivers this  year?  Priceless as they say.  Other than the commercials, none of my teams made it so my heart’s not in it…exactly.  But millions of other peoples are. People are talking teams and favorite athletes. Who is faster, stronger, better and who will win.

And its always been this way.

Doesn’t matter if its hockey and the Ovetchkin or Sidney Crosby rivalry (Caps and Ovetchkin all the way) or the current Super Bowl teams and their quarterbacks, Carolina Panthers Cam Newton or the Denver Broncos Peyton Manning, their pros and cons, their physiques and ages, everything will be discussed ad infinitum.

But that’s nothing new.  From the ancient Olympic games to the the favorite gladiators of the Coliseum, athletes have been written about and fawned over.  Here is the top 10 list of ancient athletes (thank you, Theodoros II of Listverse (http://listverse.com/2013/04/14/10-greatest-ancient-athletes/).  Don’t they cry out for a book about them? :

Orsippus10. Orsippus of Megara was an ancient Greek athlete who won the stadium race of the fifteenth Ancient Olympic Games in 720 B.C. He became the crowd’s favorite, and he was thought to be a great pioneer for being most likely the first ever athlete to run naked. Pausanias, who very often reported on the ancient Olympics like a modern-day sports journalist, states: “My own opinion is that at Olympia he [Orsippus] intentionally let the girdle slip off him, realizing that a naked man can run more easily than one girt.”  It also got him many pots with that scene pictured-the Instagram of that day.

9.Varazdat
VarazdatVarazdat was an athlete from Armenia who won the Olympic boxing tournament during the 291st Olympic Games. We are aware of Varazdat’s victory from a memorandum kept in the Olympic museum in Olympia. The first historiography about Varazdat was written by Movses Chorenatsy in his Armenian History.In ancient Armenian royal and aristocratic families, the physical education of youngsters had a disciplined and orderly character. They were taught swimming, boxing, wrestling, weightlifting, and military exercises. Varazdat, with the benefit of this rigorous training, went on to be the winner of various boxing competitions held in Greece. He later achieved his greatest triumph, when he became the Olympic champion at the Olympics of 385.

8 Cynisca of Sparta
Although men were originally the only ones allowed to compete in the Olympic Games, this soon changed. Several women took partCynisca of Sparta 2 in the ancient Games, and even won competitions. The most famous of these was Cynisca of Sparta, the first woman to win at the Games. By her success, she paved the way for many other women, and helped usher in a new era in the ancient sporting world.Cynisca’s and her male team were successful in the four-horse chariot racing, winning in 396 B.C. and again in 392 B.C. Cynisca was the most distinguished female athlete of the ancient world, and many historians use her as a symbol of the social rise of women, and the beginning of the movement to give them equal rights and opportunities.

7 Polydamas
We don’t know much about the Olympic victor Polydamas of Skotoussa. His background, family life, and even the details of his Olympic triumph remain shrouded in mystery. Aside from the fact that Polydamas’ statue was remarkably tall and strong, we havePolydamus no other information on his appearance.Like many athletes of his time, Polydamas was just as well-known for his non-athletic exploits as he was for his prowess in the Olympic games. Ancient authors tend to compare his feats to those of the legendary Greek hero Herakles. Polydamas once killed a lion with his bare hands on Mount Olympus, in a quest to imitate the labors of Herakles, who famously slew the Nemean lion. For similar reasons, Polydamas once managed to single-handedly bring a fast-moving chariot to a halt.These exploits soon reached the ears of the Persians. Their king, Darius, sent for Polydamas. After he was received by the Persian king, the athlete challenged three Persian “Immortals” to fight him, and managed to defeat them all in a single fight.In the end, however, Polydamas’ strength could not prevent his demise. One summer, Polydamas and his friends were resting in a cave when the roof began to crumble down upon them. Believing that his immense strength could prevent the cave-in, Polydamas held his hands up to the roof, trying to support it as the rocks crashed down around him. His friends fled the cave and reached safety, but the great wrestler was killed.

6.Onomastos of Smyrna
Onomastos of Smyrna was the first ever Olympic victor in boxing, at the twenty-third Olympiad in 688 B.C., when this sport was Onomastos of Smymaadded. According to ancient historians, Onomastos was not only the first Olympic boxing champion, but wrote the rules of Ancient Greek boxing as well. Onomastos also holds a record which remains remarkable even today. After hundreds of ancient and modern Olympiads, he’s still the boxer with the most Olympic boxing titles, with four victories to his name. Laslzo Papp, the world’s greatest amateur boxer of the twentieth century, came close to Onomastos’ record—but he stopped at three Olympic victories before becoming a professional boxer.

5.Melankomas
The famously handsome boxer Melankomas was from Caria, a region in modern-day Turkey. In an effort to prove his courage, Melakomas of CariaMelankomas chose to compete in athletics, since this was the most honorable and most strenuous path open to him. Amazingly enough, Melankomas was undefeated throughout his career—yet he never once hit, or was hit by, an opponent.His boxing style involved defending himself from the blows of the other boxer, and never attempting to strike the other man. Invariably, the opponent would grow frustrated and lose his composure. This unique style won Melankomas much admiration for his strength and endurance. He could apparently last through the whole day—even at the height of summer—and he would refuse to strike his opponents, even though he knew that by doing so he would quickly end the match and secure an easy victory for himself. In this manner he won the Olympic boxing tournament at the 207th Olympic games.

4. Chionis of Sparta
Ancient-Sports-Stars Chionis of Sparta was an athlete who caused much debate regarding his athletic achievements, with the most notable of these being his long-jumping records. Records suggest that in the Olympics of 656 B.C., Chionis jumped a record of seven meters and five centimeters. This feat would have won him the long jump title at the 1896 Olympic Games, and would have placed him among the top eight at a further ten modern Olympics, up to and including the 1952 Games of Helsinki. As well as his amazing achievements in long jump, Chionis was also renowned as a triple jumper—capable of reaching up to 15.85 meters.But the most remarkable fact about this man is that none of his jumps were enhanced by modern-day drugs or training equipment; his records were truly honest and honorable.

3.Diagoras of Rhodes
Diagoras of Rhodes might not be the greatest of ancient athletes, but his family is without doubt the greatest sporting family of theDiagoras of Rhodes Ancient world. Diagoras won the boxing event in the Games of 464 B.C. He was also a four-time winner in the Isthmian Games, and a two-time winner in the games at Nemea. His sons and grandsons also became boxing and pankration champions. During the eighty-third Olympiad, his sons Damagetos and Akousilaos, after they became champions, lifted their father Diagoras on their shoulders to share their victory with him. Legend says that during Diagoras’ triumphant ovation on the shoulders of his sons, a spectator shouted: “Die, Diagoras, for Olympus you will not ascend”—the meaning being that he had reached the highest honor possible for a man and athlete.

2. Theagenes of Thasos
Theagenes was one of the first celebrities of the ancient sporting world. He became famous throughout the world at the tender age of nine. It seems that the boy was walking home from school one day when he noticed a bronze statue of a god in the marketplace oftheagenes22Thasos, Greece. For some reason, Theagenes tore the statue from its base and took it home. This act outraged the citizens, who perceived it as blasphemy against the gods, and they debated whether or not they should execute the child for his deed. One elder, however, wisely suggested that they should have the boy return the statue to its proper place. Theagenes did this—and his life would never be the same again.He went on to become one of the greatest athletes of all time. He was a successful boxer, pankratiast, and runner. He won the Olympic boxing tournament in the seventy-fifth Olympiad of 480 B.C., and in the next Olympics he won the title in the Pankration. In addition to his two Olympic victories, Theagenes won numerous honors in other sports and other games. Altogether he was said to have won over 1,400 contests in many different kinds of sport. His incredible achievements made him a living myth—to the extent that many people even believed that Heracles was his father.If we were to compare Theagenes with a modern boxing hero, such as Harry Greb (the boxer with most official victories (261) in professional boxing’s history) it would seem that Theagenes outnumbers him by nearly 1,250 victories.

1.Milo of Croton
Most historians agree that Milo remains to this day the greatest wrestler and fighter (from any combat sport) the world has ever known. Milo of Croton became an Olympic champion several times during his nearly thirty-year career. His size and physique wereMilo intimidating, and his strength and technique perfect—and many people accordingly believed that he was the son of Zeus. He was said to eat more than eight kilograms of meat every day. Some say that he even once carried an adult bull on his shoulders, all the way to the Olympic stadium, where he slaughtered and devoured it. Yet Milo was not merely a hulking wrestler; he was also a musician and a poet, as well as a student of the mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras.The greatest wrestler of the twentieth century, Alexander Karelin, was often called the modern-day Milo of Croton—but he himself acknowledged that he would not stand a good chance against the real Milo.

All of the ancient athletes above bring to mind the long line of warriors I’ve read about in stories I’ve loved and the sportsmen I’ve watched through the years and am still cheering on today.  Whether your sport is rugby, soccer, football, or  something totally different, think about the sports champions of the past as you cheer on the ones of the present.  Have a great Sunday and Happy Reading.

Now for

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, February 7:

  • Its Super Bowl Sunday,Top 10 Greatest Ancient Athletes and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, February 8:

  • Cover Reveal for Forbes Mates #2 book, Patience. by Grace R. Duncan
  • Until September by Chris Scully – Riptide Tour and Contest
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Dom on the Side by Kate Aaron
  • A MelanieM Review: Dragon Deception by Mell Eight
  • An Ali Review: The Boys of Summer by Sarah Madison

Tuesday. February 9:

  • In the Spotlight: Victoria Sue’s The Promise (excerpt and giveaway)
  • Dreamspinner Tour: Dormant Heart by Lane Swift (guest blog, excerpt)
  • An Ali Review: Whistle Blower by Dev Bentham
  • A Stella Review: Until September by Chris Scully
  • An Jeri Review: Tackling the Tight End by Tara Lain

Wednesday, February 10:

  • Patricia Logan ‘The Brat’ Tour and Giveaway
  • Dreamspinner Author Tour: Project Ordell by Susanna Hays (author guest blog)
  • A Jeri Review: The Imperfection of Swans by Brandan Witt
  • A Lila Review: Forced Impressions by Piper Doone
  • A PaulB Review: Golden Son by Jeff Erno

Thursday, February 11:

  • Dreamspinner Author Tour: Some Assembly by Lex Chase and Bru Baker (author guest blog)
  • A BJ Review: Dancer of Death by Jordan L. Hawk
  • An Ali Review: Second Hand (Tucker Springs #2) by Heidi Cullinan and Marie Sexton, Iggy Toma (Narrator)
  • A MelanieM Review: Strength of the Sun by SA McAuley
  • A Paul B Audiobook Review:  Lightning Struck Heart by TJ Klune (audio)

Friday, February 12:

  • Dreamspinner Author Tour: Foxes by Suki Fleet (guest post)
  • Dreamspinner Author Tour: Max MacGowan (Taking the Long Way)
  • LE Franks ‘Six Days to Valentine’ book blast and giveaway
  • A Ali Audiobook Review: Healing Hunter’s Heart by Charlie Cochet
  • A Stella Review:Naked Prince and Other Fairy Tales by Joe Cosentino

Saturday, February 13:

  • Dreamspinner Author Tour: Table for One by Ava Hayden (guest blog)
  • A Free Dreamer Review: Foxes by Suki Fleet