A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: A Home for the Holidays by Joe Cosentino and Joel Leslie (narrator)

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

As the son of an Italian mama, Bobby knows what it is to bow from pressure from said mama, so when she suggests he spend Christmas with his Italian cousins on the isle of Capri and goes so far as to buy his ticket, he has no choice but to capitulate. Once there, he meets his extended family, which includes his gorgeous, friendly third cousin, Paolo. Over the course of the holiday, the sparks ignite and then flare between these two men, despite the fact that Paolo’s family, and his family obligations, keep his sexuality under wraps and allow him no choice but to remain behind when Bobby flies home.

I don’t know what I enjoyed more in this story: the author’s sense of humor or Joel Leslie’s delivery of it. Maybe it’s a tie? But in any event, this short holiday story is packed full of goodness. Joel’s voice for Bobby’s mama was hysterical. Perfect, in both accent and tone, the words and the way they were spoken had me laughing out loud within a few minutes of starting this story. So buyer beware: don’t listen to this in any “quiet” space, such as a library. You’ll be kicked out, for sure!

Looking back on how long (or short) this audiobook was (less than two hours) I find it hard to believe that so much occurred. The characters, including a host of secondary characters, were well-developed by the author and given unique and interesting voices by the narrator. The romance progressed quickly, but then it would have to in a short story so no points off for that, for sure. And I was tearful at the ending but suddenly surprised at the last minute by the author’s gift: a highly possible HEA.

Definitely recommended for a healthy dose of holiday cheer.

The cover by Paul Richmond is attractive, depicting two handsome young men who fit the description of the MCs.

Sales Links

Audiobook Details:

Audiobook, Audiobook
Published November 18th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press (first published December 2nd 2015)
ASINB01N0DV3FT
Edition LanguageEnglish

In Our Pre-Release Day Spotlight: Love’s Opening Night by Jeff Adams (author interview and giveaway)

Love’s Opening Night by Jeff Adams
Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: AngstyG

Available for Purchase at

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Jeff Adams here today answering questions and talking about his latest release, Love’s Opening Night. Welcome, Jeff.

Hi! I’m Jeff Adams and I’m trilled to be here on Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words to talk about my latest novella, Love’s Opening Night, which comes from Dreamspinner Press on December 28.

Where do you normally draw your inspiration for a book from? A memory, a myth, a place or journey, or something far more personal?

Not surprisingly, I suppose, it varies from story to story. For Love’s Opening Night, I wanted to set something on Broadway and the idea of taking a ensemble cast member, Jeremy Steele, with a long-standing crush on the lead, Ty Beaumont, and turning it into something more sounded fun. I love theater as much as I do hockey and I enjoyed leaving hockey behind for at least this one story (this is one of the few stories I’ve written that has no mention of the sport in it). You’ll see my love of musicals all over the story as I make reference to several favorites.

It mirrored real life a bit too. My husband and I met while we were doing a play for a local community theatre. Over the course of rehearsals and performances we starting dating. More than twenty years later we’re still enjoying our happily ever after.

Are you a planner or a pantser when writing a story? And why?

This has changed over the course of my writing career. When I began I pantsed all the way. Over time, however, I moved more towards planning. These days I know the course of the book and what needs to happen in each scene. However there’s plenty of room for the story to grow organically as well. For example, there’s a scene where Jeremy gets a little jealous about a reporter from a local TV station. I’d planned for the jealously, but who the reporter actually turns out to be was a lot of fun to write and something I hadn’t planned up front.

Contemporary, supernatural, fantasy, or science fiction narratives or something else? Does any genre draw you more than another when writing it or reading it and why does it do so?

For the most part I’m drawn to contemporary stories as I like to read about romanticized real life and that’s what I tend to write. But I try to read broadly too, so I’ll give sci-fi and paranormal a go every now and then, especially if a book comes highly recommended or it’s blurb catches my eye.

I’d like to try to write something sci-fi someday if I can wrap my brain around how to do the world building correctly.

Can a author have favorites among their characters and do you have them?

Oh, yes an author can do this. It may not be nice, but I do it. For me, it’s Simon from my Hat Trick series (see, there’s hockey rearing its head). He grew so much from a closeted, but in love, high school senior in to a caring, lovingly committed adult graduating college across the three book/three short story series, that I think he’ll be my favorite character forever.

If you were to be stranded on an island or snowbound somewhere, what books/authors would you take to read?

A must would be Z.A. Maxfield’s St. Nachos books as well as Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay (which is my favorite book ever) plus books from David Levithan and Geoff Knight’s Fathom’s Five series. Those, I think, could get me through anything.

How early in your life did you begin writing?

I was published in my middle school’s literary journal in seventh grade and I poked around with creative writing through high school and college. After few years after college, a friend and I co-founded a literary magazine (The First Line, which still exists today). I left the magazine after a few years to focus on my own writing and here I am today. I love that I spend a few hours every day crafting stories.

Were you an early reader or were you read to and what childhood books had an impact on you as a child that you remember to this day and why?

My mom read to be a lot as a child. All the Winnie The Pooh books were wonderful (a prized possession is a first edition from the 1920s of one of the Pooh books. Charlotte’s Web was powerful and I was crushed when Charlotte dies at the end. There were a lot of Harold and the Purple Crayon stories too. He reading to me turned me into a reader. I’ve been reading ever since. Sometimes not as much as I want, but there’s always a book in progress.

Thanks so much for hanging out with me for a few minutes. If you have any questions for me, please leave them in the comments and I’ll stop back to answer over the next few days.

I hope everyone enjoys Love’s Opening Night as much as I did writing it. Please check out the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win an ebook copy.

About LOVE’S OPENING NIGHT

Can an onstage love story lead to a real-life romance?

Jeremy Steele is a veteran Broadway performer. For his latest role, he’s dancing alongside a man he’s fantasized about for years, TV star Ty Beaumont. Jeremy knows better than to get involved with a castmate, but when Ty has trouble learning the complicated choreography, Jeremy offers to lend a hand. When a rehearsal kiss turns into something more, Jeremy can’t help but wonder what a celebrity like Ty could ever see in a Broadway chorus boy like him. Will a relationship with his crush make it past previews, or can it become a long-running hit?

Release date: December 28, 2016

About the Author

Jeff’s written stories since he was in middle school and became a gay romance writer in 2009 when his first short stories were published. Since then he’s written several more shorts and novels, including some in the young adult genre, and he plans to keep writing as long as wonderful readers keeping picking up his books.

Jeff lives in rural Northern California with his husband of twenty years, Will. Some of his favorite things include the musicals Rent and [title of show], the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins hockey teams, and the reality TV competition So You Think You Can Dance. If forced to pick his favorite book it would be a tie between Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay and David Levithan’s Every Day.

Jeff is also the co-host of Jeff & Will’s Big Gay Fiction Podcast.

Website: http://jeffadamswrites.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJeffAdams
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hockeyguynyc

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Raine O’Tierney on Writing and her release, The 12 Days of Hipster (The Avona Tales #2) (author interview, excerpt and giveaway)

The 12 Days of Hipster (The Avona Tales #2) by Raine O’Tierney
Dreamspinner Press
Cover art by Paul Richmond

Available for Purchase at

~

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Raine O’Tierney here today answering questions about writing and her latest release in the Avona Tales series, The 12 Days of Hipster. Welcome, Raine.

~

-Our Raine O’Tierney Interview-

Where do you normally draw your inspiration for a book from? A memory, a myth, a place or journey, or something far more personal?

A lot of times, I choose my plot to soothe some internal hurt. Either a regret of mine, or a story I heard in real life that didn’t quite have that HEA. I like to turn to the world of writing to “make it right.” Writing has healed a lot of wounds.

Are you a planner or a pantzer when writing a story? And why?

Such a pantzer. I write organically and only at the very, very end do I think, “All right, let’s wrap this up — how?” Then I might do a mini plot.

Contemporary, supernatural, fantasy, or science fiction narratives or something else? Does any genre draw you more than another when writing it or reading it and why does it do so?

I’m a genre-jumper! Characters are my passion, so whatever genre fits those characters, that’s where you’ll find me.

If you had a character you’ve written you would write differently now at this time in your writing career, who would it be and why?

Shane Devereaux from Sweet Giordan— It’s not that I would write him differently, but I would show more of him and his hurts. I don’t think I conveyed him as well as I could have.

Can a author have favorites among their characters and do you have them?

Absolutely! My very favorite character is Isa Zaman from I’ll Always Miss You.

If you were writing your life as a romance novel, what would the title be?

Crazy Gal Gets Married Straight Out of High School… Because… I married my high school sweetheart a week after graduation! 😉

-Blurb-

The 12 Days of Hipster

(Sequel to Bowl Full of Cherries)

Last Christmas, Tyler Lang accidentally accepted David Griffith’s invitation for dinner. Yes, it was an accident. See, hipster (don’t call him that!) Tyler doesn’t date guys, and even if he did, he certainly doesn’t date jocks. A rude and hasty exit right when the date was getting good left things awkward between them.

David Griffith isn’t really a jock. Well, he’s a former athlete who loves sports, but “jock” has a certain connotation that doesn’t quite fit the intelligent, hardworking store owner. A jock wouldn’t have given Tyler Lang the time of day. But even after that little, ahem, stunt with the fire escape, David can’t stop thinking about the hipster a year later. Which would be fine if fate didn’t keep butting her nose into their business, making it impossible for the jock and the hipster to avoid each other this Christmas.

A hilarious holiday romp, set to the music of the Winter Sounds.

–Excerpt-

Okay, fine. If he couldn’t get out of this with direct and sound logic, he would try the irrational. The completely, totally—did he say completely?—irrational. Tyler tightened his grip on David’s hand, leaned forward, and kissed him. But before a full second had passed, David burst out laughing against Tyler’s lips.

Tyler yanked back, heat suffusing his face.

“What?”

“That was the sourest prekiss expression I’ve ever seen.”

“That’s it, I’m leaving.”

“Tyler, you don’t have to go.”

“No sparks. Only laughter. Must leave.”

“No sparks because you looked like you were in physical pain and made me laugh. Why don’t you be a little more romantic about it?”

“Because I….” Don’t know what in the hell I’m doing. It was probably the first time in his life he really could say that. He’d learned things before. There had been a time when he hadn’t known how to knit, when he hadn’t known how to make gourmet chocolates, when he hadn’t known how to use a soldering iron—but those were just learning opportunities. But with this? He felt like he was standing out naked on the corner with only mistletoe to cover his bits.

“More like this.”

The second kiss was what Tyler would have called sweet if the word had been in his vocabulary. David’s lips were warm, soft, giving, and for a moment the kiss lingered on that edge of innocent, like a snowflake dancing through the sky. Then the world tipped and Tyler’s hands were in David’s hair and David was drawing him closer and, motherfuckinggod, they were kissing. Hard, searching lips, taking and giving, and it took him way too long to realize what he was doing. In fact, he might not have ever realized it if they hadn’t needed to breathe like humans do. It took a long moment for rational thought to come back to Tyler.

-About the Author-

Called “Queen of the Sweetness” (well, two or three people said it anyway!) Raine O’Tierney loves writing sweet stories about first loves, first times, fidelity, forever-endings and…friskiness?

Raine in Kansas City with her husband, fellow Dreamspinner Press author, Siôn O’Tierney. When she’s not writing, she’s either asleep, or fighting the good fight for intellectual freedom at her library day job. Raine believes the best thing we can do in life is be kind to one another, and she enjoys encouraging fellow writers!

Raine changes sub-genres to suit her mood and believes all good stories end sweetly. Contact her if you’re interested in talking about point-and-click adventure games or about which dachshunds are the best kinds of dachshunds!

-SOCIAL MEDIA

Website: http://raineotierney.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raineotierney
Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/RaineOTierneyAuthor/
Twitter: @raineotierney
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7770350.Raine_O_Tierney

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A Melanie Release Day Review: Chosen Pride (L’Ange #3) by Mary Calmes

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Jon Slade finally met his mate, but instead of it being the happiest day of his life, it became the saddest when wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy chose his obligations over their fated bond, leaving Jon to pick up the pieces of his shattered dreams. Lucky for him, Roman Howell, his boss and the owner of L’Ange, saw promise in the forlorn lion and put him to work so he wouldn’t have time to sit around and lick his wounds while he waited for his wounded spirit to heal.

Then the wolves make an official visit to L’Ange, and Jon finds out Kelvin’s pining for him is taking its toll on his position as the king’s champion. Though Kelvin’s training and the expectations of others steer him toward an intended mate, Jon has an unbreakable hold on his heart, and it’s no longer possible for Kelvin to keep himself from where he truly belongs.

But the conclave brings more than Kelvin to the château. It also brings a challenge to jackal alpha Quade Danas, a threat that Quade and Roman, Arman and Linus, and Jon and Kelvin may have to fight in order to keep L’Ange’s family intact. Jon never wanted to lead a pride, but the loyalty and devotion to one is ingrained in him. Kelvin was raised to punish anyone who questioned his king, but the calling to protect others runs through his veins just as deeply. To come out on the other side of the battle together, Jon and Kelvin will have to hold the darkness of solitary pride and broken hearts at bay—and find strength in belonging to something bigger than themselves.

Mary Calmes’ L’Ange series became a favorite of mine from the very first story Old Loyalty, New Love. An old chateau, a mix of shifters, dark men with mysterious and painful pasts? Yes, yes, and hell yes! And as with my deeply loved Mary Calmes stories and series, a connecting story thread that both pulls at your heart and mind. A vast estate that seems to beckon to isolated, wounded shifters and an Alpha set to rule them all. An estate huge enough to hold the promise also of mates for them all as well.

Jon Slade, a lion shifter, was one such lone male without a pride who was taken in by Roman and Quade (after a rocky start). His story began in the last amazing tale,Fighting Instinct (L’Ange, #2). Chosen Pride picks up in the resulting aftermath.

If you had to ask me why Mary Calmes has such a large and loyal following, I would point to her ability to create characters such as Jon Slade. Golden, strong, and unbelievably beautiful on the outside and yet now broken by the rejection of his mate. Calmes makes Jon and his heartbreaking situation so real, so painfully cruel that you almost bleed for Jon, Doesn’t matter how pretty, how strong Jon is because those qualities won’t help him here. Not even the strength of a lion can bring him his mate. The irony. The author has the reader so invented in Jon and his plight that you can’t even think about putting this book down, not for a minute.

There is also an equal tragedy going on with wolf shifter Kelvin MacCurdy. He’s caught up in a vicious tradition that regards him as little more than a beast within his society, something to be breed for size and strength, nothing more. We’ve gotten to know him during the last story too and become wrapped up in his complicated life and turmoil that led to him rejecting Jon to Jon’s and our astonishment and pain.

In Chosen Pride, Calmes brings out the best in her characters, and her series thread. Other main couples appear in strong supporting roles necessary to both this story and the series. There also a fox shifter that’s a sexy delight. The minute I finished the story and went back and started it all over again wanting to see what details I had missed the first time around.

There’s several clues here, about the journey to another kingdom, the perils that await there. I expect that Mary Calmes will use that in an upcoming book. She doesn’t lay false trails. Now I’m anticipating a journey that will make my heart stop and angst as well. I can’t wait.

This is an amazing series. So don’t start here. Go to the beginning story and proceed from there. It will become a favorite of yours as it has mine. Its one I highly recommend.

Cover Artist: Reese Dante. Such a gorgeous cover. Its perfect for Jon and I love it.

Sales Links

Book Details:

ebook, 240 pages
Expected publication: December 26th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1634779010 (ISBN13: 9781634779012)
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series L’Ange:

A Lila Advent Calendar Review Day 22: The Vampire’s Dinner (2016 Advent Calendar – Bah Humbug) by T.J. Nichols

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

For vampire Charles Redfort, Christmas is a bitter reminder of the day he was killed by a werewolf. After fleeing the vampire army he was created to serve in, he has lived in exile in England. Once a year he allows himself to tell the truth about his life over dinner. Then he eats the man he’s hired for the night.

Blake Wells is an engineering student by day and escort by night. He works Christmas because he doesn’t want to see his father, and his mother doesn’t want to see him. When he meets Charles, he thinks he’s gotten a bonus present that he can’t wait to unwrap. But as the truth is revealed, Blake will have to think fast to live until morning and convince Charles to give up his lonely life.

The Vampire‘s Dinner is a refreshing change from the standard Christmas story. I liked Charles best. It’s easy to feel all his years of disappear and loneliness as we learned of the events he had lived over the centuries. Even so, he still has some humanity left in him and when meeting Blake, it becomes an obstacle in his well-designed plan.

Blake might be working as an escort, but he has his life organized to perfection in order to graduate from college and get a job in his career field. His life hasn’t been easy, but he had persevered and it’s now closer to his goal. Meeting Charles presents a new opportunity.

This short story is well-paced, funny, and smexy; all in one unusual plot. The banter and the negotiations between the main characters leaves the reader hoping for more in the future. It does have a satisfying ending with a HFN but it has a lot of potential for a longer story, and perhaps other couples in the same world.

The country descriptions and the food tasting were another great detail integrated by the author. As well as the hotel setting and the characters’ descriptions.

The generic cover is definitely Paul Richmond’s signature style but doesn’t go with the story.

Sale Links: Dreamspinner | Amazon | ARe

ebook, 39 pages
Published: December 1, 2016, Dreamspinner Press
ISBN: 1635331846 (ISBN13: 9781635331844)
Edition Language: English

A VVivacious Advent Calendar Review Day 26: Scrooged Over (2016 Advent Calendar – Bah Humbug) by David Connor

Rating – 5 Stars out of 5

Deke and Dudley are radio jockeys, co-hosts of the ‘Deke and Dudley Morning Show’. When Deke starts of on his post-Thanksgiving anti-Christmas tirade Dudley the yuletide overachiever is shocked. An on-air argument leads to a wager that whoever gets more listeners on their side wins and the loser needs to spend an evening with a blind date of the winner’s choice.

As Dudley gears up to prove Deke wrong, things don’t work out as planned – the Christmas lights don’t work, the cookies go bad, Dudley’s cats puke on his wrapping paper and his holiday cards don’t get sent out. As Dudley’s Christmas looks like it is headed towards disaster, he submits himself to the blind date, all the while hoping that the blind date will turn out to be Deke himself…

This story makes for an awesome read. I loved how this story set the record straight on what Christmas is all about. I especially liked how the author managed to send out the message despite the consumerism that surrounds Christmas nowadays. I also liked the fact that this story manages to show us that Christmas means the same things to people even if they find themselves participating in its rampant consumerism, even if they drive themselves crazy trying to get everything perfect because they work that hard because they want to make Christmas as memorable as they can for their loved ones. In this story there is a point where Deke tells Dudley that Deke and his siblings don’t let their parents buy them anything for Christmas because of the one Christmas they ruined by being very ungrateful, so nowadays they send their parents for a cruise every Christmas. This is followed by Dudley’s statement that probably Deke’s mother would love to give them gifts because that’s how she would want to spend her Christmas, making her kids happy.

I loved a lot of nuances in this story. I loved how Deke and Dudley end up together. I especially loved how Dudley stood up for himself and for his love when he made it clear that he wanted to be with Deke.

This story is really amazing. I loved the characters in this story. They were all very amazing, what with Dudley who fits the phrase yuletide overachiever to a tee and Deke who is busy rampaging against all things Christmas. Also, I loved Dudley’s grandfather he was like the cherry at the top of the cake pushing and prodding Deke and Dudley together without being subtle about it in the least.

I really loved Dudley. This story is written from Dudley’s perspective and by the end of the story I had fallen in love with his character, the guy who is trying so hard because he wants to make this Christmas special for the people around him.

This story is a splendid take on the spirit of Christmas and it will have you smiling till the very end.

Cover Art by Bree Archer. I loved the cover; it really captures the spirit of this story.

Sales Links

Book Details:

ebook, 69 pages
Published December 1st 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1635331889 (ISBN13: 9781635331882)
Edition LanguageEnglish
Series2016 Advent Calendar – Bah Humbug

In the Spotlight: The Weather Baker’s Son by Peter Grover (author interview)

The Weather Baker’s Son (World of Love) by Peter Grover
Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: December 21, 2016

Cover Artist: Brooke Albrecht

Purchase it here

Thank you Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Reviews for having me on your blog! My book, The Weather Baker’s Son, second one issued in the Dreamspinner World of Love project, takes place in southern France. I have ensured much local color is found in the book. Here are my answers to your questions:

Where do you normally draw your inspiration for a book from? A memory, a myth, a place or journey, or something far more personal?

Most often from the memory of a place and the sights seen in that place. Sometimes it does involve the journey along the way as well. The quirky things one sees in someplace new are always an inspiration. I am also working on a project that is inspired by an event that occurred 2,000 years ago, and how it impacts people today.

Are you a planner or a pantzer when writing a story? And why?

I am currently a hybrid or plantzer. I started as a pantzer as I love to dwell on certain scenes, almost as standalone and create the vibe around them, the interaction between the characters as well as add any of the local beauty that should be incorporated. As a result, and as predicted by those who are planners I have had to delete much, rearrange other things and waste a lot of time. But at the same time, I have enjoyed my distractions. However, the advantages of planning have not been lost on me. I have been practicing planning from day one with a new project which is now several months into writing while at the same time being a pantzer again with another project. I have found the one being planned interesting to do and have gained a great appreciation for the complexity of the process. The planning is indeed helping me but occasionally I need to break out of the process to sketch an entire chapter just for the love of it!

Contemporary, supernatural, fantasy, or science fiction narratives or something else? Does any genre draw you more than another when writing it or reading it and why does it do so?

That’s a hard question as all have attracted me over time. I was a voracious reader of science fiction as a youth. I also studied at university the great classics of European and Latin American literature for many years and have degrees in modern languages. Regarding my own current writing however I am mainly drawn to contemporary narratives.

Can an author have favorites among their characters and do you have them?

Yes and yes! In The Weather Baker’s Son I am in love with the weather baker’s son in every way and also have a more subdued affection for the weather baker herself! They are definitely my favorites characters.

If you were to be stranded on a small demi-planet, island, or god forbid LaGuardia in a snow storm, what books would you take to read or authors on your comfort list?

Authors could be any or all of Ogden Nash, Oscar Wilde, Amy Lane, Kim Fielding, Damon Suede, Anna de Noailles.

How early in your life did you begin writing?

Probably around the age of 9 and into my teenage years but I never did anything with the output and much of it is lost. Then came a long career as a legal wordsmith in a commercial environment. While it may sound dry I really enjoyed it and I believe my opinions were respected for their thoroughness and clarity. Only now am I back into creating fiction for my own enjoyment and hopefully that of my readers.

Were you an early reader or were you read to and what childhood books had an impact on you as a child that you remember to this day and why?

I come from a family of voracious readers and we all read constantly and early on. As my parents both did shift work we were not often read to, but we were always encouraged to read! I would say I especially enjoyed science fiction, notably the greats like Arthur C. Clarke and Ray Bradbury but I would also devour non-fiction, such as history and biographies.

About The Weather Baker’s Son

Nature’s call of desire among golden fields and intoxicating red-lipped poppies seems to proclaim a path to love and healing in southern France. Yet Peter, an American university student struggling with self-doubt following a failed love affair, is determined never to be hurt again. While on a vacation with his widowed mother, Peter is smitten by Gaston, a handsome local baker. Gaston, less bold than Peter, is drawn to Peter as well but fearful of the loss of family esteem—particularly the respect of his cousin Mario, who looks up to Gaston. Their friendship grows into more as Peter continues to visit the bakery, but their increasing intimacy does not go unnoticed. The road to fulfillment becomes increasingly obscured, and internal doubts and external events spiral out of control. The arrival of a handsome stranger, suspicions of murder, and the threat of harm might spell the end of more than just their relationship.

World of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the globe.

About the Author

Peter Grover has received no end of inspiration from his life with his husband and a gaggle of ghosts in a Gothic Victorian house. Peter has now arisen from a pile of dusty law books to relaunch his background in languages and literature, early passions before his career. Combining these passions with his many travels for work and pleasure has allowed him to illustrate local poetry, arts and landscapes that draw the reader into other, often exotic worlds. Peter loves to hike the deserts and mountains of the Southwest US in the winter while enjoying the lush scenery and lakes of Central Canada in the summer.

A MelanieM Advent Calendar Review Day 25: Don’t Let the Light Go Out (2016 Advent Calendar – Bah Humbug) by L.A. Merrill

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Ray Fine would like to forget Hanukkah even exists. The holiday holds too many sad memories for the young widower. When he’s paired with new convert Josiah Wilson in a year-long welcoming program at his synagogue, he doesn’t know how he’ll get through eight days of celebration, let alone twelve months of guidance.

Josiah has enough on his plate—school, conversion, the holiday concert season—without becoming someone’s shoulder to cry on. But when he discovers there’s more to his new synagogue buddy’s sadness than a case of the “Hanukkah Blues,” he sets out to show Ray how much there is to live for.

The first blizzard of the season has other plans, though, and Hanukkah might be a lost cause if Ray and Josiah can’t plow through the snow—and their differences. Determined not to lose Ray to his own darkness, Josiah plans to teach him a lesson about the real Miracle of Light—and love.

I loved this story by L.A. Merrill. A man mourning the death of his husband has lost all hope and withdrawn from life. Now as the beginning of the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah, one his husband enjoyed deeply, the pain is felt all the more grievously. Ray Fine’s not just withdrawn, he’s depressed and barely surviving from day to day. Merrill does an excellent job of letting us into what’s left of Fine’s life. We see the dust that spread over his furniture, the two room’s he’s withdrawn into, and the menorah collection of his husband’s that he’s grown resentful of to the point of hate. Its wonderful writing, it sets the man, the emotion and the theme for the story.

Josiah Wilson is a welcome and warm presence when he appears. Josiah is a convert to Judaism, he’s has his own holiday schedule and he’s trying to understand and fit into a new congregation. Then he meets Ray and sees Ray floundering just as he’s been assigned to Ray as a ‘synagogue buddy’ by their Rabbi. Josiah is a wonderful character. He’s young, compassionate but not a doormat. He’ll take only so much rejection before he too will give up.

Merrill understands that grief is something that has to be worked through. Merrill goes through the stages realistically. There’s no magic button here. But all the wondlerful touches and great characters flow together, within the framework of the Jewish religion and the celebration of Hanukkah to bring readers a story of joy, recovery, hope and love.

Its doesn’t matter what religion or holiday you celebrate for you to recognize the wonders and joys that await you in this one. I recommend it to you all.

I wish in this case that another cover would have been chosen other than the series cover by Paul Richmond.

Sales Links

Book Details:

ebook, 34 pages
Published December 1st 2016 by Dreamspinner Press

ISBN 1635331870 (ISBN13: 9781635331875)

Edition Language English

2016 Advent Calendar – Bah Humbug

Cover art by Paul Richmond

Sales Links

Book Details:

ebook, 34 pages
Published December 1st 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1635331870 (ISBN13: 9781635331875)
Edition LanguageEnglish
URLhttps://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/dont-let-the-light-go-out-by-la-merrill-7981-b
Series2016 Advent Calendar – Bah Humbug

Merry Christmas, More Announcements and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Merry Christmas and More Announcements

Merry Christmas all. This will be a short post this morning as I’m busy with all things family and the holidays. I hope you all are having a safe, happy, and wonderful holiday as well, no matter where you are.

Announcements

✒︎Our first major announcement is that the author with the most votes of our poll is Ross Common who wrote Christopher. If you want to read Christopher or any of the other stories, go to our Flash Fiction header in the menu and you can find them all there. Congratulations to Ross Common for his amazing story. Our thanks to all the authors and for their wonderful flash fiction. We intend to do this again next next. Stay tuned!

✒︎Second announcement. The reader randomly chosen to receive the $10 Dreamspinner Press gift card after voting and leaving a comment was Suze294. Congratulations to suze294.

Merry Christmas everyone and here’s our schedule.

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, December 25:

A Melanie Advent Calendar Review Day 25: Don’t Let the Light Go Out by L.A. Merrill
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Saving Jason by KC Wells
Merry Christmas, More Announcements and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, December 26:

DSP GUEST POST Peter Grover
An Alisa Review: Russian Blau by Emily Carrington
An Ali Audiobook Review A Fortunate Blizzard by LC Chase
A Caryn Review: Boots by Angel Martinez
A Melanie Release Day Review: Chosen Pride by Mary Calmes
A VVivacious Advent Calendar Review Day 26: Title Surprise

Tuesday, December 27:

DSP GUEST POST Raine O’Tierney on The 12 Days of Hipster
DSP GUEST POST Jeff Adams
An Ali Review: The Road To Frosty Hollow – RJ Scott & Meredith Russell
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: A HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS by Joe Cosentino and Narrated by Joel Leslie
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Advent Calendar Review Day Review Day 27: Title Surprise
A Caryn Review: Wild Rose, Silent Snow by Angel Martinez
A VVivacious Review The House Guest by Asta Idonea

Wednesday, December 28:

DSP GUEST POST BA Tortuga on Catch and Release
DSP GUEST POST David Connor and E.F. Mulder
Cover Reveal for Hipster Brothel by K.A. Merikan
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Deefur And The Great Mistletoe Incident by RJ Scott
A Stella Release Day Review: Jackass Flats by Julia Talbot
An Ali Release Day Review: Whiskey Business by Avon Gale
A VVivacious Advent Calendar Review Day 28: Title Surprise

Thursday, December 29:

DSP GUEST POST Paul Comeau on More Things in Heaven and Earth
Review Tour – Posy Roberts – Analog to Digital
A Caryn Review: Bridge Over Troubled Water by Vivien Dean
A VVivacious Review: Under my Bed by T. A. Chase
A Lila Audio Review Fish Out of Water by Amy Lane
A Paul B Release Day Review: Analog to Digital

Friday, December 30:

Blog Tour: “Accused” by Leona Windwalker
Cover Reveal Regeneration by Louise Lyons
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: Champagne Kisses by Lynda Aicher
A Lila Release Day Review: More Things in Heaven and Earth By Paul Comeau
A Melanie Release Day Review: In Enemy Hands by MA Church
A VVivacious Advent Calendar Review: Title Surprise

Saturday, December 31 (New Year’s Eve):

A Stella Advent Calendar Review Last Day: First New Year’s After the Apocalypse by Jessica Payseur

A Stella Advent Calendar Review Day 24: How the Supervillain Stole Christmas by Charles Payseur

RATING 3,5 out of 5 stars

Rex Devious (Dr. Devious to meddlesome do-gooders everywhere) can go toe-to-toe with superheroes without blinking an eye. So picking out a Christmas present for his new boyfriend should be no problem. After all, he and Sanjay seem perfect for each other. But with a terrible track record for finding gifts that won’t scare his potential partners away, Rex is paralyzed with insecurity. Until, of course, he decides to change tactics. Instead of having to pick out that perfect present, why not just destroy Christmas altogether? If his nemeses (or his conscience) can’t stop him first, he might just become the supervillain who stole Christmas.

I liked this short very much, the relationship between the characters was really cute, but I especially enjoyed Rex and his inability at buying presents for his ex (and actual) boyfriends. He was so funny and I had a good time at reading about his determination at ruining Christmas or just erasing it from the Earth, as a solution to his problem with gifts. His evil plans were hilarious and brought to a very sweet ending.

I admit I had just a little bit of hard time with this short since I’m not so into superheroes and AI and everything related to that world, so it took me a long moment to find my feet in Rex’s life. I would have liked to see more of Rex and Sanjay together, but still I want to recommend How the Supervillain Stole Christmas by Charles Payseur, an adorable Christmas story.

The cover art by Paul Richmond is perfect cause I’m not sure why, but I can totally see Rex in the face of the person on the cover, while planning the impossible.

Sales Links

BOOK DETAILS

Kindle Edition, 33 pages

Published November 30th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press

ASIN B01MYUB1Y6

Edition Language English

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Love’s Opening Night by Jeff Adams Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: AngstyG

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About LOVE’S OPENING NIGHT

About the Author

Giveaway

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The 12 Days of Hipster (The Avona Tales #2) by Raine O’Tierney Dreamspinner Press Cover art by Paul Richmond

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The Weather Baker’s Son (World of Love) by Peter Grover Dreamspinner Press Release Date: December 21, 2016

Cover Artist: Brooke Albrecht

Purchase it here

About The Weather Baker’s Son

About the Author

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Merry Christmas and More Announcements

Announcements

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, December 25:

Monday, December 26:

Tuesday, December 27:

Wednesday, December 28:

Thursday, December 29:

Friday, December 30:

Saturday, December 31 (New Year’s Eve):

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Love’s Opening Night by Jeff Adams
Dreamspinner Press

The 12 Days of Hipster (The Avona Tales #2) by Raine O’Tierney
Dreamspinner Press
Cover art by Paul Richmond

The Weather Baker’s Son (World of Love) by Peter Grover
Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: December 21, 2016