A YA on YA Saturday Special: Aurora on Reading and Writing YA Fiction

A YA on YA Saturday Special

Our YA Reviewer, Aurora, on Reading and Writing YA Fiction

Since I was young, I always liked to read anything and everything. Our house was filled with books, and by the time I was about ten I had read every single one of them. I never bothered with books that were geared toward any specific age group until I went to school, and when I got there I found out some pretty strange things.

I like young adult books a lot, and the genre is growing and gaining popularity every day. However, when I first started reading books that featured teenage protagonists, I found an overwhelming amount of the exact same things. Stories set in high schools that were all about, especially where a female main character was concerned, finding a date to the senior prom and navigating backstabbing friends. I was pretty disappointed with my options, since, although I love almost all books, I’ve always preferred fantasy.

It has been so amazing to see the genre expand in the past few years, and to see young adult books get smarter and smarter. It is a discredit to a young adult writer’s audience for them to assumed that young adults can’t read and appreciate fiction written on the same level fiction geared toward adults is written on. I feel like young adult writers are really beginning to understand that and with every new book that comes out and every book I read that is written in this new golden age of young adult fiction, I get more and more excited about the genre and its future.

Speaking as a writer, inspiration can come from anywhere, and it should. No one should dismiss an idea they’re inspired by simply because they’re writing a book for teenagers rather than for adults. In the books that I write myself, I hope to always show in my books that I view young adults as being just as smart as their older counterparts. They deserve a rich and varied collection of books as much as anyone else does.

As you read young adult books, and as the were grows every day, hopefully we will see less and less of authors talking down to their audience. Already the books I read every day for reviews and for personal enjoyment show such a positive change from what I was reading even a few years ago. I am so proud of the growth in young adult books.

~ Aurora

Some Recent Aurora YA Reviews and Recommended Stories:

A Stella Review: Alchemy Ever After by Raine O’Tierney and Siôn O’Tierney

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

The city of New Alexandria is filled with powerful magicians-in-training and mechanical follies, the world’s largest library, and marvels beyond compare. The allure of this modern metropolis draws young people from all over the world, but Idrian has come instead for the opportunity to learn the new art of alchemy.

He’s been taken as an apprentice by Maketh, a scholar experimenting with new ways to combine technology and the ancient mystic arts. Together they’ve animated a living ice sculpture. Idrian cannot wait to unveil the sculpture alongside the other wonders at the annual Spring Festival.

After witnessing his master in a passionate embrace with another student, Idrian’s mind drifts to things beyond alchemy. And when a warm touch accidentally awakens the consciousness within the living sculpture, Idrian learns firsthand about physicality and the magic of passion.

“Idrian stepped into the room he had visited so many, many times since beginning his apprenticeship. His eyes went immediately to the creature Master Maketh was animating for the annual Spring Festival. It lay naked, in the middle of the room, covered only by a thin sheet that did nothing to hide its form. Not only was it a thing of great beauty, it was a poetic creation too. It would “live,” moving and breathing, for only a few days before melting to nothing on the last day of the festival.”

Alchemy Ever After is a lovely short story, not exactly fantasy, at least not just fantasy, with some elements of steampunk, I honestly can’t quite place it. Still, the setting was interesting even if I’d have liked to know a little more about the world they are living in. The plot was well developed, I liked how the story evolved and most of all how the characters interacted with each other. For being so short, just a little more of fifty pages, I felt it a complete book. Having read Somebody Nice and Sweet Giordan, Please Remember by Raine, I already knew she could write sweet but solid stories.

It was an interesting and most of all different read, definitely not my usual. I admit I struggled a little at the start, I couldn’t understand where it was going. But when I discovered in Idrian not just an innocent young man, but a strong character, firm in his feelings and choice of working, I was captured. I liked him a little more every page I read. And the ending was simply perfect. Just what I was hoping to get.

Cover art by Catt Ford. Well done, I like the colors a lot. Really eye catching.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press – All Romance (ARe) – Amazon Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook,56 pages
Published January 28th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN13 9781632163011
Edition Language English

A MelanieM Review: Little Wolf (Beings in Love #4) by R. Cooper

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

On the run from his old-blood werewolf family, Tim Dirus finds himself in Wolf’s Paw, one of the last surviving refuges from the days when werewolves were hunted by humans and one of the last places Tim wants to be. Kept away from other wolves by his uncle, Tim knows almost nothing about his own kind except that alpha werewolves only want to control and dominate a scrawny wolf like him.

Tim isn’t in Wolf’s Paw an hour before he draws the attention of Sheriff Nathaniel Neri, the alphaest alpha in a town full of alphas. Powerful, intimidating, and the most beautiful wolf Tim has ever seen, Nathaniel makes Tim feel safe for reasons Tim doesn’t understand. For five years he’s lived on the run, in fear of his family and other wolves. Everything about Wolf’s Paw is contrary to what he thought he knew, and he is terrified. Fearing his mate will run, Sheriff Nathaniel must calm his little wolf and show him he’s more than a match for this big, bad alpha.

I have read most of the books in R Cooper’s Beings In Love series and have loved them all, Little Wolf included. I admit to laughing out loud, emitting more than a few snorts over the dialog and sighing over the very hot sex scenes with Nate and Tim. But I also recognize that this book also presented more challenges to the reader than I was expecting. Those issues impeded my connections to the story and to the characters, so let’s get to those first before we get to the story’s strengths.

What were those challenges? The main issue was the amount of time it took for me to become engaged with the characters and the town of Wolf’s Paw. Tim is our narrator and we drop into the story as Tim, our “Little Wolf” is watching the mounted tv at the cafe he works at. The tv is tuned to the soap opera, Dierdre’s Secret and it includes the first ever “known” werewolf actor. The opening paragraphs is jammed full of information about the soap opera, the cafe and its denizens, the town, and the world around it. We learn that supernatural beings are now a part of the “normal” world, and the cafe Tim works at is owned by a fairy named Robin’s Egg (for the longest time I thought that was the name of the cafe instead of the owner).

We find out that the town itself, Wolf’s Paw is full of supernatural beings of all types, but mostly populated by weres and humans. In fact so much world building is thrown at us that its hard to separate out the details we need at the time from the massive amounts of “universe building”being given to us and clump them back into piles of information that make sense to the plot and character. It took chapters to figure out that Wolf’s Paw, the town, has historically been a sanctuary for those in need. It has fed them, hidden them, and protected them at great cost to itself, a situation that continues to this day. But it is also, oddly enough, a town that puts on strange festivals, geared towards dating, and interspecies sex. Yep, a sanctuary that sanctions sexual relations between weres, humans, and the like during festival time. Think Tinder or Grinder as a festival, and you’ve got the picture. That’s just one of the puzzles the reader will have to make sense of when the book opens.

The thing is, Tim’s thoughts jumps around from person to person, from thought to thought that its hard at first to get a idea of his character and situation at Wolf’s Paw. His character, inner self, is elusive. To us and to the rest of the towns folk. And that fact makes it hard for us to connect with him at the beginning. I had to plug away at chapter after chapter before Tim solidified into someone I not only cared about but truly loved.

It should never have taken so long.

I understand why R Cooper fashioned Tim and presented him this way but, frankly, it hurts the narrative. Tim is in fight or flight mode…all the time. He’s unbelievably stressed out, he’s being hunted, he’s hiding, and against his better judgement, he’s coming to care for those around him…not that he would ever admit it to himself or others. Plus just the appearance of the town’s sexy Alpha Sheriff makes Tim’s sense go haywire and brings out emotions he doesn’t understand or know how to deal with.

It’s Nate that allows the reader to connect with Tim and begin to understand why he behaves as he does. Tim is rude, cavalier about peoples opinions (on the outside) and more than a bit of a jerk. But around Nate, that starts to change even while we still hear the snarky thoughts inside Tim’s head. Nate the were who appears perfect on the outside and yet is hurting deeply inside while still trying to behave with honor and respect. I adored Nate from the beginning, and through his interactions with Tim the story starts to jell.

From that moment on, most of the chaff of the plot falls away, and we are left with the grains, the story we wanted all along. As our understanding of Tim’s background and true personality fall into place, the dialog snaps with intelligence, verve and vitality. It’s funny, and poignant and, heartrending at times. And before we are even aware that it’s happened, our thoughts and hearts are fully committed to Tim, Nate, and the rest of the complicated people in this oh so unusual town.

This is a long story, 380 pages worth of complicated people and history. Most of which I loved. Parts of which frustrated me more than a little. For a smart, intelligent, and yes, naive young were, Tim makes you want to shake him most of the time. I think the author has his ignorance go on far too long. R Cooper has the other characters strewing clues about a certain situation all over the dang story surface, and yet, this brilliant young wolf doesn’t pick up on it? That got harder and harder to buy into as the plot wore on.

Yet for all these issues, most of the time I still wanted to give this perplexing story a 5 star review! Why? Those same characters and situations that made me want to gnash my teeth are the same characters that had me reading until early in the morning. I had to see the personal explosions I knew were going to happen, the clash of hunted vs hunter…to see evolve what Tim had been telling us all along…that the Little Wolf has teeth, claws and the predator abilities of a piranha, or werewolf as the case is here. What scenes those were! A white knuckle ride several times over, full of drama and action that had you holding your breath in suspense…it made that dense beginning so worthwhile to have plowed through.

R Cooper writes in the foreword that this story took her 2 years to write, and it shows, for good and for bad. With a firmer editor, tighter reorganization, and a little ruthless pruning, Little Wolf would be the 5 star read it has the promise of being. As it is, I give it 4 stars and the recommendation that, even if you want to stop reading several chapters in, keep at it. Both Tim, and the story are deserving of your attention and time. Have patience and you will be rewarded with a story and couple that will have you howling for more of them and this special town of Wolf’s Paw.

Cover art by Paul Richmond is perfect, at least for the little wolf. He has a feral quality that works.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press – All Romance (ARe) – Amazon Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 380 pages, also in DSP Paperback
Published May 8th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press LLC
ISBN139781632169761
edition languageEnglish
seriesBeings in Love #4

Books in the Beings in Love Series:

Some Kind of Magic (Beings in Love, #1)
A Boy and His Dragon (Beings in Love #2)
A Beginner’s Guide to Wooing Your Mate (Beings in Love #3)
Little Wolf (Beings in Love, #4)

A Mika Review: Piece Us Back Together Collection by Raine O’Tierney. L.J. LaBarthe, and Cate Ashwood

Rating: 3.5 star out of 5 stars

A M/M Romance “Healing” Anthology

Red Runs Through by Cate Ashwood/3 stars out of 5
Carter McClintock’s life is uncomplicated. For the past five years, he’s spent so much time in hospital scrubs that one day bleeds into the next, and that’s just the way he likes it. That is, until he meets Matthew Nolan. Carter has never had a patient affect him the way Matthew does. During Matthew’s stay in the hospital, the chemistry is unmistakable, and once he is discharged, Carter asks him out.

Despite the obvious attraction between them, Matthew’s HIV status keeps him from handing Carter his heart, refusing to believe anyone could ever truly want him. When Matthew’s past comes to light, their budding relationship is threatened before it has even begun. But Carter isn’t one to give up without a fight and he will do anything to show Matthew the lengths he will go to keep them together.

I like the author for writing about a topic that we seldom see in m/m romance stories. I did not like the execution of the story with these two characters. I had a hard time believing that Carter just accepted Matthew with no reservations or anything. I do think it was too convenient for Carter to be taking medication to prevent certain illnesses. Outside of their initial meeting, I didn’t feel a connection between the two. I was kind of bored reading it honestly. I do think we ever got to see Matthew develop as a character. I found myself skimming through the story. I wish I could have seen them in another light. I did like the author’s writing.

All That Shimmers by Raine O’Tierney /Rating 3 stars out of 5
Beau Bell is a former Olympic hopeful, left paralyzed from the waist down after a car accident. He has every reason in the world to be pissed off and miserable, yet he’s training for the Paralympics Men’s 100m—S6 division. The chair? Just a part of who he is now. Beau’s attitude is golden. If only he could contend with this one little issue: errant erections and no way to relieve them!

Nikša Meríc is a lonely scientist and really bad poet living underneath the old building where he does his research. Every night he watches his neighbor through his basement window as he undresses in his wheelchair. Although there is no apparent reason for Nikša to be unhappy, he’s struggled with depression his whole life and has tried to kill himself on multiple occasions.

When Beau proposes that his “voyeur” come over and help him experiment with the erections he can’t actually feel, the relationship they build is a sexual one. But the relationship they need is one that will heal each other’s hearts as well.

I liked this more than I thought I would. I found the relationship between Beau & Niksa meaningful. I really liked Beau as a character. He was assertive, confident, and sweet. I didn’t understand his disability a lot when it came to being in the Paralympics. I found his drive really attractive. He didn’t let being paralyzed stop him from living his dream. Goodness when he yelled at Niksa through the window that it still works, I was laughing uncontrollably. He had no modesty. My faults lied with Niksa, he was such a depressed character. I felt sorry for him, he’s only 24 yrs old and so alone. I get it, I understand that need to have people around, and just have someone. My heart broke for him, but those poems literally made my skin crawl. They were so morose, and at the time I felt like Beau should have driven him to the nearest 72 hour hold facility. I’m glad he didn’t because he opened up and hopefully he’ll get better not for Beau’s sake but his own!

Swimming with Elephants by L.J. LaBarthe/ Rating 3.5 stars out of 5
After suffering a torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder, Garrett believes his life is over. Depressed, bereft, in pain, and unable to return to the career he loves as an arborist, he sees no hope or future for himself. But a trip to Havelock Island in India turns his world upside down. He meets Jai, an Indian nurse, and becomes smitten with him. Near the end of his trip, while swimming with an elephant, he tells Jai how he feels.

After Garrett returns to Australia, he wonders if he can ever be healed of all his pain—physical, emotional, and mental—and fears that love and romance will never be his again. But then Jai turns up in Perth and brings with him astonishing news.

I liked this story. I thought it was very refreshing. For me, the character Jai made the story refreshing. It was such a thrill to read about a character that was just positive, spiritual and there for you.

Garrett was suffering from a tear in his rotator cuff that left him unemployed, depressed, and brokenhearted. It never fails to surprise me what people do to one another. To break up with someone after you spent 4 years with them because of a shoulder injury is outrageous. Garrett found himself travelling to India for a physical therapy resort upon going there he meets Jai a beautiful India man who is a nurse but works all over the world. I liked it alot, it was a slow burn. They were friends for 2 years before anything happened. I actually liked that they took there times. Yes Garrett annoyed me at times with his self-pity, but he eventually got over it. I liked them together, more than that I liked Jai’s sunny disposition on life. I’ve never read anything by this author, but I look forward to more.

Cover Art by Paul Richmond as are all the covers: I like this cover. I think it shows unity and love which every story covers.

Sales Links:

Dreamspinner Press (collection link):

Red Runs Through by Cate Ashwood
All That Shimmers by Raine O’Tierney
Swimming with Elephants by LJ LaBarthe

Individual Sales links are listed under the titles.

All Romance (ARe):

Red Runs Through by Cate Ashwood
Swimming with Elephants by LJ LaBarthe
All That Shimmers by Raine O’Tierney

Sales Links at Amazon:

Red Runs Through by Cate Ashwood
Swimming with Elephants by LJ LaBarthe
All That Shimmers by Raine O’Tierney

Buy Them Here

Book/Collection Details:

eBook, 260 pages, May 20, 2015 by Dreamspinner Press

Each Story Sold Separately or as a Collection:

Piece Us Back Together at Dreamspinner

Red Runs Through (Piece Us Back Together)by Cate Ashwood

ebook, 90 pages
Published May 20th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press

All That Shimmers (Piece Us Back Together)by Raine O’Tierney

book, 90 pages
Published May 6th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press

Swimming with Elephants (Piece Us Back Together) by L.J. LaBarthe

book, 95 pages
Published May 13th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press LLC

A Stella Review: Knight of Ocean Avenue (Love in Laguna #1) by Tara Lain

Rating 4 stars out of 5

How can you be twenty-five and not know you’re gay? Billy Ballew runs from that question. A high school dropout, barely able to read until he taught himself, Billy’s life is driven by his need to help support his parents as a construction worker, put his sisters through college, coach his Little League team, and not think about being a three-time loser in the engagement department. Being terrified of taking tests keeps Billy from getting the contractor’s license he so desires, and fear of his mother’s judgement blinds Billy to what could make him truly happy.

Then, in preparation for his sister’s big wedding, Billy meets Shaz—Chase Phillips—a rising star, celebrity stylist who defines the word gay. To Shaz, Billy embodies everything he’s ever wanted—stalwart, honest, brave—but even if Billy turns out to be gay, he could never endure the censure he’d get for being with a queen like Shaz. How can two men with so little in common find a way to be together? Can the Stylist of the Year end up with the Knight of Ocean Avenue?

Knight of Ocean Avenue by Tara Lain was simply a joy to read. This series started so good I can’t wait for the next one, hoping it will be sweet and light and positive like this one. If you, like me, are a sucker for flamboyant characters, gay/out for you and opposites attract, this book is definitely a must read!

The book opens with Billy being left by his girlfriend Annie. Billy, a gorgeous man and a sweet one (too sweet for Annie, let me tell you!), doesn’t have a high opinion of himself, most cause he isn’t literate, but he’s an amazing son for his parents and brother for his sisters. It’s because of his hard work in the construction area and lot of sacrifices that the girls went to college. He helps his family in any way he can. He just wanted a good girl to be by his side but each time they left him. Then he meets Shaz and things start making sense. Shaz is everything Billy isn’t: gay, flamboyant, stylish. The chemistry between them is soon explosive and evident.

“Oh God, I am gay. I am.” He wanted to laugh. He wanted to cry.
Shaz’s soft high voice sounded muffled against his chest. “Yes, dear. I think you are.”
“What does that mean?”
“We’ll find out. Don’t worry. It’s better to know.”

Talk about perfect characters! Tara created a wonderful couple, two men perfect for each other and perfect in the eye of the reader. That kind of persons you absolutely need in your life, as a brother or friend. I was soon caught in their lives, but most of all I was cheering for Billy, he so needed something beautiful like Shaz to happened to him.

“When I was a kid and other boys played baseball and rode skateboards and made fun of me, I dreamed of knights in shining armor. One knight specifically who would ride in on his great palfrey, sweep me up in his arms, and rescue me from the cruelties of being me. A hero who would look into my heart and not see a sissy who liked to sew and try out girl’s makeup, but a secret princess waiting in a tower. Waiting for him.” […]“The years passed, no knight came, and I let the cruelties make me as hard as the people who dished them out. But the day I first saw you in that coffee shop, not letting the bully get to me even though you didn’t know me at all, I saw that you were a knight. And today you stripped the cloak from your armor and revealed you were my knight.”
Billy shook his head, fighting the heat behind his eyes. “I’m no knight.”
“Kind, loyal, true, and brave. Works for me.”

I loved this book, still I didn’t give it five stars. The reason is really simply. I love angst, troubled stories and I NEED stories like Knight of Ocean Avenue in between to help me relax a little. It’s so good to read a light, lovely and simple story. But… this one was too simple. Everything went to smoothly till the end and it left me craving for just a tiny little bit more of something.

I’m waiting impatiently for the next one, I hope to get to see Shaz and Billy once again, but I have my eyes on two second characters who deserve their HEA together. Will Tara fulfill my wish?

Cover art by Reese Dante. Reese has a unique style that I’m becoming to like more with each cover I see.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press – All Romance (ARe) – Amazon Buy It Here

Book Details:

Published May 1st 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
ebook, 254 pages
ISBN13 9781632165763
Edition Language English

In the Spotlight: Despite The Odds (Odds Are #1) by Chris T. Kat (excerpt and giveaway)

Book Name: Despite the Odds (Odds Are #1) by Chris T. Kat
Release Date: June 3, 2015

Need a new contemporary romance to read? Check out Chris T. Kat’s latest novella, Despite The Odds, the first in Kat’s new Odds Are series. We have a excerpt for you all to read and a giveaway to enter.

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Valerie Tibbs

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press

Never judge a book by its cover.

Michael Campbell can’t hold a job for more than a few days. He’s lucky his foreman is giving him another chance with the solar panel project at a primary school in Atlantic City. When he spies a man walking strangely in front of the school, Michael laughs, assuming he’s drunk or high. Little does he realize that Joshua Stone, a teaching assistant, has cerebral palsy, and he’s having a bad muscle control day. Taking a tumble right in front of the handsome construction worker is just his luck.

When Michael learns the truth, he feels badly for his cruel behavior. He offers to give Joshua—and his tricycle, the Racing Rhonda—a lift. Joshua accepts the help, and suddenly there’s a gorgeous man breezing into his life, turning his world upside down. But Michael has more issues than his inability to hold down a job, and neither man is sure if they’ll be able to overcome their fears in order to be together.
Pages or Words: 114 pages/32,000 words

Categories: Contemporary, M/M Romance, Romance

Henderson bulldozed right into Michael’s personal space, surprising him with the action. “You stupid son of a bitch!”

“Hey! No calling my mother names, okay?”

Michael tried to joke. He’d never seen Henderson this angry. Neither did he care to have all this anger directed at him. Sure, he could hold his own if necessary, but he was more a run-away-if-there’s-trouble kind of guy.

“Do you know who that was?”

“A drunk who shouldn’t set foot on school property?” Michael hazarded.

Henderson’s eyes narrowed to small slits when he replied, “His name is Joshua Stone, and he isn’t drunk. He’s a teaching assistant who works here.”

“He looked drunk to me.”

Henderson closed his eyes, obviously trying to rein in his temper, before he put a bit more distance between them. “Mr. Stone is disabled, hence the way he walks. It’s not always that obvious, but he was carrying books, a lot of books, which threw off his balance. He’s a very good teaching assistant. He doesn’t deserve to be laughed at by someone like you, who can’t even take care of himself.”

That stung.

About the author:

Chris T. Kat lives in the middle of Europe, where she shares a house with her husband of many years and their two children. She stumbled upon the M/M genre by luck and was swiftly drawn into it. She divides her time between work, her family—which includes chasing after escaping horses and lugging around huge instruments such as a harp—and writing. She enjoys a variety of genres, such as mystery/suspense, paranormal, and romance. If there’s any spare time, she happily reads for hours, listens to audiobooks or does cross stitch.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ChrisTKat
Twitter: http://twitter.com/christi_kat
GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/ChrisTKat
Blog: http://christikat.blogspot.com
Amazon Author Page

Tour Dates & Stops: June 3, 2015

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Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: Chris T. Kat’s Jeff Woods Mystery collection, a three-book collection. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

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A MelanieM Review: Running with the Wind (Mermen of Ea #3) by Shira Anthony

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Sequel to Into the Wind

With the final confrontation between the island and mainland Ea factions looming, Taren and Ian sail with Odhrán to investigate a lost colony of merfolk in the Eastern Lands. Upon their arrival, the King of Astenya welcomes them as friends. Odhrán, however, isn’t so quick to trust the descendent of the man who held him prisoner for nearly a decade, especially now that he has someone to cherish and protect—the mysterious winged boy he rescued from the depths.

Armed with the knowledge he believes will save the Ea, Taren returns to the mainland. With Ian at his side, Taren convinces Vurin that their people must unite with their island brethren before it’s too late. When Seria and his men attack, Taren must call upon the ancient power of the rune stone to protect his comrades. But using stone’s immeasurable power commands a hefty price—and Ian fears that price is Taren’s life.

This is the final installment in the Mermen of Ea Series from Dreamspinner Press.

With Running with the Wind, Shira Anthony brings her Mermen of Ea Trilogy to a close and what a ride it has been! From the moment I met the endearing Taren, I was hooked on this imaginative saga of discovery, loss and love. From a simple seaside tavern where we find the young slave,Taren, who is ignorant of his true nature as a merman, through the pirate ships, tumultuous relationships and discovery of a divided Mermen culture, Anthony has built a deeply layered and magical universe to go along with her complicated fantasy characters. That a series of relationships is built upon the plight of a divided people and the renewal of a culture who had lost its way just gives this trilogy added depth and heartfelt angst. The author’s world building is equal to the creativity shown with the characters, all of whom she made it easy to fall in love with. And cry over.

Writing the final story, whether to a series or trilogy, is always tricky. Readers have built up certain expectations in their mind that they bring to any final installment and meeting those high expectations is almost always impossible. How does Running with the Wind measure up to mine? Pretty darn well.

We have multiple couples and their relationships to bring some closure to, in one case its two couples in one. That would be Taren Laxley who is also the reincarnation of the Ea priest Treande and his lover Ian Dunaidh, captain of the Ea ship the Phantom, who is also the reincarnated Owyn, Ea priest and lover of Treande. We get both the past and the present with these two. And then there is Odhrán and Bastian, who natures I won’t reveal here but these are two powerful characters, so much so that I almost think they “stole” the story away from Taren and Ian. I loved the slow development and revelations that occur with these two. They surprised me, confounded me and I thought their part of this tale was among the most powerful of elements.

But the Mermen of Ea also includes the unforgettable Jonat Rider, and Vurin, and so many others. Anthony’s creations are so well developed that you come to care for them all deeply throughout the course of the series and their various fates pull at your hearts at the end of the story.

As stated, the final story, especially one with as many plots as found here, has much to tie up and the narrative got a tad crowded along the way. The colony had to be brought back to its true destiny, a huge evil had to be overcome, and some of our major characters had transformations to go through in order to survive and win out at the end. I did find that some passages dragged on a little too long for me but the battles at sea and on land were vividly described, painfully believable and suspenseful. The air and sea felt charged with energy and the drama was everything I could have hoped for and expected of this writer. And yes, I cried some too.

A truism that most writers recognize and address in their stories or fables is that a price is almost always extracted from each hero/major character who uses a ancient or forbidden power. Somewhere towards the end of a tale, the hero will have to pay a profound personal cost that is the consequence for the use of magic. That happens here in Running with the Wind but not to the extent that I think the readers were lead to believe would happen by the events leading up to the last battles. Some will be happy about that and others will be let down that the price Taren pays is more of a tap to the wrist then a major sacrifice. How a reader feels about the element will dictate how they feel about the end of this story and series. I have to admit to feeling a bit disappointed, but only a little. That is my only real gripe here.

This is a wonderful universe in which to spend hours of time. And Shira Anthony has left enough room and questions that should she ever wish t0 return to it, perhaps to see how Odhrán and Bastian and the others are getting along, including a certain King, well, I would be more than happy to journey back along with her. But if that never happens, we still have the wonderful mermen and humans of the Mermen of Ea saga to keep us happy and involved in their lives. Read them all in the order they were written. Enjoy the journey and end up happy as I did as to how it all played out. It was a wonderful ride, I loved every minute and word of it.

Cover art by Anne Cain. I have loved all the covers for this trilogy. This one is lovely as is the first one. But that second cover is so indescribably gorgeous and incandescent that this one suffers a little in comparison.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press – All Romance (ARe) – Amazon Buy It Here on June 8th.

Book Details:

ebook, also available in paperback
Expected publication: June 8th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781634762151
edition languageEnglish
seriesMermen of Ea #3
charactersIan Dunaidh, Taren Laxley, Odhrán, Bastian, Seria..

Books in the Mermen of Ea Trilogy are in the order they were written and should be read:

Stealing the Wind (Mermen of Ea, #1)
Into the Wind (Mermen of Ea, #2)
Running with the Wind (Mermen of Ea #3) finale

Its A Wrap for Those Sexy Mermen of Ea with Running With the Wind by Shira Anthony (excerpts and giveaway)

Running With the Wind (Mermen of Ea #3) by Shira Anthony
Stories must be read in order. This is the final book of the trilogy

Release Date: June 8, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Anne Cain

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press eBook and Paperback

My Interview with Shira Anthony

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Shira Anthony author of Running with the Wind (Mermen of Ea #3). Hi Shira, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.
• Describe your book to us.

Thanks for hosting me today! Running with the Wind is the final installment in my Mermen of Ea Series from Dreamspinner Press. The series is high fantasy, romance, and adventure set on the high seas. The story follows Taren Laxley, an indentured servant who dreams of sailing aboard the tall ships that put into port in the harbor town where he lives.

Taren is kidnapped by pirates, and an entire new universe opens up to him aboard their ship, the Sea Witch. But when he falls overboard during a storm trying to save a fellow crewmember, he’s rescued by the crew of the Phantom. The ship and its captain, Ian Dunaidh, aren’t what they seem. They’re merfolk shifters, or Ea. What’s more, Taren learns he is an Ea as well.

Taren and Ian’s rocky start eventually turns into a deep and all-encompassing love. Their connection is ages old, and Taren learns he has a purpose he must serve: leading his people a safe haven where they can live in peace. The final book in the series, Running with the Wind, leads Taren and Ian and the Ea to the brink of another civil war, and their happiness is far from guaranteed.

There’s magic, magical creatures, and adventure in the books, and they were a blast to write! I hope you enjoy reading them.
• Have you ever read something that made you think differently about your genre? Can you tell us what it was?

The first real gay romance I read was back in the 80s and it was between the lines of my all-time favorite sci fi/fantasy series, Darkover, by Marion Zimmer Bradley. The deep love between two men and the strength of those characters made me crave more, and eventually prompted me to take a good friend up on her suggestion that we write an MM story together (that story became Prelude (Blue Notes #4). When Marion Zimmer Bradley wrote that series, gay romance in mainstream fiction was still taboo, but the little taste of it I found there was the foundation for the genre I now love to write. I honestly can’t imagine writing anything else!
• Tell us about your character’s family life?

Taren’s parents died when he was a baby, so he never knew them. He was raised by a ship rigger, Borstan Laxley, who treated him fairly well. But Borstan pays off his gambling debts using Taren, and Taren finds himself not much more than a slave at an inn near the harbor. Later in the series, we get a glimpse back at Taren’s parents. But I won’t spoil that part!
• Compare yourself to your main character.

Wow, tough question! At the beginning of the series, Taren is a mixture of submissive slave and questioning boy. Very different from me, since I’ve never been in a situation where I’ve had to temper my need to speak my mind. Later, Taren grows more assertive, more like I am I guess you could say.
• Describe your past week as a type of landscape or a weather forecast.

Definitely a seascape! I’ve been so busy traveling to conventions, including Romantic Times in Dallas, Texas, and Animazement, in Raleigh, North Carolina, not to mention balancing writing, blogging, and real life work, that all I see right now is a very large ocean. In the distance? My vacation! And what an appropriate vacation for that kind of landscape: I’m spending 3 weeks aboard our catamaran sailboat, Land’s Zen!

Now more about Running with the Wind….

It’s here! The final story in Shira Anthony’s Mermen of Ea Trilogy, Running with the Wind. Check out the synopisis and excerpts below and don’t forget to enter the giveaway at the end.

About Running with the Wind

Sequel to Into the Wind  With the final confrontation between the island and mainland Ea factions looming, Taren and Ian sail with Odhrán to investigate a lost colony of merfolk in the Eastern Lands. Upon their arrival, the King of Astenya welcomes them as friends. Odhrán, however, isn’t so quick to trust the descendent of the man who held him prisoner for nearly a decade, especially now that he has someone to cherish and protect—the mysterious winged boy he rescued from the depths.

Categories: Fantasy, Fiction, M/M Romance, Paranormal, Romance

Running with the Wind Excerpt

SPOILER WARNING: This excerpt contains spoilers for the first two series books!
Running with the Wind
Excerpt from Chapter One

Ian leaned over the railing as the morning sunlight warmed his shoulders. A few feet away, Taren wrapped a blanket around the shivering boy, who sat with his knees hugged to his chest. He tenderly ruffled the boy’s fiery red hair. The boy leaned into Taren’s touch and made a satisfied sound much like the purr of a cat.
Not a boy, Ian reminded himself. Bastian. An Anuki. The heavenly brethren of the Ea. A dragon shifter reborn from the ashes. True, this freckle-faced dragon child looked nothing like the full-fledged beast who’d nearly killed them the day before, but they knew little of the Anuki. Had it only been a day since Seria’s men had attacked them and they’d lost Rider to Seria’s bullet?
Ian met Taren’s gaze and his grief eased slightly. Taren smiled back, his warm brown eyes hooded with exhaustion and grief, his shoulder-length hair having dried in a tumble of waves. From where he sat on the deck, Bastian watched Odhrán, keenly interested. The sphere they’d discovered not long after the destruction of the Sea Witch—an egg, Ian now knew—had dissolved beneath the water. Bastian had been choking and spluttering when Odhrán had carried him aboard. Since then, Bastian had done little but watch Odhrán with rapt attention.
Like a baby bird watches its mother. Ian frowned at his folly. How easy it was to forget this pathetic creature had destroyed the Sea Witch and nearly killed them all. If Odhrán hadn’t killed the dragon Bastian had become, they’d all have died. And yet Bastian had been reborn.
Bastian glanced up at Taren, blinked several times, then shifted his gaze back to Odhrán, who spoke in hushed tones to one of his crew. The long blond braid down Odhrán’s back dripped onto the deck and left the back of his woolen jacket sodden. Despite the bright blue of his eyes and his youthful features, Odhrán appeared as exhausted as Ian felt.
“A moment of your time?” Ian said after the crewmember trotted off toward the stairs, leaving the four of them alone on the foredeck.
Odhrán nodded and followed Ian amidships, far enough away that Bastian wouldn’t hear.
“Do you think this is wise?” Ian asked with a quick glance back at Taren and Bastian.
“What would you have me do? Leave him to drown?” Odhrán, too, appeared weary. Ian knew he still regretted having killed the fully transformed Bastian.
“He couldn’t live without Rider.” Taren’s words echoed in Ian’s mind. Rider—Ian’s oldest friend—had taken a bullet in Ian’s stead. There’d been no time to grieve.
“No.” Ian sighed. “Rider would have wanted us to care for him.” Taren would never have forgiven him for suggesting they leave Bastian to drown, and they’d lost too much to even consider it.
Odhrán nodded curtly and turned his gaze eastward. Now calm in the wake of the storm, the water sparkled with sunlight. Nothing remained of the Sea Witch but a few bits of broken timbers floating restlessly on the waves. Later, all of the men now aboard the Chimera would gather on the deck to remember the Witch’s captain, but for just a moment, Ian could almost imagine Rider at the wheel of his beloved ship.
I’ll miss you, old friend. More than you’ll ever know.
Ian shrugged off his dark thoughts and walked back to Taren. “You should get some sleep.” He squeezed Taren’s shoulder. “Odhrán and I will not let Bastian out of our sight.”
Taren pressed his lips together and nodded. How tired Taren must be that he didn’t even argue!
“I’ll join you in a bit.” Ian pressed his lips to Taren’s warm cheek.
Taren retrieved the blanket that had fallen off Bastian’s shoulders and wrapped it around him again. Naked as Bastian was beneath, Ian caught a glimpse of the wings they’d seen when they’d discovered him on the ocean floor. No longer scaled as they’d been when they’d first pulled Bastian from the water, Bastian’s wings were now covered with feathers and shimmered red, yellow, orange, and fuchsia, iridescent in the sunlight.
“I’ll be back later,” Taren told Bastian with a barely repressed yawn. “I promise.”
Bastian’s eyes revealed little understanding. Had he forgotten everything of his former life? Perhaps he was still too overwhelmed from the shock of the past day’s events to fully comprehend his situation. He’d not uttered a word since they’d brought him aboard.
Taren kissed Ian—a fleeting kiss, but one Ian needed to reassure himself that all had not changed—before heading belowdecks to rest.
Ian met Odhrán at the bow. “He’s like a fledgling,” Ian said, inclining his head in Bastian’s direction, “watching you like a bird might his mother.”
Odhrán’s brow knitted. He’d clearly noticed it as well. “I’ve asked Garan to reinforce the enchantments on the ship’s masts and sails. There’s nothing more to be done.”
“Aye. But if Bastian threatens the ship—”
“Then I’ll be forced to subdue him. Not a prospect I relish, although in his current state, he appears far less powerful than before.” Odhrán studied Bastian once again. “For now, at least, he’s content to be in our company.”
“What do you know of the Anuki?”
“They’re much like the Ea in their ability to shift to human form. I met one centuries ago, but he was nothing like this. Not a child. But what happened with Bastian….”
“Reborn from the ashes.” Ian’s heart ached once again for the loss of Rider.
“My time with one of their kind was brief.” Odhrán stared past Ian as if remembering.
Ian didn’t press the issue. Later, perhaps, he’d ask Odhrán about that encounter. “And his memories of his life with Rider?”
Odhrán shook his head. “I don’t know. I suppose only time will tell.”
Ian clenched his jaw. The realization that Bastian might not remember anything of his love for Rider made Ian’s grief that much greater.

About Shira Anthony~

In her last incarnation, Shira was a professional opera singer, performing roles in such operas as “Tosca,” “i Pagliacci,” and “La Traviata,” among others. She’s given up TV for evenings spent with her laptop, and she never goes anywhere without a pile of unread M/M romance on her Kindle.

Shira is married with two children and two insane dogs, and when she’s not writing she is usually in a courtroom trying to make the world safer for children. When she’s not working, she can be found aboard a 36’ catamaran at the Carolina coast with her favorite sexy captain at the wheel.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shira.anthony
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shira-Anthony/177484618974406
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WriterShira
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/anthony0564/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4641776.Shira_Anthony
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+ShiraAnthony/posts

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $10 gift card and backlist book of choice. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

Here is the list of prizes (also on the Rafflecopter link):

December Diamonds Wedding Mermen Ornament
(or a free download of the audiobook version of Stealing the Wind for non U.S. Residents
Geneva Nautical Wrap Watch
Anchor Cord Bracelet

Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Buy Links for the other stories in the Mermen of Ea Trilogy – now complete:

Stealing the Wind:
Add to Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18216592-stealing-the-wind

buy it at:
Dreamspinner Press – https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4101
Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Stealing-Wind-Mermen-Ea-Book-ebook/dp/B00EHHZXVS
Google Books – https://books.google.com/books/about/Stealing_the_Wind.html?id=-RKzAAAAQBAJ&hl=en
B&N – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stealing-the-wind-shira-anthony/1116395006?ean=9781627980531

Into the Wind:
Add to Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20343872-into-the-wind

DP – https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4975
Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Into-Wind-Mermen-Ea-Book-ebook/dp/B00K4PX4BS
B&N – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/into-the-wind-shira-anthony/1119434211?ean=2940149579983

Tour Dates & Stops:
1-Jun
Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings

2-Jun
Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

3-Jun
My Fiction Nook

4-Jun
Amanda C. Stone

5-Jun
Carly’s Book Reviews

8-Jun
Bayou Book Junkie

9-Jun
Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

10-Jun
Decadent Delights

11-Jun
MM Good Book Reviews

12-Jun
Inked Rainbow Reads

15-Jun
Divine Magazine

16-Jun
Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves

17-Jun
BFD Book Blog

18-Jun
The Novel Approach

19-Jun
Because Two Men Are Better Than One

22-Jun
Kimi-Chan
Happily Ever Chapter

23-Jun
Prism Book Alliance

24-Jun
Cate Ashwood

25-Jun
Love Bytes

26-Jun
Molly Lolly

Barb, A Zany Old Lady Review : Sultry Sunset (Mangrove Stories #3) by Mary Calmes

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5:

Hutch Crowley is well-liked in the small resort town of Mangrove—he’s got friends in his new neighbors, he’s the owner of the town grocery, and he’s building a community center—but he’s still unlucky at love. Every man he’s attracted to is either taken or simply not interested, including his best friend, Mike Rojas.

When Mike came to Mangrove two years ago, Hutch gave him a job and a place to stay in his guesthouse, where Mike has remained ever since. Despite the rumors circulating about them, Hutch knows Mike is straight and looking for the right woman. But his friends disagree, and after some hints to the contrary, even Hutch finally has to admit that maybe the rest of the town sees something he’s been missing. If Hutch wants to spend each sultry sunset with the man of his dreams, it might be time to figure out what’s going on with his best friend’s heart.

This was a sweet gay-for-you story in the world of the friends we met in “Blue Days” and “Quiet Nights”. Hutch Crowley, a businessman and town leader, was the guy dating Coz in “Quiet Nights” when Kelly finally realized he had to act quickly or Coz would be gone. It’s nice to see that Hutch got his own story.

It takes Hutch a while to realize that the reason he’s so upset at seeing the parade of women tiptoeing the walk of shame away from his guest house at dawn each morning is that he’s jealous of them. His guest house is occupied by Mike Rojas, his best friend and the co-manager of Heath’s grocery store. Mike is a widower who came to Mangrove two years ago after wandering the country in a state of restlessness when his wife died.

Finally ready to move on with his life, he’s looking better, and obviously feeling better as evidenced by the increase in his dating. Heath can’t quite cope with his new feelings for Mike, but believes he’s hiding them well. However, all of their friends are just wondering when they are going to see the light. It’s obvious to them that these guys care for each other, but it isn’t until Heath lands in jail that the situation comes to a head.

This story was too short to form a deep attachment to the characters and to build up the sexual tension. However, it was sweet and a good pick-me-up for those days when you need to feel good. A few new characters were introduced in this story as well, and I’ll be surprised if we don’t see Mike’s new neighbor, Essien, in his own story someday soon.

I’d recommend this to fans of Mary Calmes, those who like a GFY short story to brighten their day, and to all lovers of M/M romance. You can never go wrong with a little Mary Calmes in your life.

Cover Art by Reese Dante is a photo of a man standing alone on a beach at sunset— a gloriously, beautiful sunset. This is one of the most attractive covers I’ve seen this year.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press – All Romance (ARe) – Amazon Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 62 pages
Published May 15th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press LLC
ISBN139781634761512
edition languageEnglish
seriesMangrove Stories #3

Mangrove Series Stories include:

Blue Days (Mangrove Stories, #1)
Quiet Nights (Mangrove Stories, #2)
Sultry Sunset (Mangrove Stories #3)

June is LGBT Pride Month! This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

President Obama Declares June LGBT Pride Month!

Hard to believe that June is here. The months are just sliding by so quickly. June is a strange month. Full of goodbyes….to school, to high school especially as the graduations are over, and young people are moving on to the next stages of their lives. And as we say to goodbye to certain things we are also welcoming in others…change being constant no matter who, what or where you are.

But one thing unfortunately does remain constant…the needs of our LGBTQIA youth. For every success like Ireland’s recent vote for marriage rights, there’s Texas trying to hard to make sure that the LGBTQIA Community remain forever locked in a battle for recognition and rights. All that as President Obama declares June LGBT Pride Month. A President coming out for LGBTQIA rights is huge and something to be celebrated. So what better way to mark Pride Month than by helping out LGBT youth in need.

In some areas, our schools provide the only shelter, safety net and meals for some children in need, no one more so than LGBTQIA youth. Yes, there are shelters around but many don’t accept our LGBTQIA homeless youth, a disgrace that is underreported. Now with so many transgendered kids in the news in need of support, lets take time to look at those organizations and shelters doing a necessary job around the nation. They are in need of our support and in any way you can manage, volunteering and monetary.

PFLAG : Support your local PFLAG chapters and national organization. PFLAG stands for Parents, Friends,( and Allies) of Lesbians and Gays. Its a wonderful organization with local chapters everywhere. From their Mission Statement:

What does PFLAG do? PFLAG supports people who are LGBTQ, their famlies, friends and alliesboth locally and nationally, providing PFLAG chapter support group meetings and resources. PFLAG also educates families and communities on sexual orientation, gender identity and LGBTQ issues. Local PFLAG chapters educate their communities through a variety of projects while PFLAG National continues to provide fair and accurate information about LGBTQ people, their loved ones, and the unique challenges they face. PFLAG also advocates for equal rights for people who are LGBTQ on local, state, and national levels. – See more at PFLAG website.

Lost ‘n’ Found Youth – Atlanta, GA: Atlanta’s only non-profit organization dedicated to taking homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth off the street and into more permanent housing, Lost-n-Found Youth is dedicated to the advocacy and service of youth from 13 to 25 years old.

This includes a Crisis Hotline Call or text 678-856-7825 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A truly wonderful organization. You can find/donate at

Website: http://lnfy.org/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/LostNFoundYouth

Ali Forney Center – New York City, NY. The Ali Forney Center is the largest and most comprehensive program in the nation dedicated to meeting the needs of homeless LGBTQ youth. From their website:

AN EPIDEMIC OF HOMELESSNESS
Studies have found that LGBTQ youth comprise up to 40% of the homeless youth population in New York City. In December 2007 the Empire State Coalition of Youth and Family Services (ESC) reported on the findings of the first New York City Council census of homeless youth in NYC. This data showed that 28% of the street youth identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual, 11% were unsure of their sexual orientation or were not comfortable answering the question and 5% identified as transgender with another 18% unsure or choosing not to answer the question about gender identity.

The study also verified what we see at the Ali Forney Center (AFC) everyday; LGBTQ street youth experience greater levels of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking violence, trauma, HIV infection, mental health issues and substance abuse than their heterosexual counterparts in the homeless youth population.

Website: http://www.aliforneycenter.org/

Write and let me know about the shelters in your area. Hopefully, soon I will be able to report about a LGBTQIA Shelter in MD-VA-DC soon. Here are a few more organizations so necessary for Equality and Acceptance:

HRC (Human Rights Campaign): From their website:

As the largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans, the Human Rights Campaign represents a force of more than 1.5 million members and supporters nationwide — all committed to making HRC’s vision a reality.

HRC envisions a world where lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.

Website: http://www.hrc.org/

Matthew Shepard Foundation: Matthew Wayne “Matt” Shepard was an American student at the University of Wyoming who was beaten, tortured and left to die near Laramie, Wyoming on the night of October 6, 1998, and died six days later at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado, on October 12, from severe head injuries. This foundation, formed by Judy Shepard, Matthew’s mother. From their website:

“Created to honor Matthew in a manner that was appropriate to his dreams, beliefs, and aspirations, the Foundation seeks to “Replace Hate with Understanding, Compassion, & Acceptance” through its varied educational, outreach and, advocacy programs and by continuing to tell Matthew’s story.” This includes The Laramie Project, outreach programs and much more.

Website: http://www.matthewshepard.org/

Let’s Make a Difference…one person at a time.

This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, May 31:

A Close Look at LGBTQIA Shelters and Organizations, Our Schedule This Week

Monday, June 1:

Wild Pitch Cover Reveal for Sloan Johnson (giveaway)
A BJ Review: Manbot by Scarlet Blackwell
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Sultry Sunset by Mary Calmes
A MelanieM Review: Two Hearts, One Voice by Valentina Heart

Tuesday, June 2:

Two Sides of the Same Coin by Thianna Durston. Book blast and contest
Running With the Wind by Shira Anthony – The Mermen of Ea Finale Tour and Contest
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Closing the Loop by Jane Davitt
A MelanieM Review: Running with the Wind by Shira Anthony

Wednesday, June 3:

Larry Benjamin’s ‘Vampire Rising‘ cover reveal and giveaway
Chris T. Kat ‘Despite the Odds‘ Book Blast and Contest
The Live Oak Tales by Stephen Del Mar Tour and Contest
A Stella Review: Knight of Ocean Avenue (Love in Laguna #1) by Tara Lain
A MelanieM Review: Tall With Room by A.J. Llewellyn

Thursday, June 4:

Book Tour: For Real by Alexis Hall (giveaway)
A Mika Review: Piece Us Back Together Anthology
A MelanieM Review: Little Wolf by R Cooper
A Mika Review: Kick at the Darkness by Keira Andrews

Friday, June 5:

A Stella Review: Alchemy Ever After by Raine O’Tierney and Sion O’Tierney
A Mika Review: Kage by Maris Black
A BJ Review: Human Choices (Guardians of the Leythe #2.0) by Jaye McKenna
A MelanieM Review: The Summer House by RJ Scott

Saturday, June 6:

YA Aurora Post
A MelanieM Review: A Councilor to the Wolves by Liv Olteano

Our YA Reviewer, Aurora, on Reading and Writing YA Fiction

~ Aurora

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A M/M Romance “Healing” Anthology

Sales Links:

Dreamspinner Press (collection link):

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Book Name: Despite the Odds (Odds Are #1) by Chris T. Kat Release Date: June 3, 2015

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Running With the Wind (Mermen of Ea #3) by Shira Anthony Stories must be read in order. This is the final book of the trilogy

Release Date: June 8, 2015

Goodreads Link Publisher: Dreamspinner Press Cover Artist: Anne Cain

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press eBook and Paperback

My Interview with Shira Anthony

Now more about Running with the Wind….

About Running with the Wind

Running with the Wind Excerpt

About Shira Anthony~

Giveaway

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President Obama Declares June LGBT Pride Month!

Let’s Make a Difference…one person at a time.

This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, May 31:

Monday, June 1:

Tuesday, June 2:

Wednesday, June 3:

Thursday, June 4:

Friday, June 5:

Saturday, June 6:

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Book Name: Despite the Odds (Odds Are #1) by Chris T. Kat
Release Date: June 3, 2015

Running With the Wind (Mermen of Ea #3) by Shira Anthony
Stories must be read in order. This is the final book of the trilogy

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Anne Cain