Its Official! Marriage Equality is Here! This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

http://news.yahoo.com/photos/timelapse-white-house-beaming-rainbow-photo-053113143.html?soc_src=copy

Whew!  What a day it was yesterday!  My Twitter and FB blew up with happiness and excitement as soon as SCOTUS came out with their historic ruling.  Even the White House got into the act with a new look!  The White House was lit rainbow colors on Friday, June 26, in celebration of the Supreme Court ruling that allows same-sex marriage across the US. The 14 states in which such marriages remained illegal, in the South and Midwest, must now lift their bans. The court’s 5-4 ruling (hell yeah!) is the culmination of decades of campaigning by gay-rights activists.   Yesterday, the hopes, dreams, and wishes came true for so many across the nation and we celebrated in our hearts, if not in the streets…dancing with joy!  And the media went crazy too!

rainbow hands

People changed with pictures to reflect this historic ruling and  fireworks and incredible memes were everywhere.  Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi made the happiest of vids for Vine, (really don’t miss out on that one), George Takei, and it just kept coming in heartstopping wave after wave…and yes, the tears flowed copiously.

This is truly a Gay Pride Month to end all Pride Months!  2015!  A toast and a cheer for Equality for All.  Now finally is can just be Marriage-not gay marriage or straight marriage…just marriage.  Hell to the Yes!

lgbt flag

This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

LessonsForIdleTongues_600x900Toy With Me coverDespite the Odds coverGremlin's Last Run cover

Sunday, June 28

  • Its Official! Marriage Equality is Here! This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, June 29:

  • The Pinch of the Game by Charley Descoteaux tour and contest
  • Cate Ashwood & L.J. LaBarthe ‘Brick by Brick’ book blast and giveaway
  • A Paul B Review: Despite the Odds by Chris T. Kat
  • A BJ Review: Gremlin’s Last Run (Guardians of the Pattern #2) by Jaye McKenna

Tuesday, June 30:

  • Devil’s Food at Dusk by MJ O’Shea and Anna Martin‏ Release Tour and Giveaway
  • A Mika Review: Toy with Me by Annabelle Jacobs
  • A MelanieM Review: Velocity by Sara York
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Helping Hand by Jay Northcote

Wednesday, July 1:

  • Lessons for Idle Tongues by Charlie Cochrane Tour and Giveaway
  • Get Your Kink on With K.C. Wells ‘Make Me Soar’ (Collars and Cuffs #6) Tour and Contest
  • In the Book Spotlight: Annabelle Jacobs ‘A Casual Thing’ (excerpt and giveaway)
  • A MelanieM Review: Lessons for Idle Tongues by Charlie Cochrane
  • A MelanieM Review:  Bulldust by d.j. brumb

Thursday, July 2:

  •  A Closer Look at Lissa Kasey ‘Model Citizen’ (excerpt and giveaway)
  • ‘University of Southern Georgia: Davy & Tony’ by Heath Greenfield (contest)
  • Be Dazzled by E.M. Lynley’s 24-Karat Conspiracy (excerpt and contest)
  • Ashavan Donovan ‘Andrew’s Prayer’ book blast and giveaway
  • A MelanieM Review: Cherish the Land (Lang Downs #5) by Ariel Tachna
  • Best Books of June 2015

Friday, July 3:

  • Ada Maria Soto ‘Empty Nests’ Keep Me In Mind Tour and contest
  • A STRW Exclusive:  Eli Easton Interviews Her Audiobook Narrator (interview and contest)
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review; How To Howl at the Moon by Eli Easton (audio book)
  • A Mika Review:  Wild Pitch by Sloan Johnson
  • A MelanieM Review: The Pinch of the Game by Charley Descoteaux

Saturday, July 4th (Happy Independence Day to the USA):

  • Best Covers of June 2015

Bulldust coverSilverScarsCoverMedHelping Hand_FINALMakeMeSoarFS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November 2014 Summary of Reviews

November 2014 Book Review Summary

*Key:
STRW S series
C contemporary
F-fantasy
SF-science fiction
PN-paranormal
SP-supernatural
H-historical
HR-horror
N-Nonfiction
YA-young adult

Rating Scale: 1 to 5, 5 stars is outstanding
5 Star Rating:

Cold Day in Hell (In from the Cold #5) by Lee Brazil STRWCS PF2014
Final Blow (Whispering Winds #5) (Pulp Friction 2014 #19) by Havan Fellows
Manipulation by Eden Winters
Radiant Burn (Fighting Fire #5) (Pulp Friction 2014 #17) by Laura Harner,
Sand and Ruin and Gold by Alexis Hall STRWF
Starstruck by L.A. Witt STRWCS, A Barb Review
Terra Firma (Earthquake #5) by T.A. Webb STRWCS PF2014
The Devil Lancer by Astrid Amara STRWH, SN
The Shearing Gun by Renae Kaye STRWSC
Then the Stars Fall by Brandon Witt, STRWC
Third Eye by Rick R. Reed STRWSF A Barb Review

4 to 4.75 Star Rating:

The Best Corpse for the Job by Charlie Cochrane (4.25) STRWCS MelanieM
The Circus of the Damned (Deal with the Devil story) by Cornelia Grey (4.25) STRWSN
The Eskimo Slugger by Brad Boney (4) STRW, Sammy Review
Carnival-Decatur by Zoe Lynne (4) STRWYA, Aurora Review
Chestnuts Roasting Anthology (Mischief Corner Anthologies (4.75) STRWHS
Ciro (Shivers ) by Remmy Duchene (4) STRWF PaulB Review
Key of Behliseth by Lou Hoffmann (4) STRWF An Aurora YA Review
Heart by Garrett Leigh (4) STRWCS, A Mika Review
Heat (Salisbury Stories #1) by RJ Scott and Chris Quinton (4.5) STRWCS MelanieM
Off Course by Bailey Bradford (4) STRWSNS MelanieM
Precious Metals by L.A. Witt (4.5) STRWSN, F MelanieM
Saving Crofton Hall (Stately Passions #1) by Rebecca Cohen (4.5) STRWCS MelanieM
Semper Fi by Keira Andrews (4.75) MelanieM
Sleigh Ride (Minnesota Christmas #2) by Heidi Cullinan (4.75) STRWCS MelanieM
Unjustified Claims (Hidden Wolves #3) by Kaje Harper, (4.75) STRWSNS PaulB
Wholehearted by Cate Ashwood Audio Book, Wholehearted by Cate Ashwood – Audiobook narrated by John Orr (4.5) STRWCS A Barb Review
3 to 3.75 Star Rating:

Billionaire with Benefits by Anne Tenino (3.25 stars) STRWCS MelanieM
Forgiving Thayne (True Mates #2) by J.R. Loveless (3.5) STRWSNS, MelanieM
Galactic Treasure (Earth Con #2) by Theodora Marie Adams (3) PaulB Review
Say Something by BA Tortuga (3 stars) STRWC MelanieM
Who Knows the Storm (The Vigilante #1) by Tere Michaels (3.25) STRWCUF

2 to 2.75 Star Rating:

Damaged Package by S.A. McAuley (2.75) STRWC A Mika Review

Love’s in the Air with Renee George and Kiss My Ash! (book tour and contest)

KMABanner300x250

Book Name: Kiss My Ash
Goodreads Link
Author Name: Renee George

Author Bio:

Multi-published, best-selling author Renee George has been a factory worker, an army medic, a nurse, a website designer, a small press editor, an artist, and a teacher, but writing stories about sexy alpha men is the BEST job she’s ever had. When she turned thirty, she went back to college and earned her BA in creative writing. She has been married to the love of her life, a wonderful man who supports in every way, for over half her life (and that is a VERY long time!). She happily lives in a small, Midwest town with her husband, two needy dogs and a very independent cat. Anything else you want to know, just ask. She’ll give you all the nitty gritty dirt.

Author Contact:

Publisher: Ellora’s CaveKiss my Ash_FINAL_HiRes

Sales Links: http://www.ellorascave.com/kiss-my-ash.html

Kiss My Ash Blurb:

A werewolf who’s hairless in full shift.

A water sprite who can’t hold his shape at the slightest touch of water.

An ash-tree nymph with a black thumb who kills every bit of flora in her vicinity.

That’s Fortunate, Missouri, in a nutshell—the town for abnormal paranormals. Nymph Romy, however, can one-up them all—her particular flaw is killing her. But thanks to a possible love spell, the wolf and the water sprite could be Romy’s key to cheating death. And the three misfits may find that even imperfect creatures can still create a sexy, loving, perfect union.

Inside Scoop: Sol, Romy and Lucien love each other—emotionally, spiritually and physically. Which means both ménage and male/male action. You lucky reader, you.

A Romantica® paranormal erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

Categories: Bisexual, Erotica, Fantasy, Fiction, Menage/Poly, Paranormal, Romance

Ellora’s Cave Publishing note:  “Kiss My Ass” Excerpt is only for those who are 18 years of age and older: By reading further, you state that you are 18 years of age or above:

An Excerpt From: KISS MY ASH
Copyright © RENEE GEORGE, 2014
All Rights Reserved, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.

Mathias was a korrigan, a fairy dwarf, and to his detriment, he’d been born male. An abomination amongst the korrigans, who were always female. Even his own mother had wanted him dead, but you can’t kill an immortal.

When he finally strolled out from behind the counter, his height no more than four feet, he held a red clay pot filled to the brim with a dark, loamy soil. Carefully, he handed it to Romy. “Here.”

She stepped away. “And what the hell am I supposed to do with dirt?” Maybe Mathias was tired of her bringing back dead plant after dead plant. It didn’t matter how much she watered the damn things, fed them, or even talked to them—none survived. She’d stopped giving them names after a while, awash with guilt and shame over each death.

His red eyes sparkled with excitement. “In this soil, there is a very special seed, my girl. Very rare and unique. I’m entrusting you with its care.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me. There is no way in hell I’m taking on a ‘rare and unique’ plant. No. No. No. Give me a hardy shrub or weed. Better yet, maybe a cabbage. I won’t feel so bad about a cabbage when it croaks.”

Romy was a dryad; specifically, an ash tree nymph. Which meant, in theory, plants should flourish around her, but she couldn’t even keep her own tree alive. Her mother had postulated it had something to do with the sperm donor, aka Romy’s biological father, but the elder dryad had refused to say more on the subject. Tree nymphs were traditionally a love-’em-and-leave-’em race of females. They didn’t get involved with beings they considered no more than means to an end. Males born to tree nymphs always developed into the same race as the male halves of the couplings, while the females were always dryads.

Unfortunately, something had gone very wrong in the making of Romy. It hadn’t taken long after the dryad equivalent of puberty set in before her people had decided she was toxic.

She pushed the pot back to Mathias. “Uh-uh. You’ve seen my track record.”

When her “birth defect” had eventually started to affect the trees of her forest six months ago, Romy had been summarily kicked out by the other dryads. Of course, her people had called it a “long, extended respite” and sent her to the town of Fortunate, Missouri.

The moniker, over the years, had become a joke. The town had been named after the Fortunate Isles, also called the Isles of the Blessed, and had been used for more than two hundred years as a dumping ground for the “paranormally challenged”. Those who didn’t fit in with their own kind were sent to Fortunate to finish out their days. For immortals like Mathias, the end of days was a long-ass time.

For Romy, well…without a tree to tend, she wouldn’t live another year, the chlorophyll drying in her veins. The plants were test subjects for her, to see if she could sustain life. So far, they’d served only to help ease the ache of dying. But as far as tending plants and making them flourish, she failed constantly.

For Mathias to trust her with a “special” plant…no way was she taking on that kind of responsibility.

It was one thing to kill a common houseplant, but a whole ’nother thing to be responsible for something “rare and unique”. Was Mathias crazy? Romy shook her head again. “I can’t. Don’t you have an air plant or something? Hell, those suckers don’t even require watering.”

He patted her hands, his fingers soothing and gentle. “Ah, but my dear, I hope this may be the answer to—”

Mathias’ explanation was cut off by a barking baritone. “Ah, shit!”

Romy put the pot on the counter as she scooted around Mathias to see who the unfamiliar voice belonged to.

In the greenhouse area beyond the main shop, two long, well-muscled legs and a firm ass, all packaged in perfectly tight jeans, stood nestled between two rows of plants.

“Hello,” Romy said.

The owner of the legs and ass straightened, making him a foot taller than Romy. And oh goddess, did he have an upper body and face to go with the lower half—thickly muscled chest and broad shoulders crowned by a face with bow lips, a Roman nose and the brightest green eyes. All framed by messy, shiny black hair that fell about his shoulders. It was as if the gods had decided to create perfection.

Ridiculous though—they would never do that. But hot damn, they’d come pretty close.

“Uh, hello yourself,” he said back, dusting his palms against his jeans.

His really low voice, which would have better suited a grizzly bear, sent a humming through Romy that made her body sing.
“What have you done now, Lucien?” Mathias asked when he walked into the back. His presence was enough to break the harmony, and Romy snapped out of her new-guy-induced daze.

“What a great name.” She smiled. It made her feel foolish, but she couldn’t punch down the giddiness.

“It’s a name.” He shrugged then leaned over again, which gave Romy another clear shot of his fabulous ass. When he stood once more, he held a small plant, cradling the roots carefully. He looked at Mathias. “I broke the pot, but the fern is fine.”

Lucien had a slight accent, but Romy couldn’t put her finger on the origin. If possible, it made the young man even more exotic and mysterious.

Mathias shook his head, making his red beard sweep his chest. “Where’s Sol?”

“I’m here!” Sol Winter, who’d been working for Mathias long before Romy had moved to Fortunate, stepped out from behind the last row of plants. He wore a baby-blue polo shirt that matched his light-blue eyes. It also complemented his tan, a deep golden bronze. Natural, according to him. Strange for an elf, but who was Romy to judge? His long blond hair was pulled into a ponytail. He often wore it down and spilling over his shoulders, but generally had it tied back for work.

Sol was taller than Lucien by several inches and a little broader. His smile brightened when he saw Romy. “Hey, you.” His mouth turned down in sympathy. “Kill another one?”

They’d had a strange relationship ever since Romy had arrived in Fortunate, which generally involved spirited banter and sarcasm. Even when the conversation turned a little mean, Romy was still thankful for Sol. He was the closest thing she had to a friend.

“Shut the fuck up.”

“Nice.” He raised a brow. “Bitchy much?”

Even though she was certain Sol was gay, it didn’t stop her from having some wicked fantasies about him. After all, the man was hot-hot and knew how to dress. “Takes one to know one.”

“Someone woke up on the wrong side of the oak this morning.” Sol scooped a handful of topsoil and pitched it at her.

“Oh no you didn’t.” In retaliation, Romy grabbed a nearby hose and squeezed the nozzle trigger, dowsing Sol where he stood.

“Stop!” Lucien yelled.

Too late. At Lucien’s shout, Romy turned, the spray of water slapping across the man’s face—and Lucien instantly melted into a clear puddle on the greenhouse floor.

Mortified, she dropped the hose. “Oh no!” She shook her head and stumbled forward. “What have I done?” Not only was she a plant killer, apparently she was a man killer as well.

Two lips formed in the clear pool. “I’m fine. Really.”

KMABadgeWords: 27,000
Tour Dates: November 26

Tour Stops:  Parker Williams, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Molly Lolly, The Hat Party, BFD Book Blog, For the Love of Bookends, Love Bytes, Tara Lain, Regular Guys, Hot Romance, It’s Raining Men, My Fiction Nook, Fallen Angel Reviews, Cate Ashwood, MM Good Book Reviews, Velvet Panic, Decadent Delights, Havan Fellows, LeAnn’s Book Reviews, Kimber Vale, Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, Queer Town Abbey

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $20 Amazon Gift Card.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Use the Rafflecopter link provided for the entry form and for all additional contest details.

Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mix it Up with B.A. Tortuga’s Deconstructing Channing Book Tour and Contest!

✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍

BlueChanningBanner300x250

 

Today our focus is on a blog favorite, B.A. Tortuga, and her latest shifter release, Deconstructing Channing!  It’s a M/M/F story and typically Tortuga hot!  Enter to win an eBook copy of Deconstructing Channing by using the Rafflecopter link here or at the end of the magnifying glass and bookpost!  Happy Reading all! Don’t forget, you must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍

BlueChanning600x600Banner

 

Book Name: Deconstructing Channing
Author Name: BA Tortuga

Author Bio:
Texan to the bone and an unrepentant Daddy’s Girl, BA Tortuga spends her days with her basset hounds, getting tattooed, texting her sisters, and eating Mexican food. When she’s not doing that, she’s writing. She spends her days off watching rodeo, knitting and surfing porn sites in the name of research. BA’s personal saviors include her wife (still amazing to say that), Julia Talbot, her best friend, Sean Michael, and coffee. Lots of coffee. Really good coffee.

Having written everything from fist-fighting rednecks to hard-core cowboys to werewolves, BA does her damnedest to tell the stories of her heart, which was raised in Northeast Texas, but has gone to the high desert mountains and fallen in love. With books ranging from hard-hitting GLBT romance, to fiery menages, to the most traditional of love stories, BA refuses to be pigeon-holed by anyone but the voices in her head.

Author Contact:

deconstructingchanning_msrTitle:  Deconstructing Channing
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Cover Artist: Kelly Martin
Pairing: M/M/F menage

Sales Links:   Ellora’s Cave          Amazon
Blurb:
When they were young together back in their werecat pride, Bowie and Channing experimented with love and sex, as well as flirting with a threesome with their best friend, Emma. Channing and Emma both ran from their needs, leaving Bowie to break away and find his own life. Now a confident master dominant, Bowie discovers Channing again through a video of a consummate sub, one who Bowie knows he needs to find once more.

When Bowie shows up on his doorstep, Channing feels like a teenager again, all confusion and need. He doesn’t date his own kind, only humans, and he’s not in the market for a full time master. Bowie is impossible to deny, a force of nature, and while both men know they’ll have to think about Emma eventually, now is the time to see if they can get to know, and love each other, all over again.

Excerpt:

The trip was designed to give him time. Time to figure out what he was going to say to Channing Lanier when he saw the sorry son of a bitch again.
He could start with “Hey, you rat bastard. Amazing how you came out after you dropped me like a hot rock.” That would be fun. Or maybe, “I thought you weren’t into spanking and bondage, and your precious asshole was sacrosanct, but now you’re a bottom in the underground BDSM scene,” would work better.
Bowie wouldn’t even be going to see said bottoming asshole if it wasn’t for the flyer tucked neatly away in his briefcase.

Tawny Catnip.

Seriously?

Their Emma was a fucking stripper?

A Vegas stripper? The revue was touted as a classy burlesque show and topless nightclub called Catnip Crazy.

Hell, the crazy thing was that both of his ex-lovers had called him a goddamn perv.

Him. Because he’d wanted them both. Because he’d wanted Emma over his lap. Because he’d wanted to see Channing bound and on his knees between the both of them.

Fuckers.

BlueBadgeChanningTour Dates: 8/27/14

Tour Stops: Parker Williams, Cate Ashwood, Inked Rainbow Reads, Andrew Q. Gordon, Prism Book Alliance, LeAnn’s Book Reviews, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Fallen Angel Reviews, Love Bytes, the Twins: Talon ps & Princess so, Iyana Jenna, Tara Lain, Wake Up Your Wild Side, MM Good Book Reviews, Carly’s Book Reviews, The Hat Party, Michael Mandrake

Rafflecopter Code to win an eBook copy of Deconstructing Channing...
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

April 2014 Summary of Reviews and Best Covers

april_month_with_umbrella_text    ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords April 2014 Reviews

 

 

 

Review KeyApril small calendar *Key:
S series
C contemporary
F-fantasy
SF-science fiction
PN-paranormal
SN-supernatural
H-historical
HR-horror
N-Nonfiction
YA-young adult
Rating Scale: 1 to 5, 5 stars is outstanding

books headers blk and white

 

 

 

* 5 Star Rating:
Blown Kisses (Whispering Winds #2) by Havan Fellows (PF2014) C
Every Time I Think Of You by Jim Provenzano C,
Message of Love by Jim Provenzano C, sequel
Queens of the Apocalypse by Rob Rosen, SN
When All The World Sleeps by Lisa Henry and JA Rock C
With Pride by Megan Derr F, S

4 to 4.75 Star Rating:
A Reason To Stay by RJ Scott (4.5) C, S
Bound To Be A Groom by Megan Mulry (4), H,
Cold Comfort by Lee Brazil (4.75) (PF2014) C, S
In Distress by Katey Hawthorne (4.25) SN, S
It’s Complicated by L.A. Witt (4), C, S
Poster Boy by Anne Tenino (4.5) C, S
The Calm Before by Neena Jaydon (4.5) F
The Forester II: Lost and Found by Blaine D. Arden (4) F, S
To The Other Side by S.J. Frost (4.5) F, S
Vampire Prince by S.J. Frost (4.5) SN

3 to 3.75 Star Rating:
Angel’s Truth (Angel #2) by Liz Borino (3) C, S
Floodgates by Mary Calmes (3) C
Haunted Halls by M Raiya (3.5) SN

2 to 2.75 Star Rating: None

✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍

Best Covers of April 2014

Floodgates cover Haunted Halls cover KH_indistress_coverlg_1Blown Kisses coverQueens of the Apocalypse coverThe Forester II- Lost and Found coverThe Forester coverWhenAllTheWorldSleeps_500x750_0

 

 

 

 

 

Floodgates, cover art by Reese Dante
Haunted Halls, cover art by Aisha Akeju
In Distress, cover art by PL Nunn
Pulp Friction 2014 covers by Laura Harner
Queens of the Apocalypse, cover art by Wilde City Press 
The Forester I and
The Forester II: Lost and Found covers by Nathie Block
When All the World Sleeps, cover art LC Chase

Now Cut that Out, Winner Announcements and the Week Ahead in Reviews, Author Guest Blogs, & Contests

✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍

Book with Glasses grey scale

 

Now Cut That Out!!!! 

Once again we seem to be on the weather rollercoaster of all time here in the DC area (ok, so much of the country is there with us).  One day 80 degrees, the next day snow and sleet.  No really, that was us last week. The Cherry Blossoms popped out over night and record crowds packed the Tidal Basin to take in the pink beauty and monuments.

For about 2 to 3 days.

And then the snow and sleet and winds and freezing cold set in once more.  I  don’t have to tell you what happened to most of the blossoms do I?  Yep, history.  So now the temps have climbed back to the 50’s and all the plants I moved outside are back indoors until who knows when.

Like me.

Maybe by the end of June I will be able to go outside and plant in the gardens.  I have so many plants that didn’t make it through this winter.  Le sigh.  Maybe I will use this as an excuse to plan some new gardens.  I will have plenty of bare patches to fill that’s for sure.

Now on to the business at hand.  I have several winner announcements listed below, for Abigail Roux’s Ball & Chain book tour . S.J. Frost’s Vampire Prince tour, and Blaine D. Arden’s The Forester II Guest Blog/Contest:

 And the Winners Are……

Winners of the Ball & Chain Book Tour and Contest are:

Jessie Miller
Shannonn Vandermark
Melissa Crisp
Denise Smith

Kathy Latimer
Debra Guyette
Laurie Peterson
Cindi Clubbs,
Scarlett Camaj
Nicole Martens

Winner of SJ Frost’s  Vampire Prince,  tour is :  A.J.

Winner of Blaine D. Arden’s The Forester isblackasphodel

???????????????????????????????????????Vampire Prince coverThe Forester II- Lost and Found coverThe Forester cover

 

 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations to all the winners.  My thanks goes out to everyone who participated as well as authors Abigail Roux and S.J. Frost for stopping by with such great posts and wonderful giveaways!

books headers blk and white

Now on to the week ahead in Reviews, Author Guest Blogs and Contests:

Monday, 4/21:            Haunted Halls by M Raiya
Tuesday, 4/22:            Queens of the Apocalypse by Rob Rosen
Wed., 4/23:                  Back to the Frat with Anne Tenino and her Poster Boy (Contest)
Thursday, 4/24:          Poster Boy by Anne Tenino
Friday, 4/25:               To the Other Side by S.J. Frost
Sat., 4/26:                    Blown Kisses by Havan Fellows

In the Author Spotlight: S.J. Frost on Vampire Prince (Giveaway)

✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍

spotlight on books

Vampire Prince cover

 

 In the Author Spotlight: SJ. Frost, Author of Vampire Prince

 ✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍

Good morning all!  ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords is happy to welcome author S.J. Frost here today.  She is going to be talking about her latest book, Vampire Prince, and the inspiration behind it.  To celebrate the release, she will be giving away a copy of this eBook. To enter to win,  leave a comment and an email address or other way to get in touch with you in the body of the comment.  A winner will be picked 4/12.

Welcome, S.J.!

SJF:

Hello, everyone! I’m thrilled to be a guest here and my thanks goes out to Melanie for the invitation! I’m going to be chatting about my newest release, Vampire Prince, published by Ellora’s Cave, and how the story came about. I’ll also be offering a free ebook copy of it to one lucky winner. Good luck to everyone who enters the giveaway!Vampire Prince cover

*
I’ve always enjoyed the vampire genre. There’s an allure to those immortal beings, who walk the line of being a monster or being human, that draws me in. Depending on the world an author or filmmaker has created for them, they can be fiendish and horrifying, or beautiful and seductive. Sometimes, they’re mix of all those elements.

*
As some of you who are familiar with my work may know, Vampire Prince isn’t my first foray into paranormal erotic romance or vampires. That came about with Natural Instincts, Book 1 in my Instincts series, published by MLR Press. When I set out to create my own vampire world in the Instincts series, though it may sound strange, I wanted to take much of the paranormal elements out of it. I wanted to create a vampire world where vampirism had a natural and evolutionary explanation. My vampires in that series maintained a closeness to having a human existence, since essentially, they’re a sub-species of human with greater evolutionary adaptations.

*
I loved the world I built in the Instincts series, but I still wanted to write more vampires. About a year ago, I began to see in my mind a beautiful young man trapped in a desperate situation. He was locked in a sparsely furnished room, his head down, unable to escape. A blood slave, forced to give his blood and body to vampires, but who still held strong to the dream of having his freedom again. That young man would turn out to be one of the main characters for Vampire Prince, Sebastian Beaumont.

*
After I understood Sebastian and his situation, I knew it would take a strong hero to help him and that’s when the other main character stepped forward, the elegant and beautiful vampire prince, Valentin Wyndham.

*
Valentin was an interesting character to me. A little more than three hundred-years old, because of his age, he’s earned the title of “prince” among vampire society and he’s still very much the noble gentlemen he’d always been. He has a strong sense of compassion and protectiveness toward Sebastian, but little patience for other vampires. Though the story had the potential to take a dark turn with Sebastian being a blood slave, I knew right away that nothing would be forced between Sebastian and Valentin. They were two characters who needed each other, but in different ways. Vampire Prince, from beginning to end, would be a love story.

*
As the story began unfolding in my mind, I realized this was a vampire tale different from any I’d yet written. Really, the entire story was going to challenge me in a whole new way and I was very excited about that. I saw not only the opportunity to write a vampire story, but also a paranormal story all around. The vampires could have greater supernatural strengths. I could write a demon as a secondary character…a very cocky demon with a crocodile entity as a companion. I could bring in elements of magic and summoning. I could stretch my writing wings and tell a paranormal story with any and all kinds of supernatural elements.

*
For me, that’s one of the reasons I love vampires stories and movies. While they all may share that common platform of being about those blood drinkers, the only limits to what can be done with them is what an author or filmmaker puts on them. The vampire theme can be reinvented and explored in endless ways, different supernatural elements can be brought in. With Vampire Prince, I kept the parameters open and ran where the characters were leading me. And those characters led me on a journey that as it was drawing to an end, even though I’d thought the story would be a single novel, I knew I would be returning to the world and the characters. I’d fallen in love with them and already wanted to work with them more and let the world grow further.

*
Now that the book is available, I hope all who give it a read will enjoy the story of Sebastian and his vampire prince, Valentin, as much as I loved writing it.

Thanks, SJ, for stopping by and bringing a copy of Vampire Prince to giveaway.  I have the book details for Vampire Prince below.  Remember to enter to win a copy, just leave a comment and a way we can get in touch with you in the body of the comment.  By entering you are acknowledging that you are over the age of 18. Good luck and happy reading.

Author Bio:
S.J. Frost is a multi-published author of sweet and sexy gay erotic romance stories. Contemporary, paranormal, fantasy and historical, she likes to dabble in a little bit of everything, but her stories always contain love, passion and romance. She encourages readers to contact her, so do please feel welcome to send her an email or track her down on the Internet and say hi!

You can contact S.J. Frost at:

****************************************************************************

Vampire Prince coverVampire Prince

ebook, 218 pages
Published March 7th 2014 by Ellora’s Cave
original title Vampire Prince
ISBN 1419948601 (ISBN13: 9781419948602)
edition language English
Ellora’ Cave Vampire Prince link
characters:Sebastian Beaumont, Valentin Wyndham
setting: Savannah, Georgia (United State

Blurb:

For three years, Sebastian has lived as a blood slave, giving his blood and body to vampires. He’s a prisoner, owned by the blood house he serves. Sebastian dreams of freedom, of feeling the sun and wind on his face once again.

Valentin has earned the title of vampire prince. But status and age haven’t brought him love. When his blood craving grows too demanding to be ignored, he goes to the blood house and finds himself entranced by the spirited Sebastian.

Their passion is strong, their connection to each other undeniable. Sebastian wants to be Valentin’s, and Valentin wants to keep Sebastian—forever. The danger of giving the blood slave his freedom is high and the price might be both their lives.

Review: Vampire Prince by S.J. Frost

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Vampire Prince cover

For three years Sebastian Beaumont has fought against his imprisonment as a sex/blood slave in a vampire brothel but now he feels like dying.  Abducted after he was thrown up by his parents for being gay, Sebastian longs for freedom, his music, and to see the sun again but has seen his hopes fade over time and the years of abuse.  When a new vampire buys his services, Sebastian has no idea that his future is about to change.

Prince Valentin Wyndham has just arrived in Savannah, Georgia, from his home in Europe. A quick need for blood sends him to a nearby blood house and a timely replenishment. But the blood slave Valentin chooses offers so much more than Valentin expected.

A prince by age, Valentin’s far different from any vampire Sebastian has served.  Their one night is full of surprising passion and something more, a deep connection that forms between them that neither expected.  Valentin has been burned before by a human but Sebastian is different and he wants Sebastian for himself, no matter the cost.

Giving a blood slave his freedom is dangerous, as Valentin knows.  But he wants Sebastian by his side and will do whatever it takes to make that possible.

Vampire Prince is the beginning of a new vampire series by S.J. Frost and it looks to be a marvelous one.  Frost lays out her universe almost immediately with the vampire hierarchy and the hidden blood houses that service vampires. We see it all from the “legal, well-maintained houses” whose humans are contracted and well taken care of to the disreputable establishments,like the one that owns Sebastian. These are dark, barred prisons,seedy, run down and smelling of death and despair. They disregard all legalities, vampire and human, to obtain their slaves.  The hopelessness and abuse of the blood slaves like Sebastian translate beautifully in the descriptions and dialog between Sebastian and House Master Wesley in the beginning chapters.  The stage is set for the arrival of Prince Valentin and we are not disappointed.

S.J. Frost lays out her cast for much of the series here.  We get Valentin, and Sebastian, true.  But also Basil, Valentin’s best friend and cousin who happens to be a fellow vampire. Basil is a great character that’s so much fun no matter what scene he’s in.  Basil is the voice of reason and a great deal of snark! A demon named Sal and his pet Beezle, both of whom are quite adorable and charming as well, close out the main group or family here.  They manage to steal away every scene they’re in. There is even an old boyfriend of sorts, Malcolm, who I am sure we will see more of in the future stories.  That is a lot of characters to juggle in one story, but S.J. Frost handles the job well.  These are not brief character introductions but beings that are important not only to the plot but to the household the author is establishing as the base of operations for her series.

I have to admit demon Sal and Beezle became early favorites.  Between the red hair and blue eyes of the form Sal prefers and Beezle who likes to be carried like a shih tzu  but can become the size of a dinosaur, their charming company is one the reader looks forward to whenever they pop up in the plot, whether its to quip about relationships or dive into action.  I really couldn’t get enough of them.  Or Basil as well.

But the heart of this story is Valentin and Sebastian. I love Sebastian.  He is strong and vulnerable, loyal and intelligent and of course, so very beautiful.  And while we have seen this persona before, in Frost’s Sebastian this type of character comes to life as someone we want to see succeed and find love.  Sebastian asks us to invest our emotions in him and we do.  And as Sebastian is in dire need of a knight in shining armor, Frost gives him one in Valentin, a valiant protector who arrives in a Jaguar instead of a horse.

Valentin is a prince no less, an odd mixture of old world sensibilities and New World beliefs. Valentin finds the idea of wearing blue jeans abhorent but sees humans not just as food but as people worthy of so much more, including his respect.  He is the hero that Sebastian needs desperately and the scenes that will give readers the most satisfaction is where he comes to the rescue time and again.  True Valentin seems more Prince Charming to me than age old vampire.  But the dark grittiness of other vampire heroes really has no place here.  Valentin is a vampire looking for love and a final companion. And now he has one in Sebastian.  And their chemistry together is red hot, and oh, so sexy!

But not all the villains are slain and not all the story threads tied up.  Valentin and Sebastian are just starting out on their relationship and Sebastian is adjusting to freedom and his new life.  Basil, and Sal are in need of romance. What on earth does Frost have in store for these scene stealers?  I can’t wait to find out. And then there is a character who redeemed himself, ok just a little, and I expect to see him again as well.  And Beezle?  Is there a mate out there for Beezle too?  It’s with gleeful joy that I anticipate the answers that Frost will deliver in the coming stories.

I really enjoyed this story. Equal parts romp, romance and drama, Vampire Prince, is a wonderful start to a new series.  I giggled, sighed and even sniffed a time or two.  And now I can’t wait for more.  Vampire Prince is a must read for all lovers of romance, vampires and especially vampire romance.

Cover design by Fiona Jayde.  Sexy cover, just perfect for the story.

 

Book Details:

ebook, 218 pages
Published March 7th 2014 by Ellora’s Cave
original titleVampire Prince
ISBN 1419948601 (ISBN13: 9781419948602)
edition languageEnglish
url http://www.ellorascave.com/vampire-prince.html
charactersSebastian Beaumont, Valentin Wyndham
settingSavannah, Georgia (United States)

Contest Winner Announcements and the Week Ahead in Reviews, Author Spotlights and Contests

 

✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍

Announcement clip art

 

 

 

****************************

Winners of the Book Tour Contests and Author Spotlights

 

Every Inch of the Way coverFreeFalling_500x750Angel's Hero cover

To The Very Last Inch

 

 

 

*

  • Winners of The Professor’s Rule Tours (Every Inch of the Way and To the Very Last Inch) by Heidi Belleau and Amelia C. Gormley. Winners are Sonja and Flutterfli. Congratulations to you both. And my thanks to Heidi Belleau for Amelia C. Gormley for stopping by on their tour and bringing the contest with them.
  • Winners of SE Jakes Free Falling Book Tour Contest are: Kathleen Power,Robbie Bauldree, and Kassandra Appel.  They won  SIGNED copies of SE Jakes’s Hell or High Water series: Catch a Ghost and Long Time Gone.   Congratulations to all three!
  • Winner of Kerry Adrienne’s novel, Beautiful One, is Ashley E. Congratulations to Ashley E and my thanks to everyone who stopped by and left comments.

 

✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍

Now for the Week Ahead: Short and sweet this week!  Mell Eight is a new author for me.  I have already reviewed The Oracle’s Flame, the first in her new series.  This week I start off my reviews with the second story, The Oracle’s Hatchling which will  lead into Mell Eight’s Author Spotlight on Wednesday.  Thursday  I am reviewing When All the World Sleeps by Lisa Henry and J.A. Rock.  I really wasn’t sure what I was going to feel about this story and it just amazed me with its intensity, and commanding characters.  Dark and a must read.  Friday is the second in Liz Boreno’s Angel series, Angel’s Truth. And finally, SJ Frost is here to finish out the week by talking about her new vampire series and book, Vampire Prince.

And its April.  Will the snow finally stop and the cherry blossoms start to bloom?  Who knows?  We can only hope….

This Week’s Schedule:

  •  Monday, March 31:        The Oracle’s Hatchling by Mell Eight
  • Tuesday, April 1:             Vampire Prince by SJ Frost
  • Wed., April 2:                   Author Spotlight & Contest: Mell Eight
  • Thursday, April 3:          When All the World Sleeps by Lisa Henry and J.A. Rock
  • Friday, April 4:                Angel’s Truth by Liz Boreno
  • Sat., April 5:                    Author Spotlight & Contest: SJ Frost

 

Review: Artist’s Touch (Guild #1) by Kerry Adrienne

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

artiststouch_coverWallace Harte has a English degree and a passion for writing.  But Wally has a huge writer’s block and inspiration is lacking as are jobs. To make ends meet, he has become a bartender. When a job bartending opens up at a new art exhibition by master painter Kenon Alavi, Wally eagerly accepts and forever changes his life.

Kenon Alavi is an artist highly in demand by starlets and stars, rich and the powerful. As an portrait artist, Kenon commands high prices and attention where he goes and for whatever commission he deigns to accept.  Kenon is also a major player when it comes to romance and sexual conquests.  Hurt and betrayed by a former lover, now Kenon enjoys only the most superficial of relationships and brief sexual encounters of the non involved kind.

When Kenon spots Wally behind the bar at his opening, he intends to add Wally to the list of sexual  conquests he had made, a tag line in a long list of games he has played and nothing more.  But Wally flees from Kenon’s attention despite his obvious attraction to the artist.  Dismayed and a little intrigued, Kenon pursues the young writer, getting far more involved with Wally than he anticipated in the process.

Meanwhile, Wally’s muse has awakened and its focused on Kenon and Wally’s growing love for the man.  What will happen when Kenon finds he is the source and main character in Wally’s romance?

Artist’s Touch was enjoyable romantic story, my first from this author. I found it to be sweet without being too cloying,  and based on a terrific premise of an artist’s guild, G3,  which Adrienne is developing into a series.  There was so much about Artist’s Touch that I liked, from the plot to most of the characters that the positive elements outweighed the few issues I had with the story. So let’s start with those first.

The character of Wallace Harte is a real plus here.  He is a naive young man, recent college graduate, living the life of a poor writer in New York City.  Kerry Adrienne’s descriptions of Wally’s living quarters (almost that size) are wonderful. From the conditions around him, and the tiny space where Wally resides and writes to the old neighbor habitually found sitting on the front steps, it all feels remarkably real.  The six story walkup has a dingy, confined authenticity that makes it easy to visualize Wally at home, trying to write on that small desk and poor lighting.  With his  innocence and naivete, Wally is such an easy character to connect with, and even when his writing (which we get to read) becomes a bit florid, well, than he’s young and its sort of adorable.

Less easy to relate to is the character of Kenon Alavi.  I like a difficult character, and feel it’s certainly not necessary to make all main character’s easy people to connect with or even like.  But for a romance to succeed, than that character must make a realistic journey from jerk to a person capable of love or deserving of it in the mind of a reader.  Especially if there is a large perception in the status between the two men in the relationship.  Poor/rich, innocent/worldly….the reader automatically comes down on the side of the young and poor.  So the other character has to work that much harder if their persona is that of someone not worthy of the other’s person’s attention and trust.

Kenon is unfortunately at the heart of most of my issues with this story.  We flip back and forth between Kenon’s and Wally’s pov.  With Kenon, we hear all about the “game of conquest” he is planning for Wally.  Yet when a friend calls him on his behavior, then he is quick to tears and hurt.  His actions never seem particularly adult (more like delayed adolescence).  Further events are precipitated when he believes the words of someone he despises over friends, which strains the reader’s credulity.  As I stated before, when you have created a self involved and arrogant character than you need to give yourself enough time in the narrative to make his realization of his past actions and redemption plausible.  And that never quite happens here.  Instead there is a rather quick resolution and an equally fast “I love you” to smooth over all the arguments and misunderstandings that had arisen between Wally and Kenon.

Circling this disparate duo is other intriguing characters that are a part of the G3 artists guild.  One is Bos, a mosaic artist and close friend of Kenon (although you never quite understand why).  The other one I throughly enjoyed was the Russian artist, Andrei.  An absolute rogue and a pain in Kenon’s side, his lively and sarcastic nature just cries out for his own story.  And his was a character that, at least, treated the workers and other guild members of G3 far better than Kenon did.  Again, not a good sign when a secondary character is preferable to a main one.

In the end, however, you want Wally to get his HEA, no matter how farfetched it feels, because you have come to care about him and his future.  And he does get it.  The G3 guild that Adrienne has created is a wonder of a vehicle for more stories.  I loved her descriptions of the place and the guild politics that seem to be swirling around the players involved.  I certainly hope to see Andrei again.  Guild-mate Bos too.  So onto Guild story #2.

If you are looking for a quick, sweet romance, Wally and his story is sure to pull you right in.  Pick it up and decide for yourself.

Cover design by Kelly Martin.  What a great cover, that model is gorgeous and absolutely perfect for Kenon as described.

Book Details:

ebook, 147 pages
Published February 26th 2014 by Ellora’s Cave
ISBN 1419947621 (ISBN13: 9781419947629)
edition language English
Buy link: Ellora’s Cave
ARC copy received in return for fair review given.