Category: Loose id

Special Guest Blog: Viki Lyn’s ‘Perceived Love (character interview, excerpt and giveaway)

VL_PerceivedLove_coverin

Perceived Love by Viki Lyn
 Release Date: October 27, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Loose ID
Cover Artist: April Martinez

Ever wanted to ask questions of a character in a story?  We got the chance . Dr. Will Ryner from Viki Lyn’s Perceived Love is in the interview chair today.  Here is the interview.

Dr. Will Ryner’s Interview from Perceived Love by Viki Lyn:

Q. What is your biggest fear? I thought my biggest fear was not living up to my parent’s dream that I would make something of myself. I strive to be the best in my profession. But I learned that my biggest fear is losing Nate again. Now that I have him back in my life I never want him to leave again.

Q. What is your most prized possession? My, no, our home. I bought a floating house in Sausalito. It’s a converted ferry and still has the original wooden paddle wheel. Owning one of these gloried houseboats had been a dream of ours when we were first together. I’m so happy that Nate and I can share this dream.

Q. What do you enjoy doing on your day off? Spending time with Nate. Our work schedules are hectic and we rarely have quality time together during the week. So the weekends are important to us. We like to go kayaking on the bay, wine tasting, and take walks along the Presidio. There’s always something to do in the city.

Q Where do you hope to be in five years? Married. I also would like to have children, but I haven’t discussed this with Nate yet. I think he’s of the same mind as me. At least I hope so. I already have the rings hidden in the back of the dresser drawer. I’m waiting for the right moment to pop the question.

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Blurb

When psychic Nate Coleman dreams of a murder, he knows it’s a premonition. He can’t forget the image of his ex-lover with a bullet hole through his chest. Nate has no choice but to confront Will and face the skeptical scientist’s ridicule.

Dr. William Ryner doesn’t believe in what he can’t prove. When Nate comes back into his life, it’s not to rekindle their love, but to bring up more of that mumbo jumbo that split them apart.

Despite Will’s refusal to listen, Nate can’t ignore the premonition. And, Will can’t ignore Nate. Before the gunman strikes, Will must either trust in Nate’s ability or rely only on the facts, but if he does the latter, pride could be the death of him.

NOTE: This story is a do-over, and has almost tripled in size! This book was previously published but has been revised and edited in this edition.

 

 

Excerpt

Nate woke with a start, his heart pounding. He reached for the water glass on the nightstand and almost dropped it. Rarely did he dream of death, but when he did, he took notice. That it was Will he’d seen in his nightmare made it more complicated.

No matter. Nate had a responsibility to explore the possibility that this was a precognitive dream. Beyond that, he didn’t want to think about the consequences of taking action.

Nate grabbed his sketchbook from his nightstand. He picked up a charcoal pencil and sketched the dream images before they vanished from his mind—the gunman had worn an orange baseball cap and dark hoodie. Nate recognized the oval-shaped plaza with its pruned elm trees and classical bandstand. Will and Nate used to jog the trails throughout Golden Gate Park, and Spreckels Temple of Music had been one of their favorite places to see a concert.

There would be no reason for Will to be on a stage, especially a bandstand in San Francisco. He had moved after their breakup and now lived in London. Yet Nate couldn’t shake off the sense of dread. Maybe he had substituted Spreckels for a place in London? Sometimes his dreams were hard to interpret. Images were often metaphors.

But this nightmare… Shit. The man with the gun could be a metaphor for himself. He did own an orange baseball cap stuffed away in the back of his closet.

Pages or Words: 28,000 words
 Categories: Gay fiction, Fiction, M/M Romance

Buy the book: Loose id

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Meet the Author

Rainbow Award winner, Viki Lyn is a successful writer of sexy romance, both gay and straight. She likes a challenge and at times breaks the rules of her genre. But always, it’s the romance that drives her stories to their happily-ever-after. You can also find her at Viki Vina Romance – the site of her books co-authored with Vina Grey. Check out their popular Orbus Arcana m/m vampire series!

 

 

Where to find the author:

 

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Tour Dates & Stops:

2-Nov: Jessie G. Books, Havan Fellows

3-Nov: Love Bytes, BFD Book Blog, Parker Williams

4-Nov: Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

5-Nov: Lee Brazil, MM Good Book Reviews

6-Nov: Bayou Book Junkie, Mikky’s World of Books

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $10 Loose ID Gift Card.  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 BJ Review: Darker Space (Dark Space #2) by Lisa Henry

Rating:  4.25 stars out of 5

Darker Space coverBrady Garrett is back on Earth. He’s living with his partner Cam and they’re raising his sister Lucy together. Life is better than some feral reffo from Kopa has any right to hope, and Brady knows it. He’s even grateful for it, most of the time. He loves Cam, even though he’s afraid that he’s not good enough for him, and he’s still having nightmares about the alien Faceless.

Cameron Rushton loved being a pilot once, and he still feels the pull of the starlight. He’s building a life with Brady now, and with Lucy. Life is good, even if it’s not without its complications. Both Brady and Cam are dealing with the endless cycle of interviews, tests, and questions that the military hierarchy hopes will reveal the secrets of the aliens who could very easily destroy humanity. They have each other though, and together they’re making it work.

But from out in the black, Kai-Ren is still watching and everything Brady and Cam think they’ve won, they stand to lose all over again.

I absolutely adored Dark Space, so this book really had a lot to live up to. And I got a bit nervous when, unlike book one, this one didn’t drag me into the story immediately. In fact, for me the beginning was slow and somewhat repetitious. At a little over 20%, just as I was getting rather tired of Brady’s self-deprecation and whining, everything changed. With one little italicized sentence, my entire attention was captured. From that point on the story had me locked on target and the reading flowed quick and smooth.

Brady had to grow quite a bit in this story, and I admired all the changes he went through (sometimes kicking and screaming). More than ever, this book highlights the differences between Cam and Brady. Brady is brimming full of emotion, anger being high on the list, but also love and fear. Once things started moving, I enjoyed his inner monologues, irreverent way of looking at everything, and liberal use of foul mouthing even in his internal dialogue and the middle finger. Cam’s faith and steadfastness were perfect. I adored Cam. Although I must say that little Lucy very nearly stole the show. What a great young character. Her fearlessness, wonder, trust, and even her bratty/spoiled moments were perfect.

The emotional connection between the two main characters is perfect, even during the parts where they struggle—maybe even more so at those parts. Brady put Cam on a pedestal; one he felt he wasn’t good enough to ever reach… and this is sort of his journey to get there maybe. The book has steam, but not quite the heat of the first book. Well, except that I absolutely adored the final scene with Brady, Cam and Kai-Ren. Now that was lovely!

And the end? Well, it’s really more of a beginning. I absolutely can’t wait for the next installment. There will be one, right?

The cover ties in well with the one from book one and marks its sci-fi genre well.

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

Book Details:

 ebook, 228 pages
Published October 13th 2015 by Loose Id
ISBN139781682520239
edition languageEnglish

series Dark Space 

Dark Space (Dark Space #1)
Darker Space (Dark Space #2)

A BJ Review: Dark Space (Dark Space #1) by Lisa Henry

Rating:  5 stars out of 5   ★★★★★

Dark Space coverBrady Garrett needs to go home. He’s a conscripted recruit on Defender Three, one of a network of stations designed to protect the Earth from alien attack. He’s also angry, homesick, and afraid. If he doesn’t get home he’ll lose his family, but there’s no way back except in a body bag.

Cameron Rushton needs a heartbeat. Four years ago Cam was taken by the Faceless—the alien race that almost destroyed Earth. Now he’s back, and when the doctors make a mess of getting him out of stasis, Brady becomes his temporary human pacemaker. Except they’re sharing more than a heartbeat: they’re sharing thoughts, memories, and some very vivid dreams.

Not that Brady’s got time to worry about his growing attraction to another guy, especially the one guy in the universe who can read his mind. It doesn’t mean anything. It’s just biochemistry and electrical impulses. It doesn’t change the truth: Brady’s alone in the universe.

Now the Faceless are coming and there’s nothing anyone can do. You can’t stop your nightmares. Cam says everyone will live, but Cam’s probably a traitor and a liar like the military thinks. But that’s okay. Guys like Brady don’t expect happy endings.

Lovely sci-fi story. Intriguing premise, wonderful writing that dragged me right into the action and didn’t let me go. Awesome world-building. But overall it was the characters that blew me away. Such nuance! The telepathy between the two main characters was handled beautifully. Cam’s face and reputation had drilled into Brady’s mind. But everyone had given him up for dead. Now he’s not only back among the living, but connected to Brady. In his head. Heart beats synced. But really… imagine having to share your head with a sexy, poster boy soldier emerging from a traumatic experience that you yourself could never have endured.

For me, this story showed so clearly how two people often react so completely differently to the same experience. How they handle it and deal with it in ways that the other may even find hard to understand. While one person may come through an event mostly unscathed and may even look back and see the positives that came from it, another may come away severely damaged.  Cam came through the traumatic events with Kai-Ren and the faceless, but Brady clearly would not have been able to do the same.

Despite the dark elements of this story (prior non-con for both main characters, scary, no terrifying, aliens, and even the death of secondary character) and the dismal dystopian world in which it’s set, the relationship that develops between these two MCs is amazingly sweet and their sex nurturing as well as sizzling hot. The angst was handled perfectly.

For those who don’t believe in gay-for-you, give this one a try. It might change your mind. That element was excellently handled. I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that Brady didn’t have any lengthy self-hating, but analyzed and accepted what he was feeling. Heck, every element was excellently handled. This was a stunning story—I couldn’t have asked for anything more. Well, yes, I could. I want more! And luckily, the author seems to have heard our cry as book two, Darker Space, is out now. Look for my review here soon.

The cover set’s the theme perfectly as m/m sci-fi… the darker, muted colors work perfect for the novel’s tone. The model is exactly how I had pictured the main character Brady.

Sales Links:   Loose id LLC | ARe | Amazon | Buy It Here


Book Details:

ebook, 216 pages
Published December 4th 2012 by Loose Id, LLC
original titleDark Space
ISBN139781623001124
seriesDark Space #1

Dark Space
Darker Space (Dark Space)

Get All Types of Supernatural Fun with Katey Hawthorne and Jenna Rose’s Kanaan & Tilney: The Case of the Arms Dealers (authors interview and giveaway)

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Kanaan & Tilney: The Case of the Arms Dealers
by  Jenna Rose and Katey Hawthorne

Published by Loose id LLC
Cover artist: Dar Albert

Buy it at Loose id LLC | Amazon | All Romance (ARe)

blog tour

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Katey Hawthorne and Jenna Rose stopping by today to talk  about their new novel, Kanaan & Tilney: The Case of the Arms Dealers.  We decided to switch things up and asked them to interview each other for a change.  Hmmmm, can the unexpected be far  behind?

~ Katey Hawthorne and Jenna Rose Interview Each Other~

Hello, hello, and welcome to our Release Week blog tour for Kanaan & Tilney: The Case of the Arms Dealers. Thanks for having us, STaRW crew.  We’re Jenna Rose and Katey Hawthorne, and we’re here to interview each other. Let’s see where this goes…

☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠

Katey: So, Jenna. We had the characters of Lowell Kanaan and John Tilney already, you and I, but do you remember the moment when we were inspired to actually write a book together about them?

Jenna: I do! We were close to done writing them and realized how much we were going to miss them. Then you suggested to keep them going and turn their adventures into a book. It kinda exploded from there.

Katey: Yyyeah ‘exploded’ is a good word for it. I remember we were talking about them just investigating stuff, since that was Lowell’s thing all along. I think we were watching Supernatural soon after, too. Not that it’s at all like Supernatural, just that there are, uh, supernatural small-s elements. It’s a lot more… I can’t think of a good TV show comparison…

Jenna: Haha, neither can I, really. I guess it takes inspiration from everywhere, but I do remember us watching Supernatural at the time. And probably complaining about the lack of lbtqia+ and poc characters…

Katey: As we are wont to do, yes.

Jenna: What about Lowell and John made you feel they’d translate well into a book?

Katey: They’re so different. Like, on the surface, they have nothing in common, but at the same time their main interests fit together like puzzle pieces. Lowell solving mysteries to help people, John writing mysteries that require skills of observation and organization.

Jenna: I could never get over how well they hit it off. Like, right from the start.

Katey: Right? Lowell is all survival instinct, too, and John has like, none.

Jenna: And Lowell is so not a people person, whereas John is. They balance each other out.

Katey: Also true. So in that way they supply each other’s weaknesses, and that’s a really good thing to have in a couple you’re writing. Just the opportunity to show them making each other stronger and better people–which all my favorite couples do.

Jenna: Mine too! As you already know very well.

Katey: Do I ever, darling! Okay so John was sort of initially my creation, but by the end of the novel you knew him and how to write him as well as I did, certainly. What’s your favorite thing about being in the driver’s seat with him, when it’s your turn?

Jenna: That’s a good question! The tone of the writing. I love my grouchy Lowell, but John is much more, uh, colorful? and it is a lot of fun. It means getting to write so many crazy and clever things.

Katey: Colorful, that’s a word he’d like, too! Putting it, uh, nicely.

Jenna: I love that weirdo, okay.

As someone who is demisexual, it was great having my hand in helping develop a demisexual character too. I want to see more ace-spectrum characters out there.

Katey: Yeah that was really important to me, too, and I was so pleased you were into it, with John. That’s one of my favorite things about the book in general.

Jenna: Mine too. I was really happy when you mentioned you were considering writing John as demi. Representation for ace people is hard to find. I know I, for one, went a very long time not even knowing asexuality was a thing. So, it’s important to me to, I dunno, put characters out there that someone might be able to relate to, I guess.

But, enough about me! What about writing Lowell was your favorite?

Katey: I am glad you asked that! What I love about Lowell is that his actions show more than his words say, always. So writing him is a lot of fun in that way. He’s pretty clammed up, but also his every little move or thought says volumes.

Jenna: And is just one more thing about them that is so different! Lowell is more show than tell, and John, who wears his heart on his brightly-colored sleeve, is the other way around. It works really well for them.

Katey: Also true. That stuff really does make it so much fun when writing–and even more when writing back and forth with  you. Then there’s always a slight element of surprise, even though we know where the scene is going in general.

Jenna: That’s one of my favorite things about co-writing. As is, characters tend to surprise you when you’re writing on your own, but throw another person in the mix and the results are even better. You end up with dialogue or perspective you may never would have otherwise.

Katey: Totally. It’s more of an adventure that way.

Okay so my last question: We’ve got Necromorphs, Terrans, Elementalists, Beasts, and Psychogenics, in terms of powers. John is an Elementalist, in particular, he’s pyrokinetic. Lowell is a Beast, a wolf-shifter. But what’s your actual favorite kind of power in the praeternatural community Kanaan & Tilney inhabit?

Jenna: That’s a tough one. They all have cool aspects to them, but I’d probably have to say Beast. Being able to turn into something like a wolf is awesome. Or maybe a Terran? My least favorite, or, rather, the one I’d never want to have, is Psychogenic. I sooo want nothing to do with telepathy or mind-control or talking to ghosts.

What about you?

Katey: Yeah as much as I’d love to be able to throw fire or rocks or whatever like an Elementalist, I have way too much of a temper to be trusted with that, sorry to say. I’d probably go Terran. I like the idea of being sort of interlinked with nature in a more explicit way than humanity is even now, you know? Also I am apparently a big old hippie on the inside… the vegetarianism was a giveaway, maybe…

Jenna: That’s what I like about Terrans too.

So, last question from me! What’s something in the Kanaan & Tilney world that we haven’t written about yet that you would like to?

Katey: Oh man, that’s good. This now officially a plotting session! Now I think of it, I’d like to deal with how the non-praeternaturals explain away a lot of the things that go on. Like, we kinda go into Cryptids being their explanation for shifted Beast sightings. Having a non-praeternatural perspective could be entertaining. What do you think?

Jenna: That’d be awesome! I’d love to see more of how the two worlds collide, or for a human to become of a world they had no idea existed. It would be fun to see how much is because humans just convince themselves of something, and how much is because praeternaturals actively cover things up too.

Katey: Yeah it’s a thing we’re kind of skirting, waiting for it to become plot relevant so we can delve in, really. We should totally find an excuse to go there.

Jenna: I agree. And I’m sure we’ll find one. We always do. Haha!

Katey: Just like we always find a way to make puns relevant.

Jenna: It’s true. Any excuse, really.

Thanks, Jenna and Katey, that was spectacular.  Now for more about Kanaan & Tilney: The Case of the Arms Dealers, and don’t forget to enter the giveaway at the end of the post.

–Blurb–

JR_KW_kanaan and tilney_coverinJohn Tilney–praeternatural pyrokinetic and mystery author–has noticed the bottom dropping out of the market for his usual gothic fare, so he goes to Lowell Kanaan, PI, for a crash course in noir. Lowell, the cranky wolf-shifter detective, isn’t sure why he agrees to let John shadow him–though it might have something to do with John’s weirdly endearing honesty… and pretty lips. John thinks he’s found the perfect detective novel hero in Lowell, but it isn’t long before he realizes he doesn’t want Lowell for his book, but for himself.

As they become entangled in a supernatural whodunnit involving the Zombie Mafia, black market body parts, and shady insurance deals, their partnership grows closer–and hotter. But when it comes down to the wire, Lowell’s wolfy protective side threatens to drive John around the bend, or at least out of the office. Good thing John’s as much sunshine as he is fire; hopefully it’s enough to help them catch a murderer before they end up in literal pieces, too.

 

Author Bios

 Jenna Rose is an avid reader and writer, particularly when it comes to science-fiction and fantasy.  Currently, she works as a receptionist, but her real love is writing. In her free time, she likes to read comic books, play video games, and waste time on the internet. She currently lives in Massachusetts with her dog, Harley.
Katey Hawthorne is a reader and writer of superpowered romance, even though the only degree she holds is in the history of art. (Or, possibly, because the only degree she holds is in the history of art.) Originally from the Appalachian foothills of West Virginia, she currently lives in Ohio. In her spare time she enjoys comic books, B-movies, loud music, Epiphones, and Bushmills.

Both authors can be contacted at:

Katey Hawthorne:

Website: http://www.kateyhawthorne.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hawthornetaylor
Tumblr: http://hawthornetaylor.tumblr.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katey.hawthorne.33

Jenna Rose:

Website:http://www.jennarosewrites.com/
Tumblr:http://jennarosewrites.tumblr.com/

Giveaway

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the authors.  Good luck everyone!

GIVEAWAY: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/MzEwNTUzNWQxNzFmNmFhYmFmNTkxNGFhNTJjNjlkOjI=/?

Its Back to Science Fiction with Lisa Henry’s Darker Space (author guest post and giveaway)

Darker Space cover

Darker Space (Dark Space #2) by Lisa Henry
Published by Loose id LLC
Cover art by Mina Carter
Purchase it at Loose id | Amazon | ARe

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Lisa Henry here today to talk about her latest series and release, Darker Space. Welcome, Lisa, tell us a little about the writing the characters and the sequel to Dark Space, Darker Space.

When it came to writing Darker Space, the sequel to Dark Space, it meant getting back into Brady’s head which, although always an entertaining place to explore, isn’t exactly filled with rainbows and sunshine. Brady is probably one of my favourite characters to write, but he’s a challenge. In Dark Space he was unhappy, afraid, and filled with anger and self-loathing. In Darker Space he’s grown a little, but he’s still very much a work in progress.

It was important for me to show that Brady’s grown in the sequel, and that he’s trying to put the past behind him. Obviously the past, in the form of Kai Ren, shows up again, but Brady’s also haunted by the past in more insidious ways. At the beginning of Darker Space he’s back on Earth, and he and Cam are raising his sister Lucy together. Lucy was Brady’s main focus in Dark Space. His knowledge that she wouldn’t survive if he was stuck in space for the rest of the term of his military service was what made him so angry, and so hopeless. So living with Cam and Lucy should make him happy, right? Right? Well, not exactly.

It’s not so easy for Brady to let go of the anger and despair that were once big enough to define his existence. Lucy is alive and safe and that should be enough, but every day Brady is forced to deal with prejudice, whether overt or imagined, that he doesn’t fit into the life he shares with Cam. He’s not from the right background. He’s not from the right people. Something as simple as holding a birthday party for Lucy is excruciating for Brady. He doesn’t know how to socialize with the parents of Lucy’s friends. He grew up hungry and poor. He has very little formal education, and his job in the military is on the lowest possible level. He’s got nothing in common with these people at all. More worrying for him, he feels he’s got nothing in common with Cam.

It’s a fine line for a character to walk. I wanted readers to empathise with Brady and his struggles, without making Brady seem like he’s ungrateful or a whiner. And maybe if sometimes he does whine just a little, I hope readers will remember he’s twenty. He’s still a kid in so many ways, who was forced to grow up too quickly and is doing the best he can.

And Darker Space is the book where Brady really does grow. He’s a character who was defined by his fears in the first book. In the second book, he has to not only face those fears, but embrace them. And I think, like always, Brady is braver than he thinks, especially when the people he loves are threatened.

You can find out more about Darker Space at Loose Id.

Blurb

Brady Garrett is back on Earth. He’s living with his partner Cam and they’re raising his sister Lucy together. Life is better than some feral reffo from Kopa has any right to hope, and Brady knows it. He’s even grateful for it, most of the time. He loves Cam, even though he’s afraid that he’s not good enough for him, and he’s still having nightmares about the alien Faceless.

Cameron Rushton loved being a pilot once, and he still feels the pull of the starlight. He’s building a life with Brady now, and with Lucy. Life is good, even if it’s not without its complications. Both Brady and Cam are dealing with the endless cycle of interviews, tests, and questions that the military hierarchy hopes will reveal the secrets of the aliens who could very easily destroy humanity. They have each other though, and together they’re making it work.

But from out in the black, Kai-Ren is still watching and everything Brady and Cam think they’ve won, they stand to lose all over again

About the Author

Lisa likes to tell stories, mostly with hot guys and happily ever afters.

Lisa lives in tropical North Queensland, Australia. She doesn’t know why, because she hates the heat, but she suspects she’s too lazy to move. She spends half her time slaving away as a government minion, and the other half plotting her escape.

She attended university at sixteen, not because she was a child prodigy or anything, but because of a mix-up between international school systems early in life. She studied History and English, neither of them very thoroughly.

She shares her house with too many cats, a green tree frog that swims in the toilet, and as many possums as can break in every night. This is not how she imagined life as a grown-up.

Connect with Lisa: Blog | Twitter | Goodreads

Dark Space Series:

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter prize of a book from Lisa Henry’s  backlist, your choice (not Darker Space).  You must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

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