Category: Loose id

A MelanieM Review: Bayou des Enfants (Rougaroux Social Club #4) by Lynn Lorenz

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Bayou Enfants coverA year has passed since Scott Dupree took Ted Canedo as his mate and assumed leadership of the St. Jerome pack.  They’ve moved in together into Scott’s house near the bayou, Ted’s private detective business is slowly getting off the ground as is Ted’s career as an artist.  Scott’s police department is solidly behind Scott so what could go wrong?

That would be Scott’s mother, Darlene Dupree. She’s not happy because she wants grandkids and she wants them now.  As she usually does, Maman, (as Scott and Ted call her) takes matters into her own hands.  A little spell or two in the middle of the night next to the bayou and Maman’s magic sets events in motion that has profound ramifications for all in the bayou.

What happens when two boys are suddenly in need of a home and parents?  Especially when Ted isn’t even sure kids are something he wants?  It’s chaos when change is forced upon everyone with just one accident.  Ted and Scott have a chance to become not just partners but parents and a family, if only they and everyone else can agree!

I have loved this series from Lynn Lorenz from the first story, Bayou Dreams (Rougaroux Social Club, #1).  It was a clever tweak by Lorenz that had Scott’s wolf being attracted to Ted before Scott was.  And throughout the story we watched as Ted tried to overcome his fear of involvement with a man who had been “straight” as well as Scott trying to adjust his ideas of sexuality to the needs of his wolf which soon becomes the needs of the man.  Plus there was the whole “and I’m a werewolf” thing to adjust to as well as a magical spell throwing Mama to contend with.  I fell in love with every bit of characterization and plot that Lorenz threw at me and then some.  And I have followed the series gleefully ever since, through three stories to arrive here at what is possibly the last story in the series, Bayou des Enfants.

Maman has been a strong character in every story and usually the impetus for events and relationship explosions that happen along the way.  See, Maman wants what she wants and uses magic to do it but her spells never go as planned, veering off onto another unexpected wild path to the end she wants and asked for.  I adore Maman and her raggedly black cat, she is straight out of the bayou, with a complicated religious outlook and dialog that rises right out of the swampy waters near her home.  One thing Maman has always wanted was first for Scott to get married (check, although not the way she planned) and now she wants grandchildren.  And yes, that doesn’t occur the way she wants either.  It never does.

The children that arrive at Scott and Ted’s home feel so real.  They are hurt, grieving, and troubled, well, at least one is troubled and more than a “handful” as they say.  Lorenz makes these children so believable and vulnerable that the reader becomes invested in their safety and future almost immediately.  Also just as authentic is the community’s reactions to a gay couple wanting children and the CPS involvement in everything that occurs.  While there was not be as much action as in the past stories here, the emotional adjustments that have to go on and the shifting of attitudes that must take place come so cautiously and slow that the suspense is enough to pull us in and keep our attention firmly focused on the people and events happening.

Did I love the ending? Absolutely.  I have been meaning to ask Lynn Lorenz if this is it for St. Jerome, Ted, Scott, Maman and all the rest.  I hope not.  I want many more tales to come just as surely Maman has more spells to cast to shake up any community.  Here’s hoping for more Rougaroux Bayou stories in the future.

If you are new to this series,  they really should be read in the order they were written.  Otherwise some of the people, events and relationship developments must not make sense.  I highly recommend this series to all lovers of romance, wolf shifters, and the bayou setting of Louisiana!

 

Cover Artist April Martinez has done a good job in branding the series with her covers, they belong together as a group.  I just wished the setting had a little larger place somewhere in the design.  It just doesn’t convey much about the story inside.

Sales Links:   Loose id LLC       All Romance (ARe)     Amazon    Buy it here

Book Details:

ebook
Published November 25th 2014 by Loose Id (first published November 24th 2014)
original titleBayou des Enfants
edition languageEnglish
seriesRougaroux Social Club #4

Rougaroux Social Club Series in the order they were written and should be read:

 

Down Under Day 15: Author Lisa Henry, and our Australia and New Zealand Facts of the Day!

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Welcome, Lisa Henry!

Its Down Under Day 15 and our featured writer today is Australian author Lisa Henry!  Today, Lisa is sharing her recipe for Anzac biscuits and talking about her books and characters.  It’s another wonderful day Down Under so don’t miss out on a word of it, including Lisa Henry’s wonderful book giveaway and the Down Under Scavenger word of the day.

Australia Fact of the Day!

Because Lisa Henry lives in North Queensland, here are a few facts about Queensland and North Queensland in particular:

270px-Queensland_far_north_mapQueensland is the second largest state in Australia and covers over 22% of the total Australian continent an area of 1,730,648 square kilometres (1,075,378 miles). The coastline of mainland Queensland is 4,333 miles in length. Queensland has an extravagantly diverse landscape that is dominated by its extensive coastline

Far North Queensland is the location of the first amber fossils to be found in Australia. The four million-year-old fossils were found on a beach in Cape York Peninsula but were probably washed ashore after drifting with the currents for about 125 miles.

For interesting facts about North Queensland’s Animals, visit here!

 

New Zealand Fact of the Day!

What does Kaikoura mean? Well Kai means food and koura is Maori for crayfish. So one of the perfect places to seal and bird watch while eating a mound of fresh crayfish is Kaikoura, a place where the mountains meet the sea and an Ecotourism destination. With a population of approximately 3,800 residents, the Kaikoura township is located on a rocky peninsula, protruding from lush farmland beneath the mountains. In the waters off the peninsula, a complex marine system provides an abundantly rich habitat for marine mammals and seabirds making it an ideal place for getting ‘close to nature’.Kaikoura

mountain view of Kaikoura

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now onto Lisa Henry’s Down Under Author page, today’s contests and don’t forget to check out that Anzac Biscuit  recipe! 

A Sammy Review: Slave Eternal (In His Arena #1) by Nasia Maksima

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

Fight or fuck, that was the decree of the Empress, and the way of life for her gladiators.

Slave EternalLucan is an Unnamed – a slave with little skill, belonging to a house that is falling more by the day, until it finally crumbles. It is then that he becomes property of House Vulpinius, the Slaver-Priests. He is literally marked and claimed, bound by an Ebon that is rumored to only be broken by the truest of loves.

Little does he know that he’s part of a bigger plan, one in which he will become a puppet. Ignorant, he relishes being trained by Hektor Actaeon, primus palus and most favored by even the empress herself. Between blood, gore, battle, and love, their story winds together in an inseparable way.

But Lucan is simply a pawn in this game, and even his survival is not guaranteed.

“Pain is temporary,” Hektor’s words rang in the back of his mind. “Glory will resound through the ages.”

I simply cannot hide the fact that I have a thing for historical stories that involve warriors, particularly gladiators. There’s something so enchanting about the grotesque nature of their fights and the sheer violence that dictates their culture. So, of course, I was pumped for Slave Eternal.

The story is far from historically accurate, and the author acknowledges that in the beginning, mentioning that she takes liberties. With the basis of a gladiators life she creates a culture that is quite intriguing – and hot. Even the most evil of characters drew me in and made me engaged in their stories.

Unfortunately, it had some downfalls. For one, the editor missed a few things. For example, at one point during a Claim, the name of the one to be claimed is incorrect – it switches to a past character instead of the one it should be. Granted, it switches right back, but at the moment it takes you out of the story. Also, there were some typos peppered in, but nothing I couldn’t overlook. I think the thing that will lead most people to roll their eyes is the choice of words, most often during sex. I wish I could just tell authors that they do not need to crack open the thesaurus to find more words for cock or dick. Those are just fine, thank you. Furthermore, you do not have to embellish every description. It didn’t annoy me as much as I know it will annoy others, but sometimes I just wanted to say “for the love of God, you can just call it a cock. It doesn’t have to be a pole or man flesh.”

I’m also not a big fan of the blurb because it gives away some really great parts of the plot, and some of my favorite elements. Lover pinned against lover in a battle to the death? Talk about tension. If she had kept it a surprise, it would’ve had so much more impact. It’s still a very interesting plot line, especially when you throw in just a dash of dark magic to make everything all that more interesting. It wasn’t enough that I felt like it dominated the book, but it had a backdrop as to what made certain characters act the way they did at times. It just would’ve been better served, again, if the author didn’t make everything come out in the blurb.

Still, did this story quench my gladiator thirst? That it did! I would certainly read more of this series, and I hope we get to see Alession, the evil bastard that he is, get a taste of his own medicine. Or love. I’m cool with either.

The cover art by Fiona Jayde Media speaks to the story. With a coliseum in the background, it sets the stage for much of the story. My only point of contention is that the hairstyle is borderline mullet, but beyond that, it’s a nice cover for a pretty good story.

Sales Links:   Loose-id LLC             All Romance (ARe)                  amazon               buy it here

Book Details:

ebook, 266 pages
Published November 11th 2014 by Loose Id, LLC
ISBN139781623006174
edition languageEnglish
seriesIn His Arena #1

In the Book Spotlight: Hitting Black Ice by Heloise West (book tour and contest)

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Book Name: Hitting Black Ice
Author Name: Heloise West

Heloise West is here with a contest, blurb and excerpt from her latest book, Hitting Black Ice.  The author also took a turn in our author’s interview chair.  Check it out below:

Q. Hitting Black Ice is a great title. Where did you get the inspiration for it?

If I said in a dream, would you believe me? Well, it was a two-for dream; I was trying to think of a title for story for a member of our writing group, and they both came to me just as I was starting to wake up. You know, in that middle state between dreaming and not quite awake, the hypnagogic state. I wanted something active and punchy, and I think that did the trick.

Q. What is the first idea you want the reader to imagine when they read that title?

Danger, unexpected and spinning you out of control…but if you can keep your head, you can get yourself out of it…

Q. This book has plenty of exciting elements….murder, mystery, a man on the run..how do you find a right balance for all these threads in your story?

The romance helped keep it all tied together, I think.

Q. Suspense and action are terrific elements for keeping a reader on their seats, but how do you bring the romance into it without losing that tautness of plot?

I don’t think I ever made it easy for Hunter and Shawn–even when there was a lull in the present action, the past was a threat, too. So basically, the answer is subplots that shadow and echo the main plot.

Q. What was your muse for this story?

Since the main POV character was Hunter, I listened to later Decemberists for that undercurrent of sadness. Since he’s really a country boy in the city, the folk aspect of the Decemberists worked for me, too. It’s not really a playlist. It’s the same two albums on an endless loop. The music shoves me deeper emotionally into the character.

Q. If you love to write mysteries, do you also like to read them?

I do love to write mysteries. I love to read mysteries, too, especially historical mysteries.

Q. If so, which author is a favorite of yours or is there a favorite fictional detective/sleuth character?

I can never answer “most favorite” questions or “desert island” questions (unless the answer is Matt Damon).
My favorite sleuths is a great question: (can’t answer with one 😉
Gordianus the Finder (Steven’s Saylor’s Sub Rosa series), Feste (12th century jester/spy by Alan Gordon), Adrien English, of course, and Kit and JX. Ariana Franklin’s Adelia from the Mistress of the Art of Death series; Mary, Sherlock Holmes’ young wife in Laurie King’s s

eries. Those are off the top of my head, the auto-buys, though a few of these series have ended.

Q. What’s next for Heloise West?

I’m working on a sequel to Hitting Black Ice and a Renaissance era romance/mystery suspense is on submission.

Thanks for having me here today!

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

Author Bio:

Heloise West, when not hunched over the keyboard plotting love and mayhem, dreams about moving to a villa in Tuscany. She loves history, mysteries, and romance of all flavors. She travels and gardens with her partner of 10 years, and their home overflows with books, cats, art, and red wine.

Author Contact:

Publisher: Loose IDHeloiseWest_HittingBlackIce_coverin
Cover Artist: Syneca Featherstone
Sales:  Loose id    All Romance (ARe)   amazon

Hitting Black Ice Blurb:

ER physician’s assistant Hunter guards his heart carefully, but that doesn’t stop him from falling for Shawn, the front desk clerk. He keeps his distance from relationships for a reason, but just can’t help himself when it comes to Shawn.

Shawn is on the run from the law and love to protect himself and anyone else involved. One man is dead because of him, and his life now is simple and easily thrown into a bag at any hint of danger. Until he meets Hunter, and he no longer wants to run.

Forced into a hostage situation, buried passion explodes in the aftermath, and sex in the supply closet brings their hearts back to life. Tentatively, step by step, they begin to explore a relationship together until the past catches up with Shawn.

FBI agent Nick Truman has finally found his man, but when Shawn escapes, he focuses his attention on Hunter. Shawn returns, even though it means sacrificing himself to save Hunter from the man who framed him for murder.
Categories: Contemporary, Crime Fiction, M/M Romance, Mystery, Romance

Excerpt:

It was nine o’clock. They’d long lost the reservation. Hunter turned away from the warm lights of the restaurant, heart heavy. Shawn was too good to be true. For all he knew, he had a problem like Jerry’s, who’d often left him waiting, wondering, and ultimately fearing as dinner sat cold on the table. He gave in and took a step toward home.

“Hunter!”

He whipped around.

Shawn rushed toward him. He slipped on the snowy sidewalk, nearly going down, but Hunter ran at him, and they crashed together so hard his teeth clicked. Shawn’s arms went around him and his around Shawn, and they managed to hold each other up.

“I’m sorry,” were the first words out of Shawn’s mouth.

“All you deserve is pizza crusts,” Hunter mock-growled and kissed him, unconsciously trying to taste booze on his breath. Like Jerry and too many broken promises. Relieved it was only peppermint mouthwash, he didn’t stop kissing him.

When Hunter let him speak, Shawn said, “I’m starving, I’ll take it.” He pushed Hunter a little away from him. “Jesus. You’re freezing.”

“And starving. There’s a Greek pizza place down this way, come on—”

“I’ll make it up to you,” he said, taking Hunter’s hand.

 

HBIBadgeTour Dates/Tour Stops: 

2-Dec

Jade Crystal

Molly Lolly

3-Dec

The Blogger Girls

Amanda C. Stone

4-Dec

The Hat Party

5-Dec

Parker Williams

8-Dec

Charley Descoteaux

3 Chicks After Dark

9-Dec

Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings

10-Dec

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

11-Dec

Because Two Men Are Better Than One

Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves

12-Dec

Love Bytes

15-Dec

Inked Rainbow Reads

16-Dec

LeAnn’s Book Reviews

17-Dec

Multitasking Mommas

18-Dec

BFD Book Blog

19-Dec

Prism Book Alliance

22-Dec

MM Good Book Reviews

Fallen Angel Reviews

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-Copy of ‘Hitting Black Ice’.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Use the link provided below to enter and for all additional contest details.

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