Category: MLR Press

A MelanieM Review: Finding Freddie Venus (Have Body, Will Guard #7) by Neil S. Plakcy

Rating: 3.25 stars out of 5

Finding Freddie Venue coverAidan and Liam’s new client is former gay porn star Freddie Venus, who survived an epic slide and now lives a solitary life in a restored farmhouse outside Nice. He hires bodyguards when he begins to believe he is being stalked.

Newt Camilleri is a sad, overweight fifty-year-old who writes gay unicorn porn but has no romantic life. He has fled his dead-end job and old life to start again on the Riviera. When he spots Freddie, his porn idol, in a grocery store, he kicks off the plot that will bring them together.

But Freddie’s past is about to come back to haunt him. Will Aidan and Liam be able to save Freddie, and help him and Newt start a new story together?

Finding Freddie Venus is the first book that I have read in Neil S. Plakcy’s long running Have Body, Will Guard series so I am coming into an already established relationship between bodyguards Adam and Liam.  But as a newcomer to these characters, I don’t think that particularly hurts the story as Plakcy does a wonderful job in providing enough of their back history to support the relationship dynamics we see happening here, a couple at a crossroads at their partnership and wondering where to go next.

I was curious to see if I could repeat the success I’ve had with the same approach with Plakcy’s amazing Mahu series.  With the Mahu series, I actually started at the end and have been working my way back towards the beginning and enjoying every bit of the journey.  Unfortunately, I’m not sure I can say that here but its definitely not due to the characters involved but the format of the story and the weird inclusion of a porn story within a story that jolts the reader out of the narrative.  But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Liam McCullough and Aidan Greene both work for Agence de Securite in France.  They are partners romantically as well as partners  as bodyguards for the Agency.  It has worked well for them but Liam is growing tired, feeling his age with all the wear and tear the profession has left on his body and spirit.  Aidan wants them to settle down and buy a home in France, giving them a permanence they have lacked up until now.   And neither is exactly talking about the issues bothering them, preferring to ignore them and concentrate on their latest case…which manages to highlight all the insecurities and issues they are trying so hard not to address. The cause is their client, former porn star Freddie Venus.  Turns out Aidan is a fan of porn and Freddie, Liam is neither.  Throw in the fact that their sex life has been mostly absent recently and the stage is set for a few emotional explosions when they and their small dog move into Freddie’s house, all the better to guard him.

Freddie Venus is an interesting character, complicated and haunted by his past but still very much involved with porn because he can make a living working in editing  porn scenes.   But the cost to Freddie of his past in porn?  A total lack of interest in sex and a lifestyle of hiding in the french countryside. Two things happen to bring an end to Freddy’s seclusion and  promote a need for bodyguards.  One…he receives a written threat.  Two…he has a physical encounter with a fan/stalker that permanently changes Freddie’s outlook on sex and life.

And that brings us to the best/worst element of this story…Newt Camilleri.  Newt is such an unusual character. He’s grossly overweight and an ex pat who has come to France to make his living writing M/M Romance.  He’s already known for his series which involves a gay unicorn bent on vengeance against those that brutalize the LGBTQ community. Yes, he writes gay unicorn porn.   Here is the description of Newt’s character and story from the book:

His most popular character was a half man, half unicorn named Fledglis. Like a centaur, he had a man’s head, arms, and torso over a horse’s body, with a spiral horn sticking out of his forehead. He was pure white except for dark hooves and a mane with all the colors of the rainbow in it.

His mission was to skewer every antigay government official—literally. When he found a homophobic mayor, sheriff, governor, or legislator, he’d use his front hooves to knock the man down. He’d strip the man naked, then pinion him to a floor or wall, his legs open and his ass exposed. Then Fledglis would turn his horn into a giant penis and fuck the man into oblivion. By the time the jerk awoke from his sex-induced stupor, his attitude would have taken a 180-degree turn.

How I wish Plakcy’s had left Newt’s writing to this description.  Its pretty hilarious…in concept. Well, maybe not.  Rape is never the laughfest no matter the cause.  Anyway, this character and his stories are the driving force in Newt’s life and have inspired him to come to France. But now he’s gotten writer’s block and is running out of money. If he is to stay in France, Newt needs some inspiration and fast. But where to find it? You see, Newt’s physical attributes (such as they are) are vividly, almost anatomically correctly described down to the smallest roll of fat and size of his man boobs.  Nothing is left to our imagination, thinning hair, lumbering walk, gasping for breathe,…yep…Newt’s one pathetic sack of flesh.  The author makes Newt so outwardly repulsive that its hard to connect with him at first.  But the inner Newt is different, so vulnerable, so needy that eventually a connection between him and the reader forms to bring us over to Newt’s side of things.

So far, so good.  The story is moving concisely along, pulling the readers into the plot…until wham!  Plakcy throws us into one of Newt’s stories involving Fledglis, the unicorn avenger.  It’s not one or two lines of plot…nope its paragraphs of, in my opinion,  god awful porn.  And while my mind is shuddering over the antics of Fledglis, I’ve disconnected from the other characters and storylines at hand.  Why remove the reader’s interest in the suspenseful nature of Freddie’s predicament and spend it all on some pornographic unicorn and his problems?  I think it was to put us into Newt’s mindset but surely there was another way…like first person internal dialog?  Time and again just when things are getting interesting, here comes clopping/flying horny Fledglis to get in our way.

I did like where the author took this story.  I thought the various couples interesting  in their differences and the events fascinating in the background layers and subject matter, even the mystery was suspenseful, if only a bit predictable.  But that darn unicorn keep spoiling the flow and finally brought the rating down as well.

See, I think Mahu and Kimo have totally spoiled me.  There the narratives are concise, the dialog is amazing, and the location is made believable and authentic by an in-depth knowledge of Hawaiian culture and history that makes that series one of my all time favorite contemporary series and characters.   Because this series was written by Neil Plakcy, I will probably go looking into the first story to see how it all started.  Hopefully, I won’t find any horny unicorns there.

Finding Freddie Venus by Neil S. Plakcy was ultimately a hot mess of a book, albeit a fascinating one. This author never fails to surprise me, and he certainly did that here.  Would I recommend it? Yep, I would.  It’s just too weird not to.  But be warned, its different.  And if you love that in a story and romance, pick it up and start reading it today.

Cover art by Ginny Glass.  The cover works, especially the wing tats on the back of Freddie Venue.  Great job.

Sales Links:  MLR Books   All Romance (ARe)    Amazon    Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook
Published March 31st 2015 by Loose Id
ISBN139781623008567
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.mahubooks.com/romance.htm
seriesHave Body, Will Guard #7

Books in the Have Body, Will Guard Series:

  • Three Wrong Turns in the Desert (Have Body, Will Guard, #1)
  • Dancing With The Tide (Have Body, Will Guard, #2)
  • Teach Me Tonight (Have Body, Will Guard #3)
  • Olives for the Stranger (Have Body, Will Guard #4)
  • Under the Waterfall (Have Body, Will Guard, #5)
  • The Noblest Vengeance (Have Body, Will Guard #6)
  • Finding Freddie Venus (Have Body, Will Guard #7)

A Paul B Review: Hope: Sequel to SAFE by Mark Zubro

Rating:  3.5 out of 5 stars

Hope coverWhen Steve Koemer has an argument with his parents, he turns to his boyfriend Roger Cross for comfort. When Steve’s father is found crucified the next morning, the boys must clear their names and once again fight for their lives.

This is the sequel to the book Safe. It would be recommended that you read the first book to understand some of the plot lines in this book.

It has been several months since Steve Koemer and Roger Cross survived a brutal attack that almost cost them their lives. Since that time, they have been dating and been open about it with their friends within their school. One evening, Steve’s parents confront him about his friendship with Roger. When he admits he is gay, Steve’s father slaps him. Steve runs to the park and texts Roger to meet him there.

Having taken Steve home to his family, Roger’s parents insist on documenting the bruises that are on Steve’s face. They offer Steve a place to stay until they can talk to his parent s in the morning. When they awake the next morning, the police are on the Cross’s doorstep. Steve’s father, a minister at a prominent church has been murdered. To make matters worse, Steve’s mother has all but implicated him as a suspect because of the fight the night before. Despite having an alibi, it appears that the police are determined to pin the murder on either Steve or Roger or both.

With the assistance of their friends at the school newspaper, a semi-retired newspaper reporter, and their lawyer, Steve and Roger must figure out not only who has a possible motive for murder but also avoid a school bully who does not like their relationship. As they investigate, they must go up against the ruling body of Steve’s church and a police force that does not seem to be taking the investigation seriously. Can they solve the mystery, get through the daily grind of high school and keep themselves from either being arrested for murder or killed themselves?

I enjoyed this novel for different reasons. First was the contrasting support of the sets of parents. Whereas Roger’s parents are supportive of him and Steve being boyfriends, Steve’s parents are ultimately trying to divide the couple apart. Roger realizes that his parents are treating them like any other dating teens when they request that Steve sleeps on the couch instead of his room. Second, the mystery seems to come out of Agatha Christie playbook. The suspects are as numerous as the reasons people wanted Steve’s father dead. Once you get to the ending, you see that all the work that our young heroes have put in has been worth the effort. I am glad to see this second novel of these amateur detectives. These two are a welcome addition to Mr. Zubro’s stable of sleuths.

The cover art shows our two heroes standing at dusk in a park. Roger has his letterman jacket on holding onto Steve in a protective manner. Really good representation of our protagonists.

Sales Links:  MLR Books       All Romance (ARe)     Amazon          Buy It Here

Book details:
Ebook, 248 pages
Published: February 15, 2015 by MLR Press
ISBN: 978-1-60820-967-7
Edition: English

A Paul B Review: A Good Deed Done by Pelaam

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

A Good Deed Done coverWhen Conner saves a wolf from a rabbit trap, he doesn’t realize that it would lead to finding the partner in life that he needs.

Connor is a simple farmer content to raise enough food and animals to subsist. Since his mother’s passing, his is a somewhat lonely existence on his family farm. Despite the efforts of some of the townsfolk, Connor has not found any person who interests him as a life mate.

Ciaran is Faoladlh, the local name for werewolves. Still under the mating age, Ciaran is running around in his wolf form when he becomes ensnared in a trap. He is rescued by this simple farmer whom he recognizes as his mate. After being freed from the trap and given something to eat, the wolf runs off into the woods.

Two years pass since that fateful encounter. Connor always wonders what has happened to his wolf as he grows to call him. Leaving food occasionally in the clearing near where he found the wolf, he assumes that the wolf is doing well as the food has always disappeared when he comes back to check.

One day, after refusing to be bought out by a rich neighboring farmer, he finds a couple of his cows missing. He tracks them down to the man who offered to buy his farm. Knowing that the local authorities would take the rich farmer’s word over his, he decides to head back home.

Cutting through the forest, Connor is enveloped in a mist and comes across a small cottage. There he finds a family which includes the human form of Ciaran. There he learns of the existence of the Faoladlh and the meaning of mates. Wondering why Ciaran had not contacted him before that day, they explain the Ciaran was too young to take a mate but has since come of age. Knowing that Connor needs to return to his farm, they make plans to return with his mate and state that if he should ever need help, he should go to the woods and call for help.

As Connor and Ciaran settle into life, they must deal with the unscrupulous neighbor who will stop at nothing to obtain Connor’s farm. With the help of Ciaran and his family, they must find a way to finally stop the neighbor before Connor loses what is most precious to him.

I thought the author’s take on werewolves was unique. It seemed like they lived in an almost Brigadoon like existence. They will come out of the mist when or if necessary. The longing that Connor has for the unknown man in his dreams brings about the mate longing that is typical most shifter stories. Having only met Ciaran’s wolf form, he has no idea who this man is until they meet two years later in the wolf cabin. This short story satisfied on almost all levels for a shifter story.

The cover art by Michelle Cary draws you into the story. In the foreground, you have the dark haired Connor. In the background, you have a wolf howling on a hill with a ghostly image of Ciaran in his human form. The only quibble I have with it is that the clothing seems to be a bit modern for what I think the times in which the story is set but I could be wrong. Otherwise it is a top notch cover.

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

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 46 pages
Published March 6th 2015 by ManLove Romance Press
ASINB00UDHONOY
edition languageEnglish

It’s A Series Spotlight! Storming Love: Flood from MLR Press! (6 authors, 1 giveaway)

StormingLoveFlood_base

 Storming Love: Flood 6 Book Collection from MLR Press!

Storming Love: Flood Authors: NJ Nielsen, Jenn Dease, Jambrea Jo Jones,

AC Katt, Pelaam, Cherie Noel

STRW In The Spotlight Header

Winter has left, however slowly, and Spring is upon us!  With it can come torrential rains and the accompanying floods.  MLR Press has a new collection with love, romance and wild weather once more at its heart!  This time its floods.  Check out all the authors, titles, couples and details below.    Now grab an oar and let’s start paddling!

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Storming Love: Flood Couples names:
NJ Nielsen: Adrian and Lockie
Jenn Dease: Bridge and Doug
Jambrea Jo Jones: Pete and McKenzie
AC Katt: Derrick and Steven
Pelaam: Euan and Gregg
Cherie Noel: Patric and Sam

A note from Jambrea Jo Jones on Pete and McKenzie,her Storming Love: Flood Couple!

Thank you for letting me stop by the site!

I’m part of the Storming Love series MLR Press is doing. I’m taking on the disaster that is known as the flood.

We have our fair share of floods in Indiana. I remember one really bad one when I was younger. I’m pretty sure it made national news.

Watching the national news and seeing cars floating in the street because someone didn’t pay attention to floor warnings has me shaking my heads, but I can see how it can happen. You think you’ve got a car that can take a little bit of water then it starts gushing in and you’re stuck. Which happens to my poor hero, McKenzie. You can find out what happens when you read the book.

Please leave a comment for your chance at an ebook copy of my story from Storming Love, Pete & McKenzie.

Jambrea_Jo_JonesBlurb:

McKenzie Hallowell was born and bred in Copper Creek. He knew what could happen during flash flood season, but that didn’t stop him from driving through water during a storm. Almost dying might be the best thing that ever happened to him.

Pete Compton moved to town five years ago to take over a feed store. He’d been crushing on McKenzie Hallowell almost from the start. A flash flood brings them together, but will it also bring them love?
Again, thanks for letting me stop by!

STRW Author BookSynopsis

Release dates and Blurb(s):

April 3
STORMING LOVE: FLOOD – Adrian & Lockie by N.J. Nielsen: 30,270 wordsN.J._Nielsen
Adrian Clarke knows his life is a hot mess. This is only one of the reasons he boards a plane and flies halfway around the world—so he can escape everything that’s determined to see him break. Lockie Rivers has worked his whole life on Tenderfoot Downs. After his boss died, Lockie remained as caretaker for the new owner—a man who’d never even set foot on the place. When circumstances bring them face to face, a flash flood comes along to threaten their very existence. Can virtual strangers work together to save their home, their hearts, and find their own slice of heaven?

April 10
STORMING LOVE: FLOOD – Bridge & Doug by Jenn Dease: 22,400 wordsJenn_Dease
Fourth generation lawman, Bridge Bridgerton, has never seen Copper Creek, Texas, flood before. Doug Jones is a lifeguard stopping in Copper Creek to look after his grandfather’s house. Together, they help rescue some of the residents trapped in the rising water. And together, they feel an attraction for each other that gets stronger day by day. But, will they be able to stay together once the water goes down?

 

April 17
STORMING LOVE: FLOOD – Pete & McKenzie by Jambrea Jo Jones: 10,300 wordsJambrea_Jo_Jones
McKenzie Hallowell was born and bred in Copper Creek. He knew what could happen during flash flood season, but that didn’t stop him from driving through water during a storm. Almost dying might be the best thing that ever happened to him.
Pete Compton moved to town five years ago to take over a feed store. He’d been crushing on McKenzie Hallowell almost from the start. A flash flood brings them together, but will it also bring them love?

 

April 24
STORMING LOVE: FLOOD – Steven & Derrick by A.C. Katt: 13,102 wordsA.C.Katt
When a flash flood strikes, Steven stays behind at school to find a little girl who hid from the storm. His lover, Derrick, comes to rescue them both but can only get Josie out. Will Derrick be able to get back to the elementary school in time to get Steven or will he lose him to the raging flood waters?

 

May 1
STORMING LOVE: FLOOD – Euan & Gregg by Pelaam: 21,527 wordsPelaam
Euan looks forward to spending time with his best friend, and unrequited love, Gregg. But Gregg has a confession himself, he isn’t the straight jock Euan thinks. When the truth emerges, Euan learns of a side to his friend’s life he never imagined.
Just as they find out the truth Mother Nature unleashes her fury and they’re trapped on a mountain during the flood.
Even if they weather nature’s storm, there is still a more personal fury to be faced.

May 8
STORMING LOVE: FLOOD – Patric & Sam by Cherie Noel: 17,515 wordsSamPatric_CherieHall_StormingFlood
Patric Carselowey stole Samuel Touchet-Smith’s heart six years ago in an incendiary act of passion. Then he disappeared, joining the Army without a word. When he returned, treating Sam like stranger, he broke Sam’s heart. Now Sam’s meddling Maman and sister have booked him a hiking tour with Patric as the guide. Caught in the unexpected storm, will Sam’s wounded heart be healed during their race to safety or crushed once and for all by lingering misunderstandings and lost memories?

Publisher: MLR Press
Cover Artist: Kris Jacen
Categories: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, Romance, Western/Cowboy (Please note that not all books will contain all elements.)

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

Sales Links:  Storming Love: Flood at MLR Books

Patric and Sam by Cherie Noel
Chapter One

Sam’s first indication that the damnable duo of Céleste and Delphine Touchet-Smith were plotting about his love life—again—came during Sunday dinner. The twin terrors of Copper Creek, Texas, a.k.a. his beloved maman and mostly tolerated sister, couldn’t go more than six months without interfering in les affaires de coeur, or if you wanted it in plain English, matters of the heart. Sam’s heart to be precise. They called it trying to get him settled. He called it a damned lot of tom-foolery. Seeing as Maman and Del were well into their eighth month without any shenanigans, Sam let himself get a touch too comfortable. He couldn’t help it. He liked the lack of what his maman called—and good Lord did the woman ever lay on the French accent thick as anything when she said it—eligible bachelors showing up out of the blue for Sunday dinner. He really should have seen it coming, though.
Sadly, he didn’t. Instead he tumbled through the weather beaten door of the hundred year old farmhouse where he’d grown up with only seconds to spare—if he was lucky—before his maman decided he was late. Lord help him if that happened, because then she’d start to think up ways to punish his “lack of proper decorum”. His mind firmly fixed on the delicious meal in his immediate future, Sam hot-footed it into the house blind as a new kitten and innocent as a fluffy little baby chick. With his mind more on squeaking in under the wire than being alert to signs and symptoms of meddling, he was ripe for their not-so-subtle machinations.
His wind-milling arms and rubber-chicken legs were half excessive speed on the well waxed floorboards of the front hall, half pure nerves, and one hundred percent Sam. He thanked his lucky stars he wasn’t in Del’s line of sight when he came in, because that would have been fuel for her to heap on the bonfires of their lovingly antagonistic sibling rivalry. She got plenty of mileage out of his clumsiness as it was. His whole life had been plagued by the same trademark lack of grace–it happened anytime he got too nervous. Today’s occurrence made perfect sense in light of his late arrival and the possible revocation of all beignet and crawfish étouffée privileges for a full week. Sam whimpered at the thought.
While enduring a longer span of time than seven days without Maman’s famous étouffée caused severe mood swings, more than three days without beignets might well be a death sentence. That was Sam’s philosophy on the matter and he saw no reason to ever risk such a dire outcome. So he zipped out of his Jeep, sprinted across the front porch, and then yes, tumbled through the front door with no thought to who or what might be on the other side.
Maman and Del’s chattering voices flowed from the kitchen, echoing back and forth down the hall. Paying them all his attention, he tripped over Cletus, otherwise known as Cletus the Lazy, Maman’s old brindle mess of long legs, floppy ears and slobber. Maman insisted he was an example of canine perfection. If you asked Sam the mutt was far from achieving the pinnacle of dogdom. In point of fact, the disreputable lump spent ninety percent of his time masquerading as a throw rug in the front hall—directly in the path of anyone coming in the door. Therein lay the problem. The dog too, or Sam might have gotten all the facts quicker and hightailed it out of Maman’s front door before he got caught in her matchmaking scheme.
All Sam knew in the moment was that he was sweating like a whore in church and praying Maman was in a good mood. Then, he swore he heard Del saying his name with intent as stepped forward to shut the front door. He tip-toed along like a ninja or a spy—at least in his mind—but was foiled by Cletus. The mange infested throw rug yelped out a piteous aaaarrrhhh—oooo—wee and followed that up with a snuffle-whuffle and the doggy sad-side-eye. All sounds from the kitchen ceased. A weighty beat of silence passed, and then Sam’s maman called out. Her dulcet tones dripped false innocence as they echoed along the passageway. Good Christ, he really should have known.
“Samuel, cher, we’re just finishing up in the kitchen. You go on mon fils, wash up now. We be through to the dining room in a moment.”
Sam rolled his eyes. “Maman, we ain’t in de Louisiana bayou no more. You gotta use English. Proper American-style English. I know you speak it, what with all the times you done tanned my backside for not speaking proper when I was in school.”
A choked off snort followed by a thwapping sound came from the kitchen. Then the amusing melody of his sister’s indignation. “Maman, you didn’t have to smack me with the spatula. You got to admit, Sam talking his personal proper Texas-American style language is pretty damn funny.”
Another thwap echoed down the hall. Sam snickered. Del yelped, louder than Cletus had, and then Sam’s maman was talking. Her tone, all edge of the bayou Creole haughty with a dash of pure southern belle temper made it clear he’d gone and stepped in a heap of trouble. Between her conciliatory tone, the lack of reprimand for stepping on Cletus, and her handling of Del, the handwriting was on the wall. It was too late for him to escape altogether, but he stood a fair chance of mitigating the damage if he could figure out what the heck those two half-crazy bayou belles were plotting. Waiting in silence should push one of them to fill the void. Maman’s long, soft vowels and deliberate Parisian-style French warned him. Whatever they were planning, he was gonna be madder than a twice baited bull.
“Ah, we-el, mon fils, je suis tres desole. No matter. I will do my best to speak only the finest King’s English, no?”
Delphine appeared around the edge of the kitchen door before Maman stopped speaking. Her soft brown eyes huge in her little heart-shaped face, she hissed at him. Waving her hands back and forth like angry birds picking at a scarecrow, she advanced.
“Oh my gosh. Sam, I swear Maman dropped you on your head every day you was a boy! Lock up your lips tout de suite before Maman kicks us both out without supper. Just think about it. No more homemade beignets, no crawfish étouffée…and a whole week long to wait for another chance at them.”
Narrowing his eyes, Sam sniffed and pointed at his sister. “I can make my own red beans and rice, little cat, so put your claws away. And…ah, hell, get out of the way so I can go apologize to Maman.”
His vain attempt to camouflage the utter terror of going so long without Maman’s beignets only caused his sister to smile, flip the long tail of her braid over her shoulder, and murmur as she sashayed around him. “Suck up.”
Sam grunted. “You’re damn skippy I am, cher. Ain’t a body on Earth can cook like Maman…I plan on staying in her good graces forever.”
Del laughed, just like he knew she would. Warmth spread through his chest. Sisters. Shaking his head, Sam curled one side of his mouth up and flicked the end of her braid. He never got tired of being able to predict how she would react. Chuckling quietly, Sam ambled through the kitchen door. Spreading his arms, hanging his head and gazing up through his lashes, he gave his best little boy grin. “Sorry Maman. I didn’t mean no disrespect.”
Céleste tossed a small kitchen towel over one shoulder. “Hmmpf.”
Sam snuggled up to her, bending down to hug her tight. “Je suis tres desole, Mamam. Ne soyez pas en colère contre moi.”
Laughing, Céleste pushed him toward the dining room doorway. “Delphine is right. You are a suck up. You sit down, cher. I still be serving crawfish étouffée, you terrible boy. Non, non, you were late getting here, Sam, and you think I did not notice? On second thought, you get right back up. Go help your sister set the table if you want to earn your way back into my good graces.”
They waited until he was stuffed fuller than a suckling pig destined for the table before dropping the bomb. When Del met his eyes directly, and Maman cleared her throat twice in a row, Sam froze in place. Del’s smile wobbled ever so slightly as she began to speak.
“Now, Sam, we done paid already, and there’s no refunds possible.”
Eyes closed to mere slits, Sam waited her out.
“The thing is, you been working too hard. Everybody says so. And wel—”
Maman folded her napkin with small, neat motions, and Sam dropped his head forward to rest his forehead in the palms of both hands. “Just tell me what the two of you have cooked up besides the delicious étouffée I done just ate too much of?”
Del turned beseeching eyes toward Maman. The elder Touchet-Smith woman at least had the grace to get a splash of red in both cheeks. “Samuel, cher, we done booked you a little hiking trip. With Carselowey Tours. You work so hard taking care of us, ever since your père et grand-père, ah, father and grandfather passed. We just wanted to say thank you.”
Sam choked, coughed, and sprayed a mouthful of étouffée across the table, missing Delphine by inches. The bright smile Maman wore as she spoke dimmed. She and Delphine both stared down at their plates. Del grimaced.
“Oh, Sam, it was such a good deal, but because we booked so close to the departure date they can’t offer a refund. Well, except in case of death or extreme medical emergency. And I’m pretty sure bull-headed refusal to take a vacation don’t count.”
Closing both eyes, Sam sucked in a steadying breath before giving in as gracefully as he could.
“Ah. I guess that clears up the issue of what to do with my vacation days this year. When do I leave?”
Delphine cornered him in the front hall after he’d made his farewells to Maman and before he made good on his bid for freedom. Wrapping a strand of her curly brown hair around one finger, she plunked her back against the front door and pressed both little palms against the center of his chest. “Listen, you hard head—I been hearing some things. I want you to promise me to go on this trip. I know you got some kinda powerful dislike for Patric Carselowey, but Maman put down a heap of money she had put by for something else just so’s you could take some time away from that store. I—just you promise to go, you hear me? Go. And maybe find out if there might have been some reason he did whatever made you come all over fulla hate for him so quick. Can you do that for me, cher?”
Sam glared down at Del. “You so fulla yourself. One day somebody going to throw a little magic your way bayou girl, and we see how you like that.”
Del huffed out a breath. “I never!”
“Ha. I’m going on this trip. For Maman. But you? Best admire those eyebrows while you still got them.” Sam backed away as he spoke, knowing Del would do the same thing as always in three-two-one…
“I’m gonna tell Maman you threatening my eyebrows again!” she screeched and lunged toward him. Sam dodged around her, jerked the front door open and ran like the wind. He laughed his fool head off all the way to his Jeep, too.

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

  • About the authors:
    NJ Nielsen: NJ needs to write like she needs to breathe. It’s an addiction that she never intends to find a cure for. When you don’t find NJ arguing with Vlad, her muse or writing about the wonderful men in her stories, you’ll find her reading work by other authors she greatly admires. NJ lives in the SE of Qld, Australia with her family who all encourage her writing career even if she does occasionally call them by her character’s names. NJ thinks that anyone taking the time to read her stuff is totally awesome.
    Jenn Dease: Jenn Dease is a Chef with a reading and writing addiction. The six bookcases in her bedroom are proof of this. She was born and raised in Pittsburgh with one of those families that have four generations in a four block radius. The Redheads, or her sisters, are the best things in her life. When they want to be.
    Jambrea Jo Jones: Jambrea wanted to be the youngest romance author published, but life impeded the dreams. She put her writing aside and went to college briefly, then enlisted in the Air Force. After serving in the military, she returned home to Indiana to start her family. A few years later, she discovered yahoo groups and book reviews. There was no turning back. She was bit by the writing bug.
    She enjoys spending time with her son when not writing and loves to receive reader feedback. She’s addicted to the internet so feel free to email her anytime.
  • AC Katt: She lives in New Mexico with her husband and new cat who, just as she does loves paper and words. She got a late start to her writing career but is now in a writing frenzy. Go figure!
  • Pelaam: Living in clean, green New Zealand Pelaam is a multi-published author of m/m romance and erotica. She’s loved writing since childhood and to become an author is a cherished dream come true. She grew up reading fairy tales and watching science fiction, horror and fantasy. When not writing she can be found indulging in her other passions of cookery and wine appreciation.
    Cherie Noel: Cherie’s been in love with words since before she drew breath, and doesn’t see that ever changing. She write stories, full stop. Sometimes there’s music with them, sometimes they’re poems, and lately, to her great delight, a plethora of M/M fiction and erotic romance. Yum. Smexy man to the second…or third power…now that’s the kinda math Cherie can get behind!!

The hair curls or frizzes as it will, the eyes are green and tend to look in two different directions—no, really—and the rest is subject to change. You know the guy who didn’t know if he was a butterfly dreaming he was a man or a man dreaming he was a butterfly? Yeah, that’s Cherie, but substitute drag queen for butterfly and wacky, wild ex-Army chick for man.

Where to find the authors:

On Goodreads:

NJ Nielsen: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5042080.N_J_Nielsen
Jambrea Jo Jones: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2856938.Jambrea_Jo_Jones
Pelaam: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4425974.Pelaam
Cherie Noel: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4874967.Cherie_Noel

Facebook:
NJ Nielsen: https://www.facebook.com/norma.nielsen.9
Jenn Dease: https://www.facebook.com/Jenn.Dease.5
Jambrea Jo Jones: https://www.facebook.com/JambreaJoJones
AC Katt: http://www.facebook.com/ackatt
Pelaam: https://www.facebook.com/pamela.pelaamone
Cherie Noel: https://www.facebook.com/CherieNoel

Facebook Author Page:
NJ Nielsen:https://www.facebook.com/pages/NJ-Nielsen/793520884042153?ref=bookmarks
Jambrea Jo Jones: https://www.facebook.com/groups/565548900226323/
Pelaam: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pelaam/1467778320131583?ref=hl
Cherie Noel: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cherie-Noel/253662497986298

Twitter:
NJ Nielsen: @NJNielsen1 https://twitter.com/NJNielsen1
Jenn Dease: @momsdesk1 https://twitter.com/momsdesk1
Jambrea Jo Jones: https://twitter.com/Jambrea @jambrea
AC Katt: https://twitter.com/ackatt @ackatt
Cherie Noel: https://twitter.com/authornoel

Pinterest:
Jambrea Jo Jones: https://www.pinterest.com/jambrea/
AC Katt: : https://www.pinterest.com/ackatt/
Cherie Noel: https://www.pinterest.com/authorcnoel/
Other:
NJ Nielsen: Blogger: http://normanielsen.blogspot.com.au/ WordPress: https://nielsennj.wordpress.com/ Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/public-profile-settings?trk=prof-0-ovw-public_profile-secondary Google +: https://plus.google.com/u/0/108478475874292907770/posts
Jenn Dease: WordPress: http://www.jenndease.com
Jambrea Jo Jones: http://www.jambrea.com
AC Katt: http://www.ackatt.com http://www.ackattsjournal.com
Cherie Noel: Blogger: http://talesfromthewritingcave.blogspot.com/ Website: http://www.cherienoel.com/
Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/cherie-noel/46/b2/52/

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Tour Dates & Stops:Parker Williams, Inked Rainbow Reads, MM Good Book Reviews, Bayou Book Junkie, Bike Book Reviews, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Carly’s Book Reviews, Tara Lain, BFD Book Blog, Hearts on Fire, Velvet Panic, Cate Ashwood, Charley Descoteaux, Chris McHart, The Hat Party, Up All Night, Read All Day, It’s Raining Men, Michael Mandrake

 

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Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $50 Gift Card. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Prizes and links provided by the publisher, authors, and Pride Promotions.

PLUS……Each author is also giving away a small gift at each blog stop. Either some small bits of swag, an eBook copy of their food story, or something from their backlist.   Leave a comment and an email address where you can be reached!

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A MelanieM Review: Hawaiian Trunks by Caraway Carter

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

Hawaiian Trunks coverIn Hawaii for the wedding of his lovers, Toby Lee wonders if he’ll ever find a love like Clay & Colin. When he meets Wolff, a hot bartender, over the course of a weekend he thinks it could just be possible. Toby Lee puts his foot down and decides that his love life is far more important than the so-called friends who take advantage of him. A broken law, handcuffs and a kiss might just seal the deal on his future.

Hawaiian Trunks by Caraway Carter is an enjoyable short story that has the legs and heart of a much bigger tale.  The story is told through the perspective of Toby Lee in Hawaii to attend and manage his lovers/employers wedding.  It’s a time of celebration for all except maybe Toby whose life is now as unsettled and rippling as the waves outside the resort they are all staying at.    Employed as Colin and Clay’s houseboy, Toby became their “third” over the five years he lived with them but the wedding for these two changes everything, including their relationship dynamics.  Why?

Because Toby now wants what Colin and Clay have together for himself.  He wants his life to change.  And he wants love, not just affection but the deep abiding love he sees in the men at the alter.

As the story opens, the reader is dropped down into the wedding ceremony as the vows are being said.  It’s intimate, its lovely, and its also clearly heartbreaking for Toby, who loves these men but is ready to move on with his life but doesn’t know how. The story only takes place over a couple of days, the few last parties before everyone  goes home to their now changed lives. You get a glimpse as to how wealthy Colin and Clay are and the lifestyle that Toby has lived with them as their lover/houseboy.  It’s that brief look into their regular lives that lets you understand both Toby’s frustration as well as his yearning for more.  It will take courage and determination to leave that life behind but does Toby have that?

Toby’s wish for  change is helped along by continual encounters with a bartender called Wolff, who seems to pop up everywhere at the resort.  A few conversations peak each other’s interest, a longer encounter deepens the attraction into something neither wants to define but both want to pursue.  That’s a pretty realistic approach and one I appreciated when other authors would have gone for the instant love aspect.  Luckily, that is not to be found here.

The ending is again believable in its resolution and HFN status for the main characters.  There isn’t too much drama or angst…it is a wedding after all. And the challenges Toby faces are ones that come with change and maturity.  The progression towards the character’s growth and the thought processes that gets him there flow smoothly and realistically.  I believed in Toby and how it all ended and wished him well.  You will too.

My only quibble is that it often felt as though we were missing either part of the book (the first half) that contained Toby’s life with Colin and Clay.  It would have been nice to have more of a back history and substantial heft now lacking to the wholeness of the plot.  Instead, as I said, it felt as though we were dropped down in the middle, and got that and the end.  A prologue might have giving this lovely little story the final touch that it needs for completeness.

If you are looking for a lovely tale of romance to while away a hour or two, pick up Hawaiian Trunks by Caraway Carter.  If you turn away from any sort of m/m/m element, don’t worry about that here as that aspect is over as the story begins and Toby is looking for that one person to be his alone.

Cover art by Deanna Jamroz works perfectly.  I love the lanterns in the background and the Hawaiian print trunks in the foreground.  Great job.

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

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 40 pages
Published February 22nd 2015 by ManLove Romance Press
ASINB00TXWJXWW
edition languageEnglish