Kim Dias on Writing, Stories and her release ‘Breakfast at Midnight’ (guest post)

Breakfast at Midnight by Kim Dias
Dreamspinner Press
Cover art by L.C. Chase

Release Date:
Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Kim Dias here today on her Breakfast at Midnight tour. Welcome, Kim.

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**Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Interview with the author of Breakfast at Midnight… Kim Dias**

How much of yourself goes into a character?

I find this one of the hardest questions to answer because, well, I don’t really know! I definitely share traits with several of my characters, but when I’ve finished writing, I sometimes feel as though there’s more of my characters in me than there is of me in them. Which can make me feel a little bit crazy sometimes! When a character has a really strong voice, I’ll sometimes find myself talking in their voice rather than them talking in mine. It’s a good thing, I think. I’d rather have their voices come easily to me than struggle with them.

Have you ever put a story away, thinking it just didn’t work? Then years/months/whatever later inspiration struck and you loved it? Is there a title we would recognize if that happened?

This happens more with characters than with plots. I’ll often have a character in my head for years and years before I find the right story for them. Shawn from my short story “How to Build a Shed” was one of those characters. He was in my head for ages before I managed to find the right story for him.

Do you like HFN or HEA? And why?

Do you mean choosing one over the other? Because I really can’t do that. It depends on the story. If the ending fits the story, I like it. I hate seeing a happy ending forced into a story, the same way I hate seeing sad endings forced into a story because a happy one didn’t seem artsy enough, I guess.

Do you have a favorite among your own stories? And why?

My two favourites are “How to Build a Shed” and “Two Captains”. I really love the storyline of “How to Build a Shed”; it takes me to such a happy place, and I love my characters in that one. As for “Two Captains”, well, I call it “my queer lady pirate story”, and I love it just for the fact that I can give it that description. It does important things for representation, I think, and I’m incredibly proud of it.

If you could imagine the best possible place for you to write, where would that be and why?

My current work station is pretty great—it’s just a desk set up in my bedroom, but its atmosphere is really conducive to getting work done. It’s also where I got the news about Breakfast at Midnight’s publication, so there are very fond memories associated with this desk.

But if I’m dreaming, I’d love a house on the beach with a study overlooking the ocean. A big desk. A whiteboard on the wall so I can scribble down my ideas when they’re overflowing from my head. Bookshelves absolutely filled with books. Someone to bring me cups of tea.

I have a hard time working when I’m surrounded by clutter. My desk is currently a mess and I’m struggling with everything. I need to set aside some time for cleaning because clutter at my work station seems to create clutter in my brain.

What’s next for you as an author?

I’m currently at school. I’m majoring in writing at the University of Victoria in Canada. So there’s lots of writing, but it isn’t always the kind of writing I want to be doing. My current goal is to survive this semester, but I’m always playing with ideas for my own creative pursuits. Editing Breakfast at Midnight was such a rewarding, but exhausting experience that I haven’t ventured out into romance since we wrapped up, but I think it’s time. I want to write about people falling in love again. It’s my favourite thing to do.

About Breakfast at Midnight

Hope can be found in unexpected places.

Lonely, still struggling with his divorce, and suffering from writer’s block, successful thriller author Fred spends much more time in an all-night Denny’s than is healthy for any man. It’s the last place he thought he’d meet someone like Callum, who has literally run away from the internationally famous boy band Leos.

Despite their age difference, the two become friends, and their long nights of soul-searching might help them find the courage to face their problems: Fred’s deteriorating relationship with his daughter and Callum’s career issues. It’s easy for their lives to tangle together, and each might provide the other the means to move beyond the past—even if it’s not a journey they can take together.

About the Author

Kim Dias has been writing for years, but has been making up stories for what feels like forever. She writes love stories, preferably with a side of hot sex; Literary Review’s Bad Sex in Fiction Awards constantly inspire her to do better.

When not focused on her studies at the University of Victoria, Kim spends her time working on her novel, which she swears will one day be finished. She loves dogs, reading in front of fireplaces, and days spent in the sunshine. She believes whole-heartedly that stories can change the world.

You can find her online at kimdias.tumblr.com.

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: Fireman’s Pole by Sue Brown

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Like others in this Dreamspun Desires series, this is a sweet M/M romance. The new fireman in town is Dale Maloney. His recent breakup from his long-term partner has shown him that it didn’t pay to stay in the closet at his last job so he immediately comes out to his fellow firefighters. They’re okay with him but rib him over many other things, including backing the rig into the town’s maypole. A historic pole, it’s a well-known centerpiece and the “lord of the manor” comes after Dale with a vengeance.

Ben Raleigh, the Baron Calminster, literally comes up to Dale and starts telling him off. Later embarrassed by yelling back and by what he says, the two stand toe-to-toe in the town square shouting at each other. But more than just a fight over the maypole takes place during this confrontation. The spark of an attraction is kindled. (Firefighter pun intended.)

Over time, the two get to know each other and they take a long slow-burn romantic route to consummating their love. Along the way, though, there’s plenty of small arson fires, a mystery to solve, and a decision Ben needs to make about coming out of the closet. Though he doesn’t know it, that secret really isn’t one at all. Ben has never been a stand-offish landowner, so his “people” know very well that he’s gay and that he’s fallen for Dale.

There’s a side plot about a woman named Sabrina who was dating Ben before Dale came on the scene. Ben breaks up with her and ends up with her as his new attorney. She helps him get clear of her father, who had really been behind their romance in the first place. He wants to merge the companies, and even near the end of the story, he’s still complaining that he won’t stop until he has his hands on Calminster Hall.

Without giving away the ending, I will say that I felt like the Sabrina thread and the business end of that with her father felt like they were dropped. Going back over the story, I see the threads were wrapped up, but they did still feel as if they were going to culminate in more drama. Maybe that’s because these stories follow old tropes and other authors have added that drama so I just assumed this one would as well.

Nevertheless, the story remained sweet, but not overly dramatic, and not anything I’d rate higher than 3 stars. If you are loving these Dreamspun books, and you enjoy a UK story with a good deal of local politics and lingo, you should definitely enjoy this one.

~~~~~

Cover art by Bree Archer features a handsome shirtless fireman in turnout gear, carrying a kitten. He’s placed against a background featuring a large country mansion. The mansion would be Calminster Hall so represents Ben. It’s bright and colorful and eye-catching.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 220 pages
Expected publication: October 15th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781635336559
Edition Language English

An Alisa Audiobook Review: Afraid to Fly by LA Witt and Nick J. Russo (Narrator)

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Once a fearless fighter pilot, Commander Travis Wilson is now confined to a desk. It’s been eight years since the near-fatal crash that grounded him, and it still rules his life thanks to relentless back pain.

Lieutenant Commander Clint Fraser almost drowned in a bottle after a highly classified catastrophe while piloting a drone. His downward spiral cost him his marriage and kids, but he’s sober now and getting his life back on track. He’s traded drones for a desk, and he’s determined to reconcile with his kids and navigate the choppy waters of PTSD.

Clint has been on Travis’s radar ever since he transferred to Anchor Point. When Clint comes out to his colleagues, it’s a disaster, but there’s a silver lining: now that Travis knows Clint is into men, the chemistry between them explodes.

It’s all fun and games until emotions get involved. Clint’s never been in love with a man before. Travis has, and a decade later, that tragic ending still haunts him. Clint needs to coax him past his fear of crashing and burning again, or their love will be grounded before takeoff.

This was a great story of two broken men finding love and acceptance with one another. Clint has had a hard battle to bring his life around and still has to face his ex’s scrutiny and his own doubts. Travis has worked hard to keep relationships from getting too involved as they always leave but will Clint be the exception?

Both of these characters’ stories are heartbreaking. After Clint’s drone catastrophe he doesn’t have anywhere or anyone to turn to and his life just implodes and he’s finally on an even keel but still incredibly lonely without any family around or anyone to lean on. Travis knows that no one will ever want to deal with his back pain, heck he doesn’t want to deal with it and when thoughts from his past start to come back to haunt him he wants to run in fear. I loved how Clint wasn’t willing to just let go and was willing to work for them to figure it all out.

Nick Russo did a wonderful job narrating this story. I could just feel the characters’ emotions right along with them while listening. The different voices he used for the characters helped me keep up with what was going on and get an idea of the characters personality some more.

I love the cover art by LC Chase and it follows the pattern for the series.

Sales Links: Audible | Amazon | iTunes

Audiobook Details:

Audiobook, 9 hrs 22 min
Published: August 31, 2017 (ebook first published January 16, 2017) by Riptide
Edition Language: English

Series: Anchor Point #2

An Alisa Recent Release Review: Picture Winter by Amy Aislin

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

What happens when two Capricorns fall in love?

Do something new today.

Why he looks at his horoscope every day, Elias Hood doesn’t know. It’s all garbage, and no nickel fortune ever helped him climb all the way up the corporate ladder. He’s about to make Vice President. Rocking the boat with “something new” is the last thing on his mind.

But there’s this guy.

Ty Green can make friends with a tree and Elias can’t help falling for his easy-going vibe and his perfect smile. He’s a fellow Capricorn, like Elias, but that’s as far as their similarities go. Ty works to live—he doesn’t live to work. When Elias takes his horoscope’s advice and asks Ty out, both men are in for a shock. But as Elias’s walls start to come down, they might just realize that they have more in common than they think. In fact, they might even want the exact same thing.

Who knows? Maybe horoscopes aren’t just trash after all.

I immensely enjoyed this story, it is just two men falling in love and learning to navigate a relationship and their lives together. Elias seems like such a stick in the mud at the beginning but we soon learn there is more than meets the eye. Ty is just a bubble of energy and is the perfect force to break through Elias’s walls.

My heart broke for how Elias’s childhood had made him need to have security in his job and life, even if it isn’t what he has always wanted to do. They help each other see that their plans can change but that doesn’t mean it isn’t what they are meant to be doing. It was beautiful how Ty’s family embraces Elias into their lives from the very beginning.

I did love how they were willing to take the relationship at their own pace, which is much faster than many but it works for them. They talk things out and make sure that they don’t overstep. There was no big thing for them to “solve” in regards to their relationship but I think that this story was perfectly done for these characters.

The cover art by Melody Pond is beautiful and I think it’s perfect for this story.

Sales Links: MLR Press | Amazon | B&N

Book Details:

ebook, 173 pages

Published: October 6, 2017 by MLR Press

Edition Language: English

K-lee Klein on Writing Songs, Poetry, and her latest release ‘Unbroken Hearts (Unbreak My Heart #2)’ (guest post and giveaway)

Unbroken Hearts (Unbreak My Heart #2) by K-lee Klein
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Reese Dante

Release date: October 11, 2017

Buy Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | GoodReads

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host K-lee Klein on her Unbroken Hearts tour. The author is here today sharing songs written for the character, Brett Blakk, poetry, and a giveaway to enter as well.

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Thanks for dropping by my Unbroken Hearts blog tour. I’m thrilled for the release of the second edition and second book of the Unbreak My Heart series, Unbroken Hearts, on October 11th with Dreamspinner Press.

This edition includes the newly polished and edited novella, Unbroken Hearts, plus the short story, Unwrapped Hearts, and 25,000 words of new content to continue Brett and JT’s romance. I have some great giveaways so make sure you enter at the end of the post.

I adore writing this series and one of the reasons is because Brett is a musician and I let myself completely step out of my comfort box to write songs for Brett Blakk. Composing is like writing poetry to me, and I’m a very big closet-poet.

There are many forms of poetry both classic and modern, with free or formal verse, and I love them all. Formal poems or traditional, are also called metrical verse because they follow rules with regards to stanza length and rhyme patterns. Types of formal poems include haikus, sonnets, and sestinas.

Hiakus are kind of fun—5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables.

A cowboy saddles up
for a sunset river ride.
Orange colored the sky.

Everywhere you look
inspiration can be found.
Just pay attention.

Strangers meet one day—
slow kisses and open hearts
Forever in love.

Sonnets are familiar to many people through Shakespeare’s work. They’re very challenging to write, but I’ve given it a shot now and again. I’m definitely more comfortable writing free form though. So is Brett Taylor and he prefers to add his own country twang.

There just might be a new song or two in Unbroken Hearts but I won’t ruin it for you. Instead, here are some of Brett’s lyrics from Unbreak My Heart. Don’t forget about the Rafflecopter draw!

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Brett’s Lyrics from Unbreak My Heart

Old pickup truck

The bed’s too big
And my heart’s too small
My mind’s gone south
Someone just let me fall
Ain’t no sense in denying
How little I’ve become
No sweet guitar picking
Can bring back the sun

I had the world at my fingertips
The selfish wantings of all men
I thought myself immortal
Stupidly fearless and content
Unaware my body needed more
Than silly objects and praise
And I left my heart behind
Thanklessly wasted in a star-struck haze

Now I’m reaping the benefits
Of all that I gave up
An empty house and lonely mind
And your old pickup truck

This is the part where you scold me
Tell me to grow up and be a man
Take my face between your fingers
And show me who I really am

Maybe you were too good for me
Maybe you were just too kind
Maybe I loved you too hard
Maybe our love was blind

My body aches to touch you
My mind reels with pain
I can’t quite remember how you smell
Or how much you loved the rain

This is the part where you scold me
Tell me to grow up and be a man
Take my face between your fingers
And show me who I really am

This is the part…
The part where I bleed
The part where I miss you
The part where I need…
I need you to be here
So you can give me a new start
To show me just how
To unbreak my heart.

***

Picked you over me

This whiskey tastes sour
Like an old lover’s kiss
But it’s all that I have
To make you exist

Because when I’m high as a kite
My heart settles down
You’re back in my arms
And our circle goes round.

I’ve lived my life
Doing just as I pleased
I slept around before you
My want never eased

But then you took that part inside
That had turned stone cold
You stole away my heart
And to you I was sold.

But as the saying goes
You don’t miss what you’ve got
Until you lose everything
Because of the person you’re not

That’s not how love works
It’s not how it should be
I put something else first
Should have picked you over me

***

Broken fences and scattered stones

Crumbling barns and sawdust
Broken fences and scattered stones
Horses with sad faces
Reminders I’ve lost my home

Fancy jeans and expensive boots
Records of silver and gold
Shots of Jack in crystal glasses
But no one to join me in growing old

’Cause a house is just a house
A bed—a slab of stone
One more night is all I want
One more chance to bring you home

If I reach to the sky
Will you grab my hand
Pull me back to you
To your promised land
Just take my hand
And take me along
’Cause there’s no reasons here
For me to keep trying to go on

Hopes and dreams
All left too late to say
Stubborn feelings and selfish ways
Future moments just tossed away

And life just moves so slow
When your heart has turned to dust
Life just burns away
When you lose the only one you could ever trust
But the ache remains
The pain still cuts
There’s no escape
From these hopeless ruts

’Cause a house is just a house
A bed—a slab of stone
One more night is all I want
One more chance to bring you home

But if I wait here long enough
Won’t you please grab my hand
Pull me back to you
Take me to your promised land
Just take my hand
And take me along

’Cause there’s no reasons here
For me to keep trying to go on
Do you miss me where you are?
Do you see the horrible mess I am?
Do you regret the love we had?
Do you wonder why I turned out so….
Turned out so goddamn bad

How can I find the will to live?
When I have nothing left to give
When my heart is broken and my soul’s been sold
When all I have left is your picture to hold

’Cause a house is just a house
A bed—a slab of stone
One more night is all I want
One more chance to bring you home

And if I wait here long enough
Will you please grab my hand
Pull me back to you
Take me to your promised land
Just take my hand
And take me along
’Cause there’s no reasons here
For me to keep trying…
To keep trying to go on

***

A song for the kid….

One hundred miles from Dallas
On a ranch southwest of town
An old heart battered and broken
Was somehow saved and found

They had nothing much in common
A burnt-out musician and a college boy
One from California
And the other Southern as a belle is coy

But an interfering mama
And an old cowboy with a quiet way
Saw fit to toss them together
And the rest is history as they say

Well, the musician he was stubborn,
Determined his heart would never beat again
But the kid was kind and patient
Didn’t give up on what could have been

I was lucky to find true love once
When I was barely that California boy’s age
Self-condemned to toss my heart and soul
Beside my lover in his dark, lonely grave

But now I understand the meaning
Behind it’s better to have loved and lost
Because there’s room in my heart for my beloved departed
And for the new feelings that kid has caused

So it’s with a hopeful heart and willing spirit
I’m begging for a lot more time
Because there’s nothing as important in my life
Than needing that kid to be mine.

And though I don’t believe in marital bliss
Or in ceremonies trumped up for show
If you’ll take my hand I can promise you
I’ll never let you go

I don’t have a whole lot to offer
Someone with so much potential drive
Just a bared-open, battered heart
And an old guitar with a long-ago country vibe

But I can vow to love you
With every inch of my soul
With this bandaged heart
And just one important goal

Please be my partner in life
My friend at my side
The one I turn to during the day
The one I hold at night

I wanna make you feel as loved
As the warmth I have inside
I wanna hold you so close to me
Our hearts beating side by side

I promise to love and honor
And try to see things your way
I promise, Darlin’, to love you
Forever and a day

So please be my partner in life
My friend at my side
The one I turn to during the day
The one I hold at night
’Cause without you
I’m cold I’m shut down and alone
I can’t seem to function
And my heart turns to stone

So please be my partner in life
My friend at my side
The one I turn to during the day
The one I hold at night
I’ll hold back the sun
Or steal the moon from the sky
I’ll sail you round the world
And together we’ll fly

So will you be my partner?
Will you be the love at my side?
Will you be the one I turn to all day?
Will you be the one I hold at night?

I love you, kid, with all my heart
From morning to night, from dusk to dawn
All I need is a chance
For our hearts to become one
Let me show you how much love
You make me feel every day
I’m completely in love with you, Darlin’
So please—
what do ya say?

I hope you enjoy Unbroken Hearts. Now…leave me a comment about poetry and don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter giveaways!

* * * * *

About Unbroken Hearts

~~Country singer turned rancher Brett Taylor fought his way out of the bottle, so he could have JT Campbell in his life. JT’s patience, intelligence, and humor broke through Brett’s walls of depression, and now the once-isolated rancher and his young California guy in search of himself are together on Brett’s Texas ranch.

While Brett and JT are more in love than ever, they’re still dealing with past baggage and learning how to move forward. Brett’s former lover casts a long shadow over their lives—one JT tries to pretend doesn’t bother him. Can Brett soothe his fears with the sort of sappy, sentimental Valentine’s Day JT was taught to shun growing up—but secretly always wanted?

When Halloween rolls around, a costumed night out at the local bar might lead to another romantic first. And on Christmas morning, JT awakes to some sweet loving and the most meaningful gift he could ever imagine. The New Year truly brings a new beginning—ushered in by some silly, sparkly, and sexy fun.

One year. Four important holidays. Two men who have worked hard for the love and trust they share and the bright future that’s finally within their grasp.~~

* * * * *

About the Author

K-lee Klein loves guys with long hair and tattoos, and you’ll often find her front and center at her favorite rock concerts. She has bounced around Western Canada all her life, but will always consider the solitude and beauty of the British Columbian mountains home. Her life is blessed as the proud mother of three now-grown but still spoiled kids, the servant of two bossy felines, and the wife of a truly patient husband.

Her writing muse is terribly temperamental, so to keep him close by and in check, she had him inked on her left calf. The gorgeous, long-haired, mostly naked, kneeling angel that resulted is truly a work of art, although he’s still a handful and hopelessly uncontrollable. She writes on his schedule and inspiration.

K-lee tends to fall easily into obsessions. When something grabs her attention, she jumps into it headfirst with complete abandon. Actors, musicians, superheroes, fictional characters, and brainwashed assassins all hold spots on her cannot-get-enough list. She once followed Thirty Seconds to Mars around the United States and Canada and saw them perform fourteen times that year. Obsession sometimes leads to ideas for her kneeling angel to turn into stories.

Although an introvert in person, she’s extroverted online and has met many wonderful friends there, sometimes with the added fun of meeting them in person at gay romance conferences. She’s grateful for all the people in her life who accept her as she is and support her through her ups and downs as mom, wife, and joyfully obsessed writer.

Places to find K-lee.

Website – kleeklein.com
Blog – http://chaosinthemoonlight.blogspot.ca
Twitter – https://twitter.com/Klee_Klein
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/kleemoon
Facebook author/reader group https://www.facebook.com/groups/812548795471921/b

Giveaway

Enter the giveaway! Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

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Sean Michael on the Ghostly Twists and Turns of Writing ‘The Supers (The Supers #1)’ (guest blog)

The Supers (The Supers #1) by Sean Michael
A Dreamspun Beyond Title
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Aaron Anderson

Release Date: October 15th 2017

Buy links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Sean Michael here today on his tour for his latest story The Supers. Welcome, Sean.

✒︎

First off, thank you to Scattered Thoughts and Rogue words for hosting me today!

Every now and then I find myself watching a ghost hunting show, but I never thought I’d be writing a book about ghost hunters! The Supernatural Explorers – The Supers for short – are a band of gay men who go ghost hunting. They’re searching for their big break – they want a TV show of their own.

I wasn’t sure when I started writing this book what the conflict was going to be – I guess you could say that I was doing some ghost hunting of my own! I thought maybe it was going to be the whole trying to get a TV show thing and that their success would be the big finish. True to form, though, these guys who appeared in my head, had their own agenda (or at least the ghosts they were hunting did) and as I wrote, the whole plotline unravelled in front of me and suddenly I had a story that was so much more than just trying to get a show. That’s all I’m going to say, though – I wouldn’t want to spoil anyone.

I had a lot of fun writing the book (even the gross parts) and I hope you enjoy reading it!

Sean Michael
Smut fixes everything

About The Supers

Hunting ghosts and finding more than they bargained for.

Blaine Franks is a member of the paranormal research group the Supernatural Explorers. When the group loses their techie to a cross-country move, newly graduated Flynn Huntington gets the job. Flynn fits in with the guys right off the bat, but when it comes to him and Blaine, it’s more than just getting along.

Things heat up between Blaine and Flynn as they explore their first haunted building together, an abandoned hospital. Their relationship isn’t all that progresses, though, and soon it seems that an odd bite on Blaine’s neck has become much more.

Hitchhiking ghosts, a tragic love story forgotten by time, and the mystery of room 204 round out a romance where the things that go bump in the night are real.

About the Author

Best-selling author Sean Michael is a maple leaf–loving Canadian who spends hours hiding out in used book stores. With far more ideas than time, Sean keeps several documents open at all times. From romance to fantasy, paranormal and sci-fi, Sean is limited only by the need for sleep—and the periodic Beaver Tail.
Sean fantasizes about one day retiring on a secluded island populated entirely by horseshoe crabs after inventing a brain-to-computer dictation system. Until then, Sean will continue to write the old-fashioned way.

Sean Michael on the web:

WEBSITE: http://www.seanmichaelwrites.com
BLOG: http://seanmichaelwrites.blogspot.ca
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/SeanMichaelWrites/
TWITTER: seanmichael09
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/seanmichaelpics/

Review Tour for Amy Aislin’s Picture Winter (giveaway)

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Cover Design: Melody Pond

Publisher: MLR Press

Length: 47,000 words approx.

Blurb

Do something new today.

But there’s this guy.

Ty Green can make friends with a tree and Elias can’t help falling for his easy-going vibe and his perfect smile. He’s a fellow Capricorn, like Elias, but that’s as far as their similarities go. Ty works to live–he doesn’t live to work. When Elias takes his horoscope’s advice and asks Ty out, both men are in for a shock. But as Elias’s walls start to come down, they might just realize that they have more in common than they think. In fact, they might even want the exact same thing.

Who knows? Maybe horoscopes aren’t just trash after all.

Read Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Review here! We absolutely recommend it!

October 6 – Urban Smoothie Read, Nerdy Dirty & Flirty

October 9 – Drops of Ink, The Geekery Book Review

October 10 – Love Bytes

October 12 – The Novel Approach

October 13 – Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Making It Happen

October 14 – MM Good Book Reviews

October 16 – Bayou Book Junkie, Jim’s Reading Room, Lelyana’s Book Blog

October 17 – Diverse Reader

October 19 – Alpha Book Club

Author Bio

Amy started writing on a rainy day in fourth grade when her class was forced to stay inside for recess. Tales of adventures with her classmates quickly morphed into tales of adventures with the characters in her head. Based in the suburbs of Toronto, Amy is a marketer at a large environmental non-profit in Toronto by day, and a writer by night. Book enthusiast, animal lover and (very) amateur photographer, Amy’s interests are many and varied, including travelling, astronomy, ecology, and baking.

Amy loves connecting with readers! You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Twitter or sign up for her infrequent newsletter at www.amyaislin.com/signup

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A Free Dreamer Review: Covet by Yolande Kleinn

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Jack Mason—graphic designer and unrepentant player—has never been interested in monogamy. He certainly isn’t looking for romance when he meets Professor Colin Sloan.

Newly single and not looking for anything serious, Colin is intrigued by Jack’s offer of a physical affair with no strings attached. Becoming friends wasn’t part of the plan, but as accidents go, this one’s pretty great.

Peter Mason is Jack’s identical twin. In a long-term relationship himself, Peter tells no one that he’s falling for his brother’s newest favorite, even as the secret creates tension with his girlfriend.

When Peter’s relationship falls apart, he seduces Colin, fully expecting Jack to forgive his transgression. But Jack is keeping secrets too—he hasn’t told even Colin that he’s fallen in love. Suddenly the twins are feuding, and Colin is caught in the middle, blindsided by the revelation that he doesn’t want to choose between them.

Now all three must find a way to share, or they’ll tear each other apart.

I love menage stories but I guess I misinterpreted the plot. I totally didn’t realize there would be (sorta) twincest in this. Which, in hindsight, is glaringly obvious from the blurb. Guess I was too greedy… Because while I don’t mind incest with brothers (one older and one younger), twincest makes me feel very conflicted. My dad is an identical twin and thinking of him and my uncle is so wrong when reading a hot sex scene. But it’s not the author’s fault that I can’t read, so I’m not going to let my personal dislike influence my rating.

First things first: the sex scenes were hot. Absolutely scorching hot, especially whenever Peter was involved. And there was a lot of sex in this book.

There was no real twincest, Peter and Jack just shared Colin. They had sex with him but not with each other. This is the first menage where it’s one guy having two boyfriends. That was an interesting change from the usual way these stories go.

As hot as the sex was, there might have been a bit too much of it. The plot was a little shallow overall and had a few too many cliches (like the feisty female friend who meddles with her best friend’s love life). While we got a long build-up of attraction from Peter’s side, Colin’s attraction to him seemed a bit sudden.

I liked that there was a HFN ending. It fit the book perfectly and felt realistic.

Overall, “Covet” is a hot, fun read. Definitely worth a read, even though I’m not really fond of twincest.

The cover by L.C. Chase is totally hot, just like the book.

Sales Links: Riptide Publishing | Amazon

Book details:

ebook, 268 pages
Published September 18th 2017 by Riptide Publishing
ISBN139781626496279
Edition LanguageEnglish

A MelanieM Release Day Review: Breakfast at Midnight by Kim Dias

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Hope can be found in unexpected places.

Breakfast at Midnight by Kim Dias is short but the author does a remarkable job of packing a lot of heart, angst, and promise into 66 pages. A first for me by this author, the story of two men, each having huge difficulties in their lives and professions. They meet and connect at a Denny’s, that connection grows into a possibility for the future and while that happens, they set their own lives a little straighter as well.

That’s it. Only the possibility of a HFN, but the manner in which the author builds the tenuous relationship feels realistic. There’s no instalov which I appreciated, given the age difference and the problems each man is facing in their own lives. There’s even the acknowledgement of the age difference, the idea the Callum has no idea who he is yet and needs to find that first (again a wonderful authentic touch), and that Fred needs time to work on his own issues and by the end of the story is well on his way to resolving some as is Callum.

At the beginning of the story the men met at a crossroads, something wonderful happens and now it’s up to them how the future unfolds. At the end of the tale, we see the potential for a future. That’s lovely.

Is the end a bit abrupt? Yes. Does the story have some narrative issues of its own. Sure but the whole here it still sweet and real, it leaves you rooting for something more for both Fred and Callum, even if it’s not lasting. I felt good after reading Breakfast at Midnight. I felt hopeful and wanted to learn about what happens next. Maybe the author will deliver that in another story. Maybe not. Either way, I recommend this one to you lovers of romance!

Cover Artist: L.C. Chase. The cover art does a great job with both characters and the major element of the location of most of their scenes. Love it.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 66 pages
Expected publication: October 11th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781635338997
Edition LanguageEnglish

An Ali Release Day Review: Unbroken Hearts (Unbreak My Heart #2) by K-lee Klein

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Country singer turned rancher Brett Taylor fought his way out of the bottle so he could have JT Campbell in his life. JT’s patience, intelligence, and humor broke through Brett’s walls of depression, and now the once-isolated rancher and his young California guy in search of himself are together on Brett’s Texas ranch.

While Brett and JT are more in love than ever, they’re still dealing with past baggage and learning how to move forward. Brett’s former lover casts a long shadow over their lives—one JT tries to pretend doesn’t bother him. Can Brett soothe his fears with the sort of sappy, sentimental Valentine’s Day JT was taught to shun growing up—but secretly always wanted?

When Halloween rolls around, a costumed night out at the local bar might lead to another romantic first. And on Christmas morning, JT awakes to some sweet loving and the most meaningful gift he could ever imagine. The New Year truly brings a new beginning—ushered in by some silly, sparkly, and sexy fun.

One year. Four important holidays. Two men who have worked hard for the love and trust they share and the bright future that’s finally within their grasp.

This was a sweet compilation of some previously released short stories for this series. I had not read them when they were individual so I’m not sure how many were new/old. I liked the way the author presented them though. This was written as one solid book with some time jumps. It was very cohesive and it read like one average length book.

The first story which is the longest covers the guys first Valentine’s Day together. It was both romantic and sexy and I really enjoyed it. It then goes to October and we get to experience Halloween with the couple. From there it goes to Christmas and then New Year’s. The sections were really touching and it was great to see Brett and JT as their relationship develops. They went through a lot of pain to get to this place and it made me happy to see them doing so well.

As a reader I really liked the short stories being put all together in one flowing book. It makes it easier to keep track of the stories and I imagine it’s more cost effective too. This book is a must read for fans of the first book. Unfortunately for other readers this won’t work as a standalone. You definitely need to read book one first.

This cover was done by Reese Dante and I think it is lovely. The cover compliments the cover of the first book and they both match the main character’s descriptions well.

Sales Links:

Dreamspinner | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 187 pages
Expected publication: October 11th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press (first published March 9th 2013)
ASINB075XMYHR6
Series Unbreak My Heart #2

Breakfast at Midnight by Kim Dias Dreamspinner Press Cover art by L.C. Chase

Release Date: Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Interview with the author of Breakfast at Midnight… Kim Dias

About Breakfast at Midnight

About the Author

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Unbroken Hearts (Unbreak My Heart #2) by K-lee Klein Dreamspinner Press Cover Artist: Reese Dante

Brett’s Lyrics from Unbreak My Heart

About Unbroken Hearts

About the Author

Giveaway

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The Supers (The Supers #1) by Sean Michael A Dreamspun Beyond Title Dreamspinner Press Cover Artist: Aaron Anderson

Release Date: October 15th 2017

Buy links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

About The Supers

About the Author

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Giveaway

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Breakfast at Midnight by Kim Dias
Dreamspinner Press
Cover art by L.C. Chase

Release Date:
Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press

**Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Interview with the author of Breakfast at Midnight… Kim Dias**

Unbroken Hearts (Unbreak My Heart #2) by K-lee Klein
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Reese Dante

The Supers (The Supers #1) by Sean Michael
A Dreamspun Beyond Title
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Aaron Anderson