An Alisa Audiobook Review: Can’t Hide From Me by Cordelia Kingsbridge and Nick J. Russo (Narrator)

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Charles Hunter’s team is on a mission to extract an unidentified ATF agent from an undercover job gone wrong. All they’ve got to go on is the rendezvous location—until Charles recognizes the ex he hasn’t seen in years. Their “simple rescue mission” is about to get a lot more complicated.

For Ángel Medina, adjusting to life after his cartel nightmare is hard enough without confronting memories of a failed relationship. All he wants is a fresh start. But when a violent stalker lashes out from the shadows, Ángel realizes his nightmare is far from over.

As the stalker’s obsession escalates and bodies start dropping, Charles and Ángel are thrown together in a desperate search for the culprit. Tempers flare and old passions reignite, drawing them back into the same turbulent relationship that once ended in disaster.

But the stalker isn’t letting go—and the next strike might hit straight through the heart.

This was one of those stories that sounded interesting but I wasn’t too sure what to expect and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. This book was very well written with an in depth story and background that made for an enjoyable book. Charles lives his life based on a bunch of rules that he has made for himself and many of the quickly get thrown out the window when Ángel comes back into his life. Ángel has lived a lie for the last two years with minimal connection to the real world and just as he is hoping to and adjusting to real life again a stalker is turning his life upside down again.

Charles and Ángel are very much alpha males who don’t seem to know how to talk to each other about what is important. Both of them are hurt from when they were together years ago but don’t focus on that since they want to find the stalker. I loved that both of these characters had a vulnerability with each other that you didn’t see around anyone else. The stalker tried to put a wedge between them but their strong connection doesn’t really allow for them to be pushed apart so easily. I didn’t love the twist of who the stalker was and I know it never came to my mind.

Nick J Russo did a wonderful job narrating this story. I was able to keep track of the story and characters which is always nice. He did a great job separating the characters but also the differences in their ethnicities and accents that would be expected for the characters backgrounds.

Cover art by GD Leigh is absolutely perfect for the story.

Sales Links: Audible | Amazon | iTunes

Audiobook Details:

Audiobook, 9hrs 8min
Published August, 2017 (ebook first published October 3, 2016) by Riptide Publishing
Edition Language: English

A Caryn Release Day Review: Creative Process by Jodi Payne

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Jodi Payne is a new to me author that I am definitely going to start following more closely!

I really enjoyed this appropriately titled book, about two artistic, creative men. As a thoroughly non-artistic person myself (although I have to admit, I secretly wish I was!), I have always been amazed at the differences between right-brained creative types and left-brained analytical types. And I guess even the fact that I’m drawn to it in this way illustrates how left-brained I am, ha ha! So in this book, when the author really gets into how Reese thinks up his characters, and his plots, and how they take on a life of their own, I was just fascinated.

Reese Kelsey is a successful author of what he calls thrillers and what many of his fans call horror stories. He’s made it into the bestseller lists with his current series about a detective and his serial killer nemesis, and is working on what he plans to be the fourth and final book. He’s methodical in a way, with a daily word count goal, deadlines to meet, marketing events to attend, but though he loves writing, he is also aware of how much it can set him apart from others. When someone asked him if he enjoyed writing, he said

Most of the time. Except – except when you can’t get an idea out of your mind, you know? And you’ve got this psychotic murderer talking to you in your head, and it’s two o’clock in the morning when the rest of the sane world is asleep, and then you have to research something like blood splatter patterns or fingerprint recreation to pin something on the bad guy… and…

and he got a blank stare. Talk about a conversation killer! His writing also takes over to the point of forgetting to eat, or sleep, or attend important events, which has sabotaged all of his attempts so far at having a serious relationship. There’s also the unwelcome aspect of celebrity and fame, when all Reese really wants is to be a normal guy

Reese has a very supportive group of friends, including his publicist Chad, who do their best to keep Reese functioning in the real world when he starts getting too caught up in his novels. These gay men are the kind of friends who have become true family, and work well as secondary characters in their own right, as well as moving the plot along. Reese is actually out with Chad when he first runs into Owen Mercado – hot, younger, talented, humble, and best of all, completely unaware of who Reese is as an author, so Reese has the chance to get to know him without the fanboy effect. Owen is a cellist in the symphony, but also plays in a trio that gives a classical spin on pop music and has a standing gig in a local coffeehouse. They have instant physical chemistry together, but it rapidly becomes much more than that.

Although the blurb hints at obsession and angst, I really didn’t see it. This is a story about a building relationship, with no manufactured drama, no over the top stupidity, no crazy characters. Yes, these men are both driven, and their careers require more than the average amount of time and dedication and flexibility, but these are clearly real people with real world issues. This is the story of how they make it work, and how they have to recognize their own flaws in order to overcome the obstacles to that successful relationship. I found it to be a character driven, rather than plot driven novel, which is exactly what I enjoy. The writing is excellent, the dialogue realistic and engaging, and both men are guys I would love to meet.

Cover art by Tiferet Design was amazing. It almost made me wonder if this picture inspired the book, the characters are just so perfectly matched to the models!

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 206 pages
Published September 25th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781635338416
Edition LanguageEnglish

Cari Z. on Writing, Characters and her latest novel ‘Off The Beaten Path’ (author interview and tour)

Off the Beaten Path by Cari Z.
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Brooke Albrecht

Available for Purchase at Dreamspinner Press

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Cari Z. here today on her Off the Beaten Path tour. Welcome, Cari.

✒︎

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Interview with Cari Z

How much of yourself goes into a character?

I can always tell the characters I personally resonate with most, because they’re not big and bold. They’re usually fairly quiet and tend to get things done without a lot of fuss, and they’re also complete badasses with at least one odd and unique skillset. *ahem*

Do you feel there’s a tight line between Mary Sue or should I say Gary Stu and using your own experiences to create a character?

I think it’s important for a character to be relatable, which often means not using a really personal anecdote or interesting incident from my own life, because really, how many people have been alligator wrestling? On the other hand, people read to experience new things, and so a judicious amount of my own life and personality needs to make it in there, especially if I’m relating something odd.

Does research play a role into choosing which genre you write? Do you enjoy research or prefer making up your worlds and cultures?

I love research and making up my own worlds and cultures! This is probably why I write so few novels in the contemporary genre—I mean, yeah, I could Google Map Philadelphia and ask for beta readers to make sure I get it right, or I could research rainforests and jungles and then stick my main characters on an alien planet with, you guessed it, rainforests and jungles!

Has your choice of childhood or teenage reading genres carried into your own choices for writing?

I loved historical fiction as a teen. Really, desperately loved it. Only later, when I actually went to write it for myself, did I realize how damn complicated that genre is. That hasn’t stopped me, persay, but it does make other stories more attractive sometimes.

Have you ever had to put an ‘in progress’ story aside because of the emotional ties with it? You were hurting with the characters or didn’t know how to proceed?

I’ve had to put “in progress” stories aside due to complete and utter bafflement at what happens next, but only once have I put one away for emotional reasons. I wrote 70k in three weeks, the fastest I’ve ever gotten any story down, then got to a huge shift in the plot and realized I was depressing myself so much I couldn’t continue.

Do you like HFN or HEA? And why?

I write stories with romance, so those conventions are not only anticipated, they’re demanded. That being said, I tend to go more HFN, because I don’t draw out endings and tend to stuff my romances full of adventure and thrills too.

Do you read romances, as a teenager and as an adult?

Oh yeah. Classics. Fanfic. Contemporary authors who aren’t me. I read it all. GIVE IT TO ME!

Who do you think is your major influence as a writer? Now and growing up?

Huh. Well, as a teenager I wanted to write my own Horatio Hornblower books, so I’d have to say CS Forester was a huge influence. As an adult, I read very scattershot all over the place, everything from high fantasy to weird science, so if anything, eclectisism is my guide now.

How do you choose your covers? (curious on my part)

Usually I don’t have a lot to do with my own covers. I tell the art department what I want and they provide something glorious and I’m very happy. With the cover for Off The Beaten Path, though, I didn’t like any of the models they sent me. I felt awful for complaining, but they were incredibly cool about it, and eventually I got to pick my own model. Hence the delightful man gracing the cover now 😊

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

It changes! I like all of my work, even the early stuff because darn it, I learned from it and it helped me grow, but I’ve got to confess I’m especially fond of my science fiction romance Changing Worlds, which is also with Dreamspinner. I wrote it after doing the Peace Corps, and it encapsulates better than any of my other books the emotional dissociation I felt at the time. It’s one of my most true-to-my-life novels, despite being set on an alien planet.

What’s next for you as an author?

After Off The Beaten Path comes out, I have a break before the third and fourth books in the Bad Behavior series I’m writing with L.A. Witt come out in January. Which gives me time (maybe, what with a new baby due to arrive tomorrow, literally) to write a possible sequel for Off The Beaten Path!

Blurb

When Ward Johannsen’s little girl Ava shifted into a werewolf, she was taken into custody by the feds and shipped off to the nearest pack, all ties between father and daughter severed. Ward burned every bridge he had discovering her location, and then almost froze to death in the Colorado mountains tracking her new pack down. And that’s just the beginning of his struggle.

Henry Dormer is an alpha werewolf and an elite black ops soldier who failed his last mission. He returns home, hoping for some time to recuperate and help settle the pack’s newest member, a little pup named Ava who can’t shift back to her human form. Instead he meets Ward, who refuses to leave his daughter without a fight. The two men are as different as night and day, but their respect for each other strikes a spark of mutual interest that quickly grows into a flame. They might find something special together—love, passion, and even a family—if they can survive trigger-happy pack guardians, violent werewolf politics, and meddling government agencies that are just as likely to get their alpha soldiers killed as bring them home safely.

About the Author

Cari Z was a bookworm as a child and remains one to this day. In an effort to combat her antisocial reading behavior, she did all sorts of crazy things, from competitive gymnastics to alligator wresting (who even knew that was legal!) to finally joining the Peace Corps, which promptly sent her and her husband to the wilds of West Africa, stuck them in a hut, and said, “See ya!” She also started writing then because what else are you going to do for entertainment with no electricity? She writes award-winning LGBTQ fiction featuring aliens, supervillains, soothsayers, and even normal people sometimes. You can contact Cari at carizabeth@hotmail.com. In fact, please do. She’d love to hear from you.

Social Media Links:

AUTHOR’S WEBSITE	http://carizerotica.blogspot.com
AUTHOR’S TWITTER URL (NOT JUST HANDLE)	https://twitter.com/author_cariz
AUTHOR’S FACEBOOK URL	https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008212125132

In the Spotlight: Rank & File (Anchor Point #4) by L.A. Witt (Riptide Publishing Tour and Giveaway)

Rank & File (Anchor Point #4) by L.A. Witt
Riptide Publishing
Cover art by L.C. Chase

Read an Excerpt/Purchase it here at Riptide Publishing

About Rank & File

Senior Chief Will Curtis is as straitlaced as they come. While his fellow Sailors have partied their way through their enlistments, he’s had his eye on the prize—making master chief and retiring after thirty years of service.

Lieutenant Brent Jameson is a Navy brat turned Annapolis grad. He’s lived and breathed the military his whole life, and he knows he’s destined for great things—once he’s done paying his dues at the bottom of the ladder.

When their paths cross, both men know better than to give in to temptation, but that doesn’t stop them. It also doesn’t keep them from coming back for more, even though being discovered would sink their careers. Something has to give—Will can retire, Brent can resign, or they’ll both face court-martial.

But there’s also the option neither wants to acknowledge: jump ship and walk away from each other instead of ending their careers over a fledgling relationship. And they should probably decide before they fall in love.

Except—too late.

Now available from Riptide Publishing!

About the Anchor Point Series

Welcome to Anchor Point!

Nestled on the northern coast of Oregon, this small town is home to Naval Air Station Adams. On base, you’ll find freshly minted Sailors who’ve just graduated boot camp, salty officers counting down till retirement, grounded pilots who’ve landed behind desks, and everyone in between—and they’re all looking for love. Well, not all of them, but that won’t stop love from finding them.

So pull up a barstool, grab a beer, and get ready for some sea stories as these men in uniform—or not—navigate the waters of love and life in the military.

Anchor Point stories can be enjoyed in any order. Hop in wherever you’d like!

http://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/series/anchor-point

About L. A. Witt

L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer who has finally been released from the purgatorial corn maze of Omaha, Nebraska, and now spends her time on the southwestern coast of Spain. In between wondering how she didn’t lose her mind in Omaha, she explores the country with her husband, several clairvoyant hamsters, and an ever-growing herd of rabid plot bunnies. She also has substantially more time on her hands these days, as she has recruited a small army of mercenaries to search South America for her nemesis, romance author Lauren Gallagher, but don’t tell Lauren. And definitely don’t tell Lori A. Witt or Ann Gallagher. Neither of those twits can keep their mouths shut…

L. A.’s backlist is available on her website, and updates (as well as random thoughts and the odd snarky comment) can be found on her blog or on Twitter (@GallagherWitt).

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Rank & File, one lucky winner will receive their choice of two eBooks off L. A. Witt’s backlist (excluding Rank & File) and a $10 Riptide Publishing store credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on September 30, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

RIPTIDE TOUR Avon Gale on The Love Song of Sawyer Bell (A Tour Dates novel)

The Love Song of Sawyer Bell (Tour Dates #1) by Avon Gale
Riptide Publishing
Cover by: Natasha Snow

Read an Excerpt/Purchase it Here at Riptide Publishing

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host the tour for The Love Song of Sawyer Bell (Tour Dates #1) by Avon Gale. Check it out below and don’t forget to enter the giveaway.

✒︎

About The Love Song of Sawyer Bell

Victoria “Vix” Vincent has only two weeks to find a replacement fiddle player for her band’s summer tour. When classically trained violinist Sawyer Bell shows up for an audition, Vix is thrilled. Sawyer is talented, gorgeous, funny, and excited about playing indie rock instead of Beethoven. Their friendship soon blossoms into romance, even though Vix tries to remember that Sawyer’s presence is only temporary.

Sawyer’s parents think she’s spending the summer months touring Europe with a chamber ensemble. But Sawyer is in dire need of a break from the competitiveness of Juilliard, and desperately wants to rediscover her love of music. Going on tour with her secret high school crush is just an added bonus. Especially when Vix kisses her one night after a show, and they discover that the stage isn’t the only place they have chemistry.

But the tour won’t last forever, and as the summer winds down, Sawyer has to make a tough decision about her future—and what it means to follow her heart.

Now available from Riptide Publishing.

About Avon Gale

Avon grew up in the southern United States, and now lives with her very patient husband in a liberal Midwestern college town. When she’s not writing, she’s either doing some kind of craft project that makes a huge mess, reading, watching horror movies, listening to music or yelling at her favorite hockey team to get it together, already. Avon is always up for a road trip, adores Kentucky bourbon, thinks nothing is as stress relieving as a good rock concert, and will never say no to candy.

At one point, Avon was the mayor of both Jazzercise and Lollicup on Foursquare. This tells you basically all you need to know about her as a person.

Connect with Avon:

Website: www.avongalewrites.com
Blog: www.avongalewrites.com/category/blog/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/avongalewrites
Twitter: @avongalewrites
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/avongalewrites/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/avongale/

Giveaway

To celebrate this release, one lucky winner will receive a signed paperback copy of The Love Song of Sawyer Bell! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on September 30, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

Falling Into Autumn and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Falling Into Autumn

We’ve passed the autumnal equinox and it’s officially fall. Yes, my favorite time of the year has arrived. Already the signs are out. The Sugar Maples are showing their splendid fall colors, my beech trees are busy making a nuisance of themselves by pouring nut bits all over the back stone patio. Their beech nuts a boon for wildlife who are busy taking advantage and a pain for the paws of my dogs who keep stepping on them no matter how quickly I try to sweep them up every morning. It’s a Sisyphean task to be sure.

Last night I started another fall task. I started to clean out my Kindle. Yes, I have to do that. As a reviewer, or even just a prolific reader, it’s full of books I will never read again. So the daunting chore begins to weed out the books overflowing my Kindle, choosing which will remain and which, much like my gardens, will be pruned away so I can quickly look over my library. Hah! You say. Yah, yah…I know…it seems overwhelming and unlikely to me too.

My mental mutterings often go something like this “no, I’m not finished the series yet, you get to stay”, “hmm, uh no, I thought I had removed you some time ago”, “Oh, I loved you so, I know I’ll read you again (no I won’t but I want too)” so I keep that one….and so on. As you can imagine far more stay then actually get booted. In the end I put the Kindle down, caught up in a book I need to read and review for the upcoming weeks because that’s as great an excuse as any, right?

Thank goodness they aren’t printed books because I’ve never thrown one of those away in my life. Shifted boxes into my parents attic (yes, I know shameful at any age but there you go). I think I’m going to go get them this fall, promise.

I won’t even go into my fall gardening chores…it’s still sunny and 80 outside. Too many seeds are falling from the plants and things are still blooming. That gets to slide too while I go look at mums in all their glory. I know just the place to plant them while I read and have a sip of wine.

That’s how I’m starting my fall into autumn. Do you have any special plans for your fall days? I’d love to hear them! New giveaway coming soon! Meanwhile enjoy our easing into Fall and this week’s books and tours. Don’t miss out on Joker by JM Dabney. I’ll be doing an author discovery on JM Dabney in the next coming months and reviewing all this author’s series…yes, I’m that much in love!

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, September 24:

Falling Into Autumn and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
A MelanieM Review: Drama Luau (Nicky and Noah Mystery #4) by Joe Cosentino

Monday, September 25:

RIPTIDE TOUR Avon Gale on The Love Song of Sawyer Bell (A Tour Dates novel)
RELEASE BLITZ Figure Study by Suzanne Clay
Anniversary Blog Tour for Caught Inside by Jamie Deacon
Fortitude Smashed. Interlude Press Tour
A Free Dreamer Review: Trans Liberty Riot Brigade by L.M. Pierce
An Alisa Review: Saved by AM Arthur
A Caryn Release Day Review: Creative Process by Jodi Payne

Tuesday, September 26:

Dreamspinner Promo Cari Z. on Off The Beaten Path
Release Blitz – The Half Wolf by Jay Northcote
Renewal Review and Promo Tour (Queer SyFy Scott)
Riptide Publishing Tour and Giveaway: Rank and File by LA Witt
An Alisa Review; Loose Ends by Jeff Erno
A MelanieM Review :Renewal : 3rd Annual Queer SyFy Flash Fiction Anthology
An Ali Review: A World Apart by Mel Gough

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

TOUR Golden by RL Mosswood
TOUR On the Way to San Jose by Jere’ M. Fishback
Release Blitz First Season (Harrisburg Railers #2) by RJ Scott & VL Locey
Review Tour – Amy Tasukada – Would It Be Ok To Love You
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: Antisocial by Heidi Cullinan and Iggy Toma (Narrator)
An Alisa Audiobook Review: Can’t Hide From Me by Cordelia Kingsbridge and Nick J. Russo (Narrator)

Thursday, September 28, 2017:

BLOG TOUR Waking the Behr (Foothills Pride #7) by Pat Henshaw
Dreamspinner Dreamspun Desires Promo Louisa Masters
Dreamspinner Promo Skylar M. Cates
A Stella Review: The Half Wolf by Jay Northcote
An Ali Review A World Apart by Mel Gough
An Alisa Review: Revived (Foreverers #1) by Nina del Arce

Friday, September 29:

Dreamspinner Dreamspun Desires Promo MA Church
Review Tour for First Season (Harrisburg Railers #2) by RJ Scott & VL Locey
Review Tour – Joker (Executioners #2) – JM Dabney
A MelanieM Release Day Review: Joker (Executioners #2) by JM Dabney
A MelanieM Review :First Season (Harrisburg Railers #2) by RJ Scott & VL Locey
An Ali Release Day Review: Rim Shot by Skylar M Cates

Saturday, September 30:

Blog and Review Tour – City Boy – Country Boy by A.E. Wasp
One Call Away by Felice Stevens Audio Tour and Review
An Ali Review: Country Boy (Hot Off the Ice #2) by AE Wasp
An Ali Review: City Boy (Hot Off the Ice #1) by AE Wasp

A MelanieM Audiobook Review: Mahu by Neil S. Plakcy and Joel Leslie (Narrator)

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

Mahu — a generally negative Hawaiian term for homosexuals — introduces a unique character to detective fiction. Kimo Kanapa’aka is a handsome, mixed-race surfer living in Honolulu, a police detective confronting his homosexuality in an atmosphere of macho bravado within the police force. A man of intelligence, strength, honesty, resourcefulness, and intense dedication to the people of Hawaii, Kimo is a hard-boiled hero you will never forget. Fast-paced, intricately plotted, thoroughly enjoyable, this is a sexy, surprisingly moving mystery about discovering oneself as much as catching a killer.

I have been singing the praises of Neil S. Plakcy’s Mahu series for a long time now. One of my favorite series, I’ve been following the life of Kimo Kanapa’aka, a gay police detective in Honolulu, Hawaii for ten books now, the last being Ghost Ship (Mahu, #10). By Ghost Ship, Kimo has settled down with his husband Mike, a foster son, and sharing parenting of twins with a lesbian couple. It’s been quite a journey for Kimo and family, a remarkable one the reader has been on with him every arduous step of the way. And it all started with Mahu, first published in January 2005.

There we meet a vastly different Kimo, one trying to figure out his sexuality, a supposed “straight” detective within the Honolulu Police Department back when they had Palm Pilots, VHS tapes, where being out or even homosexual definitely wasn’t something you expected to be accepted for with the family, let alone within a Police Department.

So Plakcy gives us a complicated, decent, torn man who at his mid thirties is trying to figure out who he really is. And puts Kimo in the midst of a murder at the worst time of his life. I remember reading this story and feeling every bit of the pain and anguish that Kimo was going through. But listening to it? A hundred times more real and immediate. The suspense of Kimo being found out during the investigation becomes palpable when listening to the narration by Joel Leslie, whose acting is superb.

One of the huge strengths of the Mahu series and the Plakcy narrative is that the author’s marvelous use of the local Hawaiian colloquialisms, sinking the characters into the culture via the vernacular of the mixed races that is Hawaii. The familiarity of the island topography along with the religions and politics lay a authentic foundation for Kimo and his family and all the strong relationship dynamics that play out in this story and the series. It does so in the books and here in the audio version.

I have to admit the first hurdle any narrator has to overcome (even the wonderful Joel Leslie) is my mental image of Kimo Kanapa’aka. He was a complete person in my head, including a voice that didn’t sound like the one Leslie assigned to him. That took some getting used to. Once that hurdle was surmounted, I was able to completely lose myself back into a story I had loved so much and now got to enjoy again. Leslie did an outstanding job the the huge cast of characters and all polyglot of voices he had to produce. From the Chinese (elderly and young) to the Japanese to the Islanders (Polynesian etc), the Hawaiians have a name it seems for every racial mixture. And perhaps even a different tonality. Joel Leslie does them all justice!

I hope that all of the Mahu series make it into audio version, I can’t wait to listen to them all. This was a wonderful way to revisit the beginning of the series. If you are new to Mahu, why not start here? If you’re a fan of the series, I think you’ll find this a delightful way to revisit an old friend. Either way this is a audiobook I highly recommend!

Cover art is wonderful. Artwork is both primitive and colorful. Love it.

Sales Links: MLR Press | Amazon

Audiobook Details:

Listening Length: 11 hours

Audible Audio
Published August 8th 2017 by MLR Press (first published August 1st 2005)
Original TitleMahu
ASINB074KLGCMT
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesMahu #1 settingHawaii (United States)

This book is part of The Mahu series

An Alisa Release Day Review: Why I Love Bodyguards (Why I Love… #3) by T.A. Chase

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Hilton Burke might be one of the most powerful men in the world, but he can’t get what he wants the most. Every time he sees Cathal McKinley, his head of security, Hilton wishes they could be more than just employer and employee. In fact, he might be in love with Cathal, even though they’ve never slept together.

Cathal McKinley accepts how much he wants his boss, but he’s pretty sure Hilton will never date him. They come from two different worlds. Now that he has to return to Sunburst, Montana, to deal with family problems, Cathal knows there is no chance for them to get together.

Hilton and Cathal spent years dancing around each other, but when Cathal needs help the most, Hilton comes to Montana to support him. Soon they’re struggling with children and an old friend who won’t take no for an answer. Finally admitting their love out loud might be the least of their worries.

This was another sweet story. While this is in the series and we see Chuck and Herb again this book had a very different feel than the previous ones did. There weren’t really outside forces affecting them in the story most of it had to do with Hilton and Cathal finally admitting and acting on their feelings.

Cathal and Hilton have spent years working together without actually letting the other know how they feel, even though Herb often comments on their actions. Cathal has spent his whole adult life believing that his father has hated him and gets the surprise of a lifetime when he goes back to his hometown to take responsibility for this sister’s kids when his father gets very sick and passes away. Hilton quickly follows and becomes the perfect partner and support for Cathal, surprising those around him.

Cathal has been hurting silently though a friend from high school keeps him up to date on what is happening in his family. He already knows a bit about the kids from a distance but Cathal’s father has prepared them for Cathal coming to be with them, they have been cast aside by their mother and now they are losing their grandfather as well; you can’t help but hurt for them as they go through this. I loved seeing Hilton really being the down to earth guy that he doesn’t really show to others, but he’ll get right into the mess with everyone else. It was great to see Chuck and Herb again and how they all interact with each other and the kids.

Cover art by Anne Cain is nice and I like the visuals of the characters but it didn’t call to me like the others in the series.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | B&N

Book Details:

ebook, 200 pages

Published: 2nd Edition, September 22, 2017 by Dreamspinner Press

ISBN-13: 978-1-63533-579-8

Edition Language: English

Series: Why I Love…

Jodi Payne on Characters, Writing, and her release ‘Creative Process’ (author interview)

Creative Process by Jodi Payne
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Tiferet Design

Available for Purchase at Dreamspinner Press

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Jodi Payne here today talking about writing, characters, and her latest release from Dreamspinner Press, Creative Process. Welcome, Jodi!

✒︎

~ Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Interview with Jodi Payne ~

How much of yourself goes into a character?

There’s no simple answer to this one for me. When I first dream up a character it’s usually a “what if” kind of scenario. Then, I try to draw a bit on my own experience to flesh them out a little, so at that point I suppose they get some of me. But as the story goes on and they end up in different situations and need to react “in character”, I pull a little from what I’ve learned about them, their primary motivation, and their development to that point. This back and forth goes on as the story takes shape so that by the time they story is done, they’re such a part of me it’s hard to tell how much I gave them and how much they’ve taught me.

Do you feel there’s a tight line between Mary Sue or should I say Gary Stu and using your own experiences to create a character?

Gary Stu. Love that.

No, actually, I don’t. The line is pretty broad IMHO. We’ve all heard the saying “write what you know.” People say that because pulling from your own experiences helps add authenticity to a setting, a situation, and/or a character. But using my own experience to inform a character is a lot different than putting them up on a pedestal. For example, if I’m going to write a rower (I row – though I am an amateur, trust me on that), I’m going to use what I know about the sport from my own experience to inform that character. The endless erging and oar drills, the workouts that make you feel like you’re going to puke, the high when nine people in one boat are moving like a well oiled machine. Even an Olympic rower has horrible days on the water. Sometimes horrible months. To make that same character a Gary Stu (I’m just going to keep snickering here while I type) I would have to make them the BEST ROWER EVER OMG who never has a bad day and is constantly praised by the coaches and admired by all. That renders the character one dimensional and fake.

Have you ever had to put an ‘in progress’ story aside because of the emotional ties with it? You were hurting with the characters or didn’t know how to proceed?

So, I have a theater background. Characters are kind of my thing. I worry if I don’t have an emotional tie with a story because to me that means it’s not real. A love story needs to play fast and loose with my emotions. I always hurt with my characters, share their joy, regret breaking up couples even if I know they’re headed for an HEA. It’s just how I work. I’ve made myself cry more times than I can count. What would make me put an ‘in progress’ story aside would be if that wasn’t happening.

Who do you think is your major influence as a writer? Now and growing up?

Growing up, I liked stories that took me out of my world. High Fantasy with heroes and heroines that were put through the wringer but managed to keep their dignity. Epic series (David Eddings, Anne McCaffery and the like) that had it all – power struggles, personal one, love with happy and unhappy endings, death, struggle, triumph. I ate that stuff up. Now, it’s authors like Steven King, who use language and imagery so well sometimes I think, “Man, I’ll never ever write that well.” I like stories with authentic settings, and with genuinely human characters that reflect and represent their cultures and their emotional life well. They don’t have to be epic at all; in fact, I prefer them not to be. Firefighters and spies are hot, sure. And I read a lot of that, too. But your suburban nine-to-five clock puncher, your redneck, or your single dad all working for a weekend and a paycheck are more interesting to me.

How do you feel about the ebook format and where do you see it going?

I love ebooks. I love having the favorites I read over and over at my fingertips everywhere I go. They’re here to stay, and as for where they are headed, the sky is the limit. I saw a new edition of the George R. R. Martin series (spoilers: winter is here, people) that was gorgeous. It had interactive maps and animations… it was stunning. That is the direction things are going for the right kind of books. For romance, soon I hope to see ebooks get the same recognition and be eligible for all the same accolades as print books, across the board.

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

Right now, it’s Creative Process. That sounds hokey I guess, to call out my newest novel, but I mean it. I’m very proud of it, I love the main characters, the supporting cast is a lot of fun, and I think it’s my best writing to date.

What’s next for you as an author?

I am working on a standalone novel about an attorney at a respected law firm who falls for a dancer at a gay nightclub. I’m also hoping to write about some of the secondary characters in Creative Process as standalone but related “in world” titles. And I’ve been doing some co-writing with one of my mentors and a great friend, BA Tortuga that are lovely, and off the beaten path.

Blurb

Best-selling thriller author Reese Kelsey knows his career isn’t conducive to romance. He doesn’t work the normal nine-to-five, and sometimes his characters take hold and demand all his attention, causing him to neglect important appointments… and lovers. Rather than go through another heartbreak, Reese contents himself with his small circle of friends—fellow gay New York City artists—and his dedicated publicist, Chad.

Until he sees Owen Mercado lugging his cello toward the subway and impulsively offers him a ride.

Owen has worked long and hard for a career in the symphony, and success comes with a demanding schedule—something Reese understands. Their desires and lifestyles are surprisingly compatible, and Reese and Owen certainly set the bedroom on fire. They’re both carrying baggage, but they fit, and it’s hard not to hope for a future that once seemed impossible.

But when Reese’s work inevitably pulls him into its dark world and refuses to let go, Owen draws a hard line, and Reese discovers he can’t rely on good intentions alone. He will have to control the obsession that drove his other lovers away or risk losing Owen as well.

About the Author

Jodi Payne spent too many years in New York and San Francisco stage managing classical plays, edgy fringe work, and the occasional musical. She therefore is overdramatic, takes herself way too seriously, and has been known to randomly break out in song. Her men are imperfect but genuine, stubborn but likeable, often kinky, and frequently their own worst enemies. They are characters you can’t help but fall in love with while they stumble along the path to their happily ever after.

For those looking to get on her good side, Jodi’s addictions include nonfat lattes, Malbec and tequila any way you pour it. She’s also obsessed with Shakespeare and Broadway musicals. She can be found wearing sock monkey gloves while typing when it’s cold, and on the beach enjoying the sun and the ocean when it’s hot. When she’s not writing and/or vacuuming sand out of her laptop, Jodi mentors queer youth and will drop everything for live music. She lives near New York City with her beautiful wife, and together they are mothers of dragons (cleverly disguised as children) and slaves to an enormous polydactyl cat.

Social Media Links:

Website: www.jodipayne.net
Email: jodipaynewrites@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/payne.jodi
FB Author Group: www.facebook.com/groups/jodisgents
Twitter: @JodiPayne
Instagram: @jodipayne1800

Release Blitz for Waking the Behr (A Foothills Pride Story) by Pat Henshaw (excerpt and giveaway)

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Book Title: Waking the Behr (A Foothills Pride Story)

Author: Pat Henshaw

Cover Artist: AngstyG

Genre: contemporary gay romance

Length: 29,689 Words/88 Pages

Release Date: September 20, 2017

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Buy Links

Add on Goodreads

Blurb

Both Ben and Mitch think they know exactly what they want. Turns out, they don’t even know their own hearts.

Good old boy Ben has dated women his entire life, while gay nightclub owner Mitch has never considered unsophisticated country boys his type. But after they start hanging out, the small-town contractor and the urban entrepreneur are both stunned by the electricity sparking between them.

As they step outside their comfort zones to spend time together, Mitch finds he enjoys rural car rallies, and Ben is intrigued by the upscale bars Mitch owns in San Francisco. When they share their lives and grow closer, they start to question the way they’ve always defined themselves. Then they kiss and fling open the door to love. Now they must step up and travel the road that may lead to happily ever after—even if that path isn’t one they ever expected to walk.

Excerpt

MEETING A potential client for the first time was usually a mixed bag. As a contractor and partner in Behr Construction, I never knew what I was going to get: a fanciful dreamer, an actual customer, or a combination of both.

So I was surprised when I opened the door to the gutted restaurant and found a giant of a man twirling Julie Andrews–style. He was grinning like a loon as the light poured over him.

That should have been laughable since he was alone, but he was kickass savoring the moment. Instead of appearing loco, he struck me as a big overgrown Peter Pan. He looked so happy, I had an urge to join him, which gave me a moment of panic because I’m not an old boy who does much dancing or cavorting—in public or in private.

“Uh, hello? Mr. O’Shea?”

When he turned toward me, my jaw dropped. I’m sure I musta looked like the village idiot.

The guy was unbelievably gorgeous. I don’t usually think men are good- or bad-looking. They’re men. Before that moment, I would have said men weren’t my type. But, damn! He was smoking hot.

He looked about my height—six four or maybe a little taller—and was dressed in a classy three-piece suit with a gleaming tie tack, had one pierced ear, and wore a sparkling watch. His raven hair stood up in a tall buzz cut in front and tapered long enough to curl around his ears in back.

But what stopped me and turned me to jelly were his wickedly merry eyes and his shit-eating grin.

He acted like a kid who’d found Santa or the Easter Bunny.

In the middle of the total disaster of the old Thompson’s steak house, this guy looked like he’d hit the jackpot.

Fuck me. I’d come to a standstill and was staring at him openmouthed. Since I’m your basic laid-back good old boy, nothing usually bothered me. Now I was poleaxed. He was bewitching. Too hot for somebody like me to handle.

He’d stopped spinning. Without missing a beat, he strode over to me with his hand held out. In the blink of an eye, he changed from the picture of kidlike excitement to a polished city businessman.

I stood stock still, wondering what the hell had just happened. Had I hallucinated the twirling around? Maybe it was time to get away from work for a while, take a vacation, maybe go do some fishing.

“Isn’t this place great?” he greeted me. His voice held a leftover tinge of joy.

He didn’t look embarrassed or bothered that I’d caught him dancing around like an ass. Up close, he was even more powerfully sexy and self-assured. Face-to-face, his lively, assessing stare unnerved me. His unbridled enthusiasm wrapped around me and lifted me off my feet.

The guy seemed to be pulling my personality and soul toward him as he decided whether I was friend or foe. Then he grinned even wider, stuck out his hand, grabbed mine, and shook like we were on the verge of becoming tight. Why did I find this move hot as fuck?

I shook his hand, stunned, and almost wanted to run back to the alley, where I’d left my regular, easygoing self.

His eyes brightened and his smile turned sexy, as if he’d discovered a delightfully lascivious secret.

“Mr. Behr? May I call you Ben? I’m Mitchell O’Shea. Call me Mitch.” He squeezed my hand one more time, then dropped it. “Great space here. I’m going to buy it.”

His hand swept up in an extravagant Vanna White gesture. I was about to tell him he couldn’t afford a vowel, much less a remodel, when he grinned and sucked me in again.

Fuck. Oddly, my body agreed with that sentiment. Why was this happening? To me, of all people. I wasn’t gay. Even a little bit.

My brothers, Abe and Connor, had come out a while back, but everybody knew I was the straight Behr. I’d been dating girls since I was twelve (but looked sixteen). I wasn’t attracted to guys. Ever. I didn’t go for tall girls, especially ones as huge as me, so why was I attracted to a big man?

I stepped back and gave him the once-over. My body sure as shit was a little interested. Okay, maybe more than a little.

Like all the Behrs, I’m tall and squared off. As my grandpa always said, I’m built like a brick shithouse. A brown brick shithouse. Brown hair, brown eyes, brown tan. Nothing exotic about me.

But this guy? This guy had dark blue eyes flecked with light blue and green. His big body was lithe, with a tapered torso, and he moved like a dancer. He hit me like a gorgeous morsel of urban life. Somebody polished and sophisticated except for a patch of boyish fun. His smile was so engaging, I figured my friends would even like him.

My buddies had always said I was attracted to bright, shiny things. Was that all this was?

Noise from outside burst my bubble. Mitch O’Shea and I’d been standing too long staring at each other and not talking.

Through the blush heating up my cheeks, I cleared my throat and shifted uneasily.

“What can Behr Construction do for you, uh, Mitch?”

There was no way under God I was asking him what I could do for him. Or to him. Or whatever. I made myself stop overthinking. Just focus.

His grin grew, embracing me. My prick rose. Dammit.

“I’d like you to take a look at this place’s structure and tell me if it’s sound enough to remodel. Or should I just raze it and start over again?” His voice had changed to one only board presidents and big money used around us peons.

I took a shuddering breath. I’d dealt with hundreds of Mitches as a contractor. Estimates and suggestions I could do.

We both turned to the dismal interior of the former steak house. I cleared my throat, then took a breath.

“Okay. Sure.” I took a step away from him and looked up at the lung-cancer ceiling. “What do you plan to do with this place?”

His grin tried to lasso me again, but I was onto him. I met his gaze with a frown. His eyes twinkled in response. Damn him.

“Well, I own a bunch of clubs in San Francisco, but I’ve always wanted to start a family restaurant, kinda like Chuck E. Cheese’s but not with the costumed characters.” He fucking winked at me. “I want to start a place with an Old West theme, where parents can get a great steak for a reasonable price and kids can play old-fashioned arcade games without their folks watching them the whole time. You know, where families can come and enjoy a night out.”

Okay, his idea wasn’t as flashy as he looked. I would have thought he’d want more Vegas—bright lights and pink cocktails—while he was thinking more Main Street, America. Thompson’s would be a great place for his vision if the Silver Star gourmet restaurant wasn’t nearby, feeding the rich and famous.

“Uh, yeah. You did see the place across the street, right?” I thumbed toward the Star.

He laughed, a hearty bellow of delight.

“Oh, Chef Adam de Leon won’t be challenged by my little family place. This is a big block. Our clientele won’t overlap at all.”

I was skeptical. We’d done some work for Adam, but I didn’t really know the guy very well. From what I’d gathered, the celebrity chef didn’t like to be messed with. Ever. Would he want chattering kids and cranky parents cluttering up the street in front of his place?

I shrugged. “Okay. Whatever. If you give me fifteen to thirty, I’ll have a rundown of what needs to be done and write out a preliminary cost estimate so you can make up your mind.”

He nodded as I bent my head to get an appraisal sheet and pencil from my shirt pocket.

“Oh, Ben,” he called over his shoulder as he walked away.

I glanced at him.

“Mind if we talk about this over lunch?”

“Sure, no problem.” My dick was on board even if the rest of me was wary.

“How about I meet you outside? Maybe we could drive somewhere? I bet you’ll want to try out my car.”

I shrugged again. What’d he have? A Maserati or something? Since I’d come in through the back, I hadn’t seen him drive up.

But I was more concerned about my reaction to him than his ride. Was it possible to turn gay? Is that what had happened to my brothers and it was just now catching up with me?

Damn. I didn’t know how I felt if that was the case. Maybe being gay was a family thing?

I waved to him. Then, as I got one last eyeful, I shouted a piece of advice.

“I’d lose the jacket, vest, and tie if I were you. We’re pretty laid-back around here.”

If nothing else, he wouldn’t stick out quite as much as he would in the suit. He’d certainly attract the single gay men the way he was dressed. I didn’t need… competition?

Shit, what was I thinking?

Read more at Dreamspinner Press

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Release Blitz Schedule

WAKING THE BEHR RB SCHEDULE

SEPTEMBER 20

SEPTEMBER 21

Valerie Ullmer | Romance Author

MJ’s Book Blog and Reviews

SEPTEMBER 22

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Lily G Blunt

Meet the Author

Pat Henshaw, author of the Foothills Pride Stories, has spent her life surrounded by words: Teaching English composition at the junior college level; writing book reviews for newspapers, magazines, and websites; helping students find information as a librarian; and promoting PBS television programs.

Pat was born and raised in Nebraska where she promptly left the cold and snow after college, living at various times in Texas, Colorado, Northern Virginia, and Northern California. Pat enjoys travel, having visited Mexico, Canada, Europe, Nicaragua, Thailand, and Egypt, and Europe, including a cruise down the Danube.

Her triumphs are raising two incredible daughters who daily amaze her with their power and compassion. Fortunately, her incredibly supportive husband keeps her grounded in reality when she threatens to drift away while writing fiction.

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