An Alisa Release Day Review: Chase This Light by Francis Gideon

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

When Jason Flores moves to the Yukon for a new job, he’s not sure what to expect. His son Micah seems enchanted by the wildlife, but his recent fear of the dark means that the eighteen-hour nights in the winter will be a difficult adjustment. When Jason takes Micah to the local museum’s interactive lecture series on the gold rush, it turns out to be one of the best decisions he’s ever made.

Pete Odjick, a tattooed First Nations and Inuit man, dresses up for the weekly lectures as Skookum Jim, one of the first prospectors to find gold. He takes an immediate interest in Micah and an even bigger interest in Jason.

As their flirtation grows into something more serious, Jason’s job at a big name oil company and Pete’s volunteer work with an environmental group become a point of contention. Can they come to an understanding and give Micah a family again? Or will the drastic differences between them tear them apart? As the winter nights grow longer, Pete and Jason worry their love won’t be enough to chase the darkness away.

This was a wonderful story. Jason has uprooted his whole life to move to the Yukon when he is transferred for his job. He can only hope that this move will give his son, Micah, a chance to grow after the loss of his mother and grandmother.

Jason and Pete meet when Jason brings Micah to the museum to get out of the house after the long move. Pete and Jason both recognize the need to move slowly because of Micah and also what they are both looking for. Micah is such a sweet boy, but not unnaturally so as I see in so many stories.

We see this story from both character’s points of view. Jason has to deal with not only his own grief when he and Pete have a misunderstanding, but also Micah’s. They both are willing to make compromises to help each other so that their relationship can grow.

Cover art by Bree Archer is perfect and I wouldn’t change anything.

Sales Links

Book Details:

ebook, 117 pages

Published: October 12, 2016 by Dreamspinner Press

ISBN-13: 9781634777582

Edition Language: English

Series: A World of Love Story

A Lila Review: Prince of Land and Fire (Three Brothers Fair Book 2) by Emily Carrington

Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

prince-of-land-and-fire Against his will, Lord Tian has fallen for a magical land creature–a gnome. A prophecy says he must wed a land creature and become a destroyer and spy. But he can’t resist Alastair or the BDSM games they play.

Alastair is trying to spy on Tian’s mother and preserve the balance of the natural world. Needing Tian in his bed and in his heart does nothing but disrupt his plans.

But prophecies are often right–and misunderstood. When Tian and Alastair play at BDSM and love they set in motion the destruction of the status quo.

Prince of Land and Fire takes place years after Prince of Seas and follows a similar structure. By now we know about the prophecy and which element belongs to each prince. Tian is the middle triplet and is destined to marry a land creature and become destroyer and spy. Just like we learned before, things didn’t go as planned.

I really enjoyed Tian and Alastair, and how good they were together. They both longed for the perfect balance between pain and pleasure, but they had a lot to figure out before they were able to explore their relationship. The BDSM element is an integral part of the story and can be difficult to understand without the story context.

This story had potential, but some of the events took away from it. Everything Alastair endures and how he’s treated by his parents seemed too extreme for what he needed to accomplish. Tian’s mom got more over the top, and the small amount of time Tian and Alastair spent together wasn’t enough to compensate for the rest.

It was nice to see and get updates from the characters in the previous book. No matter the lower rating in this installment, I’m looking forward to the next one.

Another beautiful cover by Fiona Jayde. It makes Prince of Seas but still looks contemporary.

Sale Links: Loose Id | Amazon | ARe

Book Details:

ebook, 114 pages
Published: August 29, 2016, by Loose Id
ISBN: 9781682521915
Edition Language: English

Series: Three Brothers Fair
Book #1: Prince of Seas
Book #2: Prince of Land and Fire

Let’s Go Legend Tripping with Wolf’s Clothing by E.J. Russell (giveaway and release tour)

Wolf’s Clothing (Legend Tripping) by E.J. Russell
Riptide Publishing
Cover art by L.C. Chase

Read an Excerpt/Buy It Here

About Wolf’s Clothing

What do you do when you finally prove the existence of the otherworld, but the ghosts kick your ass?

For Trent Pielmeyer, the answer is run like hell—away from his hostile family, away from the disbelieving cops, and far, far, far away from anything that smacks of the supernatural. After seven years’ captivity in a whacked-out alternate dimension, he is so over legend tripping.

When Christophe Clavret spots Trent in a Portland bar, he detects a kindred spirit—another man attempting to outrun the darkness of his own soul. But despite their sizzling chemistry, Trent’s hatred of the uncanny makes Christophe hesitant to confide the truth: he’s a werewolf, one of a dwindling line, the victim of a genetic curse extending back to feudal Europe.

But dark forces are at work, threatening more than their growing love. If Christophe can’t win Trent’s trust, and if Trent can’t overcome his fear of the paranormal, the cost could be Trent’s freedom and Christophe’s humanity. Or it might be both their lives.

Available from Riptide Publishing: http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/wolfs-clothing-legend-tripping-novel

About EJ Russell

E.J. Russell holds a BA and an MFA in theater, so naturally she’s spent the last three decades as a financial manager, database designer, and business-intelligence consultant. After her twin sons left for college and she no longer spent half her waking hours ferrying them to dance class, she returned to her childhood love of writing fiction. Now she wonders why she ever thought an empty nest meant leisure.

E.J. lives in rural Oregon with her curmudgeonly husband, the only man on the planet who cares less about sports than she does. She enjoys visits from her wonderful adult children, and indulges in good books, red wine, and the occasional hyperbole.

Connect with E.J.:

Website: ejrussell.com
Blog: ejrussell.com/bloggery/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/E.J.Russell.author
Twitter: twitter.com/ej_russell
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/ejrussell/

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Wolf’s Clothing, one lucky winner will receive a $25 Riptide Publishing gift card! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on October 15, 2016. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

A MelanieM Release Day Review: Ben and Shiloh (The Belladonna Arms #4) by John Inman

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

ben-and-shiloh-by-john-inman Shiloh Smart is alone and looking for a fresh start. Convinced he’s finished with love forever, he signs a lease at the Belladonna Arms, a tacky, run-down apartment building situated high on a hill in downtown San Diego.

Determined to turn his back on romance, Shiloh works hard at carving out a life for himself where love doesn’t stand a chance and staying single is all that matters.

Then his drag queen landlord’s nephew, Ben Moss, moves in. Thanks to a rumor Ben has heard since childhood of a fifty-year-old crime and a fortune in stolen money, he sets out to find the loot supposedly hidden decades ago in his uncle’s apartment building.

The minute Ben spots a kilted Shiloh toddling off to work at the Scottish restaurant up the street where he waits tables, he falls hard and fast for the aloof young redhead. Even a hidden treasure can’t compete in Ben’s eyes with the beautiful waiter with the fiery copper hair.

But even while he diligently works to break down Shiloh’s defenses, Ben doesn’t give up his quest for buried treasure. Soon, as their friendship deepens, the two young men join forces in a search for the stolen cash.

As the treasure hunt gathers steam and all the tenants get involved, Ben and Shiloh come to realize the greatest treasure isn’t buried in the Belladonna Arms at all. It’s buried far deeper—in each other’s hearts!

Its always a pleasure to take a trip back to the Belladonna Arms, that aging apartment building sitting high on a hill in San Diego that happens to be full of love pollen waiting to fall on the most unusual of couples. In this fourth installation, its Ben and Shiloh who gets the heap helping of pollen and much, much more.

Shiloh Smart, like all the people who end up at Belladonna Arms, has been dumped by his boyfriend. Now homeless, he needs a new place, close to his work (a restaurant that calls for him to wear a kilt) and that’s also cheap enough for his budget. He has no intention of ever, EVER, falling in love again. His heart is closed up good. Except that the Belladonna Arms has other ideas and people in store for Shiloh and that would be Ben, the nephew of our endearing drag queen, Arthur.

For me, Ben and Shiloh was a little different story then the normal Belladonna Arms tale. For one, we have a mystery to contend with, plus it seemed more of a ensemble story than normal. While we do concentrate on Ben and Shiloh who are an odd and adorable mixture, all our other couples are very present here as well. I have to admit I loved seeing them all, making it even harder to pick favorites. I might even have a new favorite character in Shiloh’s mom. She’s hilarious. Inman surrounds his new couple with all his old ones, adding in the resident cat and her kittens (also adorable), and a mystery from the past to boot. My mind was swirling all over the place, thinking about Sylvia and the new baby, our fav kleptos, and where the heck did that new couple with the bow ties come from? So it wasn’t always on Ben and Shiloh like perhaps it should have been, least that’s my opinion. Not that there wasn’t tons of sex. Hey, there was! I was just missing some other component…

I’m just not sure Ben and Shiloh got the depth of treatment that, say Ramon and Barney did in Coming Back (Belladonna Arms #3). That was an amazing, angst driven story. My heart hurt for Ramon. Certainly that’s not called for in every story. Not everyone needs to go through what Ramon did. And perhaps comparing the two isn’t fair as the characters aren’t the same in makeup and history. However, the differences struck me none the same. One book was deeply centered about one couple, and this was lovingly a Belladonna Arms affair.

However was my heart and mind happy and satisfied? You betcha! I love Belladonna Arms. I could sit on the steps and watch the goings on all day and all night long side by side with the kitties. There are still rooms to be filled. Another just got emptied. Love pollen at work again. Who will be next up the steps of the Belladonna Arms? I can’t wait to find out!

I highly recommend this series and this story. Pick them all up and get acquainted with some of the most delightfully quirky characters you will ever want to fall in love with.

Cover Artist: Aaron Anderson. The artist does a terrific job with the character and with branding the series.

Sales Links

Book Details:

ebook, 204 pages
Published October 10th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 163477146X (ISBN13: 9781634771467)
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series: Belladonna Arms: Add to your Goodreads shelf here:

A VVivacious Review: The Alpha’s Revenge by Shane Keleher

Rating: 2.5 Stars out of 5

Justin meets Parker one night in a bar and is instantly intrigued. Little does Justin know that that night marks the end of normalcy for him, for come tomorrow he will faced by the fact that werewolves are real and he is one of them.

Parker’s family is a family of hunters so he knows that the thing that attacked Justin is actually a werewolf but he finds it hard to tell Justin the truth because Justin is turning out to be more than a one night stand for him.

This is the first romance book I have ever read that would have been much better for me had it had less romance and more focus on the story. In hindsight this story would have worked out better if it didn’t have the romance tag attached to it because I personally could not get behind Justin and Parker. They seemed forced, it was almost as if you could feel the presence of a third entity directing the events in this story.

This story has two journeys one is the journey of Parker and Justin and the other is Justin’s journey as a werewolf.

I loved Justin’s character and I really liked how he handles the rapidly changing status quo of his life, as much of the story is from Justin’s point of view you really get to dig deep into his character. Also since you are mostly in Justin’s head it makes the werewolf aspects of this story much more interesting. The story of Justin being turned into a werewolf and how he comes to terms with his new identity is the best part of this book and I loved it.

In most werewolf romances that I have read werewolves are not the traditional monsters they are considered to be. So for me reading a story in which werewolves are monsters was a change and I liked how the author handled that facet of this book. Also I loved werewolf Branson, I was really impressed with his character and he was one character I wanted to know more about, also I loved the interactions between Justin and Branson. They shared an interesting dynamic that I would have loved to see explored more.

I didn’t really like the couple of Justin and Parker as it never made much sense to me. Their initial attraction seemed forced and the fact that I found the sex scenes in this book extremely boring didn’t help matters afterwards. I don’t know what it was about the sex scenes in this book but they just seemed so dry, they read like a laundry list of steps to be followed during the course of sex. So yeah for me this couple just didn’t work.

Also the fact that we only get Parker’s POV a few times in the beginning made me feel a little distanced from his character. Since the story actually involves both of Parker’s older brothers’, Colin and Max, as well the fact that we don’t get to see their relationship from Parker’s POV kind of hinders the story. I for one really wanted to understand his relationship with his brothers better because that particular aspect of this story is like a bag of worms just threatening the well-being of this story.

Overall I feel this book would have worked out better as an adventure-verging-on-a-thriller story then it did as the romance it was forced to be.

Cover Art by Ginny Glass. I liked the cover, it sets the tone for the book quite well.

Sales Links

Loose id LLC

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 181 pages
Published September 8th 2016 by Loose Id LLC (first published February 2nd 2014)
ASINB01LVZXHB8
Edition LanguageEnglish

In the Spotlight with Pansies (Spires Universe) by Alexis Hall (giveaway)

Pansies (Spires Universe) by Alexis Hall
Riptide Publishing
Cover art by Simoné

Read an Excerpt/Buy It Here

About Pansies

Alfie Bell is . . . fine. He’s got a six-figure salary, a penthouse in Canary Wharf, the car he swore he’d buy when he was eighteen, and a bunch of fancy London friends.

It’s rough, though, going back to South Shields now that they all know he’s a fully paid-up pansy. It’s the last place he’s expecting to pull. But Fen’s gorgeous, with his pink-tipped hair and hipster glasses, full of the sort of courage Alfie’s never had. It should be a one-night thing, but Alfie hasn’t met anyone like Fen before.

Except he has. At school, when Alfie was everything he was supposed to be, and Fen was the stubborn little gay boy who wouldn’t keep his head down. And now it’s a proper mess: Fen might have slept with Alfie, but he’ll probably never forgive him, and Fen’s got all this other stuff going on anyway, with his mam and her flower shop and the life he left down south.

Alfie just wants to make it right. But how can he, when all they’ve got in common is the nowhere town they both ran away from.

Available from Riptide Publishing: http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/pansies

About Alexis Hall

Alexis Hall was born in the early 1980s and still thinks the 21st century is the future. To this day, he feels cheated that he lived through a fin de siècle but inexplicably failed to drink a single glass of absinthe, dance with a single courtesan, or stay in a single garret.

He did the Oxbridge thing sometime in the 2000s and failed to learn anything of substance. He has had many jobs, including ice cream maker, fortune teller, lab technician, and professional gambler. He was fired from most of them.

He can neither cook nor sing, but he can handle a 17th century smallsword, punts from the proper end, and knows how to hotwire a car.

He lives in southeast England, with no cats and no children, and fully intends to keep it that way.

Connect with Alexis:

Website: quicunquevult.com
Blog: quicunquevult.com/blog
Twitter: @quicunquevult
Goodreads: goodreads.com/alexishall

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Pansies, one lucky winner will receive their choice of 3 ebooks from Alexis Hall’s backlist. Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on October 15, 2016. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

Here’s Reading You! Readers on eBooks! This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Here’s Reading You! Part I

Readers on eBooks!

Today we are starting to look at ebooks from a number of perspectives ~ that of the reader, the author, and the publisher! Remember when the eBook was a startling new format? And the eReader? Oh my! Some people railed against them both! Calling them the demise of the book world, saying print would be forgotten, the bookstores demolished…fish falling from the skies, dimensions colliding…well, uh hem…you get my drift. Did that happen?

Nope.

Were there some adjustments to be made? Certainly. But other factors were at large too. Big box stores were giving way to internet sales, niche bookstores were on the rise and ebooks? Establishing themselves as a format. No longer an experiment…sales were rising! eBook publishers were being founded to meet demands of the readers in all niches. eReaders from different sources were coming on the market to meet the demand. ! I still have my first generation Kindle. Guess what? Works just fine. ‘Course its long been replaced by a new one with fancy lighting that’s easier on my eyes. Or maybe you are reading on a notebook now…so many options. All this is my way of saying the ebook is here to stay. Its just another format now, along side the printed form, and the audiobook. Its no longer the “new” guy in town. And predictably the sales demonstrate that as well. Its audiobooks that demonstrate the greatest growth in numbers.

So I was curious. For our readers, authors and publishers. What’s the take on ebooks these days? Where are we finding them? How do we feel about them from many angles and where do you think we are going from here?

Last week, I started to ask our readers for some answers to the questions, where do you find your ebooks? Where do you go to find that next story or next new author? It used (and maybe still is) to be the NY Times Best Seller List for the hardback and softcover, but for the eBook the answer is a variety of places I was happy to see:

From Suze 294:

I get my read recommendations from a number of review blogs I subscribe to, including Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words! I have gradually whittled them down to about 6-8 whose reviews seem to match my reading wants.
I also subscribe to a few favoured authors newletters and/or follow on wordpress to get both their new releases and those they have enjoyed.
I also get the newsletters/updates from ARe, Pride Publishing, Dreamspinner, Riptide (think there is more too) to pick up new releases and deals!!!
On GR I check the feed from friends to see what they are reading but I dont get so many new reads there. The New Releases/Deals and Steals threads are handy too though it does rely on us posting what we see elsewhere.

From Tex Reader:

Thanks for the offer and the inquiry. I mainly have 3 sources, and I mainly search for gay-themed books across a number of favorite genres. Most recently I’ve usually used GR – I’m a member of several glbtq groups and follow their posts, as well as have several fav authors, and I find books on various “best of …” lists. Initially, I mainly looked at library and Amazon “best” lists and various award nomination lists, like Lambda, Rainbow, etc. Finally, I’m a member of a gay men’s book group in Chicago, and our discussions can lead me to some authors of interest.

From Monica:

I tend to find my authors from a variety of sources. I get recommendations on Amazon based upon books I’ve already bought. I have discovered a few that way. I also participate in Goodreads M/M Group’s Don’t Buy My Love program and discover a lot of new authors/books. Also just general recommendations on Goodreads. I’ve recently subscribed to Scribd and have discovered a couple of new authors there. I still have my old standby of favorite authors but every now and then I like to break away and discover something new.

From Ana:

I find them mostly on goodreads, by friend’s recommendations, or in post on goodread’s groups when other reader mention them. I also find some in reviews from reviewing blogs i like. If the book sounds interesting I’ll go to goodreads to check it out and if i liked it i buy it. Also by suggestions from authors i follow on twitter, facebook or their blogs. I’ve found some great authors that way. I read either from publisher or independent authors, i don’t really have a preference there, if the book sounds good, i’ll read it.

From Natalie:

I get lots from friending authors and bloggers on FB. I check Amazon lists but probably most from GR friends, and their friends, in reviews and comments. I follow all my authors on GR and most on Amazon. I usually know about new books faster from GR and FB than from notifications from Amazon. I buy direct from publishers or/and ARe as often as I can.

From Fehu:

I use Scribd, it a subscription service for ebooks mostly, if there is a book I want to try but am uncertain if I’d like it I’ll use my credit there to get the book. Some of their books are unlimited and thats also a good way to get a new author/book to get noticed, since one only has 3 credits per month. When looking for things to chose for the credits on Scribd, I use the monthly lists of new releases at Goodreads or themed lists if I am looking for some particular genre/theme.
Especially for new independent authors its important that the book are shelfes correctly, since a lot of people use the Goodreads lists for reading challenges. A nice cover and a good summary are also a must. Drawn covers get more attention at least its that way for me, a leftover from my manga reading days. Reviews are nice especially if its been around a few month.
I buy my books where its convenient for me, like ARe and Amazon but also Kobo. Sometimes the publishers website but its inconvenient to have a lot of accounts. KU is also a good way to get noticed, again it should be shelfed, the author might think about joining the GR M/m KU group, add the book to the upcoming list there and shelf it on the bookshelf of the group.

That’s just a small sampling of the replies so far. But the trend is clear. When searching out for that next book or author, there is no one source. As a reader, we are looking everywhere. That includes myself. I love that! To me, it means we are open to new possibilities, new authors, new stories! That the new author has a better chance of finding a audience for their voice, their story, because readers are searching through a multitude of venues for their next book. And yes, if that author wants it, perhaps they have a better chance of finding a publisher. The internet and its various communities has become our book and author hunting ground and we are putting it to good use.

We also follow those authors we like through a number of sources as well be it Goodreads or their own blogs or their publishers. Let us not forget we follow them on Twitter, Pinterest, FB, Snapchat and various other media too. I wonder if writers these days wish they could just write and not worry about the rest. We will hear from them later on.

There is one week left to get your comments in before our reader winners are chosen. Next week we will finish up with our readers perspective and be on to how our authors view ebooks and writing.

Contest Reminder:

Readers, tell me how you find your independent authors. Buy randomly? Pick them out from Goodreads? Already follow them? Or maybe you don’t? Maybe you only buy books from a publisher or a author linked to a publisher. I want to know that too. 3 winners who leave comments will get a $10 gift certificate (Dreamspinner, or Amazon, or Riptide…your choice). This contest will end quickly as I need the answers to use in in my blog, so think about them. Contest ends Oct 15th, midnight. Make sure you leave your email address where you can be reached. More winners maybe chosen if the comments are extra wonderful. Thanks.

This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, October 9:

Here’s Reading You! Readers on eBooks!
This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, October 10:

Spotlight Tour and Giveaway – Pansies by Alexis Hall
Changing on the Fly- M/M Hockey Charity Anthology Tour
A MelanieM Review: Changing On the Fly Anthology
A Stella Review: Defenseless by AJ Rose
A Melanie Review: Reading the Signs by Keira Andrews
A VVivacious Review: The Alpha’s Revenge by Shane Keleher
A Paul Review: Eternal Circle (Sirius Wolves #3) by Victoria Sue

Tuesday, October 11:

Book Release Recap: A Cowboy’s Home by RJ Scott (giveaway)
New Book Blitz & Giveaway –Crazy Joe (Tales From The 77th Precinct) by A.J. Llewellyn and D.J. Manly
Release Blitz – Breaking Hell’s Rules – Lyssa Dering (excerpt and giveaway)
An Ali Releases Day Review: Breaking Hell’s Rules by Lyssa Dering
A Melanie Release Day Review: Ben and Shiloh (The Belladonna Arms #4) by John Inman
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Enjoy the Dance (Dancing #2) by Heidi Cullinan

Wednesday, October 12:

Riptide Tour & Giveaway – Wolf’s Clothing by EJ Russell
In the Spotlight:A Rancher’s Son Recap Tour by RJ Scott (excerpt and giveaway)
An Alisa Release Day Review: Chase this Light by Francis Gideon:
A Lila Review: Prince of Land and Fire by Emily Carrington
A Jeri Review: THIRDS Beyond the Books: Volume 2 by Charlie Cochet
A Caryn Review: Morning My Angel by Sue Brown

Thursday, October 13:

Jessie G’s His Premier Blog Tour and Giveaway
A Caryn Review: Pictures of You (’90s Coming of Age #1) by Leta Blake
A Paul Review: To Catch His Mate by JD Walker
An Alisa Review: Amen To Love by Carolina Valdez
A Stella Review: A Selfless Man by Sandrine Gasq-Dion

Friday, October 14:

Blueprint by RJ Jones Blog Tour
Release Day and Review Blitz for Suncatcher – Smilodon Pride Book 2 by Beryll & Osiris Brackhaus
Overly Dramatic -Series Recap Tour & Giveaway- Treading The Boards Series – Rebecca Cohen
Release Blitz Tour – Annabelle Jacobs – All Hallows’ Eve
Storming Love: Tsunami Tales are Here with Nic Starr’s Sebastian & Owen (exclusive excerpt)
A MelanieM Review: All Hallows’ Eve by Annabelle Jacobs
An Alisa Release Day Review : Sunchaser by Beryll & Osiris Brackhaus

Saturday, October 15:

In the Spotlight: The Captain’s Promise by T.J. Land (excerpt)
A MelanieM/Barb the Zany Old Lady Joint Review: The Weight of It All by N.R. Walker
A MelanieM Release Day Review: Suddenly Yours by Jacob Flores

A MelanieM Review: Rain and Whiskey (Stormy Weather #1) by B.A. Tortuga

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

rain-and-whiskey Galen Frost buys a house and a bait shop in a small Florida town to get away from his life as a semipro football player. When he meets good-time bartender Shane Barton, the heat between them is instant and intense—like the burn of good whiskey.

Galen and Shane don’t have much in common beyond their healthy libidos and their love of a good time, but the intoxicating heat brings them together like rain on the ocean, whipping up a frenzy of weather… good and bad. When trouble blows ashore, they will have to ride out the storm that breaks between them as Galen’s past rears its ugly head.

I first read Rain and Whiskey way back when so I was beyond delighted to get reacquainted with Len and Shane of B.A. Tortuga’s Stormy Weather series. Turns out I had missed them something fierce.

From the moment Shane and Galen lay eyes on each other in Miss Lynn’s bar where Shane is tending bar there is no keeping these two apart! In true Tortuga style, they almost combust right on the bar floor but make it to Galen’s new home in the swamp and Bait shop. Its heat, sweat, and sex…all delivered in that wonderful Tortuga vernacular and style!

Shane grabbed a bottle of Cuervo and started pouring a round of shots, laughing at Vic’s lame-assed joke about titty bars and avoiding Old Man Roberts’s roving hands, all the time moving to the music, knowing his ass in those jeans in the big mirror behind the bar? Money in the bank, baby.

Everybody who was anybody stopped by, chatted him up a second, grinning and trying to talk over the music. Jake kept giving him that “how do you do that,” stupidass, monkey-face look. Shit, he’d been tending bar here for a good long time— since spring break in ’95, just under seven years ago. He’d come down to play with a couple three baby faces from college and sorta got stuck in the sand and the surf and the good life.

He was thinking he’d not go home after his shift tonight. He liked the crowd, liked the band, and got his booze for free. That way he wouldn’t have to deal with that… smell in his apartment.

Whatever the hell it was.

“Can I get a whiskey?” He could hear that voice right through the music, maybe because it had a drawl that wouldn’t quit. Brown eyes, cowboy hat pulled low, and tall enough to lean right over the bar.

Oh, hello.

It doesn’t matter whether the person talking is a Florida conch or a Tennessee country boy, Tortuga has the sayings and dialog that flow from their lips just right. It fluid and natural without sounding corny, unless of course that’s her intension. This author has the ability to throw you not only into the characters but the location and the local culture as well just by a few utterances by a person, no matter their importance. It’s right there in the “Miss Lynn”, “Old Man Dewey’s bait shop”, and what’s in those ever present coolers outside. Nothing is left to chance.

Part of what I love about these stories is learning about the characters as we go. That slow reveal, the peeling back of layers. The spark is instantaneous but both men take the time to get to know each other. That includes why a semi pro football player is down in the swamps with a bait shop. This story is chock full of sex but its being had by very believable men.

For those who like some angst with their romance, there is an element of that here for you. Its realistic and well done. There’s also a bit of kink here too. These are some hot, feisty men who can’t keep their hands off each other. So be prepared for lots of sex.

As I said, I was so happy to see this back, and that mean the next will follow. Normally you find B.A. Tortuga’s men out west, but don’t miss out on Shane and Galen residing in the swamps in Florida. I absolutely recommend them.

Cover Artist: Alexandria Corza. I liked the cover. It works for the story.

Sales Links

Book Details:

ebook, 2nd Edition, 220 pages
Published October 7th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press (first published March 1st 2005)
Original TitleRain and Whiskey
ISBN 1634775694 (ISBN13: 9781634775694)
Edition LanguageEnglish

SeriesStormy Weather #1

A Lila Release Day Review: Model Bodyguard (Haven Investigations #2) by Lissa Kasey

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Things are going well for androgynous model Ollie Petroskovic, ex-Marine Kade Alme, and their business, Haven Investigations, until rock star Jacob Elias shows up in need of their services… and trouble follows.

Jacob is a playboy with a serious penchant for kink, slaves, and sex toys. He’s also Ollie’s ex—and all that implies. With the media exploiting his personal life, a stalker sending blood-soaked “gifts,” a bumbling security team, and a family he can’t trust as far as he could throw them, Jacob is in desperate need of a bodyguard for his latest tour, and Kade can’t refuse.

While Kade deals with new doubts about his partnership with Ollie and struggles with reminders of his war injuries, Jacob’s stalker escalates from blackmail and threats to murder. As Kade and Ollie work to keep Jacob safe and find the culprit behind the attack, a web of family secrets, lies, and abuse slowly emerges, leading up to a final confrontation that they might not walk away from—and that will have lasting repercussions for Kade and his relationship with Ollie.

This is the second book in this series and I happened to like this one better than the first. The author changed it up a bit by having this book be from Kade’s point of view rather than Ollie’s and I think that worked out really well. I liked Kade as the narrator a great deal. He is a good guy and it was good to see his perception of things. I actually felt there was more depth to Ollie’s character in seeing him through Kade’s eyes.

As the blurb states the guys get involved in a case surrounding Ollie’s ex. A lot of things happen in this story and it is very fast paced and entertaining. I actually found myself kind of liking Jacob too by the end of the book. The guy’s relationship is solid and they are doing really well together. Most of the issues revolve around Ollie trying to get himself back to a good place physically and mentally after all he’s been through since Nathan’s death. There are times when Kade’s behavior towards Ollie is almost like parenting and that’s something I’m not a big fan of but it wasn’t a big enough issue to cause me to dislike the plot.

This book ends in a huge cliffhanger. Way bigger than the cliffhanger in book one. If there was any complaint I had about the book it would be that the cliffhanger from book one is not touched on at all in this book. In fact it’s barely mentioned. That seemed odd to me. It seemed like they should at least be discussing it from time to time.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. These two are an interesting couple and I enjoy the cases they end up working. This could be read as a standalone but I would recommend reading these books in order to get the most enjoyment out of the relationship dynamics.

Cover artist Garrett Leigh: I like this cover a lot. I think it looks great and really conveys the feeling of the story.

Sales Links

Book Details:

ebook, 270 pages
Expected publication: October 7th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1634777840 (ISBN13: 9781634777841)
Edition LanguageEnglishSeriesHaven Investigations #2

In the Spotlight: Suddenly Yours by Jacob Z. Flores (Video and Giveaway)

Video 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoI06GdQGBw

Suddenly Yours

by Jacob Z. Flores

Blurb:

“What Happens in Vegas Doesn’t Always Stay in Vegas”

Cody Hayes is having one epic morning-after. The hangover following a Vegas bachelor party is nothing new to him, and neither is the naked man in his bed.

His apparent marriage is a different story.

Carefully plotting every detail of his life carried Julian Canales to a senate seat as an openly gay man. A drunken night of Truth or Dare isn’t like him… and neither is marrying a man he just met. He’d get an annulment, but the media has gotten wind of his hasty nuptials. If Julian’s political career is going to survive, he has to stay married to a man who’s his opposite in every way.

Now he must convince Cody that all they need to do is survive a conservative political rival, a heartbroken ex, their painful pasts… and an attraction neither man can fight.

Excerpt

One Fine Day Series

Undercover Boyfriend

(One Fine Day Series #1)

Available in paperback

About The Author

Jacob Z. Flores lives a double life. During the day, he is a respected college English professor and mid-level administrator. At night and during his summer vacation, he loosens the tie and tosses aside the trendy sports coat to write man on man fiction, where the hard ass assessor of freshmen level composition turns his attention to the firm posteriors and other rigid appendages of the characters in his fictional world.

Summers in Provincetown, Massachusetts, provide Jacob with inspiration for his fiction. The abundance of barely clothed man flesh and daily debauchery stimulates his personal muse.

When he isn’t stroking the keyboard, Jacob spends time with his daughter. They both represent a bright blue blip in an otherwise predominantly red swath in south Texas.

You can find Jacob at