Category: Publishers

A Barb, A Zany Old Lady Review: Manties in a Twist (The Subs Club #3) by J.A. Rock

Rating: 5 stars out of 5   ★★★★★

MantiesInATwist_600x900Look, I’ll never stop missing Hal, but this Subs Club my friends started to review suck-ass doms isn’t gonna bring him back or give him justice. For me, it’s just another chance to hang out with my friends, even if they think I’m too dumb to understand the important work we’re supposedly doing.

But maybe I’m not as dumb as they think—at least I know when I’ve got a good thing going. Which is why I just moved in with my dom. Ryan’s awesome possum. He’s really short, never makes me feel stupid, and is up for anything. One word: costumes. Two more words: women’s underwear. We’re all about the lace, no leather.

Except when we do pony play. We first tried it as a joke, but turns out I’m ballin’ at it. Now PetPlayFest is coming up, and I wanna take down the Subs Club’s archrival, Cinnamon the ponygirl, in the horse show.

My friends think I’m spending too much time with Ryan and ignoring my obligations to the group. But since when is friendship an obligation? Ryan’s my first serious relationship, and I want to take it . . . seriously. At some point I need to think about my future, not my past.

—Kamen

Kamen and Ryan are the best couple ever! This story is the definition of MORE—more of the Subs Club series, more of a look at how the men of the Subs Club have grown and matured, more healing from the death of their friend Hal, more forgiveness to those involved in Hal’s death, more of a relationship than any of the others in the series, and more kink: manties and pony play.

This installment of the Subs Club series explores Kamen’s new relationship with his diminutive dom, Ryan. Though his exact height is never specified, Ryan is a tiny man, especially when in the presence of his six-foot-four sub, and Kamen is not only not uncomfortable with that, he clearly treasures it. He’s turned on by Ryan’s short stature, tiny hands, and commanding personality.

As the story opens, they’ve not been together very long and have not yet settled on what their particular kink will be, though they are exploring cross-dressing. Turned on when Kamen tries on a pair of lacey panties left behind by Ryan’s friend, Amanda, when she did her laundry at their place, it takes hours for the two to surface from their steamy sex session. Kamen tells Ryan: “Either an angry hamster was in these panties… Or you looked so hot in them I tried to tear them off you so I could get more of your dick down my throat.” They immediately dive into a catalog to order more women’s underwear, stockings, a garter belt, and a sundress. Though Kamen has no desire to put on makeup and a wig, they do have some fun with the cross-dressing experiences, and Kamen begins to wear the feminine underwear when they go out with his friends from the Subs Club.

All the men are maturing and changing, with Miles and Drix enjoying parenthood with Miles’s newly adopted son, Zac, and Dave and D still strong together in their D/s relationship as well. But their friend Hal’s death is never far from their thoughts, and when Dave gets upset with Kamen because Ryan doesn’t seem to share the depth of their grief, Kamen gets upset as well—but with Dave, not with Ryan. Kamen can see the bigger picture now, and recognizes that Hal, his Dom, and Cinnamon, the sub who was in the same room at the time, all had a part in Hal’s demise. In fact, Kamen suggests that the club members all saw where Hal was headed, and even though they didn’t realize it at the time, there’s a small part of him that feels responsible as well. So from Kamen’s perspective, it’s time to mature and keep going—forgive and forget—stop forever wallowing in the past.

Ryan and Kamen support each other in everything they want to experience—from their career choices, to where they live, to their choice of kinks, so when Kamen comes home and tells Ryan he’d like to try to defeat Cinnamon in PetPlayFest, Ryan is immediately onboard with that idea. Cinnamon has always been a bitch to Kamen and his Subs Club friends and takes every opportunity to berate and belittle Kamen. She’s all about pony play and has won the festival for the past few years. Not this year, Kamen vows.

I love the way the author introduced pony play, and in fact, all forms of pet play, and made it not only acceptable, but quite interesting. Using practice for Kamen’s challenge as the vehicle for reader’s education, the author not only described the play, but used the bond that was forming between the MCs to endear them as a couple through this experience. They grew together and they acknowledged that growth and their need to communicate to stay on track. The story is filled with humor, but also introspection, stages of grief and healing, and true love. This couple is my favorite, not only in this series, but in all of the books I’ve read in the past year. Kamen and Ryan were so right for each other, their romance so sweet, their devotion and support of each other so complete, one couldn’t help but root for them to win the play fest and to firmly move on to their HEA.

There are so many positives to this book. I picked it up because it was Manties(!), but I couldn’t put it down because it was so much more. I hate to see them go. I want to move next door to this couple so I don’t ever have to say good-bye.

Obviously, I highly recommend this MM romance, especially to those who like a little kink in their play. This is a great book for those who are just beginning to explore BDSM, but it’s also for those who enjoy all its aspects. Don’t hesitate to buy this one!

~~~~~
Cover Art by Kanaxa shows a set of cuffs against a purple argyle background. The background, using different colors, is being repeated throughout the series, and a different BDSM-related symbol is displayed on the cover each time. I like the way the general look of the cover links all the stories in the series, however, considering the two major kinks in this story: manties and pony play, I think a better symbol could have been included on the cover. Handcuffs really don’t play a role in this story at all.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 283 pages
Published April 2nd 2016 by Riptide Publishing
Original TitleManties in a Twist
ISBN 1626493472 (ISBN13: 9781626493476)
Edition LanguageEnglish

SeriesThe Subs Club with links to  Barb the Zany Old Lady’s reviews :

J.A. Rock Talks Bed Bath & Beyond and the latest release,Manties in a Twist (The Subs Club, #3) -giveaway

MantiesInATwist_600x900

Manties in a Twist (The Subs Club, #3) by J.A. Rock
Riptide Publishing
Cover art by Kanaxa

Purchase a Copy/Read an Excerpt here

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have J.A. Rock here today to talk about the latest in The Subs Club series, Manties in a Twist and share a little insight into the book and characters. Welcome, J.A.!

*************

Hi! I’m J.A. Rock, and right now I’m touring the internet talking about my latest release Manties in a Twist—Book 3 in The Subs Club series. Thanks so much to the blogs that are hosting me on this tour, and be sure to leave comments on the tour posts for a chance to win your choice of two backlist ebooks and a $10 Amazon gift card!

Bed Bath & Beyond

Full disclosure: I’ve never been inside a Bed Bath & Beyond, the store that Ryan and Kamen make their bitch in Manties in a Twist as they decorate their new apartment. I’ve only heard tell of BB&B in legend. My mom’s obsessed. My brother made multiple trips there when he moved in with his girlfriend. Even my sister has purchased linens there. But for some reason it’s this terrifying and magical place that I’m afraid to set foot in.

I’m not much of a decorator. I made my roommates pick out all the stuff for our apartment. I don’t really see what’s wrong with having a coffee table that’s missing one leg. I did, for research purposes during Manties, browse the BB & B online store, but I feel like that doesn’t do it justice. I’m picturing an epic castle of home necessities—a place where, like Pier One and Crate & Barrel, I would a) not know what anything is called, except maybe “towels” and b) break something valuable within ten minutes of stepping inside.

The part I’m most curious about is the “beyond.” I understand what I might find in the bed and bath sections, but “beyond” just seems so…vast. Are we talking kitchen? Automotive? Lawn and garden? Is there a small, sad food court, like at SuperTarget?

I don’t have plans to investigate anytime soon, so I guess I’ll just have to keep imagining this veritable Eden of domestic merchandise—this place that seems like an adulthood rite of passage, that makes Kamen and Ryan feel like they’ve finally conquered growing up. Any BB & B fans here? Is it something I should try once? Or is it overrated?

About Manties in a Twist

MantiesInATwist_600x900Look, I’ll never stop missing Hal, but this Subs Club my friends started to review suck-ass doms isn’t gonna bring him back or give him justice. For me, it’s just another chance to hang out with my friends, even if they think I’m too dumb to understand the important work we’re supposedly doing.

But maybe I’m not as dumb as they think—at least I know when I’ve got a good thing going. Which is why I just moved in with my dom. Ryan’s awesome possum. He’s really short, never makes me feel stupid, and is up for anything. One word: costumes. Two more words: women’s underwear. We’re all about the lace, no leather.

Except when we do pony play. We first tried it as a joke, but turns out I’m ballin’ at it. Now PetPlayFest is coming up, and I wanna take down the Subs Club’s archrival, Cinnamon the ponygirl, in the horse show.

My friends think I’m spending too much time with Ryan and ignoring my obligations to the group. But since when is friendship an obligation? Ryan’s my first serious relationship, and I want to take it . . . seriously. At some point I need to think about my future, not my past.

—Kamen

About the Subs Club series

After the death of their friend Hal at the hands of an irresponsible dom, submissive friends Dave, Kamen, Miles, and Gould band together to form the Subs Club—an organization seeking to expose dangerous local doms. The club slowly evolves as romances blossom, loyalties are tested, and tensions mount in a community already struggling for unity in the wake of Hal’s death.

From domestic discipline to knife play to fashion paraphilia, and from family drama to new jobs to first loves, the members of the Subs Club explore life’s kinks inside and outside of the bedroom as they attempt to let go of the past and move forward.

About the Author

J.A. Rock is the author of queer romance and suspense novels, including By His Rules, Take The Long Way Home, and, with Lisa Henry, The Good Boy and When All The World Sleeps. She holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of Alabama and a BA in theater from Case Western Reserve University. J.A. also writes queer fiction and essays under the name Jill Smith. Raised in Ohio and West Virginia, she now lives in Chicago with her dog, Professor Anne Studebaker.

Connect with J.A. Rock:

MantiesinaTwist_TourBanner

Giveaway

To celebrate, J.A. is giving away your choice of two ebooks from her backlist and a $10 Amazon gift card. Leave a comment to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on April 9, 2016. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

A Paul B Review: Marking Kane (Werewolves of Manhattan #4) by A.C. Katt

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

MARKING KANEThe fourth book in the Wolves of Manhattan series by A. C. Katt begins at McClellan High School where Kane Brady is refusing to pass two members of the basketball team just because the coach told him to do so.  The two players, along with the coach, decide this young gay teacher needs to be taught a lesson.  The two players, along with the other three starters from the team, brutally rape Kane as he is walking home from school late one night.

Gabriel Martin is the fourth in the Garou Industries, the werewolf owned company.  Though his territory is small, his position within the corporation is important, as the director of technology.  He has been dreaming of his mate lately and with three other board members having found their mates, he hopes that the premonition comes true.  Driving from the Newark airport into the city, the roads become hazardous in a snowstorm.  Traffic moving at a crawl, he notices a young man staggering out of an alley.  Moved to help the wounded man, Gabriel immediately recognizes the man to be his mate.  He informs his betas of this fact to marshal resources to help Kane.  He brings Kane to the hospital where the pack doctor is working and calls the Alpha to inform him of his discovery.

Gabriel, along with his friends and the previous found alpha mates, try to convince Kane that he would recover better in Gabriel’s penthouse suite while those who abused him are sought out.  After the players and coach have been rounded up, the group convinces Kane to spend the holidays with Gabriel.  Just as things begin to settle down and the big reveal about shifters and mates is to take place, the group receives word that the coach has made bail and is seeking vengeance.  Gabriel and his friends must prepare for the mating ceremony in Atlanta while keeping an eye out for the newly freed coach.  To complicate matters, an alpha with dual citizenship in Russia has recently returned to America to escape the violence brought on by Putin’s homophobic laws.  The Prime Alpha is worried that major trouble for his shifters is just around the corner and must prepare for the upcoming battle.

As usual, this is another fine outing in Ms. Katt’s series.  The story follows the others in that an abused human is rescued by a member of the Garou Industries board.  It is even pointed out by one of the characters that this is a recurring theme in finding the mates.  The mates are also of Irish descent and have various shades of green eyes.  It will be interesting to see if this pattern sticks with the next book.  The supernatural help that Kane receives to help recover from the rape allows for the story to move forward without the trauma of the event preventing the mating from going forward.  The growing bond between all the alpha mates is touching to read as they have all suffered in the past and form a support group amongst themselves.

The cover art by Winterheart Design shows our blond Kane and the dark haired Gabriel above the New York skyline with an image of a wolf superimposed behind our two heroes.  It fits the character of the book well.

Sales Links:  MLR Press | ARe | Amazon

Book Details

ebook, 166 pages
Published March 2016 by MLR Press
ISBN 1020160527
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesWerewolves of Manhattan #4

Series:  Werewolves of Manhattan

Early Morning Coffee Sip and Book Break: A.M. Leibowitz ‘What Once Was Lost’ (excerpt and giveaway)

OnceWasLost copy

What Once Was Lost by A.M. Leibowitz
 Release Date: March 11, 2016

Goodreads
Publisher: MLR Press
Cover Artist: Jared Rackler

Blurb

Following a volatile break-up with his partner, Casey has been raising his son, Ryan, mostly on his own. While Ryan is on a camping trip in the Adirondacks, Casey and Brook make another attempt to work through their differences, with disastrous results. But when Ryan and his friend disappear in the mountains, Casey and Brook travel together to find him. The tension leads to an opportunity to listen to each other, reconcile their history, and recover the love they once shared.

 

Pages or Words: 21,000 words
 Categories: Contemporary, M/M Romance

Excerpt

It couldn’t be real. It was a vision or a nightmare or maybe stress-related, but that could not possibly be his former lover standing on the porch with his hand raised to press the bell again. That was not the man who continued to haunt both his dreams and his nightmares. He shuddered; the previous night’s mental sleep wanderings had been a horrifying mix of erotic and sorrowful, and he wasn’t in a hurry to relive them in the flesh. In confusion, Casey slammed the door shut.

“Open the damn door, Case,” the man on the other side said.

Casey growled and opened it again. “What the hell are you doing here, Brook?”

“I came to get my kid for the weekend because you failed to drop him off.”

“We talked about this weeks ago.” Casey glared at Brook. “Ryan’s going camping with Annie, Chuck, and their kids. You knew about this.”

“Maybe I decided the answer is no.” Brook crossed his arms. “You never gave me the choice–you just told me what was going on, same as always. I’d like a say in what happens this time.”

“Not gonna happen. Also, you have no business showing up at my door. We agreed to a neutral location for a reason.”

“Oh, right, because we couldn’t stop pissing each other off every time we were together. I’m glad to see you’ve gained some maturity since then,” Brook shot back.

No, you ass, Casey thought. It’s because if I let you in my house, and you begged to stay, I’d have taken you back and gotten my heart crushed again. “Go home,” he said. He made to close the door again.

Brook blocked it with his foot. “He’s my kid too. I should’ve had a say in it. This is my weekend.”

“First of all, he’s not yours in any legal sense. Second, you lost the right to have a say the minute you fucked someone else in our bed.”

Brook’s mouth dropped open, and his eyes flicked to the stairs behind Casey. When Casey turned his head to follow Brook’s gaze, he sighed. Ryan was standing in the middle of the staircase, staring at them. His mouth was set in a thin line, and he had a deep scowl.

“Ry, I’m sorry,” Casey said. “You don’t need—”

“I don’t need what?” Ryan asked, crossing his arms. “The truth? Is that why Pop left?”

Both men were silent, but from the look on Ryan’s face, neither of them had to say anything else. Ryan scoffed and turned around to thunder back up the stairs.

“Charming as always, I see,” Brook said.

“Fuck off. I didn’t invite you here today. You showed up unannounced right before Ry’s weekend trip. But hey, I guess you don’t care whether you ruin it for him. Kind of like everything else.”

“God, I forgot what a whiny ass you are,” Brook said, sneering.

Casey wanted to punch him, but that wouldn’t do anything to improve things with Ryan. “Look, this isn’t the time. You want to have some drawn-out argument where we both accuse each other of random shit from the whole span of our relationship? Great. I’ll pencil you in for noon tomorrow, when my son is happily off in the woods with his best friend’s family. Until then, get the hell off my porch.”

Buy the book

MLR Press | Amazon | ARe | Barnes&Noble |  Kobo

Meet the author:

A.M. Leibowitz is a queer spouse, parent, feminist, and book-lover falling somewhere on the Geek-Nerd Spectrum. Ze keeps warm through the long, cold western New York winters by writing about life, relationships, hope, and happy-for-now endings. In between noveling and editing, ze blogs coffee-fueled, quirky commentary on faith, culture, writing, books, and hir family.

Where to find the author:

 


Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, Divine Magazine, My Fiction Nook, Oh My Shelves, BFD Book Blog, Bayou Book Junkie,

Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, The Jena Wade, Kirsty Loves Books, Alpha Book Club, Unquietly Me,

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, MM Good Book Reviews, Happily Ever Chapter, Mikky’s World of Books,

Nautical Star Books, Making It Happen, Full Moon Dreaming, Molly Lolly, Three Books Over The Rainbow,

Velvet Panic, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Outrageous Heroes, Louise Lyons, Dawn’s Reading Nook

 

Giveaway

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