| Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Lovelorn kangaroo shifter Hamish Mulherne, drummer for the mega-hit rock band Hunter’s Moon, waited years for the band’s jaguar shifter bassist to notice him. Instead, she’s just gotten married and is in a thriving poly relationship. How is Hamish supposed to compete with that? But with everyone else in the band mated and revoltingly happy, he needs somebody. Since he can’t expect true love to strike twice, he signs up with Supernatural Selection. Because what the hell.
When Zeke Oz was placed at Supernatural Selection through the Sheol work-release program, he thought he was the luckiest demon alive. But when he seems responsible for several massive matchmaking errors, he’s put on notice: find the perfect match for Hamish, or get booted back to Sheol for good. The only catch? He has to do it without the agency’s matchmaking spells, and Hamish simply will not engage.
But Zeke starts to believe that the reason all of Hamish’s dates fizzle is because nobody in the database is good enough for him. And Hamish realizes that his perfect match might be the cute demon who’s trying so hard to make him happy.
This series has been so great and I love how it was tied up, I’m probably going to have to go back and read the Fae out of Water series because I liked these characters so much and if the author ever makes another series references these characters it will be on my tbr immediately. Hamish has resigned himself to a life without love and just hopes to find some companionship with the help of Supernatural Selection and against all odds gets registered. Poor Zeke, he’s just trying to escape Sheol and the hell he lives there but seems to have just traded it for another with the restrictions put on him.
I loved that we got to see the couples from the previous books in this one and how great everything was for them even though everyone thought they were mistakes. The twist of how everything was getting mixed up was interesting but I was so glad to see the culprit get what he deserved along with Zeke being able to break free from the prison his life was.
I felt for Zeke from the beginning, all the way from the bullying from the AI and the bullying from his Sheol master, he is just trying to survive and be able to stay in the upper world. Hamish took a little to connect with but that was mostly because he was lying to himself about being able to find love but he quickly grabs onto the idea when he realizes that Zeke would be the perfect one for him. I was so happy for these two to find a happily ever after, especially Zeke as we have seem how much he was struggling in the first two books.
Cover art by LC Chase is great and I love the visual of Zeke with Hamish’s drums and how it is similar to the others in the series.
Sales Links: Riptide Publishing | Amazon | B&N
Book Details: ebook, 320 pages Published: February 25, 2019 by Riptide Publishing ISBN: 978-1-62649-858-7 Edition Language: English Series: Supernatural Selection #3
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Category: Publishers
After decades of unrequited love, this kangaroo will jump at the chance for a date. Any date.Felicitas Ivey on Knitting, Surprises and her new story ‘I’m Not Who You Think I Am’ (author guest blog)
I’m Not Who You Think I Am by Felicitas Ivey
Harmony Ink Press, Paperback by Dreamspinner Press
Cover Art: Tiferet Designs
Published March 19th 2019
Sales Links: Harmony Ink Press | Barnes & Noble | Amazon
Whenever I start these types of posts, I spend time debating what I’m going to write. Mainly because I don’t know what to say, because I don’t know how much of my personal life I want to write about. My bio covers the basics of my life, mostly, and I don’t want to overshare on the Internet. Basically I have a day job, I have three cats, and I have hobbies.
So this is going to be about one of the hobby obsessions in my life~Fiber. Yarn and not the other kind from food. From a casual scan on Facebook and at conferences, shows that I’m not the only author who has this obsession. Yarn and authors, go together like cats and authors.
I knit in my spare time, mostly so I don’t fall asleep the rare times I’m watching television or a movie, when my cats let me. I’m not ant television, it’s just I really don’t have time for it. Knitting’s also useful on long trips, because I’m a bad passenger on highways and it keeps me distracted. I’ve been knitting since I was in high school and have collected a lot of yarn over the decades with my hobby. Some of it was bought on an impulse, some for projects which never got knit and some of it is left over from long ago projects. Unfortunately, I’ve outgrown most of the early knitting project or they’ve fallen apart because of wear.
I’m a yarn hoarder. I have far too much of the stuff, bought in binges when I had no idea what I was going to do with it. I have my stash stored in odd containers scattered around my home, in spare rooms and underneath my sofa. I have truly embraced the notion of the person with the most yarn wins. The hoard has gotten so bad, I have a spreadsheet, broken down by fiber type, noting the location of every skein and ball. That’s about the only organized part of my life. But if I didn’t have that, I would lose track of what I have. I’m proud that I’ve even separated the storage containers by fiber also. I also really don’t have to hide my stash, because I live alone, but it does keep the cats out of it. I’m lucky to have a large enough living space to indulge in the passion I have for fiber, the wonderful color and feel of all sorts of textures of fiber, from delicate lace to a hearty bulky yarn used to make rugs and toys.
I prefer natural fiber, mainly because I’m not knitting for anyone else but myself most of the time. I’ve looked for yarn wherever I can, dragging my traveling companion off the beaten path to find yarn shops in New England and beyond. Sometimes I buy the wrong things because I didn’t bring the correct pattern book with me. Most of these types of splurges were before tablets and smart phones made looking up patterns so easy.
I’ve also collected a number of knitting books over the years also. They are a snapshot of the changing fashions in fibers and styles over the last couple of decades. Unfortunately there are a number of books which I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to use because the yarns listed no longer exist and I can’t find any information on them to figure out yardage for the sweaters. “Beastly Knits” by Lalla Ward is the one that frustrates me the most, because it has a lot of interesting sweaters in it. I haven’t had the ambition over the years to try and figure out what I could do in the way of substitutions, since everything is given in ounces/grams and not yards. I still like the book, I mainly bought it because I am a big Dr. Who fan and the author was a companion and later a Time Lady with the fourth Doctor, Tom Baker.
My most recent project has been knitting a sweater out of Marino wool, which I’ve hand dyed on my own. Dyeing has been something I’ve been dabbling in on and off for a couple of years. I’m lucky that I have access to stores in your area which I can buy the higher end dyes for these projects. The dye didn’t turn out the way I wanted it to, but the colors are still nice.
Dyeing is fun and I do most of my dyeing in old crock pots. They are useful for me because I do individual skeins. The main issue I have is keeping the my cats away from the pots, but a sniff or two of the dye and they wander off to nap.
I had bought the above mentioned sweater project with me on vacation, not doing a test swatch to see if I had the correct sized needles to get the right gage, so my sweater doesn’t end up fitting me. I’d skipped that once and it didn’t end well for me. Hours of work and the sweater didn’t fit me. That was one of the reasons I switched to less form fitting projects, like shawls.
I needed to get different knitting needles than what I brought with me and wandered into a Michaels and found what I needed and then discovered a wonderful sight!
It seems that Pantone the color company and Caron a yarn producer, have gotten together to package five colors together, in different shades and the yarn tag looks like a paint strip. I haven’t used the skeins I’ve bought yet, but I do have a project in mind for it. And was very proud of the fact I waited to have a project in mind, before I gave into the squees of joy I had when I first saw the yarn
Blurb
Mykayla’s parents’ marriage is in trouble, but they’re working on it. Unfortunately for Mykayla, that means she’s getting shipped off to Boston to spend her summer with Uncle Yushua while they work out their issues. Mykayla has issues of her own—like her confusion about her sexuality, or apparent lack of it—that she’d like to explore alongside her best friend, Xiu. The situation at her uncle’s house is weird to say the least. There’s something off about his coworkers—aside from the fact that they won’t go away.
Things go from strange to stranger when a supernatural being shows up to protect Mykayla from someone he calls the Shadow Pharaoh. Sutekhgen is a sorcerer who never made it to the afterlife, with a huge Seth beast as a companion… and the mistaken assumption that Mykayla is the reincarnation of his lost romantic partner.
She doesn’t know what’s worse: being caught in a metaphysical conflict between ancient gods, or being stuck with a pushy jerk who doesn’t know the meaning of personal boundaries.
About the Author
Felicitas is a frazzled help-desk tech at a university in Boston who wishes people wouldn’t argue with her when she’s troubleshooting what’s wrong with their computer. She lives with three cats who wish she would pay more attention to them, and not sit at a computer pounding on the keyboard. They get back at her by hogging most of the bed at night and demanding her attention during the rare times she watches TV or movies. She’s protected by her guardian stuffed Minotaur, Angenor, who was given to her by her other husband, Mark. Angenor travels everywhere with her, because Felicitas’s family doesn’t think she should travel by her lonesome. They worry she gets distracted and lost too easily. Felicitas doesn’t think of it a getting lost, more like having an adventure with a frustrated GPS.
Felicitas knits and hoards yarn, firmly believing the one with the most yarn wins. She also is sitting on hordes of books, which threaten to take over her house, even with e-books.
Felicitas writes urban fantasy, steampunk, and horror of a Lovecraftian nature, with monsters beyond space and time that think that humans are the tastiest things in the multiverse. Occasionally there’s a romance or two involved in her writing, with a happily-ever-after.
Website: www.Felicitasivey.com
Facebook: felicitasivey
Twitter: @felicitasive
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: In Safe Hands by Victoria Sue
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
There’s so much to enjoy each time I pick up a book by Victoria Sue—depth of character, complexity of story, amazing secondary characters, and a well-planned plot, usually with lots of mystery and drama. This book did not disappoint.
Mav Delgardo can’t seem to come to terms with the loss of his foot and consequently the loss of his career as a USAF helicopter pilot. Wallowing in a bottle, sleeping in his sister’s spare room, it’s not until she needs his help to guard a former musician that he manages to pull himself together. Deacon Daniels (real name Danny) was a teen idol until a scandal resulting in the death of a woman and her child brings his career crashing down. Add to that the fact he’s lost custody of his two-year-old niece, for whom he was named guardian when his brother died, and a stalker is now out to get him, and it’s a wonder the young man doesn’t give up.
Mav is entranced by the real Danny and realizes there’s no way the news reports and gossip sheets have any inkling of what the young man is really like. And Danny sees Mav, beyond the scars on his face and torso and his artificial foot, Danny reacts to the person who cares about others and desperately wants to be needed and find his place in life after the loss of his career. The two become close as those involved in perpetrating the scandal that destroyed Deacon’s career are murdered and the stalking and threats increase.
It’s not until the two start to hope for a brighter future that the situation takes a turn for the worse and it looks like Danny won’t have a future at all if the murderer has his way. I really enjoyed the action in this story. The story was interesting, the characters well-developed, and the mystery intriguing. When the murderer is revealed there was still plenty of action and suspense and I had a hard time putting the book down.
Victoria Sue creates real characters with real feelings. I can rarely stay an arm’s length from getting caught up in their lives. This story is for those who want to experience second chances, hurt-comfort, lots of intrigue, and a couple who deserves a solid future together.
Cover by Jay Aheer is a clever blend of the MCs and the action of the story. Against the white shirt on the Maverick’s chest, the artist has superimposed a man in shadows, a large apartment building and an orange glow, depicting a fire or fires, something the mystery murderer uses in this story.
Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon
Book Details:
Kindle Edition, 230 pages
Published March 19th 2019 by Dreamspinner Press
ASINB 07NNL14XR
Edition Language English
A MelanieM Release Day Review: Whiskey to Wine (Leaning N #3) by BA Tortuga
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Love is hitting the slopes, and the competition is fierce.
It’s Gay Ski Week in Aspen, and blind sculptor Bleu Bridey and his ex-fiancé, Dan, are at the Leaning N Ranch to unveil Bleu’s latest commission.
Former Olympic snowboarder Ryan Shields is there too… and he’s Bleu’s true love who got away. Seeing Bleu again, Ryan remembers how they couldn’t get enough of each other in college.
Too bad it looks like Bleu is with Dan now, because Ryan would love to remind Bleu how good they were together, in and out of the sheets.
Between Ski Week parties, a bunch of exes, a private ski lesson, and one terrible accident that leaves Bleu stranded and Ryan in rescue mode, it’ll be a wonder if these two manage to survive, much less find a few seconds alone to remember how much love they have to keep them warm even in the worst of storms.
I am really enjoying the Leaning N series from BA Tortuga and this story especially checked a lot of my boxes for contemporary romances. The first being it’s author! yes, I can never pass up a BA Tortuga story, and Whiskey to Wine (Leaning N #3) by BA Tortuga has so many elements in it that I love to red about. It has cowboys and kids in the family that owns the Leaning N (they are central to every story here. It also has a wonderful second chance at love, lovers reunited aspect to the romance and main couple. Plus the couple itself has two men whose characters and personalities are just so compelling that it makes for a story and romance that grabs you right from the start.
Told from both the perspectives of Bleu and Ryan, BA Tortuga manages to bring the reader inside the darkness of Bleu’s everyday life and give us a feel for the way in which he lives and manages his life, with the assistance of his service dog. I’m not sure who was helping with this realistic portrait but I suspect they are close to the subject or know someone like Bleu given the cringeworthy moments and comments from other characters and situations Bleu finds himself in, the authenticity rings true throughout the story. Everything about Blue pulls you to him, and makes you want to shove Dan, his ex right off the next ski lift. Dan is one of the less enjoyable characters there but has been a minor series character throughout the three stories so far.
Ryan the former Olympic snowboarder also has that personality down, as well as that of regret for the past and the real sense of loss when it comes to Bleu. When it comes to writing chemistry, BA Tortuga can make two men and their connection seem almost organic, it’s that natural and mighty. I really loved watching them reconnect, worth through their old issues, and current ones, including current exes that won’t go away.
There is adventure, huge drama, and a wonderful end to everything that I adored. Plus the secondary cast of characters some of which …cough..Geoff. cough..I’m hoping which eventurally get his story.
While each book easily can be read as a standalone, it’s far more fun to read them as a series, a method I recommend. I have fallen in love with the Leaning N and the family and crew that lives there. I only hope we will be getting so many more romances and novels to come.
Cover Artist: Alexandria Corza. Handsome man, beautiful background. Both in keeping with the series although I could wish for more from the story. I just find it cute but lacking.
Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon
Book Details:
Kindle Edition, Dreamspun Desires #78, 181 pages
Expected publication: March 19th 2019 by Dreamspinner Press
ASINB07NNLYLYG
Edition LanguageEnglish
Series Leaning N :
Come Back Around coming out in July 2019
Of Wild Weather, Eostre and Spring. This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
Of Wild Weather, Eostre and Spring
I don’t know how many of you are fans of the book by Neil Gaiman or show based on it, American Gods, but the weather the nation has been having this past week has called to mind one scene from last season’s finale, when the goddess Ostara, provoked or encouraged (depending on how you look at it) by the god Wednesday, reminds those partying around her of her true origins and power with catastrophic results… removing Spring’s bounty and renewal from the lands…. setting off a withering landscape and the onset of winter.
I think it was watching that weather map showing a “bomb cyclone” sweeping across the Midwest bringing hurricane force winds and blizzards so unexpectedly, while here in Maryland we were experiencing 65 to 70 degrees of Spring. It was Spring as its most turbulent, violent, and yet weirdly warm and calm state. It just depended where you lived. And yes, I do know its due to climate change.
But it did draw my mind back to that scene and to the goddess Ostara.
Ostara, or Eostre or Eastre, she has many names, the goddess of Spring. She is responsible for the renewal of the earth each year after winter, the bringer of Spring, the symbol of fertility and birth. Yes, rabbits (those reproducing, repopulating stars) are her symbols. She has been pictured with a rabbit’s head but more often with them at her side. They are the reason we now have the Easter Bunny, same with Easter Eggs. All due to her, Eostre or Eastre. Or Ostara.
She’s been on my mind a lot, for many reasons. The Spring equinox approaches on the 21st, a new season of American Gods has started, and all around me, from my backyard to the news I have reminders of just how wild and unpredictable nature and Spring can be at times.
At night I’ve heard both the calls of wild geese migrating and the sound of a barred owl so out of season….must be a youngster trying to find his voice.
But it’s a reminder that rebirth can be a wild and tumultuous time. That renewal isn’t always peaceful and calm, that wild winds and blizzards can herald the arrival of Spring just as often as the call of the bluebird.
Something to remember when pondering that Easter bunny.
Kristin Chenoweth as Ostara in American Gods
This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
Sunday, March 17:
- Of Wild Weather, Eostre and Spring. This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
- Book Blitz – LA Bryce – The Forever Kind Of Love
Monday, March 18:
- Release Blitz – Rewind by Rowan Shaw
- Release Blitz – Jeanne Marcella – The Demon Lord Of California
- Review Tour – A.L. Lester – Shadows On The Border
- A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: Blue Umbrella Sky by Rick R. Reed
- A Caryn Review Shadows On The Border (Lost In Time #2) by A.L. Lester
- A MelanieM Review: No Big Deal (#lovehim #1.5) by S.M. James
Tuesday, March 19:
- Release Blitz ALL SOULS NEAR & NIGH (SOULBOUND #2) by Hailey Turner
- Release Blitz – TL Travis’ A Heart Divided
- Blog Tour – Marked by J. Jay Barrett
- A MelanieM Release Day Review: Whiskey to Wine (Leaning N #3) by BA Tortuga
- A Free Dreamer Release Day Review: I’m Not Who You Think I Am by Felicitas Ivey
- A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: A Lord to Love by Sara Dobie Bauer
Wednesday, March 20:
- RELEASE BLITZ Clean Break (Farm College #2) by Erin McLellan
- Book Blitz Tour Request – Elin Gregory – Midnight Flit
- BLOG TOUR Wicked Games by Aimee Nicole Walker
- A Lucy Review : The Forever Kind Of Love by LA Bryce
- A Jeri Review Clean Break (Farm College #2) by Erin McLellan
- A MelanieM Review: Lunar New Love by Casper Graham
- A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: In Safe Hands by Victoria Sue
Thursday, March 21:
- Book Blast – An Extra Alpha (Pine Wood Falls #2) by Sarah Havan
- DSP PROMO Felicitas Ivey on I’m Not Who You Think I Am
- PROMO BA Tortuga on Whiskey to Wine
- An Alisa Review: How Not To Sin by Susan Hawke
- A Stella Review: Brush Strokes by E.S. Karlquist
- A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review :Kennard’s Story (Cronin’s Key #4) by N.R. Walker
Friday, March 22:
- Review Tour – A Body In A Bathhouse by Brad Shreve
- Review Tour – Apple Boy (The Quiet Work #1) by Isobel Starling
- Blog Tour for A Broken Promise by Mel Gough
- A Free Dreamer Review: Apple Boy (The Quiet Work #1) by Isobel Starling
- An Alisa Review: Demon on the Down-Low by EJ Russell
- A Caryn Review: Best Behaviour by Matthew Metzger
- A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Black (Kitty Play Romance) by Quin Perin
Saturday, March 23:
Release Blitz Memory of Scorpions Series by Aleksandr Voinov
A MelanieM Review: Step Up with Me (With Me #5) by Kris Jacen
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Richard “Tank” Martin was a big boy from the start. Born weighing over 11 pounds, he didn’t stop growing. When he was in middle school, a football coach took him under his wing and finally explained to him the mystery of calories in, calories out and from then on it was all good for him. At least he thought. Being called to meet with his platoon sergeant and told that he was now part of the Army’s overweight program, sent him into a spin that only his crews can help him out of.
Dr. Jack Dillon thought his life was good and finally settled. Part of an active veterinarian practice, volunteering with a service dog organization, spoiling his sister’s triplets and training in sports jiu-jitsu…the only thing missing was a partner. He never thought that his world could be shattered with just a phone call even after being around his military friends.
Tank and Jack have been dancing around each other for months until Tank takes a chance and kisses Jack at their friends’ wedding moving their slow dance into a heated bump and grind. Can these two survive the changes coming their ways together or will all the changes break them apart?
It seems I always learn something new about military life when I read one of Kris Jacen’s stories, especially her series With Me. Step Up with Me, the fifth book in the With Me series, addresses an issue I hadn’t even thought was a problem with the military. That of weight and body issues. I had no idea. i just assumed (bad me) that all the constant training and workouts kept everyone ready and well, slim or rock hard. I should know better considering all the various body types out there and struggles with weight that just don’t mysteriously vanish one you enter the military. Or that it has such serious repercussions if not met. Including the end of a career.
Yes, the U.S. Army has Weight Standards for its Soldiers , men and women. Army Body Fat Measurements that includes an army body fat calculator and the Military Tape Test which Jacen makes such effective use of in her story. She also notes that the current standards are under review and, hopefully will be updated to more realistic measurements.
All of this brings us to Richard “Tank” Martin, a man who has been fighting with his weight and body image all his life. Solid muscle by any standards, a recent “tape test” has deemed him overweight and his superior officer put him on the Army’s Overweight program, which carries not only a stigma but potential career consequences. This in addition to the emotional impact its having on Tank himself, who is not only frustrated in his attempts to lose weight but dealing with the old issues of poor self image as well.
Tank is easily one of most recognizable and connectible characters of all of the military unit for me. Perhaps it’s in his issues with his body image, his quiet manner of questioning his choices later on in this story, or his appreciation of all the difference people in his life, his teacher on nutrition and diet (who just happens to be the wife of one of the Heptad). Maybe its a largesse of character and personality to go along with his body that Jacen has created for him, a huge heart as well. Whatever it is, Tank is someone who I gravitated towards immediately. You will too.
As we saw towards the end of the last story, a swift surprise kiss with Dr. Jack Dillon moved a tentative romance ahead and that’s where this story starts off.
Both men are already established characters and here they come more fully into depth, revealing more layers and backhistory as their romance progresses and we see Tank work through his “program”, learning to eat better, exercise more in a way that suits him all the while talking about body positivity and support.
The two men together are so special and just settling in, when another traumatic event happens to throw them and the reader into an emotional spin. I wasn’t prepared for just how much pain this section caused but as Jacen has done her normal outstanding job of putting together a character that we cared about, however briefly, I shouldn’t have been surprised. Then come the triplets, oh my. And a family unit.
I won’t give too much away except to say how much I love this story. All the many other characters from previous books appear as support and, as have been proven over and over again, the military families joining forces to act as an extended family to those in need. It was heartwarming, moving, and it felt as authentic as could be.
With Me is such an outstanding series and Step Up with Me (With Me #5) by Kris Jacen is another exemplary reason why I always recommend this series and this author. The writing is so smooth as to be impeccable, the plots realistic and moving, and the characters real and memorable. Read them all in the order they were written for a memorable journey with a group of people you won’t soon forget.
Cover art: Kris Jacen. I adore this cover by the author. It’s perfection in its representation of Tank and one of the triplets. Now I need to read it again.
Sales Links: MLR Press | Amazon
Book Details:
Kindle Edition, 125 pages
Published February 20th 2019 by MLR Press
ASINB07NZZDCY3
SeriesWith Me #5
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: The Leprechaun Next Door by Elizabeth Coldwell
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
Devon loses his job at a tech support company and almost the same time he loses his life partner when he finds out he’s been cheating on him. He takes his few possessions and meets a really cute redhead on his way into his new apartment. The redhead is Johnny, who has a touch of brogue in his voice and a glint of gold in his eye. Fun and mischievous, Johnny leaves Devon desiring to learn more about the Irishman. He gets his wish when Johnny tells him he’s a leprechaun but Devon hesitates to go any further with him. He really needs a job and he has revenge against his ex on his mind. After an accidental encounter with the ex, Devon takes Johnny up on his offer to show him how a leprechaun can grant three wishes. He chooses a new job, revenge on the ex, and to meet the man of his dreams.
I’m torn about this story. I liked it in general, but I didn’t buy into the romance. And part of the reason for that was the way the leprechaun character was created right from the beginning of the story. Someone who claims to be a leprechaun who can grant gifts, someone who shows up and then seems to blink out of existence in a moment, someone with the power to create havoc where you want it and find you a good job in the blink of an eye. Can they be real? Add to that the look the leprechaun gives—sometimes sweet, sometimes almost evil, I was left with the impression that the character would be a catalyst to Devon’s romance, not a part of it, so I remained wary about him as the story progressed and I looked for reasons to doubt his sincerity. Unfortunately, as it turned out, the leprechaun was the man of Devon’s dreams—but not mine.
The author wrote a nice story but the way Johnny was portrayed led me to believe he’d be a secondary character—one with an evil streak. Maybe I’ve read too many books in the spirit world lately where that turns out to be the case. In any event, I really liked Devon, and I appreciated the slow journey he took as he came into his own. I just wish his happy future wasn’t with Johnny.
The cover by Adrian Nicholas is very clever. It features a redhead man standing over a pot of gold, his hands in prayer. Instead of a beam of golden light falling on him and the gold, the beam is a rainbow of colors. Very nice!
Buy links: Dreamspinner Press
Book Details:
ebook, 145 pages
Expected publication: March 15th 2019 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781640808751
Edition LanguageEnglish
An Alisa Audio Review: Once Burned (Anchor Point #6) by L.A. Witt and Nick J. Russo (Narrator)
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Captain Mark Thomas’s world has been tossed on its head: A long overdue but still unexpected divorce. A promotion out of left field. Last-second orders to a ship where careers go to die. As the dust settles in his new home, he barely recognizes his life, but he sure recognizes the loneliness creeping in.
Diego Ramírez wants nothing to do with the military or its men. Not after the Navy burned him both literally and figuratively, costing him his career, his health, and ultimately his green card. Now working illegally in an Anchor Point bar, he keeps the military and its personnel at arm’s length.
But after a single moment of eye contact across the bar, Mark and Diego can’t resist each other. As a one-night stand quickly turns into more, Diego knows he’s playing with fire. Now he can stick around and let things with Mark inevitably fall apart, or he can run like hell and wonder what might have been. One way or another, Diego knows he’s about to get burned. Again.
I love this series so much and it keeps being great. Mark is settling into his new home and just looking to get rid of the loneliness brings him so much more. Diego is just trying to survive without letting the military hurt him anymore.
Both of these guys have had problems in the past and had to work through them to give their relationship more traction. I hated that Mark had felt he needed to have sex to keep loneliness at bay for so long but now that he and his ex-wife are on good terms he is able to start seeing where they both went wrong. Diego just keeps getting kicked while he’s down and I was so glad that even though there was some hurt done that Mark was able to help him get his life back on track and find the happiness he was missing.
It was so great to listen to Nick Russo narrating this story as he is one of my favorite narrators and haven’t had many stories by him in a while. He does a great job portraying the characters’ emotions and it makes it easy to connect with them. The different voices he used for the characters helped me keep up with what was going on and get an idea of the characters personality some more.
I like the cover art by LC Chase and it continues follow the pattern for the series.
Sales Links: Audible | Amazon | iTunes
Audiobook Details:
Audiobook, 7 hrs 44 min
Published: January 6, 2019 by Riptide
Edition Language: English
Series: Anchor Point #6
Cover Reveal for Ties That Bind by Alex Whitehall
Ties That Bind by Alex Whitehall
Less Than Three Press
Cover Artist: Kirby Crow
Release Date: April 23, 2019
Sales Links: Less Than Three Press
Blurb:
For Chel, Tomlin, and Mathias, life is simple but good. They share a home and a love, and despite a few conflicts of personality, are happy. Mathias runs a magic shop, where he makes magic items and potions for his customers, and Tom is his familiar, helping supply his magic. Chel, who’s not magical, works at a bookshop and makes sure dinner is on the table for his lovers.
When Mathias suddenly comes down with a mysterious illness, Chel and Tomlin seek out answers. As Mathias’s familiar, Tomlin can sense that nothing is wrong with the magical parts of him, but when a trip to the doctor’s indicates nothing is wrong with him physically either, they start to worry.
Then Mathias collapses, and the search to find the truth becomes urgent.
About the Author
If there are two types of people in the world, Alex Whitehall probably isn’t one of them, despite being a person. Their favorite pastimes include reading, horseback riding, sleeping, watching geek-tastic television, knitting, eating, and running. And wasting time on the internet. And spending glorious evenings laughing with friends.
While Alex prefers sleeping over doing anything else (except maybe eating), sometimes they emerge from the cave to be social and to hunt for food at the local market. They can be found blogging, contemplating tweeting, and tending after their aloe plants.
Connect with Alex:
- Twitter: @AlexWhitehall
- Email: AlexDWhitehall@gmail.com
- Website: www.alexwhitehall.com
- Tumblr: alexwhitehall.tumblr.com
You can also check out their other titles:
A Lila Audio Review: Running Blind (Havoc #2) by S.E. Jakes and Mark Larchmont (Narrator)
Rating: 5 stars out of 5
An ATF agent who lives for danger finds what he craves from an outlaw biker.
It’s impossible for a one-percenter motorcycle club member to simply walk away—and no one knows that better than undercover agent Bram, who’s almost killed for trying. His cover isn’t blown—yet—but it’s only a matter of time. The Heathens won’t be satisfied until he’s dead, so he decides to lay low and heal.
But when his younger brother’s disappearance throws a wrench into his plan, Bram ends up in Shades Run, a town ruled by the notorious Havoc MC. In less than twenty-four hours, Bram finds himself at the mercy of Sweet, Havoc’s president, as he throws himself into the undercover role of a lifetime: himself. A man who’s never belonged anywhere, and who will do anything to protect his younger brother.
When finding Linc seems impossible, Bram is torn between Sweet, Linc, and revealing his true identities . . . and there appears to be no way out. Once again, he risks it all trying to save it all. Only this time he’s got no backup to save him if he falls.
Running Blind is better than Running Wild, which is not an easy feat for the second book in a series. This has the author’s signature grit, those characters that are lovely, but a bit damage. It has a perfect mix of sweet (no pun intended) and dirty. It shows the reader how good is between the characters, all of them.
The plot is complex but doesn’t take away from the romance between Sweet and Bram. They are electric since their first encounter and do not cut corners to establish their relationship. The end is a little rush but by them, the reader is ready to get to the resolution and the happily ever after.
There’s a slight connection between the books, and we get to see Rush and Ryke again. They aren’t an integral part of the plot, but they help it move forward.
Overall, this is definitely a must listen for this year.
It took me a minute to get used to the characterizations by Mark Larchmont. He did a nice job creating memorable characters. At some points though, some of the voices seem similar. Especially between Sweet and Bram.
The cover by L.C. Chase matches the crossroads in the story. It also matches the first installment.
Sales Links: Riptide | iTunes | Audible
Audiobook Details:
Narrator: Mark Larchmont
Length: 6 hours and 11 minutes
Published: February 4, 2019 (Audio Edition) by Riptide Publishing
ASIN: B07N8GYLN7
Edition Language: English
Series: Havoc
Book #1: Running Wild
Book #2: Running Blind
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 