Its Valentine’s Day and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Valentine’s Day

Happy Valentine’s or should I say Lupercalia Day! Even when young, madly handing out those cardboard valentines to my classmates in kindergarten, I never heard much or even cared much about the origins of Valentine’s Day. I don’t remember any teachers talking about it, certainly no bulletin board presentations on it, other than to display our heart artwork such as they were.

Even as I thought about it this morning, the first thought in my head was that Hallmark came up with it as a way to move a ton more cards than ever before and bring the florists and candy industry along with them. Just a scoosh cynical? Perhaps. Maybe I need Stella to write this…

Then I started to look into the history. Some of it involved St. Valentine (did you know there were 3) and Roman Emperor Claudius who had a disagreement over which made better soldiers, unmarried young men or married men, with Claudius coming down resoundingly on the unmarried side. Which put St. Valentine on the other (never a good thing with emperors, remember there is a reason he’s called a saint). Claudius outlawed young soldiers getting married, Valentine continued to marry them…which saw him to an early grave and sainthood. Going further down the timeline, there’s the celebration of Lupercalia, dedicated to Faunus, Roman god of agriculture and yep, fertility. That’s the handsome fellow at the top. It involved sacrificing goats and dogs (purity), skinning the goats, cutting the hides into strips and then dipping them into blood. Young maidens would then be flicked, flogged, whipped (depends on the history you read) with the hides, a practice that all believed would make the women more fertile. Young unmarried men picked the names of the maidens out of a urn, and spent the night together or maybe all together. Those fertility things got a little crazy.

I loved that the articles said the women welcomed it. Really? Show me the articles. Or did they just put up with it because they had to, culturally speaking. Why even go there in a article? Sorry, back to Valentine’s Day again…

Anyhow, all that stuff was declared un Christian and done away with at least on the surface and somehow we arrive at 1400 with rosy feelings intact. The first valentine we know about was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife (number one) while he was jailed in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt. Charles spent 24 years as a hostage and became a renown poet during that time, including writing the first valentine. Not bad. Despite being imprisoned for 24 years (in very posh digs I might add) he was married 3 times.

1900 saw the first printed Valentine’s Day cards and the holiday has never looked back. Here are a few Valentine’s Day statistics for you:

Over 1 billion cards worldwide are sent today.
Next to cards, are flowers and chocolates.
In addition to the U.S., Valentine’s Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Denmark, Italy and Japan.

Now for some winner announcements…

Winner of Chase Potter’s The Music of the Sphere’s ebook is Carolyn.
Winner of Christian Baines’ Puppet Boy is H.B.
Winner of Joe Cosentino’s giveaway for a book from his backlist is Ree Dee.

Congratulations to all three. They have been notified.

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, February 14 (Valentine’s Day)

Looking for A Valentine’s Day Story? Check out ‘Love At Roades End’ by Kris T. Bethke (author guest post)
Mia Kerick’s ‘The Art of Hero Worship’ release day book blast and giveaway
Its Valentine’s Day and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, February 15:

Chris T. Kat’s ‘Mending the Rift’ cover reveal and giveaway
Dreamspinner Press Author Spotlight: Dormant Heart by Lane Swift (guest post)
Voss Porter’s ‘The Wrong Kind of Woman’ cover reveal and giveaway
A VVivacious Review: Mute Witness by Rick R. Reed
A Lila Review: Pretty Human by Kayleigh Skye

Tuesday, February 16:

In the Spotlight: Brad Vance ‘Strength In Numbers’ (excerpt and giveaway)
Need a New Romance to Love? Check Out Love Me Tenor by Annabeth Albert (excerpt and giveaway)
Its Love and Kink Time with Morticia Knight ‘Bondage Rescue (excerpt/giveaway)
A Stella Review: Strong Side by Alison Hendricks
A MelanieM Review: Sharing the Pond by Alex Whitehall

Wednesday, February 17:

Dreamspinner Press Author Tour: Conversation Hearts by Avon Gale (guest post)
Grein Murray ‘Capturing Oliver’ book blast and giveaway
Michele Michael Rakes ‘Trainwreck’ Keep Me In Mind tour and contest
A Ali Review: Spirit by John Inman (audio version)
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: James Eyre by Jade Astor

Thursday, February 18:

In the Author Spotlight: Melanie Hansen on Writing and Love and the Exocism (guest post)
Love Science Fiction and Romance? Check out Scardust by Suzanne van Rooyen (excerpt and giveaway)‏
Bailey Bradford ‘Dragon Dreams & Fairy Wings’ book blast and giveaway
A Lila Review: Love and the Exorcism by Melanie Hansen
A MelanieM Review: Acts of Passion By Sedonia Guillone

Friday, February 19:

How the Cookie Crumbles (Bluewater Bay, #12) by Jaime Samms Riptide Tour and Contest
The Way You Look Tonight by Jo Tannah‏ guest post and contest
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review:How the Cookie Crumbles (Bluewater Bay, #12) by Jaime Samms
A Lila Review: Fantasy For a Gentleman by Caitlin Ricci
A Stella Review: Patchwork by Indra Vaughn

Saturday, February 20:

In the Spotlight: Love Unlocked: A Beaten Track Anthology’ (giveaway and excerpts)
A Sammy Review: Cronin’s Key III by NR Walker

Its Valentine’s Day. Treat Yourself to a Love Story. ‘Love at Roades End’ by Kris T. Bethke (author guest post)

Love at Roades End by Kris T. Bethke
Dreamspinner Press

Goodreads Link
Cover Artist L.C. Chase

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Kris T. Bethke here to talk about Love at Rhoades End, her latest novel, and her writing process. Welcome, Kris, thanks for sharing with our readers.

**********

Thanks so much for allowing me to pop in today, and thanks to everyone who’s stopped by to read!

Up until about a year ago, I was a complete and total pantser. Yep. I got a vague idea for a story and I’d start writing willy nilly with nary a plan to be seen. Sometimes, this worked. Several of my published stories were written that way and they turned out just fine. But just about a year ago, I had a story brewing in my brain and I saw so much of it that I wrote a rough summary.

And a new method for writing was born.

Now I’m a combination plotter and pantser. And , my newest release, is the perfect example of why. I wrote this story in four evenings, and only had to do a minimal of tweaking and editing before it was ready for submission. When I got the plot idea, and let it percolate in my brain, Sean and Hunter emerged to tell me their story. Before I actually started writing it, I worked out the major plot points and wrote it all down. And then I worked off that when actually writing the story.

It didn’t stay exactly as I had plotted it, of course. And I allow for things to change. I don’t get bent out of shape if I don’t follow the outline exactly. Heck, sometimes my brain comes up with something on the fly and I follow that track instead of what I originally envisioned. Sean and Hunter didn’t veer too far off their original path, and since I’d already worked out plot holes while writing the summary, that made it a quick and fun write.

Their story is short and sweet, a perfect little Valentine’s Day story. I was writing it with a word limit in mind, and I worked hard to get only the necessary information on the page. Sean and Hunter were made to meet and fall in love, and I truly enjoyed writing their story. I hope you’ll consider picking this one up when looking for a happy, fluffy, Valentine’s Day romance!

About Love at Roades End

Sean Newvine is looking forward to his weekend at Roades End Inn so he can review his stay there for inclusion on his travel website. What he never expects is for the owner, Hunter Roades, to capture his attention from the very start.

The only problem is Hunter thinks Sean’s been sent by his brother on a blind date so that Hunter doesn’t have to spend Valentine’s Day alone. Once the awkward misunderstanding is resolved, Sean is charmed by Hunter’s formality and hospitality. And when they have a chance to really talk, sparks fly.

A passion-filled night has them both wanting more, but Hunter pulls away knowing Sean doesn’t live in town and the distance might be more than they can overcome. Sean and Hunter must figure out if they can make it work for longer than one night, or if their chance at love will end at Roades End Inn before it can begin.

Buy Links

Dreamspinner Press |Amazon | ARe | Kobo | Barnes and Noble

About the Author

Kris T Bethke has been a voracious reader for pretty much her entire life and has been writing stories for nearly as long. An avid and prolific daydreamer, she always has a story in her head. She spends most of her free time reading, writing, or knitting/crocheting her latest project. Her biggest desire is to find a way to accomplish all three tasks at one time. A classic muscle car will always turn her head and naps on the weekend are one of her greatest guilty pleasures. She lives in a converted attic with an aquarium full of tropical fish and the voices in her head. She’ll tell you she thinks that’s a pretty good deal. Kris believes that love is love, no matter the gender of people involved and that all love deserves to be celebrated. She loves to hear from her readers, so feel free to drop her a line.

You can find her on Twitter @KrisTBethke or on her blog http://www.kristbethke.com

An Ali Audiobook Review: Healing Hunter’s Heart (A Little Bite of Love #2) by Charlie Cochet, Narrator Nick J. Russo

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Months after being forced to leave his lover and mate Ari Jannsen behind, Hunter Devin settles into his role as Enforcer for the newly formed Deagan Clan under the rule of his new Alpha and best friend Tristan “Trip” Hagan. Along with Hunter’s brother Boone, their nephews, sister, and mother, Hunter finally has the family he’s always wanted, but without his little rebel Ari, his heart is incomplete.

The Hagan Clan is unable to accept the Deagan Clan’s betrayal for walking away and taking the clan’s pups with them. War looms. As both clans plan their attack, a greater enemy plots against them. But Hunter is determined to get his Ari back. Bonds are put to the test and unexpected alliances are made as Hunter and his clan set out to protect their own and end the spreading heartache.

This was an enjoyable story about two shifters who are separated after a bunch of them branch off to a new clan. Ari and Hunter have had a secret relationship for years and an act of violence ends up keeping them apart against their wills. The book starts 5 years previously and gives you the foundation for their relationship. It then brings us to the current time and we proceed with the current story. The transition between the two times was smooth and worked well as a storytelling style. I liked the two main characters as a couple and they had some really sweet moments together. I thought they were a good match and I liked them together a lot. The only reason I didn’t rate it higher is the overall story wasn’t my thing. This is totally a case of “It’s me not the book.” I found the story to be quite sweet and quite fluffy and while there isn’t nothing wrong with either of those, they’re not my thing. I prefer gritty, angsty books. There are a lot of similarities to the author’s Thirds series and I think if you’re a fan of that series you should definitely check out this one. I think you’ll like it a lot. This book is the second in this series but can be read as a standalone. The author covers the back story well. The first story in this though is a novella and it is free so I recommend you that you read it first.

I listened to this on audio and have mixed feelings. I thought narrator Nick J. Russo did an excellent job on the two main characters, Hunter and Ari. The first part of the book that was almost all them I enjoyed a lot. Towards the end though when there were multiple characters I found it lacking. I did not care for a lot of the side character voices. It’s one of those things that is hard to explain. I don’t have concrete complaints. I just didn’t like many of the voices.

Cover by L. C. Chase. I like the cover. I think it is average. It’s not bad but it also does not stand out.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | iTunes | Audible | Amazon

Audiobook Details:

Narrator Nick J. Russo
Length 6 hours and 0 minutes
Categories:Audiobooks, M/M Audiobooks

In Our Author Spotlight: Ava Hayden and her latest story ‘Table for One’ (guest blog)

Table for One by Ava Hayden
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist Anna Sikorska

Sales Links

Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Amazon

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Ava Hayden here today to talk about her latest story, Table for One, and share with our readers a bit of the background into the plot and storyline. Welcome, Ava!

********

In “Table for One” I wanted to throw a big plot complication at Nick. Oilton, Alberta is a made-up place, but there’s one thing you can count on anywhere in Alberta in winter—snow.

Not that we can’t handle it—snow falling at a reasonable pace, that is, with plenty of time for plowing. When it arrives all at once—life gets complicated. I’d been living in Alberta three months when the worst snowstorm in 113 years hit on St. Patrick’s Day. I was at the airport, ready to fly to Vancouver for business. When the airlines cancelled a few flights and marked some delayed, it didn’t seem unusual—not at first. Traveling in snow is a fact of life here. Plenty of passengers assumed these were temporary annoyances—a little runway plowing, some de-icing, and no worries. The airline’s staff was playing coy.

The problem with having to make decisions in a hundred-year snowstorm is you don’t know it’s a hundred-year snowstorm until it’s over and the CBC is broadcasting videos and statistics. When my flight was cancelled, my gut told me not to join the line of people at the gate hoping to go standby on the next flight. Instead, I made a quick call to my Vancouver customer and headed for the cabstand as fast as I could.

Road conditions were already horrible. The trip took five times longer than usual. The worst moment occurred when the taxi was fighting for traction to climb a hill. A pickup hauling a refrigerator ahead of us began sliding backwards, and for a few seconds, the taxi driver and I both had no doubt that we were about to be squashed under a Kenmore. (We weren’t. Barely.)

Take one blizzard, add an eight-months-missing-in-action-without-a-word-of-explanation ex-lover seated at a table for two in Nick’s section, and it’s a Valentine’s Day he’ll never forget.

About Table for One

Nick DiGiaccomo waits tables at Fortissimo, an exclusive restaurant in Oilton, Alberta. He loathes drama, particularly the kind that makes its appearance on Valentine’s Day.

This Valentine’s Day is especially bitter. Eight months ago Nick’s heart was broken when his lover walked away without a word over a misunderstanding. Too proud to call, Nick’s heard nothing from him since. But on this, the most romantic day of the year, he keeps his feelings well-hidden and his professional smile firmly in place.

That is, until he sees his ex-lover, Mark Mishimoto, at a table for two in his section—and his Valentine’s Day goes from bad to downright horrible.

To make matters worse, a winter storm descends, hours earlier than forecast. When the restaurant closes, Nick finds himself stuck downtown in the middle of a blizzard with no way to get home and nowhere to go. Mark lives conveniently close by, and he’s offering up his couch. Nick could use a place to lay his head—but is it worth risking his heart?

Categories : Daydreams, Contemporary, Holiday. Gay Fiction

About the Author

Ava Hayden lives and writes in western Canada but grew up in the southern United States. She comes from a family of storytellers and began creating her own at an early age. She’s still telling stories, but now she writes them down.

A Free Dreamer Review: Foxes by Suki Fleet

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

When Dashiel’s body is found dumped on an East London wasteland, his best friend Danny sets out to find the killer. But Danny finds interaction difficult and must keep his world small in order to survive. By day he lives in an abandoned swimming pool and fixes electrical devices to trade for supplies, but by night, alone, he hunts sharks—a reckless search for dangerous men who prey on the vulnerable.

A chance meeting with an American boy selling himself on the streets throws this lonely existence into disarray. Micky is troubled, fragile, and Danny feels a desperate need to protect him—from what, he doesn’t know. As Danny discovers more about Micky, he realizes that what Micky needs saving from is the one thing Danny can’t help him fight against.

To save Micky, Danny must risk expanding his world and face something that scares him more than any shark ever could: trusting he will be accepted for who he is. If a freezing winter on the streets, a sadistic doctor, and three thousand miles don’t tear them apart first, that is.

I’ve been a fan of Suki Fleet’s writing for a long time, so I just had to have this book. I had high expectations and I wasn’t disappointed.

The tone is achingly bittersweet. There’s the bitter reality of Danny’s life in an abandoned swimming pool, desperately lonely after the death of his best friend. He’s dead set on finding Dashiel’s killer and protect other boys and girls like him. So Danny follows dangerous men all over London, alone, at night, without telling anybody. He also writes descriptions of every street walker he meets during his search. One night, he meets Micky and his carefully arranged world spins into chaos.

That’s when the sweetness starts seeping in. Because the love story is absolutely beautiful. I was often torn between wanting to grin like a loon and wanting to cry my eyes out.

I loved that Suki Fleet didn’t turn this into an angst-ridden cinderfella story. There’s no easy solution at hand, no rich lover who rescues the poor rent boy. Micky and Danny both have next to nothing. Both have issues aside from being poor that can’t be solved with a sudden influx of money. Still, the beautiful love story was a great counterpoint, keeping just the right balance of sad and happy. The result was an incredibly addicting story that I just couldn’t put down. I just sort of fell into the story and it didn’t let me go till the end.

Both MCs proved to be very likeable. They’re unique and well developed. They have their quirks and troubles and simply felt very much alive. Suki Fleet created an intense connection between me and Danny and Micky. They have depth and aren’t just cardboard cut-outs. Suki Fleet’s character building is simply beyond words.

Foxes were a bit of a recurring theme throughout the story. A little detail that endeared the story even more to me.

The writing style is quietly poetic and fits the mood of the story perfectly. Suki Fleet can conjure an incredibly dense atmosphere with very few words. It’s an incredible gift. I could practically see the streets of London before me and feel the bitterly cold rains on my skin.

By now, you’re probably wondering why I only gave this story 4.5 stars. There’s an easy answer to that: I didn’t like the ending.

Now, to be fair, I’m very picky about my endings and I’m often dissatisfied. In this case, the HEA felt forced and a little rushed. It was jarring after the slow quietness of the rest. It didn’t really fit the otherwise so realistic story either. Honestly, I’d have been perfectly happy with a HFN or even a tragic ending. But I’m weird like that.

“Foxes” is a quietly poetic story, without much excitement, that is still incredibly addicting with its bittersweet love story. Suki Fleet is one of the most talented writers out there and she deserves more readers. So, go read this. And everything else she’s written. She’s amazing.

The cover by AngstyG shows two things at once. At the top, you can see the silhouettes of two men walking toward the sunset. On the bottom are two silhouetted naked figures, one leaning down to the other, as if they’re about to kiss. I love the cover, it portrays the same sense of quiet bittersweet as the story itself.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Amazon

Book details:

ebook, 274 pages
Published February 8th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781634769211
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Stella Review:THE NAKED PRINCE AND OTHER TALES FROM FAIRYLAND by Joe Cosentino

RATING 3,25 out of 5 stars

Cinder, a poor and beautiful young man who designs clothing, makeup, and hair for his stepmother and stepsisters, offers his clothing and slippers to a naked stranger in the woods who turns out to be none other than Prince Charming. Follow Cinder and Prince Charming in this twist on the classic “Cinderella” tale, as they discover their inner strengths and find their very own happily ever after. Enjoy “The Naked Prince” and three other reimagined Tales from Fairyland, each with a unique spin on stories we all know and love, including “The Golden Rule,” where eighteen-year-old Gideon Golden, after being thrown out of his home in Fairyland by his homophobic parents, breaks into the cottage of three burly men on Bear Mountain, “Whatever Happened To…?,” in which friction ensues between a celebrity with a growing appendage and the reporter who has a thing for giants, and “Ice Cold,” where young Gaelen must save his love Kieran after a handsome but evil prince freezes Kieran’s heart and bewitches him into being the prince’s slave.

I’ll be honest and say I picked The Naked Prince And Other Tales From Fairyland just for the cover, it was too cute to resist and being the coverwhore I am, I had to have it. Plus I was very curious because I haven’t read a lot of retelling fairytales and nothing by Joe Cosentino yet.

The premises were great and they were well delivered, the stories are all well done and smart, engaging, funny and sweet. My personal problem with them is their shortness, too few pages to really enjoy each fairytale.

The Naked Prince is probably my favourite one. It is the retelling of Cinderella with a wonderfully sweet Cinder. Great characters, the second ones too, especially Maxwell and Mortimer, the two dead dads of our hero. I would love to read their own story together. To me this was the more developed and complete, it caught my attention until the end, a very beautiful ending.

The Golden Rule follows the adventures of Gideon, when just kicked out of his home ends in the three bears’ cabin in the middle of the woods. In this retelling of Goldilocks and the three Bears I found myself a little disappointed because I was cheering on a naughty foursome and I had to settle for some fun and a couple of misunderstandings.

Whatever Happened To…? is the one that gave me more troubles. At the beginning it bored me a little but I re-evaluated at the end and read it a second time to truly appreciate it. It was really hilarious and so surprising at the end, when the author revealed his name. It’s based on the Pinocchio fairytale, but of course with a dirty MC.

Ice Cold is the most emotional, following Gaelen in the desperate searching of his Kieran at times broke my heart. It stands out from the others and I would have loved to have more. Here too there were some interesting second characters that were more important that the main ones.

The cover art by Paul Richmond is the reason why I picked this collection. How could I resist? So cute.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

Published January 27th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
Kindle Edition, 105 pages
ASIN B01AIUDWGK
Edition Language English

A Lila Review: Taking the Long Way by Max MacGowan‏

Rating: 3.25 out of 5 stars

Male escort Rye Bellamy is looking for a way out. Any way out. He’s getting older, and clients are getting more dangerous. If he doesn’t find something better, he knows he won’t survive.

He sees his chance in Marcus Townsend, a functionally blind Army veteran. Marcus, who refuses to accept his condition as immutable, has a shot at seeing a specialist who might be able to help him—but that doctor’s based on the other side of the country.

When Rye and Marcus meet, they realize they can help each other. Marcus can’t drive, but Rye can. Marcus knows what Rye is, but he likes him anyway. In fact, he more than likes him. Driving cross-country with a near stranger is a daunting task, but Rye’s biggest risk is falling for the gentle, stubborn-hearted soldier—and it might already be too late to stop that.

They plan to part ways when they reach their destination, but plans change as the affection between them grows. Now neither wants their journey to end, but continuing means finding a way to bridge the distance between who they were and who they’d like to become.

The opening scene is pretty typical for the . We get the young man in the right place, at the right moment, ready to save the blind man, who resented the help. But even so, gets intrigued by the first impression the rent boy leaves in his skin and life. From there we moved to learn more about Marcus and his family.

Next, we see how Rye’s and Marcus’s lives get to a point in which a change is needed. They both tried to work to achieve the change but realized they might need help. A chance encounter, at least for Rye, gets them together once again, and they found in each other the answer to their prayers.

Their cross-country road trip takes the majority of the story, and we get to experience the sights with them and through Marcus’s senses. They did several touristy stops and made some interesting findings on their way. Everything they saw or experienced made a difference in their relationship and their next step on the road.

By the time they arrived at their destination, Atlanta, their new found friendship had developed into something more, even when they both wanted to deny it.

Taking the Long Way starts interesting enough, but as soon as they met for the first time, the story slows down all the way to the very end. The situations during the trip are mainly predictable, and the MCs passed too much time inside their heads, letting the lack of communication step between them.

I had taken the coast to coast trip, and the descriptions of the areas were spot on. There’s really not much to see in certain areas, other than farms, fields, and miles upon miles of flatland roads.

I think my main issue with the story is the distance between the MCs. It’s not until the very last part of the story, almost in Georgia, that I felt the real need they had for each other. And at that point, it was too little too late. The same is to be said about the events occurring after they arrived and how they changed their lives.

I enjoyed the last twenty percent of the story, and I wished the author had gotten into that comfortable writing space earlier in the story. Their trip had potential, but it was perhaps too encompassing for a fictional romance in which the characters’ feelings should have been more important than the sceneries they were experiencing.

The cover by Valerie Tibbs goes well with the story and the road trip the characters took from coast to coast.

Sale Links: Dreamspinner | Amazon | ARe

Book Details:

ebook, 234 pages
Published: February 12, 2016, by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN: 9781634769235
Edition Language: English

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In Our Contemporary Spotlight: LE Franks’ ‘Six Days to Valentine’ (excerpt and giveaway)

6 Days to Valentine (Yes #1) by LE Franks
Release Date: January, 2014

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Wilde City Press
Cover Artist: Adrian Nicholas

Blurb

In Nick’s perfect world, Valentine’s Day would be struck from the calendar.

Nick’s dreams of a Happily Ever After were shredded long ago and the last thing he and his customers need is a bunch of happy loving couples rubbing it in their faces.

Bouncer Fat Boy Newman is willing to bet he knows Nick’s heart better than he does. He has just six days to change Nick’s mind about romance and the holiday and the perfect man to do it.

Too bad it’s not him.

Too bad Nick’s not going down without a fight.

Too bad he cheats.

Pages or Words: 24,000 words
Categories: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, Humor, M/M Romance, Romance

Excerpt

I looked again at the stunned blond sprawled at my feet. From this angle, he might be considered cute, certainly the butt in his jeans was worth exploring further, but for some reason, it was his cap that caught my eye. I could see part of a logo from one of those Texas schools—the one with the horns. Reaching down, I hooked it with my finger. I held it up so I could see it clearly, though it was hard to mistake the long white horns stretching across the front of the orangey wool.

Hmm, old-style baseball cap. I peered inside and checked out the underside of the brim, looking for his name. Someone had signed it in black ink, but it was worn and smeared in places, making it barely legible. Given the fading and the stains on the sweatband, it hadn’t been new in a very long time. Certainly not when this guy was in school.

“My hat. Please.” A soft drawl and a hand moving into my line of sight distracted me. It’s possible, though unlikely, that I missed him waving up at me; I’d had quite a late night, after all. I think, instead, that my brain froze the second he pushed himself into the cobra pose and looked deep into my eyes.

I hadn’t gotten much sleep after leaving the bar in the early hours of the morning. I’d walked around the neighborhood, halfway hoping I’d get rolled by a drunk or knifed in an alley. It was a thoroughly depressing failure. I was still there, still intact, and still feeling guilty as hell, all of which pissed me off to no end. Even worse, everyone I’d seen since entering the bar had congratulated me on my win, while FatBoy was doing a spectacular job of avoiding me.

I sat still, considering the blue depths, the straight nose, the plump pink lips, the strawberry locks curling over his ears. Then FatBoy finally decided to make an appearance, jerking the man up by his pits and dangling him in front of me like a rag doll.

Surprising as the maneuver was, it did have the added benefit of shaking his limbs out so I could get a nice long look at the whole…package.

“Ever hear of picking up after yourself?” FatBoy growled his exaggerated drawl at me. I guess that answered the question of whether or not FatBoy was still mad.

“Yeah…no…” I muttered, thinking about the wrongness of the whole thing and absently fondling the cow head on the front of the hat, forgetting what I’d been asked just a moment before.

“What the hell?” the blond jerked away from our bouncer, grabbing his hat and inadvertently catching my pinky in the adjustable strap.

“Yow!” Fuck that hurt. I shoved my finger in my mouth, sucking furiously where part of the nail was now missing.

“Shit, sorry, man. You just…” The blond trailed off as he fixed his attention on the hand now shoved between my lips. You’d think he’d never seen a man suck on anything before.

I might have answered him, but I’d hopped off my stool and was now too busy brushing bar floor debris off the front of his well-formed chest. My hand slid down the front of him until fingers gripped my wrist tightly just as I was getting to the fun parts, freezing my hand in place at his waist.

“My name’s Cameron.” It was a perfectly reasonable answer to an obvious question that I hadn’t asked. He removed my hand from his body before stepping out of my personal space to sit. I wanted to follow, but in a rare show of restraint, I chose leaning against the bar two stools down.

God, I need a drink. And a bed. And a man. And a way to go back through time.

Hell—two out of four ain’t bad. Well, more likely one out of four, which sucked, and my night was going to get worse…

When Rachel came in, she was going to skin me and make rainbow boots out of my hide. The story was already making the rounds, and my act of treachery, while still hidden, was lying like a dead skunk, stinking up the air between FatBoy and me.

I was waiting for inspiration to strike, gifting me with the perfect pickup line—the dazzler that would have my tongue in Cameron’s mouth and his beautiful golden body pressed up against the wall in the supply room with enough time before I had to officially clock in for work.

Apparently not. All I was hearing from the celestial chorus was the sound of crickets. I went with the old standby and introduced myself. “I’m Nick.”

I must have been grinning like an idiot. I could feel my cheeks begin to ache, and my palms developed an unexpected dampness. Rubbing them hastily against my soft denims, I reached across to him and held out my hand.

“Call me Cam.” He smiled. Sweet Jesus, it was a beauty of a smile, and I felt my cock begin to fill. Dammit. The lunch bartender chose that moment to lean over and smirk at me.

“Soooo, Niiiiiick…who’s your friennnnd?” Christine made a decent margarita and a top-notch Bloody Mary of her own special recipe, but her gaydar was broken. Anyone could tell that this sweet angel of the south was 100% boy meat.

“Ma’am! Cameron Fielding at your service.”

I was stunned as I watched my morsel of seraphic delectability stand and doff his cap, and felt a shiver run up my spine. It seemed to be in a race with the tightening of my jeans and the galloping of my heart, and I had a sudden irrational urge to pull him closer and sniff his hair. And maybe touch it.

What the hell?

Buy the book:

Wilde City Press | ARe |Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Meet the Author

LE Franks lives in the SF Bay area and writes M/M Romance in a unique mix of humor and drama with enough suspense to produce fast paced stories filled with emotion and passion and featuring characters that are quirky and complicated and sometimes a little bit dark. LE Franks is a best selling author and finalist for 2013 & 2014 Rainbow Awards. Her books are available through her publishers at MLR Press, Dreamspinner Press and Wilde City Press and Pride Publishing and online bookstores.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LE.Franks1
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/LEFranksAuthor/
Twitter: @boxtersushi
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lefrankswriter/le-franks-books/
Tumblr: http://boxtersushi.tumblr.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boxtersushi/

Tour Dates & Stops: February 12, 2016

Parker Williams, Posy Roberts, Bayou Book Junkie, TTC Books and More, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, A.M. Leibowitz, Divine Magazine, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Bonkers About Books, Alpha Book Club, Mikky’s World of Books, The Jena Wade, MM Good Book Reviews, Velvet Panic, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Sassygirl Books, Man2ManTastic, BFD Book Blog, Attention is Arbitrary, Happily Ever Chapter, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Molly Lolly, Rainbow Gold Reviews

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: eBook copy of ‘6 Days to Valentine’. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

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Dedications, Inspiration and More: Writing ‘Foxes’ by Suki Fleet (guest post)

Foxes by Suki Fleet

Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist AngstyG
Release Date February 8, 2016

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Suki Fleet here today to share some insight into the background and inspiration behind Foxes, her latest novel. Welcome, Suki.

Homelessness and ‘Foxes’ by Suki Fleet

Be the change you want to see in the world.

This is the dedication at the beginning of the story. When I searched for whom to credit it to, I found it’s a quote often mistakenly attributed to Mahatma Ghandi. One source says the original quote of Ghandi’s is more something like this:

“If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. … We need not wait to see what others do.”

I like them both a lot.

For me this change goes hand in hand with kindness, on a big or small scale. Danny’s kindness in Foxes is a bright light in the dark that makes up a lot of his world. He is the change I’m talking about. He’s also badly scarred, and copes with the life a little differently, and he’s homeless, though he doesn’t live on the streets.

I’ve written about homelessness before in This is Not a Love Story. Foxes takes a very different approach. With This is Not a Love Story I focussed more on making a social statement about how society treats homeless people. This story isn’t as desperate or as hopeless as Romeo and Julian’s story was either. Foxes is about how it doesn’t matter what you’ve got, it matters what you do. It’s about making a difference to someone—about how small kindnesses can change someone’s life for the better.

Make a difference. Be the change.

Blurb

Tags: Contemporary, New Adult, Gay Fiction

Foxes Buy Links

Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com | Dreamspinner Press | ARe |

About the Author

Suki Fleet grew up on a boat and as a small child spent a lot of time travelling at sea with her family. She has always wanted to be a writer. As a kid she told ghost stories to scare people, but stories about romance were the ones that inspired her to sit down and write. She doesn’t think she’ll ever stop writing them.

Her novel This is Not a Love Story won Best Gay Debut in the 2014 Rainbow Awards and was a finalist in the 2015 Lambda Awards.

Links

Email: sukifleet@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/suki.fleet.3
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7919609.Suki_Fleet
http://sukifleet.tumblr.com/
http://sukifleet.wordpress.com/
https://twitter.com/SukiFleet?lang=en

A Paul B Audiobook Review: The Lightning-Struck Heart by T.J. Klune , Michael Lesley (Narrator)

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars ★★★★★

Once upon a time, in an alleyway in the slums of the City of Lockes, a young and somewhat lonely boy named Sam Haversford turns a group of teenage douchebags into stone completely by accident.

Of course, this catches the attention of a higher power, and Sam’s pulled from the only world he knows to become an apprentice to the King’s Wizard, Morgan of Shadows.

When Sam is fourteen, he enters the Dark Woods and returns with Gary, the hornless gay unicorn, and a half-giant named Tiggy, earning the moniker Sam of Wilds.

At fifteen, Sam learns what love truly is when a new knight arrives at the castle. Sir Ryan Foxheart, the dreamiest dream to have ever been dreamed.

Naturally, it all goes to hell through the years when Ryan dates the reprehensible Prince Justin, Sam can’t control his magic, a sexually aggressive dragon kidnaps the prince, and the King sends them on an epic quest to save Ryan’s boyfriend, all while Sam falls more in love with someone he can never have.

Or so he thinks.

Sam Haversford is the wizard apprentice for the kingdom of Verania. For the past eight years, he has been studying under the King’s Wizard Morgan. His constant companions are a gay hornless unicorn by the name of Gary and a nine and a half foot tall half-giant by the name of Tiggy. His parents have received jobs within the palace where Sam is being taught. And the king thinks of Sam as a second son. Life could not be any better for Sam, right?

Well, there is this problem Sam has of getting himself and his two friends captured whenever they go out on a mission for Morgan or the king. From battling dark wizards to almost getting “gay fairy married” Sam just cannot stay out of trouble. Throw in the fact that the knight the Sam has been crushing on for the past five years, Ryan Braveheart, has been promoted and engaged to Crown Prince Justin, Sam’s future boss, his life has its complications. To make matters worse, Sam realizes that Ryan is his cornerstone, the one person any wizard grounds his magic to as they build upon their base of knowledge. When Sam is attacked and Prince Justin is taken away from the dragon, the king sends Sam and his friends, along with Ryan to rescue his son. Sam must make this trip with the one man who he must have for his magic but cannot have because of Ryan’s commitment to the prince. With the prince to save, Sam resolves that he will complete his mission even though doing so might kill him either physically or emotionally.

I love T J Klune’s books and this is no exception. Sam is the neurotic protagonist in this story with Ryan serving as the steadying force for him both emotionally and magically. The various supporting characters that are met along the way bring humor into most situations even if some are meant to be evil. Sam’s take on evil characters giving monologues about their plans is both funny and true. I am looking forward to more tales from Sam of Wilds and his crew. As usual, this is a must read/listen from the author.

Narrator Michael Leslie’s rich voice gives life to the various characters. His portrayal of the characters allows the listener to distinguish who is talking most of the time. A couple of times the vocal switch from Sam to Ryan was difficult to discern. The intonation for Mama, Sam’s fairy drag mother was quite well done while the other female voices were adequate considering the narrator’s deep voice. The overall pacing of the story was good with tempo and pauses between different sections of chapters easily noticeable.

Cover art by Paul Richmond is dramatic and of course, striking.

Sales Links: Amazon | Audible | iTunes

Audiobook Details:

Audible Audio, 20 pages, 19 hrs 48 mins
Published December 10th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press LLC (first published July 20th 2015)
Original TitleThe Lightning-Struck Heart
ASINB0195I4B9S
Edition LanguageEnglish
CharactersSam Haversford, Ryan Foxheart, Gary, Tiggy, Morgan of Shadows…more settingVerania

Valentine’s Day

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Love at Roades End by Kris T. Bethke Dreamspinner Press

Goodreads Link Cover Artist L.C. Chase

About Love at Roades End

Buy Links

Dreamspinner Press |Amazon | ARe | Kobo | Barnes and Noble

About the Author

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Table for One by Ava Hayden Dreamspinner Press Cover Artist Anna Sikorska

Sales Links

Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Amazon

About Table for One

About the Author

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6 Days to Valentine (Yes #1) by LE Franks Release Date: January, 2014

Giveaway

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Foxes by Suki Fleet

Dreamspinner Press Cover Artist AngstyG Release Date February 8, 2016

Homelessness and ‘Foxes’ by Suki Fleet

Blurb

Foxes Buy Links

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Love at Roades End by Kris T. Bethke
Dreamspinner Press

Goodreads Link
Cover Artist L.C. Chase

Table for One by Ava Hayden
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist Anna Sikorska

6 Days to Valentine (Yes #1) by LE Franks
Release Date: January, 2014

Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist AngstyG
Release Date February 8, 2016