Category: Publishers

Heat Up with Draven St. James – Fused by Fire Book Blast

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BannerFusedbyFire

 

Contest:  Enter to win the Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of any book from Draven’s backlist: Grey’s Hidden Fire, Fire and Mistletoe, Scent of a Wolf, or Covert Delivery. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Visit the link provided below.

Book Name: Fused by Fire
Author Name: Draven St. James

Author Bio: I’m a born and raised Oregonian. I’ve traveled extensively in search of mischief and mayhem to fill my books.  My ventures have been quite successful in inspiring a wealth of stories both sexy and humorous.  It gives me a great excuse to do some crazy stuff in the name of research. Of course at the end of the day, coffee within reach, laptop at the ready is where I find my peace.

To follow Draven St. James:
Author Links:

Book Details:

DSJ_fused by Fireebook, 116 pages
Published May 20th 2014 by Loose Id
edition languageEnglish
seriesFirehouse Six #3
Cover Artist: Dar Albert
Publisher: Loose ID

Buy Links:   Amazon           ARe           Loose id LLC
Blurb(s): Michael prides himself on being the man that everyone can depend on until one of his firefighters is severely wounded on the job. Will he be allowed to process the situation alone? Not when a loud and persistent Simon Winters shows up on his doorstep. The man hasn’t met a boundary he didn’t skip across.

Simon has had the biggest crush on Lieutenant Firefighter Michael Donovan since the first day he saw him. Which just happened to be at an interview for a job to work as a firefighter. Before his desire to lick the gruff older man from head to toe affects his work, Simon transfers over to being a paramedic. Just when he’s begun to build a life that doesn’t include hot shower fantasies of Michael, the object of his angst is thrust into his path.

All too quickly, Simon begins to barrel through Michael’s defenses and dig up the desires Michael has fought so hard to hide. As passions flare out of control, tragedies collide from every side. Michael’s struggle to keep Simon at a distance starts to crumble beneath the weight of the secrets that Simon is hiding. Will Michael be able to protect Simon when he needs it the most or will he lose Simon forever?

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Excerpt:

Michael stepped forward and grabbed Simon by his shoulders. “Why are you really here?” he snarled.

“Because you’ve locked yourself away?” Simon whispered and gazed at him with eyes filled with concern.

That look stabbed into Michael. “And you care why?”

“Because…” Simon shrugged, dislodging Michael’s hold, and then cupped Michael’s face with a trembling hand. “What happened wasn’t your fault, and you needed someone to come and shove that truth into your face.”

“You picked the short straw?” Michael hated that Simon’s hand on his cheek brought him more comfort than anything else had. Just like at the hospital.

Simon shook his head, and his gaze fell to Michael’s lips. His hand came down to brush against the edge of Michael’s bottom lip. A pink flush rose along Simon’s cheeks.

Michael felt that innocent touch like a jolt through his body. He tilted Simon’s face up, and the sensual invitation in his eyes shocked and inflamed him.
He didn’t have the energy to fight against what he wanted, and right now that was Simon. With a groan of defeat, he smashed his lips to Simon’s and took the sweet oblivion that Simon offered.

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FusedByFireBadgeDSJTour Dates: 6/27/14
Tour Stops: Rainbow Gold Reviews, Love Bytes, Amanda C. Stone, MM Good Book Reviews, Havan Fellows, Velvet Panic, Parker Williams, Fallen Angel Reviews, Reviews and Ramblings, Emotion in Motion, Tara Lain, My Fiction Nook, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Wicked Wolves and Dreaming Dragons, Sinfully Sexy, Top2Bottom, Iyana Jenna, Because Two Men Are Better Than One

Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of any book from Draven’s backlist: Grey’s Hidden Fire, Fire and Mistletoe, Scent of a Wolf, or Covert Delivery.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

Rafflecopter Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway

In the Author Spotlight: Mina MacLeod on Swords, Sorcery and Writing!

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spotlight on booksSSS Edges & Embers - coverSTRW Welcomes Mina MacLeod, author of

Swords, Sorcery and Sundry into the 

Author Spotlight!

 

 

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I found Mina MacLeod through her latest story, Swords, Sorcery and Sundry.  This was a wonderful story that I felt crossed not only generational lines but genres as well and I wanted to know more about this author and her plans for these characters and storyline.

Contest: Mina MacLeod graciously accepted my invite for an interview and brought along an eBook copy of Swords Sorcery and Sundry as a giveaway.  To enter to win, leave a comment and an email address where you can be reached.  Let us know if you have a favorite fantasy character(s) or duo!  Must be 18 years of age to enter.  Contest ends 7/7.

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Now on with our interview:

STRW• Why fantasy?  What about this genre appeals to you?

MM: Fantasy has always been my home base—my genre of choice. I like fantasy counterpart cultures, swords, and playing with the mechanics of magic. I’ve always preferred twists on the old ideas: male-identifying wizards, and female-identifying knights. For the longest time, fantasy doorstoppers were the only novels I would read. Eventually I did branch out, but fantasy remains the genre closest to my heart and I’m always happy to return to it.

STRW• Same goes for writing in the M/M genre?

MM:   Every time someone asks me this question, I always toy with the idea of trying to sound intellectual or profound—maybe there’s a deep, hidden meaning to why M/M intrigues me so much! But the fact is that there is no reason beyond the fact that I love it. I love men; I love homosocial and homosexual relationships with all matter of complexities. Whenever I start up a new RPG, I always create/play as a man, and romance other men if the option is at all available. This doesn’t mean I don’t love all types of women; I adore well-rounded ladies—but male/male is my jam.

STRW• All three main people are wonderful characters.   They have diverse set of talents and an equality among them that works beautifully. How did you come up with the idea of a tightly knit group that had a M/M couple and a strong female presence as well?

MM:  Two Guys & A Girl has always been a group dynamic I’ve loved. I tend to prefer the friendship aspects of the trope as opposed to the potential romantic tension. Often, one of the guys and the girl hook up—which is fine, but just as I enjoy female knights and male wizards, I like going the other way with this group. In my work, the men tend to end up romantically involved, and the girl plays the strong supporting role.

As you may have guessed, I’m a gamer—mostly console, but occasional tabletop. I like having a balanced party wherein everyone has a job and no one comes off as a hanger-on or filler. On the battlefield, the trio each have a role to play (Ashe being the fighter, Sylvain the mage, and Niklas the thief) but I wanted them to complement each other out of battle, too.

As much as I adore M/M, I love stories about BFFs even more. Friendship is very important to me; I’ve had the same best friends for over twenty years, and we wouldn’t trade each other for the world. They’re the kind of friends who just barge into your house and raid your fridge without asking, the kind who can call or pop over at any time, day or night—and you can do the same to them. You can tell them anything, and they won’t turn their back on you. Those kinds of bonds are forged over years of sticking together. You have to help your friends when they screw up just as when they’re screwed over. That’s the kind of relationship I wanted Sylvain, Ashe, and Niklas to have.

STRW• Your world building is terrific from the inns and innkeepers to the “red light” districts that vary from Duchy to Duchy.  Where did you get your inspiration for them?  Do you travel and do you work that into your stories?

MM:  Why, thank you! Funnily enough, my goal with the world-building was simplicity. Don’t get me wrong; I love a fantasy world detailed from the ground up as much as the next SFF fan, but because it’s the sort of thing done so often, I purposefully went in the opposite direction. The world of SSS is revealed to the reader in bits and pieces, some of it mundane and some of it extraordinary—like that necropolis just across the way.

I try to travel whenever time/funds permit; I spent two weeks in Japan a few years back, and the love hotels and host clubs of the country fascinate me. I’m a fan of organized structure and big cities having defined districts, like Tokyo and New York. My childhood was divided between a small town and a large, diverse city, so I love exploring juxtapositions between the two. The places our heroes visit in the sequel are a far cry from the hustle and bustle of Abelia.

STRW• I was thrilled to see that this is a series.  What do you have planned for our heroes and when can we expect the next book to be released?

MM:  The first adventure of the next book is actually the original finale of SSS. It’s going to kick off a large portion of the plot in the second book. Sylvain continues to grow and discover that he doesn’t fit in Muscari Aucheri as well as he used to; Niklas and Sylvain have to get used to the idea that they are lovers who happen to work together—and sometimes that work is very dangerous. While the first book was mostly episodic, the second focuses on a larger overarching plot. It might involve the necropolis from the first book … someone really should have done something about that thing by now.

I still haven’t finalized the outline, so I won’t give anything else away. However, I can say that I planned for a duology, so this will be the last book. The title will be Border Fires.

Border Fires is moving along very slowly at the moment. We are expecting our first child in the fall and are busy preparing for that. Between all that work and the day job, there isn’t much spare time these days. I hope to really dive into it on my much-anticipated year off.

STRW• I think SSS works equally well as a YA story or a M/M Romance.  Was that planned?

MM:  It was meticulously planned. I love both YA and M/M, and desperately wish there was more adventurous YA with queer relationships on the market. I’m acquainted with a lot of people who grew up knowing they didn’t fall into the heteronormative crowd; I grew up knowing I wasn’t heteronormative. I want more novels to which queer teens can better relate. The characters in SSS are all adults—mostly for the freedom of movement and backstory this gives them—but I wanted the story to be accessible for younger readers, as well.

STRW• What do you like best about writing?

MM:  Character/location sketches are the most fun jobs out of the entire process. And names. I spend a lot of time thinking about names. Sometimes I end up with an overall theme; in SSS’s world, all city names take their cues from flowers. Sometimes I go for camp, absurdity, or jokes that are (sadly) usually only funny to me. Ah, well. Can’t win ‘em all.

STRW•  What is the least favorite thing about writing for you?

MM:  The soul-crushing realization that you’ve written yourself into a corner, and you have to backtrack considerably to fix it. I also hate it when inspiration strikes and you’re powerless to act upon it, like in the middle of your workday. By the time you get to your desk/pen/paper, the drive has faded and you feel as though you’ve wasted an opportunity.

STRW•  Any favorite books that started you on the path as an author?

MM:  My very first piece of creative writing was a piece of Legend of Zelda fanfiction when I was six years old. It was pretty much exactly as you’re probably imagining it. So I can’t say any one book in particular ignited my passion for creative writing. I’ve always loved making up stories and immersing myself in other people’s stories. Some of my favorite books include Bridge of Birds, The Gentleman Bastard, Snow Crash, The Dresden Files, the Hurog duology, and probably a thousand others I’m forgetting. Five minutes from now, I am going to think of 50 other titles I should have included here.

Thank you so much for having me! It was a pleasure to answer your questions. And if anyone decides to give SSS a chance, thank you so much! I’m humbled and grateful.

STRW• Thank you, Mina, for stopping by.  Readers, I have the book details and blurb below.  My review can be found here.  If you love fantasy, no matter your age, you will want to pick this story up!  I highly recommend it to all no matter your age!  High adventure awaits inside!

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Bio:
Mina MacLeod is a bilingual, bisexual Canadian living with her husband in Montreal. A geek at heart, she drives fast and plays with knives, balancing a career with a love for queer media. She has a thing for men who have a thing for men.

You can follow Mina MacLeod at:

Website: http://www.minamacleod.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/minamacleod
Tumblr: http://minamacleod.tumblr.com

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SSS Edges & Embers - coverBook Details:

ebook, 330 pages, m/m for YA or Adults, friendship only m/f
Published May 21st 2014 by Less Than Three Press LLC
original titleSwords, Sorcery, and Sundry
ISBN139781620043639
edition languageEnglish

Buy Links:      Less Than Three Press      Amazon         ARe

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Blurb:
Wizard Sylvain just wants to sit down and have a drink, after days of walking when a shortage of funds forced him to sell his horse. Soldier Ashe would like to enjoy her evening, and not have it ruined by trouble. Assassin Niklas wishes they had both minded their own business and not made his bad night worse.

The bar they accidentally burn down is only the beginning, and they quickly learn that if they are to survive their penchant for trouble, teamwork will get them farther than standing alone.

Amazon

 

 

Review: Swords, Sorcery, and Sundry (Edges & Embers #1) by Mina MacLeod

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

 A wizard, a soldier, and an assassin walk into a bar … 

SSS Edges & Embers - coverWizard Sylvain has just recently arrived in Abelia, the large capital of the Firmiana Duchy.  He’s hot, tired and just wants a drink before going up to his rooms.  Soldier Ashe is at a table nearby wanting to enjoy her food and  friendly banter with the bar owner.  Assassin Niklas is situated right in the middle, with an agenda of his own and hopes not to be interfered with.  Alas, once the trouble starts and it seems that Niklas has been ganged up on, then Sylvain and Ashe just naturally jump into the fray with sword and sorcery at hand.

But quickly things go awry as Sylvain accidentally sets the bar on fire and the culprits escape.  No one has any money to pay for the damages they caused.  With the Duchy’s guards at the door, and gold needed to repair the damage to the hotel and bar, the wizard, the assassin, and the warrior team up (it was their fault after all) to earn the money they required to keep them out of the jail and maybe make them even solvent.  But the mission they were hired for will take them into the Deadlands and in order to survive, the three will have to become a team to contend with.  What happens when a wizard, an assassin and a soldier combine and become something much more than any of them expected….

 When a story opens with a tongue in cheek reference to a long-standing bar joke, I just knew I was in for a rollicking great time and Mina MacLeod’s Swords, Sorcery & Sundry delighted me at every turn.  How I loved this story and MacLeod’s characters! From the very premise,three disparate people meet in a bar and bonding over a combined debt, I was hooked. And I stayed that way to the end of this adventure and the possibility of a series.  But I am getting ahead of myself.

Swords, Sorcery and Sundry is that wonderful and rare story that be listed either as a YA book or M/M Romance, an element that was intentional on the author’s part.  That is due largely because it is a story about the tight bonds of friendship first, and then the beginnings of a m/m romance between two of the friends secondly.  But always it is the ties of friendship that guides them and forms them into a family of sorts as well as a business.

Mina MacLeod has created some very charismatic characters for her story.  At first we are as much of a stranger to them as they are to each other.  Then believably that changes as a financial debt none can pay forces them to work together. I love watching the characters open up and reveal parts of themselves and their stories as the mission continues.  It felt both fantastical and realistic.  As the story progresses so does the friendship go from one of expediency to one of choice and close fellowship, the bonds shifting from the shallow need of a combined debt to  deep sense of comradeship and closeness.

All of the characters are both strong, equal in their own powers and talents, and open about their chances of success and pasts.  This turns out to be a close-knit group of friends.  Ashe, the women, is an amazing swords person and warrior.  Trust me, she needs no champion here, she is the champion.  She is sarcastic, smart, easy in her own skin, and doesn’t need a man to make her life fulfilling (although she doesn’t mind one on the side).  Nor does she fall in love with either of her friends.  What a relief!  A marvelous character you will connect with immediately no matter what manner of adventures or goings on she is involved in. Sylvain is a wizard, from the Muscari Aucheri kingdom of wizardry.  He is the first of the trio we meet as he forlornly enters Abelia on foot, having sold his precious mare to get the funds needed to eat and find room.  No longer in good standing at the Wizard Academy (no spoilers zone), he is at loose ends when he arrives at The Beckoning Siren Inn.  Disheveled, tired and thirty, it is still easy to see that Sylvain is a good compassionate man, haunted by his past but ready to move forward but where?  I loved Sylvain because while he has power, he is not a powerful presence and doesn’t dominate the proceedings or the other friends.  And then there is Niklas Valconaire, an assassin of great skill and little desire to be an assassin.  The dichotomy that is Niklas continues throughout the story. A tender killer, a shadow of death that covets life.  And Niklas is well aware of  the handsome wizard he is traveling with.   Niklas is the one character whose past is still waiting to be revealed whereas Ashe and Sylvain’s histories will become known by the end of their story.

There is a m/m romance here.  It’s sweet and gentle, even given the participants.  A first true relationship for both,and neither wants it to impede their friendship. So a dance begins between them that lasts the journey and the end of this tale.  But as I stated, their romance is a side issue, its the friendship that blossoms between them as they learn they can counter on each other to have their backs and support when needed.  Also a good joke, a flagon of wine, and perhaps even a lovely replacement mare, these are friends at ease with one another no matter the setting or situation they find themselves in.  That’s the best element of this story and reason alone to buy this book.

MacLeod has created a vivid, magical landscape for her friends to journey through.  It’s fraught full with the living dead, familiars, evil rulers and yes, corrupt businessman.  Not even fantasy can let us escape those.  And along for the journey is the new company born out of need and finalized in camaraderie. Swords, Sorcery & Sundry, a name picked by Ashe to Sylvain’s disgruntlement and  Niklas’ amusement as a way to sell their talents as a group.  As Sylvain is quick to point out time and again, he is not a sorcerer but a wizard.  But as Ashe remarks that doesn’t make a snappy title for their business and so a new venture is born.  And a series as well.

At the end of 330 pages, I still wanted their adventures together to continue.  I wanted more of their snark and funny dialogs, more of the surprises that are revealed along with new talents, and more of the marvelous friendship exhibited by all three.  Luckily for us all, Mina MacLeod is turning this story and characters into a series, Edges & Embers.   I can’t wait to see what new escapades and dangers will befall them.   All I know is that my expectations are as high as my excitement over this series and a new author to love.  Consider Swords, Sorcery and Sundry (well you can’t very well advertise Assassinations can you?) a must read and highly recommended story. I think you will love it as much as I do.

Happy Reading!

Cover art by Le Burden Design.  I am a fan of the old cover design favored here.  Lovely job.

Buy Links:          ARe        LT3   Amazon  

Book Details:

ebook, 330 pages
Published May 21st 2014 by Less Than Three Press LLC
original titleSwords, Sorcery, and Sundry
ISBN139781620043639
edition languageEnglish

Review: Miles and the Magic Flute by Heidi Cullinan

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

Miles and the Magic FluteMiles Larson believes the world has turned against him.  The poor economy cost him his cushy job and lifestyle, now Miles lives in considerably reduced circumstances back in his hometown in Minnesota. At least that’s how he sees it.  He works in a friend’s pawn shop fixing broken down appliances while living in his friend’s trailer behind the shop.  And all the time, he is thinking “why me, why did this happen to me?”  As Miles begrudgingly goes to work and then home, the only thing that lifts his spirits is a walk in the woods nearby, a place of solice and adventure when little,  now a blessed respite from the disappointment that is his life.   Little does he know that as he bemoans his life, the wood have ears and are listening.

One day at the pawn shop, a box of personal goods to be sold revealed an intricately carved silver flute to be pawned.  When asked to research its origin, Miles’s investigation opens up an enchanted world where one can have all he wants if only he asks the right question.  Before he realizes it his reality becomes one of two worlds vying for his body and soul.  An ethereally gorgeous fae wants Miles to choose him and his world but is everything there exactly as it seems?  Who is the beast he encounters along with the Fae Lord in the Otherworld?  For each choice that Miles might make, a price is to be paid.  But what is the price of being given everything you desire?  What if what you desire wars with true love and happiness? What price will you pay then? Only Miles can answer those questions…now if only he knew what those answers are….

Miles and the Magic Flute is less a romance and more of Heidi Cullinan’s LGBTQ version of Aesop’s Fables.  Or should that be Cullinan’s Fae Fables?  An intricately layered cautionary tale, Miles and the Magic Flute starts with one character whose sense of entitlement and displeasure with his current status starts the games of enchantment to follow.

From the beginning Cullinan builds two very realistic and opposite worlds to vy for Mile’s body and soul.  One is the small town in Minnesota that Miles has returned to after losing his job and condo in the big city.  A sense of desperation covers the town like a layer of dust.  A factory has closed putting much of the town’s population out of work, and sometimes only the largesse of his friend Patty of Patty’s Pawn shop keeps some of them from going without food or a home.  A cluttered store filled with the bits and pieces of peoples lives, the pawn store has been passed from father to daughter as has the trailer behind it.  Into the shop flow various sundry folk, from a hispanic family seriously weighing how they will spend their strictly budgeted dollars to an antagonistic bully who learns that homophobic slurs will cost him big time from the lesbian pawnbroker.   Cullinan paints these small town characters with the same brush as her main ones, and they are as realistically detailed and human as they could be.  You can feel the paint peeling and the cars falling apart from neglect from the author’s descriptions of a small town barely surviving and the people who remain behind while others have left.

The second world starts off as nothing more than a shivery feeling as Miles walks through the woods nearby.  A feeling of being watched, a ripple in the air, the appearance of a small white flower in winter, and little by little Cullinan’s Otherworld, the Fae Dream world arrives to encroach on Miles’ reality and the well being of all.  I loved how the author built up not only Miles anticipation and sense of alarm but the readers as well.  Layer by layer the magic comes and at first its wondrous and enchanting….and then it deepens to something more.  And as we begin to  get a true sense of exactly what and who the Fae Lord represents, Cullinan continues to pivot us and Miles back and forth between reality and desire, human and Fae until the contrasting images and worlds start to blend eerily into each other. The author’s locations and world building is superb and each feels as real as the other.

Heidi Cullinan has also provided the readers with one of the most realistic and wonderful lesbian couples that I can remember. Patty with her blunt ways and mannerisms that cover a depth of personality just waiting to be revealed.  And  Julie whose perceptions and world views are startling and compelling.  I loved this couple and they provide the anchor that the story and Miles requires.  Patty and her long time lover, Julie, have slowly been pulling Miles out of his depression over losing his job and successful life in Atlanta at Fetterman Financial.  Patty gave him a job fixing the appliances she pulls out of trashcans or brought into the store.  Julie feeds him vegan food she cooks from her amazing garden out back and items she has traded for.  Cullinan does an exemplary job of conveying how grey and small this world appears to Miles in his current  emotional state, the businesslike and frank manner in which Patty deals with her customers and Miles, and the generous, compassionate nature that is Julie’s answer to everything she confronts in life.  And while we see their trailer, business and partnership only from Miles’ viewpoint, it is clear that Miles’  self-absorbed outlook keeps him from seeing his friends  and their lives in a clear and realistic way.

And that is part of what I feel is a real issue for the reader here.  The story is told from Miles’ point of view.  And he is whiney, complaining, and his sense of entitlement is hard to take after a while.  I get that we need to see Miles at his worst in order to get a base line from which we can chart his growth but that doesn’t make his selfishness and self centeredness any easier to take.   Even as Miles realizes that he sees everything now through his “Atlanta filter”, comparing and contrasting his current life against that which he lost, his musings become a Greek chorus of want, hate, and envy.  “I hate this, I hate my life, I hate what I’ve become, I hate what I lost, I hate realizing that I never really had it.” and finally “I hate my life and I would do anything and give anything to change it.”    Heartfelt worlds that the woods, or someone in the woods is listening to and geting ready to answer with an offer.

But the most damning words here are probably the ones that the readers will recognize, if not understand.  How the readers feels about hearing Miles utter them will reflect in how much the reader will like this story.  Those words are the ones that will propel Miles to accept an offer too good to be…well good.  And they are “I’m better than this.  I deserve so much better than this.”  What an all too human phrase…one that probably propels many a person into actions that they will regret later on.  How readers feel about Miles’ sense of entitlement will be the lens through which they view this story.  For many, I think it will mean they look at Miles and his predicament with a sense of detachment.  And no matter what befalls Miles, that lack of emotional investment in his problems and terrors will keep readers disconnected from the story and Miles.  I will admit I came perilously close to that detachment myself.  It took me much longer to connect with Miles than I anticipated and by then the story was almost over.

As I said this is a story of lessons and morality.  “Beware of what you wish for, as you just might get it”, “Be happy with what you have,” actually Miles and the Magic Flute is a roll call of lessons from Aesop’s Fables among others.  Whether it is about appearances being deceiving or giving one’s enemies the means for your own destruction, Cullinan lines them up and marches Miles through them on his way to  enlightenment, redemption, and finally love.

Yes, there is several love stories here, although no romances.  I wish I had a better understanding of “the Beast” here, he is the one character without much substance.  There is so much about Miles and the Magic Flute that is as wondrous as its plot.  From Terris and Murali to Patty and Julie and the worlds they all inhabit, Cullinan’s ability to bring both the magical and the mundane to life is amazing.  I just wished I had more of a connection to Miles, that I had wept when he did but ultimately that didn’t happen here.    Other readers might find themselves incredibly moved by Miles’ story and the terrific ending that Heidi Cullinan has crafted for them all.  Pick up this book and decide for yourself.  I am still so very happy that I read it and journeyed for a while in their shoes.

Cover art by Wilde City Press.  What a beautiful, magical cover.  Loved it.

Publisher’s Note: This title has been previously published and has been revised from its original release

 

Buy Links:    Wilde City Press       Miles and the Magic Flute ” Amazon          ARe

 

Book Details:

ebook, 2nd Edition
Published May 27th 2014 by Wilde City Press (first published June 7th 2010)
original titleMiles and the Magic Flute
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.heidicullinan.

Review: The Dog Trainer by Owen Keehnen

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

“Sometimes the last thing you expect is exactly what you need.”

The Dog Trainer coverRichard Myers’ life is set.  He is a well off gay urbanite looking for happiness and the perfect man one man at a time. Richard has a core group of outgoing if a bit self involved friends who like to party and a well-paying dead end job.  And if he hasn’t found the right man yet, Richard is sure he is out there.

Then  one night while stumbling on his way home, an inebriated Richard finds a puppy and almost immediately Richard’s life and his relationships begin to change.  Richard starts to  interact with his neighbor across the hall,  Evelyn, who also has a dog. In just a few days the  puppy, now named Hambone, wriggles his way into Richard’s life on every level.

Despite Richard’s disapproving friends and on again off again boyfriend, Richard finds a vet and then something much, much more. On Evelyn’s recommendation Richard hires a dog trainer named Abe and from the moment Richard hears Abe’s voice on the phone he feels a connection with this man.

When Abe’s comes for Hambone’s first  training session, the sparks fly. Abe and Hambone together start to show Richard a different life than the one he has been living and Richard likes the change in himself and his lifestyle.

Will love conquer all in the end? It will if Hambone has any say in the matter.

 

Can owning (or being owned) by a dog change your life?  How you answer that question will probably determine how you feel about this story.  The Dog Trainer by Owen Keehen takes that questions and answers it with a resounding yes!  This story really resonated with me (no small wonder here).  I absolutely believe in the power of animals (whatever they may be) to change a person’s view on life.  Whether that change is a small or large one depends entirely on the person involved.  If they have animals or a history with animals, then the changeover is more subtle, or less ground shaking.  But for that individual for whom this is a first time relationship/ownership, the changes can be startling and lasting.

Owen Keehnen certainly understands the impact that one small puppy can have on a solitary individual such as Richard.  The changes in lifestyle that a puppy brings to the right person, an accepting person, enlarges your life and that is exactly what happens to Richard Myers.  Upon first meeting Richard, our first impressions aren’t exactly positive ones.  Richard, like the people he has chosen as friends, are living a somewhat superficial, self involved life style.  Richard and his core group spend their time at bars picking apart people, events, whatever happens to grab their attention.  They dress well, attend the “right” functions and move from one hot bar to another in search of entertainment and romance.  Richard has niggling feelings that he might be missing out on something but soon pushes such trifling thoughts away.  I love  Keehnen’s descriptions of Richard and his friends.  From the dialog to their clothes they are the recognizable Millennials found in cities everywhere.

But in one instant, that all changes although Richard is the last person to understand what is happening to him.  Keehnen has Richard finding his puppy during a drunken walk home.  Pulled into a lot by pitiful cries, Richard finds a bag of puppies, of which only one is still alive.  And because Richard is, at the center, a decent human being, he takes the puppy home and changes his life in small ways at first, then much larger ones.  It is a slow climb out of the lifestyle Richard has made for himself and that makes it a realistic one.  The puppy attracts people he had never interacted with before, new avenues of interest, and slowly Richard opens himself up to new situations, people, and finally love.  I have seen it happen, and so probably have you, if you think about it.

Another great authentic touch is that Richard is uncertain that he wants to be a dog owner, he isn’t sure he wants the changes in his routine that come with dog ownership.  He has to puzzle it out for himself (ok , along with some help from his neighbor, Abe the dog trainer, and Hambone himself) but that is pretty accurate too.

I liked the slow build to a romance.  This is a tale of two Richards and Richard must decide which one he will be in order to get his man and HEA.  Hambone is an endearing character, just as you would expect.  It is easy to see why Richard is willing to make the changes he does when faced with such unconditional love and adoration.  And when Abe comes along, Richard is ready for a “less than picture perfect man” who just might be the man for him…and Hambone.

This is a sweet, endearing romance between man and puppy, and man and man.  There isn’t a lot of drama or fuss but a realistic changeover for one man when a dog comes into his life.  I loved that but then again I have three terriers at my side just like Hambone is for Richard.  So I get it.  And I believe in the power of an animal to change a person’s life.   I think Owen Keehnen gets that too.  I enjoyed this story and loved the cover.  Owen Keehnen is a new author for me so I look forward to seeing what else he has written.

If the above descriptions appeals to you, then pick up this story and start your journey with Richard and Hambone.  This gentle tale might just be the thing for you.

Great cover again by Wilde City Press.

Buy Links:         Wilde City Press      ARe          Amazon 

Book Details:

ebook
Published May 21st 2014 by Wilde City Press
ISBN139781925180015
edition languageEnglish
url http://www.wildecity.com/books/gay-romance/the-dog-trainer/#.U3ttn_ldV1A

Review: Diego (Endangered Fae #2) by Angel Martinez

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Diego Endangered Fae coverDiego Sandoval’s life changed utterly the day he rescued an ailing Fae under the Brooklyn Bridge.  From dumped lover and struggling author, Diego’s life is now filled with the love of Finn, his Pookie lover and the book Finn inspired has gotten Diego a league of fans and followers.  Now relocated to a remote area of Montana, life is good but change is in the wind once more….

A misunderstanding between Finn and Diego shatters their happy lives when in a fit of jealous rage, Diego’s uncontrolled power rips a hole in the Veil which seals his universe away from the Otherworld.  The Otherworld is the place where all Fae fled in the face of humankind proliferation and despoiling of the Earth.  Pulled unwittingly into the Otherworld, Diego must learn how to use his powers, find Finn and make their way back home.

But so many obstacles stand in their way, including a mysterious disease that is slowly killing all the Fae, a disease that all Fae are sure Diego can cure.  And if that is not enough to contend with, then the appearance of the US Army with its own assumptions might be the biggest problem of all….

When a book and characters are able to pull me into their story to the point that I forget the time and other things I need to be doing then I know that the author has accomplished their mission as a craftsman of tales, a first rate storyteller that would be welcomed at any fire or table around.  That’s how I felt about Diego (Endangered Fae #2) when I finally put down the Kindle and looked at the clock.  I couldn’t believe how late it was or how absorbed I had been in Diego, the second book in the Endangered Fae series by Angel Martinez.  I loved the first story, but this one built on that and became so much better….

This is a complex story with numerous characters, locations and worlds involved. Once again, Martinez pulls from a number of mythologies to build her two universes and multitude of Fae species.  Diego follows months, perhaps a year, after the events of Finn.  They have moved into a cabin in the wilds of Montana,  and Diego has become a successful author based on his first published story about a fictionalized Finn.  But a state of happiness is an unknown territory for both man and Fae and Martinez is wise to include the points of view of both Diego and Finn here to highlight their feelings and insecurities about their relationship and each other.

Finn, while long lived or even immortal, has not had a happy history with relationships, especially his last one which ended in his dismemberment and his lover’s torture and burning.  And lurking underneath a traumatic history with love or because of it, is a case of poor self image and enough insecuritiesto fill a canyon.  He wants to be worthy of Diego, but is not sure exactly how to accomplish that.  He fears that Diego will abandon him even as Diego tries to reinforce the depth of his own feelings towards the Fae.  Diego too has a bad history of romance behind him.  Two insecure new lovers must balance their new relationship with the needs of each other, different species included.  That’s a heavy task that Martinez has placed in front of her two main characters and that is only the beginning as well as the foundation for most of their issues.  A stable, loving relationship is so new to both that neither understands how to communicate their fears or feel secure enough in their love for each other to question the firmness of the foundation upon which they base their feelings.  That an impressive fracture to overcome for any new couple, let alone a human and a Fae.  Plus both have a history with Diego’s prior self, Taliesin and the power that Diego has yet to harness.  More issues still for the couple.  I mean Martinez has these two on such shaky emotional ground (believably so) that its a wonder each gets out of the bed they are so fond of.

But an emotional jealous rage shatters a barrier raised by a Fae Queen and both are drawn into an ancient feud that has dire consequences for all.  Here Martinez delves deep into Fae mythology and comes up with some astonishing characters.  From Dana to Balor, ancient enemies with a common sorrow between them, and Lugh, half kin, ex lover and soldier, such amazing characters of immense gravitas and magic await the reader on the other side of the Veil.  And none of them even remotely come across as human.  This element of the story is incredibly compelling and magnetic in its pull.  I loved Martinez’ ability to continue with her relationship dynamics between Finn and Diego while building on Finn’s history and complex relationships with others in the Otherworld.  This will just add to the problems they face, trust me.

One aspect of this story will be the arrival (I won’t say where) of a top secret US Army detachment.  Their impact upon our beloved characters and story isn’t for the squeamish.  While Martinez is not as graphic as she might have been, my imagination supplied far too many details on top of the ones the author already delivered.  Vivid, traumatic, scary….just what you might expect from such an encounter.  The detachment fills much the same role as the Wendig0 did for the first story.  It shakes everything up, provides a enemy to thwart, and makes the ending of the story that much more satisfactory for all everyone went through to get to the resolution.  Not a easy element to read but so worthwhile once you get to the other side.  Don’t flinch…move smartly forward.  Trust me, its worth it.

So many wonders to be found here in this story and series.  I loved the Fae, all of them, and the Otherworld. I loved that Diego’s cultural identity is as important as Finn’s Fae one, a lovely touch that adds spice to the Endangered Fae melting pot of a series.  I absolutely fell in love over and over again with character after character, no matter the species and how much fun is that?

I am getting ready for the third book in the series, Semper Fae (great title).  It deals with the romance between a soldier who plays a major role in this story and another great chacracter found here too.  No spoilers as yet.  It won’t be out for several months.  Until then, get started on this series.  Start with Finn, and then go on to Diego.  I will meet you back here for Semper Fae.

Consider Diego (and Finn) definite recommendations from ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords.  Such happy findings….I can’t wait to see where Angel Martinez takes us all next….

 

 

Cover art by Winterheart Designs.  Nice  cover, love the models standing in for both characters.

Buy Links:              MLR Press        Diego: Endangered Fae Series ” title=”Amazon buy link”> Amazon            ARe

Book Details:

book, 3rd, 296 pages
Published June 6th 2014 by MLR Press (first published September 16th 2010)
original titleDiego
ISBN 1608209342 (ISBN13: 9781608209347)
urlhttp://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=AM_DIEGO
seriesEndangered Fae #2
charactersDanu, Finn Shannon, Diego Sandoval, Lugh, Balor
settingMontana (United States)
Otherworld ,Tearman Island

Books in the series include:

Finn (Endangered Fae #1)
Finn’s Christmas (Endangered Fae #1.5) (note: this was folded into Finn as the last chapter in the latest edition)
Diego (Endangered Fae #2)
Semper Fae (Endangered Fae #3)