Kelly Jensen on Characters, Animals Comparisons and her new release ‘Chasing Forever (guest blog and giveaway)

Chasing Forever (This Time Forever #3) by Kelly Jensen
Riptide Publishing
Cover Art: Natasha Snow

Sales Links: Riptide Publishing | Amazon

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Kelly Jensen on tour with her latest novel, Chasing Forever. Welcome, Kelly.

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If You Could Be Any Animal by Kelly Jensen

This post is another in a series I’ve written for all three books of the This Time Forever trilogy. To recap, in Building Forever, I decided that Charlie was most like a golden retriever and Simon wouldn’t mind being associated with a rare leopard. For Renewing Forever, Frank still hasn’t forgiven me for comparing him to an otter, but Tom said it first. For his part, Tom’s quite pleased with the choice of coyote. So what about Brian and Mal?

Mal’s actually pretty easy. I had his animal pinned down month ago. Easily, he’s a St. Bernard. To begin with, it was a bit of a whimsical choice. I sort of pictured Mal (in St. Bernard form) racing to the rescue of someone (probably Brian), barreling over a mountain landscape, never flagging, tongue lolling, handy little keg of something warm bouncing from his collar.

What? I’m a writer. I have a very active imagination. Also, I might have been drinking whiskey at the time and it’s definitely whiskey in that little keg. Tell me you don’t immediately picture the little barrel hanging from its neck when you think of a St. Bernard.

What really drew me to this particular breed, though, was their temperament. The St. Bernard epitomizes the phrase “gentle giant.” They’re large, loving, puppy dogs. They’re patient and sweet. They’re notably good with children. Like all large breeds, they do need proper exercise and socialization, and that could be why Mal is such a grump at the beginning of the book. Active people don’t do well with broken limbs.

Mal has a twin, Donny. They’re fraternal twins, alike enough in appearance to be brothers, but in no way identical. Physically, they’re similar, though, and Donny is as much a St. Bernard as Mal. Donny is the one who’ll grab you by the scruff of your neck when you’re lying half dead in the snow and drag you back down the mountain to a cozy little village so you can be fussed over. (I feel another book idea coming on…)

Donny is also the one who’ll drool all over you as he enthusiastically licks you clean. Or just says hello. Thankfully, Mal is a little bit more restrained. Or just shy.

So what about Brian? I had to think long and hard about Brian because he holds so much of his self close. He’s very guarded, which is odd when you consider how social he is. My first idea for him was a cat, but that felt too easy. Also, Simon was a cat and I didn’t want to give them the same animal. I started thinking about more secretive, furtive animals, but they didn’t feel right, either. Brian isn’t small and he’s not shy. He just has secrets.

I briefly considered giving him my own avatar, the mythical creature I most closely identify with: the phoenix. He does transform during this story and in a way, he does pass through a veil to return from the ashes of his past. But it felt a little unfair to give Brian something so magnificent when everyone else got regular creatures.

Brian, by the way, thinks it’s very fair. But he’s not writing this post.

But he is a bird. A golden eagle. I did hesitate to use an eagle, because they’re notably monogamous, or mostly so. But Brian is human, first of all, and not solely driven by the imperative to mate (not for the purpose of offspring, anyway). Secondly, he does desire just one partner. He’s not polyamorous, he’s just… not settled. His domestication starts the very minute he finds his nephew on his couch, though. Suddenly, Brian’s home is no longer just a house. It becomes a nest, and he begins the process of making it a safe place for Josh. He’d already set his sights on Mal, and Mal is just the sort of partner he’s always needed.

By the end of the book, Brian is very much an eagle. He has soared—and he knows exactly where his home and family is, meaning he will always return to his nest.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this series of posts. It’s fun to be whimsical with my characters, and so often after I finish a book and particularly a series, I miss hanging out with my guys. These posts have been an opportunity to revisit them for a while, as well as introduce them to you.

Chasing Forever is the final book in the series This Time Forever. Brian and Mal’s story is special in all sorts of ways. Even though these books all standalone, Brian has been there since the beginning–as the character everyone loved to hate in the first book, and the character who seemed to have more to him in book two. In this final story, I share who Brian really is, and hope you’ll all come to love him as much as I do. Then there’s Mal, his other half, my serious soldier who has been waiting all his life for a challenge like Brian. Sometimes we have to be knocked lower than ever before in order to reach that high, and Mal’s journey is one I treasure. I hope you enjoy reading this story of redemption and learning to live out loud.

About Chasing Forever

Old wounds, new directions, and a forever worth chasing.

Malcolm Montgomery was a history teacher and track coach until an accident left him with two broken legs. He’ll recover, but life has knocked his feet out twice now. He’s not sure if he’s ready to try again, especially when it comes to love—and slick guys like Brian Kenway. Still, he needs help mentoring the school’s LGBTQ society, so he asks Brian to take some responsibility.

Brian has been hiding behind his reputation as a liar and a cheat for so long that he actually believes he’s that guy—until his nephew, Josh, turns up on his couch, tossed out for being gay. Brian has never considered being a father, but he knows all about being rejected by loved ones. Now Brian wants to be more: a partner for Mal and a role model for Josh.

But when Mal’s recovery is set back and the sad truth of Brian’s past is revealed, the forever they’ve been chasing seems even further from their grasps. It’ll take a rescue effort to revive their sense of worth and make Brian, Mal, and Josh into a family of their own.

Now available from Riptide Publishing!

About the This Time Forever Series

Small towns and second chances.

Simon, Frank, and Brian think love has passed them by. Each is facing down his fiftieth birthday—Simon in a few years, Frank next year, and Brian soon enough. Each has loved and lost. But for these men, everything old really is new again, and it’s only when they return to their roots that they’ll find their second chances and the happily ever after they’ve been waiting their whole lives for.

This time it’s forever.

This series includes:

Building Forever — released October 15
Renewing Forever — released November 12
Chasing Forever — released December 10

About Kelly Jensen

If aliens ever do land on Earth, Kelly will not be prepared, despite having read over a hundred stories about the apocalypse. Still, she will pack her precious books into a box and carry them with her as she strives to survive. It’s what bibliophiles do.

Kelly is the author of a number of novels, novellas, and short stories, including the Chaos Station series, cowritten with Jenn Burke. Some of what she writes is speculative in nature, but mostly it’s just about a guy losing his socks and/or burning dinner. Because life isn’t all conquering aliens and mountain peaks. Sometimes finding a happy ever after is all the adventure we need.

Connect with Kelly:

Website: kellyjensenwrites.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kellyjensenwrites/
Twitter: twitter.com/kmkjensen
Tumblr: kmkjensen.tumblr.com/
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/kmkjensen/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/kellyjensenwrites/

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Chasing Forever one lucky person will win a $25 Riptide Publishing gift card and a swag pack of stickers, art cards, and bookmarks! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on December 15, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following along, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

Andrew Grey on Older Main Characters and his new release New Tricks (guest blog and excerpt)

New Tricks by Andrew Grey

Cover Artist: Adrian Nicholas

Publisher: DreamSpinner Press

Release Date: Dec 11 2018

Book Links

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

DreamSpinner Press

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Andrew Grey on tour for his new release New Tricks. Welcome, Andrew!

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I recently turned 55 and as I have gotten a little older, I‘ve wanted to write stories about guys that are close to my own age. I’m not denying that there isn’t something very intriguing about that flush of first love, or pretty amazing about a person discovering who they are and how love and happiness can fit in their lies. But there is also something pretty amazing to discover that later in life, there is still the chance for someone to find true love. I have been very blessed with a relationship that has lasted for the last 25 years. But there are many men who don’t find that one person who is special for them until much later in life and I wanted to celebrate that. That’s a good part of the reason why I wrote New Tricks. Whether we’re young or older, we can all get set in our ways and sometimes we all need to teach the old dog a few New Tricks.

Blurb/Synopsis

In matters of the heart, there’s no such thing as business as usual.

Thomas Stepford spent years building a very successful business and now at thirty-nine, he wants a quieter life. With his parents needing help, he decides to return home. He can’t get away from business completely and needs an assistant—but the man who is hired isn’t quite what he had in mind.

Brandon Wilson, the ink on his degree barely dry, needs a job, and his mother helps him get one as Mr. Stepford’s assistant. Thomas doesn’t seem to remember, but Brandon worked mowing the stunningly attractive older man’s lawn years ago. Thomas was Brandon’s teenage fantasy, and now he’s Brandon’s boss.

Thomas and Brandon are both determined to keep their relationship strictly business, but the old attraction is still there. They learn to work together even as the tension between them reaches the boiling point. But just as they start to surrender, Thomas’s old life in New York calls him. Even if he resists that pull, can their newfound relationship survive when Brandon receives the call of his dreams… from Hollywood?

Series: Standalone

Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance

Edition/Format: 1^st Edition/Format ~ eBook & Print

)

Excerpt

Brandon stepped inside and his eyes watered. He blinked to try to keep his reaction at bay, but it didn’t do very much. The house had been closed up because of the air-conditioning, and the dog dander had had a chance to really build up. All Brandon could hope for was that he wasn’t inside too long and could get out before his reaction became too severe and he was reduced to a sneezing mess.

Mr. Stepford closed the door. “What’s this?” he asked, looking at the plate Brandon was carrying.

“My grandmother sent these over for your mom.” He was about to hand the plate to Mr. Stepford when he sneezed loudly.

The dogs yipped and the plate went flying out of his hands. Brandon groaned as the plastic wrap gave way and cookies flew in every direction. The plate shattered on the floor, and bits of cookie ended up everywhere.

What a way to make a first impression.

Brandon wanted to crawl under the sofa and hide, but that would only send his allergies into overdrive.

“Buddy, Clementine, go in the other room.” They ignored him, and Mr. Stepford scooped both dogs into his arms and went out back to let them outside.

Brandon sneezed again and wondered how he could clean up the mess he’d made.

“Look, I’m sorry.” He could feel the job that he’d thought he had slipping out of his grasp. “Let me help clean this up.” He sneezed again, the sound echoing through the house.

“It’s all right. Give me a minute.” Mr. Stepford got a trash can and threw everything, including the pieces of the plate, in it. Then he got out the vacuum, which only seemed to add more dust to the air. Brandon left the room and sat at the kitchen table until Mr. Stepford was done. “Okay. I’m going to guess that you’re allergic.”

Brandon nodded. He turned to where two small doggie faces peered in the sliding glass doors. “Sorry. I didn’t know or I’d have taken some medication.” The stuff made him sleepy as hell and dried him out to the point that he felt like a desert, but it got him through when he needed it.

“How about we go outside?” Mr. Stepford said.

Brandon couldn’t get out of the house fast enough.

Mr. Stepford let the dogs back in, and they left the house. Brandon took as deep a breath as he could, sneezing a few more times as his eyes began to clear. He knew it would take a while for the rest of his symptoms to dissipate.

“Marjorie said you would be over.”

“She told me that you wanted to meet me and that you’d go over the kinds of things you thought I’d be doing for you.” Thankfully they stopped on the sidewalk out in front of the house. This was a strange place to conduct an interview, but Brandon was grateful he could breathe once again. “I graduated with an MBA a few months ago. I’m a hard worker, and I know I can do whatever you need me to do.”

Brandon took a good look at Mr. Stepford and had to admit that he was even more attractive now. The years had been generous to him. There was the slightest hint of gray at the temples of his otherwise jet-black hair, and his eyes were as piercing as they had been. He was broader and seemed stronger, more solid, and definitely as hot as the Mr. Stepford he remembered.

“An MBA, that’s very good,” Mr. Stepford said. “But if you have that kind of degree, why do you want to be my assistant?” His deep brown eyes stared intensely at Brandon, who forced his mind to stay on track.

“Well… shoot…,” he demurred, then figured honesty was best. “I need a job. I got my degree and I did very well in school. Marjorie has all the details and that. Right now, I’m living with my grandmother, and I can’t keep sponging off her. She and your mom are friends, and I got the word that you needed some help, so I applied.”

“I see,” Mr. Stepford said skeptically.

Brandon knew he only had once chance to try to salvage this entire situation. “I had one job all through high school, and then when I left, I spent all four years of undergrad waiting tables. I work hard and I don’t change jobs on a whim. Learning the business world from the ground up is important, regardless of the title. If you want someone who will do their best to be a good assistant, then that’s me.” He shifted his weight from foot to foot, meeting Mr. Stepford’s gaze with his own until he was wracked by a sneeze and wanted to crawl in a hole somewhere. “Thank you for meeting with me.” Not extending his hand because he had just sneezed all over it, he went back to his car, knowing he’d blown that interview so sky-high, it was pathetic.

About the Author

Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and works in information systems for a large corporation.

Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing) He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Author Links

Amazon Author Page

Barnes and Noble Page

Dreamspinner Press

Facebook

Facebook Group All the Way with Andrew Grey

Goodreads

Twitter @andrewgreybooks

Website

For Other Works by Andrew Grey

(Please Be Sure To Stop by His Website to See All of His Works)

Cover Reveal for A Model Escort by Amanda Meuwissen

Title: A Model Escort

Author: Amanda Meuwissen

Cover Artist: Bree Archer http://www.breearcher.com.

Dreamspinner Press

Release Date: March 5, 2019

Buy Links: Dreamspinner Press eBook and Paperback

Blurb:

What’s the value of love?

Shy data scientist Owen Quinn is brilliant at predictive models but clueless at romance. Fortunately, a new career allows him to start over hundreds of miles from the ex he would rather forget. But the opportunity might go to waste since this isn’t the kind of problem he knows how to solve. The truth is, he’s terrible at making the first move and wishes a connection didn’t have to revolve around sex.

Cal Mercer works for the Nick of Time Escort Service. He’s picky about his clients and has never accepted a regular who is looking for companionship over sex—but can the right client change his mind? And can real feelings develop while money is changing hands? Owen and Cal might get to the root of their true feelings… if their pasts don’t interfere.

Category: Contemporary, Dreamspun Desires

Pages: 225

About the Author

Amanda Meuwissen is a primarily gay romance writer, as well as Marketing Operations Manager for the software company Outsell. She has a Bachelor of Arts in a personally designed major from St. Olaf College in Creative Writing, and is an avid consumer of fiction through film, prose, and video games. As author of the paranormal romance trilogy The Incubus Saga, young adult novel Life as a Teenage Vampire, the novelette The Collector, and superhero duology Lovesick Gods and Lovesick Titans, Amanda regularly attends local comic conventions for fun and to meet with fans, where she will often be seen in costume as one of her favorite fictional characters. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with her husband, John, and their two cats, Helga and Sasha (no relation to the incubus of the same name), and can be found at www.amandameuwissen.com.

A Lila Advent Calendar Review: Boca Dreams by Scudder James Jr

Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

You can’t correct the past.

Or can you?

Stephen’s not proud of who he was back in boarding school—spoiled and a player. Now, at the holiday reunion ten years later, he has a chance to show his former classmates who he really is: out and proud, devoted to helping others, and partnered with Victor.

Stephen understands why Victor, who grew up in a poor and abusive household, hates the rich kids at the reunion, but his attitude is ruining everything. Luckily Stephen bumps into Aaron, a former grunge rocker who has also changed. Stephen never forgot their one steamy night together.

With the help of three very unusual personifications of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, can Stephen revisit his mistakes and find the happiness that’s eluded him?

Boca Dreams is a non-traditional second chance story. More of a hope for a once missed opportunity; a what if with the one that got away.

I liked that Stephen was ready to show his classmates who he was but I’m not sure he went into it with the right mindset. It seems he had not changed much from that teen looking for acceptance. Victor read as a stereotype of a bitter man. It felt unnecessary to the story.

As someone that enjoyed high school. I love class reunion stories and I can see Stephen & Aaron as an item many years later. Unfortunately, their coming together didn’t feel feasible. The Scrooges part didn’t work for me. I wanted a little less drama and a bit more reminiscence. The story does have a nice ending, though.

The cover by L.C. Chase follows the 2018 Advent Calendar | Warmest Wishes template. The picture within is pretty standard and I’m not sure if it is Stephen or Aaron.

Sale Link: Amazon | Nook | Dreamspinner

Book Details:
ebook, 42 pages
ASIN: 9781644050477
Published: December 1, 2018, by Dreamspinner Press
Edition Language: English

First of Our Best of 2018 Lists. This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

First of Our Best of 2018 Lists

So this Sunday we are starting off with our first of our Best of 2018 lists. First up is our reviewer Alisa with her Top Stories down to her Top Covers. Yes, we have always shared our love of book covers here along with our appreciation of the various artists talents. Lately we have had some new names appear doing absolutely incredible covers alongside the artists who represent the best in the industry. So make sure you check out all the names to go along with the beautiful covers we put out there. Maybe give us a few suggestions of your own.

Also relatively new are the narrators in the audiobook Best of category. I listen to more and more audiobooks every year and can’t stress the importance of a fabulous narrator. They can make or break an audiobook. Check out who Alisa has as her favorites below. Do you have yours?

Each week we will roll out more lists…keep an eye out to see how our lists compare with yours. Did you miss some books? Did we agree on others? Let me know!

From Alisa:

2018 Top Stories/Novels

Guarding His Melody by Victoria Sue

Blood for the Spilling by TJ Nichols

Promises Part 4 by AE Via

Elemental Magick by Jacki James

Us by Shaw Montgomery

Professor Adorkable by Edie Danford

Discovery by Quinn Ward

Expecting by Sarah Havan

After the Weekend by Silvia Violet

The Swap by Annabella Michaels

Best Audiobooks

Permanent Ink by Avon Gale and Piper Vaughn, narrator Kirt Graves

Kairos by Mary Calmes, narrator Michael Fell

Freckles by Amy Lane, narrator Nick Russo

BFF by KC Wells, narrator Michael Mola

Pins and Needles by AJ Thomas, narrator Jason Riley

Best Series

Men of Meadowfall by Anna Wineheart

Studies in Demonology by TL Nichols

Promises by AE Via

Requiem Inc. by Kris T. Bethke

College of United Monsters by CB Archer

Cold Case Psychic by Pandora Pine

Enhanced World by Victoria Sue

The Accidental Master by MA Innes

Kink in the City by Quinn Ward

Strength by MA Innes

Best Covers

Blood for the Spilling by TJ Nichols, cover artist Catt Ford

Heart of a Redneck by Jodi Payne, cover artist Alexandria Corza

Edge of Living by HL Day, cover artist HL Day

Elemental Magick by Jacki James, cover artist Vicki Brostenianc

Expecting by Sarah Havan, cover artist Melissa Liban

Now here is this week at our blog. We continue with more Advent Calendar stories, I have reviewed an incredible M/M historic romance today called The Bibliophile by Drew Marvin Frayne. You really should check that out. The Yakuza Path series by Amy Tasukada is as far from a holiday saga as you can get. But it’s brilliant, bloody, and a must read. Number 4 is out this week. If you love holiday series, The Christmas Angel series is not to be missed, several of them are also on to be reviewed as well. So much going on. Don’t miss a day here.

Happy Reading!

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, December 9: ☃️

First of Our Best of 2018 Lists.
This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
Book Blast Love’s Trials by Janice Jarrell
A MelanieM Review: The Bibliophile by Drew Marvin Frayne
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Oz (Finding Home #1) by Lily Morton
An Alisa Advent Calendar Review: Holiday Island by A.D. Ellis

Monday, December 10:☃️

COVER REVEAL: Amanda Meuwissen’s A Model Escort
Release Blitz for Home For Christmas by RJ Scott
Review Tour for A Soldier’s Wish (A Christmas Angel Story) by NR Walker
Release Blitz Tour for Trusting Jack by Ruby Moore
A Lila Advent Calendar Review: Boca Dreams by Scudder James Jr
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: A Soldier’s Wish (A Christmas Angel Story) by NR Walker
A Lucy Review : Under The Felt Mistletoe by Nell Iris
An Alisa Review: Mine for Christmas by AD Lawless

Tuesday, December 11: ☃️

PROMO Andrew Grey
Release Blitz Tour – Old Acquaintance by Annabelle Jacobs
In the Spotlight Tour and Giveaway: Chasing Forever by Kelly Jensen
A MelanieM Release Day Review: Stetsons and Stakeouts by BA Tortuga
A Lucy Review : All I Want Is You by DJ Jamison
A Free Dreamer Advent Calendar Review: Tulsi Vivah by Anna Kaling
A Free Dreamer Release Day Review: Showers, Flowers, and Fangs by Aidan Wayne

Wednesday, December 12: ☃️

Review Tour – Jordan L Hawk – The Magician’s Angel
Review Tour – Old Acquaintance by Annabelle Jacobs
Review Tour – The Deafening Silence (The Yakuza Path #4) by Amy Tasukada
A MelanieM Review:The Deafening Silence (The Yakuza Path #4) by Amy Tasukada
A Lucy Review : Old Acquaintance by Annabelle Jacobs
A Lila Advent Calendar Review: Guess Who’s Coming to Karamu by Cy Blanca
A Barb the Zany Old Lady :The Magician’s Angel (The Christmas Angel #3) by Jordan L. Hawk
An Alisa Review: Celebrations in the Season of Long Nights by Mere Rain, a”Escape From the Holidays” Collection from Mischief Corner Books

Thursday, December 13: ☃️

Spells & Stardust Anthology Tour
HARMONY INK PROMO Aidan Wayne
Book Blast for Pain and Promise by Lazlo Thorn
Lessons in Cracking the Deadly Code by Charlie Cochrane Blog Tour
A Caryn Review: Vampire with Benefits (Supernatural Selection #2) by E.J. Russell
A Chaos Moondrawn Review: Blessed (The Matawapit Family #1) by Maggie Blackbird
A MelanieM Review: Spells & Stardust by J. Scott Coatsworth
An Alisa Advent Calendar Review: Death to Christmas Sweaters by LE Franks

Friday, December 14: ☃️

Review Tour – Christmas Homecoming by LA Witt
PROMO BA Tortuga
Review Tour for Shrewd Angel (The Christmas Angel #6) by Anyta Sunday
Review Tour for Rebellion by Naomi Aoki
An Ali Advent Calendar Review:The Night Sky Festival by S.A. Stovall
A Free Dreamer Review: Rebellion by Naomi Aoki
A Barb the Zany Old Lady: Christmas Homecoming (The Christmas Angel #4) by L.A. Witt
A Lucy Review: Shrewd Angel (The Christmas Angel #6)by Anyta Sunday

Saturday, December 15: ☃️

Review Tour – Neve Wilder – Dedicated (Rhythm Of Love #1)
Tour for Meik&Sebastian – Obsessed #4 by Quin Perin
Book Blast: Blessed (The Matawapit Family #1) by Maggie Blackbird
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Advent Calendar Review: Too Hot for Santa by Helena Stone
An Alisa Review: Meik&Sebastian – Obsessed #4 by Quin Perin
A MelanieM Review: Dedicated (Rhythm Of Love #1) by Neve Wilder
A Chaos Moondrawn Review: The Holiday Home Hotel (An Escape from the Holidays Story) by Lou Sylvre
A MelanieM Review: Lessons in Cracking the Deadly Code (Cambridge Fellows #12.7) by Charlie Cochrane

An Alisa Advent Calendar Review: Holiday Island by A.D. Ellis

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

***No peacocks were harmed in the making of this story.

Rafa’s nautical skills are less than stellar. He’d rather be a full-time artist, but he has a duty to the family business and a fear of standing up to his father and brother.

Carpenter Lucas is determined to rebuild his business after a lover’s betrayal nearly destroyed it. But he runs into a snag when he misses the last boat to the job site.

Rafa offers to take him, but Rafa isn’t much of a sailor.

When they end up on the wrong island, fears for survival gradually give way to an appreciation of the beauty around them—and each other. Rafa insists a holiday miracle will save them, and he teases Lucas for being a Scrooge.

In the end, Rafa’s miracle might come from the last place he expects: inside himself.

This was a nice story. Rafa and Lucas are stranded together and seem like people that wouldn’t have anything in common but they both need support from someone. I liked them finding a common ground and affection for each other. It was nice to see how supportive Lucas is a Rafa in the face of his family’s homophobia and they have a tentative plan to go forward.

Book Details:

ebook, 43 pages

Published: December 9, 2018 by Dreamspinner Press

Edition Language: English

A Caryn Advent Calendar Review: The Faller by Daniel de Lorne

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

A historical set in Australia – why haven’t I read one of these before? I have to admit that’s what caught me about the blurb on this one, and I loved the term “faller” instead of the North American “lumberjack” that I am used to. The author did a great job of making me feel like I was right there in the jarrah forests, with men hewing railway sleepers from the mighty trees with only muscle and axe, living in primitive and dangerous conditions to support the booming timber industry.

The story starts with Charlie Young, skinny, short, and, yes, young, in the forest trying valiantly, and mostly failing, to cut railway sleepers with 4 other experienced fallers. Working the forest was potentially a lucrative job, but the fallers got paid by the piece, so Charlie was in very real danger of running out of money and starving. The best faller in the group was big, strong Jack Tapper, able to turn out perfect sleepers at a rate 2-3 times faster than the others. Jack kept to himself, but his size, reputation, and mere presence intimidated all the men in the camp, and especially Charlie.

Even though Jack was exactly the sort of man that Charlie was most attracted to.

When all the men but Charlie and Jack went in to the town for a four day holiday around Christmas, Charlie found that Jack felt the same way he did, and knowing their time together alone was short, they made the best of it. But the hyper-masculine nature of the timber industry in 1912 Australia was not a safe place at all to be gay, and hiding their connection proved to be a lot harder than Charlie thought it would be…

As is usual with short stories, I wanted more – more time to build the background, more time for the men to learn about each other and fall in love, and more time to develop the conflict that would give interest to the story. But even in the constraints of a short story, I thought there was too much of Charlie’s inner monologue going on, which made the story move slowly. The conflict and danger toward the end of the book was certainly very real – I don’t think the word homophobia could come close to adequately describing what could happen to a gay man in this setting – but somehow seemed superficial, and the resolution and ending seemed a bit too easy and abrupt. Charlie’s immature decisions were consistent with his character, but I think the author made the bad guys a little too villainous, and it felt over the top. Jack, on the other hand, was beautifully portrayed, with just the right amount of description and dialogue. The historical details were really well done and clearly well researched though, and for me that made up for a lot of the areas I didn’t like. Overall, I really enjoyed this, and I will look for more form this author.

Cover art by L.C. Chase doesn’t do justice to the historical aspects of the story, but the lumberjack is spot on.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 1st edition, 46 pages
Published December 1st 2018 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 139781644050453
Edition Language English

A MelanieM Release Day Review: Christmas Kitsch by Amy Lane

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Sometimes the best Christmas gift is knowing what you really want.

Rusty Baker is a rich, entitled, oblivious jock, and he might have stayed that way if he hadn’t become friends with out-and-proud Oliver Campbell from the wrong side of the tracks. When Oliver kisses him goodbye before Rusty leaves for college, Rusty is forced to rethink everything he knows about himself.

But nothing can help Rusty survive a semester at Stanford, and he returns home for Thanksgiving break clinging to the one thing he knows to be true: Oliver is the best thing that’s ever happened to him.

Rusty’s parents disagree, and Rusty finds himself homeless for the holidays. But with Oliver’s love and the help of Oliver’s amazing family, Rusty realizes that failing college doesn’t mean he can’t pass real life with flying rainbow colors.

Nobody can built characters quite like Amy Lane and put them into situations that then quietly begin to tear the reader’s heart apart, piece by tiny little piece. Rusty Baker is one such character, improbbly so. On the exterior, he’s would appear to have everything to succeed in life. He’s rich, a jock, with a father who is determined to see him into a great school and going places. That’s the exterior.

It takes meeting Oliver, not rich not a jock, to reveal the real Rusty Baker. The gentle, insecure, and gay person Rusty is. There’s also more that becomes readily apparent to Oliver as he tutors Rusty through his classes in high school. Rusty has a learning disability that never goes named here but is perfectly spelled out in the way he “feels” when he get overwhelmed by his classes, projects, or professors. God, how you feel for him.

Throughout the story, and as you can imagine Rusty’s life, the damage done to him hasn’t been delivered through physical blows, damning smacks to the body, but in deadly featherlight cuts to the heart and psyche. It’s been his father, his mother supporting the patriarch, behind the worst of them. Amy Lane, like a surgeon of phrases, uses her words to slice through Rusty and our hearts over and over at unexpected times, leaving all of us shattered.

I was not prepared for how much this book would hurt.

But for all the wounds, there is the healing balm of Oliver, Oliver’s Dad and his family, Rusty’s sister, and even Rusty’s college roommate who encircle this damaged young man, help him to heal, build him a new foundation of family, support, and love.

Oddly, enough I think of Oliver and Rusty snuggling with Peanut as one of my favorite scenes. All happy and content, perfect Christmas. For me, even with all the Amy Lane tears that fell, this was a holiday story to remember. And treasure.

It’s one I highly recommend.

Cover Artist: Alexandria Corza. Not a fan of this cover. There is so much more the artist could have pulled from. Indistinguishable from any other couple. Nothing special that separates it out for this story.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, Second Edition, 200 pages
Expected publication: December 7th 2018 by Dreamspinner Press LLC (first published December 7th 2013)
ASINB07JGXPM71
Edition Language English
Characters Oliver Campbell, Russell “Rusty” Calvin Baker setting California (United States)
El Dorado, California (United States)

An Alisa Review: The Last Prince by Shawn Bailey

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Empress Mun-Hee Yi is dying of cancer. And for the last twenty years she has been living in Manhattan, NY after seeking asylum for her and her four-year-old grandson Ji-Sung Yi since her husband and Ji-Sung’s parents were assassinated by her nephew Eun-So Yi in a coup to take over the throne.

Since learning about her illness, Ji-Sung has been helping his grandmother with her bucket list. There were just two things left. Number 99 is for them to return to their native land, and number 100 is that she wants to be buried beside her husband Emperor Si-Woo on the grounds of the Blue Palace. As luck would have it Eun-So Yi is executed for his crimes but Ji-Sung hopes number 100 won’t happen for a long, long time. Unbeknownst to him, Mun-Hee has another thing on her listâ€¦to see that her grandson find love and to settle down.

This was an okay story, though I’m not sure how I feel about a grandma setting up her grandson and pushing someone to him. Ji-Sung is being thrown into the life he was meant to live but luckily has great people to support and help him.

The way this story was written didn’t allow much connection to the characters. We do see parts of the story from different points of view it just seemed as if from a distance. In the end I am not totally sure how I feel about Ji-Sung and Kyung-Soon’s relationship and how it seems to be hidden.

The cover art by Melody Pond is nice and gives a nice view of Ji-Sung’s new home.

Sales Links: MLR Books | Amazon | B&N

Book Details:

ebook, 11,000 pages

Published: October 25, 2018 by MLR Books

ISBN: 978-1-64122-2013

Edition Language: English

A Stella Advent Calendar Review: Trapped in the Valley of the Kings by Blue Jones

RATING 4 out of 5 stars

A Story from the Warmest Wishes: Dreamspinner Press 2018 Advent Calendar

Rival archaeologists Will and Jude slept together a year ago, on the night of the Summer Solstice at a dig in Stonehenge. But they were both wearing masks, so Jude has no idea it was Will he slept with, and Will’s been harboring a powerful, one-sided crush ever since.

Now they’re in Egypt, competing to find the lost tomb of Queen Nefertiti. Jude falls through a crack in the cave floor, and when Will reluctantly climbs down to help him, they find themselves in Nefertiti’s tomb, surrounded by archaeological treasures—where they must spend Christmas stranded by a sandstorm.

Will a few sultry hours stripped almost bare from the heat and sharing a bottle of whiskey sort out who should get credit for the discovery—and the real reason for the tension between them?

This was another short story from this year Dreamspinner Press’ Advent Calendar. I quite enjoyed it. It’s a super quick reading, interesting and cute. It left me with a goofy smile on my face. I’m going to be honest, I was able to know pretty much nothing about Will and Jude, apart from their jobs and the attraction they feel for each other. There is not even one second character, just these two men trapped in the tomb of Nefertiti. Still I found this short well done, very sweet and sexy; I loved seeing the MCs tease each other and then finally be honest about their feelings.

I would so love to know more about Will and Jude, they totally deserve more words.

The cover art by L.C. Chase is not what I like a cover to be, eye catching and fitting, this cover doesn’t have these qualities.

SALE LINKS Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

BOOK DETAILS

ebook, 24 pages

Published December 1st 2018 by Dreamspinner Press

ISBN13 9781644050446

Edition Language English

Chasing Forever (This Time Forever #3) by Kelly Jensen Riptide Publishing Cover Art: Natasha Snow

If You Could Be Any Animal by Kelly Jensen

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New Tricks by Andrew Grey

Cover Artist: Adrian Nicholas

Publisher: DreamSpinner Press

Release Date: Dec 11 2018

Blurb/Synopsis

Excerpt

About the Author

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Title: A Model Escort

Author: Amanda Meuwissen

Cover Artist: Bree Archer http://www.breearcher.com.

Dreamspinner Press

Release Date: March 5, 2019

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First of Our Best of 2018 Lists

From Alisa:

2018 Top Stories/Novels

Best Audiobooks

Best Series

Best Covers

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, December 9: ☃️

Monday, December 10:☃️

Tuesday, December 11: ☃️

Wednesday, December 12: ☃️

Thursday, December 13: ☃️

Friday, December 14: ☃️

Saturday, December 15: ☃️

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Chasing Forever (This Time Forever #3) by Kelly Jensen
Riptide Publishing
Cover Art: Natasha Snow