A MelanieM Release Day Review: A Fool and His Manny (The Mannies #4) by Amy Lane

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Seeing the truth and falling in love.

Dustin Robbins-Grayson was a surly adolescent when Quinlan Gregory started the nanny gig. After a rocky start, he grew into Quinlan’s friend and confidant—and a damned sexy man.

At twenty-one, Dusty sees how Quinlan sacrificed his own life and desires to care for Dusty’s family. He’s ready to claim Quinlan—he’s never met a kinder, more capable, more lovable man. Or a lonelier one. Quinlan has spent his life as the stranger on the edge of the photograph, but Dusty wants Quinlan to be the center of his world. First he has to convince Quinlan he’s an adult, their love is real, and Quinlan can be more than a friend and caregiver. Can he show Quin that he deserves to be both a man and a lover, and that in Dusty’s eyes, he’s never been “just the manny?

Well, now I can say it. A Fool and His Manny (The Mannies #4) by Amy Lane is my absolute favorite in the Mannies series. Yes, yes, I know I’ve said that before. But this time its true. This is my favorite story. Reading this novel is like being enveloped is large, welcoming mommy arms or walking in the door home and getting the welcome you always dreamed about from the family you always wanted.

And yes, this tale is exactly why I blather on and on about the necessity of writing, and establishing an amazing cast of supporting or “secondary” characters. Not that any characters here could ever be called that. Nope. From the smallest person, tyke or kitty, to the most imposing. No matter how much time they spend on the page, their impression they make as part of the extended family on Quinlan and the reader is indelible. There is no way to measure that out be it Wainscott or Nutbar, Jacob or Keenan. We need them all exactly as they are.

This is a story to make you cry and sooth your heart. Often at once. For Quinlan is a broken young man who happens to fall into the family that will adopt, accept, and love him. Permanently. Here you get the entire progression. From Quinlan in the band, to his acceptance as the manny on the edge of family life, to watching as he get’s slowly pulled into the middle without his knowledge, the love flowing over and around him, like a healing balm.

As Dusty grows up and waits for him to realize that as well.

I may just start crying all over again. Damn book. Amy Lane gets me every time here.

There’s so much more here to this story. Babies, kitties, a serious illness, a crappy mom, lots of real life stuff going on and its all done beautifully in perfect Amy Lane fashion.

Trust me on this one. Just pick this book up and watch a fragile young man heal and fall in love.

Of course, the whole extended Robbins-Grayson family gets assembled in books 1 through 3 so you really need to read those as well to get acquainted with everyone. They are just as outstanding plus you get to meet all the others first. Win win. I listed them all below. Read the entire series. It’s one I highly recommend. Just don’t forget to keep that box of tissues handy!

The cover by Bree Archer, wasn’t exactly my idea of Dusty physically but the emotions come through. The style brands the series perfectly.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 230 pages
Expected publication: July 17th 2018 by Dreamspinner Press
Original TitleA Fool and His Manny
ISBN139781640805040
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesThe Mannies #4

ISBN139781640805040
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesThe Mannies #4

A MelanieM Release Day Review: Soul Bond by JS Harker

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Stealing his heart.

As a thief and a warlock, Noah survives by using his wit and charm to prey on the privileged. His dangerous criminal boss wants an enchanted dagger belonging to a family of wealthy mages, including their pampered—but handsome—son, Ben. Failing to complete the job will be hazardous to Noah’s survival.

Noah bumps into Ben at a lavish party, and as soon as they meet, the connection’s undeniable, and it goes much further than ordinary attraction. Their bond reaches into their souls, entwining and changing their magic.

Which Noah thinks he can use to get to the dagger. After all, he isn’t sure this soul bond Ben seems so obsessed with is even real.

He also doesn’t count on being caught red-handed…. Or falling in love.

Soul Bonds by J.S. Harker is another first for me. New story by a new author, something I have always enjoyed. It was a easy tale to dive into, starting immediately with its great characters and intriguing plot. Thieves and warlocks? Fae and wizards? A divided society and tight social strata? All great elements and Harker combined them to wonderful effect here.

On one side is our thief, Noah. He’s on the job to steal a special dagger at the fancy ball when we first meet him. He moving through the crowd and his plan, sharp, furtive, and totally appealing in every way. I’m on his side from the get go, and its totally due to his engaging personality. I’m totally drawn into his situation and Noah.

The introduction of Ben, that dash of sex, danger, and high society comes shortly after. And starts ramping up the action and suspense. As well as adding in the element of the soul bond.

Harker has many layers to her story. The divided society, the line between warlock and mage, the history which also includes that of the soul bond. Its enough for a series in order to completely round out the world building. It’s too much really for one book to carry here.

Ben’s side gets most of the history background. The top families unification, their tight control via marriage and powers, governing etc. On the wild, poor side which is Noah? Not so much. How the warlocks were left out in the cold so to speak and how their loose associations came to be is never addressed. Which is a shame becaise I found that side highly interesting considering the part they play in the story…which is huge.

It’s as though there is this huge gap in the narrative where back histories for Noah’s friends and colleagues belong. It’s noticeable because they make such an impact.

I did like how the soul bond link was instigated…those flashes of power. Neat touches all and the uses found throughout the storyline.

The development of the romance between Noah and Ben worked, because despite all Noah’s lies (constantly), Ben accepted that there was more going on under the surface and continued to press forward. And Noah too struggled against his past, his poor judgement and present entanglements to have faith n Ben. I really liked it.

I guess it was that ending that I wished has more substance. It just sort of ended with no real conclusion as to what the parties would do next. And I like a definitive solution with the villains and didn’t get that either.

I could really see this turned into a series very easily. I hope the author returns to it after a while. I’ll be right in line to pick up that release.

The cover art by Aaron Anderson is nice and I liked the visual of Noah.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | B&N

Book Details:

ebook, 208 pages

Published: July 17, 2018 by Dreamspinner Press

ISBN-13: 978-1-64080-593-4

Edition Language: English

Series: Dreamspun Beyond

An Alisa Release Day Review: Soul Bond by JS Harker

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Stealing his heart.

Which Noah thinks he can use to get to the dagger. After all, he isn’t sure this soul bond Ben seems so obsessed with is even real.

He also doesn’t count on being caught red-handed…. Or falling in love.

I really liked this story. Noah has had to survive on his own for a long time and that causes him to take a bit too big of a risk. Ben has been looking for his soul bond forever and refuses to settle for anything less than true love.

Noah tries to deny the connection between himself and Ben but every time they are near each other it continues to grow stronger. Ben jumps in with both feet determined that Noah has to feel the same as him even if he doesn’t say so. I liked getting to know these characters through their telling of the story.

I really liked how the soul bond connection worked with these characters and how it drew them together. When Noah didn’t know what to do Ben jumped in to help but it was Noah actually relying on his community that helped them the most. I felt as though there was quite a bit of background I was missing for this story, I don’t know how the warlocks and mages got to the point that they were at but the class system they had going on didn’t seem to be working all that well. I think this story begins to set up a nice world for a series and it would be nice to see what the events of this book does to their lives.

The cover art by Aaron Anderson is nice and I liked the visual of Noah.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | B&N

Book Details:

ebook, 208 pages

Published: July 17, 2018 by Dreamspinner Press

ISBN-13: 978-1-64080-593-4

Edition Language: English

Series: Dreamspun Beyond

Tia Fielding on Writing, Major Influences, and her new story ‘Like Breathing by Tia Fielding’ (guest blog)

Like Breathing by Tia Fielding

Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Garrett Leigh

Buy links for Dreamspinner Press eBook and Paperback | Amazon

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Tia Fielding here today sharing her thoughts on writing, characters and her latest novel, Like Breathing. Welcome, Tia.

♦︎

Hi, I’m Tia Fielding, and I’m here to answer a few interview questions for you guys!

If I want to use an example, I’ll use one from my July 10^th release, Like Breathing, so in case you’re picking it up, you will see what I mean in my answers here.

How much of yourself goes into a character?

I guess there will always be some similarities between my characters and I. In Like Breathing, Dev is a gamer like I am. Seth is oblivious to certain things, much like me. He likes his routines, and even though I’m not quite as anal as Seth can be, I’ve my routines too. Leaf… well, Leaf’s love for dogs and his loyalty to the people he loves is something I identify with. Also when I’m writing about Dev and Seth’s anxiety issues, I know that’s something I have too much experience with.

Do you feel there’s a tight line between Mary Sue or should I say Gary Stu and using your own experiences to create a character?

I think some things are universal. Some characteristics are common between people from similar life situations and backgrounds. Not every character can be unique, because we all share experiences as people. I will say, however, that I hope my characters come across much more interesting than me as a person!

Does research play a role into choosing which genre you write? Do you enjoy research or prefer making up your worlds and cultures?

I tend to like things I can research, mostly because I’m Finnish and I’ve lived in Finland my whole life. My stories are mostly set in the States, so the geographical location alone makes me have to research quite a bit, just to make it all sound plausible, if not 100% accurate! I’d love to write something sci-fi one day, or maybe something futuristic in a different way, but it does sound quite daunting for someone with my anxiety issues!

Has your choice of childhood or teenage reading genres carried into your own choices for writing?

No, not really. Well… I did read a lot of contemporary stories then, but my love was fantasy, and I don’t really like to write fantasy at all.

Have you ever had to put an ‘in progress’ story aside because of the emotional ties with it? You were hurting with the characters or didn’t know how to proceed?

I have, if it has become too heavy for me to write at that moment. Or if I feel like I don’t have the right words to use about something heavy. I tend to write angsty stories, but they never get to the point of angst I think they will, mostly because while I love to read angst, I’m afraid of not pulling it off as a writer. Conflicts in my stories, whatever they might be, are always resolved pretty quickly.

Do you read romances, as a teenager and as an adult?

I read a lot of gay romance, yes. I grew up reading fantasy, but Catherine Cookson was one of my favorites even in my teens, and she wrote (mostly historical) romances. There’s just certain type of escape that comes from reading romance, back then and now, too.

Who do you think is your major influence as a writer? Now and growing up?

I don’t think I’ve taken any direct influence, at least not on purpose, from anyone, but some of my favorite authors I’ve admired for different reasons growing up and now are David and Leigh Eddings, Neil Gaiman, Catherine Cookson, Donna Tartt, Karin Slaughter, Astrid Lindgren, Tove Jansson, and a handful of Finnish authors, just to mention a few!

If you could imagine the best possible place for you to write, where would that be and why?

Somewhere calm. I love to write here at home at my own desk, on my big computer screen. I have ADHD, so it’s easy for me to have those “ooh, squirrel!” moments, and I’ve figured out a way that helps me write despite those. What I do, is that I have my manuscript on half my screen, and the other half is for, say a Netflix show. Then, whenever my mind tries to wander off somewhere, I click play on the show and let it run until my concentration gets back to me. Sometimes it’s ten seconds (honestly) and sometimes twenty minutes or something in between, but it works. It literally makes me able to write on the days when my ADHD is trying to kick my brain’s butt!

With so much going on in the world today, do you write to explain? To get away? To move past? To wide our knowledge? Why do you write?

I write because I have to. It’s a part of me. I write to tell stories I want feel like telling at any given time, and I can just hope someone will enjoy them one they’re out there for everyone to read. If my stories give even a temporary escape from the madness that’s going on in the world or someone’s personal life, it’s the greatest gift I can get as a writer.

What’s next for you as a writer?

I’m starting a new series! It’s going to be set in Brighton, England, and well, let’s hope I can get it out of my head and to you guys, eventually!

Thanks so much for having me, and hope you enjoy your summer reading, whatever it might be!

Blurb:

A love as easy as breathing.

Life started out rocky for Devin Rice, but it’s turned out pretty well. He has adoptive parents and a brother who love him, and he works as a coder for his dad’s video game company. Romance is scarce, but a chance encounter leads to more than he ever expected.

While dropping off an assignment for his sick brother, Dev meets his mentor. Art history professor Seth Kent is brilliant and gorgeous, just what Dev has been looking for. Except that he’s in a long-term committed relationship.

Seth’s partner, Leaf, is older and sees the world differently due to his unusual upbringing. To him, the clear attraction between Seth and Dev isn’t a problem, it’s an unexpected gift. After all, Leaf is often on the road, going wherever rescue dogs need rehabilitation.

When Leaf meets Dev, all the missing pieces fall into place, and three men from different worlds and at different points in life fill each other’s empty spaces. For them, building a future together is the most natural thing in the world. But their unconventional love causes waves in their careers and family dynamics, and each man has his own doubts and fears to overcome.

About the Author

Tia Fielding is a thirtysomething Scandinavian who is a lover of witty people, words, cats, sarcasm, autumn, and the tiny beautiful things in life. Tia struggles with stubborn muses and depression, but both are things she has learned to live with. Tia identifies as genderqueer, but isn’t strict about pronouns. Why? Because luckily, in her native language there aren’t gender-specific pronouns. Being a reclusive author living with her fur-babies is another fact of life for Tia, among the need to write that seems to be a part of her psyche by now. In 2013 one of Tia’s novels was recognized by the industry’s Rainbow Awards in the Best LGBT Erotic Romance (Bobby Michaels Award) category.

Social media information:

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/authortiafielding

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/tiaf/

Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/tiafielding

JS Harker on Romance, Writing, and her new release Soul Bond (author guest blog)

Soul Bond by J.S. Harker
Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Aaron Anderson

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | Barnes and Noble |

Kobo | iBooks | Google Play

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have JS Harker here today talking about their new release Soul Bond, from Dreamspun Beyond series at Dreamspinner Press. Welcome, JS.

♦︎

Hey there, I’m JS Harker. I’m on my first blog tour ever for my book Soul Bond and I’m thrilled it’s release day! Getting published has been a dream for a long time and I’m in a bit of shock I finally get to say those magic words. I thought I’d answer a few interview questions so you could get to know a little bit more about me.

Do you read romances, as a teenager and as an adult?

I started reading romances a few years ago. I will totally own up to being one of those people who didn’t see the awesomeness of the genre for a long time. I have a degree in English which only focused on Literature, and my college friends were snobs about what was “art” and therefore worthy of time and discussion. Romance wasn’t really encouraged. I came to the genre through fanfic after college. A majority of fanfic seems like it should be considered a Romance subgenre, and I realized I liked reading and writing about people falling in love. The last few years, I’ve needed a place where I can reliably find hope. Romances are great at that.

Do you like HFN or HEA? And why?

Both! Both are good. I like reading a series, which usually means the ending is more of a HFN. If it’s a long, standalone novel, then I need it to have an HEA if it’s a romance. Stories should have satisfactory endings and for romance that means happy relationships.

Who do you think is your major influence as a writer? Now and growing up?

Media as a whole definitely plays a part in my writing. My projects tend to start as a reaction. I’ll see a trope overused or a plot device that agitates me and I just have to toy with it. With Soul Bond, part of the inspiration was the love at first sight trope combined with the fated mate trope. Choice doesn’t always get to be as big of a factor as it should be in those stories, so for this world there’s actually a range of magical compatibility. I wanted to see something different, and thus got inspired.

As for my style, I have to admit Joss Whedon and Buffy the Vampire Slayer played a major influence on how I learned to tell a story. There are some major flaws in his storytelling, especially concerning the treatment of women, but with BtVS and Angel the monsters were monsters and the heroes were heroes. A few characters were in more of a gray area (Spike and Faith come to mind). It was one of the first shows I truly loved and remember having feelings for. As an adult, I can look at it and see what I liked, but see what I wish was done better too.

What traits do you find the most interesting in someone? Do you write them into your characters?

Hidden intelligence. The way someone smiles and lights up when they get excited. The ability to empathize and listen, to understand. These main traits tend to get split between the protagonists of my stories. My plots tend to shy away from the miscommunication trope for that reason. In Soul Bond, Ben has most of these traits. But then I adore Noah because he lies to everyone in sight (and to himself). Mostly, people are most interesting when they’re being human and have a willingness to grow.

What’s next?

I have a few WIPs. I tend to bounce around until a character grabs me by the hand and leads me into their world. (Okay, in Noah’s case, he kept coming into my mind and crashing into a chair and going, “So let me tell you about my absolutely SHIT day.” He was pushy and demanding and I loved him for it. And as I’m finishing up this blog piece, another character is knocking at the door loudly.)

I am working with Dreamspinner on a holiday paranormal novel. A young man working holiday retail falls for one of the guys playing an elf at Santa’s workshop—who turns out to be an actual winter fey. It’s charming and sweet and if you’d asked me a few years ago, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to write it. I’m happy I challenged myself. The more I write and share my work, the more I see where I can grow and the more stories I want to try. Hopefully you’ll enjoy what I have to share!

Blurb:

Stealing his heart.

Which Noah thinks he can use to get to the dagger. After all, he isn’t sure this soul bond Ben seems so obsessed with is even real.

He also doesn’t count on being caught red-handed…. Or falling in love.

About the Author

JS Harker loves stories. She was one of those kids who always had a book in her hands and spent many hours adventuring with her siblings. These days she wanders into her imaginary worlds and conjures up tales of magic, passion, and happily-ever-afters. She currently lives in the part of the Midwest that makes Tatooine look interesting by comparison (not that she’s ever obsessively thought about becoming a Jedi or anything).

Find me on social media:

www.jsharker.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/j_s_harker

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/js.harker.169

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: A Fool and His Manny (The Mannies #4) by Amy Lane

Rating 5 stars out of 5

In my opinion, this is the best of the Mannies series and one of my favorite Amy Lane stories. As the author states in her promo, her work is divided into three flavors: alt universe, angst, and sunshine-yellow happy. Well, color this one bright sunshine because it was one of those stories that grabbed me from the first chapter and pulled me through to the end when the very clueless Quinlan Gregory realizes just how very loveable and needed he is.

Quinlan was kicked out by his wealthy parents when he announced he was gay. He had a feeling it would happen, so he had all his worldly goods packed and all his finances in order. In fact, the moment he left the house he changed all his passwords so his family couldn’t access his accounts or his trust fund. Good thing too, because years later he found out they’d tried to access them immediately.

Quinlan is Sammy’s college friend and fellow musician, so naturally, kind-hearted Sammy sees being a manny for his aunt’s brood is the perfect job for Quin, and the timing is perfect since Taylor is getting married and leaving the position. Though he knows nothing about being a manny, he really wants to be a part of the world of this close-knit family—a world so far from the cold, lonely life he left behind. When he spots Dusty, the oldest, and boldest, of the kids, acting out and assuming the role of family troublemaker—Quin realizes he can definitely make a positive contribution to the Robbins-Grayson’s lives.

Time passes, and as Quin and Dusty become friends, Dusty bides his time to reach his goal of making Quinlan see him as an adult, an equal, and a mature responsible lover. There aren’t more than six years between them, but Dusty knows he’ll need to be in his twenties before he can actively pursue the man of his dreams. So by the time he’s twenty-one, he starts to make his move, and though it takes more than one attempt, he’s finally in a position to help the kind, caring man when Quin comes home from summer band tour with a bad virus and virtually falls into Dusty’s open arms.

What follows is a courtship that made my heart melt. Dusty is the perfect mate for Quin and he sets out to prove it as Quin receives news his father has died and his mother is again attempting to access Quin’s money.

The most outstanding feature of this story is the character development and family interactions. These are real people in a large, happy family composed of those both born into, and folded into, their collective arms. Dusty’s character was a surprise on the one hand, but knowing his parents, it shouldn’t have been. He’s very much like his father in temperament and he’s goal-driven like his mother with an attitude that proves good things come to those who wait.

I laughed and I cried with Quin and Dusty, and I wallowed in the pure enjoyment of seeing where Channing and Tino are in their relationship, as well as where Sammy and Cooper are in theirs. Quin’s reaction to Sammy’s good news was spot-on and showed just what a wonderful friend and caring character he is. There’s so much to this story, it’s hard to pick a favorite segment, and conversely, it’s almost impossible to pick something I didn’t like—other than the evil, cold-hearted woman who birthed Quin, of course. And to be honest, to make the story work, she needed to be exactly the way she was.

I wouldn’t recommend this book as a standalone, purely because of the interactions with the other characters in the series, but I would highly recommend it to those who’ve read the others, especially books one and three. And to those who haven’t read them—start from the beginning and enjoy this whole series. It’s so worth it.

The cover by Bree Archer, in typical Dreampun Desires style, features a handsome young man, likely Dusty, set against a dark purple background.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 230 pages
Expected publication: July 17th 2018 by Dreamspinner Press
Original TitleA Fool and His Manny
ISBN139781640805040
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesThe Mannies #4

A Lucy Audiobook Review: Hearts and Flour By Tara Lain/ Ry Forest (narrator), Stephen Kurpis (narrator)

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

In a word, I thought this story was adorable. Micah is a raw vegan food evangelist who owns a vegan cafe, making up for a childhood of poisoning (alcohol) that finally killed his mother. He is rabid about all things healthy and wants his customers to take it as seriously as he does. He gets upset when they “mostly” follow healthy guidelines. To top it all off, he goes home early and finds the cheating, pathetic loser he calls his boyfriend having sex in their bed with someone else. Very classy guy, who is then shocked that Micah is kicking him out. Dharmaram is such a user it is ridiculous. But poor Micah. “And here he sat. Alone. Dharmaram didn’t want him. His customers didn’t want him.”

When he begins to realize even his most loyal customers may be following some of his advice but certainly not all of it (as evidenced by the giant cupcakes he keeps catching them eating), its demoralizing for him. He decides to attend his friend Yancy’s anti-Valentine’s Day party (orgy) to get laid and forget the cheater. Here, he meets Queen, who is so pretty in a fire engine red dress that Micah first thinks he is a woman, and hot sex ensues. Queen is very reticent about meeting up again but Micah can’t forget him. When he calls Queen, they go out again and sparks again fly.

It is when Micah realizes who Queen really is, i.e. Quentin the evil cupcake baker, that the problem starts. Despite the obvious attraction, “So masculine and ladylike at the same time. So brazenly sexy and so innocent. You turn me on like a Ferrari ignition”, Micah can’t get past the “poison” that Quentin is selling to his customers. As a vegetarian, even I was thinking “Micah, calm down!” but poor baby, he had a rough week.

There is more drama with Dharmaram, who really just is a piece of work. There is Queen’s lovely Southern grandmother, Mary Beth, who is gentile and the typical Southern lady. Or is she? The love she has for Quentin and he for her is so wonderful.

There is quite a bit of sex for the length of the book and the rest really is fluffy and cute. I did want to get to read Micah having an orgy of cupcakes (SUGAR cupcakes) but that will have to wait. I am positive he will succumb to Charismatic Cupcakes sooner or later. Recommended for a light, quirky read.

Interestingly enough, there are two narrators, Ry Forest and Stephen Kurpis, but I would have sworn it was all the same person. I was a little worried at first because the voice seemed melodramatic but as the book progressed the voices fit. Quentin is given that South Carolina drawl, sexy as hell.

Cover art by Amanda Kelsey shows Micah holding a fluffy pink cupcake and I felt that was a great fit to the book.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | Audible |

Audiobook Details:

Audiobook
Published June 19th 2018 by Dreamspinner Press LLC (first published January 30th 2013)
Original TitleHearts and Flour
Edition LanguageEnglishsettingCalifornia (United States)
Laguna Beach, California (United States)

What’s Made Your Favorite Books Magic? And This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Romance Do’s In Your Romance Novels.

What’s Made Your Favorite Books Magic?

Several books I finished this week just furthered my ideas as to what helps launch a romance novel above the mass of romance stories you read or will read over the course of a year or more. One wasn’t terribly successful in the romance department in my opinion while succeeding wildly in almost every other aspect, while two others had an almost constricted romance that still managed to allow their main characters love shine through along with an unusual storyline that unfolded around them.

Why does one fail while others succeed? What makes a well done romance novel? Yes, yes, I know so much can be subjective. I remember that one write’s advice that I repeated (and still think is awful) on concentrating only on the main characters and leaving secondary characters totally alone. Insert roll of eyes here. Because imo a well done supportive cast makes a novel…romance or not. All of my favorite stories mention a marvelously done secondary grouping of characters, almost or as memorable as the main ones.

For some authors, they use their stories as love notes to locations, towns they visited or grew up in or in one instance (Basil, Switzerland) one they live now. The result can be a superb blending of location, culture, and story. For others, its some other element…tree planting, apple orchards, a trip to the Sun Temple and Machu Picchu. This list is endless. Then there is the fantastical…the marvelous blending of mythologies, cultures, gods, and beasts that can come about when imaginations soar and blend with romances.

All of the above have managed to come together for me in romances that became something splendid, magical…even when the book itself was contemporary or science fiction. The author or authors wrote and their story spoke to something deep inside of us.

Stories and characters we remember.

What are those books that still speak to you now and why? What’s so special about them? I really want to know.

What Makes a Book Magic List Giveaway

So let’s make this official with a What Makes a Book Magic List Giveaway. Send in your comments, it will run til the end of the month and we will giveaway 2 gift certificates to 2 lucky readers. Leave your name and email address where you can be reached if chosen.

I can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with.

Now for this week’s books and tours.

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, July 15:

Smoke in the Mirror by Aimee Nicole Walker Release Blitz
Fireworks and Stolen Kisses by Angel Martinez and Freddy MacKay Tour
A MelanieM Review:Fireworks and Stolen Kisses (Lijun #1) by Angel Martinez and Freddy MacKay
Romance Do’s And This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, July 16:

Drive Shaft by Geoffrey Knight Book Blast
Release Blitz – Thief Of Hearts by Ruby Moone
Review Tour – Riza Curtis’s The Dragon’s Thief
An Alisa Review: The Dragon’s Thief by Riza Curtis
A Lucy Audiobook Review: Hearts and Flour By Tara Lain/ Ry Forest (narrator), Stephen Kurpis (narrator)
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: A Fool and His Manny (The Mannies #4) by Amy Lane
A MelanieM Review:The Wolf at Bay (Big Bad Wolf #2) by Charlie Adhara

Tuesday, July 17:

DSP Dreamspun Promo JS Harker on Soul Bond
DSP Promo Tia Fielding
Audio Tour for Unscripted Love by Aimee Nicole Walker
An Alisa Release Day Review: Soul Bond by JS Harker
A MelanieM Release Day Review: A Fool and His Manny (The Mannies #4) by Amy Lane
A MelanieM Release Day Review: Soul Bond by JS Harker

Wednesday, July 18:

DSP Promo Rayna Vause
Release Blitz – Nothing Serious – Jay Northcote
Review Tour – Ari McKay – Knitting a Broken Heart Back Together
A Dangerous Dance by Davidson King Release Blitz
A Lucy Review: The Pet Stylist and The Playboy by Rebecca James
A MelanieM Review: The Lies That Bind (Boystown #8) by Marshall Thornton
A MelanieM Review: Knitting a Broken Heart Back Together by Ari McKay

Thursday, July 19:

In the Spotlight: Sink or Swim (Anchor Point series) by L.A. Witt
Blog Post – V.L. Locey – Lost In Indigo
DSP Publications Promo August Li
An Alisa Review: Tainted Life by Mel Gough
A MelanieM Review: Lucky Days (Boystown, #9) by Marshall Thornton
A MelanieM Review: Magic or Die (Inner Demons #1) by JP Jackson
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: Beneath This Mask ( Enhanced World #3) by Victoria Sue and Nick J. Russo (Narrator)

Friday, July 20:

BOOK BLAST – Daisy, Yellow by Angelique Jurd
DSP Promo Hudson Lin
DSP Promo JL Merrow on Camwolf
A Lila Review: The Merchant’s Love (Chronicles of Tournai #6) by Antonia Aquilante
A Caryn Review Daisy, Yellow by Angelique Jurd
A MelanieM Review: A Trust to Follow (Wild Magics #1) by Diana Waters (
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Sink or Swim (Anchor Point #8) by L.A. Witt

Saturday, July 21:

Audio Tour for Someone to Call My Own by Aimee Nicole Walker
A MelanieM Review: Gifts Given (Boystown, #10) by Marshall Thornton

Z. Allora on Writing, Painting, and new release The Temple of Heaven (Made in China #2) (guest post and giveaway)

The Temple of Heaven (Made in China #2) by Z. Allora
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Art: PL Nunn

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press ebook and paperback

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Z. Allora here today talking about painting, writing, and the lastest release in the Made in China series, The Temple of Heaven. Welcome, Z.

♦︎

Greetings! Thank you Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words and your fabulous readship for the opportunity to share a little bit about me, Chinese painting, and my new release The Temple of Heaven. To celebrate I’ll be doing a giveaway: 3 e-books of The Great Wall, 5 e-books of Finally Fallen and a $20 gift card to Dreamspinner. (Details about the giveaway are below.)

Most folks know I love art. When I lived in China I was lucky enough to take classes with art professor. She spoke as much English as I spoke Chinese meaning NOT MUCH.

My teacher and I met at an art auction.

I converted her work but the price quickly went well beyond my budget. I was horrified that the man who won didn’t seem to appreciate her or her incredible talent. He just wanted the status of donating that much to charity.

In my broken Chinese I told her how much I loved her work.

She gave me her number and address.

My friend called for me and scheduled a time for us to meet. I thought I was going to her gallery but she had invited me to her home.

I found out that she was a retired art professor at one of Suzhou’s colleges. I had nothing to lose so I asked if I could persuade her to take me on as a student.

My friend translated.

The artist ran out of the room.

Had I insulted her?

Within 30 seconds she returned with a chopstick in hand and held it out to me.

HOLY FUK! This was my karate kid moment. I could feel it deep in my bones. The pressure built. I didn’t want to screw this up.

I took a deep breath and grasped the chopstick between my fingers and thumb.

She snatched my hand and studied my finger placement.

I started to sweat. Did I do it right?

She looked me in the eye and said, “I teach you.”

I wanted to dance around the room but I settled for shaking her hand and calling her teacher… or mouse because the words sound almost the same.

Over the next six years while I lived in China, I created seven pieces. Chinese Brush Stroke (or water color) is time consuming… especially if you don’t know the language and have little talent for painting. She taught me through demonstration and at times with hand over hand.

I included a few of my pictures.

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

Fun Facts:

*Many of the shades of green are made from Indigo Blue and no yellow needed to be added.

*Chinese Water color is done with mostly water.

*You’re supposed to hold your water and your ink brush in one hand (though if you’ve just had carpal tunnel surgery like me that’s not possible).

*Students are not allowed to create original pieces. You learn by reproducing what the Masters before you have made.

*My paintings were made by her tracing other artists designs and then I was to paint them after practicing exactly what to do off page.

*My chop (signature stamp) was too “mannish” for my teacher’s liking.

*After every class she made me eat watermelon > I don’t like fruit. I ate it weekly for six years.

In The Temple of Heaven, Jordon Davis takes art class from my teacher. While once I got past the idea of copying someone else’s work, he does not. We see him struggle with her demands that he adhere to the rules. In the end he negotiates and addresses his issues with drawing his own boundaries.

The Temple of Heaven’s Blurb

Music is Tian Di’s life and his love, and he’s made plenty of sacrifices. His career is finally taking off with his band, Made in China, and he’ll continue to put music first… until he meets Jordon. Then insta- lust becomes insta-love and a commitment to the future—no matter how difficult it might be.

Jordon lives in a bubble constructed by his overprotective older brothers, who are so controlling that they’ve kept him from dating. A talented artist, Jordon managed to keep his success with a Japanese manga publisher a secret from his family, but now he fears discovery. It’s easier to let his brothers handle everything, but Jordon has reached his limit. He’s ready to draw some boundaries so he can be his own man and face all the challenges that come with that.

Their families and careers aren’t the only obstacles. Jordon must accept his identity as a gay man who doesn’t top or bottom. Fortunately, Tian Di—and his special talents—help Jordon open up to his sexuality in an erotic adventure that spans Japan and China, and with love, luck, hard work, and open minds, will end in a happily ever after.

To Enter the Giveaway: Leave a comment telling us what you would paint if you could. Winners will be picked July 20^th. (Leaving your email helps but isn’t necessary)

Many hugs, Z.

To contact Z. Allora:

E-mail: Z.AlloraHappyEndings@gmail.com

FACEBOOK: Z Allora Allora

Website: www.zallorabooks.com

Twitter: @ZAllora

Dreamspinner Press: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/authors/z-allora-637

An Ali Audiobook Review: Family Man By Heidi Cullinan and Marie Sexton/Colin Darcy (Narrator)

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Sometimes family chooses you.

How does a man get to be forty without knowing whether he’s gay? That’s a question Vince Fierro is almost afraid to answer. If he is gay, it’ll be a problem for his big, fat Italian family. Still, after three failed marriages, he can’t help but wonder if he’s been playing for the wrong team.

There’s only one way to settle it, once and for all—head for Chicago’s Boystown bars, far from anyone who knows him. Naturally, he runs smack into someone from the neighborhood.

Between working two jobs, going to school, taking care of his grandmother, and dealing with his mother’s ongoing substance abuse, Trey Giles has little time for fun, let alone dating someone who swears he’s straight. Yet after one night of dancing cheek-to-cheek to the sultry strains of Coltrane, Trey finds himself wanting to help Vinnie figure things out—no promises, and no sex.

It seems like a simple plan, until their “no-sex” night turns into the best date of their lives and forges a connection that complicates everything.

I originally read this book when it first came out in 2103 and I was new to reading this genre. I really enjoyed it at that time. When I had the chance to review this on audio I was both excited and nervous. I wondered if this book would stand the test of time (and honestly many of my reads from then have not). I’m happy to report that I enjoyed it just as much. Honestly probably more because the narrator was excellent and really added to the story.

The story is told in alternating points of view. We hear from both Vince and Trey which was a bit weird at first because one is told first person pov and the other third. It took me a minute to get my head around that but once I got used to the change I was able to easily follow along.

Vince is almost 40 and kind of lost. He has a good job that he enjoys and a big, loving family but he’s just not happy and he’s failed every relationship he’s tried. A series of events lead him to Trey who is a younger guy he knows from the neighborhood. Sparks immediately fly and Vince is able to take baby steps towards dating a guy. His journey is a tough one and there were times I wanted to shake Vince, but mostly my heart ached for him. He’s so caught up in his fear and his overwhelming family and cultural expectations. At his core though he is a really good guy. He is kind and thoughtful and once he decides he’s committed to trying this thing with Trey he’s all in.

Trey I also loved as a MC. He’s in his mid twenties but he’s way more mature. Unfortunately his alcoholic mother has ensured he grew up way before his time. I really loved the plot line that Trey wants to wait to have sex. It wasn’t for religious reasons, just he wanted it to be special. I don’t think I’ve read that before in the m/m genre and I thought it was a lovely change.

I thought the authors did an excellent job showcasing what it’s like to live with an addict. Trey’s feelings were so honest and real and I thought they made a wise choice in not trying to pretty any of it up.

One of the highlights of this book for me was the narration. It was narrated by Colin Darcy who I had not listened to before. He did an excellent job. He really nailed all of the characters and his performance made the book even more emotional to me than when I read it. I had not listened to this narrator previously but will definitely seek out his work in the future.

This new cover was done by Kanaxa and I love it. It looks enough like the old cover to not be a jarring difference but at the same time it’s totally unique. The cover models match my perceptions of the MC’s perfectly and fit the feel of the plot really well.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | Audible | iTunes

Audiobook Details:

Audible Audio, 8 pages
Published June 5th 2018 by Dreamspinner Press (first published March 12th 2013)
Original TitleFamily Man
ASINB07DFT349S
Edition LanguageEnglish
CharactersVincent Fierro, Trey Giles settingIllinois (United States)

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Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Garrett Leigh

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Soul Bond by J.S. Harker Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Aaron Anderson

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | Barnes and Noble |

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The Temple of Heaven (Made in China #2) by Z. Allora Dreamspinner Press Cover Art: PL Nunn

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Soul Bond by J.S. Harker
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The Temple of Heaven (Made in China #2) by Z. Allora
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Art: PL Nunn