An Ali Release Day Review:When the Devil Wants In by Cate Ashwood and JH Knight

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

John Turner has been living a lie most of his life. Growing up in the rural Georgia town of Magnolia Ridge, he’s only ever let one person truly know him: his best friend, Chloe. To the rest of the world, they’re the perfect couple, but just between them, she’s helping John hide in plain sight.

Matt Kinsley, a cop from San Francisco, moves to town looking for a slower pace and to reconnect with his Southern roots. Starting over in Magnolia Ridge means taking a step into the closet, but Matt finds that with John for company, he doesn’t mind so much.

As the two start to explore a possible relationship, a horrific murder rips the town apart but brings John and Matt together in ways neither could’ve imagined. Matt must decide where his loyalties lie while John resists the urge to run again. Together, they have to discover who the real devil is before another life is destroyed.

I was pretty excited when I saw two authors I enjoy a lot co-authoring a book. This story is part romance and part murder mystery. The two men have a hook up and think that’s where their relationship will end but as the mystery aspect unfolds the two men end up seeing a lot more of each other.

Unfortunately for me I felt that the two aspects didn’t mesh all that well together and I don’t think either story line got enough development. The mystery started good but there were some unusual twists and I felt like the ending got wrapped up too quickly. I would have liked a bit more development of that plot.

I liked both of the MC’s but had a hard time feeling their connection. They’re together sexually but not really emotionally until late in the book. I would have enjoyed more development in this aspect also.

Overall this was an enjoyable book but it didn’t wow me. Possible that’s my fault for not having realistic expectations.

Cover art: This cover was done by Cate Ashwood. I think it’s a really lovely cover and I like it a lot.

Sales Links: Amazon | Dreamspinner Press

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, First, 264 pages

Expected publication: January 30th 2018 by Dreamspinner Press

ASIN B078X5Q28C

Edition Language English

A MelanieM Release Day Review: Hurricane Reese by R.L. Merrill

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

The life of Tony-winning musician Reese Matheson resembles a natural disaster, and caregiver Jude De La Torre is caught in the eye of the storm. But can the love of two opposites survive caring for an ornery octogenarian with wayward balls and a meddling family insistent upon tradition?

Fresh off the successful London run of his musical, the last thing Reese expects when he comes home is a house surrounded by paparazzi and his girlfriend throwing his stuff into the pool. All he wants to do is spend time with his beloved grandfather and musical mentor who suffers from Alzheimer’s. Reese knows he doesn’t have much time left before the elder Matheson forgets who he is. In classic “Hurricane Reese” form, he moves into the cottage by the sea and displaces Jude, the intriguing caregiver he hired two years before. When Grandpa proves too much for Reese to handle on his own, Jude comes to his rescue, taming Grandpa… and the Hurricane as well. Soon all Reese can think about is how to get Jude out of his scrubs and into his bed—permanently. Will Hurricane Reese destroy everything in his path, or will this odd couple learn to harmonize together?

I’m going to start off this review by saying that my perspective on this story and my review is based on my feelings towards one of the main characters and not on the writing or perhaps even the storyline of Hurricane Reese except with regards as to how the author met her obvious objective of her story themes.

I found Hurricane Reese to be well written, her characters well constructed, especially so in the case of Grandpa Matheson, a musician now battling dementia. Grandpa’s music still flows out of him when he’s not playing cards with gangsters and flirting with red heads. He’s engaging and poignant. But then there’s the times he can’t remember or take care of himself….that’s shown in equal devastating measure. It’s with Grandpa and Jude’s large Filipinos family that my heart lies. I adored them. I found them, their interactions with Jude and Reese to be realistic and believable. Even Jude as he fights to remain true to his family’s expectations and his roots is understandable and someone you can connect to (outside of his affection towards Reese that it).

No, all that reads like a 5 star story.

Then there’s the title character Hurricane Reese,Reese Matheson. Therein lies the rub. At least for me. I just can’t abide this character. He’s self absorbed, oblivious to the effects his actions has on others, nor does he seem to actually care once he realizes the turmoil he’s left in his wake. Self involved to an amazing level that he can descend on a grandfather he barely visits, toss out a caregiver without thought to his grandfather’s needs or his caregiver’s, and then panic on when it appears like it’s not working for him? Uh no.

I would like to say he redeems himself or demonstrate enormous growth as a human being, but for me, that never really happens. It seems that this character takes a sort of pride in the fact that he stirs things up, causing havoc wherever he goes. Yes, he makes a sort of amends for several events that leave you gobsmacked, but you wonder, honestly, how much he’s changed. And throughout the story, I always question, other than this guy’s obvious good looks, what on earth made Jude sleep and fall in love with him? What a total lapse in judgement!

So where does it all leave me? With writing that I like and 3/4 of a story’s worth of characters I enjoyed. But none of that was the romance and none of that was the title character. You might feel differently. If you are a fan of this author, take a chance on this book. For me I just can’t get past the hurricane that’s Reese Matheson.

Cover Artist: Kanaxa. I loved the cover. From the color tones to the model. Great job.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 205 pages
Expected publication: January 30th 2018 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781640801769
Edition LanguageEnglish

Emjay Haze on Writing, Romance and her new release ‘Home is Where You Are’ (author interview and giveaway)

Home is Where You Are (States of Love) by Emjay Haze
Publisher: DreamSpinner Press

Cover Artist: Brooke Albrecht
Release Date: 1/26/18

Available now for Sale at: DreamSpinner Press | Amazon

Thank you for visiting my blog tour at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words. I’m Emjay Haze, author of Contemporary m/m romance. Home is Where You Are is my first book with DreamSpinner Press and I’m excited to share it with you on release day.

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Interview with Emjay Haze, author of Home is Where You Are

How much of yourself goes into a character?

I think my traits tend to pop up in more of my minor characters, since the main characters are both men usually in their twenties/thirties and I’m a fifty-plus year old woman, lol. I love writing strong-willed characters and I think that comes from me. I also like to write them a little quirky and feisty and that’s definitely me.

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

When I was growing up, my mom introduced me to romance novels, but a lot of times, they didn’t really have a HEA, the way I wanted them, anyway. As I got older, I really got into Robert Ludlum books and other spy and mystery-type novels, and totally went away from romance. I didn’t even like watching rom-coms. Then, in 2009, I discovered m/m romance in the form of online fanfiction and fell in love with the genre. I started writing stories around my favorite music artist and then eventually moved to original characters and writing short stories and novels. I realized I didn’t hate romance at all, I was just reading the wrong kind.

Do you like HFN or HEA? And why?

I love happy endings, and I think everyone deserves one. That’s why I love this genre. If I had to pick one, I’d have to say HEA. I want my two lovebirds to ride off into the sunset together and be happy forever.

How do you feel about the ebook format and where do you see it going?

I love e-books, because I have a kindle and subscribe to kindle unlimited, so it’s easy to download and read books. I can start on my kindle at work, and then move it to my phone or tablet on the weekend.

It’s a shame that so many bookstores have closed over the years, but I don’t see them going away all together. I think there are enough people that still want to read a book and not an electronic device. My last novel came out in both e-book and paper book and it was thrilling when I got to hold it in my hands, and I was able to give signed copies to friends. You can’t do that with an electronic version.

I see e-book formats expanding as the technology grows, and less books coming out in hard or paperback.

How do you choose your covers? (curious on my part)

For all of my published works, I’ve had a publisher who provides the artist for the cover and I’ve never been disappointed. For Home is Where You Are, I had given her some general info on the settings, characters, etc, and my artist came back with three great covers to choose from. Sometimes I have sort of an idea, and the artists have all taken my ramblings and turned them into something really beautiful.

Do you have a favorite among your own stories? And why?

That’s a “who’s your favorite child” question, so the answer is no, of course not, lol. I love all of my characters and it’s really hard to choose just one. So far, they’ve all been pretty different, so it’s impossible to pick a favorite. I do really adore a few of my minor characters, though. The best friend in my new novel coming later this year is awesome. Her name is Andrea, and she’s a hoot, feisty and outspoken and a great friend. I also wrote a social worker character who took care of my foster kid main character for a very long fan-fiction story that I wrote years ago, and I absolutely loved her strength and character and the way she stood up for my protagonist. But main characters, nope, I can’t pick one.

If you write contemporary romance, is there such a thing as making a main character too “real”? Do you think you can bring too many faults into a character that eventually it becomes too flawed to become a love interest?

I have more trouble flawing my characters, lol. I love them and want them to be perfect, but it’s way more interesting to read about someone with flaws who grows in a story. My family and I were watching a horror movie the other day and none of us couldn stand the protagonist at first. She was a real bitch. But, as the film progressed she started to grow through all of the difficulties she was having. I liked it and understood her, but my twenty-year-old could never get past not liking the character at the beginning. So, yes, I believe that they have to have redeemable qualities, but a few flaws make them deeper characters, but not so many that you can’t forgive them.

Ever drunk written a chapter and then read it the next day and still been happy with it? Trust me there’s a whole world of us drunk writers dying to know.

Haha. Drunk? No, but I used to write a lot of fan-fiction and those sexy scenes are written much better with a few beers in the system—more uninhibited and the scene flows better. Of course, you have to edit, but I’ve never had one that I had to completely rewrite because it was a mess.

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

I have a vision of having a house on the beach or a lake (where it’s warm) and having my laptop outside on a large wooden round table with a large umbrella overlooking the water while I’m wearing a tank-top and shorts and bare feet, sipping on a cool drink.

Right now, I sit at a very warped card table at the end of our family room with the big-screen TV and family watching to the right of me.

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

If I had to pick one, it would be to get away. I write because I have so many stories in my head that need to get out. I have distraction issues, but when I’m writing, I can totally immerse myself into the story and ignore everything else. I love developing characters and building a story and seeing it come to life.

What’s next for you as a writer?

I have full-length novel coming out with NineStar Press sometime in April called After Hours. It’s the first of a three-book series. I’m working on the second book now. I really love writing m/m romance, and I think I will always write in that genre, but at some point I may try something new like a spy novel.

Blurb:

For a chance at a future filled with love, he’ll have to face a painful past.

Eric, recently dumped by his boyfriend, is summoned home after his dad suffers a stroke. His family farm in rural Vermont holds memories he’d rather forget, but he—with his degree in agricultural business—is needed to clear up a predicament with the bank. In trying to forget the bad, Eric has also lost sight of the good: green meadows dotted with grass-fed dairy cows and the sugar maples that once produced the area’s finest maple syrup. With Eric’s help, they will again.

A captivating farmhand named Phil tempts Eric to give the countryside another chance, but before they can consider being together, Eric must move past more than his feelings for his ex-boyfriend—he’ll need to stand up to the ghosts that sent him running from the farm in the first place….

Genre: m/m contemporary romance
Pages: 95
Part of the States of Love Series by DreamSpinner Press

Giveaway

I have a rafflecopter giveaway of 3 e-copies of Home is Where you Are, and a Grand prize of the e-book and a gift pack of Vermont maple syrup and maple candy.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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About the Author

Emjay Haze is a Pennsylvania girl living in a Virginia world, growing up in the Philadelphia suburbs and moving to Northern Virginia to follow her now husband of twenty-plus years. She has two kids in college, a year-old puppy named Max, a black-and-white cat named Tux, a gecko named Rex, a yellow tang called Reggie, and we hear the eels are coming this week.

The family pastime is baseball, specifically the Nationals. She’s also a huge Redskins fans and loves classic rock. Emjay graduated with a degree in Creative Writing in 2015 after realizing it was the only thing she really wanted to do.

She has a wide and diverse work history in the fields of travel, hotel management, high-tech communications, web development, real estate, and the nonprofit health care industry where she has held positions such as travel agent, hotel concierge, web programmer, Realtor, account manager, and many, many others, giving her a varied and unique set of experiences that she draws upon in her stories and characters.

Emjay fell in love with the m/m romance genre after discovering the world of fanfiction several years ago and hasn’t looked back. Her family keeps asking when she’ll write something they can read, but she’s still having too much fun with her boys. Her goal is to broaden the minds of those who might not normally pick up a gay romance because it’s more about the person than the sexuality. She’ll take you on a roller-coaster journey, but you’ll always get a happy ending.

Website: http://www.mjhauthor.com/emjayhaze

Twitter: @emjayhaze

Facebook: www.facebook.com/emjayhaze

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14254769.Emjay_Haze

Cordelia Kingsbridge on Signature Cocktails and her latest release Trick Roller (Seven of Spades #2) (guest post and giveaway)

Trick Roller (Seven of Spades #2) by Cordelia Kingsbridge
Riptide Publishing
Cover Art:

Read an Excerpt/Buy it Here

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Cordelia Kingsbridge’s tour for Trick Roller. Welcome, Cordelia!

The Boulevardier by Cordelia Kingsbridge

In Kill Game, we learn that bourbon is Levi’s spirit of choice, and his usual drink is an Old Fashioned – until Dominic introduces him to the Boulevardier.

Working in bars and restaurants off and on for a decade has given me some great experience with interesting, uncommon cocktails. I had Dominic choose the Boulevardier for Levi because, like the detective, the drink is straightforward, unusual, and the perfect balance of bitter and sweet. The Boulevardier makes an appearance in every novel in the Seven of Spades series.

A twist on the classic Negroni, the Boulevardier replaces gin with bourbon for a richer, more autumnal flavor profile. Want to make one of your own? Follow the simple recipe below:

Ingredients

1.5 ounces bourbon
1 ounce Campari
1 ounce sweet vermouth

Combine all ingredients and stir with ice until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled glass (either a rocks glass or martini glass will work well) and garnish with a lemon or orange peel. Enjoy!

Thanks for checking out the blog tour for Trick Roller, the second book in the Seven of Spades series!

We rejoin Levi and Dominic three months after the events of Kill Game. Although most of Las Vegas believes the Seven of Spades is dead, our two heroes know better. It’s only a matter of time until the killer resurfaces…

About Trick Roller

It’s the height of summer in Las Vegas. Everyone believes the serial killer Seven of Spades is dead—except Levi Abrams and Dominic Russo—and it’s back to business as usual. For Levi, that means investigating a suspicious overdose at the Mirage that looks like the work of a high-class call girl, while Dominic pursues a tough internship with a local private investigator. The one bright spot for both of them is their blossoming relationship.

But things aren’t so simple. Soon Levi is sucked into a dangerous web of secrets and lies, even as his obsession with the Seven of Spades intensifies. Dominic knows that Levi isn’t crazy. He knows the Seven of Spades is still out there, and he’ll do anything to prove it. But Dominic has his own demons to battle, and he may be fighting a losing war.

One thing is certain: the Seven of Spades holds all the cards. It won’t be long before they show their hand.

Available now from Riptide Publishing!

About the Seven of Spades Series

Las Vegas has never seen a serial killer like the Seven of Spades.

The self-styled vigilante is on a mission to cut down the wicked and treacherous, and Sin City has no shortage of targets for their bloody wrath. What happens in Vegas . . . ends with the Seven of Spades’s calling card on a grisly corpse.

Standing against the killer are Levi Abrams, a dedicated homicide detective locked in a constant struggle to restrain his own dark side, and bounty hunter Dominic Russo, a charming rogue with a heavy secret weighing on his shoulders.

The hunt for the Seven of Spades sends Levi and Dominic on a collision course, igniting a passionate relationship forged in conflict and sealed with blood. Together they’re stronger than the sum of their parts, but a wily, elusive serial killer isn’t the only threat that will strain their bond to the breaking point.

Ante up, because the Seven of Spades is all in. Are you?

Check out the Seven of Spades series! http://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/series/seven-spades

About Cordelia Kingsbridge

Cordelia Kingsbridge has a master’s degree in social work from the University of Pittsburgh, but quickly discovered that direct practice in the field was not for her. Having written novels as a hobby throughout graduate school, she decided to turn her focus to writing as a full-time career. Now she explores her fascination with human behavior, motivation, and psychopathology through fiction. Her weaknesses include opposites-attract pairings and snarky banter.

Away from her desk, Cordelia is a fitness fanatic, and can be found strength training, cycling, and practicing Krav Maga. She lives in South Florida but spends most of her time indoors with the air conditioning on full blast!

Connect with Cordelia:

● Email: cordeliakingsbridge@gmail.com

● Tumblr: http://ckingsbridge.tumblr.com

● Twitter: @c_kingsbridge

● Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cordelia.Kingsbridge/

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Trick Roller, one lucky winner will receive a $15 Riptide credit! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on February 3, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

An Alisa Audiobook Review: Wet Heat by RD Hero and Nick J. Russo (Narrator)

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Most omega werewolves want a mate and pups, but Lee Aung prefers an unconventional party-boy lifestyle. Yet at forty-two, he’s stopped going into heat, which means he’s expired goods—no longer a fertile, young omega that alpha wolves drool over. So Lee uses Wet Heat, a synthetic pheromone, to reel in the alpha hookups.

After losing his job at the bank, Lee can’t afford to keep up his Wet Heat habit. His solution: scam free samples by pretending to be a happily mated test subject at Wet Heat headquarters. There, Lee spends two years being interviewed by the reserved alpha scientist, Cain, who at thirty-two is unmated and—up until this point—content with that.

Cain never really felt his alpha instincts, nor took part in the usual alpha/beta/omega social dynamics. But after discovering that Lee has been lying about his unmated status for two years, Cain finally admits that for the first time, he wants to court an omega. Unfortunately, he’s picked the one omega who doesn’t want to be courted.

I really enjoyed this story. Lee is the complete opposite of what others think an omega should be and he refuses to be shamed by this. Cain has spent the last two years wanting a mated omega and when he finds out that he isn’t actually mated he is determined to make him his.

I really liked both of these characters. Lee says he doesn’t want to be tied down but to his surprise loves Cain’s displays of alphaness and encourages it. Cain is confused with his instincts but Lee is more than willing to help him adapt. At the end they are playing a game of tag with their mating but I can picture them having a HEA.

Nick J Russo did a wonderful job narrating this story. I could just feel the characters’ emotions happy and sad while listening. I loved the different voices he used for the characters and it helped to keep track of the story.

I really like the cover art by LC Chase and it works well for this story.

Sales Links: Audible | Amazon | iTunes

Audiobook Details:

Audiobook, 2 hrs 41 min
Published: January 2, 2018 (ebook first published June 20, 2016) by Riptide
Edition Language: English

Goodbye January, Hello February. This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Goodbye January, Hello February

Okay, doesn’t it seem like we were just doing this? Can it really be February already? January just flew by and here comes, what is for us in this area, the snowiest and coldest month of the year. For us here in the Mid Atlantic states it means the last gasp of winter usually…. our worst winter storms whether they be of ice, cold or snow.

I say that as our outside thermometers sit around 60 degrees and have for the past several days.

But it won’t last. It never does. Winter isn’t over and will be back with a bang next week because that’s what February does. It reminds us that Winter is still with us, even though we are steadily adding minutes of light to each day….something that I love. Come on, you Spring Equinox! Even February’s coldest winds can’t scare my glimpses of Spring away!

Winter Story List Challenge!

So last week we offered up the Winter List Challenge! We asked What’s your Most Memorable Winter Stories? From now until the end of the month, get in your recommendations! We will pick a winner or two to receive a gift card of $10. Make sure you include your name and email address where you can be reached. So bring on the Brrrrrs and the Winter Recommendations! Contest ends January 28 at mid.

Now about those wonderful lists from our readers, here’s the recommendations we’ve received so far. Remember you have until midnight tonight. Winner or winners announced next week:

📚From Jen:

Here are some of my most memorable winter stories:
North Pole City Tales series by Charlie Cochet
The Mystery of Nevermore by C.S. Poe
Merry Christmas, Mr. Miggles by Eli Easton
Blame It on the Mistletoe by Eli Easton
A Family for Christmas by Jay Northcote
The Winter Spirit by Indra Vaughn
The Avona Tales series by Raine O’Tierney
Color of You by C.S. Poe
Third Solstice by Harper Fox

📚From Purple Reader:

It’s sometimes hard for me to recall whether even good stories were primarily set in winter, but a few do come immediately to mind. I agree with Jen about C.S. Poe’s Color of You and Nevermore. Here are two more:
– Enemy Within by Tal Bauer – a thrilling conclusion to his Exec Office trilogy that travelled via sub above the Arctic Circle in Russia. And he had a number of hot couples I wouldn’t have minded snuggling up to for warmth.
– Foxes by Suki Fleet – moving YA story, and she vividly captures the cold that homeless kids have to survive in.

📚From Ami:

I have sucky memories so I can only remember the latest gorgeous winter story that I read: A Frost of Cares by Amy Rae Durreson.

📚From H.B.:

I didn’t have many winter reads this year but of the ones I did read these were my most memorable:

Sometimes the Best Presents Can’t Be Wrapped by B.G. Thomas
A Very Henry Christmas by N.R. Walker
Honey and Heat by Rian Durant
Something Permanent by Roan Parrish
Merry Christmas, Mr. Miggles by Eli Easton
A Christmas Kiss by Annabelle Jacobs

📚From Moondrawn:

Some great books listed already. Winter (and Christmas) are inescapable if you read any Josh Lanyon–so many to choose from: Winter Kill, Icecapade (this one is a New Years, new chances story), So This Is Christmas, Baby It’s Cold and many more.
Minnesota Christmas series by Heidi Cullinan
Deefur Dog and then Deefur Dog and the Great Mistletoe Incident (winter weather is the heart breaker here), Love Happens Anyway, and Snow In Montana by R.J. Scott.
Mountain series by P.D. Singer (although the first one is about fire fighting, the rest are about skiing)
Something Like Winter by Jay Bell
A Reason to Believe by Diana Copland.
In The Middle Of Somewhere by Roan Parrish
Something to Believe in by Sloan Parker

Of course February is the month of Valentine’s Day celebrations so you know what stories we will be asking for next…that’s right! Valentine’s Day stories or lacking that…your most romantic story of all! Yes! That hearts of hearts story! That “wild thing, you make my heart sing, you make everything groovy” story! Or whatever floats your boat! So get those recs ready for next week and the week after!

Now onto this week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words.

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, January 28:

Goodbye January, Hello February
This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, January 29:

BLITZ Ibuki by Kathryn Sommerlot
BLITZ Sweethearts by Gemma Gilmore
Review Tour – Marshall Thornton’s Hidden Treasures
A Stella Review: When It’s Time (Go Your Own Way #3) by Zane Riley
A MelanieM Review: Hidden Treasures (A Pinx Video Mystery #2) by Marshall Thornton
An Alisa Audiobook Review: Wet Heat by RD Hero and Nick J. Russo (Narrator)

Tuesday, January 30:

RIPTIDE TOUR Trick Roller by Cordelia Kingsbridge
DSP Guest Post Emjay Haze on Home is Where Your Are
An Ali Release Day Review:When the Devil Wants In by Cate Ashwood and JH Knight
A MelanieM Release Day Review: Hurricane Reese by R.L. Merrill
A Lila Review: A Boyfriend for the Weekend by Caitlin Ricci

Wednesday, January 31:

Review Tour – Meg Harding’s Contour
BLITZ Dantes Unglued by Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott
Review Tour – Garrett Leigh’s Dream (Skins #1)
A Stella Review: Contour by Meg Hardin
An Alsa Review: Spanking the Boss by Hunter Frost
A Jeri Review : Dream (Skins #1) by Garrett Leigh

Thursday, February 1:

Color Me In by Riley Hart Release Day Blitz
Retro Review Tour – LA Witt’s For The Living
RIPTIDE TOUR and Giveaway: Scratch Track by Eli Lang
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Color Me In (Last Chance #2) by Riley Hart
A Jeri Review: For The Living by L.A. Witt
An Alisa Review: Pushing Phillip (Common Powers #4) by Lynn Lorenz

Friday, February 2:

TOUR The Calling by MD Neu
Release Blitz – Meredith Russell’s Dead Fall
Release Blitz – Louise Lyons ‘ The Short Stories Collection
A MelanieM Review: Finders Keepers by N.R. Walker
A Free Dreamer Review: Light by Nathan Burgoine
A MelanieM Review: All The World’s An Undead Stage (Offbeat Crimes #6) by Angel Martinez
A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Spanking the Boss (An Office Kink Novella – Book #1) by Hunter Frost

Saturday, February 3:

A MelanieM Review: Rook by T. Strange

A MelanieM Review: Velvet Claw by L.J. Hamlin

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Researching and finding cures for illnesses is what Dr. Evan Kidd does best. When he’s asked to help determine what’s making the children of Felis Forest sick, he can’t say no. Evan accepts, and even understands, why Rene has to follow him around town. It’s not every day a human is allowed in the “cat people only” town. But being attracted to someone who doesn’t trust him, much less like him, brings back painful reminders of his past.

Rene has plenty of his own baggage and having to shadow a human—who happens to be a doctor—isn’t helping. Evan challenges all Rene’s preconceived notions about humans and about himself. If they can survive all the obstacles while uncovering the truth, they might just discover they aren’t so different after all.

Velvet Claw by L.J. Hamlin was a new supernatural thriller for me by a new author and I thought it had a lot going for it. First off was the premise, a human doctor brought in to find the cure for a mystery disease afflicting the children of a Felidae race. Combine that with a interspecies romance and mystery and I’m there.

However the execution and actual exposition stopped short of 4 stars. The world building for example, Hamlin give us a prologue in the human/ Felis history but it doesn’t explain why with all the strengths, superior might etc. it doesn’t turn out that the Felis come out on top instead of the humans. More was definitely needed there. Just didn’t make sense to go from God to the persecuted and hunted.

I liked the characters here, from Evan to Rene and several of the other people of the cast. However the author cant seem to decide if the story is told third person, first person or what point of view is to be used. I can see her wanting to have all the viewpoints out there but the flows just gets disrupted instead of being able to carry the story in a more even natural way.

Finally, when the mystery is solved, the motive is never revealed, a flaw here that bothers me. It may not bother others, but it certainly did me. It felt that the story lacked closure, especially since the author then threw in an entirely different mystery altogether that felt unnecessary.

So much promise here and that’s why I gave it 3 stars, not because of the actual execution.

Cover art is simplistic. Not a fan.

Sales Links: Less Than Three Press | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 160 pages
Published January 10th 2017 by Less Than Three Press, LLC
ASINB078WYM64N
Edition LanguageEnglish

A MelanieM Review: And God Belched by Rob Rosen

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

In this riotously funny romantic adventure, Randy and his younger brother, Craig, find themselves in a different universe, on a strange planet, desperately searching for Milo, a handsome stranger in imminent danger, all while being chased by the heavily armed local authorities. And that’s just the start of this epic journey. But what else does fate have in store for our brave heroes? And can one human save two worlds, the handsome alien he’s fallen in love with, his entire family, and a self-aware watch? Read on, dear Earthlings, to find out!

Wow! Another Rob Rosen fantabulous whackadoodle tale! I mean you know that going in…because, hey…it’s Rob Rosen…but that’s exactly why I love to read him. For stories like And God Belched!

And God Belched has Rob Rosen running happily amuck through the science fiction universe, devising his only theories of Creationism and the Origins of the Universe in detail (God belching out the planets and universes, and then the consequences of two of the universes crashing together.

Yep, they meet in the bedroom of a young man named Randy (which also suits his sexual nature), who just so happen to live in a unique house on the top of a hill that’s now having earthquakes. Then Randy spies a reflection in his bathroom mirror. The reflection looks like him, only the eyes are blue and his are brown. Huh. Not him. It take younger genius brother Craig to give Randy the answers to his questions and the ability to talk to Milo, the stranger in the mirror.

Before I knew it I was sucked into Rosen’s stranger and wonderful world where there are portals in bathrooms, universes connect through waterfalls, and a watch named Tag becomes someone you care about as much as anyone else in the storyline.

I give up really trying to tell you all what’s going to happen here, other than saying it’s a exhilarating, crazy, did they really just stop and have sex in the middle of the action, why yes they did, hilarious science fiction story. There’s some poignancy, because Rosen also roles that way but mostly statements on governments, boredom, genetics, and the future of the human race. Oh yes, and paste vs fruits. Had to throw that in there too.

When it’s all over, I finish the story smiling, having thoroughly enjoyed myself after falling in love with his characters and been deeply immersed in this world or worlds of his where any goes and often does. This is exactly why I read Rob Rosen and will continue to do so. Have you found him yet? No? Well, start here. I highly recommend it!

Cover art is perfect for this story. Love it!

Sales Links: MLR Press | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 204 pages
Published January 26th 2018 by MLR Press (first published January 2018)
ASINB078GG9L4P
Edition LanguageEnglish

A MelanieM Release Day Review: Home is Where You Are ( States of Love ) by Emjay Haze

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

For a chance at a future filled with love, he’ll have to face a painful past.

Home is Where You Are ( States of Love ) by Emjay Haze is a sweet friends to lovers romance. It has as a framework one of my favorite subjects, maple sugaring’ and orchards, a subject I actually know quite a bit about as I used to give demonstrations to the public and tap trees myself. So I’m always keen to read stories wrapped around this topic in one way or another.

Here it’s a man, just come to the realization that the relationship he thought he’s been in has been one side all this time and his “roommate” is leaving him. Combine that with a family emergency and it’s time to return home to the farm and town he thought he’d left behind for good.

Haze has Eric returning to the farm and small town he left after high school because of the bullying and more he endured during high school. We later find out what the “and more” entailed and why Eric has stayed away from family and farm. I’ll say parts of this aspect of the story never added up for me, especially the father’s role. And because it felt a little fragmented, so did that event.

Phil, the younger boy, and now a man, waits for Eric at the farm upon Eric’s return. Phil has always had a crush on Eric, one that flares right up when they meet again. They meet and the attraction is hot, even if Eric is a little resentful over the inclusion of Phil into his family.

I wish I could have gotten into the Phil/Eric romance more. I didn’t really feel the spark the author intended me to. Perhaps because it felt more of being talked at…there’s a lot of that here…than actual connecting. Anyhow for me…I was far more invested in the farm’s future than theirs.

Home is Where You Are is but 95 pages and the author has a lot to fit in. If you are just looking for a sweet romance, than this one filled with mapley goodness is one for you. However, if you want more of character development and relationship dynamics, search for a longer story that’s able to go into the depths this one is not given the length.

Haze did a great job with the maple sugaring element . Kudos!

Cover Artist: Brooke Albrecht. Love the cover with all the sugar maples and the character of Phil on the cover. Great job.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 95 pages
Published January 26th 2018 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781640800908
Edition LanguageEnglish
Series States of Love Vermont

Riptide Publishing Tour and Giveaway: Two Man Station (Emergency Services #1) by Lisa Henry

Two Man Station (Emergency Services #1) by Lisa Henry
Riptide Publishing
Cover art: Natasha Snow

Read an Excerpt/Buy It Here

About Two Man Station

Gio Valeri is a big city police officer who’s been transferred to the small outback town of Richmond with his professional reputation in tatters. His transfer is a punishment, and Gio just wants to keep his head down and survive the next two years. No more mistakes. No more complications.

Except Gio isn’t counting on Jason Quinn.

Jason Quinn, officer in charge of Richmond Station, is a single dad struggling with balancing the demands of shift work with the challenges of raising his son. The last thing he needs is a new senior constable with a history of destroying other people’s careers. But like it or not, Jason has to work with Gio.

In a remote two man station hours away from the next town, Gio and Jason have to learn to trust and rely on each another. Close quarters and a growing attraction mean that the lines between professional and personal are blurring. And even in Richmond, being a copper can be dangerous enough without risking their hearts as well.

Available now from Riptide Publishing.

About Lisa Henry

Lisa likes to tell stories, mostly with hot guys and happily ever afters.

Lisa lives in tropical North Queensland, Australia. She doesn’t know why, because she hates the heat, but she suspects she’s too lazy to move. She spends half her time slaving away as a government minion, and the other half plotting her escape.

She attended university at sixteen, not because she was a child prodigy or anything, but because of a mix-up between international school systems early in life. She studied History and English, neither of them very thoroughly.

She shares her house with too many cats, a green tree frog that swims in the toilet, and as many possums as can break in every night. This is not how she imagined life as a grown-up.

Connect with Lisa:

● Website: lisahenryonline.com

● Blog: lisahenryonline.blogspot.com

● Twitter: @lisahenryonline

● Goodreads: goodreads.com/LisaHenry

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Two Man Station, one lucky winner will receive a $20 Riptide credit and a package of Australian goodies! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on January 27, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!

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Home is Where You Are (States of Love) by Emjay Haze Publisher: DreamSpinner Press

Cover Artist: Brooke Albrecht Release Date: 1/26/18

Blurb:

Giveaway

About the Author

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Trick Roller (Seven of Spades #2) by Cordelia Kingsbridge Riptide Publishing Cover Art:

About the Seven of Spades Series

About Cordelia Kingsbridge

Giveaway

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Goodbye January, Hello February

Winter Story List Challenge!

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, January 28:

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Two Man Station (Emergency Services #1) by Lisa Henry Riptide Publishing Cover art: Natasha Snow

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Home is Where You Are (States of Love) by Emjay Haze
Publisher: DreamSpinner Press

Cover Artist: Brooke Albrecht
Release Date: 1/26/18

Trick Roller (Seven of Spades #2) by Cordelia Kingsbridge
Riptide Publishing
Cover Art:

Two Man Station (Emergency Services #1) by Lisa Henry
Riptide Publishing
Cover art: Natasha Snow