NOH8 and this week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

17064_mediumSoooo, its Sunday and after a week of birthday and Mother’s Day celebrations (all splendid of course), I’m off to meet up with some M/M Romance friends in DC for a photoshoot, a very special one.  It’s for the NOH8 Campaign.  I’m sure you have seen the many photos of people with duct tape on the mouth and NOH8 on their cheeks.  I have linked to their website above.  Check out some of the photos of those that have joined the campaign. Here is the event today:

NOH8 Open Photo Shoot in Washington, D.C.
START DATE: 05/17/2015
END DATE: 05/17/2015

Join the #NOH8Worldwide movement in WASHINGTON, D.C. and add your face to the fight for equal human rights!

WHERE: Bar Dupont in The Dupont Circle Hotel
1500 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036

DATE: Sunday May 17th, 2015

TIME: 1:00pm – 4:00pm

COST:
Single/Solo Photos: $40
Couple/Group Photos: $25 per person

It a marvelous way to demonstrate your support for equality and help push for acceptance for all everywhere.  Here is the missions statement:

The NOH8 Campaign is a charitable organization whose mission is to promote marriage, gender and human equality through education, advocacy, social media, and visual protest.

On November 4, 2008 Proposition 8 passed in California, amending the state Constitution to ban same-sex marriage. The defeat provoked a groundswell of initiative within the GLBT community at a grassroots level, with many new political and protest organizations being formed in response.

The NOH8 Campaign is a photographic silent protest created by celebrity photographer Adam Bouska (http://www.bouska.net) and partner Jeff Parshley in direct response to the passage of Proposition 8. Photos feature subjects with duct tape over their mouths, symbolizing their voices being silenced by Prop 8 and similar legislation around the world, with “NOH8” painted on one cheek in protest.

Five years since its inception, the NOH8 Campaign has grown to nearly 33,000 faces and continues to grow at an exponential rate. The campaign began with portraits of everyday Californians from all walks of life and soon rose to include politicians, military personnel, newlyweds, law enforcement, artists, celebrities, and many more.

While inspired by the passage of Prop 8, the scope of the NOH8 Campaign has grown to stand against discrimination and bullying of all kinds. The message of ‘No Hate’ can be interpreted and applied broadly, and speaks to each person in their own way.

The NOH8 Campaign has received overwhelming support from around the world, and has appeared in various local and national news programs and publications. The images are widely used on various social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to spread the message of equality.

I’m adding my photo to the ever growing number.  How about you?  Check it out and see if NOH8 is coming soon to a neighborhood near you.

 

Now for the week ahead at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

The Heracian Affair coverHealing Hunter's Heart coverSarge coverMountain Prey cover

Sunday, May 17:

  • Our Schedule This Week and NOH8 Open Photo Shoot in DC

Monday, May 18:

  • Laura Harner’s Cliff’s Edge Book Tour & Contest
  • A Sammy Review: Apple Polisher by Heidi Belleau
  • A Stella Review: Healing Hunter’s Heart by Charlie Cochet
  • A BJ Review: Just a Bit Unhealthy (Straight Guys, #3) by Alessandra Hazard

Tuesday, May 19:

  • Lee Benoit – Songbook: Paulo & Preston Shorts book blast and giveaway
  • A BJ Review: The Heracian Affair by Liv Olteano
  • A MelanieM Review: The Rebuilding Year, Part 2 by Kaje Harper
  • A Paul B Review: The Exiled Omega (The Exiled Omega #1) by Alex Ashmore

Wednesday, May 20:

  • Press Spotlight: MCB Quarterly Tour (Mischief Corner Books) and giveaway
  • Book Spotlight:  Jude Sierra ‘Hush‘ Tour and Giveaway
  •  Tour and Contest: Buzz and Blow- Shave and Shimmer- Fade and Fluff by Author: Alex Carreras
  • Light a Candle by VJ Summers Riptide tour and contest
  • A BJ Review: Sarge by Bey Decker

Thursday, May 21:

  • Book Spotlight: Brad Vance ‘Would I Lie To You?’ Tour and Contest
  • A MelanieM Review: Dead Blind by Havan Fellows (PF2015 #2)
  • A BJ Review: A Perfect Game by Reno MacLeod and Jaye Valentine
  • A Paul B Review: Bound to Brody (Shifters and Lovers #1) by Ali Atwood

Friday, May 22:

  • Cover Reveal for The Pinch of the Game by Charley Descoteaux (cover reveal and contest)
  • Cover Reveal for Lissa Kasey ‘Model Citizen’ (cover reveal and contest)
  • Book Spotlight:  NR Walker ‘Cronin’s Key II’ (tour and contest)
  • A MelanieM Review:  Blood and Ghosts by Shira Anthony
  • A MelanieM Review:  Stud Player (PF2015) by Havan Fellows

Saturday, May 23:

  • A Mika YA Review: The Book of Ethan by Russell J. Sanders

We continue to bring you reviews on books you might never have heard of, new books off your radar, and books by authors you’ve been meaning to get to.  Check us and the books out all week long!

MCBQuarterly4x6SMLieCover 2ApplePolisher_400x600CroninsKey2NRWalker1500

 

 

 

A BJ Review: Peripheral People (Ylendrian Empire) by Reesa Herberth and Michelle Moore

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Peripheral People coverCorwin Menivie and Nika Santivan solve cases the old-fashioned way until they’re paired with Westley Tavera and Gavin Hale, the most powerful Reader/Ground team on the force. While Gavin and Nika hit it off right away in more ways that one, Westley rubs Corwin the wrong way right from the start, and not only because he avoids psys for reasons of his own.

A bit of a fluke occurs when West’s talent reads a corpse other than the one they were there to investigate and puts them on the trail of a brutal serial killer that kills with his mind. Soon Nika and Gavin are sharing a room, and Corwin finds himself spending more time with the quirky West.

I’ve read stories in this world before, so the world building is always excellent. This one had more of an urban fantasy type feel for me than the outer space sci-fi I’m used to with this series. Well-written, excellent characterization, but the pace was slow for me in this one. I felt the book was probably longer than it needed to be. That said, it was an enjoyable read.
West is a quirky high level psy who’s had some trouble with getting too involved in his cases, taking too much risk to the point of endangering his ground and best friend, Gavin. Past cases haunt him, and his power is so strong and pervasive it gives him nightmares. When Nika and Gavin get together, he finds himself turning more to Corwin who he thinks as a null. When the truth about Corwin comes out, the two begin to get closer in ways neither have done before.

I enjoyed all four of the characters in this book. Nika was an exceptionally well done kick-ass female, not something we see a lot of in M/M romance. Kudos to the authors for that.

While there is violence and gore in this, most of it takes place inside the mind rather than in the physical world. An interesting twist. The felt the connection between the two MC, but I would have enjoyed it if there was just a bit more of the hot times. There were a couple, but for the length of the book, there could have been more.

This book has mystery, romance, and sci-fi elements all woven nicely together with a very satisfying ending. I’ll continue to read more in this world as it comes available.

Cover Artist: Simoné. This cover is just stunning. Take a look the entire art (as the cover is just one side) here. Perfectly captures this story. Bravo.

Sales Links: Riptide PublishingAll Romance (ARe) – Buy It Here


Book Details:

ebook, 430 pages
Expected publication: May 11th 2015 by Riptide Publishing
ISBN139781626492684
edition languageEnglish
seriesYlendrian Empire

Ylendrian Empire (Universe)

The Ylendrian Empire universe is a series of loosely-connected space operas written by Michelle Moore and Reesa Herberth.

Fast-paced heists, gritty paranormal mysteries, rescue missions in far-flung exotic jungles . . . the character-driven adventures and romances of the Ylendrian Empire are a chance to explore a new set of stars, with just enough spice to keep you wanting more.

Currently available:

The Balance of Silence
The Slipstream Con
In Discretion
Peripheral People

Find out more about the Ylendrian Empire at http://ylendrianempire.com

Celebrate with Author Heidi Belleau & Artist Vivian Ng on the REV New Cover Reveal and Collaboration! (giveaway)

  • ApplePolisher_400x600

New Cover Celebration with Author Heidi Belleau and artist Vivian Ng!

Nothing makes a reader sit up and take notice then the cover art on their books, whether the books are in print or eBook format.  Covers pull us in and give the readers hints to the story and characters.  What better way to bring a story back to life than a new cover?  Here we celebrate new covers for the Rear Entrance Video stories, the author and artist and their collaboration!

REV-revise_TourBanner

Re-Covering Rear Entrance Video – Vivian Ng’s Process

Hi, I’m Heidi Belleau! Over the coming days I’ll be touring the web showing off the gorgeous new covers for my queer NA rom-com series Rear Entrance Video, all about a diverse house of Vancouver roommates who wind up running a dilapidated porn store.

Today on the tour, Vivian Ng tells us about her process designing these gorgeous covers:

I got brought on to do these covers by Heidi and worked under the direction of L. C. Chase (who I’m gonna add are both really great to work with). Essentially I was told that I’d be doing a re-cover that would appeal more to a broader audience, which I interpreted as, play down the sauciness, and play up the portions of the book that speak to a general YA fiction crowd. I feel like it’s worth noting that I actually went and read all three books. I don’t think that’s usually something illustrators can afford time-wise, but I was given a generous amount of time and I knew I would be much more confident submitting whatever the product ended up being if I’d seen the work myself instead of relying entirely on summary docs and art direction (not that those things were lacking). Also I was genuinely curious about what was in the books!

So, just as a general theme all three books have something to do with the main character struggling with self-expression in their personal and professional lives. And what I picked up from reading them as a way to represent that on the covers was how Heidi centred on clothing as a significant part of how her characters constructed and expressed themselves. I also had this idea that flat colours, neatly arranged objects, and slightly messy hand-lettering already have some precedent in YA book covers. From that core idea I basically just had to play around with composition, text, and colour under L. C.’s direction.

Vivian brought us lots of different concept sketches, which we’ll be featuring later in the tour. Riptide’s art and marketing people worked with me to narrow down our favourite choices, then tweaked those designs until we had a very gorgeous, cohesive set of images that really spoke to the books.

Vivian’s focus on clothes and objects worked really great to represent:

Christian’s carefully structured image—occasionally knocked into disorder and chaos—for Apple Polisher,ApplePolisher_400x600

 

and Rob/Bobby’s experimentation with femininity and androgyny as he came into himself as bigender/genderfluid in Wallflower,

Wallflower_400x600

and lastly, Austin’s attempt to fit kink (and queerness) into his life and identity as a hockey player in Straight Shooter.

StraightShooter_400x600

Be sure to check out the series at Riptide (and don’t forget your coupon code to get a great deal on Apple Polisher!), and also give the artist, Vivian Ng a visit: http://viivus.tumblr.com.

Rear Entrance Video (Universe)

Welcome to Rear Entrance Video, Davie Street Village’s very own backdoor triple X store! The peep show booths are sticky, the sex toys are out of stock, and nobody’s collected any late fees in months.

Enter the store’s new manager, uptight teacher-hopeful Christian Blake, and his four misfit college roommates from Noah Hadley’s house for wayward gay boys: reluctant landlord Noah, mysterious bad boy Max, vain jock Austin, and awkward gamer geek Rob. Together, they’ll try to run the store . . . without letting everything they’re hiding—from the world and each other—run it into the ground.

Stories in the Rear Entrance Video universe include:

  • Apple Polisher (Rear Entrance Video, #1) by Heidi Belleau
  • Wallflower (Rear Entrance Video, #2) by Heidi Belleau
  • Straight Shooter (Rear Entrance Video,#3) by Heidi Belleau

 

 

About Heidi Belleau and Vivian Ng

 

Author: Heidi Belleau

Heidi Belleau was born and raised in small town New Brunswick, Canada. She now lives in the rugged oil-patch frontier of Northern BC with her husband, an Irish ex-pat whose long work hours in the trades leave her plenty of quiet time to write.
She has a degree in history from Simon Fraser University with a concentration in British and Irish studies; much of her work centred on popular culture, oral folklore, and sexuality, but she was known to perplex her professors with unironic papers on the historical roots of modern romance novel tropes. (Ask her about Highlanders!)

When not writing, you might catch her trying to explain British television to her newborn daughter or standing in line at the local coffee shop, waiting on her caramel macchiato.

Connect with Heidi:
Blog: www.heidibelleau.com
Twitter: @HeidiBelleau

Goodreads: goodreads.com/heidibelleau
Email: heidi.below.zero@gmail.com

Cover Artist: Vivian Ng

Vivian Ng is an illustrator and occasional comic artist living in Mississauga, Ontario, working mostly in watercolour, ink, and digital media. Vivi’s hobbies include watching children’s cartoons, reading fanfiction, and drawing entirely too much fanart.
http://viivus.tumblr.com
https://twitter.com/VViiNNG
http://cargocollective.com/viivus-draws/

Apple Polisher (REV #1)

Buy it here at Riptide Publishing.
This straight-A student has a dirty little secret.

ApplePolisher_400x600Christian Blake dreams of being a kindergarten teacher, but making the grade means maintaining a squeaky clean image: no drinking, no drugs, no swearing, no sex. And definitely no falling for his new roommate—tattooed bad-boy Max, who may or may not be a drug dealer.

Most of all, it means no working at a porn store. But Christian’s aunt has cancer, and her beloved Rear Entrance Video will go bankrupt if Christian doesn’t take over managerial duties. Soon enough, Christian finds himself juggling sticky twenty-five cent peep show booths, a blackmailing employee, and a demanding professor who likes to make an example of him.

And then there’s Max, who doesn’t know anything about the store, but hates Christian’s preppy sweater vests and the closet Christian forces him into when they’re together. Max just wants Christian to be himself—even though Max is keeping secrets of his own. Christian struggles to find the impossible balance between his real life and the ideal one he thinks a teacher needs to live . . . all while trying to keep his aunt’s dream alive without losing his own.

Wallflower (REV #2)

Buy/find out more about Wallflower here at Riptide Publishing.
This gamer geek has a pretty little secret.

Wallflower_400x600Art student and MMORPG addict Robert Ng has always been a loner, but he’s recently made it his goal to make more (IRL) friends. Which is how he winds up working nights at Rear Entrance Video, shilling sketchy porn and blowup dolls as a favor to his roommate. The longer he works there, though, the more he realizes he’ll never be truly happy until he becomes the person he is online: his female persona, Bobby.

Bobby is cuter and funnier than Rob is, and a thousand times more popular with boys. Becoming Bobby IRL presents its own set of challenges, though . . . especially when you’re sitting on the fence between two genders, only one of which has caught the attention of your seriously cute customer/classmate.

Dylan Ford is a six-foot Inuit comic book artist who always says what’s on his mind, and screw anyone who doesn’t like it. As rough as he appears, though, Dylan has a soft spot for Rob. But will out-and-proud Dylan still want Rob if he’s not all man?

Straight Shooter (REV #3)

Buy/find out more about Straight Shooter here at Riptide Publishing.

This macho jock has a crooked little secret.

StraightShooter_400x600College hockey player Austin Puett is in trouble. Unless he starts treating his flamboyantly gay roommate with respect, he’ll lose his room and his job at Rear Entrance Video. But Austin’s got a not-so-straight secret of his own: nothing turns him on more than insults implying he’s gay—even though he’s definitely not!—and all his old coping methods have stopped working.
Pure desperation drives him to rent a Mischievous Pictures porn flick about straight men tricked into servicing Puck, a male dominant. Instead of letting off steam, though, it just leaves him craving more, more, more, and suddenly, Austin finds himself at Mischievous Pictures Studios for an audition. After all, you can be Gay For Pay and still be straight . . . right?

But meeting Liam Williams, the real person behind Puck, confuses Austin even more. Liam really seems to like him as a person, and Austin likes him back. And while Gay For Pay’s okay, what does it make Austin if he still wants Liam when the cameras aren’t rolling?

 

Contest

Giveaway at Riptide Publishing….

Use coupon code REVRECOVER to receive $2.00 off the ebook price of Apple Polisher!

Get Your Science Fiction Fix with Reesa Herberth and Michelle Moore on Peripheral People and Summer Reading (guest post and giveaway)

Peripheral People cover

Are you a lover of science fiction?  Need a new book to read and universe to dive into?  We have Michelle Moore and Reesa Herberth here to talk about their latest story in the  Ylendrian Empire series, Peripheral People.  They also have a reading list of books for you, some of which I hadn’t read before and have put on my TBR pile!  Check it all out below and don’t forget to enter the contest for the giveaway as well.  Follow them at every stop on their tour!

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Hi, we’re Michelle Moore and Reesa Herberth. The kind people here have invited us to stop by and tell you a little about our newest book, Peripheral People. A standalone novel in the Ylendrian Empire series, Peripheral People combines elements of romance, science fiction, paranormal, and crime drama in the intense, galaxy-spanning hunt for a psychic serial killer. Hot on the trail and hot for each other (in the sense that they’d both prefer to be set on fire than work together), the imperial agents who stumble into the case must evade terrifying mental traps, their own volatile relationship, and the discovery that someone in a higher pay grade may not be so keen on their quest for justice.

We’re thrilled to be with you today, and we’re looking forward to any questions or comments you might have.

Summer Reading List – Interstitial Investigations

Interstitial fiction is some of my favourite stuff- the books that fall between genres, neither one thing or another because they’re more than both. Below are some interstitial works I love, collected in handy list form so you can check them out before heading off for a summer holiday.

Point of Hopes by Melissa Scott and Lisa Barnett

Point of Hopes cover 2The argument could be made that these are straight-up fantasy, but what puts them firmly in the interstitial category for me is the clever mystery that could nearly stand on its own. The fantasy setting, a world where astrology is a vital part of everyday life, is rife for all kinds of plots. The two main characters, Nicholas Rathe and Philip Eslingen, enact an uneasy alliance to find a growing number of missing children, and learn more about each other in the process. Pleasantly diverse in an understated way, the cast features many women in strong supporting roles, and an honest, unfussy queering of the culture. There are several other books in this series.

Hellcat’s Bounty by Renae Jones

Hellcat's Bounty coverSpace western. Lesbian space western romance, in fact. The western elements in this story are so lovingly crafted there were times I honestly forgot it was taking place on a space station. That said, the rich detail of Rosewood Station was glorious, and there were moments when I could lose myself in the tiny little self-contained world sitting on the edge-of-forever. The two combined are a tapestry of old-world values and new-world problems. Lush with saloons, tea houses, amoeba-hunting rakehell heroines, and backroom doctors who know the cure for a ruptured spacesuit and a broken heart, Rosewood is a claustrophobic frontier made no less wild by being stuck to the side of an asteroid.

Widdershins by Jordan L. Hawk

Widdershins coverThe first book in Hawk’s Whyborne & Griffin series, this is a fantastic blend of paranormal, historical romance, eldritch horror, and mystery. Dr. Percival Endicott Whyborne is a master of languages, and he can’t resist the lure of translating the text brought to him by private investigator Griffin Flaherty. That it just happens to lead them both into a murderous plot to resurrect a madman isn’t really Whyborne’s fault. Whyborne’s best friend, Dr. Christine Putnam, is a cantankerous, trigger-happy joy in every scene she’s in. There are currently six books in the series, with at least two more planned.

The Gumshoe, the Witch, and the Virtual Corpse by Keith Hartman

The Gumshoe the Witch and the Virtual Corpse cover 2Noir-style mystery wrapped in a near-future Atlanta where religion plays a huge role in day-to-day life, Wiccans have their own news media, and someone is digging up corpses and crucifying them. The gay private investigator is looking for his missing partner (a psychic witch), the Cherokee seer is merely asking the courts to uphold a 19th century land deal that ceded them most of northern Georgia, and poor Benji just wants to turn 15, preferably without getting grounded for life when his Baptist parents find out his girlfriend is a witch. There’s a deeper science fiction element to the plot that I can’t mention without spoiling things, but suffice it to say, this book is as interstitial as it gets. With ten different first-person POV characters, this book is like a bag of literary potato chips- there’s no way you’re going to read just one chapter.

Peripheral People by Michelle Moore and Reesa Herberth

Peripheral People coverMy own contribution to the world of interstitial fiction, Peripheral People is a science fiction romance paranormal mystery. It pits psychic cops and imperial agents against a violent killer who only leaves mental fingerprints- and a string of dead bodies littered across the ‘verse. Irascible Inspector Corwin Menivie has secrets to keep, he’s stuck with Westley Tavera, psychic Reader extraordinaire, and neither one of them is sure which is more dangerous- the traps left by the murderer they’re hunting, or the ones already waiting in their own minds.

Interstitial fiction is all about drawing from multiple genres and writing a story that lets all of those elements shine. I hope I’ve mentioned a few books here that send you looking for all the great stories that live between.

                    About the Authors….

Reesa Herberth was born in Nevada and spirited away to California before moving to Hawaii, where she grew up on the Big Island. She tried Arizona for a few years, then lit out for the D.C. area, where her nomadic itch is regularly curbed by the nightmares of urban traffic. She’s held a handful of the requisite crazy writer jobs, including book store overlord, office goddess for an artisan ice cream maker, and cheese-cup scrubber at an organic goat dairy.

Michelle Moore has a well-documented obsession with travel, television, frappuccinos and flamingos. These, however, come in a distant second to her love of writing. Most evenings she can be found huddled over her laptop at the local Starbucks, dividing her time between actually writing and pretending to be a barista.

Michelle and Reesa have been writing together for over fifteen years. They are currently working on more Ylendrian stories, and a petition to have cat hair recognized as a form of currency.

Twitter:

Michelle Moore – @marigotc

Reesa Herberth – @reesah
Facebook – Ylendrian Empire Fan Page
Websites:
Michelle and Reesa Write
Ylendrian Empire

PeripheralPeople_TourBanner

Giveaway

Contest:  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by Riptide Publishing. Enter to win a  Peripheral People Prize Pack: includes a book-themed soft cooler, a handful of recommended reads, and the winner’s choice of a title from Michelle and Reesa’s backlist.Rafflecopter giveaway

 

About Peripheral People (Ylendrian Empire) by Reesa Herberth and Michelle Moore

Peripheral People coverCorwin Menivie and Nika Santivan are decorated veterans of the Imperial Enforcement Coalition, and are perfectly capable of solving cases the old-fashioned way. When they’re paired with Westley Tavera and Gavin Hale, the most powerful Reader/Ground team to emerge from the Psionics Academy, it could either be the best thing that’s ever happened to crime fighting, or the makings of a quadruple homicide.

During a routine investigation, West’s talent puts them on the trail of a brutal serial killer who traps his prey in a deadly mental playground. Then the killer starts baiting the team, laying psychic landmines at crime scenes and exposing IEC secrets. The strain of the case binds the agents closer together—so close that Nika and Gavin start sharing a room, and even the curmudgeonly Corwin finds himself as occupied with West as he is with the murders.

But as West’s visions of death grow more violent, the only way out for all of them may be straight through the mind of a monster. If they’re not careful, they may forget which side of the hunt they’re on.

Buy it and read an excerpt at Riptide Publishing.

Book Details:

ebook, 430 pages
Published May 11th 2015 by Riptide Publishing
ISBN139781626492684
edition languageEnglish

The Ylendrian Empire universe is a series of loosely-connected space operas written by Michelle Moore and Reesa Herberth.

ylendrianempire-color-transparentbg-nocopyrightFast-paced heists, gritty paranormal mysteries, rescue missions in far-flung exotic jungles . . . the character-driven adventures and romances of the Ylendrian Empire are a chance to explore a new set of stars, with just enough spice to keep you wanting more.

Currently available:

The Balance of Silence
The Slipstream Con
In Discretion
Peripheral People

Find out more about the Ylendrian Empire at http://ylendrianempire.com

– See more at: Riptide Publishing’s Ylendrian Empire’s page.

Barb, A Zany Old Lady Review: Wedding Favors (A Bluewater Bay story, #7) by Anne Tenino

  • BWBlogo_WebRating: 5 stars out of 5

WeddingFavors_1200x1800HR-1Twelve years ago, Gabe Savage let his best friend’s brother get away. In fact, he encouraged him to leave Bluewater Bay by breaking off with him before they even got started, because he knew the artist within Lucas Wilder would never have a chance to fully develop if he stayed in this small backwoods town. Now, Gabe wants him back, and unknown to Lucas, this Gabe has all the patience in the world. All he has to do is treat Lucas like a skittish colt and wait for him to see that they belong together.

In the meantime, Lucas comes back to Bluewater Bay only because his best friend, Audrey, is marrying his brother—a fact he is shocked to learn. He’s to be her Man of Honor, and once the shock wears off, he packs up and heads north. Then he learns that Gabe Savage, that sexy redhead with the body of a real man, is going to be the Best Man, and he wants to run back to California.

Lucas has recently broken up with his partner, and since they not only owned a home together, but Lucas sold most of his artwork in his partner’s gallery, Lucas feels alone and adrift, unable to decide where to relocate so that he can pursue his art. Bluewater Bay is the last place he’d want to settle, but Audrey actually does him a favor by dragging him home. It’s not until she coerces Lucas into sculpting favors for her wedding, and she suggests that he can set up a studio at Gabe’s tree farm, that Lucas starts to suspect that there may be a master plan in place.

Gabe had never really believed that Lucas would return to town, but now that he has, he’s willing to go along with Audrey and her fiancé Zach and provide the space for Lucas. There’s certainly a better chance that he’ll have the opportunity to explain that he never meant to break Lucas’s heart all those years ago; at least, he hopes he can get the chance. He does get that chance, and eventually more, and the two pick up where they left off and go much further than either expected. Both men have matured, and Gabe is the macho, big, sweaty male that Lucas finds extremely hot and dominating in their relationship. Lucas is the kinky, sexy, subservient guy of Gabe’s dreams. But neither has learned to truly communicate their feelings, and they seem headed to disaster as the wedding approaches, and Lucas prepares to leave.

This one is my favorite in the Bluewater Bay series, so far. It amazes me that so many wonderful authors have come together to create this series in which each book is distinctive, yet fits in the series, often has overlapping characters, yet brings its own unique and interesting story to light. Anne Tenino has done an outstanding job with this one. There’s some angst and heartache for both men as they work through their past and show fear for their future. But there’s also humor, amazing secondary characters (Lucas’s father and his pot-growing operation for one), and there’s hope, romance and an emotional journey that brings them to deep and abiding love.

A super story! This can easily be read as a standalone as there’s little overlap with characters from other books. It’s for all those who enjoy reading about reunited lovers, hairy, sexy outdoorsmen, artists who see the beauty all around them, and just simply for all lovers of M/M romance. Don’t hesitate to pick this up.
~~~~
Cover design by LC Chase depicts two handsome young men—one dressed casually, one as a rugged outdoorsman—superimposed on a background of a barn and rural scenery. This photo matches both the MC’s and the story content perfectly.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing –  All Romance (ARe)Amazon   Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 325 pages
Published April 13th 2015 by Riptide Publishing (first published April 11th 2015)
original titleWedding Favors
ISBN139781626492929
edition languageEnglish
seriesBluewater Bay #7
charactersLucas Wilder, Gabriel Savage

Bluewater Bay Universe….WolfsLanding_transparent

Welcome to Bluewater Bay! This quiet little logging town on Washington state’s Olympic Peninsula has been stagnating for decades, on the verge of ghost town status. Until a television crew moves in to film Wolf’s Landing, a soon-to-be cult hit based on the wildly successful shifter novels penned by local author Hunter Easton.

Wolf’s Landing’s success spawns everything from merchandise to movie talks, and Bluewater Bay explodes into a mecca for fans and tourists alike. The locals still aren’t quite sure what to make of all this—the town is rejuvenated, but at what cost? And the Hollywood-based production crew is out of their element in this small, mossy seaside locale. Needless to say, sparks fly.

This collaborative story world is brought to you by eleven award-winning, best-selling LGBTQ romance authors: L.A. Witt, L.B. Gregg, Z.A. Maxfield, Aleksandr Voinov, Heidi Belleau, Rachel Haimowitz, Anne Tenino, Amy Lane, SE Jakes, G.B. Gordon, and Jaime Samms. Each contemporary novel stands alone, but all are built around the town and the people of Bluewater Bay and the Wolf’s Landing media empire.

Books in this Universe include with links to our reviews:

 

 

Happy Mother’s Day to All Mothers Everywhere and This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Thou art thy mother’s glass, and she in thee
Calls back the lovely April of her prime.
William Shakespeare
Sonnets

Happy Mother’s Day!

It’s Mother’s Day today and I’m off to deliver card and present to my mother this morning.  It’s time to celebrate those who raised us and loved us and helped us forward into  adulthood.  The Mothers who bore us, chose us, and made us their children.  Time to give thanks for their words, their silence support when needed, and their boundless encouragement.

For that reason, and others on this warm day, our Sunday post will be short.

 

Here is Our Schedule This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, May 10:

  • Happy Mother’s Day and Our Schedule This Week

Monday, May 11:

  • Light in Endless Darkness by Huston Piner – Book Blast and giveaway
  • In the Book Spotlight: Depending On You by J.E. Birk (excerpt and contest)
  • A Paul B Review: Rock Star Baby (Bad Oak Boys #1) by Erin M. Leaf
  • A Barb The Zany Old Lady Review: Wedding Favors by Anne Tenino

Tuesday, May 12:

  • In the Spotlight: Get Off My Case by Lisa Oliver (excerpt and giveaway)
  • A Stella Review: Caught! (The Shamwell Tales #1) by J.L. Merrow
  • A MelanieM Review: Catching the Swallow by John Inman

Wednesday, May 13:

  • Katey Hawthorne’s latest Superpowered Love Giveaway and Guest Post
  • Karen Stivali Moment of Clarity (Book 3 of the series) excerpt and giveaway
  • A BJ Review: Straight Boy by Alessandra Hazard
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Cookies for Courting by Amber Kell

Thursday, May 14:

  •  Reesa Herberth and Michelle Moore’s “Peripheral People” Tour and Giveaway
  • REV re-cover celebreation with Heidi Belleau (except and contest)
  • A BJ Review: Peripheral People by Reesa Herberth and Michelle Moore
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Just Desserts by Mary Calmes
  • A MelanieM Review: My Cowboy Promises by ZA Maxfield

Friday, May 15:

  • Teegan Loy’s Love Complicated Book Tour and Contest
  • A Stella Review: Played! by JL Merrow
  • A MelanieM Review: Keep The Stars Running Anthology
  • A BJ Review: Just a Bit Obsessed by Alessandra Hazard

Saturday, May 16:

An Aurora YA Review: Slaying Isidore’s Dragons by C. Kennedy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s Here! Sacrati by Kate Sherwood! (Release Day Giveaway)

Sacrati by Kate Sherwood
Sacrati_TourBanner

Published by Riptide Publishing
Release Date: Monday, May 4th, 2015

Today is release day for Kate Sherwood’s Sacrati!  The tour begins here, follow the tour for all the interviews and prizes along the way.  All the giveaway information is given at the end of this post, and don’t forget to include an email address where you can be reached!

About Sacrati…

As an elite Sacrati fighter in the mighty Torian military, Theos is blessed with a city full of women who want to bear his children, and a barracks full of men proud to fight at his side and share his bed. He has everything he needs–until he captures Finnvid on a raid.

Finnvid is on a secret mission to prevent the Torian invasion of his homeland Elkat. Being enslaved by Torian soldiers wasn’t in his plans. Neither is his horrified fascination with the casual promiscuity of the Sacrati warriors. Men should not lie with other men–and he should not be so intrigued when they do. He definitely should not be most intrigued by the leader of the soldiers who captured him and plan to invade his home.

For Theos, everything would have been easier if the infuriating, lying, bewildering Elkati had never come into his life, but he can’t stay away. When betrayal and treachery threaten both their nations, they must work together to stop a war that could destroy their homes forever–even as they begin to question everything they’re fighting for.

Available now at Riptide and on Monday where ebooks are sold.

sacrati coverBook Details:

Author: Kate Sherwood
eBook ISBN: 978-1-62649-253-0
eBook release: May 4, 2015
eBook Formats: pdf, mobi, html, epub
Print ISBN: 978-1-62649-254-7
Print release: May 4, 2015
Word count: 114,000,Page count: 407
Type: Standalone
Cover by: Kanaxa

 

About Kate Sherwood…

Kate Sherwood started writing about the same time she got back on a horse after almost twenty years away from riding. She’d like to think she was too young for it to be a midlife crisis, but apparently she was ready for some changes!

Kate grew up near Toronto, Ontario (Canada) and went to school in Montreal, then Vancouver. But for the last decade or so she’s been a country girl. Sure, she misses some of the conveniences of the city, but living close to nature makes up for those lacks. She’s living in Ontario’s “cottage country”–other people save up their time and come to spend their vacations in her neighborhood, but she gets to live there all year round!

Since her first book was published in 2010, she’s kept herself busy with novels, novellas, and short stories in almost all the sub-genres of m/m romance. Contemporary, suspense, scifi or fantasy–the settings are just the backdrop for her characters to answer the important questions. How much can they share, and what do they need to keep? Can they bring themselves to trust someone, after being disappointed so many times? Are they brave enough to take a chance on love?

Kate’s books balance drama with humor, angst with optimism. They feature strong, damaged men who fight themselves harder than they fight anyone else. And, wherever possible, there are animals: horses, dogs, cats ferrets, squirrels… sometimes it’s easier to bond with a non-human, and most of Kate’s men need all the help they can get.

After five years of writing, Kate is still learning, still stretching herself, and still enjoying what she does. She’s looking forward to sharing a lot more stories in the future.

Giveaway

Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a draw for a $15 Riptide gift card. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on April 11. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Don’t forget to add your email so we can contact you if you win!  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Prize provided by Riptide Publishing.

It’s Officially May and the Week Ahead at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

 

It’s May and my gardens are calling, full of tasks needing to be done and flowers waiting to be planted or thinned.   So short and sweet, here is our schedule this week and a couple of winner  announcements.

Enjoy the weather, and all the great books coming your way!

 

Contest Winner Announcements…

 

  • Winner Announcements:

Pulp Friction 2015 Round One is Give A Rush (the original person never answered numerous emails and attempts to contact them)

Winner of the Blue Eyed Stranger contest was Susana (a commenter from our blog) Susana was our winner for the Blue Eyed Stranger tour

This Week Ahead at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, May 3, 2014

  • It’s May and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, May 4, 2015

  • Angela Benedetti ‘Bits of Magic’ book blast and contest
  • Riptide’s Sacrati Tour and contest
  • Butt Riders on the Range with Guest Post by Kiernan Kelly (contest)
  • Special Guest Highlight:  A.F. Henley on Gram Parsons Stolen Corpse, & Baby’s On Fire (contest)
  • A MelanieM Review:  Baby’s On Fire by A. F. Henley

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

  • Cover Reveal for Suit Yourself (Men of London #3) by Susan McNichol
  • Liz Borino – Secrets of Nothing: Book Blast Tour
  • In the Book Spotlight: Luxorian Fugitive by Mann Ramblings‏ (excerpt and contest)
  • Zane Riley ‘Go Your Own Way‘ Virtual Book Tour and Giveaway
  • A Paul B Review: Temple’s Touch (A Wizard’s Touch #6) by Amber Kell
  • A MelanieM Review: Finding Freddie Venus (Have Body, Will Guard #7) by Neil S. Plakcy

Wednesday, May 6, 2015:

  • Mythologically Torqued Anthology book blast and contest
  • Cate Ashwood, LJ LaBarthe, and Raine O’Tierney ‘Piece Us Back Together’ Book Tour and Giveaway
  • Moment of Truth by Karen Stivali Tour and Giveaway
  • A Sammy Review: Paradox Lost by Libby Drew
  • A MelanieM Review: Keep The Stars Running Anthology

Thursday, May 7, 2015

  • Cover Reveal for Shira Anthony’s Blood and Ghosts Book Release! (contest)
  • Leaving Flowers by Debbie McGowan and Raine O’Tierney – Virtual Tour
  • A Stella Review: Moments of Clarity by Karen Stivali
  • A Paul B Review: Hope by Mark Zubro

Friday, May 8, 2015:

  • Young Crimes, Old Hearts anthology from Supposed Crimes LLC tour and contest
  •  A Mika Review: The Glass House by Suki Fleet
  • A MelanieM Review: A Counsellor Among Wolves by Liv Olteano
  • A MelanieM Review: Snowman by Isabelle Rowan

Saturday, May 9, 2015:

  • An Aurora YA Review: A Scout is Brave by Jay Jordan Hawke
  • Book Blast: A Counsellor Among Wolves by Liv Olteano

 

 

 

 

 

Our Best Book Covers of April 2015

Dreams Dreams of Fire and Gods

So many wonderful covers to choose from this month.  Covers that pulled you into and made you want to read the story inside. Covers that intrigued, drew you in or were just plain adorable.  We all have our favorites…what were yours this month?  Write and let us know!

              Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Best Covers of April 2015

crossed olive branches

In no particular order…

ToTouchTheSkyBurn The Sky coverFire- Dreams of Fire and Gods coverSpiretown cover

 

 

 

 

  • To Touch The Sky (Leap of Faith #2) by M.A. Church, cover art by LC Chase
  • Burn the Sky by Jaye McKenna. cover art by Chinchbug
  • Fire (Dreams of Fire and Gods #2) by James Erich, cover art by Paul Richmond (in fact all the covers in this series
  • Spiretown by Lia Black, cover design by the author

Fallout coverA Beginner's Guide to Wooing Your Mate coverSlasherazzi coverLost Along the Way cover

 

 

 

 

 

  • Fallout by Lisa Henry and M. Caspian,  cover art by Natasha Snow
  • A Beginner’s Guide to Wooing Your Mate (Being(s) in Love #3) by R. Cooper, cover art by Paul Richmond
  • Slasherazzi by Daniel A. Kaine, cover art by Wilde City Press art director
  • A Way Home by Keira Andrews, cover art?

 

SMCate-Ashwood-Thirty-Things-coverFood for Thought coverHoarfrost coverFamily of Lies cover

 

 

 

 

  • Thirty Things by Cate Ashwood, Cover art by Alexandria Corza
  • Food for Thought by Amy Lane (Tales of the Curious Cookbook), cover art by Reese Dante
  • Hoarfrost by Jordan L. Hawk, cover art by Jordan L. Hawk
  • Family of Lies: Sebastian by Sam Argent, cover art by Anne Cain

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000038_00067]

 

 

 

 

Our Best Books of April 2015

parabook

This year has been a little crazy and we got away from our monthly Best of Lists!  But they are back starting with April 2015.

Let’s take a closer look at those stories we read and loved so much.  One or two are 4.75 stars rounded up to 5, the rest are 5 star rated stories.  Are some of yours there t0o?  Drop us a line and let us know what books and authors stood out for you this month!

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Best Books of April 2015

crossed olive branches

 

Fantasy:

Contemporary Romance:

Science Fiction:

Supernatural/Paranormal:

YA – Aurora Reviews (Both 5 stars)