Category: Self Published

A MelanieM Review: Happy Medium (Club Raven #1) by Julia Talbot

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

happymedium-1Andrew is out to debunk Max as a medium, not make love to him…

A Club Raven Novel

Max Bellame is working his way through 1870s Baltimore as a medium, even if he knows nothing about spirits. He uses the power of his mind to move objects, convincing his clients he’s the real thing.

Andrew Meechum works for Club Raven, a gentleman’s club that doubles as a paranormal research facility. He sets out to debunk Max, only to be fascinated by the man. Can Andrew convince Max to take a chance on love, and to find his true calling as a medium, or will their personal demons force them apart?

Happy Medium is one of three Club Raven stories that center around a 1800’s gentlemen’s club that’s actually a living structure that house men/beings who have paranormal talents.  Its also a library, science lab, law enforcement branch, ‘what have you’ when it  comes to the needs of the paranormal.  Its also very, very, kinky.  Think local dungeon in the 1890’s.  You only get enough knowledge about Club Raven to want to know more.  Its fluid enough that each author (there are 3) can bend it according to the needs of her story.

I read the stories out of order, reading this one second.  I think it hurt all three in comparison to be honest.  One story had depth to the characters, their relationship and the reason for the D/s dynamics was laid out beautifully.  In another it was more PWP.  Happy Medium is well, just that,  the novel that falls exactly between the two.

We meet Max Bellame at a seance’.  He’s got true ability to move objects with his mind and uses that telekinesis to make his clients think they are talking to the dead.  Enter Andrew Meechum from Club Raven, investigating Max, to see if he’s the real deal.  There’s an attraction between them them even as the seance starts to go wrong.  Yes, you could say that  sparks flew.

I liked the characters, I thought the author did a good job in laying out who they were, backgrounds etc.  What bothered me about them and their relationship?  How quickly they jumped immediately into not only sex (in the 1890’s!) but a BDSM relationship, specifically a D/s when one had no prior knowledge of kink or the workings of such.  It was “strap me now”.  And that bothered me so much wondering about the time frame (imprisonment or worse), the fact that someone new and frankly distrustful of the man and club would jump into acts that require high levels of trust.  Well, it hurt the rest of the story.

Which was quite good.

There is another plot layer which I wish had been enlarged  (and the bdsm edited into a smaller role) which included Club Raven in a large role, its inhabitants, and other beings.  That was far more dynamic in my opinion.  I loved the interaction between Max and Andrew here.

Insta love/insta D/s is one thing that pulled this story down.  The surrounding layers and  plot threads made it  interesting as did seeing characters I had already encountered in the other stories appear.  I still enjoyed the tale.  You might not be bothered by the instalove aspect.  Club Raven has so much to offer, I’m wondering if these authors are going to go past these three books.  I would love to see what the paranormal part of the Club  holds out for the lost souls of the 1800’s.

Cover art works for the characters and novel.

 

Sales Links

Evil Plot Bunny | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 186 pages
Published January 17th 2017 by Evil Plot Bunny LLC
ISBN139781942831419
Edition LanguageEnglish
URLhttp://www.evilplotbunny.com/index.php/happy-medium-a-club-raven-novel/
SeriesClub Raven #1

 

Club Raven:

Happy Medium (Club Raven, #1)  by Julia Talbot

Wishful Thinking (Club Raven, #2)  by Kiernan Kelly

Calling His Bluff (Club Raven, #3)  by B.A. Tortuga

Cover Reveal for Down By Contact (Wilmington Breakers #1) by Sloan Johnson

DownByContact

Down By Contact (Wilmington Breakers #1)

by Sloan Johnson

BLURB:

There’ve been two great loves in Zach Kendricks’ life. He lost one because of his commitment to the other. 

After Griffin walked away because he refused to live his life in the closet, Zach put everything he had into achieving his football dreams. When he was drafted, he began to understand that Griffin had done the best thing for both of them by leaving. But that doesn’t mean he’s ever forgiven his first love. 

Now in his second season with the Wilmington Breakers, Zach’s committed to keeping his head down so he can prove his rookie stats weren’t a fluke. He knows his resolve will be tested when he’s selected to participate in Outside the Pocket, a reality show which follows players through training camp. He’s almost convinced himself it won’t be a distraction when Griffin walks into the room. Distraction becomes an understatement when he’s informed he will be spending nearly every waking minute for the next six weeks with the only man he’s allowed to hurt him. 

Will Zach’s love of the game be enough to keep him from being downed by contact again?

Workplace with blank digital tablet, paper, pen and cup of coffee on work table. Above view shot.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2jelery

Club Raven Blog Tour for BA Tortuga, Julia Talbot, and Kiernan Kelly (3 books, one series)

club-raven-banner-v2

Title: Calling His Bluff, Happy Medium, and Wishful Thinking

Author: BA Tortuga, Julia Talbot, and Kiernan Kelly

Series Title and Number: Club Raven, Books 1-3

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: January 17, 2016

Pairing: M/M

Genre/Tags: Romance, Paranormal, Historical, Alternate Universe, Spanking, Mediums, Mind Readers

Add Calling His Bluff to Goodreads

Add Happy Medium to Goodreads

Add Wishful Thinking to Goodreads

Synopsis

callinghisbluff1400x2100Calling His Bluff by BA Tortuga

After his twin dies in battle, it’s Patrick Daniels’ duty to marry his brother’s fiancée. Too bad he can’t make himself do it, and in his distress, he manifests a psychic talent that’s stronger than the tornadoes in his native East Texas. Then a mysterious man from a place called Club Raven steps in and sweeps Patrick off to the booming East Coast city of Baltimore.

Club Raven veteran Remy Blanchard sees Patrick and knows, even though Patrick is very ill, that this is the challenge he’s been waiting for. He nurses Patrick back to health, and begins to teach Patrick to control his talent. His methods might be unconventional, and Patrick might be new to the kinds of sexual games Remy knows best, but the two of them find something in each other that might be just as magical as the gentleman’s club where they meet.

Happy Medium by Julia Talbothappymedium-1

Andrew is out to debunk Max as a medium, not make love to him…

Max Bellame is working his way through 1870s Baltimore as a medium, even if he knows nothing about spirits. He uses the power of his mind to move objects, convincing his clients he’s the real thing.

Andrew Meechum works for Club Raven, a gentleman’s club that doubles as a paranormal research facility. He sets out to debunk Max, only to be fascinated by the man. Can Andrew convince Max to take a chance on love, and to find his true calling as a medium, or will their personal demons force them apart?

Wishful Thinking by Kiernan Kellywishfulthinking

Tony Brazzio, co-owner of Club Raven, Baltimore’s premiere men’s club in 1875, has a pocketful of cash and a chip on his shoulder. He’s out to prove to his co-owners — and himself — that he’s not a fluke, that anyone can be successful give the opportunity, no matter how poor his beginnings.

Bull O’Brian and Dandy Gilroy are two hoodlums from the rough streets of New York’s Five Points. They’re pickpockets by trade, and both possess psychic talents that make them two of the best. When Tony offers to bring them to Baltimore and give them the chance at a life of riches in polite society, they jump at the chance, if only to steal the members of Club Raven blind.

The best of plans rarely work the way they’re intended, and things swiftly go from bad to worse for Dandy and Bull. There’s murder afoot and a detective on their trail, and not even copious amounts of hot, sweaty sex can ease their fear or guilt.

As for Tony, he’s faced with admitting his experiment is a failure, something he’s loathe to do. It’ll take a great deal of persuasion, a little luck, and a lot of lube to make sure his plans for Dandy and Bull become more than just wishful thinking.

Purchase

Purchase all three Club Raven novels below!

Calling His Bluff: Evil Plot Bunny | Amazon

Happy Medium: Evil Plot Bunny | Amazon

Wishful Thinking: Evil Plot Bunny | Amazon

Meet the Authors

BA Tortuga

Texan to the bone and an unrepentant Daddy’s Girl, BA Tortuga spends her days with her basset hounds, getting tattooed, texting her sisters, and eating Mexican food. When she’s not doing that, she’s writing. She spends her days off watching rodeo, knitting, and surfing Pinterest in the name of research. BA’s personal saviors include her wife, Julia Talbot, her best friend, Sean Michael, and coffee. Lots of coffee. Really good coffee.

Having written everything from fist-fighting rednecks to hard-core cowboys to werewolves, BA does her damnedest to tell the stories of her heart, which was raised in Northeast Texas, but has heard the call of the high desert and lives in the Sandias. With books ranging from hard-hitting GLBT romance, to fiery menages, to the most traditional of love stories, BA refuses to be pigeon-holed by anyone but the voices in her head.

You can find out more about her by following her online.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Julia Talbot

Julia Talbot lives in the great Southwest, where there is hot and cold running rodeo, cowboys, and everything from meat and potatoes to the best Tex-Mex. A full time author, Julia has been published by Samhain Publishing, Dreamspinner Press and Changeling Press. She believes in stories that leave a mark, and that everyone deserves a happy ending, so she writes about love without limits, where boys love boys, girls love girls, and boys and girls get together to get wild, especially when her crazy paranormal characters are involved.

You can find out more about her by following her online.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram

Kiernan Kelly

Kiernan’s award-winning stories of gay romance envelop diverse themes, varying from paranormal, to fantasy, and science fiction to contemporary romance. She has over eighty titles in ebook and print, published through a variety of houses. Her horror short story release, “Cletus,” appears in the Coscom Publishing’s book “Bits of the Dead.”

Kiernan also writes young adult GLBT fiction under her Dakota Chase pen name. As Dakota, she currently has three novels and several shorter works available in print and ebook. Mad About the Hatter, her YA gay romance, is a finalist for the American Library Association book list for 2017.

You can find out more about her by following her online.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

 Indigo Logo 200

A Stella Review: Do Not Disturb: 3 Short Stories of Erotic Romance by Chris Scully

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

do-not-disturbChris Scully is one of my favourite authors. I often come back to her stories when I need to warm my heart. I was very enthusiastic to have Do Not Disturb on my hands and I can honestly say it was so much better than what I was expecting. I usually am not a fan of anthologies or collections of short stories, too many times it happens they don’t satisfy me or are too short to be complete. That wasn’t the case for this new release.

In Watch Me, I met Win, who has started working at the Benton Hotel six months ago. Taking care of his father during the day and working at night, is not easy at all. Especially when days at home are really bad. Lucas works the early shift and it is pretty clear he is interested in Win but every attempt Lucas does at starting something is shot down by Win, unconsciously at first until Lucas, pure sensuality as he is, plans to lure Win to him.

For many and different reasons I could emphatize with both main characters and I was so eager for them to find a happy ending. I couldn’t put the Kindle down for a moment. I loved how I was able to know a lot about them, even in so few pages.

Watch Me was the more “complete” short, I met the characters, I saw the interest, the chemistry, the courtship, the sex, the help. A very well done story.

The second short, Wedded, was the shortest and hottest one. At first it could seem just one little scenes where two strangers meet in a bar, fall in bed together and have (let me tell you) hot sex. But it wasn’t just this and although I can’t spoiler more I want to say it was hot and sweet.  I adored it.

Wanted, the third story, was longer and very very good. I was able to actually know the MCs, Evan and Graham, really well, during a chat, a bath, some hot moments. With great dialogues and the promise of HEA,  the author showed me two beautiful souls, both of them survivors in a different way, both of them in need of someone to love and care for. Wanted was an emotional story and I deeply loved it.

I feel I can recommend Do Not Disturb by Chris Scully, to me it was a winner. A collection of three hot shorts, full of feelings and well depicted characters. I couldn’t ask for more.

The cover art by the same author is pretty simple but it couldn’t have been more fitting.

Sales Link

c60a7-waxcreative-amazon-kindle

Book Details:

ebook, 99 pages
Published January 12th 2017 by Chris Scully
ASINB01NCROTM5
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Lila Review: Revolutionary Temptation by Silvia Violet

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

revolutionary-temptation1777 New York City

The American colonists are fighting for their independence, but the battlefield is not the only place to wage war. When General Washington’s head of intelligence asks Captain Jack West to spy on the British in New York, Jack agrees, despite reservations about this ungentlemanly pursuit.

Jack’s contact in the city recruits bookshop owner Elias Ashfield, an impeccably dressed sensualist who flaunts his desire for both men and women and seeks a place in high society. Jack longs for a simple life guided by clear principles. Eli is a risk-taker who knows how to get what he wants. And he wants Jack in his bed.

Events in Jack’s past have made him fearful of acting on his secret craving for a man’s touch, but Eli intrigues Jack as much as he infuriates him. As Jack and Eli search for the information the rebel army needs, they realize there’s more between them than mere lust. But finding a way to be together may prove more difficult than defeating the British Empire.

Revolutionary Temptation is the first LGBTQ+ story I read taking place during the American Revolution. It was interesting to see the mix of fictional characters interacting with historical ones. The author did an excellent job placing the story, and getting the reader into its historical frame.

The book does start slow, but it’s necessary. We get to see Jack and Eli individually and interacting with Mrs. Sullivan–who acts as a third main character. And that, I think, is where my issue with the story starts. This book is a two in one–a romance & a literary fiction story.

I wish we got more of the fiction element than the romance, though. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed Jack, Eli, and their love. I simply wanted that it to merge better with the overall arc. Sometimes, I expected to know more about their work for the rebels, just to have it interrupted by the romance; and vice-versa.

The emotions and intrigues in this story run high. There’s plenty of smexy scenes and page-turning moments. The amount of detail is up-to-par and most secondary and supporting characters had a point and a story to be part of the book. I’m looking forward to more about Eli’s, Jack’s, and Constance’s adventures. The author has a great fictional world to work with.

I’m sure it was hard to find models to fit the period and Jack’s & Eli’s characteristics, but Meredith Russell did a good job adjusting the cover to fit the story.

Sale Links: Smashwords | Amazon | Payhip 

ebook, 254 pages
Published: January 17, 2017, Silvia Violet Books
ASIN: B01N2ZPANE
Edition Language: English

Swing Back into History with Silvia Violet’s Revolutionary Temptation (recent release)

Revolutionary Temptation – Silvia Violet

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Smashwords | KOBO 
 
Length: 67,500
 
Cover Design: Meredith Russell
 

Blurb

1777 New York City

The American colonists are fighting for their independence, but the battlefield is not the only place to wage war. When General Washington’s head of intelligence asks Captain Jack West to spy on the British in New York, Jack agrees, despite reservations about this ungentlemanly pursuit.

Jack’s contact in the city recruits bookshop owner Elias Ashfield, an impeccably dressed sensualist who flaunts his desire for both men and women and seeks a place in high society. Jack longs for a simple life guided by clear principles. Eli is a risk-taker who knows how to get what he wants. And he wants Jack in his bed.

Events in Jack’s past have made him fearful of acting on his secret craving for a man’s touch, but Eli intrigues Jack as much as he infuriates him. As Jack and Eli search for the information the rebel army needs, they realize there’s more between them than mere lust. But finding a way to be together may prove more difficult than defeating the British Empire.

 
 
January 19 – MM Good Book Reviews
 
Author Bio
 

Silvia Violet writes fun, sexy stories that will leave you smiling and satisfied. She has a thing for characters who are in need of comfort and enjoys helping them surrender to love even when they doubt it exists. Silvia’s stories include sizzling contemporaries, paranormals, and historicals. When she needs a break from listening to the voices in her head, she spends time baking, taking long walks, curling up with her favorite books, and spending time with her family.

Newsletter: http://silviaviolet.com/newsletter
Website: http://silviaviolet.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/silvia.violet
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Silvia_Violet
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/silvia.violet/
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/silviaviolet/

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A MelanieM Review: Wild Bells by Charlie Cochrane

 

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

wild-bellsWild Bells, two historical novellas.

The Shade on a Fine Day:
Curate William Church may set the hearts of the parish’s young ladies aflame, but he doesn’t want their affection or presents, no matter how much they want to give them to him. He has his sights set elsewhere, for a love he’s not allowed to indulge. One night, eight for dinner at the Canon’s table means the potential arrival of a ghost. But what message will the spirit bring and which of the young men around the table is it for?

The Angel in the Window:
Two officers, one ship, one common enemy.
Alexander Porterfield may be one of the rising stars of the British navy, but his relationship with his first lieutenant, Tom Anderson, makes him vulnerable. To blackmail, to anxieties about exposure—and to losing Tom, either in battle or to another ship. When danger comes more from the English than the French, where should a man turn?

Charlie Cochrane is one of our top m/m historical fiction authors.  Her stories center us and her characters in their era and cultures effortlessly, plunging us into the niceties of teas, obligation,and  respectability. A place of insular cultures and a society where loving a man and sodomy will get you and your lover hanged. In Wild Bells, Cochrane offers us up two stories.  Each beautifully written, a treasure of romance, and love found within the strictures of the laws and ways of that time period.

The Shade on a Fine Day sees the journey of one young curate to what it is he really wants and the courage to reach out and ask for it.  For the author, she always keeps in mind what is plausible and what is not within that time frame and sensibilities.  When her story plays out, as it does gently, sweetly and with love, you can see it happening and you believe in it.  I loved this story.

The Angel in the Window is a friends to lovers story that is anything but simple.  Layered and deep, the story of Alexander and Tom’s relationship is colored by the fear of discovery.  That even the hint of something less than reputable could lose them their reputations,their Commissions, their standings, even their lives.  Its the law of the land and its followed strictly.  How Alexander and Tom work through this is another Cochrane hallmark and its one that had made me a fan since I first discovered her through her Cambridge Fellows Mysteries.

This is a wonderful two story treasure.  Its perfect for the holidays but really any time of the year.   Pick up it and revel in the lovely writing and romances of Charlie Cochrane.

Cover art is simple yet effective.

Sales Links

7104e-waxcreative-amazon-kindleBook Details:

Kindle Edition, 131 pages
Published December 1st 2016
Original TitleThe Shade on a Fine Day and The Angel in the Window
ASINB01NA785ID
Edition LanguageEnglish

A MelanieM Recent Release Review: Perfect Catch by N.R. Walker

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

perfect-catchCalvin Lynch and Troy Hoffman have been best mates since they were fourteen years old. They’re both hard-working tradesmen, both love weekends away fishing, both gay, but have never been single at the same time. Until now.

What is supposed to be a weekend away fishing with a group of mates, changes at the last minute when friends bail out in an attempt to give Cal and Troy some alone time.

With more than just hooks on the line, can these two see what’s been right in front of them the whole time?

The Perfect Catch is a short story about falling for your best friend hook, line, and sinker.

A 20K short story which was part of the It Was Always You anthology.

I missed out on this anthology somehow but I thrilled that I got to read NR Walker’s Perfect Catch as a standalone.  This is as close to perfect a ‘friends to lovers’ story can be in a short format.  The author gives us Calvin and Troy’s background as tight mates from their teens, their circle of friends, who by the way have long recognized how much these men have loved each other, and the deep, abiding bond that exists between Cal and Troy.   One weekend of camping and fishing, something the men have always done together, brings out all the hidden feelings, all the longing, all the revelations in a way that I can only call the NR Walker way.  Its superb, heartwarming, and delightful.

Told from Calvin’s pov, we get the sense of old friends working effortlessly as they prepare for their camping trip, the Ute packed, gear stowed as it has hundreds of times.  Yet this trip? New thoughts are churning in Cal’s head, and perhaps, Troy’s too.  Put there by their friends who deliberately backed out of coming with them and their own desires.

Slowly, bit by bit, over the trip, as they fish, eat, and watch each other, the sexual tension and knowledge that things are changing builds.  Its delicious, we want it to never end and we want it to stop immediately.  Because we have fallen in love with these men and we want them to be happy.

Oh, those sex scenes are hot when they finally happen.  Fans self.

Only the ending kept this from being 5 stars.  It was either too long or not long enough.  I still can’t decide.  Probably not long enough.  It is N.R. Walker after all.  I can never get enough of her stories or couples.

If you  missed out on the anthology, or this story,   grab it up immediately.  This is one you definitely won’t want to miss!  I’m on my way to rereading it once more.

Cover art is perfect for the story and couple

Sales Links

65a2f-waxcreative-amazon-kindle

 

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 63 pages
Published January 10th 2017
Original TitlePerfect Catch
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Lagniappe (Iron Lace #2) by Mercy Celeste

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

lagniappe-by-mercy-celesteThis story is an exemplary sequel to what was a wonderful story, Behind Iron Lace. In this one, Caleb and Darcy are now in Oregon, building the restaurant Caleb dreamed of. The taste of New Orleans meets Oregon here, and the bad boy is settling down.

One of the little glitches that turns out to be a major issue is that the chef is Caleb’s cousin, Bubba, imported from Louisana, and he still has the hots for Caleb as he did when they were eighteen year olds caught in the act. It doesn’t matter that he has a wife—he’s out to get Caleb away from Darcy. And in the meantime, Darcy has his own problem—his former best friend and life partner, Bailey, has come for a visit, and Darcy doesn’t want to see her. She cheated on him and then ran his magazine into the ground when he left it to her as he escaped to Oregon. Plus she’s eight months pregnant with the cheater’s child. What’s to like?

Jealousy, anger, and surprises abound when all of this comes to a crisis just before Christmas, and the surprise Darcy receives is nothing he could ever have expected and neither could the readers! I loved it. If you like Mercy Celeste, by all means read Behind Iron Lace and then read this one. It’s terrific! BIL should be read first though, as this one isn’t really a standalone.

Cover art by Jay Aheer of Simply Defined Art features a stunning, apparently nude male torso in a black-and-white photo.

Sales Link

7104e-waxcreative-amazon-kindle

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 83 pages
Published December 6th 2016
ASINB01N9ET2JC
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesIron Lace #2