Category: Self Published

A MelanieM Review: High Stakes (Four of Clubs #4) by Parker Williams (Pulp Friction 2015 #15)

Rating:  5 stars out of 5      ★★★★★

High Stakes coverBen Nelson marvels at the resiliency of his lover, Artie Middleton. He takes everything life throws at him and comes out the other end stronger than ever. It’s with this strength in mind that Ben tosses Artie a curveball that will change both of their lives forever.

A single question from Ben’s lips has Artie rushing headlong toward his happily ever after. One that he never thought he’d have and is now being served to him on a silver platter. He has it all—friends, family, and a future. But even a gifted psychic can’t see everything, and Artie is about to get a wakeup call.

Things he thought to be true about his past aren’t as clear-cut as he believed. His history with some of the people in his life runs deeper than he realized. And he’s about to learn a previously unknown threat from his childhood has returned to rip it all away.

Artie soon finds that in this game, the stakes couldn’t be higher: the lives of everyone he loves.

We’ve reached book four in the latest Pulp Friction series and we all know what that means if you’ve read any of the previous series.  It’s time for some serious angst and despair.  Boy, does Parker Williams and High Stakes deliver that in, well, clubs. Can’t very well say spades can we?

Using the poker game analogy, the stakes of the games are raised up even higher still.  Within these 60 pages, Parker Williams fills in more of Artie’s history and family background, along with a connection to another character’s past.  The author uses this information not merely to inform but to scare the living bejeezus out of us with the ramifications it brings.

If any book has a purpose in a series (and this one surely does), its to show the closing in of evil around our small gang of knights gathering to do battle.  And the odds aren’t looking good.  The despair pours off the descriptions, and the angst flows even over the most joyful of scenes.  And that ending?  A shocker to the soul.  That one went beyond a mere gnashing of teeth and tearing of the hair into the “Oh Nooooooooooo!” *cue to  screams of disbelief*.

I did not see that one coming.  When you can hide something like that event in the small clues stashed away in bits and pieces throughout the tale, well, that’s wonderful storytelling.  Well done, Mr. Parker!  Still devastated but well done.

Two more books to go.   One more by Parker Williams and then the series finale written by all the authors and combined story lines.  I can’t wait to see how they are going to pull this off.  I  am totally perplexed about the whole thing.  The villains, the subplots, and just how its all going to work itself out.  Am I a happy camper?  Yes, I am.

All the stories are short, so it easy to catch up if you need to start at the beginning of a series.  There are four of them that are connected here.  I have them all listed at the bottom of the review.  Use it as a TBR list if you haven’t already.

Love paranormal romance?  Murder mysteries?  Supernatural beings?  Why not combine them all in the style of a pulp fiction series?  They have it all here.  Now I just can’t wait to see how it will all end.

I highly recommend this series and all the interconnected series its attached to.

Cover art by Laura Harner.  I’ve been ambivalent about these covers from the start.  But I really like this one.  Especially with the shadows that can be taken a number of ways.  Great job.

Sales Links:  All Romance (ARe)  | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 65 pages
Published September 13th 2015
ASINB015DBPJHE
edition languageEnglish
seriesPulp Friction 2015 #15, Four of Clubs #4
other editions (1)
High Stakes (Four of Clubs #4) (Pulp Friction 2015, #15)

 

☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠☠

About Pulp Friction 2015

Lee Brazil ~ Havan Fellows ~ Parker Williams ~ Laura Harner

The Pulp Friction 2015 Altered States Collection.
Four authors.
Four Series.
Twenty books.
One supernatural finale.

Spend a year with the creatures that go bump in the night…fighting for their rights to exist and protecting the innocents of The Big Easy. A diverse group of friends trying to find their place in a world they never had to “fit” into before.

Although each series can stand alone, we believe reading the books in the order they are released will increase your enjoyment.

Round One:
Drawing Dead (Jack of Spades: 1) by Lee Brazil
Blind Stud (King of Hearts: 1) by Havan Fellows
The Devil’s Bedpost (Four of Clubs: 1) by Parker Williams
Diamonds and Dust (Ace of Diamonds: 1) by Laura Harner

Round Two:
Dead Blind (Jack of Spades: 2) by Lee Brazil
Stud Player (King of Hearts: 2) by Havan Fellow
Up the Ante (Four of Clubs: 2 ) by Parker Williams
Diamond Draw (Ace of Diamonds: 2) by Laura Harner

Round Three:

Dead Button (Jack of Spades #3) by Lee Brazil
Blind Man’s Bluff (King of Hearts #3) by Havan Fellows
The Devil’s Playground (Four of Clubs #3) by Parker Williams
Diamonds Edge (Ace of Diamonds #3) by Laura Harner

Round Four:

Dead Man’s Hand (Jack of Spades 4) by Lee Brazil
Blind Heart (King of Hearts 4) by Havan Fellows
High Stakes (Four of Clubs 4) by Parker Williams
Diamond Flush (Ace of Diamonds 4) by Laura Harner

A BJ Review: The Complications of T (The Actor’s Circle #1) by Bey Deckard

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

The Complications of T coverStuart Leandro is a movie actor who has been taking roles for money rather than art and has recently faced that his marriage is breaking up. One night on the road in a foreign country, he winds up drunk in the gutter. Lucky for him, there’s someone’s there to rescue him before his face ends up plastered all over the tabloids. But is his rescuer male or female? His drunken senses aren’t at all sure, especially after a semi-coherent kiss enters the mix.

When he wakes in a strange apartment the next day, his rescuers gender still isn’t clear. Wary of the motives of the reclusive stranger, Stuart nonetheless can’t deny his curiosity or his attraction. He’s surprised when beneath the mystery, he discovers someone whose life has actually been intertwined with his own for years. But Tim White is unlike anyone Stuart has met before.

Tim’s simple act of kindness soon leads the two men into one of the most intense encounters of both of their lives—but are these two very public individuals willing to weather the media storm their extraordinary relationship will cause?

This story is a bit different than what I’ve come to expect from this author; less dark, lighter and most definitely sweeter. But I enjoyed it immensely.

Stuart and Tim’s romance moved from a strong attraction to sex that sent sparks flying and quickly coalescing into insta-love. It was Stuart’s first gay experience, yet he took it very much in stride. I admired his acceptance and open-mindedness, and the hesitant but determined way he dealt with discovering Tim right alongside experiencing emotions and attractions that were new to him. The sex was light rather than detailed, which actually disappointed me since unlike other trans books I’ve read, it was clear that Tim didn’t eschew taking pleasure by using his remaining female parts.   

After its breakneck start, the relationship slowed down (actually came to a rather screeching halt) at Tim’s request. And I actually liked that. I was enthralled with the hopeful direction it was heading, and then it ended.

Yep, it ended way too abruptly for my liking. I wanted to experience those absence-made-the-heart-grow-fonder moments, wanted their physical reunion right there on the page, wanted to know if the reactions of others that they’d both worried over and dreaded turned out as expected, and if so, how they handled it together. Wanted more.

Sometimes life is all about being in the right place at the right time. Tim White was there just when and where Stuart needed him to be. How he came to be there wasn’t quite clear to me. Coincidence? Or was Tim stalking his favorite actor?

Despite all those nit picks, I couldn’t rate this less than four stars, because I enjoyed Tim’s character so much. His wit, intelligence, self-assurance and strength and low angst level were perfect. And his reclusive lifestyle rang very true to me. And then there’s this:

“You want to know if I have a penis?”

“Yeah,” I confessed, a little embarrassed.

“I do!,” said Tim, but when he saw the look on my face, he just tugged my hair again with a playful smirk. “I was, however, unfortunately born without it, and seeing as what science can offer really, and I mean really, doesn’t appeal to me, I’m forced to keep it in the top drawer of the bedside table. Why? Do you want to see it?”

So yeah, I love Tim, and really, really hope there will be a second book that’s from Tim’s point of view… just as in the F.I.S.T.S. series we got the second from Murphy’s. Please, with puppy dog eyes, can you give me that dear author?

The lovely and sensual cover does this story justice. Love it.

Sales Links:  All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here


Book Details:

ebook, 53 pages
Published August 20th 2015 by Bey Deckard (first published August 18th 2015)
ISBN13 9780994790026
series The Actor’s Circle #1

In Our Supernatural Spotlight: Uncaged (Shifter Uprising #1) by Lisa Oliver and T.J. Oliver (author interview, excerpt & giveaway)

actual cover

Uncaged (Shifter Uprising #1) by Lisa Oliver and T.J. Oliver
Release Date: July, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Oliver Group Publications
Cover Artist: Lisa Oliver

Banner300x250

Buy the book: Amazon |AllRomance (ARe) | Smashwords

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Thomas Oliver, co-author of Uncaged, Shifter’s Uprising series book one.  (Written with Lisa Oliver, author of the Cloverleah Pack and Bound and Bonded series).

Hi Thomas, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

Hi there, thank you for having me here today.  This book, Uncaged, is my first book, although I think it’s my Mom’s seventeenth or something.  I had the idea for the Shifter’s Uprising series for a while, but I wasn’t sure how to go about writing it, and that is where Lisa Oliver came in.  In Uncaged you have Carlin and Lucas, both fighters, both having committed crimes against shifter law and both living at the Souterrain which is run by a force called the Elite. Carlin and Lucas are mates and want to be together, but Lucas wants his freedom too.  When Carlin tries to fight for that freedom, Martin, the ruler of the Elite, decides Carlin’s death would be a better idea instead. Both Carlin and Lucas have to fight for their right to be together and to be free.

  • Was there a basis for you story? A previous experience or something else?

I don’t think there was any defining moment for me, but it is like you see the little things that happen every day, on the news and on social media, and you think WTF?  But these things happen and yet people don’t seem to do anything about corruption, politicians taking away rights or discrimination and that is where the ideas for this series came from – that realization.

  • What skills do you think a writer needs?

An open mind, some serious typing skills, a vision to work with and an awful lot of patience.

  • What for you is the perfect book hero?

This might sound strange, but someone like Harry Potter appeals to me.  He’s humble, modest, has overcome a lot of crap in his life, and its like him against the world – yet he still keeps fighting and he still comes out on top. I like that.

  • Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

I have trouble getting my words onto paper, and this is where Mom (Lisa Oliver) was a huge help.  I have the ideas, and I know how I want scenes to go, but getting those thoughts onto paper was a new thing for me, and the book wouldn’t have been finished if I had tried to do this on my own.

  • Tell us about your favorite childhood book.

Hairy Maclary – actually that is one of the few books from my childhood I can remember – he didn’t do a lot, but the stories always flowed really well.

RC

Blurb

Carlin is an Alpha Wolf Fighter, one of only three in the top spots at the Souterrain – an underground fighting club, run by the Elite to punish shifters who have gone outside of the laws. He’s happy enough, only has to fight exhibition matches, has his own apartment space, food and sex on tap – yep, life it good. So when Martin offers him the chance to fight for his freedom, Carlin turns it down. It’s no fun being a lone wolf and Carlin is quite happy where he is.

Then Lucas catches his eye. A handsome man, a stunning fighter, moving up through the ranks fast. Lucas might not have the killer attitude that most men at the Souterrain have, but he’s got the moves. Carlin has no problems insisting the man is bought to his apartment – sex is never a bad idea. But when he catches Lucas’s scent and realizes the man is his fated mate, suddenly getting him to bed is the least of his problems. Lucas wants to be free, and for the first time in a long time, so does Carlin.

Unfortunately there is more to Lucas than meets the eye. Martin certainly has no intention of letting them go, and if he has to have Carlin killed to keep Lucas at the Souterrain, then the man has no problems with that either. Suddenly the deal Carlin makes with Martin goes horribly wrong, and Carlin and Lucas realize that the price for freedom might be Carlin’s life, and even then Lucas will not be free.

Warnings: M/M sex, HEA, some violence (they are in a fight club after all). A growly Alpha who lets his emotions get the best of him, and a hybrid shifter with a wicked imagination.

Pages or Words: 44,000
Categories: Erotica, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Paranormal

Excerpt

Carlin knew he was behaving like an idiot pacing up and down the floor of his small apartment, but he couldn’t stop. How long did it take for one man to have a shower for fucks sake? He’d ordered food for the both of them. Having been a fighter for more than five years, Carlin knew that Lucas would be hungry – hopefully for food and sex. But if the bloody man didn’t get his skates on then Carlin would eat alone and get straight to dessert when Lucas arrived.

About to call Brian and find out where his errant fuck had gone, Carlin caught the sound of people outside of his door. He threw himself on the couch and picked up a book. He didn’t want Lucas thinking he was waiting for him or anything.

Brian came in, Lucas a few steps behind him.

“Alpha Fighter Carlin. This is Lucas, ranked fifth after today.”

Carlin was surprised. He’d heard the man had moved swiftly up the ranks, but he didn’t realize that Lucas was so close to a shot for an Alpha ranking. In theory, one more fight and he might have to fight Lucas in the ring. For a moment Carlin was tempted to send the man away. He did have some conscience, even after so many years of being a fighting machine. He didn’t want to have to kill someone who had been in his bed.

But then Lucas stepped past Brian, and Carlin was caught in angry eyes. Silver eyes. Something tugged at Carlin’s brain – the eye color had some significance, didn’t it? But then Lucas’s scent hit Carlin’s nose and any rational thought fell straight out of his brain.

“Leave, Brian,” Carlin said, standing up and not breaking his stare with Lucas. He knew his body radiated the power he was famous for, and guessed he might look intimidating, as he heard Brian whisper to Lucas as he scurried out of the door, “I told you not to stare at an Alpha. You’re dead meat pup.”

“Better dead than a fuck toy,” Lucas snarled – his comment for Brian, but those silver eyes stayed fixed on Carlin.

“I agree,” Carlin said, his voice dropping as he got closer. Before Lucas could react, he reached his hand around, grabbing Lucas by the nape and pushing the man’s face into his throat. Whatever Lucas was going to say was muffled by Carlin’s skin, although the man was kicking, punching and doing everything he could to get free.

“Sniff, damn you,” Carlin said urgently. “Fucking sniff, and then I’ll let you go.”

Carlin felt Lucas quieten, although his body still stayed rigid in Carlin’s grasp. Lucas’s deep inhale was the only sound in the room. Carlin knew the moment Lucas had worked out what Carlin was trying to say.

BannerTemplate

Meet the Authors

Lisa Oliver had been writing non-fiction books for years when visions of half dressed, buff men started invading her dreams. Unable to resist the lure of her stories, Lisa decided to switch to fiction books, and now stories about her men clamor to get out from under her fingertips.
When Lisa is not writing, she is usually reading with a cup of tea always at hand. Her grown children and grandchildren sometimes try and pry her away from the computer and have found that the best way to do it, is to promise her chocolate. Lisa will do anything for chocolate.
Lisa loves to hear from her readers and other writers. You can friend her on Facebook here, or email her directly at yoursintuitively@gmail.com.

Thomas Oliver doesn’t have a lot of time for writing itself although he can talk about his ideas for hours. A construction worker by day, he has a wicked imagination and it was from sharing some of his ideas with Lisa, that the idea for this series was born.
When not working, Thomas is like any other young man. He loves to spend time with friends, his girlfriend and working on his car. His dream is to do up a project car – something mean, with attitude and plenty of power under the hood.
Anyone wanting to contact Thomas can do so through Facebook.

Where to find the author:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lisaoliverauthor
Facebook Author Page:
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/wisecrone333
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lisaoliver79/
My Blog: http://www.supernaturalsmut.com

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: three ebook copies of the book to giveaway (pdf, mobi or epub). Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the authors and Pride Promotions.

Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Tour Dates & Stops:
21-Sep – BFD Book Blog, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Amanda C. Stone
22-Sep – Just Love Romance, Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, MM Good Book Reviews
23-Sep – Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Happily Ever Chapter
24-Sep – Divine Magazine, Molly Lolly
25-Sep – Open Skye Book Reviews, Jessie G. Books
28-Sep – Mikky’s World of Books, It’s Raining Men, Bayou Book Junkie
29-Sep – Michael Mandrake, The Blogger Girls
30-Sep – Inked Rainbow Reads
1-Oct – Love Bytes, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Bike Book Reviews
2-Oct – Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

A Mika Review: Fret (The Rock #1) by Sandrine Gasq-Dion

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars 

Fret coverFormer Navy SEAL Axel Blaze lives a solitary life. He doesn’t do emotions, and he doesn’t do babysitting. Used to being on his own, his job consists of Wetwork (a charming term coined by the KGB) for his former Master Chief, Mac. When an out-of-the-ordinary job lands on his doorstep, Axel heads down a path that includes a famous heavy metal rock band and one quiet, vulnerable, guitar-shredding virtuoso named Gareth Wolf.

Gareth Wolf’s life changed in an instant when a car he was a passenger in crashed, hurting his brother’s best friend and the band’s lead guitarist. They created the band, Skull Blasters, as kids. Gareth had always been happy in the background, playing roadie. With the lead guitarist’s injury, Gareth is suddenly thrust into the limelight and into a frenzied life he never imagined for himself. Finally fed up with living a lie, Gareth comes out as gay in a newspaper interview and finds himself in the bulls-eye of a crazed stalker. Somebody wants Gareth hurt – or worse – and Mac has been hired to be sure that doesn’t happen. Babysitting duty is NOT Axel’s strong suit, but Mac won’t be budged.

Enter Axel Blaze.

Against his better judgment, the big man takes the job to protect the shy musician. The more time he spends with Gareth Wolf, the more he admires the man. Where’s a simple assassination when you need one? The situation becomes more volatile for each man as the attempts on Gareth escalate just as Axel finds himself falling for the quiet lead guitarist.

Strong, funny, smart-ass — and kinda sweet Axel is everything Gareth has ever wanted in a man. Too bad he’s off limits. As the stalker grows bolder, Gareth and Axel move closer emotionally – but is it too late? All Axel knows is that they don’t stand a chance if he can’t find the maniac trying to kill the man he’s come to care about. A lot. 
Everyone knows that relationships that begin in pressured or volatile situations eventually fizzle out. 
Or do they?

I’m used to  Sandrine Gasq-Dion‘s bodies of work. I’m sure I’ve read 98% of her published catalog. I know what to expect out of her stories before I start reading them. Be it the Men of Manhattan Series, or my obsession with her Assassin/Shifter series. I can expect pure smut, unadulterated sweetness, a lot of gyrating, some closeted a-holes, a lot of acceptance from straight guys, and just fun reading them. You can say I’m familiar biblically with her work. I wrote that to say, this seemed like a first draft for me. I don’t think I ever had an issue with the editing, and proofreading of her stories. It took a toll on the rating for me. You know a handful of errors is doable, the entire story is unacceptable. The writing errors, speech errors, and the constant point of view changes made the story unexciting.

It was very monotonous to have to go over what I read. The plot wasn’t a mystery. I think it was a good concept, but conception wise it fell very short. This does not feel like a SGD book at all. I wasn’t happy with it. I liked the characters, but I felt like it could have been more. I think Axel and Gareth could have been better characters if they were developed more. I never got attached to them. I felt like we were treading water throughout the story. Of course I’ll continue to read her work, but this one left me unsatisfied and disappointed.

 Cover Art by unknown:  I think the cover was nicely done. It fit well with the blurb and plot of the story.

Sales Links:  Amazon  |  Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 232 pages
Published September 1st 2015 (first published August 28th 2015)
series
The Rock #1

A Paul B Review: Condor and the Shifting Sands (Condor One #7) by John Simpson

Book Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars
Series Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Condor and the Shifting Sands cover

The first eBook that I ever read was John Simpson’s Condor One. This would hook me into the mm romance genre. I have followed the series over the last several years and have enjoyed it very much. Now, the series comes to an end as Mr. Simpson has published Condor and the Shifting Sands.

David Windsor, the former President of the United States and current US Ambassador to the Court of St. James (in other words, US Ambassador to the United Kingdom), where his cousin King William sits on the throne. He receives a call from the Duke of Somerset, also know as Darren Wilson the son of the current US President. He tells his David that his mother would like him to call him as soon as possible. Knowing something must be wrong if the President was not using official channels to contact him, David places the call.

President Victoria Wilson asks David and his husband Shane Thompson-Windsor to stop by Washington on the pretense of visiting Shane’s ailing father. However, she has other plans for the men. There are two world problems that are growing quickly and there are no other options than to send David and Shane to try to diffuse the situations. It appears that ISIS is about to take over and destroy a key dam in Iraq that if destroyed will flood a lot of the country. Also, Vladimir Putin is doing some sabre rattling around the border of Ukraine. She would like the pair to fly over there to find solutions to both problems without starting World War III. It is up to David to find diplomatic solutions while Shane once again protects his backside and gives his own unique opinion of the situation.

Shifting Sands is a good send off for the series but there was something missing from it to make it an excellent one. First, readers are used to books in the series being about twice as long as this one and the story felt a bit rushed. While most of the supporting characters make an appearance in the book, I felt that they should have been featured more during this book, especially their son Jack. But Sands does give you the romance and action from David and Shane that you have come to expect from this series.

The cover art by Maria Fanning has been consistent throughout the series. The same models for David and Shane have been featured on most of the covers. This cover has the pair standing in front of a window presumably at Winfield House. Above this, a picture of a swirling sand dune take the to third of the cover. It is a solid cover for the book.

The Condor One series started with David Windsor running for election for President while being guarded by Secret Service Agent Shane Thompson and their budding romance. The first three books deal with the election and David’s term as president and being the first openly gay president. Then next four books deal with the time immediately after David’s presidency and building a family with Shane and their adopted son Jack.

In the series, Mr. Simpson tackled marriage equality, the war in Iraq, the military industrial complex, don’t ask-don’t tell, energy policy, radical Islam, sleeper cells, Al Qaeda, ISIS, Ukraine, homelessness, gay teens and more. Mr. Simpson has tried to keep the series relevant but real life current events can sometimes get in the way of that. (Osama bin Laden and Muammar Gaddafi were still alive in his books after both were killed due to the lag in publication.) The only small quibble I had with the series is some continuity issues through the books. It seemed that the ages of Brandon Wilson and Jack Thompson-Windsor seem to bounce around. Also, David and Shane were first going to retire to Palm Springs but wound up in New Jersey. But these do not take away in the enjoyment of the series. Here is hoping that David and Shane have a fulfilling retirement away from their political stage.

Sales Links:   Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

EBook, 82 pages
Edition: English
Published: August 16, 2015 by John Simpson
ISBN: 978-1-1516905089

Series: Condor One
Condor One (Condor One #1)
Talons of the Condor (Condor One #2)
Condor and Falcon (Condor One #3)
Out of the Gilded Cage (Condor One #4)
Condor and the Crown (Condor One #5)
Royal Love (Condor One #6)
Condor and the Shifting Sands (Condor One #7 FINALE)

A Mika Review: Dangerous Spirits (Spirits #2) by Jordan L. Hawk

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Book 2 in the Spirits Series
Previous Book: Restless Spirits

Dangerous Sprits coverAfter the events of Reyhome Castle, Henry Strauss expected the Psychical Society to embrace his application of science to the study of hauntings. Instead, the society humiliates and blacklists him. His confidence shaken, he can’t bring himself to admit the truth to his lover, the handsome medium Vincent Night.

Vincent’s new life in Baltimore with Henry is disrupted when a friend from the past asks for help with a haunting. In the remote town of Devil’s Walk, old ties and new lies threaten to tear the lovers apart, if a fiery spirit bent on vengeance doesn’t put an end to them first.

Classic Jordan L. Hawk, amazing characters, plot and ending. She has shown us different races, ethnicities, and genders in this series. I love how they all come together; it’s definitely why she is one of my favorites. This is a really good continuation from book one. We start off 6 months after the tragic incidents at Reyhome Castle. Henry and Vincent have managed to combine their businesses and have a store in Baltimore. They are going strong with their work and Jo & Lizzie aren’t far behind. Henry and Vincent each think they are doing well, but doubts come out throughout the story.

Poor Henry and his good guy ways, he’s ashamed when they don’t get a grant. Instead of being forthcoming, he decides to take a little white lie that somehow blossoms into something huge. Their relationship is a sore point for Vincent. Internally he is dealing with acceptance and abandonment issues. Henry is internally thinking he’s not good enough. Argh!!!! I just wanted them to talk to each other. Goodness gracious even in the 1800’s men were stubborn. We are introduced to some new characters, who right off back I don’t think they are sincere in their reasons.

The group heads to Pennsylvania to deal with the burning lady. I loved this ghost story. As usual her plots are wonderful, exciting, and pulls you in like we are riding along with the group. Another amazing story from one of my favorite authors. I’ll continue to read anything by this author.

Cover Art by Jordan L. Hawk, Another great cover. I love this portrait of Henry; I’m crossing my fingers that the next one will show Vincent or a group with Jo and Lizzie. I love these covers, really beautifully done.

Sales Links:   All Romance (ARe)  | Amazon | Buy It Here
Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 157 pages
Expected publication: September 15th 2015 by Widdershins Press LLC
ASINB01255T684
edition languageEnglish
seriesSpirits #2
Books in the Series:
Restless Spirits (Spirits, #1)
Dangerous Spirits (Spirits #2)
Dangerous Sprits cover Restless Spirits cover

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Author Discovery: BJ on Author Lia Black

authdiscorange copy

BJ on Author Lia Black

With the plethora of competent m/m authors around these days, we fans have a daunting variety to choose from. I’ve sampled and enjoyed a book or two from hundreds of authors, but there’s only a handful whose books I just can’t seem to get enough of. Their books call my name the second they’re released. Lia Black is one of those authors.

She’s published five m/m novels to date, and I’ve devoured every single one with relish. All were five star reads with one exception that I rated 4.25, not because of the writing… oh, wait a minute, maybe it was the writing. Because what else was it but her brilliant writing that got me so thoroughly invested in (or should I say in love with?) the two main characters that I just couldn’t stand it when they were separated for a portion of the book? The frustration of that separation made me want to scream. And that right there is a key to why she’s one of my favorite authors.

Lia Black’s storylines suck me in; her characters fascinate me; and her writing always works its way deep down into the recesses of my neglected, dusty, middle-of-nowhere heart and plucks at my emotions. Hard.

Lia’s writing is a bit hard to pigeonhole. Her goodread’s author page states that her work is fantasy, sci-fi, LGBT romance. But that doesn’t quite tell the whole story. You see, Ms. Black does tend to live up to her name. There are dark parts in each and every story I’ve read by this author. Sometimes very dark indeed. So, if you want light and fluffy with a cherry on top, you should probably look elsewhere. But if you’re okay with a story that can make you gasp, that can smash your heart into the gutter and step on it, then ever so tenderly and exquisitely rip it to shreds before putting it back together—read on. You won’t be disappointed.

This author’s characters are sometimes broken yet not angsty, glamorous yet sad, weird yet beautiful, extreme and even gross yet still awesome and cool in their own right. Some of them even have long hair (well, what can I say, long-haired men are a thing for me so I had to mention that!)

And her writing makes me feel… a lot. Sometimes that means quivering in disgust and wanting to roll into a ball like a pill bug and hide but being too entranced to put the book down and do it. Sometimes it means aww moments when my heart wants to melt in my chest cuz I’ve just fallen in love with a character she breathed such life into that I have a clear picture of them in my head, not of a generic sexy man that could fit for a character in any number of stories I’ve read, but someone I feel like I could pick out in a crowd… one I could pick up my paint brush and paint a portrait of except I usually don’t, because I wouldn’t do him justice since I paint dogs and not people.

Lia Black’s stories leave emotional paper cuts on my heart. They’re by turns exhausting, frustrating, horrifying, amazing, fascinating, and touching. But always riveting, and always, in the end, healing. Deliciously dark stories that somehow light me up inside.

I think this excerpt from my review of Fidelity sums it up well: “Not for the faint-hearted, one particular scene at the beginning took my breath away with its grisly, shocking cruelty. But amidst the bloody battle scenes, there is humor, small joys, and sweet tenderness. Amidst the dismantling, I was put back together. The ride to get there was gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, and painful to read. I absolutely loved it.”

So if you’re looking for something different, something to expand your boundaries or to touch on places that maybe you haven’t explored, something to make you feel and not always in a fluffy, sweet way—look no further. Read Lia Black. And if you need help picking which of her books to start with, check out the links to my full reviews below.

Oh, I have one other thing to say about her writing, and I really hope she’s reading this. I desperately need to read more.

About The Author

Lia Black tends to do everything the hard way; beginning with being born backwards into the world and now Lia Black Iconraising a teenage daughter by herself in conservative Upstate NY. Her career choices are no less extreme, including occupations of fine artist, computer geek, firefighter, and mortician’s assistant— just to name a few.

A fellow Author describes Black’s mind as “a glorious kaleidoscope of f*ckeduppery”; she loves the challenge of writing about people who probably have no business being together on the same planet, and who occasionally deal with questionable sanity/morality. It’s fun to glue broken things together and try to make something interesting and new.
–She especially loves broken boys who have lots of fascinating pieces.

Her characters often suffer through the worlds she creates for them, which leaves them a little cranky and sometimes less lovable than others in a romance genre. Yet Black swears that someday, “there will be comedy.”

Follow Lia Black at:  Goodreads | Website | Twitter |

BJ’s Reviews of Lia Black’s Novels

Spiretown coverFidelity coverA King's Ransome coverWhere The Willows Won't Grow cover

Goodreads Link                          BJ Review Link

A King’s Ransom                              BJ’s Review

Spiretown                                           BJ’s Review

Fidelity                                               Link to BJ’s Review

Where Willows Won’t Grow          Link to BJ’s Review here

Author and Book Spotlight: Jordan L. Hawk and her latest release, Dangerous Spirits (Spirits #2) (author interview and giveaway)

Dangerous Sprits cover

Dangerous Spirits (Spirits #2)
by Jordan L. Hawk

Cover art by Jordan L. Hawk

Sales Links:  All Romance (ARe) | Amazon  |  Amazon UK | Smashwords | Nook  |  iTunes

I’m happy to welcome Jordan L. Hawk here to Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words to talk a little about her latest release, Dangerous Spirits, her writing process and the paranormal world. Welcome, Jordan!

. Good morning! I hope you all had a great weekend. This is just a quick note to let you know my latest novel, Dangerous Spirits, hits the virtual shelves today.

I can’t wait to share it with you. I think it contains one of the creepiest scenes I’ve ever written, although that might just be because I based it on a childhood fear. But don’t worry, between the scares there’s still plenty of romance and drama with Henry and Vincent! Can these two opposites forge a relationship that works for the long term, or will the heat that flared between them at Reyhome Castle burn out?

And yes, before you ask, Jo and Lizzie are both along for the ride once again. 😉

Dangerous Spirits Coming Sept 15

My Interview with Jordan L. Hawk

  • I love the name Dangerous Spirits. Where do you get your inspiration for your titles and even your characters?

Thanks! I try to keep the titles in a series linked somehow if I can. So all the SPECTR books are called “___er of ____” all the Whyborne & Griffin titles are a single word that usually (but not always) refers to the location where the action is taking place, and all the Spirits books will have the word “Spirits” in the title.

As for characters, I usually have a vague idea who one of the MCs might be, then ask myself who would be his opposite on the surface. So with Spirits, I wanted one of the characters to be a medium who was a bit decadent, into fashion and art and the like, witty and confident. So I figured his apparent opposite would be more into the physical world and science, rather on the stuffy side, and more insecure. Voila, Vincent and Henry.

  • Are your stories long in coming together or can they sometimes just spring to life in a burst of creativity that you fill in with details later?

It’s a bit easier in an established world, but some stories just come together more easily than others. The SPECTR books pretty much go from outline to finished first draft without a lot of rewriting and frustration. Whyborne & Griffin usually means a lot of rewriting and digging deeper to get at the aspects of the story. Spirits seems to be somewhere in between. Although I did end up throwing out the entire original outline I had for Dangerous Spirits about 10,000 words into the book. It was one of those things that looked great in planning stage but didn’t work at all when it was time to put it on the page.

  • What first prompted you to write?

I don’t remember ever not wanting to write, honestly.

  • Favorite paranormal character?

I’m not sure I have an answer to that. I love too many!

  • If you could create a world to live in, what would be a favorite element?

If I could create a world to live in, it wouldn’t look anything like the ones I put my poor characters in. Those are just a bunch of deathtraps.

I dunno, I really like seeing how far and fantastically modern technology has progressed in my lifetime. So I’d probably build myself some kind of sci fi utopia.

  • If you could have one magical power as part of your personal makeup, what would it be?

Probably some kind of telekinesis so I could get things down off the high shelves. 😉

  • What’s next for Jordan L. Hawk?

I’m currently working on Whyborne & Griffin 7, due out in December. I’m also in the planning stages for a follow up novel to “The Thirteenth Hex” (in the Charmed & Dangerous anthology).

Thanks for having me on the blog!

Please come back and see us anytime, and bring us many more stories!

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

 

The Spirits Series – Historical Paranormal

The Spirits series takes place in the latter part of the 19th century, and features the adventures of a man of science, Henry Strauss, and spiritualist medium, Vincent Night. The series came about because I always wanted to write a haunted house story, and what better period to set it in than the Victorian era, when the interest in seances and spirits permeated all levels of society?Dangerous Sprits cover

Blurb

Book 2 in the Spirits Series
Previous Book: Restless Spirits

After the events of Reyhome Castle, Henry Strauss expected the Psychical Society to embrace his application of science to the study of hauntings. Instead, the society humiliates and blacklists him. His confidence shaken, he can’t bring himself to admit the truth to his lover, the handsome medium Vincent Night.

Vincent’s new life in Baltimore with Henry is disrupted when a friend from the past asks for help with a haunting. In the remote town of Devil’s Walk, old ties and new lies threaten to tear the lovers apart, if a fiery spirit bent on vengeance doesn’t put an end to them first.

About the Author

Jordan L. Hawk pic

Jordan L. Hawk grew up in the wilds of North Carolina, where she was raised on stories of haints and mountain magic by her bootlegging granny and single mother. After using a silver knife in the light of a full moon to summon her true love, she turned her talents to spinning tales. She weaves together couples who need to fall in love, then throws in some evil sorcerers and undead just to make sure they want it bad enough. In Jordan’s world, love might conquer all, but it just as easily could end up in the grave.

Contact/follow Jordan L. Hawk at:  Goodreads | Twitter  |  Website  | Facebook

Jordan L. Hawk 2013_Header_3b

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter prize of one of Jordan L. Hawk  novels. The winner will get to choose a eBook, from Jordan L. Hawk’s backlist, winner’s choice (excluding Dangerous Spirits).  You must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Open worldwide.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

A Sammy Review: Cronin’s Key II (Cronin’s Key #2) by N.R. Walker

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

Cronin's Key II cover“I am forever by your side.”

“As are we,” Jodis said.

Finally, Alec smiled. “Just like the musketeers, huh? All for one and one for all.”

Cronin pulled back a little so he could see Alec’s face. “They weren’t vampires.”

Life hasn’t been a picnic since Alec MacAidan had his world turned upside down. Finding out you’re fated to a vampire, have pretty much been stalked by another since your birth, and are some kind of mysterious key that could save the world is a lot to swallow. But now that he’s started to embrace it, Alec wouldn’t change a thing.

But if he thought there would be rest for the wicked, he was wrong. With rumors of vampire covens fleeing Russia and disappearances in China, there’s no mistaking that Alec’s job as the key has come into play again. But this time, it’s not his life on the line, it’s his forever.

Completion.

Alec understood now what that really meant. It wasn’t some prudish, polite way to describe an orgasm. It was to be at one with Cronin, to be whole, to be complete.

To be fated.

I was beyond excited to read the second book in this series. The first set a great stage for world building and a lifelong (and then some) romance between Cronin and Alec. In this book, we get even more of that world building and romance, and let me tell you, Walker cranks up the steam.

One of my favorite aspects of the first story was the alternate history, and we got even more of that here. Hell, I’d have loved for pages of it (though most readers wouldn’t, so I understand her limiting it.) The author did a nice job of balancing the copious amounts of information with humor and the rest of the story so that it didn’t feel to heavy or like a huge info dump.

And that humor… oh that humor. It was just spot on. I adore Alec and in this book we got to see more of some past favorites and meet some new ones. I hope to see more of Jorge, and even when Alec and Cronin’s story concludes, I’d love to see what Walker could do with Jacques or Kennard. They both have a lot of potential as stars in their own stories.

But… I do have a bone to pick. Or, well, a few. First, the editing. I literally cringed at some of the mistakes. Commas were missing at points, commas were thrown in where they shouldn’t be, words were wrong… it’s a shame, because someone should’ve picked up on those things before it was published. Normally I can get over a few mistakes, but there were enough in this one that I was actually distracted a few times when reading.

Another issue I had was luckily resolved, and that was the portrayal of Dissociative Identity Disorder (or DID, as most people in the field would call it.) I was glad things changed at the end, because I was pretty unhappy with how this was written.

And then my last issue was with how quickly things happened at the end and the lack of emotion I felt for those parts. It was like two books of build up to that moment and… well, it basically went out with a little whimper instead of a bang. I’d love to see Walker push for more emotion in those parts of her story. Make it less of the motions and more of the feelings. In the end, it just felt too neat and clean. And when we found out who was behind stuff… it literally was like “huh? Oh… okay.” I was totally bummed by that.

Still, I love the world building and the characters, and I can’t wait to read more of these two.

The cover art by Sara York is a nice compliment to the first. It’s still not the prettiest thing in the world, but it ties in with the story and the series.

Sales Links:  All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 195 pages
Published May 22nd 2015 by N.R. Walker
edition language English
series Cronin’s Key #2