Category: Self Published

A MelanieM Review: Deep Blues Goodbye (Altered States #1) by L.E. Harner, T.A. Webb

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

Deep Blues Goodbye coverWith one startling action, the world changed forever. Recently deceased NOPD Detective Travis Boudreaux was in the process of being mourned and buried when he had the bad taste to sit up at his own funeral.  Until that happened no one knew that vampires and werewolves had been living amongst them. Now two years later, the fight is on for civil rights for preternatural beings and most humans are on the bandwagon. Except whoever is killing vampires and would be vampires.

Since the death and return of his partner and almost love, Detective Sam Garrett has hated all things preternatural. Having your undead partner try to make you his first meal will do that to a guy. When Sam’s attitude gets the best of him on the job, Sam finds himself banished to the Paranormal Criminal Investigations Unit—the Odd Squad—under the oversight of Detective Danny Burkette.

Now it’s up to Burkette to work with Garrett by day and Boudreaux by night as they follow a trail of clues that leads from the historic cemeteries of New Orleans to the bayous of southern Louisiana. During the course of their investigations, both men come to the attention  of a Master vampire and the local werewolf pack Alpha.  If they aren’t careful, it won’t be just Boudreaux whose dead, but maybe even Sam as well.  Some lessons in life—and death—take longer to learn…and Sam and Travis find out that not all second chances are created equal.

Warning: This is an erotic urban fantasy. In this series the vampires don’t sparkle, werewolves kill, and the men sometimes have sex. With each other.

Deep Blues Goodbye (Altered States #1) by L.E. Harner and T.A. Webb deepens the amazing world building these authors are constructing for this series.  New Orleans, that rich feast of a city, is the perfect setting for supernatural beings  in love and evil schemes that are slow to unfold.  After that shocker at the end of Altered States, I eagerly grabed this up to see what had occurred only to find that two years had passed and the aftermath is viewed through the various perspective of the characters involved.  And yes, I was a little disappointed.  After all, what happened at the funeral was a stunner for all involved, including the now animated corpse of Travis Boudreaux.  But two years have passed since Travis was turned and now everyone has to deal with the fact that vampires, werewolves and more exist and live among them.  And not everyone is happy about that, including Sam.

I adore Sam, he’s a piece of cynical perfection and disappointment.  What happened to Travis altered Sam as well, especially since both men were so close to falling in love, if they hadn’t already.  But a vampire and fate intervenes and their new  relationship was destroyed…or so they think.  It soon becomes apparent that Sam has never gotten over Travis and that just adds onto the bitterness Sam already feels about the whole undead thing and his partner.  I loved the two of them together and their bonding extends past themselves and the pages to include the reader.  In fact, I so bought into their burgeoning love affair that  aspects of this story threw me off.

Without heading into spoiler territory, other supernaturals arrive to further complicate the current state of affairs and all their attention will be focusing on Sam.   We see Travis as he is trying to move forward with his undead life with not a whole lot of success.  We see Sam also trying to do the same, both are stalled and bitter.  Something has to occur to break the stasis and it’s a doozy.

As part of the events that happen,  a bonded pair will have some wild hot sex with one of our main characters.  Normally this doesn’t bother me, especially when the authors make a case for it to happen.  But here? Not an element I enjoyed.  I understood where the authors were going with it, but I so bought into Sam and Travis’ romance that this aspect never became palatable.  How a reader feels about this (it’s really not cheating) will likely foretell how they feel about this installment in the series.  Some readers will be asking if they can skip over this book (and yes, the third book sort of resolves this), but no *shakes finger*, unfortunately you can’t.

Think of each story as a building block essential to the whole construct.  Miss even one, and you miss key elements that not only enrich the series but deepen the mystery and suspense Harner and Webb are working hard to build.  So much of this story is worthy of your attention and commitment.  And, perhaps,  the few elements that bothered me won’t phase you in the least.  This is going to be one wild ride!

Another reason to start reading this series?  This year’s Pulp Friction 2015 gang situates all their interconnected series in the Altered States universe.  So its double or is that quadruple the fun for all!  So get started.  Each is a fast, wild, suspenseful tale…over before you know it.  However, don’t be astonished if it lingers on in the questions and clues left behind (and even more shockers).

Cover art by Laura Harner works for the series.

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

Book Details:

ebook, 120 pages
Published August 16th 2012 by Hot Corner Press
ISBN139781937252243
edition languageEnglish
seriesAltered States #1
charactersSam Garrett (Altered States), Travis Boudreaux

Books in the Altered States Series in the order they should be read:

  • Altered States (Altered States, #0.5)
  • Deep Blues Goodbye (Altered States, #1)
  • Deadly Shades of Gold (Altered States, #2)
  • Free Falling Crimson (Altered States, #3)

 

A PaulB Review: Ansleigh’s Grotto by J.T. Cheyanne

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Ansleigh's Grotto coverWhen his grandfather passes, Dylan Matthews inherits his Virginia estate. Dylan must deal with his past both remembered and forgotten to fulfill the terms of his grandfather’s will.

Dylan Matthews spent his summers at his grandfather’s estate while growing up. Just after his eighteenth birthday, he has an argument with his father. Fifteen years later, his grandfather passes. At the reading of the will, the family learns that while the rest of the estate is to be divided among them, Dylan is the sole heir to the Virginia homestead so long as he lives there for one year. Also, there are two letters that his grandfather has left for Dylan to read explaining his actions.

Upon arriving at the estate, Dylan reacquaints himself with the staff of the manor. He also meets Leigh, whom they say takes care of the flora and fauna on the estate. Dylan is smitten by Leigh and the feelings are returned. Unknown to Dylan, this is not the first time he has met Leigh.

Leigh, or Ansleigh, is the grandson of the Seelie or Light Fae king. Many centuries ago, to end a war between the Seelie and UnSeelie or Dark Fae, the first grandchild of each king were promised to each other as mates. The only way to prevent this mating from happening is if one were to find true love and his Cosantoir or keeper. Ansleigh has waiting for fifteen years for Dylan’s return to the estate because he has formed this bond during Dylan’s visits. He is heartbroken when Dylan disappears one day without saying goodbye to him. Now he must get Dylan to fall in love with him again even though Leigh did something that might prevent that from happening again.

Dylan and Leigh must overcome how they left things fifteen years ago and must also deal with an UnSeelie prince who is bound and determined to claim Ansleigh as his as promised by their grandfathers. Their lives and the fate of the grotto depend upon the successful resolution of this dilemma.

I really enjoyed this book. The author creates a realistic fantasy world in the Virginia grotto estate of Dylan’s grandfather. The supporting characters are well rounded and give added humor to the thrills of the conflict. Making Dylan a game developer allows for a perfect epilogue though I saw it about half way through the book. I would encourage anybody to spend some time in Ansleigh’s Grotto.

The cover by Tracey Weston shows two men embracing above a manor house surrounded by lush greenery. It draws the reader in and gives a good representation of the grotto.

Sales Links:        Amazon             Buy It Here

Book details
Ebook, 179 pages
Published: January 28, 2015 by Laz & Lachi Publication
Edition: English
ISBN: 978-0-9899725-2-9

A MelanieM Review: Shadows and Ash (Pulp Friction 2014 Finale) by Laura Harner , Lee Brazil , Havan Fellows , T.A. Webb

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Shadows and Ash book coverNestled in the forest surrounding Flagstaff, Arizona, Mountain Shadows offers residents and guests a home and refuge. A year ago, the isolated retreat, with its log cabins and stone lodge, could boast a convalescing new owner, one employee, two long-term tenants, and an uncertain future. As others joined the rag-tag collection and made the hideaway their home, tentative beginnings morphed into friendships…and finally into a family of sorts.

Over this past year, the perfect place for hiding became a sanctuary for healing, as one-by-one the residents discovered that learning to live in the light with a family you choose is better than shrouding yourself in loneliness. But just as everyone seems to settle into a new normal, shadows from the past drag one of their members back into the darkness and the fallout threatens their carefully constructed new beginnings.

Now, the family they’ve created there must band together to protect each other from someone determined to destroy the lives they’ve worked so hard to reclaim.

Pulp Friction 2014. Four authors. Twenty-four books. One fiery finale.

The time has come once more to say  goodbye to another fantastic Pulp Friction Series and to say these authors did it with flare, heat and hot sexy men goes without question. I’m always amazed at how four authors are able to mesh eight (sometimes nine) characters, four couples stories, and still maintain a balanced whole in terms of plot and characterizations.  Yet, for the second year, the Pulp Friction gang has done it again.  Pulp Friction 2014 was the Elemental Connections year.  It had Laura Harner’s Fighting Fire, Lee Brazil’s In From the Cold, Havan Fellow’s Whispering Winds and T. A. Webb’s Earthquake series, with a wonderful conglomeration of characters, romances, and heartbreaking suspense.  And it all took place on top of a mountain outside of Flagstaff, Arizona.

Even now its hard to say which characters I love the most, they are so varied and had so many different paths to HEA this series.   Certainly Rowen Smith with his long black hair, deep connection to the woods around him and dark past,is close to the top.  He just resonated with me as did his eventual lover, Mick Rutger, who went from the human equivalent of a Golden Retriever to something older, wiser, and more substantial.  How I loved them both (thank you, Havan Fellows).

But I can no more say that then Charlie Turner and Amos Greene pop into mind (thank you, Tom Webb).  Their journey towards happiness contained stark terror, abject pain, and astonishing revelations.  Webb kept me in tears and in the dark for long periods of time during the slow roll out of his Earthquake stories.    You never knew if monster or angel would be around the  corner for these two along with  Charlie’s brother Damon (loved him too).   Sometimes the heartbreak comes from the last person you would expect, another theme that runs through all the stories here.

Brazil’s Professor of Literature Finn Lorensson and Dr. Cannon Malloy (originally from FR2013, thank you, Lee Brazil) were sometimes the hardest personalities for me to get a grasp on.  Finn, a gorgeous hulk of a man had a deep need to rescue others, even at the cost to himself and his relationships.  Cannon?  To say he started off self absorbed, fearful and more than a little damaged by the events in Atlanta would be like calling coal black.  It goes without saying that Finn was smitten immediately, but Cannon?  Not so much.  During much of the series their tentative relationship acted more like Dr. Doolittle’s pushmi-pullyu. They were joined together but never quite going (or facing) the same direction.  I loved that Cannon finally learned to embrace his sexuality (with a little eyeliner and flare) and accept Finn with all that entailed.

Finally there is Laura Harner’s former firefighter  Scott McGregor reuniting with his college lover,Robby Hammond, at Scott’s hospital bed.  A wildfire that ends Scott’s career and costs the life of most of his team is also what brings Scott’s only love back to him.  Harner made us believe in their tortured past so the reader easily invests in these damaged men and any potential hope for a future together.  So much trauma involved here, Scott’s PTSD, his injuries and loss of career, survivor’s guilt and yes, more secrets from his and Robby’s past pushing hard to come out.  Plus its Scott’s Mountain Shadows Campground that acts as the heart and location for all these stories to unfold.  I came to love Mountain Shadows just as much as its residents did.  If there was a heart and center of all the couples it was Scott and Robby. They are the beginning of a new family and I loved them dearly (thank you, Laura Harner).

The penultimate stories in each series came with a certain amount of personal (or physical) explosions and exposition leading up to this.  A mystery of who was behind all the arson and attacks happening at the campgrounds had to be solved, along with more than a few personal demons still to be put to rest, including Scott being blamed for the fires himself.  How did it all turn out?  Splendidly!

It’s hard seeing this group of stories come to an end.  I wasn’t ready.  But all the characters pull their dramatic weight in the last story. Each author gives their couple the right amount of “time on stage” to tie up loose ends and push them forward.  I did wish that one little aspect, a total villain dies in a manner that didn’t feel as solid as the other revelations that surfaced here.  That was the only bit of weakness that I could see.  Everything else felt believable, rational, and happily fulfilling for all.

Am I going to go into details?  No, absolutely not.  Even the smallest of facts can lead to large spoilers, so don’t go looking for them here.  Instead if you are new to the Pulp Friction gang, what joys await you.  You have not one but two years of interconnected series to catch up on.  The first took place in Atlanta GA, the second (Elemental Connections) in Flagstaff, AZ, and the third?  This years Pulp Friction 2015 is a group of supernatural tales taking place in New Orleans in Harner and Webb’s  Altered States universe.  What’s that, you say?  Well stay tuned as next week, all the Pulp Friction gang will be here to talk finale, Altered States, and the new stories starting to arrive.

For those of you who have been gobbling up these stories as quickly as they come out, you will love this series finale!  It’s hot, suspenseful, a little scary and wonderfully over the top…of the mountain, that is.  I loved it and think you will too.  Grab it up and get prepared for the supernatural goings on in New Orleans.  I’m through the first story already and it’s a doozy!

Cover art by Laura Harner is perfect. It still brands the series with the logo and the coloring and graphics are perfect for the series finale and title.

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

Book Details:

ebook
Published January 14th 2015 by Hot Corner Press
ISBN139781937252977
edition languageEnglish

About Pulp Friction 2014 – All stories are reviewed here at STRW.

Pulp Friction 2014 Authors: Laura Harner ~ Lee Brazil ~ Havan Fellows ~ T.A. Webb
The Pulp Friction 2014 Collection. Four authors. Four Series. Twenty books. One fiery finale. Spend a year with an eclectic group of strangers brought together through circumstances, as they are tested by life, and emerge as more than friends.
The strongest bonds are forged by fire, cooled in air, smoothed by water, grounded in earth.

Although each series can stand alone, we believe reading the books in the order they are released will increase your enjoyment. The Pulp Friction 2014 series in the order they were written and should be read to understand the characters, events and plot:

Round One:
Firestorm (Fighting Fire: 1)by Laura Harner
Cold Snap (In From the Cold: 1) by Lee Brazil
Blown Away (Whispering Winds: 1) by Havan Fellows
Higher Ground (Earthquake: 1) by TA Webb

Round Two:
Controlled Burn (Fighting Fire #2) by Laura Harner
Cold Comfort (In From the Cold #2) by Lee Brazil
Blown Kisses (Whispering Winds #2) by Havan Fellows
Moving Earth (Earthquake #2) by TA Webb

Round Three:
Backburn (Fighting Fire #3) by Laura Harner
Cold Feet (In From the Cold #3) by Lee Brazil
Blown Hard (Whispering Winds #3) by Havan Fellows
Tremors (Earthquake #3) by T.A. Webb

Round Four:
Flare-up (Fighting Fire #4) by Laura Harner
Out In The Cold (In From the Cold #4) by Lee Brazil
Blown Chance (Whispering Winds #4) by Havan Fellows
Aftershocks (Earthquake #4) by T.A. Webb

Round Five:
Radiant Burn (Fighting Fire #5) by Laura Harner
Cold Day in Hell (In From the Cold #5) by Lee Brazil
Final Blow (Whispering Winds #5) by Havan Fellows
Terra Firma (Earthquake #5) by T.A. Webb

Sixth Book Series Finale Written by all the Authors coming in December.
Shadows and Ash (Pulp Friction 2014 Finale)

Side Stories or Interludes:

Taking Chances by Lee Brazil (a In From the Cold story)
Wicked Winds (Whispering Winds 3.5) by Havan Fellows – bonus book, Whispering Winds
Frankie’s Knight (Elemental Connections: IV) (Earthquake #3.5)
Kismet & Cartwheels – bonus book, Fighting Fire

On Tour with Ansleigh’s Grotto by JT Cheyanne (contest)

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Synopsis

Dylan Matthews lives in a world of fantasy. As a video game designer, there are no limits on how far or wide his imagination could stretch. He loves his work and excels at bringing the visions in his head to a game console. The luck of his Irish heritage seems to touch him when his prototype Zombie ApoXalypse is bought days after he inherits a mansion in the heart of the Appalachian mountains. Life is indeed magical.

Ansleigh has waited centuries for one man, only to find him and then lose him due to his own inability to trust in their burgeoning love. The magick of Mother Earth flows within him and through him allowing him to nourish the Grotto where he makes his home. Yet, he yearns for the male that nurtures his soul. When the whims of Fate bring his Cosantoir back into his life, does he have the courage to accept his heritage?

AG Cover

 

 

As the fantasies in his head become reality and the monsters of nightmares crawl through the forest, can Dylan forgive broken promises to protect the Croi? There is no pause button when the Fae and human worlds collide. Will Dylan have what it takes to master the maze and win Ansleighís freedom?

Excerpt

Moonlight streamed through the leaf canopy. Silence met his ears. No animal noises skittered through the underbrush, even the leaves seemed frozen as if in anticipation. Was someone out there? He spun on his heel slowly. Something about this place tugged at him. There was something he was missing, but what?

“Hello?” He called, feeling foolish. When no answer came back, he rolled his eyes, shrugged at his own silliness and turned back in the direction of the house.

“Are you looking for someone in particular?” The low melodious voice stopped him in his tracks. Discreetly, Dylan pinched himself and the sharp sting confirmed he was definitely awake and someone had just spoken to him in the middle of the forest. Slowly, he twisted back around. The eyes from the earlier fleeting memory captured him. The ache in his chest intensified as they stared at each other.

His memory had been dead on about the eyes. They were so blue they seemed to glow in the moonlight. Laugh lines bracketed them and slim eyebrows arched perfectly above them. Cheekbones any male model would appreciate gave way to lean cheeks. His face was longish with a squared, firm jaw. Full lips curved into a half smile. Reddish brown dark hair fell past his shoulders and brushed the top of his ass.

The bare chest gave Dylan pause; beautifully sculpted muscle and lots of bare tan skin. Broad shoulders topped smooth and well defined pecs, a perfect six pack and the most magnificent oblique vee he’d seen in a long time. Bare feet peeked from beneath loose fitting cotton pants. Dylan’s body stirred. The man’s head tilted to the side just a fraction, but enough to pull Dylan’s gaze back up. He’d guess six-four or six-five. The man had asked a question. Dylan’s brain slowly kicked into gear.

“Uh, no. Just taking a walk. I thought someone…” was watching me. He didn’t finish the sentence aloud. “Are you lost? The National Park is in the other direction.” The intense gaze didn’t falter, but Dylan swore a pained look crossed the other man’s face.

“How have you been, Dylan? It’s been a long time.” While the voice seemed to sink inside of his skin and soothe, the use of his name set off all kinds of alarms.

“I’ve been…how do you know my name? Have we met before?” Dylan took a step back. Of course they’d met. He remembered the guy’s eyes, the hair. “Do you work up at the house?”

He’d been there for two days; albeit, stuck in his room most all of that time. Maybe he’d passed the room where Dylan was working. “You seem familiar.”

Buy Links

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SPHC5OE/

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00SPHC5OE/

Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00SPHC5OE/

Barned & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ansleighs-grotto-jt-cheyanne/1121152861?ean=2940046551877

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/ansleighs-grotto/id963959627?mt=11

Giveaway

4 ecopies of Ansleigh’s Grotto by JT Cheyanne.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Contest and link provided by Eyes On Books tour.  Prizes will be awarded by them.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author

100#1 Best Selling Author of Grand Slam, J.T. Cheyanne is a genre crosser who writes romance and paranormal in the m/m and m/f genres. J.T. Cheyanne resides in the beautiful state of Alabama. J.T. lives with her two sons and daughter. An avid reader since fourth grade, she has only just started writing her own stories. She also has several works published with her co-author, V.L. Moon.

Social Links

A Mika Review: A Restored Man (The Men of Halfway House #3) by Jaime Reese

Rating: 2 stars out of 5

4abc2-a2brestored2bman-426Cole Renzo thinks his greatest challenge is to behave for the remainder of his term at Halfway House. Until he meets his new boss, Ty Calloway, a man who ticks off every box on Cole’s list of interests.

 A sought-after restorer and customizer of exotic and collectible cars, Ty had enough confidence to command what he wanted in life, until one fateful night changed everything. Almost two years later, he’s slowly rebuilding his life with great control. He’s defied the odds and works tirelessly to be the man he once was—but he still feels broken.

Cole’s candor and unfiltered personality awaken Ty’s barely-remembered desire to greet each new day with a smile, while Ty’s unwavering acceptance of Cole’s quirks and brash humor makes Cole feel as if he fits in for the first time in far too long.

When a nemesis threatens Ty’s personal restoration and the things he holds dear, Cole is determined to protect their relationship, even if that means sacrificing everything he’s worked so hard to achieve.

But Ty will have to let his guard down, surrender control, and admit he needs Cole first, even if that puts himself at risk of breaking beyond repair.

It took me 8 days to read this book. It’s under 500 pages and it’s something I’ll usually get through in 2 days max. I was super excited when I found out the author was releasing a third in the series and it was Cole’s book. He was so funny, and good spirited in book 2. He literally grew on me. Well after reading this I’m surely disappointed. The two mc’s in the book didn’t connect for me. I felt no passion, no love, no connection or anything.

Another issue for me was the writing it seemed so choppy and different from books 1 & 2. I don’t need the emotional connection from the previous two, but I do need the style and efficiency from the other to be involved in the third. I was bored reading this it, I found myself wanting to DNF at 38%. It took a lot for me to finish. I liked reading about Matt & Julian more than Cole & Ty. Cole had this whole split personality thing going on and I just couldn’t connect with at all. Ty was a whole entire story by himself. It was guilt, on top of guilt on top of self disinclination that I despise in my characters. I like Cole’s parents, I loved seeing Julian & Cole’s moment of bonding, but it wasn’t enough for me to fall in love with.
Cover Art by Reese Dante. The cover model is an exact replica of Cole for me. I do like it, and the car in the backroom is all him.

Sales Links:            Amazon          Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook
Published February 17th 2015 by Romandeavor (first published February 15th 2015)
edition languageEnglish
url http://jaimereese.com/a-restored-man/
seriesThe Men of Halfway House #3

The Men of Halfway House series:

  • A Better Man (The Men of Halfway House, #1)
  • A Hunted Man (The Men of Halfway House, #2)
  • A Restored Man (The Men of Halfway House #3)

 

Release Day Quickie! Mnevermind 3: Life is Awesome by Jordan Castillo Price

It’s  Release Day for Jordan Castillo Price!

Life is Awesome-1

 

 

The highly anticipated third and final book in the Mnevermind Trilogy is now available! Mnevermind 3: Life is Awesome by Jordan Castillo Price.

About the Author:

Author and artist Jordan Castillo Price is the owner of JCP Books LLC. Her paranormal thrillers are colored by her time in the midwest, from inner city Chicago, to small town Wisconsin, to liberal Madison.

Jordan is best known as the author of the PsyCop series, an unfolding tale of paranormal mystery and suspense starring Victor Bayne, a gay medium who’s plagued by ghostly visitations. Also check out her new series, Mnevermind, where memories are made…one client at a time.

With her education in fine arts and practical experience as a graphic designer, Jordan set out to create high quality ebooks with lavish cover art, quality editing and gripping content. The result is JCP Books, offering stories you’ll want to read again and again.  You can find her at Goodreads Author Page or her website.

About the Book!

This mind-bending trilogy follows Daniel Schroeder, an expert in the cutting edge field of recreational memory called mnemography. His independent shop on the south side of Madison was the hottest memory palace in town, until one day something went horribly wrong….

Sales Links:  Amazon  ITunes  Kobo Life is Awesome-1

Series Information (3 books) here at Goodreads.

 

LIFE IS AWESOME …

I headed for the kitchenette—it was crucial that I got to the coffee maker before the rest of the staff. I’m not sure why, but my aunt made terrible coffee. Two ingredients: water and ground coffee, and still, hers tasted like mud. I was busy ruminating over the notion that Big Dan thought I would actually sell out to Recollections when I turned to grab the carafe, and nearly had a heart attack. Elijah was splayed up against the kitchenette window, pressed up against the dingy pane so hard, his palms, fingertips and nose were all flattened against the glass.

When I think about Elijah, his spectrum disorder isn’t usually the first thing that comes to mind. But then I see him…and he does something.

A normal person would’ve knocked on the door, or maybe called my cell.

Normal. Or, more accurately, neurotypical. I supposed that was the technical term I wanted.

The more I tried not to notice how weird he was, the more it hit me over the head. Then I felt guilty for the way my heart sank when I saw Elijah pressed there like a bug on a slide. Talk about being an ingrate. Who cared about his lack of even the most basic social skills? This was the guy I was trusting to help me clean up my mess—the only one who seemed to have any grasp at all on the scope of the persistent mnem and the potential for fixing it. I forced myself to look at him and act natural…not that I knew if the way I acted even registered with him. “Hi,” I called out.

“Hello.” The muffled word fogged the glass.

“Go ’round back.” I gestured with broad arm sweeps and pointing. “I’ll let you in.”

I met him at the back door. A blast of frigid Wisconsin air hit me when I let him inside. “Be careful what you touch. If it was any colder out, you’d stick.”

“No. Thermal conductivity would be an issue with metal. Not glass.”

So much for lightening the mood with a little humor. The awkwardness was thick enough to cut with a fork. Still, it seemed important to treat him like any other guy I might be dating. “Can I kiss you?”

“You don’t need to ask.” Part of me enjoyed the way he leaned in for the kiss this time, instead of waiting for me to come to him. Part of me noticed he tasted like window.

A MelanieM Review: Creature Comfort by Rob Rosen

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Creature ComfortThree hundred years into the apocalypse, centuries-old zombie queen, Creature Comfort, and the love of her afterlife, Dara Licked, see a plane land near their salt factory in Utah.  Its the same plane that carried her friends and fellow drag queens, Destiny St. James, Kit Kat, and Blondella Bombshell off to New York City.  Now that same plane has landed 300 years later and out pop some drag queens asking for their help!  How could they refuse?

Soon Creature and her beloved, Dara, find themselves beneath a gussied-up Lady Liberty, surrounded by a race of fabulous drag queens. Humanity (what’s left of it) is in dire trouble, attacked by unseen menacing forces. Can Creature and Dara and a host of new friends possibly save the day?

Last year Rob Rosen published a story, Queens of the Apocalypse, featuring drag queens, zombies and, of course, an apocalypse.  I loved it.  It had humor, a whole lot of heart, and spunk!  Lots and lots of spunk!  Now at least one of the queens is back, the zombie one of course, in Rob Rosen’s Creature Comfort, and I admit I was a little leery about diving back into a universe and revisiting characters that I adored.

When you give a book 5 stars and love the ending, having a sequel can be a mixed blessing.  What if you don’t like what happens after the first book ended?  What if the magic and sparkle that made the first story so special is missing in the sequel? Yikes!  But I am happy to report that I  don’t see that happened here…mostly.

Creature Comfort picks up 300 years after Creature’s fellow and still human drag queens, Destiny St. James, Kit Kat, and Blondella, left her behind in a salt factory in Salt Lake City, along with a  small group of humans to find (hopefully) safety and sanctuary in New York City.  Creature had been brought back to a sort of living dead (yet totally fabulous) existence by the means of iodized salt so what better place to live than surrounded by salt!  Even better, Creature finds her soulmate in another gay zombie, drag queen Dara!  So far so good.

But Rob Rosen makes it clear that Creature and Dara’s existence has been pretty drab for a long, long time.  When the plane arrives (“da plane, da plane”), and three pretty young and human people pop out dressed like drag queens asking for help, its clear a road trip of apocalyptic proportions  is in the works.  By then I realized how much I had missed this quixotic, kind of horrible yet wonderful universe.  And Creature of course.

From the beginning Rosen starts building in the mystery and suspense.  The plane?  It’s exactly the one that Creature’s friends left in.  And why is everyone wearing drag when they aren’t gay?  And in one of the books funnier moments, when the Statue of Liberty comes into view, Creature and Dara notice (how  can they not) that she has been given a drag queen makeover too, complete with lipstick and glitter.  How fabulous!

But Rosen’s stories don’t shine on humor alone.  No, there is plenty of pathos and pain to go around and soon clues are falling into place that nothing is as it seems.  And we find out what happened to my favorite drag queens.

Soon it is up to Creature and her love, Dara to save humanity one more time and from a most unexpected source!  To do so, Rosen has created two more memorable characters, songstress Lola Fontaine (“winner of two Tony’s”) and her husband Lester aka Ricky, whose love for each other can’t be denied.  Between the four of them, the power of love and some fabulous zombie queens and their partners save the world once more.  Its fun, snarky, full of glitter and high-heels (Jimmy Cho’s), some laughter and tears.  Ok, not so much that as zombies can’t cry.  But you get what I’m aiming for.  Rosen brings real feelings and substance to zombies in love in a post apocalyptic world.  And even with two elements that made me less than happy (Rob, you know what they are), I  found myself falling back in love all over again.

If you are unfamiliar with the first story, some of Creature Comfort might be a little slow going and confusing at first.  Rob Rosen will fill in the blanks about the universe he built in Queens of the Apocalypse here but it takes time.  Much better to have read the first story and be well prepared for this one.  It gives you a ready made base for the humor inherent in the House of Bombshell and the House of St. James now so much a part of society on Liberty Island, to say nothing of Saint Creature!

And the ending leaves open the possibility of yet another story for Creature, Dara, Lola and Lester.  I hope so.  I would love to see what happens when they all get back to Utah.  It should be a doozy!  In the meantime, if you love zombies, drag queens and some wild action/adventure, well, then, Creature Comfort is the story for you!  Its fast paced, funny, sometimes a litle sad but always, always entertaining.  I highly recommend it as well as Queens of the Apocalypse, along with author Rob Rosen.  Don’t pass them up!

Cover artist?  Like the cover but its a little simplistic.  I far prefer the cover of the first story, Queens of the Apocalypse!

Sales Links:  Amazon        Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 238 pages
Published February 12th 2015 by Fierce Publishing
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edition languageEnglish

In the Book Spotlight: The Librarian by Lee Brazil (tour, excerpt and contest)

 magnifying glass and bookThe Librarian by Lee Brazil
Re-release February 24, 2015

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Author Lee Brazil Bio:

Somewhere in a small town in up-state New York are a librarian and a second grade teacher to whom I owe my life. That might be a touch dramatic, but it’s nevertheless one hundred percent true.

Because they taught me the joy of reading, of escaping into worlds crafted of words.
Have you ever been nine years old and sure of nothing so much as that you don’t belong? Looked at the world from behind glasses, and wondered why you don’t fit?

Someone hands you a book, and then you turn the page and see… There you are, running from Injun Joe in a dark graveyard; there you are fencing with Athos; there you are…beneath the deep blue sea- marveling at exotic creatures with Captain Nemo.

I found myself between the pages of books, and that is why I write now. It’s why I taught English and literature for so many years, and it’s why my house contains more pounds of books than furniture.

If I’d had my way, I’d have been a fencer…or a starship captain, or a lawyer, or a detective solving crimes. But instead, I am a writer, and I’ve come to realize that’s the best thing in the world to be, because as a writer, I can be all those things and more.

If I hadn’t learned to value the stories between the pages, who knows what would have happened? Certainly not college…teaching…or writing.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lee.brazil
Twitter: @leebrazil
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/leebrazil/

Publisher: Lime Time Press
Cover Artist: Laura Harner

Sales Links: Amazon  Smashwords  All Romance
Direct From Author Via Payhip : https://payhip.com/b/tz3n

More about The Librarian…TheLibrarian-800x1200

A rash vow of celibacy puts Valentine Michaels in the path of seduction.

Val is at a crossroads in his life. A college dropout, he’s gone as far as he can in his career as a cosmetologist, owning his own style salon. He no longer finds satisfaction in it, though he’s put years into proving to his bigoted parents that a college degree and the veneer of straightness aren’t the only roads to success. They’d turned their backs on him, and he proved he didn’t need them to make it.

His love life is no better than his working life. His relationships always start with a bang and fizzle into boredom, or worse, anger.

Adrian Grey has his own agenda for helping Val: he’s been in love with Val since they were freshmen. The intervening years of listening to Val’s gossip about his lovers and relationships have taught Adrian just what it was he did wrong all those years ago, and he thinks this time around he now knows exactly how to get—and keep—his man.
Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Romance

Excerpt:

Impatiently, Val flipped his powder-blue locks over his shoulder, tapping the little whisk broom against the counter where his supplies were arranged neatly. “Derek, you left me standing around at Paul’s for an hour, a place I totally hate by the way, without even a phone call to say you weren’t coming, and then I walk past you playing ball in the park with your friends on the way back here. I’m not overreacting!”

He ran a swift eye over his supplies. Scissors, combs, spray bottle with water, gel, mousse. Everything in order. While he prepared his workstation, he listened with half an ear to the deep voice on the other end of the phone, trying to explain or rationalize or whatever, but he wasn’t into hearing what Derek had to say. The guy was an immature jerk who put his own wants ahead of everything, even if it meant leaving Val standing in a group of young college kids he barely knew, in a bar he usually avoided like the plague. He’d gone to the party in the first place for Derek. Being stood up while doing something so selfless pissed him off. Just once in a relationship, Val wanted to find a guy who put him first, who loved him more than sports, friends, and all the other temptations the wicked world offered. “Just forget it, Derek. You don’t get it. It’s not just last night; it’s the whole last few months.”

More rumbling and babbling in his ear. He ran a dust cloth over the client’s chair and then adjusted its height. Prepping his station at the salon was second nature and required little of his attention. Kind of like listening to Derek. Why the fuck do I listen to this shit? Derek had all the emotional understanding of a two-ton truck. Cute as hell, but clueless about what would melt Val’s heart. In fact, Derek might accurately be called dense altogether. A little consideration, a romantic gesture or two, would go a long way. Hell, an apology instead of an excuse would probably have gotten him a second chance even this morning. Eh. Who are you kidding? Derek is a symptom, not the illness itself. “Fuck off, Derek. It’s over. Do me a favor and lose my number, okay?”

Flipping the phone shut, he shoved it into the pocket of his smock and busied himself cleaning up his workspace. A quick spray of glass cleaner to the mirror, a swipe or two with a rag, and he was done. Done with Derek, done with men, done with romance and love and sex, and fuck it all. He could be celibate. Masturbation didn’t count as sex, did it? He’d need something if he wasn’t getting any.

Pages or Words: 22,000 Words


Tour Dates: February 24, 2015

LBBadgeTour Stops:

Parker Williams, Havan Fellows, Divine Magazine, Amanda C. Stone, Molly Lolly, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, My Fiction Nook, Bayou Book Junkie, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Kimi-Chan, Inked Rainbow Reads, Bike Book Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews, BFD Book Blog, The Hat Party, Cate Ashwood, It’s Raining Men, Michael Mandrake, Andrew Q. Gordon, Velvet Panic, Iyana Jenna, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Fallen Angel Reviews, Dawn’s Reading Nook

Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $5.00 ARe gift card or copy of the book. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

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In Our Spotlight: Always Been You by Jess Buffett

 Always Been You by Jess Buffett, 
Book one of the Second Chances series
Release Date: February 6, 2015
Goodreads Link 

AlwaysBeenYouSM

 Jess Buffett Bio:

Jess Buffett was born and raised in New South Wales, Australia. She is a mum of two, married to her high school sweetheart. 

Jess is a hopeless romantic who is a huge fan of M/M and M/F romance with a happy ending—anything with hunky men in all their glory, whether they be Shifters, Vampires, Cowboys, or the boy next door. 

A caffeine addict who shamefully can’t make a decent cup of coffee to save her life, Jess believes in soul mates, happily ever afters, and in love at first sight, but that sometimes people need a second or a third for the brain to catch up.

Publisher: Reckless Lovers Press
Cover Artist: Jess Buffett

Sales Links:   All Romance (ARe)   Amazon US    
Amazon UK   
Amazon CA  Amazon AU

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About Always Been You…

After recovering from a shooting that took the lives of his best friends, Seth Hall returns to his hometown for the first time in eleven years with his two children in tow. Intent on setting up a happy, stable life for them, he vows not to allow his past to intervene with their future. That is until Jared, the boy who had broken his heart all those years ago, returns to his life a full grown man who knows exactly what he wants…Seth.

Jared Stewart thought he had lost his only chance to be with Seth after a series of misunderstandings and mistakes. When Seth finally comes home and back into Jared’s life, Jared vows to do anything it takes to keep him there. However, while Jared and Seth grow closer, they discover that not everyone is so happy for them.
Will they be finally able to make a life for themselves together? Or will they be torn apart again, by people they thought they could trust?

Categories: Contemporary, M/M Romance

Always Been You Excerpt:

Straightening his back, he met Jared’s gaze.

“Fine. Let’s take a seat and get this over with, shall we?”

“Is that the way you talk to all of your clients? Cause I have to say, I’m surprised you get much business then,” drawled Jared.

Ignoring the comment, Seth led them to one of the booths. He cast a glance towards the kitchen, but Sal seemed to be preoccupied. Maybe telling the man to just ‘go for it’ hadn’t been a smart move. Something told him things were going to cost more than he thought.

Taking a seat opposite one another on the old scuffed booth with weathered red leather seating, that he absently noted to himself had to be added to the ever growing list of things that needed replacing, Seth launched straight into professional mode. He needed details to come up with something that the future bride wanted and that’s all he was focused on. At no time did he notice how good Jared looked, or how muscular he had gotten.

Seth hadn’t even taken note of Jared’s soft pink lips or his large firm hands.

Really.

Not at all.

Dammit.

Pages or Words: 45,680 words, 206 pages


Tour Dates & Stops:

16-Feb

Cate Ashwood

17-Feb

Parker Williams

18-Feb

Inked Rainbow Reads

19-Feb

Molly Lolly

20-Feb

Kimi-Chan

23-Feb

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

BFD Book Blog

24-Feb

Bayou Book Junkie

25-Feb

Wake Up Your Wild Side

Rainbow Gold Reviews

26-Feb

Lee Brazil

Prism Book Alliance

27-Feb

MM Good Book Reviews

Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: Winners choice of an E-book from Jess’s backlist plus a $5 gift card. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

Rafflecopter Code:
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A Sammy Review: Chance of the Heart by Kade Boehme

Rating 4 stars out of 5

And this was why he couldn’t stop himself. He felt like he was anchored, protected against the battering winds of the uncertainty of his mapped-out life. He didn’t have to provide or take care of. Someone was taking care of him and his needs and letting him surrender. And he had no clue that it was something he’d want, much less that it’d be such a relief.

Chance of the Heart coverChance Becket has never really questioned the path laid out before him. He knows what he’s supposed to do – run the ranch, marry Caitlin, have kids and live happily ever after. That’s always been the way it is, except for when Caitlin throws a wrench in those plans and decides that a break will do them both some good.

He’s not sure why he ends up at Bar None, but maybe it’s some twisted game fate plays. There he comes across Bradley Heart, a man he grew up with. The chemistry they have is sizzling, but being gay doesn’t exactly fit in the plans anywhere. But neither of them can deny they’re drawn together, it’s just a matter of if Chance is willing to divert from the path and go his own way, and if that way includes Bradley.

“You don’t have to follow the mapped out path. I know it’s easier for everyone else but maybe you want more than easy. Some people just want more.” Sometimes we just need more.

There are a few things I love in stories. I love a good cowboy, and this story provided me with that. I love a nice dash of kink and a whole lot of heat, and this book also provided that. I also love a good love story, and I do believe that you can mark that as checked here.

To get the negative out of the way though, I will make a point of saying right away that I think this book needs another round or two of edits. It wasn’t just commas that were missing here and there, but also some misspelled words, sentences worded awkwardly, and even a point where there was an obvious and distracting POV switch. I understand that self publishing can be difficult, and finding a good editor even more so, but I was really sad to see the number of mistakes in this book. I can say that sometimes as an editor you can get caught up in the story and miss a lot when that happens, I just feel that the amount missed here was far too much.

But back to the positives, because this book had a lot. I enjoyed the premise, but I wonder if maybe the preacher son idea was originally made to be a more prominent theme. Still, it worked out well. This wasn’t a story where everything ended perfectly, but it also wasn’t a story where the angst consumed the happier moments.

Boehme managed to balance the drama very well with all the other aspects, which I greatly appreciated. To top it off, this isn’t a hard read by any means. It’s the kind of story that when if you have a lazy Saturday afternoon, you could read in one sitting and be content.

The cover art by Allison Cassatta is nice and simple. It’s fitting for the story, and while I sometimes have an issue with just slapping a person on a cover, I feel it works here. I also really enjoy the color combination. It’s warming, which only serves to support the story inside the cover.

Overall, a good book, and just a reminder for me to keep an eye out for Boehme’s future stories, as I’m sure they’ll be wonderful.

Sales Links:          Amazon   Buy It Here  No ARe link found.

Book Details:

ebook, 254 pages
Published January 26th 2015 (first published January 22nd 2015)
edition languageEnglish