Category: Self Published

Review: Cold Feet (In From the Cold #3) (In From the Cold #3) by Lee Brazil

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

Cold Feet coverMany things brought Cannon Malloy west from Atlanta.  Cannon wanted to put his past behind him, including ex boyfriends and the trauma that went along with them.  Cannon most importantly want to find out  what it meant to finally live his life as an out gay man after years of living in the closet.  But that initial step out of his self deception didn’t mean Cannon felt comfortable as a gay man until now.  With help from his flamboyant neighbor at Mountain Shadows and some well applied eye liner, Cannon is ready to try once more to connect with the handsome Finn Lorensson.   With a newfound sense of self-appreciation and  confidence he approaches Finn’s cabin with more than lust on the mind to make up for their last unhappy encounter and repair some of the damage he caused.

But professor Finn has plenty of problems of his own, one especially that arose around a malicious student and his impact on Cannon.  Finn’s unsure of how to proceed, with the student and the newly confident Cannon.  Both require his immediate attention and how he handles them both might mean the end of his tenure as a professor and any chance of happiness he might find with Cannon.

Cannon finally seems over his own brand of cold feet when it comes to Finn and relationships.  But how long that will last and what Finn will do about it is anyone’s guess.

Of all the interconnected Pulp Friction 2014 series, Lee Brazil’s seems the most introspective of the four.  With all the others, while the characters are undergoing emotional upheavals and personal problems, they are also being impacted by outside forces and obstacles.  But Cannon and Finn are grappling, almost solely,  with Cannon’s past and its effect on each other and the possibility of a relationship.  Cannon Malloy is the fulcrum of In From the Cold.  He is the pivotal element on which most of the plot threads rest or emanate from.  A character displaced after the events in Atlanta (Pulp Friction 2013), Cannon was an ambivalent character, deeply closeted, married and the cause of much pain to the main character Chance.  He ran from Atlanta to Flagstaff, unable to operate due to the events that occurred in Atlanta and is floundering in his role as a professor.   From a dislikable personality to one clearly in need of compassion and understanding, Brazil has moved Cannon through his journey in cautious, fearful steps to this point.  It’s been realistic and painful.

Reacting to Cannon is professor Finn Lorensson, a confident, handsome man.  Cannon, however, is strewing Finn’s life with stumbling blocks and obstacles in Finn’s pursuit of the skittish Cannon, the last one of which might have lasting consequences for all.  I love how Brazil has taken this self assured mountain of a man and added cracks and fractures to a strong personality that seemed unbreakable.  It’s a lovely, believable transformation, especially with love as the impetus behind it.  With the exception of the disgruntled student who feels entitled to take what he wants, all the movement and changes made have been done so because of internal arguments and decisions, changes of attitudes and self worth.  It’s an internalized and introspective storyline and its very intimacy is conveyed through thoughtful inner monologues and bouts of painful fretting on the characters part.

The other characters and plots exist in Lee Brazil’s series but sometimes it feels as though we see or feel them at the very perimeter of Finn and Cannon’s lives.  Such an inward facing story structure has been a wonderful way to relate to both difficult characters and their fragile steps towards each other.  But I expect that is about to change.

Cold Feet and the other three stories are at the midway point in the series and changes are about to fall on all the people involved.  I expect Finn and Cannon to change their direction, and move outward to embrace the other characters and the tumultuous events occurring at Mountain Shadows. I can’t wait to see how the author folds these two back into the main story thread that flows through all the series and the evil that has clearly visited the woods around them.    I love these characters, the series and the entire Pulp Friction 2014 grouping.  It’s compelling, gorgeously depicted and as wide ranging as the mountains themselves, and I can’t get enough of their lives and their stories.

I highly recommend this story and series (all of them) to you.  However, you must start back at the beginning to understand the scope of the stories and the characters involved.  I have listed all the series for you below.  Don’t miss out one a single one of them…..

Cover art by Laura Harner.  Love these covers, perfect branding and great models.

Buy Links:       <a href=”Cold Feet: Pulp Friction 2014 (In From the Cold Book 3) ” title=”Cold Feet At Amazon”> Amazon         ARe

Book Details:

ebook
Published June 1st 2014 by Lime Time Press
edition languageEnglish
seriesIn From the Cold #3, Pulp Friction 2014 #10

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
Blow Hard  (Whispering Winds #3) by Havan Fellows
Tremors (Earthquake #3) by T.A. Webb

Round Four: to be released

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: to be released

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
charactersFinn Lorensso

Listen to Books? Finding Release by Silvia Violet is Out in Audio!

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Audio Book:   Finding Release by Silvia Violet

Do you listen to books?  Need a new book to listen to?  Check out Silvia Violet’s Finding Release, the first in her new Wild R Farm series.  As a part of Silvia Violet’s audio book release tour, you have a chance to win an audio copy for yourself.  To enter to win, visit this Rafflecopter link .  To listen to an excerpt, visit Amazon and click on play Sample.

 

 

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FR-audio Finding Release audio coverBook Name: Wild R Farm 1: Finding Release (audio version)
Author Name: Silvia Violet
Book Details:
Audible Audio Edition
Listening Length: 4 hours and 36 minutes
Program Type: Audiobook
Publisher: Silvia Violet Books
Audible.com Release Date: May 16, 2014
Whispersync for Voice: Ready
Language: English
ASIN: B00KHZB99O
Cover Artist: BitterGrace Art
Amazon Buy Link
url http://silviaviolet.com/book/finding-release/
seriesWild R Farm #1
charactersCole Wilder, Jonah Marks

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Blurb(s): Finding Release (Wild R Farm 1) is now available in audio!

Coleman Wilder is a half-breed werewolf. Some days the tension between his human side and his werewolf instincts threaten to tear him apart. But the challenge of running a horse farm as a gay man in a conservative Tennessee town keeps him focused until he meets horse shifter, Jonah Marks.
Jonah’s family insists that shifting is sinful, but Jonah longs to let his stallion run free. Desperate to escape his family’s judgment, he asks Cole, his secret crush, for a job. Cole turns him down, scared his desire for Jonah will make him lose control. When Jonah’s brother threatens his life, Cole struggles to save him and give them both a second chance at the life they’ve always wanted.

Excerpt: Hear this read at Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Release-Wild-Farm-Book/dp/B00KHZB99O) by clicking on Play Sample.

The boy nodded. “I-yes. I’m Jonah. Cole?”

Cole nodded, unable to make his voice work. Soulful chocolate brown eyes. The smell of newly mown hay, orange groves, and clean young man. No wonder Demon seemed familiar.

“You were Demon.” Cole said, finally able to speak.

Jonah nodded.

Cole couldn’t verbalize his racing thoughts. He was shaking, sick at the thought of what Jonah had suffered, stunned, thankful. His knees threatened to give, and he grabbed the stall door to keep himself upright.

Jonah trembled. “My brother… he locked me in horse form. I forgot who I was. Forgot how… how to be h-human.”

Rage, fear, and a fierce need to protect had Cole ready to rip Nathan Marks apart.

Jonah looked lost and confused.

Cole wanted to pull Jonah into his arms and take his fear away, but he was afraid to move. “Tell me what happened.”

“C-can’t, not now. I… need… hold me.”

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FR BadgeTour Dates: June 10th, 2014
Tour Stops: Parker Williams, Kimi-Chan, Iyana Jenna, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Wicked Wolves & Dreaming Dragons, Amanda C. Stone, Love Bytes, MM Good Books, LeAnn’s Book Reviews, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Hearts on Fire

Author Bio:

Silvia Violet writes erotic romance in a variety of genres including paranormal, contemporary, sci fi, and historical. She can be found haunting coffee shops looking for the darkest, strongest cup of coffee she can find. Once equipped with the needed fuel, she can happily sit for hours pounding away at her laptop. Silvia typically leaves home disguised as a suburban stay-at-home-mom, and other coffee shop patrons tend to ask her hilarious questions like “Do you write children’s books?” She loves watching the looks on their faces when they learn what she’s actually up to. When not writing, Silvia enjoys baking sinfully delicious treats, exploring new styles of cooking, and reading to her incorrigible offspring.
Author Links:  Facebook     Twitter      Tumblr 

Contest Details:  Enter to win an audio book of Silvia Violet’s Finding Release.  Visit here to enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway.

WillPride

 

Review: Apollo’s Curse by Brad Vance

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

Apollo's Curse coverDane Gale has had one goal in life. That was to write and be a successful author.  But his only published novel lies languishing on the shelves with little to no takers.  When he joins a romance book club, he gets more than he bargained for.  His new friends Rose and Sherry and Dale find themselves critiquing the novels they are reading and finding that they believe that they could write one as well.   Soon an author is born. “Pamela Clarice,” self-published romance novelist, consisting of the three of them, and quickly they find they have published their first romance to some success.  And for each of their novels, Dane chooses a popular model to use for their covers, a man he can’t get out of his mind.

The model Dane is obsessing over is Paul Musegetes. Paul is the world’s most popular romance cover model, but hardly anything is known about him, other than only one photographer is allowed to take his pictures. When Dane, Rose, and Sherry attend the Romance Writers’ Ball on the Summer Solstice, Dane meets Paul  and connects for one night of passion that will change his life forever…

After that night with Paul, Dane finds his muse has ignited a storm of inspiration and he starts writing one successful novel after another.  And that’s all Dane does….he writes to the exclusion of all else.  Paul is a Muse who comes with a curse as well as the writers Midas touch.  The writer he anoints on the Summer Solstice has but one year of phenomenal success and then will never be able to write again.

Heartbroken at the price he never knew he would have to pay, Dane vows to track down Paul and break the curse.  But how to find a man who doesn’t seem to exist outside of a photograph?  All the clues lead to Venice and Paul’s photographer Jackson da Vinci…

What a great concept for a story!  The idea that a popular cover model, you know, the ones you see over and over again, is actually a Greek Muse, who with one night of supernatural sex, anoints an author to become the world’s most prolific and successful writer?  I love it!  And it works beautifully here as a means to explain the writing process and as a raison de etre for Dane , who has to travel not only to Venice but to Greece itself in order to find his answers and a way to break the curse.

Dane Gale is a character that has to grow on a reader.  At the beginning, he seems very self-involved and so sure he has written the “great American novel” that no one can appreciate as demonstrated by its poor sales.  But it’s what Paul is lacking that is the source of his writing woes and inability to understand love and romance.  Vance gives us the key to Dane early on when he introduces the women that will become not only Dane’s writing partners but his friends too.  Rose and Sherry open Dane up emotionally as each has a different talent to bring to their novels.  What does it say about Dane that his talent is editing,research,  formating and such?  As the three of them work on stories and ideas, it becomes clear to them all where Dane deficiencies lie.  Until he sees a picture of Paul Musegetes when searching for a cover model for their romances.  Then Dane becomes able to write not only steamy and believable sex scenes but frame out entire stories around Paul’s pictures.

Brad Vance does a great job here in relating the publishing world as it exists today with all the new avenues and formats of self publishing ebooks.  He goes into details about all the various ways in which an author can’t only publish their own stories but track their success and sales as well.  This element of the story teeters on almost too much information.  It is practically a “how to publish” pamphlet on its own.  Interesting but a little overwhelming although I understand why he wanted us to “watch” Dane’s excitement grow as his success climbs exponentially upward.

The women in this story are terrific characters and I wish we had as much of them towards the last section of the story as we did at the beginning.  We become invested in these women only to have them disappear halfway through the story.  Understandable, necessary, but their absence is definitely felt. Jackson da Vinci is a character to love the more you know about him.  He too needs enlightenment and only through his search with Dane does the end result of his own choices become apparent.

One of my most favorite aspects of Apollo’s Curse is the Greek island of Kos and its inhabitants.  Such wonders await the readers there, including bits of storytelling and characters worth the price of this novel alone.  It’s magical and poignant and I never wanted Dane and Jackson to leave. But of course, that was never possible….  But clearly Brad Vance knows and loves his Greek mythology as well as the islands.  Venice too ripples authentically off the pages of the story as the enchanting city it is.

Apollo’s Curse is a book that continued to grow on me even after I had finished.  The more its scenes and  characters came back to me, the greater my enjoyment in the world and story that Vance created.  It’s really a lovely romance as well as a cautionary tale of getting exactly what you asked for.  Steamy, hot, sex?  Not really, although perhaps you might anticipate that from the cover and the half dressed model.  Who is that model?  Why the photographer! His name is  Francesco Cura.  And Vance didn’t find out that he was the photographer until afterwards.  Now that’s a great surprise.

At the moment, Vance has said in his interview with me that this is a stand alone novel.  I hope not.  I want to know what happens to Jackson and Dane next.  Also Rose and Sherry who arrive at the end.  There is so much more to tell and I would love to see where Vance takes his characters and their Muse next.  Consider this story and author highly recommended.

Cover artist and model not credited.

Buy Links:   Amazon  Amazon UK       ARe          Barnes & Noble  Smashwords

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 280 pages
Published May 4th 2014 (first published May 1st 2014)
ASINB00K4FXL8O
edition languageEnglish

Apollo’s Curse Book Tour: An Interview with Brad Vance (Contest Incl.)

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Brad Vance has stopped by ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords today to talk about his latest release Apollo’s Curse and share some of his thoughts on writing.  He has also brought 10 copies of Apollo’s Curse to giveaway during his tour.  To enter to win an eBook copy of Apollo’s Curse, visit here, a Rafflecopter site.   Contest ends 6/13.

Brad Vance was nice enough to answer a few questions from me about the story, his own muse, and writing in general.  Here’s the interview:

STRW: This story has both a curse and a muse. What was your inspiration for the story?

BV: “Paul,” the model who’s featured on the cover, really was the inspiration. Every time I go to create a cover for a book, it’s almost always his picture that leaps off the screen at me.
His name is actually Francesco Cura, but I refused to find that out until I was done with the book. Imagine my delight when I found out he was not only the model, but also the photographer! I felt this rush of joy, of validation – I was right to pick him over and over, right to choose him as a muse, he was so much more than just a pretty face after all.

STRW: Do you have a Muse?

See above 🙂 I’d say that my favorite writers are my Muses as well. For erotica, I look to gay writers Andrew Holleran and Edmund White as role models – they’re far more literary than I am, but it’s that sensual aspect to their work that I love. One day I’ll write something as languorous and steamy as Holleran’s “Dancer From The Dance.” That book reeks of sex…but I was astonished to discover when I reread it last year that there isn’t a single sex scene in it. How did he do that! I want to do that!

STRW: What drew you to write M/M Romance?

BV:  Well, like Dane, I wasn’t having a great success writing mainstream fic. Aubrey Watt (AKA Aubrey Rose), a very talented writer, did an Ask Me Anything on Reddit about being a “smut writer.” I thought, I have a dirty mind – I bet I can do that! I sent her a sample and she was very encouraging. So I wrote erotica until the Epic Cockblocking purges at Kobo and Amazon killed the market for that. Then I moved into erotic romance, where I have a bigger canvas than just sex to write about (though there’s plenty of that in every book save “Apollo”).

STRW: Best line you ever wrote?

BV:  One I haven’t written yet.

STRW:  Is there any genre you wouldn’t write in?

BV:  Oh, sure. I can’t see myself writing, for instance, Amish romance. Hmm. Unless it featured some of those hot Amish gangsters getting it on in the barn…there’s an idea! I gotta go now!

STRW:  Favorite romance, book and/or movie?

BV:  For some reason, the movie that pops into mind isn’t really a romance, but it is – “About A Boy.” I love the complicated relationships in that story, and the “bromance” that ends with a HEA. Remember, you gotta have a backup!

STRW: How do you feel about HEA in stories? Necessary or not?

BV: I want closure when I read a book. I want to be satisfied. If one of the lovers dies, that’s not a HEA but it’s closure. So I’m okay with that – But of course I’d rather have the HEA.

STRW:  Is this a standalone novel or the beginning of a series?

BV:  Well. It’s a standalone. But. What happens to Dane later? Does he write again? Does he become a muse to someone else? I have no idea now. But there’s room for another story, if the ideas come to me. I won’t force it, but it’s possible.

Now let’s get up close and personal with Brad’s book…

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Apollo's Curse coverBook Name: Apollo’s Curse
Author Name: Brad Vance
Cover Artist: Brad Vance
Publisher: Brad Vance Erotica
Blurb(s):

All Dane Gale ever wanted was to be a successful writer. After a few sessions with his new friends Rose and Sherry at a romance book club, well, the more romances they read, the more they’re convinced they can do better. And do they ever! They join their creative forces to become “Pamela Clarice,” self-published romance novelist. When they look for a cover model for their first book, Dane sees the photos that will change his life.

Paul Musegetes is the world’s most popular romance cover model, and the most secretive. Dane soon finds himself obsessed with this supernaturally handsome man, and when he meets Paul at the Romance Writers’ Ball on the Summer Solstice, he and Paul connect for one night of passion…

After that night, Dane’s a writing machine. He can’t stop writing romances, and every story he touches turns to gold. But he also finds that he can’t write anything but romances. And soon he’s spending every waking moment of every day writing another after another…

Then Dane finds out that this Midas touch has a heavy price. After the next Summer Solstice, he’ll never write again. Not a romance, not a serious novel. Nothing. Not even a grocery list. And that leaves him with only one option – find Paul, and get him to break the curse. But before he can do that, he’ll have to track down Paul’s equally mysterious photographer, Jackson da Vinci…

Excerpt:
It wasn’t hard to find Paul again.  And to find the “other images with this model” link.  And click.  And click.  And blow up my browser window to 200%, so that when I zoomed the photos, his face, then his eyes, filled my screen.

And what surprised me was that there were not only so many images of him, but that he could be so many different men in so many different pictures, different settings – he was the tender lover with the rose, the snarling Viking, the cool guy in a band, the Miami Beach tool, the shifter/werewolf, the business man, the college kid, the gym rat, the outdoorsman, the poet, the drill sergeant, the soccer player, the swimmer…  As I looked at each picture, I was totally convinced that I was looking at the real man, that that was who he really was…until I looked at the next.

And yet, always, he was clearly recognizably himself – Paul.  It was those eyes, reminding you that he was in there, somewhere, behind the image, and you’d never know which one he really was, he was all of them, he was whoever you wanted him to be…

Buy Links for Apollo’s Curse :     AmazonUK    Amazon  ARe     Barnes&Noble     Smashwords

Author Bio:

Brad Vance is a popular author of gay romances, including the best selling novel, “Given the Circumstances.”

You can follow Brad at:

Tour Dates: 6/2 – 6/13

Tour Stops:
ApollosCurseBadgeJune 2: Prism Book Alliance, Dawn’s Reading Nook
June 3: Kimi-Chan
June 4: Elisa Rolle, Nephylim, Up All Night, Read All Day
June 5: Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves
June 6: MM Good Books, Jane Wallace-Knight
June 9: Parker Williams, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
June 10: Amanda C. Stone, Fallen Angel Reviews
June 11: Gay Guy Reading, Jade Crystal, My Fiction Nook, Talon SO
June 12: Love Bytes, It’s Raining Men
June 13: The Novel Approach, The Hat Party

Rafflecopter Prize: 10 copies of ‘Apollo’s Curse’ ebook
Rafflecopter Code: WillPride

On Tour with D.T. Peterson and The Cove (Contest)

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D.T. Peterson is here at ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords today with an excerpt from The Cove, Peterson’s latest release and a contest to enter to win the Rafflecopter Prize of a.pdf copy of The Cove.  Visit here to enter.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

Welcome, D. T.!  That’s such a great cover.  Can we talk a little about your writing, The Cove, and things?

STRW: The setting for your story moves from one side of the country to another. Did you research both locations?

D.T.   I’ve been driven since an early age to travel and explore, to see what’s around the next bend in the road. I didn’t need to do a lot of research as far as the settings were concerned, I’ve been to all of them several times.

STRW:   What prompted you to write this story?

D.T.  I started writing ‘The Cove’ reflecting on my past and the relationships that defined me, and the friends that influenced my life. There were always a few tender, intense relationships that I’ve always wondered about and I decided to explore how things might have ended differently.

STRW:   How do you go about developing your characters?
 D.T.:  We are all drawn to what’s familiar, so I begin with people and friends that I have known. They do have a strange habit of taking on a life of their own. I tend to write as I feel it, and as the story progresses so do the characters.

STRW:   What is the favorite story you have written or do you have one?

D.T.   I’ve just finished writing my 2nd novel, but ‘The Cove’ will always be my favorite.
STRW:   How do you go about picking the names of your characters?

D.T.   Good question, other than being correct for the period, I like names which seem to mesh with the characters. It’s just a personal preference.
STRW:   How long did it take to write this story? Was it something you had been thinking about for some time? Or just spontaneously jump into your mind?

D.T.:  I’ve thought about writing this story for a LONG time. Of course, it was the ‘secret’ that I’ve carried with me throughout the decades. I spent well over a year writing it.

STRW: What is your favorite thing about writing?

D.T.:  Writing allows me to look deep into myself and reflect, It also allows me to escape and enjoy disconnecting from the pressures of life.

STRW:  : What is the worst thing about the writing process?
D.T. :Without a shadow of a doubt…editing!

STRW:  *laughs*  I think that most writers feel that way.  This was wonderful.  Thanks for stopping by ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords for a little book talk.  D.T. Peterson’s The Cove is now out.  The buy links are listed below.   And don’t forget, everyone, to enter to win a pdf copy of The Cove at the links indicated!

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TheCove CoverBook Name: The Cove

Author Name: D.T. Peterson
Author Bio: Writing is a passion of mine, not a full time job. I live comfortably in Suburbia on the east coast.
Author Links: https://www.facebook.com/authorDTpeterson
Cover Artist: B.K. Wright
Publisher: Beau to Beau

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Blurb: Young and idealistic, Jon and Dave meet by chance, their friendship growing stronger and leading them to a place neither has been before. Though theirs is a love forbidden, which few understand, they journey across the country together and settle in San Francisco, where they are finally free to be together as they were meant to be. When life takes an unexpected turn, however, the two young lovers are torn apart by a secret which, if unveiled, threatens to bring great shame to the family of one determined to keep them on the straight and narrow.

 

 

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Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 324 pages
Published April 9th 2014 by Beau to Beau Publishing
ASINB00JLJFK3I
edition languageEnglish

Buy Links:               Amazon                         ARe

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Excerpt:

“Do you ever think about doing it again?” he asked me tentatively.
“Kissing you?”
“Yea.”
“All the time now,” I replied. I couldn’t lie to him, I did.
“Really?”
“Yea, what about you?” I asked.
“I do, I think about it all the time too.”
“So, why haven’t we, if we both want too?” He asked me
“I dunno, because we are afraid?”
“Yea, I know. But what are we afraid of?”
“I guess where it might end up.”
“Where it might end?”
“Yea”
“Dave,” he said, “Where are we going to end up? I need to know.”
“Fucked if I know.”
“We’ve been together all summer, and we’ve been through a lot.”
“It’s been perfect.”
“I’ve got to know,” he said, drawing closer to me.
“What?” I asked.
“Do you REALLY love me?”
I didn’t have to think about it.
“Jon, I love you more than anyone else. More than I ever thought that I could love someone.”
“And I love you too Dave. I can’t imagine ever being without you again.”
“I’d do anything for you.”
“I know, and I’d do anything with you.”
He laid there, next to me, staring into my eyes, as I fell hopelessly into his, both of us finally, realizing.
“Hey,” he said, as he ran his fingers through my hair, and he gently drew me closer, “I have to tell you something…”
“What?” I said, putting my arm around him, caressing him, and reassuring him.
“I’m not afraid anymore,” he whispered into my ear.
“You know,” I replied, softly, our lips barely separated, “neither am I. Not anymore.”
“So, it doesn’t matter?”
“No, it doesn’t matter.”
“Well, watcha waiting for?”
I wanted to kiss him again for a long time now. And finally I could, and the fear, and the worrying, were gone. I had too, I couldn’t not kiss him any longer.
We drew closer, slowly. It was awkward and we laughed a little. Finally, I pressed my lips against his; the spark was instantaneous. I could feel the pent up passion rising from deep within. It was unstoppable, and soon we were tight in each other’s arms, kissing passionately.
I looked deeply into his eyes, our lips barely separated, and I whispered to him gently, tenderly, “I love you”
Pulling me closer, and tighter, he caressed my face.
He replied, in between tender kisses, “I love you more.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?” I asked him.
“I can’t imagine not doing this,” he replied.
“Yea, I know exactly what you mean.”
Our lives, and everything that we had been through and done together, the thoughts that we shared and the emotions that we expressed, were a mere dress rehearsal, leading to this moment. The paths that we had chosen, and the decisions that we had made together, led us into each other’s arms and souls.

Tour Dates: 5/26/14 – 6/20/14WillPrideTourBadge
Tour Stops:
May 26: Kimi-Chan
May 27: Cate Ashwood
May 28: My Fiction Nook
May 29: MM Good Books
May 30: Michael Mandrake, LeAnn’s Book Reviews
June 2: Prism Book Alliance
June 3: Jade Crystal
June 4: Amanda C. Stone
June 5: Lee Brazil
June 6: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
June 9: Iyana Jenna
June 10: It’s Raining Men, Parker Williams
June 11: Love Bytes
June 12: 3 Chicks After Dark
June 13: Night Owl Reviews , SA McAuley
Jun 16: The Blogger Girls
June 17: Book Reviews and More by Kathy, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Hearts on Fire, Two Men Are Better Than One
June 18: Velvet Panic
June 19: Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, Angel Martinez, Fallen Angel Reviews
June 20: MM Good Books

Contest Rules and Details:  Visit Rafflecopter to enter to win D.T. Peterson’s Rafflecopter Prize: A .pdf copy of The Cove.  Must be 18 years of age or older. Contest ends 6/20.

 

Review: Backburn (Fighting Fire #3) (PF 2014) by Laura Harner

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

Backburn coverNothing between Park Ranger Rob Hammond and disabled firefighter Scott McGregor has ever been easy.  From their early romance and traumatic breakup to their reunion in Scott’s hospital room where Scott was recovering from injuries that killed most of his crew and cost him the profession he loved.  Scott had hoped that with Rob’s reappearance, their romance and relationship was back on track.  But with one ill advised phone call to Rob’s mother, Scott has derailed that hope even though he refuses to admit it.

Scott is also having problems with PTSD and his nightmares are getting worse. The stress and strain of operating Mountain Shadows and the problems that have been popping up recently aren’t helping either.  Strange and horrifying things are happening around the campground and Scott aims to get at the causes even if he has to investigate it by himself..

Rob Hammond is faltering under the weight of the secrets he has been keeping and his efforts to become a wildland firefighter.  He is just beginning to realize that Scott’s PTSD is worse than Scott had let on and Scott’s phone call to his mother brought up painful past problems that he had pushed aside.   A run in with an old acquaintance and another call from home make Rob realize that he had some hard decisions to make and that they need to be made soon before everything he hopes to achieve goes up in flames.

When one man finally understands what he wants, the other person’s reality combusts.  When you fight fire with fire, will both of them and their relationship be burned beyond compare?

What is a backburn?  A backburn in firefighter terms means to create firebreak in path of brushfire: to prevent a brushfire from spreading by lighting another fire in its path

Reading this series is like walking towards a fire.  With each new story acting like a new step forward, the reader and Harner’s characters get closer and closer to the flames.  As the heat and the danger combine, it increases incrementally the treacherous nature of the situation these characters find themselves in as the story proceeds. Then it explodes in a ball of fire at the end in a way that will leave you dazed, a more than a little fearful and standing at a precipice with no where to go.  And you will totally love it.

Scott and Rob, the troubled duo at the heart of this series are back and in worse shape than ever.  Scott is living in denial about practically everything going on in his life.  And that state of delusion has made Scott act ill-advisedly where his and Rob’s past is concerned.   One phone call to Rob’s mother shatters Scott’s hopes about their future and Rob’s plans for them as well.  Harner also brings in the realistic element of Scott’s PTSD and his continued avoidance of any treatment.  When Scott breaks down when undergoing traumatic flashbacks to the fire that cost him everything, we are able to feel the weight of those memories and the pain they are still able to cause.  Not only do we understand why Scott is acting so impudently but we can see the consequences coming even if he doesn’t.  We can like this character even if we don’t like his actions.

Rob too has so many layers to his character.  And like Scott, we also won’t like certain aspects of his past or his persona.  But also like Scott, Harner provides us with enough personal details and back history that once we put his actions within context then that conduct starts to make sense.  Rob grows more as a character here than he has in past stories.  That growth will trigger decisions and events that we will not see coming, another marvelous element to these stories.

Fires and the devastation that comes with those who choose to become firefighters is a prevailing element here.  We see the sacrifice that is called for when someone decides on becoming a firefighter and the pain and sorrow that will follow in its path.   That Scott loves and misses his profession is clear.  So is the ultimate sacrifice his crew made and the survivor guilt that is overwhelming the only man left alive by that fire.  Harner’s vivid descriptions and emotional scenes bring Scott’s inability to deal with that fatal fire to life in breathtaking detail.  That people choose to do this challenging, dangerous, and necessary profession makes me grateful and awed.  In Scott McGregor we can see and feel the cost as well as the dedication needed to be such a firefighter.  That’s thanks to Laura Harner as well.

The ending is emotionally devastating and will leave you hanging.  This used to bother me.  But in a series and in the hands of an author who does this cliffhanger so well, it works to keep us on the ledge and happy to be there.  I can’t wait to see what happens next and so will you.

If you are new to the series, in fact the entire Pulp Friction 2014 interconnected stories, start at the beginning to get the most from these authors stories and characters.  I have listed all the series and stories below.  I consider Backburn and Fighting Fire (along with all the rest of the Pulp Friction 2014 group) to be one of ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords Best of 2014.

Cover art by Laura Harner

Book Details:

64 pages
Published May 13th 2014 by Hot Corner Press
ISBN139781937252816
edition languageEnglish
seriesFighting Fire #3, Pulp Friction 2014 #9

 Buy Links:          Amazon              ARe

About Pulp Friction 2014: 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. There will be five rounds and one final story written by all four authors.

Round One of Pulp Friction 2014:

Firestorm (Fighting Fire# 1) by Laura Harner
Cold Snap (In From the Cold# 1) by Lee Brazil
Blown Away (Where the Wind Blows# 1) by Havan Fellows
Higher Ground (Earthquake# 1) by Tom Webb

Round Two of Pulp Friction 2014:

Controlled Burn (Fighting Fire #2) by Laura Harner
Cold Comfort (In From the Cold #2) by Lee Brazil
Blown Kisses (Where the Wind Blows #2) by Havan Fellows
Moving Earth (Earthquake #2) by Tom Webb

Round Three of Pulp Friction 2014:

Backburn (Fighting Fire #3) by Laura Harner
Cold Feet (In From the Cold #3) by Lee Brazil
Blow Hard (Where the Wind Blows #3) by Havan Fellows
Tremors (Earthquake #3) by Tom Webb

 

Review: Moving Earth (Earthquake #2) (PF 2014) by T.A. Webb

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Moving Earth coverNow that Charlie Turner has moved out of his family’s home, he has time for a personal life for the first time in ages.  After his father died, Charlie was busy working and raising his grief stricken younger brother while his mother mourned.  Now living in his own cabin on Mountain Shadows campground, Charlie is ready to reclaim his private time and he knows just who he wants to spend it with…..Amos Greene. Aloof, gorgeous, and sexy Amos Greene.  But outside of sex, does Amos want him back?

Amos Greene has more than a few personal demons to deal with.  Past experience has taught Amos that when it comes to romance, you keep it cool, keep it impersonal and temporary.  Then Amos meets Charlie Turner when Charlie comes to work on Amos’ art gallery.  Charlie isn’t satisfied with temporary and he certainly won’t settle on being just a one or two night stand.  And little by little, Amos starts to give in to Charlie’s insistence on a relationship with small steps forward and through all the walls Amos has erected over the years..

But strange, dark things are happening at Mountain Shadows and Charlie’s brother just might be in the middle of things. Soon Charlie finds himself in the middle of an investigation, and draws Amos in with him.  What they find out will have repercussions for them all….

 

Moving Earth is a perfect title for a story about families and relationships on shaky ground.  The second the T.A. Webb’s Earthquake series, the story picks up right after the end of Higher Ground.   Charlie Turner, a absolutely lovable character, has shouldered his family’s burdens after the death of his dad.  That meant trying to be everything to his teenage brother who is grieving and in emotional shock.  Not quite father, not able to be the fun big brother, Charlie is trying hard to fill a role that isn’t his and its not working.  His brother is rebelling and afraid especially when Charlie moves out of the house into his own cabin at his mother’s insistence.  Webb understands complicated family dynamics and it shows in the dialog and descriptions of the family interactions that come into play in Moving Earth.

In a story full of complicated characters, each with their own baggage of personal issues, Damon Turner, the troubled younger brother, almost steals the story away from Charlie and Amos.  Smart mouthed and snarky, Damon hides his fears and anger behind his aggressive behavior and disturbing circle of friends.  This is the character we fear for and want to hold close.  His actions towards his brother and classmates are cries for help.  It makes Damon believable and someone we can relate to.  And Charlie’s anger at and concern for his brother is something we get as well.  Damon’s feelings about his brother’s sexuality are all over the place.  Damon is at times both hurtful, hurling epithets at Charlie and then with an about face, he is accepting of his brother and Amos. In total, Damon is that teenager is search of stability and love who has had his support jerked out from under him in the most traumatic way.  Clearly Damon isn’t dealing with it very well, nor would any teenager in his place.  T.A. Webb navigates this tricky, prickly time for the brothers with sensitivity and authenticity that just deepens the whole feeling behind Moving Earth.

Poor Charlie.  Between his brother and Amos, almost every relationship he has or wants needs an amazing amount of work.  Charlie has to force Amos to look at him in a different manner than Amos’ previous sexual conquests.  I liked the fact that Charlie is not a doormat here and that he demands the respect he knows he deserves.  And Amos, with his pain-filled awful childhood, is a tough character  to crack open. It must be Amos’ decision to open up and become vulnerable once more in order to accept Charlie and his need for a real relationship.  This is a delicate juggling act that Webb handles as well as he does the one between Charlie and Damon.

As with all the interconnected Pulp Friction 2014 series, there are several mysteries running through all four stories and series.  Here the author starts to amp up the suspense that surrounds the riddles of the dark events happening at Mountain Shadows campground.  Dead, mutilated animals are being found in the woods nearby and who is behind this is anyone’s guess.  There will be clues and perhaps some false trails laid but all are quaranteed to keep you glued to this story and all the series that go with it.   And the ending here?  It will startle you and send you back to the first book looking for clues and more information.  Loved it, hated it (for leaving me hanging), and definitely wanting more.  Much, much more.

Did all this happen in 40 pages?  Why yes it did and that fact alone continues to amaze me.  Its like wondering how all those things fit into the magician’s hat.  It’s astonishing even as I marvel that it all works so wondrously well.   I love Webb’s Earthquake series for its complicated sibling relationship as much as I do for its equally complex romance.  Don’t pass this up but start with the first story Higher Ground.

The Pulp Friction 2014 (and 2013) series can all be read separately but they work best when read together to get the full impact of the characters, their intertwined relationships and the intricate plot all these terrific authors have devised.  I highly recommend them all but make sure to start at the first story in each series and build up from there.  I have listed the stories as they are being released below.  Not listed as yet is Round Four but that is coming.

Cover art by Laura Harner

Buy Links:         Amazon         ARe

Book Details:

ebook, 40 pages
Published April 30th 2014 by A Bear on Books (first published April 29th 2014)
ISBN139781310924866
edition languageEnglish
seriesEarthquake #2, Pulp Friction 2014 #8

About Pulp Friction 2014:  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.  There will be five rounds and one final story written by all four authors.

Round One of Pulp Friction 2014:

Firestorm (Fighting Fire# 1) by Laura Harner
Cold Snap (In From the Cold# 1) by Lee Brazil
Blown Away (Where the Wind Blows# 1) by Havan Fellows
Higher Ground (Earthquake# 1) by Tom Webb

Round Two of Pulp Friction 2014:

Controlled Burn (Fighting Fire #2) by Laura Harner
Cold Comfort (In From the Cold #2) by Lee Brazil
Blown Kisses (Where the Wind Blows #2) by Havan Fellows
Moving Earth (Earthquake #2) by Tom Webb

Round Three of Pulp Friction 2014:

Backburn (Fighting Fire #3) by Laura Harner
Cold Feet (In From the Cold #3) by Lee Brazil
Blow Hard (Where the Wind Blows #3) by Havan Fellows
Tremors (Earthquake #3) by Tom Webb

 

Cover Reveal for Amanda Young’s GWM: Wanted

✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍✍The Cover Reveal is Here!

GWM BadgeThe Wait is over!  

Look no further for the cover of Amanda Young’s latest release GWM Wanted!

GWM_Wanted_Final6x9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GWM_Wanted_Final6x9

Book Name: GWM Wanted
Details:
Cover Artist: Yoly Cortez, Cormar Covers
Publisher: Self-published
Blurb(s): Mark is still deeply in love with Sam, his partner of 15 years. He’s perfectly happy with their relationship, even if their sex life has grown a little stale lately. But when he begins to notice Sam’s gaze wandering toward other men, he fears that his younger lover may be losing interest in him.

Then Sam suddenly suggests they broaden their sexual horizons by inviting a third man into their bedroom. And Mark’s fears become almost certainty. He reluctantly agrees, willing to do whatever it takes to hold onto Sam. He’s willing to share his husband’s body if he must, so long as he retains his heart.

Together, they answer an ad in an online advertisement. The other man seems to be just what they’re looking for — handsome, hung, and only interested in no-strings-attached fun. But once the excitement begins they find out they’ve made a terrible mistake.

 

Author Name: Amanda Young

Author Bio: A bestselling author of erotic romance, Amanda Young penned her first love story at eighteen. Being pure rubbish, that novel was prompted deleted before it could traumatize innocent readers. After several years of honing of her craft, Amanda went on to receive her first publishing contract in 2006.

A vivid imagination enables Amanda to create provocative stories that push boundaries and dare readers to expand their comfort zones. Since she tends to write whatever strikes her fancy, her novels fall into many different subgenres. Among her available titles you’ll find contemporary and paranormal settings, heroes who fall all over the Kinsey scale, and the characters who love them.

Amanda Young lives in Virginia with her husband, daughter, and two pampered pooches. When she’s not writing, she can usually be found chasing after a mischievous toddler or daydreaming about the characters in her next book. She loves to hear from her readers, and can be found on Facebook and Twitter. Her website, http://www.amandayoung.org, is where you can find up-to-date information on all of Amanda’s current and upcoming releases.

You can contact Amanda Young at:

Tour Dates: May 21, 2014
Tour Stops: Love Bytes, My Fiction Nook, Kimi-Chan, Prism Book Alliance, Hearts on Fire, Elisa Rolle, Lee Brazil, Parker Williams, 3 Chicks After Dark, Havan Fellows, Gale Stanley, Sinfully Sexy, Mrs. Condit & Friends, MM Good Books, Becca Anne’s Book Reviews, Cate Ashwood, It’s Raining Men, Fallen Angel Reviews, Amanda C. Stone, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Iyana Jenna, Pants Off Review

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Contest:    Rafflecopter Code:
Rafflecopter Prize: $25 Amazon Gift CardWillPride
Book Buy Links for GWM Wanted:

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