Category: Supernatural

Its Riptide Publishing’s 4th Anniversary Celebration Blog Tour! (Andrea Speed guest blog and giveaway)

Riptide Publishing’s
4th Anniversary Celebration!

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Thank you for joining Riptide on our 4th Anniversary blog tour! We are excited to bring you new guest posts from our authors and a behind the scenes insights from Riptide. The full tour schedule can be found at here . Don’t miss the limited time discounts and Free Books for a Year giveaway at the end of this post!

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Please welcome Andrea Speed to the tour.

To me, horror and comedy have always been attached at the hip. Now I know that position might be anathema to many, but think about it. If you break it down into its component parts, many horror stories are ridiculous. Clowns with machetes? Dead people who eat live people? Undead bloodsuckers who wear capes and flounce around like party boys who ran out of molly? This stuff’s hilarious, people.

Not to say that it can’t be horrific too, because it can be. It can be two things at once. Ridiculous and scary, bloody and silly. I have many real world examples of this. From the granddaddy of them all, Evil Dead 2 (I honestly believe Bruce Campbell’s fight with his own hand belongs in a spot in the cinema hall of fame, if such a thing exists), to the great granddaddy Young Frankenstein, to the more contemporary examples of What We Do In The Shadows to any of the comedy episodes of Supernatural (which, to their credit, are usually pretty funny, especially if Ben Edlund writes it). Humor and horror belong together like chocolate and more chocolate. And it would make the Walking Dead a thousand times more watchable if they just included a goofy moment or two somewhere – anywhere, in any episode.

You’d think this would be a given, but it simply isn’t, and as a fan of “serious” horror, it baffles me. Yeah, I like a good “straight” scare as much as the next person, but if we can’t laugh at ourselves and the clichés and conventions of the genre, then what’s the point? You can’t take yourself so seriously. Life is pretty absurd, once you think about it, and I feel everything needs to acknowledge that if we want to get up and move on.

Which brings me to Josh of the Damned. If you asked me to describe the most hellish job in existence, it wouldn’t be mortuary worker, or garbage man, or even sewer worker. It would always be service industry, because, let’s face it, most people are pretty terrible. You could be a good person but having an off day, and you end up inadvertently taking it out on a stranger you doubt you’ll see again, which is often this hapless worker bee, be they a barista, a fast food cashier, or a store clerk. There is so much naturalistic horror to be found in this setting I don’t know why all horror stories don’t start or end there.

It’s not subtle commentary to say that Josh’s monster clients are often nicer than his human clients, because they are. Oh sure, occasionally they threaten to kill him or ear hentai him, but even Josh understands this isn’t as bad as it could be. He’s an undereducated, underpaid everyman who finds himself the lynchpin in a battle between worlds he can barely comprehend, and has no hope of understanding. It doesn’t stop him, though, which is the mark of a true hero. You go do something, even if you have no idea what’s going on in the bigger picture. You just try and deal with the mess here and now.

I’ve written more conventional types of heroes (including one who still sees the humor in the whole bloody mess of everything – his name rhymes with phone), but I feel like Josh could always stand shoulder to shoulder with them. Yes, he’s a night clerk, and he doesn’t always understand what’s going on or what he’s supposed to do about it. But he goes into work every night and he tries, which is a feat of heroism all by itself.


So next time you’re in a business, and see a weary clerk/cashier/barista, thank them, or just give them a big tip. We all fight monsters. Some are just more literal than others.

About Josh of the Damned

Josh Caplan is your average late-night convenience store clerk, but the Quik-Mart where he works is nothing like normal with that hell vortex in the parking lot. Waiting on zombies, demons, and other things that go bump in the night might scare some, but they’re actually more polite than the stoners, and Josh welcomes the break in the monotony—especially when he acquires himself a sexy new boyfriend with a deadly secret.

Will Josh survive this retail nightmare? It’s a Big Gulp of a chance, but between the hazard pay and the hottie with a sweet tooth for Josh’s candy, it’s a chance he’s willing to take.

About Andrea Speed

Andrea Speed was born looking for trouble in some hot month without an R in it. While succeeding in finding Trouble, she has also been found by its twin brother, Clean Up, and is now on the run, wanted for the murder of a mop and a really cute, innocent bucket that was only one day away from retirement. (I was framed, I tell you – framed!)

In her spare time, she arms lemurs in preparation for the upcoming war against the Mole Men. Viva la revolution!

Connect with Andrea:

[Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Note:  Andrea Speed’s  Joshua of the Damned series is on our October Scary Tales Recommendations and their covers are always on our Best of Lists.]

Anniversary Sale

The Josh of the Damned series is being sold in a special discounted bundle by Riptide this week only. Check out the sale on this series and other bundles at http://www.riptidepublishing.com/anniversary-sale

Giveaway

To celebrate our anniversary, Riptide Publishing is giving away free books for a year! Your first comment at each blog stop on the Anniversary Tour will count as an entry and give you a chance to win this great prize. Giveaway ends at midnight, October 31, 2015, and is not restricted to US entries.  You must leave your email address in the body of the comment so you can be contacted if chosen.  You must also be 18 years of age or older to enter.

Rafflecopter code:http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/c1ee22d91

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More First Lines of Novels, Our M/M Fiction First Line Quiz and This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

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More First Lines of Novels,  Plus Our First Line M/M  Novels Quiz!

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People tend to disagree over what are the most favorite/best loved lines in literature, especially when compiling lists.  When scanning over a number of the Top Ten, the same lines and books appear over and over, but after that? It can get lively.

Sometimes the lists can surprise you, baffle you and delight you.  Here are some of the first lines I found on lists that dismayed, baffled and delighted the heck out of me, and yes, that one huge thing is one sentence.  Read it and weep for whatever emotion takes you and consider if they did their job…made you want to read the book.

What line dismayed me?   This first line found on multiple lists, which I still find dismal. Up to me, this book would have remained unread, even by that year’s standards.

“I was born in the Year 1632, in the City of York, of a good Family, tho’ not of that Country, my Father being a Foreigner of Bremen, who settled first at Hull; He got a good Estate by Merchandise, and leaving off his Trade, lived afterward at York, from whence he had married my Mother, whose Relations were named Robinson, a very good Family in that Country, and from whom I was called Robinson Kreutznaer; but by the usual Corruption of Words in England, we are now called, nay we call our selves, and write our Name Crusoe, and so my Companions always call’d me.” Robinson Crusoe (1719), Daniel Defoe

What baffled me? This one sentence, yes, one line opener.

“Once upon a time two or three weeks ago, a rather stubborn and determined middle-aged man decided to record for posterity, exactly as it happened, word by word and step by step, the story of another man for indeed what is great in man is that he is a bridge and not a goal, a somewhat paranoiac fellow unmarried, unattached, and quite irresponsible, who had decided to lock himself in a room a furnished room with a private bath, cooking facilities, a bed, a table, and at least one chair, in New York City, for a year 365 days to be precise, to write the story of another person—a shy young man about of 19 years old—who, after the war the Second World War, had come to America the land of opportunities from France under the sponsorship of his uncle—a journalist, fluent in five languages—who himself had come to America from Europe Poland it seems, though this was not clearly established sometime during the war after a series of rather gruesome adventures, and who, at the end of the war, wrote to the father his cousin by marriage of the young man whom he considered as a nephew, curious to know if he the father and his family had survived the German occupation, and indeed was deeply saddened to learn, in a letter from the young man—a long and touching letter written in English, not by the young man, however, who did not know a damn word of English, but by a good friend of his who had studied English in school—that his parents both his father and mother and his two sisters one older and the other younger than he had been deported they were Jewish to a German concentration camp Auschwitz probably and never returned, no doubt having been exterminated deliberately X * X * X * X, and that, therefore, the young man who was now an orphan, a displaced person, who, during the war, had managed to escape deportation by working very hard on a farm in Southern France, would be happy and grateful to be given the opportunity to come to America that great country he had heard so much about and yet knew so little about to start a new life, possibly go to school, learn a trade, and become a good, loyal citizen.”  — Raymond Federman, Double or Nothing, 1971

What delighted me? That I found these opening lines on a couple of lists.

“Where’s Papa going with that axe?” said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast. (E.B. White,Charlotte’s Web)

“When the car stopped rolling, Parker kicked out the windshield and crawled through onto the wrinkled hood, Glock first.” –Donald E. Westlake writing as Richard Stark, Backflash

The drought had lasted now for ten million years, and the reign of the terrible lizards had long since ended. –Arthur C. Clarke, 2001: A Space Odyssey

“Nobody ever walked across the bridge, not on a night like this.” –Mickey Spillane, One Lonely Night.

This little hunt so entertained me that I decided to compile a list of my own, with help from the rest of the reviewers here at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words.

We started to look for the first lines from some very popular M/M Romance/Fiction stories and we came up with what is sure to be the first of at least 3  Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words M/M Romance First Line Quizzes!

Look for the answers in next week’s Sunday’s post . How many, if any,do you think you will recognize?

 Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words M/M Romance First Line Quiz

In what m/m romance fiction books do these first lines appear?

  1.  “This is the way my world ends.”
  2. “Once upon a time…that’s how the old stories always begin.”
  3. “It was pouring when I walked outside to use the pay phone.”
  4. “He was on his third beer of the evening when he thought he heard a noise in the backyard.”
  5. “His elegantly decorated hospital room looked regal and stately, much like the man lying in the bed in the center of the room.”
  6. “I don’t disagree with you Mother, Clarissa is a very beautiful woman. “
  7. “I wish to buy a boy,” the stranger said.”
  8. “I would say that I never let harm come to him, but in this world harm comes to us all. “
  9. “At eight in the evening on a Friday, Roosevelt High School was dark and abandoned.”
  10. “The whole thing started because of Lizzy’s Jeep.”
  11. “Dad, I’m gay.”
  12. “This is not a coming-out story.”
  13. “He wore the navy suit because it was her favorite, the light blue shirt because when he looked down at his cuff, the slender line of color made him remember her eyes.”
  14. “The smell of cheap motel rooms was comforting to him, like his oldest, rattiest T-shirt.”

 

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This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

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Sunday, October 4:

  • More First Lines of Novels, Our M/M Fiction First Line Quiz and This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, October 5:

  • Cover reveal for J. Johanis ‘Dream Gods’ (cover reveal and contest)
  • EE Montgomery ‘Just The Way You Are’ Keep Me In Mind Tour and Giveaway
  • Coffee Sip and Book Break:  Small Wonders by Courtney Lux (excerpt and giveaway)
  • A Stella Review: Blueberry Boys by Vanessa North
  • A Mika Review: Signs of Life by Melanie Hansen

Tuesday, October 6:

  • Book Spotlight: Dragon’s Eye by Lexi Ander (excerpt and giveaway)
  • Author Spotlight Special: Sloan Johnson  “Triple Play”-rescheduled for Oct 2oth
  • Coffee Sip and Book Break:  Roping Him In by Jena Wade (excerpt and giveaway)
  • A Free Dreamer Review: Strength To Let Go by Alina Popescu
  • A Barb, A Zany Old Lady Audio Review: Pura Vida by Sara Alva ~ Audiobook narrated by Joseph Northton

Wednesday, October 7:

  • Kate Pearce’s Tribute Series Returns with the Retribution Tour and Contest
  • Valerie Brundage ‘Another Creature’ book blast and contest
  • Coffee Sip and Book Break with Missy Welsh – Take Your Pick (excerpt and giveaway)
  • A Stella Review: Base Instinct by Larissa Ione
  • A PaulB review: Shades of Power by Beany Sparks

Thursday, October 8:

  • Grein Murray ‘Keeping Joshua’ book blast and giveaway
  • In the Book Spotlight: Purpose by Andrew Q Gordon (excerpt and contest)
  • A Jeri Review: Let The Wrong Light In by Avon Gale
  • A Free Dreamer Review: First Contact by Alex Gabriel
  • A Mika Review: Redeeming Hope by Shell Taylor

Friday, October 9:

  • Riptide Publishing’s 4th Anniversary Celebration Tour and Contest
  • Coffee Sip and Book Break with P.D. Singer ‘Otter Chaos’ (excerpt and giveaway)
  • A BJ Review: Winter: Haunted Heart #1 by Josh Lanyon
  • A Free Dreamer Review: To Catch A Threeve by Alexis Duran
  • A MelanieM Review: Where the Grass is Greener (Seeds of Tyrone #2) by Debbie McGowan and Raine O’Tierney

YA Saturday, October 10:

  • An Aurora YA Review: Mad About the Hatter by Dakota Chase

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Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Has the Answers You Want Next Sunday!

In the Meantime, grab up those old favorites, check out those first lines!  Can’t find the ones above? Ok, how about the ones you don’t need but find that are pretty cool? While you’re at it, write those down and submit them here to us at melaniem54@msn.com to use for our next quizzes.  You’ll never know when a  prize will pop up and you will have a least one line in the “know”.

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

Rating:  5 stars out of 5      ★★★★★

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Book Details:

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

 

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About Pulp Friction 2015

Lee Brazil ~ Havan Fellows ~ Parker Williams ~ Laura Harner

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

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

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

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

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

Round Three:

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

Round Four:

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

A BJ Review: Charmed and Dangerous: Ten Tales of Gay Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy – authors Jordan Castillo Price, Rhys Ford, Ginn Hale, KJ Charles, Nicole Kimberling, Jordan L. Hawk, Astrid Amara, Andrea Speed, Lou Harper, Charlie Cochet

Charmed and DangerousTake a cauldron full of magic, add a pinch of humor, a dash of snark and a huge dollop of m/m goodness, and what do you get? Charmed and Dangerous: Ten Tales of Gay Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy. This all-new collection is packed with arcane action and intrigue, and every story will whisk you away to a fantastical world where the hero finds his prince and the paranormal investigator always gets his man.

Overall Rating:  4.25 stars out of 5

Tales of magic in some of its many forms with, according to the intro, a theme of sympathetic monsters. Well, hell, doesn’t that play right into my love for a good anti-hero! Plus when I saw the lineup of authors on this one, my mouth just about fell open. What a line up! I’m so on board to read this one. Please note that a few of the stories hook into a series and doubtless you will enjoy them those few more if you’re familiar with the series. One of them was a series I’d read, but the other, unfortunately, I was not at all familiar with as it’s a new to me author. Therefore, I discussed that one but did not rate it as I didn’t feel I had the background to do it justice.

The stories are listed in the order in which they appear in the anthology rather than by rating.

Dim Sum Asylum by Rhys Ford – 3.5 stars
Half-fae Detective Roku MacCormick works Arcane Crimes in San Francisco’s Chinatown. He’s cleared for duty after shooting his last partner and back on the job with a new case and a new partner. Trent Leonard, isn’t at all what he’d expected.

I own some books by this author that I’ve not gotten around to reading, but after this I definitely will soon. Because she can tear up the page.

Rich with description and detail, and since I’ve actually lived in San Francisco for a while, that was pretty cool for me. It starts with a rip-roaring chase scene through the streets of Chinatown complete with dragons and mermen, but despite the action I found the story hard to sink into. I felt lost, like I’d been thrown into the middle of an action movie with nothing to hold on to or maybe like jumping into part two of a series when I’d missed the beginning–it was jarring and confusing. Chapter two did clear up a lot of things and bring me more smoothly into the world and story, but the overall fast pace continued and it was hard for me to connect with the characters until closer to the end. That said, the imagery, imagination and details are amazing and vibrant. And the sex was smoking. If you like a kick ass story that goes from zero to sixty in five seconds flat with a flaming hot sex chaser, this story is for you!

Swift and the Black Dog by Ginn Hale – 3.75 stars 
The wizard Jack Swift became a national hero when he killed a tyrant and won the revolution. They even made movies about him! But now it seems like someone in the new government wants him dead.

Well-written, superb imagery. So wizards aren’t well accepted; they’re mostly considered trouble. And gay men are scorned as well. That, and living with his past, makes life hard for Jack despite his hero status.

First few chapters, the author did three things. One: The beginning of this story was slow to pull me in—until suddenly it grabbed me by the throat. Two: I didn’t like Jack much—and then it was made vividly clear that neither did he. Three: In one paragraph, one sentence really, I suddenly hated Peter with a fiery passion that put me completely in Jack’s corner yelling, “Kill the bastard, Jack. Kill him NOW!” Except that would be real hard considering… ah, well… no spoilers.

There’s a romance here, but it’s neither sexy nor sweet. Mostly this story is an eloquent, twisted tale of betrayal and revenge.

A Queer Trade by KJ Charles – 4 stars
Apprentice magician Crispin Tredarloe returns to London to find his master dead and some of the papers he’d written spells upon sold. Some of those spells might mean death so he sets out to get them back. Waste paper seller Ned Hall can’t resist Crispin, but can the two find the papers and prevent a disaster?

Well-written with a beginning that pulled me into it quickly. I enjoyed that it was written from both character’s POV as it gave me a connection to them both. Two likable main characters, but Ned especially for sticking by Crispin as he did. There was chemistry and some lovely hot, sexy bits between them. Nice plot that picked up speed as it went along with a satisfying resolution.

However, I should mention that this story did have parts that rather grossed me out. So warning, possible high ICK factor here, depending on what pushes your ick buttons, of course. *shudder*

Magically Delicious by Nicole Kimberling – 4 stars
Attacks against NIAD agents aren’t Keith Curry’s department–until his transmogrified goblin boyfriend, Gunther, is the target. Keith begins working the case even though that means pissing off powerful mages, crossing leprechaun picket lines, and braving dinner with goblin parents.

This one was so much fun. Mages, goblins, leprechauns, and pixies, oh my! The beginning just sucked me in immediately. Such interesting characters that I wanted to know all about them. Love the mage pistol and well, heck, this was just a super imaginative story. I figured out where the pixie dust had come from long before it came out, but it was still a fun ride getting to the bottom of exactly why and how. Gunther’s goblin family were great fun. The pixies and leprechauns (esp. Carrot Beard) were hilarious. But most of all, I adored Gunther the transmogrified goblin and would love to read more about him and Keith’s relationship, how they came to be together and definitely more in depth sexy bits please.

Everyone’s Afraid of Clowns by Jordan Castillo Price – 3.75 stars
Psychic medium Victor Bayne can spot a ghost any day of the year, but Halloween holds some special surprises. Victor and Jacob are on their way to a Halloween party, when Victor remembers something from his past. His psych-groupie boyfriend Jacob coaxes him to the location of the old spirit sighting, but they can’t ghost hunt without enduring a cheesy “haunted house” that’s even more disturbing than they realize.

Within the bowls of an old theatre, the guys encounter far more than just a ghost clown needing to cross over. As always between these two, any excuse for a sexy encounter is taken and the heat level between them is as hot as ever.

Well-written with ghost exhibitionism, glitter and goo, painted pumpkins and lots of spooky imagery. I’ve always found clowns and fun houses to be extremely creepy, but I do love this series. Victor and Jake are so darn hot together—wherever they are.

The Thirteenth Hex by Jordan L. Hawk – 5 stars
Dominic Kopecky is a Metropolitan Witch Police fanboy who failed the magic aptitude tests when he was young. He’d dreamed of working at MWP with witches and their familiars who take the form of birds, toads, and cats. But his lack of magic led him to become the next best thing—a hexman who does the grunt work of using ink, paper and gemstones to create spells that witches later activate with their magic. But hexes were an exact science and a badly done one could turn very deadly when activated.

When the beautiful unbonded crow familiar, Rook, seeks Dominic’s help investigating murder by hex Dominic isn’t sure why. He’s not a witch, the case has already been closed, and someone seems willing to kill to keep it that way.

I loved this one right from the start. Well-written, well-paced, intriguing characters, and a very unusual world set up. I thought it was funny that the familiar was a crow and Dominic’s last name was KoPECKy. Made me laugh. As did some of lines like ‘keep your beak out of it’ and a bunch of others. A lovely sweet romance, some nice heat, and a fun story. Overall, it just hit all the right notes for me.

The Soldati Prince by Charlie Cochet – 5 stars
Riley Murrough is a barista cleaning up after a day’s work when he’s suddenly being chased by demons, and rescued by tigers, one of which transforms into a huge man covered in tribal tattoos. If that wasn’t bad enough, he’s told that he bears the mark of a shapeshifter and whisked off to a magical realm.

Well-written story told from both Riley’s and Khalon’s POV, this story started off a bit confusing for me but very soon that changed and it sucked me in. At first witty, snarky fun with some really interesting side characters, but then things begin to shift. Within a chapter, there was a sweet romance that made me swoon and events that had me in tears and I completely loved Khalon and Riley. I really want to read more about this world and especially about the side characters Toka and Rayner as well. Loved those guys, too. The way Khalon and Rayner (best friends) bickered rocked. And the ending line was perfect Riley!

This was my first read by this author and will definitely not be my last, I really enjoyed her writing style.

One Hex Too Many by Lou Harper – 4.25 stars
Veteran detective Mike Mulligan is an expert on violent occult crimes at the Extramundane Crimes Division. Most of his fellow officers consider him cursed because of how many partners he’s lost and refuse to partner with him. Detective Hugh Fox is a rookie, eager to partner up and prove himself. However, Mulligan is accustomed to flying solo and not used to trusting a partner with his life. Not helped when one of the first things out of Fox’s mouth is to point out to Mulligan that he’s not gay.

Communicating via the bathroom mirror. Rogue hacker wizards=wackers (love that). A flamboyant blond desk clerk who can change sex at will uses glamour and charm spells on everyone in the force regularly as exposure training. All that in the first few pages let know right away that this was going to be a fun ride.

The duo is assigned to track a killer using dark magic—an offense at the top of the list of Prohibited Practices. Despite having gotten off to a rough start, I liked how Mulligan treated Fox from the get go. He seemed such a natural at training for a guy who hadn’t wanted a partner. Considerate of not making him look bad by correcting in front of others even when he was a trainee for instance. Early on a semi-drunken kiss motivated by a big red bed after the two of them had sung some off-note Karaoke made things a bit awkward—and yeah, that’s the kind of fun that ensues. The pace of their relationship development is fairly slow, which I liked, but I wanted to see/feel more heat. I enjoyed this new to me author’s writing style, quick paced, witty and fun, but with close attention to details of world building as well as the mystery elements. I would love a story about Leslie.

Josh of the Damned vs. the Bathroom of Doom by Andrea Speed 
It’s a boring night at the Quik-Mart for Josh and his friend Doug. Until a vampire with a grudge—and the most adorable backup ever—crashes the store. Can Josh survive the Bathroom of Doom?

A new to me author and I’m not familiar with this series, so right off that put me at a bit of a disadvantage going into this. Overall well-written story, but I was rather lost some of the time and for that reason, I am not going to assign this story an individual star rating. Honestly this story squicked me out, including how Josh described and thought about things—I’m pretty sure this had to do with my total lack of background reference on him to go on, but I have to be honest and say that Josh and Doug didn’t appeal to me. The Medusa bracelet was cool. I think fans of this series will enjoy this well-written quirky story. It just wasn’t for me.

The Trouble With Hexes by Astrid Amara – 5 stars
P.I. Tim Keller has a problem. And the only person who can solve it is his ex-boyfriend, Vincent, whose job as a hexbreaker was the reason they broke up. It’s hard admitting he was wrong, especially when coughing up organs. But there’s a missing person to find, a hexmaker to hunt down, and a romance to repair before Tim breathes his last.

Wow, this one grabbed me by the throat. With a death grip. Tim broke up with Vincent, a tattoo artist, six months ago because he didn’t believe in the mumbo jumbo he’d started working with in his spare time and couldn’t stomach the danger it put him in. Conversely, Vincent made more effort to hide what he was doing than to explain and show it to Tim right up until the blow up at the end.

A few months later, Tim began to sicken and when doctors found no cure he had to face the truth he’d sensed all along… he’d been hexed. He shows up on Vincent’s doorstep a mere shadow of the man he’d been, suddenly having no choice but to believe in what he’d scoffed at. But even if Vincent wants to help him, it turns out that breaking a withering hex is no easy matter.

The writing in this last and lengthiest story is excellent as is the pacing. The characters are well-drawn and sucked me right into their life and world. Plenty of heat, some “aww” moments, and some parts that made me teary. And even a sweet little dog. What more could I want? My favorite of this anthology—for me, an excellent example of saving the best for last.

Cover is both hot and intriguing, it also most definitely says paranormal to me and made me want to check this book out upon first sight.

Sales Links:  JCP Books |  Amazon | Buy It Here


Book Details:

ebook, Goodreads link
Expected publication: August 25th 2015 by JCP Books LLC
original title Charmed and Dangerous: Ten Tales of Gay Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy
ISBN139781935540809
edition language English

A MelanieM Review: Lovers Entwined by Lillian Francis

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Lovers Entwined cover 2Ewan is one of Boston’s leading genealogy experts. When a would-be bridegroom comes looking for confirmation that there are no skeletons in his ancestral closet, Ewan considers turning the job down. Trey is a jerk of the highest order and yet Ewan experiences an infuriating attraction that’s easy to justify. Trey’s exactly his type—a carbon copy of the man Ewan’s been looking for his entire life.

Harder to explain is the sense of recognition that leaves Ewan speechless the moment Trey steps into his office. Or the stomach-churning sensation at the thought of casting the job aside.

Trey gets more appealing by the day, leaving Ewan struggling with forbidden desire for his client. Desire not helped by strange voyeuristic dreams that have started to haunt his sleep. Dreams that appear to be an echo of the past…

Lovers Entwined by Lillian Francis is a moving, romantic story, one that I loved.  Based on the belief that true love has no boundaries, even that of time, it follows the deep love of Ewan/Owen and Trey/Tristan through centuries of tragedies until we find their latest reincarnations in Ewan, a leading genealogist, and surfer/playboy Trey, a groom whose future father in law is looking for reasons for his daughter to dump him.  Ewan has been hired to look into Trey’s family background for anything that could embarrass Trey’s fiance along with her father and his huge political aspirations.  But what Ewan finds soon starts to bind Trey and Ewan together, as odd facts, places and names trigger nightmares and recollections they should not be having.

As Trey spends more time with Ewan, it ignites the flashbacks to the other couples they once were and the tragedies that ended their lives but never their love for each other.  As each follow the other through death and time,  the names change only slightly as does the location and Francis connects them all in a manner that is logical and meaningful.  And heartbreaking.  Prepare to have the tissues close by when  each one meets their death once more. I was sobbing like mad several times in this story, even though I knew it was coming.  But the power of the descriptions and the emotional strength of those moments won through and I was lost.

There are some important, believable secondary characters too.  Trey’s grandfather, Pops, for one.  I adored him. And his nurse. Much harder to understand was Trey’s fiance who was more of a one-note character.  Her transformation from someone who Trey could love to the cold woman we met was never fully explained so she came off as just too one dimensional in a story with characters you believed in and a love that lasted through time.

Flashbacks can be a tricky thing, especially when going back not just one era but several.  But Francis handles each flashback and couple almost as a separate story, giving them the attention each is due.  She gives us a real connection to every reincarnation, and as that love is lost, all that affection and hope is transferred to the most recent couple…Ewan and Trey.

Lillian Francis is quickly becoming a “must read” for me.  I loved her “Theory Unproven“, and now her “Lovers Entwined”.  I highly recommend both of these stories and author Lillian Francis!

Cover art by Meredith Russell.  This cover really works.  It  establishes the characters of  Ewan and Trey as well as their counterparts of Owen and Tristan.  I loved it.

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

Book Details:

ebook, 2nd edition
Published August 3rd 2015 by Smashwords Edition
(first published December 6th 2012)
ISBN139781310580345

 

 

 

 

A New Reviewer Arrives and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words blog Badge

Good morning!  Hope everyone is having a wonderful Sunday!  Today our group of reviewers expands with the addition of Jeri.  We are so happy to have her here and be able to expand our circle of reviewers and ability to share more books and authors with all of you.

 

Here is a little bit about our latest reviewer….

Jeri:Erin's Icon

 

Jeri

Jeri has been a reader as long as she can remember. Reading past bed time with a flashlight was the norm. Always a fan of romance novels, she discovered M/M stories on a website and was immediately hooked. With the advent of eBooks and the ease of sticking to her favorite genre- traditional romance books are very few and far between.

A 40 something mom of a preteen, and even working full time, knitting and crocheting as a part time job and keeping a house, she finds the time to read everyday. She loves sharing what she’s read and getting readers excited about a new book.

Please join us in welcoming Jeri to Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words.  We are so happy to have her here and look forward to reading her thoughts and reviews on stories, books, and authors in the genres we love.  We are still looking for a YA LGBT reviewer to join Aurora, so if you  know any teenager or NA who loves to read and write, see if they would like to join Aurora as our YA/NA reviewer (with their parent or guardian’s  permission of course).

We have so many wonderful books that cropped up in this week’s review schedule.  For me, Alex Beecroft’s Trowchester Blues series continues with the amazing  Steel Blue Chain, a story that challenged my perceptions of love and romance and had me thinking about pain and acceptance.  It’s quite the story.  Mika reviews Santino Hassell’s Sutphin Boulevard.  This is a new author to me and possibly to you.  Check out what Mika found upon reading the story.  Paul is on a paranormal tear through all things shifters, scify, and possibly supernatural, starting with Breeding Stations by Chris T. Kat.  Stella reviews a older release given new life and new readers with an adorable new cover (new readers that include Stella) with Crossing Borders by Z. A. Maxfield. And Barb our Zany Old Lady has LA Witt and Aleksandr Voinov’s On the Clock (a Market Garden story) also being released this week.  Oh and that story with the spiders I was telling you about?  Obsidian Sun by Jon Keys?  Look for that as well.

Jeri’s reviews start next  week!  Until then, happy reading and have great week!

This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

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Sunday, July 26:

  • A New Reviewer Arrives and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

 Monday, July 27:

  • Chris T. Kat ‘Breeding Stations’ book blast and giveaway
  • A Coffee Sip Peak at “What No One Else Can Hear” by Brynn Stein (excerpt and giveaway)
  • Its 3 Times the Trouble with Havan Fellows ‘Synchronous Seductions’ (excerpts and contest)
  • A Paul B Review: Breeding Stations by Chris T. Kat
  • A Mika Review: One Snowy Night by Louise Lyons
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: On the Clock (Market Garden #8) by Aleksandr Voinov & LA Witt

Tuesday, July 28:

  • Cover Reveal:Beyond the Surface by Felice Stevens excerpt and contest
  • Skye Jones’ Claimed by Desire Tour and Giveaway
  • A Paul B Review: Remy’s Painter by A. C. Katt
  • A MelanieM Review: Fall Out by Meredith Russell
  • There’s a New LGBTQIA Press In Town – Welcome, NineStar Press!

Wednesday, July 29:

  • Lexi Ander’s Sumeria’s Sons Series Continues with ‘Surrounded by Crimson’ (giveaway)
  • A Stella Review: Crossing Borders (Crossing Borders #1) by Z.A. Maxfield
  • A Paul B Review: Needing Noel by Amber Kell
  • A MelanieM Review: Obsidian Sun by Jon Keys

Thursday, July 30:

  • Loves Get off to a Shaky Start with MLR Press ‘Earthquake’ collection (excerpts and contest)
  • Its Back to Trowchester with  Blue Steel Chain by Alex Beecroft (giveaway)
  • A MelanieM Review: Blue Steel Chain (Trowchester Blues #3) by Alex Beecroft
  • A Paul B Review: Sharing a Demon’s Blood by Charlie Richards

Friday, July 31:

  • Prickly Business blog tour with Piper Vaughn and Kenzie Cade
  • A Paul B Review: Kissed by Death by Andi Anderson
  • A Mika Review: Sutphin Boulevard (Five Boroughs #1) by Santino Hassell
  • A MelanieM Review: The Devil’s Playground by Parker Williams  (PF Altered States 2015)
  • Best Book Covers of July 2015

Saturday, August 1:

  • Cover Reveal for Eden Winters ‘Redemption’ (excerpt and contest)
  • Favorites Books of July 2015

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OnTheClock_600x900

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Call For Reviewers and This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Help! Reviewers Wanted!person reading stacks of books

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words blog Badge

We’re heading towards the end of July and its become apparent that Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words needs to enlarge its family of reviewers.  We have more books and offers of books to review than we can handle to our satisfaction. Soooooo….if you love to read and write, if you love to read and want/already write reviews of your own,  how about joining our family of reviewers?

We are a low pressure, fun group of various ages, races, and genders who love to read, talk, think about books of LGBTQIA fiction and non-fiction.  Contribute frequently or infrequently according to your personal schedule. We’re flexible.  We supply the books, you supply the reviews (using our format and rating system).  Sound like something you might want to be a part of?  Contact me at melaniem54@msn.com and let’s talk.

Oh, and if you know of any LGBTQIA YA age readers who might want to read and review for us?  Check out yesterday’s Call for YA Reviewers!  I look forward to hearing from you.

Finally a big hi to everyone finishing up at Rainbow Con this weekend.  I wish I could have been there! *Waves*  As well as a shout out to J. Scott Coatsworth and the group at QueerSciFi.com!  If you love LGBT scifi, fantasy or paranormal books and stories, this is a group you will love.  What a time they all must have had at Rainbow Con, I’m so jealous!

~ Melanie , Chief Reviewer, Cook, Keeper of all Things Sesquipedalian, and editor! [note: that word will appear in a review next week. Find it and let me know where!]

Silver Scars coverResurrectingElliotFSTin Man coverIn the Middle of Somewhere cover

This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, July 19:

  • Call For Reviewers and This Week At Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, July 20:

  • F/F Book Spotlight: Graveyard Sparrow by Kayla Bache (excerpt and giveaway)- Best cover contender
  • Get The Recipe for Love with Serena Yates “The Baker” tour and contest
  • In the Book Spotlight: Catherine L. Byrne’s “The Minder” (excerpt and giveaway)
  • Between the Lines by J. Scott Coatsworth release and excerpt
  • A MelanieM Review:  The Baker by Serena Yates

Tuesday, July 21:

  • Cardeno C’s Strange Bedfellows Release Day Tour and Contest
  • In the Book Spotlight: “Resurrecting Elliot” by Cate Ashwood (excerpt and giveaway)
  • Have a Hankering for Cowboys? Check out JL Hamlin’s “The Dusty Hat Bar” (excerpt and giveaway)
  • A Stella Review: Strange Bedfellows by Cardeno C
  • A MelanieM Review:  Must Love Dogs by K. Lynn

Wednesday, July 22:

  • Check out Sue Brown’s The Layered Mask Tour and Contest
  • First Release: Uncommon Valor by Rachel Ravenheart (new author) (excerpt and giveaway)
  • In the Book Spotlight: Pat Henshaw ‘Redesigning Max’ book blast and contest
  • A Mika Review: Wild Pitch (Homeruns #1) by Sloan Johnson
  • A MelanieM Review:  Blind Ride by BA Tortuga

Thursday, July 23:

  • “Release” by Ingela Bohm Guest Blog and Contest
  • Tin Man by Lisa Henry and Heidi Belleau Release tour and contest
  • A Sammy Review:  Tin Man by Lisa Henry and Heidi Belleau
  • In the Book Spotlight: Charlotte Ash: ‘The Sidhe’ Tour and Contest
  • A Stella Review: Silver Scars by Posy Roberts
  • A MelanieM Review: Blue on Black by Carole Cummings

Friday, July 24:

  • Book Blast: Tempting Jordan by Andrea Dalling – excerpt and giveaway
  • Double Your Reading Fun with Iyana Jenna’s  ‘Catfish Love Water’ and ‘His Enemy’s Son’ (excerpts/contest)
  •  Soul Shares saga continues! Blowing Smoke by Rory Ni Coileain (excerpt and giveaway)
  • A MelanieM Review:  Blowing Smoke (Soul Shares #5)  by Rory Ni Coileain
  • A Mika Review: In the Middle of Somewhere (In the Middle of Somewhere #1) by Roan Parrish

YA Saturday, July 25:

  • An Aurora YA Review: Noble Falling (The Halvarian Ruin Books #1) by Sara Gaines

 

Noble Falling coverTH CoverBTL Covergraveyardsparrow1400

 

 

 

 

 

 

Call for LGBTQIA YA Reviewers!

 

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words blog Badge

 

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is Looking For LGBTQIA YA or New Adult Reviewers!

Are you of YA or New Adult age?  Do you love to read books and write?  Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words would love to have you come write for us as a reviewer.  We get offered more books than we have reviewers to read them, and that’s especially true in the YA and New Adult category.  Aurora our YA Reviewer, as you all may be aware,  is writing books of her own as well as reading and reviewing for us.  Plus there’s that little thing called life and school work to think of.  So Aurora’s plenty busy these days.  And we would like to be able to expand our YA Saturdays.

Why have a YA or New Adult age reviewer?  Because that’s the age group these  books are written for.  Certainly, many of us “older folk” appreciate and love YA and New Adult stories but we are reading them from an entirely different perspective, one less fresh and more experienced.   When I read a review that says that a YA book reads too young, I want to hit my head on the  desk.  Oh the irony.

I want a reviewer who will say “yes, this reads like my age group”, or  “yes, our conversations sound like that”.  Or the opposite.  Whatever is true.

What happens if you want to review for us?  Well, first of all you need a parent or guardian’s consent (under the age of 18).  If that goes through, then we talk format (so easy, you can look at one of Aurora’s reviews), and then I will send you a list of YA or New Adult books to choose from.  And we will take it from there.

I’m not expecting pages but a few paragraphs.  Nor do I expect you to turn them out every week,   We can agree on how many a month (even 1) according to your schedule at home and school.  I want this to be a fun experience, a way to share stories or  books you love and why you love them.

Sound like something you would like to do? Know someone who might? Contact me at Melaniem54@msn.com and let’s talk!  You can  find out more about us at the home page reviewer section.

Happy Reading!

~  Melanie

Beneath The Scales CoverNoble Persuasion cover

New Authors, New Books, Sequels, and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

person reading stacks of books

 New Authors, New Books and More For The TBR Pile!

How I love it when the reviewers here bring new authors and books to my attention and yours.  Stella brought us the Neon White series by Wulf Francu Godgluck, as well as other authors.  Now BJ is reading and loving the stories of Lia Black (several of which will be reviewed this week) as well as James Lear’s  The Hardest Thing.  PaulB loves the paranormal genre and has a whole slew of new authors he’s reading, book stackincluding Andrew J. Parker’s Werecat series.  Barb loves audio books, contemporary romance, perhaps with a little kink as well as all things foodie while Mika reaches out for new authors with each new book request.  Sammy’s books range far and wide as you will have noticed by her book reviews.  Did you read Sammy’s review of The Song of the Lonesome Cowboy by Lynn Kelling last week? And Aurora, our YA reviewer? Aurora just finished a YA series by James Erich which will be running every Saturday this month and the next!  Do we have the books for you, in every possible genre?  Why, yes we do!

Now for Something New: Also you’ll occasionally notice a One Book – 2  Review posting, a sort of Double Dipping on our part.  We are a diverse group so it’s not unusual for one reviewer to love something about a story that another reviewer doesn’t see or visa versa.   This week, Yes by Brad Boney gets double the attention, double the reviews.  The week after next, BA Tortuga’s Ever The Same is in the 2 review spotlight.  Will Mika and I agree to disagree?  Stay tuned! lol  Still trying out names as to what to call this new feature.  If you have any ideas, please let us know.

In the Familiar, Wonderful and Excited to See Them Back Category!  What else am I excited about?  The Pulp Friction gang’s New Orleans series (did you catch my review of The Devil’s Bedpost?) and the fact that Catherine A Noon and Rachel Wilder have finally written a sequel, Emerald Keep, to their story Emerald Fire, which I loved. That’s been 3 years coming.

Old Favorite Series and New Stories! And finally what else has me over the moon?  A.J. Thomas’ has 2 stories out in his Least Likely Partnership series, which I adore.  That would be Holding Out for a Fairy Tale and The Intersection of Purgatory and Paradise.  If you  are reading, AJ, more I want more!!!!  Chris Owen and Tory Temple has a new book out (a combined Bareback and Firefighters), well…now I’m into April and getting ahead of myself.  And yes, loads more coming including the last in Abigail Roux’ Cut & Run series…stay with us and chime in with the books you are most looking forward to reading!

Now here is our schedule this week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words:

The Interseciton of Purgatory and Paradise coverTaken coverThe Fifth Son coverPerfect Day cover

Sunday, March 29:

  • New Authors, New Books, Sequels, and This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, March 30:

  • A Stella Review: He’s Just Knot That Into You by Nico Jaye
  • Paul B Review: Werecat: The Rearing by Andrew J. Peters
  • A MelanieM Review: Stokes & Ford (Storming Love: Blizzard #6) by Jackie Nacht
  • A BJ Review: Wedding Favors by Josh Lanyon

Tuesday, March 31:

  • In the Book Spotlight: Whispers of Home by April Kelley (contest)
  • A Stella Review: The Fifth Son by Blaine D. Arden
  • A Paul B Review: For a Dragon’s Redemption (Highland Dragons #5) by Charlie Richards
  • A Melanie M Review: Death by Dragon by Madeleine Ribbon

Wednesday, April 1:

  • A Catherine Noon and Rachel Wilder ‘Emerald Keep’ book blast and contest
  • A MelanieM Review: Emerald Keep by A Catherine and Rachel Wilder Moved closer to release date
  • Double Dipping Reviews:  Mika and Stella Review: Yes by Brad Boney.
  • A BJ Review: Perfect Day by Josh Lanyon

Thursday, April 2:

  • The Island Keepers by Kristopher Quentin tour and contest
  • A Paul B Review: A Rose for Paul’s Protector by Charlie Richards
  • A MelanieM Review: Holding Out for a Fairy Tale (Least Likely Partnership #2) by A.J. Thomas
  • A BJ Review: The Hardest Thing: A Dan Stagg Mystery by James Lear

Friday, April 3:

  • In the Book Spotlight: Room 1024 by Racheline Maltese and Erin McRae (contest)
  • Crash & Burn, Cut and Run # 9 by Abigail Roux – Series Finale Book Tour and contest
  • A Sammy Review: Taken (Taken #1) by J. C. Owens
  • A MelanieM Review: The Intersection of Purgatory and Paradise by AJ Thomas

Saturday, April 4- YA Saturday is Back!:

  • An Aurora YA Review: Fire (Dreams of Fire and Gods #2) by James Erich

 

Death by Dragon coverHe's Just Knot That Into You coveremeraldkeep1400Werecat the Rearing cover