A Stella Review: Whiteout (Seasons of Love #1) by Elyse Springer

RATING 4 out of 5 stars

Noah Landers wakes up one day with a headache and no memory of where—or who—he is. Jason, the man taking care of him, tries to fill in some of the blanks: they’re in a cabin in Colorado on vacation, and Noah slipped on ice and hit his head. But even with amnesia, Noah knows Jason is leaving out something important.

Jason O’Reilly is sexy as hell, treats Noah like he’s precious, and seems determined to make this the romantic getaway they’d apparently dreamed of together. But Noah’s more concerned that he’s trapped alone with Jason in the middle of a blizzard while his slowly-returning memories bring hints of secrets and betrayal.

Noah’s not sure what’s the truth and what’s a lie. But as he learns who he is—and who Jason is to him—he’s forced to reevaluate everything he believes about himself, about loyalty . . . and about love.

Noah wakes up from a fall and can’t remember his own name and who is the person with whom he is sharing a cabin on Christmas time in the middle of a blizzard. He seems to be Jason, his boyfriend but is this the truth? Are Noah and Jason their true names?

Whiteout is the first book in the Season of Love series by Elyse Springer and the author debut novel. A lovely debut book, well written, engaging and with loveable characters. I’m so happy I found a new author I truly enjoyed.

In Whiteout we see Noah slowly get his memories back, flashback after flashback. We see him doubt Jason and their love, but he can’t deny (and it’s clear for the reader too) the attraction and chemistry between them. We see him finally remember everything and be brave and honest with himself and Jason. The book is divided into two parts, in the first one the plot is focused on the MCs, being in a cabin in the middle of nowhere there is really no space for secondary characters. And there, I started to understand where the story was going but I was very curious to see how the author would develop the novel. I have to say I loved this book very much, although it didn’t surprise me in the plot, it surprised me in the development, especially in the second part. I loved how determined Nathan was at showing Jason who he really was and how powerful his love was. I liked the secondary characters I met later and I can’t wait to read their own stories.

I can say Whiteout was a success to me and I’m very interested in reading the coming books even if not all of them will be mm stories. Highly recommend it.

The cover art by Natasha Snow is well done, I like the artist style and all the covers in this series are well done and fitting.

Sales Links

Riptide Publishing

BOOK DETAILS

only listed at Amazon in paperback

Kindle Edition, 276 pages

Published January 23rd 2017 by Riptide Publishing

ISBN: 978-1-62649-511-1

Edition Language English

Series Season of Love #1

An Ali Review: Duncan Andrews Thrillers Vol. 1 (Duncan Andrews Thrillers #1-4) by Stephen Osborne

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Private detective Duncan Andrews’s best friend Gina is a witch. His dog is a zombie. And his dead boyfriend, Robbie, is a ghost. So it’s hardly any wonder that he uses his connection to the supernatural to help him solve cases. In Pale as a Ghost, Duncan’s on the trail of a serial killer who may not be human, while also trying to move on in his dating life. In Animal Instinct, someone is using the skull of a powerful wizard—Gina’s father—to control animals and attack young Ashton Marsh. In The Scarlet Tide, Duncan’s latest case leads him to Chicago and a band whose members are all vampires. And in Dead End, Robbie’s cousin Jason has moved into a house that’s haunted by a serial killer, and Gina’s on the run from witch-hunters. Through it all, Duncan must solve the case and balance a complicated personal life.

Pale As Ghost

This first book introduces us to Duncan and his band of misfit friends. He’s a private detective who just so happens to have a best friend who’s a witch, a dog who’s a zombie and a dead ex-boyfriend who’s ghost lives with him. During this story Duncan works on two different cases, a missing girl and a blue ghost that is haunting a family. There’s some action and some comedy and it a little bit of bittersweet as Duncan realizes that a ghost can’t meet his needs and maybe it’s time for him to move on to a living boyfriend. I enjoyed this first book and getting to know this crazy cast of characters.

Animal Instinct

On this installment someone is using the skull of a powerful wizard to control animals and they’re not doing good things with them. Duncan’s friend Gina is distressed because the skull is that of her father and she knows how much damage he could do. Something serious happens that prevents Gina from being able to help and in addition Robby decides that maybe it’s time to move on to the after life. This one was one of my favorites. The plot was fast paced and entertaining and the side stories with Robby and Gina were emotional in parts.

The Scarlet Tide

Book three has Duncan heading to Indianapolis on case. This leads him to a rock band made up of vampires. He sets out to destroy them but the charismatic leader, Hunt, gains a psychic hold on Duncan, and forces him to look at things in his life he doesn’t really want to. There’s a lot going on relationship wise in this book and the author keeps me guessing as to how things will end up in the long run. The rest of the plot was fast paced and super entertaining.

Dead End

This story finds Duncan investigating the ghost of a serial killer that is haunting Robbie’s cousin’s house. Duncan goes in thinking it will be an easy case until the ghost almost kills him. Things get serious quickly and they have their hands full with this ghost. There is also a major plot development with the ongoing plot line between Duncan and the men in his life.

Some of the books I liked more than the others but overall I felt that this was a really good box set. Duncan is a great MC and his attitude was super fun and entertaining. There is a unique cast of characters who all add to the overall story line. The romance aspect was as entertaining as the mysteries were. I enjoyed the author’s writing style and while the first person story telling style doesn’t always work for me, it did here. I’ll definitely be continuing with the other books in this series.

Covers by Anne Cain: I liked all of the covers for these books. I think they are really well done. They are cohesive and yet each stands out. I especially like the use of color on them.

Sales Links

Book Details:

ebook, 642 pages
Published December 2nd 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1635331080 (ISBN13: 9781635331080)
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesDuncan Andrews Thrillers #1-4

A Paul B Review: The Last Dragonet (Dragon Prophecies #1) by Shannon West and Susan E. Scott

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Luca Wessex is a dragon spawn. Born of a Red dragon and human mother who died in childbirth, Luca belongs to the lowest class of dragon society. Keeping away from the gangs that most of the spawn seem to form, Luca just wants to get by in life. He works a few hours a week at a corner market run by an elderly man who has been more of a father to him than his own abusive one. His troubles begin when a couple of Golden dragons, the ruling class of dragons, ask him about the local gang leader. Full blooded dragons look down on spawn so it looks like he is screwed no matter what happens.

Dmitri and his brother have been sent to get information from Luca. Trying to convince the little spawn to cooperate is not easy. Even being attacked by the gang of spawn is not enough to convince Luca that Dmitri is his best option. The one thing he does know is that Luca does not know the true secret to his heritage and just how valuable he is to dragon society. And one thing that a dragon knows about is treasure. Dmitri knows that he must move quickly if he wants to have Luca not only as part of his horde but also in his life.

Dmitri takes Luca to his home in remote Russia. If he thought fighting spawn in the United States was bad, Dmitri runs into more problems at home. Dmitri’s parents are not thrilled to have the half breed staying in the mansion. Dmitri’s neighbor, who happens to be Luca’s grandfather, wants Luca to stay with him, no matter what it takes. And Dmitri must also convince Luca that he is not just part of his horde but wants something meaningful with him.

This is a great start to the new Dragon Prophecies series by West and Scott. Poor Luca has had a rough life and things in the beginning do not seem to improve for him. Being attacked and then virtually kidnapped for his own protection, he doesn’t really trust anybody. He falls for Dmitri but only wants to pursue things if he is more than just a treasure to be hoarded. The prophecy at the end of the book needs to be explored more in future books in this series. I cannot wait for the next book to come out.

E Connor’s cover design is gorgeous. A built man with his shirt open stands in front of a Russian mountain with a dragon circling the mountain. It fits the book perfectly.

Sales Links

Dark Hollows Press

Buy It at Amazon

Book Details

Ebook, 147 pages

Edition Language: English

Published: December 20, 2016 by Dark Hollows Press

ISBN: 978-1-946379-03-0

Series: Dragon Prophecies

The Last Dragonet (Dragon Prophecies #1)

A MelanieM Review: The Case of the Wandering Wolves (Trickster’s Eye #1) by Mell Eight

Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

Six years ago Latrans found his mate—and had to let him go. Now York has returned pleading for Latrans’ help. His daughter has been kidnapped and Latrans is the only person York trusts to get her back. But a simple matter of rescue proves to be far more complicated than anticipated, and even having his mate at his side may not be enough to win the day.

I dive right into every Mell Eight book with enthusiasm and a certain amount of expectation on what I’m going to find in her stories. Her imagination almost certainly provides me with something new to think about, great characters and a wildly entertaining story. However, The Case of the Wandering Wolves (Trickster’s Eye #1) by Mell Eight did provide some a couple of elements I liked, it mostly had me scratching my head in disappointment. Why? Because there are huge holes in the narrative here and in the thinking of the characters and plot.

It all revolves around the mate bond and what happens when that occurs. Unfortunately here, the mate bonding is between were and human, twice over. In the first pairing… Latrans and York, Latrans first pushes his attraction/need for his mate unto the human with disastrous results. It didn’t help that York is closeted, only has the slightest leanings or interest in men (he might be bisexual, a path not investigated here). But Latrans does eventually leave his mate alone, knowing that as a human, York cannot feel the same as he does. Realistic, and totally abandoned when another were/human pair appears later in the story.

That human is expected to adjust to the fact that they are a part of a bonded pair, a fact that shocked me given the factors surrounding that pair’s history. (Spoilers) . Its even more unbelievable given York’s stilted little speech about forgiving Latrans’ stalking bonding behavior etc. at the end of the tale. One, where did that language come from? A therapist? A brochure? It didn’t sound like anything the man had said previously in any of his conversations, so it was jarring. Secondly, the child and her welfare. Let’s just say, that got a little mixed up here as well. At least in my opinion.

There is a mystery. Two actually. One gets solved fairly quickly. The other? Well the villain is not really never in doubt. The ending is a HFN and this story a set up for a series that seems to revolve around the detective agency that Latrans runs with his friend called The Trickster’s Eye (Latrans is a were coyote). I will mostly likely pick up the second book to see what happens. It can only get better.

Cover art is so so. It could also be so much better.

Sales Links

Less Than Three Press

Amazon

Book Details:

ebook
Published January 11th 2017 by Less Than Three Press
ISBN139781620049358
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesTrickster’s Eye #1

An Ali Release Day Review: Gaining Trust (Kiss of Leather #5) by Morticia Knight

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Chuck isn’t sure what he needs and Master Jordan can’t wait to show him.

Stone’s shy junior investigator, Chuck, can no longer deny his interest in the BDSM lifestyle. The beautiful connections and raw emotions he’s witnessed between so many of the Doms and subs at Kiss of Leather leave him yearning for something he’d never dared hope he could have—unconditional love and care from a man. He isn’t sure if he can take the chance of having a real relationship when he’s not out to his meddling parents yet, but the sexy Master Jordan, Gavin’s friend and the owner of Club Consequence, makes him want to take that chance.

Master Jordan has been biding his time until he can get next to the super-fine Chuck. Gavin warned him that Chuck isn’t in the lifestyle, but there’s something special about him that speaks to Jordan’s heart. When they’re finally alone, the chemistry is off the charts and Jordan can tell it won’t take much to bring Chuck willingly into the world of BDSM.

An unexpected development in the case of Corey’s kidnappers shocks them all, but not as much as what happens with Chuck’s family. Jordan teaches Chuck that secrets hold power over the person keeping them, and that gaining trust can only be achieved through complete honesty.

I loved this story just as much as I have with all of the others in this series. Chuck and Jordan have been dancing around each other for the last couple books, so it was great to see them finally get their own story. It’s great to see Chuck’s trust building in Jordan when he has to deal with his combative family dynamic.

We got a quick look at Josh and David working to fix their relationship problems from the previous book, but leaves a little mystery for the future with the possibility of an additional owner for the club that gives the opportunity for more characters to come into play in future books. The rest of the book was on Chuck and Jordan’s budding relationship. Once they got going they moved pretty fast, but they had a lot of build up that had been in the background in the previous books, so they weren’t just jumping in.

They mystery of Corey’s previous dom continues throughout this book and brings in some new twists that may play a bigger role in later books. I look forward to reading more in this series while they solve the mystery, but also to see more of all the wonderful characters in this series.

The cover art is great and follows the pattern for the series.

Sales Links: Pride Publishing | Amazon | B&N

Book Details:

ebook, 142 pages

Expected Publication: January 24, 2017 by Pride Publishing

ISBN: 9781786515384

Edition Language: English

Series: Kiss of Leather #5

In Our Hot Release Spotlight: Broadway Babe by J.C. Long (author interview)

Broadway Babe by J.C. Long
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Anne Cain

BUY LINKS:

Hi Everybody, I’m J. C. Long, author of Broadway Babe! Thanks so much for joining me, and thanks to Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words for having me today! In preparation for my novella Broadway Babe coming out tomorrow I did a little interview for you guys! Enjoy!

Where do you normally draw your inspiration for a book from? A memory, a myth, a place or journey, or something far more personal?

It really depends on the story. Broadway Babe came from my personal life more than anything else. I was a huge theatre geek in high school, and even now have an immense love of musicals. I performed in a lot of shows, and though I never made it to Broadway I can imagine what it’s like, and have a few friends who actually did and helped provide a little insight for this story.

Are you a planner or a pantzer when writing a story? And why?

Again, the answer is it depends on what I’m writing. For a mystery, I’m a planner—I need to be so I can lay the scenes properly, leave the right hints and clues in the right places. With contemporaries I’m a bit of a pantzer in that I know where I’m starting and where I’m ending, but only have a vague idea of the middle bit.

Contemporary, supernatural, fantasy, or science fiction narratives or something else? Does any genre draw you more than another when writing it or reading it and why does it do so?

Scifi and fantasy were my first loves as a reader. These stories provide true escapism, with real, easy to recognize heroes and villains that are pretty black and white. It’s fun as a reader and a writer to fully immese yourself in a fantasy world where you get to make up the rules of the game. Recently, though, contemporaries have drawn me as a writer, because they provide me a way to show people around me that there is still happiness out there, and love really does win.

Can an author have favorites among their characters and do you have them?

I definitely think it’s possible to have favorites—some characters come from a very real experience for an author, a very raw emotional center. For me my favorite in any given book I’m writing is the character that is the easiest to write, the one who’s voice I hear the strongest. In Broadway Babe that’s definitely Annabelle—though of course I love my boys. Annabelle just spoke so strongly to me, even when Tate or Mike didn’t want to.

If you were to be stranded on a small demi-planet, island, or god forbid LaGuardia in a snow storm, what books would you take to read or authors on your comfort list?

Oh God, I’ve been there—minus a snowstorm, and it was LAX instead of LaGuardia—after a hellish return trip from Japan (where I now live) that should have been 21 hours total that evolved into a 3 day odyssey thanks to bad flights and an unexpected overnight stay in China. I go to old favorites at that point, comfort reads, and high atop that list is Rhys Ford—I adore her work, particularly her Cole McGinnis series.

How early in your life did you begin writing?

I started writing actual coherent stories in the 6^th grade for my English class. My teacher assigned us weekly vocab, and we had to use each word in a sentence. I found that boring, so I started writing a story where each word came up in the prose or dialogue somewhere.

Were you an early reader or were you read to and what childhood books had an impact on you as a child that you remember to this day and why?

I was raised by my grandmother, and I wanted to be just like her. She was an avid reader, so I forced her to teach me to read. By 4 years old I was sitting next to her on the couch with a book in my lap and read. As for the books that impacted me, I’d say the work of Alexander Lloyd. His were my first introduction to fantasy, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Also, Chris Wooding’s Broken Sky series showed me that not all fantasy has to look the same.

What question would you ask yourself here?

What would I ask myself? I’d ask myself why the hell I didn’t bring ranch dressing to Japan from the states! Dumb move, really dumb move. Oh—you mean about writing? Hmm. Why is it impossible for me to get any work done without cartoons from my childhood in the 90s playing in the background—or Bob’s Burgers; I love that show. Answer: Who knows?

If you were writing your life as a romance novel, what would the title be?

My life as a romance novel? That would be boring, guys. I wouldn’t want to read it. I guess I’d call it Mistakes Were Made. Oh my God, there’s an idea! The plot bunnies just started racing! Thanks, Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words! I really hope that you enjoy Broadway Babe and the sweet story between Tate and Mike! It’s out tomorrow!

BLURB

Tate O’Connor has worked hard to realize his dream of dancing on Broadway, and it’s about to pay off with a premier in his first show. He doesn’t expect the distraction of sharing the stage with his celebrity crush: Broadway superstar Mike Chang. Drama ensues both onstage and off as Tate and Mike work closely and realize there could be something between them. However, there are those who don’t think an up-and-coming dancer is good enough for someone with Mike’s talent and fame, and rumors and misunderstandings might lead to broken hearts if Tate and Mike can’t work through their confusion and insecurity.

AUTHOR BIO

J. C. Long is an American expat living in Japan, though he’s also lived stints in Seoul, South Korea—no, he’s not an Army brat; he’s an English teacher. He is also quite passionate about Welsh corgis and is convinced that anyone who does not like them is evil incarnate. His dramatic streak comes from his lifelong involvement in theater. After living in several countries aside from the United States, J. C. is convinced that love is love, no matter where you are, and is determined to write stories that demonstrate exactly that.

His favorite things in the world are pictures of corgis, writing, and Korean food (not in that order… okay, in that order). J. C. spends his time not writing thinking about writing, coming up with new characters, attending Big Bang concerts, and wishing he were writing. The best way to get him to write faster is to motivate him with corgi pictures. Yes, that is a veiled hint.

A MelanieM Review: Blood Stained Tea (The Yakuza Path #1) by Amy Tasukada

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

A bloody past haunts him. A devastating present calls him back…

Nao hides from his violent past in the Japanese mob by opening a teahouse in Japan’s cultural center, Kyoto. His past comes flooding back when he discovers a gravely injured man with a tattooed chest, a bloody knife, and a Korean business card.

Saehyun would’ve died if not for Nao’s help. He knows nothing of his savior’s connection with the local mafia, but Saehyun has his own secrets. He commands the Korean mafia, the mortal enemy of Nao’s former syndicate.

As Nao and Saehyun grow closer, so does the strength of the Korean mob. A shocking murder pulls Nao back into a past he’d all but abandoned. War is looming, and Nao must choose between protecting Saehyun or avenging the honor of his old mafia family..

The Yakuza Path: Blood Stained Tea is the first book in a series of Japanese mafia thrillers. If you like complex characters, blood-soaked violence, and twists you won’t see coming, then you’ll love Amy Tasukada’s gritty crime masterpiece.

This was undoubtedly one of the hardest reviews I’ve had to write in the past year, most of it is totally my fault. I approached this story full of false assumptions. I skimmed over the blurb and immediately assumed that it was a murder/mystery romance with a Yakusa foundation along the lines of some of my favorite romances and I could not have been more wrong. Those false expectations colored my viewpoint for two thirds of this story. Luckily, the plot, the characters and the superb writing kept taking my assumptions and drowning them in the river in Kyoto, along with many, many bodies.

Make no mistake. This is a brutal story. These characters are not some criminals with heinous crimes that occur off the page. There is torture, extreme violence that happens at once. They are in many respects, psychopaths (especially one). Tasukada does not look away from how they got to this point in their lives, the reality of both the Korean mafia and the Yakuza in Japan. Not for the soldiers at the basest level living in the worst possible conditions, gun fodder in the many battles or the people in the neighborhoods who become expendable in the gang fight for territory.

I know, some of you might be wondering. Why read this? Because its engrossing, compelling. I couldn’t put it down. Its human drama on both an intimate and huge scale. The author brings in both the ancient City of Kyoto and its past, the tea culture of Japan and so much more effortlessly folded into not only a psychological drama but a gritty crime masterpiece as it says above. Yes it deserves that in every sense that The Godfather deserves it as well. And this is merely the first story, the first step forward. What a gut cruncher, a heartbreaker and mindtwister Blood Stained Tea turns out to be. Shocking really.

And it all starts with confused Nao, hiding in his Tea shop, looking for the perfect oolong tea and never finding it.

This story is still haunting me. And yes, I need that second story. I need to read it even as I’m cringing in expectation over what I will find there. Blood Stained Tea (The Yakuza Path #1) by Amy Tasukada will top my list of Best Books of 2017. It may be the top book of 2017. Its that good. Don’t go looking for love and romance. It won’t be found in the blood stained tea. What you will find is a complex, human drama that will surprise you at every turn, make you run through the range of our emotions and emerge still hopelessly connected to this world and characters. Yes I think masterpiece is the word that belongs here.

The cover is perfect as it highlights an important element in the story.

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 319 pages
Published November 28th 2016 by Macarons & Tea Publishing
ISBN139780997865318
Edition LanguageEnglish

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

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

Author: BA Tortuga, Julia Talbot, and Kiernan Kelly

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

Publisher: Self-Published

Release Date: January 17, 2016

Pairing: M/M

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

Add Calling His Bluff to Goodreads

Add Happy Medium to Goodreads

Add Wishful Thinking to Goodreads

Synopsis

Calling His Bluff by BA Tortuga

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

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

Happy Medium by Julia Talbot

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

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

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

Wishful Thinking by Kiernan Kelly

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

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

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

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

Purchase

Purchase all three Club Raven novels below!

Calling His Bluff: Evil Plot Bunny | Amazon

Happy Medium: Evil Plot Bunny | Amazon

Wishful Thinking: Evil Plot Bunny | Amazon

Meet the Authors

BA Tortuga

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

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

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

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Julia Talbot

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

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

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram

Kiernan Kelly

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

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

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

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Love a Terrific Crime Novel? Check out Blood Stained Tea (The Yakuza Path #1) by Amy Tasukada (giveaway)

Blood Stained Tea – Amy Tasukada

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Length: 85,000 words

Blurb

The Yakuza Path: Blood Stained Teais the first book in a series of Japanese mafia thrillers. If you like complex characters, blood-soaked violence, and twists you won’t see coming, then you’ll love Amy Tasukada’s gritty crime masterpiece.

Author Bio

Amy Tasukada lives in a catless home in North Texas. (She enjoys cats but can’t quite make that kind of commitment yet.) As an only child her day dreams kept her entertained, and at age ten she started to put them to paper. Since then her love of writing hasn’t cease. When she’s not chasing after stray cats, she can be found drinking hot tea and filming Japanese street fashion hauls on her Youtube channel.

https://www.amytasukada.com/

https://www.youtube.com/user/amytasukada

http://www.facebook.com/amytasukadaofficial/

https://twitter.com/@amytasukada

Giveaway

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BLOG TOUR: People Fish by Medella Kingston (excerpt and giveaway)

PeopleFish by Medella Kingston

Publisher: NineStar Press
Release Date: January 23rd

Purchase Links

NineStar Press

Synopsis

Her Cree grandmother called it the gift of seeing, but for Petra “Pete” Orvatch, knowing things in ways that defy explanation has made reality and fantasy blur in a world where the clocks literally go backward. Her fascinating and clairvoyant mind is a riddle that many doctors have tried to solve with medication. Love comes her way unexpectedly when she meets Fiona Angeli, a stunningly beautiful single mother. A risk-taker by nature, Fiona is not scared off by her new lover’s psychic abilities and eccentricities.

The two of them share passion and secrets on a magical and surprising journey, and their torrid love affair takes them to thrilling new places until betrayal divides them. Both these women fight battles within themselves; Fiona must gain control of her dangerous compulsions, and Pete’s onerous gift ultimately puts her at risk of losing herself in the gap between delusions and the real world.

Title: PeopleFish
Author: Medella Kingston

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex
Pairing: Female/Female
Length: 118000

Genre: Romance, lesbian, bisexual, paranormal, Addiction, psychic ability, romance

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33546115

Excerpt

PeopleFish

Pete looked up from the mystery she was reading and scanned the faces in the waiting room. There was Tired Pinched Mom, with faded blond ponytail and dark roots coming in. She had one kid under control and was now quietly negotiating with the other. Next to this trio sat Man Too Large for His Seat, who seemed to be staring at his shoes or sleeping with his eyes open. In the corner was someone so nondescript she couldn’t instantly name her—then it came to her: Any Woman. This woman was neither thin nor large, short nor tall, and had a slightly exotic yet familiar face. She looked as if she could be from many different places, like Greece, Morocco, Central America, or New Jersey. She was text-messaging so quickly, Pete half expected her thumbs to spark and set fire to her phone.

Doesn’t anyone people-watch anymore? Was she the only person left who liked to read faces and create narratives? Maybe so. She’d never stop doing it. She’d been spinning this stuff since she was little—much to the annoyance of her mother. Instead of acknowledging the creative gifts of her child, or at the very least being entertained by them, she’d say, “God will punish you, Petra Marie, for thinking bad thoughts about people and making up lies.”

Some traits must skip generations, because Grandma Sweets had the right attitude. She’d join right in and embellish her granddaughter’s rough outlines of strangers’ lives with additions that could only come from a seasoned mind. If Pete said a passenger on the bus looked guilty, Gram Sweets would say, “Of course he looks guilty, he ought to! Instead of cooking a turkey for Thanksgiving, he cooked his wife!”

Her reminiscing was perforated by the staccato ring of a telephone.

“Cambridge Holistic Health and Wellness Center, please hold.”

Please hold? No one else is on the line; is this receptionista just fucking with the caller? Pete dog-eared the page in her paperback, closed it, slipped it into her bag, and decided to devote all of her energy to observing. She was just about to make up a story about the receptionist when her eyes landed on something strange. She hadn’t noticed the cheap plastic clock on the wallpapered wall before, but now she couldn’t take her eyes off it because the second hand was moving backward.

At first she thought she was seeing things, since her imagination was such a well-developed muscle. So she did something that made her feel seven instead of thirty-seven. She closed her eyes to reset, inhaled a long, slow breath, and then opened them, hoping this simple act could alter what she saw, or make things feel right again. She didn’t return her gaze to the clock right away, but rather avoided its face like you would dodge direct eye contact in a volley of flirt-and-stare with a stranger who’d caught you looking.

She panned her eyes evenly over all she had just taken in. Now the previously obedient child of the two was acting petulant, Man Too Large for His Seat actually was asleep, and Any Woman had stopped texting and was staring back at Pete. This startled her a bit. She looked away and then forced herself to look at the clock again. The red second hand was still moving backward and now instead of 2:27, it was 2:26, and the room seemed brighter to her than it had been just a minute ago.

“Petra Orvatch?”

She heard the automaton call her but she couldn’t move—she felt obligated to monitor the clock and confirm that it was in fact going backward, but knew she shouldn’t say anything about it. It was one of those times when she couldn’t expect people to understand her. These occurrences had happened ever since she could remember and could be confusing, amusing, or even downright dangerous.

Meet the Author

About the Author

Medella Kingston fell in love with writing at an early age and published articles, poems, and stories when she was growing up. She wrote, performed, and sold songs for movie soundtracks, and continued writing short stories for her own pleasure. She currently sings in the band Omnesia, which has aired locally on UC Berkeley’s radio station and been heard as far east as Goa and the Mumbai University. She lives with her partner and their two dogs in the East Bay. PeopleFish is Medella’s first novel, and she is currently working on a new book.

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