Category: Uncategorized

A Bj Review: Souls in Bondage series (#1, 2, & 2.5) by Lex Valentine

Rating:    4 stars out of 5 (for the series overall)

I’m reviewing this series together as they are all short and fit together like a glove.

Broken Bonds (Souls in Bondage #1) – 5 stars out of 5  ★★★★★

Broken BondsThe one thing Haven Noel wants for his Christmas birthday is for his master, Kellen, to love him. But the wonderful Christmas Eve Haven plans for his master goes awry and instead of receiving his master’s love, Haven ends up on the street without his collar. Heartbroken, Haven heads to the club where he and Kellen originally met, only to find it closed.

With a blizzard descending and nowhere to go, Haven curls up on the club doorstep, courting death. Hopeless and shattered, on the verge of losing consciousness, he makes a wish for Kellen to find happiness some day. Two angels with a vested interest in Haven and Kellen’s happiness hear his wish and conspire with Kellen’s family to save Haven’s life, bring love back to Kellen’s heart and give them both the best kinky Christmas ever.

A little bit of a Dicken’s redux, but I love retelling of fairy tales and beloved old stories! Read in one sitting! A Dicken’s classic within a D/s relationship? Heck, yeah. This well-written story captured my attention from page one and didn’t let go–I couldn’t stop reading except to wipe my leaky eyes, because it had tears rolling down my cheeks. I don’t care if it was a bit sappy, in fact, I loved that about it. The characters were perfect for me–broken boys are a big favorite. A darker sort of holiday story but with a HEA ending that was just right.

Then later, I purchased the audiobook and listened to it on a longish car trip. Warning, do not listen to this while driving… even if it is a re-read. Its even more poignant on audio! I had to keep blinking away the tears. Lovely story in both print and audio.

Book Details and Sales Links:    Amazon | All Romance (ARe)

Kindle Edition, 84 pages
Published December 24th 2012 by Amazon Digital Services
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Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesSouls in Bondage #1

Bitter Bonds (Souls in Bondage #2) – 4 stars

Bitter BondsDominant Jake Conrad isn’t going to get involved in another relationship with a submissive. Burned by two former submissives, Jake vows never to collar one again. Then his best friend Ray brings him a sub like no other. Finn is damaged and bitter, although not as bitter as Jake. The white haired submissive has secrets and talents Jake never dreamed of and the lure of Finn’s need to submit calls to Jake’s soul.

Everyone Finn has ever loved walked away from him. He fears caring for anyone when he knows the outcome will shatter his heart again. When Finn falls for Jake, he gives his lover the ultimate gift, a chance to have the dreams he set aside years before even though he knows that if Jake accepts the gift, he’ll walk out of Finn’s life forever. A slave to his love for his Dominant, the submissive finds his true strength in easing Jake’s bitterness even at the cost of his own happiness.

After book one blew me away, I had very high expectations for this story. First off, I was delighted to get a re-visit and almost a follow-up with Kellan and Haven which tied things up even more nicely. YAY.

This sweet story centers on the angels helping Jake and Finn. The BDSM elements are pretty mild, there is plenty of delicious angst, and there’s a slight paranormal slant. But this one is not at all the total heartwrencher that book one was for me. I enjoyed seeing inside the insecure Dom who thought he’d failed his other subs. I’d have liked to seen a bit more exploration of the two characters as I didn’t quite connect with them as deeply as I had with those from the first book. If you like angsty stories with BDSM and damaged guys, then this one should fit the bill nicely.

Sales Links :   All Romance (ARe)   |   Amazon

Book Details:

ebook
Published June 10th 2013 by Winterheart Books (first published June 9th 2013)
Edition LanguageEnglish
Series Souls in Bondage #2

Subs for Lunch (Souls in Bondage #2.5) – 3 stars

Subs for LunchBest friends Micah, Haven and Finn find a new sandwich shop called Mouthwatering Subs. When they talk the owners into selling them some T-shirts, naughtiness ensues. The three submissives invite their dominants out to their favorite club, Darkness, for a night of fun jumpstarted by the suggestive T-shirts. A worried Finn just wants Jake, his overworked dominant, to relax. Haven is looking to bring some laughter to his usually serious Dom, Kellen. And mischievous Micah has the tallest order to fill. He’s hoping for a public spanking. Will his normally possessive Dom, Nick, bare Micah’s ass in the club for all to see? It’s a night of fun and frolic for the three subs and their sexy Doms.

Although we revisit the characters from books one and two, the tone of this book is entirely different from books one and two. This one is playful and light revisit to the couples. It was cute, and the subs get a bit bratty for those who enjoy that. We get to explore the friendship that has developed between the three subs we meet in the prior books. But it ended before the talk between Micah/Nick that I’d been waiting for, darn it!! I don’t feel that it moved the storylines forward much. There are three couples in this series: Kellan/Haven, Nick/Micah and Jake/Finn. There hasn’t really been a book dedicated to Nick/Micah as MCs yet, but I hope that there will be in future.

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

ebook, 45 pages
Published April 1st 2014 by Winterheart Books
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesSouls in Bondage #2.5

The first two covers in this series are different from the final one… I love the black and white of the first two with the red accent and they are both hot. The final one rather sticks out as different, which for me was disappointing.

When One Book Isn’t Enough! The Sky People Trilogy book blast for D.C. Juris (excerpt/contest)

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The Sky People Trilogy by DC Juris
 Release Date: December 30, 2015

Publisher: Torquere Press
Cover Artist: Kris Norris

Blurb

Driven by visions of his soul mate, Tristan, Jinsu steps through the portal to Earth, leaving all he has ever known behind.. Seven months into their fairy-tale romance, and Tristan and Jinsu couldn’t be happier. But when Jinsu falls ill with a mysterious, lingering condition, everything changes. Jinsu’s magic is dying and taking him with it. Suddenly the couple’s desire to find a way back to Jinsu’s home world is more than just a dream–it’s a necessity. With Jinsu’s time quickly running out, Tristan is forced to seek help from someone he’d hoped to never, ever lay eyes on again.

Tristan awakens on Torottu, but the portal wasn’t meant for humans, and he’s been near death since his arrival almost ten months ago. Even worse, Jinsu has no idea who Tristan is—the return trip through the portal erased his memory of Earth, of their relationship, or Tristan himself. Winning Jinsu’s heart again won’t be easy, especially if Kelan, Jinsu’s twin, has anything to say about it. Kelan loves Jinsu, too, and he won’t be put aside for Tristan. Not again. Tristan knows his only chance for happiness—and the only chance for Jinsu and Kelan—is to follow his heart. Previously published by Breathless Press.

 

Pages or Words: 33,000 words
 Categories: M/M Romance, Ménage/Poly, Romance, Science Fiction, M/M/M Romance, Twincest

Excerpt

After taking Jinsu home and grabbing a light dinner for himself, Tristan drove across town, up and down streets once all-too familiar, to see the only person he could think of who might be able to help him. He pushed open the office door, taking note of the little faded metal welcome sign and the open 9 to 5 banner hanging crookedly underneath it. He’d arrived just in time.

“Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in. How you doin’, sugar?”

Tristan smiled at the petite platinum blonde behind the desk. He’d always liked Nancy. Despite the fact that she looked like something out of an old mobster movie—big hair, low-cut blouse, gaudy makeup, chewing gum and all—she had that rare work ethic that made her more than just a receptionist. “I’m good. Is Bryan in?”

“Sure, hon. Have a seat. I’ll let him know you’re here.”

Tristan sat on the edge of a metal folding chair—god, Bryan was such a cheapskate—rested his left foot on his right thigh.

Before Nancy could stand up, the door behind her opened to reveal a tall, heavy-set man with closely cropped dark hair just beginning to thin. Older than Tristan, Bryan had started to show his age. “Nancy, do me a favor and—”

Nancy nodded toward Tristan. Tristan stood, the scrape of his chair on the tile far louder than he would’ve liked.

“Tristan?” Slight upward inflection in Bryan’s voice, as if he couldn’t believe Tristan was actually there. Well, that made two of them.

“Long time no see, huh, Bryan?” It was a lame way to break the ice, but how did one approach his former lover when he showed up at said former lover’s work, out-of-the-blue after three years?

“Hold my calls,” Bryan said, with barely a glance at Nancy. “C’mon in, Tris.”

Tristan cringed at the old nickname and followed Bryan into his office. The place was surprisingly neat—neater than Tristan had ever seen Bryan’s surroundings before.

“I’ve gotten better at housekeeping, as you can see.” Bryan gestured to the chair opposite his desk. “Have a seat. At the risk of sounding clichéd, to what do I owe this honor?”

“I need your help with something.” Tristan took a deep breath. Best to get right to it. He didn’t want Bryan getting any ideas or false hopes. Leaving out as many personal, private details as he possibly could, Tristan filled Bryan in on the events of the past seven months: Jinsu’s arrival—he didn’t mention the part about the dreams that had brought them together—his subsequent illness, and what Tristan had learned of Torottu.

“So…that brings you up to now,” Tristan finished. Bryan had sat quietly and listened throughout his speech, fingers steepled together in front of him, elbows resting on his desk, with that just-this-side-of-predatory gleam in his eyes that most people found alluring but Tristan had always hated.

“Huh. Well…it’s not really my line of work.” Bryan leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

“What do you mean it’s not your line of work? You investigate the freaky and abnormal.”

“Paranormal, to be specific. This…” Bryan shrugged. “I’m not saying I won’t help you. You know I’d do anything for you. I owe you after what I put you through.”

Tristan ground his teeth. Damn him for bringing up their past. Patience was a virtue when it came to dealing with Bryan, but Tristan could hit below the belt too. “I need your full efforts and attention. You can’t half-ass this. It can’t be like Detroit.”

Bryan straightened and curled his lip, looking away quickly. “Detroit wasn’t my fault.”

“You may not have caused it, but you did nothing to help. Understand, I won’t let Jinsu fall to a witch hunt.”

“What happened in Detroit—”

“What happened in Detroit didn’t have to. You involved the wrong people. You hung innocents out to dry; you threw your partners under the bus and nearly caused a citywide riot. I won’t let you sell Jinsu’s story and I won’t let you endanger his life. You keep the press out of this one. No glorious headlines, understand?”

“You’ve been back to the alley?”

Tristan bit back a conceited chuckle at Bryan’s change of topic. “Several times. There’s nothing there. Everything’s perfectly normal.”

“That may be and it may not. There are things that can’t be seen with the naked eye.” Bryan turned and pulled a book off the over-stuffed shelf behind him, thumbed through it quickly and then tossed it down on his desk. “You know that.”

“Jinsu’s certain he would be able to feel the magic if it were there.” Of course, that was only a theory, but having Bryan second-guess him was annoying.

“Sure, but you said he’s sick. That could be affecting him. I assume you’ve done some other research of your own?”

Tristan nodded. “I’ve been over every book of mythology and the occult that I could get my hands on.”

“Bah. We won’t find what we’re looking for in there. This kind of stuff doesn’t get listed in the public record.” Bryan folded his hands together and gave Tristan a long, lingering, thoughtful look. “I made a mistake with you.”

“Yeah, you did. Look, I didn’t come here for this. This isn’t about you and me. This is about someone’s life. It’s far more important than any petty bullshit.” On the verge of insulting, and definitely risky, but Bryan had never been good with subtlety.

Bryan quirked an eyebrow. “So we were petty, were we?”

“One of us was. I don’t want to argue about the past. Are you willing to help us?”

“Of course I am. I’ll need to gather my resources, make some calls. It may take time.”

Tristan sighed. Time was one thing they didn’t have.

Buy the book:  Torquere Books

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Meet the author:

Romance author, sic-fi fan club Captain, cosplayer, reigning Queen of Monkeyland, and random menace. Yep, we’re talking about DC Juris. She’s a cupcake making, football watching, rubber duck collecting, drag show loving, full of fabulous with a Capital F kinda gal. She’s also an Ordained Minister and an amateur photographer. She lives in Upstate NY with her husband, three dogs, and three cats. When she’s not writing, you can find her in her favorite chair watching “Star Trek” and “Supernatural” repeats on Netflix, or surfing the web for porn. Er…research. Surfing the web for research. She may speak softly but she lives and loves loudly. Just ask the neighbors. ::wink::

Where to find the author:

 


Tour Dates & Stops: December 30, 2015

Parker Williams, A.M. Leibowitz, The Hat Party, Bayou Book Junkie, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, BFD Book Blog, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Charley Descoteaux, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Molly Lolly, Nephy Hart, MM Good Book Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads, Andrew Q. Gordon, Velvet Panic

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Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘The Sky People Trilogy.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prize provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

 

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Like Your Romance Superpowered? Check out ‘Stronger, Better, Faster, More’ by Carlin Grant and Katey Hawthorne (guest post and giveaway)

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Stronger, Better, Faster, More by Carlin Grant and Katey Hawthorne

Publisher: Loose Id LLC
Release Date:12/29/2015
Cover Artist Mina Carter

Buy it here at Loose id or other links here

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is so happy to have Carlin Grant and Katey Hawthorne here today to talk about their latest story, Stronger, Better, Faster, More and Superpowers.  Welcome, Carlin and Katey!  Tell us more!

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Superpowers we Love by Carlin Grant and Katey Hawthorne

Thanks so much for letting us stop by today, Melanie. For our book birthday, Carlin and I decided to talk about a major theme of our new book, Stronger, Better, Faster, More: SUPERPOWERS. What we love, both personally and to write. Read on, and remember to enter our giveaway.

Katey: So, obviously I love superpowers, and obviously Carlin does too, since we met geeking out over Marvel characters. But when it comes to favorites I think I have two clear winners, both of which I have now written about: Pyrokinesis and Superspeed.

Superspeed, at last at last, is featured in Stronger, Better, Faster, More. As the title might imply. I love this power because there are so many great iterations of it and how it affects the character who has it. Some can turn it on and off, which is convenient. Others are constantly sped up, though, which is Vel Chandrasekhar’s ability/problem. So he’s constantly feeling like the whole world is moving in slow mo, constantly having to slow down how he talks, eats, walks, constantly being super impatient with everything. Except he’s actually mega-patient, in his world.

That has been, by far and away, one of my favorite things to write about ever. I’m glad this book and Vel gave me the chance!

Carlin: I actually love superspeed too, when presented the way Vel’s was in Stronger, Better, Faster, More where the character’s entire world is sped up. I’ve found that, in both reading and writing, I’m drawn most to superpowered characters whose abilities either come with drawback when using it, like Beau’s endurance, or is something they have to manage in their everyday life, like Vel’s superspeed.

When writing superhumans, you always run the risk of creating a character that’s too large or powerful to relate to, and I feel like drawbacks help a character stay accessible to the reader. When you see a character struggling to manage the side effects, it makes you want them to succeed. When they go into a fight or rescue situation knowing it’ll mean intense pain for them later, it makes that sacrifice and risk a lot more meaningful.

As for me? I’d go with teleportation. It’s hard to beat fast, free travel.

Title  Stronger, Better, Faster, More by Carlin Grant and Katey Hawthorne

 

 

Book Blurb

When he gets super-endurance powers out of nowhere, being a culinary student and kids’ soccer coach isn’t enough for Beau CGKH_StrongerBetterFasterMore_coverinWarren–he has to be a superhero too. A sweet, hardworking trans man from a close knit family, it’s important to Beau to use his new abilities to stand up for people who can’t protect themselves. When he runs into a speedster at a fire rescue, he doesn’t expect it to be his high school crush, Vel Chandrasekhar. Turns out Vel got superspeed when Beau go his endurance, so they decide to make their single supe act into a duo.

With their immediate attraction and superpowered libidos, it’s not long before Beau and Vel are roommates-with-benefits. That’s the idea, anyhow, if only Beau can keep from falling back into his old crush hard, since Vel’s self-esteem issues have left him skittish about relationships. Just when things are at boiling point between them, though, their search for their own superhero origin story leads them and their families into mortal danger. The only way to survive the truth is to depend on each other–and admit they’re a lot more than friends.

  • Genre: M/M,  Paranormal, erorom
  • LengthNovel (72k)

About the Authors

Carlin Grant is a queer writer who likes to put the focus on LGBTQIA+ characters and has a sweet tooth for romance. Growing up in backwoods North Carolina left them with a love for the characters, culture, and folklore that is common in the rural South, and these themes often show up in their stories. When they’re not writing, Carlin enjoys reading, video games, superheroes, mixtapes, and visiting the beach. They currently reside in coastal NC, where they spend most of their time chasing after their toddler.
Katey Hawthorne is an avid reader and writer of superpowered romance, even though the only degree she holds is in the history of art. (Or, possibly, because the only degree she holds is in the history of art.) Originally from the Appalachian foothills of West Virginia, she currently lives in Ohio. In her spare time she enjoys comic books, B-movies, loud music, Epiphones, and Bushmills.

Giveaway

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prize provided by the authors.  Good luck and happy reading!

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In the Spotlight: ‘Life is a Stevie Wonder Song’ by V.L. Locey (excerpt and giveaway)

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Life is a Stevie Wonder Song by V.L. Locey
Release Date: December 30, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Torquere Press
Cover Artist: Kris Norris

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Blurb

Authors know that their muse is a fickle creature. Best-selling spy novelist Stephen Ramsey has been in a hate-hate relationship with his inspiration for months. Stephen’s publisher lays a legal ultimatum upon him, with a rapidly approaching deadline, he knows he must do something to kick-start his creativity or face the unemployment line. His daughter comes up with a possible answer: a summer camp for the creative soul. With nothing to lose, Stephen packs up his laptop, phonograph and beloved record albums and heads from Manhattan to the Catskill Mountains.

There, among a horde of college students attending for extra credits, is Declan Pomeroy, a photographer of fey creatures who is twenty years younger than Stephen. The woods are a magical place, and he quickly finds himself falling under the spell of the free-spirited photographer. Confusion wars with desire inside Stephen as he succumbs to the feelings welling up inside. But, sadly, summer camp always has to end. Can a man who has just found himself really leave the person that makes his heart sing?

 

Pages or Words: 24,600 words
 Categories: Contemporary, M/M Romance, Gay For You, May/December

Excerpt

Then he appeared from the tree line, a lithe, pale creature of the Finnish goddess Mielikki’s woods if ever I had seen one. Yay for that semester of world mythology back in college finally paying off. Declan wore nothing but a scrap of linen tied around his lean waist and a camera around his neck. I swallowed and stepped down off the porch, anxious to get closer to him. He waited patiently for me. As I drew closer, I could hear him humming. A smile tweaked my lips. It was Stevie Wonder’s Signed, Sealed, Delivered.

“You look like you have too much on,” Declan announced when I stood in front of him. I glanced down at my attire. Gym shorts, a T-shirt, and sneakers sans socks. “How would you feel about doing this nude?” My sight knifed back from my clothes to my guide into the Twilight Zone.

“You’re not naked,” I pointed out once I could speak around the knot of desire clogging my throat.

“I usually am, but I figured you’d be far too uptight to not have clothes on, so, I fashioned a makeshift chiton to cover my goodies.”

“Okay. Yes, I’m not comfortable with our goodies hanging out.” He glanced up at the fat moon over our heads, then sighed dramatically. “I can do no shirt and no shoes, however.”

Declan’s gaze returned to me from Madame Luna. He made a sort of cooing sound then rose to his tiny toes to press his lips to mine. It was a soft peck, our mouths touching for a mere second, but it did things to my perceptions of who Steven Ramsey is that I still cannot fully explain.

“I think I’d like to see you without a shirt,” he whispered over my lips.

“What are you doing?” I croaked. He shrugged a shoulder, then dropped back down to stand flat-footed. “Stop it, okay? I’m old enough to be your father.”

He smiled then spun around, his bare back gleaming pure white. I wanted to touch his skin, trace the knobs of his spine with my tongue. This whole thing was pure insanity, yet I hurried to strip off my old T-shirt and kick off my sneakers. Declan glanced over his shoulder, smiled again, and then rushed off into the night, the coquette. I followed because what else could I do? Not traipsing after the kid was impossible. The grass was cool and wet under my bare soles. The high whine of a mosquito zipped past my ear. I would be nothing but a massive bug bite in the morning. I walked behind Declan, swatting at the air, hoping I didn’t step on something that would require stitches or a tetanus shot. We stepped into the woods. I debated going back for my shoes.

“We have to be as silent as possible,” Declan, standing on my right, whispered.

“Shoes are quiet,” I replied, my hand resting on the scraggy bark of an old pine.

“Shoes don’t allow you to touch the earth.”

“They also don’t allow thorns to penetrate your flesh,” I parried. My guide grunted in consternation then set off once again. A million questions bounced around my head as I tenderly placed one foot down then the other. What kind of camera did he use? Was there a special ethereal film for capturing fey? Did I need therapy? Did I just step on a slug?

We walked deeper into the woods. The farther we traveled, the more I wanted to speak up or at least scoff. I was working on a good zinger when I ran into Declan’s bare back. He threw up a hand to silence me. My body tightened from a weird combination of fear and desire. The kid felt wonderful pressed against my chest, his clammy skin resting against mine. I peered over his head, my hand coming to rest on his left hip. Declan leaned back into me just the slightest bit. My cock began to swell. My eyelids drifted down as he wiggled enticingly closer still.

“Look at the hazy ring around the moon,” Declan whispered. My fingers dug into his bony hip. I opened my eyes and looked up. We were on the edge of a small glen. He lifted up his camera and snapped several images as I stared at the milky white fingers of magic tickling the moon. “Now look at the ground.” I did. There, in the center of the small glen, was a small, perfectly circular ring of mushrooms perhaps ten feet wide. “That’s known as a fairy ring.”

“Huh,” I grunted, my body trying desperately to take over the show. Declan had to feel my erection resting against his pert ass. He seemed perfectly as ease with a hard dick between his buttocks. I, on the other hand, was slowly going mad. I longed to lower my mouth to his neck and lick the sweat from his skin. I also wanted to run away screaming to the world that I was not a faggot, but was I? It certainly looked it. Declan lowered his camera and took a few shots of the white mushrooms.

“I’ve heard tales of the fey blessing those who stand in a fairy ring under a full moon. Would you like to go stand in the ring, Steven?” he asked. I nodded. He slid out of my grasp and reached back to find my hand. His fingers were thinner than mine. He pulled me into the glen. I glanced up, then back. “Are you afraid that someone will see us cuddling in the fairy ring?”

“At the moment,” I stepped carefully over several large mushrooms,” I’m afraid of everything, mostly you.”

 

Buy the book: Torquere Books

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Meet the Author

V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, belly laughs, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, two dogs, two cats, a flock of assorted domestic fowl, and three Jersey steers.

When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand. She can also be found online on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and GoodReads.

Where to find the author:


Tour Dates & Stops: December 29, 2015

Parker Williams, The Hat Party, Bayou Book Junkie, Havan Fellows, Just Love Romance, Happily Ever Chapter, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, BFD Book Blog, The Jena Wade, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, 3 Chicks After Dark, Three Books Over The Rainbow, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, MM Good Book Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads, Velvet Panic

Final updated Life is a Stevie Wonder Song

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Life is a Stevie Wonder’ song by V.L. Locey.  Link and prize provided by the author and Pride Promotions.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

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A Barb, A Zany Old Lady Review: Flesh Market (Bodies and Souls #1) by Kate Lowell

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Flesh MarketSpecial Agent Leo Gale is up a creek. A year and a half of deep cover is about to go up in flames. He needs help – something, someone to salvage the operation and save the lives of untold numbers of trafficked teenagers.

But he wasn’t expecting the partner they sent, or his own gut-punch of a response to the man.

Julian worked hard for that FBI Honors Internship. It was supposed to be a foot in the door. He’d never expected it to catapult him into the middle of a major undercover operation. Yet here he is, sleeping on a filthy mattress and using every trick in the book to avoid torture–and worse. He’s never felt so scared, or so alive, in his entire life, and he’s not sure if it’s the danger, or Leo, that’s making his heart race.

There’s no time to think about it, though. The operation is heating up, and Leo and Julian are running out of time and options. As choices become more difficult, they must find a way to take the traffickers down, or risk becoming just another set of organs for sale.

This is a riveting, nail-biting, action-adventure with a few very dark moments as two men go undercover to bust a ring trafficking in prostitution and organ harvesting.

FBI Special Agent Leo Gale was planted undercover over a year ago to infiltrate a ring specializing in kidnapping young, well-to-do teens. It’s slow going, and he’s helpless to stop the kidnapping of these young men and women who are trained and sold into prostitution nearly every day. He needs to decide whether to blow his cover and call in a raid, or stick it out. Just after he receives a message saying help is on the way, he finds himself promoted to the procurement team. And when his help arrives, it isn’t in the form of a rescue—it’s another agent, a young man named Julian Fitzroy.

Julian is actually an intern in the analyst division of FBI headquarters when Leo’s boss spots him and decides he’d be perfect for the job of going in as a kidnapped teen. Promising him a spot in the next FBI training class, he gets Julian set up for Leo to procure. The two are immediately attracted to each other, despite the fact that Leo is in his late thirties. He’s never given Julian’s background, but he figures Julian is about twenty-five or so, and he also assumes he’s been an agent for a year or more. Julian’s immediate task is to survive the training, aka torture, without blowing his or Leo’s cover.

He does, and together they uncover the fact that this “flesh market” is not only kidnapping young men and women for prostitution, but they’re also kidnapping those who aren’t so handsome or beautiful for a secondary market—organ harvesting. When they find out that the boys and girls who aren’t able to be broken for service prostitution are moved to the organ harvesting program, both men decide they must put an end to this travesty, no matter what. Julian refuses to allow Leo to call a halt to the operation until they get their hands on the data for the operation, even though it puts him in jeopardy.

The author takes the reader on a roller coaster ride of emotions as Julian manages to survive beatings and a night with a wealthy client and his other “boy.” The descriptions of some of the activities related to captivity and organ harvesting may be too dark for some readers, so caution is advised. However, overall, the story itself is extremely interesting, and the way the author works through the finale and solution to getting the men out of there is very heavy in action and suspense.

There is no HEA, but the HFN is satisfying, and it’s very evident that there will be a sequel. This story would be perfect for those who enjoy age gap, law enforcement, and/or dark themes.

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Cover art depicts a young man in the arms of a larger, tattooed man with the profile of another man in the doorway beyond. This scene represents Julian being held, and supposedly trained, by Leo while Leo’s boss looks on to be sure he’s doing his job. It’s a perfect representation of the helplessness of the situation for both men.

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

Book Details:

ebook
Published November 10th 2015 by Loose Id
ISBN139781682520321
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesBodies and Souls #1

Jump Back Into The Fantasy World of Jay Jordan Hawk’s Onwaachige the Dreamer (The Two-spirit Chronicles #3) (excerpt and giveaway)

Onwaachige-1

Onwaachige the Dreamer (The Two-spirit Chronicles #3) by Jay Jordan Hawke
 Release Date: December 17, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Harmony Ink Press
Cover Artist: Anne Cain

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Blurb

What would you do for the boy you loved? What if to save him you had to abandon him forever?

Fourteen-year-old Joshua Ishkoday faces an impossible decision as a terrifying dream sets him upon a thrilling and treacherous journey of self-exploration through the dangerous vastness of the Wisconsin northwoods. There, along with his best friends, Mokwa and Little Deer, Joshua summons the power to confront his greatest fears. To do so, all he has to do is trust in his dreams. Unfortunately, Joshua discovers that his dreams have been deceiving him thanks to the intrusion of strange creatures. For out in the middle of the forest dwell the enigmatic Memegwesi, bizarre manitous who have a special plan for Joshua. Joshua soon realizes that he has three monsters to battle: the extraordinary creatures haunting his dreams, the dangerous torrential storm brewing in the northwoods, and finally, the greatest demon of all—his homophobic mother.

 

Pages or Words: 200 pages/57,547 words
Series is best read in order.
 Categories: Fantasy, Fiction, Gay Fiction, Paranormal, Young Adult

Excerpt

A Scout is Brave – Excerpt #9 (197 Words)

            Cody realized he had made a big mistake. But somehow it just seemed easier to talk about homosexuality now that he had already spent a few hours discussing it with Joshua. Taboo subjects rarely seemed forbidden once shared. And frankly Cody didn’t think he had said anything that was out of line, but the sight of his father coming toward him with a fierce and determined expression, dramatically illustrated otherwise.

            Pastor Bob grabbed and pinched his son’s ear as he caught up with him.

            “Come with me,” he grunted, pulling his son forward.

            “Ouch,” Cody whimpered as his dad pulled him down the trail. “Dad, that hurts!” he cried out.

            “Don’t you ever embarrass me like that again in front of anyone!” Pastor Bob shouted. He didn’t let go of his son’s ear as he continued his tirade. “What’s the matter with you anyway? Do you want people to think you are some sort of queer!” Pastor Bob got a sick look on his face as he said that hated word. “Now get back to camp!” he yelled, letting go of Cody’s ear.

            Cody ran down the trail to the campsite. He cried all the way back.

Pukawiss the Outcast – Excerpt #9

 

“Okay, so I wasn’t supposed to tell you any of this,” Mokwa said. “That’s why I’ve been reluctant to talk about it.”

“What do you mean?” Joshua asked.

“Gentle Eagle asked me not to say anything. And when he asks you not to do something, you listen. He’s an elder, and he’s my friend.”

“Okay, so why doesn’t he want me to know? What are the Midewin exactly?”

“They are sort of a secret society of—” Mokwa paused for a second. “—of medicine men,” he finally said. “Their job is to preserve the old ways. They are powerful shamans.”

“Why is that a secret?” Joshua asked.

“Well, when the Christians tried to stomp out Ojibwe religion, they saw the Midewin as a threat. Many were persecuted. That sort of forced them underground, so to speak.” 

“What does any of this have to do with me?” Joshua asked. “Why did Pastor Martin want to know if I heard about them?”

“He is just paranoid,” Little Deer said. “If we are telling you about the Midewin, it means to him that we are ‘converting’ you.”

“Yeah,” said Jenny. “To Pastor Martin that’s like the dark side.”

 “But I still don’t know what my father, or my grandfather, has to do with all of this,” Joshua said, confused. “It doesn’t make sense.”

“I told you that I’d tell you about the Midewin,” Mokwa said to Joshua. “But you’ll have to get the rest from your grandfather.”

Onwaachige the Dreamer – Excerpt 9

“Pukawiss, maybe when we get to Manitou River you can take a nap or something. You probably just need to dream for the manitous to talk to you.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Joshua said, finding the suggestion agreeable. “I’ll try.” But he was increasingly convinced that this whole thing had been a bad idea. He had dragged his best friends into the Northwoods based solely on a dream. Granted, his dreams had been miraculously accurate so far, but this dream was different. He was putting his life on the line for it. Even worse, he was putting the lives of his friends on the line. It was an awesome responsibility to bear.

But next to the self-doubts and the anxiety was a powerful and exhilarating sense of liberation. Certainly being away from civilization, out in the dark forest, could be quite terrifying. They were, after all, relying solely on their own resourcefulness and what little supplies they had brought with them. But Joshua felt increasingly confident that he had learned enough to survive out here, for a few days at least. And he had his friends with him to help. Their faith in Joshua helped him to find his own confidence. Maybe his dreams really were messages from the manitous….There was something very comforting about knowing that above and beyond the trials and tribulations of life, there was in fact a larger meaning and purpose to it all. So what if he didn’t know the entire plan? That simple cry for help he heard in his dreams hinted at a much larger world than people normally perceived, one that reached out to Joshua and noticed him. It was frightening and comforting at the same time. And with those contradictory thoughts, Joshua believed everything was going to be all right. The manitous were with him, watching over him, determined to keep him and his friends safe. That, he finally understood.

A sudden burst of light filled the sky, releasing a violent rumble that shook the ground below them. It had quickly grown ominously dark, and any moment now, they would all be soaked.

“Thanks so very much, manitous! Appreciate it! Really, I do.”

 

Buy the book: Harmony Ink

 

Meet the Author:

Jay Jordan Hawke holds a bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. in history, as well as a second master’s in Outdoor Education. He loves everything sci-fi, especially Star Trek! He teaches high school history and anxiously awaits the day when he can write full time. His hobbies include camping, movies, reading, running, and writing. His first book, Pukawiss the Outcast, was a Lambda Literary Award finalist for Best Young Adult Gay Fiction. He resides in one of the Great Lakes states.

Where to find the author:

 

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Giveaway

Enter to win a Two e-books to two different winners from any of the three books in the series (Pukawiss the Outcast, A Scout is Brave, or Onwaachige the Dreamer).  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.
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