Category: Uncategorized

Barb, A Zany Old Lady Review: Rain Shadow (Bluewater Bay #10) by L.A. Witt

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Rain Shadow coverNot realizing he was gay until well into his marriage and after the birth of his two children, Jeremy Rose and his wife stayed together through multiple counseling sessions until it got to the point where Jeremy realized he was not only keeping himself from experiencing life as a gay man, he was keeping his wife from finding a love of her own.  Despite having teens who might be hurt, the two divorced, and Jeremy’s worst fears were realized—his children hated him and didn’t want him in their lives.  Not sure if he was running away or running toward a better future, he took a job as Anna Maxwell’s security guard in Bluewater Bay, Washington.

When he meets a cute older man while accompanying Anna and her lover, Leigh, to an eagle-watching expedition, he’s intrigued, but fails to get the man’s contact information.  Shocked when he later sees the man at the counseling practice Anna and Leigh attend to repair their deteriorating relationship, he decides to pursue a date, aka one-night stand, with Scott Fletcher.  Scott is also a counselor, but not the one Anna is seeing. It bothers Jeremy that Scott is a counselor because he’s never had any good experience with counseling, but it doesn’t bother him enough to keep him out of Scott’s pants and the two have their one-night stand and many more afterward.

Over time, their “fuck buddy” relationship grows and changes but neither wants to acknowledge that out loud.  They’ve gone to dinner, on picnic and weekend outings, and even to a weekend retreat at a B&B, and yet they refuse to acknowledge that they’ve become more to each other than they planned.  To add to Scott’s problems with having a relationship with Jeremy, he’s got a phobia about dating cops since his life partner, a cop, was killed twenty years before.  Between Jeremy being a “cop,” aka security guard, and Scott being a counselor, there’s not much hope of compromise for these two.

Can the two overcome these issues? Do they even want to try?  And what happens when Jeremy’s daughter backs him into a corner and blasts him with her hatred of him leaving them and living so far away? There’s quite a bit of angst involved in this story of two men who struggle with their past issues while trying to come to terms with their present attraction.

I really liked Scott who was the epitome of the older man, with salt-and-pepper hair, and a mature down-to-earth attitude.  His opinions were clearly stated, and he held his tongue when he really wanted to get in there and tell Jeremy what to do.  He was also sweetly vulnerable in his worries about something happening to Jeremy.  However, Jeremy was a different matter for me.  I liked him but I never really warmed to him as a good character.  He probably meant well but he was stubborn in his views of counselors and the benefits of counseling, and he let his kids and his ex-wife manage all their meetings and therefore all of the negative outcomes, which he then spun his wheels about over and over again.  The chemistry didn’t click for me between the two, despite how much I wanted it to.

I can’t quite put my finger on why this story fell flat for me.  It may have been that I couldn’t get into Jeremy’s character, but there was something about it that felt repetitive to others I’ve read by this author.  If you had given me an audiobook and didn’t tell me the title or the author, I would have known it was written by L.A. Witt. The style of writing, the words used, the sex scenes—I felt like I had already been there and done that.  So, overall, though I liked the story, I really can’t rate it higher than 3.5 stars.

If you like Bluewater Bay series, by all means, read this.  Otherwise, I’d only recommend it to those who like a contemporary romance between older men, one of whom spins his wheels in self-inflicted angst and makes poor choices up to the end when he finally allows the light bulb to go off so that he and his partner can work toward their HEA.   

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Cover Art by LC Chase depicts the two MCs: one a shorter man with salt & pepper hair and wearing a suit, the other a muscular man complete with T-shirt, jeans, leather jacket and shades over his eyes.  It’s an attractive cover and represents the MCs very well.

Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing | ARe | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 192 pages
Published October 19th 2015 by Riptide Publishing
ISBN 1626493669 (ISBN13: 9781626493667)
edition languageEnglish
seriesBluewater Bay #10

Bluewater Bay series goodreads page

Dive Back Into the Supernatural with Melissa Grave’s Tainted Heart (author interview, excerpt and giveaway)

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Tainted Heart (Mi Corazón Sangrante #2) by Melissa Graves
Release Date: November 5, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Interlude Press
Cover Artist: RJ Shepherd, Buckeyegrrl Designs

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Melissa Graves author of Tainted Heart.  Hi Melissa, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

Tainted Heart is an urban paranormal story with themes of political intrigue and a heavy dose of erotica. The two main characters—a gay couple comprised of a human doctor who treats vampires and ends up falling for one, and the vampire he loves, a young, socially outcast man who was put through hell in high school—bring a variety of human and vampire experiences to the page. Brian, the doctor, comes from privilege and wants to make the world a better place, for vampires and humans alike. Kyle, the vampire, struggles to move on from his past and find a way to grow and give back on his own terms—unlike Brian, his love for the world he lives in is still somewhat conditional.
• How difficult was it to get into the main character’s head?

It’s actually surprisingly easy. I have a little of both Brian and Kyle in me. I love Brian’s optimism and determination to affect positive change. His energy and the faith that it creates is inspiring. But sadly, most of the time, I’m Kyle—trying to shake off the chains of persistent, youthful pessimism, far too wrapped up in memories and doubt to see the world as a work in progress instead of a system of oppressive stumbling blocks. One does much to balance out the other. In the first book, we get more of the shiny, new relationship trappings, so the differences between them aren’t highlighted. In Tainted Heart, we get to see them struggle as a couple for the first time—so readers will get some realism to contrast the first time romance theme in Bleeding Heart.
• Is this book a standalone or do you plan on visiting it again?

Tainted Heart is the second book in the Mi Corazon Sangrante trilogy. Bleeding Heart, the first book, was an introduction. Tainted Heart is the meat of the story of Brian and Kyle, how they struggle and settle with themselves, their responsibilities, and others. The third and final book will hopefully leave readers with a solid sense of completion and a good idea of how the rest of the characters’ lives will play out. I definitely want to provide satisfactory closure—I hate when book series go on and on with little to no clear purpose and leave the reader wondering why this thing is still happening.
• Why did you choose to write M/M stories?

It wasn’t so much a choice as a quest. I grew up obsessed with romance novels with neat plots and heart-pounding tension that led to explicit erotica. There was little chance of finding that in combination with sci-fi/fantasy/paranormal themes, but I looked! Through Anne Rice and Buffy, I sweated and swooned, but never found quite what I was looking for—a story about two imperfect men falling for each other and trying to figure themselves out while balancing the pressures of responsibility and settling down. A story not centered entirely around coming out or homophobia—those stories are vital, but not what I wanted to find when I went looking for fictional escape—but rather the struggle that results when two people from very different backgrounds try to create a life together.
• Where do you find your inspiration?

Anne Rice’s work has always been hugely influential for me. Her prose, humor, and the way she embraces every facet of human (and vampire!) nature is incredibly satisfying for me. There is a brutal honesty as well as an almost melancholy acceptance of life in her work that I find very truthful. Shows like Buffy and Angel played a role in the development of my style, as well as the Sookie Stackhouse books, which have a deliciously out there humor and a camp that’s refreshingly modern. L.J. Smith churned out some excellent young adult paranormal series that combine the supernatural with growing up experiences (romantic and otherwise) that I found very enjoyable. Anything that combines sarcasm, sex, and a hint of gloom is right up my alley.

For the Mi Corazon Sangrante series, I aimed for a variety of these elements. I wanted the characters to be relatable but not necessarily stereotypical. I wanted there to be humor even in darker moments. I wanted people to root for them, but not because they were perfect. I wanted them to be the kind of guys you might imagine having for neighbors. I wanted their story—and especially their love life—to turn people on. I hope everyone comes to love them the way I have!

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Blurb

A year after meeting and falling for the young, mysterious vampire, Dr. Brian Preston is now living and working side-by-side with Kyle Hayes for the agency guiding vampire-human relations at a secret underground facility. As the couple adapts to the demands of Brian’s career tending to vampires, Kyle’s return to school and the needs of their evolving relationship, a dangerous conspiracy puts everyone they know and everything they have been working for in danger. The sequel to 2014’s Bleeding Heart, Tainted Heart is Book Two in the Mi Corazón Sangrante series.

 

Excerpt

When it gets dark, he texts Brian that he’s going to be out late, and avails himself of not one but three vampire-human nightclubs set along a dense strip of Chicago nightlife. Going alone to places like this always attracts immediate attention, and he isn’t surprised when he has to pry both humans and vampires off of himself. But he doesn’t mind—the blood from the center is humming in his veins, and that buzz takes on a new dimension every time that he swallows a thimbleful of blood from a donor, which he does at least a dozen times over the course of the evening. When he’s more relaxed, he allows bodies against his own, dancing with strangers until strobe lights become normal and everything outside is too dim and still.

The blood changes the world around him. Every color, every sound and every source of light takes on a life of its own.

He loses track of how many donors he pays. All he knows is he’s spent all of the pocket money that Brian gave him for the weekend.

He feels like a bloated tick. He’s been away too long. Brian. He has to get back to Brian.

Pages or Words: 294 pages
 Categories: Erotica, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Thriller, Urban Fantasy

Buy the book:

store.interludepress.com;

Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=InterludePress;

Indiebound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/978-1-941530-52-8?aff=InterludePress

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Meet the author:

A veteran writer of fan fiction with thousands of followers, Melissa Graves wrote her first story at age thirteen, and by age sixteen had met her future husband in an online vampire fiction chat room. A fan of science fiction and fantasy, she has a degree in anthropology and a passion for good chocolate, amateur erotica and fan worlds that celebrate diversity. She is mother to two cats.

Bleeding Heart, book one of the Mi Corazón Sangrante series, was her debut novel for Interlude Press.

Where to find the author:

Connect with Melissa at msmelissagraves.com, on Twitter at twitter.com/msmelissagraves, on Goodreads at goodreads.com/melissagraves and on Facebook at facebook.com/msmelissagraves.

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Tour Dates & Stops:

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $25 Grand Prize plus five multi-format eBook editions of Tainted Heart. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.  Must be 18 or older to enter. 

 

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Contemporary Book Spotlight: Flesh Market by Kate Lowell (Author Guest blog, excerpt, giveaway)

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Flesh Market by Kate Lowell
 Release Date: November 10, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Loose ID
Cover Artist: April Martinez

Hi, I’m Kate Lowell! Thanks for joining me on the Flesh Market tour, or what I’ve come to call “The blog tour that will forever make you question your view of the world around you”. I know it did that for me. Tons of research that went into this book. So many books, so many articles, and over the course of the tour, I’m going to share some of that research, and some of my sources with you. (Please be gentle—it was extremely difficult to condense all that info down to a reasonable sized blog post for each topic. I could have gone on ad nauseum—and honestly, some of the reading was nauseating.) One lucky winner will get to choose any one book from the ones I’ve highlighted through the tour, and I’ll send it to them. (Caveat: I won’t necessarily send the cheapest version of a book, but I do need to keep my pocketbook in mind. And some books may only be available used, or in electronic format. We’ll talk when you win.  )

Post 4 – Starting Your Career as an FBI agent
Once an agent graduated through the grueling 5 month training at Quantico, they are assigned to their first field office. Early in their training, new agents are asked to rank the 56 FBI field offices in order of preference. Agents find out which office they’ll be going to in their 6th week of training, to give them time to make arrangements for housing, and to allow any family that will be accompanying them to make arrangements for jobs, schools, etc. On average, a student ends up in their 5th preference—which isn’t to say you should put your favorite in slot 5; the 5th is just an average, and some get their first, and some get their 10th, or 20th, or 50th.
It used to be that agents would spend the first three years of their career in one field office, then be transferred to another. In 2004, a regulation was enacted that required new agents to go to a smaller field office for their first placement, before they could move to a large office. This was in the interest of creating a well rounded agent with investigative skills in a number of areas, who could then specialize after transfer to a larger center. (Also, the new agents complained a lot about the cost of living in some of these big cities on new agent’s wages. 🙂 )In recent years, this policy has changed, as the cost of financing these required transfers became too high. Now, it’s entirely possible for an agent to stay in one field office for their entire career, though many don’t. In a larger field office, they may specialize in criminal investigations, counterterrorism, cyber investigations or international work, among other options. After three years in an investigative position, they may apply for the Hostage Rescue Team, or may set their sights on advancement and promotion within the Bureau.
Agents may also spend time out of country, in various consulate positions, though they generally need to have some experience as an FBI agent, and an appropriate background for the posting, before they would be.
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Blurb

Special 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.

 

 

Excerpt

Inside the bathroom, DeGraff peered behind the door and moved an OUT OF SERVICE FOR CLEANING sign from the back to the front.

Julian was at the sink at the far end of the room, staring into the mirror with water dripping off his face. DeGraff stepped into one of the stalls, and Leo went to wash his hands at one of the other sinks. Julian glanced up at him, then tore off some paper towel and wiped his face dry. He tossed the towel in the overflowing garbage can and slunk past Leo with all the angsty self-consciousness of a hormonal teenager.

Leo wished he had time to appreciate the performance, but he had a job to do. As Julian passed him, Leo spun and grabbed him from behind, pinning Julian’s arms to his side and covering his mouth. Julian made a startled noise, muffled by Leo’s hand, and began to thrash. He kicked Leo painfully in the shin, but by then DeGraff was out of the stall and had jabbed his syringe into Julian’s shoulder. Leo fought the young man down to the floor while DeGraff stood watch by the bathroom door. Five tense minutes later, Julian was completely spaced out, limp as a rag in Leo’s arms.

Pages or Words: 75,000 words (pre-edits).
 Categories: Contemporary, Crime Fiction, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance, Thriller

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Buy the book: Loose id

 

 

 

Meet the author:

Kate lives on the east coast of Canada, in an old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. She has one horse now, who still has medical issues, and three cats, all of which still have mental issues. She still refuses to get a dog, because who knows what would be wrong with it?

Kate loves to read and write. She also likes playing with computers and is going back to school to do a programming degree, just for giggles. Or the opportunity to take over the world. (Oh, who are we kidding? Think of all the work that would mean.) She also likes pictures of pretty men and keeps many of them on her computer. (The pictures, not the men.) She would dearly love a cabana boy to mow her lawn and maybe rub her shoulders after a long day of making men fall in love with each other, then cackling evilly and raining frustration and danger on them.

Where to find the author:

 


BannerTemplate Tour Dates & Stops:

3-Nov: Jessie G. Books, KathyMac Reviews

4-Nov: BFD Book Blog,

5-Nov: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, MM Good Book Reviews

6-Nov: The Blogger Girls, Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance

9-Nov: Cheekypee Reads and Reviews

11-Nov: Divine Magazine, Hearts on Fire, QUEERcentric Books

12-Nov: Kimi-Chan, Love Bytes, Havan Fellows

13-Nov: Happily Ever Chapter, Bayou Book Junkie

16-Nov: Inked Rainbow Reads

17-Nov: Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, My Fiction Nook

 

FinalGiveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-book copy of one of the recommended reads Kate used in her research for Flesh Market.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

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A Wynter Review: Secret Funding (Secret Agreements, #1) by S.M. May

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

Secret Funding coverYoung, handsome, sometimes cruel. Noah Kress is a hardened broker, skilled enough to bring success to his company and determined to face the ever-growing challenges of the venture capital market. In his private life he is Master Noah, a very popular dominator at the Circle, one of the most exclusive private clubs in Boston. For him, at work as well as in the dungeon, people and events are just variables to be interpreted, numbers to be broken down, combinations to consider and evaluate.

But when the latest, most difficult deal threatens to make his company sink without trace, his only chance seems to be the large investment fund managed by the mysterious Martin Scheer. And in order to provide credit, Martin demands a very special guarantee.

For both of them it’s just business. Yet, what was supposed to be a mere contract might just shatter the perfect surface of their lives.

And will talented player Noah be willing to gamble following brand new rules?

I find novels that try to reach for depth inspiring, and this novel certainly gave it to me. While I didn’t feel that it made it completely to where I believe it was trying for, I would say the success rate was 85%. That’s not to say that it failed. On the contrary, I believe it sets up the stage for a second book very well.

This novel is originally written in Italian. The version I read is in English. “Lost in translation” and all that aside, I felt that it took a long time for me to accept Noah Kreuss. A character in his late thirties who describes himself as having started out in life old and stern, his maturity level wasn’t a day past a college Freshman. Arrogant and egotistical, Noah truly believed he had a lot more to offer than he did. Believing that people and life couldn’t possibly teach him anything else, anything that went wrong was the fault of others lying or his personal rules weren’t being obeyed and followed to the letter.

Naturally, a character like that just draws others in who can teach him a thing or two about his flawed philosophy.

I like that May’s characters are real – each have his flaws and a backstory that can be very interesting, like Martin Scheer and Red Ludwig. I love Ludwig and all that he represented – the strong voice for all the right things about BDSM. I appreciated how Martin Scheer’s experiences helped shaped the man that he is – not perfect, but he learned from a lot of his mistakes when he was younger. I also love that May showed her readers just how badly things can go when people step outside the zone of rules.

However, the contract and all that it entails breached my comfort zone on multiple counts and drew a lot of emotions from the depths – some good, some not so good. Numerous “What’re you doing Martin?” questions later, I find myself thinking Martin and Ludwig had all the right reasons in the world but the methods, methodical as they were, ignored some what seemed like “hard limits” for Noah. While we undoubtedly learn something about ourselves, as Noah obviously did about himself, when one steps outside the rules that kept all the players safe, blurring the lines between bdsm and a business’s future did make me feel uncomfortable through some of the portions.

I’m unsure about how I feel towards the business lingo in the novel. On one hand, it felt a bit too much. On the other, I think removing it from the story would detract from the novel a great deal. It provided valuable insight to the world that these men tread, but it also feels like business made these men a lot colder and crueler.

Therefore, as a precaution to potential readers who are uncomfortable with the Master-Slave relationships or the lack of safe words in this novel, it is advisable to tread with caution.

Despite my reservations, I enjoyed the story. I think the greatest potential in any story-telling is giving the readers the space and direction of seeing it grow and something new to look forward to. This is intended to be a series, so I believe it’s a great start for the players. I do look forward to Book 2 and would be happy to read it following this one. While Noah may not be a character I cheered for, Martin and Parker were.

Corenlia Grey, the translator of this novel, did a great job targeting the English speaking audience. So, I encourage you to pick up the novel and give it a chance.

Thank you for reading. Have a wonderful day among the falling leaves!

Cover design done by Liliana Marchesi; Images copyrighted by “captblack76” and “Dreaming Andy.” I think the cover looks pretty. I like that it’s plain and simple enough for me to want to pick up the book to find out what it’s about instead of turning me away due to the cover being too busy.

It may be more captivating towards people like me who enjoy having our own imaginations be the judge. For others who prefer the art on the cover to catch their attention, it may not be inspiring enough.

However, whatever the cover doesn’t make up for, the title certainly does.

Sales Links:  Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

  • Author: S. M. May
  • Length: Kindle Book, 170 pages.
  • Language: English (Translated. Original in Italian)
  • Series: Secret Agreements, #1
  • Published: English edition October 15, 2015
  • A SIN: B016C6D90I

Special Guest Blog: Viki Lyn’s ‘Perceived Love (character interview, excerpt and giveaway)

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Perceived Love by Viki Lyn
 Release Date: October 27, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Loose ID
Cover Artist: April Martinez

Ever wanted to ask questions of a character in a story?  We got the chance . Dr. Will Ryner from Viki Lyn’s Perceived Love is in the interview chair today.  Here is the interview.

Dr. Will Ryner’s Interview from Perceived Love by Viki Lyn:

Q. What is your biggest fear? I thought my biggest fear was not living up to my parent’s dream that I would make something of myself. I strive to be the best in my profession. But I learned that my biggest fear is losing Nate again. Now that I have him back in my life I never want him to leave again.

Q. What is your most prized possession? My, no, our home. I bought a floating house in Sausalito. It’s a converted ferry and still has the original wooden paddle wheel. Owning one of these gloried houseboats had been a dream of ours when we were first together. I’m so happy that Nate and I can share this dream.

Q. What do you enjoy doing on your day off? Spending time with Nate. Our work schedules are hectic and we rarely have quality time together during the week. So the weekends are important to us. We like to go kayaking on the bay, wine tasting, and take walks along the Presidio. There’s always something to do in the city.

Q Where do you hope to be in five years? Married. I also would like to have children, but I haven’t discussed this with Nate yet. I think he’s of the same mind as me. At least I hope so. I already have the rings hidden in the back of the dresser drawer. I’m waiting for the right moment to pop the question.

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Blurb

When psychic Nate Coleman dreams of a murder, he knows it’s a premonition. He can’t forget the image of his ex-lover with a bullet hole through his chest. Nate has no choice but to confront Will and face the skeptical scientist’s ridicule.

Dr. William Ryner doesn’t believe in what he can’t prove. When Nate comes back into his life, it’s not to rekindle their love, but to bring up more of that mumbo jumbo that split them apart.

Despite Will’s refusal to listen, Nate can’t ignore the premonition. And, Will can’t ignore Nate. Before the gunman strikes, Will must either trust in Nate’s ability or rely only on the facts, but if he does the latter, pride could be the death of him.

NOTE: This story is a do-over, and has almost tripled in size! This book was previously published but has been revised and edited in this edition.

 

 

Excerpt

Nate woke with a start, his heart pounding. He reached for the water glass on the nightstand and almost dropped it. Rarely did he dream of death, but when he did, he took notice. That it was Will he’d seen in his nightmare made it more complicated.

No matter. Nate had a responsibility to explore the possibility that this was a precognitive dream. Beyond that, he didn’t want to think about the consequences of taking action.

Nate grabbed his sketchbook from his nightstand. He picked up a charcoal pencil and sketched the dream images before they vanished from his mind—the gunman had worn an orange baseball cap and dark hoodie. Nate recognized the oval-shaped plaza with its pruned elm trees and classical bandstand. Will and Nate used to jog the trails throughout Golden Gate Park, and Spreckels Temple of Music had been one of their favorite places to see a concert.

There would be no reason for Will to be on a stage, especially a bandstand in San Francisco. He had moved after their breakup and now lived in London. Yet Nate couldn’t shake off the sense of dread. Maybe he had substituted Spreckels for a place in London? Sometimes his dreams were hard to interpret. Images were often metaphors.

But this nightmare… Shit. The man with the gun could be a metaphor for himself. He did own an orange baseball cap stuffed away in the back of his closet.

Pages or Words: 28,000 words
 Categories: Gay fiction, Fiction, M/M Romance

Buy the book: Loose id

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Meet the Author

Rainbow Award winner, Viki Lyn is a successful writer of sexy romance, both gay and straight. She likes a challenge and at times breaks the rules of her genre. But always, it’s the romance that drives her stories to their happily-ever-after. You can also find her at Viki Vina Romance – the site of her books co-authored with Vina Grey. Check out their popular Orbus Arcana m/m vampire series!

 

 

Where to find the author:

 

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Tour Dates & Stops:

2-Nov: Jessie G. Books, Havan Fellows

3-Nov: Love Bytes, BFD Book Blog, Parker Williams

4-Nov: Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

5-Nov: Lee Brazil, MM Good Book Reviews

6-Nov: Bayou Book Junkie, Mikky’s World of Books

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $10 Loose ID Gift Card.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

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ISO A New M/M Contemporary Love Story? Check out Tempted in Texas by Sara York (excerpt and giveaway)

 

Title: Tempted in Texas
Author: Sara York
Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance
Release Date: October 31, 2015
Rusty Briggs knows his chance of finding a man while living outside of Sweetwater, Texas are slim to none. Few know about his little secret, but his ranch hands have run out on him and the folks in town aren’t as hospitable as they were before the incident. He’s resigned himself to the fact that working his ranch will have to be enough or he will need to sell and move to the big city…that is until he meets Trent Anderson. 

 

On the outside Trent appears to be a man with full access to silver spoons and caviar dreams, but his parents cut him off and tossed him out once they discovered he was gay. After living on the street, selling himself, then ending up in a destructive relationship, Trent pulled his life together and came out on top, all by using his compassion and intelligence—or so Trent thinks. Recently, Trent’s grandfather passed away and left him his ranch, as long as he meets a few conditions, like living in Texas for ninety days. But Trent’s secret benefactor, Reed, is dissatisfied that Trent isn’t living in Atlanta and wants him back. The only issue for Reed is that Trent is involved with Rusty.
Money, greed, lust, and power work to keep Rusty and Trent apart. They are forced to trust each other when life falls apart, but can they actually become close enough in ninety days to create a solid, trusting relationship, or will old relationships come between them?

Writing is Sara’s life. The stories fight to get out, often leaving her working on four or five books at once. She can’t help but write. Along with her writing addiction she has a coffee addiction. Some nights, the only reason she stops writing and goes to sleep is for the fresh brewed coffee in the morning.
Sara enjoys writing twisted tales of passion, anger, and love with a good healthy dose of lust thrown in for fun. Almost a quarter of a century ago Sara met her lover, falling for him after knowing him for ten minutes. Sara’s passion for him comes out in her stories, mixing with her passion for life, love, and good times, flowing onto the page and becoming tales from the heart.

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Open Call For Writers for A Free New Anthology From Love Lane Books

Hi Everyone. We all love to read but perhaps some of you love to write as well.  Would you like to have a story of yours published?  Please check out this notice from RJ Scott that she asked us to pass on from her and Love Lane Books.

http://lovelanebooks.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/open-call-for-free-anthology-malemale.html

Ever so often I want to give a chance to new authors, and those with maybe only two books or so, to get a short story out in a free anthology. Love Lane did this with a Christmas Anthology nearly 2 years ago, and it was lovely to see loads of new authors write for the first time. It’s also a good way to have newbies finding out more about the publishing process. I know of three of those authors who went on to have novels published which was awesome to see.

LLB doesn’t make money – this is all done for free… we run it as a project, matching volunteer editors to writers, we also do the cover art.

Open Call for free anthology – Male/Male romance Valentines

9/16/2015 02:42:00 p.m. 0 ,
Our Christmas 2013 Antho

When I went to UK Meet last weekend I spoke to one of the authors who took part in the antho of short stories that Love Lane created Christmas 2013. The author is now writing for a publisher and said he’d felt so proud when a publisher included his story in the anthology. He’s now a published author and I couldn’t be prouder.

I also talked in the fan fiction discussion to two aspiring authors. We decided that sometimes to get over nerves it’s all about learning how to create, polish, submit, and publish.

At LLB we’re all about sharing the love, and as such I think I’d like to do another project like this to give authors the chance to create a short story to be included in a new authors male/male romance anthology out Valentines Day, 2016.

These are the details:

The finished anthology will be available FREE to everyone and released on All E-Romance on or around Valentines Day 2016. Love Lane will provide a cover. Editing is the responsibility of the author. There is no financial payment for any of this work.

This call is open to any new and aspiring author. Also to any author with, up to and including, two published stories.

The closing date for fully completed and edited submissions is 31 December 2015.

The story should be a short story – 3,000 to 6,000 words based around Valentines Day.

Sign up for more information which will be sent out when we have your email from the form.

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A Mika Review: Twinks in Bearland by Kendall Morgan

Rating: 1.5 out of 5 stars

The friends of pretty blue-eyed Dustin Garber are about to find out that he has a secret. He loves bears, big hairy gay men. None of them know it, but he’s just booked them all into the annual Gay Bear Ski week.

Twinks in BearlandCraig, beautiful, black and Jewish, is initially indifferent to the fact that he is spending a week with big hairy men. He already has a hook up planned of his own, although that man turns out to have a bizarre secret.

Patrick and Ethan, two bear-hating twinks who have been secretly in love with each other for years, take much longer to come around to the idea that bears can be good guys too. Dustin isn’t so sure his friendship with them will survive the trip.

And then Dustin meets Nate, a big blond bear who is forever single but ready for something a little different. Nate’s friends, Casey and Ryland, are fighting about Ryland’s porn career. Nate’s friend Gil is busy with a Canadian couple, but together Dustin and Nate get lost on a backcountry trail. Deep in the snow away from everyone they may just find the love they’ve been seeking and the understanding they didn’t know they needed.

Twinks in Bearland is the first book in the Bearland Tales series, but each book can stand alone. This gay contemporary love story includes graphic sex and is intended for adults only.

 I will admit the title of the book was the biggest reason why I wanted to read it. This was a new to me author. I liked the premise of the blurb, but the execution did not hold up well for me. It started off funny, and I learned some new terms with dealing with hairy guys. Another element I liked was the idea of a week filled up with Bears. The story was told from multiple character point of views. I found the sex ran similar  one to another. It wasn’t a distinction between characters for me. The twinks were alike, as well as each of the bears that had a point of view in the story. I didn’t connect with any of the characters. It was very one-noted plot wise.

I appreciated the diversity that the author was able to give to the readers but even that couldn’t peak my interest. I found myself wanting to finish the story immediately. Sorry just too one note for me.

 Cover Art by:  3 Rusted Spoons. I really like the skis, the mountain and the bear paw print. It sold the story based on the resort. As for the models, I can’t put their faces with anyone in the story.

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

Book Details:

ebook
Read an excerpt here at the Twinks at Bearland Goodreads link
Published November 1st 2015 by Smashwords Edition
ISBN139781310919053

A MelanieM Review: Corin’s Chance (Avanti Chronicles #1) by Hannah Walker

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Corin's Chance coverPosted to some stars awful cruiser, Dr. Corin Talovich hoped to serve his time quietly and get on with his life, but fate stepped in and decided otherwise.

Crashing into an unknown planet was the last thing Corin expected. With only his friend, Lieutenant Commander Tate Riven, by his side, they face the unexplored world and new enemies bravely, leading them to the Derin Clan, where they’re welcomed by the leader’s son.

Kel isn’t sure about the strange men, but he isn’t about to send them away, especially when the bond between Corin and himself is something he can’t ignore.

When another clan wages an attack, Kel is forced to make some hard choices which nearly costs him everything he holds dear. Together, with their allies, Corin and Kel fight, focusing on the future they desire, knowing failure not only dooms their love, but also those around them. Side by side, they work to destroy the evil threatening to keep them apart and becoming the family both men desire.

I have to admit that when I was finally finished all 424 pages of Corin’s Chance (Avanti Chronicles #1) by Hannah Walker I was still wavering between 2 and 3 stars, depending upon what I was remembering about the story and how I felt about it.   There are so many things to consider when writing a review about this novel, not the least of which is the ambitious plot and intentions of the author, who intends to carry on into another story and a series.

I have finally decided that, no matter its many (many, many) faults, I am rather fond of this story. For me it falls along the lines of a space bodice ripper, complete with purple prose, main characters who are at turn weepy, furious, torn, overprotective and yes, pregnant (still male), all while being warriors from space.  You just got to roll with it, even while rolling your eyes.

Honestly, I think Hannah Walker is got a really good story here but everything around it needs work.  The Avanti which are these mega space warriors  from many galactic races.. a small group of them is aboard a space cruiser which is attacked.  They all end up in separate space pods that crash land on a planet that seems to be inhabited by The Society for Creative Anachronism.   Everyone on the planet is all big on kilt-like garb, swords (she uses the word claymore,  a specific Scottish weapon), knives, and ride animals that seem to be a lion/zebra hybrid.  Compelling true but these same clans also have in-depth knowledge of The Alliance, space and galactic technology!  So…a whole planet of Luddites?  Its never quite explained.  From the planet, the various cultures and social structures to the galactic Alliance that everyone is fed up about, Walker has failed to lay out a firm foundation for her story, an essential element considering everything she is trying to accomplish here.   Which is tell the story of every member of the Avanti crew that lands on this planet.  A book a crew member.  If each character gets 400 plus pages each, this will be a magnus opus indeed.

Second thing that will stick out immediately is the language or more importantly, several things about the language of the story.  Walker has her character using modern sayings in their dialog with no attempt to show any evolution through centuries of use.  Yes, its been centuries.  One character uses the phrase “When you assume you make an ASS out of ME and YOU!” Really? One of the most feared space  warriors says that to another? Its Baby this and Babe that as they twinkle at each other.  Another notices and drools over a man’s “chiseled face”, then blushes?  He actually says the words “chiseled face” out loud.  Here people are “over the moon” about each other among other cornball descriptions.  These characters never talk as though they have been in battle, although they do sound as though they have been reading romance novels all their lives and that is the only way in which they can communicate.  After a time I got so used to it that it became quite fun.  But I was really missing just one person who acted and sounded like a real soldier and an adult.

There is an evil doer, you will know him because all he does is screech and foam and spittle at the mouth. Yes, those are his only descriptions.  You will know him by his foam.

There is an mpreg element which I found interesting but the author lost several points there as well when she lost track of what one of the most experienced and renowned of all Alliance doctor’s would have knowledge of.  Either have a storyboard, notes or a editor should have stepped in here to point that out and make a change.  Actually a editor should have stepped in quite a few times to cut away extraneous plot minutiae, details, and  whole pages of just stuff that didn’t matter.   And then started in on the dialog.

The characters.  I think that’s where Walker’s story holds its own.  People will like these characters, they are interesting and endearing in a goofy sort of way.  I truly mean that or I wouldn’t have  continued all the way through 424 pages.  We don’t know all their histories and now that they are all back together on the planet, we will want to know what happens to them.  Corin got his mate.  Tate is set up for the next story. Commander Dax, Hunter, Bell, and Bray have some clues laid out here as to how their stories might go.  The next title?  Tate’s Torment.  Doesn’t that just cry out for a return of the greatest of all of the bodice ripper models…Fabio in space?  Since I love Fabio that was not meant to be sarcastic or mean spirited.

What I would love to see happen is for the narrative to tighten up, the purple prose to become less so, for Hannah Walker to decide if her people use technology or not and in a logical manner. And really give some thought about how speech patterns, culture, things would exist thousands of years in the future.  Take whats present now and evolve them. The weird combination here makes little sense, culturally speaking.  In short, a strong editor is needed to see this series forward.  The bones are good.  So are some of the secondary work.  And really perhaps a teensy bit less weeping. Just a bit.

I know some of you are shaking your heads that I gave this 3 stars.  At  times I find it hard to believe as well.  That dialog is a hard thing to overlook as are the characterizations.  These men just don’t read as fierce battle hardened warriors, especially of Galactic renown.   But Hannah Walker has a huge tale to tell.  A band of brothers crash land on foreign soil and decide to make it their home.  Each gets a story as they find love and make a family.  Its that basic.  She has the right elements and sometimes it all comes together and it creeps right into your heart unexpectedly.  It happened enough here to warrant 3 stars.  And it will make me pick up Tate’s Torment.  Ah, me. The Avanti Chronicles will continue.

Sales Links:  ARe | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 424 pages
Published September 20th 2015 by Hannah Walker
ASINB015N8PX0U
edition language English
series Avanti Chronicles #1