Category: Uncategorized

A BJ Review: Winter (The Haunted Heart #1) by Josh Lanyon

Rating:  5 stars out of 5

Winter the Haunted Heart coverStill grieving the sudden death of his lover, antiques dealer Flynn Ambrose moves to his uncle’s old, ramshackle house on Pitch Pine Lane to catalog and sell the large inventory of arcane and oddball items that once filled his late uncle’s mysterious museum.

Flynn suffered a serious breakdown and attempted to kill himself after his lover’s unexpected death, and he’s still very depressed despite the counseling and help from his parents. He needs space and makes a deal with his parents (which I won’t share details of as too much of a spoiler) that allows him to travels to the rather secluded property to perform the inventory. Unexpectedly, he finds himself seeing a ghost in an old mirror. The only one Flynn has to turn to is Kirk, the thirteen year older, slightly grouchy but handsome playwright renting the downstairs of his house. When Kirk is also witness to the apparition, he can’t write Flynn’s problem off as easily as he had wanted to. When the ghost seems able to exit the mirror, the guys find themselves trying figure out what to do about the mirror before the ghost does them in. But getting rid of the thing isn’t as easy as it seems.

This book is bit of a step back to the scary stories of old… and it is scary folks. But then, I knew Lanyon could do horror after reading In a Dark Woods came out of nowhere and scared the heck out of me. This one is not of the gory variety where stuff is thrown in just for the ick factor either. This is tried and true, get inside your head and freak you out kind of scary. It will make you want to read with the lights on, it will make you think, and it might also make you cry.

This story has several elements I loved. First, as you’d expect from Lanyon, there’s a well-done and very interesting mystery that takes us on a compelling journey into the prejudices of the past. But it’s also the tender and heartbreaking story of a young man trying to deal with suddenly losing the man he grew up with and had thought he’d spend his entire life with to such a incredibly freak accident at entirely too young an age. Flynn’s situation is so heartrending. He’s in no way over what happened, and yet we see glimpses of his underlying strength in the way he handles the events and the manor. Then there’s Kirk, a Ranger in Afghanistan who appears to be suffering from PTSD, although we didn’t get much depth to his backstory just yet. I am so eager to learn more about both these men and follow along their journey, hopefully to each other.

Winter is an excellent mystery with wonderful character building and just a touch of heat, but if you want insta-love and lots of hot sex, this one doesn’t quite fill that bill. What we have here is more of a romance in bloom, and I found that both refreshing and perfect for book one of a series. Wait, maybe it is insta-love in a way, because it certainly did make me fall in love with both Kirk and Flynn.

I enjoyed the way the mystery plays out ties and the tantalizing little clue tidbit at the end rounds it out perfectly. Overall this is an excellent ghost story to read this October.

Cover art. Just look at that lovely, eerie, moody cover! It’s beautiful. Highly recommended read.

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


Book Details:  

ebook, 147 pages
Published August 26th 2013 by Josh Lanyon (first published January 1st 2013)
ISBN13 9781937909482
edition language English
series The Haunted Heart #1

A MelanieM Review: Where the Grass is Greener (Seeds of Tyrone #2) by Debbie McGowan and Raine O’Tierney

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

DMRO_WTGIG_533x800Mistakes were made, that’s for sure. But was it the night of passion? Or walking away afterward? That’s the question Seamus Williams must face when he gets a late-night phone call from someone he never expects to hear from again.

“I miss you, Shay.”

Chancey Bo Clearwater is a cowboy through and through. He spends his days finding work on whatever ranch will take him and his nights at the pool hall. He’s always done what needed doing and never thought much about what he wanted. ’Til that drunken night with Seamus.

A world of problems now stand between Seamus and Chancey exploring what might have been, the least of which being the Atlantic Ocean. On one side, there’s Chancey’s daughter who mood swings from angel to demon in two seconds flat; on the other, there’s the new lodger, hogging Shay’s telly and his cornflakes, and making private Skype time hard to come by.

Is this relationship doomed before it ever begins? Or can a surprise announcement from Seamus’s brother be enough to help the two find their second chance?

Several things drew me to Where the Grass is Greener.  I was familiar with Raine O’Tierney, one of the authors and loved her writing.  It involves lovers divided, a favorite trope of mine, and one of the settings is Ireland.  Be still my heart!  Where the Grass is Greener pretty much fulfilled my expectations for the story, the romance and exceeded it for the characters. Oh those wonderful characters.

Where the Grass is Greener by Debbie McGowan and Raine O’Tierney is the sequel to Leaving Flowers, a story I haven’t read and didn’t need to.  This novel really does work as a standalone.  Having said that I will go back and read the first story.  I am curious to see what parts it fills in here.  At the start of the story, the story’s initial framework leaves a new reader open to so many questions.  All of which could be made more substantial by laying in a little more history.  Chancey Bo Clearwater is a divorced father of one, a ranch hand by job description, doing what he has to keep himself and his thirteen year old daughter afloat. Irishman Seamus Williams,temporarily in the States, was another ranch hand on the same ranch.  They dance around each other during the duration of Seamus’ stay, each being in the closet, have a night of passion, and then Seamus returns home to Ireland full of  regrets, leaving Chancey behind full of the same.

This section of the story feels fleeting and their relationship up to then hard to get a handle on.  Then that phone call comes.

“I miss you, Shay.”

The men slowly reconnect through a serious of shaky phone calls and Skype sessions, sometimes hilarious, full of misunderstandings, bad signals, raw emotions, and frustrations.  Especially of the distance they have put between themselves.

The authors give us duel points of view, necessary when you have men on two continents.  Chancey dealing with his country singer ex wife and his thirteen year old daughter along with his love for Shay in Ireland.  And Shay in his small village in Ireland, in his falling down cottage, trying to figure out his life and where he belongs, now that Chancey has come back into his life, at  least in a long distance way.  Shay’s village life is vibrant, alive in the way that small town “in every body’s business” life can be.  Especially if you grew up there and are now trying to reintegrate yourself back into village life and still be gay.

The picture we get of Chancey’s life is more focused, down to his family unit of father and  daughter and their troubled dynamics.  His self centered wife sees only herself and her career, the daughter is at stressful age, poised between child and grownup, with emotions going haywire.  Chancey becomes someone we can understand, even connect with because he’s trying so hard to protect his daughter, be the “good dad”, even if it means giving up on love, remaining stuck and alone.

McGowen and O’Tierney build a strong relationship between Chancey and Shay based on conversation and yes, Skype sex.  The authors string threads of connections throughout the story from reader to the men’s growing relationship, to Michael, the young Irishmen thrown out by his family when he comes out as gay, to Chance’s daughter, Dee, so fierce and amazing to other secondary characters so strong and supportive you can’t help but wish for more of them as well.

Where the Grass is Greener is a novel that gets gains in depth and heart the longer it goes on.  The narrative moved back and forth from the States to Ireland, gathered up more characters, picked up steam and got better as it headed towards the end until I just wanted to say, no, you can’t end it here!  I  had fallen completely under everyone’s spell and now I wanted to know how it all turned out.   I want more.  I want book three.

McGowen and O’Tierney have really hit on something here.  They have a cast that has so much heart and staying power, and the ability to bring in others around them that can realistically move out into their own stories. So that I hope that more novels will follow, specifically Michael’s.

Now I plan to head back and pick up Leaving Flowers and see where it all started.  I will let you know what I find.  Until then, do what I did, and grab up Where the Grass is Greener.  Get to know Chancey and Seamus and Dee.    Its a wonderful story and I think its only the beginning, one I highly recommend.

 

Where the Grass is Greener is book two of ‘Seeds of Tyrone’ and features characters from Leaving Flowers , but can be read independently.

 

Cover art by Debbie McGowan is perfect for the story and characters,I loved it.

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

Book Details:

ebook, 310 pages
Published September 28th 2015 by Smashwords Edition
ISBN13 9781910635704
series Seeds of Tyrone #2
characters Seamus Williams, Chancey Bo Clearwater

Series: Seeds of Tyrone:

Leaving Flowers (Seeds of Tyrone, #1)
Where the Grass is Greener (Seeds of Tyrone, #2)

A Free Dreamer Review: To Catch A Threeve by Alexis Duran

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

To Catch a ThreeveAxel Blackwood catches a thief and is astounded to see that he closely resembles Liam Alloway, the love he lost seven years ago in an attack by the evil woodland folk known as threeves. Axel suspects he’s fallen prey to dark magic, but can’t help becoming infatuated with his prisoner. He’s overwhelmed with the hope that he can at last bring his lost lover home, despite everything that warns him it’s all a diabolical trick.

Bryn Darrow, the half-threeve, half human orphan sent to trick Axel and rob him of much more than a simple gem finds himself equally as fascinated with his handsome human captor and the lure of someplace to call home, but he knows deep down that the constable is in love with a dangerous illusion. When he’s commanded by the threeves to murder Axel and steal a witch’s powerful grimoire, he’s forced to decide between the only family he’s ever known and the one person who might rescue him from a life of isolation and pain.

Will Axel and Bryn be forced into a deadly confrontation before they can discover the truth?
Axel is still mourning Liam, the man he loved, seven years after his death. He wholly dedicated his life to the fight against the threeves, the beings who killed Liam and has given up on ever finding love again, but he’s mostly come to terms with his loss. One day he catches a half-threeve, who looks just like Liam. But Liam is dead, so this has to be some cruel magical trick.
Bryn is said half-threeve, sent out to bring down the dangerous threeve-killer. That turns out to be much harder than he thought, because Axel is not some cruel, mindless killer.

What follows is a journey full of intrigues and secrets, uncovering lies and deception.

“To Catch a Threeve” has an interesting premise, with a completely new species. The threeves reminded me of elves, with their pointy ears and small stature. But they had their unique features as well, like the skin that looks like tree bark. I love it when authors invent new species, so I was thrilled with the threeves.

Overall, the plot was a little predictable. About halfway through I’d figured out half the mysteries. It was still interesting to read about the MCs figuring it all out in their own way, though.

While the threeves were very well developed, the world building as a whole was a little lacking. There’s talk about different religions, but the author doesn’t really give us an explanation. The most common religion frowns on homosexuality, while the second mentioned religion seems to embrace every form of love freely.

The taboo of homosexuality created an additional layer of tension, but it wasn’t overdone. The MCs are fine with their sexuality and don’t face any extreme homophobia.

To sum it up, “To Catch A Threeve” was a mostly enjoyable story, with an interesting new species. The ending was predictable and some more world building wouldn’t have hurt. If you’re looking for a quick fantasy read with a healthy dose of romance, then this is definitely a book for you. If you’re looking for a well thought out universe and a unique plot however, you will be disappointed.

Cover Art: Fiona Jayde created a very appealing cover. The colours work really well together and I like the mysterious look of it.

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

Book Details:

122 pages
Published October 28th 2014 by Loose Id
(first published October 20th 2014)
ISBN139781623005375
edition languageEnglish

 

Coffee Sip and Book Break with P.D. Singer ‘Otter Chaos’ (excerpt and giveaway)

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Otter Chaos by P.D. Singer
Release Date: October 9, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Rocky Ridge Books
Cover Artist: Dar Albert, Wicked Smart Designs

Buy the book: Amazon | Amazon Kindle |All Romance eBooks | Smashwords | Rocky Ridge Books

Apple i Tunes | Kobo

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Blurb

Otter Chaos (includes Tail Slide)

Lon Ewing snowboarded in and turned economist Corey Levigne’s life upside down, introducing him to a world he didn’t know existed. Corey’s still adjusting to a boyfriend who shifts into an otter and raids the koi pond—and now Lon says Corey’s department chair is a werewolf?

Wolves at the university, wolves in the bank—across Lon’s desk sits Professor Melvin Vadas and his hench-wolves, demanding a construction loan for the pack’s new lodge in the mountains. There’s just one little problem: the proposed building site is home to a breeding population of rare fish.

What do wolves care for stupid human rules, an otter who’d barely make a good snack, or one pesky human determined to protect the environment? Once they’re snout to snout with Corey and Lon there’s more than silverscale dace on the Endangered Species list.

Includes Tail Slide (the short that kicked off otter madness)

Fresh powder snow and running water in the Colorado back country call Lon like the moon calls the wolves. Belly-sliding to a good time on the weekends makes up for a workweek at a desk, and meeting Corey adds a whole new level of fun to snowboarding.

It’s easy to slip away for time alone in the woods without raising suspicion, but how’s Lon to entertain himself when bad snow and a worse spill force them off the mountain too early?

Never give an otter a box of Cheerios.

 

Pages or Words: 84500 (11000 Tail Slide, 73500 Otter Chaos) 276 pages total
Categories: M/M Romance, Paranormal

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Excerpt


Threading his way between the tables to reach the group, Corey intended to set the glass down on the small table in their center without interrupting the flow. Maybe he didn’t really need to steady himself on Lon’s shoulder, but it was a good excuse to touch his boyfriend, get a little squeeze and a promise for later in at the same time. “Bet you need to wet your whistle.”

Lon jerked up hard enough to jostle Corey’s arm. Brown liquid slopped over the rim of the glass. At least it missed Lon’s instrument, but what—?

“No. Sorry. But no.” Lon twisted under the strap of his guitar. “We need to leave. Now.”

“Wha—?” Corey all but dropped the glass. “Why?”

“Now. Please.” Lon was up and sidling toward his guitar case.

Corey followed. What else could he do? The man who’d been gleefully leading fiddles and mandolins had cased his instrument and bolted out the side door. Lon barely waited on the porch of the old house turned brewpub, dashing to the passenger side of the RAV4 before Corey was quite outside in the chill spring night.

“Go, go, go,” Lon begged. “Quick.”

“Okay.” Corey tucked his long legs under the steering wheel and peeled out of the parking lot. “Want to explain the sudden need to be elsewhere?”

Lon’s knuckles practically glowed with their whiteness—if the armrest of the passenger seat breathed, Lon would have choked the life out of it three blocks back. “I smelled wolf.”

That again. “I did see Melvin come into the pub.” Corey aimed the truck toward south Boulder, because Lon had that trembly look where his dark brown hair and beard seemed to puff out bigger. Absolutely no reason to stress him, and every reason to take him home and pet him into exhausted, sweaty peace.

“Can you get a job at Harvard or Stanford or somewhere far, far away from CU?” Lon whimpered. “Or decide you don’t like me anymore?”

“No and no.” Corey gave his lover a stern look on the turn into the driveway. “I’m headed for tenure here and I love you. I don’t want to change either one of those things.” He pulled Lon across the console to plant a kiss in short, sleek, hair. “Let’s go look at the koi one last time, and then last one into bed is a rotten egg.”

“Rotten egg! Ick!” But Lon was diverted enough to scamper to the back yard, not too fast to be caught.

 

 

RC

 

Meet the author:

P.D. Singer lives in Colorado with her slightly bemused husband, two rowdy teenage boys, and thirty pounds of cats. She’s a big believer in research, first-hand if possible, so the reader can be quite certain PD has skied down a mountain face-first, been stepped on by rodeo horses, acquired a potato burn or two, and will never, ever, write a novel that includes sky-diving.

When not writing, playing her fiddle, or skiing, she can be found with a book in hand.

 

Where to find the author:


Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Bayou Book Junkie, Inked Rainbow Reads, Full Moon Dreaming, Jessie G. Books, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, My Fiction Nook,

The Hat Party, The Jena Wade, Molly Lolly, Carly’s Book Reviews, Havan Fellows, Open Skye Book Reviews, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, BFD Book Blog, V’s Reads, Mikky’s World of Books, MM Good Book Reviews, Divine Magazine, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, SA McAuley, Posy Roberts, Nephy Hart, Three Books Over The Rainbow, Multitasking Mommas, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

Final

Giveaway

Rafflecopter Prize: 1 signed print book, or  1 ebook (mobi, epub or pdf), otter ornament (offer as separate prizes please).  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.  Please see disclaimer.

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WillPride

Coffee Sip and Book Break with Keeping Joshua (The Joshua Series #2) by Grein Murray (excerpt and giveaway)

Keeping Joshua E-Book Cover

Keeping Joshua (The Joshua Series #2) by Grein Murray
 Release Date: September 18, 2015

 Goodreads Link
Publisher: Grein Murray
Cover Artist: Kellie Dennis

Buy the book:   Amazon

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Blurb

Joshua and Michael have been together for six months and now face a bump in their relationship. With a budding modeling career for Joshua and a new business for Michael, the distance between them continues to grow. Joshua drifts away from his best friend Max. Feeling alone and abandoned, Joshua turns to a new friend who causes more problems. Will Michael and Joshua’s love be able to withstand the onslaught of challenges?

 

Pages or Words: 232 pages
Categories: Gay Fiction, M/M Romance

 

Excerpt

“Wait, is this the sandbar we snorkeled at on our first date?”

“Yes, the very one.” Michael smiled and walked to the front of the boat and dropped the anchor. The tide was very low so they walked in just a couple of feet of water to get to the sandbar. The sun’s rays were starting to shine across the ocean.

The table had plates of food set out and a pitcher of orange juice.

“Who did you get to come out this early and set this up?” Joshua sat down in one of the chairs. He couldn’t believe Michael went through so much trouble and was confused why Michael was doing something so romantic out of the blue.

“Actually—” Michael lowered Joshua’s hood and looked into his eyes. “Max and Sam set this up for us. Remind me that I owe them a favor or two for this.” He sat down and reached across the table and held Joshua’s hand.

“I haven’t missed an important date like an anniversary or something, right?”

“Do I need an excuse to treat my boyfriend to breakfast on a sandbar?” Michael beamed.

 

RC

 

Meet the Author

When I’m not writing I like going to concerts. Music is a big part of my life, I’ve played bass guitar since I was a teen. I love nature and enjoy hiking and working with causes that help protect our planet and wild animals.

I have loved books all of my life and have always enjoyed escaping the ordinary world by getting lost in a good book. I read a lot of different genres of books but have fallen in love with MM. I support the gay community and hope one day people will see that love is love and that it is a beautiful thing no matter your gender, race or religion. Joshua and his story have been in my head for years but I never took the time to write it.

With encouragement from some fellow authors and friends I took the leap and now all of you can get to know my characters and I hope you love them as much as I do.

Where to find the author:

 

 

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Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, Rainbow Gold Reviews, The Hat Party, MM Good Book Reviews, Bike Book Reviews, Bayou Book Junkie, Divine Magazine, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, BFD Book Blog, Happily Ever Chapter, Inked Rainbow Reads, Unquietly Me, Jessie G. Books, Mikky’s World of Books, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Molly Lolly, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Three Books Over The Rainbow, Velvet Panic

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $5.00 Amazon gift card. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. 

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WillPride

In Our Spotlight: Andrew Q. Gordon on his latest release, Purpose (guest post and giveaway)

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Purpose by Andrew Q Gordon
Publisher: DSP Publications
Release Date:  October 6th

Edition: Second (Re-written, re-edited, new cover)
Goodreads
Genre: Paranormal, Gay Fiction

We are happy to have Andrew Q. Gordon here today to talk about his latest novel, Purpose.  Welcome, Andrew.  Tell us a little about the inspiration behind the story and the characters.

Vengeance. Revenge. Vigilante justice. None of these are especially positive words, especially not to law enforcement officers. But think of all the anti-hero heroes; Batman, Wolverine, for those older like me, the Walking Tall movies [The Originals from the 70’s or the Rock’s remake in 2004, or Charles Bronson in the “Death Wish” movies. (for those who don’t know these, click the links). Everyone loves the bad guy who is taking down the real bad guys. It’s a very Machiavellian approach where the ends justify the means.

“Thanks. There is more than a bit of that in Purpose. William Morgan is the human host to the spirit of vengeance. He deals out ‘justice’ to those who have killed an innocent person. And while the innocent victims are avenged, Will kills a lot of people. Regardless of how we feel about the original crime, how many of us would really sanction killing the killer? Maybe a few, maybe more, but that is probably not the position most of us would take in polite company. Why? Because civilized society is built on laws that don’t allow us to take the law into our own hands. And yet…

Among the themes I’ve tried to weave into Purpose, is whether or not the law is willing to turn a blind eye to these events. Certainly Commissioner Gordon didn’t exactly object to what Batman did. Same in Death Wish. There seems to be this tendency among the top brass—at least in movies and comic books—to look the other way and secretly applaud the ‘bad guy protagonist’ for doing what law enforcement couldn’t.

I can’t say if that is truly the view of those in charge, but from my twenty plus years working with law enforcement officers I can say it is certainly an unspoken feeling among the rank and file frustrated by what they perceive as the lack of consequences. That said, I don’t think they would turn a blind eye to someone who killed another, even if it were in retaliation. I’ve never met anyone who would welcome a full on vigilante in the community.

In Purpose there are two different law enforcement characters. Detective Daniel Griffin is a homicide detective who firmly believes in upholding the law. Will is a vigilante, at times Det. Griffin calls him the devil. Dealing with Will, however, upends his world. Will offers him the chance to always get the right person. But Griffin isn’t quite able to reconcile the good with the cost. One of the journeys in the book is Griffin’s as Will forces him to question his beliefs.

The other is Agent Barrington. His worldview is clear: Will is bad and must be caught. He has no interest in dealing with the devil.  Where Griffin quickly realizes he has no chance of catching Will, Barrington takes a different approach. His methods, however, demonstrate how similar he and Will are—or not.

As the three interact, decisions are made, perceptions change and motives are revealed. The cover reflects the duality of the entire situation and hopefully that is reflected in the story.

Enjoy— Andrew

Blurb

2nd Edition

Forty years ago the Spirit of Vengeance—a Purpose—took William Morgan as its host, demanding he avenge the innocent by killing the guilty. Since then Will has retreated behind Gar, a façade he uses to avoid dealing with what he’s become. Cold, impassive, and devoid of emotion, Gar goes about his life alone—until his tidy, orderly world is upended when he meets Ryan, a broken young man cast out by his family. Spurred to action for reasons he can’t understand, Gar saves Ryan from death and finds himself confronted by his humanity.

Spending time with Ryan helps Will claw out from under Gar’s shadow. He recognizes Ryan is the key to his reclaiming his humanity and facing his past. As Will struggles to control the Purpose, Ryan challenges him to rethink everything he knew about himself and the spirit that possesses him. In the process, he pushes Will to do something he hasn’t done in decades: care.

1st Edition published by Dreamspinner Press, June 2013.

Buy Links: DSP Publications |Amazon | Omnilit | Barnes & Noble

Video Trailer:

Direct Link HYPERLINK “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESpN50Ae2Ng” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESpN50Ae2Ng

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Giveaway

Click on the Rafflecopter Link or Enter on the RC below for a chance to win one of the following.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and tour organizer.

First Prize: $25 Giftcard to Dreamspinner Press
Second Prize: Autographed Paperback copy of Purpose

The tour organizer will select a winner from entries received as of close of business 21 October. Be sure to leave a thoughtful comment on each stop on the tour for additional chances to win.

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General Excerpt

He turned where he saw the others disappear and understood why they had stopped: dead-end alley. Ryan stood with his back to the brick wall, wide-eyed and pale. Gar noted the uncontrollable shake in Ryan’s body as the four jackals slowly inched closer. White knuckles surrounded the small bag he’d carried off the train.

The one closest to Ryan inched closer. “You know what time it is.”

“Police!” Gar didn’t wait for them to react to his command. He tightened his leg muscles and moved the moment everyone turned toward the front of the alley. Using the split second before they could focus on him, he leaped over them, twisting in the process.

The space between them and Ryan wasn’t much, but he managed to avoid contact with the kid, landing a foot to the left. He reached into his coat and removed a collapsible metal baton with his right hand and a pair of brass knuckles with the left.

One step right, and he completely covered Ryan’s shaking form. Not risking a glance back, he kept his eyes on the startled thieves in front of him.

“Stay behind me, Ryan.”

A muffled grunt, barely audible, told Gar the kid heard him. He dropped the police officer illusion, staring calmly at his prey. Assessing his adversaries, he ignored the hint of a thought that said they were not the guilty. Too late for that—they would have been had he not stopped them.

“I know what time it is,” he hissed, tossing the slang for street robberies back in their face. “Time for vengeance to collect its fee.”

In the recent past, Gar had taken to finding a way to take out the guilty without doing it himself. This time he couldn’t risk it; Ryan was too close. One of them had a gun. He could smell it now.

He definitely didn’t have time to make it look like an accident.

Spinning on his left foot, he kicked the kid with the gun so hard his skullcap flew off when his head hit the wall. Allowing his movement to carry him around, he brought the metal baton down on the arm of a robber with a knife. Metal on flesh and bone was no contest. Gar saw Ryan flinch when the kid let out a scream of agony and fell to the ground.

At least he would live, Gar noted. The first kid was probably dead already. The other two were rooted in place, stunned into inaction. Two seconds ago, they were about to rob a defenseless kid. Now they were being taken apart. Before they could run away, Gar lashed out.

Using the palm of his left hand, he struck the one closest to him. Even using the inner part of his hand, he heard the brass knuckles crack the kid’s sternum when he connected. The last kid finally moved and made it three steps before Gar swept his feet out from under him with the baton.

The face looking up in terror was that of a kid, a juvenile. They were all kids. Reaching toward the teen’s head, he heard movement behind him.

“Gar.” Ryan’s timid, urgent tone caused him to turn. “Don’t kill him.”

“I won’t.” His voice was a cold hiss. Instead, he touched the sweaty forehead, inserting confused thoughts. He quickly repeated the process with the others. The first kid still lived, but probably not for long. The other two, he left sobbing out their pain.

“Come on.” He grabbed Ryan’s left arm. “We need to go.”

Ryan resisted the pull, but Gar was prepared for this. “Either you come with me or I leave you to explain this.”

Author Bio

Andrew Q. Gordon wrote his first story back when yellow legal pads, ball point pens were common and a Smith Corona correctable typewriter was considered high tech. Adapting to the times, he now writes with a shiny new AQGAuthorImage300x300MacBook that he sets on the same desk as his manual typewriter and vintage adding machine.

Long a fan of super heroes, wizards and sports, Andrew’s works include high fantasy, paranormal spirits, magic as well as contemporary fiction. He is still trying to find the perfect story that will include all his favorites under one cover.

He currently lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his husband, their young daughter and dog.  In addition to dodging some very self-important D.C. ‘insiders’, Andrew uses his commute to catch up on his reading. When not working or writing, he enjoys soccer, high fantasy, baseball and occasionally sleeping.

THE LAND OF MAKE BELIEVE:  “http://andrewqgordon.com/”
FACEBOOK:  “https://www.facebook.com/dominic.andrews.7568”

PurposeTourSidebarTour Schedule

6 Oct – Elin Gregory
6 Oct – Jessie G Books
7 Oct – Divine Magazine
8 Oct – Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
9 Oct – Hearts on Fire Reviews
9 Oct – MM Good Book Reviews
10 Oct – Author Susan Mac Nicol
10 Oct – Wake Up Your Wild Side
11 Oct – The Purple Rose Tea House
12 Oct – Love Bytes Reviews
12 Oct – Queer SciFi
13 Oct – World of Diversity Fiction
14 Oct –  Prism Book Alliance
15 Oct – Diverse Reader
16 Oct – Loving Without Limits
17 Oct – Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents
18 Oct – BFD Book Blog
18 Oct – Wicked Faeries Tales and Reviews
19 Oct – Molly Lolly
20 Oct – Drops of Ink

A Paul B Review: Shades of Power (Arcane Magic #1) by Beany Sparks

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Shades of PowerEthan White is a rarity.  He’s a male witch.  He hides his abilities from the world by working in the apothecary that he owns.  When his sister shows up asking for a love potion, Ethan puts his guards up.  Even his familiar, a black cat named Beema, does not trust Destiny.  Two weeks later, both get a premonition that something terrible is going to happen and escape through a magic tunnel underneath Ethan’s shop just before it blows up.  Knowing his sister has something to do with the attack, he makes his way to the land of faeries to take shelter.

Grayson is the alpha of a three-man wolf shifter pack.  He brings his pack to the land of faeries because of a prophecy stating that they are the key to bringing down those that are using black magic.  When he consults with the queen as to what she might know about the prophecy, a guard comes in carrying a young man who has passed out.  Grayson goes to the young man and proclaims that he is his mate.  The Queen proclaims that the fae are now involved, as the young man Ethan, is her nephew.

As Ethan and Grayson along with Grayson’s betas Adam and Russell try to figure out the mystery of the prophecy, members of the Dark Coven are mounting an attack on the fae palace in hopes of fulfilling the prophecy themselves.  Several spies are sent by Raven Darkh to kill Ethan, as she believes he is most likely the other person capable to complete the task of creating the Shades of Power.  The five members of Grayson’s pack (as Ethan and Beema are now part of it) must defend the fae palace against the forces of dark magic threatening to take it over.

This is an excellent start to a new series by Beany Sparks.  She has combined shifters and magic and added a touch of palace intrigue to spice things up.  I felt for Ethan.  First his sister seems intent on doing him harm.  Then as he begins to unravel the mystery of prophecy, he learns all is not as it seems in the fae palace.  The only thing holding him together is his familiar Beema, his mate Grayson and the two betas of Grayson’s pack.   One does have to watch out for Beema.  The cat is not all what he seems.  Ms. Sparks perfectly sets up the next book in the series with the ending of this one.  It seems that the problems with Ethan’s sister was just the opening salvo against him.

The cover art by the author is simply stunning.  It shows our blond hair, blue-eyed Ethan staring out with Grayson’s wolf watching out behind him.  In the background a winter castle that I am sure will be featured in future books in the series.

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

Book Details:

ebook, 117 pages
Published September 21st 2015 by Rainbow Ninja Press
edition languageEnglish
seriesArcane Magic #1

A Stella Review: BASE INSTINCTS by Larissa Ione

Rating: 2. 5 stars out of 5

BaseInstincts_1200x1800HRAs a Seminus demon, Raze’s life literally depends on having sex with females. The problem is that he doesn’t desire females, and it’s physically impossible for him to be with males. Thankfully, he and his best friend, Fayle, have an arrangement that keeps him alive . . . if lonely. He finds some solace in his work as a medic at Thirst, a vampire club known for its rough clientele. But his carefully structured world turns upside down when he meets a mysterious male who makes him want what he can never have.

Slake is an assassin used to getting what he wants, and what he wants is Raze. But he also wants to earn back the soul he sold when he was a much different demon. All he has to do is capture a runaway succubus named Fayle and hand her over to her family. What he doesn’t count on is being caught himself by a web of lies—and his attraction to Raze.

Raze and Slake must navigate a dangerous world to be together. But as Fayle’s jealousy of their relationship turns deadly, they find themselves embroiled in a battle not only for their love, but their lives and souls.

I have no idea how many times I started Base Instincts by Larissa Ione. Probably three or four. It simply was a disappointment to me. Maybe it was my fault cause I haven’t read the Demonica series first, but I heard so many good things about the author that I was super curious about this new m/m installment. I could appreciate the world building, the plot or the characters but my problem was that all of these fell short and was so freaking boring it was unbearable.

I forced myself to go on the reading hoping it will become better, engaging or at least likeable but nothing. I’m really sorry cause I had a lot of expectations for this story. Moreover I could feel no chemistry between MCs, apart from the sex scenes there was nothing else between them. The relationship wasn’t well developed, on the contrary, the way the author decided to solve Slake’s problem (his need to have sex only with females) was too simple and a little ridiculous to me, the easier way instead on working on something else, something stronger. No I didn’t like it at all.

At the end it was your average paranormal story, but I’ve read better books I rated three stars, so I couldn’t give Base Instincts more than 2,5. To me, a strictly m/m reader, this book was a failed attempt made by the author to gain a different market from her usual and at the same time she made a couple of choices in the plot just so she could please her m/f fans. I honestly don’t feel like to recommend it but if you’re a fan of the Demonica series maybe you should try it.

The cover art by Jay Aheer is the only well done thing of the book, no suprise cause I’m seeing a lot of Jay’s works later and I’m liking them more and more.

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

BOOK DETAILS
ebook, 150 pages
Published September 12th 2015 by Riptide Publishing
IBSN 1626493081
Edition Language English

 

Kate Pearce’s Tribute Series Returns with the Retribution Release Tour and Contest

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Retribution (Tribute, #2) by Kate Pearce
Published by Riptide Publishing
Cover Artist: Lou Harper

Buy it here at Riptide Publishing

Blurb

Cheated out of his exit from the Tribute program, Kai Mexr is forced to return as a trainer for one more year. His trainee, Aled Price, is an idealistic Mitan patriot who Kai struggles not to loathe on sight, and who seems up for any challenge Kai sets him. As Aled learns to give up control and endure the program’s worst, Kai is drawn into an intense sexual game that leaves him wanting more.

But then Aled must fulfill his duty as Tribute. He must endure the Ungrich—or die.

When Aled returns, it takes Kai’s ruthless presence to pull his trainee back from the brink of madness. Surviving the Ungrich makes Aled doubt his blind allegiance to his planet—and to everything else he’d never thought to question. But with Kai at his side, Aled finds a new cause to believe in. And with the help of master trainer Akran and his partner Anna Lee, Aled and Kai forge unbreakable allegiances of blood, sex, and love that could save the entire planet from the Ungrich for good.

About The Author

About Kate Pearce

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kate Pearce was born into a large family of girls in England, and spent much of her childhood living very happily in a dream world. Despite being told that she really needed to “get with the program,” she graduated from the University College of Wales with an honors degree in history. A move to the USA finally allowed her to fulfill her dreams and sit down and write her first romance novel. Along with being a voracious reader, Kate loves walking on the beach and climbing live volcanoes in her new home in Hawaii.

Kate is a member of RWA and is published by Kensington Aphrodisia, Cleis Press, Carina Press, and Virgin Black Lace/Cheek.

Connect with Kate:

Retribution_TourBanner

Giveaway

Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a $50 Amazon gift card! Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on October 10. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Don’t forget to leave your email or a way to contact you if you win!  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

Tribute Series

Few of the people on Planet Mitan know that their future rests on very precarious foundations. A terrifying species holds the Mitans in thrall, and only a yearly tribute—part conscripts, part volunteers—secures the fragile peace with the sinister Ungrich. Nobody knows exactly what the alien creatures want with the Mitans, but the Mitan military and the few survivors of the underground ordeal have developed a training program. It’s brutal, even horrific, but effective.

Commander Rehz Akran is determined that his trainees, willing or otherwise, will learn everything necessary to survive as Tributes. If he can’t force them through training, no one can, and he’s prepared to use every filthy, dirty trick in his arsenal to secure complete obedience . . . and the survival of his species.

– See more at Riptide Publishing’s Tribute page