Category: Uncategorized

A Mika Review: Cheeky Hipsters & Jocks (BFP:The Secrets Collection) by Posy Roberts

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Cheeky HIpsters and Jocks coverJack has a secret hidden in his pants, and Eli thinks he knows what it is.

Jack Cox has a secret he’s kept hidden for years until a fellow hockey player discovers a scrap of silk and lace hiding in his pocket. Elijah Mitten notices how anxious Jack is as the hot-pink fabric makes its way around the locker room, and when Jack throws it in the trash like it means nothing, Elijah guesses what’s beneath his stoic façade and possibly his pants.

When Elijah shows up on Jack’s doorstep looking for answers, Jack won’t admit anything. But when Elijah takes matters into his own hands, Jack has to make a decision: share his secret and risk losing hockey or keep it hidden forever

I absolutely loved Cheeky Hipsters and Jocks by Posy Roberts. I had a smirk on my face the entire way. It features one of my favorite kinks ever. I love MANTIES, it’s always a satisfying feeling reading about boys with a panty fetish. Add Posy Roberts’ writing it, and it’s a sure win in my book. I really love Posy as an author/writer. I’m always eager to read what she writes.

For me in this book she shows a different side of her writing. This is the most erotic I’ve read from her since I started reading her books. 

Gah, Elijah was a sure win for me. I loved that protective streak he had in him. Then there was Jack with his sweet attitude and his love for manties. Ugh, why couldn’t this be longer? I would love to read about them in a full length novel. I love the camaraderie between the guys on the team; I thought what Jack did took a lot of courage and the scenes between Elijah and Jack were really sweet. You can see the sparks between them on the pages. I’d recommend this to M/M Readers who enjoy contemporary  romance. Also readers who just want to smile.

Cover Art ? One of my favorite covers. I like bright colors and the cover model was hot as well as his specific accessory.

Sales Links:   Amazon   Buy It Here

Book Details:

50 pages
Published June 12th 2015 by Blanket Fort Press
original titleCheeky Hipsters & Jocks
edition languageEnglish
seriesBFP:The Secrets Collection

Barb, A Zany Old Lady Review: Spell Bound (The Warlock Brothers of Havenbridge #1) by Jacob Z. Flores

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Spell Bound coverMason Blackmoor just can’t compete with his brothers, much less his father. They represent the epitome of black magic, strong, dark, and wicked, and though Mason tries to live up to his respected lineage, most of the spells he casts go awry. To make matters worse, his active power has yet to kick in. While his brothers wield lightning and harness the cold, Mason sits on the sidelines, waiting for the moment when he can finally enter the magical game.

When a dead body is discovered on the football field of his high school, Mason meets Drake Carpenter, the new kid in town. Drake’s confident demeanor and quick wit rub Mason the wrong way. Drake is far too self-assured for someone without an ounce of magical blood in his body, and Mason aims to teach him a lesson—like turn him into a roach. And if he’s lucky, maybe this time Mason won’t be the one turned into an insect.

Not surprisingly, the dislike is mutual, and Drake does nothing to dispel Mason’s suspicion that the sexy boy with a southern drawl is somehow connected to the murder.

If only Mason didn’t find himself inexplicably spellbound whenever they are together, they might actually find out what danger hides in the shadows.

This was a very nice start to a new young adult series by Jacob Flores. It’s a world where wizards, warlocks, and witches work together to keep peace among their covens and keep humans from finding out about them.

Eighteen-year-old Mason Blackmoor just can’t get the hang of his magic. Youngest son of the leader of the Blackmoor warlock coven, he’s yet to come into his powers, and because of that, he bears the brunt of his brothers’ humor and scorn. His family has traditionally been very strong in black magic, and his brothers’ abilities to manipulate the elements to work with lightning and icy cold, as well as his father’s ability to work with earth and stone, leave him feeling very inadequate when he can’t even summon a simple spell.

But once Mason meets the new kid at school, Drake Carpenter, things seem to change for the better. In fact, one of his first magic spells occurs when he saves Drake’s life at a construction site. It takes Drake a while to come around to accepting, and then liking Mason, however. Drake is living with his aunt due to the recent deaths of his parents, and although he’s usually cocky and confident, he’s also sad and emotional when he’s reminded of his loss. The more time Mason spends with him, the more he wants to help Drake and the more he falls in love with the young man who just might be his soulmate—spellbound with him for life.

Mason assumes that Drake is a shifter due to his crazy fast ability to run and jump and never seem to be stopped by objects that would definitely stop most humans. Plus, there was a time when Drake seemed to disappear, and the next time Mason looked, there was a cat in the exact place where he last saw Drake. Complicating their budding relationship, however, is a dark magical presence in town. It may be a shadow weaver or something worse, and when murders start to pile up around them, and tragedy strikes again in Drake’s life, Mason vows to keep him safe at all costs.

There’s plenty of excitement in this story as the author builds a world in which those who practice magic are hidden from humans but definitely walk among us. The romance between the young men is sweet but there are also a few explicit sex scenes, so this is not totally vanilla. I enjoyed living in this world for a few days and getting to know the main and secondary characters. I suspect that there may be romance in Mason’s brothers’ future while they are all fighting the being from the dark side who is disrupting the peace and has vowed to capture Mason for a yet to be revealed reason.

This book can certainly be read as a standalone, but there is more to come, and if you get hooked on this one, you won’t want to stop with just one. I recommend this story to those who enjoy the world of magic, young adult fiction, and a sweet romance mixed with their murder and mayhem.
~~~~~
Cover art is a portrait of Mason as drawn by the very talented Paul Richmond. It’s a beautiful depiction with just a hint of darkness to symbolize Mason’s dark magic.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press – All Romance (ARe) – Amazon   Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 1st, 216 pages, also in paperback
Published May 27th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
original titleSpell Bound
ISBN139781634761246
edition languageEnglish
seriesThe Warlock Brothers of H

In the Book Spotlight: Summer Love Anthology (A YA Collection from Duet, YA Interlude Press) (mini interview &giveaway)

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Summer Love Anthology – A YA Short Story Collection
Published by Duet – a YA imprint at Interlude Press
Release Date: June 23, 2015

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Goodreads Link
Publisher: Duet, a Young Adult imprint form Interlude Press
Cover Artist: BuckeyeGrrl Designs

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Sales Links:  Interlude Press – Amazon – Independent Bookstores

Our mini interview…

My Best Friend, Summer Love- HJ Coulter

Today I am very lucky to be interviewing HJ Coulter, author of My Best Friend, part of the Summer Love Collection. Hi, HJ, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us about yourself, your background and your current book.

If I was to categorize myself, I guess I would say I am a geeky, classy, redneck. I grew up on the farm so I have an appreciation for wide open spaces and playing in the mud. I LOVE country music and the independent lifestyle that comes with country living. But I also the love the theatre, the sound of cellos, lace and old books. Plus I own more TV shows in DVD than should be legally allowed, dream of owning a replica of Hogwarts and my “ I Want To Believe” poster is one of my most prized possessions.

My current story, My Best Friend, is a letter from a gay young man to his best friend who has recently gotten married and is moving away. When I heard the theme Summer Love, I automatically knew that I did not want to write a romance. I wanted to capture all the other loves in people’s lives. Whether that be something as simple as a love for summer rain storms or as complicated as the love between a young man and his mentally ill father. My goal was to give emphasis to the fact that the epic love stories in your life don’t have to be romance.

What did you want to do when you grew up?

Like most people, I think my career aspirations changed as my interests grew and evolved. When I was very young, 4 or 5, I wanted to be Beethoven. Growing up with my Oma and Opa gave me a very early love for classical music and Beethoven’s 9th was my all-time favourite. I even sat down at the piano one day and played the melody to Ode to Joy by ear. This is what sparked my deep love for music. And like all first loves, music will always be a part of my life.

When I was an adolescent I was obsessed with cop dramas. I was known around school as the “ CSI girl”. I wanted to be everything for a lab tech to a beat cop to forensic psychologist. I read a lot of true crime novels and biographies of serial killers. I was a little creepy, not going to lie. It’s weird because most of my personal library has shifted into fiction. And I now like my procedurals with aliens or super villains. How times change.

I also remembering wanting to be a paramedic, hair dresser and English teacher. In fact when I went to post-secondary I was working towards getting my education degree. But to tell you the truth, I still don’t know what I want to do when I grow up. And I’m almost 25. Sure I have been thinking a lot lately about being a musical therapist or officially getting my papers to be a recreation facillator for older adults, but who knows? Not too long ago I didn’t think I would a published author and now look at me.

STRW Author BookSynopsis

Summer Love is the first collection of short stories published by Duet, the young adult imprint from Interlude Press. These short stories are about the emergence of young love of bonfires and beaches, of the magical in-between time when young lives step from one world to another, and about finding the courage to be who you really are, to follow your heart and live an authentic life. The contributing authors have written stories about both romantic and platonic love featuring characters who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, pansexual and queer/questioning. The authors also represent a spectrum of experience, identity and backgrounds.

SUMMARIES & AUTHOR BIOS

  • Beautiful Monsters
    A campaign volunteer is assigned to assist his high school’s Gay Straight Alliance for the Pride Parade, forcing him to face the students he had previously avoided, and the truth about himself.
    Author: Rachel Davidson Leigh is a writer, educator, and small town native who tells stories she wishes she could have read as a teen. Beautiful Monsters is her first published work of fiction. She lives in Wisconsin with her family and two dogs who are spoiled out of their tiny minds.
  • The Willow Weeps for Us
    Jack, the young son of a grocer, falls for a charming piano teacher at the dawn of World War II.
    Author: Suzey Ingold is a writer, linguist and coffee addict, currently based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Brought up in a household where children’s books are quoted over the dinner table, literature has always had a strong influence on her life. She enjoys travelling, scented candles and brunch.
  • The Fire Eater’s Daughter
    When a traveling carnival comes back to town, Ruth must choose between caring for her mother and a life with the beautiful and mysterious Constance, the fire eater’s daughter.
    Author: Amy Stilgenbauer is a writer and aspiring archivist currently based in southeast Michigan. She is the author of the novelette series, Season of the Witch, as well as the Young Adult novel, The Legend of League Park. When she isn’t writing, Amy enjoys all things bergamot and tries to keep her cats away from her knitting.
  • Surface Tension
    Logan just wants a summer where he can be anonymous and fit in without labels, but that all changes when he meets out-and-proud Dave at summer camp.
    Author: Ella J. Ash is a lawyer by day and an author by night. She has been a writer in online fan communities since 2006. She also enjoys dance parties with her family and cooking experimental vegetarian cuisine. She lives in Toronto with her partner, three daughters and four tropical fish.
  • My Best Friend
    In a letter to his best friend, a young gay man reminisces about their relationship.
    Author: H.J. Coulter lives in Winnepeg, Canada, where she works as a respite worker and studies music, in hopes of one day becoming a musical therapist. My Best Friend is her professional writing debut.
  • What the Heart Wants
    A young student discovers attraction and desire through her experience drawing figures in her summer art class.
    Author: Naomi Tajedler was born and raised in Paris, where art has always been a part of her life—including painting, restoring books, and working in auctions. She started writing in online fan communities in 2009.
  • The Most Handsome
    Carter, a Cape Cod boy who recently came out as transgender, meets and falls in love with a college student visiting for the summer.
    Author: S.J. Martin lives with his partner and their cranky, rotund cat in Washington D.C. He’s a barista by day and a writer by night. He makes a mean cappuccino and lives for good coffee, good books, and good company. The Most Handsome is his first published story.
  • Something Like Freedom
    A boy finds a safe space from which to imagine a new future after leaving his conservative parents’ home, thanks in part to a new friend.
    Author: Caroline Hanlin is a full time statistician, a part time stage manager, and an avid sports fan. She currently resides in Boston, where she enjoys writing during her commute. Something Like Freedom is her first published short story.
  • On the Shore
    A young woman retreats to her parents’ beach house to nurse a broken heart, but instead meets a vivacious girl who helps her find joy again.
    Author: Rachel Blackburn is a writer, musician and librarian based in central Ohio. When free from work, she enjoys cuddling with her cats, drinking tea, and baking more cupcakes than necessary. On the Shore is her professional writing debut.

Pages or Words: 276 pages

Categories: Please keep in mind that as an anthology, not all stories contain all elements listed.
Bisexual, Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, Lesbian Romance, M/M Romance, Romance, Trans*, Young Adult, Collection

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

Excerpt: (From Beautiful Monsters)
Beautiful Monsters
By Rachel Davidson Leigh

“Glad to see you could join the party,” Terrence deadpans, pressing a rainbow bandana into André’s hand. André grabs a second bandana out of the bag, stuffs one in each of his back pockets, and then goes in for a third.
“Cody was checking out the parade route,” André replies, in a smooth lie. “It turns out we’re still walking six blocks through absolutely nothing and then calling it a day.” Terrence laughs, and, as he turns away, André presses a handkerchief into Cody’s hand. “Use it wisely,” he whispers into Cody’s ear. “You’re one of us now.”
One of us. He’s never been part of an “us.” Cody stares down at the lines on the handkerchief and then at the two patches of color on the back of André’s jeans as he walks toward the arriving cars.
Cody expects panic, but it doesn’t come. Maybe he isn’t ready to be Gay with a capital G, but if “us” can mean being one of these idiots, then maybe he’s ready to have people of his own. As he watches the sharp sway of André’s hips, the heat rising up his neck doesn’t feel like fear. It feels like… clarity, as though the run put everything in perspective and now he can’t stop seeing André in crisp, dazzling color.
Someone presses a sign into his hand and guides him toward the parade staging area with the rest of the crew. Once again, he can’t hear himself think over the din, but it’s different now. At the meeting, and for years before that in the hallways, he felt like an invader locked out by a wall of sound, and now he’s somehow wandered inside. 

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About the authors at Interlude Press:

Where to find more information:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/interludepress
Twitter: @duetbooks, @interludepress
Pinterest: pinterest.com/interludepress
Other: duetbooks.com
Other: duetbooks.tumblr.com

STRW Spotlight Contest Header

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by the press and Pride Promotions. Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: One $25 Interlude Press gift card. Five multi-format Summer Love eBooks.
Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Tour Dates & Stops:
23-Jun
Hearts on Fire
Because Two Men Are Better Than One
Cathy Brockman Romances

24-Jun
Boys on the Brink Reviews
Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

25-Jun
Up All Night, Read All Day
Happily Ever Chapter
Velvet Panic

26-Jun
Bending The Bookshelf
Mikky’s World of Books
Prism Book Alliance

29-Jun
Bike Book Reviews
Rainbow Gold Reviews
Amanda C. Stone

30-Jun
Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves
BFD Book Blog

1-Jul
TTC Books and More
Foxylutely Book Reviews
Bayou Book Junkie

2-Jul
MM Good Book Reviews
Inked Rainbow Reads

3-Jul
Emotion in Motion
Love Bytes

6-Jul
Molly Lolly
Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews
My Fiction Nook

Need a Blast of Science Fiction and Romance? Check out The Tide of War by Lori A. Witt (giveaway)

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The Tide of War by Lori A. Witt
Publisher:  Riptide Publishing
Cover Art by L.C. Chase

Defending Epsilon series
Sales Links:  Riptide Publishing

Welcome to the Riptide Publishing/Lori A. Witt blog tour for The Tide of War!

Giveaway

Every comment on this blog tour enters you in a drawing for a choice of two eBooks off my backlist (including books written as L.A. Witt or Lauren Gallagher, excluding The Tide of War) and a $10 Riptide Publishing store credit. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on July 28th, and winners will be announced on July 29th. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries and you must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

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About The Tide of War 

Lieutenant Commander Kyle West is one of Earth Fleet’s greatest fighter pilots. Every day, he leads his squadron into battle over Earth’s cities in a seemingly endless war against a vicious alien race, defending his home and his loved ones.

Millions of miles away, the Fleet’s Elite Squadron attacks from another angle, engaging the enemy on its home turf. Casualties are high, and the Squadron needs more of the Fleet’s very best. But joining the Elite is a death sentence—a surety Kyle isn’t willing to face. Until a devastating attack wipes out the family he refused to leave.

Commander Andrei Dezhnyov, an Elite Squadron gunner, isn’t sure what to make of the cocky new American pilot. Kyle is equally uncertain about the snarly Russian, but as they warm up to each other, their tentative alliance becomes a deep bond—one that endangers them both when a daring and disobedient rescue reveals secrets that call into question everything they’ve ever believed about their enemy. Secrets that their superiors would kill to protect.

The Tide of War is available July 22nd from Riptide Publishing.

About Lori A. Witt...

Lori A. Witt is the fourth corner of the Gallagher-Witt quad, and prefers to play in the genres of science fiction and fantasy over all that romance nonsense. Okay, so romance does show up sometimes, but these are the books she writes when she needs a change of pace. Sword and sorcery, spaceships, and just general weird nerdy goodness—Lori writes it all. Like the other members of the quad (  L.A. Witt, Lauren Gallagher, and Ann Gallagher), Lori is in the process of relocating from Omahabad, Nebraskastan to the southwestern coast of Spain. In her spare time, she tries to stay out of the middle of L.A.’s and Lauren’s ongoing rivalry, while never missing a chance to trip Ann when she’s not paying attention.

Connect with Lori:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorloriawitt
Website:http://www.gallagherwitt.com
Blog: http://gallagherwitt.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GallagherWitt

In the Spotlight: Branded (Ash and Flames #1) by Ana J. Phoenix (excerpt and giveaway)

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Branded (Ash and Flames #1) by Ana J. Phoenix
Release Date: June 23, 2015

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Publisher: Ana J. Phoenix
Cover Artist: Ana J. Phoenix

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Sales Links:  Amazon

 

STRW Author BookSynopsis

Asher doesn’t like people, and people don’t like him. He’s cool with that—all he needs from them is sex, anyway. But when he’s suddenly thrust into a strange and dangerous world filled with magical creatures, joining forces with other people may just be the only way to survive. 

It’s not all bad though—in this new world, he can turn into a fire-breathing dragon! Which would be awesome if it weren’t for José, the pesky fire elf sharing his fate whose goal in life seems to be to stop Asher from ever having fun. José is hot, though and Asher wants to get into his pants just as much as he wants to get home. But José is also blind, and Asher has no clue how to charm a man without relying on his looks. 

Somehow, Asher has to show José that he’s more than a sex-obsessed pyromaniac with no filter between his brain and mouth. Preferably before either of them ends up dead. Civil war rages around them, and finding the way home isn’t going to be easy. And for Asher, getting there in one piece, and with his heart intact, might just prove impossible.

Pages or Words: 70,000 words

Categories: Fantasy, M/M Romance

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

The ruins of a small town stretched out before Asher. Flames were nibbling at huts here and there, but most of the buildings had already burned out, leaving nothing but black, charred and empty shells of what they might have been. Smoke still rose in the air and made Asher’s eyes water as he walked deeper into the ghost town.

“Asher!”

He turned around to see Blind Guy catch up with him. Judging by the dirt on his clothes, he’d either run into a tree on his way or kissed the ground. A leaf stuck to his hair. Door number one, then.

“You know you wouldn’t crash into so many trees if you’d just let me burn them.”

“Never!”

Asher stepped closer to him. “Let me take the decoration out.” He stroked the leaf out of Blind Guy’s hair. It was a little ridiculous, but when he drew his arm back, and he was face to face with Blind Guy, close enough to kiss, his only thought was Damn, I want you to fuck me.

“What?” Blind Guy furrowed his brow.

Shit, had he said that out loud? Knowing himself, he probably had.

 

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

Ana is a writer of m/m romance and erotica. Her interest in hot guy-on-guy action was first sparked by reading scandalous Japanese mangas. A dirty secret she couldn’t resist. In a long bout of insanity – also known as her life — she decided to learn the language and escape to the land of sushi, sumo, and yaoi.

She’s since moved back to Europe to be with the love of her life – delicious European chocolate.

Now she resides in the sunny part of Germany where she fills her days chasing her dreams and writing about men in complicated relationships. Her family believes she’s writing “erotic manga stories.” She’s pleased they got the erotic part right, at least.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100006860593164
Twitter: https://twitter.com/anajphoenix
Website: http://anajphoenix.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8334506.Ana_J_Phoenix

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Tour Dates & Stops: June 23, 2015
Parker Williams, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Divine Magazine, Bayou Book Junkie, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, BFD Book Blog, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Inked Rainbow Reads, Bike Book Reviews, Kimi-Chan, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Chris McHart, Carly’s Book Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Mikky’s World of Books, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Happily Ever Chapter, Velvet Panic

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Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $10 ARe 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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A Stella Review: Taming the Lion (Lionhearts #2) by Elizabeth Coldwell

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Will he sacrifice everything for the sake of his human mate?

Taming the Lion coverThwarted in his efforts to become head of the Amsterdam pride of lion shifters, Kaspar de Wit flees to England. He finds himself in Bath, home of the biggest English pride, and begins to make a new life among friends. What he doesn’t know is that he’s moved to a city steeped in bloody ritual. Destiny seems to have drawn Kaspar to the place where he’ll meet his mate–but does something more horrifying lie in wait for him, too?

Jon Fellowes, professor of archaeology at Bath University, is obsessed with the standing stones that dominate the Somerset landscape and the people who raised them. He’s heard tales of strange creatures, half-man, half-lion, that once roamed the land, but dismisses them till he meets the beautiful Kaspar and learns the bizarre truth of his nature. As an ancient rite is revived and terror stalks the countryside, can Jon and Kaspar overcome the natural distrust between humans and shifters to find true love? Or will one of them be forced to make the ultimate sacrifice?

Taming The Lion is the second book in the Lionhearts series by Elizabeth Coldwell. Since I enjoyed the first book, The Pride Of Amsterdam, I was really curious about this new story, especially as I was hoping to know more about this new lion universe the author has built. Well, I didn’t get what I wanted because the book is set in Bath, England, so I got nothing about my beloved Kees and Arjan.

Moreover this book was heavier and darker, with some really hard to take scenes which I was so not expecting, they destabilized me. I was expecting a paranormal book and shifters.

What I got was:

1) A lot of sex, as in the first book. If you have already read my other reviews, you already know it’s something I need to have in my stories. Here the sex scenes were well done so it was ok.
2) Nothing new about this particular shifters’ world. The book could almost pass for a normal one instead of a paranormal universe because the shifter aspect at the end it wasn’t exactly relevant, apart for a couple of sections.
3) A really dark mystery with dark scenes.  It surely made the story entertaining but it was predictable from the start as in the first book. I figured out the bad person from the start and that’s something I don’t like. I liked the plot but I’d have preferred it was addressed in a totally different way.
4) The story between the MCs is really too simple, Kaspar finds in Jon, a human, his mate and Jon discovers Kaspar is a lion shifter and everything is okay. No drama, no doubts, nothing.

My opinion on the Lionhearted series hasn’t improved reading Taming The Lion, on the contrary. The thing that keeps me from giving up on it is the writing. I found both books well written and I like the author’s style. So I think maybe I’m going to read Vintage Pride too. Maybe.

Cover art by Posh Gosh. It’s slightly different from the cover of the first book in the series. It’s absolutely well done and eye catching but I would have loved something different since I already had seen this one.

Sales Links:  Totally Bound Books – All Romance (ARe) – Amazon   Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 148 pages
Published March 27th 2015 by Totally Bound
ISBN13 9781784305048
Edition Language English

Lionhearts series
The Pride Of Amsterdam #1
Taming the Lion #2
Vintage pride #3 coming soon

 

Can Love Heal? Find out with Posy Roberts’ Silver Scars (guest post and giveaway)

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Title: Silver Scars
Author: Posy Roberts
Publisher: Labyrinth Bound Press
Genre: MM Romance, Contemporary Romance
Length: 86,700 words, 282 pages

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Sales Links

 

SS Vulnerable

You need people to love you, especially when you shove them away.

A bomb destroyed high-powered lawyer Gil Lemieux’s seemingly perfect life, and PTSD has ruled every decision since the explosion that left him scarred inside and outside. Moving home with his mom is meant to be a temporary measure, just like proofreading for a medical editorial firm is meant to be a stopgap. But two years after taking on the wrong court case, he’s still living in fear.
Keith Kramer might be based 1,500 miles away from Gil, but their shared work brings them together—a chance meeting that’s life-changing. Gil is drawn to Keith’s good looks and intelligence, but it’s his innate understanding that Gil is more than the scars on his skin that is truly attractive. He’s everything Gil used to be and more. It blows Gil’s mind that his attraction might be returned.
Only doubt could widen the distance between them. Keith’s hopefulness, borne out of surviving some tough challenges of his own, isn’t enough to bridge the distance alone. Gil will need to believe he has as much to offer as Keith if they’re to build a life together.

We happy to have Posy Roberts here today to talk about her latest  book, Silver Scars.

Thanks for hosting me today. I’m excited to be here to talk about my new book, Silver Scars and it’s beautiful cover.

“Don’t judge a book by its cover.” How old were you when you first heard that? I was around ten. Yet, most of us still do judge a book that way though, right? A great cover can make you immediately buy book and a less than stellar one can make you walk right on by. Covers are candy for our eyes, tempting us to find out more.

Because of legalities, author’s images choices are limited. We go to stock photo sites where we can buy images or photographer sites or Flickr where we can negotiate using photographs people have taken. But when you already have a story written and a character so well developed in your head, very few images/models live up to the person a writer knows so intimately. Write about a character that’s doesn’t fit a few very well defined attributes, and it’s even harder to find the right image.

That’s what happened with my book Silver Scars. Gil is bald, and because of a bombing at his old house, his scalp and face are scarred.

Go to any stock photo site and search for “bald man” and the images that come up are often ridiculous. They essentially fit into three categories: stressed out man, huge body builder with greased muscles, and complete dork with crazy expressions, emoting… what? I’m not sure.

None of those worked for blend-into-the-shadows Gil. I found a photo I seriously considered using on Flickr and contacted the photographer. He wanted close to $400 for it. Well out of my budget.

I wanted an image of a man who was bald and that possibly had scars, but if his forehead were hidden, that would work too. Or a man in a hat, since Gil loves hiding under hats. He also had to be fairly somber to match the tone of the book. A guy grinning like a fool would not work at all.

And then I found an image I loved. I kept on looking, but at the end of each search, I came back to this beautiful image of a man hiding under a hood, lit from the side so his face was still partially shadowed. It fit beautifully with a scene in my book too: the moment Gil takes a risk and puts himself out there to be with Keith.

My cover artist, Natasha Snow, gave Gil brown eyes and found a font that helped represent scars. This is a passionate love story between Gil and Keith, but it truly is Gil’s story. He needed to be on the cover.

I love what Natasha did. I love the cover. It brings Gil to life even more for me, despite spending so many months living inside this character’s head. This cover is on my phone. I might even get a cell phone case made with him on it. That’s how much I love what Natasha did.

What makes a cover jump out for you?

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About Posy Roberts…

Posy Roberts writes about romantic male love. Whether her characters are family men, drag queens, or lonely men searching for connections, they all find a home in her stories.
Posy is married to a man who makes sure she doesn’t forget to eat or sleep. Her daughter, a budding author and dedicated Whovian, helps her come up with character names. When Posy’s not writing, she enjoys crafting, hiking, and singing spontaneously about the mundane, just to make normal seem more interesting.

Amazon | Website | Twitter | Facebook Group | Facebook Page | Pinterest

Contest:

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions. Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card.

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Final

Tour Dates & Stops: June 22 – 26, 2015

22-Jun
Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings
My Fiction Nook
Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

23-Jun
Inked Rainbow Reads
3 Chicks After Dark
As The Pages Turn
Cate Ashwood
Happily Ever Chapter
Prism Book Alliance

24-Jun
Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance
Molly Lolly
Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My
Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews
Bayou Book Junkie

25-Jun
MM Good Book Reviews
Hearts on Fire
Bike Book Reviews
BFD Book Blog

26-Jun
Rainbow Gold Reviews
Love Bytes
Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy
Chris McHart
Multitasking Mommas
Carly’s Book Reviews

Snuggle Under the Covers with Cardeno C’s Strange Bedfellows (tour and giveaway)

Strange Bedfellows - Tour Banner

 

WLK synopsis

Strange Bedfellows - cover
Can the billionaire son of a Democratic president build a family with the congressman son of a Republican senator? Forget politics, love makes strange bedfellows.

As the sole offspring of the Democratic United States president and his political operative wife, Trevor Moga was raised in an environment driven by the election cycle. During childhood, he fantasized about living in a made-for-television family, and as an adult, he rejected all things politics and built a highly successful career as far from his parents as possible.

Newly elected congressman Ford Hollingsworth is Republican royalty. The grandson of a revered governor and son of a respected senator, he was bred to value faith, family, and the goal of seeing a Hollingsworth in the White House.

When Trevor and Ford meet, sparks fly and a strong friendship is formed. But can the billionaire son of a Democratic president build a family with the congressman son of a Republican senator? Forget politics, love makes strange bedfellows.

Excerpt:

“Where’s your bedroom?” asked Ford Hollingsworth as he tipped his head back to make room for the man licking a path down his neck.

The handsome stranger shoved Ford’s coat to the floor, slammed him against the wall, and wedged his thigh between Ford’s legs, rubbing up against his balls.

“Oh. Oh.” Ford bucked. “Your bedroom?”

Despite being mostly clothed, Ford was seconds away from coming in his pants. The inner voice he’d spent most of his life ignoring piped up to remind him that he’d never been this aroused with any woman and never would be. But acknowledging that voice meant walking away from his family and his aspirations, so Ford tried ignoring it, something that had gotten increasingly difficult with every passing year and was now impossible.

“Trevor?” Ford had no idea if that was the dark-haired guy’s real name or if he’d created an alias to use with a bar pickup, which was what Ford himself had done. Either way, he was proud he remembered the name, considering he was more turned on than he’d ever been in his life.

Without responding, the man reached for Ford’s shirt buttons and popped them open while he caressed Ford’s chest.

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Amazon / iTunes / ARe / Smashwords / Kobo

 

WLK Author Bio

 

 

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Cardeno C. – CC to friends – is a hopeless romantic who wants to add a lot of happiness and a few “awwws” into a reader’s day. Writing is a nice break from real life as a corporate type and volunteer work with gay rights organizations. Cardeno’s stories range from sweet to intense, contemporary to paranormal, long to short, but they always include strong relationships and walks into the happily-ever-after sunset.

Cardeno’s Home, Family, and Mates series have received awards from Love Romances and More Golden Roses, Rainbow Awards, the Goodreads M/M Romance Group, and various reviewers. But even more special to CC are heartfelt reactions from readers, like, “You bring joy and love and make it part of the every day.”

WLK Giveaway
Winner’s choice of ebook from author’s backlist (excluding box sets or anthologies).  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Links and prizes provided by the author and WLK Book Promotions.

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