A BJ Review: Burn the Sky by Jaye McKenna

Rating:   4.5 stars out of 5

Burn The Sky coverTwenty year-old Prince Garrick is eldest son and heir presumptive of the Kingdom of Altan, but he can’t be crowned until his latent Wytch power awakens. Pressure comes to bear on his father, the Wytch King, when the much younger Prince Jaire’s Wytch power awakens instead. But Jaire, a bookish dreamer, is completely unsuited for the role of king. With his father becoming impatient, Garrick agrees to allow his Wytch power to be forced awake by the Wytch Master Tevari in order to protect Jaire. But secrets have been kept about the history and powers that lurk within the family line. When the power of the dragon within Garrick is forced awake, he’s painfully torn apart and unable to control his rage and urge to burn the sky.

Wytch Master Ilya is a century old dragon shifter and the only one with the power to try and help Garrick learn to control his own dragon. And if Ilya cannot teach Garrick to harness the beast within him before it destroys the whole kingdom, it will fall upon his shoulders him to destroy him instead. But when the two men meet, the sparks begin to fly in more ways than one. 

Prince Garrick grew so much during this story from the rebellious youth goofing off from his studies & getting off in the corridors with his friend to a strong leader fighting to control his dragon power and take on the mantle of responsibility for an entire Kingdom. Excellent characterizations throughout. Kian was sweet, down-to-earth, and witty almost despite himself. Poor young Jaire, frail and not suited to rule, disliked by his father for reasons outside his control, yet he shows both courage and strength.

But beautiful Ilya with his tragic past and wounded heart steals the spotlight for me, since I’m a huge sucker for wounded men.

Intricate and quite nuanced world-building. Interesting power struggle between the Wytch Council and Wytch King, because even though the Wytch Kings governed their kingdoms, the Wytch Council seemed to hold power over who was allowed to take the throne. Individual intrigue also comes into play in this fast-paced story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. It had wit, heat, angst, intrigue, and lots of long-haired men! And I love the contrast between Ilya’s ice dragon and Garrick’s more traditional fire-breathing dragon. I’d easily recommend this well-written fantasy! It’s my new favorite dragon shifter story.

Cover Artist: Chinchbug created a stunning depiction of dragons in flight that grabbed my attention with color contrast and captured motion.

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

Book Details:

195 pages, eBook
Published January 12, 2015

Mythe Weaver Press

Author Highlight! Shira Anthony on Blood and Ghosts & Writing Time Travel! (contest and guest blog)

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“Blood and Ghosts (Blood #2) by Shira Anthony”

Special Guest Blog

We are so happy to have Shira Anthony here today to talk about her sequel to Blood and Rain (Blood 1), Blood and Ghosts! In her latest series, Shira Anthony has vampire characters, time travel and many other elements that we haven’t seen from this author before.  So today we are offered a little insight into her characters and how it is to write time travel into her stories. For more details about the book and its author, continue on after the guest post.  Happy Reading.

 Shira Anthony on  Writing Time Travel

Thanks, Melanie, for hosting the Blood and Ghosts blog tour today! I’m so excited to share the second book in the Blood Series from Dreamspinner Press with everyone. Be sure to read down about how to enter the blog tour giveaway for a cool Dr. Who “Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey” pendant.

Have you ever dreamed you could go back in time and do things differently? There are many different concepts of time and how the choices we make affect our future. Speculative fiction is hot right now, and there are some great books out there that delve into what might have happened if, for example, Germany had won World War II, or the South had won the United States Civil War and slavery had never been abolish. These sorts of stories utilize a view of time as linear, but with many twists andTime travel turns based on events and choices. This diagram demonstrates that concept. Each green dot is a choice that leads to a different outcome. Decide you’re going to have dinner with Jim, and maybe you don’t meet John. Each choice becomes a fork in the road.

The Blood Series was inspired by a Japanese anime, Noein, which utilizes precisely this concept of time (and yes, I’m a total anime geek, for those who may not already know!). The Blood Series features three M/M pairings, but the main focus is on immortal vampire hunter Adrien Gilbert and the ancient vampire (born a vampire, not created from a human) he loves, Nicolas Lambert. Through Nicolas’s powerful blood, Adrien not only becomes immortal, but he gains powers beyond those of vampires or hunters. In book 2 in the series, Blood and Ghosts, Adrien discovers he has the ability to travel through time. Unfortunately for Adrien, controlling that power is something just beyond his grasp.

Blood and Ghosts features three timelines, or “timestreams”: the original timestream Adrien lives in which is chronicled in Blood and Rain (Blood #1), the timestream Adrien inadvertently changes when he’s sent back to a time before he ever met Nicolas, and finally, a confusing new future I won’t spoil in which he finds himself at the end of the second book (a where he finally gets a happily-for-now with his beloved Nicolas!). Keeping all of these straight, and keeping them understandable for the reader, was a monumental task. How did I do it? With a lot of input from my wonderful beta readers and my Dreamspinner Press editors. Oh, and a crap ton of rewriting!

Adrien meets three versions of Nicolas in the series: the Nicolas he originally fell in love with, the Nicolas whose life he changes when Adrien finds himself in his teenaged past, and a Nicolas of the future who has never met Adrien. Writing each Nicolas was a great deal of fun. At his heart (or soul, as the vampires would say), each Nicolas is the same. But events and choices can change and shape a person, for better or worse.

Adrien wants to spend his immortal life at Nicolas’s side. But which Nicolas he’ll end up with is far from clear. Finding Nicolas isn’t the only challenge Adrien must face—he must also repair the damage created by Verel Pelletier, another immortal hunter bent on reigniting a war between vampires and hunters. And Adrien must fix both past and present before he loses everything he ever cared about.

Blood and Ghosts ends with a happily-for-now for Nicolas and Adrien, and with a question: what would you sacrifice for your own happiness? That question will be answered in the final book in the series, Blood and Eternity, which will be published in early 2016. –Shira

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Blood and Ghosts (Blood #2) by Shira Anthony

Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Reese Dante
Release Date: April 20, 2015

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

Thank you so much for being part of my blog tour! Below is all the basic information you’ll need to add to the exclusive post. I’ve also attached the artwork for you to use as you wish to dress up the post. If you have any questions, please email me at: shiraanthony@hotmail.com. Thanks again! -Shira

Contest

Blood and Ghosts Blog Tour Giveaway:  Enter to win a Blood Series prize basket including a Dr. Who Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey Pendant, a paperback copy of Blood and Rain, and a Blood Series pen.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Prizes and link provided by Shira Anthony.
Link to Rafflecopter giveaway: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/cf0ba94911/?

Blurb: Sequel to Blood and Rain/Blood: Book Two

BloodandGhostsFSWith vampire Nicolas Lambert’s marriage to a rival clanswoman only weeks away, Adrien Gilbert struggles to come to terms with his defeat at the hands of Verel Pelletier, a vampire hunter and an immortal like himself. Adrien and his former teacher, Roland Günter, begin to explore his newly acquired abilities. But without his soul’s sword, Adrien flounders.

On Nicolas’s wedding day, a two-hundred-year old secret is revealed, sending the wedding party into a blazing battle between hunters and vampires. Once again Adrien finds himself facing Pelletier’s superior strength. Just as Adrien believes all hope of a future with Nicolas is lost, he finally learns his true gift—he can turn back time. But time travel comes with a high cost. To save Nicolas, Adrien must become strong enough to use his power without descending into madness.

Blood and Rain (Blood #1):

Blood and Rain 400x600Adrien Gilbert has spent several lifetimes searching for the love he lost. Born in the 1800s into a clan of fabled vampire hunters, Adrien once wanted nothing more than to tend his family’s vineyard in southern France or read a good book. But Adrien’s peaceful existence ends abruptly when his older brother, François, is murdered. Bound by his hunter’s oath, Adrien sets out on a path that will forever change his life when he agrees to execute his brother’s killer, the vampire Charles Duvalier.

After months chasing the elusive Charles, Adrien reluctantly makes a bargain with Nicolas Lambert, an ancient vampire. Adrien will escort Nicolas to Paris for his marriage to a rival clanswoman, and Nicolas will help Adrien find Charles. Nicolas’s quiet strength and gentle heart soon convince Adrien that Nicolas is nothing like the vampires he has sworn to destroy. As the wedding date draws nearer, a force intent on destroying the fragile peace between the vampire clans threatens to tear apart both the vampire realm and the world of the hunters. To secure both past and future for those he loves, Adrien must find a way to stop the looming war between hunters and vampires. But first he’ll have to let Nicolas go.

About Author Shira Anthony….

Shira Anthony is a complete sucker for a happily-ever-after, and rarely reads or writes a story without one. Never a fan of instalove, Shira likes to write stories about real men with real issues making real relationships work. 

In her last incarnation, Shira was a professional opera singer, performing roles in such operas as “Tosca,” “Pagliacci,” and “La Traviata,” among others. Her Blue Notes Series is loosely based upon her own experiences as a professional musician.

Shira is married with two children and two insane dogs and when she’s not writing, she is usually in a courtroom trying to make the world safer for children. When she’s not working, she can be found aboard a 36’ catamaran at the Carolina coast with her favorite sexy captain at the wheel. She’s given up TV for evenings spent with her laptop, and she never goes anywhere without a pile of unread M/M romance on her Kindle.

Interested in hearing Shira sing? Here’s a link to a live performance of Shira singing an aria from Puccini’s “Tosca”: http://www.shiraanthony.com/wp-conten…

You can subscribe to Shira’s monthly newsletter for updates, free fiction, and subscriber-only contests here: http://www.shiraanthony.com/newsletter/

Blood and Ghosts Blog Tour Participants:
April 20th – Prism Book Alliance
April 21st – Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
April 22nd – My Fiction Nook
April 23rd – Love Bytes
April 24th – MM Good Book Reviews
April 25th – Andrew Q. Gordon (The Land of Make Believe)
April 26th – Aisling Mancy
April 27th – Bike Book Reviews
April 28th – Charlie Cochet
April 29th – Hearts on Fire Book Reviews
April 30th – Kim Fielding

In the Spotlight: In Memory of Us by Ana J. Phoenix (excerpt and contest)

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 In Memory of Us by  Ana J. Phoenix

Release Date: March 31, 2015

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Ana J. Phoenix has a new release out, In Memory of Us.  Just that gorgeous cover is enough to draw you in, don’t you think?  Here is more information about the book and its author.  Don’t forget to enter the giveaway located at the end of the post.

 

STRW Author BookSynopsis

About In Memory of Us….

Kite’s had a crush on Shin since middle school, but never acted on it until the eve of his yearly trip to the States, when he slipped up and kissed his best friend. Shortly after, a tsunami wrecked the country and his hometown, and put all his plans on hold. Now, two years later, he’s back in Japan and he wants to set things right.

When he finds Shin, though, his former best friend isn’t who he used to be. Losing his parents changed Shin and now, instead of following his heart, he’s dedicated his life to studying for university entrance exams and ignoring everything else. He won’t let Kite get close, denying his obvious attraction and all their good memories.

Kite doesn’t want to give up on Shin, but he can’t shake the feeling that there’s something his friend isn’t telling him. Something else that happened two years ago on the day of the tsunami. He doesn’t know what it is, just that it’s destroying his friend—and possibly their shot at love.

Pages or Words: 28,000 words, 100 pages

Categories: Contemporary, M/M Romance, New Adult, Romance

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

“You know I watched you all through high school.”

“Watched me do what?”

“Fuck around.”

Kite grimaced but didn’t know what to say. He had been promiscuous, no denying that.

“I didn’t have a crush on you in third grade,” Shin went on. “Not consciously.”

“When did it become conscious?”

Shin leaned back a little, as if he needed the distance to be able to think. “Middle school,” he said then. “We were having ice cream and suddenly you told me you’d kissed Kaoru.”

Kite furrowed his brow. He didn’t remember much about Kaoru, but he did remember coming out to his best friend over ice cream. Ice cream made him think of a time in California when his sister would take him out for a treat to get away from their parents’ fighting and she’d tell him that she would definitely never get married. He figured since he was kissing boys, he probably wouldn’t get married either.

“Kaoru was a test run,” he told Shin.

“Yeah? Was everyone after him a test run too?”

“No.” Kite lifted his hand and ran his fingers through the soft hair at the nape of Shin’s neck. “Everyone after him was to take my mind off you.”

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Publisher: Loose ID
Cover Artist: Dar Albert

Sales Links:  Loose Id    All Romance (ARe)  Amazon

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
Twitter: https://twitter.com/anajphoenix
Website: http://anajphoenix.com
Goodreads Link

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Tour Dates & Stops: April 21, 2015

Parker Williams, BFD Book Blog, Nephylim, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, The Hat Party, Chris McHart, My Fiction Nook, Bayou Book Junkie, Rainbow Gold Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews, Wake Up Your Wild Side, Boys on the Brink Reviews, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Cate Ashwood, Velvet Panic, Multitasking Mommas, The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat, Boy Meets Boy Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Divine Magazine

 

STRW Spotlight Contest Header

Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: From Ana J. Phoenix: “To keep with the theme, I’m giving away a small goody bag with Japanese things.” (Giveaway open to everyone anywhere in the world.) Japanese good luck charms play an important role in the story, so I’m including one in this gift bag. Note: You must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Prizes and link provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Stella Review: Even the Innocent by D.W. Marchwell

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Even the Innocent coverSalvatore Terranova is a teacher at the local high school. He used to live in the big city of Charlottetown, but never did meet the man of his dreams. Jaded but not defeated, Sal returns to Montague, completely unaware that the mysterious new neighbor in the old Victorian across the street is much more than he seems.

Having uprooted himself, Behr Kincaid settles in a small town, thousands of kilometers from everything and everyone he’s ever known. And with good reason, because he wasn’t born with that name. Behr always knew his brother was a criminal, but when Maurizio killed Behr’s husband of ten years, Behr gave up the life he had in order to see justice served. Despite his new identity, Behr knows the inevitable showdown will come when Maurizio tracks him down.

As Sal gets to know Behr, he realizes the man is lying about more than his name. While Behr wonders if there’s room for the truth, Sal wants to know who he’s falling in love with and must decide if it can lead to anything but a broken heart.

Even the Innocent by D. W. Marchwell was not the story I hoped for. I was waiting for something better. It’s a good story with good characters, main and secondary ones too (Sal’s family was amazing). The blurb sounded really good and the premise  caught my interest. The reason why I can’t give it more than three stars is that it didn’t deliver as I was expecting. Let’s start from the beginning.

Behr just moved to Montague, Canada with his two Shepherd dogs, Charlie and Lucy. He had to start a new life, in a new place, a new home and a new identity, after testifying against his own brother Maurizio, who killed Dino, a policeman and Behr’s husband for ten years.

Sal teaches physical educational and has a large, overwhelming Italian family but he is pretty much lonely. When he meets the beautiful man with redhair and cute dogs, he is soon attracted to him, but the man flees. The Fate will give Sal a second chance when the fearful man ends up being his new neighbor, Behr.

Behr is often on the edge, always watching his back for some revenge from his brother. Sal knows he is hiding something but he’s not worried about, he just wants to live this story, be able to make Behr smile again and show him how much Sal cares about him. I liked Sal a lot, he’s funny, caring and a great family man, just what Behr needs.

I was expecting more angst at the start but honestly the story is not heavy or depressing, cause the author chose to bring Sal and Behr soon quickly. So while I was waiting for something to happen, what I really got was simply a sweet story between two lonely men. It was a light reading, with some funny moments in it too.

I liked the story in general but I’d have preferred for the MCs to not be together so soon. In my opinion it was too early because Behr went through so much hurt.  I expected him to wait a little more before trusting someone who was basically a stranger with his secrets, that would have been better, especially when his own blood betrayed him in the worst way.  Through all the reading I had the feeling Sal and Behr didn’t realize the danger they were in. They acted too careless, foolishly. At the end the story resolved too simply, missing depth in the characters I had expected.

It is an okay reading, if you’re in the mood for something light. Since I thought I was going to read a different story, Even The Innocent disappointed me in some parts, definitely not the best book I read by D.W. Marchwell.

Cover art by Aaron Anderson

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

Book Details:

Published March 30th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
ebook, 200 pages
ISBN13 9781632166487
Edition language English

 

Barb, A Zany Old Lady Review – Food for Thought ( Tales of the Curious Cookbook #2) by Amy Lane

Rating: 4 stars out of 5:

Food for Thought coverEmmett Gant was planning to tell his father something really important one Sunday morning—but his father passed away first. Now, nearly three years later, Emmett can’t seem to clear up who he should be with—the girl with the apple cheeks and the awesome family, or his snarky neighbor, Keegan, who never sees his family but who makes Emmett really happy just by coming over to chat.

Emmett needs clarity.

Fortunately for Emmett, his best friend’s mom has a cookbook that promises to give Emmett insight and good food, and Emmett is intrigued. After the cookbook follows him home, Emmett and Keegan decide to make the recipe “For Clarity,” and what ensues is both very clear—and a little surprising, especially to Emmett’s girlfriend. Emmett is going to have to think hard about his past and the really important thing he forgot to tell his father if he wants to get the recipe for love just right.

The second story in the new series, Tales of the Curious Cookbook, features tall, socially awkward, shy Emmett Gant who has not been able to act on his desire for another man since he broke up with Jordyn, his college roommate and first love, three years ago. On the day he had been planning to come out to his father, he discovered his dad had passed away alone at his home. Devastated, and unable to vocalize the fact that he is gay to anyone else because, after all, he tried to tell his father but he died first so now he can’t tell anyone, and he turns to the solution of dating a woman.

He’s a pretty emotionally damaged young man in want, in need, of a big family of his own. When he was a kid he was “adopted” by his best friend Vinnie’s large and boisterous family and that’s what he wants for his life now. Thinking that being married to a female is the key to that happiness, he’s been dating Christine, but he’s been unable to go further than to kiss her. Even his new best friend, Keegan, the cute guy who befriended him when he bought his home in a neighborhood not far from his workplace, discourages him from pursuing Christine.

Emmett needs to have clarity, to be able to see the truth about himself as others see him and Flora, Vinne’s mom, has just the solution. She presents him with a copy of an old handwritten cookbook, Recipes for the Heart: Mystical Meals and Dangerous Desserts, by Granny B. He can’t believe she’d entrust him with something that should be a family heirloom and tries to leave it behind, but he finds it in his car when he gets back home.

The key to Emmett’s issues is found in that cookbook with a recipe for beet porridge—the recipe for clarity. He and Keegan decide to make that recipe, and though the recipe itself is a disaster, the outcome is not. Both men find the truth and each other <spoiler> and unfortunately, Christine finds both of them in bed!</spoiler> But clarity indeed does ensue because Emmett pulls up his big boy panties and sets out to make things right—first with Christine, and then with his dad, and finally with Keegan.

This was a short, but very sweet and emotionally charged story. Hey, it’s Amy Lane—of course, there’s emotion! It amazes me that she can wrap characters around my heart as quickly as she does, and she fills in family relationships with a few quick strokes of her keyboard, yet they are rich in detail and serve as a strong support for the MCs.

I recommend this story to all lovers of M/M romance, but especially to those who love an emotionally damaged hero who finds the strength to accept love and move forward toward his HEA.

~~~

Cover Art by Reese Dante depicts a cat in front of an open cookbook. Emmett’s cat, George, is featured prominently in this cookbook story, making the cover perfect for this book.

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

Book Details:

ebook, 92 pages
Published April 8th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press LLC
original title Food for Thought
ISBN13 9781632168597
edition language English
series Tales of the Curious Cookbook

Tales of the Curious Cookbook series:

6 works, 5 primary works.
Five fun and fanciful stories about a rather curious cookbook!

Authors and Their Stories:

RJ Scott – For a Rainy Afternoon (Tales of the Curious Cookbook) by R.J. Scott
Amy Lane – Food for Thought (Tales of the Curious Cookbook) by Amy Lane
Marie Sexton – Lost Along the Way (Tales of the Curious Cookbook) by Marie Sexton
Amber Kell – Cookies for Courting (Tales of the Curious Cookbook) by Amber Kell
Mary Calmes – Just Desserts (Tales of the Curious Cookbook) by Mary Calmes
RJ Scott – Tales of the Curious Cookbook by R.J. Scott

In The Spotlight: Defined by Deceit by A.E. Via (excerpt and giveaway)

Defined by Deceit cover
DEFINED BY DECEIT by A.E. Via
Release Date: March 27, 2015

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A.E. Via is a author new to Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words.  Her latest novel is releasing shortly and we thought to give you all a sneak peak and a chance to win 3 copes of the story.  Check out the synopsis and excerpt from Defined by Deceit and check out Mika’s Review as well.  Further contest details are listed at the end.  On to Defined by Deceit by A. E. Via!

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M/M Contemporary Romance
Edited by: Tina Adamski
Cover Art by: Jay Aheer
eBook, 300 Pages

Buy Links:      Amazon   AllRomance (ARe)  Barnes & Noble

 

 

STRW Author BookSynopsis

Life isn’t always fair, and that’s something that Llewellyn Gardner knows about first hand. His life was on the fast track until one night of extreme passion changed everything.

Now eight years later, he’s still living with the aftershocks of that night. Everywhere he turns or runs, there’s another reminder. What the hell do you do when you try to drown your demons only to find out they can swim?

Shane Smith, Jr. owner of Smith Construction, could see the emotional turmoil within his new employee — it’s why he hired him. There was something about the gorgeous, misunderstood man with the overly expressive eyes that came to their small town with a past no one was willing to overlook. Shane could see the good in Llewellyn, and those eyes of his were a clear window to his soul. Shane wasn’t going to let the man live a future of solitude because his past had been plagued with deceit.

Llewellyn wasn’t sure what to think about Shane. After years of protecting himself from being tricked twice, he was now faced with worry again. What would happen to him if Shane didn’t believe his truth, and walked away? Llewellyn wasn’t sure he’d be able to survive being left alone. Again.

00000 Defined By Deceit Teaser

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt
A guy with black hair and a blond Mohawk wiped the bar top with a rag as he asked him, “What can I get you?”

Llew nodded his head in the direction of the taps. “Budweiser.”

“Regular or tall?”

“Tall.” Llew watched the man pull his drink and set it in front of him. He looked up at Llew for a split second before dropping his eyes. “Four fifty. Or do you want to start a tab?”

Setting a five-dollar bill on the counter was Llew’s answer. He turned and looked out over the dance floor, watching the men move about in the most carefree nature he’d ever seen. Men free to live and do as they wanted. Not a problem in the world. What the fuck am I doing here? Just as Llew was going to down the last of his beer, a small hand brushed over his bicep. He looked down at the fair-skinned fingers before looking up into beautiful green eyes.

“Hello.”

Llew looked at the man who was standing close enough for him to smell his sweet perfume. He wasn’t as young as lot of the guys there. Probably early thirties. He wore a preppy gray and green sweater and blue jeans. His smile was wide and genuine as he slowly rubbed his hand up to Llew’s shoulder.

“My name is Gene. My friends and I saw you come in, and you know what I said as soon as I saw you?”

Llew continued to watch this man, not responding to his questions.

“I said I thought you could use a hug. You look so serious. My friends said I’m crazy, but I have a gift for reading people.”

You don’t want to read my story.

“What’s your name? I’ve never seen you here before.” The guy had moved in even closer to Llew’s side, and was practically whispering in his ear so he didn’t have to yell over the annoying techno music blaring from the five thousand speakers all over the building.

His eyes had seemed to slip shut on their own as he turned his head into the silky skin brushing against his beard. “Llew,” he said, hoarsely.

“Lou… just Lou.” The guy looked at him disbelievingly.

“Llewellyn.” He clarified, his eyes scanning over the lithe chest beneath that sweater.

“Oh. Okay. I gotcha. So how about it, Llew?” Gene brought both hands up and draped them on Llew’s shoulders. “Can you use a hug?”

He let the man pull him closer; his long arms completely over his shoulders and linked behind his head. Llew had to admit it was a really nice hug. It wasn’t the type you’d give a stranger. It was intimate and suggestive. Llew brought one hand up and slid it around the guy’s trim waist. “There. How’s that feel?” Gene’s lips were pressed against his ear while he talked, his hot breath fanning over the side of Llew’s neck. Instead of pulling back and ending the hug, Gene kept him wrapped up. “You’re a very handsome man, Llew. Do you hear that a lot?” Gene chuckled. “Probably all the time.”

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

A.E. Via is still a fairly new author in the beautiful gay erotic genre. Her writing embodies everything from hopelessly romantic to spicy to scandalous. Her stories often include intriguing edges and twists that take readers to new, thought-provoking depths.

When she’s not clicking away at her laptop, she devotes herself to her family—a husband and four children, her two pets, a Maltese dog and her white Siamese cat, ELynn, named after the late, great gay romance author E. Lynn Harris.1450800_225532627620034_2097788792_n

While this is only her seventh novel, she has plenty more to come. So stalk her – she loves that – because the male on male action is just heating up!

Go to A.E. Via’s official website http://authoraevia.com for more detailed information on how to contact her, follow her, or a sneak peak on upcoming work, free reads, and where she’ll appear next.

Contact/Follow the Author at:

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Contest:  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.   Ebooks provided by the author.  A. E. Via is  offering our followers a giveaway of three free copies to three winners.  To enter to win, leave a comment below and an email address where you can be reached!  Contest ends May 4th, EDT at midnight.

An Aurora YA Review: There Is No Fear (Children of the Knight, #3) by Michael J. Bowler

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

The most famous boy in the world is a prisoner. He’s been charged with a crime he didn’t commit, a crime that could send him to prison for the rest of his life. Languishing within The Compound, the most secure juvenile facility in California, while the district attorney vows to make an example of him because of his celebrity status, Lance must endure the daily indignities of There is No Fear coverthe incarcerated.

New Camelot is fractured without him. Ricky and Chris are bereft, living for the weekly phone call that becomes their only lifeline to the brother they so desperately love, while Arthur and Jenny feel the loss of their son with a sadness that can’t be quelled. And what about Michael, the highly volatile teen who helped write the proposition that will change California forever? Could he really be the monster he says he is? His hatred of Ricky is palpable, and his instability may well threaten the lives of everyone at New Camelot.

As the election looms closer, Proposition 51 takes on an even greater significance in light of the pending trial of the century. The more harshly fifteen-year-old Lance is treated within the broken justice system, the more he contemplates the wisdom of his idea that children need more adult rights. If The Child Voter Act becomes law, won’t it simply allow adults to throw more kids into prison with impunity?

Whichever way the voters decide, his greatest fear remains the same: will he ever again be with the people he loves?

The Knight Cycle Continues…

This book was really great! Even as the plot gets more complex and things progress within the larger story, the characters stay just as complex and develop throughout the whole book in a way that’s really satisfying to the audience, or at least to this audience member. I had a great time reading it, and I loved the plot. It’s a rare thing to see in young adult books especially, and I loved seeing the whole thing unfold.

As I was reading it, I found myself looking forward to what was going to happen next on every single page and when I reached the end of the book I was really looking forward to being able to read the next one. This was the most exciting, for me, of the first few books. I had a great time reading it and finding out what was going to happen to all the characters and where the plot was leading.  I also couldn’t wait to see where the author would end up going next, since this series has so many original ideas and I’ve really been looking forward to seeing the ideas behind every single book as I’ve been reading them.

Cover art by Reese Dante: I really liked this cover! It’s really beautiful and it definitely drew my attention. It really followed in the theme of the other books and still represented it well, to someone coming to this book even maybe not knowing it’s part of a series would still be drawn to the cover and it would get them to at least pick the book up. It’s very well put together.

Sales Link:  Amazon       Buy It Here

Book Details:

Paperback, 284 pages
Published July 17th 2014 by Michael J Bowler
ISBN139780990306337
edition languageEnglish
seriesChildren of the Knight #3, The Knight Cycle #3

Books in the Children of the Knight, The Knight Cycle Series are:

  • Children of the Knight
  • Running Through a Dark Place (Children of the Knight, #2)
  • There Is No Fear (Children of the Knight, #3)
  • And The Children Shall Lead (Children of the Knight, #4)

 

A Stella Review: Thirty Things by Cate Ashwood

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Thirty Things coverAll their lives, Finn and Nate have been inseparable, sharing everything, and when a childhood accident left Finn broken, Nate stood by his side as all his other friends left. After all their years together, there’s one secret Finn still hasn’t revealed: he has been in love with Nate since they were eight years old. Hiding his feelings for twenty-one years—terrified of what might happen if Nate ever found out—has been difficult, but losing his best friend would be worse than living with a bad case of unrequited love.

Unfortunately for Finn, Nate doesn’t make it easy.

Nate believes there are some things that just have to be done before your thirtieth birthday. As a gift to Finn, he plans an adventure to check off a list of thirty things to experience before hitting that milestone. Starting in Crawfordsville, Indiana, they tour the country, trying new things and meeting interesting new people. Nate’s having the time of his life, but he can tell Finn is holding something back. As the days count down, navigating the back roads suddenly seems easier than figuring out where their relationship is heading.

One thing’s for certain. There will be no turning back.

Thirty Things by Cate Ashwood was a perfect reading, it caught me from the start. I simply loved it! I don’t have a lot to say about it. Do you ever have that feeling of satisfaction and completeness when you have just finished a book? When you have nothing to complain about, just good feelings? Thirty Things was like that to me. I’m a huge fan of Cate Ashwood works. I love how she writes and in particular Keeping Sweets is one of the first mm books I ever read. It stayed in my heart and I was so happy to found a little (very little) more about Evan and Bran in this book too.

There’s nothing special in this book, and when I say nothing special I mean there’s no drama, no angst, no mystery to solve, but this book is special. It was a joy to read. So peaceful, light, easy, hopeful, entertaining from page one till the end. I can’t find one little reason to give Thirty Things less than five stars.

Nate and Finn are best friends since kindergarten, they live together, Nate is a writer and Finn is an editor. Finn has been in love with Nate for twenty-one years, but Nate is straight. Just when he starts thinking it’s time to put a little space between them and maybe start looking for someone else, Nate treats him with a road trip for his thirtieth birthday, with a list of thirty things to do before he turns thirty. We’ll see them going through scary bungee jumping, spending an amazing night in a tree-houses, watching delusional rodeo shows, but most of all they will discover that the fear of losing a true friendship like the one they have has no real basis. Sometimes being with someone who knows you better than you know yourself is the most beautiful things that can happened in your life.

These two guys have a beautiful friendship. Nate in particular was the only one to stay by Finn side when Finn, only seven years old, had a bad accident that left him with a reduced mobility in the legs.

“I am so proud of you, every day, for doing what you do. I know you’re in pain, and you never show it. You are the strongest person I know, but sometimes strength means accepting help from other people. I have always been, and will always be here to support you. It’s not a sign of weakness to fall on me if you need me. I will always catch you. So let me catch you, Finn.”

I think it’s the first time I read a “friends to lovers” story in which the author decides to approach the switch from friends to lovers in a so easy way. It was a pleasure to read it. We get some glimpse of their life together, some important moments to remember, but the story isn’t made of them, it’s made of present events. Moreover I usually prefer to have an alternate POV between MCs so I can be able to know both of them better. In this book we get just Finn prospective and I didn’t need Nate’s one. It felt complete to me.

Highly recommended!

Cover art by Alexandria Corza. I loved the book and I loved the cover. It gave me the same peaceful feeling and it represents the story perfectly.

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

Book Details:

Published April 3rd 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
ebook, 210 pages, also available in paperback
ISBN13 9781632169006
Edition language English

 

Barb, A Zany Old Lady Review – The Silence of the Stars by Kate McMurray ~ Audiobook narrated by Michael Ferraioulo

Rating: 4 stars out of 5audiobook clipart bw

SilenceoftheStars[The]AUDSMEverett Blake is a successful concert violinist who holds a teaching position at Olcott School for talented young musicians in Manhattan and occasionally accepts a short stint with a local symphony since performing is a part of his life he truly loves. He’s recently been cast off by his long term partner, Pierre, a French Chef who landed his own cooking show. A perfectionist, Pierre never failed to let Everett know he wasn’t quite good enough.

Now, four months later, Everett has his own apartment in Manhattan and has hired a local contractor to remodel his kitchen. Sandy Sullivan is the principal contractor for the company in that area and when he arrives on Everett’s doorstep, the mutual attraction is immediately evident.

Sandy is sexy, fun, and an enjoyable companion as Everett discovers over drinks one night. He’s an Army vet who served multiple tours overseas but was injured in Afghanistan when a car bomb exploded and was medically discharged. Unknown to Everett, Sandy suffers from PTSD, the true reason he left the Army. His close friend was killed when that bomb exploded, and though he only suffers occasional flashbacks now, he does still suffer from vivid and frightening nightmares.

When he and Everett eventually have sex, Sandy always finds a reason to leave afterwards, making Everett think that perhaps Sandy isn’t looking for a relationship. Everett, handsome, wealthy and educated, has always chosen to be in a relationship with a man before having sex, and he thought that’s what he and Sandy had started so he’s disappointed each time Sandy goes. When Sandy finally does stay over one night, Everett learns why Sandy always leaves when Everett wakes Sandy in the middles of a nightmare and finds himself thrown to the floor.

Eventually, Sandy decides to seek the help of a psychologist who specializes in PTSD because he’s starting to care for Everett, and he realizes his PTSD and related nightmares are affecting their budding relationship. Sandy’s goal in life has always been to have a large, happy family in a nice home with a wonderful life partner, or husband now that same sex marriage is possible. However, he now believes it’s too late for him, and he faces a struggle to work through his PTSD issues and his thoughts and feelings about his life plans. In the meantime, he and Everett are growing closer and Everett surprises Sandy by standing up for him when they go to meet Everett’s snobby parents. But it’s the little things that Everett does for him, the quiet and strong support he shows in many ways, that eventually helps Sandy more than anything else.

This is a wonderful story about love and relationships, a hurt-comfort story in which both men learn and grow due to being with each other. Everett is not without his own revelations in this story as he re-examines his feelings about love and family and commitment. The narrator, Michael Ferraioulo, does an excellent job in vocalizations of the characters as well as in the overall narration. He has one of those voices that is a pleasure to listen to, and I found that I carried my iPhone around with me all day so that I could listen to this story no matter what I was doing—just like being unable to put down a good book.

Though it is second in a series, there’s no need to read the first one, but I have to admit that now that I’ve met a few characters from that story, I’ll likely go back and read (or listen to) that one too.

Cover by Aaron Anderson depicts a head shot of a man on a solid white background with the title and a music score superimposed over his face. This is a nice way to depict the importance of music in the life of MC Everett while picturing a man who I assume is MC Sandy.

Sales Links:   Dreamspinner Press Audio Book          iTunes   Audible

Book Details:

Narrator Michael Ferraiuolo
Length 7 hours and 0 minutes
Categories:AudiobooksKate McMurrayStars that Tremble and Silence of the Stars by Kate McMurray
Book Type Audiobook
Other Formats: eBook, Paperback

In the Spotlight: Kjartan The Gentle; Tales of Forbidden Love From the Danelaw by Catherine L. Byrne (excerpt and contest)

kjartanthegentle72

Kjartan the Gentle Series: Tales of Forbidden Love From the Danelaw #3

Author Catherine L. Byrne

Release Date: February 1, 2015

STRW In The Spotlight Header

 

Note:  This is the only M/M book of the trilogy and can be read as a standalone.

Goodreads Link
Publisher: eXtasy Books
Cover Artist: Carmen Waters

Sales Links: Amazon US  Amazon UK  eXtasy Books

RC

 

STRW Author BookSynopsis

916 A.D. East Anglia under the Danelaw.

In Dark Age Britain, you knew your place and if you didn’t keep to it, you faced the consequences…

Hot-blooded Kjartan, accidental hero, has settled down into married life, with a baby on the way. But when he meets handsome glass maker Lini, their unlawful relationship provokes angry and passionate reactions from their kinfolk.

They have to fight back against the prejudice of Norse culture, and find out who their real friends—and enemies—are. And this conflict leads to murder.

But who is the victim, and who the killer?

Pages or Words: 33,541 words

Categories: Bisexual, Historical, M/M Romance, Mystery, Romance

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

Lini then went to the kiln and put the glass blowing rod into it, collecting a blob of molten green glass. He wore gloves, but there were old burns on his arms above the glove cuff. He blew into the cloth mouthpiece of the iron rod carefully, and Kjartan gasped as the bubble expanded. Lini spun it round and held a tool to it, shaping it into a symmetrical bowl shape. When finished, he put it into the low-heated oven so it would cool down slowly and not crack. He then repeated the process a few more times.

By this time, Kjartan had completely forgotten what he was talking about and stood just gazing, mesmerised.

“It’s wholly different to fighting in a battle, yes?” Lini smiled and wiped the sweat from his brow with his arm. “Quite calming.”

Kjartan just nodded, staring at the sweat running down Lini’s tanned back.

“So, the fighting school? You got as far as saying what you were going to teach them.”

“Oh. Yes. I’ll think of something.” It was far too hot in the forge and stopped his mind from working properly.

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

Catherine L Byrne amused herself writing as a hobby for some years until she had her daughter, but becoming a mum made her realise she now had a purpose and time was limited, so she must get on with writing seriously.
The winter of 2009 was severe and as she and her family live in a small village, they were house bound by unusually deep snow for southern England. So she settled down in her office (i.e. the corner of her bedroom) and began her first book, which was published in 2010.
She hasn’t stopped writing since, generally on the theme of forbidden or unrequited love, and often including erotic scenes.

Where to find the author:

Facebook Author Page
Twitter: https://twitter.com/catherinelbyrne
Other (WordPress blog): https://catherinelbyrne.wordpress.com/


Tour Dates & Stops: April 17, 2015Parker Williams, BFD Book Blog, MM Good Book Reviews, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Inked Rainbow Reads, Bayou Book Junkie, Molly Lolly, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Cate Ashwood, Tara Lain, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Chris McHart, Because Two Men Are Better Than One, Andrew Q. Gordon, Kimi-Chan, Wake Up Your Wild Side, The Hat Party

 

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Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: PDF copy of Kjartan the Gentle. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

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