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In the Book Spotlight: The Island Keepers by Kristopher Quentin

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The Island Keepers by Kristopher Quentin
Release Date: January 4, 2015

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Publisher: Cool Dudes Publishing
Cover Artist: Louis C. Harris with photography of lighthouse supplied by author
Sales Links:  Cool Dudes Publishing

STRW Author BookSynopsis

They could hardly have been less alike.

David is striking, tanned, smooth, charismatic, blond with an ice melting smile,
and possesses an unmistakable gift as a fiction writer, even at twenty-one.
Wyatt looks as plain as paper, short by comparison, white as a ghost, graceless,
a celebrated oil painter. He is single and he is out. David, raised a strict
evangelical fundamentalist, is embarrassed by his own virginity. Both men
are sent to Puffin Island and, within days of their arrival a young woman washes
ashore, frozen and unresponsive after her kayak crashes against the rocks.

David and Wyatt save her life. Days later, Wyatt is charged with rape. While
the authorities investigate, the woman’s nineteen year old identical twin
brothers paddle their way to Puffin to teach Wyatt a lesson. Their goal, to
avenge their sister.

The bond between David and Wyatt increases during island duty, and his heart
struggles with the imbedded childhood dogma and lethally homophobic
parents, propelling him to bond with Wyatt, but, when the inthinkable happens,
Wyatt is once more left alone. Wyatt has no option but to move on because
there is a lot at stake and he turns to the unlikeliest of characters to fill the
void, a person who will teach him an important lesson; that love is all about
choice. By making a decision, Wyatt must sacrifice a need that had been
created by his past with David.

Pages or Words: 108,000 words

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Categories: Gay fiction, M/M Romance, New Adult, Romance

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

“Wyatt?”

“Yes?”

“ I need to ask you a point blank question.”

“You can always ask, David. You know that.”

“I…I want to…I want know if…fuck this is so hard. Just a sec. I need to breathe.”

I waited a few moments, listening to him breathe deeply.

‘Okay, I’m ready. You still there?”

“Still here. What’s bothering you David?”

“I…I’ve never done this before so please forgive me for botching it up.”

“Talk to me, David.”

“Okay. Okay.” He whispered, and then taking a deep breath, said, “I want to know if you love me. I mean, are you in love with me?”

* * *

Knock me over with a feather.

I’d been staring out the window watching a couple of kittens chasing each other up and down a pair of maples in our yard.
Somehow, I suddenly identified with the chaser.

“I’ll answer that if you promise to answer the same question. Deal?”

I heard a gulp in my ear piece. “Perfect. I’ll answer it first since I asked it,” he said. “You need to know that I love you. I am in love with you. And I’m fucking miserable not having you by my side. I’m even more forlorn knowing you’re dating someone else.” He paused and took a deep breath. “Okay? There, I said it.”

“Do you feel better?”

“That depends on your answer.”

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

About the author:

Kristopher Quentin has been writing for decades. He is a businessman
and broadcast journalist by trade, a man up at 3:45 every weekday
morning for a stint on the news desk; a little earlier on weekends to
write fiction in his man cave. An upstate New Yorker by birth, he now
lives in the most rural area of far northern Maine, USA, on 54-acres
of land: wooded, lawns, driveways, and a few buildings including his
four thousand square foot home which he calls the white house; because
it is. His property is home to moose, deer, rabbits, raccoons,
porcupines, fox, weasels, black bears, and one Bard owl.
He loves reading gay romances among other forms of fiction;
non-fiction; and memoirs most of which he considers to be fictional.
Travelling, dining out, boat riding are among his passions; that and
flying his own single engine airplane when he was younger.

Where to find the author:

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Tour Dates & Stops: April 2, 2015

Parker Williams, Cate Ashwood, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Inked Rainbow Reads, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Molly Lolly, BFD Book Blog, It’s Raining Men, Michael Mandrake, Andrew Q. Gordon, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Bayou Book Junkie, Divine Magazine, MM Good Book Reviews, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Hearts on Fire, Elin Gregory

A Paul Review: To Touch the Sky (Leap of Faith #2) by M.A. Church

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Leap of Faith: Book Two

He can run, but he can’t hide…

ToTouchTheSkyThis is the second book in M. A. Church’s Leap of Faith series. This book’s timeline is concurrent with the first book of the series and as such can be read as a standalone. Reading the first novel will give some back story to a couple of the characters and events mentioned but it is not necessary to enjoy this book.

In pre-Colonial America, Chetan is a warrior of The People, a group of Native American shifters of Wha-Tay. On a buffalo hunt with his tribe, Chetan is in charge of supervising his nephew Isi, who is on his first hunt. Things begin to go wrong and before Chetan can react, Isi is killed by a stampeding buffalo who escaped the hunt. Devastated, he goes into seclusion in a deserted cave. While there, he dreams of his fated mate, a white man with blond hair. Having failed his nephew, Chetan vows never to put himself in a position to hurt someone close to him again.

In modern times, Chetan is now called Gus Hawkins or Hawk for short. He owns a bar on the outskirts of Memphis. He has developed a reputation of player who only dates dark haired men, never lets the sleep over and never sleep with someone more than three times. This way he feels that he will never find his fated mate and will never develop feelings for someone to let them down again, like his nephew.

Simon Carter is a blond twenty something who most people would describe as a twink. He is a web designer for one of the major oil refineries in the Memphis area. He is a spitfire who takes the term twink and rails against it, going so far as to turn down a date when someone uses the term to describe him. So instead of the date that he was going to go on, he decides to go to this out of the way bar which has a reputation as being gay friendly. While playing pool, he nearly gets into a fight with some drunken college guys who are throwing homophobic terms at him. Then this big Native American step in to protect him from the possible gay bashing. Thus Simon is introduced to his fated mate, Hawk.

Hawk and Simon must overcome things in Hawk’s past and the reputation that Hawk has developed in the meantime. Simon cannot believe that Hawk could possibly be interested in him as Hawk never dates blonds. Hawk must convince Simon that he is a special case and that the rules do not apply to Simon, his mate. Hawk must also introduce Simon to his culture and the fact that he is a shifter and by agreeing to be his mate, Simon will become one too.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author puts a different spin on the shifter genre with emphasis on the Native American culture. The shifter spirit, called a totem, often talks to the human side. The conversations between Hawk and his totem are both hilarious and insightful. You could call the totem a second conscious for Hawk. He implores Hawk to do what is needed but in many instances Hawk ignores the totem and does what he has always done. I am looking forward to the next book in this highly entertaining series.

The cover art by L.C. Chase is well done. It depicts the blond Simon in the foreground with a hawk soaring in the night sky in the background. It is a well done representation of the novel.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press       All Romance (ARe)       Amazon      Buy It Here – April 3

Book Details

Ebook, 189 pages
Edition: English
Publish: April 2, 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN: 978-63216-913-6
Book Series: Leap of Faith
Shadows in the Night (Leap of Faith #1)
To Touch the Sky (Leap of Faith #2)

In the Book Spotlight: Emerald Keep by A Catherine Noon & Rachel Wilder (contest)

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Emerald Keep (The Persis Chronicles #2)
by
Authors A Catherine Noon & Rachel Wilder

Release Date: April 8, 2015

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In 2012, I read Emerald Fire by A Catherine Noon & Rachel Wilder and was smitten.  I loved the deep world building, the amazing cultures the authors created, and above all the complex characters at the heart of the story.  I had given up thinking I would see a return to this universe….until I heard Emerald Keep was scheduled for release on April 8th!  Be still my heart!  Here’s your first look at the sequel (mine too).  And don’t forget to enter the contest to be found at the end of the post.

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About Emerald Keep….

STRW Author BookSynopsis

When Emerald Keeper Teeka returns to the city of Reghdad and leaves the harsh desert behind, he finds that not all dangers come from the Great Valley. The dangerous Daymonth is nearly upon them and no one can survive on the surface of the planet — but Senior Hunter Quill Mayer is trying to get to Reghdad, and Teeka, before the start of it. Even if he makes it, Emerald Keep denies Teeka’s Contract with Senior Hunter Quill, and Teeka discovers his enemy is more powerful than any of them suspected and he will stop at nothing to separate Teeka and Quill — even by striking in the very heart of the city.

Pages or Words: 81,000 words

Categories: Erotica, Fantasy, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance, Science Fiction

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

Teeka fought not to fidget as Cordell paid the young man and unrolled the message sheet. He didn’t like the way Cordell frowned and curbed the impulse to snatch the moss paper away and read it himself.

Cordell met his gaze. “The Corsair MD Stardawn clipped a runner on rocks on the way to Kotek Stronghold from Cyrus. When she arrived at Kotek Stronghold, she couldn’t leave. Most passengers got to Cyrus on the other corsairs that had room, but with cramped quarters. Passengers that chose to stay at the stronghold received assistance with lodgings and a voucher for travel after Daymonth.”

“Does it say anything about the passengers on the Sandqueen?” Teeka clutched the edge of the table.

“There is no Senior Hunter Quill Mayer listed on the Sandqueen’s manifest.” Cordell glanced again at the paper. “The Dock Assistant says that livestock wouldn’t have been accommodated due to space constraints.”

Teeka took a deep breath and took the paper from Cordell. He pretended to read it, but tears blurred his vision.

“Maybe he hired a corsair from Kotek City to Reghdad like you did,” Cordell pointed out.

The price of a corsair would be out of anyone’s reach unless they were like Teeka’s father, a minister with the wealth to pay for it and the political pull to be able to hire it without any other passengers. Corsairs that made the run from Kotek City would be stuffed full of passengers and luggage for families journeying to caverns along the route; no one would take one all the way to Reghdad. It wouldn’t make sense.

Quill didn’t make it. He couldn’t leave the truffles alone at the stronghold.

Teeka was alone for the Daymonth.

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Goodreads Link
Publisher: Torquere Press
Cover Artist: BSClay

Sales Links: Torquere Press

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

About the authors:

For author and textile artist A. Catherine Noon, it’s all about the yarn, both metaphorical and literal – spinning a yarn, knitting with yarn, weaving, sewing, painting, sharing stories and good times over a cup of coffee with dark chocolate.

She teaches creative writing, creative expression, and textile arts.

For author Rachel Wilder, it’s all about the person – from characters to clients. Image Consultant | Dominatrix | Author

Where to find the author:

My links: Blog | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon | LinkedIn | Pandora 

Knoontime Knitting:  Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Ravelry
Noon and Wilder links: Blog | Taurus and Taurus (NSFW) | Website | Facebook

The Writer Zen Garden:  The Writers Retreat Blog | Forum | Facebook | Twitter | Meetup

National Novel Writing Month: NaNoWriMo | ChiWriMo | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Team Blogs: Nightlight | Nightlight FB Page |  Beyond the Veil | BtV FB Page  | Nice Girls Writing Naughty | NGW FB | NGW Twitter

 

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Tour Dates & Stops: April 1, 2015

MM Good Book Reviews, Parker Williams, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, BFD Book Blog, Bayou Book Junkie, Inked Rainbow Reads, Love Bytes, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Molly Lolly, Amanda C. Stone, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Cate Ashwood, Up All Night, Read All Day, Michael Mandrake, Charley Descoteaux

 

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Contest: Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Rafflecopter link and prizes provided by the authors and Pride Promotions. Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize of a knitted scarf by the authors.

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A MelanieM Review: Death by Dragon by Madeleine Ribbon

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Death by Dragon coverSince his mother died, the victim of an attack by a powerful vampire, Rafael “Fell” Harwick, has been living, no hiding, in his cabin deep in the woods.  A half incubus and witch, Fell is considered a hybrid that other supernaturals avoid, either because of his incubus half or the fact that he’s a witch.  Fell only goes into town when he needs to feed and that is infrequent because Fell hates feeling like a whore who needs the sex act to exist. Fell also doesn’t want to draw attention to himself and his location.  Then a trio of shifters is pursued by humans to his doorstep and his world changes forever.

Humans aren’t supposed to know about supernaturals yet three shifters are being shot at and grievously wounded by a group of human hunters.  Someone has broken the Silence and there will be hell to pay from the Immortal Council and their Keepers of Silence who enforce their laws.  Despite Fell’s determination to remain hidden and apart, he goes to the aid of the shifters and uses his magic to help them.

Now revealed, Fell is pulled into a supernatural resistance group trying to bring down the very vampire who killed his mother and who wants him in his power.   But acceptance is hard to come by as one of the shifters hates incubus and the other is a emotional mess. And even their leader doesn’t trust Fell because he’s a witch.  Despite everything Fell is determined to go on…until one last piece of knowledge is revealed.  One of the people Fell is helping will also be the one that kills him.  What’s a half incubus and witch to do?

Death by Dragon by Madeleine Ribbon is the third book I have read by this author and it’s the best yet!  Ribbon’s world building is marvelous and sets the foundation for the numerous clashes and supernatural relationships to come.  Supernaturals and  Immortals exist along side an unaware human population, divided by stringent laws that make it very clear that humans are not to know that the others exist.  Those who break the “Silence” as the law is called, are hunted down by the Keepers of Silence, something to be avoided at all costs.  Yet someone has broken or is bending the law as much as possible in order to obtain as much power and gain as he can.  Already the tension is high between all the characters within the story.  They can be found on all sides of the magical partition and even often straddle the boundaries laid out between various supernatural factions and families.

Caught in the middle while doing his best to remain invisible is Fell Harwick.  Isolated by his circumstances and orphaned by violence and need, Fell is that character whose vulnerability and appeal immediately draws in the readers.  We fear for the precarious situation he finds himself in and love his strength and determination that spills out even when fear and pain overwhelms him.  Fell is a marvelously endearing character and I loved him and hated what was to come.  And there is a ton of bad stuff ahead. As Fell is also part seer he knows (although the readers keep hoping not) that he will be unable to avoid the path already laid out for him.    Ribbon takes this slight, angst filled young man and turns him into someone truly heroic by the end of the story by way of  ordeals he endures and the travail that follow.

Just as there are layers upon layers to Fell’s character, the same hold true for the two shifters he saves, Jett and Theodore, members of the local resistance group.  Opposite from each other in every way, from physique to emotional stability, they even differ on how they interact and accept Fell  and Fell’s true nature.  Truth be told I never liked Theodore much, understood him yes, liked him no.  But Jett?  There’s a character I adored, even when I wanted to throttle him for his stubbornness and rigidity.  Ribbon has a whole slew of characters here to act as support for her plot and main characters, some are fully fleshed out, others disappear and you won’t miss them.   But those characters that stick in your head, like Corran does, are ones that you will want more of at the end of the story.

Madeleine Ribbon keeps building various Venn diagrams within her layered plot, groups set apart by their nature, groups set apart by their political aspirations and schemes for power, groups set apart by family and groups set apart by relationships. Then Ribbon builds in stress, horror,  pain, and suspense where each overlaps the other(s).  There will be murder most foul, and even scenes that border on torture. Love, longing, and hot sexy scenes as well to offset the horror that arrives on its heels. Yes, my stomach did a flip flop or three in various places in this  novel.  I’m betting yours will too.  Why?  Because these beings become real and the readers, myself included, will find themselves full invested in each characters current circumstance (usually beyond precarious) and in agony over their futures, including if they are to have any at all.  That Fell knows who will kill him is one of the overriding threads that will have you in tears.  Her descriptions and vivid imagery will haunt you  long after the story is done.  Trust me on this.

Only the ending left me wanting more.  More of the Keepers and more of what comes next for the characters involved.  It felt a little unfinished and I’m hoping that’s because the author has more in store for us and this universe that’s so captivating and addictive.

Not familiar with Madeleine Ribbon?  Death by Dragons is a wonderful place to begin your acquaintance.  Love romance and shifters?  Here is a terrific story for you!  And yes, here be Dragons, dark, fierce and utterly memorable.  I highly recommend this story to all.  Grab it up and start reading today.

Cover artist:Syneca Featherstone.  Not a fan of this cover.  There were so many wonderful elements to draw on and this is the one she choose?  Uh, no.

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

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 283 pages
Published February 16th 2015 by Loose Id LLC
ASINB00TQ89CXI
edition languageEnglish

A Paul B Review: For a Dragon’s Redemption (Highland Dragons #5) by Charlie Richards

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

For A Dragon's Redemption coverWhen Chieftain Goth offers Ross McCord’s sister as a bride for an alliance with another clan, the shepherd must find a way to keep his family together. Will the sexy man he meets trying to fulfill the Chieftain’s alternative be able to help him out of his situation?

Ross McCord is a shepherd at the edge of Chieftain Goth’s territory. When summoned to the castle, Ross finds out that the Chieftain has promised his sister to a member of a neighboring clan to form an alliance between the two clans. Having promised his dying mother he would keep the family together, and knowing the fuss his sister would create, Ross asks the Chieftain if there was another way to help the clan, The Chieftain tells Ross that if he is able to find a way to get to the village where the wayward son is living, the betrothal would be called off and Ross’s duty to the clan fulfilled.

Ziethmann is a dragon of the warrior class. However, he tires of the constant drill that the warrior class must undertake to prepare for a future battle. As such he has a tendency to goof off or act up. As punishment for his misbehavior, Ziethmann is assigned additional tasks to help the dragon community. Returning home from one such task, Ziethmann spots a human trying to climb the cliffs to the dragon valley. Recognizing the human as an asda, or human who can mate with a dragon, he investigates.

Ross is attracted to the sexy redhead. Having never been with a man before, he finds that curious. After trying to lie about the reason he is trying to enter the dragon territory, Ziethmann convinces Ross to have some fun. After their encounter, Ziethmann once again asks what Ross is doing trying to get into the valley. Ross tells him about his sister and that he was sent to find the Chieftain’s son, who is another asda.

Things begin to get complicated when two young dragons show up to challenge Ziethmann’s right to Ross as an asda. To make matters worse, when Ziethmann goes to the elder council to get approval for his relationship with Ross, his grand-sire states that he is not worthy of an asda. While this is going on, Ross must make his way back to his clan to try to save his sister from an unwanted marriage and process the existence of dragons in this world. The two new lovers must resolve these challenges before they are able to make their happily ever after.

I enjoy Charlie Richard’s Highland Dragons series and this book is no exception. The dialogue is written partly in a brogue style to emphasize the fact that the series is set in medieval Scotland. The characters of Ross and Ziethmann seem to be perfectly tailored for each other. Ross is the consummate family man who will protect them no matter what. Ziethmann, while mischievous when getting bored about doing the same thing repeatedly, is nonetheless a man of honor who will protect his asda and those he loves. The meeting at the elder council provided something new for Ziethmann, which should alleviate the boredom he has experienced in the past.

This is the fifth book in the Highland Dragons series. As with most of Ms Richard’s series books, it can be read as a standalone but in order to get some of the back story it is best if you read the series in order.

The cover art by Angela Waters is gorgeous. In the foreground you see the muscular shepherd carrying his sword looking at the red dragon of Ziethmann in the background.

Sales Links:  eXtasy Press          Amazon     Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 76 pages
Published March 1st 2015 by eXtasy Books Inc
ISBN139781487402488
edition languageEnglish
seriesHighland Dragons #5
Series: Highland Dragons
For a Dragon’s Touch (Highland Dragons #1)
For a Dragon’s Protection (Highland Dragons #2)
For a Dragon’s Treasure (Highland Dragons #3)
For a Dragon’s Forgiveness (Highland Dragons #4)
For a Dragon’s Redemption (Highland Dragons # 5)
 

In the Spotlight: Whispers of Home by April Kelley (author interview and contest)

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Whispers of Home by April Kelley

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Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words has April Kelley here today to talk about her latest release, Whispers of Home.  Check out our interview below as well as the excerpt and contest to enter.

Our April Kelley Q & A…

Q. Where did the inspiration for this book and series come from?

He’s going to kill me for this, but I’m telling it anyway. So my best friend was dating this cowboy type of guy. The cowboy was a really smooth talker and very handsome. He talked the pants right off my friend, literally. The cowboy dumped my friend and we hated him after that, but he was still hot enough to inspire me to write Travis. Plus, I had to give my friend a happy ending.

The series was inspired by a character in the book, Jackson. I wanted to give him a story too. His story will be one of the last ones I write.

Q.  What is the series to be called and how many books are planned?

The series is called Pickleville, named after the town. I’m planning 9 books in the series, although I may do an extra Halloween story maybe.

Q.  Will they focus on the same couple in each book or a new  couple/book?

Each book is focused on a new couple although Jaron and Travis visit us in each book.

Q.  Why Pickleville as the name for the town?  Is it real?

Some of this goes back the inspiration for the story, so bare with me here. I’m a little weird and probably make sense to very few people with my logic. Naming the town Pickleville is a prime example of this. So first, I had a dream about a girl and boy who were on a date at the movies. They were maybe sixteen years old and were clearly in love with each other. It was really dark by the time the boy walked the girl home. He kissed her good-night and started for home. On his way home a group of older boys in a car stopped him, dragging him in the car. They took him to an out of the way dirty road and beat him to death.

Needless to say it was a very sad, terrifying dream that stuck with me for a while.

So what does all this have to do with how I got the town where Jaron and Travis live?

About this same time my best friend was dating the cowboy type guy I mentioned earlier. And I mention that he was the inspiration for Travis. Jaron’s character came to me and I began to write. A little into the first few chapters I had to come up with a name for this town, except the name for the town had to be unique because initially Jaron hated being there and couldn’t wait to leave.

Then I remembered the dream and thought maybe the boy that died felt a lot like Jaron did about his town. Neither fit it very well. I wanted something completely ridiculous sounding as a punishment for the group of older boys that hurt the geeky kid.
And that was my weird, twisted logic for naming the town Pickleville.

As for whether Pickleville is real or not well, there may be a town called Pickleville somewhere in this world, although I don’t know for sure. The town in this series is a complete a figment of my imagination.

Q.  It sounds as though Whispers of Home is not strictly a romance but has hints of suspense and a murder mystery as well. Had you planned in those elements from the start?

My main goal for this story was just to tell the romance between Travis and Jaron. The mystery and suspense part, are just minor parts of the story and were something that just sort of came as I wrote.

Q.  Do you like to read in the genres you write in?

I’ve been reading the M/M romance genre for many years now, long before I actually started writing in the genre. I think reading in the genre you write in is essential for the growth of any writer including myself.

Q.  Do you work on one book at a time or several?

I’m usually a one at a time kind of girl.

Q.  What’s next for April Kelly?

After wrapping up Pickleville? I’m working on a new series now called Lakehouse Security. The inspiration for this series is my own little part of the world here next to Lake Michigan. This one has more action and mystery in it which is a challenge for me.

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

Author April Kelley:

Born and raised in Southwest Michigan, April lives with her husband and two kids. She has been an avid reader for several years. Writing her first story at the age of ten, the characters in her head still won’t stop telling their stories. If April isn’t reading or writing she can be found outside playing with a farm full of animals or taking a long walk in the woods.

Where to find the author:
If you wish to contact her please email mailto:authoraprilkelley@gmail.com.
You can also find her on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/april.ott.12?fref=ts

 

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Publisher: eXtasy Books
Cover Artist: Carmen Waters

Sales Links:   eXtasy Books     Amazon

STRW Author BookSynopsis

All Jaron McAllister wanted to do was get out of the small town where he grew up. After being bullied all his life for being gay, that’s exactly what he does. He loses all contact with everyone in the town of Pickleville, including his emotionally distant mother and the only true friend he ever had.

When his best friend and mother of the child they share, get murdered he knows he must ask for help in the one place he thought he would never go back to. Coming back home isn’t easy and finding himself attracted to the town man-slut spells disaster. Travis Heath isn’t at all what his reputation suggests though.
Categories: Contemporary, Erotica, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

Jaron looked through the window of the diner from across the street. His mother’s hands gripped a mug, probably full of coffee. Jaron thought he was meeting Brian but apparently Brian had other plans. Brian always did think he knew best, the bastard. Jaron was fully aware his oldest friend had set this up, probably getting in touch with Gloria McAllister right after Jaron had called the first time, telling her when Jaron would be here. Brian had never understood that the relationship Jaron and Gloria had wasn’t like the relationship Brian had with his own father.

Looking at his mom through the glass was like watching a movie of her. He had never felt the connection with his mom that he thought he should, even as a small child. Maybe that had been his fault. That he wasn’t quite what she wanted in a son and therefore kept just enough distance to make it seem like miles. Which was why he was confused she had come instead of Brian.
When he was eighteen years old he had thought he left because of a burning desire to fit in somewhere, because he certainly hadn’t fit in very well in Pickleville. He needed that connection to another human being, that knowing he was so important to another human being they just couldn’t live without him. Ironically, it was a five year old boy he felt unconditionally connected too. Now that he knew the unconditional love a parent felt for their child, he wondered at his mother’s parental instincts.

He stood on the sidewalk in front of what used to be a place called the Hobbyist’s Dream but was now an Asian market. He noticed the place was empty when he had arrived but his back was turned now, his complete attention on the woman in the window. He thought the Asian place probably wouldn’t have lasted long back in the day. Who knows now? The diner was the only one in town, or was until they put in a McDonald’s by the highway. Jaron hadn’t realized that things in this town could change until the bus passed by the fast food restaurant. Somehow he expected everything to be the same, as if time would stand still just because he didn’t feel any different now that he was here.

Standing here, he felt that maybe he left to put the physical miles between himself and the only parent he had ever known. He had never fit in with her either.

He felt a tug on his hand and looked down at sweet blue eyes. This small boy was as dependent on the next few minutes and the woman in the window as he was. “I’m thirsty,”

Bobby said, around the thumb in his mouth.

“Me too. Let’s go.” Jaron stepped off the curb and onto the street, gripping onto Bobby’s hand just a little tighter, pausing for a car, and then continuing until he came within inches of his mother, the glass the only barrier now. She looked directly at him, showing more emotion in those few seconds than he had ever seen from her during his entire childhood. He looked away and walked through the door of the restaurant.

Pages or Words: 44,597 words

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A Stella Review: The Fifth Son by Blaine D. Arden

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

A prince without power…

The Fifth Son cover

In a land where magic is commonplace, Prince Llyskel has none. He can’t command spells, he has never been taught to fight, and as the fifth son of the King, he will never rule. Everyone believes he’s a weakling, most of all himself.

Powerlessness is Llyskel’s problem—and his pleasure. In his secret fantasies, the prince dreams of nothing more than finding himself helpless at another man’s hands… particularly the hands of Captain Ariv of the Guards.

Then Ariv makes Llyskel’s dream a reality, and as the powerless prince surrenders to the soldier’s desire, he finds his own true strength at last. But a web of royal politics is closing around Llyskel, threatening to tear him from his lover, and it will take all his newfound courage to escape…

Contains five shaded black-and-white illustrations by Yana Goya

I can officially say I’m becoming a fantasy girl! I’m reading a lot of fantasy books lately and I’m really loving them. This one too. A really well done short story and the beautiful black and white illustrations helped me to visualize better the MCs. The Fifth Son was only the first book I read by Blaine D. Arden but it surely will not be the last. I loved the writing, the plot, the setting, almost everything, except I’d really like to read a little more about this two young men.

I don’t want to linger on the story, the blurb tells you already enough and being a short one, I don’t want to spoil your reading. What I’d like to talk about is the writing. I was really impressed, it’s not only well written book but what I loved the most was the feeling I got while I was reading about the prince and the captain. I was able to feel myself in the story, to see the places they were, the author was very good at bring me with her in a beautiful, colorful world full of magic.

Moreover I wasn’t expecting the little kink aspect in the story. The sweet Llyskel and the protective Ariv were explosive in bed. Having no magic powers at all, Llyskel is almost consider an outcast, but never from his lover and his family. The captain was so supportive of the prince in and out of the bed. And the courting ritual was romantic and cute.

The Fifth Son by Blaine D. Arden is sweet fairytale with some mystery and action thrown in it, nothing too heavy, but a little something that made the story not just a sweet romance but a really interesting and engaging one. I was conquered! Now I’m just hoping the author will give me a chance to read one more installment in this great world building. Highly recommended!

Cover art by Simoné. In this case it was the cover that caught my attention. I love it, the colors, the details, everything fit the story perfectly.

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

Book Details:

Published November 28th 2014 by Cayendi Press
2nd Edition, ebook, 76 pages