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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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Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Whispers of Home’. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Rafflecopter link and prizes provided by Pride Promotions.

Rafflecopter Code:
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Tour Dates & Stops:

17-Mar

Decadent Delights

17-Mar

The Novel Approach

24-Mar

Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves

31-Mar

Love Bytes

Hearts on Fire

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

7-Apr

MM Good Book Reviews

Prism Book Alliance

14-Apr

My Fiction Nook

Because Two Men Are Better Than One

Bayou Book Junkie

21-Apr

Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

28-Apr

Divine Magazine

BFD Book Blog

5-May

Parker Williams

Bike Book Reviews

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

A Paul B Review: Werecat: The Rearing by Andrew J. Peters

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Werecat the Rearing coverWhen Jacks goes to Montreal for Spring Break, he meets the mysterious Benoit. The encounter will change his life forever. But will he lose himself as a result of it?

Jackson “Jacks” Dowd is a college student in upstate New York. For spring break, Jacks and his friends decide to go to Montreal instead of the usual trip south due to lack of money. Seven weeks from graduation, he wants to let loose and have some fun. Having started partying on the bus to Montreal, Jacks becomes inebriated as he and his friends go from club to club. He sets off wandering the streets of the city by himself. He loses his balance and falls into a ditch and passes out. He is found by Benoit, a mysterious man who insists that they are meant to be together and takes steps to ensure that this is the case. Knowing that his friends and family will be looking for him, Jacks convinces Benoit that they should go to New York City.

While in New York, Jacks meets a Persian medical student named Farzan Mohammed who works in his family bodega at night. While he finds the man sexy, his loyalties are to Benoit. When Benoit does something that horrifies Jacks, Jacks decides he can no longer stay with Benoit and goes to Farzan for help. When Benoit tracks down the pair, Jacks must protect one of the men he cares about from the other. Jacks must then live with the consequences of his decision while trying to move on with his life.

I really enjoyed this story. The storytelling jumps from present day New York to Montreal three months previously, filling in the back story of Jacks and Benoit. This is not your typical shifter story. The author gives his explanation of how shifters came about though Benoit’s history. While the idea of a fated mate is somewhat explored, Benoit uses it more of a controlling aspect in his relationship with Jacks. The other part of the story that intrigued me was the idea of losing one’s humanity to your animal nature that is not usually explored in shifter stories. This may come about as the shifters in this story are created and not born as is the case in most stories in this genre.

Jacks is the driving character of the story. While he cares for Benoit, he begins to see the cruelty of the man as he loses more of his humanity. Jacks also sees the potential with Farzan, who despite being in medical school, is looked down upon by his Persian family because of his homosexuality. His choice between the two men, while difficult, becomes obvious. The hope for Jacks is both with the choice he has to make and the care of the stray cat that has become one of Jacks’ primary concerns. I will be looking forward to seeing where this author takes this series in the future.

The cover art by Andres Rodriguez & Freder depicts a scruffy, dark haired man in the foreground with a panther looking on in the background. This gorgeous cover reflects how I think Benoit and his cat might appear.

Sales Links:     All Romance (ARe)      Amazon         Buy It Here
Book details
Ebook, 69 pages
Edition: English
Published: May 2013 by Vagabondage Press

Series: Werecat
Werecat: The Rearing (Werecat #1)
Werecat: The Glaring (Werecat #2)
Werecat: The Fugitive (Werecat #3)

A BJ Review: Wedding Favors by Josh Lanyon

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

Wedding Favors coverWyatt and Graham are getting married. Or are they? With the wedding just days away, Wyatt is the one having trouble committing this time around.

Starts out by making me laugh and quickly re-affirming how much I love these two guys. Minutes later, the angst sets in. Lanyon takes me from laughter to sinking heart at lightning speed. I swear I actually felt my smile turn upside down as I read the first few pages of this.

This story takes place largely inside Wyatt’s head as he desperately tries to figure out what’s making him have cold feet over marrying the man he loves. I could relate to Graham’s frustration, hurt and anger extremely well. But what I adored about the story was how Graham didn’t go all angsty and dramatic. He kept his cool and patiently gave Wyatt space and time to figure things out. Rather than overreacting and bailing on Wyatt, which could have made things so much worse, they actually talked! Hallelujah.

Beautifully written as I’ve come to expect from Lanyon, and I welcomed the chance to revisit with a memorable couple. For me, the sequel didn’t have quite the impact of the first book in the series, which was near perfection.

Cover Artist: ?
This cover is simple and unassuming with very little color. Not a grabber. Wouldn’t have caught my attention, especially since author name is small and in a bit of a harder to read typeface.

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

Book Details:  34 pages
Published March 8, 2015 by JustJoshin Publishing, Inc

In the Spotlight: Max and The Prince (Bodyguards Inc. #3) by RJ Scott

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Max and The Prince (Bodyguards Inc. #3) by R.J. Scott
Cover artist Meredith Russell
Publisher: Love Lane Books
Buy It Here!

 

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RJ Scott’s sexy bodyguards are back in Max and The Prince, the third book in her Bodyguards, Inc. series.   Along with (an unedited as yet) excerpt, RJ has a contest for you all to enter as well.  Check it all about below….

Max and The Prince – Bodyguards Inc, book 3
Book 1 – Bodyguard To A Sex God
Book 2 – The Ex Factor

STRW Author BookSynopsis

Bodyguard Max Connery is used to being mistaken for being younger than he is.

Being carded every time he buys a beer is usual. Even though he’s just turned twenty eight and has two tours in Afghanistan as a pilot under his belt.

When a threat is made on the life of a prince attending University in the UK, Max is the perfect choice to blend in with students and to keep Prince Lucien safe. Even if it means joining the swim team to be by his side.

But, when death visits the University, abruptly this job is a long way past keeping the prince happy and safe. Instead Max has to keep Lucien alive.

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

“I’m only an hour away,” Max assured him as they joined the traffic heading towards Oxford.

“It’s fine.”

“We should take the time for you to go over everything again. I might not look like I’m listening but I will be.” He indicated and moved to the right lane to overtake a horse trailer then back in to the left lane all while he talked.

“Everything?”

“Every little detail from the time you decided to drink and before that if you think it helps. I want to know all the characters.”

“You sound like it’s a play.”

Max shot him a look, his serious sapphire blue gaze focused on Lucien for a split second before he focused back on the road.

“It’s like a play I guess. The more you know the players then the easier it is to identify the bad guy.”

“When do I get to hear about your play?” Lucien asked. He was teasing, but also intrigued by the journey Max had taken to end up being Lucien’s bodyguard.

“I’m here. For you. That’s all you need to know.” He didn’t look at Lucien as he said it. “Now eyes front and start from the drinking.”

Lucien sighed noisily. He didn’t want to go back there, to the point where his entire life had crumbled with grief. He was desperate to avoid confronting the decisions he had made then. Not coming out to his family in such a dramatic way, that had actually been a good thing. His mom had just turned round and suggested that it was all well and good being like that in private but that is where it should stay. His dad had agreed stiffly. No, the decision to bury his grief in whiskey, or vodka, or whatever else he had to hand was one he regretted and was more than a little embarrassed to share with this put together guy who had managed to take Teddy to his knees.

“Okay, so the drinking. Guess that’s where I need to start.”

“Was it your decision to drink?”

Temper snatched his breath. “What kind of a question is that?” The way it was worded implied he didn’t know his own mind. Then he realized what he was thinking and just how stupid he sounded in his own head.

“A reasonable one,” Max said. “Did someone encourage you to drink? Were you led astray, was there someone who wanted you to commit some kind of indiscretion? Did you have a boyfriend? A wannabe lover? A friend?”

Temper subsided as quick as it rose and Lucien shook his head. “I apologize.”

“And you can stop doing that.”

“What?”

“Apologizing.”

“Sorry. I mean… Okay…” Settling himself back in the car and attempting to relax he closed his eyes briefly. He could do this. He hadn’t had a boyfriend. Edward was his first and actually his last. One heated night of sex and that was it. I may as well be a virgin. “So,” he began carefully. “There was no boyfriend, or wannabe lover as you put it. I hadn’t exactly come out to anyone, hell I’d barely come out to myself. Seb was ill for a long time and I was close to him, I even had a tutor so I didn’t have to go to boarding school. I think my parents liked that there was someone for Seb as it definitely wasn’t going to be them.” He winced as he said it. One didn’t speak badly about one’s parents. One was respectful.

“You’re not close? As a family?”

“No. Yes.” He sighed. “Not really. What about you?” He glanced sideways to see the faint tightening of Max’s jaw.

“We’re not talking about me,” he said.

“Sorry.”

“Stop apologizing.”

“Sorr—jeez…”

Lucien felt the heat rise in his face. This was going to be one hell of a long car journey.

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STRW Author Bio and Contacts

About RJ

RJ Scott has been writing since age six, when she was made to stay in at lunchtime for an infraction involving cookies. She was told to write a story and two sides of paper about a trapped princess later, a lover of writing was born.

As an avid reader herself, she can be found reading anything from thrillers to sci-fi to horror. However, her first real true love will always be the world of romance where she takes cowboys, bodyguards, firemen and billionaires (to name a few) and writes dramatic and romantic stories of love and passion between these men.

With over seventy titles to her name and counting, she is the author of the award winning book, The Christmas Throwaway. She is also known for the Texas series charting the lives of Riley and Jack, and the Sanctuary series following the work of the Sanctuary Foundation and the people it protects.

Her goal is to write stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and most importantly, that hint of a happily ever after.

Email   rj@rjscott.co.uk or contact/follow her at:

Website:  http://www.rjscott.co.uk/
Twitter:    https://twitter.com/Rjscott_author
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/author.rjscott
Library Thing:  http://www.librarything.com/author/scottrj
Tumblr  http://www.tumblr.com/blog/rjscott (some NSFW (not safe for work) photos)
Pinterest:  http://www.pinterest.com/rjscottauthor

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Contest: Enter to win $15 Amazon/Are giftcard, and 2 further prizes of RJ Scott e-books – closes 11 April at 00:01 GMT (London).  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Rafflecopter link and prize provided by R.J. Scott.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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                                                       Max and The Prince by R.J. Scott

A MelanieM Review: The Devil’s Bedpost: Four of Clubs (Pulp Friction 2015: Altered States) by Parker Williams

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

The Devil's Bedpost coverDetective Ben Nelson’s not happy with the new world order.  He’s stubbornly refusing to believe in the supernatural beings that the world now knows to be real ever since a vampire burst into flames on a city street and a cop sat up in his coffin at his funeral. Now Ben has a chilling new case that frustrating them all and breaking their hearts. It involves seemingly unconnected people—men, women, children—who disappear from their beds and are later found beaten to death. When evidence leads to an offhand comment about voodoo, Ben refuses to admit that there might be something unreal about it all until his boss orders him to visit a seer named A. Middleton or hand the case over to the Odd Squad—the federal bureau charged with investigating supernatural crimes.

Artie Middleton lives alone in a huge house, able only to be physically close with his dog. Why? Because with one touch, Artie Middleton can see, feel, and relive the stories held by objects, and some of those stories are very bad indeed.  The last missing person’s case he assisted on left him bedridden, recovering from the same wounds as the victim. His power is one that few would envy.

When a disbelieving Ben arrives at his door, needing help to find a missing seven-year-old boy, Artie is torn. He fears what might happen if he agrees but knows the fate of the child if he doesn’t. Even more troubling for Artie is the detective’s effect on him. While Artie can’t allow skin-to-skin contact with a person for fear of what he might see, Ben makes him want to break all the rules he has in place to protect his sanity.

When the two begin working together, they find much more than they expected. And if they can’t stop the perpetrators, the body count will increase.

Parker Williams joins the Pulp Friction team this year and The Devil’s Bedpost (Four of Clubs #1),his tale of supernatural beings, love and mystery, folds itself seamlessly into the others, meshing a new world order that recognizes the existence of supernatural beings and their effect upon the city, its politics, and its people.

Just as it would occur in real life, there appears someone who stubbornly refuses to believe in the changes that have so rapidly occurred.  That’s NOPD Det. Ben Nelson.  He’s an overworked hard driving cop, short on sleep, and even shorter on tolerance and belief in magic and those that wield it.  And he’s in the midst of a case that heartbreaking and lacking in clues.  The one lead they available is the last one Ben wants to follow up on because it contains supernatural elements to it.  I absolutely believed in Ben Nelson from his first appearance.  Parker Williams has built so many believable layers to this man that he’ slides easily to mind and into our hearts.   And the case he’s working on tugs at our emotions, especially as it involves children being kidnapped, and tortured before being killed.

To offset the mundane, everyday and oh so human routine of the police force, the author gives us A. Middleton, also known as Artie to his friends.  A potter who turns out museum worthy art pieces, Artie is also a seer specializing in psychometry.  Artie can touch an object and immediately he is flooded with memories and scenes and emotions of those the object belonged to.  At once it becomes clear that such a talent is more curse than gift.  When those memories and events are horrific, involving physical damage that happened to the person the object belongs/belonged to, that same damaged is felt and physically manifests itself on Artie.  Definitely not the sort of thing someone would want to be able to do.  It has caused Artie to retreat from all physical contact with others.  The only touch he can tolerate is that of his dog.  What a lonely existence and yet, Parker Williams has developed Artie to such a realistic degree that Artie has found a way to have others in his life, no matter how restricted it might be.  You will fall deeply in love with Artie just as I did.

The case that ties these two men together is horrific, grounded as it is in the kidnapping of children and a few adults who vanished from their bedrooms without a trace.  The mystery of their disappearance combined with the fact that when their bodies are eventually found, the manner of their deaths add terror to the mixture.  The police work drudgery feels authentic and the suspense and buildup satisfyingly haunting and addictive.  And that ending…..

Yes, it’s a cliffhanger, something I have come to expect from the Pulp Friction serialized stories.  Be prepared to yell “noooooooo” at the end.  I did.  Along with a “argh”, and “hell no, he didn’t end it there”.  A few comments like that may have flown out of my mouth!  But I loved every word of this story even as Parker Williams twisted my heart and stomach into knots during the telling.

But don’t take my word for it.  Run out (or over to your computer or eReader) and get it right now.  You need to be ready for the next installment. I am.  And while you are at it, pick up the other two Round One stories already out.  This is going to be one wild ride, and I can’t wait for more.

Cover art by Laura Harner.  I love these covers, perfect for branding the group of series and introducing the characters.

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

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 73 pages
Published March 13th 2015
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edition languageEnglish

About Pulp Friction 2015
Lee Brazil ~ Havan Fellows ~ Parker Williams ~ Laura Harner

The Pulp Friction 2015 Altered States Collection.
Four authors.
Four Series.
Twenty books.
One supernatural finale.

Spend a year with the creatures that go bump in the night…fighting for their rights to exist and protecting the innocents of The Big Easy. A diverse group of friends trying to find their place in a world they never had to “fit” into before.
Although each series can stand alone, we believe reading the books in the order they are released will increase your enjoyment.
Round One:
Drawing Dead (Jack of Spades: 1) by Lee Brazil
Blind Stud (King of Hearts: 1) by Havan Fellows
The Devil’s Bedpost (Four of Clubs: 1) by Parker Williams
Diamonds and Dust (Ace of Diamonds: 1) by Laura Harner

A Stella Review: Two Howls (ALPHAS #4) by Sean Michael

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Two Howls coverMax is on the run, but is he running from his past, or toward his future? Only Ulf knows…

Werewolf Max knows desiring males is wrong, but he can’t help himself. When his pack nearly kills him in an attempt to cleanse him, Max runs. Jumping on his motorcycle, he heads north.

Ulf has lived on his own in the wilds of Northern Ontario for a long time. When he catches the scent of a stranger in his territory, he’s angry at first, until he realizes that Max is more than just another werewolf. They’re mates.

Ulf must make Max believe that two males can be mates, but just as he’s about to succeed, Max’s past catches up with him. Will the home they’ve been hoping to build together be lost for good?

I’d like to do a little premise. Two Howls by Sean Michael is the second book I read in this new ALPHA series from All Romance eBooks. I read and reviewed Jumping In by Cardeno C too. Sean Michael and Cardeno C are two of my fave authors, but in my opinion in this series something didn’t work it well. As I already said in the previous review, in this case too, Two Howls didn’t do justice to Sean’s works. Of course the choice to publish stories so short didn’t help with the plot but it can’t be used as a excuse. Nevertheless I was left with a lot of blanks to fill.

The little plot we got is really interesting. Max is on the run, he escaped from his homophobic pack that almost killed him, just cause he’s a gay wolf. He finds a lonely little cabin in the woods and decides to stop there to rest for a while. What he doesn’t know is that the cabin isn’t abandoned but it’s where another werewolf lives, not just anyone but his mate.

The rest of the story shows us a lot of sex between Ulf and Max, used as a way to persuade Max that they are truly mates and that he needs to learn to trust Max and his protection. There is some action at the end that definitely improved my enjoyment.

It was an ok-read to me, maybe in some way a typical shifters story, but if you like alpha men, hot shifters and abused characters, you can give a chance to Two Howls.

Cover art by unknown. Nothing great about it but I like it, especially the choice of the colors.

Sales Links:  Available only at All Romance (ARe)   Buy It Here

Book Details:

Published February 4th 2015 by OmniLit / All Romance eBooks, LLC
ebook, 56 pages
ASIN B00U37BOU0
Edition language English
SERIES Alphas #4

 

It’s Here! Becoming His Master by M. Q. Barber (author Interview)!

Title: Becoming His Master
Series: Neighborly Affection #4
Author: M.Q. Barber
Genre: Adult, M/M Erotica
Release Date: March 17, 2015
Published By: Lyrical Press
From rescue to romance…
Teach a wounded submissive the value of his service. The task ought to be an easy one for an experienced dominant like Henry Webb.
But novice Jay Kress challenges his teacher like no other. Still bearing the bruises of an encounter outside the bounds of safe consensual play, Jay is desperate to submit to the man who saved him—and shamed by his desires.
Henry recognizes the dangers of a relationship built on hero worship. He’ll teach Jay how to stay safe, that’s all. He won’t take advantage of the younger man’s trust. He won’t share his fantasies about his dark-haired, athletic student. He’ll never claim this submissive for his own…

  An Interview with the Author….

M.Q. Barber  answers  Our Questions!

1.  I have seen a marked popularity of a BDSM element in books recently.  Do you feel that the  commercial success of “Fifty Shades of Grey” has anything to do with it?

It’s hard to imagine that the success of “Fifty Shades” didn’t play a role in increasing the mainstream visibility of BDSM-themed literature. With visibility comes interest, from both authors and readers, which is great, but it also creates problems, like an increase in people needing medical treatment for play-related injuries.

2.  Why do you like incorporating BDSM elements into your characters and stories?

I like going where the characters take me. In the Neighborly Affection series, Henry, Jay, and Alice are feeling out each other’s interests and boundaries in a three-sided D/s relationship. It wasn’t so much a choice to incorporate the D/s elements as it was a necessity – something foundational to the characters and their sense of self. The first scene I jotted down for the series planted it firmly in the D/s camp, and everything else grew from that.

I also enjoy following the characters through the psychological and emotional aspects of being in a D/s relationship. I think they’re at least equally important, if not more important than the physical/sexual interactions, because they guide where those interactions go. Trust and communication are crucial, and it’s extremely satisfying to help the characters move toward the sweet spot where they become the role they inhabit in the relationship – and the role shifts to accommodate their individual needs.

3.  What was your inspiration behind Becoming His Master?  For both the characters and plot?

I blame Henry, the dominant in the series. Becoming His Master is the origin story of his relationship with Jay, his long-term submissive. It can be read as a standalone, or either before or after the other books, which are narrated by Alice as she joins their relationship. In Crossing the Lines (Book 2) and Healing the Wounds (Book 3), Alice catches glimpses into how Henry and Jay met from what Jay shares with her. Once I’d written those scenes, Henry insisted on telling the whole story from his perspective.

Henry’s a very proper gentleman, the sort of guy who’s more comfortable in a formal drawing room than at a baseball game. Jay gets under his reserve and affects him emotionally. Their needs and desires are complementary, but the way they met and the unfamiliar depth of the attraction makes Henry reluctant to move too fast. He has a somewhat masochistic streak, and I enjoyed the opportunity to tag along as this dominant man denied himself and fought against what he desired in order to give his submissive what he needed. It’s not easy, especially when the submissive disagrees. Character evolution fascinates me. For all the physical intimacy and steamy exchanges, Becoming His Master is a romantic character study about how two people find what they need in each other.

4.  BDSM encompasses multiple disciplines and (imo) a responsibility to present it in correctly, rules and all.  How do you feel about the various ways BDSM is portrayed in multiple genres today?

I’m dipping into the next question here, but it’s unavoidable – I haven’t read enough BDSM genre fiction to comment intelligently on how it’s portrayed in other books. Aside from making sure that all participants are consenting adults and taking appropriate precautions for safety, there’s no one true way to experience BDSM in real life, so it’s hard to say there’s one true way to write about it, either.

My characters focus on safe play, but that’s a function of the kind of D/s relationship I’m writing about – one in which people who happen to have a desire for D/s are struggling to structure their relationship as opposed to one focused on making BDSM activities seem exotic or exciting just because there’s a flogger in the bedroom. (Not that a flogger isn’t fun – Alice definitely enjoys her suede – but the moment you surrender control can be just as exciting even if the outcome isn’t shocking or painful.)

Your point about multiple disciplines is an important distinction, I think, because I don’t see a lot of classification options for books at retail beyond “BDSM” as a monolithic unit. My characters are engaging primarily in D/s with a bit of B&D and almost no S&M. It’s hard to say whether that distinction is even meaningful to a mainstream audience yet, but maybe eventually it will be.

5.  Do you read what you write?  What’s your favorite genre to read when curled up with a book or Kindle?

I keep adding romances to my to-read list as I come across ones that sound interesting, but I haven’t read many BDSM novels yet. When I have free time to read, my fiction choices are mostly fantasy or light sci-fi and my nonfiction choices are arts, architecture, history, the intersection of science and culture, that sort of thing.

6.  Were you a voracious reader as a child and did you have a favorite story that has stayed with you?

Absolutely. I was the odd kid carrying a book everywhere and reading in class (in fact, I got yelled at on more than one occasion for reading instead of paying attention to teachers). Favorite stories from childhood – the Little House on the Prairie series (as a kid with Minnesota roots who grew up on the prairie, that was a no-brainer), Charlotte’s Web and Where the Red Fern Grows (both of which still make me cry), The Secret Garden (I swear, Dickon was my first book boyfriend), the Trixie Belden and Boxcar Children mysteries (so lively and fun!) and The Velveteen Rabbit (I can’t even). A bunch of others, too, but I could babble on for hours about books I’ve loved, and then you’d all grow bored and wander off.

7.  What or who has had the greatest influence on you as a writer today?

I think it’s an amalgamation of all of the influences together rather than a single individual that has shaped who I am as a writer. But the breakthrough realization for me was that it’s okay to throw out the rules. It’s okay to be a plotter or a pantser or some hybrid they don’t have a name for. Write what you want, write when you want – just be passionate about what you’re writing. When I sit down to write every day, it doesn’t matter which book I was working on the day before or whether the scene I’m writing fits before or after the rest of what’s written so far; the only thing that matters is that I sit and write. I let the ideas and characters decide where my focus goes, and that means I’m always interested in what I’m working on instead of spitting out words to meet a quota or a deadline. I save editing for later drafts. Writing time is for letting the creativity out.

8.  What’s next for M.Q. Barber?

My next book, Her Shirtless Gentleman, releases in August and starts a new series. It’s a Midwestern romance ostensibly without BDSM, although it has some D/s themes if you squint sideways. The characters just don’t talk about them in those terms. After that, I have two more books on deck for 2016, one in the editing phase now and one in the brainstorming phase. And I write a free flash fiction piece every month for my author newsletter (www.mqbarber.com/newsletter) – currently Tuesdays with Jay, a companion series for the Neighborly Affection books with new scenes from Jay’s perspective. It’s a lot of fun to inhabit other characters’ points of view for a while.

Becoming His Master (R) Excerpt © M.Q. Barber 2015
Henry’s watch
showed quarter to eight as he mounted the stairs toting carryout meals for
himself and his submissive. The hour found the second floor a modest hive of
activity as players donned their preferred personas and headed upstairs to the
sandbox. Eventually, he too would join the procession, with Jay in tow. For
now, he turned right and stepped through the wide double doors into the salon.
The area set aside
for himself and young Mr. Kress showed Emma’s unmistakable influence. Tucked
into the farthest corner of the room, a three-panel screen of wood and fabric
created a private dining nook. Best pray the younger man didn’t recognize the
scenes depicted, though the intent shouted for all and sundry to pay heed.
A pair of
yellow-ribboned women cast admiring glances his way. Muting his growl, he
stepped past them with a curt headshake. Won’t
interfere, my ass.
A paean to Greek
mythology and literature graced each panel. Achilles and Patroclus circled each
other with shields and spears, their sandaled feet the only flesh not on view.
Apollo strummed his lyre while a boy—Hyacinth, given the field of flowers—lay at
his feet. Beautiful Ganymede proffered a cup beneath the sheltering wings of
Zeus-as-eagle.
Stalking across
the room, he considered the ready excuses sure to be on Emma’s lips. A shield
to keep the boy from prying eyes, lest his table manners prove less than
impeccable. Hadn’t he himself insisted on protecting Jay from possible
criticism? No, of course the scenes hadn’t been deliberate. Convenience had
dictated the choice. In no way had she meant to imply Jay Kress was his eromenos.
His beloved boy.
His to mentor and protect. His sweet lips to kiss, his beautiful thighs to
fuck.
Cock pressing at
his fly, he swore in silence. Was there no mercy to be found?
He rounded the
screen.
Jay sprang to his
feet.
No. No mercy at
all.
Despite Emma’s
claim, his student wore a suit as well as he wore leather shorts. Temptation
beat at him, an unrelenting pressure, the image of his submissive on his knees
with the same earnest delight on his face.
He forced himself
to turn and deposit the bag on the table. Slow and easy.
“You’ve set a
lovely table.” He told himself navy wasn’t Jay’s color, despite the good sense
he’d shown to pair his suit with a solid white shirt and a pale blue tie with a
diagonal thin-stripe in white. “I trust your wait has been a pleasant one?”
“Yes, Master
Henry.” Jay stood straight and tall, a slender vision of grace. “Mistress Emma
showed me what to do.”
“It’s just Emma,
my boy. No title. She’s a submissive here, as you are.” He unpacked the tote.
Salads first, the light containers atop the others.
“But she’s in
charge of things.” Jay tilted his head. He started to roll his shoulders before
stopping himself.
Warm foil
container deposited on the table, Henry paused in his work to study his
submissive with more care. “Yes, she handles some functions at the club.” The
neat half-Windsor had to be Emma’s doing. “She also submits to her husband.”
Likewise, the white rose boutonniere pinned with Jay’s red ribbon, the symbol
of his ownership. The younger man’s purity and innocence bound under his protection
and control.
Pinned. Of course.
“Tell me, how many
pins did it take until Emma was satisfied with the drape of your jacket?”
“I’m not sure,
Master Henry.” Jay half-smiled, his eyes shining. “She made me stand still for
a long time, though. Do you like it?”
With such an
enticing invitation, he smoothed the fabric from the lapel to the right
shoulder.
Jay caught his
breath and rocked his hips.
“Quite handsome,”
he murmured. Such promising responses his pupil gave, eager physicality
impossible to miss. “But you cannot relax, can you? Afraid you’ll disrupt her
handiwork if you so much as breathe too deeply.”
“I don’t mind,
Master Henry.” If you like it, he
didn’t say, though the worship in his gaze made the words unnecessary.
Humming, he traced
the edge of the lapel downward and unfastened the button holding the jacket
closed. “I mind.” Hanging the jacket on the chair back wouldn’t do any harm.
“Your comfort is my responsibility during our time together.”
He pushed the coat
from the boy’s shoulders. He’d remove his own to ensure his dinner partner felt
no awkwardness.
“No, no, please.”
Jay clutched at the fabric, fighting the motion, his voice rising. “Master
Henry, please.”
What the devil was
he—
“Please don’t take
my ribbon, I’m your good boy, I’m yours—”
Henry kissed him.
He knew the
instant their lips touched he ought not have done it.
Soft and pliant,
the younger man opened his mouth with a throaty little whimper.

 

Irresistible. A
possessive haze descended, snarling heat pushing out from his center. He ground
his cock against his submissive and claimed his mouth.

 

USA Today bestselling author M.Q. Barber likes to get lost in thought. She writes things down so she can find herself again.
Often found staring off into space or frantically scratching words on sticky notes, M.Q. lives with one very tolerant, easily amused husband and one very tolerant, easily amused puppy.
She has a soft spot for romances that explore the inner workings of the heart and mind alongside all that steamy physical exertion. She loves memorable characters, witty banter, and heartfelt emotion in any genre.
The former Midwestern gal is the author of the Neighborly Affection contemporary romance series. Pick a safeword, grab a partner or two, and jump in.
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