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A MelanieM Review: Deep Blues Goodbye (Altered States #1) by L.E. Harner, T.A. Webb

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

Deep Blues Goodbye coverWith one startling action, the world changed forever. Recently deceased NOPD Detective Travis Boudreaux was in the process of being mourned and buried when he had the bad taste to sit up at his own funeral.  Until that happened no one knew that vampires and werewolves had been living amongst them. Now two years later, the fight is on for civil rights for preternatural beings and most humans are on the bandwagon. Except whoever is killing vampires and would be vampires.

Since the death and return of his partner and almost love, Detective Sam Garrett has hated all things preternatural. Having your undead partner try to make you his first meal will do that to a guy. When Sam’s attitude gets the best of him on the job, Sam finds himself banished to the Paranormal Criminal Investigations Unit—the Odd Squad—under the oversight of Detective Danny Burkette.

Now it’s up to Burkette to work with Garrett by day and Boudreaux by night as they follow a trail of clues that leads from the historic cemeteries of New Orleans to the bayous of southern Louisiana. During the course of their investigations, both men come to the attention  of a Master vampire and the local werewolf pack Alpha.  If they aren’t careful, it won’t be just Boudreaux whose dead, but maybe even Sam as well.  Some lessons in life—and death—take longer to learn…and Sam and Travis find out that not all second chances are created equal.

Warning: This is an erotic urban fantasy. In this series the vampires don’t sparkle, werewolves kill, and the men sometimes have sex. With each other.

Deep Blues Goodbye (Altered States #1) by L.E. Harner and T.A. Webb deepens the amazing world building these authors are constructing for this series.  New Orleans, that rich feast of a city, is the perfect setting for supernatural beings  in love and evil schemes that are slow to unfold.  After that shocker at the end of Altered States, I eagerly grabed this up to see what had occurred only to find that two years had passed and the aftermath is viewed through the various perspective of the characters involved.  And yes, I was a little disappointed.  After all, what happened at the funeral was a stunner for all involved, including the now animated corpse of Travis Boudreaux.  But two years have passed since Travis was turned and now everyone has to deal with the fact that vampires, werewolves and more exist and live among them.  And not everyone is happy about that, including Sam.

I adore Sam, he’s a piece of cynical perfection and disappointment.  What happened to Travis altered Sam as well, especially since both men were so close to falling in love, if they hadn’t already.  But a vampire and fate intervenes and their new  relationship was destroyed…or so they think.  It soon becomes apparent that Sam has never gotten over Travis and that just adds onto the bitterness Sam already feels about the whole undead thing and his partner.  I loved the two of them together and their bonding extends past themselves and the pages to include the reader.  In fact, I so bought into their burgeoning love affair that  aspects of this story threw me off.

Without heading into spoiler territory, other supernaturals arrive to further complicate the current state of affairs and all their attention will be focusing on Sam.   We see Travis as he is trying to move forward with his undead life with not a whole lot of success.  We see Sam also trying to do the same, both are stalled and bitter.  Something has to occur to break the stasis and it’s a doozy.

As part of the events that happen,  a bonded pair will have some wild hot sex with one of our main characters.  Normally this doesn’t bother me, especially when the authors make a case for it to happen.  But here? Not an element I enjoyed.  I understood where the authors were going with it, but I so bought into Sam and Travis’ romance that this aspect never became palatable.  How a reader feels about this (it’s really not cheating) will likely foretell how they feel about this installment in the series.  Some readers will be asking if they can skip over this book (and yes, the third book sort of resolves this), but no *shakes finger*, unfortunately you can’t.

Think of each story as a building block essential to the whole construct.  Miss even one, and you miss key elements that not only enrich the series but deepen the mystery and suspense Harner and Webb are working hard to build.  So much of this story is worthy of your attention and commitment.  And, perhaps,  the few elements that bothered me won’t phase you in the least.  This is going to be one wild ride!

Another reason to start reading this series?  This year’s Pulp Friction 2015 gang situates all their interconnected series in the Altered States universe.  So its double or is that quadruple the fun for all!  So get started.  Each is a fast, wild, suspenseful tale…over before you know it.  However, don’t be astonished if it lingers on in the questions and clues left behind (and even more shockers).

Cover art by Laura Harner works for the series.

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

Book Details:

ebook, 120 pages
Published August 16th 2012 by Hot Corner Press
ISBN139781937252243
edition languageEnglish
seriesAltered States #1
charactersSam Garrett (Altered States), Travis Boudreaux

Books in the Altered States Series in the order they should be read:

  • Altered States (Altered States, #0.5)
  • Deep Blues Goodbye (Altered States, #1)
  • Deadly Shades of Gold (Altered States, #2)
  • Free Falling Crimson (Altered States, #3)

 

In the Spotlight: Hammer and Bone by Kirby Crow

STRW In The Spotlight Header

Hammer and Bone by Kirby Crow
Published by Riptide Publishing
Cover by: Kirby Crow
Roberto Quintero

Hammer and Bone cover

 If that amazing cover isn’t enough to draw you in, check out the synopsis below!  

STRW Author BookSynopsis

 

About Hammer and Bone

The purest evil lives in the hearts of men.

Carnival mystics. Zombie tribes. Bad magic in the Bayou. Mage-princes, alien cities, and soul-stealing priests. The grim monsters in the worlds of these dark, speculative tales are true horrors, but it’s the people you should fear the most.

People like Michel, a boy pining for his best friend, Ray. But a presence in the swamp calls Michel to avenge another lost love, and he must decide which summons to answer. Or Angelo, a prescient cop who denies his visions until they endanger the man he loves. Or Bellew, an overseer in a shantytown of criminals sheltering a revenant and feeding it from their ranks.

From ruined lands of steam and iron, to haunted Southern forests, to brutal city streets where hope and damnation flow from the same spring, only a few stubborn souls possess the heart to challenge evil on its own terms. Some wield magic, some turn to rage or even love, but the ones left standing will survive only if they find the courage to carve their own paths to freedom.

Even if it means carving through flesh.

STRW Author Bio and Contacts

About the Author

Kirby Crow is an American writer born and raised in the Deep South. She is a winner of the EPIC Award and the Rainbow Award, and is the author of the bestselling “Scarlet and the White Wolf” series of fantasy novels. Kirby and her husband and their son share an old, lopsided house in the Blue Ridge with a cat. Always a cat.

Her published novels are:

Prisoner of the Raven (historical romance)
Scarlet and the White Wolf: The Pedlar and the Bandit King (New Adult fantasy, m/m, Torquere Press)
Scarlet and the White Wolf: Mariner’s Luck (New Adult fantasy, m/m, Torquere Press)
Scarlet and the White Wolf: The Land of Night (New Adult fantasy, m/m, Torquere Press)
Angels of the Deep (paranormal/horror)

Circuit Theory (novella, scifi, Riptide)
Coming Soon:


Malachite (speculative m/m, New Adult, 2015)
Poison Apples (collection, dark fantasy, m/m, 2015)
Scarlet and the White Wolf 4 (New Adult fantasy, m/m, 2015)

For upcoming news of her future novels, visit her website at http://KirbyCrow.com

Book Details:

ebook, 250 pages
Published March 2nd 2015 by Riptide Publishing (first published February 28th 2015)
ISBN139781626492042
edition languageEnglish
Sales Link:  Riptide Publishing

Barb, A Zany Old Lady Review: Lights! Camera! Cupid! A Bluewater Bay Valentine’s Day Anthology

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5BWBlogo_Web

Cupid is visiting Bluewater Bay, and he’s leaving chaos in his wake.

Lights! Camera! Cupid! coverIt’s been my experience that anthologies generally have stories which are great, not so great, and middle of the road. In this one, that’s not true—they are almost all terrific. To help me come up with an overall rating, I’ve rated each individual story and decided to leave that rating so that readers can see which ones I thought were the best.

The stories are:

Just Another Day by L.A. Witt

Levi Pritchard hates Valentine’s Day. In fact, he absolutely abhors it, so when he comes home to find that his lover Carter Samuels (“Starstruck”) has bought him a rare DVD for his collection and is making Pasta Carbonara, his favorite meal, he knows he’s going to have to say something ,and that it will likely hurt Carter’s feelings. He does, and it does, and after a brief period of time out for both of them and a call by Levi to his friend Anna, he does the unexpected and sits down with Carter to explain why he hates the holiday then takes Carter upstairs for a very special Valentine surprise. Saying more here would spoil the surprise but readers will definitely love it as much as Carter does! 4.5 stars

Nascha by Amy Lane

It never ceases to amaze me that Amy Lane can create an entire story spanning over fifty years, sketch full characters with both a history and a future, stir in a little (or in this case a lot) of angst, and spit out a story that is full, rich, memorable, and creates a lump in my throat and a pain in my heart. If I had to assign one word to this story it would be depressing. Another would be complex. It’s a story about Nascha, an American Indian and gambler, who falls in love with his two best friends, Kitten and Rawlins, from the time they are teens. Though those two legally marry, in their hearts they are a part of him, and it’s Nascha who struggles to feel that he’s bound with them forever, especially when life circumstances stink and he ends up trying to raise his niece, then ultimately his grandnephews, one of who has Asberger’s.

I struggled to get into the story at first, especially since there are some M/F sex scenes at the beginning when the story is being established. Later when the reader is engaged in the plot, all of the scenes make sense but it is a very complex story for so few pages. But it works, and it’s one of the best of the anthology. 4.5 stars

No Easy Way by S.E. Jakes

Cary Teijan, a teacher who holds the interesting job of tutoring both the delinquents who keep getting suspended and the child actors from the Wolf’s Landing TV show being filmed in Bluewater Bay is shocked when he runs into Dylan James on the set. Dylan is the man he was so deeply in love with in high school who has recently returned after six years in the service, and he’s also the subject of the M/M romances Cary writes under a pen name, romances which are highly successful.

Dylan is back and he wants Cary with all the passion he felt years before, but Cary resists with that same degree of passion because Dylan walked away from him without a word, and Cary is finding it hard to forgive and forget. This story is lengthier than most others in the anthology and is both intriguing and exciting. The fun in watching Dylan go after Cary and watching Cary continually give in then run away makes for a great short story and fits perfectly with the Bluewater Bay stories previously released. 5 stars

Helping Hand by Anne Tenino

Lucas Wilder is the son and brother of lumberjacks who have lived and worked in the Bluewater Bay area for generations, but he’s not willing to follow the family footsteps into the logging business. He barely knows how to hold a saw! He’s just been accepted into a prestigious art school, and he’s terrified to tell his homophobic father that there’s now one more reason for his father to hate him. In fact, he gets so flustered that he spills the beans about being gay shortly after he announces his plans to attend college to study art. Thankfully, his best friend Audrey is there to help him through this fiasco as she’s been there for him throughout high school. Both are looking forward to leaving the town behind them forever when they go to college.

Gabriel Savage, lumberjack and best friend of Lucas’s brother Zach, spots Lucas walking home a few nights later and stops to give him a lift. He gives him more than that too—his first sexual experience as a gay man. To be honest, I’m not sure I get the point of this story. I’ve re-read the entire section of their hookup several times and I still don’t quite understand the point the author was trying to make so for me, this story wasn’t on the same level as the others. In fact, whether it was just supposed to be a quick hookup or whether Gabe truly wanted a lasting relationship with Lu, really doesn’t matter. Either way, the story lacked the spark and interest the others held and that’s very disappointing since I generally love Anne Tenino’s work. 3 stars

I’ll Be There by Z. A. Maxfield

This was a great story to cap the anthology as Nash Holly fights desperately to make his way to the Chicago area to be with Spencer Kepler (“Hell on Wheels”) on Valentine’s Day during the worst snow storm to hit the Midwest in years. It isn’t even so much that it’s Valentine’s Day as the fact that Spencer is so socially inept that he fears meeting the guest of honor at the fan convention he’s volunteered to attend—a woman who is dying of cancer. In a brief Skype session with Nash, Spencer reveals more about his feelings related to his own mother’s death from cancer than he even realized himself. Readers get to witness how Spencer acknowledges the past and, learning from it, deals with the present and waits hopefully to see if Nash can make it. And we get to witness Nash as he delves into his true feelings for Spencer and his gratitude for having Spencer in his life. Their love is greater than the sum of both parts and this story is perfect for their first Valentine’s Day together. 5 stars

If you’ve been reading the Bluewater Bay stories, you know they can each be read as a standalone, as can this anthology. However, readers of the stories will recognize the characters in the first and last stories of this anthology and that will only add to the enjoyment of the book. I recommend this one to all lovers of M/M romance and especially to those who enjoy the added spice of the Valentine’s Day holiday and all of the ways love can be expressed.

Cover art by L.C. Chase depicts a movie set clipboard with a faded out red background of two of the MCs looking at each other with stars in their eyes. Perfect for the stories inside.WolfsLanding_transparent

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

Book Details:

ebook, 226 pages
Published February 9th 2015 by Riptide (first published February 7th 2015)
ISBN139781626492615
edition languageEnglish
seriesBluewater Bay #6

 

Bluewater Bay series, one location, different authors (and all highly recommended by Barb and Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words:

 

 

A PaulB Review: Ansleigh’s Grotto by J.T. Cheyanne

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Ansleigh's Grotto coverWhen his grandfather passes, Dylan Matthews inherits his Virginia estate. Dylan must deal with his past both remembered and forgotten to fulfill the terms of his grandfather’s will.

Dylan Matthews spent his summers at his grandfather’s estate while growing up. Just after his eighteenth birthday, he has an argument with his father. Fifteen years later, his grandfather passes. At the reading of the will, the family learns that while the rest of the estate is to be divided among them, Dylan is the sole heir to the Virginia homestead so long as he lives there for one year. Also, there are two letters that his grandfather has left for Dylan to read explaining his actions.

Upon arriving at the estate, Dylan reacquaints himself with the staff of the manor. He also meets Leigh, whom they say takes care of the flora and fauna on the estate. Dylan is smitten by Leigh and the feelings are returned. Unknown to Dylan, this is not the first time he has met Leigh.

Leigh, or Ansleigh, is the grandson of the Seelie or Light Fae king. Many centuries ago, to end a war between the Seelie and UnSeelie or Dark Fae, the first grandchild of each king were promised to each other as mates. The only way to prevent this mating from happening is if one were to find true love and his Cosantoir or keeper. Ansleigh has waiting for fifteen years for Dylan’s return to the estate because he has formed this bond during Dylan’s visits. He is heartbroken when Dylan disappears one day without saying goodbye to him. Now he must get Dylan to fall in love with him again even though Leigh did something that might prevent that from happening again.

Dylan and Leigh must overcome how they left things fifteen years ago and must also deal with an UnSeelie prince who is bound and determined to claim Ansleigh as his as promised by their grandfathers. Their lives and the fate of the grotto depend upon the successful resolution of this dilemma.

I really enjoyed this book. The author creates a realistic fantasy world in the Virginia grotto estate of Dylan’s grandfather. The supporting characters are well rounded and give added humor to the thrills of the conflict. Making Dylan a game developer allows for a perfect epilogue though I saw it about half way through the book. I would encourage anybody to spend some time in Ansleigh’s Grotto.

The cover by Tracey Weston shows two men embracing above a manor house surrounded by lush greenery. It draws the reader in and gives a good representation of the grotto.

Sales Links:        Amazon             Buy It Here

Book details
Ebook, 179 pages
Published: January 28, 2015 by Laz & Lachi Publication
Edition: English
ISBN: 978-0-9899725-2-9

In the Book Spotlight: Oliver (Whitedell Pride #6) by Catherine Lievens

Oliver (Whitedell Pride #6) by Catherine Lievens
Release Date: March 1, 2015
Goodreads Link

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Author Catherine Lievens

Catherine lives in Italy, country of good food and hot men. She used to write fantasy as a child, but it was reading her first gay erotic romance novel that made her realize that that was what she really wanted to write.

After graduating from college in English language and translation, she divides her day between writing, reading, taking care of her son and reading some more.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catherine.lievens.9
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorCLievens
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/catherine200405/
Other: https://authorcatherinelievens.wordpress.com/

Publisher: Latrisha Waters
Cover Artist: eXtasy Books

Sales Links: eXtasy Books

STRW Author BookSynopsis

 

About Oliver…

What matters is not what you are, but who you are.

oliver72Oliver is human, or at least he was until the Glass Research Company kidnapped him and experimented on him. Now he has a bear sharing his mind, but he’s not able to shift, and he’s confused. Is he a shifter, or a human? What’s worse, he’s getting sicker every day, and no one seems to know how to help him. He can’t even bond with his mate because he doesn’t want Sebastian to hurt if something happens to him.

Sebastian wants his mate to be cured, and the only way to do that is to go to New York and kidnap one of the company’s scientist. With the help of his pride brothers, he manages to do just that, but having Oliver cured doesn’t mean all their problems are over.

Oliver will have to deal with learning how to shift and trying to convince Sebastian that he’s fine and that he can be claimed, but once he manages to do that, other problems arise. Will the two lovers finally have the time to just be together, or will the pressure push them apart?

Categories: Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Paranormal, Romance

 

STRW Spotlight Book Excerpt

Shit. Shit, shit, shit! Oliver didn’t know what had happened or how to solve this. Well, he knew what had happened. He had shifted for the very first time, but did he really have to do it while naked in bed with Sebastian? Even more so, did it really have to be like, seconds after they had just made love and claimed each other?

If Sebastian hadn’t been so quick to move away, Oliver would have shifted while…ugh, he didn’t even want to think about it!

“Uh, love? Careful with those claws, okay?”

Oliver realized that he had been digging into the mattress so he awkwardly tried to get his claws out of the fabric, but it seemed that every move he made, he managed to just rip it apart a little more. He was scared to move, but he could hear the bed creaking. It wasn’t exactly made to host a fully grown bear plus his mate, even if Sebastian was in human form.

Pages or Words: 37,854 words

STRW Spotlight Contest Header

Contest:  Enter to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Use the Rafflecopter code provided by Pride Promotions below to enter and for all additional contest details.

Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Tour Dates: March 2, 2015

Tour Stops:

Parker Williams, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Molly Lolly, Inked Rainbow Reads, Wicked Wolves and Dreaming Dragons, Bayou Book Junkie, For the Love of Bookends, Bike Book Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, 

Kimi-Chan, Fallen Angel Reviews, Cate Ashwood, My Fiction Nook, BFD Book Blog, My Fiction Nook, Velvet Panic

 

Heading Into March and This Week’s Schedule at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

We are heading into March and this week holds many wonderful things for all of you.  The Pulp Friction Gang is back and talking about this year’s series which is located in New Orleans and set within Laura Harner and T.A. Webb’s Altered States universe of supernatural beings and events.  If you are thinking vampires, werewolves and ghosts you would be right. I will be reviewing the Altered States books all week to lead up to the first in the Pulp Friction series story !  Stay turned for more developments!

Here is our schedule this week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Splat coverOpening Day coverSong of the NavigatorStones in the Road cover

Monday, March 2:

  • Extended book blast ‘Oliver‘ by Catherine Lievens (Lion and Bear shifters….oh my!) (contest)
  • A Paul B Review:  Ansleigh’s Grotto by JT Cheyanne
  • A MelanieM Review: Splat by Anna Ankh
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Lights! Camera! Cupid! A Bluewater Bay Valentine’s Day Anthology

Tuesday, March 3:

  • In the Spotlight:  Annabeth Albert ‘Served Hot’ (contest)
  • A Stella Review: A Stone in the Road by Nick Wilgus
  • A BJ Review: Song of the Navigator by Astrid Amara
  • A MelanieM Review: Stolen Dreams by Sue Brown

Wednesday, March 4:

  • Opening Day by Alexis Woods‏ Book Tour and Author Interview
  • It Over by Hurri Cosmo Tour and contest
  • Catherine L. Byrne’s Some Other Freedom Tour and Contest
  • The Pulp Friction Gang is Here, And Its All About Pulp Friction 2015!
  • A MelanieM Review: Deep Blues Goodbye (Altered States, #1) by Laura Harner and T.A. Webb

Thursday, March 5:

  • On Tour With BA Tortuga’s Ever The Same exclusive excerpt tour and contest
  • Lissa Kasey’s Inheritance Book Tour and Contest
  • A Sammy Review: True Brit by Con Riley
  • A Paul B Review: Layne, River & Damion by Vicktor Alexander (Storming Love: Blizzard #4)
  • A MelanieM Review: Deadly Shades of Gold (Altered States, #2) by Laura Harner and TA Webb

Friday, March 6:

  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Rules to Live By – A BDSM Anthology
  • A MelanieM Review: Road Trip by A.F. Henley
  • MelanieM Review: Free Falling Crimson (Altered States, #3) by Laura Harner and T.A. Webb
  • A Stella Review: Shaken Up by Nicole Forcine

Saturday, March 7:

  • A Stella Review: Lucky Seven by E.L. Esch

someotherfreedom72 (2)Lucky Seven book coverShaken Up coverLights! Camera! Cupid! cover