Down Under Week Day 8: Author Renae Kaye, AUS/NZ Facts and Contest Details

Welcome to Day 8 of Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Down Under Author Showcase. Today’s featured author is Aussie writer Renae Kay, author of The Shearing Gun, Safe in His Arms, The Blinding Light and more. Look for the reviews of those books to follow Renae Kaye’s author page.

Australia Fact of the Day!

One of the interesting facts about Australia is that Australia is the biggest island and the smallest continent in the world. And

Australia is the driest inhabited continent on earth, the driest of all

is Antarctica. Find out more about Australia here.

Tasmania

New Zealand Fact of the Day

There are no snakes in the country even though 18. 30% of the country is forest. Even more impressive?

Highest Mountain, Aoraki Mount Cook!

New Zealand’s (and Australasia’s) highest mountain is Aoraki Mount Cook. It is 3,754 metres (12,316 ft) high. The mountain formerly appeared on maps as Mount Cook. In 1998, the mountain was officially renamed Aoraki Mount Cook to incorporate its Maori name. The renaming was part of a settlement in which the Crown also returned ownership of the mountain to the Ngai Tahu tribe, who then gifted it back to the New Zealand nation. Aoraki translates from the Ngai Tahu language as “cloud piercer”. This takes on even greater meaning when you understand that the Maori name of New Zealand is Aotearoa which means the land of the long white cloud.

Learn more about New Zealand here.

Now, while you are learning about Renae Kaye, her story and books, make sure to find the Down Under Scavenger Hunt word of the day, enter Bottom Drawer Publications contest listed on the Down Under Author Showcase Page on the menu. And if you know of anyone who has traveled to either or both New Zealand or Australia and would share their favorites sites, or memories, let them know that we would love to have them share them with us.

A Sammy Review: Spartan Love (Spartan Love #1) by Kayla Jameth

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

With a final sigh of satisfaction, he ran his hand over the smooth surface and placed the bowl on the ground. His small act of creation was in no way comparable to what the gods had achieved, but it still gave him satisfaction and a sense of pleasure.

Andreas lost his father to a kryptes when he was a small child, and his mother to illness just four years ago. Now he lives alone, toiling the land he lives on with only the company of the animals and the occasional neighbor.

Being a helot, certain rules apply – like not being inside after the sun sets. Darkness brings kryptes, young warriors who are given permission to slay the helots. It’s dangerous, and one night, Andreas barely escapes.

But that kryptes enters his home, takes his food… and out of need for something more, friendship – a companion, Andreas begins to leave food, an offering to the kryptes.

As the days go on, Andreas boldness grows, and one day, he invites the kryptes in, and Theron isn’t quite like the bloodthirsty stories he’s heard, like the kryptes who slaughtered his father.

But a man loving a man is forbidden in Sparta, not to mention a helot and a kryptes are as different in status as one can get. But some things are just impossible to resist.

He’d thought the warrior fearless, but maybe there were things even a warrior had to fear.

Kayla Jameth does a superb job of bringing the ancient world of warriors, slaves, and gods to life. It is clear from the very beginning that a great deal of research went into this book, and that’s very deliberately laid out for the reader.

Some may find it difficult to get through the different words, but a glossary at the end proves to be most helpful and a great reference point throughout the book – and for a history geek like me, just plain fun to read anyways.

I really enjoyed the setting and the characters, but I think I wanted to see even more of Theron’s personality. I got a very good grasp of Andreas, but not quite so with Theron. I missed hearing more about his warrior instincts that were literally beat into him. On that same line of characters, I so loved the personality given to Ictis and Pan.

Still, I had some problems. Around the 40% mark or so, it began to drag, and drag, and drag some more. It became monotonous to me. Their internal battles felt like they were repeated a bit too much, and I was ready to move on, and then when we did, I felt like I just kept getting more of Andreas and his daily activities, which is fine, but it just wasn’t very… lively. Even when Theron initially gets sick, things didn’t really pick up for me, except when Apollo became involved. (Speaking of Apollo, I loved the element that the Gods brought to this. It was a bit fantasy, but treated as real – as it is real in this place in time. It was really nice.)

I was waiting for something more to happen, and I kept waiting, and it never did. This story is incomplete, a cliffhanger in my eyes. It sort of just stops and leaves a lot of questions and things unexplored. For example, Andreas never tells Theron about what happened to his father, which I felt was pretty important.

This is listed as a series, but it ended almost more like a serial fiction to me. I checked the authors site and it mentioned that the next book follows not only Andreas and Theron but also Coridan, and I really hope it isn’t made into a threesome. It’d just muddle a perfectly complicated relationship that the story is just beginning to depict.

But nevertheless, I look forward to seeing their journey continue, and I am hoping for a bit more action in the upcoming books. We’ve got a very solid foundation of how their lives are, now I’m hoping to see things take off and the plot grow.

The cover art by Catt Ford is fitting. The red cloak is a signature in the story and for kryptes in general, so I’m glad that it is depicted here. I just wonder if the men on the cover appear a bit too old for Theron and Andreas.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press All Romance (ARe) Amazon buy it here

Book Details:

ebook, 210 pages
Published December 8th 2014 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781632162670
edition languageEnglish
seriesSpartan Love #1, Apollo’s Men #2

Down Under Showcase Author: Michelle Rae

Down Under Showcase Author of the Day

Meet Michelle Rae

Michelle Rae is the author of Time for Destiny, and other stories listed below.

To get to know Michelle Rae a little better, he agreed to an interview. Look for the interview below and the Down Under Scavenger Hunt word found somewhere within.

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Michelle Rae lives in lovely Adelaide, South Australia. She began writing fan fiction for her son in 2007, which led to bigger and better things. Writing LGBT stories became her passion after discovering the genre in 2008. Determined to write her greatest story, Michelle dedicates endless hours hoping to achieve this dream. In her spare time, Michelle likes to drink tea, eat peppermint chocolate and keep the last of her sanity intact.

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Contacts/Follow Michelle Rae at :

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5764348.Michelle_Rae

Website http://www.moralfortitude.com

Tumblr https://www.tumblr.com/blog/michelleraewriter

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/michelleraewriter

Google + https://plus.google.com/u/0/+MichelleRae-Writer

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Your Books:

Time for Destiny by Michelle Rae:

When Daniel Wilson, oldest of five children in a troubled family, joined the military, he expected to see combat in Iraq. But it comes as quite a shock when a Rupee minted a century and a half ago transports him to that dangerous time in war-torn colonial India. After he meets and falls in love with Vir during his visit to 1857, he faces the greatest challenge of his life. He knows he may ultimately lose Vir because he belongs in a different time. Still, he wants desperately to keep his love alive despite threats of violence from both wars.

Book Details:

ebook, 198 pages
Published August 22nd 2014 by Dreamspinner Press (first published November 1st 2011)
ISBN139781627988049
edition languageEnglish
url http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

Divine Intervention (Smashwords)
Michelle Rae has also published collections of short stories, find them at her website or at Goodreads.

Genre(s): Gay romance / fantasy

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Contests and Giveaways:

1. Today’s Giveaway (thank you, Michelle Rae) is an ebook copy of Time For Destiny. Enter using this Rafflecopter link here. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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2. Down Under Scavenger Hunt – find Michelle Rae’s Hunt “Word” in bold green. Collect all the words from each author and submit the list in writing no later than midnight on February 1st. Make sure you include an email address where you can be reached. Prizes will be given to 5 people selected, from 1st place to 5th! Happy Hunting.

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Q. When did you start writing?

I started writing in 2008. Firstly fan fiction stories for my son and later moved onto writing gay romance when I discovered the genre.

Q. Were you a reader as a child?

I love reading as a child and often our neighbours would give me book to reads.

Q.What books as a child has the most impact on you?

There was this one story that had a huge impact on me and for so long I couldn’t remember who wrote it and what it was called. I’ve asked my family and friends, as well, often posting it on social media to see if anyone can help me. I know it was about a boy, who had to use a door, when the portal broke. It was only recently I finally found this story and had the pleasure of reading it again. When I did, I remembered why I loved it so much. The story was – It’s such a beautiful day by Isaac Asimov.

Q. Where do you draw inspiration from?

Everyday things I see and here. My newest stories I’m writing was inspired by a webcomic called The Young Protectors.

Q. Favorite genres to write in and why?

I mostly write romance but recently I’ve been writing fantasy / adventure – where friendships are the most important relationship.

Q. Title or characters or plot? Which comes first?

The plot is always born first, followed by the characters. I often have problems finding the right title and tend to find it comes to me after I’ve started writing my story.

Q. Favorite quote (doesn’t matter the source)?

It’s that you can’t, it’s that you haven’t tried – not sure if it’s quoted anywhere but I tell this to my son often – it’s my favorite.

Q. Favorite book/story you have read as an adult.

Can I say Harry Potter, I was addicted to them for a long time.

Q. Do you have a certain regimen that you follow as a writer?

I plot everything out on paper first. Write character profiles and the structure of my story. Once I have the layout of my story, I write it.

Q. What inspired you to write your first book?

I wanted a way to express myself and have something that was about me. When I started writing stories for my son, his joy from them inspired me to grow.

Q. Do you have a specific writing style?

Write fast – spend months editing.

Q. What’s the hardest part of writing your books?

Editing – it’s at this time I realise just how bad my writing can be and it takes a lot of work for me to go back and make the story work.

Q. If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your first book?

No at all. Every story I have written, I love.

Q. My first impression of AUS/NZ was from stories and novels like Colleen McCullough’s The Thorn Birds or Nevil Shute’s A Town Like Alice as well as from movies like The Man from Snowy River, The Dish, Rabbit Proof Fence, Strictly Ballroom, and yes, Crocodile Dundee! There are so many out there. What is your favorite AUS/NZ stories and favorite Australian/New Zealand movies?

How can you go past Priscilla, Queen of the Dessert – my all time favourite Australian movie. [note; its one of mine as well, blame poor memory that its missing above!]

Q. What’s your favorite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?

Our national parks. Our gum trees are so tall and beautiful. The wildlife is everywhere, the birds break the silence with their amazing calls. The sound of the leaves in the wind. Adelaide is a beautiful, quiet city and one I love living in.

Q. What are your current projects?

The Sphere is my current story and one I wrote for National Novel Writers Month 2014. It’s a sci-fi/fantasy about a young women who becomes the personal assistant to a female supervillain.

Q. What’s next up for you?

I’m working on getting one of my older stories – Cat Got Your Tongue – out as a paperback. With the amount of editing I’ve been doing the last few months I surprised myself I was able to write a new story.

Down Under Day 7: Author Michelle Rae, AUS and NZ Facts and Contest Info

Today’s Down Under Author is Michelle Rae. Check out Michelle Rae’s books, bio, and giveaway. And don’t forget to find the Scavenger Hunt word of the Day.

Have you been to New Zealand or Australia? We are looking for stories, pictures and memories to post for the rest of this month!

Down Under Interesting Facts:

Australia Facts of the Day:

Two facts actually because I couldn’t decide (much like Sydney and Melbourne) which to post:

1.) Canberra was selected as the capital because Sydney and Melbourne could not stop arguing which city should be the capital of Australia.

Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of 381,488, it is Australia’s largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory, 280 km south-west of Sydney…

Population: 381,488 (2013)
Area: 314.36 sq miles (814.20 km²)

2.) Australians refer to English people as Pome (Pomes plural?), which is actually the acronym for Prisoners of Mother England.

New Zealand Interesting Fact of the Day:

Where Have All The Sheep Gone?

From the early 1980s, when NZ was home to over 70 million sheep, the population has declined to around 31 million (2013 data). This means the oft-quoted statistic, that NZ has 20 sheep for each human, is wrong! Nowadays it’s only about 7 to 1. This decline hasn’t stopped NZ from cornering 50% of all international trade in sheepmeat.

Unlike the human population, the majority of New Zealand’s sheep are based on the South Island, where there are more than 20 sheep for every human! The decline in the number of sheep has been caused by increasing dairy cattle numbers.

On Tour with Karen Stivali’s Moment of Impact (book tour and contest)

Book Name: Moment of Impact (Book one in the Moments in Time series)
Goodreads Link
Author Name: Karen Stivali

Author Bio:

Karen Stivali is a prolific writer, compulsive baker and chocoholic with a penchant for books, movies and fictional British men. Karen is a multiple award-winning author of contemporary romance. She writes novels about love…like real life, only hotter.

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Anna Sikorska

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press All Romance (ARe)

Main Author pages: Amazon B&N

Blurb:

Outside Collin Fitzpatrick’s dorm room is a dangerous place. Beyond his door the students of his small, conservative college think he’s straight, as does his Catholic family who’d disown him if they learned the truth. Inside, he’s safe with his incredibly sexy roommate Tanner D’Amico. Their room makes a perfect place to hide away and fall in love. The moment they cross the line from roommates to lovers, Collin becomes caught between their heavenly passionate encounters and the hellish reality that someone might find out and destroy everything. Tanner’s not used to being so confined, and wants to show the world how much he loves Collin. But Collin’s not sure he’s ready for the impact stepping outside will make.

Excerpt from MOMENT OF IMPACT (Book 1 of the Moments In Time Series by Karen Stivali)

Don’t blow this. Not now. Not when he’s right here. So close. So… Forcing myself to move, I reached out and clutched at his shoulder. His skin was smooth, warm. I pressed my fingers into his flesh with enough force, he flinched. His gaze darted to mine, wary.

Swallowing hard, I willed myself to maintain eye contact. “I didn’t think I wanted that, until I met you.”

Tanner’s gaze raced back and forth between my hand, which was still gripping his shoulder, and my eyes, which felt like they were about to bulge out of my skull. I couldn’t blink. Couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think.

Do something. Say something.

Then his mouth crashed into mine.

I like kissing. I always have. Even though I wasn’t super into any of the girls I’d been with, kissing was the one thing I still enjoyed. Warm mouths, wet tongues, moving together. It felt good. I seriously thought I’d done some decent kissing in my life.

I was wrong. Tanner’s mouth on mine for one fucking second proved to me that what I’d done before might have looked like kissing, might have felt like kissing, but was like the frozen french bread pizza version of kissing. Nothing like the real thing.

Nothing like this.

His tongue swept into my mouth, hot and velvety. His hand gripped the back of my neck, tugging me upright. Everything fell away. Disappeared. The whole world was this one kiss. I could have drowned in it and died happy.

Tanner pulled away, breathing hard, his forehead pressed to mine. The room spun like a carnival ride.

“You okay?”

His voice sounded lower than usual. Deep and gravelly. I gave a shaky nod, and he tipped his head back, looking at me.

“You sure?”

“Yeah.” My heart beat double time as I realized he still had his hands on me. And he was still naked. And I was probably harder than I’d ever been in my entire life. Jesus.

“We can stop.”

“No.” That wasn’t what I wanted. Not at all. “I just… I mean… we’re roommates. What if this doesn’t work out?”

Tanner’s lips pulled into a grin so sexy my brain turned to oatmeal. He rubbed the back of my neck. “So, one kiss and you’re already thinking about what happens if we break up?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know.”

“Let’s see how we feel after another kiss.”
Pages or Words: 125 pages

 Tour Dates: January 7, 2015

Tour Stops: Parker Williams, Fallen Angel Reviews, BFD Book Blog, Molly Lolly, Amanda C. Stone, MM Good Book Reviews, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Wake Up Your Wild Side, Bayou Book Junkie, Velvet Panic, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Jade Crystal, Iyana Jenna, Love Bytes,Queer Town Abbey, Christy Loves 2 Read

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

Rafflecopter Code:
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Cover Reveal for Jess Buffett “Always Been You” (book tour and Contest)

Book Name: Always Been You
Book one of a series
Release Date
Goodreads Link
Author Name: Jess Buffett

Author Bio:

Jess Buffett was born and raised in New South Wales, Australia. She is a mum of two, married to her high school sweetheart.   Jess is a hopeless romantic who is a huge fan of M/M and M/F romance with a happy ending—anything with hunky men in all their glory, whether they be Shifters, Vampires, Cowboys, or the boy next door.   A caffeine addict who shamefully can’t make a decent cup of coffee to save her life, Jess believes in soul mates, happily ever afters, and in love at first sight, but that sometimes people need a second or a third for the brain to catch up.

Where you can find Jess:

Website:

Twitter
Facebook Author Page
Friend on Facebook

Publisher: Reckless Lovers Press
Cover Artist: Jess Buffett

Sales Links: Keep an eye on her website – http://jessbuffett.wordpress.com for details

Blurb:

After recovering from a shooting that took the lives of his best friends, Seth Hall returns to his hometown for the first time in eleven years with his two children in tow. Intent on setting up a happy, stable life for them, he vows not to allow his past to intervene with their future. That is until Jared, the boy who had broken his heart all those years ago, returns to his life a full grown man who knows exactly what he wants…Seth.

Jared Stewart thought he had lost his only chance to be with Seth after a series of misunderstandings and mistakes. When Seth finally comes home and back into Jared’s life, Jared vows to do anything it takes to keep him there. However, while Jared and Seth grow closer, they discover that not everyone is so happy for them.

Will they be finally able to make a life for themselves together? Or will they be torn apart again, by people they thought they could trust?

Categories: Contemporary, M/M Romance

Excerpt:

Seth was practically screaming in the other man’s face by this point. He couldn’t believe the guys nerve. Out the corner of his eye Sal made an appearance, but hesitated in the doorway, obviously unsure as to whether or not he should interrupt.

Lightning fast, Jared grabbed his wrist, using it to pull a struggling Seth closer until they were flat up against each other. He leaned in close to Seth, whispering into his ear. “Let’s get a few things straight. I have never felt sorry for you. I did not choose a school far away from you until you told me to. Everything we discussed stayed between us, and I would never have freaked over kissing you. And I’ll be damned if I let you run away from me again.”

Seth’s eyes widened at the same time Jared crushed their lips together, searing him right down to his toes. Jared’s arms became steel bands, and they held him tight. Dear god! He did not see this coming.

Pages or Words: 60,000 words

 Tour Dates: January 7th, 2015

Tour Stops: Parker Williams, The Hat Party, Molly Lolly, BFD Book Blog, Inked Rainbow Reads, Bayou Book Junkie, Hearts on Fire, Carly’s Book Reviews, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Cate Ashwood, Love Bytes, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Kristy’s Brain Food, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Sinfully Sexy, Iyana Jenna, Elin Gregory, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, MM Good Book Reviews, Andrew Q. Gordon, Velvet Panic, 3 Chicks After Dark

Wake Up Your Wild Side, Lee Brazil, Queer Town Abbey, Foxylutely Book Reviews

Contest: Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Always Been You’ and a $10 Gift Card

Rafflecopter Code:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A MelanieM Review: Mythica by L.J. LaBarthe

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

Half selkie Caiden is unhappy that as a Mythica he is unable to serve his country as his father had done. In fact all Mythicas are banned from service because they might not be able to handle the stress, changing forms in combat. While Caiden agrees intellectually with that assessment, emotionally he’s frustrated and taking his discontent out on those around him. Its even affected his viewpoint of the sy’lph, an alien race that arrived on Earth seeking sanctuary and a home after their galaxy was destroyed in a war.

But when a minotaur goes wild at the government offices of the Bridging Lives agency (a sort of Social Security other being checkpoint and social agency), Caiden jumps in to stop the minotaur and his world changes forever. First he is rescued by Gray, a sy’lph who is the local liason between humans, mythica and the sy’lph. Gray is gorgeous and Caiden is overwhelmingly attracted to a being he has resolutely disliked. Secondly, the minotaur had been poisoned.

Soon all the mythicas are under attack. And Gray and Caiden take their first steps towards understanding and a relationship just when everything starts to fall apart around them, putting themselves and Caiden’s family in danger.

Mythica by L.J. LaBarthe is a book that defies categorization, something that surely thrills its author. How to describe a beautifully written story that encapsulates human mythological creatures come to life, along with an alien race fleeing galactic genocide and bringing inhuman technology with them. Then throw in a interspecies romance, racial purity rights terrorists, and much, much more and you have Mythica – scify, supernatural, paranormal, action, suspense, mystery romance! I would expect nothing less from L. J. LaBarthe.

From the opening lines, the author pulls you into the joy of Caiden’s life as a half selkie! He is frolicking in the ocean waters near home which is Broome in Western Australia:

Dolphins swam up to join him, and he grabbed the dorsal fin of the nearest one, laughing when he surfaced and breathed in air again. The dolphin dragged him along through the water at a rapid rate, making him whoop with delight, a sound echoed by the raucous cries of the seagulls hovering overhead. Schools of fish swam below him, sometimes their silvery bodies brushed against his toes, and Caiden loved that too, the feeling of being so free, so connected to all the elements—water, air, light, earth. The dolphin that pulled him along through the water brought him close to shore, and Caiden felt the soggy roughness of sand beneath his feet. He let go of the dorsal fin, calling a thank you and goodbye to the dolphins as they swam on.

LaBarthe conveys the lightness of being and the spontaneity of Caiden’s selkie behavior in the waters. And just as quickly, the author is able to ground Caiden in his human half, complete with his discontent and unhappiness at leaving the watery haven behind as he reluctantly arrives at the Bridging Lives agency. LaBarthe has created with her “mythicas” a fascinating new group of beings (albeit from an ancient beginnings). The mythicas are

“Mythica were the descendants of all mythological creatures of antiquity—the pixies, fairies, selkies, minotaurs, dragons, and more—who lived and worked alongside humans.”

Caiden himself is half mythica, his father human and his mother a selkie, a human/mythica pairing not uncommon in this story. The author is quick to give Caiden a painful past made bearable by a supportive, loving family, only some of which are mythicas. Broome is pictured as normally as is possible when mythicas and aliens such as the sy’lph casually walk about its facilities and streets. There is an authenticity to each scene that is wonderful considering who and what is appearing throughout each description and event.

Also marvelously imagined are the sy’lph. Alien beings of mallable metal (think mercury) whose real shape and body is confined within a synthetic humanoid shell. Just seeing their true shape/body is enough to blind any human. Their back story and natural history is as complex and captivating as everything else that LaBarthe has created here. But while all the outside elements are fantasical in nature, inside there exists a lovely romance between two beings/people trying to learn about each other and work their way towards something more lasting and real.

Interspersed throughout the myriad of plot threads is the threat to Caiden, his family and all mythicas. It isn’t long before the villain of the pieces appears and the uncertainty and dread that comes with this nasty little storyline

is yet one more element that will keep the reader engaged and deeply involved in Mythica until the ending. Which I was sorry to see arrive.

Mythica has such a wide appeal and such a ingenious universe, that I hope to see LaBarthe revisit it again in another story. Both the mythicas and the sy’lph deserve to have their stories told. But while we are waiting for that to happen, pick up Mythica and see why I recommend it so highly. Never has such a concoction of genres been so appealing.

Cover by Mumson Designs is lovely, and captures the joy of Caiden perfectly.

Sales Links: Bottom Drawer Publications All Romance (ARe) Amazon Buy it here

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 217 pages
Published September 18th 2014 by Bottom Drawer Publications
ASINB00NQA0FV0
edition languageEnglish

A MelanieM Review: The Body on the Beach (Under the Southern Cross) by L.J. LaBarthe

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

It’s 1920 in Adelaide, the only free colony in Australia. When a body on the beach is found to be marked up with Chinese symbols, it only makes sense for the local constable to call upon William “Billy” Liang for advice and help with the investigation. Billy Liang, prominent member of both cultures in Adelaide, has often worked as a liaison between the various emigrant societies in Adelaide and the white establishment.

With his lover and business manager, Tom Williams, at his side (and with the support of Billy’s wife), Billy and Tom must investigate a crime that looks to implicate the local Chinese community in the murder. Billy and Tom deal with illegal opium dens, fantan games and gambling, racism, and being shot at throughout the investigation. And while Billy’s family accepts the love he and Tom share, Australia’s laws against sodomy and homosexuality pose a constant danger. It’s a delicate balance that Billy and Tom maintain, one that this murder and the ripples it sets in motion threaten to destroy.

The Body on the Beach, part of the Under the Southern Cross Anthology, is a perfect little window into a time and societal framework of 1920 Adelaide, Australia. L.J. LaBarthe recreates gallimaufry of cultures that is Adelaide, a situation that hasn’t changed much today. Within the limits of the town, there exists the Chinese, the Greeks, the Russians, and more nationalities that have flooded into the region and are now coexisting, however uneasily, with the white population. I especially loved the intimate look at the Chinese community from the viewpoint of Billy Liang. The character of William “Billy” Liang is a compelling one. He acts as the bridge between all the “foreigners” and the local establishment by way of his success as a businessman and his status within the Chinese insular community. And he does so successfully because he lives in both worlds in his private life. He is married to an intelligent, understanding wife who accepts his love and relationship with Tom. Indeed, they have created for themselves their own insulated world where their servants are supportive of their unique relationship dynamics, including the fact that he and Tom live in one section of the huge house and his wife in another.

Some readers might balk at this arrangement, but as its laid out here by L.J. LaBarthe, it not only works but we enjoy the camaraderie and ease in which they all deal with each other. I enjoyed Billy’s wife for her grace and intelligence as much as I did Tom, a terrific balancing act indeed.

While the plot has Tom and Billy investigating a complex murder, it was all the descriptions of the various sides to Adelaide and its people that I really enjoyed. I felt as though I was there, walking the streets and beaches with Billy and Tom. There is the realistic aspect of racism that has to be dealt with along with the need to keep their sexuality and true nature of their relationship hidden. And within all of that complicated framework, a murderer needs to be caught and brought to justice.

When an author brings me takes me back to the past and makes it feel alive once more, as LaBarthe does here, then I feel that I have taken a marvelous journey, one I was unwilling to see end. The Body on the Beach is just such a story. If you are unfamiliar with L. J. LaBarthe, this is a wonderful place to start!

Cover Artist Anne Cain. How I love this cover! Everything, from the design to the characters, pull you in as does this story.

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

Book Details:

ebook
Published March 13th 2013 by Dreamspinner Press (first published March 12th 2013)
ISBN139781623805494
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3630
seriesUnder the Southern Cross

Down Under Author Showcase – L.J. LaBarthe

Meet L.J. LaBarthe

L. J. LaBarthe is the author of many series and novels (listed below).

To get to know L.J. LaBarthe a little better, she agreed to an interview. Look for her guest post below and the Down Under Scavenger Hunt question and clue found somewhere within.

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Author Bio:

L.J. LaBarthe is a French-Australian woman, who was born during the Witching Hour, just after midnight. From this auspicious beginning, she went on to write a prize-winning short story about Humpty Dumpty wearing an Aussie hat complete with corks dangling from it when she was six years old. From there, she wrote for her high school yearbook, her university newspaper, and, from her early teens to her twenties, produced a fanzine about the local punk rock music scene. She enjoys music, languages, TV, film, travel, cooking, eating out, abandoned places, urbex, history, and researching.

L.J. loves to read complicated plots and hopes to do complex plot lines justice in her own writing. She writes paranormal, historical, urban fantasy, and contemporary Australian stories, usually m/m romance and featuring m/m erotica.
L.J. lives in the city of Adelaide, and is owned by her cat.

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Website: http://www.ljlabarthe.com/
Blog: http://misslj_author.livejournal.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lj.labarthe.9
Twitter: @brbsiberia
Tumblr: http://dreadpiratestarkiller.tumblr.com/
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/dreadpiratestar/
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/lj.labarthe.9
Google +: https://plus.google.com/117252756118475570457

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Author’s Books, Series, and Stories:
The Archangel Chronicles with Dreamspinner Press.
• No Quarter
• No Surrender, No Retreat
• No Shadows Fall
• The Wind-up Forest
• The Crystal Lake
• The Bone Cup
• A Shot in the Dark
• A Fire in the Heart
• A Candle in the Sun

City of Jade with Dreamspinner Press
Mythica with Bottom Drawer Publications
Waiting for the Moon and You with Dreamspinner Press
Brick by Brick with Dreamspinner Press (Co-written with Cate Ashwood)
Swimming with Elephants with Dreamspinner Press (forthcoming release available as a novella and part of the Piece Us Back Together anthology)
Ice with Less Than Three Press
The Body on the Beach with Dreamspinner Press (available as a novella and part of the Under the Southern Cross anthology) – one of the Down Under Author Scavenger Hunt Prizes!
Capsicum Head in the Rockin’ Hard Vol. 2 anthology with Less Than Three Press
Sunburnt Country in the Something Happened on the Way to Heaven anthology with Less Than Three Press

Genre(s):

With the exception of Brick by Brick, Swimming with Elephants, Capsicum Head, The Body on the Beach, City of Jade and Waiting for the Moon and You, all my books are paranormals.

Contemporaries: Brick by Brick, Swimming with Elephants, Capsicum Head, Waiting for the Moon and You.

Historicals: City of Jade, The Body on the Beach.

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1. Today’s Giveaway (thank you,L.J. LaBarthe) is an eBook copy of any of the first 6 Archangel books, City of Jade or Mythica. Enter using this Rafflecopter link here.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

2. Down Under Scavenger Hunt – find Question or “Word“. Collect all the words/clues from each author and submit the list in writing no later than midnight on February 1st. Make sure you include an email address where you can be reached. Prizes will be given to 5 people selected, from 1st place to 5th! Happy Hunting.

**************Now on to our Interview with L. J. LaBarthe….

Q• When did you start writing?

I don’t remember not writing, to be honest! I used to draw a lot and write little stories to go with my drawings.

Q• Were you a reader as a child?

Voracious. I was a shy kid, and spent a lot of time with books.

Q • Where do you draw inspiration from?

Everywhere. From the weather, the garden, places I’ve visited or documentaries I’ve seen, to history, research (I love research!), news articles to movies, music, TV shows. Just about anything and everything!

Q• Favorite genres to write in and why?

Paranormal, historical, fantasy and science fiction, because those are the genres I prefer to read.

Q• Title or characters or plot? Which comes first?

Usually, it’s a scene and then everything springs from that. There are exceptions to that of course, the book I’m working on at the moment, “Song of Song,” the title came first and everything else fell into place in my head with a loud clunk!

Q• Do you have a favorite character that you have written?

Archangels Gabriel, Raziel and Uriel and Archdemon Adramelek from my Archangel series.

Q• Favorite quote (doesn’t matter the source)?

“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”

– Said by Inigo Montoya, from “The Princess Bride.”

Q• Favorite book/story you have read as an adult?

Only one? I can’t do just one! I love the “Night Watch” series by Uzbek writer Sergey Lukyanenko, those are fantastic books. Then there’s the Danilov series by Jasper Kent, which is brilliantly done. “The Prince and the Program” by Aldous Mercer, “Child 44” by Tom Rob Smith, “31 Things” by Cate Ashwood, “The Cuckoo’s Calling” by J. K. Rowling… so many more.

Q• What’s the hardest part of writing your books?

Titles! I am really terrible at coming up with titles. “No Quarter,” for example, went through thirteen title changes until it became that, and that was thanks to my good friend Meredith Shayne suggesting it to me.

Q• What book are you reading now?

“New Watch” by Sergey Lukyanenko, which is his latest release; “The Silkworm” by J. K. Rowling.

Q• How do you think books written from authors in Australia or New Zealand differ in style, language, and culture?

I think we use a lot more slang. Our slang is rhyming slang and is often quite colourful. We also spell with British English, so the ‘u’ is still present in words like colour.

Q• My first impression of AUS/NZ was from stories and novels like Colleen McCullough’s The Thorn Birds or Nevil Shute’s A Town Like Alice as well as from movies like The Man from Snowy River, The Dish, Rabbit Proof Fence, Strictly Ballroom, and yes, Crocodile Dundee! There are so many out there. What is your favorite AUS/NZ stories and favorite Australian/New Zealand movies?

I’m going to be a bit different here and choose a TV show. The Australian show, “Offspring” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Offspring_(TV_series)) is my choice, because not only is it brilliantly written, it’s a pretty accurate representation of middle class, inner suburban life. The show also doesn’t shy away from topics like death, addiction, child birth, and has not just heterosexual couples but gay and lesbian couples as well. The last three episodes of season four, for instance, had me bawling, completely ugly crying. And Twitter was on fire because of this particular plot line, so much so, that the band, The Offspring, took to Twitter to say that nothing had happened to them, and the police department local to where the show is set, had to issue a statement saying there would be no investigation into what happened. (I’m avoiding spoilers, in case readers want to watch the show!)

And there were more tears in season five, and I hate crying at TV/movies/books, but I love, love, love this show, even though it turns me into the ugly crying author!

Q• If you were a tour guide, what would you like a visitor to see and what impression would you want them to take away with them when they leave?

The Flinders Ranges in outback South Australia. Not just because this is my own favourite part of the country and I live in SA, but because it really is stunningly beautiful, no matter what time of year you visit.

Q• What are your current projects?

I have six (!!!) titles coming out in 2015, so I foresee a LOT of editing in my near future. The last three Archangel books are coming out, as is “Brick by Brick,” “Swimming with Elephants” and “Waiting for the Moon and You.”

I’m also on the home stretch of the first draft of my sci-fi space opera m/m romance, called “Song of Song,” and I’m really enjoying writing it, so much so that it feels as if the book has written itself.

• What’s next up for you?

A bit of rest, I think. Then I’ll get back into it. I’ve got a few works in progress that I’d like to finish and a few plot bunnies I’d like to start. Either way, there will be more tales told, and more books.

Q What are the questions you would like to see answered for the Scavenger Hunt? one answer will do.

1. Aussie slang – what am I doing if I’m using the telling bone? or.

2: Aussie slang – what bird is on the South Australian coat of arms? send your answers to me along with the other words/clues at the end of the month.

Down Under Day 6: L.J. LaBarthe, AUS/NZ Facts and Contest Details

Welcome to Day 6 of STRW Down Under Author Showcase. Our Featured Author today is L. J. LaBarthe, a prolific author of multiple series and stand alone romances. Make sure you visit her page, check out her bio and books. And don’t forget to enter her giveaway contest and search out the Scavenger Hunt word of the Day as well as enter Bottom Drawer Publications contest on the Down Under Author Showcase Page.

Australia Fact of the Day:

Australia’s Migrants I
Around 24% of Australia’s residents were born overseas. This compares with 20% in New Zealand, 17% in Canada, 10% in the USA and 6% in the UK.

Australia’s Migrants II
Australia has been a magnet for immigration for many years. In fact, Australia’s immigration policy used to be targeted towards attracting people from the British Isles. The emphasis now is to attract anyone from anywhere who has the skills to contribute to Australia’s development.

City of Adelaide Skyline – see link for more information about Adelaide.

New Zealand Fact of the Day:

It’s a fact: at 41.2o South, Wellington is the most southerly capital city on the planet. Cities on similar latitudes in the Northern hemisphere are Barcelona, Istanbul and Chicago.

Australia Fact of the Day!

New Zealand Fact of the Day

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Meet Michelle Rae

Contests and Giveaways:

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Down Under Interesting Facts:

Australia Facts of the Day:

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Meet L.J. LaBarthe

L. J. LaBarthe is the author of many series and novels (listed below).

To get to know L.J. LaBarthe a little better, she agreed to an interview. Look for her guest post below and the Down Under Scavenger Hunt question and clue found somewhere within.

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