Tina Blenke’s Shifters are Back in Shifting Gears (book tour and contest)

Book Name: Shifting Gears – Shifting Paradigm Book Two
Author Name: Tina Blenke

Author Bio:

Tina is a retired Air Force brat and has lived in several states as well as a handful of countries. She has always had a soft spot for literature and is a voracious reader. When she isn’t writing, she can be found cuddled up with a good book. Though Tina adores a thrilling novel with sappy lovesick heroes, she is terrified of things that go bump in the night. This makes for quite a complicated relationship with zombies, something that she just can’t get enough of.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tina-Blenke-Author/487878157926041?ref=hl
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tinablenke
LinkedIn: Tina Blenke
Instagram: tinablenke
WordPress: http://tinablenke.wordpress.com/
Website: http://tinablenke.wix.com/author
Tumblr: tinablenke

Publisher: eXtasy Books
Cover Artist: Latrisha Waters

Sales Links: eXtasy Books

Shifting Gears Blurb:

Justin has graduated high school and feels the pull to find his destined mate away from the sanctuary of his Shifter family. He makes the decision to leave the sacred Pack Lands to enter the world of the Changeless humans. Only one other Shifter has ever left the sacred homelands searching for his mate and Justin is hopeful that he’ll be just as successful but the threat of violence against Shifters is ever threatening as conflict escalates.

Connor has worked hard to make a name for himself. He is an influential member of society with contacts with the business and political leaders of Whitewater. He owns and manages a successful nightclub that is soon branching off into additional prospects that will open even more red carpet opportunities for him. Everything is falling into place for him financially but he has no one with whom to share his accomplishments.

Justin makes the decision to move to the city and meets his mate when Connor hits him with his car. Connor’s initial reaction is to push Justin away because of his young age but the draw to the young Shifter is too much for Connor to resist. Justin struggles with finding his own way and fights for the chance to prove himself to Connor.

Justin is faced with making the right decisions so he doesn’t push Connor away while fighting with his own wolf to maintain control of his mind and his body. He fights with his own self-doubt in the hopes of proving to Connor that he doesn’t need the man’s success he only needs the man.

Categories: Alternate Universe, Erotica, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance, Paranormal

Shifting Gears Excerpt:

The hospital room was easy enough to find once Jason let the central desk know who he was looking for. At the end of the long white hall was a bay of rooms, set in a circular pattern around the nurses’ station and Justin’s room was on the far right.

Glass doors allowed Jason to see into the room and see his cousin’s smiling face talking to a doctor in a long white lab coat. The room was filled with a half dozen vases filled with colorful flowers ranging from wild flowers to orchids and even roses. Odd considering Justin only knew Jason and Eric in the city and Justin’s family hadn’t been contacted about the accident.

Justin beamed when Jason entered the room holding his own bouquet of daisies and a get well card purchased from the downstairs gift shop. Justin lay propped upright with his left leg in a cast and elevated on a stack of pillows. An IV was hooked to his arm and a few scratches covered his forearms and left cheek but other than that he looked good. The benefits of youth had been on his side when the accident occurred.

Pages or Words: 93 pages, 19,009 words

Tour Dates: December 23, 2014

Tour Stops:

Parker Williams, The Hat Party, Molly Lolly, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, My Fiction Nook, Bayou Book Junkie, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, BFD Book Blog, MM Good Book Reviews, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Crystal’s Many Reviewers, Carly’s Book Reviews, Velvet Panic, Queer Town Abbey, The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Fallen Angel Reviews, Andrew Q. Gordon

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Shifting Gears’. Use the link below for all additional contest details and the entry form. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

A MelanieM Review: The Marine by John Simpson and Robert Cummings

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

David Stauffer, 18, joins the Marines as an escape from his drunken, abusive father and a dead end life. David had no where to go and no financial support so joining the Marines was his only option. Matthew Kendricks, 18, joins because it is expected of him as a sort of family legacy handed down from father to son. It didn’t matter that being a Marine was the last thing that Matthew wanted, he did what was expected to keep from disappointing his loving family. Two such dissimilar young men from opposite ends of the social spectrum and familial backgrounds. Yet meeting in line for boot camp will change their lives forever.

The Marine by John Simpson and Robert Cummings is a story that feels shorter than its actual 101 pages. While the first few chapters shows us the history and family situation of David and Matthew, the majority of the story takes place in boot camp at Parris Island. David Stauffer is by far the more compelling of the two main characters. A “bantam” of a man, David is short, intense, aggressive as only a young man with his background can be. His ability to fight and persevere through each and every training exercise sees David rise through his section, even with the fact that he is almost defiantly gay. Matthew, a quiet young man with almost no aptitude for military service other than his family legacy, is a harder sell. Why? Mostly because he doesn’t want to be a Marine (instead he wants to be an artist), isn’t physically fit as the others and really has not reason to be there other than he couldn’t stand up to his loving parents. Unlike the other recruits, Matthew doesn’t have to be there and so our sympathy with his situation is not as strong.

As with most typical John Simpson stories, romance is in short supply while the sexy scenes are not, which is logical given their situation and barracks living conditions. David clearly pursues Matthew to Matthew’s dismay for the first part of the story. Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is over but only recently, too recently to have changed the attitudes and actions of some of the Marine officers and other soldiers so David’s attraction to Matthew puts them both in vulnerable positions. And only David is able to handle himself when it comes to fights. So Matthew’s reservations are honest ones yet David doesn’t seem to get that.

I had several issues with this story, the largest of which is that Parris Island and David and Matthew’s boot camp experience comes off as less intense and transformative as it is reported to be. One of the objectives of boot camp is to tear the man down so he can be rebuilt in the form of a Marine. That didn’t come across in the scenes or descriptions of their training. Yes, David has some arduous trials to go through but there is never any question that he will make it through. Yes, you have your grizzled sergeants, the constant “in your face” yelling and river of insults and pejorative terms, but those scenes are lacking in immediacy or believability. In fact,heat, intensity, or any type of emotional impact is lacking in a story that should be filled to the brim with exhaustion, pain, deep emotional introspection, you name it, these two men should have gone through it and I never got that here, not once.

My other issue here? That this story feels more like a bunch of chapters in a much larger story, the first half of a much larger book at that. The reader is given David and Matthew’s background, we get their training experience at Parris Island and their graduation. And then…nothing. It just ends on what felt like a lovely, but forced ending. I kept waiting for the rest of the story, their deployment, and everything that comes next. Those missing chapters and part of David and Matthew’s story would have made this book a far more realistic read and have given it a completeness that this story is lacking.

So do I recommend this story? Only as a type of adult military fairy tale. If you want a quick, lovely, story with a happy feel good ending, than you will enjoy this. However, if you have higher expectations for a story with Marines and authenticity, complete with sweat, dirt, angst, and pain, then I suggest you look elsewhere. Both John Simpson and Robert Cummings have deep military backgrounds so my expectations for this story were high, perhaps too much so. You might find yourself feeling differently about The Marines. Pick it up and decide for yourself.

Cover artist: A.J. Corza. I like the cover but the model for David should be much shorter and Matthew? He’s a ginger.

Sales Links: All Romance (ARe) amazon buy it here

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 101 pages
Published September 20th 2014 by Cool Beans Publishing & Editing
ASINB00NRX4IZ0
edition languageEnglish

A Mika Review: My Mate Jack (A Heated Beat Story #1) by Garrett Leigh

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Will Barter’s has loved his best mate Jack for as long as he can remember. They’ve shared everything: love, life, laughs, even Will’s first kiss. But Jack’s straight, and Will’s long-buried infatuation means nothing until their last summer together draws to a close.  Then one night, everything changes, but with Will bound for university in Leeds, and Jack for his dream DJ job in Ibiza, there’s no time to explore their blurred lines. Before long, all that’s left are secrets, lies, and misunderstandings.   In the months that follow, anger and hurt overshadow fifteen years of friendship, and Will must dig deep to remember Jack is his mate… his best mate, and nothing matters more than that, right?

A new Garrett Leigh series, sure I’ll take it. Garrett Leigh is dubbed Queen of Angst in my mind palace. She produces the angst like no other. I was on pins and needles throughout Will and Jack’s separation the entire time. I was angry at both of them for not being angry themselves at the long bouts of time between communications. Why couldn’t Will get a better bloody phone? G.L. had me fussing using proper English words. I think I called my husband a wanker four or five times while reading this. You men don’t get it, someone step up and say something; now back to the story at hand, lol.

Will and Jack have been best mates since they were seven years old. Things changed the summer year before graduating high school. We can all guess since it’s a friend to lover’s thing. I automatically thought when things changed we’ll see them at college doing what all new couple do, try to maintain their relationship. Well no, that didn’t happen. Will went to uni, and Jack went to Ibiza to d.j. I didn’t think it would be so hard for two guys who spent most of their lives together to have communication issues once they leave home. Lots and lots of communication issues. I was livid, I wanted one of these guys to grow up and throw out the first line, but of course we got the run around. In between them we had family issues, resolved issues, jealous boyfriends,and much, much more. Not in those orders but they could have the catalyst for an entire different ending. I was happy with the ending, I don’t know if Will & Jack were but I am. Maybe they are happy but not happy with their journey to romance. I hope we find out.

I would recommend this to fans of Garrett Leigh it’s her typical angst filled novels. I would recommend to new readers who are interested in realistic fiction, and or new to angst, and enjoy friends to lovers themes. I enjoyed reading it, I wish it was more, but I’m okay because it’s book 1 in a series. I look forward to reading about the Will & Jack next time.

Book Cover: G.D. Leigh. I thought it was just alright.

Sales: Dreamspinner Press eBook All Romance (ARe) amazon buy it here

Book Details:

ebook, 104 pages
Expected publication: December 10th 2014 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781632164988
edition languageEnglish

A PaulB Review: The Alpha King (Passion’s Hero #1) by Vicktor Alexander

Rating 5 stars out of 5

Talon Versuthion cannot catch a break. His parents die when he was young. During a transport mission with his adoptive sister, they crash into Tumaro, a planet of wolf shifters. Upon regaining consciousness after the crash, his sister is missing and he comes face to face with Blazell, the king of Tumaro. To make matters worse for Talon, the king claims they are mates, something Talon never wanted.

Growing up, Blazell and Buck, princes of Tamuro, a member of the Galaxy Peace Allegiance, hear of an ancient prophecy that a member of the Versuthion family will bring about the reemergence of the humanoid race. Buck is kidnapped and tortured for information about the location of this family. Blazell, the older brother, blames himself for not protecting Buck. After his father dies and Blazell becomes king, he makes a vow to find the missing Versuthion family.

Talon Versuthion’s parents were murdered. Later adopted by an Edifican couple, he grows up with his Edifican sister who is also adopted. Just getting by in life, Talon takes a job as an intergalactic cargo transporter with his sister. One day, they take off for Strawxig, a planet of snake shifters. As they begin their approach to the planet, their shuttle is blown off course by a space storm. They are sent thousands of light years off course and crash land into Tamuro.

The Alpha King Blazell arrives just as the male regains consciousness and declares that the man is his mate. Talon, upon hearing thus slips back into the dark. Blazell then goes about the process of making Talon his consort and vows to find the other members of his family. Talon meanwhile must adjust to life as the spouse of the King of Tumaro. With the help of his sister and Blazell’s assistant, Talon must navigate the court and those who seek to overthrow both him as consort and Blazell as king.

This is the first book in Vicktor Alexander’s Passion’s Hero series. One of the most important things a writer must do when writing science fiction is to build his world. The author does an excellent job of this. To start his book, he provides readers with what he calls a “cheat sheet.” In it, he describes the various planets and the people, plants and animals that abound on them. He also defines some terms which come up later in the book. I found this to be very helpful while reading.

The author also elaborates on the wolf shifter culture as he sees it. As with most shifter books, you find your alphas, betas, omegas and elders. He also includes other ranks of wolves and sets out the various functions of those ranks. On top of this, he adds royalty to the wolf hierarchy. Thus, we have Alpha Kings, Alpha Princes (the next in line to the throne) and Beta Princes which is essentially the Spare Heir.

While there is the usual instant attraction that is involved in shifter mate romances, the author shows that this is a real relationship where the couple gets upset at each other, doubts in the mind of the non shifter about the relationship and the need to please your mate. Also, Talon bristles every time he is addressed by his royal title as he sees it as antiquated.

I would highly recommend this engaging first book in Passion’s Hero series and I look forward to its follow-ups.

The cover art by the author depicts Blazell and Talon in the foreground with a landscape of the area around the castle of Tumaro.

Sales Links: Rooster & Pig All Romance (ARe) amazon buy it here with us
Book Details:
Ebook, 285 pages
ISBN: 9780692325610
Edition: English
Published November 30, 2014 by Rooster & Pig Published, 2nd edition
Series: Passion’s Hero
The Alpha King (Passion’s Hero #1)

Happy Winter Solstice and the Week Ahead in Reviews!

Tyrrhenian Sea and Solstice Sky
Credit & Copyright: Danilo Pivato

Happy Winter Solstice!

And Happy Summer Solstice Down Under!

Happy Winter Solstice to everyone living in the Northern Hemisphere! Today (here in Maryland at 6:04pm EST) the Winter Solstice arrives. It marks the shortest day of the year and the longest night. And for many around the world it is a cause for celebrations ancient and new as well as a time of reflection on this the darkest of days.

The word solstice means “sun stands still.” On the year’s two solstices (winter and summer) the sun appears to halt in its journey across the sky and change little in position during this time, thus looking as though its standing still. And while the Winter Solstice heralds the beginning of Winter, it also celebrates the promise of the gradual return of the sun after a prolonged period of darkness. Why? Because after the Winter Solstice, we see the incremental increase in daylight each day following the Winter Solstice will bring.

The solstice occurs twice a year (around December 21nd and June 21st) when the sun is farthest from the tilting planet’s celestial equator.

For half of each year the North Pole is tilted toward the sun, and for half of the year the South Pole enjoys that privilege. This phenomenon creates our changing seasons, because the hemisphere facing the sun receives longer and more powerful exposure to sunlight.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter solstice always occurs on or about December 21 and marks the beginning of the winter season. As stated, it’s the shortest day of the year, featuring the least amount of daylight between sunrise and sunset.

But in the Southern Hemisphere, Down Under (hint, hint) this is the time of the summer solstice and the longest day of the year. From now on, as the northern days grow longer so do the southern days get shorter. Why bring this up? Because of a special event that starts here on January 1st and goes on all month long. The big announcement will happen next week but for those of you wanting a sneak peak, check out the Menu up top for the words Down Under and get ahead of everyone else!

Meanwhile to all us Northern Hemisphere people, Happy Winter Solstice! And to all Down Under, a Happy Summer Solstice!

Now to the upcoming week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words:

Monday, December 22, 2014:

Razor Wire by Lauren Gallagher Book Tour and Contest
A PaulB Review: The Alpha King by Vicktor Alexander
A Mika Review: My Mate Jack (A Heated Beat Story #1) by Garrett Leigh
A MelanieM Review: The Marine by John Simpson

Tuesday, December 23, 2014:

Shifting Gears by Tina Blenke Book Tour and Contest
My Mate Jack by Garrett Leigh Book Blast and contest
A Sammy Review: Corkscrewed by MJ OShea
A Mika Review: A Tangled Mind by Posy Roberts
A MelanieM Review: Comfort and Joy Anthology

Wednesday, December 24, 2014 (Christmas Eve):

A Mika Review: Hummingbird House by Kenzie Cade
A Sammy Review: Slave Eternal (In His Arena #1) by Nasia Maksima
Mika’s Best of 2014
Melanie’s Best of 2014
Scattered Thoughts Best December 2014 Covers

Thursday, December 25, 2014 (Merry Christmas):

Lone Wolf by Aleks Voinov and L.A. Witt, Riptide Book Tour and Contest
12 Days of Christmas Homecoming blog tour for ZAMaxfield’s My Cowboy Homecoming
A Mika Review: Green the Whole Year ‘Round by Rowan McAllister
A Barb, the Zany Old Lady Review: Lone Wolf by Alexsandr Voinov

Friday, December 26, 2014:

Cover Reveal for Chris Scully ‘Nights Like These’
A Mika Review: Him for The Holidays by Jaxx Steele
A MelanieM Review: Deep Blues Goodbye (Altered States #1) by L.E. Harner, T.A. Webb
Sammy’s Best of List for 2014
A Likely Story Anthology Release Blog!

Saturday, December 27, 2014 (the return of YA Saturday):

An Aurora Review: Gods (Dreams of Fire and Gods, #3) by James Erich

I will leave you with a Winter Solstice Drink recipe to help fuel your celebrations!

Winter Solstice

2 oz citrus vodka
½ oz fresh lemon juice
¼ oz pomegranate juice
1 oz simple syrup
Orange wedge
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 2 minutes
Add citrus vodka, lemon juice, pomegranate juice, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a short or highball glass with ice. Garnish with an orange wedge. Drink up and repeat!

A.J. Llewellyn Is Here with The Mediator (Book tour and contest)

A. J. Llewellyn is here on the blog tour for the novel, The Mediator. A.J. is talking about the inspiration behind the story and has a eBook copy of the book to giveaway to one of our readers. To enter to win, leave a comment and an email address where you can be reached if chosen. Contest ends January 3rd.

The Mediator’s Inspiration by A.J. Llewellyn

I’ve had quite a long time to think about the inspiration behind my book, The Mediator. It’s one of my earliest stories for Totally Bound, and one I adored writing. But at the time, I submitted it for a short, sexy snack type of story and I always wanted to expand on it.

You see, the characters still live in my head.

Does that happen to other writers?

That certain characters grab and hold on to them? I’m sorry to say that now that I’ve been given the gorgeous opportunity to expand and revise my original story (I added almost ten thousand words), my two heroes have gone awfully quiet inside my brain.

I miss my mediator, Icarus Smith, and the man of his dreams, Italian welterweight boxing champion, Paulo de Luca, screaming at me in sleep and by day. Some characters just do that. I think Icarus particularly tugged hard at me because so much of me is in him. And vice versa.

At one time, Las Vegas was a big part of my life as a boxing reporter. I had a lot of down time, as all the boxing media did, but I was no gambler. I found other things to do. I usually traveled there with my dog and we took wonderful desert hikes through red Rocks, The Grand Canyon, and visited Hoover Dam. I began to be interested in the history of Las Vegas.

That’s how I discovered a secret, still painful piece of the city’s story, an area called Avenue D.

In the 1950s, the African-American community was forced to live there. The residents were not allowed to cross this street. When superstar Sammy Davis Jr., performed in Vegas, he shone on the Strip, adored by his white audiences. Once the house lights dimmed, a chauffeur-driven limousine hustled him to Avenue D, where he stayed as a guest in different people’s homes.
It’s a shameful chapter of American history. One that still has very little attention. Using this area as a backdrop for my story, I began writing The Mediator, which eventually took shape as a novella. I chose to make Icarus as obsessed with the once-dilapidated neighborhood as I was.

He trudged the streets with me, hearing the ghosts of children laughing, aware that there was beauty in small moments.
I love this story and hope you will too. I believe in love. I believe in second chances. Just as Avenue D, now officially on the National Register of Historic Places and known as Berkley Square got a second chance, so does Icarus Smith. He gets to reunite with the hot, wonderful man he met one fateful summer in Rome. True love, like a summer sun can last longer than we think. Sometimes, it may even last forever.

Can Icarus hold on to the man he treasures…or will this take all his negotiating skills as a mediator?

The Mediator by A.J. Llewellyn
Publisher: Totally Bound Books

Sales Link: Buy It Here

Icarus Smith has two problems, and they both want him…their Mediator.

Icarus Smith has just landed an unusual assignment. A licensed mediator used to handling squabbling spouses, he’s been hand-picked to negotiate a forty-million-dollar welterweight championship title fight. The problem is, these two world boxing champions hate each other. Worst of all, Icarus has discovered that one of them, Italian superstar Paolo de Luca, is the man with whom he had a passionate affair in Italy the previous summer. Paolo cruelly dumped him, and Icarus realizes he is still devastated. Can he overcome his personal feelings to work with Paolo and the boxer’s arch-nemesis, US champion Adam Wyler?
So far, the fight scheduled to take place at New York’s Madison Square Garden is a bust. Fans have bought tickets, and Pay-Per-View sales are through the roof. Just like Lady Di’s face once adorned dishcloths, these guys have their faces on buttons, badges, posters, TV and print ads. And they don’t care.

But Icarus has an even bigger problem. He’s just accepted promoter Thaddeus Halsey’s huge wad of cash to broker this deal and Icarus wants the money for a restoration project in his hometown in Las Vegas. Can Icarus go through with mediation? Can he persuade the man who broke his heart to face the guy who now apparently wants it?

Reader Advisory: This book contains scenes of multiple male ménage.

Publisher’s Note: This book was previously released by Totally Bound under the same title. It has been expanded, revised and re-edited for re-release.

Like the sound of The Mediator? Buy it here.

Excerpt from The Mediator:

“You’re ordering that?” Jerome Curtin scoffed at me.

I looked up from the menu, trying to hide my embarrassment. Ten minutes I’d known the guy, and it was ten minutes too many. Before I could respond, a man in red silk pants and a lime green shirt rushed by me on stilts. Jugglers followed him, then came the singers. The diners around us began to applaud. To my astonishment, the statue of an old man sitting on the bench right opposite me came to life.

Ah, Venice.

The briny smell of St. Mark’s Square and the canal’s waters filled my senses with nostalgia. The singers in their brightly colored costumes gathered near the fountain, gaudy masks held to their faces, and started to sing. The Carnevale di Venezia came beautifully to life. The twilight ambience with its flickering wall sconces put me in a better mood, as did the old Italian folk melody. I recognized it, but didn’t remember how.

“Sir?”

I glanced back up at the waiter. Pity flashed in his eyes. I guessed he’d had his share of bad dates, too.

“Sorry.” In a flash of joy it came back to me. “Lu Me Sceccu,” I practically shouted.

My table companion looked startled then he rolled his eyes. “Number one on Billboard, was it?”

Well! No need to be rude. “I know that song!” I tried to place it and it hit me.

I couldn’t believe that almost eighteen months later, I’d buried the memory so deep that it hurt to recall it. It was like a scar on my soul. I spent my whole life counseling people, urging them to forget the past. Me, I’d just submerged the pain in work. I took a deep breath and grabbed my glass of iced water.

“Sir?” The waiter’s eyes were full of sympathy. “Are you okay?”

No. “Yes, I’m fine, thank you.”

Jerome Curtin suddenly leaned across the table and kissed me. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he slipped his tongue into my mouth. It was like being invaded by an electric eel.

I pushed him off me. “What are you doing?” I sputtered as iced water ran down my suit and tie. It figured that the one time I’d splurged on new clothes, they’d be ruined.

The waiter produced hand towels out of nowhere and gave them to me, still looking like he felt very bad for me.

“Thank you.” I pressed the towels against my soaking wet shirt.

“You looked like you wanted to be kissed,” Jerome said.

Not by you.

“You had this look in your eye.”

Yeah, I could just imagine. I’d thought I was over it—him, that is. The astonishing man I’d met that summer, when I’d found the love I’d thought would never die. Lu Me Sceccu. I smiled now, recalling that it was an elderly woman’s love song to her dearly departed forty-year-old donkey.

“Icarus, you’re keeping the man waiting!” Jerome blared the words at me over the top of the singers’ voices.

A busboy appeared and deftly replaced the tablecloth, gave me a new napkin, then refilled my water glass. I thanked him. I could feel water seeping into my underpants. Later, I might find this funny. Right now, I wished I’d gone home and caught up on case work, like I usually did.

“I’ll have a dozen oysters,” I said, changing my order. “And the tomato ricotta salad, please.”

The waiter nodded. “Excellent choice, sir.”

As he took Jerome’s order, I grasped for the fleeting moments of sheer happiness I recalled from that magnificent Sunday lunch when Pio had taken me to meet his family. I had never felt so accepted, so…embraced by a family. I’d wanted to be with them forever. And it wasn’t like me, not at all, to fall so quickly, so hard.

To love total strangers so deeply.

About the Author:

A.J. Llewellyn is an author whose obsession with myth, magic, love and romance might have led to serious stalking charges had it not been for the ability to write. Thanks to the existence of some very patient publishers, A.J.’s days are spent writing, reading and dreaming up new worlds. AJ has definitely stopped Google-searching former boyfriends and given up all ambition to taste-test every cup cake in the universe to produce over 150 published gay erotic romance novels.  A.J. wants you to read them all.  You can find this author lurking on Facebook and Twitter – part-time class clown being another occupation. When not writing or reading, A.J.’s other passions include juggling, kite-boarding and spending a fortune buying upgrades for Pearl’s Peril.

How to connect with A.J.:

email: ajllewellyn@gmail.com

website: www.ajllewellyn.com

www.facebook.com/aj.llewellyn

www.twitter.com/ajllewellyn

Newsletter sign-up: ajllewellynnewsletter@gmail.com

I’m an app! Download my FREE A.J. Llewellyn App for Android here: http://tinyurl.com/lkbc4wm

Contest: AJ Llewellyn is happy to give away an epub copy of The Mediator. To enter to win leave a comment below and an email address where you can be reached if chosen. Contest ends January 3rd.

A MelanieM Review: Blood and Rain (Blood #1) by Shira Anthony

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Born in the 1800s into a clan of fabled vampire hunters, Adrien Gilbert wanted nothing more than to tend his family’s vineyard in southern France. Adrien loved his family and their life but all that changed when his older brother, François, is murdered, or so he thinks. Bound by his hunter’s oath and lost in grief, Adrien sets out to find and destroy his brother’s killer, the vampire Charles Duvalier. But nothing is as it seems and the course of Adrien’s life is forever changed by his hunt for the killer and truth.

Desperate to find Charles after months of fruitless searching, Adrien reluctantly makes a bargain with Nicolas Lambert, an ancient vampire. In exchange for Adrien escorting Nicolas to Paris for his arranged marriage to a rival clanswoman, Nicolas will help Adrien find Charles. A simple agreement that would have profound effects on them all. Because despite the fact that Nicholas is a vampire and Charles a vampire hunter, they are drawn together by a bond neither understands.

In searching for Charles, Adrien’s established view of the world is fundamentally shaken, first by what he finds out about the history between hunters and vampires and secondly by his feelings and actions towards Nicholas. As his world falls apart around him, Adrien must still deliver Nicholas to the wedding ceremony that is to make peace between the two warring families. This peace is necessary for the safety of all Adrien loves but will he be able to let the one man he loves above all else go to make that happen?

In Blood and Rain, first installment in the 3-book “Blood” series from author Shira Anthony, Anthony must lay down a complicated foundation for the three couples and stories involved. The author starts in Europe, France specifically, with a history of the hunter and vampire dynasties that exist, the troubled and convoluted political jockeying for power, and a mythology so strange that some of the hunters and vampires have buried it under layers of disbelief and legend, until most of those involved arent’ sure what is fact or fiction. Added over top of that like an intricately patterned lace cloth lies the Gilbert, Lambert and Rousseaus families, (hunters and powerful vampire clans) as well as the Council of Hunters, a governing body in deadly disarray. Anthony has so much basic series universe building to do that it can feel a little heavy and complicated trying to remember it all.

And woven into the middle of this 18th century political drama is several love stories, the first two are as intwined as the brothers involved. Two human brothers, Adrien and Francois, and the vampires they love or loved. The destinies of this quartet are tied together by love, blood, and power. Adrien and Nicholas, the vampire scion whose helps Adrien enlists to find ancient vampire Charles Duvalier, are the primary couple here, but only just. Adrien is something of a naif at the beginning, full of absolutes and a certain provincial lack of sophistication. That you believe in him as a character while not exactly liking him is to the credit and talent of Anthony’s ability to build realistic characters who act, think, and feel as humanly possible.

Nicholas, and the other vampires closely associated with Adrien, Francois, Nicholas, and others are constructed along the same believable lines, although I found these characters to be far more appealing and affable than Adrien at first. Luckily for all, the reader included, Adrien runs headlong into some life altering events, ones that will change his perception of everything he knows, family, history, even the laws of nature. But until he does, don’t be surprised if you want to smack him up head the head a time or two.

This story is full of mythical elements, from hunts for revenge, secret passages and hair raising escapes from malignant villains and vile dangers. That means over the top fights with magical swords, life altering wounds, and bloods, tons and tons of blood. I loved the action sequences and the mystical elements that Anthony has created are marvels themselves. Plus there is angst, almost as much angst as there is blood that flows. The suspense will keep you riveted as the narrative speeds along.

And yes, there is a cliff hanger too.

All of this adds up to a supremely entertaining and engrossing read. It’s a vampire swashbuckler, full of romance and evil deeds, that includes thwarted, star crossed lovers and the stuff heroes are made of. Errol Flynn (a swashbuckler above all swashbuckers…google him) would have felt right at home. I kept flipping the pages until it was over and then was ready for the next story to see what happens next.

The only thing that kept this from being perfect was that it got a bit dense in trying to establish all the histories, mythologies, political intrigues and alignments, (and yes, genealogies too) for all the character involved. At times that tended to weigh down the action and derail the romance, but once established, the story swung perilously along to our horror and delight.

A new series from Shira Anthony is always cause to celebrate. By adding vampires to her mermen and musicians, she has given us a triumph of genres and couples to root for and love. Add this to your Holiday wish list or just go ahead and get it right now, you know you deserve it!

Happy Reading.

Cover art by Reese Dante. Great cover, very brooding.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner eBook & Paperback All Romance (ARe) amazon buy it here

Book Details:

ebook, 268 pages
Published December 15th 2014 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781632166074
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5805

A Sammy Review: Les faits accomplis by Anna Martin

Rating: 4.5 rounded up to 5 out of 5 stars

“So you’re saying not to trust her.”

“Don’t trust anyone,” Adam said seriously.

“Not even you?”

“Especially not me.”

Jared Rawell is the new kid in school for his senior year, but New Harbor Academy isn’t just any other school. It’s founded on old money and even older blood, full of only the wealthiest and most elite.

Adam Hemlock is one of the kings of the school. He’s not just popular, but he’s connected and known for being a bit of a player. So when the resident HBiC (Head Bitch in Charge) bets him a priceless item to sleep with the new kid, there’s no way he’s about to pass it up.

But these halls are full of games and tricks, and in the vicious life of high school, you can be anyone’s pawn, and just when you think you know who to trust and who your friends are, think again.

My mom always told me it was smart not to trust people. We live in a society which sort of demands we fall in love with someone, and they automatically have this key to your heart and soul, and that’s how it’s supposed to be. But that’s bullshit, you know? If you love someone, it’s probably healthier to not trust them for a while.

I had so much fun with this book. I don’t know if it’s just my luck lately or what, but this and the past couple books I’ve read have just been so incredibly satisfying.

If I had to explain this book to someone who had no idea what it was about, it would go something like this: the love child of Mean Girls, She’s All That, and Gossip Girl. But really, all together in a perfect mesh of gossip and the dirty little lives of the elite. LOVE IT.

This book is chalk full of characters, and I mean big characters. We have Biggie, the reincarnation of the true Biggie (but really), and Clare, who reminded me a bit of her namesake from the Breakfast Club, turned up a few hundred notches to account for today’s society, and then Ryder and Mia who have each have their own little line in the story.

If you’re someone who is opposed to the idea of a female being presented as a bitch in any way, shape, or form, you probably won’t like this. It plays off that whole evil high school vibe and owns it, and there are evil plots and bitchiness does ensue. Also, if you don’t like any of the things that I mentioned this story being the love child to, well, again, it may not be for you. It definitely has a certain slant that will not hit everyone’s funny bone, but it totally hit mine, and more.

To top it off, Adam and Jared were so good together. I felt the balance between them and the build up was well done. There are times when I ask for more, or plead, but this time, I’m going to take a line from Clare and pretty much demand it – well, with a please. So please, Anna Martin? Can we have more?

The simple but lovely cover art by Aaron Anderson may not seem to fit the book at first glance, but once you get into the story, this little bug will have a special role in the story. All bets are off on what you can expect out of this.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press eBook & Paperback All Romance (ARe) amazon buy it here

Book Details:

ebook, 234 pages
Published November 24th 2014 by Dreamspinner Press LLC
original title Les faits accomplis
ISBN139781632164728
edition languageEnglish
setting New Harbor, Washington (United States)
Washington (United States)

A Mika Review: The Devil’s Ride (Sex & Mayhem #2) by K.A. Merikan

Rating: 5 out of 5

Tooth. Vice President of the Coffin Nails Motorcycle Club. On a neverending quest for vengeance. The last thing he needs is becoming a permanent babysitter for a male hooker. Lucifer. Fallen. Lost. Alone.  After a childhood filled with neglect and abuse, followed by his mother’s suicide, Lucifer set out into the world alone. There was nothing for him out there other than taking it one day at a time. As the bastard son of the Coffin Nails club president, Lucifer never got much fatherly love. So when the Nails show up at the strip joint Lucifer works in, the last thing he expects is to be put in the custody of Tooth, Nails Vice President famous for his gruesome interrogation techniques. The man proves to be the sexiest beast Lucifer has ever met. He is also older, straight, and an itch Luci can’t ever scratch.

Tooth’s life came to a halt twelve years ago. His lover got brutally murdered, police never found the perpetrators, and all leads were dead ends. To find peace and his own justice, Tooth joined the Coffin Nails, but years on, he’s gotten nowhere with the case, yet still lives on with the burning fire for revenge. Babysitting a deeply scarred teenager with a talent for disappearing is the last thing on his bucket list. He promised himself to never get attached to someone like him again. To make sure the openly gay boy is safe in the clubhouse, Tooth is stuck keeping an eye on him. The big, blue, attention seeking gaze is drawing Tooth in, but fucking the president’s son is a complete no-go, even when both their feelings go beyond lust.  What Tooth doesn’t know is that Lucifer might hold the key to the closure Tooth so desperately needs.

Tooth is my biker hubby! I have spoken exclusively with Kat about my significant hatred of Stitch. I was hoping that the next biker was still a bad ass but loveable. Well, I asked and boy did she deliver. People, Tooth is amazing in every sense of the word. I loved everything about this book. It was a slow burner for sure. It was very different from book 1 in every way it could be. I kept telling myself that this was a rainbow, fluffy biker book. I loved it, I enjoyed the sentimental side of the story. Seriously, I do not know if I’ve ever read a biker book where the treatment, and judgment of such a club was welcoming. Sure everything was peaches and cream, but I expected the worst and I was shocked how easy it was. I love Luci, he was damaged from his past, but he slowly but surely gave himself over. I honestly was right with Tooth in wanting to protect him. One thing I was worried about was the age gap and I wanted it to be far bigger, I do not think 19-32 was that bad. I was hoping for 40’s to early 20’s but I was happy with what we got instead.

Tooth was careful, trusting, and just downright sexy. From his first moments on the page, I was enthralled with him. Every biker character brought something different. For all of Priests’ misgivings I was proud of him. He was not the father that Luci needed in his earlier life but he was adjusting. I kept thinking of how this big bad biker club in Detroit was going to be okay with a cute blond twink living in the club, nothing dramatic happened. I don’t think the derogatory word “f*&” was used more than once. I am really impressed the level of acceptance that was portrayed by the mc club. I liked the Priest admitted he wasn’t perfect, that was a great viewpoint to put forth.

The romance was hot, and at times really beautiful because of both mc’s history. I do not know how I feel about some of the plot storyline. I think it could have been different, but as it was plausible, it didn’t take away from the story for me. I did not know how I was going to feel with the Satanist route, but again it didn’t take away from the story. Every biker had all Lucifer’s different names. It was funny at times, and I honestly will miss Bell. I hope we get a novella, or another book for them. I’m definitely rooting for these two.

I would recommend this book to everyone. It was not that BDSM heavy, it was hurt/comfort at most. It was Tooth needing to redeem himself because of his past, and Luci needing someone to love him. I would recommend this to lovers of all things bikers, this duo made me fall in love with bikers all over. They showed me that not everybody in the biker world has to be nasty or rude. Some people are accepting of certain things.

Cover Art by Natasha Snow. I loved it. I kept looking at the cover, wishing I could see Tooth’s face. I really think it showed a visual picture of Tooth, his masculinity while he was really caring and sweet.

Sales Links: All Romance (ARe) amazon buy it here
Book Details:
eBook, 489 pages
Published December 5, 2014 by Acerbi&Villani ltd.
ISBN:
Edition Language: English

Love Bleeds Blood Red with Shira Anthony’s Blood and Rain (Blood #1) Book Tour and Contest

Book Name: Blood and Rain (Blood #1)
Goodreads Link
Author Name: Shira Anthony

Q You’ve gone from musicians to mermen to vampires. That’s quite the changeup. What prompted such a wide swing in genres and main characters?

I love just about every sub-genre of gay romance: contemporary, historical, BDSM, supernatural, sci fi, you name it! And really, my first love of reading came from fantasy and sci fi, so the switch from contemporary musicians to vampires isn’t as surprising as you might think. I grew up on Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Darkover series of sword & sorcery books, and I was a total Star Trek and later, Star Wars geek.

Writing in different genres is a great way for me to keep my writing fresh. In fact, I wrote the first book in the Mermen of Ea Series when I felt I needed a break from writing angsty musicians. I had promised my publisher another Blue Notes Series book, and instead I wrote Elizabeth North an email and said I’d like to swap out mermen for musicians. She’s so incredibly cool, she didn’t bat an eye!
Q. What drew you to each romance and couple you wrote about?

In the Blood Series, there are three MM couples, two of whom you meet rather quickly, the third which you discover a bit later in the story. Without spoiling the plot, I can say that I liked the different dynamics of the couples. Romance needs tension and resolution, and these three couples each represent a different sort of tension.

Up front, and the main focus of the story is the pairing of Nicolas Lambert, an ancient vampire, and Adrien Gilbert, a vampire hunter. The appeal here was Adrien’s hatred for vampires and his black and white outlook on things. When he starts to have feelings for Nicolas, it shakes the foundation of his world. He’s forced to rethink his opinions and assumptions.

The other two pairings also have dynamics that lead to some great romantic tension. Charles Duvalier, a vampire, and François Gilbert, Adrien’s brother are like sunshine and gloom. Charles feels guilty for turning François into a vampire, and he can’t forgive himself for what he’s done in the past. François is bright and curious—Charles’s opposite in so many ways. I love writing that kind of couple.

Without giving the plot away, I can say that the last pairing (I won’t name names here) is all about misunderstandings and the past getting in the way of love. Love lost, and the promise of rekindling that love. Another great way to write tension into a story. The happy ending comes when both men can forgive each other and learn to trust each other again.
Q. What was the inspiration behind Blood and Rain?

There are a few things that inspired me to write the series, including my longtime love of Anne Rice’s vampires, in particular. Add to that mix a few haunting songs that have stuck with me, The Indigo Girls’ “Ghost,” and Evanescence’s “My Immortal,” and my muse took off at a run!

Q How long have you been thinking of writing a vampire couple?

I’ve had this series simmering on the back burner for a few years, and after finishing another Blue Notes Series book, I needed a change of pace, so I trotted out what I’d already written and finally finished the first book in the series. The second book is finished, by the way, and will be released in the spring.

Q. Your favorite vampire in literature?

Louis de Pointe du Lac from Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles! Lestat, the main focus of the books, is fun, but Louis has all the angst and the doubts I love in a fictional character. He’s gentle and conflicted, and he didn’t want to become what he is. I love angst, and Louis has it in spades! Louis, for those who may not know, is the narrator of Interview with the Vampire.

Q. Your favorite vampire in the movies?

Brad Pitt as Louis de Pointe du Lac in Interview with the Vampire. Although Alexander Skarsgård as Eric Northman in True Blood also rocks my world!

Q. Do you know how many books you have planned for this series?

Three books in all. Blood and Rain, Blood and Ghosts (Spring, 2015), and Blood and Eternity, which will probably release in late 2015.

Q. You love the water and sailing. Any chance of seeing more sailors or captains in future stories?

I’m just about finished writing the last of the Mermen of Ea series, Running with the Wind, so that’s your next chance to get into the water with me! But you know there will be more sailing and captains at some point after that, as well. We’ll just have to see what genre they decide they want to be!

Q. What’s next for Shira Anthony?

Next up is Blood and Ghosts (Blood #2), which is currently in edits and due out this spring. After that, look for Running with the Wind (Mermen of Ea #3). After that, I’m working on a contemporary romance set in eastern North Carolina with my good friend and fellow Dreamspinner Press author, Cody Kennedy (writing under his adult pseudo, Aisling Mancy). Beyond that, look for the last Blood Series book, and maybe another Blue Notes novel. We’ll see!

Thanks for hosting me today, Melanie and crew! It’s been a pleasure, as always. -Shira

Author Bio:

Shira Anthony was a professional opera singer in her last incarnation, performing roles in such operas as Tosca, Pagliacci, and La Traviata, among others. She’s given up TV for evenings spent with her laptop, and she never goes anywhere without a pile of unread M/M romance on her Kindle.   Shira is married with two children and two insane dogs, and when she’s not writing, she is usually in a courtroom trying to make the world safer for children. When she’s not working, she can be found aboard a 35’ catamaran at the Carolina coast with her favorite sexy captain at the wheel.

Author Contact:

Shira can be found on: 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shira.anthony 
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4641776.Shira_Anthony
Twitter: @WriterShira
Website: http://www.shiraanthony.com
E-mail: shiraanthony@hotmail.com

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Reese Dante

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press eBook All Romance (ARe)

Blood and Rain Blurb:

Blood: Book One   Adrien Gilbert has spent several lifetimes searching for the love he lost. Born in the 1800s into a clan of fabled vampire hunters, Adrien once wanted nothing more than to tend his family’s vineyard in southern France or read a good book. But Adrien’s peaceful existence ends abruptly when his older brother, François, is murdered. Bound by his hunter’s oath, Adrien sets out on a path that will forever change his life when he agrees to execute his brother’s killer, the vampire Charles Duvalier.   After months chasing the elusive Charles, Adrien reluctantly makes a bargain with Nicolas Lambert, an ancient vampire. Adrien will escort Nicolas to Paris for his marriage to a rival clanswoman, and Nicolas will help Adrien find Charles. Nicolas’s quiet strength and gentle heart soon convince Adrien that Nicolas is nothing like the vampires he has sworn to destroy. As the wedding date draws nearer, a force intent on destroying the fragile peace between the vampire clans threatens to tear apart both the vampire realm and the world of the hunters. To secure both past and future for those he loves, Adrien must find a way to stop the looming war between hunters and vampires. But first he’ll have to let Nicolas go.

Categories: Contemporary, Fantasy, Fiction, Gay Fiction, Vampires, Historical, M/M Romance, Romance, Paranormal

Blood and Rain Excerpt:

Adrien licked the skin of Cole’s neck, feeling the blood pulse there, hearing it call to him. Cole tilted his head in anticipation, opening himself to Adrien.

Adrien buried his teeth in Cole’s skin. Blood flooded his mouth and danced on his tongue, sweet and salty.

Too long. His body was far more vampire-like in its craving for blood than when he’d first been given the gift of an ancient vampire’s soul. He wondered if it was the same for other immortals.

Adrien tried to ignore the images that flashed through his mind—the sound of silvery laughter, a mother’s loving caress. Cole’s memories. Adrien despised this forced intimacy, but he’d come to see it as the price of blood. Something to be tolerated.

It hadn’t always been that way. When he’d shared Nicolas’s blood, Adrien had experienced great joy. He’d seen himself through Nicolas’s eyes and felt the depth of Nicolas’s love. Each drop of that precious liquid had opened new doors. Each taste offered insight into Nicolas’s heart and soul. A beloved memory. A mystery—the mystery of Nicolas—unfolding with every swallow.

Adrien drank his fill, then claimed Cole’s mouth. This kind of contact he could stomach. He didn’t need sex to survive, but he enjoyed the release. Cole unbuttoned Adrien’s black silk shirt and his cock swelled against Adrien’s thigh. Adrien moaned as Cole skated his fingertips over his chest.

“I have never known a hunter to crave blood,” Cole whispered in his ear. “I thought only we experienced the bloodlust.”

“You were wrong,” Adrien said as he pulled Cole’s shirt over his head and mouthed a pretty pink nipple. Sex was always better after he fed, and Adrien’s cock was already hard at the thought of fucking such a lovely ass. He drew Cole’s body against his, walked backward into the living room, and pulled Cole with him onto the rug. Soon they were naked and he was no longer a hunter or an immortal, he was simply a man, seeking release, seeking pleasure.

For at least an hour after, Adrien lay on the floor and allowed the night air to caress his bare skin. He closed his eyes and dozed.

“Adrien.”

The voice awakened him. Nicolas’s voice again. Why sleep if it only served to reawaken the pain he sought to suppress?

He stood and pulled on his jeans. He walked onto the balcony in his bare feet, then climbed to the roof of the penthouse.

Pathetic.

Having reached the edge, he spread his arms. He leaned forward and fell unimpeded, riding the wind like a sigh. The glass of the building sailed by him, the breeze buffeting his face. He hit the water and sank into the cold blackness. He wished he could die.

Pages: 280

Tour Dates:/Tour Stops:

15-Dec

Joyfully Jay

16-Dec

Prism Book Alliance

17-Dec

Rebecca Cohen Writes

Rainbow Gold Reviews

18-Dec

Love Bytes

19-Dec

Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

22-Dec

Amanda C. Stone

23-Dec

Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves

24-Dec

Emotion in Motion

25-Dec

Molly Lolly

26-Dec

Book Suburbia

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