Category: Uncategorized

A MelanieM Review: Red Dirt Heart (Red Dirt #1) by N.R. Walker

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Welcome to Sutton Station: One of the world’s largest working farms in the middle of Australia – where if the animals and heat don’t kill you first, your heart just might.

Red dirt Heart CoverCharlie Sutton runs one of the largest working ranches in middle Australia, Sutton Station.   It is something he was born to do and Charlie can’t picture himself anywhere else even if he feels his sexuality would make him an outcast not only among the people he works among but the other stations and store owners he does business with as well.  The recent death of his powerful, overbearing father has done nothing to still his father’s voice inside his head that threatens his self worth and instills Charlie with a fear about being gay and out. Then a new arrival at the station upends the status quo, including Charlie’s perceptions of himself and the Sutton Station family.

American agronomy student Travis Craig arrives for a work study internship at Sutton Station.  Travis feels that his background as a Texas rancher and college area of study will help him fit in while hoping his studies will be beneficial to both countries.  While Travis expects to research how the Australian farmers make a living from one of the harshest environments on earth, he doesn’t expect to find that he learns to love not only the harsh beauty and red dirt of Sutton Station but Charlie Sutton himself.

Under the intense desert sun of the red dirt of Sutton Station, can two men find love and the ability to have a future together?

Readers, meet my latest obsession and its author, the Red Dirt Heart series by N. R Walker.   All it took was the first paragraph to pull me totally into the life of Charlie Sutton and the Sutton Station set in the Northern Territory (which is about the same size as Lebanon and based on a real working farm).  This author is amazing.  Walker manages to make the people and places in Red Dirt Heart so believable, so vivid, that you will feel the dust and heat enough to feel the need to brush the red dirt off the pages (or Kindle cover) as you read.

The story is told from  Charlie Sutton’s point of view.  That perspective enables Walker to bring all the Aussie terminology, colloquialisms, culture and frame of mind to life.  It also lets us into the heart and soul of this vulnerable, and marvelously complicated young man.  There is so much to Charlie.  From the insidious voice inside his head left by his father that tells him he will never be good enough or “man” enough to run Sutton Station because he is gay to the considerate, smart, and appealing person others find him to be.  What a  great character!

Travis Craig, is his equal in every manner.  A Texas agronomy student who is openly gay, Travis starts to upend Charlie’s life and life at the Sutton Station from the moment he arrives.  Travis not only works himself into Charlie’s heart but the readers as well.  Their dialog together is serious, humorous, and telling in its many meanings and impact.

Every aspect of life at Sutton Station comes across as authentic and real as the red dirt itself.  From Ma in the kitchen to the drovers that work for Charlie, the reader is immersed into the every day experiences of life lived seasonally and the hard work it takes to exist and succeed under some of the harshest conditions known.  It’s not just the romance but all the layers found here in this story and series that makes it work and  resonate deeply with the readers, myself included.   I did say it was my newest obsession, didn’t I?

Red Dirt Heart is that amazing self published story that you want to go telling everyone about.  I couldn’t put it down and then was lucky enough to already have in my possession the sequel to dive into once the first was finished.  And then I wanted more.  I wanted to move to Australia, experience the red dirt and vastness of the Northern Territory and wander until I found a Charlie and Travis of my own.  Trust me, you are going to feel the same.  The third story in the series is almost here.  Pick up the first two and get ready to fall in love with Charlie, Travis, and the Sutton Station itself.

Cover Artist:  Sara York.  I like it.  It works for the story and series branding.

Author’s Note: Please note: This book is set in Australia, using Australian English and lingo

Sales Links:    All Romance eBooks  (ARe)         Amazon                 Red Dirt Heart 1 $1.50 at Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 162 pages
Published February 20th 2014
edition languageEnglish
seriesRed Dirt #1

Books in the series to date in the order they were written and should be read to understand the relationships, events and characters:

Red Dirt Heart 1
Red Dirt Heart 2
Red Dirt Heart 3 to be released early October 2014

A MelanieM Review: Dead Things by Meredith Russell

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Devin never thought he could find hope or love among the ruins of a broken world. Not until he found Noah.

Dead-Things-ebookDevin Reed is one of the last survivors of a virus that has turned the earth’s population into living corpses…zombies.  Devin lives and conducts daily hunts from high security penitentiary in Kansas State that provides his group of survivors with shelter and security.   Devin returned from his last tour in Afghanistan to find the world gone mad.  He lost everyone he loved to the plague, including his long term partner and love.  Broken hearted and enraged by the circumstances he finds himself in, he risks his life daily to leave to hunt for supplies and any other survivors he can find.

One fateful scavenger trip changes everything when Devin and his partner check out what looks to be an abandoned farm house and find Noah Webber, the last of his family and the only person to survive a zombie attack.  Each man has lost so much, and their attraction to each other is bound up in each other’s survivor guilt and fear.  Together Devin and Noah unite to fight the monsters around them.  But it will take more than determination and firepower to win, it  might take finding the courage  to risk all for love and the hope of a future.

Just when I think I’ve about had my fill of all things zombie, along comes a story to remind me why this genre is so pupular.  Dead Things by Meredith Russell manages to combines  the heartbreak of loss, suspense, a post apocalyptic world, zombies and, of course, romance and has us sitting on the edge of our seats while doing it.

I especially liked her character, Devin Reed.  He is the epitome of a survivor, complete with a lost love, a sense of futility about the present and yet he endures and perseveres.  He’s also a warrior, hot, and gay.  Devin feels real,  he is shut down emotionally, allowing only the pain of loss or anger to penetrate the barriers he has erected again any further vulnerability.  There are other characters around that also seem authentic to the direness of the circumstances they find themselves in but Devin comes across as the most believable.

Noah Webber took longer for me to invest in.  His attitude seems at odds with his history and background.  And although we got a good explanation for his actions and outlook, it ended up irritating not only Devin but the reader as well.  Luckily for the story, that faded away under the onslaught of zombies and the events that occur.

Russell adds in high suspense, to go along with the anxiety of survival and the prickling of hope for the future.  The author solidly builds her story and keeps us guessing as we head into the climax and story resolution.  It’s fun, heartbreaking, white knuckle ride all the way to the end.  If you are a lover of zombies and post apocalyptic worlds to go along with your M/M romance, then add this to your TBR list.  It delivers what it promises. And that makes it one of Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words recommended reads.

Like most fiction of this trope, a small group of survivors has banded together in the most secure place they could find, a high security penitentiary.  This place has become their world, complete with a dictator who makes the rules and expects everyone to follow them.

Cover art by Meredith Russell.  Love the cover, it works perfectly for the character and gives a dark tone to the overall look.

Sales Links:  All Romance (ARe)       Amazon        Dead Things

Book Details:

book, Second edition
Published August 29th 2014 (first published August 2012)

Book Blast: Beany Sparks “Aiden’s Shepherd” (Book tour and contest)

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Check out Beany Spark’s release, Aiden’s Shepherd (Paws and Magic #1).  We have all the details, blurbs, and excerpt for you below.  And don’t forget to enter to win your own copy.  Details provided at the end of the post.

Book Name: Aiden’s Shepherd
Author Name: Beany Sparks

Author Bio:

Beany lives in Western Australia. She first started reading romance novels in 2008, but it wasn’t until January 2010 when her Kindle got delivered that the world of erotic romance opened its doors to her, and she hasn’t looked back.

With suggestions and support from friends, her muse—“affectionately” known as PITA—was finally able to break free, and in January 2014 her first story was written. Since she can’t put PITA back in his box, Beany has decided to give in and team up with him. Together they’ve made plans to write both MF and MM stories.

Author Contacts:

  • She can be reached at beany.sparks@gmail.com
    Or visit her at her website
    Or on Twitter:

Aiden's Shepherd - FinalTitle: Aiden’s Shepherd by Beany Sparks
Publisher: eXtasy Books

Sales Link:  eXtasy Books

Aiden’s Shepherd Blurb:

A man who never knew magic and shifters existed gets a crash course when he saves an injured dog.

Aiden Grey is packed and ready to move and start a new phase of his life away from the family that kicked him out when he was eighteen. The night before he leaves he sees something fall out of the back of a van. Upon closer inspection, he is shocked to find that it’s not the bag he suspected, it’s a dog!

Deciding to take the dog with him, the two set off the next morning to Aiden’s new home. Everything is going well for Aiden and the German Shepherd he named Lex. That is, until said German Shepherd shifts into a man who claims Aiden is his mate.

Lex can’t believe he’s finally found his mate. But as happy as he is to have him, he still worries about his brother and pack, and where they have ended up.

With the revelation that shifters exist, secrets about Aiden’s past come to light. Secrets he didn’t even know existed. Suddenly, Aiden has to deal with not only the reality of shifters, but also ghosts and magic.  But with Lex by his side he can handle anything—even his surprise guest.

Aiden’s Shepherd Excerpt:

He stood near the table, breathing heavily, stopping himself from opening any of the curtains to peek outside to see if the van was still there. Aiden had no idea what he was thinking with this stunt, but something was telling him to protect the dog. He just had to figure out how to clean the canine up without getting attacked, bitten or turning the light on and revealing to anyone who might be outside that he was awake and moving around.

Aiden took a deep breath to try and calm down, then gathered his courage. He took a few steps toward the entrance of the kitchen to see if he could make out anything through the glass panels on the front door, trying to stay hidden from view. He couldn’t see anything at first, but as he kept looking he suddenly spotted the shadow of a man through the glass. He couldn’t turn around and put his back against the wall fast enough, breathing hard once again.

Fuck! I hope whoever that is didn’t see me!

“What the hell are you doing?” A male voice came from outside his door. The man tried to remain quiet, but he was just loud enough for Aiden to hear him.
“I’m looking for that mutt, what do you think I’m doing? Picking daisies?” replied a second male voice in the same hushed tone.

“What makes you think he made it all the way here? It’s not like there’s a blood trail leading to the front door!” the first man said, sounding angry.

“This is the closest house so I’m going to check,” the second man said, then tried to turn the handle of the door.

Aiden felt his breath catch in his throat. He knew he’d locked the door, but if they forced their way in and looked around, what would he do?

“Knock it off, you moron. That mutt was barely breathing when we put him in the van, and you think he not only got up and made his way to this house, but that he somehow got inside it, too? How stupid are you?” the first man said.

“I’m telling you, man. There’s something about the mutt that doesn’t sit right with me.”

“You’re just pissed because he managed to bite you. Now come on, let’s get out of here before someone notices us or the van. We’ll come back later in the morning and have a look around. If the mutt managed to find someone to feel sorry for him, they’ll probably take him to see a vet, then we’ll get our hands back on the beast.”

“Yeah, I guess. Alright, let’s go.”

Aiden listened to their steps as they walked off his porch and presumably made their way to their van. He breathed a sigh of relief when he realized they’d left.

There goes my plan to get the dog to a vet close by. Hopefully there’s nothing seriously wrong and he’ll be able to hold off until I can get us to the cabin in the morning.

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Tour Dates: 10/3/14

Tour Stops: Parker Williams, Amanda C. Stone, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Fallen Angel Reviews, Because Two Men Are Better Than One, Nic Starr, Jade Crystal, MM Good Book Reviews, My Fiction Nook, Prism Book Alliance, Cate Ashwood, Wake Up Your Wild Side, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Havan Fellows, Carly’s Book Reviews, Iyana Jenna, Kimi-Chan, Up All Night, Read All Day, Velvet Panic

Contest: Rafflecopter Prize: e-book copy of ‘Aiden’s Shepherd’. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Use the Rafflecopter link below for the entry form and for all additional contest details.

Rafflecopter Code:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

A PaulB Review: His Sleeping Beau (Wickedly Ever After #2) by Jess Buffett

Rating 3.5 out of 5 stars

His Sleeping BeauWhen Zanth’s car refuses to start on his twenty-fifth birthday, he didn’t realize that his whole world is about to be turned upside down. He will learn that the life he has lead up until that point has been carefully crafted to protect him from an evil he knows nothing about. With the assistance of his Guardian Liam, Zanth learns of his true nature and must return to his ancestral home in order to face his destiny of the leader of his people.

“His Sleeping Beau” by Jess Buffett is a gay retelling of the classic fairy tale “Sleeping Beauty.” Stephan is the leader of the Ignis Tribe of Mages. At the naming ceremony for his new born son, Aurelius, Stephan’s brother Malcolm shows up and curses the child. By the end of the child’s twenty-fifth birthday, he will prick himself on a sharp point and fall into a death-like sleep.

Flash forward twenty five years. Zanth Aurelius is having a really bad birthday. First, his car won’t start when he finishes his day teaching school. Then a stranger appears as he exits his shower. As Zanth is getting ready to defend himself against this stranger, said stranger says Zanth’s life is in danger and he needs to come with him in order to be safe.
The stranger is Liam, who is a Guardian and Changling who has been assigned to protect Zanth from birth. Hearing windows breaking downstairs, Liam protects Zanth, whom he recognizes as his mate, from the invading force while preparing him for a hasty retreat.

At a safe house, Liam explains to Zanth what is happening to his life. Liam describes the curse that was brought upon Zanth at the naming ceremony and the steps his family took to protect him. One thing that they had done was tell Zanth his birthday was three days before it really was. This was done to provide his protectors time to get Zanth to the tribe in time to claim his role as the new leader of the tribe. While at the safe house, Liam mates with Zanth but they do not complete the bond. They also are visited by the Guardian Elders, whom have an interest in Zanth claiming his rightful spot as the ruler of his people.
On the way to their village, the pair is attacked by a group of sorcerers which include Zanth’s ex-boyfriend. The ex has been working with Zanth’s uncle who is trying to make sure that his curse is carried out. With the assistance of the Elders, the pair manages to break free of this attack and continue on their way to the home village. As they rest at a motel that night, Zanth decides to complete the mating bond.

Once at the village, they find what amounts to a civil war going on. Several of the mages and guardians have sided with Malcolm trying to establish a new order. As the fight rages on, Malcolm takes Zanth prisoner and injects him with a poison that causes him to fall into a deep sleep. Liam takes on Malcolm, killing him in the process. Zanth recovers from the poisoning due to the love and mating bond he has with Liam.

The relationship between Liam and Zanth comes along quickly as most fated mate relationships go. Liam realizes Zanth is his mate when he is in danger. Zanth, who has not grown up in the world of fated mates, feels some type of pull towards Liam is resistant at first. Zanth accepts his feelings and the bond between the two after Liam defends Zanth from the various threats to his well being.

The author brings elements of the paranormal world not usually associated with your typical fairy tale. Adding shifters to the classic tale brings a new unexpected twist to the usual story. I also enjoyed the fact it diverged from the classic tale in that the villain takes a more active role in carrying out the curse.

This is the second book of the Wickedly Ever After series by JK Publishing. Each story is self contained. (The first book retells the story of Robin Hood from a female Robin’s perspective.)

The cover art is by the author and does well in depicting the heroes of the story. It shows Zanth in the foreground with Liam watching over him in the background. Well done cover.

Sales Links: JK Publishing         All Romance eBooks (ARe)      Amazon         His Sleeping Beau

Book Details:
Ebook:
Published: August 26, 2014
Edition: English
Series: Wickely Ever After

Series:
Robin and Her Merry Men (Wickedly Ever After #1) by Willow Brooks (m/f and m/f/m)
His Sleeping Beau (Wickedly Ever After #2) by Jess Buffett (m/m)

Jump Into Fantasy with Jeff Buffett and His Sleeping Beau Tour (contest)

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Jump into Jess Buffett’s fantasy world with her latest release, His Sleeping Beau.  We have a excerpt to read and a contest to enter.  Check them all out below:

hissleepingbeauBook Name: His Sleeping Beau
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.

Author Contact:

Website: http://www.jessbuffett.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JessBuffettAuthor
Email: jessbuffett@gmail.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JessBuffett
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JessBuffettAuthor

Title: His Sleeping Beau by Jess Buffett
Publisher: JK Publishing
Cover Artist: Jess Buffett

Sales Links:  Amazon   ARe    B&N:

His Sleeping Beau Blurb:

Zanth is a teacher making the best of his life until a chance encounter changes everything for him. It leaves him questioning everything: his life, his family, and his ability to love. 

When Guardian Liam is sent to collect his charge and bring him home, the last thing he expected is to discover the young, clueless man is meant to be his. Now he must explain the past to save the future to a man with no knowledge of his worth.

Will a Tribe gain the leader they have waited years for? Does the evil from the past finally receive their vengeance? Or can Liam convince Zanth that apart means death to all but together, they are unstoppable?

Categories: Fantasy, M/M Romance, Paranormal, Romance

His Sleeping Beau Excerpt:

The lost, almost broken young man in front of him tore his heart in two. How much had his mate suffered all these years alone?
“I wish I could take back the years you lost with your family, the pain you’ve felt…but I can’t.” Liam stood, walking over and reaching out to Zanth. He slid his hand around the back of Zanth’s neck, tugging the younger man forward. Zanth came without struggle, his eyes dim with grief. Bringing their lips until they were just a hair’s breath away, he whispered, “You are so very important to me, Zanth. Not because of your position in our Tribe, not because I have been ordered here. I will keep you safe, give you the family you were supposed to have…and I make this promise, not as the Guardian assigned to bring you home, but as someone who cares very deeply for you.”

Tour Dates/ Stops:HSBBadgeTemplate

September 29: Parker Williams
September 30: Nephylim, MM Good Book Reviews
October 1: My Fiction Nook, Because Two Men Are Better Than One, Fallen Angel Reviews, Queer Town Abbey
October 2: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Amanda C. Stone
October 3: Cate Ashwood

Rafflecopter Prize: Copy of His Sleeping Beau & a $10 Amazon Gift Card. Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Use the
Rafflecopter Code provided for the entry form and for additional contest details:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

In Our Author Spotlight: Carol Lynne on Tour with The Brick Yard, A What’s His Passion Imprint from TB! (contest)

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Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Carol Lynne here to talk about her latest release from Totally Bound’s What’s His Passion Imprint, The Brick Yard.  Check out the book information and don’t forget to enter the contest included in the tour! 

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My Love/Hate Relationship with Secondary Characters
By Carol Lynne

Let me start by saying how much I love to write secondary characters. I love them so much that I can’t stop thinking about them after I finish a story. That, of course, leads to a sequel. Then, in the sequel, I have to introduce another set of secondary characters, which will inevitably lead to a third book. Are you starting to see a pattern? Yep, I’m a series junky. I’ve tried numerous times to kick the habit, but it’s a pull like none other.

When I was asked to write a stand-alone title for the What’s His Passion imprint at Totally Bound, the first thing that popped into my head was how am I going to pull off a stand-alone? What about secondary characters. Am I really supposed to write a story with secondary characters who will never see a happily-ever-after? How can this be? My brain simply doesn’t work that way.

Well, in The Brick Yard, I tried to give life to the secondary characters while reigning in my thoughts about future stories. It wasn’t easy, honest. That said, I know that all the secondary characters in The Brick Yard will go on to lead very happy and productive lives. I may not have a chance to write them, but I’ve told myself they will be fine without my interference.

I have no doubt that once people read The Brick Yard, they will email to ask if Jax is going to get a story or Jake or Mac…the list goes on. This is where the hatred for writing secondary characters comes in. Believe me, I’d love to know what happens to them in the future as much as some of you do, but, again, this is a stand-alone. How do authors write standalones? I think the next time I’m asked to write a single book, I’m going to set it on a remote island or something where only the two main characters are in the story because the only way I know not to fall in love with my secondary characters is simply to not write them in the first place.

Despite my ramblings, I hope you’ll fall in love with the secondary characters in The Brick Yard as much as I did.

Blurb for The Brick Yard, the debut novel in Totally Bound’s What’s his Passion? imprint:

thebrickyard_800For Lucky Gunn, the hardest fight of his life happens outside the cage.

On the south side of Chicago sits an old gym called The Brick Yard.

Ten years ago, on a bitterly cold day, Lucky Gunn wandered into The Brick Yard dressed in a threadbare jacket, looking for refuge. He hadn’t expected the owner, Tony Brick, to welcome him with a job and a place to sleep when Lucky’s abusive and drug addicted mother made it too dangerous to return home.

Dray was a gay man living in a world of straight fighters. When his secret was exposed to the media, he dropped out, giving Lucky a piece of advice, if you want to make it as a MMA fighter, bury the part of yourself that won’t be accepted.

Lucky discovered the cage was the perfect place to keep his demons at bay, but when he learns his trainer and mentor, Brick, is suffering from end-stage cancer, he begins to spiral out of control. After eight years, Dray returns to help Lucky and Brick deal with the devastating news.

With Dray so close, Lucky’s old desires return, and Dray teaches him more than how to fight. Torn between his career and the passion he feels for Dray, Lucky finds that his past demons resurface in full force, threatening his sanity and his budding relationship with Dray.

Despite leaving the cage years earlier, Dray finds himself in the battle of his life with the only man he’s ever loved. Will he stand and fight or walk away like he did years earlier?

Like the sound of The Brick Yard? Buy it here!

The Brick Yard_Carol Lynne_Blog Tour_Blog dates_finalAuthor Bio for Carol Lynne:

An avid reader for years, one day Carol Lynne decided to write her own brand of erotic romance. Carol juggles between being a full-time mother and a full-time writer. These days, you can usually find Carol either cleaning jelly out of the carpet or nestled in her favourite chair writing steamy love scenes.

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Join In on Rachel Haimowitz’s Song of the Fallen Re-Release Celebration! (contest)

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Song of the Fallen Re-Release Celebration

 

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Hello all, and thank you so much for joining me to chat about the queer high fantasy duology Song of the Fallen! This series holds a particularly special place in my heart, not just because I absolutely adore high fantasy and sloooooooooooooow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance and there isn’t nearly enough of any of that to go round in queer fiction, but also because Counterpoint, the first book in the duology, was the first novel I ever sold.

One of the questions I—and probably most published authors—get asked the most often is how I got published. The path of the Song of the Fallen novels was both particularly easy and particularly fraught—Counterpoint is now at its third publisher (if you count a brief interlude of self-pub), and Crescendo, the second book in the duology, is also at its third publisher without any self-pub interludes. Though Counterpoint came out in 2010 and Crescendo in 2011, this month marks the very first time they have both been under the same roof—complete with gorgeous new cover art!—and I couldn’t be happier to have them there.

But when I first sold Counterpoint, it was to a teeny little startup epub called Guiltless Pleasure Publishing. The editor actually came to me, which was an unparalleled delight—she’d read and loved my fanfiction and wanted to sign me for original work. (Note: now that I’m an acquiring editor who also loves fanfic, I have the pleasure of doing this too.) She actually signed me on proposal, which, looking back, was pretty outrageously lucky for a first-time novelist.

What was meant to be one book of about 80,000 words grew and grew as the writing progressed (*shakes fist at high fantasy*), and at 120,000 words I found a natural conclusion to the first half of the story arc and told her there was no way to do this without a book 2. She agreed, and I set off to write Crescendo while Counterpoint went into edits.

Counterpoint came out to a fairly large splash, though I was new to queer romance and didn’t know it at the time. Again, looking back, I was pretty outrageously lucky. Unfortunately, halfway through Crescendo edits, the owner of Guiltless Pleasure came down with a serious, long-term illness, and despite Counterpoint’s success, she had to close up shop. Which left me with not one but two books without a home, one of which was literally paying my bills and the other of which was an eagerly awaited sequel. So, very slightly older and very slightly wiser than I’d been a year past, I self-pubbed Counterpoint, and went publisher shopping for a home for Crescendo. I was fortunate in that Counterpoint had sold well enough to open a lot of potential doors for Crescendo, but ultimately I went with another small press that was willing to use the same cover artist and offer very competitive royalty terms.

I won’t get into details, but more or less from the moment I signed the contract to the moment I got the rights back to that book three years later, that experience was an unmitigated disaster. Thankfully, in the meanwhile, me and some writer and publisher buddies launched Riptide. I’d self-pubbed Counterpoint around January of 2011, and in December of 2011 I signed the rights over to Riptide instead, where it nestled in quite comfortably and saw a huge sales boost thanks to Riptide’s amazing marketing department. Around the same time, Crescendo released at the other publisher while I stared longingly at it and wished I’d conceived of Riptide before I’d signed over the second book.SongOfFallen_150x300

So, like I said, weirdly easy but also kind of fraught. Fast forward three years, to just last month. I get rights back to Crescendo. It needs new cover art, so we decide, hey, let’s give the whole series a face lift. Plus, I’d been very excited about the work this particular cover artist had been doing for us (her name is Simoné, and I highly encourage you to check her out), and I was dying to get a cover from her on one of my books. Or, better yet, two of my books!

And so here we are. Three publishers and two covers per book, and my very first novel and its sequel are finally at home at Riptide. If you’ve read them, thank you from the bottom of my heart for making literally my entire writing career possible. If you haven’t, I hope you’ll consider sharing my babies with me ϑ

To help make that possible, I’m giving away a signed set of the Song of the Fallen paperbacks with the gorgeous new cover art. I’ll ship anywhere in the world, too. To enter, just leave a comment with a way to contact you if you win. You can enter multiple times by commenting on each blog this re-release tour stops at, so be sure to visit the other stops!

About the “Song of the Fallen” Series

Two enemies, three warring races, and a singular love with the power to change the future.

It is the twilight of mankind. Depleted by generations of war with a dark race, the human kingdoms and their ancient alliance stand on the brink of extinction. The outlands are soaked with the blood of the fallen. The midlands are rotting with decadence and despair.

Elfkind, estranged by past crimes, watches and waits for nature to run its course.

And then the two collide.

Ayden’s life has long been guided by two emotions: love for his sister, and hatred of all things human. When he’s captured in battle, he is enslaved in the service of a human prince, Freyrik Farr.

Freyrik has always known elves to be beautiful and dangerous, but never has one affected him as deeply as Ayden. Teetering on a dagger’s edge between duty and high treason, Freyrik discovers that some choices can change a life, and some an entire world.

Between prejudice, politics, pride, and survival, Ayden and Freyrik must carve a new path, no matter how daunting. For nothing less than the fate of both their peoples rests on the power of their perseverance—and their love.

About the Author

Rachel is an M/M erotic romance author and the Publisher of Riptide Publishing. She’s also a sadist with a pesky conscience, shamelessly silly, and quite proudly pervish. Fortunately, all those things make writing a lot more fun for her . . . if not so much for her characters.

When she’s not writing about hot guys getting it on (or just plain getting it; her characters rarely escape a story unscathed), she loves to read, hike, camp, sing, perform in community theater, and glue captions to cats. She also has a particular fondness for her very needy dog, her even needier cat, and shouting at kids to get off her lawn.

Connect with Rachel:

A MelanieM Review: Midsummer Law (Midsummer #3) by Megan Derr

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

midsummerlaw400Kirby Hindon is Sheriff in MIdsummer, a magical, supernatural town.  On the easiest day, the job carries with it a almost constant list of surprises and supernatural  happenings that most Sheriffs never have to deal with.  But one of the toughest parts of his job is notifying the next of kin when someone is killed.  That’s the Kirby is facing now. Hobgoblin Kerry Greyling is dead and Kirby needs to contact his brother as next of kin.  The biggest surprise appears when Kerry’s brother, Merry, shows up to collect his belongings.

Merry is Kerry’s twin brother but they were alike only in appearance.  Where Kerry was dark, Merry is light as well as powerful.  In fact, Merry shimmers from head to toe.  He is a well respected and sought after clothing designer whose clothes are just as unique as Merry.  What happens when a lonely Sheriff  who also happens to be a witch meets up with an equally lonely hobgoblin?  Anything is possible in the town of Midsummer.

Midsummer Law picks up after the events of Midsummer Curse.  All the towns people are dealing with the aftermath of Ferdy the gremlin’s curse and the death of Kerry Greyling, Ferdy’s ex and all round rotter.  It’s been left to witch and town Sheriff Kirby Hindon to notify the closest kin of the deceased and depose of the body and personal belongings.  But what happens next is as unexpected to those involved as it is just what they need.

I love the town of Midsummer that Megan Derr has created.  A place where all the paranormal and supernatural belong, its both a haven and locus for events and relationships of all types.  We’ve had werewolves and kind of weres, weres and gremlins, vampires and vampire hunters and now a witch in search of love in the most unlikely of places.  Kirby Hindon has always existed on the secondary layer of the other stories as a character.  He arrives to haul off the culprit or at the ending of a nasty culmination of events.  Now he’s at the front of his own story and we get a better look at a lonely man with never enough time to practice his magic.

Merry Greyling, twin brother to the nasty Kerry Greyling, is a lovely delight of a character.  A sought after clothes designer, he wears what he makes, along with artfully applied makeup in unusual color combinations.  He’s powerful, quixotic, and lonely.  Hmmmm, where can a partner be found for him?  Derr brings these two together over the death of Merry’s brother and let the rest of the journey to love fall gently into place.

I say gently because there is no drama to be found here, that occurred in the previous story.  This is just two beings trying to work out a long distance relationship and it contain the commonplace errors and miscommunications  one would expect of such an attempt.  It gradually works itself out along the way as Derr starts to fold in the characters for the next short story in the series, Midsummer Baker.

This is a very quick read with none of the depth of the first  two stories.  There is no mystery involved, just two beings in search of love.  I did love the surprise that was Merry and wish we had much more of him and Kirby’s relationship.  We get a few answers to some left over questions but that’s it.  I missed the variety of characters and the layers to the plot that the other stories had, although the romance is a lovely one.   There were also one or two editing issues.  A moment where Kirby looks at Kirby (it should have been Kelly), easy enough to catch and fix but wasn’t.

Midsummer is a town guaranteed to pull you into its stories and relationships.  There is so much to discover here and so many more beings to meet.  I hope Megan Derr continues to develop stories in this series.  I can’t wait for more to come.

Cover art by Megan Derr.   She does a terrific job in branding the series and yet makes each design relevant to the story within.

Sales Links:     Less Than Three Press            All Romance eBook (ARe)        Amazon            Midsummer Law

Book Details:

ebook, 46 pages
Published July 2010 by Less Than Three Press
ISBN139781936202294
edition languageEnglish
seriesMidsummer #3

Midsummer Series in order they were written and should be read (available in print, ebook and audio):

Midsummer Moon
Midsummer Curse
Midsummer Law
Midsummer Baker
Midsummer Days (Print collection of all stories)