Author Spotlight: Kimber Vale and her latest release, Double Takes (Shooting Star#2)

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ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords is happy to welcome Kimber Vale here today to talk about her Shooting Stars rock star series and Gio Savale of Double Takes, her latest release. Kimber has also brought along a contest to win a copy of Double Takes. Contest ends Midnight 5/16. Details and link at the bottom of the post.

Welcome, Kimber.

My Inspiration for Gio Savale of Double Takes
By Kimber Vale

When I began writing Forever is Now, the first book in my Shooting Stars series, I envisioned it as a single, standalone story. At some point during my writing, however; the idea for my MC of Double Takes wormed its way into my brain.

Back when I was in high school, I remember hearing rumors that Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers was bisexual. I took them as truth (aren’t all rumors in high school true???) and I didn’t think much about it. For whatever reason, I thought he had admitted to being bi in some magazine interview. Roll forward a number of years (I don’t want to think about how many) and I’ve got this idea in my head to write a rock star with that sort of backstory. Out of curiosity, and maybe I can call it research—why the hell not?—I did an online search into Anthony Kiedis’ sexual orientation, self-proclaimed and otherwise.

Turns out I shouldn’t have put much stock in high school rumors.

But thanks anyway, rumor mill, because I was already invested in that plot point. Gio’s band did a show with the band from Forever is Now, which allowed me to introduce Gio however briefly. I had already begun writing Double Takes when I submitted Forever, so I was able to firm up Gio’s story and make sure the Gio in Forever matched the Gio in Double Takes. I was glad for that; otherwise I would have been stuck with initial concept Gio instead of 3-D Gio. 😉

The same happened when I started book three. Gio’s onscreen love interest in Double Takes, Kyrie, gets his own book next. I was happy to have a good chunk of Kyrie and Greg’s book complete while Double Takes was in edits so I could go back and make sure all of my facts jibed from book to book.
I’m not sure how authors do it when they start a spin off after the first book is already out. They’re locked into whatever they initially wrote, which could suck.

Anyway, I had a blast crafting Double Takes. I think it’s a multilayered story that will keep readers on their toes. I hope you’ll check it out. Gio and I thank you. 😉
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Author Bio:
Kimber Vale writes romance of all stripes, from hot hetero stories to mouthwatering men falling in love (under the name K. Vale). Keep up with Kimber’s news and follow all her tour stops on her blog: http://www.kimbervale.me and friend/follow her on Facebook and Twitter @KimberVale. Come for the sex. Stay for the story. http://www.authorkimbervale.com

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Find Double Takes:
On Amazon:
At Liquid Silver Books:
All Romance:
Barnes & Noble:
Watch the Double Takes book trailer:

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Contest: Kimber Vale has a $25 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card (winner’s choice) up for grabs! Ends midnight 5/16. Go here at Rafflecopter to enter.

Book Details:

Author K. Vale
Series Shooting Stars.Book # 2
Genre GLBT, M/M, Contemporary, Musicians, Music
Heat Level 3 .Words 63,000 Publication Date 04/21/2014

Double Takes Blurb:

Ah, the life of a rock star. Everyone thinks it’s nothing but sex, drugs, and rock and roll.

Not for Giovanni Savale.

For the lead singer of Three Deaf Mice, a band that reached its pinnacle in the late nineties, it’s nothing but an ugly divorce with a custody battle, money trouble, and now the nightmare exposure of starring in a reality television show. When his producer decides to cash in on an infamous interview Gio did years ago, and give the self-confessed bisexual rocker an onscreen boyfriend, things really hit the fan. Gio is certain his sexual experimentation back in his drug-abusing days meant nothing — after all he’s been married for nine years, clean and sober for nearly as long, and he has a son. And Gio is not remotely attracted to Kyrie, the funny, flamboyant actor they choose for his love interest. Of course, Lance Garrett, the mysterious and sexy owner of the local antique shop, Double Takes, is a whole different story. The guy has Gio planning out a future he never imagined. With the threat of losing all custody of his ten-year-old son, ghosts from the past returning for revenge, and the cameras rolling, can Gio keep his head above water and his heart from getting broken?

Excerpt:

Lance’s hand on top of his stopped Gio from silencing the irritating voice.

Gio sat down heavily next to Lance, one hand still burdened by his dinner plate and the other sandwiched between Lance’s palm and the remote. He didn’t dare pull it away, and Lance apparently wanted to see the entire commercial because he kept Gio trapped there until it finished.

“What was that all about?” Lance’s warm fingers slid from Gio’s, leaving his hand cold.

“Ah, it’s dumb. The world’s most degrading way to make a paycheck.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure.” Lance stared at something past Gio’s shoulder.

“The producers took some stupid poll and found out the viewers want to see me…” Gio paused in search of the right word. What the hell did people want to see? “They wanna see me squirm. They want to see a supposedly bisexual man drowning in the same-sex dating pool. It’s all bullshit—just for ratings.”

“So, you’re not really dating that guy?”

“No! Well, yeah, I have to for the show. But not really. It’s just a publicity stunt, you know?”

“So, you aren’t bi, then?” Lance cocked his head and skewered Gio with those intense hazel eyes

“Yeah! No! I mean … it’s not like I…” What the fuck was he even trying to say? You’ve screwed around with guys before, ass munch.

The confused squint of the eyes staring back at him—moss-green with spikes of brown radiating from his pupils—told Gio his answer didn’t exactly make sense to Lance, either.

“I always wondered if those rumors were true before you got married.” Lance made it sound like a question.

“Well, you know how it is … when you’re young, and you party too much. Sometimes you do shit you wouldn’t normally do if you weren’t fucked up, right?” Gio gave a weak laugh. Continue reading “Author Spotlight: Kimber Vale and her latest release, Double Takes (Shooting Star#2)” →

Mother’s Day and the Week Ahead in Reviews, Book Tours and Stuff!

It’s Mother’s Day and I am taking the day off for family events and such. So without much further discourse, here is the week ahead in reviews, author guest posts, book tours and contests. It looks to be a wonderful week:

This Week’s Schedule:

Monday, May 12: Author Spotlight: Kimber Vale on Double Takes

Tuesday, May 13: Riptide’s Hostile Ground Book Tour with Aleksandr Voinov and L.A. Witt

Wed., May 14: Daylight Again by SE Jakes

Thursday, May 15: Double Takes by K. Vale

Friday, May 16: Author Spotlight: RJ Scott

Sat., May 17: One Night by RJ Scott

Review: Looking After Joey by David Pratt

Rating: 4,25 stars out of 5

Accountant Calvin’s life is one that is littered with regrets and paths not taken. His last boyfriend, Rafe, left him with the impression that he, Calvin, had failed Rafe utterly even as Rafe said” oh, its not you, its me”. No, Calvin knew it was him. Currently Calvin has three important things in his life. His exuberant best friend Peachy, his accountant job (ok only because of the income) and his love of hot gay porn, specifically the beautiful and sexy porn actor Joey Rhodes.

If Calvin is not at work or with Peachy, he can be found in front of his television engrossed in the latest porn movie featuring his beloved Joey. Then one day Calvin’s life takes a bizarre and unexpected turn. Calvin’s dream man Joey appears in the flesh, beautiful, gorgeous flesh, right in Calvin’s living room. It seems that his latest video,a Joey Rhodes-Roddd Packer DVD called “Open the Door and Let Me In”, is something much more than it seems.

But what is Calvin to do with Joey? Joey is a total innocent, he knows nothing about real life and Calvin doesn’t know how to return him to his. Soon Calvin and Peachy find themselves looking after Joey, their “nephew”. But Peaches has other ideas in mind…ones that include an upscale party in the Hamptons, a trip to Fire Island, and a gallery of rogues and misfits the like of which the island of Manhattan will never see again. What happens when your fondest wishes come true and your life changes forever , just not in the way you expected? Calvin is about to find out.

Looking After Joey by David Pratt was one of the nicest surprises I’ve had all month. From the book blurb to the story cover, I thought I was getting a fun, kind of raunchy and wild little tale. I mean, just look at that premise! A man’s favorite porn star steps out of the video and into his life, perfect for comedy and tons of hot sex, right? Not exactly. Because David Pratt takes that humerous theme, gives your the anticipated porn sex scenes and superficial comedy one expects and then deepens it all into a story of personal growth, faith, and love of all types. That’s the part I never saw coming and that’s the elements that made me love this book.

Calvin is leading an empty life and he know’s it. He has been using porn, particularly the videos featuring young, adorable Joey Rhodes, to fill up the emotional void inside. And that use of porn has lost him his last boyfriend, who figured he could never “measure up” to the hunks Calvin is becoming emotionally invested in on the screen. Even his few attempts to meet someone new lately have failed, know matter how hard Peachy tries to get Calvin to open up to new possibilities. Calvin is even coasting along at his job. He is good at it but nothing more. David Pratt quickly delivers a portrait of a man reducing his life down to a tv screen and a best friend and shows how hollow and desperate that feels.

Then in one miraculous night, everything changes. And Calvin gets to meet Joey in his own “porn world” when he wakes up first inside the Joey Rhodes-Roddd Packer DVD called Open the Door and Let Me In. Trust me, this is not only the only shocker here. Being inside a porn world is both incredibly funny and terribly sad as Calvin finds out. Between hot hookups from men “who aren’t gay their girlfriends are just away for the weekend” and endless pizza from hot pizza delivery boys, Calvin looks for Joey and then finds him. Pratt must have had such a great time creating this timeless porn universe. All the typical features of a porn film have been included. The locations and sets where it is always sunny and never rains, where the delivery boys are always hot and ready to go, and the gym is full of available men no matter what time of the day. But while Pratt is having fun, he is also showing how mind numbing and empty that world can be if that is all you have.

Then the situation is flipped and Joey ends up in Calvin’s world and things become heartbreakingly real and painful for all. Yes, there is still plenty of comedy but it’s like a sexy Velveteen Rabbit who comes alive or a Pinnochio who becomes a real boy. The pathos is tangible. Both of them to be real but unlike them, Joey has not idea of what a “real life” entails. His fear and pain are palpable when reality sets in and the reader feels as hopeless as Calvin does about the situation. Trust me, Joey sobbing away as reality sets in is going to break your heart.

Pratt delivers two very different type of characterizations here. One is the layered, believably human characters like Joey, Calvin, Doug, and yes, even Peachy. This list will grow to include a character called Jeffrey, but I will leave him as a surprise. You absolutely believe in Joey’s vulnerability and innocence even when he is asking for sex. Watching him mature is almost as edifying as watching Calvin do the same. You see, in so many ways both Calvin and Joey must trod the same path, but in totally different roles. And we will be lucky enough to go along for what turns out to be both an educational and deeply emotional journey to adulthood and wisdom. It will include discussions of faith and personal assumptions. That surprised me too.

The other type of characters found within Looking After Joey run along the line of your staple cartoon or stock characters. Light on the nuances and heavy on the stereotypes and caricatures. Those characters would include eternally sweaty publicist Bunce van den Troell; “theatrical investor Sir Desmond Norma; studly thespian Clive Tidwell-Smidgin; and evil lubricant king Fred Pflester “. Oddly enough, it didn’t bother me that Pratt had both types of characters relating to each other. Some situations almost called for it as they were as funny and contrived as the characters involved. Other times, the scenes were gritty, painful and all too human. And the balancing act needed to maintain both elements is a tricky one that Pratt was not always successful at.

Ultimately this story belongs to Calvin and Joey. That’s the heart and soul here and that’s the reason to love this book. There is plenty of romance to be found and most of the characters, the ones you are rooting for, get their HEA or the promise of one. One surprise awaiting you is that the romances won’t be between the characters you anticipate. That turns out to be not only an unexpected element but one of this story’s happy ones too. It works out just the way it should or you hoped it would.

I see what David Pratt’s bio that he is the author of a book called Bob the Book. If that is half as entertaining and emotionally rewarding as Looking After Joey, well, I can’t wait to find out and report back to you all. I am putting this book on ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords’ list of book that are Must Rec’d Reads. It will surprise and delight you as it did me. Pick it up and start reading today.

Cover art by Wilde City Press. It’s adorable and on the mark as is the character standing in for Joey.

Book Details:

ebook, 255 pages
Published April 2nd 2014 by Wilde City Press
ISBN139781925031935
edition languageEnglish

Buy Links: Wilde City Press Amazon ARe

Review: Forever is Now (Shooting Stars #1) by Kimber Vale

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Nine years ago Alex Bremen was very much in love with Chance Ralan. The high school boys were inseparable until Alex’s dad caught them together. The events from that traumatic night tore them apart. The breakup permanently separated them and left Alex forever bitter at Chance’s betrayal. Now Alex is a successful director and producer of independent documentaries at his own production firm. And Chance? Chance went on to rock god status when he turned his high school rock band into the famous Armageddon Showdown. Over the years, Alex had got a concert or two…just out of curiosity of course but never attempted to contact him. And he never again heard from Chance.

Then Alex happens to hear the song he wrote for Chance all those years ago played on the radio. Stunned and enraged, he listens as his song is credited to Chance Ralan and its Armageddon Showdown’s latest hit! The song “Forever is Now” was Alex’s love song to Chance. It was always meant to be a private things between them and now Chance has not only stolen it but claimed to have written it as well.

Determined to take his revenge and take back his song, Alex travels across country with his production team to meet up with Armageddon Showdown and Chance Ralan. At first Chance has no idea that the company that is to film their tour is also bringing with it someone from their past hellbent on making Chance pay for his actions once and for all. But Love is a quixotic thing and as the men tangle, old passions and feelings that never completely went away start to rise again. In the end, what will win out? Love or revenge? Does time really heal all wounds or let them fester, so all hope of love is lost?

Parted young lovers, a troubled rock star and a spurned nice guy set on revenge. Yep, I’m in. Kimber Vale takes those ingredients and turns them into a highly readable and engaging tale of love, betrayal, and a rocker’s redemption. I love rockers! All the drama, glitz and glamor that surrounds them often hides a wealth of problems and hard work. They make for perfect main characters and Kimber Vale’s Chance Ralan is another wonderful rock god character readers will love to embrace. Haunted by his actions and betrayal of the one person who loved him all those years ago, Alex is wading in a mire of his own making. The pierced, tattoed rock god is a far cry from the scared kid who only wanted to play music but Vale does a great job of showing how Chance’s insecurities and regrets are now playing out through drunken binges, denial, and depression. You should dislike Chance but he is so miserable and increasingly out of control that it is hard not to feel compassion for the guy, especially when Alex shows up to confront him.

Ah, Alex…..gorgeous, in control, out and now spitting mad Alex. The story’s pov switches back and forth between our two protagonists but the Prologue and first chapters belong to Alex. We see the events happen from his eyes and pick up 9 years later where it is clear he has never gotten over neither his resentment and bitterness nor his love of Chance. Alex is a easy character to love. He confronted his demons then made the tough, right choices in his life. He became successful without sacrificing those personality traits that makes him accessible to the reader. Plus he has a great sister he adores. You start off understanding Alex, then you like him and finally, you fall in love with him as deeply as Chance already is.

Alex’s love life is as stalled as his affections as his latest lover just happens to resemble a young Chance. As Vale heads her characters towards a combustible reunion and a confrontation, it is clear that both men need this to go forward in their lives. The author has created a wonderful atmosphere of suspense and anticipation for the reader leading up to this moment and she never quite gives in to the impulse to make it explosive, keeping us on the edge as we continue into the narration. I loved that aspect of this story. It totally works in keeping us engaged and in the moment.

There is quite a cast of secondary characters here that have important roles to play. There are the Armageddon Showdown band members of varying degrees of maturity and congeniality, and Cliff the manager who is smarmy from the ground up. Alex’ production company, Real Reels, is represented by Jools and Miles, the mistake and Alex’s ex lover who unfortunately is still circling around Alex like a hopeful bee. I like that no one character felt extraneous here and that each was as well crafted as the next.

Kimber Vale does seriously address Chance’s drinking and drug habits. When we start the story Chance is already an alcoholic in denial who also uses drugs as casually as he does booze. Without going too deeply into the steps necessary for recovery and rehab, the author makes it plain that this self destructive behavior is hurting him on all fronts. And that only Chance himself holds the key that will make him realize how high the cost will be if changes aren’t made. Vale keeps it realistic without being clinical, especially given the length of the story.

There are places where the story slows down, but that only happens occasionally. The narrative picks up speed as it heads towards the end, and even though most will be able to tell who the villains of the story are and what possibly their roles might be as the plot unfolds, the pleasure you get from these characters and the drama of their situation will have you glued to the page until the very end.

Need a great little fix for your rockers in love addiction? Start here with Forever is Now and Chance and Alex. Kimber Vale continues the series with Giovanni Savale of Deaf Blind Mice in Double Takes (Shooting Stars #2). Giovanni Savale has a small mention here as his band plays along side Armageddon Showdown. I will meet up with you there! Happy Reading!

Cover Art by Unknown Artist who did a good job with the characters and cover design.

Books in the Series to Date include:

Forever is Now(Shooting Stars #1)
Double Takes (Shooting Stars #2)

Book Details:

ebook, 101 pages
Published September 9th 2013 by Liquid Silver Books
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.lsbooks.com/pre-order-coming-soon-romance-books-c322.php
seriesShooting Stars #1

Those Sexy Men of Hell or High Water Are Back In SE Jakes’ Daylight Again (HHW#3) Book Tour and Contest

☠☠Prophet and Tommy are back in Daylight Again☠☠

SE Jakes is here at ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords today to talk about those wild and sexy men of her Hell or Highwater series, Prophet and Tommy. They are back in her latest release, Daylight Again (Hell or Highwater #3).

SE Jakes: Thanks so much for hosting a spotlight of my new release— Daylight Again! It’s book 3 in the Hell or High Water series, and it’s the return of Prophet and Tommy. And Mal. And Cillian. And, as usual, some surprises. Hang on for another wild (and hot) ride!

About Daylight Again:

Before Prophet Drews can have a future, he must first put his past to rest.

Prophet Drews is a man on the edge, and he’s pulling Tom Boudreaux, his partner on the job and in real life, right over with him. When his old CO calls in a favor, Prophet asks Tom to join the off-the-grid rescue. But the mission raises all of Prophet’s old ghosts: CIA assassins, the terrorist Sadiq, and most importantly, John—traitor, former teammate, and Prophet’s first love.

To help bury those ghosts for good, Prophet and Tom gather the members of Prophet’s former SEAL team . . . and a spook named Cillian who’s been tailing Prophet for years. In the process, Prophet is forced to face his team’s shifting loyalties, ghosts who refuse to stay dead, and scariest of all, his own limitations.

With everyone’s lives in danger, Prophet and Tom must unravel a tangled knot of secrets, including their own. Prophet must decide how much to reveal to Tom, while Tom must decide how far he’s willing to go to help Prophet lay his ghosts to rest.

Book Details:

ebook, 265 pages
Published May 5th 2014 by Riptide Publishing
ISBN139781626491403
edition languageEnglish

Buy at: Riptide url http://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/daylight-again
seriesHell or High Water #3

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Giveaway:

SE Jakes will be giving away one $100 gift certificate to Riptide Publishing. Entries close at midnight, Eastern Time, on May 17th, and winners will be announced on May 18th. Contest is valid worldwide.

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About the Author:

SE Jakes writes m/m romance. She believes in happy endings and fighting for what you want in both fiction and real life. She lives in New York with her family and most days, she can be found happily writing (in bed). No really…

You can contact her the following ways:

You can email her at authorsejakes@gmail.com
You can post to her Facebook page: Facebook.com/SEJakes
You can tweet her: Twitter .com/authorsejakes
You can post on her Goodreads Group: Ask SE Jakes
You can follow her Tumblr page: sejakes.tumblr.com
You can follow her on Instagram: instagram.com/authorsejakes

Truth be told, the best way to contact her is by email or in blog comments. She spends most of her time writing but she loves to hear from readers!

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Books in the Hell or High Water Series Include:

Catch a Ghost (Hell or High Water, #1)
Long Time Gone (Hell or High Water, #2)
Daylight Again (Hell or High Water, #3)
Not Fade Away (Hell or High Water, #3.5) – Expected publication: July 14th 2014
If I Ever (Hell or High Water, #4) – Expected publication: October 1st 2014

☠ Excerpt (smoking hot) is right after a scene from Dirty Deeds. They’re at a bar in Amsterdam…
Continue reading “Those Sexy Men of Hell or High Water Are Back In SE Jakes’ Daylight Again (HHW#3) Book Tour and Contest” →

Review: Knight of Fire (Terra #2) by S.J. Frost

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

Once in the kingdom of Ocassus, humans and dragons shared the lands as allies. That time has passed into legend. But

there’s one who wants to see it return.

Humans have forgotten the fact that it was dragons that agreed to share their lands with humans and not the other way around. Over the centuries, mankind has lost their knowledge and respect of the dragons that used to be their allies. Now in a kingdom where dragons are feared and Dragon slayers are welcome, only a few humans remain that have the ability to talk to dragons, every type of dragon. One such man is Torran. Torran is a Dragon Speaker, gifted with the rare ability to understand dragons. He has made it his life’s work to rescue and keep safe every dragon that needs him. And in all that time, he has never met another like him.

Sir Karrick Brenton is a Knight of the Crown, On a mission to unseat a cruel Duke, Sir Karrick met the motley crew of Forest’s End, already at the duchy in the middle of a battle. Once the evil duke and dark mage are slain, Sir Karrick remains behind with Torran, Garrett Evergard, Bryson Summers,and the rest of the group. Karrick has never met someone like Torran before. Both men are instantly attracted to each other but their lives are so very different. Karrick not only lives in the city of Dragon’s Landing but has secrets that he has been keeping as well. Torran lives in Forest’s End and is constantly traveling.

Torran is requested to come to the capital city of Dragon’s Landing when the King needs an interpreter to speak with the Ancient One, a dragon of immense power whose appearance is needed to crown the king’s successor. Bryson too is needed when the King’s Gatekeeper goes missing. Once more the group of friends sets forth on a mission, only this time it includes a Knight of the Crown, Karrick Brenton. But unknown dangers await them all, and it will take all of their combined powers to defeat a common enemy and uncover the mystery of the missing Gatekeeper.

Knight of Fire picks up shortly after the events of To The Other Side and the destruction of the dark mage and corrupt duke. The group of friends, Bryson the Gatekeeper and mage, Garrett his lover, Torran the Dragon Speaker, Lark the minstrel, Zain the assassin and the elf, Aleric, are still cleaning up after the last battle with help from the newly introduced Sir Karrick Brenton, Knight of the Crown. After dispatching the Nightmare back to Hell (a great creation by S.J Frost), the men receive a missive from the King where he requests (demands) the presence of Torran in Dragon’s Landing, the main city of the kingdom. Normally the group would use the gate to transport to Dragon’s Landing but unfortunately, the King’s Gatekeeper is missing and the Gate is locked. Only another Gatekeeper can access the abandoned gate and that means that Bryson and crew are coming too.

S.J. Frost keeps a lively pace as her narrative flows from the end of the first novel to the events that spark the next adventure for this ragtag group and the Knight of the Crown send by King Orrin to investigate the corrupt Duke Bartell and the dark mage in his employ. Even from the few scenes Torran and Karrick had together in To The Other Side, it was clear they were made for each other. Now in a traumatic opening chapter, Torran and Karrick are thrown back together when Karrick saves the Dragon Speaker’s life. Frost’s ability to create characters that connect immediately with each other as well as the reader shines here with Torran and Karrick. Torran is instantly lovable with his ability to speak to all sorts of dragons. Torran is subtly handsome and his small dragon companion, Rose, just adds to the picture of a man in tune with his gifts and the creatures he is meant to help. When Frost introduces Torran to Karrick,a knight at his most heroic, its clear that these men have much in common, not the least of which is their attraction to each other. Even though their friendship is newly established, we believe in them and the romance that is almost guaranteed to come.

To access the other Gate, the ragtag little group must travel on the Earth side to the missing Gatekeeper’s cottage, and it is here that Frost’s story takes a humorous turn. Modern plumbing and hot water are savored by all and the scene with Garrett and Bryson’s companion dragon Wynn in the Earth bookstore is hilarious. I think that segments like this, where the characters return to the Earth side of a Gate , helps to reinforce the fantasy aspect and otherworldliness to be found on Terra. One short journey later and the gang reenter’s Terra at the abandoned Gatekeeper’s cottage. Frost returns to the darker story at hand with a poignancy that will resonate with all readers. Cara, the missing Gatekeeper functioned almost as a mother to Karrick, and the descriptions of his emotions and memories as they survey the empty rooms are as powerful as they are intimate.

The puzzle of the missing Gatekeeper is just one of the mysteries this group must solve. Frost introduces us to the Ancient One, a dragon of immense size and power who refuses to speak to the King. The reasons behind that refusal and the implications for the health of the kingdom will involve all the characters in a plot as full of deceit and treachery as it is of romance and love. For every lusty, sexy interlude there is sure to follow one full of magic and action. Frost knows how to whip up a battle filled with fighting knights and a slew of archers, fire breathing dragons of all sizes as well. There is a hatchling sure to capture your heart and a young scion in need of support and love. This is a fictional cauldron full of wonderful characters, action packed scenes and couples on the path to romance and their HEA. Truly there is something here for everyone to love.

S.J. Frost continues to build her vision of Terra and its history with each new story in the series. Knight of Fire adds new layers to its human/Dragon history and mythology as well as expanding on the characterizations of the people we have met and fallen in love with. With a world full of unicorns, elves, brownies, mages, and more, for me, the real stars here are the dragons. Tiny floral dragons that act like hummingbirds, white dragons that read bodice rippers, small ruby red dragons with feathers and a lady like sense of decorum, and immense dragons with the wisdom of the ages and everything in between. They are all here and talking to us. These dragons have the ability to fascinate even as they grab onto our sense of compassion for their plight. Dragons and dragon lore will always be popular and here with her Terra series, S.J. Frost has added a wonderful new chapter all her own.

I love this series. Knight of Fire is charming, fanciful, and a great romantic continuation of the story that started in To The Other Side. I think both books should be on your TBR list. If you are new to the series, start with To The Other Side to see where it all began. For those of you familiar to this great group of misfits and miraculous creatures, than you will be happy to see where the next adventure takes them in Knight of Fire. Grab them up and start your reading now!

Cover Design by Kris Jacen. I love the knight on the horse. What a perfect image for Karrick.

Buy Links MLR Amazon ARe

Book Details:

290 pages
Published April 11th 2014 by MLR Press
original titleKnight of Fire
ISBN139781608209323
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=SJFKFIRE
seriesTerra #2

Books in the Terra series to date in the order they were written and should be read are:

To The Other Side (Terra #1)
Knight of Fire (Terra #2)

Review: Into the Wind (Mermen of Ea #2) by Shira Anthony

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

Taren and Ian Dunaidh have landed on the mainland Ea settlement near Raice Harbor after the tumultuous events of Stealing the Wind. Taren knows he is one of the Ea but nothing else of his heritage and he is searching for answers. Vurin, leader of the mainland Ea and governor of Callaecia, the Ea village, seems to hold the clues to Taren’s past and perhaps his future. Vurin is a powerful mage and he believes it is Taren’s fate to be the wielder of the fabled rune stone—a weapon of great power. The stone holds great significance for Taren and his past. It is also a weapon that can keep the Ea safe. But no one really knows where it is. Only that Odhrán the pirate is rumored to possess it.

Again the Goddess has some incredible twists and turns in store for Taren. On the voyage to the island where Odhran is said to reside, Ian’s ship, the Phantom, comes under attack by an old enemy and Taren is swept overboard during battle. Taren awakes on one of the Gateway Islands unsure of how he came to be there. At his side, a young boy, Brynn, who says he can lead him to Odhrán and the mysterious stone.

Taren knows he must get that stone no matter the cost. But who is he to trust? The pirate is said to make slaves of the Ea, humans like the boy consider him an enemy, and he is separated from Ian on an unknown island, unsure of Ian’s and the Phantom’s fate. Everything looks bleak and impossible. Taren’s past is the key to his present safety and the future of the Ea. And only the Goddess knows if he will prevail in his quest for the stone and a happy future with Ian.

Shira Anthony sails back into her Mermen of Ea universe with Into the Wind, the second book in the series. The first book, Stealing the Wind, revolved around Taren’s discovery of his true nature and his meeting/new relationship with Ian Dunaidh, Captain of the Phantom and a merman himself. This story ventures further into Taren’s past and his reincarnation of the Ea priest Treande. Taren is the key and locus for the tumultuous events occurring around him. The Ea people are under attack, not just from humans but from other Ea who retreated to an island and rule by a increasingly rigid Council. Taren who only recently found out that he was an Ea as well is under assault himself. Plagued by dreams and nightmares of his previous life, hunted by a dark mage of the Ea Council, and still under a pledge of one more year’s service to the pirate Rider of the Sea Witch, nothing about Taren’s life is simple or sane. Anthony lays down more and more threads to an increasingly complex plot and the complexities here are one of the real joys of this story.

Once more Shira Anthony weaves her magic with her sensual underwater imagery and complex Ea culture and physiology. The story starts off with the Phantom engaged in battle with a mysterious ship. The Phantom is under heavy fire, and both Taren and Ian are in the midst of the battle. Cannons are fired,and masts splintered as the battle is brought home for the Phantom crew and the readers. What a great fight scene!

The aftermath of the sea battle is traumatic for all characters involved and dissolves into a mystery. Then the narrative retreats in time to two week earlier in the Ea settlement of Callaecia. And once more we have a Taran whose reality is shifting between his memories of Treande who lived there centuries ago with his mate Owyn and the present, a life where Taran is visiting this place for the first time. Each step around Callaecia is overlaid with visions from an earlier time when the place was new and the temples stood instead of ruins. This could be a tricky element to pull of but Anthony does it extremely well. What happened here? Is it just time responsible for the changes or something more? Where Taren sees ruins, his memories show him houses and temples as if they had been just recently constructed. Taran is constantly pulled between the past and the present, with nightmarish results. Even his new relationship with Ian echos with layers from the past and Treande’s love for and relationship with Owyn (who has been reincarnated in Ian). Anthony shows Taren buffeted by so many winds that at times he threatens to loose any semblance of mental and emotional balance.

Vurin, a minor character in the first novel, returns to guide Taran and show him parts of his past that still remain hidden. Old temples and the rune stone that Owyn gave his life to keep safe figures in greatly here. Ea religion and history come to the fore to play major roles in Taran’s fate when a ghostly figure/priestess reappears with portents of the future. It is here the Vurin first mentions the pirate Odhrán who might possess the stone and the Gateway Islands. Shira Anthony has a large scale plan in store for this series, obviously. And all the clues and plot threads are being laid down for the stories yet to come so there are numerous ideas and elements being juggled here, sometimes simultaneously. This makes for a wonderfully rich tapestry of storytelling magic. Into the Wind glows with a richness of detail that it can lay claim to the vitality and depth of the sea itself. And at the heart of the wealth of riches is the character of Taran.

I love the duality aspect to Taran. He is two people and we are often treated to two perspectives on any given situation, whether it is the appearances of the settlement or of his relationships with others like Vurin when he was Treande. And the memories are often awful ones, as the loss of Owyn is something Treande never recovered from. Now Taran with his new relationship to Ian, has to fight with his anxiety over loosing Ian just as Treande lost Owyn so not even his present love exists without a veneer of sadness and fatality. We are privy to both his love for Ian and his love and memories of Owyn, whose sacrifice and death haunts both the story and Taran. Again, this is where Ian suffers in comparison as a character. Owyn is the more compelling persona. Ian is just not as complex a person or we don’t get to see that aspect of his character. He is supposed to be the reincarnation of Owyn, a powerful mage. But none of that is apparent as yet, and his character suffers for that deficiency. This is my only quibble here with the story.

A new fantastic character is added to the series here with the appearance of Odhrán, the pirate of unknown origins. A person of mystery, rumors and legends swirl about the man including his possession of the stone that will save the people of Ea. But nothing is as great as the truth of Odhrán himself. With his interaction with Taran and a look into his angst filled past, Odhrán will quickly become a favorite character of this series.

The story divided towards the middle into almost two separate stories. One concerned with Taran and his search forOdhrán. The other with Ian and the crew of the Phantom. Both locations and plots are hugely effective but as our concentration and empathies are with Taran, again this section with Ian seems a little diluted in emotion and conciseness. Plus Taran has Odhrán, and he is such a charismatic character that he just outshines everyone else when he is in the scene.

I loved Odhrán and the mystery that surrounds him will likely carry into the others stories as it looks like he has a huge part to play in the events to come. Other major characters from Stealing the Wind return towards the end of Into the Wind with shocking results. And no, I didn’t see that coming either.

That ending! What a bombshell the author has in store for everyone here! I will say this only once. Do not read the ending first. You know who you are! Don’t, just let that impulse pass. The stunning ending is one that needs to be savored and that will happen only if you read everything that leads up to it. I didn’t see it coming and neither will you. And that made me want to have the next book to reach for…to see what happens next.

We won’t get that story until next year. But it will probably send you back to the beginning of this story to see if there were any indications of the revelations to come. Still that astonishing ending as well as the great new characters made this my favorite story of the series to date. I loved the plot, with all the intervening flashbacks/nightmares for Taran and juggling of almost two competing sets of characters and locations. Plus there are mermen. Sexy, smexy mermen. It just doesn’t get better than that. Or does it? Hmmmm, only the next story in the series will tell us whether it is so.

If you love the idea of mermen or love found under the sea, if you love high adventures and pirates, or even a forever love that is found once more, this is the story for you. In fact this is the series for you. It sings with all the love and emotion this author clearly has for her subject matter and the waters the swirl around them and their fates. Start your journey with Stealing the Wind and then continue the voyage here with Into the Wind. Both are highly recommended reads from ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords.

Cover art by Anne Cain. I thought that first cover was incredible (it was). But now, take a look at how this one almost glows with a luminosity and fluidity that mimics the movement of the sea. Love, love this cover. The name of the character on the cover is something that Shira Anthony kept hidden for a while. And no, it’s not Taran or Ian.

Books in the series planned to date are in the order they were written and should be read:

Stealing the Wind (Mermen of Ea #1)
Into the Wind (Mermen of Ea #2) released May 5, 2014
Running with the Wind (Mermen of Ea #3) coming 2015

Book Details:

ebook
Expected publication: May 5th 2014 by Dreamspinner Press (first published May 5th 2013)
ISBN139781627988766
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4975
seriesMermen of Ea #2

Buy links Dreamspinner Press Amazon ARe

Go Into The Wind with Shira Anthony and her Mermen of Ea Book Tour (2 Contests to Enter)

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Blog Tour Giveaway Info:
Contest starts 5/5 (release day) and ends at midnight on 5/31.
Prizes include the following:

Grand Prize: Handmade Merman Tail Fluke Pendant
1st Prize: Mermen of Ea Goodie Basket (includes autographed copy of “Stealing the Wind” paperback, t-shirt, and lots of other fun stuff)
2nd Prize: $10.00 Dreamspinner Press Gift Certificate
3rd Prize: Paperback copy of “Stealing the Wind” (Mermen of Ea #1) – or for non-US winners, a $10 Dreamspinner Press Gift Certificate

Here’s the Rafflecopter link

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Shira Anthony stopping by today to talk about her inspiration for the Mermen of Ea novels and latest book, Into The Wind, the 2nd story in her Merman of Ea series.

Shira Anthony has also brought a copy of the first story, Stealing the Wind, to give away to one person who leaves a comment at the end of this post. Two contests, two ways to enter! Now enjoy a look into Shira Anthony’s inspiration for this wonderful series.

The Mermen of Ea Series: Ocean Inspiration by Shira Anthony

About two years ago, I decided to write a story about pirates and sailing ships. Captor/captive, a little sexy dubious consent. Nothing too complicated. A single novel set in the age of sail. Not a single merman in sight. That single book became a story about shapeshifting mermen than spans three novels….
I’m going to backtrack a bit here and start off by saying that I’ve been a fantasy, sci fi, and sword & sorcery reader since I was old enough to read. I grew up on the original Star Trek, read every Robert Heinlein and Isaac Asimov book I could get my hands on (I lived in France for a few years, and they weren’t easy to find in English!), and fell in love with the Darkover universe created by Marion Zimmer Bradley (probably my most powerful writing influence). As an adult, I read the Harry Potter books to my kids and loved them as much as my children did.

My first gay romance was an erotic fairy tale called The Dream of a Thousand Nights. But in spite of my love of fantasy, the first novel I wrote was a contemporary: Blue Notes. And I learned with Blue Notes that what I write best is what I know. In the case of the Blue Notes Series, that’s music and musicians. Makes sense, right?

Somewhere between Blue Notes books and a few joint writing projects, the idea of a story set on the water hit me squarely between the eyes. I needed a break from angsty musicians, and I started playing around with a pirate novel. That’s how Taren Laxley was born. An indentured servant (a slave, really), Taren dreams of sailing on the ocean. It calls to him. So began my adventure of writing the Mermen of Ea Series. Only there were no mermen when I wrote the first few chapters, only pirates and sailing ships.

Then I spent a weekend sailing aboard our 36’ catamaran sail boat at the North Carolina coast and saw a pod of dolphins swimming nearby. I watched them play in the water and jump into the air. They love to chase boats, and I love to watch them. A few months later, my husband and I spent a week on the Caribbean island of Grenada getting our open water scuba certification. And as we were swimming around, heavy metal tanks on our backs, fins on our feet, and regulators in our mouths, I imagined what it would be like to swim and breathe underwater without all the gear. Suddenly, Taren wasn’t just a human boy who longed to sail the high seas—he was a merman.

When I wrote Stealing the Wind, the first book in the series, my scuba experiences were fresh in my mind. The feel of the water on my skin. The tiny popping noises of tiny shrimp in my ears. The colors of the coral reefs. The overwhelming beauty of the ocean surface. The feel of the wind on my face and the sun on my back. With each scene aboard the Sea Witch and later the Phantom, I tried to recreate those sensations. I knew what Taren longed for because I longed for it myself.

There’s nothing quite like the sensation of floating on the water. Nothing like the feeling of peaceful calm when we’re on our boat. In fact, when we bought our most recent boat, I suggested we name her the Land’s Zen, because she is just that for me—a place where I can relax and forget about the million and one things I should be doing. A place where I can just be.

Into the Wind, the second book in the Mermen of Ea Series, evokes the same deep connection to the wind and the water as the first book. In it, Taren grows by leaps and bounds, fearful of what the future may bring, but knowing that he can’t fight his destiny. Raised as a human and not knowing his true nature until he meets his soul mate, Ian, Taren sees things differently from his Ea brethren. His powerful love of the ocean drives him and will chart the course his people must follow in order for their race to survive.

I hope that when you read the Mermen of Ea books you’ll feel some of my own Zen come through. Even if you’ve never tried scuba or snorkeling, I think you can imagine what it might be like to swim through the vastness of the ocean or even live under it. The appeal of mermen for me is, at its core, the appeal of the water and the peace I find on (and in) it. I think that’s why the merfolk myths still capture our collective imagination long after the age of sail has passed and we jet around the globe in airplanes that cross the oceans in hours instead of weeks.

2 Contest Info:

Would you like to win an ebook copy of Stealing the Wind, the first book in the Mermen of Ea Series? I’m giving one away to a lucky commenter on this blog post. Melanie will choose a winner from all the comments on 5/14. To enter to win, leave a comment below and an email address where you can be reached.
I’m also running a special Into the Wind Blog Tour Giveaway with some great prizes including a gorgeous unisex pendant and a Mermen of Ea goodie basket. Here’s the link to the Rafflecopter giveaway: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/cf0ba93/ The blog tour giveaway ends on May 31st at midnight! –Shira

Follow Shira Anthony at:
Email shiraanthony@hotmail.com
Shira’s Website Shira’s Facebook
Twitter @WriterShira
Goodreads Author Page

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Follow Shira Anthony on each stop of her tour for more insight into the series and this story:
Blog Tour Participants:

5/5 Release Day – Smoocher’s Voice (Interview with Shira)
5/6 Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
5/8 Mrs. Condits and Friends (Merman Sex 101)
5/9 Tali Spencer’s Brilliant Disguise (Series and Worldbuilding: Recreating the Merman Myth)
5/10 Prism Book Alliance (Character Interview with Ian Dunaidh)
5/13 Joyfully Jay (Character Interview with Taren Laxley)
5/15 Book Suburbia
5/16 Jase’s Atenaeum

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Book Buy Links:

Dreamspinner Press:
AllRomanceEbooks:
Amazon: AVAILABLE on 5/5/15=4
Barnes & Noble: NOT AVAILABLE YET

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Blurb: Since learning of his merman shifter heritage, Taren has begun building a life with Ian Dunaidh among the mainland Ea. But memories of his past life still haunt him, and as the threat of war with the hostile island merfolk looms ever closer, Taren fears he will lose Ian the same way he lost his beloved centuries before. Together they sail to the Gateway Islands in search of the fabled rune stone—a weapon of great power the Ea believe will protect them—and Odhrán, the pirate rumored to possess it.  After humans attack the Phantom, Taren finds himself washed up on an island, faced with a mysterious boy named Brynn who promises to lead him to Odhrán. But Taren isn’t sure if he can trust Brynn, and Odhrán is rumored to enslave Ea to protect his stronghold. Taren will have to put his life on the line to find his way back to Ian and attempt to recover the stone. Even if he does find it, his troubles are far from over: he and Ian are being stalked by an enemy who wants them dead at all costs.

There are 3 wonderful excerpts that follow, all are SFW:
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Short Slightly Sexy Excerpt:

They swam out from land as they held each other, tails beating the water in tandem as they spiraled in a dizzying dance. More than anything, Taren found the Ea mating ritual a beautiful thing. Ian’s Ea body was also beautiful. In this form, Ian’s chest was broad and the muscles of his belly and arms more powerful. As a human, Ian was strong. As an Ea, he possessed strength and surprising grace few others did. Taren loved to watch Ian swim, watch the sinews of his body ripple as he moved his tail, watch his hair twist in the current. More thrilling, perhaps, was the knowledge that Ian was his, that Ian desired him above all others, that Taren held Ian’s heart.

Ian released Taren as they glided over the sand at the bottom. Large schools of silver fish followed the contours of their bodies, calling to mind the shimmer of moon across the waves. Here, many feet below the surface, the pressure of the water created a warm cocoon around Taren and drove the warmth in his chest to his extremities, making his fingers more sensitive.

Taren flicked his tail to propel him around so that he and Ian swam toward each other, arms extended, then moved upward as they laced their fingers together and floated perpendicular to the sea floor. They kissed and their tongues entwined. Ian tasted of the ocean and of the promise of Taren’s new life. Their former incarnations, Treande and Owyn, had been equals in everything. Partners, friends, lovers. Taren both relished and feared the power of his connection to Ian and the unexpected turn of fate that had brought them together, as well as the revelations of their past.

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Medium Length Slightly Sexy Excerpt: Continue reading “Go Into The Wind with Shira Anthony and her Mermen of Ea Book Tour (2 Contests to Enter)” →

Author Spotlight on S.J. Frost On Knight of Fire (Terra #2) (contest)

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Spotlight On S.J. Frost and Knight of Fire, Book 2 of the Terra Series

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ScatteredThoughts welcomes S.J. Frost today. The next story in her Terra series has been released and she is here to talk about Knight of Fire and the Terra series.

Welcome, S.J.!

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Hello! I’m very happy to be a guest here again and I’m giving my thanks to Melanie for having me back! And I’m also thrilled to offer a free copy of my newest release, Knight of Fire, Book 2 in the Terra series, to one lucky winner. Good luck to all who enter the giveaway! To enter leave a comment below and an email address where you can be reached. Contest ends 5/12 midnight EDT.

When I was here last, I was chatting about my new vampires in Vampire Prince. This time around, I’m going to be talking a bit about my fantasy series, Terra. For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved fantasy. Unicorns, dragons, fairies, elves, all things magical and wondrous. I never outgrew that love and fascination and to this day, some of my favorite movies and books are in the fantasy genre. In fact, the very first book I ever read with a gay character was fantasy; Magic’s Pawn, Book One in the Last Herald Mage Trilogy, by Mercedes Lackey. The fantasy genre had already opened up so many wonderful worlds for me and that book and series opened up even more. The first novel I’d ever written (unpublished) was also fantasy. So, the genre’s been a passion of mine for a long, long time.

When a certain character—Jesse from the Conquest series—came to me with his story, my writing took the direction of gay erotic romance. Within that genre, I’ve worked to flex my writing muscles in different themes; contemporary, paranormal, historical. But it wasn’t until last year that I blended my love for writing gay erotic romance with my love for fantasy when I wrote the first book in the Terra series, To the Other Side.

I had been away from writing fantasy for several years when I started working on that story and while with every book I’d written, world building was key, in To the Other Side it was much more intense. Since the book takes places in two worlds, not only was I juggling with working in the parameters of modern day society, but I also had to build the fantasy and medieval-based world of Terra. It was an interesting experience for me because on one hand, I felt as though I was going back to my roots with writing fantasy. On the other, I felt I was doing something entirely new because I was combining it with gay romance. And I can’t deny, I loved every minute of writing To the Other Side and later its sequel, Knight of Fire.

As I worked on building Terra, I wanted it to be the kind of world that I would want to visit. One filled with the kinds of creatures, beings, and people I would want to see and know; a black unicorn stallion, a little white dragon with a love for books and Oreo cookies, a beautiful minstrel, a gritty assassin, a kind witch, knights, elves, Dragon Speakers…the list was endless. As challenging as it was building Terra, it was also a very freeing experience because I wasn’t kept within the restrictions of this world. I could let my imagination run wild.

There was one other thing I wanted with Terra, however. I also wanted it to have ties to the world we all know and live in, to make the book not only accessible for those who might not usually enjoy fantasy, but to also make it feel more…real. As if it’s possible to stumble upon one of the Gates and on the other side, waits a whole new world. And so Terra has a shared history and connection to our world of Earth.

For me, writing these books has been the best experience, a blending of old and new, of two things I love coming together. Each time I’ve finished working on a Terra book, I’m always looking forward to going back into that world again. And I hope, as readers, when you finish the last word on the last page, you do too.

Thanks, S.J. for stopping by and bringing a copy of Knight of Fire to giveaway!

Author Bio:
S.J. Frost is a multi-published author of sweet and sexy gay erotic romance stories. Contemporary, paranormal, fantasy and historical, she likes to dabble in a little bit of everything, but her stories always contain love, passion and romance. She encourages readers to contact her, so do please feel welcome to send her an email or track her down on the Internet and say hi!

You can contact S.J. Frost at:

Website
Blog
Twitter
Facebook
Email: s.j.frost3@gmail.com
Goodreads Author Page

Contest: To enter to win a copy of Knight of Fire, please leave a comment and an email address where you can be reached. Contest ends 5/12, EDT

Book Details:

290 pages
Published April 11th 2014 by MLR Press
original titleKnight of Fire
ISBN139781608209323
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=SJFKFIRE
seriesTerra #2

Buy ARe Amazon MLR

April 2014 Summary of Reviews and Best Covers

ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords April 2014 Reviews

Review Key *Key:
S series
C contemporary
F-fantasy
SF-science fiction
PN-paranormal
SN-supernatural
H-historical
HR-horror
N-Nonfiction
YA-young adult
Rating Scale: 1 to 5, 5 stars is outstanding

* 5 Star Rating:
Blown Kisses (Whispering Winds #2) by Havan Fellows (PF2014) C
Every Time I Think Of You by Jim Provenzano C,
Message of Love by Jim Provenzano C, sequel
Queens of the Apocalypse by Rob Rosen, SN
When All The World Sleeps by Lisa Henry and JA Rock C
With Pride by Megan Derr F, S

4 to 4.75 Star Rating:
A Reason To Stay by RJ Scott (4.5) C, S
Bound To Be A Groom by Megan Mulry (4), H,
Cold Comfort by Lee Brazil (4.75) (PF2014) C, S
In Distress by Katey Hawthorne (4.25) SN, S
It’s Complicated by L.A. Witt (4), C, S
Poster Boy by Anne Tenino (4.5) C, S
The Calm Before by Neena Jaydon (4.5) F
The Forester II: Lost and Found by Blaine D. Arden (4) F, S
To The Other Side by S.J. Frost (4.5) F, S
Vampire Prince by S.J. Frost (4.5) SN

3 to 3.75 Star Rating:
Angel’s Truth (Angel #2) by Liz Borino (3) C, S
Floodgates by Mary Calmes (3) C
Haunted Halls by M Raiya (3.5) SN

2 to 2.75 Star Rating: None

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Best Covers of April 2014

Floodgates, cover art by Reese Dante
Haunted Halls, cover art by Aisha Akeju
In Distress, cover art by PL Nunn
Pulp Friction 2014 covers by Laura Harner
Queens of the Apocalypse, cover art by Wilde City Press
The Forester I and
The Forester II: Lost and Found covers by Nathie Block
When All the World Sleeps, cover art LC Chase

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