Review: The Jouster’s Lance by A.J. Marcus

Rating: 2.75 stars

Dale O’Toole makes his living as Diederik, the Demon Knight of Denmark, the dark jouster at Renaissance festivals across the country. When a jouster is injured and the Colorado fair needs a replacement, Dale figures it is a chance to see another part of the country while earning a living, and promptly heads north. Dale loves the gypsy lifestyle, jousting, and his horses. But being constantly on the move leaves little time for romance or a long term relationship and Dale is lonely.

Austin Renfro works in a pirate gift shop at the Colorado ren fair, along with his best friend, Jasmine. His home life is a wreck with a boyfriend who is constantly drunk or stoned and always abusive. When Austin spots the gorgeous jouster, he sees his perfect man but their first meeting is nothing but embarrassing as Austin trips and falls into Dale’s horse. But a renaissance fair is a small village and the two men are constantly running into each other and an attraction builds between them.

But problems abound at the Colorado faire. A gay hating knight is making problems, and the rumors are rampant that someone is out to harm the jousters. With so much stacking against them, can Dale and Austin’s build a relationship that lasts past the end of the faire?

I was really looking forward to this story for a number of reasons, the first being the author. My first introduction to A.J. Marcus was through Animal Magnetism and his story On An Eagle’s Wing. I found that story to be well researched and equally well written. The second reason would be the subject matter. I love jousting and Maryland’s Renaissance Festival is a great one to attend for jousting, and all things of similar in nature. But The Jouster’s Lance disappointed me at almost every level.

There are so many issues here it is hard to know where to start. But perhaps lets go first with the characterizations. It’s hard to put a finger is just what the issue is with them. They just don’t click, either as real people or imagined ones. Maybe it is the dialog that pops out of their mouths. Whatever it is, it makes it almost impossible to connect with them. Dale starts off fine at the beginning of the story while he is still in Texas but once he has arrived in Colorado, his character just degenerates into a shadow of his former self. And Austin is just a mess from the beginning. The only people I enjoyed in the story were Jasmine Porter, Austin’s best friend and the Lady Catherine, a performer on the circuit. Both women are the best things about this book, and neither is a main character. Maybe this will give you an idea. Here is Austin on his abusive boyfriend:

The first few messages from Rick were the basic “where are you” type. Then they got more demanding. Austin stood there listening to them while waiting in line for a steak on a stake with fries. He knew he should call his boyfriend back, but right then he didn’t want to deal with the drama. Rick had obviously forgotten he was working this weekend, but that was Rick’s pattern: anything he didn’t want to remember, he didn’t. It was one of several reasons that Austin had been hoping he would just go away with as little drama as possible. From the tone of the last two messages, there was going to be drama aplenty when he got home. He could hope Rick was passed-out drunk when he got home and stayed that way until Monday morning, so he could deal with the whole thing Monday evening when he got home from the print shop he worked at during the week.

By the end of that paragraph, my eyes are glazing over and there are pages and pages of this. But this is the least of the book’s problems. I don’t know whether it is intentional or not, but there are so many plot threads in play here and only one of them is resolved by the end of the book. All the others are left hanging to the reader’s frustration. Are these red herrings? Or were they just forgotten along the way? Or will they be addressed in future stories? Hard to say but these multiple plot threads that just trail off give the story a disjointed feel that never goes away. It’s like going through a haunted house at Halloween time, You keep expecting something to jump out at you during the tour, and if nothing does, you feel cheated. Plus as the realization sets in that nothing spooky is going to take place, you start to notice just how tacky the tour is, with cheap effects and bad paint jobs. That is exactly how you will feel by the end of The Jouster’s Lance. When the plot fails to congeal, everything else starts to pop out at you, from the poor layout to the sad structure.

And it’s not just dropped story threads, but the characterizations as well. A man nicknamed Chipmunk is featured heavily in the story and Dale makes a big issue of calling him Chip because Dale thinks the nickname is demeaning (no reason for that is given either). I waited for some expansion on that topic or other pertinent information on Chipmunk to appear later in the story. But it never did. Marcus creates situations where loads of questions swirl around this character but again, they go nowhere. This happens constantly throughout the story, with characters, with so called ominous events, with the subject matter, with all sorts of things. I couldn’t figure out if Marcus needs a storyboard or if this is intentional, but either way it doesn’t work.

While I cannot speak to the authenticity of the insiders knowledge of the workings of a Renaissance festival, I can speak to the issues involving the horses. While the general care is correct, when a fire occurs and Dale leads a horse into the fire, I was astonished to say the least. And by the actions that follow. It is unrealistic and head shaking unbelievable. Dale, just coming off major shoulder surgery, lifts a man his own weight onto a horse (spooky and frightened a few paragraphs earlier) as the fire rages around them. Sigh. Uh, no. Trust me, that wouldn’t happen, not the lifting, not the horse standing still, nothing. And the ending of the book will just garner tons of eye rolls.

I can’t figure out if this book needs a ruthless editor to trim away all the extraneous plot threads and condense it into a sharp little story or if it needed to be expanded to incorporate all the missing elements back into the narrative to give us a satisfying novel. Either would have been preferable to the final product as it is here.

Based on A.J. Marcus’ short story in the Animal Magnetism anthology, I will seek out other stories by him. But give The Jouster’s Lance a pass, not even jousting aficionados will enjoy this one.

Cover Art by Brooke Albrecht. I actually love the cover. The model looks exactly like the whip artist I saw at the Maryland Renaissance Festival last year, and the jousting graphic is marvelous. Wish the book lived up to the cover.

Book Details:

ebook, 212 pages
Published May 3rd 2013 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1623804779 (ISBN13: 9781623804770)
edition languageEnglish
url http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

Review: Aria of the Eclipse by Vivien Dean

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

For over 20 years Dek has lived in captivity, caged like the songbird he is presumed to be. Captured and sold to various buyers since the age of 13, Dek has long given up trying to speak and now the only sounds he makes are songs, music that he is prized for. His owners call him an “it”, and treat him as a highly expensive and desired pet. His current owner, the Regent, houses him in a gilded cage, brought out to sing to his guests or for his own amusement. Now the planet Ymoro and its ruler, the Regent prepare for a momentous occasion, one that has not happened in their lifetime, a total solar eclipse. And Dek’s life is about to change forever.

Tylen Merodine and his older brother Dourack have been invited by the Regent to observe the solar eclipse in the special solarium built for this incredible event. Tylen has just come to age and unlike his more conservative and stolid older brother, is excited by all the sights and sounds around him. Then he hears music so painfully beautiful it moves him to tears. Its source astonishes him. A slender alien singing from a golden cage in the Regent’s quarters, intelligent dark eyes that watch his every movement, pulling Tylen forward towards him. The Regent tells him it is an Astinian songbird, but Tylen looks at Dek and knows that is wrong, Dek is sentient and wrongfully caged. When Tylen breaks all the rules and sneaks into the room that holds Dek’s cage at night, and Dek speaks to him , Tylen knows he has to do something but what?

As the eclipse draws closer, all becomes chaos around Dek and Tylen. As events threaten to pull them forever apart, can Dek and Tylen find a way to break Dek out of his cage into a future where they can be together?

I loved Aria of the Eclipse. Vivien Dean’s incredible imagination and vivid descriptions brings to life an alien unlike any I have met before. Dek and his race of Astinians captured my heart and mind immediately from the opening paragraphs:

As much as I crave my freedom, I’ve lived so much of my life in a cage that I’m not sure what I’d do with it once it was mine. I have fantasies of mocking those men who think me some stupid animal, but sometimes, when the night is deep and I’m curtained away from any glimmer of civilization, I wonder if I’m becoming what I fear most, if the lack of true companionship is molding me into the creature they profess me to be.

These are my nightmares. These are what force my hand when my cage is on display and I’m instructed to sing. I will not succumb to complacency, no matter how impossible my circumstances seem.

I cannot.

The powerful emotions that ring out from Dek imprisoned in his cage bring the reader intimately into his mindset and we are ensnared along with him. Dean has created a magical, shadowy world as Dek’s birthplace. As Dek starts to relay his history to Tylen, we get glimpses of Astinia, filled with his species that migrate, and sing and fly across the waters. A sentence here and there, they only serve to stimulate our own imaginations to fill in the blanks she has so artfully left for us. Instead of missing a backstory, Dean has given the reader a wealth of clues from which we can extrapolate a world far more extraordinary than might have been created by words. Dek is as beautifully crafted, and as imaginative an alien as I have come across. Just the manner in which Dek creates his music is spellbinding, just as his history is heartbreaking.

This story is told from two points of view in alternating sections, that of Dek and Tylen,an endearing exuberant young man. While the transition between povs is not always smooth as it should be, the power of the narrative and the reader’s desire to know Dek’s future drives the story forward, along with the author’s lovely way with the language and descriptions of the events unfolding. Here we listen to Dek as he “sings” his music:

I was lost in the music when the doors swung open and Johaf, the porter, announced the Regent’s first guests. Their approaching footsteps added an unwanted bass to the music, so I closed my eyes and concentrated inward, on the way I tipped and tilted my hands to stir the webbing into the proper notes, on the vibrations in my vocal folds as I sang the lower line. Like most of my songs, this had no words, nothing to distract from the purity of the music. Everyone could understand. Everyone could appreciate.

Everyone listened.

From that passage, we start to get an understanding of some of Dek’s physiology but we don’t really see him until Tylen does, then it all comes together. This method both stirs our imagination, and leaves us satisfied with substance. I won’t spoil the surprise of Dek but leave that to this marvelous story.

Everything works here, from the settings to the characterizations. But even more amazing is the “aha” moment at the end with the eclipse and Dek as its stars. I was not prepared for the inspired idea that culminates the story, almost visionary. It delights me each time I think about it. So too is the ending. There are two issues for me where I had to suspend that part of me that asks down to earth questions. One would be how does someone so humanoid be mistaken for a non-sentient being for over 20 years. The other cannot be asked without giving away a major spoiler for the story. But my love for Vivien Dean’s tale outweigh such pragmatic issues.

If you love science fiction, this story is for you. If you love music, all aspects of music, real and imagined, Aria of the Eclipse is for you. It is magical, conceptually stirring and still full of romance. And all of that is accomplished in 120 pages. I wanted more, so much more but am happy with those that I got. You will be too. Grab this one up as it is highly recommended to all.

Book Details:

ebook, 120 pages

Published 2013 by Amber Allure

ASIN

B00CIYSG2U

edition language

English

url http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/AriaEclipse.html

My Winston

The hurt and pain is never lessened by the fact that it has been anticipated. My mind told me it was coming and that my heart should have made the necessary adjustments. But the heart and mind rarely occupy the same tracks on occasions like this and never has the hole in my heart felt so wide.

When you have had a wonderful friend and boon companion for 18 years like I did in Winston, my redoubtable Australian terrier, it often feels like they will be forever at your side, gazing up at you with adoration and often patience in their eyes. Short legs and wagging shorter tail followed my footsteps everywhere, no matter the house or location. Whenever the question was “where’s Winston?”, the answer was always “right there, behind you” or “next to you” but always there. He was there comforting me as we lost Seanan and Blaithin, our Irish Wolfhounds, and later Taz, the wonder lab. He mourned with me even as we celebrated their short lives with us. Winston has always been my one constant and now he is gone. Where is my constant now?

Winston appeared in my life in a remarkable manner. I was living near my folks at the time, on a treacherous winding country road. My neighbors had 2 long haired Chihuahuas that their teenager was always letting outside (and just as promptly forgot). So when I got a call from my dad saying he and the farmer across the way had found one of their dogs in the road and “oh by the way, would I come and get him”, I was not surprised. It was dark and rainy and how anyone saw the dog in the road was a wonder. As it was they watched a car swerve to avoid hitting him before they got to him. So I pulled on my rain gear and trundled on down the road and found the dog that became my Winston being held in Dad’s arms, definitely not a Chihuahua.

He was the most pathetic sight I had ever seen. After telling Dad and Mr. Alnutt that this definitely wasn’t my neighbors dog, I took him home to get him dry and fed. He looked up at me through the matted, dirty hair, trusting me completely. He sighed and went to sleep as I carried him home. The next day I phoned all the local Humane Societies and shelters to see if he was missing (he wasn’t) and to let them know I had him if anyone came looking. Then we went off to my vet’s to look for a chip and see what condition he was in. My vet was shocked and couldn’t even get a needle through the matted coat to get a blood sample. No chip and time for a body shave and a bath. Oh my, he was a bag of bones under all the fur. The more we uncovered, the more grim the picture became. He had been on his own for quite some time and was about 2 years old, all 7 pounds of him. How he survived I will never know. We have coyotes, hawks, owls, and the occasional bobcat in the area, plus that awfully deadly road. Horse farms and cornfields are everywhere, and the large tractors that are constantly mowing and tilling. His survival was amazing.

At home, Winston was not at all cowed by the towering Irish Wolfhounds or loopy lab already in residence. He let Seanan know immediately that he now ruled the roost and get off his couch, thank you very much. If you have never seen a 200 pound Wolfhound gaze in fear at a small bag of bones and attitude, then you have really missed something. I have never laughed so hard or fallen in love so quickly. Soon I hated the sound of the phone ringing, sure that it would herald the loss of Winston (yes, he now had a name). But the weeks turned into months, and the shelter said he was mine. In Winston’s head, I just know it was the other way around, and he would have been right.

The 18 years went by so quickly. True his coat went completely silver in the last year and his step a tad less jaunty but then so was mine. And if he was no longer 15 pounds hefty, well that happens with age. Cataracts slowly took his vision but his memory made navigation a snap. But this last year it became apparent that old age was finally making a huge difference. Winston was sleeping more instead of barking his opinions at the world. He even accepted the arrival of Kirby, the soft coated Wheaton with more than his usual grace.

Memorial Day brought a seizure and my heart started to ache with the realization that our time together was running out. Each moment and every minute of the day become more treasured, as I desperately tried to stock up memories for the time when he left me. As it did yesterday.

I know for some, the loss of a dog is not on the same scale as other major losses in life. But for me, they have been my family, my heart, and a large part of my life. In Winston’s case, 18 years of my life and his, twined together, inseparable. And now the house seems so quiet and the loss of such a vital personality and loving presence is beyond painful.

His passing made me think of a quote by Patrician McConnell, it goes like this:

There’s a stone I had made for Luke at the top of the hill road, where the pasture opens wide and the setting sun highlights the words carved into its face. “That’ll do, Luke, that’ll do.” The words are said to working dogs all over the world when the chores are done and the flock is settled: “That’ll do dog, come home now, your work is done.” Luke’s work is done too. He took my heart and ran with it, and he’s running still, fast and strong, a piece of my heart bound up with his, forever.

Patricia McConnell
For the Love of a Dog

So after 18 years, that’ll do, Winston, that’ll do. I will miss you and love you always. Your work is done.

Review: The Caveman and the Devil by Chris T. Kat

Rating: 2.75 stars

Zoologists Paul and Noah were brought together by their love of animals and their jobs at the Philadelphia Zoo. But Paul is becoming fed up with Noah’s impulsive nature as well as what Paul sees as unprofessional and dangerous behavior from Noah around the animals he is taking care of – big cats. Noah was a subject of an attack by a zoo jaguar in the past and hurt badly. So Paul is fearful and shocked when Noah charges into a cage where a lioness is threatening her cubs. Noah’s actions endanger not only his coworkers but the general public as well, something Noah will not acknowledge.

Paul is furious, their bosses horrified and Noah in danger of losing his job. Frustrated and angry, Paul and Noah have to find a way back to each other while keeping their jobs intact as well as their relationship. Can Noah understand the danger he put everyone in and can Paul find a way to understand the basis of Noah’s actions? Only time will tell.

The Caveman and the Devil is a quick read at 80 pages and quite honestly I am not sure if that hurts or helps the story. What doesn’t help is that the media has reported the deaths of two zookeepers recently, one a volunteer, for the same issue that almost gets Noah injured and fired. Almost from the beginning I found myself solidly on Paul’s side, thinking the story should have been called The Caveman and the Twit, not a reaction the author was going for, I am sure. Here is an example of not only how they communicate (or don’t as it were) but also how clueless Noah is:

“You are mad.” He wrinkled his nose as his searching gaze flitted over my face. He was clearly puzzled by my behavior. “Why?”

“Why? Why? Seriously? You’re seriously asking why I’m mad at you?”

“Yes, dear almighty Caveman, I’m seriously asking why you’re mad at me! I didn’t do anything wrong!”

Utterly baffled, I forgot all about what I was doing or what I had intended to do. I stared down at Noah, my lover, the man I’ve loved for almost a year now. Incredulous, I croaked, “You didn’t do anything wrong today? Is that right?”

The light bulb slowly went on for Noah. Of course, he immediately lunged into defense mode. “I just wanted to get the cubs out of there!”

“You went into Kiara’s compartment without waiting for the inner door to be locked! She had just killed two of her cubs and was in the process of killing the other two!”

“She had walked into the other compartment!” Noah protested.

“But the separating door wasn’t closed yet!” I shouted, eventually losing the fight with my emotions.

“Trent locked the door right after I was inside.”

“Yes, and she came back and jumped against it, roaring. What if Trent hadn’t managed to lure her away?” “

But he did. Don’t be such a nitpicker all the time.”

I could hardly breathe.

Paul later goes on to think that he would have fired Noah based on this incidence and he would have been correct. Anyone who has worked with animals would be aghast at such carelessness and disregard for regulations. So I am amazed that Kat would have written this character with these personality traits and expect the reader to identify with him. Noah “wrinkles his nose” in puzzlement. Is that supposed to be adorable while his boyfriend is confronting him about his behavior? Not so much. Nor is his bemusement over Paul’s anger and reaction to his actions. The characters then go on to have massive amounts of sex, makeup and otherwise but settle nothing between them. Lots of shouting, lots of sex, and not much else, including story.

Another puzzling element is that Paul and Noah are two characters first introduced in a story called Cuddling Up in the Animal Magnetism anthology. I mentioned there that the author seemed to know her zoo protocol, and the same applied here. So why is Noah constantly flouting the rules and regulations of the zoo they both work for. In Cuddling Up, Noah exclaimed that the cat he was in the inclosure with “would never hurt him”, an inherently false idea that I left fly at the time because it was a short story. But here the incidence is much worse, Noah’s reactions more painfully obtuse and only Paul realizes the ramifications. The question remains as to why an author would have a character negate the research that makes the story realistic and then want us to accept that character as an authentic zookeeper? What was barely acceptable in an anthology shouldn’t work in a longer story. And it doesn’t.

What makes this tale enjoyable are the main characters inactions with two lion cubs. Those sections prove to be the story’s saving grace because who doesn’t love lion cubs? Those also reveal the strongest parts of Paul and Noah’s relationship. But when the story takes to the bed or back to the zookeepers office, then it falls apart. Paul hedges and muddies the account of the actual events of Noah charging into the cage, there is a batty and bigoted media director, and it all just falls to pieces. Paul is an authoritative and dominating character, hence the Caveman appellation. In fact that is Noah’s term of endearment for him. So obviously, the Devil is Noah. Tasmanian Devil that is, spinning constantly around, upsetting everything in its path, dangerous and impulsive. Just the person you want as a coworker and partner, right?

I just remain puzzled over Paul and Noah’s relationship as written by Kat. To me it seems dysfunctional, lacking in communication. I realize that this is supposed to be a fluffy story but I guess too many issues that circle around Noah kept it from being enjoyable outside of lion babies.

I silenced Noah’s cry of protest by laying a finger on his lips. “That is, if I can convince the zoo management not to fire you.” Loosening my embrace, I turned Noah around. He stared up at me from large, frightened gray-green eyes. Water trickled down his pale face in small rivulets as the impact of my words hit home.

“They won’t do that, right? Fire me, I mean? I rescued those two cubs!” His voice rose.

“Noah, any of us could have saved these two cubs after the compartment door was closed,” I said. I was doing my best to be gentle and understanding, but at some point, he would have to accept the truth. His behavior hadn’t only been unprofessional but also irresponsible and extremely dangerous. I wondered if the management would give Noah another chance. If I was honest with myself, I wouldn’t.

By this time, I find myself nodding in total agreement, thinking fire Noah, and move on. Oh well, I liked the lion cubs and Paul. But for the rest of the story, I give it a pass. I haven’t read any of this author’s longer stories, and I consider this one is only for those of you who are die hard Chris T. Kat fans.

Cover art by Paul Richmond is the best thing about this book.

Book details:

ebook, 80 pages
Published May 1st 2013 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1623803314 (ISBN13: 9781623803315)
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

Review: Outlast the Night (Lang Downs #3) by Ariel Tachna

Rating: 5 stars

Broke, despondent and soon to be divorced Sam Emery has no where to turn but to his brother Neil when he leaves his embittered wife and old life behind him. Sam is also leaving the closet as well, another reason for the divorce and the hatred his soon to be ex feels for him. Sam only got married to please his controlling father and that was a disaster from the very beginning. Now Sam turns to Neil, his younger brother who lives and works on a sheep station and Sam is unsure of his welcome there when he tells his brother he is gay. Sam knows that Neil loves him but will he be accepted? And what will an out of work bookkeeper do on a sheep station?

The brother who meets Sam is not the brother Sam remembers. Neil accepts Sam’s sexuality with an openness that surprises Sam. But then again, Neil lives at Lang Downs, a sheep station owned and operated by a gay couple, Caine Neiheisel and Macklin Armstrong and his views have undergone a fundamental change in the process. Lang Downs has been described by those that live there as a “miracle”, a magnet and haven for those in need. Sam has been hurt to his core by the constant verbal abuse thrown at him by his wife, shattered by the loss of his job and made to feel like a total failure by his life to date. A miracle is just what he needs if only he can accept it.

Jeremy Taylor is another man in need of a home and sanctuary. The youngest brother of the family that owns the neighboring sheep station, the two families have butted heads since Jeremy can remember. But since his father died and his brother took over, things have gotten out of control because of his brother’s bigotry and hatred. One explosive argument and fight leads to Jeremy outing himself to his brother and his exit from the only home and lifestyle Jeremy has ever known. Immediately Jeremy heads over to the one place he hopes to be accepted – Lang Downs. But the animosity runs deep between the seasonal buckaroos and Jeremy when the hands have problems looking past Jeremy’s last name to see the man underneath. And then the problem is compounded when Sam and Jeremy become friends to his brother’s consternation because Neil’s antipathy towards Jeremy’s family.

Can two men in need of love and a home find it with each other at Lang Downs? It will take another small miracle to overcome Sam’s insecurity and fear and Jeremy’s family’s reputation if they are to find happiness with each other and outlast the night.

I finished this book and immediately wanted to go back to the beginning and start the series a fresh because I can’t get enough of this universe that Ariel Tachna has created. This book and series has such compelling characters as well as a captivating setting that it is impossible to put the books down once started and the stories stay with you long past the last page. Really this is fast becoming one of my top favorites in contemporary fiction series.

Outlast The Night is as strong and enthralling book as the one that started the series. Lang Downs is such a large and isolated sheep station that it acts as its own small village. By using the sheep station as her setting, Ariel Tachna ensures that all the beloved characters of the previous novels are fully present and engaged in the current story as are the newly introduced main characters. Tachna creates her web of characters that works much the way that nature herself does, they are all interlocked with each other. Their actions have reverberations throughout the sheep station and all those who live there, just as it does in nature. The men, women, children and animals all live in intimate connection with the earth at Lang Downs. From the seasonal variations in their lives and work to the animals themselves, both wild and domesticated, all are aware of the fundamental role nature plays in their lives.

Winter, the season the book starts in, brings a slower pace to the sheep station. Breeding is finished, and the seasonal jackaroos are gone until spring. The village has shrunk down to those “year rounders” who make Lang Downs their home, school, and workplace. Through the previous novels, we have gotten familiar with the sights and sounds of the place and its citizens. We see the bare necessities of the bunkhouse, the functionality of the sheep sheds, complete with odor mind you, and the predators that keep watch for the unwary animals in field and barn. The author brings Lang Downs vividly and authentically to life before our eyes and before we know it, we feel right at home there along with Caine, Macklin, and Kami. Of course, Kami the aboriginal chef is in the main house kitchen, creating food for all who live there and dispensing advice to those who need it. Molly, Neil’s fiance, is a marvelous female character, a force in her own right. Well, I will let you see them through Sam’s eyes:

Sam finished eating, doing his best not to telegraph his unease to the rest of the room. Caine and Macklin sat at a nearby table talking with several other jackaroos Sam hadn’t met yet, but it was obvious from the body language that they were well known to Caine and Macklin. Sam figured the two men knew everyone pretty well by the end of the summer, but it took a certain degree of familiarity to choose to sit at the table with the bosses. Two teens joined them at the table a moment later, obviously sure of their welcome, and Sam realized one of the boys closely resembled the youngest of the jackaroos.

“Chris and Seth Simms,” Neil said, following Sam’s gaze. “Chris is the one I was telling you about in Yass, the one who nearly died. Seth is his younger brother. And that’s Jesse Harris sitting next to Chris, and then Jason Thompson, the other kid, and his dad, Patrick, our head mechanic. They’re all year-rounders. Patrick’s wife, Carley, is around here somewhere, although I haven’t seen her this morning. She helps out in the bunkhouses and in the kitchen sometimes, when Kami lets her.”

And that doesn’t even include the animals that play such an important roles on the station as well. From Arrow, Jeremy’s kelpie (a sheep herding breed), to Titan, “and a big lug of a horse who loved anyone who brought him treats”, these animals will endear themselves to you in much the same manner as their human counterparts. And never does Ariel Tachna make the mistake of treating these animals as pets. These are workers with important jobs to do on the station and are handled accordingly, although with love and affection.

Sam and Jeremy are wonderful additions to Lang Downs and the series. Sam, so vulnerable and hurting, his self image shattered over time by an angry abusive wife. Sam feels out of place,in his life and on the station. A business manager by profession, you can feel his unease and wariness at thinking that he will find a home at Lang Downs. The reader will feel his pain and insecurity and then root for him as Sam begins to pull himself back together, a slow process and a realistic one too. Jeremy is his opposite, he is so rooted to the land and the sheep that it practically rolls off of him from the moment we meet him. Coming from a tough family background has made Jeremy equally tough, inside and out. But still, Jeremy has the capacity to show his gentle side with his dog, Arrow and Sam. It is a beautiful character and the two of them together are like comfort food and magic at the same time. A difficult combination to achieve but Ariel Tachna has done it here with Sam and Jeremy.

Authenticity. Ariel Tachna brings that to this novel and her series in spades. From the Drizzle Bones the men wear (and wear properly) to the utes they drive, I never doubt that the terms and clothing the author uses are the correct ones. But just as important as the research is the seamless manner in which the information is doled out to the reader, in spurts and quick asides. And ever so slowly we have accumulated a wealth of information about an Australian sheep station and how it feels to live and work on one without realizing it. Really, the flawless manner in which Tachna has created all of Lang Downs is exceptional.

I love that all of Tachna’s characters are fully realized and vivid in their personalities as any you would meet out on the streets around you. They endear themselves to you because they feel so real, from their flaws to their passions. And just as real and special is Lang Downs, the heart of the series. I will let you hear it from Jeremy and Sam:

” “Lang Downs is a pretty special place.

”“Lang Downs is a miracle,” Jeremy amended. “A bloody miracle, and if you don’t believe that, ask Chris how he ended up here. Hell, ask Macklin how he ended up here. Or Kami. Or Patrick. I’d bet most of the year-rounders have a story to tell about how this place changed their lives. I never knew what drove Michael Lang, but even as a young child, I knew things were different here when I came to visit. That’s even more the case now.”

Yes, Lang Downs is a special place and each new story makes it even more so. I hope that Ariel Tachna has many more stories to tell on her sheep station in Australia, more people to meet, more couples in need of home and a miracle. I know that I will never get tired of this place and the people who inhabit it as the saga gets stronger with each new story it tells. If you are already on the journey, pick up this new addition and fall in love all over again. If you are new to the series, start at the beginning, discover the magic and wonder that is Lang Downs. Expect to become addicted to a very special place in an isolated territory in Australia and the people who live there.

Here is the series in the order they were written and should be read in order to understand the characters and events that occur:

Inherit The Sky (Lang Downs #1)

Chase The Stars (Lang Downs #2)

Outlast The Night (Lang Downs #3)

Cover art by Anne Cain is as lovely as the book it represents. The men are perfect representations for Jeremy and Sam and the landscape gorgeous.

Book Details:

ebook, 210 pages
Published May 20th 2013 by Dreamspinners Press
ISBN 1623807093 (ISBN13: 9781623807092)
edition languageEnglish
seriesLang Downs

Ariel Tachna (0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00). Outlast the Night (Kindle Locations 1171-1175). Dreamspinner Press. Kindle Edition.

It’s Gay Pride Month and the Week Ahead in Reviews

Its Gay Pride Month, a great time to celebrate and give back to the community. Washington, DC’s Capital Pride is coming up this week and culminates in the Capital Pride Parade on Saturday, June 8 and the Capital Pride Street Festival on Sunday, June 9. If you live in or around the metro area, there is something for everyone to enjoy. I mean how could you not want to dress up as a super hero and attend SPANDEX: The Official 2013 Pride Week Superhero Party on Friday, June 7? Plus the parade on Saturday travels through Dupont Circle, a historically gay neighborhood. I worked there in the 80’s, and believe me, that place had gay pride before Gay Pride. Here are the links to the events and places to purchase tickets:

Capital Pride 365

Gay.com – Capital Pride

If you are in the area and taking pictures at the events, send them to me and I will post them here. And for those of you in other places, send me the dates and info and I will post that as well.

There are also many organizations that help LGBTQ youth from Promise Place on the DC/Prince Georges County line to The Wanda Alston House in Washington, DC. Or perhaps the Ali Forney Center in NYC or The Albert Kennedy Trust in the UK. A favorite organization of mine is The Matthew Shepard Foundation founded by Matthew Shepard’s mother, Judy Shepard. If you haven’t visited that site before, please do so. It’s both heartbreaking and immensely uplifting to see what has emerged from such a horrific tragedy.

There are not enough shelters and organizations to go around for all of those children and teens in need and those that exist really need our support in every way possible. One easy way is to buy ebooks. Several authors and one terrific editor, Kris Jacen, have contributed their royalties from several novels. S.J. Frost and Kris Jacen with Finding A Dream, Sue Brown’s The Sky Is Dead, and Lost and Found Anthology (Kris Jacen), whose entire royalties will be sent to Lost-n-Found Youth, Inc. And these are only the most recent. Enjoy a good book and give at the same time. It’s easy, its enjoyable, and it is needed.

So have a great week. Celebrate, dance, and make time to read a book or two! Oh, and check out the cocktail recipe at the end. Here is the week ahead in reviews:

Monday, June 3: Outlast The Night by Ariel Tachna

Tuesday, June 4: Flawless by Cat Grant

Wed, June 5: The Caveman and the Devil by Chris T. Kat

Thursday, June 6: The Jouster’s Lance by A.J. Marcus

Friday, June 7: Stonewall by Martin Duberman

Saturday, June 8: Prelude by Shira Anthony and Venona Keyes

Here is a specialty cocktail recipe just for Gay Pride (shakes head, you really went there, didn’t you). It came from Alex’s Cocktail Recipes

Gay Pride Cocktail:

1 shot Apple sourz
1 shot blueberry sourz
1 shot cranberry juice
2 shots 5 alive
pop rocks
Instructions

Put the cranberry juice and 5 alive into a tumbler. Pour the sourz into shaker over ice and shake well. Pour into tumbler and add a pink umbrella, then sprinkle with pop rocks

“A womanly drink, it won’t get you drunk but drink it wearing hotpants for the ultimate sense of gay satisfaction.” Alex also has links for other drinks, none of which I can print here. Visit his site for more information.

Review: A Silence Kept by Theo Fenraven

Rating: 4.25 stars

When Mikal Gray discovers that his boyfriend is cheating on him, the results are devastating. It costs Mikal not only the man he thought he loved, but his home and his job as he had worked as his partner’s business manager in their restaurant. And it evens costs Mikal, their annual summer vacation spot on Fire Island. Mikal can’t even begin to concieve of spending his month avoiding their mutual friends and watching or watching his ex hook up, so he decides to rent a house in the opposite direction. Mikal figures this way he will have a home for the summer while he figures out what to do next.

His realtor tells him that the 1800’s farmstead on the Hudson would be the perfect place for him. Quiet, charming, near the water, everything Mikal could want except for one little thing she must mention. It is already occupied by a ghost. Not believing her, Mikal signs the papers and steps into a old tragedy that will cut close to his heart and a ghost who needs his help. With his friend Alice, and a handsome ghost hunter named Seth, Mikal sets out to unravel the mystery of the weeping man of New Paltz.

A Silence Kept is a short supernatural mystery, only 80 pages, but it has the feel of a much longer story. Theo Fenraven does a remarkable job of letting the reader step onto the farm and into the mystery along side Mikal, our narrator. This is such an intimate way to tell a story and when it is done well, as it is here, it brings with it the closest connection a reader can feel with the main character. Mikal is deeply hurt by his lover’s betrayal. He had thought that they would make it last so everything he had was tied into the relationship and his partner. They worked together at his boyfriend’s restaurant, Mikal as his business manager, they lived and vacationed as an established couple. Now all of that is lost and Mikal is left to mourn and try to figure out how to move on. I don’t know anyone who has not gone through this brutal event, it hurts and its devastating in that the loss goes beyond the death of love into other areas of the person’s life. Fenraven gets that and puts all that pain and heartache into Mikal, but not without a dash of humor thrown in:

“But we were exclusive,” I shot back. “We were together three years, and you threw that away for some twink who can’t even make radish roses. Are you insane?”

“I’m in love with him,” he sniffed, running a hand through his close-cropped hair. “It happens.”

I stared at him, remembering how that gesture used to turn me on. I remembered a lot of things in that moment, and some of them were pretty good. Like the time he’d made me chicken soup when I’d been down for two days with a nasty cold. Or the time he’d bought expensive tickets to a concert I’d really wanted to see. The night he told me he loved me, and then went on to prove it three times. How he smelled right after a shower. How he smelled when he hadn’t had one in a few hours, which was even better.

We had history, damn it. We’d created a life together. For a moment—just a moment—I almost relented. The thought of starting all over again with someone new made me want to curl up in bed and sleep until the next millennium.

That sounds so real, including that bit about the radish rose, human and oh so authentic. Mikal is a fully rounded human being, he sounds like one and acts that way too. As do all the characters in this story, all alive and multilayered. I loved one, each and every one. And Fenraven’s gift of creating moving characters does not stop with the living, but extends to the dead and ghostly as well.

The painful backstory of the ghost is quite literally a haunting one. It will hit close to home for Mikal and for the reader as well. I love the supernatural touches that Fenraven uses to introduce the ghost into the story, the blasts of cold air, and moving rocker, and more. But those little chills are best left for the reader to discover on their own.

My only issue with this story is the resolution at the end. At 80 pages, I felt it was a little rushed and wished for a longer ending. But my quibble aside, I loved this story. It intrigued me as the mystery was so well done and it left me satisfied at the end. I wouldn’t mind seeing more stories of Seth and Mikal sometime in the future, they make a great pair. I highly recommend this for all you lovers of romance and tales of the supernatural. Within these pages, you will find both lovingly accomplished.

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 80 pages
Published February 28th 2013 by Voodoo Lily Press (first published September 12th 2011)
ASINB00BNWB6UC
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://voodoolilypress.com/

Scattered Thoughts May 2013 Book Reviews

It was a great month in book reviews. While most of the book fell into the contemporary fiction category, there was a book in just about every genre. One of my favorites this month was Fragile Bond by Rhi Etzweiler, a science fiction gem of a story from Riptide Publishing. I have also found new authors like Sue Brown and her outstanding The Sky Is Dead. Don’t pass either of these by. And if you loved Country Mouse by Amy Lane and Aleksandr Voinov, then you won’t want to miss the followup novel, City Mouse (Country Mouse #2). I thought it was even better than its predecessor.

There are stand alone stories and new books in continuing series. This includes one series (The Night Wars) that I will be reevaluating on the basis of the third book in the series, a real stunner called The Hellfire Legacy by Missouri Dalton. This is a terrific book and I had not rated the second book very highly. Now I am going back in June, reading all three together and write a review of the series in June (and probably a mea culpa or two on my part as well).

The titles are linked to my reviews. Really, there is something for everyone here. Here are May 2013’s book reviews in order of rating:

5 Star Rating:

City Mouse (Country Mouse #2) by Amy Lane and Aleksandr Voinov (contemporary)
Fragile Bond by Rhi Etzweiler (Science Fiction)
The Sky Is Dead by Sue Brown (contemporary)

4 to 4.75 Star Rating:
Adapting Instincts (Instincts #4) by S.J. Frost
Bad Attitude (Bad in Baltimore #3) by K.A. Mitchell (4.25 stars) (contemporary)
Bullheaded by Catt Ford (4.25 stars) (contemporary)
Closet Capers Anthology (4.25 stars) mixture
Damned If You Do: The Complete Collection by J.L. Merrow
Leaving Home (Home #4) by TA Chase (4 stars)
Moments by R.J. Scott (4.25 stars) (contemporary)
Never A Hero (a Tucker Springs novel) by Marie Sexton (4.5 stars) (contemporary)
Night of Ceremony (Notice #4) by M. Raiya (4.5 stars) (fantasy, romance)
Noah by Ben Ryder (4 stars) (contemporary)
Shy by John Inman (4.25 stars) (contemporary)
Still by Mary Calmes (4.75 stars) (contemporary)
The Hellfire Legacy (The Night Wars #3) by Missouri Dalton (4.5 stars) (supernatural)
The Isle of…Where? by Sue Brown (4.5 stars) (contemporary)
The Unforgiving Minute by Sarah Grainger (4.75 stars) (contemporary)

3 to 3.75 Star Rating:
Chateau D’Eternite by Ariel Tachna (3.75 stars) Fantasy
Fire Horse by Mickie B. Ashling (3.75 stars) (contemporary)
His Heart To Reap by Erin Lane (3 stars) (supernatural)
It Takes Practice by Willa Okati (3 stars) contemporary

2 to 2.75 Star Rating:

Review: Adapting Instincts (Instincts #4) by S.J. Frost

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

Zoologist and primate specialist Carl Anderson’s thoughts are consumed by one man and one kiss whose message remains unclear to Carl. And it is not just the kiss that has unsettled his life, but the fact that the man who kissed him was a vampire, one of many who live all around him hidden to most of human society. This fact was revealed to Carl through events involving his best friend Andreas Nikandros and his vampire lover Titus Antonius Calidus (Loving Instincts). Those events saw Carl caught between the vampires and the vampire hunters, including another of Carl’s friends, Matthew. At one point Carl and Andreas were threatened with death and one of Carl’s rescuers was the vampire warrior, Egill Dalgaard.

Egill Dalgaard. Viking warrior and member of vampire society’s ruling body, the Tribunal, is used to having complete control of his life but one special human has upset his calm and ordered existence. Egill cannot get Carl Anderson out of his thoughts since he first met the human and helped save his life. And that one kiss has insured Carl’s place in Egill’s nightly dreams. There are so many reasons why a continued association with Carl is ill advised and just one reason to do so. Egill hasn’t felt this way about someone in a very long time, and for that reason alone Egill cannot let this human go.

Carl’s thoughts are still so divided and upset. There is Matthew, mixed up with the vampire hunters, on one side and Egill Dalgaard, viking vampire on the other. Carl’s life is now full of fearful glances at the dark, and longing too. But the vampire hunters are still out there , posing a threat to Carl, Andreas, and the vampires Carl has come to know and respect. Any relationship Carl and Egill might have will be threatened by a variety of forces all around them, including the Tribunal. Carl has always been afraid of confrontation, but if he wants Egill in his life, then he must decide on which path to take, including one that will take him away from his humanity.

Adapting Instincts is the fourth book in the Instincts series by S.J. Frost, a series that shows continues to deliver wonderful characters and a deepening overall story arch that runs through the entire series to date. In this latest installation, all of our favorite couples are back and fully involved in this book’s narrative. We have the original couple of Andreas Nikandros (now a vampire himself) and his eternal partner Titus Antonius Calidus, Vampire Samurai Ryunosuke Kimura and his vampire lover Daniel Valente (my favorite couple) and now brought into the center are viking vampire Egill Dalgaard and human Carl Anderson, friend and former coworker of Andreas Nikandros.

Adapting Instincts picks up three months after that last events of Loving Instincts (Instincts #3), events that have left reverberations through all the lives of those involved, human and vampire alike. One of the strengths of S.J. Frost’s writing is her wonderful world building and complex narrative. While each book normally revolves around one main couple and their romance, multiple plot threads and characters weave themselves throughout the romantic relationship, acting not only as a foundation but as the perpetuator that lends the story momentum and depth. Coexisting with the daily conflicts that arise with being a human, Frost contrasts that with the rigid societal structure of the vampire world. It makes for a fascinating and absolutely addicting read to see how the two worlds will not only collide but continue to mesh as vampires and humans interact. The first three books are full of conflict and harrowing events for all the couples involved, so it makes sense for the fourth book to deal with the aftermath and emotional letdown. With two exceptions, most of this story concentrates on relationship issues, those between Carl and Egill. And while that choice simplifies the storyline, it also carries with it a more lightly layered plot as well, lacking the depth and complexity of those books that precedes it.

After the emotional events, that is a very realistic way of dealing with the aftermath of the kidnappings and near death experiences of book 3. I really enjoy the character of Egill, former viking warrior and formidable vampire lord. Stolid and controlled, it is lovely to watch such a character react to love entering his life after such a long existence. Frost does a great job with Egill’s personality, making him both realistically regal and yet vulnerable too in his tightly controlled mien. Carl, on the other hand, felt a little too passive for me to connect with. True, he has a poor self image and his need to avoid conflict puts himself and others in terrible situations. It is hard to connect with a character that you want to give a shake to most of the time. Carl’s indecisiveness is just unattractive to me so it helped immensely that Frost gave us Davy, the Black-headed Spider Monkey. Davy, along with all the other marvelous animal characters in this series, adds a touch of humor and endearment just when the story needs it the most. By seeing Carl’s relationship with Davy, it helps connect us to a character that lacks some of the vivid personality traits of the others in the series. I loved Davy and hope that the author will bring him back into the series somewhere down the line just as she did with Dakarai, Andreas’ lion, and all the other animals who a such a delight in the series. Here is your first introduction to Davy:

Carl stopped outside the habitat for the spider monkeys. He released the cart’s handles to place his hands on his hips, fixing Davy with a disapproving look. “Really? Is that necessary?”

Davy quit banging the bowl on the mesh and stared up at him with intelligent black eyes.

Carl swore the monkey was trying to play innocent. A smile broke over his lips despite trying to stay stern. It was all Davy needed. The monkey scurried up the mesh to be at eye level with him, reaching through with his left hand, the one missing the index finger. Carl held a finger toward him, and Davy wrapped his others around it. The warm, soft leathery feel of Davy’s palm made him grateful he’d been able to save the monkey’s hand. When Davy and the others came to the zoo, starved and sick from the poor care they’d received in a backyard zoo—or deathtrap, as he called it—Davy’s hand was so infected from a baboon biting his finger off, he didn’t know if he’d be able to save it. But he had, and after months of diligent care, Davy and his brothers were healthy and sassy.

The interplay between man and monkey is telling. It is humorous, affectionate, and clearly a wonderful relationship. Even when you are fed up with Carl’s dithering about, moments like this will keep the reader invested in his character and his future.

Is this book a stand alone? No, it must be read as part of the series and in the order they were written, otherwise key elements will be lost or misconstrued. I love this series and absolutely recommend it. Start at the beginning and work your way through. Instincts shows no hint of slowing down, as new characters are introduced here as well as persons left over from the last book such as Matthew. And the fact that all the other beloved characters will be there as well is just the icing on the cake. If you are already invested in this series, I guarantee you will enjoy this book too. Adapting Instincts (Instincts #4) carries the main plot thread forward while satisfying us with another romance completed. Great job, great story, wonderful series.

Here they are in the order they were written and should be read:

Natural Instincts (Instincts #1)

Enduring Instincts (Instincts #2)

Loving Instincts (Instincts #3)

Adapting Instincts (Instincts #4)

Cover art by Winterheart Designs is evocative in design and tone. I thought the two landscapes a nice touch.

ebook, 210 pages
Published March 14th 2013 by MLR Press
ISBN 1020130040
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=SJF_ADIN
seriesI

Review: Damned If You Do: The Complete Collection by J.L. Merrow

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

What does a male succubus (yes, you read that right, a male succubus) do when he is set free on Earth by an accidental summoning? Why, go looking for his next delightful meal and loads of hot, sexy fun of course. That is exactly what Rael does after being set free. But there is another succubus in town, one that is killing the people it is feeding upon, not just enjoying them and leaving them happy. On the trail of the succubus killer is Detective Lars Thornsson of the Paranormal Enforcement Agency. Lars is half human half Valkyrie and all around gorgeous gay male. When Det. Thornsson and his hard as nails partner, Chelle Rochelle, show up at the nightclub looking for the killer show up at the nightclub looking for the killer, Lars has all the club boys drooling. This fact not lost on Rael who decides the detective is just the man for him. Then Lars and Chelle find Rael instead of the true killer and take him in to headquarters for questioning. Almost immediately lust and mutual attraction sets in and when the killer sets her sights on Lars, there is nothing Rael will do to keep his man safe and at his side forever.

The Damned If You Do collection includes all four of the Rael and Lars stories that chart their relationship from beginning to HEA, which is saying a lot when you consider one is a sexy male succubus and the other a half Valkyrie half human. .Listed below is each story and a mini review of each wild zany romp:

Damned If You Do: The Complete Collection is composed of the following four stories which were all initially released separately:

1. A Calling For Pleasure: The first in the Rael and Lars series. We see how Rael makes it into our universe, his immediatel impact on Lars and his investigation as well as the start of their relationship. Wild, wacky, and great fun. Rael is a charming, sexy and endearing character as his beloved Lars. Lars is huge and hugely vulnerable, with a sarcastic hard as nails partner Chelle Rochelle and a wise and wry Police Captain, perfect for keeping within the stated genre and having fun with it.

At 25 pages, it is the shortest story and it shows in the lack of depth in the characterizations and plot. Its cute, funny and fast. Really, it just sets the stage for the longer and more involved stories to come and that’s fine when it is in a collection. You can move on and still be satisfied that you read the first in the series. It also has my least favorite cover as Rael is described as lithe, gliding and sex on two legs. That model is just too muscular to be Rael.

Rating: 3.75 stars

2. A Blast From The Past: Lars and Rael are living together much to the chagrin of his cop partner, Chelle Rochelle. Lars continued involvement with Rael is also kept hidden from his captain and coworkers. Both Lars and Rael are afraid that Rael will be banished back into Hell, something Lars and his squad do with regularity to supernatural offenders. But this is Rael and trouble is his middle name. So of course, Rael’s ex boyfriend, Lev, enters the picture, determined to get him back, no matter the cost. At the same time, someone demonic is setting fires all over the city and its up to Lars and Chelle to find the perpetrator and send him home.

This is such a cute story. Its short at 68 pages but is still longer than the first story. The plot is more involved, the action swift, and the resolution perfect for the story setting and characters. Everybody here is over the top in characterization, almost into the parady column but somehow is all works together. I especially appreciate that with each new investigation, the characters increase in complexity along with the case the book revolves around. Merrow gives us more back history for each person as the story progresses. And as we learn additional facts about them, the more fully realized each character becomes. Also each story also sets the framework for the next in the series. Great job, and great little story.

Rating: 4 stars

3. A Wish Too Far: Someone is peddling little pink pills out on the streets. Those pills, called Wishes, are exactly what the Chinese philosopher has in mind when he said “Be careful what you wish for” because the wish always comes with a painful twist. Det. Lars Thornsson and his partner Chelle Rochelle of the Paranormal Enforcement Agency need to find the pill pusher and fast before someone is seriously injured. Rael thinks he knows the drug dealer but why would his cross dressing childhood friend do something like this? Lars and Chelle’s case goes off the tracks quickly when Rael gets involved but the outcome will shock everyone in the case.

This 73 page story has a little more depth and pathos to it. The cross dressing being, Shax, is a more vulnerable character with a darker past then we have seen in the previous stories. The author manages to bring a more fully realized character into the fold while still keeping the humor intact. Again the story is fast paced, the action and plot threads twisting around faster than you can shake a canister of salt at it, and the ending is one I didn’t see coming. My second favorite story of the group.

Rating 4.25 stars.

4. A Glutton For Punishment: Once again Rael is the center of attention and it gets him nothing but trouble. Rael and Lars relationship remains in the closet. Unhappy with hiding, Rael takes to cooking for his man and is soon discovered as Rael’s talent for gourmet cooking lands him a job on the popular show Devon’s Plate as a guest chef. But when the show’s host, Devon LaGrande goes missing, all suspicions land on Rael as the cause. With Rael being the center (again) of one of Lars’ investigation, Rael has to move out of their apartment and pretend to be his coworker’s partner, much to his and Lars chagrin. Then Rael starts to receive threatening letters and the search is on to find the person responsible before Rael disappears too.

At 136 pages, this is the longest and most complicated story of the group. There are several plot threads being juggled here, and the author does a great job of keeping us involved and in the loop, no matter how crazy a direction the story takes, and it takes quite a few. Rael has become more than a sexy caricature of a succubus by this time and the reader is more invested in his and Lars future. Lars and Chelle also have more dimension to them and as the story brings all the threads together in a happy ending, the reader leaves more than satisfied that Rael and Lars have a wonderful future ahead of them. My favorite story of the group.

Rating: 5 stars

I think this group of stories works best as a collection than as separate books. Had I purchased them separately and read them that way the individual story ratings might have been lower. But because I was able to read them one after the other, the plots and increasing character depth flowed smoothly together and made for a very satisfactory read. This is not a collection to be taken seriously. It is to be enjoyed as the lighthearted fun romp that it is and who doesn’t need one or four of those?

I love J.L. Merrow as an author. She has the ability to write this lighthearted romp and then pull us into the darker stories like her wonderful Pricks and Pragmatism without so much as a blink of an eye or should that be flick of a key? If you are a first time Merrow reader, enjoy this paranormal series for the fun it represents and then start in with her other stories, perhaps Trick of Time, another favorite of mine. I am sure you will be adding this author to your must read list shortly thereafter. She is definitely one of mine.

Book details:

Ebook, Paperback, 280 pages
Expected publication: June 24th 2013 by Riptide Publishing
ISBN 1626490236 (ISBN13: 9781626490239)
urlhttp://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/collections/damned-if-you-do-complete-collection
series

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