Review of Absent-Minded Astrophysicist by TN Tarrant

Rating: 4 stars

136 pages

Dr. Liam McGregor, child prodigy, astrophysicist, and all around brilliant mind is absent minded when it comes to everything outside of his lab except for his cat. He is constantly walking into doorknobs, desks and even people because his attention is so firmly tuned to space above.    Awkward around people and socially inept, Liam’s lonely and feels unattractive when he stops to think about it, which isn’t often.  Isolation has been his companion for far too long.  But a change may be coming in the very attractive form of the new head of security.

Jareth Manning is emerging from his own dark period.  His partner recently died, and his former employers tried to discredit him when they found out Jareth was gay.  Now he is starting over as the new head of security at Northwestern Institute for Interstellar Research.  It didn’t take him long to notice Dr. McGregor if only for the amount of ambulances called to the campus to attend to astrophysicist’s many accidents.  Jareth finds the astrophysicist cute, shy and very kind hearted.  When Liam is attacked by a colleague, it gives him the chance to get to know Liam better.  As both men grow closer, can Jareth get Liam to focus on what is before him…..a chance at love on earth.

This was such a cute story.  Liam McGregor was a lovely character.  I know we have seen the absent minded scientist before but Liam is a special edition to that category.  A little pudgy, with a heartbreaking background, I just fell in love with him.  TN Tarrant did a nice job with Jareth Manning as well.   Tall, gorgeous and a widower. Combine two lovely characters with two heartbreaking backstories and you get a short story with lots of heart. That’s Absent-minded Astrophysicist in a nutshell.

My only quibble here is that perhaps the author tried to fit too much into limited space.  I think she had material here for a much larger book and wish she had gone in that direction.  Her secondary characters include Dr. Forrester (head of the Institute) and his two partners.  They clearly deserve a story of their own.  Liam’s backstory left me with more questions than answers by the end of the book as did Jareth’s family who appeared out of nowhere.  As I said, I love the main characters and story.  I just think they got a little overwhelmed by too much information.

This is such a lovely little book.  Don’t let it pass you by.  I would love to see more of the characters she brought to life here.

Cover:  Same cover used for others in this series.  Cover artist is Reese Dante

Freedom Is Not Free and the week Ahead

It looks as though the sun might come out for our Memorial Weekend here in Maryland after all, humid but at least it’s sunny.  I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend.  Please don’t forget to spare up time to think about our veterans, what they have sacrificed for us and the Nation.  With so many still fighting abroad and many more fighting to survive their injuries here at home, take the time to send a prayer if you are religious, send thanks if you are not and perhaps visit a memorial.  If you are close by, start with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial here in DC and Arlington Cemetery in Virginia.  Two places where service, honor, and sacrifice spreads out before us in stark contrast to each other.  One in black, one in white.  Unforgettable and painful in every way.

Freedom Is Not Free is a website dedicated to aiding wounded service members, their families and the families of the fatally wounded. Listed here are poems from the enlisted honoring veterans and sharing what it means to them to be a part of the military.  Be prepared with tissues, as many of these poems strike straight into your heart.

My thoughts also turn to the fallen gay soldiers for whom the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was far too late.  Let us not forget their additional sacrifice as well.  I would leave you with these images for Memorial Weekend:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And now for the week ahead and some outstanding new books:

 

Monday:                                Reviews of several short stories by Silver Publishing

Tuesday:                                Armed and Dangerous, Cut and Run series #5 by Abigail Roux

Wednesday:                          Infected: Shift  (Infected #4) by Andrea Speed

Thursday:                              Acrobat by Mary Calmes

Friday:                                    One Small Thing by Piper Vaughn and MJ O’Shea

Saturday:                                New Vocabulary Gone Bad – When A Bare Rises To the Occasion Due Ewe Here A Yelp?

 

I’m Not Sexy And I Know It by Vic Winter

Rating: 4.25 stars

When a new song starts up, it finds Winston standing at the edge of the dance floor, his usual spot at the night club.  But its infectious beat has Winston moving his body to the rhythm of the music, something he never does.  A sexy voice whispers in his ear, anonymous hands are placed on his hips and an unseen dancer behind him moves him onto the dance floor and into an evening of sexy music, dancing and joy.  The evening ends and Winston still doesn’t know who his dance partner was, only the for the first time in ages he felt sexy and alive.

At brunch, his friends don’t get what made that night so special when he describes it to them as there was no date, no sex, no hooking up.   Only his friend, Clark, seems to understand how it made him feel.  And why is he is going back, hoping to find that person who finds him sexy and have one more dance.

This is a wonderfully endearing short story about a man who looks at himself in the mirror and finds the picture woefully inadequate, especially when judged against the looks of those around him, including his best friend.  Vic Winter has done a great job of capturing a person’s insecurities about their looks in his character of Winston.  Who among us has not had that moment where we have felt  fat or ugly or just plain when we take a look at the people we work or live with, even though we know we are good people inside.  Winston stands for all of us and that has us rooting for a good and  decent person to see himself as others see him.  And to a HFN, with the possibility of a HEA in the future.

My only quibble in a terrific short story is that I wish the ending had felt a little less rushed at the end as the author had struck a beautiful balance up until then.  Great job, Vic Winter.  I need to read more of your stories if I’m Not SexyAnd I Know It speaks for the rest of your stories.

Cover:  Just the same Torquere Sip cover that they use for all short stories in this category.

Review of Scrap Metal by Harper Fox

Rating: 5 stars

When a bus crash kills his mother and brother, Nichol Seacliff’s dreams of completing his linguistic degree and becoming a translator ends.  Needed on the family hold on Arran Isle, Nichol returns to stone rooms full of memories and his stern grandfather, Harry.  Now he spends his days with sheep, mired in mud and watching his family’s farm fall deeper into financial ruin and neglect. Patriarch Harry Seacliff, always a man of few words, speaks harshly to his less favored grandson when he speaks to him at all. This leaves Nichol grieving and alone, far from the university, his friends, and  any gay relationships.

One night he hears the window break in an outbuilding and finds a young man hiding behind the hay, wet and blue from the cold.   The trespasser introduces himself as Cameron, Cam for short and tells Nichol he is on the run from a gang in Glasgow.  Nichol’s sympathetic nature triumphs over caution, and he finds himself bringing Cam inside the house to get warm, have something to eat and put on dry clothes.  One nights stay lengthens into more as Cam endears himself first to Nichol and then, in a remarkable turn of events, to Harry as well,   As winter turns into spring on Seacliff Farm,  Nichol watches amazed as Cam forms a bridge between Harry and himself.  He finds he is falling in love with Cam more each day and the idea of remaining on the farm becomes less painful with someone to share it with.

And then Cam’s past comes back to threaten their love and the safety of all who live on Seacliff Farm.  When Cameron’s secret is known,who will pay the price of actions long past?

What an incredible story.  From the opening sentence, the reader finds themselves immersed deep in Scottish culture, roaming over the hills of Arran, listening to the murmurs of the Gaelic language and watching for splashes of mermaids just off shore.  Harper Fox has done such a excellent job of describing the island of Arran that I felt I had traveled there by the Calmac Ferry. Her love for the people, their culture and the land that gave birth to both flows like a wild river through the story. Indeed,  her vivid portraits of the populace,and their abodes will make you feel as though you know them. The passages on life in the old farmhouse have a way of plonking me down next to the Aga in the kitchen, listening to Nichol’s grumblings on the miserly candle left burning to light the cold room, so real does Harper Fox make it.  The rhythm of the Gaelic tongue is the rhythm of life itself on those rocky shores and cliffs.  A ancient language whose written form bears little resemblance to the spoken word, Gaelic weaves itself through the heart of the story, overflowing the pages until one yearns to speak those words, to understand their meaning.  I cannot begin to do justice here to its importance and beauty.  Here is a small sampling:

After Harry had told Nichol that he lost the language. “But I haven’t. That was what I wanted to say to Harry. I remember every word you taught me, in here with the book and out on the moors and the shore where you pointed to dobhar, the otter, iasg-dearg, the salmon, the eagle iolair whose name you pronounced like the upward yearning of wings—oh-lia, oh-lia.”

And another:

“Beauty. Music. I still couldn’t look at Harry, but from the corner of my eye I saw that his grip on the chair had relaxed. I couldn’t forget the poems, not when I was taught them so young. Did you hear me, old man? It’s the nearest I can come to saying sorry. I turned the page. The summer poem was long, a great cadenced paean to life such as only a man who’d lived through West Isles winters could sing. Softly I began the next verse. Harry stood listening for a few moments longer then quietly walked out of the kitchen, pulling the door shut behind him.”

(Harper Fox. Scrap Metal,  Samhain Publishing, Ltd.)

Time and again, Harper Fox brings us to tears and laughter through her use of the Gaelic tongue.  Wait til you get to the paragraph where Harry asks Nichol if their new farmhand is gay, in Gaelic of course.  Sheer perfection in every way.

Her characters are just as genuine and elemental as the land they are so much a part of.  Nichol is such a complicated soul, gay but not out to his Granda, kind and stubborn, wanting so much more than his brother and recognizing the irony of being back on the farm he thought he had escaped for good.  His anguish in the night over not being good enough to save the farm, not being good enough yet again for his Granda who he loved spoke so eloquently to his loss, and strength of character that it brought me to tears.  And if Nichol is a wondrous creation, than Harry Seacliff is even more remarkable.  As primal as the rocks of the cairn, and as deep as the lochs, Harry seems both as ancient as the land he loves and yet touched here and there with life in the present as with his use of the quads. Harry has a true Gaelic soul that sings beneath an exterior hardened by life on the island and life’s losses.  I can still see Harry and his sheep dogs leaning against the dry stacked stonewall, contemplating the land of his ancestors.  I felt like I knew him while I did not dare approach him. And Cameron, the city boy interloper, who unexpectedly finds home and a family, is so heartbreaking at points in this story that you just want to hold him as close as Nichol does.  Character after character, living, breathing people come to the fore, giving this story unbelievable depth and grace.

I have read and loved other books by Harper Fox and I was still unprepared for Scrap Metal.  Her gifts and skill as an author amazes me with it’s ability to transport the reader into another world, enchant them with the people and their stories, and leave us a little heartbroken by our exit.  I love Scrap Metal.  The story and people will stay with them for a long time to come.

Chan eil aon chànan gu leòr. Tapadh leibh, Harper Fox.  Tha mo bhàta-foluaimein loma-làn easgannan.  The translation? Clearly one language is never enough. Thank you, Harper Fox.  My hovercraft is full of eels.  OK, I just couldn’t resist the last one.  I could see the islanders having their bit of fun with a tourist and had to throw that in.  No quibbles here, just a bounty of love for the story and author.  Please pick this book up, you won’t be sorry.

Cover: Art by Angela Waters.  I liked this cover, with the dark background on top and landscape on the bottom.  Did I wish for a little more of the craggy landscape? Yes, but it still has a great feel to it.

Available through Samhain Publishing, Ltd., Amazon, and ARe.

Find out more about the author and her books at www.harperfox.net.

My other  recommendations include Driftwood and The Salisbury Key.

Review of Hope by William Neale

Rating 5 stars

Spencer Hawkins feels like a failure.  His best friend and closeted lover has unexpectedly left him and he’s finished his degree with no job prospects, no money in the bank, and unwilling to ask his family for any support as they are stretched as thin as they come.  A surprise phone call presents Spencer with the prospect of a new job and  future in a new city, Cleveland, Ohio.

Hunter Harrison is struggling in the face of increasing stress and constant heartache.  His partner has abandoned him and their adopted son, Ethan.  Ethan has a heart defect and needs a heart transplant if he is to live.  Faced with losing his son and his mounting medical bills, Hunter desperately needs the one thing missing from his life lately – hope.

Both men come together at a time in their lives when they need each other the most.  Spencer needs a man he can trust with his heart, someone he can build a future with.  Hunter needs someone who will love not only him but a very special boy as well.  For each man, the other represents love and hope for a future together if only they will reach out for it.

Hope is the final book in the Home series by William Neale, published after his unexpected death in March.  I am not sure that any review or reviewer will be able to separate the sadness felt by the passing of this wonderful author from the emotions engendered by his last work. I read in one of his interviews that William Neale said he wrote what he loved and didn’t feel that his characters were autobiographical.  While I can imagine he meant that, I can also see William Neales’ generous nature and loving heart reflected back from the characters here and in previous books.  If the eyes are the windows into the soul, surely one can discern the kindness and inherent goodness of the author through the characters he created and that the readers so cared so much about.

Spencer Hawkins and Hunter Harrison are just part of a family of main characters at the center of Hope. Spencer and Hunter are both men of character and proponents of old fashioned values.  They value the interior life above exterior perfections and raise love and family above all other concerns. Both are beautifully written and realistically constructed characters that are easy to fall in love with. So is 11 year old Ethan living with severe aortic stenosis, a disease I was not familiar with until now. Ethan leaps into your heart with each hard won breath as you root for him to pull through.  It is clear that William Neale did a great job researching this condition and the medical technology needed to deal with it.  Information about the Berlin Heart and heart transplants are seamlessly threaded through the story, gently educating the reader on the difficulties children with this disorder face on a daily basis.There is also Lucas Reed and Rogan James from Home #1, a book that remained one of the author’s favorites, as well as their son Rogie, his friend Ryan, and new characters of ambivalent morality, Thom Kilbane and Ashton Hale. Thom Kilbane is a complicated man, driven by his need for success and hiding his traumatic child abuse behind a hedonistic lifestyle. Ashton Hale is an unlikable bully until his background of parental neglect and isolation is revealed. One fully fleshed out character after another  comes forward in this story. This inner circle is surrounded by secondary characters just as authentic and beautifully realized as the main ones.  Chief Boleyn of Winton Academy security, Coach Perleman, Winton’s football coach, and even Stephen, Lucas and Rogan’s neighbor, all add depth and dimension to a story concerned with the nature of families, personal redemption, and hope.

William Neale lived with his partner of over a decade and their dogs in Cleveland, Ohio where the Home stories are located.  Cleveland is easily the 12th man (in football terminology) or main character in this story.  His love for his home town flows throughout the story, whether he is talking about the lakeside effect on the snowfall or the view from the high rises along the lake front.  I was laughing as Spencer, a southern transplant, tried to adjust to the cold, drive in the snow, and deal with the vagaries of snow blowers in winter.  I am sure Mr. Neale was laughing as he wrote it as well. In the space of a series, Cleveland goes from cold, unknown location to a beloved destination called home.  I am sure the city is missing one of its biggest champions as well.

From laughter to tears and back again, the reader remains deeply engaged in the relationships and families at the center of Hope. Once started, I couldn’t put the book down until I had finished it. Hours later I still continued to think about the author and his last story. What did I take away from Hope?  What did I feel was the essence of the book? The idea that goodness and kindness of spirit will win out, that personal redemption is a road to be taken instead of unattainable goal, and that love and hope is all around us if only we can recognize it.  I had come to love Spencer, Hunter, Ethan, Lucas, Rogen, and all the rest so very much that the knowledge of Hope being the last book was hard to face as is the loss of William Neale’s voice to the readers and m/m community that he cared so much about.  I was often in tears as I read this book and you will be too.

Make sure you read the editor’s note from Kris Jacen and above all the message from Marty, William Neale’s partner at the beginning of the novel.  Have tissues handy.  You will need them.  To read these letters to Mr. Neale’s fans and readers is to further understand the man behind the stories and how large the void his passing has left. The characters of Hope have so many dimensions to them, so much life in them that they will remain as unforgettable as the author behind them.   William Neale will continue to live on in the books and characters he has left behind and in the memories and hearts of all who knew and loved him. That is a wonderful legacy.  Mr. Neale, you are deeply missed.

Cover: Design and artwork by Winterheart Designs. A beautiful cover that does justice to the author and the story  within.

Review of Sebastian’s Wolves by Valentina Heart

Rating: 4.25 stars

Sebastian Vory and his mate, Tim, left their pack in the East for a new start together as a mated pair on their own.  And for years they were happy until a car accident took Tim away from Sebastian and left him half mad with grief.  Sebastian spends a year  wandering in wolf form uncaring what happens to him and unaware of how far he has travelled until he runs smack into the pack whose territory he’s in.  The Alpha gives Sebastian a choice, leave or join them.  Too weary to go on, Sebastian chooses to stay.  Within the new pack, Sebastian finds the family he has always wanted and begins the healing process.

As Sebastian adjusts to his new pack, a strange wolf appears at the pack lodge. Eshan Low has come to the West Pack to beg its Alpha for help with the deadly Alpha of his pack in the east.  Sebastian takes one look at Eshan Low and knows he has found a new mate.  Eshan’s wolf feels the same and soon a mating has taken place.  But duty and his pack’s safety are calling Eshan back east and Sebastian finds himself once more in danger of losing another mate.  Sebastian and his pack must undertake a risky mission to dethrone a Alpha or lose another mate and possibly his sanity.

This is the second book I have read of Valentina Heart and my admiration of her skill as a writer continues to grow.  I really enjoyed her take on wolf shifters.  Heart demonstrates a knowledge of wolf natural history as her wolves primal nature exists just under their human skin. These are not shifters living a normal human existence but rather wolf shifters adjusting their human forms to exist within a pack structure.  The pack all live together under one roof, often sleeping in communal beds as would a wolf pack,  Communication between members include both wolf and human vocalizations no matter what form they may be in at the time, a lovely touch.  Here the nature of the beast not the rationale of man rule.

This same “wolf first” take on shifters extends to love and mating.  When a wolf looks to take another as mate, the potential mate is judged on strength, compatibility, as well as attraction.  Pheromones come into play as they would in nature.  Mating is straightforward and primal, often involving a chase, a fight and bloodletting.  Not for the fainthearted nor any indicator of  “instant love”.  When Sebastian first sees Eshan, it’s their wolves that call to each other, a need for a mate strong within them.  The scene between them as their wolves decide to act on the call to mate as their pack watches is as sexy and hot as any I can remember.  Heart’s writing is so vivid that we are standing along side the pack, watching it happen as the tension and heat rises amidst growls and changing forms.

Sebastian is a wonderful character.  When we first meet him, he has given up much to be with  his mate, Tim.  Neither is a pureblood, having been changed into a shifter not born one.  Sebastian misses being part of a pack, his wolf nature so close to the surface all the time. Tim became a shifter later in life so he remains far more human than his mate.  Sebastian is a more simplistic (yet never simple) character, more basic in his wants and desires who is living a complicated life because of his mate.  When Tim dies, his pain and loss are overwhelming for the character and the reader, so realistically is it described.  Sebastian’s Wolves also strays from the “norm” in making Sebastian just another wolf in the pack.  Strong yes, but not the Alpha or even the Beta.  It gives Sebastian a unusual vulnerability to see him called into a submissive state by his Alpha when he’s panicking or unable to cope.

Eshan Low with his dyed Mohawk and history of abuse is given less backstory but still becomes a strong character among many strong characters in this story.  Valentina Heart makes it easy to see how he compliments and belongs with Sebastian.  And we become just as worried about his safety when responsibility makes him return to his pack and its unstable leader.  The author literally packs her story with one memorable wolf after another, and then gives them a good plot worthy of such characters.  Does the plot have some holes in it?  Yes, which is why the rating is not higher but the nature of her shifters override the deficiencies in the plot.

I have read that there will be no sequel to Sebastian’s Wolves.  And while I feel that is a shame, I am still so very happy to have made their acquaintance.  Wonderful shifters, wonderful story.  Thank you, Valentina Heart.

Cover: Cover Art by Justin James, Cover Design by Mara McKennen.  Unusual cover design with its bold use of just the face of a model.  Memorable in that I could pick out this cover from others with just a glance but really, what does the design have to do with the story? Not sure how I feel about this as a cover.

Available at Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, and ARe.

Review of Burning Bright, Lost Gods Book 2 by Megan Derr

Rating: 5 stars

Nine hundred years ago in the land of Pozhar, Zhar Ptitsa, god of souls and rebirth, nearly destroyed all his people in a fit of rage.  To stop him, a mage broke him into 1,000 pieces and scattered them into the souls of people present and not yet born throughout the land.  Now the world is dying. For some the only way to save it is to resurrect the Lost Gods.  For others, they would sacrifice everything, including themselves, to make sure that never happens.

The Sacred Texts call those whose souls carry  pieces of the god  Vessels. The  people of Pozhar so fear the rebirth of Zhar Ptitsa, that they have systematically hunted down and sacrificed the Vessels through the years.  As one Vessel is thrown on the flames, another is called into awareness by magical means. One by one, nine hundred and ninety eight Vessels have been sacrificed on the alter of fire and rebirth.  Now only two Vessels remain unaware that their souls contain pieces of a god.

Raz and Pechal are two of the best thieves in the Kingdom. When Ailill, a White Beast of Verde hires Ivan and his a band of mercenaries called the Wolves of Pozhar to steal back a piece of sacred jewelry, there are only two thieves capable of such a high profile theft.  For the jeweled  comb is in the hands of the Minister of Magic who lives within the castle and only Pachal has been successful in entering without rousing the guards. Raz has been looking for that retirement job, one where his fee is so high that he and Peshal can buy a small farm and become honest again.  He worries constantly about his best friend who is much younger than he is and so fragile. This theft will see an end to their life of constant hunger, rags for clothes and fear of constant imprisonment.  He agrees to take this mission and join the diverse gang of mercs, thieves and noblemen.

As the small band prepares to steal back the jewels,the hunt resumes with fervor to identify, capture and sacrifice the last two Vessels on the alter inside the Cathedral of Sacred Fires.  For the king, Tsar Zarya, is dying, the snowfall is earlier and heavier than ever before, and the people grow weary of the killing of innocents.  Dym, the High Priest of Pozhar, is desperate to finish the sacrifices  and set in motion his long held plans.  But the best thieves are hard to catch.  What will happen when they realize they are the last Vessels of Pozhar?

The Lost Gods is turning into such a stunning series, diverse in content and emotional flavor, complicated plots populated with complex, sympathetic, all too human characters that will make you laugh and weep, sometimes on the same page.  Treasure was a rousing adventure on the high seas, with dragons, princes, mermaids and hidden agendas. For all its title, Burning Bright heads in another direction, more localized in geographical area and deeper in content while still continuing with the overall theme of sacrifice and predestination.  Pozhar is a kingdom of fire and rebirth.  It’s citizens eyes and hair carry the colors of fire, from the deepest of reds to red hot oranges and yellows.  They greet each other with “May the fires warm and greet you.” Their epithets use adjectives such as scorching idiot , to the affectionate “little sparks” to shutting someone up with an abrupt “douse it” – fire and ash are always with them.  Yet now the snows come early and often, and the formerly hearty and gregarious people are losing their well known warmth as the constant killing, squabbling, and conflict takes its toll on the population. Through the eyes of each character, you get a real feel of a nation falling apart from the ground up.

The story is told from the  POV of several of the main characters.  In other books I’ve read this technique sometimes renders the story disorientating.  Here it gives us immediate access into the thoughts and emotions of each character which is crucial when showing the impact the sacrifice of the Vessels has on each of them.  The death of innocents is an explosive emotional theme and it is essential to our ability to empathize with the characters to grasp what this means to them. Especially the High Priest Dym who personally  attends to each Vessel before he sees them to their death in the flames. He is tormented by doubt, wavering between his belief that the sacrifices are necessary to achieve his goal and the actuality of being the one to watch each and every one die consumed by flames, burned alive before his eyes. Dym would be so easy to hate if you were unable to feel what this has cost him, his unrelieved pain and anguish hidden behind his calm resolve.

Then there is Lord Nikolai Krasny, Duke of Alkaev and Advisor to the Tsar.  He was introduced in Treasure and his promise as a fascinating character there is fulfilled here in Burning Bright.  Brilliant in demeanor and mind, cold in character, his vision is large in scope.  He’s very aware of  the conflict within his nation, court intrigue is a mere game compared to the losses he has already endured, his sister was a Vessel and the only man he has ever loved refuted him and now lies dying.  His remote, sarcastic voice is a needed contrast to those characters grounded in obligation and quiet suffering.  Also reappearing from Treasure, is the wonderfully slutty and adventuresome White Beast of Verde, Ailill.  The noble shapeshifter brings a much needed levity and sexuality with him.  I adored the brief glimpse of him onboard the Kumita and was thrilled to see how heavily involved he is here (and in future books).  Ivan and his band of mercenaries, the Wolves of Pozhar, form a sort of outlaw Greek chorus.  They don’t care much for religion, and see no reason for the sacrifices.  Loyalty to each other and their own flexible set of morals/rules is what guides them.  Finally, there is Raz and Pachal, the little sparks and our endearing young thieves.  They become the heart and heartbreak of this story.  You will quickly come to love them, as do all the denizens of the markets, brothels, and poor of the city.  Megan Derr has almost done too well a job with these two because you care for them so deeply and root for them with all your heart.  I am not sure I have forgiven her yet for some of the events here but forgiveness also seems to be a common thread throughout the Lost Gods saga so I am waiting to see how it all plays out.

Each book centers on one Kingdom and its Lost God.  In Treasure it was Kundou and the Three Dragons of the Storm.  Burning Bright is the  story of Poshar and it’s Lost God, Zhar Ptitsa.  Book 3 is called  Stone Rose and the kingdom of Pierdre with its Lost God, the Basilisk, to be followed by the books Poison and Chaos. Slowly, each convoluted puzzle piece falls into place as the tale of the Lost Gods is painstakingly assembled.  Like a Rubric’s Cube, each story has the same intricate structure.  Each character plays multiple rolls, each supposed dead end reveals a hidden passage, a character of seeming little consequence later reappears much changed in status and power.  Death and rebirth are constant companions.  Little things that bothered me in Treasure are resolved (somewhat) here but the final solutions and answers to all our questions won’t come until the very end of the last book in the Lost Gods series.

Can one love a book when you find no joyfulness in reading it?  For me the answer is yes. I gloried in the tale even as I had the taste of ash in my mouth. In fact I will reread this one and will probably hold the entire series close.  This is not a tale of romance, although love plays its part. Megan Derr is giving us an incredible epic, spanning the ages, continents and even death.  Each book should be read in succession and as a part of the series to get the full impact and role each kingdom and its people will play in the final battle for the Lost Gods.  You will both love and hate Burning Bright.  Have several boxes of tissue handy.  I did and still do.  I cannot wait for Stone Rose to come out and the epic of the Lost Gods to continue.  Kudos to Megan Derr for giving us two remarkable books in what promises to be one of the most extraordinary fantasy series in recent memory.

Cover: Art work by London Burden.  The covers are growing on me.  Each cover is a map of the kingdom involved, done in a way to resemble parchment.  The color choice carries over from the colors of the people of each kingdom.  Treasure has a blue cover to go with a kingdom by the sea and its people with hair and eyes the color of the sea.  Burning Bright has an orange or burnt cover perfect for citizens of Pozhar with hair and eyes the color of fire.  A simple concept for a cover of a book complex in story and character.

Available from Less Than Three Press.

The Week Ahead and a Tourtiere with a Twist!

The last week was wonderful and with today’s most excellent weather, this week is starting out the same.  Yesterday some of my GR m/m fiction group came over for drinks, book recs and conversation.  We had a great time and the weather was perfect.  Of course, one topic of conversation was the “best book” for each of us lately.  My book of choice was Scrap Metal by Harper Fox and my review will be posted here this week.  Also  right there with it was Burning Bright by Megan Derr.  I am so in love with this series and can’t wait for the next one. You all are going to love this book!

First, the reviews for this week:

Monday:                           Burning Bright (Lost Gods#2) by Megan Derr,  the 2nd book in a  stunning  fantasy series!

Tuesday:                           Sebastian’s Wolves by Valentina Heart

Wednesday:                     Hope by William Neale (his last book, published after his death)

Thursday:                         Time Gone By by Jan Suzukawa

Friday:                               I’m Not Sexy And I Know It by Vic Winter

Saturday:                          Scrap Metal by Harper Fox

My favorite dish of the last week was a first time recipe for me.  And it wowed me.  I will use this one often.  A tourtiere is basically a meat pastry or pie that originated in Quebec and is traditionally eaten around Christmas time.  But the one I am using is light enough and baked in a loaf form that can be eaten any time of the year.  The meat filling is usually pork with other meat added to it.  Here I am using ground round but in Canada, wild game such as rabbit or venison would have been used as well.  Absolutely not greasy in any way, the savory flavors and buttery taste of the pastry come together to melt in your mouth and make you smile with delight!

Ingredients for Tourtiere with a Twist:

PASTRY DOUGH:
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups cold butter, grated or chopped into small bits
2 eggs, lightly beaten
MEAT FILLING:
1 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground beef
1 large onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons summer savory, more to taste (Summer Savory spice is easily found in any grocery store)
Pinch ground cloves, optional (really add it, if you just have whole cloves, take 2 and smash them, works great)
4 to 6 tablespoons breadcrumbs (start with 4 and add until it is to your liking – I added all 6)
3 tablespoons milk, for brushing

Directions:

For the pastry dough: Put the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the grated butter. Pinch quickly to combine with the fingers to create a coarse, crumbly mixture. Make a well in the center. Add the eggs and 1 tablespoon ice-cold water. Quickly mix into the flour, just until the mixture holds together. Do not over mix. Divide into 2 balls and flatten into disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator 30 minutes before using.

For the meat filling: Put 1/2 cup water in a saute pan and quickly bring to a boil. Combine the ground pork, ground veal, onion, garlic, some salt and pepper and summer savory together in a bowl. Stir into the water. Cover, and cook until the meat is done, about 20 minutes. Remove the lid, stir in the breadcrumbs and continue cooking uncovered until the liquid has evaporated. Check the seasonings, and cool.

Heat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Roll a disk of pastry dough into a rectangle. Spoon a generous stripe of meat filling down the middle of it. Fold the short ends, up over the meat making sure to trim any excess pastry dough, otherwise it will be too thick. Then fold over the long ends so that they overlap to seal. Again, trim any excess pastry dough so it will bake evenly. Turn the log onto a baking sheet, seam-side down. Make a few slits in the top to let steam escape. Brush the top with milk for a golden crust. Bake until crisp and nicely colored, about 25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

If you have some left over, it tastes just as great the next day, perhaps even better!  You can’t go wrong here.  You will make this again and  again.

Hop Against Homophobia May 17th – 20th

This weekend please stop by the various blogs and leave a comment about this worthy cause.  Just in the last few weeks, we have had a straight soldier killed because he dared to hug a gay friend outside a bar.  And thousands of our youth are under attack, bullied because they love someone of the same gender.  Homophobia and fear go hand in hand as people often hate what they fear and fear what they don’t understand.

Take the time this weekend and check out some sites.  Start with The Trevor Project and It Gets Better Project.  Help support GLBT youth in danger.  Take the pledge!  Make a difference.               Information about the blogs and the Hope Against Homophobia can be found here.

Review of How We Operate by A. R. Moler

Rating: 4.5 stars

Chris Kearney is a seasoned Trauma surgeon who still mourns the loss of a young patient whose life on the streets caught up with him.  He meets with the undercover officer who brought the kid in to brief him on the injuries he found on the young man’s body and notices how attractive the cop is before returning to his OR.  The attraction is mutual.  Det. Drew Hayden, Vice , takes notice of the tired, kind hearted surgeon who answers his  questions, and calls him days later to let him know the case was closed and the murderer found.  Both men are  tempted to ask the other out, but their job responsibilities and limited free time make them pause.  When a surprise encounter at the local grocery store brings them together again, Drew Hayden takes the initiative and asks the doctor out.

Each date leads to another as the doctor and the detective find they mesh, physically, mentally, in every way possible.  But each works such long hours, and Hayden disappears for days when working undercover. Can each man find what it takes to make their relationship work even while dealing with the stress and strains of their occupations?  Only time will tell.

How We Operate delivers a deft portrayal of a relationship between two men from the first stirrings of attraction, then first date to exclusivity and declarations of love.  Each chapter represents a milestone in Chris and Drew’s relationship, large and small, which is a great idea I had not come across before. And each milestone shows us in detail how each man deals with the event and its impact upon their relationship. I felt as though I was almost eavesdropping on their conversations on each occasion so beautifully is this handled.

Make no mistake, A. R. Moler has done an outstanding job in giving us two real, flawed human beings in Chris Kearney and Drew Hayden so their relationship growth is not smooth or fairytale in any respect.  And I loved that.  The stresses and strains from their jobs flow over into their personal lives just as it does in ours so it makes it so easy for us to understand and empathize with each character as they struggle for balance between their professional and their private lives. Again just as we do.  The author clearly understand the pressures most couples operate under these days and treats it with the compassion it deserves.

A. R. Moler keeps the story and characters firmly grounded in reality.  It is also clear that Moler has done the necessary homework with regard to the descriptions of each man professions which are treated realistically and with respect.  Not once do we drop our belief in these men because we can see them so clearly.  Drew Hayden, long haired, weary from long hours undercover who needs to wash the dirt of the job off his body and out of his head.  Chris Kearney, overworked, a perfectionist in the OR, far too controlled for his own good. If either man walked into a room, I would know them  immediately, so vividly is each character drawn.

There are some stunning developments here which you might expect given each man’s profession, still when it occurs, the impact upon the reader is huge because you now care greatly what happens to them.  Yes, some tissues will be needed.  But Chris, Drew, and the reader are in capable hands here and when at last I put my Kindle down, I was happy for the couple I had gotten to know so well over the year and half of their relationship and throughly satisfied how I left them. I loved How We Operate and look forward to new stories from A. R. Moler.  I know I will be in good hands.

Cover:  Cover illustration by Alessia Brio.  I am not sure about this cover.  I kept thinking what is he doing? Given the professions of vice cop and er surgeon, I think the artist could have done a better job.  It doesn’t give the reader a clear indication of the story or characters within. I did like the fonts and the color of the title, easy to read as is the name of the author.

Available from Torquere Press, Amazon, and ARe.