A MelanieM Release Day Review: The Virgin Manny (The Mannies #1) by Amy Lane

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

the-virgin-mannyGrowing up and falling in love…

Sometimes family is a blessing and a curse. When Tino Robbins is roped into helping his sister deliver premade dinners when he should be studying for finals, he’s pretty sure it’s the latter! But one delivery might change everything.

Channing Lowell’s charmed life changes when his sister dies and leaves him her seven-year-old son. He’s committed to doing what’s best for Sammy… but he’s going to need a lot of help. When Tino lands on his porch, Channing is determined to recruit him to Team Sammy.

Tino plans to make his education count—even if that means avoiding a relationship—but as he falls harder and harder for his boss, he starts to wonder: Does he have to leave his newly forged family behind in order live his promising tomorrow?

The Virgin Manny is full of those wonderful things I like to think of as Amy Lane layers.  One, its those friends and families she memorably creates that orbit one or both of our main characters.  We always  want to get to know them more too.  They are often as interesting, adorable,  irascible (fill in the verb) and believable as our leading men.   We often come to love them so much that it does them a disservice to call them secondary or support characters. Tino’s sister, his best friend, his mom, his dad….ala familia? Yes indeed turning into ours as well.  Two, its not just one storyline.  Yes, there’s a main one.  But Lane weaves a tapestry of  entertaining and emotional threads for the reader and characters to follow.  It keeps both our hearts and minds involved as we wonder how Tino and Channing are going to handle a grief stricken child and their own evolving feelings for each other.  Its a tricky situation, especially as its only supposed to be temporary.  The possibilities for hurt are huge and the frailties of the child are acknowledged.

Tino also has his own issues and insecurities that he needs to work through. Channing too.  How they maneuver through their maze of emotions, questions about the future of any relationship, status issues and still make their connection to each other seem real and sexy?  True Amy Lane!

Do I heart this story?  Yes, I do.  And I loved Sammy, poor Sammy, lost, angry and grieving who has to learn to adjust and become a part of a new family.  Well, I adored him.

There’s some suspense but its the love and family at the heart of this wonderful story that sings.  I can’t recommend it enough.  Plus its the start of a new series!  Can’t wait for the next to appear.  Pick it up if you haven’t already and be prepared to fall in love.

Cover art by Paul Richmond.  Honestly?  Not my idea of Tino.  Its just ok.

Sales Links

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Book Details:

ebook, 228 pages
Expected publication: January 1st 2017 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1634776801 (ISBN13: 9781634776806)
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesThe Mannies #1

A MelanieM Release Day Review: In Enemy Hands by MA Church

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

in-enemy-handsTwo very different civilizations—one bathed in bright sunlight, and the other veiled in shadow.

Bad decisions, declining resources, and a king on the brink of madness force Prince Varo Kutchif, third son of the royal family and a starship captain, to attempt the impossible: barter for Black Phospolrock, an energy source the mysterious Helkan kingdom has in abundance. Varo opens a line of communication with Adlar, an intriguing Helkan who seems to reciprocate Varo’s interest. He hopes so, because if negotiations collapse, Varo has orders to attack.

The Helkans preside over a planet shrouded in perpetual darkness. Several species have tried to exploit its natural resources through trade with them, but all have failed. Adlar Mondur is the older brother to the Helkan ruler. An assassin of the highest order, he’ll do anything to protect his king and his people—including tracking down the Yesri prince who crash-lands on their planet, leaving an ugly scar across its untouched beauty.

Thus begins a journey where two men from disparate civilizations grow from enemies to lovers.

In Enemy Hands by MA Church was a story I never wanted to end.  Great world building to the extent that you felt you were walking along side Varo, seeing the planet’s marvels and dangers through his  eyes, the flora and fauna each and every one detailed and enticing.  And the Helkans are  every bit as intriguing and captivating as their planet.  Church has naturally carried through to from a planet wreathed in darkness to its peoples.  They are pale, dark haired, yellow eyes, strong and, just as beautiful and lethal as their home.  The Helkans view their resources, including the precious Black Phospolrock, in a manner the rest of the galaxy does not.  Church lays out their society and culture clearly.

What little we learn of the Yesri, they are the opposite in every way.  Industrialized to the point that they have destroyed their planet’s habitats and resources, their  planet is covered in sun as is their high born people who are tanned, white haired with brown eyes.  Heavily divided into class systems, the disparity between them is getting greater, and desperation is driving the commands behind Varo’s mission into space.

Was I hooked?  Oh you bet!

And once the two met?  Even better.  Because every time I came up with an issue with the way I thought Varo should be acting (perhaps more assured, whatever), Church was there ahead of me, anticipating my questions about his behavior, putting forth answers through Adlar…well, it was amazing.  I’m not one of those readers who enjoy a captive situation but this made great reading.  It was a slow learning process for both men, no hurt/comfort, just discovering who each one was under a stressful situation.  Adler giving Varo space to grow and Varo being  able to see past his prejudices.  Plus the two of them together?  Sexy as hell.

There’s intrigue of course, and danger.  Enough here for two books.  I believe the author has left open enough possibilities that should Church wish too she could revisit this planet and couple easily.  Or we could see how  Wrief, Varo’s brother got on.   After this, I’m up for anything to do with the Halkans and its ruling family.

As I said this was an amazing story.  I loved it.  If you are a lover of science fiction, romance, M.A. Church, or all of the above, pick it up and start reading.  I highly recommend it.

Cover art by Anne Cain is perfect for Adler.

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Book Details:

ebook, 214 pages
Expected publication: December 30th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1634776089 (ISBN13: 9781634776080)
Edition LanguageEnglish

Raine O’Tierney on Writing and her release, The 12 Days of Hipster (The Avona Tales #2) (author interview, excerpt and giveaway)

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The 12 Days of Hipster (The Avona Tales #2) by Raine O’Tierney
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reamspinner Press
Cover art by Paul Richmond

Available for Purchase at

        

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Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Raine O’Tierney here today answering questions about writing and her latest release in the Avona Tales series, The 12 Days of Hipster.  Welcome, Raine.

~

-Our Raine O’Tierney Interview-

Where do you normally draw your inspiration for a book from?  A memory, a myth, a place or journey, or something far more personal?

A lot of times, I choose my plot to soothe some internal hurt. Either a regret of mine, or a story I heard in real life that didn’t quite have that HEA. I like to turn to the world of writing to “make it right.” Writing has healed a lot of wounds.

Are you a planner or a pantzer when writing a story? And  why?

Such a pantzer. I write organically and only at the very, very end do I think, “All right, let’s wrap this up — how?” Then I might do a mini plot.

Contemporary, supernatural, fantasy, or science fiction narratives or something else?  Does any genre draw you more than another when writing it or reading it and why does it do so?

I’m a genre-jumper! Characters are my passion, so whatever genre fits those characters, that’s where you’ll find me.

If you had a character you’ve written you would write differently now at this time in your writing career, who would it be and why?

Shane Devereaux from Sweet Giordan— It’s not that I would write him differently, but I would show more of him and his hurts. I don’t think I conveyed him as well as I could have.

Can a author have favorites among their characters and do you have them?

Absolutely! My very favorite character is Isa Zaman from I’ll Always Miss You.

If you were writing your life as a romance novel, what would the title be?

Crazy Gal Gets Married Straight Out of High School… Because… I married my high school sweetheart a week after graduation! 😉

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-Blurb-

The 12 Days of Hipster

(Sequel to Bowl Full of Cherries)

Last Christmas, Tyler Lang accidentally accepted David Griffith’s invitation for dinner. Yes, it was an accident. See, hipster (don’t call him that!) Tyler doesn’t date guys, and even if he did, he certainly doesn’t date jocks. A rude and hasty exit right when the date was getting good left things awkward between them.

David Griffith isn’t really a jock. Well, he’s a former athlete who loves sports, but “jock” has a certain connotation that doesn’t quite fit the intelligent, hardworking store owner. A jock wouldn’t have given Tyler Lang the time of day. But even after that little, ahem, stunt with the fire escape, David can’t stop thinking about the hipster a year later. Which would be fine if fate didn’t keep butting her nose into their business, making it impossible for the jock and the hipster to avoid each other this Christmas.

A hilarious holiday romp, set to the music of the Winter Sounds.

Excerpt-

Okay, fine. If he couldn’t get out of this with direct and sound logic, he would try the irrational. The completely, totally—did he say completely?—irrational. Tyler tightened his grip on David’s hand, leaned forward, and kissed him. But before a full second had passed, David burst out laughing against Tyler’s lips.

Tyler yanked back, heat suffusing his face.

“What?”

“That was the sourest prekiss expression I’ve ever seen.”

“That’s it, I’m leaving.”

“Tyler, you don’t have to go.”

“No sparks. Only laughter. Must leave.”

“No sparks because you looked like you were in physical pain and made me laugh. Why don’t you be a little more romantic about it?”

“Because I….” Don’t know what in the hell I’m doing. It was probably the first time in his life he really could say that. He’d learned things before. There had been a time when he hadn’t known how to knit, when he hadn’t known how to make gourmet chocolates, when he hadn’t known how to use a soldering iron—but those were just learning opportunities. But with this? He felt like he was standing out naked on the corner with only mistletoe to cover his bits.

“More like this.”

The second kiss was what Tyler would have called sweet if the word had been in his vocabulary. David’s lips were warm, soft, giving, and for a moment the kiss lingered on that edge of innocent, like a snowflake dancing through the sky. Then the world tipped and Tyler’s hands were in David’s hair and David was drawing him closer and, motherfuckinggod, they were kissing. Hard, searching lips, taking and giving, and it took him way too long to realize what he was doing. In fact, he might not have ever realized it if they hadn’t needed to breathe like humans do. It took a long moment for rational thought to come back to Tyler.

-About the Author-

Called “Queen of the Sweetness” (well, two or three people said it anyway!) Raine O’Tierney loves writing sweet stories about first loves, first times, fidelity, forever-endings and…friskiness?

Raine in Kansas City with her husband, fellow Dreamspinner Press author, Siôn O’Tierney. When she’s not writing, she’s either asleep, or fighting the good fight for intellectual freedom at her library day job. Raine believes the best thing we can do in life is be kind to one another, and she enjoys encouraging fellow writers!

Raine changes sub-genres to suit her mood and believes all good stories end sweetly. Contact her if you’re interested in talking about point-and-click adventure games or about which dachshunds are the best kinds of dachshunds!

-SOCIAL MEDIA

Website: http://raineotierney.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raineotierney
Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/RaineOTierneyAuthor/
Twitter: @raineotierney
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7770350.Raine_O_Tierney

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-Giveaway (Rafflecopter)-

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A MelanieM Release Day Review: The 12 Days of Hipster (The Avona Tales #2) by Raine O’Tierney

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

the-12-days-of-hipsterSequel to Bowl Full of Cherries

Last Christmas, Tyler Lang accidentally accepted David Griffith’s invitation for dinner. Yes, it was an accident. See, hipster (don’t call him that!) Tyler doesn’t date guys, and even if he did, he certainly doesn’t date jocks. A rude and hasty exit right when the date was getting good left things awkward between them.

David Griffith isn’t really a jock. Well, he’s a former athlete who loves sports, but “jock” has a certain connotation that doesn’t quite fit the intelligent, hardworking store owner. A jock wouldn’t have given Tyler Lang the time of day. But even after that little, ahem, stunt with the fire escape, David can’t stop thinking about the hipster a year later. Which would be fine if fate didn’t keep butting her nose into their business, making it impossible for the jock and the hipster to avoid each other this Christmas.

A hilarious holiday romp, set to the music of the Winter Sounds.

Wow, how did I miss this series from Raine O’Tierney? The 12 Days of Hipster is the second story in The Avona Tales and now I’m playing catchup because I love, loved this book!  Not only did the author give me one of the most enjoyable tales this December but she also introduced this fellow Christmas music “whore” to the wonderful lyrics and melodies of The Winter Sounds.  Be still my heart.  This story moves to their music!

The first story (which I missed and will be going back to pick up) was  about Tyler Lang’s brother Rell and his best friend, Owl.  Here, Tyler, now living with them, and very hipster indeed, accepts an invitation from David Griffith, a multifaceted individual in jock’s clothing.  This is their story, a funny, tumultuous path to romance and love.

Tyler is a wound up hipster type complicated person.  Full of worries about implications over how he’s perceived from actions to outerwear, he’s really sort of frail, always ready to sprint away at the first signs of emotional commitment and serious decisions that involve him and his heart.  And run he often does, literally.  He’s exhausting to himself, his brother (with whom he’s often combative at worst and at best irritating), and best friend, Owl, who’s trying to stay calm and non-judgmental.  I loved this character.  So human, with all his faults, beard, twirly mustache, suspenders and well, all things hipster.  You just can’t help it.  And neither can David.

David Griffith, another splendid main character, easy to love and full of his own issues, some of them the same as Tyler’s.  Watching these two adjust to each other, its a dance that pulls you into their lives and circle of friends.  You also get the problems and issues happening in the lives of Rell and Owl.  Argh, I need their story.   And its Christmas, a time for family, and tension, and stress, and love.  And Raine O’Tierney gets that and its amazing.  Plus its puts to the soundtrack of The Winter Sounds (yes I pulled it up on SoundCloud and it became my companion for this read just as the author mentioned in her foreword).

The 12 Days of Hipster (The Avona Tales #2) by Raine O’Tierney is a must read story  I absolutely recommend.  Its full of love, romance and the holiday spirit.  Its funny, has moments of sadness and joy, and a soundtrack to set you a singing!  Plus now I have another book to go search out and read.  Yes, it does work as a standalone but after reading it, who would want to pass on the first?  Not me.  Happy Holidays!

Cover art by Paul Richmond who couldn’t have gotten every aspect more perfect if he’d waved a wand.  From the characters to the hawk, its spot on.  A favorite of mine this year.

Sales Links

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Book Details:

ebook, 240 pages
Expected publication: December 19th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1635331277 (ISBN13: 9781635331271)
Edition LanguageEnglish
Series The Avona Tales