I donât know how I missed this one when it first came out but Iâve read it now and what a fantastic story.
The first of a duology for this couple, Sherwoodâs is a tale of two soldiers from different countries who became everything to each other over the course of a war. At the end , they then have to find a way back together outside of established relationships roles from wartime. This is a simply amazing epic that encompasses a number of countries, tenuous post war political realities, cultural differences and conflicts, found families, and sexual awakenings.
And the reader is able to intimately explore all those elements through the experiences of the characters in the story, Shiirei General Sho Renjimantoro and Aart General Arman Brahms.
Sherwood chooses to open the novel with a prologue, which captures the moment at the end of a long devastating war that Ren agrees to leave his country of Shiirei behind to follow General and best friend Arman Brahms to his home and country. Itâs a highly emotional scene, full of drama and history about the men and their lives.
Ren, whoâs always been open about his sexuality, has never accepted for it in his own country. But within his own company of soldiers and that of Arman, heâs been able to be open about his preference for the company of men. That freedom and deep connection with Arman is forefront in his decision for leaving for Aart as well as the fact his Emperor can no longer employ his army.
Arman is more a subtle character than Ren. Renâs voice is more prevalent here both as a character and for the reader as the main POV. Arman is a man of few words, Ren being his interpreter in the relationship for others, and often the talkative one in their dynamic.
Sherwood uses Armanâs language to convey his love for others and ease in their presence. Itâs extremely effective and becomes even an integral aspect of his personality in the second book, Zone of Action.
But here itâs Armanâs journey to understanding his relationship with Ren, its evolving stages from deep friendship to deepest romantic love. Sherwood makes it believable without us being in on all the emotional mental work Arman goes through. It works because of the discussions had between Ren and Arman about his feelings for Ren, and that realness comes through beautifully.
Sherwood lays in the background and foundation for Aartâs reigning family and the other governing bodies to make plans that the war they just fought and won wonât be repeated.
Thereâs political intrigue, assaults, assassination attempts, and more. All woven into the story of the evolution of the deep relationship between Ren and Arman.
I couldnât put this down. Fourth Point of Contact: The Warden and the General (Legends of Lobe den Herren #1) by A. J. Sherwood turned into a favorite of mine.
I highly recommend it to all readers of this genre and fans of this author if you havenât discovered it already. Itâs an absolute gem.
Legends of Lobe den Herren :
â Fourth Point of Contact: The Warden and the General #1
His best friend never deployed again, and always beside him
It does not include:
Assassins inside of his palace
Far too many conspiracies
Being proposed to while hungover. In bed. By his straight best friend.
Arman Brahms falling in love with him is a fantasy Renâs buried for over six years, so to have it come true seems unreal. He has questions. All the questions. Mainly because Arman is bad at using his words.
But the most important question?
Is the fantasy worth risking everything?
Tags:
Friends to lovers, GFY, Arman is the king of demisexual, Arman is absolutely done with this nonsense and lets people know it, no fainting damsels here, proposing is difficult, indecent proposal, Arman uses words, not too many, thatâs what Ren is for, Renâs up to rule twenty-five, Armanâs still violating three, five, and sixteen, too many potential conspiracies, too many assassination attempts, Ren would like less assassins please and thank you, being warden to a palace is not as much fun as it looks, Fourth Point of Contact doesnât mean what you think, donât mix alcohol with a teenage princess, accidental princess corruption, royal meddlers, fantasy world but no magic
M.D. Grimm has a new MM fantasy romance out (ace, bi, demi): A Priest, a Plague, and a Prophecy. And there’s a giveaway.
âOrcs are the answer but what is the question?â
Elias is a priest at the Temple of the Divine Sibyl. When he becomes lost in the woods after his brotherâs hunting party abandons him, itâs just his luck that heâd stumble upon an angry orc caught in a trap. Unable to stomach the suffering of others, Elias throws self-preservation to the wind and frees the orc. Then Gurrkkâthatâs a name?âends up leading him to safety.
Gurrkk finds himself rather smitten by the sweet, awkward human. Heâs always been fascinated with his peopleâs sworn enemy, and now he has a life debt to fulfill to maintain his honor.
Hiding an orc among the templeâs crypts wouldnât have been Eliasâs first choice but Gurrkk is stubborn about leaving. As they learn each otherâs languages and spend more time together, Elias realizes theyâve become friends⌠and maybe more. And when the dying sibyl gives her last prophecy, Elias knows it wasnât chance that brought them together, it was the gods.
But why?
This is a sweet, ace romance, so no sexy times, but plenty of snuggles and cuddles!
Elias closed his eyes and clasped his hands under his chin, sending a fervent prayer to the gods, asking for a sign. Any sign that would lead him home. Seconds passed. Minutes. He cracked open one eye to look around. Seeing nothing, he glared and set his fists on his hips.
So much for divine intervention.
âIâm one of your priests, and you donât give me the time of day,â he mumbled as he set off down the left-hand path.
He was hungry again.
Even as he was contemplating the pros and cons of eating one of his last apples, he stumbled around a thick tree before halting in shock.
An orc sat on the ground, his greenish-gold skin glistening with sweat and his coal-black eyes glaring with menace. He was almost bald, except for a spiky strip of green hair running from his forehead to the back of his skull. The lack of hair accentuated his large ears that moved independently of each other. Two pronounced fangs jutted up from his lower jaw, which was square and blunt, and more sharp teeth showed when he growled.
Elias stayed frozen, taking in the long black tunic cinched at the waist by a gold cord. The short sleeves were trimmed with gold thread, baring muscled arms. The stately garb struck Elias, making him wonder as to the status of the orc. Did they have hierarchy as humans did? The tunic ended around his knees, leaving the rest of his muscled legs bare. Also, this orc wasnât of monstrous size, so he couldnât be of the mountain variety. He was certainly taller and broader than Elias, but also leaner, corded with muscle, like that big cat Elias had spotted earlier. And his face was⌠not horrible. Brutish and sharp but not hideous or even ugly. Those illustrators of tomes really set out to depict orcs as the most horrific creatures ever to grace the earth.
The urge to run made his palms grow damp and his breath to quicken. Not that he could run for more than a few steps before wheezing because he was so damn out of shape, and why the hell didnât he train with his brother? Iâm going to die, Iâm going to dieâŚ.
Then his gaze traveled down to the reason the orc was sitting on the ground and not eating his face. Vicious steel jaws had the orc by the ankle, piercing deeply into his flesh. The jaws were attached to a chain that was buried into to the earth. The fact the orc hadnât freed himself meant this was one of the trick jaws. One specifically made for capturing orcs. The scoured earth around the chain proved that the orc had tried to dig himself free but clearly hadnât succeeded. His ankle was a mess of torn flesh and caked blood, and only then did Elias notice the buzz of flies.
How long had he been sitting there, in pain? In fear?
Sympathy rose with anger not far behind. Elias and the orc stared at each other, and Elias found himself stepping closer without consciously deciding his actions. The orc growled deeper, eyes narrowed in warning. Elias stopped again, wondering what he was doing. This was an orc! The enemy! The beasts that kept trying to take their lands. Attiusâs tirades whirled through his mind even as the battle songs about marauding orcs jangled in his memory.
Heâd never joined in. Heâd never had anything personal against orcs. He never thought one way or another about them. Fighting them wasnât a part of his world. Most of his life had been spent ensconced in the Temple of the Divine Sibyl, which was safely behind fortified stone walls and separated from the general populace of the city.
He was sheltered and he knew it. To see such ugly pain in another living creature struck him to the core. That was one of the reasons he didnât eat meat. He couldnât reconcile killing just to feed himself when there were plenty of other things to consume if he simply looked.
At that moment, this orc was no different than any other wild animal caught in a trap. And would he let such a creature die so horribly? No, he would not.
Taking a deep breath, and with more courage than he would profess to have, Elias crouched before slowly pushing off his pack. He kept his eyes on the orc and opened the top flap before tilting it to show the orc that it only held medicines, plant samples, parchment, and ink.
âI donât want to hurt you,â he said gently. âCan you understand me?â
The orc made no indication either way. He continued to growl and glare.
âI want to help you.â Elias took the one weapon he had, a long dagger, and showed the orc the blade before tossing it away. The orc stopped growling and blinked in apparent surprise. Elias shuffled closer on his knees, keeping his demeanor as non-threatening as possible. He almost snortedâas if a soft priest like him could be threatening. He kept speaking in low tones as he would to a frightened animal. He kept his pack held out in front of him, hoping the harmless items would convince the orc he wasnât a hunter.
The orcâs large nostrils flared, and he squinted into the bag. He must have smelled the remaining apples, the plant samples, and the few healing ointments Elias carried with him everywhere. Elias set the bag within easy reach of the orc just in case he wanted to investigate. Then he took a good look at the steel jaws and winced.
The orc didnât wear shoes, his sturdy, rough feet tough enough not to need them. His nails were more like claws, almost identical to those on his fingers. The trap would have been covered, and heâd stepped directly onto the triggering mechanism. The blades had barely missed his foot to cut into his ankle, probably scraping against the bones and tendons.
Elias took a moment to fight nausea.
âDamn. Once I free your leg itâs going to bleed profusely. I have to wrap it fast and tight.â He glanced up and met the orcâs eyes. Grim determination stared back at him and Elias blinked. âYou do understand me.â
Author Bio
M.D. Grimm has wanted to write stories since second grade (kind of young to make life decisions, but whatever) and nothing has changed since then (well, plenty of things actually, but not that!).
Thankfully, she has indulgent parents who let her dream, but also made sure she understood sheâd need a steady job to pay the bills (they never let her forget it!). After graduating from the University of Oregon and majoring in English, (letâs be honest: useless degree, what else was she going to do with it?) she started on her writing career and couldnât be happier.
Working by day and writing by night (or any spare time she can carve out), she enjoys embarking on romantic quests and daring adventures (living vicariously, you could say) and creating characters that always triumph against the villain, (or else whatâs the point?) finding their soul mate in the process.
A Priest, A Plague, and A Prophecy is a new sweet, fantasy romance from M D Grimm. I admit I was overdue in revisiting this author and this short tale of two enemies, a inter species, happy ending of a Romeo and Jules sort of situation, was a perfect intro back into her writing.
Grimm has built a world of humans and orcs, living close enough that their encounters with each other havenât gone for the better. Over the years their clashes have grown worse,their basic fears about each otherâs races fed by completely different appearances, as well as an inability to communicate due to separate languages and cultures. Their skirmishes grew larger each time, offensively more bloody , due to the size , physicality and style of their fighting , until all each knows is hatred.
Itâs not until a fumbling young priest called Eli meets a young orc called Gurrkk in trouble that everything starts to change.
Itâs in the rich details as well as the emotional landscape that this story does so well. The authorâs ability to convey two people of separate races, determined to understand each other, under enormous stress, then through friendship and finally love. We get all the different cultural elements, language, mating, bonding, children, religion,and leadership.
Grimm has deeply settled her characters within their respective communities and families, and that allows her readers to explore them on a really personal level.
This is a romance between two characters that look at sexuality in a different way. How they handle that difference is another plus for me in the narrative. While it may have an initial aspect of hesitation to discuss the subject, that doesnât stop the characters from being adults and talking about their sexual preferences and orientation. Especially important where two species are involved.
The ending ( and the bit with the villain) came about a tad too fast. I wished for more action and explanation to compete with all the grand exposition that went before. And time with the two groups together.
Ah well!
A Priest, A Plague, and A Prophecy by MD Grimm is a richly told, happily ended , well written fantasy story! One Iâm absolutely recommending.
Elias is a priest at the Temple of the Divine Sibyl. When he becomes lost in the woods after his brotherâs hunting party abandons him, itâs just his luck that heâd stumble upon an angry orc caught in a trap. Unable to stomach the suffering of others, Elias throws self-preservation to the wind and frees the orc. Then Gurrkkâthatâs a name?âends up leading him to safety.
Gurrkk finds himself rather smitten by the sweet, awkward human. Heâs always been fascinated with his peopleâs sworn enemy, and now he has a life debt to fulfill to maintain his honor.
Hiding an orc among the templeâs crypts wouldnât have been Eliasâs first choice but Gurrkk is stubborn about leaving. As they learn each otherâs languages and spend more time together, Elias realizes theyâve become friends⌠and maybe more. And when the dying sibyl gives her last prophecy, Elias knows it wasnât chance that brought them together, it was the gods.
Damian Nettoyer is the Empireâs go-to gun. He kills whoever they want him to kill. In exchange, he and his rag-tag gang of crooks get to live, and Damianâs psychokinetic partner and lover, Aris, isnât issued a one-way ticket to an Empire-sanctioned lobotomy.
Then Damianâs latest mark, a suave revolutionary named Raeyn, kicks his ass and demands his help. The first item on the new agenda: take out Damianâs old bossâor Raeyn will take out Damianâs crew.
To protect his friends and save his own skin, Damian teams up with Raeyn to make his revolution work. As the revolution gains traction, Damian gets way too close to Raeyn, torn between the need to shoot him one moment and kiss him the next. But Aris slips further away from Damian, and as Arisâ control over his powers crumbles, the Watch catches on.
With the Empire, Damian had two policies: shoot first and donât ask questions. But to save the guy he loves, heâll set the world on fire.
Buckle up and hold on tight, you’re in for one hell of a wild ride with âEmpire of Lightâ. And don’t forget the hard hats and bullet proof vests! Oh, and do take a look at the trigger warnings on the publisher’s website, there’s a lot of violence and other stuff going on.
Usually it’s a bad sign when a book makes me wince. That means the writing is so bad, it physically hurts. But here I was wincing in sympathy with poor Damian, who’s constantly getting beaten up or shot. Not that he’s an innocent victim, he doles out his fair share of violence as well. Now, I’ve never been beaten up or shot, but the author did such a brilliant job at describing it all, I could almost feel the pain.
The plot is full of action and leaves you kind of breathless. There’s always something happening and our heroes never get to really catch their breath. This makes for an extremely addicting read. I had to force myself to put the book down and get some sleep.
The setting is quite dark, very much a dystopia for adults, with plenty of blood, sweat and tears. And some sex, but no romance in the traditional sense. Honestly, the romance kind of broke my heart.
But despite the action packed plot, there was a lot of feeling as well. It really affected me and I had to swallow back tears once or twice. And I really rooted for the three MCs. They probably don’t qualify as nice guys and they did some pretty bad stuff, but it made sense in the context.
I enjoyed the world building, I think it was really well done and made a lot of sense.
Honestly, I loved everything about this book. And the best part: This is the start of a new series, so there’s more to come! The ending definitely left potential for more, but there’s no cliffhanger. I still can’t wait for book two.
The cover by Natasha Snow is aesthetically very pleasing, but I’m not sure it quite fits the story. I’d expect a space opera, not a dystopia set in a futuristic New York.
Damian Nettoyer is the Empireâs go-to gun. He kills whoever they want him to kill. In exchange, he and his rag-tag gang of crooks get to live, and Damianâs psychokinetic partner and lover, Aris, isnât issued a one-way ticket to an Empire-sanctioned lobotomy.
Then Damianâs latest mark, a suave revolutionary named Raeyn, kicks his ass and demands his help. The first item on the new agenda: take out Damianâs old bossâor Raeyn will take out Damianâs crew.
To protect his friends and save his own skin, Damian teams up with Raeyn to make his revolution work. As Aris slips away from Damian and his control over his powers crumbles, the Watch catches on. Damian gets way too close to Raeyn, torn between the need to shoot him one minute and kiss him the next.
With the Empire, Damian had two policies: shoot first and donât ask questions. But to save the guy he loves, heâll set the world on fire.
Join NineStar Press Authors Alex Harrow, L. A. Ashton, and Tash McAdam on FACEBOOK for a virtual launch party of their releases, EMPIRE OF LIGHT, ECHOES, and WE ARE THE CATALYST!
Find the party HERE. The event is February 25th from 8-10 PM CST, but feel free to drop by and stay as long as you wish!
For more info on each author and their books, visit:
Stop by for exclusive snippets, character takeovers, prizes, and swag!
Excerpt
Empire of Light
Alex Harrow Š 2019
All Rights Reserved
One: Shootings with a Chance of Explosions
Funny how I always had to be the guy who ended up with a gun to his head.
âI thought you said this was going to be easy,â Aris said somewhere to my right. His voice was thick, the words choked out past the gun shoved underneath his jaw. The two Reds who kept us pinned were all broad shoulders and raw muscle. Huge white guys. Buzz cuts. Built like fucking tanks. In the low light of a fading sunset spilling into the empty warehouse, their leather coats gleamed like congealing blood.
The run had started out simple enough: get in, dump the cargoâa couple dozen barrels of diesel and some tech weâd snatched off a derailed trainâand get the hell out. The placeâd been abandoned for years, just another slouching ruin on the outskirts of Low Side. The perfect hiding spot to stash away things you didnât want the Watch to find, while waiting for the highest bidder to jump the gun. A surefire way to some quick and easy cash and still get to my real job for the night.
Standing there with my face mashed against the crumbling brick wall, a gun barrel against my skull, it looked more like a surefire way straight to a cell in the Finger of Light.
If we were lucky.
The guy above me seemed happy to put a bullet into my brainpan and chalk both Aris and me up as âcasualties, resisting arrest.â The Watch, safeguards of the Empire, the Consolidated Nations at their best. To protect and serve. Right.
I couldnât just tell our dear upstanding Reds to go ahead and stick their guns and handcuffs up their asses because we kind of were on the same team. I might be running the Empireâs off-the-books hits for extra cash, but officially, I didnât exist. Blurting out I was on their bossâs payroll wouldnât get me anything but a bullet to the head and my body dumped into the East River. Talk about employment perks.
Thatâs what I got for double-booking myself. Fucking Murphyâs Law.
And worse, Iâd dragged Aris into it.
âGuess Jay was sugarcoating it a little when she said there might be slight complications.â
Someone ratted us out. No way the Watch had just shown up here, far from their usual patrol routes, without any reason. The whole thingâd been a sting from the get-go, and once I found out whoâd set us upâ
My fingers twitched for my Colt. My Colt that lay cold and useless five feet away from me. Slim chance Iâd be able to shoot both Reds before one of them got to either Aris or me, but I might get lucky and get the drop on one of them. Especially if I could piss him off enough he got stupid. At the very least I could distract them from Aris.
âYou know, I kind of need to be somewhere. And Iâd appreciate a little more leg room here,â I said and squirmed under the Redâs grip.
Honestly, by now I probably shouldâve memorized some of the regularsâ names or something. To me, they all looked the same. All fists ready to punch and guns ready to fire; neatly wrapped in black uniforms and their trademark red coats. Not like this was the first time either. By now, the Watch should issue us a punch card for frequent visits, maybe something with a rewards program.
âShut up.â
The Red jerked me around and slammed my head into the murky stained-glass window to my right. Point taken. A distant rushing filled my ears. Spots started to slow-dance in front of my vision. I went down hard, twisting away from the Redâs reach and blindly fumbling for my Colt. Iâd barely moved before his boot came down on my fingers with a dry crunch. I bit back a grunt that came out more like a breathless scream.
âNext time itâll be your head,â the RedâI mentally tagged him as Captain Crunchâsaid, towering above me, gun aimed at my forehead. If he shot me from that angle, there wouldnât be enough of my head left for Aris to scrape out of the wall cracks behind me.
Here was hoping he had more fun beating the shit out of me than making shooting me look like itâd been his only option.
The Red didnât shoot me. Instead, his knee dug into the small of my back, his free hand going for a pair of handcuffs. âIn the name of the Empire of Light, I hereby place you under arrest forââ
âOh, I donât think so,â Aris said.
Heâd been standing perfectly still, his head slightly bowed, a model of the âhands above your head and donât make a moveâ arrestee. The unthreatening kind. The kind who came quietly and wouldnât even think to make any trouble for our dear upstanding officers of the Watch who only did their job.
When he straightened, brushing away a few errant blond curls thatâd slipped out of his loose ponytail, a slow smile curved his lips. A dangerous smile, turning positively radiant until it teetered on the edge of manic as he glanced from the guy above me to the one holding him.
âIn fact, Iâd suggest you two start running. This is going to get messy.â
His eyes flicked to me. âDamian, stay down. And get out.â
And like that, all color drained out of his eyes until they were a stark, milky white.
Oh shit.
âAris, no!â
Too late.
The Red pinning me tensed. He slapped his hand on his right ear to call out for reinforcements. His headset shorted out with a buzz and the burned-copper smell of fried electronics. The guy holding Aris cursed and flinched away, as if heâd been zapped by a high-voltage fence.
Aris didnât move. His expression wiped completely blank, like someoneâd snuffed out the lights behind his eyes, now fixed on some point far above me.
Then he blinked.
I felt the zing of the Voyance crack through the air like a power surge. The window wall at my back blew up in a shower of broken glass and toppling bricks.
Sacred, bleeding fuck!
I managed to duck and roll away before half the wall collapsed on top of me. I flattened myself onto the ground and then scrambled to my feet, cursing and coughing through a cloud of red-brick dust settling on the crumbling remains scattered all over the cement floor and the cracked pavement outside.
The explosion hit the Red above me completely by surprise. I only spared him a quick glance to make sure his hunched form wasnât moving, and he wasnât faking being unconscious. Or dead. A slow trickle of blood ran down his temple where one of the flying bricks mustâve hit him. People died from less. I didnât push my luck.
I grabbed my Colt, its weight solid and familiar against my stiff, throbbing fingers.
âAris?â
âOver here.â His voice was a thin thread, fraying at the edges. âTold you to get out.â
I ignored that last bit. Aris stood only a few feet away from me, his back pressed against the remnants of the wall. His face was gray, and he was trembling badly; he probably wouldâve fallen over if not for the second Red who kept him pinned.
âFucking Voyant,â the Red snarled, gun shoved against Arisâs temple, ready to put him down. As if Aris was nothing but a rabid animal.
Aris stood perfectly still, blood running out his noseâa steady drip down the collar of his shirt. Looking at him, knowing how easily I could lose him, hurt worse than all the bruises and broken bones any Red could ever give me.
âDamianââ
The Redâs finger tightened around the trigger. I shot him in the head. His body sagged sideways and hit the ground with a meaty thud, his gun slipping uselessly from his fingers.
âJust to be clear,â I said to the body at my feet. âHeâs my fucking Voyant, so back the fuck off.â
Alex Harrow is a genderqueer, pansexual, and demisexual author of queer science fiction and fantasy. Alexâ pronouns are they/them.
When not writing diversity with a chance of explosions, Alex is a high school English teacher, waging epic battles against comma splices, misused apostrophes, and anyone under the delusion that the singular âtheyâ is grammatically incorrect.
A German immigrant, Alex has always been drawn to language and stories. They began to write when they realized that the best guarantee to see more books with queer characters was to create them. Alex cares deeply about social justice and wants to see diverse characters, including LGBTQ+ protagonists, in more than the stereotypical coming out story.
Alex currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with their equally geeky wife, outnumbered by three adorable feline overlords, and what could not possibly be too many books.
Can friends turned occasional lovers move beyond past mistakes and wrong assumptions to build something that can last?
Quiet bookworm Shane has a big secretâone heâs kept for fifteen years. AFL superstar Ambrose Jakoby grew up next door to Shane. They were close friends, and Shane supported Ambrose through school.
One night, everything changed.
Before Ambrose left Perth as a scared eighteen-year-old to head to Melbourne and take up his new footy career, Ambrose and Shane slept together.
For the next nine years, they continued a secret friends-with-benefits situation whenever Ambrose was in town. Shane never knew exactly where he stood or how to define Ambroseâs sexualityâand Ambrose didnât know either. Then last Christmas, everything changed again, and a disagreement strained their friendship. Shane vowed to get over his unrequited love.
But Ambrose is back, recovering from an injury and hoping to make amends. He claims heâs ready for a real relationship. But Shane has to decide whether Ambrose means it and whether his Hufflepuff soul can take the chance.
Knowing Me, Knowing You by Renae Kaye is another enjoyable, sweet romance in her Loving You series. This series, built around a group of friends and couples has had its share of unusual pairings. For some it’s been in exploration of each man’s sexuality, a finding of their identity, an acceptance and self knowledge before they can acknowledge their love for the man that’s their HEA and full time partner in life.
And that has come with some controversy over labels and descriptions.
Thankfully, we seem to have vanquished the “gay for you” trope, at least from most books I’ve read lately for some realistic and honest look at sexuality. Kaye does so here with Ambrose and demisexuality. The fact that he just couldn’t understand his own lack of sexual drive in general as a youth or that it was only oriented towards one or a couple of people seems realistic. There was no one he could speak to, no one to as questions to. The talks he later had, years later, with Shane felt believable and sort of sad, while being ground in a factual reality.
That Shane didn’t understand more of the LGBTQIA spectrum? Maybe not so much. I would have expected more knowledge and understanding from him, less density. That was my frustration as a reader. Shane is surrounded by friends who have gone through a myriad of experiences, he regularly does to Pride Parades. Isn’t he picking up the literature and education as well?
Of course, all of this is mixed in with years of boyhood friendship, kisses and hookups, then miscommunication or no communication, and just dealing with years apart. All done through Renae Kaye’s layered well rounded characters going through believable situations in life. Ambrose is hurt in what might be a career ending injury, and wants to reconnect with Shane. Shane’s needs to see if he is ready to examine their relationship and his life in general. It’s all messy, painful, loving, and real.
And yes, maybe it sometimes even needs to come with some labels if that’s what someone needs. Or doesn’t. Feeling pressured into sex feels pretty believable and understandable these days no matter the gender. So I get that element too. I think most readers will. That it has taken Ambrose all this time to start to figure out why he feels the way he does is no mystery. Some people take much longer. That rings true as well.
I loved bringing the search for Ambrose’s family into this. Such a heartwarming part of this story. I just loved that.
Without heading into spoiler territory, I do feel some ambivalence about that ending. Kaye keeps it real there too. It’s the only way it can happen without a epilogue years into the future. I’m hoping that we keep having a peek at this couple into the next stories and updates as to what their current status is. Maybe even a new story down the line. That would be wonderful.
Cover Artist: Maria Fannin. Love that cover. Light hearted, bright and happy. It draws the reader to it. Love it.
Kindle Edition, 1st edition, 255 pages
Expected publication: October 30th 2018 by Dreamspinner Press
ASINB07G76PMK5
Edition Language English Series Loving YouÂ
Faelen, cousin to the prince and son of a diplomat, has finally come home to Tournai after years away. The pull to return was almost tangible, and the sense of rightness at being back is absolute. He wants nothing more than to put down roots and build a life among family while pursuing his linguistic studies. Becoming involved in magic meant to protect Tournai isnât part of his plansâŚbut falling in love is even more unexpected and unfamiliar, but he finds himself doing just that as his friendship with Maxen deepens into something more.
Maxen, second son of a wealthy merchant family, longs to leave Tournai and see everywhere he can. All his life, heâs found places on maps and dreamed, planning out routes to get to them. For now, heâs tied to Tournaiâs capital city by family obligations and his position in their shipping business. Someday, though, heâll be able to travel. His sudden attraction to Faelen shocks him, but their friendship soon becomes a necessary part of his life. Love, however, has no place in his plans, especially not love for a royal cousin with secrets who wants nothing more than to stay in one place.
For Faelen and Maxen to build something real between them, they must resolve their differences, but when magic goes awry and all Faelenâs secrets are revealed, will Maxen remain at his side?
Excerpt
The Merchantâs Love
Antonia Aquilante Š 2018
All Rights Reserved
Chapter One
In the last decade since his father was appointed ambassador to the kingdom of Teilo, Faelen had been on the grounds of Tournaiâs royal palace three times, if he included today. The relief, happiness, and utter sense of home flooding through him as soon as he stepped off the boat had been shocking in its intensity, but not surprising otherwise. Sometime in the middle of the journey, heâd been hit with the bone-deep certainty that he needed to be back in Tournai. Heâd mentioned it to Alexander, who admitted feeling the sameâwhich Faelen was happy to hear from his twin, even if it did make the whole thing stranger.
He tried not to dwell on it, which was made a bit easier because of his discomfort that they were arriving unannounced and uninvited.
Well, not entirely uninvited. Faelenâs cousin Etan was getting married in a couple of weeks, and the entire family had been invited to the wedding, but Faelen couldnât imagine Philip, the crown prince, and Amory, his husband, expected them to descend on the palace for it. Faelen certainly hadnât expected them to make the long trip to Tournai, but Mother had other reasons for bringing him, Alexander, and Thibault back home.
He and Alexander would be staying in Jumelle longer than that if they had their way.
They alighted from the hired carriage at the palace, a servant handing Mother down and the rest of them following. If the servant was surprised to see Princess Edine and her three sons (and quite a few trunks), he didnât show it, even if their arrival would cause a scramble to ready rooms for their party.
Faelen stopped as soon as his feet touched the stones of the courtyard and looked up. The palace towers soared above him, white stone glowing in the afternoon sunlight. Like something out of a tale. Heâd always thought so, and no amount of visits could end that fancy.
Alexander leaned into his shoulder, just enough to divert Faelenâs attention. He looked into his twinâs face, nearly identical to his own. Alexanderâs eyes were without their usual gleam of mischief. âCome on. No time to daydream.â
âIâm just looking.â Still, he set off walking quickly at Alexanderâs side, but not so quickly that theyâd catch up to Mother and the others whoâd gotten well ahead of them. âI always think Iâm exaggerating how beautiful it is in my thoughts, but Iâm not.â
âNo.â Alexander smiled slightly as he trotted up the stairs to the open doors. âWeâll get to see more of it now. Unless we get shipped off to Grandfather with Thibault.â
Faelen went cold all over. No. He loved Grandfather, but he didnât want to be stuck so far from Jumelle and the university. He and Alexander had been pursuing their studies at the university in Teilo before Mother insisted they return to Tournai. Thibault would be going to Grandfather to help him with running his modest estate, which would one day be his. Faelen and Alexander had no part in that, and Faelen refused to give up all heâd accomplished so far and all he hoped to because of the move.
Alexander clasped his hand. âDonât worry. Weâll stay in the city.â
The âsomehowâ was unspoken. Their parents didnât keep a house in the city. Before the marriage, Fatherâs family wouldnât have been able to afford it. With what Mother brought to it, they could have, but it wouldâve been pointless with Fatherâs diplomatic ambitions. Faelen and Alexander couldnât afford a house on their own at this point, and Mother had made no mention of providing lodgings in her hasty, yet vehement, instructions that they pack everything. Faelen and Alexander had discussed it in whispers on the boat, wondering whether they could take rooms together in the university quarter. Theyâd talked before about returning to Tournai on their own, but Mother had surprised them before theyâd made any plans.
âOf course, we will,â Faelen responded.
âFaelen, Alexander. Donât dawdle.â Motherâs voice floated back to them, not loud but still echoing in the enormous entry hall.
Alexander rolled his eyes eloquently, and Faelen forced back a smile and nodded. Nevertheless, they obediently quickened their pace to catch up. Mother sailed through the palace corridors, her heels tapping on the marble floors with authority, as if she wasnât following behind a servant leading them somewhere.
Which turned out to be a small parlor in the guest wing of the palace. Motherâs lips turned down in a slight frown, but Faelen wasnât sure what sheâd anticipated. No one expected them. It was unrealistic to think rooms would be waiting for them at all times.
âHave the princes been notified of our arrival?â Mother asked the servant.
âTheir Highnesses are being notified now, Princess Edine. Iâll bring refreshments for you.â He bowed and left at her dismissal.
âIâll suppose weâll have to wait, then. Iâd prefer to have been settled in our rooms first, but weâll have to make do.â Mother seated herself in a velvet-cushioned chair near the fireplace where a small fire crackled. Thibault took a chair near her, but Alexander wandered to the windows. Faelen paused for a moment, indecisive, and then drifted over to where Alexander stood.
The windows looked out over the garden, their position one floor up giving them a decent vantage point. In the falling dusk, lanterns had been lit along the paths closer to the palace, and Faelen caught sight of a couple strolling along one of them, the men holding hands and seemingly in no hurry. He squinted, trying to see who they were in the shadows, but the door opened before he could.
He turned to find not a maid with the expected refreshments but Philip and Amory. Philip was Faelenâs cousinâhis father had been Motherâs oldest brotherâand heâd come to the throne only about five years ago after the sudden, untimely death of his parents. Faelen and his family had returned to Tournai for the funerals and the coronation, the first time heâd been back since theyâd left for Teilo when he was all of ten years old. They returned again when Philip shocked everyone by marrying Amory, a man and a commoner. Faelen liked what little heâd found out of Amory then, and Amory had certainly won over Tournai in the meantime. Faelen was hoping to get to know him betterâand Philip too, as the last heâd spent time with Philip heâd been a child and Philip just into his teenage years. He looked forward to meeting their son, Julien, as well.
Philip had the look of Tournaiâs royal familyâsomething Faelen and Alexander strayed from slightlyâwith his dark hair and classically handsome features. He carried himself as the ruler he was, and his hazel eyes were sharp as they took in the room. Amory was a match for him in looks with his dark eyes and shining auburn curls. He seemed to have grown into his role, carrying himself with more confidence than Faelen remembered at their wedding.
âAunt Edine,â Philip said as he came into the room, and they all bowed or curtsied. âAnd Thibault, Alexander, and Faelen. What a surprise. We didnât expect you.â
Mother didnât move to embrace Philip. She wasnât the type for demonstrations of affection, especially to the crown prince, even if he was her nephew. âWe left Teilo quite suddenly. A boat was about to depart that would get us here in time for Etanâs wedding.â
âEtan will be happy youâre all able to attend.â Philip didnât mention that no one had dreamed they would. âAnd, of course, Amory and I would be delighted if you would stay here at the palace while you remain in Jumelle.â
âThank you, Philip. Weâd be honored to accept your hospitality.â She left it unsaid that sheâd certainly anticipated the invitation. Faelen doubted there had been a thought otherwise in her mind.
Antonia Aquilante has been making up stories for as long as she can remember, and at the age of twelve, decided she would be a writer when she grew up. After many years and a few career detours, she has returned to that original plan. Her stories have changed over the years, but one thing has remained consistentâthey all end in happily ever after.
She has a fondness for travel (and a long list of places she wants to visit and revisit), taking photos, family history, fabulous shoes, baking treats (which she shares with friends and family), and of course, reading. She usually has at least two books started at once and never goes anywhere without her Kindle. Though she is a convert to e-books, she still loves paper books the best, and there are a couple thousand of them residing in her home with her.
Born and raised in New Jersey, Antonia is living there again after years in Washington, DC and North Carolina for school and work. She enjoys being back in the Garden State but admits to being tempted every so often to run away from home and live in Italy.
Iâve had a soft spot for Ezra since book 1 of this series and I was so happy he got his own book. He was featured pretty heavily in book 2 which just whetted my appetite for more of him.
Ezra is an introverted artist who doesnât let a lot of people see who he really is. Heâd much prefer to binge on Netflix than go to a club with his friends. While Conner (book 2) came the closest to really getting to know Ezra as his roommate, Ezra still kept him at armâs length. Until Daevonte starts to wiggle his way into Ezraâs life.
Daevonte is a yoga instructor at a studio where Ezra has been commissioned to paint another mural. A lover of life and sex, he wants to hook up with the quiet painter. But Ezra doesnât do the hook up thing. So after some false starts, they become unlikely friends.
As you can imagine the friends part of the book evolves. It is a nice slow burn which really fits with Ezraâs character. He is demisexual- meaning he has to really connect with someone as a person before he feels any attraction to him. So as the book progresses, as does the connection between Ezra and Daevonte.
I really love that books are starting to have main characters on different colors of the rainbow. Of course gay (this is the genre we are reading) and bisexual (which opens a lot of past story lines), but now we are seeing a lot more asexual, demisexual, and pansexual. I love seeing these people represented and their stories told in such a manner that makes you truly understand what it is they are about.
Because Ezra is demisexual, this book actually inadvertently gives us my favorite trope- friends to lovers. Daevonte is so confident in who he is and has a unique way of starting to bring Ezra out of his shell- without trying to change who he is. He has utter respect for Ezra and it shows.
We, of course, get glimpses of the guys from past books. In fact, I really love that they have a once a week dinner together. AND that one of the secondary characters develops a het relationship. Real life.
Book one, Touch the Sky, is my favorite of the three but this is definitely a very close second.
The cover illustration is gorgeous and seeing all three covers together is perfectly cohesive.
Sales Link
Book Details:
Kindle Edition
Expected publication: February 20th 2017 by Christina Lee and Nyrae Dawn
ASINB06WRQ4LVH
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesFree Fall #3
Captain Matt Spears learns this the hard way after a mysterious employer hires his ship to hunt down an ancient alien artifact but insists on providing his own pilot. Ryce Faine is handsome and smart, but Matt has rarely met anyone more obnoxious. With tensions running high, it isnât until they are attacked by the hostile Alraki that Matt grudgingly begins to respect Ryceâs superior skills, respect that transforms into a tentative attraction.
Little did he know that their biggest challenge would be reaching their destination, an abandoned alien base located on a distant moon amid a dense asteroid field. But when Matt learns that Ryce isnât completely who he says he is and the artifact is more than he bargained for, he is faced with a difficult choice. One that might change the balance of forces in the known galaxy.
Matt doesnât take well to moral dilemmas; he prefers the easy way out. But that might not be possible anymore, when his past comes back to haunt him at the worst possible moment. When faced with a notorious pirate carrying a personal grudge, the fragile connection Matt has formed with Ryce might be the only thing that he can count on to save them both.
Excerpt
Adrift
Isabelle Adler Š 2017
All Rights Reserved
âNo way,â Matt said. âNo way in hell.â
The low hum of music and the loud voices threatened to swallow his response. The Blue Giant was like any other canteen on any other small-time maintenance space station, offering cheap drinks and free talk, catering to drifters, smugglers, freelance pilots, and the dregs of every known society. The strong smell of synthetic spirits enveloped the crowded room in an almost tangible cloud. It really wasnât the best location for conducting business, even over interstellar communications channels, but one could stand being cooped up in a spaceship for only so long.
Matt ignored the noise best he could as he squinted at the commlink screen. This wasnât a regular type of job, but then again, freelancers didnât exactly have regular jobs. As it was, this one promised to be very well paying. His potential client had introduced himself as Mr. Ari, though Matt suspected it wasnât his real name. They usually werenât. At the moment, he was more concerned with Mr. Ariâs terms and conditions than with his identity, fake or otherwise.
âThis is nonnegotiable,â Ari said firmly. There was no image on-screen, just his computer-altered voice in the earpiece. âI require that my own pilot navigate your ship to destination. Heâs the only one who will know the exact route and the details of the mission. Iâm merely hiring your ship to transport my man and provide him with assistance.â
âItâs my ship and Iâm the only one flying her,â Matt said indignantly. âNo way Iâll just let some stranger take over. Now, a passenger, thatâs another matter. Iâve nothing against passengers, so long as theyâre nice and quiet.â And good-looking, but he wasnât about to say that to the clientâs face, or to the lack thereof, as the case was. But another pilot? This was ridiculous. If the only thing this guy needed was a ship, there were much simpler alternatives than hiring Mattâs services.
âAs Iâve said before, Captain, this job requires subtlety and a very specific set of skills,â Ari said. Even with the distortion, he somehow managed to make âCaptainâ sound like an insult. âWhich, with all due respect, I doubt you possess. This is a salvage mission, and the location must remain a secret until you get there. To put it simply, you sit back, let my man do the job, get back safely, and collect the cashâas long as you keep your mouth firmly shut about any of this. Iâve been told that your ship is fast and well equipped, and that you are discreet. Iâd hate to think that Iâve been misinformed.â
Matt took a long sip of his beer to stall for time. The beer had a distinct sour artificial aftertaste, but at least it was cold. âWhat kind of salvage?â
âAn abandoned alien site. Iâm afraid I canât divulge further information at this point, other than it would require a jump to another sector.â
âHuh,â Matt grunted. The guy was definitely too well-spoken to be a scavenger; on the other hand, off-world archaeological salvage (if that was indeed Ariâs intent) was usually done for strictly academic purposes and required government permits. Any other form of salvage, whether human or alien, was considered theft and was absolutely illegal. That and some other guy had to fly his ship? There was no way in hell heâd agree to that. This Mr. Ari could either fuck off or pay him way more than he was offering. âWell, you make it sound very tempting and all, but still. A pilot has his pride, you know. No one takes my seat, twenty thousand Fed-creds or no.â
âName your price,â Ari said tersely.
âOne hundred thousand,â Matt said, testing the waters.
âDone,â Ari said with a finality that left Matt a little dizzy. He was sure Ari would balk at the asking price. He wondered belatedly whether he could have gotten away with being even bolder. âMy pilot will meet you at Dock G5 in two hours. Youâll get twenty percent of your fee now, and the rest when the job is done.â
âAgreed,â Matt said. How did this guy know exactly where his ship was? Shit, he could hardly back down on the offer now. âIâll send you the account number.â
âNow, Mr. Spears, I must stress again how delicate this assignment is.â
âOf course,â Matt said. Really, this was tedious. Every client thought they were the only one in the galaxy who had dirty secrets. He wouldnât have been in this line of work for as long as he had if he couldnât keep his mouth shut and his eyes averted.
âYou might encounterâŚcompetition,â Ari said. âWhile this is unlikely to happen, there is a chance that other parties might try to intercept you.â
âWhat do you mean, âinterceptâ?â Matt asked suspiciously. âJust to make it clearâIâm a runner, not a mercenary. If itâs something dangerousââ
âThe reason Iâm not willing to be more specific is precisely because I donât want any information to leak out and pose a threat to your mission,â Ari said, sounding a bit too vague for Mattâs comfort. âHowever, you should be on alert, and report any incidents to my agent.â
Now he wanted him to report to the guy? Matt was utterly and completely done with reporting to anybody for the rest of his life. He was more than capable of handling any situation, and he wasnât about to play the chain-of-command game with his clientâs representative. However, he kept it prudently to himself. You didnât sass somebody who was willing to shell out all those credits.
âGot it,â he said dryly. âIâll be on alert. Anything else?â
âYou may discuss further details with my man, and heâll be handling all future communications. Good luck, Captain.â
âMy pleasure,â Matt said. He disconnected the call and sagged back into his chair, pushing away the beer. He had a very, very bad feeling.
A voracious reader from the age of five, Isabelle Adler has always dreamed of one day putting her own stories into writing. She loves traveling, art, and science, and finds inspiration in all of these. Her favorite genres include sci-fi, fantasy, and historical adventure. She also firmly believes in the unlimited powers of imagination and caffeine.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Lorelie Brown here today to share a little about herself and her latest release, Far from Home. Welcome, Lorelie. Â
Describe yourself, your favorite character and your book, each in 5 words or less.
(Five words or less is such a challenge! It reminds me of my honors English teacher in high school, who used to make us describe Shakespeare plays in 25 words or less. Except harder.)
My favorite character right now is Rachel from Far From Home: Demi-sexual, anorexic, anxious, broken, lonely.
(Wow. Um. I promise that this is a fun, slightly snarky read despite that description of Rachel. I mean, all that is true, butâŚNo, really, itâs a charming book. For reals.)
My book, Far From Home from Riptide Publishing, which has gotten starred reviews from both Publishers Weekly and Booklist: Lesbian, romance, marriage of convenience.
(I win! I did it!)
(Iâm sure no one will notice these extra words. Words donât count if theyâre parenthetical asides, right?)
My name is Rachel. Iâm straight . . . I think. I also have a mountain of student loans and a smart mouth. I wasnât serious when I told Pari Sadashiv Iâd marry her. It was only party banter! Except Pari needs a green card, and sheâs willing to give me a breather from drowning in debt.
My off-the-cuff idea might not be so terrible. We get along as friends. Sheâs really romantically cautious, which I find heartbreaking. She deserves someone to laugh with. Sheâs kind. And calm. And gorgeous. A couple of years with her actually sounds pretty good. If some of Pariâs kindness and calm rubs off on me, thatâd be a bonus, because Iâm a messâanorexia is not a pretty wordâand my little ways of keeping control of myself, of the world, arenât working anymore.
And if I slip up, Pari will see my cracks. Then Iâll crack. Which means I gotta get out, quick, before I fall in love with my wife.
After a seminomadic childhood throughout California, Lorelie Brown spent high school in Orange County before joining the US Army. After traveling the world from South Korea to Italy, she now lives north of Chicago. She writes her Pacific Blue series of hot surfers in order to channel some warmth.
Lorelie has three active sons, two yappy dogs, and a cat who cusses her out on a regular basis for not petting him enough.
In her immense free time (hah!) Lorelie cowrites award-winning contemporary erotic romance under the name Katie Porter. You can find out more about the Vegas Top Guns and Command Force Alpha series at www.KatiePorterBooks.com or at @MsKatiePorter. You can also contact Lorelie on Twitter @LorelieBrown.
To celebrate the release of Far From Home, Lorelie is giving away a ring! Thatâs right, a size 7 ring, similar to the one Pari buys for Rachel in the book. Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on August 6, 2016. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and donât forget to leave your contact info!
Damian Nettoyer is the Empireâs go-to gun. He kills whoever they want him to kill. In exchange, he and his rag-tag gang of crooks get to live, and Damianâs psychokinetic partner and lover, Aris, isnât issued a one-way ticket to an Empire-sanctioned lobotomy.
Join NineStar Press Authors 
Can friends turned occasional lovers move beyond past mistakes and wrong assumptions to build something that can last?
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 