A MelanieM Review: Mantled In Mist (SoulShares #6) by Rory Ni Coileain

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Mantled in the MistIn the sixth novel in the Rainbow Award-nominated paranormal M/M SoulShares series, Fiachra Dubhdara is a Fae living a stolen life, in a body that isn’t his own. He’s also the most junior detective on the D.C. Vice squad, assigned the task of infiltrating and shutting down Tiernan Guaire’s Purgatory.
Peri Katsura is the newest and hottest masseur at Lochlann Doran’s Big Boy Massage, inexplicably drawn to the gorgeous cop assigned to bust him but needing to hide a dark secret of his own.
And the owner of Fiachra’s body has a plan to get it back – a plan that may cost Fiachra his SoulShare and close the doors of Purgatory forever. Unless the Marfach gets there first…

Mantled in the Mist by Rory Ni Coilean takes one of my favorite series and with this story made it even deeper and more fantastical.  The author has added several new magical beings, ones we have never heard of before, to this tale of pain, loss and magic.  We are now introduced to races that played major roles in the ancient war that sundered Earth from the other dimension the Fae now reside in.  The price for one race?  They became the subject of mockery, bullying, and deep outright cruelty by the purer fae on the other side for their racial bloodline and past history.  The price paid by the others on Earth? Well, I’ll leave that for the story.

By overlaying such emotional elements, one you can interpret by modern standards so many ways, Ni Coileain has elevated this series to new heights.  The overlays and  similarities can be made for the aboriginal races around the world today and their treatment at the hands of the “superior” races that followed, or to the nature/earth religions who suffered at the developing cultures that encroached and exterminated them.  There is a richness of interpretation here that makes the enjoyment of reading the story swell along with the tale of romance, suspense and yes, horror that follows.

Fiachra, dark skinned, dark haired, tormented, Fiachra thought it better to fade than continue his existence as it was.  But fading did not go as planned and he ended up in another’s body.  Tall, gorgeous, blonde, everything a pure fae looks like.  I love the comparisons and problems this poses here when Fiachra meets his SoulShare and wants him to love the real Fiachra.  The problem of getting his body back was a maze of pain and problem solving that I loved  watching play out over the story.  Actually one than one problem, something else I will leave for the story.

Peri Katsura is another one of those damaged souls that Rory Ni Coileain does so beautifully.  Drag queen, masseur, Peri has many faces and a inability to trust, especially the big blond cop that threatens to bust him.  The two of them together are so engaging in their painful pasts and colliding confusions of the heart.   To help them/blockade them are all the other SoulShare couples from the previous stories still working together to stop the horrific Marfach from their planned assault on the Fae world, a task making the Fae ruthless on both sides.

The characterizations here are vivid, believable and have staying power.  I can pick up these stories and remember exactly who is who.  The terror engendered by the Marfach just grows with each story, something I had not thought possible given some of the past scenes of torture that are rendered somewhat graphically in previous books. Here it is more of the imagination because we know what it/they are capable of.

It ends, as they all do, far too quickly, setting us up for the next in the series.  If I am reading the author right, it should be an entirely different take on the SoulShares element.  Could be wrong, but I can’t see to see it play out.

Here is a series that has it all.  Fantasy, romances, bdsm, horror, mythology, beautiful world building…and six books and growing. I highly recommend it to lovers of all of the above and more.  But don’t read them out of order as they build on each other.  New to the series?  Start with the first, keeping up with me?  Pick this one up and  continue along.

Cover art is lovely, I like the celtic elements and its very different from the ones before.

Sales Links:  Amazon | All Romance eBooks | Riverdale Avenue Books

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 334 pages
Published January 20th 2016 by Riverdale Avenue Books
ASINB01AVNC1N4
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesSoulShares #6

SoulShares Series in the order they were written and should be read (add them to your Goodread list):

A Stella Review: The Queen & the Homo Jock King (At First Sight #2) by T.J. Klune

RATING 5 out of 5 stars

The Queen and the Homo Jock KingDo you believe in love at first sight?

Sanford Stewart sure doesn’t. In fact, he pretty much believes in the exact opposite, thanks to the Homo Jock King. It seems Darren Mayne lives for nothing more than to create chaos in Sandy’s perfectly ordered life, just for the hell of it. Sandy despises him, and nothing will ever change his mind.

Or so he tells himself.

It’s not until the owner of Jack It—the club where Sandy performs as drag queen Helena Handbasket—comes to him with a desperate proposition that Sandy realizes he might have to put his feelings about Darren aside. Because Jack It will close unless someone can convince Andrew Taylor, the mayor of Tucson, to keep it open.

Someone like Darren, the mayor’s illegitimate son.

The foolproof plan is this: seduce Darren and push him to convince his father to renew Jack It’s contract with the city.

Simple, right?

Wrong.

What amazing book! TJ Klune is become an author to simply trust, he never disappointed my expectations. And this book had huge expectations to not break. And I can say at some point during the reading I was a little worried.

The Queen & The Homo Jock King is not for everyone, cause the author is not for everyone. TJ is too many times over the top, he doesn’t write funny books, his stories are hilarious and deep and unbelievable, each one I’ve read, no exception. If you already read TJ you know what to expect, I thought I was ready for Sandy but I was very wrong.

I was so happy to meet again all the characters of the first book, Tell me It’s Real, Vince and Paul, Charlie, Nana and the others. Paul and Vinny are going to marry and Sandy and Darren are going to be their best men. Meanwhile Sandy needs to seduce Darren to not lose the club he works at as Helena at the city council expenses. But of course Sandy being Sandy….

It’s a joy to read a new TJ book, each time I spend a couple of days laughing so much, usually my tummy will hurt at the end (and I almost peed myself this time around too!). It’s one continuous line of funny sentences, there is no pause. I have to say it was the first time I didn’t read one of his books in a one stand session. At times it overwhelmed me (in a good way), the dialogues were too much to take all together so I had to stop and read something else. I started to be concerned and ready to be let down. It took two weeks to finish it and honestly? They were the best two (reading time) weeks of the last period. As a matter of fact, I’m pretty sure it was better this way, I could fully enjoy the story and each moment, avoiding missing things due to my voraciousness at eat up every new book I have on my hands.

I got my dose of Sandy/Helena and it was amazing. The tension between Darren and him almost killed me. There wasn’t a thing or a word I didn’t like. Simply perfect.

Just a little note. If you have read Tell Me It’s Real and don’t like it, don’t even think about reading this second one, it is so much worse/better.

The cover art by Reese Dante is great, I can easily see  Sandy/Helena in it. Just right!

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press |  Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 350 pages
Published February 29th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
Original TitleThe Queen & the Homo Jock King
ISBN 1634768027 (ISBN13: 9781634768023)
Edition LanguageEnglish

SERIES At First Sight #2

  • Tell me It’s Real
  • The Queen & the Homo Jock

A BJ Review: The Mermaid Murders (The Art of Murder #1) by Josh Lanyon

Rating:  4.75 stars out of 5

The Mermaid MurdersSpecial Agent Jason West is seconded from the FBI Art Crime Team to temporarily partner with disgraced, legendary “manhunter” Sam Kennedy when it appears that Kennedy’s most famous case, the capture and conviction of a serial killer known as The Huntsman, may actually have been a disastrous failure.

For The Huntsman is still out there…and the killing has begun again.

Lanyon’s writing was a excellent as ever, dragging me into plot, relationship and setting in no time flat. The mystery in this one was outstanding, and kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat. The chemistry between the two guys also grabbed me by the throat early on. The snappy pace of the mystery and the slower pace of the attraction worked perfectly together and kept me completely enthralled.

Some of the things I enjoyed about this story included the vividly drawn small town setting and its population of characters. The super creepy Rexford ghost town. The spooky mystery woven with elements of not-quite paranormal, with psychos of various types side by side with everyday normal, not evil folks who just make mistakes. The whole atmosphere of the book was so rich and palpable that it gave me that delightfully creepy, unsettled feeling that a few of my favorite movies do. And then there’s not-all-that-handsome, but big, strong, forceful, smart, legend Sam Kennedy who starts out seeming like a total asshat but slowly reveals an absolutely irresistible vulnerable side beneath the gruff exterior. Yum with a cherry on top! Jason is a perfect match for him, very distinct, struggling with his recent past, described as a “pretty boy,” but tough in his own right.

While I adored the events at the end, it had me groaning and turning the page in hopes that it wasn’t really the end. Not a fade to black, not right then! I wanted more. And no more for over a year according to the afterward notation–*heavy sigh* Darn. Josh Lanyon has a bunch of series going right now and, unlike many m/m writers who keep going when they’re on a roll, she keep starting more new one to tantalize us with rather than finishing up the existing ones.

I do love the little tie ins we find in many of them. This one is a bit related to Winter Kill, well, actually according to the afterward, book two will cover that timeframe. I am eager to read on. But hate yet another long wait ahead… hence, the lack of a perfect five stars.

Although I like the guy’s eyes, the cover isn’t a particular favorite since to me it doesn’t convey much of anything about the story.

Sales Links:  ARe | Amazon 

Book Details:

book
Published February 29th 2016 by Smashwords Edition
ISBN139781937909826

A Paul B Review: Love Simplified (Game, Set, Match #2) by Teegan Loy

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Love SimplifiedJalen Marten met the love of his life Austin Suter one day during high school when Austin Suter hit a tennis ball into Jalen.  A few months later, Austin made his professional tennis debut at the Australian Open.  Instead of immediately going on tour, Austin returned to high school and Jalen.  As graduation approaches, Austin leaves for Europe and to play in the French Open and Wimbledon.  On graduation day, Jalen’s mother surprises him with a ticket to Paris to join Austin at the French Open and the summer tennis season.

Although welcomed by Austin and his mother, Jalen’s appearance is not accepted by everyone.  Austin’s father and his publicist are afraid if word got out that Austin has a boyfriend touring around with him.  They do everything to make sure that Jalen is as marginalized as possible.  They ask Jalen not to sit in the player’s family box.  They ask him to disguise his appearance as much as possible.  However, the young men do everything possible to spend as much time together as they can, thanks in part to Austin’s mother.  She runs interference as much as she can.  The tipping point is when Austin has a fashion shoot with a famous designer.  A male model does not show up and the photographer drafts Jalen to fill in for him.  The photograph that is the center of the campaign ends up being one of the two men in a smoldering pose.

Austin does well at both the French Open and Wimbledon.  His tennis star is clearly rising.  Jalen’s presence on tour worries not only Austin’s father but Jalen himself.  As the pressure from Austin’s father increases, Jalen knows his presence is causing tension in the Suter family.  Jalen leaves right before the biggest match for Austin—the final of the US Open.  He first heads home to talk with his mother, the leaves for Los Angeles to pursue his passion—music.

When he arrives in LA, Jalen meets a young man who finds him a job as a barista at a friend’s coffee shop and a place to crash if he agrees to help with general maintenance of the apartment complex he manages.  It appears that Evan has issues of his own to work through.  While Evan has his business ventures, the relationship he has with his father influences most things he does.  However, Evan proves to be a friend to Jalen and provides help by introducing him to a record producer.  However, the greatest assistance Evan provides comes at a holiday party for the complex.   With Evan’s help, Jalen’s previous doubts disappear and seems to head toward a happily ever after.

While I enjoyed this book, it was not quite the book that I expected.  The first quarter of the book started just about how I thought it would go.  But once Jalen leaves Austin behind in New York, the story diverted into more of a character study of both Jalen and Evan.  While being mentioned in passing several times, Austin does not reappear until the last 15 percent of the book.  Although its mentioned by Jalen’s mother or Austin’s mother that Austin’s game is suffering because of Jalen’s absence, it would have been nice to have some scenes of Austin while on the tennis tour without Jalen.

The book does portray the over-involvement some parents take in their children’s tennis careers that we have heard about in the media.  Personally, I would have preferred more time on tour with Jalen and Austin and a little less time of Jalen’s self-discovery in Los Angeles.

The cover art by Maria Fanning is perfect for the book.  It depicts Jalen and Austin above a tennis net and the Eiffel Tower.  It is well done.

Sales Links:   Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Amazon

Book Details

ebook, 286 pages
Expected publication: March 4th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781634770460
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series:  Game, Set, Match

Love Complicated (Game, Set, Match #1)

Love Simplified (Game, Set Match #2)

A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Pawsitively in Love by M.J. O’Shea

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Pawsitively in LoveWhat Austin Lloyd lacks in academics, he makes up for in his love of the animals who frequent his pet salon. He’s not lucky in romance, though, and his family would like him to settle down with a good man. Austin—and his golden retriever, Maggie—couldn’t agree more.

Evan Partridge isn’t good at letting people in. His messy family life and the past that’s shaped him aren’t worth bringing up. But his pug, Dexter, sure likes the pet salon owner.

Austin and Evan get off to a rough start, but being friends soon turns into something more. Unfortunately, Evan’s secretive behavior nearly does the relationship in, and the budding love affair almost crashes and burns when Evan’s troubled sister shows up on his doorstep.

Not speaking to each other is killing them both, but Evan doesn’t know how to keep Austin and help his sister at the same time. He just knows he has to try. Winning back Austin’s trust back, however, is going to take a whole lot of work.

Austin Lloyd is a cutie. He’s also smart and ambitiou, and though he didn’t go to college, he owns his dog-grooming business, Pawsitively Purrfect. After a long, stressful day, when the owner of a pug puppy fails to show up to claim him, Austin is spitting mad and takes it out on the owner as soon as the guy arrives after closing time.

Evan Partridge is a dark-haired, good-looking college professor who’s also had a bad day. He was delayed by a staff meeting, and not one, but both of his cars broke down today. He literally ran to pick up Dexter and then was berated by a guy who he would have considered cute in other circumstances. Now he can’t wait to get away.

An inauspicious start to a romance, but no fear, the author arranges an unexpected meeting in the grocery store, and the two guys decide to call a truce and start again. Right from the beginning, Evan tells Austin that he doesn’t do relationships. He’s not good with people and doesn’t want to cause any problems. Austin accepts that, and the two begin a friendship—a friendship that eventually leads to more, and they seem to be headed for their HEA as they create a little family with Dexter the pug and Austin’s young golden retriever, Maggie.

But fate has other plans, and when Evan’s emotionally damaged and very dependent sister arrives with all her worldly possessions and then takes one look at Austin and decides she hates him, everything goes topsy-turvy, and their sweet little bubble of happiness bursts.

Can the insurmountable be surmounted? After all, Evan has practically raised his sister, and he’s helpless in the face of her unhappiness. But he’s more than unhappy himself, and he knows Austin must be devastated because they haven’t spoken in weeks—ever since Evan pushed him away after his sister’s arrival. For a while, it seems impossible to believe these two can find their way back to friendship, trust, and a happy ending.

I enjoyed this story immensely. It’s light and sweet throughout most of the book, but there’s a ton of heartbreak once Evan’s sister arrives. It’s also got lots of UST, and I personally love unresolved sexual tension in my stories. The guys don’t make it to the bedroom until the 75% mark, but this story isn’t all about the sex anyway. It’s about forming relationships—friendship, trust, and love—and the author does a wonderful job with that. If you like a sweet love story, especially one with adorable pets, an MC who is clueless about his own needs and how to say no to family members who drive him crazy, and an MC who is willing to love and forgive his man despite the obstacles thrown in their way, this is the story for you.

Cover art by L.C. Chase is pawsitively adorable and perfect for the story.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 200 pages
Expected publication: March 4th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781634770231
Edition LanguageEnglish

Looking for a New M/M SciFy Novel to Read? Check out F.T. Lukens’ ‘The Star Host’ (author guest blog, excerpt and giveaway)

Star Host 1600px (web smashwords)

The Star Host (Broken Moon #1) by F.T. Lukens
Release Date: March 3, 2016

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Duet Books, the Young Adult imprint of Interlude Press
Cover Artist: C.B. Messer

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing F.T. Lukens author of The Star Host. Hi F.T., thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

*******

Hi, everyone. This is F.T. and I’m very excited to share with you my first novel The Star Host. It is a science-fiction adventure which features a diverse cast and takes place across planet, drifts, and spaceships. It is my version of magic in space.

Give us a to-do list for one of your characters.

This is a great question and I decided to do it with both of my main characters, Ren and Asher, while they are stuck as prisoner’s at the antagonist’s citadel.

Ren’s to-d0 list while he is a prisoner at the citadel:

  • Wake up in the morning in an iron cell and on a moldy mattress
  • Eat stale bread and drink lukewarm water
  • Think about escaping
  • Try not to think about dungeon-mate, Asher. He is annoying, arrogant, and pretty. He’s also a drifter.
  • Work in the courtyard. Don’t draw attention to self. Keep head down. And keep technopathic ability secret and under control. (This is much harder than it seems.)
  • Make friends with the guards
  • Try not to go insane (Also much harder than previously thought.)
  • Plan an escape with other captives
  • Dream about the stars

Asher’s to-do list while he is a prisoner at the citadel:

  • Wake up
  • Stay in cell all day
  • Annoy Ren
  • Push-ups
  • Eat stew
  • Wait for Ren to return
  • Poke at guards
  • Annoy Ren again
  • Make Ren tell stories
  • Repeat

As you can see, the start of their friendship is based on mutual dislike which becomes mutual teasing and then later becomes mutual affection. Ren and Asher start to depend on each other to survive. Asher takes comfort in Ren’s stories and Ren relies on Asher as his anchor when his newly discovered power threatens to overwhelm him. They learn that it’s only by working as a team that they will be able to escape and save their families.

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Blurb

Ren grew up listening to his mother tell stories about the Star Hosts – a mythical group of people possessed by the power of the stars. The stories were the most exciting part of Ren’s life, and he often dreamed about leaving his backwater planet and finding his place among the neighboring drifts. When Ren is captured by soldiers and taken from his home, he must remain inconspicuous while plotting his escape. It’s a challenge since the general of the Baron’s army is convinced Ren is something out of one of his mother’s stories.

He finds companionship in the occupant of the cell next to his, a drifter named Asher. A member of the Phoenix Corps, Asher is mysterious, charming, and exactly the person Ren needs to anchor him as his sudden technopathic ability threatens to consume him. Ren doesn’t mean to become attached, but after a daring escape, a trek across the planet, and an eventful ride on a merchant ship, Asher is the only thing that reminds Ren of home. Together, they must warn the drifts of the Baron’s plans, master Ren’s growing power, and try to save their friends while navigating the growing attraction between them.

 

Pages or Words: 258 pages
Categories: Fiction, Gay fiction, M/M Romance, Science Fiction, Young Adult

Excerpt

Once at the hangar, Ren broke away from the two guards and entered the lancer, walking up the stairs, irritation a heavy feeling in his chest.

“Reporting for work,” Ren said, his tone heavily laced with annoyance.

Janus popped up from a console she had been working under, goggles on her face, gray hair sticking up everywhere. “You!” she snapped. “I told you not to come back.”

Ren rolled his eyes. “It’s not my choice. I don’t want to be here anymore than you want me here.”

“Where are your guards? I told the dumb one not to bring you back, Abiathar’s orders be damned. I don’t want your kind working on these ships.”

She poked a finger hard into Ren’s chest and he staggered back, and rubbed his hand over the spot.

“What the stars do you mean by my kind?”

Her eyes grew comically large behind the goggles. “You don’t know?” She laughed, bordering on hysterical. “You’re more dangerous than I thought. You can’t try to control it if you don’t even know what you are.”

Ren frowned. His tolerance for the cryptic nonsense everyone had spouted since he arrived was gone. He took a step toward the hull and Janus stiffened.

“Don’t,” she barked.

“Don’t what? Touch it? What will happen, huh?”

Her face paled and her chest heaved with panicked breaths. “You don’t know what you’re capable of.”

Ren laughed. “I’m capable of nothing. I’m a duster, planet-born with very limited experience with tech. You have no reason to be frightened of me.”

He moved closer to the hull, hand outstretched, fingers splayed.

She whimpered. “Please, don’t.”

Ren slammed his hand against the hull, his fingertips leaving greasy marks on the shiny surface. As he predicted, nothing happened.

He turned back to Janus. “See? Nothing–”

His word tangled in his throat, cut off, because suddenly, Ren was consumed with power, rushing from his toes to his fingertips. A blue tint clouded his vision, and his body suffused with golden warmth. And then he was floating amongst the wires, connected to the ship, to the energy source, to everything. The lancer pulsed under his skin, tangling in his veins, its systems integrated with his senses.

It was freeing and frightening.

His consciousness raced along the circuits and he could fix it. He could fix everything. He found the tangle of wires in the artificial gravity system and bypassed it. He found the broken circuits in the air recyclers and with a pulse of power, refurbished them. He saw the static in the com system, a physical entity, and he cleared it away with a brush of his metaphysical hand.

The longer Ren floated through the ship, the less connected he was to his physical body. And if he thought about it, he didn’t need his body. Why would he need his body? He was free here. He moved around with ease, the wires and the systems his route, and the more he pushed, the more he felt the other ships too. They were nearby, on the edge of his perception, and he could go to those, he could jump to the other ones and repair them too.

He could.

He could.

 

Buy the book:

Interlude Press Web Store: store.interludepress.com

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Apple iBookstore: The Star Host

All Romance eBooks

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Meet and follow the Author

F.T. wrote her first short story when she was in third grade and her love of writing continued from there. After placing in the top five out of ten thousand entries in a writing contest, she knew it was time to dive in and try her hand at writing a novel.

A wife and mother of three, F.T. holds degrees in psychology and English literature, and is a long-time member of her college’s science-fiction club. F.T. has a love of cheesy television shows, superhero movies, and science-fiction novels—especially anything by Douglas Adams.

Connect with F.T. at authorftlukens.wordpress.com on Twitter @ftlukens, on Tumblr at ftlukens.tumblr.com and on Goodreads at goodreads.com/ftlukens.

 


Tour Dates & Stops:

3-Mar: Hearts on Fire, Happily Ever Chapter, Kirsty Loves Books, Velvet Panic

4-Mar: Full Moon Dreaming, Havan Fellows, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

7-Mar: Jessie G. Books, Divine Magazine, Boys on the Brink Reviews

8-Mar: V’s Reads, Butterfly-O-Meter, Love Bytes

9-Mar: Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Nephy Hart, KathyMac Reviews

10-Mar: Bonkers About Books, Inked Rainbow Reads, Prism Book Alliance, Attention is Arbitrary

11-Mar: A.M. Leibowitz, The Novel Approach

14-Mar: Man2ManTastic, Anna Butler Fiction

15-Mar: Molly Lolly, Bayou Book Junkie

16-Mar: BFD Book Blog, My Fiction Nook

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: $25 Interlude Press Web Store gift card (grand prize) + 5 winners of The Star Host eBook.  Must be 18 years of age or older.  Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.
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A MelanieM Review: The Winter Prince by R Cooper

Rating: 5 stars out of 5            ★★★★★

The Winter PrinceHis heart stolen by a powerful pari’s magic, a young prince’s veins slowly fill with ice. That is what the stories say. Three years have passed since, and all efforts to save Kisin have failed. He won’t survive another winter. To save the prince’s life, Razin, the court wizard and Kisin’s childhood friend, plans to seek out the pari. But unbeknownst to Razin, Kisin’s heart was never stolen; he gave it freely to escape the pain of impossible love—his love for Razin.

Razin won’t accept Kisin’s fate, for reasons obvious to anyone who knows anything of love. Kisin agrees to the desperate quest, out of duty and a need to protect Razin. But it isn’t long before Razin realizes saving his prince will require more than simply retrieving his heart. Razin will have to convince him to want it.

Sometimes when I’m reading a story by R Cooper I feel as though I’m drawn back into the past along with it, the words convey a tale that makes me feel so much a part of their lives and adventures.

The Winter Prince is another wonderful fairytale, with a cold, blue prince without a heart as its focus. Kisin is turning to ice and everyone assumes they know the cause but they are so wrong.  And one man closest to the prince, Razin who loves the Prince beyond all hope will do everything he can to save him.  Of course, it doesn’t hurt that Razin is a powerful mage in his own right but title. That’s part of the story as well.

R Cooper’s stories don’t unfold with haste but with a meaningful leisure.  The author builds the tales slowly,  upon scenes and history, upon the characters disclosures and moments of revelations that the reader, if they are patient, are rewarded with such gems of joy and magic along the  way.  I love it when I get the “aha, I see where you’ve been leading  us” moment, or the laughter that comes when an angle totally unexpected pops up.  But the clues are there if I hadn’t been paying attention to all the gorgeous work going on, the descriptions, the world building, the mythology…simply beautiful.

But its always the characters that bring me back.  R Cooper makes me understand the isolation at the heart of Kisin’s sexual innocence and  the deep pain that causes the grief the drives him to the desperation and worst decision of his life.  We will see the story from other points of view than his, from Razin’s as well.  I love the character of Razin.  His life is so different than that of the remote, lonely prince.  Razin was free in every way the Prince was not, in every way but one. I loved that you could see his pain and loss at his predicament too.  There are simply so many other wonderful characters that will flow in and around these two, two women in  particular, that will add their love and support in an astonishing way.

In the end, the magic of the story and the power of love kept me enthralled to the end.  Happy ever after?  Well, as much and as imperfectly perfectly so while staying true to the world they lived in.  I could see it and still be happy for them all.  Yes, I loved it.

Love R Cooper?  Are you a fan of fairytales and fantasy?  Here is another for your must read file.  I highly recommend it.

Cover art by Brooke Albreacht doesn’t have enough of that fantasy element to satisfy me here.  She could have done so much with the blue prince element and that was really lost.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 147 pages
Published February 24th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781634769785
Edition LanguageEnglish

A Stella Review: Strong Side (Eastshore Tigers #1) by Alison Hendricks

RATING  3,5 out of 5 stars

Strong SideTheir chemistry on the field is undeniable. But can they ever be more than friends?

Jason Hawkins is about to throw the biggest Hail Mary pass of his career.

If he can’t turn NFL recruiters’ heads this year, he’ll lose his shot at the one thing he’s ever been good at. But every quarterback needs a man he can count on down-field. For Jason, that man just might be the Tigers’ new receiver, Derek Griffin.

Four years ago, Derek nearly lost everything after being outed by his teammates.

Now he finally has a chance to get it all back as a walk-on for Eastshore College… if he can resist his immediate attraction to the gorgeous and very straight star quarterback.

An instant connection during practice leads to an easy friendship that only grows stronger off the field. Derek is convinced friendship is all it’ll ever be, but a very confusing moment of impulse leaves both of them fumbling for answers about their relationship.

As curiosity gives way to passion and passion gives way to something deeper, Jason and Derek will have to tackle their own personal demons to bring home the win and earn their happy ending.

I’m always curious about new authors, so when I saw this debut book by Alison Hendricks I soon picked it, even though I’m not a huge fan of sport themed stories but I couldn’t resist. Plus the cover wasn’t bad at all.

Strong Side was a joy to read, light, quick and lovely, there wasn’t any drama or angst.  Everything flew by easily, the coming out, the relationship between Derek and Jason, I really appreciated all of these. Sometimes  a book like this one is exactly what I want to read.

Everything about the story was believable and realistic, especially in their friendship  that first developed, and in  the love that came later. It is truly a story I had no trouble liking characters I cared for. I was waiting for the so called shoe to drop and when I understood no drama was going to happen, I fully enjoyed the rest of the story.

I usually am a little wary about the new adult genre but in this case the author did great cause both Jason and Derek are sure of themselves and what they want, ready for the future to come, even when it’s a hard one, they never fall down.

I must add, there were some mistakes, editing issues I noted even with my poor English, but I pretty much ignored them, it’s a debut book and at the end it was well done in my opinion.

Strong Side really satisfied me. I have to say I relaxed and enjoyed it a lot. I can’t wait for the second book in this new series!

The cover art is well done and eyecatching to me.

Sale Link:  Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 264 pages
Published January 20th 2016 by Amazon Digital Services
Original TitleStrong Side
ASINB01AWVK8QC
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesEastshore Tigers #1

Its Love and War with American Flyboy by N.D. Clark (author interview, excerpt and giveaway)

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American Flyboy by N.D. Clark
Release Date: December 5, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: N.D. Clark
Cover Artist: Graphicxdesigns

Today Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to be interviewing Nolan Clark, author of American Flyboy. Hi Nolan, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.

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I was born in Biloxi, MS and educated at NC State University. I’m an American author who loves reading and writing gay romance/erotica set in historical backgrounds and spending time with my husband Jim, going for long walks in nature parks, dining out and taking in the occasional movie. I’ve been with my husband, Jim for almost sixteen years, and we were married two years ago, shortly have the US Supreme Court ruling allowing gay people to marry throughout the United States.

American Flyboy is my first book and it is a highly readable, erotic M/M romance set amidst the backdrop of World War II.

  • Nolan, can you give us ten tips for becoming a better writer?

1-Read as much as you can in the genre in which you write.

2-Check out the books by well-established and successful authors.

3-Write something every day, even if it’s just a few ideas about your next scene, no matter how crazy they might seem; there will always be a few good ones.

4-Set writing goals; my minimal is 250 words five days a week.

5-Use actions verbs.

6-Make sure you have a good understanding of POV. This still trips me up at times.

7-Persistance; don’t listen to people or even your own voice telling you to give up. Steven King’s first book, Carrie, only netted him a few thousand dollars.

8-Invest in a good thesaurus.

9-Have beta readers read your book just before you’re ready to publish.

10-Indie writers should learn to edit their own books; paying an expensive editor will put you in the poor house considering most indie authors never sell more than a few hundred copies of any book and that’s if they’re lucky (Don’t believe me, do some research, you’ll be stunned). I hired an editor for my first book, and I don’t expect to ever recover this cost; I will learn to edit my own books from this point forward. One of the books I recommend on self-editing is Manuscript Makeover by Elizabeth Lyon.

Fantastic, advice.  Thank you so much for a  wonderful interview. Now for more about American Flyboy…

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Blurb

American Flyboy is a highly readable, erotic M/M romance set amidst the backdrop of World War II.

The story is fast-paced and characterized by the believability of its characters, notably the protagonist, Lt. Kenneth Hellman, and the romance that develops between Kenneth and Colonel Wilhelm Braun. The erotic reader in search of well-nuanced, sexy love/lovemaking scenes will not be disappointed; the author is gifted with an affinity toward creating realistic, absorbing sex scenes.

 

Pages or Words: 163 pages, 55,260 words
Categories: Erotica, Fiction, Gay Fiction, Historical, M/M Romance, Ménage/Poly

Excerpt

Wilhelm whispered in soft breaths, “Raise your hands above your head, Kenneth.” Standing behind him, he pulled the grimy POW uniform top over his head and inhaled deeply. “I find your scent intoxicating.” It was unexpected, Wilhelm’s warm breath gently caressing the nape of his neck; Kenneth’s breath quickened. Loosening the silk blindfold, Wilhelm allowed the soft, smooth fabric to glide over Kenneth’s massive, broad shoulders tapering to a V-shaped torso and down his naked back.

Shuddering at the sleek sensations, Kenneth asked, “Are you trying to seduce me Wilhelm?”

In response, Wilhelm stepped closer and pressed his body into Kenneth’s. Wrapping his arms around his waist, Wilhelm kissed him innocently. “I’ve wanted to do that from the first day we met.”

Kenneth kissed him back softly, lingering. He felt safe and whole.

Coaxing Kenneth’s lips apart, Wilhelm’s tongue entered his mouth, tickling the sensitive palate with light flicks. Their lips crushed together with bruising kisses. Wilhelm broke away, gazing longingly into Kenneth’s eyes. “To answer your question, Kenneth, I am guilty of feeding a wounded POW a wonderful meal, relieving his pain with fine brandy, delighting him with romantic music and drawing him a hot relaxing bath of chamomile salts to soak away the stress of a bad day. Your glass is empty. Why don’t you finish undressing and ease into your bath while I get you another drink.” Wilhelm’s voice trailed off as he left the bathroom. “It’s baffling how you arrived at such an audacious conclusion as seduction.”

“My mistake,” Kenneth called after him, laughing to himself. He kicked off his dilapidated work shoes and pushed his boxers and grungy work pants down his long, muscular legs. Raking his strong fingers through the water, heightened the aroma of chamomile, and he inhaled the relaxing scent before slipping into the warm liquid heaven. His tired muscles released their tension as he submerged his body to the neck. Kenneth held his breath and slipped his head under. As he closed his eyes, his exhaustion seemed to float to the surface, and his thoughts drifted to Wilhelm, charming, handsome, tall and strong. His cock swelled to a full erection as he surfaced and rested his head against the back edge of the tub. Wiping the water from his eyes, he inhaled deeply and faded into sleep.

 

Buy the book:

Meet the author:

N.D.Clark was born in Biloxi, MS and educated at NC State University. He is an American author who loves reading and writing gay romance/erotica set in historical backgrounds and spending time with his husband Jim, going for long walks in nature parks, dining out and taking in the occasional movie. He has been with his husband, Jim for almost sixteen years and was married two years ago, shortly have the US Supreme Court ruling allowing gay marriage throughout the United States.

Where to find the author:

 


BannerTemplate Tour Dates & Stops:

3-Feb

Happily Ever Chapter, Alpha Book Club, Mikky’s World of Books

10-Feb

Unquietly Me, Book Lovers 4Ever, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents

17-Feb

MM Good Book Reviews

24-Feb

Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

2-Mar

Love Bytes, BFD Book Blog

9-Mar

3 Chicks After Dark, Inked Rainbow Reads, Prism Book Alliance

16-Mar

Divine Magazine, Bayou Book Junkie

23-Mar

Havan Fellows, My Fiction Nook, Foxylutely Book Reviews

Final

Giveaway

Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.
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A Free Dreamer Review: The Relics of Gods (Between Heaven and Earth #1) by Yeyu

Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

The Relics of the GodsWhat is worse: Being so broke you can barely afford food, getting hired for dangerous missions way out of your league, suffocating under mountains of unanswered questions—or wanting to sexually dominate someone who can kill you without lifting a finger?

Lu Delong is a mercenary who evaluates antiques most of the time and deals with the paranormal on rare occasions—even though it’s supposed to be the other way around. When he joins a dangerous quest for an ancient artifact, he meets and becomes strongly attracted to a mysterious and powerful immortal named Cangji. Despite his friends’ warnings and Cangji’s icy, unsociable demeanor, Delong is unable to resist befriending him. However, Cangji is deeply involved in a matter beyond mortals, and Delong is drawn into a chaotic struggle by both visible and invisible forces.

Always the pacifist who wanted to live a simple human life, Delong never imagined he’d end up involved in a conflict that will affect everything from the lowest insects on earth to the highest gods in heaven.

I wanted to like this book. I really, really did. I mean, dragons, gods AND Asian fantasy? That just had to be awesome. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed.

First off, the author’s style really didn’t work for me. It felt awkward and a little clumsy. It didn’t really fit the setting of the story. The way Delong talked felt way too modern.

Then, there were the MCs themselves. Delong soon got annoying. He was very whiney and extremely naïve. He seemed to fail at everything and followed Cangji like a dog. He got jealous over the most ridiculous things, like a dog-like demon creature. He didn’t behave like a grown man. At times, he actually read more like a three-year-old throwing a temper tantrum.

We didn’t really get to know Cangji. He’s the silent, mysterious type. He has some terrible secrets, but we never really find out what those are.

Overall, these two felt like the stereotypical seme/uke pairing you’ll find in most yaois. The only difference is that Delong wants to be the dominant part in the bedroom.

There are lots of minor characters, that seem important at first but they quickly disappear after they’ve served their purpose, never to be heard of again.

The love story didn’t work for me at all. I really couldn’t understand why Delong would fall in love with Cangji. Cangji seems more annoyed by Delong than anything else. Delong mostly gets ignored or glared at. And yet there’s insta-love on Delong’s part. Why? I have no idea. Cangji doesn’t get his own POV, so I don’t know how he truly felt about Delong.

Somehow, the plot moved too fast and yet didn’t seem to go anywhere either. There was mission after mission, Delong gets hurt, Cangji grumbles and rescues him, every minor character is evil. Honestly, I was rather bored at times and seriously considered skimming great parts of the story. It didn’t feel like I’d miss anything important if I were to just read the beginning and the end.

There was also a lot of mythology mixed in. Usually I love that and I like to think that I’m not completely clueless about the topic. But here I felt like I would have needed a degree in Chinese mythology to get all those references. There was a glossary at the end of the book, but I think the author should have explained at least the basics during the story itself.

And before I forget, the blurb is missing a warning about some dub-con kink. Oh, and it does get rather violent at times.

Long story short, I was sorely disappointed by this book. It had great potential but didn’t live up to it.

Cover: The cover by Reese Dante is absolutely gorgeous, just like most DSP covers. I love that dragon.

Sales Links:  DSP Publications |  Amazon

Series: Part 1 of the Between Heaven and Earth series

Book details:

ebook, 350 pages
Published January 6th 2015 by DSP Publications
Original TitleThe Relics of Gods
ISBN139781627987790
Edition LanguageEnglish
URL
SeriesBetween Heaven and Earth #1