Anthologies, Love Them or Leave Them?

I seem to be running into more and more anthologies these days. Name a publisher and I can show you a long list of anthologies they have published in just this year alone. I am not sure what is driving this trend. Are authors writing more short stories? Do publishers find it easier to publish short stories in an anthology rather than release them on their own? Torquere Press has their Torquere Sips. Dreamspinner Press has Nap-sized Dreams but is now only accepting stories under 15,000 words for use in their anthologies alone. For the most part, I look to find short stories in anthologies these days.

What is an anthology? An anthology is a collection of short stories by various authors that is usually grouped together by a common theme. I have seen anthologies where the stories all occurred in the same city, that was the common thread. Or different stories about a group of friends, each having their own tale in the anthology. Think Hearts From The Ashes from Samhain Press, a favorite of mine, for an anthology along these lines. And the number of authors found in each anthology can be anywhere from three to thirty! An anthology is quite the diverse creature.

So why all the mixed feelings with regard to anthologies? For some readers, its because they prefer a much longer story. They want a novel. These are readers who revel in the long view, jump with joy over complex characterizations and equally complicated story lines. And for the most part, those can only be found in the novel or novella form. Think banquet versus amuse-bouche (a one bite appetizer). Some readers get frustrated with anthologies or short stories because they feel they just get engaged with the characters and plot only to have them end abruptly. I understand that but often feel that is due to the quality of the short story being read. A well done short story should leave a reader satisfied in every way, an increasingly rare occasion these days (see Scattered Thoughts Looks A Short Story Writing).

I think we need to look at anthologies a bit differently than we do with novels or novellas. And perhaps with a different expectation as well. We all have our preset notions when it comes to novels we like. And when we finish a novel, after having invested a certain amount of time and emotion, if it does not meet those expectations, than we are disappointed and frustrated with book and author alike. But an anthology can represent, should we choose to look at it this way, a chance to look at a compilation as something quite different. And rightly so, because there is a different expectation in the amount of time invested because of the shorter length as well as large quantity of stories involved.

Perhaps an anthology becomes a daunting proposal when you think of reading multiple stories one right after the other. I get that as some of these collections are quite huge. I used to just plow through the collection, one right after the other, only to find the stories running together towards the middle, a method that never seemed to do the authors or their tales justice. Now I try to read them in short bursts and that has made it easier for me when not only reading but reviewing the anthology. These are short stories, not a run on novel and they should be read as such. I think we forget that at times because they have been grouped together in one volume. But that fact doesn’t change the actuality that these are short stories, separate from each other except for an artificial grouping made by a publisher.

For me, an anthology is often a smorgasbord or even a Tapas Bar. A series of small plates or appetizers, instead of a formal banquet of a novel. There will often be something familiar, maybe a well-known or well-loved author or two. And there will be surprises, new writers or authors never heard of before. Or just maybe there will be a story from an author whose literary works you don’t normally connect with for whatever reason but here you find a story from them that just blows you away, giving you a new perspective on this author you normally pass on. All those reasons and more make the anthology a format to be looked at with anticipation and with affection. Think your goody bag at the end of the evening on Halloween. How did you approach it? Did you dump it all out at once or pick through the candies left inside the bag? For me, the anthology is the Halloween goody bag. There will be some apples, or a banana, along with Twix, or Mounds Bar to go with the Reese’s Pieces and Hershey Kisses at the end of the night. You can read it all at once or pick through it, reading it a little at a time. Like some, love some, pass on others.

I have come to love anthologies for the jewels I have found inside, authors and stories alike. Inside anthologies I have discovered the joys of a sloth shifter (Charlie Cochrane for Lashings of Sauce) or the grief of love lost and found again (Two Tickets To Paradise). Give them a try, they will undoubtedly surprise you. And let me know, anthologies, do you love them or leave them?

Here are some of the anthologies I have reviewed:

Animal Magnetism

Closet Capers Anthology

Lashings of Sauce

Making Contact

Private Dicks Anthology

Two Tickets To Paradise

Fever Anthology

Unconventional At Best

Review: Side Line by Ben Ryder

Rating: 1.5 stars out of 5

Jay Wells is a sales/promotional manager for a British beverage company that produces Side Line, a beer advertised as being a Sports aficianado’s beer. When his boss tells him that the company wants him to go to Bahrain to promote their beer and makes sales to the city’s bars, he is less than enthused. But his boss is sure than Bahrain is the next market to expand in and want Jay and his team to go.

During a beer promotion, Jay meets closeted Marine, Damon O’Connor, an encounter that goes wrong immediately. Damon refuses to admit he is gay but his actions tell a different story. When their attraction turns while hot, Damon’s refusal to admit his homosexuality and Jay’s impulsiveness threaten not only themselves but Jay’s business in Bahrain as well.

Never have I read a book so disconnected from its blurb from the publisher. My expectations for this story was that it centered around a US Marine named Damon O’Conner, now overseas and ready to ship out for a tour of duty. He meets cute little Brit selling beer in Bahrain and love ensues. That is the story I expected and wanted to read, certainly not the mess that unfolded in Side Line. That story is told from the pov of Jay Wells, gay British top beer salesman for a brewery that puts out a beer called Side Line, a beer marketed towards the sports minded. It’s his story, and that of his beer promotions that take up most of the storyline. Certainly not Damon’s, at least not until almost the middle of the story.

This story takes place on Bahrain during the Iraq war, known also as The Third Persian Gulf War (2003-2011). While a more liberal Arab state than the others, Bahrain still has rigid rules regarding homosexuality, womens rights and the use of alcohol. A disregard for those laws (while giving them casual lip service) and the culture that created them is pervasive throughout the story to my astonishment. And that is only one of my issues with this story.

From the beginning, the story had an odd, disjointed feel to it. Here is Jay and crew arriving in Bahrain:

THE plane landed in a dark and very humid Bahrain in the early hours of the morning. Despite visiting the Middle East before, I was still unnerved by the sight of so many police and security guards, who patrolled the airport and looked at each person who passed with blatant suspicion. They all had wiry, slim builds, with dark features and a scruffiness about them that made them look as though they had just rolled out of bed unwashed and unshaven. The current climate of war in the region made them seem nervous and jumpy, which didn’t help when you saw that they held their guns with their fingers barely inches from the triggers at all times.

We are starting with Arab stereotypes? Where is the sweetness and innocence from Noah? It goes downhill from there as Jay sets up his local contacts and dates for his promotional acts. Jay’s company wants to open up the market in Bahrain, selling its beer in venues that target service personnel. Jay has a group of beer girls, The Side Line Girls, who promote the beer by wearing cheerleader outfits, with skimpy underwear that is revealed in their routines. The “girls” are composed of every known stereotype, including one so dumb that when their chaperone mentions “stoning” she believes that they are talking about weed.

“Also,” Jackie continued, “since we are in the Middle East, there are certain cultural differences that you should observe and adhere to at all times.”

“Yeah, women still get stoned for sex around some of these places,” Siobhan offered.

“What’s wrong with that? I’ve been stoned and had sex loads of times,” Emma said, as if it were no big deal.

“That’s not what she means,” the twins said in unison. It sometimes creeped me out when they did that.

“Thank you for your confession of drug use, young lady,” Jackie said sternly. “But I think Siobhan is referring to the fact that, should a young lady take a lover outside of her marriage, or is considered a whore within someone else’s marriage, she could be sentenced to be stoned to death.” Jackie saw that Emma was still confused, so she explained, “It means they throw rocks at her, dear, until she perishes in the street.”

Emma looked horrified.

“However, that isn’t in Bahrain. That usually happens in places like Saudi Arabia,” Jackie continued.

“Which is just a stone’s throw away,” I added, punctuating the point Jackie was trying to make.

The author then has the girls put on their Daisy Dukes, tight Side Line t-shirts and head out the door to the bar to sell beer. For me, this was just one more example of what I disliked about this story. From the dumb blonde cliche to the line about Saudi Arabia being “a stone’s throw away”, Side Line was turning sour and fast.

Another odd facet to this book is that there are pages and pages of descriptions of the girls, their routines on the stage, the reactions of the men in the crowd, that I began to wonder if Damon was ever going to make an appearance. So much of this story is occupied with the beer promotions and girls that the romance is supplanted by pom poms and free beer. This annoyed me at first, but by the time I did get to the “romance”, I speedily wished for a return to the beer games and “Girls Gone Wild” portion of the plot.

I am not sure the author knew which war all the service personnel were shipping off to. Ryder says its the Third Gulf War but then has this exchange between Jay and Damon:

“What do you do? In the military, I mean,” I asked.

“I’m a staff sergeant in the Marines.”

I laughed. “I’m not surprised a big fella like you is a Marine. Those Iranians haven’t got a hope against you guys! Have you been serving long?”

Ryder seems to think that Iran and Iraq are interchangeable. Throughout the story, the characters make mention of “the majority of you are heading on to Afghanistan or Iran”. If you can’t get such a simple thing right as to where the war was fought, then I should have expected the rest of the nonsense that followed.

That lack of attention to detail carries through the length of the story, including his portraits of Marines and Navy Seals. I don’t think Ryder knows anything about the Marines or Seals, especially their codes of honor and behavior. Instead he portrays the Seals as undisciplined young buffoons, aggressive and unruly. Seals are not your ordinary soldiers but the author seems unaware of that fact in his descriptions of their actions such as drunken brawlers in a bar.

The main characters too are problematic. The only character I connected with and enjoyed was Jackie, Jay’s assistant and good friend. She was delightful and the only bright spot in this story. Unfortunately, the book was not about her. The character of Damon O’Connor is the one I had the most issues with. A Marine Staff Sergeant, he is deeply closeted, aggressive to a fault, self delusional, a totally dislikable person. He is responsible for an abduction, then forcing a person to commit several sexual acts (including one without a condom), and we are supposed to like him? Feel a connection to such a thug? I can’t begin to think of anyone who would find this man engaging, other than the author. And Jay of course. But the author has made Jay a complete doormat, just right for a thug such as Damon. Their “romance” as such is unlikely, unsexy and off putting.

I know there is supposed to be a connection between Noah and Side Line but I can’t think of one as the two stories seem so far apart in tone and substance. One was a sweet and endearing romance (Noah) and the other an offensive mess (Side Line). I know a book is in trouble when my list of issues goes beyond two or three. What is all adds up to a book I cannot recommend on any level and that surprises me because I enjoyed Noah so much. N0ah and Side Line are part of a series but if Side Line is any indication of the direction the series is taking, I am stopping here and you should too.

Cover design by Paul Richmond is the best thing about this story.

Book Details:

ebook, 174 pages

Published June 12th 2013 by Dreamspinner Press

edition language

English

Review: Waiting for Ty (Lovers and Friends #2) by Samantha Ann King

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Tyler Coil and his his best friend, gorgeous Landon Burke, have been best friends since college. Landon, a cancer researcher, and Tyler, a politcal reporter, have remained close even though they no longer reside in the same city. Landon has secretly loved his best friend for years, just watched as Tyler dated one woman after another, never seriously. Now Tyler has come to stay with Landon at his apartment for a time while working on a report. Landon is getting ready to buy a condo and take a sabbatical for 6 months in another city. The time is ripe for change in their relationship. Will Landon take a chance on love or let his dream of happiness with Tyler go?

I have mixed feelings about Waiting for Ty. It is the second book in the Lovers and Friends series by Samantha Ann King. The first book, Sharing Hailey (Lovers and Friends #1) is a menage (m/f/m) book that contains a fair amount of back story missing from this book. But as menages are not my thing, I won’t be reading that one. And without that information, much of this book feels incomplete as the author did not take the time to build it into her narrative. And that is just one of the issues with Waiting for Ty.

The story opens with Ty visiting Landon in his rental apartment just as two important events in Landon’s life are about to take place. He is finally finished with his years of college, including graduate degrees and is working as a cancer researcher. He has bought a condo and has agreed to take a 6 month sabbatical from his current position to work with another research group in a different state. And in walks Ty. Tyler is in town to meet with a informer for a explosive political expose’ he is working on. His entrance and the start of the novel is so abrupt that we feel as though we have entered midway through the novel. The reader is given little to no back story as to the men or their history together. It is just so odd that it is almost impossible to feel engaged in Landon’s predicament or their relationship.

Once the plot moves forward and the men try to establish a relationship amid family disapproval and personal assertiveness, then the book takes shape and the reader can finally settle into feeling more connected to the men and their struggle to be together. Ty is “straight” so this reads as a “gay for you” story which I am not sure that I bought into. Their initial sex scene came across the page as being somewhat polished in experience considering Ty’s inexperience. I really thought the author did her best work with describing the family dynamics and religious beliefs that threaten to tear the couple apart even as they are getting started. That aspect of this story really highlights Samantha Ann King’s talents as a writer. Tyler’s family comes across as real and absolutely believable in their bedrock fundamental religious beliefs even after having evidence as to their love, especially his mother, for their son. The stress that Landon is under during his first visit to Tyler’s family and the strained family dynamics are perfectly portrayed. It’s sad, and it has the feel of a family ready to break apart, splintering beyond any of the family’s power to heal the fractures about to be created.

Tyler’s change of face with regard to his sexuality and relationship with Landon is a little too pat, and the ending of this novel comes about a little too soon to feel authentic as well. I liked this story but felt it had so much more potential than was evidenced in the final product. I think Samantha Ann King has a gift that she has just begun to explore and I look forward to more stories from this author. I liked this story but am on the fence as to whether I would recommend it.

Stories in the Lovers and Friends series:

Sharing Hailey (Lovers and Friends #1)

Waiting for Ty (Lovers and Friends #2)

Book Details:

ebook, 36,000 words

Expected publication: July 29th 2013 by Carina Press

ISBN13 781426896033

edition language English

series Lovers and Friends

Review: Worlds Collide (Sanctuary #7) by R.J. Scott

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

Dale MacIntyre, Sanctuary agent, is in charge of protecting Emily Bullen, wife of Senator Thomas Bullen, from her husband and the rest of the criminally inclined Bullen family. After turning states evidence, Emily is headed back to Albany on a jet. Accompanied only by Dale, the pilot of the plane, and the copilot, she is horrified when word reaches them that a key player in the Bullen family crime syndicate was mistakenly freed from jail and is now able to hunt down the only person who can put him away for life. That person is Emily Bullen.

Midflight, Dale realizes the extent that Ryland Griffin will go to in order to eliminate Emily Bullen. Dale reaches out immediately to the person he knows he can trust to have immediate answers, have his back and that of the person he is protecting. That person is his lover, Navy Seal Joseph Kinnon. When Dale’s assignment gets more dangerous, Joseph and his Seal Team intervene and the resulting events bring about a serious introspective search for Dale and Joseph about where their relationship is headed.

I have been waiting for another Dale and Joseph book since they first appeared in The Only Easy Day (Sanctuary #2). In that story, Dale, an ex Seal and Joseph, current Navy Seal, meet, clash and lust as the investigation into the Bullen family crime syndicate is in its initial stages with Joseph’s murdered sister as one of Bullen family’s first known victims. The start to their romance is white hot, primal and short lived. Since then, R.J. Scott has kept the readers on high anticipation with teasers of the couple in book after book but nothing notable or even remotely satisfying. This is how it all starts:

“It’s not too late, we can still get out of here,” Chief Petty Officer Joseph Kinnon said urgently. He pressed both hands to the glass and stared down at the street below. The city was a white, snowy landscape and at any other time would have been stunningly beautiful. They were ten stories up in a hotel in the heart of the historic district and the place had ledges at each level. As a team they’d dealt with worse. Assessing the situation, he considered the options.

“Fuentes, talk to me.”

Luca Fuentes, young, tall, and built like the side of barn with muscles on muscles, was the team’s resident hacker but was also a tactical genius. He joined Joseph at the window. “Chief,” he said formally. His green-eyed gaze unerringly focused in on the view that Joseph had. He frowned as he looked out.

“Can you find egress here?” Joseph asked.

Luca tapped the glass.

“Reinforced; we’d need some pretty heavy ordnance to get out—I can get Viktor on that—then zip wire. Get it hooked to the top of the plaza building.” Luca looked up and down, then turned to Joseph. “Forty degrees. We can get down to the roof and get out that way.”

“Assessment?” “Fifty-fifty. I think most of us will be okay, but one of our team is scared of heights,” Fuentes said seriously.

Joseph nodded in agreement. “You’re talking about Mike Dexter.”

“He’s a liability, sir,” Luca answered. “I’m not sure his underwear would remain unstained and survive the fall.”

Joseph and his Seal team are assembled for a very different type of mission, a personal one. This is a funny and really moving introduction, just what I have come to expect from R.J. Scott. Joseph and his team are truly a band of brothers,unchanging until now. But the event they have gathered for marks the beginning of transitions for more than one member of the team. We have not met Joseph’s team until now and what a diverse group they turn out to be. I can easily see R.J. Scott building an entire new series around this team, especially the randy Viktor. While Scott has let us see Joseph in action, this is the first time we get to see Joseph operating as a member of his Seal team. By their interactions with each other and their dialog the author lets us feel why being a Seal and a part of this team is so important to Joseph. And it also lets us into the pain Dale felt when he was forced out. Since being a Seal is fundamental to Joseph’s character, what plays out next highlights the importance of Dale and their relationship.

And that is really what Worlds Collide is all about, an internal shift in both men that will allow them to have a future with each other. This is more a relationship book than any of the other stories in the series to date. Yes, we are still dealing with the fallout from the Bullen family crime investigations. One important criminal has escaped and Dale is in charge of getting Emily Bullen to safety so she can testify. But this section is just the impetus for providing the platform for change in both men’s lives. Here is Joseph with a note from Dale:

Just touching the note grounded Joseph in the here and now. Slowly, over the course of the last few months, the space in his life that had once been filled by the team he was with, by the job, by staying alive, had seen a full-frontal assault by the man he had fallen in love with.

This is a huge ground shift by a man who lived for the Seals alone. Dale too has undergone his own emotional introspection about Joseph and their possible future ahead. I love the way Scott has developed their story. Our first meeting and theirs was explosive, a fight turned sexual. It was incendiary. But after that, something else occurred, they started to care about each other and so did the readers. From time to time, we heard about each man and their tentative relationship in the other books. Nothing concrete for them or us, just tantalizing bits that kept us engaged in their future. So this book was more than welcome, I am sure we felt it was long overdue after being teased through five books. And the author doesn’t let us down.

We alternate perspective, from Dale to Joseph and back, as the events brought on by Dale’s assignment, guarding Emily Bullen, brings out those determined to stop her at all costs. We get to see the fluidity of motion and deadly competency of the Seal team in action, and the intrepidness of Dale’s Sanctuary training coming together to achieve one end. But the highlight of the story must be the time that Joseph and Dale get to spend together after the mission is finished. It’s heartwarming, it’s sexy and it fulfills most of the dreams we have had about this couple. But of course, not all.

It’s all here. All the things that have made this series such a great one. Realistic, fully rounded characters, a complicated criminal investigation that spreads through the series, and a narrative that moves the plot forward swiftly and smoothly. I love that the Bullen investigation is still ongoing, with loose ends out there waiting to trip up Sanctuary and the other agencies. Just a terrific aspect of this series and beautifully plotted out. There are one or two small chinks in the armor here. One small scene with the Seals and the criminal that I thought was unrealistic given their training and readiness. And then there is the ending. Absolutely realistic as always. For those expecting a finality to Dale and Joseph’s romance, we haven’t gotten it …yet. But you know that it is coming and this ending will leave you satisfied for now.

If you are new to the series or Dale and Joseph’s romance, go back to the beginning. An absolute must in order to understand the characters and the events as they play out. Here are the books in the order they were written and must be read:

Guarding Morgan (Sanctuary #1)

The Only Easy Day (Sanctuary #2), Dale and Joseph’s romance begins

Face Value (Sanctuary, #3)

Still Waters (Sanctuary, #4)

Full Circle (Sanctuary, #5)

The Journal Of Sanctuary One (Sanctuary, #6)
]
Worlds Collide (Sanctuary #7)

Cover design by BitterGraceArt is lovely and in keeping with the characters.

Book Details:

ebook

Published June 28th 2013 by Love Lane Books (first published March 30th 2013)

url http://rjscottauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/worlds-collide-sanctuary-7.html

series Sanctuary

Review: Tattoo You by Willa Okati

Rating: 3.75 stars

Jacob Lee has loved Donathon for three years and knows their love will last a lifetime. There is almost nothing he wouldn’t do for his lover if Donathon asked him to. Except one thing, get a tattoo. Donathon is covered in tats, clouds, tigers…his body a veritable canvas of color and design. His lover would love to see Jacob inked as well but Jacob is afraid of needles. As Donathon’s birthday approaches, Jacob works up the courage to finally give his lover the one present he wants. A formidable task, a twist of fate, and a forever love unite to give Jacob just the inspiration he needs to give Donathon the best birthday present of his life and a symbol of their love.

This is a very sweet, angst free love story from Willa Okati. At 60 pages in length, it flies by quickly. I have to admit the name Donathon threw me as my mind kept wanting to insert Jonathan everytime it saw the word on the page, a tad distracting. I do like all the detailed knowledge the author displays of tattoo shops and the characters she created for Hummingbird Studio West, the tattoo parlor where half of the scenes take place. These people are interesting and intriguing in their own right. I would have loved to have seen more of each of them in this story or perhaps, their own as part of a series. Jacob Lee (said together repeatedly) and Donathon are sweet together and their initial meeting is relayed to the reader as a remembrance in an endearing moment in the story.

One element I especially appreciated was the old drawings found in books in the basement. That was a lovely touch and the mystery behind them made me want to know more about those men and their past. It was the needed component to keep this story from being overly saccharine with its hint of sadness and inevitability. But this story truly belongs to Jacob Lee and Donathon. Their love story is appealing, and the ending satisfactory. No one would ever question that this is a HEA just as they deserve.

In the mood for a quick happy read? Pick this up and enjoy a light, sweet tale of love.

Cover art by BSClay is lovely but not the happy, cloud covered character that is Donathon.

Book Details

First published in Spiked Anthology from Torquere Press 2008:

Kindle Edition, 60 pages

Published June 2013 by Torquere Books

ASIN

B00DCZH29C

edition language

English

Review: Fever Anthology by M Rode

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

If you love cowboys, than this is the anthology for you. From cowboy tv stars to those that ride bucking bulls and every permutation in between, these 8 stories will make you laugh, make you sigh, even reach for a fan or too but always make you remember why you love a cowboy.

Stories included in Fever are:

Loose Riggin’ by Julia Talbot
Two Buckets and a Snakeskin Suit by Aaron Michaels
Torn by Sean Michael
Cowboy and Indian by Rob Rosen
Heart of Dixie by Mychael Black
Ready to Ride by Katherine Halle
White Hat/Black Hat by Kiernan Kelly
In the Pocket, a Roughstock story by BA Tortuga

I really enjoyed this anthology, especially because cowboys are a real weakness for me. Of special interest was the new story from BA Tortuga in her Roughstock series, I cannot get enough of those boys. It also introduced me to a series I hadn’t heard of, Mychael Black’s Hearth and Home series, so that was a plus too. Here in sequence as they appear are mini reviews of each story:

1. Loose Riggin‘ by Julia Talbot: 3.5 stars

One cowboy on the way up, one cowboy bull rider on the way down. Baron LeBlanc is a top bullrider at the end of his career. During one ride he injuries himself badly and an young bull rider, Arlen Deamus, offers to take care of him and become his traveling partner. I loved this story and thought the characters and the plot were full of promise. It is the perfect introduction for a longer story. Julia Talbot draws us in with her wonderful characters, great names and vivid descriptions but just as we are settling in, its over. As a short story, it ends so abruptly that it feels incomplete and the reader feels more than a little frustrated after investing emotionally in the story. I would love to see this author expand Baron and Arlen romance into a full length book. I will be first in line to pick it up.

2. Two Buckets and a Snakeskin Suit by Aaron Michaels: Rating 3.5 stars out of 5

While on vacation, Marcus and his sister Shelly attend camel races outside Las Vegas. Shelly is dying to meet an Australian cowboy and these camel races have more than their share of those. But when Marcus is hurt after he falls off a camel, he is the one who captures the attention of the only Aussie cowboy there. This was a cute little romance between a man talked into riding a camel by his sister and the Aussie cowboy who just happens to be a chiropractor who comes to his aid. Michaels did a nice job with presenting us with a well rounded character in Marcus and Shelly but I would have loved a little more back story on Vic. But it’s cute, hot, and has a realistic HFN.

3. Torn by Sean Michael: 5 stars for the heat alone

Pistol, an injured bull rider, returns home to his partner Bender and their ranch after a long 6 month absence on the rodeo circuit and shoulder surgery. He is unsure of his welcome after receiving an angry phone call from his partner following his injury. Bender’s love for Pistol is both the source of his anger and the one thing that will heal it. This is my second favorite story in the collection. Sean Michael gets everything right in this story. We get all the information we need about these two men and their long term relationship from Michael’s descriptions of their tense posture, their loving gestures and a dialog that telegraphs a well established intimacy at every level. Bender is tired of his lover’s injuries and this last one scared him badly. Pistol loves riding bulls and is frightened that his time as a bullrider is coming to an end. The situation is tense, hot, loving, angry, gentle, just everything you would expect from two scared people who love each other deeply and are faced with a serious situation. The ending is perfection, but then so is this short story. It doesn’t need to be longer, it doesn’t need any additional backstory. It ends where it should. Lovely. Here is a tease. Pistol is returning home after surgery unsure of his welcome:

He opened the door, pushed it open and stood, trying to keep them from the arm still in the sling. “Hey y’all, you happy to see me?”

“You should have called and let me know.” Bender waited for the dogs to have their hello, blue eyes on him like twin laser beams.

“I didn’t want you worrying. Jack needed his guest room back.” He’d been imposing. Not to mention, the man’s mother-in-law had come to help with the last few days of Mary Ellen’s pregnancy, and he’d wanted to come home. Bender told the dogs to “scatter,” and they did.

Before Pistol could say anything Bender was on him, mouth covering his in a kiss that smashed his lips against his teeth and totally stole his breath.

Oh. Oh, thank God. He pushed up into the kiss, damn near sobbing with relief.

4. Cowboy and Indian by Rob Rosen: 2 stars out of 5

Jed sees a poster for a fifty-dollar prize for the longest bronco buck advertised outside a saloon. He figures his horse Bessy needs a new saddle and aims to get it for her by riding in the rodeo. Along the way he runs into an Apache warrior, Taza, who wants to help his people. They make love, not war and end up with a future neither of them ever dreamed of. There are quite a number of things about this story that I have issues with, but the portrait of Taza, an Apache warrior, is the largest. Having a Native American character, especially in a historical story, can be a iffy element if not handled just right. For me, Taza just did not work. From his pidgin English which reminded me of the “Me, Tonto, you white man” variety to the fact that he drops trow for an unknown white man just after the awful Apache wars have ended….well it’s not just unrealistic but downright ridiculous. Here is their first interchange:

“Jed,” I told him, with a polite nod. “White man sounds so, well now, formal.”

With his free hand, he pounded his chest. “Taza,” he informed me. “In your language, means Apache warrior.”

I nodded my head. “Pleasure, Taza.”

And then he nodded, releasing the beast before sending it swinging. “You want to pleasure Taza?”

The only way that piece of dialog would work is in a Mel Brooks comedy. And it just goes further downhill from there. This is the one story I would skip over.

5. Heart of Dixie by Mychael Black: Rating 4 stars out of 5

Mack Sexton has been in love with his best friend and handyman Les Spencer for a long time. Les feels the same but neither man has acknowledged let alone acted on their feelings. Then one day everything changes. Heart of Dixie is a snapshot of a relationship that is part of a series called Hearth and Home by Mychael Black. I am unfamiliar with that series but got enough of a taste of it from this story that I will be scampering back to pick up the rest. Black develops the characters and setting to the point that it and both men feel real and the reader connects with them from the start. Mack’s sister, Kate, is a lively character in her own right and the interaction among the three of them comes across as long established and affectionate. Enjoyable and romantic. I loved this one.

6. Ready To Ride by Katherine Halle: 4 stars out of 5

Eric is an orthopedic surgeon volunteering his time with the Justin Sports Medicine program. Ben Greene is champion Saddle Bronc rider Eric has come to love. When Eric’s volunteer time with the rodeo comes to an end, Ben must travel on the circuit alone. And while neither man has talked about where their relationship is going, both love each other deeply. When Ben is receives a season-ending injury during a ride, Eric decides that, conversation or not, he is bringing his man home for good. I loved Halle’s characters and thought she got the character of Ben with his avoidance of “mushy talk” just right. While most of the story is seen through Eric’s eyes, Halle shows us that Ben’s actions telegraph his feelings perfectly to his lover and that words are not always necessary. This story has romance, cowboys and HEA in a nice short package.

7. White Hat/Black Hat by Kiernan Kelly: 4.25 stars out of 5

The time is 1968, the place Hollywood where a new TV western is getting ready to go into production. Two men, Dallas Frank and Stone Grant, arrive to audition for the two leads, Black Bart and Sheriff Carson Star, the White Hat/Black Hat title characters. To each man’s surprise and delight, they win the roles and secretly the love of each other. For the next forty years, they pretend to hate each other in public while continuing a love affair that has lasted as long as their show. Then their show is cancelled. What will they do now? Kelly gives us a terrific look back at old Hollywood and its outlook on homosexuality. Through small interludes we watch as Dallas (real name Joe Bob) and Stone Grant (real name Arvin Mason) settle into a long term relationship while playing the Hollywood game to protect the series and their reputation. The ending is rewarding, the relationship has a very authentic feel as does the times the men pass through. My third favorite story of the collection.

8. In the Pocket, a Roughstock story by BA Tortuga: 5 out of 5 stars

Sterling is a new bullfighter and he loves his job. He also loves working with his hero and fellow bullfighter, Coke Pharris. But rodeo clown Dillon Walsh is tired of the youngster drooling on his man and figures a little matchmaking is in order. When stock contractor Colby Tyburn asks for an introduction to Sterling, Dillon sees an opportunity and takes it, maneuvering Sterling into a date with the stock contractor. Colby Tyburn has been watching Sterling for some time and loves what he sees….a gorgeous energetic young man, all want and desire. Sparks fly at the first introduction but neither man expects the white hot sex to turn into something deeper and just perhaps, permanent. In the Pocket is a Roughstock story. So if the reader is familiar with the series, than you already know all about Coke Pharris and his rodeo clown lover, Dillon Walsh. They happen to be a favorite couple of mine so it is wonderful to see them make an appearance here. But the focus of the story is the young (and virginal) bullfighter, Sterling, and the older, more experienced man, Colby Tyburn, a roughstock contractor.

Sterling is a bouncy Tigger of a character. He is youthful, energetic to the extreme and has a bad case of hero worship when it comes to Coke Pharris. Unfortunately for Sterling, Coke is taken and Dillon is not happy that Sterling can’t keep his hands off his man. BA Tortuga paints the perfect portrait of innocent enthusiasm and lustful need all wrapped up in one young man who doesn’t seem to know what to do with it all. I just loved Sterling, he absolutely made me smile. Colby Tyburn could have come off as a predator but his appreciation for Sterling and all of his qualities, not just his physical traits, brings him back to a person the reader can relate to. Their sexual encounter is sexy, white hot, and ultimately very touching. It is not necessary to have read the other Roughstock stories, but it does help to round out the back history of the other men mentioned, however casually. There are over 17 stories in the Roughstock series, Coke and Dillon’s story is called Roughstock: And a Smile- Season One. I absolutely recommend them all. Here is a taste:

Nate (was) screaming his head off to get the bull’s attention. Joa landed, but luckily the Brazilian was ready, and they sort of strong-armed each other.

“Gotcha.”

He flung Joa toward Pharris and put himself between the cowboy and Merry-Go-Round. He heard Coke grunt, but then he and Nate were busy playing a game of slap the bull on the nose, trading off as it went round and round. This was his favorite part, the fun part. They did their little dance, and he pulled his butt in, hearing the whoosh as two thousand pounds went by.

“Woohoo!” He grinned at the gate shut, jogging over to Pharris, who clapped him on the back.

He loved his life.

Loved it.

Cover illustration by BSClay is perfect in tone and design for this collection.

Book Details:

ebook, 195 pages

Published June 5th 2013 by Torquere Press

ISBN

1610404858 (ISBN13: 9781610404853)

edition language

English

url

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=76&products_id=3911

Review: Changing Planes by Karenna Colcroft

Rating 2 stars out of 5

Oliver Sheehan is on his way from Boston to California to marry his long time fiance. Theirs has been a bicoastal relationship but neither is getting any younger and both feel its time to marry and settle in one place. Oliver is giving up everything to relocate, his beloved Boston, his friends and his job because of his fiance’s desire to remain in California with her family. Oliver is feeling more than a little resentful and not as sure of this marriage as he ought to be. Then he meets Colin Traynor, the flight attendant in his section and the sparks fly.

When Oliver tells his fiance of his doubts, Sophia responds with hers, plus the fact that she has fallen in love with her female coworker, all two days before the wedding. Oliver is angry, relieved and ready to return to Boston, but not without hooking up with Colin first. A date leads to the men texting and then meeting in Boston. But is Oliver really ready for a new committed relationship? Colin doesn’t think so. It’s up to Oliver to convince the man he wants that he is ready to commit to Colin for the rest of their lives. Now is only Colin will believe him.

Sigh. It’s a bad sign when I tell a reader that if they want to read a book, just read the blurb instead and leave it at that. Such a disappointing story at just about every level. Giving it a 2 star rating was actually kind and a stretch. First you have the characters which are oddly unformed and weirdly dislikable. Oliver is already dithering about the relationship on the plane, saying he loves Sophia in one breath and making declaimer statements about her and their relationship in the next. Here he is on the plane:

They hadn’t agreed on much of it. She wanted a big wedding with all her family and friends. He had no family— at least none who spoke to him— and none of his so-called friends were willing to travel, so he wanted a small ceremony with only Sophia’s parents and siblings in attendance. She wanted a church wedding. He hadn’t set foot in a church since his parents’ church turned its collective back on him right after his parents threw him out.

Sophia had won all the arguments, including the one about which of them should have to relocate. Her entire family lived in either Sacramento or the Bay Area, and she refused to leave them. As far as she was concerned, the fact that Oliver had no relationship with his family meant he had no reason to stay in Boston. When he’d protested that his job was there, she’d reminded him there were more software technician opportunities in California than in Massachusetts. He’d finally caved, partly because he’d seen no way to win the argument, and partly because love meant giving things up for the other person’s benefit. And he loved Sophia. At least he thought he did.

He just wished he could be sure.

And it goes downhill from there. Oliver starts flirting with Colin on the plane, not telling him that he’s getting married, then goes to meet his fiance, Sophia, another oddly flat character whose personality never arises above one dimension. Interestingly enough, both of these characters are supposed to be bisexual, but neither shows any real feeling towards each other or the other gender. They “say” the sex was hot and the author gives us an extended m/f sex scene to prove it. However, it falls as flat and unsexy, and quite frankly unbelievable as is their statements. I am not sure the author really understands what bisexuality means, because it comes across more like the mistaken “one step to gayness” that haunts so many other characterizations of this ilk instead of true bisexuality. And between these wobbly characters and their treatment of the situation they are in, the reader finds themselves separated from any emotional connection to these people other than a mild disgust and disbelief.

After deciding to call things off two days before the wedding, this is how Sophia decides to tell Oliver she is in love with a women (and tell her conservative family and friends as well):

“What about the reception?” That was one of the most expensive parts of the wedding, judging by the bills and receipts Sophia had shown him. He’d cringed when he’d seen those, but she hadn’t seemed to think they were at all out of line.

“We could still do it.” Her face lit up. “We can have a cancellation party. Or better.” She hesitated again but didn’t appear as nervous. “A coming-out party.”

Oliver’s heart stopped for a second. She knew he didn’t want anyone to know about his encounters with guys in the past. How could she even suggest such a thing?

And her next words were:

“I didn’t mean you.”

That was a bigger bomb than her previous statement. Now Oliver didn’t try to come up with a response. He understood exactly what she meant, and it was too much of a mind-screw for him to think coherently.

“Say something,” she pleaded. “I didn’t mean to hide it from you. I should have told you when you told me about your past. I didn’t want to admit it to you. I didn’t want to admit it to anyone, but I should have. I haven’t been fair to either of us.”

By now, these characterizations are changing by the minute, think of a new personality trait and they assume it. What they both come off as is closeted individuals, not realistic bisexuals. In addition, both Sophia and Oliver are over 30 but it surely doesn’t show in their actions, all of which are colored by a layer of immaturity. They both decide to invite Colin (after a chance meeting and phone call) and Sophia’s coworker to the reception/coming out party which leads to a disastrous scene with Colin jumping up and lecturing the families on tolerance. Really? A stranger jumps up and yells at the families who have been broadsided at a party to celebrate a wedding? Just one mess after another. I kept wondering what the author thinks a reader is going to do with all this? Because the characters I felt compassion for were the friends and families, not any of the MCs blithely running roughshod over feelings and honest expectations. *shakes head*

Colin is just as unformed and unappealing at Oliver. Out and proud, he goes along with Oliver to the party knowing what’s coming. Jumps into a relationship with him, while saying he won’t jump into a relationship with him, etc. No, Colin is not believable either. Here he is after Sophia has made her grand announcement to all:

This time, there were fewer insults, but the ones that occurred were still directed at Oliver, as he’d suspected. Somehow it was his fault his fiancée had become interested in a woman. “Excuse me.” Colin’s voice rose above the clamor, and everyone shut up and stared at him. He stood, and Oliver wished he could slide under the table. He had no idea what Colin was doing, and Colin had no idea what he was getting into by standing up to Sophia’s family. “I don’t know any of you, and you don’t know me, and it’s probably a good thing. You can’t turn someone gay. Or bisexual, depending on what Sophia considers herself. Those of you who are sitting here ranting about Oliver have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Oliver cringed. Sophia’s family didn’t take well to “outsiders” as it was, and Colin had probably just made enemies out of all of them. Even Sophia looked appalled.

The insults were along the lines of Oliver being a jerk. Hmmmm. Now play that scene over in your head (and that’s pretty much how it plays out in the story). What would your reaction be? I suspect that your sympathies will lie everywhere but with Sophia and Oliver as do mine. Why does the author not see this? This odd outlook permeates the story, furthering the disconnect with the reader from the plot, the characters, heck all of it.

Towards the end of the book, after a month of texting, Oliver decides he is in love and wants Colin to move in. Keep in mind they really only had a day together in California, a month of texting, then a day in Boston.

Colin hadn’t said he would give up everything. They hadn’t even said they were going to move in together. His mind was jumping all around the conversation and not waiting for anything definite to be determined.

“You know, we keep saying we aren’t sure about this, but we’re talking as if we are.” Colin took a drink of coffee. “Let’s just say it, okay? We’re good together. I’ve felt it for a while now, and being here with you has proved it. Seeing you last thing last night and first thing this morning seemed more right than anything else in my life lately. We can change our minds if things do fall apart this week, but I want to be with you, Oliver.”

The elderly couple at the next table shot them sharp glances. Oliver glared at them until they went back to their eggs and bacon. This was Massachusetts. Same-sex marriage was legal, same-sex couples existed, and he didn’t care about the opinions of some random old folks he would never see again.

By this time, I am surprised I made it almost through all 196 pages, only to find Oliver still dithering around along with Colin. I will let you all extrapolate the rest of the story from the bits I gave you and the blurb from the publisher. The story does mercifully end and we get to leave these characters on the pages of this book, soon to slip forever out of mind.

I have read at least two other stories by Karenna Colcroft, including Sensei. That book had some promising ideas as well as intriguing characters in it whereas Changing Planes has neither. If you wish to read a Karenna Colcroft story I would suggest you pick up that one and leave this where it belongs….on the shelf gathering dust bunnies.

Cover art by Mina Carter. That cover is just adorable. So unfortunate that the story inside doesn’t live up to it.

Book Details:

ebook, 196 pages
Published June 4th 2013 by Loose Id
ISBN139781623003142
edition languageEn

Winners of Kendall McKenna’s The Final Line Contest

Good morning all! Here are the winners of the e-book drawings from Kendall McKenna and MLR Press are:

The Final Line: Sally -n- Sean (which is perfect!) halliday.sally@yahoo.co.uk
Pick of Recon Diaries title: Ilona F. felinewyvern@googlemail.com

Thanks to all who participated! We have had wonderful comments and a great time.

Review: The Final Line (Recon Diaries #3) by Kendall McKenna

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Staff Sergeant Corey Yarwood returned home after a tour of duty that saw him injured and a case built against the civilian security forces that operated overseas. Now an instructor at the Basic Reconnaissance Course. Corey is suffering from PTS, and is drinking heavily in his off duty hours to help him sleep through the night and the nightmares that arrive as he falls to sleep. One night at a local bar, Corey comes to the aid of a woman being targeted by some local drunks. When her friend arrives to take her home, Corey meets a man that is smart, compassionate and wakes up his long slumbering libido.

Sean Chandler, an actor and a musician, walks into a dive bar expecting to find his neighbor who called for a ride. Instead he finds himself tossed into the middle of a drunken mess with one man standing between his friends and a group of angry drunks. He watches as the Marine easily handles the situation and then helps him walk his neighbor to the car. One ride home lands Sean squarely into Corey’s life, as friend and perhaps even romantic partner. Corey is less than communicative, but Sean sees immediately that Corey is having problems, starting with alcohol. But Sean also sees the remarkable man who is in so much pain and in need of his help that nothing will stop Sean from doing what he can to see Corey on the path to sobriety and mental health.

Corey is also suffering from memory loss. Something awful happened during his last tour of duty and an investigation has been opened up to uncover those responsible for civilian deaths and the following coverup. Corey’s memories are the key needed to unlock the truth. As the investigation draws closer, Corey’s memories gain power. Will the truth put Corey on the path to recovery and love or will the truth be his downfall?

When is 5 star rating not high enough? The answer is when you have a book like The Final Line in front of you to review. This is really one of the most exemplary examples of military fiction that I have read in quite some time. Add to that fact that given the overwhelming number of soldiers returning from their tour of duty with PTS, traumatic head injuries as well as physical disabilities and an infrastructure unable to handle all their needs, it becomes not just a beautifully written piece of fiction but a timely one as well.

Corey Harwood is the focus of this book, unlike the previous stories where Marine Staff Sergeant Jonah Carver and former Platoon Commander, Kellan Reynolds were the main characters. In those stories, Corey was a young soldier just learning the reality of his job, a reality that only comes with the first tour of duty. This is our first introduction to “baby Marine” Corey Yarwood in Brothers In Arms:

PFC Corey Yarwood of Slayer-Two-Three sat cleaning his gear, listening to the bullshit his fellow Marines were spouting. He laughed in the right places but didn’t contribute much. Jonah always felt a sharp twist in his chest when he saw Yarwood. The kid resembled Kellan. Jonah had thought Kellan looked young all those years ago, but Yarwood—Yarwood looked so young, he made Jonah feel old. Kendall McKenna. Brothers in Arms MLR Press LLC.

From baby faced, inexperienced Private, we watch Corey age and grow into a seasoned warrior injured in battle, returned to the States for training in Fire for Effect (Recon Diaries #2):

Jonah’s features split into a grin. “Yarwood,” he greeted, extending his hand.

Corporal Corey Yarwood approached, dressed in full utilities including the eight cornered, billed cover. He’d changed since Kellan had last seen him. Corey was the same height, but he held himself a little taller. He seemed broader in the chest and shoulders. Two years had matured Corey, that much was obvious. He’d still been boyish, when Kellan had met him. Now, he was unquestionably all man.

Corey grasped Jonah’s hand and shook it briskly. They pulled each other in for the ultra-masculine, back-slapping hug of the alpha male. Corey was smiling wide when he stepped back, his eyes shone as he looked up into Jonah’s face. He released Jonah’s hand but now stood gripping his bicep. Kendall McKenna. Fire for Effect . MLR Press LLC.

By the second book, Corey has returned home a veteran Marine with First Recon getting ready to deploy for his third mission overseas. Experienced but still young enough to harbor a crush on his idol, Jonah Carver. This is also where we start to get our first indications that all is not well with Corey, when Kellen asks about his injury:

“How’s your head these days?”

Corey’s fingers lifted to his temple in what looked like an unconscious gesture. “I have a pretty good scar but beyond that, I healed up fine.” Kendall McKenna. Fire for Effect . MLR Press LLC.

But the truth is Corey is far from fine, and he is already drinking to excess. By the time we meet up with Corey again, he has become Staff Sergeant Corey Yarwood and is an instructor at the Basic Reconnaissance Course. He is having difficulty sleeping, he has lost his memory of certain important events, and untreated PTS is steadily pulling him into a downward spiral. And that is just part of the beauty of this series and this book. Kendall McKenna has given us a powerful portrait of a Marine, honor bound to the Corp and its codes of behavior, from his first tour of duty to a seasoned Instructor. It’s realistic and its has all the authenticity I have come to expect from a Kendall McKenna story. I believe in Corey, I believe in his attitudes towards the Corp and service. And because of that unquestioning belief, I felt every moment of his pain, every second of his despair, and finally his joy as he starts on the path to recovery.

In some respects, this story is less a romance, than a study of a veteran who is dealing with PTS, and that makes it not only emotionally compelling but timely as our media is full of stories of our soldiers returning to society, unable to cope with their physical injuries and emotional trauma. It is not enough that a writer is familiar with military terms and uses them in a story. It is the understanding of the soldier mentality, or in this case what it means to be a Marine, an identity so indelible that it is written on their cells. Ask any one on a street in the US, what it means to be a Marine, and you can expect an immediate answer, whether it be “Semper Fi” or “once a Marine, always a Marine”. It is quite simply a never-ending brotherhood. To understand and be able to ground their stories and characters in the Marine culture is an achievement that few authors manage. Kendall McKenna is one of those who reach that level of accomplishment in every story she writes. If you have read her guest blog , then you will understand how her family and past history has contributed to this knowledge. But I am convinced that it is something more, something else, a special talent that allows an author to go beyond knowledge and history to extend real emotion and a mental framework into their characters that bring them fully alive on each page of the story. Corey Yarwood is that powerful, compelling creation that moves beyond the page and into your hearts as a real person. We invest ourselves emotionally in Corey’s situation and yearn for his recovery as much as those around him do.

Another terrific element of The Final Line is the fact that McKenna helps to educate the public about PTS without standing on a soapbox. This is Corey’s first meeting with a doctor from the Warrior Clinic:

“I’m guessing it’s the nightmares and insomnia that are causing you the most trouble?”

“Yes, ma’am. Doctor Goldman gave me a prescription for that. It’s only been a couple days but so far, things seem better.”

“Good. That’s really good. You’ve reported only one anxiety attack. By taking care of the sleep issues and coming here, you’ve probably headed off more frequent and more severe episodes, so that’s also good.” Doctor Ingram paused and Corey wiped his sweaty palms on the thighs of his jeans.

“You’ve reported no flashbacks and no hyper-vigilance, but I’m willing to bet you have very mild symptoms and just don’t recognize them.” The doctor canted her head as she regarded Corey closely. “Do some of your memories seem more vivid that others? Do you lose time? Several minutes where you don’t know what you were just doing? Are you uncomfortable in crowds? Do you feel aggressive if you don’t have a wall at your back and all exits in view?”

Corey sat in stunned silence for several moments, mouth hanging slack as he stared at Doctor Ingram. “I don’t lose track of time,” he managed through his tightened throat. “But all the rest? Yeah.”

And that is just some of the symptoms associated with PTS and through Corey, we watch as he tries to deal with them first on his own, and then with the assistance of others, including doctors. It is truly an eye opening experience if you are unfamiliar with the disease, and McKenna gets us right into his head and mind frame. Then multiply Corey by the thousands and you begin to understand the hurdles the young men and women are facing as their return from duty and try to reintegrate into society.

Along with Corey, McKenna also gives us a military investigation into a war crime where civilians were killed and an coverup of that event at home. Both Jonah Carver and Kellen Reynolds are back as part of that investigation and Corey’s memories hold the key to exactly what happened overseas and who was responsible. This portion of the story is as enthralling as everything else going on around our main character. It just as easily could have been one of those “ripped from the headlines” plot lines, but again this section has the same authentic feel as all other aspects of this story. Trust me when I say your heart will just ache by the time this book is done, and not just for Corey. McKenna has given this its due diligence and it shows.

Is there a romance here? Absolutely. As with all her other characters, McKenna gives us another realistic, relatable character in Sean Chandler. He is interesting, compassionate and a true equal for Corey. There is no instant love here but a relationship that has to be built around real issues that have to be dealt with. Corey has to learn to communicate better and Sean has a front seat in learning what it means to be a Marine, especially a Recon Marine. It is a wonderful, believable and ultimately loving relationship that McKenna creates between the two men, emotionally satisfying for both the reader and the couple. How I love them both. You will too.

From character study to military investigation to war crime to the building of a loving relationship, The Final Line has it all and then some. It is exemplary as an example of military fiction as it is m/m romance. I cannot begin to recommend this story highly enough. It is such a remarkable book, so timely and alive in personality and culture, that I continue to shake my head in amazement.

Run, don’t walk, and pick this up. If you are new to the series, start with Brothers in Arms and continue forward until you reach The Final Line. And then spread the word too about a series all will want to read and men that all will want to embrace.

Cover Art by Jared Rackler. The covers for these books are as powerful as the stories within.

The Recon Diaries books in the order they were written and should be read to understand the characters and events taking place: Brothers In Arms (Recon Diaries #1)

Fire for Effect (Recon Diaries #2)

The Final Line (Recon Diaries #3) Book Details:

ebook

Published July 4th 2013

edition language

English

urlhttp://kendallmckenna.com/books/the-recon-diaries/

series

The Recon Diaries #3

Guest Blog – Kendall McKenna and Book Contest!

Today we are lucky to have as our guest Kendall McKenna talking about her latest release, The Final Line (Recon Diaries #3). To celebrate its release, we are giving away one copy of The Final Line and one copy of any other Recon Diaries title to a person who comments either today or tomorrow. So don’t forget to leave a comment at the end of the post. This is an incredible series and The Final Line is one of Scattered Thoughts Best Books of the Year: Hello! My name is Kendall McKenna and I write M/M Erotic Romance novels and novellas. I’m going to talk about my U.S. Marine characters, and give away some free e-books, so let’s have some fun! Thanks to everyone for joining me today! On July 4^th, The Final Line, my fifth novel – #3 in The Recon Diaries – was released to great reviews and a lot of excitement. This is the story of Corey Yarwood, who readers have watched grow up during the first two books in the series. Corey falls in love, has some hot sex, but also struggles with Post Traumatic Stress. That’s one of the hallmarks of The Recon Diaries, a hot romance woven together with a realistic military situation.

That’s actually what I do, as an author. My specialty, if you will.

My journey into writing love stories about U.S. Marines is pretty direct. I have never served in the military, but I have worked in law enforcement. There is a lot of crossover. Quite a few of my family members left the military to become law enforcement officers. I grew up in San Diego, where there are more Navy and Marine Corps bases than there are schools. Okay, not really, but almost. You get the idea. Growing up and into my late 20s, I was very close to my maternal grandfather. He had served in the Marines during WWII, and had been one of the founding members of 3^rd Reconnaissance Battalion. This all mixed together to become an extensive knowledge base and understanding of all things military, quite specifically, the Marines.

When I got all grown up, I noticed how inaccurately both cops and Marines are portrayed in books, movies, and on television. I desperately wanted to read good books about these characters, that didn’t have glaring errors or clearly indicate that authors had no military knowledge at all. You can tell from my books that military personnel have ways of thinking and speaking. As a sub-culture, they have a language of their own. I understand all of this, and can tap into it. I’ve explained before that it’s a lot like spending your first ten years in another country, speaking English as well as the local language. If you move to the U.S. at the age of ten, it becomes the language and culture you most closely identify with, but you can still access everything from your first ten years.

That’s just one piece of the puzzle, though. My characters are very crucial to my stories. I would say they’re more important than my stories, but I know many would argue. In any event, people who thrive in the military culture, have certain personalities. They also go through a process of socialization and conditioning while in the military. What this means is that military characters have to be created in a specific way for them to be realistic. First of all, they’re emotionally reserved. They aren’t overly talkative, especially when it comes to their feelings. They tend to prefer actions over words. They possess an inclination to ‘protect’ their loved ones from the ugliness of their professional lives. They need something pristine as an escape, so they attempt to keep the two halves of their lives separate.

Anyway, I first tried writing military characters and military themed stories, because I believed I could do it better than in some of the things I was reading. And I’m not just talking in the m/m genre. It’s a widespread issue. So, I sat down and wrote. I edited, I re-wrote. And I wrote again. I went out and found editors and beta readers who I knew could be very critical and push me to be better. I wrote, they corrected me, and I re-wrote. I grew from simple stories of 2,500 words, to my sweeping 100,000 word epics.

It’s one thing to write a series of stories that are strictly about two people falling in love. Obviously, I love a good romance. I wanted to do more, though. I wanted to write realistic, believable (yet, fictional) stories that would serve as the backdrop for the love story. It’s a commonly used technique, but I looked around for something that either affects, or only occurs to military personnel. I start with that kernel of truth, and from it I develop my own story and draw my own conclusions. It’s a really big game of what-if, for me. My characters think, speak, act and react to the fictional situations I devise. I weave the love story in and out of the fictional plot, until they’re hopefully, seamless.

Here’s how it all worked for my latest story, The Final Line. Corey Yarwood is a small, secondary character who first showed up in Brothers In Arms. He reappeared, a little older and more mature, in Fire For Effect. When it came time for his own story, I aged him and promoted him, giving him a few unpleasant experiences to make him interesting, but also to give him some baggage. I created a love interest for him who is just different enough to create some conflict, but different in ways that balance Corey out a bit.

You pretty much have to be living under a rock, these days, to miss the fact that our military veterans are battling against Post Traumatic Stress. I gave Corey a case of PTS, and was careful to realistically portray the symptoms, as well as the treatment. I didn’t make anything easy. Corey suffers, and it takes him some time to heal. Even then, it’s not perfect

Also, if you pay attention to national news, you know that there have been some incidents that have occurred, resulting in military personnel being prosecuted. I created an event that would serve as a war crime, and would feasibly lead to stateside prosecutions. What better incident to trigger Corey’s PTS?

Finally, returning vets are suffering high rates of domestic violence. I used a local incident as a jumping off point for a plot point that sets the entire story in motion. If Corey was affected by an incident in Afghanistan, others in his platoon would be as well. If Corey battles to overcome his PTS, would there not also be someone who sank into darkness following this event? And what would happen if everyone got together to cover up this event? Who would take the fall when someone set out to uncover the truth?

What really sets my books apart from others written about military characters or situations, is the authentic flavor of my narrative. I tell the story I have designed using military jargon, dialog with the cadence of military-speak, and realistic combat scenes. I drop the reader into the story and tell them what it’s like to feel the recoil of an M16. I describe the tooth-rattling, ear ringing feel of being close to an explosive detonation. I write authentic radio chatter, right down to unit call signs. I make the reader’s heart pound and their blood race, as if they were right beside Corey in combat. My military situations could happen; they’re actually possible. My Recon Marines execute real-life missions. They’re not Navy SEALs single handedly saving the White House.

I admit it! I love stories like that! But I set out to do something completely different. The rogue SEAL has been done to death. I set myself apart by going for realism.

If you have any questions about me, my background, or about anything regarding one of my stories, leave a comment, I’m happy to answer.

Curious about Corey and The Final Line?

Here’s the blurb: Staff Sergeant Corey Yarwood is an instructor at the Basic Reconnaissance Course. His last deployment ended in horror, but he can’t remember those events. Battling severe PTSD, Corey’s drinking is growing out of control. Sean Chandler walks into a dive bar, and into Corey’s life. An actor and a musician, Sean has the empathy and compassion to sooth Corey’s pain, and the strength to support him as he struggles to heal. Corey’s lost memories are pivotal to a civilian murder, and a military investigation. Remembering could mean salvation, or destruction. Will the truth be too much for Sean to handle?

The Final Line might be Book #3 in The Recon Diaries, but it also stands alone. You can read it without having read the previous two books. However, if you’re curious about The Recon Diaries, you can read more about them at my website: www.kendallmckenna.com

NOW FOR THE FREE STUFF!

You have the chance to win one of two e-books! Our hostess is offering a free e-book of my newest title, The Final Line! I am offering a free e-book of any of the three titles from The Recon Diaries! The Rafflecopter drawings below will tell you what you need to know!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/1bf30753/

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/1bf30754/

Thank you so much for joining me here, and good luck to everyone with the drawings!