Review Repost: Strength of the Pack (The Tameness of the Wolf #1) by Kendall McKenna

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

At a time when tales of the Human Dominant and his True Alpha Shifter have been consigned to myth, along comes human Marine Lt. Lucas Young. As he readies his command of mixed human and shifters for their deployment to Afghanistan, he is assigned True Alpha pack leader Sargent Noah Hammond to his platoon. From the beginning, Lucas and Noah circle around each other, Noah pressing for dominance and control while Lucas is equally determined that his authority and rank be recognized and respected by the True Alpha. Small skirmishes and exercises bring human and shifter together in an ever strengthening bond as Lucas learns to dominate Noah and understand the ways of the Pack.

Once their platoon has landed in Afghanistan, they find themselves under fire, and the wartime stresses find their bond deepening and getting stronger with each trial and success. Soon the pair are mirroring the legendary bonding of Dominant and True Alpha from ancient lore. But the bonding is incomplete and when one is wounded, can misunderstandings and military regulations be overcome in time to save them both?

It has been a while since a new shifter book blew me away. Strength of the Pack has done that job and then some. McKenna gives us an alternative world where shifters and humans have been together for millennia and throughout much of history. But through human rewriting, their place in our history has been purposely obscured. Now, because of some unmentioned war or occurrence, shifters are now partnering with humans in all aspects of life, including the military. McKenna gives us just enough back history to whip up a thirst for more while still making her current setting feel realistic and well thought out. Little by little, McKenna delivers glimpses of this magical back history, reinterpreting such legends as Joan of Arc and Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

McKenna’s world building is a wonder with no element left to chance. We are given pack hierarchy, which is folded into Army and Marine structure in such a way as to feel utterly real and authentic in every detail. She has a way of describing army life as lived while deployed that I wondered if she was a Reservist or active in the military. From their packs to their guns, to the dust and heat of the land they are bivouacked on, it felt as though you were there with them, close to the insurgents and ambushes. It just rang true, right down to how the Pack reacts after skirmishing with the enemy.

And that brings me to another aspect of this book that I loved, the natural history of the wolf. Unlike other shifter stories, here the wolf shifters act like wolves, including their rank and status within the pack and how it regulates their behavior to one another. While I enjoy seeing different authors take on shifters, as a park naturalist I love seeing an author who gets the science right, especially where natural history is concerned. Kudos to McKenna for that lovely take on wolf shifters and shifter society. She also opens up for an explosion of options in the books to come. I can’t say more without giving away some of the plot but oh my, what possibilities could be in store for us in the books ahead.

Kendall McKenna’s characters are worthy of such marvelous world building too. I loved the reserved nature of Lt. Lucas Young. He is brilliant, concerned about regulations and the safety of those under his command. There are so many levels to this man and they are slowly peeled away as he realizes that he is not prepared to handle the presence of either a True Alpha or shifters in his platoon. The decisions he makes (and we are inside his mind as he makes them) paint a portrait of a man, honest to his true nature with the capacity to grow with the challenges before him. Lucas is matched up with the indomitable True Alpha, Noah Hammond, a nordic warrior shifter. This is not a cardboard hero but again a being adjusting to a bond thought unheard of and having his own problems with it. McKenna has made Hammond vulnerable, at least to Lucas, a necessary facet of his personality if we are to believe their bond to be true. This will be one of my favorite new pairs of the year. The needs of the wolf for taste, touch, smell and markings deliver sensual scene after sensual scene as Lucas and Noah adapt to each other and their needs.

This book is 336 pages long and felt like 90. I got to the end and wailed because I wanted much, much more. I have so many questions for McKenna. Has the government been working to find this combination again? When did the shifters come forward again? And what happens to Tim Madison? Consider my feet stamped in frustration. Lucky for all of us, this is just the beginning. I hope the series is a long one. But either way, long or short, I can’t wait for the next installment in The Tameness of the Wolf. Go get your copy and let’s start this journey together. I can’t wait to see where it takes us.

Stunning cover art by Jared Rackler

Review: Scorpion (Memory of Scorpions #1) by Aleksandr Voinov

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Kendras is quite possibly the last surviving member of the only family he’s ever known—the elite fighting force known as the Scorpions. Gravely injured and left for dead during the conflict between the city states of Dalman and Fetin. Kendras has no choice but to accept the coin and offer of service to the mercenary who finds him severely wounded outside the city. All the mercenary called Steel demands is nothing less than Kendras’ total submission and acceptance of a secret task to carry out. With no where else to turn and no money to buy medicine, Kendras resignedly accepts.

But Kendras has his own hidden agenda, that of finding if any of his Scorpion brothers survived and bringing the elite team back together again. It also includes finding the man who holds Kendras’ heart and soul, that of the officer who leads the Scorpions. But first, Kendras must heal. His shattered foot and other wounds need time. Complications arise when Steel becomes possessive of Kendras, wanting more than just his body. But Steel’s too late, Kendras’ love and loyalty lie elsewhere. When that becomes apparent, what will Steel do when he realizes Kendras will never be his?

Kendras faces layers of political intrigue, and tests that will strain his loyalties and test his physical prowess as a warrior.But nothing will stand in the way of Kendras achieving his goals, not even the Empire itself.

Scorpion is such a powerful book. Brutal, grimly realistic in its portrait of a warrior’s life, depicting the violence to body and soul that is the by product of such a life. It is also equally honest in its scenes of casual everyday brutality that is a way of life for those less fortunate and lacking in status or wealth. Rape, humiliation, slavery and death lie in wait for all but the most noble or well connected. And even then assassination and mutilation are possibilities for those who would rule. Aleksandr Voinov has created a universe of exceptional cruelty, where casual viciousness and political maneuvering are daily occurances. Yet it is also a world where love and loyalty cannot be bought and the possibility of redemption and love is a treasure to be fought for.

In Voinov’s world, a devastating war in the empire of Shara has left the former dynasty broken into three city kingdoms. In the three hundred years since the sundering of the empire of Shara, the three cities have maintained a delicate balance of autonomy between them. The author reveals the political tactics within each city and the wars that the failed policies and negotiations have brought to the kingdoms themselves. Kendras and his fellow Scorpions are the latest casualties of a war between Dalman and Fetin, two of the city kingdoms. From the start, the author brings us into the conflict at the bottom level. The consequences of the war is everywhere, from the dead to the dying and mutilated. The mercenaries, needed to fight are just as quickly discarded by those who hired them. It is a rough, cruel life and Voinov depicts it honestly with gritty descriptions that are almost to vivid to bear.

Equal to Voinov’s world building is his characterizations. Every character found within this novel is meticulously created from Kendras to Steel to Widowmaker, the assassin whose loyalties are hidden beneath layers of guile. These are also not men for the fainthearted. They take what they want regardless of the frailties and consent of others. In fact, kindness and passivity is looked down on, it will get a person killed or enslaved on this world. Loyalty and brotherhood are to be treasured and love is so rare that it is not easily identifiable.

At the heart of this story is Kendras, an orphan discarded on the streets of Fetin to fend for himself at an early age. An oddity because of his black skin and blue eyes that mark him as a pureblooded Jaishani (a noble race), Kendras has no idea as to his lineage or history. A petty thief and sometime killer, Kendras’ life was changed on the day he was set to die, saved by the officer who would train him to be a Scorpion. I loved Kendras. He is such a remarkable character, he perseveres, he is loyal, and amidst his pragmatism, there is an unquenchable desire to love and be loved in return. Equal in complexity is the officer (his name is revealed later on in the story). Who and what he is slowly comes to the surface over the course of the story. While the novel unfolds through the eyes of Kendras, the officer becomes a man who both Kendras and the reader commit to emotionally and intellectually. But every character Voinov has created has multiple layers, from Selvin a Scorpion who chooses to remain a sexual slave to Steel and Widowmaker, mercenaries with pasts as complex as their characters. Every one of these damaged people enrich the story with their realism and singular personalities.

I found no quibbles with this incredible story but I must make an admission. The opening pages are as brutal as any you will find throughout Scorpion. Initially, I had a hard time with them, especially the non con elements involved. But they also ring with a terrible authenticity and you will understand why the author not only included them but started off in such a manner as you delve further into the book and Kendras’ life. It is cruel and sets the tone for the reality of the life Kendras lives and the events that will occur down the line. Kendras does what he has to in order to stay alive. It’s a pragmatic outlook and it certainly is one that belongs to a war hardened mercenary.

The narrative of Scorpion was smooth and thrilling. I couldn’t put it down. The ending of the story was satisfying while leaving the way open for the next book in the series. Its with anticipation and a little fear that I await the next installment. Don’t pass this story up..

Cover art by Reese Dante is gorgeous in the 2nd edition. The model is perfect for Kendras and the design works in tone and graphics. Great job.

Book Details:

2nd edition from Riptide Publishing
eBook ISBN: 978-1-62649-013-0

eBook release: May 27, 2013

eBook Formats: pdf, mobi, html, epub
Print ISBN: 978-1-62649-014-7
Print release: May 27, 2013
Word count: 71,000
Page count: 274
Type: Part of a Series
Cover by: Reese Dante
This title is #1 of the Memory of Scorpions series.
– See more at: http://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/scorpion-memory-scorpions-1#sthash.UsSFLbL9.dpuf
Rewritten, enlarged and redited
First edition 242 pages from Dreamspinner Press 2011

Review: Coliseum Square by Lynn Lorenz

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

Mark Madison is running away from his past as fast as he can. Leaving behind him death and the threat of incarceration, Mark finds himself in New Orleans, circa 1886. It is the start of a new life under a new name. Mark has arrived to take the job of tutor to the son of a local wealthy widower, Royal Du Cote. But the situation Mark finds himself in is anything but normal.

The boy, Luc, is mute and frightened of his father. He hasn’t spoken since the death of his mother two years ago. And his father, Royal Du Cote? Handsome, wealthy,seemingly haunted by his wife’s death while giving Mark looks that make him shake with desire. Mark comes to care for Luc and promises himself that he will find a way to free Luc of his terrors so he can speak once more. But what part does Royal play in Luc’s affliction? Could Royal be part of the problem? The house and household is full of secrets and Mark needs to find the keys. But will the truth free all involved or will Mark and Royal see the demise of all their hopes and dreams once and for all.

The words New Orleans and Lynn Lorenz go together like chocolate and caramel, a perfect blend. It is clear from her stories, located in that fabled city, that she loves and understands the peculiar nature of the place and its magnetic pull on people world wide. Say the name New Orleans and it immediately conjures up romance, and lust , sultry nights full of indolence and the pervasive aroma of the lake itself. A place where all races and backgrounds combine, independent of laws and sometimes morality. I love the way she writes about New Orleans, her love and knowledge clearly showing in all her descriptions. That is equally true whether we are taking about the present or New Orleans of 1886, the time of Coliseum Square.

Here is Mark pulling into the New Orleans harbor on one of the river’s paddleboat:

The boat veered toward the levee, as another string of port buildings appeared just past the Place d’Arms, the old square. The paddlewheel slowed, the slapping of the boards against the water became fewer and then it stopped.

We floated. Silent.

We all held our breaths as the great boat edged closer. On the wharf, men ran back and forth, shadows darting in and out of the gaslights. The steam engines bellowed, the paddle started again, this time in the opposite direction, and the boat shifted closer to the dock.

Below us, on the bottom level, our own men rushed, gathering and untying huge ropes, shouting commands and aye-ayes.

“Hold on!” one of them shouted.

I grabbed for the railing and braced myself. The boat shivered, halted, and with a final shift, hit the wharf, jerking us all nearly off our feet. A few of the ladies screamed, the children hooted, the men remained stoic, as if they did this every day of their lives.

Above us, another blast from the horn, signaled our arrival.

I leaned over the edge and watched the men below toss the ropes across the narrow gap to the men on the dock, watched them tie us off, backs and arms and leg muscles straining as they wrapped the ropes around huge mooring posts, securing the paddle wheeler to the dock.

The wheel stopped. We had arrived.

You can almost feel the boat “shiver” as it floats into place against the pier and the excitement of the people on board. From there, she takes Mark through the streets on horse drawn carriages, smells of the water and manure rising up to mix in the already heady aroma of the city. Lynn Lorenz clearly has also done her homework as her descriptions bring the New Orleans of old vividly to life before our eyes.

The streets’ names, set in blue-and-white tiles on the corners, were of the muses–Erato, Melpomene, Terpsichore–but when we reached Euterpe, we turned the corner and headed away from the river. A few blocks down, a modest park appeared, green lawn and stately oak trees, and we turned the corner.

“Where’s the house?” I asked.

“On the other side of the park.”

Straining to see across the expanse, through the trees and manicured shrubbery, to the collection of houses on the far side, I could only wonder which would be my new home. Each looked grander than the next, each stately, with black iron fences standing guard, lush plantings, and brick walkways.

The author beautifully draws the reader into the wealthy neighborhood and deposits us at the front door. Up until then the book is magic itself. Then the door opens and the best and the most problematic aspects of Coliseum Square are revealed.

Lorenz has always rendered her characters in loving yet realistic detail. They always have depth as well as a certain charm to them. In Coliseum Square, we have not only two adults to engage our affections but a young traumatized child as well. I adored and absolutely related to the young boy in this story. Lynn Lorenz makes this mute, emotionally scarred five year old so compelling, so vulnerable that his problems and recovery command most of our feelings and regard. In addition, the author portrays the tenuous, growing relationship between Luc and Mark in authentic and revealing scenes that capture our heart each time these two appear in the story. I think I loved this section of the book most of all. It feels real, and it is certainly moving.

Mark Madison and Royal De Cote are believable characters too. Mark especially as a young man fleeing the consequences of his sexuality, and hoping to find sanctuary and perhaps even a home in New Orleans. His fears as well as his youth translate well here. Considering the fact that you could be jailed if not hung for being a sodomite in the 1880’s, then Mark’s fear for his safety and tendency to flee at the first sign of discord is understandable. Royal De Cote is probably less realistic in my eyes. But then, a wealthy man of stature in New Orleans could and most likely did behave as they wished as long as appearances were kept up. Lorenz made his anguish over his son’s behavior and situation worthy of our compassion and understanding. So, where’s the problem?

That would be the romance factor. In a relatively short amount of time, these two men gaze longingly at each other, fall into bed and love. And they do this without really talking to each other or physically spending time with each other except at dinner. True, two handsome gay men under the same roof during that time period might have taken advantage of the situation. That I can see, especially if one is older and more experienced. Put that together with proximity, and yes, I can see the instant attraction leading to a sexual encounter. But instant love and family? That is a much harder sell and I am not sure that Lynn Lorenz accomplished it here. I think that had the story been extended past the 84 pages and the time the men had together lengthened into a reasonable amount of time, then I think I could have bought into their gothic romance more readily than I did.

That aside, I still loved so many aspects of this story that it almost garnered a 4 star rating, from the historical descriptions that vividly brought 1886 New Orleans to life to the traumatized little boy who captured my affections. For those elements alone, I recommend this story to you.

Cover Art © 2013 Trace Edward Zaber unfortunately makes use of a model who has been used to excess. He has been on so many covers that Chris at Stumbling Over Chaos featured him in her Misadventures in Stock Photography. With New Orleans as a backdrop, surely the design could have been more pertinent in detail.

Book Details:

ebook, 84 pages

Published July 21st 2013 by Amber Allure

ISBN13 9781611244571

edition language English

url http://lynnlorenz.com/

other editions

Review: Demolished by Astrid Amara

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

When Calvin Quarry meets up with his anonymous hookup, he is startled and upset to find out that the man is none other than Felix Bracks. Felix Bracks was responsible for the death of Calvin’s closest friend in high school and several of their classmates. Calvin flees from the encounter, horrified. But Felix pursues him, calling and texting Calvin over the next week or so. Felix wants Calvin to hear his side of the story. While it’s not something Calvin wants to hear, eventually he gives in and listens to a version of the story that differs greatly from the one he knew.

Felix Bracks has spent years as a social outcast because of that accident in high school. Physically and emotionally scarred, he thought he had recovered. But feeling the distain and hate from Calvin after all these years, hurts him. He is attracted to Calvin and wants the man to like him. But Felix only tells Calvin part of the truth, keeping the full story to himself.

When Calvin’s cousin Robbie gets involved in something sinister, something that is derailing his life, Calvin decides to investigate. After all Calvin is an journalism major, this is something he knows how to do. But as Robbie falls deeper and deeper into trouble, Calvin’s investigation starts to lead him not only to Robbie’s problem but Felix’s past as well. As the past starts to intrude on Calvin and Felix’s relationship, will they be able to trust each other or will the revelations from the past demolish the love they have found with each other?

Astrid Amara is an automatic go to author for me. I love her stories, especially her holidays with The Bellskis which rank among my favorite. So when I heard she had a new story coming out, I was thrilled. Demolished has all the elements I have come to expect from this author. Great characters and an mystery that involves the reader emotionally as well as mentally.

Amara starts us off with Calvin agreeing to meet his online hookup, Bikenut, in person for some hot, and decidedly casual sex.

After four weeks of online flirtations and cybersex, Calvin Quarry finally got up the nerve to meet Bikenut in person.

Meet wasn’t the correct term. Screw worked better. Bikenut agreed to host. Cal would knock on the man’s apartment door five times, walk in, and he would be grabbed and taken aggressively and quickly. Then he’d depart.

It was the kind of online hookup Cal always dreamed of engaging in but never had the nerve to. But after weeks of conversations online with the guy with the username Bikenut, a series of photographs showing the man’s impressive endowments, and the guy’s general sense of good humor and intelligence, Cal gave in to his fantasies and arranged the meeting.

But from the moment, Calvin and his online buddy meet face to face, everything starts to go wrong. Because Bikenut turns out to be Felix Brachs, the boy Calvin and his community love to hate. Felix was involved in a car accident turned fatal for several high school students, including Calvin’s best friend and secret crush. For that alone Calvin has hated Felix all these years. Amara does a wonderful job in making Calvin and then Felix, open and appealing young men. We understand the emotions each person is feeling and can relate to each of them, easily seeing that horrendous event from both sides of the story. As created by Amara, these are earnest young men with their futures ahead of them. But both Calvin and Felix have a joined past that they need to put behind them before they can go forward. The author’s characterizations give Calvin and Felix each a layer of vulnerability that goes hand in hand with their youthfulness. Each has experienced past angst and trauma, from the devastation of the accident to their coming out as gay youths. And in every scene, Astrid Amara makes us feel their pain and confusion with a vividness that is heartbreaking.

Robbie is another wonderfully engaging character. Younger than Calvin and Felix, Robbie is in trouble. His grades have fallen, he is sullen and keeping secrets. All the hallmarks of drug and alcohol abuse. Robbie’s situation becomes increasingly grave over the course of the story and the reader’s anxiety over Robbie’s future deepens as clues from the past intertwine with revelations about Robbie’s current predicament. For me, this is where Amara really shined. Amara’s portrait of Robbie, a youth in trouble, is both realistic and grim and handled with sensitivity. The author ticks off the boxes of the parental check sheet of things to look out for to see if a child is in trouble. But she incorporates that knowledge seamlessly into Robbie’s personality and behavioral changes noticed by Calvin and Robbie’s parents. We watch it happening, we see the missteps by Calvin that we know can be laid at his youthfulness and inexperience, and the dread just seeps into the reader, spreading over the story as we wait to see how it will all play out.

I have a few quibbles with Demolished. The first of which I am not sure really mattered in the end. Perhaps I have watched far too many police procedurals on cable, but I could see some of the plot twists and turns coming, including the biggest of them all. That said, the journey to that point was so suspenseful and thrilling it didn’t matter so much that I knew where we were headed to begin with. The other quibble was the almost instantaneous love that sprang between a young man with hatred in his heart and the object of his distain. I wondered if Calvin could really push all those carefully hoarded feelings away and fall in love almost immediately with Felix. Maybe or then again, maybe not. That was a harder bump in the road to get over. But once I accepted their relationship, the story moved forward quickly, attaching my feelings in the process.

If you are new to Astrid Amara, there are so many books out there for you to start with. Whether it is the science fiction of Hell Cop, the contemporary holiday romance of The Carol of the Bellskis, or the mystery romance of Demolished, you can’t go wrong. Start here and work your way through her backlist. Astrid Amara lives in Bellingham, Washington, the wildly quirky town that is home to another one of my favorite authors, Nicole Kimberling. I have never been to Bellingham but feel a road trip coming on. What a place it must be to have such wonderful authors residing there and writing such amazing stories. No matter, Astrid Amara is a terrific author. Begin your journey with her here.

Cover artist, Valerie Tibbs, has created a terrific cover for Demolished, the red is the perfect color in tone and emotion for the story within.

Book Details:

ebook, 165 pages

Published July 16th 2013 by Loose-ID

ISBN13 9781623004156

edition language English

url http://www.astridamara.com/books/demolished/

Author Spotlight: Meet Lee Brazil!

ST: Good morning, everyone. Today’s guest author is Lee Brazil, author of the wonderful Chances Are series in the Pulp Friction offerings. Good morning, Lee!

*pats chair and hands Lee a cup of coffee*.

“Don’t mind the terriers, they will ask their own questions later” *shoos away dogs*

LB: Good morning! Thank you for inviting me over to talk today. For those who don’t know me, I’m Lee Brazil, author of m/m romance with Breathless Press, Silver Publishing, Evernight, and Total E Bound. I’m also a member of a writing association known as Pulp Friction.

*sips coffee*

LB: Which is what Melanie invited me to discuss today. Pulp Friction came about as a mash-up of old fashioned pulp fiction writing and modern romance. Laura Harner suggested it to us, and the three of us jumped on the band wagon quickly. Originally, it was supposed to follow a strict format of 8 thousand words, and other tried and true pulp strictures.

ST: “Tell me about Chance. How did he come about?”

LB: When Chance was born, I knew keeping it with in those bounds was going to be impossible. Telling his whole story, getting across the complexity of who he is in eight thousand words wasn’t going to happen. So it became a serial.

ST: “When we think of Pulp Fiction, we think tough, wise-guy detectives who have seen it all.”

LB: Chance is my version of the hard boiled tough guy, he’s known grief and pain, and disappointment, and that’s where we meet him, wallowing in his past. He presents a cold and unfeeling persona to the world and tells himself he’s happy with what he has.

That’s Chance in the first book, Chances Are, where that façade begins to crack. As the stories progress through small mysteries and tragedies and life happens to Chance, the cracks grow bigger and wider and eventually the walls fall down, blasted to rubble by his stalwart friends and a feeling he hadn’t been aware of growing inside.

ST: But that changes, doesn’t it?

LB: When he wasn’t looking his heart was sneaking people in, from the drunkard cop who sits at his bar every night, the cocky but dependable Gerry the bartender, the melancholic chef Blake and all Chance’s old buddies from his days on the force, Wick and Marcus and Zack the civilian. Turns out, he’s never been as alone as he thought.

And into this mix comes Rory. The golden-skinned, golden-haired open-hearted antithesis of Chance’s lost love. He finagles his way into Chance’s bed, and into his life, seeking more at times than Chance is willing to give.

Chance’s own sense of integrity eventually convinces him that his relationship with Rory is wrong, but events transpire that force him to take a deeper look into his closed off heart and make changes in his life. In the end, Chance learns to let go of the past, to embrace the possibilities of the future and to allow himself to be happy.

And the stubborn mule headed ex-cop turned my whole pre-drafted story line upside down in the second installment of the serial. Because that’s who he is. A man who has to follow his own path even when it wanders through hell.

ST: I just love Chance and the entire series. I can’t wait for the next book to be released. Thanks for coming by today, Lee.

LB: *sips coffee. Thanks for joining while I blather about my sexy ex-cop. You can pick up the latest Chances Are book, Chance in Hell at ARE, Smashwords, and Amazon on September 1. In anticipation of that release, I’m offering a discount of 33% on the first four stories at ARE from August 28th until September 4th.

If you want to know more about me and my work, you can find me at the following places on the web:
Lee on FB http://www.facebook.com/lee.brazil
Lee on Twitter @leebrazil
Lee Blog http://leebrazilauthor.blogspot.com/
Pinterest http://pinterest.com/leebrazil/
You Tube http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKmjXLWlO4c2_5ZZQigbeZg?

Books in the series to date in the order they were written and should be read to understand the characters and events within:

Chances Are (Chances Are #01)
Second Chances Are (Chances Are #02)
Fifty Fifty Chances Are (Chances Are #03)
Ghost of a Chance (Chances Are #04)

Review: Subtle Innuendos (Mixed Tape Series) by Z. Allora

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Max and Chad fall in love at eighteen and form a band. That band, Euphoria, rises to the heights of the music charts and popularity in the 80’s. Although still very much in love, Max and Chad’s romance hit hard times just five years later, due to the pressures of being rock stars and Chad’s addiction to drugs and alcohol. Both their relationship and the band dissolves in an explosion of pain and betrayal.

Now twenty years later, Max, a wealthy music writer and producer, receives a mix tape from Chad, its message clear. He wants a reunion with Mac and their old band. And on New Year’s Eve, the concert Chad had always wanted their band to play. Will Max take one more chance on a love he has never forgotten or will old wounds keep the lovers separated forever?

Subtle Innuendos is a short story in the Mixed Tape series from MLR Press. At 64 pages, this is one story that could benefit from a much longer version that the one that was published. Basically a story of two young lovers reunited after twenty years apart, I felt that Z. Allora had the basic structure for a good story but none of the musculature needed to fill it out.

The story starts in Springtime New York City 1986 when the boys are eighteen then flashes forward to The Present as a forty-five year old Max receives his mix tape in the mail. The narrative flips back and forth between the past and the present, revealing bits and pieces of the boys lives. I don’t mind this style of writing, especially when it is well done. My problem here is that the author doesn’t spend enough time in either era to really give us a taste of the mens relationship or back history. Instead of depth, what we are given is more in the nature of snippets or flash fiction and that just doesn’t do the job. Allora tells us about Chad’s addictions and gives us pretty much one scene to demonstrate said addiction. But in order for us to feel the angst and pain this causes to both men we need much more than casual statement and one explosive outburst. The same goes for Max’s continued feeling of love for Chad, even after 20 years apart. Max still has his pictures, and feelings for Chad but those emotions never feel authentic because we are not given the scenes necessary to bring those feelings alive for us.

There just is no depth here, either of characterization or plot. Had this story been novel or novella length, that would have given Z. Allora the necessary space needed to fill out both characterization and plot, both of which are needed to enrich her story and the reader’s enjoyment as well. This is a nice story but it could have been wonderful. Recommended for fans of Z. Allora and the rock star genre.

Cover Art by Deana Jamroz. Lovely cover, works for the story inside.

Book Details:

Published June 2013 by MLR Press

edition language English

series Mixed Tape Series

Review: Aching For It (Dominican Heat, Book 1) by Stanley Bennett Clay

Rating: 1 star out of 5

Hollywood photographer Jesse Lee Templeton III needs to put his ex boyfriend’s betrayal behind him. So a “sexcursion” to the Dominican Republic with a friend is just what Jesse feels he needs. But a chance meeting at a bodega with worker Étienne Saldano changes their lives forever. Etie is Jesse’s forever love just as Jesse is the person Etienne has always dreamed of. When Jesse’s vacation comes to an end, neither man wants to part from the other. With immigration laws standing in their way, can Jesse and Etie find their way to happiness and a life together?

Where to start, where to start? Never has such a short book flummoxed me on so many areas. This includes a schizophrenic writing style that alternates between Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest florid and common man/broken spanglish style. Add to that unflattering and unappealing characters, confused plot, immigration fraud, and a story that just stops cold. The whole things just overwhelms me.

But let’s just start with the writing. Here is a sample of one style found within the narrative:

Back in our room we attempted to wean ourselves from the blistering and bliss-filled heat of our passion in the shower, but even the tepid-to-cool water that rained upon us couldn’t put out the fire we ignited over and over with our kissing and soaping and sucking and cleansing and licking and f*&^g. We grew dangerously close to the scorch of unbearable pleasure, but our hearts gave us no choice. Our carnal expressions of love new and immortal were commands from our rapture we gladly obeyed.

Each night we fell asleep in each other’s arms. Each morning we awoke, still embraced. That all too brief time together couldn’t quench the thirst we had for each other. Our moments on the beach; during candlelight dinners when knowing mariachi underscored our telling glances; in each other’s arms, minds, bodies, souls and hearts created a pact of eternalness that we knew not even death could tear apart, though time loomed as a too strict overseer.

And there are pages containing even more florid expressions of love. Then as if someone flicked a switch, we get this:

“She come to my room, baby,” Étie tried to explain as calmly as possible, but he was obviously very upset. “And she drunk. I invite her in. We talk. I go to pee. Come back and she naked! I say to her, ‘What you doing, Francesca?’

I don’t know about Francesca, but I am giggling away. And back and forth we go, from the supposedly profound and florid to the profane and in your face dialog. From run on sentences that last a paragraph to short bursts of “I am so sorry, Junie,” she boohooed softly.” Boohooed?

Here is a more typical example:

Still, the paper-cut battles that lay ahead, the fight against the subtle tyranny of the heterosexual majority, and the trudging through the maze of that pejorative ignorance and polite dispassion, wearied me.

Rare black butterflies are we, our exoticness admired under glass, on the carnival stage, for the love we share. Our love is a love that speaks its name in tongues too foreign to be understood by those well-meaning, condescending heterosexist admirers, yet with a lilt that intrigues them enough to indulge in things they wouldn’t dare try within the civilized civility of their pristine opposite-sex existences. The very thought of a man lusting after his brother’s wife is a universal abhorrence. Fucking your gay brother’s partner? No problem.

Disturbing writing style aside, there is also the fact that Jesse is down in the Dominican Republic visiting The House of John, a brothel specializing in “young male sex workers, known as bugarrones, were readily available for as little as twenty American dollars” The younger the better. Even the author has Jesse acknowledging that

“I was just another john at House of John, the notorious whorehouse gay Americanos frequented for the purpose of sexually exploiting Étie’s fellow countrymen.”

So the problem here is not exploitation of the poor young Dominican men but that it almost cost him Etie? I think you can see why Jesse is not the most endearing of characters. There is a sex addicted, alcoholic sister involved, plus an acquaintance/friend turned enemy who acts as a foil for, well, everything. We also have an occasional changing of POV from first person to third and back again. And after plodding through 74 pages, the story just ends. The author has indicated that Aching For It is just the first in a series, another fact that has me dumbfounded.

Still, flip flops in the narrative such as these did make this story memorable, although not in a good way. From

Our carnal expressions of love new and immortal were commands from our rapture we gladly obeyed.

“Ahhh!” Étie shrieked, “Ahhh! Ahhh! Ahhh! Papi, Ahhh!”

Well, finish it I did, further no more I go. Even Yoda would not have the patience for this story, let alone a series. I could keep quoting. I could even keep mentioning further issues I had with plot and characterization. But I won’t bother. I won’t be recommending this book to anyone other than as an example of how not to write a story. Or even a sentence. Just give Aching For It the pass it deserves.

The cover is lush and gorgeous, so undeserving of the story within. Cover design by Dar Albert Cover photography by Simedrol68, Allen Penton, Lunamarina/Fotolia.com

Book Details:

ebook, 74 pages

Published April 19th 2013 by Ellora’s Cave Publishers Inc.

ISBN1419942867 (ISBN13: 9781419942860)

edition language

Review: Fall For Me (The Rock Gods #1) by Ann Lister

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Ryan Pierce, music reporter for Music Spin magazine, has an assignment to interview the lead singer of the rock band Black Ice. But his past experience has not prepared him for the rocker he is to interview. Dagger Drummond is all swagger, sex on two legs. He is also tired and not happy about being interviewed after his last gig. He tells his manager to cancel the interview and enters his tour bus. But miscommunication follows, with Ryan, Dagger’s manager in tow, entering his tour bus to everyones embarrassment and anger. Accident aside, the mens attraction to each other is instant and fierce, not that either would show it. Dagger is all about manipulation and Ryan is straight, isn’t he?

What follows is a complicated relationship that deepens quickly. Ryan is left reeling not only over his new found attraction to the very male Dagger but hiding explosive information about Dagger that could make him as a journalist but ruin Dagger’s life. Will Ryan choose his career over a chance at love?

Ann Lister is a new author for me and her subject matter is one genre I grab up immediately – that of a story about a rock star and love. So with those things in mind, I really wanted to like the first book of Lister’s that I have read. What I found after enthusiastically diving into Fall For Me is all together different. Don’t get me wrong, this is a nice story about love and discovering your sexuality. But in my opinion, it never rises higher than just nice or perhaps sweet. And the reasons for that are both varied and elemental. Its all about the characterizations, writing style and editing. Or lack thereof.

When reading contemporary fiction, I want my characters grounded in reality and I can’t quite say that about the character of Ryan Pierce. As created by Lister, Ryan is an entertainment reporter with years of experience covering the rock music beat. Yet he comes across as not only naive about the rockers he interviews but unaware of the ethics of his profession. Especially with regard to getting involved with the subject of his assignment. One of the major ethical considerations for those who work in the news industry is that the reporter stay clear of any bias, so that their objectivity can’t be questioned,and that it cannot be said of their article/newscast that it tilted towards favoritism. But Ryan and Dagger become best friends, texting away almost immediately. Several of Ryan’s actions defy common sense to a huge degree and further disconnect the reader from any belief that he is a seasoned reporter or responsible adult. Ryan’s disingenuousness is almost beyond belief as is Dagger’s pursuit of a man in a profession he is wary of and a reporter who could out him to his adoring public. Dagger mentions numerous times that he doesn’t trust the media. Yet Dagger’s implicit belief in Ryan’s honesty and trust is swift and unyielding. Consistency is a problem in Fall For Me especially with regard to her characters and their personality traits and backgrounds. Ryan has worked for Music Spin for years but the interview scene sounds anything but professional. Here is a quick example. Ryan is back at the office and meeting a new intern, Sebastian, for the first time.

“I’ve heard you’re the ‘go-to’ guy for interview skills.”

“Is that so?”

“It’s been suggested I talk to you, maybe watch you work, so I can improve how I conduct an interview.”

Ryan scratched his head. “Well, I don’t have anything scheduled until next week. Then I’ll be sitting down with Zander Metcalf and his band Ivory Tower.”

“Damn! Ivory Tower? Their new album is their best yet.”

Ryan nodded. “Well, you’re welcome to tag along with me, if you want.”

“I’d like that,” Sebastian said. “Maybe you’ll let me take you to dinner a few days before that and I’ll help you outline your interview material?”

“I suppose that’d be okay,” Ryan said.

Never would a seasoned reporter let a new intern outline his work for him. Not in any respect does the character of Ryan Pierce work as a real reporter. However, the character of Dagger is still more authentic than Ryan and I could easily see him as a rock star, mostly. Many rock stars today are savvy about media exposure and working the press is as much a part of their business as the music. Dagger seems oblivious to that as any 80’s rock star would be. In my opinion both characters could have been shored up by better research and more attention to detail.

Unfortunately, the plot was very predictable. So formulaic that I knew exactly how the story would play out by the third chapter, not great in a book that contains 19 chapters. When that occurs in a book I am reading, I would expect other aspects of the narrative to elevate the story past the predictable into a higher state. A level that said the author had put their own stamp on the plot in some way, whether it be in the outstanding characterizations, the high quality of the writing or the dialog that is so entertaining and yet pertinent to the characters and situation that it sings. Lister failed to do that here as well. I know it is hard to add a new element to such a well used story but a savvy writer can find a way.

At issue here is also Ryan’s sexuality. Ryan thinks he is straight. He had a long term girlfriend. But his attraction to Dagger has him reexamining his past and his feelings towards Dagger and all men in general. Even Ryan can’t decide if he is gay for Dagger or just gay. I liked that the author had him bringing up the “gay for you” question for discussion. But again, Ryan’s actions and the dialog kept this aspect of the story from feeling authentic and involving. Plus Dagger goes from manipulator to man in love just as neatly and quickly as can be expected. Somehow neither man ever really involved me in their issues or their possible future.

One last element to talk about is the editing. This story is far too long. It is repetitive and dense in some areas. There are many paragraphs, even pages that could be cut to make this a tighter, better balanced story. As it is, getting to that last page made a very long journey indeed.

Not everyone will feel this way about this book. Some will love it just for the subject matter alone. Those readers will be very happy to find out that this book is the first in a series about the other musicians in the band and their friends. But I have read far too many outstanding books about rock bands and their singers and those make this story anemic in comparison. For those rock star addicts out there and those alone, this one is for you.

Cover Art Design: Kari Ayasha. It is a nice design, a little dark in tone and color.

Book Details:

Kindle Edition

Published May 11th 2013 by SleighFarm Publishing Group

ASIN B00CQWDQA6

edition language English

series The Rock Gods

Review: Wicked Bindings (Wicked’s Way #02) by Havan Fellows

Rating: 4.75 stars out 5

Series Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Wick Templeton, private investigator and all around pain in the ass, receives an email on his private account that only his friends have. The problem? It’s not from any of his friends, but from that enigma from his last case, Ned Harris. There is a serial killer on the loose, murdering prostitutes and both men are out to stop him. From Ned Harris’ point of view, it’s all about procedure and legality. For Wick Templeton? Not so much. Wick has always done things his way and Ned is about to find that out. As the two mens investigations intertwine, so does their interest in each other. Wick and Ned are playing head games with each other as the killer taunts them from behind a maze of clues.

Who will find the killer first? Or will the killer have the last laugh and turn the tables on Wick and Ned?

Wicked Bindings is the second installment in the Wicked’s Ways series, a series that just gets better by the book. We pick up shortly after Wicked Solutions ends. In that story, Ned and Wick part, each thinking they got their own way in the resolution of that case. As Ned leaves Wick’s office, Wick tells Ned:

“You have no idea what I’m capable of, Ned. Don’t begin a game you can’t finish.”

With these men, a threat is as good as a flirty come on and neither man is very good at resisting either one or each other. This is how it all starts again in Wicked Bindings:

Wick chuckled and turned back to his computer, tuning out his overnight guests’ babblings. He brought up his private email and his curiosity piqued once more; he didn’t recognize the sender. Since he didn’t use this email for anything except his closest friends, it never received any type of spam.

The subject line contained one three letter word: tag.

And with that one word, the game is on once more. There is an investigation into the deaths of several prostitutes that pulls both men in and now they have a murderer to catch. And there will be a clash or two as the sexual sparks fly and their methods of investigation collide on each side of the law.

Without consciously doing so, his hand moved the mouse and his finger depressed the left button when the pointer hovered over that small word.

“Want to come out and play with me again? If you are interested you’ll have to take a turn for the worse, but remain brave and don’t worry—I’ll protect you. Ned.”

So much attitude and characterization is packed into that piece of dialog. Havan Fellows has created two wonderful characters in Wick Templeton and Ned Harris. These men ooze vitality and sex appeal. They are witty with a love a gamesmanship that they deploy at every possible moment and the reader gets to come along and experience the fun and sometimes terror.

In each new book, the author uses the interpersonal interplay between Wick and Ned to reveal more of their characters and their history. Of the two, Ned continues to remain more of an enigma. Wick (and the reader) is not sure exactly what branch of the government Ned works for, and Ned continues his own personal investigation into Wick’s past and circle of friends. Through this approach, Fellows creates a level of tension between the men is not strictly sexual. Is Ned trustworthy? What is his real intensions towards Wick? Friend or foe? As their head games continue, the murder investigation adds another layer of tension and apprehension on top of the existing doubts about each other. It’s a delicious feeling and the reader can’t help but smile while cringing in dread as the men close in on the killer.

Havan Fellows does a tremendous job of creating a scene that contains comedy and terror, both occurring at the same time. It’s a wonderful ploy to keep the reader engaged at several levels. You are laughing even as you fear for the safety of two men you have come to love. And yes, I loved every minute of it. I admit it. I am addicted to Wick and his Wicked Ways. You will be too.

These are short stories, under 50 pages or so. And while these are quick reads, they all have the feel of a much longer story. The end is wrapped up nicely while still leaving us with a clue to the continuing growth in the relationship between Ned and Wick. The book did not leave me wanting, while the two men made me crave so much more. Like a certain food item, you can’t have just one. You want more, so much more.

Havan Fellows has promised that the mysteries will continue with more of Wick and Ned past these four books. That’s a promise to cheer about. If you are new to the series, start with the first book, Wicked Solutions and work your way forward.

Here are the books so far in the Wicked’s Ways series. Read them in the order they were written and released in order to understand the characters and the developing relationship:

Wicked Solutions (Wicked’s Way #01)

Wicked Bindings (Wicked’s Way #02)

Wicked Incarceration (Wicked’s Way #03)

Wicked Guidance (Wicked’s Way #04)

Cover art by Laura Harner does a good job of branding the series while losing the opportunity to make a great pulp fiction cover.

Book Details:

ebook

Published March 17th 2013 by Pulp Friction

ISBN13 HFPF000001

edition language English

series Wicked’s Ways

Review: Wicked Solutions (Wicked’s Ways #1) by Havan Fellows

Book Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

Series Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Wick Templeton is an ex cop, and a man with a plan. Wick’s plan, as a private detective, is to take only the cases that interest him and only when he feels like making the effort. That’s what happens when an injury forces you to retire from the police force, you cop an attitude. Although if anyone was asked, it was an attitude you always had. When an ex boyfriend calls in need of his help, Wick decides a little wicked intervention is needed to protect the ex and solve the case. What he doesn’t figure on is an enigma called Ned Harris.

Friend or foe? Criminal or cop? Wick doesn’t know but he likes the way the man fills out his slacks. But Ned the puzzle is going to have to wait because there is a crime to solve and Wick is the man to do it.

What a great story and a delicious new addiction! Havan Fellows has created an over the top private eye, Wick Templeton, in an action-packed adventure series guaranteed to bring a smile to your face as well as quite a few snorts as Wick moves through an investigation like a devil with guns, knives and sarcastic comments to spare.

In the first story of the series, Wicked Solutions, we are introduced to Wick Templeton, a man who lives his life on his own terms and no one else’s. Here he is:

Wick Templeton had retired from the police force years ago when an injury to his left side kept a doctor from clearing him to do anything but paper pushing.

He wasn’t a paper pusher. He needed the action of the streets, his fingernails dirty to feel like he contributed. Otherwise he was mean as a bear, and not the type he preferred in his bed either.

So he made do with his own company, so he could do things his way and play by his rules. Technically he wasn’t a private investigator, though he did have his license, for legal purposes. No, he leaned more toward the title of problem solver, hence the name Wicked Solutions. Have a spouse cheating on you and require proof? Sure, he’d take the pics if his schedule permitted. Have an issue with an overly friendly person who pops up everywhere?

Wick would help out there also.

Here is a man in pure pulp fiction form and we love him for it. Wick is smart, crafty, and dominant in every way. Oh, and have I said sexy? He is that too. Wick has more layers to him than a puff pastry. And it seems that the more Fellows reveals about him, the more we understand that what we are given is just the “tip of the iceberg” as far as his character goes. And the mystery about Wick, and Ned, and all of the other people we meet is part of the delicious fun of this book and the series.

In each story, Wick is given a mystery to solve. In Wicked Solutions, it appears that an ex-boyfriend is being set up to take the fall for some illegal activities and needs Wick’s help to keep his job and prove his innocence. While Wick is not eager at first to help, when he does agree, he will do so by all means, legal or not. He has a small group of friends he trusts, including one who is an IT wiz. It’s such a giggle and a snort to watch as Wick goes about the business of offending and outsmarting all of those around him. I just loved it.

Havan Fellows writing is so well done here. The story flows smoothly, the dialog crisp and perfect for the characters, and the ending leaves one wanting more while still giving the mystery the resolution is deserves. Just a great job all around. There is an element of romance here but it builds slowly over the next four books. We see in this book only the interest between the men and the hint of what will follow. It really works as a neat tease for the rest of the series.

At 43 pages, it is a quick read. Far too short for my tastes because I just love this character. But it works at 43 pages, a true complete story. It also sets up the next book in the series, as does each book that follows. I have to admit I read them all in one sitting, grabbing each up like a bonbon and devouring them. You will want to as well. But you must start with this one and get a feel for Wick and all the wonderful, snarky adventures to follow. I can’t recommend this character and this series highly enough. You are going to love him too!

Wicked’s Ways series:

Wicked Solutions

Wicked Bindings

Wicked Incarceration

Wicked Guidance

Cover art by Laura Harner. The design works to brand the series but I wish it had been a little more “pulp fiction” in design.

Book Details:

ebook, 43 pages

Published January 15th 2013 by Appleton Publishing Avenue

ISBN13 9781937252342

edition language English

series Wicked’s Ways

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