New Release Blitz for Sentinel (Until You #2) by Karrie Roman (excerpt and giveaway)

Title: Sentinel

Series: Until You, Book Two

Author: Karrie Roman

Publisher: NineStar Press, LLC

Release Date: September 10, 2018

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 71700

Genre: Contemporary, bodyguards, hurt-comfort, grief, men with children, rescue operation

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Synopsis

Never allowing anyone too close, Ethan Stone has lived a solitary life since he was disowned by his family when he discovered their darkest secret. He spends his days as a quiet sentinel, protecting others to make up for the ones he didn’t. Love, friendship, and family have no place in his world.

Ben Cronin is a warrior, haunted by a past he excelled at, which almost robbed him of his humanity. He became a professional bodyguard to save lives rather than take them. And he has loved his stoic colleague, Ethan Stone, from the day they met.

When Ethan’s sister suddenly comes back into his life in desperate need of his help, Ethan doesn’t hesitate to do whatever he needs to do. To his surprise, Ben—the man who makes him want things he shouldn’t—is right there beside him, risking everything to help him and finally coaxing Ethan’s feelings back to life.

A desperate race to find his missing nieces leads Ethan to a place he never thought he’d be and takes Ben exactly where he wanted to be—in a life filled with love and desire. But how long can they keep it when evil stalks their every step?

Excerpt

Sentinel
Karrie Roman © 2018
All Rights Reserved

Prologue
“Last question.”

“What now for you, Ryan?”

“Um…the short answer is I really don’t know. I’m going to take some time with Lucas while the show is on hiatus and think about what’s next for me. I hope people will understand why I’ve chosen to step away from the spotlight and will be gracious enough to give me the space I need to work out where to go from here. But for right this minute, Lucas and I are getting on a plane to locations unknown and we’re going to relax and enjoy being us.”

The press conference was a compromise between the very intrusive media and Lucas and Ryan. They wanted some peace, some space to recover from the events of the last couple of months, and now that their show, Witches’ Hammer, had wrapped up for a break, and Lucas had been given a clean bill of health, they were taking some time for themselves. Nobody deserved it more after what they’d been through.

Ethan watched, ever vigilant, as they stepped down from the podium and walked hand in hand toward the waiting car. His gaze rested on their joined hands for a second or two too long, but it was hard to look away from something that he desired for himself so very much. Not that he wanted either Lucas or Ryan. They were both great men and smoking fucking hot, but they weren’t for him. What he wanted was what they had—intimacy and love.

After years of self-imposed isolation from anything resembling a close relationship, Ethan wanted more.

Once his two charges were settled in the car, Ethan climbed into the passenger seat and gave the nod to Max. The big car roared to life and Max deftly drove them toward the airport and their waiting plane.

His former bosses, Patricia and Roger Krispin, had let Ethan go from their security agency when he called to resign, as he’d breached their no-skeletons-in-the-closet rule, but Lucas and Ryan had hired him as their personal bodyguard and had kept the Krispin’s professional teams as backup whenever needed. Ethan would be traveling to Australia with them, and Harry and Christina would meet them there for extra security, if needed.

“Looking forward to the Aussie girls in their bikinis, Ethan?” Ryan asked from the back seat.

“I’m more of a man in…what do you Aussies call them…boardies type of guy.”

“Oh, shit…sorry. Well, there’s plenty of them too. Maybe we can find a hot lifeguard for you while we’re there.” He didn’t need to turn to know Lucas and Ryan would be giggling to themselves, no doubt planning some kind of setup for him. He loved working for these two men and often wondered at his good fortune, especially after the shit had hit the fan following the revelation of who he was.

For almost four weeks, Ryan and Lucas had dominated the front pages and headlined the news. When the media had discovered that Ethan Lockard had come out of the woodwork and was somehow embroiled in the Lovers saga, the scrutiny had begun to border on the ridiculous. Ethan had offered to resign and had given serious thought to running again. It would be harder to pick a new identity and hide this time, but he’d manage. He was so tired of running and so fucking tired of being lonely.

Eight years ago, he’d lost his entire family, and though he hadn’t allowed any of them to get too close, the men and women he’d worked with over the last few years had become a family of sorts. He wasn’t going to let his brother take another family away from him this time.

“Okay, jet’s fueled and ready. Wheels up as soon as you arrive.” Paulina’s voice sounded in his ear.

“Copy. We’re about ten minutes out. All clear,” he replied. Despite the press coverage and the revelations that had been made about him, nobody from Krispins had seemed to care. They’d all accepted his apology for lying to them and admitted they’d have probably done the same if they were in his shoes.

The only person he hadn’t seen or spoken to since his true identity had been discovered was Ben. He hadn’t been back to see Ben since that day at the hospital when he’d been exposed. Ben’s brother, Cameron, had called to let him know the doctors had successfully woken him and called a few more times with updates, but Ethan had refused when Cameron had told him Ben had been asking for him to visit. He was such a fucking coward, but he knew he couldn’t bear to see disappointment in Ben’s eyes. What if Ben hated him for lying and keeping his past quiet? Ethan could stand anybody else’s hatred—but not Ben’s.

The private jet was waiting on the tarmac as promised, and Max drove them virtually to the open door. Ethan scanned the area as the car pulled up. He expected no trouble, and thankfully, he found none. Once satisfied, he stepped out and moved around the front of the car so he could open the back door nearest to the plane. Lucas stepped out, closely followed by Ryan, their hands immediately re-entwined as soon as they were both clear of the car. Ethan felt that pang of envy bite into him again at the intimacy the two men shared. God, he wanted it.

It wasn’t the first private jet he’d been on, but it was one of the nicest. Lucas and Ryan were already seated on the sofa that ran along one side of the cabin by the time he boarded. Ethan took the single seat across from them. He’d seen the bedroom toward the back of the plane as he’d entered the jet and wondered, with a sly grin on his face, how long it’d take before Lucas and Ryan made use of that.

“How are you with flying, Ethan?” Lucas asked as he continued to settle himself in and clip his seat belt.

“No problem with it. I can’t say I’ve done a huge amount, but I don’t mind it. Once the captain turns the seat belt sign off, I’ll pop this chair back, shut my eyes, and keep them closed until we touch down.” Ethan didn’t miss the look the two men opposite him shared, no doubt delighted they would, more or less, have the jet to themselves.

The engines had been idling since they’d boarded, and Ethan both felt and heard them roar to life now.

“All passengers, please ensure your seat belts are engaged and prepare for takeoff,” came a disembodied voice over the PA. The jet eased forward, slowly rolling toward the runway. It turned easily—nothing like the clunky turns of much larger passenger planes—before coming to a brief stop.

As the engines rumbled louder and louder and he was pushed back into his seat as the jet surged forward, increasing its speed to get it off the ground, Ethan had a sudden, inexplicable urge to run to the door and jump from the moving craft. He knew deep in his gut he was leaving something—or someone—behind.

He was sure he had everything he needed, and anything he’d forgotten he’d be able to buy in Australia, but he couldn’t escape that feeling of loss. Then, as he looked over the lights of the city below, he thought about pale-blue eyes that were usually dancing with laughter or mischief but had instead been filled with pain and determination the last time he’d seen them open, and he knew in his heart what he’d left behind—or rather who.

Purchase

NineStar Press, LLC | Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Meet the Author

Karrie lives in Australia’s sunshine state with her husband and two sons, though she hates the sun with a passion. She dreams of one day living in the wettest and coldest habitable place she can find. She has been writing stories in her head for years but has finally managed to pull the words out of her head and share them with others. She spends her days trying to type her stories on the computer without disturbing her beloved cat Lu curled up on the keyboard. She probably reads far too much.

Website | Twitter | eMail

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Books, Donations, and Little Libraries. This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Books, Donations, and Little Libraries

I was walking by a bench last week and saw a paperback laying on it with no one around.  That’s a sight I can never resist so I walked over and picked it up.  Jane Austen’s Emma looked up at me all worn and obviously well read.  I opened the cover and there was a bookplate that read “Read me and Leave me for someone else to Enjoy.”  As tempted as I was to take it home, I left it where it was because I had read it , taking a leap of faith just much as the reader who left it there that someone who would need it would pick it up, read it, and then pass it on in another spot.  A book chain of love and letters hooking people together.

It did get me thinking of course…

Where do old books go?  Those beloved paperbacks, those dogeared, slightly yellowed copies of stories that sit on shelves and then you wonder what to do with?  Maybe you have several copies of the same book, having bought it a couple of times over, not remembering it was already in your collection (aye, the number of times that happened to me).  Maybe you were somewhere and just had to read it again…spur of the moment binge reading! Yep! That happens too.t didn’t stop there.

My neighborhood is sort of quirky. We have all sorts of people living here, ages, races, families, always have, its sort neat and packed away in a hollow where the houses don’t really turnover, Bernie Sanders signs never age, and everyone seems to know one another and argue over turtles in emails online.   So I wasn’t surprised to see a neighbor with a car whose cars are always sagging under the weight of books go slowly down our road, loaded to the roof once again.

Turns out she collects them for Free Libraries. Everywhere.  Should have known someone who helps me liberate shrubs headed for the landfill would do that.

Not familiar with Free Libraries?  LIttle Free Libraries?  Be still my heart!  They are cropping up everywhere!  In parks, front lawns, neighborhood circles, anywhere you can think to put a small box…that’s a place for a free library.  Load it up with books.  Take one, replace it with one.  There’s a site online with instructions on how to make boxes like the one above?  Kim Fielding even   wrote a wonderful story called, of course, The LIttle LIbrary!.

It’s a wonderful way to share those books that overpopulate your shelves and attic while sharing your enthusiasm.  And in a way you are becoming another link in the chain of people connected by  their love of books, worlds outside their own, and a need for something more.

Want to know more?  Check out

Little Free Library | Take a Book • Share a Book

We are going to talk more about donations, bookplates, next week.  Let me know your thoughts as well.
Also running….
If you all were to suggest a Literary Event for the calendar, what would it be?  An International LGBT Romance Story Day?  Triad in Lust Day?    Quiltbag Aliens HEA Day?  Give me some titles for our own special September literary events.  Let’s call it our LGBTQIA Literary  Event Title Giveaway!  Have your title chosen and we will have Stella set you up with a $10 gift card from Dreamspinners.  Giveaway runs through September 22.
  Meanwhile, we have a great week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words.
A new reviewer, Chaos Moondrawn starts in with her first review this week, I’m reviewing the 11th book in the Boystown series from Marshall Thornton,  Lila is reviewing the new C.S. Poe, Barb has the new Cordelia Knightsbridge, and so much more.  It’s going to be quite the week.  So don’t miss out on a day of it.

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, September 9:

  • The Enchanter’s Flame by Michele Notaro Blog Tour
  • A Stella Review: Courted by Sarah Hadley Brook
  • A Stella Review:  Patchwork Paradise by Indra Vaughn
  • Books, Donations, and Little Libraries
  • This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Monday, September 10:

  • Review Tour – RJ Scott – Second Chance Ranch
  • Blog Tour Calling Calling Calling Me by Natasha Washington
  •  BLITZ High Time by Keelan Ellis
  • A Lucy Review: Falling into Love (Family Found #1) by Kris T. Bethke and Nell Iris
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Second Chance Ranch (Montana #5) by R.J. Scott
  • A MelanieM Review: Dawn and Dusk (Day and Knight #3) by Dirk Greyson
  • A Stella Review: Calling Calling Calling Me by Natasha Washington

Tuesday, September 11:

  • Blog Tour A Ferry of Bones and Gold by Hailey Turner
  • DSP Promo Leigh Dillon on Raising the Bar
  • BLITZ Sentinel by Karrie Roman
  • A Vivacious Review: Breaking the Bonds (Cascade City Pack #2) by Rebecca James
  • A Lila Release Day Review: The Mystery of the Moving Image (Snow & Winter #3) by C.S. Poe
  • A Caryn Release Day Review: The Second Time Around by Rowan McAllister
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review:   New York Nightwings Collection by V.L. Locey

Wednesday, September 12:

  • In the Spotlight Tour and Giveaway: One-Eyed Royals (Seven of Spades #4) by Cordelia Kingsbridge
  • Review Tour – Marina Vivancus – In This Iron Ground
  • Cover Reveal – Love’s Trials by Janice Jarrell
  • A MelanieM Review:  In This Iron Ground by Marina Vivancus
  • A Lucy Review: Promises by Ruby Moone
  • A Chaos Moondrawn Review: Sentinel (Until You #2) by Karrie Roman
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: One-Eyed Royals (Seven of Spades #4) by Cordelia Kingsbridge

Thursday, September 13:

  • Blog Tour – That Feeling When by S. M. James
  • DSP Promo Andrew Grey on All For You
  • Release Blitz – His Heart Or Mine (The Individualists Series #1)by C S Joyce
  • A Vivacious Review: The Captain’s Ghostly Gamble by Catherine Curzon and Eleanor Harkstead
  • A MelanieM Review: Heart’s Desire (Boystown #11) by Marshall Thornton
  • A Stella Review: That Feeling When (#lovehim #1) by S.M. James

Friday, September 14:

  • Book Blast for We Have a Decision by Steph Marie
  • Release Blitz – Darcy – RJ Scott & Meredith Russell
  • Review Tour for Safe Place by Jay Northcote
  • An Ali Review:Shaker of Earth (SPECTR Series 2, #5by Jordan L. Hawk 
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: To Love Again by Andria Large
  • A Barb the Zany Old  Lady Review:  Safe Place (Rainbow Place #2) by Jay Northcote
  • An Alisa Review: The Long Way Around by Quinn Anderson

Saturday, September 15:

  • New Release Blitz Tour – Leta Blake’s Any Given Lifetime
  • The Hunt by J.M. Dabney & Davidson King Release Blitz
  • An Ali Review:  On Andross Station by J.C. Long
  • A MelanieM Review: Loving A Warrior by Melanie Hansen

 

 

 

 

 

 

A MelanieM Review: In Vino Veritas by Sydney Blackburn

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

 

Anthony Beretta inherited the family winery at the tender age of twenty-four. It’s a struggle to keep it up, but he loves it and is determined to make it work even if it kills him. That is, if a motorcyclist doesn’t kill him first. He initially judges the man, attractive as he may be, on the basis of his appearance and apparently limited vocabulary. He soon discovers he’s wrong, but by then Oscar Kennett has already judged Anthony on his appearance.

Oscar thinks Tony Beretta is uptight and snobbish, and Tony’s speech for the charity they’re working on together reinforces that, even when he finds out Tony did it just to push his buttons. His adorable curls and sexy glasses might not be enough to change his mind, but maybe there’s more to Tony than meets the eye.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story of love found among the wines and  vines.  It was not only a terrific contemporary romance but a great way to connect with an author I hadn’t read in a while, Sydney Blackburn.

Somehow, I manage to lose track of authors and I never figure out why.  Maybe its the flood of stories I get, the titles and series I keep up with. But for whatever reason, some I forget to check up on so I’m thrilled when I read books like In Vino Veritas by Sydney Blackburn and, after finishing the story) to go romping back to Sydney’s backlist to see what I have missed!

In Vino Veritas (In Wine Truth), two men collide literally and make instant snap judgements about each other based on their clothing of the moment and their conversation and language.  Initial impressions couldn’t be further from the truth but it takes wine, a winery, and a celebration to  bring the men together.

I loved both men, their personalities and the chemistry between them did it for me.  The backdrop and foundation of the witery is absolutely  perfect for a romance and the character of Tony Beretta (and his mother).  It’s necessary in order to get into his framework of overworked, obsessive, passionate man in love with his  vines, the art of wine making and the land.  We need to see Tony in his element and we do.  So eventually does Oscar.

I wish we could have had more of Oscar’s background and seen him settled at work but the focus here is Tony and his winery as well as their romance.

I loved so many elements here that I could see a sequel. I enjoyed this couple and the location that much.

If you love contemporary romance, don’t miss out on In Vino Veritas by Sydney Blackburn.  It’s one I definitely recommend!

Cover art:  Natasha Snow.  I love this cover.  Its perfection from the colors to the composition.  It caught my eye immediately.

Sales Links:  NineStar Press  |  Amazon

Book Details:

ebook
Published August 13th 2018 by NineStar Press
ISBN139781949340426
Edition LanguageEnglish

A VVivacious Review: Love Spell by Mia Kerick

Rating: 3 Stars out of 5

Miss Harvest Moon, Chance César has a crush on The Harvest Moon Pumpkin Carving King, Jasper Donahue and he is going to make Jasper fall in love with him with the help of his bestie, Emily Benson, Today’s Lady Online Magazine’s Ten Scientifically Proven Ways to Make a Man Fall in Love with You and a love spell (or two) to boot!

Chance is very into following the list, though it was kind of distressing to see what Chance’s allegiance to the list was doing to Jasper and the worst part is we don’t even get Jasper’s POV so yeah, I could feel his distress across Chance’s POV. It was painfully obvious that all these tactics made Chance seem like he was running hot and cold and all the mixed signals would mess with anyone’s head. Personally, all I wanted was for Chance to be himself.

I didn’t like Emily’s character. The only thing I would have wanted from her was two things – one, to tell Chance that he needs to be honest in his dealings with Jasper because what is the point of Jasper falling in love with someone who is not even real and two, that he didn’t need to figure out if he was a boy or girl or both or neither he could be anything he wanted to be and he didn’t need a box, he could just be uniquely Chance and that could be his box if he so desired and since, she did neither, I don’t even know why she existed. She doesn’t even contribute much to the plot and felt very much like an unnecessary character. I am pretty conflicted about her, I wonder if I should excuse her on the grounds of immaturity or the fact that she is just a teenager with no life experience but somehow, I can’t absolve her even with those considerations into place. Simultaneously, I also realise that we actually don’t know anything about her which brings me back to my first point, what was her contribution to the story, it felt like she was a character because someone was ticking off a list which said a female best friend was mandatory to a YA novel featuring a gay guy.

Though I couldn’t get behind Emily’s character I still ended up liking Chance probably because it was easy to see his foibles for what they were and somehow, it’s easy to lose perspective when your own feelings are hanging in the balance and I can somewhat excuse him especially as we see him learn the lesson he needed to learn. I really feel for Chance and being in his head it was really easy to like him because I could see where he was coming from. I really wanted to give him a hug every time he gets conflicted about his gender identity. I really connected with him even though I don’t know how many times I was shaking my head as he went along with things on the list.

I guess my best character in this book has to be Jasper. He was amazing and I loved him truly, I almost think I love him more than Chance. Getting to know Jasper was the real treat of this book and I literally can’t think of one single thing about him that I didn’t like (okay, in hindsight, I can think of one).

I had issues with the book and somehow, I really wanted to shake Chance up and tell him to forget the list and just be himself but despite the list and how much I was dreading the complications of the list the whole time it was in effect, I still found this an interesting read once I got into Chance’s head space. I feel like the ending changed things for me because during the whole list debacle I was like I am going to rate it like two stars or something but then we got to the end and we see Chance learn from his mistakes, learn that he can be himself, uniquely Chance and that significantly redeemed the book in my mind to some extent. I guess what I want to say, is that this book is not a painful read, it wasn’t ever a problem where I had to convince myself to finish the book just because I had to review it, in fact, it was the opposite. I finished it pretty quickly and there was something about this book that had me turning the pages even though I couldn’t stop myself from shaking my head at the words.

Cover Art by Natasha Snow. I love the cover, especially the background which has a kind of magical feel to it.

Sales Link  Amazon   |: Nine Star Press

Book Details:

ebook, 43,300 words

Expected Publication: 2nd edition, August 27, 2018 by Nine Star Press

ISBN: 978-1-949340-50-1

Edition Language: English

A Chaos Moondrawn Review: Rubble and the Wreckage (A Gabriel Church Tale #1) by Rodd Clark

Rating: 2 stars out of 5

Christian Maxwell, a writer with a background in psychology, is caught up in the idea of his bestseller and already attracted, repelled, and a little excited by his subject. Gabriel Church, a killer, figures he might as well make money on his story rather than someone else, or that’s what we’re told. They both share a dark sense of humor and some methodical and obsessive traits. Gabe, of course, is thrilled with his own tale, having the attention of Christian, as well as being able to establish some sort of authority over him. Christian has put himself in a precarious legal position since Gabe hasn’t been caught yet. His obsession with news stories of murders lead him to Gabe. While someone with his research abilities and way of seeing patterns might have been a great asset to law enforcement, his loner style, lack of good judgement, and ethical flexiblity really wouldn’t be.

Here are some things that bothered me. We are basically told the author’s view of the characters, an apology (an explanation or defense), to understand how the story turns out the way it does. “We all weave the patterns of our lives by our actions, and possibly by the desires we maintain to be with others similar to ourselves.” While I find the statement profound, I feel like this should have been a preface, or even a postscript and we shouldn’t still be in this phase in chapter two. The POV (point of view), switches around all over the place. That quote is in first person plural. The author then goes back to dual third person, limited (one character’s view of another) and omniscient (a god view type of third person with facts not in evidence, or knowledge only the author would have.) This is a stylistic choice that is not my preference, but it left me feeling detached from either character, which in the case of a serial killer might be a very good thing. There were actually several typos–missing or repeated words–at regular intervals in the version I received. The story is sometimes hard to follow because it teeters between calling the killer Gabe and Church, but usually uses the writers first name. The story is at times contradictory, like how Gabe can’t see or remember a face because the white light is so bright (the man kills because of a victim’s white aura, like it is a calling from God), yet later we are told he remembers every face and will never forget.

As you would expect, the story wanders through different time periods as the killer talks about kills and his childhood based on his own agenda and the questions he is asked. He also amuses himself by drawing Christian in and using his sexuality against him. The way they dance around the issue of sex is very odd, but then everything about their interactions is odd. Gabe says he is heterosexual, while we witness Christian’s epiphany that he is gay, but that didn’t quite work for me. It seemed more like they both need a certain type of circumstance for the act to have any meaning, and this is it. I do not like the idea that meeting Christian can save or heal Gabe. There can be no redemption for this man and, no I don’t care about his crappy childhood. We are privy to his rapid changes in mood and understand he is unstable. We know he has killed at least 40 people.

No one in this book is likeable. There is no one to root for. I’m not even sure why this needed to be fiction. I can find plenty of true crime novels if I want. It is really important that after listening to details of murders all night, and having sex, they are now sightseeing and giving us a history lesson on the surrounding Seattle area? There is also a murder described from the victim’s point of view for no reason I can find. All of the sudden out of nowhere, Christian is being called Boy, feeling submissive, and Gabe calls himself Daddy. Is this a joke? “You look horny, baby. You want a ride on this love rocket”?

I am actually rather speechless. I can’t recommend this. I actually don’t care about what happens to these characters. This also needs editing. I think, at chapter fourteen, I am going to DNF.

I quite liked the cover art by Natasha Snow. It shows Gabriel on a lonely path heading towards the light, reminiscent of how he chooses his victims. The cathedral window overlay shows hints at his broken, chaotic mind and his view that he is on a mission.
Sales Links:  NineStar Press Amazon
Book Details:
Kindle Edition, 2nd edition, 361 pages
Published April 30th 2018 by NineStar Press (first published January 30th 2015)
Original TitleRubble and the Wreckage
ASINB07CJZVXNS
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesA Gabriel Church Tale #1

Tis September.  A Most Literary Month! This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Tis September.  A Most Literary Month!

 

 

But now in September the garden has cooled, and with it my possessiveness. The sun warms my back instead of beating on my head … The harvest has dwindled, and I have grown apart from the intense midsummer relationship that brought it on.     

Robert Finch

September: it was the most beautiful of words, he’d always felt, evoking orange-flowers, swallows, and regret.     

Alexander Theroux

We know that in September, we will wander through the warm winds of summer’s wreckage. We will welcome summer’s ghost.

Henry Rollins

 

Ah,  September, that month so in between.  Neither summer or fall, sometimes too warm, often too cold at night, it wavers never quite knowing where to fall.  We’ve left  summer activities behind yet the true fall events are yet to come.  No pumpkins or fall colors…as yet.  But we know they are coming.  September fills us up with anticipation.  With expectations.   With enough everything, that it’s a month we still embrace as the quotes above reflect.

We know that September is also a month that is fond of things bookish as you can see from it’s events listing on the calendar as we previously noted.  So here again is the September literary calendar events starting with this week:

September:

September 6              Read a Book Day (this week)
September 8              International Literacy Day
September 11             Libraries Remember Day, because never underestimate the                                                                                     power of a Librarian or library card!
September 15            LGBT Awareness Day  (I know…just because I thought it should be there)
September 22           Dear Diary Day, Love Note Day (because think of how many novels and stories                                                   started from these)
September 24           Punctuation Day (enough said)

 

If you all were to suggest a Literary Event for the calendar, what would it be?  An International LGBT Romance Story Day?  Triad in Lust Day?    Quiltbag Aliens HEA Day?  Give me some titles for our own special September literary events.  Let’s call it our LGBTQIA Literary  Event Title Giveaway!  Have your title chosen and we will have Stella set you up with a $10 gift card from Dreamspinners.  Giveaway runs through September 22.

 

And just in case you missed the notice yesterday, Instafreebie has great M/M short stories up for downloading until September 4.  Check out our post with link here.  Perfect for Read a Book (or story) Day or any day of the week or month.

Happy Reading and have a safe, wonderful weekend.

 

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, September 2:

  • Tis September A Most Literary Month
  • This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
  • Release Blitz – Meik & Sebastian – Obsessed 2 by Quin Perin

Monday, September 3:

  • John R. Petrie on Quarterback Crush
  • Release Blitz – Nell Iris & Kris T Bethke’s Falling Into Love
  • Release Blitz – Marina Vivancus – In This Iron Ground
  • An Alisa Release Day Review: Somebody to Die For (Requiem Inc. #3) by Kris T. Bethke
  • A Chaos Moondrawn Review: Rubble and the Wreckage (A Gabriel Church Tale #1)by Rodd Clark
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Love at First Hate (Porthkennack #11) by J.L. Merrow

Tuesday, September 4:

  • In the Spotlight Tour and Giveaway: Love at First Hate (Porthkennack #11) by J.L. Merrow
  • Release Day Blitz Calling Calling Calling Me by Natasha Washington
  • Box Set Book Blast – Lyon Road Vets Complete Series by Sue Brown
  • A MelanieM Release Day Review:  The Quarterback’s Crush by John R. Petrie
  • A MelanieM Release Day Review: Two of a Kindby BA Tortuga
  • A Jeri Release Day Review: Love and Payne (A THIRDS Universe Novel) by Charlie Cochet

Wednesday, September 5:

  • Retro Review Tour – Love & Mystery Box Set – W S Long
  • Blog Tour: Time for Love by Lynn Michaels
  •  BA Tortuga on Two of a Kind
  • Release Blitz – Buckle Up by Karen Botha
  • A MelanieM Review: Time for Loveby Lynn Michaels
  • A Stella Review: Courtedby Sarah Hadley Brook
  • An Alisa Audio Review: Sweet Nothings (Amuse Bouche #1) by T. Neilson and Simon Ferrar (Narrator)

Thursday, September 6:

  • Release Blitz – V.L. Locey’s Nightwings Collection
  •  Promo C.C. Dado on Denying Fate
  • Private Charter by NR Walker
  • Blog Tour Looking Forward by Michael Bailey
  • An Ali Audio Review: Romantic Behavior (Bad Behavior #4) by L.A. Witt and Cari Z./Michael Ferraiuolo (Narrator)
  • A Lucy Review: Stumbling in the Dark by Deja Black
  • A MelanieM Review:  Private Charter by NR Walker

Friday, September 7:

  • The Billionaire’s Wedding by Geoffrey Knight Blog Tour
  • Review Tour – Flare by Posy Roberts
  • A MelanieM Release Day Review: Raising the Bar (States of Love) by Leigh Dillon
  • A Stella Review: Flare (North Star #3) by Posy Roberts
  • A VVivacious Review: Love Spell by Mia Kerick
  • A MelanieM Review:  Ante Up (A Four Kings Security Story) by Charlie Cochet

Saturday, September 8:

  • A MelanieM Review: In Vino Veritas by Sydney Blackburn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A MelanieM Review: Irresistible by Andrew J Peters

Rating: 2 stars out of 5

 

What if the gods created a man so beautiful, he was irresistible to anyone? 

Brendan Thackeray-Prentiss is an Ivy League-educated trust-funder who Gotham Magazine named the most eligible gay bachelor in New York City. He lives for finding his soulmate, but after walking in on his boyfriend of three transcendent months soaping up in the shower with an older female publicist, he’s on a steady diet of scotch, benzodiazepines, and compulsive yoga. Men are completely off the menu.

Callisthenes Panagopoulos has a problem most guys dream of. With the body and face of a European soccer heartthrob, the vigorous blond hair of a Mormon missionary, and a smile that makes traffic cops stuff their ticket books back in their utility belts, he’s irresistible to everyone. But being a constant guy-magnet comes with its discontents, like an ex-boyfriend who tried to drive his Smart car through Cal’s front door. It makes him wonder if he’s been cursed when it comes to love.

When Brendan and Cal meet, the attraction is meteoric, and they go from date to mates at the speed of time-lapse photography. But to stay together, they’ll have to overcome Cal’s jealous BFF, Romanian mobsters, hermit widowers, and a dictatorship on the brink of revolution during a dream wedding in the Greek isles that becomes a madcap odyssey.

A gay romantic comedy of errors based on Chariton’s Callirhoe, the world’s oldest extant romance novel.

I cannot begin to tell you how close to a one star rating this book came.  Had I written the review shortly after I finished it, it might have even garnered a zero, that’s how truly awful a mess I feel Irresistible by Andrew J Peters is.  But I  have waited until the light of day and some distance between me and it (and loads of coffee) before sitting down to right this thing.

My how that helps!

Where oh where to begin?  How about the  two main characters (of no depth and weird backgrounds) fall instantly in love and get married by page 35?  Yes indeed.  Even though one has had serious issues with a previous boyfriend with stalker issues (ongoing), an absolute nutjob of a “bestfriend” who is currently with him on vacation who’s every word and action screams sociopath,  now hooking up with a rich someone with the judgement of a kumquat? All within the first 50 pages and boom they are getting married!

If I could have, I would have stopped right there because there was nothing believable about any of them.  But no,  I said  I’d read this book.  Smh.

So prep work is ongoing for the marriage, sociopath bestie is not happy and all of a sudden in Chapter 8?  We get another pov!   Up to three now.  We are flip flopping formats and povs all over the place. Yes, the author brings in another person’s perspective because let’s crowd the field as the plot is about to take flight into whackydom with bombs, explosives, Arabs, mad Greeks, Sheiks, and you name it.  None of which, again really make any sense.

More of a hodgepodge of action elements shuffled together, thrown into a narrative pot and voila! Another chapter is born! And another and another. And so on.

I was never so happy to have made it out of a book alive.

And that ending….shudders.

If you are dying to read a book by Andrew J. Peters, I suggest you look elsewhere.  Truly there is nothing Irresistible about this story in my opinion.

Cover art by Natasha Snow:  Best thing about this novel.

Sales Links:  NineStar Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook
Published August 13th 2018 by NineStar Press
ISBN139781949340402
Edition LanguageEnglish

  • Reviewer’s Note:  I just realized that I’ve read books by this author before, his Werecat Trilogy and loved them.  I clearly didn’t recognize his writing here.  So here is another reason not to base an author on just one story.

What Does the School Year Bring for LGBTQIA Youth? The Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Another End of the Month Approaches!

What Possibilities Does the School Year Bring for LGBTQIA Youth

 

I see the end of August approaching and the first of September arriving on Saturday and usually it heralds the start of the change over. The beach season is ending in a last huge Labor Day weekend bonanza flood of cars across the bridge here.  I’ve heard the geese flocks honking at night as they start to group together in enormous masses in the marshes near the Bay prior to migration. And the Virginia Creeper is just starting to show a tinge of color on the turn.

For children and teachers?  It’s the beginning of the school year for many with all that entails.  New possibilities, new starts, new friends, and unfortunately, far too often if you are a LGBTQIA youth, uncertainty, rejection, and fear.  Sometimes, it’s all about the community, the school, the support, and even the family the children find that surrounds them.

I just read a story in the news yesterday about a young child and their family out west moving for yet another time because the trans elementary school child’s experience became a nightmare. Not only from the kids but especially from the other school parents who called that child a monster and worse.  Who does that to a child?  Who cuts that deep?  Lucky for this one they had the incredible support of a family willing to pick up and keep moving to find the right environment for their family and kid.  How many don’t?  The odds are not in their favor.

I think of all the books that I’ve read where the characters have been maimed by their backgrounds, their childhoods, and then I think about these news stories and how much they mesh.  Those novels cut to the heart but these media stories?  Especially the ones that end so very horrifically?  Well, those are the wounds that somehow never really heal once you’ve read or heard about them. As they shouldn’t.  That’s why we have an Ali Forney Shelter , A Matthew Shepard Foundation,

and of course The Trevor Project for suicide prevention.

How it makes me want to cry knowing how badly the last is still needed. All of them are so in need in this  political climate. So going into the start of school,  here are some other links LGBTQIA school kids and their families might need…just in case you know anyone who would benefit or wish to donate…or anything….

National Organizations*:

Family Acceptance Project

PLFAG

Family Equality Council 

Lyric.org

Covenant House

True Colors Fund

No H8 Campaign

Stand Up for Kids

National Safe Place

Organizations by State:

Lost-n-Found Youth – Atlanta, GA

Free2Be – Alabama

Stand Up For Kids –Atlanta, GA

Chris Kids –Atlanta, GA

Just Us – Atlanta, GA

Safe Schools Coalition – GA

Triad House – NJ

Essex County RAIN Foundation – NJ

Life Ties – Ewing, NJ

The Q Spot – Ocean Grove, NJ

Time Out Youth Center – Charlotte NC

The Ali Forney Center – NYC

Reciprocity Foundation – NYC

Hetrick Martin Institute – NYC

New Alternatives – NYC

Peter Cicchino Youth Project – NYC

Gay & Lesbian Youth Services of Western NY – Buffalo, NY

Pride for Youth – Long Island, NY

ALSO Out Youth Sarasota,  FL

Zebra Youth, Orlando, FL

JASMYN, Jacksonville, FL

Pridelines – South Florida

Rainbows End – Spectrum San Anselmo, CA

Hillcrest Youth Center – San
Diego, CA

Hatch Youth – Houston, TX

Out Youth – Dallas, TX

Youth First Texas – Dallas, TX

Fiesta Youth – San Antonio, TX

Thrive – San Antonio, TX

Out Youth – Austin, TX

Ruth Ellis Center – Detroit, MI

Ozone House – Ann Arbor, MI

Pathfinders – Milwaukee, WI

SMYAL – Washington DC

Safe Spaces – Washington DC

The DC Center – Washington, DC

Time OUT Youth – Charlotte, NC

Home O’ Hope – Denver, CO

BAGLY– Boston, MA

The Waltham House – Boston, MA

Camp Lightbulb – Provincetown, MA

WAGLY – Wellesley Hills, MA

Lifeworks – Los Angeles, CA

Joshua House – Inland Empire, CA

Youth Care – Seattle, WA

The Q Center – Bremerton, WA

The YEAH! program – Berkley, CA

Castro Youth Housing Initiative, San Francisco, CA

The Billy DeFrank Center, San Jose, CA

Avenues for Youth – Minneapolis, MN

Attic Youth Center – Philadelphia, PA

LGBT Homeless – Chicago, IL

Project Fierce – Chicago, IL

Center on Halsted – Chicago, IL

Lucie’s PLace – Little Rock, AR

So no, this wasn’t where I thought this Sunday’s post was heading, but one, than two, than three news threads on my iPhone this week combined with the backgrounds of some main characters of some of the stories I was reading and the sights of school buses practicing their runs…and a post was born.

We will talk more about what a literary month September is next week. Until then, have a great week, read many books, and see if you can  catch a rainbow or two.  And maybe push a wish of hope and good wishes to all those LGBTQIA youth heading back to school this coming week.

This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

Sunday, August 26:

  • Another End of the Month Approaches!
  • This Week at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
  • Release Blitz G.R. Lyons’  Heavens Aground
  • Promo Post – Drifting Sands (The Warfield Mysteries #1) – CJ Baty
  • An Alisa Review: Down to Earth (Directions #2) by Jena Wade

Monday, August 27:

  • Release Blitz Ruby Moone – Promises
  • Release Blitz – EJ Smyth – Burning Fall
  • Series Review Tour Shadow Unit Series – Jamie Lynn Miller
  • An Alisa Review: Hybrid Reset (A Darker Hollow #3) by Shannon West and TS McKinney
  • A Free Dreamer Review: Incubus Honeymoon by August Li
  • A VVivacious Review: For a Glance (The Serpent’s Throne Trilogy, #1) by Dan Ackerman
  • A Lila Audiobook Review: Stand by Your Manny (The Mannies #3) by Amy Lane and Peter B. Brooke (narrator)

Tuesday, August 28:

  • DSP Promo Wells/Williams
  • Release Blitz – Spark by Posy Roberts
  • The Pearl by Geoffrey Knight – Book Blast
  • An Ali Release Day Review: The Englor Affair (The Sci-Regency Series #2) by J.L. Langley
  • A Stella Release Day Review: No Way Out by Julie Lynn Hayes
  • A Lucy Release Day Review: Q*pid by Xavier Mayne
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Release Day Review: A Few Good Fish (Fish Out of Water #3) by Amy Lane

Wednesday, August 29:

  • Release Blitz – For You I Fall (Angels and Misfits #1) by T.N. Nova and Colette Davison
  • Release Blitz Out in the Deep by Lane Hayes
  • Release Blitz – Top & Tails – Clare London
  • DSP Promo JL Merrow
  • A MelanieM Review: Irresistible by Andrew J Peters
  • An Ali Review: Gray’s Shadow (Kings of Hell MC #4) by K.A. Merikan
  • An Alisa Review: Back to You (Directions #3) by Jena Wade

Thursday, August 30:

  • Promo Amy Lane
  • DSP Publications Promo Don Travis on The Lovely Pines
  • Release Blitz – RJ Scott – Second Chance Ranch
  • An Alisa Review: Meik & Sebastian – Obsessed 2 by Quin Perin
  • A Lucy Review: Boyfriend Or Bust by Claire Castle
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review:Something About Us (Saint and Lucky #2) by Riley Hart
  • A VVivacious Audiobook Review: Robby Riverton: Mail Order Bride by Eli Easton and Matthew Shaw (Narrator)

Friday, August 31:

  • Blog Tour (Interview) He is Mine by Mel Gough
  • Book Blitz – Indra Vaughn – Patchwork Paradise 
  • DSP Promo Julie Lynn Hayes on No Way
  • A MelanieM Release Day Review: Denying Fate (A Series of Fates) by C.C. Dado
  • A Free Dreamer Review: Dawn (Expedition 63 #3) by T.A. Creech
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Audiobook Review: Patience (Forbes Mates #2) by Grace R. Duncan and Chistopher Boucher (Narrator)

Saturday, September 1:

  • Release Blitz – Summit by Louise Lyons
  • Release Blitz – Safe Place – Jay Northcote
  • A Stella Review: Patchwork Paradise by Indra Vaughn
  • A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Out in the Deep (Out in College #1) by Lane Hayes

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Thank you, author Brandon Shire for providing this terrific list.  Find more information on the link provided.

An Alisa Review: 2230: The Perfect Year by CM Corett

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

Alex Coulson spends his days as a lowly laboratory assistant. At night, he watches movies in his lonely apartment and dreams of exciting adventures and handsome leading men.

When an electrical fire breaks out in the lab, an experimental machine malfunctions and Alex is caught in the explosion. He awakens, injured and confused, to learn he has traveled two hundred years into the future—to the year 2230. Under the care of the gorgeous Doctor Baylin Davies (a definite contender for a leading man) Alex recovers quickly, and his feelings for Baylin deepen each day. Baylin is handsome, sexy, caring, and a verified genius—everything Alex could ever dream of. Add in the whole concept of living in the future, and Alex soon decides the year 2230 is the perfect year to begin his new life.

But then there’s the major…

Whenever the intimidating military man, Major Marcais, is near, a strange power overcomes Alex’s senses, clouding his mind and weakening his desire to be with Baylin.

When the major reveals he is an alien and declares Alex to be his life mate, Alex must find the strength to resist him. And while fighting for the man he truly desires, Alex just might discover he’s the leading man in his own adventure.

Accidental time travel, not something I usually read about but this sounded interesting and I went for it because I have enjoyed the author.  I liked how this wasn’t overly sci-fi but just enough to keep it interesting.  Alex and Baylin feel an instant attraction to each other and both try to navigate how a relationship would work especially if the High Order want to send Alex back to his time.  And Major, he is basically a jerk, he comes around just enough to make Alex off balance.

We get to see both Alex and Baylin struggle with their feelings and how they think they should approach them with each other.  I loved how adorable Alex is and is awkwardness is made to be just a cute quirk since he is so different than those around him.  Baylin still struggles with his confidence based on how some others treat him but Alex is determined to show him differently and he will need it to fight for what he wants.  I was very happy that Alex had the ability to stand up for what he wanted and didn’t have to go along with what the Major said.

Cover art by Natasha Snow is nice though doesn’t scream futuristic to me.

Sales Links: Nine Star Press | Amazon | B&N

Book Details:

ebook, 30,600 words

Published: August 6, 2018 by Nine Star Press

ISBN: 978-1-949340-37-2

Edition Language: English

An Ali Review: Death Days by Lia Cooper

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

By day, Professor Nicholas Littman works as an itinerant professor at a small college in the Pacific Northwest. He teaches seminars on mythology and the intersections of folklore and magic in the ancient world. By night, he’s the local necromancer, a rare magical talent that has left him alienated from other practitioners.

All Nick wants from life is to be left alone to run his magical experiments and teach kids the historical context of magic without anyone being the wiser. Unfortunately, his family is sworn to sit on the council of the Order of the Green Book—a group of magicians dating back to the Crusades—and they aren’t willing to take Nick’s no for an answer.

As though that wasn’t bad enough, a coven of Night Women has arrived in town, warning Nick that there are wolves at his door he had better take care of. But what can one necromancer do when every natural and supernatural card seems stacked against him?

This was a pretty entertaining paranormal story.  There was a lot going on but it was easy to follow and I felt the author did a nice job on the world building.  There are some common supernatural types of characters but the plot lines were a unique twist on them.
I liked the various characters and I enjoyed Nick at the main one.  He’s was a bit grumpy  and reminded me of a few professors I knew when I was in school.  There was some witty dialogue and some humorous parts. 
 
My main disappointment was that there was not much romance in this.  There is a slow burn between Nick and his TA Jonah.   Nothing really happens between them until the end of the book.  This leads to my main complaint of this book.  There were a lot of things left hanging and ending felt a bit rushed.  I still had a bunch of questions at the end of the book and I wasn’t satisfied with the romance.  If this was book one in a series then I would be fine with it.  The book really felt like the beginning of a series to me but there was no indication anywhere that it is so I’m going to assume it was a standalone.  And if that is the case then I’m not really happy with how things ended.  
 
Overall I thought it was pretty good.  I think it’s best going into thinking of it as an urban fantasy rather than a romance.
 
Cover:  The cover was done by Natasha Snow and I think it is a great cover.  It’s super eye catching and fits the story really well.  I think this, as well as many covers from this publisher, are top of the genre.
Sales Links:  NineStar Press | Amazon
Book Details:
ebook
Published August 6th 2018 by NineStar Press
ISBN139781949340341
Edition LanguageEnglish