Barb, the Zany Old Lady Review: Counterpunch (Belonging #2) by Aleksandr Voinov

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Brooklyn was deemed responsible for the death of a young woman in his law enforcement job but instead of getting a manslaughter charge, he was sentenced to life as a slave. And since he was always into boxing as a sport, his new owners put him into boxing for profit in the slave prizefighting circuit. And he’s damn good–so good that he comes to the attention of wealthy boxing fan, Nathaniel Bishop. Bishop buys his services post-match one night, services that are always available for the right price, and Brooklyn preps himself for the usual—stud service for some wealthy client who wants to make use of all that extra testosterone after a match.

What he gets is not “the usual”. Nathaniel wants him all right, but he wants his acceptance more than he wants to dominate Brooklyn in sex. He slowly works his way into Brooklyn’s life, instilling confidence in the boxer, and hope for his freedom. Nathaniel is a lawyer and he believes that he can get Brooklyn free. He points out all the areas where he feels that Brooklyn was made a scapegoat and shouldn’t have been sentenced to slavery. He even manages to get Brooklyn away from his current trainer and into a training regimen with a new trainer and sparring partners who are worthy of working with the boxer who will one day be the champion on the slave circuit. It’s during these months of training that Brooklyn and Nathaniel become closer, and though Brooklyn finds it hard to verbalize his love for Nathaniel, they do love each other, and that stokes Brooklyn’s hope for a brighter future even higher.

Circumstances come to a head, however, when the boxer Brooklyn fights for the gold belt dies as the result of the knockout Brooklyn hands him. When Brooklyn tries to get away, he’s sent back to his original trainer and security handler, both of whom now feel they have an excuse to be even more brutal to him. And what happens to Nathaniel? He’s missing from Brooklyn’s life, gone without a trace, leaving Brooklyn wondering why he left himself open to feeling something for another person when he knows his case is so hopeless.

I love Voinov’s work. The characters are so tough, their circumstances so darkly depressing, yet their spirit remains strong. This is an excellent example of the author’s skills in bringing a character to life. I felt so sad for Brooklyn, watching what he was going through in his slavery, yet still keeping his sense of self. And the ending was so complex, yet simple, so heartbreaking, yet full of hope for Brooklyn’s future. I can’t recommend this story highly enough. If you like a dark, gritty alt universe story with a hero who’s flawed, this is the one for you.

Cover Art by Tami Santarossa – The drawn cover depicts the principal character in a relaxed stance looking out the window at the world beyond. Though it does symbolize his lack of freedom, I would prefer something either darker, like a character with a bloody cut above his eye, or in the process of throwing a punch in a boxing scene. This cover doesn’t express the explosive and dark world within.

Sales Links: Riptide Publishing All Romance eBook (ARe) <a href=” Amazon Counterpunch

Book Details:

ebook, 200 pages
Published September 15th 2014 by Riptide Publishing (first published November 2nd 2011)
ISBN139781626492080
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/counterpunch
seriesBelonging #2

A PaulB Review: Death Gets A Boyfriend by Sophie Bonaste

Rating 4 out of 5 stars

After spending thousands of years taking souls, Death meets someone who might make his lonely existence worthwhile. Slated to take the soul of Thomas Neilson, Death for once does not take the human’s life. Months after a relationship develops between the two, Death is presented with a choice. He must either let Thomas die or millions of others will die instead.

Having spent thousands of years helping people move onto the afterlife, Death finds his existence to be rather lonely. He has isolated himself from the other immortals in Heaven staying primarily in his room during his down time. One day, Death hears the buzzer that signifies “the Boss” wanted to see him. Upon receiving his next day’s list, the Boss states that “times will change.” Considering his boss as a bit odd at the best time times, Death wonders what is coming along. Looking at the list, the name of Thomas Neilson makes Death feels something he has never felt before.

The next day, when Death goes to attend to Thomas’s passing, he cannot bring himself to stop Thomas’s heart like he has done billions of others. More surprising, Thomas can see and hear Death. This is the first time anyone has seen him and Death wonders what makes Thomas so special. As Thomas recovers from the accident that should have killed him, Death cannot stay away. He checks in on Thomas in the hospital and later when Thomas goes to his parent’s house. It seems that they share a love for novelty tee shirts and oddball comedies.

Back in Heaven, Death is once again summoned to the Boss’s office. Archangel Michael starts in on Death about having a relationship with a human, which is prohibited for immortals in Heaven, much less on earth. As Death starts to defend himself, the “Boss” tells Michael that this is part of his master plan and he cannot be upset over Death’s actions. The Boss once again states that times are changing and Death will have to make a choice soon.

As time goes on Thomas and Death become closer. They go out on dates and finally one night they make love. Soon after, Death is summoned once again by the Boss. He tells Death that Thomas’s death has been predetermined. Death must either let Thomas die this time while saving a little girl, or let millions of others die because this girl would grow up to find a cure to cancer. This cure will still be found but will take another fifteen years resulting in the premature deaths of those millions. Even though Thomas’s death would mean he would never see him again as humans and immortals do not intermingle in Heaven, Death lets the predetermined plan play out. The Boss summons him back to Heaven where he tells Death that a new form of being has been created called a guardian. They are humans who died heroically saving other people. As a reward, they will be made immortal and will be charged with protecting innocents on earth. The first such guardian is none other than Thomas. They are reunited and begin the rest of eternity together.

I loved how Death and Thomas bond throughout the novel. Thomas teases Death over his choice of novelty tee shirts. They share an interest in quirky movies. All the while, they have to recognize the fact that no other human can see Death. At one point, Thomas puts in his Bluetooth receiver in his ear to make believe he is talking on his cell phone instead of death. The date night at the restaurant was also well done.

I love how this was a different take on Death. Clad in mostly white novelty clothing, it is definitely not the stereotypical Grim Reaper. His use of modern technology like his game system to relax was also a fun twist.

The cover art by Christy Caughie shows the depiction of Death and Thomas with New York City in the background. I was slightly disappointed that Death was not wearing one of his novelty tee shirts but otherwise the cover was well done.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press All Romance eBook Amazon Death Gets A Boyfriend

Book Details:

Ebook, 139 pages
Published September 24, 2014 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN: 978-1-63216-154-3
Edition English

An Aurora YA Review: The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

The Ocean at the End of the Lane starts with a middle aged man heading back to his childhood home for a funeral, but it doesn’t stay there for long. Rather it goes back to when he was a child and the adventures he had with the mysterious Hempstock family down the road when he got a new babysitter who was more than she appeared to be.

This book was by far one of the best I had ever read. I went into it with very high hopes simply because I love most of Mr. Gaiman’s works. It exceeded every single one of my hopes for it. There was beautiful imagery, but without slowing down the pace or being too out of character for the point of view it was told from. He was able to tell the story while still adding in imagery that made it more interesting, without going on a tangent about what things looked like.

The story was interesting and the characters grabbed my attention and kept me caring what happened to them while still being realistic. The main character is a very young boy throughout the majority of the narrative and is kept accurate to being so young. There are times when he is exceptionally brave or clever, but never in a way that it is unbelievable for a boy of his age to be. For example, when the boy escapes his house and his evil babysitter, he’s smart enough to get away, but almost as soon as he gets to his neighbors’ house, he breaks down, which seemed very believable to me considering his age, without making him seem entirely helpless.

If I had to pick one thing I wasn’t overly fond of in this book, it would be that I didn’t care as much about the Hempstocks as I could have. However, as the story progressed, I began to like them more and more because they did seem to be almost arrogant, but then as the book went on it was made clear that they didn’t just talk, they could actually handle situations.

Cover Artist: I couldn’t find the actual cover artist.

At first glance, the cover of The Ocean at the End of the Lane is certainly interesting, and eye-catching. As I went on reading the book I did start to wonder where the cover fit into the story. By the end, I understood what it was and it became better for that understanding. Overall, the cover is fairly simplistic, but it does its job

Sales Links: Amazon The Ocean at the End of the Lane

Book Details:

ebook, 143 pages
Published June 18th 2013 by William Morrow; 1st edition (first published January 1st 2013)
original titleThe Ocean at the End of the Lane
edition languageEnglish
charactersLettie Hempstock, Ursula Monkton, The Nameless Boy
settingSussex, England (United Kingdom)

literary awardsNebula Award Nominee for Best Novel (2013), Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel (2014), Goodreads Choice for Best Fantasy (2013), Specsavers Book of the Year (2013), Paris Review Best of the Best (2013)

A MelanieM Review: The Broken Road Cafe (The Broken Road Cafe #1) by T.A. Webb

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

For years Daniel O’Leary worked hard to have it all. Determination and a ruthless focus on his goals saw him through college, law school and a job at a prestigious law firm where he made partner in a meteoric rise to the top. All before the age of 35. Along the way he remained close to his college best friend and found love with an artist. Now 10 years later, Dan has been feeling unsettled, as if having everything he wanted was not enough. The fates heard him and in one day time, Dan lost everything. His lover, his best friend and his job and partnership at the law firm.

Vowing to use the shocking events of the day as a springboard to something new, Dan heads out to a small town near Stone Mountain, Georgia. From the moment Dan steps into the town of Blue Ridge, he feels free and at home. A new life beckons with the purchase of a local cafe, which Dan renamed The Broken Road Cafe. Blue Ridge’s Sheriff, Nick Oliver, is gorgeous, irritating, and also deep in the closet. Surprisingly (or not) Dan finds himself falling for the Sheriff, the town’s people and life lived at a slower pace.

But people and problems have a way of refusing to be left behind as Dan learns to his dismay. Dan wants a new start, a new life and perhaps even a new love. Now If only Dan’s his past will let him go forward into his future.

How do I love this story? Let me count the ways! The outstanding characters, the intimate location and settings, the humor and of course, the wonderful plot…all courtesy of T.A. Webb, a masterful storyteller at it again with this latest release and new series. T.A. Webb is an automatic must read, must have author for me. And this new story, The Broken Road Cafe is a shining example why he should be yours as well.

Starting with one of the main characters, Daniel O’Leary, Webb pulls us into the mind and life of this intelligent, moral, if somewhat ruthless lawyer, a man who worked relentlessly through the years to obtain his law degree, earn a stellar reputation as a lawyer, and partnership by the age of 35 at one of the most prestigious law firms in Atlanta. His support consists of his amazing assistant, Charity, George his best friend of 20 years and George’s partner and not much else. Oh, and his live in love too. The author brings Dan’s emotional and mental state alive on the pages as Dan muses over his recent irritability with his job and life. Still, Dan is going through his normal routine, when a moment of spontaneity and surprises start the avalanche that will destroy Dan’s life in just one day. Webb makes us feel every shocking moment of every minute of the events that break up Dan’s life and perceptions of the people around him. It’s raw, and painful, and sobering.

Then as Dan begins to gather the courage to move away and go forward, we are next to him in the passenger seat of his beloved Mustang as he heads out of Atlanta and finds himself in the small town of Blue Ridge, a place that will change his life as it works itself into our hearts. T.A. Webb knows small town life and its all here, the pluses and the minuses, the intimacy for good and bad. And its exactly what Dan needs. What a believable journey this becomes for Dan and the reader. It’s full of humor, self depreciation, wise cracks and the caring the pops up when you least expect it but need it the most. I heart this town and its people. And it rings with an authenticity that anyone who lives in or is familiar with small towns, especially those in the South will recognize.

Another huge piece of this heartwarming, complex story is town Sheriff Nick Oliver. Nick is the town’s “hero”, that one person who is the town’s moral compass and go to guy no matter what the crisis.He is also just happens to be hiding the fact that he’s gay. From everyone, including his huge and loving family. One initial encounter with Dan upsets Nick’s carefully crafted status quo. As you can imagine, any relationship between a man proud to be out and gay with someone deep in the closet is one strewn with problems, arguments, and adjustments. Especially as each man has erected their own barriers against love and another relationship. It’s a marvelous dance that will ensure that the reader enjoys it almost as much as the men involved.

But it’s not just the dynamics between Nick and Dan, but all the other towns people as well that draws the reader in. The Mayor of Blue Ridge and local real estate goddess, Patsy, is as warm, intelligent and complex character as Charity, the wry, brilliant, and scary personal assistant. I love it when the female characters are as well written and deeply layered as the men. And with these two gems, the reader has two strong women to fall in love with as they add luster and depth to each scene they appear in. In fact, this story and series is chock full of delights, in characters, plot surprises and a dialog that snaps and sizzles with the verbal sparring southerners are so good at.

I highly recommend The Broken Heart Cafe to all readers, lovers of romance, crystalline characterizations and a addicting setting that will have you wanting to make travel arrangements. T.A. Webb’s title came from a well known country song, “God Bless The Broken Road”:

“Others who broke my heart, they were like northern stars

pointing my way into your loving arms” – Robert E. Boyd, Marcus Hummon

Its so perfect for the story, for the characters, and for this series that works its way into heart to stay. Pick it up and begin your journey to Blue Ridge, Georgia and The Broken Road Cafe.

Cover art by Laura E. Harner. Sexy, hot, but I miss a sense of location and characters.

Sales Links: All Romance eBooks (ARe) Amazon Broken Heart Cafe

Book Details:

ebook, 143 pages
Published November 3rd 2013 by A Bear on Books (first published November 2nd 2013)
ISBN139781310557057
edition languageEnglish
seriesThe Broken Road Cafe #1

The Broken Road Cafe series to date in the order they were written and should be read:

The Broken Road Cafe #1

Brothers In Arms, Broken Road Cafe #2

A MelanieM Review: Red Dirt Heart 2 (Red Dirt #2) by N.R. Walker

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Charlie Sutton had lived a quite, solitary life on his family’s ranch, the Sutton Station, one of Australia’s Northern Territory’s largest farms. It’s harsh desert landscape and couple million acres of red dirt, and scorching sun made his self isolation as easy as hiding his sexuality. It was a situation that Charlie had gotten comfortable with, even loved at times.

Then a Texas agronomy grad, Travis Craig appeared in his life by means of an international diversification education program and nothing was ever the same. Now Charlie’s life is lively, crowded, upended and confused. Travis is proudly gay and crazy about Charlie just as Charlie is about him. Six months of having the one thing he never thought possible is making Charlie happy, and throughly scared. And all the confusion, self doubts, and questions about their future is starting to make Charlie feel trapped in a way he never felt before.

As problems communicating and issues of exposure rise, one big question looms on the horizon. Will Travis stay or will he go?

The saga of Charlie Sutton, Travis Craig and the Sutton Station continues and happily, it has just grown in dimension and complexity with this new installment. I fell in love with Charlie, Travis, and all the inhabitants of the enormous farm called Sutton Station in the first story, Red Dirt Heart 1 where N. R. Walker introduced us to the uncompromising, yet beautiful landscape of the Northern Territory in Australia. Here the people and animals inhabit a vast territory, living in some of the harshest conditions found on earth. Brutal heat, a desolation that stretches for a million acres where nature, not people, make the rules and the cost of disregarding them is perilous and often deadly.

Through vivid descriptions and a beautiful use of the Australian culture, language and lingo, Walker envelopes the reader once more into the remote world that is Sutton Station and the romance of Charlie Sutton and Travis Craig. Just as making a living off under such uncompromising conditions takes work and communication, so do relationships. That that’s where Charlie and Travis are having trouble.

Walker’s Charlie Sutton is a complex, wonderful character. I almost wrote man because he feels so real and alive to me. Charlie grew up under the less than benevolent parentage of a father as harsh as the land around them. That voice that Charlie hears inside his head saying that “no fairy son of mine will ever run the station” is his father’s, a voice and bigoted outlook so ingrained into Charlie’s head and heart that he fears the very openness that Travis represents. The internal struggles that Charlie must work through are mirrored by the battles that must be fought externally in town and the other stations. And no matter what front the battles are being fought on, internal or otherwise, it always comes across as believable, immediate, and powerful. Since the story is told from Charlie’s pov, the reader is there for every skirmish, all the mental and emotional arguments and musings running through Charlie’s head and heart as he tries to find a way forward and a future. Walker had me so involved, so committed to Charlie and Travis that I couldn’t put this story down once I started.

And while its Charlie’s voice and thoughts we hear, we see, learn about and come to love all the others through his eyes. Travis, of course, comes first. A man of endless passion, movement, and need to being doing, something, anything, his big open heart is one the reader finds easy to embrace. Following quickly on his heels are Ma, George, Bacon, Trudy, Billy and Ernie. Even those darn animals like Matilda the red kangeroo baby, Texas and Shelby, their horses, everything pours itself into your heart like the red dirt of Sutton Station, inescapable, memorable, and final.

In a funny and welcome addition, N.R. Walker lays out for the reader early on certain vocabulary and colloquialisms non-Australians will find necessary. I started to correct realise to realize only to find out that no, realise is the Aussie spelling, not ours. And our Mickey D’s? Nope, that’s not what it’s called down under, a funny scene I will let you find on your own. There is no part of this story and series that doesn’t have me seriously enraptured. I want to go there. Pull on my Akubra and Driza-bone, take a ride in their utes, to experience the country and people I have met through the Red Dirt Heart series.

There are two more books to go, unless we can convince N. R. Walker to extend the series. Red Dirt Heart 2, in fact the entire Red Dirt Heart saga, is one of Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Best of 2014. And N. R. Walker is now on my automatic author buy list. Pick up these stories and start your journey in this remarkable land and it’s equally intrepid and complex characters. You will laugh, your heart will hurt, and some tears are going to flow in joy and sorrow. What a saga and series await you in Red Dirt Heart!

Cover art by Sara York is wonderful in branding the series and showcasing the landscape.

Sales Links: All Romance eBooks Amazon Red Dirt Heart 2

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 250 pages
Published August 17th 2014
ASINB00MT7VJZM
edition languageEnglish
seriesRed Dirt #2

Series to include 4 books that should be read in the order they were written and released for character and relationship development:

Red Dirt Heart 1
Red Dirt Heart 2
Red Dirt Heart 3
Red Dirt Heart 4

Find my author interview with N.R. Walker here.

A MelanieM Review: Hidden Gem by Lissa Kasey

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

With a past that haunts him with nightmares, Misaki “Aki” Itou became a “contracted companion”, a whore, in order to survive , leaving his starving existence on the streets behind. Aki is a psi—a person with mutated DNA granting him psychic abilities. And that makes him both a danger to himself and an object of fear and interest to the government scientists of the North and South. Only his contract and position as the “shining jewel” and top companion at the Hidden Gem,protects him while making enough money to buy the prettiest, most sparkly shoes he can find.

Det. Shane McNaughton is a cop, the Head of Missing Persons,with a completion rate so high that no one can top him. McNaughton survived the Third World War for one reason only, one he hides. Shane McNaughton is a A-M, one of many animal mutations that occurred as part of the chemical warfare between the North and the South. And while it gives him supernatural abilities it also makes him a monster when the virus isn’t dormant. His secret is known only to a few and that makes Shane McNaughton one lone wolf. Except when it comes to Aki Itou.

For two years Shane has been paying for Aki’s services, both for Aki’s sexual favors and for Aki’s psychic abilities. Always Shane has wanted more from Aki, and always he has been denied. When several children of the wealthy go missing only to be found dead, its up to Shane and Aki to combine their powers to find the children in time and expose the killer. But nothing prepares either one for the forces they unleash from the past that continues to haunt them both.

What a fantastical and inventive story Lissa Kasey has created for her release, Hidden Gem. Complete with a complex back story for her universe that includes a World War III where the weapons were chemical and their impact upon the populace diabolical and disastrous, Kasey manages to paint a portrait of a world gone dark and deadly, full of dead bodies, camps, and experimentation. That the descriptions aren’t incredibly graphic doesn’t take away any of their horror and impact. Relayed to the reader through memories of several of the characters, those past events come across as fresh and terrifying, a vision that haunts the narrative from start to finish.

Overlaying the past like a infirm veneer, the present is a place of secrets, hidden agendas, and where a sanctuary can be the last place anyone would consider safe and desirable. That last place, of course, being the Hidden Gem, a high level brothel known for its desirable male and female contracted companions. Aki and Candy, his best friend and fellow high paid companion, are happy and safe within the confines of their profession and contracts. Kasey lets us into the intimacies of their friendship and the daily operations of the Hidden Gem. It’s a fascinating world full of equally intriguing and memorable characters, not the least of which are Aki and Candy. Aki whose dress and makeup never try to hide his eyes which give away the fact that he is psi. And delectible Candy, whose mind reflects colored clouds and happiness back to Aki, is a jewel in his own right. I only hope that Lissa Kasey has another story in mind for this universe featuring Candy, he deserves it. The darkness of the companions pasts are always present, although pressed into the background or saved for their nightmares.

At the other end of society’s spectrum is the police unit headed up by Shane McNaughton, a cop who no longer considers himself a man. He is also tormented by his past and present. Only being in the presence of Aki, is that pain alleviated for Shane. Kasey makes Shane as fully realized a being as Aki, although his darkness and past are more fully known then Aki’s for most of the story. Shane is a powerful figure and he moves through the narrative with a blunt forcefulness that can take your breath away.

There is a malignant center to this story and a mystery of the most chilling and heartbreaking kind. Children are being kidnapped and horrifically killed. Kasey weaves her mystery thread through all the other filaments pulling together to make this an outstanding tapestry of a tale. Its not enough that each character carries a truckload of pain and secrets behind them, the author also keeps in mind each character’s emotional, mental and physical needs as well. All are juggled in a high wire balancing act that ends in an astonishing conclusion that will stay with you long after the story is over.

I hope this is not the last we have seen of the Hidden Gem universe and characters. Lissa Kasey has left herself plenty of room for more stories to come. They and the readers deserve them. Consider Hidden Gem and Lissa Kasey highly recommended by Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words! Grab it up today and start reading.

Cover Artist:2014 Shobana Appavu. Love the cover.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press Paperback All Romance eBooks (ARe) Amazon Hidden Gem

Book Details:

ebook, 246 pages
Published September 26th 2014 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781632161994

A Paul B Review: A Heart for Robbie by J.P. Barnaby

Rating 4.5 out of 5 stars

Celebrated gay author Julian Holmes writes young adult books where his heroes face demons, spirits and other things that go bump in the night. Those are nothing compared to the problems he faces when his newborn son Robbie is diagnosed with a serious heart defect. Julian must now navigate the health system for a possible cure for his son. When he meets Simon Phelps, the hospital insurance coordinator, Julian might find someone who will help complete his new family. But this new relationship could possible hurt as much as help Robbie in his fight for life.

During the delivery of his son by surrogate and best friend Erin, Julian Holmes is worried when his son does not immediately cry after his birth. The doctors rush the child to the NCIU and arrange for transport to St. Mary’s Children’s Hospital in downtown Chicago for more exams. Once there, the doctors diagnose Robbie with a serious heart defect that will only be corrected with a heart transplant. Without it, Julian would lose his son around his first birthday.

At St. Mary’s, Julian meets the hospital transplant team, which includes doctors, social workers, psychologist and Simon Phelps, the insurance coordinator. Whereas Julian is out and proud, Simon is deep in the closet. He is afraid of the reaction from his deeply religious mother and the youth center where he volunteers. He agrees to have dinner with his parents and potential dates that his mother has set up for him from her church.

After taking Robbie back to the hospital, Julian runs into Simon in the cafeteria. As they talk about what has happened in the last couple of months, Simon asks Julian what if it was scary to be out. Julian answer sometimes but Robbie’s health problems are actually scarier. After lunch, Simon receives and email from Julian what it is like to be deep in the closet.

Later, Julian takes Robbie in for a test. When Robbie codes, Julian is a wreck. Once Robbie is stabilized, Simon offers to take Julian to get something to eat and then drive him home. At the restaurant, Julian has a bit to drink to help drown his sorrows. Simon offers Julian a place to crash for the night. While there, their passion for each other takes over and they enjoy a night of love making. In the morning, they decide to try to pursue a relationship but keep it quiet as it would be against hospital regulations for Simon to be involved with a patient’s father.

As Simon grows closer to Julian and Robbie, he finds himself spending more and more time with them. A couple of months after the start of their relationship, Robbie is having trouble breathing and is rushed by ambulance to the hospital. The next day, as Simon is comforting Julian in a conference room, the head of the transplant team catches them, resulting in Simon’s dismissal and threatening to take Robbie off the transplant list. The two manage to convince the doctor to leave Robbie on the list while the state auditor conducts an investigation to see if anything illegal had occurred.

After that incident, a gay newspaper finds out about the relationship. The youth center asks Simon not to come back. As the information is about to get out to the mainstream press soon, Simon decides to tell his parents about himself. As expected, his mother does not take it well but his father is tired of losing his children due to her actions and tells Simon that he will work on his mother. Julian provides support for Simon during this time. Simon decides that he has his family, whether or not his parents are part of it or not.

Just shy of Robbie turning five months, Julian gets the call that a heart is available. As he informs his family, Julian is glad that Simon no longer has to hide his support for him. While the operation runs longer than expected, all appears to be fine. When some post operational complications show up, Julian wonders if it was all worth the effort. With a change in medicine, the doctors inform Julian that the prognosis is good for Robbie.

J.P. Barnaby has crafted a great novel with A Heart for Robbie. It starts with a prologue which is a passage from one of Julian’s books. This serves as an introduction to Liam and Clay, the heroes of the “Black Heart” series. These characters appear throughout A Heart for Robbie as manifestations of Julian’s hopes and fears. As Julian’s relationship with Simon grows, his need to consult with his characters lessens.

While I was a little disappointed that Julian and Simon’s first night together was brought about by a night out drinking, it was totally understandable. Julian needed to let go of his worries for a night and thus his night of drinking. The way the relationship was built was well done. I could feel Simon, who never thought about children of his own, fall in love with Robbie and his father. The fact that they had to keep the relationship quiet due to Simon’s work and being in the closet was understandable. The actions the two took during this time made sense.

The cover art by AngstyG might seem strange for a gay romance novel but was well done in the context of the story. The big teddy bear (Julian) holding the injured teddy bear (Robbie) just tugs at your heartstrings. The injured teddy bear in fact makes an appearance in the story.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press ebook Paperback All Romance ebooks (ARe) Amazon A Heart for Robbie

Book Details:

Ebook, 216 pages
Published July 10, 2014 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN: 978-1-63216-067-6
Edition language English

A MelanieM Review: Red Dirt Heart (Red Dirt #1) by N.R. Walker

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Welcome to Sutton Station: One of the world’s largest working farms in the middle of Australia – where if the animals and heat don’t kill you first, your heart just might.

Charlie Sutton runs one of the largest working ranches in middle Australia, Sutton Station. It is something he was born to do and Charlie can’t picture himself anywhere else even if he feels his sexuality would make him an outcast not only among the people he works among but the other stations and store owners he does business with as well. The recent death of his powerful, overbearing father has done nothing to still his father’s voice inside his head that threatens his self worth and instills Charlie with a fear about being gay and out. Then a new arrival at the station upends the status quo, including Charlie’s perceptions of himself and the Sutton Station family.

American agronomy student Travis Craig arrives for a work study internship at Sutton Station. Travis feels that his background as a Texas rancher and college area of study will help him fit in while hoping his studies will be beneficial to both countries. While Travis expects to research how the Australian farmers make a living from one of the harshest environments on earth, he doesn’t expect to find that he learns to love not only the harsh beauty and red dirt of Sutton Station but Charlie Sutton himself.

Under the intense desert sun of the red dirt of Sutton Station, can two men find love and the ability to have a future together?

Readers, meet my latest obsession and its author, the Red Dirt Heart series by N. R Walker. All it took was the first paragraph to pull me totally into the life of Charlie Sutton and the Sutton Station set in the Northern Territory (which is about the same size as Lebanon and based on a real working farm). This author is amazing. Walker manages to make the people and places in Red Dirt Heart so believable, so vivid, that you will feel the dust and heat enough to feel the need to brush the red dirt off the pages (or Kindle cover) as you read.

The story is told from Charlie Sutton’s point of view. That perspective enables Walker to bring all the Aussie terminology, colloquialisms, culture and frame of mind to life. It also lets us into the heart and soul of this vulnerable, and marvelously complicated young man. There is so much to Charlie. From the insidious voice inside his head left by his father that tells him he will never be good enough or “man” enough to run Sutton Station because he is gay to the considerate, smart, and appealing person others find him to be. What a great character!

Travis Craig, is his equal in every manner. A Texas agronomy student who is openly gay, Travis starts to upend Charlie’s life and life at the Sutton Station from the moment he arrives. Travis not only works himself into Charlie’s heart but the readers as well. Their dialog together is serious, humorous, and telling in its many meanings and impact.

Every aspect of life at Sutton Station comes across as authentic and real as the red dirt itself. From Ma in the kitchen to the drovers that work for Charlie, the reader is immersed into the every day experiences of life lived seasonally and the hard work it takes to exist and succeed under some of the harshest conditions known. It’s not just the romance but all the layers found here in this story and series that makes it work and resonate deeply with the readers, myself included. I did say it was my newest obsession, didn’t I?

Red Dirt Heart is that amazing self published story that you want to go telling everyone about. I couldn’t put it down and then was lucky enough to already have in my possession the sequel to dive into once the first was finished. And then I wanted more. I wanted to move to Australia, experience the red dirt and vastness of the Northern Territory and wander until I found a Charlie and Travis of my own. Trust me, you are going to feel the same. The third story in the series is almost here. Pick up the first two and get ready to fall in love with Charlie, Travis, and the Sutton Station itself.

Cover Artist: Sara York. I like it. It works for the story and series branding.

Author’s Note: Please note: This book is set in Australia, using Australian English and lingo

Sales Links: All Romance eBooks (ARe) Amazon Red Dirt Heart 1 $1.50 at Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 162 pages
Published February 20th 2014
edition languageEnglish
seriesRed Dirt #1

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

Red Dirt Heart 1
Red Dirt Heart 2
Red Dirt Heart 3 to be released early October 2014

A MelanieM Review: Dead Things by Meredith Russell

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Devin never thought he could find hope or love among the ruins of a broken world. Not until he found Noah.

Devin Reed is one of the last survivors of a virus that has turned the earth’s population into living corpses…zombies. Devin lives and conducts daily hunts from high security penitentiary in Kansas State that provides his group of survivors with shelter and security. Devin returned from his last tour in Afghanistan to find the world gone mad. He lost everyone he loved to the plague, including his long term partner and love. Broken hearted and enraged by the circumstances he finds himself in, he risks his life daily to leave to hunt for supplies and any other survivors he can find.

One fateful scavenger trip changes everything when Devin and his partner check out what looks to be an abandoned farm house and find Noah Webber, the last of his family and the only person to survive a zombie attack. Each man has lost so much, and their attraction to each other is bound up in each other’s survivor guilt and fear. Together Devin and Noah unite to fight the monsters around them. But it will take more than determination and firepower to win, it might take finding the courage to risk all for love and the hope of a future.

Just when I think I’ve about had my fill of all things zombie, along comes a story to remind me why this genre is so pupular. Dead Things by Meredith Russell manages to combines the heartbreak of loss, suspense, a post apocalyptic world, zombies and, of course, romance and has us sitting on the edge of our seats while doing it.

I especially liked her character, Devin Reed. He is the epitome of a survivor, complete with a lost love, a sense of futility about the present and yet he endures and perseveres. He’s also a warrior, hot, and gay. Devin feels real, he is shut down emotionally, allowing only the pain of loss or anger to penetrate the barriers he has erected again any further vulnerability. There are other characters around that also seem authentic to the direness of the circumstances they find themselves in but Devin comes across as the most believable.

Noah Webber took longer for me to invest in. His attitude seems at odds with his history and background. And although we got a good explanation for his actions and outlook, it ended up irritating not only Devin but the reader as well. Luckily for the story, that faded away under the onslaught of zombies and the events that occur.

Russell adds in high suspense, to go along with the anxiety of survival and the prickling of hope for the future. The author solidly builds her story and keeps us guessing as we head into the climax and story resolution. It’s fun, heartbreaking, white knuckle ride all the way to the end. If you are a lover of zombies and post apocalyptic worlds to go along with your M/M romance, then add this to your TBR list. It delivers what it promises. And that makes it one of Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words recommended reads.

Like most fiction of this trope, a small group of survivors has banded together in the most secure place they could find, a high security penitentiary. This place has become their world, complete with a dictator who makes the rules and expects everyone to follow them.

Cover art by Meredith Russell. Love the cover, it works perfectly for the character and gives a dark tone to the overall look.

Sales Links: All Romance (ARe) Amazon Dead Things

Book Details:

book, Second edition
Published August 29th 2014 (first published August 2012)

A MelanieM Review: Solitude by Anna Martin and Tia Fielding

Rating: 4. 25 stars out of 5

Gael Torres met Liam Barton when he costarred in an adult movie for Woodspring Manor Entertainment, the company that employed them as actors for their porn films. Liam, also known as Lithium in the adult film industry, had just signed up with Woodspring although he was already a legend in the porn industry. Gael, known as Gabriel Knightly, was already an established star at Woodspring for over 5 years. In their first scene together, sparks flew, their attraction to each other igniting far past what the script and acting called for.

But obstacles were already in the way to any relationship between them. Gael was living with John, known to his fans as Johnny Depth, and it was well known that they were a popular established couple and good for Woodspring’s image and advertising. And Lithium? The secrets he was hiding were huge, and one night he simply disappeared. No note, no phone calls. Gone.

Shocked, Gael waits as the rumors pile up, many saying that Lithium had died, a notion Gael couldn’t accept. Determined to find Lithium and extract some answers, Gael still wasn’t prepared for what he finds when the missing Lithium is located.

Liam Barton has left his identity as Lithium behind when he fled LA for the ski slopes of Solitude Ski Resort in remote Utah. Haunted by his past, burdened by circumstances he left behind in L.A., Liam craves the peace and isolated existence found in this small town. The only thing he misses is the actor he thinks he can’t have, Gabriel Knightly.

When Gael arrives at Solitude to find Liam alive if not completely happy, the shock is almost overwhelming. Gael is determined to get his answers and show Liam the depth of his feelings. Liam has built a fortress to hide behind. Can Gael break down his walls so both men can find the love and relationship they have been dreaming about? Or will Liam’s past destroy any chances they might have for a future together?

What a terrific love story! Solitude by Anna Martin and Tia Fielding works on many levels, as a romance, a study of porn actors and their industry, and as a plot storyline that relays the fact that even a HFN commitment takes work and compromises in the name of love. All of these elements and more combine to bring a realistic and even handed look into an industry (and actors) that seldom are given such a non-judgmental point of view. Love and romance are on display in this story in many forms, including the deep love and caring relationship of Gael’s parents, great secondary characters whose loving relationship acts as a support and example for those who know them.

Authors Martin and Fielding use characters Liam Barton and Gael Torres to show the different facets to the people who act in porn film and the various types of adult film companies who produce the prodigious amounts of porn filmed each year. It starts off with the company Woodspring Manor Entertainment, a firm whose owners like Preston, take care of their performers, from contracts to health insurance to housing. Woodspring and its owners represent the best of the adult film industry. Among its established stars are Gael (Gabriel Knightly) and Johnny (Johnny Depth), a “couple” favored for their relationship as well as their gorgeous bodies and acting abilities. Gael Torres is a porn star in the business because he loves sex and is good at it. He comes from a loving and open minded family who only want their son to be happy and aren’t ashamed of his profession.

Gael Torres is that person you infrequently hear about…the well adjusted porn star. That such a person exists is a certainty but one the media seldom picks up on. Gael is a marvelous character whose believable and appealing personality makes the story and romance. And he comes with one of the loveliest set of parents around, his Finnish mother Leena and Spanish father, Diego, secondary characters who light up the page whenever they make an appearance.

On the opposite side of spectrum of the actors in the adult film industry is Liam Barton, known as Lithium. He represents those who comes from abusive backgrounds, men accompanied by their own painful set of circumstances, a reality of this world as well. His background? That of a ultra conservative Latter day Saints family he escaped from but barely. The background created for him by the authors feels as complicated, haunted and real as Gael’s does open, happy, and accepting. The pairing of these two dissimilar men helps to create the drama and believable relationship dynamics that the pair must work through. And all the adjustments and compromises they achieve makes their romance and love seem not only viable but heartwarming and real.

The narrative begins with Liam already in Solitude, Utah but then it switches back and forth between Gael and Liam, the past and the present. The effect that changeover has upon the story can feel jumbled at times but the story is such a good one that an uneven narrative can be somewhat overlooked. These are easy character to learn to care about and the other characters in their orbit are just as believable as they are.

I absolutely recommend Solitude by Anna Martin and Tia Fielding. The romance is complicated and heartfelt, the characters believable and compelling, and the story plot marvelous all the way to the end. And did I say it was sexy and hot too? Well, it is! Grab it up today and find out for yourself!

Cover Art by Reese Dante is lovely even if it doesn’t exactly speak to the plot and characters.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press eBook Paperback All Romance (ARe) Amazon Solitude

Book Details:

ebook, 214 pages
Published August 27th 2014 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN 1632161613 (ISBN13: 9781632161611)
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.annamartin-fiction.com/#!coming-soon/ccbp

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

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Rating 4 out of 5 stars

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Rating: 5 stars out of 5

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Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Series to include 4 books that should be read in the order they were written and released for character and relationship development:

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Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

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Rating 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Sales Links: All Romance eBooks (ARe) Amazon Red Dirt Heart 1 $1.50 at Amazon

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Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Cover art by Meredith Russell. Love the cover, it works perfectly for the character and gives a dark tone to the overall look.

Sales Links: All Romance (ARe) Amazon Dead Things

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Rating: 4. 25 stars out of 5

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press eBook Paperback All Romance (ARe) Amazon Solitude

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