Review: Swords, Sorcery, and Sundry (Edges & Embers #1) by Mina MacLeod

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

A wizard, a soldier, and an assassin walk into a bar …

Wizard Sylvain has just recently arrived in Abelia, the large capital of the Firmiana Duchy. He’s hot, tired and just wants a drink before going up to his rooms. Soldier Ashe is at a table nearby wanting to enjoy her food and friendly banter with the bar owner. Assassin Niklas is situated right in the middle, with an agenda of his own and hopes not to be interfered with. Alas, once the trouble starts and it seems that Niklas has been ganged up on, then Sylvain and Ashe just naturally jump into the fray with sword and sorcery at hand.

But quickly things go awry as Sylvain accidentally sets the bar on fire and the culprits escape. No one has any money to pay for the damages they caused. With the Duchy’s guards at the door, and gold needed to repair the damage to the hotel and bar, the wizard, the assassin, and the warrior team up (it was their fault after all) to earn the money they required to keep them out of the jail and maybe make them even solvent. But the mission they were hired for will take them into the Deadlands and in order to survive, the three will have to become a team to contend with. What happens when a wizard, an assassin and a soldier combine and become something much more than any of them expected….

When a story opens with a tongue in cheek reference to a long-standing bar joke, I just knew I was in for a rollicking great time and Mina MacLeod’s Swords, Sorcery & Sundry delighted me at every turn. How I loved this story and MacLeod’s characters! From the very premise,three disparate people meet in a bar and bonding over a combined debt, I was hooked. And I stayed that way to the end of this adventure and the possibility of a series. But I am getting ahead of myself.

Swords, Sorcery and Sundry is that wonderful and rare story that be listed either as a YA book or M/M Romance, an element that was intentional on the author’s part. That is due largely because it is a story about the tight bonds of friendship first, and then the beginnings of a m/m romance between two of the friends secondly. But always it is the ties of friendship that guides them and forms them into a family of sorts as well as a business.

Mina MacLeod has created some very charismatic characters for her story. At first we are as much of a stranger to them as they are to each other. Then believably that changes as a financial debt none can pay forces them to work together. I love watching the characters open up and reveal parts of themselves and their stories as the mission continues. It felt both fantastical and realistic. As the story progresses so does the friendship go from one of expediency to one of choice and close fellowship, the bonds shifting from the shallow need of a combined debt to deep sense of comradeship and closeness.

All of the characters are both strong, equal in their own powers and talents, and open about their chances of success and pasts. This turns out to be a close-knit group of friends. Ashe, the women, is an amazing swords person and warrior. Trust me, she needs no champion here, she is the champion. She is sarcastic, smart, easy in her own skin, and doesn’t need a man to make her life fulfilling (although she doesn’t mind one on the side). Nor does she fall in love with either of her friends. What a relief! A marvelous character you will connect with immediately no matter what manner of adventures or goings on she is involved in. Sylvain is a wizard, from the Muscari Aucheri kingdom of wizardry. He is the first of the trio we meet as he forlornly enters Abelia on foot, having sold his precious mare to get the funds needed to eat and find room. No longer in good standing at the Wizard Academy (no spoilers zone), he is at loose ends when he arrives at The Beckoning Siren Inn. Disheveled, tired and thirty, it is still easy to see that Sylvain is a good compassionate man, haunted by his past but ready to move forward but where? I loved Sylvain because while he has power, he is not a powerful presence and doesn’t dominate the proceedings or the other friends. And then there is Niklas Valconaire, an assassin of great skill and little desire to be an assassin. The dichotomy that is Niklas continues throughout the story. A tender killer, a shadow of death that covets life. And Niklas is well aware of the handsome wizard he is traveling with. Niklas is the one character whose past is still waiting to be revealed whereas Ashe and Sylvain’s histories will become known by the end of their story.

There is a m/m romance here. It’s sweet and gentle, even given the participants. A first true relationship for both,and neither wants it to impede their friendship. So a dance begins between them that lasts the journey and the end of this tale. But as I stated, their romance is a side issue, its the friendship that blossoms between them as they learn they can counter on each other to have their backs and support when needed. Also a good joke, a flagon of wine, and perhaps even a lovely replacement mare, these are friends at ease with one another no matter the setting or situation they find themselves in. That’s the best element of this story and reason alone to buy this book.

MacLeod has created a vivid, magical landscape for her friends to journey through. It’s fraught full with the living dead, familiars, evil rulers and yes, corrupt businessman. Not even fantasy can let us escape those. And along for the journey is the new company born out of need and finalized in camaraderie. Swords, Sorcery & Sundry, a name picked by Ashe to Sylvain’s disgruntlement and Niklas’ amusement as a way to sell their talents as a group. As Sylvain is quick to point out time and again, he is not a sorcerer but a wizard. But as Ashe remarks that doesn’t make a snappy title for their business and so a new venture is born. And a series as well.

At the end of 330 pages, I still wanted their adventures together to continue. I wanted more of their snark and funny dialogs, more of the surprises that are revealed along with new talents, and more of the marvelous friendship exhibited by all three. Luckily for us all, Mina MacLeod is turning this story and characters into a series, Edges & Embers. I can’t wait to see what new escapades and dangers will befall them. All I know is that my expectations are as high as my excitement over this series and a new author to love. Consider Swords, Sorcery and Sundry (well you can’t very well advertise Assassinations can you?) a must read and highly recommended story. I think you will love it as much as I do.

Happy Reading!

Cover art by Le Burden Design. I am a fan of the old cover design favored here. Lovely job.

Buy Links: ARe LT3 Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 330 pages
Published May 21st 2014 by Less Than Three Press LLC
original titleSwords, Sorcery, and Sundry
ISBN139781620043639
edition languageEnglish

Review: Cold Feet (In From the Cold #3) (In From the Cold #3) by Lee Brazil

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

Many things brought Cannon Malloy west from Atlanta. Cannon wanted to put his past behind him, including ex boyfriends and the trauma that went along with them. Cannon most importantly want to find out what it meant to finally live his life as an out gay man after years of living in the closet. But that initial step out of his self deception didn’t mean Cannon felt comfortable as a gay man until now. With help from his flamboyant neighbor at Mountain Shadows and some well applied eye liner, Cannon is ready to try once more to connect with the handsome Finn Lorensson. With a newfound sense of self-appreciation and confidence he approaches Finn’s cabin with more than lust on the mind to make up for their last unhappy encounter and repair some of the damage he caused.

But professor Finn has plenty of problems of his own, one especially that arose around a malicious student and his impact on Cannon. Finn’s unsure of how to proceed, with the student and the newly confident Cannon. Both require his immediate attention and how he handles them both might mean the end of his tenure as a professor and any chance of happiness he might find with Cannon.

Cannon finally seems over his own brand of cold feet when it comes to Finn and relationships. But how long that will last and what Finn will do about it is anyone’s guess.

Of all the interconnected Pulp Friction 2014 series, Lee Brazil’s seems the most introspective of the four. With all the others, while the characters are undergoing emotional upheavals and personal problems, they are also being impacted by outside forces and obstacles. But Cannon and Finn are grappling, almost solely, with Cannon’s past and its effect on each other and the possibility of a relationship. Cannon Malloy is the fulcrum of In From the Cold. He is the pivotal element on which most of the plot threads rest or emanate from. A character displaced after the events in Atlanta (Pulp Friction 2013), Cannon was an ambivalent character, deeply closeted, married and the cause of much pain to the main character Chance. He ran from Atlanta to Flagstaff, unable to operate due to the events that occurred in Atlanta and is floundering in his role as a professor. From a dislikable personality to one clearly in need of compassion and understanding, Brazil has moved Cannon through his journey in cautious, fearful steps to this point. It’s been realistic and painful.

Reacting to Cannon is professor Finn Lorensson, a confident, handsome man. Cannon, however, is strewing Finn’s life with stumbling blocks and obstacles in Finn’s pursuit of the skittish Cannon, the last one of which might have lasting consequences for all. I love how Brazil has taken this self assured mountain of a man and added cracks and fractures to a strong personality that seemed unbreakable. It’s a lovely, believable transformation, especially with love as the impetus behind it. With the exception of the disgruntled student who feels entitled to take what he wants, all the movement and changes made have been done so because of internal arguments and decisions, changes of attitudes and self worth. It’s an internalized and introspective storyline and its very intimacy is conveyed through thoughtful inner monologues and bouts of painful fretting on the characters part.

The other characters and plots exist in Lee Brazil’s series but sometimes it feels as though we see or feel them at the very perimeter of Finn and Cannon’s lives. Such an inward facing story structure has been a wonderful way to relate to both difficult characters and their fragile steps towards each other. But I expect that is about to change.

Cold Feet and the other three stories are at the midway point in the series and changes are about to fall on all the people involved. I expect Finn and Cannon to change their direction, and move outward to embrace the other characters and the tumultuous events occurring at Mountain Shadows. I can’t wait to see how the author folds these two back into the main story thread that flows through all the series and the evil that has clearly visited the woods around them. I love these characters, the series and the entire Pulp Friction 2014 grouping. It’s compelling, gorgeously depicted and as wide ranging as the mountains themselves, and I can’t get enough of their lives and their stories.

I highly recommend this story and series (all of them) to you. However, you must start back at the beginning to understand the scope of the stories and the characters involved. I have listed all the series for you below. Don’t miss out one a single one of them…..

Cover art by Laura Harner. Love these covers, perfect branding and great models.

Buy Links: <a href=”Cold Feet: Pulp Friction 2014 (In From the Cold Book 3) ” title=”Cold Feet At Amazon”> Amazon ARe

Book Details:

ebook
Published June 1st 2014 by Lime Time Press
edition languageEnglish
seriesIn From the Cold #3, Pulp Friction 2014 #10

The Pulp Friction 2014 series in the order they were written and should be read to understand the characters, events and plot:

Round One:

Firestorm (Fighting Fire: 1)by Laura Harner
Cold Snap (In From the Cold: 1) by Lee Brazil
Blown Away (Whispering Winds: 1) by Havan Fellows
Higher Ground (Earthquake: 1) by TA Webb

Round Two:

Controlled Burn (Fighting Fire #2) by Laura Harner
Cold Comfort (In From the Cold #2) by Lee Brazil
Blown Kisses (Whispering Winds #2) by Havan Fellows
Moving Earth (Earthquake #2) by TA Webb

Round Three:

Backburn (Fighting Fire #3) by Laura Harner
Cold Feet (In From the Cold #3) by Lee Brazil
Blow Hard (Whispering Winds #3) by Havan Fellows
Tremors (Earthquake #3) by T.A. Webb

Round Four: to be released

Flare-up (Fighting Fire #4) by Laura Harner
Out In The Cold (In From the Cold #4) by Lee Brazil
Blown Chance (Whispering Winds #4) by Havan Fellows
Aftershocks (Earthquake #4) by T.A. Webb

Round Five: to be released

Radiant Burn (Fighting Fire #5) by Laura Harner
Cold Day in Hell (In From the Cold #5) by Lee Brazil
Final Blow (Whispering Winds #5) by Havan Fellows
Terra Firma (Earthquake #5) by T.A. Webb

Sixth Book Series Finale Written by all the Authors
charactersFinn Lorensso

Review: Diego (Endangered Fae #2) by Angel Martinez

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Diego Sandoval’s life changed utterly the day he rescued an ailing Fae under the Brooklyn Bridge. From dumped lover and struggling author, Diego’s life is now filled with the love of Finn, his Pookie lover and the book Finn inspired has gotten Diego a league of fans and followers. Now relocated to a remote area of Montana, life is good but change is in the wind once more….

A misunderstanding between Finn and Diego shatters their happy lives when in a fit of jealous rage, Diego’s uncontrolled power rips a hole in the Veil which seals his universe away from the Otherworld. The Otherworld is the place where all Fae fled in the face of humankind proliferation and despoiling of the Earth. Pulled unwittingly into the Otherworld, Diego must learn how to use his powers, find Finn and make their way back home.

But so many obstacles stand in their way, including a mysterious disease that is slowly killing all the Fae, a disease that all Fae are sure Diego can cure. And if that is not enough to contend with, then the appearance of the US Army with its own assumptions might be the biggest problem of all….

When a book and characters are able to pull me into their story to the point that I forget the time and other things I need to be doing then I know that the author has accomplished their mission as a craftsman of tales, a first rate storyteller that would be welcomed at any fire or table around. That’s how I felt about Diego (Endangered Fae #2) when I finally put down the Kindle and looked at the clock. I couldn’t believe how late it was or how absorbed I had been in Diego, the second book in the Endangered Fae series by Angel Martinez. I loved the first story, but this one built on that and became so much better….

This is a complex story with numerous characters, locations and worlds involved. Once again, Martinez pulls from a number of mythologies to build her two universes and multitude of Fae species. Diego follows months, perhaps a year, after the events of Finn. They have moved into a cabin in the wilds of Montana, and Diego has become a successful author based on his first published story about a fictionalized Finn. But a state of happiness is an unknown territory for both man and Fae and Martinez is wise to include the points of view of both Diego and Finn here to highlight their feelings and insecurities about their relationship and each other.

Finn, while long lived or even immortal, has not had a happy history with relationships, especially his last one which ended in his dismemberment and his lover’s torture and burning. And lurking underneath a traumatic history with love or because of it, is a case of poor self image and enough insecuritiesto fill a canyon. He wants to be worthy of Diego, but is not sure exactly how to accomplish that. He fears that Diego will abandon him even as Diego tries to reinforce the depth of his own feelings towards the Fae. Diego too has a bad history of romance behind him. Two insecure new lovers must balance their new relationship with the needs of each other, different species included. That’s a heavy task that Martinez has placed in front of her two main characters and that is only the beginning as well as the foundation for most of their issues. A stable, loving relationship is so new to both that neither understands how to communicate their fears or feel secure enough in their love for each other to question the firmness of the foundation upon which they base their feelings. That an impressive fracture to overcome for any new couple, let alone a human and a Fae. Plus both have a history with Diego’s prior self, Taliesin and the power that Diego has yet to harness. More issues still for the couple. I mean Martinez has these two on such shaky emotional ground (believably so) that its a wonder each gets out of the bed they are so fond of.

But an emotional jealous rage shatters a barrier raised by a Fae Queen and both are drawn into an ancient feud that has dire consequences for all. Here Martinez delves deep into Fae mythology and comes up with some astonishing characters. From Dana to Balor, ancient enemies with a common sorrow between them, and Lugh, half kin, ex lover and soldier, such amazing characters of immense gravitas and magic await the reader on the other side of the Veil. And none of them even remotely come across as human. This element of the story is incredibly compelling and magnetic in its pull. I loved Martinez’ ability to continue with her relationship dynamics between Finn and Diego while building on Finn’s history and complex relationships with others in the Otherworld. This will just add to the problems they face, trust me.

One aspect of this story will be the arrival (I won’t say where) of a top secret US Army detachment. Their impact upon our beloved characters and story isn’t for the squeamish. While Martinez is not as graphic as she might have been, my imagination supplied far too many details on top of the ones the author already delivered. Vivid, traumatic, scary….just what you might expect from such an encounter. The detachment fills much the same role as the Wendig0 did for the first story. It shakes everything up, provides a enemy to thwart, and makes the ending of the story that much more satisfactory for all everyone went through to get to the resolution. Not a easy element to read but so worthwhile once you get to the other side. Don’t flinch…move smartly forward. Trust me, its worth it.

So many wonders to be found here in this story and series. I loved the Fae, all of them, and the Otherworld. I loved that Diego’s cultural identity is as important as Finn’s Fae one, a lovely touch that adds spice to the Endangered Fae melting pot of a series. I absolutely fell in love over and over again with character after character, no matter the species and how much fun is that?

I am getting ready for the third book in the series, Semper Fae (great title). It deals with the romance between a soldier who plays a major role in this story and another great chacracter found here too. No spoilers as yet. It won’t be out for several months. Until then, get started on this series. Start with Finn, and then go on to Diego. I will meet you back here for Semper Fae.

Consider Diego (and Finn) definite recommendations from ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords. Such happy findings….I can’t wait to see where Angel Martinez takes us all next….

Cover art by Winterheart Designs. Nice cover, love the models standing in for both characters.

Buy Links: MLR Press Diego: Endangered Fae Series ” title=”Amazon buy link”> Amazon ARe

Book Details:

book, 3rd, 296 pages
Published June 6th 2014 by MLR Press (first published September 16th 2010)
original titleDiego
ISBN 1608209342 (ISBN13: 9781608209347)
urlhttp://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=AM_DIEGO
seriesEndangered Fae #2
charactersDanu, Finn Shannon, Diego Sandoval, Lugh, Balor
settingMontana (United States)
Otherworld ,Tearman Island

Books in the series include:

Finn (Endangered Fae #1)
Finn’s Christmas (Endangered Fae #1.5) (note: this was folded into Finn as the last chapter in the latest edition)
Diego (Endangered Fae #2)
Semper Fae (Endangered Fae #3)

Review: Stranger on the Shore by Josh Lanyon

.Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

When investigative journalist Griffin Hadley is hired by the patriarch of the wealthy Arlington family to write an account of a long ago family tragedy, Griffin had little idea of the danger he is about to encounter. Twenty years ago young Brian Arlington, heir to Arlington fortune, was kidnapped for ransom. Although a man was charged with the kidnapping and jailed, young Brian was never found and is presumed dead. Brian’s grandfather wants closure before he dies and hires Griffin Hadley to renew the search for answers about his grandson once and for all.

Blocking Griffin’s investigation and efforts to write the story is Pierce Mather, the Arlington family lawyer. Pierce Mather, cold, handsome, and resolute in his determination that Griffin leave the estate and Arlington tragedy in the past. Pierce also administers and controls the Arlington billions.But he is not the only one unhappy that Griffin Hadley is about to dig up questions about the decades-old mystery.

As more and more factions line up against Griffin, he begins to wonder if he can figure out what really happened all those years ago. And when Pierce begins to show that he is attracted to Griffin, Griffin wonders if it is due to passion or something more ominous….

Stranger on the Shore a welcome return to writing for this author as well as demonstrating just why Josh Lanyon is on so many readers TBR lists. A story that is both a romance and a mystery is one of the favorite ploys of this author’s and one he does so well. For me as a reader, one element I appreciate and look forward to in each of Josh Lanyon’s novels is the unsettled atmosphere and haunting settings he evokes with his sensual imagery and vivid descriptions of his locations. In Stranger on the Shore it is the old palatial Arlington estate whose very name conjures up mysteries, secrets, and opulence, that is the setting for the investigation into a young boy’s kidnapping and murder.

Ah, the mystery….well to be honest…the one mystery that looms the largest is also the most easily guessed at. So it’s not so much the who, but the why and how that defines the mystery and the investigation. That is one of the pleasures of this story. All the threads that have to be pulled together to figure out the larger picture and persons behind it all, and there is a myriad of plot threads to follow. In Stranger on the Shore it’s the journey not the destination that is the true joy. It’s the miasma off the waters, the perfectly manicured gardens that beg one to peer behind the hedges, and the walkways that beckon as they lead into the darkness. It’s the indolent feeling of the old privileged powerful families and the weight of their wealth that slowly gives over to one of suspense and dread. A bubbling up of a malodorous past that Lanyon brings forth so precisely, fraught with clues that the reader cannot help but follow that makes this story sing. the Arlington estate and gardens comes alive here, so much so it is as much a main character as Griffin and the Arlington family. In Stranger on the Shore we get ambiance, mystery and an alluring location. All that and the romance too.

Lust in the heat, impulsive sex between lovers who don’t trust or perhaps even like one another, that’s sexy sizzle of desire is another great element of this story. Pierce Mather, cold, calculating, and what exactly? Is he loyal family retainer? Part of the puzzle behind young Brian Arlington’s disappearance? Controlled yet passionate lover? He is all that and more as the story unfolds and Griffin Hadley is pulled deeper into the Arlington family history and current scramble for the family fortune. And then there is Griffin. I wish I had a sense of Griffin as an investigative reporter, that seemed a little lacking here. A writer yes, reporter no. But so much about Griffin is appealing. He is vulnerable, unsettled and perhaps too trusting for the role he is to play here. But he will engage your feelings as he goes about tumbling into the past and present dangers of the situation he finds himself in. Griffin and Pierce were perfect foils for each other and I loved their intense arguments as much as their love scenes.

I’m not sure why exactly Josh Lanyon has such a diverse and/or opposite effect on readers. They absolutely adore him or his writing doesn’t engage them. It seems to fall one way or the other. I happen to love him. I admire his stories even if I find I can predict the outcome or part of the plot before the resolution. His characters have always been able to reach me with their foibles and faults as well as their intelligence. And as I have stated, his descriptions and imagery is captivating in its ability to pull you into a scene or situation smoothly and decidedly. I love the emotions he brings forth and the depth of love and believability he is able to create for his characters. No, this story’s not perfect, but I found myself still thinking about the plot and characters days later. That ability to resonate is aspect of good storytelling I require and I found that here.

Josh Lanyon took a sabbatical from writing for over a year and his voice was missed by many. Now he has returned and I look forward to the stories and characters his inventive mind will create. Stranger on the Shore is a terrific start. I loved it and think you will too. If you are new to Josh Lanyon, there is a huge backlist awaiting you, including many of my favorites such as Fair Game, Come Unto These Yellow Sands , and the Adrien English Mysteries. Start here and work your way backward. You have a wonderful journey ahead, get going! Those of you who are Josh Lanyon fans, well, you probably have already picked this up and started reading.

Josh Lanyon and Stranger on the Shore are recommended author and novel at ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords.

Happy Reading.

Buy Links: Carina Press ARe Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 226 pages
Published May 5th 2014 by Carina Press
original titleStranger on the Shore
ISBN139781426898327
edition languageEnglish

Review: Apollo’s Curse by Brad Vance

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

Dane Gale has had one goal in life. That was to write and be a successful author. But his only published novel lies languishing on the shelves with little to no takers. When he joins a romance book club, he gets more than he bargained for. His new friends Rose and Sherry and Dale find themselves critiquing the novels they are reading and finding that they believe that they could write one as well. Soon an author is born. “Pamela Clarice,” self-published romance novelist, consisting of the three of them, and quickly they find they have published their first romance to some success. And for each of their novels, Dane chooses a popular model to use for their covers, a man he can’t get out of his mind.

The model Dane is obsessing over is Paul Musegetes. Paul is the world’s most popular romance cover model, but hardly anything is known about him, other than only one photographer is allowed to take his pictures. When Dane, Rose, and Sherry attend the Romance Writers’ Ball on the Summer Solstice, Dane meets Paul and connects for one night of passion that will change his life forever…

After that night with Paul, Dane finds his muse has ignited a storm of inspiration and he starts writing one successful novel after another. And that’s all Dane does….he writes to the exclusion of all else. Paul is a Muse who comes with a curse as well as the writers Midas touch. The writer he anoints on the Summer Solstice has but one year of phenomenal success and then will never be able to write again.

Heartbroken at the price he never knew he would have to pay, Dane vows to track down Paul and break the curse. But how to find a man who doesn’t seem to exist outside of a photograph? All the clues lead to Venice and Paul’s photographer Jackson da Vinci…

What a great concept for a story! The idea that a popular cover model, you know, the ones you see over and over again, is actually a Greek Muse, who with one night of supernatural sex, anoints an author to become the world’s most prolific and successful writer? I love it! And it works beautifully here as a means to explain the writing process and as a raison de etre for Dane , who has to travel not only to Venice but to Greece itself in order to find his answers and a way to break the curse.

Dane Gale is a character that has to grow on a reader. At the beginning, he seems very self-involved and so sure he has written the “great American novel” that no one can appreciate as demonstrated by its poor sales. But it’s what Paul is lacking that is the source of his writing woes and inability to understand love and romance. Vance gives us the key to Dane early on when he introduces the women that will become not only Dane’s writing partners but his friends too. Rose and Sherry open Dane up emotionally as each has a different talent to bring to their novels. What does it say about Dane that his talent is editing,research, formating and such? As the three of them work on stories and ideas, it becomes clear to them all where Dane deficiencies lie. Until he sees a picture of Paul Musegetes when searching for a cover model for their romances. Then Dane becomes able to write not only steamy and believable sex scenes but frame out entire stories around Paul’s pictures.

Brad Vance does a great job here in relating the publishing world as it exists today with all the new avenues and formats of self publishing ebooks. He goes into details about all the various ways in which an author can’t only publish their own stories but track their success and sales as well. This element of the story teeters on almost too much information. It is practically a “how to publish” pamphlet on its own. Interesting but a little overwhelming although I understand why he wanted us to “watch” Dane’s excitement grow as his success climbs exponentially upward.

The women in this story are terrific characters and I wish we had as much of them towards the last section of the story as we did at the beginning. We become invested in these women only to have them disappear halfway through the story. Understandable, necessary, but their absence is definitely felt. Jackson da Vinci is a character to love the more you know about him. He too needs enlightenment and only through his search with Dane does the end result of his own choices become apparent.

One of my most favorite aspects of Apollo’s Curse is the Greek island of Kos and its inhabitants. Such wonders await the readers there, including bits of storytelling and characters worth the price of this novel alone. It’s magical and poignant and I never wanted Dane and Jackson to leave. But of course, that was never possible…. But clearly Brad Vance knows and loves his Greek mythology as well as the islands. Venice too ripples authentically off the pages of the story as the enchanting city it is.

Apollo’s Curse is a book that continued to grow on me even after I had finished. The more its scenes and characters came back to me, the greater my enjoyment in the world and story that Vance created. It’s really a lovely romance as well as a cautionary tale of getting exactly what you asked for. Steamy, hot, sex? Not really, although perhaps you might anticipate that from the cover and the half dressed model. Who is that model? Why the photographer! His name is Francesco Cura. And Vance didn’t find out that he was the photographer until afterwards. Now that’s a great surprise.

At the moment, Vance has said in his interview with me that this is a stand alone novel. I hope not. I want to know what happens to Jackson and Dane next. Also Rose and Sherry who arrive at the end. There is so much more to tell and I would love to see where Vance takes his characters and their Muse next. Consider this story and author highly recommended.

Cover artist and model not credited.

Buy Links: Amazon Amazon UK ARe Barnes & Noble Smashwords

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 280 pages
Published May 4th 2014 (first published May 1st 2014)
ASINB00K4FXL8O
edition languageEnglish

Review: Blackbird Knitting in a Bunny’s Lair (Knitting #5) by Amy Lane

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Just when Aiden Rhodes is sure that he has his Jeremy Bunny ready to settle down and commit to a relationship with him instead of always being ready to “rabbit’ away, Jeremy’s past arrives to shatter everything. After Jeremy endured a horrific near death beating by a mobster, he faces multiple surgeries on his way to recovery, a recovery that will still leave Jeremy with physical scarring he will carry for life.

All in the tightly close group of people around Jeremy have been affected by this horrendous event. Aiden is facing his own anger at Jeremy’s actions and he needs time to work through all the thoughts and emotions that this brutal beating has created. Aiden needs space but with Jeremy in the hospital and needing Aiden, that is the last thing he is likely to have. Jeremy is afraid that his scarred face and body will mean that he is unlovable and unwanted. Craw and Ben are keeping the mill going without their friends but only just. And Ariadne lies in the hospital bed next to Jeremy with complications to her pregnancy and worries of her own. Even as everyone is giving as much of themselves to help support Jeremy’s surgeries and recovery, they are in need in equal amounts of support themselves.

But the answer for this overly stressed and worn thin group comes in the tiny form of Ariadne’s baby girl who needs them all in her own time of need. To help Ariadne and her baby, Jeremy pulls himself together and starts to move forward in his relationship with Aiden and his friendship for everyone around him, including Ariadne’s little blackbird. And Aiden sees a Jeremy he had always hoped to find….a man who has stopped running from love and commitment and is ready for all Aiden has to offer….a future together.

I am going to start this review with a personal note to Amy Lane.

Amy Lane, Amy Lane……I have been waiting for you to fix Jeremy Bunny since you left me (and Jeremy) wrecked at the end of Knitter in His Natural Habitat (Knitting #4) two years ago. When I finished that story I felt I had been run through Craw’s temperamental woolen mill drums myself until my heart was flattened and my stomach was in knots. I love your stories and this series but that was one review I didn’t want to write because I was so upset at the end. But now I can finally say, without compunction, that you did Jeremy Bunny right in Blackbird Knitting in a Bunny’s Lair. And you made the torturous events that occurred in the fourth book feel as though they had to happen for the growth and maturity that Jeremy gains here throughout your story. I didn’t think that was possible but it did and it felt true. So, thanks. Now I can reread that book again with my tredpidation pushed aside and my love for these characters up front and secure in their futures together. Brava!

Now back to the originally scheduled review.

When discussing a book about endings, I think its appropriate that a summary of the series and the first story is in order. The first book in the series is called The Winter Courtship Rituals of Fur-Bearing Critters (Granby Knitting, # 1) and truthfully it wasn’t even a series yet. It was a story in Dreamspinner’s I’ll Be Home for Christmas collection. It featured a romance between a burly monosyllabic knitter and a newly arrived self employed young man who moves in next to his alpaca ranch. Rance Crawford ” is an alpaca rancher, fiber mill owner, and self-proclaimed grumpy bastard” in Amy Lane’s words. And he was grumpy perfection. Lane paired him up with Ben McCutcheon, a sweet Easterner who inherits the house next to the ranch. It was a slow, sometime frustrating and always amusing light hearted romance filled with the author’s love of all things knitting and love of yarn. It had an endearing cover and a wonderful ending.

That first story was quick to capture the hearts of readers along with all the other memorable characters that Amy Lane created to work at Craw’s mill and yarn shop, helping to dye and create designer yarn that people would scramble to own and knit with. We met a young Aiden Rhodes, a teenager on the way to adulthood and a genius with dyes and wool. Living in the barn in a small room was Jeremy Stillson, an enigmatic skittish young man of indeterminable years. Oddly young and old at the same time, Jeremy was clearly haunted by a past and childhood that only one person knew about. He talked too much, loved the company of the animals and was as skittish as a wild bunny, ready to “rabbit” away at the first sign of approaching danger or even commitment. His vulnerability touched the readers, myself included, deeply. We took Jeremy Bunny to heart then and never let him go. Neither did Aiden Rhodes, a wolf with surprising darkness inside and a love for his Jeremy. Just as important was Ariadne, the sharp faced, thin young woman who runs the mill’s shop and teaches Jeremy to knit. We all fell in love with Ariadne too. Leaving this group of people behind in that first story was hard not only for us but for Amy Lane as well. And so the Knitting series, also known as the Granby Knitting series was born.

Four books followed, the full list is posted at the bottom of the review. Lane would take up Aiden and Jeremy’s story in How to Raise an Honest Rabbit (Knitting #3). Between those indescribably adorable covers and their marvelously quirky titles, this was a series that was attracting attention for more than just the stories within, there was also the knitting patterns featured in each book, with instructions included at the end. How I love those too! Did I say I was a avid knitter? This series just reached out and pulled me in. Any idea of maintaing any sort of emotional distance was thrown out the window from the get go. Objectivity, thy name is some other reviewer when this series is involved.

Anyhow, How to Raise an Honest Rabbit (Knitting #3) is Jeremy’s story. We find out why Jeremy is the way he is and how he came to Granby and Craw’s Alpaca ranch. It is also the beginning of romance between Jeremy and Aiden, hints of which were only floating around the narrative in the first book. And it is here that the darkness and depth found in the Knitting series is revealed. Yes, there are still some amusing scenes and joy. But the pain of the past and Jeremy’s fragile emotional center is revealed as is the explanation behind his situation and behavior. The angsts and gravity of the story brings a “realness” to these characters, with all their flaws, intelligence and loyalty to each other. If you weren’t in love before, you were by the end of this story.

Then came Knitter in His Natural Habitat (Granby Knitting, #4) and the revelatory style and genius of Amy Lane came together in an emotional rollercoaster of a story. I loved it, hated it, and cried buckets of tears before it was over. It was two romances in one. Lane continued to follow the growth in Aiden and Jeremy’s relationship while also introducing another major romance that included secondary characters from previous stories. That would be flamboyantly gay Stanley, who managed a fabulous craft store in Boulder and Johnny, a dark horse of a delivery man with secrets of his own. Like some intricately woven specialty yarn, Lane spun a tale of revenge, love and a past that refused to stay hidden. It was mesmerizing and Lane skillfully built up a atmosphere of danger and suspense that exploded in an emotional ending that left us all shattered.

This story was released two years ago in 2012 and my memories of it today are as fresh as if I had just finished the story yesterday. That fact just demonstrates what an incredible writer Amy Lane is and the power present in all her stories. Light and fluffy? I don’t think so. I don’t think she can do that. Lane’s stories always take twists and turns that will puzzle and shock you. They might leave you reeling in pain from the events and situations her characters find themselves in as well as the loss that can run like a river of angst through her stories. But never will you be able to remain objective because she has breathed life, in all its complexity, into her people and you start treating them and their stories as if they were your own.

Anyway, back to Blackbird Knitting in a Bunny’s Lair (Knitting #5). I have waited 2 long years for this story and it was beyond marvelous. The title, in part, comes from that haunting Beatles song “Blackbird” that goes “Blackbird singing in the dead of night. Take these broken wings and learn to fly…” Are you humming it yet? There is more than one blackbird here in this story and yet by the end, they have all learned to fly or will be able to do so. So many people are in all types of need here. Emotional, financial, you name it and this tight circle of friends requires it. But how Amy Lane resolves each and everyone’s situation is believable, warmhearted and totally satisfying. I finished it at 3am and promptly went and started it all over again. I mean, really, people, I had waited two years for this to happen. It wasn’t going to be over that quickly.

This review could have been finished in a few concise sentences. It would go something like this. Here is my cliff notes version:

I wanted this. I read this. I love this. I whole heartedly recommend it to all who need romance, great story telling, and knitters in love in their lives. There are bunnies galore, and mittens and knitting patterns. And characters you will never forget. Amy Lane does it again.”

But what fun is that?

Blackbird Knitting in a Bunny’s Lair is a book I will return to often. The resolution to Jeremy’s story and his and Aiden love affair has staying power. So do all the other romances found within this series. These people, these characters have become old friends and I will want to revisit them from time to time. If you are new to this series, start with the first story and work your way through the novels and the gamut of emotions Amy Lane will put you through. It is worth it. Blackbird Knitting in a Bunny’s Lair is one of ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords Best of 2014. And don’t miss out on that terrific Chain Mail Scarf pattern so important to the story and whose instructions are included at the end. I am already planning what yarn to use.

Cover art by Catt Ford who created all those incredible covers in the series. I have included all of them as well.

Books in the series in the order they were written and should be read:

The Winter Courtship Rituals of Fur-Bearing Critters (Granby Knitting, # 1)
Super Sock Man
How to Raise an Honest Rabbit (Granby Knitting, #3)
Knitter in His Natural Habitat (Granby Knitting, #4)
Blackbird Knitting in a Bunny’s Lair (Granby Knitting #5)

Book Details:
Buy Links: Dreamspinner Press ARe Amazon

Also available The Granby Knitting Menagerie by Amy Lane Paperback: Buy it here at DSP

ebook, 244 pages, A Granby Knitting Novel

Published May 2nd 2014 by Dreamspinner Press (first published May 1st 2014)
ISBN 1627988742 (ISBN13: 9781627988742)
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.dreamspinnerpress.com
seriesKnitting #5

Covers to love in reverse order:

Review: Saugatuck Summer (Saugatuck #1) by Amelia C. Gormley

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Topher Carlisle likes to think of himself as fabulous. Topher knows he looks fabulous, now only if he felt that way on the inside. He is turning twenty one and stands on the precipice of adulthood with life changing decisions rising up around him. Gay, gorgeous and of mixed race, Topher’s upbringing has been anything but normal. Or happy. Or safe. His mother is a drug dependent alcoholic whose mental health issues threatened his health and his sanity growing up. His other relatives are little better, giving him support on their terms, which were both emotionally and physically abusive. And while most people only see a flamboyantly gay, intelligent and perhaps superficial young man, the inner Topher is the one who continues to battle with his depression and thoughts of worthlessness.

Supporting himself through college on a swimming scholarship, Topher’s education might be cut short if he can’t get in condition to compete for the team in the fall and earn the money he needs for board. Luckily for Topher, his BFF, Mo is bringing him with her to the family beach house on Lake Michigan. A summer of swimming and, hopefully, part time work, should just do the trick if Topher can stick with the program, but that is something he rarely does. And something totally unexpected and disasterous happens….his bestfriend’s father is handsome, closeted…and it turns out, available for an affair. An affair that ruins everyones lives before the summer is over.

Now homeless, friendless and desperate Topher needs help in the worst way. And it comes in the shape of a artist named Jace who asks to paint his portrait and sees beyond the facade Topher has erected to protect himself from further pain. And he just might be the answer to this young gay man’s prayers…if only Topher will give him a chance and let him in.

What? Don’t recognize the book by the synopsis above? Not even close to the blurb you read that starts out “Hi, I’m Topher Carlisle: twenty-one, pretty, and fabulous”? Not surprising because that light, somewhat comedic summary has little in common with the dark, heartrending story that is Saugatuck Summer. Just like you, I was expecting a sort of coming of age story featuring one of those fabulous characters who burbles on in an almost stream of consciouness, missing an editor gate sort of inner monologue. You know light, kind of frothy, with hints of angst here and there. That is not, as I said, Saugatuck Summer. What I got was darker, deeper, and totally involving featuring a mess of a main character who is not instantly likable. All of which is much, much better than anything I had originally anticipated.

Instead of light romance, Gormley gives us Christopher “Topher” Carlisle, a chronic depressive who is half black, gay, and on the cusp of turning twenty one. A traumatic event sent him into a downward spiral last year in college, turning him into a black hole of depression and making him unable to attend classes or stay in shape to swim. We meet Topher as the summer starts. His bestfriend, Mo, has invited Topher to stay with her and her family at the summer vacation home on Lake Michigan free of charge. There Topher can swim himself back into shape and get a part-time job to help pay college expenses in the fall. Sounds great, right? And it would be for anyone but Topher who is also self destructive and possesses of poor self image. He is, as they say, his own worst enemy and proves it over and over again to himself to be certain.

Gormley establishes that the reasons why Topher acts the way he does are grounded in his abusive past which continues to haunt him as he cannot bring himself to cut all ties to his mother and his family. The author doesn’t dump all the horror that is Topher’s family on the reader at once which is probably a good thing because the ghastly mess that is Topher’s family and upbringing is made more effective when it is revealed in segments of painful revelations as Topher relives scenes from his childhood and other memories that refuse to stay buried. Topher himself is aware of his self destructive tendencies. He is the product of years of therapy and doctor ordered medications that help with the depression. But as the cause of most of his pain is only a phone call away, a complete breakdown is a possibility in any given stressful situation. Over and over again, Gormley’s Topher will bring us to tears even as we want to give him a shake in frustration over his actions. We get it and him. It will take a while to accept Topher as he is such a deeply flawed young man but when you do (and you will if you give him a chance), then his journey out of the darkness and into a reality where he just might find happiness is one you will wholly invest yourself in. You will love this young man and every step he takes, forward and back, are ones that you will take together.

Ah, yes, the cheating. I know that for some of you, just the mention of cheating will have you crossing this off your TBR list. And that the man who cheats is not only married but Topher’s best friend’s father might send the rest of you running for the proverbial door. To all of you, please put that issue aside and read this story. Brandon, the father, has his own demons to fight and he also is a flawed, impulsive human being. Brandon knows that this affair will end badly but like Topher, he can’t help himself. Again, Gormley provides a solid and realistic rationale for both men’s actions. You don’t have to like what they are doing, just understand that each man, or almost man in Topher’s case, has so many dark skeletons in their closet that it makes this jump into bed almost a given. Everyone here is so authentically human, painfully so that no matter how awful their actions seems, you still end up empathizing with everyone who gets pulled into this mess. And that includes the two main participants.

Gormley does an outstanding job with all her characters here. Mo, the best friend betrayed by both her father and Topher, is a portrait of loyalty and heartbreak. A married couple, Robin (an art gallery owner) and Geoff, his partner and tattoo artist, who turn out to be the grounded gay couple who helps save Topher by providing a framework of knowledge and friendship that Topher has never had before. And finally Jace, the artist who sees deeply into the troubled Topher and still wants to pursue a relationship. Each and every one is a stunner of a character. And their importance to this story and Topher is beautifully rendered in scenes that will make you laugh and cry and want to be a part of that village that starts to raise Topher up out of the hole made by his upbringing and family.

Is this an easy book to read? No, not really. But it is a wonderful one. It will pull you in, involve you emotionally and mentally. It will tear you up as you watch Topher breaking on the shoals of his illness and family history. And finally it will move you to tears and happiness as Topher finds his way to love and a future. Thankfully, Amelia C. Gormley realizes that there will never be an easy resolution to someone with Topher’s illnesses and past, only better ways to handle them with the right therapy and a balanced doctor proscribed plan of medication. So the ending is marvelously conceived and wonderfully realistic. I loved it as I did Topher and everyone else found within the covers of Saugatuck Summer.

Saugatuck Summer is a book not to be missed. It will be one to be remembered. And Saugatuck Summer will be on my Best of 2014 list at the end of the year.

Cover artist is LC Chase. That cover is beautifully deceptive. You only think it shows a lovely peaceful beach scene but look at the gathering storm clouds and the portent is clear. Just an amazing cover, one of the best of the year.

Of Special Note: Be sure to check out the Saugatuck Summer soundtrack by singer/songwriter Casey Stratton . This soundtrack is the soundtrack for Topher’s life. Stratton’s music and lyrics are found throughout the story, linking events, memories and happenings together in a seamless strand of melody. I found a new musician to love with this story. Visit his website. I think you will find the same.

Book Details:

ebook, 363 pages
Published May 19th 2014 by Riptide Publishing (first published May 17th 2014)
original titleSaugatuck Summer
ISBN139781626491168
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://riptidepublishing.com/
seriesSaugatuck #1

Buy Links: Riptide Publishing Amazon ARe

Review: Hostile Ground by L.A. Witt and Aleksandr Voinov

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Enemy territory is a dangerous place to fall in love.

After three undercover cops died while investigating a Seattle crime lord with international ties, Detective Mahir Hussain was chosen next to infiltrate the drug ring and finish the job they started. His superiors reasoned that Mahir had an advantage the other officers didn’t, the first and foremost being that Mahir is gay and currently lacking a partner. The drug ring operates out of a disreputable nightclub in one of the worst districts in Seattle and its head of security is known to only hire gay men. Mahir is also a Muslim and of Arabic descent which makes Mahir work that much harder to prove himself while taking on jobs that others might flinch at, including this one.

Mahir joins the club’s security team but only after passing his inspection and initiation by Ridley, the drug lord’s right hand man. And as only gay men are allowed to protect the strippers, Ridley knows exactly how to test each man that applies for work there….by testing his sexuality up close and personal. A test that Mahir passes with enthusiasm to his surprise. Ridley is not only cold and intimidating but extremely dangerous and dangerously handsome as well. Mahir finds himself getting in deeper than he expected….deeply involved with the sexy, ruthless Ridley and pulled deeper into a crime organization that is more than it seems from the outside.

Mahir knows that his position is shaky. He must find the answers he needs as well as the evidence to convict the criminals. And Mahir must do so quickly before he is discovered to be a cop and the ties and emotions he feels towards Ridley become too deep to cut. Mahir Hussain is a man on hostile ground. Will he be able to save himself when the danger is to his heart as well?

Undercover cops in danger is a terrific and exciting element for any story and in Hostile Ground, it is only the jumping off point for the action and adventure that Aleksandr Voinov and L.A. Witt have in store for the reader with this marvelous tale of crime, passion, and deception. With Voinov and Witt at the helm, mayhem and hot, dangerous liaisons are sure to follow. And one half of the explosive duo here is a not only a total surprise but my favorite characters in the story. That would be Mahir Hussain.

To have your tale unfold from the viewpoint of an American Muslim of Middle Eastern descent is not only unexpected but adds a dimension of tension and potential for bigotry not found to often in the m/m genre or any genres I can think of outside the role of villain or conspirator. Having Mahir Hussein, as a main character in a m/m story, someone who is both a Muslim and of Arabic descent, who is also the romantic “lead” is both fascinating and compelling. That Mahir faces discrimination and hostility in both his law enforcement profession and from the criminals in his undercover role just points out that bigotry and race hatred has no boundaries. Between the “camel jokes” Mahir makes before anyone else can and his interaction with his strict Muslim brother who refuses to accept Mahir’s sexuality. we are given a broader picture of the consequences of his heritage, sexuality, and religion within society, whether that society is legal or not. Mahir is such a great character, flaws and all, that the reader will fall for this intense and complicated man from the outset.

Mahir’s character is grounded by his family, estranged brother included. The authors have given Mahir a young, gay nephew whose troubles with his father and family mirror those that Mahir went through earlier in his life. Seen through both their eyes, the struggle to remain a part of the tightknit conservative family while staying true to who you are and who you love becomes understandable with its familial pull and emotionally explosive issues to resolve. I loved the nephew too, so young, troubled, and in need of love and support from his uncle.

Ridley, the head of security for the crime boss, is deadly, ruthless, and sexually commanding. Ridley is both a threat and the magnet that is pulling Mahir into a relationship he never expected and a sexual role that is outside his comfort zone, or so Mahir thought. Prior to Ridley, Mahir has always been the person in command in the bedroom and elsewhere but Ridley expects submission and obedience. How Mahir handles that change in roles is both challenging and extremely hot to read about. Witt and Voinov up the suspense and action as the relationship between Mahir and Ridley gets as out of control as the situation they find themselves in.

Things I would have loved to have seen expounded on was Mahir’s role within his family and his nephew Kinza, mainly what happened to Kinza who I adored. Plus a little more transition between the last two chapters and the epilogue. It all happens so quickly at the end (as it would when that action was going down) but a little more explanations after the climax would have fleshed out the resolution as deeply and completely as the rest of the story felt. I know that is asking a lot as the book is already at 362 pages, but a complex plot needs that complexity mirrored at the end and I am just not sure that happens to its full potential.

As with all reviewers, the challenge is to talk about the book but leave out the information that spoils the plot and the ending. That is particularly tough here where the plot has more layers than an English Trifle. You must first navigate your way through all the layers of this story that the authors have constructed, to figure out all the hidden subterfuge, the antagonists and their roles, and exactly what the criminals are hiding, selling and willing to kill for….well, that’s a deep and complex dish. It’s very satisfying but the smallest additional information would reveal the wrong thing at definitely the wrong time.

Do I recommend Hostile Ground? Absolutely. It’s hot, sexy, surprising, and action packed. It’s a love story and a thriller. What’s not to love? Add an undercover Muslim detective, a commanding and dominant sexy criminal, a young, naive gay nephew and more secrets than any one cop can handle, and you have a recipe for an entertaining and hard to put down story. Grab this up and begin your investigation on Hostile Ground today.

Cover art by LC Chase. Chase gives us a dark and sexy cover which totally works for this story and its characters based in Seattle.

Book Details:

Word count: 96,600; Page count: 362
Kindle Edition
Published May 11th 2014 by Riptide Publishing
ASINB00K9YM52I
edition language English

Buy Links: Riptide Publishing Amazon ARe

Review: Spirit by John Inman

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

When Jason Day, video games designer, agrees to watch his precocious four-year-old nephew, Timmy, for four weeks he has no idea how his life will be forever changed by his acceptance. Jason works from home and is a confirmed, but not happy about it, gay bachelor. He is the only immediate family in his his nephew’s life outside of his nephew’s mom as Timmy’s father disappeared several years ago and has never been heard from again. Jason is surprised to find himself bonding with Timmy, loving the 4 year old’s company even as it exhausts him.

Then a young man arrives and announces himself as Timmy’s uncle too but from the other, still missing, side of the family. His appearance starts off a series of startling events, not the least of which is a ghostly presence that is getting increasingly agitated by the hour. Soon Jason finds himself with a burgeoning love interest, a mystery that turns ominous, and a ghost with an alarming sense of humor. Things are getting out of hand and Jason finds himself and Timmy right in the middle of it all. Can the weirdest summer Jason has ever had also turn out to be his best?

I found author John Inman about 5 books of his ago after cuddling up to Loving Hector. Between gales of laughter and more than a few shed tears, I knew that John Inman, with his talent for writing comedic fiction with a heart, would always have a place on my must read author list. After Loving Hector, came Shy, and Hobbled, and Serenading Stanley, and all the rest leading up to Spirit, a whacky, supernatural infused tale of love and what it means to be a family, ancient Chihuawhatits included. And while I can always be certain that each tale of his will include some gut busting scenes of humor and maybe a dog or two, everything else comes as a surprise. That’s what I found with Sprit. Surprise after surprise to my total delight and absolute amusement.

How else can you explain a supernatural love story murder mystery? Because that is exactly what Spirit is, a conglomeration of elements and genres that swirl around a thirty something video game designer, Jason, and his energetic, intelligent 4 year-old nephew, Timmy. It is clear that when Jason’s sister drops off Timmy before heading off on vacation that Jason has only spent short amounts of time with his nephew and has no idea what is in store for him during this extended stay. Why you ask? Because so much of what happens with Timmy here is accurate (ok, supernatural stuff not withstanding). YOu can child proof your house all you want but there will always be something that is missed or not thought of. That haircutting business that Inman throws in? Perfection and spot on. Sometime I will recount my college days in Ohio and a certain preschool playground when scissors reigned supreme and 3 to 5 year olds ran amuck inside those concrete cylinders that were ubiquitous at the time. Thank you, John Inman, for bringing those memories so vividly back home. I had to put my Kindle down because my sides hurt from laughing so much at Timmy and his haircut.

Some readers will look at Timmy with askance. I can hear them asking “Is that really how a 4 year old will act and speak?”

Let me say, with years of experience behind me as a parent and park naturalist, ” why yes, indeedy, they do”. Some toddlers and older kids come out just preternaturally smart and smart mouthed. They can say the most amazing things and have the most acute and unexpected take on situations that astound those that care to listen to them. Not all, surely, but a larger amount of children than you would expect. So when I came across Timmy, I felt as though here was a child I already knew. And watching the relationship between Jason and Timmy unfold was truly a thing of joy. From the funny conversations to the walks they had with Thumper who is, in John Inman’s words ” … a mix of Chihuahua, dachshund, miniature poodle, and quite possibly a three-toed sloth” and also 20 years old, this uncle/nephew bonding time felt real and loving. The love that Jason feels for Timmy grows so strong and heart deep that it becomes ours as well.

That’s the just one of the familial love elements here. Then Inman introduces us to Sam, Timmy’s uncle from his father’s side. With Sam’s appearance, a whole slew of new elements come into play. First there is the love aspect for Jason and Same, who is just as happily gay as Jason is. Their attraction is immediate but there is no instant love to be found here, thankfully. Just a naturally occurring affection that turns into something deeper as time passes and the astounding events unfold. Sam is as realistic a character as the rest of the people to be found within this story. His cautious acceptance of Jason and his pain over the mystery of his brother’s disappearance are easy to empathize with and believe in. So we have love, love, and more love. Terrific and endearing on every level. Did I mention a dog’s love for a boy too? That’s here as well.

Then Timmy starts to see a ghost and everything turns into a supernatural mystery that starts pointing towards an dark happening in the not to distant past. I loved Inman’s ghost, a supernatural entity at turns humorous and chilling. And you never know which side of the ghost will arrive at any given situation. That’s another marvelous aspect of this story too. The ghost does what all ghosts should, scare you, entertain you, and provide a certain amount of pathos one would expect from someone who…..oh never mind, Find out that one for yourself.

So yes, a mystery, a ghostly tale, a couple of love stories, both familial and romantic, Spirit is all that and more. I loved it. Did I see the ending coming? Kind of but that in no way lessened my enjoyment of this story. I don’t think it will yours either. If you are unfamiliar with John Inman, this is a wonderful place to get acquainted. Pick up Spirit and then work your way through his back list. If you are already a fan of this author, then this is another story that you are sure to love. Either way grab it up now and start reading! I consider Spirit to be one of ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords Highly Recommended Novels of 2014.

Here is an excerpt from the beginning chapter of Spirit:

I HAD toddler-proofed the house as best I could. The basement door was securely latched so the kid couldn’t tumble headfirst down the flight of stairs leading into the bowels of the house, snapping a myriad of youthful bones along the way. Electrical wires were safely coiled and taped up and tucked under furniture in case Timmy got the inexplicable urge to chew on them. Electrical outlets were covered. All breakable knick-knacks were raised out of reach and all dangerous objects securely stashed away— switchblades, rolls of barbed wire, plastic explosives, bobby pins. (Just kidding about the bobby pins. I’m not that nelly.)

✍My dog, Thumper, who was a mix of Chihuahua, dachshund, miniature poodle, and quite possibly a three-toed sloth, was no threat to Timmy at all. The poor thing was almost twenty years old and hardly had any teeth left. I hadn’t heard her bark in three years. She only moved off the sofa to eat and go potty, and once her business was done, she stood in front of the sofa looking up like the Queen Mother waiting for the carriage door to be opened until I scooped her off the floor and redeposited her among the cushions. Poor thing. (I mean me.) She lay there all day long watching TV: Channel 9, the Mexican channel. Don’t ask me why, but that was the only channel she would tolerate. Couldn’t live without it, in fact. The one benefit to this annoying habit of hers was that, while I didn’t understand my dog at all, I was pretty sure I was beginning to comprehend Spanish.

✍Timmy was at that happy stage of child rearing where he could pull down his own pants and climb onto the commode without any help from squeamish gay uncles. He had brought an entourage of toys with him that would have kept an orphanage entertained. The first thing I did after finding a trail of little black skid marks on my new oak flooring was to confiscate his tricycle, allocating the thing to outdoor use only, which Timmy accepted with stoic resignation, although I did hear him mumble something about chicken poop and peckerheads. I’m not sure if his watered-down-obscenity-strewn mumbling was related to the tricycle announcement but fear it was. While the kid might have gotten my brat gene, there was also little doubt he had inherited my sister’s sarcastic- foulmouthed-snarky gene. God help his teachers when he started school.

Cover art by Reese Dante. Love this cover. Spooky and pertinent in every way. Great job.

Buy Links: Dreamspinner Press Amazon ARe

Book Details:

ebook, 214 pages
Published March 17th 2014 by Dreamspinner Press (first published March 16th 2014)
ISBN 1627986812 (ISBN13: 9781627986816)
urlhttp://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

Review: No Ocean Too Deep (A Loose Screw) by Leona Carver

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Where Amirzade Sharouk, son of the Amirate of Ujmah, his cousin Dastyaf Begzada is sure to follow. When Sharouk decides that the only way to save his country and his people is to rebel against the Republic, Dastyaf is there to support his efforts and keep him safe. Their plan? Destroy the Republic’s fleet by allying themselves with the legendary sea folk, masters of the leviathans, immense living weapons born of the sea and magic. But during the initial battle, something goes terribly wrong and Sharouk goes overboard, taken by one of the leviathans. Now Dastyaf, warrior and tactician, must rely on one of the sea people to help him get back his cousin, the man he loves and can never have.

Nils is a sea mage, one who controls the leviathans of the deep and knows their secret. When one of his leviathans goes rogue during battle, Nils is at a loss to understand why. Furthermore, that action will cost his people their pact with the King of the land people whose prince has been taken by the rogue leviathan. Now Nils must join forces with a man from the land, Dastyaf, whose disapproval, desperation and need for control, is putting them at odds from the very start of the mission.

Both men will need to work together to save not only Sharouk but their kingdoms as well. To do so, Dastyaf must agree to transform into one of the sea folk in order to follow Nils through the ocean depths. For Dastyaf, it means not only the loss of his legs but of control over the situation and his body. He will be helpless in another’s environment, an unfamiliar feeling he despises. And by saving Sharouk, he will lose him forever to another.

For Nils, it means giving up his perceptions and assumptions, not only of the land people but of the very leviathans he is close to. The journey to save Sharouk, is full of dangers to all involved and time is running out for everyone before all is lost. Sharouk’s life, Dastyaf’s humanity, and for Nil’s? A love he never expected to feel for a man who loves another….

I love it when I find a book that unexpectedly opens the door into a mesmerizing universe. No Ocean Too Deep is just such a story. It is full of incredible creatures, dynamic characters and a plot as deep as the ocean in which all the events take place. Leona Carver is a new author for me but with this one story she turns into one of my must read authors on the strength of this story alone.

In No Ocean Too Deep, Leona Carver puts her own spin on mermen and the men who fall in love with them. Carver’s plot is guaranteed to pull the reader down into her universe from the first page. She sets up a situation in which two widely disparate kingdoms become allies to defeat a common enemy. One kingdom is human and lives in the desert Amirate of Ujmah, an environment that can be as hostile as it is beautiful. The other? Sea folk, mermen, almost mythical in their own right in their watery kingdom also full of its own dangers and delights. The two protagonists have more in common then they are aware, especially as neither has any experience with the other’s world. For Dastyaf, he usually has to deal with an ocean of sand, fraught with extreme heat, a dearth of water and constantly shifting sands. His is a world of light and dark where their caravans are guided by the stars above. Nils is a sea witch merman who lives in an ocean world of shifting current, little light, and a breadth and variety of creatures, small to gargantuan, with varying degrees of risk associated with them. Guided by his senses and shifting currents, darkness is of little concern, especially with his magic to assist him. Each character is fully formed and feels so believable no matter what world they belong to.

Carver throws her characters into a plot born of desperation. The kingdoms of a desert people and the sea folk make a pact to take down the Republic, a threat to both with its empire. The Sea folk will use their leviathans, enormous sea creatures of magic and myth, as weapons against the Republic’s fleet. The desert kingdom’s prince, Amirzade (Prince) Sharouk and his warrior/tactician cousin, Dastyaf Begzada, will be aboard one of the enemies vessels under false pretenses. This will help them direct their armies against the fleet when the battle starts. It’s a desperate and dangerous move made from necessity. Carver does such a splendid job bringing us directly into this precarious situation, a last ditch endeavor for Sharouk to break his people away from the control of the Republic with help from the sea folk. Waiting back home for Sharouk is his royal family and fiance. By his side, as always since childhood, stands his cousin, Dastyaf, a great warrior and best friend. As the ships pitch wildly in the ocean waves, tentacles start to appear over the side of the vessels,the battle is engaged and the reader is thrown immediately into the fray. Carver’s descriptions are dramatic and stirring, making the scenes scream with the emotions of the men on board.

But that is nothing compared to what happens when the location switches to the ocean depths and the sea folk themselves. Here the mermen and their watery environment comes vibrantly alive from its many denizens to the myriad ocean landscapes Nils and Dastyaf journey through. Vast living carpets of coral, phosphorescent invertebrates, forests of kelp, and dinners that consist of living organisms instead of cooked meat. Had I been able to stand within the story itself, my head would have been on a constant swivle as it turned here and there to observe all the amazing sights and creatures that Carver has in store for us and Dastyaf. An ever moving banquet for the senses made all the more palpable as Dastyaf experiences it for the first time in his new temporary merman body.

Nils and Dastyaf’s journey is full of wonder and fears as Dastyaf’s tries to reconcile his human experience with his new merman one. His frustration and fear as the light fades into almost constant darkness is tangible, and his emotions become ours. I could go on and on about the sea witches, the canyons, and the leviathans themselves…but the discovery of wonders and suspense of this desperate mission is part of the joy and revelations found in No Ocean Too Deep and I don’t want to spoil them for you. But I found myself going backwards to reread a description or scene to relive that moment over because it thrummed the wildness and surprise of life lived under water.

As I said the characters are as wondrous and layered as their environment. Dastyaf with his doomed love and desperate mission, Nils with his questions and assumptions, both men grow as individuals and together as their journey unfolds. I grew to love both men and couldn’t figure out how Carver was going to bring this journey to fruition in a satisfactory manner. She did but it tool me a while to realize that.

The ending is the slight bump in the road, the loose net in the ocean. It had me a little puzzled, so much so that I needed clarification from the author as to what happened to Nils. Turns out, I needn’t have worried but it was cloudy enough that others might feel the same way. Had there been a tad more clarity at the end this would have been a 5 star review. As it is, it comes darn close. Without revealing too much, it turns out that both Nils and Sharouk’s fiance have much the same role to play at the end, and no, its not the one you think it is. Luckily for us, there will be a sequel coming. That was the best news yet.

Not familiar with Leona Carver? Haven’t read No Ocean Too Deep? Remedy both and grab this terrific tale up and start reading. Be prepared to fall in love with these characters, their mission and the ocean deep. It will be an amazing journey you won’t want to see end.

Cover by Tanya Rehulak. I love this cover, so different and lovely.

Buy Links: Less Than Three Press Amazon ARe

Book Details:

ebook, 174 pages
Published April 9th 2014 by Less Than Three Press LLC
original titleNo Ocean too Deep
ISBN139781620043448
edition languageEnglish
urlhttps://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-nooceantoodeep-1466468-153.html
seriesA Loose Screw

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