In His Sights by Rie Warren

These sworn enemies have everything to lose and each other to live for.

At the outset of the Revolution against the oppressive Company regime, Hawke is a freedom fighter on a mission. Infiltrate Alpha Territory, kick some Corps ass, and stay alive. His plans unravel when he’s captured by the enemy on his first sortie. Waiting for death by the soldier sworn to kill him, all his training couldn’t have prepared him for what happens next.

A corporal in the Company’s military branch, Mayce is a hard-liner intent on ridding his city of the insurgent threat. Yet one look at the gorgeous Freelander named Hawke and years of yearning and unrealized desires change his course permanently. If discovered, he’ll be branded a traitor and a homosexual—and sentenced to death.

Mayce and Hawke act on their intense and immediate attraction. But amid the escalating war their dangerous trysts come at the risk of their own lives.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This novella is a taste of a larger universe, though it stands alone. If you have a taste for military, dystopian literature, with sex, this should satisfy. There’s sex. Lots and lots of sex, and in the interstices of the sex scenes, there’s some pulse pounding military action in a dystopian future. The novel length works in this universe would probably be a better place to really see the world-building, because in this novella, there’s mostly sex.

Did I mention there’s sex? There is. Going from hot, “we’re enemies but we need to fuck” sex, to “I love you and can’t keep my hands off you” sex, and almost every permutation in between. Mayce and Hawke are equals in their alpha maleness and versatile in what they’ll do together. Their initial encounter is “kill him or tap him?” and goes on from there. It’s hot, even if it’s abrupt and requires some suspension of disbelief, so I turned my porn brain on and the problem disappeared. It’s a meeting of equals, and the affection that grows is a function of desperation: they’re fighting a really stupid war and they both know it.

A number of elements would logically follow from the premise of the world situation, but they are either contradicted or ignored. There is a plot and some tension in there, which I liked a lot, worked out in a way that is consistent with world situation. The resolution to the love interest felt kind of tacked on, like something thrown in to satisfy other sensibilities, but it, like the logic behind the military aspects, is pretty much lost in the sex. 

If you’re reading for the sex, it’s great, and if you’re reading for the science fiction/military aspects, it has good action with some odd world-building, so best to think of this as SF-flavored erotic romance. Overall it’s entertaining and written in a fluid style. 3.5 marbles

Coming up this week

Thanks  for hanging out here in the Bookshelf. This week we had some good stuff come by. I reviewed Relativistic Phenomena by Kate Pavelle, spotlighted Two Thousand Pounds per Square Inch from Brent Hartinger as part of the The Real Story Safe Sex Project, promoting safe and responsible sex by entertaining.

We also had an excerpt from Rie Warren's In His Sights, to go with our hot Thousand Word Thursday prompt pic. I had to run out and read that novella!

In fact, In His Sights is one of my reviews coming this week, as is the fabulous anthology Butt Ninjas From Hell, and if that title doesn't make you smile, check your pulse, cuz you're dead. The stories are unique, funny, and all over the map in theme, except a lot of them are LOL funny and as for those ninjas? You'll never hear them coming.

We'll also have another nommy prompt pic for Thousand Word Thursday, so inspiration may strike. Or drool may strike. Or both.

In a late breaking event, we'll also have a Thousand Word Thursday story from Jean Nygard, who got to pondering a pair of male lions I posted about a year ago. Look for big cats on Friday.

Keep reading!

A Story from The Real Story Safe Sex Project by Brent Hartinger

The Real Story Safe Sex Project, spearheaded by Brent Hartinger, is gathering up stories and blog posts promoting condom use. Many talented authors have contributed stories to this worthy project. We'll look at two stories a week until I have them all, but there may be new ones along any minute!

Every author has a different take on this message, and everyone has something valuable to add. Please read and forward the stories to anyone and everyone you know who needs to protect themselves, male and female alike. Thank you, authors, for making these stories free to all. Because that old ounce of prevention is really worth a pound of cure, or a ton of battle.

Our spotlighted story this week:

Warning: this story includes both explicit language about sex and graphic depictions of sex itself.

Russel Middlebrook is a gay teen who’s been through a lot. He’s the lead character in Brent Hartinger’s Lambda Award-winning Russel Middlebrook Series. And he’s also the star of Geography Club, the book that started it all and that has now been adapted as a feature film co-starring Scott Bakula and Ana Gasteyer.

But now Russel is facing his biggest challenge yet: getting tested to find out if he has HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Along the way, he recalls some of his own most important sexual experiences.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Links to all major etailers here.

Read. Be happy. Be safe.

A Thousand Word Thursday Excerpt from Rie Warren

An excerpt from In His Sights to go with Thursday's picture

************* 

For a moment while we held each other, muscles still straining, hands still wandering, it felt intimate. That scared me more than anything this man could do to me with a gun. My body didn’t seem to give a fuck though. I was aroused again, or still, desperate for more.

Pulling his head back, Mayce gave me an arrogant all-over look. “You’re a hot fucking piece of tail.”

He planted another wild wet kiss on my lips, twisting fingers into my dreadlocked hair, holding me by my scalp. My hands chased down his chest to the warm wet spot on his camos.

Surrounded by our scent it was hard to focus, but I squeezed his testicles none too gently and said, “You’ll do, for a soldier.”

His laugh was breathless. His hands trailed down my body one last time before he separated from me. The air felt cool on my chest. I wondered if this was when he would kill me, or if he’d take me in for questioning. I could probably make a run for it. I should’ve thought of that while he was all sweet and horny and fucking against me.

His eyes shaded when his Data-Pak went off with a blaring sound, announcing a transmission. Tugging the handheld CO-communications device from his pocket, he cocked a finger at me. “Stay.”

Just to make sure, he leaned over to grab his gun, keeping it casually in his hand.

“Commander Cannon,” he spoke into the D-P. “No, sir.” Squinting at me, Mayce thrust my shirt into my hands.

So I’m to be detained and killed at a later date.

He holstered his weapon, rearranging his pants. I smirked when he swiped at the wet spot on the crotch. Listening to the D-P, he answered in a crisp voice, “Yes, sir. ASAP, I got it.”

The D-P pocketed, Mayce kept his gaze on me as he dressed with concise motions. The alarming sounds of the Revolution outside were drawing closer. Shots sounded, not too far from our little hole in the wall.

Mayce pondered me as he scratched across the smooth sexy skull-cut. He found my gun, my ammo, my blades, handing them to me one by one.

Finally he exhaled. “You better stay alive, Nomad.”

I nearly dropped my gear. “What?”

“You heard me.” His back stiffened before he took up a casual at-ease stance. “This isn’t advisable in any way what-so-fucking-ever, but I want to see you again. Same time, two days from now, here. If not here—if the place has been overrun or locked down—I’ll . . .” He tapped his boot on the floor and frowned. “I’ll locate you.”

Hell no, it wasn’t advisable. It was goddamn foolhardy, and I’d be a straight-up idiot to even consider a second run-in with Mayce, my enemy, just because he granted me mercy, then made me come so frigging hard I almost passed out.

“Is this a stay of execution?”

“Actually it was my first try at seduction.” He shot me a lopsided smile. “How’d I do?”

Shit. I tried not to grin. “Maybe don’t a shove a gun in my face next time?”

I turned to leave—knowing turning my back on this soldier was an asinine move—and he clasped my wrist. His breath traced along my neck. “You’ll come then? Next time?”

This was stupid. A death sentence. I couldn’t stop myself from responding. “I came the first time, didn’t I?”

His low chuckle followed me into the night.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Can two enemies overcome the battles within and the war without to find love? Or will the Revolution destroy their chance at happiness?

At the outset of the revolution against the oppressive Company regime, Hawke is a freedom fighter on a mission. Infiltrate Alpha Territory, kick some Corps ass, and stay alive. His plans unravel when he’s captured by the enemy on his first sortie. Prepared for death by the soldier sworn to kill him, all his training couldn’t have prepared him for what happens next.

A corporal in the Company’s military branch, Mayce is a hard-liner intent on ridding his city of the insurgent threat. Yet one look at the gorgeous Freelander named Hawke and years of yearning and unrealized desires change his course permanently. If discovered, he’ll be branded a traitor and a homosexual—and sentenced to death.

Mayce and Hawke act on their intense and immediate attraction. But amid the escalating revolution their dangerous trysts come at the risk of their own lives, as Hawke soon finds out.

LINKS:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21534286-in-his-sights

http://www.riewarren.com/books/in-his-sights/

Rie Warren

Erotic Romance…Heat, heart, and a hint of the dark

Author of Sugar Daddy, the Don’t Tell series, and Carolina Bad Boys

www.riewarren.com

A Picture is Worth...

Mmmm..... Rie Warren sent this picture in. Scuse me while I stare a while. Stay tuned for a hot little section from her new book, In His Sights, to go with that stubbly kiss.

Intrigued and want to play? See How Thousand Word Thursday Works for details.

Relativistic Phenomena by Kate Pavelle

Title: Relativistic Phenomena
Author: Kate Pavelle
Purchase at Amazon
Purchase at All Romance eBooks

Genre: contemporary
Length: 18500 words
Formats: epub, mobi, pdf, print (hey, nice!)

Grounded by a hurricane, Tony passes time playing chess and flirting with “Ken,” a pierced punk kid. Restless, he needs to make the quantum physics symposium in New York, where making an impression on the reclusive Dr. Ikeda could mean a post-doc research position. What are the odds?

Nineteen-year old Dr. Kenichi Ikeda, alone out of Japan for the first time, gets hustled in a game of chess by the ingenious and handsome Tony. Coincidence and fate brings them together – but the reclusive prodigy is torn: should he hire Tony because of their undeniable mutual attraction, or despite it?


Review:

It’s always fun when the reader knows something the character doesn’t. Then the joy of the story is the attempt to steer the character—no, don’t go into the cellar while spooky music’s playing! Or – no! that's really not what it appears! And of course, the character does what he’s been put on the page to do, leaving the reader laughing, exclaiming, sometimes facepalming, but very involved in the story.


Kate Pavelle let Tony loose with all his preconceived notions, and let him walk into a metaphorical door or two. Fortunately his “injuries” are mild enough to recover from, but he’ll be a better scientist from here on, always checking his assumptions. He was a sweet guy, kind to a young man he perceived as a flighty nuisance, even if he was sexy and played some mean chess. Kenichi holds more cards, and isn’t exactly sure how to play his hand. The interplay between the two of them and the various mistakes Tony made was delightful to read. Including high-level science and its practical implications was a nice touch.

Kenichi as prodigy is a bit hard to swallow, but he's so adorable that I just set aside all the Doogie Houser thoughts and watched him go in social matters where he had no expertise.  

Where I hung up on this story—anything that inspires me to stop reading and start counting is a big bounce out. Tony’s insistence on thinking of Kenichi as a punk kid became both a repetitive issue and a character issue—if that’s the only way he thinks of Kenichi, it’s dull for the reader and makes Tony seem like a complete and total unredeemable jerk. Which he’s really not, but that’s the effect of finding “punk” in a novelette 30 times and yes I counted. By the third use I was tapping my fingers and by the 7th I was done with Tony—he’s not that much older than Kenichi and how the hell did he get off being so judgmental? Then I counted, redirected my wrath at the author for some lazy writing, and finished the story, which I almost didn’t do.

I’m glad I did, because even with the total stretch of “no CV for a noted scientist” to explain part of the mixup, it was a well written (with the exception of the one issue) and delightful read of mistaken identities and future happiness. Even with a 1 marble problem that didn’t need to be there, the story is still a 3.

Coming this week

Thanks for following along, guys. Last week we had  a book I loved, the Unwanted by Jeffrey Ricker, a nommy pic with a story behind it that someone ought to write on Thousand Word Thursday, and spotlights on two of The Real Story Safe Sex Project stories, Guiseppe and Me from Robin Reardon and A Matter of Trust from Jeff Erno.

The Safe Sex Project stories are free. The authors planned that and have given their words as a gift to readers.

HOWEVER. Only stories that are designated to be free are free. All you thieves who showed up hoping I had pirated copies of other stories should be ashamed of yourselves. You aren't welcome around here. I will never help you steal. And I know you showed up, what you were looking for,  and what your IP addresses are. How about I show up at your place and take a handful of whatever you're selling to make a living and walk off with it? It's just a handful, and it wants to be free anyhow.... Spare me your excuses. And honor the social contract of the author entertains you, you pay the author.

With that off my chest, I am happy to announce that this coming week will sport a review on Relativistic Phenomena by Kate Pavelle, a spotlight on Two Thousand Pounds Per Square Inch from Brent Hartinger, and a perfectly luscious picture for Thursday, supplied by Rie Warren. There's an excerpt from her new book, In His Sights, that goes with that, so we'll get an extra treat post on Friday. Guess what's moved to the top of my TBR pile!

Stories from The Real Story Safe Sex Project from Jeff Erno and Robin Reardon

The Real Story Safe Sex Project, spearheaded by Brent Hartinger, is gathering up stories and blog posts promoting condom use. Many talented authors have contributed stories to this worthy project. We'll look at two stories a week until I have them all, but there may be new ones along any minute!

Every author has a different take on this message, and everyone has something valuable to add. Please read and forward the stories to anyone and everyone you know who needs to protect themselves, male and female alike. Thank you, authors, for making these stories free to all. Because that old ounce of prevention is really worth a pound of cure, or a ton of battle.

********

 "My life is worth more than a few minutes of anyone's pleasure."

Alessandro Lupo (Alex) is a sixteen-year-old gay foster child who has been moved from "home" to "home" in New York City. Isolated by circumstances and by the protective shield he's surrounded himself with, he wanders the streets of the West Village and gravitates toward Stonewall Inn, where the 1969 riots planted the seeds of the gay civil rights movement. Having been raped at his previous foster home, he worries about HIV and about ever being able to enjoy sex.

Alex, whose parents had both been Italian, feels his lack of  family keenly. As he wanders the city streets, he scrutinizes people who might also be Italian. Alex is short for Alessandro,
which means defender of men; Lupo means wolf. But Alex feels fearful most of the time--fear not just of Derek, the other foster teen in his current home, but also of life in general--and wishes for the courage of his 19th century countryman, Giuseppe Garibaldi, with whose statue in Washington Square Park Alex has imaginary conversations.

Then Alex meets two people who represent polar opposites: one who validates the low opinion Alex already has of himself; and another who helps him see himself in an entirely new light and teaches him that his life is worth more than a few minutes of anyone's pleasure. 
~~
Robin Reardon gives us a lovely glimpse inside Alex's head, showing his growth not only in his sexual maturity but his value of himself. Find at Amazon.

 Travis McDonald is fifteen and has never been in love (other than a wicked crush he harbored on his eighth grade sex ed teacher, Mr. Myers). When Jeremy Loper asks him to hang out, Travis's heart is all a flutter. He and Jeremy really hit it off and soon become boyfriends, but when they decide it's time to take their relationship to the next level on Jeremy's sixteenth birthday, Travis is faced with a harsh reality. Can he support his boyfriend at a time he needs him most, or is the situation just way too scary for Travis to deal with?
~~~~~~~~
 This story takes a look at a partner's decisions and how they impact a lover. Peer pressure at both it's worst and best.

Find at Amazon


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Find these and all the stories in the Safe Sex Project here. Enjoy, be happy, be safe.

A picture is worth...

Oh the dangers of flying near the sun. Tell us more in 100 to 1000 words (drabbles are fine, really) and send your news along too. See How Thousand Word Thursday Works for details.

The Unwanted by Jeffrey Ricker

Title:   The Unwanted

Author:  Jeffrey Ricker

Purchase at Bold Strokes Books

Purchase at Amazon

Cover Artist: Sheri

Genre:  YA, mythology

Length:  264 pages

Formats:  epub, mobi, pdf, print

Jamie Thomas has enough trouble on his hands trying to get through junior year of high school without being pulverized by Billy Stratton, his bully and tormentor. But the mother he was always told was dead is actually alive—and she's an Amazon! Sixteen years after she left him on his father's doorstep, she's back—and needs Jamie's help. A curse has caused the ancient tribe of warrior women to give birth to nothing but boys, dooming them to extinction—until prophecy reveals that salvation lies with one of the offspring they abandoned. Putting his life on the line, Jamie must find the courage to confront the wrath of an angry god to save a society that rejected him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I stayed up way too late into the night to finish this book. I like YA for the need to stay on plot and out of the bedroom, and this story delivered. Jamie is given a hero’s quest with a great ensemble cast to back him up, with the hint of romance.

We meet our first person POV character after he’s just gotten punched in the nose by the guy who’s made his life difficult for years. There’s a reason for that, but it serves as a great introduction to Jamie, Billy, and best friend Sarah. The introduction of a mutual foe and a mutual secret get Billy and Jamie to stop pummeling one another long enough to work on the bigger problem, and to pave the way for a gentler interaction. The transformation takes most of the book, and isn’t rushed or forced.

Finding out a “dead” parent is not only alive, but effectively immortal, with some amazing skills and some spectacular flaws, totally reorganizes Jamie’s world view. He’s been yearning to get out of his home town, and now he’s going farther into stranger realms than he ever imagined.

Greek mythology weaves into modern day: Amazons set their perimeters with video surveillance and defend it with swords and bows. Gods and goddesses leave Olympus to meddle, bringing signs and portents into a shopping mall.  Some of our worst fears about high school principals and spooky school basements are confirmed. The Oracle speaks truth, but it doesn’t always make sense because she’s stoned out of her mind and always has the munchies. The author does us the very great favor of not trying to reconcile the Greek pantheon with the current dominant religion. [Love you for that, Mr. Ricker.]

The parents in this story are unusually strongly written: while they are divided on the goals and how to achieve them, no one is a cardboard cutout, nor are their reactions kneejerk, even when crashing into the kinds of problems on which marriages founder. Everyone has some kind of journey to make, even if it’s in the far background. This was particularly well done and took nothing away from the main story, but added depth.

Another incredible strength of this book is that gender wars are inherent in the idea of Amazons, who leave the men behind, until they need the men to save them. Except—it’s not played out like that, nor in any Us vs Them way. It’s very much “We are stronger together, and one person needs to be the spearhead.”  So much of m/m vilifies women or ignores them, but the handling here empowers everyone. It’s organic, never preachy, and the message slides right by as “the way things ought to be” but so seldom are.

The idea of Billy has been done, but Billy as a character is much stronger than that: he's an integral part of the action, which is front and center, and anything personal between Jamie and Billy they only examine when there's the leisure to do it.

The ending—perfect, and figure on a large handful of tissues. Older readers will probably cry for more reasons than the intended YA readers, but it’s wonderful and cathartic for everyone. Athena warns that the victory will exact a price, but the coin is not so obvious. I’m sniffling all over again right now.

This story deserves a place on the shelf next to all those books about teens fighting a dystopian world. The Unwanted is a lot more hopeful. 5 marbles

Coming this week

It was a great week, and upcoming looks good.  Eden Winters told us all about Strain by Amelia C. Gormley in a guest review, I talked about Someone Killed Shaney by J.C. Wallace.

Of course, every week brings a prompt pic, suitable for drooling or stories. We'll have another on Thousand Word Thursday.

For review this week, The Unwanted by Jeffrey Ricker, and spotlights on A Matter of Trust by Jeff Erno and Guiseppe and Me by Robin Reardon, which are part of the The Real Story Safe Sex Project.

Keep reading!

Curiosity Killed Shaney by J.C. Wallace

Title: Curiosity Killed Shaney
Author: J.C. Wallace
Purchase at Rooster and Pig Publishing
Purchase at All Romance eBooks
Cover Artist: Lex Valentine
Genre: paranormal, horror
Length: 74k
Formats: epub, mobi, pdf, print


Shaney's curiosity is always getting him into trouble, including stumbling into a ritualistic circle and being imbued with an energy that will eventually tear him apart. He soon finds that Hudson, a man he cares for deeply, might be responsible for his misfortune. Add in the betrayal of his best friend Todd and the desire of a demented occultist named Silas determined to control the energy inside of him and there seems to be no way out. Can Shaney find a way to rid his body of the nefarious energy before he dies a horrible death?


Review:

This was a wild, crazy ride of a story. The title character, Shaney, is a walking disaster zone. Inanimate objects suicide in his presence, humans find their minds leaking out through their ears, and reality bends in odd directions, leaving bystanders agog. Shaney’s a very strange, sweet, manic trouble magnet, whose good heart doesn’t keep peculiar things from happening.


So if anyone’s going to get zapped by occult energy, it’s him. Ditto barfing on the hottest guy in town. Hudson has his own reasons for keeping such a lunatic around. Shaney being Shaney, all these things are related.

There’s a good reason for all of the above, which is the devil’s own tangle to unravel. The poor guy doesn’t know who to trust, when everyone claims to know what’s best for him and they can’t all be right.

This is an often fun, sometimes gag-worthy romp through the supernatural, where Shaney’s at the center of plots and spells. Everyone wants something from him, all in such dizzying succession that the reader’s head spins as much as Shaney’s. Lost in this maelstrom is all the relationship development between Shaney and Hudson, who go directly from let’s fix this pipe to love you baby. I flinch when grown men call each other baby. Shaney’s name at least keeps him from presenting as wholly adult. This isn’t a good thing when combined with sex.

The book seems to be two different stories cobbled together. The beginning is romantic comedy: how can I attract this wonderful guy (or avoid repelling him before lunch), which morphs into supernatural danger and how to resolve it. The pace becomes so frantic that it obscures whether or not the supernatural aspects make sense, or whether antagonists Caleb and Silas intend anything fundamentally different. The Sacred Geometry is an interesting take on the workings of power, but the total insufferability of two of the major occult players plus various hangers on diluted the effect, and no one person actually looked like “the good guy,” aside from Shaney. This is excellent in plain horror, but goes against the lighthearted initial tone and actively works against the love story. Everything did eventually twine together, though sometimes in ways that left me squinting. The end came together well. I didn’t think humorous paranormal horror was a thing, but here it is.

Readers who like or accept instalove will enjoy this story, believing Hudson’s devotion. I had some issues with his backstory and methods, though not with his character. Shaney’s amusing, which makes it tough to watch what he goes through, which is entirely serious and intermittently gory. They’re good together, so maybe now that the active zapping is over and love has been pledged, they can get to know one another. 3.5 marbles

A picture is worth...

Can't have some back seat action without a back seat, can you? or can you? Tell us about it in 100 to 1000 words (drabbles are fine, really) and send your news along too. See How Thousand Word Thursday Works for details.

The rest of us will admire that T-top, oh yes we will.

Strain by Amelia Gormley

Title: Strain
Author: Amelia C. Gormley
Cover artist: Kanaxa
Buy at Riptide
Buy at All Romance eBooks
genre: dystopian, science fiction
length: 320 pages, 104 k
formats: mobi, epub, pdf, print

Rhys Cooper is a dead man. Cut off from the world since childhood, he’s finally exposed to the lethal virus that wiped out most of the human race. Now his only hope for survival is infection by another strain that might provide immunity. But it’s sexually transmitted, and the degradation he feels at submitting to the entire squad of soldiers that rescued him eclipses any potential for pleasure—except with Darius, the squadron’s respected, capable leader.

Sergeant Darius Murrell has seen too much death and too little humanity. He’s spent a decade putting plague victims out of their misery and escorting survivors to a safe haven he can never enjoy. He’d rather help Rhys live than put him down, so when Rhys can’t reconcile himself to doing what’s necessary to survive, Darius is forced to save Rhys in spite of himself.

But with each passing day, it looks less and less likely that Rhys can be saved. And that means that Darius might soon have to put a bullet in the head of the one person in years who reminds him of what it means to be human.

A guest review from Eden Winters

From start to finish, Strain by Amelia C. Gormley was a non-stop, unapologetic journey through darkness and into, if not light, then the pink-around-the-edges promise of dawn.

Kudos to the author for taking a risk on a volatile subject and giving us front-row seats to every possible angle, and some of the best, well-drawn characters I’ve ever encountered in fiction. Although the POV switches between Rhys and Darius, our main couple if you will, this is an ensemble cast made up of characters so real, and dialogue so believable, that you find yourself completely caught up in their struggles.


First off, I realize this book is not for everyone. A protagonist must choose between death or sex with multiple partners. Turned off yet? Go back now. Those still with me? Let’s march forward. Right and wrong are gray areas in a world gone to shit, and the soldiers who patrol what’s left of the United States have little in the way of comfort but each other. Their camaraderie and their devotion to their brother-and-sisters-in-arms are the only things that keep them going. They take what little joy there is to be had, and yes, this manifests as sex in many cases. The thing they have in common? Military background and a virus that offers protection against the two mutated strains that have quite nearly wiped out the civilian population.

Enter a young man who’s been raised under the condescending eye of a megalomaniacal zealot, and taught from an early age to believe himself wicked. After exposure to certain death, he has a choice to make: wait until death claims him, or accept the soldiers’ offer to try to save his life. The lifesaving virus he needs is sexually transmitted.

He’s torn. Yes, he desires men, but is it a sin to let others into his body to preserve his life? That’s the dilemma he faces. But Rhys, for all his naiveté, is as plucky and resilient as they come. But while he may be reluctant to do what’s necessary, he wants to live, and agrees.

The men who help him are equally reluctant, for they prefer willing bedmates. Because he will hopefully become one of them, they see him not as prey, helpless or weak, but as a new member, and much of the actual encounters take place off-stage, except in the case where there’s character growth and plot development to be shared. There is no gratuitousness here. In one scene, at the completion, a soldier kisses Rhys and says, “Welcome, little brother.”

Rhys’ main objection to the encounters is that the men are doing what they must, and not because he means something to them. And guilt ensues for actually wanting one of the men, and only him. I guess now is a good time to mention Rhys’ submissive tendencies. No, don’t roll your eyes at me. I mean that he’s one of those compassionate souls with a genuine desire to make life better for everyone else with no thought for himself, as is demonstrated in the opening scene when he sacrifices himself for others.

To a battle-hardened group of fighters, destined to forever stand on the outside and gaze in at humanity, Rhys is balm for the soul. Their leader, Darius, is perhaps the most hardened, and the most in need of Rhys’ gentleness. But how can he let the man under his skin when any day now, if Rhys shows signs of the wrong infection, Darius will have to cut an already precarious life shorter still?


Now, with that premise, you may think this book revolves around sex. It does not. It revolves around the soldiers, doing what they must to preserve mankind, and delivering a dose of reality as harsh as killing a loved one for the greater good. This is handled with great sensitivity. In the hands of someone else, this story may have fallen short of the brilliance it achieved through Ms. Gormley’s storytelling skills.

Strain is bleak, gritty, and raw, in a harsh world. And yet it represents the author’s craft at its finest: taking untenable situations, world-weary characters, and an unlikely pair of heroes, and taking us along for the twisty, turny ride. And maybe, just maybe, shedding some light at the end of the tunnel. 5 marbles

Coming this week

Since I've been so organized that I've had 3 posts per week every week since I got back, I'm going to take it one step farther and actually announce a schedule. I've been posting consistently on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and now, we'll have a Sunday post. This should keep me on track!

In the week that just wrapped, we had posts for It's All Geek to Me by JL Merrow, a prompt-worthy pic for Thousand Word Thursday, and spotlights on two of The Real Story Safe Sex Practices stories: Just Like You by Zoey Lynne, and Teaching Techniques by RJ Seeley.

For the week to come, we have a guest review from Eden Winters!  Eden read a book I've been eyeing and hesitating on because of the subject matter, but it's from an author I love. So when she got all excited about it, I put her to work, and bought a book!  Expect a review from her on Strain by Amelia C. Gormley, another promptworthy pic, and a review from moi on Curiosity Killed Shaney by JC Wallace.

Keep reading!

Stories from The Real Story Safe Sex Project from Zoe Lynne and RJ Seeley.

The Real Story Safe Sex Project, spearheaded by Brent Hartinger, is gathering up stories and blog posts promoting condom use. Many talented authors have contributed stories to this worthy project. We'll look at two stories a week until I have them all, but there may be new ones along any minute!

Every author has a different take on this message, and everyone has something valuable to add. Please read and forward the stories to anyone and everyone you know who needs to protect themselves, male and female alike. Thank you, authors, for making these stories free to all. Because that old ounce of prevention is really worth a pound of cure, or a ton of battle.


Our two highlighted stories for this week:

Evan is a good guy with high aspirations, a mother who loves him unconditionally and the hottest boyfriend ever. Evan also has a secret he has to come clean about before he goes all the way.

Evan has to tell Blake he has HIV.

Blake is a member of Overton High's elite drumline and loves life, but he still hides his sexuality from everyone outside of his and Evan's little bubble. He's ready to have sex but not ready to be out.

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This author's tackled a side of HIV that we don't see much in mm romance: one young man's lived with HIV all his life. Being part of a couple is tough, and even more challenging with a chronic condition that neither of them can ever forget. Root for these guys!

Find it in epub, mobi, pdf, and lit here.

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Kingsbury High School have been known for their unusual methods, so when Year Eleven teacher Mr. Elliot suggests a same-sex Sex Education class there's not a lot they can do but run the lesson.

Find it in PDF here.

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Author RJ Seeley looks at safe sex from the perspective of responsible adults tackling the uncomfortable task of being the one to drive home the message. Thank goodness someone's stepping up to the pump with real answers.

Read for the message, it will make you smile and teach you something.

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Find these and all the stories in the Safe Sex Project here. Enjoy, be happy, be safe.

A picture is worth...

Tell us in 100 to 1000 words about this underwater wonder (drabbles are fine, really) and send your news along too. See How Thousand Word Thursday Works for details.

The rest of us will admire his fins. 

It's All Geek to Me by JL Merrow

Title: It’s All Geek to Me
Author: JL Merrow
Purchase at Riptide
Purchase at All Romance eBooks
Cover Artist: LC Chase
Genre: contemporary, humor
Length: 57 pages
Formats: epub, mobi, pdf,

Jez is on a mission of mercy: to replace a tragically deceased comic book for his injured best mate, Tel. Venturing into the Hidden Asteroid bookstore in London—the temple of geekdom itself—Jez is bowled over by the guy behind the counter.

Rhys is the poster boy for hot geeks: tall, gorgeous, and totally cool. Jez is desperate to impress him, so he bluffs his way through comic book jargon . . . and then dashes back to the hospital to beg Tel to teach him how to speak Geek.

Tel’s happy to oblige, and Jez is over the moon when Rhys asks him out. He’s even more thrilled when they discover a shared love of rugby, something he won’t have to fake for Rhys. The question is, how long can Jez keep up the deception, and what will happen when Rhys realizes he’s going out with a Fake Geek Guy?

Review:

JL Merrow’s been accused of humor, and I’m happy to give her that particular shaky finger again. She’s plopped us into the head of Jez, whose cheerful blithering is the soundtrack to his pursuit of the hunk he’s found selling comic books. Jez has little or no governor on his mouth; what he thinks is internal dialog comes flying out into the open air, so he’s in dread fear of the truth popping up.


In a maneuver every insecure paddler in the dating pool will recognize, Jez decides that the best way to attract this vision is to be completely enamoured of Rhys’ interests. We get to watch him, flailing away, inserting his foot in his mouth every few minutes, and also being on a collision course with every stationary bit of memorabilia in the vicinity. Jez is loveable in his anxiety, which a bad ex helped kick into high gear.

A sly bit of wordplay got in—Jez really is a geek, in a different sense of the word, being an industrial chemist searching for “noncarcinogenic ways to take nasty niffs out of carpet.” He’s critical of a comic book character’s lab practices, a plot point most of the “readers” wouldn’t have considered. The twisted pop references bring out the reader’s inner geek: who wouldn’t start thinking about Plants VS Zombies or giggle at a radioactive mongoose? The British flavor of the slang hasn’t been Americanized out, thank you thank you, though I did have to figure out what scrumpy is.

The story is light on plot, which is fine, what’s there is cute, and long on humorous angsting, which carries the story but does get a little wearing. The secondary characters, Tel, whose damaged book started the adventure, and Angharad, Rhys’ formidable sister, lighten the non-stop buzz of Jez’ thoughts. And of course, the sex is fun and hot.

This is a sweet creampuff of a story, light and sure to leave you with a smile. 4 marbles