Thursday's picture is worth...

There's a bond here. What kind? Tell us, 100-1000 words. 

A Thanksgiving picture is worth...

Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you enjoy it with your family, whoever your family may truly be.

Tell us about it, 100-1000 words.

Thursday's picture is worth...

Is there something to be thankful for here? . Tell us, 100-1000 words. 

Thursday's picture is worth...

The big game's coming...

 Tell us, 100-1000 words. 

Thursday's pic is worth...

How'd they get here?  100-1000 words to tell us. Have a ficlet or excerpt, look here. 

A Halloween pic is worth....

Hmm, wonder who's thinking what about whom?

If you're inspired to write, check here.

Thursday's picture is worth...

Mmm, looky there.

If you want to write a ficlet (1000 words or less), wonderful! Or if you have an excerpt from a book that goes with the pic, send that on too.  Or look and dream, also wonderful. Or drool, on your own keyboard. But enjoy.

If you're inspired to write, check here.

Thursday's picture is worth...

There's a story for what we have today, there must be. If you want to write a ficlet (1000 words or less), wonderful! Or if you have an excerpt from a book that goes with the pic, send that on too.  Or look and dream, also wonderful. Or drool, do it on your own keyboard. But enjoy.

The artist is George Quaintance. If you have words for his picture, check here.

Thursday's picture is worth...

Back to weekly picture prompts! If you want to write a ficlet (1000 words or less), wonderful! Or if you have an excerpt from a book that goes with the pic, send that on too.  Or look and dream, also wonderful. Or drool, do it on your own keyboard. But enjoy.

If you're inspired to write, check here.

World Teachers' Day: Thank a teacher if you can read this

Courtesy of Grammarly

Breaking the silence and a giveaway

You sweet people who still drop by to see if I've crawled out from under a rock, thanks so much for not forgetting me.  It's been a horrible year and my heart has not been in it. I hated everything in the wreck my life became, and I couldn't take it out on the books.

I didn't post something about it because every week I'd think, this is the week I will post that review. I can do it. Then I couldn't.

To those who I made promises to, I am sorry. I am reading or rereading several books, with more pleasure than I managed the first time.

Things are getting better, and no, it wasn't a return of my previous health problems, so that much is a blessing.

I'm also pursuing some changes with the blog, so while I'm not making any promises, there will be  regular content of some kind. I used to do big Goodreads giveaways compilations. That was actually a big project with links and stuff, but I got slipped a snippet of code this time, so this poor draggly book blogger can end the post on a high note.

The book is fun and the giveaway ends at midnight, so don't wait. Amazon discounted the paperback too, so if you want a copy for sure, it's three bucks off for now. (The author was surprised to hear that, but thinks you should take advantage of it.)

                                                 ~Cryselle

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Otter Chaos

by P.D. Singer

Giveaway ends October 04, 2015.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Butt Riders on the Range -- She Wrote What?

:
Do you imagine blazing gun battles, bandits, and saloons with watered-down drinks when you think of cowboys and the West? We don’t. Our minds go right to horse shifters, bull shifters, were-leopards, urban wannabes, an interrupted journey along Route 66, a man of mystery named Dr. Feel-Good, and high noon at the edge of the galaxy! The fourth time’s the charm as the Butt-Thology authors saddle up, ride their men hard, and put ‘em away wet.

Butt Riders on the Range…the bulls aren’t the only ones being grabbed by the horns!

Welcome, JP Barnaby, one of our Riders!

Wait, so… Emotional terrorist, JP Barnaby, author of such ansty tales as Aaron, Little Boy Lost, and A Heart for Robbie has written, shifters?

Yes, it’s true, and I just have two words for the reasoning behind this latest Butt Anthology ditty—Kage Alan. See, Kage is one of my closest friends and he consistently encourages me (some would say in a relentless fashion) to write outside my comfort zone and stretch myself as an author. So, when it came time to craft a story for the Butt Riders anthology, I reached deep and thought about the one thing I never thought I’d write. Because I was a physics major, and deeply rooted in the science and mathematics side of life, I’ve always leaned toward the plausible and realistic in my work and shifters don’t really fall under that category.

The biggest challenge for me to get over with respect to shifting was not the animal/human DNA because biology and genetics were never my thing, it was the mass differential. According to Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity (the famous equation E=mc2), with the speed of light being a constant, there is a defined correlation between a change in mass and a change in energy. Because of the substantial nature of the speed of light, a small mass differential would cause a large requirement or release in energy (depending on the direction of the shift). For a human/horse shift, to take the example from the story, we’re talking about going from roughly an 1100 kg horse to a 100 kg human. There would be a profound release of energy, not to mention an extra 1000 kg of mass discharged in the process.


The energy and amount of discharge were minimized in the story to keep the story on a certain track. Had we used the actual theta-level radiation that would have been discharged, he’d have wiped out half the state. But the ideas of mass differential and energy were represented, which is what I wanted. They draw energy from the town in order to shift, and expel it in the form of a sonic boom when they shift back—more in line with Einstein than fantasy.

Do I believe there are such things as shifters? I don’t know. I do believe that we can’t possibly be the only sentient beings in the universe. I know that’s not the popular, arrogant American thing to say, but the universe is a vast place of wonder—we aren’t the only ones to notice. Whether those beings can shape-shift and what those physical manifestations may look like are pure speculation. And since I write fiction—it’s not really something I need to speculate on.

So, enjoy Riley’s story, and his interactions with John for what they are—fun and erotic horsing around. And to my fellow authors, I say—the next time someone challenges you to write outside your comfort zone, give it a shot. You might like what you find.

XOXO,
JP Barnaby

Get your copy of Butt Riders on the Range at Amazon! Enter  the contest for more Butt-iful fun.

a Rafflecopter giveaway




Contest Begins: April 29, 2015
Contest Ends: May 10, 2015

Tied Together by Z. Allora

Title: Tied Together (The Dark Angels #2)
Author: Z. Allora
Purchase at Rocky Ridge Books
Purchase at Amazon
Purchase at All Romance eBooks
Cover Artist: P.L. Nunn
Genre: yaoi, comtemporary
Length: 274 pages
Formats: mobi, epub, pdf, print

Josh has loved Robin since the day they met, although he never dared to follow his heart. After the two are kicked out of their house, a night of despair turns into a night of discovery, forever changing them both. One taste of his dream leaves Josh hungry for more, but Robin’s fear of abandonment forces him to pull back, denying them both.

Their fortunes changed. Josh and Robin are now in the limelight with legendary megaband The Dark Angels, but Robin is still the scared little boy inside the rock star who isn't convinced he won't be left behind. He clings tightly to the word "brother" because stepbrothers can't leave, right?

There's only one way for Josh to prove to Robin, now and forever, that the love tying them together can never be broken.

This second book in the Dark Angels series is an excellent second look at the band and all its gay members. Josh and Robin showed up in the first book as supporting characters to larger than life Angel and his waffling bisexual love interest Dare. We could see clearly from their brief moments in the first book that there are ISSUES.


A huge theme is “who is family?” and “what does that mean?” The band’s prurient audiences love the idea of twincest, (Which for me is automatic back button) but the guys are stepbrothers. It’s a close enough connection to keep things from being simple for Robin. If they're brothers, they have the unbreakable connection of family, but if they're lovers, they have the possibility of the relationship unraveling. Robin can't bear to risk the loss of Josh, not seeing how he's risking the very loss he fears.

That luscious cover is your first hint to put on your yaoi glasses, because some things that work in that mindset would work less well in a straight contemporary. Once I’d adjusted, I could ease up on the aggravation of the plot, because the main thread is Robin’s “I can’t have what I want” vs Josh’s “I’m trying to give you what you want, damn it!” Hitting Robin with every cluebat under the sun became necessary, and I actually wanted to spank some sense into him. He’d probably enjoy it anyway.

However, I was very vexed with him because he was getting what he wanted and making sure no one, including himself, was happy about it. Fear not, there are attitude adjustments. We get to watch Robin slowly remove his head from dark places. Bless Josh for being a rock of determination and sticking out Robin’s endless waffling. It helps to not think too hard about the timeline.

It wouldn’t be a Z Allora book without lots and lots of hot sex, would it? Not always happy sex, but that’s kind of the point: they have to work for their happiness, and that’s harder than achieving orgasms. The book wanders into a bit of BDSM-lite, which makes perfect sense in context and isn’t so much as to squick this non-BDSM reader.

The other members of the band weave in and out of Josh and Robin’s story, so we can see how Angel and Dare are getting along, and watch Dusty fight a few inner demons with information and references. These guys are all evolving, and they’re all farther along at the end of the book, but nothing’s wrapped up so tightly that it’s the end of the story. Which is good news, because that means I’ll get another couple of books to read. 4.25 marbles

A few thoughts about the new EU VAT rules concerning ebooks

In 2015, the new EU VAT rules on digital services became effective. Since they also apply to ebooks, those new laws changed the reading landscape for EU ebook fans. Mostly by making both ebook pricing more complicated for publishers and often making ebooks more expensive for readers.

This web article describes the UK situation: wordsthatchangetheworld 
and also the situation for sellers outside the EU and for self-publishing authors.

For me in Germany, VAT is 19% on ebooks. (Curiously, it's only 7% on regular books). Since the new rules came into force, I'm generally  paying 19% more for ebooks I order directly from an US or international publisher or through an international distributor. Since those rates of taxes are different for every EU country, I can't even begin to imagine the administrative nightmare that must mean for international businesses catering to ebook-readers in the EU.

Some publishers have already taken appropriate steps; for example Manifold Press (UK), who closed their online shop completely (much to my chagrin; I loved the personal interaction I received with every Manifold purchase) or Amber Quill Press, who no longer sell ebooks to EU customers from their website store.

Of course, as an EU customer, I can still buy books through distibutors like All Romance Books, Amazon and the like, if at a higher price (for which, just to be clear, I don't blame the distributors themselves!) But what if I preferred to buy directly from the publisher who happens to be based outside the EU? What If I happen to like a particular publisher who in consequence of the new laws stopped to sell directly to EU citizens? One of the benefits of digital purchases is just that, getting access to sources of supply I normally couldn't dream of, confined to what my corner bookstore has on offer. I'd never have discovered m/m in the first place had I waited until I could buy the physical books here in my neck of the woods.

Of course, I can still look for books on the website of my favorite publisher. But in order to buy it, I'll have to take extra steps: click over to a distributor's website, log in there, select the book again...

I don't know about you, but the instant gratification of buying an ebook kind of was my main incentive to start reading ebooks at all, and also to stick to reading them almost exclusively. More steps to take means I've got more time to reconsider my buy. I must admit I've already found myself taking a pass on books I was only casually interested in to begin with by the time I arrived at the distributor's website.

And even if my laziness didn't feature in my decision whether to buy a particular book or not, higher prices in relation to an unchanged reading budget most certainly will. I'm certain the same will apply to many other EU ebook buyers.

However, I think who'll be most under stress as a result of the new situation are self-publishing authors. Some platforms (like Amazon's Kindle store) take care of VAT, pricing ebooks differently according to the respective country's VAT tax. That means a self-published author's book will have different prices depending on buyer's country. Irritatingly enough, but what if said author publishes through a platform that doesn't take care of VAT for him? What are they to do - price their books differently per country? Sell at the same price to all, keep track of every single buyer and calculate the respective correct tax deduction (or risk committing tax fraud if they don't) ?

The implications are numerous and open to speculation. I don't know what the new laws will do to the international ebook market in general. All I know, that newest bureaucrat's guff, only effective for a few days now, irritated ME already, and I'm a mere reader who doesn't have much to be irritated about except for having to cut back on her book buying.

Let's see what comes of it in the long run.

Winter's Wolf from Tara Lain

Winter's Wolf 

(Tales of the Harker Pack #3)

By Tara Lain

Winter Thane was raised on the two cardinal rules of werewolf existence: don’t reveal yourself to humans under penalty of death, and there’s no such thing as a gay werewolf. It’s no surprise when his father drags him from his wild life in remote Canada back to Connecticut to meet his old pack in hopes it will persuade Winter to abandon his love of sex with human males. Of course Dad’s hopes are dashed when they come face-to-face with the gay werewolves in the Harker pack.

Winter takes one look at FBI agent, Matt Partridge, and decides bird is his favorite food. Partridge is embroiled in an investigation into drug dealing and the death of a fellow agent. He can’t let himself get distracted by the young, platinum-haired beast, but then Winter proves invaluable in the search for clues, a move that winds them both up in chains and facing imminent death. Winter quickly learns his father’s motives are questionable, the pack alphas are a bunch of pussies, humans aren’t quite what they seem, and nothing in the forests of Connecticut is pure except love. 

Release Date: 

February 27, 2015

You can pre-order your copy at

Also available for pre-order in paperback from Dreamspinner Press

Excerpt

Matt’s heart stopped beating. Cliché, Partridge. Watch the clichés. Still, that’s what it  felt  like. Walking  straight toward  him,  like  he  was  being  pulled  on  a  rubber  string, strode that huge hunk of gorgeous he’d seen two nights before. The one related to Cole Harker’s husband. The man moved like an animal, gliding and rippling, and the big bulge in the front of his jeans advertised another kind of animal. Big Bird! Shit, the thing had to  be  at least  at  half-mast,  and it looked  huge. Matt  wanted to  fall  down  and  worship. 

Control. Deep breath. He’ll probably walk right by.

Sweet Jesus, he stopped right in front of the table.

“Hi.  I’m  Winter  Thane.  I  saw  you  here  the  other  night  with  my,  uh,  cousin  by marriage, Cole Harker.”

Matt swallowed. Try to be cool. “Yes, I remember he went to speak with you. I’m Matt Partridge.”

“Yes.”

Matt’s eyes widened. Had Winter asked about  him? “Would  you,  uh, care to join me?”

“Thanks.”

Trying  not to  stare at the  play  of muscle in those  hard thighs and the large  bulge between proved more than he was up to. When he glanced up from his inspection, Winter Thane gazed at him with a small smile. It said Caught ya. Matt cleared his throat. “Uh, I was just about to order a beer. Would you like another?”

“No,  I’m  good,  thanks.”  Winter  wrapped  his  beautifully  shaped  lips  around  the head  of the  bottle,  seemed to lovingly  caress it  for  a  second,  and then  sucked  down  a drink.

Holy crap.

Matt waved at the waitress, who hurried over, gazing at Winter most of the time. He ordered a beer, and she rushed off, actually bumping into a patron because she couldn’t stop staring over her shoulder. Who could blame her? Matt chuckled. “You must get that a lot.”

The  guy  shook  that  snowflake  hair.  “No.  Where  I’m  from  there  aren’t  a  lot  of females.”

“You must enjoy being here.” Matt swallowed.

Winter  shrugged.  “City  guy  like  you’d  be  used  to  it.  For  me  it’s  new  and  pretty weird.”

Matt laughed. “Who’d look at me?”

Winter’s blue eyes flashed up. “Who wouldn’t?”

Matt’s  mouth  opened  but  nothing  came  out.  Finally  he  got  his  brain  and  tongue connected. “So, uh, you’re visiting the area?”

Winter’s pale brows pulled together. “My father’s theory is we’re here to stay. I’d say the jury’s out.”

“Not a good experience so far?”

“An  old Chinese  curse  said,  ‘May  you live in interesting times.’  So  far the trip’s been interesting.” Those melted ice eyes raised slowly to Matt. “But it could get better.”

Every  resolve  Matt  had  ever  made  tried  to  dissolve  in  that  field  of  blue.  Come on, Partridge. You’re investigating these people. The  arrival  of the  waitress  felt like  a lifeline, and  he  grabbed the  bottle, threw way too much money  on the table, and  drank down half the contents in one pull.

“Thank you, sir.” She batted her eyes at Winter and left.

Winter pointed at the bottle. “Thirsty?”

“Uh, yes, I guess so.”

“So you’re the law?”

“How’d you know that?”

Winter grinned. “Aside from the haircut that speaks of gray suits and gray cars?”

Matt ducked his head and ran a hand over his carefully barbered light brown hair. 

“Bad, huh?”

“Nah. It’s cute. Besides, I asked Ben Freedman about you.”

Matt’s heart leaped and stomach sank—the war of suspicion and desire. “Why?”

Again, the long, slow gaze. “I think you’re gorgeous.”

Matt frowned. Suspicion won. “Come on. Don’t give me that shit.”

Winter cocked his head. “You don’t believe me?”

“Of course  not. Why would a  guy like  you think  I’m  gorgeous?” He  drawled the word and narrowed his eyes. “Did you hear somewhere that I’m gay? What the fuck are you playing at?”

Winter smiled slowly. “I hoped you liked men. Or maybe I should say, I hoped you liked me.”

“Who the fuck wouldn’t like you?” He pushed his bottle away. “I should go.”

Winter’s  hand  clamped  on  his  forearm.  Long,  slender  fingers  carved  with  sinew. 

“Please don’t. I’m not a very civilized creature, so maybe I don’t know how to say what I feel.”

Matt tried to catch his breath. “And what’s that?”

“That I want to take you out into the trees and fuck you until you scream.”

Every cell in his body  froze—except his cock, which expanded like someone was blowing it up through a hose. “Who told you I’m gay?”

“No one. I don’t know if you’re gay. I don’t know if I’m gay. I don’t give a damn. I just know I want to suck you and fuck you until daylight.”

Matt  stared  into  those  mesmerizing  eyes,  and  his  hands  shook.  He  couldn’t  look away. “People don’t say shit like that.”

“People don’t. I do.”

About the Author

Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT erotic romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 23. Her best­selling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft. She lives with her soul­mate husband and her soul­mate dog in Laguna Beach, California, a pretty seaside town where she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”!

You can find Tara at

               

Presented By

Fool's Errand by Chris Quinton

Title: Fool's Errand
Author: Chris Quinton
Purchase through Manifold Press (publisher's online shop ceased for now; all purchase links on the site though)
Purchase at Allromanceebooks
Genre: Mystery/ Fantasy/ futuristic
Length: 40.000 words/ 142 pages
All Formats

First in the Fool’s Odyssey Trilogy - Xavi is a sometime hooker, sometime gigolo, working the rich pickings of wealthy tourists and bored socialites of Barcelona in 2042. His current meal ticket is Sophia Matas, the wife of a prominent politician. Then Sophia is assassinated and he’s the only witness. Within hours, Xavi finds himself in protective custody and in a safe house. His guardian is Andreas, a vampire liaising with the Barcelona police.

Andreas needs to exert control - of himself, his abilities, and his relationships. Now he must keep Xavi safe. If he can keep Xavi in one place long enough. They embark on an affair that will define who and what they are, played out in an deadly dance of kill-or-be-killed danger.

 The Fool’s Odyssey trilogy: Book One

When Xavi becomes an accidental witness to the murder of a wealthy woman he knows exactly what to do – get the hell out of there, fast! Xavi lives on the edge of the law; he and the police don’t exactly mix. Unfortunately the cop who is sent after him turns out to have some rather unusual abilities, so it isn’t long before their paths cross – which is roughly when Xavi begins to realise that getting caught may be the very least of his troubles.

This book was published as early as 2010; I've had it sitting on my TBR forever. Now that I've read this I'm kicking myself why I didn't so sooner...

This book is marked futuristic, but since it's set in a not-so distant future the socio-cultural rules, everyday happenings and character's mindsets still felt familiar to me. Only difference: Vampires aren't a mere legend anymore; about a decade ago, they pleaded successfully before the UN to be recognized as a nation. Now a largely autonomous commune of vampires peacefully farms a stretch of land near Barcelona. This is about the extent of Vampiric worldbuilding we get in this book, aside from the fact that the Vampire society created some kind of police force for themselves, the Wardens; one of which, Andreas Rousakis, serves as a liaison to the Barcelona Police

I often find vampire books off-putting for the elaborate vampiric worlds and societies described; sometimes I feel like I've read similar things over and over with only the slightest varieties ever since I picked up my first Anne Rice book. But nothing of that sort occurs in here. The vampire lore in this book is interesting, but only hinted at; the story is more character-driven, focusing on how Andreas and Xavi find their way together. And yet, Andreas's vampiric nature is an intricate part of both the underlying crime/ thriller plot and the budding relationship between him and Xavi.
 

I really really liked street-smart, no-pushover Xavi. Andreas, on the other hand, remained a bit more inaccessible to me; maybe because he's meant to be a bit of a mystery while yet fulfilling most Vamp clichés in line with expectations (and additionally shows some interesting Werewolf traits...)
 

I loved the writing, it pulled me in from the first sentence onward and never let go. A totally engrossing book that makes me curious about the rest of the series. Five marbles

PS: As of today, 1/23/2015, this book is available for FREE through all purchase links!

 

A picture is worth...

What's our guy debating? and how do you think he'll choose? 100-1000 words to tell us. Aren't the worst ideas the most fun--for a bit?

An Uncommon Whore by Belinda McBride

Title: An Uncommon Whore
Author: Belinda McBride
Purchase at Loose Id
Purchase at All Romance eBooks
Cover Artist: PL Nunn
Genre: Science Fiction
Length: 139 pages est, 43k words
Formats: ePub, MOBI, PDF

"As a general rule, you won't find the love of your life while you're on your knees under a table."
-- Helios Dayspring

Pasha is a slave, whoring for travelers at the most dangerous bar on Warlan. He has no memory, no future of his own, yet deep inside Pasha knows that that he is meant for better things. The day that Pasha spots the dangerous pirate in the bar, he knows that he mustn't let the stranger slip away, regardless of what he must do to attract his attention.

Captain Griffin Hawke spent the greater part of a decade searching for his lost king, only to find Helios Dayspring crouched between his knees, swathed in the robes and shackles of a whore. Though he is appalled by the downfall of his king, the hardened officer finds himself falling for the allure of the sensual creature who has taken his place. Returning Helios to his position on the throne is the only right thing to do, yet Griffin knows that in doing so, he risks losing his lover forever.

"A whore is a whore is a whore, unless he's something else completely. I guess I must be an uncommon whore."
-- Helios Dayspring

~*~*~*~*

I can’t believe I hadn’t read this until now. The vivid first person narration of Helios Dayspring, sometime whore and slave, brings a whole universe to life in an economical way. With his accepting, calm demeanor, he narrates his adventures, beginning with the hours spent under the table between the knees of his rescuer and once and future lover, Captain Griffin Hawke.


Only gradually is it revealed, even to himself, that he’s the lost king of a beaten and exiled people, and that Griffin has been searching for him across the galaxy. Definitely a needle in a haystack hunt, and only luck and some interesting technology make it happen.

The worldbuilding is really outstanding, managing to hint at entire technologies with a few artifacts. Also wonderful is the emotional upheaval around Helios, although I didn’t really feel the journey with him as he recovers himself in chunks of memory. The love between him and Griffin is strong though, and definitely displays Helios’ strength, recovered after long suppression.

The pacing is a little strange, but there’s a sequel, which I now need to read. The last section of the book catapults everyone into the action phase of the plot, and gives the impression there should have been just one big book.

Still, I’ve been given enough promise of an epic to follow the rest. 4 marbles

A picture is worth...

This statue of Apollo stands in the Tuilleries Gardens in Paris. He's in bronze, and was created by Paul Belmondo in the twentieth century, but he figures in stories and art going back to antiquity. Apollo's the Archer, the musician with a lyre, the mover of the sun. Perhaps there's a story for him now.

The Working Elf Blues by Piper Vaughn

Title: The Working Elf Blues

Author: Piper Vaughn

Purchase at Less Than Three Press

Purchase at All Romance  eBooks                    

Cover Artist: 

Genre:  fantasy, holiday

Length:  

Formats:  Epub, MOBI, PDF

Garnet Evergreen has never heard of an elf abandoning the North Pole for a human, but he yearns to be the first. Ever since he saw Wes, the boy with sorrowful eyes, Garnet felt an undeniable kinship. Over the years, he's watched that boy grow into a man, and now he's determined to give Wes a Christmas he'll never forget. If only Garnet had thought to test his father's sleigh before leaving...

Orphaned as a child, Wes spends every Christmas alone at his cabin. When he's woken by a suspicious boom and finds a wrecked sleigh and an unconscious elf, he doesn't know how to react. Wes isn't fanciful. He doesn't give much credence to the stories about Santa Claus and flying reindeer. But a part of him wants desperately to believe when Garnet promises forever, even if life has taught him that no one ever stays... 

Cute premise: an elf from Santa’s workshop wants to spend his life with a human, and finds a way to accomplish that. However, Garnet’s not the most deft pair of hands in the workshop, and manages to drop himself from heights and get into other predicaments from which he needs rescue. Getting pulled out of snowbanks is meet cute but rather embarrassing for the guy who’s now soaking wet.

Wes, on vacation in the frozen forest, is attracted to the inept elf, but his own history doesn’t include a lot of love, so he’s not good at recognizing what’s going on. Also, other forces are at work, both to help and to hinder, so if he gets left again by this pointy-eared Christmas present, he won’t be entirely surprised.

The whole setup is one of proving oneself, which I liked, but I was rather disturbed by one element. Garnet’s always been attracted to Wes, which fine, except, he first sees Wes as a child, and the story evolution doesn’t really start with something on the order of “this kid needs a friend and I could be that friend” and progress from there; it’s always presented as “we should be together always, even if he's not gay, oh goodie he's gay”. I could have missed something, but I don’t think so, because I was looking for it, so it comes across as creepy stalkerish. Garnet reads young, but he doesn’t read young on the par with child Wes, which... brrr. Only his extreme naiveté keeps the squick factor down. Otherwise, everything that takes place in present day is cute.

I seem to be the only one with this problem, so maybe I’m the Grinch. 3 marbles