Thursday, March 31, 2016
A picture is worth...
Tuesday, March 29, 2016
Book Blitz: Golden Dancer by Tara Lain
Who knew ballet could be so dangerous?
Bestselling author, Tara Lain, plunges into the world of romantic suspense in her Dangerous Dancers series. Combining kidnapping, theft, mayhem and murder with Lain’s renowned romantic touch, these books keep your blood pumping and your focus en pointe.
Bestselling author, Tara Lain, plunges into the world of romantic suspense in her Dangerous Dancers series. Combining kidnapping, theft, mayhem and murder with Lain’s renowned romantic touch, these books keep your blood pumping and your focus en pointe.
Golden Dancer
(Dangerous Dancers Series, #1)
By Tara Lain
Blurb:
Blurb:
A reporter and the thief he's investigating both fall for a golden dancer forging a ménage of love and lies that could send one to prison and one to the morgue. Will he get his story or will he get his men?
Mac Macallister is obsessed. The online news reporter needs enough evidence to write a story accusing billionaire art collector Daniel Terrebone of stealing The Golden Dancer, a priceless work of art, from son-of-a-Nazi Horst Von Berg. The story promises the recognition Mac craves. Then Mac meets a real golden dancer, ballet star Trelain Medveyev, and his attraction to the man rocks his formerly straight world.
When the mysterious Terrebone "collects" this beautiful dancer, too, Mac rushes to the rescue like a knight in shining cargo pants and plunges into a three-way passion that tears him between love and guilt. Can Mac keep investigating when his story could send one man to prison and another to the morgue? Will this reporter get his story or get his men?
Publisher's Note: This book has previously been released elsewhere. It has been revised and re-edited for re-release with Pride Publishing.
Available for pre-order at
Release Date:
May 10, 2016
May 10, 2016
Excerpt
Mac turned.
Trelain rocked what he guessed would be called a dressing gown. It was a long
robe, but more substantial than a bathrobe, and clearly made of silk. Far from
an English country-house paisley, this was in some watercolor print of aqua and
gold. I must be allergic to silk because, man, it is tough to breathe.
In that get-up, the person in front of him could be a woman, and a very
beautiful one at that. The face was a really handsome guy, but the golden hair
softened everything. Jeez, it played with his mind.
Trelain rocked what he guessed would be called a dressing gown. It was a long
robe, but more substantial than a bathrobe, and clearly made of silk. Far from
an English country-house paisley, this was in some watercolor print of aqua and
gold. I must be allergic to silk because, man, it is tough to breathe.
In that get-up, the person in front of him could be a woman, and a very
beautiful one at that. The face was a really handsome guy, but the golden hair
softened everything. Jeez, it played with his mind.
“Mac?”
Shit. He’d been
staring. “Yeah. Here’s the stuff.” He pulled the little bottle from his jacket
pocket where he’d stashed it in the restaurant.
staring. “Yeah. Here’s the stuff.” He pulled the little bottle from his jacket
pocket where he’d stashed it in the restaurant.
Trelain took it
and walked toward the kitchen, putting the analgesic in his robe pocket. “Can’t
I tempt you with something more interesting than water? Some champagne,
perhaps?” He didn’t wait for an answer—just removed the foil on the bottle and
opened the cage with the precise six turns. Mac knew that piece of erudite
trivia from the story he’d done on champagne last year. Trelain applied a thumb
to the cork and, pop, it opened with the soft sound that indicated he
knew what he was doing and hadn’t damaged the wine. He poured into the sides of
two flutes and held one out to Mac. “Come sit.”
and walked toward the kitchen, putting the analgesic in his robe pocket. “Can’t
I tempt you with something more interesting than water? Some champagne,
perhaps?” He didn’t wait for an answer—just removed the foil on the bottle and
opened the cage with the precise six turns. Mac knew that piece of erudite
trivia from the story he’d done on champagne last year. Trelain applied a thumb
to the cork and, pop, it opened with the soft sound that indicated he
knew what he was doing and hadn’t damaged the wine. He poured into the sides of
two flutes and held one out to Mac. “Come sit.”
Trelain installed himself on the couch, set down his glass, pulled the little bottle from his pocket and opened it. He sniffed tentatively.
Mac laughed. “It won’t bite, I promise. Just drip some into your palm and then apply it to the area that hurts. I’d better get a washcloth so you can wipe clean afterward.”He walked to the kitchenette, found a clean towel, wet it then crossed to the chair. Trelain dropped a little of the blue liquid with the strong cinnamon
smell into his long, slender hand. He sniffed again, raised a leg onto the
couch, and uncovered himself up to his thigh. Shee-it. He’d seen his
parents’ feet and legs thousands of times, but this felt…intimate. Trelain’s
feet were heavily callused, the toes pushed together as only a true dancer’s
could be. And the leg? It looked more like something carved from marble than
from flesh. Sculpted, hard as stone.
smell into his long, slender hand. He sniffed again, raised a leg onto the
couch, and uncovered himself up to his thigh. Shee-it. He’d seen his
parents’ feet and legs thousands of times, but this felt…intimate. Trelain’s
feet were heavily callused, the toes pushed together as only a true dancer’s
could be. And the leg? It looked more like something carved from marble than
from flesh. Sculpted, hard as stone.
Trelain began to run the scented liquid over the back of his calf and up onto his thigh. Jesus, he was playing patty-cake. “No, dig in. Really work it into the muscles.”
Trelain dug in for a couple of strokes but then pulled back his hands and shook them. Yeah,massaging marble couldn’t be easy. But crap, his leg hurt, and the magic blue stuff could help if he just did it right. Mac shook his head. “That’s not going to get the job done.”
“Sorry. I’m spoiled. I have a masseuse that travels with the company.”
In frustration, Mac rose and sat beside the man on the couch, handing him the damp towel. He grabbed the bottle from the table and dotted some of the warming liquid into his palm. “Here, let me.” He grabbed the dancer’s foot, pulled it into his lap, and began rubbing the carved muscle of Trelain’s leg with deep, penetrating
strokes. “Like this.” One stroke, and he knew this was not his father. In fact,
it was a hell of a mistake.
strokes. “Like this.” One stroke, and he knew this was not his father. In fact,
it was a hell of a mistake.
The beautiful head hit the back of the couch. “Chyort! That feels incredible.” Trelain moaned. Mac tried to pretend he didn’t feel the satin texture of that skin,
like silk over steel.
like silk over steel.
Mac cleared his throat. “You, uh, really have to dig in, this way.” Mac’s fingers pushed into hard muscle, the liquid warming his fingers. Yeah, it wasn’t his fingers he was worried about. Why was he doing this?
Trelain moaned luxuriously, his head moving back and forth against the couch. That wasn’t all that was moving. Holy shit. This wasn’t happening. The front of the silk robe rose like an expensive tent. Wasn’t the guy wearing any underwear under
that thing?
that thing?
He felt like a damned snake charmer. He couldn’t look away or stop doing the thing making that serpent rise. He just kept rubbing. Trelain’s eyes stayed closed. Most guys would make a joke. He said nothing.
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
Saturday, March 26, 2016
Redemption by Eden Winters
Author: Eden Winters
Purchase at Amazon
Purchase at All Romance eBooks
Cover Artist: LC Chase
Genre: contemporary
Length: 73k
Formats mobi, epub, pdf, print
Living is the easy part.
Agent Lucky Lucklighter and his partner escaped Mexico alive, only to plunge into bureaucratic fallout from their mission. Hell, maybe Lucky should have stayed south of the border. Especially when the Southeastern Narcotics Bureau places Bo into rehab, and Lucky’s facing both therapy and an inquiry into a fatal shooting. Watching over his shoulder for a vengeful drug lord or a cartel don calling in favors leaves him scarcely able to imagine a future for them as agents, or as a couple.
Bo Schollenberger once had a vision for their life together, but he’s bowed beneath the weight of his undercover work. Lucky’s hanging on by his deeply chewed fingernails, clinging to hope by making Bo’s dreams of a home into reality. The last thing he needs is a phone call from a dangerous man who knows too much, summoning him back to Mexico for “an early Christmas present.”
Not when the SNB brass asks tough questions, like “How well do you know your partner?”
This should have been a slam dunk review for me, but because I love the entire series so much, I had to refresh myself with a complete run-through of the first four books. I do love Bo and Lucky, and this fifth book really puts them through the ringer.
Here they’re back from Mexico and a hellacious undercover operation (details in Manipulation). Bo in particular has been damaged by this operation, since their nemesis Stephan has a way of hitting people at their most vulnerable points. Of course, if Bo gets scratched, Lucky bleeds. And Lucky’s not used to caring so much for anyone.
This book has so much character growth for Lucky. He has to be the one to keep things going, to be the strong one for Bo, who isn’t used to being down and damaged. He thought he’d gotten past all that when he remade his life, and it’s bitter to him to be the one who needs help now. He has to come back from all the crap the Mexican operation threw at him, and he can’t do it without Lucky, little though he wants to depend on someone else.
This is a more introspective book compared to the action packed adventures of the first four, but these two have been through a lot and need time to heal. Watching Bo come back to himself with the help of his commitmentphobic lover, a giant scene stealer named Moose, a smartmouthed agent friend who makes a scary concoction called pot liquor, makes for a heartstring pulling read. Which of course, Lucky being Lucky, comes with a heavy dose of banty rooster cockiness. Bo’s made of layers all the way down, and poor guy is stripped so raw.
A couple of times I was on the edge of my seat when someone had a chance to make a horribly bad decision, so I can’t say Eden Winters didn’t keep my heart pounding. There’s justice done, and maybe a lingering mystery solved, and very little is as it seemed.
One of my favorite all time series. 5 marbles
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
High Contrast by Tess Bowery
Author: Tess Bowery
Purchase at Amazon
Purchase at All Romance eBooks
Cover Artist: Kelly Martin
Genre: Contemporary, New Adult
Length: 88,700 words
Formats: mobi, epub, pdf, paperback
The deepest scars aren’t the ones that show.
Evolution Ink, Book 1
Jacob Shain is your average member of Generation Screwed. He has a boring internship, no cash flow, and a tiny NYC apartment he has to share with Ethan, his much-cooler, tattoo-artist twin brother. Not to mention his love life is DOA. At least, until his brother’s shop hires on a new piercer, and Jacob’s humdrum life takes a turn for the weird.
Cody Turner is gorgeous, funny and kind—everything Jacob wants in a boyfriend. Except for the way he refuses to talk about his past, or where he lives, or anything about his personal life.
When Ethan is arrested while on a mission of mercy, the reason Cody is so tight lipped comes to light. And while Jacob and Cody fight to understand the depth of their feelings for one another, the police dogs catch their scent. So does the local mob.
Now Jacob has to make the hardest choice of his life: stay safe like a good boy, or dive headfirst into a world he barely understands…and hope Cody is there to break his fall.
Product Warnings
Contains a good boy who wants to be bad, a bad boy who longs to be good, bodies that are canvases for living art and high-speed chases with police dogs.
While I enjoyed this book, I also felt like there might have been a bit too much plot stuffed in. I’m pretty fond of plot, too, so this might give you an idea of how much stuff is in there. Poor Cody, getting issue after issue piled on him, and while all were dealt with, some of it was once over lightly.
Cody had so much to cope with, revealed a bit at a time. His own moral dilemmas in what he’d done, should have done, and what he’d admit to had to be worked through. That definitely affected how he could express his interest in Jacob, who had to be the personification of the life Cody never lived. Orphaned and turned out by the foster system, making his living putting ink and metal into people to make them look the way they the felt they should look, so very far away from Upper East Side Jewish corporate.
Jacob, in contrast, thought Cody was the most amazing ever, with his long hair and ink, and deliberately inflicted scarification. Part of this was from suspension, which hits my squick button, and I may have missed some details after each time that got mentioned, though I was more or less not jumping by the end of the book. It served a need for Cody though, so okay. Mention of previous experiences is all there is, it’s not on page, which this weenie reviewer appreciated.
The two have a lot to overcome to get together, including the occasional midnight raid and waving gun, and a less romantic setting for a kiss cannot really be imagined. (The scene in the tattoo parlor made up for it though.) These two have to work very, very hard for the happiness. Jacob is the only POV character, so we have to learn Cody through his eyes.
The plot points kept appearing, and appearing, and appearing, which meant a lot of stuff to wrap up before the final moment of “yes we can be a couple” but it all twined together in a way that made sense by the end. And also brought enough growth to the guys so they’d be worthy of love.
Jacob’s relationship with his brother was a fun point, please don’t take the twin tag as anything but a familial relationship where they’d do anything for each other. One scene where they really zingo’d each other made me laugh aloud.
This book tackles a lot, what with a damaged hero and danger from outside forces, but I read it straight through. 4 marbles
Saturday, March 19, 2016
Snowed In (Anthology)
Author: multiple
Purchase at Amazon
Purchase at All Romance eBooks
Cover Artist: Kris Norris
Genre: contemporary, anthology
Length: 44k, eight stories
Formats Mobi, epub, pdf
Snowed In is a wintery blend of frost, snow, and romance from eight of Torquere Press’ M/M authors.
Winter storms are dangerous, and in Celibate Cold by Lynn Townsend, Topher finds himself stranded in one when his car slides into a ditch. Alone and scared, he tries to walk home in the blizzard but ends up at Chase’s house, desperately in need of help.
Can an accident on Luke and Tom’s annual hike lead to them becoming more than good friends? Find out in Jessica Chase’s Falling for Love!
In This Winter’s Night by Kassandra Lea, Barry is devastated when he realizes he spends more time talking to his horses than his boyfriend—but that’s about change.
These snow angels have a devilish side! Huey and Tommy think their neighbor Marshall would be a naughty, fun addition to their snow day in Snow Angels by Leigh Ellwood.
In Snow Job by Logan Zachary, winter doesn’t always come with a chill—sometimes it’s smokin’ hot! For Lance and Leo, snowbound and icicles are about to take on whole new meanings.
Beau and Leon are two strangers on a chairlift. When Leon—the “experienced” skier—laughs at himself, Beau looks at him in a whole new light in Taking the Fall Line by Tray Ellis.
In Snowy Reunion by Emjay Haze, Steven wonders if he even has a boyfriend since Jonathan walked out after their last argument. But Jonathan surprises Steven during a ski trip and it just might save their relationship.
Seeking the elusive Yeti is Joel’s passion, but he finds more than he bargained for in Adventures of a Yeti Hunter by L.J. Hamlin.
I like anthologies: I get a tasting menu of styles and voices. Most of these authors are new to me.
*Celibate Cold (Lynn Townsend) was a nice choice for leading off the anthology. The story had a real reason for putting the strangers together, they had chemistry, and the whole was a nice hot adventure with a hopeful future. I last saw this author’s work in a short that showed a lot of imagination and this one was even better.
Falling For Love (Jessica Chase) was friends to lovers, when the two MCs were finally both in a position to make something of the attraction. However, a physical issue and how it was handled completely destroyed the credibility of the scene. I’m pretty sure the author doesn’t have first hand experience of broken bones.
This Winter’s Night (Kassandra Lea) started strong, with one lover feeling neglected by the workaholic upstairs. Then the lover joined the scene, and while he demonstrated he cared and valued their relationship, his dialog did not sound like anything that would actually come out of someone’s mouth.
*Snow Angels (Leigh Ellwood) was just fun. Unless you don’t like m/m/m but I do, and this was handled nicely. Snow angels and hot chocolate, and an established couple with a taste for their hunky neighbor. Smile.
*Snow Job (Logan Zachary) has a stranded motorist taking shelter at a diner, and being taken home for an evening that includes an interesting encounter with an unusual toy. Points for characterization and imagination.
Taking the Fall Line (Tray Ellis) While starting off a couple by throwing one of them into an extended encounter with the other’s family is certainly different, I just wasn’t buying the whole thing.
Snowy Reunion (Emjay Haze) Nice concept, execution over the top. I don’t believe Jonathan could have actually done the things he did to get back to Steven.
Adventures of a Yeti Hunter (L.J. Hamlin) Cute concept that got turned into a public service announcement for acceptance of all sexualities. Not everyone will care for the first person present tense, though it worked okay when the MC got off his soapbox. Loved the ending.
As with all anthologies, appeal will vary. The authors had a short word count to tell the story, so they had to put a lot in a small space.The anthology was assembled with some nice flow from story to story, which doesn’t always happen, that’s a plus. A few of the stories were quite good, a few okay, a couple that needed to have a stern “Really now?” at the editorial stage.
Rather than rate each story individually, you’ve read this far, you already know which is which, I’m going to mark my favorites with a * and rate the anthology as a whole at 3 marbles.
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Kiss him, he's Irish....
Happy St Patrick's Day! Come to Clancy's pub and tap your toes to the music. Hugh will bring you a beer and Steven and his friends will play you a tune. P.D. Singer has an excerpt from her story "O'Carolan's Seduction" for us.
A session wasn’t actually too bad, Hugh decided, though he’d have to wipe the music out of his brain later with a hefty dose of Beethoven. Musicians trickled in by ones and twos. Most of them seemed to know one another, calling greetings as they produced fiddles, guitars, flutes, and drums, joining in the music if they wandered in after the tune started.
“Where’s Lori?” every last one of them wanted to know, and Hugh felt a small pang for the camaraderie he wasn’t part of.
Still, the portly man with the mandolin produced a basket from some location only he knew and announced to the group, “Don’t forget the man behind the bar!”
The small wicker basket began to fill with singles and fives, much to Hugh’s delight, as the musicians tipped him for gratis drinks.
“Do we know a tune for our new friend?” the portly man asked.
“’The Maid Behind the Bar’ isn’t quite right, but…” the weedy fiddler replied, and no one made a better suggestion, so the group launched into something rollicking that had the other patrons patting the tables in rhythm and calling for another round.
“Emily!” the group shrieked as one, and a man with a bodhrán rang a flourish off his drum as a young woman with dark curls falling below her shoulders joined them.
Local royalty, Hugh decided, and added a slice of lemon to the glass of fizzy pop that was her payment for the beauty that came out of her. “Siúil, siúil, siúil a rún,” she sang in a warm, clear alto to a red-headed woman’s harping, and her pronunciation of the Gaeilge wasn’t too bad for words she must have learned phonetically. When she produced a tin whistle and the music moved on to a jig set, Hugh quit paying attention and went behind the bar to refill pitchers and clean glasses. Still, “siúil a rún” ran through his head and trickled out his lips very quietly.
“A pretty tune,” someone commented, making Hugh glance up to the speaker. Embarrassed at being caught singing against the current of the session, Hugh went silent and stared into the sink. He had to swallow hard to return his eyes to the speaker—the publican should not ignore the customer, but neither should he drool.
The newcomer had one hip hitched into the only available barstool and a black leather satchel slung over a shoulder. Stylish rectangular spectacles did nothing to obscure the dancing brown eyes or the sharp, regular features with just enough texture to put him on the north side of thirty. The light brown curls tumbling down to tickle his collar begged Hugh to run his hand through them. All that and a slight smile made Hugh chub up, leaving him grateful for the waist height of the bar’s lower counter.
“It is. Emily just sang it.” Hugh thought he’d covered his reaction quite well, and took his eyes away from the man as if he hadn’t just checked the fullness of everyone’s glasses a moment ago.
“You know Emily?”
“They called her by name.” Lori would know Emily, Hugh was sure; she would know the girl’s signature tunes and preferred rate of drinking, just the way everyone in the musicians’ corner seemed to know each other’s favorite sets.
“ O’Carolan’s Farewell to Drinking,” directed the portly man.
“Too early in the evening for that, Michael!” objected a man with a bouzouki. He’d moved past the gratis drinks early and was running a tab now.
“The right time for you, Josh,” quipped the leader. “Then O’Carolan’s Concerto—you lead it, Hannah.” A woman with waist-length blonde hair and a hunted look put her fiddle under her chin and led the musicians into a vaguely classical-sounding piece.
“I think I’ll pick up a stout first,” suggested the newcomer. “I don’t play much O’Carolan on the pipes—it would step all over Meggie’s harp. They’re giving me time to get settled.”
More royalty, Hugh thought numbly as he expertly laid a head on the glass of stout.
“I’m Steven,” the man offered as he collected the mug. “Steven Wigham.”
That sounded oddly familiar. “Hugh Kelly.” His accent must have deepened in his confusion, but the smile Steven gave him made the slip worthwhile.
Hugh doesn’t care much for the traditional Irish music and is determined not to tap his toes along with the reels, jigs, and the O’Carolan tunes, but the music and Steven are irresistible. Steven gives Hugh a piping lesson, and the tune they play ought to be called “O’Carolan’s Seduction.”
Find the rest at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and All Romance eBooks.
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Memories and Marco by Hollis Shiloh
Author: Hollis Shiloh
Purchase or read on Kindle Unlimited at Amazon
Cover Artist: Wicked Knight Designs
Genre: fantasy
Length: 42K words, long novella
Formats Mobi
Jace is a washed-up ex-boxer living with daily pain and bad judgment in boyfriends. Then his best friend Jeff reintroduces him to the gentle healing magician he used to work with.
Marco is everything Jace could want—and everything he can't trust himself not to break. Nobody has ever loved Jace, not properly. And Marco is so warm and caring and tenderhearted, he could have anyone. How could they possibly be together—even if Marco did have a crush on Jace all those years ago?
But not everything is as it seems, and there is darker magic at work than anyone has guessed so far. Trusting Marco is no longer the hardest thing in Jace's life…but rather, keeping him safe. No matter what it takes.
Heat level: low-medium
This story stands alone, but takes place in the same world as Jude's Magic, Magic for Lee, and Through the Window.
~*~*~*~*
This was another Bookbub find, so it’s been out for a bit, and since it’s in Kindle Unlimited, non-Amazon buyers don’t have access. Might as well tell you now, huh?
I’m on the fence about this story. I liked the premise, the ex-boxer and the magician, but the execution was off for me in several ways. Part of it was the characterization of Marco, a nice guy who’s been carrying a torch for the boxer since his days in the ring, but whose life has gone in other directions. As Jace encounters him, he’s a timid little rabbit of a guy, prone to bursting into tears and so anxious to please he becomes a doormat. There’s a reason for this, but it raises the questions of “what do you see in this guy?”
Jace, the POV character, alternated between annoying and admirable. He’s been living in pain from old boxing injuries, and he’s grown in character since then. He’s hesitant about getting involved with Marco and when he does, it’s with so much ambivalence that I really wanted to smack him.
The world and the conflicts the guys have twine together. This is a world of subtle magics and apparently no real restraints other than not getting caught. Placing curses is illegal, and the curse remover is a wealthy man. Basic precautions don’t exist.
This is a sweet story with next to no onstage sex, which is fine. Marco does talk about doing plenty of raw stuff with other people. I found this unsympathetic.
I have very mixed feelings about this story, I enjoyed some aspects, such as Jace’s decisive actions in resolving the major problem, something that wouldn’t have worked out the same with any other man, but I found other aspects annoying, such as Marco not really doing much beyond begging and sniveling. The plot was set up with a reason for this but the way it played out didn’t make Marco very appealing. That and certain ideas and situations that kept repeating (got it the first time, thanks) left me not enjoying this book as much as I had hoped to.
Monday, March 14, 2016
Book Blitz: Dan and Billy by Heath Greenfield
Some people know exactly who they are. As a matter of fact, some people can’t help being who they are even if it doesn’t fit into a conventional world. Other people struggle to figure out what that even means. Dan is the first. Billy is the second. Together, they are exactly what each one needs.
When a horrible roommate forces Dan—a theatre major and the apple of his family’s collective eye—to desperate measures, he turns to Billy to save him. What he doesn’t know is that Billy needs him just as much. Billy, the staunch, upright, gay Republican who has secrets of his own, is bowled over by the bright, forthright Dan, and finds himself inconveniently in love. Dan adores a man of conviction, and he’ll force himself to settle for friendship if he must…but as fate has it, things are about to change…
Excerpt
“Billy! Billy, boy!” It was that crazy freshman from one floor down. “Darlin’ Billy! I need your help.”
The guy threw himself at Billy, and if Billy hadn’t reached out and grabbed him, the kid would have hit the floor hard.
“Uh…what’s going on?”
The thought that the kid was cute, but a little overdone, flashed through Billy’s mind. Wait, Billy corrected, not my type.
“Yes, uh, Danny?”
“Dan. My name is Dan…not Danny.”
“Right, Dan. Uh, how can I help you?”
“I knew if I came to you and threw myself on your tender mercies you could not deny my plight.”
“What plight?”
Dan straightened up and plopped himself on the bed across from Billy’s.
“Billy, I need you to provide me safe shelter in these troubled times.”
“Safe shelter? You want to, uh, stay here? With me?” he was confused. “Why?”
“Because, dear Billy, I have found myself with the most dreadful creature on our good God’s green earth.”
“What’s that?”
“A hater.”
Author Bio
Heath Greenfield lives in Port Orange, Florida with family, assorted dogs, cats, and other animals. Having recently taken up gardening to meet with a food obsession and daydreams of urban farming, Heath binge watches documentaries on organic growing and hatches wild schemes to build garden boxes in his down time.
Author Links
Giveaway
Rafflecopter Prize: eBook copy of University of Southern Georgia: Dan and Billy
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Sunday, March 13, 2016
A Spartan Love by Kayla Jameth
Author: Kayla Jameth
Purchase at Amazon
Purchase at All Romance eBooks
Cover Artist: Catt Ford
Genre: historical, ancient Greece
Length: 84k
Formats: Mobi, epub, pdf, print
Alone, Andreas toils on a remote farmstead for a Spartan overlord. When a kryptes enters his world, Andreas fears for his life. The dread warriors stalk and kill helots—like Andreas' father—as part of their training.
Andreas sees only one way to save himself: he must tame the fearsome warrior.
But what began as self-preservation develops into attraction. Yearning for the company of someone other than his ferret, Ictis, Andreas decides to trust the Spartan warrior and risk the fate that claimed his father.
Born to rule by the sword, Theron sees the world as his and acts accordingly, taking everything Andreas offers and reaching for more. However, love between men in Sparta is considered shameful and requires either exile or suicide to redeem Sparta’s honor. Now, only the gods can save them from the terrible price Sparta extracts from men who desire other men.
~*~*~*~*
I have met Kayla Jameth with her historian hat on (in Alexios’ Men, currently out of print) and this author knows her stuff. Now Apollo is back, with new men who’ve attracted his attention.
Apollo is quite real, as are the rest of the pantheon, and attracting his attention can be a good thing. Or not. We’ll see how this shakes out long term, since this is a series and this is the first. Book 2 in on the TBR pile.
Right now, the god is paying intermittent attention to Theron, a Spartan warrior, or kryptes, and Andreas, a helot, or peasant. These two come from completely opposite ends of the social spectrum, and Andreas is only too aware that he’s fair game for Theron, who is allowed to kill helots for sport (and terrorism, frankly.) Finding some common ground just for a conversation takes some doing, because just attracting a kryptes’ attention can be fatal. Watching them sneak up on a dinner date is cute but fraught.
This is Sparta, so you need to check your preconceptions about ancient Greece, habits, ideas, and attitudes, especially toward same sex contact at the door. One of these city-states is not like the others, and Sparta absolutely shouldn’t be confused with Athens or Thebes. The author catches you up on the local mores with some front matter, and some longer back matter if you’re interested in such things. I am. I read every scrap.
These two have a lot to overcome in deciphering each other’s motives and desires, and nothing at all is easy for them. Theron has his own set of difficulties with his cohort of fellow warriors, plus the distrust that is nearly automatic between the helots and the warriors. Andreas never forgets that a kryptes killed his father, just because it was allowed, and because his father was the kind of big, strong man who could lead a peasant revolt.
So these two have a lot to overcome, both between each other and for lacking things we take nearly for granted in modern day. It’s nicely done, forward and back, forward, and back, and finally a little more forward, in that they find a way to be together, though their difficulties are probably going to escalate.
Ictis the ferret, companion and hunting helper to Andreas, provides some comic relief. Just don’t step on his tail!
I’m looking forward to Book Two. 4.5 marbles
Friday, March 11, 2016
Book Blitz: Twisted Fables (Anthology)
Here's something a little different for me, an anthology with MM and FF tales.
Review Soon
This collection of revamped fairytales is certain to entice and excite your senses. From Cinderella to Red Riding Hood, Twisted Fables takes you on a journey through the many fairytale worlds with a sensual twist.
These twelve stories are penned by both seasoned scribes and new authors; the anthology provides readers with the perfect opportunity to explore offerings from their favorite storytellers as well as find a new favorite or two.
Containing M/M and F/F stories from authors Angora Shade, Samantha Kate, Angelique Voisen, Jamie Lowe, Shira Glassman, Lynn Townsend, Asta Idonea, Kay C Sulli, T Strange, Sheri Velarde, and Nicole Wilkinson, Twisted Fables is sure to have something for the fantasy lover.
Excerpt
From The Dragon’s Gift by Angora Shade -- A single clawed digit pushes into my mouth, spreading my lips apart and caressing over the flat of my tongue. I create an O shape around it and curl the edges of my tongue around her finger. The tip of my tongue slides smoothly over her pointed tip as she withdraws, and I enjoy the light smacking sound our actions make from my suction once she’s left my mouth. My mind wanders as I imagine gliding in and out of multiple places… Extra long fingers reaching extra, extra deep… If this is really happening, I tell myself I cannot let her down.
I reach with both my hands to grasp the hand still floating in front of my face. I kiss each knuckle in turn, and then lick the space between her thumb and pointer finger with the tip of my tongue. The texture of the costume is rough in the opposite direction of the layered fabric, and smooth as glass down the other way. I taste something I imagine to be the remnants of stage makeup she might’ve helped a fellow actor draw on, but it’s the warmth radiating from underneath that lures me further; I want to feel it all over my body. Grasping her hand tightly, I place it over my face, guide it down over my features to my neck, and push into the dip of my shirt collar. I feel the trail linger like a mild burn long after her hand cascades onto my shirt fabric and pauses above my rapidly beating heart.
My eyes closed sometime during the action, but I open them to confess what I’ve always wanted to say: “I want you.”
Maxine doesn’t speak a word, but her head tilts from side to side again. I wish she’d say something—anything—to assure me of her intentions. A few touches, some light kisses—they mean less to me without the emotional connection inflicted by words. I’d like to hear her tell me she’s always secretly desired me, been curious. A confession of mutual love would send me over the moon….
Here's the folks who've contributed stories:
Nicole Wilkinson has been an active writer for the better part of ten years. Raised by parents who embraced the arts no matter the style, she has always been fascinated by imaginary worlds and the characters who inhabit them.
Born on the West Coast but raised on the East Coast, she often comments that the two distant shores might as well be foreign worlds for all the similarities between them. She currently lives in North Carolina, but has also spent time in Oregon, Washington State, South Carolina, and Virginia. She has become a pro-mover by now and has learned to love a life in constant transit.
She loves to write. Or as she is prone to say, "I write for the same reason I breathe - Because if I didn't, I would die," which is a famous quote attributed to the great Isaac Asimov.
~~~
Samantha Kate works as a paralibrarian (that’s library support staff) for her day job. In her free time, she tries to pursue more creative projects than is humanly possible. “Bottom of the River” is her first published work; her first novel, Cinnamon and Cigarettes, will be released by Torquere Press in 2016.
~~~
After enduring several evil stepmothers, T. Strange was finally swept off her feet by a dashing Prince(ss) Charming. Or, in actuality, attempted to sweep the larger Prince(ss) of her feet. They lived happily ever after in the charming, far-away land of Canada with their animal friends. One cat helps with the chores.
~~~
Asta Idonea is the MM pen name of Nicki J. Markus. She was born in England in 1982, but now lives in Adelaide, South Australia with her husband. She has loved both reading and writing from a young age and is also a keen linguist, having studied several foreign languages.
Nicki works as a freelance editor and proofreader, and in her spare time she enjoys: music, theatre, cinema, photography, sketching, and cross stitch. She also loves history, folklore and mythology, pen-palling, and travel.
~~~
Jamie Lowe is a mixed contemporary and fantasy author who has released a novel as well as a number of short stories through Torquere Books and Dreamspinner Press in the past. After completing a Creative Writing MFA, Jamie is back to writing on a part time basis when not working, traveling, or studying in her passion areas of Greek and Roman history.
~~~
A bisexual, twenty-something, type-2 diabetic MM erotic romance writer, Angelique Voisen also likes experimenting with different sub-genres. Her stories may include dominant alpha males, cuffs, fangs, space battles, kinky magic systems and happily-ever-afters.
~~~
Sheri Velarde lives in New Mexico with her husband and their two dogs.
Being an avid reader since an early age, she has wanted to be a writer for as long as she can remember. She has been writing all her life, but only recently started to actually try to pursue her dream of writing for a living. She specializes in all things paranormal and that go bump in the night. Her heart truly lies in exploring unknown worlds or adding the supernatural to our world. If it goes bump in the night or has magical connotations, Sheri writes about it.
Being an avid reader since an early age, she has wanted to be a writer for as long as she can remember. She has been writing all her life, but only recently started to actually try to pursue her dream of writing for a living. She specializes in all things paranormal and that go bump in the night. Her heart truly lies in exploring unknown worlds or adding the supernatural to our world. If it goes bump in the night or has magical connotations, Sheri writes about it.
She is constantly putting out new material with various publishers, so it is best to keep up with her on her website www.sherivelarde.weebly.com.
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sheri-Velarde/e/B00JDAKUIU/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1441066979&sr=8-1
~~~
Angora Shade is a multi-published American author living in what she lovingly refers to as "Sheep Shit Nowhere" Europe. In an attempt to add some spice to her small town life, Ms Shade began writing explicit erotica as a form of entertainment. Exploring the boundaries of acceptable sexual literature, she often seeks to create stories that not only entertain others, but also expose and push against the negative stigma surrounding sex in modern day society. She believes that sex, in literature, art, personal thought, and physical nature, should be celebrated and expressed freely and as easily as any God given freedom. Her favorite themes in writing include revenge, self-discovery, alternative materials for love play/bdsm, as well as anything that produces a good tingle, sizzle, or laugh. When not writing, Ms Shade enjoys red wine, travel, dancing, classic cartoons, baking, and creating fine art.
~~~
Lynn Townsend is a geek, a dreamer and an inveterate punster. When not reading, writing, or editing, she can usually be found drinking coffee or killing video game villains. Lynn's interests include geek comedy music, romance novels, octopuses, and movies with more FX than plot.
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Kay C. Sulli is a queer asexual writer of historical, supernatural, and contemporary fiction. She can often be found scribbling in the wilds of the American West. Her imagination is filled with cowboys, patriots, nature guides, werecritters and more demanding their stories to be written. When Kay is not writing she can be found reading everything she can get her hands on, hiking, and practicing outdoor photography.
~~~
Shira Glassman is a bi Jewish violinist from Florida. Not for use in microwave.
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