Favorites of 2014

Please join me for a recap of my favorite reads from 2014. Some are from long time favorite authors, others from new to me writers, and all of them made me very, very happy.

Thanks to everyone who came by this year, and thanks to guest reviewers Feliz Faber and Eden Winters, who might be coaxed into more reviews. Thanks to the publishers and authors who offered books, and thanks to the readers who thought I might have something useful to say.

Here's to a fabulous 2015! And keep reading!

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

Slushy slogs and diamonds on the ground

Just so you know, I’ve been getting corrupted at Chuck Wendig’s blog. After I read him, I cuss a lot more, and let slip weird and personal bits of information that may not be strictly true. While I don’t really believe his story about the garter snake and the serving spoon, my little ditty about the socket set and the VCR might possibly be true. Or not. Well.

Lately he’s been going off on the self-pubbed volcano of crap. I can sort of see it. His plea for self-pubbers to take some pride, get some edits, make a nice cover, write a blurb that entices, really is in a lot of people’s best interests to listen to. Of course the comments that followed were kind of harsh. Like, I won’t read indie ‘cause it’s all kinds of crap.

I’m not too worried about it on our end of the genre spectrum here. I read indie books. Jordan Castillo Price self-pubs. Josh Lanyon does too now. Never heard anyone complain about their quality. They’re pros, they work their publishing like a business, they do the right things to create a lovely chunk of entertainment. And a lot of other folks I read do it too. Because there are some great pieces out there that didn’t go through an imprint, from authors who take pride.

Of course, I see some of the volcano spew too. Some from authors who should know better. From writers I really did think knew the difference between its and it’s, or that sentences need punctuation on the ends. Be glad I don’t name those names, they make me talk like Chuck Wendig and then I say things like fucking fuckbasket.

Some indie writers have asked me to read their work, and I have. Some I plan to read again. Some I probably shouldn’t have said yes to. Some I’ve declined. Some indies I’ve bought. I buy a lot of books from a lot of authors.

Some I’ve opened the file on and thought oh no, there went my remaining sanity, and closed it again. If you don’t believe that a good cover and a good blurb matter, yes, they do. If, against my better judgment, I look past an eyesearing cover (which in mm is relative, I know) and a blurb of stones and errors, the story tends to match. I try to weed these out early. They aren’t all indie, either, which is another fucking fuckbasket.

One problem I do see as being more of an mm indie issue is that a complete story arc may or may not be in there. If the book is clearly One Big Book divided for manageability, and does have some completed plot arc as part of the bigger situation, that’s cool. But if the books are short and really should be all three together for a plot arc, that sets me off. I stopped reading fanfiction because I got so tired of a neat set up that got abandoned before the plot really started, and a lot of “Book 1”s seem like more of the same, only with money.

Chuck Wendig didn’t really address that volcanoes make diamonds too. There are some spectacular indie things out there. And they aren’t too hard to find. Here’s three of my favorites, some I’ve reviewed, some coming soon.
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What's right about this? All three books are clearly marked as going together, they have a great story, lovely covers, pretty formatting, and just in general show how it's done right.

This Digital Box Set contains all three volumes of the Impulse trilogy: Inertia, Acceleration and Velocity.

DRAWN TOGETHER BY IRRESISTIBLE FORCES

Quiet, grounded Detroit handyman Derrick Chance isn’t looking for a relationship. After spending his twenties recovering from a series of tragic losses, he’s content with his insular existence and not interested in risking the possibility of another.

Stylish accountant Gavin Hayes has every reason to avoid entanglements, too. Fresh out of an abusive relationship with a world-class manipulator, he questions whether he’s ever going to be fit for another partner. At the very least, it will be months before he knows just how big an issue his future health will be if he tries again.

But when a series of home repairs unexpectedly turns into an extravagant game of flirtation, they discover that the last thing they thought they wanted is the one thing they can’t live without. As the autumn months pass and they wait for the final verdict on Gavin’s health, the two wounded men learn to open up, to let someone into their lives, and to trust again. But when Gavin’s dangerous ex re-enters the picture, will their new and fragile bond withstand the final test? 

Find at Amazon. I reviewed each book separately. Might as well get the set, you'll start and want to finish right away.

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What's done right?  A complete plot arc, it stands alone, even if it's better in order, the tale is fast paced and gripping, we CARE about these two guys and besides, Lucky's the  funniest pain in the ass ever. Also I want to lick the cover. Review to follow.

 Renegade biker. Drug runner. Recovering addict. Wanted by the Southeastern Narcotics Bureau. But he isn’t a crook, he’s the law.

SNB Agent Bo Schollenberger’s solved his cases using his brains and not a gun, and with his partner, not alone. Now he’s handed a tough new case involving designer drugs that turn users violent. One false move could end his life as he immerses himself into a motorcycle gang to locate the source. His fate depends on how well he can impersonate someone else. Someone named Cyrus Cooper.

Cyrus is everything Bo Schollenberger isn’t, including the badass enforcer for a smuggling ring. He establishes pecking order with his fists and doesn’t take shit from anybody, not even the undercover agent who comes to help his case.

Simon “Lucky” Harrison’s always been the best, whichever side of the law he was on. Former trafficker turned SNB agent, he damned well ought to be undercover in this motorcycle gang, instead of hanging around the office going crazy with new policies, new people, and “inter-departmental cooperation” that sticks him in a classroom. Yet he’s passed over for the SNB’s biggest case in decades in favor of the rookie who shares his bed. A man Lucky thought he knew.

When survival depends on a web of tangled lies, lines blur, worlds collide, and a high stakes game turns friend to foe. Lucky knows the difference between Bo the agent and Cyrus the outlaw, but does Bo?
 Find at Amazon
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What's done right: a hotdamn of a standalone story, where the stakes are higher than just getting shoved out of the closet, a great setting, and a paperback copy that looks as good as anything on my shelf. Review to follow.

Pro cyclist Luca Biondi lives for the race. For the star of Team Antano-Clark, victory lies within his grasp—if he can outdistance 200 other hopefuls, avoid suspicion from race officials, and keep his lieutenant more friend than foe. Luca also has secrets, and eyes for amateur cyclist and journalist Christopher Nye.

Christopher understands Luca’s need to keep their relationship under wraps, but chafes at hiding in the shadows of his lover’s career. He’s ready to cheer Luca’s victories, but he knows too well how triumph can turn to tears. While Christopher’s heart sees Luca the man, his inner journalist—and his editor—sees the cycling world’s biggest scoop.

From the jagged curves of the Colorado Rockies to the viciously steep Belgian hills, Luca can ride out any bumps—except rumors about his loyalty.

A few words in the wrong ear could crash everything. With miles between them, hints of scandal, and Luca’s fierce need to guard his reputation, a journalist might have to let go of the biggest story of his career or risk forcing his lover to abandon the race. Christopher and Luca face a path more treacherous than any road to the summit in the Italian Alps.  Find at Amazon
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Notice I didn't say anything about the editing. That's because nothing sticks out, these three (5?) books are all coherent and proofread to a fare thee well.  So there, Chuck Wendig.

If this is indie, I like it.

Velocity by Amelia C. Gormley

Title:Velocity (Impulse #3)
Author: Amelia C Gormley
Cover Artist: Kerry Chin
Publisher: Amelia C Gormley
Amazon Buy Link:  Amazon
Smashwords buy Link: Velocity
Genre: Contemporary
Length: 210 pages



Reaching Optimum Speed

For Derrick and Gavin, the holiday season is filled with the promise of new beginnings. Gavin’s officially moving in, and after the new year, they’ll begin house hunting. But they both know all the talk of gift exchange, whose holiday ornaments go where, and what repairs and remodels will be needed to put Derrick’s house on the market is only a smoke screen.

Before the holiday season is over, Gavin will have the final verdict on whether or not his dangerously delusional ex, Lukas, infected him with HIV. No matter how good Gavin’s chances appear with the three-month hurdle already passed, neither he nor Derrick know what the future holds for them.

The holidays have always been a time of loss and mourning for Derrick, but now he has to stay strong as Gavin’s own fears and doubts assail him relentlessly. And when Lukas returns, unexpectedly penitent amid troubling revelations, Gavin has to ask himself whether he can offer Derrick the future he truly deserves, or whether these first few months of happiness are the best they will ever get.

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All the tensions and concerns that have been building through the first two books come to a head here—this is a trilogy like Lord of the Rings is a trilogy, a great big book in manageable sections, with small plot arcs that resolve internally and an overarching arc for the whole. Read the first two—they are good. (Reviews for Inertia here, and Acceleration here.)


Where Derrick has been hesitant and inexperienced, now he becomes a pillar of strength for Gavin. He’s sweating out the final months before he can feel confident that his awful ex hasn’t left him with life-long problems, and he’s having a bit of a problem believing in Derrick’s constancy.

I do love both these guys—they have their places of strength and their places of weakness, and they dovetail so nicely. Watching them work stuff out warmed the coggles of my heart. They do communicate pretty well—fits and starts, sure, but they are talking. Derrick doesn’t always realize that volunteering information would be a good thing—one instance comes back to bite them, but no Big Misunderstandings arise out of silence.

Lukas, the awful ex, is back to yank everyone around. He’s a manipulator down to his toes, and demonstrates how he managed it so well and so long. Watching Gavin jerk around as if his strings have literally been pulled is both painful and fascinating—their relationship would best be described as abusive, and that leaves a mark. Gavin finds his backbone and his strength, so watching him break away from his old mindset, with Derrick and friend Andi’s help, is very satisfying. Some things about Lukas are never quite clear—although short of beating the truth out of him, his motivations will probably never be known.

I was also interested in the bit of Jewish philosophy Gavin mentioned, which helped explain how Lukas could exploit Gavin so thoroughly—in a way, it was using Gavin’s strength and weakness against him. It’s also one of the few stories I’ve read where the Jewish background of a character is more than candles and latkes.

A lingering issue of Derrick’s also resolves, although he’s treating the hockey-related harassment as more of an annoyance than a danger, it’s quite possible he’s really wrong. Neither Gavin nor I were quite as trusting—if you go to a fight it’s possible a hockey game could break out, so the situation devolving into violence seemed far too possible. This section had the one breakdown in the otherwise seamless prose, but one public service announcement in three volumes that could have been one big lecture isn’t a big blit.

Once again, Derrick and Gavin’s friends rally for them. Hannah gets to shine in a subplot, and her husband Devon is a really good guy, even if he doesn’t understand his wife and she’s annoyed how his inner Neanderthal got out again. Their acceptance of Gavin, and his friend/confidant Andi’s reactions show us how the men are blending their lives, as their chosen families expand to include them as a couple. The holiday scenes at the end were very charming.

The sex, as we’ve come to expect from this author, is both very hot and driving the plot. Derrick is anything but the inexperienced man Gavin first decided to seduce. He’s not only following Gavin’s directions, but taking the lead when he wants it, and also when he thinks Gavin needs him to do that. Very hot. There are D/s elements, but not so overwhelmingly so that a non-BDSM reader (like me) is put off. Once scene did make me squirm in a not-good way for a moment, but YMMV on this.

I’ve enjoyed following this work from its beginning two books ago to the last kisses and the promise of a new, joined life for Derrick and Gavin. All three books are warmly recommended for readers who like a layered, character-driven story with some heat. 4.5 marbles

Acceleration by Amelia C Gormley

Title: Acceleration (Impulse #2)
Author: Amelia C. Gormley
Cover Artist: Kerry Chin
Publisher: self
Genre: contemporary
Length: 192 pages

Gavin Hayes is everything Derrick could ask for in a lover. Gorgeous. Passionate. Great in bed. Derrick finds it very easy to just let himself go, to let Gavin guide him and teach him all the things he missed during a decade of celibacy. In the course of a single weekend, Derrick’s routine is transformed, his mornings and evenings filled with sex. Sweet, seductive, wild, or raunchy, Gavin offers Derrick all the pleasure he’s denied himself for so long.

But learning how to be a lover in bed is one thing. Learning to be one out of bed is another. For Derrick, being alone has become habit. Sharing his confidences doesn’t come nearly as readily as sharing his bed. After so many losses, the last thing Derrick wants is to become dependent upon another person who might not always be there.

And Gavin always being there is far from certain. With an ex-lover lurking in the background, and the question of Gavin’s future health still outstanding, neither Gavin nor Derrick feel capable of asking for anything more than right now. But Gavin won’t be kept on the fringes of Derrick’s life. Can Derrick let someone in before the opportunity passes him by?

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When I finished Book 1 of this trilogy (Inertia, reviewed here) I was ready to spring into Book 2 right away. Fortunately, the author didn’t make me wait too long. (I know, Amelia Gormley is not my bitch. She should write faster anyway.)


These books should really be read in order, because Book 2 picks up where Book 1 left off, and a few things will be confusing otherwise. Derrick is slowly coming to terms with Gavin’s still undetermined HIV status, and is coming to accept that his new lover’s health should not be the determining factor in staying together. Derrick’s been through a lot as a caretaker, and the uncertainty around Gavin is guaranteed to push his worst buttons. It’s not an easy journey, and I bled with him at every turn.

Gavin and Derrick are still a long way from being a solid couple—Derrick’s so used to keeping people out that allowing Gavin in is a herky-jerky process, full of small successes and larger setbacks. Neither has Derrick ever considered how being gay might attract reaction in the larger world, since he’s so new to accepting his orientation. There are people in his world who push back, something he’s ready to assign to isolated nutcases. Gavin has to pop his bubble about how this might affect both of them, and it’s a huge marker about their relationship.

Gavin has his own issues, and comes to rely on Derrick’s solidity in a way he couldn’t have a few months earlier. This is especially noticeable when Lukas, the awful ex who played terrible headgames and exposed Gavin to HIV, turns up. Unready to cope with him even over retrieving stray possessions, Gavin abdicates meeting with Mr. Bullshit to Derrick. This isn’t an easy encounter by any means, and has repercussions, but is ultimately strengthening for them.

The secondary characters who enriched the first book have strong roles to play here, and ground the couple in their larger world. Miss Ingrid in particular has a lesson to teach Derrick; it may take him another book to completely absorb it, but watching the gears turn in his head is fun.

Do I even have to mention that the sex is hot? There are elements of D/s here that serve to liberate both men from the ghosts of the past and to solidify them as a couple. It doesn’t all go one way, either—Derrick finds that being able to read, anticipate, and fulfill Gavin’s needs brings as much joy as obeying Gavin’s commands. (Aside: I am not much of a BDSM reader, but I enjoyed this interplay greatly. It’s “no implements”.) There’s a lot of sex in the story, but it all drives the plot and isn’t serving as a mask for “soggy middle”.

There are still unresolved issues at the end of this story, but matters are truly accelerating, and I gobbled up the teaser for Book 3 that the author so evilly kindly included. Book 2 ends on a hopeful note, but it’s a tribute to the writer’s skill that even that hope carries enough foreboding to merit another full book to resolve.

On a side note, this is one of the prettiest ebooks it has been my pleasure to see: the chapter headers have snips of the cover artwork, which is beautiful and evocative of the story. 4.5 stars

A Thousand Word Thursday Story from Amelia Gormley

Lessons

It began with Gavin showing off. A sweltering afternoon in the park walking Chelsea had resulted in a chance encounter with an ice cream cart. Derrick had got his usual cone, but Gavin had opted for a popsicle.

Cherry, he said with a sly smile. In honor of Derrick’s blush.

He’d done things with that popsicle. Suggestive things. Obscene things. Things that really shouldn’t have been anatomically possible. Derrick hadn’t quite believed what he was seeing until Gavin got him back to the house and onto the bed, at which point he’d wrapped his red-stained mouth around Derrick and proven that yes, he really could do that.


So now Derrick sat in his kitchen with an orange popsicle trying to figure it out. Chelsea sat on the floor, watching him with her head cocked curiously to the side, trying to understand why Derrick kept teasing her with the popsicle and not sharing, even though he clearly wasn’t eating it.

Instead, he was trying to make himself sick with it. It melted on his tongue, tangy and sweet, as he slid it toward the back of his throat. Immediately his throat closed and he began to gag.

How the hell had Gavin managed it?

He discarded the melting popsicle and consulted the internet.

Clench the thumb of your left hand in your fist and squeeze tightly, one article advised. Derrick wasn’t sure what his thumb had to do with his gag reflex, but he fetched a new popsicle from the box in the freezer and tried again. The cold, molded juice went into his throat without making him gag the first time, but when he tried to repeat the motion, it didn’t work.

Just relax. Don’t think about doing it, the anticipation will make you tense. Just do it.

Well, that was spectacularly unhelpful. Derrick turned off the computer with disgust. How the hell was he supposed to do it if he didn’t think about doing it?

More than ever, his twenties seemed like a total waste. Why the hell couldn’t he have picked someone up from time to time who would have shown him these things?

Well, the thumb trick should be good for at least one pass.

That night in bed, he came close to humiliating himself all over Gavin’s junk. He lay with his head on Gavin’s thigh, swallowing back the urge to choke and laughing helplessly at himself.

“I cannot figure this out,” he confessed, shaking his head wryly.

“You don’t need to impress me,” Gavin said, stroking his hair with a tender smile. “I like what you do just fine.”

And maybe Gavin did, but that didn’t mean Derrick intended to stop trying. It might take weeks or months, but he’d get it down. He’d learn. He wanted to learn it all.

He didn’t know how to explain to Gavin that his efforts hadn’t been so much about impressing Gavin as they’d been an attempt to take it all in, to experience everything he’d denied himself for so long. Like a starving man at a feast, he wanted to glut himself on pleasure.

Intent on that goal, he crawled up over Gavin’s recumbent body and moved on to other things.

He’d get back to that particular lesson later.
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Ooh! Thank you, Amelia!

Gavin and Derrick are from the Impulse series, and Book 2: Acceleration, will be out at the end of the month. Inertia was good (there's a review right here) so Acceleration is going on the TBR pile ASAP. And nobody lick the art!

Acceleration on GoodReads

Gaining Momentum

Gavin Hayes is everything Derrick could ask for in a lover. Gorgeous. Passionate. Great in bed. Derrick finds it very easy to just let himself go, to let Gavin guide him and teach him all the things he missed during a decade of celibacy. In the course of a single weekend, Derrick’s routine is transformed, his mornings and evenings filled with sex. Sweet, seductive, wild, or raunchy, Gavin offers Derrick all the pleasure he’s denied himself for so long.

But learning how to be a lover in bed is one thing. Learning to be one out of bed is another. For Derrick, being alone has become habit. Sharing his confidences doesn’t come nearly as readily as sharing his bed. And after so many losses, the last thing Derrick wants is to become dependent upon another person who might not always be there.

And Gavin always being there is far from certain. With an ex-lover lurking in the background, and the question of Gavin’s future health still outstanding, neither Gavin nor Derrick feel capable of asking for anything more than right now. But Gavin won’t be kept on the fringes of Derrick’s life. Can Derrick let someone in before the opportunity passes him by?

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Amelia C. Gormley may seem like anyone else. But the truth is she sings in the shower, dances doing laundry, and writes blisteringly hot m/m erotic romance while her five year old is napping. When she’s not writing, Amelia single-handedly juggles her husband, her son, their home, and the obstacles of life by turning into a everyday superhero. And that, she supposes, is just like anyone else. Her first novella from the Impulse Trilogy is available through Amazon, Smashwords and other retailers.

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Diesel 

 

Inertia by Amelia C Gormley

Title: Inertia
Author: Amelia C. Gormley
Cover Artist: Kerry Chin
Publisher: Self
Buy at Amazon
Genre: Contemporary
Length: 46k

Quiet, down-to-earth Detroit handyman Derrick Chance has had enough loss for a lifetime and he has no intention of ever risking his heart again. Living alone in the old house his grandparents left him, with only his dog and a few close friends for companionship, he has written off the possibility of romance or even sex. He refuses to consider himself lonely, or wonder what he might be missing. His life is organized, predictable, and, best of all, risk-free.

Until the day he installs shelves for accountant Gavin Hayes. With his contradictory combination of confidence and self-doubt, Gavin draws Derrick in with an intensity he's never known. As undeniable as gravity, Derrick finds himself falling for Gavin in defiance of all his usual slow and methodical ways. But Gavin carries wounds of his own. Fresh from an emotionally abusive relationship that ended with a dangerous betrayal, his future is far from certain. Can Derrick choose passion over safety, and let himself believe that Gavin is worth the risk?

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I first encountered this author when she submitted a hot little ficlet for a prompt picture, and after reading that, I was delighted to find out there’d be more. A lot more. Inertia is the first of three stories with Gavin and Derrick, and I’m looking forward to the next one already.


Derrick’s a loner, huddling in on himself to prevent any more hurt coming his way: at a young age he’s already had more heartbreak and loss than many people coming up on retirement. It’s easier not to take risks or get involved, a dog and some good friends ought to be enough. But Gavin does a come-closer-maybe that Derrick finds intriguing, and in spite of himself, he gradually does get involved.

Gavin comes with plenty of baggage, which unfolds slowly. Maybe he’s not really relationship material for Derrick, maybe he’s a bad idea even for a weekend’s amusement. Or maybe, he’s worth it.

Gavin has issues guaranteed to poke Derrick’s “no way” button, but his combination of flirting, honesty, and a bit of vulnerability make him extremely alluring, and Derrick comes closer in spite of his best intentions. A scene where Derrick goes out on what he tells himself will be an aimless drive “just to clear his mind” swings him like a pendulum between “not in this lifetime” and “right now.” Very nicely done, and just lovely when he finally arrives at Gavin’s door.

This story does have a number of serious issues to address, and takes none of them lightly, but it never devolves into an angst-fest. Instead, we have two grown men making themselves a tiny bit vulnerable with each revelation, and each understands that the other could bolt at a moment’s notice. Derrick’s the man most likely to disappear from inability to deal, and tells himself that he daren’t come to care for someone who could put him through the wringer and then be gone.

An atrocious ex with no face time hangs like smog over the couple, and several issues relating to him get explored, though not resolved. It smells like sequel bait, which is fine with me; I want to know how they play out. For the moment it’s enough to see Derrick and Gavin come together in spite of the obstacles.

A few things bothered me: I wasn’t entirely convinced that Derrick could sleepwalk through his twenties quite as completely as he was portrayed, and I was also concerned about Gavin’s stability, since he hadn’t been ex’ed from his ex all that long. A friend from the past popped in from Central Casting long enough to make some cogent points and then disappeared; she didn’t have much to say that couldn’t have been handled by another friend with a more ongoing role in the story, but perhaps I’m being too picky here.

This is Amelia Gormley’s first book, and in spite of a couple niggles, I think it’s a strong and entertaining piece (I accidentally took a long lunch at work because I was engrossed). The writing is very fluid and the sex scenes very hot, and when the heck is Book Two out? 4.25 marbles

A Thousand Word Thursday Story from Amelia C. Gormley

There were easier ways to get off, Gavin thought, watching Derrick work. Cheaper, too.

After all, Gavin didn’t imagine a phone sex or live webcam sex show would cost as much per hour as Derrick billed for labor.

But then, a phone sex operator wouldn’t fill out a simple pair of well-washed jeans the way Derrick did. A webcam sex operator wouldn’t push his hair back behind his ear with such an artless lack of awareness of his own appeal.


That was, perhaps, the thing that made it all worth the money. None of it was a show. None of it was a put-on. Those ass-hugging jeans weren’t bought because they looked good. They were bought because they were sturdy, comfortable and on sale. He didn’t push his hair back for effect, he did it because it was kept falling in his eyes as he tried to focus on his task.

Gavin tried to turn back to the work he’d brought home, and failed miserably at keeping his mind off the man working behind him.

His unaffected nature was only part of Derrick's appeal, he thought, glancing over his shoulder again as Derrick dug in his toolkit, his jeans pulling tight across his firm ass. The other part was the contradictions he posed.

The gray jersey of his t-shirt had creases from being ironed. He triple-checked each step of his work for accuracy. He put each tool back in his toolkit with neat precision from exactly the spot he’d taken it out.

Everything about the way he dressed and worked pegged him as exacting and orderly. And yet his chestnut hair hung loose, unruly enough to fall in his face each time Derrick ducked his head.

Why? Gavin would expect a guy as fastidious as Derrick to sport a crew cut or something equally appalling.

Instead, he had the sort of hair that would brush a man’s thighs while Derrick sucked him off.

Oh, God.

It would be perfect for gathering in his hand, clenching in his fist as he guided Derrick’s head up and down.

Stop. Just stop. Now.

Gavin shifted in his chair and Derrick quickly turned his head, as if realizing that he was being watched. Unwilling to let Derrick see the erection that had just begun firming up in his suit pants, Gavin spun back to the work on his desk.

Too late, Gavin thought, hunched over his laptop and cursing himself for being caught staring at the handyman. After a moment, he heard Derrick return to work.

When he glanced back once more, the skin of Derrick’s neck where his hair parted to expose it was a ruddy hue.

God help him, Gavin thought, wishing Derrick would turn around again so he could see the way the blush suffused his face and brightened his stormy green eyes. He wanted to see those eyes widen as he began to realize just what it was he was unwittingly doing to Gavin. He wanted to be the one to tell Derrick just how gorgeous he was, and to watch Derrick’s face transform from bashful disbelief to melting acceptance as he began to believe it.

Now he understood just what drove men to spend their life savings on a phone sex line, or a web cam show, Gavin thought, deleting an error from the screen before him.

He was already planning what he’d break next.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Gavin and Derrick have a much longer story--aren't you just itching to read it? These guys are from Amelia's first book, Inertia, which is now available from Amazon and Smashwords, and is in my TBR pile.

By the age of 21, down-to-earth Detroit handyman Derrick Chance had lost everyone he'd ever loved. Too worn-out and wounded to play the dating game, he wrote off the possibility of relationships, or even just sex. Living alone in the old house his grandparents had left him, with only his dog and a few close friends for companionship, he refused to consider himself lonely, or let himself wonder what he might be missing. He knew who he was and where he was headed. His life was comfortable, organized, predictable, and best of all, risk-free. He was content.

Until the day he installed some shelves for accountant Gavin Hayes. A contradictory combination of confidence and uncertainty, Gavin’s shameless flirtations drew him in with an intensity Derrick had never known he longed for. As undeniable as the force of gravity, he abandoned ten years of self-imposed solitude and found himself falling rapidly for Gavin in defiance of all his usual slow and methodical ways.

But Gavin carried wounds of his own. Fresh from an emotionally abusive relationship that ended with a potentially dangerous betrayal, his future was far from certain. Derrick would have to decide if his rediscovered passion was worth taking the chance of another loss.

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