Favorites from 2016

I've been fortunate to read some great books this year. Each of these books had a something special to make it stay on my mind. Thank you, authors.

Settling the Score by Eden Winters, Review, excerpt, giveaway

Title: Settling the Score

Author: Eden Winters

Publisher: Rocky Ridge Books

Release Date: 10/6/2016

Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 86,000 words

Genre: Romance, Humor, Age Difference, Movie Star, Author, Small Town, Mechanic, Getting Even

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Synopsis

Outed and dumped on national television by his rising star boyfriend, Joey Nichols must face the bigotry of the locals in his small Southern town alone. His dreams of a happy ever after lie crushed at his feet.

Novelist Troy Steele has an axe to grind against Hollywood heartbreaker types. Transforming Joey into a gorgeous, unobtainable hunk would be payback worthy of Troy’s poison pen. It's a brilliant way to get back at Joey’s image-obsessed ex-boyfriend and the movie producer who’s mutilating Troy’s novels.

What begins as simple revenge may tangle them together in something far more complicated. Living well may be the best revenge, but Troy and Joey could rewrite that to loving well.

Review by Cryselle

Oh happy day!  Settling the Score was one of my favorites when it came out in the first edition, and put Eden Winters on top of my favorite author list. I'm so glad this book is getting another edition, it's been out of print.

So of course I needed the new version, because this is one of my 'read again when I'm tired or sad and need a favorite' books. I had to see what might have changed.


Here's the thing, I know something is different, but going through and finding exactly what would be hard on the magic spell this Pygmalion story weaves. So I read and enjoyed, and what I got was the classic Eden Winters Southern flavored storytelling, only better. Whatever happened to this book between then and now just added smoothness and style. Joey still gets his heart stomped, he still needs to mess with that old pickup truck, he still notices that Troy is a much better man than Riker could ever be. And Troy still has to earn his shot at love.

A lot of the story is devoted to the way Joey's world crumbles. It's not quite proportioned like a romance, but that's fine, we need to see what kind of wreckage he's coming out of. And man, what a wreck. I needed karma to crush Riker so bad. Joey's too nice to be actively nasty, but I'm not. I wanted to reach into the book and shave half of Riker's head for him.

The score is definitely settled at the end of this story, but Troy and Joey are almost too busy being happy to notice. Because any vindictiveness gets burned away in what they're actually accomplishing, Which is why I go back to this story, we have genuinely good people doing what's right, even if its cross purposes and manages to stick it to people who need sticking. This is some great storytelling.
Five marbles then, five marbles now.

Excerpt

The Nichols’ dining room table could easily seat six people if it weren’t covered with business records, homework, and car parts. Instead of clearing it off, the family assembled in the living room, parents on the couch, Joey and his sisters on the floor. Overloaded plates balanced on each lap.

“Hush, it’s starting,” Joey’s mom warned, mostly to thirteen-year-old Stacey.

“Oops! Gotta go!” Stacey disconnected her call and dropped her phone onto the floor.

Joey and Jackie were quiet already, Joey afraid he’d miss something important if he so much as blinked.

Ten years separated him and his twin from Stacey. Mom often joked that it had taken her that long to forget the horrors of giving birth enough to try again.

Dad blamed his cousin’s homebrew.

“Good evening, I’m Evelyn Hugh. Welcome to Hollywood Seen. Tonight’s hottie, err, I mean, hot story”—the show’s hostess began, grin unapologetic—“is a young man who’s got all of Hollywood talking. Riker Sanderson has what it takes to survive in this town: looks, talent, and a legion of screaming fans.”

On cue, the camera focused on the audience, where the legion, mostly young and female, chanted, “Riker! Riker!”

“Sorry to disappoint you girls. Rumor has it that Mr. Sanderson is taken.” Evelyn pouted for the camera. “Or is he? Joining me tonight is none other than Riker Sanderson, star of the action thriller, Something to Die For.”

Taken? Joey swallowed hard. Surely she couldn’t mean...

The camera zoomed out, showing the beautiful man who’d stolen his heart and who’d shared his apartment up until a few months ago. Riker, more muscled thanks to a heavy training routine for the movie, sported gold highlights in his now much shorter hair. He looked downright sinful in tight-fitting T-shirt and jeans.

Joey idly toyed with the silver band on his middle finger, a nervous habit, before noticing its mate missing from Riker’s hand. Maybe he’d taken it off for the movie. It didn’t mean anything. No, nothing at all.

All worries disappeared when Riker slowly raised a simmering gaze to the camera. Something clenched deep in Joey’s insides. Those dark eyes hypnotized him, even if they were on a TV screen and not actually in the room. Bedroom eyes intense enough to cause instant paralysis. How many times had Joey lost himself in them, lying in a sweaty, satisfied tangle with Riker?

“Thank you for joining us,” the bleached-blonde hostess gushed, a woman Big Joe said gave him gout.

“Why does she do that to her hair?” Mom asked. “She’s ruined it.” She added the tried and true statement guaranteed to grant forgiveness for any unkindness spoken by a Southerner: “Bless her heart.”

With her whiney voice and constant fawning, Evelyn Hugh reminded Joey of one of the teenaged fans. “I can call you Riker, can’t I?”

“Sure, if I can call you Evelyn.” Her ordinary name sounded exotic when spoken in Riker’s deep tones. That was his gift. He could make anyone feel like the most important person on the planet just by talking to them. Joey had warmed himself by Riker’s fire on many a cold winter’s night.

“I loved you in the romantic comedy, Trying the Knot, filmed in your home state of Georgia. Although only a minor supporting role, your portrayal of the obnoxious cousin at the wedding turned out to be a real scene-stealer and resulted in your big break, didn’t it?”

Riker hadn’t really wanted the cousin role that required him to wear a fat suit and play a backwoods redneck, even if he’d had to beat out a lot of other hopefuls for the part.

“Well, Evelyn,”—Riker turned puppy dog eyes on the hostess—“I’d originally auditioned for the role of Chuck.”

“The pain-in-the-ass playboy who seduced several bridesmaids? Oh, you’re too sweet to play such a cad.”

“You’re too kind.”

A better-known actor had won the honors of playing asshole Chuck. Riker had stormed around the apartment for days.

Riker smiled like he’d hit the jackpot by missing the role. “Actually, I found the cousin part more intriguing. I mean, it stretched my acting skills to play someone so unlike myself.”

“Oh, please, I’m trying to eat here,” Jackie spat.

Joey flashed her a quick evil eye and went back to watching TV.

What a tantrum Riker had thrown about “playing a hick nobody.” In the end he took the money, and assurances from his agent of appearing with a few big stars being a good career move and a way to get noticed.

But he’d done the part enough justice to bring Hollywood knocking.

“What an amazing experience,” the man of Joey’s dreams replied, though that’s not what he’d called it to friends. “It really helped me grow as an actor.” He’d privately referred to the part as beneath someone of his talent and his own personal hell.

“What’s it like working with powerhouse actress Clair Clancy?”

Joey lost the battle to keep a straight face. He’d gotten more earfuls about “Clair, the air-headed bitch.” She’d only spoken to Riker twice during filming when their roles overlapped.

Onscreen, Riker described her as, “An amazing actress. A true professional.” He waved at the camera. “Congrats on the birth of your little girl, Clair. You’ll be an amazing mother.” This from the man who’d wanted to pass a law making it illegal for the woman to breed. Wow, what a good actor. For a moment even Joey believed him.

“In a real-life Cinderella story, a relatively unknown actor is chosen for the lead role of Mitchell Keller in the biggest film of the year. How’s that working out for you?” Evelyn leaned her head on Riker’s shoulder, eyeing him through batting lashes. How dare she? She needed to back off.

A punch to the shoulder brought Joey back to reality, breathing hard and fingernails digging into the palms of his clenched fists.

“She does that with everybody,” Jackie murmured. “What’s your problem, anyway?”

Joey took a deep breath and let it out slowly, a flush creeping up his cheeks.

After what could have been two years, or more probably, two seconds, Riker answered, “It’s really amazing.”

“Doesn’t he know any adjectives besides amazing?” Stacey cut in. “I mean, really! He’s an actor, he’s supposed to be good with words.” Oops, the last holdout in the family swayed to the “We don’t like Riker” side.

Joey ignored her. He’d show them. Soon he’d be living the good life, basking in the California sun. He and Riker had even talked about getting married.

“...and my producer, Ian Hagan, is amazing,” Riker was saying.

Stacey made an “I told you so” face.

Their mother swatted her arm, nipping in the bud whatever sarcastic remark she’d been about to sling.

Riker plowed on. “He took a huge chance in hiring an unknown for such a major role, and I’m grateful he believes in me. I’ve done everything I can to make sure he doesn’t regret taking a risk. We’ve wrapped up the final scenes. Now it’s in post-production, where they’ll add the Hollywood magic.”

What? Riker said a few hours ago that they were still shooting. Well, maybe they had to reshoot some parts.

“Oh, that’s fabulous.” Evelyn’s fake smile lost its battle to look sincere.

Joey knew how she felt. The standing local rule: Never mention acting around Riker unless you had a least an hour and didn’t mind listening. Folks in town phrased their words very carefully.

“Now, Riker, I know you’ve heard the rumors and seen the pictures posted on the Internet of yourself with someone who is apparently very close to you.”

Joey’s heart pounded and his ears rang. Rumors? Pictures? He peeped over at Jackie, who sat up straighter and put her plate down on the floor.

The smile fled Riker’s face, and he wore the same pleading expression he’d used to get out of cooking. “Yes, I have. For the record, I’d like to state that my personal life isn’t anyone else’s business.”

Oh, shit! What had they found out?

“Breathe, Joey,” Jackie urged.

No matter how he tried, Joey couldn’t, because Evelyn dropped a bomb. “Are you gay?”

Oh, my God! They’d been careful since Riker signed the movie deal. How had anyone suspected? Sure, in a few months maybe, when they were ready. Not now!

Jackie stiffened and Joey held his breath.

“Yes, Evelyn, I am.” Riker sighed, his anguished eyes filling with tears. Joey had never seen anyone who could cry on demand quite so convincingly, not even Stacey. “I’m not ashamed of being a gay American, and I don’t see how my orientation has any bearing on my acting ability.”

“I knew it!” Stacey shrieked. Jackie shushed her. Joey ignored her again.

Evelyn scented blood and went for the throat—her trademark. “The man shown with you in the pictures, is he your boyfriend?”

Man in the pictures? Boyfriend? Surely it couldn’t be... Who the hell were they talking about? If it wouldn’t have given too much away, Joey would have made a mad dash to his parent’s aging computer to find out. Evelyn Hugh moved much too slowly. Stomach too queasy to eat, Joey plopped his uneaten meal down on the coffee table.

Riker sat quietly gazing into the camera and Joey almost heard the wheels turning under that mop of highlighted hair. Finally, his lover became his ex-lover with the casually spoken, “I guess you could say we were in a relationship at the time. Nothing serious. We’ve decided to cool things down while I focus on my career.”

What!? Nothing really serious?! Joey gaped at the screen, a flash fire creeping up his cheeks all the way to his ears. Did Riker mean him? A boulder formed in his throat.

They’d talked about forever. He gasped for breath, unable to turn away from the train wreck of his life unfolding on national television.

“Yes, it’s true.” Riker used the same sorrowful tone the hick cousin had during a big scene in Trying the Knot. “I mean, he’s back home, I’m here. It wouldn’t work out.”

Jackie might have snapped, “Oh, cry me a river!” Joey was too caught up in his own personal drama to know for sure.

He knows I’m watching! He knows I’m seeing this! Why is he coming out now? Why couldn’t he tell the nosy woman it’s none of her damned business?

Riker focused directly on the camera, as if seeking Joey out. “Yeah, we kind of grew out of each other. It’s time to move on.”

“I certainly appreciate your candor, and I’m sure there’s plenty of people around town willing to keep you company.” Evelyn sat up, patting at her hair. “We all look forward to your upcoming movie. It’s sure to be a blockbuster. Thank you for joining us.”

Joey dared not dart out of the room like he wanted to and give too much away. At the moment the family only knew that he’d had a gay roommate. Should he act surprised?

The camera left Riker and zoomed in on the hostess. Joey saw her through a glaze of tears and fears. “Remember that you heard it first on Hollywood Seen.” Her goofy grin dimmed a few watts. “Now, here’s another Hollywood Seen exclusive, the photographs that started it all. Last month they began circling the Internet. Until tonight, spokesmen for Mr. Sanderson firmly denied their authenticity. A pity, really. They made such a handsome couple, don’t you agree?”

Joey’s reality crumbled, replaced by a nightmare. The TV screen filled completely with an image of Riker and himself dancing at the club in Atlanta, Riker’s leg wedged between Joey’s, Joey’s mouth locked to his lover’s neck and his crotch pressed against Riker’s denim-covered thigh.

Oh dear God! He looked like a humping vampire!

The image lasted forever. Enough already, take it down! He’d been stripped naked. Laid bare, all his deepest, darkest secrets exposed.

Calm down, no one can tell it’s you. Maybe they’ll think it’s someone out in Hollywood. That hope dashed to pieces with another picture, probably taken shortly after the first. In it, Joey and Riker both faced the camera. The hostess delivered the killing blow. “Our sources tell us that the man in the picture with Riker Sanderson is Joseph Nichols, Jr., with whom Riker lived in Georgia before moving to California.”

Joey fumbled his cell phone out of his pocket and barely managed to hit the right number. Instead of one of the ever-changing heavy-metal ringtones Riker used, a recorded message stated flatly, “The number you have dialed has been disconnected...”

Purchase

Rocky Ridge Books | Amazon | Allromance eBooks

Meet the Author

You will know Eden Winters by her distinctive white plumage and exuberant cry of “Hey, y’all!” in a Southern US drawl so thick it renders even the simplest of words unrecognizable. Watch out, she hugs!

Driven by insatiable curiosity, she possibly holds the world’s record for curriculum changes to the point that she’s never quite earned a degree but is a force to be reckoned with at Trivial Pursuit.

She’s trudged down hallways with police detectives, learned to disarm knife-wielding bad guys, and witnessed the correct way to blow doors off buildings. Her e-mail contains various snippets of forensic wisdom, such as “What would a dead body left in a Mexican drug tunnel look like after six months?” In the process of her adventures she has written sixteen m/m romance novels, has won several Rainbow Awards, was a Lambda Awards Finalist, and lives in terror of authorities showing up at her door to question her Internet searches.

When not putting characters in dangerous situations she’s a mild-mannered business executive, mother, grandmother, vegetarian, and PFLAG activist.

Her natural habitats are airports, coffee shops, and on the backs of motorcycles.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | eMail

Giveaway

One lucky winner will win an ebook copy of Settling the Score and an ebook copy of Diversion.

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Redemption by Eden Winters

Title: Redemption
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

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.

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

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!

Manipulation by Eden Winters

Title: Manipulation (Diversion #4)
Author: Eden Winters
Purchase at Rocky Ridge Books
Purchase at Amazon
Purchase at All Romance eBooks
Cover Artist: LC Chase
Genre: contemporary, action adventure
Length: 71k
Formats: epub, mobi, pdf, print (coming) ebooks preorder until Nov 1, 2014

Lucky Lucklighter has a new life. His old life wants him back.

He traded trafficking for taking down criminals with the Southeastern Narcotics Bureau, and a drug-lord lover for a man on the right side of the law. Bo Schollenberger found the way past the thorny defenses of Lucky’s heart, and made Mr. I-Get-Along-Fine-Alone think about his and his closets, stevia in the sugar bowl, and a picket fence—with a good lock on the gate.

Now Bo is missing, and a voice long silenced asks, “Did you miss me?” Lucky must deal with a devil from his past to get Bo back.

And if Bo isn’t willing to come? A drug ring needs its back broken before flooding the US with a designer high, seductive and undetectable. But there’s a fine line between good and evil, and a truckload of temptation urging Lucky to cross.

Oh yay! Bo and Lucky are back for more stomach-churning, heart pounding adventures. This fourth installment in the Diversion series lets Bo shine as an undercover narcotics operative when a figure out of Lucky’s past and current nightmares turns out to be behind the influx of drugs in their case from the third book (Corruption).


Bo’s cover hasn’t been breached when he’s taken to Mexico at the orders of the drug lord with big plans. But he’s there with no backup, no communications, nothing that an undercover operation should have, until Lucky charges down south. Lucky’s no longer willing to do things by the book, since Walter Smith, head honcho of the Southeastern Narcotics Bureau, has compromised his integrity in Lucky’s eyes. Nothing is exactly as it seems, and the world tilts farther sideways when Nestor Sauceda, a cartel leader and former associate of Lucky’s late lover, Victor Mangiardi, takes an interest in the new designer drug and the remains of Victor’s empire. (How Lucky goes from boy toy to a drug lord to narcotics agent is backstory presented in Book 1, Diversion.)

Deep undercover work is hard on Bo’s psyche—he still slides from one persona to the other, being Cyrus Cooper when he needs to be a tough leader of tough men, and wobbling through Bo Schollenberger when questions of right and wrong arise. Here, little is simple, and loyalties mean something different than they did back in the States. Add to that Bo’s forced dependence on a terrifying new drug, and it could all fall apart in a heartbeat.

The prose is strong and gritty, told from Lucky’s POV. He has to watch Bo’s disintegration, maintain his own ever more fragile hold on his new life, while still sinking just far enough into new criminality to convince the cartels that he’s going to help peddle their designer poison. He’s among those who “knew him when” and it would be so easy to slip into the role he’d been prepared for all those years ago.

The entire series is good reading, with action, law enforcement, a reluctant romance between two guys who love each other desperately and are terrified of needing each other, and thrilling twists through the drug trade going in unexpected directions. With this fourth book, the author seems to have found an even higher gear, with death breathing down Bo and Lucky’s necks at all times, and their reliance on each other both the stuff of strength and the stuff of heartbreak.

I can depend on the Diversion series for a pulse-pounding adventure with a heaping side of romance. Manipulation is the best yet. I'm greedy for the next book already. 5 marbles

Guest post from Eden Winters: Not your Grandma's opera

Eden Winters joins us for a few thoughts on music and nommy men (and it isn't a spoiler that she gets their clothes off in her book, is it?)

What comes to mind when you think of opera? Barrel-chested men and comfortably padded women belting out shrill notes in another language?

In my latest novel, A Matter of When, bad boy rocker Henri Lafontaine meets his match in shy, unassuming opera tenor Sebastian Unger. But while Seb might idolize the likes of Pavarotti and Domingo, he’s of the new breed of opera singer, who are just as competitive about their appearances as the average movie star. And the competition is steep.

And while he definitely wouldn’t pass down a role in tried and true operas like La Boheme and The Wedding of Figaro, he and his ilk are equally likely to belt out popular music as well.

I give you exhibit A: Il Divo. Young, handsome, gifted. And not a barrel-chest among them. Here they are singing Unbreak My Heart (and looking spectacular while doing so).

I'll take two of those, Eden! And the music is fine too! ;)

Eden's been watching more than a little opera lately, and maybe listening to some rock and roll, because her latest book has a hot romance and both kinds of singers. Five marble read, folks.


Wealth. Fame. Gold record. Hookers and Cocaine front man Henri Lafontaine has it all…including a control freak manager, band members who smile as they sharpen blades for his back, and last but damn well not least, a fan out to steal his heart. Literally. Trying to write hit songs and plan a comeback in the midst of the hi-fi white noise of LA feels more like watching his world implode, until he’s offered a month in the Colorado Rockies for vocal coaching.

Sebastian Unger’s rich, classically trained tenor inspires wicked thoughts. More than a pretty choir boy, he cracks the whip without hesitation to drive tattooed bad-boy Henri to give his all to his music. Working, fighting, and finally establishing a fragile peace, they find inspiration and perhaps more in each other. But the clock is ticking. Time will pull Henri back to the grit and gold of LA’s mean streets and fame machine, while Sebastian must return to the opera circuit, where a mysterious man known as “the patron” holds far too much sway. Only the trust they've built on a handful of notes bridges their two worlds...and shields them from malice.

A Matter of When is now available at:
Dreamspinner Press
Amazon
All Romance eBooks

A Matter of When by Eden Winters

Title: A Matter of When
Author: Eden Winters
Purchase at Dreamspinner
Purchase at All Romance eBooks
Cover Artist: Reece Dante
Genre: contemporary
Length: 236 pages
Formats: epub, mobi, pdf, print

Wealth. Fame. Gold record. Hookers and Cocaine front man Henri Lafontaine has it all… including a control freak manager, band members who smile as they sharpen blades for his back, and last but damn well not least, a fan out to steal his heart. Literally. Trying to write hit songs and plan a comeback in the midst of the hi-fi white noise of LA feels more like watching his world implode, until he’s offered a month in the Colorado Rockies for vocal coaching.

Sebastian Unger’s rich, classically trained tenor inspires wicked thoughts. More than a pretty choir boy, he cracks the whip without hesitation to drive tattooed bad-boy Henri to give his all to his music. Working, fighting, and finally establishing a fragile peace, they find inspiration and perhaps more in each other. But the clock is ticking. Time will pull Henri back to the grit and gold of LA’s mean streets and fame machine, while Sebastian must return to the opera circuit, where a mysterious man known as “the patron” holds far too much sway. Only the trust they've built on a handful of notes bridges their two worlds... and shields them from malice.

~*~*~*~*

Rock and opera aren’t musical forms that obviously go together in anyone’s hands but Eden Winters. Henri and Sebastian have a lot of the same obstacles to overcome, in their own separate ways. Not only that, but Seb can teach Henri how to sustain a note longer than 3 seconds without passing out.


This story is certainly a romance, but as important as the relationship is, so is the theme of independence. These two guys have to find their backbones and get out of abusive relationships, both professional and personal. We’re in Henri’s POV for the entire book, which is actually kind of a relief, because Seb has the more gruesome situation, and the author lets us fill in a lot of our own blanks. What I can imagine from the few bald statements is quite awful enough. Henri wants desperately to help Seb along, and Seb’s got to find his own strength before he feels worthy of Henri’s attentions. Henri has his own battles to fight, but he needs Seb’s support on some important healing. What these guys accomplish on their own is as important as what they accomplish together, but neither one could accomplish as much without the other.

Of course, there’s serious heat between these two guys, more than enough to bridge the gulf between their backgrounds and styles.

In trademark style, Eden Winters has swirling issues in the background, well drawn secondary characters (I wanna hear Tessa play the bowls, or the Chinese takeout, or both!) and a sense of place that leaps off the page. Part of this story is set local for me, and I giggled with recognition when Seb drives Henri down what could only be that steep section of I-70 between Genesee and Golden. The heat of the stage lights and the breathless anticipation of the audiences are sharp and clear. Both the adoration and the menace from the singers' audiences come through in terrifying ways.

I suppose no rock star book would be complete without the MC’s singing to each other on stage, but here it’s not the revelation of feelings, it’s more the demonstration of what they can accomplish artistically together. Other sections of Henri’s music appear, apparently Eden Winters has a secret career in rock and roll, because those grim lyrics demand a driving bass line and a gravel voice to pound them out.

If there’s any quibble, it’s that the music industry seems to be working on the model of 20 years ago when iTunes didn’t sell single tracks, but who cares, because both Henri and Sebastian have to remake themselves, for themselves, and to be together. That togetherness gives the lie to opera is stuffy, because Seb and his golden voice blend so wonderfully with Henri and his rock lyrics, and because the two of them are so perfect for each other. 5 marbles

Highway Man by Eden Winters

Title: Highway Man
Author: Eden Winters
Purchase at Rocky Ridge Books
Purchase at All Romance eBooks
Cover Artist: PD Singer
Genre: contemporary
Length: 15k
Formats: epub, mobi, pdf

Killian Desmond’s dreams died in a flash of pain and the scream of twisted metal. He lost it all the night a tour bus sailed off a mountainside, sending his band—with his brother—to their deaths.

Killian is dead too, if the papers are to be believed, and living a half-life of odd jobs, rodeo rides and pick up gigs. The road that once meant freedom is now Killy’s exile. No strings, no ties, no names for the one-night stands.

Answering a tribute band’s ad thrusts him face to face with his past, and into the arms of the one man who just might understand.

~*~*~*~*

I read this in its first incarnation and loved it then, but in its new form we get about twice as much story and I think I love it about twice as much now. I would not have reviewed again except the new version is double the original word count and with a different thrust. And hotter than the first time around too.

The original was gritty and raw story of a man who’d been eaten by fame and all the shit that comes with it, until tragedy let him step away and into the shadows. We get all that and more here—the man Killy beds but refuses to call by name has a much greater part. In a handful of words Tex shows his soul and his past. Three sentences become enough to show why he’s the perfect man for Killy, who never wanted to let anyone close again.


Killian Desmond's running from his demons -- everyone thinks he's dead and he's content to let them believe it, he'd prefer not to be found and connected with the rock star he was, and he's hiding in plain sight, letting his name and everyone's preconceptions cover him. He's leading a drifter's life, never staying on long, never kissing the one-night stands he finds on the Internet or at a truck-stop, and he probably won't stay til morning anyway.

He won't even call the man he makes a date for sex with by his name --that means remembering, forming a tie. Letting the hurt catch up maybe. Killy will call him Texas instead, and isn't prepared for the quiet acceptance of who he is and why he's running. 

The music Killy’d grown up with and used to define himself gets a rebirth here with Tex’s help, in a concert scene that grabs you by the throat and shakes you until you can’t breathe but still feel like you’re dancing. Hope and music and pain and maybe even some rough-hewn might-become-love jump off the page.

This is a story of pain and coming to terms with it, and getting back a few vital things that were lost, even if some losses can never be made good. Killy and Tex are going to make a future with a saddle, a guitar, an old Ford Bronco and each other. Dayum but Eden Winters gets a lot into fifteen thousand words.

A Thousand Word Excerpt from Eden Winters

From Diversion, by Eden Winters

The locker rooms were fairly clean, it being early in the day, and Bo and Lucky shed street clothes in favor of shorts and T-shirts in a communal dressing room. Lucky peered at Bo’s ass while humming Black Eyed Peas’ My Hump, and making up his own words: My big old juicy rump…I turn around and things fall down…

Bo gave him the evil eye, nose scrunched as though he’d whiffed something nasty. Being in a gym locker room made funky smells a distinct possibility. “What?” Lucky donned his best innocent expression.

Bo grumbled and stalked away, finding his way to ring two alone.

Lucky’s second thoughts began when he found his opponent flexing, stretching, and bouncing in place through a series of warm-ups. Oh shit. Ex-Marine. Might have a clue. Lots of muscles. Longer reach. Still no match for mean and quick. Maybe. Lucky threaded his fingers together and lifted his hands way up and behind his head, loosening up. He might have to absorb a bit of punishment.

In the next ring two men sparred, decked out in helmets, gloves, and pads. If genius at the door had been paying any attention he’d be approaching now, insisting Lucky obey the gym rules about protective gear.

“You ready?” Lucky asked Bo, ready to get the show on the road. Protective gear had no place in Bo’s upcoming lesson.

“I still don’t understand what this has to do with my training, but bring it on.” Bo stood proud and tall, possibly expecting a fair fight.

Lucky didn’t fight fair. Using his size, or lack thereof, to full advantage, he dropped to the canvas, sweeping Bo’s legs out from under him and rebounding to his feet in one slick move.

Bo dragged himself upright, the light of awareness glinting in his eyes. Returning Lucky’s shit-eating grin, he faked with his left and jabbed with his right. Lucky danced out of reach.

They circled, each seeking weakness in the other. From the corner of his eye Lucky noticed a few fighters assembling around the ring to witness what they probably saw as a grudge match and not Richmond Lucklighter’s Introduction to the Cesspool of My World.

Roughly five minutes in the ring raised Lucky’s appreciation of his new charge. The man knew how to use his fists, even if he did rely too heavily on his hands while ignoring the rest of his body. Twice more Lucky caught him in a sweep. The next thwarted attempt proved the man eventually learned.

Lucky lost all sense of time and place. He focused on his breathing, how he held himself, the subtle shift of Bo’s muscles that betrayed a punch aimed his way. Occasionally he wasn’t fast enough or misjudged and a blow landed on his shoulder or chest, and once, his face. That would leave a mark.

He danced and faked, seeking to tire his opponent rather than beat him. If he’d really wanted an easy victory, Bo would already be laid out on the canvas. Art hadn’t lasted ten minutes during orientation. For some reason Lucky felt the need to test his protégé’s capabilities.

They prowled, they clinched, they jabbed, they fell into perfect rhythm, orbiting each other, seeking an opening. The man might one day be Lucky’s equal. At least in fighting. He didn’t find a worthy opponent often.

Exploiting a split second of distraction while Bo wiped his sweaty brow, Lucky brought the lesson home, catching him on the chin with a lightning fast left hook, followed by a good swift kick, tumbling the man to the mat. Lucky dived like a duck on a June bug before Bo even hit the canvas, easily pinning the larger man.

Despite the rush and heady affirmation that he was “still da man,” defeating Bo hadn’t been easy. Lucky grinned at the fallen fighter, not a gloating grin, but a, “You did good, but I can still beat you” grin.

He hauled a still-stunned Bo to his feet and helped him out of the ring. One arm wrapped around a firmly muscled back, Lucky guided the loser back to the locker room to comments from the bystanders on form, stance, and who’d won bets. Usual gym talk.

In the wake of a testosterone high, Lucky showered, not bothering to hide his appreciation for Bo’s body, lean and taut with light muscles, more of a swimmer or runner’s build than a gym rat’s. Bo didn’t turn away or cower beneath the not-so-subtle scrutiny; he merely lathered and rinsed his hair and body with practiced efficiency. His broad shoulders tapered down to a trim waist, ending in an incredibly firm yet round ass. The guy easily stood six foot. And while he’d never make the cover of GQ, he wasn’t too hard on the eyes, especially when compared to the rest of the department.

Lucky’s cock responded to the intriguing view and he turned away to hide his budding erection. Taunting a rookie was one thing, perving on a coworker another matter entirely—even if he did want a closer look.

Once dried and dressed, Bo asked, “Mind telling me now why we went a round in a gym when you’re supposed to be training me?”

No harm in explaining, Lucky supposed. “I am training you. Our little exercise today served two purposes. One: you can tell a lot about a man by the way he fights. And if we’re gonna be watching each other’s backs, it’s best to know what you’re capable of.”

Bo chewed his bottom lip, brow scrunched. “Makes sense, in a twisted sorta way, I guess. What’s the other reason?” 

“To let you know from the get-go how badly I can kick your ass. Anytime you want to challenge me, remember this day.”

**************************************************
There we have it, an early scene from one of my favorite novels in one of my favorite series. Lucky and Bo's first book is back! 

There are good guys, bad guys, and then there’s Lucky.

Former drug trafficker Richmond “Lucky” Lucklighter flaunts his past like a badge of honor. He speaks his mind, doesn’t play nice, and flirts with disaster while working off his sentence with the Southeastern Narcotics Bureau. If he can keep out of trouble a while longer he’ll be a free man–after he trains his replacement.

Textbook-quoting, by the book Bo Schollenberger is everything Lucky isn’t. Lucky slurps coffee, Bo lives caffeine free. Lucky worships bacon, Bo eats tofu. Lucky trusts no one, Bo calls suspects by first name. Yet when the chips are down on their shared case of breaking up a drug diversion ring, they may have more in common than they believe.

Two men. Close quarters. Friction results in heat. But Lucky scoffs at partnerships, no matter how thrilling the roller-coaster. Bo has two months to break down Lucky’s defenses… and seconds are ticking by.

Buy it at Amazon, All Romance eBooks, Kobo, Rocky Ridge Books, and Barnes & Noble.

Butt Ninjas From Hell -- Anthology

Title: Butt Ninjas From Hell
Author: Shae Connor , JP Barnaby, Kage Allen, Ally Blue, Eden Winters, Kiernan Kelly, Jevocas Green, TC Blue
Purchase at Wilde City Press
Purchase at All Romance eBooks
Cover Artist: unknown
Genre: depending on story: humor, fantasy, paranormal, contemporary
Length: 89K words
Formats: epub, mobi, pdf,

 Porn stars, holy emissaries, demons, and even just plain humans—ninjas come in all forms and from all kinds of Hell in this erotically charged comedic Wilde City anthology! Whether it’s the world of second-rate television, fluttering ninja stars, obsessions over a bronzy-olive toned soldier, or magic backsides, your authorial guides will take you where few readers have ever dared to go…without protection.

Kage Alan, JP Barnaby, Ally Blue, TC Blue, Shae Connor, Jevocas Green, Kiernan Kelly and Eden Winters bring you…Butt Ninjas from Hell.

You’ll Never Hear Them Coming!

================================


I love anthologies, I get to read new to me authors, and in this case, a couple of my favorites too. Everyone’s got a different take on what it means to be a ninja from hell, and from the coffee-snort title to the last line, this was fun. Apparently there’s a companion volume called Butt Pirates From Space. Excuse me while I clean my keyboard.


Cleanup on Aisle Me--Shae Connor has hell-beasties erupting into a costume store: her clerk Johnny doesn’t quite believe the ninja forces can battle them, but they’re very efficient at disposing of the pieces after. Do not hold liquid while reading, especially the ending.

Sheathing His Sword – JP Barnaby gives us ninja porn stars attempting a stealth shoot for reasons that make the producer look kind of pitiful. Cute, probably cuter if you like porn stars more than I do.

Twink Ninja Tiger, Flaxen Buns of Fury – Kage Allen plays with all the ninja tropes in every cheesy movie when he sets a twinky emissary with a serious case of “doesn’t get it” to the sacred ninja training post for inspection. Definitely do not be holding liquid. Warukatta. Or bless their hearts. Or both. Cause I’m still giggling.

Twerk It – Ally Blue gives a humorous nod to a series I think needs to be mocked more often, with her demon slaying ninja on the trail of the sex and mischief demon who’s creating issues for the purveyor of porn. I never knew there was a demon dedicated to making sure I’m dressed like an old laundry basket. :D


Hell is Where the Heart Is – Eden Winters has a demon with mommy problems- as in the Big Fucking Deal of Level 6 has Life Plans for him. Vik has to find his own solution to her demands. Which spawns other issues. HEHEHE.

Ninja Vanish – Kiernan Kelly’s second rate TV ninjas take on real ninja issues in a deal that looks like agents really are the spawn of Satan. I would like to see them dressed in their Hell Ninja suits. Loved the plotting in the end.

The Soldier and the Vagabond – Jevocas Green has a sort of yaoi story, where the POV character reads very, very young, as in too young to read this book, no relationship development, and a microscopic plot to go with the dub-con. Yes doesn’t happen until after asking is irrelevant. There is a Ninja, there is a mention of Hell, and other than that I don’t know why this story is in this book. Yes, it hit my dub-con hot button which not everyone has, but the other issues are problems.

A Ninja Walks Into a Bar – TC Blue has the longest story in the collection, running approximately 1/3 of the word count, and it’s worth every word. Dallas has been abducted to Hell by the demon Lord Nikita’s ninja, Akira, who falls for his prisoner. Dallas is darling, running at the mouth and not seeing why Hell shouldn’t conform to his wishes, which turns out to be a strength. Ki ends up rethinking everything. Nicely done.


As with all anthologies, quality will vary, but here, aside from one very questionable inclusion, it’s varying in a high, narrow range. Three of the stories are biter-bit, my favorite kind, though to tell you which three and how would be spoilery. Comedy is hard to sustain, but most of the authors managed it consistently, so applause for that too.  Much fun aside from the nasty jolt in the middle. 4.25 marbles

Stories from The Real Story Safe Sex Project from Ty Nolan and Eden Winters

The Real Story Safe Sex Project, spearheaded by Brent Hartinger, is gathering up stories and blog posts promoting condom use. Many talented authors have contributed stories to this worthy project. If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, said Oscar Wilde, and Brent also knows that if you want to reach and teach, it helps a lot to entertain.

To do my small part in boosting the signal, I’m going to spotlight these stories rather than review them. Every author has a different take on this message, and everyone has something valuable to add. Please read and forward the stories, which are free, and thank you, authors, to anyone and everyone you know who needs to protect themselves, male and female alike. Because that old ounce of prevention is really worth a pound of cure, or a ton of battle.


Our two highlighted stories for this week:

From the 2014 BP Readers Choice Award Winning Author--
The uniquely sexy Native American Two-Spirit hero from Memoir of a Reluctant Shaman is back in a standalone tale. He's in the Big City to visit his old friend Otter as they continue to explore sexuality. Otter has discovered attending a monthly safe-sex workshop is the best place to find a date who is already interested in "love with a glove."

They'll have a chance to hear new legends—like the Dancing Deer Woman and more about Coyote than our Reluctant Shaman would ever want to know—from the workshop leader, Professor Comesflying. He's enjoying the experience—until Coyote himself walks into the workshop.

Warning: this story uses explicit language and is sexually graphic. But it also might tell you a few things you didn't know.

*************

Thank you to Ty Nolan for reminding us that the delivery has to be in terms the audience can hear. Coyote is just the one to whisper, “Just this once it won’t matter.” We can all benefit from knowing how to ignore that seductive voice.

Find it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo.

~*~*~*~

Two teenaged boys, an unlimited supply of condoms, and too much time on their hands. What could possibly go wrong?

******************

Eden Winters found a way to leave us rolling in the aisles while imparting an ultimately serious message. A lot of folks crab about two young guys who have no history with anyone else don’t really need condoms, but good habits have to start somewhere. Here’s a great place.

Find it at Amazon and  All Romance eBooks.

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

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

Almost Mine by Eden Winters

Title: Almost Mine
Author: Eden Winters
Purchase at Rocky Ridge Books
Purchase at All Romance eBooks
Cover Artist: P.D. Singer
Genre: Contemporary
Length: 15k words
Formats: epub, mobi, pdf


A perfect life. A perfect home. A perfect husband. Gone in an instant.

Ian’s world turned upside down the day Travis walked out without so much as a word, or even a backward glance, leaving a lonely Ian to wonder why. Their son implores him, “Please go see Dad.”

Two years of hurt leaves Ian ready to confront the man who’d broken his heart, but what if everything he’d believed about their failed romance turned out to be wrong? What if the biggest problem in Ian’s marriage was…Ian?

Review:

Eden Winters is looking at the other end of romance—what happens in a long relationship when trouble’s brewing? This short gives us a look at breaking, healing, and rekindling of what had been so good for so long.


Ian is too stinking proud to chase after Travis when he left, even to ask why. The wound in their twenty-plus year relationship has been festering, with neither willing to cut loose, but neither willing to reach out. A milestone anniversary and a persistent son get them back in the same room long enough to see what went wrong and get a glimmer of how to fix it.

Ian is our PoV character, and the inside of his head isn’t very comfortable. He feels wronged and slighted, and justified in thinking that at long last he’ll sever the tie Travis frayed by leaving. He misses Travis bitterly, but pride is a deadly sin. The author proceeds to deliver a reality check of monumental proportions, starting with finding out how Ian cut Travis out of their friend’s lives, and adding smack after smack until Ian is forced to confront the fact that he’s actually been a douchecanoe.

Travis has his own demons—clinical depression played with his judgment, leaving him unable to speak up for himself. When he does speak up, Ian’s horrified by what he has to say.

It’s a huge turnaround for Ian to acknowledge his shortcomings, and it’s also a major struggle for Travis to emerge from his depression and decide how he wants to truly live. This is Eden Winters writing: her characters end up happy but they have to work for it. Hard. Really, really hard.

Leaving aside the issue of how they went so long before they actually got to the most basic question, (my one quibble), this is a lovely story of redemption and love restored. 4.5 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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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.

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

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.

A Thousand Word Story from Eden Winters

 Cowboy by Eden Winters

One by one the midway lights dimmed, signaling the late summer crowd to amble through the gates marked, "Greenway County Fair." Young, old, short, and tall shuffled away in groups or singly toward the parking lot.

Shane shut down the Ferris wheel, making a quick round with a flashlight to ensure no distracted couple lay in the shadows between the control box and concession stand. He'd caught them there before, pretending not so notice a flash of panties or hands down each other's pants as he intoned, by rote, the carnival rules, such as they were. What did he care if some young woman showed her gratitude for the stuffed bear her date won, or if a couple of local guys found the shadows too tempting and decided to test the boundaries of their friendship. Didn't matter to Shane none—Lord knew he'd picked up plenty of short-term amusements on the job.

All clear. He tuned out the cheesy carnival music blaring from overhead speakers, sighing deeply and wishing the night might have turned out differently. He'd had his eyes on a cowboy, spotted the man every now and then, Stetson pulled down low over his forehead, jeans tight across firm thighs and muscular haunch.

They'd made eye contact a time or two, Shane casually mentioning what time he'd get off. Cowboy smiled, nodded, and walked away. For good, apparently.


Shane sighed again, resigned to spending the night once more with a cold beer and a hot right hand. He entered the fun house, checking for stragglers as he always did. A distorted image appeared of himself with a huge body and tiny head; the next mirror showed him ten feet tall and spaghetti stringy. Clearing the first room, he approached the door to the second, stopping in his tracks. There stood the cowboy, framed by two mirrors.

"Wha--?" Shane started to ask.

Cowboy grinned, pressing a fingertip to his lips.

Shane stepped closer, Cowboy stepped back, waving an admonishing finger.

Shane huffed out a breath. Cowboy huffed too.

Bending slightly to place the flashlight on the floor, Shane rolled his eyes upward to watch Cowboy mirror the gesture.

A slow smile spread across both his and the cowboy’s faces. That was to be the way of it, then? Determined to see how far the game would go, Shane slowly unbuttoned the top button of his shirt, watching Cowboy copy his every move. He slipped a hand inside the fabric, sliding his fingers across his chest, watching, spellbound, as a callused hand did the same to muscular pecs four feet away.

He pinched his nipple, imaging the cowboy's work-hardened digits, and moaned. One beat behind him, the pretend mirror image followed suit. Shane grew bold, snaking a hand down to heft the prominence in his jeans.

Faded denim bulged, the stranger obviously turned on. Slowly, slowly, Shane lowered his zipper, peeling his jeans and boxers down his hips to hang on his thighs. He held his breath, worried he might go too far. Cowboy thumbed open a button, the zzzzzzzzzzziippp of tiny metal teeth voicing willingness to up the ante. Shane gave his aching cock a few languid strokes, biting down on his lips to stifle groans as the cowboy did the same. An impressively hard cock came into view, ropey veins standing out in stark relief. A wide crown peeked out from a meaty fist, a pearly drop of fluid gathering at the cowboy's slit that Shane wanted to lick off. But when he stepped forward, his quarry once again backed away. Oh, hell, if this was all he was gonna get, he'd make the most of it.

He reached one hand under his balls, pressing his fingers beneath his sack, picking up the pace on his shaft with his other hand.

When he sped up, so did the cowboy; when he slowed down, the hardened hands stroking in tandem with him did too. Escalating the challenge, he teased, licking his palm to run over the head, pleasuring his audience by pleasuring himself. Outside a whistle blew, warning of a power shutdown in five minutes. His hand flew faster on his flesh, his balls drawing up, groin tingling.

Cowboy's nostrils flared wide, his eyes slightly unfocused. Shane wanted to reach out and touch so badly.

Their grunts and groans echoed throughout the fun house. All around, in every mirror, hands stroked cocks, faster and faster. Shane's hips bucked of their own accord, the Cowboy's faltering rhythm keeping sporadic time.

Deep inside the tension grew. Compressing beneath his balls with one hand, other hand steady pumping up and down, Shane threw back his head, eyes closed. He cried out, the answering cry sounding a few feet away more than merely an echo.

Pulse after pulse erupted from his flesh. As the last contraction gushed come from his body, a loud thwap sounded outside. The lights went off.

Shane fumbled for the flashlight, but when he hit the button and illuminated the surroundings, all he saw was dozens of Shanes with pants around their thighs and slowly wilting cocks.

Talk about the one that got away.

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Now THIS is how a Thousand Word Thursday picture gets captioned! And Eden says there's more of this story.  ***tonguehangsout***  

But there's novels! Bo and Lucky novels!  The latest, from Rocky Ridge Books: Corruption

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?
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Get your copy at Rocky Ridge Books or All Romance eBooks. Good stuff, review coming soon! I loved Diversion (Book 1) and Collusion Book 2), click for reviews.