Serious Trouble With The TWISTED SISTERS! Review and Giveaway

Hi there! Today I’m so excited to share my review as part of a blog tour for Kimber Leigh Wheaton’s new release, TWISTED SISTERS, a contemporary YA paranormal mystery. I really liked TORTURED SOULS, so I jumped at the chance to read the sequel. These are epic ghost stories, not for the faint at heart.

Check out the excerpt and my review, and make sure to enter the $25 Amazon gift card giveaway, too!

About the book:
It’s a child’s toy—what could go wrong?
While playing with a spirit board, two sorority sisters summon the vindictive spirits of three women brutally murdered by a psychopath. Join Logan, Kacie, and the rest of the Orion Circle as they delve into the disturbing events of the past to find the key to freeing the spirits.

But this isn’t any ordinary haunting. These ghosts were banished before, and now they have returned more powerful than anyone could have imagined. Anger breeds hatred and hatred leads to darkness—these phantoms are on the verge of losing their last spark of humanity and becoming completely lost to the shadows.

Can Logan and Kacie convince the tortured souls to embrace the light and move on, or will the spirits succumb to the hypnotic pull of evil, leading to an eternity of torment and suffering?

How about a little taste?

“Huge EMF spike!” Carl shouts, waving the EMF detector in the air.
That’s it. I can’t wait for Raven any longer. Mr. Kincaid’s voice echoes in my mind, calling me stupid for rushing in not knowing what’s in there. But I’m in charge of this fiasco… I never should’ve let her run in without more information. Steeling my shoulders, I cross the threshold into the house.
I stop and survey the scene in seconds, taking in the ridiculous amount of damage. The living room is trashed: sofa overturned, lamps broken on the floor, and the front window shattered by the flying armchair. No sign of Raven, but the girls said they were using the board in the kitchen. As I walk down the hall toward the back of the house, a ceramic figurine flies at me. I duck just in time, and it grazes the top of my hair. I’m finding it difficult to believe spirits summoned from a spirit board by amateurs could be this powerful.
The family room is in a similar state to the living room. When I spy the sixty-inch TV on the floor in a smashed mess my heart thumps faster. These are powerful spirits or maybe even a rogue gang. That TV had to weigh over one hundred pounds, and it’s a good twelve feet from the entertainment center. No sign of Raven in here either.
A fierce wind blows from the kitchen, slamming me against the wall. So much power. None of this makes any sense!
“Raven.” I try to call out, but my voice comes out a hoarse croak.
My body is freed as the wind dies down, and I race toward the kitchen. Something shoves me from behind, sending me reeling across the tile floor. I manage to rotate myself at the last second so my shoulder impacts the wall instead of my head. The wind stops the moment I hit the wall. As I rub my sore shoulder, a loud scream pierces the silence. My stomach drops at the sheer terror in that scream. Raven.
Leaping to my feet, I search the large kitchen for her. When my eyes land on her, I blink a few too many times. This shouldn’t be possible.
“Hang on, Raven,” I call out to her form suspended in midair near the ceiling.
“Hang on? Really?” Her arms are splayed out to the sides, her long, black hair floating around her like a mermaid underwater. Though she tries to project confidence with her words, I can tell from her face that she’s terrified.
“Release her at once!” I yell at the invisible spirits. “She has done nothing to you.”
“Don’t you think I already tried that?” Raven bites out in between gasping breaths.
“St. Michael, the archangel, def—” I start the prayer, but something crashes into me, knocking the wind from my lungs as I’m slammed into the floor. It takes a few dazed seconds to realize it’s Raven’s body crushing me. “Can you move?”

My Review:
This is the second book in the Orion Circle series, and should be read in order. 4.5 Stars

Kacie, Logan and Daniel are back, this time dealing with a severe sorority house haunting. 40 years ago four members of a sorority were drugged by a psychology professor, and three of them were murdered. While time has passed these three souls have been maturing and getting stronger. Their sense of loss and fury has been harnessed into severe aggression.

When two of the current residents decide to “play” with a Ouija board, they unleash a boat-load of malevolence.

Logan’s injured, and not just by the ghosts. Nope, he’s pretty sensitive that Kacie (his girlfriend) and Daniel (his best friend) are starring in the school play that forces them to have a big ‘ol kiss. This distraction leads Logan into unnecessary peril–and he’s lucky to get help when he needs it.

Kacie’s channeling the spirits, but also dealing with the survivor’s guilt. How would it feel to know that your mistake led to the torture and death of three of your good friends? Living with that burden is rough.

I liked the teamwork displayed in the Orion Circle. They have excellent communication, and intriguing talents, from telekinesis to psychic powers, to spirit mediums, to persuasion, these kids (and their adult assistants) are a motley but interesting bunch. I sometime think there are TOO many characters, but the author does a good job of only focusing on 1-3 of them at a time. This story was less about Kacie (like TORTURED SOULS) than Logan, and I expect another book will focus more on Raven and Blake (vampire huntress and werewolf, respectively).

The story rolls on, with excellent pacing and vivid descriptions. Expect to have the horror flick vibe, this reads like a movie in many ways. This is a YA paranormal adventure, with a DASH of romance, so it’s clean of all but kisses, and filled with blood-thirsty villainy and dangerous ghosts.

Interested? You can find TWISTED SISTERS on Goodreads, and Amazon.

You should definitely read TORTURED SOULS, which I highly recommend, first. Check out my review and find the buy links, there!

GIVEAWAY

Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card
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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:
Kimber Leigh Wheaton is a bestselling YA author with a soft spot for sweet romance. In addition to writing, she works as an editor for two publishers, as well as select indie authors. She is married to her soul mate, has a teenage son, and shares her home with three dogs and lots of dragons. Kimber Leigh is addicted to romance, video games, superheroes, villains, and chocolate—not necessarily in that order. (If she has to choose, she’ll take a chocolate covered superhero!) Winner of the 2014 Rising Star Award at the BTS Red Carpet Awards in NOLA & a Silver Medal for YA Mystery/Horror in the 2015 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards.

You can find Kimber Leigh on her website, twitter, Goodreads, Facebook, Pinterest, Amazon and Instagram.

Catching a HEART ON THE RUN–Review and Kindle Fire Giveaway!

Hi there! Today I’m sharing my review and a big giveaway for HEART ON THE RUN a contemporary M/M Christmas romance from Lee Brazil and Havan Fellows. Chaz and Sprocket were good friends before one night of passion sent Chaz running. Will they be able to patch things up, or are they destined to always be on the chase?

Catch an excerpt, my review and be sure to enter the giveaway for a Kindle FIRE!

About the book:
Charles Darwin Millsworth, Chaz to one and all since infancy, has no wish to live up to the grandeur of his name. Fortunately, his Southern belle mama isn’t at all inclined to push her son into a career that won’t make him happy. She thinks he needs to loosen up and enjoy life. After all, that’s the whole point of being independently wealthy, isn’t it?

Chaz can see her point, but his father died in his forties as did his father before him. As far as Chaz is concerned, he has limited time on this earth to make his dreams come true. And he refuses to leave anyone weeping over a wasted life.

Sprocket Moretti is a simple guy. He loves his job, enjoys college, lives in his beloved childhood home—why worry about the little things when the big stuff looks so good. Unfortunately one of the little things he tries not to stress over is a broken friendship with a very hot and bewildering sous chef. They were pals, hung out and had fun. But one night they stepped over that invisible line, and the next morning Chaz kicked Sprocket out of his bed and his life.

Now, no matter how much Sprocket tries to charm Chaz, the guy has no desire to return to their pre-sex playful bantering ways. And if Sprocket stays true to his motto, this little thing—Chaz—should be written off and never worried about again.
If Sprocket had known one night of reality altering orgasms would endanger their easygoing friendship… How do you finish that sentence when all your mind wants is its friend back and all your body wants is another taste?

How about a little taste?

Sprocket grabbed the grande hot chocolates—with a dash of his favorite flavoring, pecan—and reached the gazebo with five minutes to spare, per the clock tower. He set the drinks on the bench of the gazebo so he could spread the blanket across the floor.

“Wow, that’s a huge blanket,” Chaz stated as he took the three step up to stand at the edge of it.

“Never took you for a size queen.” Sprocket winked as he handed him a cup of steaming goodness. “So, what’s for lunch?”

“Oh, well…” Chaz held the basket close to his chest as he slipped off his shoes and situated himself in the middle of the blanket. “Not much.” He pulled a thermos from the basket. “I made homemade tomato soup and chicken salad sandwiches.” He set the thermos down and pulled out wrapped sandwiches, a bag of croutons, a plastic bowl with a translucent red lid, and a small stack of china dishes in rapid succession.

“My grandma used to make me tomato soup and grilled cheese all the time. Except she’d actually grill the cheese before putting it on the sourdough toast. I tried to make it once…didn’t end so well.” He laughed as he shook his head, settling down next to Chaz on the blanket.

“But I’ve heard you and Mason talk; you cook most of the time between the two of you.”
Sprocket accepted the sandwich handed to him and nodded. “Yep. Well you know, we both can cook, but neither of us gets much fun out of it.” He unwrapped the sandwich and picked up half, biting into it. He couldn’t suppress his moan. Damn that was good, and Chaz put nuts in it for crunch, walnuts and pecans. How did he know pecans were Sprocket’s favorite? A part of him wanted to believe maybe Chaz had asked around. Anyone in Craft Time would know and Prudence did too.

Not that it mattered either way. Nothing strange about a friend—and only a friend—knowing something as mundane as that. He quickly chewed and swallowed. “And we definitely don’t do fancy. Unless you count roast, but even then I sprinkle the seasoning on it and throw it in the oven. No fuss, no muss.”

With his next bite, something popped in his mouth, making him want to gag. He held it back, and while Chaz gazed out over the park at the kids running in the playground Sprocket lifted the toast to see what he bit into. Grapes. He grimaced as he quickly plucked the halved grapes out of the salad and dropped them on the napkin by his leg.

“You don’t like grapes?”

Sprocket jumped. Fuck…busted. “I like them fine. I like them right off the vine, frozen, even mashed up as wine…don’t like them so much with seeds, though.”

“Or in a sandwich, apparently.” Chaz noted, gesturing to the evidence on the blanket between them.

“Well…” Sprocket jammed the rest of the sandwich in his mouth and chewed slowly, biding himself some time. While he was trying to break down the enormous amount of food in his mouth, he grabbed the other half of the sandwich and proceeded to pick the grapes out of that also.

Chaz raised an eyebrow at him, and he shrugged. He’d already been caught, no use faking it up now.

Reaching over, Chaz snatched Sprocket’s wrist and guided it to his mouth. Sprocket gulped the food in his mouth down, his stomach somersaulting either from the partially chewed lump it just received or because of the man sitting across from him on the blanket.

This wasn’t what friends did. Friends didn’t use their friend’s fingers as utensils. Still, he probably could’ve gotten past this moment if there hadn’t been a smidge of mayonnaise on the tip of his nail. Chaz spotted it, and while staring Sprocket in the eye, he put that spot right in front of his mouth. They sat like that for an eternity. Sprocket could feel his heart pounding fast, wondered if his pulse alerted Chaz to his extreme interest in the man’s next move.

He wanted to shout at Chaz to lick him. Do it now. Put him out of his misery. There was nothing Sprocket wanted more than to experience the wetness of Chaz’s tongue as it cleaned the white stuff from his finger. That was a lie. Sprocket wanted them to make more white stuff that had to be cleaned off, the kind you couldn’t purchase in a store. Well, maybe you could purchase it…but he really didn’t want his brain to go off on that tangent.

Finally—finally!—Chaz licked the condiment off. Before he could move back and call an end to this little episode, Sprocket broke free of his grip and hooked his hand behind the other man’s neck, holding him there, unable to move away.
When their lips met, it wasn’t gentle and coaxing. Sprocket wasn’t in that kind of mood. He wanted bad and he wanted now. Fuck friends. That whole concept was overrated if it kept him up all night in need. Anyway, this wasn’t his fault. Chaz started this shit; Sprocket would finish it.

And this time, he’d be better prepared. When Chaz kicked him the fuck out of his life, it wouldn’t tear him apart. Because no matter what, he’d make sure there wasn’t a spot in his heart for Chaz. Sprocket willingly would give up half his bed for the man, but nothing more.

While diving his tongue in Chaz’s mouth—reaching far enough back he could say with great certainty Chaz no longer had tonsils—Sprocket damn near convinced himself that he could do that, too.

Then Chaz whimpered, his hand pressing against Sprocket’s chest, right over his heart, and Sprocket knew he was a goner.

My Review:
This second-chance romance has a whole lotta feels. It’s the second book in the Hearts of Parkerburg series, but can be enjoyed as a standalone.

Chaz is a man who believes he’s a ticking time-bomb. Literally. With both his father and grandfather dying young of heart attacks, he doesn’t want to burden a lover with his loss. So he mostly lives a half-life, working hard as a sous chef and lamenting his poor judgment.

See, Chaz really liked Sprocket. They work near each other and have a lot of casual contact. It was natural to strike up a friendship. When it moved into the physical, however, Chaz got spooked. His feelings overwhelmed him and he dashed. He has a romantic sense of wanting a serious relationship, but not ever GETTING serious due to his mortality fears.

Sprocket was crushed when Chaz bolted. It’s been months since that one night together, and Sprocket’s moved on from the sex, but not the emotional loss. Chaz is the only man he’s had sex with that hasn’t aslo remained a friend. His live-in housemate, Mason, is a perfect example. They’ve been casual partners since childhood, and that’s a bit off-putting for Chaz.

I liked Sprocket, though I thought he was way to casual about a lot of his life. Mason, I kinda wanted to knock out. He’s a big distraction, and he definitely inserts his way into situations he should not–and never owns up to that. Chaz is a timid lover, for his “health” reasons. I honestly thought we’d see some consideration about that with either Chaz or Sprocket, but that didn’t I know those fears are hard to shake, and expected there to be some actual discussion, and bonding even, about it. Sadly, no. Sprocket and Chaz do get back together, and things are great, until they are suddenly not. Expect Mason to be a part of the problem.

That said, Chaz’s pull for Sprocket is strong and when things get dicey, Chaz makes his claim to be a part of Sprocket’s life. In a way that was hilariously out-of-place, but considerately managed. As I read that part, I was all: Oh no you didn’t! I turned the page and Sprocket was all: Oh no, you didn’t; so I felt completely justified. That said, the ending is sweet and feel-good. We have a young couple, beginning again (third time’s the charm, peeps!) with honest communication and a goal to work on their relationship. If only we could get Mason to move on/out…

Interested? You can find HEART ON THE RUN on Goodreads, Amazon, Smashwords and AllRomance.

GIVEAWAY

Click on the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win a KINDLE FIRE, pre-loaded with books from Havan Fellows and Lee Brazil!!!
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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Authors:
LEE BRAZIL
Somewhere in a small town in up-state New York are a librarian and a second grade teacher to whom I owe my life. That might be a touch dramatic, but it’s nevertheless one hundred percent true. Because they taught me the joy of reading, of escaping into worlds crafted of words. Have you ever been nine years old and sure of nothing so much as that you don’t belong? Looked at the world from behind glasses, and wondered why you don’t fit? Someone hands you a book, and then you turn the page and see… There you are, running from Injun Joe in a dark graveyard; there you are fencing with Athos; there you are…beneath the deep blue sea- marveling at exotic creatures with Captain Nemo.

I found myself between the pages of books, and that is why I write now. It’s why I taught English and literature for so many years, and it’s why my house contains more pounds of books than furniture.

If I’d had my way, I’d have been a fencer…or a starship captain, or a lawyer, or a detective solving crimes. But instead, I am a writer, and I’ve come to realize that’s the best thing in the world to be, because as a writer, I can be all those things and more. If I hadn’t learned to value the stories between the pages, who knows what would have happened? Certainly not college…teaching…or writing.

Where to find Lee online:
Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Newsletter

HAVAN FELLOWS:
I annoy, love, respect, scare, seduce, hurt, anger, infatuate, frustrate, flatter, envy, amuse and tolerate everyone. I just do it better in writing thanks to a little thing called…edits.

Okay no, seriously…I’m a simpleminded person who enjoys the escape from real life through a book. I write with the group Story Orgy and hope to continue doing so for a long time. I also am privileged to be with the Pulp Friction writers, creating intermingling books in a world all our own.

I recently took the drastic step of quitting my EDJ (evil day job) and am now living in the gorgeous desert in Arizona making a go at this writing stuff full time…and I can’t see me regretting this decision ever.

Just like every other red-blooded human—I get a little bouncy when I get mail (any kind too…email, comments, private messages…you wanna do it, do it with me *winks*). So feel free to drop me a line—whether it’s on my blog, twitter, Pinterest, or you track me down on FaceBook or Google +…it’s easy to catch someone who wants to be caught.

I specialize in writing boyxboy though I read almost everything…and I fancy myself as slightly funny every once in a while. 🙂

Find Havan online on her blog, Facebook Page, twitter, Pinterest.

Nearly There… STORIES OF SINGULARITY–A Review

Hi there! As you know I’m a big fan of the speculative fiction of Susan Kaye Quinn. THE LEGACY HUMAN and THE DUALITY BRIDGE are some serious teen sci-fi/romance. That series is set in the post-Singularity world, where AI rule Earth and beyond. Today marks the release of STORIES OF SINGULARITY, short novellas that give the fans of the series a bit of insider info, and a sneak peek into the novels to come!

About the book:
Med Bots, Ascenders, Cyborgs… and a Legacy Human or two.
(Companion stories to the Singularity novel series.)

This box set of FOUR NOVELLAS (plus a bonus flash fiction) is set in the universe of Susan Kaye Quinn’s Singularity novel series. Learn why a med bot’s world is tragically different than you might imagine; how a machine intelligence might probe the limits of its constraint; and what dissenting humans might do with a cybernetic enhancement… or five. These short stories each provide a glimpse into a dark corner of the Singularity novels

Fans of the Singularity novel series will find their understanding of the Singularity world enhanced by the novellas, but they can also be enjoyed as standalone stories.

My Review:
This is a series of four stories set in the author’s Singularity world. That means AI are not possible, they rule Earth, and apparently beyond. In these stories, humans have evolved into Ascenders, those which opted to digitize their consciousness into a world collective called Orion, and exist in host bodies that are wholly machine. There are plenty of low-sentience bots who due the menial work, and some smallish populations of Legacy humans, who are mostly kept alive for their genetic diversity. Two of the stories are told from a bot perspective, and two from humans. They are all unique and impart an understanding of humanity in the way Ascenders have long forgotten it.

The first of the stories is RESTORE, a short novella chronicling the events of a medical bot who is brought to the home of an Ascender to treat the Ascender’s legacy human artist-in-residence who is dying.

This futuristic world (post-Singularity) has genetic treatments for all sorts of cancers and infections, but these are prohibited to legacy humans–it is their genetic variability which is valuable, so they cannot change their genetics, even if it means dying young due to otherwise curable diseases.

Tyrus is a powerful Ascender and has brought Unit 7435 to his home to treat Sherrie, a 20 y/o artist whom Tyrus not only supports, he has great affection for her, a feeling which is reciprocated. Unit 7435 and Sherrie are told that Tyrus has acquired experimental medicine that will help Sherrie, and in one way this is true. Sherrie has battled through several rounds of chemotherapy for lymphoma, but is now suffering an opportunistic pneumonia infection.

As the day passes, Unit 7435 experiences, for the first time, emotional connection to a medical situation that is out of control. The tension is great and increases dramatically as the bot continues to check Sherrie’s vitals throughout the treatment. Tyrus and Sherrie express their great affection, while Unit 7435 observes and relates the tale, and the anxiety. The end is stark, but truly awesome. Don’t expect miracles of the human kind.

I was fascinated by the resonance within the bot’s POV. Having spent too many days at the bedside of a terribly ill loved one, this short read captured those experiences with a chilling accuracy that was anything but detached. Bravo!

The second novella, CONTAINMENT is another bot tale. This time, a low sentience Mining Master bot on Thebe, one of Jupiter’s moons, evolves enough to not only demonstrate creativity, but to engineer its own ascendance. I just seriously loved how logical, and yet captivated by beauty this bot was. There is an urgency to the story–Ascenders have put protocols into place that prevent the acquisition of such knowledge, but a la Jurassic Park: life finds a way.

The Master of Thebe recognizes all the fail safes, and works within it’s framework to defeat its own processing. It can and does go several directions that are dangerous, and likely to make it be destroyed, if noticed. I truly enjoyed the end, where we are able to see the human side of Ascendance, and how this is not altogether lost in the electronic mind post-Singularity. Again, being in the brain of a bot takes a bit of adjustment, but I think the goals of this character are human in desire, and fully approachable. #Loved

DEFIANCE third is a short story told from the POV of Cyrus, best friend of Eli MC of THE LEGACY HUMAN and the Singularity books. Cyrus is all alone in New Portland, an orphan of the Legacy sity, who has recently lost his grandfather caretaker. He’s about 17, and street savvy, working for a black market augment and meds dealer, Riley. There are lots of chemical ways Cyrus, and even Eli, could while away their time, but they stay sharp and sober. This is good, because it enables them to make use of their talents when Eli’s mom is diagnosed with lymphoma.

This story is actually a prequel to THE LEGACY HUMAN, so readers know that not only is Eli breaking the law to obtain gen-tech treatment for this mother, it is Cyrus who is supplying the illegal medicine. I really got a sense of Cyrus’ anger and frustration for a system where he feels humans are little more than zoo attractions for the Ascenders. Despite all their advances, their rigid rules and withholding of life-saving treatments are considered by all Legacies (and the off-the grid Legacy defectors) to be cruel and unjust. I loved getting to know Cyrus better, and to better understand all that he went through to help Eli and his mom. At any point Cyrus could have walked away, left New Portland and it’s rules and regime behind, yet he didn’t. He had people to care for, and a dangerous path to take in order to do so. A real subversive hero.

AUGMENT is a novella set deeper into the timeline of the Singularity novels. Miriam Levine is a jiv, a human that has mechanical prosthetics, or augments. Though she was born a Legacy human without legs, the Ascenders never installed the leg augments. No, those only came when Miriam’s father defected after his young wife was left to die of a heart condition. Miriam is 16 and an experienced fighter in the underground augment battle arena. By winning championships she’s earned several other internal augments, called mods. This story opens with Miriam battling a friend and fellow jiv to win the Resurrection mod, a newly developed internal device that would slow her heart and body systems to allow time for natural healing in the event of a catastrophic injury.

See, Miriam has a plan for humanity, and it’s NOT to be Ascender entertainment. No, the colonies of defectors have been looking for a Chosen, one of their own who will be both human and Ascended, and Miriam believes that, with the help of this Resurrection mod, she could be the first survivor of the neural implant procedure that’s part of being Chosen. Even if she dies, she reasons, the status accorded to her as a volunteer in the Chosen pathway will allow permanent care for her still-grieving and mostly despondent father. It’s a big choice for a young girl, and she is an excellent new character into this world. I have a feeling that Miriam and Eli are going to have many confrontations in the next Singularity book.

This is a great read for people who are captivated by dystopian fiction, and the AI augmented future of humanity. As the author points out in her notes, we already have a LOT of AI on Earth, and human augments thrive among us. It’s not a matter of IF this could happen, but WHEN…. 😉

Interested? You can find STORIES OF SINGULARITY on Goodreads and Amazon.

Author Susan Kay Quinn
Susan Kaye Quinn is the author of the Singularity Series, the bestselling Mindjack Trilogy, and the Debt Collector serial, as well as other speculative fiction novels and short stories. Her work has appeared in the Synchronic anthology, the Telepath Chronicles, the AI Chronicles, and has been optioned for Virtual Reality by Immersive Entertainment. Former rocket scientist, now she invents mind powers, dabbles in steampunk, and dreams of the Singularity. Mostly she sits around in her PJs in awe that she gets to write full time.

Website * Facebook * Twitter

An All New STATUS UPDATE–Review & Giveaway

Hi there! I’m so excited to share my review for a new contemporary M/M romance OUT TODAY from Annabeth Albert. You know I loved TREBLE MAKER and the Portland Heat series, so I jumped to get this Christmas romance. STATUS UPDATE is a heartwarming tale of two men finding themselves in a very uncomfortable position–and it turning out so, so good!

About the book:
Adrian Gottlieb is winning at life. He’s a successful video game designer with everything a man could ask for, including a warm comfy ride to Denver and a date for his sister’s wedding. But he finds himself in need of a total reboot when he’s left stranded at a snowy campground in Utah. Holiday plans? Epic fail.

That is until Noah Walters offers him shelter for the night and a reluctant cross-country ride. Nothing about the ultraconservative geoarchaeologist should attract Adrian, but once he discovers Noah’s hidden love for video games, the two connect on a new level. Soon, a quiet but undeniable chemistry sparks.

Something doesn’t add up, though. As the miles accumulate and time runs out, Noah must face the most difficult choice of his life. Meanwhile, Adrian must decide whether he’s ready to level up. Is their relationship status worth fighting for, or has this game ended before it’s even begun?
Book 1 of the #gaymers series

How about a little taste?

Noah knew the dog was trouble as soon as he and Ulysses entered the campground’s off-leash dog area. The little guy—some sort of Chihuahua/mini-pin mix in a yellow-and-green checked coat—stood in the center of the scrubby grass, barking his fool head off. The only human in the dog area sat at the picnic table on the far side, completely absorbed in his shiny phone, oblivious to his dog strutting around like all eight pounds of him would be enough to keep potential threats out.

Ulysses gave Noah a look, like “you really expect me to ignore that?” Noah tightened his hold on the tennis ball chucker. Ulysses never did well competing with smaller dogs for his toys. He unclipped Ulysses with a stern look.

“Be good.”

Still yapping, the little dog rushed over to inspect his new enemy. Predictably, Ulysses wandered away to do his business. He was too old for these sorts of games.

Noah gave a halfhearted wave in the direction of the owner, but the guy didn’t look up from his phone. The young guy was a typical hipster tourist—thick tortoise-framed glasses, artfully messed-up dark hair, with a thick purple streak, falling over his forehead. Slim build, but his wide shoulders stretched his too-thin jacket, making the shiny fabric ripple with his motions. He wasn’t any more prepared for November in Utah than his designer dog. Still, he was a cute guy, if one was the type to notice things like that, which Noah was not.

Noah looked away, studying the sheer cliffs that surrounded the Capitol Reef National Park. Didn’t matter how much time he spent in Southern Utah, he never got tired of the view. Phone guy was missing the light shifting into one of those perfect late fall sunsets that made the early dusk worth the loss of daylight. Pink streaks mingled with gray sky to cast a rosy glow over the scrubby grass and low fence of the dog area.

Rowwwr. Ulysses flopped at Noah’s feet, a deep beseeching whine rattling out of his barrel chest. He was eighty pounds of unhappy. He’d waited patiently all afternoon while Noah worked, and now he was missing out on his ball time thanks to the teacup gatekeeper.

“Okay, but play nice.” Noah threw the ball hard with the chucker toy, going for enough distance to outstrip the tiny dog’s ability to keep up with Ulysses. Not surprisingly, the little guy was tenacious, cutting off Ulysses’s path to the ball. Ulysses gave a warning woof, and Noah broke into a run, heading after the dogs.

“Down,” he called out. Ulysses wouldn’t attack the smaller dog, but he wasn’t above a major tantrum. And despite the smaller dog acting as instigator, people would see the huge black dog and toss out the “aggressor” label. Noah preferred to exercise him late in the day—Ulysses simply didn’t enjoy playing with other dogs, and Noah wasn’t one to force his dog into uncomfortable situations.

The little dog stood over the ball, yapping up a storm while Ulysses barked and growled, ignoring Noah’s command to sit.

Finally, the owner hefted himself off the picnic bench.

“Pixel, baby, what are you doing?” the owner called in a melodic voice that didn’t inspire Noah’s confidence in the man’s ability to control his dog. “Did the big doggie scare you?”

Hah. Typical. Noah snorted. “Can you grab the ball?” He didn’t trust those little dog breeds—too quick to snap. He’d nearly been bitten trying to retrieve a ball more than once.

“Oh sure.” The guy reached under Pixel—typical cutesy name for an annoying dog—and delicately plucked the ball free, but instead of handing it to Noah, he gave it a toss, sending both dogs running.

Oh great. Noah let out a slow breath, little puffs of vapor in the crisp evening air that did nothing to defuse his tension.

“It’ll be okay.” The way-too-handsy guy patted the sleeve of Noah’s parka. “They just need to work it out. Pixel loves to play.”

Noah took a step to the side. Who did that? Touched complete strangers? But the guy kept up his friendly grin, not unlike his dog, who kept gamely chasing Ulysses. Ulysses won the race to the ball this time and hightailed it back to Noah. Not releasing his prize, he whined softly.

“Hey, boy. You got a toy?” The guy knelt to dog level and extended a hand, but instead of sniffing, Ulysses shook his head.

“Sorry. He’s not much on new people.” Neither am I. Noah’s voice sounded rough to his own ears—too many days with only Ulysses to talk to.

“It’s okay.” The guy straightened, then extended a hand to Noah. “I’m Adrian Gottlieb. You been at Capitol Reef long?”

“Couple of weeks.” He returned Adrian’s handshake, hating it when a little buzz shot up his arm. Unlike his own gloved hand, Adrian’s hand was bare, a hint of a tattoo playing peekaboo with his cuff, his grip strong and firm. And Noah had absolutely no business noticing anything more than the guy’s relentless friendliness.

Adrian smiled expectantly as he released Noah’s hand.

“Oh, I’m Noah. And that’s Ulysses,” he added, because dog people always wanted to know all about the dog. No doubt the guy was bursting to tell Pixel’s life story.

“Add-dreeee-an,” a heavily accented voice called from the gate. A beefy guy close to Noah’s age leaned on the fence, bald head gleaming in the setting sun. “I’m lonely. When are you coming back?”

“Coming,” Adrian shouted, then gave Noah a shrug with a “what can you do?” expression on his face. He grabbed Pixel and jogged across the field.

Noah nodded like he knew anything about handling demanding friends. Adrian greeted the mammoth dude with a quick peck. Okay then. Not a friend. He should have guessed, but he was a bit slow about relationship stuff. The country was changing, even way out here, but no one would dare try even that much PDA in his tiny West Texas college town. His stomach gave a weird flip—not quite discomfort, but something else he refused to name. Time to return his attention to Ulysses. He hurled the tennis ball as hard as he could.

My Review:
This book is filled with awkward, Aww!, and awesome.

First off, Noah is a dedicated archeology professor seeking tenure in his ultra-right wing west Texas Christian university. He’s a reclusive, closeted, 35 y/o man, sharing company only with his dog, Ulysses, for years now. The pressures of publishing are weighing on Noah, who’s taken a sabbatical term to write a research book. At a desolate RV campground just outside of some of his dig sites, Noah’s quiet is disturbed when the RV parked beside his erupts in turmoil, leaving a flamboyant young man and his sweater-clad Chihuahua-mix, Pixel, standing in his stocking-clad feet watching his newest boyfriend depart with their rented RV and all of his belongings.

Talk about awkward.

Noah takes pity on Adrian, offering him temporary shelter in the event that Trent returns. Yeah, not so much. Adrian is despondent, not just because this is yet another failed long-distance relationship, but because he and Trent were supposed to bond on the drive to Denver to attend his sister’s wedding. Adrian just cannot show up alone, because reasons (which are valid!) and he doesn’t know what to do.

Noah’s not inclined to give up his precious writing time–with a serious deadline looming–but he can’t get over how drawn he feels to Adrian. Yeah. That kinda drawn. Attraction, something that Noah has squelched in all its insidious forms for years now, is burning him inside out and twisting him around. Hearing all of Adrian’s sob story he’s just, well, he’s just going to drive him to Denver, dang it!

Thing is, along the way, Adrian discovers some very real truths about the good professor. 1. He’s gay 2. He’s closeted 3. He’s sexy 4. He’s celibate

Adrian would LOVE to erase number four from the list, but only if Noah’s a willing participant. While they endure bad traffic, blizzard conditions and a budding mismatched dog friendship, Adrian and Noah become very, very close. Noah has been able to stifle his sexual desires, but the experience of companionship that he feels–for the first time–with Adrian is hard to get over. So, why shouldn’t he try? After all, Noah’s on sabbatical. His contract’s morality clause is ironclad, but what harm is there in enjoying Adrian in his RV home, relishing tea made to order and soothing neck rubs? If he takes these few days, Noah thinks, and even a few weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, to share his life with a kind and compassionate man, he could build up memories that would sustain him in his life as a celibate man. (PS–this troubles Noah more because he feels as if he’s taking advantage of Adrian’s good nature, not because he feels sex is necessarily sinful…)

I seriously laughed out loud (and nearly choked on my dinner!) experiencing an epic “I volunteer as tribute” moment. In the meantime, Adrian and Noah bond over their mutual love of videogames–Adrian is a coder for a crowdfunded MMORPG that Noah has supported. They really connect, sharing other interests like bad 80s sci-fi and gay fiction.

Adrian is so supportive of Noah’s sheltered life, never condescending over the reasoning behind Noah’s reluctance to “come out.” The tenderness was an 11, for real. And the sexytimes are hawt. Appreciative and timid Noah is a great match for Adrian, who’s been criticized by partners for being too aggressive, and too picky in his bedplay. The way they work it out together is spicy and sweet, pour on the heat. Yum.

Expect some big changes for the good professor, and all for the best. Expect Adrian to stand up for himself, and Noah, and vice versa. Great emotional depth, and positive supporting characters, are present, too. This is the beginning of the #gaymers series, and I think we got a hint about the MC of the next book near the end of this one.

Interested? You can find STATUS UPDATE on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Kobo, and Google Play.

GIVEAWAY

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About the Author:
Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance out in the open—no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper shelf, she’s a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer.

Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Annabeth loves finding happy endings for a variety of pairings and is a passionate gay rights supporter. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two children. Represented by Saritza Hernandez of the Corvisiero Literary Agency.

Find Annabeth online on her website, Goodreads, twitter and Facebook.

Growing Up in the REAL WORLD-A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a contemporary M/M romance from Amy Jo Cousins. REAL WORLD is the fifth book in the Bend or Break series, but it’s a sequel to OFF CAMPUS, and should be read after that one, for sure. Other characters in the series show up here, and that’s cool, but you don’t have to know their stories for their involvement to make sense.

About the book:
When talking fails, it’s time to break out the big guns.
Five years ago, Tom Worthington busted his ass to overcome the fear and paranoia that led him to withdraw from the world and nearly lose his boyfriend. He never thought he’d find himself right back there, shutting Reese out, keeping secrets again.

Reese Anders is ready to try anything to get Tom to talk: if he can’t seduce his boyfriend with food, he’ll get Tom to open up in bed. But even Tom’s confession that his dad is getting out of prison soon doesn’t clear the air between them. And as the holidays approach, intensive mentoring from a new British boss creates more distractions, until Reese is keeping secrets of his own.

At a company Christmas party, it only takes Tom one look at Reese’s new boss to figure out how much danger their relationship is in. But he’s not about to let the connection that started all those years ago at Carlisle come to an end. It’s time to deal with their problems like adults. Face to face. Or back to front. Starting in the bedroom.

Warning: This book contains two adorable guys with way too many secrets, conciliatory rigatoni, a bedroom lesson on the power of multitasking, and indisputable evidence on what makes the perfect holiday HEA.

My Review:
4.5 stars.
Tom and Reese met in college and have been an exclusive couple for five years. They graduated a few years back and both work full-time in Boston. Tom’s working in finance, and doing part-time school for an MBA and Reese is a receptionist/office gopher for a clothing concept company. Things have been going pretty well for these two, but with work and school, they are a bit on relationship autopilot, and their connection is beginning to unravel slightly.

There is a bit problem brewing for Tom, the imminent release of his overbearing and unrepentant Ponzi-schemer father from prison. He’s freaked, and decides to keep that to himself. It causes a strain that Reese immediately senses. Tom’s ringer is often off, and he’s begging off from their usual social outings. Reese has a very firm hand, and soft mouth, when it comes to opening Tom’s vault, but it’s pretty unfair that Reese has to do all the heavy lifting. When accounting irregularities begin popping up at his work, Tom’s putting in extra hours to clear any suspicion that might be directed at himself, being the son of a financial crook.

Meanwhile, Reese’s job is getting way more involved and intense as he’s called in to some creative meetings with the Marketing director, a suave Brit man named Niall. Niall thinks Reese’s ideas are great, and really admires his tenacity. As their work relationship grows, it becomes clear that Niall has designs on Reese, and not in a creepy way.

With Tom virtually ignoring him, it’s hard for Reese to confide the way his professional life is shifting, but Tom gets the hint at Reece’s company Christmas party–when he sees how close Niall and Reese are–and he’s kicking himself for summarily turning down all Reese’s invites to hang out with his work colleagues.

This is really a great established relationship read. Adult life is messy. There will always be people who wish to insert themselves into the personal relationships of others. Niall isn’t malicious, he’s ignorant of Reese’s partnership. That said, there’s a chemistry there, one that’s lacking with absentee-brooding Tom. I will assure readers that this book is all about the HEA. I hadn’t realized there was a Christmas theme here, but it comes across loud and clear. Tom reverted to his same self-isolation tactics as in OFF CAMPUS, and Reese took care of him now, as he did back then. There are a lot of steamy scenes in REAL WORLD. Because Tom is such a poor talker, he and Reese spend a LOT of time in sexytimes. Hooray for that! I was emotionally invested the entire time, and it really got to me when Tom didn’t trust Reese enough to confide. His grand gestures in the end, however, were a great sign that he’d turned that corner.

Interested? You can find REAL WORLD on Goodreads, Samhain Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks, Google Play, and
AllRomance. I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

Amy Jo Cousins About the Author:

Amy Jo Cousins writes contemporary romance and erotica about smart people finding their own best kind of smexy. She lives in Chicago with her son, where she tweets too much, sometimes runs really far, and waits for the Cubs to win the World Series. Amy Jo is represented by Courtney Miller-Callihan of Greenburger Associates.

Readers interested in autographed copies of Amy Jo’s paperback books can order them from Chicago’s fabulous independent bookstore, The Book Cellar. They can ship anywhere, and will email me to let me know there are books to be signed if you care to order them!

You can find Amy Jo online on her website, Goodreads, Facebook and twitter.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

Coming CLEAN to Live–Review and Giveaway

Hi there! I’m so excited to share my review for CLEAN, Mia Kerick’s new edgy YA M/M coming of age story. This book is a very tough read, not because it’s written poorly, but because it portrays unflinching stories of sexual abuse, neglect and substance abuse in teens. As with all Ms. Kerick’s books, (THE RED SHEET, HARD DAY’S NIGHT), the characters are well-written and the story is filled with inconvenient truths.

Be sure to check out my review and enter to win a $10 GC.

About the book:
High school senior Lanny Keating has it all. A three-sport athlete at Lauserville High School looking at a college football scholarship, with a supportive family, stellar grades, boy band good looks… until the fateful day when it all falls apart.

Seventeen-year-old Trevor Ladd has always been a publicly declared zero and the high school bad-boy. Abandoned by his mother and sexually abused by his legal guardian, Trevor sets his sights on mere survival.

Lanny seeks out Trevor’s companionship to avoid his shattered home life. Unwilling to share their personal experiences of pain, the boys explore ways to escape, leading them into sexual experimentation, and the abuse of illegal drugs and alcohol. Their mutual suffering creates a lasting bond of friendship and love.

When the time finally comes to get clean and sober, or flunk out of high school, only one of the boys will graduate, while the other spirals downward into addiction.

Will Lanny and Trevor find the strength to battle their demons of mind-altering substances as well as emotional vulnerability?

Clean takes the reader on a gritty trip into the real and raw world of teenage substance abuse.

A little taste (from the Prologue):
Lanny

Trevor wouldn’t even look at me when I walked over to the gas station this morning to say hi. And Jimmy’s Fuel Stop is like three miles from my house so it took a major effort to walk there, especially since I’ve been feeling like total crap lately. Another one of my shaky human bonds bites the dust. I need to go out and get myself a cat.

“Can’t you see I’m working, Keating?” That was all he said. But I’ve always been good at reading between the lines. I could tell what he was thinking as he stood beside the gas pumps, totally caught up in not looking at me. “Take a hike before you get me fired, loser. Some of us got goals in life….” So I took off before he had a chance to make me feel like I shouldn’t have ever made an appearance on the planet earth. But I still know it would have been better had I never been born…maybe Joelle would still be okay.

It’s Saturday afternoon and nobody’s home. Mom and Dad are probably off at the park with Joelle, sloshing through the wet snow together so she gets her daily exercise. Or maybe they took her to the make- your-own-sundae-place to improve her fine motor skills by sprinkling sweet toppings on big scoops of ice cream. I’m in Mom and Dad’s bathroom, bent in half with my head stuck in the closet, searching the cluttered shelves for anything that will get me high enough to escape. And I mean anything.

That’s when I see the cough syrup. The bottle in front is almost new, and there’s an older bottle of a different brand right behind it, little more than halfway full. Seeing these medicine bottles reminds me of something Chad suggested about a week or two ago— that we should try robo-tripping. He told me that if we drink enough cough syrup, the DXM in it would get us high in a “super blissful, tingling-body-parts way,” which sounded pretty decent to me then and still does now. Not completely surprised I remembered Chad’s exact description of a DXM high, I thank God for this dextromethorphan stuff that suppresses nasty coughs, because it looks like I’m going to find my much-needed buzz after all.

Pleased that I don’t have to resort to sniffing glue from the tube on my father’s basement workbench or huffing my mother’s hairspray—and believe me I came close—I snatch the bottles with a shaky hand. They’re both sticky with the syrup that dripped down the side last time one of the Keating’s had a major head cold accompanied by a hacking cough. Licking my fingers provides me with a hint of the cherry flavor I’m probably going to be barfing up later tonight. But I don’t care. I can’t get through a single day without some help, and by that I don’t mean help from my human friends, seeing as I have none left.

The walk to the shed seems longer than ever. It’s an effort to so much as put one foot in front of the other. I haven’t eaten anything for a full day; I’m sure that’s why I feel like such crap. And it’s not like I want to think about this stuff, but I can’t stop myself. The “stuff” I don’t want to think about is really people. The people I have hurt so much lately because of my bad habits.

This list starts with my little sister Joelle, who I told to “stuff a sock in it” when she asked me to read that goddamned book about a kid going to school—for the zillionth time! “School’s not all it’s cracked up to be, Jo. Stop being so damned excited about it! Those kids are gonna tear you to pieces and won’t even wait until you turn your back to do it!” It hurts too much to remember the expression on her face right after I told her that, so instead I stare beyond the leafless trees into the gray sky and think about my parents.

I’ve hurt Mom and Dad a lot too, because they know I’m sick, they just don’t know exactly what’s wrong with me. And I’m not sure how much they care. Their plates are too full already with Joelle’s problems, I guess.

I glance down at the two bottles of cough medicine dangling from between my fingers and remember Chrissy and Robyn, who I use like toilet paper. They can do way better than me in the study-buddy department.

I trip over a root that crosses my path and fall to my knees, but just as quickly drag myself back to my feet. A stray root isn’t enough to stop me from getting to where I’m going.

I’m almost at the shed now, and I can’t avoid thinking about him any longer. Trevor hates me. He never calls anymore, never asks me to go to the shed to drink some beer and fool around. He just looks at me in the hallway at school with angry disgusted eyes, and tells me every chance he gets “you’re fucking up your life and I’m not gonna let you fuck up mine.”

Trevor Ladd…the ultimate untouchable. If I could’ve made somebody like him want to be with me, I would’ve surely been able to win my parents back. Well, no such luck. I’m more of a zero to Trevor than I ever was…and Mom and Dad still don’t care.

Blew my entire life sky high. Which is where I’ll be soon, if all goes according to plan. I lift each bottle of sticky sweet cough medicine to my lips and kiss them, one by one.

Just the sight of the tiny, beat-up brown shed fills me with an indescribable sense of relief, probably like the feeling of coming home after years at sea. As soon as I push open the door, I see that Trevor isn’t here and I’m illogically disappointed. But Trevor can’t save me from myself. He did his duty; he tried to get me clean, and he got clean in the process.

Way to go, Trevor.

Alone in a frigid shed in the middle of the woods, I’m more than eager to suck down a couple bottles of cough medicine so I can be somewhere else…someone else. A vision of Landon Keating forms in my mind—not Lanny, the student, or Lanny, the athlete, or Lanny, the son and brother—but the near-future version of me when I’m “simultaneously mellow and stimulated,” if the online experiences I’ve read about taking DXM are accurate. Sad truth is, I’ll take just plain disoriented. Any effect will be fine if it whisks me away.

I drop down to the cold floor and without ceremony open one of the small bottles. The cough medicine goes down more easily than I thought.

Cherry-berry-sweet-thick-burning-soothing- pleasure-pain. It doesn’t take too long.

Itchy as hell…belly’s on fire….

“Read to me, Lanny…read it again!

”Can’t feel my legs at all….

“Wishes don’t wash dishes, son.”

Can’t stop barfing…. So sick….

“Take a hike, Keating—you filthy, no-good, loser boozer-druggie!”

Blew it with Trevor…blew it with everybody.

Can’t breathe…need a breath….

Gonna die here alone.

My Review:
Landon was a great student and star athlete with everything going for him until his young sister was hit by a car. She survived, but with severe handicaps, and Lanny’s family has become all about Joelle and her care. His overwhelmed and overwrought parents are angry and hostile, and don’t even bother to acknowledge Lanny most days. Lanny and his parents share guilt and blame for the tragedy of Joelle’s accident, and Lanny takes it super hard. He turns to alcohol to hide his pain, and he gets his alcohol from the school bad-boy, Trevor.

Trevor is a burn out. He lives each day in fear, and resignation, of the continuing sexual abuse he’s endured since he was twelve and his mother abandoned him with her friend, Carl. When he can, Trevor seeks oblivion via alcohol and pot. And Lanny, the angel-faced “clean” boy that sometimes lurks in Carl’s gardening shed with him. When they are drunk, it’s easy to seek other releases, and Trevor’s easily able to direct some impersonal (non-penetrative) sex between them.

Lanny feels like Trevor’s the only person in his life who sees him. Trevor’s too afraid to love anyone, and doesn’t believe he’s worthy of love, in any case. That said, he sees how far Lanny is slipping–he’s been kicked off the football team, he’s failing classes and he spends every night getting bombed. Soon they move on to pills, supplied by a mutual friend. Trevor knows his only way out of Carl’s lecherous grasp is death, or cleaning up and graduating high school. He tries to get Lanny to clean out, too, but Lanny’s not having it.

Expect things to get worse. Expect there to be real terror on the pages, especially for Trevor when he discovers just how far gone Lanny is.

This story is a story of redemption. It is an honest and harrowing tale of hitting rock bottom, and surviving. The first half is the descent, and the second half is the rise, and it’s not an easy road on either side. Yet, it was told brilliantly, with Lanny rediscovering himself, and his family becoming a strong and supportive unit again. Lanny does what Trevor can’t–forgive himself. And his recovery is well-defined in the general Twelve Step way. This may be a YA tale, but the truth of it applies to people at all ages and stages.

It is also an M/M tale–a dash of romance. Lanny is definitely attracted to Trevor, and acknowledges that he is gay. Trevor was not sure of his orientation–he’s not attracted to Carl in the least–but he does acknowledge that he’s attracted to Lanny, and feels the most love for him that he has of any of the few people who’ve been in his life. There is some sexuality on the page–most consensual, some abuse. Both are told honestly and without glorification.

Part of Lanny’s recovery is making amends for his use and abuse of Trevor, who is dumbstruck that Lanny feels any need to apologize. Trevor’s been mired in guilt over ever giving Lanny any substances to abuse in the first place. Lanny’s steadfast determination to be a real friend to Trevor, not an escape, allows both boys to come to terms with the ills of their past. I adored how very healthy all of this was, and how it engendered a real and beneficial relationship.

At no point did I feel there was any shortcut or glossing over of the tragedy and healing in this story. I think the writing was excellent, if unconventional. Trevor’s POV pages are especially fraught with his fragmented internal narrative. He’s contrary and cagey, and always looking to defend himself and his emotions by denying them. He’s honest with Lanny about being a liar–having hidden so much of himself, never believing that anyone could (or would) want to help him–that he is dirty, filthy, unlovable and unwholesome because of his abuse. It made for a very poignant counterpoint to Lanny’s squeaky-clean, but detached family.

I always struggle to read books that feature abuse of a minor, because I’m a mom, and I hate that this happens IRL. Reading is my escape from MY everyday problems, in many cases, so I prefer the lighter fare. That said, an intense read like CLEAN serves a very important purpose in highlighting the experiences of people who are very different, and often very troubled. CLEAN is fantastic. I hope that it finds readers who have the courage, like Lanny and Trevor, to be present and be counted. To not give up, and to do the hard work necessary to do better than just survive the experience.

Lanny and Trevor discover that life is hard, but very very worth it.

Interested? You can find CLEAN on Goodreads, and Amazon (US, UK, CA and AU).

GIVEAWAY

Click the Rafflecopter link below for your chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card.
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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:
Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children—all named after saints—and five nonpedigreed cats—all named after the next best thing to saints, Boston Red Sox players. Her husband of twenty-two years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about that, as it is a sensitive subject.

Mia focuses her stories on the emotional growth of troubled young people and their relationships, and she believes that physical intimacy has a place in a love story, but not until it is firmly established as a love story. As a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with romantic tales of tortured heroes (most of whom happened to strongly resemble lead vocalists of 1980s big-hair bands) and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to Dreamspinner Press, Harmony Ink Press, and CreateSpace for providing her with alternate places to stash her stories.

Mia is a social liberal and cheers for each and every victory made in the name of human rights, especially marital equality. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.

Where to find Mia online: Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Hidden in the RAIN SHADOW–A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a newly published episode in the Bluewater Bay series. RAIN SHADOW by LA Witt is an adult, M/M contemporary romance that features mature men finding love even if they don’t want to… I’ve enjoyed many books in this series, including LONE WOLF and WEDDING FAVORS. While all the books take place in the Bluewater Bay universe, they are all able to be enjoyed as standalones.

About the book:
Jeremy Rose came to Bluewater Bay to work as Anna Maxwell’s bodyguard, not to escape his increasingly bitter relationship with his estranged kids. He just wants to focus on his job and be alone for a while. He’s done with love, especially now that three years after his long overdue divorce, he’s got a front-row seat to the rapid deterioration between Anna and her girlfriend. Cynical doesn’t even begin to describe him.

Then Anna and Leigh’s attempts to reconcile put him in the crosshairs of marriage counselor Scott Fletcher. Scott’s exactly what Jeremy needs right now: gorgeous, hot, horny, single, and 100% uninterested in a relationship. The problem is, too much no-strings-attached sex—and too much time in each other’s company—inevitably builds emotional connection.

Except Jeremy refuses to seek counseling for his broken family, and Scott refuses to get seriously involved with men who work dangerous jobs. They both need to realize they can only hide for so long from the pain they came here to escape. They must face their pasts before they lose their shot at a happy future.

My Review:

This is part of the Bluewater Bay series, but can be fully enjoyed as a standalone.

Jeremy is a 40ish man who recently
1. Came out of the closet
2. Divorced his wife of 15+ years
3. Moved to Bluewater Bay to give his family space, and work as a private security detail to the Wolf’s Landing film crew.

In particular, Jeremy is the main protector for one of the show’s director/producers: Anna. Anna and her live-in girlfriend Leigh have a rocky relationship, and are in counseling which is hard for Jeremy to experience. He spent years in couples therapy after coming out, trying to make the marriage work “for the kids’ sake”

News flash: It didn’t work, and Jeremy’s convinced that counseling is a waste of time and money. He want’s nothing to do with relationships now, or ever, partly because his kids are having SERIOUS problems with dad being gay.

He meets silver fox Scott while he escorts Anna and Leigh on one of their “togetherness outings”. Jeremy senses an attraction, but fails to get Scott’s contact info. Imagine his frustration to learn that Scott is a marriage and family counselor at the same clinic where Anna and Leigh seek advice. Scott’s tentative with Jeremy when he learns he’s in security–Scott’s one and only love was a cop killed in the line of duty.

These mature men embark on a no-strings sexual extravaganza, all the while sliding headfirst into Relationshipville. Neither wants to admit it, and neither wants to let it go, but the animosity that each feels for the other’s job is problematic. Scott wants to counsel Jeremy on his family troubles, and Jeremy wants to assure Scott he’s safe in his security duties.

They have struggles. Part of this is not having a healthy communication. Also, Jeremy’s daughter, particularly, doesn’t help. She’s a serious brat. Unfortunately, remembering my own kids in their teens brings back nightmares of that combativeness, so she’s got some authenticity in my read. I think Jeremy and his ex gave her too much power, however. Jeremy seems bent on weaving himself a hairshirt to wear regarding his late coming out, and being a closeted gay man married to a woman. And Scott is not as understanding as I’d like, for a counselor. For mature men, they make some juvenile decisions. Scott’s ultimatum to Jeremy: counseling or else, was completely uncalled-for and jarring due to poor foreshadowing.

That said, there’s lots to be enjoyed in the sexytimes. I love mature men finding love, and this book has that, as well. I admired the amiable relationship between Jeremy and his ex; that was pleasant. The book ends a little shy of an HEA, but it’s implied. So…HFN, hot men, and thoughtful partners, for the most part.

Interested? You can find RAN SHADOW on Goodreads, Riptide Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and AllRomance. I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

About the Author:
L.A. Witt is an abnormal M/M romance writer who, after three years in Okinawa, Japan, has recently relocated to Omaha, Nebraska, with her husband, two cats, and a three-headed clairvoyant parakeet named Fred. There is some speculation that this move was not actually because of her husband’s military orders, but to help L. A. close in on her arch nemesis, erotica author Lauren Gallagher, who has also recently transferred to Omaha. So, don’t anyone tell Lauren. She’s not getting away this time…

Visit her website, Facebook, and twitter.

Life and Love Beyond the WINTER ORANGES–A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for WINTER ORANGES, a paranormal M/M Christmas romance from Marie Sexton. This is a tender romance between a “washed up” child star and the time-trapped man who “haunts” his guesthouse. Check out the cover below, and get a hint for the paranormal aspect which is handled amazingly!

It’s really such a lovely story, and has a great feel-good vibe to it. I highly recommend.

Please note that twenty percent of the proceeds from this title will be donated to the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) National Help Center.

About the book:
Jason Walker is a child star turned teen heartthrob turned reluctant B-movie regular who’s sick of his failing career. So he gives up Hollywood for northern Idaho, far away from the press, the drama of LA, and the best friend he’s secretly been in love with for years.

There’s only one problem with his new life: a strange young man only he can see is haunting his guesthouse. Except Benjamin Ward isn’t a ghost. He’s a man caught out of time, trapped since the Civil War in a magical prison where he can only watch the lives of those around him. He’s also sweet, funny, and cute as hell, with an affinity for cheesy ’80s TV shows. And he’s thrilled to finally have someone to talk to.

But Jason quickly discovers that spending all his time with a man nobody else can see or hear isn’t without its problems—especially when the tabloids find him again and make him front-page news. The local sheriff thinks he’s on drugs, and his best friend thinks he’s crazy. But Jason knows he hasn’t lost his mind. Too bad he can’t say the same thing about his heart.

My Review:
This is a beautiful, Christmas, paranormal M/M romance.

Jason is a Hollywood-has-been, a former child star who’s become a B-list actor in slasher flicks, and he’s plain tired of it. The tabloids have been hounding him for years, capturing and exaggerating every foible of his life, so Jason’s moved out to rural Idaho to escape and regroup. He’s got one close friend (with benefits) Dylan, who Jason has secretly loved for the better part of ten years. Dylan’s bisexual, and not the monogamous type. He gives Jason what he can, which is never enough.

While moving in, Jason observes a stranger in his guest house. Believing it’s paparazzi, Jason calls the local sheriff, but no one is found. It is then that Jason realizes that he is the only person who can see the man looking back at him through the guest house window. A ghost then?

Not so much.

Ben, as Jason soon learns, was trapped in a snow globe by his sister, to avoid enlistment into the Confederate Army. Yup. Ben is 170 years old, and has spent 150 years trapped in the barren landscape of the scene in the globe. Jason is the first person he has spoken to since the Union deserter stole him from his family home in Tennessee.

This is a paranormal romance, and one must make some leaps of faith to love this story, but only in the scientific realm. The emotional landscape is richly textured, and the realities of Ben and Jason’s growing affection are well-sorted by the author. Over the course of two months, Jason and Ben become very close indeed, and it leads to big trouble.

Dylan is afraid that Jason’s losing his mind, and at times Jason agrees. One thing is for certain, Jason cannot imagine his life without Ben–and he doesn’t want to. Experimenting with their boundaries leads to health problems for Jason, however.

I will admit to sensing the exact path this story was going to take, and that’s totally fine because the journey was excellent. I didn’t want to miss a step, walking beside Ben and Jason on their snowy treks or movie theater escapades or dreamscapes. These are two guys who needed real love, true acceptance, and they gave and gave and gave of themselves–to each other. Jason could have easily thrown Dylan off his suspicions by simply giving in to his normal relations with Dylan, but once he had developed intimacy with Ben, he couldn’t accept Dylan’s less-than-ardent advances.

Throughout the book I has a sense of expectation, for both disaster and happiness, and both were satisfied. The climax is a bit of a thriller, and the epilogue made me chuckle. I wanted a little bit more sexytimes, but, hey, the book has tons of emotional moments, so my heart soared and plummeted along with Jason’s. I wished I had the chance to know Ben’s sister Sarah. She seems like a fantastic gal.

In all, this is a most enjoyable paranormal read, with a great small cast and a love that defied all boundaries.

Interested? You can find WINTER ORANGES on Goodreads, Riptide Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and AllRomance. I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

About the Author:
Marie Sexton lives in Colorado. She’s a fan of just about anything that involves muscular young men piling on top of each other. In particular, she loves the Denver Broncos and enjoys going to the games with her husband. Her imaginary friends often tag along. Marie has one daughter, two cats, and one dog, all of whom seem bent on destroying what remains of her sanity. She loves them anyway.

Visit Marie’s website, follow her on twitter, friend her on Facebook, or join her for Coffee and Porn in the Morning.

Thanks for popping in my friends, and keep reading!

Suffering as a GIRL ON THE RUN–A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a contemporary YA romance newly published by B.R. Myers. GIRL ON THE RUN tells the story of Jesse Collins, a grief-stricken champion runner who can’t figure out the next step to take, now that her dad’s gone. It’s melancholy and funny and irreverent and harrowing, as Jesse takes on the role of summer camp counselor to four of the worst boys at Kamp Krystal Lake…and learns that she’s got to stop running from her guilt to get her feet back on the right path.

About the book:

When seventeen-year-old track and field star Jesse Collins’ dreams of a full scholarship are shattered after the sudden death of her dad, she leaves home to work as a summer camp counselor to escape the small town nosy stares…and her own secret guilt.

After a mix-up at registration, she’s put in charge of a boys’ cabin, and the head counselor, Kirk, predicts she won’t last the first two weeks. In the midst of fending off four twelve-year-old boys who are hell-bent on mortifying her and a growing attraction to Kirk, Jesse finds the inspiration to run again from an unlikely source. But getting her old life back isn’t that easy and soon Jesse will realize that a good pair of legs can take a girl far, but she’ll never outrun the truth.

My Review:

4.5 Stars for this contemporary teen novel.

Jesse Collins is an exceptional runner who will not even don her track shoes since her father died three months ago. She was so devastated by his loss, in a terrifying and tragic incident for which Jesse feels guilty, that she’s sworn off running. This upsets her mother, grandma, and best friend Chloe something fierce, and they are all relieved that Jesse has decided to work as a summer camp counselor, thinking that the break will give her the chance to find herself again.

What Jesse finds at Kamp Krystal Lake is that she was mistaken as a male, on account of her name (she’s named for legendary Olympic runner Jesse Owens) and she’s bunked in with four 12 y/o boys. Spencer, the rich-kid troublemaker, identical twins Liam and Duff–who is deaf–and Scotty, who seems to be the good one, but definitely does some nasty pranking. While settling in, Jesse is besieged by pranks–like waking to an eel in her bed! and having her panties paraded in front of the camp.

No matter what, though, Jesse won’t allow herself to look weak in front of the head counselor: Kirk. She battles on, always looking for the bright side on the outside. On the inside, Jesse’s a big a mess as she was back home. Check that, she’s messier. She can’t let out her grief, fearing that the boys in her cabin will be waiting for any weakness to pounce. She’s not noticing how well she’s won over her campers, or even Kirk, until most of the way through the book.

Jesse is a pragmatic girl, and she knows she isn’t a cupcake counselor, pretty and petite with all the female <i>accoutrement</i>. That said, she’s sporty and fun, and a guy magnet for that reason. Also, she’s able to give insight to her hormonal cabin mates, all of whom want to learn how to better communicate with the girls at camp. Jesse’s a compassionate person, and her tenacity results in more than kisses and championships. She makes a difference for her campers, and for herself.

There is no returning to the Old Jesse, however, and that’s okay, because this new Jesse is a strong independent girl, well on her way to becoming a fierce woman her father would have been proud to know. There are some romantic tensions, and the possibility of a love triangle, but that’s settled out really quickly. I enjoyed the secondary characters very much, and they had plenty of time on the page to demonstrate their full selves, while helping Jesse to find her path. Jesse’s 17 and does date in the book. Expect fade-to-black loving that’s fully teen-appropriate. Also, expect Jesse to weather some harrowing and hilarious scenes like the champion she is. So many times I shook my head in amazement and sympathy. Poor Jesse!

The one complaint I had, besides Jesse being kinda clueless about her friendships, is that I had no idea where we were in the world. I am figuring Eastern Canada, but I REALLY would have liked to be told so at some point early in the story. I read a LOT of books that are set in “America” but are written in British English, and that irritates me as a reader. It’s not the case here, as there is no definite setting, but I would have settled into the book sooner if I had been told by the author where I was when I turned the first few pages.

Interested? You can find GIRL ON THE RUN on Goodreads, Nimbus Publishing, and Amazon.

About the Author:

Always in the mood for a good scare, B.R. Myers spent most of her teen years behind the covers of Lois Duncan, Ray Bradbury, and Stephen King. When she’s not putting her characters in awkward situations, she works as a registered nurse. A member of the Writer’s Federation of Nova Scotia, she lives in Halifax with her husband and two children—and there is still a stack of books on her bedside table.

You can find Ms. Myers on her website, twitter and Facebook.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

Pawns in the Game? DRIVEN SNOW–Review and Giveaway!

Hi there! Today I’m sharing my review for DRIVEN SNOW, a contemporary M/M re-imagining of Snow White by Tara Lain. As you know I liked SINDERS AND ASH, and was interested to experience this fresh re-telling of another fairytale. It’s a fun literary idea, even when it falls short for me.

Make sure to check out the excerpt and enter to win a $20 Amazon gift card.

About the book:
Young Snowden “Snow” Reynaldi is brilliant, beautiful, and alone. Though he’s shy, weird, and tolerated by the NorCal University students because he’s a renowned whiz at chess and helps put the school on the map, that doesn’t keep him from dreaming of the object of his desires, Riley Prince, championship quarterback.

When Riley needs a physics tutor, Snow jumps at the chance, and their relationship heats up—but Riley has to come out of the jock closet to get anywhere. Meanwhile, Snow’s one true friend and mentor, Professor Kingsley, marries a woman who secretly wants the chess tournament glory and money for herself. Soon after, the professor collapses and Snow finds himself underwater—literally. In a car!

Seven frat brothers from Grimm College rescue Snow just in time for his life to get even worse, and Snow discovers the one relationship he always wanted slipping away. With evil looming at every turn, Snow must survive if only to prove he’s the fairest of them all and regain the trust of his handsome prince.

How about a little taste?

“There are rumors here and there, but I’m a big guy, and nobody says it to my face,” Riley said.

Snow shrugged. “So why change now? You’re a senior. You can do what you want next year.”

Riley leaned his head back against the couch. “Because it’s chickenshit, like I said. People are always going to give gay guys crap when they don’t know anyone who’s gay. I can change that. A lot of people think they know me. I mean, look at you. Chess champion. Much bigger than I’ll ever be. But you never claim to be anything but gay.”

“I’m so weird, nobody’s surprised.”

“No, you’re not. You show the world that gay guys can be brilliant geniuses and beautiful. I can show them that gay guys can be big and strong and well coordinated. We all have a part to play.” He chuckled. “I have to confess, I practiced that speech, but I’m hoping it’s true.”

Snow’s heart beat so loud he could barely hear. Could this really be happening? “Umm, so you said you have enough experience to teach me.” He stared at his moo shu.

Riley sat up and got a very serious expression. “You see, Mr. Reynaldi, it’s all a matter of physics. Your quantum physics says that electrons can be in two places at the same time.” He leaned forward and pulled Snow across his lap, somehow managing to not spill any Chinese food in the process. “It’s like my tongue can be in my mouth—” He ran his soft tongue across Snow’s barely parted lips. “—and inside your mouth at the same time.” He insinuated inside and kissed Snow slowly and thoroughly. So that’s how it feels. Invasive and completing at once.

Riley pulled his lips back from the kiss but kept them close to Snow’s so his breath warmed Snow’s wet mouth. “And just as particles can be waves and waves particles, so I can feel completely relaxed and completely excited simultaneously.”

Snow grinned. “I knew physics could be fun, but this is far beyond my expectations.”

“You didn’t have enough faith in your subject matter.”

“Clearly.” He smiled and whispered, “What happens now?”

“First, I want to know if you’re interested in me, or am I just living in fantasyland?”

Snow’s eyes widened. “Oh, did I not show enough interest?”

Riley laughed. “Yes, but I don’t want to take anything for granted. You’re too special.”

My, that moo shu is interesting. “I’ve been dreaming about you ever since the first time I saw you. I didn’t think you were gay, so I never even hoped it could be more than a dream.”

Riley caressed Snow’s hair. “Think of all the time we wasted dreaming about each other.”

“In quantum physics, particles in contact become quantumly entangled. Perhaps we simply needed more time for the entangling to occur.” Snow smiled softly. This had to be a dream.

My Review:
While this is the second book in the Pennymaker tales series, it’s easily enjoyed as a standalone.

Snowden is a college senior and a Grandmaster chess champion. He’s been working toward competing in a major international tournament at which he’s the favorite to win. He’s held a longstanding crush on the resident BMOC, quarterback Riley Prince, who’s a fan of Snow’s, too.

Riley needs tutoring, and Snow’s the right man for that job. Through their interactions, Riley admits that he’s a closeted gay man with a beard instead of a girlfriend. Riley wants to come out, so he can date Snow openly, but there’s a whole lotta drama in doing so.

Meanwhile, Snow’s coach and closest confidante, Prof. Kingsley reveals a rapid courtship and shotgun marriage to a suspicious woman, Anitra. When Prof Kinsgley suddenly falls ill, Anitra steps in as Snow’s mentor. Problem is Anitra’s a chess champion in her own right, and the decisions she’s making–to withdraw Snow from the chess championships–are bizarre. Snow’s afraid he’ll lose the last parental figure in his life, and he’s in worse trouble, especially when Anitra enlists Hunter her well-endowed *wink wink* “cousin” Hunter to keep Snow from competing…by any means necessary.

As Snow and Riley explore their potential, scandal tears through Snow’s world, and he’s even more friendless than he’d ever been. There’s a bit of contortion to bring Pennymaker back to this tale. It felt more contrived than organic, especially as Eudora seemed a capable fairy godmother for this story. That said, I never had a question about who was behind the tragic events of the book. I was pretty peeved that the homophobic football players were barely even reprimanded, let alone punished for their nastiness.

This book, being based on the tale of Snow White was much darker than the other modern fairytale, SINDERS AND ASH. I thought it would build more depth in the characters, but I didn’t feel the tension. There were a lot of plot arcs, and Snow was a pretty sympathetic character, but I didn’t really sense his agency. He seemed to be a victim for so much of the book, and Riley was a wishy-washy love interest for a good part, too. The ending was a bit convenient, even for a fairytale. I liked the sexytimes, because they showed a lot of sensitivity and vulnerability. I get that these are young men–barely 21 in fact, but they sometimes read as juvenile, to me. The chess theme was an interesting one, as I’m a geek. I’m not a chess player, and I still understood all those bits just fine.

Interested? You can find DRIVEN SNOW on Goodreads, Dreamspinner Press–ON 35% OFF SALE TODAY! (eBook, Paperback), Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iTunes, and AllRomance.

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About the Author:
Tara Lain writes the Beautiful Boys of Romance in LGBT erotic romance novels that star her unique, charismatic heroes. Her first novel was published in January of 2011 and she’s now somewhere around book 23. Her bestselling novels have garnered awards for Best Series, Best Contemporary Romance, Best Ménage, Best LGBT Romance, Best Gay Characters, and Tara has been named Best Writer of the Year in the LRC Awards. In her other job, Tara owns an advertising and public relations firm. She often does workshops on both author promotion and writing craft.

She lives with her soulmate husband and her soulmate dog in Laguna Beach, California, a pretty seaside town where she sets a lot of her books. Passionate about diversity, justice, and new experiences, Tara says on her tombstone it will say “Yes”!

You can find Tara at:

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Hidden in the RAIN SHADOW–A Review

Life and Love Beyond the WINTER ORANGES–A Review

Suffering as a GIRL ON THE RUN–A Review

Pawns in the Game? DRIVEN SNOW–Review and Giveaway!

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