Adult paranormal romance

Paranormal Lovin’ WRIGGLE AND SPARKLE-A Review

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a newly released paranormal M/M police shifter romance from Megan Derr. WRIGGLE AND SPARKLE is unlike most shifter stories, in that, the main characters are a kraken and a unicorn. While this is MOSTLY a M/M romance, there are M/F elements, because, well…krakens can change gender. Which I found to be fantastic. This book made me smile all day and half the night.

Wriggle & SparkleAbout the book:
Lynn is a kraken shifter in every way: detailed, tenacious, resilient, and hard-working. Also possessive, vain, arrogant, and demanding. It makes him an excellent agent for the Federal Bureau of Paranormal Security and Investigation—and impossible to work with, as the long list of partners who have transferred away from him will attest.

His newest partner is a unicorn, possibly the worst type of paranormal for work that often turns ugly and violent. Everyone knows unicorns are too delicate for such things. Then Anderson proves to be a unicorn like no other, the kind of partner Lynn has always wanted—the kind of partner he wishes was more. But if there’s one thing he’s learned, it’s that the only thing harder to keep than a partner is a lover.

Warning: Contains tentacle porn.

My Review:
This is a collection of paranormal M/M romance novellas that feature the “Paranormal FBI” partners Lynn Seymour, a kraken shifter, and Anderson Meadows, a unicorn shifter.

Soon into their first case together Lynn and Anderson begin a very delicious and dirty sexual relationship. I was enthralled with the variety and intensity of sexytimes these two got up to, especially as Lynn, being a kraken, can change his sex. Anderson seems to prefer the male Lynn, but he has no trouble loving up the lady bits either, when Lynn goes undercover.

There are five or six novellas that follow “Wriggly” and “Sparkleson” as they build a life together, even if their work partnership fizzles. I really enjoyed their hi jinks and how they were smart investigators–and handled all the misadventures they got rolled up into, even by accident. I don’t want to reveal all the fun stuff. I came into the book expecting to be amused, and that expectation was absolutely exceeded.

Lynn is a wealthy kraken, who will spare no expense for his beautiful, snarky Sparkleson. Anderson had never planned to settle down, but he is enthralled by Lynn’s possessiveness and deep affection. Oh, and the sex is phenomenal. Tentacles abound. And, later on, lady-bits, too. There’s so much variety that Anderson never needs to look for another partner. Lynn’s love for Anderson knows no limits and Anderson’s amazed to realize this is the case for him, too.

Expect meddling family, murderous family, snark, snark and more snark, spoiling of a unicorn, the thorough taking of one shifter by another on the regular, many solved crimes and bad guys brought to justice, and a happily ever after so sweet I need a dental x-ray.

Interested? You can find WRIGGLE & SPARKLE on Goodreads, Less Than Three Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and AllRomance. I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

About the Author:
Megan is a long time resident of m/m fiction, and keeps herself busy reading, writing, and publishing it. She is often accused of fluff and nonsense. When she’s not involved in writing, she likes to cook, harass her cats, or watch movies (especially all things James Bond). She loves to hear from readers, and can be found all around the internet.

Check out Megan’s website, blog, twitter and Tumblr.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

Release Day Blitz for TORN!

Torn RDL Banner
Hi there! I’m sharing an excerpt in support of TORN, a New Adult paranormal romance released today from Jennifer L Armantrout. This is the highly anticipated sequel to WICKED and should be read in order.

Torn AmazonAbout the book:
Torn between duty and survival, nothing can be the same.
Everything Ivy Morgan thought she knew has been turned on its head. After being betrayed and then nearly killed by the Prince of the Fae, she’s left bruised and devastated—and with an earth-shattering secret that she must keep at all costs. And if the Order finds out her secret, they’ll kill her.

Then there’s Ren Owens, the sexy, tattooed Elite member of the Order who has been sharing Ivy’s bed and claiming her heart. Their chemistry is smoking hot, but Ivy knows that Ren has always valued his duty to the Order above all else—he could never touch her if he knew the truth. That is, if he let her live at all. Yet how can she live with herself if she lies to him?

But as the Fae Prince begins to close in on Ivy, intent on permanently opening the gates to the Otherworld, Ivy is running out of options. If she doesn’t figure out who she can trust—and fast—it’s not only her heart that will be torn apart, but civilization itself.

How about a little taste?

I lifted my right hand, reaching for my iron stake out of instinct, even though I knew it would do no good against the prince.

              “You shouldn’t do that.” His voice was deep with what reminded me of an English accent. “I know you want to, but it would be very, very unwise of you, Ivy.”

              My hand twitched.

              Creepy Prince smiled slightly. “Your friend has been very helpful.”

              That got my hackles up. I slid my sunglasses onto my forehead and forced my tone to stay calm and level. “I’m sure she has. Speaking of Val, happen to know where I can find her?”

              His lips curled in a semblance of a smile as he stepped closer. The prince was tall, taller than Ren, who was pushing six foot two. My entire back stiffened as I forced myself to hold my ground, even though every instinct demanded that I run and run super fast, because he had almost killed me once before. Correction. He would have definitely killed me if he hadn’t realized what I was and had, I guessed, healed me.

              “I’ve been waiting for you,” he said, instead of answering my question, his pale blue eyes fixed on mine.

              My hand curled into a useless fist. “That is extremely creepy to hear.”

              That cold smile returned. “Why don’t we talk? There are seats across the way.”

              “Yeah, that’s not going to happen.”

              The slow smile increased but never reached his eyes. “Oh, I know it is.”

              Fine hairs rose on my arms.

              “What exactly can you do right now?” he said in the same coldly polite voice. “Refuse me?” Creepy Prince laughed, and it wasn’t a bad sound. Again, it was something that was just cold, as if he were mimicking what a human would do. “You can’t.”

              “I can.” My palm itched to grab the thorn stake secured under my pant leg, but I held still. I might be reckless, but I wasn’t stupid.

              “Really? I will have to beg to differ on that. You see, humans surround us. So many of them, and I have an extraordinary appetite.” His eyes appeared to glimmer as his gaze slithered from the top of my curly head down to my toes. “A rather impressive appetite for many, many things.”

              “Okay. First off, ew.” My lip curled. “Secondly, I don’t want to hear about any of your appetites.”

              One dark eyebrow rose. “Oh, but you should know that I could kill twenty of these humans in less than five seconds and feed on the rest, leaving them to believe that it was this little red-headed girl who murdered these innocent people.” His voice dropped even lower as he leaned in and icy air brushed my cheek. “You deny me this, those lives will be on your hands, little bird.”

              Anger flushed hotly as my eyes met his. There wasn’t a single part of me that doubted anything he said. He had me. God, I hated to admit it, but he had me.

“You need this book. You need this series. It’s paranormal at its best. It’s New Adult at its best…Can I give this book more than 5 stars? I would if I could.” ~Valerie, Stuck in Books

Interested? You can find TORN on Goodreads, iBooks, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.

Things are about to get Wicked in New Orleans…
Don’t miss the first title in the series, WICKED!

Wicked (A Wicked Saga, #1)Available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, and Kobo.

JLA_Author-photoAbout the Author:
#1 New York Times and #1 International Bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA. She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

You can find Jennifer online on her website, Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.

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Very Undead Romances–MY ZOMBIE FIANCE and MY ZOMBIE CAT

Hi there! Today I’m helping to spread the word on two new books coming soon from T. Strange. I liked MY ZOMBIE BOYFRIEND, a novel I reviewed for Joyfully Jay and thought I’d recommend it, here. It’s quirky and sweet, the story of a Canadian medical student–who happens to be a necromancer–and how he resurrected Kit, a murdered man, and they fell in love. On July 13th, the sequel MY ZOMBIE FIANCE and the companion novella MY ZOMBIE CAT get released. They sound like fun!

My Zombie Fiancé (The Undead Canadian, #2)About MY ZOMBIE FIANCE:
Edward Grey is no stranger to the undead; since raising his cat as a zombie when he was a child, he and his mentor Mariel have explored and developed his power as a necromancer. Despite everything he’s learned, as a necromancer and a medical student, he’s never encountered a ghost.

While Mariel is unreachable in Haiti on mysterious business, a ghost wakes Edward in the middle of the night, claiming to be his grandfather. When the ghost offers to teach him about this different form of undeath, Edward has little choice but to trust the spirit.

After receiving a phone call from a young girl claiming her father is possessed, Edward and his Undead Canadian fiancé, Kit, must travel to an acreage in Kingston…Ontario.

The haunting proves far more complicated than Edward could ever have guessed, and he finds himself pitted against an ancient evil determined to engulf everyone on the farm.

Edward’s love and connection to Kit will be tested, and his necromancy stretched to his limits as he has to find—and destroy—a twisted spirit more powerful than anything he’s ever encountered.

A little taste…

“Edward, answer the phone.” In our hurry to undress so we could ‘get Kit to sleep’, my phone had ended up on Kit’s side of the bed. He passed it to me, narrowly avoiding smacking me in the face with it. Miraculously, it was still ringing.

“’lo?” I managed.

“Is this Edward?”

It was a little girl’s voice, I thought. I didn’t know many little girls, so I made my best guess.

“Tia? It’s the middle of the night; I can’t come over to play right now. Isn’t it way past your bedtime? Go to bed. Bed is nice.” I closed my eyes, almost dropping the phone when my hand relaxed.

My neighbor two houses down has a very precocious four-year-old niece. She likes to play actual doctor with me—nothing creepy! I’ve taught her a few basic stitches for fixing her toys and dolls, though I suspect she may damage them on purpose so she can practice with me. Whoops. I also let her use my stethoscope and a few other safe, child-friendly pieces of medical equipment. I’ve heard her tell her aunt she wants to go to uncle Edward’s house, so I also suspect at least part of the reason she visits her aunt is to see me.

“Who’s Tia? This is Sarah. Mariel said that I should call you if it happened again. It happened again.” There was an expectant pause.

I don’t know anyone named Sarah, never mind a young girl. “Mariel told you to…? In case what happened again?”

“My daddy’s possessed,” she said, very calmly and matter-of-factly.

I felt goosebumps prickle along my arms at the word. I knew precisely as much about demonic possession as anyone who’d watched The Exorcist, and I had no idea what had, well…possessed…Mariel to refer this girl to me for help. “What exactly did Mariel say?”

The girl, Sarah, sighed deeply. She probably thought I was pretty slow, and at the moment I couldn’t blame her. “She said, call Edward, he’ll know what to do.” She sounded impatient, but not frightened. Maybe her father was possessed by something more benign than a demon.

Mariel had told her I could help, so I would do my best. Even though it was 3 AM and I knew nothing about possession. “What’s your daddy possessed by?” Not words I ever thought would come out of my mouth.

“Mister Jenkins.”

Mister Jenkins. That didn’t sound very frightening. “And what does Mister Jenkins do while he’s possessing your father?” Had she named the…spirit? It sounded like something a child might come up with.

“Not very much. He makes breakfast.” She lowered her voice. “Mister Jenkins is a better cook than daddy.”

Not much of a haunting, if movies were anything to go by. I envisioned a comedy, sort of like Three Men and a Baby, but with a ghost. Besides the one apparently caught on tape when they’d filmed that movie, come to think of it. “Does he…scare you?”

She laughed, high-pitched and genuine. “No, silly! I like Mister Jenkins, but Mariel says it’s bad for daddy if he stays too long.”

This was one of the strangest conversations I’d ever had, and I’ve lived with Kit for more than a year. And I’d dated Bone. It was even stranger than my recent conversation with my grandfather. “Where do you live, Sarah?” If there was a way to do an exorcism-by-telephone, I didn’t know it. Not that I knew any kind of exorcism, but hopefully I had enough time to find a solution before Mister Jenkins…burned toast or something. Maybe I could come up with something if I was physically present.

“Kingston.”

I had to go to Jamaica? If Mariel was in Haiti, she was much closer. I didn’t know why she didn’t just pop over and take care of Mister Jenkins.

Kit would love a tropical vacation—I wondered if his fair skin would tan or burn, or if his undeath made him immune? I wondered if he would be upset about it, one way or the other.

I was less than thrilled by the thought of the tropics. I don’t like heat, or the diseases that tend to accompany it.

“It’s in Ontario,” Sarah said, sounding very pleased with herself.

Oh. Kingston, Ontario. That was a relief, even if it was black fly season.

Great, now I’d have that song stuck in my head for days.

“Okay, I’ll be there as soon as I can. Can you tell me your address?” I would have to fly—driving would take several days, even if Kit and I switched and we drove continuously.

“No, but Mister Jenkins can.”

Her voice was replaced by a man’s, gentle and with a hint of a British accent. Part of his directions were, “Past Kingston Family Funworld”, which definitely sounded like a place to avoid. He apologized that he couldn’t meet me at the airport because he was bound to the house.

That was a good excuse. I wished I could use it.

My grandfather hadn’t been bound to a particular place, but he had reminded me over and over that he wasn’t a typical ghost. I wondered if most ghosts had a limited range, or if Mister Jenkins was unusual in that regard.

I told him I’d call when we landed, and he hung up.

I turned on my bedside lamp. “Kit, sweetie?” I poked him, gently.

“Mmm…”

“I have to go to Kingston.” It was a good thing I had a few weeks off from school. Hopefully I would get time to study during this trip. Study medicine, that is, not necromancy.

That got Kit’s attention. He gave a happy shriek and grabbed my hand. “Oh my God, no way! I’d love to go to Jamaica!”

“Kingston, Ontario.”

“Oh. Ew.”

“Why ew? Have you ever been there?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Then why—never mind. Do you still want to come with me?”

“Who calls you at three in the morning and tells you to go to Kingston, Ontario?”

“Sarah.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“I’m sorry! I’m still half asleep. This little girl, Sarah…Mariel told her to call me if her father got possessed again.”

“Mariel’s father? Is that why she left?”

“Sarah’s father.”

“Possessed again? Like, this is a regular occurrence?”

“Apparently. I have to book a flight.” I hunted beneath the bed for my laptop.

Kit had found his phone and was furiously typing on it. “Oooooh, Florence and the Machine is playing there! We can totally go!”

“Sure. Of course.” I found a flight that left early the next morning—in a few hours, really—and bought our tickets. “I don’t know if it’s worth going back to sleep; I’ll make us some coffee.” Not that coffee did much for Kit, except make him ill if he drank too much. Or, for some reason, if he used non-dairy creamer. It seemed to be some sort of…zombie kryptonite. I’d like to tell you I didn’t give some to Boo to see how he’d react, but I would be lying. The results: not pretty.

“What about the cats?”

Of course, the cats couldn’t come with us. While Winston could happily stay at the pet spa while we were gone, Boo could…not, and if we had someone taking care of one cat, it made sense for Winston to just stay at home. I felt a pang at the thought of being away from Boo for any length of time. “My parents can take care of them.” They wouldn’t be pleased—they’d actually thrown a “Boo is out of the house” party when I’d moved out, but they’d also get to spend time with Winston, and that was always a treat.

“I guess I’ll start packing. For both of us.”

He was welcome to do so.

In the meantime, it was definitely time to call Mariel. I wasn’t sure what time it was in Haiti, but I could definitely use her advice. For several panicked minutes I was worried that I’d lost the piece of paper she’d written the number on, when I remembered that she’d put it directly into my phone. I let it ring, over and over, but no one answered so I eventually gave up. Well, if Sarah had been able to get ahold of Mariel, she wouldn’t have needed to call me. Though she probably didn’t have Mariel’s number in Haiti…I’d just have to deal with the situation on my own for now, and call Mariel again when I had the chance.

Oh! Edward’s in trouble again.

Interested? You can find MY ZOMBIE FIANCE on Goodreads and Torquere Press.

****GIVEAWAY***

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win a copy of MY ZOMBIE FIANCE.

My Zombie Cat (The Undead Canadian, #2.5)About MY ZOMBIE CAT:
Edward Grey has hardly spent a night away from his cat, Boo, since before he was in preschool. Not even death could separate them, as Edward resurrected Boo as a zombie when he was five. Now, Boo has gone missing, and the cat isn’t in any of his usual haunts.

A tasty tidbit!

Kit was at work, and I was —miraculously—caught up on my coursework. I was full of restless energy after spending the previous day sitting on the couch watching TV with Kit, so I decided to give Boo a bath. He doesn’t groom himself very often, and when he does, he usually just makes his fur worse. He was definitely getting a little…ripe.

Unfortunately, Kit came home from work partway through the bath, and I don’t even want to imagine what he thought was happening when he walked in and heard Boo’s unearthly howls and me pleading with him—loudly, to be heard over him—to hold still so I could rinse him off and it would all be over.

I heard Kit shout for Winston, so he could be heard over Boo’s yowling, and then he burst into the master bathroom, holding a purring, contented bundle of blue-grey fur.

Boo and I were frozen in an epic tableau of wet, reeking cat and equally wet—and, probably, reeking—medical student.

Kit paused in the doorway, then started laughing. “Oh. God, I thought something was really wrong. You shouldn’t scare me like that.”

“You could help,” I grumbled, as Boo got his head free of my hand, which he proceeded to bite. Hard. And not let go of.

Kit looked at the…less than clear, decidedly murky…water and shook his head. “Ew. I don’t think so. Doesn’t that hurt?”

“Yes, of course it hurts! Being undead doesn’t turn his teeth into…candy corn!” With a sadly practiced motion, as Boo bites me on a regular basis, I wedged my free thumb into the corner of the cat’s mouth and pried his jaws apart. My hand was white where he’d bitten me, and then each depression slowly filled with blood.

“You’re not going to turn into a zombie, are you?” He’d gotten a little more relaxed about the ‘Z’ word, though last week he left his browser open to a site called the Zombie Rights Campaign. I wasn’t sure if it was a joke, or something he’d made himself. I try not to snoop on his computer.

I also hadn’t asked him about it. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.

“Kit, if I turned into a zombie every time Boo bit me, I’d be…”

“It only takes one time, Edward.”

These guys! The subtle humor always charms me.

Interested? You can find MY ZOMBIE CAT on Goodreads and Torquere Press. It comes as a freebie when you buy MY ZOMBIE FIANCE.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win a copy of MY ZOMBIE CAT.

About the Author:
T. Strange didn’t want to learn how to read, but literacy prevailed and she hasn’t stopped reading—or writing—since. She’s been published with Torquere Press since 2013, and she writes M/M romance in multiple genres, including paranormal and BDSM. T.’s other interests include cross stitching, gardening, watching terrible horror movies, playing video games, and finding injured pigeons to rescue. Originally from White Rock, BC, she lives on the Canadian prairies, where she shares her home with her wife, cats, guinea pigs and other creatures of all shapes and sizes. She’s very easy to bribe with free food and drinks—especially wine.

Catch up with Ms. Strange on her blog, Facebook, twitter Tumblr and Pinterest.

IndiGo

Love Shifting Through LANDSCAPES–Guest Post and Giveaway!

tourbutton_landscapesHi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a sexy paranormal romance novella from KD Grace. LANDSCAPES features both M/F and M/M pairings, as well as a vampire, a succubus, and a landscaper who can’t fathom what’s happening.

Catch an excerpt and a $30 GC giveaway, below.

Landscapes200About the book:

Alonso Darlington has a disturbing method of keeping landscaper, Reese Chambers, both safe from and oblivious to his dangerous lust for the man. But Reese isn’t easy to keep secrets from, and Alonso wants way more than to admire the man from afar. Can he risk a real relationship without risking Reese’s life?

Some thoughts from the author:

Involving myself in the Story — Fan-Ficcing on Alonso Darlington

It’s such a pleasure to be at V’s Reads on Day 3 of my Landscapes blog tour and giveaway. Thanks so much for hosting me, Veronica!

Some of your lovely readers may already know that Alonso Darlington is one of those characters that doesn’t go away just because the story’s finished. That’s a part of what I love about him and, considering some of the sexy thoughts, ideas and even novel ideas he and his entourage have inspired, I have the sneaking suspicion he’s been sending his succubus, Talia Zephora, to me at night when I least expect it.

He wasn’t overly happy with me when I shared his private life with the whole world in the Brit Boys: On Boys Book Bundle last year, and he made sure I knew his displeasure. But what Alonso didn’t take into account is that I have a very big mouth and my laptop is always primed and ready. So while he tried to intimidate me by inviting me to his Lakeland home and threatening me, he should have known it wouldn’t work. The first thing I did was write all about my Strange Encounter with Alonso Darlington and post it on my blog in three parts. Here are links to Part 2 and Part 3.

Well, he’s even less happy with me now that I’ve released the story, Landscapes, as a stand-alone novella. I’ve already gotten a couple of less-than-cordial phone calls from him. It’s not that I’m not scared of him – of course I am! I mean he’s a vampire and a powerful one at that. But I can’t NOT tell his story … his stories. They’re just too damn good to keep quiet about. So keep your fingers crossed for me. So far I haven’t developed a taste for blood nor have I burst into flame while walking in sunlight – not that we’ve had that much to walk in here in England so far this summer.

Yes, I know, I need to get a life, right? My point is that Alonso Darlington kept getting into my head long after I’d written THE END at the bottom of Landscapes. I’m not entirely sure if that’s just because he’s a great character, as are all of the other characters in Landscapes, or if there’s way more story than I’m ready to leave behind. I suppose if I’m honest, I also just kind of like having a minor role in the story. Gak! The thought has occurred to me that I’m writing my own fan fiction. Maybe I should seek professional help.

Every writer knows that the more time we spend with our characters in their world, the more the lines blur between what’s real and what’s fiction. Landscapes was my first foray into vampire stories – something I thought I’d never do, something I didn’t think I could do. I hadn’t counted on being both intrigued and intimidated by a character who is as dangerous as Alonso while at the same time incredibly civilized, hopelessly romantic and outrageously sexy. I hadn’t counted on how Alonso would react to my sharing the intimate details of his life, and I found that I really wanted to interact with him, even if he was angry at me.

Those written encounters brought with them a whole new realm of storytelling for me. I found myself fascinated with the role that the writer plays in the story she creates. I couldn’t keep from wondering what would happen if there was a real interface between character and writer. I’ve even done a little experimenting with bringing myself, as K D Grace, into a story with Toys for Boys as well as writing a series of travel stories collectively called Jet-Lagged and Lusting in which the storyteller and the one experiencing the story might or might not be the same person and might or might not be me.

For those of you who have followed my online serial, In The Flesh, which will be coming out this autumn in book format, you know the magical role the scribe plays in shaping a story, even shaping reality, and those of us who do write know that beyond the learned trade we all practice as novelists and storytellers, there’s some serious magic that takes place beneath the surface.

Typically the writer is supposed to keep out of the story she tells – she’s just the scribe taking down the details as they unfold, but I wonder if maybe we’re missing a whole new realm of storytelling by not including ourselves in those stories from time to time. On some unconscious level, we’re there anyway, so what happens when we take the next step and actually take a more interactive role? Speaking from my own experience, feeling Alonso’s displeasure is one thing that happens, but I have a feeling that could be just the beginning.

Wow! great insights on the writing process, KD!

A delicious taste…. (lol, pun intended!!)

Reese wondered if he were dreaming again. If he was, the dream hurt like a sonovabitch. Alonso was there and so was Talia. ‘You have to do something one way or another,’ Talia said, ‘or all that blood will be wasted.’

“Get out.’ Alonso’s voice was a low growl, and Reese vaguely recalled hearing that sound before and being frightened.

‘Someone’s got to be practical,’ she said.

Be practical about what, Reese wondered.

And then he was alone with Alonso, and for some reason he couldn’t remember, he was afraid.

He was in a bed. He didn’t know where. He hurt, and it was hard to breathe.

‘I’m going to help you now, Reese.’ He returned his attention to Alonso who now sat on the edge of the bed. He might have made some feeble attempt to get away, or maybe he imagined it. The man shrugged out of his shirt, then slid onto the bed next to him. Talia’s question came back to him. What was Alonso going to do with all the blood? Reese’s blood? It had to be a dream. Reese watched as, with his fingernail, Alonso made a tiny cut above his left nipple and the blood welled up jewel bright in the muted lighting.

‘At first this will be uncomfortable, but only for a few seconds, and then it’ll be good. You’ll see.’ Alonso placed his hand at the base of Reese’s skull and pulled him close. When he realized what was about to happen, Reese tried to push away, tried to turn his face, but he was too weak. Alonso easily forced his head down so that his mouth settled on the upwelling of blood.

For a horrifying moment, Reese’ stomach rebelled and he battled his own gag reflex, battled to breathe against the tight press of Alonso’s flesh to his face, forcing him to open his mouth in order to inhale. The first taste of blood burned like acid against his tongue, then thickened and warmed as the welling up became a steady flow, the taste of metal and salt giving way to the taste of dark, full-bodied wine and honey with the bite of bitter citrus. Reese’s throat muscles contracted once, then twice then he began to lick and suck at the wound as though he were starving, and Alonso sighed as though he felt the relief of it.

‘There, that’s not so bad is it?’ The cup of his hand at the back of Reese’s head shifted slightly as Alonso moved until he cradled Reese like a nursing child. At some point Reese’s arms went around the man’s thick chest, hands fisted against his back to pull him closer as he suckled. At some point he stopped feeling pain and he felt euphoric. At some point his cock got hard and Alonso chuckled softly at the shifting and squirming of Reese’s hips. ‘It has that effect. My blood does.’

My Review:

I really enjoyed this paranormal romance novella. While there is both M/F and M/M pairing, it’s clear that the romance is between Alonso and Reese.

Alonso is a vampire. I probably shouldn’t say that straight-out, but I will, because he’s a good vamp. Decent. Taking blood where he needs and leaving his donors euphoric and sexually satisfied. He’s been lonely a long time. Accompanied by his succubus friend, Talia, he encounters Reese while scoping out his decrepit estate in Cumbria, England. Alonso senses attraction, but also intrigue, regarding Reese, a quiet man, and professional landscaper. Talia’s assistance is necessary to make the first connection–Alonso is too hungry to take his pleasure with a human, and Talia’s sexual powers compliment Alonso’s semi-omniscience.

Reese is hired to re-design the gardens at Alonso’s ancestral home, and it is there that he begins to seduce Reese. I liked how Alonso was careful and conscientious. I also liked that Reese made up his own mind. What  seemed to be a dream job brought unforeseen–unimaginable, really–consequences. As much as Alonso wanted Reese, he never pushed, only suggested. That said, he suggested a whole lot of fantastic sexytimes.

The resolution comes when Reese realizes who Alonso is, and makes a choice to be with him, which was delicious. It’s not the on,y choice and puts Reese in the power position, and I liked that for a human v. vampire story. I wished we had just a bit more of their love story–and sexytimes-because it seemed that some of the naughty bits may have been dreamscapes–at least on Reese’s end. That was not so awesome, especially for Reese. That said it’s an interesting spin on the vampire romance and I liked the original plot and setting.

Interested? You can find LANDSCAPES on Goodreads and via the Author’s website.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win a $30 GC from Amazon.
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:
Voted ETO Best Erotic Author of 2014, K D Grace believes Freud was right. In the end, it really IS all about sex, well sex and love. And nobody’s happier about that than she is, otherwise, what would she write about?

When she’s not writing, K D is veg gardening. When she’s not gardening, she’s walking. She walks her stories, and she’s serious about it. She and her husband have walked Coast to Coast across England, along with several other long-distance routes. For her, inspiration is directly proportionate to how quickly she wears out a pair of walking boots. She also enjoys martial arts, reading, watching the birds and anything that gets her outdoors.

K D has erotica published with SourceBooks, Xcite Books, Harper Collins Mischief Books, Mammoth, Cleis Press, Black Lace, Erotic Review, Ravenous Romance, Sweetmeats Press and others.

K D’s critically acclaimed erotic romance novels include, The Initiation of Ms Holly, Fulfilling the Contract, The Pet Shop. Her paranormal erotic novel, Body Temperature and Rising, the first book of her Lakeland Witches trilogy, was listed as honorable mention on Violet Blue’s Top 12 Sex Books for 2011. Books two and three, Riding the Ether, and Elemental Fire, are now also available.

K D Grace also writes hot romance as Grace Marshall. An Executive Decision, Identity Crisis, The Exhibition are all available.

Find KD online on her websites: KD GRAGE and GRACE MARSHALL, hanging with the Brit Babes, on Facebook, twitter and Pinterest.

Five Star Reads: TEMPEST by Cari Z

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a link to a review I wrote for Joyfully Jay Reviews for a book that came out yesterday. I’ve been reviewing there for a year now, and every now and again I come across books that I just adore and want to share with my readers, too.

For those who are not familiar with Joyfully Jay, the site pretty much exclusively reviews LGBTQ books, with a heavy emphasis on M/M romance.

I’ve chosen TEMPEST by Cari Z, a high fantasy adventure, to share because it knocked my socks off with fantastic world building and a compelling plot.

TempestAbout TEMPEST by Cari Z:

Love can change a soul. But can it save one life?

Colm Weathercliff is a simple fisherman with an uncanny (some might say preternatural knack) for his trade. He thought leaving his small village to take his father’s ashes to the capital city of Caithmor for a proper burial would be the grandest adventure of his life.

At first, all his hopes seem to be fulfilled. He finds a home where he s accepted without question, the freedom to use his talent to its fullest effect, and love with Nichol, a man with a longing for the sea as powerful as Colm’s.

But Caithmor holds as many dangers as it does attractions. Colm’s greatest secret turns out to be a dark revelation that gets him and his family shunned and changes everything he thought he knew about himself.

The truth about his parentage, his gift, even his physical form could poison his chance for love. And doom both him and Nichol to a gruesome, inescapable fate.

Warning: Contains graphic violence, explicit sex, and scenes of torture that may not be for the faint of heart. These mermen bear no resemblance to those you might have seen in a certain animated film

My entire review can be found here, but these are the highlights:

This is a fantasy and adventure with a romance that grows naturally. I was so intrigued throughout, because the world building is excellent. The elements of magic are considerable, with selkies and mer and curses and priestly charms. I think everyone will know the secret of Colm’s magic from the blurb, but the reveal is so different from my expectations that I was completely blindsided by the next several plot turns. I found the juxtaposition of religion and magic to be unique, with the priests and royalty full practitioners of magic, while even innate magic was forbidden to the regular folk.

It’s an HEA, mostly, and I hope to see another book set in this beautifully-written world.

Interested? You can find TEMPEST on Goodreads, Samhain Publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and All Romance.

Thanks for popping in, and keep reading my friends!

 

Deceptions Abound in SMOKE AND FIRE–Review, Egg Hunt and Giveaway!

Smoke And Fire Blog Tour bannerHi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a newly released book from paranormal romance sensation Donna Grant. SMOKE AND FIRE is the ninth book of her Dark Kings series all featuring contemporary romances for millennia-old dragon shifters. This new book is a second-chance romance for Ryder, the tech-savvy Dragon King, and the girl he loved and left three years before: Kinsey. It’s a fast-paced story that encompasses a huge world from which I’ve only gotten a taste.

To celebrate the release of SMOKE AND FIRE and the season of Spring, there is also a DRAGON EGG HUNT going on throughout the tour! Exciting, right? Certain stops throughout the tour will have something special to share with you which will provide you with an extra entry for the giveaway. Just like a traditional egg hunt, you’re going to have to search for these items/information!! Find out more information about the Dragon Egg Hunt at the bottom of the post!

Smoke and Fire (Dark Kings #9)About the book:
She wanted to touch him. There had always been something about being in his arms that made her feel as if she could tackle anything and the world wouldn’t dare get in her way…

SWORN TO PROTECT
A dragon shapeshifter and a computer mastermind, Ryder is sent to guard Glasgow after a devastating Dark attack. But when memories of an explosive affair come back to him-in the flesh-Ryder cannot help but want to protect the woman who haunts his dreams. Even if means shifting into the dragon he was never supposed to reveal…

DRIVEN TO DESIRE
Kinsey could never get enough of Ryder. His every touch only left her wanting more. But now that she’s seen him in his true form, Kinsey’s world is rocked to the core. She knows that to stay-and feel-alive, she must be with Ryder. But is Kinsey’s passion worth the risk of danger that comes with being a part of Ryder’s dark and fierce world?

How about a taste?

Kinsey felt as if she’d been run over by a train. Her heart began to knock against her ribs. There was a rushing in her ears, and she was sure her knees were going to buckle at any second.

How was it even possible that she was staring into Ryder’s hazel eyes that were a beautiful mixture of green and gold? His blond hair was cropped short on the sides with a little more length on the top. It didn’t matter if his hair was long as it used to be or short, he still took her breath away.

Was it his chiseled jaw or penetrating gaze? It could be his mouth and the wonderful things those lips could do to her. She knew there was a possibility it was his body, honed to perfection without an ounce of fat anywhere.

But he wasn’t human.

She needed to remember that.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded.

For a moment, he didn’t move as he looked at her. Then he sat back in his chair and swept his hand from one side of the room to the other. “This is my domain.”
She was damn good at her job, but Ryder exceeded her talent by miles and miles. “You asked for me specifically. Why? Because you had to talk? You could’ve just called instead of going to such lengths.”

“I didna send for you.”

There were few times in her life where Kinsey experienced full-on, please-let-the-floor-open-up-and-swallow-me embarrassment. Today, right at that moment, was the worst she’d ever suffered to a degree that nothing would ever compare.
She wanted to shrink away and disappear, to stop looking into his hazel eyes and trying to figure out what was going on. What did Ryder mean he didn’t send for her? Someone had. She didn’t just show up on a whim.

The room began to tilt. Kinsey blinked rapidly. She wouldn’t faint. She’d never fainted in her life, and she certainly wasn’t going to do it in front of Ryder. Hadn’t she experienced her embarrassment quota for the next forty years?

Beside her, Tristan cleared his throat. “Kinsey, I think there might’ve been a wee bit of a mistake.”

“There’s not,” she said and glanced over her shoulder into Tristan’s dark gaze. “And I can prove it.”

My Review:
When I signed on to read this book I didn’t know it was NINTH in a series. I must say that this book is best enjoyed when read in order. For those who are new to it, it’s still a fast-paced adventure, but the myriad characters, of good, evil, and undecided factions, are a lot to absorb.

The heart of this book is the love story that develops when Ryder, one of the Dragon Kings who inhabit Dreagan mountain (and whisky distillery) reunites with his lost love, an accomplished hacker named Kinsey. Ryder and Kinsey met four years prior and shared a deep love for a year. Then, Ryder disappeared without a trace. And brokenhearted Kinsey searched high and low for him.

In the three years since she’s had only one contact with Ryder, seeing him descend out of a flying dive as a dragon, who morphed into his human form to save her from death at the hands of a Dark Fae. Kinsey was rattled to say the very least. Sent by her company, Kyvor, to Dreagan’s offices, she’s stunned to meet Ryder face-to-face. No one can explain why she’s on the property, and a bogus work order only sends Kinsey and Ryder deep into the inner communications of Kyvor’s elite agents. As the time passes, Kinsey’s struck by her attraction to Ryder, and Ryder’s eager to spend any time he can with Kinsey–even if it means snuggling in beside her as she sleeps, because she ain’t leaving now that she’s breached their inner web of security.

Alongside of this are the continuing plot threads of the series–the looming war with Ulrik, a deposed Dragon King, battles with the Dark Fae, and that pesky Human problem. Just when it seemed as if all would work out, we had another curve ball hefted right at our reconnected lovebirds. This one was nearly fatal, but crisis-averted due to cooler heads at work. Thank goodness, because Ryder would have been devastated to have harmed Kinsey and later determined she was an innocent. There’s a little bit of lovin’ going on, but not much considering the length of the book.

Also, this book is being released in four parts. It’s probably intriguing for fans of the series, but fresh readers are going to want the full-book upfront as the early parts have too many people and too little substance tying them together to keep the narrative compelling. I found that I really didn’t get engaged until the end of the second part, nearly halfway through the book. That’s my own fault for not having read the previous eight books, so I stuck with it to the end and really liked it.

Interested? You can find SMOKE AND FIRE on Goodreads, Amazon (paperback or ebook), Audible, Barnes & Noble (paperback or ebook), Books A Million, iBooks, Kobo, IndieBound, and Tantor.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win prizes in the big giveaway including: a print copy of SMOLDERING HUNGER, a print copy of PASSIONS IGNITES, an ebook copy of DRAGON KING (Dark Kings novella), an ebook copy – Winner’s choice of any book in the Dark Kings series, or a Dreagan tote bag with 4 buttons from the Dark Kings and Reaper series! Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY and is for the duration of the event.
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

Mentioned earlier in the post was a DRAGON EGG HUNT going on throughout the tour. There are 9 “Dragon Eggs” (i.e. Blog Tour Stops) throughout the blog tour. Each representing one of the books in the series! The fun part is that, like a regular egg hunt, you’ll have to find these special stops and then FIND the “Dragon Egg”. The “Dragon Egg” is actually information within the site. Yup, site. 😉 You’ll have to visit each tour host, each day to see if they have a Dragon Egg for you to find. The Rafflecopter widget will provide you with the hint. The hint will be a questions or it will ask you for specific information. The DRAGON EGG HUNT is a fun and interactive activity that will provide you, the reader with some insightful information about the series!

donna_grant_newAbout the Author:
Donna Grant is the New York Timesand USA Today bestselling author of the sizzling Dark King series featuring dragons, immortal Highlanders, and the Fae.
She was born and raised in Texas but loves to travel. Her adventures have taken her throughout the United States as well as to Jamaica, Mexico, and Scotland. Growing up on the Texas/Louisiana border, Donna’s Cajun side of the family taught her the “spicy” side of life while her Texas roots gave her two-steppin’ and bareback riding.
Despite deadlines and voracious reading, Donna still manages to keep up with her two children, four cats, and one long haired Chihuahua.

You can find Donna online on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, Tumblr, Audible, and Tantor.

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Intrigue in THE BLACK LOTUS–Review & Giveaway

The black lotus tour bannerHi there! Today I’m sharing a review for an historical paranormal/ magical romance set in 1750s England. THE BLACK LOTUS by Claire Warner is an interesting read, featuring a headstrong debut, an immortal rake and some seriously messed up “familial relations”.

Catch an excerpt and review and be sure to enter the giveaway below.

The Black Lotus ebook coverAbout the book:
….though I would dearly love to play court to you, I would hurt you more than any other.

It is 1752.
The year that will change the life of heiress Melissa De Vire. As she makes her first fumbling steps into society, she meets the handsome young cad Justin Lestrade and his world tears her perceptions apart. For Justin is more than he appears and his secrets and enemies are manifold. Drawn irresistibly to him, she finds herself sinking into a realm of feuds, magic and old curses and her life will never again be the same.

How about a little taste?

“Justin?” He turned as she spoke, “I think you should pursue Melissa De Vire.” He dropped what he had been holding and walked towards her. “What?” Utter shock permeated his tones and he stared down at her as though he could not believe what he had just heard. “You must be mad.”

“No, just practical.” Unconcerned by the anger on his face, Emily reached down and pulled the gold bracelet back onto her wrist. “You like her, that much is obvious and she seems to have some interest in you, despite her transparent denials.”

For a long moment, Justin said nothing, stunned by the words that were coming out of
Emily’s mouth. “Haven’t you just convinced me that this existence is so much hell, that you would lie with someone you don’t care for just to rid yourself of it? Why would you ask me to pursue someone I couldn’t be with? Do you hate me that much?”

Emily turned away and sat down in one of the chairs. “I don’t hate you Justin, but if you don’t take her and make her yours you will regret it.” She picked up her bonnet and began pulling at the flowers set into it. “Alistair already knows about her, give it a little time and she will be linked with us. I’d much rather you drag her along rather than leave her to be fodder for John.”

“So how does my brother know about Melissa?” Justin’s voice was dangerously quiet as
he stood opposite her. “Have you stirred the pot again?” He turned and slammed his fist into the wall. “I thought you were past these petty games. Real people are at stake.”

“Yes.” She stood and faced him. “Real people are at stake and if you do not act this time, John will merely take her from you in the same way he took Anna.” She grabbed his fist and brushed the drops of blood from the knuckles. “Do you not realise yet that there is nothing that you can do to hide her from him.”

“I’ve spoken to her once.” He hoped that she did not see through the lie, “And that has been all. God curse it Emily, she may only be intrigued, do not turn this into a grand love affair on the basis of one conversation.” He pulled his hand free and seized the back of her neck. “If you start this, you’d better be prepared to face the consequences.”

Emily laughed in his face. “Don’t threaten me darling, I won’t take it.” Her hand snaked around his wrist and she pressed hard on the joints, causing him to gasp in pain. “I will not spend the next few decades suffering from your ill temper. Don’t forget love, that I know you almost as well as you know yourself.”

Justin allowed his hand to drop from her skin and whispered. “Then why would push this? I am interested yes, but I know that I can’t have her. John need only know that I flirted with her, as I do with many women.”

“I push because John will know regardless. He has his spies and he will find out.”

My Review:
This is a very very very long historical paranormal romance. I think I may have truly enjoyed the story if it had been 200 pages shorter.

Melissa is debuting in her London season when she meets the enigmatic rake Justin Lestrade, newly returned from the colonies to take up his family estate. He’s a bona fide rake with dubious connections. Melissa, who is very different from “polite society” must be sequestered after her disastrous debut, because the scandal of her yelling and slapping an attacker is too headstrong for the lads of London to accept in a suitable wife.

Going back to the country, Melissa learns that her estate is close to that of the ruined Lestrade homestead. The county is rife with gossip regarding both Melissa and Justin Lestrade for different reasons. They do find cause to meet up, both taken with each other and fearing a future. For different reasons. Headstrong does not begin to describe Melissa. Reckless, feckless and foolish would be better adjectives.

I’m usually a fan of a plucky historical heroine, but Melissa is really a woman out-of-time, here. It’s London 1760s or so, and she seems one step from burning her corset and demanding autonomy. She knowingly associates with persons that will undoubtedly make her unmarriagable, and this is okay because she doesn’t want a strange man/husband lording it over her all the time. Buck up, Mellie, all is completely lost due to your own frippery.

Justin and his family have dark secrets. These dark secrets have to do with Justin’s recognized intelligence well beyond his years, which are (supposedly) numbered at 19. Let’s just say that the curse of Lestrade is unique, but confers unwelcome and gruesome side effects. Is he involved with the mysterious disappearances and deaths of young maidens in the London area?

Well, the mystery of the dead women is pertinent to the story, but not directly Lestrade’s fault. Justin and Melissa sense a developing bond though they have little contact. There are players at work behind the scenes that are hostile in practice and malevolent in intent. It is a race to see if they will uncover the budding affection between these unsuited lovers, and how they will upset this burgeoning apple cart. The magic behind the mystery is complicated and rightfully deemed a curse.

I had wished the work was a bit less verbose and repetitive. It definitely hampered my enjoyment. Also, the book ends, but the story does not. It seems that the end comes at the climax, and there is a whole new adventure to unwind in a new book–with Melissa rising from the ashes of her family’s downfall. Really a depressing end, even if the love story is beginning to get underway.

Interested?You can find THE BLACK LOTUS on Goodreads, Amazon, and Amazon UK.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win a $10 Amazon GC or a copy of the book.
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

claire warnerAbout the Author in Ms. Warner’s words
When I was a child, I made up games and characters when my sister and I played with dolls. As I grew older, I would make up scenarios and scenes, fully intending to write them down but never finding the time. In my late teens, I discovered the world of role playing and settled into an avid ‘geeky’ life of D&D, comics, sci-fi and fantasy fiction. Years passed and I finally gave voice to the stories in my head. I write romance, fantasy, action and adventure. I love tales of steampunk and history, tales of magical powers and dark curses lurking in the shadows. Though The Black Lotus is not my first attempt at a novel, it is the first I have finished.

And some fun facts about me:
I sew.
My favourite Disney film is Atlantis.
I’ve been a film extra and stood 5 feet away from Sam Rockwell.
Babylon 5 is my fave sci-fi show.
I cried at the end of Toy Story 3.

Find Claire online on her website, Goodreads, Twitter, and Facebook.

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Down The Rabbit Hole: CLOSE TO DESTINY-Review & Giveaway

Hi there! Today I’m sharing a review for a contemporary romance with paranormal elements from Adria J Cimino. CLOSE TO DESTINY is tumble through the metaphysical for a young woman rebuilding her life after surviving anorexia and multiple suicide attempts.

Catch my review below and enter to win a book from Ms. Cimino.

About the book:
Kat is struggling to get her life back together and put her anorexia and suicide attempts behind her. She must expel the mysterious inner demons that have plagued her for years, and patch up the rocky relationship with her fiancé.

But when she arrives in London for a therapeutic art project, an encounter with an enigmatic woman named Destiny upsets her views of reality and plunges her into a quest for the truth about her past—an astonishing past that reaches back well before her birth.

After midnight, Destiny leads Kat to extravagant parties at an eerie luxury hotel and introduces her to a man who seems to know her better than she knows herself. Kat tries to convince herself this is all part of a strange dream. But as evidence mounts suggesting otherwise, Kat is torn between fascination and fear.

Will Kat run away, or will she seize the fleeting opportunity to change her life and find true love?

Alternating between the reality of day and the mystery of night, Close to Destiny by best-selling author Adria J. Cimino is a magical realism story of déjà vu and righting past wrongs.

My Review:
Katherine is a young woman whose life seems way too difficult. She’s struggled with anorexia, depression and suicidal ideation (and attempts) for the last several years. She’s worked with a therapist for some time, but feels as if she’s getting nowhere close to recovery. Her art therapy, however, seems to hold promise and she’s contacted by another therapist, Gwen, who works out of London and would like to display the charcoal drawings Kat’s made.

It’s as good an excuse as any Kat needs to leave her life behind for a bit. Recharge, restart, she imagines might occur. And time away from her emotionally distant, philandering fiancé is probably not a bad idea either.

From the start of her London adventure, Kat seems pulled into a separate world of the Grand East Hotel. Awakened by a nude woman in the middle of the night is the first of her unsettling experiences. When the same woman, calling herself Destiny, appears a couple nights later and drags pajama-clad Kat to a glamorous soiree, Kat isn’t sure what’s real and what’s in her head. Is this all a dream? A psychotic break? And what of Will, the man Destiny is determined for Kat to meet.

Is Will real? His kisses certainly are, but Kat’s easily overcome and unsure. The deeper Kat falls into the maze of her enchanted hotel, the more she cannot decipher the truth. The stately ballroom where her night time adventures always lead is far from the daylight reality. She meets some of her nighttime companions in the day–outside of the hotel even–but she can’t trust what they tell her. It can’t be real, this past lives intruding upon the present, can it? And then there’s her depression. It’s ebbing, the more time she spends with Destiny and Will.

As Kat struggles to make sense of the happenings around her, she learns that she’s strong enough to return to her former life. Or, is that yet another escape? Will and Destiny are convinced that Kat suffers from a haunting guilt due to poor decisions in another life. Could Will truly be the soulmate she was once denied?

This is an interesting romp through the psyche. Starting with a woman whose worldview is skewed and unreliable, was an excellent choice because it left me constantly guessing, like Kat, what was real. That had the (unintended perhaps) effect of keeping me constantly wary, however, and hampered my bonding with Kat. That said, I was able to get into the haunting aspects–because it seems there are some “ghostly” experiences to be had in this story. Again, it’s not clear if the visions Kat experiences are all in her mind, but the physical manifestations of those encounters has me leaning toward some true interaction with the spirit realm, some of which is clearly brokered by Destiny. It’s a curious book that ends with most of the questions answered and Kat on stable emotional ground for the first time in her adult life. I enjoyed the circuitous path, for all that the language is spare and the chapters short.

Interested? You can find CLOSE TO DESTINY on Goodreads and Amazon.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win a copy of Paris, Rue des Martyrs from Ms. Cimino.
Good luck and keep reading my friends.

About the Author:
Adria J. Cimino is the author of Amazon Best-Selling novel Paris, Rue des Martyrs and Close to Destiny, as well as The Creepshow (out in Spring 2016) and A Perfumer’s Secret (also out in Spring 2016). She also co-founded boutique publishing house Velvet Morning Press. Prior to jumping into the publishing world full time, she spent more than a decade as a journalist at news organizations including The AP and Bloomberg News. Adria is a member of Tall Poppy Writers, which unites bright authors with smart readers.

Adria writes about her real-life adventures on her website, and on Twitter. She lives in Paris with her husband Didier and daughter Phèdre. When she isn’t writing, you can find Adria at her neighborhood café watching the world go by or on Facebook.

Give a Cheer for MIDNIGHT RODEO: BELONGING! Excerpt & Giveaway

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Hi there! Today I’m sharing an excerpt and giveaway for MIDNIGHT RODEO: BELONGING. It’s a paranormal M/M anthology featuring some interesting characters hitting the dark rodeo circuit. All the stories sound intriguing, and there’s a giveaway for a print copy listed below.

About the books:

What happens when rodeos start to get too tough for humans to compete in? Midnight Rodeo, of course, where supernatural creatures like shifters and vampires work for the prize money, and for the awe of their audience.

midnightrodeo21400Light a Rocket by Julia Talbot
Rocket is probably the worst rider in Darque and Knight rodeo troupe. This cheetah shifter is fast as the wind, but he only has so many lives in his cat body, and he spends more time injured than not. Raven Walkingman is the number one cowboy in the Midnight Rodeo, at the top of his game. The two seem an unlikely match, but Raven enjoys doing things no one expects him to, including Rocket.

Raven likes his relationships casual, though, and when Rocket starts talking mates as shifters are wont to do, Raven pulls up the stakes. He has his animal spirit guides, his good friends, and his fancy trailer. He doesn’t need a ragtag cheetah falling in love with him. His spirit guides know better. They adore Rocket and are more than happy to support him, and abandon Raven, until the stubborn fool does the right thing.

Tails and Whiskers by BA Tortuga
Tiger shifter Dmitri loves the rodeo. Darque and Knight has become his home, and he adores all of his new friends. Still, his past as a circus animal causes him to hate injustice, so when he meets a trick rider and fox shifter, Dmitri is appalled to find that the hot little kit isn’t allowed inside the rodeo ground except when he works. In fact, none of the entertainers are allowed in, all being contractors and thus bound to a different boss, who happens to be a greedy goblin.

As Dmitri and Isaac learn to love one another, they find growing dissatisfaction with the status quo, and they go to their friends for support in forcing a policy change. Too bad there’s a certain goblin who doesn’t want to give up control of his workers. Can Dmitri and Isaac find a way to be together, and to make a change for the better of everyone at D&K?

Freaked Out by Kiernan Kelly
Gargoyle-shifter Killian has spent his life living and working with all different sorts of supernatural folk, but because he had three forms instead of two like most other shapeshifters, he’s always felt like a freak. His habit of keeping to himself and minding his own business has been his shield against being hurt, and to aid in that endeavor, he’s adopted a stony personality.

When a troupe of sideshow performers are hired by Darque and Knight to augment the rodeo, he’s forced to redefine his ideas of what constitutes beauty and what defines a freak. Meanwhile, the hard, protective shell he’s erected around his heart threatens to crack wide open under the tender touch of Micah, the sideshow’s hideous Snake Man.

How about a little taste? From Tails and Whiskers!

Someone was singing about having a tiger by the tail. Loudly.

Honestly, Dmitri loved to sing. He loved other people’s enthusiastic music. This morning, though, he was not so pleased. His head felt very large.

He blamed Brax. The head of the kitty cavalcade loved to get everyone full of green smoke.

Dmitri lifted his throbbing head that was, at least, five sizes bigger than it had been, and peered out of the window. Oh. His dear friend Denver was calling for him.

With fried sweet things.

For that he would crawl out of his happy bed, which still smelled like Denver since he’d bought his friend’s old trailer, and put on—shorts? Something.

“Open up, pussycat. I brought doughnuts.” Denver was a good friend, especially for a wolf. Blaine must have thrown him out this morning for being too perky. Denver’s little wolf partner was not a morning person.

Dmitri opened the door to his trailer. “Welcome, friend Denver.”

“Good morning, fuzzy.” Denver walked up and rubbed cheeks with him, sharing scent. The bullfighter knew the rules, knew how to be pride as well as pack. That made him more valuable than gold.

“What did you bring for breakfast?” Dmitri asked.

“Apple fritters. Fresh from the fryer.”

“I love apples!” His head began to clear pretty quickly. “Tell me what is the news.”

“We got a big crowd tonight. Seems tell people are revved. Bulls are spitting fire. That weird little group of trick riders are pulling the first break, to give Kurt a breather. He’s burning up.”

Yes, it was warm in Texas for a panda. Dmitri understood. His inner Siberian tiger longed for Colorado. Maybe Canada.

“There’s a lake close by. We should go, the bunch of us,” Denver suggested.

“Oh.” Swimming. His tiger surged, close the surface, wanting out of his human body. “Yes. Apple things first.”

“You bet. Come sit with me.”

Dmitri followed Denver out into the sun and sat at a picnic table. The heat pressed at him, but he did love the light.

Denver had an entire box of the pastries and they ate eagerly, wolfing the doughnuts at first, then ending with lazy nibbles. Oh. Better. So much better.

Sugar left his tiger cold, but his human side loved it, and the crispy-fried part? Perfect.

He bounced, rocking the table. “Swiim now?”

“Let me grab the others. You’ll invite the pride?”

“I will.” He grabbed a trash can lid and a piece of wood and began banging. “Wake up, kitties! We are going to the lake!”

He got half cheers, half people throwing things at him. Blaine walked over with an apple fritter in hand, the other bullfighters Caul and Carter followed along with Potts. That only left one bullfighter and Terrance was notoriously slow.

Brax appeared, his naked, tanned form lean and pretty. “What are you caterwauling about?”

“Swimming! Friend Denver says there is a lake.”

Brax wrinkled his nose, stretched slowly, all golden skin and muscle. Yum. “I’ll pass.”

“Coward,” Denver teased. “You can come tan. Show off all that pretty skin. Maybe you’ll get laid.”

Dmitri wished he would have that, not Brax. No one wanted to be broken, Brax told him, afraid of Dmitri’s size and… enthusiasm.

“Yeah?” Brax came over, scented Denver and Blaine, then nodded. “Okay, sure. Let me grab some oil.”

“And some shorts,” Potts called. “A shame to damage yer pecker, eh?”

“Mine is so big I can cast my own shade.” Brax winked and headed off.

Potts growled, but the sound was more happy than ugly. Dmitri looked between them, then raised a brow at Denny.

Denver just shrugged, eyes twinkling. “What will be, will be, huh?”
“It will.” He was happy if his friends were happy.
“Lake. Water. Swimming.”
“Dog paddling,” Dmitri teased.
“You know it. Terry is a champion paddler.” Denver clapped Terrance on the back when he went by.
They clomped the half mile to the lake, the water glinting under the sun, the grass on the way green and thick. Dmitri whooped as soon as he saw the water, breaking into a run.

Blaine followed with him, the little wolf losing shirt and flip-flops with a happy howl.

He laughed, splashing in and leaving his clothes on the bank. He popped water at Blaine, roaring with delight.

Blaine tackled him, totally unafraid and eager to play.

Dmitri chortled, and soon he was surrounded, five puppies and kittens flying in all directions when he shrugged hard. Denver was floating on his back, watching with deceptively hooded eyes. Denny saw all.

Oh, Dmitri loved his life.

Interested? You can find MIDNIGHT RODEO: BELONGING on AllRomance and Amazon.

****GIVEAWAY****

Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win a print copy of MIDNIGHT RODEO: BELONGING.
Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the authors:
BA Tortuga:
Texan to the bone and an unrepentant Daddy’s Girl, BA Tortuga spends her days with her basset hounds, getting tattooed, texting her sisters, and eating Mexican food. When she’s not doing that, she’s writing. She spends her days off watching rodeo, knitting and surfing porn sites in the name of research. BA’s personal saviors include her wife (still amazing to say that), Julia Talbot, her best friend, Sean Michael, and coffee. Lots of coffee. Really good coffee.

Having written everything from fist-fighting rednecks to hard-core cowboys to werewolves, BA does her damnedest to tell the stories of her heart, which was raised in Northeast Texas, but has gone to the high desert mountains and fallen in love. With books ranging from hard-hitting GLBT romance, to fiery menages, to the most traditional of love stories, BA refuses to be pigeon-holed by anyone but the voices in her head.

You can find BA online on her website, blog, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and twitter.

Julia Talbot:
Julia Talbot lives in the great Southwest, where there is hot and cold running rodeo, cowboys, and everything from meat and potatoes to the best Tex-Mex. A full time author, Julia has been published by Torquere Press, Dreamspinner and Changeling Press. She believes that everyone deserves a happy ending, so she writes about love without limits, where boys love boys, girls love girls, and boys and girls get together to get wild, especially when her crazy paranormal characters are involved.

Find Julia online on her website, Goodreads, Facebook, or twitter.

Kiernan Kelly:
Kiernan Kelly lives in the wilds of the alligator-infested U.S. Southeast, slathered in SPF 45, drinking colorful tropical, hi-octane concoctions served by thong-clad cabana boys.

All right, the truth is that she spends her time locked in the dark recesses of her office, writing gay erotic romance while chained to a temperamental Macintosh, drinking coffee, and dreaming of thong-clad cabana boys.

Sigh.

To date, Kiernan has seven novels in print, a plethora of short stories in e-format…and still no cabana boy of her own, although her husband may beg to differ.

Catch up with Kiernan online on her website, Facebook, Goodreads and twitter.

pride

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.

Winter OrangesAbout 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.

Marie SextonAbout 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!