Blurb: Alpaca rancher and fiber mill owner Rance Crawford is instantly smitten with his brand-new neighbor Ben McCutcheon, in The Winter Courtship Rituals of Fur-Bearing Critters; he just has to find a good way to show his interest. Jeremy, an ex-con hanging on to his last bit of hope, thinks life might be looking up when Rance Crawford offers him a job, in How to Raise an Honest Rabbit, but when Jeremy meets Aiden and his past comes knocking, will Jeremy have the courage to stay and fight? Stanley is stuck in a rut, in Knitter in His Natural Habitat, unsure if he’s happy with his personal life or his professional life as a floor designer for craft stores; then Johnny into his life, trailing a dark past, and Stanley has to decide what he’s willing to give up to keep Johnny. In Blackbird Knitting in a Bunny’s Lair, Jeremy barely survives a horrific beating, and he’s left with the scars to prove it; between the Jeremy’s long road to recovery and a friend’s baby who needs special care, Aiden and Jeremy might find the common ground necessary to firm up their shaky relationship.
Review: The Granby Knitters Stories is the bundle of Amy Lane’s novellas from the Granby Knitters series. The bundle is a wonderful to read the sweet and exciting storylines woven together and the different characters that the stories focus on. What makes this better is that this series really does blend together well as one book since the timeline between each of the stories flows one after the other.
At the forefront of this is all is the first book, The Winter Courtship Rituals of Fur-Bearing Critters, is alpaca ranch and mill owner Rance Crawford (aka Crawford or Craw) as he meets his good looking, younger neighbor Ben McCutcheon. Craw is a grumpy guy with very few social skills, but he does know how to show his heart through knitting and it is so heartwarming and sweet.
How to Raise an Honest Rabbit moves us onto Craw’s employees, Jeremy and Aiden. Aiden is a local boy who started working at the mill after school and has since found his passion working with wool. Jeremy has a tragic past; he grew up always performing some con or another with his father. But seeing his father’s murder and 2 years in prison has changed Jeremy. The thing is though, despite being happy at the mill for the past 3 years, the developing romantic relationship between him and Aiden scares him witless, especially since he is a good ten years older than Aiden though he has yet to develop that maturity as an adult.
Knitter in his Natural Habitat moves us onto Stanley and Johnny. Both guys are featured in the books before this point. Although we only just met Johnny at the end of Jeremy and Aiden’s story, he is a really interesting and in many ways he is a lot like Jeremy. Stanley on the other hand is a less gruff version of Aiden, where Aiden was a less gruff version of Craw. These guys have a great story – nice and quick to read – but I can’t say anything without giving anything away from previous books!
The final book in the series ties up all the loose ends, mostly to do with Jeremy and Aiden – although Stanley and Johnny are pretty prominent and Ben and Craw make frequent appearances too. This really steps up the danger element introduced in Jeremy and Aiden’s first story and is a really fun way to end the story.
One final note to end on, as I mentioned before with my comparison between Craw, Stanley and Aiden – they are varying degrees of a similar personality – the gruff tough guy. Actually Stanley doesn’t fit in that category so well, but there are elements there. However, the point is, many of the characters have varying degrees of similarity to each other. But I think that works well, because the couples have a wonderful attraction and the chemistry was on point. It also helps because Craw and Stanley, although were fuck buddies, it is clear that they could never be anything more when Ben entered Craw’s life. Whereas it is Craw and Jeremy who have a complex over the age gap between them and their respective lovers, so in some ways you can see Craw’s influence on Jeremy. In the end though, I think it’s clear that all these characters are somehow moved by Craw and he is like the unofficial leader of their little band of knitters.
Author: Lucie Archer, Kris T. Bethke, Deja Black, M.A. Chruch, David C. Dawson, Jana Denardo, Nicole Dennis, Ravon Silvius, L.A. Marrill, Grace R. Duncan, Xenia Melzer, Jude Dunn, Julie Lynn Hayes, Tray Ellis, Troy Storm, Alicia Nordwell, Renee Stevens
Genre: Paranormal, Holiday, Contemporary, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy
Length: Novel (330 Pages)
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (December 12, 2012)
Heat Level: Low
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥4.5 Hearts (Combined)
Blurb: With time comes healing, but Orlando and the LGBT community are still recovering from last June’s tragedy. To show our ongoing support for those affected by the Orlando shooting, our authors, editors, artists, and staff have volunteered their talents to create this second benefit anthology. All proceeds will be donated to LGBT organizations in central Florida. Join us as we reaffirm that no matter the obstacle, love always wins.
Review: I think that this was one hell of a perfect gift in my eyes. The proceeds are going to be given to the LGBT in Florida after the tragic shooting in June. It was an amazing book and for the perfect reason. I do admit though I just couldn’t read the ones with females in them because I don’t do girly parts at all. However the hot men in this book made up for the girly parts in spares.
Abstract Heart by Lucie Archer ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts
Nick spends nearly every lunch break at the modern art museum, hoping to catch a glimpse of docent Kris. Kris has noticed the cute guy hanging around the exhibits too but never manages to approach him. It will take a matchmaking security guard to bring these two introverts together.
Thank god for friends because if it was left up to these two they wouldn’t get past hello and you can definitely see the heat between them. It is a very cute little story about finding that one person you want to be with.
Cats and Christmas Trees: Trouble Waiting to Happen by M.A. Church ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts
What’s a half human to do when Christmas rolls around? Kirk tries ignores it, but his shifter mates Tal and Dolf, being sneaky kitties, persist in finding out what’s troubling him so they can make it better.
This was the perfect Christmas story for my favorite shifters. I love how this author just makes these two cats, well like cats. When I received this anthology I had not even realized that this story had been included and let’s just say I jumped for joy. Tal is the perfect omega and Dolf is the perfect alpha, then you add in Kirk and you have got one hell of a threesome.
A Chance for Hope by Deja Black ♥♥♥♥♥4.5 Hearts
In the aftermath of tragedy, freelance writer Brad Truscott is drawn to ease Paul Bachman’s grief. But will Paul ever be ready to take another chance on happiness?
I think that this story will hit closer to home for those who suffered from this loss the most. It shows the heartache, but it also shows hope. A second chance at love and the tenderness found in each other. I enjoyed reading it.
Changing Things by Nicole Dennis ♥♥♥♥♥ 4.5 Hearts
Despite his allergies, Ryan puts up with the two rescue cats his boyfriend, Seth, adores. But when an especially severe asthma attack sends Ryan to the hospital, Seth realizes something has to give—either his relationship with Ryan or his guardianship of Fili and Kili.
This was a cute little story that was a blast to read. I think Seth picked the right choice also, but you really need to read it because I am not telling. I enjoyed reading it though.
Especially in Orlando by Troy Storm ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts
When bighearted mover Dalton is hired to haul away a hot young guy’s belongings after a breakup, he can’t help returning to see how the good-looking older man is dealing with the transition. George is happy to take Dalton up on his offer of solace. But then George’s ex, Peter—aka Mr. Prissy Pout—has second thoughts, and while George isn’t interested in taking him back, he and Dalton are willing to share their experience—and more.
Now this one was more sexual then actually fun to me. I didn’t much care for it but then that is me. I hate to admit that I basically skimmed over the story and read parts of it. Which for me was a bad thing because it just gave me an eye of what was going on.
Free to Love by Kris T. Bethke ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts
Henry is tired of hiding their relationship, but Shane is afraid to risk losing his job and his parents by coming out as gay. When his worst fears prove true, Shane finds that life outside his parents’ repressive control is so much better than anything he could have imagined.
Parents can be just as cruel as a stranger it would seem. I felt bad for Shane but the end result rocks. I enjoyed reading this story and will definitely be checking for these guys to have a longer story in the future, with more juicy details.
Happily Ever After, After All by L.A. Merrill ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts
Once upon a time, Princess Aubergine dreamed of a fairy-tale wedding to the girl of her dreams. Things haven’t exactly worked out that way. Locked in a tower for ten years, Aubergine managed to scare off all the princes coming to rescue her. Now it’s up to her to do the rescuing—until a band of students from the local Ladies’ Academy happen upon her tower and devise a daring escape plan.
Now the story is a fantastic story, however I hate female characters so the story didn’t do anything for me. I hate to admit that I just skimmed it and didn’t really read it. When I received it I was told it was m/m or m/m/m romance so to my shock this came up and well you can guess.
The Importance of Pride by Ravon Silvius ♥♥♥♥♥4.5 Hearts
College history professor Patrick Levine is looking for a subject for a research proposal when he discovers his granduncle’s journal. To his shock, not only was Uncle Marty gay, but he’d been at the Stonewall riot in 1969. Will learning more about his uncle’s history help Patrick face his own fears about coming out?
I just can’t imagine what his uncle went through to get where we are now. It is still a fight for the LGBT to be considered equal and I fear what the future will be like. This is a very sweet story of a young man who is not out but finds out that his uncle was a true believer. I don’t know if I said any of this right, but I will tell you that this was an inspiring story.
The Insomniac Sommelier by Julie Lynn Hayes ♥♥♥♥♥ 4.5 Hearts
Kirk Westmoreland dreams of owning his own restaurant someday, but for now he fights insomnia while working at family-owned Venezia with his control-freak older brother. After work he tries to de-stress at Sweeties, a small diner run by his sister and her wife. When Kirk meets the diner’s new server, Ashley, he ends up going home with him—to the best sleep he’s had in forever. If he can’t keep his life at Sweeties compartmentalized from his life at Venezia, Kirk will have to decide which one he’s willing to give up.
I definitely can understand insomnia. This is a really cute little story if not a bit off, but was still a fun little story. I just felt like it wasn’t for me though, because there was just something missing but I couldn’t figure it out. Other than my issues, this is a cute story.
Looking for George by David C. Dawson ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts
Betty’s innocent crush on actor George Clooney became something more when he saved her from a fall at the hotel she works at in London. When she discovers her Italian holiday trip will take her only a few miles from the actor’s summer villa… well, surely fate means for them to meet again.
Now the story is a fantastic story, however I hate female characters so the story didn’t do anything for me. I hate to admit that I just skimmed it and didn’t really read it. When I received it I was told it was m/m or m/m/m romance so to my shock this came up and well you can guess.
Love Over Lotto by Jude Dunn ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts
Craig Batson and Tom Rendelle have plenty of joy together but not so much money. Determined to improve their finances, Craig borrows a library book on the secrets of winning the lottery and empties their rainy-day fund to buy dozens of lottery tickets. Tom explodes when he finds out, leaving Craig to wonder if their love can survive.
This is a very cute story however it is a bit blown out. I got a headache within the first few minutes afterwards. As for the characters, they just seem a bit off to me. Tom, who works blows at almost everything and then there is Craig who stays home and paints. They don’t really have that much going for them until the lotto. Other than those issues it is still a cute story but not really my idea of fun.
More Than His Scars by Jana Denardo ♥♥♥♥♥ 4.5 Hearts
Facing the anniversary of the day he lost his arm while serving in the Middle East, Aaron is understandably depressed. It’s up to his lover, Rhys, to plan a special day to help Aaron see how amazing he really is.
This story has many different aspects to it, if that is the word for it. On one sense it has the paranormal or fantasy seeing as Rhys and his children are not human. Then you have Aaron who is not only human but was military until his arm was taken in the war. It is a sad story with a happy tilt toit. I am afraid that no matter how good it was, it just wasn’t for me.
Overcoming Fear by Grace R. Duncan ♥♥♥♥♥5 Hearts
In the year since a global pandemic ravaged their world, Duncan has done everything he can to ease Mark’s fears of losing him. When a minister and his wife seek out Mark for help, Duncan sees an opportunity to show Mark another level of commitment—if Mark will dare to take it.
One is afraid of losing another person in his life, the other wants forever. I liked this story quite a bit, no to Christmas themed but it was a lot of fun to read. I get a kick out zombies, apocalypse and pandemic stories. This was a lot of fun and look forward to reading a bit more from this author.
Prevailing Zzz’s by Tray Ellis ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts
After eight months together, Greg wants Win to move in with him. But how can Win agree when Greg’s snoring leaves him sleep-deprived and miserable?
Let’s just say that if I had left it up to the blurb for this particular book I would have just went on past. I believe if you love someone deep enough, then their snoring is no big thing. It is a fun little book if not a bit quirky to me.
Pushing Back Oblivion by Alicia Nordwell ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts
Fighting a rapidly growing brain tumor, Cohen promises his partner, Jaime, that he’ll never give up. Through surgeries and setbacks, at times that promise and Jaime’s voice are all Cohen has to cling to.
Now this one was just a tease. It is a sweet story but way too short to get any more than a hint of what is going to happen. It went from one time, then to another, then two months after the fact that it left a good portion of the story out. Other than that it was cute.
Reluctant Valentine by Xenia Melzer ♥♥♥♥♥4.5 Hearts
A best-selling thriller novelist, Dean writes romances as a relaxing hobby. But when writer’s block strikes, sexy handyman Morgan shows up to provide all the inspiration he needs.
The first thing I have to say is I could have done without the first few lines in this story. Even if he is the author and it was just about his book, it was well gross. I hate anything female in my story and almost just put it down to skimming this book. Other than that we have an author who needs some inspiration and it comes to him in a sexy man. It is a very cute love story about finding first love. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
Taking a Chance by Renee Stevens ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts
Gabe and Toby work for the same company, Gabe in the US and Toby in London. After meeting at a convention, they spend nearly every moment of their time together, but when they both have to return home, their only option is to attempt a long-distance relationship.
This was just a teaser. Moving away from home to be with the man you love and then that is it. It is a cute little story but I sure do wish the author might make it a longer story later. I would love to see how these two do in the future.
Overall Overall some of the stories rocked, some were just stories and then of course the girly parts but the basis for the book still stands. This is to help the LGBT community and for that we need to pick up those books and start reading. Or maybe I should say we need to start buying these stories. I enjoyed reading them and was glad to have a extra from one of my favorite paranormal love stories mixed in. I would definitely recommend it.
Blurb: Two years after his life fell apart, Will Dawson moved to Florida to start over. His job in the tech department of Idyll Fling, a gay porn studio, is ideal for him. When his boss forces him to take on a new hire, the last person he expects is Dallas Greene—the man who cost him his job and his boyfriend back in Connecticut. He doesn’t know what’s on Dallas’s agenda, but he won’t be blindsided by a wolf masquerading as a runway model. Not again.
Dallas might have thrown himself on his brother’s mercy, but his skills are needed at Idyll Fling. Working with Will is a bonus, since Dallas has never forgotten the man. A good working relationship is only the beginning of what Dallas wants with Will.
But Dallas doesn’t realize how deep Will’s distrust runs, and Will doesn’t know that the man he’s torn between loving and hating is the boss’s brother. When all truths are revealed, how can a relationship built on lies still stand?
Review: It has been sometime since I have had the pleasure of reading one of K.C. Burn’s stories. At first when I was given this story the title just struck me as funny as hell, and I wasn’t really that sure about the story. Yes it caught my attention but it didn’t give me the good feeling that it should have. Then I saw the cover and was like ok this is going to work, especially after reading the blurb.
My attention was caught from the moment I started reading and kept it all the way to the end. It is a novel length but I was so caught in it, that it didn’t feel like I had been reading it that long. The story is catchy and very captivating, plus you can just feel the heat from these two. Now through part of it, I wanted to smack Will upside the head. He was not one of my favorite characters till closer to the end. Then the ending gave me what I wanted.
Will had lost his boyfriend and his job two years before and blamed the one person who made him hot. He comes off as a very bitter person to me and takes it out on the one that is a plain sweetheart. All of this because he was attracted to the man. Now he is in a new job, and guess who they just hired to work with him.
Dallas has had a hard two years. He had gotten a job that he found interesting but was basically killing him. His boyfriend at the time was a douche and you will find out when you read the book. Let’s just say goodbye to that asshat. So he packs up his car and his belongings and goes to his brother. Stefan is the best brother in the world and he helps Dallas all the way. Then Dallas finds out who he is going to work with, and can you feel the heart beat faster.
Dallas is my favorite character in the whole book. Not only is he good at his job, but he is just the sweetest young man ever. What he had gone through, and I am including his parents would make anyone cringe. I enjoyed the way the story turned out and the flow of it was perfect. It was an even, if not a bit faster flow then I had expected and it worked for this story.
I had a lot of fun reading it and look forward to reading more by this amazing author.
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (12th December 2016)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating:♥♥♥♥ 3.5 Hearts
Blurb: Born December 25, Noel Beebe is tired of having his birthday overshadowed by all things Christmas. While looking for love on social media, he comes across a prospective new beau just in time to celebrate the Big 3-0, someone who encourages him to take back his day and say thumbs down to Christmas! On a trip to the Big Apple, Noel does just that, flipping off the Rockefeller Center tree and demanding his coffee in a nondecorative paper cup as a fun birthday prank. His act of defiance is caught on video and soon goes viral, leading to a backlash all over the Twitterverse, Internet, and TV. Suddenly what Noel thought would be his best birthday—and even Christmas—yet is shaping up to be his worst. Can his family and his potential boyfriend prove to the world that Noel isn’t the Scrooge he’s been labeled?
Review: Ok, this one is really a hard one to talk about. I mean, I liked the story well enough, but I can’t say that the characters or the plot well and truly grabbed me and dragged me.
#ChristmasHatesYouToo is about a guy, Noel, who hates Christmas because he was born on Christmas Day. I can understand that, I hate sharing family birthday celebrations with people whose birthday are the day before and day after me. Evidently, with the name Noel, he also has parents with a sick sense of humor.
For me getting a handle on the characters that Noel mentions – the main ones being guys he met via Twitter – was a bit difficult. I found that I had to concentrate on the words to make sure I got everyone straight in my head – it was especially necessary with the twist at the end. After doing a certain action that goes viral and has so many people hating on Noel, he relies on his family and his new love interest to help him through.
For people that dislike insta-love, this book is definitely a no go. I don’t mind insta-love myself and even I had some difficulty in swallowing how things unfold. I think mostly because I didn’t feel a particularly strong spark between Noel and his love interest (I’m purposely not naming names as there are more than one possible boyfriend for him). In fact, I can’t say that there was much of a spark with the other guy either. But no matter, I still think that this is a nice, quick story to pass a half hour or so.
In Quadruple Flip, (which I co-wrote with David Connor) what traditional fast food meal did Tom Alan and Erika share with their family for Christmas while living in Japan?
(Just leave a comment with the answer on this post)
Hi guys, we have Garrett Leigh popping in today with the review tour for her new release the Heated Beat Collection, we have some great excerpts, a brilliant giveaway and Aerin’s review, so check out the post and click that giveaway link! <3 ~Pixie~
Heated Beat Collection
by
Garrett Leigh
My Mate Jack
Will Barter’s been in love with his best mate Jack for as long as he can remember. They’ve shared everything: love, life, laughs, even Will’s first kiss. But Jack’s straight, and Will’s long-buried infatuation means nothing until their last summer together draws to a close.
Then one night, everything changes, but with Will bound for university in Leeds, and Jack for his dream DJ job in Ibiza, there’s no time to explore their blurred lines. Before long all that’s left are secrets, lies, and misunderstandings.
In the months that follow, anger and hurt overshadow fifteen years of friendship, and Will must dig deep to remember Jack is his mate… his best mate, and nothing matters more than that, right?
Lucky Man
As a diehard music fan, a dirty, smoky gig is Vice Squad Detective Danny Jones’s idea of heaven. While watching one of the most popular bands in Northern England, the sight of gorgeous rock star Finn McGovern changes his life forever.
Beneath the tattoos and leather jacket, Finn is kind and sweet, but when he confesses a dark secret to Danny, it tests their fledgling bond. Danny digs deep to accept Finn, but before long, a terrifying trail of death threatens to tear them apart before they’ve even got started.
A monster is killing prostitutes on Danny’s patch, and when a dead girl turns up too close to home, Danny discovers a heartbreaking link between the girl and his bright new life with Finn, a life he’ll do anything to protect.
Hi guys, we have Tara Lain stopping by today with the tour for her new release Cowboys Don’t Come Out, we have a great character bio, a great excerpt and a brilliant giveaway, so check out the post and click that giveaway link! <3 ~Pixie~
Cowboys Don’t Come Out
by
Tara Lain
Rand McIntyre settles for good enough. He loves his small California ranch, raising horses, and teaching riding to the kids he adores—but having kids of his own and someone to love means coming out, and that would jeopardize everything he’s built. Then, despite his terror of flying, he goes on a holiday to Hana, Hawaii with his parents and meets the dark and mysterious Kai Kealoha, a genuine Hawaiian cowboy. Rand takes to Kai’s kid brother and sister as much as he drools over Kai, but the guy sports more prickles than a horned toad, and more secrets than the exotic land he comes from.
Kai’s earned his privacy and lives to protect his “kids.” He ought to stay away from the big, handsome cowboy for everyone’s sake—but since the guy’s just a haole on a short vacation, how much damage can he do? When all of Kai’s worst fears and Rand’s darkest nightmares come true at once, there’s not much chance for two cowboys who can’t—or won’t—come out.
Hi peeps, we have L.A. Stockman stopping by today with her new release Epiphany, we have a great excerpt and a fantastic giveaway, so check out the post and click that giveaway link <3 ~Pixie~
Epiphany
by
L.A. Stockman
Khafra has spent more than three thousand years wandering the Earth, fascinated by humanity and its many rises and falls. When he meets a young student at Cambridge, he is utterly unprepared for the effect Alfie has on him. Eager and open and full of wonder, Alfie is perhaps the perfect submissive.
While the sex is spectacular, the real surprise for Khafra is his growing love for Alfie. Such unions are grand while they last, but inevitably doomed to time and mortality. Can he open his heart one more time, for a beautiful young man whose defiance of custom and courage in the face of danger are so captivating? Or will he continue as he has for so long, living on the fringe?
Hi guys, we have Gillian St. Kevern popping in today with her new release Ibiza On Ice, we have a great excerpt and a fabulous giveaway, so check out the post and click that giveaway link <3 ~Pixie~
Ibiza On Ice
(For the Love of Christmas!)
by
Gillian St. Kevern
Tired of being ridiculed as the man dumped in favour of an ugly Christmas sweater, Aston is determined to get revenge–by having his dream vacation at Ibiza’s hottest clubs! He’s even planned a social media campaign to make sure his ex, Dan, knows exactly what he’s missing.
When a snowstorm strikes, and Aston’s media campaign takes off before he does, he finds himself propositioned by his unwelcome roommate Mike: trade vacations, or Mike will out Aston as a fake. Desperate to save his reputation, Aston finds himself in Finland–and falling hard for a man with a sweater almost as terrible as Dan’s. Worse, Laaksonen cares as little about impressing people as Aston cares about being nice. Aston knows he has too much self-respect to fall for a man so hazardous to his reputation. But the long Polar Night poses the ultimate test to his Ibiza club dreams…
Hi guys! We have Tara Lain popping in today with the cover to her upcoming re-release Volley Balls. We have a great excerpt for you to have a peek at, so check out the fantastic cover and enjoy the excerpt! <3 ~Pixie~
Volley Balls
(Balls to the Wall 01)
by
Tara Lain
A double dose of alpha male might be better than one. Tara Lain’s popular novella, Volley Balls, is now expanded and revised.
Despite just getting out of an abusive relationship with an asshole alpha, David Underwood’s wandering glance lands on two hot members of the Australian volleyball team on Laguna Beach and gets him harassed again. Still, when the delicious Gareth Marshall proves his interest by coming out to his team, David succumbs to his attraction. But Gareth’s volleyball partner, Edge, who’s equally hot, makes the lovers’ lives miserable.
For Gareth, a lifetime of hiding his orientation—and his attraction—from his best friend, Edge, as well as everyone else around him, adds up to hurt and frustration. David’s the first man to ever compete with Edge for Gareth’s passion. But Edge has secrets of his own, and David’s ex-lover will never be happy without David under his fist. With everything stacked against him, can a gay Laguna man find happiness with an alpha male–or two?
A “pumped up” version of the Volley Balls story, twice as long as the original.
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (11th December 2016)
Heat Level: Low
Heart Rating:♥♥ 2 Hearts
Blurb: Carlos Mendez spends all year working hard at his Houston-based landscaping business, and he sends every spare penny he earns back to his family in Mexico. By the time the holidays roll around, he doesn’t have much patience for the unadulterated greed and consumerism paraded past him. But a chance meeting with his neighbor, Ned Williams, and Ned’s cancer-stricken daughter, might help to remind him of the real meaning of the season—something beyond the gaudy lights and extravagant displays—something he wants to be a part of.
Review: Carlos Mendez considers himself a Scrooge. He hates Christmas because people use the Holidays for more of the receiving of Gifts than what it’s meant to be. The Love, Charity and the Selfless acts that people give to others.
He meets his new next-door neighbor Ned and his 5-year-old daughter after he sees the type of Christmas decoration that he has up. Carlos sees the struggle Ned is going through to put a smile on his sick daughter’s face. Carlos sets out to help them both any way that he can, so they can both enjoy Christmas.
Blurb: When Marcus and James started dating a few years ago, James invited Marcus home to spend the holidays with his close, Christmas-loving family. Marcus quickly realized once was enough, and since then, he’s stayed behind.
But this year will be different. Though the festivity and chaos make Marcus uncomfortable, he loves James, and he’s decided to put aside his unease so they can spend Christmas together—even if it means losing his hotel room to one of James’s siblings, braving the cold to go caroling, and battling the crowds so the children can visit Santa. It’ll all be worth it if Marcus can take his place in the family’s traditions—and maybe begin a new tradition for the two of them.
Review: James’s family plans for Christmas are spent with his family. Marcus had gone once and that was enough for him. That is until this Christmas, however if you want the juicy details you are just going to have to read it.
I think out of all the stories in this calendar, this one rocked it all. Not only is it sweet, tender and very cute, but it is more traditional. I got a kick out of it and can’t wait to see what else this author has out. It will be a Christmas to remember.
Hi peeps, we have F.E. Feeley popping in today with the cover to his upcoming re-release The Haunting of Timber Manor, we have a great excerpt so check out the cover and enjoy the post! <3 ~Pixie~
The Haunting of Timber Manor
(Memoirs of the Human Wraiths 01)
by
F.E. Feeley
While recovering from the recent loss of his parents, Daniel Donnelly receives a phone call from his estranged aunt, who turns over control of the family fortune and estate, Timber Manor. Though his father seemed guarded about the past, Daniel’s need for family and curiosity compel him to visit.
Located in a secluded area of the Northwest, Timber Manor has grown silent over the years. Her halls sit empty and a thin layer of dust adorns the sheet-covered furniture. When Daniel arrives to begin repairs, strange things happen. Nightmares haunt his dreams. Memories not his own disturb his waking hours. Alive with the tragedies of the past, Timber Manor threatens to tear Daniel apart.
Sheriff Hale Davis grew up working on the manor grounds. Seeing Daniel struggle, he vows protect the young man who captured his heart, and help him solve the mystery behind the haunting and confront the past-not only to save Daniel’s life, but to save his family, whose very souls hang in the balance.
2nd Edition. 1st edition published by Dreamspinner Press January 2013.
Blurb: Micheal Donovan’s family has kept the peace between mortal and magical realms for generations, but Micheal skipped out on glory for other plans. He finished school, got a nine-to-five, and tried to fit in. When his cousin meets an unfortunate end on All Hallows, Micheal abruptly inherits the position of Riftkeeper, along with all the prestige and responsibility he didn’t want. Estranged from his family, Micheal never learned the details of the job. All the grumpy, ancestral spirit now possessing his goldfish can tell him is that a mistake could be catastrophic. Micheal isn’t feeling the holiday cheer, and coworkers’ attempts to encourage him only add to a headache of magical proportions. To make matters worse, Ryan Nickles, Micheal’s colleague and cubicle neighbor, has assembled enough Christmas decorations to attract more pixies than Micheal can hide.
When Micheal’s attempts to find the Winter Court on the week of the solstice leave him with nothing but a bad cold, he fears he’ll be the first Riftkeeper to break ancient contracts. He’s too stressed to handle Ryan’s attempts to get him into the holiday spirit, but Ryan might know more about the magic of the season than Micheal realizes.
Review: Micheal is the new Riftkeeper and has been having quite a bit of trouble with it. For one he has no help, but then he finds out that the one working beside him for the last two years is the one who could help.
Now this is a short story that was fun to read, however it was also very confusing. I didn’t understand most of the story and it ended up giving me a blasted headache. However I did get the gist of it as one would say. Other than some party, it doesn’t really have all that of a Christmas theme to it. So I am afraid that this one was just not for me, mostly because I didn’t have a clue what was going on.
My story had a number of riddles in it, since it was about Faerie Riddles I’ve shared one of my custom riddles here…can you work out the answer?
Some say the first of us is lucky, then claim we have no number.
We offer guidance when sun is gone, yet hide ourselves from thunder.
In our light we hold tales, and by us men set their sails.
But their hands may never hold us, only eyes in wonder.
(Just leave a comment with the answer on this post)
Hi guys, we have Sue Brown popping in today with the tour for her new release Alpha Barman, we have a brilliant guest post where Sue chats about her cover, we have a great excerpt, a fantastic giveaway and Lisa’s review, so check out the post and click that giveaway link! <3 ~Pixie~
Alpha Barman
(J.T’s Bar 01)
by
Sue Brown
Jake Tyler walked out of Special Ops two years ago, a devastated, broken man after he discovered his sister brutally murdered by her husband, Riley. Since then he’s found a kind of peace running a rural bar. The last thing Jake Tyler expects is his former team to turn up with grim news. Jake’s ex-brother-in-law has escaped from prison and is heading Jake’s way. The team is here to protect Jake, whether he likes it or not – a decision reluctantly shared by their leader, Jake’s ex-lover Mitch Mitchelson.
Mitch is angry and hurting. The man he trusted – the man he adored more than anything – abandoned both his team and Mitch. Jake never gave Mitch a chance to help or come to terms with his desertion. Regardless of mission protocols, Mitch isn’t about to open his heart again to that kind of pain.
But the strong attraction between them can’t be denied. How are they ever going to work together when Mitch still resents Jake’s disappearance, and to Jake, the team represents everything that destroyed him in the first place? And meantime they wait for Riley to find them… and to settle the threat once and for all.
Hi guys, we have Dev Bentham stopping by today with the cover to her upcoming release the Tarnished Souls Bundle, we have a great excerpt and a brilliant giveaway so check out the post and click that giveaway link! <3 ~Pixie~
Tarnished Souls Bundle
by
Dev Bentham
Tarnished Souls is a series of contemporary romance novels centered around Jewish holidays:
Life can be hard. Hard enough to leave two men tarnished and hopeless.They might be too damaged to see the truth in each other, but just maybe finding their bershert, their true love, will finally make them shine.
BOOKS IN THE TARNISHED SOULS COMPILATION
Learning from Issac
It’s hard to break out of a rut. For years, Nathan submerged himself into his job at St. Genevieve’s. He enjoys teaching, hates faculty meetings, loves his science and has committed himself to the cycle of college life. Along the way, he’s become resigned to being a gay man in a straight culture, a Jew among Catholics, and single in a world of couples. Then the brilliant Isaac Wolf appears in his classroom. Isaac’s a few years older than his fellow students, gorgeous, self-composed and Jewish.
Isaac has his own secrets, which Nathan finds out at the racy new club downtown where the boys who dance out front can be bought in the back room. Nathan thinks he’s about to get a lap dance, but behind the beaded curtain the man on his knees turns out to be Isaac. Nathan’s mind isn’t the only thing Isaac blows. Afterward, Nathan can’t stop thinking about that night. The question is whether Nathan can let himself fall in love with a student, much less someone with Isaac’s checkered past. Is it too late for a student to teach his professor the true nature of love and respect?
Publisher’s Note: This book contains graphic imagery of men having sex together. And enjoying it. However, the story is primarily a romance. Don’t be disappointed if you read pages and pages and pages without encountering acts, organs or orgasms.
Fields of Gold
Life is full of compromises. That’s what Avi Rosen tells himself. He’s a yeshiva boy turned historian, working on his dissertation and stretching his meager stipend by moonlighting as a closeted politician’s houseboy. Their relationship used to feel like a real affair. Lately it seems more like a job.
It isn’t until he meets someone decent that he realizes how corrupt his life has become. Pete is a tall blond farmer who charms Avi with his dazzling smile and his straightforward life. But even if he can believe this refreshingly honest man doesn’t have his own political agenda, will Avi find the strength to emerge from the dark life he’s chosen and find a future in the sun?
Sacred Hearts
Life’s a gamble–and lately David Schwartz’s partner has been losing so much that David must close their restaurant, the hippest little place in Portland. He sells everything and moves back home, but at thirty-five, he’s not eager to sleep alone in his childhood bedroom or to be supported by his father for the second time in his adult life.
David’s had enough. He needs to start over, maybe with someone like the elusive man he’s been seeing in his dreams. An old friend offers him a job catering a movie set in Puerto Vallarta. It’s been years since David’s alcoholism spun out of control along the highways of Mexico. Determined to experience Mexico sober, he stuffs his few remaining possessions in a backpack and takes the next flight down.
As Mexico prepares for Christmas, David lights Hanukkah candles, celebrating the return of the sun and wishing for true love. On the first night of Hanukkah, David meets a tall, dark stranger who rocks his world in a secluded moonlit cove. Is this the mystery man of his dreams–the answer to David’s prayers? And what must David sacrifice to make his dreams come true?
Bread, Salt and Wine
Some wounds never heal. George Zajac grew up in a religious family with a father who beat “the swish” out of him. At thirty-eight he’s a troubled man. Escaping his miserable life as a banker in New York, he moves across the country to start again in Los Angeles as the catering chef for a prestigious French Restaurant. Kenny Marks, a writer who’s currently waiting tables, is everything George cannot be—flamboyant, proud and sexually confident. Enthralled by Kenny, and against his own better judgment, George agrees to a date. Sparks fly. The sex is amazing. But even after the two get close, George is crippled by humiliating sexual hang-ups. Still haunted by his childhood, he lingers in the closet and can’t commit to a relationship with Kenny.
Love is the great healer, but is it enough? George’s emotional scars could drive Kenny away, and with him, George’s last chance at happiness.
The book in the Tarnished Souls series can be found on Goodreads
Hi peeps, we have Kris T. Bethke stopping by today with her upcoming release His Needs, we have a fantastic guest post from Kris and a great excerpt to have a peek at so check out the post and enjoy! <3 ~Pixie~
His Needs
by
Kris T. Bethke
When State Trooper Travis Kinslow is injured right before Thanksgiving, the only positive is that for once he won’t be working during the holidays. Since he has no family, Travis was absorbed into his best friend, Joe’s, and he considers them as good as his own. Everyone except Joe’s brother Noah. Travis has been in love with the younger man for much of his life, but he’s always kept his distance.
As an ER nurse, Noah is a caretaker by nature. When his brother’s best friend is hurt, he’s happy to help Travis while he heals. He’s only ever allowed himself to think of Travis as the next best thing to an older brother, but by the light of the Christmas tree, Noah finally sees Travis’s true feelings. And in that moment, everything changes.
When faced with opposition and a Christmas nothing like they imagined, will their hopes for the future be enough to carry them through?
Hiya guys! We have George Seaton popping in today with his upcoming expanded re-release Whispers of Old Winds, we have a short guest post from George and a great excerpt, so check out the post and enjoy! <3 ~Pixie~
Whispers of Old Winds
by
George Seaton
Sheriff Sam Daly, a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, and his husband, Michael Bellomo, have made a life for themselves in sparsely populated Pine County in the Colorado mountains. Sam oversees the small sheriff’s department, and Michael sells his paintings and tourist items out of his shop, Needful Things. From the beginning, Sam has known Michael possessed gifts: the ability to see and hear things Sam cannot.
When a report of a body in a massive snow-filled depression up a mountainside sends Sam and his deputy, Digger, to investigate, Sam struggles to reconcile the existence of skinwalkers in Pine County with the world he’s familiar with. Michael, though, deals with this reality through his art, and through the mysticism he’s been gifted. Sam’s effort to discover what is happening causes him to examine his life with Michael from the time they first met. The inevitable conclusion might be that he’ll never understand the mysteries of the mountains, but for the sake of Michael and their love, he’ll have to embrace them.
First Edition published by Dreamspinner Press, 2015. This edition has been expanded by 250pgs.
Blurb: Former US Marine John Ving hates everything about holiday displays: they’re tacky, they waste energy, and they’re an eyesore. So what does his new neighbor do? He sets up the holiday spectacle from hell, and he doesn’t seem to care which holiday—he has a menorah, a baby Jesus, a Santa, and everything in between. Not to mention it’s swathed in enough lights his house is probably visible from space.
High-school teacher Kaden loves the holidays, and huge light displays on his lawn make his heart glow. He’d love to share some cheer—and maybe some kinky fun—with his smoking hot neighbor John. Odd things start to happen to his displays and just as he begins to think life is going his way, with the holidays and with John, a Grinch destroys everything.
It’s gonna take the display-hating John to set things right—and what he has planned might blow Kaden’s mind.
Review: Twelve days of Christmas and my true love gave to me, well you will just have to read this book to get that naughty idea. John hates anything holiday but he loves family. Then he meets his sexy neighbor who just so happens to love Christmas.
I was definitely not ready for this one, but damn it was cute. I especially liked the kids and well you will see. You cannot really go into detail about these stories without giving them away. I got a kick out of it and definitely would read it next Christmas.
Hi guys, we have K.C. Wells popping in today with her new release Saving Jason, we have a great excerpt and a brilliant giveaway so check out the post and click that giveaway link <3 ~Pixie~
Saving Jason
by
K.C. Wells
When David Merrow is given the task of finding a suitable soup kitchen so his company can improve their PR, he realizes he needs help. He turns to Jason Garton, the owner of the coffee house that David visits every morning. Funny how it took David so long to notice all the food and beverages Jason gives away to the homeless. Because until then, Jason had been almost invisible.
But the more David learns about him, the more intrigued he becomes. There’s something about the selfless, lonely older man that pulls David in, and what began as work becomes so much more.
Hi peeps, we have Ari McKay popping in today with their upcoming release Striking Sparks, we have a fantastic guest post and a great excerpt so check out the post and enjoy! <3 ~Pixie~
Striking Sparks
(Dreamspun Desires 24)
by
Ari McKay
The stakes are high and the heat is on.
Beau Walker, owner of the Barbecue Shack, needs the help of Jake Parnell, his one-time rival and secret crush, in a televised barbecue competition. Beau is a proud man, but the stakes are high, and smart, sexy Jake is his only hope, even if being around Jake reawakens the attraction he’s fought for years.
Jake left his hometown, determined to build a life somewhere his sexuality wouldn’t hurt his family’s restaurant business—and far away from hunky, obstinate Beau Walker. Then his twin, Josh, is killed, and Jake returns to support his brother’s wife and children. Despite his reservations, he agrees to go head-to-head against Beau on national television. Between stress and grief, as well as pride and determination, only one thing is certain—the heat between Beau and Jake extends well beyond the kitchen.
Title: Granby Knitting Stories
Title: Love Wins
Title: Plaid Versus Paisley
Title: Pixies and Paperwork
