Hi peeps, we have Tam MacNeil stopping by with her upcoming release Salt and Iron, we have a great excerpt and Shorty’s review so check out the excerpt & review and enjoy the post! <3 ~Pixie~

Salt and Iron

Tam MacNeil

James van Helsing is the youngest son of the famous monster-hunting family—and the family’s big disappointment. He’s falling in love with Gabe Marquez, his oldest friend and son of the family the van Helsings have worked alongside for years. Things get even harder for James when he becomes what he and everyone else despises most—a magic user.

He didn’t mean to evolve into such a despicable person, and he knows using magic is illegal, but there’s nothing James can do about it, no more than he can stop himself from loving Gabe. Just when things can’t seem to get worse, he and Gabe are called to help nab a network of magicians who are changing destiny. Not just any destiny, but the destinies of the van Helsing and Marquez families. James foresees a terrible fate, one in which monsters emerge from the cracks, along with his dark secret. And that’s when people start to die.

Excerpt

Do not freak out, James tells himself. Gabe needs you. Do not freak out.

He covers the mess of Gabe’s back up again and lurches back, back to the table where the bourbon is, and drops into the chair there. He covers his head with his hands, like maybe he can hide from all of this. He gulps air until he realizes he’s going to throw up if he swallows any more of it. He uncorks the bottle and pours another drink. He downs it.

Once he’s steady, he goes to the bed again, to Gabe’s front side, not his back. “Hey,” he whispers, and Gabe stirs again, but he doesn’t wake. Gabe has never been a heavy sleeper. James figures he’s either exhausted from the transformation or faking or somebody’s keeping him inert like this. In two out of those three scenarios, he might be able to hear James. So maybe it’s worth saying something.

“Hey, Gabe, I don’t know if you can hear me, but I’m going out. I’m… I won’t be long. I’ll be back soon, okay? Don’t….” He can’t think of what he would want in Gabe’s place. Blind, shifting, body not his own anymore. Father dead, dead himself if James can’t find a way to cure him. Maybe he can hide Gabe from the Firm, but he’s not going to be able to keep an unseelie from the other sidhe.

He sighs and tries to think. He’d want a drink; that’s for sure. And at least that he can provide. He goes over to the table, grabs the bottle and the glass and puts it on the nightstand.

“There’s a bottle of bourbon on the bedside table,” he tells Gabe. “If you need it. If your back still hurts. And I’m coming back.”

He slides a finger over Gabe’s forehead where there’s a streak of dirt. Gabe stirs and groans and burrows deeper into the bed. He still looks like Gabe. His face is the same, even if his body is changing. James can’t reconcile Gabe’s sleeping face with what’s going to happen, what’s already happening to him.

“I’m coming back soon. I promise I’m coming back. I know I fuck up a lot, but I’m gonna get this right, okay?”

Gabe doesn’t respond, and James doesn’t really expect him to. He gets up, goes to the door, slides his feet into his newly polished shoes, and lets himself out of the room.

About Tam MacNeil

I live on the stormy west coast of Canada, and write all kinds of stories, from contemporary romance (as T Neilson) to superhero stories and urban fantasy (as Tam MacNeil). If you want to keep up with my latest releases, get reading recs, read musings on plot and story structure, and if you want to know the best chocolate I’ve tasted lately, you can find me at Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Blog, or, even better (because, hey, inside scoop and book giveaways!) you can sign up for my newsletter at Mailchimp. 

Review

Title: Salt and Iron

Author: Tam MacNeil

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Length: Novel (200 pages)

ISBN: 978-1-62380-967-6

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (March 7, 2016)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts

Reviewer: Shorty

Blurb: James van Helsing is the youngest son of the famous monster-hunting family—and the family’s big disappointment. He’s falling in love with Gabe Marquez, his oldest friend and son of the family the van Helsings have worked alongside for years. Things get even harder for James when he becomes what he and everyone else despises most—a magic user.

He didn’t mean to evolve into such a despicable person, and he knows using magic is illegal, but there’s nothing James can do about it, no more than he can stop himself from loving Gabe. Just when things can’t seem to get worse, he and Gabe are called to help nab a network of magicians who are changing destiny. Not just any destiny, but the destinies of the van Helsing and Marquez families. James foresees a terrible fate, one in which monsters emerge from the cracks, along with his dark secret.

And that’s when people start to die.

Product Link: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7512

Review: A fabulous story about James Van Helsing, his family and Gabe. James’ family has been taking down monsters for a long time. But James knows he’s the family screw up. He drinks a lot and as a result is the black sheep so to speak. He harbors feelings for Gabe Marquez

The Marquez family is just as powerful as the Van Helsing’s. The two work together in their goal of making everyone safe. However one family has a secret that could tear down the very foundation of their family.

I don’t want to say too much and spoil the book, but damn this book was nothing like I thought it would. It exceeded my expectations in the best way possible. James has a problem but also knows something is amiss. Gabe loves James but has not told him. Things come to head of disastrous proportions when a mission goes terribly wrong leaving two individual devastated.

The twists and turns throughout this book took me by surprise as the story progressed. I found myself astonished at the lengths one group went to ensure all went their way. I just could not believe people would do that to one another.
There are some gory scenes during battle but it added to the books overall punch.

There is one small sex scene and it’s m/f, but it’s almost nonexistent which I was grateful for. So basically there is no m/m sex in this book.

Gabe and James relationship was a slow build that fit perfectly with everything else going on in the story. There is paranormals, drama, action, suspense, mystery, deception, betrayal and a whole host of other things that made this story fantastic.

I thoroughly enjoyed it to the very last word and highly recommend it.