Blurb:Braxton Brown and Hamilton Drake have loved each other for years, but neither knew how the other felt. Christmas in Lakeland, Florida reveals their feelings, but their newfound relationship may not survive interference from Braxton’s disapproving family.
Braxton Brown has loved Hamilton Drake for as long as he can remember. Believing Hamilton to be straight kept Braxton from acting on his feelings during high school. His uber-religious family doesn’t help, either. Returning home for Christmas with his twin daughters in tow, Braxton runs into Hamilton–literally–and discovers Hamilton has feelings for him, too. But Christmas may not be the best time to start a relationship, especially with Braxton’s granny on her death-bed and his family’s vocal disapproval getting in the way.
CONTENT ADVISORY: This title contains a HFN ending.
Review: Braxton is returning to his family home to see his great-grandmother with his twin daughters. He is dreading the rest of his immediate family though, because of their die-hard religious views. Braxton bumps into Hamilton, his high school crush, as soon as he gets into town and soon discovers he wasn’t the only one with a crush. Hamilton has waited years for Braxton and he feels the time is now right to approach the man he has always wanted. But, starting a relationship with disapproving parents looking on isn’t easy.
This is a cute and hot Christmas story of two men meeting after years of secret wanting. Braxton left his family behind after he came out. The only ones he keeps in touch with are his older sister, cousins and great-grandmother. Now, his great-grandmother is ill and frail and he is taking his daughters to see her for Christmas. Hamilton was told what would happen if he approach Braxton, before Braxton had left home, so he waited for the right time to approach him. Finding out that Braxton has children doesn’t put him off in the least and with the help of Braxton’s cousin the truth spills out and now all he has to do is hope Braxton feels the same.
This is a great beginning to Braxton and Hamilton’s story and as it has a happy for now ending I am hoping that we will be visiting these characters again. Both Braxton and Hamilton are wonderful characters who have always wanted the other man. They both have lingering feelings for the other and although those feeling intensify; both men know that they no longer truly know the other. I think it was brilliant that the men thought about things before jumping in with two feet. The sex between them was really hot and very descriptive; it will definitely get your pulse racing.
I will recommend this to those who love hot men, an understanding great-grandmother, standing up for what you want in the face of bigots, hot sex and the beginning of something special.
Blurb: Cary Redding is a walking contradiction. On the surface he’s a renowned cellist, sought after by conductors the world over. Underneath, he’s a troubled man flirting with addictions to alcohol and anonymous sex. The reason for the discord? Cary knows he’s a liar, a cheat. He’s the melody thief.
Cary manages his double life just fine until he gets mugged on a deserted Milan street. Things look grim until handsome lawyer Antonio Bianchi steps in and saves his life. When Antonio offers something foreign to Cary—romance—Cary doesn’t know what to do. But then things get even more complicated. For one thing, Antonio has a six-year-old son. For another, Cary has to confess about his alter ego and hope Antonio forgives him.
Just when Cary thinks he’s figured it all out, past and present collide and he is forced to choose between the family he wanted as a boy and the one he has come to love as a man.
Review: This book is quite different from the lot I’ve read. It starts of full power introducing Cary, a very talented, famous cellist who has serious issues underneath the façade he plasters for the stage. When lights go out, he lets his troubled self emerge, using a different identity, becoming a man who cares for nothing other than anonymous sex on the darkest corners of Milan. After one such night he gets mugged on a dark alley ending up with some bruises and a broken wrist. Fear consumes him, but to his rescue comes Antonio, a stunning man, and helps him through the recovery. Antonio seems genuinely interested on Cary, but he makes no move toward him and resists all Cary’s advances. Until Cary comes clean to him about the lies, the fake identity and the way he leads his life.
For a man who has lived all his life staying away from relationships and romance, even more so family, as Cary claims over and over that he hates kids, he finds himself trapped with emotions toward Antonio and his son. The feelings he’s had for himself for 28 years, that he’s and unworthy man, unworthy of love, soon subside and although scared to death he makes the decision to let himself be loved as well as return it.
Up until this point the story is fast and furious one might say. The author is rough and blunt in her description of Cary’s messy life and it suits him well. The intensity is there and when Cary finally couples with Antonio, it is liquid fire. The heat is incredible, yet it nearly stops there. The story continues with their joint life, the efforts to make it work and the lessons Cary has to learn in order to be in a partner and a parent. The inner fight he has to battle between his addiction, his guilt and a past that still burns. The rush slows down and the story goes quite mellow. The appearance of Cary’s (for 28 years dead) father somehow charges the story with a different kind of rush. It is plain that The Melody Thief revolves around Cary’s life and emotions. The intensity rises up a notch when Cary finds himself in a crossroad between his juvenile dreams and his present and future; however that notch is quite small. The events that follow and the way the story ends were by this point quite predictable. I would have loved to see a bit more about Cary’s brother though, since he was mentioned so much, yet we never saw a glimpse of him
As I said this book was quite different, enjoyable nonetheless. A romance with a very realistic approach, and a beautiful introduction at the world of classical music that was not as heavy as I imagined it might be. On the contrary, it was easy to follow and accept. If you’re a romantic this book might string a cord or two. Recommended.
Blurb: For six years, Rex Payton has focused on two things: keeping his late father’s small-town Kentucky bar afloat and raising his nephew, Tyler. After the tragic loss of his parents and sister, Rex has no interest in romance. He’s respected in his community and regarded as one of Carlisle’s most eligible bachelors, but he’s accepted that his life isn’t conducive to a romantic relationship, especially as a closeted gay man.
Enter Josh Billings, a veterinary student who’s serving an internship in town. Josh’s deepest passion is helping animals. Romance is the furthest thing from his mind… until the night he meets taciturn, handsome Rex Payton. Chance and an after-hours dance conspire to forge an intimate connection neither man looked for—one neither man can ignore after the dance leads to a kiss.
Suddenly romance isn’t so insignificant, but it’s also not without complications. For this relationship to work, Josh has to decide if he can cope with dating a single dad, Rex has to open his heart, and Ty has to learn to share his dad’s affection.
Review: Okay…confession time. I was itching for this book since it popped onto Dreamspinner’s Coming Soon page. The little boy on the cover was absolutely adorable and I couldn’t wait to read his story. But, when I got We Danced in my hot little hands and started to read I almost didn’t make it through chapter one.
No. It wasn’t that the writing was that terrible. Jeff Erno is a fabulous storyteller. I had no trouble picturing a tired barkeep cleaning up at the end of the night. The smell of Pine-sol, the music playing in the background, the timid knock on the door, all set a wonderful mood that sucked me in. Then we came to the dance. I may have mentioned in the past that I strongly disapprove of instalove unless werekin are involved. So for two sober, absolute strangers to slow dance in an empty bar almost had me running for the hills. Then Mr. Erno nicely let Josh have the perfect reaction and I was hooked. No way was I putting this book down, until I reached The End.
Turns out, rather than the sappy mess I feared, We Danced is one of those books that I will go back and re-read again and again. It was absolutely brilliant. Neither Josh nor Rex was looking for a love match. Hell, they weren’t even looking for a hook-up. And Josh is a bit leery of getting involved with a single dad. Their romance unfolds ever so nicely. It’s sexy, it’s funny and Ty is a little angel. I loved that despite their apprehensions, they were both so honest and supportive of each other. Rex and Ty show Josh that there is room in his life for more than just his academic dreams. And Josh helps Rex remember, he had dreams of his own, before his life was tragically altered and Ty became his sole purpose for being. Did I mention the hot,steamy sex…;-) And there is enough blood pressure raising drama to justify me taking extra dose or two, while I read. *smdh* Family…too bad you can’t hand pick them.
I have one more confession…this was my first Jeff Erno read. I know you are probably shaking your head and wondering how I could own a M/M review site and failed to read one of the biggies in the biz…I have no excuse. But, now that I have been introduced properly to this fabulous writer, you can bet, I’ll be begging for his entire backlist.
I am recommending this book to readers who love seeing single dads find love, little boys who are wise beyond their years and sexy young men who have sense enough to alter their dreams to include falling in love.
Don’t forget to scroll down and check out Pixie’s interview with Caitlin.
Title: Almost Paradise
Series: Pine Hollow Wolves 01
Author: Caitlin Ricci
Genre: Paranormal
Length: Novel
Publisher: Silver Publishing (June 16th, 2012)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts
Blurb: Travis will do anything to keep his daughter safe, now that he finally has custody. Financially ruined, he cannot even afford food for himself most days. Could a stranger’s offer to dogsit be the solution Travis has been hoping for?
Travis has done everything to keep his daughter safe. He’s fought a long, hard battle with the courts to gain full custody and has finally found some breathing room. But that security comes at a heavy price.
Staying in a motel and living off his quickly dwindling savings is no way to raise a toddler, so when Liam steps into his life and offers him hundreds of dollars just to watch his dogs for a weekend, it almost seems too good to be true.
But when he finds out there is more to Liam than he ever thought, he has a hard decision to make. Can he and his daughter stay and be safe or will he need to leave?
Review: Liam is running an errand for his Alpha when the scent of a man gets his attention. Even without his shifter senses, he can tell the other man is down on his luck. But, being a shifter he is keenly aware that the other man is just as attracted, if not a tad leery of Liam. But attraction isn’t enough to make Travis accept Liam’s invitation to lunch. Fortunately, Travis’s daughter, Hannah, has no reservation about getting to know Liam better.
I’m not sure how Almost Paradise is going to be received. I personally loved it. There was enough of a break from the same ole same ole paranormal shifter stories that flow through my inbox that I was hooked from the beginning. There’s enough back-story to hook me, but enough left unsaid for me to look forward to the next book. And as I know that Book 2 is about the Alpha, who came off like Don Corleone, I can’t wait to see how he redeems himself. Not to mention the Alpha’s sister, who is a rather scary woman.
Anyway, back to this book. We are introduced to Liam first and I wasn’t sure if I was even going to like him. I got that his position was similar to a traditional pack’s beta, but because of the dynamics, he came off as more of a mob errand boy. But, as he interacted with Travis and Hannah, he shifted, in my mind, from paid lacky to more like Tony Soprano. And not just his character, but all the shifters. They have a clannish elitism that just reminded me of New York mafia family. Which might not mean anything to you, but I’ve always found authoritative men with an air of mystery uber hot. The fact that he’s all about the pack and family only made him that much sexier.
And as much as I loved Liam, I loved Travis more. He’s been through hell, trying to retain custody of his daughter. Now that everything is pretty much settled, he’s broke and unemployed, yet trying to maintain some level of normalcy for his child. Sue me, but I’m a sucker for real daddies. And, as much as he wants Liam, he is no pushover. He makes Liam work for their mating bond, like a first-rate trial attorney.
I really applaud Ms. Ricci for creating a shifter world that is both interesting and different. I look forward to reading Samson’s story and getting to know Liam, Travis and Hannah more in the future. I’m recommending this title to readers who believe that men can handle a bit of courtship, patient shifters and far-sighted little girls.
Caitlin stopped by the MM Good Book Reviews interview room, yes we have one and agreed to be interogated…I, mean interviewed by Pixie. 😉
Caitlin Ricci I’m good. Just woke up and had some breakfast. How’s your afternoon?
Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews It’s wonderful. Kids not back from school yet, so a bit of peace and quiet.
Caitlin Ricci That’s got to be nice. No kids here (yet), but planning on at least three.
Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews Lol. I have three, makes me crazy sometimes. Well, Caitlin, I have looked around a bit and you are an honest to god brand new writer. So tell us a bit about yourself
Caitlin Ricci Yep, I am completely brand new. I’ve been writing for years, ever since middle school, so around the age of twelve. I don’t know what middle school is called there (England), since I know you have primary and then secondary, but for some reason, I thought secondary was for older kids. I never really felt like my stuff might be good enough to publish though until I wrote a short a while back and submitted it. It got rejected but after that I realized that the sting wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be so I got on this path with the Pine Hollow Wolves and Almost Paradise was born. I’m 27, live in Colorado, have a dog, a fiancée and a Blue Tongue Skink which is honestly the coolest reptile people can have as a pet. I’m in college for my bachelor’s in Human Services with a concentration in Domestic Violence and then I’ll be getting my master’s in either Social Work or Child Psychology. I want to be a school counselor with a primary focus on GBLTQ kids and their issues of bullying, acceptance, coming out, dating and suicide.
Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews Wow. So you want to help all those poor kids who are having a hard time in school or at home. I think that is admirable. I hope you get your qualifications for that. And as for the Blue Tongue Skink, I’ll take your word for it. Lol. I know you got knocked back a few times by publishers before Silver Publishing snatched you up, so can you tell us a little about your experience with that and what would you say to someone going through the same situation now?
Oh, and secondary school is for ages 11-16, then they can go onto college and then university.
Caitlin Ricci Good to know if I ever have a book set in the UK 🙂
As to your question, mostly I’d say…just keep writing. I love a quote that NaNoWriMo sent me once that said that you can’t edit a blank page. Yeah, it hurts to be rejected, especially when you love the story and the characters, but it’s gonna hurt when someone gives you a less than stellar review or a good friend says that they didn’t like your book or any number or other things. You can’t please everybody and if your story is good someone will publish it.
Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews Lol. So, you are my first Silver author interview. Can you walk us through their process and how much support you get ;-)?
Caitlin Ricci Wow. That’s kind of awesome. Yay, team SP! The process is actually really simple. They’ve got a form on the website that you just fill out so no query letter stress there and you don’t have to try to sell yourself or your book. Just be honest, sound a little interesting and put in the info that they want. I submitted Almost Paradise the day before the deadline for the father’s day submission call. You get an automatic response saying that they got it and then a week later Alison sent me an email saying that it was accepted. It was 5 am when I read it and I was getting ready to go into work. I was bouncing around the room trying not to wake Scott (my fiancé) up.
I signed the contract, did the pre-edits, sent it back, talked to my cover artist, and did some more edits, talked to the cover artist again, a few more edits and then boom! Everything was done. The process is actually very easy, the editors are there to help and my cover artist is an awesome person who I would gladly work with again.
Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews I am glad Silver looks after you so well. So have you had support from other m/m authors? I know Dreamspinner has an author forum, does Silver have something similar?
Caitlin Ricci They do and we’re all very friendly over there. I’ve connected with a lot of SP authors here on FB as well. And I belong to a group that is just for MM authors in Colorado which is fun since we’re hoping to do some in person events pretty soon and our Out in the Rockies blog hop is going on right now. Networking is just as important as an author, as it is in any other arena. Although writing is often a lonely solo type of excursion it’s great to have other people around to bounce ideas off of, get help when you’re feeling unmotivated or jazz over a new cover.
Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews That’s great, I also heard that you are quite new to reading m/m as well, tell the readers how that came about.
Caitlin Ricci I am actually, which is pretty crazy that my first book published is MM. I’ve been reading erotica for a while including Lauren Dane and Maya Banks so the idea of MMF or MMMF wasn’t new to me. Then a friend told me to try out Kim Dare. I read her free shorts and then read Duck!. I fell in love with the characters and decided to start writing MM. The idea of two guys in love though wasn’t completely new to me. In high school I was reading Yaoi and Shonen-Ai, watched Queer as Folk and loved Will and Grace.
I still write other pairings including MF and FF and MFF, but my guys have sort of taken over WIPs.
Caitlin Ricci Yep :). I like it a lot and thankfully I’ve got friends and a fiancée who support me.
Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews Yeah, your guys are kinda wonderful. Just in case none of you readers know Caitlin’s new book is Almost Paradise which is the first in the Pine Hollow Wolves series. Can you tell everyone about your book?
Caitlin Ricci Thanks for saying that they’re wonderful :). Alright, so what few people know is that Almost Paradise was actually the second book that I wrote in the series. The sequel (working title Man’s Best Friend) is about the alpha and his love interest. Travis (from Almost Paradise) was mentioned in it and I liked him instantly, had to know more about him and after I finished Samson’s story I wrote Almost Paradise. Luckily it came together in time for the submission call. AP is about Travis, a single father who has worked his butt off to keep his little girl. Liam sees him when he’s trying to get a job and invites him to lunch, knowing that he’s got to do something to make this guy’s day just a little better. While they’re there Liam gets a call from his boss, Samson, telling him that he’s got to go out-of-town. With no time to get a sitter for his two dogs he asks Travis to do it and things just sort of fall in place from there.
And Hannah is freaking awesome. She’s the little girl and she’s adorable.
Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews Yeah I know, me and Portia had a cat fight over who was doing your review… I got to interview you Lol. *mean boss* Not that it isn’t lovely to be chatting to you!! Now I also heard that there is a Nap sized story about Travis and Liam, will that be published at all?
Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews Yeah, a really short one. It’s like the smallest short story that doesn’t take long to read… Nap sized.
Caitlin Ricci Ah okay. Sorry, wasn’t familiar with the term. *blush* wow so I’m a noob. There is a short with Travis and Liam that I’m hoping silver will accept for their Christmas line. In it they’re off on vacation with Hannah and they’ve been together for seven years now and they’re visiting Ireland. Some interesting things happen in that story that set up Hannah’s YA series later on when she’s 15.
I love this couple and couldn’t just let either them or Hannah go by the wayside.
Caitlin Ricci Total long game. They’ve been married for years at that point, Hannah loves having two dads and in her series her best friend is a younger Shifter named Ippy (Phillip) so she’s all for having a Shifter father and belonging to the pack.
I like HEA and for me that’s when they’re old they’re still sitting on the back deck, drinking sweet tea and watching their grand kids run around with more giant dogs.
Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews And as for the Nap thing I think it all depends who you talk to. Some would class it as a day-dream. Whatever floats your boat…for me its nap sized. Anyhoo, tell us more about your book, was it a conscious decision to not have any sex or was that how the characters wanted it.
Caitlin Ricci I put myself in Travis’s shoes. He’s not having hook-up. His daughter is right there in the next room and he’s trying to do what’s best for her. He’s a father first and always has been. That lessens in later stories when he realizes that he doesn’t have to be the only one there for Hannah and that she’s actually got an entire pack right there waiting for her if she ever needs anything, but right now his primary concern is making sure that she’s taken care of. For me having sex in there felt like it wouldn’t be doing that side of him justice. There’s one point when he’s angry, but Liam doesn’t want it to be like that with him. When they come together it’s because the time is right for both of them and Travis is willing to let Liam into their lives fully and let him be Hannah’s dad as well. The later stories are all explicit, including theirs.
Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews Oh, you authors are always teasing me with future books, damn. So, where did the idea originate from? And although there are shifters we don’t see a change and it seems like you have put a lot of thought into what your shifters will be like… you know not instant mates and changing at the drop of a hat.
Caitlin Ricci There is a change :). I don’t like instant mates because it seems to be forcing the other person into a relationship. Arranged marriages are fun and I may do a story about one someday but forced forever binding relationships are not something I find sexy. The idea started with Samson. In his story (Pine Hollow Wolves #2) he rescues a child from a fire, finds himself overcome with smoke and passes out. He finds himself in an animal shelter and can’t get out without exposing himself since there’s cameras in the shelter. I like magic based Shifters as opposed to traditional werewolves where the bones break, there’s lots of pain, they end up naked, etc. I thought about having them naked but with Hannah around that wasn’t going to happen. They can choose clothes or not though. They’re no larger as dogs than they are as humans, which is still really big. But there’s no sudden change of mass to try to explain.
Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews Yeah, but that change doesn’t count *raspberry*, Ha Hannah is a proper cutie and I loved how you worked her into the book without it getting to silly… got to say though that I admired Travis’ patience. I so wouldn’t have been able to stop myself from hauling off and giving someone a beat-down!!
So tell us about your hobbies or what you do in your spare time.
Caitlin Ricci Me neither. I think the only reason he didn’t was because he knew that Hannah was there and no good parent wants their child to see that. It was a hard line though deciding how much Liam would do, since he’s far more into justice and making sure that his new little family is safe than worrying about what people think.
Classes take up a lot of my spare time when I’m not writing. I’m also a nurse aid and I work with Alzheimer’s patients and other forms of dementia. I have a dog that I love that I try to take on a walk every day. I enjoy movies, listen to loads of different music and do a ton of laundry. Ideally, though, I’d like to cut that back to writing most of the day, walk with the dog and a movie at night. I enjoy horseback riding. I used to write poetry, but I haven’t in years, camping, fishing, shooting at the range, painting and cooking.
Caitlin Ricci Lol. Most of that I do on my minimal vacations. Generally, my life is writing, school, work, fiancée, dog. I work part-time so that makes the rest of it fit in nicely. Shooting is done on the weekends, same with fishing generally since we like to go early in the morning. Writing I can do whenever I want to though since I take a pen, paper and my tablet with me everywhere. A few hundred words is still writing and when people get nosy I get to tell them that I’m working on my next novel. They either get curious or give me the “you’re crazy” look and go away.
Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews Lol. So you said Scott (the fiancé) is supportive. What did he first think when you started writing m/m?
Caitlin Ricci He said the same thing that he says now- that he’s happy for me, but wants me to go back to writing my YA MF series that he told his family about, so he can share it with them. They are supportive of that I write, but they don’t know what. Same with my family. He stopped caring that I watch gay porn and call it research though which is a nice plus. Really though, he’s supportive no matter what I choose to write, because it makes me happy and my eventual goal is to live off writing. If I can support us both with something that I love to do and he can take care of the house and the kids while I play with beautiful men in my head that would be awesomeness rolled in chocolate and dusted with glitter.
Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews Aww. That’s so lovely. I must admit I have heard some horror stories from other authors about how their family’s reacted badly or someone leaked it and they lost their jobs *shakes head* some people are just stupid. Right, so any secrets you want to share? *raises eyebrow*
Caitlin Ricci I write under a pen name, so that I don’t lose my job or my future career. Not many people would be okay with their child’s counselor writing MM erotic romance, or any erotica actually. I’m still debating on whether or not to keep the name for my YA stuff or not.
Caitlin Ricci Hmmmm…. secrets…. I worry that I bother the SP staff too much and that they’ll realize I’m not worth the trouble :).
Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews *Laughed myself silly* Damn girl, I read your book they won’t be letting go any time soon.
Caitlin Ricci Thank you darling 🙂 With my book coming out the day after tomorrow I realize that’s not likely, but it’s still hard to believe that my story got turned into a book which people have read and will be reading and that people will hopefully like and that my second book, Taming the Lion Tamer, was accepted as well, but there’s no release out on that yet.
Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews Ohhhh new book *stars in eyes as gazes off into a dream world*. ~shakes head~ Okay, I was about to ask if there was anything else in the pipeline other that Pine Hollow Wolves. Will Taming the Lion Tamer be a series or a stand alone?
Caitlin Ricci And, if anyone is wondering if they’ll like my writing or not they can always pick up the Silver Shorts which are available for free off the SP website. I’ve got shorts in most of the ones from week 20 on.
Caitlin Ricci Right now it’s a standalone, but there is a sequel that might happen. Taming is about Quinn and Charlie. Charlie has a sister who has been divorced for about 2 years now, but she will get back together with her ex in her own book.
Blurb for Taming the Lion Tamer- Charlie thought it would be like any other Friday working as an animator. Then in walked Quinn and his rescued Asiatic Lion. For years Quinn has devoted his life to rescuing big cats so when an animation company offers him a donation in exchange for bringing one of the cats in to model he jumps on it.
Charlie’s so nervous that he can barely look at Quinn, much less talk to him. Quinn is confident, friendly and too handsome for words. Charlie can’t believe it when Quinn notices him, and then invites him up to the sanctuary for the weekend. He’s enthralled and finds himself falling hard for the man his sister calls Sex God Quinn Fitzgerald.
Draft blurb…so it won’t be the final, but it’s a sneak peek.
Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews Hmmm. looks interesting… we will all keep our fingers crossed for you. **whispers* You are supposed to push books at the end so you can put up all the links *wink**
Caitlin Ricci There’s no link though yet: P. I will follow the rules next time!
Hmmm, more new stuff…… working on Pine Hollow Wolves 2 and 3.
Book 3 being with Samson’s sister, Evangeline.
I have another MM planned called The Runaway. I also have two MM stories (a 5k short and something over 20k) awaiting acceptance at Silver Publishing
Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews So, there will be a lot of scope for you to play with and a lot to choose from.
Caitlin Ricci The 5k short is a St Patty’s Day fun little thing and the 20k is (working title) Marked by Grief which I’m pretty proud of. It made a beta reader cry so at least the emotion is strong in it 🙂
Caitlin Ricci totally busy but that’s how I like it. Oh! And I forgot to mention the MMM story that is my current WIP PITA. I say that lovingly, of course. It’s my first time writing MMM, so getting the dynamics right is like playing with lit matches and trying to juggle them all at once.
Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews MMM is a hard one to do. But, if you have the right balance between the characters it should work well. Looks like you will be keeping Silver busy for some time 😉 and we will have lots to look forward to *g* lucky readers.
Caitlin Ricci :) I certainly hope so. It’s a lot of fun to write about guys and before trying it I had no idea how enjoyable it could really be. I still like writing about women, but there’s something different and fun and OMG sexy about two guys who happen to fall in love.
Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews There is and you also have more diversity with the characters as well. Okay, so I am getting dirty looks off my starving kids so just a few more questions. This is the most important one… if the world were to change into a magical world what magical or mythical creature would you be?
Caitlin Ricci Hmmm…. gah hard one. And I thought this would be easy :P. Okay… thinking…. thinking… thinking… A shifter absolutely. But something that could fly…. so probably a dragon. Something fierce, protective, could still go bounding around the countryside with my dragon friends, but wouldn’t be nearly helpless like a unicorn or Selkie.
And flight would be important, although I’d be large so staying hidden would be an issue. And eating knights would be a pain. But, being a griffon wouldn’t be that much fun either and there’s no way I’d be a basilisk. So yep, a dragon.
Western, not eastern.
Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews Lol. You wouldn’t go back in time. *snigger* Hell Hound beats all of them hands down… that’s what I’d be.
Caitlin Ricci A hell-hound would be an awesome choice, especially considering all of their powers. It’s the imminent death thing that I wouldn’t like though. Sounds lonely when if someone sees you, they know they’re going to die.
Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews Yeah, but remember they guard the gates of hell, which means they would have loads of friends on tap. 😉
Okay. So, before I choke to death laughing, tell all the readers who will become your fans *scowl* they will!! Where they can find you, so they can tell you how awesome you are.
Caitlin Ricci Lol. True. I’ve wondered what it would be like to be Ammut, too. Same idea, only not nearly as cool looking. And she just eats the hearts so only sort of the same.
Lol. Fans would be awesome and comments are always appreciated! They can contact me here on FB or on my blog at http://authorcaitlinricci.blogspot.com/. And Silver Publishing is giving away a copy of Almost Paradise tomorrow so make sure to enter if you haven’t already. My blog is also a great place to find good music and sexy pictures of guys.
Stalkers are welcome, too. Since it’s a public profile :P.
Gah Hannah is so freaking cute on that cover!
Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews Yep. So, I have to bring this interview to a close (why do we call it an interview when it’s a chat and free for all?) and I have to thank you for being gracious enough to join us here at MM Good Book Reviews and thank you for being a good sport and putting up with me;-)
Caitlin Ricci Seriously, the pleasure was all mine and I had a great time. Thanks for inviting me over and it was great talking with you.
Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews Great talking to you to, and we will do something in the future when you are an old hand at being an author. Thanks again Caitlin… Bye.
Caitlin Ricci Sounds great. Have an excellent evening and thanks again for your time. Bye!
Series: Lancaster’s Way 01 (Father’s Day 2012- 06)
Author: N. J. Nielsen
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novel
Publisher: MLR Press (June 15, 2012)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts
Blurb: Question: What is the stupidest thing an openly gay man could do?
Answer: Move to Texas and marry a woman.
Tossed off the Golden Spur with nothing but the clothes he was wearing and his newborn son. Riley Stuart contemplates his life. He gave up everything he knew to come halfway around the world to find things don’t always work out like you planned. On her deathbed his wife outs him to her family — her very bigoted family.
Noah Johnson finds a naked man and infant in his barn. What are they doing there, and where did they come from? In the course of helping Riley get back on his feet somewhere along the way he felt their souls collide.
Review: Riley is having a very bad day. His wife’s body hasn’t even been laid to rest and her family has already decided that a gay son-in-law and a Eurasian grandson are not welcome in their home. Without a backwards glance, Riley and his son, Kai, are dumped on the side of the road…in the rain to fend for themselves. Thousands of miles away from Riley’s native Australia, with fifty-seven dollars and some change and the clothes on their backs.
I really enjoyed When Souls Collide. If you haven’t read any of N. J. Nielsen’s other titles, this might be a nice place to start. She is obviously a firm believer in HEAs. Riley is a real sweetie. When his online friend finds herself pregnant, with a conservative family screaming that she have an abortion, he doesn’t hesitate to offer her marriage. Unfortunately, there is no disguising Kai’s Asian heritage. Even before Karen’s death,Riley’s life has been a living hell. Winding up butt-naked in a barn is just par for the course.
Noah’s family is too cute, assuming that his gay guest is the answer to his pitiful love life. Noah isn’t willing to believe that the hottie that he found is going to be interested in a relationship. And even if he does, Riley is going home as soon as he can raise the funds…isn’t he?
I really enjoyed this Father’s Day read. My only complaint is that Riley and Noah’s romance evolved really quickly. Not the intimacy…I could have got on board for that, but the I love youforevers. Not quite instalove…but pretty close. Mind you, there are all kinds of crazy people in the town, trying to keep them apart…but, I still think Riley should have made Noah work a little harder. 😉
But, because Nielsen created such a great supporting cast, I choose to overlook that. There are several cowboys that would make very nice leading men, if N. J. ever decides to revisit this corner of Texas.
I’m recommending When Souls Collide for readers who like lonely cowboys, sexy Aussies and sweet baby boys.
Blurb:Jacen Ives comes face to face with his past when he finds himself sharing a house with Kayne Henderson and his children. Will a childhood crush lead him to happiness or destroy his life?
Jacen has always hidden his feelings from the boy he knew he was meant to love, while Kayne, eighteen and confused, married his high school girlfriend and started a family, unaware of the trouble looming ahead. So with one last kiss goodbye, Kayne lied about his feelings for his best friend’s brother and let his heart walk away.
Six years later, Kayne and Jacen must work together to find out who is trying to destroy their lives–George, a jealous, unstable ex-boyfriend responsible for assaulting Jacen; or Teagan, the woman overcome with seething hatred towards the man who stole her ex-husband’s heart?
Review: Jacen left to start a new life when he left for college. All he had to really remember Kayne by was one last kiss goodbye. But, now years later he is back and his and Kayne’s lives become entangled again, but this time the truth comes out. Kayne hid his feelings, six years ago, to allow Jacen to grow and become the man he was meant to be and is now single with two young children. Kayne hopes to make up for the past and make Jacen face the truth.
This was a lovely story that had a bittersweet parting, some angst, some danger and some making up. Jacen believes that Kayne is straight. he has always believed it and still he is in love with him, even after all these years. Kayne couldn’t let anyone know that he pined for Jacen and ended up having a family. But, now he’s getting divorced and Jacen is coming home. But between their exs, trouble is following both of them.
This is quite a sweet novella, if you just concentrate on Jacen and Kayne’s relationship and ignore the flying debris of their past relationships, Jacen loving Kayne for years, Kayne wanting Jacen for years, but Kayne knows that Jacen has to spread his wings and become a man. He lets Jacen go physically, because no matter what he wants, at that point Jacen was only 15 and heading for university. Jacen takes that kiss with him knowing that is all he will ever have of Kayne. But, years later they struggle to connect, as Kayne tries to make Jacen realize that it is him Kayne wants. If we bring in the previous relationships, then we get quite a messy story as Kayne’s ex, Teagan, just wants to punish him and Jacen’s ex, George, wants him back even after beating the crap out of him. (Stupid man)
So, a sweet but troubled romance story, that will have you going awwww and dewy-eyed as their love unfolds. It’s the type of romance that you would tell the grandkids. letting love go and then fighting for it at the right time, becoming stronger for what has gone before and accepting that sometimes you have to take a chance on new/old love and believe that it’s right for you. This is a well written story that was a joy to read.
So if you want a story of lasting love, growing up, making mistakes, reuniting, a touch of danger, some angst and a wonderful ending then this is the book for you.
Blurb:A promising baseball star gives it all up to raise his sister’s son. A millionaire at odds with his family searches for his own son and finds more than he thought possible.
A promising baseball star, Dimitri Michelakakis, left it all behind when his troubled sister called, begging him to raise her baby boy. Now a chef and a single father, he runs the successful catering arm of local bistro, Terra Verde. Dimitri never suspected that one of his catering jobs would lead him to a new love.
Since receiving a note about his son’s birth, millionaire Mason Harrison has done everything he can to find the baby and the man who raised him as his own. Could finding his son mean finding the family Mason has always longed for?
Review: Dimitri gave everything up to help his sister out, even raising her child and adopting him. He makes a new life for himself and Theo in Hamilton River and they are both very happy. Mason has been looking for his son and the man who has raised him and has finally found them. At first, he just wants to know them, but then he puts a proposition to Dimitri that he hopes won’t be turned down.
This is a lovely family story that has a lot of child interaction that adds to the story. Mason has finally found his son, he has had Dimitri investigated and can find nothing wrong so doesn’t want to take Theo away from him. he tricks Dimitri into meeting him and bringing Theo along so he can meet him, he eventually explains and offers a proposition to Dimitri. Dimitri is shocked and scared; he can’t lose his beloved Theo he decides that he needs time to think but agrees that Mason has a right to get to know Theo.
These characters were brilliant and I absolutely loved Theo and Moru (his little bear). I really enjoyed this story even though it did have a Harlequin and Mills & Boon feel to it. Actually, if I am honest I loved the plot and story-line. I loved that Dimitri made Mason wait and they got to know each other. I loved how involved Theo and Moru were in the story. I loved Sherlock and Watson as well. what I didn’t love was that there was a bit too much in the way of descriptions and details sometimes and it took my attention away from the story.
The story was well written and the characters took their time with the relationship. Yes, the attraction was there from the start, but Dimitri finding out the truth about Mason made him think long and hard about getting involved with him. it was nice that they spent time together as a family before the relationship got off the ground. The sex between them is hot and sensual and they make a great couple.
So this one I will recommend to those who love family stories, cute little boys, a sexy chef, a handsome millionaire, hot sex and a great story line.
Blurb: Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak—and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child—and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.
Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into the Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.
Review: I choice this book, because the basic premise intrigued me. Would a man who’d been gay his whole life suddenly switch team, leave his husband and disappear into the night. It could happen, but it didn’t seem likely. Obviously, there was more going on than poor Noah and I knew. I couldn’t turn pages fast enough to find out how this wicked man could hurt poor, sweet Noah. And their little girl is a real scene stealer.
There isn’t a lot of sex in this book, but what’s there is hot and loving. Intellectually, I know that both Noah and Dante were victims, but my inner bitch really wanted Dante to suffer …a little bit. I enjoyed this book.
Title: Chocolate Vanilla Swirl
