Hi guys! We have Alex Harrow stopping by today with their new release Empire of Light, we have a great excerpt and a brilliant $10 NineStar giveaway so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~ p.s. check out Alex’s FB Party!
Empire of Light
(Voyance 01)
by
Alex Harrow
Damian Nettoyer is the Empire’s go-to gun. He kills whoever they want him to kill. In exchange, he and his rag-tag gang of crooks get to live, and Damian’s psychokinetic partner and lover, Aris, isn’t issued a one-way ticket to an Empire-sanctioned lobotomy.
Then Damian’s latest mark, a suave revolutionary named Raeyn, kicks his ass and demands his help. The first item on the new agenda: take out Damian’s old boss—or Raeyn will take out Damian’s crew.
To protect his friends and save his own skin, Damian teams up with Raeyn to make his revolution work. As Aris slips away from Damian and his control over his powers crumbles, the Watch catches on. Damian gets way too close to Raeyn, torn between the need to shoot him one minute and kiss him the next.
With the Empire, Damian had two policies: shoot first and don’t ask questions. But to save the guy he loves, he’ll set the world on fire.
After saving the world twice, Xander, Jameson and friends plunge headlong into a new crisis. The ithani—the aliens who broke the world—have reawakened from their hundred millennia-long slumber. When Xander and Jameson disappear in a flash, an already fractured world is thrown into chaos.
The ithani plans, laid a hundred thousand years before, are finally coming to pass, and they threaten all life on Erro. Venin and Alix go on a desperate search for their missing and find more than they bargained for. And Quince, Robin and Jessa discover a secret as old as the skythane themselves.
Will alien technology, unexpected help from the distant past, destiny and some good old-fashioned firepower be enough to defeat an enemy with the ability to split a world? The final battle of the epic science fiction adventure that began in Skythane will decide the fate of lander and skythane alike. And in the north, the ithani rise….
Review: In this exciting conclusion Jameson and Xander head to a place where someone helps them in their quest to stop the events from unfolding and destroying the world. At the same time their friends go on their own journeys to help stop the takeover for good. Each discover secrets that help unravel the mystery of the first humans, Nimfeach, Ithani and Skythane.
I was in awe of well this story was told and brought to life with each page. The details were amazing and made me feel as though I was there witnessing everything that was and will come to pass. The leader of the Ithani was a ruthless leader with plans in the making that only helped himself and enslaved others.
I loved the information of how everything was started so long ago. The Nimfeach were truly done wrong by Jirron and the Ithani. My heart went out to them and everything they had gone through.
The ending was a fascinating and dangerous mission to put a stop to Jirron and his plans once and for all.
Blurb: Captain Ales is a lonely smuggler at the galaxy’s Outer Verge, and the last of his people. He’s been trying to move on from a life of drugs and meaningless sex, but finding love in this forgotten corner of the galaxy is difficult.
When he’s sent on a mysterious smuggling mission to a world under siege, he’s enticed by promises of the domination he craves. But soon Ales finds himself entwined in a galactic power struggle that could cost him everything.
Review: Ales is a smuggler, the only one of his home world left after invading forces destroyed the entire planet. He is sent to a planet on the brink of war with a cargo to deliver. Though I understood what was going on up to this point his interactions with Turo confused me. His sudden about face to agree to do whatever Turo wanted was baffling. Yes I understood him wanting to save Jansan but at what cost?
Turo confused me as I was honestly not sure exactly what he was fighting for. Maybe it’s just me though. There is a lot of sex but the scene with Turo and Ales being tied up left me disturbed.
Freedom always comes at a price as someones idea of freedom may not be someone elses. I liked the conflict and the battles. The descriptions were amazing.
Hi guys! We have J. Scott Coatsworth popping in today with his new release Ithani, we have a great exclusive excerpt, a brilliant giveaway where 10 ecopies of The Stark Divide are up for grabs and a $50 Amazon GC, we also have Shorty’s review so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
Ithani
(Oberon Cycle 03)
by
J. Scott Coatsworth
Time is running out.
After saving the world twice, Xander, Jameson and friends plunge headlong into a new crisis. The ithani–the aliens who broke the world–have reawakened from their hundred millennia-long slumber. When Xander and Jameson disappear in a flash, an already fractured world is thrown into chaos.
The ithani plans, laid a hundred thousand years before, are finally coming to pass, and they threaten all life on Erro. Venin and Alix go on a desperate search for their missing and find more than they bargained for. And Quince, Robin and Jessa discover a secret as old as the skythane themselves.
Will alien technology, unexpected help from the distant past, destiny and some good old-fashioned firepower be enough to defeat an enemy with the power to split a world? The final battle of the epic science fiction adventure that began in Skythane will decide the fate of lander and skythane alike. And in the north, the ithani rise….
Hi peeps! We have Angelica Primm stopping by today with her debut release Ostakis, we have a great excerpt and a brilliant $10 NineStar GC giveaway, so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
Ostakis
(Human Planets Collective)
by
Angelica Primm
The Human Planets Collective sent young Ambassador Kaj Deder to the former colony planet Ostakis to establish relations. But in the twenty-five hundred years since Earth lost contact with Ostakis, the people of that colony have dramatically changed. Kaj is tasked with finding the reason for these changes while he forges trade links between the HPC and Ostakis. Without trade with the HPC, the dwindling resources of Ostakis will ultimately end human life on the planet. But his mission faces a huge obstacle in the form of Most Reverend Thyenn Sharr, the head of the Faith Progressive Church, who sees the arrival of Kaj as the beginning of the end of the Church. Kaj’s powerful attraction to Trademaster Klath’s son, Arlan does not smooth relations.
Arlan Klath, the son of the Trademaster of Ostakis, bears the secret that the pious people of his planet want to hide from the homeworld and the HPC. The Curse of the Unspoken, wrought through the unspeakable acts of the First Colonists, afflicts all Ostakians, but some more strongly than others. Arlan is totally Cursed, considered born sinful and he lives without legal rights or property. He is scrutinized by Sharr who is enraged that Arlan’s father defiantly refuses to submit Arlan to a cruel act to “redeem” Arlan’s soul. The stakes increase when Arlan and Kaj form a relationship that Thyenn Sharr considers ample justification to usurp the Trademaster position through the power of his Church.
Hi guys, we have Jacqueline Rohrbach popping in today with her new release Parallel Larry, we have a great excerpt and a brilliant $10 NineStar CG giveaway so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
Parallel Larry
by
Jacqueline Rohrbach
Larry’s search for love didn’t include Greg, his regular waiter at his favorite restaurant. Always too busy daydreaming about a handsome doctor, Larry fails to notice Greg’s shy advances. But when Greg finally finds the courage to ask Larry out, he’s suddenly killed in a freak car accident. Only then does Larry realize how perfect they could have been together.
No one gets a second shot at true love. Or do they?
Inexplicably, Larry is drawn into a parallel reality, and in this new timeline, Greg is still very much alive. Here, the shy young waiter Larry knew from before has managed to live out many of his dreams. All except one: he hasn’t found love. Larry gets one more shot after all!
There are a few problems. One, Larry’s time is limited. Two, Greg has already dated the parallel reality’s Larry, and he was a real jerk. Now Larry has to prove he’s nothing at all like his evil doppelganger and that he is willing to risk everything to protect the man he loves.
He’s found Greg again. To keep him, Larry will have to stop daydreaming and fight himself—literally—not just metaphorically.
Hi guys! We have M.D. Neu stopping by today with the tour for his new release Contact, we have a short guest post with a fantastic exclusive excerpt and an awesome $10 Amazon GC giveaway so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
Contact
(A New World 01)
by
M.D. Neu
A little blue world, the third planet from the sun. It’s home to seven billion people—with all manner of faiths, beliefs, and customs, divided by bigotry and misunderstanding—who will soon be told they are not alone in the universe. Anyone watching from the outside would pass by this fractured and tumultuous world, unless they had no other choice. Todd Landon is one of these people, living and working in a section of the world called the United States of America. His life is similar to those around him: home, family, work, friends, and a husband.
On the cusp of the greatest announcement humankind has ever witnessed, Todd’s personal world is thrown into turmoil when his estranged brother shows up on his front porch with news of ships heading for Earth’s orbit. The ships are holding the Nentraee, a humanoid race who have come to Earth in need of help after fleeing the destruction of their homeworld. How will one man bridge the gap for both the Humans and Nentraee, amongst mistrust, terrorist attacks, and personal loss? Will this be the start of a new age of man or will bigotry and miscommunication bring this small world to its knees and final end?
Blurb:“I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to slay Nessie.”
Jack Addison is on his way to becoming a famous monster hunter, but luck had been against him at the Annual Nessie Hunt the previous year. Now, he’s back at Loch Ness to show everyone what he’s made of.
He’s got a lot to prove to Roux Chat-Bonnes, the snotty cat-like creature who saved his life last time, so Jack goes into the woods to hunt Nessie armed with a brand new detection device.
But the creature he finds is nothing like he expected. Where he thought he would slay a monster, he ends up learning a valuable lesson about opening his horizons to new lifeforms. The learning curve is made delightful with the help of tentacles, suckers, and lots of slippery slime.
Review: The blurb is wrong. Jack is not on his way to being a famous slayer he’s on his way to being a monsters plaything. From the first book he is captured by a spider and taken advantage of. No monster slaying by him what so ever. In this story it claims he’s fought monsters but we’re only told that not shown that it actually happened.
Nessie seduces Jack and has sex with him. I have to say I am not impressed with this series so far as I was expecting someone to actually hunt and fight the creatures mentioned instead I get a man used as a sex toy.
I personally do not like the series myself but others would enjoy it. It’s a well written and entertaining short story.
Blurb: When Caden Duncan goes to an ‘abduction party’ to try to get taken up by sexy aliens for some exotic fun among the stars, he has no idea that he’ll actually be abducted and meet the love of his life.
And when he abducts Caden for a night of pleasure, King Wrak’h of the planet Retevin has no idea that the sexy Earth male is in fact his Fated Mate.
None of them suspect that their night together will end up with Caden pregnant.
Or that Caden will be hunted by evil aliens who are dead set on getting their long, thin hands on the unborn heir to the Retevin kingdom…
Review: Ever since aliens started showing up on Earth there have been many parties looking forward to a night of fun with them. Caden hadn’t really wanted to go with his best friend, but must admit that when he met Wrak’h, he just might change his mind. True he had not known at first that the man was an alien but what was more shocking was that he was a king, Caden was pregnant and evil aliens wanted their baby.
This story was pretty hard to get into and I wasn’t too sure I was actually going to finish it. The storying is long and frustrating, but it does get a bit better towards the end. It does not capture ones attention like it should have but then again there was more to it, that was not needed. The sex is ok but lets face it just because there is sex, does not mean there is true passion. Also you get the feeling that if there was no baby, there would be no true mating. One night stand is all I got from this story, until the pregnancy. There was no heat, no passion and definitely no sparks from this book. It felt like I was reading a weird ass tech book.
I will admit that this story is not one that I would read more than one time. The book started out horrible but did get better towards the ending. The danger was probably the high-light, but even then you can tell that there was no way anyone could have survived, but the author pulled it off.
What really got me was Wrak’h. His reaction to his sahan should have been stronger, but he only truly gave a damn about his baby. It was just not believable.
I am truly disappointed in this book and I hate to admit that I would not recommend it.
Jack Addison. Son of a famous monster hunter. Grandson of a celebrated inventor. He has a lot to live up to, but his ego is as big as the expectations of his family. At just nineteen, he’s fresh out of a prestigious academy, set to make a name for himself in a world where people need protection from strange and dangerous creatures.
During the annual hunt for the Loch Ness monster, Jack finds a rival in Roux Chat-Bonnes, a cat-like being who recently joined the same profession and is set to steal the bounty—and fame—from under Jack’s nose.
Jack won’t let that happen. He sets out on the hunt alone, but the creature that he finds in the cave near Loch Ness doesn’t have tentacles. Instead, it’s got hairy legs, eight black eyes and a taste for human flesh.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS: Themes: living up to expectations, pride, dreams, self-discovery, tolerance, fame, monster hunting, inter-species relations
WARNING: This story contains morally ambiguous characters and scenes that might be considered taboo.
Review: Jack acted like he was better than others due to his last name which I did not like. He gets into a fight with another inventor who he despises due to the man being non human. When the call goes out that Nessie’s been spotted he takes off and enters a cave only to be trapped by a huge arachnid.
Roux saves Jack in the end much to his embarrassment. I would have actually liked for some monster fighting on the page as opposed to off page as is the case in this story.
I would have preferred more story line to this short story than detailed sex scene between Jack and the spider which was non con due to the spider trapping Jack and injecting him with venom.
Genre: Other Paranormal, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy
Length: Novel (214pgs)
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (December 11, 2018)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖 5 Hearts
Blurb:To protect and serve…. All Vance Connelly ever wanted to do was continue his family’s tradition and join the Tampa Police Department, but his dreams were crushed the day he woke with the enhanced mark on his face. After years of struggling to adjust to life as an enhanced human, by a stroke of luck, he met Talon Valdez and became a proud member of the FBI’s Human Enhanced Rescue Organization.
Samuel “Angel” Piper is eager to leave his DEA undercover work behind as he joins the HERO team as Vance’s regular human partner. But Sam’s painful past is ever present, just below the surface of the life he has built for himself as an ambitious young agent. When the team investigates rumors of a new drug using enhanced blood, the case’s mysterious connection to Sam threatens not just his life but Vance’s.
Trust doesn’t come easy for Sam, but Vance is willing to fight to convince his partner that the strength of his heart might be the salvation they both need.
Review: Oh my god this story was so good. You have Vance and Sam who are partnered in the Enhanced team. Both men have issues that are similar but yet different. They are on a case of drugs being used with enhanced blood. An undercover mission reveals sinister goings on and it’s up to the team to stop it. Sam sends Vance mixed signals due to his past and his hang up with large guys which is to be expected. Vance is a gentle giant and understanding.
This series just keeps getting better and better the further along it continues. I love how each investigation is well thought out and written. New and old characters are always intertwined with twists and turns that have edge of your seat, nail biting results with action scenes that have you holding your breath awaiting the outcome.
It’s one of my favorite series to date as I simply adore the enhanced in this series. I am so looking forward to reading more especially with the way this story ended.
Hi guys! We have M.D. Neu stopping by today with his new release Contact, we have a great excerpt and a fantastic $10 NineStar GC giveaway so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
Contact
(A New World 01)
by
M.D. Neu
A little blue world, the third planet from the sun. It’s home to seven billion people—with all manner of faiths, beliefs, and customs, divided by bigotry and misunderstanding—who will soon be told they are not alone in the universe. Anyone watching from the outside would pass by this fractured and tumultuous world, unless they had no other choice. Todd Landon is one of these people, living and working in a section of the world called the United States of America. His life is similar to those around him: home, family, work, friends, and a husband.
On the cusp of the greatest announcement humankind has ever witnessed, Todd’s personal world is thrown into turmoil when his estranged brother shows up on his front porch with news of ships heading for Earth’s orbit. The ships are holding the Nentraee, a humanoid race who have come to Earth in need of help after fleeing the destruction of their homeworld. How will one man bridge the gap for both the Humans and Nentraee, amongst mistrust, terrorist attacks, and personal loss? Will this be the start of a new age of man or will bigotry and miscommunication bring this small world to its knees and final end?
Hi guys! We have M.D. Neu stopping by today with the cover for his upcoming release Contact, we have a fantastic $10 NineStar GC giveaway so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
Contact
(A New World 01)
by
M.D. Neu
A little blue world, the third planet from the sun. It’s home to seven billion people—with all manner of faiths, beliefs, and customs, divided by bigotry and misunderstanding—who will soon be told they are not alone in the universe. Anyone watching from the outside would pass by this fractured and tumultuous world, unless they had no other choice. Todd Landon is one of these people, living and working in a section of the world called the United States of America. His life is similar to those around him: home, family, work, friends, and a husband.
On the cusp of the greatest announcement humankind has ever witnessed, Todd’s personal world is thrown into turmoil when his estranged brother shows up on his front porch with news of ships heading for Earth’s orbit. The ships are holding the Nentraee, a humanoid race who have come to Earth in need of help after fleeing the destruction of their homeworld. How will one man bridge the gap for both the Humans and Nentraee, amongst mistrust, terrorist attacks, and personal loss? Will this be the start of a new age of man or will bigotry and miscommunication bring this small world to its knees and final end?
Warning: Death of a character
Release date: 21st January 2019
Pre-order and get on 18th January:
.•.•.**❣️ NineStar ❣️**.•.•.
About M.D.!
M.D. Neu is a LGBTQA Fiction Writer with a love for writing and travel. Living in the heart of Silicon Valley (San Jose, California) and growing up around technology, he’s always been fascinated with what could be. Specifically drawn to Science Fiction and Paranormal television and novels, M.D. Neu was inspired by the great Gene Roddenberry, George Lucas, Stephen King, Alfred Hitchcock and Kim Stanley Robinson. An odd combination, but one that has influenced his writing.
Growing up in an accepting family as a gay man, he always wondered why there were never stories reflecting who he was. Constantly surrounded by characters that only reflected heterosexual society, M.D. Neu decided he wanted to change that. So, he took to writing, wanting to tell good stories that reflected our diverse world.
When M.D. Neu isn’t writing, he works for a non-profit and travels with his biggest supporter and his harshest critic, Eric, his husband of eighteen plus years.
Hi peeps! We have a collection of Mischief Corner Books authors popping in today with their holiday release, we have a brilliant guest post from Carole Cummings and a fantastic $25 MCB GC giveaway so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
Stay Awhile
by
Kassandra Lea
The holidays are usually a whirlwind of busy activity for Anson—decorating, baking for friends—but this year, his heart isn’t in it. He’d hoped coming out to Daly as asexual would be the right thing to do. Since then, he hasn’t heard a word from the handsome photographer.
Now Daly’s suddenly shown up at his front door, asking Anson to trust him, to come with him. He doesn’t dare hope in case this is just another build up to a bigger heartbreak.
Leo’s quiet vacation in Vermont is cut short by news that his beloved grandmother’s in the hospital because she tried to burn down her own house. Feeling low and depressed that she might be falling victim to dementia, Leo takes comfort in a man he meets in the hospital’s Quiet Room. The encounter’s supposed to be a one-night stand, one and done, no strings attached, but Leo’s surprised when he wants more.
The problem is that Aaron comes with strings and complications—ones Leo isn’t sure he wants to deal with on top of his own problems. Leo’s going to have to reach deep if he wants more than superficial, but he’s determined to try if the universe will just cooperate.
Julian is more dedicated than most, and knows the job inside and out. But that doesn’t mean he’ll still have a job when the new Holiday Spirit is elected. It also doesn’t mean he’s immune to the *cough* charms of the office, but that’s a whole other problem.
Javier Fernandez is a climate scientist living in a research station near the South Pole. Since his husband was killed in a car crash, he’s preferred to be alone, and is less than thrilled to have a junior scientist thrust upon him by his rich patron.
Col Steele is a trans man fleeing a bad break-up. He is ready for the next step in his career, and eager to spend Christmas anywhere but at home.
When a crack in the ice separates the two men from safety, they are forced to come to terms with their own losses and each other.
Contemporary, Near Future SF, Holiday, Romance, Gay, Trans
Having escaped his abusive family by winning a scholarship to college, Shahin promised himself he would never go back. So when his plans for winter break fall through and he’s left homeless for a month, he decides he’d rather camp in the park than go home. But he doesn’t realize it’s the solstice, the longest night of the year, the start of the season when the supernatural is at its strongest.
Yima is a demon-hunter, a duty passed down through his family. He doesn’t resent it, but it does get lonely, especially since his work is at its most difficult and dangerous when everyone else is celebrating with family. After he rescues Shahin from a demon attack and finds that he has nowhere safe to stay, he takes him back to his flat.
Daren Novak and Gunny Schuler have known each other since freshmen days at the University of Washington, where they’d started a romance Daren assumed would last. But at the start of winter break, Gunny bowed to the dictates of his lifelong religion and his overbearing father and left UW never to return.
After a failed marriage, Gunny built a quiet life embracing his gay identity, and left his North Dakota home, his marriage, and his father’s business for a forestry and teaching career in Oregon. Meanwhile, Daren has built up his own life around managing a unique holiday venue, the Holiday Home Hotel, and performing for the guests in drag as “Dare.”
A decade has passed since they last saw each other, but now winter’s harsh weather brings them face to face—helped along by a minor goddess and powerful forest spirit. Too much hurt might lie between them now to fix things, but interfering supernatural beings are determined to force them to try.
Niko doesn’t hate the holidays; that would require too much commitment. He just doesn’t care about them anymore. He’s a demi, disillusioned mess and he doesn’t care about much at all. That is, until an enticing stranger blows into his life this Christmas and catches his attention–and his heart.
Fan is lost and lonely, a winter spirit adrift in a human world that has all but forgotten them. And then they meet Niko, a young man with the ability to see them, and they remember what it means to stay somewhere. To want someone.
Chance brings them together. But is chance enough to build a relationship on?
This year the holidays seem to be rubbing Archie the wrong way. He can’t stand that damn happy music blasting in the stores and all over the radio. The decorations went up far too early—and don’t even get Archie started on how cheery everyone is.
Seeing the holidays cause Archie to slip back into a depression, Adze decides to take matters into his own hands. The one thing his mate has always wanted is to see the Tudor houses in England. Besides, it’s the perfect time to escape the humdrum heat in Melbourne. Adze can’t think of anything better than curling up in front of a roaring fire with his mate while snow falls outside.
Of course, life would never be that easy. Baby demon stowaways and Christmas Krampuses hell-bent on doing good leave the pair wondering just where things went wrong.
Paranormal, Holiday, Gay
.•.•.**❣️ Release date: 22nd December 2018MCB ❣️**.•.•.
Yule Planet
by
Angel Martinez
Sofia Cancino is tired of her mundane life, her artificial environment and her large, boisterous family descending every holiday season. She’s promised herself this year will be different and books a stay on the exclusive—and expensive–holiday-themed resort, Yule Planet. She looks forward to being pampered while reconnecting with Old Earth traditions steeped in the magic and mysticism of nature. Everything will be perfect and she’ll leave as a more authentic human, better connected to her roots.
Naturally, things go horribly wrong. Sofia’s landing pod goes off course and instead of stepping out on the landing pad at the resort, she finds herself in the snow-swept perpetual winter of the planet’s hinterlands. If that wasn’t bad enough, she’s “rescued” by a band of criminals on work release who run deliveries to the resort from far-flung shuttle delivery sites. They refuse to take her, a paying customer, to the resort and insist on dragging her along on their parcel run. Riding giant monsters. In frigid weather. Not to mention, Marta, who handles the monsters, obviously hates her.
If Sofia survives her vacation, she’s definitely yelling at someone’s supervisor until she gets a refund.
Science Fiction, Humor, Romance, Lesbian
.•.•.**❣️ Release date: 26th December 2018MCB ❣️**.•.•.
Waiting on the Rain
by
Freddy MacKay
One young man desperate to make things right for the monks who raised him. Another looking to escape the limelight. The two best friends stuck in time because of promises.
A couple looking to make a bigger unconventional family—one young woman who wants to help the world become a more beautiful place, one transwoman looking to put down roots for the both of them.
Love isn’t always easy, but the good kind is worth fighting for, even when others don’t understand it. The story of what becomes of their love is what will be passed down into legend. Because stories like this, people remember.
When Jira, Boon, Areeya and Fon come together to celebrate Yee Peng and Loy Krathong, sparks fly and dreams coalesce. But that’s only the beginning…
Paranormal, Holiday, Romance, Gay
.•.•.**❣️ Release date: 29th December 2018MCB ❣️**.•.•.
Carole Cummings!
Comedy is hard!
We’ve all heard that one, and I’m not going to say it’s not true. I’m not even going to say that what I write is comedy—more like humor, and I don’t actually find it hard. It’s really kind of my default. A reader gets a better look inside my brain by reading my humor pieces than they do by reading my more serious things. That’s the part I find hard—not the writing part, but the letting people see it part.
You know that awkward kid who used to sit off to the side of the class and snort inelegantly at inappropriate times for what seemed like no reason? And everyone would kind of pause and look around to see where it came from, but all they’d see is that kid sinking down in their desk with their shoulders up around their ears and a “what?” look on their face? Yeah, that was me. I’m the giggle at a funeral, as the song goes. The “Oh, don’t cry, it’s not that—wait, are you laughing?” insensitive cretin. The “It’s not funny!” oblivious clod who just. Can’t. Help it.
And no, I don’t find funerals funny. I’m not actually insensitive, nor oblivious. It’s just… how my brain works. It ticks away without my permission, gathering input and free associating all over the place, and what it nearly always ends up spitting out is a giant pile of fluffy absurdity, like a pressure valve letting off a cloud of steam to prevent an explosion. As though somewhere back when I was wee and wide-eyed, some “wouldn’t it be funny if” switch got flipped to “on” and then just stayed that way.
That’s why letting people see the product of that mindset is difficult—because it’s as close a look as a person is going to get at the very core of me, and if they don’t like what they see…. :/
It stings. It’s a serious blow to not just the ego but the soul. Which, wow, this is creeping over into maudlin with a little bit of “OMG, love me!” on the side, but my point is that… it doesn’t matter. It can’t matter. Because yeah, maybe humor is hard in different ways for different writers, and putting it out there where people can see it is really hard for me personally, but it’s also important.
These days especially, we need fluff and nonsense. If we didn’t, rom-coms wouldn’t be a thing. Disney wouldn’t be a thing. Terry Pratchett wouldn’t be basically a god. We need lighthearted, we need amusing, we need ridiculous. We need to every now and then watch characters deal with absurd situations in absurd ways so we can let that little cloud of fluff escape through the pressure valve and give us maybe just a tiny reset so we can cope better with reality. Sometimes we need to read it, sometimes we need to write it, but either way, it’s a real need that I think is right up there with exercising and eating right. (Not that I actually do those things, but still.)
I’ve written a story that takes place at the North Pole. The North Pole, y’all. It’s got elves. It’s got witches. It’s got stirring cocoa with peppermint sticks, it’s got cherubs going on strike, it’s got office gnomes and cis Elf Privilege and annoyed penguins. And the only reason it doesn’t have even more ridiculous fluff is because the story isn’t long enough to cram it in there. It’s absurdity itself, and I won’t pretend I don’t love it like the odd little grinning weirdo it is. I love it because it makes me smile, and when I wrote it I absolutely needed that.
Some of the readers who give The Holiday Spirit a try will roll their eyes at the fluffy nonsense hijinks and put me on their “never again” list, because humor is such a subjective thing, and what works for one person won’t for another. And I won’t lie—it’ll hurt. But some will smirk as they read. Some will snort and sink down in their seats when everyone turns to look at them. Some will laugh outright. And some will sigh out a bit of pressure they didn’t even know was pushing at them and walk away smiling.
I write these things because I need to and they make me happy. I let them loose into the world because sometimes other people need them too.
Those are the ones who make the hard part worth it.
About the authors!
Kassandra Lea: I have my mom to thank for so much. First of all, she fostered a love of reading. According to her I’ve been reading since I could hold a book and I got my first library card at age 3. Growing up I used to read 100 books a year, but of course, that doesn’t happen as often since there’s writing to do and a day job.
Secondly, I have to thank her for always pushing me to keep chasing my dream of being an author. Who else am I going to bounce ideas off of, and she helps me when I get stuck. Suppose you could say she’s my biggest fan.
When I’m not writing I enjoy time with my dog, tending my garden, baking sweet treats, walking through crunchy fall leaves and blankets of cold snow, playing video games, and reading! I’ve a fondness for horses and blankets (is it possible to own too many?)
And yes, some days I still wish I was Batman.
For more information about Kassandra’s work, please visit:
Gregory L. Norris is a full-time professional writer, with work appearing in numerous short story anthologies, national magazines, novels, the occasional TV episode, and, so far, one produced feature film (Brutal Colors, which debuted on Amazon Prime last January). A former feature writer and columnist at Sci Fi, the official magazine of the Sci Fi Channel (before all those ridiculous Ys invaded), he once worked as a screenwriter on two episodes of Paramount’s modern classic, Star Trek: Voyager.
Two of his paranormal novels (written under his rom-de-plume, Jo Atkinson) were published by Home Shopping Network as part of their “Escape With Romance” line — the first time HSN has offered novels to their global customer base. Norris judged the 2012 Lambda Awards in the SF/F/H category. Three times now, his short stories have notched Honorable Mentions by Ellen Datlow. He won Honorable Mention in the 2016 Roswell Awards in Short SF for his short story ‘Mandered’. Norris lives and writes in the outer limits of New Hampshire with his husband, their small pride of rescue cats, and his emerald-eyed muse. Follow his literary adventures on Facebook, or at www.gregorylnorris.blogspot.com
For more information about Gregory’s work, please visit:
Carole Cummings lives with her husband and family in Pennsylvania, USA, where she spends her time trying to find time to write. Recipient of various amateur and professional writing awards, several of her short stories have been translated into Spanish, German, Chinese and Polish.
Author of the Aisling and Wolf’s-own series, Carole is currently in the process of developing several other works, including more short stories than anyone will ever want to read, and novels that turn into series when she’s not looking.
Carole is an avid reader of just about anything that’s written well and has good characters. She is a lifelong writer of the ‘movies’ that run constantly in her head. Surprisingly, she does manage sleep in there somewhere, and though she is rumored to live on coffee and Pixy Stix™, no one has as yet suggested she might be more comfortable in a padded room.
…Well. Not to her face.
For more information about Carole’s work, please visit:
J. Scott Coatsworth is the admin for the Queer Sci Fi site. He has been writing since elementary school, when he and won a University of Arizona writing contest in 4th grade for his first sci fi story (with illustrations!). He finished his first novel in his mid twenties, but after seeing it rejected by ten publishers, he gave up on writing for a while.
Over the ensuing years, he came back to it periodically, but it never stuck. Then one day, he was complaining to Mark, his husband, early last year about how he had been derailed yet again by the death of a family member, and Mark said to him “the only one stopping you from writing is you.”
Since then, Scott has gone back to writing in a big way, finishing more than a dozen short stories – some new, some that he had started years before – and seeing his first sale. He’s embarking on a new trilogy, and also runs a support group for writers of gay sci fi, fantasy, and supernatural fiction.
For more information about Scott’s work, please visit:
Lou Sylvre loves romance with all its ups and downs, and she likes to conjure it into books. The sweethearts on her pages are men who end up loving each other, and sometimes saving each other from unspeakable danger. It’s all pretty crazy and very sexy.
As if you’d want to know more, she’ll happily tell you that she is a proudly bisexual woman, a mother, grandmother, lover of languages, and cat-herder. She works closely with lead cat and writing assistant, the (male) Queen of Budapest, Boudreau St. Clair.
She is the author of the six well-loved books of the Vasquez and James Series and a holiday favorite, Falling Snow on Snow. She teamed up with Kiwi author Anne Barwell to write Sunset at Pencarrow, an adventurous tale of New Zealand romance.
For more information about Lou’s work, please visit:
Evelyn Benvie is a wooly jumper from a family of black sheep and has always wanted to be a writer. She was raised on a steady diet of classic fantasy and science fiction but grew dissatisfied with the way people and relationships were often portrayed in mainstream books. Like, why does the princess have to get married at all? Why are aliens gender-coded? Why is every single person straight?
So she dreamed of writing sensible books with sensible characters who better reflected her own experiences as a queer woman. It’s taken a while, and fiction has gotten a lot more diverse since then (even as her own characters have gotten a whole lot less sensible), but it’s all good. “Something To Celebrate” is her first major publication; please continue to support the author in the future!
For more information about Evelyn’s work, please visit:
Toni Griffin lives in Darwin, the smallest of Australia’s capital cities. Born and raised in the state she’s a Territorian through and through. Growing up Toni hated English with a passion (as her editors can probably attest to) and found her strength lies with numbers.
Now, though, she loves escaping to the worlds she creates and hopes to continue to do so for many years to come. She’s a single mother of one and works full time. When she’s not writing you can just about guarantee that she will be reading one of the many MM authors she loves.
Feel free to drop her a line at info@tonigriffin.net anytime.
For more information about Toni’s work, please visit:
While Angel Martinez is the adult fiction pen name of a writer of several genres, she writes both kinds of queer fiction – Science Fiction and Fantasy. Currently living part time in the hectic sprawl of northern Delaware, (and full time inside the author’s head) Angel has one husband, one son, two cats, a changing variety of other furred and scaled companions, a love of all things beautiful and a terrible addiction to the consumption of both knowledge and chocolate.
For more information on Angel’s work, please visit:
Freddy Mackay grew up in the Midwest, playing sports and running around outside. And honestly, that much has not changed since Freddy was small and throwing worms at other kids, except worm throwing has been replaced with a healthy geocaching addiction. Freddy enjoys traveling and holds the view a person should continually to learn about new things and people whenever possible.
Freddy’s contemporary LGBTQ book, Incubation: Finding Peace 2, won 3rd Place – Best Gay Erotic Fiction in the 2012 Rainbow Awards. In 2013, Freddy’s story, Internment, tied for 3rd Place – Best Gay Fantasy in the Rainbow Awards. Freddy’s steampunk/SF story, Feel Me, was a Finalist and honorable mention in the 2014 Rainbow Awards for SF. And in 2015, Freddy’s urban fantasy Snow on Spirit Bridge was also a Finalist and honorable mention.
For more information on Freddy’s work, please visit or email:
Blurb: When Logan McRae wakes from cryogenic stasis to see two aliens, he wonders whether he has lost his mind. As he gets to know Halor and Kit, he realises his mind is intact, but he may just lose his heart.
Logan McRae expected to wake on the spacecraft Mercury, ready to pilot the ship to New Earth. Instead, he finds himself facing two aliens whose help he’ll need if he wants to find his people.
Kit doesn’t know what sort of creature he has accidentally purchased, but it’s definitely male and not completely different from him and his lover, Halor. The language barrier might be a problem, but Kit knows the language of love doesn’t always need words.
Halor has been reluctant to expand his nest, but he’ll do anything to give Kit the happiness he deserves, even invite another man into their bed.
Logan has no idea that Kit isn’t quite like other men until their passion results in unexpected consequences. Now he must choose between his mission and the two men who have given him everything he has ever wanted, as well as things he never dreamed of.
Review: I wanted to love this book but for all the needless sex scenes regarding Kit needing semen I would have. There were too many sex scenes for my tastes. But Logan and Halor were interesting in the grand scheme of things. I loved the way these men made plan and set them in motion to save Logan and the people he feels responsible for.
I wished there more about Kit besides his sexual needs. I would have loved to know more about him as the story progressed. I did however enjoy the actual story and how the rescue plans were made and set in motion.
This is a story I would have normally fell into and enjoyed but the overabundance of sex and the lack of details regarding Kit threw me out of the story. It made it difficult to reconnect with the characters near the end.
Hi peeps! We have Victoria Sue visiting today with the blog tour for her new release The Strength of His Heart, we have a great exclusive excerpt and a brilliant comment giveaway, so check out the post and leave a comment to enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
The Strength of His Heart
(Enhanced World 04)
by
Victoria Sue
To protect and serve…. All Vance Connelly ever wanted to do was continue his family’s tradition and join the Tampa Police Department, but his dreams were crushed the day he woke with the enhanced mark on his face. After years of struggling to adjust to life as an enhanced human, by a stroke of luck, he met Talon Valdez and became a proud member of the FBI’s Human Enhanced Rescue Organization.
Samuel “Angel” Piper is eager to leave his DEA undercover work behind as he joins the HERO team as Vance’s regular human partner. But Sam’s painful past is ever present, just below the surface of the life he has built for himself as an ambitious young agent. When the team investigates rumors of a new drug using enhanced blood, the case’s mysterious connection to Sam threatens not just his life but Vance’s.
Trust doesn’t come easy for Sam, but Vance is willing to fight to convince his partner that the strength of his heart might be the salvation they both need.
Blurb: Spells & Stardust is Scott’s first anthology – eight sci fi and fantasy shorts that run the gamut from regeneration to redemption.
The Bear at the Bar: A gay fish out of water tale with a pinch of magic.
Tight: What happens when your lover disappears in midair?
Morgan: The year when everything changed.
Re-Life: What if you were reborn in a strange new future?
A New Year: They met every eleven years. And each time, Hank’s life changed.
Repetition: What if you wanted to go back in the closet?
Gargoyle: Sometimes you get what you deserve. Sometimes it happens on All Hallows Eve.
Avalon: A few bright moments in the sun, stolen from outside time.
Most of these stories have been previously published in various anthologies and journals. This is the first time they have all been collected in one place.
Dex walks into a bar looking for a hook up. What he gets instead is the shock of life when Colin, the bear from the bar switches bodies with him. Dex learns how others react to how is now and he witnesses how others perceive him when he goes back to the bar to confront the man who took his body. I loved this story. It tells a powerful message as the story continues. Fantastic read.
Tight Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖 5 Hearts
A tale of one mans’, Christopher, struggle to live and come to grips after the death of his partner Eric during a trip on a plane where he has a heart attack. I found this story intriguing. Christopher’s struggle is real as are the dreams he has. I felt an immense sadness at the loss he suffered. The ending while painful to read was at the same time a happy one for those who have lost someone then find them in the ever after.
MorganHeart Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖 5 Hearts
Zach meets Morgan and the two seem happy but soon things grow distant between them until a two week separation brings them together before Morgan heads back home. Morgan never tells Zach who he is or where he’s from but leaves him a parting gift in the form of a bracelet which Zach uses to find him. Loved it.
Re-Life Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖 4 Hearts
Cute story about Eric who has been reanimated in a newly made body from his DNA after he dies from cancer five hundred years prior. I loved how the story progressed and was detailed enough to explain the way things were. Eric struggles to come to grips with the past and the way things used to be for him. Jory was an absolute dream and I loved him and his backstory. It was interesting the way certain things are in this new world.
A New Year Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖 4 1/2 Hearts
Heath meets Finn the night he attempts suicide. Then they meet every eleven years after. Though they did meet when Heath was nine. I found it entertaining and fascinating as we get glimpses about who Finn is. He never seems to age as time goes on. We finally learn who he is at the end. Great read.
RepetitionHeart Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖 5 Hearts
Davis is a man who can change anyone’s history with use of code and data. But such things are dangerous if you’re not careful and you could completely wipe out someone from existence. John wants to be obliterated. Davis finds out by going through the streams that he knows the man intimately. If he does what John wants he could alter his own timeline. This was a unique story that I found fascinating. I would love to see it in a much longer story.
Gargoyle Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖 4 1/2 Hearts
I loved reading about James. He was sweet if a bit naive. Daniel cares for James but has not told him due to James having a crush on homophobic football player Randy. When he warns James things don’t go as planned but James soon learns the truth. I found the gargoyle to be intriguing as to why he was there. It was an interesting addition to the story that I loved. I did want to know how it all got started though and what exactly happened for it to begin in the first place.
AvalonHeart Rating: 💖💖💖💖💖 5 Hearts
This story broke my heart. Tony is taking care of his dying lover Jake. There is a homophobic ass who enjoys hurting both men to the bitter end. Though Jake and Tony seemed happy for a short while Brent destroyed both men lives simply because of his hatred. I honestly didn’t get the happily ever after sense except for Jake who went to Avlon after his death at the hands of Brent. Still it was a wonderfully told story.
Overall this is an amazing collection of wonderfully written short stories that will touch your heart and make you feel one emotion or another. I was fascinated with all the stories.
Hi guys! We have J. Scott Coatsworth visiting today with his new release Spells & Stardust, we have a great exclusive excerpt, a brilliant $20 Amazon GC giveaway, and Shorty’s review, so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
Spells & Stardust
by
J. Scott Coatsworth
Spells & Stardust is Scott’s first anthology – eight sci fi and fantasy shorts that run the gamut from regeneration to redemption.
The Bear at the Bar: A gay fish out of water tale with a pinch of magic.
Tight: What happens when your lover disappears in midair?
Morgan: The year when everything changed.
Re-Life: What if you were reborn in a strange new future?
A New Year: They met every eleven years. And each time, Hank’s life changed.
Repetition: What if you wanted to go back in the closet?
Gargoyle: Sometimes you get what you deserve. Sometimes it happens on All Hallows Eve.
Avalon: A few bright moments in the sun, stolen from outside time.
Most of these stories have been previously published in various anthologies and journals. This is the first time they have all been collected in one place.
Warnings: One story contains attempted suicide; another has a homophobic incident
Weighed down by scandal, Captain Jamie Callahan must choose between saving his family’s reputation and his father’s political aspirations, or taking down the enemy once and for all. Choosing one over the other will have lasting repercussions he can’t escape. Whatever path Jamie ultimately picks, Staff Sergeant Kyle Brannigan will be right by his side to face the consequences. Kyle knows in a situation like this the only way out is through. Together they can make it to the other side, but surviving that journey will take everything they have.
One last chance.
Agent Sean Delaney is learning what it means to be part of Alpha Team through trial by fire. He wouldn’t change it for the world, nor would he give up the life he’s building with Staff Sergeant Alexei Dvorkin. But their time together is threatened by outside forces they can’t outrun. Having put the nightmare of Boston behind him, Alexei is focused on keeping his family safe, but he can’t have eyes on everyone. Alexei knows he can’t ignore the danger on the horizon, and when it strikes, he is unprepared for the tragedy it leaves in its wake.
Risking it all.
The odds are stacked ever higher against Alpha Team, and outmaneuvering a precog is a daunting, almost impossible task. Jamie knows something has to give, and when it does, it just might break him the way nothing else in his life ever could.
In the Requiem is a 122k word steamy gay sci-fi military romance with a mostly HEA and concludes this main plot-arc of the series. There is military violence within the story that might not be suitable for everyone, as well as explicit intimate scenes not suitable for readers under the age of 18. This is a direct sequel to In the Blood and Out of the Ashes. Reading the previous books in this series would be helpful in enjoying this one.
Review: The series has been building up to this ultimate showdown. Between meetings, government sessions, and trying to live their lives Jamie and his team will face the evil that they’ve been chasing all this time.
Battle lines are drawn and lines will be crossed as the team faces the ultimate sacrifice. I loved this book. The battle is fierce and deadly but the team never waivers from their goal even despite the being told to stay where they were.
My heart broke for the many lives lost and yet at the same time I was cheering the metahumans on. Kyle and Jamie truly suffered in this story and my heart wept for them. Amazing descriptions and edge of your seat scenes left me breathless.
Hi guys! We have Harry F. Rey stopping by today with his new release Forbidden Pursuits, we have a great excerpt and a brilliant $10 NineStar GC giveaway, so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
Forbidden Pursuits
(The Galactic Captains 02)
by
Harry F. Rey
When Daeron’s mother, Captain Sanya, is offered a risky but lucrative job, rescuing an experimental galinium scientist from Aldegar, the lost loves lurking in her past mean she must send Daeron away to the other end of the galaxy—to the father he’s never met on the Kyleri Empire’s capital, Jiwani.
On Jiwani, the heir to the galaxy’s most powerful empire, Prince Osvai, balances deference to rigid Kyleri customs with his desire to explore the forbidden secrets of the Royal Baths, and the dark pursuits no prince should have.
But when a mysterious stranger from the Outer Verge turns up to work with his ambitious Uncle Viscamon, Osvai’s temptations lead him into a web of intrigue that could change the Galactic Balance forever.
As Sanya, Daeron, and Osvai pursue their forbidden desires, they become entwined in a galactic power struggle stretching from the frozen tundra of Jansen to the searing memories of Captain Ales’s lost homeworld, Teva.
They’ll soon discover all love has consequence, and the more forbidden the desires, the more deadly the pursuits.
Title: Ithani
Title: Siege Weapons
Title: Jack Addison vs. Nessie’s Tentacles
Title: Alien King’s Baby
Title: Jack Addison vs. Man-Ravishing Spider
Title: The Strength of His Heart
Title: Loving Kit
Title: Spells & Stardust
Title: In The Requiem
