Butterflies by K.J. Charles

cb7ce5e5723fbd3906d6ffed8b2ba0adeadd954dTitle: Butterflies

Series: The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal #2

Author: K.J. Charles

Genre: Historical Industrial Revolution/Paranormal/D/s

Length: Short Story (17 Pages)

Publisher: Smashwords (October 28th, 2013)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts

Blurb: Journalist Robert Caldwell is still smarting from his first encounter with ghost-hunter Simon Feximal. Their night in a haunted house was thrilling, but the aftermath leaves Robert hurt, disappointed, and resolved not to see Simon again.

But just a few days later their paths cross once more, this time investigating a pair of mysterious deaths: two corpses shrouded in butterflies.

Now Robert wants the truth – on the deaths, on where the butterflies came from, and most of all, on the attraction that still burns between him and Simon.

A free standalone short story (8700 words) in the Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal. The first Simon Feximal story is The Caldwell Ghost, available from Torquere Press.

Product Link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/371325

Reviewer: GiGi

Review: Once again, a short story that really delivers a punch! 17 pages must be her lucky number because between the lines Charles delivers a truly odd mystery, dark edgy and complete with the odd couple that is like fire and water, or maybe kerosene and matches!

Once again, Simon Feximal and Robert Caldwell cross paths and solve an odd mystery. The ending is dark and rather similar to the feel of an Alfred Hitchcock story. The heat is there and Robert throws himself at Simon, I swear that man loves to be had and with rough dominance, that Simon needs to give.

I want to read so much more from this Secret Casebook! I hope K.J. Charles keeps writing them!

Gabriel's City by Laylah Hunter Blog Tour, Guest Post, Review & Giveaway!

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Hi guys, we have Riptide Publishing’s Laylah Hunter stopping by with Gabriel’s City. Laylah chats about world-building, she brings along a fantastic giveaway and there’s my review for you to enjoy, so enjoy the post and then leave a comment (with email address) for a chance to win some ZOMG Smells perfume oil blends <3 ~Pixie~
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Gabriel’s City

(A Tale of Fables and Fortunes 01)
by

Laylah Hunter

For spoiled young aristocrat Colin Harwood, the port city of Casmile is a buffet of easy pleasures. But when he steps into a pub brawl to help a dangerously outnumbered young man, he is drawn into the seedy underbelly of the city the young man calls home.

Gabriel is a cutpurse and a knife for hire, practically an urban legend. His vision of Casmile is touched by a strange combination of faith and madness, driven by fairytale logic and a capacity for love that he often must suppress to survive. He’s always worked alone, but when a dashing dragon who calls himself Colin saves him in a bar fight, he pulls Colin into his world.

Gabriel’s city is nothing like the refined, socialite existence that bored Colin senseless. Colin finds adventure and excitement there—and maybe even love. But with his layers of finery stripped away, nothing remains to protect him from poverty or danger—except Gabriel. So he must choose: go back to the civilized young man he once was, or fly free as Gabriel’s dragon.

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Satyr's Lure by Anya Richards Book Blast, Excerpt, Review & Giveaway!

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Hi guys, today we have Anya Richards showing off her tasty little Satyr’s Lure, there’s a great excerpt so you can get a feel for the book and there’s a great giveaway where you can win another tasty treat from Anya. So minions I will leave you to enjoy this treat and don’t forget to check out my review and click that Rafflecopter link <3 ~Pixie~

Anya Richards - Satyr's Lure Saytr's Lure Cover

Satyr’s Lure

by

Anya Richards

Summer in the high mountain pastures, in the shadow of ancient Greece’s Mount Parnassus, is usually Iason’s favorite time of year. A time when he feels happiest, surrounded by nature and free to take a lover from among the other shepherds. But this year he’s chosen his companion poorly and the resulting scars, of both body and soul, have left him questioning his worth.

It is only in the arms of the enigmatic and enthralling stranger Telesphoros, who rescues him from a storm, that Iason begins to heal. Yet the secrets both men hide overshadow the magic of their encounter, and foreshadow the heartache to come.

ARe: Satyr’s Lure

Smashwords: Satyr’s Lure

Amazon US: Satyr’s Lure

Amazon UK: Satyr’s Lure

Continue reading “Satyr's Lure by Anya Richards Book Blast, Excerpt, Review & Giveaway!”

Blind Beauty by Elyzabeth M. Valey

20721623Title: Blind Beauty

Series:  The Witchs’ Mischief, #2

Author: Elyzabeth M. Valey

Genre: Historical/Fantasy/Naughty Fairy Tales

Length: Novella (57 pages)

ISBN: 9781771307178

Publisher: Evernight Publishing

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts

Reviewer: Eric

Blurb: James Macintosh is hours away from his new home. He’s ready to live a secluded life away from all the rumors, insults, and disgusted faces concerning his appearance. However, a meeting with a mysterious woman and her child, mingled with a sudden harsh snowstorm, will set him down a very different path than the one he had originally envisioned.

Richard Randywine is an accidental fugitive living with a band of rowdy thieves. A good man at heart, he has gotten used to hiding his emotions behind his strapping muscles and brute strength. Yet, when the thieves ambush an unsuspecting rider, Richard is forced to drop his mask and step forward.

Will both men be able to see what lies before them or will they be blind to the possibility of happiness?

Purchase Link: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/blind-beauty-by-elyzabeth-m-valey/

Review: I found this book to be beautiful. To me, James and Richard are good people motivated by their own means. The storyline is solid and interesting for sure.

James Macintosh is a curious guy that is ready to find himself living away from the tough life, the drama of the big city. He is done with it. Richard is running from a group of people who wants him to do bad when he wants to be good. Both of them stood out in their own manner and that is clear to the reader.

The more I read into the book, the more I loved the storyline. It stands solid and then some. I found myself wanting to read more of Elyzabeth’s story but overall I felt it was a bit too short. I hoped it would have been longer but it wasn’t. So for that, I was disappointed.

But I would recommend this book overall. It is pretty good and knows how to keep interest from the start.

Lying with Scorpions by Aleksandr Voinov

19615779Title: Lying with Scorpions

Series: Memory of Scorpions, #2

Author: Aleksandr Voinov

Genre:  Historical Fantasy

ISBN: 978-1-62649-110-6

Length: Novel (317 pages)

Publisher: Riptide Publishing (January 20th, 2014)

Heat Level: Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥3.5 Hearts

Reviewer: Thommie

Blurb: If you lie with scorpions, you’d better have a taste for poison.

Now that Kendras’s lover Adrastes has claimed the throne of Dalman, Kendras is tangled deeper than ever in politics and intrigue. As the new leader of the Scorpions and Adrastes’s one true friend, he and his men stand between Adrastes and those who wish him dead.

And many do. Adrastes openly challenges the ocean priesthood for power while establishing himself at court and brokering with the realm’s various factions. He means for the Scorpions to become a fearsome legion again, but Kendras must first learn how to be a good officer and recruit to replace the fallen. His choices will determine the future of a group steeped in hundreds of years of history and tradition.

As both Kendras and Adrastes settle old scores, a new enemy arises in Commander Graukar, a war hero loyal to the old order. In his formidable mountain fortress, Graukar may hold the balance of power. But while Adrastes aims to either rule or destroy Graukar, Kendras finds himself doubting Adrastes for the first time, and sharing more with Graukar than he ever thought possible.

Product Link: http://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/lying-scorpions

Review: Well, it’s finally done and after a long time filled with anticipation, book two of the Memory of Scorpions takes us into yet another enthralling tale.

In direct opposition with Book one, this novel starts relatively calm. Adrastes is now the new Lord Protector and on his way to claim Dalman and her throne with his very own personal guard, the Scorpions, and his lover Kendras at his side as his personal bodyguard. And they are needed too, because Adrastes claims the throne with barely concealed threats.

And it is apparent that this book is quite different from the previous in many ways. It starts calmly and the plot flows steady, slowly taking you through the story. Nearly half of the book is a slow pacing through Adrastes’s setting on the throne, the games and politics of the generals, a slow change on Adrastes’ personality or perhaps character leaving Kendras in a state of uncertainty for most of the read. Now I always thought that Kendras has a lot of inner thinking going on with him, but his new role as Officer has him overdoing it. I’m not sure how much I liked that fact or the drag of half of this story.

However the pace did pick up, the story became quite interesting and surprising. I think I felt the same with Kendras there when it came to Graukar and the Ambassador of the Jaishani. I was astonished with those characters. I expected a brute on Graukar and his genteel soul left me with a jaw hanging. As for the Ambassador, oh my, what a character, and what amazing possibilities that one brings for the future of this series.

So there it is, this book starts shattering slowly into pieces once the action picks up. I loved the “mission,” I loved the amazing help of the Black Legion, I loved the feeling and emotions that came from the unexpected new love affair, and I felt the painful grip in my heart when Kendras finally got a glimpse in his past and his family. I think that was the mostly emotional charged part of this entire second installment, with a second the Betrayal that came to the end. The pinnacle of intensity and what made me so sad in the end, but so very much-needed to give the story the push and reason to move on. As much as I saw the need for it, I must admit I close the book with the thought “poor Kendras.”

Overall, it was a great sequel to the first book however, for me it didn’t quite shake me like the first one. I loved it however and I’m definitely now more interested on the third book of the series. It is now that Kendras will rise and I can’t wait for it. As for this one, it’s quite worth reading it, with amazing scenes of battle and secret missions, the blood we’ve come to expect from the Scorpions, and a great deal of conspiracy and back-stabbing. Recommended!

Spoils of War by Kari Gregg

kg_spoils_of_warTitle: Spoils of War

Series: Spoils of War, #1

Author: Kari Gregg

Genre: Historical Fiction

ISBN: 978-1-62300-598-6

Length: Novella

Publisher: Loose Id (January 14th, 2014)

Heat Level: Highly Explicit

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥3.5 Hearts

Reviewer: Thommie

Blurb: Enslaved during the invasion of the rival King of Herra, Micah cut off his emotions and adapted to his new life in servitude. Xerxes, the Herran King, abuses his captive to keep the neighboring kingdom of Alekia under his yoke, but after Micah nearly dies when plague sweeps Herra, the Alekian King sends Eli to bring his beloved son home. Conditioned by his slavery, unable to cope with his freedom, Micah seeks to please the new master he’s found in Eli throughout their harrowing journey to a homeland he no longer remembers. Eli protects the young man and introduces Micah to the pleasures denied him as a prisoner.

Will Micah accept his noble birthright when they reach Alekia, and more importantly, can he accept Eli as the devoted slave his father has given him rather than the master he’s come to love?

Note: This book was previous released under the same title by another publisher. It has been re-edited and revised in this version.

Product Link: http://www.loose-id.com/spoils-of-war.html

Review: Mind numbing panic and terror. Abuse and torture, the life of a slave. A prince conditioned to forget, broken down to the core, abased and made to believe himself no better than a dog. Forced to malnourishment to remain weak, forced to harsh work, forced to humiliation of serving men who wished to have him in their bed, never allowed even the tiniest morsel of pleasure in return. Twelve years in captivity and Micah is nothing more than a mute, mindless slave striving to survive another day. Until one day, his own slave comes and saves his young master.

A tale of heroes, war, magic, and adventure.

A tale of love.

Okay, so I’m going to spit it all out the good and the bad and let you make up your mind for yourself. This book in my eyes was a huge frenzy of delirious mating. The passion never-ending, the acts carnal and erotic to the point you need to watch your breathing to stop hyperventilating. On and on it goes, every other paragraph yet another claiming scene, and if it’s a bit ludicrous, it also makes it up to you with how easily it drags you into its web of guilty pleasures.

Now, the sex was too much, Micah’s character a bit non-save able, the bad guys were OMG cruel and the condition Micah was raised had me thinking no one would be able to survive and get to their twenties. And as for a plot or a background story, it was a bit weak. The only strong part of this book and the main reason I liked it as much was the fact that the passion was all over the place, overflowing and reaching so hard, you felt dizzy with it, you felt like living it even.

It was good, it was fun, and it was a fast read. The end was surprising and I liked even more than I thought I would. Overall, I had a great time reading this book and I totally recommend it to fans of the genre.

p.s.:
Heads up, this is a captive, slave/master story and there are many non-con/dub-con scenes along with explicit violence in the beginning.

The Hunt by Edward Kendrick

c8522096bd17bdfad0beb7e497144a97.image.300x450Title: The Hunt

Author: Edward Kendrick

Genre: Contemporary, Crime (police/detectives/PI), Fantasy, Gay, Historical, Paranormal/Alternate World, Romance, Vampires

Length: Novella (122 pages)

Publisher: Silver Publishing (November 30th, 2013)

Heat Level: Low

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts

Reviewer: Cat

Blurb: Vampire Tyler and his dhampir lover, Jakob, have spent the last eighty years trying to stop the murderous metamorph, Patrick, and his shifter companion, Canis. Now it seems as if they might succeed, if they don’t become the pair’s next victims.

In 1928, Chicago vampire Tyler and his dhampir lover, Jakob, are in the right spot to witness a man and his dog fleeing a particularly vicious murder. Soon they determine that the killers are Patrick, a metamorph, and his canine-to-canine shifter companion, Canis.

The years pass. Tyler and Jakob follow the pair as they continue their murderous rampage. They’re always close behind, but never quite in time to catch them, and they’re unwilling to enlist the aid of the authorities since that could well reveal the existence of supernaturals.

With the assistance of Tyler’s vampire friends, they come close to capturing Patrick and Canis in 1943 Cleveland, and in New Orleans in 1998. Finally, in present day Denver, they find them again. This time they pray they will finally be able to stop the pair’s killing spree once and for all.

Purchase Link: https://spsilverpublishing.com/the-hunt-ebook-p-60429.html?zenid=9a19de0c468c873234664cdc50615c42

Review:  Tyler is a day-walking vampire a rare breed, Jakob is a dhampir. Patrick is a metamorph and Canis is an animal shifter.  Patrick and Canis are evil and Tyler and Jakob are the good-guys trying to catch Patrick and Canis but it’s not easy since Patrick can turn into any human and Canis can change his canine forms to any canine.

This story goes back in time to when Tyler and Jakob met and how and what they are and how they got involved hunting Patrick and Canis.  At the beginning, it bounced around a little but after the story got good and set up it seemed to smooth out nicely. The characters are extremely intriguing and very different from most supernatural beings. The plot is interesting and nail-biting. I loved the twist at the end also.

If you like mystery and suspense, intriguing and different supernatural beings, a different take on vampires and shifters and loving relationships, this is for you!

Your Money or Your LIfe by Marie Medina

tmp_d776e7e04bbc1da07bea19c20ff4d03d_CEEOaH_html_2c398595Title:  Your Money or Your Life

Series:  Tales of the Highwaymen #02

Author: Marie Medina

Genre:  Fantasy, Historical Fiction

Length:  Short (43 Pages)

Publisher:  Evernight Publishing (January 15, 2013)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥ 3 Hearts

BlurbWhen Jacob fell moving a portrait in the museum where he worked, he was worried about damaging it. He never imagined he would fall into it and wake up in another dimension. Though his day does start to improve when a sexy masked man rides to his rescue…

Gerard thought his friends Adam and Eloise would be the enchanted portrait’s only victims, but when he finds a gorgeous but bewildered young man wandering in the woods, he realizes how wrong he was. Now he has to enlist the help of a man he can’t stand to put a stop to the magic, even though he’d much rather be spending that time in the arms of the sexy man now sharing his home.

Product Linkhttp://www.evernightpublishing.com/your-money-or-your-life-by-marie-medina/

Reviewer:  Leary

Review:  A very sweet short story about a magic painting that links different dimensions. Sounds lovely, but once you fall through, you’re stuck, so you’d better hope there’s someone you want to spend the rest of your life with on the other side. Jacob’s first reality in this new dimension was the sight of a masked fantasy coming towards him on a horse, complete with a cape; a highwayman who proceeded to steal his heart, his very own Robin Hood.

I really liked this other reality. When Jacob was telling Gerard about his life in our real world, and about being a closeted gay man, he had to explain the concept to Gerard. Gerard couldn’t understand the world Jacob had come from. To live in a world where your sexuality or orientation was nothing more spectacular than the sun rising every day, well, that seems like a right fantasy, a civilized country that uses horses for transport and has running water and equal rights. I want to know where to sign up! What museum is that painting in, again?