Blurb:Â Sometimes the best Christmas gift is knowing what you really want.
Rusty Baker is a rich, entitled, oblivious jock, and he might have stayed that way if he hadn’t become friends with out-and-proud Oliver Campbell from the wrong side of the tracks. When Oliver kisses him goodbye before Rusty leaves for college, Rusty is forced to rethink everything he knows about himself.
But nothing can help Rusty survive a semester at Stanford, and he returns home for Thanksgiving break clinging to the one thing he knows to be true: Oliver is the best thing that’s ever happened to him.
Rusty’s parents disagree, and Rusty finds himself homeless for the holidays. But with Oliver’s love and the help of Oliver’s amazing family, Rusty realizes that failing college doesn’t mean he can’t pass real life with flying rainbow colors.
Review: Rusty has always gotten everything he wanted without even really trying, he might be expected to follow in his father’s footsteps but he fully admits to being the stereotypical dumb jock. When he meets Oliver his views begin to change, he wants more than to go into his father’s business, he want to do something that makes him happy. Oliver is out and proud, he’s from the wrong side of the tracks and his best friend puts himself down. Kissing Rusty is one of the best things he has ever done and being there for Rusty as he struggles through his first semester at Berkeley keeps him hoping that Rusty will wake up to his true feelings. Rusty heads home for the holidays knowing just what he wants but his parents have very different ideas, when he finds himself tossed out on the street it’s Oliver and his family who help him back on his feet, but can Rusty accept the love that Oliver offers or will his stubborn pride keep them apart?
This is an incredibly wonderful story where a young man finds himself and sets out to live his life in happiness and accepting that family is more than who you are born to. Rusty is a character who is easy to fall in love with, he has no illusions about himself and knows his limits, although he is very hard on himself and self-disparaging. Oliver is a lovely young man who guides Rusty as much as he can to recognize his feelings and to also buff up Rusty’s confidence. They make a perfect couple who have the usual teenage problems involving pride and confidence, but their support of each other is heart-warming.
We follow these two young men as they make friends and develop a friendship that can and does stand against pressure. Rusty is oblivious to many things around him but finds that he has much more going for him in a world he makes for himself, rather than the world his parents want for him. His relationship with Oliver is the cornerstone for all that he wants to build and we see his heartache as he strives to be something he isn’t, we see Oliver and his family pulling around Rusty as his own parents turn their back on him and we see Rusty blossoming into a man to be proud of. Rusty and Oliver’s relationship is an incredible one, they have their ups and downs but it is all based in love and when they are together, it makes you smile.
I adored this story. I couldn’t put it down. I wanted to know what would happen to these two young men as they faced life with love from one side but disapproval from the other side. The story is from Rusty’s point of view but you get to know Oliver perfectly through Rusty’s eyes and Rusty is an honest character, there’s no false pretense in him so what you see is what you get.
The story is written perfectly, the characters come to life and it is a storyline that happens all too often in real life. You get behind these two young men cheering for them as they build their lives, you feel their heartache, pain and disappointment, their confusion and hurt, their love and happiness and their dreams of the future.
I recommend this to those who love young adults starting their lives, fantastic characters, wonderful family, new blossoming love and an incredible ending.
Blurb: After the hard winter of 1888 ended Alby Boyle’s work as a Nebraska ranch hand, he returned to New York City in search of his long-lost family. His mother and brothers are nowhere to be found, however, and after Alby’s years of absence, Five Corners no longer feels like home. His prospects seem as dim as the nighttime alleys.
When Alby pauses to admire an angel ornament in a department store window’s Christmas display, he meets Xeno Varnham-Summerfield. Wealthy, handsome, and enthusiastic, Xeno brings Alby some temporary cheer. But for Alby to achieve his dreams of love and a real home, well, that may take a bit of holiday magic.
Review: Alby returns to New York City after a freezing hard winter finished the Nebraskan ranch he worked at, he’s decided to try and track down the family he hasn’t seen since he was thirteen but the building they used to live in is long gone.
When Alby pauses to admire a Christmas Angel in a department stores window he meets Xeno who offers advice, and when Alby keeps bumping into the man outside the department store Xeno makes his interest clear.
This is a wonderful little story that transports you to the streets of New York City in 1888, the setting is brilliantly described and you can immerse yourself in what life was like back then.
Alby is a wonderful character who is comfortable in himself and his skills, he might just be a ranch hand but he still manages to find a job working with horses with the help of Mr. Caruthers the manager of the YMCA. But it doesn’t stop him from being drawn to the department store and Xeno.
Alby is the focus of this story and we learn about his life from childhood to adulthood, you find out some interesting little tidbits about America in 1888, we root for Alby as he tries to find his family and hope that his families fortunes had turned and they were all okay.
While we find out a bit about Xeno it’s in short bursts and while he might come across as a bit forward (hell you don’t just flirt and compliment a guy in 1888), we don’t actually get what he was thinking or what signs he’d seen that would indicate that Alby might be amenable, he comes across as a man who knows what he wants and will aim to get it.
Other than not getting Xeno’s side of the tale I enjoyed this story and admired both men, their relationship is sweet and Xeno’s father very accepting for that time. That they could build a life together and have acceptance from those closest to them was just wonderful and leaves you with warm fuzzy feelings.
I recommend this to those who love historical romances, who adore characters who are interesting and sweet, and who adore happy endings.Â
Blurb: August 1939. Roger Miller and Jack O’Brien have been close since childhood. By the time they realize there’s more between them than friendship, Jack is leaving their sleepy Iowa town for college. But they console themselves knowing he’ll be home for Christmas. Right?
It is Christmas before they see each other again, but that Christmas comes six years and a world war later. Aged, beaten, and shaken by combat, they’re not the boys they were back then, but their feelings for each other are stronger than ever.
Neither know the words to say everything they’ve carried since that peacetime summer kiss, though. Even as they stand in the same room, there’s a thousand miles between them.
But maybe that’s some distance the little angel in Roger’s rucksack can cross.
Review: Two best friends who just seem to be in tune with each other, leave to join the war. They go in different directions only to find each other down the road once more. A kiss at a pond keeps them remembering each other then things do change. Now many years afterwards they find each other one last time. They are still so much in tune with each other but love shows the way, well with the help of an angel. Roger and Jack are definitely a team that are meant to be together, but in a time where it was dangerous and deadly.
I will be honest that I had not checked this book out until now. I am not a fan of historical’s in any way, so when I read the blurb right before starting to read it, I had a feeling that it was not going to go so well. I do not like the past and for two men it would have been dangerous to be gay. However it was a well written story and with the author being who it is, I knew it would be. It actually kept my attention a little better than most books that are in the past. I really liked the guys and liked the fact that they did not pretend to be anything different then who they were. They never came out but they didn’t marry some female to hide behind. So that was a good sign. Now it catch my attention when I started reading as well which gave me a sense of the fact that this was going to be a good story.
I didn’t care for the parents and could have done with out them. However the story was pretty well developed with beautiful characters. I did like it but it won’t be one of those that will be read more than the first time. I am just afraid that this book just wasn’t my kind of story and didn’t really give me that oh my god spark.
Blurb: When Jules Evergreen lands in trouble at the North Pole and gets shipped off to Snow Hope Island for ninety days, he never expects to take up the cause of the forgotten toys waiting for new homes. Falling for his new boss is not on the agenda either, but his heart has other ideas.
Felix Winterson has grown up on Snow Hope Island and now runs the place. He isn’t thrilled when party boy Jules arrives, and Felix tries hard to ignore the man’s charms. He has other problems, anyway. For years he’s tried to get Santa to look at the growing inventory of damaged toys in the warehouse, to no avail.
When Jules comes up with a plan to save the toys, the men find themselves working closely together. As Christmas Eve looms, there’s a lot at stake. Can they save Snow Hope, convince Santa to rescue the toys, and fall in love all at the same time?
Review: I was pleasantly surprised by Operation Toy Rescue it turned out to be a delightful story with a well-balanced love story mixed with a brilliant storyline.
Jules has been exiled from the North Pole to Snow Hope Island for ninety days for his naughty behaviour. After a short time at Snow Hope he begins to get ideas for saving the misfit toys that are banished there, his passion for his new job leads him to a close working relationship with Felix.
Felix loves Snow Hope Island it’s all he’s ever known but he feels sad at all the toys who will never have a child to love them, when Jules challenges him to consider fixing the toys and finding homes for them it gives him hope. Working closely with Jules has him admiring him and it’s not long before he’s hoping for more.
This is a lovey story that warms your heart as Jules and Felix fall in love while rescuing the fate of damaged toys. It’s a gentle love story that has a touch of tension in it, not only is it a race to prepare the toys for Christmas but a figure from Jules past surprises them both.
I thoroughly enjoyed this entertaining story and think it’s a perfect Christmas story. It’s sweet, cute and while there are not huge amounts of passion there are still some sexy times that are just perfect for the relationship and a story of this length.
I recommend this to those who adore cute Christmas stories, for characters discovering love, a brilliant storyline and a very happy ending for all.
Blurb: Vaudeville stage magician Christopher Fiend lives for the spotlight. His chance at big time stardom awaits him in Chicago, the next stop on the circuit after the little town of Twelfth Junction.
Edward Smith wants nothing to do with his family’s theater. Until Christopher catches his eye on opening night, then treats him to a very special performance during intermission.
When a dead body turns up in the middle of Christopher’s act, suspicion immediately falls on him. If Christopher and Edward can’t work together to clear his name, Christopher won’t make it to Chicago in time. Edward knows he shouldn’t get attached to a man who will be gone in two days, but his heart—and a very special angel—have other ideas.
The Christmas Angel series of holiday romances follow the travels of an angel ornament through the decades as she inspires (and sometimes nudges) lonely men to find their Happily Ever After.
Review: In a time where being gay could become deadly, two men fall in love. A wooden angel has given Christopher the best of luck. Now she was leading him to love, however first they must find out who killed one of the others in the show.
Edward loved and hated his father. His father was the one who led the production and his mother was an actress. She took off when him and his brother were very young. He hated show business but his borhter loved it. However when a sexy magician catches his eye, things do heat up. Then the body of one of the entertainers shows up in his man’s act, well they need to get to the bottom of this.
Not bad for the time period. I do need to pay attention to what books are given to me though. I do not really get into them but I will say that it was entertaining. However other than the angel, I didn’t see much about Christmas in this story. It was more focused on their love and the murder. It was told with a even pace, but the story felt very rushed to me. Or should I say to much added in that could have been better off turning it into a larger story.
I will admit that it was better than what I expected. However I didn’t really get as captivated in it as one should. I will admit that it just wasn’t one of my type of stories. Other than that it was pretty good, and I would recommend it.
Blurb:Can Connor show River a real family Christmas?
When Connor finds River on the roof of the campus admin building, he doesn’t know what to do. His friend is drunk, and shouting into a snowstorm, a bottle of vodka in his hand. The easy part is getting River down; the hard part is insisting River comes home with Connor for Christmas.
River doesn’t have a family, or any place outside of college that he calls home. Not that it matters to him; he’s happy being alone for Christmas in his budget motel, watching reruns of Elf. Only, Connor keeps telling wildly improbable stories of the perfect family celebrations at his parents’ ranch in Texas, and it’s wearing River down. He didn’t ask to be kidnapped. He didn’t want to fall in love with the entire Campbell-Hayes family. But he does.
From one Christmas to the next. This is Connor’s year to rescue River, and himself, for them both to mess things up, make things right, fall in lust and finally, for Connor to show the man he loves what being part of a family can mean.
Review:Home for Christmas is a sweet and warm story, where two young men begin to find their place in the world and one of them discovers hope and love.
Connor has had a blessed life with his family; he’s never known what it’s like to be all alone with little hope. River has been alone for many years, college is all he has now and after a bad diving practice he’s drunk, on the edge of a roof.
When Connor finds River on the roof, he’s worried about his friend and secret crush. River is annoyed with Connor because of all the sweet stories he tells about his family. When Connor persuades River to come home with him, River just doesn’t believe that Connor’s family is as wonderful as he makes out, but the Campbell-Hayes family sneaks past River’s walls.
This really is a sweet story; Connor has grown into a compassionate man but he still has a little bit of little boy in him when he thinks about disappointing his dads. Connor knows what he doesn’t want to do but doesn’t know if he can tell his dads, finding the strength to admit the truth is down to River, as he sees River’s determination to follow his passion. River tries to be hardened with being alone, but his yearning to be part of a family he’s never had peeks out. River knows what he wants out of life and he’s going to grab it with both hands, but he doesn’t think he will get love because he’s always been cast away before.
These two young men both think the other doesn’t want them, but spending time together they finally realise the truth and discover a love that they both need.
I enjoyed this story, it was lovely to see Connor all grown up and him discovering his own forever love. River is an amazing character, his passion for his future is wonderful and his discovery of love and family is very sweet.
Connor and River together give hope to those young men out there who are alone, who have been discarded during their youth, who feel they don’t deserve love.
I recommend this to those who love sweet love stories, who adore determined men, who love the discovery of love and family and a very happy ending.
Hi guys! We have Sarah Hadley Brook popping in today with the tour for her new Christmas release Operation Toy Rescue, we have a great excerpt, a fantastic giveaway and my review so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
Operation Toy Rescue
by
Sarah Hadley Brook
When Jules Evergreen lands in trouble at the North Pole and gets shipped off to Snow Hope Island for ninety days, he never expects to take up the cause of the forgotten toys waiting for new homes. Falling for his new boss is not on the agenda either, but his heart has other ideas.
Felix Winterson has grown up on Snow Hope Island and now runs the place. He isn’t thrilled when party boy Jules arrives, and Felix tries hard to ignore the man’s charms. He has other problems, anyway. For years he’s tried to get Santa to look at the growing inventory of damaged toys in the warehouse, to no avail.
When Jules comes up with a plan to save the toys, the men find themselves working closely together. As Christmas Eve looms, there’s a lot at stake. Can they save Snow Hope, convince Santa to rescue the toys, and fall in love all at the same time?
Hi guys, we have L.A. Witt stopping by today with her the tour for her new release in the Christmas Angels series Christmas Homecoming, we have a fantastic giveaway and Lisa’s review so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
Christmas Homecoming
(Christmas Angel 04)
by
L.A. Witt
August 1939. Roger Miller and Jack O’Brien have been close since childhood. By the time they realize there’s more between them than friendship, Jack is leaving their sleepy Iowa town for college. But they console themselves knowing he’ll be home for Christmas. Right?
It is Christmas before they see each other again, but that Christmas comes six years and a world war later. Aged, beaten, and shaken by combat, they’re not the boys they were back then, but their feelings for each other are stronger than ever.
Neither know the words to say everything they’ve carried since that peacetime summer kiss, though. Even as they stand in the same room, there’s a thousand miles between them.
But maybe that’s some distance the little angel in Roger’s rucksack can cross.
This 24,000 word novella is part of the multi-author Christmas Angel series, and can be read as a standalone.
Hi guys, we have Kim Fielding popping in today with the tour for her new release in the Christmas Angels series Summerfield’s Angel, we have a fantastic giveaway and my review so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
Summerfield’s Angel
(Christmas Angel 02)
by
Kim Fielding
After the hard winter of 1888 ended Alby Boyle’s work as a Nebraska ranch hand, he returned to New York City in search of his long-lost family. His mother and brothers are nowhere to be found, however, and after Alby’s years of absence, Five Corners no longer feels like home. His prospects seem as dim as the nighttime alleys.
When Alby pauses to admire an angel ornament in a department store window’s Christmas display, he meets Xeno Varnham-Summerfield. Wealthy, handsome, and enthusiastic, Xeno brings Alby some temporary cheer. But for Alby to achieve his dreams of love and a real home, well, that may take a bit of holiday magic.
This story is one of seven stories which can all be read and enjoyed in any order.
Hi guys! We have J. Scott Coatsworth stopping by today with the tour for his new release Slow Thaw, we have a great excerpt, a fantastic $20 Amazon GC giveaway and my review, so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
Slow Thaw
by
J. Scott Coatsworth
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
Hi guys! We have R.J. Scott visiting today with the tour for her new release Home for Christmas, we have a great excerpt, a brilliant $10 Amazon Gift Card giveaway and my review so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
Home for Christmas
(Texas 09)
by
R.J. Scott
Can Connor show River a real family Christmas?
When Connor finds River on the roof of the campus admin building, he doesn’t know what to do. His friend is drunk, and shouting into a snowstorm, a bottle of vodka in his hand. The easy part is getting River down; the hard part is insisting River comes home with Connor for Christmas.
River doesn’t have a family, or any place outside of college that he calls home. Not that it matters to him; he’s happy being alone for Christmas in his budget motel, watching reruns of Elf. Only, Connor keeps telling wildly improbable stories of the perfect family celebrations at his parents’ ranch in Texas, and it’s wearing River down. He didn’t ask to be kidnapped. He didn’t want to fall in love with the entire Campbell-Hayes family. But he does.
From one Christmas to the next. This is Connor’s year to rescue River, and himself, for them both to mess things up, make things right, fall in lust and finally, for Connor to show the man he loves what being part of a family can mean.
Hi guys, we have Jordan L. Hawk stopping in today with the tour for their new release in the Christmas Angels series The Magician’s Angel, we have a fantastic giveaway and Lisa’s review so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
The Magician’s Angel
(Christmas Angel 03)
by
Jordan L Hawk
Vaudeville stage magician Christopher Fiend lives for the spotlight. His chance at big time stardom awaits him in Chicago, the next stop on the circuit after the little town of Twelfth Junction.
Edward Smith wants nothing to do with his family’s theater. Until Christopher catches his eye on opening night, then treats him to a very special performance during intermission.
When a dead body turns up in the middle of Christopher’s act, suspicion immediately falls on him. If Christopher and Edward can’t work together to clear his name, Christopher won’t make it to Chicago in time. Edward knows he shouldn’t get attached to a man who will be gone in two days, but his heart—and a very special angel—have other ideas.
The Christmas Angel series of holiday romances follow the travels of an angel ornament through the decades as she inspires (and sometimes nudges) lonely men to find their Happily Ever After. The Magician’s Angel is the third in series, which can be read in any order.
Hi guys! We have Tere Michaels popping in today with her upcoming release Forever & Ever, A Collection of Stories, we have a guest post from Tere and exclusive excerpt so check out the post and enjpoy!  ❤ ~Pixie~
Forever & Ever
(A Collection of Stories)
(Faith, Love, & Devotion 07)
by
Tere Michaels
A Faith, Love & Devotion Anthology
What happens after the story ends?
Join Matt, Evan, Jim, Griffin, and their friends and families for a glimpse of what happens after happily ever after. Between growing up and growing pains, weddings and retirement, changing careers and changing diapers, life is never boring. Changes, decisions, tears, and joy await as the years march on.
Hi guys! We have Sarah Hadley Brook popping in today with her new Christmas release Operation Toy Rescue, we have a great excerpt and a fantastic giveaway so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
Operation Toy Rescue
by
Sarah Hadley Brook
When Jules Evergreen lands in trouble at the North Pole and gets shipped off to Snow Hope Island for ninety days, he never expects to take up the cause of the forgotten toys waiting for new homes. Falling for his new boss is not on the agenda either, but his heart has other ideas.
Felix Winterson has grown up on Snow Hope Island and now runs the place. He isn’t thrilled when party boy Jules arrives, and Felix tries hard to ignore the man’s charms. He has other problems, anyway. For years he’s tried to get Santa to look at the growing inventory of damaged toys in the warehouse, to no avail.
When Jules comes up with a plan to save the toys, the men find themselves working closely together. As Christmas Eve looms, there’s a lot at stake. Can they save Snow Hope, convince Santa to rescue the toys, and fall in love all at the same time?
Blurb: When John Trent, a dedicated member of the new Bow Street Runners, finds an exquisite carved angel floating in the Thames, he can’t stop thinking about it. He tracks down its creator, a sad and quiet young sculptor. But neither the angel nor the sculptor is done with John just yet. The blasted angel refuses to leave him be, behaving not at all like an inanimate object should.
Alec Allston is resigned to the fact that his love will ever be a river that flows out and never flows in. All he wanted to do was create a special gift so that a small part of himself could be with his unattainable and noble beloved, always. But when the gift keeps showing back up at his shop in the hands of a windblown and rugged thief-taker, Alec will need to reconsider his conviction that love is destined to remain an aethereal ideal.
Review: Alec has had his heart broken and was going to take his life. However an angel stopped him. He is an amazing sculptor and creates an ornament in the shape of the angel. He had given it to the man he had loved, but the asshat threw it in the lake. A sweet man found it and located him down to give it back. But it is not the last time.
John finds the beautiful angel and returns it, twice. He can’t get his mind off it nor off the sculptor. He then decides to show the sweet man how he feels. A courting we will go.
I really need to pay attention to certain descriptions of books. I don’t care for historicals no matter how cute they can be. I just can’t keep my mind on a story that has history older than me. However Eli has a gift at telling a story of that time. She nailed it pretty good. The name for what John does, which I just call a beat cop, is actually pretty cool. The guys are more like the ones that you would meet in those times. The part I didn’t get was how you greeted each other, would have driven me nuts.
The story is well told and the characters were quite charming. I even liked the secondary characters. I found the story entertaining and quite interesting in a way. It is a really sweet Christmas story. However I really was not a fan of it and it was just not my cup of tea.
Gary Fairchild is proud to be a hippie college student, and he protests the Vietnam War because he believes in love and peace. To him, it isn’t just a counterculture movement—it’s a way of life. When tickets to the Aquarium Exposition—3 Days of Peace & Music, or Woodstock, as it was better known, go on sale, there’s no way he isn’t going.
Richard Ronsman is a sheltered farm boy who lives in the shadow of his overbearing father. He’s hidden his darkest secret to earn his father’s love, but nothing is ever good enough—not even volunteering for the Vietnam War. And with just a few days left before he’s deployed, a striking hippie invites him to join them at a music festival.
Three days of music, drugs, rain, mud, and love forged a bond between these two very different men that would shape the rest of their lives. They share dreams and fears, and when Richard is shipped off to war, they share letters and love. For Richard’s first Christmas home, he is gifted a special angel ornament that just might make a soldier’s wish come true.
Review: Three days is all it takes to find love. A young man who believes only in peace and love, and a man who will do anything to get his families approval. Richard is a naive young man who has spent his whole life on a farm. Nothing he does will ever get his fathers love, but he does the one thing he thinks will get it. He joins the Vietnam war as a volunteer. He decides to take a invitation up and goes to Woodstock, with Gary.
Gary does not believe in the war. He just believes in his heart. He invites Richard to spend three days at Woodstock with him and to enjoy. They make a promise a to always stay in touch. This is a magical time for both men and in a time where it is really dangerous.
This story is told in a weird way. It goes from the moment they meet to eght years later. You go from Woodstock all the way to San Fransico. A young man forced to join a war he didn’t want to be in just to please his family and comes back broken in more ways then one. So this story is full of pain and angst, but does have its happy parts as well. It is a well told story that will have you in tears and have you smiling as well. They make a Christmas wish that an angel brings true. It is a sweet Christmas story that will make your heart swell with the best of them.
Now to the down side to the story. It didn’t really catch my attention like it should have nor did it keep it. I don’t really care for stories that are not in the future so to speak. It doesn’t really do anything for me and wasn’t really my cup of tea. That is not saying it isn’t a good book, but it just wasn’t for me.
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.Â
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:Â
Blurb: Prince Raphael, the youngest son of the Montaunoit royal family, is the custodian of his country’s history. At a Sotheby’s auction, he outbids Marc on an item he doesn’t even want. Just because he can.
Meeting the museum curator turns Raphael’s world upside down, and when lust turns to love he knows he has to change.
Can Marc be the one to show Raphael that he doesn’t have to stay the lonely prince forever, and that love is always an option?
Review: What is a meddling ghost to do. Raphael has everything he could want, or so he thinks. He is from a wealthy family and is pretty much the normal rich boy. He also is involved in the history. Now here he is bidding on an item he doesn’t want, just because Marc does.
Marc is the curator and was sent to bid on one item. One item that Raphael wins. Then he is basically summoned to the Prince’s home to do a bit of work. However it is obviously there is a bit more to it. Marc is just as interested in the Prince as the Prince is with him.
I am a big fan of Christmas stories but not so much of royalty type families. The story gives you a very slow burning romance with some magic thrown in. It has some pretty sweet romantic scenes and lets face it the ghost/angel wins the book. Fairy tales with magic added in are sweet and tender.
Now for the downside. The characters were quite adorable, but I didn’t care for Raphael. It wasn’t until the ending or close to the ending that I started to actually like the man. Marc was a bit easier to fall for. However the slow burn romance was too slow for me. I am more for fast pace stories and this just doesn’t give me that. However that is my problem. It felt like the story just seemed to jump parts that didn’t make the story move as fast as I would have liked. I really think the ghost or angel that leads them to each other was a bit more fun then the guys. Overall I wished the story moved a bit faster and had a bit more depth to it. The ending felt a bit rushed but it was expected for the story type.
Overall I did enjoy the story with a cup of hot chocolate. It was a nice read for a cold day and makes for a wonderful Christmas surprises.
Blurb: Pax Polo is the swashbuckling guitarist for Serenity Free.
Correction: Was the swashbuckling guitarist for Serenity Free.
Now he sports a black eye and his bros have kicked him out of their band—three weeks before Christmas. It’s an unfamiliar kick to his over-inflated ego, but . . . whatever.
No problem.
Thanks to some stellar eavesdropping, an unexpected angel ornament, and a bribe to open for his favorite band ever, Pax will weasel his way back into his mates’ good graces.
All he has to do is friend Clifford, the neighborhood man-shrew, for the summer. Distract him a bit so Clifford’s younger sister can sneak around.
It sounds like a piece of beginners Beethoven. Jolly good fun.
Easy.
Because, Pax totally knows how to friend people. He has heaps of friends. This shrew’s no match for his shrewd ways. Or is he?
Review: Pax pretty much looses everything just right before Christmas, including the one job he loved. Playing the guitar is not really a job but an enjoyment I would say. He has to figure out how to get back in with his buddies. He is the ultimate medlor for one and he has a plan. He just hadn’t planned on Clifford.
Clifford has his own problems. Two that have their eyes on his sister, not going to happen. Where as Pax is trouble and kind of a mess, Cliff it the exact opposite. He is a bit grumpy and well you will see. Now Pax has his eye on Luca getting Cliff’s sister, however Henry would get Pax what he wants.
What is Christmas without a bit of magic, a boring Christmas is what I would say. However not so with this story. Although the first half of the story, I wasn’t really seeing to much of a romance between our two guys. The pace to this story was a too slow in my eyes and didn’t really keep my attention like it should have. However the romance was just a bit slower than that. It made the book feel much longer than it was. I am afraid that my attention wavered quite a bit and didn’t entertain me like I had hoped. Now after the first half, the heat between the two did get intense. The angst that Cliff had when he found out the reason for Pax’s attention was a bit more expected but then again what does one expect. If I had to pick my favorite character in this story, I would probably pick Cliff. He is a grumpy young man who has had a sad past. He just pulls you in a bit more than Pax. Pax just could piss a saint off. He is very quirky. Although I didn’t much care for tricking one so that the guys could get to know an underage girl was a good sign. Also the bribe was a bit much. So there were parts I liked and parts that I could have done without.
Overall I would say it is an enjoyable read but I find that I didn’t really care for it. The author does have an amazing gift at telling a story. However it felt like things were added in that could have been done without. It didn’t really have that much of a Christmas element to it, except for the magical ornament or what ever it was suppose to be. I also didn’t care for the Shakespeare theme that I felt was going on.
Hi guys, we have Eli Easton stopping by today with the blog tour for her new release in the Christmas Angels series Christmas Angel, we have a great excerpt, a fantastic giveaway and Lisa’s review so check out the post and enter the giveaway! ❤ ~Pixie~
Christmas Angel
(Christmas Angel 01)
by
Eli Easton
When John Trent, a dedicated member of the new Bow Street Runners, finds an exquisite carved angel floating in the Thames, he can’t stop thinking about it. He tracks down its creator, a sad and quiet young sculptor. But neither the angel nor the sculptor is done with John just yet. The blasted angel refuses to leave him be, behaving not at all like an inanimate object should.
Alec Allston is resigned to the fact that his love will ever be a river that flows out and never flows in. All he wanted to do was create a special gift so that a small part of himself could be with his unattainable and noble beloved, always. But when the gift keeps showing back up at his shop in the hands of a windblown and rugged thief-taker, Alec will need to reconsider his conviction that love is destined to remain an ethereal ideal.
This book is one of seven stories which can all be read and enjoyed in any order.
Title: Christmas Kitsch
Title: Summerfield’s Angel
Title: Christmas Homecoming
Title: Operation Toy Rescue 
Title: The Magician’s Angel
Title: Home For Christmas
Title: Christmas Angel
Title: Soldier’s Wish
Title: Christmas Prince
Title: Shrewd Angel
