Genre: Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Paranormal, Suspense, Urban Fantasy
Length: Novella (152 pages)
Publisher: eXtasy Books (August 4, 2017)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating:♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts
Blurb: When past and future cross over in a hidden dimension, decisions need to be made.
Up and coming fashion designer John Sanderson can’t pass on the dream commission of designing the attire of the entire wedding party of a wealthy client. The catch is that he must stay at their isolated country estate for the duration of the project, even when things start to become strange.
Samuel has been waiting a long time for John’s return. He lost him a long time ago when an angry man cast him out of this dimension on a whim. Now he has the chance to make things right and claim what is his.
Caught between the past and the future, John finds himself straddling two dimensions and faced with a decision. Will Samuel’s love for John be enough to keep him safe no matter what he decides?
Review: This was a strange yet interesting read. John is suddenly thrust into a weird sense of time as he takes a job that will take a month to complete. All the while there are certain elements that come into play that leave reader wondering what is going on, what is real, what is in the past.
Samuel I could never figure out exactly what he was. The description given did not help much either. So I was at a loss as to what he was. But, I still adored the two of them. It seemed that every time the two came together something or someone was trying to tear them apart.
Loved the details, mystery and characters in this story. So far I have only read two books in this series and neither are connected.
Blurb: One house…three families…separated by decades…What happens when their lives collide?
Jonathan and Rafe Wilkins-Campbell have just bought their dream home. They thought it was a place they could both settle and enjoy the good life.
They were wrong.
Strange things begin to happen during the renovation, inexplicable events that defy logical explanation. When things finally get back to normal, Jonathan and Rafe enjoy getting wrapped up in the chaos of settling into their new home.
However, all is not what it seems, and The House on 16th Street and its inhabitants have their own idea of how things should be. Jonathan and Rafe find themselves trapped within it, victims of the house’s every twisted need, and they will need every fiber of courage and determination they possess to make it through.
Review: Johnathan and Rafe purchase a home that has been in Jon’s family forever. Soon after starting renovations strange occurrences began to happen that only intensify the further the progress on the house. No one will tell them anything about the house as no one but a select few know anything.
I have to say this one of the best horror books I have ever read and the greatest part is there is no bloody parts. Three generations of family generation converged in this house. You don’t find out for sure what exactly is going on and why until near the end and boy what a twist of sorrow, terror, sadness and heartbreak it is.
My heart went out to Johnathan and Rafe’s family for what they went through in the past. Spooky, yet brilliantly written this book will have you reading until the very end. I absolutely loved it.
Sebastian Torres is a healer and midwife both by trade and by calling. He’s spent the past three years as the only male midwife in a local hospital.
Anthony Craig is intrigued by Sebastian, finding him professional and attractive. He can’t help wondering about something—why Sebastian never dates the same man twice.
When several pregnant women die in maternity wards a few states away, their fetuses missing, the police are baffled at the strange circumstances surrounding their deaths. Could there be a serial killer on the loose?
As the number of deaths escalates, Sebastian suspects a monster of legend, rather than one of the human variety, is responsible. Sebastian knows he’s the only thing standing in evil’s way, but in order to save innocent lives, he must reveal his secret to Anthony. Will Sebastian’s revelation prove too much and drive Anthony away?
Review: I liked the overall story but felt the horror element was a little lacking. For me horror implies feeling strong emotions that have me fearing what will happen next. This book did not do that for me. Probably because I have read too many Stephen King books.
Sebastian’s character was intriguing yet at times vague about who he really was. When the truth was revealed I was fascinated. Anthony was a doctor at the same hospital where Sebastian works. I was surprised he accepted Sebastian so easily after all was revealed. I was expecting some disbelief considering he is human.
The creature was a disgusting thing that never should have been allowed to live as long as it did. The action scenes were edge of your seat suspense as it let the reader know to what lengths the creature would go to survive. I did not understand the transfer of power from creature to human as that was not explained well so it left me scratching my head as to how it was done.
All in all it was a great story that had mystery, action and suspense that leaves the reader awaiting the outcome.
Blurb: The zombie apocalypse left twelve people trapped, but safe, at a scientific research base on an Arctic island. Three years later, with supplies critically low, they know they can’t survive another harsh winter. But all of them fear what awaits them on the mainland.
Former grad student, Matt Warner, has retrained as a nurse under the group’s doctor, Peter Lane. Training is not the only thing Matt wants to be under Peter for, but Peter has always resisted responding to Matt’s interest in him. Before all this started Peter had a husband, Harrison, back home. A husband he desperately hopes is still alive.
Despair finally weakens Peter’s resolve and he and Matt begin sharing a bed. It’s Matt’s dream come true, even if he knows Peter’s feelings for him aren’t as strong as his for Peter. But everything changes, when the group learns of the existence of a vaccine against the zombie virus and they escape the island to search for the people distributing the vaccine. Matt fears their relationship won’t survive, because Peter wants to search for his husband—even if only to confirm his death. And Peter knows if he goes looking for Harrison, he’ll lose Matt forever.
Review: Ok I am done laughing now; I really should pay attention to more than just the title or the hot men on a cover when I choose a book. However this was one of the good choices. I have never been a fan of horror books or even movies, but for some strange reason I love to read or watch anything with zombies.
I would have never thought during the zombie apocalypse to head to the Arctic’s but then again these guys were there when the whole thing went down. Twelve people surviving and learning to live with one another. However you can only eat caribou and eggs for so long. Peter has been married for some time but three years they have not seen one another. He has no idea if Harrison is even alive. He kept pure for that bond, but damn if Matt is not getting to him.
Matt is a former grad student and is being trained by Peter to be a nurse. He also has the hots for Peter, but the man doesn’t return his feelings. Then the zombie’s start showing up on their island and Peter realizes that he does have feelings for Matt. However he still needs to know if Harrison is alive or dead, he has to make choices.
I love the little twist to this story, although I have to say I kind of knew the outcome for both of my questions before I got to it in the story. It was a fairly easy step to take. I normally don’t like to read books by author’s that I have not heard of or read, but damn if this author is not going to be a favorite of mine. I can’t wait to see what other stories she has out. Danger, zombies, freezing temp’s, fear and hot sex is just a bit of what you get in this story. Let’s just say that it rocked and I hope to see more stories like this one from this author. Way to go!
Hi guys! We have Rick R. Reed popping in today with his brand new release Unhinged, a collection of horror romance stories, we have a great excerpt and there’s also a free short story, so check out the post and enjoy! <3 ~Pixie~
Unhinged
by
Rick R. Reed
Horror. Romance. The two seem at odds, yet in provocative author Rick R. Reed’s hands, the pair merge like a match made in heaven … or hell.
Prepare for a dark journey into an unhinged world populated by ordinary and extraordinary monsters. Unhinged brings you sometimes chilling, sometimes romantic, sometimes hilarious, but always thought-provoking tales.
Among them you’ll find a chilling and redemptive ghost story, a most unusual and shocking first meeting for two lovers, a story revolving around one of the 20th Century’s most horrific serial killers, and a darkly comic take on the vampire mythos. This collection will make your heart race with passion … in all its forms.
Contains the stories: Echoes, How I Met My Man, The Man from Milwaukee, Sluggo Snares a Vampire, The Ghost in #9, and Incubus.
Hi peeps, we have Torquere Press popping in today with their newest anthology Haunted Hotties Vol 01, we have a fantastic excerpt that will have you snorting in laughter, a brilliant giveaway and Lisa’s review, so enjoy the post and click that rafflecopter link <3 ~Pixie~
This Halloween collection has a little something for everybody. With demons, ghosts, psychics, reapers, shifters, and witches… a rainbow of paranormal/supernatural is included.
In Nine-Tenths of the Law by Kiernan Kelly, Oliver discovers he has a haunted sex toy. In Bear Hugs by Laney Cairo, Martin’s boyfriend might be bear shifter and apparently that’s news to him. In Houdini’s Masquerade by Alex Cohen, when Lila meets a succubus, everything changes. In Præsidium by Katey Hawthorne, Thackeray needs helps from a witch who won’t help him until he explains his demon. In Black Cat by Jamie Jennings, when a cat shifter can see ghosts, Micah’s simple life suddenly isn’t. In Haunted Honeymoon by Aaron Michaels, Dylan and Jake seem to be sharing their non-honeymoon with a couple of ghosts.
In And the Tarot Cards Said by Jacey Mills, an insistent ghost shouldn’t be too much to handle for psychic Vassily and his Tarot-reading assistant Ben. In Spirit Wolf by L.J. Hamlin, when Dawson rescues an injured wolf shifter, it’s not just his book that gets worked on while getting back to nature. In Wet Nails by Shira Glassman, it’s not every day a glamorous ’50s actress comes out of a TV but lonely grad student Adina isn’t complaining. In Possessed by Love by Sheri Velarde, a storm trapping them together gives Andrew and Damian the chance they’ve been waiting for. In The Last Night by Kassandra Lea, Eric gets one night a year and he always picks one particular Halloween. In Molly by Mychael Black, Detectives Cameron and Chase discover the murderer plaguing their city is more sinister than they could have known and not entirely human.
Title: Burning Blood Series: Bonds of Blood, #2 Author: Daniel De Lorne Genre: Paranormal Length: Novel (183 pages) Publisher: Escape Publishing (22 May 2015) Heat Level: Explicit Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥3.5Hearts Blurb: No one gets to choose who they spend eternity with.
Aurelia d’Arjou has vampires for brothers, but it is as a witch that she comes into her own power, keeping balance and control, using her strength to mitigate the death and pain that her brothers bring.
When she is forced to take on the centuries long task of keeping the world safe from the brutal demon that wore her father’s skin, duty dominates her life. But rare happiness comes in the form of a beguiling, flame-haired oracle who makes the perfect companion…but for one thing.
Hame doesn’t want to be an oracle, but when a demon destroys the closest thing to a father he has, he has little choice but to aid Aurelia with his visions. Unable to love her as she would wish, their centuries-old friendship comes under attack when a handsome Welsh witch enters his life – and his heart.
As treachery and betrayal push Hame to choose between his closest friend and his lover, it becomes clear that when it comes to war, love doesn’t always conquer all, and happy endings are never guaranteed.
Review: This is an interesting type of mystical story, which is book 2 in a series. Admittedly, I have not read book 1 but I had no problems understanding what was happening here. Although, I will say that it would probably be best to have some prior knowledge when you get to the epilogue of this book or else you will be like me, a tad bit confused but able to put the pieces together eventually.
This seems reminiscent of Sara Douglass’s Troy Games series, although the characters do not die and reincarnate. We follow two main characters, Aurelia the witch and Hame the oracle through three different periods of time – 1300s, 1700s and present day.
I’m not really sure what to say about this one. The characters are all interesting and engaging, the storyline is easy to follow. But for some reason this one just did not grab my attention.
I’m trying to find reasons and although I often enjoy books lacking romance, I might rate it as a bit of a factor because the main characters aren’t actually a couple but two people who end up being friends and fighting evil – one of them, Aurelia, obviously being the female while we do get a look into Hame’s love life with his boyfriend/partner/whatever you want to call it.
Anyone who likes a sweeping saga will probably like this one. It’s a rather condensed saga with a lot going on within the pages, so you need to make sure you pay attention.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Title: Isle of Illusions Series: The Haunted Case Files, #1 Author: A.L. Wilson Genre: Paranormal/Horror Length: Short (64 pages) Publisher: Smashwords (August 24, 2014) Heat Level: Explicit Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts Blurb: When the vampire Cyrus and his human lover Lorenz vacation in Italy, they never imagined it might turn into a paranormal investigation. However, with rumors of two-headed animals and then a dead body from a nearby asylum washing ashore, the two are forced to cut their holiday short. Can our heroes escape the madness surrounding them or will they be trapped forever on the Isle of Illusions?
Review: Vampire Cyrus and Lorenz, his human Doctor lover, investigate strange occurrences going on at an asylum. But what they discover is far more sinister than what they thought. A mad Doctor is doing atrocious experiments on both humans paranormals.
Intense, spooky, and very dramatic. The things this doctor did to his so-called patients were both heartbreaking and horrifying. No wonder there were so many reports of ghostly whispers being heard with all that went on there. I loved the way that Lorenz and Cyrus tried to protect the other in different situations. The sex between them was passionate and hot.
Hi peeps, we now have Lisa Henry & Heidi Belleau joining us with their brand new release Bliss, now both me and Tams have written reviews for this so you can see the contrast between them and you can gauge how it might fit to your tastes depending on what type of story you like 😉 There is also a brilliant giveaway so make sure to leave your email in the comments box, now I will leave you to enjoy this little nugget, good luck guys <3 ~Pixie~
Bliss
by
Lisa Henry & Heidi Belleau
They’re always happy.
Rory James has worked hard all his life to become a citizen of the idyllic city-state of Beulah. Like every other kid born in the neighboring country of Tophet, he’s heard the stories: No crime or pollution. A house and food for everyone. It’s perfect, and Rory is finally getting a piece of it.
So is Tate Patterson. He’s from Tophet, too, but he’s not a legal immigrant; he snuck in as a thief. A city without crime seems like an easy score, until he crashes into Rory during a getaway and is arrested for assaulting a citizen. Instead of jail, Tate is enrolled in Beulah’s Rehabilitation through Restitution program. By living with and serving his victim for seven years, Tate will learn the human face of his crimes.
If it seems too good to be true, that’s because it is. Tate is fitted with a behavior-modifying chip that leaves him unable to disobey orders—any orders, no matter how dehumanizing. Worse, the chip prevents him from telling Rory, the one man in all of Beulah who might care about him, the truth: in a country without prisons, Tate is locked inside his own mind.
Hey peeps, today we have Susan Mac Nicol bringing us her newest release Double Alchemy! Susan gives us some insight into promoting yourself and our little Kitty Cat gets pulled into this paranormal world and gives us her review… oh and there’s a fabulous Giveaway where there’s two of Susan’s previous releases up for grabs!! So peeps, enjoy our post click that Rafflecopter link, have a look at Cat’s review and Enjoy! <3 ~Pixie~
Promoting Yourself by Susan Mac Nicol
I can hear a lot of you groan as you read this. Yes, it probably is the hardest bit of the job. But I thought I’d share with you a few tips, seeing as how as well as doing this for my own books I’m also trying to do this for a living and help authors in their promotional activity. If you like the idea of someone perhaps helping you, check out my website – www.ravencrestagency.com. It’s a work in progress.
Basically you need to give up breathing, eating, going to the toilet and simply sit in front of a laptop screen until you die. Heh Heh. Because it’s addictive, it’s necessary and bears fruit if you do it right. Waits for the sigh of despair…….Honestly, I am kind of joking above, but rest assured, it takes a huge amount of effort to build these author platforms, street teams, and an author’s visibility. I’m not going to go into much detail here, just mention some areas I use to keep in touch with fellow writers and readers and bloggers.
Facebook – of course, whether it’s personal profile or an author page, we probably all have something.
Twitter – a great way to get a quick, intense spurt of something out to your followers.
Google + – it’s growing but still underutilised
Linked In – I find this more useful for networking as opposed to promoting books
Paper Li – an online newspaper which is very suitable for Twitter and earns you retweets
Goodreads- not my favourite medium but I check it now and then. Other authors will know why I say I don’t really like this forum much.
Pinterest – I just love this because it’s such a visual tool
Blogging – a really useful tool, so you can participate in blog hops, host fellow authors and gain exposure.
Your own website – always useful to have so you can cater to your audience
BookShout – an alternative to other social book sites and growing (http://bookshout.com/users/46573#_=_)
About.me – I notice more and people using this as a medium to keep in touch (http://about.me/home/)
VK – this is Europe’s answer to Facebook, and includes a lot of people from the Baltic countries, Russia etc. (https://vk.com/susanmacnicol)
These are just a few ideas to build a web presence and try and corner every corner of the globe a little like Pinky and the Brain trying to take over the world. Not everything will work for you but at least give it a look and see what you think.
About Double Alchemy
Title: Double Alchemy Author: Susan Mac Nicol Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group Release Date: 25th March, 2014 Genre: M/M Paranormal Romance
Powerful yet tormented modern warlock Quinn Fairmont must initiate the silver-eyed Cade Mairston into the world of witchfinders, Withinners, and what can happen when two men fall truly, madly, deeply in love.
THE WORLD IN SHADOW
In modern London there lurks a warlock, Quinn Fairmont. Dangerous, powerful, tortured, sharing his body with the soul of an ancient Welsh sorcerer, Quinn is never alone—and never wholly himself. He fights against all those who would exploit his kind. He takes pleasure where he can find it.
In the forest of Hampstead Heath, Quinn’s hometown, Cade Mairston appears to him like a waking dream. Lithe, lean and silver-eyed, he evokes feelings in Quinn unlike any other: lust with true affection, immediate and shocking. Cade is clearly more than he seems. And yet, if a man of the world, Cade is innocent. He knows nothing of warlocks, witchfinders or Withinners. He knows nothing of what he is, what he might be, or what he might feel. For him, the story is just beginning. Magyck, peril and passion await.
“I love Paranormal stories & I’m a huge fan of Susan Mac Nicol’s M/M books. In this book, she brings both genres together & gives us this amazing story. With her master storytelling, she takes us into the mystical & magical world of Witches, Warlocks, Withinners & Feys. A world where danger lurks in the shadows.” – Maria Recchia
“I stayed up all night reading this story. Susan has a way of writing that is different than anyone else. She’s uniquely brilliant at weaving a tale that brings out my emotions. I have laughed in every one of her stories. That’s incredible for me. Not just a smile, but a laugh. I love that. This book needs to be read. You won’t be disappointed.” – Author Kindle Alexander
Praise for Susan Mac Nicol
“We have to re-iterate that this Author will always be an automatic one-click for us. Her writing is flawless and her flawed characters are completely lovable. There’s always something quirky and fun in her stories as well as drama, angst and heaps of passion! We can highly recommend!!” – Gitte & Jenny – Totally Booked Blog
“Susan has been hailed as a genius writer of male/male literature. Her Saving Alexander has been nominated for several awards and has been reviewed widely. Congrats on all your success, Susan. You have earned it.” – Gay Lit Authors
About Susan Mac Nicol
Susan Mac Nicol was born in Leeds, UK, and left for South Africa when she was eight. She returned to the UK thirty years later and now lives in Essex. Her debut novel Cassandra by Starlight, the first in a trilogy, was published last year by Boroughs Publishing Group in the US. Sue’s latest story, Double Alchemy is her fifth m/m romance.
Sue has written since she was very young, and never thought she would see herself becoming a Romance writer, being a horror/psychological thriller reader all her life. But the Romance genre is now something very close to her heart and she intends continuing the trend.
Sue is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the Romantic Novelists Association here in the UK.
Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group (25th March 2014)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts
Reviewer: Cat
Blurb: Powerful yet tormented modern warlock Quinn Fairmont must initiate the silver-eyed Cade Mairston into the world of witchfinders, Withinners, and what can happen when two men fall truly, madly, deeply in love.
THE WORLD IN SHADOW
In modern London there lurks a warlock, Quinn Fairmont. Dangerous, powerful, tortured, sharing his body with the soul of an ancient Welsh sorcerer, Quinn is never alone—and never wholly himself. He fights against all those who would exploit his kind. He takes pleasure where he can find it.
In the forest of Hampstead Heath, Quinn’s hometown, Cade Mairston appears to him like a waking dream. Lithe, lean and silver-eyed, he evokes feelings in Quinn unlike any other: lust with true affection, immediate and shocking. Cade is clearly more than he seems. And yet, if a man of the world, Cade is innocent. He knows nothing of warlocks, witchfinders or Withinners. He knows nothing of what he is, what he might be, or what he might feel. For him, the story is just beginning. Magyck, peril and passion await.
Good Reads Link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21480819-double-alchemy
Review: I’ve read all but I think one of Susan Mac Nichol’s books and loved them all. Double Alchemy was very different being a paranormal. I wasn’t disappointed. This story still deals with broken men, as lots of angst and is very emotional with a touch of humour.
Quinn is a Warlock and owner of a prestigious business. He also has many secrets. At a charity function, he meets Cade an anthropologist. The pull between them is irresistible. They have wild sex and seem to bond further.
Cade finds out from Quinn that the pull between them was more than just physical sex and that Quinn is a warlock and Cade has Fey in him.
They seem to fall in love instantly, BUT, not being a big fan of instalove, it really works here. I found this a very interesting refreshing take on Instalove or the soulmate bond thing. This ran much deeper and I can easily accept the connection.
This story is full of intriguing characters, both male and female, witches, warlocks, and more. There were also fine lines between good and evil, which I really liked a lot. Almost every character had a good side ad a bit of bad also. I loved this because it made all the characters so realistic, since none of us are perfect. Don’t get me wrong there were some pure evil characters as well. The balance of good and evil was fantastic and kept you on the edge of your seat. The Warlocks had a Withinner, which is another type of warlock or Magical being. I would have liked a bit more information on this but, I loved this take on a familiar. I will admit at first it got a bit confusing since Quinn spoke to his Withinner, or he spoke to Quinn was in italics. Also Quinn and Cade’s thoughts were in Italics and at times especially early in the story I was a bit confused as to who was speaking. As the story progresses I got used to the switches though.
The plot is very complicated and intricate. I loved how the story was far from ordinary. I also loved that it is set in today with paranormal world mixed in. There is an ongoing major plot with lots of subplots spinning off like little webs. I liked how the plots of this story were resolved, but there were just enough of those threads left hanging making you want more. I absolutely love Tal (Quinn’s Withinner) and would love much more of him!
The story does resolve the major issues and has a happy for now ending with just enough hints that there is more to come. I for one cannot wait.
I recommend this: if you like paranormal stories that are different, world within a world, witches Warlocks, sprites, secrets, twists and turns, a touch of humour and some hot sexy ManLove.
Title: Hidden: Dimensions
Title: Hidden: Fates (The House on 16th Street)
Title: Hidden: Evils
Title: Assumed Dead
Title: Burning Blood
