Hi guys, we have Jan Irving stopping by today with her upcoming release Sylvan, a collection of four novellas, we have a brilliant guest post and a short excerpt, so check out the post and enjoy! <3 ~Pixie~
Sylvan
(A Collection of 4 Novellas)
by
Jan Irving
Sylvan Collection
Return to small-town Sylvan in Jan Irving’s bestselling series—reimagined and re-edited with an all-new bonus novella.
The small Western town of Sylvan is a place for new beginnings for those who won’t settle for anything less than true love. These sweet tales of slow-simmering romance and the old-fashioned values of commitment and pulling together when times get tough prove that sometimes the best matches are also the most unexpected.
With the help of a storm, a washed-up Olympic swimmer and a carpenter cracking under the strain of caring for his Alzheimer’s-affected father learn that opposites sometimes really do attract.
A likable cowboy called Happy Nate is determined to help a mute boy speak again—and to help his father move beyond the repression of the Mennonite community to find the love he deserves.
When a hard-partying cowboy is suddenly saddled with a surprise baby, he’s at his wit’s end. Luckily the local doctor is available to help, and if the two men can find the courage to accept themselves and step into a new life, they might just make a real family. They’ll need to lend each other strength when an unspeakable tragedy strikes—and when it’s time to pick up the pieces.
Hey peeps, we have Thianna Durston stopping by with her new release Discovery, we have a short chat with Thianna, there’s a great excerpt and a fantastic giveaway, so enjoy the post and click that Rafflecopter link <3 ~Pixie~
Discovery
(Drakyl Ranch 01)
by
Thianna Durston
Warning: This book is a paranormal m/m romance with some horror elements. It also crosses cowboy and vampire genres. If you don’t think cowboys look hot with fangs, you’re missing out.
Living in Montana and working the ranch is all Aaron wants to do for the rest of his life. Diagnosed as allergic to the sun thirteen years previous, every day is a struggle to get out of bed. Having to wear long-sleeved shirts, gloves, and even material to cover his face from the effects of the sun, just makes it all worse. Now, in his thirty-second year, he is sure this will be his last summer. While he hates it, he knows he needs to come to terms with the truth and put things in order for his younger cousins. Before he does so, he heads out for one night of pleasure before facing what’s coming.
Jaret loves excitement and new adventures. For over five hundred years, he has sought them out. In Montana on a whim, he comes across someone he doesn’t expect, someone who makes him feel things he does not understand and does not want to give up. In no time at all, he feels like he cannot live without Aaron. The only problem is Aaron doesn’t know who he is, what he is, nor that he isn’t going to die. Not on Jaret’s watch. With a plan to help the other man discover who he is in place, he only has one thing to worry about: whether an ancient enemy will come and destroy everything he now holds dear.
Hi guys, we have Patricia Logan popping in today with her newest release Buttermilk Ranch, Patricia answers a couple of questions for us, we have a great excerpt, a brilliant giveaway and Cat’s review so enjoy the post and click that Rafflecopter link <3 ~Pixie~
Buttermilk Ranch
(Hard Riders 01)
by
Patricia Logan
Wendell Blackowl has spent all his life in the working cow horse show ring where toiling with sweaty cowboys all day is the fodder for wet dreams. Though privately he’s come to terms with his sexuality, publicly Dell’s had to build a façade. When his beloved horse Buttermilk dies, Dell finds himself at loose ends so he decides to pick himself up by his boot straps and do what he’s always wanted to do… open an environmentally friendly organic vegetarian café.
Pace Avila, well known music critic, has been drawn to Austin by the live music scene. When friends invite him to check out a fresh new dinner experience, Pace reluctantly agrees to push the deadline on his national column. He isn’t interested in vegetarian food or a restaurant with the cheesy name of Buttermilk Ranch Café, but the moment Pace lays eyes on the stunning cowboy chef, things begin looking up.
When openly gay Pace walks into his cafe and his life, Dell realizes he’s tired of living a lie and tired of being alone. When Mother Nature throws an unprecedented storm at Austin, the muddy waters threaten to wipe out everything Dell’s worked so hard to build. He soon realizes that with a man like Pace by his side, love really can conquer all.
Hi guys, we have Cheryl Dragon stopping by with Blake’s Home, her newest mm release. We have a great except (that I might have pinched from Loose Id) for you to enjoy and Cat’s review, so enjoy the post and check out this great book <3 ~Pixie~
Blake’s Home
(The Love Shack 01)
by
Cheryl Dragon
Genre: M/M Erotic Romance
Plenty of men have tried to get ranch hand Blake Louis to The Love Shack but none succeed. At the White family ranch, Blake has found friends and a home. He desperately wants to stay. Yet he must keep his shifter secret and avoid his feelings for Jared White. This job has to work out. No one ever wanted him forever–none of his family did–so why would a rich successful rancher want more than a roll in the hay with a dirt poor ranch hand?
Screwing the staff is a bad idea but Jared White needs more than sex from Blake. The men are friends but he’ll risk it for a chance at more. Love has never worked for Jared and a childhood rival delights in sabotaging him. Jared can’t give up hope. He believes that Blake is the one.
The only smart place to start is The Love Shack, a neutral place where Jared isn’t the boss and Blake isn’t the hand. Determined to win Blake’s heart, Jared delves into Blake’s past. As amazing as the sex is, Blake resists sweet promises. Love, trust, and happiness are as crazy to Blake as the bobcat he can shift into.
Hiya guys we have Z.A. Maxfield stopping by on her Twelve Cowboys of Christmas Blog Tour. ZAM is showing off her newest release My Cowboy Homecoming with some hot cowboys, a guest post, an excellent excerpt and a fantastic giveaway. So minions, enjoy the post and check out Cat’s review <3 ~Pixie~
My Cowboy Homecoming
by
Z.A. Maxfield
Love can heal the deepest wounds…
A sense of duty brings a soldier home…but a passionate cowboy makes him want to stay.
After his brother’s tragic death, Tripp has to leave the army and return to New Mexico to take care of his mother while his father is in prison for arson. Seeking work at the J-Bar Ranch, Tripp is immediately drawn to injured cowboy Lucho Reyes, whose foot was accidentally crushed by a rescue horse. But will the sins of the father interfere with the desires of the son? Tripp’s father may be responsible for the death of Lucho’s grandfather. Now Tripp must balance caring for his mother, repairing his father’s damages, and trying to win the heart of a man who has every reason to hate him and his family…
Blurb: Dodge City bank clerk Gordon Howsley leads a life of quiet routine, each evening feasting on the sight of rugged men in the Long Branch Saloon before going home to wife and children. A welcome breach occurs when outlaw Tom Stoddard robs the bank and takes Howsley hostage. Holed up in a remote hideout, Stoddard discovers Howsley to be a most willing captive and the two embark on a sexual adventure in which Howsley sees his dreams of manly satisfaction fulfilled at last.
But when the law intrudes and Stoddard is jailed, how far will Howsley go to be reunited with the man he loves?
Review: Gordon is a banker living a lie and very closeted. He needs a man badly but hasn’t brought himself to actually take that step and cheat on his wife. One day the bank is robbed and Gordon is held hostage by Tom Stoddard the bank robber and Gordan’s life is drastically changed.
Oh my gosh this book was amazing. I will say it totally threw me for a loop. The story is set in the old west, and has that old west charm going full strength. I actually felt I was living there the descriptions were so well done.
I loved that though there was a lot of sex, it was well written. I will warn you it is very rough and rugged and the book is very unpredictable. Once you start, you won’t want to put it down.
I really liked Gordon. I liked how he decided to follow his heart, well perhaps more his other head. Once he had a taste of his fantasy he couldn’t go back and would do what he had to in order to satisfy his cravings for men.
I highly recommend this if you like coming out stories, the old west, sheriffs, outlaws, Bank Robbers, fast paced stories that are not predictable and some very rough and tumble mansex. Oh and COWBOYS!!
Hey guys, a bunch of us bloggers have got together to show our support for T.J. Klune and Eric Arvin by joining up for the Grand Adventures blog tour. This blog tour is to bring to attention the wonderful authors who donated a story and Dreamspinners Press who are donating 100% of the income from the sale to Eric & T.J. and there’s even a great giveaway for you to enjoy! I know the people in this genre are just incredible! So check out what the authors have to say, visit Dreamspinners Press and have a look at the great Grand Adventures goodies and click our Rafflecopter link to win some of those great goodies 🙂 ~Pixie~ p.s. I’d like to give a shout out to Brandilyn from Prism Book Alliance for pulling us bloggers together and organizing our roles in this tour 😉
Description:
On September 1, 2011, TJ Klune wrote, “…it’s not about the ending, it’s about the journey…” in a review of Eric Arvin’s Woke Up in a Strange Place. With those words, two men began a journey of love and invited us to ride along. TJ and Eric have shared so much with us: their wonderful books, their smiles, their humor, their lives, and their inspiring devotion to each other. In December of 2013, their journey took a detour when Eric was taken to the emergency room. He survived the surgery to remove a cavernous hemangioma from his brain stem, but the challenges TJ and Eric face are far from over.
The authors in this anthology donated their talent as a way to support Eric’s continued recovery, to help bring strength to TJ, and to show both of them just how much love surrounds them. Grand Adventures is a diverse range of stories about the journey of love. We’re going on some grand adventures for a great cause. Thank you for joining us.
One hundred percent of the income from this volume goes directly to TJ and Eric.
Foreword by S.A. McAuley
An Unexpected Thing by John Amory (Sequel to Protection)
The Twinkie Ignition by J.E. Birk
When Friendship Becomes More by Sophie Bonaste
Isle of Waiting by Sue Brown (A Missing Moment from Isle of Waves)
The Jogger by KC Burn
Holding Court by Cardeno C.
For Dear Life by Mary Calmes
Under the Full Moon by Ellis Carrington
Stripped by Shae Connor (2nd Edition)
That Place Across the Hall by C.C. Dado
Mistaken MD by Phoenix Emrys
Cops and Comix by Rhys Ford
Last First Kiss by LE Franks
Tomorrow by John Goode
From Fantasy to Friends by CR Guiliano (A Companion to For You)
Hello everyone! My name is John Amory, and my contribution to the Grand Adventures anthology is titled “An Unexpected Thing.” This short is actually a sequel to a story that Dreamspinner published last June in its Daily Dose compilation called “Protection.” The new story picks up about two years after Jamie and Ben met; both are back from London and traveling the West Coast. Jamie is en route to a shooting competition with Ben in tow, but when their plane is diverted, they are forced to find their own way through the Cascades to Seattle. They, of course, find something else along the way.
I have never met TJ or Eric, but I was struck by their struggle like everyone else. We are all a family of authors and readers in this genre, and it felt like someone in our family had suddenly fallen ill. I wanted to help, especially since TJ’s book Into This River I Drown had such an effect on me. When “Protection” was accepted for publication last year, it was the first book I chose from Dreamspinner’s catalog to read, so that I could get a feel for their audience, their authors, the style of stories they publish, etc. I was blown away by River, which is, in so many ways, a really atypical (but still brilliant) M/M romance. There was so much else going on: grief, redemption, faith, closure, all of these things played into the book’s themes, and they’re all things I think TJ handled beautifully. So I began “An Unexpected Thing” as a sequel to “Protection” that contained a guest appearance by two of TJ’s characters from Roseland, which seemed only appropriate given its ties to River. I eventually re-edited the story to not include TJ’s characters (since, if all the authors did that, it would be taxing on TJ to edit and approve each story), but the essence that those characters brought to the story is still there, as well as some other Easter eggs for fans of TJ’s book. “An Unexpected Thing” is about finding love in places you never thought you would, with people you never thought you would. That’s something I got from Into This River I Drown and from TJ and Eric’s personal story, and I think it’s something universal: keep your eyes and heart open, because The One might be someone you’d never notice otherwise.
Thanks for reading and for supporting Grand Adventures! You can find me on Twitter (@JohnAmory) or on GoodReads. Feel free to drop a line! Happy reading!
About John Amory:
John Amory is and always will be a hopeless romantic, which he blames on watching too many episodes of Beverly Hills, 90210 growing up. He began writing stories and poems as a child, continuing through high school. He put writing on the backburner for a number of years, during which time he finished both Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees in English, and is thrilled to be creating again now that he knows what “free time” means.
In another life, John is a newly minted college professor, as well as an actor/director/choreographer/playwright whose work has been performed in New York City and elsewhere. He is also obsessed with television and keeps two blogs on the subject: one for general reviews and comments (faketvcritic.blogspot.com), and one devoted solely to So You Think You Can Dance (cuttingsytycd.blogspot.com).
Feel free to drop a message here or on Twitter to say hi!
1. Tell us about your contribution to the anthology.
My short story is called When Friendship Becomes More.
Here’s the official blurb, because it explains the story better than I could:
Despite their differences, Jamie and Roy are not only college roommates, but best friends. What Jamie doesn’t know is that Roy has had a crush on him for years. When Jamie realizes Roy’s feelings during a camping trip with friends, the attraction will either prove mutual, or it will tear their friendship apart.
I’m really proud of this short story. It has moments that will make you laugh and cry. I hope everyone out there loves it as much as I do.
2. What is your favorite TJ and Eric memory?
Well, I haven’t been lucky enough to meet TJ or Eric in person. But I remember reading the news of TJ’s proposal in October of last year. I was instantly touched by the obvious love between the two men. It may not have been a showy proposal like that Home Depot one that went viral a few months ago, but it was one of the most love-filled proposals I’ve ever seen. And isn’t that what’s really important?
3. Why did you choose to participate in the anthology?
When I heard about the anthology it was a no-brainer. I knew I had to help TJ and Eric in any way I could. And since writing is one of my favorite things to do anyway, it was a win-win.
4. Do you have anything to say to TJ and Eric?
I just wanted to say that you two are both some of the strongest people I’ve ever known. I wish you only the best as you go forward. Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!!!!!
About Sophie Bonaste:
Sophie Bonaste is a novelist who never set out to be a novelist. As a child, she wanted to be a Broadway actress and spent her childhood in numerous productions. But when adulthood set in and reality took over, Sophie chose to up the theater for a steady paycheck and instead turned to writing as a creative outlet. She stumbled into the M/M genre through fanfiction and never looked back. Sophie is quite happy with her change in artistic expression and doesn’t plan to stop writing for a long time.
A self-proclaimed nerd, Sophie is an avid fan of all things Star Wars and Harry Potter. (Sophie is a member of the Slytherin house, for those who were wondering.) Sophie also spends many hours watching and re-watching nerdy television shows. When she is not obsessing over the latest and greatest in nerdy entertainment, Sophie can be found screaming at her television during American football games. (Go Pack Go!) Sophie currently lives in Pennsylvania, about twenty minutes from her childhood town of The Middle of Nowhere.
If you don’t want to talk, but you want to read more about my works, please use these links.
Harmony Ink – Sophie Bonaste
Dreamspinner Press – Sophie Bonaste
GIVEAWAY!
20″ x 26″ (image size: 16″ x 24″) signed & matted print of the Grand Adventures cover Grand Adventures Paperback $30 Dreamspinner Press Giftcard
Starts: 12:01 AM EDT on 29 Mar 2014 End: 11:59pm EDT on 8 April 2014
Movie Title: Brokeback Mountain Release Date: 13 January 2006 Director: Ang Lee Writers: Annie Proulx (Short Story), Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana (Screenplay) Principal Actor(s): Jake Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger Genre: Drama/Romance Running Time: 134 Minutes Format: Blue Ray/DVD Buy Link: http://www.brokebackmountain.com/ Reviewer: Roger Howell
In full retrospect, Brokeback Mountain is a very raw & powerful story. Two men, both cowboys, meet while shepherding. In turn they form an unorthodox but enduring life-long bond. In the vast wild countryside of 1963 Wyoming, these two men come to love each other and the story follows them through their lives.
The entire plotline is riddled with angst and in turns guilt. On the one hand, Ennis has always had to be responsible for his own survival. On the other, Jack has had a family his entire life. But still the love is not there for Jack from his family. It’s the catalyst that ignites the love and romance for both Ennis and Jack. Each man searching for love and acceptance and find it in each other. These are two men, as the story progresses, that can be seen to be fully in love with each other. Jack is the more self-assured man knowing that he likes to have sex with men. Ennis is conflicted most of the time in the movie. He’s done the right thing by society’s standards, married, and had kids.
But as I watched the movie, I could see that he yearned for true freedom and really wanted to be with Jack for life. BrokebackMountain with powerful acting from Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal took me on a full emotional rollercoaster and I deeply recommend it as a movie to watch. The ensemble cast in the form of Michelle Williams as Alma Del Mar and Anne Hathaway rounded out a fantastic movie that should have won Best Picture.
Blurb:Johnny Sapphire is a drifter, sometime cowhand, and called a gunslinger by some. He’s really a lonely gay man looking for someone to share his life.
Moses Star, half black, half Cherokee has been a slave, a riverboat gambler, and a bounty hunter. When the two of them meet, sparks will fly, but they won’t be the kind that comes from their six shooters.
Review: Johnny Sapphire is a drifter and has gotten the reputation of fastest gun though he isn’t a gunman. Moses Star is a gambler and gunfighter. He has to be able to use a gun since he is part black and part Cherokee and both man share the same secret sexual desires.
I really liked this story. Lately I have found myself drawn to westerns set in the old west. I like the taboo of men that are different but dare to be themselves or find themselves in a time when sexual issues were dealt with very seriously. This one deals with sexual, racial and social prejudice in a compelling way. I found the storyline interesting, the characters interesting and the sex HOT! I would love to see what comes next for these two men. Lots of potential!
I recommend this if you like old west- western, gunfighters, gamblers, mixed racial stories, cowboys and hot mansex.
Blurb: There is nothing Johnny Redd can’t steal, nobody he can’t con, and no situation he can’t slip out of until he meets a man masquerading as a woman–then all hell breaks loose.
A bullet, a splash of blood and near death forces Johnny Redd into a gaily-colored sideshow tarp where he finds a man masquerading as a woman. While hiding the notorious criminal in among her costumes, makeup, and sideshow freaks, she nurses him back to health, and they fall in love, but a tragedy separates them. When they emerge again, it’s with new faces and new identities. Can these two men find each other again, or will new names, and new faces cause them to pass by each other like dark ships that pass in the night?
Review: Oh, wow this was AWESOME! Warning! Once you start, you will not want to put it down.
Johnny Redd is a notorious bank robber and is shot robbing a bank. His gang leaves him for dead. He wanders into a sideshow tent where he meets Desiree; a man dressed as a woman, selling himself for money. Desiree nurses him back to health and then one day a jealous man comes in and once again, Desiree saves Johnny, but this time takes a bullet. Johnny leaves and mourns for Desiree for two years before returning to the town where he was from and the tragedy happened. In the general store, a robbery is occurring and one of the robbers corners Johnny in the back taking more than money. Johnny finds himself drawn to this robber and after running returns again running into the robber. What happens next? Not telling. You have to read this one. It’s full of twists and turns, really hot sex, and nail-biting tension.
I loved Johnny. He is hot, sexy and cocky. I adored Desiree and really cried at the gunfight. The robbery scene was smoking hot yet a bit disturbing. I think the taboo is what made it so hot. I loved Braden once we met him and was really shocked at the twists here.
I found the story interesting, suspenseful and hot. The only issue I had was, why does Johnny keep returning to the scene of the crime and how does he just happen to meet Braden each time? But, having said that, it is fiction where anything can happen and I am a huge fan of fate intervening and bringing people together so I really enjoyed this story a lot.
If you like bank robbers, cowboys, outlaws cross-dressers, prostitutes ,cowboys, hot mansex, a great nail baiting suspenseful stories, the old west, hot mansex, a happy ending and an all over fabulous story, this for you. Did I mention cowboys and hot mansex?
Blurb: Landon Gaudet may not be the best bullrider on earth, but he knows that’s where the money is in rodeo. His Cajun heart is more involved with horses, though, and with finding the cowboy he’s been dreaming of all of his relatively short life. Adam Taggart has been around the block more than once, and while he thinks Landon is special, he also thinks the kid deserves better than a safety man with more than his share of notches on the bedpost.
Adam does everything he can to resist Landon, but there’s not a man alive who doesn’t love being loved, so eventually he gives in. Landon can’t believe that Adam is finally with him, that his cowboy has finally come around to his way of thinking. The only problem is that Adam isn’t sure he deserves love, or that he really has any to give. He questions everything from his need for Landon, to his family’s assertion that he can do better than a boy from the bayou. Can Landon show Adam that sometimes magic is real, and that all you really need is to have a little faith?
Review: This was quite a nice story, fun and funny along with some very hot man on man scenes that leave you all hot and bothered.
Adam is an “old man” (though I didn’t catch exactly how old he is) who’s had his fair share of men. He’s starting to feel irritated though lately, seeing as all his friends and former lovers are all one by one settling down. Just as he wishes a special someone for himself, in comes Landon, a young Cajun who is simply irresistible. However, Adam is a man that despite the confidence he shows all around deep inside he’s all insecure, second-guessing everything and everyone. His mind is convinced that he’s lost his love when he lost Beau and that he’s too old for Landon, but his heart keeps fighting him, all the while he has his brothers’ opinions weighting on him saying a bayou baby is not good enough for him.
It is quite a journey this story. Between the wild sex the two men have, there are always things that come and make themselves present, mostly on Adam’s side, that hold this couple back. Landon might be pure magic, but contemporary men, educated at that have long ago stopped believing, and when times comes for Adam to stand by Landon’s side Adam has a weak moment where he lets all his doubts loose.
And it was at this point that I felt split in half. Up until now, I loved every single moment of this read, the slow falling in love between the two guys, the hot lovemaking, the chemistry that was so strongly there, and then, BOOM, I feel like kicking Adam’s butt. I suppose between them two I fell for Landon the most. He’s quite a sweet character, so very talented, so sweet, and good deep in his bone, and he doesn’t even know it. He has no idea what a catch he really is. Truth be told, I kind of agreed with Adam there for a sec, he was not worthy of Landon. I was quite the jerk and an idiot for letting his brother interfere with his love life as much as he did. And yeah I would have loved to see him work a bit harder to get on Landon’s good graces. The kid was such a doormat for him. But all well and I kind of like how it ended.
What I didn’t get though, and I pretty much wanted, was a bit Sister time. She was supposed to be a healer and I kept thinking the entire read that she’ll get to do something right? There were tons of injured people all around the place. But in the end that was left on faith as well and nothing was proved at all.
All in all, though this was a really good read with lots of bullfighters, bullriders, ropers and plain old cowboys, spiced up with a little bit of Cajun charm and special loving. If you lean toward this genre, I strongly recommend this read to you.
Blurb: Stone Harrison never knew he had an aunt; he certainly never expected her to bequeath him one of the largest spreads in central Nevada. But something about Copper Lake Ranch and its foreman, Luke Reynolds, speaks to him, offering a chance for the home he’s never really had.
Luke wants Stone to succeed as a rancher and put the legacy of his shiftless father behind him, but he’d also like Stone to share his bed. Unfortunately, Stone is convinced that the world is a harsh place that will never accept two men sharing their lives. Much to Luke’s dismay, he refuses to risk Luke’s life despite the intense attraction they share.
The tension between them escalates when a series of calamities strikes Copper Lake. An unexpected and unwelcome visit from Stone’s dandified cousin, James, only makes things worse. Stone’s ability to run the ranch comes into question, but the threat of losing it means less to Stone than the threat to Luke’s life. Stone will do anything it takes to protect the man he loves—even if it makes him a murderer.
Review: Stone is surprised to return from a cattle drive and find a letter waiting for him. it informs him that an aunt he never knew was leaving him a ranch. Arriving at Copper Lake Ranch, he knows it is a place he could call home. Meeting the ranch foreman Luke has him wanting to prove that he has got what it takes to run the ranch. Luke wants Stone to succeed and tries to ignore his attraction to the rancher, but one brief moment of shared bliss comes to haunt him when Stone says they can have nothing more between them. Their friendship suffers and then Stone receives a visit from a distant cousin, James, who Stone can’t seem to shake. But, things become really tense on the ranch when a series of calamities hit. Luke and Stone pull together to keep the ranch going and just when Stone realizes what he really wants; he is left in a position that could end in murder.
This is quite a good historical western of two men who could find love if only one of them was willing to take a chance. Luke falls hard for Stone and wants nothing better than to set up house with the man. But, Stone has already had a taste of what could happen if anyone ever got a notion that they were like that and refuses to be anything more than friends. When things start to go wrong around the ranch, Stone begins to reconsider as he becomes afraid for Luke. But, Stone grew up the hard way with an abusive father, add in being part Indian and he has had his fair share of prejudice thrown at him.
I quite liked this look into the past, where just the image of impropriety could cost a man his home or life. The relationship between Luke and Stone is slow developing, even though they have a fierce attraction to each other. Stone is afraid of the repercussions if anyone ever found out, so he holds Luke back. When danger comes to the ranch though, he begins to get over his reservations. But, solving the problems has to come first and discovering who the culprit really sticks in his craw. Luke has to think about what he wants long and hard, when he is rebuffed by Stone. But, Copper Lake ranch is his home and he still holds out hope that Stone will come around.
This isn’t a romance in the normal sense because a lot of the story is focused on the ranch and Stone’s determination to never walk away from a job unfinished. The times that Stone and Luke do spend time together is either filled with awkwardness or with secret longing before Stone confesses what he wants from Luke. I liked the storyline of sabotage and I really enjoyed it when Stone’s cousin, James, was put in his place by Agnes. Stone’s acceptance into the community was a very nice touch, showing that even back then a person’s skin color didn’t mean as much as the person inside.
I will recommend this to those that love historical westerns, finding love in suspicious times, sabotage, digging deep to continue forwards and a sweet ending filled with love.
Blurb: John Price and Conner Burnett have been part of the Whispering Pines Ranch for the past thirty-seven years. A loving couple who have overcome every obstacle thrown at them, John and Conner are a testament to the strength of true love. But now John is in the hospital with a diagnosis of cancer, fighting for his very life.
As his lover struggles, Conner looks back on when they first met. The early seventies wasn’t an easy time to be a gay man, especially in a small country town. Considering John’s pride, Conner’s need to be himself, shame, bitterness, and two stubborn natures, their love story almost wasn’t written. But they beat the odds, and Conner will be damned if he’ll let anyone take John from him now. He had the courage to stand up for what he wanted in 1974. If need be, he’ll go toe to toe with God himself to keep the man he fought so hard to love.
Review: John is in hospital having being diagnosed with cancer. It’s a diagnosis that Conner won’t accept, and he’s not losing the love of his life without a fight, not after 37 years of facing everything together. Conner looks back to the beginning of their relationship when they had to fight the hardest, against their own selves, as they tried to embark on a relationship that was still frowned upon in cowboy country.
This is a wonderful story that gives us fans of Whispering Pines Ranch the chance to get to know both Conner and John better, and also gives us their romance from the very beginning. As John lies in his hospital bed with Conner snuggled up against him, Conner takes us on the journey of the beginning of their relationship and the courage both men had to find to be the men that the other loved. Conner has already faced a lot in his 29 years and is comfortable with whom he is. But, John in his 32 years has always played it safe. He doesn’t want to lose the respect of the men around him. But when the two meet, they both have to make choices until they reach an impasse and they both realise just what is most important to them.
I loved this story. I love Conner and John in their sixties and I loved them just as much when they were younger. Being able to see the beginning of their relationship was a treat. I loved the ups and downs that they faced, as well as the emotional battles that they faced within themselves. Seeing them both come to the realisation as to what was really important to them, for Conner it was being himself even if it meant losing the man he loves, and for John it was about facing his life without the man he loves, compared to having the full respect of those around him.
This story isn’t as angsty or angry as the previous books in this series, and it isn’t as frustrating or hair pulling because we already know that Conner and John would get their happily ever after, but it still pulls at the heart-strings as we see the men we could love become the men we do love. S.J.D. has written another wonderful touching story that will stay with after you have finished the last page. As a little side note: please ignore the fact that the Bee Gees travelled back in time to 1974 with their song Jive Talkin’, which they didn’t record until 1975. Lol S.J.D.’s a good sport and said I could mention it.
So I will recommend this to those who love stories about rough, tough cowboys, about having courage to stand for what you want, for hot men falling in love, some hot cowboy sex and the beginning of what we know to be true love for two lovely wonderful men. Now to wait impatiently for Jess’s Journey ;-).
Blurb: Tim Conroy knows all about patience. He’s waited three years for Rory McCown to get out of jail after doing time for stealing horses from the Blue River Ranch. Now that Rory is eligible for parole, Tim makes it his goal to persuade his boss, Hunter Krause, to give Rory a second chance.
He almost regrets it when Hunter agrees. Rory is a morose loner one moment, then arrogant and overconfident the next. The attraction between them is still there, but as soon as they start to get close, an old enemy throws a wrench in the works… and their fledgling relationship may not be strong enough to weather the coming storm.
Review: Tim has been keeping tabs on Rory while he has been in prison. When he is eligible for parole, Tim gets Rory a job on the ranch. The same ranch where Rory got into trouble in the first place. Tim takes on the responsibility of Rory and has to fight hard to prove that Rory deserves a fresh start with a clean slate. Rory doesn’t know why Tim has gone to so much trouble, but is thankful. Rory has some secrets that he keeps hidden, but as he gets closer to Tim he decides it is time for him to get clean.
This was very well-written and I did like the dynamics between Tim and Rory and the progression of their story. Rory has had a crap hand dealt him and there are vague references to things that have happened to him in the past. When Rory and Tim meet up again, the sparks are still between them, but Rory has a lot he needs to work through before he is truly comfortable. And Tim has a hard time trying to get people to accept Rory, especially his brother.
There is conflict where there needn’t have been any, if certain people had kept their noses out. As Tim and Rory had enough to deal with and because of one person’s interfering Rory nearly loses everything. Even with Tim standing by his side it is still a near run thing. Tim is a lovely character and he is far from as gullible or naïve as some people think him to. He is strong-willed when he believes in something and he believes in Rory 100%. Rory really isn’t sure about Tim at first and it takes him a while to realize that Tim is serious about him and won’t let him down.
Tim and Rory are really hot together and are well suited. They complement each other and each has something within themselves that the other needs. We also briefly catch up with Gable and Flynn, Hunter and Grant (grrr) and some of the other characters from both Clouds and Rain and Earth and Sky and for me some of them are still not likeable.
So ,with this one I am going to recommend it to those who love troubled men, hot cowboys, hot sex, a bit of danger, a bit of angst, a strong-willed young man and a happy ever after.
Blurb: Ranch hand Tommy Prout thinks he’s in love … with his boss, Hal Bolstrum. Problem is, Hal’s engaged to be married to the ranch owner’s daughter and, though he knows of Tommy’s crush, he sees it as nothing more than harmless affection. When payday rolls around and the other cowboys want to ride into town to check out the girls at the Wildhorse saloon, Tommy tags along to throw off any suspicion anyone might have about his feelings for his boss. He sure as hell doesn’t want to spend his money on any of the soiled doves the town has to offer.
At the bar he meets Lila, an enterprising young working girl who takes a liking to him. When Tommy says he wants to be left alone, Lila suggests he rest in her room — with the promise they don’t have to actuallydo anything. But Lila isn’t like the others, and when she discovers Tommy is more scared of her than attracted to her feminine charms, she lets him in on a little secret.
Lila’s real name is Stephen Marsh. He lives as a woman, moving from saloon to saloon, pleasing men for money. He loves men and enjoys his work, and what others don’t know about what’s under his skirt doesn’t bother him. In all his years on the prairie, he’s never met someone quite like Tommy. When he discovers Tommy is sweet on Hal, he suggests teaching the cowboy just how to please a man.
He doesn’t mean to lose his heart to Tommy in the process.
With “Lila” in his life, Tommy begins to dream of someone softer than Hal, someone pretty when dolled up but still man enough where it counts. Someone like Lila. As his feelings deepen, can he use Lila’s own teachings to win the heart he really loves?
Product Link: http://jmsnyder.net/?p=1013
Reviewer: Cat
Review: This story stole my heart. Oh. MY. Goodness! It was fabulous. I was captivated by the first paragraph. J.M. did such a great job describing the scenery, you felt you were there. And she made the characters come to life, both physically and emotionally. I felt like I was the cowboy! The whole story was so well written and believable, you could hardly put it down.
I fell in love with Tommy immediately. I could feel his frustrations and his secret desires for his foreman.
I was as surprised as Tommy when he came in and found his foreman, the object of his desires and dreams with Sarah the boss’s daughter. I was like, hmmmm… I just knew the story was gonna be about him and Hal.
So, I read on. I felt so badly for Tommy when his friends coerce him to going to a saloon and to try to get him a hooker. You could feel his pain, not wanting the others to know he was gay, but not wanting to be with a woman either, still aching from what he saw earlier. Still wanting Hal. Then I was really freaked out when he went upstairs with Lila one of the saloon girls. I had to double-check …isn’t this an M/M romance?
The scene was so hot and afterwards when Lila was talking about his –oops did I say his?-HER feelings I immediately bonded with him-I mean her. The sex scene was amazing and the emotional needs and connections so good. I couldn’t decide which character I loved the most. But, I am a hopeless romantic. So, does Tommy fall in love with Lila or will he finally win over his macho crush Hal?
I’m not gonna tell! You will have to read A Cowboys Heart by J.M.Snyder for yourself. You won’t be sorry. Be prepared to fall in love with a Cowboy! I give it 10 hearts! Oh, man… I can only go up to five? Well, Five it is♥♥♥♥♥!!
Blurb: After months of hiding out in the badlands, ex-Bringer Damian Junter has returned to Terra Noir to plot war with the East. The tide of public opinion is shifting against the corrupt Statesman Paulin, the man who accused Damian’s lover, Kell, of a murder he did not commit. With Kell as their leader, the Outlanders make the only move they can: revolution.
But the West isn’t the only side gearing up for war. In the East, Statesman Paulin has been preparing a mechanical army of his own. When Kell sends Damian back home to spy, Damian has to fight against his own insecurities: Kell’s ex-lover, Paul, is his right-hand man in this war. Damian trusts Kell with his life—but can he truly trust Kell with his heart?
Review: Here’s the looooooonnnnnggggg awaited sequel to The Outlaw and I have to say it was worth the wait. Damian and Kell have been in hiding since the last book , but now has come the time for them to return to Terra Noir to finalize the plans for the revolution. Damian tries to control his jealousy, but more doubts surface when he returns to the East and thinks about all that he has lost.
What a brilliant conclusion for those of us who wanted more of Damian and Kell. Damian lives for Kell now and he has problems controlling his jealousy when Paul gets too close to Kell. it leads to a bout of rough, primal explosive sex and a down and dirty fight where I really thought for a moment that someone would get killed. Kell has no interest in anyone else he just wants to get the revolution started. They both know that either one of them could die but it doesn’t stop the passion or the love between them.
This has some great action, a little bit of adventure, lots of violence, some incredible passionate, primal sex, some really cool Steampunk, jealousy and love. We also see a side to Damian where he begins to resent the West even though he knows that everything that befell him was the East’s fault. This has a really great battle near the end where we nearly lose one of our brave men, really well done.
So I have to recommend this if you enjoy any of the above (I really did) and if you want a great novella where the story is all wrapped up nicely and nothing gets left out then this is for you.
Blurb: Sometimes it takes losing everything to find out what matters most.
Josh has a fondness for hot pink, penguins…and one wicked man he knows he shouldn’t trust. Nick is a confused, angry man, one who has been denied the opportunity to know his half-siblings, who was ignored and treated less than second best—until the fair-haired children fell out of favor with a resounding thud. Now Nick has something he isn’t sure he wants—a ranch left to him by a father who never cared for him, and a fascination with a certain hot-pink, penguin printed, scrub wearing nurse who makes his blood boil in a way no woman ever had.
But Josh left him hurting on the floor the last time he dared touch the man. Nick had never thought the attractive dark-haired man with the jewel-bright eyes would be anything other than a tool to spy on his half-siblings, but somehow, Josh has gotten under Nick’s skin, and Nick isn’t sure he ever wants it any other way.
But the choice isn’t just his, and it’s more than just their futures that are at risk… And Nick doesn’t know if he can get past Josh turning away from him once again, or if he can be strong enough to reach for what matters most…
Review: Josh is a nurse who will do anything to protect his family, even if it means keeping secrets from them. When he figures out the truth about Nick he is really not pleased. Nick wants to know more about his half-siblings but he can’t contact them directly so he comes up with a plan. A plan to get close to Josh and find out about them, his main problem though is he’s not gay.
I had mixed feelings about this at first when I learned that Nick was straight but the more we get to know him and how he was brought up and his reaction to Josh the better I felt about it. I felt really sorry for Josh and the way he was treated by his brothers, Justin and Nick. But Nick redeemed himself nicely though I can’t say the same for Justin. Josh had to go through a lot of angst before things worked out for him and Nick had a lot of soul-searching to do as well.
These two MCs had a lot of angst for different reasons. Nick because he only inherited as his father, Ian Calhoun, wanted to hurt his other two children, his mother’s attitude towards him and the stipulations in the will, when all he wants is to know his brother and sister. Josh because he feels used by Nick and he is also keeping secrets from Annabelle and Rory about who Nick is. We see quite a few misunderstandings on both sides before they eventually sort themselves out.
I would recommend this book to those who like strong characters, hot men, hot sex, angst and a well written story.
