Hi guys, we have Elaine White stopping by with her new releases The School of Second Chances and The Lost and Lonely, we have some great excerpt and a fantastic giveaway, so check out the post and click that giveaway link <3 ~Pixie~
The School of Second Chances
(Evanders School for Enchanted Personage 01)
by
Elaine White
One Banshee. One Vampire. One Selkie. And a whole lot of trouble.
When a group of mishaps are drawn together at the most prestigious magical school in Scotland, vampires meet banshees, witches meet wolves, and things begin to happen that haven’t happened for an age. For these eight teenagers, turning sixteen has never seemed so terrifying. To learn how to hone their skills, they will discover more secrets lurking behind the shadows of their mythical lives than they ever realised existed. How they survive the school is one thing. How they survive each other will be quite another.
The Lost and Lonely
(Evanders School for Enchanted Personage 01.5)
One orphan boy. One new family. One big secret.
Phil always thought his life was going to be chaotic. Orphaned as a child and having grown up in foster care, his boyfriend Logan is the only shining light in his world, along with Phil’s two foster sisters, Ella and Estelle. But when Estelle goes off to a fancy new boarding school, suddenly everything changes. His life won’t always be dark and lonely, but it will no longer be simple, either. When the Sutherland’s enter his life, Phil has to question what secrets he’s willing to keep and where the word ‘magical’ fits into his normal, human life.
Title: When Ryan Came Back Series: N/A Author: Devon McCormack Genre: Mystery/Suspense, Ghosts/Spirits, Young Adult, Paranormal Length: Novel (228 pages) Publisher: Harmony Ink Press, Dreamspinner Press (October 16, 2014) Heat Level: Low Heart Rating: ♥♥♥3Hearts Blurb: Steven’s life changes forever the day he discovers his childhood friend and lifelong crush, Ryan Walters, standing in his bedroom. The problem? Ryan Walters committed suicide just days earlier.
Ryan tells Steven that he didn’t kill himself. He believes he was murdered and that his death is linked to an article he was working on for the school paper. Steven sets out to solve the mystery. But as the story unfolds, so does Ryan’s secret life of sex with guys and depression.
Steven realizes suicide is more plausible than Ryan’s conspiracy theory, but he struggles to convince Ryan of the real cause of his death. And despite revelations of his friend’s closeted life, he must face the truth that Ryan doesn’t—and never will—love him.
Review: Ryan should’ve been truthful with Steven from the beginning about everything instead of letting him find out about all those things on his own. Steven should’ve confided in someone about the things that were happening. Steven’s parents shouldn’t have forced him to see a therapist unless he wanted to.
While the story was good, I thought that it was a bit much for a seventeen year old to be going through. Especially trying to figure out Ryan’s death on top of the cover up murder and conspiracy that a few men were involved in.
The teacher having sex with students and recording it disturbed me. I thought it was sad that Ryan and Steven never told each other how they felt when he was alive. It just amazed me how much Steven had to deal with on his own.
All in all, it was a good read.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com*
Title: Guardians Series: The Woodmen Chronicles, #2 Author: A. M. Burns Genre: Young Adult/ Paranormal Length: Novel (180 Pages) Publisher: Harmony Ink Press, Dreamspinner Press (October 2014) Heat Level: None Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4Hearts Blurb: Thom Woodman is a Bigfoot, although he prefers to be called an Oh Mah. When it comes time for the Oh Mah biannual gathering, he’s excited to go with Ben Steele, the human he bonded with.
To Thom’s surprise, he is offered a place among the Guardians, the leaders of the Oh Mah. But since he grew up half in the human world, he can’t make a decision before he finds out more about these Guardians.
When an Oh Mah is killed by a human, the growing antihuman sentiment runs rampant through the gathering. Thom’s family swears to help protect Ben, but when some of the Guardians join the anti-human faction, they aren’t sure they can live up to their promise. Even when Ben is kidnapped, Thom doesn’t know what to say when the Guardians demand his answer. Thom feels like he’s not only being forced to choose between the Oh Mah and the human world, but also between a life with or without Ben.
Review: This is the second book to this series and they need to be read in order.
You will learn more about Oh Mah’s and their lives. It is also when you first meet Ben and Thom. These are two of the best young men I have ever met. They are so protective of each other and so very loving. Thom is the Oh Mah, which is basically big foot and Ben is his bond mate. Ben is human. The main problem I had with it was the fact that they were still children and it was a no sex book. It has a serious tone and very little humor to it. I found myself not as captivated by it as I should have. It is a wonderful book but for me it was missing something for me to truly love it.
Thom and Ben were going with Thom’s family to a gathering. The gathering was for Oh Mah’s to prove their strength, to find mates and a basic party situation. The Oh Mah’s are a very aggressive bunch and they use their strength to get many things. In fact, they have to fight to get the approval of their potential mates and for the bond to start. Now Thom and Ben had not had to do that. Thom had saved Ben’s life and it had started the bond for them. They were the lucky ones it would seem.
The gathering was in Texas this time and there are many surprises that lay in stride for all of them. Including the danger that comes for them. Many Oh Mahs are prejudice against humans and whites, so Thom doesn’t want Ben to leave his sight. He will do everything in his power to keep him safe. The guardians want Ben to join but there a many factors standing in the way and one of the major ones is the fact that there is something dark going on. Fear, anger, betrayal, and fighting are happening around the camp. Now it is up to Thom to not only protect his mate but also find out the truth.
This story was a fascinating one but like I said for me, it was too out there for me to love. I do love Ben and Thom though. There is so much strength in them both, but they still have quite a bit to grow into. Ben is in danger from the bigots and Thom is being asked to join the guardians. Many changes are coming and it doesn’t seem to be for the better. If you love a sci-fi feeling with a bit of darkness then this is for you. It will give you gorgeous mates, strength, and power, pure love, lots of danger and betrayal.
I would recommend reading this story. It did catch my attention from the moment I started reading and kept it all the way to the end.
Title: Forever Fearless Series: Forever Vampire Author: Jeff Erno Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance/Vampire Length: Novel (260 Pages) ISBN: 978-1-937796-61-7 Publisher: Ai Press (March 24, 2014) Heat Level: Low Heart Rating: ♥♥♥3Hearts Reviewer: Lisa
Blurb: In the aftermath of unspeakable slaughter, Robbie and Colt have escaped to the wilds of Alaska to face their immortal future. Things aren’t so certain for their sworn enemies, Dylan and Issa, Matarian soldiers sworn to hunt them down and slaughter them.
Dylan is poised to begin his first vampire hunt and wants Issa as his partner, but Issa is far more concerned with finding his brother and tracking down the blond boy who nearly died on the battlefield. The entire cast from book one reunites in this thrilling continuation of their story, joined by a host of new faces–friends and foes–whose lives somehow weave together as they cross paths in their efforts to battle evil and attain their own happiness. Humans, Shifters, Daywalkers, and Purebloods confront each other with the guidance of three enigmatic sisters–one a Maenad, one a necromancer, and the other a human witch. Plot twists and surprises mark the paths of these diverse characters, forever fearless in their quest to cling to all they hold dear. Purchase Link: http://www.ai-press.net/forever-fearless/ Review: The Forever Vampire saga continues and they need to be read in order. This story seems a bit dark to me. Hate, bigotry, disillusion seem to be throughout the book but you also can see compassion, loyalty and love. It was a bit hard for me to follow though. I don’t know if it was all the jumping around at first that you see or that something is missing.
There is a war going on between the Matarian soldiers, vampires, and werewolves. When many children are killed at a church camp, many are angered by it. Everyone wants blood and death. The problem with it is they were killed by vampires who only went in to get their captured men back. Issa was not sure who to follow or who to believe any more. He had a chance to talk to two of the vampires that were being held hostage and realized that they were just the same as everyone else. The Matarian soldiers killed them shortly after. Issa’s heart was being torn in too many pieces. He was to be a soldier but just couldn’t stomach some of the things that were happening. He had found out that his missing brother Shadi was indeed alive and turned. He had met and mated a vampire.
Then Robbie and Colt have escaped from the Matarian soldiers. They love each other with all their hearts, but with one being vampire and the other human it was not allowed. Many were questioning all of that as well but Issa just doesn’t know where to turn. Normally he would turn to Dylan. However, when he finds out that he didn’t graduate he thinks that he will never see Dylan again. Then his father turns on him for being gay. He thinks the only way is to leave like his brother.
Dylan is Issa’s mate. He is to go on his first vampire hunt and when you graduate, you are allowed to choose the partner you want. He wants to work with Issa, the only problem with that is his brother against it. He thinks that Issa will get Dylan killed. Many questions that I have were not answered in this story.
In this story, you will get all the characters from the other book into this one. So to be able to keep up you will need to read book one. It is a good story but to difficult for me to get into. It came off as a dark fantasy story. I have not really understood them but this one was a bit better. I did understand Issa though. He wanted to find his brother and the young boy that was missing. In his heart, that was what was right. I can understand the reactions some have towards others, but it seems to me that had they taken the time to understand them that they might have a different reaction. Issa saw that with the two vampires that were killed.
Blurb: Cody Langdon’s been through a lot. He kissed a boy in the locker room and got brutally harassed for months. Unable to cope, he tried to take his own life. His parents decided a change in scenery would help, so they moved the family to Florida in the middle of the summer. The abrupt move left Cody lonely, bored, and beyond depressed. Stuck in a new state, Cody learned that a demon named Tanglewood had killed his neighbors and was taunting Cody. To save his family, Cody burned his house down.
Cody was lauded as a local hero and inducted into a support group for people who had survived encounters with dangerous demons. The support group introduced Cody to a new world of the supernatural and shared their own horrific experiences with incubi, curses, and ghosts.
Adam Monroe was a teenager just like Cody, until the demon Tanglewood killed his neighbors and his parents. Blamed for the multiple deaths and thought insane, Adam was locked away in a mental facility until Cody stumbled across evidence that cleared his name. The two bonded immediately over their shared trauma and mutual attraction.
After all, of his hardships, Cody is in for the strangest task yet — starting over at a new high school where he knows no one, doesn’t like organized sports, and thinks he’s above the petty social games.
Just as he begins to relax in his new environment, Cody’s parents find a new house to live in. Upon touring one of the identical homes in the Clearclay Park community, Cody discovers that behind the perfect hedges, trimmed lawns, and pristine appearance, a sinister force may lurk.
Forced to juggle his time between school, his parents, and Adam, Cody is confronted with the realization that not all problems are supernatural, and not all solutions are final.
Review: This book was interesting to say the least. Very bizarre little story line, however I did like it. I found myself laughing at certain parts of it. Cody is a teen who has gone through a really hard time. First he got caught kissing a guy at school and was bullied for it. He had tried to commit suicide but his dad save him. Then he finds out that a demon is terrorizing his neighborhood so he burns the house down. Now here is dealing with a gorgeous boyfriend who had also survived a demon attack. Moving to Clearclay Park, he finds out that it is ran by an incubus and a half demon.
His friends that he hangs out with all survived demon attacks. Even his boyfriend Adam is a survivor. The problem was when the incubus seduces Cody into a kiss and he loses his boyfriend. Now hanging out with his friends from school and his friends of the survivor group, he realizes that they have indeed found some more paranormals. One, which ends him up in the past.
Adam is sorry and wants Cody back, but Cody is not really sure what he wants now. He does know that he wants Adam but for some reason isn’t ready to go back. He has to stop the demons, free the innocents, and turn his friend Hayden’s grandparents back to humans. All in a good days work I suppose. What else could show up I wonder.
I thought that this story was told with a humorous tone, which made it more enjoyable. Although it did catch my attention from the start and kept it all the way to the end, it left me with more questions than answers. It was a bit hard to follow at the end of it. I love paranormals stories and this one is pretty good. I loved the mixture of paranormal types in this book. I would recommend it to anyone who loved cute and sexy young men, strange friendships, paranormal’s, danger and excitement.
Blurb: Charlie Fitzgerald is sick of being the kid nobody takes seriously. His older brother Colin is fighting vampires and other troublemakers in New York City, and Charlie wants in on the action—but no one will listen. Then he overhears the Lycan council is looking for a human emissary to take a message of peace to a werewolf in the forests of Romania, and Charlie decides he’s the man for the job.
Xan is furious: his best friend, Charlie, one of the Fitzgeralds he’s vowed to protect, is walking into danger, and Xan chases him all the way to the freezing Romanian forest to save his stubborn butt. When Charlie is almost killed, Xan realizes he feels much more than friendship for his charge, and emotions that have been bubbling under the surface of his calm façade threaten to boil over and flood them both.
They end up in the middle of a political mess involving Lycans, werewolves, and nosy vampires, and if they make it out alive, the friendship between the headstrong hunter and his bullheaded protector might turn into a love neither can live without.
Review: This is the 2nd edition. The 1st edition was published by M.J. O’Shea, April 2012.
To get a good idea on who everyone is you need to start with Book one. I got to tell you that this one is my favorite of this series. I am not sure why, but it just seemed more real to me. The story line is fantastic, with the danger and excitement flowing throughout the book. It had more of a serious tone to it, but it did have its humorous side to it. It always amazes me the gift one has to tell a story.
Charlie is a human that comes from a long line of hunters. Usually one thinks that hunters kill every paranormal in sight, but with this story they seem to work together to get rid of those who are evil. He has known all along about his family, even growing up thinking that was what he would do. Although he does find out that is not the case when it comes to him. He is so cute, that you just want to hug him all the time. He has a bit of attitude about certain things, but he can be persuaded to have it changed.
He had grown up with Xan since they were little children. Now he is notices more and more that times are changing between them. He finds out Xan is not what he seems. He is in fact his protector. He is so pissed at him, but he also realizes he is in fact falling for his best friend. Xan has always known certain things, but when it comes out, he fears that he will lose the one person he is falling in love with him. He needs to be near the forest, but he wants to be with Charlie.
Xan is loveable, caring, gentle, and fiercely protective of Charlie. The sex starts out slow and heats up to a nice flame.
I loved this book and I do hope that there will be another book to this series. I lose myself in stories when life gets too much, and this will be one of my top choices to read more than once. It makes a great add to my library.
Blurb: New York City has been calling Miles Hunter for as long as he can remember, but he’s sure the imaginary monsters in his stories are all the adventure he’ll experience—until a mugging and daring rescue leave him wondering what else is out there that he had never believed in before.
PC has spent eighteen years doing the opposite of what everyone expects. He hunts supernatural troublemakers, hangs out with vampires, and refuses to settle down—to the disapproval of his respectable parents and the stuffy Lycan council. Then one confusing night, his instincts turn him to wolf form to save a stranger.
Miles and PC must learn to live together, because even minutes of separation mean extreme pain. Miles falls for the unpredictable PC, the wolf’s strange friends, and their nightly adventures, but his reluctant lover is determined to break their bond. As they are drawn into a mystery involving werewolves, rogue vampires, and a lot of dead humans, finding the truth might mean the hunt of PC’s life—especially if he wants to keep Miles alive.
1st Edition published by Republica Press, August 2010. 2nd Edition published by M.J. O’Shea, April 2012.
Review: Many people who know me know that my favorite reads in the world are paranormal romances, especially when it is two very hot and sexy men. What’s more is when those two men don’t just fall in love and in bed right off the bat. I love it when there are twists and turns to their relationships. M.J. never fails to amaze me.
This book is another hit and I absolutely loved it. Mile’s is a true wonder and believes that monsters only exist in him imagination and in his stories. That is until he comes face to face with them in the wonderful city of New York. He is rescued by the rough and tough PC, who is trying everything to break their bond. You would fall in love with Miles if you ever met him, quirky sense of humor and is unique and gentle. His smile would light the way for any sexy man looking at him. PC on the other hand is sexy and hot with a temper to match. However, he would give up his life to keep Miles from dying.
The sex between them both will set the sheets on fire and keep you heated up all night long. This story has a perfect story line, one that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I love plots that involve love, hate, danger, and pain. There is a lot of danger in this story one that will show you the twist and turns of their budding romance. Now if PC will let himself fall in love.
I couldn’t put this story down at all, even gave up the idea of eating for a bit. I turned on the radio, got myself a drink and sat down for a day of reading. I can see myself reading this story many times over.
Genre: Paranormal/Horror/Young Adult/Coming of Age
Length: Novel (156 pages)
Publisher:Dreamspinner Press (November 6th, 2013)
Heat Level: Low
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 4 Hearts
Reviewer: Cat
Blurb:Now eighteen, Cale Holland and Zeb Meadows have been best friends since they were freshmen in high school, and Zeb has been in love with Cale most of that time. While returning to their hometown after a trip to the state capital, Cale realizes his feelings for Zeb are growing beyond friendship, and Zeb is ecstatic to finally have a chance at romance with Cale.
On their trip, Cale is mysteriously drawn into the nearby countryside. He discovers a lake so beautiful, his father buys the surrounding property to build a residential development—despite rumors that the area is haunted—and soon after, Cale and Zeb return to the lake on a weekend camping trip to unwind and explore their feelings for each other.
But the haunting of the lake is more than a rumor. In the process of developing the land, Cale’s father accidentally frees an invisible entity that feeds on the energy of living creatures… and Cale and Zeb find themselves in a fight for their lives as they are stalked by the soul-devouring Haint.
Review: Zeb just lost his father and is now responsible for his two younger siblings, Hannah just going to high school and Donnie only six. His chances of going off to college are not good. Zeb has just graduated high school and now instead of college is face with raising a family and trying to keep social services from taking them.
Cale his best friend and secret crush accompanied him on a trip to settle some business. On the trip back Cale starts acting odd and insists he take a hidden road. They find a beautiful lake and meet a strange family that freak out when they want to see the lake. Cale thinks this is a great place and tells his dad a big real-estate developer about it. They purchase the property to build a big subdivision. Cale takes Zeb, a couple of friends and Zeb’s siblings to camp out on the property one evening. A fun friendly trip turns into a nightmare unleashed.
Warning: Unless you are a big horror buff, don’t read this at bedtime or with the lights off. I did the first night and had horrible nightmares. I really liked the story. It was interesting and I found it pretty scary. What I really liked was the romance. Zeb and Cale are very unique men. Zeb has been in love with Cale for a long time and is happy just having him as a friend. Since Cale is straight, he knows that’s all it will ever be. I liked Cale too though at times I didn’t understand him. I never quite got why he hid his sexuality from Zeb since they were so close but it did make for a good story here. I loved that Zeb stepped into his role of responsibility without thought about his own wants and desires. I liked the eerie way the mystery unfolded and that it had a very Stephen King other-worldness to it. I found the combination of romance, angst and mystery/paranormal just right. I also love this cover!
If you like unexplained supernatural phenomena, a good romance, young adult// coming of age, mystery and friends to lovers this is for you!
Zack Parker met his best friend Noah at his lake cabin when they were only five years old. He realized he felt more than friendship for him by the time they were in junior high school. One fateful night when they were eighteen Zack couldn’t take it anymore. Fueled by love and lust and need, he finally kissed Noah like he’d wanted to for years…and Noah kissed him back, returning every drop of Zack’s passion.
The next morning, Noah ended their friendship for what Zack believed was forever.
Now twenty-one, Zack resents being dragged by his guilt-tripping mother every summer back to the lake cabin where every leaf and rock and turn in the road reminds him of Noah and the love he felt for him three long years before. He hates being reminded of what he lost and more than anything, he wants his best friend back.
But this year things are different.
Noah has returned, apologetic and more gorgeous than ever. Amazingly, he seems to want Zack as much as Zack wants him. He’s sweet and attentive, sexy enough to make Zack’s thighs quiver, but there’s something not quite right…
Review: I found this story to be a wonderful addition to my library. It was told with just the right amount of flare. In a time where the paranormal world was feared by many of the humans, a hunter and a human meet as children. Zack had loved Noah from the moment they realized what love was like and Noah felt the same. Noah separated them because of the danger he represented as hunter, but one year has passed and he couldn’t stop loving Zach. Even with the original secret Noah is holding, Zach still loves him. The new secret, the real reason Noah didn’t search him out was a little bit harder to believe.
At first reading it though, my attention wavered just a bit, but the further I got into the story the better it go. I thought the plot and story line were pretty good, although it could have used a little bit more action and not so much explanation. I am just not sure how exactly to explain it. However, being the first book of a series it was pretty good. To understand how they knew each other and how they felt in the beginning makes for an interesting start.
I liked the characters Zach and Noah. The spark that is between them makes me want to fan myself from their first kiss a year ago; to the passion, they have now. Zach’s pain made me just want to smack Noah, but after Noah explained the reason for leaving I fell a little bit in love with Noah. The sex between them is very steamy but tender. Their love is sweet but a little sappy.
Even the dangers present have a little bit of a twist to it. There is some confusion close to the ending of it about the actual ages of the character and I am feeling that the ending left me hanging. Which actually is very intriguing (not the confusion of ages, but the ending) because now I want to read the next book to see what will happen next.
Every summer three families take a trip together—this year it’s to a remote resort in the mountains of upstate New York. Scotty, a teenager who’s just come out, is nervous about how his friends will react to him. A late night visit to an old nearby cemetery seems like a great idea to the bored teens, but the old cemetery holds dark secrets hidden for almost a century—secrets that might have been better left undisturbed.
And what originally seemed like a boring week in the mountains gradually becomes a nightmare of terror for the teens and their families…
Review: Scotty and his family are heading to a remote resort for the annual holiday with two other families, a tradition that has happened every year since the adults were in college. This year Scotty came out to his friends via e-mail and he doesn’t know how they will react. During a late night visit to an old cemetery something happens, and Scotty and his friends find themselves unraveling a secret that has been hidden for nearly a century.
This is a wonderful young adult story that has that great touch of horror and paranormal. Scotty has recently come out and he has a boyfriend, Marc, but right now he has to face his friends that he only sees once a year during the joint vacation and he is nervous about their reaction. When the friends, Carson, Lynda, Logan, Teresa and Scotty start to explore they all get more than they bargained for when their ghost hunting leads to an old mystery. Scotty seems to be directly affected and there is a connection to his boyfriend Marc, each of them discovers that they can’t just explain away what is happening and that they have to come up with a plan to get to the bottom of the mystery.
I loved this story, it was just the right mix of angsting teenagers and paranormal with a touch of mystery thrown in. Scotty is a typical teenager and that reflects throughout the book, especially when he becomes distracted with thoughts of his boyfriend or angsting over what his friends will think of him being gay. When the guys all start on the hunt for paranormal activity it becomes nicely creepy, but it is Scotty that connects to the ghosts of long past. Is it because he is gay or is there another reason? Although we never meet Marc we get a lot of information about him and his situation, and Scotty discovers that he has to do something to stop the past from repeating itself.
I recommend this to those who love young adult that are spooky and slightly scary, with an absent romantic interest, a mystery to solve and a great ending.
Blurb: Born with a birth defect called Devil Syndrome, it is impossible for Josh Harper to hide the two small stumps of hornlike bone atop his head. If people also knew about his ability to create force fields with his mind, they’d lock him up for sure. Left to fend for himself on his eighteenth birthday, Josh tries to make it on the streets. When he’s attacked, he’s rescued by Sam Mitchell, who has an equally strange power—and a set of pure white wings.
Sam ran away from home a year ago, and the new life he’s built for himself includes living in an abandoned house and looking after three younger kids, all with Devil Syndrome. Then along comes Josh. After a rough start, their relationship grows and the two young men find a haven in each other’s arms. But when tragedy strikes their newfound family, Sam’s hatred of regular humans spirals out of control, and Josh will have to make Sam see sense before everything he’s worked so hard to build is destroyed.
Review: Josh and Sam share a rare birth defect that sets them apart from almost everyone else. ‘Devil Syndrome’ as its known is presents itself in the form of two small stumps on the forehead, sort of like horns. Side effects may include wings, the ability to create force fields and sometimes manipulate energy. Soon enough, Josh and Sam will share much more than ‘being born this way’.
Josh was handed off to his drunk, abusive uncle and aunt five years ago when his mom died of cancer. Now on his eighteenth birthday, after years of verbal, mental, and physical abuse he is handed fifty dollars and shown the door. His first night on the streets he encounters a couple of mean homeless bums that intend to rob him of what few possessions he has. He’s rescued by a young man with crackling, electric blue energy in his hands and blinding white wings.
Sam ran away from home after his mother died as well, feeling his father didn’t love him and was pulling away. He wound up in an abandoned house with three children that all share the same birth defect that he has. He protects shelters and feeds these kids keeping them as safe as he can from the hatred of the outside world. He finds Josh in the alley about to be mugged and saves him, bringing him back to their sanctuary. The two share more than a common bond of their syndrome; their attraction is immediate and mutual. But Josh fights it at first, completely thrown by the foreign urges to touch and kiss his avenging angel.
This motley crew sets up a home of sorts with petty crimes, robbery, and an occasional sleight of hand feeding and keeping them alive. And though they don’t all always agree on the execution, they realize it’s the only way to survive at the end of the day. When a bully that has always been a thorn in Josh’s side confronts Sam, after Sam humiliated him for picking on Josh, the results are deadly. In the aftermath, Sam pulls away not just from Josh, but also from everyone. With the help of an unlikely ally, can Josh convince Sam that he loves him and convince him they deserve to be happy? Before Sam does something that will put everyone with their syndrome in jeopardy.
I loved this story and the play on words with ‘devils syndrome’ when these kids are anything but evil. They are forced to make, sometimes bad, decisions by a society that has shunned them in order to survive. Both characters grow tremendously throughout the story as individuals, but ultimately it’s their connection to each other that saves them in the end. Not a lot of positive gay YA books out there, this one definitely hit the mark!
Blurb: In less than a summer, shy and introverted Robbie Myers goes from eighteen and never been kissed to the passionate intensity of first love that could last forever. Literally…
Eighteen-year-old Robbie Myers has difficulty talking to people. Not only is he shy, but he seems to say the wrong thing every time he opens his mouth, especially to the mysterious, handsome stranger who shows up at his supermarket job, defends him from an aggressive colleague and then asks him on a date. He can’t believe a hot, worldly badboy like seventeen-year-old Colt Abernathy is actually interested. Yet he can’t deny that the ardor burning in Colt’s dark eyes is just for him. In the space of one breath, Robbie is launched from his plan to attend community college while living at home with his mom and saving up for a car to the tender yet passionate exploration of intense first love. Little does Robbie know…
Brought across during the height of the Civil War, Colt has remained trapped in the body of a lonely seventeen year old. When he spots the slim, blond-haired, blue-eyed young man, pushing a line of shopping carts across a parking lot, Colt knows instantly they’re destined for each other. There’s just one major problem: if he survives the impending battle between vampires and the Matarians – an army of brutal vampire slayers – he’s going to live forever. Robbie isn’t…
Review: I absolutely loved this novel! Forever Young stars Robbie and Colt. Now, Robbie is very hardworking and sweet kid. He lives with his mom and works at a local grocery store in Boyne City, Michigan. He’s living a normal and boring life, but everything changes when he meets Colt. Why? Because Colt is a hundred and sixty-seven year old vampire.
I loved Robbie’s innocence and shyness. That made him appear weak, but I found him to be a fighter and believer. Colt, on the other hand, was freaking sexy and mysterious. He was a gentleman trapped inside a seventeen-year-old’s body. I loved Jeff Erno’s version of a vampire novel. Twilight had completely destroyed it for me and Mr. Erno made me love vampires once again. This book is filled with several intriguing characters that I found myself wanting to know more of. I really hope that Mr. Erno pens a part two for this amazing and intriguing novel.
I recommend this novel to anyone who loves supernatural novels, a good young love story fill with mystery. Trust me; you won’t regret sitting down and reading this fresh work of fiction.
Publisher: Prizm Books (Torquere Press) (3rd July 2013)
Heat Level: Low
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4 Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb:Al Skelton is a nearly fifteen-year-old boy with an unusual interest—raising the dead.
When the book Necromancy and You! arrives in the mail and Al’s interest goes from theory to practice as he’s dragged into a world he doesn’t really understand. A world full of undead frogs, vampires, ghouls and a sinister cabal called the Coalition who would like nothing more than to bring Al into their fold—by any means necessary.
Review: Al Skelton has always been fascinated by raising the dead so he is excited to get his very own copy of Necromancy and You (From A – Zombie) that he sent away for in the back of a magazine and he can finally try to really raise the dead. Al discovers that things have been hidden from him when he actually makes a frog or two rise from the dead and… well, maybe a few bird skeletons. As Al delves into a world of ghosts, vampires, and ghouls and learns to avoid the Coalition, he discovers who he can trust and just what happened to his father.
This is a great young adult adventure that while isn’t strictly GLBT it does have Duncan and Lucas from Vampirism and You for a large part of the storyline. Al has a secret longing, to bring his father back from the dead, Al sends off for a necromancy book in the back of a magazine and he is drawn into a world he never knew existed and makes allies and enemies along the way. The Coalition want Al but Al has been warned about them, dodging them is harder than Al thought and he briefly ends up in their hands. Running from a disgusting organization, Al discovers that he has limited choices, but he also finds he has powerful allies.
This is a great fun story that has slashes of danger, some loss, startling discoveries, and a kindling of love. Al is a brilliant character who is like a typical depressed teenager, he is obsessed with raising the dead, but as Al discovers he can really do it. With the help of his trusty Guidebook and his undead frog familiar, he begins to explore the necromancy world and soon discovers just why he has been warned away from the Coalition by a vampire. Al’s journey is filled with danger and secrets but he soon learns who he can trust. We see quite a bit of Duncan and Lucas and we also find a remorseful ghost, Al has his very first crush on a young female necromancer and he has to face a deadly foe.
I will recommend this to those that love young adult stories that has just a touch of GLBT, great characters, a brilliant storyline, angsty teenagers, danger, lots of dead things and a happy for now ending.
Blurb: Every high school has its social elite; the football players and cheerleaders … you know the popular crowd. At Butler High, Jack Barely was as close to the top as they came. Captain of the swim team, great hair, and abs that most would die for. However, that was all before the Leeches attacked, taking away everything: his popularity, his house, his grandmother, and even his best friend, Caleo, whom he secretly loved.
Now, living in a destroyed world, popularity means nothing as Jack struggles just to keep him and his twin sister, Jillian, alive. With attacks happening more frequently, Jack starts to wonder why they are even bothering to try to hold onto the past when it just reminds him of all they have lost. Just when he has given up hope, Jack hears a rumor that Caleo is still alive and sets out on a mission to find him. But will Jack make it to finally tell Caleo how he really feels?
Review:This story is part of a series and must be read in order. Jack was the swim team captain at school before everything fell apart, now he is just trying to survive with his sister, Jillian, after losing Caleo, his grandmother, his house and well just about everything. Dealing with attacks is hard, discovering Caleo might be alive drives him to try to find him, but danger lurks everywhere and rescuing Caleo is much harder than he thought, but getting Caleo back is all he can think of.
This story picks up three months after the end of Caleo and is Jack’s story. Jack is still reeling over the loss of Caleo, he never got the chance to tell Caleo how he really felt about him and now he never will. But, when Jack is visited by Caleo’s ghost and is convinced to return to their old high school, it leads to a discovery that has Jack determined to find Caleo and tell him how he really feels. Jack has quite the adventure in this story, rescuing captured humans and dealing with Leeches and he also has to deal with his own jealousy and getting through to Caleo.
I really enjoyed this story and having it from Jack’s POV, seeing his grief and regrets and then his joy and confidence, his jealousy and his strength showed how much of a well-rounded character he was. The storyline is again action pack with danger and angst, it also has loss and anger as well as hope. Nolan returns and we also see Steve again and we finally get to meet Alix, and discover just how twisted some of the Leeches have become. With this story we see how humans come together to survive the hardships thrown at them, crawling out of the ashes to rebuild. I won’t delve further into the book, but if you read Caleo, then you won’t want to miss this book.
I have to recommend this if you love Young Adult stories, paranormal, danger, angst, young love, humor, capture, escapes, death, and anger. And, with an ending that leaves us panting for the next book Nolan.
