Blurb: For Ricky Hackworth, a summer job to save money before he leaves for college is a necessity. When he lands a job as a lifeguard at the Mermaid Inn in Latona, Alabama, on the beautiful Gulf Coast, it’s like a dream come true. But once he moves into the Inn, he starts hearing stories about the lifeguard from the previous summer…and how he vanished without a trace right in the middle of the summer. Before long, Ricky realizes the Inn and the town are hiding some dark secrets…secrets someone is willing to kill to protect, and Ricky has to find out the truth before he, too, vanishes without a trace.
Review: I have read two complete series by this author and have loved each one of them, so it wasn’t a far stretch that this would be any different. It is not part of a series but a standalone story. At first it is a bit misleading; what with finding out some of the information half way though the story so I was a bit miffed with that. However the mystery soon moves into something a bit darker then I normally read.
At first I must admit that I was thinking paranormal type story, but it definitely was not. Which was a plus for me. Although I do love paranormals, mermaids were never one of my favorites. They always gave me the creeps.
So what you get here is a complete mystery with a lot of twists and turns to keep you guessing. I felt bad for the young man in the end, but damn it was good. It is not as action packed as I had expected though. I was also not really into the supporting characters as I should have been I suppose. The girl comes off as a waste but she soon picks up in the story. And here I thought Ricky really went there for the job, the blurb definitely doesn’t let you know. I felt a bit let down on that part and the fact that you don’t find it out till the book is halfway done.
Ricky was trying his hardest to save money to go to college. He had decided to go away from home to do so, but there is a hidden reason behind it all. Zack had gone there during the summer to work and within a short time there ended up in a world that was dark and nasty. He turned up missing and Ricky wanted to find out why and how. That is if it doesn’t get him killed as well.
Now I am not a fan of having the readers think this is a romance, because it is not. It is just a dark mystery surrounding another, who just happens to be the main guy’s boyfriend. It starts off with a description of the place and let’s just say that I would never visit there, not even if someone paid me to do so. It is a very fascinating story that will have you on the edge of your seat throughout it all.
Now the story is very good and the writing was perfect, however it was just a bit too dark for my taste. I figure it is definitely not a story to read before going to bed, that is if you dream of what you read.
I am afraid that even though I connected with the story and Ricky, the story was just not for me. However I can’t wait to read more by this author.
Blurb: The Saints’ victory in the Super Bowl just prior to the start of Carnival season has everyone in New Orleans floating on Cloud Nine. But for Scotty Bradley, Carnival looks like it’s going to be grim yet again when his estranged cousin Jared—who plays for the Saints—becomes the number one suspect in the murder of his girlfriend, dethroned former Miss Louisiana Tara Bourgeouis. Scotty’s not entirely convinced his cousin isn’t the killer, but when he starts digging around into the homophobic beauty queen’s sordid life, he finds that any number of people wanted her dead. With the help of his friends and family, he plunges deeper and deeper into Tara’s tawdry world of sex tapes, fundamentalist fascists, and mind-boggling secrets—secrets some are willing to kill to keep!
Review: Greg Herren’s mysteries are always fun to read; I am finding that out first hand. I am happy to say that this time Colin stuck around even in the end. Although this time it was Frank who was gone most of the time, but then again he was becoming a damn good wrestler. The amazing Ninja Lesbian’s make another wonderful appearance to save our sexy Scotty. I would definitely recommend reading these books in order.
Well at least it is not Mardi Gras time in this book, but football time. I have to admit that I just don’t get the fascination of football, but at least the guys asses are nice to look at. However for New Orleans the Saints are looking like they are heading to the Superbowl. So Scotty’s family is throwing the party of a lifetime. That is until Jared brought in the nasty Miss Louisiana Tara Bourgeouis, or should I say the ex and dethroned Miss Louisiana. A homophobic bitch who deserved what she got. However it makes Jared the perfect patsy.
Too bad shortly before that another woman, just as homophobic as Tara is shot and killed. However there is a twist to that which might just surprise those of us. It would seem she is not who she says she is or what she is. The gun used just happens to belong to Scotty’s mom and Jared is his cousin so of course he is going to get to the end of this. That is if he lives long enough. Oh I do love some amazing twists.
However I have to admit that when you think about a church that is filled with hate and bigotry, you can guess who the killer is pretty fast, or can you? Now the story rated a five, but the drug use brought it down once more. I mean really a priest using drugs with our characters is not a good add. I would wish for one book that doesn’t have our sexy men using drugs.
Other than that it was pretty damn good and I would definitely recommend it.
Blurb: Former go-go boy turned detective Scotty Bradley is back!
When an old family friend apparently commits suicide from his French Quarter balcony, Scotty’s life accelerates from boring to exciting again in a nanosecond. Why would anyone want the old man dead, and what were they looking for in his ransacked apartment? It’s up to Scotty, Frank, his crazy family, and friends to get to the bottom of this bizarre mystery—and when an old, all-too-familiar face turns up, it’s not just Scotty’s life that’s in danger, but his heart.
Review: Damn this was just as good as book three. Although I will still say that I don’t see the point in having the characters doing drugs, it just brought it down for me. This story is book four in this series and I must say that you should read them in order. It would give you a back ground into these guys. Although for me I started with book three, because the first two books are just in print which sucks.
It has been three years since Colin took off, leaving Frank and Scotty alone. Scotty missed him but things were getting better. That is until Doc committed suicide, people were dying, a missing stone that was linked to extreme evil and Scotty’s life is about to get more intense. Frank was gone learning how to be a wrestler and he was left alone to deal with life. Then a shock happens, he walks in to his family home and can you believe, there is Colin sitting as he pleased.
Now there are parts of the story I absolutely love but I still hate the damn book. I can’t believe Greg would write a story and then break your heart in the end. Now once you get into the story let’s just say the mystery starts right off the bat and will keep you involved the whole way there. There are so many damn twists to this story that it will give you a blasted headache just trying to figure them out. Not to mention laughing your ass at some parts, for example the Ninja Lesbian’s. Frank’s reaction to Colin being back, I think there would have been just a bit more bloodshed. Although Frank’s admission might get him his own ass kicked by Scotty.
Now for me I love a good romance, but in these stories the romance is a bit left out which actually worked for these stories. The mystery itself was pretty cool but did have a few problems with it. Although keeping the characters straight was my main problem. Other than that the story rocked.
If you like a very action packed story, with murder, missing religious relic, danger, excitement and our very own sexy trio, then this is for you. Although I have to say that I wished the author would let our Colin stay home with the guys, their hearts break every time he leaves and quite frankly I think it brought the book down in points for me. However that is just me. I would definitely recommend this story.
Blurb: It’s Carnival time in New Orleans, and Scotty Bradley, ex go-go boy turned private eye, is looking forward to relaxing with his boyfriends, Frank and Colin, and partying it up right. But nothing ever seems to work out the way Scotty wants it. Not only is it cold and rainy, ruining his elaborate costume plans, but former FBI agent Frank has “issues” with dropping a hit (or two, or four) of Ecstasy. Hello! Ecstasy at Mardi Gras is practically guaranteed in the Gay Bill of Rights! Fortunately, Frank gets over himself, the weather clears up, Scotty’s dealer, Misha, delivers the goods, and the boys are off to the races. And that’s when the real fun begins. After a night of partying, they come home to find the cops waiting for them. Misha has apparently been murdered and guess who was the last person to see him alive? Turns out his wheeling and dealing had gotten him in trouble with a lot of people–including the Russian mob. And those guys don’t play around.
Suddenly, Scotty’s missing not just one but two boyfriends. And as the streets of Nola come alive in a hot human frenzy of sequins, music, dancing, and the sweat of thousands of revelers ready to throw caution and clothing to the wind, Scotty is in a desperate race to save the men he sometimes loves and keep Fat Tuesday from being the last day any of them ever see. . .
Review: The first thing I am going to say is you really need to read these books in order. However the first two are not ebooks so I had to start with book three. This is my first time reading something from this author, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I picked them because of their titles and figured what the hell.
The first problem came with the fact that you have three sexy men who are together, and they can still sleep around. That is a big no in my book which brought it down for me. The second was the drug use and the fact that one of the guys is a federal agent, so that brought the story down even further for me. I don’t do cheating, even if it is allowed and absolutely no drugs. So here I am thinking this was not a good idea for me. However the story was very detailed and very authentic sounding. It was also unique and entertaining for me.
I was once told that when a story makes you so damn angry that you want to just smack the author, then it is one hell of a story. So Greg if you’re reading this, I am going to smack you one of these days. Scotty is an ex go-go dancer, fitness teacher who is now one hell of a private eye. It was what got the attention of two sexy men. Frank is a federal agent and Colin was masade. This story is full of twists and turns that will drive you absolutely out of your mind.
Now as I said before I don’t like drugs in my story however it is what gives this story the twist. It seems that Scotty gets his drugs from Misha, who isn’t actually Misha. Misha is married to a family friend, but then again there is another twist. So when Scotty’s dealer gets killed, it leads our guys into a very strange family affair. Scotty was the last one to see him, so you can guess where that leads. Then Frank disappears which sends him into a spin, then Colin disappears and boom there is another twist.
It seems Scotty has a gift that warns him of danger; however it doesn’t keep him out of trouble. He is now in the middle of a big ass mess. Like I said the ending made me hate this story in such a way that it rated pretty damn high. If Greg’s stories are all like this then I am pretty sure that I will have to go out and get them. Although I won’t be able to read the first two unless they are turned into e-books, but it made me miss just a bit more into their history.
It is an action pact story, with murder, drugs and family secrets coming out. The sex, what there is was pretty damn good. Although I was glad for it in a way, there is more mystery there then sex. Over all the story was pretty damn good and I can’t wait to see what the next book has going on. It is one that I would recommend to all.
Hey everyone, today we are bringing you a great new anthology Foolish Hearts, each story was carefully chosen by editors Timothy J. Lambert and R. D. Cochrane and our Gigi was pretty impressed with this collection of stories so take a look at what she had to say! ~Pixie~
Take a Chance on Love!
Following the critically acclaimed anthology Fool for Love, editors Timothy J. Lambert and R. D. Cochrane bring together a new compilation to appeal to sensual appetites. Foolish Hearts: New Gay Fiction is a collection of seventeen passionate yet lustful gay romance stories, ranging from the adrenaline-pumping days of youth to the heartbreaking nights of middle-aged romance. Readers are taken on a joyride through the wild memories and fantasies of well-known erotica writers, such as Felice Picano, Andrew Holleran, and Greg Herren. Escape to new worlds while rediscovering the intense and beautiful emotions associated with falling punch-drunk, head-over-heels in love.
“Every once in a while a book comes along that completely bowls me over. It shakes me out of any reading ennui I may be experiencing and reminds me once again of the reasons for my love of the written word.”
—The Indie Reviewer, (praise for Fool for Love)
About the Editors
Timothy J. Lambert is an accomplished gay erotica writer. His stories have been appeared in Best Gay Love Stories and The Mammoth Book of New Gay Erotica.
R. D. Cochrane has published short stories and two novels, Coventry Christmas and Coventry Wedding. Together they have co-published several written works, including The Deal; Three Fortunes in One Cookie;and Someone Like You. Both writers reside in Houston, TX, and can be found online at timothyjlambert.com and beckycochrane.com.
Foolish Hearts
New Gay Fiction
Edited by Timothy J. Lambert and R. D. Cochrane
$15.95, Trade Paperback
240 pages, 5 ½ ” x 8”
978-1-62778-005-6
Publishing on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2014
Contact: Eva Gantz at egantz@cleispress.com, 510-845-8000
Title: Foolish Hearts: New Gay Fiction
Series: Anthology
Author: Edited by Timothy J. Lambert and R. D. Cochrane
Genre: Contemporary/Coming of Age/Aging/Fools In Love
Length: Novel/Anthology <
Publisher: Cleis Press (2014)
Heat Level: Mild
Heart Rating:♥♥♥♥4 Hearts
Blurb: The Exhilaration of Love. As gay marriage bells are finally ringing out around the world, bestselling editors Timothy J. Lambert and R. D. Cochrane celebrate with a collection of gay romance that will incite love—and lust—in every reader. A thirty-something realizes the man sleeping beside him every night is his real Prince Charming in Steven Reigns’ “On These Sheets.” Love, youth and age bump up against each other at a gay guesthouse in “Symposium,” by Andrew Holleran. A hopeless romantic finds his heart’s desire amid the temptations of Hollywood in Felice Picano’s “New Kid in Town: 1977.” Men who love men abound in this dazzling collection of deliciously sexy, romantic and tender stories.
Review: This is a collection of stories that contain honest thoughts, emotions and experiences. These authors create stories that share growing pains, relationship woes, sexual enlightenment, frustrations, unrequited love and so many more foolish and not so foolish moments of love and life. Some are sweet, some are sad, some are cute and others funny. As a collection this anthology is for the romantic, without the erotic. All are very well written, and many have touched my heart!
Hello Aloha by Tony Calvert: Being the single man out during a vacation wedding at the Magic Kingdom could stress anyone out. As best man, Chad does his job and tires not to grumble at the perky grooms-to-be, but the pressure they apply to get him to sample the sexy seven singles they invited for him gets on his nerves. Chad gives in to the whole fairy-tale theme and decides to stop grumbling when a large an irritating “Goofy” character comes up to him and begins a conversation of sorts, or as much as a nonspeaking man in a dog costume can! Funny thing is…Goofy and Chad share sympathies, secrets and it turns out attraction…one of my favorite sweet stories in this anthology!
How To Be Single at A Wedding by David Puterbaugh: Natalie and Peter, both single, and as Nat says, “Always A Bridesmaid and Never A Bride,” are once again helping their friends plan and execute their Cape Cod wedding. Natalie suggest that they should write a blog: How To Be Single at a Wedding. Throughout this short story they both grumble about singledom…about weddings, and relationships past….but by the end of this short they leave us with hope..and belief in true love after all.
Three Things I Pray by Trebor Healey: A beautifully poetic and surreal trilogy of short stories following the thoughts and lives of circus clowns, an amorous trapeze artist, and other side show lovers. A retired and lovesick clown retreats to the forgotten land of Buenos Aires, and seems haunted or hunted by angels, whom he saves, he has sexual encounters and whom he sets free. He recollects his past life and his past lover, wondering at his future, it’s relevance, and its possibility of holding love. This is an odd little story in three parts, all of which create surreal images, flowing one into the other, never really knowing for certain if we’re in the present or in a dream state. Also a bit esoteric when it comes to the exotic locale, when it comes to literary references, and cirque in general. I enjoyed it, but was also left questioning what I just read was all about.
On These Sheets by Steven Reigns: A story about true relationships. “I’m glad you got new sheets,” Timothy says when we walk into my bedroom….I ask him why he’s glad, “You’ve been with other men on that old set.” This leads to an internal struggle with the MC, does he resent his new man’s feelings, is his new man trying to make his earlier experiences shameful? What does he imply by that comment. And so the internal debate proceeds, and he decides he is happy for his earlier sexual encounters in this bed, happier to have discovered what he enjoys and that he brings experience to bed with his new lover, not shame. The question is, does Timothy feel bad about his partners past, or is he trying to say something else…a clean slate…a new adventure together ahead instead?
Victoria by Erik Orrantia: One of my favorites in this series. An older couple, both vaqueros living in Mexico having worked the same ranch together for over twenty years. Gay marriage becomes legal throughout Mexico and it brings the subject up Osvaldo’s mind. He begins to pressure Daniel into getting married, citing the reasons they need to protect themselves and their assets. Daniel can’t imagine it and sees no point, in fact he fears public recognition of their relationship, when right now the small community they live in has plausible dependability…so he ignores Aldo’s hints and please for him to consider it. But I enjoy Daniel’s epiphany, and the resulting trip to Mexico City and the experience the couple has there. A sweet story, love these two old cowboys and their simple life together!
Nude Beach by Paul Lisicky: Everyone needs a rebound after a failed relationship, something to make them believe in love again, something to make them feel worthy of that lust and love. Matthias’ passions and motivations are sparked by a chance sexual encounter on a nude beach. The sparks fly with this new mysterious man, but will Matthias jump right into the next relationship, or perhaps will he lose the man’s number and take time to consider his future options? All about reigniting passion and confidence after a broken heart and crushed ego.
Tea by Jeffrey Ricker: A coming out story, and a tragic loss of new found love. Tea is poignant, and a beautiful illustration of love, loss and acceptance. A wonderful example of understanding between mother and son.
A Royal Mess by Taylor McGrath: Another favorite in this collection! What I like the most is not that Graham is still curious, and tracks down his former lover after a breakup and resulting disappearance. It’s not the fact that he finds his lover, confronts him and finds that Ferrin has been wondering and longing for him also. It’s the fact that Ferrin found a way to look after himself, heal himself through what he was struggling with personally and is able to come back together with Graham as a healthier partner in their future instead of a needy and dependent lover. But enough of that, there are some interesting surprises in store and some beautiful honesty.
Struck by Nathan Burgoine: It’s so damn cute! Poor Chris is struggling with his infuriating manager, she’s condescending and homophobic, and if that isn’t enough he has to deal with another level of crazy when Lighting Todd comes into his store and tries to drop hints at predicting his future. While Chris deals with telling off his boss, shrugging off his crush on a friendly security guard, can he hope that Todd is right and good things are coming for him? I wont’ give away more…because I really enjoyed the twists and turns in this short treasure!
Touch Me In The Morning by Greg Herren: Greg’s sick on empty one night stands where is lover sneaks out before sunrise. He wishes just this once that his new paramour and long time friend Dennis, would be there to hold him and share the simple pleasures of a lover in the morning light. Unfortunately is doesn’t appear to be the case, and he’s just about to give up. But is he reading Dennis all wrong?
Foundations by Timothy Forry: It takes two to tango, successes and failures have two sides in every relationship. David’s partner Clause has cheated, he’s remorseful and repentant, but can David look past the hurt, the betrayal, the distrust? When a severe storm threatens their home and their lives David takes a closer look at what he holds dear and what went wrong. He realizes that his long stretches away from home, his focus on his own career, and his lack of care and communication for his lover could be the biggest part of the problem. But what’s the best way forward, revenge, dissolution? Does their relationship and their home have a strong enough foundation to weather the storms of life?
New Kid In Town:1977 by Felice Picano: Kid flees east coast to find love, fame, sex and fortune on the west coats only to be disillusioned and finds a love interest who ironically flies back home to New York, but he’ll follow too finding nothing but superficiality in WeHo.
The Green Sweater by Mark G. Harris: Man finds a note in a downstairs bathroom at a party he’s attending that’s an SOS from someone who is being bored out of his gourd by a man in a green sweater…the same color of sweater he is wearing. Man’s confidence takes a kick to the balls and he avoids the cutie he’d been hanging out with, opting for the lonely deck instead. The ending is sweet, and I was glad I kept rooting for him.
Rochester Summers by Craig Cotter: This story is another one of my faves and just melts my sentimental little heart. It’s a reflection of fond memories involving his first sweet summer crush, lots of slow admiring glances, time spent skinny dipping, whiling time away until summer and innocence ends. I don’t’ want to give away more, it’s too good to spoil.
Bothered, Bewildered by Rob Williams: Another coming of age, or at least coming to terms story complete with a sweet crush, unrequited admiration, and secret kisses in the dark by a visiting nocturnal witch! This story made me smile, warlocks and all!
Meditation by Timothy J. Lambert: A poor frustrated stressed soul searches for understanding and relaxation at a meditation retreat, only to suffer through silence, painful positions,and his attraction to Corn Fed Guy. Funny that even though he finally settles into the routine of silent meditation, and begins to focus on his life, he totally misses that it worked. His silent reflections held meaning. I was so excited, until the end….then I laughed.
Symposium by Andrew Holleran: A couple of gay authors recall the glory days and share their woes and concerns of the present and future of the gay writing scene while presenting at a writers retreat. Electronics have ruined everything! They contemplate love, sexuality and writing with a younger writer at the retreat, and confess that life as a writer has very little excitement, and very cold and lonely hotel rooms even with success. Cute, sad and probably very honest! An interesting choice of closer for this collection, the hopeless romantic in me wanted the two men to find their way home…together!
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.
Title: Dark Tide
Title: Who Dat Whodunnit
Title: Vieux Carré Voodoo
Title: Mardi Gras Mambo
