Title: Church Brothas
Series: N/A
Author: Mike Warren
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novel (187 pages)
Publisher: Mike Warren Publishing (23 Mar 2015)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts
Blurb: Church Brothas is about a book of 6 gay men who hold leadership positions in an otherwise heterosexual base church.

Pastor Richard Blackwell was hired to pastor The New Church of Christ Baptist after the former pastor gave his retirement sermon in grand style. Will Pastor Blackwell be welcomed with open arms?

Deacon Marcus Jones has been raised in the church ever since he was a little boy. Will he confess a big family secret?

Trustee Eric Reid who is the biological son of the former Pastor. He and his father always hoped that he would follow in his fathers’ footsteps in becoming new the pastor. Will Eric seek revenge?

Anthony Wilkes is the Music Director/Choir Director. Anthony aka Tony and his Mass Choir have a tri-state choir competition coming up, will they win under Tony’s tutorage?

Andrew Henderson is the church organist and is Tony’s partner. Andrew aka Drew is the most level headed one of the group. But, will he be entice to be unfaithful to Tony and if so, who with?

Kyle Anderson is just 18 years of age and is the baby of the group. Kyle is an excellent dancer and performs his talents as often as he can. He is being raised by a single mother but most of all, he wants love. Will he find it?

Read this excellent book and you will find out all these questions as these group of guys take you on a roller coaster ride. You might even find a few of these brothas in your own church!

ASIN: B00V5B3KVO

Product Link: http://www.amazon.com/Church-Brothas-Mike-Warren-ebook/dp/B00V5B3KVO

Reviewer: Prime

Review: Let me just start with: OMFG! This is an excellent book and I quickly realised that it comes down to Mike Warren’s skill with words! Admittedly, this is the first book I’ve read by Mike Warren but it certainly has made me want to read more.

This really isn’t a traditional drama filled romance. Instead, it is something close to a melodrama using a Baptist parish as the backdrop and following six gay men within in the parish, starting from the pastor to a deacon to the organist and the choir master.

So to put it simply, this is not something that I can easily describe and give it the proper justice in a short review. The story features six complex and well-developed characters that go on a roller coaster of emotions and drama. Seriously, it is borderline soap opera only better.

The MCs are: Deacon Marcus Jones – he’s hiding a big that only he and his mother know but he is otherwise, for a great deal of the story, the voice of reason. Then there is Pastor Richard Blackwell – he was suggested for the position of pastor by Marcus after the retirement of the previous pastor. He may be gay, but Richard is living the straight life now, or so he claims.

However, Church Trustee Eric Reid, the son of the previous pastor, feels that he should have taken over the spot of his father. He is basically the main source of drama, if not a background instigator.

Next are the very discreet couple, Tony Wilkes the choir director, and Drew Henderson the church organist. Drew is the level-headed one and not one to allow the moment to run away from him.

Then, finally, there is the trouble maker, 18-year-old Kyle Anderson. His mother is more than a handful and drama queen (I have to admit I worked out her angle pretty quickly). I’d say that Kyle learnt his penchant for drama from his mother, but deep down he just wants the love of a good man, even if he is obsessive about it.

That was my brief run down and the plot follows each of characters as their lives weave together. The characters feel so real that it was so easy to picture the entire book as I read it. They are very human, very flawed but in the end just get on with life. Being an Aussie, it also gave me a clear understanding of many cultural things that I’ve seen in movies/TV but never actually understood. I really like that.

And the end! OMG! I really hope that Mike is working on a sequel because that had my heart in my throat and I just want to know what happens next!

I loved this book so much that I’m simply going to recommend it to everyone.

I could rave about this some more but I won’t, I don’t want to give any spoilers to this never-ending drama!

* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *

Title: The Cool in You
Series: The Cool in You
Author: Mike Warren
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novel (154 pages)
Publisher: Mike Warren Publishing (2 Oct 2014)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts
Blurb: This book is about older gay brothas who still have it going on and wonder why most gay books are about younger gay men who are in their teens, 20’s 30’s. Are older gay brothas not considered attractive, sexy, smart and therefore, no longer wanted by society? This book is about when one’s taste grows up and living your life as an older gay man who still have it going on!

ASIN: B00O542UAK

Product Link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Cool-You-Mike-Warren-ebook/dp/B00O542UAK

Reviewer: Prime

Review: This is the second book I read of Mike Warren, which I did right after devouring his book Church Brothas. There are no words that I can conjure that can convey just how much I love the strong writing style of Mike Warren. I love his way with words and how he can weave so much drama with a large crowd of generally likable, but flawed characters.

The Cool in You (title inspired by the Babyface song) is, as the blurb says, “older gay brothas” – guys approaching fifty but still young at heart and still keen to find love. The MC is James Parker and his band of friends and family.

James’ friends Angela, Juan, Kenny, Frankie and James’ nephew, Terry, are almost MCs in their own right. Rather than being a romance, there is an essential element of drama to the book, this is about life, love for friends and family, the search for romantic love, friendship, loyalty, grief.

I love that Mike Warren so blatantly put pieces of himself (including his own cameos) into the book. It made me feel the passion he must feel when he wrote these characters. Each character is so distinct and well-developed it’s impossible to get confused.

I also enjoyed the parts where he wrote about the publishing process (something a personal journey to each author) as we read about James feeling rather unsatisfied by the range of gay romances on the market. Mike through James makes some fantastic points and I can only assume that this book is the result of him thinking on the lack of romances with older men.

By the end of it I was left with many questions. I wanted to know what Angela was going to do after a sudden change in her life. I wanted to know more about Terry’s back story and wondered how this would shape his future. I wanted to see more about the sweetness in characters Kenny and Frankie. While I wanted Juan to find some sort of HEA. Then there is James – the main, main guy. My heart broke for him, but I wanted to see more…

The best part of all… book 2 just recently came out. **doing happy dance in my office chair**

Cannot wait to get my hands on it and read the continuing story.
This really is not a book where age matters. I believe that everyone can read it and enjoy it because in the end this about people living their lives and making the best of great and terrible situations.

* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *