Blurb:After centuries of traveling the continent of Kita and fighting the extradimensional monsters known as Riftspawn, mage Lyuc is tired and ready to back away from the concerns of humanity.
But the world isn’t done with him yet.
While traveling with a merchant caravan, Lyuc encounters Yan, an Unnamed, the lowest caste in society. Though Yan has nothing but his determination and spirit, he reminds Lyuc what passion and desire feel like. While wild magic, a snarky, shapeshifting, genderfluid companion, and the plots of men and monsters seem determined to keep Lyuc from laying down his burden, only Yan’s inimitable spirit tempts him to hang on for another lifetime or so.
All Yan wants is to earn the sponsorship of a guild so he can rise above his station, claim a place in society, and build the family he never had.
After hundreds of years of self-imposed penance, all Lyuc wants is Yan.
If they can survive prejudice, bandits, mercenaries, monsters, and nature itself, they might both get their wish… and maybe even their happily ever after..
Review: A wonderful beginning for a series. Lyuc and his trusty friend Bryn have been traveling the lands doing away with the riftspawn that break through into the human world. While traveling with merchants he meets Yan, an unnamed and the lowest in caste society.
From the moment these two met it seemed the world realigned around them. The moments between these two were sweet and tender yet passionate. I loved them both as the story progressed.
The overall feeling of the story is magical and opening. I adored the everything about it. I loved how not all is explained in this story. That tells me there will be much more to come with Lyuc, Bryn and Yan. I am looking forward to discovering more about Lyuc and the mystery withing the book.
Blurb: Can a pickup line from a stranger completely change the way an ordinary man sees himself?
Adrian wouldn’t have thought so, but after an ugly breakup where his self-esteem took a serious beating, he’s willing to try just about anything to repair the damage…even return to a secluded bar in rural Maryland and the intriguing stranger whose words have been on his mind since they met.
Biker, bouncer, bartender, and tattoo artist, Wyatt is a rolling stone. After 15 years, he is tired of a life on the run, but he isn’t sure he knows how to do anything else or if he has anything besides a physical relationship to offer.
What’s supposed to be a one-off turns into another and another, and the relationship looks promising until the mob and the FBI come knocking on Adrian’s door.
Review: A fun ride, a terrible ex, and a man searching for what went wrong. I love that Adrian was willing to take a chance after his whiny ex trampled all over him! A fun read, full of steamy scenes, action and even a bit of mystery. Fun twists and turns throughout!
At first I thought Power Bottom was going to be about kink, but really it’s about soul searching with a bit of comedy and adventure thrown in to the steamy scenes. This story has so much going on you don’t expect the curves and plot twists until they hit and throw you!
Adrian and Wyatt have great chemistry, and their story develops in quirky and interesting ways. I really enjoyed the action scenes, and when you get to it you’ll understand, but the dog lover in me was shouting at my speakers when I thought tragedy struck out one of my favorite furry characters. The somewhat predictable mystery and action combine to keep this story moving swiftly, not a moment of down time which I like.
The narration is great, keeps you on your toes, very distinct character voices, and the steamy scenes are very well done.
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (19th September 2016)
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating:♥♥♥♥ 3.5 Hearts
Blurb: Can a pickup line from a stranger completely change the way an ordinary man sees himself?
Adrian wouldn’t have thought so, but after an ugly breakup where his self-esteem took a serious beating, he’s willing to try just about anything to repair the damage… even return to a secluded bar in rural Maryland and the intriguing stranger whose words have been on his mind since they met.
Biker, bouncer, bartender, and tattoo artist, Wyatt is a rolling stone. After fifteen years, he is tired of a life on the run, but he isn’t sure he knows how to do anything else or if he has anything besides a physical relationship to offer.
What’s supposed to be a one-off turns into another and another, and the relationship looks promising until the mob and the FBI come knocking on Adrian’s door.
Review: This story started off great, and I was getting into the story and then it gets very confusing. It starts out with Adrian and his then boyfriend, who are out in the mountains trying to reconnect their relationship and having a picnic. Their car breaks down and they’re stranded in the mountains. They set out to find help or someone with a telephone, when they get a Bar and Adrian elects to go inside. While talking to the bartender, Adrian is hit on by a patron, but lets him know that he has a boyfriend.
Days later, Adrian boyfriend returns home from hanging out with friends. Adrian sees a hickie on his neck and calls him on it. Oh boy, he offloads on Adrian and tears him apart. He tells Adrian that he’s cheap, and that he’s extremely boring in bed. He criticizes his home and his clothes. Adrian puts him out. Days later, he goes back to the bar, where the guy hit on him to find out if he can prove to himself that he’s nothing his ex said he was.
He gets together with Wyatt and he’s amazed that someone as big and handsome as Wyatt is interested and wants to spend time with him. They meet up every other weekend and have steamy sex in a Motel. Now Wyatt is keeping things about himself from Adrian. He’s on the run and hiding from his past. But when he thinks that people are following him, and thinks his past has put Adrian’s life in danger, he comes out of hiding. With whatever is going on at Adrian’s workplace and Wyatt’s friend showing up at Adrian’s place telling him about the reason why Wyatt is running, have Adrian feeling as if he’s in a twilight zone.
I like the thriller and all the drama in this story, and if you are interested in that I gladly recommend this story is for you.
Hiya guys, we have Rowan McAllister popping in today with her upcoming release We Met In Dreams, we have a brilliant guest post from Rowan and we also have a great excerpt, so check out the post and enjoy! <3 ~Pixie~
We Met In Dreams
by
Rowan McAllister
In Victorian London, during a prolonged and pernicious fog, fantasy and reality are about to collide—at least in one man’s troubled mind.
A childhood fever left Arthur Middleton, Viscount Campden, seeing and hearing things no one else does, afraid of the world outside, and unable to function as a true peer of the realm. To protect him from himself—and to protect others from him—he spends his days heavily medicated and locked in his rooms, and his nights in darkness and solitude, tormented by visions, until a stranger appears.
This apparition is different. Fox says he’s a thief and not an entirely good sort of man, yet he returns night after night to ease Arthur’s loneliness without asking for anything in return. Fox might be the key that sets Arthur free, or he might deliver the final blow to Arthur’s tenuous grasp on sanity. Either way, real or imaginary, Arthur needs him too much to care.
Fox is only one of the many secrets and specters haunting Campden House, and Arthur will have to face them all in order to live the life of his dreams.
Title: Air and Earth Author: Rowan McAllister Genre: Urban Fantasy Length: Novel (214 pages) Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (November 3rd 2014) Heat Level: Moderate Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4 Hearts Blurb: When absent-minded video game developer Jay Thurson impulsively follows his intuition westward, he never expects his rideshare to turn out to be a gun-toting madman. In an act of desperation, Jay turns to the gift he’s long neglected and feared for help and leaps from the moving car on a dark and deserted backcountry road.
Running for his life leads him to the doorstep of Adam Grauwacke, a roadside nursery owner and sometime vegetable farmer, whose affinity for the earth goes far beyond having a green thumb. Adam’s world is ordered and predictable, dependable and safe, but despite having his dream farm and business, he’s always felt something’s missing. When he welcomes Jay into his home, life seems to click for both men, and together they explore their gifts and their attraction.
But harmony has no value if it is easily won, and a crazed gunman and volatile ex might be their end if Jay and Adam can’t learn to trust the strength of their bond.
Review: Jay Thurston is a wanderer, always thinking, always moving, he never stays in the same place for very long. On a whim, he decides to take a trip and places an ad for a ride share not knowing this is the ride that will change his life forever.
Adam Grauwacke is a farmer, a loner, someone who feels most at home in his garden surrounded by nature and happy in his solace. He takes in stranger that lands on his doorstep broken and bruised not realizing this man will change his life forever.
Jay is Air and Adam is Earth in a story told from the mystical point of view that we are all connected on an elemental level by our energy, that every yin has a yang. The balance of nature is a must. Jay has been restless for as long as he can remember, constantly in search of something, but what? Adam hasn’t been able to maintain a healthy relationship and his last was quite volatile but he craves that stability he could have with the person that is his equal. From the moment they meet, from that first touch, both men are so at ease and comfortable more so than they have ever been in their lives. But there are others like them that are just as clueless about their gift as Jay and Adam are, others that are dangerous because they don’t like that which they don’t understand.
I was really blown away by the amount of detail that was put into this story, this world, and these characters McAllister has created. The metaphysical aspect was true to form and the way that Adam and Jay could balance and calm each other when they were together was very well written and conveyed. On that aspect of the book I would have to say I was a little disappointed that McAllister didn’t explain more thoroughly how they came into their talents, training or something along those lines.
A very whimsical story, not an action packed or suspenseful read, this first book of a series is setting the groundwork for the stories to come, introducing readers to this world and how things work in it. It’s an insta-love story as well, but still believable as Adam and Jay are written as two parts of the same soul, they are each other’s balance so it is expected that they would have an instantaneous connection.
My only issue with their relationship was the over selling of their sex life. I’m a firm believer of too much sex is not a good thing when writing a book, if it doesn’t add too or advance the story it can weigh it down.
Overall, though, I was pleasantly surprised with how good this book was and I anxiously await the next book coming in the spring, Fire and Water.
A final note, I’ve seen several reviews of this book where it was stated that there were too many unanswered questions at the end. My response would be if you read the Epilogue then you know this book was just one part of an explanation of the bigger picture, which will make up this series. I’m very excited to see where the next story goes!
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Title: Feels Like Home Author: Rowan McAllister Narrator: Michael Stellman Genre: Contemporary/Holiday Length: 1 hour and 46 minutes Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (11-10-14) Heat Level: Mild Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥4 Hearts Blurb: It’s only three days ’til Christmas. Jeremy Porter is still grieving over his mother’s death, and Paul McClellan is a lonely divorcee just trying to make it home even though the only one waiting for him is his cat. It may seem like a miserable combination, but when Jeremy saves Paul from being hit by a car during a nasty snowstorm, their connection and chemistry are undeniable. It’s easy to cuddle up with a stranger when you’re snowed in but can a holiday affair turn into more if being together feels like home?
Review: Jeremy Porter is on his way home just a few days before Christmas when a sexy stranger catches his eye. Paul McClellan is stranded with a flat tire just outside Jeremy’s apartment when a would be hit and run driver comes dangerously close to ruining Paul’s Christmas. After pulling Paul to safety, Jeremy invites him up to his apartment to warm up and wait out the snow before they can safely change the tire.
There is a connection between them that cannot be denied and almost as soon as they are inside and in wrapped up in warm clothes, they are out of them and wrapped up in each other. They spend the next two days wrapped in a world wind romance getting to know more about each other. They are both single but Jeremy is still mourning the loss of his mother and his ex-boyfriend while Paul has been divorced for close to six years, but his ex-wife can still make him feel like a petulant child.
Jeremy is amazed at how quickly he acclimates to having Paul around, thinking being with Paul feels like home, feels natural. And yet, he won’t tell Paul, or ask him to stay. When the storm clears and they replace Paul’s tire, will he go? Or will he stay and make a home with Jeremy.
This was a cute story about finding the one in the oddest of ways. My only complaint would be I wanted the author to decide between adult and YA. Words used were definitely descriptive, but then it was more of a fade to black than actual details of what these guys were doing. I would have rather had one, or the other, instead of teetering between the two. My first audible with Michael Stellman and I’d listen to him again, he held his own with voice changes and had the ability to carry the story with his voice.
If you are looking for something short and festive for the season, give this one a go.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Title: Green the Whole Year ‘Round Series: N/A Author: Rowan McAllister Genre: Contemporary/Holiday Length: Novella (77 pages) Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (December 10th, 2014) Heat Level: Moderate Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥3.5Hearts Reviewer: Aerin Blurb: Couples counselor Ted Freeman is still reeling six months after his partner left him. He desperately hopes a week of peace and quiet at a quaint mountain cabin will be just what he needs to regain his personal and professional confidence.
Neil Kelly is a computer programmer who just got promoted to full-time and is celebrating over Christmas by going on his first real grown-up vacation at the Cabins in the Pines Inn. When he runs into Ted, his longtime crush, Neil can’t believe his luck, and he vows to do whatever it takes to make Ted see him as something other than the dork next door.
Neil wasn’t part of Ted’s plan for the holidays, but he might turn out to be exactly what Ted needs.
Review: Heh, what a cute and fun holiday read! This is a novella a bit on the short side, but it was funny and heartwarming. Ted Freeman is a couples’ counselor who has trouble coming to terms with the breakup with his ex. Ironic? Maybe, but that makes it more entertaining for us. He came to spend Christmas by himself at a little cabin in the mountain, in hopes of some much needed quiet and reflection time.
Neil Kelly is treating himself with this Christmas trip at the same location as a reward for the hard work he’s done for the past few years. He is bright, and happy, and to make this more interesting, he’s known Ted for a few years and has a huge crush on him. Ted’s peace and quiet is obliterated by the verbal diarrhea Neil is prone to sprouting when in close proximity to Ted. Neil just can’t help himself….he was a very entertaining character.
Will Santa be kind enough to Neil to offer him what he most desires this Christmas…? Ted’s heart (and body)?
I recommend this to everyone who loves a nice Christmas story with a serving of Christmas sex.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
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
Blurb: Too much partying and self-inflicted trouble have left Cameron Lacey’s life a complete mess. But he’s determined to change, and he’ll do anything to keep a roof over his head until he gets himself together. When he’s introduced to Sam Powell, he can’t believe Sam will let him stay without expecting anything in return—in Cameron’s world, nothing is free. Realizing Sam’s bleeding heart is exactly as it appears throws Cameron for a loop… and completely head over heels. Unfortunately, old habits die hard.
Cameron’s demons rear their ugly heads, leading to a series of backsliding disasters and fumbled attempts by Sam to save Cameron from bad choices. As Cameron struggles to become who he wants to be instead of who he is, he also comes to hope Sam will discover that what’s right for him might not be what he’s looking for—but who he already has.
Review: I love everything about this novel. It meets all my criteria for a perfect book. Lovable, identifiable characters. Amazing plot. The fact that when things go bad Cameron ends up fixing them somehow. It’s the perfect novel in my eyes. I feel it can very well end up being the perfect novel. And the more I read it, the more I want to meet the man who could play Cameron if it turns into a movie.
I feel I can identify with Cameron in this novel. And it makes things even better when I read about Sam. He is a great guy that feels like the older brother at first but things turn around in that special way. The couple is very much realistic. It is just downright amazing. I cannot get over how much I love this novel. Rowan McAllister wrote it just right.
Blurb:Tanner Wallis is nearly at the end of his rope the night Mason Seidel finds him lying next to the mangled body of a cow on the back pastures of the Seidel family’s Wyoming ranch. Recently out of the hospital after he and his boyfriend were brutally beaten, Tanner is jobless, homeless, and almost penniless. His desperate hope is that Mason will believe he’s innocent of the senseless crime and give him a place to heal, both physically and emotionally, until he can get on his feet again.
But Mason already has enough on his plate. He’s only been back on the ranch a few months. Ten years after his father kicked him out for being gay, and only because his sister begged him to come help after the man’s disabling stroke. With all his responsibilities—running the struggling ranch and keeping his sister and father off his back—Mason can’t really afford the distraction Tanner represents. But he can’t just abandon the attractive young man either. There’s trouble in spades on the ranch, but if they face it together, Mason and Tanner might find a future with a little sunshine.
Review: Tanner is twenty-two and the last few weeks have really worn him down. His luck is abysmal. One thing after another going wrong, until he is walking on what he thinks is a dusty road. Jobless, homeless, penniless, and still injured, with no hope in sight. Stumbling across the senseless attack on a cow might be his only glimpse of hope. If he can convince Mason, he is innocent, and to give him a chance to get back on his feet. Mason is thirty-one and has only been back on the ranch for a few months. Dealing with his father’s disapproval and his sister’s nagging has him making up an excuse to get away for a night of peace and quiet. But, he is interrupted when one of the cows is slaughtered. Mason can’t help but help Tanner. But, he has enough on his plate and his attraction to Tanner helps to ease some of the tension. There is more trouble heading their way and they can only hope that together they can weather what is to come.
This is a well-written story that touches on anxiety, homophobia, and a father’s disapproval. Tanner is a young man who is really struggling to keep putting one foot in front of the other. When he meets Mason, he begins to hope that things will get better. and indeed it does as they first become friends and then lovers with a burgeoning hope for the future. It isn’t easy for Tanner though, as he struggles with his anxiety and doubts as he fits into ranch life and becomes accustom to being Mason’s lover. Mason is struggling with his life as well, but for different reasons. His father seems to hate him and nothing he does seems to please his sister. The pressure of keeping the ranch going and looking after his father is getting to him and Tanner is his only source of solace.
Tanner and Mason are great characters, who seamlessly fall into a relationship that must remain hidden. but, is in no way detrimental to either of them. You fully understand why it must be kept a secret. Although, you do wish that others could be different in their attitudes. Both Mason and Tanner have their own hard stories, and both of them pull at your emotions. Tanner’s because he has had really awful time of it. and Mason because of the way his family treat him. Their relationship is sweet, comforting, hot, and easy. There’s no real angst between them, other than what Tanner makes up in his mind. and they are a great comfort to each other when needed.
The secondary characters in this story are well written and are very varied. We have Diana, Mason’s sister, who comes across as overwrought, high-strung, and blind to her father’s nastiness. And then we have Robert, Mason’s father, who after a stroke is mean and nasty. There’s also Lucy and Ed, who are like a second set of parents to Mason and are a wonderful couple. There are other characters, but none that really impact the story as much as the previously mentioned characters.
I recommend this to those who love a struggling rancher’s life, fraught emotions, a slow developing relationship, sweet loving and sweaty sex, a great storyline with its surprising twists and a sweet happy ending.
Spring struggles against winter in the mountains of Montana as Aiden Cermak and Daniel Schrock settle into their new life together. Aiden, a journalist from the East Coast, wants to make a rustic home for them and their adopted dog, though he continues his reporter’s quest for the truth. Daniel’s roots are traditional Amish, and though he’s become a successful carpenter with his own shop, the modern world still baffles him.
When Aiden’s former boyfriend, Conrad Barringer, ill and alone, asks Aiden and Daniel for help, they agree and welcome him, but with misgivings that persist and grow. Aiden finds fulfillment in nursing Conrad, yet worries that the closeness he shares with Daniel will be lost, as Daniel isolates more and more. Then Daniel learns of an ugly revelation that could change everything, and he grapples with whether to tell Aiden the truth, or carry it with him to his grave.
Giovanni Boca was destined to go down in history as an opera legend until a vocal chord injury abruptly ended his career. Now he teaches voice lessons at a prestigious New York City music school. During auditions for his summer opera workshop, he finds his protégé in fourteen-year-old Emma McPhee. Just as intriguing to Gio is Emma’s father Mike, a blue-collar guy who runs a business renovating the kitchens and bathrooms of New York’s elite to finance his daughter’s dream.
Mike’s partner was killed when Emma was a toddler, and Gio mourns the beautiful voice he will never have again, so coping with loss is something they have in common. Their initial physical attraction quickly grows to something more as each hopes to fill the gap that loss and grief has left in his life. Although Mike wonders if he can truly fit into Gio’s upperclass world, their bond grows stronger. Then, trouble strikes from outside when the machinations of an unscrupulous stage mother threaten to tear Gio and Mike apart—and ruin Emma’s bright future.
One Night Ever After by Elizah J. Davis, Elle Brownlee, Tere Michaels
Just a Drive by Tere Michaels
After weeks of flirting, “One Night” Wyatt Walsh spends a fabulous night with his shy coworker, Benji Trammell. As Wyatt tries to sneak out the next morning, he receives a call from his frantic, very pregnant best friend Raven—she needs him immediately. With no other way to get from New York City to the Pennsylvania town where Raven and her husband live, Wyatt accepts Benji’s offer to drive him there. Wary and unsure of each other, they start the trip at odds, but as time goes on, the barriers that usually keep people at a distance fail. And what started out as “just a drive” becomes a step toward romance.
Just a Stranger by Elle Brownlee
The excitement of meeting a stranger in a club can’t be beat. Loud bass sets the rhythm to Michael Wiercinski’s primal urges as he flirts with Andrew, a cute guy offering the promise of a hot night with no strings, no complications. Still, when their night is done, Michael admits there was something about Andrew that left him wanting more. Months go by with no sign of Andrew until Michael moves back home to help after his father’s heart attack. Once there, Michael is completely amazed to find Andrew Lucas living in his hometown. Despite surprising “complications” in Andrew’s life, Michael vows to take advantage of this second chance to make Andrew more than just a stranger.
Just a Weekend by Elizah J. Davis
James is a homebody in a predictable, if not altogether comfortable, rut. He’d rather stay in with a book than brave the Seattle bar scene. One night, after allowing his friend Kara to coax him out for drinks, he meets Devin—charming, gorgeous, and way out of his league.
With a little bit of help from Kara, James leaves with Devin to indulge in a night together, which is as much time as he’s bound to get with a guy as hot as Devin. He doesn’t expect the easy rapport that quickly develops between them, and when the weather conspires to keep them together, James wonders if this could be more than just a weekend fling.
Jilted at the altar when his best man ran off with his fiancée, Craydon “Cray” Wright trades in his Mexico honeymoon for a vacation in Aruba. When godlike Stone Ferris walks onto the plane, sits next to Cray, and makes his interest known, Cray decides to act on desires he’s felt since high school but ignored.
He agrees to let Stone show him the island, but what starts as fun-filled and casual turns earth-shattering for Cray. When his time in Aruba ends, Cray realizes his feelings for Stone have grown beyond fun, but he worries that it might not translate to real life in LA. Can he convince himself and Stone their love can be paradise at home?
Length: Novella (128p.) | Genre:Contemporary | Release Date: October 2, 2013 |Buy as eBook ($4.99 ISBN: 978-1-62798-163-7)
Puzzle Me This by Eli Easton
Luke Schumaker designs computer games, working from his home. Every day he walks his dog in the woods nearby, never suspecting that someone who is completely smitten is watching. The watcher is Alex Shaw, and he too works from home, designing logic and crossword puzzles. Alex’s options are limited: he’s too shy to approach Luke and his wheelchair won’t let him follow into the woods. His solution? Secret messages for Luke in the crosswords he writes for the local paper. When Luke decodes them, romance begins, but then they face greater puzzles, like Alex’s interfering sister and what commitment to a man in a wheelchair really takes. And, most puzzling of all, how do you know if love is real?
Length: Novella (88p.) | Genre: Mystery/Suspense, Humor | Release Date: October 2, 2013 |Buy as eBook ($3.99 ISBN: 978-1-62798-162-0)
My Only Sunshine by Rowan McAllister
Tanner Wallis is nearly at the end of his rope the night Mason Seidel finds him lying next to the mangled body of a cow on the back pastures of the Seidel family’s Wyoming ranch. Recently out of the hospital after he and his boyfriend were brutally beaten, Tanner is jobless, homeless, and almost penniless. His desperate hope is that Mason will believe he’s innocent of the senseless crime and give him a place to heal, both physically and emotionally, until he can get on his feet again.
But Mason already has enough on his plate. He’s only been back on the ranch a few months, ten years after his father kicked him out for being gay, and only because his sister begged him to come help after the man’s disabling stroke. With all his responsibilities—running the struggling ranch and keeping his sister and father off his back—Mason can’t really afford the distraction Tanner represents. But he can’t just abandon the attractive young man either. There’s trouble in spades on the ranch, but if they face it together, Mason and Tanner might find a future with a little sunshine.
Evan Costa learned from a very early age that there was no such thing as unconditional love and that it was better to settle for what you could get instead of expecting the world to give you what you need. As Ethan, porn model for Johnnies, he gets exactly what he wants—comradeship and physical contact on trade—and he is perfectly satisfied with that. He’s sure of it.
Jonah Stevens has spent most of his adult life helping to care for his sister and trying to keep his beleaguered family from fraying at the edges. He’s had very little time to work on his confidence or his body for that matter. When Jonah meets Ethan, he doesn’t see the hurt child or the shamelessly slutty porn star. He sees a funny, sexy, confident man who—against the odds—seems to like Jonah in spite of his very ordinary, but difficult, life.
Sensing a kindred spirit and a common interest, Ethan thinks a platonic friendship with Jonah won’t violate his fair trade rules of sex and touch, but Jonah has different ideas. Ethan’s pretty sure his choice of jobs has stripped away all hope of a real relationship, but Jonah wants the whole package—the sexy man, the vulnerable boy, the charming companion who works so hard to make other people happy. Jonah wants to prove that underneath the damage Ethan has lived with all his life, he’s still gold with promise and the ability to love.
Length: Novel (350p.) | Genre:Contemporary| Release Date: October 4, 2013
Following the death of their sub, the former owners of the Guards of Folsom, Robert “Bobby” Alcott and Rig Beckworth, were left to pick up the pieces as best they could. After seven years, these two Doms are ready to move on and find the boy who will complete them. Their painful past comes crashing back when they meet Mason Howard, a submissive who just weeks ago lost his Doms in a car accident.
Reeling from overwhelming grief that’s complicated by a severe social anxiety disorder, Mason can barely leave his home. When Rig and Bobby find him, he’s hit rock bottom, believing life is no longer worth living. Bobby and Rig set out to prove the younger man wrong. Fate has brought the three men together, but they’ll have to face the pain of fear and loss head-on before they can all truly live again.
Length: Novel (220p.) | Genre:BDSM/Kink, M/M/M or More | Release Date: October 4, 2013
Harmony Ink Press’ releases for the week of September 30, 2013
The Sacrifices We Make by Sophie Bonaste
Adam Jameson has always felt like an outsider in his own home, where his parents’ constant efforts to instill religious fervor have instead filled him with fear. Most of the time, he just wants to stay out of everybody’s way. But when Adam is forced to volunteer at a homeless shelter his senior year in high school, everything changes. He’s introduced to people who care about more than religion and, as a result, he starts to come out of his shell. For the first time in his life, Adam finds people who he wants to be around.
Mickey Stafford lives on the streets, a teen kicked out by his parents for being gay. He comes to the shelter for food and medical care, and after they literally run into each other, the two boys strike up a friendship. As Mickey introduces his new friend to the world he lives in, Adam starts to question everything: his parents, their religion, even his own beliefs. Once Mickey kisses him, Adam starts soul-searching and finds his heart, which is full of love for Mickey. But these two young men will have their love put to the test as they face a future of uncertainty and fear.
Length: Novel (190p.) | Genre:Contemporary, Gay, YA | Release Date: October 3, 2013
Title: The Wanderer
Title: Power Bottom?
Title: Power Bottom?
Title: Air and Earth
![StarsThatTremble[The]LG](http://mmgoodbookreviews.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/starsthattremblethelg.jpg)
![SacrificesWeMake[The]LG](http://mmgoodbookreviews.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/sacrificeswemakethelg.jpg)