In a world ravaged by fire and descending into madness, Cavalo has been given an ultimatum by the dark man known as Patrick: return Lucas to him and the cannibalistic Dead Rabbits, or the town of Cottonwood and its inhabitants will be destroyed.
But Lucas has a secret embedded into his skin that promises to forever alter the shape of things to come—a secret that Cavalo must decide if it’s worth dying over, even as he wrestles with his own growing attraction to the muted psychopath.
Twenty-one days.
Cavalo has twenty-one days to prepare for war. Twenty-one days to hold what is left of his shredded sanity together. Twenty-one days to convince the people of Cottonwood to rise up and fight back. Twenty-one days to unravel the meaning behind the marks that cover Lucas.
A meaning that leads to a single word and a place of unimaginable power: Dworshak.
Review: This is the second book in the Immemorial Year series and continues where the first book left off.
In this story Cavalo attempts to convince the people of Cottonwood to rise up and fight Patrick and his deadly rabbits. The townspeople are scared and frightened, yet they are tired of it as well.
Lucas and Cavalo grow closer as the story progresses. There are some intense fight scenes as well as some scenes that caused me to shed tears at the waste of human life. I hated Patrick with a passion and felt he was totally insane with the atrocities he committed.
The most heart-breaking scenes were when we learn of what happened to Lucas, and Sirs decision near the end. Both made me cry. I felt that what Lucas went through was unimaginable and could not believe someone who was supposed to love him did that.
I loved all the details and the planning the group did to prepare for vicious battles. Though not all went according to plan it was still effective to a point.
This story will have you on the edge of your seat all throughout. Fantastic book and I highly recommend it.
Blurb: Gustavo Tiberius is not normal. He knows this. Everyone in his small town of Abby, Oregon, knows this. He reads encyclopedias every night before bed. He has a pet ferret called Harry S. Truman. He owns a video rental store that no one goes to. His closest friends are a lady named Lottie with drag queen hair and a trio of elderly Vespa riders known as the We Three Queens.
Gus is not normal. And he’s fine with that. All he wants is to be left alone.
Until Casey, an asexual stoner hipster and the newest employee at Lottie’s Lattes, enters his life. For some reason, Casey thinks Gus is the greatest thing ever. And maybe Gus is starting to think the same thing about Casey, even if Casey is obsessive about Instagramming his food.
But Gus isn’t normal and Casey deserves someone who can be. Suddenly wanting to be that someone, Gus steps out of his comfort zone and plans to become the most normal person ever.
Review: I am not going to make it a secret – I absolutely adore TJ Klune, I love how he can make you laugh so hard for the entire length of a book also make you feel feels that give you the “Wookie cry face”. How to be A Normal Person does exactly that! Of course, I have to add that the brilliant narration by Derrick McClain is just spot on and pulls all the right emotions and his tone is so perfect as the voice of main character Gustavo Tiberius.
Ok, yes, I did read this book when it came out but for me the audiobook just elevated the story to an entire other level. Gustavo Tiberius is a bit of a “Grumpy Gus” and has exactly zero social skills despite having the friendship of some rather quirky characters including 3 elderly ladies who are either in a lesbian three-way or are sisters (and the only members of the town’s vespa gang) and Lotte who owns that coffee shop down the street. His one link to the world, his father known to everyone as Pastor Tommy died of cancer a few years ago. He runs his father’s video rental store, which Gustavo only can get by because he happens to also be the land lord to much of the town’s shops – another part of his father’s legacy.
Then one day Casey shows up. Casey is a stoner hipster that makes me think of Shaggy from the Scooby Doo gang and brings to mind the line from Star Wars “…half-witted, scruffy looking nerf-herder” as the perfect description. Casey is the exact opposite of Gustavo – he loves social media, he loves people… he also happens to be a famous author. In many ways, I think that Casey is much like Pastor Tommy (who was also a stoner) and supports the old proverb that you look for a partner with the same personality of your father/mother, depending on your sexuality.
With Casey showing up, Gustavo starts to learn more about himself and his feelings. And that is where the title of the book comes into play: How to be a Normal Person. To be with Casey, Gustavo thinks that he needs to research and go through the steps to be a normal person so that Casey would be attracted to him. It seriously made me want to cry for Gus, but then again that is the message of the book – it’s ok to be yourself, even if you an anti-social realist who doesn’t have the internet or a smart phone, or if you are an asexual stoner hipster who can hastag like nobody’s business.
As a bit of a teaser, while some of Gus’s flash backs to conversations with his father are both sweet and at some points very sad, they were also quite funny. Then there are the “recorded phone calls” with his internet provider – OMG, so funny, I loved the book for those few bits of dialogue alone.
Fans of TJ Klune will not be disappointed, to those that don’t know TJ Klune – you need to get onto it. The well paced and well developed story hits all the emotional highs and lows that all I can say is I recommend this to everyone who loves MM romance!
Blurb: Ox was twelve when his daddy taught him a very valuable lesson. He said that Ox wasn’t worth anything and people would never understand him. Then he left.
Ox was sixteen when he met the boy on the road. The little boy who talked and talked and talked. Ox found out later the little boy hadn’t spoken in almost two years before that day, and that the little boy belonged to a family who had moved into the house at the end of the lane.
Ox was seventeen when he found out the little boy’s secret and it painted the world around him in colors of red and orange and violet, of Alpha and Beta and Omega.
Ox was twenty-three when murder came to town and tore a hole in his head and heart. The boy chased after the monster with revenge in his blood-red eyes, leaving Ox behind to pick up the pieces.
It’s been three years since that fateful day—and the boy is back. Except now he’s a man, and Ox can no longer ignore the song that howls between them.
I have to say I have loved all TJ Klune’s books I’ve read before but this one is my absolute favorite. It was such an amazing journey full of tears, laughter, angst and heartbreak yet with a HEA. This book took me on roller-coaster of emotions and spit me out wrecked yet happy.
Ox is fifteen when he meets the boy, Joe, down the road. As the story progresses there is a timeline of important events at certain ages. I must say I was drawn into the story from the beginning and could not stop until the very end.
These men went through so much loss and tragedy I was amazed they came through in the end sane. I absolutely hated Richard. He was vile, disturbed, disgusting creature that should have been put down a long time ago.
I enjoyed the blending of magic and shifters, I was amazed and fascinated with Ox and what he became as I’ve never read that in another shifter book before. He was human yet more. It fascinated and intrigued me.
Joe was strong but made mistakes. I felt sorry for him at having to become an Alpha before he was ready. I was pissed that he left for three years though. I understood his reasoning but felt he made the wrong choice.
This is an amazing journey of two men destined to be together but first they had their trials and tribulations to go through as they grew into the men they were meant to be.
Fantastic story.
Highly recommended.
Aerin’s Review: ♥♥♥♥4 Hearts
JESUS Christ I’m emotionally exhausted and tired of fucking crying! This book took its toll and right about now I feel numb and full of rage, at the same time. Yeah, yeah I’ve read the reviews saying this book is very angsty and something about a Wookie Cry Face or whatever, but I never expected to cry through so much of it! Despite the fantastic writing, I’d like to kick TJ in the ass (or balls) and give him the worst purple-nurple in the history of purple nurples. TJ I love you, but you suck!
THIS IS THE BEST MOTHERFUCKING SHIFTER BOOK THAT WAS EVER WRITTEN! Really, I don’t think I’ll look at another shifter book the same, because this was everything! Wolfsong was friendship and family and love and mates! It was innocent and full of fuzzy feelings while watching 10-year-old Joe and 15-year-old Ox become friends.
Although Ox had no idea about the existence of werewolves at that time and Joe was too young to understand that Ox was his mate. The bond between them is beautiful and undeniable. Wolfsong is about finding a family you belong with, loving unconditionally and realizing that while you might not think much of yourself, but you CAN be somebody’s whole world.
While the serious angst (the one that requires big-girls panties) doesn’t start until after the monster from Joe’s childhood returns, there’s plenty of things to angst about. Like Ox’s bastard drunk father who calls Ox stupid and ruins his sense of self-worth. Like Ox’s struggles when his father leaves him and his mother because he regrets them and his life. Like the beautiful and heartbreaking bond Ox and his mother have. The first 20% of this book is full of feels and emotions and it’s absolutely lovely.
And then the monster returns (after 7 years of beautiful family and friendship). Loved ones are killed, Ox and Joe’s mating is put on hold, and then Joe leaves. Fucking shit, I cried my eyes out through this part, and it was a long ass part! I wanted to stop crying, I was sick of it, but I couldn’t help it. I ended up going to bed at 4 am after crying myself to sleep. And to make it all worse, the following three years, one month, twenty-six days Joe spent away from Ox seemed unending.
We only get Ox’s POV throughout the entire book, and his mind was a miserable, angsty and dark place to be. I knew it would end eventually, but there was no end in sight! Even after Joe returned, I KNEW there was more to come, more confrontation, more angst, more heartbreak, and the anticipation just about killed me. I’ve never had to put a book down to refocus myself before, but I had to do it this time because the tears and the angst were fucking killing me.
There’s a nice HEA that should’ve been more spectacular after all the suffering, but it didn’t come until the very end. By then I was too exhausted to truly appreciate it. Although it was the perfect ending to this book. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but there are more characters that need their own story. Like Kelly and Robbie, and Carter with whomever his love interest will be. And let’s not forget that Mark and Gordo were left totally unresolved. Wolfsong has the most amazing cast of secondary characters. I loved every single one of the Bennets, especially Thomas.
I know I’m rambling right now, so I’ll just say this: do NOT attempt to read this book in public (unless you want to look like a big crybaby). Do not wear mascara (or glitter, or eyeliner or anything that might smear. I guarantee you WILL cry). Buy a 10-pack of tissues because you’re going to need them. And for the love of god, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO READ THIS WITHOUT 2 BOTTLES OF WINE (or 4).
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Blurb: Once upon a time, humanity could no longer contain the rage that swelled within, and the world ended in a wave of fire.
One hundred years later, in the wasteland formerly known as America, a broken man who goes only by the name of Cavalo survives. Purposefully cutting himself off from what remains of civilization, Cavalo resides in the crumbling ruins of the Northern Idaho Correctional Institution. A mutt called Bad Dog and a robot on the verge of insanity comprise his only companions. Cavalo himself is deteriorating, his memories rising like ghosts and haunting the prison cells.
It’s not until he makes the dangerous choice of crossing into the irradiated Deadlands that Cavalo comes into contact with a mute psychopath, one who belongs to the murderous group of people known as the Dead Rabbits. Taking the man prisoner, Cavalo is forced not only to face the horrors of his past, but the ramifications of the choices made for his stark present. And it is in the prisoner that he will find a possible future where redemption is but a glimmer that darkly shines.
Review:This is book one in the Immemorial Year series.
This is not a romance book. Though it does have several kissing scenes and a couple of mentions of sex, but that’s it. This is a post apocalypse story set years after bombs are dropped destroying everything. The survivors are doing what they can to live in the changed world. But not all is as it seems and changes are coming.
Cavalo, the MC, keeps to himself for the most part. He is haunted by things from the past that he has seen and had to do. His only companion is a dog named Bad Dog and a robot named SIRS. Throughout this story it seems he has lost his mind with the way his companions talk to him. But I think it’s a way for him to have interactions with someone.
I imagine anyone having to go through, do the things Cavalo has had to do and seen that anyone would not be completely sane. With this being said he runs into a group called Dead Rabbits. They are vicious and don’t hesitate to kill in the most horrific ways. They are also cannibals according to the story.
Lucas is a Dead Rabbit who Cavalo captures and takes home with him. Lucas is unable to speak due to his throat being cut at some point. He is a very mysterious individual that I found fascinating. This story will blow your mind. You have people fighting for survival while others just take and take without regard.
Then you have two groups who will do anything to get Lucas. Why? I do not know exactly. I’m hoping the answers to several questions will come soon though as the first book ends with no answers.
Dark, twisted in ways and mysterious this book will have you on the edge of your seat as each chapter unfolds and more information is divulged in an awesome story of survival and secrets.
Cannot wait to read book two.
Highly recommended.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Hiya peeps, we have T.J. Klune stopping by today with his upcoming release Withered + Sere, T.J. chats about music and I’ve nicked a great excerpt so check out the post and enjoy! <3 ~Pixie~
Withered + Sere
(Immemorial 01)
by
T.J. Klune
Once upon a time, humanity could no longer contain the rage that swelled within, and the world ended in a wave of fire.
One hundred years later, in the wasteland formerly known as America, a broken man who goes only by the name of Cavalo survives. Purposefully cutting himself off from what remains of civilization, Cavalo resides in the crumbling ruins of the North Idaho Correctional Institution. A mutt called Bad Dog and a robot on the verge of insanity comprise his only companions. Cavalo himself is deteriorating, his memories rising like ghosts and haunting the prison cells.
It’s not until he makes the dangerous choice of crossing into the irradiated Deadlands that Cavalo comes into contact with a mute psychopath, one who belongs to the murderous group of people known as the Dead Rabbits. Taking the man prisoner, Cavalo is forced not only to face the horrors of his past, but the ramifications of the choices made for his stark present. And it is in the prisoner that he will find a possible future where redemption is but a glimmer that darkly shines.
Title: The Queen & the Homo Jock King Series: Tell Me It’s Real, #2 Author: T.J. Klune Genre: Romantic Comedy Length: 350 pages Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (February 29th 2016) Heat Level: Moderate Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5 Hearts Blurb: Do you believe in love at first sight?
Sanford Stewart sure doesn’t. In fact, he pretty much believes in the exact opposite, thanks to the Homo Jock King. It seems Darren Mayne lives for nothing more than to create chaos in Sandy’s perfectly ordered life, just for the hell of it. Sandy despises him, and nothing will ever change his mind.
Or so he tells himself.
It’s not until the owner of Jack It—the club where Sandy performs as drag queen Helena Handbasket—comes to him with a desperate proposition that Sandy realizes he might have to put his feelings about Darren aside. Because Jack It will close unless someone can convince Andrew Taylor, the mayor of Tucson, to keep it open.
Someone like Darren, the mayor’s illegitimate son.
The foolproof plan is this: seduce Darren and push him to convince his father to renew Jack its contract with the city.
Review: It’s been a while since I’ve read Tell Me It’s Real. A couple of years actually. But, I remember it like I read it just yesterday. So, naturally I had no trouble following the story and the characters, and I was so freaking excited to read Sandy’s story!!!
Well, this was less Sandy’s story and more Helena Handbasket’s. Because she fucking rocked this book! Helena has this explosive personality, like most drag queens are known to have. But, Helena is THE drag queen and nobody will ever be as bitchy and awesome as her. How could anyone best her when Helena learned from one of the best in business, the one and only Vaguyna Muffman??? (God, I laughed my butt off at that drag name, because how could I not???).
Helena is outrageous, fearless, terrifying, confident, loyal, entertaining and sexy as hell. She’s very strong and isn’t afraid to take on anything and anyone! She’s also very dramatic and unbelievably hilarious, and since this book is told from her POV, prepare to laugh yourself into a coma. Sandy is pretty much opposite of Helena, because there’s nothing brave or confident about him. What both Sandy and Helena have in common is their absolute hatred and dislike of Darren, Vince’s brother (they’re really all talk because as much as they hate on Darren, they can’t help getting boner around him).
When the club Helena performs in is in danger of closing, Helena has to seduce Darren in order to convince his father, Mayor Andrew Taylor, to keep it open. Of course nothing goes as planned, and Darren is a charming mother fucker who wants Helena, has been wanting her for a long time, and will not let anything get in his way. What Helena doesn’t understand and refuses to accept is that Darren is in love with her and Sandy both, but she’ll wrap that around her head by the end.
Of course there’s a lot of humor and not a lot of sex. In fact, I thought this book was too outrageous at times. Until I got to the most sensual, sexy and sexual tension-filled moment in the whole book: when Darren helps Helena out of her costume and assists her in her routine to become Sandy again. Oh lord, that was fucking hot. Like making-you-dizzy-from-holding-your-breath-too-long hot because who the hell cared about breathing when all that sexiness was happening? Not me, that’s for sure!
If you loved Paul and Vince you’ll be happy to hear that they make an appearance in this book as well. In fact, they’re present in one way or another throughout the book, and they’re still as funny and adorable as always. Paul’s parents Matty and Larry are a hoot again, of course. And the parrot continues to accuse Paul of rape on a daily basis. But Nana is the one that blew my mind again, because that little old lady is the bomb!
I can’t recommend this book enough. I promise you won’t be disappointed!
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *
Blurb: Sequel to Bear, Otter, and the Kid Bear, Otter, and the Kid survived last summer with their hearts and souls intact. They’ve moved into the Green Monstrosity, and Bear is finally able to admit his love for the man who saved him from himself. But that’s not the end of their story. How could it be? The boys find that life doesn’t stop just because they got their happily ever after. There’s still the custody battle for the Kid. The return of Otter’s parents. A first trip to a gay bar. The Kid goes to therapy, and Mrs. Paquinn decides that Bigfoot is real. Anna and Creed do… well, whatever it is Anna and Creed do. There are newfound jealousies, the return of old enemies, bad poetry, and misanthropic seagulls. And through it all, Bear struggles to understand his mother’s abandonment of him and his brother, only to delve deeper into their shared past. What he finds there will alter their lives forever and help him realize what it’ll take to become who they’re supposed to be. Family is not always defined by blood. It’s defined by those who make us whole-those who make us who we are.
Review: Bear, Otter, the kid, Creed, Anna and Mrs. Pauinn are back in this explosive sequel that just may be better than its predecessor. Bear, Otter and the Kid have moved into the house that Otter bought for them. Otherwise known as ‘The Green Monstrosity’ and are building a strong foundation for their new family.
The kid is getting ready to start school and has a new friend, Dominick. Bear as well is going back to school and still struggling with everything that has happened in his life over the past few years. He is now basically a father, fighting the mother that abandoned him and the kid for custody of the kid. Juggling his home life, school, work and jealousy. One of Otter’s exs is now the Kid’s new teacher, and a stranger at college shows an uncontrollable interest in Bear.
And then a series of unfortunate events brings Bears life to a screeching halt. Let’s just say, when it rains it pours! Faced with losing everything while finally gaining something he’s been fighting so hard for, Bear has to do some serious soul-searching. What we do, the lives we lead, and the decisions we make really do define, Who We Are.
This book, hell this series, has really been a roller coaster ride of emotions for me. I think at one time or another throughout I have experienced every spectrum of emotion on the scale. I’ve laughed, cried, screamed, jumped for joy, clapped my hands and that was just in the first hour! Klune has written one of the best coming of age, the most amazing finely tuned love story I’ve ever read. This wasn’t insta love or even a slow burning love. It is an ever-growing, constantly evolving story of love and family.
The kid completely stole the show in the first book, but in this book, Bear really comes into his own. His inner monologues left me laughing hysterically. He completely works out every scenario in his head, in other words, he over thinks EVERYTHING. And the reader gets a front row seat inside his chaotic mind. And Otter is right there, holding his hand and helping him escape the earthquakes through it all. Their love as well continues to morph into so much more; very passionate and intense. Where Bear is enthusiastic and slightly psychotic, Otter grounds him and brings him back to reality. He makes Bear and the kid feel safe, loved and at home. He is their home, and he is theirs, everything else is just gravy.
Narrated by Charlie David and he is just absolutely amazing. As I’ve said before I think, the fact that he is a gay man gives him an edge for M/M books. He can completely relate to the characters, their struggles and the stories when he reads them. There is always this almost uncontrollable emotion underlying as he reads, like he’s just so excited just to be reading for us. He changes nuances for characters and he really conveys every moan and groan expertly.
If you don’t read anything else ever, you should read these books. Intense, dramatic, passionate, endearing and realistic… they will pull you in and you’ll get completely lost in the world of Bear, Otter and the Kid.
** I received a copy of this audio book from Dreamspinner Press in exchange for an honest review through MM Good Book Reviews **
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 (I’d give this book 10 stars if I could!)
Reviewer: Tams
Blurb: Three years ago, Bear McKenna’s mother took off for parts unknown with her new boyfriend, leaving Bear to raise his six-year-old brother Tyson, aka the Kid. Somehow they’ve muddled through, but since he’s totally devoted to the Kid, Bear isn’t actually doing much living—with a few exceptions, he’s retreated from the world, and he’s mostly okay with that. Until Otter comes home.
Otter is Bear’s best friend’s older brother, and as they’ve done for their whole lives, Bear and Otter crash and collide in ways neither expects. This time, though, there’s nowhere to run from the depth of emotion between them. Bear still believes his place is as the Kid’s guardian, but he can’t help thinking there could be something more for him in the world… something or someone.
Review: Derek McKenna, Bear, has essentially raised his little brother Tyson, the kid, alone for the last seven years. So when his mother abandons them to take off with her new boyfriend, relatively speaking, not much changes. He is completely devoted to the kid and would do anything, give up everything, to ensure they make it and stay together. He is surrounded by a close-knit group of family and friends that, to spite Bear’s best efforts to push them all away, rally to support Bear and the kid.
Oliver, Otter, is Bear’s best friend’s big brother. From the first day that Bear showed up on their doorstep, in a nervous flutter couldn’t quite get Oliver out, and dubbed him Otter, he has been in love with Bear. As the story progress’s you, get the impression that the feeling was mutual, but Bear is so screwed up emotionally from everything he’s had to endure in his life, that he refused to recognize those feelings. Regardless Bear, Otter and the kid form a bond that will eventually become a family.
There is a LOT of drama in this book. Bear and the kid have a lot of emotional baggage. Bear refers to them as earthquakes, and the only place they can find solace is in the bathtub. And little Ty has some serious separation anxiety stemming from their mother abandoning them. If Bear is five seconds late picking him up, the kid goes into a full on nuclear scale melt down. Bear’s best friend, soon to be ex girlfriend and elderly neighbour along with Otter round out this unconventional family and make for some very colourful secondary characters within the story.
This book made me laugh, cry, scream, jump up and down and smile. Very emotional, I was seriously exhausted at times keeping up with everything that was happening. But in a good way. The story definitely revolves around Bear, Otter and the kid; but the three secondary characters that are closest to them truly make them shine. The kid stole the show though. The eight year old vegetarian, eco terrorist in training, genius, possibly autistic with separation and anxiety issues. And poor Bear is so screwed up, he doesn’t know whether he should scratch his watch, or wind his butt! The glue that holds these two together is Otter, so they are a hot mess while Otter is gone. Bottom line, they put the fun in dysfunctional.
Narrated by Sean Crisden who did a great job of changing up his voice tone when the characters changed. It’s sometimes difficult when you have a child as a major character in a story for the narrator to appropriately capture that tone. Crisden did it though, and did it well. I loved everything about this book. I was shocked to learn this was Klune’s debut novel. So well written with flawless character development of deeply flawed characters. And the storyline was not only gripping, but also intriguing.
This is a must read! If you are riding the fence not wanting to read a traditional M/M romance, this just might be the perfect book for you. Yes, this is a gay love story, but there aren’t any full on extremely descriptive sex scenes. Oh there is sex all right, but it’s conveyed cautiously with passion, love and minimally. Yes, I recommend this book. In fact, I think I might give this book to all my friends for Christmas presents this year!
** I received a copy of this audio book from Dreamspinner Press in exchange for an honest review through MM Good Book Reviews **
Well, we have a treat in store for you today! We have joined up with other bloggers to bring to your attention Wilde City Press’s Ghoul’s Gym by Eric Arvin & T.J. Klune, we are not only helping to advertise this brilliant book but also bringing YOU a giveaway with a chance to win Christmas Kitsch by Amy Lane (such a fantastic book) and Amazon gift cards (2 x $25…. what’s that in English money???? *shrugs*).
Why am I doing this? Well, besides Portia begging, oh so prettily for me to quickly read and review the book and dropping the blog tour on my toes. It’s because Eric & T.J. have more important things to worry about and if our little site can take a bit of advertising pressure off them then I say, Hell Yes! So, Have a quick shifty through the post, click on the Rafflecopter link for a chance to win, read my review and then go and buy the book! ~Pixie~
Ghoul’s Gym, in which 5 out of 5 walking dead agree that exercise can be dangerous to your health.
Jake Howell and Uly Hoak have two hard and fast rules in their relationship: never go to bed angry and never, no matter the circumstances, ever part without saying goodbye. Little did either of them know when they said their farewells to each other on one decidedly fateful Saturday morning, it might be the last.
Jake is fighting the Green-Eyed monster, feeling a little less than physically adequate next to his ultra-buff gym bunny, Uly, and it doesn’t help that Uly’s boss at the gym, Stephen Fucking Dorian, can’t resist taking potshots at Jake’s rather unimpressive physique, making Jake feel all the more lacking and all the more jealous of the fact Dorian wants Uly for himself.
Turns out that’s the least of Jake’s problems, however, as strange things are afoot in this once sleepy and pristine little town. Unusual outbreaks of violence quickly reach apocalyptic proportions and pit Jake and Uly in a race against time to find each other before it’s too late.
Could a conspiracy be at the heart of the disaster? If so, the mechanics and manipulators of this plot to rid the world of the compulsively fit had better be prepared. They’re about to get a taste of vengeance.
About Eric Arvin:
Eric Arvin resides in the same sleepy Indiana river town where he grew up. He graduated from Hanover College with a Bachelors in History. He has lived, for brief periods, in Italy and Australia. He has survived brain surgery and his own loud-mouthed personal demons. Eric is the author of Woke Up In A Strange Place, Subsurdity, Simple Men, Galley Proof,and various other sundry and not-so-sundry writings. He intends to live the rest of his days with tongue in cheek and eyes set to roam.
About TJ Klune:
When TJ Klune was eight, he picked up a pen and paper and began to write his first story (which turned out to be his own sweeping epic version of the video game Super Metroid—he didn’t think the game ended very well and wanted to offer his own take on it. He never heard back from the video game company, much to his chagrin). Now, two decades later, the cast of characters in his head have only gotten louder, wondering why he has to go to work as a claims examiner for an insurance company during the day when he could just stay home and write.
He lives with a neurotic cat in the middle of the Sonoran Desert. It’s hot there, but he doesn’t mind. He dreams about one day standing at Stonehenge, just so he can say he did
Giveaway: Enter at each stop to win that blog’s free download code by commenting on their post. Winner for this post to be drawn and contacted by Portia *sly grin*. Must be 18 or older to enter. No purchase necessary. To win one of two $25 Amazon gift cards, please enter at: a Rafflecopter giveaway
Title: Ghoul’s Gym
Author: Eric Arvin & T.J. Klune
Genre: Horror, Erotic, Zombies
Length: Novella (113pgs)
ISNB: 978-1-925031-70-6
Publisher: Wilde City Press (18th December 2013)
Heat Level: Explicit
Heart Rating: 4 ½ Hearts
Reviewer: Pixie
Blurb: (Blurb nicked from T.J. Klune’s author page on Facebook 🙂 )
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Who knew being sexy could be so dangerous?
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Some people will do anything to obtain the perfect body. When Uly goes to work at the Art Of Man Fitness center, it’s a day like any other. But then a strange illness transforms some of the patrons into horned-up, flesh hungry monsters, causing a lockdown and mass hysteria. Banding together with a small group of friends, all Uly can do is fight to survive and hope that his boyfriend, Jake, is safe on the outside world.
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What Uly doesn’t know is that Jake has got problems of his own. From a drug dealer with misplaced ideals, to a harem of muscle twinks, Jake is learning just how far he’ll go to become the man he thinks his boyfriend wants. With the line crossed and time running out, Jake must descend into the hell that is the Art Of Man. What he finds there is only the beginning.
Review: Jake and Uly have been together for a year and they have lived together for six months but that doesn’t stop Jake from feeling inadequate. Uly is built, he works in a gym and has the body of a muscled god, while Jake is smaller and can’t get bigger no matter how hard he tries. Jake takes matters into his own hands and things get ugly when he discovers that the man who coverts his lover is connected with the tainted drugs. Uly is in the middle of things when everything falls apart, and if he is to survive he has to make the greatest sacrifice of all.
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Holy hell!!! I loved this gory story with its bittersweet ending and I can only hope that we will be seeing a sequel as Uly takes up the mantle in Jakes name. Jake and Uly are madly in love but that doesn’t stop Jake from feeling jealous and inadequate when Uly’s boss won’t stop sniffing around his lover. Uly doesn’t realise how Jake really feels and heads off to work, not realising that something is happening with some of the population. Jake heads out to find something to help him bulk up and ends up infected, and his only thought is to get to Uly because he will fix everything.
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How do you describe a book that blows away your expectations and makes you crave more but also makes you feel icky and has you cringing as you remember lingering scenes of goriness? I know, it’s hard, but hell it’s a brilliant zombie story that has love and devastation and GORE!!!! Jake is a man who has security issues, he believes Uly deserves a man more like himself and doesn’t get that Uly loves him just as he is. Uly loves Jake and doesn’t realise that Jake doesn’t think he is good enough for Uly, the beginning of the story throws us straight into the issue and it leads through the jealousy and the actions that find Jake in hot water.
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This story was beautifully written, the details of Jake’s experience was fantastic and made you see clearly that it was his love for Uly that helped keep his head clear-ish even when Jake didn’t understand why. Uly’s experience was a lot more brutal and harsh but you ran through the gym with him every step of the way as he dodged zombies, saw the horror and tried to protect friends. You couldn’t help but hope that there would be a miracle, that Uly could save Jake, that Jake’s love for Uly would keep his head clear and keep the urges at bay and that the sacrifice that was to come could be avoided. Although I would love to say we see a happy ending we don’t, it’s bittersweet with a love that would overcome anything if it could and an ending that both shocks and angers but makes you yearn for a sequel just so we can witness the revenge.
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I recommend this to those who love horror, bloody gruesome scenes, hot men fighting for their lives, a love that lasts till the end and a harsh heartfelt ending.
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And for you who still don’t believe that this is a fabulous book, here is a little taste. If you are good, we might post a few more excerpt today, so check back. ~ Portia
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Excerpt One from Ghoul’s Gym:
What the fuck is wrong with me?
Shit.
What the fuck isn’t wrong with me?
I try and school my face. Relax my shoulders. Not seem so combative. It’s not working. I clench my fists. Grit my teeth. My dick is still half hard, like it’s mocking me, still slick with lube and come. Go down, I tell it. Just fucking go down.
“I asked you a question,” Uly says from behind me. He’s trying to use what he calls his redneck polite voice, but we’ve been together a year now. Lived with each other half that time. I know he’s pissed. At me. Not that I blame him. I just fucked him within an inch of his life and couldn’t be bothered to make sure he enjoyed it. Uly doesn’t take shit like that lying down. Well, not figuratively.
“I heard you,” I tell him, keeping my voice low. The bathroom door is only feet away, and I have to resist the urge to go through it and close the door behind me. Lock it all out. Including him. Goddammit.
“Well?” His patience is wearing thin.
“Can we not do this now?” Or ever. That would be awesome too.
“Oh? Then when do you wanna do it? Seems to me the only time we talk now is when you tell me if you want me on my back or on my knees.”
I try not to shrink back at the bitterness in his words. He’s right, of course. How could I have let this get so bad? But then that fucker Stephen pops back into my head, and I see red again. I swear to fucking Christ I could tear him apart with my hands if I ever have to see him again. Twinkie, he calls me. Uly’s little princess. The Prince and the pea.
Yeah, Uly’s a big fucker, muscles piled on top of muscles. Some people might think it’s gross how jacked he is, but not me. There’s something about the way his veins look so pronounced that gets my cock hard. The cut and defined lines of his arms and thighs. The massive chest. Everything about him is big. Every single part of him. Personality, body, mind. Everything.
Except for me.
He says he doesn’t care. He says he doesn’t care that I’m a third his size, that he outweighs me by a good hundred pounds. He says he doesn’t care that I’m not cut, or ripped, or jacked. He says he doesn’t care that next to him, I’m just a shadow. I see you just fine, he told me once. I don’t need you big like me. I just need you to be you.
Many of us woke up this morning to discover that Eric Arvin was a lot more poorly than was first thought, family and friends are pulling together to support both Eric & Tj and authors & readers across the MM genre are doing what they can to gather more support as it looks like a lengthily hospital stay.
Eric Arvin & Tj Klune need our support today, so instead of buying my usual stack of books I am donating my book pennies to Eric & Tj so they have less to worry about and can concentrate on each other. If you can donate then please do, even if it is just the price of a book every penny counts.
We have watched Eric & Tj over the last couple of years as these two great authors flirted on Facebook, met at GLR 2012, fell in love, moved in together, entertained us and finally at GLR 2013 they got engaged.
So lets show these guys how much we love them!
Message on Facebook from Tj. Klune: Eric will have to be in the hospital for a while. Surgery is most likely on his brain stem. We are waiting for his previous scans to be sent to compare to the ones we had last night.
I am sad and scared and tired, but I remember it is all worth it when he opens his eyes and smiles at me.
He is comfortable now, and he just went to sleep while I played him some music next to his bed.
Keep your posts coming to him because I read them all to him he loves that you guys are doing your music lists for him too.
Thank you!
So boys & girls lets help these two wonderful men as best we can whether it’s pennies or well wishes every thought counts.
Author: TJ Klune, Eric Arvin, Ethan Stone, Daniel A Kaine, Ethan Day and Geoffrey Knight
Genre: M/M Zombie Romance
Length: Anthology (93,000 words)
Publisher: Wilde City Press (July 17th 2013)
Heat Level: Mild to Moderate
Heart Rating: The sex is a 3Hearts. The scare factor climbs from a 3 to a 5 by the end.
Blurb: Board up the windows, push an old dresser against the door and load your shotgun. A zombie apocalypse is about to hit Wilde City, and if you want the best survival tips, six of Wilde City’s boys are here to help.
You’ll never want to exercise again as Eric Arvin and TJ Klune turn a gym full of hunks into a smorgasbord of terror in GHOUL’S GYM.
Gather your friends and fight for the man you love, as Ethan Stone and Daniel A Kaine turn Vegas into a zombie nightmare in SURVIVING SIN CITY.
And bring a date to dinner to celebrate Grumpy Grampy’s 90th birthday and introduce your family to your new zombie boyfriend in Geoffrey Knight and Ethan Day’s GUESS WHO’SCOMING AT DINNER.
You’ll scream with terror and howl with laughter as Wilde City’s boys bring you our first undead anthology ZOMBIE BOYZ.
Review: Guess Who’s Coming at Dinner is more comedy than sexy M/M Romance with some fantastic one-liners and an absolutely hysterical chapter around the dinner table. 19-year-old Chandler has crushed on Zane for as long as he can remember. When Zane is infected by the recent zombie pandemic, it doesn’t stand in the way of true love. Knight and Day weave a tale that is so farfetched it’s actually believable with GWCAD. Chandlers ongoing commentary will have you giggling and Zane with steal your heart (figuratively speaking, of course). Flesh eating zombies, mad cows and sexiness are kept to a minimum in this first part of Zombie Boyz.
Surviving Sin City is more the traditional zombie story, with two consenting adult males pounding each other into oblivion as an added bonus! Cooper is a Brit on vacation in Las Vegas when he finds himself smack dab in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. While trying to get out of Vegas and back to England he runs into Kaleb, an American trying to stay alive and hide while he looks for his brother. The sexual chemistry is evident from the start and it doesn’t take long for Kaleb to find a safe place to bury himself, if you catch my drift. Can these two find Kaleb’s brother as well as safety while surrounded by hoards of zombies that get smarter with each brain they eat? This second story of Zombie Boyz is definitely more hard-core with lots of blood, guts, brains and some sexy guy on guy action when Cooper and Kaleb redefine the term “mile high club”!
Ghouls Gym is full on zombie bloody and scary. There is a wee bit of sex and a whole lot of naked men throughout the story. A manipulated strain of a virus goes rogue resulting in a gym full of naked, horny, gay zombies. There wasn’t nearly enough sex in this part for me, and although I loved the concept that Klune and Arvin were aiming for the story was slightly chaotic and disjointed. Ghouls Gym is “B” horror movie meets gay movie.
I’d recommend fans of the M/M genre give this one a go. If you like zombie stories as well that is a definite plus! I’d love to see a full story for Chandler/Zane and Cooper/Kaleb, sadly I’d have to pass on Uly and Jake.
Blurb: At once an exploration of grief and faith, Into This River I Drown is one man’s journey into the secrets of his father and discovering the strength to believe in the impossible.
Five years ago, Benji Green lost his beloved father, Big Eddie, who drowned when his truck crashed into a river. All called it an accident, but Benji thought it more. However, even years later, he is buried deep in his grief, throwing himself into taking over Big Eddie’s convenience store in the small town of Roseland, Oregon. Surrounded by his mother and three aunts, he lives day by day, struggling to keep his head above water.
But Roseland is no ordinary place.
With ever-increasing dreams of his father’s death and waking visions of feathers on the surface of a river, Benji’s definition of reality is starting to bend. He thinks himself haunted, but whether by ghosts or memories, he can no longer tell. It’s not until the impossible happens and a man falls from the sky and leaves the burning imprint of wings on the ground that he begins to understand that the world around him is more mysterious than he could have possibly imagined. It’s also more dangerous, as forces beyond anyone’s control are descending on Roseland, revealing long hidden truths about friends, family, and the man named Calliel who Benji is finding he can no longer live without.
Into this book I drowned—and I wasn’t so keen on being rescued. I quite loved where I was, thank you very much.
But—sigh—it’s over . . . I guess it’s time for me to do some grieving of my own, because boy will I miss these characters.
It’s hard to write a review for this without giving away too much. There are so many amazing twists and turns that it just has to be read. But, to give you a feel of the story, here are my dedications to each main character:
ABE – Such a warm, wonderful friend. I loved the way you stood next to Benji throughout everything, loved the way you talked about how much you loved and missed your wife, loved the fond memories you had of the life you had Before, and loved the way you forged a life After Estelle. You were such a good best friend to Benji, helping him as he goes through the same grief.
NINA (The most important of The Trio)– I thought you were God. I thought it was you both testing and reassuring everyone in this book. Why did I think that? Because you were the light and the foresight when nobody else seemed able to see anymore.
THE BAD GUYS – I rather wanted to kill you myself, for hurting all the people in all the ways you did. You were so bad and it made me root harder for our Benji and Cal.
THE ANGELS – You surprised me. I can’t say I expected the book to get as paranormal as it did in the end. I have mixed feelings about all your involvement. Sometimes I thought you added the story—particularly Michael, in the beginning—but I wasn’t so sure the rest of you belonged in this story. That being said, I am curious about a couple of you and your stories.
ROSELAND – Because you were one of the most interesting. All the individuals of your town were unique and charming, but it was how they worked together as a whole that was really inspiring. Roseland, you are such a richly crafted town, so vividly described, I could hear your heartbeat throughout the novel. Wonderful.
Blue, Cal, Calliel – For a while, all I could see was blue and it was beautiful and sad and magical and so lonely. The way you loved all the townspeople in Roseland was so endearing, and, well, you had my heart from the start. It’s so hard to say everything I want to about you without giving too much away, but this story would be lost without Blue.
BENJI – You broke my heart. I felt what you felt and there was no way for me to make it better for you except by reading to the end. I wanted so much to say sorry.
And finally,
BIG EDDIE – The best Dad in the world.
It’s not that there aren’t enough words to describe you. There aren’t any.
This story is emotional, and heavy, and magical all at once. This is a story of loss and love and trying desperately not to drown in the river that is grief. I know this story won’t be for everyone, but it touched a nerve with me. Part slice-of-live, part mystery, part paranormal, part romance, part blue—every word was worth it.
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥5Hearts – More if Portia would let me 😉
Blurb: Paul Auster doesn’t. Paul doesn’t believe in much at all. He’s thirty, slightly overweight, and his best features are his acerbic wit and the color commentary he provides as life passes him by. His closest friends are a two-legged dog named Wheels and a quasibipolar drag queen named Helena Handbasket. He works a dead-end job in a soul-sucking cubicle, and if his grandmother’s homophobic parrot insults him one more time, Paul is going to wring its stupid neck.
Enter Vince Taylor.
Vince is everything Paul isn’t: sexy, confident, and dumber than the proverbial box of rocks. And for some reason, Vince pursues Paul relentlessly. Vince must be messing with him, because there is no way Vince could want someone like Paul.
But when Paul hits Vince with his car—in a completely unintentional if-he-died-it’d-only-be-manslaughter kind of way—he’s forced to see Vince in a whole new light. The only thing stopping Paul from believing in Vince is himself—and that is one obstacle Paul can’t quite seem to overcome. But when tragedy strikes Vince’s family, Paul must put aside any notions he has about himself and stand next to the man who thinks he’s perfect the way he is
Review: I’m just going to start off by saying how hilarious this book was. It is the funniest book I have read in a long time. I probably laughed out loud over one hundred times and spent almost the rest of the book smiling. I’ve told all my friends it’s a must read. I loved it! 😀
It starts off will a brilliant ramble from Paul in which he basically lays it all out on the table for us. He’s so over the top in the best way possible. The cast from this book is amazing: Paul superstar drag queen best friend, the beautiful but not so bright love interest, the crazy parents who go way too far with trying to support their gay son, the Homo King jock, and Paul’s nana and her parrot who is totally offensive. Seriously, nobody but a parrot named Johnny Depp would get away with saying the things he says and still manage to make me laugh. There was some serious content but nothing so heavy to weigh down the humorous tone of the book. I’m sure I’ll read and reread this book because I gave up on highlighting every funny thing I came across. There was just too much!
Reading the story from Paul’s POV was so much fun. The way he thinks is so outrageous! His character could have easily been too much but Mr. Klune never let that happen. Paul is little self- conscious and sometimes shy. He has no problem being overly open and vocal with the loved ones in his life but not with sexy stranger way out of his league who won’t stop staring at him at the one gay club in Tucson. His embarrassing attempt to stay hidden away from all the action doesn’t go so well when his drag queen best friend, Sandy, drags him to the stage for his thirtieth happy birthday song. Up close the stranger is more perfect than he could have imagined and way out of his league. Thinking it will never work out he slips out of the club without talking to him. Apparently the universe is dead set on them meeting because Monday morning the man he can’t stop thinking about from the other night is his new trainee, Vince.
Vince isn’t dumb, but he says some things that would make people think that. He just has his own way of viewing the world. He’s beautiful and kind. Every animal in the book loves him. Vince is totally enamored of Paul from that first glimpse in the club. Every hilarious moment with Paul after only captivates him more. Vince is very open and persistent about wanting a chance with Paul but Paul thinks someone like Vince is too good for him. The only thing standing in Paul’s road to happiness is him.
I’m hoping there is a sequel to Tell Me It’s Real. I just have to know what happens between Sandy and, well, you’ll know who when you read it. This ensemble is just too good for one go around. I want more! This book will be added to one of my favorites list. It’s an absolute feel good book. I would recommend this book to everyone.
Blurb: Set in a world that closely resembles our own, Burn is a story of redemption and betrayal, of family and sacrifice, which leads to the greatest question of all: how far would you go to save the ones you love?
Fifteen years ago, Felix Paracel killed his mother with fire that shot from his hands. Since then, he has hidden from forces bent on exploiting him and his fire and wind Elemental abilities. But Felix’s world is about to change, because he is Findo Unum—the Split One—and his coming has been foretold for generations.
Though Felix’s arrival brings great joy to the Elemental world, it also heralds a coming darkness. No one knows this better than Seven.—Seven, the mysterious man who rescued Felix from that horrible fire years ago and then disappeared; Seven, who has returned to claim what’s rightfully his: Felix’s heart. But even as Felix begins to trust Seven and his feelings about his place in the world, the darkness reveals itself, bringing consequences no one could have predicted.
Review: Felix/Addy is an Elemental and not just any Elemental, but a duel Elemental. The only one in the world… he has been kept hidden… he knows nothing of his fate… and he is in grave danger.
When I finished this book I was in two minds, did I like it or not? And I still can’t tell you because even though the story-line and plot was mind-blowing, the detail incredible, the supporting characters great, the fight scenes epic and the sex hot, I wanted to smash the two main characters heads in, stomp on their faces, drop buildings on them and set them on fire.
When the story starts we get a clip of Felix when he is nine, as the story progresses, we learn more of his life which is interesting and I had high hopes for his character. Well, I did until he met Seven again and he turned into a pussy. Seven is an overbearing oaf who believes that his word is law and the way that he keeps things from Felix ‘for his own good’ got right up my nose. These two characters were great when they were apart, but together, because of their connection they changed into vomit-inducing wimps.
I know a lot of people will be going “but they were great.” Well, I challenge you by saying really!! Every time Felix grew a backbone and was going to challenge his father/the council/Seven for answers he’d back down in seconds usually because of something that Seven said or did. Seven would usually cave in to what Felix wanted unless his safety was in question. Now the other characters in this book were brilliant and I loved Tick and Tock they were just… special.
This story is not some romantic light and fluffy read, it’s dark and gritty and there is no happy ever after or happy for now ending, what you have is two men’s hearts breaking as they separate because they have no choice. There is no real romance in this book just an expectation that they will be together and the bonding forcing it. Seven sleeps with a woman for a number of years even though he knows that Felix is male. it would have been more realistic if Seven had slept with a man but hay-ho.
This story is actually really well written and although for me the two main characters fell flat this is still a very enjoyable read. I will give a warning though, if you think that you are going to read this book in a few hours then you are sadly mistaken. anyone who reads this in less than 12 hours is skipping and not taking the story in at all and the story-line deserves better than that.
Now this book has to be recommended on the story-line alone because the romance between Felix and Seven doesn’t feel genuine or real. So, I recommend this for the violence, fights, explosions, the secrets, the great story-line, the supporting characters and the promise of more to come.
P.S. And just a quick question for the author, if the Scared King got to ‘you know who’ wouldn’t the Scared King have also got to ‘you know who’ as well because they were always together?
Description: Three years ago, Bear McKenna’s mother took off for parts unknown with her new boyfriend, leaving Bear to raise his six-year-old brother Tyson, aka the Kid. Somehow they’ve muddled through, but since he’s totally devoted to the Kid, Bear isn’t actually doing much living—with a few exceptions, he’s retreated from the world, and he’s mostly okay with that. Until Otter comes home.
Otter is Bear’s best friend’s older brother, and as they’ve done for their whole lives, Bear and Otter crash and collide in ways neither expects. This time, though, there’s nowhere to run from the depth of emotion between them. Bear still believes his place is as the Kid’s guardian, but he can’t help thinking there could be something more for him in the world… something or someone.
Review: There is no way that this is a debut novel. Somewhere there must be books under another pen name that I have yet to discover. This book is absolutely perfect. And if you knew me, you’d know that is not the opinion that should be coming out of me.
Why? Well, first of all, I hate books written in first person. No particular reason, just my preference. But, this book made me feel like Bear and I were sitting on his back porch and he was telling me his story. Even the flash back scenes, another literary devise I hate, were done in such a way, that I wasn’t confused or irritated by the interruption.
Bear is so sweet. You can almost taste his fear when he is thrust into this very adult role…the day before his 18th birthday. His girlfriend and his best friend are there to lend support, but he instinctively turns to Otter. Otter who has always been there; a steady presence in the midst of Bear’s chaotic childhood. Otter that is willing to give up a dream job in California to stay and help Bear raise the Kid.
Jury is still out on whether Otter is a saint or a fool. Part of me wishes that he’d responded differently to Bear’s initial advances…but, that would have made for a very short book. Part of me was glad that Otter had a chance to grow up professionally and personally, so he’d be ready to be a real partner to Bear when the time was right.
But, the real star of this book is Tyson… the Kid. The words that come out of this child’s mouth will have you rolling on the floor laughing and blushing. It’s almost a shame the Kid is straight as an arrow. Unless he does an extreme transformation during puberty, there is no way we’re getting a sequel out of him.
This story really is about how these three souls come together to form a family. And there are plenty of obstacles. The biggest being Bear, who spends way too much time waiting for the next shoe to drop.
I only have one question for Tj Klune…how did that woman know about San Diego?
I would love to see this book made into a Lifetime movie. It definitely reads like a movie. Kudos to Tj Klune on a fabulous debut novel.
Title: Crisped + Sere
Title: How to be a Normal Person (Unabridged)
Title: Wolfsong
Title: Withered + Sere
![Queen&theHomeJockKing[The]LG](https://mmgoodbookreviews.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/queenthehomejockkingthelg.jpg?w=300)
Title: The Queen & the Homo Jock King
