Author Archives: thebloggergirls

Book Review: Nachos & Hash by Brandon Witt

Reviewed by JustJen

33415187Title: Nachos & Hash
Author: Brandon Witt
Series: Mary’s Boys #1
Heroes: Darwin/Cody
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 105 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: January 25, 2017
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Darwin Michaels is living his dreams in the Mile High City. While Denver offers the perfect job, scrumptious dining, and whirlwind dating options, Darwin is losing hope he’ll find the right man to spark his interest for more than a one-night stand—until he sets eyes on Cody Russell.

Cody has just accomplished his life’s goal—get the hell out of Kansas. In one fell swoop, he lands a job at Hamburger Mary’s and gets a newfound family and the chance to be with other gay people! All that’s missing is someone special. But when Darwin shows his interest, Cody is sure it’s too good to be true. After all, what can Darwin possibly see in the high school dropout serving him nachos?

As Darwin falls in love, Cody struggles to realize his worth. When his past threatens the fragile life he is building, Cody spirals into a moment of dark desperation. But Darwin is determined to show Cody that love and family and home are there for him… will Cody accept what is offered?
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2017 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

P.O.W. by Max Vos: Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway!

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P.O.W.

by Max Vos

pow-english-for-amazon-1400-x-2100After being taken prisoner by a Taliban Warlord, can Sam Stone hold on long enough to get his best friend back to his family and find love in the arms of Abbas, the handsome, blue-eyed Arab?
Sam has secretly been in love with is best friend and fellow Marine, Benoit, for quite some time and would not hesitate to die for him.

The macho Marine, Benoit, is shaken to his very core when he and his best friend are taken prisoners and made to do things that he would never have done, especially with Sam, who he knew had feelings for him.

Abbas tries everything to gain his families freedom when an unexpected man comes into his life that he starts having deep feelings for almost immediately.

Sam Stone has been secretly in love with his best friend and fellow Marine, Benoit, for a long time. It’s only after they were captured by a Taliban Warlord that he realizes that he would readily give his life to get Benoit back to his family. But it is Abbas, the Westernized Arab who steals his heart and helps Sam and Benoit regain their freedom. Now Sam has to learn to find true love and help heal not only himself, but the two men he loves deeply.

Warning: This book contains material that may be offensive to some: graphic language, military
situations, P.O.W scenes, adult situations and other situations only meant for an adult audience

Available at: Amazon

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An Exclusive Excerpt from P.O.W.

Roughly, Stone was taken by his upper arms and led into a building. The sudden warmth of being inside shocked his system; he became acutely aware of how cold he’d been. His body started shivering uncontrollably, his teeth clamping down hard on the gag, making the muscles in his jaw stand out, aching.

Without warning, he was shoved face first into a wall. The noose around his neck was loosened, then taken off, and the hood removed. Stone was shoved hard back into the wall, its rough texture scratching his cheek. What was obviously the barrel of a gun was placed to the back of his head, and something said in Arabic. A few moments later, the bindings around his wrists were undone, making his hands tingle with the rush of blood, further proof of how cold he’d actually been.

The light was dim in what looked to be a narrow hallway, with no apparent windows. The gun still pressed into the back of Stone’s head. His shivering body betrayed him, causing the coarseness of the wall to scrape the chapped skin on his cheek, rubbing away the skin.

Still forced against the wall, Stone was stripped naked, the cold once again seeping into the very center of his being. He was brusquely pushed along the dirt floor of the hall, and outside, into a courtyard of sorts. There was a light snow falling, and the cold hit his naked, exposed skin like needles. It was only when Stone saw three other men, Taliban, standing there that he began to get a sinking feeling deep in his gut.

They strung Stone up on a frame that reminded him of a swing set he’d had as a kid. A burst of pain went off in his head as they stretched his arms above his head, stretching the broken ribs. Then there was even more pain when his legs were stretched, then tied to the base of the frame. Stone was stretched tight, spread-eagle, naked, shivering in the cold. There was no sign of Benoit.

A skinny kid, no more than eighteen, slowly walked towards the naked, spread-eagle Stone with an evil grin. Picking up a bucket, he threw water into the Marine’s face. The water was freezing, and after the initial shock, the cold air made Stone’s wet body shiver uncontrollably. The muscles in his jaw were cramping from biting down on the dirty gag so hard, but the rag kept his teeth from chattering.

The kid did this over and over, waiting between each bucketful to let Stone feel the full effect. He could feel his body temperature drop with each subsequent dowsing. His nipples had pulled up so tight and hard he felt as though he could have cut diamonds with them. The pain in his side from the broken ribs had become a dull ache, and he recognized the feeling of his body starting to go into shock.

The other men were cheering the kid on each time the tortured American was doused, feeding off each other like a pack of wild dogs. When Stone felt himself about to black out, he got a hard punch in the gut, making his side scream in pain, bringing him wide awake again. This went on and on and on, with no end in sight.

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About Max Vos

Max Vos is a classically trained chef with over 30 years of food service experience. After retiring in 2011, Max found himself with time on his hands and was urged to turn his talents to writing. ‘Cooking English’, a short story, now part of his anthology collection, Inappropriate Roads, is now available. My Hero was his first novel, which turned into an international best seller. Max now has a total of six completed novels, which are listed on his website, along with the entire Memories Series. My Hero: The Olympian, the sequel to My Hero was released late last year.

Find out more about Max on his Website, Tumblr, Blog, Twitter, or Instagram.

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As part of this blog tour, Max is giving away 3 prizes: grand prize is $20 Dollar Amazon GC and a Ecopy of P.O.W. by Max Vos, second prize is The Complete Memories Series ( 5 ebooks) by Max Vos and third prize is Two Backlist Titles by Max Vos!! To enter, just click the link below!

Rafflecopter Giveaway

Please be aware that the only way to enter the giveaway is to click the Rafflecopter link above. Any comments on this post will not count towards entering the giveaway unless otherwise stated but are still welcome anyway.

Good luck!

Categories: Book Promo, Excerpts, Giveaways, LGBT, Published in 2017 | Tags: , , , , | 4 Comments

Book Review: Exile by Caleb James

Reviewed by Ami

32946762Title: Exile
Author: Caleb James
Series: The Haffling #2
Heroes: Liam Summer/Charlie Fitzgerald
Genre: MM Fantasy
Length: 236 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: January 24, 2017
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Liam Summer, with the face of an angel and the body of an underwear model, has done bad things. Raised as the whore and cat’s paw of a murderous fairy queen, his beauty has ruined many. When Queen May’s plot to unite and rule the fairy and human realms fails, Liam wakes naked and alone in a Manhattan building on fire. Unaware the blaze is arson, and he’s its intended victim, he prepares to die.

Enter ax-wielding FDNY firefighter Charlie Fitzgerald, who Liam mistakes for an ogre assassin. As Charlie rescues Liam, he realizes the handsome blond has nowhere to go. So he does what he, and his family, have always done—he helps.

As for Queen May, trapped in the body of a flame-throwing salamander, she may be down, but she’s not out. Yes, she failed the last time, but Liam, and others, will pay. She knows what must be done: possess a haffling, cross into the human world engorged with magic, and become queen and Goddess over all.

As Liam realizes the danger they all face, he discovers unexpected truths. That even the most wicked are not beyond redemption, and that love—true love—is a gift even he can receive.
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Categories: 3 Star Ratings, Ami's Reviews, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2017 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Release Day Blitz: Watching and Wanting by Jay Northcote + Excerpt!

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Watching and Wanting by Jay Northcote

 

watchingandwantingWatching Jude’s cam show stirs desires Shawn’s always denied…

Shawn is adrift. Recently graduated, he’s stuck in a dead-end job that barely pays the bills. His girlfriend dumped him, his friends have moved on, and he’s still in Plymouth—going nowhere.

Jude is a student living in the same shared house. Out and proud, he’s everything Shawn’s been running from since he hit puberty. When Shawn discovers Jude works as a cam boy, he can’t resist the urge to watch one of his shows. It makes Shawn want things that scare him, yet his fascination forces him to confront his attraction.

Keen to explore his bicurious side, Shawn suggests they do a show together. Jude agrees, and things get complicated—and kinky—fast. But Jude isn’t looking to get involved with someone so deep in the closet. If Shawn’s going to get what he wants, he needs to find the courage to stop hiding from himself and be honest about who he is.

Available at: Amazon

 

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Categories: Book Promo, Book Review, Giveaways, LGBT, Published in 2016 | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Unsafe Exposure by Kaje Harper

Reviewed by Morgan 

29773769Title: Unsafe Exposure
Author: Kaje Harper
Series: Hidden Wolves #4
Heroes: Dylan Shore/Alex Corwin
Genre: MM Paranormal
Length: 393 Pages
Publisher: MLR Press
Release Date: September 9, 2016
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Stepping out of the closet as a gay man may be a walk in the park, compared to coming out as a werewolf.

From the moment artist Dylan Shore arrives in Chicago, his life gets twisted like a kaleidoscope. Why does a street gang he’s never met before want him dead? Why is a hot but odd mathematician stalking him? And how can half the things Alex Corwin says possibly be true, no matter how honest he seems?

Alex has a frightening dilemma. Dylan is attractive, appealing, out and proud. He’s also completely unaware that he’s a werewolf. It shouldn’t be Alex’s job to tell him, and warn him that gay wolves usually end up dead. But someone has to, before he finds out in blood and violence.

Chicago’s not Alex’s home town, but somehow he needs to protect Dylan from the local packs, protect the Packs from being outed by Dylan, and keep his cool around the first man to touch his own deeply-closeted heart.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Morgan's Reviews, Published in 2016 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Calvin by Catherine Lievens

Reviewed by Morgan 

33853188Title: Calvin
Author: Catherine Lievens
Series: Gillham Pack #19
Heroes: Calvin/Alex
Genre: MM Paranormal
Length: 121 Pages
Publisher: eXtasy Books
Release Date: January 13, 2017
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Sometimes you have to let the fear go to welcome happiness.

Calvin was assaulted when he arrived in Gillham two months ago, after living on the streets for two years, but it wasn’t enough to dissuade him to leave the town and his new life. He never expected to be assaulted again, though, especially not by the same man.

Alex has been envious ever since both his brothers found their mates, but at only twenty-one, he never expected to find his own. He especially didn’t expect the man he rescues from a beating to be it.
Calvin and Alex have to learn to navigate their new relationship. Calvin is shy and hesitant, and Alex does his best to give him enough time to get used to his presence. They move in together—as housemates—but their fragile relationship is threatened by the appearance of a teenage brother Calvin didn’t know he had. What will this mean for Calvin and Alex’s relationship? Will Calvin finally believe Alex is in it for life, or will he let his insecurity win?
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Categories: 3.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Morgan's Reviews, Published in 2017 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Honorary Bloggers Kelly Wyre & AF Henley: The Character Discussion + Giveaway!

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The Character Discussion

by Kelly Wyre & AF Henley

Welcome to the Breaker (Exile, Volume 1) Blog Tour and Giveaway! We’re both super excited about this new release and thrilled to be able to share it with you. Throughout this tour, we’re going to be introducing many of the characters within, and associated with, Exile’s bizarre shores, as well as introducing Exile itself. Then we’re going to top that off with a quick little teaser.

However, before we get into any of that we wanted to remind you that we’ve got a couple of awesome giveaways going along with the tour so be sure to read through to the end to find out how you could win either a Silver-plated Starfish Anklet (just by leaving a single comment!), or the grand prize of a signed, print copy of Breaker, a coordinates bracelet with the Believe. Seek. Prove. reminder so you can always find your way back to the island of Exile, and a $20 gift certificate to the Less Than Three Press book market.

The Character Discussion

AF Henley: *looks up, petrified* What do you mean, “YOU start it this time?”

Kelly Wyre: I think I meant exactly that. And now I’m questioning my life choices. As usual. Ahem. HI EVERYBODY! We’re here to keep on discussing Exile: Breaker characters. Who’s up today, Henley?

AFH: Loaded question, Kelly.

KW: *eyes Henley* Hm. Do you need a second? Does today’s character just… do it for you?

AFH: Aw, Kelly. All our characters do it for me. But Mithra *is* a pretty cool one.

KW: I like her.

AFH: She does the thing… with the thing… that we wrote about.

KW: Yes. That thing. The give-the-Barrier-its-creepy-ass-vibes-thing. Mithra is one of the people who maintains the Barrier on the Island, which is the thing that helps guard it from the overly-militarized-completely-freaked-out-and-trigger-happy world. Unfortunately, it makes Eddie see the Kraken.

AFH: Damn. She’s good at what she does then.

A great big thank you to The Blogger Girls for hosting us today, and another to you for joining in on the fun. Best of luck with the giveaway and we hope you enjoyed the post!

Until next time,

Kelly Wyre and AF Henley ❤ Continue reading

Categories: Book Promo, Excerpts, Giveaways, Honorary Blogger Post, LGBT, Published in 2017 | Tags: , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Book Review: The Mighty Have Fallen by Bonnie Dee

Reviewed by Ami

33414211Title: The Mighty Have Fallen
Author: Bonnie Dee
Heroes: Trevor Rowland/Jack Burrows
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 112 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: January 18, 2017
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Theatre headliner Trevor Rowland is at the peak of his career when disaster strikes. In one fell swoop, he loses his eyesight, his fame, and his boyfriend, who absconds with most of his money. Trevor must take on a flatmate, hardworking East Ender Jack Burrows, to afford the rent. Anger and bitterness have taken up residence in his heart—but Jack shines light into the shadowy corners with his relentlessly sunny disposition.

Jack introduces Trevor to a local drag club and convinces him he can enjoy the stage again. Trevor’s defences slowly come down as Jack becomes much more than a barely tolerated roommate.

But will Trevor’s fragile trust be destroyed when it appears he’s been manipulated yet again by a man he’s come to care for? Will he reclaim his life or crawl back into a shell of defeat? Trevor must learn to trust not only a man, but himself, once more.
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Categories: 3 Star Ratings, Ami's Reviews, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2017 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Cemeteries by Moonlight by Hunter Frost

Reviewed by Ami

33397667Title: Cemeteries by Moonlight
Author: Hunter Frost
Series: States of Love – Louisiana
Heroes: Drew Daniels/Finn Murphy
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 108 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: January 18, 2017
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  When a serious bout of writer’s block threatens to delay mystery author Drew Daniels’s newest book, his aunt offers her New Orleans apartment in the heart of the French Quarter as a writing retreat. She neglects to mention that it’s occupied by the enigmatic and sexy Finn Murphy, a cemetery tour guide with a penchant for Victorian attire and a Cajun accent.

A body discovered in an open crypt forces reclusive Drew to deal with Finn’s eccentric group of friends and his underlying attraction to the hot Cajun—despite warnings about Finn’s violent past. Drew might write this stuff, but he’s never had to solve a real-life murder. With a deadline looming and a killer on the loose, this retreat is proving to be anything but helpful for Drew’s novel. Drew can only hope he won’t end up a tragic tale for the Ghostly Legends & Lore, Inc. haunted tour.
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Categories: 3.5 Star Ratings, Ami's Reviews, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2017 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Honorary Blogger R Phoenix: Behind Too Close + Giveaway!

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Behind Too Close

by R Phoenix

Hello everyone,

Thank you for taken an interest in me, my work, and what I have to say. Much like Skylar, the main character in my contemporary book Too Close, I have a groan-worthy sense of humor. He didn’t get it from a stranger, but with some of that groan-worthy levity I would like to talk about some deeper stuff.

“I’m dealing with a lot of scary things. I think you have to react to them. And you either laugh at them or you go insane Or you shut off from everything and everyone. Trying not to feel.”
–Death Masks. Jim Butcher.

I’ve been surprised by how many people genuinely want to know about the motivation behind Too Close. I’m not here to tell you everything you read was true, even though my experiences have heavily colored the story depicted in this book. Unfortunately, all too often we run into the question of why people stay in an abusive relationship, and that is something I would like to touch upon in this blog post.

What did the grape say when it got crushed? Nothing. It just let out a little wine.

There’s a misconception that if you’re that miserable, you’ll head out and never look back, but it’s not quite that simple. I’m hoping Too Close gives a better approximation of why people stay. Of course, Skylar’s story is as purely unique as that of any other abuse victim. The reasons for staying vary greatly from person to person. To give you an idea, they tend to come down to thing like love, hope, fear, isolation, lack of resources, children, confusion, guilt, self-worth and social pressure. It is rarely just one thing, and often an amalgamation of several.

We don’t have any vegetable jokes yet, so if you do, lettuce know.

From a young age, we are taught responsibility by our parents, and that responsibility extends to honoring commitments. Then through media, we are often given the message that true love will conquer all and that you should give everything up for a chance at such unique happiness. Love demands sacrifice, love requires you to work on it. Love means that in the end all the hardships will have been worthwhile, because then it was true love!

Do not trust atoms. They make up everything.

We aren’t taught what true love actually looks like though, and all too often, we aren’t taught how much sacrifice is too much. When faced with abuse, reaching out for help becomes hard, because no one wants to admit that maybe they made a mistake in believing their heart and following their emotions. Maybe the situation is abusive, but it also provides financial stability, and wouldn’t it then be silly to leave that behind? Or what if there are children involved, and they are a good parent to them; would you deprive your children of that because you’re feeling undervalued? What if they also tell you that they love you? That they didn’t mean it and will never do it again?

Wouldn’t you want to believe that, knowing that a relationship is a commitment, takes work, and true love is worth it? Besides, where would you go? You can’t go back to your parents because you can’t work out your relationship. You’re an adult now…! Maybe you already know you should leave, but you’re afraid what your partner will do to you or themselves if you do. Maybe, after so long, you have started to believe your partner when they say they love you, but you make them so angry…! You kind of had it coming, right? You could have been nicer. And they’re not that bad. Other people have it much worse!

I tried to catch some fog. I mist. Continue reading

Categories: Book Promo, Excerpts, Honorary Blogger Post | Tags: , , | Leave a comment