Debut Authors

Debut Authors are those who are just starting out as authors and only have one title to their name at the time of their post date.

Book Review: Liesmith by Alis Franklin

Reviewed by Nikyta

1Title: Liesmith
Author: Alis Franklin
Series: Of the Wyrd #1
Heroes: Sigmund Sussman/Lain Laufeyjarson
Genre: M/M Urban Fantasy
Length: 308 Pages
Publisher: Hydra Publication
Release Date: October 7, 2014
Available at: Random House and Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Working in low-level IT support for a company that’s the toast of the tech world, Sigmund Sussman finds himself content, if not particularly inspired. As compensation for telling people to restart their computer a few times a day, Sigmund earns enough disposable income to gorge on comics and has plenty of free time to devote to his gaming group.

Then in walks the new guy with the unpronounceable last name who immediately becomes IT’s most popular team member. Lain Laufeyjarson is charming and good-looking, with a story for any occasion; shy, awkward Sigmund is none of those things, which is why he finds it odd when Lain flirts with him. But Lain seems cool, even if he’s a little different—though Sigmund never suspects just how different he could be. After all, who would expect a Norse god to be doing server reboots?

As Sigmund gets to know his mysterious new boyfriend, fate—in the form of an ancient force known as the Wyrd—begins to reveal the threads that weave their lives together. Sigmund doesn’t have the first clue where this adventure will take him, but as Lain says, only fools mess with the Wyrd. Why? Because the Wyrd messes back.
Continue reading

Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, Debut Authors, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cover Reveal: Grif’s Toy by Joseph Lance Tonlet + Excerpt & Giveaway!

Blogger_Cover_Reveal

Grif’s Toy

Tease and Denial, Book 1

by Joseph Lance Tonlet

Blurb: Grif believes he’ll live his life as a virgin. After all, who would want him? How could anyone find him, a guy who came with less than man-sized equipment, worthy of their love?

What he hadn’t counted on were the two amazing men who entered his life. Tate, a fun-loving, wealthy college kid and Wes, a handsome, rugged ex-marine who runs his own security firm.

Both men lead Grif through a twisted mesh of pleasure, pain, and denial, as they force him to see his value, despite his size and insecurities.

Now available for pre-order on Amazon and Smashwords

blogger_bee_trans

And the moment you’ve been waiting for! Grif’s Toy cover reveal…

Continue reading

Categories: Book Promo, Cover Reveals, Debut Authors, Excerpts, Giveaways, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , | 29 Comments

Book Review: Out in the Open by A.J Truman

Reviewed by Heather C

1Title:  Out in the Open
Author: A.J. Truman
Series: Browerton University #1
Heroes: Ethan Follett/Greg Sanderson
Genre: MM Contemporary Romance
Length: 244 Pages
Publisher: A.J. Truman
Release Date: September 25, 2014
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Libraries are meant for studying – not sex

College sophomore Ethan Follett never says what’s on his mind and never wants to rock the boat. After a high school social life spent anonymous and alone, things are finally falling into place for him. He’s found a group of friends just as studious as he, and is on track for a promising legal career. Out in the open, things couldn’t be better, but secretly Ethan yearns for some real excitement in his life.

He finds it in cocky fratboy Greg Sanderson, who challenges every rigid, preconceived notion Ethan lives by. Soon, their sparring relationship turns sexual, and these enemies-with-benefits get their freak on all over campus. Yet the more Ethan comes out of his shell, the more Greg retreats into his, working overtime to keep his ladies man public persona intact. As the sex gets hotter, and they get closer to getting caught, one part of their arrangement can’t stay hidden any longer: love.

Continue reading

Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, Debut Authors, Heather C's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: Paused by Bryan Keating

Reviewed by JustJen

3Title: Paused
Author: Bryan Keating
Heroes: Taylor Quinn/
Genre: MM/FF Contemporary
Length: 320 Pages
Publisher: Bryan Keating
Release Date: July 28, 2014
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  After ditching a flight for a new adventure, former, reality television star, Taylor Quinn, is scrambling the colorful streets of Chicago with notorious addictions. Taylor quickly begins dating a privileged drug dealer who unknowingly provides him with the necessities he desires. Just as he starts to better his future, Taylor’s destructive roommate reenters his life and the two struggle to feed their addiction to addictions. Unfortunately, Taylor consistently causes chaos into the lives of his loved ones as he strives for an escape.

In separate but intertwined stories, Taylor’s best friend, Adrienne Ponziano and his favorite frenemy, Lynn Riley, have impulsive adventures of their own. Adrienne, while unhappily engaged, romances numerous men in hopes of gaining the true love she desires. Her actions activate her hidden family history sending her on a chase around Illinois. Closet, lipstick lesbian Lynn turns towards online dating websites to explore her hidden sexuality. Her double life leads her to a mischievous woman connected to everyone she seems to know.
Continue reading

Categories: 2.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, Debut Authors, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Book Review: Loser Takes All by Kora Knight

Reviewed by JustJen

12Title: Loser Takes All
Author: Kora Knight
Series: Up-Ending Tad: A Journey of Erotic Discovery #1
Heroes: Scott/Tad
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 63 Pages
Publisher: Kora Knight
Release Date: September 5, 2014
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Tad’s weekend started out like any other; hitting a college frat party with a handful of buddies. But just as the evening hits its peak, things get up-ended fast. Ditched by his drunken, trolling friends, Tad winds up getting hustled by three jocks playing poker. Now he’s forced to pay his dues in the most outlandish of ways; accepting a couple broken bones or spending an hour with his victors’ favorite flogger, Scott. But the guy’s tantalizing torture quickly proves to be the least of Tad’s worries… and the kickoff to a night of raw, shocking lust.

Experience the graphic, minute-by-minute account of that hour spent at the hands of Tad’s insatiable tormentor. Addicting chemistry lights the stage as Scott ignites Tad’s reluctant desires into a frenzy of forbidden need.
Continue reading

Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, Debut Authors, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Debut Author Review: Matters of Courtship by C.M. Jackson

Reviewed by Nikyta

1Title: Matters of Courtship
Author: C.M. Jackson
Heroes: William Samuel Davis/Lucas O’Malley-Hamilton
Genre: M/M Alternate Reality/Contemporary
Length: 256 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: September 8, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Crown Prince of the United Kingdom of America, William Samuel Davis, has recently been outted by the press. Worse yet, he’s been thrown into an arranged marriage with one of the stuffiest people he knows—one Lucas O’Malley-Hamilton. It’s a match made in hell, and William fully intends to make everyone see the error of their ways and send Lucas back home on the first available flight.

But things quickly get more complicated than William had thought possible as the Anti-Monarchy crowd uses his outting against him. As he is forced to face the realities of his position, he finds himself drawn to sides of Lucas he hadn’t known existed. Tensions rise throughout the country and in William’s world. While the situation absolutely refuses to improve, it can and will get worse.
Continue reading

Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, Debut Authors, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Swimmer by Louis J. Harris

Reviewed by JustJen

1Title: Swimmer
Author: Louis J. Harris
Heroes: Basil/Will
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 14,000 Words
Publisher: Louis J. Harris
Release Date: July 8, 2014
Available at: Smashwords and All Romance Ebooks
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  When a man loses the love of his life, he has various options. He can find another, he can find himself, and he can also become reclusive, or he can drown in a cloud of guilt. Basil chooses the latter. Four years previously his lover left him without a note, without so much as a telephone call. He decided then that he will pursue his dream of becoming a renowned artist, and to hell with love. He isn’t looking for a man. And then he meets the Swimmer. Even though he’s not looking, the Swimmer knows that only one thing can save save Basil from himself. True love. Will Basil find it? Will the Swimmer give it? A story of love, loss and above all, hope. He can love himself. Invest in material things that can’t hurt him.

Will is a young Olympian whose soul has been places, a wise person beyond his years. A man who will fill the void Basil left behind four years ago. It won’t be easy, for there is a price to pay, and once paid, will they be able to move on with their lives, together?
Continue reading

Categories: 3 Star Ratings, Book Review, Debut Authors, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Honorary Blogger Brina Brady: Brina’s Writing Process + Excerpt & Giveaway!

Honorary_Blogger_Post

Brina’s Writing Process

by Brina Brady

My writing process begins with two characters and then I add more. I fill out a thorough character chart for each. I create in Scrivener because I am able to have pictures of my characters while I type. From this point, I begin writing and have my characters talk to each other. My first draft is dialogue with sparse settings and descriptions. For some reason, I like to focus on 3000 words at a time. I will work it for a week until the skeleton grows some flesh. During this process, I add more action and beats to the tags. The description is more detailed, sometimes too much then later needs cutting.

In Rent Me, I did extensive research on the Russian culture and Russian mobsters located in California. I know California since I lived there. I wanted to make sure Dmitri reacted to his oppressive culture and grew from it. He was suppressed as a child because in Russia you can’t be openly gay. This caused problems for him because he was in love with Brennen, but he married Nika to appease his family and friends. I like to create conflict in each chapter.

I researched rent boys on Twitter to see why they liked their job. Another great resource for me was Tumblr. The pictures fused my imagination for sex scenes. I also investigated some pictures and videos on some Gay sites to get ideas. That was the fun part of researching.

One day I sat down and thought about a backstory for Brennen. Where did he come from? How did he meet Dmitri?

As time went on, I added layers to each chapter. I took many writing classes from Romance Writers of America. I found out I needed some hooks so I added them in later. I joined writing groups and listened to what my beta readers suggested and having a great editor helps, too.

My writing begins in my head and my characters demand time on my screen. I allow them to do as they will for the most part. A couple of times, both Dmitri and Brennen were out of control so I had to rein them in.

Currently, I am working on my new novel Bent Over but the sequel to Rent Me is also in process due to the demands of Brennen and Dmitri. I love writing and will never stop.

blogger_bee_trans

About Rent Me

22047254

Rent Boy Brennen wants to belong to his lover Dmitri Dubrovsky. The Russian mobster controls every inch of his life in and out of bed. Brennen works for Dmitri’s escort service. His only desire is to please his lover. When Dmitri marries Nika, his lover moves him out of their home to an apartment in Beverly Hills and tells him nothing has changed. What is Brennen going to do now?

Warning:

This is a Gay adult consensual story focused on themes of corporal discipline punishment and explicit sex with some elements of BDSM between adult men over the age of eighteen.

Available at: Smashwords, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance eBooks and Kobo

blogger_bee_trans

An Excerpt from Rent Me

Dmitri pounded his fists on the table and said, “Now, you are being disrespectful to me.”

“Well, you are siding with all our enemies.”

 “What the hell are you talking about? You are under my protection and in exchange, I asked you to respect me. And if you disrespect me, I am in charge of the consequences. You agreed to this. Do you remember our written agreement?”

“Yes, I remember. Sorry if I was disrespectful, but I feel you don’t treat me like an adult.”

“Sorry is not good enough this time. For your punishment, you have three choices. Your first choice is to quit being an escort. Your second choice is for me to take you back to Adrik. Your third choice is to give your consent to be whipped with my belt and it won’t be play discipline.”

“I can’t believe you want to bring me back to Adrik.” Brennen shook his head. “I’m not quitting my job. Especially now since you are married. And you are not going to punish me with a belt. You’re my boyfriend.”

Dmitri got up from the table, picked up the red apple timer on the stovetop, and set it down in front of Brennen. When he had gotten into trouble, Dmitri and Mischa used the timer for time-outs. The timer was their way of giving him some quiet space to think about what he had done wrong.

“Why a belt? Brennen looked up at Dmitri.

“Did you think I would discipline you with our play paddle?”

“But Adrik used to hit me with a belt.” He was annoyed at his own whining voice.

“It’s punishment. Quit your damn escort job, then.”

“I can’t believe you are doing this to me,” Brennen said.

“You have twenty minutes to decide which punishment you want. You only have three choices, but if you don’t accept any of the choices, then you are choosing to walk away from me as your lover.”

“You don’t mean this, do you?” Brennen asked.

“Have you ever known me to lie to you?”

“No.”

“I will always take care of you, but you will no longer be my lover if you don’t choose one of the three punishments. Our relationship is based on me being the top man who makes the rules and you are the bottom man who follows the rules. You knew this when we became lovers.”

 Dmitri set the apple timer. “You have twenty minutes to decide.” He left him alone in the kitchen with the red ticking frying pan clock.

Why was he doing this?

Brennen knew Dmitri could force him back to Adrik. But even if he made him go there, he would probably be able to run away. He did not want to take any chances. No, that was not an option, and Dmitri knew that.

Dmitri playing God again.

This was all about Dmitri forcing him to quit the escort job at the agency. Brennen was not going to quit his job. He loved it, and it made him feel good about himself. But to walk away from Dmitri as his lover was not what he wanted either. The only thing left was to give consent to be punished with the belt. How hard would he hit him? The timer continued to tick along with the clock on the wall. His nerves went to hell.

Dmitri entered the kitchen as the timer buzzed. Brennen covered his ears and slapped it. He picked the apple timer up and returned it to its proper place.

“What have you decided?” Dmitri asked.

blogger_bee_trans

About Brina Brady

I am from Huntington Beach, Ca. I taught various subjects at a Continuation High School in Los Angeles, California for 27 years. I obtained a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in history, Secondary Social Science Credential and a Master’s Degree in Secondary Reading and Secondary Education from California State University, Long Beach. I also enrolled in some creative writing classes at UCLA. I am currently taking classes from Romance Writers of America. I belong to the Rainbow Romance Writers.

I would love to hear from my readers, so please drop me a line. You can email Brina or check out her Blog.

Blogger_Giveaway

Brina has kindly offered up a chance to win an eBook copy of Rent Me to THREE lucky winners! The giveaway starts now and ends July 11, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. 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, except to verify your Rafflecopter entry.

Don’t forget to check out JustJen’s review of Rent Me to see what she thought of it!

Good luck!

Categories: Book Promo, Debut Authors, Excerpts, Giveaways, Honorary Blogger Post, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , | 36 Comments

Book Review: Rent Me by Brina Brady

Reviewed by JustJen

22047254Title: Rent Me
Author: Brina Brady
Heroes: Brennan/Dmitri
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 260 Pages
Publisher: Brina Brady
Release Date: May 27, 2014
Available at: Smashwords, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance eBooks and Kobo
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Rent Boy Brennen wants to belong to his lover Dmitri Dubrovsky. The Russian mobster controls every inch of his life in and out of bed. Brennen works for Dmitri’s escort service. His only desire is to please his lover. When Dmitri marries Nika, his lover moves him out of their home to an apartment in Beverly Hills and tells him nothing has changed. What is Brennen going to do now?
Continue reading

Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, Debut Authors, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Debut Author Review: Dark Side of the Sun by Belinda Burke

Reviewed by Nikyta

The Dark Side of the Sun (Eight Kingdoms #1)Title: Dark Side of the Sun
Author: Belinda Burke
Series: Eight Kingdoms #1
Heroes: Bran & Macsen
Genre: M/M Paranormal
Length: 53k words
Publisher: Totally Bound
Release Date: April 11, 2014
Available at: Totally Bound, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance eBooks and Kobo
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: An ancient pact was once broken by the theft of Summer’s Prince. Now, the Red King has found him. To live, to love, they seek the dark side of the sun…

A thousand years ago, Milesian invaders gained ownership of Ireland from Summer’s Queen through trickery. Since that day, the green isle’s native sidhe have been imprisoned in their hidden kingdom, bound by their ancient pact with the Milesians.

Now, the treaty has been violated. The Milesians have stolen Bran Fionnan, the son of Summer’s Queen. Trapped in the human world with no way of returning home, Bran is held under a death threat that forces him to work for his captors. He must forge weapons the Milesian huntresses can use to slay their new foe: the Red King. 

The Red King is Macsen Cadoc, a vampire—a hunter who cannot stand being hunted. He seeks vengeance for the Milesian attacks in spilled blood—Milesian blood, and the blood of the sidhe traitor who has forged their weapons. 

When the one he finds is a victim, not a traitor, everything changes. 

Bran Fionnan is the Milesian’s most valuable prize, but from the moment Macsen sees him, he wants him…and the Red King is not accustomed to being denied—by anyone. What begins with desire may end in extraordinary ways, but first there are questions that must be answered.

What is love? Can it help Bran overcome lost ties and a lifetime’s worth of anger? Can it help the Red King gain more than the satisfaction of his lusts?
Continue reading

Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, Debut Authors, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment