Published in 2014

Book Review: Unheard Destruction by Zach Sweets

Reviewed by Susan65

1Title: Unheard Destruction
Author: Zach Sweets
Author: The Destruction Trilogy
Heroes: Rusty/Hal
Genre: MM Sci-Fi
Length: 200 Pages
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Release Date: May 14, 2014
Available at: Less Than Three, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance Ebooks
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Rusty and Hal step out of their house to a world destroyed. Before they can make sense of what has happened, they are abducted—by aliens.

Help arrives in the unexpected form of Assim, an alien who can speak directly to Rusty’s mind, but getting them out of one mess is only the first step in resolving a much greater one—and it is a problem that only humans can solve, leaving Rusty and Hal no choice but to learn fast and fight hard if they ever want to see home again.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2014, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Honorary Blogger Iyana Jenna: You’re the Inspiration + Excerpt & Giveaway!

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You’re the Inspiration

by Iyana Jenna

Thank you so much, The Blogger Girls, for the opportunity to visit your blog. I’m here to talk about my recent release, A Home for Jesse, a story about a homeless guy.

I got the inspiration for this story after I watched a scene from a TV series showing a guy sleeping on a bench by the street. The character of the man is actually not a homeless person but these voices in my head suddenly talked about how poor someone was if he had to sleep on a bench in the night sky. I pictured what he did for a living, who he met, what they did, and voila! A complete story was born.

It might sound a bit cheesy, my inspiration above, but I believe the subject matter is not something cheesy. It’s in fact pretty serious, especially in big cities in my country. Not only do they sleep on benches around the city, they can easily be found along the streets, on the bus stops, under the bridges, etc. What could be the solution for this problem? The government often does the easiest way—chase them out of the city. Not the wisest thing to do because they keep coming back and the root problem is still not solved. Now what should we do?

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About A Home for Jesse

1Jesse Gray can’t get more unlucky. His roommate left him and he gets kicked out when he can’t afford the rent. Next, the owner of the fast food joint where he works part-time suddenly tells him he no longer works there. Jesse still has a job as a PA on a movie set but the pay will never be enough to afford even the cheapest room in Hollywood. There’s only one place left to stay the night — in the park.

Trey Miller is the star on a TV series where Jesse works. They bump into each other one night while leaving the set, and Trey thinks Jesse is much too good-looking to only be a PA. When he learns of Jesse’s financial condition, he offers a place to stay at his house. Having no other options, Jesse reluctantly accepts the offer, but what’s the catch?

Available at: JMS Books, Amazon, All Romance Ebooks, Bookstrand & Smashwords

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An Excerpt from A Home for Jesse

Note: may contain sexually explicit scenes of a homoerotic nature.

This ain’t so bad. Jesse pats his laden backpack. He stretches himself on the bench and lowers his head onto the bag, grimacing at the bumps pressing against his head and neck. Awesome. He is going to have major cricks and headaches come morning. That is if he’s not suffering from early signs of pneumonia.

Jesse shifts and grunts and finally gives up. He sits up, takes off his jacket, and spreads it over his front before he lies down again. Moving a bit again to find the most comfortable position, he thinks, Fuck, now my shorts are stuck in the crack of my ass. Jesse reaches down and pulls them free — ah, that’s better.

He takes a deep breath. So he’s a bum now, is he? His ma would be heartbroken if she knew. She could blame him for being such a hard head and insisting on having his own way. Jesse stares blankly at the leaves swaying on treetops, at the shadows of the swings dancing in the dark, at the stars blinking mockingly down at him. At least the fact that they are up there means that the sky is cloudless and Jesse doesn’t need to worry about the possibility of rain tonight. Getting soaked when the only place he has to sleep is this park would be a pain in the ass, not to mention hazardous to his health. Jesse also hopes no cops will come patrolling tonight.

Weary to the bone, Jesse curls both hands under the side of his face and gives in to slumber.

* * * *

“Come on, Trey, one more glass. Don’t be a spoilsport.”

What one more glass means for Brent must be different from what it means for Trey. They have been here for hours. Trey had sneaked a glance at his watch once. It showed four — and that must have been half an hour ago. Still there is no sign they are leaving soon.

Trey regrets his decision not to drive his own car and ride with Brent instead. Fuck. He’s going to screw up his shot big time tomorrow — or rather, this afternoon.

“What celebration am I spoiling again?” Trey leans forward. Brent looks taken aback but he immediately offers a smile, which looks more like a snake’s sneer.

“Trey, that’s not nice.” He wags his forefinger.

“The hell with nice.” Trey rests his head on his folded arms on the table. “I’d rather be with Jess –”

Oops. He slipped up and said it out loud.

Brent and the others sitting around the table seem to come to a consensus to stop whatever they are doing and switch their attention to Trey.

“Jess? Jess who?” Brent asks. “I thought you were with Kimberly.”

Trey feels blood rush into his face but he sighs inwardly in relief that Brent doesn’t know who he was talking about.

“Kimberly? Right. And you said she’d be here! Where is she, Brenton?”

Brent visibly cringes at the name and Trey feels like guffawing. Eat that, asshat!

“My name’s not Brenton.”

“So what? You haven’t answered my question.”

And neither has Trey, but Brent has forgotten about that. Trey gulps down his drink, and tries to shut down from everything going on around him.

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Thank you so much for reading! I will leave you with a video trailer of my upcoming story, Will and Pleasure, also from JMS Books.

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About Iyana Jenna

Iyana lives in Jakarta, a city famous for its traffic jams, a lot of cars and motorcycles, and people selling stuff on the roads. You can spend two hours on the road going to a place you can reach in half an hour in a normal situation. Thanks to the traffic jams, though, Iyana can come up with a lot of stories, mostly shorties, as she prefers to spend the time during her trips writing into her cell phone rather than sleeping.

Another thing Iyana loves is kitties. Right now she has five of them. Their names are Larva, Nyil, Cil, Mermood, and Horus. When she doesn’t write, she plays with them, or they would play with her when she writes.

You can find Iyana on her Blog, Website, Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook & Twitter.

Blogger_Giveaway

Iyana has kindly offered up an eBook copy of A Home for Jesse to one lucky winner! The giveaway starts now and ends June 30, 2014 at 11:59 pm. To enter, click the Rafflecopter 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 A Home for Jesse to see what she thought of it!

Good luck!

Categories: Book Promo, Excerpts, Giveaways, Honorary Blogger Post, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , | 17 Comments

Book Review: A Home for Jesse by Iyana Jenna

Reviewed by JustJen

1Title: A Home for Jesse
Author: Iyana Jenna
Heroes: Jesse Gray/Trey Miller
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 70 Pages
Publisher: JMS Books
Release Date: March 9, 2014
Available at: JMS Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and All Romance eBooks
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Jesse Gray can’t get more unlucky. His roommate left him and he gets kicked out when he can’t afford the rent. Next, the owner of the fast food joint where he works part-time suddenly tells him he no longer works there. Jesse still has a job as a PA on a movie set but the pay will never be enough to afford even the cheapest room in Hollywood. There’s only one place left to stay the night — in the park.

Trey Miller is the star on a TV series where Jesse works. They bump into each other one night while leaving the set, and Trey thinks Jesse is much too good-looking to only be a PA. When he learns of Jesse’s financial condition, he offers a place to stay at his house. Having no other options, Jesse reluctantly accepts the offer, but what’s the catch?
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Categories: 3 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Unexpected by E.T. Malinowski

Reviewed by Nikyta

1Title: Unexpected
Author: E.T. Malinowski
Series: 2014 Daily Dose – Mended
Heroes: Merlin/Tarel
Genre: M/M Fantasy
Length: 26 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: June 1, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, All Romance eBooks
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Unseelie are vicious, heartless, and cruel, or so Merin believes. Then Tarel, an Unseelie warrior, comes to his rescue, and turns his view of the world upside down.

To escape the effects of his curse, Tarel exiled himself to the forest. He has enough issues with his own people, but he never thought he’d share his bed with a Seelie either, even if only by medical necessity. If Merin and Tarel can overcome their prejudices, they might see what a gift fate has given them.
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Categories: 3 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Honorary Blogger S.A. Meade: What to do, what do to + Giveaway!

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What to do, what do to

by S.A. Meade

I have been a very bad author. Very bad indeed.

Usually, when I get an idea for a story, I get on and write it, the whole thing. I may goof around on Candy Crush during the hard slog through the flabby middle bit, but I have always (in the past) finished what I’ve started.

Alas, this is not the case at the moment.  I have several stories, in various states of disrepair languishing in my hard drive and I’m all of a dither as to which one I should finish first.

So, this is not a blog post so much as a ‘putting in out there’ post. I’d love to know which story readers would like to see me finish first.  If you leave a comment, you’ll be in line for a free e-book of mine—whichever book you’d like.

So, here is the list:

  1. Untitled Cowboy story: British magazine writer is sent to spend six months on a ranch in Montana. Cue lots of lovely sexual tension between the writer and the taciturn ranch foreman.
  2. Mandolin Wind: An historical western about a widowed farmer and his late wife’s cousin, who has fled the stifling confines of his community back east to find his way in the inhospitable landscape of eastern Nebraska.
  3. DOMA story: A contemporary romance set in Pittsburgh. A love story between an American, who works at the University of Pittsburgh and a Russian visiting professor who’s seeking refuge from hostile gay persecution back home.
  4. Angels Will Fall: For those who read ‘Mourning Jack’, this is Cal’s story. He’s finally moving on and ready to fall in love again. But, will his employers’ God son be the man who wins Cal’s heart?
  5. Heir to Endersley: Nickolai, heir to Endersley and a doctor in the Vyborg District of St Petersburg falls hard for Alexi, a Bolshevik hell bent on seeing things change for the better in Russia. As the revolution is replaced by a bitter civil war, Nickolai knows he is no longer safe and decides it’s time to claim his inheritance in England.

So there you have it. Which one do I finish first?

If you want to read something I’ve already written, here’s a link . You can also find my latest release Darkness at Endersley here.

You can find me on Facebook and Twitter and, once in a blue moon, I’ll post a blog here.

About Darkness at Endersley

Darkness at Endersley (The Endersley Papers, #2)Joshua thought he’d left his past behind, but there’s something in the darkness at Endersley.

Joshua Endersley is glad to leave a broken engagement and his sordid desires behind in London and claim his inheritance on the rolling downs of Wiltshire. What he doesn’t need is temptation in the form of artist, Daniel Wyndham, to remind him of all he wanted to forget.

Joshua finds Daniel impossible to resist and the two men embark on a passionate affair that draws them ever closer. Joshua believes that he can find happiness and live his life the way he wants to in the peace and seclusion of Endersley.

But nothing good can last forever. The very remoteness and solitude that Joshua loves about Endersley turns against him—the darkness at Endersley is deeper and more dangerous than he could have ever imagined.

Reader Advisory: This book contains scenes of violence, as well as reference to incestuous abuse and murder.

You can find Darkness at Endersley at Totally Bound.

 

Blogger_Giveaway

As part of this author week, S.A. has graciously offered up an eBook copy of winner’s choice from her backlist to one lucky winner! The giveaway starts now and ends June 29, 2014 at 11:59 pm. To enter, click the Rafflecopter 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.

Good luck!

Categories: Author Week, Book Promo, Giveaways, Honorary Blogger Post, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , | 22 Comments

Pride Week Blitz with Carina Press: Excerpts + Giveaway!

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Sharp Love by Ava March

Sharp Love (Gambling on Love, #2)London, 1822

William Drake has lived among thieves, bastards and beggars all his life, doing what’s necessary to survive. As a young orphan, that included looking after his best friend, Jack Morgan. But as they grew older, Jack took the honest path, leaving Will behind to fend for himself the only ways he knows how.

When an unsavory errand for his employer brings Jack back to London’s underbelly, he needs Will’s help. It’s there, among the alleys they ran through as children, that the love he’s always felt for Will returns. As their nights together grow hotter, Will discovers something new about his old friend—Jack’s need to serve extends into the bedchamber.

Will has never fully abandoned his dream of escaping London with Jack. But what could the Duke’s driver want with a dishonest cheat like him, beyond a bit of rough sex? It takes the gamble of Will’s life to find out if he can win Jack’s heart…

You can find Sharp Love at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Goodreads.

Check out Heather C’s review!

Excerpt from Sharp Love

The sky opened up, the intermittent raindrops shifting to a full-fledged deluge in the blink of an eye.

A quick glance confirmed what he already knew—closed shops and darkened buildings, not a single tavern or hell within easy distance. Cold rain pelted Jack’s head, soaking his hair. And Will wasn’t wearing an overcoat.

Grabbing Will’s upper arm, Jack pulled him down a narrow alley. Pushed Will onto a small stone stoop, the short overhang above the door enough to provide a bit of protection for Will from the full force of the rain. Standing before Will, Jack used his body to shield Will from the gusts of windblown rain.

Lightning cracked across the sky, briefly illuminating Will’s face, his wet hair stuck to his forehead, pale cheeks glistening with raindrops. A self-deprecating smile tugged the edge of his lips. “Guess you were correct.”

“About what?” Jack asked, raising his voice to be heard above the din of the storm.

“The rain.”

Said rain smacked against Jack’s back. His greatcoat would keep him relatively dry, but he could feel the rain whipping around him. He unbuttoned his greatcoat, let the sides hang open, and bracing his arms on the old wooden door, he moved closer to Will. So close he could feel Will’s breaths against his jaw. Warm and moist, the rhythm deep yet slightly quick.

Arousal curled in the pit of his belly, ignited in his blood. Jack shifted his weight. “Shouldn’t last long. The rain, I mean.” Rain in London was a common enough occurrence, but storms of this magnitude didn’t last endless hours. The clouds would wear themselves out soon enough, and the rain would taper down to a steady, soaking drone. As soon as it showed the first signs of slowing, Jack would be dragging Will back to the hotel. And he didn’t much care if it meant running down the street. Anything to give him an excuse to step away from Will’s body, from those hot breaths bathing his jaw, tempting him to dip his head and press his lips to Will’s.

“You’re likely correct. Yet again.” There wasn’t a trace of sarcasm or jest. Will’s voice was just loud enough to reach Jack’s ears, and the low, intimate quality went straight to Jack’s cock.

There was a quick snap of lightning, followed by a clap of thunder. Will shifted even closer, moving full into the protection of Jack’s greatcoat, pressing up against Jack. A hard arch brushed Jack’s upper thigh.

Jack’s breaths caught. There was no mistake about it. Will was aroused.

A hand settled on Jack’s hip. Jack swore he could feel the heat of Will’s palm through his trousers and his smallclothes, warming his skin.

He held himself perfectly still. Locked his muscles and dared not make a move.

About Ava March

Ava March is an author of sexy, emotionally intense M/M historical erotic romances. She loves writing in the Regency time period, where proper decorum is of the utmost importance, but where anything can happen behind closed doors. With over fifteen works to her credit, her books have been finalists in the Rainbow Awards and More Than Magic contest, and deemed ‘must-haves’ for Historical M/M romance by RT Book Reviews readers. Visit her website at www.AvaMarch.com to find out more about her books or to sign-up for her newsletter.

You can find Ava on her Blog, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.

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The Lost Year by Libby Drew

The Lost Year (Secrets of Neverwood, #3)Devon McCade is no stranger to adversity. As a photojournalist, he’s seen all manner of human struggle. And as a kid, it’s what brought him to Neverwood, to his foster mother Audrey. It’s what he’s facing now, as he and his foster brothers work to restore the once-stately mansion amidst surprising signs from Audrey herself.

But when another anguished soul arrives at Neverwood, Devon can’t hide behind his camera. Nicholas Hardy is certain he saw his runaway son, Robbie, in a photo Devon took of homeless children. Devon knows all too well that a young teenager on the streets doesn’t have many options—and Robbie has been missing for a full year.

Searching for Robbie with Nicholas stirs memories and passions Devon had thought long lost, yet knowing that Nicholas will leave as soon as Robbie is found keeps him from opening himself up to something permanent. Devon must learn to fight for what he wants to keep—his love, and his home.

You can find The Lost Year at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Goodreads.

About Libby Drew

Libby glimpsed her true calling when her first story, an A.A. Milne /Shakespeare crossover, won the grand prize in her elementary school’s fiction contest. Her parents explained that writers were quirky, poor, and often talked to themselves in supermarket checkout lines. They implored her to be practical, a request she took to heart for twenty years, earning two degrees, a white-collar job, and an ulcer, before realizing that practical was absolutely no fun.

Today she lives with her husband and four children in an old, impractical house and writes stories about redemption, the supernatural, and love at first sight, all of which do exist. She happens to know from experience.

Libby’s State of Mind received rave reviews for being fast, clever, and relentless and was nominated for a Bookie Award for Best M/M Novel of 2011. 40 Souls to Keep, Libby’s third novel, has been described as intense and heart-poundingly good and was praised by Publishers Weekly for maintaining a high level of suspense.

An avid supporter of gay rights, Libby donates her time to the Trevor Project and organizations that work to support marriage equality.

More information about Libby’s books can be found on her website: http://www.libbydrew.com/

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Maybe This Time by A.M. Arthur

Maybe This TimeAs a regular at gay hotspot Pot O Gold, Ezra Kelley avoids his tangled emotions with the simplicity of one-night stands and attachment-free hookups. Until the night bartender Donner Davis picks him up off the floor after a misunderstanding and too much tequila. Ezra can’t remember the last time someone was…nice. It’s more than he deserves.

Witnessing his lover’s death two years ago has Donner trapped in a holding pattern: living in his sister’s basement, working at the Pot and flirting with the customers. He’s not above spending a night with the gorgeous Ezra, but love is not in the cards. That’s more than he’s ready for.

A passionate night leads to a connection neither man expects, and they take the first steps to something that looks like a real relationship. But Ezra’s been running from himself so long he doesn’t know how to live any other way. And Donner can’t risk his heart just to lose everything again. They’ll both need the strength to let go of the past if they want to get it right this time.

You can find Maybe This Time at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Goodreads.

Excerpt from Maybe This Time

[Ezra] listened to the footsteps on the stairs moving closer, getting louder, timing it so he whipped open the door with Donner’s knuckles poised to knock. Donner still wore his black leather pants and shiny green shirt, but he’d washed his face free of eyeliner and lip gloss.

“Hey,” Donner said. His hand dropped. His other was clutching the strap of a backpack that looked as old as dirt and ready to fall apart.

“Come in.” Ezra stepped aside and let him enter. “I should warn you, they’re at it already.”

“Huh?” Donner glanced at the living room. “Oh, I see.”

“Do you mind?”

“Not a bit. I’ve seen more risqué things at the Pot, believe me.”

“You’ll have to tell me all about it sometime.”

“Sure thing.”

“Want something to drink?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Ezra’s mind raced for something clever or sexy to say. He’d looked forward to this all night, and now that Donner was in his apartment, he was fumbling like an idiot. This was not him.

“Oh, hey!” Alessandro sat up and twisted his head around. The position made him sway a little. “Look, babe, Dasher’s here.”

“Donner,” Jaime said. He wrestled out from beneath his boyfriend, shirt rucked up to his armpits. “Hey, you made it.”

“Dude, what’s your first name?”

Jaime knuckled Alessandro in the shoulder. “Shut up. You’re drunk.”

“So?”

“Ignore him,” Ezra said to Donner. “Actually, feel free to ignore both of them.”

Donner chuckled. “They’re pretty entertaining, if you ask me.”

“Wait until they start showing off.”

“Forget it.” Alessandro started tugging Jaime toward the spare bedroom. “He’s all mine tonight, amigo. You’ve got your own date.”

Jaime managed a faux-helpless shrug as he allowed himself to be manhandled into the bedroom. The door shut with a solid bang that made Ezra jump. Then he snickered. So much for manners. He understood the sentiment, though. He didn’t much feel like sharing Donner with anyone else.

Strong arms slid around his waist from behind and laced fingers across his belly. A solid chest and abs pressed against his back and ass, and breath tickled his ear. The hold was loose, the intentions clear. “You want to fuck me, don’t you?” Donner whispered, mouth hovering close to his left ear.

Ezra shivered.

About A.M. Arthur

A.M. Arthur was born and raised in the same kind of small town that she likes to write about, a stone’s throw from both beach resorts and generational farmland.  She’s been creating stories in her head since she was a child and scribbling them down nearly as long, in a losing battle to make the fictional voices stop.  She credits an early fascination with male friendships (bromance hadn’t been coined yet back then) and “The Young Riders” with her later discovery of and subsequent love affair with m/m romance stories.

When not exorcising the voices in her head, she toils away in a retail job that tests her patience and gives her lots of story fodder.  She can also be found in her kitchen, pretending she’s an amateur chef and trying to not poison herself or others with her cuisine experiments.

Contact her at am_arthur@yahoo.com with your cooking tips (or book comments). You can also find her online, as well as on Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook. Other titles by A.M. Arthur are available from Samhain Publishing, Dreamspinner Press, and Musa Publishing.

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Stranger on the Shore by Josh Lanyon

Stranger on the ShoreTwenty years ago young Brian Arlington, heir to Arlington fortune, was kidnapped. Though the ransom was paid, the boy was never seen again and is presumed dead. Pierce Mather, the family lawyer, now administers and controls the Arlington billions. He’s none too happy, and more than a little suspicious, when investigative journalist Griffin Hadley shows up to write about the decades-old mystery. Griff shrugs off the coldly handsome Pierce’s objections, but it might not be so easy to shrug off the objections of someone willing to do anything to keep the past buried.

You can find Stranger on the Shore at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Goodreads.

About Josh Lanyon

Bestselling, multi-award-winning JOSH LANYON is the author of over fifty titles of mystery, adventure, fantasy and romance. Josh is the author of the critically acclaimed Adrien English Mysteries series, including The Hell You Say, winner of the 2006 USABookNews awards for GLBT Fiction. Josh is an Eppie Award winner and a three-time Lambda Literary Award finalist. When not writing Josh enjoys gardening, film noir, fine wine, vintage mysteries, and night swimming.

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In this blog tour, there will be TWO winners. Each winner with get eBook copies of each of the four books featured in this blitz along with a rainbow bracelet! The giveaway is opened internationally and ends July 1st, 2014. 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 but are still be welcome anyway.

Good luck!

Categories: Book Promo, Excerpts, Giveaways, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Book Review: Degranon: A Science Fiction Adventure by Duane Simolke

 

Reviewed by Susan65

1Title: Degranon: A Science Fiction Adventure
Author: Duane Simolke
Series: Taldra
Genre: MM Sci-Fi
Length: 184 Pages
Publisher: Duane Simolke (iUniverse)
Release Date: May 26, 2014
Available at: Duane Simolke, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance Ebooks and Kobo
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: This revised version of Duane Simolke’s science fiction adventure Degranon features more gay characters and a sharper focus on diversity themes. On the planet Valchondria, no illness exists, gay marriage is legal, and everyone is a person of color. However, a group called “the Maintainers” carefully monitors everyone’s speech, actions, and weight; the Maintainers also force so-called “colorsighted” people to hide their ability to see in color.

The brilliant scientist Taldra loves her twin gay sons and thinks of them as the hope for Valchondria’s future, but one of them becomes entangled in the cult of Degranon, while the other becomes stranded on the other side of a doorway through time. Can they find their way home and help Taldra save their world?

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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2014, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Release by A.M. Sexton

Reviewed by JustJen

1Title: Release
Author: A.M. Sexton
Series: Davlova #1
Heroes: Misha
Genre: M/M
Length: 280 Pages
Publisher: Marie Sexton
Release Date: June 24, 2014
Available at: Marie Sexton, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Kobo and Smashwords
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Davlova: a poverty-ridden city-state ruled by a tyrannical upper class. Resources are scarce and technology is illegal. But in the slums, revolution is brewing.

Misha is a common pickpocket until his boss gives him a new job. Disguised as a whore, Misha is sent to work for one of the most powerful men in the city. But his real task is far more dangerous: get close to Miguel Donato, and find something – anything – that will help topple Davlova’s corrupt government.

Misha is plunged into the decadent world of the upper class, where slaves are common and even the most perverse pleasure can be found. Although he’s sure Davlova’s elite is involved in something horrific, proof is hard to come by, and Misha begins to fall in love with the man he’s supposed to betray. Then Misha meets Ayo – a sex slave forced by the neural implant in his brain to take pleasure from pain – and everything changes. As the lower class pushes toward a bloody revolution, Misha will find himself caught between his surprising feelings for Donato, his obligations to his clan, and his determination to save Ayo
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Honorary Blogger Mina MacLeod: A Wizard, a Knight, and an Assassin Walk Into a Bar—Stop Me if You’ve Heard This One + Giveaway!

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A Wizard, a Knight, and an Assassin Walk Into a Bar—Stop Me if You’ve Heard This One …

by Mina MacLeod

First, many thanks to The Blogger Girls for inviting me! I’m Mina MacLeod, and I’m here to ramble about my latest release from LT3 Press.

Swords, Sorcery, and Sundry—or “SSS,” as I tend to call it—was first written for National Novel Writing Month 2007. I wrote the first 55,000 words one year and the remaining 52,000 for 2008’s NaNo. It was a collection of tales that had been stewing in my head for a while, born of my love for best friends, female-identifying warriors, and male-identifying wizards. Also, anime.

I enjoy male/male romance a great deal—but even more than that, I love stories about BFFs. Unsurprisingly, I am a huge fan of anime and manga, particularly of the shounen genre. While I didn’t explicitly set out to blend Eastern and Western tropes into a gay fantasy novel, more than one person has accurately identified the book’s animanga shout-outs.

Friendship is the central theme of the book, although wizard Sylvain and assassin Niklas do have a romance subplot. This subplot continues to expand in the sequel, but warrior Ashe is never intended to be left behind. I wanted Ashe to stand out on her own, not as a satellite orbiting Sylvain/Niklas but as an independent character with her own story arc and goals. She is not a love interest and—some joking aside—this is not a threesome.

The emphasis on friendship stems partly from my own relationships. I’ve had the same best friends for over twenty years, and the thought of life without them makes me picture a dark and lonely place. I wanted to write a story wherein whatever else befell them these three could always count on each other. The Japanese term “nakama” best encapsulates the dynamic I wanted to create between the characters, fitting given the animanga cues. Meaning “comrade/friend,” being nakama transcends any animosity or differences between teammates/crew/etc. Whatever their differences, a comrade is a comrade and they will always have each other’s backs.

SSS’s final adventure was cut from the book and moved to the sequel, where it will serve as a kickoff for the next stage of the plot. Where the first book focused predominantly on various shorter adventures, the sequel will concentrate on a larger, overarching plot in which our heroes find themselves entangled. Without really meaning to, I seem to be following the pattern of an anime’s episodic first half and more serious second half. I don’t want to give out too many details, as I’m still working on the final outline, but they are definitely going to Muscari Aucheri. Once back in his old city, Sylvain may find he doesn’t fit in as well as he used to—and the wizard higher-ups may have to re-evaluate his situation in light of recent events.

I have plans for Ashe and Niklas, too. Niklas in particular is going to have to decide how he wants to live his life: as a moving target, or face things head-on with the risk of ending up on the wrong side of a blade’s pointy end. There may also be an asexual paladin or two in the mix …

The sequel is coming slowly, however. My husband and I are expecting our first child in the fall, and are busy dealing with all the rigmarole that comes with such a life-changing event. Nonetheless, I hope to complete it during maternity leave!

At the end of all things, fantasy is my first love. I’ve enjoyed revisiting my roots, and hope to bring more gay fantasy to the table in the future. If you decide to give SSS a chance, you have my incredibly humbled thanks.

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About Swords, Sorcery, and Sundry

Swords, Sorcery, and Sundry [Ebook & Print]Wizard Sylvain just wants to sit down and have a drink, after days of walking when a shortage of funds forced him to sell his horse. Soldier Ashe would like to enjoy her evening, and not have it ruined by trouble. Assassin Niklas wishes they had both minded their own business and not made his bad night worse.

The bar they accidentally burn down is only the beginning, and they quickly learn that if they are to survive their penchant for trouble, teamwork will get them farther than standing alone.

Available at: Less Than Three PressAmazonAll Romance eBooks & Barnes and Noble

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About Mina MacLeod

Mina MacLeod is a bilingual, bisexual Canadian living with her husband in Montreal. A geek at heart, she drives fast and plays with knives, balancing a career with a love for queer media. She has a thing for men who have a thing for men.

You can reach Mina on her Website, Twitter or Tumblr.

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Mina has graciously offered up a paperback copy of Swords, Sorcery and Sundry as the prize for this giveaway to one lucky winner! To enter, just click the link below! Giveaway ends Friday, June 27, 2014 at 11:59 pm.

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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 Nikyta’s review of Swords, Sorcery and Sundry to see what she thought of it!

Good luck!

Categories: Book Promo, Giveaways, Honorary Blogger Post, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , | 8 Comments

Book Review: Sweat and Smoke by Therese Woodson

Reviewed by Nikyta

1Title: Sweat and Smoke
Author: Therese Woodson
Series: 2014 Daily Dose – Mended
Heroes: Cole/Finn
Genre: M/M Contemporary
Length: 27 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: June 1, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, All Romance eBooks
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: When Cole arrives at the scene of a major fire, he finds that his best friend, a paramedic named Finn, has recklessly risked his life by running into the burning building. Finn emerges fine, though singed, but Cole does not take the situation well. Their heated argument sparks a confession from Finn regarding his feelings for Cole, but a night of passion might not survive the light of day.
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Categories: 3.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment