Published in 2016

Audio Review: ALIEN: Out of the Shadows by Tim Lebbon

Reviewed by Susan65

29972711Title: Alien: Out of the Shadows: An Audible Original Drama
Author: Tim Lebbon
Director:  Dirk Maggs
Narrators: Rutger Hauer, Corey Johnson, Matthew Lewis, Kathryn Drysdale, Laurel Lefkow, Andrea Deck
Series: Canonical Alien Trilogy #1
Heroes: Chris Hooper/Ellen Ripley
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: 4 Hours, 31 Minutes
Publisher: Tim Lebbon
Release Date: April 26, 2016
Available at: Amazon and Audible
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: As a child, Chris Hooper dreamed of monsters. But in deep space, he found only darkness and isolation. Then, on planet LV178, he and his fellow miners discovered a storm-scoured, sand-blasted hell – and trimonite, the hardest material known to man.

When a shuttle crashes into the mining ship Marion, the miners learn that there was more than trimonite deep in the caverns. There was evil, hibernating and waiting for suitable prey. Hoop and his associates uncover a nest of Xenomorphs, and hell takes on a new meaning. Quickly they discover that their only hope lies with the unlikeliest of saviors….

Ellen Ripley, the last human survivor of the salvage ship Nostromo.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Audio Review, Published in 2016 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Nothing Special V by A.E. Via

Reviewed by JustJen

33016763Title: Nothing Special V
Author: A.E. Via
Series: Nothing Special #5
Heroes: God/Day, Shawn/Steele
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 391 Pages
Publisher: Via Star Wings
Release Date: December 12, 2016
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  The boys are back and fiercer than ever!

“We were a unit tonight, moving as one. Even apart, we are deadly, but when combined – we are f**kin’ unstoppable.” ~~ God ~~

Atlanta’s notorious narcotics task force is at it again. They are stronger, bigger, and better than ever. Especially when a city councilman sends RECON Marine, Edwin Steele – who’s been blacklisted from his Oakland department – to join the team. God and Day weren’t recruiting. They have a lot on their plates, like the fact they’re supposed to be getting married soon. They don’t have the time or the patience to integrate a decorated war hero with a slight chip on his shoulder into their well-oiled machine.

A hothead that’s uncontrollable and terrible with authority… but wasn’t that their team motto?

Steele was ready to hang up his shield. He was done fighting with bigoted bastards that couldn’t respect the job. He was good at fighting; he just needed the right team to fight with. When his uncle – City Councilman, Rasmus Steele – shows him a video of God’s team in action, he knows right away, it’s where his nephew belongs in order to restore his faith.

Steele pointed to the driver, a behemoth of a man wielding those massive firearms like a true beast… like a soldier. “And him. Who the hell is he?”

“That’s your new boss. Lieutenant Cashel Godfrey… they call him… God.”

Steele was skeptical about his new placement, but when he meets God’s technology specialist/computer genius, “Tech,” he’s willing to give it his all, and he definitely shows and proves.

Tech is stunning. His sweater vest and khakis, a stark contrast to the blue-jeaned roughnecks he works with. A beautiful sheep amongst the wolves. Steel thinks there’s no way the brilliant man would be interested in a hardhead like him, but Tech has a few badass hidden talents of his own and manages to fool him… fool all of them.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2016 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Afraid to Fly by L.A. Witt

Reviewed by JustJen

31689689Title: Afraid to Fly
Author: L.A. Witt
Series: Anchor Point #2
Heroes: Travis Wilson/Clint Fraser
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 347 Pages
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: January 16, 2017
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  Once a fearless fighter pilot, Commander Travis Wilson is now confined to a desk. It’s been eight years since the near-fatal crash that grounded him, and it still rules his life thanks to relentless back pain.

Lieutenant Commander Clint Fraser almost drowned in a bottle after a highly classified catastrophe while piloting a drone. His downward spiral cost him his marriage and kids, but he’s sober now and getting his life back on track. He’s traded drones for a desk, and he’s determined to reconcile with his kids and navigate the choppy waters of PTSD.

Clint has been on Travis’s radar ever since he transferred to Anchor Point. When Clint comes out to his colleagues, it’s a disaster, but there’s a silver lining: now that Travis knows Clint is into men, the chemistry between them explodes.

It’s all fun and games until emotions get involved. Clint’s never been in love with a man before. Travis has, and a decade later, that tragic ending still haunts him. Clint needs to coax him past his fear of crashing and burning again, or their love will be grounded before takeoff.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2016 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: The Painted Crown by Megan Derr

Reviewed by Nikyta

thepaintedcrown400Title: The Painted Crown
Author: Megan Derr
Series: Unbreakable Soldiers #2
Heroes: Istari & Teverem
Genre: M/M Fantasy
Length: 89k words
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Release Date: November 16, 2016
Available at: Less Than Three PressAmazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Prince Istari has spent his life reviled: his parents wish he had never been born, the royal court of Belemere avoids him for fear of angering the king, and everyone else is kept away by his notorious reputation as a deadly sharpshooter. Now a hostage of peace in Tallideth, he is subjected to their hatred as well—even that of Regent Vellem, who once considered him a comrade in arms.

Unexpected solace comes in the form of Lord Teverem, a sad, quiet lord who assumed the title when his brother was killed in the explosion for which Istari’s father is to blame. He is kind and sweet and a sorely needed bright spot in Istari’s life—until Istari meets his family and learns of a dangerous family secret with unexpected ties to Istari’s past, a secret that could drag Tallideth and Belemere right back into war…
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2016 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Audio Review: Between Ghosts by Garrett Leigh

Reviewed by Morgan

betweenghosts_audiobook2400Title: Between Ghosts
Author: Garrett Leigh
Narrator: Craig Beck
Heroes: Connor Regan/Nat Thompson
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 6 Hours, 2 Minutes
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: December 7, 2016
Available at: Amazon, Audible and iTunes
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: In 2003, journalist Connor Regan marched through London to add his voice to a million others, decrying the imminent invasion of Iraq. Eight months later, his brother, James, was killed in action in Mosul.

Three years on, Connor finds himself bound for Iraq to embed with an elite SAS team. He sets his boots on the ground looking for closure and solace—anything to ease the pain of his brother’s death. Instead he finds Sergeant Nathan Thompson.

Nat Thompson is a veteran commander, hardened by years of combat and haunted by the loss of his best friend. Being lumbered with a civilian is a hassle Nat doesn’t need, and he vows to do nothing more than keep the hapless hack from harm’s way.

But Connor proves far from hapless, and too compelling to ignore for long. He walks straight through the steel wall Nat’s built around his heart, and when their mission puts him in mortal danger, Nat must lay old ghosts to rest and fight to the death for the only man he’s ever truly loved.

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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Audio Review, LGBT, Morgan's Reviews, Published in 2016 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: In Enemy Hands by M.A. Church

Reviewed by Nikyta

in-enemy-hands-1Title: In Enemy Hands
Author: M.A. Church
Heroes: Varo & Aldar
Genre: M/M Scifi
Length: 214 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: December 30, 2016
Available at: Dreamspinner Press & Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Two very different civilizations—one bathed in bright sunlight and the other veiled in shadow.

Bad decisions, declining resources, and a king on the brink of madness force Prince Varo Kutchif, third son of the royal family and a starship captain, to attempt the impossible: barter for Black Phospolrock, an energy source the mysterious Helkan Kingdom has in abundance. Varo opens a line of communication with Adlar, an intriguing Helkan who seems to reciprocate Varo’s interest. He hopes so, because if negotiations collapse, Varo has orders to attack.

The Helkans preside over a planet shrouded in perpetual darkness. Several species have tried to exploit its natural resources through trade with them, but all have failed. Adlar Mondur is the older brother to the Helkan ruler. An assassin of the highest order, he’ll do anything to protect his king and his people—including tracking down the Yesri prince who crash-lands on their planet, leaving an ugly scar across its untouched beauty.

Thus begins a journey where two men from disparate civilizations grow from enemies to lovers.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2016 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Honorary Blogger M.A. Church: The Inspiration Behind In Enemy Hands + Giveaway!

Honorary_Blogger_Post

The Inspiration Behind In Enemy Hands

by M.A. Church

About a year ago, I was taking a break from writing and was goofing off on the Internet and ended up on Google Images. Originally I’d typed in vampires, then an incubus caught my eye, and from there it was a short trip to looking at fey-type characters, lol.

Since it was so long ago, I don’t remember why I was looking at these types of beings—probably needed character inspiration pictures. Then it happened… I ran across an image, one drawn by an artist.

I swear, my world actually stopped. In the artist’s rendition, one character had long black hair and the other had long white. I was so fascinated with the picture, I scrounged around on the Internet until I found who drew it and her gallery. Unfortunately, she’s French, so I couldn’t speak to her, but I saved the link.

The black-headed one (Adlar) is actually what the cover for In Enemy Hands is based on. His pale, pale skin, jet black hair, and pointed ears caught my attention. There was this look about him—introspective, but also restrained violence.

I knew then I had to write these two characters.

When I write science fiction, I usually start with the characters. Once I have them, and know their background, the world building starts from there. The picture I used for inspiration had the character standing side-by-side. The dark-headed one was standings upright with his arms crossed. The white-headed one (Varo) is slightly bent at the waist, his arms crossed, and leaning over a post. They’re both looking into the distance. There is an ease between the two of them, and I knew somehow that was going to be very important to the story.

There’s also a lot of play on imagery in the story. Good guys usually wear the white hats, right? *Points at Varo* There’s Varo with his white-blond hair. Then there’s Adlar, with his pale looks and black hair. Bad guys were black hats, right? *Grin* One of the things you often see in my stories is that appearances can be deceiving. Continue reading

Categories: Book Promo, Excerpts, Giveaways, Honorary Blogger Post, LGBT, Published in 2016 | Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Review: Long Shadows by Kate Sherwood

Reviewed by Susan65

32790594Title: Long Shadows
Author: Kate Sherwood
Series: Common Law #1
Heroes: Jericho Crewe/Wade Granger
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 174 Pages
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date: December 31, 2016
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: LA cop Jericho Crewe got the hell out of Mosely, Montana, when he was seventeen. Fifteen years later, he’s back, and everything is just as messed up as when he left. He planned a quick visit to deal with his injured father, but of course things are never that simple. Family complications, police complications, social complications—and, as always, Wade Granger complications.

Jericho and Wade had been so close, once upon a time. First friends, then more than friends—and then, after Jericho’s escape, nothing. Wade’s magnetism hasn’t been lessened by a decade and a half apart; even when Jericho learns that Wade is the prime suspect in the death of Jericho’s father, the old connection still sparks.

When Jericho’s newly discovered half siblings are kidnapped, he needs to trust someone to help him find them. Wade’s a terrible choice, but Jericho’s never been known for his good judgment. Anyway, he’d rather make a bad decision with Wade than a good one with anybody else.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2016, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Switched by N.R. Walker

Reviewed by Susan65

33254750Title: Switched
Author: N.R. Walker
Heroes: Israel/Sam
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 269 Pages
Publisher: N.R. Walker
Release Date: December 25, 2016
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Israel Ingham’s life has never been easy. He grew up in a house devoid of love and warmth. Nothing he ever did was good enough. The fact Israel is gay just added to the long list of his father’s disappointments.

Then a letter from Eastport Children’s Hospital changes everything.

A discovery is made, one of gross human error. Twenty-six years ago two baby boys were switched at birth and sent home with the wrong families.

Sam, Israel’s best friend, has been his only source of love and support. With Sam beside him every step of the way, Israel decides to meet his birth mother and her son, the man who lived the life Israel should have.

Israel and Sam become closer than ever, amidst the tumultuous emotions of meeting his birth family, and Sam finds himself questioning his feelings toward his best friend. As Israel embraces new possibilities, he needs to dissect his painful relationship with his parents in order to salvage what’s left.

Because sometimes it takes proof you’re not actually family to become one.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Published in 2016, Susan65's Reviews | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Chords by Taylor Roxton

Reviewed by Nikyta

30328250Title: Chords
Author: Taylor Roxton
Series: 2016 Daily Dose – A Walk on the Wild Side
Heroes: Kieran & Brett
Genre: M/M Paranormal
Length: 33 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: June 1, 2016
Available at: Dreamspinner PressAmazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: As a werewolf, Kieran Woodsmith’s career options are limited. Luckily, he can howl in tune, and his voice earns him admission to the prestigious Juilliard School of Music. Desperate to prove to his family that his admission wasn’t a fluke, Kieran auditions for the Broadway Musical Review. But when he meets an upperclassman with no scent and strange violet eyes, Kieran is thrown off his game.

On the eve of his lunar cycle, Kieran’s friend drags him to a party at the purple-eyed senior’s house. Distracted by the mystery of Brett’s missing smell, Kieran forgets about the moon. When he wakes up in a cage in Brett’s basement, Kieran realizes he’s not the only one who is more than he appears.
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Categories: 3 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2016 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment