Monday, November 28, 2016

Death Mask Blog Tour Winner Announcement

Just a quick announcement today. I contacted the winners of the blog tour giveaway yesterday.

Congratulations to both Melissa and Alison!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

What's On The Reading Radar #TBR #WishList

What am I doing posting a Reading Radar on a Wednesday?? 

Well, I haven't had the chance to put one of these together in a couple of weeks. I'm working to get a few posts put together and scheduled so that I have something up every week. With Molly being sick, my schedule will revolve around my visits with her--which might be spur of the moment decisions. Since the blogger app is terrible, I need to get the more complicated posts scheduled when I have the time. 

So here we are, playing catch up. The Reading Radar Menage edition will be up this coming Saturday and then hopefully I'll have a more regular schedule again. :)


Title: Luchador
Series:
Author(s): Erin Finnegan
PublisherInterlude Press (November 3, 2016)
Length: 239 pages

Genre: Romance / Gay / Urban Fantasy / Sports / Wrestling / 

Notes:

Blurb

Each week, Gabriel Romero’s drive to Sunday Mass takes him past “El Ángel,” the golden statue at the heart of Mexico City that haunts his memories and inspires his future. Spurred by the memory of his parents, Gabriel is drawn to the secretive world of lucha libre, where wrestling, performance art, and big business collide.


Under the conflicting mentorships of one of lucha libre’s famed gay exótico wrestlers and an ambitious young luchador whose star is on the rise, Gabriel must choose between traditions, which ground him but may limit his future, and the lure of sex and success, which may compromise his independence. Surrounded by a makeshift family of wrestlers, Gabriel charts a course to balance ambition, sexuality, and loyalty to find the future that may have been destined for him since childhood.



Title: Tru Smoke
Series: Ember Peak, 1
Author(s): Edie Danford
Publisher:
Length: 258 pages

Genre: Romance / Gay / Cowboys / Contemporary /

Notes:


BlurbWhere there’s smoke, there’s fire… Tired cliché or true story? Jones Hudson can't wait to touch Tru and find out. 

Growing up in Ember Peak, Colorado, Jones nurtured dreams as big as the Rockies. Why else would a flat-broke college student believe he has a shot with Truitt Larkin, the billionaire CEO of Larkin Corp? And, sure, Tru might own the fab, five-thousand-acre Ember Peak Ranch, where Jones is just the son of a ranch employee, but that doesn’t mean a future with Tru is doomed, does it? When he finally, finally convinces Tru to break his chiseled-in-rock no-sex-ever policy, Jones is sure smoke will never shroud Tru’s silver-flame eyes again.

But fire burns and dreams crash. And when Tru shuts down Jones’s hopes, Jones leaves Ember Peak—and a big chunk of his heart—for good.

Tru knows he’s responsible for fracturing his valued friendship with Jones. Indulging his attraction to the younger man was selfish and destructive—something he’ll always regret. When Jones returns to Ember Peak for a family wedding, Tru wants a chance to heal their friendship and give back to Jones the comfort of coming home. But sparks fly the moment they reunite, and they scramble to douse the passion that’s burned them both before. Yet a flicker of hope glows brightly, and soon they need all their courage to see their way to a future together.


(Note: Each book in this series ends with a happy resolution--no cliff-hanging at Ember Peak!)


Title: Rescue Me
Series:
Author(s): Michelle L/ Teichman
PublisherYlva Publishing; 1 edition (November 2, 2016)
Length: 304 pages

Genre: Romance / Lesbian / Contemporary / 

Notes:


BlurbLife is exciting if you’re one of the top RCMP officers in the country. With a few good years under her belt and a promotion so close she can almost touch it, Staff Sergeant Kristen Bailey of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has everything figured out. Until she meets Ashleigh Paige.

Beautiful, naïve, intelligent, and trusting, Ashleigh is the perfect possible lead for Bailey’s case. All she has to do is get close to her. The only problem is Ashleigh’s a paramedic, and in Toronto, paramedics and cops don’t mix.

Undercover and searching for answers as a Toronto police officer, Bailey uses her charm to get Ashleigh to trust her and open up about what she knows surrounding the case of a dead police officer and the paramedics who might have murdered him.

The trouble is, the closer she gets to Ashleigh, the more the line between informant and intimate gets blurred.



Title: Ride the Tide
Series(The Deep Blue Sea Book 2)
Author(s): M.A. Church
Publisher: All Romance
Length: 142 pages

Genre: Romance / Gay / Paranormal / Mermen /

Notes:


BlurbCaught between two worlds—what’s a merman to do?

The Deep Blue Sea, #2

Marcus Krill, a creature of the sea, is a perfectly content bachelor. Mating someone? No thank you. Living anywhere but in the ocean? Ha! Not happening. Spending more than the barest necessity of time on land? Nope. Not this merman. And humans? They’re perfectly fine as a diversion, but that’s all. They might be interesting, but complications follow them like a hungry shark during a feeding frenzy. So what if he’s a little lonely, a little tired of one-night stands? That doesn’t mean he’s ready to mate.

Blair Estes, a creature of land, is perfectly happy with his nomadic lifestyle. No strings keep him tied to any one place long. Adventure is his lover and adrenaline his master. He loves to travel, and the things he’s seen defy description. Now his wandering has brought him to the Seychelles and a mysterious merman who’s going to take him on the journey of a lifetime.

Once again merfolk and human culture collide in an explosion of passion and… fear.



Title: Abel's Omega
Series: Mercy Hills Pack, 2
Author(s): Ann-Katrin Byrde
Publisher:
Length: 440 pages

Genre: Romance / Gay / Paranormal / Mpreg / Shifters /

Notes:


BlurbBax is desperate.

Recently widowed, he takes his pups and flees his pack to avoid a new mate who wants him—but not his babies. At Mercy Hills, he finds the help he’d hoped for, but also a man who both attracts and unnerves him. He doesn’t want another alpha mate, or even any mate, though he knows that an omega has to have one. But Abel is unlike any other alpha he’s ever met, and the hope that had been crushed out of him begins to grow again in the warmth of Abel’s kindness and strength.

Bax is a dream come true for Abel—smart, loyal, strong, and loving. Everything Abel’s ever looked for in a mate. Except the independent omega has no reason to trust an alpha and Abel’s going to have to work his way through layers of hurt if he wants to convince Bax he’s safe opening his heart.

But to keep him, he’ll have to fight for him.

Approximately 130,000 words in length, with a happy ending, some questions answered, and some hints about what's coming in the next couple of books.



Title: Ruin & Will
SeriesAn Act Of Piracy Book 2
Author(s): Tami Veldura
PublisherOLDEWOLFF ALTERNASCENTS (September 23, 2016)
Length: 138 pages

Genre: Romance / Gay / Historical / Pirates / Paranormal / 

Notes:


BlurbTo change his fate, Kyros Vindex made a deal with witches: Eric’s heart for anything in the world. But the cost of love was too high. His quartermaster and best friend Araceli Cross is trapped with the spirit Ghalil. Driven by his guilt, Kyros becomes obsessed with the impossible. To get Araceli back, he’ll have to renege on the witches’ blood pact.

Finally free of the demon that possessed him for seven years, Eric Deumont is ready to chase the horizon. Try as he might, he can’t convince his lover Kyros to move on. And Kyros expects him to return to the plantation, and the man, where it all started; as if there was a chance Philippe could pull Araceli out of the jar. But Eric won’t risk unleashing Ghalil, not for anyone. It’s time to cut and run.

Araceli fights Ghalil with everything she has but when the demon merges their souls, they break the seal of their cage. However, physical freedom doesn’t change the fight for dominance. Ghalil’s demand for blood shackles her, and Araceli is nobody’s slave.

With Ghalil free, time is a luxury that no one has. And all the while, the witch crows watch...


Title: Get Your Shift Together
Series: Bear Bites, 2
Author(s): Ruby Dixon
Publisher:
Length: 98 pgaes

Genre: Romance / Paranormal /

Notes:


BlurbI’ve been looking for a mate in all the wrong places. When the right one shows up in Pine Falls with a man in tow, I almost miss her. Caroline Abbott is a sweetheart of a city girl who is making one last stab at keeping her (dead) relationship together. When her fool of an ex takes off and leaves her alone in the forest, I’m more than happy to step into his abandoned shoes.

While I can make her shout with pleasure, I worry those screams will turn to fear when she realizes that my hidden half is a bear.

I can’t keep the secret much longer, but telling her might scare her off for good.



Title: A Cougar Among Wolves
Series:
Author(s): Kali Willows
PublisherDecadent Publishing (March 11, 2016)
Length: 109 pages

Genre: Romance / Poly / MFM? / Paranormal / Shifters / 

Notes:


BlurbA sadistic attack leaves Klaya, a Puma Clan Cougar, critically injured and the last of her family ferociously slain. She stumbles into Black Hills Wolf territory and collapses. Now under the protection of the pack, she finds herself whisked away to hide out in a cave until her old friend the alpha returns. Potentially the last of her shifter kind, she has nothing left to lose, but her life and a chance to avenge her brother.

After a dangerous rescue, on the edge of pack territory, Seth and Rogue take a woman on the brink of death back to the pack. Her identity and why she was brutalized is a mystery. The pieces soon fit together proving this assault was no coincidence. The Black Hills Wolves pack faces a bigger threat than they could even imagine. The trio soon find themselves on a tumultuous journey of life and death and relentless lust.


Title: Black Snow
Series:
Author(s): EAB
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Length: 501 pages

Genre: Romance / Gay / Fantasy / Mpreg / 

Notes:


BlurbPrince Brier Snow has lived in the shadow of King Snow’s exalted memory. However, his fate changes when he nears his majority and Lirend’s steward queen attempts to dethrone him by exploiting an obscure requirement in the late king’s will: a yearlong sabbatical.

Brier travels to the desolate land of Aire to train under the Ceve guild, scorned refugees of war, including their guarded leader, Roland. Brier’s skillful master unlocks hidden potential, and what begins as a dutiful bond turns into ill-fated affection. When Brier returns to the capital, he’s carrying proof of his indiscretions with Roland—and his condition grows more apparent with each passing day. An affair with the huntsman is a scandal Brier’s enemies can use against him, but the birth of an heir is a burden even Brier is not sure he can bear.

Roland Archer, a man with a murky past, is skeptical of the contract to train the prince but willing to do anything for the guild’s freedom. Despite his best intentions, he is smitten by Lirend’s future king. Roland has resigned himself to solitude, but fate has other plans—for him, for Brier, and for Lirend’s oppressed subjects. Can Roland help Brier face a power-hungry queen and a country torn asunder? Either they will bring equality to a land that desperately needs it, or they’ll be thwarted by cunning enemies and an illusory curse.



Title: Countdown to Zero Hour
Series: Black OPS: Automatik
Author(s): Nico Rosso
Publisher: Carina Press
Length: 233 pages

Genre: Romance / Contemporary / Law Enforcement / Undercover / 

Notes:


BlurbFans of Maya Banks's KGI series will love this explosive new romantic suspense series from Nico Rosso, featuring black ops agents and the women they'll do anything to protect

Former Special Forces agent Artem "Art" Diaz is tattooed, muscular and undeniably dangerous. He's also deep undercover, posing as mob muscle for a deadly bratva boss. His mission: gain the Russians' trust. Then lead the strike team that will take them down.

Chef Hayley Baskov knows better than to get involved with someone with such close mafia ties, but the handsome bodyguard who brought her to this sprawling estate full of ruthless mobsters is inexplicably kind. A little flirtation may keep her safe amid the growing menace.

As Art's timetable for action escalates, so do his encounters with Hayley. Stealing what illicit pleasure they can keeps them both sane in the face of evil. But when things get dangerous, Art has to tell her about his assignment, bringing her deeper into the shadowy world of black ops…and putting her life on the line.

Now Art has a new objective: protect Hayley from the men who'd see them both dead.

Book one of the Black Ops: Automatik series

75,000 words



Title: Daniel & Harry
Series: Brothers In Arms
Author(s): Samantha Kane
Publisher:
Length: 290 pages

Genre: Romance / Gay / Historical

Notes: In the Reading Radar Menage that I posted a couple of weeks ago, I mentioned there was this book in the middle of Kane's MMF Brothers In Arms series. This is it. :)


BlurbA Brothers in Arms Erotic Romance Box SetBooks 10 &11

Love Betrayed, Book 10

Daniel knows it’s folly to take a lover while at war. Caring for Harry is madness. But, despite Harry's innocence, his young lover pleases Daniel more than any other lover he has ever had. Lies, secrets and old lovers come between them. In one explosive battle, all is unfair in love and war when betrayal strikes at the heart.

Defeated by Love, Book 11

Daniel has both dreaded and prayed for the return of the only man he ever loved. Harry knew that when he returned to England after ten years, Daniel would be angry. The passion between them explodes, but they must defeat the memory of Harry’s past mistakes to earn a future together.

*Previously Published
**Mature Readers 18+



Title: Bridge Over Troubled Water
Series:
Author(s): Vivien Dean
Publisher: Loose ID
Length: 112 pages

Genre: Romance / Gay / Paranormal / Vampires / 

Notes:


BlurbDetective Brady Lindstrom deals in death, and not just because he’s a homicide cop with the slaughter of a century to solve. Ten years ago, vampires murdered his lover. Ever since, he’s looked over his shoulder, ready for vampires to strike again.

Exhausted and angry about the needless deaths he has to investigate, Brady worries that the killers he’s looking for aren’t even human. Those fears are compounded by an unexpected visitor, the battered and nearly broken Cole Singer, the lover he’d long ago given up for dead. When Cole offers to trade information on the killers in exchange for sanctuary, Brady realizes he doesn’t have a choice. It’s not about justice. He simply can’t turn his back on the face of the only man he’s ever loved. Even if he’s a vampire.

Publisher's Note: This story was previously released by another publisher but has been re-edited and revised in this edition.


Title: Crumbling of the Soul
Series:
Author(s): Meyari McFarland
PublisherMary M Raichle (July 30, 2016)
Length: 292 pages

Genre: Adventure / Fantasy / Gay / Coming of Age / Epic Fantasy / 

Notes:


BlurbThe patio rippled under Ysan's feet. Two generations of drought had transformed the Library of Truth into a ruin.

Just like Ysan's life.

One slim thread of hope remained for the world. If Ysan and his friends could muster the courage to sacrifice themselves, time would unwind and a new path could be found.

One which prevented the Soul of the World from crumbling to dust, taking all life with it.


Title: Blood Doctrine: Re Education is in Order
Series:
Author(s): Maquel A. Jacob
PublisherMAJart Works (October 22, 2016)
Length: 201 pages

Genre: Vampires / Gay / Romance? / Urban Fantasy / 

Notes: I couldn't resist the cover...


BlurbThe new generation of vampires has their elders disgusted with their ignorance and lack of social grace. Re-education is in order so they ship the blood thirsty ingrates to boarding school in hopes they catch some common sense. And the young ones don’t like it one bit.

Chase Ambrook deems himself a social butterfly living the carefree life. Princess Adelia only sees humans as playthings for her sadistic games. Falson Sapienti spends his days engaging in carnal escapades.

War is coming.

As successors to take over their covens they must buck up and act responsible for once in their lives. Losing the battle means extinction but it may be too much of a burden for this group of spoiled blood suckers.


Title: Goddess With A Blade
SeriesGoddess With A Blade, 1
Author(s): Lauren Dane
Publisher: Carina Press
Length: 298 pages

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Urban Fantasy / 

Notes:


BlurbRowan Summerwaite is no ordinary woman. Physical vessel to the Celtic Goddess Brigid and raised by the leader of the Vampire Nation, she's a supercharged hunter with the power to slay any vampire who violates the age-old treaty.

A recent string of murders has her at odds with Las Vegas's new Scion, the arrogant and powerful Clive Stewart. The killings have the mark of Vampire all over them, and Rowan warns Clive to keep his people in line—or she'll mete out her own brand of justice.

Though her dealings with Clive are adversarial to say the least, Rowan is intensely aware of her attraction to him. But she can't let it distract her from her duty—to find and battle the killer before more women die.

73,000 words



Title: Courting the Phoenix
Series: Eternal Flame, 3
Author(s): Cree Storm, Maggie Walsh
Publisher:
Length: 187 pages

Genre: Romance / Gay / Paranormal / Fantasy / 

Notes:


BlurbGavin Ryder, an owl shifter, is not only an ADA for the human justice system, he is also the head counsel for The Paranormal Council. He is called in to prosecute Avery Madison and his father Carver Jinx for crimes against the paranormals of Crystal, Colorado. Although Ryder is used to threats in his line of work, he never thought that his life would be endangered twice in under forty-eight hours. First, someone tries to actually kill him by forcing him off a mountain road, second, by placing a bomb in his car. Thank the Gods for Detective Paul Malone, his mate.

Paul is a phoenix shifter who has worked as a detective for Crystal for many years, but he is not used to working with others besides his long-time friend Angelo. So when his Captain informs him that the prosecuting attorney will be joining him to uncover more evidence in both Avery and Jinx’s cases, Pauly is not too thrilled.

While taking a flight in his phoenix form to let his beast out, Pauly watches in horror as a truck tries to force a small car off the road and over a cliff. Pauly dives down to see what he can do to help, where he witnesses the driver shift into an owl. Pauly quickly jumps in to rescue the shifter and is not only shocked, but happy to find that the man is his mate. But someone is out to kill Ryder.

The two must work together to save Ryder, and find the evidence needed to put Avery and Jinx away for a long time. But what they don’t know is the true depth of the evil that surrounds them and to what length that force will go to stop Ryder and Pauly from finding the truth.


Title: Falling Into Darkness
Series:
Author(s): LM Brown
Publisher: Pride Publishing
Length:

Genre: Romance / Gay / Paranormal /

Notes:


BlurbFROM ENGLISH GAY ROMANCE AUTHOR, L.M. BROWN

Their love could save the soul of a fallen angel or damn an archangel to an eternity in Hell.

The realm of angels was created as a paradise where angels could watch over the earth as mankind took his first steps. For the archangel Michael, it is the only home he has ever known and he could never envisage another life. Michael’s life changes the day his path crosses that of the favoured son of the morning. From the moment he sees him, Michael wants Lucifer for his own. When the two angels come together the passion surprises them both.

Their love is forged in Heaven, but is doomed the moment Lucifer falls from grace to become the leader of an army of demons.

Separated by war, the former lovers know the time will come when they must face each other in battle.

Their confrontation will set in motion events that neither could have foreseen. For Lucifer it is the chance to persuade Michael to stand at his side, as his partner as leader of the demons. For Michael, it is a mission to save his lover’s soul, while risking his own.

Torn between his love for Lucifer and his duties as an angel, Michael walks a fine line, where one wrong step could result in his own fall from Heaven, and an eternity in Hell.



Title: Karen Memory
Series:
Author(s): Elizabeth Bear
Publisher:
Length: 351 pages

Genre: Romance / Lesbian / Steampunk / Transgender /

Notes:


Blurb"You ain't gonna like what I have to tell you, but I'm gonna tell you anyway. See, my name is Karen Memery, like memory only spelt with an e, and I'm one of the girls what works in the Hôtel Mon Cherie on Amity Street. Hôtel has a little hat over the o like that. It's French, so Beatrice tells me."

Set in the late 19th century—when the city we now call Seattle Underground was the whole town (and still on the surface), when airships plied the trade routes, would-be gold miners were heading to the gold fields of Alaska, and steam-powered mechanicals stalked the waterfront, Karen is a young woman on her own, is making the best of her orphaned state by working in Madame Damnable's high-quality bordello. Through Karen's eyes we get to know the other girls in the house—a resourceful group—and the poor and the powerful of the town. Trouble erupts one night when a badly injured girl arrives at their door, beggin sanctuary, followed by the man who holds her indenture, and who has a machine that can take over anyone's mind and control their actions. And as if that wasn't bad enough, the next night brings a body dumped in their rubbish heap—a streetwalker who has been brutally murdered.

Bear brings alive this Jack-the-Ripper yarn of the old west with a light touch in Karen's own memorable voice, and a mesmerizing evocation of classic steam-powered science.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Title: Matthias
Series: Order of the Black Knights, 2
Author(s): Alexis Duran
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Length: 253 pages

Genre: Romance / Gay / Mystery / Suspense /

Notes:


BlurbOrder of the Black Knights

From Louisiana swamp rat to revivalist huckster to skilled con artist, Matthias Krall clawed his way out of poverty using his natural gifts of grift and manipulation to become the leader of an exclusive retreat center. 
Exploiting the guise of spiritual guru, Matthias seduces the rich and powerful into turning over their lives and fortunes to his control. But wealth and a small cadre of loyal followers can’t protect Matthias from the betrayal he knows is imminent. Everyone wants what Matthias has, except for one man who wants to destroy it. Dylan Connelly is a reporter who’s determined to prove the charismatic recluse is not only a fraud but a murderer.

Irresistibly drawn to Dylan despite the warnings in his gut, Matthias lures Dylan to his island retreat, determined to destroy his enemy once and for all.



Title: What Boys Are Made Of
Series: The Saint Flaherty series
Author(s): S. Hunter Nisbet
PublisherBadApple Press; 1st edition (March 14, 2016)
Length: 356 pages

Genre: Romance / Gay / Science Fiction / Dystopian / 

Notes:


BlurbNobody wants to be a murderer, but some don't get the choice.

A second civil war has torn America apart, leaving Appalachia an isolated minefield ruled by cartels. In the town of Buchell, Simon “Saint” Flaherty cage fights for money—until the day a fight gone wrong leaves him a murderer.

His coach uses the publicity to set Simon up in the fight of his life in scarcely a month's time, but physically ready doesn't mean mentally ready. Still reeling from what he's done, Simon will do anything not to kill again.

But Simon’s coach isn’t the only man in Buchell with an eye for talent. The cartels that keep a stranglehold over the mountains are scouting for new recruits, and the local kingpin has his eye on the teenager with the one-punch knockout.

With big money on the line and no way to escape, it's time for Simon to learn to live with blood on his hands--before he ends up dead too.



Title: Shattered Destiny
SeriesSoulbonded, 2
Author(s): AE Wasp
Publisher:
Length: 241 pages

Genre: Romance / Gay / Fantasy / 

Notes:


BlurbNikolai and Alexei’s love doomed the world; saving it will damn them.

After giving in to their forbidden desires, Alexei disappeared and Nikolai awoke alone only to discover a cryptic note from the mother he thought long-dead.

Now, two years later, Alexei has returned, plummeting to earth in a blaze of blood and fire and bringing with him the devastating revelation of Nikolai’s true nature and violent destiny.

With the mysterious Champion of Chaos out for his blood, and only scraps of memories of a previous life lived in the fairy-realm to guide him, Nikolai has four days to save the world without losing his soul and humanity in the process.

Adding to the danger, every time Nikolai and Alexei are together, it sends a signal that leads the Champion of Chaos right to their door. But, the pull of their split soul won’t be denied for long.

Nikolai must fight, and the battle must be won, or Chaos will destroy the mortal realm.


Title: The Black Swan
Series:
Author(s): Tinnean
PublisherJMS Books LLC (October 1, 2016)
Length: 161 pages

Genre: Romance / Gay / Historical / Fantasy / Vampire /

Notes:


BlurbGabe Granger gathers intelligence for George Washington, even after he’s bitten by a vampyre in the service of the British. Remember Littlebury, his longtime friend, stays with him as his black swan, keeping him safe from sunlight and getting messages to General Washington.

After the war ends, they continue working for the fledgling government through one conflict after another. When Gabe loses Remember at the Battle of Gettysburg, he’s ready to give up, but his country still needs his services. And there are many black swans for him to choose from. None are any more fortunate than Remember, and one by one they’re killed in various wars.

All Noah Poynter wants is to be a black swan, and he’s devastated when his pop tells him he’s just a normal. In spite of everything, Gabe and Noah become friends. Is there any hope for the two of them?



Title: The King and the Criminal
Series: The Heart of All Worlds, 2
Author(s): Charlotte Ashe
Publisher:
Length:

Genre: Romance / Gay / Epic Fantasy / 

Notes: Releases December 8th


BlurbWhat happens when the fairytale ends but the journey continues? 

Book II of the Heart of All Worlds series finds Sehrys and Brieden living peacefully in Khryslee. But when King Firae breaches an ancient, spellbound pact by crossing The Border into Villalu in pursuit of a convicted criminal and is trapped there, Sehrys is forced to ascend the throne in his absence, a role he was once groomed for, but Brieden fears and dreads. Meanwhile, Firae must rely on the very criminal he was after to help him reach home alive—a man his own mother exiled long ago but who awakens something in his heart more potent than his sworn duties as king.

As each man struggles to understand his own destiny, devotion, and legacy, a deeper and more urgent truth confronts them all: Their world is in far greater danger than they realized, and each of them plays an integral part in its fate.


Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Bespoken: Where Are You?

So far for the month of November, I've been prepping to write the third book of the Valespain Pact, Bespoken. Writing Sumeria's Sons taught me a lot of what to do and not to do when writing a series. I took those lessons and applied them to the rest of the Valespian Pact series. 

For those who haven't heard, this is now the series line:

1) Alpha Trine - Zeus, Dargon, and Alpha
2) Striker - Zeus, Dargon, and Alpha
3) Bespoken - Prometheus, Vipre, and Malek
4) Chosen - Axis and the Chimera triplets, Cilix, Phoenix, and Cadmus
5) Boundless - Madux and Star Eater
6) Legends - back to Prometheus, Vipre, and Malek, but there will be returning POVs from the previous books.

Now I know there are a few who werelooking forward to Canry's story and honestly, I couldn't fit in a side plot that was attacked to the overall plot of the series. What I have in mind for him will happen outside the issue of the grid. The same goes for Mestor's romance but you will see hints of those two emerging love stories throughout the Valespian Pact. *evil grins*


Other than outlining what I could of Bespoken, Chosen, and Boundless, placing anchors so that I had plot/character goals to write towards while still allowing for flexibility if something didn't work, I've expanded the showing to other POVs of key players in the series. I strove to answer the questions of how Zeus came to be in Atlainticia space, which is as far as one can get from the approved travel route for the humans. What happened to separate Prometheus and Zeus? There are reveals and twists and sacrifices. The Ancients play a larger part going forward, which I think Striker laid the ground work for. 

This series will also include a broad range of LGBTIAQ characters. Prometheus is intersex, which shouldn't come as a surprise since all Fal Amorics are intersex. Athena will enter a bisexual poly relationship (which again shouldn't be a surprise since the Fal Amorics need two sperm donors in order to conceive), and depending how things turn out, she might have more. There will be genderfluid Ancients (The children of the Alphazetamite). Axis is asexual and there is another character yet to be revealed who is aromantic.

I've worked hard to flesh out all the pertinent characters for the Valespian Pact, a mistake I made with Sumeria's Sons. When I sat down to write Releasing Chaos I had to take a couple steps back and fix that before I could go anywhere with the final story of the series. I didn't want to make the same mistake in the Valespian Pact, especially after I had to figure out what made Prometheus a better Bespoken than Zeus or even why Athena couldn't stand in for the Bespoken. That took me a long time to answer and make sure that it could be interwoven into the plot.

Another thing I did was play with Ancient Greek settings and stories. Sometimes names mean something and sometimes they don't. I re-imagined all kinds of things like, Knossos and the roll of the Minotaur, the river Styx and it's gatekeeper... and just a ton of stuff that I hope will entice and thrill the reader. I know I'm excited. There might even be a redemption story in there somewhere for Rathmar.

Anyway, this whole blog post is just the long way of saying that I've started writing Bespoken and it's going to be awesome. :)

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

Monday, November 21, 2016

One More Week to Enter: Death Mask Blog Tour #giveaway


Happy Monday! I know grumble-grumble need more coffee for the evil day job. :)

Last week was the blog tour for Death Mask and for most of it I was out of town, managing what I could from my iPad. (the Blogger app s.u.c.k.s BTW) I spent the week with a sick friend trying to cheer her up. Bad timing, I know, but some things you just can't put off not matter what you have planned that can't be changed. 

I've spent the morning trying to catch up on all the comments ont he tour stops, so bear with me. :)

So! Just in case you missed anything, I've listed all the stops and what the guest post content was for your convenience. All the articles I wrote, tells you something about Death Mask, like the behind the scenes snapshots. While I like all of the guest posts, my favorites are the Top Five Things Not To Do for Tali Spencer's blog and the flash fiction pieces.

The one thing that I hate is that when I'm distracted I miss simple and obvious editing things. It's like after you hit send and then find five mistakes in spelling and grammar and the only thing you can do is bang your head on the desk in consternation. So apologies for all of the mistakes.



Bonus: Hearts on Fire Reviews exclusive pre-tour flash fiction: Rejected 

Alicia Nordwell - Interview

Jamie Lynn Miller - Guest Post: Why the Theme of Death.

M.A. Church - Flash Fiction Part One: Opium and Lung

Anne Barrow - Interview

L.M. Brown - Character Interview

Elizabeth Noble - Guest Post: Writing With Purpose

Crystal's Many Reviewer - Flash Fiction Part Two: Fistacuffs and Rye Whiskey

Prism Book Alliance - Motorcycle Club Romance

Tali Spencer - Guest Post: Top 5 Things Not To Do

It's Raining Men - Guest Post: Little Red Riding Hood

Bonkers About Books - Guest Post: Werepups



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Sunday, November 20, 2016

Cover Reveal: Operation Better Tomorrow by Brandi Evans


Been gone for several days so I missed putting this up on time. But here we go! Better late than never. :)

Title: Operation Better Tomorrow

Author: Brandi Evans

Release Date: November 29th 2016

Publisher: Loose ID


Genre: MM Romance



BLURB

The interview of a lifetime.

When Aaron Strickland’s assigned to write a feature article on Caleb Douglas, the first openly gay soldier to receive the Medal of Honor, he’s over-the-moon. Meet a sexy, real-life hero? Yes, please. And in the weeks leading up to their interview, the former soldier becomes a recurring player in Aaron’s fantasies.

A man Caleb can’t forget.

Years earlier, lost in the throes of depression and PTSD after an ambush left his body and soul scarred, Caleb was on the brink of giving up when a magazine article changed his life forever—an article written by Aaron. Emerging from the depths of his pain, Operation Better Tomorrow—part homestead, part halfway house for those down on their luck—was born.

Tragedy lurking on the horizon.

As the days pass, Caleb and Aaron’s tragic pasts bind them in ways they aren’t prepared for, but it also leaves them vulnerable. Pushing forward means breaking down walls they’ve built to protect themselves, and just as they’re poised on the precipice of happiness, a darkness descends on the homestead, a hatred that will leave one man clinging to life and the other willing to risk everything to save him.


EXCERPT

Aaron’s dick tightened, and he took a step toward Caleb. “I’ve learned a lot about homestead operations today, but I want to know more about you. Tell me, Sergeant Douglas, what inspired you to begin Operation Better Tomorrow?”

Caleb scrubbed a palm over the back of his neck. “That’s kinda embarrassing, actually.”

“I don’t believe that. How can the origin story of a place like this be embarrassing?”

Another minuscule step closer.

“Because of you, Aaron.”

“Me? How do I fit in?”

Caleb looked down, hands fisted low on his hips in a masculine mirroring of Aubrey. “Things got really low for me about six, seven years ago. The physical therapy was torture, and I was in pain all the time. The PTSD and depression didn’t help matters either. I was sick and fucking tired of it all.”

Was that code for wanting to commit suicide? Aaron wanted to ask, but he held back, letting Caleb finish.

“Then, one day, I was sitting on the couch, a bottle of pain pills in one hand and a bottle of Jack Daniels in the other, when a magazine on the coffee table caught my attention. To this day I don’t know how it got there, but a title on the cover caught my attention. So I started reading. Everything the woman in the article was going through, her physical and emotional pain… Change a few things, and it could have been written about me. And by the time I finished, I was in tears.” The left side of his mouth tipped up in a haunting smile. “Although, I’d appreciate it if you’d leave the crying part out of the article. I do have a reputation to maintain.”

“Totally off the record.” Aaron held up his three middle fingers and stepped closer. “Scout’s honor.”

Caleb nodded. “It’s hard to put into words, but the article struck a chord deep inside me. It was one of those life-changing moments where everything becomes clear. The past, the present, the future. And I saw this place in my head. Operation Better Tomorrow, a way to turn my pain into someone else’s better tomorrow.”

“Wow. That’s just… Wow.” Something about the words Caleb used were familiar, but Aaron couldn’t quite place them. “As a writer, that would be the greatest compliment a person could give me, to tell me my words were the bridge they needed to get from a painful past and into a brighter future. I think I would literally fall over from pride.”

Caleb closed what little distance remained between them. “Is that your subtle way of telling me I should be prepared to catch you?”

“Be prepared to catch me?” The question escaped seconds before realization bitchslapped him. Oh, Sweet Baby J. He’d written the article that had saved Caleb’s life.


About the Author

Brandi Evans was raised by a caravan of traveling Gypsies. She spent her days learning the ways of her people and her nights lost in legends as old as time. Okay, not really, but that's way more interesting than the truth!

In reality, Brandi grew up the oldest child of an ordinary family. Grade school, middle school, high school. Nothing extraordinary happened until she left the nest. She joined the military, went to college, got married, and became a mom. And somewhere along the way, she discovered she liked to read—and write!—stories hot enough to melt eReaders.

These days, she calls The Natural State home where she lives with her hubby, two beautiful daughters, two dogs and a cat who has yet to realize she doesn’t own the place. Soldier. Wife. Mom. Multi-published smut writer. Brandi's life might not be "traveling Gypsy" interesting, but she's had fun. And in the end, isn't that all that really matters?



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