What's on the Reading Radar? #WishList #TBR

What have I been doing this week? Well, I received feedback from the beta readers for Constant (The Valespian Pact, 3) and it needs a bit more work. I have timeline issues and I need to rewrite a couple of chapters as well as add several more scenes (like no one is going to argue over having more, LOL).  I have a couple more weeks of work to go on the book which, on one hand, is a bummer because I was completely ready to go forward. But on the other hand, better to catch the issues now than have them come to light after it's published and everything is set in stone. Constant is going to be my world for the next couple of weeks. I'm not sure that I will have time to write on Assassin's Retirement, but we'll see how things go.

I'm waiting for a lot of books to come out this time around.

Title: Queen Takes Rook
Series: Their Vampire Queen, 4
Author(s): Joely Sue Burkhart
Length: 
Publisher:

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Vampires / Poly / Mythology /

Notes: So this doesn't release until April 17th. Joely says she's not going to do a preorder this time. I happened to catch Joely's cover reveal on a reverse harem FB group yesterday. Give it to me know. I really can't wait.

Blurb: The epic showdown between the last Isador queen and House Skye begins.

Strengthened by her new queen sib, Shara Isador plans to return to her mansion-in-progress for some much needed rest. She especially wants to get to know her new twin Blood and fears she may have made a mistake in taking them. She does not love them. Yet.

However, the sun god and the queen of New York City have other plans.

The snares are set to capture the young but extremely powerful vampire queen. Someone inside Zaniyah's nest has betrayed them, and Shara's trusted butler calls to inform her that a large package has arrived--from Marne Ceresa, the queen of Rome. A trap, surely. Or could the unknown gift be an olive branch from the feared Triune queen?

Title: Blood Bathory: Like the Night
Series: The Guardians of Gaia, 1
Author(s): Ari McKay
Length: 348 pages
Publisher:

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Vampires / Shifters /

Notes:

Blurb: Evan St. John, a young fashion photographer running from the pain caused by the death of his younger sister, is thrilled when he is offered a job with House of Nadasdy, a leading fashion house in Paris. What he doesn't know is that Elizabeth Nadasdy, the elegant and powerful owner, is a centuries-old vampire with a penchant for collecting beautiful people. To Evan's horror, he is turned into one of her "children." 

Unable to bear what he has become, Evan flees to New York and to his best friend, police officer Will Trask. For years, Evan has nursed an unrequited love for Will, but he also knows Will is the one person who might be able to help him. As Evan and Will try to deal with Evan's condition, they are drawn into the world of the theriomorphs: shape-shifters who are guardians of life and the sworn enemies of vampires. Caught in an ancient war between two powerful supernatural forces, Evan and Will find they must choose sides - because if they are to have any chance of a future together, they must destroy Elizabeth Nadasdy before she destroys them.

Title: Brandywine Investigations: Family Matters
Series: Vol. 2
Author(s): Angel Martinez
Length: 471 pages
Publisher: Mischief Corner Books, LLC; 1 edition (February 28, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Bisexual /

Notes:

Blurb: Brandywine Investigations
Preceded by: Open for Business

With his career firmly established and his reputation as a successful PI growing, Hades should have the perfect life with his human lover, his faithful ferryman, his dogs and the parts of his family still speaking to him. But murder and chaos are never far away for death lords as his nephew Dionysus and his oldest friend Charon are drawn into the maelstrom.

Includes:
Books, Bulls, & Bacchanals: Brandywine Investigations #4
Midwinter Dancing: Brandywine Investigations #4.5
Pack Up the Moon: Brandywine Investigations #5

Please note: Books, Bulls & Bacchanals has been re-edited with a few story adjustments for this edition.

Title: Kelpie
Series: Out of Underhill, 1
Author(s): Mell Eight
Length: 228 pages
Publisher: LT3 Press

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Fantasy / Gay /

Notes:

Blurb: Mama always said, don't go near the lake. Rin already knew the forest was filled with dark things, but aside from Mama no one had warned him about the lake. One day, Rin wanders off to the lake, where a beautiful blue horse asks him to go for a swim, and Rin learns too late it may not be a swim he survives.

Title: You to Me
Series: Tails x Horns, 1
Author(s): Lyn Forester
Length: 338 pages
Publisher: Stacks Publishing; 1 edition (October 11, 2016)

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / New Adult / Gay /

Notes: I found this one because book two came out on the 30th.

Blurb: Tails or horns. Fate decides.

Childhood friends Sota and Masa have always been together. But when they turn eighteen, all of their expectations shatter. Attention from a persistent bully escalates and childhood visions of a perfect future begin to unravel.

Sota quickly realizes that the transition into adulthood is not as fun as he envisioned. Unexpected feelings emerge and hidden secrets come to light. Sota and Masa’s lives have become more confusing than ever.

Can they accept fate’s design, embracing who they were meant to be? Or will reality tear them apart?

Title: Witchbane
Series: 
Author(s): Morgan Brice
Length: 275 page
Publisher:

Genre: Romance / Magic / Paranormal / Witches / 

Notes:

Blurb: Seth Tanner and his brother Jesse's fun evening debunking local urban legends ends with Jesse's gruesome murder. Seth vows revenge on Jesse's killer - too bad the murderer has been dead for a hundred years. Seth uncovers a cycle of ritual killings that feed the power of a dark warlock's immortal witch-disciples, and he's hell bent on stopping Jackson Malone from becoming the next victim. He's used to risking his neck. He never intended to risk his heart.

Title: A Study of Honor
Series: 
Author(s): Claire O'Dell
Length: 304 pages
Publisher: Harper Voyager (July 31, 2018)

Genre: Non-Romanctic / Mystery / Suspense / Thriller / Lesbian / Sherlock Holmes / 

Notes: Releases July 31st

Blurb: Set in a near future Washington, D.C., a clever, incisive, and fresh feminist twist on a classic literary icon—Sherlock Holmes—in which Dr. Janet Watson and covert agent Sara Holmes will use espionage, advanced technology, and the power of deduction to unmask a murderer targeting Civil War veterans.

Dr. Janet Watson knows firsthand the horrifying cost of a divided nation. While treating broken soldiers on the battlefields of the New Civil War, a sniper’s bullet shattered her arm and ended her career. Honorably discharged and struggling with the semi-functional mechanical arm that replaced the limb she lost, she returns to the nation’s capital, a bleak, edgy city in the throes of a fraught presidential election. Homeless and jobless, Watson is uncertain of the future when she meets another black and queer woman, Sara Holmes, a mysterious yet playfully challenging covert agent who offers the doctor a place to stay.

Watson’s readjustment to civilian life is complicated by the infuriating antics of her strange new roommate. But the tensions between them dissolve when Watson discovers that soldiers from the New Civil War have begun dying one by one—and that the deaths may be the tip of something far more dangerous, involving the pharmaceutical industry and even the looming election. Joining forces, Watson and Holmes embark on a thrilling investigation to solve the mystery—and secure justice for these fallen soldiers.

Title: Blood of the Wolf
Series: Forged in Blood
Author(s): Holly Evans
Length: 173 pages
Publisher: Chaos Fox (March 22, 2018)

Genre: Romance? / Urban Fantasy / Paranormal / Witches / Werewolves / Shifters /

Notes:

Blurb: Eight years ago, my world changed. Little did I know the rest of the world had changed with me.

My name’s Niko, and I’m a made wolf shifter. Eight years ago, I endured a blood ritual that took me from a pretty normal guy and turned me into what I am today. Ever since then, I’ve been looking for ways to make the world a better place. I want to save people, to make sure they never suffer like I did.

Someone has been murdering born wolf shifters and using them in brutal rituals. I was given the opportunity to stop them and save lives. I leapt at the chance to make a real difference, but of course it came with a catch. I have to work with a Guardian, one of the goddess’s chosen wolves. On one hand, he’s everything I look for in a man. On the other, if he finds out who and what I am, then death will be a sweet release from the torture I’ll endure.

I have no choice but to hope the goddess is on my side as I rush to save the lives of the born wolf shifters, all the while praying I don’t lose my own life in the process.

Title: Looking for You
Series: Lifesworn, 3
Author(s): Megan Derr
Length: 
Publisher:

Genre: Romance / Fantasy / MMF / Bisexual / Poly /

Notes: releases May 7th

Blurb: It is the duty of the lifesworn to devote their lives to protecting, serving, and guiding those to whom they're sworn. The best of them serve one master for their entire lives. Though Omar has only ever wanted to be listed amongst those greats, he instead loses his first master to illness, his second to age, and is rejected by subsequent potentials.

When a foreign woman, Lady Astira, arrives unexpectedly in Morentia in the dead of night, she brings dire news: her betrothed, Lord Symaia, has been kidnapped. Without him and the soldiers who follow him, Princess Shanna will be missing a significant part of her army in the coming war against her stepfather.

Symaia is also an old friend of Omar's, and so he is assigned the task of finding, rescuing, and protecting Symaia. If Omar fails in his mission, lives and kingdoms will be lost. If he succeeds, he must watch as the man he's always loved marries the woman he's quickly falling in love with.

Title: Posing for the Alpha
Series: For the Alpha, 1
Author(s): Sydnee B.
Length: 249 pages
Publisher:

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Shifters / Alpha & Omega / 

Notes: This one caught my eye because I found book 2, Posing of the Omega, while cruising for books. It looks like a fun series. Book 2 releases April 1st.

Blurb: Ira was born in a middle form, stuck between a human body and a wolf his entire life. After coming of age he decides to leave his birth pack and find a pack where he can find more than tolerance, but love and acceptance. What he finds is a pack that doesn’t know what to make of him, and the perfect alpha who takes a chance on him. Ira finds for the first time in his life that he wants another wolf to see him as a potential mate and he’s willing to do anything to catch his new alphas attention.

Title: Oliris
Series: 
Author(s): S. Neff
Length: 226 pages
Publisher: Painted Hearts Publishing (March 1, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Sci-Fi / Fantasy / Alien / 

Notes: Confession: the first time I saw the cover I thought this was one of those time travel dino romances that I've read so many funny reviews for. When I read the reviews, one of them said dragon shifter and you know me and dragons. I bought it. LOL!

Blurb: Senana Saz Rays has been sentenced to four years of slave labor on prison planet Indiku after assaulting his state appointed psychiatrist. Leaving his lover Rhyan behind on earth, Sena spends his time on the planet Indiku working with the coveted medicinal leeri flowers. Although a slave, he can’t help but find peace in the mundane life he’s lived on the alien planet and the wondrous sightings of the indigenous Zanzi that look so much like mythical earth dragons. Senana is just one year shy of going home and being with Rhyan again when all thoughts of freedom are swiped away as a massive Zanzi takes him from the leeri fields and back to the mountains it calls home.

La’el is a proud Zanzi. His only wish was to find a life mate and experience the bond his parents share. When he finally finds him in the leeri fields he doesn’t hesitate to take Sena— even their vast physical differences won’t dissuade the young Zanzi. La’el will do anything to prove to Sena that they are meant to be together, even if he’s unsure how to convince his human mate.

Both La’el and Sena are about to find out that there is more between them than either of them could ever imagine. Their bond affects more than just their fate, but also reveals a true evil buried in the heart of Indiku, and all the way back to Earth.

Title: Rended Hearts
Series: 
Author(s): Riza Curtis
Length: 150 pages
Publisher:

Genre: Romantic Elements / Paranormal / Fantasy / Witches / Shifters / 

Notes: I read this yesterday. The reason I said this has romantic elements is because this was more about Gabriel's journey as a witch running from the covens than about his relationship with Simon. There was a little bit of romance but that had little to do with the plot. 

Blurb: After a life on the run, witch Gabriel just wants to enjoy having a home. He’s perfectly happy pottering around his garden and using magic to quietly help people. Then the Alpha of the local wolf pack is attacked by a member of the local coven, and everything changes. There’s no love lost between the witch and the wolves, but Gabriel saves the life of the Alpha in an attempt to keep the peace. 

Simon finds his mate in the witch that saves his life, but the coven is coming for Gabriel, and they don’t care who gets in their way...

This novel is intended for adult audiences only, and contains violence, swearing, and graphic sex scenes. There are also mentions of off-page past suicide.

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

Pact Days: Qrxzl #ValespianPact

Welcome to Thursday's Pact Days! Today, we have the Qrxzl.

The Qrxzl (pronounced liked crystal) were introduce in Striker. The Mar'Sani are not a fan of the species, especially after they attacked Prince Zeus while he was an emissary of his people.

Enjoy!  

A couple of side notes: For a list of species that have been posted so far, see the The People of Valespia page. I'm placing these in alphabetical order so I won't unintentionally place importance on any specie. I will leave off information on the species that will spoil future books. My standard sheet has the same categories for all species. So there will be blank categories just because that species didn't need them.

Species: Qrxzl

Planet: Qestaire

Other races on the planet:

Planetary Terrain: Ocean and sandy deserts, small forests

Capitol: Qlosti

Country:

Patron Ryo'Pardeep: Star Eater

Description: sentient crystal clusters, intelligent and curious.

The live on a planet where the main continent is sandy, pocked by lakes. They move beneath the sane. Guarded by black obelisk sentinels. They are caretakers of the Pool of Truth, a semi-sentient primordial water. Alpha said he and Zeta were born from the primordial ooze.

Befriending the Feteine, The Qrxzl helped to liberate them from the Terrens. They gave pieces of themselves to power the Feteine starship jump engines (as well as personal jump drives). The are the only species/race that is able to quantum leap.

Qrxzl are unbending and unforgiving. Petitioners only get one chance to sway the Qrxzl to their cause/case.

Some empathic psionics can pick up emotions off the Qrxzl.

They cannot be corrupted by the V'Saar venom.

What Qestaire looks like: large land masses pocked with small bodies of water. Pure white sands between the lakes, the reds and greens of the vegetation rings the seas. What wildlife that could be found inhabited the jungles bordering the seas. The only predators of the Qrxzl are Terrens.

The tarmac for incoming vessels sits between sand dunes and the jungle. The air is hot and dry, unexpected with so many lakes.

There are paving stones form the tarmac to the meeting circle. The sands moves at the behest of the Qrxzl. They use it to send energy that probes the being s that walk on the sand.

The Meeting Circle: pale standing stones with red paving stones leading to the circle. The red stones are inscribed with white script, filling the open space between the standing stones. The area is devoid of life. No bugs, birds, or call of wildlife.

In the center of the standing stones stands a black pedestal cradling a large, wide-mouthed wooden bowl, holding communication crystals (speaking stones) so petitioners can hear and understand the Qrxzl.

Black obelisks filled the spaces between the standing stones. They are guardians of their race. Their centers glow with a soft light.

The Qrxzl pulse with energy. That energy was why the Terrens sent their robotic crews to mine the crystals. One crystal could power a starship indefinitely. Qrxzl can form weapons and appendages that hold things.

Whistles can be used as weapons against the Qrxzls.

Movement: "Two irregular-shaped crystals burrowed up from the whites sands… squat in comparison, and an azure blue… pulsing light in the center mass…" the 2 crystals fractures and with a strange lumbering gate, moved across the sands.

The Dome: "After skirting several dunes, they came upon a flat area with sculpted river rock under their feet and sparkling turquoise domes arching overhead."

"Overhead, multicolored crystals jutted from the dome's interior wall, each pulsing with their own inner light."

"The dome's interior walls were made of flat, hexagonshaped crystals. Zeus watched, turning in a slow circle, as one by one the crystal faces became alight with a soft, warm glow. The floor sloped down to a ring of low steps leading into a pool of turquoise water. A single red obelisk rose from the center of the pool. Glyphs of an unknown language were carved into the stone. As the wall lit up, the tip of the obelisk began to glow softly."

"The lighted crystals along the wall flickered gently, but six darker than the others near the top of the dome shone a beam of red light on the tip of the obelisk protruding from the pool." 

""This is the Qrxzl's Pool of Truth. Those who stand on the lowest platform must be forthright in all of their words. If they are not, the obelisk will reveal what the speaker intended to hide. This possesses no danger to us," Alpha reassured him."

The liquid is thicker than water, gel-like. 

Common Occupation:

Government Systems: Hivemind

Current Leader:

Council of Neighn of Member:

Allies: Alpha-Zetamite, Ryo'Pardeep, Feteine, Gaziniti,

Star System: Omicron Star System

Other planets occupied by species:

Military Leader:

Cultural names and terms specific to species:

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

What's on the Reading Radar? #WishList #TBR

What have I been doing this week? Sifting through beta feedback on Constant. Writing on Bespoken and Assassin's Retirement. World building in I.O.N. 

Then yesterday I just sat on the couch and read all day long... well, and walked the dog ever thirty-freaking minutes because they wanted to play in the snow. It's my fault really. They life for me to throw snowballs at them so they can catch them. It's Dyson's favorite thing to do.

So I didn't get this post up for Saturday. Whoops! I told myself I would get this done and then I could spend the day reading again. What piqued my interest?

Title: Consorting with Dragons: Expanded Editioin
Series: 
Author(s): Sera Trevor
Length: 
Publisher: 

Genre: Romance / Fantasy / Royalty / Dragons / Gay / 

Notes: releases April 7th. Is available for pre-order for $0.99. I haven't read the first one so I have no expectations. Just that it has dragons.

Blurb: Lord Jasen of Grumhul, an impoverished young nobleman, has come to the Draelands to find a rich husband to help pay his father's debts. To the shock of everyone, he ends up attracting the attention of King Rilvor himself, and the dragons who control the magic in the land. Becoming royalty wasn’t something Jasen either expected or wanted, but he can’t control his growing feelings for kind and handsome king. Scheming factions at Court conspire to keep him from Rilvor’s side, and now Jasen has to decide if the chance at true love with Rilvor is worth the burden of being the husband of a king.

This sweet and funny Cinderfella romance is complete at ~85000 words and ends in a solid HEA. After all, true love always wins in fairy tales!

Title: The Scarlet Albatross: a Story of Airships and Panamindorah 
Series: (Refugees Book 1)
Author(s): Abigail Hilton
Length: 470 pages
Publisher: Pavonine Books (January 29, 2016)

Genre: Steampunk / Fantasy /

Notes: This cover has been my 'possibilities' folder for a while. I have never read this author or the related series that is mentioned in the blurb. But I love the cover.

Blurb: Anaroo is a captured pirate. When she escapes aboard an airship, she has every intention of killing them all. But then the captain asks for her help.

Anaroo is a captured pirate, destined to spend her days running on a treadmill, winding the great springs of the Scarlet Albatross. When a storm threatens to sink the airship, Anaroo and her fellow slaves seize the opportunity to escape. Now, at last, she can go home.

However, the airship nearly sank for a reason—violent unrest among the island kingdoms below. The world is changing and the inhabitants of the Scarlet Albatross will need to cooperate to survive. Anaroo and the slaves form an uneasy truce with the ship’s officers and passengers, none of whom are what they seem.

Together, the mismatched crew will take the Scarlet Albatross on the most harrowing flight of her career—through storms, pirates, bloodshed, and war. In the end, none of them may be able to go home.

The Refugees series is related to the Guild of the Cowry Catchers series and occurs immediately after the events in those books. However, Albatross is a suitable entry point in the world of Panamindorah. You can enjoy this book, even if you’ve never read any other Panamindorah novels.

Title: Khalshir
Series: Kingmakers, 1
Author(s): Jaye McKenna
Length: 205 pages
Publisher: Mythe Weaver Press (March 1, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Spies & Assassins / Fantasy / Gay /

Notes: 

Blurb: A street rat taken in by the infamous Khalshir Guild and ruthlessly trained as a spy and assassin, Rio thinks he’s ready for anything. When he balks at performing his first assassination, his mentor is furious, but gives him a chance to redeem himself: a simple bodyguard assignment, protecting the son of a high-ranking noble.

Second son of one of the most successful businessmen in the kingdom of Tallin, Dani Jherek never expected to become his father’s heir. After a suspicious accident leaves his twin dead, a grief-stricken Dani finds himself struggling not only to fill his brother’s shoes, but to protect a dangerous secret that, if revealed, could mean his execution.

Guarding Dani turns out to be far from simple. Instead of a spoiled, pampered brat, Rio finds himself watching over a beautiful, miserable young man struggling to survive in a dangerous world he doesn’t understand. As Rio spends more time with Dani, he finds himself caught up in a tangled web of conflicting loyalties. When Dani learns the true nature of his father’s business, everything changes, and Rio is forced to make an impossible choice: his loyalty to Guild and family, or his growing feelings for his charge.

(~67,000 words)

Title: Murder at the Second Chance Ranch
Series: 
Author(s): L.J. Hamlin
Length: 116 pages
Publisher: LT3 Press

Genre: Romance / Contemporary / Mystery / Poly / 

Notes: 

Blurb: Tommy is an ex con starting fresh at the Second Chance Ranch, where he fervently hopes to live a quiet life. That hope is shaken a bit when he meets Cash and Red, two closeted ranch hands who've been resisting mutual feelings. Tommy doesn't quite know what to do with his own feelings for both of them.

As if that's not enough, his hopes for peace and quiet are completely dashed in the aftermath of a murder...

Title: Kraken's Prey
Series: 
Author(s): Echo Ishii
Length: 76 pages
Publisher: 

Genre: Romance / Fantasy / Pirates / Kraken / Gay / 

Notes: 

Blurb: Pirate Aristad, Captain of the Night Witch, is always on the lookout for treasure. Knowing where his former captor, Black Death Joe, hid his loot makes it all the easier. An abandoned manor holds a secret stash, but Aristad knows it comes with a price -- the treasure is guarded by a creature that is half man and half beast. It is the Kraken in one of his many forms.

Aristad can't resist the Kraken's pull -- he gives into sexual cravings that only the Kraken can fulfill, but he knows once his first mate, Delacroix, discovers his secret, mutiny will follow. Has he made too many mistakes to return to the life he left behind, and follow Kraken into the sea?

Title: Academy of Assassin's
Series: (An Academy of Assassins Novel Book 1)
Author(s): Stacey Brutger
Length: 312 pages
Publisher: 

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Urban Fantasy / Shifters / Reverse Harem / 

Notes: 

Blurb: ONLY ONE THING STANDS BETWEEN HUMANS AND THE DEADLY SUPERNATURAL WORLD…THE ACADEMY OF ASSASSINS.

Abandoned as a child and unable to remember her past, Morgan was raised as a hunter, one of an elite group of fighters sworn to protect humans from the dangerous paranormal creatures who invade our world…creatures such as herself. Her life changes the day she’s summoned to the Academy of Assassins, a school that trains witches and hunters to eradicate paranormals who prey on humans. Her first assignment—find and eliminate the killer who is using the Academy as their own personal hunting ground.

As Morgan delves deeper into the investigation, she will need to dodge assassination attempts, avoid the distraction of romantic entanglements with the devilishly handsome security expert, Kincade, and his maddeningly overprotective teammates, while keeping the volatile magic in her blood concealed from those who would use it for their own purposes. When the danger increases and the school is threatened, Morgan must unearth her missing memories before someone finishes the job they started so long ago—killing her and unleashing a plague that will consume the world.

An Academy of Assassins Novel : Book 1

Meet the Assassins: Morgan, Kincade, Ascher, Ryder, Draven and Atlas.

Title: Shadow Maker
Series: Morrighan House Witches Book One
Author(s): Amir Lane
Length: 237 pages
Publisher: 

Genre: Fantasy / Ghosts / Paranormal / 

Notes: 

Blurb: Physics major Dieter Lindemann is perfectly content living in a world where the Shadows he sees and hears are nothing but figments of his imagination. But when one attacks him, he's forced to confront the fact that the Shadows are not only real, but dangerous.

Though Necromancer Alistair Cudmore offers to help him, Dieter quickly realizes that what he and Alistair want are two very different things, and it's difference that could cost him his life. Controlling and possessive, Alistair pushes him further and further into blood magic, dragging him down into a world he never wanted any part in. As the spirits and Alistair grow more and more violent, Dieter must break away from his mentor and learn to control the Shadows on his own before they destroy him. Only, Alistair isn't about to let him go without a fight.

Originally published 2016.10.25, and has been extensively revised since its first edition.

Title: Pup Games
Series: 
Author(s): Emmi Lawrence
Length: 237 pages
Publisher:  EAMS Publishing (December 21, 2017)

Genre: Romance / Gay /

Notes: I can't get a bead on whether this is a paranormal romance or Sci-Fi. The character names say sci-fi or fantasy. IDK.

Blurb: There’s a time for games…

No crush compares to reality. That’s what La’vii learns when the pregnancy of one of his dogs puts him in close proximity to his unrequited puphood crush. Only, instead of being worse than La’vii’s dreams, reality is far more intriguing than he’d ever imagined.

Co’mil is strong and sure, a steady presence that is everything La’vii’s ever desired. And at this moment, with a litter born and wreaking havoc in his pack’s collective mind, he can use all the support he can get. But Co’mil’s friendly, though reserved, behavior is confusing, his interest evident, but his rejection firm, leaving La’vii conflicted and desperately wanting more.

As his puphood crush dissolves, La’vii finds himself caught between the painful choice of either pushing for more or accepting the inevitable. And by the time he discovers what Co’mil truly needs, La’vii isn’t sure he’s the houndmaster for the job or whether the reward is even worth the challenge.

A novel set in the same world as The Wilds Duology.

Title: Werebears and Water
Series: 
Author(s): Caitlin Ricci
Length: 36 pages
Publisher: LT3 Press

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Urban Fantasy / Poly / Pansexual / Trans / 

Notes: 

Blurb: On vacation at Werecon, werebears Vince and Rayce are looking forward to all the con offers. But they find an unexpected twist to their vacation when they meet Maia, a water nymph, who needs a place to stay after the hotel mixes up her reservation.

Title: Lander
Series: (The Oberon Cycle Book 2)
Author(s): J. Scott Coatsworth
Length: 294 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (February 13, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Sci-Fi / Gay / 

Notes: 

Blurb: The Oberon Cycle: Book Two 

Sometimes the world needs saving twice.

In the sequel to the Rainbow-Award-winning Skythane, Xander and Jameson thought they’d fulfilled their destiny when they brought the worlds of Oberon and Titania back together, but their short-lived moment of triumph is over.

Reunification has thrown the world into chaos. A great storm ravaged Xander's kingdom of Gaelan, leaving the winged skythane people struggling to survive. Their old enemy, Obercorp, is biding its time, waiting to strike. And to the north, a dangerous new adversary gathers strength, while an unexpected ally awaits them.

In the midst of it all, Xander’s ex Alix returns, and Xander and Jameson discover that their love for each other may have been drug-induced.

Are they truly destined for each other, or is what they feel concocted? And can they face an even greater challenge when their world needs them most?

Thank you for stopping by and reading?

Pact Days: Orion #Valespian Pact

Welcome to Thursday's Pact Days! Today, we have the Orion.

The Orion were introduce in Alpha Trine with the character's Lothar and Rhee. Rhee becomes a friend of Zeus's and will continue to play a part in the rest of the series. 

Enjoy!  

A couple of side notes: For a list of species that have been posted so far, see the The People of Valespia page. I'm placing these in alphabetical order so I won't unintentionally place importance on any specie. I will leave off information on the species that will spoil future books. My standard sheet has the same categories for all species. So there will be blank categories just because that species didn't need them.

Species: Orion

Planet: Procyon A

Other races on the planet:

Planetary Terrain: 80% of the surface is ocean. The land had cities on the plains but they have old mountains and old forests as well.

Capitol: Estoria

Country:

Patron Ryo Pardeep:

Description: They have four sexes: Drones, Males, Females, and Omegas

Drones - average height for the drones is around two meters. They have aluminum-based blood. Have nine arms/appendages, that they keep tucked under the mantle. There suction cups along the arms and the ends are diamond-shaped pads that are covered in sharp triangular "claws". The mantle is both the head and body and has heavy segmented, interlocking armor. A single row of black eyes circle the crown of the mantle. Strictly a land based. The armor plates are uniquely colored based on the drones coming from the same hatching. Together they form a troop. The thick sharklike skin can be a different color than the mantle. They have three (other than the nine tentacles) that are textured and used for locomotion. Drones are able to regenerate up to three limbs at a time in two to three days. They can climb walls and hang from ceilings.

Drones - In combat curls their body in such a fashion to present armor to the enemy and make a small target. Will use the 9 limbs to lash out at opponent. The end of each a flat diamond shaped pad with small triangular claws covering surface that shreds flesh form bones like shark's teeth. These limbs can extend to four or five meters.

Orions have no inert tech of their own, but can operate others just fine and with little to no training. Their technology is organic, uniquely created by drones without modern manufacturing equipment.

Drones are employed as shock troops when they stay in family pods. They can be equipped with energy weapons and tracking gear.

Telepathic with each other, but they use technology to communicate with others such translators, (implants all other races have when they venture off their homeworld) can use sonic languages. Some psionics can communicate with them without the need for implants.

At 8 years old they are tested to see if they would be chosen to pilot a bio ship but they can't bond with a ship until they win the tournament.

Omegas – appears to be a juvenile (small, length from shoulder to wrist) drone until they swallow catalyst eggs that jump starts a chrysalis phase. When they emerge, they are a starship. The omega doesn't have an exoskeleton like the drones so they have the ability to squash itself into a tiny thing and uses their changing camouflage to blend into the background. When going through chrysalis, their consciousness stays the same but part of the process is absorbing the parental knowledge left in the catalyst eggs. They remain telepathic. Their color base is different if they are not born to the same troop.

Males, females, and omegas come together to mate (they have already been through the chrysalis and are organic ships). They return to the Orion homeworld where they lay eggs that will be male, female, omega, and drones.  Plus, the Omega drops rocklike eggs called catalyst. The three mating sexes need the catalyst to start their chrysalis stage. The three sexes that go through chrysalis have to wait for their planet's ocean to have enough sea life before they can even attempt the change. They need lots of sustenance and building materials to sustain the massive changes they must undergo to become the size of a spaceship. (a natural birth control)

There are always hundreds more drones than the other three sexes. Drones hate water, but the other three sexes need it to evolve.

The chrysalis grows with the Orion, designed to pull in nutrients they need, but they will also eat the webbing at the end of the cycle. When the chrysalis phase is finished, the Orion will go back to shore where the winning troop waits. In the months the Orion grew into a ship, the drones had a grand contest and battle. Those who win the tournament have the right to man the ship. The whole troop bonds to the ship, living as long as their ship does. No one really knows how long that is.

Common Occupation: assassin, bodyguard, bounty hunter

Government Systems:

Current Leader:

Council of Neighn of Member: Mires

Allies: Chi-Lin, Chtichlian, Gaziniti, Kracciam, Mar'Sani,

Star System: Vega Vendrizi Systems

Other planets occupied by species:

Military Leader: One Orion drone is equal to ten Mar'Sani Monticore.

Cultural names and terms specific to species:

What's on the Reading Radar #wishlist #TBR

What am I doing? Writing on Bespoken and Assassin's Retirement. I'm also world building in the I.O.N. world. Staying fairly busy.

Reading on the other hand has been hit and miss. Nothing is holding my attention. I don't know if it's because I'm so tired or what. I feel a gaming season coming on...

Title: Wolf and the Holly
Series: (The Rowan Harbor Cycle Book 2)
Author(s): Sam Burns
Length: 199 pages
Publisher: 

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Gay /

Notes: Already read this but leaving it here. Good series.

Blurb: Five years ago, Jesse dropped out of college and came home to Rowan Harbor to find safety with his pack. A broken man, he’s been living as though the world is ending—allergic to responsibility and spending most of his nights at the local bar.

But he can’t avoid growing up forever. On the night of his thirtieth birthday party, he finds his childhood friend Isla unconscious, attacked in the middle of their peaceful hometown. The wolf inside him wants to protect its people from the slick-haired, smooth-talking vampire who’s brought trouble to town, and Jesse can’t run from his instincts any longer.

Now that his inner wolf is out of its cage, it’s picked the most inconvenient moment to find its mate. Sean Anderson—recently back from college and much changed from the skinny preteen Jesse once knew—is just what he never knew he needed.

Trigger Warning: discussion of past abuse.

This novel is intended for adult audiences, and contains swearing and sex.

This is the second of nine books in The Rowan Harbor Cycle, not a standalone. It continues where the first book left off. Jesse and Sean will return in book five to continue their story, so this book contains a HFN, not their HEA.

Title: Fool for You
Series: 
Author(s): Asta Idonea, Ava Kelly, Daria Defore, Helena Maeve, Kashmira Majumdar, L.J. Hamlin, Laurin Kelly, Melissa Snowdon
Length: 100k
Publisher: LT3 Press

Genre: Romance / Anthology / Bisexual / Contemporary / Fantasy / Gay/ Genderqueer / Lesbian / Pansexual / Poly / Steampunk/ Urban Fantasy

Notes: 

Blurb: 

Wagered & Won by Helena Maeve—Nearly caught picking pockets at a casino in Silvergarde, Kathra owes her closest getaway yet to the mysterious Cecily, a bewitching gambler with a lethal secret. Over the course of a single night and a high-stakes card game, Kathra is drawn into a web from which she may not wish to escape.

Toils & Tricks by Asta Idonea—Centuries ago, the gods grew tired of being forever on call, and so they hired counterparts to be their representatives. When Sverrir, Loki's representative, is called on to foil a blackmail scheme, he think it will be a simple task...

Whiskey & Pixie Dust by L.J. Hamlin—Shane loves and hates his best friend, a mischief demon, in equal measure. But when the demon takes it upon himself to play matchmaker, Shane thinks the hate might just win out.

Sussicran: A Love Story by Melissa Snowdon—Eager to escape an otherworldly bet, mirror demon Llednew determines to steal the life of a lonely young man. But executing his brilliant idea proves to be more difficult than anticpated.

A Spell for Luck by Daria Defore—When he's forced to spend the summer studying magic at his aunt's house, a bored Tom promptly starts looking for any way to escape. He probably shouldn't resort to making a deal with an extremely friendly demon, but he's too curious to say no...

Kneadful Things by Laurin Kelly—When Adam answers an ad for work at a local bakery, he has no idea what he's in for. Despite the storefront's dilapidated condition and isolated location, a steady stream of customers come through hoping to find what they're looking for from Jin, the mysterious owner.

How to Trick a Trickster by Ava Kelly—Eric is a trickster working for the Corps of Undercover Passion Instigators and Distributors. His latest assignment takes him to a bookstore where he has to bring together Ivo Newton and Tom Euler. What he's not supposed to do is fall in love with both his targets.

The Great Coke Robbery by Kashmira Majumdar—Charlie and Jack used to be the best in the business in the heist business. And then Charlie fell in love and settled down. Ten years later, Jack is debt-ridden and down on his luck, and in walks Charlie, proposing to pull off the most outrageous job of their lives.

Title: Loving Kit
Series: 
Author(s): LM Brown
Length: 350 pages
Publisher: Fireborn Publishing (February 19, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Sci-Fi / Aliens / Inter-species relationship / Gay / Mpreg / Poly / 

Notes: Read this one last week. It was really good. 

Blurb: Logan McRae expected to wake on the spacecraft Mercury, ready to pilot the ship to New Earth. Instead, he finds himself facing two aliens whose help he'll need if he wants to find his people.

Kit doesn't know what sort of creature he has accidentally purchased, but it's definitely male and not completely different from him and his lover, Halor. The language barrier might be a problem, but Kit knows the language of love doesn't always need words.

Halor has been reluctant to expand his nest, but he'll do anything to give Kit the happiness he deserves, even invite another man into their bed.

Logan has no idea that Kit isn't quite like other men until their passion results in unexpected consequences. Now he must choose between his mission and the two men who have given him everything he has ever wanted, as well as things he never dreamed of.

NOTE: There is an error on some of the sale pages that state this title is BDSM. It is not. Please be aware. We are working with Amazon to correct this error.

Title: Inconvenient Mate
Series: Mate of the Tyger Prince, 6
Author(s): Shannon West
Length: 260 pages
Publisher: 

Genre: Romance / Sci-Fi / Mpreg / Gay / Aliens / Inter-species relationship /

Notes: 

Blurb: After a long stint in the training camps, Prince Derrick and his best friend Kylar are finally coming home to Tygeria. Celebrating on the lawless moon Belline, the run into Drex pirates and a wild brawl ensues. When the smoke clears and the dust settles, a friendly drink with a gorgeous young man named Egan leads to more than they bargained for. 

Both Kylar and Derrick wake up the next morning in the brothel upstairs, bleary-eyed, hung-over and knowing that something significant happened to each of them—they just aren't sure what it was. Running to catch their shuttle, they slip away from their wild night not knowing that the handsome and dangerous Rhaegar Barbosa, the pirate king himself, has claimed Derrick as his mate.

Teaming up to find the men who they now claim as their own, Rhaegar and Egan head to Tygeria. Rhaegar takes matters into his own hands and kidnaps Derrick, along with several members of the royal family. When threats begin to mount from all sides, Rhaegar realizes he may have to give up everything if he hopes to keep the one man he can't live without.

Title: Shoot the Messenger
Series: (Messenger Chronicles Book 1)
Author(s): Pippa DaCosta
Length: 285 pages
Publisher: Crazy Ace Publishing (February 22, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Sci-Fi / Reverse Harem / Poly / Fae / 

Notes: 

Blurb: A new space fantasy reverse harem series where the guys are hot, the perils are many, and one rebel messenger holds the key to the survival of the human race.

Lies aren't her only weapons against the fae...

In the Halow system, one of Earth’s three sister star systems, tek and magic—humans and fae—are at war.

Kesh Lasota is a ghost in the machine. Invisible to tek, she’s hired by the criminal underworld to carry illegal messages through the Halow system. But when one of those messages kills its recipient, Kesh finds herself on the run with a bounty on her head and a quick-witted marshal on her tail.

Proving her innocence should be straightforward. Until a warfae steals the evidence she needs. The fae haven’t been seen in Halow in over a thousand years. And this one—a brutally efficient killer able to wield tek—should not exist. But neither should Kesh.

As Kesh’s carefully crafted lie of a life crumbles around her, she knows being invisible is no longer an option. To hunt the warfae, to stop him from destroying a thousand-year fragile peace, she must resurrect the horrors of her past.

Kesh Lasota was a ghost. Now she’s back, and there’s only one thing she knows for certain: Nobody shoots the messenger and gets away with it.

IMPORTANT: The Messenger series is a reverse harem. The harem elements develop during the series. This series does NOT feature a love triangle.

Full length novel: 80,000 words. Book #1 Messenger Chronicles. Science-fantasy.

Title: Trees Take the Long View
Series: (shifters and partners Book 17)
Author(s): Hollis Shiloh
Length: 145 pages
Publisher: 

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Gay / 

Notes: 

Blurb: Alec dropped out of the shifters and partners program, disillusioned forever with the police. Now an unfairly handsome troubleshooter is here to try to tempt him back. To complicate matters, he might just be Alec's mate. 

Despite their differences, Alec wants to make it work (as mates—not partners). But it'll take time for Dean to figure out what he wants. No matter the attraction between them, it might take an awfully long time.

Fortunately, Alec can be as patient as a tree...even if he can't keep his nose out of Dean's job...

A shifters and partners novel (standalone)
52,000 words
Low heat

Title: Lovers & Liches
Series: 
Author(s): GD Penman
Length: 43 pages
Publisher: JMS Books LLC (February 17, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Contemporary / Gay / 

Notes: The blurb had me at "half-orc"

Blurb: Korgulg Skulltaker is a swarthy half-orc barbarian with a hunger for battle and a lust to match. Lady Leithianel Stormsong is a beautiful elven wizard of great power and wit. Both are on an epic quest to destroy the evil Lich Voldridas and save the world from his tyranny.

Their players, Greg and Gabriel, have been friends since they were teenagers, but while they have the bravery to explore dark dungeons and slay terrible dragons at their friend’s dining room table, they can’t muster up the courage to tell one another how they feel.

Every week for the last decade, they have gathered with their friends to play games of adventure and magic together, without ever letting their real fantasies come to life. But all of that could change with just a roll of the dice.

Title: Moon Burned
Series: (The Wolf Wars Book 1)
Author(s): HD Gordon
Length: 282 pages
Publisher: 

Genre: Romance / Kiss-Ass Female Lead / Dystopia / Paranormal / Fighting Ring / 

Notes: 

Blurb: Shift, Fight, Survive—Those are the rules of The Ring. Two wolves enter, one wolf leaves. 

My name is Rukiya Moonborn. I am a slave, a werewolf whose master forces me and many others to fight to the death for the entertainment of the wealthy.

Named 'Dogs' after the lesser beasts, wolves like me live short, violent lives. The masters dangle the illusion of hope in front of us by insisting any wolf who survives 100 fights in The Ring can win his or her freedom.

I am on my eighteenth fight against the West Coast Champion—the biggest she-wolf anyone has ever seen. As if this weren't enough, I find a wolf pup who is destined for slavery as a Dog, and help the child escape the master's clutches—a crime easily punishable by death.

When Ryker—the master's handsome right-hand—catches me in the act, I embark on a journey that will be the ultimate test of my courage and strength.

“If you like Patricia Briggs, Sarah J Maas, and Ilona Andrews, you’ll LOVE H. D. Gordon’s strong female heroines and the magical worlds she builds.

Title: Mage of Inconvenience
Series: 
Author(s): Parker Faye
Length: 
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Genre: Romance / Marriage of Convenience / Paranormal / Mage / Gay /

Notes: 

Blurb: Can they find the magic in a practical union?

West is on the run from his werewolf pack, but if he cannot renew his magical defenses, he won’t get far. What he needs is a mage….

Julian is part of a wealthy and ancient family, and one day, his legacy will include his mother’s vast library of spell books—and the knowledge he needs to correct his past mistakes. But his inheritance comes with a stipulation: he has to be married before he can collect. What he needs is a husband….

West and Julian can help each other, and at first they don’t want anything further. But as they dodge meddling cousins, jealous rivals, and an insidious drug, it becomes clear that their lives are entwined in ways they never imagined—and they’re in greater danger than they thought possible.

Title: The Wolf's Man Friday
Series: Nose and Tail, Inc. 2
Author(s): Julia Talbot
Length: 
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Gay /

Notes: 

Blurb: A Nose to Tail Novel 

The last thing Sebastian Zeller wants is to be pack Alpha. But when the pack leader, his uncle Ron, is attacked, he has no choice but to leave his beloved Colorado mountains and fulfill his duty as Ron’s heir—at least until his uncle recovers. In the meantime, he intends to lure the attacker out… and make them pay.

When Ron gets wind of Sebastian’s plan to catch the attacker, he doesn’t like the idea of risking his heir.That’s where Jaxon Reedis comes in—he’ll balance protecting the dark and sexy werewolf with pretending to be his personal assistant. He’s walking a fine line that requires all his foxy wit and craftiness… and that’s on top of the inescapable feeling that he and Sebastian are meant for each other. When the attacker returns, will they be able to maintain their deepening bond when danger threatens to tear down everything they’re building?

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