Friday, December 31, 2021

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

The beginning of the New Year and I've already got a list of books that I want to buy. LOL!

Series: 
Author: S. Legend
Length: 766 pages

Genre: Romance / Fantasy / Age Gap / Arranged Marriage / Gay

Notes: I've never read S. Legend before, so I'm not sure what to expect. But the cover is great and the blurb is compelling. I do love the arranged marriage trope.

Blurb: Jude has a complicated relationship with his unusual powers: he’s scared to use them and scared to be without them. No one knows what happened to his parents. No one remembers them. He’s left to grapple life as an orphan for most of his youth.

Everything changes when he’s reunited with his father. He discovers his family is one of the oldest wizarding families next to Merlin. As a Prince, he’s expected to abide the four Prince tenets which includes taking a vow of purity and entering a marriage that’s been arranged by his father. Wizarding families tend to be old-fashioned and eccentric so it’s not surprising, but it makes dating tough.

Things get weird. His nemesis becomes a valuable ally or well, in the least, a hijinks co-conspirator—Jude’s not sure.

But his world truly spins on its axis when he meets Charlie, handsome and powerful dragon tamer. Jude falls hard for the iron-handed redhead despite him being an insufferable clodpole who thinks he can tell Jude what to do.

“You don’t have dragons, love. You tame them and hope they come back to you,” said the dragon tamer once and that about sums up their relationship, which blossoms and deepens over nine years. But getting married when you’re a Prince? That’s a whole other Merlinforsaken ordeal. If Jude and Charlie can’t meet the Prince requirements for marriage, the ancient Prince name will end with his father.

The Heart of A Dragon Tamer is a long-arse MM novel that has a dreamy, redheaded dragon tamer who finds his soulmate and gives him the care he needs. It’s a captivating novel about the families we’re born into, and those that we make for ourselves. It features age gap and semi-arranged marriages. This book is actually three books in one at over 220K words.


Series: 
Author: Alex Timothy
Length: 353 pages

Genre: Young Adult / Sci-Fi / Aliens (obviously) / Romance (unsure) / Gay

Notes: So I haven't read this author before. The category for this is Teen/Young Adult Science Fiction. After reading the reviews, this might be a bit angstier than I like to read, but I'm going to give it a try.

Blurb: Landon Evans is an unwilling recruit in Earth’s fight against alien invasion. Tall, bristling with muscles, Landon is every commander’s ideal soldier. But Landon hates fighting and hates the dark void of space. For a loner like Landon, the only good part of his new life in the military are the friends he’s made.

When a mission goes horribly wrong, Landon finds himself a prisoner of Earth’s enemies — the brutal animalistic Sorg aliens and the technologically superior and ethereal Hush. Both see the same potential in Landon that Earth commanders saw— Landon’s height and strength, the body of a warrior.

Now Landon must decide if his loyalty lies with his friends and his home world, or with the austere and beautiful young Hush commander he has come to admire.



Title: Ravenous
Series: 
Author: R. Cooper
Length: 183 pages

Genre: Romance / Urban Fantasy / Contemporary Fantasy / Gay

Notes: 

Blurb: Those who come back from the mysterious place known as the Realm, if they come back, are changed. Some return haunted. Others with knowledge of themselves that they will not share, and the magic of the Realm at their disposal. The peculiari, as these few are called, are tolerated at best, feared at worst.
Nicodemus isn’t anything like one of the exceptional, adventurous peculiari. For the most part, he’s content to keep house for the peculiari of the Arawn Agency and rarely ventures outside of the manor they all call home. As an asterion, one of the unwanted, monstrous children of the Realm, Nicodemus is human in appearance except for the ram’s horns growing from his head, and prefers the company of those who don’t judge him. There’s just one hitch in his otherwise safe and orderly world. One awkward, inconvenient, twice-a-year problem in which Nicodemus goes into what can humiliatingly only be called a rut.

It’s a secret he keeps from the others. But this year, unable to stand the thought of spending his rut alone, he ventures out in search of company—only to run into Bel, the one person he hopes will never discover his secret. Bel is powerful enough to make even other peculiari wary and far more experienced than Nicodemus in the ways of the world. But tonight, Bel isn’t out seeking pleasure. He’s on the hunt for a true monster that has slithered from the Realm to hurt people, and he seems to think Nicodemus is especially in danger. The Realm, and this creature, are drawn to people who want, and sheltered, lonely Nicodemus, with his rut approaching, is nothing but want.

According to Bel, the best way for anyone to stay protected from the temptations of the Realm is to indulge themselves enough to make their desires manageable. Alone with Bel for the first time after Bel vows to keep him safe, Nicodemus starts to wonder what it is that he really wants, and why Bel understands the appetites of a monster so well, and if perhaps Nicodemus should follow Bel’s advice and indulge some desires of his own.



Series: 
Author: Iris Foxglove
Length: 224 pages

Genre: Romance / Fantasy / Gay

Notes: New to me author. This sounds sweet with a hint of intrigue.

Blurb: Sava has the best house in all of Lukos. He built it himself, dreaming of the day when he and Milan, the man he loved, could live there and brave the harsh winters of Lukos together—only to be devastated when Milan was found dead in the spring. Fraught with grief, Sava resigns himself to spending his winters alone.
Then a stranger appears on his doorstep, and everything changes.

Victor is a scholar from Gerakia, a land known for its long summers and vibrant history, and he has never been more unprepared in his life. Abandoned on the inhospitable island of Lukos after a disastrous relationship, Victor has to adapt quickly to survive. It helps, of course, that he’s taken in by Sava, who has the biggest heart of any man Victor has ever known. Victor and Sava start to make a home together, growing close as snow falls outside, but the true danger of a Lukos winter is closer than they suspect...



Title: Sired
Series: Terrin Pass Pack
Author: EM Leya
Length: 85 paged

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Gay

Notes: 

Blurb: After his mother admitted on her death bed who his biological father was, Dan seeks to find him. Traveling to a small town in Montana, he hopes to have all the questions he has answered. What he didn't expect to find was a pack of wolf shifters who he supposedly shares genetics with.

Andre has spent his life hoping to find his mate, but as the years flew by, his optimism was fading, until one afternoon his wolf smells the scent of his mate and he goes to him, only to find that the man meant for him has no clue that he is a wolf.

Love is never easy, but determined to find a way, Dan steps into the arms of a man he can't resist while trying to navigate a world he may never understand.

Series: 
Author: Kaye Draper
Length: 128 pages

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Gay

Notes: This was the only holiday story that I read and I really enjoyed it. Sweet shifter paired with haughty vampire. Hellfire cows! Recommended!

Blurb: Ashley Morgan Charlemagne Prime is sick of following orders, sick of living under the influence of his cold, powerful vampire father, and sick of his sheltered coven life. When a witch friend loans him her secluded cabin for the month, Ashley jumps at the chance to get away from people and find himself. What he didn't anticipate was escaped flaming cattle and a hot as hell shifter neighbor who knows nothing about trying to court a vampire prime and insists on talking about Ashley's suppressed fae heritage. And to make matters worse, the guy is adamantly against having a fling with someone who plans to return to his coven on the other side of the country after the winter solstice.

Jackson Brown is perfectly content with his quiet existence as a supernatural creature rancher. He grows or makes everything he needs, and he does it all far away from the rambunctious family that never quite got over him not being a bear. Sure, sometimes it would be nice to have some help around the farm. Maybe someone to share his burdens with. But the last guy he dated was a fae who left him feeling like a used tissue. Casual hookups are not his thing. Especially with spoiled, rich, bratty half-vampires who come with a boatload of baggage of their own. So why the hell can't he leave Ashely alone?

Author's Note

♥Fluffy

♥Standalone

♥M/M

♥Explicit language and sexual content

♥36,000 words


Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

Friday, December 24, 2021

Happy Holidays!

 Giving myself a day off for the Holidays.


Happy Yule!


Merry Christmas!


Happy Kwanzaa!


Seasons Greetings!


I hope that your weekend is filled with peace.

Friday, December 17, 2021

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

 What's going on this week? Just regular work. Word count is coming along all right on Curse Breakers. I'm probably having too much fun with Tiamat. She's stretching her Goddess of Chaos muscles. 

Reading has been okay. I've sampled a lot of books and hardly anything is keeping my attention. The first book on this list I started right after it released and put it down at about 30%. I came back to it and finished it up this past week and went back to sampling things I already have on my ereader. (Trying to deplete the TBR one way or another. I guess scooping things into the DNF pile is one way to go about it. LOL) I've put some things on the Wish List for now, since I'm being really particular in what I want to read.

Series: ISS, 2
Author: M. Sinclair
Length: 342 pages

Genre: Romance / Alternate World / Paranormal / RH

Notes: So I thought that since the next book to be released is about someone else that this would be the last book for the FMC. It is not and just as a warning, it stops in the middle of the storytelling with a huge cliffhanger. I'm enjoying the story, but I'm not attached to the characters in way that such a cliffhanger would be awful. The majority of this book was about the FMC getting claimed by a portion of her guys. It's more character focused with them following threads to the overall plot. There are small partial resolutions for a few of the characters, so don't expect more than that.

Blurb: I crave my nightmares.

I crave the shadows.

I don’t want the light if it doesn’t include them…

The human terror organization MAM has come to our doorstep—we just don’t know what they want. When a nightmare who resides in the high-security section of the institute tells us that this chaos, this hate that the humans feel is because of a god terror, we realize that the solution to our problems lies outside of the institute walls. Walls I’ve never left before… Something that is about to change.

Traveling across the country in an RV with my nightmares? What could possibly go wrong? Apparently a lot, and when we find ourselves in a nightmare forest far from home, we realize that our problem is so much worse than we ever imagined.

Will we be able to save the institute, or will chaos and hate reign supreme?

Join Arabella and her possessive nightmares as one human woman finds the monster within herself to protect those that she loves. The ISS series is promised to feature terrifying monsters that include everything from the literal monster under the bed to Lucifer’s overbearing son, the prince of Hell.

If you love large harems, brilliant, sassy, but slightly naive female main characters with no fear, and a thrilling adventure filled with steam, vengeance, and a happily ever after, then you are absolutely going to love this.

Warning: This medium-fast burn RH contains several dark themes from swearing, violence, and sexual themes suitable for +18.


Series: Fallen Messengers, 1
Author: Ava Marie Salinger
Length: 334 pages

Genre: Romance / Fated / Urban Fantasy / Gay

Notes: I have been looking at this one for a while, so I'm officially moving it to my wish list. I'm not looking for an angsty read and hoping more for a mystery.

Blurb: Humans are dying in San Francisco. The most shunned angel on Earth may very well hold the key as to why...

When Cassius Black moves to San Francisco for a fresh start, the angel's hopes of staying below the radar of the supernatural organizations that oversee the otherworldly and magic users in the city are dashed when he stumbles across a dead body in the sewers. His grim discovery soon puts him in the sights of the Argonaut Agency and Francis Strickland, the bureau director who knows his darkest secrets.

Morgan King and his team of Argonaut agents have been on the hunt all summer for the culprits behind a series of gruesome killings that have rocked the city. Killings that bear sinister hallmarks of human sacrificial rituals where the victims’ souls have been stolen. When Fate puts Cassius in Morgan’s path, he realizes the angel everyone likes to call The Devil may very well be the only person who can help them track down the murderers.

Morgan and Cassius soon find themselves chasing down a sect of black-magic sorcerers and crossing paths with a mysterious warlock whose actions evoke disturbing echoes of an incident from Cassius's past. As rumors of a potential plot to tear open the Nether reach their ears, Cassius and Morgan must work together to defeat their common enemy and save the city from destruction, all while fighting their growing attraction for one another.

Fractured Souls is the first novel in the gay urban fantasy romance series Fallen Messengers. This is an action-packed MM paranormal adventure with angels, demons, magic, romance, snark, and a cat.

Series: 
Author: Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
Length: 449 pages

Genre: Fantasy / LGBTQIA+

Notes: 

Blurb: Born the crown prince of a prosperous kingdom, Xie Lian was renowned for his beauty, strength, and purity. His years of dedicated study and noble deeds allowed him to ascend to godhood. But those who rise may also fall, and fall he does--cast from the heavens and banished to the world below.


Eight hundred years after his mortal life, Xie Lian has ascended to godhood for the third time, angering most of the gods in the process. To repay his debts, he is sent to the Mortal Realm to hunt down violent ghosts and troublemaking spirits who prey on the living. Along his travels, he meets the fascinating and brilliant San Lang, a young man with whom he feels an instant connection. Yet San Lang is clearly more than he appears... What mysteries lie behind that carefree smile?

Series: Apex Investigations, 4
Author: Julia Talbot
Length: 155 pages

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Gay

Notes: 

Blurb: Wolf shifter PI Mick Hartness is sick to death of being on the bad side of a criminal who wants him and his whole team dead. Now, with the help of the cops and the feds, Apex Investigations Inc. is closer than ever to reeling the guy in and getting back to living life without hiding. But that means Mick needs all of his mixed pack on deck and ready to fight, including their youngest member, bear shifter Kit, who Mick has the softest spot for.

Kit is sure his skills can help not only catch their nemesis, but help take some of the stress of running the agency off Mick. Too bad Mick will never see him as anything as a kid who needs to be protected. Which is why Kit decides to strike out on his own and get a job that allows him to do more than take pictures of cheating husbands and keep the motor pool running.

The thought of losing Kit finally makes Mick ready to show Kit how he really feels; that kit his mate. Can he keep Kit with him and also catch a killer who's becoming more and more dangerous everyday? Or will Mick lose everything he holds dear?

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

Friday, December 10, 2021

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

 What a week! It's been a whirlwind of several things from Cherish's stuffy giveaway to Constant getting an Honorable Mention from the 2020-2021 Rainbow Awards. I'm switching gears on projects and I had to rein myself in because I wanted to tackle it all--which is not possible at all. 


Reading has been so-so. The mood has been--Open book, read several pages, close book, look at what I have, select a different book, read several pages...-- There have been a couple that I read through. I just had too wade through my mood to find one that fit it.


Title: The Necromancer's Light
Series: Radiance, 1
Author: Tavia Lark
Length: 232 pages

Genre: Romance / Fantasy / Gay

Notes: At the time I'm creating this post, I'm 44% in and it's really good. This is a new to me author and I'm really delighted that I found this book.

Blurb: He’ll die without touch.
As a necromancer, Shae loses a little more of himself every time he uses his magic. Always cold, always touch-starved, the only thing that helps is human contact. But that’s hard to come by when those same dark powers scare everyone away from him. Nobody likes a necromancer.

Especially a paladin of the Radiant Order.

Arthur’s still bitter and broken after his last lover stabbed him in the back, and the last thing he needs is another brush with evil. When he agrees to escort the wandering necromancer north, he’s just doing a public service.

But he never expected Shae to be so clingy. Or distractingly attractive.

Shae has never felt an aura as warm and safe as Arthur’s. He craves the man’s touch—and more. But everyone he’s ever known has left him, and it’s just a matter of time before Arthur leaves him too.

Assuming the soul-stealing monsters don’t kill them first.

The Necromancer’s Light is a gay fantasy romance, with magic, hurt/comfort, and bed sharing for Reasons. First in a series but can be read alone. 56,000 words, HEA guaranteed.


Title: Mack's Rousing Ghoulish Highland Adventure
Series: (Mack's Marvelous Manifestations Book 3)
Author: AJ Sherwood
Length: 230 pages

Genre: Romance / Paranormal of the Psychic Kind / Gay

Notes: This was fun, though I understand that it has its issues with the Scottish dialogue. Even I squinted at the book, pretty sure that was not how modern day Scots spoke. Since this is an alternate world, its easy for me to ignore something like. But it would be bothersome to someone living in Scotland or who are more familiar with it. Though I am super curious about a couple of the side characters. 

Blurb: Mack did not sign up for hunting unknown ghost-eating creatures.

But that’s what he gets when he and Brandon arrive to help Eli and husbands at an old inn situated in the Scottish Highlands. Now he’s surrounded by terrified ghosts on the run, zombie-ghosts that look eaten, and no one knows what the baddie is.

They’re running out of time to figure it out though, because whatever it is? It’s herding ghosts straight for the inn. Scarier still? It’s killing healthy people in a week to eat their soul.

If someone could please come up with a game plan? Mack would be forever thankful.

Before, you know, they all get eaten.

Tags:

Scottish mythology rears its head, not in a good way, it's a hot mess but they’re trying dammit, emotional baggage check, Brandon wants a kilt and sword, Mack wants him in a kilt, it’s a mutual desire thing, Mack being a BAMF, Havili protectiveness rears its head, friends being awesome, no one gets thrown this time, Quinn’s a kissing monster when drunk, Romance novel your highlander is missing, personal growth is hard, shower sex, character growth

Series: (But Did You Die? Book 1)
Author: Sedona Ashe
Length: 206 pages

Genre: Romance / Rejected Mate / Paranormal / RH / 

Notes: So... this was interesting. I read the first two books back to back. The first one was all about the rejected mate trope. And though it does have it's funny moments, it's really not a comedy so ignore that part of the blurb. Even by the end of book two, there are two guys from the first book that I wish she could kick to the curb. They are much better in book two, but I can't excuse their behavior no matter their reason. They will probably be my two least liked characters for the rest of the series. Book two gives her a sweet mate and we see her grow as a person and in power. Love Imp and her zapping the 'big bugs'. The 2nd book feels a bit rushed but that might be because this one continuous story with no resolution. Book three has a billionaire dragon and (I'm making a face right now) that character type feels so overdone. Perhaps the author has something truly unique in mind. This is not a complete series, so beware that you won't get to read the 3rd book until Feb of 2022.

Blurb: After I rescued these jerks from a plane crash, you’d think they’d be nicer to me.

I die, like all the time. My track record of hilarious, freak accidental deaths would be impressive if it weren’t so embarrassing.

And when I come back, I’m naked. Every. Dang. Time.

After my plane was sabotaged and crashed into the jungle, I rescued five male survivors from the wreckage.

I could have let them die, but no, I decided to pull their stupid carcasses from the wreckage. I’m immortal, not a monster.

Yes, they’re hot, now is not the time to do something about that.

The five sexy jaguar shifters are on a mission to locate someone, a rare phoenix shifter. Phoenix, the legendary creature, reborn every time it dies. Wait…

…Could they be looking for me?

It doesn’t matter since they walked away and left me to die in the Amazon rainforest. A place full of interesting new ways for a klutz like me to die. Surviving the jungle is harsh, but it’s nothing compared to how they have treated me.

And the worst part?

It turns out these bullies are my fated mates. Yep, I must be cursed.

I can’t wait to escape the jungle and leave these guys behind, but another part of me is begging to love them…

Was the Amazon always this hot?

"But Did You Die?" is a comedy filled, bully (only in book one), paranormal romance series that includes jaguar shifters, a mysterious underground society, fated mates, and an incredibly clumsy Phoenix. Follow Amaryllis as she discovers who she is and ‘collects’ her soulmates along the way! It is full of humor, adventure, and scenes to entice and thrill you... or to make you unexpectedly snort with laughter. The series will have a HEA…it will just take a little while to get there!

Series: 
Author: Erik Schubach
Length: 229 pages

Genre: Contemporary Fantasy / Romance / Lesbian

Notes: I'm currently reading this and enjoying it so far. 

Blurb: Nineteen years ago, Evander Laun and Natalia Havashire went on the air throughout the world on almost every news channel simultaneously, to reveal to the human race that Elves walked among us. It is the most-watched historical event in modern times.

An aspiring investigative journalist, Killishia Renner, finds out with the rest of the world that she is an Elf unbeknownst to her, when she manifests Elvish physical traits on the air during the Tree Lighting ceremony in Rockerfeller Center in New York. It challenges everything she thought she knew about herself and her family.

Intern follows the hurdles she must overcome as she learns about being an Elf while facing the uncomfortable popularity of being Elfed in New York.

Title: Beneath the Opal Arc
Series: Immortal Jewels, 1
Author: Lee Colgin
Length: 250 pages

Genre: Romance / Medieval Fantasy / Paranormal / Gay

Notes: After reading Mongrel, I decided that I would pick up this series.

Blurb: As the battle rages around him, Laurence stops to witness a witch casting a powerful magical arc. Werewolves race past, running for cover, but Laurence can’t tear his gaze from the vulnerable spellcaster.

When Remy is injured, he doesn’t expect a vampire to come to his rescue. What is he to Laurence if not dinner? But Laurence carries him to safety, ensures he gets treatment, and protects him from a pack of angry werewolves.

No one knows how long the magical arc will only hold. Frightened by what might happen when it falls, Remy needs to escape the frontlines and find a safe haven before his own people hunt him down for treason.

As sparks fly between the unlikely pair, can they find solace in love, or will the supernatural war claim two more victims?

Beneath the Opal Arc
~A vulnerable witch lost on enemy soil
~A lonely vampire fighting to protect his charge
~A love story neither of them saw coming

Beneath the Opal Arc is an MM Paranormal Romance packed with adventure, a steamy love story, and danger at every turn. This novel contains violence and scenes intended for mature readers.


Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

Thursday, December 9, 2021

Rainbow Awards, Honorable Mentions, and Runner-Up! #lgbtqia #spaceopera #scifi #sale


This week the 2020-2021 Rainbow Awards were announced. Just a couple of days before that I found out that Constant (The Valespian Pact, 3) received an Honorable Mention. I was thrilled because it let me know that one of the judges really enjoyed the story and I got to read their comments.

To my surprised, Constant also tied as a Runner-Up for Best Bisexual Book. To put it simply, just Wow.



The winner of Best Bisexual Book was On Top of Glass: My Stories as a Queer Girl in Figure Skating by Karina Manta

The other Runners-Up were:
Peacemaker by E.M. Hamill
Frost & Raine by K.L. Noone
Give Me Grace by Bethany A. Perry tied with When I First Saw Red (The Soldiers and Mercenaries) by Kasia Bacon
The Envoy's Honor (Chronicles of Tournai #8) by Antonia Aquilante
The Dancer's Dilemma (Campus Connections #3) by CJane Elliott
Revenge of the Brobot (A Steam Room Story) by JC Calciano tied with Constant (The Valespian Pact #3) by Lexi Ander


The Rainbow Awards takes months to put together and raises money for LBGTQIA+ charities all across the word. Heart felt thank yous to Elisa Rolle and the judges who make the Rainbow Awards happen.




Honorable Mention to Constant (The Valespian Pact #3) by Lexi Ander: I have had the pleasure of reading all the books in this Valespian series - Constant, not only fill in the gaps left over from the previous too books, it also re-enforce Lexi Anders skill as a fantastic world builder. The character in this third book are fully formed - you either love them or hate them. The multi-laying of the personalities was a very pleasing thing to watch develop. The world building was phenomenal. the fact this entire series leaned into the space opera aspect and fleshed it out properly out was an added bonus for me. I wont be forgetting this book, these character, or this author anytime soon. Very pleased to have found this series.

Blurb: 

Can a Warlord and a Prince find love when the galaxy is on the brink of war?

Chief Warlord Sohm'lan has a job he loves protecting the family who claims him as one of their own. He has known the loss of a mate and believed he would walk alone for the rest of his life… that is until Prince Mestor demanded more from him than duty. Unable to fathom why Mestor would want a widowed older warrior, Sohm'lan maintains his distance believing Mestor will eventually choose an amor closer in age and experience, even though the thought causes him more pain than it should.

Prince Mestor is tired of pretending and his patience is eroding. He needs Sohm'lan to see past their respective ranks and duties to who Mestor is underneath it all. Worried Sohm'lan will be lost to him if he pushes too hard, Mestor and Sohm'lan are caught in a dance of denied desires and tangled obligations.

Warlord Sohm'lan and Prince Mestor struggle to find a way to their heart's desire against the backdrop of galactic conspiracies, the dangerous mission escorting the Fal'Amoric royals, and discoveries within the Vondorian family that threaten to tear apart everything they hold dear. The two of them must stand together to fight the coming battle whatever the consequences.

Buy Links : Amazon | Smashwords | Kobo | B&N

PSST! The series is still on sale at Smashwords and Amazon!

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

Friday, December 3, 2021

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

 What a week! Cherish released Wednesday and there is a giveaway still going on. Check out Wednesday's blog post for the details.

Reading has been a bit better this week than it has been. I found a few books that I could sink into and not DNF at 80% (LOL, that happened more than once this month.)


Series: 
Author: Kaye Draper
Length: 300 pages

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

Notes: This was just plain fun retelling of the Wizard of Oz with several great twists. I love that it is in a sci-fi setting. Kaye is really good at giving a warning list. If you follow the link, there is an extend blurb with additional information. 

Blurb: Daniel never imagined his career as an infamous E.A.R.T.H. diplomat would end with him in full drag riding a defunct landing pod into a magical cyclone. But honestly, he's been in weirder situations in his life.

Exiled to the planet Ozma-4 for doing his job as an advocate a little too well, and for knowing too much about...something...Daniel sets off disguised as Dotty West, helpless but fabulous Kansas farmgirl. His silver spike heels aren't made for trekking through an alien landscape. But fortunately--or unfortunately, depending on your perspective--he manages to crash-land on some poor, unsuspecting citizen. And it's not like the pancaked woman really needs her hiking boots anymore, right?

Accompanied by his faithful robotic assistant, Toto, Daniel sets out to find answers about why he was exiled and find a way home. But along the way, he uncovers a case of colonial feuding and native oppression that he just can't ignore. Aided by a group of sexy Oz outcasts, Daniel journeys to the Emerald city to meet with a shady wizard and ends up blackmailed into a quest to steal from a powerful witch. But that's only the tip of the iceberg.

His time on Oz will help Daniel finally embrace all of who he is. But he might just end up leaving his heart behind when he finally finds a way back home.

The Fabulous Wizard of Oz is a ridiculous, fun gay harem Wizard of Oz retelling that fuses magic and light sci-fi elements. It is a complete standalone story and is just over 86,000 words.

Title: Mongrel
Series: 
Author: Lee Colgin
Length: 284 pages

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Gay

Notes: I was braced for something more dark, I guess? But the blurb does say 'surprisingly fluffy' considering the subject and that is correct. Andras and Bowie are wonderful characters from the very beginning and this sweetness is what kept me reading. I really enjoyed not only the romance, but the plot of the book. This is not a series but there are going to be other books set in the world that I would love to read. Definitely would recommend.

Blurb: Mongrel, a creature more wolf than man, leads a lonely life on the fringes of pack society—until the night a handsome vampire shows up with a mysterious request.

Bowie, a vampire cursed to a life of endless nights, maintains close ties with his human family. When young girls in their village go missing, he must act quickly. But to find them, he’ll need to convince the local werewolf pack to loan him their best tracker—a wolf known as the Mongrel.

Though he hates the slur, Andras is used to being called Mongrel. When Bowie refuses to refer to him by anything but his given name, Andras can’t help a flicker of unexpected trust toward the stranger. He volunteers to help Bowie, risking banishment.

Can two tenderhearted men overcome their traumatic pasts and work together to rescue the girls before it’s too late? Or will the world’s most prolific killer snuff the flames of their passion along with the lives of the captives?

***

This steamy love story spans the country of Hungary as Andras and Bowie journey through cities and wilderness on their quest to right a villain’s wicked wrongs. Mongrel features a sweetly possessive werewolf, a cinnamon roll of a vampire, and the worst killer in history. A surprisingly fluffy MM Paranormal/Historical Romance considering the subject matter.

HEA guaranteed with loads of laughs along the way and no cliffhanger ending!

Series: 
Author: CW Gray
Length: 61 pages

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Gay

Notes: This was a fun and sweet short story about a sidekick who has grander ideas about what he can do. 

Blurb: After being bitten by a radio active cat and developing super powers, Cal thought he had his whole life planned out - graduate Super U, become a famous superhero, and save all the abused animals in the world. Well, he made it to Super U at least. Now, he needs to convince his advisor that he's hero material. Easy peesy, right? Avoid being distracted by the mysterious new transfer student moving in across the hall? That will be a lot harder.

Short Story (15k words), M/M romance, love at first sight, graysexual hottie across the hall, cat minion army, annoying BFFs, and a very sweet happily-ever-after.

Title: Serpentine
Series: 
Author: J. Kearston
Length: 308 pages

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / RH

Notes: This was a good book. This is listed as a 'damsel in distress' and she is but she's not passive nor needlessly puts herself in danger. I liked that the shifters were vipers. It's not often that you see snake shifters. The guys are protective, but overly so, and definitely not alphaholes. The storyline was interesting and I enjoyed the reveal of what was going on (the pacing was just right for me). I think the ending was a bit rushed, but it's a standalone and I didn't have to endure a cliff hanger, which RHs seem to overly love, so I still counted it as a win. This did encourage me to check out this author's backlist. I hadn't read her before so I'm really interested what else she has.

Blurb: They turned me to save my life, but damned themselves in the process.

My life has always been a morbid test, seeing just how much I can endure before I finally break. So when I'm abducted and shoved into some psycho's trunk, it really shouldn't come as a surprise. Yet even the mercy of death is torn away from my grasp, three men sinking their teeth into me and refusing to let me go.

Now I'm drawn to them in ways I've never experienced, and it’s as terrifying as it is thrilling. A blessing and a curse, I escaped my old life only to replace it by three sets of chains forged in blood, binding me to these strangers that feel like home. With the bond forcing my hand, it’s impossible to tell what’s real and what’s not where they’re concerned, if I’m only drawn to them because their venom is coursing through my veins.

Or if they only bit me because they couldn’t stop themselves, my blood a siren’s call for shifters.

One hit and they're faster, stronger, and hopelessly addicted. If I thought I was being hunted before, it’s nothing compared to now, when turning me into one of them amplified the draw of my blood enough to turn men feral. All I want is a quiet life and the chance to explore this bond with the men who saved me, who look at me like they’ve waited a lifetime to find me.

But will they be strong enough to stand between me and a world that would bleed me dry the first chance it gets?

*This is a darker themed standalone where our heroine gets all of her men.
*Shifters with blood kinks
*Overprotective, devoted men
*Damsel in distress

Series: (War of Power Series 2: FSID Agents Series Book 1)
Author: A.J. Macey
Length: 250 pages

Genre: Romance / Mystery / Paranormal / FBI / Why Choose / Bisexual / 

Notes: I asked for a recommendations for a person with a paranormal ability paired up with a cop to solve crimes. This book was recommended and it look exactly like what I wanted. But it does say this is a spinoff and the author recommends reading the other series first. I'm trying to decide. You know I will start a book in the middle of a series. Sometimes it works and others, not so much. I think I will give the first series a try just so that I have background on this world at least. 

Blurb: Ritual murders?
Reliving death memories?
Avoiding the advances of my overly-attentive coworker who doesn’t realize he’s been firmly friendzoned?

That’s just a casual Friday when you’re the Olympia Police Department’s favorite consulting psychometric medium. Yeah, that’s me, Casper Colt, the supe who can talk to dead people and see things when I touch stuff.

Well, that all changes when four sexy agents from the Federal Supernatural Investigation Division are called in to assist with finding the killer. As much as I’m used to staying unattached, save for my ghostly best friend, there’s something about them that calls to me.

Mason- the hotheaded and heavily-tatted alpha,
Ryan- the sweet doctor whose orders can’t be ignored,
Flynn- the quiet warlock with a shiver-inducing voice,
and Knox- the flirty angel who smiles like the devil.

Can I get close to them and still keep my secrets?
Most importantly, can we solve this case before I become just a whisper of the past?

Book 1 of the FSID Agents series.

The FSID Agents series is a five-book WhyChoose/Reverse Harem saga featuring MMFMM meaning there is M/M content, and the female main character doesn't have to choose between her love interests. Please note that this is a spin-off series, and it’s highly recommended to read books 1-3 of the Best Wishes series first due to spoilers.

This book contains references involving PTSD, murder, violence, and other themes that some readers may find triggering.



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Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Cherish Release Day Contest #releaseday #giveaway #valespianpact #spaceopera #lgbtqia #scifi

 


The next book in the Valespian Pact series is out! I have a fun giveaway that starts today and will go until Monday, December 6th. I commissioned stuffies of some of the characters. They are absolutely adorable. It was really hard time convincing myself to part with them after I got them in my grubby mittens. There are 10 unique, handcrafted stuffies to give away and there is a limit of one stuffie per winner. :)

Below I have included pictures with captions so you know who's who along with the rafflecopter sign-up for the giveaway. We also have the buy links, blurb, and excerpt. Enjoy and good luck!

Spirit Tracker Zenon


Bogie

Worth

Rokko

Coburn

Kiri

Destin and Wyn

Imrie

Ellatha


Myo

Blurb:

Saving a life can change the course of history.

Destin is torn away from his chicks and his bonded when the Terrens invade Aries 7. Experimented on in Terren labs, and made to work their mines, the GyrFalconi struggle to survive. Destin becomes their caretaker, endeavoring to save as many as possible, despite the emotional toll. Amidst the battle for survival, the universe shines on him and he bonds with not one but four people who give him a reason to keep fighting. When Valespia sends its Legions to the GyrFalconi’s aid, Destin and his bonded are eventually freed, only to face new cruelties from their own people.

Freedom comes with its own trials, though, as a divide forms in GyrFalconi society between the winged and the wingless. Destin and his bonded are given a chance at true happiness and they keep what they claim, no matter what.

Tags: The Twenty-Year War where Terrens really mucked things up, so many hatchlings, Love not Lust (yes, using caps there seemed necessary), survivors, bisexual characters, all the cute hatchlings, talking to spirits, low heat, protective chantelle, evil empress, courageous stags, polyamorous, Destin keeps collecting bonded, avian species screech... a lot, non-human ace spectrum characters, found family, underestimated batore, so many stags, Mar'Sani mentor, did I mention the cutest chicks ever?

CHERISH is the fourth book in the award-winning Valespian Pact series. Trigger warnings can be found in the Author’s Note. Please download a sample of this book or use the Look Inside feature. 196,000 words.

Buy Links: Smashwords / Books2Read Universal Link /  Amazon
 / B&NKobo

Enter the giveaway with Rafflecopter 

Excerpt:

Invasion

 

Dashing tears from his eyes, he [Destin] finished packing a small but heavy satchel. Alaina and Paxx waited for him in the receiving room holding large, overstuffed bags. At least they were not flying any great distance. The door was open to the balcony and the sight beyond confirmed their reality like nothing else could. Transports large and small zipped between the tall spires of this residential quarter of Skylight. The buildings were hundreds of floors tall with every roost boasting a balcony or three for landing. Usually, municipal transports flew above the spires, but these originated from the base of the buildings where the personal transports were stored.

The aircraft were not the only traffic. GyrFalconi flew everywhere, either singly or in small flocks, and there was a lot of swerving and near collisions, the people too panicked to pay attention. A lead weight formed in Destin’s stomach and a sense of urgency whispered that they needed to hurry. At least his parents’ rookery was only a couple spires over.

“Stay close to me,” he warned. The fledglings’ eyes were round with dawning fear as they observed the chaos. Paxx and Alaina nodded vigorously.

Clutching the pack to his chest, Destin sprinted and leaped off the balcony, his wings spread as he tested the air for a wind to glide on while he waited for his fledglings to catch up. They carried more, so they dropped quicker and had to flap hard to reach him, their burdens clutched to their chests. Destin spiraled down to the building’s lower floors, hoping that the air there would be less travelled, and he was right. As long as they stayed above the storage levels, they would not cross many individual flyers.

A few minutes later, they reached his parents’ building. Destin searched for his mahen’s storage garage where she and his dahen would be waiting. All the bay doors were open and the interiors empty. He did not need to read the labels, since his mahen, Akela de la Zudora, stood in the opening to her bay watching for them. Her golden-brown feathers were streaked with a darker brown that made her look severe when her feathers were clapped tight to her crown. Her brown-ringed black eyes held a wealth of worry as well as a touch of fear, which abated when her gaze landed on them.

Destin circled around behind his fledglings and made them land first. Both immediately went to Akela when their feet touched the floor. She wrapped them in a calming embrace as she clicked her nose-plate to theirs. His dahen, Imrie, rushed from the transport when Destin set down.  Imrie’s long, sweeping gray-tipped pink feathers were ruffled in the strong breeze that pushed into the bay. The pink contrasted beautifully with his ebony skin. Of all the Aries collectives, Destin thought his dahen’s feather coloring the prettiest. His own were red feathers dusted with the broody black of Aries 1. When he was much younger, he’d wished he had the pretty pinks of Aries 4 like his da. Destin had outgrown such vanities and he was content with his coloring, though he still thought the red and black was somber.

Imrie grabbed his face and clicked his hard yellow nose-plate against Destin’s. “Where is Dena?” he asked softly enough that the chicks did not hear.

Destin refused to answer, not wanting to bring to the fledglings’ attention that he and their mahen were at odds. Imrie’s blue eyes narrowed with comprehension, and Destin did not envy the dressing down that his dahen would give Dena when he saw her next.

His parents’ personal transport was a modest five-person pipit. Glancing inside, food stores were crammed into every available space, leaving just enough room in the back for Destin’s fledglings. They would be holding their overstuffed burdens in their laps since there was no other room to store the bags.

“I think we can make room for you,” Mahen said, coming up behind him. But they could not and still eat. There were questions about whether the sky-cities receiving refugees would have enough foodstuff to feed everyone. Destin would not have his family going hungry when there was a seat for him on another transport.

“Dena made arrangements for me,” he replied. Akela pursed her lips, sweeping her gaze over him and the fledglings as if to say, ‘yes, my son, I can see the accommodations your bonded has made.’ He forged on. “Speaking of, they are waiting on me. I am already several minutes late.”

His chicks made frantic noises. They were all talk about building a nest of their own, but here they were, not wanting to be separated from him. It warmed Destin’s heart more than it should have. Perhaps Dena was correct, and he was holding onto the fledglings too tightly. He wrapped each chick in his arms, reminded of how much larger they were when he tilted his head up so they could click their nose-plates against his.

“Do what you are told and help your granden and granhen with what they need. They will rendezvous with your bondeds’ families. Together, they will all work to keep you safe.” Destin waited for them to nod before he stepped away.

“When will you and Dena be joining us?” Mahen asked, pushing the fledglings toward the transport.

“The de la Bao flock are meeting up with some of their extended family. I will make my way to you once we stop,” he replied, hoping that the fledglings did not notice he said nothing about their mahen. The fact was that he did not know what her plans were, especially after their argument.

Imrie pulled out his data pad and demanded Destin give him the location where he would end up.

“I will come and get you myself once we have settled Alaina and Paxx,” Akela stated, her expression telling him not to argue with her. Destin nodded, saying hurried farewells to his parents before sprinting to the open bay door and leaping into flight.

He was not exaggerating when he said he was late. He owed the neighbors many apologies when he arrived. They were kind, patient people but the stress of fleeing to safety could make anyone terse, especially when waiting on someone who delayed their safe departure.

The weight of his bag seemed heavier than before, which Destin was sure it was just in his mind. There were more individual fliers clogging the airways. With great care, he dodged a couple of near collisions before reaching the correct building. The bay door was open, and Destin pulled up from his dive to land on the edge… of an empty storage slot. He double checked the name and number to make sure he had arrived at the correct place. This was where he was supposed to meet up with the neighbors.

Destin stared at the bare floor, his mind stalled for a few precious seconds as he tried to comprehend what it meant. Again, he double checked the ID to make sure he was at the right location, and he was, but they were gone. They had left. He was only a few minutes late, but the bay was not even warm from the aircraft’s engine, so they had been gone much longer than he was late.

Had Dena cancelled his seat, thinking he would be travelling with her? He could not imagine the neighbors leaving without him. They were close friends of Destin’s and if they were leaving, they would have contacted him, and there were no waiting messages on the data pad. If Dena told them he did not need the seat, then why did she not say something to him? Did she forget since they had fought? Was—

Destin shook his head, trying to clear his mind. This was not the time to allow emotional turmoil to take over. He would broach the questions with her later, after he reached safety. He considered flying back to his parents’ bay, but they were probably gone already, and he could not waste the time. He would have to fly.



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