What's on the Reading Radar #TBR #Wishlist

What am I doing? Writing blog posts for Caledonia Destiny's release. Proofing. And Proofing. Checking ARC formatting.

When I'm not doing that, I have been working on Assassin's Retirement. I need to hurry and catch up. Get several chapters under my belt before the end of the month.

For the reading list, I've been rereading again until last night. I do this because I can't afford to get ensnared into a new world when I'm super busy. It's distracting if the story is super engaging, especially when I have to leave a book in the middle because I don't have time to finish it. Example: last night I read a new to me author. The book is the first one on the list below. I really, really enjoyed the story but it stopped on a cliffhanger. I decided to get the next book and read until the emotional turmoil was mostly resolved -- hence, find a stopping point. I didn't find a great stopping point and the emotional turmoil only went up. When I forced myself to bed I dreamed about the book and then four hours later I woke thinking about the book. I ended getting up and working in order to take my mind off it because I couldn't sleep. That is why I reread when super busy. Distracting with a capital D. I'm going to try something on the lighter side tonight to sort of get my thought process off the unresolved book. (I read the reviews and the second book has a cliffhanger, too. I don't know when the third book will be out so I'm putting that read on hold.)

Now for this week's wish list...

Title: My Broken One
Series: True Mates series
Author(s): G.L. Stiles
Length: 201 pages
Publisher:

Genre: Romance / Contemporary Alpha/Beta/Omega World / Step/Adopted Brothers / Snark / Angst / Cliffhanger / Bisexual / 

Note: I have a hard time getting into contemporary Alpha/Bets/Omega worlds. But this sucked me right in.

Blurb: With the human race divided into secondary gender designations -- alpha, beta, and omega -- Matthew Le'Marte's future looks bleak as the only senior in his high school who still hasn't presented. Add to that the occasional riot over sudden-onset omega heats and knothead alphas thinking they own the universe, and Matt is pretty sick of this whole puberty thing. But getting beat up by alphas, pitied by omegas and ignored by the rest of the world doesn't even top the list of Matt's problems. Also attending Matt's high school is a sweet, handsome, unfairly perfect alpha named Teddy, and Matt has been in love with him for a literal lifetime. 

Teddy is also Matt's step brother. Things can't really get any worse for Matt from this point.

Which is of course when Matt finally presents. Somehow, it doesn't end up making his life any easier. He just hopes to get out of his adolescence without Teddy ever knowing how he truly feels; that despite a one in a million chance, Teddy might be Matt's true mate. And true mates aren't always reciprocated. Matt can handle a lot of disappointment, but losing Teddy would be the one blow that breaks him.

Title: Blessed Curses
Series: 
Author(s): Madeleine Ribbon
Length: 
Publisher:

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Gay / 

Note: 


Blurb: Though he’s a sorcerer with a talent for creating blessings, David can do very little with any other magic. He works the night shift for his cousin’s magical supply shop because he’s cursed—his brother did it when they were kids—and now people can’t stand to be near him since he inspires irrational fear. Many experts have tried to remove it, but the curse has proven completely binding. Then David meets Vaughn at his brother’s wedding.

Vaughn works for the magical enforcers, picking apart complex curses and making sure sorcerers stay within the law. He loves solving supposedly irreversible curses, though his interest in David quickly turns into something more. David, however, is too afraid of getting hurt if he lets Vaughn get past his prickly outer shell...

Title: Blood Bathory: Absence of the Sun
Series: The Guardians of Gaia, 2
Author(s): Ari McKay
Length: 
Publisher:

Genre: Romance / Urban Fantasy / Shifters / Vampires / Paranormal / Gay /

Note: 


Blurb: Tyger tyger, burning bright…

As theriomorphs in the service of Gaia, Tyr Gustavson and his lover Aaron fought against the vampires aiding the Third Reich during WWII. But even the fierceness of Tyr’s tiger form couldn’t save Aaron from being torn apart when a mission went horribly wrong. Lost in his pain, Tyr remained feral until he was unwillingly recalled to Gaia’s service seventy years later.

In the forests of the night...

When fighter pilot Adam Carson’s plane was shot down, he thought the worst that could happen was being sent to a Nazi prison camp. Little did he know there were other monsters in the shadows, and one of them wanted to claim him. But refusing Elizabeth Bathory had a price. Adam was turned against his will and trapped in a coffin as punishment for his resistance.

What immortal hand or eye…

While hunting ghouls, Tyr and his colleagues discover Adam’s prison. Believing he could be an asset, Marielle Du Lac frees him. Adam joins the team and is drawn to Tyr, despite Tyr’s hatred of vampires. When Tyr rejects Adam out of fear, Adam accepts a suicidal mission to find Thrace, the original nosferatu. If their desperate plan works, the theriomorphs could destroy not only Elizabeth, but the sire of all vampires as well. But if it fails, they could unleash a force leading to the destruction of them all… and perhaps of Gaia herself.

Title: His Wicked Love
Series: Spells and Steel
Author(s): Mila Bensen
Length: 202 pages
Publisher:

Genre: Romance / Fantasy / Gay /

Note: 


Blurb: As a warlock, Corbin trusts only himself and his master, Nereza. When that master is stolen from him by the kingdom that has long terrorized his kind, vengeance is the only answer. He has traded everything for the power to avenge her, and nothing will stop him. Being arrested is a minor setback. The paladin who arrested him is a bigger obstacle—but not even the heavily muscled, devastatingly gorgeous man who managed to slip past his defenses can keep him from his dark purpose. 

Leonid, a paladin of Sithia, obeys the Archmage’s orders without question. It’s the least he can do to make up for his failures in the past. So when he stumbles on a warlock breaking into a Crown outpost, he doesn’t hesitate to arrest him. Between the warlock’s teasing touches, captivating eyes, and heart-stopping smile, it will be all Leonid can do to deliver him for judgment without yielding to temptation.

But all is not well in Sithia, and neither man can face the chaos alone. If they cannot learn to trust each other, neither will live long enough to see his mission completed.

His Wicked Love is a stand-alone M/M fantasy romance with a happily ever after and no cliffhanger.

Title: Broken Accord
Series: Forged in Blood, 2
Author(s): Holly Evans
Length: 172 pages
Publisher: Chaos Fox (April 20, 2018)

Genre: Slow Burn Romance / Urban Fantasy / Gay / 

Note: 


Blurb: The work of a Guardian is never done.

I didn’t even get a week off before the goddess called us in for our next assignment. Witchlings, none more than fifteen years old, have been going missing, and we had to find out why. That meant I had to deal with witches, and the memories of my childhood that came with it.

I have to work with Alasdair to track down the missing teens and save the day whilst trying to navigate the treacherous waters of our fledgling relationship. Knowing that the goddess made us for each other doesn’t erase my past and all of the scars that come with it. Falling in love is the scariest thing I’ve ever done.

Of course, nothing’s ever simple. The missing witchlings are just beginning of a dark path that I have no choice but to walk down. The supernal world is fracturing, dangerous politics are bubbling beneath the surface. One false move could ignite everything. Sometimes, if we want to save the world, we have to get our hands dirty.

Title: Sacred Band
Series: 
Author(s): Jospeh D. Carriker, Jr.
Length: 380 pages
Publisher: Lethe Press (March 19, 2017)

Genre: Romantic Elements / Superheros / Paranormal / Age Gap /

Note: 


Blurb: The golden age of heroes is decades past. The government could not condone vigilantism and now metahumans are just citizens, albeit citizens with incredible talent, who are assisted in achieving normal lives (including finding good fits for their talents employment-wise) by a federal agency. Rusty may have been a kid during that glorious age but he remembers his idol, Sentinel, saving lives and righting wrongs — until he was outed in an incredible scandal that forced him into isolation. When a gay friend of Rusty living in the Ukraine goes missing, Rusty is forced to acknowledge that while the world’s governments claim that super teams are outdated and replaced by legal law enforcement, there are simply some places where the law doesn’t protect everyone — so he manages to find and recruit Sentinel to help him find his friend. But the disappearance of the friend is merely one move in a terrible plot against queer youth. A team of supers may be old-fashioned, but this may be a battle requiring some incredible reinforcements.

Title: The Last Sun
Series: (The Tarot Sequence)
Author(s): KD Edwards
Length: 367 pages
Publisher:  Pyr (June 12, 2018)

Genre: Gay Protagonist / Fantasy / 

Note: This is also on audio which I might use instead.


Blurb: In this debut novel and series starter, the last member of a murdered House searches for a missing nobleman, and uncovers clues about his own tortured past.

Rune Saint John, last child of the fallen Sun Court, is hired to search for Lady Judgment's missing son, Addam, on New Atlantis, the island city where the Atlanteans moved after ordinary humans destroyed their original home.

With his companion and bodyguard, Brand, he questions Addam's relatives and business contacts through the highest ranks of the nobles of New Atlantis. But as they investigate, they uncover more than a missing man: a legendary creature connected to the secret of the massacre of Rune's Court. In looking for Addam, can Rune find the truth behind his family's death and the torments of his past?

Title: The Necromancer's Reckoning
Series: The Beacon Hill Sorcerers, 3
Author(s): SJ Himes
Length: 340 pages
Publisher:

Genre: Romance / Urban Fantasy / Vampires / Dragon sidekicks / Gay / 

Note: 


Blurb: Every action has consequences.

For a decade, Angel Salvatore has been the most powerful sorcerer and only necromancer in all the Northeast. Never one to ask permission nor apologies, he has acted with near impunity for years.

Until now.

The High Council of Sorcery has come to Boston, and Angel is their target. Charged with numerous violations of practitioner laws, his freedom and family are placed in jeopardy.

If found guilty, Angel's apprentice Daniel will be imprisoned to serve out the remaining years of his apprenticeship. Isaac, his brother, is too vulnerable to be left unguarded, and Angel fears for his sanity and health. And Simeon, Elder vampire and Angel's mate refuses to see Angel convicted under the laws of the Council and his actions to keep Angel free threaten to start a war that could destroy their world. And Angel faces the severest of punishments—the castration of his gifts.

The Council has never cared for the people of Boston, and Angel doubts their motives. They have come for some insidious reason, and it has nothing to do with upholding the law and everything to do with Angel.

Dealing with an impending trial, a wayward ghost, and a graverobbing ring of thieves leaves Angel on the edge. He thinks he may have a handle on things until violence erupts across the city, and a stranger comes to town...a stranger with his own dark powers of necromancy.

This is book 3 of a series, and the previous books should be read first for full enjoyment. Trigger Warnings are on the Copyright Page and can be seen using the Look Inside feature or by downloading a sample of this book.

Title: The Hunter
Series: 
Author(s): Jordan Reece
Length: 322 pages
Publisher:

Genre: Romance / Steampunk / Gay / 

Note: 


Blurb: It begins with a mysterious package in the mail . . . 


There isn’t much excitement to be found in the small farm town that Elario Repse calls home. But when a letter arrives from his deceased uncle, begging him to deliver a dangerous dragon’s eye to a man named Westen at’Inamon, Elario has no choice. With the military in pursuit, he flees across the country of Phaleros.

By the time he reaches his destination, he has a new problem. The dragon’s eye has attached itself to Elario, allowing him to see through time and even read minds. Westen has no idea how to separate them, but he does know the Crown will stop at nothing to kill Elario for bearing it. A dragon’s eye is the key to bringing down the greedy, corrupt upper class of Phaleros, if only Westen can keep Elario alive long enough to use it.

The attraction between them is undeniable. Westen is the most handsome man that Elario has ever seen, yet his quirky, secretive personality runs hot and cold. Still, he will do anything to protect Elario. They are falling in love at the very worst time . . . and with peril around every corner, there is no guarantee of a happy ending.

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

Pact Days: V'Saar #ValespianPact

Welcome to Thursday's Pact Days! Today, we have the dreaded V'Saar.

The V'Saar are the big bad in the Valespian Pact. They are basically the destroyer of worlds, leaving extinct species in their wake.


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: V'Saar

Planet: Xoneran (Queen Isolt); Ranux (Queen Orla)

Other races on the planet:

Planetary Terrain:

Capitol: Xeyria (Queen Isolt); Therth (Queen Orla)

Country:

Patron Ryo Pardeep:

Description: Thick armor plating over most of their bodies. Three sets of eyes. An extendable lower jaw of razor-sharp teeth. Two sets of arms and legs. The lower set of arms can be used as legs = 8 limbs. The beady eyes can roll but not blink. The head can twist eerily. A tail that curves over its body ends in a stinger. Spindly throat (the fragility a deception). The face is comprised of hard angels and has an oblong countenance. The underside of the scorpionlike tail is covered with tiny hairs that detects movement and allows the V'Saar to attack in absolute darkness.

They secrete gelatinous mucus from pores on their exoskeleton that allows them to be dropped from planetary orbit into atmosphere without burning upon entry.

The stinger hold a compound that converts the victim, making them a tool for the V'Saar and controlled by the V'Saar. The converted hybrid only survives 40 hours as humanoid, then they begin transformation into a V'Saar. If they are taken away from the bugs, and the venom flushed from their system, they will not become bugs but will be sensitive to the proximity of the bugs. The victims keep their abilities but are sterile.

V'Saar manipulate and cannibalize, leaving only carnage and destruction in their wake. Live to create havoc, swooping into swallow down despair. They devour worlds, stamp out life, enslaving those they can use until the usefulness is gone.

V'Saar enter the region with scouting parties. They would solicit help from locals to bring more of the hive over with false promises.

Diplomats wear three blue horizontal strips over their hard-plated noses. One had 2 thick white bands circling the abdomen near the tail (emissaries)

Submissive posture: folded up, legs tucked under the body as close to their form their flexibility allows. The scorpionlike tail curled in upon itself. This is how they entreaty. The posture is supposed to be non-threatening.

Atizen ate his own venom.

"They only know violence and hate. They manipulate and cannibalize, leaving only carnage and description in their wake. They live to create havoc and then swoop in to swallow the despair. There is no rehabilitating them they devour worlds, stamping out any life and enslaving those they can use until that use is gone." ~Alpha

"You will not win against us. We are many. You are broken with your opinions and debates. We are one in our resolve. We are one in our action. While you scramble in your confusion, we will subjugate you. Some will be out pets and others our cattle." ~Atizen

Common Occupation: drones, warriors, trackers

Government Systems: hive queen

Current Leader: Queen Isolt; Queen Orla

Council of Neighn of Member:  n/a

Allies: n/a

Star System: Arthro Galaxy; Horkos Star System (Queen Isolt); Palioxis Nu System (Queen Orla);

Other planets occupied by species:

Military Leader: Atizan (Queen Isolt)

Hunters: huge massive beasts that can easily plow through a throng of V'Saar, plasma rolls off their outer shell like water. Bellows. Triple set of eyes, and a nose. Screeches. Four legs. Long scorpionlike stinger arching over the armor-plated back. Stinger the size of Zeus's forearm. Pincers. The sting of its venom enthralls, cause the person to be addicted. On the underside is a line in between the armor plating that is the weak spot. The line of bristlelike hair on the underside allows them to see in the dark. At the Y is the bug's weak point.

Cultural names and terms specific to species:

"clicking voice"; sharp angry clicks tattooed a peculiar rhythm.; chittering, movement = skittering, cackling.

Queen – surviving females, the center of the hives

W'Resk – Hunters, trackers of unparalleled talent, much larger than normal warriors/fighters

I'olon – drone, take care of the queen, all domestic duties

S'aae – fighters whose sting converts victims to V'Saar hybrids. Are not allowed to use unless they are in a fight and need more soldiers.

T'yrdo – fighters whose sting controls the victims. These make up the majority of the V'Saar fighting force.

Hybrid – sterile beings that live only about 40 months after being stung. They keep their knowledge and skills that the V'Saar will use to their benefit.

Thank  you for stopping by and reading!!

What is on the Reading Radar? #TBR #WishList

What's been going on this week? Well, we celebrated our 25 year wedding anniversary earlier in the week and my husband turned 50 on Friday. In between us trying to spoil each other rotten (awesome fun), I finished the edits for Caledonia Destiny and we are in the final stages of wrapping it up. The Cover Reveal will be in a couple of weeks and there will also be a Book Blast in July. The release date is set for July 9th. In the meantime, I am back to working on Constant (Valespian Pact, 3). I'm pushing hard to get the rewrites and expansion finished so that I can finally get this submitted. 

I've been in a rereading mood this week, trying to keep from getting caught up in something new that will distract me from my writing. (It happens sometimes, LOL!) But, I found some books that I put on my wish list... sort of incentive for finishing my book. :)

Title: Hawk in the Rowan
Series: (The Rowan Harbor Cycle Book 4)
Author(s): San Burns
Length: 158 pages
Publisher: 

Genre: Paranormal / Romance / Gay / 

Notes: I really like this series.

Blurb: Devon Murphy has been back in Rowan Harbor for three months. He’s taken on a host of new responsibilities, and is in a serious relationship for the first time in his life. He loves the town and its inhabitants, but it’s starting to feel like too much for the former drifter.

Now there’s a storm on the horizon, and it doesn’t seem like things are going to slow down and let him catch his breath. A blizzard is brewing, and three people have gone missing in the woods south of town. Devon needs to find them before time runs out.

This book is the fourth of nine in The Rowan Harbor Cycle, not a standalone. Devon and Wade will return in book seven for their HEA.

Title: Rites of Spring
Series: Rites Book One
Author(s): JV Speyer
Length: 189 pages
Publisher: 

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Gay / Suspense /

Notes: 

Blurb: Cameron has given up on romance, after a difficult childhood made it hard for him to trust enough for intimate relationships to develop. But mostly he's happy with the life he's built for himself.

When two paranormal investigators show up at the home he recently inherited, claiming he may be in danger, he sends them packing, convinced they're nothing but con men.

Until several incidents prove they're telling the truth. The past Cameron tried so hard to leave behind is coming for him, and it's angry.

Title: The Trouble Maker
Series: (The Hunter Brothers Book 2)
Author(s): Lili Valentine
Length: 266 pages
Publisher: Self Taught Ninja (April 23, 2018)

Genre: Contemporary Romance / Lots of Sex / Bad Boy / 

Notes: 

Blurb: They say Rafe Hunter is trouble with a capital T.

I say--bring it on.

As long as Trouble comes in a package as delicious as Rafe's, I'm ready to climb on his Harley and ride all night long--and I'm not just talking about his motorcycle.

I can hide out until the scandal with my evil ex blows over AND have a wild rebound at the same time. Besides, I've got no heart left to break. My ex made sure of that.

As long as Rafe and I keep our no-strings fling from our families, what can possibly go wrong?

***
This is so damned wrong.

I don't do drama, and this thing with Carrie Haverford has Bad News written all over it. After one red-hot kiss, I know I should cut and run.

Instead I take her home, take her in her car, take her to the beach and make her scream louder than the crashing waves. And then I take her so far into my heart I don't see how I'm ever going to let her go.

They say the bigger and badder they are, the harder they fall. But when I fall for a girl with third degree love burns, how can I convince her that fire is a good thing?

This sexy Standalone romance will make you laugh, melt, and fall madly in love.

Title: A Shining Knight
Series: 
Author(s): Rebecca Locksley
Length: 304 pages
Publisher: eXtasy Books (November 24, 2017)

Genre: Time Travel / Romance / Gay /

Notes: Hoping for some laughs along with the romance.


Blurb: Can a hard-bitten, horse-mounted fighting man adjust to the peaceful modern world? When nerdy medieval language scholar Gabriel Sussman finds himself responsible for two medieval crusaders stranded in the modern world, the whole question is complicated by his serious crush on the knight, Jordan De Courcy. Surely such a manly man could never be interested in someone like Gabriel. Or are Gabriel’s slim, pale-skinned good looks just the things to appeal to medieval tastes?

Title: Cold Blood
Series: Fatal Fables
Author(s): Bill Kieffer
Length: 
Publisher: Jaffa Books (May 7, 2018)

Genre: Paranormal / No Human World / Anthology /

Notes: 


Blurb: Welcome to Aesop's World, a world of allegory and violence.

It's a dark world where love and redemption have a cost that can only be measured in blood and violence. It's just like your own Earth, except darker... furrier... scalier. There are no humans. If there were ever humans, they are just the myths now of strange religions and cultures.

The place to be is New Amsterdam, where its five boroughs form a familiar cityscape in the Independent and United States of America. Every race, every species co-mingle here with a tolerant surface of live and let live. At least, until you cross the wrong person. Rubbing someone's fur the wrong way might get you killed.

In these six stories, you'll explore different stories of love and violence across different decades of alternate furry history.

Prohibition: The world is full of conspiracies, syndicates, and crackpot cults. Cops have to be tough. Shepard is as hard headed and as hard hearted as they come. He has just one soft spot, an impossible love for Lynne Black. When Lynne calls to say her youngest boy was kidnapped, he drops everything to get the boy back. The boy that should have been his.

PostWar: Brooklyn Blackie was scarred by the things he saw in the war, including the death camps of Reptiles. It haunts him and he buries that pain in sex and violence with both genders of any species willing to lift a tail for him. He's bisexual in a time when it doesn't even have a name... and he's not even a very good detective, but he's never let that stop him before.

The Outrageous Eighties: Rap stars like St. George and Dr. Ice, are beginning to make millions in record deals... and if they don't kill each other, it might be the start of a new dynasty.

Title: Groupie
Series: (Rock-Hard Beautiful Book 1)
Author(s): C.M. Stunich
Length: 394 pages
Publisher: 

Genre: Romance / Contemporary / Rock Stars / Reverse Harem / Bromance / Buy a Case of Tissues / Dudes Supporting Dudes /

Notes: There has been a lot of chatter about this and 'the feels' (which usually mean crocodile tears and ugly crying... and oh, look at the blurb. It has an ugly cry warning tag), which usually isn't my thing but every once in a while I'm game.


Blurb: WARNING: This book has one girl and five bad boy rockstars. She owns them all--heart, body and soul. Don't read it unless you like to ugly cry...and also unless you like threesomes, foursomes...and moresomes.

“Can one of these five rockstars fill the hole in my heart? Or will I stay broken forever?”

Young, dumb, and broke.

That's what started everything. With five dollars in her pocket, and everything she owns stuffed in the back of her car, Lilith Goode's life is over. Done. Destroyed.

Ten words. One text. That's what it took to change the whole world.

A crumpled concert ticket. A chance encounter. That's what it takes to start all over again.

Five rockstars. One girl. Six dark hearts, six withered souls.
But can one broken person really put another back together again?
And is a cross-country tour the place to do it?

Groupie, Book #1 in the Rock-Hard Beautiful Trilogy
a New Adult Erotic Rocker Romance from International Bestselling Author C.M. Stunich

***GROUPIE is a 130,000 word novel about heartache, love, grief, and the beauty of sex. It contains rockstars, concerts, young love, deep hurt, broken pasts, group sex, one beautiful girl who falls in love with five guys and five guys who fall in love with one beautiful girl. This is a MMMFMM book with a STRONG focus on the woman (although the men aren't scared of each other's bodies) aka a reverse harem novel (one woman, five guys). It has a happy ending, NO cliff-hanger, and is the first book in a trilogy.

Title: Made to Serve a King
Series: 
Author(s): Marie Dees
Length: 373 pages
Publisher: 

Genre: Romance / Fantasy / Gay / 

Notes: 


Blurb: King Felor has sentenced all the fae to death. Only King Stephan’s army stands in his way.

Keeping his pointy ears hidden under scruffy blond locks has kept Blythe alive, but now he’s been discovered and sentenced to death. He struggles to escape Felor’s dungeons unaware of the attacking troops outside the wall, and his freedom is brief when he falls into enemy hands.

Born the bastard son of a knight, Garrick has risen to become King Stephan’s best young commander. Garrick is made to serve his king, with his sword, with his service and with his body. But Stephan’s attentions wander to younger men and to dreams of the fae, who once roamed the land. Garrick wants to deliver Stephan victory in war, to win back his king’s attention and his love.

Will the pointy-eared lad he finds in the ruins of battle change his mind? Has he fallen in love with the very lad his king most desires? 

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

Pact Days: Valuzial #ValespianPact

Welcome to Thursday's Pact Days! Today, we have the Valuzial guardians. They were introduced in Striker, a species paired with the Fal'Amoric. There will be more about the bond in future books.


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: Valuzial

Planet: Valespia

Other races on the planet:

Planetary Terrain: home terrain is the jungle

Capitol: Argos

Country: Sadris

Patron Ryo Pardeep:

Description: quadrupedal who are about three meters tall at the shoulder. Weighs up to one ton. Hairless, leathery skin. Long tail that curves over their back, the tip of it rounded and bulbous with wicked spikes. Powerful body. Moderately quick and agile. Easily climbs the mammoth trees of their Manes Jungle. Cross between clawed paws and fingered hands. Long square snouts, sharp teeth peeking through the lips. Long black tongues. Violet eyes. Striped to camouflage them in the jungle shade. Long black tongues. Wheezy laugh (think hyenia).

Charged by the ancient to protect the Fal'Amorics. They have a bond that tells them when the Fal'Amoric are close. Occasionally can run on hind legs, but it is not comfortable. Intelligent. Telepathic.

Grows short fur in the winter, if needed. They know what a Trine smells like. They are an old ally of the Alpha-Zetamite, survivors of the Arthro War. They have genetic memory. Can set traps. Can carry beings with a front limb, holding them close to their chest and still run three-legged.

They have a seat on the Cypress Council of Neighn but the abandoned the chair when the Fal'Amoric disappeared. They promised to hide until the Fal'Amoric returned.

They kept the houses and the cities ready for their charges return. Loyal. Faithful. They adore their charges.

"…we are honored to once again bear witness to the reemergence of the Trines."

When the Valuzials were left behind, the Fal'Amoric ordered to abandon their homes and guardians, it hurt the Valuzials physically to be separated from their charges and they vowed to never be parted from the Fal'Amoric again.

Common Occupation: guardians, hunters, trackers,

Government Systems: Fal'Amoric Queendom

Current Leader: Queen Asia, Princess Athena

Council of Neighn of Member:

Allies: Fal'Amoric, Gaziniti,

Star System: Haven System

Other planets occupied by species:

Military Leader: n/a

Cultural names and terms specific to species:

Pup = young one

Names: Mungo, Ozni, Nein, Noam, Norio, Raffi, Ratan, Safa, Sindri, Tapan, Tomari, Yorah

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

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

What have I been up to? Edit's came back for Caledonia Destiny. I'm really excited because I am just that much closer to the cover reveal and release date! Tick-tock!

Other things that have been going on? Lots of admin stuff. Spent a lot of time dealing with and figuring out what I needed to do for the new EU laws on information. Oh, and only to find out on the 25th that Blogger had the privacy policy for my blog covered... *cries*. I have a privacy policy anyway which can be easily viewed under the Privacy tag.

The blog story, Assassin's Retirement is already on chapter twenty and still going strong. Writing on it is the highlight of my week.

As for reading... Well, I tried to be a little bit better than last week. :) About half of these I pulled from my phone, where I'd saved them for later (wish list). I'm not sure if I have already posted them or not. Enjoy!

Title: Fireworks and Stolen Kisses
Series: Lijun, Book One
Author(s): Angel Martinez & Freddy MacKay
Length: 
Publisher: Pride Publishing (June 26, 2018)

Genre: Contemporary Fantasy / Paranormal Romance / Gay /

Notes: releases June 26th

Blurb: No. Eating. Pixies.

At the annual Global Lijun Alliance conference in Tokyo, Tally Bastille makes the first impulsive decision of his life. Others perceive his uktena—the enormous legendary serpent that’s his dual-spirit—as a threat, which makes him all too aware that he frightens fellow lijun. But an encounter with a passionate, obviously not-straight otter lijun one evening convinces Tally that he’s found his Em’halafi, his destined match. Tally is determined to barrel through all obstacles to make the match happen, including the otter’s conservative, traditional family.

Trained as a Satislit—a bride-son—Haru Tanaka chafes at the strict boundaries set around their life. They rebel against their clan’s constant attempts to force an arranged match and wish desperately for someone who will love them. At the conference, Haru is horrified to learn their family has accepted an offer for them, one too lucrative for the clan to refuse. Not only has the Urusar sold Haru to a stranger, but the lijun is also a giant snake and one who believes in the tired old superstitions regarding Em’halafi. Threatened with banishment if they refuse, Haru has no choice but to marry the wealthy American serpent.

Back in Tally’s home in Wisconsin, Haru and Tally must navigate both the widening gulf between them as they realize how much they’ve misunderstood about each other, and the tricky politics of the lijun clan Tally leads. Murder, intrigue and increasing hostility threaten to tear apart the little town of Wadiswan and the arranged marriage they’ve barely managed to begin.

Title: Ground Insurrection
Series: Wizards Wars, 1
Author(s): Mell Eight
Length: 22k
Publisher: LT3 Press

Genre: Romance / Fantasy / Gay / Gender Queer & Non-Binary / 

Notes:

Blurb: Life on the prairie isn't easy, especially since the prairie has a habit of eating people it doesn't like. Ruse knows the dangers, but there's so much more to the prairie than death.

The nearby country of Ammet, however, only sees an exploitable resource to be conquered. Caught between the political machinations of Ammet and his love for the prairie, Ruse can only hope he doesn't wind up killed by one or the other.
.

Title: In Pain and Blood
Series: Spellster, 1
Author(s): Aldrea Alien
Length: 742 pages
Publisher: Thardrandian Publications (December 15, 2017)

Genre: Fantasy / Bisexual / Multicultural / Erotic Romance / 

Notes:

Blurb: It wasn't meant to be like this.

Dylan's life in the spellster tower has everything he should want: magical knowledge, safety from the King's Hounds and frequent clandestine affairs with women. All at the cost of his freedom. So when the chance to leave the tower—even as a leashed weapon for the King's Army—arises, he seizes it.

When his first scouting mission goes awry, Dylan is left alone in a hostile world with the tower a distant beacon of safety. Only the flirtatious Tracker, an elven man whose very presence awakens Dylan's long-repressed desire, can help him return to his old life before the crown discovers his unleashed status.

But the risk of being branded a deserter may be the least of his concerns as whispers of an armed presence in the North threatens his home. Dylan must rely on Tracker to protect him even as everything he thought he knew begins to unravel around them.

Title: Incubus Honeymoon
Series: (Arcana Imperii Book 1)
Author(s): August Li
Length: 
Publisher: DSP Publications (July 17, 2018)

Genre: Fantasy / Romantic Elements / Gay /

Notes: releases July 17th

Blurb: Arcana Imperii

As the so-called magical creatures go, I’m low on the hierarchy, and my powers aren’t much good to human mages. I’m a lover, not a fighter, through and through. I’m also selfish, lazy, and easily bored. But I’m damned good at what I do.

Too bad that won’t get my arse out of this sling.

Do one—granted, uncharacteristic—good deed, and now I’m held hostage to an arrogant faerie prince, trying to track down the one who summoned him while dodging gangbangers, gun runners, and Nazis. Add the powerful mage guilds scrambling to gather firepower for some doomsday event they’re sure is around the corner, and my cushy life of leisure might be nothing but a memory. On top of that, something’s compelling me to change on my most fundamental level. I’m not sure what I’ve got myself mixed up in, but nothing will ever be the same.

Bloody hell.

Featuring a new twist on urban fantasy combined with fast-paced action and intrigue, the Arcana Imperii series books are standalone adventures, each completely accessible to new readers.

Title: Blood Dance
Series: Alien Blood Wars, 1
Author(s): Samantha Cayto
Length: 287 pages
Publisher: Pride Publishing (February 13, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Sci-Fi / Aliens / Gay / Vampires /

Notes:

Blurb: Book one in the Alien Blood Wars series

What lurks in the dark is not always a monster. Sometimes it’s your deepest desire.

A thousand years ago, Alex captained an alien ship that crashed on Earth. Stranded, he has tried to keep his men together while forging a new life. He’s locked into a never-ending war with mutinous crewmembers that makes unsuspecting humans collateral damage. That humans mistake them as vampires is all to the good. Humans are still not ready to learn aliens live among them. Alex has finally found some peace running a private club, but the memories of a human, loved and lost, keeps him alone.

Quinn Cooper was kicked out of his family when he came out as gay. Having travelled to Boston, he takes a job in Alex’s club. His boss and the men around him are large, scary and hard to ignore—as is his instant attraction to Alex. Becoming involved with the boss is always tricky. There’s something about Alex, however, that’s too sexy and compelling to ignore.

Knowing that seducing the vulnerable and virginal Quinn is a bad idea, Alex tries to keep his distance. He’s also trying to protect the boy and everyone else when the traitorous crew once more stirs up trouble. Alex’s and Quinn’s growing attraction leads Quinn closer to the frightening truth of whose bed he shares, while putting him in unfathomable harm’s way. Alex has to find a path forward to end the alien war for good or risk losing another love.

Title: Grabbed
Series: (Team A.L.P.H.A. Book 1)
Author(s): Susi Hawke, Crista Crown
Length: 128 pages
Publisher: 

Genre: Romance / Paranoraml / Alpha & Omega-verse / Mpreg / 

Notes: I actually finished this one this past week. It's relatively low angst and enjoyable.

Blurb: Team: A.L.P.H.A.:Six battle-hardened alphas with one goal—to save any omega in peril

Preston Tierney, the omega son of a prominent senator, has been taken by a secret group with an ax to grind. Party boy Preston was just out looking for a good time until he was grabbed—plucked right from a party in the middle of a crowd. When he wakes up, he finds himself caged like an animal in a remote cabin far from home.

Noah Perkins is a strong alpha who leads his unit with a strong hand—and a great sense of humor. The last thing he expected when he went to free the sassy little thing in the cage was to scent his own fated mate.

Noah and his crazy crew must free Preston from captivity—from his kidnappers, and again from a source much closer to home than they would’ve imagined—while Noah tries to figure out how to tame his bristly omega and truly embrace the team’s motto: Accept, Love, Protect, Honor—Always.

This is the first in a new series, but can definitely be read as a stand-alone novel. You can expect to find naughty, knotty scenes of steamy passion, along with a lot of potty-mouth language and some violence. No jackals were harmed in the writing of this book—unless they kinda deserved it. HEA definitely included, intended for 18+ readers only. Seriously, would you expect anything less from Susi Hawke and Crista Crown?

Title: Heartache & Hoofbeats
Series: (Stallion Ridge Book 1)
Author(s): Maz Maddoz
Length: 
Publisher: NV Productions; 1 edition (May 28, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Fantasy / Old West Era / Gay / 

Notes:

Blurb: Like all centaur shifters, Sheriff Calhoun is the epitome of honor. He protects his small town of Stallion Ridge and its people from any threat large or small.

When word comes in that the notorious Iron Bandits are making a play for a train in his territory he’s both livid and invigorated. If anyone can bring these thieves to justice it’s him and his crew.

What he did not expect was having a charming, whiskey-eyed outlaw dumped in his lap that challenged everything he thought he knew.

Title: Transcending Phoenix
Series:
Author(s): C.L. Etta
Length: 225 pages
Publisher: Pride Publishing (February 6, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Sci-Fi / Gay / 

Notes:

Blurb: In a world where discrimination and segregation are the standard, can tradition be changed through transcendence?

Raised in a world of segregation and discrimination, Phoenix Ashe stands on a precipice. He is an Elitist Masc, destined to become mayor of his prefecture. His lineage is revered for its singular preference in matters of the heart and loins. All he must do is make a seminal deposit during the twin-moon solstice to secure his legacy. While contemplating the enormity of the transaction he’s about to complete, he meets the irreverent Tristan Faire.

Tristan is the renowned Femme attendant for Seminal Depository. It’s his job to entice and satisfy the prefecture’s Mascs, harvesting their seminal fluids for storage until requested for conception. He enjoys his work and looks forward to someday making a home with a suitable mate. What he doesn’t need is to fall in love with a client who deems Tristan a second-class citizen.

Mascs for mascs and Femmes for femmes. It's the way of their world. Tristan can’t hope to transcend the ingrained beliefs of the arrogant Phoenix and win his heart.

But the Divinity has other ideas, and she works in mysterious ways. Will a haughty Masc and irrepressible Femme challenge the prefecture’s social mores and prejudices to find happiness?

Title: The Harbinger
Series: (A Book of the Order)
Author(s): Philippa Ballantine
Length: 321 pages
Publisher: 

Genre: Fantasy

Notes: I saw this in passing at the library and I took the picture to remind myself to see if it was on audiobook. It isnot and I also discovered that it is not the first book in the series. Geist (A Book of the Order) is, so I'll start there.

Blurb: The Deacons of the Order are all that stand between the wicked spirits of the Otherside and the innocent citizens of the Empire. They are sworn to protect humanity, even when they cannot protect themselves…

After the Razing of the Order, Sorcha Faris, one of the most powerful Deacons, is struggling to regain control of the runes she once wielded. The Deacons are needed more desperately than ever. The barrier between the world of the living and the world of the dead is weakening, and the Emperor has abandoned his throne, seeking to destroy those he feels have betrayed him.

Though she is haunted by the terrible truth of her past, Sorcha must lead the charge against the gathering hordes of geists seeking to cross into the Empire. But to do so, she will need to manipulate powers beyond her understanding—powers that may prove to be her undoing…

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!