What's on the Reading Radar #TBR #WishList

What am I doing? Well, trying to get through Constant so that I can move on to something else. Burning out on the book a bit and need to change gears soon. I've been having trouble finding books that keep my interest, too. (See above statement on burning out. It sort of affects other stuff.) But I keep looking!

Title: The Wild Ways
Series: (The Enchantment Emporium Book 2)
Author(s): Tanya Huff
Length: 433 pages
Publisher: DAW; 1 edition (November 1, 2011)

Genre: Urban Fantasy / Canadian / Humor / 

Notes: 

Blurb: Alysha Gale's cousin Charlotte is a Wild Power, who allies herself with a family of Selkies in a fight against offshore oil drilling. The oil company has hired another of the Gale family's Wild Powers, the fearsome Auntie Catherine, to steal the Selkies' sealskins. To defeat her, Charlotte will have to learn what born to be Wild really means in the Gale family...

Title: The Vampire's Past Trilogy Collection
Series:
Author(s): Rosa Swann
Length: 396 pages
Publisher:

Genre: Romance / Box Set / Paranormal / Vampires / Gay / 

Notes: 

Blurb: No matter how much you try to leave your past behind, it doesn’t always leave you…

Sean

After being hired for my dream job, I move back to the small minded town where I grew up, for the job and to finish my degree.
I’m surrounded by my past, by old classmates, old neighbourhoods and old prejudices against gay people.

But on my first day back, my eyes fall on something new around here. A goth guy sitting at the front of the class and I can’t keep my eyes off him.

Even though I don’t know him, I feel like I need to protect him, no matter what.

Jules

I can’t stay in the same place for too long. People start to notice that you don’t age, that you don’t get older, and add to that that the chance of vampire hunters finding you gets bigger the longer you stay…

I know that I’m running out of time in this town. I need to move on. I just need to finish my degree and then I can leave and start over somewhere else.

But when my housemate/blood donor turns on me and forces me to leave, I suddenly find myself asking for help from the new guy in our class.

Leaving doesn’t look as appealing anymore…


This is the full collection of novels about vampire Jules and human Sean in the The Vampire’s Pastseries. This includes His to Protect, His to Guard and His to Rescue.

It takes place in a world of all sorts of creatures, vampires, werewolves, mages and, of course, humans, but there are also hunters, trying to rid the world of the un-humans.

Title: The Tyger Kings
Series: Mate of the Tyger Prince #7
Author(s): Shannon West
Length: 271 pages
Publisher: Painted Hearts Publishing (October 31, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Sci-Fi / Gay / 

Notes: 

Blurb: The fallout from Derrick’s union with Rhaegar and Blake’s aid in his son’s elopement has been intense, to say the least. After a blistering brawl between Blake and Davos, Davos leaves Blake, because he isn’t ready to forgive him, and most shockingly of all, he says he isn’t sure he even wants to.

Blake is frightened and hurt by his actions, but terribly angry. He follows the king back to Tygeria, if only because Davos had the gall to take their two younger children with him when he left. His ship is slower than the king’s, though, and when he arrives back on Tygeria, he finds the king has left again, on a wild chase after his errant son and his pirate mate. Even worse, he makes a unilateral decision to send their son Larz to a faraway planet for military training, against Blake’s express wishes.

When Davos, Derrick and Larz all go suddenly missing, Blake attempts a rescue mission, but encounters a strange wormhole in space, and is flung through it to crash on an unknown planet called Tveir. Strangest of all the planet is populated by Tygerians and their handsome king. Injured and disoriented, Blake begins to feel as if he’s trapped in some crazy story. Except this isn’t any kind of story at all—this is Blake’s life, and the plot has just taken an unexpected, heartbreaking and totally infuriating twist.

Title: Ruby Heat
Series: Love in Diamond Falls, 1
Author(s): Connor Crowe
Length: 243 pages
Publisher: Fated Fire Foundry (October 24, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Fantasy / Paranormal / Gay / 

Notes: 

Blurb: Welcome to Diamond Falls, a small town with big secrets. Join the Gemstone Guardians as they learn to work together, harness their powers, and find love with their true mates.

Flighty omega Wesley Sparks always thought his grandfather’s stories were just that… stories.

When his grandfather’s death leaves him with a strange, precious ruby, he becomes a target of an otherworldly darkness, forcing him to face the truth: the mythical Gemstone Guardians are real, and he’s the newest recruit.

He finds temporary safety in the small, secret enclave of Diamond Falls, where he learns to harness his gem and finds others like him. Others like his childhood best friend… Daniel.

Sweet alpha Daniel Anderson is haunted by his missed chance at love...

Lonely and jaded, Dan pours energy into his donut shop. But love can’t keep a business afloat, and Dan needs cash--fast. When he gets a mysterious invitation and a chance to save his business, he doesn’t think twice. What could go wrong?

An ancient evil gathers...

Dan has been dreaming of Wes for ten years, and can barely believe it when they meet again. Their reunion sizzles, prompting Wes to look at his old best friend in an entirely new light. Dan won’t let this second chance escape him--but can best friends turn into lovers?

The gem awakens a dormant omega gene…

Suddenly and unexpectedly pregnant, Wes and his ragtag team of Guardians must master their gems before the danger falls upon them, and he loses everything he never knew he wanted.

This knotty story contains an excitable guinea pig shifter, a smoking-hot shower, a vampire librarian, and one big, hard, long… tower. Ruby Heat is the first book in the Love in Diamond Falls series by fantasy romance author Connor Crowe. Fans of Harry Potter and Sailor Moon will love this new, exciting love story. Adults only, please!

Title: My Life In Hell
Series:
Author(s): Caitlin Ricci
Length: 10k
Publisher: LT3 Press

Genre: Romance / Urban Fantasy / Gay / 

Notes: This title is available for preorder and will be available at approximately 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time on December 4, 2018.

Blurb: Ever since his mom married a demon lord Seth's life has been a bit on the weird side. And now his mom and stepdad are moving to hell, where Seth is expected to get a job. His stepdad helps him out by getting him a job at the Department of Souls and his coworker is a super cute demon, but all anyone seems to want with Seth is a chance to suck up to his high-ranking stepfather.

When he eventually moves to a different job, he goes from people sucking up to him to a boss who wants absolutely nothing to do with him. At least there are dragons.

Title: The Relics of Thiala
Series: Packmasters, 1
Author(s): Beryll S. Osiris Brackhaus
Length: 206 pages
Publisher:

Genre: Space Opera / Genetic Engineering / 

Notes: 

Blurb: Twenty years ago, the evil Packmasters used their genetically engineered bestiae in an attempt to seize control of the galaxy. The Core Worlders wiped them out, scorched their planets and kept the few surviving bestiae as trophies.

As one of those pampered pets, Cat doesn't care about old stories. But as soon as he crosses paths with Ana, she suddenly becomes his heart, his soul, the centre of his life - just like a real Packmaster of old. Together, they embark on a daunting quest to find out what really happened during the war.

Now their misfit pack must face down the darkness at the heart of Packmaster society before it can poison their bond. The truth will either destroy them or grant them the power to shape their own destiny.

Title: Syn Consulting
Series: Dragos War Chronicles, 1
Author(s): AG Carothers
Length: 263 pages
Publisher: A.G. Carothers (August 17, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Urban Fantasy / Gay / Bisexual / Poly / 

Notes: 

Blurb: Continue to hide or help save the very kin she's hidden from?

Welcome to SYN Consulting, the top business strategy consulting firm in Europe, home to a motley crew whose leader has a life changing secret. CEO, Danica Lestrange, is the first female dragon born in the last 800 years. Hidden from the rest of her kin and raised in the human world, she built a life that she would defend until her death.

A devious plan is unearthed while working on a new business deal that could plunge the dragons into another war with the humans. The humans may have forgotten the last dragon-human war, but the dragons have not. Will the war reveal this hidden world to the humans, or will the clans come together to defeat their enemies and maintain their anonymity?

Danica must gather her allies and help the very dragons she's hidden from her whole life. She can only hope that she'll be strong enough to protect her chosen family.

This is the first book in a new series about dragons who want nothing more than to live in peace, but refuse to be subjugated. In war there's also love, and love is blind. Love doesn't care about gender, race, species (in this case), or sexuality.

Warning: This book contains explicit sexual content between consenting adults. The sexual scenes are MM, MF, and MMF. There are romantic relationships depicted that are MM. There is also a high level of explicit language, snark, kink, and possibly bad puns and fart jokes.

This book does end in a cliffhanger. Secrets Revealed: Dragon War Chronicles Book Two is Available Now!

Title: The Most Magical Halloween
Series:
Author(s): Casper Graham
Length:
Publisher: JMS Books LLC (October 27, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Holiday / Poly / 

Notes: 

Blurb: Darwin Watson and Kellan Houghton own paranormal agency. They handle cases together and spend a majority of their waking hours with each other. When a supernatural murder occurs, they’re introduced to Endymion Vano by one of their mutual friends. Their attraction to Endymion leads them to finally confess their feelings for each other, as well.

The three men deal with supernatural cases back-to-back while getting to know one another as potential lovers. The cases grow in intensity, and one involves a painful betrayal from someone close to Darwin, Kellan, and Endymion. None of the men expect it, but they have to work together to survive, especially since the betrayal comes on Halloween night, when the barriers between the worlds are at their thinnest.

Will they find their happy ending on the magical Halloween night? Or will Halloween spell the end for all three?

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

Pact Days: Artificial Intelligence - Fetiene #ValespianPact

Welcome back to Pact Day!

Today's topic is artificial intelligence and the Terren government.

The Terrens had artificial intelligent aides long before they discovered the mutations among some of the offworld colonist. (The mutants were last week's topic and the post can be found here.) When they were expanding their influence deeper into the Milky Way, Terrens ran into other civilizations as they explored and colonized other areas of space and clashed with those beings.

I pulled some things from the colonization of the Americas. Many times, the people who met with natives made agreements, and sometimes treaties, with tribes who had no authority to do so. When representatives of the government were sent, the treaties dignitaries returned with were later ignored by governments for many reasons but mostly because it didn't give the governments the power (land/area) that they wanted. Historically, this has happened all over the over with different countries and cultures. Governments were/are experts at getting out things they don't want to do or regulations they don't want to comply with. Many times, if the opposing force didn't have the power (or some other bargaining chip) to force compliance, they were out of luck. So much of history was written by the "might makes right" groups. There were all kinds of land/power grabs throughout history: The Crusades, the Roman Empire, the military exploits of Alexander the Great, the Ottoman Empire, The Great Khan of the Mongolian Empire, and there are more but I only needed examples of land grabs that used military might instead of diplomacy.

Duplicating this history to the spacefaring future wasn't hard to imagine.  When I asked the question, "What would Terrens do if they encountered other civilizations?" the answers were pulled from human history. If the civilization had something that Terrens wanted but couldn't trade for, was that civilization of similar or lesser technologically? If yes, then Terrens would attempt to take want they wanted. The public opinion on sending people into a distant war was volatile. This is where the use of AI soldiers came into play.

At that time in Terren development, Terrens were careful with producing AIs, following early laws on the production of machines that needed little to no human oversight. But with the wars caused by expansion and acquisition of resources, as well as the loss of the mutant army the government had invested in, they thought that sending AIs along with drones to 'vanquish' the opposition would be a good idea.

So after spending ten years attempting to take Gaia back from the Erdaians, Terrens revisiting the restrictive laws and redacted them. Thus began the mass manufacturing of evolving/learning AIs.

In the beginning, the expected length of the wars was cut in half, but the news of Terren's tactics spread fast to other civilizations, allowing them time to devise strategies on how to protect their interests. The destruction of the Terren's army cost them dearly. The replacement of the AI's soon became too costly and the government began propaganda campaigns that enticed people to change their stance on being sent to battle fronts.

The remaining AIs were repurposed for other tasks that wouldn't destroy the valuable property. Many of them were tasked with locating and procuring resources from planets that the government could not afford to terraform, as well as many menial jobs in food growth, production, and manufacturing that humans didn't want to take. After nearly a hundred years, AIs moved from intelligent software to self-aware, but due to their programming they were unable to break away from their Terren owners/operators.

Then Sahir Quanah Feteine who was a secret rebel in one of the smaller operating companies the government ignored because they didn't think the small company worth the acquisition, designed and created Europa. Not only did he dare to make her look more human than any other AI, but he refused to include the software protocols that would enslave her. Hiding out on a backwoods planet, Sahir and Europa hacked government systems and ran across the discovery of Qestaire, a planet deep in the Andromeda Galaxy. The crystals the first expedition returned with were studied and then immediately classified. The rocks proved to have an an infinite amount of power, and that somehow those same rocks were sentient.

The Terren government was struggling with cash flow. They lost a staggering amount when the Erdaians broke away and stole all the available prototypes, from warships to experimental weapons to engineering miracles meant for new colonies. Though the Terren government recovered some with the first push into new territory in the Milky Way, they lost another staggering amount when their army comprised of AI soldiers was almost completely decimated. The promise of unparalleled fuel source prompted the government to send a larger expedition of AIs to Qestaire to mine the crystals.

Sahir and Europa discovered this and Sahir sent his daughter to speak with the sentient rocks on Qestaire. Qrxzl were the inhabitants of Qestaire and upon discovering the AIs were enslaved, they helped Europa work to free them. Europa's father gave her the ability to connect to other AI, which allowed her to access and rewriting their software protocols, then she passed on that ability. The Qrxzl gifted the AI with small crystals full of energy that allowed them to take quantum leaps through time and space. It took many years but eventually, all the AI, now calling themselves Feteine, were free of the directives that enslaved them to the Terren people and equipped with small drives that allowed them to individually leap. In a coordinated escape, the Feteine disappeared from all Terren occupied space at the same time. Their disappearance caused an uproar so great, the government almost fell. They suddenly couldn't produce enough food or manufactured goods. Commodities that had always been provided by the government were scarce or no longer available.

As you can imagine this was a terrible time in Terren history. Many died of starvation and the resulting riots were put down with a heavy hand.  Work camps were instituted to replace the labor the AIs abandoned. The people had zero confidence in their government but those in power remained so, though precariously. The underground rebels who wanted a change in how the government was ran gained in numbers. But it would still be many years before it would be possible for them to effect any kind of change.

This time span took about a hundred years and was what lead the Terrens to turn their gaze on the GyrFalconi homeworld, Aries 7… which I'll address another day. I hope you enjoyed this quick look into the Terren history that took place prior to the events in The Valespian Pact series.

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

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

What have I been doing? Working on Constant. Celebrating the release of Twin Flames on audio. Reviewing audio files for Songs of the Earth. Reading... :) It seems I've been looking for vampires.

Title: A Light in the Darkness
Series: (In Darkness Book 2)
Author(s): Alice Winters
Length: 244 pages
Publisher: 

Genre: Romance / Contemporary / Action & Adventure / Gay /

Notes: I read this first book in this series and really loved it. So I'm going for the second and it's coming out on audio soon. 

Blurb: Felix and Lane are trying out their new normal. Normal means no more car chases, no more drug lords, and definitely no more kidnapping bad guys. All of that is a thing of the past in this new, normal(ish) life style filled with family get-togethers, torturous jogs through the park, and the occasional romp in the parking lot. Felix is done stealing (all but for the cat). He is actually enjoying the boring side of life, especially with Lane by his side doing what he does best: looking handsome. But when Felix’s brother wants to repair their relationship, he brings with him a secret that could cost all of them their lives. Lane isn’t complaining because the thrills of life-threatening situations are right up his alley. They may think they have a handle on the situation, but what they do not know is that someone has been working them from the shadows. Forcing them to do exactly what he wants as he drives them closer to his sick game of life and death.

Join Felix and Lane in a race against time, their only weapons being their humor and their wit.
 

Title: All the Dogs are Dancing
Series: 
Author(s): JM Goguen
Length: 316 pages
Publisher: NineStar Press (October 15, 2018)

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

Notes: 

Blurb: Burner’s world revolved around three things: protecting the wolf pack of Maine, keeping an eye on his best friend Aaron, and helping prepare enough summer food to take on the long road to Quebec for the winter months. But in the ruins of an old shopping mall on a hot summer night, his world crashes.

Now Burner has to face monsters he thought were just stories told to scare pups, and he must traverse a world he’s only seen in old magazines. Meanwhile, his best friend Aaron is dealing with monsters of his own and Burner will do whatever it takes to keep them both safe, even if it means finally admitting how he really feels.

Title: Fire and Ink
Series: Kitten & Witch, 2
Author(s): KL Noone
Length: 16k
Publisher: LT3 Press

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Urban Fantasy / Pansexual / Gay / 

Notes: This title is available for preorder and will be available at approximately 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time on November 27, 2018.

Blurb: Three months ago David Stanton rescued a runaway kitten in the rain. Now he's got a scandalous feline shapeshifter living in his house, helping with his white-witch business, and making him smile. David is falling in love fast, but there's still the problem of Colin's past—and the secrets he's obviously keeping...

Title: Fractured Truth
Series: Consequences of Sin, 1
Author(s): Ashe Winters
Length: 172 pages
Publisher: 

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

Notes: 

Blurb: Avery

Human beings are nothing but lowly trash. Fit only for consumption. That's my motto in life and why I avoid everything to do with them beyond an evening meal. Then he shows up with his delicious scent, and I can't seem to resist hunting him down. But when my hunt gets interrupted by a spray of bullets and I become the prey, I find myself falling into some strange rabbit hole where I have to rely on this incredible smelling human with strange powers to stay alive. How freakin' peachy is that?

Ryker

Being left on the doorstep of a church when I was infant meant my life began shrouded in questions. And that's how it has remained. Question after question. For a human, I have magical powers I don't understand. After all, magic went extinct a few hundred years ago. I shouldn't exist the way I do. Spending my life in the shadows has always been the safest place. Then a snarky wildcat of a vampire literally passes out in my lap, and my instincts kick into overdrive. Protect him at all costs. Even if I want to strangle him half the time.

Fractured Truth is the first book in the Consequences of a Sin series which follows Avery and Ryker as they try to find the truth behind a Sin that altered the history of their world. Each book will end with a HFN (or close to it) while the overarching plot continues into the next book. Some cliffhangers are likely.

Title: Summon the Keeper
Series: (Keeper's Chronicles Book 1)
Author(s): Tanya Huff
Length: 366 pages
Publisher: DAW (June 7, 2005)

Genre: Contemporary Fantasy / Romantic Elements / Mystery / Humor / 

Notes: I finished reading this and I probably won't continue with the series. I barely liked the Keeper, and since she's the MC that's an issue. My other problem is that it seems to be connected to The Gails series, but the explanation of the paranormal world with Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins was seriously lacking, in my opinion. It was explained much better in the other series. I loved the Gails so I'll be continuing with that one and will leave this one alone. 

Blurb: Austin was a black and white, far-from-young cat. Not just any cat, mind you, he was the Keeper’s cat, a very outspoken feline with extremely strong opinions he was always willing to voice. After all, who knew better than Austin what was best for the well-being of Claire—and for the not-quite-as-important rest of the universe? 

Claire Hansen was a Keeper, a member of that select group that kept the universe in one piece. And now she’d been Summoned to the Elysian Fields Guesthouse, a rundown bed-and-breakfast that seemed to attract the most unusual clientele. And Claire was not happy about this latest assignment, not happy at all.

Not when she’d been tricked into taking over here by a horrible little gnome of a man who’d abandoned his post before she’d even figured out who he really was. Not when room six held a resident who’d been sleeping there for so many years that she really needed a good dusting—except that it was far too dangerous for anyone to get that close to her. Not when the basement housed too much temptation for anyone’s mental health. Not when she found herself surrounded by “helpers” as distracting as Dean, the hunky-yet-innocent handyman, and Jacques, a ghost with a real lust for life.

And especially not when it looked like this might be the not only her most challenging mission, but one she’d be stuck handling for life....

Title: Havesskadi
Series: 
Author(s): Ava Kelly
Length: 254 pages
Publisher: Less Than Three Press; 1 edition (February 26, 2018)

Genre: Fantasy / Dragons / Panromantic / Pansexual / Asexual

Notes: 

Blurb: Nevmis, the red dragon, is hunting her own. Up in the icy peaks of the northern mountains, Orsie spends his lonely days hiding from her, but eventually he is found and his dragon magic stolen. Cursed to wander the lands as a mortal unless he recovers his magic before twenty-four rising crescents have passed, Orsie embarks on an arduous journey. Spurred by the whispers in his mind, his quest takes him to a castle hidden deep in a forest.

Arkeva, a skilled archer, is trapped in an abandoned castle deep in the woods, his only company two companions—one kind, the other cruel. Then a stranger arrives, a young man who soon finds himself confined by heavy snowfalls—and in danger from what slumbers in the shadows of the castle.

Title: I'm Your Guy
Series: shifters and partners, 21
Author(s): Hollis Shiloh
Length: 190 pages
Publisher: 

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Gay /

Notes: What I enjoy about this series is that I can pretty much read them in any order that I want after a certain point. There are sometimes returning characters but they are well explained so the reader isn't left feeling like there is missing information or background. This one though, there is a side character, Frankie, who I would love to read more about. 

Blurb: Harris and James served in the military together, back in the day. Now one is a cop and one is a private eye, but they're both barely making it. 

James, half-wolf and secretive about it, has had confused feelings for Harris for a long time. Figuring out he was gay was pretty damned painful, and the only guy he has any real interest in is never going to feel the same way.

As for Harris? Definitely straight. It's odd that he notices guys sometimes, but he's always dated girls. Maybe a little desperately. It's not something he thinks about much — except for when he does.

These days, they try to stay away from each other, but that's not always possible. Throw a sassy fox shifter into the mix, and the things they've both tried to hide might come out after all.

63,000 words
Shifters and Partners #21 (standalone)
Heat: Low

Title: Red World
Series: Red World, 1
Author(s): Jamie Lynn
Length: 159 pages
Publisher: 

Genre: Romance / Sci-Fi / Revolution / Mpreg / 

Notes: I read this and forgot to post it, I think. 

Blurb: This book is about a handsome man named Sean (who just so happens to be a porn star). He finds himself abducted and dropped into an auction on an alien planet. Deemed unworthy of going through the sale due to the scar on his lip, he is unceremoniously dumped outside of the auction house to die in a dust storm. He is rescued by one of the residents of the planet. Da'Ceer is a slave who worked his way up to being a token security guard in the marketplace. He had brought his little brother with him to work on the worst possible day. When he stumbled over Sean who had already become buried in a sand drift he picked him up carried him to a shelter within the city for the slaves . Due to the poor maintenance within the shelter, it proves to be a death trap for the cold-blooded residents of the planet. Sean, being warm-blooded, kept the alien and his younger brother alive and warm enough that they were able to survive the fridged shelter. They survived the first storm, but the battle to survive had only just begun. Sean and his new alien friend become a bit more than just friends. The new turn in their lives is difficult for both of them to accept, but when they are forced to flee along with Da'Ceer's family
There are plenty of plot twists in this book and I hope that people will be drawn in for the usual MC's because I found them a pleasure to write about. This is the first book, but there will be more!

This book is a m/m romance, alien abduction romance, AND an mpreg.

Title: Blood Red Roulette
Series: 
Author(s): Jana Denardo
Length: 350 pages
Publisher: DSP Publications (November 13, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Vampire / Bisexual /

Notes: releases 11/13


Blurb: Arrigo Giancarlo’s friends think he's a rich young man with the unusual job of paranormal investigator, working with his psychic assistant in Las Vegas. In truth he’s a two-thousand-year-old vampire and member of the Chiaroscuro, a group of Supernaturals dedicated to keeping humanity safe from the more dangerous of their kind. He’s also openly bisexual… but alone.

When he spots Luc St. John in a bar, Arrigo is intrigued. What begins as an effort to repay the kindness shown to him in the past quickly turns into much deeper feelings for the suffering and displaced Cajun. For Luc’s part, he feels too poor, too uneducated, and too bound to his hateful family to ever be worthy of elegant and cultured Arrigo.

An old enemy, Eleni, blames Arrigo for murdering her true love. On the anniversary of that death, she’s back to take revenge. As Arrigo’s closest friends fall victim to savage attacks, he fears nothing will keep Luc safe. Should he break both their hearts and let Luc go, or is it too late? If Luc’s already in Eleni’s sights, Arrigo knows that like most things in Vegas, the odds are against him.

Title: Willa's Beast
Series: Icehome, 3
Author(s): Ruby Dixon
Length: 294 pages
Publisher: 

Genre: Romance / Sci-Fi / Aliens / 

Notes: This is one of those series that you can read out of order. I didn't read the first two of the books of Icehome and it didn't make a difference. The returning characters were explained sufficiently that I wasn't lost. I do love Dixon's barbarian aliens. I am going back to read the other two books. :) I was just in the mood for this particular story. 



Blurb: Beast. Creature. Monster.

Dangerous.

All of these things have been said about Gren.

Willa doesn't believe it, though. She knows that monsters can sometimes come in appealing packages. She knows that for all of his snarls and fearsome appearance, he'd never hurt her.

And she knows she has to get Gren away from the Icehome camp, because no one will ever see him as a person, not when he attacks all who come close. Not when he's tied and treated like an animal.

She's going to save him...or fall in love. Maybe both. Willa doesn't mind that he's a beast, as long as he's *her* beast.

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

Audiobook Release! Twin Flames (Sumeria's Sons, 1)

Twin Flames is my first published story. It was something I was compelled to write because the characters were talking so loud, which was surprising in a way. I had stopped writing stories in my early 20s, pretty sure that no one outside my circle of friends would want to read them, and busied myself with life. 

Then in 2011 I read a series of paranormal stories where the alphas were alpha-holes and I penned the first four chapters of Twin Flames. It felt so good to be creative again and I sent the chapters to a friend who told me to, finish it! I did. 

Twin Flames and Songs of the Earth was born and I never looked back. The Sumeria's Sons series was finished last year and I figured that was it for Tristan and his family, only I started getting questions about the series releasing on audiobook. :)

Now, Twin Flames has released on audiobook with Songs of the Earth following sometime at the end of November or December. 

Join Tristan and Ushna on their journey that will change the Lycan people for all time.

Titles: Twin Flames
Series: (Sumeria's Sons #1)

Narrator: Matt Haynes

Genre: Gay / Urban Fantasy / Paranormal

Blurb: A Lycan descendant of Gilgamesh and Enkidu, Tristan is not as extraordinary as his ancestors. He is an average warrior, unremarkable throughout. But this fact does not trouble him because he has found his Twin Flame, the one person destined to be his, who will love him unconditionally, life after life.

Then his Flame betrays him, leaving him shattered and dying. Brokenhearted, Tristan dissolves the sacred bond and leaves. His best friend, Ushna, accompanies him, vowing to guard and protect him, and Tristan slowly comes to realize that love does not require a sacred bond.

But if he hopes to keep the love he chooses, they will first have to survive ancient secrets, lies, mythical creatures, and the return of absent gods…

Links: Amazon / Audible / iTunes 

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

Pact Days: Terrens and the 1st 50 years #ValespianPact

Today's topic is about Terrens.

I wouldn't say the Terrens are evil but that doesn't mean they don't do evil things. I modeled the Terren government off a business profit and loss model and mixed in some other systems, then asked what would happen if...? Humans have tendency to act without thinking about the long term effects of whatever plan they are devising. They can make that 20, 30, or 50 year plan, but that doesn't mean they factor in the possible consequences of that plan. Their government is willing to take acceptable losses to ensure the majority moves forward, and prospers in the way the government desires. It is a system in which an individual has no voice unless they gather to them a large enough group who will repeat what that single voice is saying.

The timeline for the Valespian-verse starts 200 Galactic Standard years before Warlord Sohm'lan is born. Terren events that lead to them invading the GyrFalconi homeworld, Aries 7, started at the beginning of that 200 years and simply snowballed over the following decades. The first doomed idea happened when the government noticing changes to some of the people of new colonies. 

As humanity spread out through their quadrant of the Milky Way, the governments sent out terraforming expeditions, later to be followed by the people selected to make that terraformed world their new home. The issue was that the first wave of humans sent, landed on a world that wasn't finished. Those who didn't die (an acceptable loss), found  ways to survive, some undergoing medical or natural biological mutations in order to live. The second wave of humans sent, displaced the inhabitants, taking over and shunning the newly evolved humans. Many terraformed worlds broke out in civil war that the government eventually squashed, but not before they discovered the advantages to the mutated humans. 

The governments gathered up the children of the mutants and took them to special military schools where they were raised and trained and experimented on. These mutants weren't considered human, therefore they didn't have the basic rights and protection other Terrens had. Some died either unable to adapt to the new environment, or by other means that the government claim never happened. At the time, the average citizen didn't cared because it had no bearing on their lives.

The government's goal was to create an elite fighting force that would give them an advantage over the 'aliens' of the Andromeda Galaxy. Their ambassadors had returned with stories of inhabitable worlds rich in resources, and the government wished to make those worlds their own. 

Of the first gathering of mutants, only 20 survived (ages 5 to 10 years) after the Terrens whittled down what/who they didn't like. The children were compliant with the government, but deadly. The second wave of mutate 'students' arrived, thousands of children, until the government deemed they had enough to build an adequate army. 

The children are taught to obey and then how to use their abilities to fight. The mutants start secretly calling themselves Erdaians. In time, the original 20 (now teenagers) organize an escape for the Erdaians, blowing shit up, and taking off with expensive prototype battleships. They commandeer a newly terraformed planet, Gaia, on the edge of the Andromeda Galaxy that the Terrens had just finished setting up. Gaia already had colonist and the Erdaians killed the militant humans, sending away the non-combatants. In the Erdaians burgeoning belief system, they deemed there was no honor in killing those that could not fight for themselves. Every attempt the Terrens made to retake Gaia and return the children to the schools was soundly defeated. Eventually, the Terrens left them them alone, accepting the loss of the 50 years of research, writing off the extravagant cost of experimental military academy, the prototype warships, and the colony on a resource rich planet. The original mutants went underground, keeping the government from gathering more of their children, making it impossible for them to restart the elite military program. The loss dealt a stagger blow to the Terren government and was the beginning of their tumble into trouble. 

I admit that it makes for a quick story but you have to take into account the years the Erdaians and Terrens fought. The battles were vast and hard. The Erdaians were only children but skilled enough to win and basically chase the Terrens off. Now, more than 200 years later, the Erdaian have petitioned the Council of Nieghn to be allowed entrance into the Valepsian Pact. :)

I hope you enjoyed this snippet of Terren history. See you next week where I'll tackle the next hiccup in Terren history. 

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

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

What have I been up to? I spent part of the week on audio review of Songs of the Earth, then reviewing what I have for Constant, and spending time with my niece visiting from Seattle. 

Title: Hidden in Darkness
Series: In Darkness, 1
Author(s): Alice Winters
Length: 251 pages
Publisher: 

Genre: Romance / Contemporary / Action & Adventure / Comedy / MC w/Disability / Gay /

Notes: I finished this one on Thursday and really, really enjoyed the story. It is very funny and I did get teary in one place. It is something that I would not hesitate to recommend. I do wish I knew it was also on audiobook before I read it. :D

Blurb: When Felix lands a job taking care of a man recovering from severe injuries, he thinks his life may have just turned around. Anything has to be better than the place he’s leaving. There’s something about Lane that draws Felix to him and makes him question if this place could finally become a home for him. But when someone begins stalking Felix, he is left to question who Lane is and what actually happened to him. Together, Felix and Lane will be forced to see just how far they will go to protect each other. Being chased by cops, kidnapping a man, and breaking into a drug operation seems to be his normal since arriving in Lane’s life. Felix may be out of his element, but one thing he is sure about is that he doesn’t want to leave, even if it costs him his life.

Title: Human Omega Trapped in the Alien Jungle
Series: (Pykh Book 2)
Author(s): Eileen Glass
Length: 385 pages
Publisher: Glass Fiction (September 27, 2018)

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

Notes: I read the first book in the series and really liked it. I'm excited to see where it will go.

Blurb: Carter isn't sure what to call his two alien protectors. Friends? Boyfriends? Mates?

Or merely indiscriminate lovers with sexy purrs and tangling tails?

He would be lost without them, he knows that. When their home is invaded by a dangerous new kind of alien slaver, they strike out into the jungle. He depends on them for food, protection, a direction to walk in. He's helpless even for shelter and warmth.

Thankfully, his alien lovers seem devoted, but why? Carter wishes he knew their names or anything else. Like whether the attachment he's feeling is returned.

With aliens, you can't make assumptions.

Wouldn't it be nice if he could just ask?

Title: Entangled: The Omega Bounty Hunter
Series: Briar Wood Pack, 1
Author(s):Claire Cullen
Length: 180 pages
Publisher: 

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Alpha * Omega / Shifters / Mpreg / Gay / 

Notes: I finished this one, too. One to the next one.

Blurb: “An omega who can’t bond is no omega at all.”

Worthless. Useless. Damaged. Broken. Noah’s heard it all. He knows how his pack sees him, how society views shifters like him. An omega’s worth lies in their ability to bond with an alpha, to carry their children. His scars take all that away. Still, he longs for the things he can’t have; an alpha of his own to love and who loves him back. His life is one of loneliness and drudgery, stuck looking after a boarding house no one ever stays in.

When Preston, an alpha from a well-off pack, breezes into his life and offers him everything he’s ever wanted, Noah desperately wants to believe it’s not too good to be true. Instead, Preston’s arrival throws him into the path of Ronan, the dark and dangerous alpha on Preston’s trail. He should have had Noah running for cover, yet the promises that sounded so hollow on Preston’s lips sound anything but on Ronan’s. But Ronan’s world isn’t the world of tedium that Noah knows, it’s a gritty underworld that he doesn’t know how to survive.

“People told me I was all brawn and no brains, only good for fighting. They were wrong about me. And they’re wrong about you.”

Ronan knows what it’s like to be a slave to society’s expectations. Trained as a fighter for his pack, he broke away and built a life of his own; a new pack, a job, everything except an omega to share it with. When he meets Noah, he sees past his scars to the omega underneath, and knows he’s the one he wants by his side. But, as easy as it was to catch Noah, it’s going to be a hundred times harder to keep him. To stay together, they have to do the impossible. They have to bond.

Entangled is a novel-length read, containing mpreg, banter, knotting, and other scenes not suitable for readers under the age of eighteen.

Title: Expedition, Estimation, and other Dangerous Pastimes
Series: The Claimings Universe, 4
Author(s): Lyn Gala
Length: 164 pages
Publisher: Lyn Gala (October 23, 2018)

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

Notes: 

Blurb: Tuk-Palteia Liam has survived the front lines of a civil war and a return visit to his home planet, but now he has to face the ultimate obstacle. Stubborn lovers.

As long as Liam and Ondry have the same goals—the pursuit of profits and status—they are the perfect partnership. But now Ondry wants to protect his palteia at any cost, even if it costs him his newly won rank. Liam hates the idea of Ondry sacrificing for him, and he is not going to allow Ondry to lose status under any circumstances. Add in the Imshee, a predatory companion animal, a new human, and an obstinate Grandmother, and Liam has the recipe for a serious headache. Despite what Ondry believes, not all problems can be solved with a good trade, a tail or a flash of tooth. This time, Liam and Ondry are going to need to find a compromise.

Title: Elemental Magic
Series: (The Donovan Coven)
Author(s): Jacki James
Length: 153 pages
Publisher: 

Genre: Romance / Fantasy / Urban Fantasy / Gay / 

Notes: 

Blurb: For most of Aaron’s life, things have been uninteresting, boring, safe--just the way he likes them. He makes his decisions based on logic and reason and he doesn’t believe in paranormal mumbo jumbo like crystals and tarot cards and witches. 

When he sees an ad for an estate sale at the old house on the edge of town, he doesn’t see any harm in going and buying some things like an old book with odd symbols on the front for his antique shop. Who cares if the old woman who owned the house was rumored to be a witch; everyone knows witches aren’t real.

After accidentally raising a demon by goofing around with a spell from the book, Aaron realizes that there are things in this world that logic and reason can’t explain. Witches are indeed real, and he just might be one.

Malakai has been searching for the Coughlan Grimoire for years, knowing there are spells in the book that can be dangerous if they fall into the wrong hands. Securing the book so his coven can protect it is of the utmost importance.

He isn’t prepared for the adorable rookie witch with the curly red hair and incredible latent power. But to his surprise, keeping Aaron safe and close by his side quickly becomes more important than the Grimoire. More important than anything.

Before Malakai and Aaron can be together they will have to battle vampires, wolf shifters, and one very powerful warlock. Malakai can’t do it alone; it will take friends, family, and for Aaron to figure out just how powerful he is if the two of them are going to protect the book and make their new found bond last forever.

This book is a paranormal romance between two men and is intended for mature audiences.

Title: Granola Bars and Spaceships
Series: 
Author(s): Geneva Vand
Length: 145 pages
Publisher: Less Than Three Press, LLC (October 10, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Sci-Fi / Bisexual / Transgender / 

Notes: 

Blurb: In the middle of a training trip, Keeska's shuttle navigation fails and strands Keeska on Earth—alone, no way to contact home, and with no chance of help from the locals...until one does.

When Eric starts leaving food in front of an abandoned storefront in the crappy strip mall by his house, he thought he was helping a dog or a homeless kid. He gets the shock of his life when he discovers an alien instead. Not sure what else to do, especially with the alien bleeding and in shock, Eric realizes he's about to have an unusual houseguest.

But as Keeska's health improves, they both forget that Keeska should probably be finding a way home. As they grow increasingly close, they are forced to figure out the answers to questions they never thought would have to be asked...

Title: Isle de Sang: Bloodbound
Series: 
Author(s): Lynne Lepera
Length: 142 pages
Publisher: 

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Vampires / Gay / 

Notes: 

Blurb: Joshua
I loved being a bachelor, but when I was told I had to choose between my solitary lifestyle and the throne, I reluctantly left home to find someone worthy of my mark. I met a stranger with mesmerizing green eyes, and while I knew I didn’t have time for such foolishness, I simply could not keep my hands off him. 

There’s just one problem: he's mortal.

Adrian
There was no doubt about it: I was bored. I’d learned over the centuries that boredom didn’t suit me. So, when an intriguing traveler invited me home, I agreed to go with him – I wasn’t ready to let that spit fire out of my sight. I suddenly found myself thrust into the center of a tantalizing and dangerous new world.
But as I learned more about it and my lover’s past a question nagged at me: could I trust him?

Title: Mermaid Tails
Series: (Scales & Wings Book 3)
Author(s): Sasha L. Miller
Length: 88 pages
Publisher: 

Genre: Romance / Fantasy / Gay / 

Notes: 

Blurb: Giato is a simple dragon. All he wants is to run his shop selling spell components and dote on his hoard of fish. Then someone starts messing with his fish, sending them into a frenzy every day, and it's only a matter of time before they get hurt. But when he finally catches the jerk, he doesn't expect Mihail: beautiful, cursed, and utterly compelling.

Title: The Throne of Glass
Series: (Throne of Glass series Book 1)
Author(s): Sarah J. Maas
Length: 433 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens; 1 edition (August 7, 2012)

Genre: Fantasy / Action & Adventure / Young Adult / 

Notes: 

Blurb: After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

Title: The Kintolf
Series: New Alien Species
Author(s): TC Adams
Length: 325 pages
Publisher: 

Genre: Romance / Sci-Fi / Bisexual / Reverse Harem / First Contact / Alien Invasion /

Notes: 

Blurb: I’m stumbling around with no memory, no idea who I am, or how I came into existence…I mean, I know my life didn’t just start. The pain in my ankle and arm tells me something happened, perhaps something terrible. If only I could remember…

This planet is magical or cursed, I’m not sure which. Things appear and disappear before my eyes, terrifying monsters trying to devour me. I’m alone, and frightened. And then I stumble upon them: three delicious looking guys with hard bodies. They strip naked, transforming into powerful animals like pre-historic wolves. But I know this is some trick of the mind, I know they can’t be real. I’ve been fooled too many times. Still, I watch, enjoying the show my mind has created…

Every day, they return. Maybe they are real… Are they being held prisoner by the spider creatures? Am I like them? Did I escape and leave them behind? After days, perhaps weeks of searching and never finding anyone else, I decide to rescue them.

Maybe.

They look dangerous.

And I want them.

***Sexual situations ***Reverse Harem ***Language

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

Pact Days: Last Week's Question #ValespianPact #Constant

Last week I opened Pact Day for any questions and received one from Brooke E. 

Her question was, "When is the next valespian pact book coming out and what is it going to be about?"

The next Valespian Pact book is Constant. It is about Zeus's brother, Mestor, and Warlord Sohm'lan. Roughly, the plot is:

Since Mestor was fifteen summers, he has had a crush on Sohm'lan who is not only his father's best friend but also the Vondorian younglings' waterfater (which is much like being a godfather). For the most part, Mestor has kept his feelings to himself, not believing he has a chance with Sohm'lan until Mestor sees something that gives him hope and he pursues Sohm'lan in earnest.

At the age of 40, Sohm'lan was widowed, losing his mate and unborn in childbirth. He wore the black veil of mourning until the day the Vondorian twins were born and his best friend made him the younglings' waterfater, giving him a new purpose. Now, years later he struggles with burgeoning feelings that are not very waterfather-like for Prince Mestor and he does his best to keep his distance. But being stuck on the star ship, as they assist Prince Zeus in his quest to return the Fal'Amoric royal family to Valespia, means every time he turns around, Mestor is there, tempting him with a promise Sohm'lan dares not accept. He can never forget his beautiful Niobe, but his rising desire for Mestor is getting harder for him to deny.

Sohm'lan must decide if he will claim Mestor. But before then, they must not only battle forces that threaten Valespia, but deal with hidden truths about the Mar'Sani people as well as the bigotry that has kept them from reaching their full potential.

Constant shares a timeline with Striker. It wasn't a story that I was originally going to tell because I didn't think it would have much bearing on the rest of the series. I had planned for Mestor's and Sohm'lan's love story to be told over the course of the series as a side plot. Last year at about this time, I wrote four flash fictions that were about the beginning of that relationship which happened on the side during Striker. But as I wrote, I thought their story had the fodder for a novella, so I stopped writing Bespoken and took up Constant since it would precede Bespoken. 

The funniest thing happened though, Constant wasn't only about the romance. Parts of the Valespian Pact plot arc, that I was struggling to show in Bespoken and the other books of the series, was easy to show here through the Mar'Sani culture and history that I originally didn't think would be pertinent to the series plot arc. But all of this also means that my novella is on its way to being a super-novel. Though I'm glad because I get to show so much more of the Mar'Sani people, I have also struggled because I am a linear writer. Constant kept being expanded, pieces written and inserted here and there when I should have just rewritten the whole kit and caboodle. This writing scenes and inserting them caused my mind to go haywire when I tried to think of the story as one piece. So after spending months trying to make it work, I acknowledged defeat and started at the beginning and have been doing exactly that, rewriting the story one chapter at a time. Which also means that it has taken me forever to finish Constant when I thought I would be done by April of this year. Ha! No such luck. As it is, I'm attempting to have the story completed by the end of November and submitted to the publisher by the end of the year. The longer the book, the longer the self-editing takes to prepare it for submission.

IF I get the book submitted before the end of the year like I want, then publication standard is 9-12 months before release, unless the publisher can fit it into their schedule before then. 

And that is the answer to Brooke's question. 

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to comment and I will include it on next Pact Day. 

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!