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!!

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

What am I doing? Trying to catch up after being away for a week. I'm attempting to get all my side stuff done and out of the way so that next week I can go back to concentrating on Constant. So, I've reviewed the audio for Twin Flames. Approved the first 15 minutes for the Songs of the Earth audio. Worked on the next chapter of Assassin's Retirement. Just stuff. :)

Title: Elf Struck
Series: (Matched by Magic Book 4)
Author(s): Jenna Castille
Length: 154 pages
Publisher: 

Genre: Romance / Fantasy / Bisexual / BDSM / 

Notes: 


Blurb: Kidnapped at the age of eleven and raised in the Kitsune Court, Takeshi was surrounded by violence and deceit. A romantic relationship wasn’t safe to even consider. Now he’s free to make a life for himself. But Takeshi doesn’t have the first clue about love or desire. Can Divine Intervention find a soulmate for a man whose biggest fear is the possibility of being asexual?

Many things can be said about Aindreas. He’s flighty. He’s serious. He’s bi-sexual. He’s a submissive. He’s a dominant. He loves it all but he can’t seem to find the one person who can love him for all his contradictions. Is Divine Intervention his answer or is he just too much of a duality for any sane person to deal with?

When the BDSM club slut is matched with the warrior virgin, both tempers and desires flare.

Title: King of Gods
Series: (Vampire Crown Book 2)
Author(s): Scarlett Dawn, Katherine Rhodes
Length: 465 pages
Publisher:

Genre: Romance / Fantasy / Paranormal / Vampires / Poly /

Notes:

Blurb: The Breaking Time has come in S'Kir. The Spine is ready to be broken and reunite the races. But the Breaker is missing a critical piece of knowledge: Sex is power.

In the Stronghold, a new Queen has been crowned and the time's come for the King Novitiate to face his trials. While the Original druid thinks intimacy is strength, the Queen knows better: Knowledge is power.

Sex will bring power to the druids.
But knowledge is the knife's edge to carve out the power.

*CONTENT WARNING: This book contains graphic language, violent content, and sexual situations (M/F, M/F/M, M/M/M, and M/F/M/M). It is intended for audiences 18+ ONLY.*

Title: Out of the Blue
Series:
Author(s): Lila Rose
Length: 382 pages
Publisher:

Genre: Romance / Contemporary / Poly / MMM / Bisexual / Cops /

Notes:

Blurb: At forty, Lan Davis is looking for his damned picket fence and 2.5 kids. What he doesn’t expect is instead of a wife in the picture, his mind keeps conjuring up images of two men. One, his partner in the force, who is as straight as they came, the other an ex, who he’d hurt but never forgot.

After an incident leaves Lan injured, the two men rally around him… only maybe they shouldn’t have. It seems a medicated Lan is a truthful one.

Parker Wilding is pissed at the world. His anger builds when his partner refuses medical care after an attack. Instead, Lan entrusts his neighbour to take care of him—a guy Parker doesn’t trust. While he’s aware they share a history, when the past is revealed, the truth shocks the hell out of him.

Being emotionally crushed ten years ago, Easton Ravel hoped he would never have to see the man who broke him again. Hope is a fickle b*itch. And now he’s not sure how to handle being face-to-face with the man he once loved. Add in the mix the annoying, testy Parker, and Easton finds his limits are pushed.

Just not in the way he thought they would be.

What happens next sure does come out of the blue. 

Title: Panic in Detroit
Series: (Touch of Gray Book 6)
Author(s): Dakota Rebel
Length: 61 pages
Publisher: Supernova Indie Publishing Services LLC (October 15, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Shifters / Gay /

Notes:

Blurb: Cole and Bryce Grayson, run a paranormal exterminator business with their lover and partner Sebastian. With Bryce and Bastian each suffering from cases of the furries every full moon, Cole was happy to be the odd man out in his normalcy.

However, after hunting down a pack of vampires, Cole Grayson discovers that he may not just be a typical hunter either. While he was aware that he had been adopted and that his birthmother had been a witch, he hadn't realized what that would mean for him until his powers went off like a bomb to help clear a nest a vampires…with no warning or training.

All the beasties within a 50 mile radius felt the pull of Cole's explosion, and have come to investigate. Since it is Halloween, it takes a while for the public to notice something is amiss in their city, but soon Detroit is overrun with ghosts, zombies and witches, making for a night everyone hopes to survive.

Title: Falling for Forest
Series: (Wolves of Solara Book 1)
Author(s): Charlie Tran
Length: 164 pages
Publisher:

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Shifter / Mpreg / Gay /

Notes:

Blurb: Most packs fight for dominance.

His fights for their lives.

FOREST

All I wanted was a night out with my pack. With my friends.

At first, everything was all fun and games. Dancing with the nameless hottie in the club, getting drunk, and forgetting about all my problems with Thorn, my ex. But that escalated quickly into a night of horror.

I didn't mean to walk in on a drug deal! And the Grey Brotherhood didn't care. They tried to kill me, and my pack killed one of their own in self defense. Now they'll stop at nothing for retribution.

And what's worse, I can feel that red-head's eyes all over me. I'm thankful that he saved my life, but I couldn't possibly drag him into all my problems.

But the more I'm around him, the harder he is to resist.

JASON

A night like any other.

Cruising around downtown Solara, waiting for an emergency to be called to. I loathed how I spent my weekends, but that's what I signed up for. Night shifts as an EMT were harsh, but it paid well.

Then that call came in. My coworker and I responded to a murder at a night club. Arriving at the scene, I expected the blood, the gore. I didn't expect that I'd instantly fall head over heels for the man I'm supposed to be rushing to the hospital.

But why was he attacked, and what's with the dead wolf at the scene? My head tells me to mind my damn business, but my other head is saying something much different.

Falling for Forest is a 44k HFN Romantic Suspense. It contains darker themes of mpreg, foul language, knotty situations, and graphic violence. The first in a series meant to be read in order, and not suitable for readers under eighteen.

Title: Red Sky at Morning
Series:
Author(s): Genna Donaghy
Length: 115 pages
Publisher:

Genre: Romance / Friends to Lovers / Sci-Fi / Gay /

Notes:

Blurb: Fox has been secretly in love with his best friend, Tobias, since grade school. But even though Fox has fought in wars overseas, he hasn't worked up the courage to do act on his feelings.

Then, an alien ship appears in the pre-dawn sky and bombs San Francisco.

Fox never imagined he would have to go to war again. Now things have changed. To save himself, and the man he loves, Fox will have to join the fight against the invaders.
But the aliens aren't what they seem, and the real enemy may be within...

Title: Blood and Smoke: 1408
Series:
Author(s): Stephen Kin
Length: 3 hours and 50 minutes
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Genre: Horror

Notes: This was recommended to me.

Blurb: This collection of short stories from the master of modern fiction is available only as an audiobook.

In Blood and Smoke, Stephen King takes us inside a world of yearning and paranoia, isolation and addiction. It is the world of the smoker. In this audio-only collection, the now politically incorrect habit plays a key role in the fates of three different men in three unabridged stories of unfiltered suspense.

In Lunch at the Gotham Café, Steve Davis is suffering through intense withdrawal - from both nicotine and his wife. His desperation for a cigarette and for his ex are almost too much to bear, but that's nothing compared to the horrors that await him at a trendy Manhattan restaurant.

In 1408, Mike Enslin, best selling author of "true" ghost stories, decides to spend the night in New York City's most haunted hotel room. But he must live to write about it without the help of his ex best-friends, his trusty smokes.

And in In the Deathroom, a man named Fletcher is held captive in a Central American stronghold. His captors will use any torturous means necessary to extract the information they want from him. His only hope lies with his last request - one last cigarette, please.

Title: Pack Mates Boxed Set: Volume 2
Series: Pack Mates
Author(s): Lynn Tyler
Length: 865 pages
Publisher: Lynn Tyler Books (December 4, 2017)

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Shifters / Gay /

Notes: This series was recommended to me. I've read the first four or so a while back. The rest are in this nifty bundle.

Blurb: Read the stories of the Smooth Rock Falls shifters in books 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the bestselling Pack Mates series. As well, catch up on some of your favorite shifters in two short stories.

Date Night ~ Pack Mates Book 3.5

Shannon’s getting desperate. Between teething, colds and night shifts, he and Gray haven’t been together in weeks. Hell, he’s pretty sure Gray’s three nieces are working together to make sure he never gets any loving from Gray again. But it’s Declan and Quinn to the rescue and Shannon suddenly finds himself in a hotel room with an equally desperate mate.

Michael's Heart ~ Pack Mates Book 4

Michael Ferris lives a solitary life, even as a werewolf within the confines of the Smooth Rock Falls pack. Not willing to risk getting hurt again, he’s built an impenetrable wall around his heart that only a few have had a chance of chipping away at. His job as a firefighter helps to keep his mind off his solitude for a while, but when he meets the right guy, Michael doesn’t know if he can let him in.

Justin Blake isn’t lonely by choice. In fact, he’s not even aware of just how lonely he is until he lays eyes on the handsome firefighter. As the shifter negotiator, Justin finds himself hopelessly drawn to Michael while helping to ease new shifters onto pack lands.

Can two hurting, lost souls heal each other, or will fear keep them apart even as the Smooth Rock Falls pack grows larger?

Michael's Mate ~ Pack Mates Book 4.5

Michael and Justin have come to an understanding. They’ve admitted their love for each other but Michael still struggles with commitment issues. As their mating date looms ever closer, Justin worries the man he loves might just run away. Or worse, trap himself in a mating he doesn’t want. But when it comes down to it, Declan knows exactly what they need.

Pierce's Choice ~ Pack Mates Book 5

After having been removed from his parents' home for his own safety, Pierce Nevitt has lived his entire life at someone else’s whim. The tiger omega has been protected and coddled from the outside world, denied the one thing he wants more than anything: Gavin.

Gavin Jackson ran away from Pierce, terrified of getting too attached, only to discover it was too late. Freshly graduated, he’s been assigned as one of Pierce’s bodyguards when he is moved to Smooth Rock Falls.

Now, someone is trying to kidnap omegas, and the two of them need to figure out who and why before their newly re-kindled love is torn apart forever?

Daniel's Mate ~ Pack Mates Book 6

Big, bad wolf shifter, Daniel Carter has been on the run for years. Finally settling down near the Smooth Rock Falls werewolf pack as a lone wolf, he feels he may actually have a chance at protecting the secret he’s been carrying with him.

Trevor Armstrong is still recovering from half a year of horror. The last thing he wants is to be under the influence of another alpha. So when Daniel offers Trevor the chance to recover without giving an oath to the resident alpha, he jumps at it.

But secrets are not always meant to be kept and one false move can ruin them all.

Rescue

Somehow, among the horrors of war, wolf shifters, Payton Ward and Sven Gunnerson fall for each other and begin a not so secret romance.


Pay had thought the jungle trek and his recovery would be the hardest part of his life. He was wrong. Love is more difficult than he’d ever imagined. His beloved Gunny seems to be having second thoughts about their relationship.


Gunny’s head is reeling. One moment he was carrying his injured lover through hell, the next, he was expected to settle down with a mate. But he’s scared; scared of having his heart broken.
With one unit member missing, and the existence of their species about to be revealed, will Pay and Gunny be able to survive, let alone learn to love?

Title: The Great Cock Hunt
Series: A Cox Fairytale, 2
Author(s): James Cox
Length:
Publisher: Evernight Publishing

Genre: Romance / Parnormal / Fantasy / Fairy Tale / Gay /

Notes: I think this has been kicked off of Amazon but you can still find it through the publisher.

Blurb: Cinderelle is a cross-dresser.

Prince Charming has a shoe fetish.

And the fairy godmother can twist your wish into a nightmare.

Cin wants nothing more than to forget his life as his family’s slave for a few hours. A party at the palace seems like the thing to do. Putting on his step-sister’s clothes, he looks better than any princess there. He stumbles upon the prince’s orgy and, after all these miserable years, Cin finally finds something to live for, to fight for. Prince Henry Charming. Too bad his evil fairy godmother shows up with dwarf reinforcements.

It’s time to take off his stuffed bra and put on a sword, because everyone is hunting poor Cinderelle.

Title: Strays
Series:
Author(s): AJ Thomas
Length: 210 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (September 25, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Demons / Urban Fantasy /

Notes:

Blurb: Orphaned at a young age and raised in the foster system, Jory Smith has no idea he’s half incubus. He only knows he has the power to heal people, making himself sick in the process. Exploited by a crooked faith healer who sells his abilities and his life to the highest bidder and then left for dead, Jory flees, falling into a job at a small-town café where he can put his lifelong obsession with baking to good use.

But the minister who exploited him wants him back.

Exiled hellhound-turned–bounty hunter Malpheus Pelle has no idea why his human client wants him to track down an incubus. Jory is traumatized and afraid to touch anyone, an emotional handicap that could prove fatal for a demon who requires physical contact. Needing answers, Mal concocts a disastrous plan: pretend to date Jory to uncover the truth. Unfortunately, his plan never included dealing with an ancient demon assassin, Jory’s orgasmic pumpkin cookies, or losing his heart to the incubus he’s supposed to be hunting….

Title: Hell on Earth
Series: Hellhound Omegas
Author: Macy Blake
Length: 219 pages
Publisher:

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Alpha & Omega / 

Note: Yes, I have already read this and loved it! It is a part of the Chosen One universe. I highly recommend all the books in this universe.

Blurb: Protector. Boogeyman. Hellhound. Meshaq has been called it all. As alpha of the hellhounds, his goddess has tasked him with protecting the secrets of the supernatural world. He’s the police of other creatures and the enforcer of the goddess’s rules. If his duty leaves him lonely and longing for a mate and a larger pack, well, the goddess knows the secrets of his heart and she will grant them if it is her will.

Drew Metcalf is a man on the run. When he finds himself in a biker bar surrounded by leather wearing giants, he thinks he’s a goner. But there’s something different about the man slinging drinks. He makes Drew feel safe, something he hasn’t felt in a long time.

When Drew and Shaq’s worlds collide, a different kind of magic happens. Shaq doesn’t understand why he’s so drawn to the human whose life is shrouded in mystery and danger. What Shaq does know is that Drew needs his protection. Magical forces are at work, beginning a battle that will require all of Shaq’s skill as the goddess’s champion. With a terrifying threat looming, Shaq and Drew are in danger of losing more than their hearts.

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

Pact Day: Open to Questions #ValespianPact

I'm back from GRL... Yay! But I've got nothing for today's Pact Day. Boo! 

I thought I would be able to come up with something on Monday or Tuesday, but I've been a bit useless.

So, what I'm going to do instead is open up this blog to questions. Are there burning things you would like to know about any of the characters, books, plots, species, or cultures? Give them to me and I will answer them on next Thursday!

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

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

What am I doing? I'm at GRL this week having a great time!

Title: The Mere Wife
Series: 
Author(s): Maria Dahvana Headley
Length: 320 pages
Publisher: MCD (July 17, 2018)

Genre: Myth Retold in a Contemporary world.

Notes: 


Blurb: New York Times bestselling author Maria Dahvana Headley presents a modern retelling of the literary classic Beowulf, set in American suburbia as two mothers—a housewife and a battle-hardened veteran—fight to protect those they love in The Mere Wife.

From the perspective of those who live in Herot Hall, the suburb is a paradise. Picket fences divide buildings—high and gabled—and the community is entirely self-sustaining. Each house has its own fireplace, each fireplace is fitted with a container of lighter fluid, and outside—in lawns and on playgrounds—wildflowers seed themselves in neat rows. But for those who live surreptitiously along Herot Hall’s periphery, the subdivision is a fortress guarded by an intense network of gates, surveillance cameras, and motion-activated lights.

For Willa, the wife of Roger Herot (heir of Herot Hall), life moves at a charmingly slow pace. She flits between mommy groups, playdates, cocktail hour, and dinner parties, always with her son, Dylan, in tow. Meanwhile, in a cave in the mountains just beyond the limits of Herot Hall lives Gren, short for Grendel, as well as his mother, Dana, a former soldier who gave birth as if by chance. Dana didn’t want Gren, didn’t plan Gren, and doesn’t know how she got Gren, but when she returned from war, there he was. When Gren, unaware of the borders erected to keep him at bay, ventures into Herot Hall and runs off with Dylan, Dana’s and Willa’s worlds collide.

Title: Darkness

Series: (Darkest Nightmares Book 1)

Author(s): Brynn Burke, Elizabeth Knox

Length: 200 pages

Publisher: Knox Publishing (August 25, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Dark Fantasy / 

Notes: 

Blurb: Jett

For generations, I have been the being who lurks in the dark. The one that feeds on the screams of pain and fear, cold sweats and the nightmares in which I cause. I am the monster you warned your children about.

No one can escape my clutches, no matter how hard they try; I show them who they truly are deep down.

Centuries ago, I was possessed by a creature of whom I had no name for. I was nothing but your average human, a man who was fighting for his king and slaying many monsters in his name. The next thing I knew, I became that monstrosity that I tried to eliminate every day of my life. In the matter of hours, everything had changed drastically. I was used to fighting the dark and suddenly the dark became part of me.

There is no reasoning for what I have become. I embrace it - embrace the hideousness of my appearance because no one is as grotesque as I.

I am bitter. I don’t want to be the man who surrounds myself in a cloak of shadows, of serpents and arachnids, of smoke and ghouls. I want to return to the glory days. If only it was that simple.

Haven

Throughout my entire life I have felt out of place, that is until one day I discovered a place where I didn’t feel like the outcast that others made me out to be. I didn’t feel ugly, sinister, or even dark compared to those who I surrounded myself with.

I was a human, or so I thought.

I didn’t know that only supernaturals could gain entry into Sanctuary, not until I walked through those doors and began speaking to the others. It’s name is exactly what it is - a Sanctuary for all supernaturals and paranormals regardless of beliefs. It was the one place we could all go to that wouldn’t result in bloodshed, agony or pain.

I have been here for years, becoming friends with the owner of this place and ultimately landing myself a job as a barmaid and having a warm place to rest my head. Still, I do not know what I am. I have talked to the others and they have told me stories of paranormals with great powers who have to wait to discover their abilities.

It seems I am one of these rare and far between. I only wish that things were simple, but I know better. Nothing was ever simple in this life. 

Title: Death by Dick

Series: (A Cox Club Story Book 2)

Author(s): James Cox

Length: 

Publisher: Evernight Publishing (September 4, 2018)

Genre: Erotic Romance / Contemporary / FBI / Light Mystery /

Notes: 

Blurb: The day a hooker dropped dead on Kyler’s dick changed his life forever…

When Kyler graduated high school, he wanted to give himself the gift of his first blowjob from a sexy male hooker. Then said hooker drops dead in his lap. Yeah, he has that kind of luck. Now, the police are after him, he can’t go home because of an abusive father, and he ends up working at The Cox Club, a small town gay gentlemen’s club.

Seamus is on his first undercover mission for the FBI. The problem is that he doesn’t think their terrorist suspect, Kyler, is guilty. Oh, and there’s also the matter of giving Kyler a hand job … on the FBI’s hidden camera. His first field mission may be his last.

When bullets start flying, it’s up to Seamus to find out the truth and he has to do it before Kyler becomes a victim.

Title: Consume

Series: Hellish, 1

Author(s): Charity Parkerson

Length: 54 pages

Publisher: Punk & Sissy Publications (July 17, 2017)

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Vampire / Gay / 

Notes: 

Blurb: Jonathan thinks Cin is too perfect to be real. He’s right.

As the top investigative reporter for Global Daily, Jonathan travels all over the world. Three weeks in Tortola, covering the story of the disappearance of twelve women, sounds like heaven. After all, the island is one of the most beautiful in the world. He doesn’t have many leads. The women only have one thing in common. They all went missing from the same club—Consume. Fifteen minutes into visiting the club, Jonathan sees him, and the world slips away.

Cinaed, better known as Cin, spots Jonathan the moment he walks through the club’s door. It’s obvious the man is out of place. Cin slips into Jonathan’s mind, catching visions he can’t shake. He’s never wanted a human for anything other than blood and sex, but Jonathan is different. That’s why Cin has to keep the man addicted to being in his bed and send him home safely. There’s nothing in Tortola for Jonathan except death.

Once Jonathan’s three weeks are at an end, it doesn’t take long for him to realize something is wrong. His trip has been—at best—a hazy memory of steamy nights, and he never spent a moment researching his story. No matter how deep he digs into the recesses of his brain, there’s nothing except the sexy Scot he met at Consume. With a burning need to know everything, and a deep fear he’s been drugged to keep him from his investigation, Jonathan cashes in his extensive vacation time before setting out to break this story. This time, he’s determined he won’t let anything keep him from the truth, even if it means finding out Cin is the man behind everything.

Author note: This is a short introduction into my new M/M vampire series, Hellish. It was first published in the anthology Vampires of the Caribbean.

Title: Betrothed

Series: The Alpha Princes, 1

Author(s): Claire Cullen

Length: 311 pages

Publisher: 

Genre: Romance / Fantasy / Poly / Gay / Mpreg / 

Notes: 

Blurb: Life’s no fairy tale, especially for an omega.

When William’s father names him heir to the throne, it kicks off an event the alpha has both longed for and dreaded; the courtship contest. In a matter of weeks, he has to choose the two people he’ll spend the rest of his life with. He has Elliott; his best friend and secret love. But his family cares more about making ‘the right kind’ of match and less about little things like love and happiness. Will doesn’t want to end up in an unhappy marriage like his father, and he doesn’t share his family’s loathing of omegas.

Elliott loves Will with all his heart, and the long wait for them to be together is almost over. But first, he has to help William with the difficult task of choosing a third person to share their life with. When he meets Cinder, he knows there’s something special about the shy omega. Choosing an omega won’t be easy given the kingdom’s past, but he’s determined they’ll make it work. Until he realizes there’s more working against them than simple jealousy and family politics.

Like every omega in their island kingdom, Cinder dreams of being invited to the palace and the prince falling in love with him. Too bad that only happens in fairy tales. When his stepfather sabotages any chance he has of being selected, Cinder thinks it’s time to let go of his dreams. But when a twist of fate sees him wind up in the palace anyway, he has the chance he’s always wanted. He finds himself dealing with jealous betas, his bully of a stepbrother, and a royal family who want to pretend omegas don’t exist. Even that won’t deter him when he finally sets his eyes on Prince William and his close friend, Elliott. But someone in the palace is determined to put a stop to things and when Cinder finds himself imprisoned, their fairy tale romance hangs in the balance.

Betrothed is a ~ 97,000-word novel featuring a polyamorous romance, a modern-day fairy tale, intrigue, angst, mpreg, knotting, and of course, happy endings. There are scenes not suitable for readers under the age of eighteen.

Title: Priest & Pariahs

Series: (Centauri Survivors Second Chance Chronicles Book 3)

Author(s): J. Alan Veerkamp

Length: 267 pages

Publisher: NineStar Press (September 24, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Sci-Fi / Gay /

Notes: 

Blurb: Costa McQuillen has escaped from Earth, where being para-human—a Pariah—with tech empathic abilities is illegal, and marks him for extermination. Arrogant and standoffish, Costa is unable to trust anyone but is willing to risk everyone’s safety in his desperate effort to reach the planet Omoikane. His best solution, gaining passage on board the Santa Claus.

Arbor Kittering is the crew’s newest coding tech. Having spent a short time in prison for data hacking and falsifying government files, the Santa Claus is his last chance at a new start—if he can decipher the strange malfunctions plaguing the ship.

Eugene “Priest” Jones, the Santa Claus’s Head Pilot, is a bit of a scoundrel. Perpetually single, Priest is attracted to Costa and Arbor. In truth, he’d like to have both, but it’s clear even his grifting and gambling skills can’t make that happen.

Now as they all travel together, it appears Priest needs to make a choice before it’s too late as each of their lives intertwine with potentially dangerous and deadly consequences.

Title: Senses Vol 1

Series: 

Author(s): Andrew Grey

Length: 498 pages

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (September 2, 2016)

Genre: Romance / Contemporary / Gay / 

Notes: This was recommended to me.

Blurb: Sometimes the heart is the most important sense. Caring for a young daughter with cancer is almost enough to make Ken Brighton give up, in Love Comes Silently, but former singer and next-door neighbor Patrick Flaherty brings hope for both of them—if he can manage to break his silence. In Love Comes in Darkness, Howard Justinian has always had to fight for his independence, in spite of his blindness, but when tragedy strikes, he may have to accept help in the form of unassuming Gordy Jarrett. In Love Comes Home, Greg Hampton’s son Davey is losing his eyesight, but Tom Spangler isn’t going to let that stop a boy from playing his favorite game.

Title: Falkrag
Series: (Wytch Kings Book 5)
Author(s): Jaye McKenna
Length: 258 pgaes
Publisher: Mythe Weaver Press (August 22, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Fantasy / Dragons / Gay /

Notes:

Blurb: Newly released from his bondage to the Wytch Council, Prince Shaine of Rhiva strives to prove that he can be trusted. Burdened by guilt and shame, but determined to help the Northern Alliance win the coming war against the Wytch Council, Shaine ventures into the Iceshards to investigate an ancient ruin rumored to contain a hidden cache of powerful weapons. He doesn’t get far before being badly wounded by a deadly mountain predator.

Son of the hunt leader of his village, Vorri is destined to one day lead his people, a group of exiled shifters from Rhiva who have survived in the dangerous Iceshards for nearly three hundred years. When the hunters who keep the village fed begin disappearing, the fearful village elders forbid anyone to seek them out. Determined to save the missing hunters, his own brother and sister among them, Vorri disobeys, and sets off alone to find them.

When Vorri saves Shaine from certain death, the two young men strike a bargain: Vorri will help Shaine find the ruin, and Shaine will aid Vorri in his search for his kin. But fulfilling the bargain turns out to be far from simple, and in the end, Shaine and Vorri’s actions could change both the course of the war and the future of Vorri’s people.

Title: Long Black Cadillac

Series: 

Author(s): BA Tortuga

Length: 210 pages

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press; 2 edition (October 12, 2018)

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Vampires / Gay /

Notes: 

Blurb: When cop-turned-vampire-hunter Vance is sent to eliminate a bloodsucker from the Louisiana swamps, he figures it’s just another day at the office.

But he has no idea what he’s getting into.

Clay is no ordinary vampire, and the spark he lights in battle-scarred Vance is anything but average. Clay should be the enemy, but Vance is powerless to fight something that feels so right… and so damn good. In Clay’s expert hands, Vance might realize he’s misjudged vampires and that donating a little blood can be sexy as hell.

Clay might even ride to the rescue and save his new love when Vance’s mission goes south and Vance becomes the hunted instead of the hunter. Along with his human familiar, a crazy Cajun named Remy, and the enigmatic older vampire Gryphon, Clay must get to Vance before it’s too late. Then they can find the man who betrayed Vance and take their revenge.

But faced with lies and motives darker than they ever imagined, they’ll have to wade through blood and fight their way to a happily ever after…. 

Title: The Alien Assassin's Convenient Wife

Series: An 'In The Stars' Romance Novella

Author(s): Ruby Dixon

Length: 120 pages

Publisher: 

Genre: Romantic Comendy / Sci-Fi / 

Notes: 

Blurb: One half of an intergalactic assassin team, Jadzion heads to New Mexico for his target while his brother Heriot heads to California. They've traveled millions of miles and through star systems to find their targets, who are gun-runners on a galactic scale. Now, though, Jadzion has a problem. He's waited until the last minute to go planetside, and his target's at a couples retreat.

Jadzion is solo.

The solution is obvious - Jadzion needs a wife. Just for the weekend, of course.

Using a thing called a 'dating app' he finds a woman named Jenna. He tells her he needs to marry her, right away. Jenna, naturally, is confused. But the longer she's around Jadzion, the more she thinks he's not from around here...and that he just might be the one for her.

Thank you for stopping by and reading!!