Sunday 31 January 2016

Favorite Toy by Louise Lyons

Favorite Toy cover Author Name: Louise Lyons
Book Name: Favorite Toy
Release Date: January 31, 2016
Pages or Words: 35,600 words
Categories: Contemporary, M/M Romance
Publisher: Louise Lyons
Cover Artist: Simon Searle


 





Blurb: Determined to stay single, Dean Simpson and his best friend Ryan have been playing a game, where each man chooses a potential hook-up for the other, usually someone nothing like their usual type. But with Ryan now off the market, Dean agrees to one final round of the game and allows his friend to choose his toy for the evening.

 Casper Mancuso is about as far from Dean’s type as he can get. Casper is pretty, flamboyant, and attention-seeking, but sexy with it. Dean decides one night can’t hurt, but when Casper makes it clear his aim is the same as Dean’s – to have one bit of fun and then move on – Dean finds himself surprisingly disappointed.

 With both men keen to avoid a relationship at all costs, it seems there can be no chance for anything between them. And yet the pair are drawn to each other and despite some hurtful comments and a very public argument, they just can’t stay away from each other.

Eventually Dean is forced to admit that the very antithesis of what he usually likes is exactly what he’s been waiting for.

Thursday 28 January 2016

Farm Fresh by Posy Roberts.



Farm Fresh, book #1 of Naked Organics by Posy Roberts.
Getting down and dirty never felt so clean.
Blurb:

Jude Garrity visits the farmers market every Saturday. As an environmental engineering student, he’s curious about living off the grid and sustainable agriculture.

And one particular farmer.

Hudson Oliva has worked hard to support his commune, where queer people live without fear of harm or retribution. When Jude asks pointed questions about living there, Hudson realizes he needs to be honest about his home. Few people know what the farm is actually about, but Jude is insistent.

Jude moves to Kaleidoscope Gardens, however his sexual hang-ups make it hard to adjust. He’s an uptight virgin living among people who have sex freely and with multiple partners. When Jude finally loosens up, Hudson is flooded with emotions. Falling for Jude wasn’t part of Hudson’s life plan. But when vindictive rumors about the commune begin to spread, love might be all he has left.


Genre: Contemporary Romance, MM Romance, Gay Fiction, with a splash of MMM+

Length:  Novel, 202 pages

Buy Links: Amazon US: 

Review

It's my practice not to rehash story because you can get what you need from the blog. In this case, the basic story is simple and clear. Jude joins a commune and learns to live a more relaxed and fulfilling life; mentally, physically and sexually. Of course there are twists and turns, bumps in the road and a little angst but that's the crux and it's more than enough.

I found the story very easy to read and I was carried along with Jude's naivety and Hudson's angst. The other characters were a strong supporting cast, each with their own story and their part to play in Jude and Hudson's. Despite being set in a commune where sex is like breathing (open, natural and sometimes public) the sex is surprisingly underplayed, which was a delightful surprise. I was expecting the story to be woven around the sex, when in fact the sex is woven into the story, and I really liked that.

Miss Roberts writes delicately, with beautiful detail. The way she describes the commune can almost make you smell the cooking, and she colours the emotions of the characters very well. 

All of the characters have their own issues to resolve and their own ways of doing it. Tension comes in from all sides and, whilst it threatens to tear them apart it ultimately just brings them closer together.

My favourite part of this book is the way that the characters interact with each other. It's not always positive and there are misunderstandings and wrong choices, but it's all done with the very best intentions. These are people who truly care about each other and want what's best for each other. One of my very few - not complaints as such but slight itchest - was that they fit together a little too well. There is always one, isn't there? At least one who's a twat and rubs everyone up the wrong way. There are always jealousies and niggles, character clashes and people who don't quite fit with each other. Here everyone is just so nice! At least to each other.

I think the biggest praise I could give to Ms Roberts and her story is that I would give my left leg to live in Kaleidoscope Gardens, and would LOVE to spend some time there with these wonderful people and their awesome philosophy.

What we have been given is a peep into a way of life that really works for those who are living it and I'm envious of that.

I wouldn't read this book if you have preconceptions about life and how it should be led, or if you're expecting explicit sex every other page. For everyone else, it's a must.

About Posy Roberts



Real life. Genuine men. True love.

Posy Roberts writes about the realistic struggles of men looking for love. Whether her characters are family men, drag queens, or lonely men searching for connections, they all find a home in her stories.
Posy is married to a man who makes sure she doesn’t forget to eat or sleep. Her daughter, a budding author and dedicated Whovian, helps her come up with character names. When Posy’s not writing, she enjoys crafting, hiking, and singing spontaneously about the mundane, just to make normal seem more interesting.

Social Media Links:

Wednesday 27 January 2016

COVER REVEAL Callum's Fate by Dianne Hartsock

I can't believe it's a week since I last posted. I'm going to try to be more regular and more personal. Right now I am very pleased to introduce to you the new cover of Callum's Fate, Dianne Harsock's latest masterpiece.



Synopsis

But as fate would have it, Callum is lured onto the moors by the will-o-the-wisp. Lost in the dark, he falls into enchantment, encountering faeries and nymphs, until he stumbles into the arms of a licentious Barrow-Wight who lays claim to his soul.
Hearing his silent pleas, Donal sends Liam the gruagach (faery) to rescue Callum and bring him to his farm, a place of refuge from the Fae.
Callum is happy working on Donal’s farm, slowly falling in love with the beautiful, silver-haired gruagach.
Yet there’s something wrong in the nearby forest….
Despite Donal’s warnings, Callum is lured into the forest and becomes tangled in its magic, easy prey for the Barrow-Wight.
Will Liam be able to strike a deal with the Barrow-Wight to save Callum’s life, or has Callum found his last resting place instead?
Callum's Fate Cover

Pre-order links


Don’t miss the final day of the Australia Day Sale – 50% off all titles, including coming soon books, on the WIP website!

OR

30% discount on all pre orders, and in the first 48 hours after release

WIP
ARe



Excerpt

CALLUM RAN UNTIL his lungs burned, every breath ragged and painful. Fear spurred him on, though fog began to cling to the rough mounds of the barrows, making such flight dangerous. Stones stabbed through his worn boots with each footfall, but he daren’t stop. There had been voices in the shadows….
Exhaustion slowed him, his chest heaving as he fought for air. Dusk spread its dark mantle on the landscape, and he shivered as a finger of dread traveled up his spine. Perilous to be on the moors at night without shelter. He cursed the ill fortune that had sent him this way, but he was hungry and ill. He’d followed the will-o’-the-wisp, thinking they were the lights of a farmhouse. His brothers would crudely have called them swamp gas and continued on the road, but Callum had always been the fool.
An owl hooted in the semi-darkness, making his skin crawl. “Sweet Lord,” he muttered, heart thumping. “Protect me—”


He stumbled on a loose stone and fell heavily against a dark mound of earth. Oh God! The ground caved in under him and he dropped into the barrow in a shower of dirt.
“Save me!” he sobbed as he scrambled to his knees.
Sinewy arms reached up from the blackness and twined around him. Callum screamed, but no sound escaped his throat, choked with terror. He was yanked against a hard chest and hands ran over him, disembodied in the darkness.
“Soft. Sweet.” A voice sliced the silence and a cold breath washed over his face. He gagged on the waft of rot and decay. The tip of a dry tongue scraped along his jaw and he shuddered against the body under him. “Nice strong bones to gnaw,” the voice continued. “Sweet marrow to suck and swallow. Shall I eat you, my lovely one?”
Callum whimpered as the low tones wound through his head. The mists parted and moonlight filled the barrow, showing him the creature. He gasped at the cold beauty of its face. Eyes dark as pitch burned into him and brushed against his soul. Lush lips, dripping honey, overripe, took his mouth in a kiss that sent his pulse into a riot of hunger and desire.

About the author

DIANNE HARTSOCK is the author of m/m erotic romance, both contemporary and fantasy, the psychological thriller, and anything else that comes to mind. Oh, and a floral designer. If she can’t be writing, at least she has the chance to create through the rich colors and textures of flowers and foliage to bring a smile to someone’s face.
Currently, Dianne lives in the Willamette Valley of Oregon with her incredibly patient husband, who puts up with the endless hours she spends hunched over the keyboard letting her characters play.

Social links

Website: https://diannehartsock.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diannehartsock
Twitter: https://twitter.com/diannehartsock
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/diannehartsock/

Wednesday 20 January 2016

Wednesday Briefs: Demon Chapter Eighteen


Another week rolls around and it is as if Christmas had never been, To cheer us all up I chose the rainbow as the picture this week. A rainbow to represent my Demon and his Prince. Their world doesn't know it yet but the two of them will be rainbow in their time of darkness.



I am exhausted. The meeting was long and difficult. It is difficult to sit quietly when men are arguing that you and your people are little more than animals and should be exterminated. It is fortunate that these men were in the minority, and I was able to go a long way to sway even them. I cannot be entirely sure, but I believe the meeting was successful and that my sham union with the princess has been accepted. The king appears pleased, at least.
I am glad it’s over, at last. Now I can rest with my true love and drop the pretence that I am enamoured by his sister. She is nice to me now, but I will never forget the expression in her eyes as she tortured me, or the heel of her show piercing my body. Without my prince’s healing touch the wound would have killed me.
My prince is asleep, laid out on the chaise in the room where I left him. His mother, the queen, watches over him with a gentle, loving smile. A flush of gratitude washes through me and understanding passes between us. She nods as she rises, an unspoken blessing on our union.
The princess leaves with her mother, and we are alone. Although I am tired, I am in no rush to retire. It is too pleasant to sit and watch my prince sleep. He is peaceful in repose. The worried frown that seems to haunt him, even when his lips smile, is released and his brow is un–creased. He is the most beautiful creature in creation and I am made breathless by his glory.
Castien stirs and a lock of golden hair falls across his brow. When I brush it back his eyelids flicker and his beautiful eyes open and gaze at me with confusion, but only for a moment.
“Tian.” My name flies from his lips, the sweetest word I have ever heard. He does not ask about the meeting, does not care whether we are alone or in company. My love throws himself into my arms and that is where he belongs.
A greedy kiss precedes his inevitable question. “How went the meeting? Are you accepted?”
“I believe so. Your father, at least, is pleased.”
Castien breathes a relieved sigh. “Then all goes well. What will happen next?”
“I don’t know. Your father is still in Council. We were excused due to weariness from the journey.”
“And the torture,” Castien says, bitterness lacing his voice.
“That is past. We must set our eyes to the future and we will soon be together in my home where you may enjoy the hospitality and acceptance of my people.”
“I know where we can be together sooner than that,” Castien says, the gleam in his eyes making clear his intention.

Guards wait at the chamber door. They say nothing, but escort us safely to the prince’s chambers. They, at least, know the truth.
We make our way to Castien’s chambers by a different route and arrive far more quickly than I expected.
No sooner is the door closed behind us, than Castien throws himself into my arms and takes my breath from me with the intensity of his kiss.
“Take me to bed,” he gasps, his voice rough with desire. Although I am exhausted, I will deny him nothing. He is a little thing, so I lift him in my arms and carry him to the bed. He kicks and giggles in a manner that many would consider more befitting of a woman, but I know he is no woman, and his unmanly behaviour is no more than an expulsion of fear, and realization that all his dreams are suddenly within his reach.
I realize the full truth of my words when I lay him on the bed and he gazes up at me with sad eyes, once again taking on the grave demeanour I resolve instantly to forever change to joy.
“I never thought I would have someone to love; not like this. In truth I didn’t believe I would live long enough.”
“You are well now.”
“That’s not quite what I meant.” Castien gives me a weak smile. “My father has always wanted me to be more like him. As Jandra is. If she had been the prince, and I the princess, he would have been happy, and proud of us both. But alas that was not the case. Nevertheless he has spent my whole life trying to fit me for the role he had designed for me, believing a true king must have strength of arm rather than of mind.”
Castien gives a deep sigh. “I have known for some time that it was inevitable I would be forced into riding at his side into some skirmish or other. If I managed to keep me seat on the horse long enough, and I did not turn tail and run at the first clash of swords, it would not be long before I would be killed, or taken which might have been far the worse.”
“Surely he would not have dragged you into a battle when you were not fit for it.”
Colour in my prince’s cheeks suggest my words stung and I wish I had bitten off my tongue before I caused him pain.
“I did not mean to suggest you are not good enough to ride at your father’s side, only that you would not have been properly prepared and––”
“Any physically fit, and mentally able and not heartsick at the sight of blood.” He sighed. “Don’t pull back your words. I know what I am.”
“You are a light that shines in a dark world,” I say, meaning every word. I believe he sees my truth and is heartened by it, “a rainbow when black skies weep. There are many who can ride into battle and kill a man; there are few who have the wit and purity to save them.”

Now go check out the other amazing flashers for this week. I'm sure you'll join us in welcoming the wonderful Louise Lyons to our merry band.

Tuesday 19 January 2016

The Covenant by M LeAnne Phoenix

CoverThe Covenant E-Book Cover with logo Author Name: M. LeAnne Phoenix
  Book Name: The Covenant
  Series: Covenant Series Book: One
  Release Date: January 15, 2016 
Pages or Words: 280 pages, 71,000 words
Categories: Gay fiction, M/M Romance, New Adult, Poetry, Romance 
Publisher: CoolDudes Publishing
Cover Artist: Kellie Dennis






Blurb: When love is forbidden, who can you trust? Seventeen year old David has been best friends with Jonathan for as long as he can remember, but the day he sees the pastor's daughter press a soft kiss to Jonathan's cheek everything changes. Overcome by jealousy, his explosive reaction reveals a deeper connection that sends their relationship spiraling down into dangerous territory. 

When their clandestine love is discovered, they have nowhere to turn for help. The brutal circumstances of their parting test David and Jonathan's covenant to each other in unimaginable ways.

Forced to face their fears, it is in their darkest moments that the two young men discover that the courage, hope, and strength they need to to fight for their love, has been the foundation of their covenant all along.

Friday 15 January 2016

Release Day Blitz Br0th3rly by Alina Popescu

Br0th3rly Banner

Br0th3rly is the first novella a new techie/geeky gay romance series by Alina Popescu—Famous on the Internet—featuring bloggers, YouTubers, and other Internet celebrities.

Synopsis

Fighting his relentless love for Trevor, the guy he was raised to consider his brother, has been Tristan’s mission in life.

To distance himself from Trevor, even after discovering they weren’t really related, he left for college at sixteen. Moving into the city, building a new life, and running an anonymous blog about what he considers sick, twisted feelings might make Tristan famous on the Internet, but it isn’t enough to get over his obsession. Every time he goes home, a quick glance at Trevor brings it all flooding back.

Br0th3rly Cover

When commitment-phobe Trevor announces he’s got a serious boyfriend during one of Tristan’s rare visits home, the adoring kid brother will be forced to run once again. This time, however, Trevor doesn’t stand back and watch him leave.

Instead, he follows him, making it nigh on impossible for Tristan to keep his love a secret for much longer.

Book Trailer


Buy Links

Don’t miss the ARe 25% off sale till January 23rd or WIP’s Unzipping 2016 Sale – 35% off all list titles till January 24th!

WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/br0th3rly-by-alina-popescu/
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B019VK3VFA/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B019VK3VFA/
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B019VK3VFA/
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B019VK3VFA/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-br0th3rly-1959019-149.html
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/br0th3rly-alina-popescu/1123179425

Excerpt

All of a sudden, I was yanked to the side, and before I realized what was going on, my hands were locked around his waist and my face buried in the crook of his neck while he hugged me fiercely. 
Oh, shit! I held my breath for as long as I could, but then my lungs won the fight. His scent hit me, causing me to whimper and shudder, and making my cock painfully hard. 
“I know you always wanted to get out of here and you’re trying so hard to stay away. Showing you still love us won’t trap you in this town, little brother.” 
Trevor had it all so wrong. He thought it was the town and life here that I was running away from. It wasn’t though; I was running from my twisted, perverted self. The more I stuck around him, the more I justified my urges. We weren’t related, not really. There was no blood connection. I was not a monster for loving him. It was all bullshit though. Not only had we been raised as siblings, Trevor had never shown any such interest in me. So the farther away I was, the less inclined I became to break down and tell him what I wanted. What I’d always wanted. What would be the point of that? I knew he’d reject me. I’d be selfish and force him to completely lose his little brother.

Br0th3rly 3D Cover

Despite the steady coaching, my body refused to comply, and I clung to him, breathing hard and almost bursting into tears. He pushed me back and searched my face. The deep frown that twisted his took nothing away from his beauty.
“Tristan, what’s wrong with you? You’re a mess, bro.” 
The raw concern in his voice stabbed me like a burning knife, twisting my gut and making my heart bleed. “Sorry, Trev. Forget it, please. I’ve been under a truckload of pressure at work.” 
He nodded and pulled me back into the hug, and shame exploded inside of me, promptly followed by a lust so savage I thought my starved cock would burst through my underwear and jeans. 
A loud honk finally broke the spell, making me jump so hard I hit my head on the car roof. Trevor laughed and shook his head, probably thinking I was as clumsy and goofy as ever. What he didn’t know was that those traits were part of me only when I was around him. My sick obsession with him took too much energy and brain power, not to mention blood flow. There wasn’t much left to take in my surroundings and coordinate my movements.

About the author

Writer, traveler, and coffee addict, Alina Popescu has been in love with books all her life. She started writing when she was ten and she has always been drawn to sci-fi, fantasy, and the supernatural realm. Born and raised in Romania, she finds her inspiration in books of all genres, in movies, and the occasional manga comic book. She is a proud geek who needs her fast Internet and gadgets more than she needs air.

Social Links

Site & Blog: http://alina-popescu.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/authoralinapopescu
Twitter: http://twitter.com/alina_popescu
Instagram: http://instagram.com/alinapopescuwriter
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/alina-popescu
Google+:  https://www.google.com/+AlinaPopescu
Amazon:  http://amazon.com/author/alinapopescu</

Wednesday 13 January 2016

Wednesday Briefs Demon Chapter Seventeen



I accidentally lost the prompts for this week, so I have posted without a prompt. Don't ask me where it went because I don't have a clue.

I hear voices through the door, but I can’t make out what they’re saying. I wish I could. I have no idea what reception my lover has received from the Council, whom I have always considered arrogant and stubborn old men. Some of them are okay, but other look down on me and even sneered. I know what they were thinking; I have always known. It’s the same thing a lot of people in the kingdom think – that I am a joke; not fit to be king. My mind, my honour, my good intents are irrelevant. All they care about is my ability, or lack thereof, in war–making.
I have never pretended to be a war–maker. I barely keep in the saddle when I gallop a horse. My constitution is delicate and my sensibilities even more so. I could blame childhood illnesses, which came one after the other since I was a toddler, but the truth is, I take after my mother who is also delicate. Of course, that’s fine for a woman, especially a queen, but not a ‘real’ man. Father should have realized he would have surprised no one if he had simply admitted to my relationship with Tian.
How much longer must I pace, my ears straining for some sound, no matter how small, to tell me how the meeting progresses. Perhaps I could crack open the door. Just a tiny bit. No one would notice if the door opened a tiny bit.
“I wouldn’t do that, dear.”
I jump, my hand still on the handle of the door. How does she do that? How does she enter a room so silently, and how does she know my thoughts.
“You’re a witch,” I say, not for the first time.
She smiles, her enigmatic smile and shakes her head. “It doesn’t take witchery for a mother to know her children.”
“But how do you always arrive at the moment I am about to act?”
“Luck. Now, tell me dear, how do you really feel about this?”
I open my mouth to tell her I’m fine, but I catch her eye. I have never been able to lie to my mother when she looks me in the eye.
“It hurts. More than I would have imagined. They were right to prevent me attending the meeting. I don’t know how I could pretend I was not in love with him. I don’t know how I will do it in the days to come. I am not naïve enough to believe I will not be expected to spend time in their presence. There will be balls and dinners…. How can I do this, mother? How can I watch him with her and not reveal my pain? How can I look at him and conceal my thoughts and feelings?”
My mother sits and pats her lap. It has been a long time since I curled there and whispered to her of whatever ailed me at the time. Many times the ailments were physical. She has rocked me through pain and fever many times. Now the pain and fever are different, but none the less real.
For a moment, my father’s words ‘stand up and be a man’ echo in my head and stiffen my spine, but I have been told many times I am no man, and at this moment I have no desire to be.
My mother’s arms do not feel as comforting and safe as they did before. Something is missing, and I realize with a sick start what it is. She is not Tian. I will never again feel as safe with anyone other than he. The understanding makes me sigh and twists the knife a little more in my gut.
Mother strokes my hair and croons. “My poor boy. This life was never for you. They say you would be a bad king, but I know better. Your father has made this kingdom strong with his body. You will make it stronger with your mind. You have the intelligence, courage and strength of character to make our kingdom truly great. You will introduce revolutionary measures that will enhance the lives of everyone within our lands and will secure for you a greater place in history than your father. Your name will be remembered long after his is forgotten. You will be known as the wise kind who heralded in a golden age, an age of peace and prosperity, when our neighbours become friends, and our kingdom’s allies make us stronger than we have ever been before.”
My mother’s words are hypnotic, and pain pictures in my mind that I like. I like them very much and I do not doubt for a moment that the words are true.
“Until then, you will do what you have to do. A strong king cannot allow personal matters to intrude into affairs of state. Think not of what you lose in distancing yourself from your love in public, but what you will gain from an alliance with his father. The key to your future is with Tian’s people and that will become obvious soon enough.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean you should bide your time and the future will come to you sooner than you think. Once Tian’s position is assured with our people we will send a diplomatic mission to his father, to secure our position and formally introduce him to Tian fiancée.”
“And that is supposed to make me feel better?”
Mother kisses my hair. “Fear not. Tian’s father knows the truth. There, you may be open with your love and it will be Jandra who takes the back seat. By the time you return, everything will have changed, and there will be no more need to hide your feelings for him.”
“What do you mean ‘everything will have changed?’”
Her words have an ominous ring, but her only response is that smile again. Before I can inquire more, the door to my father’s room opens.

Now go check out the rest of the flashers this week


Curse of Salar by Alexis Duran

CurseOfSalarFinal Author Name: Alexis Duran
Book Name: Curse of Salar
Series: Masters and Mages
Book: Three Book can be read as a standalone Release Date: January 5, 2016
Pages or Words: 82,000 words
Categories: Fantasy, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance 
Publisher: Loose ID
Cover Artist: Fiona Jayde









Blurb: In the kingdom of Jahar, the rule of mages has been overthrown. Prince Dezra Luzan is held prisoners in the ancestral palace. In order to stay alive, he pretends to be a drug-addicted wastrel, trusting no one, not even his lovers.

 Into his lonely existence comes a man who should be his sworn enemy; Captain Rayn Nevar. Dezra is irresistibly drawn to the rough soldier and his longing for a simple sexual encounter quickly builds into a dangerous obsession.

 Captain Rayn Nevar knows he should stay away from Prince Dezra, but his desire for the beautiful young man overrides all common sense. Rayn soon finds himself protecting the prince from a plot to destroy the last of the mages.

 When treachery leads to Dezra's escape, he is at last free to unlock his long repressed powers. Only the arrival of a mysterious monk with powers greater than Dezra's stops the prince from using sorcery to destroy all who stand in his way, including Rayn.

 As Jahar edges toward another war between masters and mages, Rayn must question his devotion to his increasingly deadly lover while Dezra must decide if ultimate power is worth the ultimate sacrifice.

Friday 8 January 2016

My Favourite Authors. Their Influence on My Writing and My Life


STORM CONSTANTINE




Storm Constantine holds the dubious honour of being the person who ignited my interest in writing gay characters,  Whilst it is not entirely true to say that the characters in the Wraeththu books are gay as they are non human hermaphrodites who have entirely alien genitalia which allows total interbreeding in that everyone has the capability of impregnating and becoming pregnant.

When I first read the books I was living in a bubble, a completely innocent, naive girl living in an insular environment. I had no idea about gay issues, or even that being gay was an issue. The only gay person I had ever met was a flaming queen who a total local character known for his personality and not his sexuality and it wasn't until much later did I realise there was any element of 'gayness' in it. That's who he was and who he was known - and generally loved - for being.

It wasn't until much later, after having a daughter 'come out' meeting her friends that I realised with a shock that some people actually had a problem with someone being LGBT, and they actually mistreated their own children because of it. That was a sad, sad, day. It was an even sadder one when one of my daughters friends wept in my arms at her engagement party wishing I was his mother so he could find acceptance. He was such a lovely, bright, friendly, helpful boy I couldn't, and can't. understand why any parent would not be proud of him.

At about that time, I revisited these books and was not shocked but surprised to find the whole gay issue a non issue. Although neither human, nor technically gay, almost every character is outwardly male, having sex (called aruna and pretty much a spiritual experience) with other males. The first chapter of the first book concerns the seduction by a har (one of the non human species) of a human boy. The boy's family are worried only because of the character not the gender of Cal, who they believed to be, a human boy.

For his part, the human, Pel, heartaches over falling for Cal, for many reasons, not one of them being his gender, and he thinks nothing of it when he's taken to a town inhabited entirely by males. Even now, having had a long history of fighting, and living with, homophobia, this feels fluid and natural to me.

When I was reading the books, the characters, locations, politics and strangeness drew me in and kept me hostage to the extent I never once even registered the genders of the protagonists. The books are unrelentingly sensual (not only sexual and not always pleasant) and the relationships so well crafted, I came out after three books with a profound and lasting love for androgyny and romantic relationship between males. I have no illusions that this was an creation of interest / awareness / preference, but rather an awakening, or reawakening, of a latent core that had been shut off for a long time. An almost spiritual restlessness and sense of wrongness I had felt since puberty began its long journey toward the illumination of understanding and awareness. Of course it made my life hell in the meantime, but that is another story.

The upshot of all this is that if you have a love for beautiful, androgynous, not-exactly-gay characters who live and die  within an exquisitely crafted world, already rich with lore, diverse spiritualistic, new gods, powers and civilizations and just amazingly bizarre, weird but entirely normal characters, you HAVE to read these books. Everyone should find a character in here to drool over, whether it be the delicate, almost fey Pelaz, the etherically sinister Uluame or one of the strong, silent warrior types. They're all beautiful, beautifully imperfect and completely screwed up. There is decadence aplenty, alongside squalor and cruelty. 

On the other hand, if you like gender and sexuality being an issue within the story, or any kind of examination of what it means to be gay, these aren't the books for you.


TERRY PRATCHETT


Terry Pratchett is best known, I think, for being a prolific author who wrote the massive, forty one books, series of Discworld books, another example of world building at its absolute best. He has also had an epic collaborations with the equally brilliant Neil Gaiman. Their Good Omens is one of my top ten all time favourites.

I can't even begin to describe the characters and locations on the Discworld, a wonderful, flat world carried through space on the back of four elephants on a giant turtle. There are everything from vampires to dwarves, werewolves in the police force and a friendly tyrant who used to be a member of the Assassins Guild. Let me single out a few for special mention. 

The Witches

The Discworld witches are neither good witches nor bad witches. They practice headology, which means that if they can make you believe in magic without having to actually do it, they will. They say things like "When will we three meet again - well, Tuesday afternoon works for me" and keep whiskey bottles in their kicker elastic. Nanny Ogg is the matriarch of a large family of boys and slaves...er...daughter-in-laws, and sings a song called The Wizard's Staff Has A Knob On The End.

Granny Weatherwax on the other hand is no one's granny. She's fought off vampire venom, seen through elven glamour to the evil little bastards they are, and sometimes 'borrows' the minds of animals to gain insight and information, or, I suspect, because she is well aware that animals are, on the whole, much nicer than people

Magrat suffers from New Age. She wears amulets and silver jewellery and believes cauldrons should be used for other things than making tea. Nanny Ogg likes her drop of tea, and Granny Weatherwax has no time for 'props'. She's a bit of a wet fish, but she does end up marrying a king

The Wizards

Not your usual kind of wizard. They inhabit The Unseen University, where the librarian is an orangutan (the long arms are useful to negotiate shelves that do not always inhabit the same space and time as the rest of the Discworld), the way to the top is not through academia, but 'Dead Man's Pointy Shoes' ie killing the person whose job you want and stealing his shoes, and one of the students is unable to learn anything because a spell jumped out of a book into his head, and no other spell is brave enough to occupy the same brain.

They've recently developed a new machine called Hex, which is powered by ants and is supposed to be able to answer any question put to it. The Wizards are deeply suspicious of it.

One of my favourite things about the wizards is that their magic bears a strong resemblance to theoretical physics, and there are, in fact, two companion books about The Science of the Discworld that explain some incredibly complex Physics in an almost (to me) understandably way, as it relates to familiar characters that allow a somewhat more 'hands on' method of learning theorums. The space/time continuum is much easier to understand when related to libraries and orangutans. 

The Watch

The Discworld equivalent to the police force. What can I say about them?!!

Corporal Nobby Nobbs is a grown up street urchin with a distinct body odour and a definite talent for causing finding trouble. He is as finely crafted character as I have ever read even though he doesn't have many speaking roles.

Commander Vimes is...Commander Vimes. He's a complex character with a far to well defined sense of justice and fairness to be in the Watch let alone commanding it.

Captain Carrot is a six foot tall dwarf prince who is in love with a werewolf - Captain Angua, and Constable Dorlf is a freed clay golem. There are a number of undeads, including a vampire, and a troll.

The history of The Watch is detailed and rich, with a historical timeline and past members/patrons/enemies that crop up from time to time in various books.

This historical dialogue is prevalent throughout all forty one books with the histories, families and exploits of characters, guilds and factions intertwined seamlessly. The Discworld has it all - maps, history, lore, fairytales, languages. myths and anecdotes, to name but a few. How Sir Terry ever managed to keep track of it all through forty one inter-meshed books is a mystery to me. I know I couldn't do it and I can't think of a single other book or series that has that amount of detail. Lord or the Rings and Harry Potter don't even come close.

On the face of it, the Discworld novels might seem like a series of hilariously funny and infinitely quotable fantasy books, but they are so much more than that. There are so many different levels to each book I would defy anyone to find all of them on first reading. Among the many different kinds of comedy covered within the pages you will find humour that is subtle, in-your-face, light, dark, darker, sarcastic, farce, pie-in-the-face, slapstick, lavatorial, euphemistic and innuendos abound. Oh, and satire. Dear Gods, so much satire.

You will also find references to popular myth (leaving milk out for fairies), literature (Masquerade is clearly based on Phantom of the Opera). famous characters (the Hogfather) etc. You will find references to popular culture everywhere, along with an uncannily in-depth knowledge of magic (high and natural) physics, chemistry, politics and dozens of other things you will only discover WHEN  you read them.


Thursday 7 January 2016

COVER REVEAL Br0th3rly by Alina Popescu


Br0th3rly Banner
The gay romance novella Br0th3rly is the first in a new techie/geeky series by Alina Popescu – Famous on the Internet. The series features bloggers, YouTubers, and other Internet celebrities.

Synopsis

Fighting his relentless love for Trevor, the guy he was raised to consider his brother, has been Tristan’s mission in life.

To distance himself from Trevor, even after discovering they weren’t really related, he left for college at sixteen. Moving into the city, building a new life, and running an anonymous blog about what he considers sick, twisted feelings might make Tristan famous on the Internet, but it isn’t enough to get over his obsession. Every time he goes home, a quick glance at Trevor brings it all flooding back.

Br0th3rly Cover

When commitment-phobe Trevor announces he’s got a serious boyfriend during one of Tristan’s rare visits home, the adoring kid brother will be forced to run once again. This time, however, Trevor doesn’t stand back and watch him leave.

Instead, he follows him, making it nigh on impossible for Tristan to keep his love a secret for much longer.

Book Trailer


Buy Links

Don’t miss WIP’s Unzipping 2016 Sale – 35% off all list titles till January 24th!

WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/br0th3rly-by-alina-popescu/
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B019VK3VFA/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B019VK3VFA/
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B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/br0th3rly-alina-popescu/1123179425

Excerpt

As I slouched in my seat, barely visible over the steering wheel, I saw a strange bike pass by, make an illegal U-turn, and pull in behind me. Oh fuck, no! This couldn’t be. I slid further down into my seat, but my head turned without my saying so, my eyes glued to the image in the mirror. Strong thighs carried an impressive, jean-clad package closer to me. I could tell my brother’s package from thousands. I’d been lusting after that particular cock since I was ten. I knew every vein, every ridge, every shade that had ever adorned it. I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose. Sweet gods of brotherly love, keep me in one piece. I wasn’t supposed to see him till tonight. He was working or something; I didn’t know what. I never paid attention to Mom’s chatter.

“Hey, Trist. What do you think? Are they going to revive her this time?” His warm yet teasing voice washed over me, sending shivers up and down my body. Eight fucking months since I’d seen him last and this was how much I’d evolved. Less than a minute and I was already losing my shit.

“Trevor, what the fuck are you doing here? I thought Dad was going to pick me up.” I cringed at the harshness of my tone and felt more than heard his gasp. I was so attuned to how my brother reacted, I could have guessed every little gesture he’d make to respond to absolutely everything.
Br0th3rly 3D Cover

“Wow, Trist, aren’t you happy to see me,” he said in a barely audible whisper.

I pushed myself to look at him and gave him an apologetic smile. Taking in those dark eyes, the high, angular cheekbones, the olive, flawless skin, and the full, dark red lips with their natural pout, I sighed and wondered how exactly I was going to be here for the next three nights and not go completely off my rocker.

“Sorry, Trev. I’m tired, this car’s shit, and Dad said—”

“Don’t sweat it.”

He cut me off harshly, waving a hand. I’d hurt his feelings, I knew. Ever since I’d fled to college, I’d been giving my brother the cold shoulder. It was hard at first as we’d always been close, but the more time passed, the better I became at it.

“Come on, get in. It’s hot as hell out there.”

To my relief, he nodded and walked around to the passenger seat. He got in with that annoying grace of his which was unfathomable coming from someone who’d never been involved in any activity that would explain such a trait. Quite the contrary, he’d always played on the bad boy side, loud and threatening, getting himself into trouble more often than not.

About the author

Writer, traveler, and coffee addict, Alina Popescu has been in love with books all her life. She started writing when she was ten and she has always been drawn to sci-fi, fantasy, and the supernatural realm. Born and raised in Romania, she finds her inspiration in books of all genres, in movies, and the occasional manga comic book. She is a proud geek who needs her fast Internet and gadgets more than she needs air.

Social Links
Site & Blog: http://alina-popescu.com
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Google+:  https://www.google.com/+AlinaPopescu
Amazon:  http://amazon.com/author/alinapopescu

Nuts About You by Kate Lowell

12351700_1658984791006858_1515437127_o Author Name: Kate Lowell
Book Name: Nuts About You
Series: Nutty Romances
Book: One Book can be read as a standalone   
Pages or Words: 11,500 words
Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, Humor, M/M Romance, Paranormal (Shifters: Squirrel), Romance, Urban Fantasy 
Publisher: Kate Lowell
Cover Artist: Ana J. Phoenix





Blurb: 

Nathan’s been crushing on one of his regular Bulk Mart customers for a while now. In his squirrel form, he sits on Vince’s bird feeders, munching on seeds and enjoying the eye candy. Until the day Vince catches him raiding the feeder…

Wednesday 6 January 2016

Wednesday Briefs - Demon Chapter Sixteen

Christmas is over and the trimmings are coming down. All the glitz and glamour is over and it's time to get back to normality, whatever that is. Silver's first Christmas is over - and he had a great time - so we're back with our Demon to continue his adventure with his sweet little prince.

Today, I used two prompts You just take it one day at a time. and One day after another

Time stretches too slowly. Voices from the next room indicate the Council has arrived and I doubt the king would be happy should we simply appear, especially not together. There is little choice but to remain secreted until we are summoned. My prince and I have said all there is to say and we cannot risk intimacy. Therefore we sit, our fingers entwined, and wait.
After an age, the door opened and the princess strides in, closing the door behind her. To her credit, she approaches my prince and takes his hands, an expression of concern upon her face.
“Have you made your peace?”
Castien nods, his face pale but resolute.
“Then we must do this thing quickly. The Council are nervous but more open than we would have dared hope. Come, let us face them together.”
When my prince rises to his feet, Jandra lays a hand on his shoulder. “It would be best if you remain here.”
“What? But why?”
“There would be questions why you were here with your sister’s intended. I would also be naïve to believe you would not reveal yourself. At the least the impression would be given you are interested in your sister’s betrothed, and that would raise questions about you. For now, it would be unsafe to do so.”
“But….”
My prince is distressed and it is almost unbearable. From a diplomatic perspective I support the princess, but from a purely personal one I abhor the need to abandon him.
“It would, indeed, be for the best, my prince. I would feel more comfortable with the pretence if you were not there to witness my false affection. It would be hard to keep from betraying my true feelings for you.”
Although he remains distressed, my prince is strong. His demeanour becomes resolute.
“Whatever you think best. I will suffer now, to facilitate the future.”
“Your future will come,” Jandra says, her voice hoarse. “You just take it one day at a time. One day after another.”
Castien gazes up into her face and nods, then stalks to the far side of the room, where large windows give an excellent view of the garden. I would have liked to share this with my prince, but Jandra is waiting and nothing would be served by hesitation.
I cannot say I am comfortable with the eyes that regard me as I step into the room. Some are curious, and some are guarded, but some are downright hostile. I quickly mark those I deem to be my greatest threats.  Am thankful they are, for the main part, the furthest from the door, leaving my escape route all but clear.
Jandra takes my arm and whispers in my ear. “Don’t be afraid. They seem intimidating, but they will not openly move against you in my father’s presence.”
“I am neither fearful nor intimidated,” I whisper back. “Merely cautious.”
“Ah, here they are,” the king says beaming. “May I introduce my daughter Jandra, and her betrothed, Prince Tian Tel–Maren of Bas’el.”
“It is a demon,” one of the men hissed. “Are you insane to bring one such as he into the heart of our lands? Who is to say there are not more of his kind waiting for him to bring them in?”
“I am neither a lunatic nor a fool. I have been in communication with Bas’el for some time. Lord Maren is a strong king and a good man. He is also a family man and would not risk his son and heir in a fooling attack, when he is well aware of our strengths and capabilities. He has shown a great deal of trust in us to send his son to personally request the hand of my daughter. It is my hope it will cement relations and bring an end to a pointless war.”
“War? There is no war. The demons have been driven out. What few numbers remained after the rout were driven into the swamps and if any remain they are savages who eke a pitiful existence among pestilence and decay.”
“If that is your true belief, you are sadly mistaken.”
A squeeze on my arm cautions me not to speak, but I will not allow these ignorant fools to continue in their ignorance.
“My people were, indeed, driven from their ancestral lands by your troops, but we bear you no malice for that. War is as war is.” Another, harder squeeze. I glance at Jandra and the warning in her eyes adequately portrays a message I had, almost disastrously, forgotten. I have almost been betrayed by my people’s inherent proclivity for honest and openness. It would not do to put all my cards on the table and allow these men to know the full extent of our numbers and resources. However, I cannot allow our honour to be tarnished.
“We have made a new home for ourselves in the swamps and are far from savages.”
“Humph.”
Some of the advisors now have narrowed eyes, and although I sense a lessening of animosity, there is more suspicion.
“As you can see,” the king says, “Prince Tian is eloquent and well educated. He is a diplomat for a Kingdom which is now well established with resources that can be of benefit to our own. In my negotiations with Lord Meren, I have found him to be both honourable and an effective ruler of a well developed kingdom with enough resources for an alliance to be very much in our interests. An alliance cemented by the bonding of my daughter and Prince Tian would bring our kingdoms closer and increase our mutual benefit considerably.”
“It would seem to me, such benefits would be very much a one way street,” one of the councillors commented. His voice is scornful.
“Then you will soon discover you are a fool,” the king says. “A situation has arisen that makes an alliance not only beneficial but essential.”
The king’s words send an ice–cold shiver down my spine.


Next week we find out what the Queen thinks about all this and how Castien is holding up now he has a chance to take a breath and think.

Before that, check out the other amazing writers who have been flashing for your pleasure