S.J. Himes's Blog, page 3
March 25, 2016
New Release- Herc & Pyotr by Atom Yang
Storming Love: Meteor Strikes
Herc and PyotrBy: Atom Yang
End of a relationship, end of civilization, and the start of something beautiful.....
Blurb:
Herc thought he had the perfect life: a great partner and a meaningful career as a psychotherapist—until his partner left him a week ago and Herc became too depressed to see his clients. When a random meteorite punched a tidy hole in his car’s engine, it seemed like the world had it in for him, but bumping into Pyotr, the handsome older man who’s moved in a couple of doors down and happens to study things like falling stars, things might be looking up for Herc—and more may be falling than the skies in this light-hearted, apocalyptic romance.
31,000 words
Review:I have to admit, "light-hearted apocalyptic romance" seems an odd way to describe a book, but here it really is appropriate.Fresh from a recent breakup that has him blaming himself, Hercules the psychotherapist is spending his week off from work moping about his house and mourning the death of his car by a meteorite strike. It's that tiny space rock that lets him meet Pyotr, sexy Slavic astrophysicist and the new guy on the block. Atom Yang has an interesting method of writing--less formulaic and more realistic, with geek slang thrown in and pop culture references that made me smile. While the angst was low key the charm of Pyotr grabbed at my heart and his very sexy and poignant approach to life should have clued me into the fact the world was ending. At times I was adrift as to location, and exactly where the story was going, but once the sky began to fall Mr. Yang found his direction and took off like a shooting star, making me alternate between terror, humor, love, a deep sense of friendship, and an honest fear that there may not be a HEA, or even a semi-solid HFN.
Yet my fears were unfounded. I was left with an ending, that while anything but safe and certain, was sweet, utterly romantic, and so fitting to our two main characters.
I give this novella a very solid 4 Stars. Well done and unique.
A copy of the book was provided for an honest review.
Buy Link:
MLR Press
About the Author
Atom Yang tells stories of men in love (with each other), in various genres ranging from romance to paranormal, and all the hybrids between.
He was born to Chinese immigrant parents who thought it'd be a hoot to raise him as an immigrant, too--so he grew up estranged in a familiar land, which gives him an interesting perspective. He's named after a Japanese manga (comic book) character, in case you were wondering.
Books By Atom
Red Envelope
The Chinese New Year is a time for saying goodbye to the past and hello to the future, but Clint doesn't want to bid farewell to his cousin's handsome American friend, Weaver, after they share an unexpected passionate encounter.
The Lunar New Year is the biggest holiday in the Chinese calendar, a time for family reunions, and for saying goodbye to the past and hello to the future. Clint, however, doesn't want to bid farewell to what happened after last year's celebration, when he and his Cousin Maggie's handsome Caucasian friend, Weaver, shared an unexpected but long-desired passionate encounter. East is East and West is West, and Weaver seems to want to keep it that way, but maybe Clint can bridge that great divide this coming New Year, and show Weaver what it means to be loved and accepted.
Buy on AmazonWhere to Find Atom YangSocial media:
www.AtomYang.com
www.Twitter.com/mightyatomyang
www.Instagram.com/mightyatomyang
Herc and PyotrBy: Atom Yang
End of a relationship, end of civilization, and the start of something beautiful.....
Blurb:
Herc thought he had the perfect life: a great partner and a meaningful career as a psychotherapist—until his partner left him a week ago and Herc became too depressed to see his clients. When a random meteorite punched a tidy hole in his car’s engine, it seemed like the world had it in for him, but bumping into Pyotr, the handsome older man who’s moved in a couple of doors down and happens to study things like falling stars, things might be looking up for Herc—and more may be falling than the skies in this light-hearted, apocalyptic romance.
31,000 words
Review:I have to admit, "light-hearted apocalyptic romance" seems an odd way to describe a book, but here it really is appropriate.Fresh from a recent breakup that has him blaming himself, Hercules the psychotherapist is spending his week off from work moping about his house and mourning the death of his car by a meteorite strike. It's that tiny space rock that lets him meet Pyotr, sexy Slavic astrophysicist and the new guy on the block. Atom Yang has an interesting method of writing--less formulaic and more realistic, with geek slang thrown in and pop culture references that made me smile. While the angst was low key the charm of Pyotr grabbed at my heart and his very sexy and poignant approach to life should have clued me into the fact the world was ending. At times I was adrift as to location, and exactly where the story was going, but once the sky began to fall Mr. Yang found his direction and took off like a shooting star, making me alternate between terror, humor, love, a deep sense of friendship, and an honest fear that there may not be a HEA, or even a semi-solid HFN.
Yet my fears were unfounded. I was left with an ending, that while anything but safe and certain, was sweet, utterly romantic, and so fitting to our two main characters.
I give this novella a very solid 4 Stars. Well done and unique.
A copy of the book was provided for an honest review.
Buy Link:
MLR Press
About the Author
Atom Yang tells stories of men in love (with each other), in various genres ranging from romance to paranormal, and all the hybrids between.
He was born to Chinese immigrant parents who thought it'd be a hoot to raise him as an immigrant, too--so he grew up estranged in a familiar land, which gives him an interesting perspective. He's named after a Japanese manga (comic book) character, in case you were wondering.
Books By Atom
Red EnvelopeThe Chinese New Year is a time for saying goodbye to the past and hello to the future, but Clint doesn't want to bid farewell to his cousin's handsome American friend, Weaver, after they share an unexpected passionate encounter.
The Lunar New Year is the biggest holiday in the Chinese calendar, a time for family reunions, and for saying goodbye to the past and hello to the future. Clint, however, doesn't want to bid farewell to what happened after last year's celebration, when he and his Cousin Maggie's handsome Caucasian friend, Weaver, shared an unexpected but long-desired passionate encounter. East is East and West is West, and Weaver seems to want to keep it that way, but maybe Clint can bridge that great divide this coming New Year, and show Weaver what it means to be loved and accepted.
Buy on AmazonWhere to Find Atom YangSocial media:
www.AtomYang.com
www.Twitter.com/mightyatomyang
www.Instagram.com/mightyatomyang
February 26, 2016
Release Day! The Necromancer's Dance by SJ Himes
The Necromancer's DanceBy SJ Himes
Buy on Amazon
Book One of The Beacon Hill Sorcerer
Blurb:
In a world where magic is real and evil walks amongst humanity, a young sorcerer is beset upon by enemies, both old and new. Angelus Salvatore is the only necromancer in all of Boston, and his name is whispered warily by the undead and fellow sorcerers alike. He and his brother Isaac are the lone survivors of an attack by an army of the undead, in which Angel used a spell so powerful it forever marked his place in history. Now, years later, Angel struggles to balance his career as a teacher of the higher magical arts, his role as big brother, and a tenuous relationship with an Elder vampire from the local clan. When his brother's boyfriend is used as a pawn in a mysterious plot to draw Angel out, Angel is once again drawn back into the old hostilities that fueled the Blood Wars and led to his family's death.
Leaning on others for help is something Angel cannot do, and while he searches for clues into who may be targeting him and his brother, Angel finds his heart steadily growing occupied with Simeon, Elder and vampire. Dealing with death magic and vampires on a daily basis may leave Angel jaded when it comes to life and staying that way, but the more time he spends fending off the ancient vampire's attention and affections, the more he realizes he wants to give in.Can Angel find out who wants him dead, and keep his heart safe in the process? How can he fall for a vampire, when his whole family was torn apart by an army of the undead?
Death stalks the streets of Boston's historic Beacon Hill....and there is no one more suited to battle against death than a necromancer.
Excerpt:
“Prohibe eos,” Angel whispered, and the two vamps he held leashed to his will blitzed out, attacking the approaching vamps.Stop them.His attackers were not expecting the two vamps they were presumably coming to assist to suddenly turn and attack them—two of the other vamps ended up thrown over the crowd, landing on some tables as they fell to the ground. Drinks and screams spilled out, and Angel’s unwilling defenders spun, knocking back two more vamps closing in on him from behind. Angel kept the power pouring in, the tear in the veil held open by his willpower and nerves. Humans were screaming, confused, running over each other, pushing back against the tables and the bar, the dance floor emptying. Angel yanked on the blood in the two vamps and pulled them back to him, both of them crouched at his feet, hissing, fangs out and claws extended. “Necromancer!” Angel had no idea who screamed it, but the bar was shocked into motionlessness. Everyone froze where they stood, even the vamps in mid-stride coming back for another go at Angel and his new pets. The word necromancer raced across the room, and a hush settled that was creepier than the hissing moments before.Whispers rose and fell in waves amongst the crowd, people looking at each other with nervous expressions. A rumble of growls, a low, nearly inaudible hum through the room made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Angel sent out more power, tightening his foothold on the vamps at his feet, and they snarled in response.“All I wanted was to use the restroom, and I get attacked. I want nothing to do with violence, but I will use any means necessary to protect myself. Who is the Elder here?” Angel called out, throwing his voice over the heads of those watching. He might not be a big man, but he knew how to project his voice with authority.No one moved. Humans and vamps alike stared, and Angel tried to keep an eye on every corner of the bar, searching. For there to be this many vampires in one place there must be an Elder nearby, a vampire to control the lesser undead. He was hoping at least since he couldn’t very well keep his two vamps as slaves and walk out of the bar without having every vamp in the city wanting to kill him.“Necromancer,” a whisper graced his ear, and the shiver that ran down his spine was involuntary. Angel tensed, his body instinctively reacting to the presence of a predator. The vamps at his feet hissed and snarled, twisting like snakes in reaction to his nerves. It was all the reaction he let himself show, and he made himself relax and turn to face the vampire that suddenly materialized behind him.“You the Elder here?” Angel asked, doing his best not to show the pain of his injuries or the strain of holding raw veil-sourced power and two angry vamps to his will. Casting such a dynamic combination of instinctual spells and handling this much power was going to leave him dangerously exhausted if he didn’t end this and soon.The new vampire was dressed in a black tux and white tie that made him look like a red-headed James Bond. More auburn than true red, but he was hot, and his green eyes arrested a good portion of Angel’s attention. Full sexy lips and a strong jaw, he was absolutely Angel’s type, and if he wasn’t an undead monster Angel was tempted to ask him for his number. He then remembered where he was and what was happening, and frowned.“I am, necromancer. How are you this evening?” At the smoothly accented words, Angel’s cock made its interest known, twitching and thrumming. The red-head’s lips were unsmiling, but the corners twitched, and his eyes narrowed slightly. He could smell Angel’s blood, not to mention see it as it ran down his neck and shoulder and stained his shirt. The bastard could also smell just how aroused Angel was getting, and that pissed him off even more than the biting and attacking.“Oh, ya know. Hate Halloween. People always end up acting like idiots,” Angel replied, and for some reason Angel wanted to smile at the older vamp despite his temper, but he restrained himself. “Came to pick up my drunk brother and his bestie, got puked on, decided to wash my boots off in the bathroom, and got molested by the fangheads here.” Angel pointed at his feet, and the Elder’s eyes flickered down for a nanosecond before returning to Angel’s. “I said stop and they didn’t listen. I got …um…. Upset.”“Ah, so I see. Upset.” The Elder glanced around the room, noting the tables in disarray and the bruises forming on vamps and humans alike, and his lips twitched again. “I wonder what damage you could cause if you were truly angered?” he mused in a soft, low tone that purred within his accent.It was rhetorical, but Angel answered anyway. “Things get nasty.”“I’m certain they do.” The vampire looked around the room again, and straightened a cuff link that glittered from his sleeve. “It appears you have an apology due to you.”“That’s nice of you,” Angel said, and meant it. He was expecting to have to hand out some more threats, maybe blast a few more vamps, but if the old vamp wanted to play diplomat instead of entitled lord of the manor, that was good too.The old vamp chuckled, but still no smile. Angel didn’t know it was possible to laugh without smiling. “Nice. I haven’t been called nice in centuries.”“Meh. Nice, smice. So, can I release my newest acquisitions without things getting nasty here?” Angel eyed the crowd, and saw some anger out there, eyes glittering. “After I get my apology of course, and not to mention a promise of no more violence against me or mine.”“Negotiations. How elegant. When you hold all the power here, necromancer. Two fledglings under your sway, and poisoned by your blood. By rights, you could leave them to die.” The laughter was gone, but Angel saw something in the mossy depths of the master vamp’s eyes. Respect, maybe? He sensed nothing reminiscent of anger. The vamp was as calm as a frozen lake in January.“I get my apology, I release the two idiots licking my boots, and we all part ways, calm and alive,” Angel loudly enough for everyone to hear. “Oh, and no violence against me or mine.”“And if I cannot guarantee any of what you are requesting?” The vamp leaned down slightly, his voice low, the sexy burr to his words making Angel’s nerves dance with something other than fear.“Then I level this building on my way out, with undead bonfires lighting my path.” Angel may not be able to level this building before he was torn apart, but he could certainly end a few immortal lives before he died. It wouldn’t be the first time he decimated a swarm of undead.The vamps at his feet hissed, twisting against his will, staring up at the Elder vamp. He stared back at them for a long moment and then nodded his head.“I am Simeon, Elder of my Master’s Bloodclan. You are?” Simeon was an ancient name and fell out of use over a hundred years ago. That just elevated this vampire’s age in Angel’s estimation.Angel hesitated, thinking. It wouldn’t be hard to track him down, he knew for a fact he was the only necromancer in the whole state, so withholding his name was pointless. If they wanted to track him down later, they could, especially since Isaac and Greg were in here for hours.“Angel Salvatore.” Simeon’s eye twitched again, and Angel knew it was because of his name. Simeon recognized it, as did most supernats in the greater Boston area. In fact, most of the fangheads in the Northeast knew his name, and his reputation earned him a wide berth.
Available on Amazon and in Kindle Unlimited
Buy on AmazonBook One of The Beacon Hill Sorcerer
Blurb:
In a world where magic is real and evil walks amongst humanity, a young sorcerer is beset upon by enemies, both old and new. Angelus Salvatore is the only necromancer in all of Boston, and his name is whispered warily by the undead and fellow sorcerers alike. He and his brother Isaac are the lone survivors of an attack by an army of the undead, in which Angel used a spell so powerful it forever marked his place in history. Now, years later, Angel struggles to balance his career as a teacher of the higher magical arts, his role as big brother, and a tenuous relationship with an Elder vampire from the local clan. When his brother's boyfriend is used as a pawn in a mysterious plot to draw Angel out, Angel is once again drawn back into the old hostilities that fueled the Blood Wars and led to his family's death.
Leaning on others for help is something Angel cannot do, and while he searches for clues into who may be targeting him and his brother, Angel finds his heart steadily growing occupied with Simeon, Elder and vampire. Dealing with death magic and vampires on a daily basis may leave Angel jaded when it comes to life and staying that way, but the more time he spends fending off the ancient vampire's attention and affections, the more he realizes he wants to give in.Can Angel find out who wants him dead, and keep his heart safe in the process? How can he fall for a vampire, when his whole family was torn apart by an army of the undead?
Death stalks the streets of Boston's historic Beacon Hill....and there is no one more suited to battle against death than a necromancer.
Excerpt:
“Prohibe eos,” Angel whispered, and the two vamps he held leashed to his will blitzed out, attacking the approaching vamps.Stop them.His attackers were not expecting the two vamps they were presumably coming to assist to suddenly turn and attack them—two of the other vamps ended up thrown over the crowd, landing on some tables as they fell to the ground. Drinks and screams spilled out, and Angel’s unwilling defenders spun, knocking back two more vamps closing in on him from behind. Angel kept the power pouring in, the tear in the veil held open by his willpower and nerves. Humans were screaming, confused, running over each other, pushing back against the tables and the bar, the dance floor emptying. Angel yanked on the blood in the two vamps and pulled them back to him, both of them crouched at his feet, hissing, fangs out and claws extended. “Necromancer!” Angel had no idea who screamed it, but the bar was shocked into motionlessness. Everyone froze where they stood, even the vamps in mid-stride coming back for another go at Angel and his new pets. The word necromancer raced across the room, and a hush settled that was creepier than the hissing moments before.Whispers rose and fell in waves amongst the crowd, people looking at each other with nervous expressions. A rumble of growls, a low, nearly inaudible hum through the room made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Angel sent out more power, tightening his foothold on the vamps at his feet, and they snarled in response.“All I wanted was to use the restroom, and I get attacked. I want nothing to do with violence, but I will use any means necessary to protect myself. Who is the Elder here?” Angel called out, throwing his voice over the heads of those watching. He might not be a big man, but he knew how to project his voice with authority.No one moved. Humans and vamps alike stared, and Angel tried to keep an eye on every corner of the bar, searching. For there to be this many vampires in one place there must be an Elder nearby, a vampire to control the lesser undead. He was hoping at least since he couldn’t very well keep his two vamps as slaves and walk out of the bar without having every vamp in the city wanting to kill him.“Necromancer,” a whisper graced his ear, and the shiver that ran down his spine was involuntary. Angel tensed, his body instinctively reacting to the presence of a predator. The vamps at his feet hissed and snarled, twisting like snakes in reaction to his nerves. It was all the reaction he let himself show, and he made himself relax and turn to face the vampire that suddenly materialized behind him.“You the Elder here?” Angel asked, doing his best not to show the pain of his injuries or the strain of holding raw veil-sourced power and two angry vamps to his will. Casting such a dynamic combination of instinctual spells and handling this much power was going to leave him dangerously exhausted if he didn’t end this and soon.The new vampire was dressed in a black tux and white tie that made him look like a red-headed James Bond. More auburn than true red, but he was hot, and his green eyes arrested a good portion of Angel’s attention. Full sexy lips and a strong jaw, he was absolutely Angel’s type, and if he wasn’t an undead monster Angel was tempted to ask him for his number. He then remembered where he was and what was happening, and frowned.“I am, necromancer. How are you this evening?” At the smoothly accented words, Angel’s cock made its interest known, twitching and thrumming. The red-head’s lips were unsmiling, but the corners twitched, and his eyes narrowed slightly. He could smell Angel’s blood, not to mention see it as it ran down his neck and shoulder and stained his shirt. The bastard could also smell just how aroused Angel was getting, and that pissed him off even more than the biting and attacking.“Oh, ya know. Hate Halloween. People always end up acting like idiots,” Angel replied, and for some reason Angel wanted to smile at the older vamp despite his temper, but he restrained himself. “Came to pick up my drunk brother and his bestie, got puked on, decided to wash my boots off in the bathroom, and got molested by the fangheads here.” Angel pointed at his feet, and the Elder’s eyes flickered down for a nanosecond before returning to Angel’s. “I said stop and they didn’t listen. I got …um…. Upset.”“Ah, so I see. Upset.” The Elder glanced around the room, noting the tables in disarray and the bruises forming on vamps and humans alike, and his lips twitched again. “I wonder what damage you could cause if you were truly angered?” he mused in a soft, low tone that purred within his accent.It was rhetorical, but Angel answered anyway. “Things get nasty.”“I’m certain they do.” The vampire looked around the room again, and straightened a cuff link that glittered from his sleeve. “It appears you have an apology due to you.”“That’s nice of you,” Angel said, and meant it. He was expecting to have to hand out some more threats, maybe blast a few more vamps, but if the old vamp wanted to play diplomat instead of entitled lord of the manor, that was good too.The old vamp chuckled, but still no smile. Angel didn’t know it was possible to laugh without smiling. “Nice. I haven’t been called nice in centuries.”“Meh. Nice, smice. So, can I release my newest acquisitions without things getting nasty here?” Angel eyed the crowd, and saw some anger out there, eyes glittering. “After I get my apology of course, and not to mention a promise of no more violence against me or mine.”“Negotiations. How elegant. When you hold all the power here, necromancer. Two fledglings under your sway, and poisoned by your blood. By rights, you could leave them to die.” The laughter was gone, but Angel saw something in the mossy depths of the master vamp’s eyes. Respect, maybe? He sensed nothing reminiscent of anger. The vamp was as calm as a frozen lake in January.“I get my apology, I release the two idiots licking my boots, and we all part ways, calm and alive,” Angel loudly enough for everyone to hear. “Oh, and no violence against me or mine.”“And if I cannot guarantee any of what you are requesting?” The vamp leaned down slightly, his voice low, the sexy burr to his words making Angel’s nerves dance with something other than fear.“Then I level this building on my way out, with undead bonfires lighting my path.” Angel may not be able to level this building before he was torn apart, but he could certainly end a few immortal lives before he died. It wouldn’t be the first time he decimated a swarm of undead.The vamps at his feet hissed, twisting against his will, staring up at the Elder vamp. He stared back at them for a long moment and then nodded his head.“I am Simeon, Elder of my Master’s Bloodclan. You are?” Simeon was an ancient name and fell out of use over a hundred years ago. That just elevated this vampire’s age in Angel’s estimation.Angel hesitated, thinking. It wouldn’t be hard to track him down, he knew for a fact he was the only necromancer in the whole state, so withholding his name was pointless. If they wanted to track him down later, they could, especially since Isaac and Greg were in here for hours.“Angel Salvatore.” Simeon’s eye twitched again, and Angel knew it was because of his name. Simeon recognized it, as did most supernats in the greater Boston area. In fact, most of the fangheads in the Northeast knew his name, and his reputation earned him a wide berth.
Available on Amazon and in Kindle Unlimited
February 16, 2016
Recent Release Review--Trusting Cade
Trusting CadeBy Luna DavidDebut Release!
Buy it on Amazon!
BLURB:
At 38, Zavier “Cade” McCade has it all: a military career he can be proud of, a successful business, and a close knit group of family and friends. A former Army Special Forces Captain, Cade leaves the military to create Custos Securities, a burgeoning protection agency that provides unparalleled security for both civilians and corporations across the U.S.
After a string of disastrous relationships—and a narrow escape from an abusive partner—Braden Cross is finally putting his past to rest. Combining both his passion for baking and his knack for business, Braden owns the Sugar n’ Spice Café with his best friend who concocts exotic coffees and teas that pair perfectly with his decadent confections.
When a stalker sets his sights on Braden, the young pastry chef’s world is turned upside down. More frightened than he cares to admit, and not knowing where to turn, Braden is relieved when Cade steps in to offer his protection. Caught up in a maelstrom of threats, break-ins, and vandalism, the two draw closer together. Braden eventually realizes that he can trust Cade with his life, but he finds himself wondering… can he trust him with his heart?
My review below!!
Trusting CadeBook One of Custos Securities Series #1By Luna David
4.75 Stars out of 5 Stars
For debut novels, there are certain qualities that a reader can expect to find—clumsy storytelling, erratic character development, hyperbole and spurious motives attributed to characters’ decisions and actions—and yet with this book, first novel by the newcomer Luna David, I found none of the typical issues and every kind of good!
I enjoyed myself, and had to force myself to stop reading to do mundane things like sleep, eat, get dressed, etc. At a hefty 112,000 words, Trusting Cade is a delightful trip through the everyman’s life, filled with real life issues like medical conditions, running a business, and imperfect past relationships.
Cade, our aforementioned hero, is capable, charming, efficient and intelligent—and needs someone to love. All his past relationships had the flaw of being with men just like him—as he is a former soldier, most of the men he dated were soldiers as well, and none of those relationships lasted. Cooper, best friend and co-owner of Custos Securities, brings to light Cade’s issue—he’s looking in the wrong places for love. He needs someone who needs him in return—enter Braden.
Braden has been suffering in silence for months. Plagued by a stalker, Braden has barely managed to hold himself together until his secret is exposed by his best friend. Braden is diabetic, suffers migraines, and is a sexual abuse survivor—and while this may make you believe him to be a pushover and helpless, he is anything but! Braden just needs help—and gets it with Cade.
My only issues with the book were the author’s tendencies to have her characters speak in monologues—typical responses were far more verbose than a natural conversation tends to be, especially with multiple characters talking to each other. Add in some minor head-hopping that is usually served best by sections breaks and changing of POVs, these two minor issues did not detract from my overall enjoyment and I was able to ignore them easily as I read the book.
Alpha male guardian meets adorable and in trouble bakery owner, and coffee-cake fueled passion erupts! Threats, break-ins, kidnappings—it happens. With a delightful supporting cast of characters and a disturbing villain, Trusting Cade hit all my hot buttons for m/m romance. Sex, love, character development and a tension-filled HFN ending that perfectly sets up Book Two, Trusting Cade is forever on my Re-read List.
4.75/5 Stars!
Buy it on Amazon!!
Buy it on Amazon!
BLURB:
At 38, Zavier “Cade” McCade has it all: a military career he can be proud of, a successful business, and a close knit group of family and friends. A former Army Special Forces Captain, Cade leaves the military to create Custos Securities, a burgeoning protection agency that provides unparalleled security for both civilians and corporations across the U.S.
After a string of disastrous relationships—and a narrow escape from an abusive partner—Braden Cross is finally putting his past to rest. Combining both his passion for baking and his knack for business, Braden owns the Sugar n’ Spice Café with his best friend who concocts exotic coffees and teas that pair perfectly with his decadent confections.
When a stalker sets his sights on Braden, the young pastry chef’s world is turned upside down. More frightened than he cares to admit, and not knowing where to turn, Braden is relieved when Cade steps in to offer his protection. Caught up in a maelstrom of threats, break-ins, and vandalism, the two draw closer together. Braden eventually realizes that he can trust Cade with his life, but he finds himself wondering… can he trust him with his heart?
My review below!!
Trusting CadeBook One of Custos Securities Series #1By Luna David
4.75 Stars out of 5 Stars
For debut novels, there are certain qualities that a reader can expect to find—clumsy storytelling, erratic character development, hyperbole and spurious motives attributed to characters’ decisions and actions—and yet with this book, first novel by the newcomer Luna David, I found none of the typical issues and every kind of good!
I enjoyed myself, and had to force myself to stop reading to do mundane things like sleep, eat, get dressed, etc. At a hefty 112,000 words, Trusting Cade is a delightful trip through the everyman’s life, filled with real life issues like medical conditions, running a business, and imperfect past relationships.
Cade, our aforementioned hero, is capable, charming, efficient and intelligent—and needs someone to love. All his past relationships had the flaw of being with men just like him—as he is a former soldier, most of the men he dated were soldiers as well, and none of those relationships lasted. Cooper, best friend and co-owner of Custos Securities, brings to light Cade’s issue—he’s looking in the wrong places for love. He needs someone who needs him in return—enter Braden.
Braden has been suffering in silence for months. Plagued by a stalker, Braden has barely managed to hold himself together until his secret is exposed by his best friend. Braden is diabetic, suffers migraines, and is a sexual abuse survivor—and while this may make you believe him to be a pushover and helpless, he is anything but! Braden just needs help—and gets it with Cade.
My only issues with the book were the author’s tendencies to have her characters speak in monologues—typical responses were far more verbose than a natural conversation tends to be, especially with multiple characters talking to each other. Add in some minor head-hopping that is usually served best by sections breaks and changing of POVs, these two minor issues did not detract from my overall enjoyment and I was able to ignore them easily as I read the book.
Alpha male guardian meets adorable and in trouble bakery owner, and coffee-cake fueled passion erupts! Threats, break-ins, kidnappings—it happens. With a delightful supporting cast of characters and a disturbing villain, Trusting Cade hit all my hot buttons for m/m romance. Sex, love, character development and a tension-filled HFN ending that perfectly sets up Book Two, Trusting Cade is forever on my Re-read List.
4.75/5 Stars!
Buy it on Amazon!!
December 15, 2015
New Blog Home!
Moving To My Website
I've got a brand-new website that is taking over for my blogger. Instead of importing my blog posts to the new site, I will be posting from there from now on.
It's @ www.sjhimes.com and I can't wait to see you there!
Come and Join Me!
I've got a brand-new website that is taking over for my blogger. Instead of importing my blog posts to the new site, I will be posting from there from now on.
It's @ www.sjhimes.com and I can't wait to see you there!
Come and Join Me!
November 27, 2015
The Secret of Obedience Release Day Guest Author Post
The Secret of ObedienceBy Liv RancourtRelease day November 27th, 2015!!
I want to welcome Liv Rancourt to my blog! A talented and fresh perspective in the m/m genre, and I can't wait to read this one!
I love this cover. Elegant, sexy, mysterious.
BOOK BLURBRonnie Durand is a country boy who transfers to the University of Washington after two years at Central. He'll have to give up playing football, though finishing his education at a major university in Seattle - and being out and proud without having to look over his shoulder - makes the sacrifice worthwhile.
But finding friends at a huge school is tough, especially when the hottest guy Ronnie meets makes him doubt his own sanity.
Sang's been on his own a long time. He's only a couple steps away from living on the street, and he's got dreams so big they don't leave space for a steady boyfriend. Then he meets Ronnie, who just might be strong enough to break through his barriers....as long as Sang lets him in on one big secret.
Buy Links (ARe & Evernight still pending)
Amazon - ARe - Evernight
Here's Liv herself on the book:
Thanks so much, SJ, for having me on your blog today! I really appreciate the shout-out, because I’m pretty excited about my new release, The Secret of Obedience.Can a jock find love with a hot little hipster? Opposites attract, but secrets divide.That’s the fifteen-word summary of my novella. Basically Ronnie’s a former football player who transfers to the University of Washington after two years of Community College, because he wants to finish his degree at a big school. Even more important to him is the chance to live in Seattle, where he can be as gay as he wants to be without anyone getting up in his face about it.He meets Sang, who’s young, Asian, ambiguous, and sexy as hell. They connect – or at least Ronnie thinks they connect – but Sang’s a hard guy to pin down. I don’t really want to say too much more, because the ending’s a bit of a twist and I want it to be a surprise. I will say that the idea for this story started in a class I took last winter. Strategies for Writing Fresh, taught by Kerri-Leigh Grady through SavvyAuthors.com, was a great learning experience and a lot of fun, as well. Kerri-Leigh gave us a number of exercises where we were expected to take standard romance tropes and twist them in different ways. For example, one of the ideas I came up with was to take the basic plot of Wuthering Heights and re-do it in contemporary L.A., with Heathcliff as a biker.Don’t steal that one. It’s mine.Now, if I told you which trope I tweaked for The Secret of Obedience, it’d totally give the ending away, so …lalala…not saying.Ha!Readers will have to figure it out for themselves, and I hope people have as much fun reading about Ronnie and Sang as I did writing their story. They may not appear all that similar, but they’re both disciplined, hard-working, and a little flashy. And yeah, I don’t think I’m giving anything away to say they get their happily ever after. It is a romance, after all.
Author Bio:
I write romance: m/f, m/m, and v/h, where the h is for human and the v is for vampire … or sometimes demon … I lean more towards funny than angst. When I’m not writing I take care of tiny premature babies or teenagers, depending on whether I’m at home or at work. My husband is a soul of patience, my dog’s cuteness is legendary, and we share the homestead with three ferrets. Who steal things. Because they’re brats.I can be found on-line at all hours of the day and night at my website & blog, on Facebook, or on Twitter. For sneak peeks and previews and other assorted freebies, go HERE to sign up for my mailing list. Come find me. We’ll have fun!
RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
Click here for the giveaway link!
Thanks for stopping by Liv!
And, just so everyone knows, Liv and I are both part of a wonderful holiday anthology called Home for the Holidays, out on Nov. 29th, 2015. We're in great company with Felice Stevens, Jenna Kendrick and Heather C. Leigh!
Check it out!
Amazon$4.99 and all proceeds go to the Ali Forney Center in NYC for at risk and homeless LGBTQ youth.
I want to welcome Liv Rancourt to my blog! A talented and fresh perspective in the m/m genre, and I can't wait to read this one!
I love this cover. Elegant, sexy, mysterious.
BOOK BLURBRonnie Durand is a country boy who transfers to the University of Washington after two years at Central. He'll have to give up playing football, though finishing his education at a major university in Seattle - and being out and proud without having to look over his shoulder - makes the sacrifice worthwhile.
But finding friends at a huge school is tough, especially when the hottest guy Ronnie meets makes him doubt his own sanity.
Sang's been on his own a long time. He's only a couple steps away from living on the street, and he's got dreams so big they don't leave space for a steady boyfriend. Then he meets Ronnie, who just might be strong enough to break through his barriers....as long as Sang lets him in on one big secret.
Buy Links (ARe & Evernight still pending)
Amazon - ARe - Evernight
Here's Liv herself on the book:
Thanks so much, SJ, for having me on your blog today! I really appreciate the shout-out, because I’m pretty excited about my new release, The Secret of Obedience.Can a jock find love with a hot little hipster? Opposites attract, but secrets divide.That’s the fifteen-word summary of my novella. Basically Ronnie’s a former football player who transfers to the University of Washington after two years of Community College, because he wants to finish his degree at a big school. Even more important to him is the chance to live in Seattle, where he can be as gay as he wants to be without anyone getting up in his face about it.He meets Sang, who’s young, Asian, ambiguous, and sexy as hell. They connect – or at least Ronnie thinks they connect – but Sang’s a hard guy to pin down. I don’t really want to say too much more, because the ending’s a bit of a twist and I want it to be a surprise. I will say that the idea for this story started in a class I took last winter. Strategies for Writing Fresh, taught by Kerri-Leigh Grady through SavvyAuthors.com, was a great learning experience and a lot of fun, as well. Kerri-Leigh gave us a number of exercises where we were expected to take standard romance tropes and twist them in different ways. For example, one of the ideas I came up with was to take the basic plot of Wuthering Heights and re-do it in contemporary L.A., with Heathcliff as a biker.Don’t steal that one. It’s mine.Now, if I told you which trope I tweaked for The Secret of Obedience, it’d totally give the ending away, so …lalala…not saying.Ha!Readers will have to figure it out for themselves, and I hope people have as much fun reading about Ronnie and Sang as I did writing their story. They may not appear all that similar, but they’re both disciplined, hard-working, and a little flashy. And yeah, I don’t think I’m giving anything away to say they get their happily ever after. It is a romance, after all.
Author Bio:
I write romance: m/f, m/m, and v/h, where the h is for human and the v is for vampire … or sometimes demon … I lean more towards funny than angst. When I’m not writing I take care of tiny premature babies or teenagers, depending on whether I’m at home or at work. My husband is a soul of patience, my dog’s cuteness is legendary, and we share the homestead with three ferrets. Who steal things. Because they’re brats.I can be found on-line at all hours of the day and night at my website & blog, on Facebook, or on Twitter. For sneak peeks and previews and other assorted freebies, go HERE to sign up for my mailing list. Come find me. We’ll have fun!
RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY
Click here for the giveaway link!
Thanks for stopping by Liv!
And, just so everyone knows, Liv and I are both part of a wonderful holiday anthology called Home for the Holidays, out on Nov. 29th, 2015. We're in great company with Felice Stevens, Jenna Kendrick and Heather C. Leigh!
Check it out!
Amazon$4.99 and all proceeds go to the Ali Forney Center in NYC for at risk and homeless LGBTQ youth.
November 19, 2015
Wolf of the Northern Star Cover Reveal
Wolf of the Northern StarCover Reveal!!!
Artwork by Kellie Dennis Book Cover By Design
Kellie is a genius. I have actually lost track of how many times I've said that....but she really is a genius. Kellie has never let me down, and I swear she reads my mind when it comes to cover art.
It is a pleasure to share with the world the cover for Wolf of the Northern Star! Enjoy!
Cover art by Kellie Dennis of Book Cover By Design
Wolf of the Northern Star is coming to ereaders in January 2016.Preorder will go live in December 2015.
Book TWO of The Wolfkin Saga.
BLURB:
After a lifetime apart, wolfkin Ghost and Kane are reunited. Together they defeat an old enemy and root out a festering evil from the center of their clan and family.Ghost, once known as the cub Luca, is finally home. Back among his kind and learning what it means to be both a man and a shaman, Ghost battles the expectations of his people, his family, and the pressures of a society that is both foreign and familiar. His power is greater than any seen before, dwarfing that of even the legendary Shaman Gray Shadow—and his union with Kane places him in the center of a controversy that rattles wolfkin society around the world.Kane, greater alpha and Heir to Black Pine Clan, has finally defeated the traitor and murderer that destroyed the heart of Black Pine years before. Freed at last from guilt and pain, Kane has a new enemy to face: his own people. Placed on trial for violation of Law and blasphemy, Kane will have to fight to the death to preserve his bond with Ghost and keep his mate and people safe.The soulbond between Ghost and Kane is forged by the creator and Goddess of the wolfkin. Usually a sacred and treasured union that honors the pair and their clans, this soulbond is seen not as a gift, but a threat to eons of tradition and Clan Law. The union of a Shaman and Alpha is anathema—but how to reconcile that belief when it is the wolfkin Goddess who forged it? Can Ghost and Kane save themselves, preserve their bond, and find a new future when the laws of the ancient past threaten to tear them apart?Ghost and Kane fight for their lives, their love, and seek answers from the enigmatic deity known as The Wolf of The Northern Star…..
Excerpt:
Ghost crept forward, the flickering light from the fires camouflaging his approach to the cage where his mate paced. Kane was in his wolf-form, the great and beautiful beast almost too big for his prison. Ghost could see him with his Spirit-sight, Kane’s powerful crimson red star in his core a writhing storm of strength and resolute determination.
Ghost was within a yard or so when Kane’s head turned in his direction, his dark eyes glowing in the shadows, the only hint of his outline in the darkness.
*Little wolf, you must leave,* Kane said, the frantic concern he felt for Ghost’s safety coming through clearly along their link. *The tribunal will punish you if they catch you here!*
*No!* Ghost retorted, stepping through the dead grass and weeds beside the cage. He pressed his head through the bars, only able to get his nose and muzzle inside. He was not afraid of wolves who went against the Great Mother’s will, wolves who wanted Kane punished for having too much power—power they couldn’t control or exploit. Kane licked his nose, whining deep in his throat. *I will not leave you alone. You fight for me, for us. What the tribunal is doing is wrong, and you know it!**It is, little wolf, but they do what they feel is right,* Kane said softly, pressing his head to Ghost’s, the bars keeping them from getting closer. *I am Heir and Alpha, and I cannot disobey the Law.*
*Law made by wolves who no longer believe, no longer follow our Goddess. They quote Her Will without once asking for Her guidance. She made this bond between us, and I am thankful every moonrise that she did,* Ghost whimpered, thinking he should just use his abilities to destroy his mate’s prison and free them both. Let them leave, live in the wilds, wolves unfettered by corrupt Law and greed.
*No, Ghost,* Kane told him, reading his thoughts. *I will fight tomorrow, and defeat Roman. I have done so before, easily. He will die, as justice for his crimes, and I will be exonerated when the gathered shamans cannot dissolve our soulbond. Don’t worry.*
Ghost was about to answer, when the crack of a twig in the night made them break apart, both turning to confront the wolf standing nearby. Ghost swallowed his snarl, instantly recognizing Andromeda’s true-gold star, shining intensely in the heart of the Red Fern Clan Leader. The White Wolf padded silently into the small space around the cage, and sat beside Ghost, her wolf-form terrifying in its beauty and grace. Pure white, glacial blue eyes, and fangs sharper than the final cut of Death, Andromeda was the epitome of the wolfkin.
*You would win, Kane of Black Pine,* she said gently to both of them, *If the tribunal had not just decided that you will no longer fight Roman McLennan. He will face death in the pit against Heromindes, Clan Alpha of Ashland.*
*And who will Kane fight?* Ghost demanded, paws restless in the pine needles under his toes. Kane was breathing slow and sure next to him, both of them staring at Andromeda, waiting for the name of Kane’s opponent in the morning.
*Forgive me, younglings,* She said, ears back, nose down, unhappiness for once disturbing her usually stony expression. *For once, I do not know. A greater alpha, summoned this night from out-Clan. He arrives in the morning.*
Artwork by Kellie Dennis Book Cover By Design
Kellie is a genius. I have actually lost track of how many times I've said that....but she really is a genius. Kellie has never let me down, and I swear she reads my mind when it comes to cover art.
It is a pleasure to share with the world the cover for Wolf of the Northern Star! Enjoy!
Cover art by Kellie Dennis of Book Cover By DesignWolf of the Northern Star is coming to ereaders in January 2016.Preorder will go live in December 2015.
Book TWO of The Wolfkin Saga.
BLURB:
After a lifetime apart, wolfkin Ghost and Kane are reunited. Together they defeat an old enemy and root out a festering evil from the center of their clan and family.Ghost, once known as the cub Luca, is finally home. Back among his kind and learning what it means to be both a man and a shaman, Ghost battles the expectations of his people, his family, and the pressures of a society that is both foreign and familiar. His power is greater than any seen before, dwarfing that of even the legendary Shaman Gray Shadow—and his union with Kane places him in the center of a controversy that rattles wolfkin society around the world.Kane, greater alpha and Heir to Black Pine Clan, has finally defeated the traitor and murderer that destroyed the heart of Black Pine years before. Freed at last from guilt and pain, Kane has a new enemy to face: his own people. Placed on trial for violation of Law and blasphemy, Kane will have to fight to the death to preserve his bond with Ghost and keep his mate and people safe.The soulbond between Ghost and Kane is forged by the creator and Goddess of the wolfkin. Usually a sacred and treasured union that honors the pair and their clans, this soulbond is seen not as a gift, but a threat to eons of tradition and Clan Law. The union of a Shaman and Alpha is anathema—but how to reconcile that belief when it is the wolfkin Goddess who forged it? Can Ghost and Kane save themselves, preserve their bond, and find a new future when the laws of the ancient past threaten to tear them apart?Ghost and Kane fight for their lives, their love, and seek answers from the enigmatic deity known as The Wolf of The Northern Star…..
Excerpt:
Ghost crept forward, the flickering light from the fires camouflaging his approach to the cage where his mate paced. Kane was in his wolf-form, the great and beautiful beast almost too big for his prison. Ghost could see him with his Spirit-sight, Kane’s powerful crimson red star in his core a writhing storm of strength and resolute determination.
Ghost was within a yard or so when Kane’s head turned in his direction, his dark eyes glowing in the shadows, the only hint of his outline in the darkness.
*Little wolf, you must leave,* Kane said, the frantic concern he felt for Ghost’s safety coming through clearly along their link. *The tribunal will punish you if they catch you here!*
*No!* Ghost retorted, stepping through the dead grass and weeds beside the cage. He pressed his head through the bars, only able to get his nose and muzzle inside. He was not afraid of wolves who went against the Great Mother’s will, wolves who wanted Kane punished for having too much power—power they couldn’t control or exploit. Kane licked his nose, whining deep in his throat. *I will not leave you alone. You fight for me, for us. What the tribunal is doing is wrong, and you know it!**It is, little wolf, but they do what they feel is right,* Kane said softly, pressing his head to Ghost’s, the bars keeping them from getting closer. *I am Heir and Alpha, and I cannot disobey the Law.*
*Law made by wolves who no longer believe, no longer follow our Goddess. They quote Her Will without once asking for Her guidance. She made this bond between us, and I am thankful every moonrise that she did,* Ghost whimpered, thinking he should just use his abilities to destroy his mate’s prison and free them both. Let them leave, live in the wilds, wolves unfettered by corrupt Law and greed.
*No, Ghost,* Kane told him, reading his thoughts. *I will fight tomorrow, and defeat Roman. I have done so before, easily. He will die, as justice for his crimes, and I will be exonerated when the gathered shamans cannot dissolve our soulbond. Don’t worry.*
Ghost was about to answer, when the crack of a twig in the night made them break apart, both turning to confront the wolf standing nearby. Ghost swallowed his snarl, instantly recognizing Andromeda’s true-gold star, shining intensely in the heart of the Red Fern Clan Leader. The White Wolf padded silently into the small space around the cage, and sat beside Ghost, her wolf-form terrifying in its beauty and grace. Pure white, glacial blue eyes, and fangs sharper than the final cut of Death, Andromeda was the epitome of the wolfkin.
*You would win, Kane of Black Pine,* she said gently to both of them, *If the tribunal had not just decided that you will no longer fight Roman McLennan. He will face death in the pit against Heromindes, Clan Alpha of Ashland.*
*And who will Kane fight?* Ghost demanded, paws restless in the pine needles under his toes. Kane was breathing slow and sure next to him, both of them staring at Andromeda, waiting for the name of Kane’s opponent in the morning.
*Forgive me, younglings,* She said, ears back, nose down, unhappiness for once disturbing her usually stony expression. *For once, I do not know. A greater alpha, summoned this night from out-Clan. He arrives in the morning.*
November 2, 2015
November is the Month of Plenty
Too Many DelightsBooks this Month:
Bred For Love Book Three: A Royal Rebellion by Revella Hawthorne (me)
Saving Silasby SJ HimesPublished in the Home For The HolidaysA M/M Anthology
This month is full of releases, recent releases, and purely awesome talent that leaves me swooning. Aside from my own books that are coming out this month, there was a very recent release I'd like to share with the world--M.A. Church's Behind The Eight Ball.
Behind the Eight Ball
Behind the Eight Ballby MA Church
Here's the blurb:
Fur, Fangs, and Felines: Book Two
A cool morning, a yard full of birds, and a kitty on a mission. What more could a werecat want? Beta Heller Wirth has it all, except a mate—a shifter mate, that is. The last thing he wants is one of those dangerous humans who kill without remorse. Heller knows about that firsthand. So what does the goddess Bast do? She gives Heller exactly what he does not want—a human: business owner Lawson Dupre.
Lawson hasn’t a clue what just happened in his car detail shop. One minute a cute client is about to pass out, and then he perks up and starts flirting. Next thing, he runs out the door like the hounds of hell are after him. Learning that Heller is a werecat doesn’t freak out Lawson. He happens to be one of those rare humans who knows paranormals exists. He even lives with one. Watch the fur fly as Heller and Lawson battle hurt feelings, misguided beliefs, and a power shift in Heller’s clowder.
My Review:5 Stars
I will gleefully and without reservation admit to bias in the case of this author and her work--her books are exactly what I love to read, what I need to read. She hits the magical shifter buttons and doesn't oversell it.
Heller and Lawson are perfect foils of each other. Where one lacks in personality or quirk, the other counterbalances. Heller is my boo--that poor kitty. He is hurt and traumatized and the best part yet--he doesn't spend his time bemoaning the horrors of his past. They haunt him, sure, but he doesn't act the part of a martyr. His sarcasm, wit, and almost knee-jerk reaction to be something of an ass made me love him fast and true.
Lawson--what a man. Dependable, brave, even-keeled and a generous friend. He has a foot in the door to the paranormal world, in the case of his roomies and work partners, two supernats who define super-hot and super-powerful for me. The twin Vetalas almost take over the book, but in a way that leaves me wanting their stories too.
The sexual tension between Heller and Lawson is a perfect blend of "OMG come on already!" and "Oh Thank GAWD, that felt so good", and I love the balance. The mate recognition scene written from Heller's POV was intoxicating and perfectly captures the infatuation and powerful attraction he feels when he first meets Lawson, and it will leave your reeling just like Heller.
The plot is standalone, but MA has written this book in such a way it feels like I just put the first one down--the world, the feel, the sensations garnered by the first book are carried seamlessly over into the second book. And MA Church resolves the plot for Heller and Lawson, but leaves the setup for Book 3 in play, and I am chomping at the bit for her to finish it!
Though I shouldn't rush her--she puts out quality over quantity, and that's just fine by me.
Amazon US Link:
Behind the Eight Ball
A Royal RebellionBred For Love SeriesBook Threeby Revella HawthorneAKA Me!
RELEASE DATE: November 10th, 2015
Blurb:
Hunted by the crown, Prince Edward of Cassia struggles to adjust to his new reality. His consort and lover Percy is pregnant with their child. Their friend, Abelard Reynard, a former captain in the Royal Guard, never strays far from Percy or Edward, determined to keep them both safe. Edward, no stranger to hard work, is still at a loss when the hardship of a life on the run catches up with them. Percy's pregnancy progresses at a rapid rate, and the palace guards are always a step behind. It takes Reynard's skills from his secretive military career, an unexpected ally from within the Cassian Dynasty, and the love between Percy and Edward to keep the three of them safe as Percy's time draws near.
Keeping themselves safe and together may have been their goal originally, but as the trio travels across Cassia, through the garbage-strewn alleys of abandoned hamlets, to the opulence of the nobility's drawing rooms, the effects of their journey leave behind a lasting impression.
A rebellion is brewing in Cassia...sparked not from the lashes of oppression and cruelty, but born from love and a desire to see all of humanity treated as equals.
The third book of the grand love affair between prince and slave comes to a riotous climax in A Royal Rebellion
165 pages. Contains MATURE CONTENT AND VIOLENCE. You're welcome.
Author's Note:1. There will be a birth in this book!2. The circumstances around the resolution of book three has necessitated that there be BOOK FOUR!!! Look for it sometime in Spring 2016.
Amazon Buy Link US:
A Royal Rebellion
Saving SilasA Holiday Novella28.8k wordsBy SJ Himes
RELEASE DATE: November 29th, 2015
Part of the Home For The Holidays M/M Holiday AnthologyCo-Authors are:
Felice StevensFelice Steven's Amazon PageJenna KendrickJenna's Amazon PageHeather C. LeighHeather's Amazon PageLiv RancourtLiv's Amazon page
Blurb:
Home can be a person as well as a place. Everyone deserves a home for the holidays, as the stories in this collection affirm.
The Eighth Night by Jenna Kendrick
Going home for the holiday only to find his parents have made other plans, Kai Meyers is thrilled to reunite with an old friend. Disowned by his religious family, Ari Fisher is used to being treated like a boy toy rather than a boyfriend, and now he only has eight days to reveal his secrets to Kai.
24-Hour Hold by Heather C. Leigh
Detectives Damon Porter and Anderson Malloy are now partners at Denver’s Major Case Unit. The problem is, they used to be boyfriends, and now they’re feeling anything but friendly towards each other.
Learning to Love by Felice Stevens
Returning home for the holiday, caterer Gideon Marks tried hard to push away his high school crush. But Rabbi Jonah Fine wouldn’t let him run again, or keep the secret Gideon’s tried so desperately to hide.
Saving Silas by SJ Himes
Paramedic Gael Dominic wasn’t expecting much from the holidays. Blood, death, and loneliness were constants. So when tragedy puts a wounded Silas in his path, Gael takes a chance on his alleyway angel and love.
Christmas in LaLa Land by Liv Rancourt
For a Danaan sidhe like Aron, touching a human has consequences, while Damian’s hiding some serious scars behind his smile. A holiday trip to LA forces them to choose between acting on their attraction or giving up on love because of the past.
Proceeds from Home for the Holidays are being donated to the Ali Forney Center in New York City to help homeless LGBTQ youth.
**Final word count estimated at 110K***
Anthology's Amazon Page
Thanks for hanging around! Have a wonderful holiday season!
Bred For Love Book Three: A Royal Rebellion by Revella Hawthorne (me)
Saving Silasby SJ HimesPublished in the Home For The HolidaysA M/M Anthology
This month is full of releases, recent releases, and purely awesome talent that leaves me swooning. Aside from my own books that are coming out this month, there was a very recent release I'd like to share with the world--M.A. Church's Behind The Eight Ball.
Behind the Eight BallBehind the Eight Ballby MA Church
Here's the blurb:
Fur, Fangs, and Felines: Book Two
A cool morning, a yard full of birds, and a kitty on a mission. What more could a werecat want? Beta Heller Wirth has it all, except a mate—a shifter mate, that is. The last thing he wants is one of those dangerous humans who kill without remorse. Heller knows about that firsthand. So what does the goddess Bast do? She gives Heller exactly what he does not want—a human: business owner Lawson Dupre.
Lawson hasn’t a clue what just happened in his car detail shop. One minute a cute client is about to pass out, and then he perks up and starts flirting. Next thing, he runs out the door like the hounds of hell are after him. Learning that Heller is a werecat doesn’t freak out Lawson. He happens to be one of those rare humans who knows paranormals exists. He even lives with one. Watch the fur fly as Heller and Lawson battle hurt feelings, misguided beliefs, and a power shift in Heller’s clowder.
My Review:5 Stars
I will gleefully and without reservation admit to bias in the case of this author and her work--her books are exactly what I love to read, what I need to read. She hits the magical shifter buttons and doesn't oversell it.
Heller and Lawson are perfect foils of each other. Where one lacks in personality or quirk, the other counterbalances. Heller is my boo--that poor kitty. He is hurt and traumatized and the best part yet--he doesn't spend his time bemoaning the horrors of his past. They haunt him, sure, but he doesn't act the part of a martyr. His sarcasm, wit, and almost knee-jerk reaction to be something of an ass made me love him fast and true.
Lawson--what a man. Dependable, brave, even-keeled and a generous friend. He has a foot in the door to the paranormal world, in the case of his roomies and work partners, two supernats who define super-hot and super-powerful for me. The twin Vetalas almost take over the book, but in a way that leaves me wanting their stories too.
The sexual tension between Heller and Lawson is a perfect blend of "OMG come on already!" and "Oh Thank GAWD, that felt so good", and I love the balance. The mate recognition scene written from Heller's POV was intoxicating and perfectly captures the infatuation and powerful attraction he feels when he first meets Lawson, and it will leave your reeling just like Heller.
The plot is standalone, but MA has written this book in such a way it feels like I just put the first one down--the world, the feel, the sensations garnered by the first book are carried seamlessly over into the second book. And MA Church resolves the plot for Heller and Lawson, but leaves the setup for Book 3 in play, and I am chomping at the bit for her to finish it!
Though I shouldn't rush her--she puts out quality over quantity, and that's just fine by me.
Amazon US Link:
Behind the Eight Ball
A Royal RebellionBred For Love SeriesBook Threeby Revella HawthorneAKA Me!
RELEASE DATE: November 10th, 2015
Blurb:
Hunted by the crown, Prince Edward of Cassia struggles to adjust to his new reality. His consort and lover Percy is pregnant with their child. Their friend, Abelard Reynard, a former captain in the Royal Guard, never strays far from Percy or Edward, determined to keep them both safe. Edward, no stranger to hard work, is still at a loss when the hardship of a life on the run catches up with them. Percy's pregnancy progresses at a rapid rate, and the palace guards are always a step behind. It takes Reynard's skills from his secretive military career, an unexpected ally from within the Cassian Dynasty, and the love between Percy and Edward to keep the three of them safe as Percy's time draws near.
Keeping themselves safe and together may have been their goal originally, but as the trio travels across Cassia, through the garbage-strewn alleys of abandoned hamlets, to the opulence of the nobility's drawing rooms, the effects of their journey leave behind a lasting impression.
A rebellion is brewing in Cassia...sparked not from the lashes of oppression and cruelty, but born from love and a desire to see all of humanity treated as equals.
The third book of the grand love affair between prince and slave comes to a riotous climax in A Royal Rebellion
165 pages. Contains MATURE CONTENT AND VIOLENCE. You're welcome.
Author's Note:1. There will be a birth in this book!2. The circumstances around the resolution of book three has necessitated that there be BOOK FOUR!!! Look for it sometime in Spring 2016.
Amazon Buy Link US:
A Royal Rebellion
Saving SilasA Holiday Novella28.8k wordsBy SJ Himes
RELEASE DATE: November 29th, 2015
Part of the Home For The Holidays M/M Holiday AnthologyCo-Authors are:
Felice StevensFelice Steven's Amazon PageJenna KendrickJenna's Amazon PageHeather C. LeighHeather's Amazon PageLiv RancourtLiv's Amazon page
Blurb:
Home can be a person as well as a place. Everyone deserves a home for the holidays, as the stories in this collection affirm.
The Eighth Night by Jenna Kendrick
Going home for the holiday only to find his parents have made other plans, Kai Meyers is thrilled to reunite with an old friend. Disowned by his religious family, Ari Fisher is used to being treated like a boy toy rather than a boyfriend, and now he only has eight days to reveal his secrets to Kai.
24-Hour Hold by Heather C. Leigh
Detectives Damon Porter and Anderson Malloy are now partners at Denver’s Major Case Unit. The problem is, they used to be boyfriends, and now they’re feeling anything but friendly towards each other.
Learning to Love by Felice Stevens
Returning home for the holiday, caterer Gideon Marks tried hard to push away his high school crush. But Rabbi Jonah Fine wouldn’t let him run again, or keep the secret Gideon’s tried so desperately to hide.
Saving Silas by SJ Himes
Paramedic Gael Dominic wasn’t expecting much from the holidays. Blood, death, and loneliness were constants. So when tragedy puts a wounded Silas in his path, Gael takes a chance on his alleyway angel and love.
Christmas in LaLa Land by Liv Rancourt
For a Danaan sidhe like Aron, touching a human has consequences, while Damian’s hiding some serious scars behind his smile. A holiday trip to LA forces them to choose between acting on their attraction or giving up on love because of the past.
Proceeds from Home for the Holidays are being donated to the Ali Forney Center in New York City to help homeless LGBTQ youth.
**Final word count estimated at 110K***Anthology's Amazon Page
Thanks for hanging around! Have a wonderful holiday season!
September 8, 2015
A Royal Rebellion
A Royal Rebellion***Release DateNovember 10th, 2015***Book Three of the Bred For Love Series
(That's supposed to be Edward on the cover. Mmmmhhhmmmmm.)
Runaway Characters....In More Ways Than One
Never did I expect to have a Nanowrimo writing challenge blossom into a three book series about Mpreg--BUT it did! And I don't regret a second of it at all.
And don't think for a second that I'm done at three books, either. There happens to be a certain captain of the guard who needs some love, too.....
Official Blurb:
Third Book in the Bred For Love Series
Hunted by the crown, Prince Edward of Cassia struggles to adjust to his new reality. His consort and lover Percy is pregnant with their child. Their friend, Abelard Reynard, a former captain in the Royal Guard, never strays far from Percy or Edward, determined to keep them both safe. Edward, no stranger to hard work, is still at a loss when the hardship of a life on the run catches up with them. Percy's pregnancy progresses at a rapid rate, and the palace guards are always a step behind. It takes Reynard's skills from his secretive military career, an unexpected ally from within the Cassian Dynasty, and the love between Percy and Edward to keep the three of them safe as Percy's time draws near.
Keeping themselves safe and together may have been their goal originally, but as the trio travels across Cassia, through the garbage-strewn alleys of abandoned hamlets, to the opulence of the nobility's drawing rooms, the effects of their journey leave behind a lasting impression.
A rebellion is brewing in Cassia...sparked not from the lashes of oppression and cruelty, but born from love and a desire to see all of humanity treated as equals.
The final book of the grand love affair between prince and slave comes to a riotous conclusion in A Royal Rebellion.
(Book will be approximately 150 pgs upon release. Contains mature content.)
Pre-Order Link For A Royal Rebellion
Bred For LoveBooks 1-3
My Amazon Author Page for ALL Three Books
More Content to Come As Release Date approaches!
(That's supposed to be Edward on the cover. Mmmmhhhmmmmm.)Runaway Characters....In More Ways Than One
Never did I expect to have a Nanowrimo writing challenge blossom into a three book series about Mpreg--BUT it did! And I don't regret a second of it at all.
And don't think for a second that I'm done at three books, either. There happens to be a certain captain of the guard who needs some love, too.....
Official Blurb:
Third Book in the Bred For Love Series
Hunted by the crown, Prince Edward of Cassia struggles to adjust to his new reality. His consort and lover Percy is pregnant with their child. Their friend, Abelard Reynard, a former captain in the Royal Guard, never strays far from Percy or Edward, determined to keep them both safe. Edward, no stranger to hard work, is still at a loss when the hardship of a life on the run catches up with them. Percy's pregnancy progresses at a rapid rate, and the palace guards are always a step behind. It takes Reynard's skills from his secretive military career, an unexpected ally from within the Cassian Dynasty, and the love between Percy and Edward to keep the three of them safe as Percy's time draws near.
Keeping themselves safe and together may have been their goal originally, but as the trio travels across Cassia, through the garbage-strewn alleys of abandoned hamlets, to the opulence of the nobility's drawing rooms, the effects of their journey leave behind a lasting impression.
A rebellion is brewing in Cassia...sparked not from the lashes of oppression and cruelty, but born from love and a desire to see all of humanity treated as equals.
The final book of the grand love affair between prince and slave comes to a riotous conclusion in A Royal Rebellion.
(Book will be approximately 150 pgs upon release. Contains mature content.)
Pre-Order Link For A Royal Rebellion
Bred For LoveBooks 1-3
My Amazon Author Page for ALL Three Books
More Content to Come As Release Date approaches!
September 6, 2015
Nighttime Wishes MA Church
Aliens and Tentacles, Oh My!
Getting off on Weird
Blurb: When you wish upon a star... it comes true in ways you never expected.
Make A Wish, Book 1
Ziang, a tentacled warrior from the planet Maz’Rar, has come to Earth to claim his most precious prize and start a new life. When an unforeseen accident results in a crash landing, his plan for a quick removal of the human Shawn lays in a twisted ruin at his feet, much like his shuttlecraft. If that isn’t enough, the FBI is sniffing around.
Confronted by the very same alien who observed him since he wished on a shooting star as a child, Shawn finds his initial inability to communicate with Ziang leads to misunderstanding and fear. Forced to hide until rescue arrives, tensions mount. Shawn learns of Ziang’s intentions of taking him as a mate. Ziang, on the other hand, is completely befuddled at Shawn’s less than stellar response to said taking.
As they wait, a spark ignites. Turns out humans and Maz’Rarians are very compatible - tentacles and all. Shawn falls for the big alien he jokingly calls E.T. Now he must decide if he’s willing to throw away all he knows to travel the stars with Ziang.
A FIVE Star Review for Nighttime Wishesby MA Church
When I first stumbled upon the darker side of the mm genre, the first thing that truly caught my eye, and my penchant for fetish, was gay tentacle erotica.
Don't be alarmed! It is A LOT sexier than you'd think. I don't question what gets me off, either. And boy-o, do tentacles do it for me. For each doe-y eyed young twink and tall, dark and handsome alpha male story I devoured, I easily consumed three to four gay tentacle eroticas. Yet something was always lacking in the stories I found--and that was substance. It wasn't until I came across the scifi alien mm romances of the delightful MA Church that I figured out what I wanted, what I NEEDED from my alien erotica...and darlings, she delivers.
This version of Nighttime Wishes is a re-release, and what's really amazing to me is that the original version was written 'way back in the day' BEFORE gay tentacle erotica was a 'thing'. The Lovely Ms. Church has taken back her work, vamped it up, sexed it up, and given me heat-induced hallucinations of big, scary total alpha male aliens that go all sweet protector on their better halves.
Scorching sex factor aside, Nighttime Wishes is graced by one of Ms. Church's best qualities--originality. No tired trope here, no overdone alien abduction rape scenarios, nothing for sex's sake. (though the sex is enough to make me want to hide in my room for some alone time)
Shawn, our twenty-something hottie, is at a crossroads in his life. Unaccepted by his family, his father dead, his mother disinterested, and weighed down by obligations that were never his to begin with, Shawn is given a chance at a better life--a life that he never, ever, expected.
As a child, Shawn made a wish on what he thought was s shooting star, but in reality it was Ziang, our sexy alien. Having come across Shawn as a child, Ziang recognized in him the potential for the human to become his mate--and set a watch over him for the rest of his life. Always in the background, Ziang waited until Shawn was an adult before coming to claim him as his own. Things don't go as expected, and Ziang has a bad habit of crashing on Earth. (We can thank him for Roswell.)
They meet, and as any of us would, Shawn freaks out at seeing an alien. The FBI comes hunting, and so do the local authorities. Shawn makes a choice based on what his instincts are telling him--the alien would never hurt him, and that one leap of faith is enough to spark off a sexy romp of hide-and-seek with Uncle Sam.
Though not one of her longer works, Nighttime Wishes is a streamlined masterpiece of sex, emotion, scifi action and some tasty tentacles scenes. I wholly and eagerly endorse this romp through the stars...and don't let the tentacles turn you off if you've never had the pleasure. If you want to give tentacles a try for the first time, or the hundredth, Nighttime Wishes will not disappoint.
Give me Book two please!!!! (Comes out later this fall.)
Series name: Make A Wish. Books need to be read in order. Book #2, Nighttime Promises, releases Nov 1st.
Log line: When you wish upon a star… it comes true in ways you never expected.
Release Date: Sept 1, 2015
Publisher: ARe (coming soon to other outlets)BUY Nighttime Wishes on ARe
An Excerpt:
“Mayday, mayday! I’m taking fire. We are hit. I repeat: We are hit and losing altitude. My coordinates are 33.3872° N, 104.5281° W. Date of transmission: Standard Earth Time July 4, 1947.”“Frack! Captain, what are we going to do?” Co-pilot Napal Moray fought the shuttle’s holo controls. “Engines offline. We’re leaking radium vapor out of the rear engine.”Captain Ziang’lamdious Ta snarled at the holo controls. “How the hell did they know we were here? Dammit, this is the last thing we need.”“The power transfer conduits are overheating. We’re losing containment in the radium core. It’s going to blow, Ziang. We’re about to light up the nighttime sky.”“Not if we shut the core down and eject it.” “If we do that, we won’t have enough power to maintain… We’ll descend. We won’t be able to stop it,” Napal argued. “As far as ejecting the core, do we really want the humans to access that kind of technology? They’ll try to reverse engineer it. You know they will.”“For now the shuttle has power to weapons. We’ll detonate it. Since it’s not a warp core engine, the fallout won’t harm the humans.” “Can’t we just transport to the main ship?” Napal asked.“It’s on the other side of Earth’s moon. We simply don’t have the power for that now.” Ziang frowned at the computer’s main control panel. “As a matter of fact, the transporter is offline. We’re not transporting anywhere.”“Then I guess we’ll try and land the shuttle.”Ziang rubbed his forehead. “Yeah, that’s not a great answer either. Remember that whole conversation we just had about reverse engineering?”Napal threw his hands up. “What else do you suggest then? We either go to the surface or we blow up. I’m not for the blowing up option.”“Right. Down we go then.”Ziang waved his hand on the computer holo and brought up the engine semantics. He entered the command to eject the core. It took two tries to get the command and his captain code entered and acknowledged. “We’re losing power to the ship’s computer. If we’re going to do this, it has to be done now,” Ziang said. “I hope to all our gods we don’t end up scattered all over Earth’s atmosphere.”“I hope we aren’t found by the Earthlings. That’s my main concern. You know what those humans would do to us. ”“We have to get to the surface in one piece first. Then we’ll worry about the humans.” Ziang tapped in the coordinates where he thought was the best place to land the shuttle. Then he ejected the core. As it floated away from the shuttle, he raised shields and programmed the phasers to fire. He hoped the shields would protect them from the majority of the blast. “Ready?”“As much as I’ll ever be. I wanted to see the wildlife here, but not quite like this.”
The InterviewWith MA Church
And now for the interview!
What would people be most surprised to learn about you?
I drink Coke. Oh wait, that’s what wouldn’t surprise folks! I don’t watch horror movies. Lord have mercy, they give me nightmares. I’m talking ‘leave every light in the bedroom on’ nightmare. I have an active enough imagination without adding blood and gore to the mix *snort* thank you very much.
When did you start writing? Is it something you've always been interested in, or did it develop later in life?
I started four years ago. A story of mine won a contest at a free site called Literotica. That made me think I might actually be good enough to be published, so I decided to give it a try. I’m not of those who started writing at age ten. But boy did I read a lot. If I didn’t like how a story ended, I made up a new ending that suited me, lol.
Has it been everything you thought it would be or not?
Pretty much, yes. I knew it wouldn’t be easy. I had so much to learn *laugh* and I’m still learning (as my editor will tell you). I’ve hit a few bumps along the way—had a few bad experiences that really opened my eyes to what’s out there—but I’ve made some very good friends. I’ve learned what to take seriously and what to ignore. The best perk, though? Holding your own work in your hands.
How did it feel when you realized that your very first book was going to be published?
Color me shocked, lol. The publisher contacted me about a story on a free website. They wanted to publish it. I screamed, jumped up and down, shook like a leaf... and cried. You see, I got the email like a day or two after I returned home from burying my mom. She knew I was writing at a free site, and that I wrote M/M. I do wish I’d had the chance to tell her I was offered my first contract.
What's your favorite part of writing a book?
My favorite thing to tackle is when the characters land in hot water, lol. Life is going to throw you a curve ball as we all know. I love taking that, dumping my characters in the middle of it, and then watching them figuring it out. Sometimes it gets messy, but hey, life is messy. That’s part of the fun!
Author Bio!!!I'm excited!!
M.A. Church is a true Southern belle who spent many years in the elementary education sector. Now she spends her days lost in fantasy worlds, arguing with hardheaded aliens on far-off planets, herding her numerous shifters, or trying to tempt her country boys away from their fishing poles. It’s a full time job, but hey, someone’s gotta do it!
When not writing, she’s exploring the latest M/M novel to hit the market, watching her beloved Steelers, or sitting glued to HGTV. That’s if she’s not on the back porch tending to the demanding wildlife around the pond in the backyard. The ducks are very outspoken. She’s married to her high school sweetheart, and they have two children.
She was a finalist in the Rainbow awards for 2013 and is a member of Romance Writers of America, Rainbow Romance Writers, and Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
Media Links
Author Links:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ma.church3Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/MA-Church/173797619379487Twitter: https://twitter.com/nomoretears00Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nomoretears00/Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B007A8JA4CGoodreads Author page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5141393.M_A_Church
This has been a FIVE STAR review for Nighttime Wishes!! Go check it out, and MA Church's other works!
I heartily recommend Trouble Comes in Threes, and The Harvest Series.
Taken: Harvest Book One
Trouble Comes in Threes
Getting off on Weird
Blurb: When you wish upon a star... it comes true in ways you never expected.
Make A Wish, Book 1
Ziang, a tentacled warrior from the planet Maz’Rar, has come to Earth to claim his most precious prize and start a new life. When an unforeseen accident results in a crash landing, his plan for a quick removal of the human Shawn lays in a twisted ruin at his feet, much like his shuttlecraft. If that isn’t enough, the FBI is sniffing around.
Confronted by the very same alien who observed him since he wished on a shooting star as a child, Shawn finds his initial inability to communicate with Ziang leads to misunderstanding and fear. Forced to hide until rescue arrives, tensions mount. Shawn learns of Ziang’s intentions of taking him as a mate. Ziang, on the other hand, is completely befuddled at Shawn’s less than stellar response to said taking.
As they wait, a spark ignites. Turns out humans and Maz’Rarians are very compatible - tentacles and all. Shawn falls for the big alien he jokingly calls E.T. Now he must decide if he’s willing to throw away all he knows to travel the stars with Ziang.
A FIVE Star Review for Nighttime Wishesby MA Church
When I first stumbled upon the darker side of the mm genre, the first thing that truly caught my eye, and my penchant for fetish, was gay tentacle erotica.
Don't be alarmed! It is A LOT sexier than you'd think. I don't question what gets me off, either. And boy-o, do tentacles do it for me. For each doe-y eyed young twink and tall, dark and handsome alpha male story I devoured, I easily consumed three to four gay tentacle eroticas. Yet something was always lacking in the stories I found--and that was substance. It wasn't until I came across the scifi alien mm romances of the delightful MA Church that I figured out what I wanted, what I NEEDED from my alien erotica...and darlings, she delivers.
This version of Nighttime Wishes is a re-release, and what's really amazing to me is that the original version was written 'way back in the day' BEFORE gay tentacle erotica was a 'thing'. The Lovely Ms. Church has taken back her work, vamped it up, sexed it up, and given me heat-induced hallucinations of big, scary total alpha male aliens that go all sweet protector on their better halves.
Scorching sex factor aside, Nighttime Wishes is graced by one of Ms. Church's best qualities--originality. No tired trope here, no overdone alien abduction rape scenarios, nothing for sex's sake. (though the sex is enough to make me want to hide in my room for some alone time)
Shawn, our twenty-something hottie, is at a crossroads in his life. Unaccepted by his family, his father dead, his mother disinterested, and weighed down by obligations that were never his to begin with, Shawn is given a chance at a better life--a life that he never, ever, expected.
As a child, Shawn made a wish on what he thought was s shooting star, but in reality it was Ziang, our sexy alien. Having come across Shawn as a child, Ziang recognized in him the potential for the human to become his mate--and set a watch over him for the rest of his life. Always in the background, Ziang waited until Shawn was an adult before coming to claim him as his own. Things don't go as expected, and Ziang has a bad habit of crashing on Earth. (We can thank him for Roswell.)
They meet, and as any of us would, Shawn freaks out at seeing an alien. The FBI comes hunting, and so do the local authorities. Shawn makes a choice based on what his instincts are telling him--the alien would never hurt him, and that one leap of faith is enough to spark off a sexy romp of hide-and-seek with Uncle Sam.
Though not one of her longer works, Nighttime Wishes is a streamlined masterpiece of sex, emotion, scifi action and some tasty tentacles scenes. I wholly and eagerly endorse this romp through the stars...and don't let the tentacles turn you off if you've never had the pleasure. If you want to give tentacles a try for the first time, or the hundredth, Nighttime Wishes will not disappoint.
Give me Book two please!!!! (Comes out later this fall.)
Series name: Make A Wish. Books need to be read in order. Book #2, Nighttime Promises, releases Nov 1st.
Log line: When you wish upon a star… it comes true in ways you never expected.
Release Date: Sept 1, 2015
Publisher: ARe (coming soon to other outlets)BUY Nighttime Wishes on ARe
An Excerpt:
“Mayday, mayday! I’m taking fire. We are hit. I repeat: We are hit and losing altitude. My coordinates are 33.3872° N, 104.5281° W. Date of transmission: Standard Earth Time July 4, 1947.”“Frack! Captain, what are we going to do?” Co-pilot Napal Moray fought the shuttle’s holo controls. “Engines offline. We’re leaking radium vapor out of the rear engine.”Captain Ziang’lamdious Ta snarled at the holo controls. “How the hell did they know we were here? Dammit, this is the last thing we need.”“The power transfer conduits are overheating. We’re losing containment in the radium core. It’s going to blow, Ziang. We’re about to light up the nighttime sky.”“Not if we shut the core down and eject it.” “If we do that, we won’t have enough power to maintain… We’ll descend. We won’t be able to stop it,” Napal argued. “As far as ejecting the core, do we really want the humans to access that kind of technology? They’ll try to reverse engineer it. You know they will.”“For now the shuttle has power to weapons. We’ll detonate it. Since it’s not a warp core engine, the fallout won’t harm the humans.” “Can’t we just transport to the main ship?” Napal asked.“It’s on the other side of Earth’s moon. We simply don’t have the power for that now.” Ziang frowned at the computer’s main control panel. “As a matter of fact, the transporter is offline. We’re not transporting anywhere.”“Then I guess we’ll try and land the shuttle.”Ziang rubbed his forehead. “Yeah, that’s not a great answer either. Remember that whole conversation we just had about reverse engineering?”Napal threw his hands up. “What else do you suggest then? We either go to the surface or we blow up. I’m not for the blowing up option.”“Right. Down we go then.”Ziang waved his hand on the computer holo and brought up the engine semantics. He entered the command to eject the core. It took two tries to get the command and his captain code entered and acknowledged. “We’re losing power to the ship’s computer. If we’re going to do this, it has to be done now,” Ziang said. “I hope to all our gods we don’t end up scattered all over Earth’s atmosphere.”“I hope we aren’t found by the Earthlings. That’s my main concern. You know what those humans would do to us. ”“We have to get to the surface in one piece first. Then we’ll worry about the humans.” Ziang tapped in the coordinates where he thought was the best place to land the shuttle. Then he ejected the core. As it floated away from the shuttle, he raised shields and programmed the phasers to fire. He hoped the shields would protect them from the majority of the blast. “Ready?”“As much as I’ll ever be. I wanted to see the wildlife here, but not quite like this.”
The InterviewWith MA Church
And now for the interview!
What would people be most surprised to learn about you?
I drink Coke. Oh wait, that’s what wouldn’t surprise folks! I don’t watch horror movies. Lord have mercy, they give me nightmares. I’m talking ‘leave every light in the bedroom on’ nightmare. I have an active enough imagination without adding blood and gore to the mix *snort* thank you very much.
When did you start writing? Is it something you've always been interested in, or did it develop later in life?
I started four years ago. A story of mine won a contest at a free site called Literotica. That made me think I might actually be good enough to be published, so I decided to give it a try. I’m not of those who started writing at age ten. But boy did I read a lot. If I didn’t like how a story ended, I made up a new ending that suited me, lol.
Has it been everything you thought it would be or not?
Pretty much, yes. I knew it wouldn’t be easy. I had so much to learn *laugh* and I’m still learning (as my editor will tell you). I’ve hit a few bumps along the way—had a few bad experiences that really opened my eyes to what’s out there—but I’ve made some very good friends. I’ve learned what to take seriously and what to ignore. The best perk, though? Holding your own work in your hands.
How did it feel when you realized that your very first book was going to be published?
Color me shocked, lol. The publisher contacted me about a story on a free website. They wanted to publish it. I screamed, jumped up and down, shook like a leaf... and cried. You see, I got the email like a day or two after I returned home from burying my mom. She knew I was writing at a free site, and that I wrote M/M. I do wish I’d had the chance to tell her I was offered my first contract.
What's your favorite part of writing a book?
My favorite thing to tackle is when the characters land in hot water, lol. Life is going to throw you a curve ball as we all know. I love taking that, dumping my characters in the middle of it, and then watching them figuring it out. Sometimes it gets messy, but hey, life is messy. That’s part of the fun!
Author Bio!!!I'm excited!!
M.A. Church is a true Southern belle who spent many years in the elementary education sector. Now she spends her days lost in fantasy worlds, arguing with hardheaded aliens on far-off planets, herding her numerous shifters, or trying to tempt her country boys away from their fishing poles. It’s a full time job, but hey, someone’s gotta do it!
When not writing, she’s exploring the latest M/M novel to hit the market, watching her beloved Steelers, or sitting glued to HGTV. That’s if she’s not on the back porch tending to the demanding wildlife around the pond in the backyard. The ducks are very outspoken. She’s married to her high school sweetheart, and they have two children.
She was a finalist in the Rainbow awards for 2013 and is a member of Romance Writers of America, Rainbow Romance Writers, and Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
Media Links
Author Links:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ma.church3Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/MA-Church/173797619379487Twitter: https://twitter.com/nomoretears00Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nomoretears00/Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B007A8JA4CGoodreads Author page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5141393.M_A_Church
This has been a FIVE STAR review for Nighttime Wishes!! Go check it out, and MA Church's other works!
I heartily recommend Trouble Comes in Threes, and The Harvest Series.
Taken: Harvest Book One
Trouble Comes in Threes
August 10, 2015
It's NOT a Phase
It's NOT a Phase
Why is bisexuality so hard to accept? Why is it considered a phase, a transient inclination that disappears once a pairing is made, regardless of gender?
Here's true story.
I'm Bi.
I learned this truth about myself in sixth grade. I knew I was supposed to notice boys, because that's what girls do, right? Notice boys and giggle and act silly, etc etc.... Well, I was noticing girls too.
I'd notice how cute they were, or how pretty they looked, or loved the way Girl A laughed vs how Girl B flounced down the hall like a princess.I had NO idea at first that it wasn't normal. I just knew that I noticed boys, and that I noticed girls.
Flash forward two years. 8th grade. Last year before high-school. We were all thinking we were the big kids on campus. The ALMOST high-schoolers. Acting like we ran the world.
And Mother Nature was rearing her ugly head. The TMI section of this blog is about to commence, so stop reading if talking about sexual urges makes you uncomfortable.Because that's what I was feeling. Urges.
Just as badly as I wanted my boyfriend to kiss me, I wanted to kiss my best friend. When I happened to get a hug from a female friend I wanted to hold on just a little bit longer.
You know that under the skin heat that builds, that distracts you from common sense and makes us fall head over heels in lust with someone? That desire you feel when you meet someone that hits all the right buttons.....think about how that feels. Focus on how the sensation of desire makes you feel physically......
Here's my point....
What you feel for the person that revs you up....be it male or female or any fabulous shade on the rainbow spectrum.....what YOU feel is what I feel.....for males and females.
Of course, you gotta be my type, too.
I don't go around salivating over everyone with a pulse.
I'm not normal. I'm a writer. But that doesn't mean I'm in a phase, or leaving one, based upon the gender of the person I'm involved with.
