Category: Future

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The Tribute Trilogy by Kate Pearce

I love sci fi and when I saw the cover for what turned out to be book two of this trilogy, I knew I had to read the whole set. Book one is het, and yes, I do mean there are girlie bits and m/f sex going on. Having said that, it’s very well written and the heroine is no shrinking violet. I quite enjoyed reading all three books and books 1 and 3 were no exception as the strong female lead helped make my day.

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Awaiting execution on a foreign planet, Anna Lee has nothing left to lose—until Commander Rehz Akran offers her a chance to escape her fate. Anything is better than death, but when her training for Akran’s mysterious mission begins, the brutality is hard to take . . . especially since Anna has no idea what the workouts, beatings, and endless sexual demands are preparing her for.

Rehz Akran doesn’t deal with failure. He’s determined that his last trainee will survive her immersion in an unimaginably alien world and return alive—even if it means she’ll hate him forever. He needs to stay detached, but his new recruit makes that impossible. Soon he’s willing to defy his own training for a chance to forge a true connection with Anna.

It’s Rehz’s job to teach Anna to survive as a Tribute. And if she does, it’s his task to help her overcome the trauma of the experience. But this time he isn’t doing it to save his planet. This time he’s doing it for love.

Kimi’s thoughts:

Okay, so I wasn’t surprised at the BDSM type elements of the story. I thought I knew where this was going, but boy was I ever wrong. I’m not going to spoil it, but I will say that the beings Anna is being trained as a Tribute for are definitely what you’d probably expect. So much so that I had to pause, blink, take a moment to ask myself, “WTF?!”, shake my head, get up, go make myself a coffee, and then dive right back in.

Having said that, I quit liked the character development and dystopian type atmosphere prevalent in the novel. It’s made quite clear that the training centre is nothing like the rest of the planet, and in fact, the rest of the planet really knows nothing much at all. The government has made some terrible decisions, that much is obvious, but just how wrong those were only come to light when Anna is offered as Tribute and returns when her time is up.

Rating: 4

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Cheated out of his exit from the Tribute program, Kai Mexr is forced to return as a trainer for one more year. His trainee, Aled Price, is an idealistic Mitan patriot who Kai struggles not to loathe on sight, and who seems up for any challenge Kai sets him. As Aled learns to give up control and endure the program’s worst, Kai is drawn into an intense sexual game that leaves him wanting more.

But then Aled must fulfill his duty as Tribute. He must endure the Ungrich—or die.

When Aled returns, it takes Kai’s ruthless presence to pull his trainee back from the brink of madness. Surviving the Ungrich makes Aled doubt his blind allegiance to his planet—and to everything else he’d never thought to question. But with Kai at his side, Aled finds a new cause to believe in. And with the help of master trainer Akran and his partner Anna Lee, Aled and Kai forge unbreakable allegiances of blood, sex, and love that could save the entire planet from the Ungrich for good.

Kimi: Man, this story goes from bad to worse for these guys. Kai  not only survived being a Tribute TWICE but the guy in charge of the program, Palk, cheats him out of exiting the program after doing his stint as a trainer. He’s told he has to train one more if he wants to get out. Aled is a young military recruit with stars in his eyes. He is tricked into volunteering as a Tribute and when he realises  that it’s not a military mission, he’s seriously disillusioned. Kai has to train him, but along the way, the two bond and boy is it hot in here just thinking about that…

Anna’s previous stint as Tribute uncovered some hidden truths, but the reason for Aled’s being tricked become all too clear as well, leaving a lot of questions that must be answered. A reckoning is due, let me tell you!

Rating: 4

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Rehz Akran has had enough of the Tribute program and its sadistic overseer, Palk. When Palk captures Rehz’s mate, Anna Lee, and offers her and Aled Price to the Ungrich for further research, Rehz is ready for rebellion. But first, with the help of Kai Mexr—who wants Aled back just as much as Rehz wants Anna—he must break into the Ungrich world, rescue Anna, and discover why they want her so badly.

The chilling answer to that question lies in Anna’s forgotten origins—origins that Aled shares. To save their lovers, Rehz and Kai must take on Palk and a government that is more than willing to sacrifice Anna and Aled to keep the peace.

The two couples join forces—in more ways than one—and together they discover that they may be capable of defeating two civilizations and changing the course of Mitan history forever.

Kimi: Palk’s been a real douchebag all through books one and two, but in book three he really  goes all out. His reasons are partly clear, but it’s only when Anna and Aled are taken and re-offered to the park illegally, that his motives become fully clear. To say they take on the government isn’t completely true- Palk and his cronies have not been completely honest wit the government, and so what our heroes (and heroine) uncover rocks not only them but the government to the core. My only quibble is that ending feels little bit rushed and we’re left kinda hanging. I’d really like to see what happens after.

Rating: 4

 

Buy from Amazon

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Breeding Stations by Chris T. Kat Tour with Excerpt and Giveaway

BreedingStations
Spunky commander Berit Turner is known for two things: his huge libido and his lack of a filter—he says what he thinks. Berit sets his mind on being part of the mission to Ligador, to make sure the planet is habitable for humans. He’s ecstatic when his team is assigned to the task force. A delegation of Nadisc, a humanoid alien race, accompanies them, and passion ignites between Berit and their commanding officer, Tom. But Berit is determined that Tom is just another notch on his bedpost, as he doesn’t do relationships.
The excursion to Ligador goes wrong from the beginning, when they discover Ligador has been established as a breeding station by their worst enemy: the Tash’Ba. Dinosaur-like creatures become the team’s worst nightmare, and staying alive is going to take everything they’ve got… and then some.
Pages or Words: 204 pages or about 65,000 words

Categories: M/M Romance, Science Fiction

Excerpt:
Excerpt from Chapter Two

Several alarmed shouts warned me of something going on, but I had no time to process what happened. Something roped around my waist and yanked me over to the side. I crashed into Tom’s chest as a harsh growling sound erupted from his throat.
I tried jerking myself free, but he held onto my wrists with one hand, while his tail kept me tethered to his body. “What the hell?”
Niyara squared off in front of Tom, her dark eyes gleaming with an eerie, demonic red glint where her pupils should’ve been. Her long tail swished from one side to the other and her arm muscles flexed.
“What the ever-loving fuck is going on?” I asked.
“Quiet!” Tom hissed.
My mouth fell open, and I gaped at him. Okay. Enough was enough. I caught the tip of his tail in my hand and pinched it—hard. He roared, but I used the chance to slip free. A Nadisc’s tail tip was the most sensitive part, which came in handy during sex but was a real disadvantage in a fight. Or maybe not. I’d never heard of someone winning a fight against a Nadisc when—
Niyara’s fist closing around my shirt stopped all my pondering. She lifted me off my feet, hissing and boring her eerie gaze into mine. Maybe I should’ve stayed with Tom. He’d felt slightly less dangerous than she did.
Carson appeared next to Niyara’s side, eyes as large as saucers but an equally determined look on his face. He reached out. As soon as he touched her arm, her head whirled around. I held my breath. Would he be able to save me from Niyara’s wrath? She’d seemed rather taken with him earlier. What the hell had I done, anyway, to agitate her?
As I wracked my brain, Carson and Niyara gazed at each other. The next instant he rose on tiptoes and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.
She let go of my shirt, and I would’ve landed flat on my ass if Tom hadn’t snatched me around the waist. Niyara rested her head on Carson’s shoulder, which meant she had to stoop because of her height. No one said anything, and no one moved for what seemed like a long time. When she lifted her head, several people—including me—hissed, afraid of what she’d do next.
Niyara bowed her head toward Tom. “I apologize for my outburst. I’ve never encountered a jealousy spell before.”
“Jealousy spell?” I echoed.
She gazed at me, suddenly looking sheepish. “Feeling such a strong connection is new to me, and I didn’t like Carson using an endearment toward you.”
I blinked, then looked over at Carson. He gawked, and his eyes were the same size as before. Would they stay like that forever?
Niyara swept an arm around to include everyone in her proclamation, which resulted in startled jerks and coughs. “I’m claiming Carson as my mate. Anyone who’d like to object has to fight me.”
No one objected. Everyone seemed busy inspecting their boots or the ceiling. I never noticed before how very ugly the hatch’s ceiling was.
“Berit!” Carson wheezed out.
I sighed and transferred my gaze from the ceiling to Carson. “Congrats?”
Someone cheered and the others followed suit, clapping their hands to add to the noise. Carson was so pale I feared he’d faint, but Niyara cupped his face in both hands and kissed him. After that, he didn’t seem to mind that much, not anymore.
Chuckling, I told the others to open the hatch and take up their position. The hatch opened with the usual buzz, but when I started to walk, Tom’s arms around my waist tightened to an almost painful level.
“Tell them to secure the area and wait for further instructions,” he whispered into my ear.
“Dream on. I won’t do—” My words ended abruptly when the steel bands around my waist left me no room for breathing.
“Now.”
Tom allowed me more breathing room, and I gave the desired order. No one looked twice or questioned my instruction, for which I’d have been grateful on any other day, just not today. Ticking off a Nadisc was a bad idea. One of the worst, really.
We waited until everyone had cleared the hatch’s area. Tom spun me around in his arms and lifted me up until we were face-to-face.
“You accepted me as your leader on this mission, remember? That means no punching me,” I said, “or doing anything that would harm me.”
Tom’s gaze intensified, and my mouth went dry when he spread out a red and orange speckled frill around his neck. I’d read about this display, but had never seen it before. Only a few Nadisc still had those frills—most opted for surgery because it gave away their emotions too easily—and those that did had a very tight control over it.
“But it’s okay for you to hurt me?” he rasped.
I tried to reason with him. “I… look, I’m the commander here. You can’t just order me around or hold me captive, okay?”
“Niyara could’ve killed you.”
I shrugged. “She didn’t, and she’ll just have to get used to the way Carson and I talk to each other.”
The frill around his neck unfolded even more. He said, “I’m not fond of the way you talk to each other.”
I had an inkling where this conversation was headed. I had an even bigger inkling that I’d panic if Tom said anything, so I closed my eyes, wrapped my arms around his neck—over the frill, which was kind of awkward—and sought his mouth with mine.
He opened up immediately, and I dipped my tongue into his mouth, licking along his teeth and eliciting an approving hum from him. Somehow I ended up with my legs wound around him and one of his hands steadying my ass.
When we broke apart for air, he said, “I won’t forget what you did.”
“I’ll make it up to you,” I replied. His eyes lit up with interest, so I added, “Deal?”
“Deal.”

Sales Links:

e-book: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6683

paperback: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6684
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About the author:

Chris T. Kat lives in the middle of Europe, where she shares a house with her husband of many years and their two children. She stumbled upon the M/M genre by luck and was swiftly drawn into it. She divides her time between work, her family—which includes chasing after escaping horses and lugging around huge instruments such as a harp—and writing. She enjoys a variety of genres, such as mystery/suspense, paranormal, and romance. If there’s any spare time, she happily reads for hours, listens to audiobooks or does cross stitch.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ChrisTKat
Twitter: http://twitter.com/christi_kat
Other: GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/ChrisTKat
Blog: http://christikat.blogspot.com
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Chris-T.-Kat/e/B008FQQH2Q

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25803681-breeding-stations?ac=1
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Anne Cain
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Breeding Stations by Chris T. Kat Blog Tour with Excerpt and Giveaway

RC

 

Excerpt from Chapter Two

Several alarmed shouts warned me of something going on, but I had no time to process what happened. Something roped around my waist and yanked me over to the side. I crashed into Tom’s chest as a harsh growling sound erupted from his throat.
I tried jerking myself free, but he held onto my wrists with one hand, while his tail kept me tethered to his body. “What the hell?”
Niyara squared off in front of Tom, her dark eyes gleaming with an eerie, demonic red glint where her pupils should’ve been. Her long tail swished from one side to the other and her arm muscles flexed.
“What the ever-loving fuck is going on?” I asked.
“Quiet!” Tom hissed.
My mouth fell open, and I gaped at him. Okay. Enough was enough. I caught the tip of his tail in my hand and pinched it—hard. He roared, but I used the chance to slip free. A Nadisc’s tail tip was the most sensitive part, which came in handy during sex but was a real disadvantage in a fight. Or maybe not. I’d never heard of someone winning a fight against a Nadisc when—
Niyara’s fist closing around my shirt stopped all my pondering. She lifted me off my feet, hissing and boring her eerie gaze into mine. Maybe I should’ve stayed with Tom. He’d felt slightly less dangerous than she did.
Carson appeared next to Niyara’s side, eyes as large as saucers but an equally determined look on his face. He reached out. As soon as he touched her arm, her head whirled around. I held my breath. Would he be able to save me from Niyara’s wrath? She’d seemed rather taken with him earlier. What the hell had I done, anyway, to agitate her?
As I wracked my brain, Carson and Niyara gazed at each other. The next instant he rose on tiptoes and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.
She let go of my shirt, and I would’ve landed flat on my ass if Tom hadn’t snatched me around the waist. Niyara rested her head on Carson’s shoulder, which meant she had to stoop because of her height. No one said anything, and no one moved for what seemed like a long time. When she lifted her head, several people—including me—hissed, afraid of what she’d do next.
Niyara bowed her head toward Tom. “I apologize for my outburst. I’ve never encountered a jealousy spell before.”
“Jealousy spell?” I echoed.
She gazed at me, suddenly looking sheepish. “Feeling such a strong connection is new to me, and I didn’t like Carson using an endearment toward you.”
I blinked, then looked over at Carson. He gawked, and his eyes were the same size as before. Would they stay like that forever?
Niyara swept an arm around to include everyone in her proclamation, which resulted in startled jerks and coughs. “I’m claiming Carson as my mate. Anyone who’d like to object has to fight me.”
No one objected. Everyone seemed busy inspecting their boots or the ceiling. I never noticed before how very ugly the hatch’s ceiling was.
“Berit!” Carson wheezed out.
I sighed and transferred my gaze from the ceiling to Carson. “Congrats?”
Someone cheered and the others followed suit, clapping their hands to add to the noise. Carson was so pale I feared he’d faint, but Niyara cupped his face in both hands and kissed him. After that, he didn’t seem to mind that much, not anymore.
Chuckling, I told the others to open the hatch and take up their position. The hatch opened with the usual buzz, but when I started to walk, Tom’s arms around my waist tightened to an almost painful level.
“Tell them to secure the area and wait for further instructions,” he whispered into my ear.
“Dream on. I won’t do—” My words ended abruptly when the steel bands around my waist left me no room for breathing.
“Now.”
Tom allowed me more breathing room, and I gave the desired order. No one looked twice or questioned my instruction, for which I’d have been grateful on any other day, just not today. Ticking off a Nadisc was a bad idea. One of the worst, really.
We waited until everyone had cleared the hatch’s area. Tom spun me around in his arms and lifted me up until we were face-to-face.
“You accepted me as your leader on this mission, remember? That means no punching me,” I said, “or doing anything that would harm me.”
Tom’s gaze intensified, and my mouth went dry when he spread out a red and orange speckled frill around his neck. I’d read about this display, but had never seen it before. Only a few Nadisc still had those frills—most opted for surgery because it gave away their emotions too easily—and those that did had a very tight control over it.
“But it’s okay for you to hurt me?” he rasped.
I tried to reason with him. “I… look, I’m the commander here. You can’t just order me around or hold me captive, okay?”
“Niyara could’ve killed you.”
I shrugged. “She didn’t, and she’ll just have to get used to the way Carson and I talk to each other.”
The frill around his neck unfolded even more. He said, “I’m not fond of the way you talk to each other.”
I had an inkling where this conversation was headed. I had an even bigger inkling that I’d panic if Tom said anything, so I closed my eyes, wrapped my arms around his neck—over the frill, which was kind of awkward—and sought his mouth with mine.
He opened up immediately, and I dipped my tongue into his mouth, licking along his teeth and eliciting an approving hum from him. Somehow I ended up with my legs wound around him and one of his hands steadying my ass.
When we broke apart for air, he said, “I won’t forget what you did.”
“I’ll make it up to you,” I replied. His eyes lit up with interest, so I added, “Deal?”
“Deal.”

Sales Links:

e-book: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6683

paperback: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6684

About the author:

Chris T. Kat lives in the middle of Europe, where she shares a house with her husband of many years and their two children. She stumbled upon the M/M genre by luck and was swiftly drawn into it. She divides her time between work, her family—which includes chasing after escaping horses and lugging around huge instruments such as a harp—and writing. She enjoys a variety of genres, such as mystery/suspense, paranormal, and romance. If there’s any spare time, she happily reads for hours, listens to audiobooks or does cross stitch.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ChrisTKat
Twitter: http://twitter.com/christi_kat
Other: GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/ChrisTKat
Blog: http://christikat.blogspot.com
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Chris-T.-Kat/e/B008FQQH2Q

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25803681-breeding-stations?ac=1
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Anne Cain

BreedingStations
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Chris T. Kat’s Exciting New Sci Fi Is Available Now!

RC

 

Buy:

Dreamspinner Press:
e-book: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6683
paperback: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6684
All Romance: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-breedingstations-1846792-343.html
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Breeding-Stations-Alliances-Book-1-ebook/dp/B012BKIGKW/

He held out his broad muscled arms for me, grinning. My mouth went dry and my damn cock pressed heavily against the fabric of my pants. It had to be visible to everyone. For the first time in many years, heat rose into my cheeks

 

Excerpt from Chapter One:

After a five-minute standoff with our Nadiscs, I rolled my eyes and squared off in front of them. “Look, I know you have a rule about not giving your name out to anyone, so why don’t we cut it short. You”—I pointed at the woman—”will be R1.”
She narrowed her eyes at me, which I ignored, even though my hands began to perspire. I pointed at the man standing on her left and said, “That’ll make you R2.” I leveled my finger at the remaining one and added, “So you’ll be R3. We should all be able to remember R1, and if we get it wrong when there’s an emergency, we’ll only have to shout for R2 and R3 together and one of you will help us out.”
R2’s eyebrows knitted together very closely, and in the background feet shuffled. Someone cleared his throat. R3 came forward, one step at a time. I could’ve sworn the floor vibrated with every move. All my instincts screamed at me to leg it, but if I’d learned one lesson well, it was not to show fear. Not too much, anyway.
R3’s arm shot out before I had a chance to see it coming. His large hand clasped around my neck and all my hairs stood on end. I kept completely still, waiting for the blow to come.
He gazed at me from dark brown eyes, then lifted his other hand. The atmosphere around us thickened, and my poor confused cock perked up with interest. The Nadisc laid a hand against my cheek, left it there for a while, before he eventually pulled it away.
He pointed at his comrades. “Niyara.”
The Nadisc woman inclined her head.
“This is Xevon. And to make it easier for you and your people, you may call me Tom.”
“Tom?” I blurted. “Don’t you have a fancy name like the others?” The grasp around my neck tightened, and I hastened to add. “Short is cool, though. Really cool.”
“Thought so.”
Tom released my neck, but didn’t step away. Slightly wary, I glanced up at him. He grinned at me, showing a full line of well-tended white humanoid teeth, then beckoned to Niyara and Xevon. They bridged the distances in two long strides and formed a circle around me.
“Um, guys, what’s going on?” I asked, mulling whether I could slip past them or not.
They intertwined their hands and closed the circle around me. Someone—I think it was Carson—muttered something fierce, and a moment later three large bodies crowded me. I opened my mouth to tell them off, or maybe to ask them very politely to back off a little—same difference, really—when an eerie shout resounded through the hangar.
My eyes had to be circular by the time they finished. You could’ve heard a pin drop, it was that silent around us.
Niyara, Xevon, and Tom took one step backward, and I breathed more freely. Niyara smashed her fist against her chest, declaring, “We accept you as our leader on this mission.”
I gaped at her. The Nadisc helped and supported humans, but accepting leadership from a human? They very rarely did. Niyara smiled at me, a genuine smile that showed a prettiness I hadn’t seen before, then she engulfed me in a rib-creaking embrace. I was stumbling to find my footing once she’d set me down when Xevon lifted me off my feet and hugged me too.
He and Niyara turned around and advanced on my crew members, eliciting a few terrified squeaks. I peered at Tom, who showed no inclination of moving.
“What? No hug from you?” I asked.
He held out his broad muscled arms for me, grinning. My mouth went dry and my damn cock pressed heavily against the fabric of my pants. It had to be visible to everyone. For the first time in many years, heat rose into my cheeks. Tom’s grin expanded before he laughed. I stepped into his arms, bracing myself for another painful embrace. Instead, I found myself leaning against a hard chest with equally hard arms around me, fencing me in but without hurting me.
I mumbled into his leather vest, “Do you by chance happen to like blond humans?”
“I do.”
I would’ve screamed hallelujah if Baker’s voice over the loudspeaker hadn’t demanded we get going.

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About the author:

Chris T. Kat lives in the middle of Europe, where she shares a house with her husband of many years and their two children. She stumbled upon the M/M genre by luck and was swiftly drawn into it. She divides her time between work, her family—which includes chasing after escaping horses and lugging around huge instruments such as a harp—and writing. She enjoys a variety of genres, such as mystery/suspense, paranormal, and romance. If there’s any spare time, she happily reads for hours, listens to audiobooks or does cross stitch.

Where to find the author:
Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/ChrisTKat
Twitter: http://twitter.com/christi_kat
GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/ChrisTKat
Blog: http://christikat.blogspot.com
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Chris-T.-Kat/e/B008FQQH2Q

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25803681-breeding-stations?ac=1
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Anne Cain
Tour Dates & Stops: July 27, 2015
Parker Williams, Cate Ashwood, Iyana Jenna, BFD Book Blog, Bike Book Reviews, Smoocher’s Voice, Bayou Book Junkie, Havan Fellows, Andrew Q. Gordon, MM Good Book Reviews, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Kimi-Chan, Full Moon Dreaming, Happily Ever Chapter, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Charley Descoteaux, The Hat Party

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Breeding Stations Book Blast with Excerpt and Giveaway

BreedingStations

Spunky commander Berit Turner is known for two things: his huge libido and his lack of a filter—he says what he thinks. Berit sets his mind on being part of the mission to Ligador, to make sure the planet is habitable for humans. He’s ecstatic when his team is assigned to the task force. A delegation of Nadisc, a humanoid alien race, accompanies them, and passion ignites between Berit and their commanding officer, Tom. But Berit is determined that Tom is just another notch on his bedpost, as he doesn’t do relationships.
The excursion to Ligador goes wrong from the beginning, when they discover Ligador has been established as a breeding station by their worst enemy: the Tash’Ba. Dinosaur-like creatures become the team’s worst nightmare, and staying alive is going to take everything they’ve got… and then some.
Pages or Words: 204 pages or about 65,000 words

Categories: M/M Romance, Science Fiction

Excerpt:
Excerpt from Chapter One:

After a five-minute standoff with our Nadiscs, I rolled my eyes and squared off in front of them. “Look, I know you have a rule about not giving your name out to anyone, so why don’t we cut it short. You”—I pointed at the woman—”will be R1.”
She narrowed her eyes at me, which I ignored, even though my hands began to perspire. I pointed at the man standing on her left and said, “That’ll make you R2.” I leveled my finger at the remaining one and added, “So you’ll be R3. We should all be able to remember R1, and if we get it wrong when there’s an emergency, we’ll only have to shout for R2 and R3 together and one of you will help us out.”
R2’s eyebrows knitted together very closely, and in the background feet shuffled. Someone cleared his throat. R3 came forward, one step at a time. I could’ve sworn the floor vibrated with every move. All my instincts screamed at me to leg it, but if I’d learned one lesson well, it was not to show fear. Not too much, anyway.
R3’s arm shot out before I had a chance to see it coming. His large hand clasped around my neck and all my hairs stood on end. I kept completely still, waiting for the blow to come.
He gazed at me from dark brown eyes, then lifted his other hand. The atmosphere around us thickened, and my poor confused cock perked up with interest. The Nadisc laid a hand against my cheek, left it there for a while, before he eventually pulled it away.
He pointed at his comrades. “Niyara.”
The Nadisc woman inclined her head.
“This is Xevon. And to make it easier for you and your people, you may call me Tom.”
“Tom?” I blurted. “Don’t you have a fancy name like the others?” The grasp around my neck tightened, and I hastened to add. “Short is cool, though. Really cool.”
“Thought so.”
Tom released my neck, but didn’t step away. Slightly wary, I glanced up at him. He grinned at me, showing a full line of well-tended white humanoid teeth, then beckoned to Niyara and Xevon. They bridged the distances in two long strides and formed a circle around me.
“Um, guys, what’s going on?” I asked, mulling whether I could slip past them or not.
They intertwined their hands and closed the circle around me. Someone—I think it was Carson—muttered something fierce, and a moment later three large bodies crowded me. I opened my mouth to tell them off, or maybe to ask them very politely to back off a little—same difference, really—when an eerie shout resounded through the hangar.
My eyes had to be circular by the time they finished. You could’ve heard a pin drop, it was that silent around us.
Niyara, Xevon, and Tom took one step backward, and I breathed more freely. Niyara smashed her fist against her chest, declaring, “We accept you as our leader on this mission.”
I gaped at her. The Nadisc helped and supported humans, but accepting leadership from a human? They very rarely did. Niyara smiled at me, a genuine smile that showed a prettiness I hadn’t seen before, then she engulfed me in a rib-creaking embrace. I was stumbling to find my footing once she’d set me down when Xevon lifted me off my feet and hugged me too.
He and Niyara turned around and advanced on my crew members, eliciting a few terrified squeaks. I peered at Tom, who showed no inclination of moving.
“What? No hug from you?” I asked.
He held out his broad muscled arms for me, grinning. My mouth went dry and my damn cock pressed heavily against the fabric of my pants. It had to be visible to everyone. For the first time in many years, heat rose into my cheeks. Tom’s grin expanded before he laughed. I stepped into his arms, bracing myself for another painful embrace. Instead, I found myself leaning against a hard chest with equally hard arms around me, fencing me in but without hurting me.
I mumbled into his leather vest, “Do you by chance happen to like blond humans?”
“I do.”
I would’ve screamed hallelujah if Baker’s voice over the loudspeaker hadn’t demanded we get going.
Sales Links:

e-book: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6683

paperback: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6684

About the author:

Chris T. Kat lives in the middle of Europe, where she shares a house with her husband of many years and their two children. She stumbled upon the M/M genre by luck and was swiftly drawn into it. She divides her time between work, her family—which includes chasing after escaping horses and lugging around huge instruments such as a harp—and writing. She enjoys a variety of genres, such as mystery/suspense, paranormal, and romance. If there’s any spare time, she happily reads for hours, listens to audiobooks or does cross stitch.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ChrisTKat
Twitter: http://twitter.com/christi_kat
GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/ChrisTKat
Blog: http://christikat.blogspot.com
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Chris-T.-Kat/e/B008FQQH2Q

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25803681-breeding-stations?ac=1
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Anne Cain
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Shield of Winter (Psy-Changeling #13) by Nalini Singh

Jove Presents  http://www.amazon.com/Shield-Winter-Psy-Changeling-Book-ebook/dp/B00G3L7TX6/ref=sr_1_1_ha?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1435301972&sr=1-1&keywords=shield+of+winter

shieldBlurb

Assassin. Soldier. Arrow. That is who Vasic is, who he will always be. His soul drenched in blood, his conscience heavy with the weight of all he’s done, he exists in the shadows, far from the hope his people can almost touch—if only they do not first drown in the murderous insanity of a lethal contagion. To stop the wave of death, Vasic must complete the simplest and most difficult mission of his life.

For if the Psy race is to survive, the empaths must wake…

Having rebuilt her life after medical “treatment” that violated her mind and sought to stifle her abilities, Ivy should have run from the black-clad Arrow with eyes of winter frost. But Ivy Jane has never done what she should. Now, she’ll fight for her people, and for this Arrow who stands as her living shield, yet believes he is beyond redemption. But as the world turns to screaming crimson, even Ivy’s fierce will may not be enough to save Vasic from the cold darkness…

Review

Yet again – I had a craving to re-visit some of my favorite m/f authors and Nalini Singh and her Psy-Changeling series is one of my all time favorites!

This is definitely one of those books where if you haven’t been reading along you will be totally lost. It is NOT a standalone. No matter what it might say anywhere else.

In this, the long awaited book, Vasic, the troubled and suicidal Arrow works with Kaleb as well as Judd to secure the re-introduction of the EPsy – the empaths – back into their powers. It is determined that the EPsy are what the NetMind has needed all this time to combat the illness.

What is left unknown is how these EPsy will take breaking Silence and just what is it they need to do and how can they be protected when those protecting them suffer just being in their presence.

Ivy is a strong EPsy whose Silence has been fractured for years. She assumes when Vasic comes to collect her that she is at last to be killed for her “faults”. From the moment they meet the two share a connection.

Then – for many pages – we work out who must do what and why for the NetMind to become fixed. Vasic and Ivy struggle with their feelings for one another – neither having any kind of experience in love/sex/relationships at all.

In the end thre is a race against time and more crushing blows to the NetMind, some reconnections with previous characters and a climactic finish setting us up for the grand finale – Shards of Hope – Aden’s story.

**

I have to admit I was disappointed in this book.

It took a lot of slugging through to reach the end.

I liked Vasic way more before he had his own book and Ivy was pretty MEH the entire time.

In previous books in the series the love was at least half the important part and I feel in these last few books, Kaleb, Vasic, Aden – more time is devoted to the greater story arc than the individual love stories.

As a fan I was glad to re-visit with Nalini’s Psy-Changeling Universe and I am excited to finally read the last story in this arc – but I am also kinda ready for it to be over.

Overall, the writing is good, I think it needed tighter editing, and maybe a more focused story line that equalized the love/romance part with the story progression.

3.5 of 5 hearts

3.5

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Blood and Ink by Jack Bridges with Excerpt and Giveaway

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Excerpt:
Clouds rolled in, white and puffy in the winter blue sky, but there was no moisture in the air, or in the sand beneath Annie’s bare feet.

“Rain?” Annie asked hopefully, and Grandma shook her head and looked sad.

Annie knew why. Without the potatoes and beans from the garden, without the lupins and sunflower seeds, all they’d have to live on would be gruel. There’d been no rain for months, even though the days were short and the nights cold, and it was nearly time for the summer to come back.

“Gruel will make us sick,” Annie said. “Will the government make rain?”

Grandma swore, something vicious and rude, under her breath. Annie was made sure to remember the word, because it was a new word and Annie collected those words.

They stood, studying the empty clouds over their heads while the chickens fought over the scraps, and even in the middle of winter the sun still hurt Annie’s bare arms.

“What did you use to do to make rain?” Annie asked Grandma. “Before?” Grandma knew things that everyone else had forgotten, and she didn’t go to church. “Is there magic?”

Annie had to whisper that, because Mum was a Believer, and she’d shout or pray or something if she thought Annie knew about magic.

The rainwater tank leaned against the back wall of the house. Grandma shuffled over and whacked it with her cane. The metal drum rang loudly.

“There’s magic,” Grandma said.

Sales Links: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=200&products_id=4414

About the author:

Jack Bridges is a writer and academic who lives in Perth, Western Australia, and works at a small university teaching students the basics of research methodology. He sometimes hides in a shack in the forest and makes complex plans for surviving environmental apocalypses.

Where to find the author:

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jack-Bridges/463367120505003
Website: http://www.jacklanebridges.com
Other: http://www.redbubble.com/people/jackbridges

Goodreads Link:
Publisher: Torquere Press
Cover Artist: BSClay

Final

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Take Your Best Shot By Starlight by Yolande Kleinn
Halden

Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6551

From the Daily Dose Series

TakeYourBestShotByStarlightBlurb

Halden Blake was a good soldier and a good man. He never intended to be a hero, and he definitely never intended the events that landed him in intergalactic politics. Now, three presidential terms later, Halden must decide if running for office again is worth five more years of putting his own life on hold.
Isaac Knox has been President Blake’s public liaison from the start, an ally and friend through difficult times. Halden has always carefully resisted thoughts of more, and Isaac has never given any hint of returning his guarded attraction. But when Halden finds himself struggling with questions about his own future, Isaac makes a surprising offer that could change everything.

Review

So – first thing I missed when I read the blurb – this is about a Space President. So be warned. ☺
It was actually great and had very few aliens or other spacey type weirdness – which I usually avoid like the plague.

Halden is the current Intragalactic President – big, big important role in the universe. He’s been there 15 years, which to a human is a long time but to other species is a drop in the bucket.
He has an assistant who has been with him the entire time, Isaac. Isaac is about 20 years younger than him and his best friend.
We meet up with Hal when he is deciding to re-run for office or get out and take care of his own sad personal life – he’s lonely.
We end with him still deciding.
**
This is a short story and thus has its limitations. However, this isn’t really even a complete story as the main conflict presented: does Hal re-up? is never resolved.
The side conflict: his loneliness is sort of resolved, but barely.

I loved the writing. The world building was amazing, but overwhelmed this short story and took page time away from the actual action or conflict resolution.
This would be better as the intro to a longer novella rather than calling itself a complete short story.

So – I have conflicting emotions regarding the rating – I give it a three because there was much to like, but far from perfect.

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Releasing the Shifter by Summer Devon

Samhain Publishing Presents :

https://www.samhainpublishing.com/book/5419/releasing-the-shifter

Coming May 5th

releasing shifterBlurb

To save his love he must face his monster and—worse—be nice to people.

Montag is a monster. He doesn’t know what sort of creature he would turn into if he ever let himself shift, but he knows it’s something predatory and lethal. He fights back the urge to shift every day of his life, and has never dared get close to anyone—not that they want him to. He can literally smell their fear.

Kevin’s not scared of monsters. He works for the SSU, the agency in charge of tracking shifters—particularly the dangerous ones. When he and his young niece are kidnapped by her scum-bucket dad, he’s grateful to be rescued by Montag, whose curmudgeonly defenses can’t hide the kind man beneath.

As they work together to protect Kevin’s niece, attraction sizzles between them. But their relationship may not survive if Montag learns who writes Kevin’s paycheck—or if Montag dares to confront the inner monster he hates and fears.

Warning: Contains a grouchy virgin shifter (and we mean virginal in all possible ways), a hero with a back pocket full of secrets, and a couple of jerks.

Review

In a unique world where Shifters must be tagged and identified by the government, but biogotry still runs rampant, Montag is a shifter in hiding.  He’s a mechanic in a small town and he’s sort of keeping the peace by acting as an “enforcer” for the local criminal element when he meets/rescues Kevin.

Kevin is literally being held by his psychotic brother-in-law and his sister when Montag crashes in and saves the day.

There are a lot of secrets being held.  Montag doesn’t want anyone to know what he is (and he’s not all that sure himself).  Kevin doesn’t want Montag to know he knows about Shifters nor does he want him to know who he works for.

Everyone wants to keep Kevin’s niece safe from her psychotic father.  Nobody wants the local law to know about Montag, and Kevin wants to keep his family under the radar as well.

There is an instant “mate” attraction between Montag and Kevin, and though Kevin would readily act on it, Montag fears the results.

Between keeping the humans safe from the perceived and real monsters, dodging the law,  and going to the hospital, the relationship between Montag and Kevin builds.

Finally, with the help of Colt (who we met earlier in book 2), the two manage to cut through to the truth and find their own path towards a permanent relationship.

**

So – there are shifter novels that you can read through in a hour or two, their pattern so familiar that it’s almost just a change of names to keep the story “new” and there are shifter books where the previous “lore” is unique, different and detailed in such a way that anything short of a careful reading will leave the reader scratching her head.

This is the second.  Summer Devon has given us a unique shifter lore in well-written prose with fantastic characters who draw you into the story and keep you turning pages.  She has included some of the more common lore and blended it with a sort-of dystopian future to keep things fresh, yet grounded.

The romance and the story are both much darker than some of the more traditional shifter stories out there and the prose is more dense and definitely more complex.  The focus is definitely more on the story and less on the sex, though there are some smexy times (With a virgin!).

I really enjoyed Summer’s character development and world building and though I was sometimes forced to re-read things to be clear about the whos and the whats, I really enjoyed this take on Shifters and will look to reading the previous two books and any future stories.

Writing/Editing  4

Romance  4

Sex/Heat   3

Storyline  4

World Building/Characterizations  4

3.8 of 5 hearts

4

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Who Knows the Storm Audiobook (The Vigilante #1) By Tere Michaels Narrated by Jonathan Young

Dreamspinner Presents: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6198

WhoKnowsTheStormAUDMed
Blurb

In a dystopian near future, New York City has become the epicenter of decadence—gambling, the flesh trade, a playground for the wealthy. And underneath? Crime, fueled by “Dead Bolt,” a destructive designer drug. This New City is where Nox Boyet leads a double life. At night, he is the Vigilante, struggling to keep the streets safe for citizens abandoned by the corrupt government and police. During the day, he works in construction and does his best to raise his adopted teenaged son, Sam.

A mysterious letter addressed to Sam brings Nox in direct contact with “model” Cade Creel, a high-end prostitute working at the Iron Butterfly Casino. Suspicion gives way to an intense attraction as dark figures from Nox’s past and the mysterious peddlers of Dead Bolt begin to descend—and put all their lives in danger. When things spin out of control, Cade is the only person Nox can trust to help him save Sam.

Review
(Book reviewed previously on this site)
Nox is a vigilante in dystopian New York after a massive flood has left the big Apple in ruins. He has a “son” that he cares about above all else and a desire for justice.

Cade is a “model”/rent boy who ends up bringing a letter to Nox’s son, Sam, and getting involved with Sam and Nox in a dangerous game where things aren’t as they seem.

The end is sort of a cliff hanger – so be warned – that hopefully leads us to the next book.
**
It took me forever to get through this book because I love Tere Michaels but I’m just not a big fan of the dystopian future storyline. So take this review with a grain of salt and here are my impressions:

1) Tere Michaels is a great writer who writes fantastic, gritty, sensual characters with a lot of depth
2) Even her secondary characters are fully developed and engaging
3) The smexy times in this story are hot – another of Michael’s skills
4) This is a little different than the previous books I’ve read by her in that it is more dark and lies more heavily on the non-romance/thriller portion of the story
5) Sometimes the story was twisty, turny and confusing to me, but it leaves a lot of potential for future segments in the series.

Audio

Jonathan Young is a new narrator for me, but he has won me over! I really, really enjoyed his narration here. He does a sweetly southern accent for Cade and a nice dark growl for Nox. He differentiates nicely the other voices as well and did a truly amazing job with the smexy scenes. Even though the story is still very dark and not exactly my cup of tea, I really enjoyed the passion in the narration and enjoyed listening to the story despite the darkness.

This narration absolutely added to my enjoyment of the story and bumps my rating up to a 4.5 of 5 hearts.

4.5

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