Month: May 2016

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Blueberry Boys by Vanessa North

bboysFrom Riptide:

Connor Graham is a city boy—a celebrated fashion photographer in New York. When his uncle’s death drags him back to the family blueberry farm, all he wants to do is sell it as quickly as he can. Until he meets his uncle’s tenant farmer.

Connor Graham is a city boy—a celebrated fashion photographer in New York. When his uncle’s death drags him back to the family blueberry farm, all he wants to do is sell it as quickly as he can. Until he meets his uncle’s tenant farmer.

Jed Jones, shy and stammering, devout and dedicated, has always yearned for land of his own and a man to share it with. Kept in the closet by his church, family, and disastrous first love, he longs to be accepted for who he is. But now, with his farm and his future in Connor’s careless hands, he stands to lose even the little he has.

Neither man expects the connection between them. Jed sees Connor—appreciates his art and passion like no one else in this godforsaken town ever has. Connor hears Jed—looks past his stutter to listen to the man inside. The time they share is idyllic, but with the farm sale pending, even their sanctuary is a source of tension. As work, family, and their town’s old-fashioned attitudes pull them apart, they must find a way to reconcile commitments to their careers and to each other.

Kimi’s thoughts:
Vanessa North takes a city boy from the country and returns him home to his roots in this sweet but slightly angsty romance. The pair are interesting characters who fit outside of standard tropes though, with Jed in particular really shining out as so real, you might swear you’ve met his real life counterpart somewhere.
I quite enjoyed the sensitive way the religious angle was used, with the condemnation driving confusion and yes, probably some fear, but the persons themselves were not demonised. They too were given a three-dimensional treatment. If you hated them, it was because of who they actually were, and when you liked them and wished for different, ditto. Growth happens for the main characters and some of the side cast too, which makes for a warm fuzzy feeling when it all comes together.
The setting of rural America, with its eyes firmly on the economics involved in leaving, running an agricultural business, and the very real skills needed to successfully run the farm were a nice change of pace as well. The locations used evoked real memories of childhood visits to different farms and of picking and eating fruit, which was no doubt the intention as our photographer lead is counting on this very thing to sell the photoshoot he wants to do. All told, it makes for a great anytime read, especially if you find yourself in need of a pick-me-up.

Rating: 4.5

Buy from Amazon Barnes and Noble

kimisig

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Guest Post by Jo Tannah, Author of Compelled

 

jpbilbaoThe first book I ever read was the novel Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. I was seven years old and it scared me. Not the story, but come on, I was seven and my grandmother, an avid reader and a writer for a local magazine, challenged me to finish the book. I spent one week pouring over the story, most times asking help about the definition of some of the more adult words from my mother. Eventually, my father gave me this huge, black, hard-bound dictionary and told me to look up the words instead. Needless to say, it was the challenge that spurred me on but in the end, I absolutely loved Rebecca and have read it more times I care to count even to this day.

The books I write cover contemporary stories but in the course of writing them, I discovered I preferred to write paranormal and science fiction simply because I love the genre so much and am more familiar with the supernatural. My father and nannies loved to tell their experiences on nights lit only by a lamp or candles. My island suffered from blackouts almost five years and the stories told in the dark fueled my imagination.

I finally put to writing a paranormal which I sent out to some friends who absolutely hated it. When I read it again, I saw the many mistakes made and the plot didn’t make sense. In fact, there were so many mysterious leaps into the unknown and supernatural, I could not make sense of it. Of course that was kind of disappointing so placed it in a box and forgot about it. Moving to this new house I found that box and took out the journal where I had written that paranormal. Six or seven years had passed since I’d put that story to paper and I had learned quite a few things in that time as a blogger and reviewer. It took time but I and a good friend managed to shred the piece and make sense out of it. In the process, I would cry and get so frustrated because it was so darned hard. In the end, it was not perfect and I took a chance to submit it. Imagine my surprise when they sent me a contract for publishing. Long story short, that book is slated for release this coming May 19th with the title: Hidden: Evils. It is a paranormal, supernatural based on local legends.

Today, I have three books out, Compelled for eXtasy Books, The Way You Look Tonight with Wayward Ink Publishing and a self-published short, What A Difference A Day Makes. A short story, Royal: Guardian was published as part of an anthology from Wayward Ink Publishing. I am working on other projects which focus on the science fiction and paranormal genres simply because I am more comfortable writing them.

About the Author:

I am a wife, mother and blogger by day, a writer by night. It can be difficult to say the least but it is a challenge that keeps me on my toes.
I grew up listening to folk tales my father and nannies told either to entertain us children or to send home a message. These narratives I kept with me and finally I wrote them down in a journal way back when I kept one. Going through junk led to a long forgotten box and in it was the journal. Reading over the stories of romance, science fiction and horror I had taken time to put to paper, brought to light that these were tales I never met in my readings.
The tales I write are fictional but all of them are based on what I grew up with and still dream about. That they have an M/M twist is simply for my pleasure. And I hope, yours as well.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @JoTannah
Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jotannahauthor
Blog: http://www.jotannah.com/

compelled

What he would give to be lost in love’s embrace.
Do you believe in dreams? That’s how I found Ryan. Unfortunately, I could not be with him then, not until he took that final leap of faith. You see, I come from a distant star and coming from another planet is problematic. Coming from a planet where the atmosphere is different from Earth makes it even more complicated.
Despite my father’s caution, I went to Earth. I was compelled because of my love for Ryan. I wanted him to come home with me but he would have to suffer through the change to survive. I wanted to be with him on Earth but its atmosphere is toxic to my kind.
I was caught between two different worlds and longed for at least one more hour on that planet so I could be with Ryan. What I wouldn’t give, just to feel his skin against mine, to taste his lips on my mouth. What I wouldn’t give, just to get lost in his embrace once more.
I am Q’lan. This is our story. It is not long but it was difficult. I am glad that I can tell it now with Ryan in my arms.
In my embrace.
In my life.

http://www.extasybooks.com/compelled/