BLURB: Tai wishes Master Lucas wasn’t such an adamant Top, but he’s also crushing on the sweetly submissive Elliot. Could he have it both ways?
Tai has hit a wall in life. From all outward appearances, he’s the guy who has everything—looks, personality and money. But the modeling gigs are drying up and he still hasn’t found that special someone to call his own. The part-time work at Kiss of Leather is quickly becoming full-time to prevent the drain on his dream-business savings.
Elliot fell for the stunning Tai from almost the moment he met him. If he wasn’t so self-conscious about the weight he’s recently put on, maybe he could work up the nerve to make a move. However, not only is he a virgin who’s never done a scene before working in a BDSM club, but he’s also sure that Tai has a thing for Master Lucas. There’s no way he could ever compete with the handsome silver fox.
When Master Lucas confesses to Tai that he doesn’t only see him as a hookup and offers him a contract, there are a ton of considerations. They both realize that serious compromises would have to be made for them to have a relationship. But what if they found a third, a sub who could bottom for Tai and also do TPE with Master Lucas? Once the idea takes hold, Tai knows just the perfect boy for them both. Even better? He’s right there at Kiss of Leather, and Tai can’t wait for Elliot to turn them all into a throuple.
Reader Advisory: This book contains a scene of assault, and attempted sexual assault.
REVIEW: This book along with this series is so good with each book getting better and better. Book # 8 gave us a little something more in terms of the ménage but with Tai’s character, it made total sense to me.
Tai is not a total Sub and I see how that would’ve strained the relationship between him and Lucas who is a total Dom. Lucas was aware of this and I think that was one of the factors of him being agreeable to bringing Elliot into the fold. Elliot is a complete sub and is the perfect man for them. I truly feel that he’s the important link that holds them all together.
These characters, as the case with all of her characters are so well and clearly written; the contrasts between them is always a pleasure to read. I love that she makes the reader see more to Tai’s character than just him being a brainless, rich, pretty boy, part time submissive. Elliot is sweet and shy but he has a strength to him that he doesn’t realize he has and Lucas is a Dom but he’s not hard or heartless or perfect. That’s also what’s great about this series: she doesn’t make her Doms these hard, heartless men who never makes mistakes. These men are Doms but they are loving and caring and far from perfect. What I also love about this author is that her characters are from all racial, ethnic, orientation, socioeconomic groups. Her books are wonderfully diverse and she writes them all respectfully pretty much dispelling the myth that it’s impossible to write diverse characters without stereotyping them.
Now, as with all of her characters, these men are themselves flawed and you see them deal with issues of physical, mental and sexual abuse. I like how she writes how these men get through those issues with help and with men who help them heal. And what I love about all of her books in general, this series, this books in particular, she doesn’t make these men superheroes, meaning, she doesn’t have the Doms heal their subs in one book. It’s an ongoing and long process that she shows spanning several books with the timeline being years.
This book was wonderful and I look forward to reading more.
BLURB: When private investigator, Shane Stephens, is hired by the mayor of Cincinnati to track down the hacker who has been threatening him, Shane is sure this is the opportunity to launch the Merleau Detection Agency into the big time. He even convinces Rowe Ward of Ward Security to loan him one of his best IT specialists, Quinn Lake.
Shane, a man who prefers casual intimacy, is surprised by his attraction to the moody computer geek, but when Quinn suggests they have fun for the month he’s on loan, Shane happily agrees. Both men are expecting nothing more than a good time.
But the investigation takes an unexpected turn and they quickly discover they are facing more than a hacker out to ruin the mayor’s re-election chances. And as they spend more time together, they realize their relationship may be a lot more than just a good time.
With only weeks until the election, Shane and Quinn race to gather the proof they need while dodging bullets and possibly…falling in love.
REVIEW: This is the second book in the fantastic spinoff from the Unbreakable Bonds series. A friend of my turned me on to these authors and I am so very glad that she did. These two authors are a dynamic duo; their characters, settings, storyline and plots are absolutely fabulous.
I became obsessed with their books starting with the Unbreakable Bonds series, the series that started it all. I was literally addicted with the first page of Shiver to the first page in this current book.
As with the rest of their series, their writing style is perfectly matched. There have been times when I’ve read books written by two authors and it didn’t seem like a cohesive story. This is not the case with these authors. Their writing style and transition from one book to the other is seamless, almost as if it’s written by one person instead of two. The editing is spot on perfect, no plot holes, gaps in storyline, nothing. It’s wonderful.
Quinn and Shane are great together. The chemistry these two men have leaps off the page. The recipe of mystery action and suspense, infused with just a touch of humor grabs and keeps your attention. You lose yourself into this world and the lives of these characters from the very first word to the very last. I absolutely adore these authors’ work and I highly recommend this series. I am anxiously awaiting the next book.
In the sequel to the Rainbow-Award-winning Skythane, Xander and Jameson thought they’d fulfilled their destiny when they brought the worlds of Oberon and Titania back together, but their short-lived moment of triumph is over.
Reunification has thrown the world into chaos. A great storm ravaged Xander’s kingdom of Gaelan, leaving the winged skythane people struggling to survive. Their old enemy, Obercorp, is biding its time, waiting to strike. And to the north, a dangerous new adversary gathers strength, while an unexpected ally awaits them.
In the midst of it all, Xander’s ex Alix returns, and Xander and Jameson discover that their love for each other may have been drug-induced.
Are they truly destined for each other, or is what they feel concocted? And can they face an even greater challenge when their world needs them most?
The Oberon Cycle: Book Two
About the Oberon Cycle:
Xander is a skythane man whose wings have always been a liability on the lander-dominated half world of Oberon.
Jameson is a lander who has been sent to Oberon to find out why the supply of the psycho-amoratic drug pith has dropped off.
What neither knows is that they have a shared destiny that will change the two of them – and all of Oberon – forever.
This is my first time writing a series – at least, the first time one has ever been accepted for publication.
To make things a little more crazy, I’m actually writing two.
The first is the Oberon Cycle, a sci fi trilogy with a heavy dose of MM romance that started with “Skythane”. The second, “Liminal Sky”, is a queer sci fi series that doesn’t really have any romance, and is a little more epic-long-term in scale.
“Lander” is book two in the Oberon Cycle, and as I write this, I find myself in a weird place, stretched a bit thin across the whole trilogy.
I am re-reading “Skythane” to make sure I don’t miss anything while writing the third and final book, “Ithani.” I have just finished edits recently for book two, “Lander.” And of course, I am writing “Ithani.” It’s a bit like being trapped in three different times at once. Events that happen over a stretch of time are compressed and mixed together, and I’m having a hard time remembering the proper order.
In short, I am swimming in the depths of Oberon.
It’s actually kind pf fun though, as it’s giving me the opportunity to make connections between books one and three that I might have missed otherwise. Like, why does Alix have long hair in book one and short hair in two and three? And how does he feel about it?
It’s a small example, sure, but it’s indicative of the kind of things that come up when you try to ensure consistency across a number of books. Sometimes it’s too late, so as a writer you have to come up with the reasons why.
Next time I write a series, I’ll probably do things a little differently. Outline a little better? Track character traits more closely? I have gotten better over the course of the three books, but my track record in book one is looking a little dismal LOL.
Anyhow, once it’s done, all the seams should be cleaned up and the holes plugged, so that you the reader won’t notice them. And if I do my job right, some of the errors might even turn into some of the story’s best twists and turns.
A writer can hope, right?
Giveaway
Scott is giving away a $25 Amazon gift certificate and three copies of his queer sci fi eBook “The Stark Divide.”
Xander stared at the torrent of water pouring over the cavern entrance. Somewhere out there, Quince and the others were lost in the storm.
“What happened to everyone else?” Jameson shouted, putting his hand on Xander’s shoulder.
“I don’t know. Last I saw them was before the lightning strike.” How had things changed so quickly?
Jameson started toward the exit. “We have to look for them!”
Xander pulled him back.
Jameson’s eyes were wild.
He squeezed Jameson’s hands, trying to reassure him. “Hey, calm down. There’s nothing we can do right now.”
“We already lost Morgan.” Jameson’s eyes pleaded with him. “I can’t lose the rest of them.”
Xander shook his head. “It’s no use. We’ll never find them in this tempest. They’re seasoned veterans. They can take care of themselves. We’ll go looking after the storm passes.” The loss of Morgan weighed on him too, though he was less and less certain that Morgan had been a human boy at all.
Jameson looked doubtful.
Xander felt it too, but there really was nothing they could do. “Hey, it’s gonna be all right.” He pulled Jameson to him, enfolding the two of them with his wings. Jameson was soaked, but Xander didn’t care.
Jameson nodded against his chest. “You’re right. Gods, I know you’re right. I’m sorry. I thought we were done with all this.”
Xander held him out at arm’s length. “Gods, huh? We’re doing the plural thing now?”
Jameson gave him a half smile. “Trying it out? When in Rome….”
“How’s your hearing?”
Jameson cocked his head. “It’s better. But everything sounds muffled.”
Xander nodded. “I can tell.”
Jameson blushed. “Am I talking too loud?”
“Just a little.”
Jameson smiled sheepishly. “It’s weird. It feels like my ears are full of water.”
Xander kissed him gently. “It’ll pass.” He looked around the cavern at last, his eyes gradually adjusting to the dim blue light.
The place was a faeryland, filled with rows of golden stalactites and stalagmites, like the bulwarks of an eldritch castle. Each one was a miracle of minute detail, like candle wax dripped from above. The whole cavern was lit by a turquoise-blue glow.
Xander looked around for the source. It came from pools of water on either side of the cavern. The scintillating light shimmered along the walls, creating complex, ever-changing patterns.
“Look, Jameson… it’s beautiful.” They were both a muddy mess. “We’re stuck here until the storm blows itself out. Why don’t we get cleaned up and try to rest? Then we can figure out what to do next. We have a long flight to Gaelan.” He was still shivering from the rain.
“A bath sounds like heaven.” Jameson let Xander lead him to one of the glowing ponds.
“Do you think it’s safe to go in?” Xander asked, pulling off his boots and testing the water with his toes. It was warm.
Jameson looked queasy, but then he smiled. “They called them faery ponds. There’s a microscopic organism that makes the light. It’s harmless, but beautiful.” He grinned. “Romantic, even.”
Ah, that’s how you knew this place. “You’ve been here before, haven’t you?” he said, slowly and clearly, gesturing to indicate Jameson and the cavern. His own generational memories were still fleeting, occasional things.
Jameson’s smile fled. He shrugged. “Not me personally….”
“Shhh. I know.” If he closed his eyes and focused, he could see this place too, but he seemed to be able to block them out when they were inconvenient. “Too many memories.” Xander pointed at his head.
Jameson nodded. He looked relieved. He reached out and pulled Xander close, his hands warm on Xander’s waist.
Xander slipped his arms around Jameson and kissed him once, twice. He wrinkled his nose. “You’re filthy and you stink! So do I.” He held up his shirt as proof. It was covered in mud stains.
Jameson laughed. “We can fix that.”
He helped Jameson unlace the sides of his shirt, pulling it off to reveal the naked skin underneath. Jameson returned the favor, his hands lingering for a moment before withdrawing to pull down his own pants.
They shucked their wet and dirty clothes and descended into the water. It was surprisingly warm, silky and smooth around Xander’s waist.
The pool was about three meters across and sloped down to about a meter deep at the far end. There was a warm, gentle current drifting past Xander’s legs, and the stone beneath his feet had been worn smooth by water and time.
Xander washed the grime off his skin, and it drifted off into the water around him.
Jameson pulled him in deeper and gestured for him to lower his head.
Xander lay in Jameson’s arms, and warm water washed over him, carrying the mud and dirt out of his hair. Jameson massaged his scalp, pulling away the twigs and bits of gunk he’d accumulated on the mad run through the forest in the storm.
Xander’s desire threatened to overwhelm him at Jameson’s gentle touch. He dipped his face into the water and rinsed off. It was so fucking good to get clean.
He shook his head, splashing Jameson, who shot him an aggrieved look.
The look turned into a wicked grin, and Jameson splashed him back. Then they were going after each other and laughing, a fine mist of water flying through the air.
Damn, it’s good to hear you laugh again. Xander grabbed Jameson and kissed him, harder this time, and Jameson’s body responded. They fell back into the water, and Jameson was hard against him, his own need naked before Xander’s desire.
After all that had happened, Xander needed to feel human and alive again. He tugged Jameson back to the shallow part of the pool and pulled his skythane down on top of him, Jameson’s skin warm against his own.
He kissed Jameson’s neck and nibbled on his ear, eliciting a low moan.
Jameson wanted this as much as he did. He could tell.
For a long, slow, ecstatic hour, Xander forgot all about the storm.
Author Bio
Scott lives between the here and now and the what could be. Indoctrinated into fantasy and sci fi by his mother at the tender age of nine, he devoured her library. But as he grew up, he wondered where the people like him were.
He decided it was time to create the kinds of stories he couldn’t find at Waldenbooks. If there weren’t gay characters in his favorite genres, he would remake them to his own ends.
His friends say Scott’s brain works a little differently – he sees relationships between things that others miss, and gets more done in a day than most folks manage in a week. He seeks to transform traditional sci fi, fantasy, and contemporary worlds into something unexpected.
He runs Queer Sci Fi and QueeRomance Ink with his husband Mark, sites that bring queer people together to promote and celebrate fiction that reflects their own reality.
BLURB: Hilo Adachi learned one very important lesson from his father—unconditional love is a sham that always comes with strings attached.
Broken and alone, he works as a bike messenger while moonlighting as a graphic designer. When he meets Matthew Ellington, the last thing Hilo is looking for is love, but how can he deny the fact that one look from Matthew’s beautiful, brown eyes leaves him yearning for things he has no right to? How could he possibly imagine he deserves a man like Matthew?
Matthew Ellington has it all – a successful clothing line, a loving family and money. But he’s missing love and while he isn’t actively looking, he isn’t going to ignore it should love come along. The moment he lays eyes on Hilo, he knows he wants him. But Hilo’s demons keep getting in the way.
Matthew is a fighter, and Hilo’s demons have met their match.
REVIEW: I really enjoyed this book. These characters were absolutely wonderful together. Hilo especially tugged at my heartstrings. If anyone deserved a HEA ending, it was him. Like most people, Hilo had issues that stemmed from his family life and from his past that negatively impacts his life and affects pretty much every decision he makes. He’s a man that’s pretty much given up on thinking he deserves to be loved.
Matthew was the perfect match for him. Matt’s light and love was the perfect balm that soothed Hilo’s bruised heart and goes quite a long way in helping him heal which gives Hilo the courage he needs to open himself to give and receive love. And Matthew! He pursues Hilo, but he wasn’t forceful, arrogant or obnoxious in his pursuit. He was firm in the sense that he knew that Hilo was the right man for him but he was patient because he understood that Hilo had issues stemming from his family.
I really enjoy this author’s work. Her stories always flows so well. There’s no unnecessary drama; the author doesn’t feel the need to fill the book with angst. There’s conflict, sure, but they’re resolved smoothly. There was the perfect balance of sex and romance. There wasn’t so much sex that it turns you off but just enough to keep it sexy. I also love that her books feature ethnically/racially diverse characters without the stereotypes. I don’t have to worry about getting ticked off while reading her work because she always seems to get it right. And the cover was beautifully done. The soft colors were such a great choice.
I really liked this story. My only complaint was that I didn’t want it to end. This was definitely a lovely read.
Scott lives between the here and now and the what could be. Indoctrinated into fantasy and sci fi by his mother at the tender age of nine, he devoured her library. But as he grew up, he wondered where the people like him were.
