I make my home in central Wisconsin with my husband of two years and two dogs. We have been together nearly 15 years, and the day it became legal to do so in Wisconsin we were married. My husband is my biggest supporter, always telling me, “Your book will not write itself.”
I have many interests. I love the Tarot, and practice Pagan spirituality. I am an avid reader and after taking the risk of writing several articles I decided to write my first novel. Writers have always been my favorite species of people… they have this fascinating ability to see the world through the eyes of all their characters and have found a refuge which offers a place where all the voices in their head can come out and play. That was when I felt that little click in my head and I knew this was going to be the next chapter in my life.
I like to write in several genres, m/m romance, cozy mysteries, and supernatural horror. Mainly I like to tell the stories about people that do not always fit in or represent the perfect idea of beauty, masculinity, or what’s considered attractive. I love imperfect people with rough edges and who dare to color outside of the lines.
My focus in life is on building bridges of love and understanding to each other, rather than building walls.
When I finished writing “Tarot Tales Presents DIAMOND DUST BLUES,” I quickly realized this lively ensemble of beautiful characters had more stories they demanded to tell… and I realized that it was meant to be a series.
“Tarot Tales Presents DIAMOND DUST BLUES” begins with aspiring actress, Ruby Perkins and her transgender Aunt Jenna, and tells the tale of how they enter in the Witness Protection Program under the care of two U.S. Marshals. They have to go off the grid to stay alive while being chased by ruthless diamond smugglers. They meet Bessie Mae Turner, who has a very talkative Spirit Guide name Charmaine. Along the way there is humor, action, explosions, love, and what I hope is a good, entertaining story. I wanted to tell a non-sexually graphic, non-threatening story, where people who loved Tarot and Mysteries, and where people who were part of the LGBTQ community, or loved someone who is, could come together, hear a good story in a safe, fun, non-judgmental place, and can get to know each other.
The other books to come in that series will have other supernatural characters and themes, and contain a good representation of people from within the LGBTQ community who are lead characters and not just the stereotypical side-kick characters there for a quick laugh.
At this point, I have three of the “Tarot Tales Presents’ books in various stages of editing, and a M/M romance called Signs of Hope, due out this Summer – this one will be a saucy read.
Tarot Tales Presents DIAMOND DUST BLUES is being re-edited and will be available again in just a few weeks. Part of the reason, and not to give away any spoilers, is this… with all the news of the laws changing in North Carolina I found that for me to leave the book, and the rest of the series, set there I would have to address those issues. As my intent for writing books is not only to entertain but also to bring people together, I could not leave my book series in North Carolina without my books becoming political. Therefore, I relocated my series to Santa Fe, New Mexico. I want everyone who reads my books to feel safe, included, and welcome. Santa Fe, New Mexico is well known for their welcoming attitude to artists, new age people, the LGTBQ community, and writers; as well as offering a beautiful loving people with a rich heritage, cuisine, and culture. It gives the series even more room to grow.
If you would like to reach me, you can contact me via Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008822358112
My website – https://tidalashburnblog.wordpress.com/
My author page on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/tidalstarottales/?fref=ts
Enthusiastic, play-it-safe Kelly Sutton is an American intern at the Photonic Royal Society in New London. He’s been working on Project Mars for over a year, a mission kept so secret by the society even Kelly doesn’t know exactly what it is. What Kelly does know is his contribution to the task will benefit mankind, and that’s enough for him.
Kelly’s world turns upside down when concerns over his mentor’s behavior lead Kelly to investigate and stumble upon a wicked truth. What is supposed to be a project to advance human life turns out to be an endeavor capable of mass destruction. The terrifying reality forces Kelly to choose between looking the other way to keep his job, as he’s always done, or risking his career and even his life to do the right thing by saving the man who’s captured his heart.
Kimi’s thoughts:
This is a short at 73 pages but it packs a lot of story into those few pages. Kelly is living his dream, working for a multi-discipline scientific organization. The project known as Project Mars is a government project, one that is very hush hush. So much so that he nor anyone else seems to know much about it, each section being assigned only a piece of the research and the larger details left to higher ups with a need to know.
The day comes when Kelly’s curiosity leads him to stumble upon the truth and it places his life in very great danger unless he goes along with what has been requested of him. Even worse, it quickly becomes apparent that an ethical line has been crossed and he can either risk his career and life or stand by and see a very great wrong perpetuated. The fact that the wrong being committed centers on a man he has come to love makes the dilemma especially difficult.
Covering subjects such as government corruption, scientific oversight, and bio-engineering, this is a romantic tale that is out of the ordinary. It hits all the right buttons (despite my brain at first trying to figure out what photons had to do with it all, haha) and ends with a HEA that isn’t too saccharine. Definitely, a set of characters I’d love to revisit in a longer work.
Turkish by background, I am both a mother and wife, I work as a nurse during the day and write LGBTQI stories late at night once the family are tucked in bed. I studied in the UK and worked there for a few years before I moved to Australia, settling down for good.
The characters like Ilhan, from “Awkward In Love,” are examples of the characters that I want to write about in my engaging stories—people who are not rich, famous or incredibly handsome with stunning bodies. Rather they are just everyday people who work hard and deal with whatever life throws at them, and then more!
I want to bring the readers’ attention to how gender identities and expressions are influenced by numerous factors including, but not limited to, culture, religion, societal norms, customs and beliefs. These make one’s gender very diverse and fluid. The main focus of my stories are the people who want to express themselves in ways that feel right, and kind to them and others.
I wrote “Stay With Me” so I could bring attention to victims of domestic violence.
In my latest story, “Boundless Love,” I wanted to focus on how experiencing traumatic events can lead to depression or anxiety, thus affecting our lives, and how sometimes people lose all that is dear to them, to the point of becoming homeless.
I support Marriage Equality for all,and stand by same sex parents because I believe that children primarily need loving and protective homes, showered with kindness and a kid friendly diet (I am a big believer in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs).
I love writing interracial stories about people from all backgrounds. The GLBT community is universal,
existing in all countries and cultures. For some cultures, being from a GLBT background is not easy and these are the people whom I want to promote more. I tend to focus on gender fluid characters in my stories, along with alpha males and those who are socially awkward and shy.
In my recent story, “Awkward In Love,” Ilhan is exactly that…someone with diversity. I am reluctant to
label him because this is something I avoid wherever possible. I believe that labels are for objects and not
individuals. Ilhan is a male who is gentle, awkward, and likes to cook and bake. Why not? His dream is to open his café…. aah, dreams, it’s what keeps us sane! Ilhan is, as he proclaims, “almost virgin” —he had frolicked a bit but never had full-blown sex; whereas John is a white Australian, who is rather masculine and an alpha male. Both are neither perfect nor rich or famous, and both are people who only want to be loved for who they are.
The shortfall for Ilhan is that he has some cultural clashes,which he internalizes because he grew up in Australia while his parents still identified with their own national heritage. I tried to capture some cultural clashes in my story, becauselife is neither smooth nor a total misery. Hence,the things Ilhan uses to try and capture John’s attention are both funny and sad at times. He represents many of our own extremes of awkwardness and humanity, as well as our diversity. John is simply solid and hardworking, the mainstream of society. His life experiences made him more mature, but he is also alone.
I love writing “happily ever after” stories. I imagine readers making theirdrinks (hot or cold, as you like it),then making themselves comfortable enough to settle in and read my stories after a long stressful day at work. I write novelettes with the thought that when someone finishes reading my story, they close their eyes, with a smile and a sigh,sleeping a little better as a result.
I usually come up with storylines after reading GLBT news items,or perhaps seeing an activity in a public situation. What I dream feels real in my head and I want to tell my tales to the world.
Yes, I am more of a storyteller than anything else… maybe even a dreamweaver.
Lane Hayes reveals the beautiful cover art of her next book titled A KIND OF ROMANCE coming out from Dreamspinner Press.
It releases on June 06, 2016.
=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=
BLURB
Zeke Gulden is a ruthless Wall Street exec. His hard-edged, no non-sense attitude has served him well in the cutthroat business world, but less so in his personal life. When he finds out his ex-boyfriend cheated on him with a coworker, Zeke can’t let go – not until he finds a way to get even. However, his meddlesome father has other ideas. The new hire at the family-owned bagel store is somewhat colorful, but his dad is sure he’s the perfect man for Zeke.
Benny Ruggieri is a fiercely proud New Yorker who dreams of making it big as a costume designer in the theatre. In the meantime, he’s working two part-time jobs in the food biz. When his new boss sets him up with his successful son, Benny has zero expectations. If nothing else, he figures he can entertain himself by making the uptight businessman squirm. Instead, the two become unlikely friends with an inexplicable attraction they can’t ignore. Benny might be the one to help Zeke set aside his quest for revenge, if he’s willing to let go and forgive what he can’t forget… and give in to an unexpected kind of romance.
Lane Hayes is grateful to finally be doing what she loves best. Writing full time! It’s no secret Lane loves a good romance novel. An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to a well-told love story with beautifully written characters. These days she prefers the leading roles both be men! Lane discovered the M/M genre a few years ago and was instantly hooked. Her first novel was a finalist in the 2013 Rainbow Awards and her third received an Honorable Mention in the 2014 Rainbow Awards. She loves travel, chocolate, and wine (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband and the coolest yellow lab ever in an almost empty nest.
In Jan Guillou’s book about the Knight Templar Arn, there’s a really beautiful scene in a church. Arn meets the love of his life while she’s singing in a choir, and he starts singing with her. Their voices twirl and swirl and make love to each other, symbolizing their future union.
I loved this idea so much that I’ve taken it, transformed it and dragged it out into (so far) four books. Jamie and Michael meet through music, and music remains at the heart of their relationship even ten years down the (literal) road. The reason Jamie approaches Michael to begin with – even though he’s a bullied geek – is that he’s heard that Michael plays the guitar.
But the last thing Michael wants is to play in front of people. He doesn’t want the attention, because in his experience, attention is always negative. He feels ugly and awkward, and when Jamie urges him to test out his singing voice during a camping trip, it takes some doing to bring him out of his shell.
***
Jamie went to get his guitar. Twilight was falling, and it was time for music. Seeing him sit down with the instrument in his lap, Michael smiled and fell quiet.
“No, don’t stop. Why don’t you sing a little? For real?”
Michael took a seat beside him. “Because it sounds awful?” He tipped his head back and swallowed a mouthful of beer.
Jamie weighed his words on inner scales, trying and discarding a bouquet of formulations. “I’m… trying to master the verse of Nights in White Satin. Help me?”
Michael turned his head at that. “Help…?”
“I don’t know where I am if I don’t have the, you know, lyrics. Melody.”
It was such a ridiculous lie that Jamie could see it enter Michael’s ears like a stranger and clash with everything he knew for true. But miraculously, it worked.
“O-kay…” Michael’s cheeks reddened a little and Jamie could see him swallow. “So…?” He glanced at the guitar, and Jamie strummed the E minor. Michael began to sing, but after only a few words, he broke off. “No…” He laughed a little and burrowed deeper into his jacket.
“Yes, come on,” Jamie urged, continuing with the E minor. “It doesn’t have to sound good, I just need the guidance.”
Michael cleared his throat and tried again. Jamie barely heard him, but steered his musical vessel by the faint stars of Michael’s flawless articulation – the d’s and the t’s stood out and showed the way. Not until they came to the chorus and Michael had to sing higher did Jamie actually catch snippets of the melody. And when Michael sailed on the notes of the final line, the bird-chirping dusk seemed to fall silent around them. Jamie felt his heart pound a little, but he went on playing, flashing a smile when Michael looked to him for reassurance.
The second verse was a little stronger. Jamie wouldn’t have known the words, but Michael delivered them all without a single mistake. Settling into the alien situation of singing with an audience, Michael’s voice grew steadily louder, but it never lost that initial softness. There was a wistful, yearning quality in there which almost fooled Jamie into believing that Michael had elongated the notes, but it was all done with sound, not rhythm: he subtly stressed the words, using his heart as his instrument, and the song became instantly three-dimensional. Jamie almost messed up the chords for listening so intently.
And then it was over. Michael fell silent after only one repeat of the chorus and looked into the crackling fire, hair obscuring most of his face. Jamie’s strumming trailed away into nothingness and they just sat there, quiet as if the world was coming to an end.
***
Before long, the pair’s music-making is almost indistinguishable from their tentative lovemaking. Even though they’re afraid of their new, confusing feelings, the music lets them get close to each other under the pretext of playing. When they jam together, they’re speaking soul to soul.
But that’s also the problem. Once Michael dares to get up on that stage, others start noticing his and Jamie’s chemistry. In the glare of the spotlights, their attraction is laid bare for the whole world to see, and not everyone is happy about it. Their manager nags them about their effeminate image, and the record company insists that they stop acting so gay with each other.
In book after book, Michael and Jamie try to adapt, to adjust to what people want from them and to what a rock star is supposed to be. But it feels wrong. They’re musicians first. Of course they want a career in music, but at what cost? It seems that to get to where they want, they have to negate everything that makes the band, the songs and even themselves who they are.
So the question becomes: do they obey the powers that be to maybe, maybe hit the charts, or do they do it their own way and almost certainly fail?
Author bio
Ingela Bohm lives in an old cinema, tucked away in a northern Swedish forest where she can wander around all day long and dictate her books. She used to dream of being an actor until an actual actor asked, “Do you really need to do it?” That’s when she realized that the only thing she really needed to do was to write. She has since pretended to be a dietician, a teacher, a receptionist and a cook, but only to conceal her real identity.
Her first imaginary friend was called Grabolina and lived in her closet. Nowadays she has too many imaginary friends to count, but at least some of them are out of the closet. Her men may not be conventionally handsome, but they can charm your pants off, and that’s all that matters.
Ingela’s more useless talents include reading tarot cards, killing pot plants and drawing scandalous pictures that no one gets to see. She can’t walk in heels and she’s stopped trying, but she has cycled 12 000 miles in the UK and knows which campsites to avoid if you don’t like spiders. If you see her on the train you will wonder what age she is.
you don’t like spiders. If you see her on the train you will wonder what age she is.
To get updates on Ingela Bohm’s work, please sign up for her newsletter or connect at her Blog Amazon author page Facebook Twitter Goodreads
Books by Ingela Bohm
The Pax Cymrica series:
Just Playing
The Road Taken
Release
Cutting Edge
Standalone novels:
Rival Poet
Not Safe For Work
Last Communion
All You Can Eat
Short stories:
Seven Thousand Minutes
Strings Attached
The Subjunctive Mood
Beneath The Mask
I’m Lynn Michaels and I live in Tampa. I’ve been writing MM Romance for about two years now and I have three full novels and three novellas published. When I write, I try to tell my characters’ stories in a way that is true to them. They don’t always do or say what I expect. They have many imperfections and issues, but that shouldn’t surprise me. My writing has always tended to be a little twisted. So, don’t expect the ordinary.
My latest book, Wanton, is about Corey and Jack and the hot mess they have to figure out if they want their BDSM relationship to work. Here’s the blurb folks:
TITLE: Wanton
AUTHOR: Lynn Michael
PUBLISHER: Rubicon Fiction
COVER ARTIST: Jay Aheer
LENGTH: 190 Pages
RELEASE DATE: April 15, 2016
BLURB: Corey has graduated from college and is trying to find his way, but when his Dom/boyfriend, Jack, demands that he move in with him, Corey loses himself in emotion, fighting Jack every step of the way.
Jack is a rich owner of a real estate investment firm and he’s determined to keep his submissive/boyfriend in line, even though Corey refuses to use his safe words.
Will their play become all consuming, or will they learn to trust each other enough to find love?
Praise for Wanton:
From Inked Rainbow Review:
“I have to say Lynn Michaels truly has a hit with this book…I love how this book showed the bad as far as a DOM/SUB relationship when all factors in the relationship are not met but I also love that the author took those factors and helped the DOM/SUB grow into something better…” -Tosha
“Wanton tells the story of Corey and Jack as they try to understand both themselves and each other in the context of a BDSM relationship…There was so much of this book I absolutely loved…” -Alyson
From Diverse Blog:
“This BDSM love story was quite different than some I’ve read…Now, though it follows BDSM rules it often doesn’t…So it’s interesting to see two tortured characters unable to help each other. It’s an entertaining story and creative. I adored Corey to pieces and wanted to hug him all the time!”
~extra something~
While preparing for this special blog event, I thought I needed something fresh and fun. This is Corey and Jack from Wanton on vacation in Tampa when they run into Campbell and Stone from my next book, Evasive Maneuvers, coming this summer. Enjoy!
Tampa was glorious. Corey loved seeing the city. Jack had taken him to the beach earlier in the day and now he topped that off with a trip through Tampa and on to Ybor city, where they had their own Dragon Club. Corey bounced up and down on the balls of his feet, eager to check it out, as they stood in line to get in. The humid air smelled faintly of tobacco, coconut, and melted cheese, and the people around them chatted quietly, creating a low hum that surrounded them. “This is going to be fun!”
Jack chuckled under his breath. His dark eyes traveled up and down the old buildings of the historic district, and Corey could feel Jack’s excitement vibrating off of him. Then, he turned those deep blue pools on Corey and grinned wickedly. “I can’t wait to watch you on the dance floor, you sexy thing.” He nudged his hip against Corey’s and wiggled his dark eyebrows.
Corey swatted him on the shoulder and settled in for the wait, just as some guy barreled into them, knocking them back into people standing behind them.
Jack came up swinging, ready to take someone’s head off. “What the fuck?”
“Oh, sorry. Sorry, man. Damn, Campbell. I told you to stop.” The guy was as tall as Jack and his shoulders were wide like a guy who played a lot of sports. He had gorgeous coppery skin and dark hair, cut short around his ears. Corey bit his lip, hoping this wouldn’t get physical, but Jack could be overprotective, so he expected the worst.
“It’s okay, just watch what you’re doing, guys.” Jack slipped his arm around Corey, and Corey breathed a sigh of relief that Jack had relaxed.
“Really, I’m so sorry.” The other guy he’d been playing around with stuck his hand out and Jack shook it. This guy was skinny – skinnier than Corey, but taller. He wore a shirt made out of some kind of silky netting that showed off his lean muscle and the belly-ring that sparkled in the streetlights. His handsome face had mischief written all over it. “I’m Campbell Fain, friends call me Camp, and this is my boyfriend, Stone.” He shoved his golden brown hair out of his face.
“Stone? That’s really your name?” Jack raised his eyebrows.
Stone shrugged. “Yeah. Mom was really into soap operas.”
“Stone? More like a mountain.” The words slipped out of Corey’s mouth before he could check them.
Campbell and Stone just laughed, but Jack didn’t. “Corey!” Jack’s tone screamed DOM, instantly throwing Corey into his submissive role. His head dropped, eyes down, and his hands clasped themselves behind his back as if they had a mind of their own.
The laughter around him stopped as quickly as his submission appeared, and Corey’s skin tingled, knowing their eyes were on him. A lump caught in his throat and for a second, he didn’t know what to do. Then, Jack nudged his shoulder.
“Well, I’m Jack and this is Corey, obviously. We’re here on vacation, down from New Cabel.”
Corey lifted his head and stared at Campbell. He might have been smaller than Stone, but his facial expressions and demeanor were large; when he smiled – larger than life. His brown eyes sparkled. “Nice to meet ya’ll. Hope we’ll see you inside.”
“Sure.” Jack smiled. “I’ll buy you guys a drink.”
“Sounds great.” Stone waved and turned to walk away and then stopped. He turned back around with a puzzled look on his face. “Don’t I know you?” He pointed at Jack.
“I don’t think so. I’d remember meeting someone as striking as you.”
Corey nudge Jack’s shoulder, but he secretly liked it when Jack flirted. He knew it was harmless.
Campbell touched Stone’s arm, turning him. As they walked away, Corey heard Campbell say, “That was weird.”
Stone huffed. “But, I know him. I think he’s that real-estate dude. You know? The one St. James was going on about. Wolfe.” He snapped his fingers. “Jack Wolfe.”
Corey growled under his breath. “I can’t take you anywhere, can I?”
Jack leaned over and nuzzled his nose in the curls on the top of Corey’s head. “Don’t worry about them. This will still be fun for us. Dancing, a few drinks, then back to the hotel.”
Corey tilted his head back, begging for a kiss and his Dom did not disappoint him. His lips stoked gently across Corey’s, teasing at first, and then pressed harder, his tongue slipping between them. Jack moaned just a little when their tongues rubbed together, the saliva making the kiss juicy and hot. When he pulled back, Corey stared into his deep blue eyes, sensing the love and understanding that had kept them connected hovering there, near the surface like it wanted to explode. Corey sighed, knowing what that explosion would feel like. “Thanks, Jack. Let’s have some fun tonight.”
“Always, baby.” Jack wrapped his arm around Corey’s shoulder and kissed the top of his head. He pushed Corey forward with a gentle tug, as the line started moving.
Buy LINKS for Wanton
Amazon US Amazon UK All Romance eBooks Barnes & Noble Smashwords Author BIO
Lynn Michaels lives and writes in Tampa, Florida where the sun is hot and the Sangria is cold. Lynn is the newest addition to Rubicon Fiction, and she loves reading and writing about hot men in love. She writes paranormal and contemporary MM Romance
:: Website :: Facebook Page :: Amazon Page ::
Norse mythology, actually most kind of mythology, has been a subject that have been close to my heart for most of my life. I am by far the least religious person you can find but the myths and lore about the vikings and Norse Gods, bloody as it may be has always put a thrill in me. And in a way I guess it is just the fact that it is more lore and folktales than religion that suits me. Because lore and folktales are more commonly known as tales, unlike religion that is taken as a fact and truth even though there’s nothing that proves that it is anything else but 95% lore too.The idea of turning Norse mythology and Native American lore into one well-oiled series was never really the plan, Haven was at the start, a Native American were
The idea of turning Norse mythology and Native American lore into one well-oiled series was never really the plan, Haven was at the start, a Native American were hunter who was going to have no other passion than traveling the roads like a nomad. His only mission in life that of killing off the entire shifter race because of what one crazed shifter did to his family and tribe. He was never meant to have a lover, a group of men and women who he considered his family, no his story was at the early stages of my brain’s development of this story a very solitude and dark life.
It wasn’t until I started plotting out his story that the idea of Norse Mythology and the Fenrir Ulv, being the ultimate father of all shifters, started to creep into my mind. First, the Fenrir Ulv was going to be the Ultimate shifter, as he still is, the father of all creation when it came to were shifters. He was meant to have been Haven’s ultimate challenge, who Haven, in the end, was meant to die from trying to kill, and who know’s he might just still do that, but all in all no matter what happens the path Haven went down was nothing like I first anticipated or planned.
Native American lore and history have is another subject that has always been something that has fascinated me. Native Americans being the only real natives of the continent of North America, it’s always surprised me how little we see of that history there. They were there, living the earth, making homes and a living long before Columbus discovered the Americas and were and are a huge part, the essential part of North American history and still “the white” man’s minute long presence is what dominates our history books. With Haven’s Revenge, I wanted to change that, I wanted to make Native American history and lore a main part of the story.
Those who have read my books, and I guess especially those that have read my books and knows me, know’s I favor the underdog, the oddball, the grumpy goodhearted bastards of society who everyone else has lost faith in, those are the men and women I prefer since following the stream of political correctness has never really been my cup of tea. I can honestly say I despise political correctness for the sake of it because way too many people hide behind it and are allowed to act like cowards because of it.
Planning Haven’s Revenge, at the beginning, was fairly easy because his cause his reason was just going to be that of revenging his past with his acts of devotion to killing of every shifter till all of them were dead. It wasn’t until I reacquainted myself with the Fenrir Ulv and Norse Mythology, and my love for it came back to live that I started playing with the idea of making it part of the heart of my story. I mean killing the Fenrir off when he was such a cool myth and when it would be so much more fun and interesting to have him stay alive and for once being one of the good guys!
It is funny when it comes to Norse Mythology and Vikings, most people get it wrong, Thor and Odin, and even Loki always somehow become heroes like Superman or Batman. Bad boys with good guys heart when in reality all of them were if you read the Edda or other sources of Norse Mythology information, they were all evil and selfish bastards. And as for the Viking, there was nothing gentle or loving about them, they were all brutes. Barbarians.
Being pretty familiar with Norse mythology researching it I knew what I was looking for and really just needed to look up details such as how the Fenrir Ulv was captured by the Asa Gods, where exactly he was held and how they drove that sword through his giant jaws. The point was to keep as much of the original lore as possible, to keep the realness of what most people know or what is known as the “truth” so that you would get that familiar feeling as you read the story. Besides the most complicated story keeps to the facts, when you start swaying out too much and you need to explain in too much great detail that is when the story is lost. At least in my eyes it is.
So, what happened between Haven being a pissed of forever lost were hunter with nothing else on his mind than prowling the land of the United States killing shifters and ending up as ranch hand training horses, being the candy of a farm boy’s eye and becoming the key to that farm boy’s future as the King of Wolves?
It is fairly stupid to call me romantic, because in reality I am not, I am way too cynical to be called romantic but I guess there’s a part of me, even if that part is fairly small, that still likes the idea of love like no other kind of love. The kind of love that will make you break all the rules, even your own, the kind of love that will get you through that long and dark tunnel and out into the light, the kind of love that makes you a possessive son of a gun and makes you wait forever and a lifetime just to be with that person for no other reason than that you have no room for anyone else. I guess a small part of me that exists out there at least for some people.
Mind you now I say love, not being in love, because even if the idea of being in love and the idea of that one perfect mate/lover/partner/second half (call it what you want) is something a lot of people hope is true, love can be any type of love it doesn’t have to be boy meets girl or boy meets boy. It can be the love between a parent and child, grandson, and grandfather and so on and so forth, and I think that you see all those kinds of loves all through Haven’s Revenge, that love is what love is and come in all different shapes and colors and none is better than the other just different.
As soon as I started to toy with the idea of making Thor and foremost Odin into the bad guys of my story and the Fenrir Ulv (and his siblings the Midgard Snake and Sleipnir) together into the good guys everything just sorts of fell into place all on its own. Coleman and Vojin they were the first characters to take form in my head, Vojin immediately being the key to the Native American lore of things.
To me, Native American culture and lore is a lot about self-discovery, about finding you inner strength, personal spirituality, and sacrifice. That you are willing to give up a lot of your own things to bring pleasure, happiness and safety for your people/family/tribe and at times that ultimate sacrifice is death itself but it is not feared because you are always protected by the spirit you made part of you. In Haven’s Revenge all of the Caddo community are a proof of this Zacharias, Haven’s father, death, Vojin being the link between the Caddo community, the Fenrir Ulv, and the Shifter council with the original eleven (twenty) cubs that were the children of the Caddo man who was the first man to ever be possessed by the Fenrir spirit and who managed to not go crazy.
The Caddo Norse story is the lack of a better word, a complex story, and I think that show’s in the criticism the book get both from people who love it and hate it, because the most common criticism it, or I have gotten, from readers and reviewers is that there’s “things” that doesn’t make sense like who the hell is Viktor and Hawk, the pop up and disappears and we don’t really great a grip on them, Vojin is essential to the story but we don’t see him enough, and this was supposed to be Haven’s and Alex’s story but it is stolen away because of all those other characters or their story was rushed (which I personally don’t get because it was dragged out to the point of almost becoming too much) but all these criticisms and others have answers.
The M/M Romance community is very used to, or spoiled (winks) with HEA’s with stories that start and ends with boy meets boy and then they live happily ever after. They are used to series where the MC are the main focus and there’s a new couple in each book and the couples from the past book or books only, if at all, makes small guest appearances. Not in mine, they don’t.
I don’t, only, write traditional romance stories, I obviously don’t mind them, but all my stories (with one exception of Finding Home) the main plot of the story isn’t love and getting the two MC’s together as a couple, they are a sidekick to the bigger picture, the red thread, the moral of the story which as in the Caddo Norse Novels is the war between the Asa Gods and the Fenrir Ulv/ Paranormal and human world. It is the war between good and evil, look and you shall find a lot of my own personal views on things all the good and all the evil represents real situations or people. What is the moral of the story? Characters pop up in Haven’s Revenge and disappears for a reason, we are shifted back and forth in time to show the reader historic events that have a purpose for the future.
And as for Haven and Alexander, whatever possessed you to think that their story was over to begin with? (Grins) There are load of things still going on with those two and their fate, their story, together as well as apart has only just begun (and that goes for Vojin too.)
Luca is a first year med student at the University of Gothenburg. He is following in his father’s footsteps, something he’d been programmed to do all his life. He lives a sheltered and still life, with no real friends. Luca would love to change that but doesn’t know how, since he always feels so odd around other people, like he doesn’t quite fit in. There’s so much inside him that wants out, like wanting to become a veterinarian more than a doctor. And the fact that he likes boys and not girls. But he doesn’t tell anyone about that—not even himself.
In comes Kai, an American cowboy in Gothenburg. He’s doing his thesis overseas to broadens his horizons before he does what he has always wanted to do, which is to go back home and run the family ranch. He just happens to see Luca one day leaving class and can’t stop watching the shy guy as he waded his way through the crowd with quick, silent steps, and his head down to avoid eye contact with anyone. For weeks Kai watches him from a distance, trying to figure out how to approach him.
Had he known that spilled coffee and slippery, awkward book bags would have gotten him close to the guy, he might have physically bumped into him a long time ago.
Finding Home is a book with star-crossed lovers meeting and the evil mind of the wicked witch in the west threatening to crush young love’s every dream!
Phetra often refers to herself as the odd man out, the dorky book nerd who rather spend her time with a good book or making up fantastic stories with even more fantastic characters, than live in the real world dealing with real people. The real world is strange, in a very non humorous way, and people in it complicates it to the point of wearing you out. In the world of the written word, no matter if it is in someone else’s words or that of her own things might get busy, complicated, and sometime even plain painful, but somewhere along the line there is always a hero on the horizon. He might not be prime or proper, a church going pretty boy since the author prefer rebellious men and women who don’t follow the protocols of society. One of her favorite saying are that only dead fish follow the stream and well she ain’t no dead fish. Phetra live together with her family, two children, a domestic partner and their two cats in Gothenburg, Sweden and when reading her books you will notice that she always finds a way of bringing her on culture into her books. The joy of writing and reading comes from her childhood and is something she has always loved, something she is passionate to share with others. Phetra loves hearing from her readers even with ideas of what they want to come next. If you are looking for her, the best place to start looking is at home in the quietest corner of the house, where she’ll be curled up with either her Kindle reading or with her laptop typing away.
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.
The 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.
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.
As an author, I truly love writing and exploring the paranormal. In the world of fantasy, an author is able to create and let their imagination run free. I can honestly say, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t write. I began when I was in fourth grade. Back then it was teen mystery stories. I believe my first little series was entitled, “The Hunt Sisters Mystery Series.” I was a real Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys fan. Till date, I’ve written numerous lesbian books under my penn name, Fallon and just recently, as of a year ago, dipped my pen into the M/M genre. I was hooked with the first story I wrote. It’s entitled Hunted and is published with Wilde City.
Some people have asked, how do you do it?
My answer: first I come up with my characters names, plot of the story, location, villains, lovers, ect. I open a blank Word doc, turn on my YouTube music list and began. My favorite writing muses to listen to are, Marianas Trench, Ed Sheeran and old school soft rock.
When I’m not writing, I’m spending time with my girlfriend of eight years and our demanding Chow-Chow, Blaqk. Readings is also one of my beloved pastimes. I tend to think all authors are avid readers.
As a member of the LGBT family, my future goal is to open a home for discarded LGBT teens. It saddens me, the plights that many gay and lesbian teens have to face due to ignorance and hate. If in my lifetime I can help some of those who are discarded. Find their way in life, then I feel truly blessed.
I can be contacted on Facebook, Lourdes Skye Author most days. Feel free to add me and whenever you can, check out one of my amazing M/M Romance or Paranormal books.
Donali Lyons eyes the perfect piece of man candy headed his way. He’s stumped when he discovers that the man is his mate…and has a date.
Drugged, Lance Stark wakes up naked, tied to a chair…and married to the wrong man.
Can his cat shifter mate save him from a delusional groom or will it be discovered that cats don’t have nine lives???
Deceptions, crazy assassins, government conspiracies and a romance so hot it melts off the pages, all tie into this epic shifter tale.
Lourdes Skye has been writing fiction since the fourth grade. First she started with tween mysteries then later progressed to paranormal and lesbian books. Being a fellow member of the LBGT Family, Lourdes loves to write about the beauty of love without limitations. Till date, she’s dipped her pen in the exciting world of m/m romance. She cites, “There’s so much beauty in two guys risking it all, public scorn, family abandonment, unfair job treatment, just to hold hands and say ‘we are’.” Love truly has no gender and in her work, Lourdes conveys that wholeheartedly. Lourdes currently makes her home in the state that she was born and raised, Atlanta Georgia.
![KindofRomance[A]FS](https://creativemindpromotions.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/kindofromanceafs.jpg?w=683&resize=500%2C750)
