Category: Authors, Artists, and Promos

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Believing Blue (Manchester Ménage #3) Nicole Colville

 

Reviewed by Kiwi

TITLE: Believing Blue

SERIES: Manchester Ménage #3

PUBLISHER: Hidden Pleasures

RELEASE DATE: April 20, 2016

BLURB: Is there a fated path we follow, or is it simply a series of coincidental events?
Police officer Kellan Howard is rumoured to have spent too much time in sub-zero temperatures, leaving him with a block of ice for a heart and women lining up to help thaw it. Mountain climbing is his only love, leaving no time for a relationship, and although meaningless sex satisfies his physical need, it’s empty. When he attends a fatal traffic accident, he didn’t expect his entire life to change. Along with a final message, Kellan is offered something else from the dying man: the chance to fall in love. Kellan’s never considered being with a man, but when he meets Valentino, he’s instantly drawn to him.
Suffering from crippling agoraphobia, talented Italian artist Valentino has a solitary existence, only experiencing life outside the house through his partner Stuart. When their relationship comes to an abrupt end, Kellan helps ease his suffering. A deep bond binds the two men together, and the sexual tension can’t be denied, but Valentino questions if the distance between their very different lives is too much, and if they can bridge the gap by themselves.
Ballet dancer Blue has a vibrant personality which demands attention, but his humour and courageous attitude are a shield. Blue’s good at making others believe in themselves, but what he needs is someone to believe in him. He could be the bridge both men are looking for, but Blue’s never allowed anyone to get too close, and when Kellan and Valentino enter his life, he desperately tries to protect his heart and his secrets.
When all three meet, the chemistry is undeniable, but each have fears about moving forwards. Together, they learn love comes in many forms. It can’t be restrained or labelled, and it doesn’t always appear in the way you first imagined.

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EXCERPT

“Blue!” both Things screeched at the same time and Blue cringed. “You’re a bunny?”
“Yeah.” Blue sighed. He’d explained this to his sisters, like, four times over the past two days what he’d be wearing for their charity event. If he wasn’t related to them and knew both his mum and dad, then he’d so guess inbreeding was the cause of the Things. “You look awesome!”
Both twins smiled that same bright smile and turned around simultaneously. They always dressed the same, ever since they were born, well, ever since they were conceived really, so it was no surprise both Things insisted on wearing Alice’s blue dress. They looked adorable though. With their flaxen hair tied back with a black ribbon and their pale skin seemingly airbrushed over, Blue was sure they’d get tons of donations.
No one could turn down the mentally handicapped, could they?
Okay, they’d never been diagnosed with anything, but Blue was confident it would happen one day soon.
Porsche and Mercedes gave him a kiss on each cheek, then just stood there… waiting, looking right at him. Expressionless. Serene in their obliviousness.
“What?” Blue looked through narrowed eyes at them.
“So—” Porsche…
“What do we—” Mercedes…
“Do?” Both!
They were living proof aliens existed! Seriously, one day some secret government agents would turn up, Area fifty-one-ing the place and taking the twins away for special tests.
Blue turned his nose up. “You’ve worked here, like, almost every day for the past year. What do you mean, what do we do? Work! Do the things you do every day.”
Both Things cocked their heads to the left, and Blue shuddered internally seeing their Children of the Corn vacant look. One of us…
“Okay… so…” Blue stepped back and looked around at all the complicated coffee machines. “You know, do stuff. Coffee shop stuff!” Oh, yes, he was awesome at this managing thingy. “Make coffee!” Yes! He totally knew what he was doing. His one-month experience at Costa was coming back to him.
Unfortunately, he’d been fired from that job… Something about blowing up one of the machines or something — Blue wasn’t really listening because he was covered in sugary foam, and that shit was hard to get out of your hair. Luckily, most of the customers and all of the staff were covered in it too, so Blue didn’t stand out as being odd.
It could have been anyone’s fault. Just because he was the one standing next to the machine and pushing all the buttons didn’t mean it was him who caused it to explode.
It totally was his fault, but still…
That machine was like some sort of bomb just waiting to go off. BOOM! No warning or nothing. Well, there’d been some sort of flashing lights and buzzing, but Blue had ignored them and continued playing around with the knobs and switches.
He failed to mention that part to Shayne though.
For no reason at all.
None!
Considering his duties as supervisor done, he decided to set up three big bright yellow buckets and signs for people to leave donations in, then had some cheese on toast and a coffee. It was actually alright, so the twins had learned something in their year there. There was a constant stream of customers and Blue had to leave his coffee to help serve. Before he knew it, the morning rush was over and he set the twins up in the kitchen so they could start preparing the sandwich fillings for the next wave of hungry vultures.
As he quite obviously didn’t know what he was doing with the coffee machine, when it needed refilling, he called Thing One to come sort it out, and he took her place with Thing Two.
It was while Blue was stuffing his face with a chicken tikka toasted pita that he snuck a peek at Porsche to check she was okay. Left alone to her own devices she could do anything, or more likely, nothing!
He leaned against the door, peeking through the gap in the frame, watching her secretly. He found her standing still, vacantly lost in her own little world while she waited for another customer to come in. He was about to throw a slice of cucumber at her face to see if she was still with them, when the ringing of the doorbell chimed and she came back to reality, smiling pleasantly at whoever walked through the door.
Blue stuffed another huge helping of pita in his mouth, then choked on it seeing who had just come into the shop, coughing up chunks of un-chewed chicken tikka, and making Mercedes run to him, slapping his back really hard! Like too hard.
Crazy bitch was trying to kill him!
She must have some sort of hidden strength because she practically knocked Blue through the open fire door and into the yard outside with one hit. He was choking more because of her help. They ended up in the yard, taking part in some sort of teenage girl slapping fight while he struggled to get her off him, and she tried to save him. Blue was acting like some deranged wild blue bunny fighting for his life, and her like some crazed Alice who’d taken too much coke and was off her face, attacking random innocent bunnies.
He could see the headlines of tomorrow’s papers: Alice in Wonderland Charity Event Tragedy. Two dead and more injured. How did it happen!
“For the love of God, stop it. You’re making it worse.” Blue leaned against the wall, rubbing his back and breathing hard. “What the hell is wrong with you? Do you take steroids, have you been working out, what about some sort of alien powers which have appeared as you got older? I knew you were the evil twin. I just knew. Right from birth.”
Mercedes, AKA, Thing Two, stroked his back, cooing at him like some dove. “Feel better now?”
“Feel better? You crazy cow! You just nearly gave me a serious spinal injury. I’m lucky I can still walk. I may need corrective surgery later in life and it will all be your fault, Xena Warrior Princess.” She sagged her shoulders, toying with her hair and looking sheepish. Blue hugged her tightly and gave her a kiss. “Oh, get back inside and finish those fillings before our Shayne gets back. I need to snoop on Porsche.”
His only saving grace was that no one had seen him. So after grabbing a cloth to wipe his face down, he took up his secret position again, spying on his sister and the customer.

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REVIEW: This is the third book in this wonderful series and gives us Blue’s story. I absolutely adored Blue’s personality. He and Kellan’s interactions with each other in the beginning had me in tears from laughing so hard.

The beginning of the book was sad; it started off with a heartbreaking tragedy. That tragedy however, is what brings these men together. The connection that these men make was fate and Ms. Colville as usual, tells this story in the most beautiful way.

Kellan is a man whose life is flowing along familiar lines. On the outside, he appears content with his life, but lately, he’s feeling unsettled and unsatisfied with the predicable paths his life is taking. An accident changes his outlook and an odd request from the man involved changes everything for him.

Blue’s character had so many layers to him. His personality takes on these interesting juxtapositions that I found fascinating. He’s flighty, yet grounded, confident and tough, yet self-conscious. He’s intelligent and funny and has a wicked tongue. He’s surrounded by friends and family who loves him yet he’s lonely.

Valentino is an artist who hasn’t been out in the world for quite some time, relying on a friend and his lover to bring the world to him. He’s content with this until his world is shattered.

Three men all on different paths in their lives. We as humans are all connected; it only takes Fate to bring us together.

This author masterfully takes her characters through every emotion: fear, longing, sorrow, grief and happiness. And she takes the reader along for the ride.

This author is absolutely brilliant. I love to read and I can honestly say that there are few masters in this genre and Nicole Colville is definitely one of them.

Take a bow, Ms. Colville. You have as usual, given the readers another masterpiece.

RATING: ??Amazing??

Author Information

                                      Nicole Colville

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Welcome to the home of bittersweet M/M romances which will leave you craving more

Nicole Colville was born and currently lives in Leeds, England. She is a wife to her very understanding hubby and mother of two young girls who somehow manages to fit in being a full-time author of m/m romance and erotica into her busy home life.

She loves writing complex characters in bittersweet romances which will leave you addicted and craving more from her men

Although best known for her popular series, Hidden and Knights to Remember, she also enjoys writing with friend, and fellow author, E.M Leya. Together they have published two books in their Sinful Temptation Collection with more planned.

Her new ménage collection based in the popular city of Manchester, England is her first solo full length novel outside of The Hidden Series and has three books planned for release in 2015 & 2016.

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/The.Hidden.Series.Nicole.Colville
http://www.facebook.com/nicole.colville.the.hidden.series

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Nicole-Colville/e/B00C75T3R2/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_2

Twitter

twitter.com/NikkieColville

Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7045302.Nicole_Colville

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Guest Post by Lynn Michael, Author of Wanton

 

HI

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:

Wanton-CustomDesign-JayAheer2015-smallpreviewTITLE: 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!”

promo 7 excerpt - pandora
~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 ::

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Guest Post by Phetra Novak, Author of Finding Home and Haven’s Revenge (Caddo Norse Series)

havens revenge

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.

Fated fuure

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.)

finding home

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!

Amazon       ARe

 

About the Author

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.

You can also find Phetra at:

Amazon author page: Phetra H. Novak

Webpage: http://www.phetranovak.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PhetraNovak
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phetra.hedlund
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14436714.Phetra_H_Novak

 

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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/

 

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Guest Post by Lourdes Skye

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.

hunted
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.

How to find Lourdes:

Amazon author page 

Facebook

Twitter

Check out her latest release:

claws

 

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.

Available on Amazon

 

Author Bio:

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.

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Guest Post by R Phoenix

Okay, confession time. I write M/M Dark Romance, Dark Erotic Romance, and Dark Erotica, but I don’t read a lot of M/M. I read even less M/M Romance. I know, I know, it’s blasphemy, especially with me coming in here and talking about what it’s like to write in this genre, but there you have it. I read everything, and I’m just as likely to recommend an epic fantasy novel as I am a M/M dark erotica novella or a YA contemporary book.

When I do read Romance/Erotica, I prefer M/M. I can’t even pinpoint why. I started writing almost exclusively male characters about a year ago, and since then, I’ve had a difficult time writing female ones. I’ll give almost anything a chance, though, because I believe everyone has a story to tell, and I want to see what it is. I have a fascination with characters and how they develop; the more flawed they are, the more I love them. The more nuanced they are, the more I want to read them.

I adore a good plot, and I am awed by good world-building, but at the end of the day, it comes down to the characters–which is probably why that’s where my focus is in my own books.

In my series, “Ripples in the Status Quo,” supernatural beings (aka supernaturals or “supes”) got uppity and decided they were too good to keep hiding. They weren’t interested in fighting for their rights or risking being massacred, though, so they did what any good villain does: they cheated. Vampires, werewolves, and witches worked together to ensure that there would be no resistance; they claimed roles of power, they bribed, blackmailed, and otherwise ensured that they’d have the right people on their side.

And then they struck down humanity in one fell swoop.

This was a decade ago, and the past ten years haven’t been kind to humans–or anyone who tries to protest how they’re treated: as pets, toys, food, entertainment, and all manner of terrible things. It’s considered treason, and sympathizers risk being declared legally human. It’s one step below actually being human, as slavery and death (rather than being sent off to live in some hellhole) are the only real options. Most don’t dare.

ClockworkAvatar

The RISQ works center around characters who put themselves on the line and against the status quo. “Love is a weakness,” a character remarks in the first book. “Everyone claims they’d do anything for it. Let’s test the theory, shall we?” And that’s really what the books are about at their core. What would you do for love? Would you risk everything? What horrible things would you put yourself through to have even the chance for love in this sort of fucked-up world?

The first three books introduce some of the main characters–Jace and Elias, Ashton and Reese, Khaz and Noah–and they can be read as stand-alones in a longer series or in order. There are brief nods to the other characters in the first three, but their stories start to converge in Owned, which is the fourth book.

Each of my boys (except Elias because reasons) gets a chance to speak from his (third person limited) POV; we see the world through their eyes, and that’s the fun part for me as an author. I don’t want any of them to be perfect.

In Ravel, another character makes this observation:

“Humans didn’t dare experience love when a loved one could be easily taken away. They might go for a quick fuck in an alley or spend a night together beneath tattered blankets, but lasting relationships weren’t feasible. How could they be, when at any moment a vampire could come along and decide to turn one of them into his own personal juice box?

They’d end up falling prey to the same fate: sucked dry with the empty container tossed carelessly away.

Ash knew it and didn’t bother to deny it, but he hadn’t been able to eschew human contact completely despite his brave words. He had his close friends, and helplessly watching the number dwindle over the years hadn’t obliterated his need for some form of connection. It didn’t have to be sexual. It didn’t have to be perfect.

It simply had to be real—real, and powerful, and capable of giving him memories that would make the risk and heartache worth it.”

Ravel is the light in the darkness in particular; it’s the only book in the series right now that’s straight-up — er, well, not so straight, but you get the point — (Dark) Romance. (Bought and Owned are Dark Erotica; Recoil is Dark Erotic Romance.)

Doc-Bought

The fifth book, Go, will introduce two new characters and give a little more background on the world; it’ll also bring in characters from the earlier books as well as continue to slowly advance the plot. Make no mistake: the series is primarily about the characters and their stories, with the overall “world plot” happening in the background. Because of this, please don’t expect any happily ever afters.

…I plan on writing several in the series, and I want to have more opportunities to torture my lovely darlings.

Thank you for reading! If this sounds like it’s your sort of thing, I hope you’ll check out the books. I hope, too, that you’ll love them and the characters as much as I do. (And stop threatening to set them on fire, damn it!)

-R. Phoenix.

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About the Ripples in the Status Quo Universe:

Dark M/M Paranormal Erotica, Erotic Romance, and Romance

The Ripples in the Status Quo works are set within a world where supernatural beings seized control from humans and relegated them to the bottom of the food chain. Used for food, entertainment, and worse, nothing protects them from the hands of those who claim them as slaves. But not everyone adheres to the status quo the world at large has accepted…

Please note that the RISQ world has little place for humanity, and as a result, content in these works may be offensive to some readers.

They can be read as stand-alones or as serials in a larger story.

The suggested reading order for the RISQ books is:

1. Bought. [Dark Erotica*]
2. Ravel. [Romance]
3. Recoil. [Dark Erotic Romance.]
4. Owned. [Dark Erotica*. Follows events in Bought and Recoil.]

*(This dark erotica work caters to those who cheer on the villains as they pursue their goals…no matter what it takes to get there. This includes Very Bad Things as well as Very Sexy Things.

Those with sensibilities will likely be offended and want to attack the author with flaming pitchforks. If this applies to you, save an author. Step away from the button.

Lightheartedness aside, this is dark erotica, and it does contain elements of depravity and cruelty that will be offensive to some readers. Please proceed with caution or skip this read.)

Doc-Ravel

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Excerpt from Ravel: A Ripples in the Status Quo Story

When he fell right onto his ass in the middle of the floor, Ashton realized he’d ignored every single rational thought in his mind. Apparently, his instincts had had enough of him second-guessing them, because he hadn’t even decided to run!

I’m going to write a sternly-worded letter to the people who said these shoes were slip-proof!

At least, he would if he still had fingers to write with when he got out of this.

Of course, no one gives a fuck what a human thinks. They’ve made it crystal clear we’re only good for food, entertainment, or doing their dirty work. Maybe they’ll at least get a laugh out of it, because I sure as fuck won’t.

Then again, he did feel like he was going insane, so he might.

The fall had knocked the breath from his lungs, and stars danced before his eyes as he tried to figure out where the window had gone off to. Right as he remembered how to breathe, he heard a low growl emanating from a few feet away. The light flicked on overhead, blinding him all over again, and he yelped and started to scramble to his feet in the direction he thought his escape route was in.

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck! For fuck’s sake, when I said I needed to be fucked in a bad way the other day, it was a figure of speech, not a request!

“Oh, no you don’t,” a deep masculine voice rumbled, and before the last syllable could reach his ears, he felt the subtle weight of a foot atop his ribcage. At least, he thought it was a foot, even if he hadn’t thought they came in size behemoth. He slowly dragged his eyes up the body of the man it belonged to as they adjusted–again–to the shift in lighting. He realized with a sinking feeling it took longer than it should have to finally peer up at the man’s face.

He braced himself for seeing a creature of nightmare and legend; he thought he would see something truly hideous. When his eyes finally lifted enough to see the source of that voice, they widened and his mouth fell open.

Holy shit. What is he, a fucking Viking? Damn, I’d get down on my knees and worship him like he’s the motherfucking god of thunder.

If he stood on his tiptoes, Ash could probably run his fingers through the man’s tangled blond hair until every knot came loose, and then he could see if those pecs were worthy of being held to such a high standard. And after that…

Ash went still as the pressure on his chest increased in what he didn’t have to be a genius to know was a warning–which was a good thing, considering he obviously wasn’t. He could barely breathe, but his breathlessness had little to do with the pressure of the bare foot and everything to do with the sight of the face he could see in the dim light of the kitchen. “Do you model?” he asked weakly. “Because if you don’t, you really should.”

The man—the delectably muscular, rugged epitome of masculinity…damn it, Ash, he’s a fucking supe, and you’re about to die. Stop trying to guess the size of his dick because it ain’t what’ll be fucking you!—made a sound suspiciously like a laugh, and the weight of the foot on his chest lessened enough to let him suck in a much-needed breath.

“Want to tell me why you’re in my kitchen, little mouse, or should I just skip to playing exterminator?”
###

 

Book Info:

Bought: A Ripples in the Status Quo Story [Dark Erotica]

When he agreed to take the fall for his pack leader’s failed attempts to help the Rebellion, Jace knew he wouldn’t live long enough to regret it. However, instead of the noble end he envisioned for himself, the werewolf finds himself at the mercy of a witch and his depraved games. Though he clings to his conviction that he can withstand anything his new master can dish out, it isn’t long before he realizes pride has no place in his life as the pet of the controlling Elias Ivers.

All Romance Ebooks: http://bit.ly/1q5WtBN

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1UQzTs4

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/22NLWsQ

iBooks: http://apple.co/1pLYdQC

Smashwords: http://bit.ly/22KJKSN

Ravel: A Ripples in the Status Quo Story [Romance]

For the past few years, Reese has hidden away in his home, refusing to venture out where he might have to face what reminds him of all that he’s lost. When Ashton, a human thief, breaks into his home one night, he doesn’t have a choice but to face the harsh truths of the world he’s turned his back on. He knows he supports the society monsters of myth and lore built upon the backs of humans through his silence, but the new leaders don’t tolerate sympathizers.

If a werewolf can’t act against the status quo without facing severe consequences, a human with Ashton’s cunning and experience circumventing supernatural predators certainly can’t risk drawing their attention. Their chance encounter leaves them both shaken and questioning whether they are living life as they were intended–or if surviving is really living at all.

All Romance Ebooks: http://bit.ly/1WTvG5Y

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1ShWKrT

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1W2c81c

iBooks: http://apple.co/1PLuhIQ

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1UYIYPv

Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1M7wwvu

DocRecoil

Recoil: A Ripples in the Status Quo Story [Dark Erotic Romance]

In a world flipped upside down where the supernatural now rule over humans, a financially struggling vampire must face the ultimate attack on his humanity: breaking a mortal to slavery. Groomed to fight, the human is no easy picking, but Khaz has an ace in the hand in the form of an alluring magic many find impossible to resist.

Noah has spent the past ten years since the Takeover on the run. His entire life has been one of hardship and hatred, and he’s only survived by giving himself over to both. When a slaver gives him to a vampire to prepare him for auction, he’s sure he’ll hate his new captor every bit as much as he hates every other supernatural creature. The problem is…even the harsh lessons the Rebellion taught him couldn’t prepare him for someone like Khaz.

All Romance Ebooks: http://bit.ly/1MQP0AF

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/22aqgVu

Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1qyfhtL

iBooks: http://apple.co/1VBxjGN

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1S91qQe

Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1WgxXdk

Doc-Owned

Owned: A Ripples in the Status Quo Story [Dark Erotica. Follows Events in Bought & Recoil]

Release Date: 4/29/2016

Elias Ivers was promised a slave recently captured from the Rebellion, and it would have only been a matter of time before the witch broke a mere human. His new pet would have been a beautiful match to his already enslaved werewolf, and the potential information gain was not something he was willing to pass up. However, when Malkhaz takes what should have rightfully been his in a single hasty decision, Elias is determined to make the vampire pay. No one denies an Ivers witch what he wants–especially not someone who’s little more than dirt beneath his expensive shoes.

All Romance Ebooks: https://goo.gl/P5kYIR

Amazon US: http://goo.gl/Af9P4w

Barnes & Noble: (Not Available for Pre-Order/No Link Available Yet)

iTunes: https://goo.gl/P0UVzl

Kobo: https://goo.gl/j6uaLq

Smashwords: (Not Available for Pre-Order/No Link Available Yet)

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Author Bio:

R. Phoenix has an unhealthy fascination with contrasts: light and dark, heroes and villains, order and chaos. She believes that love can corrupt and power can redeem. Her muse is a sadomasochistic slavedriver who thinks it’s terribly amusing to give her the best ideas when she just got comfortable and warm in bed, and she passes on that torture to her readers.

If she had it her way, she would describe the books in her “Ripples in the Status Quo” world as: “Supernatural creatures take over the world and turn humans into pets and food. There’s some sex between guys. And… um… fucked up things happen.” It’s probably a good thing she has people around her to remind her that she actually wants people to read her books. (They should really be more diligent, especially when they know she’s writing her author bio.)

She’s an author, stay-at-home mother, housewife, second time college student, and duck herder extraordinaire. She’s learning how to cook without burning the house down, her garden is somehow neither drowning nor drying up, and one day she might remember what that mythical thing called “free time” is. She’s starting to wonder who thought it was a good idea to write bios in third person.

She also tries entirely too hard to be funny, and she mercilessly inflicts her terrible sense of humor upon anyone who speaks to her. Really, it’s not you. It’s her. All the same, she’d love it if you’d say hello, because it makes her day to hear that someone read something she wrote. If they enjoyed it, there’s usually an awkward happy dance and embarrassing sounds of joy to accompany it (no, not that kind of sound, you perv).

If all of that hasn’t scared you away, please visit her website at http://rphoenix.theupsideis.com/.

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Social Media Links:

Website: http://rphoenix.theupsideis.com/
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/raissaphoenix
Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010806072760
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RaissaPhoenix
Tumblr: http://raissaphoenix.tumblr.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14741537.R_Phoenix
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/R.-Phoenix/e/B018WGE3GA/

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Withered + Sere Tour with Guest Post by TJ Klune

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The Joys of Crack and Dust
Or,
Why I went Apocalyptic

I did something no one else has ever done.
I wrote a book set in a post-apocalyptic future.
I know, I know.
You’re in awe.
Tj! you’re thinking. How did you come up with such a novel idea?
And therein lies the problem.
Post-apocalyptic, dystopian futures, all of this has been done before. It’s like that saying goes, that there’s nothing new under the sun. Tropes are tropes for a reason. Look at The Hunger Games. Look at the video game series Fallout. Look at Mad Max. Or I Am Legend. Or The 100. Or Book of Eli. Dawn of the Dead. Battle Royale. The Road (which, if you haven’t read this book by Cormac McCarthy, do it. It’s one of the best things ever). 28 Days Later. The Stand (Stephen King’s best work, in my opinion). Resident Evil. The Last of Us.
Whether it be nuclear bombs, or disease, or zombies, or humanity’s rage, the world falls, civilization crumbles, and we are left with little pockets of humanity across a scarred landscape who are usually embroiled in a battle against Forces of Evil (i.e. new government, old government, crazy motherfuckers, zombies, crazy motherfucking zombies).
So it’s all be done before. It really, really has.
And here I was, a writer of cracky man love who sometimes who could write angst, comedy, drama, and who occasionally dabbled into something darker. Here I was, thinking, okay, but if it’s all been done before, could I actually do something that was any different?
I knew, going into writing Withered + Sere, that it was going to be a massive undertaking. This world I created would be large, and would be populated by good people and evil people, and people whose moral compasses were firmly planted in the gray. I also knew going into it, that the only way I’d actually be able to do this post-apocalyptic story would be if I could put my own unique spin on it.
Let’s be real. There are people out there who’ve written stories about the end of the world that are far better writers than I could ever hope to be. I know this. I understand this. I don’t know if I could ever even be even remotely close to their level. But it didn’t stop me from trying.
I wanted to see what happened if I ended the world. If civilization did crumble, if billions of people did die, what would I do with what remained? Would I have anything new to add?
I think I did. I hoped I did. I don’t mean that to sound conceited or self-involved, either. Honestly. Given that this was so far from anything I’d ever done before, I knew that I needed to end the world in a way that was distinctly Klune but not devolving into the crack that I’m known to write. The dialogue here is sparse because the main character, Cavalo, doesn’t like to talk much. He doesn’t want to talk much. The other main character, Lucas, can’t talk, given some mysterious injury he’d sustained sometime in the past.
I love dialogue. I love writing people talking and snarking back and forth.
I love it so much, that to make this story different than anything I’d done before, I didn’t allow myself to fall back into the slinging of words. By taking away one character’s ability to speak at all, it forced me to find other ways to communicate, to relay the story without the crutch of vocalizing my point. And I did, though it was in ways I wasn’t expecting when I first started, and I like to think it adds another layer to the story, that it leaves it up to the reader to decide if Cavalo is actually having the conversations he thinks he’s having, or if it’s just a product of his imagination, that he’s getting response he’s thinking he should get.
And, of course, there’s the end of the world. The landscape, the remains of what once was. When you have a post-apocalyptic story, one of the most important characters you can have is the landscape. Is there the futuristic sheen of a dystopian society? Or is there the grunge and grime of a ravaged society?
I wanted to go with the grunge and the grime. I wanted to get motherfucking dirty in this book. By the time the W+S and its sequel, Crisped + Sere, are finished, I wanted the reader to feel the dirt under their fingernails, the dust in their throat. The setting is as important as the main characters, because if the setting isn’t believable, then it runs the risk of ruining the story as a whole.
I had fun with this, creating this dirty, dirty world. The landscape is dotted with hints of the past, from burn out husks of cars and billboards for personal injury attorneys, to the way the people who remain live their lives.
And that, to me, is the crux of these two books. The reader is told at the beginning that a hundred years have passed since the world ended. The idea that I couldn’t shake while writing this would be how would those people live their lives? Would they act completely different than we do today? Or would they still cling to what they’d been taught by those who came before them? We are ingrained with years on how a human being should act. I find it fascinating to think about how people would attempt to go on with business as usual, even if they don’t necessarily understand why they think that. It’s what they were taught by those who came before them. Those people were taught by those who came before them, and those are the ones that lived and loved in a bright and shiny world, and they passed down their traditions and mannerisms, and I think that those things would continue, even after the world ended. We act as we were taught. Yes, we learn from new experiences, but we are still human, and there are centuries of life before us that we draw from. We do the things we do because we were taught how to do them, even if we don’t realize it.
So. I hope you’re ready to get down and dirty with me. Because we’re about to crawl through the mud.

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Withered + Sere Blurb:
Once upon a time, humanity could no longer contain the rage that swelled within, and the world ended in a wave of fire.

One hundred years later, in the wasteland formerly known as America, a broken man who goes only by the name of Cavalo survives. Purposefully cutting himself off from what remains of civilization, Cavalo resides in the crumbling ruins of the North Idaho Correctional Institution. A mutt called Bad Dog and a robot on the verge of insanity comprise his only companions. Cavalo himself is deteriorating, his memories rising like ghosts and haunting the prison cells.

It’s not until he makes the dangerous choice of crossing into the irradiated Deadlands that Cavalo comes into contact with a mute psychopath, one who belongs to the murderous group of people known as the Dead Rabbits. Taking the man prisoner, Cavalo is forced not only to face the horrors of his past, but the ramifications of the choices made for his stark present. And it is in the prisoner that he will find a possible future where redemption is but a glimmer that darkly shines.

The world has died.

This is the story of its remains.

Available at:
Dreamspinner Press Publications: https://www.dsppublications.com/books/withered-sere-by-tj-klune-240-b

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Withered-Sere-Immemorial-Year-Book-ebook/dp/B01DL351LU

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/withered-sere-tj-klune/1123602027?ean=2940157776459

Withered + Sere Blog Tour:
April 12 – MM Good Book Reviews
April 13- My Fiction Nook
April 18 – Just Love Romance
April 19 – Divine Magazine
April 19 – Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
April 19 – The Novel Approach
April 20 – Kimi-chan Experience
April 21 – It’s About the Book
April 21 – Love Bytes
April 22 – Prism Book Alliance

When TJ Klune was eight, he picked up a pen and paper and began to write his first story (which turned out to be his own sweeping epic version of the video game Super Metroid—he didn’t think the game ended very well and wanted to offer his own take on it. He never heard back from the video game company, much to his chagrin). Now, over two decades later, the cast of characters in his head have only gotten louder. But that’s okay, because he’s recently become a full-time writer, and can give them the time they deserve.
Since being published, TJ has won the Lambda Literary Award for Best Gay Romance, fought off three lions that threatened to attack him and his village, and was chosen by Amazon as having written one of the best GLBT books of 2011.
And one of those things isn’t true.
(It’s the lion thing. The lion thing isn’t true.)
Facebook: TJ Klune
Blog: tjklunebooks.blogspot.com
E-mail: [email protected]