Brilliant surgeon Galen Jayr has given up on love and moved halfway across the world to escape heartbreak. While working at a relief hospital in Alaska, Galen meets and befriends Navojan, an alien living on Earth but hiding his true identity as a being from another planet.
Over the course of their unlikely friendship, Galen and Navojan spend their days working and spending time together, often discussing their favorite books. It never occurs to Galen that Navojan has a flair for writing himself, until one day he happens upon Navojan’s open tablet and his unfinished romance novel.
The steamy contents of the novel activate Galen’s imagination, sending his feelings for Navojan into overdrive. Could the human character in Navojan’s book be a stand-in for Galen himself? Galen is completely distracted by dreams and fantasies of his friend, whose physiology feels pain as pleasure, and whose features–among them, a tail–are so very alien.
This short read is full of passion and sensuality, exploring the relationship between pleasure and pain, and detailing an alien/human love affair that is a bit sweet, a bit strange, and extremely, delightfully sexy.
REVIEW: I feel compelled to start by saying that science fiction, futuristic, alien/human or dystopia themed books are not my cup of tea, hot or cold. However, the the blurb for this novella piqued my interest. Deciding to step outside of my familiar zone, I gave it a shot.
I am really glad that I did!
Because if I hadn’t, I would’ve missed out on a really great story. This novella was sweet, sensual and sexy. The characters, although a bit strange, were quite interesting. Here you have Galen, a human and Navojan, an alien running from their past lives. In this futuristic semi dystopian world, these two manage for find each other and form a friendship based on a love of literature and companionship. I also feel that their mutual loneliness is something that also brought them together.
Navojan’s character especially drew me in. Here you have this sweet and gentle alien man who altered himself to fit into this planet, this which for him is backwards and somewhat primitive. You’re able to feel that he’s homesick but understands that he can’t return. He’s not a fan of this planet but his friendship with Galen makes it bearable. There’s a trust and a genuine love he feels for his friend.
Galen has always been attracted to his friend but didn’t want to act on it, not totally sure if Navojan shared the same feelings. His attraction reaches new heights when he discovers a few pages of draft of Nav’s book.
The journey these two make together is beautifully written. This is strange story but not in at all in a bad way. Quite the opposite, in fact. This story is truly outside the box. The author successfully combines science fiction with sensual romance and erotica. And it was very well done.
This story pleasantly surprised me! I am really glad that I decided to step outside my comfort zone and read this novella. This author also did a great job making this novella feel like you were reading a full length book.
E.T. Malinowski has a new queer paranormal book out: Night Kiss.
Bam Kiseu Interview
Since returning home to Seoul from their world tour, Bam Kiseu has been very busy with filming a new video, fan meets, individual appearances and spokesmodel engagements. Despite such a hectic schedule, they put together something special for their hometown fans; a spring concert. I was able to sit down with Bam Kiseu today in the hopes of giving you a bit more insight into the men who make up the group, Cheongul, HanYin, and Ki-tae, and maybe even a sneak peek at what’s in store for tonight’s performance.
Bam Kiseu is huge in the pop genre, did you ever expect to be one of the biggest bands in Korea?
Cheongul: No, not in the least.
HanYin: We hoped to be successful, sure, but this was more than what we expected.
Ki-tae: Maybe for you two.
Cheongul and HanYin glare at Ki-tae but there doesn’t seem to be any heat in it. He just smirks back. There is a camaraderie between the three of them, a closeness that is stronger than I’ve seen with other groups, even those who have reached the ten-year mark. It’s as if these three have been together so much longer than they have.
Are you dating anyone?
Of the three of them, I certainly didn’t expect Cheongul to blush and duck his head. HanYin’s smile is bright and happy. Even Ki-tae’s expression is more genuine and less professional idol. It seems they each have someone in their lives.
Cheongul: Yes
HanYin: I am.
Ki-tae: We all are.
To say I wasn’t curious would be a lie.
Anyone we know?
Cheongul is the only one to respond.
Cheongul: No.
I can tell I’m not going to get any more out of them. We’ll just have to keep a close eye on them to see who is by their side the most, dear readers. It seems three lucky individuals have captured the hearts of Bam Kiseu.
What do you enjoy most about the industry?
They look at each other for a few moments, almost as if in silent communication. Then they nod and turnback to me.
Cheongul: Being able to share our music with our fans.
HanYin: Being able to perform it for our fans around the world.
Ki-tae: Helping to inspire the next generation of idols, to encourage them to keep reaching for their dreams and never stop.
Do they truly mean these words? I like to think so. Bam Kiseu’s music touches a lot of people. If it didn’t, they wouldn’t have so many fans.
When, if ever, do you regret being famous?
This question earns some wry chuckles. We all know there are aspects of being an idol that aren’t so great. I have to wonder what parts of being idols bother them.
Cheongul: When I go shopping, especially if it’s for my home studio. I love our fans, but it can be a pain if I’m trying to replace a piece of equipment and keep having to stop to take photos or give autographs.
HanYin: Being chased through the airports. I don’t like flying to begin with and when we land, I just want to get home, but the fans seem to know our flight schedules better than we do and it gets really crowded. It’s hard to keep smiling when you’
Ki-tae: I guess it depends on where we are. There are some places where we’re not instantly recognized and so some everyday activities are easier to do. I mean when we were in America, I could run out for something small and I think I was recognized a handful of times. When I’m home, I can’t step outside my door without a crowd. We love our fans. We just need some space to breathe every now and then.
HanYin-ssi, you’re known for bringing food to the set when shooting a video or commercial, how did that start and why?
HanYin: All of our production teams work really hard. Some of them even skip meals to continue working. When we were shooting our first music video, one of our technicians collapsed and had to be taken to the hospital. I didn’t like that, so I started bringing food to the set to make sure everyone had something to eat. People can’t do their best if their hungry or tired, so I make sure they are neither.
Ki-tae: He’s a bit of a mother hen.
HanYin pokes Ki-tae in the side for that comment causing him to laugh and squirm away Cheongul just shakes his head as he watches them, a disapproving older brother.
Many idols have lyricists during the beginning and sometimes through most of their careers, yet, you seem to write all your own music. Why is that?
Cheongul: BLE has always believed in encouraging the creativity of its idols. As trainees we were taught the fundamentals of songwriting as part of our lessons. Sometimes, it’s a matter of skill and sometimes, it’s a matter of getting pleasure from writing a song. Not everyone enjoys it, we do.
HanYin: I agree. I’m always bringing new songs into the studio and making these two listen to them, but I’m not nearly as bad as Ki-tae-ya. I’ve gotten calls at 4 a.m. demanding that I listen to a melody or beat, or even an entire verse and give feedback.
Ki-tae: I’m not that bad.
His pout is absolutely adorable but it doesn’t seem to work on HanYin and Cheongul at all.
Cheongul, HanYin: You are, too.
Cheongul: He writes all the time and when he gets in that mode, he doesn’t pay attention to the time before calling us to listen to what he’s done.
HanYin: He also has a tendency to not sleep or eat.
Ki-tae: I can’t argue, really. I do write a lot. I’ve been known to bring twenty new songs into the studio after a single day off.
I can’t help but stare at Ki-tae so, of course, I catch the blush on his face. He’s embarrassed by this fact about himself. I, on the other hand, am very impressed. 20 songs… in a day?
How do you determine which songs to put on an album?
Cheongul: Usually by a common theme.
HanYin: Sometimes, there’s a shared element in the beat or the melody.
Ki-tae: Occasionally, it’s all three. We’ll go through all of the songs and see which ones just sort of fit together. Other times, we’ll plan the songs out to mesh together, like we did with Call the Dragon, Phoenix Rising, and Tiger’s Pride. There’s a fourth one to that set, but we haven’t gotten beyond the title, yet; Turtle’s Patience. We’re planning on writing that one for the next album.
HanYin: We’ll listen to the songs individually, tweak them, play around with the beats, that sort of thing, until we all agree it works and then we record it.
Cheongul: It’s always a group effort.
Would you want to do this again?
Ki-tae: This interview? Sure.
He’s such a smart aleck.
Cheongul: She means be an idol, baka.
Ki-tae: I knew that, just teasing. Cheongul-a is too serious sometimes. We have to keep him on his toes.
HanYin: Ignore them. They do this all the time. I don’t think any of us would say no to being idols again. I mean we are who we are. For all the things that make us crazy, there are more that make us happy.
While HanYin is speaking, Ki-tae sticks his tongue out at Cheongul. I’ve never seen retribution promised in a look until now. I have no doubt Ki-tae is due for some payback when Cheongul gets him alone. Ki-tae went from serious idol to mischievous boy and back in the blink of an eye, but Cheongul stayed professional. Yet, I’ve seen clips and videos of him being just as silly as the other two. I wonder what gets him to loosen up?
What do you feel is the best song you’ve recorded?
They do that silent communication again. It’s almost eerie.
Cheongul: Collectively, we like Crossing Time.
HanYin: It’s about love lasting an eternity.
Ki-tae: It’s about continuing to search for that love until you find it no matter how long it takes. Everyone searches for love, right? Some people give up. Others don’t. Crossing Time is about not giving up.
What genre of music would you like to explore together as a group?
Cheongul: I’d like to do more with the rock/pop combination, maybe incorporate more rap elements.
HanYin: I like that idea. I’d like us try more in the folk genre, give it a pop twist, maybe. I like some of the ballads and traditional folk music.
Ki-tae: I think even as a tenor you did well with the growl in Call the Dragon. We all had that vocal training and with more practice and maybe working with someone who sings in that style frequently, we could put something together. I like the idea of working in more rock elements. The beat drops can blend with a tight guitar riff. As far as the folk music, I think we could take some traditional music and include some EDM elements, perhaps take some myths and legends, and turn them into songs, tell traditional stories through music. That’d be cool. It’s not so much a musical genre, but it would be interesting to play with.
And just like that, I see them become immersed in the creative process, playing ideas off each other in these few brief moments. It gives me just a glimpse of what it must be like when they’re in the studio together. They seem to mesh so well together.
We’ve heard how the Bam Kiseu sound has changed, has the band dynamic changed? If so, how?
Cheongul: I don’t think it has, not really. We still make decisions as a group and we’re still happy with how things are working.
Ki-tae: It’s a case of why change what works?
HanYin: Me neither. I think we still function the same now as we did in the beginning. I mean Cheongul-a is still the leader and we let him because he’s, honestly, the most responsible one of us.
That earns a smile from Cheongul and there’s no denying he is the most… sober of the three of them. It’s not hard to picture him as the most responsible one of the group.
There have never been any rumors about contention between you three, do you guys ever argue?
Cheongul: Yeah, we have arguments, especially when Ki-tae-ya is being a pain in the… studio, making us sing the same segment over and over, and over a million times.
Ki-tae: Or when Cheongul-a is being stubborn and won’t sing like I know he can.
HanYin: And then I have to throw them both out to cool off before I lock them in separate closets and finish the tracks myself. Once we’ve all calmed down, we come back into the studio and everyone gets a chance to talk. Once we’re done talking, we try again. Eventually, we get over it because, in the end, this is our job and we love it.
Again, I see the camaraderie between them. They may fight, but it doesn’t change the closeness between them.
How different are your stage personas from who you are as individuals?
HanYin: Cheongul-a is more talkative onstage! And he smiles more.
Cheongul: That’s because I have to worry about you two more offstage than on!
Ki-tae: No, you just really love being onstage as much as we do. Sometimes, he’s just really intense no matter where he is. HanYin-a is more… boyish offstage, more playful. Onstage, he’s all serious and sexy. The fangirls and boys eat it up.
HanYin: Ki-tae-ya doesn’t change much from one to the other. He’s like this most of the time! He’s a big flirt on or off the stage!
Ki-tae: You’re a monk!
HanYin: I am not, I’m selective!
Ki-tae: Monk!
HanYin pounces on Ki-tae, putting him in a headlock. The two of them are known for their wrestling around. Cheongul just heaves a sigh.
Cheongul: See what I have to put up with? They’re always like this before a concert.
Fortunately, it doesn’t take long for HanYin and Ki-tae to settle down. Our time is almost up so I just have one more question to ask.
What’s next for Bam Kiseu?
Cheongul: We have tonight’s spring concert. It’s going to be a lot of fun.
HanYin: We plan on mixing it up a bit with some old stuff and some new tracks.
Ki-tae: And some new takes on some old tracks.
Cheongul: We also plan on releasing an album soon which will probably be a compilation of the songs performed tonight.
Ki-tae: Tonight’s show should prove to be unforgettable.
I have to say it was fun talking with Bam Kiseu and seeing the way they interact with each other in person. They’re always playful when I see them onstage and very professional when being interviewed on TV. I thought I would get the same when I sat down with them, but they seemed very laid back and relaxed. I look forward to tonight’s concert. See you there!
Blurb:
What could be frightening enough to freeze the blood of a centuries-old Vampire turned K-pop idol?
Being bound to someone.
University student Cheong Jin-woo dreams of working in the arts, especially for BL Entertainment and his favorite band, Bam Kiseu. After seeing the band perform, Jin-woo separates from his friends to explore. What he discovers backstage will change his life.
Does he embrace it or run?
Jung Ki-tae has kept his secret for centuries—until a young fan interrupts his feeding. Even more disturbing is the instant bond Ki-tae feels with Jin-woo—a complication he refuses to allow. Yet resisting becomes increasingly difficult as Jin-woo and a group of students win the chance to make a video for the band, working closely with them for weeks. The obsession Ki-tae felt toward Jin-woo—even before tasting his blood—deepens into genuine feelings, feelings that terrify Ki-tae. But when he finds a way to break the bond, he’s torn between severing the connection and protecting Jin-woo….
Especially with a mysterious killer getting closer.
Jin-woo was late and Min-su was going to kill him, but if he hadn’t gone back to the studio, they wouldn’t have their visuals, and then she would have killed him slowly. He’d had to scramble to find someone with the keys, too, forcing him to miss all the other presentations. He never realized how hard it was to find maintenance personnel on a campus this size. When he finally reached Min-su, she looked scared as hell.
“What?” he asked. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“Um, I… I can’t breathe. I really… can’t.” Min-su puffed out her cheeks and fanned her face. “I didn’t…. If I had known, I would have chosen a different outfit. I would have done my hair, and my makeup is just…. Dammit. Why didn’t anyone tell me they were going to be here?”
“What the heck is she talking about, Jong-in-a?” Jin-woo demanded.
“We’re not just presenting to Park Soon-joon hyung,” Jong-in said quietly.
“Of course we aren’t. Seonsaengnim is there as well,” Jin-woo said. “This isn’t new.”
“It’s…. We’re…. Jin-woo-ya, Bam Kiseu is in that room!” Min-su said, grabbing him by his vest and shaking him back and forth. “HanYin oppa is in that room! Ki-tae oppa is in that room! Cheongul oppa is in that room!”
Jin-woo did the only thing he could think of. He slapped her.
Min-su stumbled back a few steps and just stared at him. Then she narrowed her eyes and came at him.
Jin-woo threw up his hands in defense of the punch coming his way.
“I’m sorry!” But it never landed. He peeked with one eye. Min-su looked completely calm.
“Thank you,” she said with a sigh. “I was losing my shit, and that’s not acceptable.”
“You’re good?” Jin-woo said.
“I’m good.”
“Good,” Jin-woo said as he began to shake. “I’m going to pass out now.”
And he did just that.
Jin-woo didn’t remember hitting the floor, but he figured that must have happened, as he was staring up at the ceiling with Min-su slapping his face and Jong-in looking terribly concerned. He caught Min-su’s wrist and held her hand to his face for a few moments, closing his eyes once more.
“No, you cannot pass out on us again. We’re up next, Jin-woo-ya!” Min-su said, an edge of desperation in her voice.
“I’m not going to pass out again. I just wanted you to stop slapping me and calm down,” he said. Then he slowly sat up, rubbing the back of his head. He looked at Jong-in and teased, “You couldn’t have caught me?”
“Nope, Min-su-ya was in the way.”
“Hey, this is not my fault,” she said, putting her hands on her hips.
“Well, you were shaking Jin-woo-ya pretty hard,” Jong-in pointed out. “There’s no need to panic. They’re people, just like us.”
No, not just like us, Jin-woo thought but wisely kept the words to himself.
Author Bio
An avid reader, E.T. finds inspiration in all her favorite genres, from mainstream romance by her favorite authors to Japanese manga and anime. To her, even the classic fairytales hold that spark of motivation and if there is one thing she has learned from her many years of writing solely for herself, it’s this: never deny the Muse, she gets cranky and pulls out the bullwhip. E.T. Malinowski is the youngest of seven girls. It was her love of reading that eventually led her to attempt writing. From there, a passion was born.
She began writing romance in her early teens and, at that time, never dreamed of sharing her work with anyone. With the help of several dear friends, not to mention her ex-husband, she found the courage to take that last step towards publication. As the single mother of three rambunctious boys, finding time to write is a bit difficult. Yet E.T. manages to do it, even if it’s on break or lunch at a regular day job.
She has found her place in homoerotic romance. To her, love doesn’t recognize gender rel=”noopener”boundaries and is always special. An avid reader, E.T. finds inspiration in all her favorite genres, from mainstream romance by her favorite authors to Japanese manga and anime. To her, even the classic fairytales hold that spark of motivation and if there is one thing she has learned from her many years of writing solely for herself, it’s this: never deny the Muse, she gets cranky and pulls out the bullwhip.
Otto Jones, a cop assigned to the seemingly random murder of a vampire, would rather hide out in the nearest bar than waste his time on a dead vamp. He hates the bloodthirsty demons. But when the king of the vampires commands him to work with one of the lesser princes and find the killer, he has no choice.
Prince Jessamine Senera is ready to sacrifice his happiness in a loveless marriage for his family’s benefit… but not yet. He dreams of adventure, excitement, and true love. He lives on romance novels and detective stories and wishes he could drink synthetic blood like every other vampire. But he can’t. He needs human blood to survive and is hated by vampires and humans alike.
As Otto and Jessa draw closer to an entity that doesn’t want to be discovered, Otto finds the heart he thought long dead opening to the romance-loving Jessa. No good can possibly come from falling in love with a vampire, but when a shadowy assailant attacks Jessa, Otto will descend into the darkest pit of the earth to rescue him.
REVIEW: This is a new to me author and was absolutely blown away by this story. This book was very well written. The storyline, dialogue and characters were wonderfully fleshed out.
Otto’s character is a flawed hero. He’s has his demons and has not moved past the grief over losing his sister. It’s this grief, anger and distain towards vampires drives virtually every decision—good and bad—that he makes.
Jessa’s character is a complete opposite of what you would think a vampire’s personality would be. He’s gentle, kind and soft spoken. He was more human by way of personality and temperament.
These characters are so well written, you end up caring for them. The storyline moved among smoothly, the plot was well thought out and the dialogue is superb. This book held my attention from the first page to the last and I’m really looking forward to seeing more from this author and this series.
Centuries ago Lucien’s family and pack were slaughtered and betrayed by family. Lucien was then enslaved for five hundred years by the demon who killed his succubus mother.
One thousand years later his powers as Alpha and Incubus are growing. He is now ready to take his rightful place as Alpha Supreme, but first, he must claim a reluctant mate and escape from under the heel of his possessive Vampire master Sargon.
Lucien is a hybrid shifter in a world where being unpure is not tolerated. Lucien should have never been born. Enter a dark and savage paranormal world, where being weak is stamped out and exploited. Being dominant and unapologetic is key to survival.
Follow Lucien as he seeks vengeance against the uncle that betrayed him and the demon who enslaved him and murdered his mom. Where secrets, allies with hidden agendas, and political jousting determine the fates of many.
A dark, sensual, and paranormal fantasy series by new author Dora Esquivel.
Kimi’s thoughts:
As debut novels go, this was one offering I am glad I didn’t pass up. I picked this up via KindleUnlimited, which has been a fab way for me to try new authors (and to sate my hefty reading appetite without bankrupting us, haha).
This was definitely not your run of the mill shifter story. Esquivel took many of the tropes and stood them on their head, breathing new life into this popular genre. It’s not a light and fluffy romance, so if you need that, this is not going to be your cup of tea. Her characters were engaging and her prose sucked me in from the very first page. I ended up reading this in one sitting, luckily it’s a fairly fast read. Be warned though, there is a cliffhanger.
You can get it on Amazon, where it is in KindleUnlimited for those who read using the subscription service.
Vincent Hudson is a vampire hunter and his life is about to be ruined.
When a hunting trip ends in tragedy, he is forced to do the unthinkable—seek refuge in Sanctuary Hope, where each family must nominate a member to the city council. It is seemingly a minor price to pay in exchange for medical aid and refuge. But it is a dangerous trap, and unaware of the gut-wrenching reality, Vincent nominates himself.
Now a life of war awaits him. . . and captivity to a vampire master known as Maddox Caine.
This trilogy is for mature audiences only (18+) and contains scenes of graphic violence and high heat that will have you flustered and swiftly turning the pages. These books are dark, raw, gritty, and not for the faint-hearted. Please read with caution.
If you loved Dark Silence, you will adore this. It’s not a simple re-release with a new title and a new gorgeous cover (Jay Aheer’s art, is as always, stunning), but a complete re-write. All of the basic premises of the original release are here, but it is a new book with more scenes added. The writing was good to begin with, but with experience comes maturation and Katze’s writing in this has definitely done so. It’s grittier, with some scenes that made even me catch my breath and sent delicious chills down my arms.
I can’t wait to read book 2 and will be reviewing it here, so watch this space!
For
centuries Gabriel, Michael and Lucifer have worked together, coexisting in the
same universe. Gabriel chooses to remain silent and secluded, preferring the
garden in the Hall of Souls. He dances beneath the Tree of Life, barefoot and
with reckless abandon…until the day he looks into the eyes of another angel and
sees the dreams he’s kept silent mirrored there.
Eons
have passed since the moment Michael came to be the general of the All Father’s
army in heaven, the protector of mankind. Michael has been in love with Lucifer
for as long as he can remember, their relationship second only to his bond with
the All Father. But lately, Michael has begun to notice cracks in the surface
of their love, sensing that his lover is not as angelic as he seems.
Lucifer
was the All Father’s first creation, the bringer of light, his Morning Star. He
has sat to the right of the throne every day since the dawn of time. Two things
were tasked to the Archangels from the start: put no other before the All
Father, and protect the humans he cherishes. Lucifer challenges both sacred
rules. He puts his love for Michael before his love for his creator, and he
questions his creator’s wisdom when it comes to the atrocities he has seen
committed by mankind.
One
will fall while two remain and grow stronger. A battle of wills is on the
horizon, and not only mankind, but the fate of all beings will hang in the
balance.
NOTE: this is an excerpt from a book that is still in the writing process and has yet to be edited.
Prologue…
“Lu,
please, don’t do this.” Michael begged. Collapsing to his knees, he reached for
Lucifer’s face, only to have his hand knocked away. The look of love and
tenderness he’d once seen in the darker Angels silver eyes was gone, replaced
with anger and hatred, the normally shining orbs bleeding into a dull gray with
pulsing coal black slits.
“You
made your choice Michael.” Lucifer hissed, venom wrapped around each word he
growled between clenched teeth.
Standing,
the pissed off Angel shoved Michael aside, advancing on Gabriel. “You did
this!” Lucifer let his wings unfurl and the All Father gasped. An Angels wings
were liken to their limbs, an extension of their soul as much as bones and
skin. Lucifer’s normally black and silver marbled feathers loomed over him,
awash in a darkness that resembled brimstone and ash, the tips a dull, lifeless
gray that matched his now dead, slitted eyes.
In
a blur of movement that none of them expected, the dark Angel flew into the
air, spinning and knocking Gabriel off his feet with the suddenly massive
appendages jutting out of his shoulder blades. “I will destroy you Messenger.
Much like you’ve done to the love he once felt for me, only for me!”
“Enough!”
The All Father’s voice boomed, the heavens shaking, a brilliant white light
momentarily blinding all his Angels. Blinking, Gabriel stood and moved over to
where Michael sat crouched, staring up at Lucifer, confusion and pain dotting
his vibrant blue eyes. “Angel of light, my son and most trusted advisor, I beg
you to stop this madness. You know what the consequence will be.”
Lucifer
glared at the All Father, chest heaving, breathing labored, senselessly
fighting against the band of light wrapped around his middle like the sheath of
a knife. “Father, please don’t…” God raised his hand silencing Michael.
“I
am sorry, Michael, but he has made his choice which leaves me no alternative.”
The band around Lucifer tightened, the floor beneath him opening up, exposing
clouds of thunder and rain. “Star of the Morning, bringer of light, you are
stripped of your titles, your wings forfeit. You shall now be known as Satan,
the serpent, the prince of darkness.” Lucifer howled in agony as the strong
coal-black feathers were stripped away from his being. “I cast you out of
heaven and forbade your return.” The iridescent tears cascading down the All
Father’s cheeks formed a river beneath the writhing Angel.
Michael
cried out, turning and burying his face in Gabriel’s bronze robe, the silky
fabric soon soaked through with fresh, warm tears. He wrapped his arms around
Michael, shielding him from Lucifer’s violent, turbulent eyes. In the eons to
come, the slow passage of time he and Michael would face together, Gabriel
would always question his role in the events of that day. Could it have been
avoided? Of course it could have, but that would have meant walking away from
the Angel that he loved second only to the All Father.
He
asked himself for the millionth time as he held Michael’s head so he wouldn’t
see the clouds open up and swallow Lucifer, dragging him down to bowels of the
earth, face a mask of agony and pain, forever exiled to the pit and doomed to
watch over and judge only the evil of mankind… what have I done?
A military brat born and raised at Ft. Benning
Georgia; TM Smith is an avid reader, reviewer and writer. A Texas transplant,
she now calls DFW her home. Most days she can be found curled up with a good
book, or ticking away on her next novel.
Smith is a single mom of three disturbingly
outspoken and decidedly different kids, one of which is Autistic. Besides her
writing, she is passionate about Autism advocacy and LGBT rights. Because,
seriously people, Love is Love!
A percentage of the earth’s population has transformed into surprisingly functional zombies who returned to work the next morning as if they weren’t undead monstrosities. Justice Kinkead, officer in an elite zombie fighting force, gets called out when good zombies go bad, putting down the brain cravers and safeguarding the new economy. After several of his partners succumb to unfortunate deaths, Justice figures he’ll go it alone…until he’s assigned a mysterious and sexy new partner, Merlin Pride, who seems to know more about the zombies’ origins than he’s letting on.
Merlin also seems to sense that Justice needs a good fucking, but it’s complicated: Justice still lives with his undead ex-boyfriend. Can Justice make peace with his past? And if he does, should he take a chance on a man who may have something to do with destroying civilization as they knew it?
Crack, parody, camp counselor levels of camp, dad jokes, and enemies to lovers
55k words
Kimi’s thoughts:
Lots and lots of Dad jokes, puns, and a slaptick sitcom plot featuring zombies and wizards- that’s the recipe that makes up this book. Was it funny? yes, it was and like all good sitcom material, underneath the format was a very good story.being a romance, the story, of course, was a love story with a dash of mystery. Who or what caused the zombies to happen to begin with? Why are the zombies now acting different? If you like dry humour and zombies (there’s next to no gore in this, by the way), this is a great read to sit to down to chase the blahs away. This seems to be a stand alone, but it would be fun to see these two in a series, encountering magical mishaps, more scheming politicians, and saving the world, one disaster at a time.
BLURB: Maplewood, Vermont is a picturesque town filled with unique shops, unique homes, and a quaint familiarity all centered around a lake with an unusual history.
Legends, old as well as Urban, float around like the mist that hovers above the lake at break of dawn.
But they’re just stories, right?
Hayden Moore’s life was destroyed when his husband, Malcolm, was murdered. Giving up his job as an assistant district attorney in Boston, Hayden moved to the little burg of Maplewood to recover.
A new life.
A fresh start.
However, something underneath the water is stirring. Something rotten. A deadly secret wakes underneath the black waters of Lake Veronica so disturbing it haunts the nightmares of the local residents.
It’s coming closer…
REVIEW: Freddy Feeley has excellent stories to tell. And he tells them with perfection. This book is a full course meal. With almost 400 pages of an excellent storyline, character development and superb editing; this book is really something.
With the hopes that a change in scenery would help him in his grieving process after his husband’s murder, Hayden settles within a beautiful small town in Vermont. On the surface, it’s picturesque, Norman Rockwell painting perfect but under the beautiful veneer lies a dark and disturbing secret.
Hayden purchases a home and hires the town contractor and former soldier Tommy Law to renovate it. Although Tommy’s a loner, he finds himself surprisingly drawn to Hayden. Hayden’s pain and grief positively leaps off the pages at you. You feel every single bit of it and Tommy’s loneliness. It’s a damn good author whose able write a story and stir an emotional response within the readers.
What’s also interesting about this story is that the author didn’t just make the MC’s the main focus of the book. His peripheral characters also had their own vibrant personalities that were also made a part of the story. Their characters were extremely well written. He did a fantastic job of allowing those characters to shine while simultaneously maintaining focus on the MCs and the storyline.
This author is one of those authors that everyone tends to ‘sleep’ on. Meaning, he’s not part of the ‘in’ crown and as such, his work is often overlooked which is crazy. He has a writing style that is complex, cerebral and his writing style is crisp. The way he weaves a story is absolutely amazing.
You had so many wonderful ingredients to this book: grief, pain, love and loss, mystery, suspense, with a big dash of horror thrown in.
I truly enjoyed this book and definitely recommend this book and this author. Don’t sleep on this author, y’all. He churns out the most amazing stories.
Pride & Justice or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Crack
If I had to put a relationship status on my feelings about this work, it would be, “It’s complicated.”
That’s not true. I love it. What’s complicated is trying to get the right eyes on it, a needle that I either expertly threaded in fandom, or it wasn’t something that needed to be explained. The story is silly, deeply so, but it probably makes a lot more sense if you know things about me like that one of my first favorite books as a child was Another Roadside Attraction by Tom Robbins. Add in some Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams and you start to get a rough picture of where I’m coming from.
Like, silly, but also make it sexy. And throw in some jadedness about capitalism, a slightly Eoin Colfer sensibility about puns and popular mythology, and some zombies, well…it is what it is. Is it an enemies-to-lovers romance? Sure. There’s a lot going on, but I’m not sure if it’ll really push your buttons unless you have a very deep commitment to the absurd.
The idea was that this would be a series; in fact I’d started a sequel when Loose Id originally released this story. Everything I’d thought was pretty fun about it, as it turned out, was not fun at all. I shelved it. Honestly, I’m still not sure what people thought it was going to be when the first chapter was called, “Panic at the Dildo Factory.”
But I guess this all comes down to why. Why would I do this to you or to me? Well, because I love crack fic. I love silly. I love dad jokes, ones that will make you roll your eyes and ones that kind of boomerang and get you later. Writing this made me feel like a wicked, crazy genius, cackling the whole way.
People who like it really like it. Those who don’t… I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. Sometimes I bottle things up to the point where it all comes out in a burst of mania, and this was one of those times.
About the book:
A percentage of the earth’s population has transformed into surprisingly functional zombies who returned to work the next morning as if they weren’t undead monstrosities. Justice Kinkead, officer in an elite zombie fighting force, gets called out when good zombies go bad, putting down the brain cravers and safeguarding the new economy. After several of his partners succumb to unfortunate deaths, Justice figures he’ll go it alone…until he’s assigned a mysterious and sexy new partner, Merlin Pride, who seems to know more about the zombies’ origins than he’s letting on.
Merlin also seems to sense that Justice needs a good fucking, but it’s complicated: Justice still lives with his undead ex-boyfriend. Can Justice make peace with his past? And if he does, should he take a chance on a man who may have something to do with destroying civilization as they knew it?
Crack, parody, camp counselor levels of camp, dad jokes, and enemies to lovers
55k words
Devon Murphy has never believed that there were fairies at the bottom of the garden, but when he’s in an accident on his way to his grandmother’s house and comes face to face with the biggest, baddest wolf he’s ever seen, he’s forced to reconsider.
When his grandmother asks him to look into a string of suspicious accidents, he finds a much bigger mystery to unravel. From his childhood best friend to the too-attractive Deputy Wade Hunter, everyone in Rowan Harbor seems to have something to hide. Devon has to get to the bottom of it all before the accidents turn deadly.
This novel is intended for adult audiences, and contains swearing and sex scenes.
It is the first of nine books in The Rowan Harbor Cycle, not a standalone. Devon and Wade will return in book four to continue their story, so this book contains a HFN, not their HEA.
Kimi’s thoughts:
I’ve not come across this author before and when I first read the blurb, I thought it sounded refreshing. I first took a peek at the author’s Amazon page and discovered he has another series already out but it isn’t paranormal, which I’m currently in the mood for, so passed them by (for now).
I really like the natural way Sam’s prose flows across the page. Nothing seems forced and I slid right into the world Rowan Harbor from the very first paragraph. Devon, Jesse, and the rest of his friends and fellow townsfolk are all very likable people. They are all familiar in a way that should we ourselves somehow find ourselves moving into this small town, we’d not be suspicious of anything. There are little quirks noticed by recent arrivals, such as how reverent everyone seems of the town council, and the way they view anyone whose family is less than a hundred years resident there as an outsider. There’s very good reason for that, as Devon finds out.
If you love stories of fated mates and paranormal creatures, but wish for variety outside the usual tropes, this is definitely a must-read. It’s fun and there’s a mystery to be solved, well two actually as it happens. The HFN ending is definitely happy with the knowledge that we get to ride along for their ‘ever after’ and that more couples are soon to find their One as well, without it being too terrible of a cliffhanger. One mystery is resolved, but the second promises to be an overarching plot point I look forward to following as it is resolved. I am very much eagerly anticipating book two.
