Randomness

On Davis Row by N.R. Walker; Narration by Joel Leslie: New Release Audio Book Review

August 28, 2018 by Denise

Nearing the end of a suspended jail sentence should unlock a brighter future for CJ Davis, only the chip on his shoulder is as hard to shift as his bad reputation. Born into a family of career criminals who live down Davis Road, an address the cops have dubbed Davis Row, his name alone is like a rap sheet that makes optimism impossible.

Brand-new parole officer Noah Huxley is determined to see the good in men like CJ. After all, he knows firsthand that bad things can happen to good people. His colleagues mock his doe-eyed optimism, but Noah soon sees CJ’s bad attitude and bravado are weapons he uses to keep people at a distance.

Both men know one simple mistake can change a life forever. At first glance, they might seem to be polar opposites. Yet underneath, they’re not that different at all.

Contains mature themes.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Audible

I don’t give out 5 pieces of eye candy ratings often. I think I have given 2 this year so far. It has to be a book I absolutely loved AND one I would read again. That is hard to do, because even books I absolutely LOVE, some I wouldn’t read again (I hate ugly crying…). But this one received the 5 pieces of eye candy rating for just that reason. I loved this book, and I definitely want to read it again.

I’m not sure where I even can start. This was a tough book to read, not because it wasn’t well written, or even because I didn’t like any of the book. What was tough was that I kept feeling like the other shoe was going to drop and CJ was going to have something happen, end up back in prison, or in the hospital or something equally appalling. But, of course, with any book by Walker, there is always an HEA, so why I was concerned, I don’t know. She wrote these characters so well, with just the right amount of personality for each of them, that I couldn’t help but be concerned for them. I would hurt for CJ when his father was awful to him. I would hurt for Noah who knew he could only do so much for a man as independent as CJ, but wanted to do all he could anyway. I even hurt for Pops every single time he was breathing heavy (Thanks to Joel for making sure that was the case as he narrated the book!) I felt the pain, concern and even impatience that these men felt as I listened to this book.

**side note** I can’t listen to audiobooks before bed, but I was at the very end of the book, and had to know what happened, so I pulled out my ebook and finished it up by reading. Then went and listened to the narration of the end the next day. lol

One of the things I enjoyed so much about this book was the fact that the author didn’t just make it a book about the pain of all that CJ and Noah were dealing with. It was about every day life. And even when you are in pain, and fearful for what’s coming next, there are moments in days where humor comes in, where you just have to laugh.

He took his license from his wallet and showed it to me. “This is a crap photo.”

I took it and inspected it, trying not to smile, then, trying not to laugh. “Jesus, did you pay the homeless man to stand in for ya?”

Joel Leslie is so very talented, able to create the accents needed for all the books he narrates, this one being set in Australia. He even did a great Italian accent for Noah’s boss at the mechanic shop. He laughs when it’s needed, and slows down his breathing for emphasis when the intensity of the book demands it. What he does best, though? It is obvious he is not just reading the book, he is narrating from the place of someone who is enjoying the book, and wants to ensure that others do as well.

Story: 5 pieces of eye candy

Narration: 5 pieces of eye candy

* Disclosure of Material: I received a copy of this book from the Author/Publisher with the hope that I would voluntarily leave unbiased and unsolicited feedback. I was not asked, encouraged, or required to leave a review – nor was I compensated in any way. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. *

Lost In Indigo by V.L. Locey: Exclusive Guest Post, Blog Tour and Giveaway

July 13, 2018 by Denise

Mathieu Beresford was so close to seeing his dream come true.

The thirty-eight-year-old captain of the Buffalo Surge had led his team to the final round of the playoffs with his aggressive defensive play and leadership. During the first game of the championship series, he was taken down, and his leg snapped upon impact with the boards. From his hospital bed, Mathieu watched his team go on to win it all.

Adrift in anger, resentment, and the new direction of his life, he returns to his mansion along the St. Lawrence River. Alone and sulking, Mathieu is not prepared for Indigo Neu to enter his life. The genderflux twenty-year-old botany major signs on to play nursemaid, confidant, and groundskeeper over the summer and slowly leads Mathieu out of his confusion––one tender smile and touch at a time.

The deeper Mathieu falls, the more he wonders if being lost might not be so bad after all.

Cover: Designs By Sloan

Length: 70,695 words approx.

Amazon US

Hi there! My name is V.L. Locey and I’m thrilled to be here today! In case you’re not familiar with me I’m an MM romance author, primarily hockey romance, but I do also write non-sporty contemporary, paranormal, and mythological gay romances. Today we’re going to talk a bit about when I knew I wanted to write.

When did you know that you wanted to be a writer?

I think that I always had the inkling that I was an author. Way back in the day I always loved English classes, and was the only happy student when essays or book reports had to be written. As far back as I can recall there had always been stories inside my head, I just had no idea that I could put them down and paper, let alone that people would want to read them!

What a shock that was the first time I penned a Marvel fan fiction story umpteen years ago! It was a monstrous mess of tangled grammar and sloppy punctuation – I still have comma issues – but those problems aside, people read it. And they liked it! After a few years of writing tons of fan fiction, I decided to try my hand at novel writing and I’ve never looked back. I believe that people are born creatives. They either have the love of writing, painting, dancing, making music, or any of the other creative outlets or they don’t. I’m so eternally grateful that I have a profession that I adore.

Thanks for dropping by!

Skate hard and love deeply,

V.L.

July 10 – Love By tes, We Three Queens, OMG Reads, July 12 – The Blogger Girls, Kimmer’s Erotic Book Banter, Jen’s Corner Spot, Bookaholic & Kindle, Wicked Reads, July 13 – Two Chicks Obsessed, July 14 – Katie’s Book Corner, Megan’s Media Melange, July 15 – My Fiction Nook, July 16 – Urban Smoothie Read, Xtreme Delusions, Mainely Stories, My Book Filled Life, July 18 – Wicked Faerie’s Tales, Jessie G Books, Mirrigold, Bayou Book Junkie, Lillian Francis, Making It Happen, MM Good Book Reviews, July 19 – Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, July 21 – Bayou Book Junkie

V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, Dr. Who, Torchwood, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, two Jersey steers and a flock of assorted domestic fowl.

When not writing lusty tales, she can be found enjoying her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand.

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Charlie’s Rainbow (Rainbow Key Book 2) by Victoria Sue: Quick Review

May 16, 2018 by Denise

Eventually being diagnosed with reactive attachment disorder as a child, difficult didn’t even begin to describe the nightmare of Charlie’s life. Escaping the drug-induced limbo he existed in and running from his alcoholic mother and despotic grandfather, he finally finds some peace and a home on Rainbow Key.

Noah is also running, even if he doesn’t realize it, and the guilt he feels over his brother’s suicide chases him no matter where he goes. When he meets and falls for Charlie, he finally thinks he might have the chance to make a home and a future with the adorable man, except he doesn’t realize that the secret that Charlie is hiding is the one thing that he fears the most.

And not even a chance of mending their future can heal the scars of Charlie’s past.

Amazon

Sigh…. I think maybe I loved this one more than the first one….and hey there, hot cover!!!

In this one, we have Charlie, who we got to know in the first book of this series. He has trouble with touch, tactile sensitivity, and in a lot of cases, being touched even causes them physical pain. I couldn’t even imagine that, especially as a child, or having a child with such a …. I don’t want to say disability, but, it kind of is. My heart broke for Charlie, because living with this was brutal; with an alcoholic mother who didn’t know how to live with him and selfishly made it all about her, and a grandfather who tried to toughen him up by forcing it on him. I didn’t begrudge him for a second. He was a survivor, and I loved reading his story.

Noah gets left at the altar and was set to go on his honeymoon to the resort that we got to know and love last book. Unfortunately, Joshua was away with Daniel, so it left Charlie in charge of getting him set up and comfortable. It didn’t well in the beginning, but something about Charlie kept Noah wanting to be around him. Plus, being alone on your honeymoon….probably not a lot of fun.

However, it didn’t take Noah to realize that not going ahead with the wedding was a blessing in disguise. I was mad at the ex at first, but only for the way he done him on his wedding day; after that, I didn’t give him another thought.

While Noah was on the island, Charlie gets upsetting news and goes into this protective mode that wanted to help Charlie out. It was obvious that they felt for each other and it was kind of seamless, even though Noah had just gotten out of a very long-term relationship. It didn’t feel rushed to me, and maybe it should’ve, but they went through a lot together in such a short time that it didn’t feel forced or rushed at all. Bravo author, that’s hard to accomplish! Plus, Noah had his own demons he was battling, and I think helping Charlie kind of muted it, in a way….I understood it.

Unfortunately, Noah’s time away had come to an end, and he had to get back to his life. Charlie had made the impression though and an even bigger surprise, was so did Noah, to Charlie. He was so mindful of Charlie’s obstacles, and instead of getting frustrated by them or thinking there was something wrong with him, he just took it for what it was and worked around them. He didn’t judge Charlie or make him feel bad; he cared about him in a way that no one had before….so when he left, both men were left missing the other.

Leave it to Josh to concoct a reason to get him back on the island some weeks later, though….and though I want to gush some more and give you a step-by-step encounter of every piece of it, starting with what I loved and then moving on to what I adored…. I won’t. though I think you should just stop right now and go read it.

I cannot wait to see what happens with Ben, and I really, really, really need for Matt to get everything his heart could ever want. Knowing a little bit more about his story made me want to wish him real so I could spend all day every day, just hugging him for how unfair he was treated and how much of his life he missed out on. I sincerely hope he gets some justice for that!!! And Joe… I hope Joe is a part of all that happy…. Even though I’m curious to read about the new guy, Ryder and his little sister.

Overall, fantastic addition to a really great series. I cannot wait for more!

5 well deserved pieces of eye candy from me.

Better Together BL Maxwell: Release Day Review Blitz and Giveaway

May 15, 2018 by Denise

Since being thrown out of his home by his parents, Caden has been struggling to survive on the streets. He lives in constant fear, stresses over his next meal, and dreads trying to find a safe place to sleep at night. One night he finds an unlocked car and settles in to sleep, but he’s soon interrupted when someone steals the car. With little choice but to ride along, Caden soon learns that first impressions aren’t always correct.

Seventeen-year-old Damario has been raising his little brother and sister by himself since his parents were deported. He never imagined how hard it was going to be paying the bills and making sure there was always food on the table. Or how hard it would be to hold his family together when they all depended on him to do it. He finds himself stealing cars to make ends meet, but he never expected to find someone sleeping in the back of one of them. And he really didn’t expect this stowaway to change his life.

When Damario brings Caden home, it was only supposed to be for a shower and a hot meal, but he can hardly kick him out onto the streets again. There is no way he could have seen that by saving Caden that night, he was also saving himself. When Damario’s world starts to fall apart, they both realize that the answer to all of their problems is helping each other, and although the world tries to drive them apart, they really are better together.

Amazon

I have to first point out that I am such a sucker for single dads, or brother’s that step up and take care of their siblings. Hot guys with kids are just an overall must read, for me. In this one, we start off with Caden, who has the world worst parents. Upon finding a m/m romance novel in his room, they give him 10 minutes to pack a couple things and then his dad drives him far away from home and just drops him off in an abandoned parking lot. Literally, like a dog they wanna dump, they just load him up and haul him off. What I do not understand, is why nothing was done about this when he didn’t show up at school or whatever. The cops came and they told him he was a runaway, but the sister, she should’ve said something. Why did she not tell anyone the real story??? Why didn’t Caden?? His parents should’ve been punished for what they done, not only once, but they done it TWICE!

Damario, or Rio, has he’s called…. Is just shy of seventeen when his parents get deported over something ridiculous. I hope our government isn’t that terrible that a simple address change can get you deported, but anyway….It didn’t seem believable that three minor children would just be left to their own devices when the parents got deported, the youngest being six. I mean, they had a neighbor that helped out a bunch, sure, but they were all still minors… how did nobody catch on to that?

Anyway, while out doing some shady business to make a little extra cash, Rio finds Caden sleeping in the back of a car he’s trying to steal, and sees how skinny and unkempt he is. He takes him along with him and decides he’s going to help him. I thought this was admirable because the kid and his two siblings didn’t have much, but Rio wanted to help Caden. It was cute, if not a bit unrealistic. I can say with absolute certainty that in no way would I have trusted my little siblings alone with a homeless stranger I met an hour ago… no matter how harmless he seemed. I didn’t like that, it again seemed unrealistic.

I did like how each boy felt like the other saved them in a way… it felt like young love, and I found myself rooting for them both. I was glad that eventually, everything started working out. I had thought that they’d have a lot more trouble from the guy boosting cars when Rio just wanted to quit. Typically, when you start doing shady work for shady people, they don’t’ just let you leave whenever you want to. So, I was glad that wasn’t the case, but again, it just felt unrealistic to me. I feel like I’ve used that word a lot in this review, but if I had to describe it all in one word, that’s what it would be.

It was a cute story, a bit mushy in some places but overall, it was cute. I was happy with the way it ended and though Rio’s family didn’t ever make it back into the states, I was glad that they were able to visit them often and everyone seemed to be happy and healthy and together.

3 pieces of eye candy from me!

BL Maxwell grew up in a small town listening to her grandfather spin tales about his childhood. Later she became an avid reader and after a certain vampire series she became obsessed with fanfiction. She soon discovered Slash fanfiction and later discovered the MM genre and was hooked.

Many years later, she decided to take the plunge and write down some of the stories that seem to run through her head late at night when she’s trying to sleep.

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Bad to the Bone by Nicki Bennett: Exclusive Guest Post and Excerpt

May 14, 2018 by Denise

A second chance at first love—if he has the courage to take it.

Alex can’t think of himself as anything but a failure. In high school, he was on the fast track to a career in pro football when he forged an unlikely friendship with a half-Comanche boy from the wrong part of town, Ricky Lee Jennings. Their shared love of books could have grown into more—but a homophobic teammate attacked Ricky Lee, and Alex wouldn’t risk his scholarship to defend him. Ricky Lee was kicked out of school, and Alex never heard from him again.

Now Alex’s glory days are nothing but a memory. An injury ended his football aspirations, his marriage fell apart, and his dreams of making a difference as an environmental lobbyist are as dead as his fantasies of sports stardom.

But all that could change in one magical night, when Ricky Lee shows up at their high-school reunion.

Title: Bad to the Bone
Author: Nicki Bennett
Release Date: May 15, 2018
Category: Contemporary, Dreamspun Desires
Pages: 202

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Translations usually happen after a book is published, but Bad to the Bone was actually available in French before it releases tomorrow in English.

When Dreamspinner Press offered me a chance to attend this year’s Livre Paris, the international book fair that takes place in Paris every spring, there was just one problem. The salon du livre was taking place March 16-18, and based on the Dreamspun Desires schedule, which couldn’t be changed, Bad to the Bone wasn’t going to release until May 15.

“No problem,” Ariel Tachna—the head of Dreamspinner’s translation department, who (full disclosure) also happens to be my sometime coauthor—said. “We can have the translation ready in time for the salon. We’re doing it for several other titles too. We’ll offer attendees the chance to get the book signed by the author two months before its official release!”

And so it happened. As the book went through translation, however, another situation arose. Dreamspinner’s French translation coordinator, Jade Baiser, pointed out that the literal translation of the title—Mauvais jusqu’à la moëlle—has a much meaner connotation in French than it does in English.

According to Dictionary.com, “bad to the bone can mean rebellious in an exciting, attractive way as well as irredeemably bad” and mentions the 1982 George Thorogood song as an example. You can read about it here. (Do you have the song running through your head now like I do? If not, listen to this great live version. You’re welcome for the earworm.)

According to Ariel and Jade, the term in French has a much more negative connotation, more like rotten to the core, completely without the sexy, wrong-side-of-the-tracks nuance it has in English. They were worried it could potentially keep readers from picking up the book. So after some discussion, we agree to title the French translation Ricky Lee est de retour, which translates to “Ricky Lee has returned” or “Ricky Lee comes back.”

Livre Paris is an incredible experience. French readers in general, and m/m fans in particular, are passionate! It was raining the night the fair opened, and people were lined up outside the exhibition center and down the street, waiting patiently with bags and backpacks and suitcases (and umbrellas!) to hold all the books they’d buy. So many people stopped by the Dreamspinner booth to talk about their favorite books and meet the dozen attending authors. This year the Dreamspinner booth and those of the three large French LGBTQ publishers were all placed together, creating a happy queer fiction neighborhood.

So those fans who preordered Ricky Lee est de retour or bought it at the salon got to meet Ricky Lee and Alex months before everyone else. They seem to like them, based on the reviews from the French m/m Facebook groups I’ve joined (thank heaven for Google Translate!) Now it’s your chance, and I hope you enjoy reading about them in Bad to the Bone as much as I did writing about them.

Meeting Sam for breakfast had become a morning routine since she joined the Freeland police force. Today, as Alex walked from Morrison Hardware to the Danish Coffee Pot, he scanned the street in both directions but didn’t see any sign of the motorcycle from yesterday afternoon. He wasn’t sure which emotion was stronger, disappointment or relief.

Sam was already seated at their usual booth when he entered the diner. As always, the smells of cinnamon and bacon greeted him, along with a wave and a cheery smile from Brigit, the restaurant’s owner. A cup of coffee sat on the table waiting for him as he slid into the blue vinyl bench seat across from Sam.

“I thought you might need some morning courage,” Sam said. “You looked pretty stunned yesterday when I left.”

Alex took a grateful sip of the strong black brew. He hadn’t slept well the night before as he grappled with eleven-year-old memories. “Surprised, not stunned. I’d given u—I hadn’t expected to see Ricky Lee back in town again, that’s all.”

Brigit bustled over to take their orders—Danish fruit pancakes for Sam and one of the restaurant’s signature cinnamon rolls for Alex.

“Wonder what brought him back now.” Sam smiled a thanks to Brigit for topping off her coffee cup, pausing until the older woman had moved on to the next table. “He didn’t even come home when Old Man Jennings died.”

“I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t consider Freeland ‘home’ anymore,” Alex said. “His relationship with his father was always pretty strained after his mother passed away.” Which was part of what had drawn Ricky Lee and Alex together, but Alex tried to push those memories away, with as little success as the night before.

“Yeah, having the town drunk for a father couldn’t have been easy. I pulled Billy Joe in more than a time or two for public intoxication or DUI myself before he passed.”

“Not to mention being half Comanche, living on the wrong side of town, losing his mother when he was barely thirteen, and coming out as gay his freshman year of high school. You remember what it was like for him, Sam. High school was a tough enough time even if you were part of the ‘popular’ crowd. Ricky Lee was looked down on and bullied for things he had no control over.”

“You always stood up for him, Alex. That’s something I’ve always admired you for.”

Fortunately Brigit arrived at that moment with a tray piled with food, sparing Alex from Sam’s scrutiny as guilt washed through him. He’d failed to stand up for Ricky Lee when it counted most, and he’d regretted it all the years since. By the time Sam looked up from the plates of thin, crisp-edged pancakes, hash browns, and bacon arranged in front of her, Alex had his expression under control. He hoped.

“Besides, Ricky Lee got into plenty of trouble on his own,” Sam said after taking the first bite of her berry-topped pancakes. “Chief Cowart had me pull up his juvenile records, and he must have been brought in half a dozen times at least.”

“And never convicted of anything,” Alex protested. In his opinion, Chief Cowart had made up his mind that Ricky Lee was as no-good as his father and taken every opportunity to try to prove it. “He never started any of the fights at school. He had the right to defend himself.”

Growing up in Chicago, Nicki Bennett spent every Saturday at the central library, losing herself in the world of books. A voracious reader, she eventually found it difficult to find enough of the kind of stories she liked to read and decided to start writing them herself.

You can find Nicki on her Facebook page.

Just Desserts by Mary Calmes: TBT Throwback Thursday Review

May 10, 2018 by Denise

A Tale of the Curious Cookbook

Boone Walton has tried hard to create some distance between himself and his past. He’s invested in his new life, his New Orleans art gallery, and his friendship with Scott Wren. Things finally seem to be settling down to normal, and Boone couldn’t be happier.

Chef Scott Wren wants much more than normal with Boone. He wants to raise things to the next level, but Boone is terrified—and not because of the ghost in Scott’s apartment or Scott’s relatives. No, Boone’s past is about to pay him a visit, and the only thing that can get between Boone, Scott, and a hinky recipe for chocolate mousse found in a curious cookbook is the river of pain Boone had to swim across to get to this side of The Big Easy. There’s a secret behind the ingredients, though—one that might reveal the trust and love that have been missing from Boone’s life.

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

Sigh…..

I have never, in all the books I’ve read by this author, find one that I didn’t adore. This one was no different. In this one, we have Scott and Boone, best friends for the last two years, they literally hadn’t gone a day without seeing to or speaking to each other since the day they’d met.

And they were so cute, they complimented each other so well…For as hard as Scott fought to become someone to Boone, Boone was the one that always took care of Scott.

It worked for him though, he wanted that role and took it seriously. They weren’t just friends, they were soul-mates…just ask the cookbook that came with the oven that Boone bought for Scott…
And a nice little friendly haunted apartment LOL

Unfortunately, stuck in the friend category, it was easy to see why Scott jumped from relationship to relationship, and my heart broke so badly for Boone, when e learned of his life before moving to Louisianna. It was a tough pill to swallow, but, I felt like after learning so much about his hardships, you couldn’t help but fall in love with him. He’d had such a rough life and I was rooting for him and Scott, because they deserved each other. Boone deserved Scott, and to be happy, and I had no doubt that given the chance, that Scott would do anything to make him happy.

Another fantastic Mary Calmes read.

5 pieces of eye candy from me!