3 stars

Sweet Nothings by T. Neilson: Release Day Review

April 2, 2018 by Denise

Will a bitter bite from the past spoil a sweet romance?

Tristan Love, the youngest of seven brothers, is back in his hometown. He’s left the New York food scene and an abusive relationship behind him, but he holds his love of French pastries close to his heart and is determined to put his skills to use in a bakery of his own.

Returning to his childhood home means his meddlesome brother Simon will butt into his business, but before the bakery even opens its doors, Tristan’s delectable creations have the town’s mouths watering, and Jake, a cute mechanic, asks Tristan out. It all seems worthwhile….

That is, until the bakery burns down, Jake’s criminal past comes to light, and Tristan’s nasty ex rears his head where he is decidedly not wanted.

Title: Sweet Nothings
Series: Amuse Bouche: Book 1
Author: T. Neilson
Release Date: April 3, 2018
Category: Contemporary, Dreamspun Desires
Pages: 242

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

So, I liked the main characters- Tristan and Jake. And I liked parts of the story, but a lot of it was kind of meh to me.

Tristan is starting over in his home town with his dream. Opening a bakery. But he is also escaping a crazy ex and avoiding his mother and brothers. At least for now. Why would you not tell your mother you were home? They didn’t have a bad relationship.

Anyway. Jake is the typical blue collar working, wrongly accused of a crime he took the rap for and is now just trying to move on with his life. Sparks fly, yada, yada.

I did like the dynamic of Tristan and Jake together. Jake is a good guy (too good- see taking the rap for a crime he didn’t commit) and the little things he does for Tristan speak louder than big grand gestures. Tristan is a bit too trusting- especially after coming out of a bad relationship- but you just want to trust Jake.

Then the bad things start happening. And while it is obvious to me who is behind it all, it’s rather anticlimactic. Like, duh of course…..

The family dynamic between the brothers is interesting and I would have liked to see more of that. Maybe in subsequent books.

I’d call this a nice little escape beach read, but nothing more than that.

3 Pieces of Candy

Ever After by Riley Hart and Christina Lee: Release Day Blitz, Excerpt and Review

March 2, 2018 by Denise

As next in line for the Evergreen crown, Prince Merrick Davendall’s future involves ruling, marriage, and producing an heir of his own. But he’s long been tormented by desires that are far from princely. Especially when the beautiful Cassius is promoted to be his new valet, and Merrick is struck by a longing like never before—a longing to know him far beyond royal and servant.

After his father’s passing, Cassius Havendale’s sole duty is to provide for his family. A promotion to serve a pampered prince is something he endures only for their sake. Surely Prince Merrick has no understanding of true suffering of the common people, nor could he possibly understand what it’s like to desperately desire something he cannot have.

Except the prince is not at all what Cassius imagined. Kind, humorous, and caring to those in need, he also shares Cassius’ affinity for the arts. In fact, Merrick understands his deepest vulnerabilities in a most remarkable way.

As their affection deepens, the underlying tension between them becomes unbearable and they’re unable to ignore it any longer. But when the queen prepares a lavish ball with all the eligible ladies in the land in attendance, Merrick must fulfill his obligations to his country, and Cassius has the needs of his family to consider. They’ve long known their stolen moments would have to come to an end, but are they ready to give up one another and the idea of a happily-ever-after?

***PLEASE NOTE: EVER AFTER is a romantic fairy tale—minus the magic—that features one compassionate prince, one brooding valet, and plenty of angsty forbidden love. It’s loosely based on a certain treasured fairy tale in a wintery make-believe setting that wouldn’t be considered contemporary but also isn’t based on any specific time period and doesn’t play by any traditional rules.

EVER AFTER

A GAY FAIRYTALE

RILEY HART & CHRISTINA LEE

M/M ROMANCE

RELEASE DATE: 02.28.18

COVER DESIGN: JAY AHEER/ Simply Defined Art

Amazon

Goodreads

“Now you are all set,” Cassius remarked, slipping the national Evergreen sash over Merrick’s neck and adjusting it over his shoulder.

Merrick was entertaining the Duke of Cairn this morning for brunch. The king would be joining them this afternoon for ice fishing on the property. Apparently, the royal family of Cairn were avid fishermen, and when the king mentioned it a few weeks back on his visit, Merrick’s father told them about Evergreen’s abundance of freshwater trout. Merrick did not exactly enjoy the sport, but Cairn was Evergreen’s closest ally, and it was important to entertain them properly while they discussed pressing matters, including Merrick’s royal visit to their lovely countryside in the coming months.

“At breakfast I overheard the cooks going on about how handsome the duke is,” Cassius mentioned casually as he smoothed down Merrick’s coat and then picked at some lint on the lapel.

The change in topic threw Merrick, and when he did not respond, Cassius glanced up curiously at him. Merrick smirked as he wrapped his hands around Cassius’s waist and pulled him closer. “You are jealous.”

“Of course not!” he declared as his neck turned beet red. “I was only relaying the gossip in the castle.”

“Hmmm, that’s very peculiar since you’ve never seemed to be affected by gossip before,” Merrick remarked, backing him against the wardrobe, the innocent look in Cassius’s eyes completely charming.

“What are you doing?” Cassius asked, his gaze flashing toward the closed chamber door.

“I don’t give a flying fig whether the duke is handsome or not. I have never paid him any mind.” Merrick kissed his cheek. “What I do know is that a stunning man is standing before me, driving me completely mad. And I long to take his prick into my mouth.”

Cassius gasped and swayed toward him. Merrick wondered if Cassius felt just as feverish after spending such a sweet and intense moment in the woods the other day. He only dreamed to know more of him before it was too late.

“It is all I thought about last evening after you left me in the parlor room with the conservation committee,” Merrick added with a groan as he gripped the waistband of Cassius’s trousers. “I want you in my bed every night. In my arms. But I know it is an empty wish.”

“We…shouldn’t,” Cassius replied in a gruff voice even as he sank against Merrick, his prick already hard as the steel jousting stick on display in the Great Hall. “You make it quite difficult to properly concentrate on my duties.”

Merrick drew back immediately, searching Cassius’s eyes. “I am sorry. I do not want you to feel any sort of regret.”

“Never.” Cassius grasped Merrick’s hand and placed it against the bulge beneath his zipper. “But now I shall go around all day with the front of my pants uncomfortably tight while you socialize with the handsome duke.”

Merrick hissed and then promptly dropped to his knees before the valet.

Ever After is a sweet love story about Prince Merrick of Evergreen and his valet Cassius. The two find themselves wildly attracted to each other but neither can act on it due to their separate responsibilities. Merrick’s to the crown in producing an heir and Cassius to his family as the sole provider for his mother and sisters. Acting on their attraction can never lead to anything more, so why risk their reputations and futures?

While the writing is straightforward, this book made me think a bit. In Evergreen, men who desire other men are not considered criminals, but they aren’t given the same rights, respect and freedoms that heterosexuals get. And if they did, Merrick still has a duty to the crown by marrying a woman and producing an heir. But how does Merrick live with himself if he were to marry a woman knowing he can never truly love her the way a wife deserves to be loved, and therefore denies her the chance to find real marital happiness. If Merrick decides to be with a man, what happens to the line of succession? Cassius depends on his job, so there’s the weird master/servant power dynamic that can be just … icky. Is Cassius allowed to say “no”? What if they get together and then it sours? Cassius depends on his job to support his widowed mother and young sisters. So, there’s a lot of internal/external conflict going on here. These guys are dealing with a lot. I don’t generally search out m/m books that have these kind of conflicts, but when I find myself reading one, I do enjoy contemplating the implications and ramifications. I am also never bored seeing the various ways and the extent to which authors resolve these issues.

This book is told in third person, alternating between Merrick’s and Cassius’ POV. There were a few spots that the writing was confusing about who was doing what, and at one point the wrong name was used, but that didn’t bog me down or make me want to DNF. Cute read. I would try the authors again.

3 pieces of eye candy

Riley Hart is the girl who wears her heart on her sleeve. She’s a hopeless romantic, a lover of sexy stories, passionate men, and writing about all the trouble they can get into together.

She loves reading, flawed characters, and hanging out with her husband and children, who she adores. She and her family live in Southern California, soaking up the sunshine while also missing seasons. Not a day goes by that she isn’t thankful she gets to wake up and do what she loves.

Life is good. Riley also writes young adult and new adult under the name Nyrae Dawn.

Once upon a time, I lived in New York City and was a wardrobe stylist. I spent my days shopping for photo shoots, getting into cabs, eating amazing food, and drinking coffee at my favorite hangouts.

Now I live in the Midwest with my husband and son—my two favorite guys. I’ve been a clinical social worker and a special education teacher. But it wasn’t until I wrote a weekly column for the local newspaper that I realized I could turn the fairytales inside my head into the reality of writing fiction.

I write Adult, New Adult, and M/M Contemporary Romance. I’m addicted to lip gloss and salted caramel everything. I believes in true love and kissing, so writing romance novels has become a dream job.

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Skater Boy by AE Wasp: Blog Tour, Excerpt, Review and Giveaway

February 28, 2018 by Denise

In a world that measures success in dollars, how do you put a price on happiness?

Love, marriage, and a baby carriage. It’s all Alex Staunton has ever wanted. Well, that and an Olympic medal for figure skating. The medal he got. The rest of it – not so much.

When his most recent poor decision comes to a door-slamming end, Alex moves into the house of his best friend, Thunder starting goalie, Sergei Pergov. But when tragedy strikes, giving Sergei custody of the twins he fathered confidentially, Alex’s problems take a backseat to the needs of two infants, and Alex vows to be the best fake-dad and house-husband he can be.

Sergei is dazzled by the way Alex makes managing all the craziness look as easy as doing a triple-axel. As their friendship grows even deeper, Sergei realizes he doesn’t want to imagine a life without Alex in it. Alex is the one who makes their house a home; his love makes them a family. How can Sergei make Alex understand he’s worth everything?

Skater Boy is a story about falling in love with your best friend. It contains discussions about baby poop, day drinking, girls’ night out, and the purchase of a mini-van.

Book Title: Skater Boy: Hot Off the Ice #4

Author: A. E. Wasp

Publisher: Self-Published

Cover Artist: Ana J. Phoenix

Genre/s: Gay Sports Romance

Length: 75,750 words/303 pages

Skater Boy is a standalone story in the Hot Off the Ice series.

Amazon US – Kindle Unlimited

Amazon UK

Goodreads

It was funny how much one kiss could change everything. Well, kissing and whatever else he could get away with. Sergei loved finding ways around the rules or seeing how much he could get away with while still technically staying within bounds.

Alex had typed up a list of the rules and taped them to the inside of the door that held Sergei’s coffee mugs and tea cups. “This way I know we’ll see it at least once a day.”

“In case I forget?” Sergei pulled Alex’s hand toward him, tracing light patterns over his wrist and palm in the same way Alex had tortured him the other night.

“Bastard,” Alex said, yanking his hand away. He darted in for a quick kiss. “In case I forget.”

Then last night after dinner, he’d come up behind Alex in the kitchen while he was washing dishes, and keeping his hands above the waist and over the clothes, lifted up Alex’s gorgeous hair and kissed the back and sides of his neck until Alex begged him to touch him. “Just a little. Please? Just my stomach.”

“Rules say no hands under clothing,” Sergei said, voice heavy with regret. “You made rules.”

Without another word, Alex slid out from under Sergei. Grabbing a pen from the junk drawer, he stomped the few feet to the cabinet, opened the cabinet, and crossed off the word ‘clothing.’ He wrote ‘pants’ above it, handwriting sloppy.

Slamming the door, he marched back to Sergei. “Better?”

Sergei yanked Alex against him, face to face this time. He slid his hands up the back of Alex’s shirt. His skin was softer than he had ever imagined and so warm. “Much better,” he growled, then pushed Alex up against the counter. They kissed until Sergei’s lips were numb.-

This is the 4th in a series, but I haven’t read the series so it is an easy stand alone.

This was a cute friends to lovers story, that I don’t think was meant to be cute.

Alex finds out his boyfriend is actually married. And being that Alex lives in an apartment paid for by him, he needs to leave. Best friend Sergei to the rescue. Quite literally.

Alex starts off living with Sergei kind of strong. Wanting to be his own man, pay his own way, etc. But he doesn’t seem to try real hard. Sergei is all sorts of adorable, but what starts out as sounding like he is pan or demi, turns into gay or maybe bi? I wish the author had explored that aspect more. Not because we need to know, but from a representation stand point.

They are all cute and playing house and BAM! Crisis. Big crisis. Life changing. And while Sergei is rightfully freaking out, Alex just seems to take it in stride. Because, ultimately, it is kind of what he wished for. Not under those circumstances, but still.

So it was all neat and tidy and….cute. The wives of Sergei’s teammates kind of treat Alex like a pet, a novelty. Most of the characters were basic stereotypes.

There was more there that could have been fleshed out. Instead, it was all sort of glazed over to bring you a cute story. And there’s nothing wrong with cute stories, but meh.

3 pieces of eye candy

After time spent raising children, earning several college degrees, and traveling the world with the U.S. State Department, she is returning to her first love – writing.

A dreamer and an idealist, Amy writes about people finding connection in a world that can seem lonely and magic in a world that can seem all too mundane. She invites readers into her characters’ lives and worlds when they are their most vulnerable, their most human, living with the same hopes and fears we all have. An avid traveler who has lived in big cities and small towns in four different continents, Amy has found that time and distance are no barriers to love. She invites her readers to reach out and share how her characters have touched their lives or how the found families they have gathered around them have shaped their worlds.

Born on Long Island, NY, Amy has lived in Los Angeles, London, and Bangkok. She currently lives in a town suspiciously like Red Deer, Colorado.

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Bite Me by Beth Bolden: Blog Tour, Exclusive Guest Post, Review and Giveaway

February 27, 2018 by Denise

Talented pastry chef Miles Costa is bored. Working at the celebrated Napa Valley restaurant Terroir is supposed to be the cherry on top to a promising career, but instead it’s a creative desert. So when he gets an offer to turn his online video series into a career, he leaves his three best friends in Napa and swaps Terroir for Los Angeles.

With the resources now at his fingertips, turning his pastry series into a hit should be easy. Then Miles meets his producer, Evan Patterson, and realizes he’s screwed. And not even in the good way.

It’s not a meet-cute . . .

Evan lives to work and loves every minute detail Miles loathes. Not only that, he seems hell bent on micromanaging every aspect of Miles’ show despite the fact he knows nothing about the culinary arts. Evan doesn’t even like sweets—until Miles seduces him with a rainbow of delectable confections he can’t resist.

. . . it’s a collision.

With every confrontation, the intensity between them flares even hotter until they’re not sure if it’s hatred they feel . . .or something else. Is it possible for two people with nothing in common to discover common ground and romance?

BITE ME

KITCHEN GODS BOOK 1

BETH BOLDEN

M/M ROMANCE

RELEASE DATE: 02.12.17

COVER DESIGN: AngstyG

AMAZON US

AMAZON UK

“You’re late,”Evan said, head bent towards his screen, fingers not missing a beat as he typed furiously.

“I know, I’m sorry, I thought I’d grab a coffee.”Miles slid into the chair next to Evan, but Evan still didn’t look up.

“Oh thanks for bringing me one too,”Evan said levelly, even though he had to know that Miles only had one cup in his hands.

“I . . .uh. . .didn’t know you wanted one?”Miles said sheepishly. He’d made it back into the building two minutes late, and then had raced to Evan’s cubicle, only to not find him there. He’d made the rounds, until one of the writers stopped him and said Evan was in the conference room, still working after the meeting had ended.

Why hadn’t it occurred to Miles to bring him coffee? He liked the good coffee place as much as anyone else. It was probably because instead of actively trying to charm anyone in particular, Miles just fallen into bed with willing people and had never wanted someone who didn’t want him back—or wanted him but fought it. Miles knew he was going to have learn to be more aware and less selfish if he was ever going to convince Evan to consider dating him. A great almost-blowjob wasn’t going to cut it. Not with Evan.

Sex was probably off the table now, even though Miles knew Evan wanted it. Miles wasn’t familiar with the sort of self-denial Evan practiced; if he wanted someone and the feeling was mutual, sex happened. It was an easy way to live, and an easy way to get off. Everything about Evan was complicated, but Miles wanted him anyway. Inexplicably.

“I’m sorry I didn’t bring you coffee,”Miles said when Evan remained silent, typing away, the staccato of the keys all the response he probably deserved.

“It’s okay.” Evan paused. “I wouldn’t expect you to be looking out for other people. Me, especially.”

And yeah, that was galling. Especially galling when Miles had spent the last half an hour discovering that nobody had probably ever really looked out for Evan before. It probably wouldn’t take an extraordinary amount of effort to make him feel special and considered. And Miles still couldn’t figure out how to meet even the lowest of expectations.

“I’m sorry, I’m . . .I know it isn’t an excuse, but I was with Lucy, and Chloe and Steph and . . .”Miles hesitated, trying to find the best way to say, sorry, we were gossiping about you and they told me you were a foster kid and I wish you had told me yourself.

All Miles knew was that was definitely not the way to break the news.

Bite Me is the first book in my series about professional chefs. But what if you’re not a Kitchen God, but more like a Kitchen Joke? Are you more of an Evan than a Miles?

You can still make a really tasty dessert that’s impressive while still being easy and very doable.

I adapted this recipe from a few different sources, but they turned out beautiful anyway!

Creamy Cheesecake Parfaits with Chocolate Whipped Cream & Raspberries

Recipe adapted from The Cookie Rookie & The First Year

For the cheesecake parfait:

For the Crust:

2-3 low-fat graham crackers, crushed

For the No-Bake Cheesecake:

1 cup Custard Yogurt, vanilla flavored
2 (8 ounce) packages low-fat cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
A pinch of kosher salt

To make the cheesecake mixture, place all cheesecake ingredients in a mixer bowl and beat until well the mixture is a smooth consistency, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. You can use a hand mixer or a spoon or whisk, as long as all the ingredients are room temperature.

For the chocolate whipped cream

2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup powdered sugar

First make sure your bowl is very cold. Put it in the freezer for a few minutes, even. Unlike the cheesecake part of the recipe, make sure your heavy cream is very cold. No need to chill the cocoa powder or the powdered sugar.
This is better to make with an electric hand mixer but can also be made by hand with a whisk if you have arms of steel (or would like to have arms of steel!). Place all ingredients in the chilled bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Yes, stiff peaks. In the bowl, though, not anywhere else!

To assemble (Avengers Assemble!)

Pint of raspberries, washed.

Divide the crushed cookies/graham crackers between your glasses. I used really pretty martini glasses, but you could use small parfait glasses, or wine glasses, or whatever you have on hand that will let people see your pretty ingredients.
Spoon half the cheesecake mixture on top of the crushed cookies. Sprinkle in a few raspberries and top with the rest of the cheesecake mixture. Spoon the chocolate whipped cream over the top, and garnish with the raspberries.
Chill and then enjoy! Delicious and Miles is very impressed with your developing pastry skills!

I’ve read one other book by this author. And while I didn’t love it, I liked it well enough to try another. Plus this one involves the restaurant business and it is set in the California wine country. Two things I know well.

Miles is a pastry chef at world renowned restaurant in the Napa Valley. Unfortunately he is not the head pastry chef. So to get his creative juices flowing, he posts videos of himself baking. His videos catch the eye of a former chef turned internet show producer and Miles quits his job and moves to LA.

The majority of the book is spent with Miles acting like a brat while his producer tries to get them to work together. Yes, chefs are notoriously obnoxious. But I didn’t feel like Miles had the experience to equal the arrogance. A lot of bickering, then kissing, then more bickering.

Once they did start working together more- with Miles teaching Evan, I liked it quite a bit more. I needed more of that and less of the fighting. That got so tiresome. And the resolution to the problem of what the show would be like came at the very end. I definitely wanted more of that. What a perfect story line to incorporate the sexual tension, etc.

Readable, but not memorable.

3 pieces of eye candy

Beth Bolden lives in Portland, Oregon with her supportive husband. She wholly believes in Keeping Portland Weird, but wishes she didn’t have to make the yearly pilgrimage up to Seattle to watch her Boston Red Sox play baseball. She’s a fan of fandoms, and spends too much of her free time on tumblr.

Beth has been writing practically since she learned the alphabet. Unfortunately, her first foray into novel writing, titled Big Bear with Sparkly Earrings, wasn’t a bestseller, but hope springs eternal. She’s published eight novels and two novellas, with Catch Me, the next novel in the Kitchen Gods series, releasing in May 2018.

Order Bite Me Recipe Cards: http://bit.ly/2EeQiCJ

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Rebel by Rhys Ford: Double Release Day Review

December 29, 2017 by Denise

The hardest thing a rebel can do isn’t standing up for something—it’s standing up for himself.

Life takes delight in stabbing Gus Scott in the back when he least expects it. After Gus spends years running from his past, present, and the dismal future every social worker predicted for him, karma delivers the one thing Gus could never—would never—turn his back on: a son from a one-night stand he’d had after a devastating breakup a few years ago.

Returning to San Francisco and to 415 Ink, his family’s tattoo shop, gave him the perfect shelter to battle his personal demons and get himself together… until the firefighter who’d broken him walked back into Gus’s life.

For Rey Montenegro, tattoo artist Gus Scott was an elusive brass ring, a glittering prize he hadn’t the strength or flexibility to hold on to. Severing his relationship with the mercurial tattoo artist hurt, but Gus hadn’t wanted the kind of domestic life Rey craved, leaving Rey with an aching chasm in his soul.

When Gus’s life and world starts to unravel, Rey helps him pick up the pieces, and Gus wonders if that forever Rey wants is more than just a dream.

Title: Rebel
Series: 415 Ink
Author: Rhys Ford
Release Date: December 29, 2017
Category: Contemporary
Pages: 220

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

I wanted to love this book. And there were parts that I did, but….

As an avid m/m reader this was actually the first Rhys Ford book I’ve read. I liked the blurb, second chance love, set in one of my favorite cities, so I jumped in. But I was a bit disappointed.

Gus is part of a rag tag family of brothers. Some related by blood, others by circumstance. After running away to try and find himself after a bad break up, he returns to San Francisco and the brothers he left behind. And the man who broke his heart.

Being that this is the first of a series there is a lot of getting to know all of the various characters. Sadly, I didn’t feel like any one character was really fleshed out. Even Gus and Rey, the main characters of this book felt incomplete. And while Rey was the more likeable guy, Gus was broken and didn’t seem to want to put the pieces back together.

As for the group of guys, his one “brother” Mason seems to really be a bit of a jerk when it comes to Gus. They treated each other horribly- and not in the brotherly way, in my opinion. There were parts of the book where I was just shocked that two guys who considered themselves brothers, lived together for years, but treated each other with such animosity. The oldest “brother” Bear is the typical curmudgeon with a soft side, Ivo- Gus’ half brother- was my favorite of the bunch and I actually look forward to his book. Luke rounds out the five and he intrigued me as well. He went down a different path than the other four but still is one of them.

To complicate Gus and Rey finding love again is the love child that Gus didn’t know he had. And while I understand that he had a crappy childhood and wanted to do better for his son, he is very repetitious with “I can’t think about me, only my son”. A man needs to have a life.

But like I said, there were parts that I did like. I am all for a good angsty book. I love families that are made and not born. And the story arc was decent, but it was just overdone. Too much descriptors in different parts, relationships that didn’t seem genuine and circumstances that seemed a bit over the top.

I am going to take it all with a grain of salt that this was the first in the series and there are a lot of characters to get to know and a world to build. I will definitely read the next (especially if it is about Ivo), and hope for the best.

3 pieces of eye candy

Second chance romance, tattoo artists, and a group of (mostly) non-blood-brothers that have formed their own family? Gimme.

Rey and Gus were crazy about each other but broke up 3 years ago. Gus didn’t seem to want to settle down, and Rey didn’t tell him that that’s what he wanted. Gus skipped town right after, but now he’s back and ready to get serious about his life. Rey wants a second chance, but Gus has a new set of baggage with him: he just learned that his post-breakup one-night stand produced a son.

Gus has had a tough life and I totally feel for him. He had a horrible family trauma as a child, lived through the foster care system and now has a small band of brothers who are also foster care survivors. I love people forging their own family, made of members who’ve chosen each other. Rey had a more stable childhood and he’s now a firefighter. He has seen the happy family and wants that for himself, but Gus is wary of that life.

I have to say it took me a little bit to get into this book. Sometimes the writing sort of confused me and it took me a while to understand who all the “brothers” were and how they met. But eventually I did get into this and liked it. Gus’ past trauma just hurts my heart. Rey has had a more stable upbringing and I want him to be just what Gus needs in his life. Gus wants to be the dad he didn’t have to his own son, and seeing him try is very sweet. These two are clearly still in love with each other, I hate seeing them apart!

Gus’ brothers are all pretty different and I expect there will be further books for each of them. This is the first book I’ve read by Rhys Ford, and while the writing sort of weirded me out initially, I will definitely read more from her.

3 pieces of eye candy

The Solstice Prince by SJ Himes: Exclusive Guest Post, Blog Tour, Excerpt, Review and Giveaway

December 6, 2017 by Denise

Rescued from slavers, healer novice Jaime Buchanan finds himself alone and free in Pyrderi, a kingdom of magic, mythical creatures, and a culture as open and kind as his homeland was cruel and close-minded.

Despite his rescue, Jaime is not left without scars, both mental and physical. Traumatized by his experience and hiding his gift, Jaime struggles to earn his place in the kitchens of Angharad Palace, the heart of Taliesin City. His former life as a student of the healing arts leaves him at a disadvantage in the kitchens, and his damaged state is becoming more apparent by the day.

One day, when necessity and fate intervene, Jaime meets someone unexpected—Prince Maxim, youngest son of the Pyrderian king, a sword master and a devastatingly kind man. Unaccustomed to powerful people with compassion and heart, Jaime flees. A cascade of events reveals Jaime’s hidden talents of healing, and he finds himself not in chains, but at the beginning of a new life.

This swift change of fortune opens Jaime up to new possibilities, including a smitten prince who cautiously courts Jaime, easing him away from his fears and reminding him that compassion and love can make him strong. The winter solstice is quickly approaching, and Prince Maxim shows Jaime the enjoyment and excitement to be found in a land that embraces the ice and cold, and the mysteries of all things magical. He learns to see the man under the royal mantle, and Maxim is more than even Jaime suspected.

The winter solstice is nigh when tragedy strikes, and Jaime learns that his past of grief and sorrow can be a pillar of strength for his solstice prince. If there is one thing that Jaime believes above all else, it is in the healing power of love.

The Solstice Prince Realms of Love Book #1

SJ Himes

Gay Epic Fantasy Romance

Release Date: November 24th, 2017

Cover Illustration and Design by Sarah Jo Chreene

Amazon US

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Goodreads

“Once upon a time…” by SJ Himes

A long time ago, longer than this author wants to admit, a young girl was trapped in a life she didn’t quite fit. She found comfort in books, especially fantasy, and the new worlds and environments she encountered soothed the boredom and misplaced feeling she carried around.

As you can guess, that young girl was me. I know, I know! Not all that original a beginning to my tale, but this is kind of a chaotic topic for me as I have no clear answer. What’s the question?

World building and how I do it. Does “I see the story like a movie in my head and just type what happens” count as an answer?

Short answer? I get distracted by the pretty events in my head and they’re Vivid. Read on for the long answer.

I’m a dreamer. The worlds I create are daydreams, a bad habit of youth I’ve turned to a craft. I was always bored in school, and in some classes, so far ahead of my peers that I would be listless and needing an outlet. The only class I got away with reading my personal books in was math—I’d hide the paperback under the math textbook and pretend to be learning something. (I wasn’t, as my grades would attest in that class.) When my teachers eventually noticed, and resorted to searching my bag for a paperback before entering the room, I went back to my old daydreaming habit. I got so good at it that daydreaming, for me, is akin to a meditative state where I can zone out totally—and I mean totally. I won’t hear, see, register anything except what’s going on in my head. Ever get that way when reading a really good book? I get that way when I’m daydreaming.

I began writing at an early age, but in sporadic lengths of time. A few years as a kid, a few years as a teenager, then nothing until I was about 28 years old and life was too damn soulless I went looking for an escape, and fell back into writing. One thing though that remained constant was my love for reading and my propensity for daydreaming. I still do it now, have all my life, I’ll be talking, doing something, whatever, and I’ll get distracted, or have a random thought, and then I’ll have to force myself not to slip into that daydreaming lassitude/fugue state I’d experience as a kid when avoiding life.

One of the ways I’ve turned this escapist habit into world-building is that when I was a kid, I would always rework a daydream or fantasy over and over until it felt ‘right,’ until it gave me the mental and emotional stimulation I was lacking in my real-world environment. Any situation, a phrase, a place, an event, I would replay it mentally over and over in my head until I got what I needed from it. And since my favorite genres as a kid were fantasy, sci-fi, and paranormal, that’s what I daydreamed about.

I didn’t realize until I was two books into this new career that my mental habit of reworking daydreams repeatedly was world-building. I just do it from longstanding practice, a bad habit turned into something useful. The downside to this practice of mine is that I forget that what I’m typing isn’t going to be as 3D, as REAL, to the person reading the story as it is for me—they cannot experience it like I do, so I must go back, again and again, and add details. Texture, sounds, smells, physical sensations. The touch of sunlight on skin, the way the leaves of a tree sound in the wind, the scent of cologne. Everything I experience in my head, I must find a way to put on paper. I lose a lot in the translation, and that is my one regret in writing—that no matter how good something looks in a scene I’ve just written, it can never match what’s in my mind.

I guess you can say that is a goal for me. To write a book that matches the dream inside. I have to say that of all my books, The Solstice Prince comes the closest. It is a Love Story, with caps intended. This book is very much a departure for me—I focused as much as I could on the unfolding love, the relationship, as possible, and without the horrible conflicts and danger and death in my usual books, I was able to flesh out the world around Jaime and Maxim into something that is nearly perfect.

The Solstice Prince is a grand experiment, and something very simple. It is just a romance, sweet and true, and holds a special place in my heart. The rest of the Realms of Love series will be darker, heavier, the books full-length 80k monsters of plot and characters and my typical fare. Not that Jaime and Maxim are shallow—I just don’t give them a murder mystery to solve. Just life after trauma, and the heartbreaking certainty that we are all mortal, and that the best way to live this life is to do it with love.

At some prearranged signal, the crowd began to quiet, faces turned towards the canopy where the royals sat. Janis stood and moved to the rail, lifting a hand to the crowd. The people cheered, clapping and shouting the crown prince’s name. Prince Janis was popular with the people if he garnered that kind of reaction— this was not the forced greeting given to a leader that was feared or despised. Jaime still did not know who the king was of Pyrderi, but the future King was well-liked, perhaps even loved.

The people quieted and Janis shouted, his words echoing through the cloud air. “Greetings citizens of Taliesin City! On behalf of the royal family and my father, the king, I welcome you to the first official day of the Solstice Festival! Today is cold and the wind is sharp, so I’ll not waste any time! Would the priests please light the solstice fire, and let the festivities begin!”

The crowd roared in approval and there was a burst of smoke across the square. Two men and a woman dressed in gray robes were standing at the base of a large metal structure about the height of a tall man. The woman was cradling something in her hands that billowed out dark gray smoke and she tossed it into the weird structure. Bright orange flames promptly rose and the crowd cheered again. The royals clapped in approval and Jaime hurriedly copied their example, though he had little idea of what was going on.

Maxim leaned down and spoke in his ear. “The priestess is a Magi and she lit the torch with her magic. The torch represents how life endures even in the depths of winter. The winter solstice is in a few days with the festival ending with the grand ball at the palace. The winter festival here in Taliesin City draws in celebrants from around the country and even from some of the islands in the Straits.”

Jaime blushed when Maxim pulled back and gave him a swift wink and a charming grin. “Janis needs to stay and let the people see him for a while, but the twins are about to escape the cold and we have a tour to finish. The first day of the festival is just the opening ceremony since a lot of people are still arriving. Do you want to stay or would you like to finish the tour?”

“The tour sounds like fun, if you’re sure we won’t be missed.” Any time alone with Maxim was worth the icy chill.

“You two should escape while you can,” Janis said, having overheard Maxim. “I’ll be here until the cold gets too much, talking to courtiers and the like.” The crown prince stood over Jaime who blinked back up at him in surprise. For such a large man, he moved with surprising subtlety. Janis motioned to the lower levels of the stands, and the courtiers below were indeed standing and heading for the stairs that led to the royals’ box. “Unless you want to stay and get fawned over by the masses, Maxim?”

“I’ll save that for you, dear brother. Enjoy your day, and welcome home.” Maxim helped Jaime to his feet. Jaime was at a loss for how to respectfully say goodbye to the crown prince, but Maxim solved this by tugging him away with a casual wave to his brother and the twins, who hardly paid them any heed, tossing back small waves of their own before they went back to talking. Janis grinned at them both and tipped his head towards the stairs.

Maxim took hold of Jaime’s hand and took off for the stairs. They hurried downward until they came back to where the sleigh had dropped them off originally. There was a sleigh waiting for them pulled by the same strange creature Maxim called an oryx. Maxim helped Jaime up into the carriage and jumped in behind him. The driver snapped his whip, and the sleigh jerked into motion.

Their visit to the festival might have been quick, but Jaime didn’t mind. The way Maxim held his hand, tight and firm, like he never wanted to let go, filled Jaime with warmth and a slow burn under his skin, heating his cheeks in the chilly air. The prospect of spending the next few hours in Maxim’s company was incomparable to anything he’d experienced in his short life. Not better than the day he was freed from the slavers, but it was close.

Falling in love felt like learning how to live again.

Jaime was brought to the King’s castle in Pyderi several months ago after being rescued from a slave ship. When he sees Prince Maxim for the first time, it’s love at first sight, for both of them. Jaime was a top student at the Healer’s Academy before he was kidnapped and enslaved during his final year at school. He spent months in captivity before being freed and is soon apprenticed as a healer. He begins to find value in himself again as a healer and a man, and finds love with Prince Maxim, who is kind and nurturing to Jaime. Jaime quickly finds favor with the King himself with his bedside manner, easy going manner and obvious healing talents. While the King is terminal, Jaime strives to give him care that will ease his pain during his final months. The relationship between the prince and Jaime is very sweet. I will say that one thing that I did not like is the cover art and illustrations, as the heroes depicted are so very young — they look like children, which is not true to the characters in the story. Our heroes are young men, so no squick factor there, thank goodness.

This was a perfectly lovely happy read, with virtually no angst. Seriously, nothing bad happens in it, except for a bit of Jaime’s back story. There are no love triangles, evil antagonists, or real danger. And with two, possibly three, heirs to the throne ahead of him, Maxim is given the blessing of his father, the King, to pursue Jaime. Sometimes you just need nice and stress-free reading, and if that’s where you’re at right now, this is for you. If that’s not what your looking for right now, save this one until another story’s angst has you on the verge of destroying your Kindle.

3 pieces of eye candy

I’m a self-employed writer who stresses out about the silliest things, like whether or not I got my dog the best kind of snack and the fact my kindle battery tends to die when I’m at the best part in a book. I write mainly gay romance, erotica, and urban fantasy, with occasional forays into contemporary and paranormal. I love a book heavy on plot and character evolution, and throw in some magic, and that’s perfection. My current series are: The Beacon Hill Sorcerer, Bred For Love (as Revella Hawthorne), The Wolfkin Saga, and the epic fantasy romance series Realms of Love. My last two novels in the Beacon Hill Sorcerer won 3rd Place in the Gay Fantasy category for the 2016 Rainbow Awards.

I live in New Orleans, where the personalities are big and loud and so are the bugs! New Orleans is rich in cultural history, and the flavor and music of the City is impossible to hide. Before that, I lived all over the United States: Tampa, Western Massachusetts, Indianapolis, and on and on…. I’m a nomad, and I’ve yet to find a place that calls to me strongly enough to become home. My faithful travel companions are my dog Micah, the numerous voices in my head who insist they all get put on paper, and the wind at my back.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SJHimes/

Website: https://www.sjhimes.com/en

Sarah Jo Chreene/Cover Artist

Sarah Jo Chreene is a 23-year-old resident of Dallas, Texas, where she works part-time in an antique shop, which is one of her dreams jobs. Sarah Jo delights in meeting new people, interesting personalities, unique restoration projects, and the atmosphere of the shop inspires her muse. Her other passion, and one she devotes most of her time to, is her art. She sold her first piece at the age of 17, and hasn’t stopped since.

Her professional portfolio includes the self-titled album cover for the popular Texas band, Thieves of Sunrise, and will be working with the band again on their third album cover. Sarah Jo has worked with international best-selling romance author Riley Hart, doing a wide range of projects from promotional artwork to interior illustrations, and artwork for Hart’s alter-ego, Nyrae Dawn, in the YA novels The Weight of Destiny, and Turn the World Upside Down. Sarah Jo’s most recent collaboration is with urban fantasy author SJ Himes, creating the cover art, design, and interior illustrations for The Solstice Prince, the first novel in The Realms of Love epic fantasy romance series. Sarah Jo will also be creating the interior artwork for the remainder of the series, a project for 2018 and 2019.

Sarah Jo loves to work in a variety of mediums, including digital painting, Photoshop, charcoal, pens, pencils and freehand sketching and painting in a wide range of styles from anime, sketchy, realism, and cartoons. Sarah Jo ranks Norman Rockwell as a primary influence for his evocative use of emotion and his beautiful portrayals of humanity.

Between professional commissions, Sarah Jo delights in creating private artwork based on personal requests, from original characters, to portraits, and has brightened the walls of many patrons over the last eight years of selling her work.

For examples of her work, Sarah Jo is on Instagram, DeviantArt, and Facebook. She is accepting commissions for a wide variety of projects, and can be reached through social media and the following platforms:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahjochreeneartist/

sarahjochreene@aol.com

Facebook: facebook.com/sarahchreeneartist

dwightyoakamfan.deviantart.com

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