Cardeno C.

Walk With Me by Cardeno C. : Audio Book Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway

October 2, 2015 by Denise

Walk With Me: Home Collection

Written by: Cardeno C.
Narrated by: Alexander Collins
Length: 6 hrs and 40 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:08-28-15
Publisher: The Romance Authors, LLC

When Eli Block steps into his parents’ living room and sees his childhood crush sitting on the couch, he starts a shameless campaign to seduce the young rabbi. Unfortunately, Seth Cohen barely remembers Eli and he resolutely shuts down all his advances. As a tenuous and then binding friendship forms between the two men, Eli must find a way to move past his unrequited love while still keeping his best friend in his life. Not an easy feat when the same person occupies both roles.

Professional, proper Seth is shocked by Eli’s brashness, overt sexuality, and easy defiance of societal norms. But he’s also drawn to the happy, funny, light-filled man. As their friendship deepens over the years, Seth watches Eli mature into a man he admires and respects. When Seth finds himself longing for what Eli had so easily offered, he has to decide whether he’s willing to veer from his safe life-plan to build a future with Eli.

*Walk With Me is set in the Home series where the books are linked by theme or world. They are independent and can be read in any order.

Ebook Links

Amazon / iTunes / ARe / Smashwords / Kobo / B&N

I have no idea why I haven’t read every single one of Cardeno C’s books back to back. I have loved every single thing of hers that I have read. And Walk With Me was no exception. It is the last in the Home Story collection, but the first one I have actually delved into.

I listened to this one, almost in one sitting (which is rare for me) because I laughed so much through it. The things that Seth has to deal with as a rabbi are so ridiculous, yet so true! The scene from the first wedding where Seth and Eli meet up, I’ve seen video of that, it actually happened!

These two “officially” meet when Eli is just too young for Seth, understandably so. So, since Eli could do nothing else but love Seth from afar, they slowly became friends, years of working through all their trials and tribulations, they were able to connect romantically. Until they made a mess of it again. 🙂 But as all CC books, there is a happy ending, and this one made me cry!

With audio books, the narration is so key, and Alexander Collins did a marvelous job with this book. His voice was rich, and varied, and he was able to give inflections to both characters very well. It really helped draw me even further into a story, that I was excited to listen to either way.

Both the story aspects, as well as the narration aspects were perfect for me. I laughed, I cried, and I enjoyed the narration. Couldn’t have enjoyed this book more.

Story: 5 pieces of Eye Candy

Narration: 5 pieces of Eye Candy

Cardeno C. – CC to friends – is a hopeless romantic who wants to add a lot of happiness and a few “awwws” into a reader’s day. Writing is a nice break from real life as a corporate type and volunteer work with gay rights organizations. Cardeno’s stories range from sweet to intense, contemporary to paranormal, long to short, but they always include strong relationships and walks into the happily-ever- after sunset.

Cardeno’s Home, Family, and Mates series have received awards from Love Romances and More Golden Roses, Rainbow Awards, the Goodreads M/M Romance Group, and various reviewers. But even more special to CC are heartfelt reactions from readers, like, “You bring joy and love and make it part of the every day.”

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Jesse’s Diner by Cardeno C. : Pre-release Review

September 28, 2015 by Denise

Two men with a shared history and a mutual attraction must be honest with themselves and each other so both their dreams come true.
Quiet, unassuming Tanner Sellers spends his time running a diner in Hope, Arizona. Not particularly social, twenty-two-year-old Tanner keeps to himself and enjoys his simple life, but he longs for someone to call his own. In his most secret fantasy, that someone is sexy Steve Faus. But Steve is his friend’s father and mentor’s widower and therefore off-limits.
Despite some challenges, thirty-nine-year-old Steve Faus has had a good life. He’s extremely successful at work, has a great relationship with his college-age son, and lives in a wonderful town. Eighteen months after losing his partner, the one thing Steve lacks is someone to share his life. If Steve is honest with himself, that someone is the young man he has known and cared about for years. Steve and Tanner want one another, all they need is a little push in the right direction to make both their dreams come true.

For a heartwarming read you can’t go wrong with this story. Tanner has had a crush on his friend Mike’s dad, Steve, for years. Tanner’s inner monologue whenever he is around Steve and trying to control his reactions was hilarious. I really enjoyed the way Steve was with Tanner and how he handled Tanner’s cluelessness. I liked the deveopment of the relationship and how everything built in the story. The whole story flowed really well. This book is perfect for those times when you just need a feel good love story.

Four pieces of eye candy.

**click on cover for Amazon Buy Link**

Strange Bedfellows by Cardeno C : Audio Book Tour, Review and Giveaway

August 26, 2015 by Denise

Can the billionaire son of a Democratic president build a family with the congressman son of a Republican senator? Forget politics, love makes strange bedfellows.

As the sole offspring of the Democratic United States president and his political operative wife, Trevor Moga was raised in an environment driven by the election cycle. During childhood, he fantasized about living in a made-for-television family, and as an adult, he rejected all things politics and built a highly successful career as far from his parents as possible.

Newly elected congressman Ford Hollingsworth is Republican royalty. The grandson of a revered governor and son of a respected senator, he was bred to value faith, family, and the goal of seeing a Hollingsworth in the White House.

When Trevor and Ford meet, sparks fly and a strong friendship is formed. But can the billionaire son of a Democratic president build a family with the congressman son of a Republican senator? Forget politics, love makes strange bedfellows.

Amazon / Audible / iTunes

I cannot say enough how much I love this book by Cardeno C. Here is my original 5 pieces of eye candy review (http://wp.me/p6h30q-mT). My opinion has not changed in the least. Ford is a sweet, loving caring man, whose goal is to do right by his family, by God, and by his newly elected position. Meanwhile, Trevor, hot dirty, sexy self-made millionaire, who happens to be son of the sitting President of the United States, yet wants nothing to do with politics.

The way these men worked towards finding the right place for each other in their lives wasn’t easy. They had to work through misunderstandings, family pressures, political pressures, and their own personal biases as to what the other person’s lives originally looked like to them. They found strength in each other, and were able to draw on that strength as a couple.

I did struggle with the narrator on this book, Ron Herczig. I felt quite often that he seemed to emphasize the wrong words in a sentence, and I found myself concentrating at times more on how he said something, or his voice, rather than the story. My goal with an audio book is to be drawn in so much that I hear the voice, only as an extension of the written word, not overriding that word. I just could not do it with this narrator. I felt drawn out of the story as I listened to the narrator reading it.

I encourage everyone to read this story, it is hot, sweet and a good time!

Story is 5 pieces of eye candy.

Narrator is 3.5 pieces of eye candy.

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Cardeno C: Website Bingo Game

August 13, 2015 by Denise

Welcome to the AMAZING Cardeno C. We are so happy to be participating in this fun game. So, sit back, grab your dobbers, and let’s play some BINGO!!!

Thanks so much to Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy for participating in our website bingo. The always wonderful Kelly Shorten of KMD Web Designs (link: http://www.kmdwebdesigns.com/ ) designed a new website for me and I’m beyond giddy. Other things that make me giddy – books and bingo. Not always in that order. Seriously, I LOVE bingo. But I digress.

The point is, I love my new website, bingo, and books so what can be better than combining all three? Nothing. Nothing can be better than that. Except coffee. Again, digress.

With that super-concise and clear introduction, are you ready to play bingo and win books? Great. Here are the rules:

Visit my NEW website (link: cardenoc.com )
The bingo questions are on this Google form and you’ll submit your answers on this same form once you have a BINGO! (aka, all the answers you’ve scavenged off my website!) http://goo.gl/forms/9Nh21C2JuJ
Don’t forget to include your email address in case you’re randomly selected to win either an ebook from my backlist OR the opportunity to name a future character in one of my books.
Each participating blog will have a different bingo Google form and one winner randomly selected. Visit the other blogs below for your chance to enter 5 times!
All entries must be received by August 20 at midnight EDT.

Have fun!

Participating Blogs:

Obsessed by Books http://obsessedbybooksblog.blogspot.co.uk/

Perusing Princesses http://www.perusingprincesses.com/

Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance http://sinfullysexybooks.blogspot.com/

Swept Away by Romance http://www.sweptawaybyromance.com/

Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy https://twochicksobsessed.com/

Johnnie by Cardeno C. Audiobook Review, Blog Tour and Giveaway

July 28, 2015 by Denise

Johnnie: Siphon, Book 1

Written by: Cardeno C.
Narrated by: Greg Tremblay
Length: 5 hrs and 50 mins
Series: Siphon, Book 1
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:07-06-15
Publisher: The Romance Authors, LLC

A Premier lion shifter, Hugh Landry dedicates his life to leading the Berk pride with strength and confidence. Hundreds of people depend on Hugh for safety, success, and happiness. And at over a century old, with more power than can be contained in one body, Hugh relies on a Siphon lion shifter to carry his excess force.

When the Siphon endangers himself and therefore the pride, Hugh must pay attention to the man who has been his silent shadow for a decade. What he learns surprises him, but what he feels astounds him even more.

Two lions, each born to serve, rely on one another to survive. After years by each other’s side, they’ll finally realize the depth of their potential, the joy in their passion, and a connection their kind has never known.

Audio Sample:

So, shifters…not normally my thing at all. But when I was asked to review this Audible version of CC’s Johnnie, I thought, why not? It’s CC, and I always love her stuff, so I can try to step outside my box and see whether I can do shifters or not. I have to say, I was more than pleasantly surprised. So much so, that I would really like to see what else this series has in store for us. Although shifters may not be my go to type of book, with CC, I knew that I had a good chance of enjoying it.

What always impresses me with books like this is the imagination it takes to come up with these ideas that in our reality don’t exist. In the case of Johnnie, Hugh is a Premier lion shifter, and his Siphon (who we later come to know as Johnnie) is always near by, holding the extra power that Hugh is not using. I would have never thought of something like that! It made absolute sense, and it gave us a glimpse into why Johnnie felt as he did, watching Hugh for all those years, never speaking, and never being spoken to. Such a lonely life.

I found myself really wanting Johnnie to find his happiness, to see whether he would be able to be seen or not, not just by Hugh, but by the rest of the pride. Hugh meanwhile struggled with being able to care for his pride, and thinking that was all he would have in life, until he SAW Johnnie.

CC always writes a hot story, and this is no exception, as you will see in the opening scene where Hugh is spreading himself around. But hotness wasn’t the only thing I enjoyed. I loved seeing Johnnie gain confidence, and being willing to say how he felt, and speak his mind. He became not just the Siphon for Hugh, but also his confidante, his friend, and his true mate. Their bond was organic, beginning with mistrust, and very little communication, but continuing to expand on that as their confidence in each other’s strengths grew. Finding love was inevitable.

Greg Tremblay, the narrator, did a great job on this book. He gave the characters’ voices life, and used his range very well to give everyone distinct sounds. It did not feel like he was reading it to me, as I can sometimes feel with audiobooks. It truly felt like I was reading the book myself, which to me is the ultimate compliment to the narrator. Hats off to you, Greg!

I hope you will take a chance on this audiobook, or even the ebook version. What a fantastic story, from one of my favorite authors! Definitely want to see what Book 2 has in store. 4.5 pieces of eye candy.

AUDIBLE / AMAZON

Random facts about Greg Tremblay

10 bits of random trivia, with Greg.

1) I actually studied acting in college, along with opera; but got a degree in

Computer Science.

2) My recording booth itself is only 3’ x 5’ x 6’ . . . so when I read MM romance, I

go INTO the closet. Ironic, no?

3) It takes between 5 and 7 hours of total production time with the finished

manuscript to create 1 hour of final audio. Fiction Audio reads at about 9800

words per hour.

4) In addition to voice acting, I have been a Whale Watching guide, a Paramedic,

and a Farrier (shoeing horses)

5) I rarely, if ever, listen to a complete book again once the production is

finished. By the time I am done, I’ve read the book to myself, read it aloud,

and listened to it for editing… and I’m on to the next story.

6) Anguish is the easiest emotion for me to portray, because a well-written

script pulls you in, and it’s a completely one-person emotion – but it’s

draining. I have cried in the booth more than a few times. Comic passages

are the trickiest, because the proper timing and reaction between characters

are essential.

7) I drink an average of 1.5 liters of water per hour, while recording. Average

recording sessions are 2-4 hours long between breaks.

8) As a kid, I lived with my family on a sailboat for a year.

9) My personal record for most distinct voices in a single book is 73

10) Coffee, Dairy and Alcohol are all bad for the voice. . . which means I have to

moderate some of life’s greatest pleasures. (not eliminate tho, I’m not crazy)

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Strange Bedfellows by Cardeno C.: Release Day Review

June 26, 2015 by Denise

Can the billionaire son of a Democratic president build a family with the congressman son of a Republican senator? Forget politics, love makes strange bedfellows.

Amazon Link

As I write this review, I am going to sound like I am fan-girling on CC…and I guess I probably am. I’m not sure I could have loved this story more. I was excited to do the cover reveal for this book, because well, look at it! It is such a fantastic cover that Jay did, one of my all-time favorites. So, getting to read this was a pleasure I was very much looking forward to. And it met my expectations in every way!

Trevor and Ford were opposite in so many ways. I told my blog partner, Morgan, before she started reading it that Trevor was a dirty, dirty man, but in the sexiest hottest way. He said things on purpose to make the shy, reserved, church-going Ford blush regularly. He was a self-ma Strnge-Bedfellows-cardenoC-JayAheer2015-1800x2700 de billionaire, and when he found something he wanted, he went all in, finding whatever means necessary to keep his connection with Ford alive. Meanwhile, Ford, the bow-tie wearing, middle-class up and coming politician, could find absolutely no reason to say no to Trevor.

The first three chapters, well, you will want to make sure you are not in public when you read them. Hotness that only CC can write is there from the words “Chapter One”. And there was lots of that hotness. However, there was so much sweetness, from both men. Ford in his shy, quiet manner. Trevor, who never felt like he was number one to anyone, making sure that Ford felt that he was important to him. Trevor accepting the fact that Ford felt politics was important to him, and willing to support him through his dreams.

I savored this book over several days, not quite wanting it to end, yet wanting to get to the HEA. The happily ever after came, not with a huge breakup or drama, but with every day realities for people in the positions of power and strength that these men held. I enjoyed that. They knew that their power was their strength in their love and support of each other. Rather than drawing against it, they used it strengthen themselves. That is how love should be.

This book gets 5 pieces of eye candy, because it is a definite re-read for this gal, as so many of CC’s books are. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

I need more Trevor and Ford in my life. I didn’t want this story to end. This was such an interesting idea to write about. CC gave us lots of good back story that helped give even more life to the characters and the story was very well written in my opinion. These two have so many odds stacked against them from the very beginning. CC pulls this story off beautifully.

I have lived in the South my whole life and have grown up around people with the same views that were instilled in Ford from his birth. I felt his part of the story was very realistic. Growing up in that particular type of household, I can see it taking 37 years for him to come to terms with who he is and how he really feels. Trevor and Ford have such a deeply romantic relationship and the love scenes are scorching.

This was a definite page turner for me and I enjoyed this read. I really like Cardeno’s stories and I will recommend this one for sure. This deserves a few rereads.

5 pieces of eye candy from me.

Let us know what you think! One commentor on this blog post will win a copy of Strange Bedfellows by Cardeno C.

Heartwarming Stories. Strong Relationships. Forever Love.

Author Links

email: cardenoc@gmail.com

Website: www.cardenoc.com

Blog: (Shared Blog) http://caferisque.blogspot.com/

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