short story

Guess Who’s Coming to Karamu by Cy Blanca: Release Day Review

December 12, 2018 by Denise

Grant Cary, a twenty-eight-year-old grad student, has let his Kwanzaa shopping go to the very last minute. In his rush to get home, he quite literally bumps into Will Sheritan, a fortysomething software developer, in the elevator. But luck favors (or curses) the adventurous, because their elevator shuts down due to a blackout. Grant and Will learn about each other’s pasts and find more than just a casual interest.

Will has never celebrated Kwanzaa, and he’s reluctant to enter into a relationship, but exploring a new tradition—with a new friend—might brighten his lonely holiday. And if Will accepts Grant’s invitation to join his family for the Karamu feast, Grant might get his Imani gift early.

Title: Guess Who’s Coming to Karamu
Author: Cy Blanca
Category: Holiday, Advent
Pages: 25

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

I loved that this short holiday story had diverse main characters, which seldom happens. In addition, Grant’s inner dialogue was hilarious. He made me laugh. Meanwhile, it was hard to know quite where Will stood. And with such a short story, it wasn’t necessary to have an HEA, or even really an HFN. It was just a quick holiday date, and that was ok.

Also, learning about a holiday that I don’t know much about, even through the eyes of a short story was fun.

3 pieces of eye candy

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Trapped in the Valley of the Kings by Blue Jones: Release Day Review

December 7, 2018 by Denise

Rival archaeologists Will and Jude slept together a year ago, on the night of the Summer Solstice at a dig in Stonehenge. But they were both wearing masks, so Jude has no idea it was Will he slept with, and Will’s been harboring a powerful, one-sided crush ever since.

Now they’re in Egypt, competing to find the lost tomb of Queen Nefertiti. Jude falls through a crack in the cave floor, and when Will reluctantly climbs down to help him, they find themselves in Nefertiti’s tomb, surrounded by archaeological treasures—where they must spend Christmas stranded by a sandstorm.

Will a few sultry hours stripped almost bare from the heat and sharing a bottle of whiskey sort out who should get credit for the discovery—and the real reason for the tension between them?

Title: Trapped in the Valley of the Kings
Author: Blue Jones
Category: Holiday, Advent
Pages: 24

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

I’ve always loved Egyptian history, so this was an easy pick for me to grab. Since it’s so short, it’s not like I could expect a lot of history, although there was a good mix in there of historical sites, and what those might look like.

It’s a cute story, and I loved the surprise ending (okay it wasn’t a big surprise, but I love that it was brought back in to resolve). When I read these short holiday stories, I admit I still want the “I love you” moment, because hey, I’m a romantic and all. 🙂 But that’s hard to do unless the MC’s already knew each other.

In this case they did. And they were rivals, who clearly had some issues to work out, including who got to claim Queen Nefertiti, which just made it that much more fun.

Fun holiday time (there are no fruitcakes or lights to be had).

3.5 pieces of eye candy

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Warren’s Peace by Emjay Haze: Release Day Review

December 5, 2018 by Denise

The holidays are a time for second chances.

Warren Blessing lost his wife (two years ago), and his kids decide he’s been alone too long. They send him on a holiday singles cruise so he can meet someone new. On the flight from Chicago to Miami, he sits next to an attractive man, but when the flight’s over, he doesn’t think he’ll see him again.

Fletcher Hammond is a professional mystery shopper for vacation destinations and travel. After a split from his unfaithful fiancé, he’s embarking on a singles cruise. He meets a lovely gentleman on the flight, whose conversation and cocktails help Fletcher through his fear of takeoffs, but he doesn’t expect to see him again.

As if by fate, a meeting in the ship’s dining room renews their mutual attraction. But can they build a relationship with distance and baggage working against them? Or will they part ways when they return to port?

Title: Warren’s Peace
Author: Emjay Haze
Category: Holiday, Advent
Pages: 51

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

I really liked this trope. Vacation hookup that quickly becomes more. Can they make it work together at home. And I really liked that they had the opportunity to test it out at home a bit, meeting the kids, etc.

What threw me a little (and don’t get me wrong, I know it’s a holiday story, and short, so not a lot of time, but…) was that there was really no conflict at all. Everything that clearly was set up as a conflict, Warren’s adult children, who didn’t know he was bisexual, Fletcher’s keeping his job a secret from Warren, even Warren’s job traveling…none of those ever became an issue. It came “to a head” and was instantly gone. There was no real conflict to speak of. Which is absolutely fine, if that is the intent, but because all of those things were brought up many times, it seemed as if they should be.

Anyway, I really loved Warren and Fletcher’s relationship. They were instantly attracted, yet didn’t just jump right into bed. They spent time together, had fun, learned about each other, until they felt the time was right. And that the kids loved Fletcher immediately was fantastic as well, because that of course can make or break a relationship.

All in all a sweet story. 3.5 pieces of eye candy

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Unlikely in Love by Susan Mac Nicol: Release Blitz with Quick Review #UnlikelyInLoveRelease

July 2, 2017 by Denise

Unlikely In Love

by Susan Mac Nicol

Short story trilogy
Genre: contemporary romance

Three delightful short stories about how love begins in the most unexpected ways.

Meet Elliot and Dan in ‘Benchpressed’
City planner Elliot meets personal trainer Dan and between them, they whip the gym into shape…
“I happen to think you have a very nice belly,” Dan murmured. “It makes a change from the usual devotion to keeping a six pack.” His tone went dreamy. “I like a man with a bit of meat on him.”
Oh, fuck me. That sounded a bit awkward, even to me. My body flushed with heat and I cleared my throat.

Meet Davey and Gus in ‘Dear Davey’
Agony Aunt columnist Davey has an unfortunate habit of causing mayhem for fellow worker Gus. He also has no filter. Remind you of someone?
“Oh, and I’m sorry I set fire to your waste bin yesterday,” I muttered.
“Who else would it have been?” he said. “Do I need to take out company hazard pay when I go out with you?”
I huffed, flicking my hair back from my forehead. “Puhleaze. It’d be worth every penny, I promise.”
Behind me, Gus’s cologne invaded my nostrils and I closed my eyes, inhaling his scent.

Meet Cooper and Robbie in ‘Banana Appeal’
An errant gecko brings Graphic artist Cooper meets neighbour Robbie together. There may also be a banana involved.
I took a step forward, brandishing the banana toward him as if entreating him to eat it. Robbie took a step back, a wary look crossing his face. I wondered whether he’d expected me to ask him to fellate it. Because that would have been a complete waste when my dick was willing to be wrapped between those full lips. The banana didn’t stand a fucking chance if I got in there first.

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Smashwords

Kobo

This short story trilogy is truly short. You just start to get into the meat of the stories and boom, moving to the next one. But what I enjoyed about these was the format that Sue put these in. It wasn’t just a quick story. It was stories about beginnings, and in a way endings. It’s as if she wrote the first chapter, the conflict, and then threw in an epilogue at the end (and this last part she truly did, I loved that creative idea!).

Of course, these couldn’t be angsty, when you are talking a few thousand words a piece. But there was tension, and questioning, some laughs, some sexy times, and of course, the HEA that I always love Sue’s work for. These six men find each other, and find the wherewithal to connect despite having admired from afar, in a short period of time, and it really was a fun ride.

A part of me would love to see these stories fleshed out into a full novel, but I love how perfect they are right where they are. There is a beginning, a middle and an end. And if you mess with what you have there, then you turn the stories completely inside out. This was a fun idea that I enjoyed reading.

4 pieces of eye candy

Susan Mac Nicol is a self-confessed bookaholic, an avid watcher of videos of sexy pole dancing men, geek, nerd and in love with her Smartphone. This little treasure is called ‘the boyfriend’ by her long-suffering husband, who says if it vibrated, there’d be no need for him. Susan hasn’t had the heart to tell him there’s an app for that…

In an ideal world, Susan Mac Nicol would be Queen of England and banish all the bad people to the Never Never Lands of Wherever -Who Cares. As that’s never going to happen, she contents herself with writing her HEA stories and pretending, that just for a little while, good things happen to good people.

Sue is a PAN member of Romance Writers of America and is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association in the UK. She’s also Editorial Manager at http://www.divinemagazine.biz, an online LGBTQ e-zine, and she’s a Charity Board trustee at http://wwwbeingmecampaign.com in London. She’s passionate about research for her books and has stayed in a circus, taken lessons from a blind person on how it feels to be blind, and travelled to a lighthouse with maintenance crew to see first-hand what it’s like inside. She’s also writing a screen play with a Hollywood actor named Nicholas Downs, with a view to taking her latest release, Sight Unseen, to the big screen.

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