Saturday, July 29, 2017

What's on the Reading Radar? #WishList #TBR

What am I doing? Well, this week I finished up the last of the flash fiction pieces for the Releasing Chaos blog tour. Then I turned around and did the editing to the best of my ability. (I'm so tired of editing. I think I said that last week.) All together, the flash fiction pieces equaled 22k. Though there is a part of me that points out writing guest posts for the tour would've been quicker and less word count, the other part of me enjoyed the writing the shorts. I was able to explore Justus and how he's changing. There are a couple of really cute stories, one, about Brian bonding with the triplets, and another about Ladon's fascination for all things cheese. Tristan finds out that Corleone knocked up Dancing Socks and then later a hippogriff is born. I explored the True Bloods a little so that Ira could show his secret. I want to write a couple more pieces for my blog... I'm waffling on what I want to explore next.

Since I plan on writing about Gregori completing his circle and Atar needs to grow up and handle his nemesis, Zahak the Serpent Shouldered, the short stories help me to discover who future characters are.

With the all the posts off to the promoter, I finally have a weekend that I can do whatever I want. That hasn't happened since sometime in May. My husband's family is doing the ruin thing today and I'm not sure I want to go. I should just go to get out of the house, but right now I want to stick my nose in a story that I didn't write and forget about the world around me...

Which brings me to today's Reading Radar. Another short list because I haven't had time to really look through the stacks, but I do have a cool selection for my wish list. :)


Title: The Necromancer's Dilemma
Series(The Beacon Hill Sorcerer Book 2)
Author(s): SJ Himes
Length: 213 pages
Publisher

Genre: Audiobook / Romance / Urban Fantasy / Gay / Vampires /

Notes: I've been holding onto this for my reward for getting all my work done. So guess what I'm reading/listening to this weekend.

BlurbEven love can die without trust.

Angel’s brother, Isaac, has returned home, and the pair begins to make slow and awkward attempts back to each other. Learning how to be a brother to a grown man instead of a parental figure has Angel adjusting his behaviors and habits, and Isaac still remains a mystery. Was it merely entering adulthood that turned Isaac away from an overprotective Angel, or does Isaac carry a secret that will keep them from finally being a real family?

Daniel Macavoy, Angel’s new apprentice, is torn between his bond with Angel and the grasping machinations of his father. Dealing with a traumatized apprentice with dangerous holes in his magical education, saving Daniel may be harder than Angel first thought—especially since the biggest problem is not revenge, but guilt.

The one shining beacon in his life is Simeon, Elder vampire of Boston’s only Bloodclan. Four hundred years old and sexy as sin, Simeon is warrior and sage, patient and cunning. The strength Angel draws from Simeon’s devotion and the newborn mate-bond between them is steadfast and true…and the fount of death magic that animates the undead lord places Angel in the midst of a power struggle for control over himself, his lover, and his family.

Through it all, Angel is beleaguered by the unwanted attention of a troll-hybrid, the adventures of a dragon in the city, and a serial killer has decided to hunt the back alleys and midnight streets of Boston.


**72k words. Contains bonus short story at the end, "The Necromancer's Birthday Surprise", written for Crystal's Many Reviewers, March 2016. Book TWO in a series. Not standalone.

**Contains Violence, gore, sex, vampires. A cute dragon and some snark. Okay, lots of snark.



Title: Like a Rock
Series(Disorderly Elements Book 1)
Author(s): Mason Winters, Olivette Devaux
Length: 123 pages
Publisher

Genre: Romance / Urban Fantasy / Paranormal / Gay / 

Notes: also available on Audible

BlurbWHEN EARTH AND WATER MOVES – Fresh out of school, architect Cooper Anneveinen tends bar by night and chases small clients by day. He sees what lies hidden underground. The unexplained, wild images complicate his life and drive him to seek medical help – but not even antipsychotic drugs make him “normal.” 

Ash Ravenna talks to water, and water sometimes obeys his wishes. Using his gift in a pollution clean-up effort, he hires Cooper to help with an old industrial property by the river. The handsome young architect turns his crank like nobody else – and his hidden talent is an unexpected asset.

Ash hopes to teach Cooper control over his newfound earth-sense. Cooper puts everything on the line to learn. All goes well, until their their sizzling chemistry throws them a curve neither expects. If Cooper fails, more than just their love is on the line.

LIKE A ROCK is a paranormal gay romance adventure with explicit scenes and a happy ending.




Title: Starfall
Series(Durga System Series)
Author(s): Jessie Kwak
Length: 120 pages
Publisher

Genre: Sci-fi / Humor / Action-Adventure / 

Notes: available on Audible

BlurbHe swore to protect his goddaughter. But now the price may be too high.

Starla Dusai is fifteen, deaf — and being held as an enemy combatant by the Indiran Alliance. Willem Jaantzen is a notorious crime lord about to end a fearsome vendetta — and most probably his life. When he learns his goddaughter has been captured by the Alliance, he understands he's her only hope. But saving a girl he barely knows means letting his wife's murderer walk free. Will Jaantzen be able to put aside his anger before Starla's time runs out?

STARFALL is the first book in Jessie Kwak’s Durga System series, a fast-paced series of gangster sci-fi stories set in a far-future world where humans may have left their home planet to populate the stars, but they haven’t managed to leave behind their vices. And that’s very good for business.

You’ll find captivating characters and heart-pounding adventures, all with Kwak’s customary sprinkling of wry humor.

Buy this book and immerse yourself in the gloriously seedy underbelly of the Durga System today.



Title: Wraith Hunter
Series: City of Crows, 3
Author(s): Clara Coulson
Length: 363 pages
Publisher

Genre: Urban Fantasy / Paranormal / New Adult / Bi-Hero /

Notes: Love this series.

BlurbIt’s another bright and sunny day in Aurora, Michigan…when a mysterious building collapse kills sixty-seven people.

It's been four months since the devastating battle on Primrose Avenue, and DSI still has its hands full. The local ICM chapter is now unstable, no leader to corral its members. The werewolves are moving in strange ways, like they're keeping secrets. And there's a traitor inside DSI, waiting to strike again.

Cal Kinsey and his team, now back on the job, are desperately searching for the answers they need to restore balance in the supernatural community. But so far, they've had little success.

Then, to make matters exponentially worse, a major Aurora convention center collapses without warning, killing dozens and injuring hundreds more. With all signs pointing to a supernatural terrorist attack, Cal and his team are thrust back into the danger zone once again. And this time, they're playing for keeps.

Because according to the riddle-filled letter that arrives on DSI’s doorstep, addressed to one Captain Nicholas Riker...the destruction of Aurora is only just beginning.




Title: Benny's Carnival
SeriesA Hidden Gem Novella
Author(s): Lissa Kasey
Length: 76 pages
Publisher

Genre: Romance / Dystopia / Gay /

Notes: Love this series.

BlurbShane McNaughton’s lover, Misaki “Aki” Itou, hasn’t had life threatening migraines, nosebleeds, or bouts of amnesia in months. Only when Aki comes down with some sort of flu, Shane immediately fears that maybe they haven’t cured Aki after all.

When Jack Taylor, Shane’s best friend, asks for a favor, it couldn’t be worse timing. But Aki assures Shane that he’s okay, and Shane knows if the roles were reversed, Jack would drop everything to help Shane. Shane agrees to accompany one of Jack’s lover’s, Candy, to a brothel for one of Candy’s rescue missions, while Jack’s other lover, Ivy watches over Aki.

Shane expects it to be a fast trip, in and out, save the whores and back home to care for Aki. Only it’s not that simple. There’s a dragon in the attic with a lot of secrets and even more answers.




Title: Canine
Series
Author(s): Kaitlin Bergfield
Length: 277 pages
Publisher

Genre: Paranormal Romance / Gay / 

Notes

BlurbWhat if finding out that your dog was really a werewolf turned out to be the least of your problems?

For years, a wolf on the run has found refuge in the homes of a series of unsuspecting ‘owners’. Everything’s going fine… until the day his latest owner catches him human.

When the truth comes out, he’ll have to decide – is it safe to stop running, or has his past finally caught up with him?




Title: Vertigo Vampire
Series: The Specials, 2
Author(s): Tricia Owens
Length: 250 pages
Publisher

Genre: Supernatural Thriller / Vampires / Paranormal / 

Notes

BlurbWho decides which is side is "right"?

Arrow is now a Special, wanted by the police for murder and for the illegal use of magic, even though she's innocent of the former and feels justified for the latter. But it's too late to plead her case. She's thrown her lot in with the magic criminals of the Sinistera Hotel and, like them, she's doing the strange jobs assigned to her by the mysterious hotel manager, Mr. Tower.

Her latest job, stopping a guest accused of assault, rubs her the wrong way. It feels like a set-up, and if there's one thing Arrow knows how to sniff out, it's deception. Skeptical of The Architect's claims that the job is what it appears to be, Arrow begins to investigate, and unravels the threads of a plan to kill the hotel's most deadly resident: the vampire Count Ionesceau. Most want him dead, so the list of suspects is a mile long, but Elliott declares his intention to protect the vampire, even if it pits him against Sheridan.

Conspiracies are everywhere.

With deadly confrontations looming, Arrow learns more about the ice demons from her grandmother, who is gradually recovering her memories of the war. Her grandmother hints that Dr. Febrero wasn't the only scientist working for the military and that one in particular directed the demons. Tracking down this second scientist proves to be difficult until Arrow finds a trail that leads her in an unexpected direction: back to the Sinistera Hotel. Suspicious of everyone she's supposed to trust, Arrow might find herself alone as she faces the dual dangers of a vicious vampire and a cruel, demented scientist.

Vertigo Vampire is the exciting second book in The Specials!




Title: The Longing and the Lack
Series(The Unliving)
Author(s)C.M. Spivey 
Length: 245 pages
PublisherC.M. Spivey; 1 edition (September 19, 2017)

Genre: Paranormal / Gothic / Ghosts / Bisexual Lead /

Notes

BlurbLucinda Hightower is no stranger to death.

Since she was a child, Lucinda has been haunted by rabid dogs, suicidal crows, and the ghost of a woman in white. All are omens signaling someone's imminent demise—except Lucinda's friends and family are still breathing.

The omens follow her to Ireland and the quiet university in her father's hometown, increasing in strength and frequency once she meets Damien Reed. A handsome third year student, Damien thrusts himself into Lucinda’s life almost immediately and caresses away the unsavory reputation that shadows him.

It’s not until the ghost sinks her nails into Damien that he reveals his secret: the death omens are for him.

They’re the manifestations of a curse that claims the life of the eldest Reed son every generation. Damien’s time is nearly up. If Lucinda is to save him, she must solve the mystery of her family curse, and lay a spirit's rage to rest.

A dark romance for fans of Diane Setterfield and the TV show Supernatural, The Longing and the Lack is a Gothic story for the modern age.



Title: In Southern Deep
Series
Author(s): Marissa Holt
Length: 284 pages
Publisher

Genre: Contemporary / Romance / Gay / Friends to Lovers /

Notes

BlurbWhat do you do when one man could give everything you need in the world…but the whole world is against you having him?

Unexpected reunions…

Jeremy Lyles can’t believe his eyes. Sean Sax — his onetime best friend, who disappeared from his life seven years ago — is working as a bouncer at an Atlanta nightclub. Muscular, tattooed, and very much the bad boy, Sean is irresistible…even though Jeremy considers himself straight.

Impossible dilemmas…

Sean knows he should stay far away from Jeremy. His troubled background and rough ways will never be welcome in Jeremy’s world. More, Sean doesn’t want his kind of trouble to intrude on his friend’s life. But sensitive, adorable Jeremy is exactly what he wants, and Sean finds himself unable to say no.

Fateful choices…

Afraid of his father’s disapproval, Jeremy tries to hide his relationship with Sean even as the heat between them intensifies. But constant meddling from both families strain things to the breaking point, especially when Sean learns that Jeremy’s keeping secrets. When Sean’s past returns with a vengeance, Jeremy must risk everything to save the man he loves.

In Southern Deep is a Friends to Lovers 85,000 word novel that contains steamy male/male scenes, language and violence. HEA Guaranteed and No Cliffhanger. See the About This Book page on the Look Inside for more detail.



Title: Guardian
Series: Aisling Trilogy, 1
Author(s): Carole Cummings
Length: 285 pages
PublisherDSP Publications (August 15, 2017)

Genre: Romantic Elements / Paranormal / Fantasy / Gay /

Notes: Confession, I haven't read this series. I hear it is good. I even bought the paperback but I keep forgetting I have it.

BlurbAisling Trilogy: Book One

As he pursues a man who is not what he seems, Constable Dallin Brayden learns the lines between enemy and ally, truth and deception, and conscience and obedience are not only blurred, but malleable.

Constable Dallin Brayden knows who he is, what he’s about, and he doesn’t believe in Fate. “Wilfred Calder” has no idea who he is or what he’s about, and he’s been running from Fate for as long as he can remember. When Wil flees after witnessing a murder, it’s Dallin’s job to pursue him. Along the way, he’s pulled into a maelstrom of ancient myth, fanatical religion, and the delicate politics of a shaky truce between two perpetually warring countries—all of which rests on the slender shoulders of the man he knows is not Wilfred Calder.

Even Dallin’s success proves a hollow victory. Wil is vengeful, rebellious, and lethal, and his tale of magic and betrayal rocks the carefully constructed foundations of Dallin’s world. Suspicious and only half believing, Dallin must question not only his own integrity and his half-forgotten past, but the morality and motives of everyone around him—including those who hold his own country’s fate in their hands.




Title: Serving the Immortals
Series
Author(s): Katie Douglas
Length
PublisherStormy Night Publications (March 17, 2017)

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Vampires / some BDSM content / Lesbian

Notes

BlurbSabine Fischer's life is changed forever the moment she sets eyes on Monique Araignée. The beautiful, mysterious woman is unlike anyone Sabine has ever met, and she cannot help obsessing over her. But when she takes her curiosity too far, Sabine ends up over the tall, stern woman's knee for a painful, humiliating bare-bottom spanking.

Though the encounter initially leaves her confused and unfulfilled, after Sabine is visited in the night and thoroughly dominated by Monique's servant, Hannah, she learns that the two women are vampires and that from now on she will be expected to serve them.

Sabine quickly finds herself drawn irrevocably into a dangerous yet exciting new world, and surrendering to Monique and Hannah's skillful mastery of her body brings her more pleasure than she would have ever thought possible. But when another powerful vampire seeks to harm Sabine, will her mistresses be ready to do whatever is necessary to keep her safe?

Publisher's Note: Serving the Immortals includes spankings and sexual scenes. If such material offends you, please don't buy this book.




Title: Starlit
Series
Author(s): JV Speyer
Length: 91 pages
Publisher MLR Press (May 2, 2017)

Genre: Romance / Sci-Fi / Gay / 

Notes

BlurbCan a rebel and a smuggler find a way to come together, when an entire universe conspires to keep them apart?

When rebel pilot Sahak escapes from a primitive holding cell on a distant mining colony, he doesn't expect to rescue an alien smuggler. He can't leave the man behind, either.

Azat has seen many things from humans, and none of them were kindness. He has no choice but to throw his lot in with the handsome rebel who bursts into his cell -- he can escape with Sahak, or he can wait for his own execution.

Neither of them is looking for love. When they find it, will it be enough to keep them together?




Title: The Khyma
Series: Taken Part One, Women of Dor Nye, 4
Author(s): Poppy Rhys
Length: 165 pages
Publisher

Genre: Standalone / Romance / Sci-fi / Alien Invasion / First Contact / 

Notes

BlurbSwindled. Duped. Cheated. A back-alley game gone wrong leads to the loss of a precious family heirloom, and Willa is determined to reclaim what's rightfully hers. Yet, when circumstances lead her to cross paths with a curious, protective alien, she begins to question what's truly important.

Note: While this story is its own, the ending does lead into the next novel. You do not need to read previous books in the series to enjoy this one. M/F Romance.

Warning: This story contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, violence, and situations intended for mature readers.



Title: Trusting Fate
Series: Crimson Coven, 2
Author(s): BA Stretke
Length: 50 pages
Publisher

Genre: Paranormal Romance / Vampires / Gay / 

Notes

BlurbAlexander Stone has had it with all these loving couples. After Cullen found his chosen Ethan, Alexander was shocked to learn that a young member of the coven had also found his forever love. For Alexander, that was the straw that broke the camel's back, he would not be alone anymore. He began a search far and wide for the person who would be his chosen and his partner forever. Alexander had always assumed his chosen would be a woman. As the Master Vampire of the Crimson Coven, he needed to procreate and provide an heir, but when he learns shockingly that his chosen is in fact a man and working right under his nose he sets off to claim the heart of his beloved. When you're as much of a playboy as Alexander Stone, there's bound to be some bumps in the road and some psycho exes, but he is determined to succeed in claiming his Quinn, his forever love.

Quinn Ravenscroft just wanted the experience of accounting for a major firm and working with a large enough corporation to give him a good reference on his CV, what he hadn't bargained for was the tall, dashing, and charismatic Alexander Stone to sweep into his life and turn it upside down. Quinn wants to believe that Alexander is true, but he's read the tabloids and heard the rumors about the playboy CEO of Crimson Corp. How could he be interested in someone like Quinn? Quinn also has a secret and he knows that Alexander is hiding something as well. Can they overcome their secrets and find that forever love? Only fate can decide.




Title: Spoils of War
Series
Author(s): Hannah Walker
Length: 254 pages
Publisher

Genre: Romance / Fantasy / Forced-Arranged Marriage of Convenience / Gay / 

Notes

BlurbJecks Cordant, High General of the Kabarian army was used to life being a certain way. Jecks knew things didn’t tend to change when you were at the top of your career. He was wrong. In one moment, because of one small letter, his entire world tilted. Everything was different.

Being forced into a marriage he didn’t want, with a prince he had nothing in common with, Jecks watched his life crumble around him. Yet, he could do nothing other than go along with the plans for the sake of peace and the thousands of lives at risk in both empires.

Calling on the support of his friends, he makes the journey to meet his fiancé. Along the way, he meets a man he never expected to find— one he could fall in love with. Battling the enemies intent on stopping the peace deal from going ahead, and his own heart, Jecks steels himself for what the future holds— a life of loneliness and regrets.


Forced to confront feelings he can't afford to explore, and fighting to bring peace to both lands, Jecks will stand together with his men and fight for what is right, even if it's sacrificing his own feelings. His duty to Kabaria is more important than the love of a man.

With enemies out to stop them, and danger meeting them around every corner, Jecks must learn to trust while ignoring the growing emotions he shouldn't feel. With their goal in sight, Jecks knows he must honor the duty given him, but once he arrives at the castle, he finds his problems have only begun.


This is a standalone book with no cliffhanger.




Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

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