A.O. Chika's Blog, page 10
July 22, 2016
Book Review: Salvation by I. Beacham
Blurb:
When you fall in love, if it’s real, it’s forever. But what happens if the woman who gave your life meaning now hates you, for all the wrong reasons? Do you walk away? Claire chooses to stay, knowing her partner will never love her again. Her happiness has been stolen, and her future seems unclear.
That is until Regan arrives.
Regan is an angry woman running from problems. Faced with challenges, she moves to Devon to sort out her dead brother’s estate. From the moment she meets Claire, they seem destined to clash. As they do, secrets begin to unravel that test them both but which offer the chance for love
Title:
Salvation
Author:
I. Beacham
Genre:
Romance
Publisher:
Bold Strokes Books
Release Date:
April 12, 2016
Format:
eBook
Pages:
263
Source:
NetGallery
Review:
I loved this book, the pacing and transition weren't very smooth as there were bits where I felt things were moving too fast... like Regans mood swings, her moods and thought patterns did not make sense sometimes. There were also bits that moved too slow, and I couldn't wait for the punch line to come so I skipped a page to two.
The blurb is boring and to be honest, the book has some boring bits, the relationship between Clair and Regan moved slow. If you love slow burn lesbian romance then this is for you, if not you'd give up after chapter three.
I loved the beginning, the funeral scene drew me in and made me read the entire ebook because I had to know who was being buried and what the girl holding at the church was.
The whole thing about Claire being wealthy made sense, but only because of chapter one, other than that there was no proof or hint of her wealth, so when Regan found out Claire was actually well off, I was just as surprised as she was, and for a while, I called Bullshit.
There were some powerful emotions thrown in the mix from Regans grief from her brother's death to Claire 'mourning' her ex-lover... who is alive BTW, I loved the character development althoughI wished the book had more intensity/spark/heat
It was a good book nevertheless
Slow Burn Lesbian Romance
Plot
Editing
Characters
Ending
Chemistry
Pacing
Summary
If you love a slow burn lesbian romance book then you would love this, if you prefer more intensity and a few fast-paced scenes then you probably would get bored of this.
3.6
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July 21, 2016
Author Highlight: Meg Harding | Dinner For One
Dinner for One has my two favorite things: Sexy men and Food!
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Thanks for having me today A.O. Chika! Bastien and James are the leads in Dinner for One—the first novel in a series of four. Bastien is a chef and James a food critic, so it makes sense that food would bring them together. Sometimes people have a hard time talking to each other with words, and it’s easier to show feelings with actions. Dinner for One is about expressing feelings through a common love and letting actions speak louder than words.
Dinner for One took a lot of researching on my part because I’m not someone who cooks a lot and my baking skills are limited. I’m also not much of an adventurous eater. Give me Italian food and I’m good to go. Since Bastien is French and runs a French restaurant, traditional foods from France feature heavily in this book. I spent a lot of time on Pinterest while writing this one. (It’s addicting, and I’ve got a million dessert pins now.) Anyway, James makes a massive mistake and finds himself needing to apologize to Bastien. Below is an exclusive excerpt of how he decides on and starts cooking one part of his apology.
Blurb:
Bastien isn’t used to bad reviews. His French restaurant is the toast of the town, and when a well-known critic insults it, he’s left off-kilter. Luckily for him, he’s found a distraction. He’s just met an attractive writer at his niece’s school bake sale. He’s into food, into Bastien and the touch of kink they share, and there’s a chemistry between them that might make the perfect recipe.
James isn’t expecting to meet a good-looking French chef at a bake sale, but he’s not going to let the chance slide. It comes as a surprise when the chef turns out to be the owner of a place he knows—and has reviewed—and it puts James in a sticky situation. So he might have to omit some pertinent information to make it work… at least for now.
Excerpt:
The fire alarm goes off in his building at three in the morning, and James is forced to go stand on the street with the rest of his neighbors as they wait for the fire truck to arrive and clear the building. Nothing’s smoking, so James is pretty sure this is another case of someone accidently lighting toast on fire or something. Although why they’re making toast at three in the morning he doesn’t know.
Everyone is uniformly grumpy at having been woken from their sleep by a loud piercing alarm. James is not an exception. Thankfully this shared grumpiness keeps anyone from trying to talk to him. He looks up recipes on his phone while he’s waiting, swiping through ones that he has saved as possibilities. He might as well be productive if he has to be up at this ungodly hour.
The fire truck pulls up, bright glaring lights flashing and sirens blaring. He wonders if his ears are bleeding at this point. His headache is certainly ticking away. As they stomp into the building, he moves his thumb back and forth between the tiny icons of a Cassoulet recipe and a recipe for Garbure. He’s tempted to go with the latter because it looks simple. At the same time, he thinks it’s time to make Bastien something more complicated, and he does have all the ingredients.
He opens the recipe.
It’s definitely complicated, and it’s going to take a long time. He won’t be able to redo it if he fucks it up.
Challenge accepted.
He opens the recipe. It’s definitely complicated, and it’s going to take a long time.
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They get cleared to return to their apartments half an hour later (someone’s cat knocked a candle over and set a placemat on fire—he can’t make this shit up). Predictably, after standing outside for an hour at three in the morning in October in New York City, he’s not feeling so tired anymore. His headache is still going strong.
He turns on all the lights, hooks his phone up to his Bluetooth speakers, and listens to Walk the Moon’s radio station on Spotify while he prepares the kitchen. He shakes his hips while he dumps the beans into the water to soak, and he sings along loudly while he chops the garlic, onions, and carrots. And then he realizes the beans have to soak overnight and he doesn’t have all the ingredients needed to continue. He really needs to start preparing better.
He puts everything away, calculates at exactly what time he can start cooking in the morning, and proceeds to dance around his living room obnoxiously till he’s tired enough to pass out on his couch.
Buy Links: Dreamspinner | Amazon | ARe | Barnes and Noble
Giveaway
Win an Ebook copy of To Arizona by entering the rafflecopter giveaway:
Bio:
Meg Harding is a graduate of UCF and Anglia Ruskin University. For as long as she can remember, writing has always been her passion, but she had an inability to ever actually finish anything. She’s immensely happy that her inability has fled and looks forward to where her mind will take her next. She’s a sucker for happy endings, the beach, and superheroes. In her dream life, she owns a wildlife conservation and is surrounded by puppies. She’s a film buff, voracious reader, and a massive geek.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
The post Author Highlight: Meg Harding | Dinner For One appeared first on A.O. Chika Book Blog.
July 8, 2016
Author Highlight: K. Laché
I seem to have developed the habit of hitting on authors featuring on my blog, hopefully, they don’t mind. On the plus side, I’m an awkward flirt and that’s the best I can do. So let’s welcome the beautiful K. Laché and her amazing smile (I’m suave aren’t I?)
Meet K. Laché:
A third-grade writing project started it. It was the key that unleashed a passion for creating, and telling fantastical stories. K. Laché felt as if she were made to tread the path of authorial conquest and never once looked back. She entered a world where anything could be created. She was hooked.
She has fan fiction to blame (or thank, depending on how you look at it) for introducing her to the world of slash fiction. What’s better than one hot guy in a book? Two hot guys in a book! After an epiphany in college, K. Laché decided to try her hand at getting published. For years she struggled but never gave up. Now she debuts with her first published work, Valor—the first, but sure to be not her last.
VALOR
About:
There’s a network, underground, working to keep civilians safe. The honored echelons know about it. However, only the elite caucus has the skills necessary to be a part of the agency. No amount of money can gain anyone access—currency only has value because they say it does. This is Vigilance, a secret sect of the CIA. Its agents are the best—masters in their craft.
Rivet Scalzo isn’t any different. He’s second-generation Vigilance, recruited at sixteen years old. When his father dies and Rivet leaves his childhood home, there is no love lost between him and the women in his life. Seven years later, Rivet comes back to his hometown and meets Blare, the man who loved Rivet’s flaws.
Valor is about the strength it takes not only Rivet but also Blare to overcome everyday challenges—and not so everyday challenges. The first in a series following Rivet’s and Blare’s relationship, Valor is the journey of a man trying to believe he is worth another’s love, and the battle of another trying to show him.
It takes valor to support and love those who need it the most and never expected to receive it.
Blurb:
It takes valor to support and love those who need it the most and never expected to receive it.
For Rivet Scalzo, returning to his childhood home after a decade and a half was not on his list of places to go while recuperating. After nearly being blown up on a mission, Rivet is forced to deal with his PTSD and sudden deafness without help from Vigilance, the secret governmental agency he works for. He resigned himself to a lonely recovery, but, perhaps by chance, he meets Blare Chaplynn, a model whose caring nature helps ease the horror of Rivet’s home life. As they grow closer, Rivet is burdened by the secrets he can’t share with the one man he grows to love.
If Blare knew a mild concussion was all he needed to meet the man of his dreams, he would have gladly accepted it long ago. He knew there was something special about Rivet when he first saw him at the park, but never guessed this man of mystery would be hiding so many secrets close to his heart. Blare is forced to confront the fact that Rivet may never tell him everything, but is trust the reason Rivet is so close-lipped or something more?
Book Links: Torquere Books | Amazon | Goodreads | Watch Trailer
K. Laché Social Media Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/K.LacheWrites
Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/KLWrites
Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15339569.K_Lach_
Twitter: https://twitter.com/K_LacheWrites
Website: https://www.klachewrites.com
Book Trailer: https://videopress.com/v/wIWcvyP9
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July 2, 2016
Author Highlight: Lily G. Blunt
Today’s author is none other than the incredible Lily G. Blunt. She writes and reviews Gay romance on her blog > https://lilygblunt.wordpress.com she has a long list of published books and her latest book LET YOUR HEART DECIDE is a taboo romance featuring two brothers. Most M/M romance lovers would probably agree with me that it’s hard to go on Goodreads or Facebook without every damn person mentioning this book 
July 1, 2016
Author Highlight: V.L. Locey
Today’s guest Author is V.L. Locey and yup she certainly knows how to rock a jersey. She also hs a huge list of published books. I’m so jealous! Her latest book An Erie Garden Party is an M/M Erotic Paranormal Romance masterpiece.
Bio:
V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a flock of assorted domestic fowl, and two Jersey steers.
When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand. She can also be found online on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and GoodReads.
Author Links:
Website: http://vlloceyauthor.com/
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/pages/VL-Locey/124405447678452
Twitter- https://twitter.com/vllocey
Pinterest-http://www.pinterest.com/vllocey/
Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5807700.V_L_Locey
My blog- http://thoughtsfromayodelinggoatherder.blogspot.com/
tsú – https://www.tsu.co/vllocey
Latest Book: An Erie Garden Party
Blurb:
Spring has finally arrived along the shores of Lake Erie and no one is happier than the skunk shifter, Templeton Reed. Now that the snows have melted, he can frolic and play on the grounds of Lupei Manor, the formidable home that he shares with his life partner, Mikel Lupei, the alpha of the Lake Erie werewolf pack. What a pity that his joy is short lived.
Not only does a stranger appear to shake things up in the manor, bodies begin showing up on the grounds as well! Could the newcomer to the pack be the one viciously killing innocent humans and shifters? Or is there a more nefarious force at work lurking just outside the boundaries of the ancient manse that Templeton, Mikel, and their LGBT friends call home?
Excerpt:
“Son of a human,” Mikel snarled. He stripped and shifted. I stood with his clothes over my arms, watching the wolf work the scent. He padded to the lake, snuffled the shore intently, and then slowly made his way back to the corpse. I turned my head to stare at Erie when he shoved his head under the bloody sheet to smell the body. The water seemed almost tranquil today. How I wished we were planning our spring fete instead of standing here beside a dead man. Mikel tapping my arm brought my attention from the Great Lake back to him. I handed him his pants.
“So, what can you tell us about this poor man’s fate?”
“He’s human.” Mikel zipped his trousers vehemently. “And he was killed by a large animal, either wolf or bruin. Whoever did this dragged him through the lake to mask the scent. I’ll have to gather the pack to scour the woods. Damnation.”
“Oh dear me,” I sighed. “I suppose the call must be made then.”
Mikel threw his head back and stared at the soft white clouds ambling past. “Yes. We have to notify the Elder counsel. That is standard operating procedure when a human is involved in mystical matters. Damnation!”
I reached out to pat his thick bicep. I wasn’t sure he wanted consolation but I offered it anyway. He placed his hand over mine.
“Let me know when they plan to arrive. I’ll take a long stroll through the woods.”
Mikel’s lip rolled as he turned to look down at me. “I hate that as well. You should be at my side. This mansion is as much your home as it is mine.”
“Yes, well, the times they aren’t a changing as rapidly as needed,” I smiled then snuggled into his wide chest. His arms cinched around me tightly, his smoky shirt smashed between us. My ear rested over his strong heart. “If one of the Elders saw me here it would raise questions. I know we have a lie all in place, but I for one do not wish to put that lie to the test. Better I enjoy the forest for an hour or so while they attend to this mess.”
“I love you beyond words, Templeton,” Mikel said into my black hair. “Someday, I swear, we shall not have to hide our love for each other.”
“From your mouth to the Elders’ ears,” I whispered, then tipped my head up for a kiss. We both needed one. Pity it couldn’t be a longer one, but it was tender.
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | iBooks | ARE | Torquere Press Store
More Books by V.L. Locey
Gone Writing Publishing Backlist Books and Upcoming Releases
Pink Pucks & Power Plays (Book One of the To Love a Wildcat Series)
A Most Unlikely Countess (Book Two of the To Love a Wildcat Series)
O Captain! My Captain! (Book Three of the To Love a Wildcat Series)
Reality Check (Book Four of the To Love a Wildcat Series)
Language of Love (Book Five of the To Love a Wildcat Series)
Final Shifts (Book Six of the To Love a Wildcat Series)
Clean Sweep (Book One of the Venom Series)
Twirly Girl (Book Two of the Venom Series)
Coming Aug. 3, 2016…Tape to Tape (Book Three of the Venom Series)
Coming Nov. 16…Roster Addition (a To Love a Wildcat hockey romance novella)
Torquere Press Backlist and Upcoming Releases
Two Guys Walk Into an Apocalypse (Part of the He Loves Me For My Brainssss anthology)
Two Guys Walk Into an Apocalypse 2: It Came From Birmingham
Two Guys Walk Into an Apocalypse 3: He’s a Lumberjack and He`s Undead
Love of the Hunter
Goaltender`s Penalty
All I Want for Christmas – A Toms & Tabbies Tale
Early to Rise – A Toms & Tabbies Tale
Every Sunday at One (Part of the 2013 Charity Sip Anthology)
Night of the Jackal
An Erie Halloween
An Erie Operetta
Back to the Garden (Also part of the Mythologically Torqued Anthology)
Ellora`s Cave Backlist and Upcoming Releases
Bound, Boarded and Bagged
Two Man Advantage
Game Misconduct
Full Strength
Shutdown Pair
Independent Releases
Coming October 5, 2016…On Broadway (part of the Changing on the Fly M/M hockey romance charity novella)
Coming Dec. 20, 2016…Holly & Hockey Boots (a gay erotic holiday hockey romance)
The post Author Highlight: V.L. Locey appeared first on A.O. Chika.
June 30, 2016
Blog Tour: Rockin It Forever by Morticia Knight
Bryan and Aubrey’s story continues in Rockin’ it Forever
Can the touch of a rock god last forever?
Music journalist Bryan Gallagher’s life has completely changed in an unexpected way. Not only has he snagged a dream assignment as the memoirist to alternative music’s rock superstar Aubrey King, but he’s also promised to give the beautiful and enigmatic musician a chance for them to forge a relationship. It’s all very overwhelming for Bryan since, up until he spent a sexually charged day and night with Aubrey, Bryan has never even dreamed of being with a man.
Aubrey is completely smitten with the boyishly handsome, young rock writer, Bryan. After their instant spark grows into something more, Aubrey is desperate to keep Bryan by his side for always. He’s promised Bryan that their love is for real, that Bryan isn’t simply one of his rock star conquests.
Their road isn’t an easy one, though. Despite their deepening bond and growing need for each other, other factors intrude. Neither Aubrey nor Bryan is ready to come out, and their relationship needs to remain a carefully guarded secret. In addition, Aubrey has to answer to the demands of his profession and Bryan has to traverse the shifting waters between his personal and business relationship with his famous lover.
Then a secret is revealed and everything in their joint world implodes. When a love is so strong that two men can barely take a breath without thinking of the other, will that be enough to bridge the loss of trust? The only way they can rock their love forever is if Aubrey can reach Bryan before it’s too late.
Buy links: Amazon | Pride Publishing
Early response to Rockin’ it Forever…
“This book has it all: rocker musicians, incredible sexual chemistry, struggles with being in the closet, doubts regarding the relationship, intense feelings, and the amazing HEA with a forever kind of love.”
Excerpt from Rockin’ it Forever…
Aubrey Fucking King.
Bryan hid what he was certain would be a goofy grin behind his fingers. He didn’t need the older woman in the seat next to him on the plane to think he’d lost his entire mind. But the mutual masturbation with Aubrey in the shower that morning was emblazoned in his memory. Their inability to keep their hands off each other had left Bryan with precious little time to get to his hotel, grab his things then make it to the airport without missing his flight. Being trapped on the airplane for his journey from the west to the east coast was the first chance he’d had to relax and dwell on the previous couple of days filled with utter craziness. However, his immediate thoughts had landed on the visual of their slickened cocks rubbing together.
It was difficult to decide which event had him more thrilled, confused, elated, freaked out or stunned—that he’d had sex with his rock star idol or that he’d had sex with a man. He shook his head, unable to help himself.
“I’m sorry, but it’s inflight rules.”
Bryan jerked his chin up. “Huh?”
The flight attendant pointed at his laptop. “I said, you need to stow that for takeoff.”
“Oh! Sorry, I…uh, of course.”
His cheeks heated as if the pretty blonde attendant had any idea what sort of filthy thoughts had been drifting through his mind. She was the sort of woman he’d always been drawn to—confident, attractive, feminine. Another thought tried to wriggle its way into his ponderings, but he preferred putting it off for the time being. Everything had been so heated, so urgent between him and Aubrey—it had barely allowed him a moment to process the emerging lust and connection they now shared.
That was all real, right?
He idly played with the collar of his long-sleeved cotton shirt that was made up of a block plaid pattern in varying shades of blues and greens. Aubrey had commented on the colors, had said he liked the way Bryan’s lighter hair and deep blue eyes contrasted with them. Bryan allowed his fingers to travel under the fabric, to run across his clavicle. He couldn’t feel it—feel them—but he knew they were there. The marks Aubrey had sucked up on his skin. Then there’d been the rather prominent one Aubrey had asked Bryan to put on him so that everyone would know that Bryan was the one to whom Aubrey belonged.
It was silly, really, but it’d also been very sweet. People might surmise that Aubrey had been with someone, but they would have no idea it was rock journalist Bryan Gallagher. Bryan attempted to tamp down yet another unsettling thought and realized he was going to run out of space to hide from everything in his mind in an awfully short time.
No one will know because Aubrey won’t tell anyone he was with a man. But then again, neither will I.
Interesting book, with lots of sex and drama
Plot
Editing
Characters
Ending
Chemistry
Pacing
Review
After reading Rockin The Alternative I was hoping for some emotional conflicts to rock their 'perfect world' and yea it did happen. Aubrey still needs to chill though, damn that man should go on a sex diet! There was a lot of drama and I still could do without Aubrey's self-loathing but meh, Rockstars are insecure little fluffballs.
I looked watching their relationship progress from the awkward stage to the full-on makeout session in front of the camera. The character development was interesting. Bryan's insecurities and indecision brought a lot of reality to the book as it's Bryans first time dating a guy and that's bound to cause a lot of nervousness.
This book was high on drama and sex and there were points in which I felt like that was all to the book, there were also times when the book moved at the speed of a sleepy snail and all that was happening was sex. At some point, I started skipping scenes because I just wanted to get to the main storyline.
The author tried to bring in more suspense and drama by giving Aubrey a secret he hid from Bryan, that caused their relationship to be on the rocks for a while, although I still think Bryan's reation was an overkill.
There wasn't much in terms of character growth, but Aubrey and Bryan came to life. I'm #TeamEd, seriously even though Ed was a minor character with a couple scenes I loved him.
It was a nice book nevertheless
3.3
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M/M Erotic Romance author Morticia Knight enjoys hot stories of men loving men forever after. They can be men in uniform, Doms and subs, rock stars or bikers – but they’re all searching for the one (or two!) who was meant only for them.
When not indulging in her passion for books, she loves the outdoors, film and music. Once upon a time she was the singer in an indie rock band that toured the West Coast and charted on U.S. college radio. She is currently working on more installments of Sin City Uniforms and The Hampton Road Club, as well as the follow-up to Bryan and Aubrey’s story from Rockin’ the Alternative.
Author links: Website || Facebook || Twitter || Goodreads || Amazon || Rockin’ It Pinterest page
Follow the tour…
Rockin’ it Forever tour
schedule…
June 14th
La Quette – Spotlight only
Two Chicks Obsessed withBooks and Eye Candy – Review w/Q&A part 1
3 Chicks After Dark –
Spotlight only w/Excerpt
June 15th
Bike Book Reviews – Review
w/Spotlight
Molly Lolly – Spotlight
only
June 16th
Gay Book Reviews – Review
w/Spotlight
June 17th
Divine Magazine –
Spotlight w/Character Bio Bryan
June 18th
MM Book Escape – Spotlight
only
Foxylutely – Review
w/Exclusive Excerpt 4
June 19th
LE Franks – Spotlight w/LE’s
quirky Author Q&A
June 20th
The Novel Approach –
Spotlight only w/Character Bio Aubrey
June 21st
Purple Rose Teahouse –
Spotlight only w/Exclusive Excerpt 3
V’s Reads – Review w/PG 13
Excerpt
June 22nd
Wicked Fairy Tales andReviews – Review w/Excerpt
June 23rd
Happily Ever Chapter –
Spotlight only w/Excerpt
Cathy Brockman – Review
w/Playlist
June 24th
Jessie G Books – Review
w/Author top 10 favorite rock bands
GGR – Spotlight
June 25th
TTC Books and more –
Review w/Dream Cast
June 26th
The O’Raven Chronicles –
Spotlight only
June 27th
Love Bytes – The Making of
a Fictional Rock Star
June 28th
AE Via – Spotlight
w/Q&A part 2
June 29th
MM Good Book Reviews –
Review w/Exclusive Excerpt 2
Prism Book Alliance –
Spotlight only w/Q&A part 3
June 30th
Bayou Book Junkie – Review
w/Exclusive Excerpt 1
A.O. Chika Book Blog –
Review w/Excerpt
Rockin’ it Forever Grand Prize giveaway:
Grand Prize – Rockin’ it Gift Basket including:
Signed paperback copy of Rockin’ it Forever, Skull Candy ear buds, a $30 Spotify gift card, a Falling in Stereo Concert T-shirt (made to order for your size), a music speaks necklace, Mosh Potatoes – a rock ‘n’ roll cookbook and a Rockin’ it Forever canvas messenger bag.
2nd prize: Signed paperback of Rockin’ it Forever, $10 iTunes gift card and
Falling in Stereo concert T-shirt.
3rd prize: Signed rack card, Morticia Knight pen, 2017 calendar magnet.
Hosted by…
The post Blog Tour: Rockin It Forever by Morticia Knight appeared first on A.O. Chika.
June 28, 2016
Author Highlight: A.J. Raven
Today’s Author is the handsome A.J. Raven, I might not be into men but I certainly can ogle at them and believe me I am ogling!
June 27, 2016
Author Highlight: K’Anne Meinel
Today’s author is the amazing K’Anne Meinel. Guess what genre she writes? Lesbian Romance! *Wiggles eyebrows* When she sent me her bio the first thing my eyes caught was ‘Mistress’ yea the context wasn’t what I hoped for but I’ll get over it… eventually. My overactive imagination and fantasies of leather aside (In my defense, she has a bike), let’s get on with today’s post.
Bio:
K’Anne Meinel pronounced Kay Ann My Null, is an American author born and raised in Wisconsin. While she has lived in Central and Southern California, she has always returned ‘home’ to roost.
K’Anne professes to write books that she would like to read and through her novels, novellas, and her short stories has grown into a writer who is willing to expand her horizons. She fearlessly steps out of her comfort zone in order to allow the reader to taste through her words, experiences of her life.
Her first book SHIPS was written in 2003, but bits of it were re-written off and on for years before she self-published it and then was approached by a publisher. Short stories joined her ‘bill of fare’ in 2011 purely as a personal mind exercise. 2011 also saw the beginning of a series of books which all include ‘Malice’ in their titles. This deliciously gripping series leaves the reader suspended, starving, and craving more. Now with over eighty titles to her credit, K’Anne can truly claim to be an established author.
Several years ago K’Anne created Shadoe Publishing in order to showcase her books under a publishing logo and house. Many outlets will not accept independently self-published books. Shadoe Publishing met that need and allowed K’Anne to use skills in running a company that she had acquired over twenty-five years with running other companies. In other words, to market and showcase new and upcoming authors. Shadoe Publishing has expanded since its inception and includes more than a couple dozen other authors who have used K’Anne’s time and skills under the Shadoe Publishing brand to promote their works. K’Anne has no intention of being the ‘biggest’ publisher of LGBT works, but she does intend to be the most supportive and the most successful in the unique atmosphere that she has created for her authors.
K’Anne is the Mistress of sarcasm, double entendre, and has a wicked tongue-in-cheek humor that many find addictive. She has a way with words. Her descriptions become visions in your mind. Her words fuel your imagination. Befriend or ‘like’ her on Facebook, Twitter and keep up with her books, stories, and career. There is sure to be something you’ll enjoy. Feel free to email comments, suggestions, or advice.
Latest Books by :K’Anne Meinel
Meddlesome Malice: Book 20
Blurb:
As she listens to the horrors that Alice and Sasha endured at the hands of their captors, Kathy realizes she has to know, she MUST know everything Alice has been up to. She wants to understand what kept them apart these past years…beyond her own anger at what her wife is capable of.
As the gruesome details of Alice and Sasha’s story unfold, Kathy asks herself ‘Does this justify what they did and are doing to those people? Does it explain their prolonged absence from their families?’
Follow along as Alice and Sasha go in for the kill! Learn how they carefully plot their revenge against the people who took so much from their lives…and take just as much and more from them in return.
Their lives, their victims’ lives, will never be the same!
Buy Links: Amazon Global | Kobo | B&N | iBooks
Viel of Silence
Blurb:
Five years ago, Lieutenant Marsha Gagliano disappeared when her helicopter crashed in Afghanistan. Her wife held out hope for her return, but with no word from the army after all that time, she begins to realize she may have to move on without her.
At the embassy in Kabul, a burqa-clad woman arrives at the gate with two young children in tow. The black-haired, brown-eyed woman looks like an Afghan native, but her American accent belies this. She identifies herself as Lieutenant Marsha Gagliano, all the while keeping a close eye out behind her as though at any moment, someone might jump out and snatch her back.
Questions arise regarding her disappearance and reappearance and the army is suspicious. The children are obviously hers. Has she consorted with the enemy? How will her wife react to these children? Will she be able to accept children she had no part in conceiving?
What is this woman hiding beneath her chador? What secrets lie behind her veil of silence?
Buy Links: Amazon Global | Kobo | Scribd | iBooks | Createspace
Doctored
Blurb:
A brilliant child protégée, she dreams of becoming a doctor and a surgeon…and accomplishes her goals. Unfortunately, her youth and round, child-like face work against her. No matter how skilled she becomes, how knowledgeable, the old school, male-dominated medical hierarchy wants to keep her in ‘her place.’
Deanna has worked hard to become an expert in her chosen field, but few believe this ‘child’ capable. Specializing in infectious diseases, she travels the world—from the States to Europe to South America—honing her skills before winding up in Africa where her skills are desperately needed.
Meeting a nurse by the name of Madison MacGregor, she finds they share an insatiable curiosity and a love of helping others, but falling in love was not what she intended. Later, when she loses Maddie to a misunderstanding, she is haunted by the one that got away…
Ten years have passed and both the doctor and nurse have moved on with their lives, but fate intervenes when they find themselves working at the same hospital. Their friendship is revived…can their love be rekindled? Will the past haunt them or bring them closer? Will the secrets that both harbor keep them from realizing a future together?
Buy Links: Amazon Global | Kobo | B&N | iBooks
Interview with K’Anne Meinel:
Where were you born? Milwaukee, WI
Where did you grow up? Oconomowoc, WI
Do you have any siblings? Yes, I’m the youngest of five.
What were your parent’s professions? My mother was a housewife, my father worked for the county as an inspector.
Why do you write? To exorcise the stories that keep popping into my head, sometimes there are demons accompanying said stories.
What do you think makes good writing? A good grasp of the language. You have to ‘think’ in stories in order to write them. It’s not just putting words on paper, it’s feeling the story and translating it from your head to something that others would want to read.
How do you choose the names for your characters? Many times they just come to me, but if I see or hear a ‘cool’ name or one that just clicks I will write it down for future use. I have a list of names I have already used and ones I want to use.
What is the first piece you ever wrote? A book I wrote when I was about 18, if I ever find it I may finish and publish it. I was always writing stories, I remember being fascinated by Native Americans in the fourth grade and writing notes down about them all the time. My first published piece is SHIPS and is available as a novel. I wrote it in 2003.
When you are writing each novel. Are the experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life? A little bit of me and my life goes into almost every book. Life experiences, no matter how small are important to make the stories sound real.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book? Always but you can tweak a book to death, just like you can edit it too much. Also, if I kept tweaking them, I’d never finish them.
What is the hardest part of writing a book? For me, it’s deciding where to end or how to end it.
What is the easiest part of writing a book? Just simply writing the story, I can’t seem to type it fast enough sometimes.
What was your inspiration for the writing of such detail and in-depth stories that people can almost relate too in their own lifetime? I like detail, I like feeling I am a part of the stories. I hope that my readers like that too. I have been criticized for providing TOO much detail but I think it’s important to a lot of the stories. Not everyone is going to agree, not everyone is going to like what I write. That’s okay though, I have such a wide variety of stories in my portfolio that there may be something for everyone.
Do you have any writing rituals? And can you tell us about your writing discipline? I have to pretty much have quiet to write. No tv, no radio…and then contrarily I get inspired by both the radio or a movie and a section of my book may come to me while I’m listening/watching…then I have to go write what came to me.
What is your greatest fear as an author? That I would unknowingly plagiarize someone because I’m also a voracious reader. However, I’ve read that there are seven basic stories out there and every book ever written is a deviation of said basic story so you may be telling the same story, but your version of it. I really hate when I come across another author though who has copied not only the basic idea but the feel of a story…that’s a type of plagiarism I avoid at all costs.
Who do you have fans compare you to (other authors)? When I first started in writing my stories I was called the Lesbian Danielle Steel, not only because of the detail that I write in but the length of my stories. I’ve refined since I first began writing and I firmly believe I get better with each novel or novella or short that I release. I have also been compared to Dean Koontz whom I have never read so I can’t comment on that one.
What are you working on now? A couple of stories at any given time. My first science fiction novel, a book about a singer, and a murder mystery…I have at last count 165 books in various stages of completion on my laptop. This includes outlines, titles, and nearly completed Novels, Novellas, and Shorts…it’s a process. When they are ready, they will come out and be completed…
How do you keep your different characters separate in your mind? I write in the header of my Works in Progress, hair color, names, characteristics, something to trigger why I’m telling the story and who these characters are. As the book gets completed I may start another document with all the characters on it so that the header isn’t so full. These characters though are real people in my mind…even my pet characters are ‘people.’ They add to the story line in little, realistic ways.
Do you write full-time or part-time? Pretty much full time. But as I also own Shadoe Publishing I have to take care of my other authors and read their works, format them, make covers, promote, etc. I love the business of it all. I stay very busy. I like using my knowledge and success to help others.
Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured? No, I like that my day is NOT structured in any way so that I can randomly choose to write or not to write. I had structured for many decades…now I like the idea of doing what I want, when I want.
Do you write every day, 5 days a week or as and when? As and when….
Do you aim for a set amount of words/pages per day? Nope, never.
Do you write on a typewriter, computer, dictate or longhand? Always on the laptop, I hate writing it longhand and my mind allows me to type it out. Cut and paste are handy too.
Have you written any other novels in collaboration with other writers? I have tried but I’m a control freak about my own work, I would hate to lose a friend who is another writer over what I perceive how things should go. So no….
Where do your ideas come from? They are random, and I love that. I can be watching a movie and some small part of it triggers the creative urge. I don’t plagiarize but I am always thinking how I would have written something or done it differently. Sometimes that inspires a totally different story and I dig that!
Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just to see where an idea takes you? All of that…depends on the story. If I get a random idea I type it up. Sometimes I even have the title and that gets put up too. Sometimes the entire story is outlined or synopsied in a way that I can come back when I’m feeling the whole story and just start again and finish it. Other times the story is so strong I have to just sit down and write it, the ideas keep coming and I keep typing until I’m too tired to do anything else and I finish it.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? A school-teacher. Which is cool, because I am still teaching others now.
What genres do you normally write in? Lesbian Fiction, Drama, Romance, a little murder-mystery. I have a historical romance coming out this fall, my first came out over two years ago. I’m hoping my first sci-fi adventure will be out by the end of the year.
What genres do you typically read? Romance or Biography
Is there a genre you haven’t written in that one day you’d like to tackle? Suspense…my murder-mysteries might already do that.
Are there any authors who have influenced your work? Danielle Steel, her older stuff…not the last 15 years or so. Definitely Bertrice Small, I hope someday to write as well as she did. She passed away this spring and I was devastated.
What was the first book you ever published? SHIPS, CompanionSHIP, FriendSHIP, RelationSHIP
When did you first sign with (your current publisher)? I own the publishing company.
What was the craziest thing you’ve ever done when it came to a storyline in your book? I put details such as diarrhea in the book, but those are REAL things that happen to REAL people. Gross, but they happen.
Do you have any specific things (or rituals) that help you to write or that inspire you? Watching a movie helps as my mind is always off on a tangent. I have to multi-task to stay focused.
Is there a certain time of day you prefer to write? Whenever the mood strikes.
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated? Yes, I’ve always been a voracious reader so I wanted to write like the authors I admire. They didn’t release their books FAST enough so I had to start writing my own.
Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say? Yes, every week I hear from someone and it’s GREAT to hear from these anonymous strangers who LIKED my babies. Who can’t WAIT to read the NEXT in a series. Who tell me how much the book meant to them.
Tell us about your new release. I currently released Small Town Angel. It starts as a mystery as a woman comes to a small town in Wisconsin. You learn about her as the story unfolds and it turns into a romance. Then there is a bit of a murder-mystery about it as the story further unfolds. It has been very well received. I will be releasing a Historical Romance novel called Pirated Heart and a novella in the Malice series called Macerating Malice Book 18 this fall.
What kind of heroine is in your current book? She’s a redheaded spitfire with a mysterious past. Strong and capable, brave!
Is there someone famous she resembled when you wrote her? Or is she based off someone you personally know? Reba McEntire in looks came to mind but in reality, I like strong women. She’s well-mannered and genteel, with the southern accent that I’m pretty sure I nailed in the book.
What are your favorite character traits that you cannot resist? Strong and capable.
What part of the female physique captures your attention? The eyes and a great smile and of course a quick mind!
As an author and essentially the “creator” of your character, do you find yourself attached to her in a personal way? Yes, to a degree I fall in love with the person for a while but I think that comes through in the writing, you want the reader to have that experience too.
If you could actually meet the character of one of your books, the exact woman you’ve conjured up in both looks and personality, which one would it be and why? Alice Weaver from my Malice Series. She’s a petite blonde with a ‘take no guff’ attitude. She’s a serial killer that at first you don’t and shouldn’t like. Later, as you get to know her better, all her kills are justified and you respect her for her stance. You respect that she takes care of her own.
Tell us what kind of heroes/heroines you prefer to write about? Always survivors. Strong and gentle and kind, but they get the job done.
Does your heroine, take after you? Or is she someone you wish you could be? Yes, I think those descriptions could be about me. I’m a survivor of cancer, broken bones, abuse, and still I’m here to tell the tale.
Out of all your books, do you have a favorite? That’s like asking which of my children are my favorite. To a degree I will ALWAYS have a soft spot for SHIPS as it was my FIRST. But as to a favorite, no…some I feel were better written than others. That is a process though.
What is your biggest distraction when you write? Anything, everything…an author gets distracted easily I believe…multi-tasking helps keep me organized and on track.
What are your major sources for research? Do you use books or google? Even movies? I love reading books that inform and educate me. I’ll use google if I can’t get to the library. I even use movies but I don’t want to plagiarize so I’d prefer a documentary.
Which grammar rule is your favorite to break? Which one do you never break? Rules? What are rules? I break ‘em every chance I get.
If you could do a DREAM job (other than writing) what would it be and why? Have you used it in any of your stories? Professional Traveler, but like every job, that would get old after a while.
What kind of jobs have you had in the ‘real’ world? I’ve run multi-million dollar companies. I’ve been a bus driver, a saleswoman, a marketing executive…sometimes simultaneously!
If you could meet anyone famous, PAST or PRESENT who would it be, and why? Eleanor Roosevelt, I would have liked to observe her, without her knowledge for a period of time to understand what made her tick. I’d like to verify that she may have been a closeted lesbian.
Is there anything in your life you would delete? Anything you would replay? A lot of things but if they hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t be who I am now.
What were you like at school? I was always the over-achiever. Unfortunately, they didn’t advance students in public school back in the 70’s so I had a couple of teachers who didn’t challenge my intelligence and verbally slapped me down. My mom put me in private school and suddenly I was challenged once again. I graduated early from High School, went right on to college. Someday I will return there.
Were you good at English? No, I sucked at it because the public school didn’t teach me it and private school they had already learned it…I never liked it or the structure of it. But I read so much I absorbed sentence and structure which is why I write very well.
Do you speak any foreign languages? Which ones? What if any would you like to learn? I speak a little German; I took 3.5 years of it. My heritage is German so I felt it was important. I’d like to learn Spanish if I could.
What are your ambitions for your writing career? I’ll just keep writing the books I like to write and hope that the fans appreciate them.
If you could have anyone play the main character of one of your books, any actress, who would you choose and why? In SHIPS, I’d love Elizabeth Mitchell for Grace as I based the character on her.
How long on average does it take you to write a book? If I put the time all in at once a few weeks to write a novel. Unfortunately, I don’t always write it end to end and things get in the way. I’ll also have other stories pop up.
Do you ever get writer’s block? Yes, reading and watching movies helps me.
How do you think you’ve evolved creatively? Each book gets better as I write.
Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors. Bertrice Small, Johanna Lindsey, rarely but occasionally Danielle Steel. I have all of their books (except Danielle’s) and even Louis La’mour.
For your own reading, do you prefer eBooks or traditional paper/hard back books? Paperbacks!
Do you proofread/edit all your own books or do you get someone to do that for you? I proofread my own and used to edit them too. I realize that is not my skill and my older works are being edited and re-released. My new stuff is edited before I put it out.
Do you let the book stew – leave it for a month and then come back to it to edit? Sometimes, but rarely. I’m anxious to get it out to my readers.
Tell us about the cover/s and how it/they came about. Many times I will see a picture that inspires the book or vice versa.
Who designed your book covers? I design all my own book covers. I have a background in design as I ran a mail order catalog for 20 years, designed artwork for signs, and learned to manipulate art.
Do you think that the cover plays an important part in the buying process? Absolutely, you have to capture the reader’s attention.
How do you market your books? Social media, word of mouth, and a good following that I’ve built up over the years.
Why did you choose this route? It was all that was available to me when I started, that was free..just hard work.
What do you think of “trailers” for books? If it’s done well it will inspire the reader to read the actual book. It has to enhance the book and follow the story to get them to buy it!
Do you think that giving books away free works and why? It depends on how you do it. Giving them free books doesn’t give you much VALUE for all your hard work.
Did you format your own book? Yes, I format all my own books…I learned how years ago and have templates set up.
In what formats is your book available? Always paperback if it’s a novel, even some of my novellas. Kindle, e-book, epub, Mobi, Pdf.
How do you relax? Ride my motorcycle.
Where can you see yourself in 5 year’s time? I’d love to be the first lesfic writer on the New York Best Selling Author’s list…to bring others along for that ride because we need people to realize that lesfic does not mean erotica or in some of their minds porn.
What is your favorite movie and why? I have many favorites as I collect movies. I have over 1000 in my collection.
What advice would you give to your younger self? Buy Microsoft…so I could have retired sooner and enjoyed life without worrying about the bills.
Did you have a good childhood? Were you a wild child? Are you the ‘odd’ one out in your family? Yes, I had an excellent childhood. I was a tomboy. Our nearest neighbor was a mile away so I had to develop a good imagination. Books were my friend.
If you had to use THREE words to DESCRIBE yourself and you were looking from the outside, how would you describe yourself? Strong, capable, and ambitious.
If you could have one and only one super-power, what would it be and why? To read minds, so that I would know if a person was honest.
Have you ever Googled yourself? If you did, what did you find out about yourself? Yes, I’ve found many things. I love the interviews or blogs I find that I didn’t know I gave or did.
Pen name vs no pen name? What was your rationale? I wanted MY name on my work. Many people think K’Anne is a pen name but it actually on my birth certificate this way.
Besides writing THE END, how do you KNOW a story is over and you should conclude it? Sometimes you can just FEEL it.
What do you think of the ‘explosion’ of available titles for the Lesfic Reader that have come onto the market vs say 5-10-20 years ago? Is this a good thing or bad? I think it’s a great thing. Unfortunately, you get a lot of people who don’t have the work edited, even eventually. So they give lesfic a bad name. I will admit some of my early stuff was done that way and I’ve been correcting it now that I have the means to do so. There are some people who simply don’t have the talent though and are putting out mediocre or even crappy work and it gives all of Lesfic a bad name.
Are you a quiet person or verbose in person? I think it depends on the situation and my comfort level.
Is there something in life you wish you had been braver about? Yes, coming out…but then I didn’t know I was a lesbian until later in life.
20 years from now your books are assigned to a women’s studies class. What would you want them to say about your body of work? That she wrote strong characters, very unique women. Not everything was gold but look at the variety of stories and ideas she created.
Do you consider yourself successful at this thing called writing? What makes you think that? Yes, I do as I have a lot of followers and authors who see me as successful.
Were there any teachers that stood out through school? Anyone that made it bearable and that you remember fondly? Yes, my German teacher…I looked her up 25 years later in order to say ‘thank you.’ She was puzzled as she remembered me differently but grateful for the compliment that I felt she was inspiring.
K’Anne is always up for a nice chat, you can reach her on:
Author Website:
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/K.Anne.Meinel.Fan.Page/
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/KAnneMeinel
Shadoe Publishing
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Author Highlight: M Pepper Langlinais
Guest Post: M Pepper Langlinais
I don’t write gay sex—if you’re looking for that you have plenty of other options. Instead, I write gay relationships. Because I think it’s very important to have gay protagonists who live real, regular lives. Lives that don’t revolve solely around sex.
In The Fall and Rise of Peter Stoller, the title character is a gay British spy. The story is set in the 1960s, a time when being gay was criminal, but I consciously opted not to play up that dynamic of the story all that much. Peter is comfortable with who he is, and he’s protected by his boss, so the open secret of his homosexuality only becomes a problem when his boss goes missing.
The core of the novel, however, is about whether Peter can trust his lover Charles. When Charles is accused of being a counteragent, Peter extracts him and they leave the country. But Peter struggles with that seed of doubt: What if it’s true?
As Peter picks apart the threads, their relationship unravels.
Blurb:
In 1960’s London, British Intelligence agent Peter Stoller is next in line to run the Agency—until he falls in love with cab driver, Charles, and his life goes off the road. When Charles is accused of treason, Peter is guilty by association. Peter manages to extract them both, but the seeds of doubt have been planted, putting Peter’s mind and heart at war. Is ignorance truly bliss or merely deadly?
Excerpt:
December 196x
“Get him out or take him out.” Peter’s heart was in his knees, but he made sure it didn’t sound in his voice.
Noise on the line as Jules Maier shifted. Peter pictured him tucked up in a dark, cramped flat with too-low ceilings and flimsy furniture. It would be perpetually damp there. Musty. And yet Jules would still somehow manage to look perfectly put together. Jules rolled out of bed perfectly put together. It was sinful.
“After all that work to get him in?” Jules asked.
Perfectly put together but, Peter was reminded, also a tad whiney. Gordon had once told Peter he couldn’t think of the men out in the field as real people, not if he wanted to be able to do the job well. “Don’t think of them as men you’ve met, had lunch with, drinks with,” Gordon said. “Think of them as characters in a book or players in a game.” Peter had wondered at the time whether Gordon thought of him that way, but he’d been too afraid of the answer to ask.
And now, with the file open in front of him and the face of Alexander Sepiol staring back from his desk, it was difficult advice to take. Peter closed the folder. “You know how this goes, Jules.”
A heavy sigh. “I’ll try to get him out, of course.”
“Don’t waste any time,” Peter instructed. “And, Jules?”
“Hmm?”
Peter imagined the arched eyebrow, the tiny smile. He was probably wearing one of those goddamned turtlenecks. “Get yourself out as soon as you can. I don’t want to have to send anyone in after you.”
* * *
He hoped the drive down to Oxshott would clear his head, but his mind continued to jump from Jules to Alexander and back again. Why wouldn’t Alexander leave Germany? How could they coerce him? Had Alexander already given them away? If so, to whom? Was Jules really doing everything he could?
Probably not. Jules was lazy. But if Alexander had leaked, Jules was also in trouble. Along with a half dozen more people in Brandenburg’s Frankfurt.
Peter was surprised to find he’d arrived, his musings having stolen the time. The grass in front of the Lessenbys’ was dead with winter and flat with cars. Peter added his TR3 to the fleet.
He didn’t bother to knock; he never did at the Lessenbys’, and with the party, no one would have heard it anyway. Gordon and Elinor held it every year at the holidays, this odd assemblage of people whose jobs were to be quiet and unseen, Gordon a gaunt anti-Fezziwig.
Peter spotted him standing near the fireplace, Trevor Tillholm planted squarely in front of him, and he started in that direction, but Elinor Lessenby caught sight of Peter and moved in, arresting his progress. Her oversized hat forced him to rock back a bit on his heels; he then took a full step backward as her oversized body followed the brim.
“Peter!” she shrilled as she held out a hand. “How did you sneak in without any of us noticing? Oh!” she laughed, not waiting for him to answer, “no, I know, it’s what you do!”
Buy Links: Amazon Global | iBooks | Smashwords | B&N | Kobo
To me, relationships (of any kind or gender) are the most interesting part of any story. Actions, reactions, and interactions—it is through these that character is revealed. And I’m a character writer.
In my upcoming YA fantasy novel, I come from another direction. In that book, the main character Cee has a crush on her gay best friend Marcus. She knows he’ll never love her the way she loves him, and Marcus feels the pressure of Cee’s desire. He’s naturally frustrated by not being able to be what she wants him to be. While the bigger plot has to do with dragons and magicians, this tension between Cee and Marcus informs the story. Again, relationships are the bedrock. When Marcus literally has the opportunity to change—to become heterosexual—he chooses not to. And Cee supports his decision. Their friendship means more than any chance at fulfilling a sexual fantasy.
Of course, there’s a time and place for those sexy books, gay or otherwise. Mine aren’t those, but I hope I’ve contributed something just as worthwhile and engaging.
Bio:
M Pepper Langlinais is a produced playwright and screenwriter. Her screenplay St. Peter in Chains, based in part on the novel The Fall and Rise of Peter Stoller, won Table Read My Screenplay and received a professional table read at Sundance Film Festival. M is also a bestselling author of Sherlock Holmes stories. Her novel Changers: Manifesting Destiny is due out from Evernight Teen this summer.
Find M: Author Website | Facebook | Amazon Author Profile | Twitter
The post Author Highlight: M Pepper Langlinais appeared first on A.O. Chika.
June 24, 2016
Book Review: Taking A Stand by Bronwyn Heeley
BLURB:
One Werewolf. One Vampire. One night.
Dem lives in a world ruled by two things: the moon and his alpha. Something inside of him has always yearned for more, and a chance encounter with a vampire helps Dem realise what he craves. Now that Dem knows what he wants, is he strong enough to reach out and take it?
Title:
Taking A Stand
Series:
An Alphas World #1
Author:
Bronwyn Heeley
Genre:
Paranormal Erotica
Publisher:
BonyDee Press
Release Date:
June 21st, 2016
Pages:
43
REVIEW:
Taking the stand is a short read so I could understand the pacing, despite that the ending pissed me off! It was abrupt and somewhat awkward, and while it somewhat resonated with the pace and style the author had built up to that point, it just felt rushed and just thrown in there.
There was no actual plot but there was a sort of character arc, seeing as Dem did come back to Mr. sadistic vampire Hottie -His name is Jeffery (sadly I have a friend called Jeffery who looks better than me in a dress and makeup. I kept picturing him the entire time, talk about awkward!)
I’ve finally come to terms with the fact that some people prefer painful sex- and by that, I mean sex with no lube (spit doesn’t count in this case) and an unwilling body. Seriously though, anal without lube is painful as fuck!
While it made me cringe I could see the appeal to those who wouldn’t be bothered by that, it was beautifully writing and just detailed enough to have someone’s body reacting to ‘nature’s call’
I loved Dem and Jeffery’s chemistry and I would have loved to see them outside the BDSM scene IDK like them having coffee together or someting, but with Dem’s alpha being a douchebag I could see why the author didn’t include that.
It was a nice book nevertheless.
The post Book Review: Taking A Stand by Bronwyn Heeley appeared first on A.O. Chika.
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