A.O. Chika's Blog, page 9
August 13, 2016
Book Review: Can’t Hide from Me by Cordelia Kingsbridge
Blurb:
Charles Hunter’s team is on a mission to extract an unidentified ATF agent from an undercover job gone wrong. All they’ve got to go on is the rendezvous location—until Charles recognizes the ex he hasn’t seen in years. Their “simple rescue mission” is about to get a lot more complicated.
For Ángel Medina, adjusting to life after his cartel nightmare is hard enough without confronting memories of a failed relationship. All he wants is a fresh start. But when a violent stalker lashes out from the shadows, Ángel realizes his nightmare is far from over.
As the stalker’s obsession escalates and bodies start dropping, Charles and Ángel are thrown together in a desperate search for the culprit. Tempers flare and old passions reignite, drawing them back into the same turbulent relationship that once ended in disaster.
But the stalker isn’t letting go—and the next strike might hit straight through the heart.
Title:
Can't Hide from Me
Author:
Cordelia Kingsbridge
Genre:
Romance, Suspence
Publisher:
Riptide Publishing
Release Date:
October 3rd, 2016
Format:
eBook, Paperback
Pages:
338
Source:
NetGallery
Review:
Do you know that feeling when you're reading a book and you have to drop it for a few minutes to do something and when you get back the characters are already balls deep in each other? that's how I felt every five pages. I mean, I'm okay with reading an erotica but Damn son, I left you guys for five minutes! Cool your balls!
Still on the topic of sex, while I don't mind Angels 'tendencies' to bang everything with a dick, I was FIRMLY against most of the sex scenes with Charles because:
While I can understand miscommunications in relationships, in this case, they REALLY REALLY needed to sort things out before adding sex to the list of things frustrating them.
The timing was just awful and the reason for having sex even more so.
It was just plain unhealthy. Angel was having a hard time with Paul's kidnapping and subsequent death, and the stalker thing wasn't helping, I can understand that he wasn't in the right mental state but, Charles was.
You know what I changed my mind about commenting on Angels tendencies, but he is a grown ass man, and an FBI agent at that, he should know that the answer to everything is NOT in fact getting laid. He could have gone to the gym to burn the excess energy, he could have poured his soul into REALLY finding out who the stalker was. There are lots of ways he could cope and while most of the ones in my head are not healthy such as alcohol, disassociation and compartmentalizing it, using sex to cope made me mad.
Now to the good parts.
I liked the mystery/suspense thing and I really didn't see that ending coming.
I liked how the author kept me on edge while trying to figure out if Raul was really dead.
Speaking of Raul, for a guy who was dead before the book began, I found myself liking him. He might be a gang leader but I liked how he was humanized despite the horrors he no doubt caused.
I liked the pacing of the book.
I liked the use of bondage gear for kidnapping lol
Plot
Editing
Characters
Ending
Chemistry
Pacing
Interesting book but...
It's a nice book, and while I don't agree with Charles and Angels constant sex, on the grounds that it was the wrong time and at that point, it was unhealthy and doing more harm than good, I get that not all relationships are pretty, some are messed up.
I like the plot twist with the stalker... That bondage gear tho :|
3.5
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The post Book Review: Can’t Hide from Me by Cordelia Kingsbridge appeared first on A.O. Chika Book Blog.
August 5, 2016
Book Review: Top to Bottom by Delphine Dryden
Blurb:
Drusilla Stasevich wants to leave the past behind and start the next chapter of her life. Returning to her hometown to open her dream kink club, Escape, seems like the perfect solution. But it can be tricky making dreams come true—especially when the person you want to share them with isn’t around anymore.
Amie Templeton is no stranger to tough times. She’s learned to make it on her own, and doesn’t do relationships outside the kink world. When her ex Dru moves back to town, old feelings surface. But that’s fine, right, since Dru has just opened the hottest new kink club in town?
Dru and Amie want to get the distracting spark between them out of their systems. Instead, their intense play sessions fan that spark into a flame. As if Dru didn’t have enough on her plate, an anonymous saboteur threatens to push her new club out of business. It will take the help of everybody at Escape to set things right again, and a lot of trust for Dru and Amie to start working toward a new life together.
Title:
Top to Bottom
Series:
Escape
Author:
Delphine Dryden
Genre:
Erotic Romance
Publisher:
Riptide Publishing
Release Date:
July 18,2016
Format:
eBook, Paperback
Pages:
162
Source:
NetGallery
Review:
It's a good book, the premise got a bit lost in the bulk, as there were a few times where I wondered where the book was going, hence skipping from 60-82% of the book.
I wish the threat to Dru's club came earlier, because at some point I got bored of Anie talking about her sadistic tendencies, and the BDSM scenes just didn't work for me, not because they weren't interesting because, at some point, I felt like that was all the book was about.
Another minor issue I had with the book was the fact that I didn't know the characters well, I kept feeling off, and it wasn't until I read the backmatter that I realized that the book was part of a series. It's a standalone but I really couldn't understand any of the characters, and even worse, I felt no sadness when Dru's club was was threatened by 'Master Cool'
Since I skipped some parts of the book, missed a few things, so I'm going to include two paragraphs from Xan West's review on Goodreads.
I was very uncomfortable with the depiction of Dru's prior partner. [ I get that the author was attempting to educate the reader about the dangers of fat oppression in medical institutions but in the end, this character was created to die, and she is the only fat character who basically only gets described as a victim of fat oppression who is basically killed by it. The fact that the fat oppression is described in detail also mostly feels like trauma porn. Despite good intentions, this felt like it reproduced the very fat oppression it was trying to challenge, especially since she is the only fat character in the book.
Trigger Warnings: [
-detailed descriptions of fat oppression in a medical context (in the past)
-stalking storyline, including doxxing (in the present)
-detailed description of familial queer oppression including being kicked out (in the past) and harassed around religion (in the present) and the internalized homophobia that can be part of those experiences
-description of being a homeless queer young adult (in the past)]
Read Xan West's full review HERE.
Enough with the negatives, On the plus side, while the author did a great job of exploring the BDSM scene in a way that didn't make me roll my eyes. The characters had a life outside the BDSM scene which made them less of a stereotype and more of a person.
I like how despite down even at the center of Aime's personality/sexuality she was still very much entwined with the BDSM culture? I mean, the scene where she tried to have vanilla sex with Dru was so awkward as compared to other scenes.
I liked the tension between Amie and Dru, although I'm still trying to figure out where Mara fits in, who she is apart from just Aime's ex. I kind of wanted to meet Amie's super religious family, but only because I wanted to know what bullshit they would spew :)
What I loved the most was Dru's versatility both as a bisexual person and as a switch, I felt like Aime hasn't fully accepted the switch part of Dru though. Nevertheless, it was great to read a BDSM book with a bisexual character who's a switch, I was beginning to get bored of this whole 'In BDSM you are either a Dom or a Sub'
Plot
Editing
Characters
Ending
Chemistry
Pacing
Summary
Interesting book, I wish the major antagonist showed up earlier and added a bit more suspense/thrill to the book
3.5
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The post Book Review: Top to Bottom by Delphine Dryden appeared first on A.O. Chika Book Blog.
August 4, 2016
Book Review: Mom, I’m Gay by Susan Cottrell
Blurb:
When your child reveals that he or she is attracted to the same sex, how you respond may have a lot to do with your faith. Doesn’t the Bible say that’s wrong? Will we have to leave our church? Worst of all, you may wonder, “Do I have to choose between my Christian faith and my child?”
Susan Cottrell is a mom who has been there and wants you to know that loving and accepting your gay child does not mean abandoning or even compromising your faith. This is not a book about the politics or morality of homosexuality. This is a book about how to respond with love and support during this vulnerable time for your child. With practical advice and heartfelt encouragement, Cottrell guides readers through the fear and uncertainty Christian parents of LGBTQ children often feel.
Title:
Mom, I'm Gay: Loving your LGBTQ child without sacrificing your faith
Author:
Susan Cottrell
Genre:
NonFiction, Religion, Family
Publisher:
Freedhearts
Release Date:
January 5, 2014
Format:
eBook, Paperback
Pages:
83
Source:
NetGallery
Review:
When I requested this book on NetGallery, I expected a fiction book similar to Living Right by Laila Ibrahim, this book wasn't that, but it was mind opening and thought provoking in its own way. One of my favorite quotes is
"Gender is what's in your head, Sexuality is what's in your heart and sex is what's in your pants"
I'm Christian and while I haven't received any prejudice to my gender and sexuality, I simply chalked it down to not caring about what anyone, whether family, friend or pastor says. And while I know not everyone has that luxury, it really hit me hard at how parents react to their kid's non-binary gender or a sexuality that isn't 'straight' I mean most of their response were so ridiculous, hurtful and selfish, and the fact that parents chase away their kids because they are 'immoral' annoyed me so much that I stopped reading the book (I returned back to the book two hours later though)
I loved how the author corrected the misuse of bible scriptures to justify hate. It reminded me of an image on Pinterest that said
"If you have to make laws to hate a group of people just to prove your morals and faith, then you have no true morals or faith to prove."
Seriously, shouldn't Christianity be about your relationship with God instead of your need to judge, fault, hurt and discriminate people? What the fuck happened to love EVERYONE unconditionally? Why would people turn a blind eye to everything wrong with this world but for some reason, act like they have a stick shoved up their ass when it comes to people who identify as one or more of the LGBTQIA identities?
How do people think that it's perfectly reasonable to assume that someone chooses to be gay, or that all gay individuals have experienced some sort of childhood trauma? And who started this Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve nonsense?
I understand that as a parent you have certain expectations for your child and it's perfectly understandable to feel uncomfortable or off balance if your child decides to live their life the way they want rather than living to your expectations, but ultimately their sexuality and gender are not about you, they don't want to humiliate or embarrass you. Your primary concern should be less about people's opinion and more about making sure your child is happy or safe. I for one I'm looking forward to embarrassing my kids with the sex talk (both the straight and gay version) complete with pamphlets and condoms. Frankly, I care more about them being safe and not contracting STI's than their sexuality.
In the words of Dr. Seuss, "A person is a person no matter how small" My version of that quote is "A person is a person, no matter their gender, sexuality, religion, race and whatever other metric used to segregate people"
Dear Christians, If your Pastor, family or friends encourages, hate, physical assault and discrimination to your child or people who identify as part of the LGBTQIA community then you need to get the hell away from them!
The post Book Review: Mom, I’m Gay by Susan Cottrell appeared first on A.O. Chika Book Blog.
August 3, 2016
Book Review: Under the Knife by Laurin Kelly
Blurb:
Season three of TV’s hottest cooking competition, Under the Knife, is gearing up, and Nate is equal parts excited and terrified that he’s one of the twelve competitors. But the prize is a quarter of a million dollars, and that’s worth a few weeks of being stressed and afraid.
It may not, however, be worth weeks of putting up with Zachary, the cold, snotty competitor who definitely thinks he’s better than everyone else. The man can cook, and he’s the hottest man Nate has ever seen, but every time he opens his mouth Nate hates him all over again.
He came here to be driven crazy trying to prove he’s the best chef in the world, but if Nate can’t learn to block Zachary out it won’t be the competition that pushes him to the breaking poin
Title:
Under The Knife
Author:
Laurin Kelly
Genre:
Contemporary Romance
Publisher:
Less Than Three Press
Release Date:
July 18, 2016
Format:
eBook, Paperback
Pages:
335
Source:
NetGalley
Review:
I'm normally not the biggest fan of nice guys, and Nate was nice, he rarely lost his temper, he was honest, he was just NICE. Yet I loved him, I loved Carmen and Zach as well. Nate was the classic sweet guy, he was also that one guy in reality shows that never lost their shit, always composed and had that 'I don't have time for this bullshit' face. Dammit, I wanted him to crack!
Zachary started off as this cold but perfect chef, as the book progressed we began to see behind the cold facade, his character grew from that cold buy sexy twink that we assume has had his heart broken too many times and decided not to care anymore (Okay I'm just projecting my initial thoughts, there was no heartbreak... well there is the thing with his family)
Nate and Zach's relationship was kind of adorable, it was sexy mostly the 'handy' thing they did during the challenge where they had to prepare and serve the food for a couples 25-year anniversary. While it had it's passionate moments, I found it sweet and adorable. I find jealousy annoying sometimes but OMG Zach's jealousy had me wanting to kidnap him and put him in a glass cage... I swear I'm usually not this creepy.
I was hoping to see the scene where Mara finally gets evicted as she was starting to become the major antagonist. Instead, I was told she fell under the knife (A.K.A. she got evicted)
I could ramble about Nate and Zach as characters as well as the obvious attraction between them was was easy to pick up on even, but in my opinion, the best thing about this book was the experience.
I'm not a big fan of reality shows or drama shows, to be honest, I don't watch television but I loved this book. It felt real... not like real life, but like a reality show.
Under The Knife wasn't just a book, once I started reading the book, the words turned into a play being acted in front of me, I could see the contestants cooking, I could feel their nervousness, I could see every screw up they had, it felt just like watching it on TV. The author was descriptive but not overly so that my trance was broken. The book has this hypnotizing effect, that sorts of drags you from your world into the world of Under The Knife and that to me, is the best part of this book.
Plot
Editing
Characters
Ending
Chemistry
Pacing
Summary
It felt like watching a movie. I was no longer reading the book instead i got to see it all happen right in front of me.
4.5
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August 1, 2016
Book Review: All the King’s Men by Alex Powell
Blurb:
Fox is a mindnet hacker, and works for the mysterious man known only as King. He spends his time uncovering dangerous secrets and releasing them to the public.
But those who cause trouble are bound to attract, and despite their precautions King is taken prisoner by an unknown government. And if Fox is going to save him, he’s going to need help—help that comes from the very last place he expected to find it.
Title:
All The King's Men
Author:
Alex Powell
Genre:
Sci-fi
Publisher:
Less Than Three Press
Release Date:
July 27, 2016
Format:
eBook, Paperback, Audiobook
Pages:
217
Source:
Net Gallery
Review:
I'm not the biggest fan of Sci-fi but only because I haven't read that many Sci-f-books and many of them seem to get so lost in the world building that they forget that the heart of a book is the character, even worse they treat the characters as puppets who do not have a life of their own and simply do whatever the author wants them to do, irrespective of whether it matches with the character profile.
Okay, now I'm rambling. The point is this book was amazing in terms of worldbuilding, seriously the whole Cerebrum concept and the mind jumping thing reminded me of The Matrix in a good way. But what I loved more than the world building were the characters.
"At some point in the future, the Cerebrum is a virtual reality network that functions much like the Internet does today, but instead of sitting at a computer screen, users are completely immersed within the virtual reality to the point where they leave their physical bodies behind and experience only the sensory input they receive from within while logged in. While in the Cerebrum, Fox is a mindnet hacker who works with a small group of others under the supervision of a man known as the King. Their objective is to discover secrets and release them to the public. They take precautions to maintain their anonymity and avoid being caught because their activities attract dangerous enemies. When the King is captured by an unknown government, Fox and the others must somehow rescue him in order to avoid all their lives being destroyed. But sometimes help comes from the least expected source. And sometimes attraction also comes from the same unlikely place." [Quoted from Jay's review on Goodreads]
I loved king's poem/clues, I loved agent Seven and the attachment he had to his blue eyes, and maybe I'm reading too much but it felt like Seven's blue eyes... the only thing distinguishing him from a field of agents, made him a unique character- a person.
I laughed whenever I saw the phrase 'gravity defying hair', Fox is awesome! His domain was bare and practically desolate and I finally understood what the psychologist meant about one domain reflecting who they were.
The romance was subtle which I felt went well with the overall theme of the book, had it been too obvious it would have clashed with the very detailed world building.
Plot
Editing
Characters
Ending
Chemistry
Pacing
Summary
Amazing detail to world building, character development and the wise decision to make the romance between Fox and Agent Seven subtle.
4.3
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July 30, 2016
Book Review: A Kind Of Justice by Renee James
Blurb:
Against all odds, Bobbi Logan, a statuesque transgender woman, has become one of Chicago’s most celebrated hair stylists and the owner of one of the city’s poshest salons. She is finally comfortable with who she is, widely admired in her community, about to enjoy the success she deserves.
Then her impossibly perfect life falls apart.
In the space of a few weeks, the Great Recession drags her business to the brink of failure, her beloved ex-wife needs help in facing a terrible tragedy, and a hateful police detective storms back into her life, determined to convict her of the five-year-old murder of John Strand—pillar of the community—and a sexual predator.
As the detective builds an ever more convincing case against her, both of them will be shaken by revelations—about themselves, about their own deeply held secrets, and about the bizarre ritual murder of John Strand.
Title:
A Kind Of Justice
Author:
Renee James
Genre:
Mystery
Publisher:
Oceanview Publishing
Release Date:
October 4, 2016
Format:
eBook, Paperback
Pages:
320
Source:
Netgallery
Review:
There are few books out there that have me contemplating life, crying, laughing and just plain wondering how life would be for me if I weren't me. PS: This is not an 'inspirational' book, but it's inspiring in its own way.
This is the second book I've ever read with a trans character as an MC, and considering the fact that I can barely remember the first one, I had very little hope for this book.
And then I meet Bobbi, Wilkins, Cecelia, Betsy and Lisa and all I could think was OH MY GOD! The characterization is one of the best qualities of this book. there were lots of characters and the POV was confusing at first but after 3% in I eased into it and the feels smacked me.
Like I said there were lots of characters but they were all unique, full of living and had their own story, that contributed to the main story even when it wasn't obvious. each character came with their own backstory, subplot and issues. All the while tackling the murder of a bastard that really doesn't deserve anyone paying for his death.
The main plot follows Wilkin (A homophobe and transphobe) who plans to convict Bobbi for the murder of John Stand (AKA the dead guy, AKA abusive sonofabitch AKA Transphobic bastard that should burn in hell for all the shit he did to Transwomen).
The beauty of this is that Wilkins starts off a bastard and slowly as he interviews witnesses to pin down Bobbi he begins to interact with strippers and prostitutes both gay and trans, as he spends time with hem he begins to see that they are just like every other person, he also begins to see how much of a bastard he was.
I would be happy if the story ended there but then the author threw in another subplot -Wilkins sickness, at first I want in the east bit remorseful because he kinda deserved it for how he treated the LGBT community but at the end I realised that he was just a guy who never got a chance to really look at people and just see people instead of seeing ‘fags’ 'tranny’ 'freaks’ and once he did I felt guilty because no one deserves cancer… except for John Strand but the bastard is dead (If you ask me, he got off easy. I would take a trip to hell just to beat the crap out of him)
While the case was always in the background, one of the surface plots was Bobbi dealing with the economic meltdown and the effect it had on her salon, her love-life or lack off, her ex-wife Betsy who's husband's death forced them to live together. I also got to watch Bobbi pine after Phil, to be honest, it was kinda sad to watch those two beat around the bush.
I expected the ending but it still felt like punch to the gut (It also made me realize that my idea of true love might be a bit skewed)
Seriously, this book is a gem, Five stars and maybe a date with the author... I'll settle for an interview though.
Plot
Editing
Characters
Ending
Chemistry
Pacing
Summary
Wow, The characterization, the storytelling, the plots and subplots! Everything was perfect... I still want to beat the crap out of John Strand though.
5.0
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July 26, 2016
Author Highlight: Devon McCormack
First off, I’d like to thank A.O. Chika for having me on the blog today. Such an honor to be here to chat about my third young adult novel, The Night Screams, which will be published through Harmony Ink Press on January 28th. I wrote the book back in 2014, when this strong image came to me of teenager running through the woods, naked, fleeing some unknown villain. Sometimes when I start out with an idea like this, I get this sensation of just knowing and understanding a character. That’s how I felt about the main character in this particular project, Cal, a sixteen-year-old boy who, after experiencing severe traumatic violence at the hands of a sadistic man, finds he can’t speak.
After Cal escapes this horrible man, he’s stealing food from a convenience store when he encounters the store clerk, Jake. He and Jake end up in a fist fight that knocks Cal unconscious. When Cal wakes up, he’s in Jake’s uncle’s home. That’s when they discover, through helping him write out his experiences, that he needs immediate medical attention. After they get him help, the family takes him. But Jake is very guarded. He doesn’t like the new addition to their home, and it takes him some time to warm up to the stranger. And gradually, he and Cal come to realize they need each other to find the strength to survive some very difficult times.
The novel is about coping and moving forward when the world keeps throwing problems at you.
The novel is about coping and moving forward when the world keeps throwing problems at you
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How do we rebuild our lives when it feels like we’re just being bombarded with one thing after another after another without any breaks in between? So often, this is how we experience the world. Not as one bad thing happening and then recovering from it, but just as this period of repeated abuse where it feels like there must be some wicked deity piling things on top of us. But through it all, we have to find a way to keep going and build relationships with those around us. That’s the real story of Cal and Jake—their perseverance with each other and how these tragedies cause them to grow together and see each other for who they really are.
At the time when I was writing this novel, I was experiencing this sort of turbulence in my own life, and I think that’s one of the reasons the novel went in that direction. If it wasn’t one fire that needed to be put out, then it was another. And when you just keep getting beat up like a twig being tossed around a raging river, it feels like you’re never going to come out of the other side, but you do. At some point, you find the water calms, and you can catch a breath. And if you’re lucky, during all this turbulence, you can find some wonderful people to help you through it.
Thanks for reading. And thanks again, A.O. Chika, for having me on the blog today. I really appreciate it! [No problem 
July 25, 2016
Book Blitz: Speak It’s Name by Kathleen Jowitt (+Exclusive Excerpt)
A new year at the University of Stancester, and Lydia Hawkins is trying to balance the demands of her studies with her responsibilities as an officer for the Christian Fellowship. Her mission: to make sure all the Christians in her hall stay on the straight and narrow, and to convert the remaining residents if possible. To pass her second year. And to ensure certain secret stays very secret indeed.
When she encounters the eccentric, ecumenical student household at 27 Alma Road, Lydia is forced to expand her assumptions about who’s a Christian to include radical Quaker activist Becky, bells-and-smells bus-spotter Peter, and out (bisexual) and proud (Methodist) Colette. As the year unfolds, Lydia discovers that there are more ways to be Christian – and more ways to be herself – than she had ever imagined.
Then a disgruntled member of the Catholic Society starts asking whether the Christian Fellowship is really as Christian as it claims to be, and Lydia finds herself at the center of a row that will reach far beyond the campus. Speak Its Name explores what happens when faith, love, and politics mix and explode.
Speak Its Name explores what happens when faith, love, and politics mix and explode
Buy Link: Amazon Global |
Author biography
Kathleen Jowitt writes about people sorting their own heads out and learning to live with who they are. She lives in Cambridge, works in London, and writes on the train.
Website | Twitter | Goodreads Profile | Amazon Author Profile
Extract [Chapter One]
‘Well, then,’ Lydia said to the empty room. ‘Let’s get started.’ But all her motivation seemed to have evaporated.
This slice of attic was one of the most desirable bedrooms in Richmond Hall, and Richmond was one of the University of Stancester’s more desirable halls of residence, a three-storey Victorian mansion whose once-spacious bedrooms had been subdivided into narrow cubicles, just big enough to sleep and study in. Empty, however, it did not show itself to its best advantage. Fractious September sunshine, trapped by the locked window, made the room uncomfortably stuffy; a couple of dead flies lay on the windowsill, legs in the air. The walls were peppered with drawing-pin holes and blu-tack stains, and a blob of chewing gum had got itself trodden into the carpet. A whiff of illegal cigarette smoke (or worse) in the corridor must be a legacy of the summer school that had vacated the place this morning. The silence was unsettling.
Lydia looked at the motley collection of cardboard boxes and polythene bags, and wondered where to start. She ought to unpack as quickly as possible. She ought to make her room neat and tidy and welcoming. She ought to start wandering the halls looking for Freshers, introduce herself to them as their Christian Fellowship Hall Officer, identify four or five committed believers who might form the nucleus of a group, and generally let the Spirit of God work through her.
She couldn’t be bothered.
It was not a good start to the new year. She had, she reproved herself, looked forward to this for so long, relishing the challenge that the responsibility would bring, privately grateful to be staying in catered halls. Now, however, she was wishing she could be on the other side of town, with Mel and Rose in their new, exciting student house (and she could, she knew, so easily have been part of it). By now they would be settling in and catching up and having a laugh. A glum wave of envy washed over her as she thought of it: a household full of Christians, sharing teaching and faith and fellowship together, like the early Church. Meanwhile, here she was, all alone atop the hill, setting out on a mission for which she felt spectacularly unprepared. The sense of déjà vu was oppressive; she felt as if she were starting all over again, as if she had learned nothing, changed nothing. She had thought, a year ago, that she would find freedom in Stancester, but she was as constrained as ever by her own fears and scruples, and the secrets she tried to keep even from herself.
The smallest box was the one marked sponge bag and wash stuff. She dumped it in the basin and saw her own face flash through the mirror as she straightened up: a curl of sun-streaked brown hair, brown eyes, sharp nose, strained mouth. She could, she supposed, text Rose and see whether they would be up for a drink after dinner. No. Freshers really would be turning up by then, and it was her duty to be there to welcome them. Well, then: perhaps she could go out for a walk, just as far as the off-licence on the corner of Dorchester Road, to get some air and buy some Fresher-welcoming biscuits…
‘No,’ she told herself sternly. ‘Not until you’ve unpacked.’ She sighed and turned to the boxes. Winter clothes; this semester’s books; a month’s worth of Bible notes: unpacking seemed to take forever, and by the time she had finished it was already dinner time. She pulled on her official Hall Officer hoodie and trudged down to the dining room, where fifteen or twenty Freshers were already seated. It was subdued compared to what would follow when Richmond Hall was up to its full complement of residents, but after a summer spent with her uncommunicative family the clatter of plates and cutlery and the excited bellow of conversation were deafening.
She accompanied a gaggle of Freshers to the Curzon Arms afterwards, but failed to recruit anyone to the hall group.
Still, tomorrow was another day, and God’s mercies are new every morning. The Freshers’ Week Guide reported that, should any Freshers wish to attend church, representatives of the various congregations would be waiting outside the Union to show them the way, and Lydia had volunteered on behalf of St Mark’s.
The air was crisp, the grass lush and dewy as she walked down after breakfast. A representative cluster had already gathered. She recognized James (there on behalf of the Baptist church, she supposed), Rory (Centrepoint Church) and Ellie (St Mark’s). The Catholics had printed R.C.: CHAPLAINCY and R.C.: SACRED HEART out on pieces of sturdy cardboard and were holding them up like taxi drivers at an airport. Two other students were squabbling over a pad of ruled A4 paper and a marker pen; she did not know either the tall, skinny, black Anglican (UNIVERSITY CHAPEL AND ASK ME ABOUT ALL SAINTS) or the short dark-haired Methodist (WARDLE STREET) with him. She smiled at them warily and went to join Rory and Ellie.
‘Hey, Lydia,’ Rory said. ‘How’s things?’
Lydia looked to see what cheesy message was on today’s T-shirt. I follow a man who is tougher…
Lydia looked to see what cheesy message was on today’s T-shirt. I follow a man who is tougher than nails. They always looked slightly incongruous on him: he was a slight, intense-looking man, with close-set eyes, bushy dark eyebrows, and a long nose. ‘Good, thanks,’ she said. ‘Settling back into halls. You?’
‘Yeah, it’s good. I’m out on Balton Street with these guys this year.’ He nodded at Ellie.
‘With Mel and Rose,’ Lydia said. ‘I know.’
‘Yes, and Jake, too, of course,’ Ellie said reverently, lest anyone forget that she lived with the President of the Christian Fellowship.
‘Of course. How was your summer?’ Lydia asked her.
Ellie beamed; she pushed her sunglasses up her forehead, where they tangled in her hair. ‘Yeah, it was great! I went to Rwanda with this group from my home church.’
Lydia nodded. ‘Oh, yes, I remember you talking about that before the holidays. How did it go?’
Ellie laid a confiding hand on Lydia’s arm. ‘Really, really well. We did ministry after this football match – this guy Dave, he’s one of the pastors at my church, preached about a football boot – but it was relevant – and they were all following us around, because we were white, but that was fine – and about forty people came to Jesus.’
‘Wow,’ Lydia said, dutifully. She almost thought she saw the Anglican rep rolling his eyes at his Methodist friend. (Had Ellie offended him?) She glanced away, fast.
‘But what about you?’ Ellie asked. ‘How are you feeling about being a hall officer?’
‘I don’t know…’ A proper Christian would, of course, have answered, ‘excited’, and ‘nervous’. These were acceptable responses, expected of a Christian student who had been appointed by the Christian Fellowship and deemed worthy of the privilege of living in university accommodation for the duration of her academic career to provide Christian support and Christian teaching to Christian Freshers.
‘Mm?’ An expectant smile flickered across Ellie’s face.
‘Oh. Excited. Nervous.’ Feeling guilty, she fell silent. The eight of them stood for some minutes in the cool sunshine before Freshers appeared. Some sorted themselves into the Catholic group. Two of them were asking ASK ME ABOUT ALL SAINTS about St Mark’s. ‘These ladies, I think,’ he said, waving at Lydia and Ellie.
Ellie nodded frostily to him. ‘Thank you, Peter,’ she said, and then, to the new pair, ‘Hello – I’m Ellie Ford, I’m a third-year Theology student. This is Lydia Hawkins, she does English and she’s hall officer for Richmond. What are your names?’
‘Louise,’ said one.
‘Ben,’ said the other.
‘Great to meet you both. Have you heard about the Christian Fellowship here at Stancester?’ (Ellie was so gifted in this welcoming ministry, Lydia thought. She was so confident, so friendly.) ‘We meet at the Venue, which is the big meeting room in the Students’ Union building, every Monday night.’
‘No,’ Louise said, ‘but I have now. My minister said I should look out for the Christian Union – I guess this is the equivalent?’
‘Tomayto, tomahto,’ Lydia said, and felt stupid. She was distracted by the arrival of a gaggle from Richmond. She resolved to talk to them later about joining the hall group. One of them, Simon, had sought her out over breakfast. Two others she recognized. (One girl headed straight for the Chapel guy; well, she supposed, that was allowed, even if the Chapel lot were a bit weird.)
Lydia looked at her watch. Quarter to ten. ‘Had we better move off?’ she asked Ellie.
‘I suppose we should. We’ve got further to go than this lot. Right, everyone!’ she called. ‘Let’s go! I’m afraid you’ve got a long walk, but there’s a great church at the end of it!’
Lydia followed Ellie and their trio of Freshers off campus, down the hill, and into the city. The houses in the student quarter were sleepy but mostly inhabited. The church bells were ringing in St Andrew’s peculiar octagonal tower. Behind her, the tall, elegant finger of the Sciences Block was flashing insolently white. The morning sun was turning the cathedral to warm honey, and glinting off the swift, silent river.
All the way to church she pointed out the places that it might be useful for the new students to know. The off-licence on Dorchester Road. The Curzon Arms, which they would refer to as ‘Curzon’s’ soon enough whether or not they were the type to spend any time in there. Southview, the good shopping street, and Broadway, the rubbish shopping street. The only really safe spot to cross Western Road, if you worried about that. All the other churches that they could have chosen to go to (but St Mark’s really was the best choice).
And there it was. Certainly not the oldest church in Stancester, definitely not the easiest to get to from campus, and hardly the most beautiful, but her church, and the soundest. Chris was standing at the door wearing his loudest shirt and his widest smile, ready to welcome the new intake. Ellie led the new crowd in and showed them to the reserved seats; Lydia followed with an undeniable sense of pride, and, satisfied at last, sat down for the few minutes before the band started up.
Dear Lord Jesus, she prayed, please help me to get a hall group together. And please change me. You can change me. You know what I struggle with. Please show me the way to be. You know what I struggle with. Please show me the way to be.
The post appeared first on A.O. Chika Book Blog.
July 24, 2016
Author Highlight: Jaclyn Osborn
A.O. Chika Book Blog is happy to feature Jaclyn Osborn as a guest author.
About Jaclyn:
Jaclyn Osborn was born and raised in the state of Arkansas. When not actively writing a new book, she can be found plotting and gaining inspiration for the next story. Writing is her passion and she’s thankful for each day she’s able to live her dream. A firm believer in happy endings and redemption for damaged souls, her boys in her stories mean the world to her, and she’d be lost without them.
All types of genres in the m/m world interest her, in both reading and writing, and she hopes to delve into a few of them in her writing career.
Author Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Facebook
Interview with A.O. Chika
What was your debut novel?
Michael’s Awakening
What’s one story you’ve written that has stuck with you long after writing it and why?
Dear Adam.
It’s such an important story that reflects what not only young LGBTQ teens go through, but adults as well. I love what one reviewer wrote: “I love how this author brought forth such a hard subject to bear and yet made it a hard story to put down. I just HAD to keep reading and know what was going to happen next!! I highly recommend this story to Young Adults and Adults alike, but fair warning, this is not for the faint of heart, though I do suggest giving this book a read because it will surprise you and make you really think.”
I recently had it made into an audiobook, and I couldn’t be happier with it! My narrator, Brad Rakushin, did a phenomenal job at bringing my characters to life. I’m the one who wrote it, and not even I can listen to it without crying haha that says a lot about Rakushin’s talent.
What made you decide to write LGBTQ stories?
I didn’t really decide to write them; it’s what feels right in my heart. I’m a firm believer in love is love and acceptance. When the characters from Michael’s Awakening came to me, I knew I HAD to write their story. Although I might eventually expand my writing and write a paranormal or historical here and there, I’ll always stick with male/male romance.
What’s your newest released book?
Strength to Forgive (A Cadbury Novel Book 1)
It’s a New Adult book about Aeron, a 19-year-old, who has always taken care of his autistic twin brother, Aidan. Their parents weren’t the best of people, and Aeron had to step up and care for his brother, otherwise no one else would have. Unforeseen events lead to Aeron and Aidan to move in with their half-brother who lives in Cadbury, Oklahoma. Once there, Aeron meets Luke—the owner of the local diner—and sparks fly. But Luke has secrets of his own, and his fear of getting close to someone again creates conflict in their relationship.
So far, I plan for this to be a three book series, with the second book releasing end of summer.
Jaclyn Osborn’s Books
Dear AdamBlurb:
**WARNING: This story contains suicidal material that may be sensitive to some readers. **
Things weren’t supposed to turn out this way. My story should have been different. Happier. Maybe in another life, it would’ve been. But, life isn’t a fairytale, and the good guys don’t always win.
I didn’t mean to cause anyone pain. I just wanted to end my own. The letter, his words—crushed me. It seemed as if there was no other way out. Nothing can change what happened, and nothing could have prepared me for what came after those two words: Dear Adam.
Strength to ForgiveBlurb:
After a devastating fire takes their parents, nineteen-year-old Aeron Turner and his autistic twin brother, Aiden, are starting over. Attempting to escape the painful memories and relentless guilt, the twins journey to Cadbury, Oklahoma in hopes that the family they barely know can help keep them together.
Luke Daniels struggles every day with his painful past, just trying to piece his life back together again. Running his diner gives him an escape from the haunting memories, but ghosts never stay buried for long and old wounds leave scars that make it hard to forget.
When a random encounter brings Aeron and Luke together, they must learn to overcome their pasts or be lost in them forever.
Micheal’s AwakeningBlurb:
One moment…that’s all it takes for life as you once knew it to change irrevocably. For Michael Kingston, that moment was when he first laid eyes on Gabriel. In his life, Michael had only known darkness, leaving behind a broken shell of a man. Unspeakable memories of his childhood constantly plagued him, causing him to disconnect emotionally from the world. No one had ever shown him love; therefore, he believed that he was unworthy of it. And then everything changed.
Gabriel Greyson had always been different. Growing up in a small Bible-thumping town, his preferences for men, makeup, and fashion made him an outcast. But, with the support and love of his family, he overcame obstacles that were thrown his way and rose above the intolerance. He danced to the beat of his own glammed out drum and refused to believe that he was anything other than ultra-fabulous. Working as a beautician, he had a job he adored and felt that everything was perfect in his life. Everything except for true love.
When these two unlikely men meet, sparks fly. For the first time in Michael’s life, he feels like he can overcome the darkness inside of him. Gabriel gives him hope and slowly brings him out of the shadows, showing him that even the darkest of souls can be redeemed. But there are secrets that Michael keeps locked away. Will Gabriel see past the torments of Michael’s past, or will he turn away from him when he discovers the truth? After all….who could ever love a beast?
Zach’s AwakeningBlurb:
Fear. Zack Greyson had never known the true meaning of the word until he suspected he might be gay—which wasn’t an option for the personal trainer and ex-football star. He’s tried to convince himself that his attraction to men is nothing more than just a mere curiosity, but when Jackson Parker walks into his life, that façade comes shattering down.
Jackson Parker is used to rejection because secrets never stay hidden forever. Left slightly broken and with no sense of belonging after his family’s rejection, he’s sought love in all the wrong places before. But meeting Zack, the hazel-eyed jock with killer dimples, Jackson steps out of his comfort zone and fights one last time for the happiness he knows he deserves.
Falling for a supposed straight guy was crazy, but for once, Jackson feels like his luck has changed, and he’s finally found someone who won’t throw him away. However, Zack struggles to discover who he is and who he wants to be. When his fear of coming out drives a wedge between him and Jackson, only one question remains: Which is stronger: love or fear?
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July 23, 2016
Book Review: A King and a Pawn by Liv Olteano
Blurb:
Bert Cooper’s life used to be great, until his sister turned out to be a traitor. Now Bert feels the whole pack looks on him with doubt and suspicion. To prove his loyalty, he volunteers to be the first ambassador at Fey Court, gathering information to finally solve the Leader Murders and punish those plotting against the Council and community. At least, that was the plan….
When Bert meets Sir William Matthew Sims, Court Interrogator, and one hell of a sexy man, life becomes a balancing act. And when the Fey King is assassinated, things become really messy.
Pack politics, fey politics, treason, suspicions of treason…. Bert has to choose between being ruled by his fears or standing up for what—and who—he believes in. And it might just break his heart.
Title:
A King and a Pawn
Series:
Leader Murders #3
Author:
Liv Olteano
Genre:
Paranormal, Mystery
Publisher:
Dreamspinner Press
Release Date:
June 17, 2016
Format:
Mobi.
Pages:
234
Source:
GayBook Reviews
Review:
I love this book so much. I’m going to break my review into two parts: Storyline and Character.
Storyline:
When I read the blurb the first thing I thought was that there was a lot going on and to be fair there was a lot going on.
Calling it a romance book would be unfair because of the mystery/ suspense subplots (Yup there were several subplots). Calling it a mystery/suspense book would also be wrong because Bert and Will’s developing relationship remained at the center of everything.
For a while I though Weiss was the ‘bad guy’ and it distracted me from so many things that were foreshadowed, at the end, it was like being smacked in the face… In a good way… I’m starting to think I might have some masochistic tendencies.
The premise was exciting, the plot was original and the execution as great. The plot started as just Bert going to the Fey land to act as an ambassador, from the blurb I know the Fey King would be assassinated I just didn’t think it would happen so soon. It was an exciting hook and I was afraid with a hook that dramatic the rest of the story would fizzle out, but instead a lot of politics, magic Romance and a lot of drama/suspense happened.
Character:
I’m glad that for once the MC is not a skinny nerd or aMatt Booner lookalike but a normal guy. Bert is chubby, can cook and love sweets, he’s the perfect guy, I loved his hesitation nd the insecurities he had, and God I’m glad he wasn’t one of those characters that get insecure about their body throughout the book. Bert owned that shit!
I loved his dynamics with his Alpha Weiss, as well as his dynamics with Will.
Loved seeing their vulnerabilities just as much as I loved their strengths, I loved Will’s love and dedication to his kids. I loved peeling al of Will’s layers and finding that sexy fluffy man on the inside. I also loved Savannah, she’s amazing!
I love the short scene about eating disorders and bulimia, as someone who once dealt with Anorexia I can understand the delusion, then again I really don’t blame her, it’s not always about being thin though. Now back to the characters.
Bert is an amazing character, he was more than a character though, he was real, he had a past, a future, he had regrets, he had his good and bad moments just like anyone, there were times I wanted to punch him in the face and there were times I wanted to cuddle with him. He was a three-dimensional character, I mostly loved the scenes where what he said and what was on his mind/body language was different, the author pulled it off perfectly without repeating lines in case the readers didn’t catch the lie.
Don’t get me started on the chemistry between Bert and Will, I didn’t mind Bert and Richards ‘thing’ but meh it was just a way to gain info so I wasn't bothered.
Plot
Editing
Characters
Ending
Chemistry
Pacing
Summary
Interesting book, I'm glad that the MC isn't a buff, shirtless, picture perfect hottie.
4.5
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