Kaje Harper's Blog, page 6

Best of 2021

As we wind up the year, I wanted to post my Favorite Reads of 2021 (among hundreds of books I really enjoyed - a huge thank-you to not just these 13 authors, but the many, many authors whose books helped make 2021 less bleak and more survivable. Thank you for all you do!! )

In no particular order:

(Master of Hounds #1 ) Master of Hounds by R.A. Steffan

I really enjoyed this high-fantasy story about an aging soldier whose emperor is falling into senility, while three legitimate sons maneuver to take his place, none of them worthy of the role. Caius is no longer sure where honor drives him. The second son is the worst of the lot, crafty and sadistic, and since he's also not the true heir, Caius's conscience doesn't bother him when he helps a prisoner escape a cruel and unjust death. Developing an attachment to that prisoner, desire and affection combining for the first time in years, is a complication he didn't need, though. And it turns out someone wants one of them, or perhaps both of them, dead. This book has a very unresolved ending, but book 2 is HFN. Book 3 in 2022.
https://www.amazon.com/Master-Hounds-...



Peter Cabot Gets Lost (The Cabots, #2) by Cat Sebastian

You don't need to have read book 1 - A lovely story about Peter, a young man whose political family has high expectations for him, which don't include being gay. And Caleb, the poor scholarship kid who managed to get through college, graduate, and lands a job he can't get to. On the spur of the moment, Peter offers to drive Caleb to California, giving himself an escape, and so this road-trip, awakening, exploration and coming of age story develops across 1960s America. A comfort read of two men finding their places in the world and in each other's hearts.
https://www.amazon.com/Peter-Cabot-Ge...

Magic in Manhattan Collection: Spellbound / Starcrossed / Wonderstruckby Allie Therin

This trilogy was a whole lot of fun. In 1920s Manhattan, twenty-year-old Rory is a psychometric talent. He can hold an object, and look back into its past, watch it being made. This is very useful for detecting forgeries, his current job. But when a high-hatted gentleman tests him with a bundle of letters, it's the beginning of danger and adventure, with evil and magic afoot. The two men dance around their attraction, in that era, but the end of the series is solid romance HEA, and the fantasy world-building is intriguing and entertaining.
https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Manhatta...



Off Balance (Painted Bay, #1) by Jay Hogan

I really enjoyed this story of a ballet dancer whose brilliant career came crashing down - literally - when his Ménière’s disease took hold and he fell onstage, dropping his partner and beginning his descent into a routine of sudden dizziness and nausea, unexpected drop attacks, and a body out of his control. Judah has retreated home to the family mussel farm, run by his antagonistic brother, where a chance meeting with a widowed fisheries officer gives them each a new hope, even though Judah is really in no place for a relationship. I really appreciated the characters, the nuances, and the very real obstacles to their romance and HEA.
https://www.amazon.com/Off-Balance-Pa...


Charles (Learning to Love, #1) by Con Riley

Charles Heppel is a man who has dealt with substantial challenges from his severe dyslexia, and not let them stop him. A man who has used sex as fun and a mood-elevator happily and unashamedly, with enthusiasm and humor. He loves children and feels enormously protective of their right to emotional security and self-expression, and since his disability makes teaching unlikely, he's found himself a niche working with the preschoolers and play. But Charles has a hard time seeing his own worth. Then he meets Hugh, and finds a man for whom he is a light in darkness. Wonderful characters are the heart of this lovely, sweet story with a hint of poignancy, a favorite and already a reread.
https://www.amazon.com/Charles-Learni...



Molly House by A.R. Pip

I went into this book expecting a simple historical romance arc, with the nobleman and the groom somehow finding a way to be together. But while the end of the story does give me a beautifully solid HEA for Theodore and Jack, the road there is long, winding, and full of fallible men, stubborn men, mistakes, social issues, class differences, nasty family, good friends, love and loss and love again. (The cover is a bit misleading, showing Jack when cross-dressing, and perhaps looking like M/F.) There is a lot of great historical detail, and many unexpected turns. I will definitely be looking for more from this author.
https://www.amazon.com/Molly-House-R-...



Breathe (London Love, #1) by Sophia Soames

We meet two young men - one a burned-out porn star whose career and relationship crashed; the other a student trying to do everything from getting his degree to being guardian to his younger siblings. They both make mistakes. They both have back-story gradually revealed. In this author's hands, we empathize with them and perceptions of these guys change with new revelations and their own growth and maturity. The secondary characters were an interesting bunch, nicely nuanced, all with positive and negative qualities. The story itself is quiet, but echoes of the past shake both these guys, and they don't always react well. The ending is solid, sweet, and even fun.
https://www.amazon.com/BREATHE-London...


Songs of Red Currant Wine (Colors of Love #6) by V.L. Locey

Carl is a 55-year-old divorced ex-NHL player with an empty life, a dad he loves but hasn't spent enough time with, and a bad problem with alcohol. He's gay and has been in the closet his whole adult life. I love stories of older guys with baggage, and I really enjoyed this portrait of a man deeply damaged by childhood emotional abuse, and by the pressures of societal homophobia. Carl feels real, rough around the edges, bitter but daring to hope just a little. Tigh is young, but his experiences overseas make him wise beyond his years. His calm stability and centered self-perception make him exactly the right anchor for Carl's storm-blown angst.
https://www.amazon.com/Songs-Currant-...



Heir to a Curse (Romancing a Curse, #1) by Lissa Kasey

Zach has recently lost the woman he considered as close to a mother as a foster kid ever got, to cancer, and inherited her huge house. Over and over - far too often to be natural - the property has been visited with damages, fires, strange lights, and micro-burst storms. Zach takes up residence on the property in the cottage and starts seeing a lovely, slender white-haired man who disappears, a white rabbit, and fire and breakage. And then the dreams begin, of battle and death and promises broken. Myth and Asian cultures and fantasy blend, in a quest to solve the riddle and save the ghost, if that's what he is. And IMO this book hits an excellent balance between having the 2020 pandemic be a significant presence (like the main character yearning to hug a friend, when it's not safe) and yet not having the story centered on the pandemic. This story is a fascinating blend of urgent contemporary and paranormal/fantasy.
https://www.amazon.com/Heir-Curse-Par...


Penetration Test (The Phisher King, #3) by Thursday Euclid and Clancy Nacht

This book stands alone reasonably well. Unlike the first two books, this one focuses on Sam, a trans guy who's made a very successful career in the FBI by being excellent at what he does, which has so far all been on the tech/computer side. But he's a fit, active guy and willing to dive in when assigned along with Agent Crawford to go undercover in an intolerant gated community, investigating the disappearance of a gay couple.
I enjoyed the characters and (as a cis ally) felt the trans rep was well done. Sam's concerns and moments of dysphoria were well-judged, neither too angsty nor totally absent. The sex combined heat and vulnerability, on the part of both men, and the plot played out plausibly, with a twist.
https://www.amazon.com/Penetration-Te...




Honorable mention for the ends of series:

Subtle Blood (The Will Darling Adventures, #3) by K.J. Charles

This trilogy is a great post-WWI spy-adventure-historical romp, but because it's by Charles, the characters are fascinating, nuanced, unexpected and appealing. I loved all 3 installments, with Will, the stolid ex-soldier wondering why his inherited bookstore is attracting odd and dangerous folk, and Kit, the elusive and enigmatic young nobleman and spy who turns Will's life upside down.
https://www.amazon.com/Subtle-Blood-W...

The Beginning (Starting Over #5) by Matthew J. Metzger

I love almost everything Metzger writes. This series has fairly heavy BDSM for one MC, open relationships, a trans main character, and by the 4th book MMM and an asexual main character. The characters were very different men with different needs and yet they fit well together, and the author's skill helps expose and clarify who each man is and how they fit together, as they also grow and come to understand themselves better. Fascinating, with a solid romance ending by the conclusion of book 5.
https://www.amazon.com/Beginning-Star...


Benediction (Diversion #9) by Eden Winters

I really enjoy Lucky and Bo, from their first meeting in Diversion to this, the end of this mystery series, with a bonus novella to really wrap things up. Lucky is wonderful - tough, scrappy, smart-assed, intelligent, and deliberately abrasive, as he works desperately to maintain a veneer of don't-give-a-shit over his vulnerable core. Bo is his perfect match - strong, easygoing, quick with a comeback, and with hidden vulnerabilities of his own that Lucky can't ignore. The crimes in each book are interesting, with prescription drug issues I often learned something about, but the characters make the books, with humor even in the midst of adventure or angst. A favorite series.
https://www.amazon.com/Benediction-Di...


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Looking ahead, may 2022 be a great reading year for everyone - if you have a book you loved in 2021 and want me to add to my 2022 TBRs feel free to post it in a comment. Not that my list isn't already bursting at the seams, but I love hearing about the good stuff.

"Life Lessons" in audio; "Breaking Cover" back in ebook and paper

Life Lessons is now available in audio book.

JF Harding knocked it out of the park - his narration for Life Lessons is amazing. (4.9* from the early reviews.) Check out how well he captures the characters and all the emotional nuances of the story.

(Books 2, 3, and 4 will be coming in audio - just waiting for his schedule to have spaces.)

Audible : https://www.audible.com/pd/Life-Lesso...
Apple : https://books.apple.com/us/audiobook/...
...

Breaking Cover is now available in ebook and paper on Amazon and in KU (with the wide rerelease coming later in 2022)

At the end of Life Lessons, Tony and Mac were just beginning their love story. Both joy and crisis are in store for them in Breaking Cover. And sometimes a single moment is the measure of a man.

AZ US : https://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Cover...

(And don't miss the free short stories 1.5 and 1.8 between books 1 and 2 in And to All a Good Night + Getting It Right
https://www.amazon.com/All-Good-Night...

"Where the Heart Is" rereleased

Back in 2011, MLR Press invited me to do a short story for their Advent calendar. Short and sweet hasn't been my usual style, but I wrote Where the Heart Is and had a lot of fun with my young veterinarian figuring out his life and what really matters. I'm delighted to have this warm holiday story back out, with a cover that matches. (Thanks to DC Williams for the help.)

Where the Heart Is

Trevor Carson’s life changed the day his father died. After working as a small-animal vet in the big city, Trevor’s now back in his remote hometown, trying to keep his dad’s practice afloat while he figures out his next step.

He expected he’d want to sell up and flee back to civilization as fast as possible, but the town is beginning to feel like where he belongs. Except every day he spends there is a day away from his partner Michael, back in the city. As Christmas approaches, with a much-anticipated visit from Mike, Trevor’s going to have to decide what “home” really means.

(This warm, established-couple holiday romance is a lightly-edited rerelease of the 2011 story. Content warning for veterinary-related pet loss. 14,000 words.)

Just .99 on all vendors.
Universal link - https://books2read.com/u/bpw0L9
Amazon US link - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09MJ9VFH9

Life Lessons back, new covers, and in KU

I'm delighted to finally have my most popular series - Life Lessons - coming back into print.

I decided, for this series that has been wide for a decade, I would take the chance to, for once, put it up on KU, to see if new readers might find it. (And if previous readers want to see the minor changes I made, they can read the new version without buying it.) It will go wide later. And also in audio with JF Harding, who did an awesome job. (Release date pending Audible's review process)

Book 1 - Life Lessons is now available (AZ link - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09...)



Meet idealistic young teacher Tony who stumbles across a dying man. And homicide detective Mac, a closeted single father, who has no plans to ever come out. As they deal with murder and danger, in the private moments, these two begin building something special together.

And don't miss the FREE shorts 1.5 and 1.8 in And to All a Good Night + Getting It Right - on AZ -https://www.amazon.com/All-Good-Night...- this is also still available wide, but best read after book 1.
~~~

Part of the fun of rereleasing books is seeing new readers encountering my men for the first time. And this time, their wait for the next installment will be short. I had readers asking already how to get Life Lessons Book 2 - Breaking Cover - it's now available on AZ for preorder for a Dec 14 release date. (And to my very appreciated wide readers - this is the only series I'm going to bring back first in KU - it has been wide for a decade, and will be again, so this time I'm giving KU readers a first chance. It will go wide again later.)
Preorder Breaking Cover on AZ US - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LYXYQQ8/
~~~

Another part of the fun is NEW COVERS - Cate Ashwood created a big, dark, broody Mac for the next two volumes (Tony will be back on Book 4) and I'm delighted to show him off.





Home Work will return in January 2022. (And OMG that we're so close to 2022; where did the year go??)

I hope new readers will enjoy the series.

Unplanned Coda released; book 2 on sale

Today I released the final wrap-up ―(hush, Simon, yes, actually final)― novella of the Hidden Wolves series - Unplanned Coda. Paul has a few rough moments in here, and Simon wanted the story, and their triumph of an HEA against those impossible odds they first faced in Unacceptable Risk, on the page.

You can find Unplanned Coda - Book 7 on almost all vendors. It's up on Google Play, but may not be live yet for you.

Universal link: https://books2read.com/u/m2l5R6
Amazon US link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09GW8HZ67

(If you have the original series, only books 6 and now 7 are new, but consider getting the FREE book 1 Unacceptable Risk, which had a polishing edit. And Book 2 - Unexpected Demands is on sale for .99 until Oct 31st, for those new to the series.) My werewolves should be read in order.

Unplanned Coda - Book 7 excerpt:

Paul knelt beside Lucas, who was stretched out on a mattress on the cabin floor with his eyes closed, blood soaking his ribs all down one side, seeping into his shorts. After a quick hand-gel cleaning, Paul reached to check the injury. Lucas rebuffed his touch with a snarl, intimidating despite being on Lucas’s human face.

“Let me.” Aaron bent over them. Lucas was decades older than Aaron, more muscular, and had an acid tongue when he chose, but one command of “hold still” from his Alpha, and he let them strip off his shorts, then lay motionless for Paul’s touch.

Two deep, raw holes in Lucas’s side and stomach trickled blood. On Lucas’s human skin, those two spots didn’t line up into any kind of straight path for a bullet. On his wolf… Paul kept stumbling across little things that brought home werewolf reality.

“Looks like the bullet went right through his abdomen in wolf form.” Paul dug a stethoscope out of his bag and listened to Lucas’s steady heartbeat. “He could be bleeding internally. Or have a punctured bowel.”

“What do you need to do?” Aaron set a hand on Lucas’s shoulder to keep him quiet.

“If he was a dog, I’d operate, go in and check things out. A bleeding spleen or leaky intestine could be a slow death sentence.”

Lucas grunted. “Fuck if I’m letting any fucking butcher chop me open.” At a growl from Simon in the doorway, he added, “Not even a decent vet.”
Aaron said, “You’ll do as you’re told.”

“I can shift again.” Lucas opened his eyes to look up at Aaron. “I’ve already done it once, so probably any bleeding is stopped. I’ll be fine.”

Paul wanted to argue, because “I’ll be fine” sounded like a form of Russian roulette, but he had far less experience with shifter healing than any of these men.

Aaron said, “All right. One more shift and then you eat. And stay wolf for a bit. Then if you do need surgery, Paul can borrow the local veterinary clinic facilities.”

When the wolves came out, Paul had figured his days as medical provider to werewolves were numbered. After all, they could now take full advantage of a human hospital. He’d planned to point that out to Aaron the next time someone was hurt, but somehow at this moment, with Aaron’s eyes on him, he said, “Yeah, I guess so.”

He stood and backed up as Aaron took Lucas’s hand in his, squeezing Lucas’s fingers, while a look that was almost intimate passed between them. If Paul hadn’t known how hung up Aaron was on Zach, he might’ve imagined something more there than Alpha and Third. But that closeness was just pack, like a family. Family the way it ought to be, not like what I grew up with. He pushed the bitter thought away and focused on watching Lucas’s breathing as the older werewolf settled down to shift.

Simon came up behind him and slung an arm across his chest, pulling Paul back against his sturdy, muscular body. “Pack,” he murmured in Paul’s ear. “It’s there for you too, you know. Even if something were to happen to me, you have family now.”

Paul didn’t question how Simon had read his thoughts, just let himself be held, and watched as a member of his family writhed and deformed, and reformed, in gray fur and narrow muzzle and long, panting tongue. Nice and pink. Good color. Breathing easily enough. Focusing on the veterinary side let him shove the personal back out of mind.

When Lucas was fully wolf, Aaron checked him out, demanding nods and headshakes to verbal questions, blocking Paul from approaching. Simon murmured, “Sometimes after a rough shift, we get lost in the wolf for a bit.”

His arm across Paul’s chest was an iron bar, until Aaron said, “Right, Lucas, Paul will check you over now. And you’ll do what he says for tonight. I’ll fetch you some food.”

As Aaron left, Paul knelt beside the hundred-and-seventy-pound werewolf on the mattress. A thorough exam got him a couple of muffled rumbles from Lucas, and the suggestion of a thermometer up his butt was rebuffed with a whip of heavy, plumed tail, but Lucas looked good, for now. Paul settled in the doorway to the bedroom, where he could see the sedated elderly lone wolf sleeping peacefully on the bed, despite his bound legs, and also monitor Lucas on the other side.
Lucas’s muzzle wavered, lowered to the mattress, and he took a slow, snoring breath.

Simon sat beside Paul on the lone wolf’s side, tucked a pillow under Paul’s ass that he wasn’t stubborn enough to reject, and slung an arm across his shoulders. “Never a dull moment, huh?”

“You could say that, yeah.” He let his tone sound acid, but when Simon’s face fell, he added more warmly, “But I wouldn’t have chosen to do vet med if I liked dull, right?” It wasn’t Simon’s fault some idiots had shot up the pack. It wasn’t even Aaron’s fault, as much as Paul liked to give his Alpha Majesty a hard time.

“We could back away from the pack a bit.”

Paul elbowed his mate gently and leaned against him. “Right after you got done telling me this was my family? Nah. What would I do with my time?”

Simon nuzzled his ear and breathed, “I might have some ideas.”

A wash of sweet affection went through Paul. How the hell did a bitter loner like me with no idea how to do relationships end up with a guy like Simon? Paul knew he was the difficult one, the one who pushed and picked at the love that lay between them, while Simon patiently gave way and mended and kept his faith. Paul tried to ease their mate bond wide open. I love you. Could Simon feel that? I don’t deserve you, but you mean everything.

Simon nipped at his ear, then kissed his temple and laid a cheek on his hair. Satisfaction echoed between them, and trust, and contentment, in a cycle that built from his heart to Simon’s and back again, sweet and warm.

The click of the door latch made Simon raise his head, but not with any feeling of urgency, and Paul realized he’d identified Aaron before the door opened. A sharp meow heralded the arrival of their two feline family members as well. Nimbus trotted over and jumped into Paul’s lap with the entitlement of a thoroughly spoiled cat, rubbing long, white hairs off on his chest. Fractal hovered at Aaron’s feet, winding around him so the Alpha had to dance to avoid tripping, the cat’s tabby face intent on the bowl of food in Aaron’s hands.

“Simon, control your cat,” Aaron snapped.

Simon snickered…

~~~~~

Aaron has the big picture in hand, or so he hopes. But back home, Paul's past is about to meet his future. Find out how that happens in Unplanned Coda - Book 7 .

Coming Releases and blogging thoughts

I'm looking forward to the release of the unexpected seventh story in Hidden Wolves - Unplanned Coda , releasing on the 23rd, and in preorder on AZ now. (Will be released wide, but the timing was too tight for preorders.)

I'm also delighted that JF Harding is now busy recording the audio for Life Lessons - I love his work.

...

How do you define Happy Ever After?

I'm blogging today on Love Bytes Reviews about expanding the definition of a romance HEA - because [ Happy is what you say it is ] - check my post out on the link.

Going to GRL

I'm looking forward to GayRomLit - the M/M romance book conference happening in St. Louis MO this year, October 6-10. I have books to bring, swag (including some cute stickers and buttons with Necromancer art by Catherine Dair), and some other stuff. (The book signing on Oct 9th is open to the public BTW.)

You can get FREE books from 41 of the attending (or in a couple of cases were attending but had to drop out) authors from Prolific Works - check out the GRL authors Giveaway - https://claims.prolificworks.com/gg/epYNoTU1ZWXgZSU9PWC2
I have "Don't Plan to Stay" available for free download there.

I'm super not-organized this year. But I can drive there, which helps because not everything has to fit in a suitcase. I'm a bit nervous about a group event, but it's going to be all masked, and I'm vaxxed and we'll try to distance a bit (sad about no GRL hugs, but we want to live to have them next year.)

I'm also watching a very, very slow tire leak on my car, and trying to decide if I really have to get new tires before leaving, or if carrying a portable pump is good enough. Decisions, decisions.

If you're going, I look forward to seeing you there. If not, feel free to grab the free books. I want to say a huge thank you to the organizers Carol Lynn, Reese Dante, and Teresa Emil. With COVID issues last year and this, they've done an enormous job making things as safe and as fun as possible and working with the venue. Hopefully next year we can do a full GRL with the hugs included. If we do, it will only because those folks worked tirelessly on their own time to make GRL survive these hard 2 years.

Blog celebration and many books to win

One of the best parts of the M/M community is all the blogs that review, discuss, promote and share our stories.

"Joyfully Jay" has been doing this for years, with excellent reviewers and a lot of fun.

Today kicks off Joyfully Jay's "Reading Challenge Month" - Each week has a different reading challenge. As a blog, they review books that week that fit the challenge. They encourage readers to get involved by commenting on challenge reviews and reading along and writing their own mini-review of their book. For every review comment readers make, they earn one entry, and they can earn 10 entries for writing a mini review each week.

Each week has a sponsored prize and the first week ( New-to-Me Author Week) has a ton of ebooks and other prizes.

Find Reading Challenge Month on Joyfully Jay : https://wp.me/p2vyAS-myz

Nelson & Caleb now available

Today I've rereleased Nelson & Caleb - my novella that was part of the Storming Love hurricane setting series (all stand-alones). Nelson was one of those characters who is fun for a pantser. He started talking to me, and I loved this ordinary big guy with the three therapy dogs and a kind heart. But I didn't know why he didn't already have a boyfriend and 2.5 kids - he seemed like the type. And as I wrote, he told me why, and it was a surprise that made me pause for a moment and say "Oh." And of course, Caleb was the guy to get past those walls.

I hope readers who haven't met these guys will enjoy them.

AZ US - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09...
Universal link - https://books2read.com/u/3yadKn

Author Interview and giveaway

I was given the chance to do an author interview on the blog of a favorite author of mine - R.J. Scott (Check out her excellent hockey fic, in particular.) Come read a bit about my writing process and plans. If you comment, there is also a drawing for a set of the first three Necromancer books.

RJ has been amazing at opening up opportunities for other authors, and I'm delighted to have a showcase on her website today.

http://rjscott.co.uk/interview_KH