Eli Easton's Blog, page 7
January 9, 2019
Eli's Favs: Little Harbour by Sophia Soames
I saw this book mentioned on Facebook. I’d never heard of the author, but based on the blurb and enthusiastic recommendations, I decided to try it. I’m happy to give it my rave review as well!
The romance is set in Oslo and it’s between a professor of poetry, Axel, who lost his wife a year ago and is struggling to get through every day with this four children, and a male midwife/nurse, Jens, who is single. When Axel runs across a photo of Jens on a blog post, he realizes it’s a guy he knew in college. They’d been the closest of best friends until a kiss caused awkwardness between them. The widower, Axel, decides he must reconnect with his old friend. It turns out Jens has been in love with Axel all these years. And Axel very quickly has to convince Jens he’s not going to mess with his head again, that he wants to try for a real relationship
There’s a lot to enjoy in this story. I loved the Scandinavian setting. I loved that Axel and Jens are basically soul mates who met when the time was not right, and later find each other again. Axel and his children are sort of a mess after the death of his wife, so there’s a hurt/comfort element of the story too as Jens comes in and has to tread carefully, and yet he ultimately brings so much healing to this family. And I loved the family aspect of it, all four kids. The author doesn’t shy away for including the kids in the story, often and loudly, and very messily too. I can’t recall reading a m-m romance before that had so much family time in it. It felt very realistic, and I really liked that. To me, there was still plenty of romance to balance out the family scenes.
This appears to be Sophia Soames’ first book, and I hope to read more from her in the future.
Eli's Blog RSS
December 22, 2018
ELI'S FAVS: NEW CHRISTMAS BOOKS FOR 2019 - PART 2
More Christmas goodies! I haven’t had nearly as much time to read this season as I’d like, but here are some new Christmas books I read and recommend.
The Christmas Angel Series. I’ve now read nearly all the books in The Christmas Angel series, a series I have a book in myself. I love N.R. Walker’s books as a rule, and this one was particularly good. I loved the 60’s setting and the hurt/comfort aspect of the book when her Vietnam soldier comes home wounded. Read it!
The Christmas Angel Series. Anyta Sunday’s contribution to the series is really fun. Her story is based on “The Taming of the Shrew”. Pax Polo is a great character, witty, clever, and always has an angle. He starts of trying to distract the “shrew” next door (the older brother of a lovely young woman) in order to give Pax’s roommate and a business associate a chance to court the girl. But he ends up falling of the shrew. Really well-done.
Keira is another favorite author of mine. In this Christmas-y tale, she has a hunky, grumpy lumberjack character who is roped into playing Santa. He and his younger, twinky elf find they’re a perfect match. Steamy holiday fun.
I met Ella and Brooke at Y/Con in Paris in December, so I was eager to check out their Christmas book. It’s a fun, light rom com featuring a guy who meets the man of his dreams briefly, but when he goes home for Christmas, the same guy shows up as his sister’s boyfriend. It’s all a mix-up and the angst is very light. Well-written and definitely recommended. It has a Hallmark feel, which I loved.
I’m heading out for 10 days in Seattle for the holidays. Hopefully I’ll get to read more holiday goodness. Have a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year! See you in 2019.
Eli
November 24, 2018
Eli's Favs: New Christmas Books for 2019 - Part 1
I love Christmas romances, both writing and reading them. So far this year, I’ve had good luck with the ones I’ve read. In no particular order:…
My first Christmas season read of 2018 and I loved it. Ben and Adam meet when Adam walks into Ben's "kosher style" bakery in Boston while travelling there with the ice hockey team he coaches (he's from Montreal). Both men have similar histories. Both were skaters (one hockey, one a speed skater) who had to give up on dreams of Olympic glory. Both are Jewish, though Adam's father was a rabbi and Ben's family was unobservant. I loved Adam's young hockey players--they sounded like real kids and added a family flavor to the story. And Ben and Adam were sweet together, earnest guys who have some bumps along the way to trusting one another. Highly recommended.
A lovely Christmas book from Annabeth Albert. It features a retiring Sergeant Major from the military MP who believes he's over the hill and who has a job lined up in Florida, and a young social worker who lives in a small, cold, northern town stuffed full of his relatives. When the military guy, Nick, is roped into playing Santa for the social worker, Teddy's, community fund raiser, Teddy is star struck immediately. It takes Nick longer to warm up to the idea of having the younger man in his bed and longer still for him to admit they have something worth changing his vision of his future for.
I love Christmas stories that have lot of snow and extended family fun, and this one has that in spades. Fun, sweet, and hot. Highly recommended!
THE CHRISTMAS ANGEL SERIES
I’m in a series this year with six other amazing authors, so I am slowly reading through the other books in the series. The entire series releases Dec 2nd. My book is CHRISTMAS ANGEL, which you can read about here.
So far I’ve read Kim Fielding and RJ Scott’s entries, and I loved them both.
I loved the fairytale-like royal setting of this story, in the beautiful little kingdom of Montaunoit with the snow and tons of Christmas lights, Christmas market, hidden passages and archives in the palace, etc. The Christmas Angel is believed by the palace staff to be a "golden ghost" and she has a nice influence in this story, steering Prince Rafe and the British Museum historian, Marc, to true love. I always enjoy RJ's Christmas books and this one will be one of my favorites.
This historical is a lot of fun. It's set in 1880's New York, which is an unusual period for a romance. It features the son of a wealthy department store owner and a rough cowboy who is a bit of a fish out of water in New York. The romance is sweet. I loved the way Kim used the angel ornament as a kind of guardian angel figure in their lives, urging them together. Great and hopeful ending. I always love Kim's books and this is no exception.
Lots more Christmas books in the pipeline. It’s not even December yet! Whee! More reviews soon.
Eli
November 16, 2018
CHRISTMAS ANGEL - Series page and first chapter added
It’s getting closer to December 2, the release day for my 2018 Christmas book, CHRISTMAS ANGEL. The final draft was sent off to the formatter today.
I’ve also added a CHRISTMAS ANGEL SERIES PAGE, which has the info for all seven books in the series. This is a “shared universe” series. That means that all books can be read as stand-alones but they share something in common. In this case, it’s a Christmas angel ornament that appears in every story. The stories take place at different periods in history and were written by myself, Kim Fielding, L.A. Witt, Jordan L. Hawk, Anyta Sunday, N.R. Walker, and R.J. Soctt. Check out the series page for more deets.
I’ve also put up the first chapter of my book for those who want an early teaser. You can read it here.
Christmas is coming!
Eli
November 13, 2018
Holiday Special: All Eli's Christmas books are back on Kindle Unlimited
For the Christmas season, I’ve put all my backlist Christmas titles on Kindle Unlimited. They’ll be on KU through New Year’s.
To read more about each title, check out my Christmas book page.
Amazon.com link for Eli Easton books
Amazon.co.uk link for Eli Easton books
They will be available on all Amazon retail sites.
Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and a joyous New Year’s!
- Eli
November 7, 2018
Cover Reveal: CHRISTMAS ANGEL
Checkout the official Cover Reveal post and giveaway on LOVE BYTES.
Looks what’s here! I’ve written a Christmas book every year since 2013 (BLAME IT ON THE MISTLETOE), and they’re always a highlight of my writing year. I love to write them and I’m also a glutton when it comes to reading other author’s Christmas stories.
This year I’m doing something new. I’m in a series with six other authors. RJ Scott, NR Walker, Anyta Sunday, LA Witt, Jordan L Hawk, and Kim Fielding. I love all of these authors, so I’m thrilled to be doing a project with them.
This is a shared universe series. What that means is that all the books share a common idea but can be read as a stand alone without any reference to the other books in the series. In fact, each book takes place in a different era and they share no characters—except for an angel tree ornament that travels down through time.
BLURB:
The Christmas Angel Series
In 1750, a master woodcarver poured all his unrequited love, passion, and longing into his masterpiece—a gorgeous Christmas angel for his beloved’s tree. When the man he loved tossed the angel away without a second thought, a miracle happened. The angel was found by another who brought the woodcarver True Love.
Since then, the angel has been passed down, sold, lost and found, but its magic remains. Read the romances inspired by (and perhaps nudges along by) the Christmas Angel through the years. Whether it’s the 1880’s New York (Kim Fielding), the turn-of-the-century (Jordan L. Hawk), World War II (L.A. Witt), Vietnam-era (N.R. Walker), the 1990’s (Anyta Sunday), or 2018 (RJ Scott), the Christmas Angel has a way of landing on the trees of lonely men who need it’s blessing for a very Merry Christmas and forever HEA.
Pretty cool, right? My book is the first one, chronologically. It’s set in 1750 London and is the origin story for the angel. Here’s the blurb:
CHRISTMAS ANGEL
THE CHRISTMAS ANGEL – BOOK ONE
1750’s LONDON, ENGLAND
When John Trent, a dedicated member of the new Bow Street Runners, finds an exquisite carved angel floating in the Thames, he can’t stop thinking about it. He tracks down its creator, a sad and quiet young sculptor. But neither the angel nor the sculptor is done with John just yet. The blasted angel refuses to leave him be, behaving not at all like an inanimate object should.
Alec Allston is resigned to the fact that his love will ever be a river that flows out and never flows in. All he wanted to do was create a special gift so that a small part of himself could be with his unattainable and noble beloved, always. But when the gift keeps showing back up at his shop in the hands of a windblown and rugged thief-taker, Alec will need to reconsider his conviction that love is destined to remain an ethereal ideal.
YES, ELI WRITES YET ANOTHER HISTORICAL:
I have a (bad? good?) habit of writing in various sub-genres. I’ve written a few historicals. THE LION AND THE CROW is set in medieval England. ROBBY RIVERTON: MAIL ORDER BRIDE is set in the old West. CHRISTMAS ANGEL is set in Georgian London. I love Georgian and Regency romances, and this is my first attempt at writing one. It’s been a lot of fun but also a ton of work with all the research. Hopefully it comes up to snuff!
RELEASE DATE:
All the books in the series will hit the market on the same day, December 2. More info on that to come!
ELI
October 24, 2018
Halloween Scare Trail: Eli's Horror Movie Marathon
ELI’S GIVEAWAY
I’m happy to be part of RJ Scott’s Halloween Scare Trail, which features blog posts with great giveaways as a treat for Halloween. My post is about the horror movie marathon I’m doing.
For my giveaway, I’m doing a $20 Amazon gift certificate. To enter to win, just add a comment below. I’ll pick a winner with a random number generator. Since my post is about horror movies, if you’ve enjoyed any horror movies this October, let me know in the comments!
ELI’S HORROR MOVIE MARATHONI love horror movies. My favorites are the old gothic and Euro gothic movies (like The Innocents), supernatural/paranormal (like The Fury and Firestarter), ghost/hauntings (The Others), giallo (Italian thrillers like Don’t Torture a Duckling), creature features (Jaws, Grizzly), disaster movies, and witch/vampire/zombie movies. The only type of horror I really don’t like are films I consider “torture porn” like Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the Saw franchise, etc. I particularly love vintage stuff from the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s.
I’m also OCD and enjoy reading and movie challenges. Last year, I discovered a forum that has an annual horror movie marathon. I’m participating this year and will reach over 100 horror movies watched in October.
For anyone who might be interested in doing it, here’s a link to the challenge on DVDTalk forum. The challenge is in its 14th year.
The highlights of this month’s viewing so far are listed below All are recommended—assuming you like horror movies!
Abominable (2006) - Fun tongue-in-cheek horror movie that’s sort of Rear Window meets Bigfoot. A man in a wheelchair sees a huge yeti type creature preying on a cabin of college age girls next door and can’t figure out how to help them.
Antichrist (2009) - This Lars Von Trier film is not for the squeamish, but it’s got gorgeous cinematography and is a total head trip. Very sexy too.
Blood on Satan’s Claw (1970) - Folk horror that revolves around historical witchcraft and pagan beliefs is one of my favorite sub-genres. (Think The Wicker Man). This is a cool story set in a historic English village. The bones of a mysterious entity are accidentally unearthed, and it begins taking over the village children.
Cujo (1983) - This huge-dog-with-rabies story holds up surprisingly well. I hadn’t seen it since it first released. Looks amazing on blu ray.
Down (2001) - This is a tongue-in-cheek horror movie about an evil elevator. Way more fun than I expected.
Dressed to Kill (1980) - A vintage psychological thriller that’s still riveting to watch. The Criterion version is rated X!
The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967) - The cinematography is incredible in this farce that sends up Euro gothic horror. I know Roman Polanski is problematic, but in this film he’s young and seems so sweet and innocent (and cute). It’s very funny.
Firestarter (1984) - A young girl and her father are on the run because of the supernatural power they both have. George C. Scott is amazing in this.
Frogs (1972) - Because a young Sam Elliot without his moustache is a gorgeous thing to behold. Also I’m fond of 70’s eco horror.
Happy Death Day (2017) - Fun college-age horror movie about a girl who keeps dying over and over until she can figure out who’s killing her. Has a good sense of humor and a bad-girl-turns-nice trope.
The Hidden (1987) - I love Kyle MacLachlin in this. An alien predator who can shift into different bodies is causing a rash of murders and a detective works with another new detective from out of town to stop it. Nice mix of odd-bedfellows-partnership and an action/horror script.
Kwaidan (1964) - Japanese anthology of spooky stories. The cinematography is amazing on the blu ray edition. I love folktales from other parts of the world, and this anthology features Japanese folklore.
Lake Mungo (2009) - Cool documentary-style film about a girl who is supposedly drown in a lake and her haunting of her family. Found footage style.
Mill of the Stone Women (1960) - Old school Euro gothic film featuring a young man who goes to a small village to study with a professor. There’s a mill with wax figures of women in history being killed (like Joan of Arc) and a beautiful young woman who isn’t what she appears. Gothic at its finest.
Opera (1987) - Wonderful giallo film that revolves around a killer stalking an opera production of MacBeth. I loved the opera scenes and soundtrack.
Patrick (1978) - I love films about supernatural powers. This vintage 70’s classic features a comatose patient who can move things with his mind. Cool.
Phobia 2 (2009) - From Taiwan. Excellent anthology of horror shorts. I love the story of the juvenile delinquent who is sent to study as a monk to straighten him out, only he is rebellious and runs afoul of an ancient deity.
Pontypool (2008) - Interesting take on the zombie movie. In this one, a radio talk show host is trying to figure out what’s going on as a zombie-like illness takes over the town outside. It’s cool that it takes place entirely without the radio station. Almost like a stage play.
Ravenous (1999) - A horror type on The Donner Party. Horror set in the old West is rare, and I love this little film. Stars a very cute Robert Carlyle too.
The Reincarnation of Peter Proud (1975) - Another 70’s paranormal thriller, this time about reincarnation. It stars the wonderful Margot Kidder who passed this last year. The story holds up well and it looks fantastic on blu ray.
Venom (1981) - I love Oliver Reed! I also love him in Burnt Offerings. In this little British Film, a chauffeur and maid plan to kidnap their master’s child to hold for ransom but their plans are foiled by a black mamba snake that’s accidentally let loose in the house. Tense and with a very tight script.
Viy (1967) - A Russian film that feels very authentic in terms of location and casting. A young priest in training accidentally kills a witch and must sit with her body for 3 nights saying prayers. Very cool effects.
The Washing Machine (1993) - An Italian thriller that’s got a lot of soft core porn in it but is also an excellent mind-game script ala Diabolique. The Inspector (played by Phillippe Cariot) is super hot!
The White Reindeer (1952) - Rare Lapland film shot in black and white about the wife of a reindeer herder who is a witch. I love the unusual setting of a Lapland village.
Who Can Kill a Child? (1976) - Awesome Euro 70’s horror movie about a couple who rent a boat and travel to a Greek island for vacation. When they get there, all the adults are missing and they only see children at a distance. Gradually they figure out that the island’s children are up to no good.
If you’ve enjoyed any horror movies this October, let me know in the comments!
SCARE TRAIL LINKS - LIVE OCT 28thRJ Scott - $20 Amazon Gift Card - www.rjscott.co.uk
Angel Martinez - $25 Pride Publishing Gift Certificate - https://angelmartinezauthor.weebly.com/from-angels-cave
V.L. Locey - $10 Redbubble Gift Card - http://thoughtsfromayodelinggoatherder.blogspot.com/
Jordan Castillo Price - Ebook or Audio of Reader's choice plus JCP Swag Pack - www.jordancastilloprice.com/blog
J.L. Merrow - Ebook of both newly re-released werewolf novels Camwolf & Midnight In Berlin. -
https://jlmerrow.com/
Rick R. Reed - Ebook of A Demon Inside from DSP Publications - http://rickrreedreality.blogspot.com/
K.A. Merikan - Paperback - https://www.facebook.com/KAMerikan/
Charlie Richards - $20 Amazon Gift Card - http://www.charlie-richards.com/
Amber Kell - $20 Amazon Gift Card - www.amberkell.com
Eli Easton - $20 Amazon Gift Card and 2nd prize of ebook copies of Gothika #1-4 - www.elieaston.com
Charlie Cochet - 3 x $10 Amazon Gift Cards - charliecochet.com/blog
Meredith Russell - $10 Amazon Gift Card - http://meredithrussell.co.uk/
Alex Jane - $10 Amazon Gift Card and Ebook from back catalogue.- www.alexjane.info
Stormy Glenn - $20 Amazon Gift Card and backlist ebook. -http://stormyglenn.blogspot.com
Annabelle Jacobs - $10 Amazon Gift Card and backlist ebook - annabellejacobs.com
October 20, 2018
Eli's Favorite Angsty Gay Romance Books
I'm a guest on The Novel Approach today talking about my favorite angsty books including books by Trish Gillham, Amy Lane, Sue Brown, Andrew Grey, Jamie Fessenden, Kim Fielding, Rick R. Reed, Jane Seville, and Felicia Watson.
October 16, 2018
BOY SHATTERED RELEASE DAY!
It’s out! This is one of the hardest books I’ve ever written, trying to balance making it an interesting page-turner with a beautiful romance while at the same time respecting the subject matter and treating it realistically. This book has angst, of course, but I also wanted it to have a lot of love and hope and even some humor. So far reviews have been good, and I’m very grateful for that. Here are the links!
LINKS
AMAZON.COM (ebook and paperback — on Kindle Unlimited)
Boy Shattered book page on this website
RELEASE DAY REVIEWS
“Boy Shattered is one of the best books I’ve read, and I can’t recommend Eli Easton’s writing enough.” - 10/10, Rainbow Gold book Reviews
“Just when I needed my conviction renewed, Eli Easton’s Boy Shattered first splintered and then revitalized my hope. The novel realistically portrays teenagers recovering from a school shooting.” - 5 stars, Kimmer’s Erotic Book Banter review
“And as Brian and Landon fall in love, watching Brian slowly rebuild – still broken but recovering – their love story is so tender and life-affirming.” - 5 stars, CrabbyPatty’s review on Gay Book Reviews
“Great POV, a terrific cast of characters, with a fast pace, Boy Shattered sucked me in and wouldn’t let me go until I’d turned the last page.” - 5 stars. Belen’s review on Gay Book Reviews
“Boy Shattered by Eli Easton is a heartbreaking, thought-provoking story about a school shooting. It’s about loss and the guilt that comes with surviving something like this. The feelings expressed felt realistic. It has outstanding character development and a steady pace. Most importantly though- as sad as heart-rending as this book was, it was also full hope.” - 4.5 stars, Lili’s review on Gay Book Reviews
“Eli's bravery to write a story based on such a tragic and realistic event is to be applauded. She approached this story with tact and tenderness, managing to create an emotional and heart-wrenching story.” - 5 stars, Amy’s MM Romance Reviews
Eli
October 14, 2018
BOY SHATTERED - Blog Tour Post
BOY SHATTERED comes out Oct 16th! I’ve been working with Rachel at Signal Boost Promotions on a blog tour. I’ll keep this post up to date with link to the various blog tour stops as they drop.
Guest Posts Scheduled:
October 17 - Love Bytes - “On writing poems for Boy Shattered”
October 19 - The Novel Approach - “Eli’s favorite angsty gay romance books”
October 23 - Mirrigold - “Eli’s favorite high school romance TV shows”
October 25 - Gay Book Reviews
October 26 - Bayou Book Junkie - “The Inspiration for Boy Shattered: Parkland”
FULL TOUR STOPS:
October 16 – Kimmers’ Erotic Book Banter, Gay Book Reviews, Amy’s MM Romance Reviews, Dilyana’s World, Lelyana’s Reviews, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Boulevard des Passions
October 17 – Love Bytes Reviews
October 18 – The Librarian’s Corner, Xtreme Delusions, Megan’s Media Melange, Urban Smoothie Read, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words,Dream Love Imagine
October 19 – The Novel Approach
October 20 – Cupcakes & Bookshelves, Book Corner Reviews, Jim’s Reading Room, We Three Queens, Making It Happen, Wicked Reads, V’s Reads
October 22 – Wicked Faerie’s Tales & Reviews, Open Mind For A Different View, MM Good Book Reviews
October 23 – Mirrigold guest post
October 24 – Bonkers About Books, Valerie Ullmer, Sanaa’s Book Blog, BFD Book Blog, Lillian Francis, Jessie G Books, Books Laid Bare Boys, Love, Sawyer
October 25 – Gay Book Reviews
October 26 – Bayou Book Junkie
