Ofelia Gränd's Blog, page 70
September 8, 2017
Friday Reads: Down South
Friday again and this week I actually read something. I picked up Down South by C.E. Kilgore a week or so ago - what girl doesn't want to read about a post-apocalyptic cowboy??
I really liked the first half of the story. We got to see the apocalypse happen, and maybe I read the wrong kinds of books, but most often we are thrown into a world where the apocalypse already has taken place. I liked that we got to be there, I liked the characters and the way the story built, but then when the end came I felt a little cheated. There are more books in this series but they're all stand-alones so it won't be of Gabe and Liam and the others.
***spoiler***
I'm just bitching now, but I have to let it out. I did like the story, but those who know me know I can't stand too sweet and this turned into way too sweet for me. You know in the college movies when the guy tells the girl he loves her and the entire audience in huge stadium get to their feet to applaud him? I turn off the TV when that happens, can't stand it, would rather shoot myself in the foot than endure it, and I'm sad to say that there I was enjoying myself out on the ranch when suddenly the shooting myself in foot moment came. I'm not saying that to be mean, I, in fact, think it can be an asset because the average reader loves a big love declaration with a clapping audience. I, on the other hand, was hoping for the neighbours to attack...
Now don't get me wrong, I really liked this story, and I might pick up another book or two in the series. If you like a cowboy getting his boy despite being out of electricity and working cars, this is the story for you!
Where do you want to be when the world ends?
An apocalyptic M/M Romance. Electricity is gone. Society is on its knees. The heart’s compass becomes the light in the darkness.
Gabe’s a Texas rancher who’s always kept part of himself on a separate paddock from his ranch hands and the small town of Post. When your hometown’s population is barely over five-thousand, chances are high you’re the only gay man for miles, and that coming out would do more harm than good. When the power goes out, a very lost and very far from home man named Liam stumbles onto his land. Stuck on the wrong side of the pond with no way home, Liam, a writer for a British travel magazine, struggles with culture shock. Gabe struggles to save his cattle from the apocalypse, and to ignore the attractive Liam’s obvious interest in more than friendship.
About the Heart's Compass series:
Our heart has its own compass. It knows where we should be heading, even if the rest of us doesn't. Through loss and love, our heart’s compass guides us through life, often to somewhere completely unexpected. When the world ends, the heart’s compass of several people has them headed in directions they may have never traveled otherwise.
Each book in the series is a stand-alone, novella-length story, but is written within the same fictional setting in which the Earth has just been struck with several massive solar flares. All modern technology has been rendered inoperable. Cars, computers, city infrastructure, phones – all gone in an instant and without warning. In the days directly following the end of the modern world, people must learn to depend on each other, and on their heart’s compass, if they hope to survive.
I really liked the first half of the story. We got to see the apocalypse happen, and maybe I read the wrong kinds of books, but most often we are thrown into a world where the apocalypse already has taken place. I liked that we got to be there, I liked the characters and the way the story built, but then when the end came I felt a little cheated. There are more books in this series but they're all stand-alones so it won't be of Gabe and Liam and the others.
***spoiler***
I'm just bitching now, but I have to let it out. I did like the story, but those who know me know I can't stand too sweet and this turned into way too sweet for me. You know in the college movies when the guy tells the girl he loves her and the entire audience in huge stadium get to their feet to applaud him? I turn off the TV when that happens, can't stand it, would rather shoot myself in the foot than endure it, and I'm sad to say that there I was enjoying myself out on the ranch when suddenly the shooting myself in foot moment came. I'm not saying that to be mean, I, in fact, think it can be an asset because the average reader loves a big love declaration with a clapping audience. I, on the other hand, was hoping for the neighbours to attack...
Now don't get me wrong, I really liked this story, and I might pick up another book or two in the series. If you like a cowboy getting his boy despite being out of electricity and working cars, this is the story for you!
Where do you want to be when the world ends?
An apocalyptic M/M Romance. Electricity is gone. Society is on its knees. The heart’s compass becomes the light in the darkness.
Gabe’s a Texas rancher who’s always kept part of himself on a separate paddock from his ranch hands and the small town of Post. When your hometown’s population is barely over five-thousand, chances are high you’re the only gay man for miles, and that coming out would do more harm than good. When the power goes out, a very lost and very far from home man named Liam stumbles onto his land. Stuck on the wrong side of the pond with no way home, Liam, a writer for a British travel magazine, struggles with culture shock. Gabe struggles to save his cattle from the apocalypse, and to ignore the attractive Liam’s obvious interest in more than friendship.
About the Heart's Compass series:
Our heart has its own compass. It knows where we should be heading, even if the rest of us doesn't. Through loss and love, our heart’s compass guides us through life, often to somewhere completely unexpected. When the world ends, the heart’s compass of several people has them headed in directions they may have never traveled otherwise.
Each book in the series is a stand-alone, novella-length story, but is written within the same fictional setting in which the Earth has just been struck with several massive solar flares. All modern technology has been rendered inoperable. Cars, computers, city infrastructure, phones – all gone in an instant and without warning. In the days directly following the end of the modern world, people must learn to depend on each other, and on their heart’s compass, if they hope to survive.
August 11, 2017
Friday Reads: Dear Mona Lisa... by Claire Davis and Al Stewart
There are many things that are great about being a writer but one of the absolute greatest is having author friends. Not only are they someone you can swap ideas with or ask for help, you also get to take part of their writing process. I was there when
Dear Mona Lisa...
by Claire Davis and Al Stewart was born, I read it when it when it was a draft, and then again when it was finished, and tomorrow I'll get to see it published.
I'm almost more excited about my friends' release dates than I am about my own, perhaps because I have greater expectations on theirs.
Dear Mona Lisa... is another favourite (though I think Shut Your Face, Anthony Pace! always will be number one for me) and I was snivelling every time I read it despite knowing exactly what would happen.
Tom steals my heart, as do the foxes. I love that every dawn has a colour, that Tom has shitty parents that despite being shitty are great grandparents and that his ex-wife was his best friend at six-years-old and at forty. There is no black and white - there are apricot yellows, fizzy orange, flooding pink, but also purple rage, yellow shame, sickly yellow, midnight blue, scarlet, and scattered silver. There are foxes and birds and stomach cramps. And Love. Love for a friend, for a partner, for an ex-wife, for a husband, a lost son, and a daughter.
This book shouldn't be missed!
Tom, shy office clerk by day and drawer of foxes by night wakes up one Monday knowing the most extraordinary week of his life is about to begin. In five days time a lifelong ‘secret’ will be made gloriously public—but will it mean losing the person he loves most?
Getting married…
It seems like only yesterday Tom changed nappies and sang nursery rhymes to a laughing baby. He relishes the demands of being a daddy; especially teaching his little girl to draw and paint as she grows up.
But the years tick by and times change. Long-buried secrets must come to the surface which may test even the strongest ties.
Tom and Lawrence…
He writes a list of all the things he has to do before the weekend and sticks it in the middle of his wall. The names and goals hang like threads of a spider’s web, inevitably leading to the centre, and all to the same place.
Dear Mona Lisa…
How to explain?
Each morning he notes the colours of dawn, listens to the birds and waits for the perfect moment. In one hand rests the balance of life and a terrible responsibility, in the other a wedding ring. Difficult days and the past loom, but his friends rally round and one by one the words come to life.
Everyone waits as Tom finds the strength to open up and set free the secrets of his heart in a celebration of family, friendship and love.
A quirky story of modern life, set within the breathtaking landscape of Bradford.
I'm almost more excited about my friends' release dates than I am about my own, perhaps because I have greater expectations on theirs.
Dear Mona Lisa... is another favourite (though I think Shut Your Face, Anthony Pace! always will be number one for me) and I was snivelling every time I read it despite knowing exactly what would happen.
Tom steals my heart, as do the foxes. I love that every dawn has a colour, that Tom has shitty parents that despite being shitty are great grandparents and that his ex-wife was his best friend at six-years-old and at forty. There is no black and white - there are apricot yellows, fizzy orange, flooding pink, but also purple rage, yellow shame, sickly yellow, midnight blue, scarlet, and scattered silver. There are foxes and birds and stomach cramps. And Love. Love for a friend, for a partner, for an ex-wife, for a husband, a lost son, and a daughter.
This book shouldn't be missed!
Tom, shy office clerk by day and drawer of foxes by night wakes up one Monday knowing the most extraordinary week of his life is about to begin. In five days time a lifelong ‘secret’ will be made gloriously public—but will it mean losing the person he loves most?
Getting married…
It seems like only yesterday Tom changed nappies and sang nursery rhymes to a laughing baby. He relishes the demands of being a daddy; especially teaching his little girl to draw and paint as she grows up.
But the years tick by and times change. Long-buried secrets must come to the surface which may test even the strongest ties.
Tom and Lawrence…
He writes a list of all the things he has to do before the weekend and sticks it in the middle of his wall. The names and goals hang like threads of a spider’s web, inevitably leading to the centre, and all to the same place.
Dear Mona Lisa…
How to explain?
Each morning he notes the colours of dawn, listens to the birds and waits for the perfect moment. In one hand rests the balance of life and a terrible responsibility, in the other a wedding ring. Difficult days and the past loom, but his friends rally round and one by one the words come to life.
Everyone waits as Tom finds the strength to open up and set free the secrets of his heart in a celebration of family, friendship and love.
A quirky story of modern life, set within the breathtaking landscape of Bradford.
August 7, 2017
The Hobby Section- Flash Fiction
The autumn cleaning continues! It's quite interesting finding things I'd forgotten I'd written. As soon as I started reading The Hobby Section I remembered writing it one evening to my friend - the dashing Mr Fisher. I don't really recall how it all came about but as so many other things I've written, it was a joke. I figured I might as well throw it in with the other stories in the Miserable Tales series so anyone who wants to can share in dear Walter's dilemmas.
The Hobby Section
Walter inhaled the scent of old books and stale air. The days Subject five worked downstairs were his favourites. Libraries simply weren't what they used to be—kids screaming, students lazing about, not to mention the computers littering the place. Libraries were made for books, but people had clearly forgotten that. The level below ground was all right, though. The archives to his right, a reading room to his left, and straight ahead was Subject five stacking and rearranging books on a bookshelf.
Subject five bent and reached for something on the bottom shelf showing off his pert arse. Walter groaned as his cock started to fatten. It was time to bring Subject five home.
He took a few steps farther into the hobby section, reaching down to rub himself through his tailored trousers with a trembling hand. Soon he would have Subject five struggling and whimpering underneath him.
Walter squeezed his eyes shut, forcing himself to remove his hand before he gave in to the urge of releasing himself from the shrinking cotton prison.
Subject five was making it harder than it should be. He was, of course, aware of Walter watching, the little tease. Why else would he fall to his knees and wiggle that fine arse in the air? His muttering and reaching for something behind the books on the bottom shelf was all for show. Walter knew Subject five was toying with him and yet he found himself panting like a mindless teenager.
There would be payback once they got home.
Subject five didn't know it yet, but Walter had prepared a room for him. It was right next to Subject two's. He had decorated Subject two's room in bright colours, shelf after shelf of children's books. It was perfect for him since he'd worked in the children's section before Walter had the chance to fetch him. Subject five deserved something altogether different. The shelves in his room were filled with crafting books—the hobby section, that was where he'd first laid eyes on Subject five, that was where he belonged.
"Erm, excuse me."
Walter whirled around and saw a young woman completely dressed in black with blood red hair and dramatic makeup. He scowled as she looked him up and down. How dare she interrupt?
Subject five got to his feet with a smile on his face. "Yes?"
"Did you know that old dude was watching your butt while stroking himself?"
Subject five gave him a horrified look, his eyes dropping to Walter's tenting trousers before he took a hurried step away.
"Just thought I'd let you know." The woman shrugged and reached for a book about knitting before turning to leave. "Check the surveillance tape; I've seen him here before." She nodded towards a camera in the ceiling and slipped away. Walter started sweating, his erection dwindling at the sight of the camera. When had they installed cameras?
He needed to get out of there. A perfectly nice library ruined! Subject five would have to wait. He'd dreamt about collecting him from within the library, but he'd have to rethink his plan. Walter would simply have to wait for a day he could take him from the car park.
He hurried away, taking the stair two steps at a time until he reached ground level. There, he took a right turn as soon as he made it out the doors.
Subject six's library didn't have cameras.
The Hobby Section
Walter inhaled the scent of old books and stale air. The days Subject five worked downstairs were his favourites. Libraries simply weren't what they used to be—kids screaming, students lazing about, not to mention the computers littering the place. Libraries were made for books, but people had clearly forgotten that. The level below ground was all right, though. The archives to his right, a reading room to his left, and straight ahead was Subject five stacking and rearranging books on a bookshelf.Subject five bent and reached for something on the bottom shelf showing off his pert arse. Walter groaned as his cock started to fatten. It was time to bring Subject five home.
He took a few steps farther into the hobby section, reaching down to rub himself through his tailored trousers with a trembling hand. Soon he would have Subject five struggling and whimpering underneath him.
Walter squeezed his eyes shut, forcing himself to remove his hand before he gave in to the urge of releasing himself from the shrinking cotton prison.
Subject five was making it harder than it should be. He was, of course, aware of Walter watching, the little tease. Why else would he fall to his knees and wiggle that fine arse in the air? His muttering and reaching for something behind the books on the bottom shelf was all for show. Walter knew Subject five was toying with him and yet he found himself panting like a mindless teenager.
There would be payback once they got home.
Subject five didn't know it yet, but Walter had prepared a room for him. It was right next to Subject two's. He had decorated Subject two's room in bright colours, shelf after shelf of children's books. It was perfect for him since he'd worked in the children's section before Walter had the chance to fetch him. Subject five deserved something altogether different. The shelves in his room were filled with crafting books—the hobby section, that was where he'd first laid eyes on Subject five, that was where he belonged.
"Erm, excuse me."
Walter whirled around and saw a young woman completely dressed in black with blood red hair and dramatic makeup. He scowled as she looked him up and down. How dare she interrupt?
Subject five got to his feet with a smile on his face. "Yes?"
"Did you know that old dude was watching your butt while stroking himself?"
Subject five gave him a horrified look, his eyes dropping to Walter's tenting trousers before he took a hurried step away.
"Just thought I'd let you know." The woman shrugged and reached for a book about knitting before turning to leave. "Check the surveillance tape; I've seen him here before." She nodded towards a camera in the ceiling and slipped away. Walter started sweating, his erection dwindling at the sight of the camera. When had they installed cameras?
He needed to get out of there. A perfectly nice library ruined! Subject five would have to wait. He'd dreamt about collecting him from within the library, but he'd have to rethink his plan. Walter would simply have to wait for a day he could take him from the car park.
He hurried away, taking the stair two steps at a time until he reached ground level. There, he took a right turn as soon as he made it out the doors.
Subject six's library didn't have cameras.
August 4, 2017
Friday Reads: Drawing Penises
It's time to get my act together. I have no idea where this summer has gone but I sure haven't been using it reading...or writing. Working as much as I have lately there hasn't been time for any of that, but August is here and it's time to get my shit together. There probably won't be a Friday Reads post every Friday but today there is.
This week I've discovered Wattpad...or I'm still totally lost over there, but I've created an account! Wattpad is a reading/writing community where you can comment on stories that you get to read for free, pretty cool actually. I've known about Wattpad for years but had the idea it was mostly Fanfiction over there so I never really looked it up. Turns out there is a little bit of everything which is awesome.
One of the stories I've read over there is Drawing Penises by Amy Spector. It's a flash with characters from Almost But Not Quite , a free story Ms Spector wrote for the Don't Read in the Closet Event in 2015. If you like puzzles and penises you should check out Drawing Penises, it's short and free, and if you go over to Amy Spector's page on Wattpad you'll see she has a few other stories there - all free.
Matthew has a visitor from his past.
Matthew and Timothy are characters from Almost But Not Quite by Amy Spector
This week I've discovered Wattpad...or I'm still totally lost over there, but I've created an account! Wattpad is a reading/writing community where you can comment on stories that you get to read for free, pretty cool actually. I've known about Wattpad for years but had the idea it was mostly Fanfiction over there so I never really looked it up. Turns out there is a little bit of everything which is awesome.
One of the stories I've read over there is Drawing Penises by Amy Spector. It's a flash with characters from Almost But Not Quite , a free story Ms Spector wrote for the Don't Read in the Closet Event in 2015. If you like puzzles and penises you should check out Drawing Penises, it's short and free, and if you go over to Amy Spector's page on Wattpad you'll see she has a few other stories there - all free.
Matthew has a visitor from his past.
Matthew and Timothy are characters from Almost But Not Quite by Amy Spector
August 3, 2017
Apart From You - A Horror Flash
I was doing a bit of an early autumn cleaning on my laptop and found a flash. Apart From You was part of Queer Sci Fi's Annual Flash Fiction Contest (ended up in a fifth place) 2015. And since it's such a happy little tale I thought I'd throw it in among the other happy tales in the Miserable Tales Series.
It's only 300 words long so I won't bother putting it up on any retailers, but if you want to you can read it here.
Apart From You
Don felt light, free. He hit the button on the radio and danced along with the pop tunes. In the middle of a pirouette, he opened the fridge door but stopped short as he saw a bowl of minced meat. Not even meatloaf could ruin this fine day; it might even make it better. Travis loved meatloaf.
He took out the bowl before glancing at the clock. Where had this day gone? He couldn’t remember doing anything. His heart sped up. Apart from getting up this morning, he couldn’t recall any part of the day.
Don tried to shrug it off, but the lightness in his chest was gone. He forced himself to breathe and went to get the dried bread crumbs out of the pantry.
The handle was sticky in his hand. He pressed it down, ignoring the way the hairs on his neck stood on edge. The light flicked on, and he steeled himself.
His shelves were discoloured. A dark brownish red liquid was everywhere. The pantry resembled a butcher's shop. Cuts of meat were hanging from the ceiling. The rusty smell made him wrinkle his nose. Don's eyes fell on Travis wedding ring. It shone brightly in the light of the lamp, still attached to a hand—Travis' hand.
The sharp taste of bile took over Don's mouth; he had to swallow it down. What was Travis’ hand doing there?
He took a step back, closed the pantry door, and raised his hand to rub his forehead. His fingers were stained, his nails dirty. Sweat coated his skin. How could he have missed how soggy his clothes were? A splatter of dark red was all over him.
Then he started laughing. What had he been thinking? Meatloaf? There was already a steak in the oven.
It's only 300 words long so I won't bother putting it up on any retailers, but if you want to you can read it here.
Apart From You Don felt light, free. He hit the button on the radio and danced along with the pop tunes. In the middle of a pirouette, he opened the fridge door but stopped short as he saw a bowl of minced meat. Not even meatloaf could ruin this fine day; it might even make it better. Travis loved meatloaf.
He took out the bowl before glancing at the clock. Where had this day gone? He couldn’t remember doing anything. His heart sped up. Apart from getting up this morning, he couldn’t recall any part of the day.
Don tried to shrug it off, but the lightness in his chest was gone. He forced himself to breathe and went to get the dried bread crumbs out of the pantry.
The handle was sticky in his hand. He pressed it down, ignoring the way the hairs on his neck stood on edge. The light flicked on, and he steeled himself.
His shelves were discoloured. A dark brownish red liquid was everywhere. The pantry resembled a butcher's shop. Cuts of meat were hanging from the ceiling. The rusty smell made him wrinkle his nose. Don's eyes fell on Travis wedding ring. It shone brightly in the light of the lamp, still attached to a hand—Travis' hand.
The sharp taste of bile took over Don's mouth; he had to swallow it down. What was Travis’ hand doing there?
He took a step back, closed the pantry door, and raised his hand to rub his forehead. His fingers were stained, his nails dirty. Sweat coated his skin. How could he have missed how soggy his clothes were? A splatter of dark red was all over him.
Then he started laughing. What had he been thinking? Meatloaf? There was already a steak in the oven.
June 9, 2017
Friday Reads | Line of Sight
This week I've picked up Line of Sight by Jenn Burke. It's another story from the Goodreads M/M Romance Group's Don't Read in the Closet event, this time from 2015's Love is an Open Road Anthology.
I haven't read anything by Jenn Burke before but I liked this short little Sci-Fi tale. Cal has been stranded on Earth for a year, he's in love with the man who took him in when he first arrived, but while he still was waiting to be rescued he doesn't want to start anything. Ryan lost his husband in a car accident and is hesitant to start a relationship. But things happen, Cal's past is coming back to disrupt Cal and Ryan's lives, and they find themselves fighting for survival.
This is a quick-paced short story with a little of everything - love, action, aliens, you almost died!!!, and more. Be sure to check it out. You find it for free here.
Betrayed by his alien partner, it takes intergalactic cop Cailad kar Natoth a full year to accept that he’s stranded on Earth. Rescue just isn’t going to happen. He’s now Cal Smith, a bartender of all things— but the situation could be worse.
Out from under the pressure of regulations, he has a chance to explore the emotions he’s always kept tightly controlled. Ryan Cameron, the man who offered him shelter and a job when he needed it most, once held up the chance to be more than friends— and now that Cal’s sure he’s staying, it’s time to take him up on it. Maybe they can see if the lust and desire ricocheting between them is the start of something more.
But Ryan’s lingering grief over the death of his husband five years before— and an unexpected visitor— might steal their future before they have a chance to build it together.
I haven't read anything by Jenn Burke before but I liked this short little Sci-Fi tale. Cal has been stranded on Earth for a year, he's in love with the man who took him in when he first arrived, but while he still was waiting to be rescued he doesn't want to start anything. Ryan lost his husband in a car accident and is hesitant to start a relationship. But things happen, Cal's past is coming back to disrupt Cal and Ryan's lives, and they find themselves fighting for survival.
This is a quick-paced short story with a little of everything - love, action, aliens, you almost died!!!, and more. Be sure to check it out. You find it for free here.
Betrayed by his alien partner, it takes intergalactic cop Cailad kar Natoth a full year to accept that he’s stranded on Earth. Rescue just isn’t going to happen. He’s now Cal Smith, a bartender of all things— but the situation could be worse.
Out from under the pressure of regulations, he has a chance to explore the emotions he’s always kept tightly controlled. Ryan Cameron, the man who offered him shelter and a job when he needed it most, once held up the chance to be more than friends— and now that Cal’s sure he’s staying, it’s time to take him up on it. Maybe they can see if the lust and desire ricocheting between them is the start of something more.
But Ryan’s lingering grief over the death of his husband five years before— and an unexpected visitor— might steal their future before they have a chance to build it together.
June 2, 2017
Friday Reads | Just Like in the Movies
A last minute Friday Reads post! I'd decided to skip writing anything today, I've picked mushrooms for nine hours, and it's been a crazy week so I hadn't even started reading anything. But, I sank down on the sofa, had my youngest empty a flower pot over me so I got to vacuum a little, then I searched the Amazon short fiction lists. I'm a bit crazy when it comes to lists, and on my to-do list it says Friday Reads post, leaving it there unchecked makes me break out in hives, so here we go...
Today I've read Just Like in the Movies by Clare London. It's a short read, will only take you a few minutes, and it's free so you have nothing to lose. Baily is a negotiator so sometimes situations can turn a bit tricky. He figures if he ever gets shot it'll be just like in the movies...it isn't, not quite.
I enjoyed this story, it has a few smiles in it, and it's short and easy to read - perfect for when you're exhausted. I was rather surprised, the cover made me think it'd be silly YA story and I'm never good at reading blurbs, but it was a pleasant surprise for me.
All Bailey wants is to be a good negotiator, and to impress his boss and teacher, the legendary Drew Fletcher. He admires Fletcher for his skills in the field, but that doesn’t stop him admiring the man for other, more romantic reasons as well. In a tense hostage situation, it’s pretty unlikely Bailey’s usual, rash behaviour will cover him in glory, but in his dreams, it’s all going to happen just like in the movies.
When he finally acts to protect his boss, it doesn’t go the way he hopes -- or does it? Will Bailey get to play the hero and get the guy of his dreams?
Today I've read Just Like in the Movies by Clare London. It's a short read, will only take you a few minutes, and it's free so you have nothing to lose. Baily is a negotiator so sometimes situations can turn a bit tricky. He figures if he ever gets shot it'll be just like in the movies...it isn't, not quite.
I enjoyed this story, it has a few smiles in it, and it's short and easy to read - perfect for when you're exhausted. I was rather surprised, the cover made me think it'd be silly YA story and I'm never good at reading blurbs, but it was a pleasant surprise for me.
All Bailey wants is to be a good negotiator, and to impress his boss and teacher, the legendary Drew Fletcher. He admires Fletcher for his skills in the field, but that doesn’t stop him admiring the man for other, more romantic reasons as well. In a tense hostage situation, it’s pretty unlikely Bailey’s usual, rash behaviour will cover him in glory, but in his dreams, it’s all going to happen just like in the movies.
When he finally acts to protect his boss, it doesn’t go the way he hopes -- or does it? Will Bailey get to play the hero and get the guy of his dreams?
May 27, 2017
The Big Gay Fiction Giveaway
I'm sure many of you have seen posts about the Big Gay Fiction Giveaway in your feed on various social media, but if you haven't you have two more days to pick up some summer reading for free.
All you have to do is go to The Big Gay Fiction Giveaway and click on the cover of the book you want to read. You'll then be magically transported to Instafreebie where you fill out the form, sign up for the authors' email list, and then you'll get a copy of the book in your inbox in your preferred format. Easy peasy!
I have Once in a Snowstorm in the giveaway, a tropy M/M romance about a grumpy lumberjack and a city guy getting stuck in a snowstorm.
If you don't like lumberjacks I'm sure you can find something else among the 80+ stories that are offered.
Don't miss out!
Looking to discover great new voices in MM fiction? Then the Big Gay Fiction Giveaway is for you! A selection of the finest gay and bisexual historical fiction, literary fiction, new adult fiction, science fiction and fantasy, as well as traditional and paranormal romance, all free for a limited time. Enjoy full novels, short stories, and chapters.
All you have to do is go to The Big Gay Fiction Giveaway and click on the cover of the book you want to read. You'll then be magically transported to Instafreebie where you fill out the form, sign up for the authors' email list, and then you'll get a copy of the book in your inbox in your preferred format. Easy peasy!
I have Once in a Snowstorm in the giveaway, a tropy M/M romance about a grumpy lumberjack and a city guy getting stuck in a snowstorm.
If you don't like lumberjacks I'm sure you can find something else among the 80+ stories that are offered.
Don't miss out!
Looking to discover great new voices in MM fiction? Then the Big Gay Fiction Giveaway is for you! A selection of the finest gay and bisexual historical fiction, literary fiction, new adult fiction, science fiction and fantasy, as well as traditional and paranormal romance, all free for a limited time. Enjoy full novels, short stories, and chapters.
May 26, 2017
Friday Reads | No Place Like Home
This week I've read No Place Like Home by Kim Fielding. Had I paid attention I might've known it's #1.5 in the Love Can't series, but I wasn't. It was the only story I had downloaded on my phone (I don't usually read on my phone), and my phone was all I had when I started reading. It didn't matter though, this story works just fine as a stand-alone short story.
Stephen has moved back into his mother's house after she has passed away. He often walks to the library even though his knee hurts, he talks to his neighbours and spends some of his days painting. One day a note falls out of a book he's borrowed and he calls the number written on it. On the receiving end of the call, he finds Max.
I liked this story, loved that the Stephen is 58 and Max a little older yet. It's a nice break to read about men who have been around for a while.
This short story is available now as a free download from the author's website. If you’ve read Love Can’t Conquer, you might enjoy meeting Stephen Walker, a resident of Bailey Springs, Kansas. He was mentioned briefly in LCC.
This story originally appeared in the Dreamspinner Press anthology Snow on the Roof, but has been lightly edited.
Stephen has moved back into his mother's house after she has passed away. He often walks to the library even though his knee hurts, he talks to his neighbours and spends some of his days painting. One day a note falls out of a book he's borrowed and he calls the number written on it. On the receiving end of the call, he finds Max.
I liked this story, loved that the Stephen is 58 and Max a little older yet. It's a nice break to read about men who have been around for a while.
This short story is available now as a free download from the author's website. If you’ve read Love Can’t Conquer, you might enjoy meeting Stephen Walker, a resident of Bailey Springs, Kansas. He was mentioned briefly in LCC.
This story originally appeared in the Dreamspinner Press anthology Snow on the Roof, but has been lightly edited.
May 19, 2017
Friday Reads | His Name was Harley Manfield
This week I've read
His Name was Harley Manfield
by T.A. Webb. It's been a long time since I've read T.A. Webb, it's not that he's fallen off my radar - I still hoard his books - but I haven't read any.
His Name was Harley Manfield is about three men, they met young and built a friendship that should've lasted a lifetime, and in a way it did but Harley's lifetime was cut short. Harley didn't tell anyone but Eric, a young man he treated like a son, he was ill. When he died it came as a shock to the others but the house Harley lived in is the house they all consider their home and they don't want to let go of it.
This was a rather emotional read. T.A. Webb, for me, most often equal an ugly, snotty, cry and there were times when my throat closed up but the experience was snot free. The plot didn't quite grab me as many of his others have, I guess, in the end, I didn't believe their friendship ran as deep as they all claimed. Still a good story!
They were the Three Musketeers.
College friends, they bond quickly. Time passes, and each man chooses his own path in life. One goes to Maine, one to New York. Harley stays in Atlanta, keeping their home safe.
When tragedy strikes, secrets are revealed and hearts are broken, The glue that held them together is tested, but in the midst of all their pain, Harley's love still binds them together.
His Name was Harley Manfield is about three men, they met young and built a friendship that should've lasted a lifetime, and in a way it did but Harley's lifetime was cut short. Harley didn't tell anyone but Eric, a young man he treated like a son, he was ill. When he died it came as a shock to the others but the house Harley lived in is the house they all consider their home and they don't want to let go of it.
This was a rather emotional read. T.A. Webb, for me, most often equal an ugly, snotty, cry and there were times when my throat closed up but the experience was snot free. The plot didn't quite grab me as many of his others have, I guess, in the end, I didn't believe their friendship ran as deep as they all claimed. Still a good story!
They were the Three Musketeers.College friends, they bond quickly. Time passes, and each man chooses his own path in life. One goes to Maine, one to New York. Harley stays in Atlanta, keeping their home safe.
When tragedy strikes, secrets are revealed and hearts are broken, The glue that held them together is tested, but in the midst of all their pain, Harley's love still binds them together.
