Ofelia Gränd's Blog, page 77
June 3, 2016
Friday Reads | Embraced Chained in Darkness
I like dark and gritty, I don’t necessarily crave erotica or BDSM but I read it every now and then. My favourite reads are dark, so I keep an eye on The Dark Arts M/M Erotica, a blog that reviews dark M/M books. A while back I saw a post about
Embraced: Chained in Darkness
by Nicholas Bella, a free dark erotica novelette. I downloaded it and now I’ve finished it.
This was not for me. I see that many readers out there love this little story but it did not work for me. I was too caught up in the speech tags and epithets to feel anything at all for the MC I'm afraid, and simply because someone says fuck/fucking every other sentence doesn't mean they’re all that tough. I'm quite generous with the curses when I write (and speak) but this is the first time I’ve wished a story had been kept cleaner, and it made me wonder how many times my editor rolls her eyes while editing out the offensive parts in my writing LOL.
If you like your characters to cuss a blue streak while being turned into a reluctant vampire sub give this a try. There is a whole series out there so check it out. I have a feeling there'll be some bloody fun in the following ones.
I’ve been betrayed by someone I trusted. Because of him, I was captured by my loathed enemy: The vampires. Right now, the sun is still high in the sky, but I know when it sets, I’m as good as dead. They can’t wait to get their fangs into me. I guess some would say I have it coming. I did raise a lot of hell with my Resistance crew, and I was planning on raising a hell of a lot more at dawn before I was sold out by Jonah. The vampires, werewolves and dragons, have been trying to track me down for months and I’d always been two steps ahead of them.
*Laughs* I guess my number is up. I just hope they make it quick. You see, the vampires in my reality aren’t the romantic lot you read about in books. They don’t sparkle or hang out at high schools with their teenage girlfriends. Hell no, vampires are brutal, calculating, sadistic and bloodthirsty. As a matter of fact, all of the monsters are! That’s how they were able to take over the world so easily and change an entire civilization to suit their needs. Whatever happens, I know it’s not going to be pretty, so I’m preparing myself for the worst. May God help me.
Warning: This novelette series contains hardcore sexual situations between men, not meant for sensitive eyes. I’m talking crude, lewd and full of attitude. This series will most likely either offend you or get ya revved up. This series isn’t going to be pulling any punches whatsoever, so you’ve been warned. Mature Adult Content meant for readers looking for something dark, taboo, sexy, and unapologetic in their paranormal erotica. This is NOT a romance. This novelette is approximately 13300 words.
This was not for me. I see that many readers out there love this little story but it did not work for me. I was too caught up in the speech tags and epithets to feel anything at all for the MC I'm afraid, and simply because someone says fuck/fucking every other sentence doesn't mean they’re all that tough. I'm quite generous with the curses when I write (and speak) but this is the first time I’ve wished a story had been kept cleaner, and it made me wonder how many times my editor rolls her eyes while editing out the offensive parts in my writing LOL.
If you like your characters to cuss a blue streak while being turned into a reluctant vampire sub give this a try. There is a whole series out there so check it out. I have a feeling there'll be some bloody fun in the following ones.
I’ve been betrayed by someone I trusted. Because of him, I was captured by my loathed enemy: The vampires. Right now, the sun is still high in the sky, but I know when it sets, I’m as good as dead. They can’t wait to get their fangs into me. I guess some would say I have it coming. I did raise a lot of hell with my Resistance crew, and I was planning on raising a hell of a lot more at dawn before I was sold out by Jonah. The vampires, werewolves and dragons, have been trying to track me down for months and I’d always been two steps ahead of them.
*Laughs* I guess my number is up. I just hope they make it quick. You see, the vampires in my reality aren’t the romantic lot you read about in books. They don’t sparkle or hang out at high schools with their teenage girlfriends. Hell no, vampires are brutal, calculating, sadistic and bloodthirsty. As a matter of fact, all of the monsters are! That’s how they were able to take over the world so easily and change an entire civilization to suit their needs. Whatever happens, I know it’s not going to be pretty, so I’m preparing myself for the worst. May God help me.
Warning: This novelette series contains hardcore sexual situations between men, not meant for sensitive eyes. I’m talking crude, lewd and full of attitude. This series will most likely either offend you or get ya revved up. This series isn’t going to be pulling any punches whatsoever, so you’ve been warned. Mature Adult Content meant for readers looking for something dark, taboo, sexy, and unapologetic in their paranormal erotica. This is NOT a romance. This novelette is approximately 13300 words.
May 27, 2016
Friday Reads | Words with Fiends
Are you up for a game?
This day has had a the-day-after feel to it so far. Could be that I finished the first draft of a story yesterday and is trying to remind myself once again why I do this. I love writing but it does make me question my sanity. So, naturally, I started baking and while the dough was rising I looked over my unread books and picked a short horror story.
Words with Fiends by Matt Schiariti is one of those stories where the MC plays a word game, in this case, Words with Friends. I’ve never played Words with Friend but my dad and I have been playing Wordfeud for several years now, approximately a game a day. I’m losing more often than not.
Words with Fiends is one of those scrabble-y fun stories. Charlie Fish’s Death by Scrabble came to mind even though it was years ago I read it. But, if you’re in the mood for some deadly, creepy, enjoyment check them out, it won’t cost you a penny.
When Morgan receives an anonymous invite to play his favorite mobile word game, he readily accepts. He quickly finds himself wishing he hadn’t. As the rules of the game bend and twist, so does his mind. The search to discover the mystery opponent’s identity soon becomes his whole world, but some questions are best left unanswered.
This day has had a the-day-after feel to it so far. Could be that I finished the first draft of a story yesterday and is trying to remind myself once again why I do this. I love writing but it does make me question my sanity. So, naturally, I started baking and while the dough was rising I looked over my unread books and picked a short horror story.
Words with Fiends by Matt Schiariti is one of those stories where the MC plays a word game, in this case, Words with Friends. I’ve never played Words with Friend but my dad and I have been playing Wordfeud for several years now, approximately a game a day. I’m losing more often than not.
Words with Fiends is one of those scrabble-y fun stories. Charlie Fish’s Death by Scrabble came to mind even though it was years ago I read it. But, if you’re in the mood for some deadly, creepy, enjoyment check them out, it won’t cost you a penny.
When Morgan receives an anonymous invite to play his favorite mobile word game, he readily accepts. He quickly finds himself wishing he hadn’t. As the rules of the game bend and twist, so does his mind. The search to discover the mystery opponent’s identity soon becomes his whole world, but some questions are best left unanswered.
May 26, 2016
Release Day Falling Through
How do you know if you're going mad?
Larry shouldn’t get agitated, but it was hard to ignore the ticks from the kitchen clock as they drifted all the way into the bedroom. Shadows shouldn’t care about the humans around them, but he liked living with Travis, liked looking at Travis, liked pretending…
He often found himself smiling at Travis’s funny little quirks, like the way he grumbled when his tousled brown hair refused to cooperate in the mornings. He liked watching Travis’s brows crease in concentration as he wrote down his numbers, how he rubbed his chin when he thought, and when he allowed himself to laugh at something on the TV. He definitely liked watching Travis in the shower. There wasn’t much entertainment around here, and Larry wouldn’t let a chance like that pass him by. It never got old, watching the suds run down his lithe body. But no matter how much he liked watching Travis, the absolute best thing about him was that he didn’t make much noise—and he never brought any obnoxious friends over.
Larry shuddered as he recalled the young woman who had lived here before Travis. If he hadn’t been dead already, he might have tried to take his life then.
Travis is running himself ragged. He's trying to keep two jobs just to pay his rent. If he has to flirt with some creepy old women at the pub to get a little extra tip money then so be it. One day, he'll have someone special waiting for him when he gets back home from work, or is that too much to ask? Right now isn't the best of times to get a boyfriend anyway since Travis is going mad, but one day... Every so often, Travis gets the feeling of not being alone, and sometimes, he sees things. But he tries to stay positive; maybe there's a strapping young fella waiting for him in the looney bin.
Larry's existence was dead boring until Travis moved in. Now he spends his time watching Travis, fantasising about touching him, kissing him... Their movie nights would be a bit cosier if Travis knew he was there, but sometimes, you have to settle for what you can get. As far as roommates go, Travis is the best Larry has ever had, and it isn't Travis's fault he can't see Larry - no one has been able to since the day he died.
When Travis loses one of his jobs, both he and Larry fear for their future. Larry can't imagine being without Travis, and Travis is desperate to find a way to pay his bills. While Travis searches for a solution to his money problems Larry has to decide if he's willing to risk existence as he knows it for a chance of a better life.
Today it's time for Larry and Travis to find their way out into the world. Falling Though is a novelette about a man his ghost, or maybe more about a ghost and his man.
Larry shouldn’t get agitated, but it was hard to ignore the ticks from the kitchen clock as they drifted all the way into the bedroom. Shadows shouldn’t care about the humans around them, but he liked living with Travis, liked looking at Travis, liked pretending…
He often found himself smiling at Travis’s funny little quirks, like the way he grumbled when his tousled brown hair refused to cooperate in the mornings. He liked watching Travis’s brows crease in concentration as he wrote down his numbers, how he rubbed his chin when he thought, and when he allowed himself to laugh at something on the TV. He definitely liked watching Travis in the shower. There wasn’t much entertainment around here, and Larry wouldn’t let a chance like that pass him by. It never got old, watching the suds run down his lithe body. But no matter how much he liked watching Travis, the absolute best thing about him was that he didn’t make much noise—and he never brought any obnoxious friends over.
Larry shuddered as he recalled the young woman who had lived here before Travis. If he hadn’t been dead already, he might have tried to take his life then.
Travis is running himself ragged. He's trying to keep two jobs just to pay his rent. If he has to flirt with some creepy old women at the pub to get a little extra tip money then so be it. One day, he'll have someone special waiting for him when he gets back home from work, or is that too much to ask? Right now isn't the best of times to get a boyfriend anyway since Travis is going mad, but one day... Every so often, Travis gets the feeling of not being alone, and sometimes, he sees things. But he tries to stay positive; maybe there's a strapping young fella waiting for him in the looney bin.Larry's existence was dead boring until Travis moved in. Now he spends his time watching Travis, fantasising about touching him, kissing him... Their movie nights would be a bit cosier if Travis knew he was there, but sometimes, you have to settle for what you can get. As far as roommates go, Travis is the best Larry has ever had, and it isn't Travis's fault he can't see Larry - no one has been able to since the day he died.
When Travis loses one of his jobs, both he and Larry fear for their future. Larry can't imagine being without Travis, and Travis is desperate to find a way to pay his bills. While Travis searches for a solution to his money problems Larry has to decide if he's willing to risk existence as he knows it for a chance of a better life.
May 20, 2016
Friday Reads | In the Middle of Somewhere
Oh My God!
In the Middle of Somewhere
is so good. I feel like apologising to Roan Parrish because I didn’t expect it to be. I filed it away as another one of those romantic stories, and it is romantic, but I couldn’t put it down. Makes me ashamed to make light of lumberjacks really because this was a real story, with real problems, and a lot of pop cultural references. I kept thinking 'Oh Amy (Spector) should totally read this, she’d probably get all the horror references I only vaguely get'.
After having binge read Jordan Castillo Prince’s PsyCop Series I thought I’d read In the Middle of Somewhere. I don’t have nearly as much time to write these days so I can’t really afford to become completely hooked on books—I wouldn’t get a word down. So I thought this would fit me, interesting enough to read but not really taking over my life. I was wrong. The dishes have formed a mountain in the kitchen and my word count is embarrassingly low because instead of using K’s naps for writing I’ve been reading. And I don’t know if it is because I’ve been reading a lot of JCP lately but in my mind Daniel was the model on the
Body Art
cover.
But, no matter, now I have to read Out of Nowhere . I just have to.
Daniel Mulligan is tough, snarky, and tattooed, hiding his self-consciousness behind sarcasm. Daniel has never fit in—not at home in Philadelphia with his auto mechanic father and brothers, and not at school where his Ivy League classmates looked down on him. Now, Daniel’s relieved to have a job at a small college in Holiday, Northern Michigan, but he’s a city boy through and through, and it’s clear that this small town is one more place he won’t fit in.
Rex Vale clings to routine to keep loneliness at bay: honing his muscular body, perfecting his recipes, and making custom furniture. Rex has lived in Holiday for years, but his shyness and imposing size have kept him from connecting with people.
When the two men meet, their chemistry is explosive, but Rex fears Daniel will be another in a long line of people to leave him, and Daniel has learned that letting anyone in can be a fatal weakness. Just as they begin to break down the walls keeping them apart, Daniel is called home to Philadelphia, where he discovers a secret that changes the way he understands everything.
After having binge read Jordan Castillo Prince’s PsyCop Series I thought I’d read In the Middle of Somewhere. I don’t have nearly as much time to write these days so I can’t really afford to become completely hooked on books—I wouldn’t get a word down. So I thought this would fit me, interesting enough to read but not really taking over my life. I was wrong. The dishes have formed a mountain in the kitchen and my word count is embarrassingly low because instead of using K’s naps for writing I’ve been reading. And I don’t know if it is because I’ve been reading a lot of JCP lately but in my mind Daniel was the model on the
Body Art
cover.But, no matter, now I have to read Out of Nowhere . I just have to.
Daniel Mulligan is tough, snarky, and tattooed, hiding his self-consciousness behind sarcasm. Daniel has never fit in—not at home in Philadelphia with his auto mechanic father and brothers, and not at school where his Ivy League classmates looked down on him. Now, Daniel’s relieved to have a job at a small college in Holiday, Northern Michigan, but he’s a city boy through and through, and it’s clear that this small town is one more place he won’t fit in.Rex Vale clings to routine to keep loneliness at bay: honing his muscular body, perfecting his recipes, and making custom furniture. Rex has lived in Holiday for years, but his shyness and imposing size have kept him from connecting with people.
When the two men meet, their chemistry is explosive, but Rex fears Daniel will be another in a long line of people to leave him, and Daniel has learned that letting anyone in can be a fatal weakness. Just as they begin to break down the walls keeping them apart, Daniel is called home to Philadelphia, where he discovers a secret that changes the way he understands everything.
May 13, 2016
Friday Reads | GhostTV
Friday again? I’ve been crazy writing so I haven’t really been paying attention to what day it’s been but now it’s Friday it seems. Amy Spector, Dante the hot librarian, and I are buddy reading Jordan Castillo Price’s PsyCop series. I was a little late to the party but I started
GhostTV
(PsyCop #6) yesterday and it’s so hard to let go of Vic and Jacob long enough to get anything else done.
If you haven’t read this series I really, really recommend it. There is no one quite like Vic, or Jacob…or Crash for that matter, and then there are all these ghosts and bad guys and panic attacks, not to mention the bite marks.
Don’t miss out!
For the past dozen years, Victor Bayne has solved numerous murders by interrogating witnesses only he can see—dead witnesses. But when his best friend Lisa goes missing from the sunny California campus of PsyTrain, the last thing he wants to find there is her spirit.
Disappearing without a trace in a school full of psychics? That’s some trick. But somehow both Lisa and her roommate have vanished into thin air. A group of fanatics called Five Faith has been sniffing around, and Lisa’s email is compromised.
Time is running out, and with no ghosts to cross-examine, Vic can’t afford to turn down any offers of help. An old enemy can provide an innovative way to track Vic’s missing friend, and he enters into an uneasy alliance—even though its ultimate cost will ensnare him in a debt he may never manage to settle.
If you haven’t read this series I really, really recommend it. There is no one quite like Vic, or Jacob…or Crash for that matter, and then there are all these ghosts and bad guys and panic attacks, not to mention the bite marks.
Don’t miss out!
For the past dozen years, Victor Bayne has solved numerous murders by interrogating witnesses only he can see—dead witnesses. But when his best friend Lisa goes missing from the sunny California campus of PsyTrain, the last thing he wants to find there is her spirit.Disappearing without a trace in a school full of psychics? That’s some trick. But somehow both Lisa and her roommate have vanished into thin air. A group of fanatics called Five Faith has been sniffing around, and Lisa’s email is compromised.
Time is running out, and with no ghosts to cross-examine, Vic can’t afford to turn down any offers of help. An old enemy can provide an innovative way to track Vic’s missing friend, and he enters into an uneasy alliance—even though its ultimate cost will ensnare him in a debt he may never manage to settle.
May 6, 2016
Friday Reads | The Last Pure Human
I should be reading Camp Hell by Jordan Castillo Price now—that was the plan, but the other day a story by Twisted Hilarity showed up in my feed on Goodreads. I thought damn I’ve read something by her, and went to her author page but I hadn’t rated any of her works. I shrugged it off thinking maybe I’ve just seen her around, it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been certain I’d read someone only to realise I actually haven’t, so I let it go. But then the day after I saw someone asking for a book where the MCs got these markings when they had mated, one got one on the chest and the other on the bum. I knew I had read that story, and wouldn’t you know it?
The Last Pure Human
by Twisted Hilarity. I then remembered that there were some pretty annoyed readers when the book suddenly was removed from Goodreads a while ago.
But, having been reminded of Kasan and Max, I went looking for it again. There are so many things I normally grumble about here, the epithets, quite a few repetitions, men unable to control their sexual urges—the sole purpose of the story is sex, but cat aliens people! Cat aliens! *snigger* I have a hard time putting it down even though I’ve already read it once.
Kasan, a prince of the feline Kyashin race, is in deep shit. He’s in heat, he needs a consort to help him survive it, and his uncle has locked him away from every available candidate. When he’s offered a small human male at the last moment, he’s quite happy to accept. His new consort, on the other hand, is a little less than pleased with the situation. So what’s a human to do when he finds himself in the bed of a hot, sexed-up alien? We’re about to find out.
But, having been reminded of Kasan and Max, I went looking for it again. There are so many things I normally grumble about here, the epithets, quite a few repetitions, men unable to control their sexual urges—the sole purpose of the story is sex, but cat aliens people! Cat aliens! *snigger* I have a hard time putting it down even though I’ve already read it once.
Kasan, a prince of the feline Kyashin race, is in deep shit. He’s in heat, he needs a consort to help him survive it, and his uncle has locked him away from every available candidate. When he’s offered a small human male at the last moment, he’s quite happy to accept. His new consort, on the other hand, is a little less than pleased with the situation. So what’s a human to do when he finds himself in the bed of a hot, sexed-up alien? We’re about to find out.
April 15, 2016
Friday Reads | Evenfall
It’s Friday today, did you know? I didn’t. When I woke up this morning I was wondering why my husband wasn’t in bed with me—turns out he was getting our son to school because apparently it’s Friday, not Saturday as I thought, and apparently I was tired because I have not heard any alarms go off or noticed my husband getting out of bed. But since it is Friday I’ll do a little post about what I’m reading.
This week I’ve let myself become obsessed with Hsin Liu Vega. For ages, I’ve had Evenfall by Santino Hassell and Ais on my E-reader and now I decided to read it. I downloaded the Director’s cut versions of In the Company of Shadows #1 and since then I have cheated on my daily word count goal, I’ve neglected all forms of cleaning, the pile of laundry is growing and why, why, do we have to eat so damn often?
I’m beginning to think I have a questionable taste in men—what else is new, you wonder, and nothing really. Me falling head over heels for an assassin with all his fucked up ideas and morals is not new at all. That I like blood, gore, and cruelty isn’t new either. That I gladly read post-apocalyptic stories isn’t much of a surprise, nor is the fact that I like stories with more plot than sex. So the strangest thing here probably is that I haven’t read it until now.
I’m so impressed by authors who manage to write these kinds of stories and I can’t even begin to imagine the number of hours Hassell and Ais have put into it. I hoped they enjoyed writing it as much as I’ve enjoyed reading it.
Available at: www.inthecompanyofshadows.com
In a post-apocalyptic future, the Agency works behind the scenes to take down opposition groups that threaten the current government. Their goals justify all means, even when it comes to their own agents.
Sin is the Agency's most efficient killer. His fighting skills and talent at assassination have led to him being described as a living weapon. However, he is also known to go off on unauthorized killing sprees, and his assigned partners have all wound up dead.
Boyd is not afraid to die. When his mother, a high-ranking Agency official, volunteers him to be Sin's newest partner, he does not refuse. In fact, his life has been such an endless cycle of apathy and despair that he'd welcome death.
In the newly revised Director's Cut of Evenfall, the first volume follows these two cast-offs as they go from strangers to partners who can only rely on each other while avoiding death, imprisonment, and dehumanization by the Agency that employs them.
120,000 words.
Warnings: Explicit violence, physical and psychological abuse.
Note: This is the first of the two volumes comprising Evenfall, the first book in the ICoS series.
This week I’ve let myself become obsessed with Hsin Liu Vega. For ages, I’ve had Evenfall by Santino Hassell and Ais on my E-reader and now I decided to read it. I downloaded the Director’s cut versions of In the Company of Shadows #1 and since then I have cheated on my daily word count goal, I’ve neglected all forms of cleaning, the pile of laundry is growing and why, why, do we have to eat so damn often?
I’m beginning to think I have a questionable taste in men—what else is new, you wonder, and nothing really. Me falling head over heels for an assassin with all his fucked up ideas and morals is not new at all. That I like blood, gore, and cruelty isn’t new either. That I gladly read post-apocalyptic stories isn’t much of a surprise, nor is the fact that I like stories with more plot than sex. So the strangest thing here probably is that I haven’t read it until now.
I’m so impressed by authors who manage to write these kinds of stories and I can’t even begin to imagine the number of hours Hassell and Ais have put into it. I hoped they enjoyed writing it as much as I’ve enjoyed reading it.
Available at: www.inthecompanyofshadows.com
In a post-apocalyptic future, the Agency works behind the scenes to take down opposition groups that threaten the current government. Their goals justify all means, even when it comes to their own agents.
Sin is the Agency's most efficient killer. His fighting skills and talent at assassination have led to him being described as a living weapon. However, he is also known to go off on unauthorized killing sprees, and his assigned partners have all wound up dead.
Boyd is not afraid to die. When his mother, a high-ranking Agency official, volunteers him to be Sin's newest partner, he does not refuse. In fact, his life has been such an endless cycle of apathy and despair that he'd welcome death.
In the newly revised Director's Cut of Evenfall, the first volume follows these two cast-offs as they go from strangers to partners who can only rely on each other while avoiding death, imprisonment, and dehumanization by the Agency that employs them.
120,000 words.
Warnings: Explicit violence, physical and psychological abuse.
Note: This is the first of the two volumes comprising Evenfall, the first book in the ICoS series.
April 8, 2016
Friday Reads | Private Eye
The spring cleaning in my e-book library continues! I’m right now reading Private Eye (Liaisons #1) by S.E. Culpepper, and it’s another one of those books I’ve had for ages and never got around to—well, now I did.
Private Eye is a solid Gay For You story with a hot Italian P.I. and a golden Adonis motorcycle police. There is a nasty case that needs solving while the MCs hashes out relationship issues, plays softball, deals with meddling best friends and interfering exes. It’s a nice mix of romance and mystery and a good dose of self-discovery and some OMG-I-almost-lost-you moments. So if we’re still allowed to read GFY stories without being crucified, I would recommend this one.
Rafe Bridges stopped mixing business with pleasure long ago, but when he receives a call from an intriguing cop who needs help searching for an old family friend, he breaks down and takes on the case. With each day that passes, Rafe becomes further fascinated with Jeremy Halliday...but the biggest problem isn't his attraction to the cop or his growing need for him. It's the tiny little detail of Jeremy being straight.
Jeremy isn't as immune to Rafe as he'd like to believe and as they work together, sifting through a case that is more mysterious and dangerous than it seems, Rafe draws away from him. Knowing he might miss out on someone incredible, Jeremy has to figure out what and who he really wants. And soon.
Nothing is black and white anymore.
Private Eye is a solid Gay For You story with a hot Italian P.I. and a golden Adonis motorcycle police. There is a nasty case that needs solving while the MCs hashes out relationship issues, plays softball, deals with meddling best friends and interfering exes. It’s a nice mix of romance and mystery and a good dose of self-discovery and some OMG-I-almost-lost-you moments. So if we’re still allowed to read GFY stories without being crucified, I would recommend this one.
Rafe Bridges stopped mixing business with pleasure long ago, but when he receives a call from an intriguing cop who needs help searching for an old family friend, he breaks down and takes on the case. With each day that passes, Rafe becomes further fascinated with Jeremy Halliday...but the biggest problem isn't his attraction to the cop or his growing need for him. It's the tiny little detail of Jeremy being straight.Jeremy isn't as immune to Rafe as he'd like to believe and as they work together, sifting through a case that is more mysterious and dangerous than it seems, Rafe draws away from him. Knowing he might miss out on someone incredible, Jeremy has to figure out what and who he really wants. And soon.
Nothing is black and white anymore.
April 1, 2016
Friday Reads | Affiliations, Aliens, and Other Profitable Pursuits
We’re having a birthday party here this weekend which has required some baking and cleaning on my part, and add to that having a three-month-old, I’m sure you can understand the frustration this has fuelled inside of me…you see, it takes time away from Ondry.
When is a plum-coloured alien coming to claim me? That’s what I’d like to know. I’m not usually a Sci-Fi fan but something about these tail-pulling, egg-laying creatures makes me want to lock the door and pretend I’m not home—though that’s natural behaviour for me even without Ondry to look forward to.
Affiliations, Aliens, and Other Profitable Pursuits is book #3 in the Claimings series, Prelude to Claimings, Tails, and Other Alien Artifacts (Claimings, #0.5) is free, and then we have Claimings, Tails, and Other Alien Artifacts (Claimings #1) and Assimilation, Love, and Other Human Oddities (Claimings #2).
A desire for status has brought Ondry and Liam to a human world to trade, but dealing with humans has brought up all the old pain in Liam’s heart. Even though Ondry would do anything to protect his beloved palteia, he doesn’t know how to protect Liam from himself. Worse, Ondry isn’t sure how to shield Liam from the shifting politics on the Rownt ship where the Calti Grandmothers are nothing like the ones they left behind on the planet.With everything in their lives changing, Ondry and Liam have only each other. If Ondry can’t find a way to defend Liam from the ghosts of the past and overcome the impossibly short life span of a human, their small family might be over long before either of them is ready to let go. Ondry has always been a dominant and possessive Rownt, and with Liam in danger, those traits are necessary as he challenges the world to protect his lover.
March 25, 2016
Friday Reads | Spy vs. Spook
I’ve been trying to do a bit of a spring cleaning on my e-reader. There are soo many books, most of them I don’t even know when I got or what they’re about. At the beginning of this week, I started reading Houseboat on the Nile by Tinnean. I’ve had it for years, even before I had my e-reader I think, but I’ve been reluctant to read it. Now, however, I needed a book starting with H for my A-Z Book Title Challenge, so I started reading. I am now more than halfway through on Not My Spook! , and not because I need a book starting with N—I don’t.
There are many things that under normal circumstances would have me if not quitting the book then at least sigh loudly—there are exclamation marks everywhere, names are crammed into dialogs at the most annoying places and where they aren’t needed, and you get to read most scenes twice both in Mann’s and Vincent’s POV—but what can I say? I'm in love with Mark Vincent. He is probably one of the most frustrating men ever made up and I love him.
So nothing came of the spring cleaning since I ended up buying more books *sigh*.
Mark Vincent is WBIS—Washington Bureau of Intelligence and Security. Quinton Mann is staunchly CIA. Mark thinks the CIA is full of dilettantes who leave him and the rest of the WBIS to clean up their messes. Quinn thinks most WBIS agents are sociopathic loose cannons. So they don’t exactly get along.Of course, just because they don’t like each other doesn’t mean they can’t play mind games on each other. Or sleep together. But when an explosion at Mark’s apartment sends Quinn to the morgue to ID a body, he has to reevaluate his position on denial.
Highly ranked CIA officer Quinton Mann finds himself in a relationship with Mark Vincent-for exactly five days. At that point, Mark uses the excuse of going to Massachusetts for his mother's funeral to end it. But Quinn's a spook, and you can't fake a faker.Mark fears he's getting in too deep with Quinn, hence the disappearing act. Then Quinn does something unexpected, something nobody has ever done before: he comes after Mark. Maybe being in a relationship with Quinn isn't such a bad idea. In the meantime, something strange is going on in the intelligence community worldwide. When Quinn disappears while investigating a rogue antiterrorist organization, Mark makes up his mind. Quinn might be a spook, but he's Mark's spook, damn it-and once he gets Quinn home, he intends to keep him. He just has to find him first.
