Category Archives: Linkity linkity link

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Lost lands of linkity

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Contests

Bookity

  • Stuck on what to read next? YourNextRead might help you decide.

Learn, Make, Do, Think

Huh

LOL

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Sleepwalker by Jordan Castillo Price. ebook. Very good m/m romantic suspense about a night watchmen at a decrepit natural history museum who has a weakness for the skatepunk taxidermist brought in for some last minute exhibit cleanup. (Jordan reports that the followup book will be called Insomniac.)
Reasonable Doubt (The Boys in Blue, Book 2) by Mia Watts. ebook. I would’ve thought this m/m romance was very good, even if I hadn’t been mentioned in the dedication. 🙂 I loved the first book (Bad Boys, Bad Boys) and I was thrilled to read more about Geo and Mack!
Life After Joe by Harper Fox. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a medical intern who’s been living in a haze of booze and one-night stands in the six months since his boyfriend of years left him for a woman. I got sniffly while reading this one.
Marrick’s Promise (Thrown to the Lions, Book 2) by Kim Dare. ebook. Very good kinky paranormal m/m/m romance about a young man who’s determined to live life to the fullest and try everything once (but not necessarily twice). Will he change his mind after getting thrown to the (were)lions?
Miles and the Magic Flute by Heidi Cullinan. ebook. Excellent dark fantasy m/m romance about a man who’s lost his job and his dream life and been forced to return to his small home town in Minnesota. When he finds a mysterious silver flute in the pawn shop where he now works, he becomes caught in a series of fantastical events he could not have predicted… or have believed.
Word on a Wing by Jamie Craig. ebook. Very good kinky m/m romance about a directionless young man who gets pulled over by the infamously tough sheriff and offered a dangerous deal that will keep him out of jail…
Number Theory by Noah Bogdonoff. ebook short. Ok very short, somewhat literary feeling m/m about a boy who sees the world in binary/black and white.

From the Dreamspinner Midsummer’s Nightmare Daily Dose…
I Fell in Love with a Zombie by Sean Kennedy. ebook. Very good post-apocalyptic m/m with which I had two problems: the ending is abrupt (is there going to be a sequel?!) and I kept hearing this song in my head the entire time I was reading.
Raiders by Evan Gilbert. ebook short. Enjoyably wicked m/m paranormal short about two homophobic hustlers. I’m not saying anything more about this one, because the surprising twist was a big part of the fun!
Enter the Succubus by Kate Roman. ebook short. So so m/m paranormal romance short about a gay college student who’s accosted by a creepy woman who won’t take no for an answer.
66 Hours in the Devil’s House by Jamie Freeman. ebook. Pretty good paranormal menage about a celebrity trio and their best gal pal who stay in an allegedly haunted bed-and-breakfast for a weekend to determine whether the hauntings are real.

“You put your right paw in, you put your right paw out, you put your right paw in and you shake it all about…” -Chaos

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

TGILinkity

40 Comments

This has been one of those weeks that’s sorta beaten me up and left me for dead. 🙂 I’m sure I’ll catch up on blog reading… someday!

Contests

Bookity

  • New release info: Lily (m/m romance) and Literary Escapism (UF/PNR, plus news, interviews, and contests).
  • Although it might seem that ebook prices have climbed due to the agency model, this article at TeleRead suggests that ebook prices are actually going down.

Make, Do, Think, Learn

  • Beware – using water instead of windshield wiper fluid might turn that reservoir into a great place for pneumonia to incubate. (Besides having your washer fluid reservoir freeze and crack should you live someplace like Minnesota…)

Huh

LOL

  • Lily has an assortment of amusing links – but beware that many are NSFW. Also, several might scar you for life – and that includes links in the comments.

Weekly Cute Burn

Reading Update
The Cop and the Drifter by Christiane France. ebook. Ok m/m romance about a cop… and a drifter. 😀 What, you want more? Ok, it’s about a cop, on administrative leave and unsure whether he still has a job, who’s camping and meets a young homeless man. (I won this over at Wave’s place.)
Hajiri’s Pet (Midnight Rain, Book 1) by Auburnimp & Michael Barnette. ebook. Ok cyberpunk m/m romance about a mercenary whose life is saved by a genetically engineered “battlepet” who then imprints on him. Definitely a HFN ending… and there aren’t any other books in this series yet.
Safe House by M. King. ebook. Good kinky m/m romance about a guy who has always resisted acknowledging what he needs in the bedroom… and now it’s driving a wedge between he and his boyfriend.
Precious Jade by Fyn Alexander. ebook. Very good kinky historical m/m romance about Jade, raised in the theater, who gets a job as a secretary to an MP and has the chance to explore his submissive side.
Double Shot Cappuccino by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a guy who’s having a hard time getting over his brother’s death the previous year. Will his brother’s best friend’s brief visit help? Or just lead to more heartache?
Mad Blood, In Passion and in Blood, Saved by Love’s Blood, Bound by Blood, and Reborn in Blood (The Drone Vampire Chronicles, Books 2, 4, 5, 7, & 8 ) by Stephani Hecht. ebooks. Enjoyable m/m paranormal romances about the Drone Vampires, who are made, not born, and are treated like second-class citizens by pure-born vampires. Toss in wizards and werefolk, too, just to keep things really interesting. (I skipped any books that weren’t strictly m/m.) (And how glad am I that Stephani’s such a good sport about her book covers being a veritable Who’s Who of the Misadventures?!)
Here and Now by Lisa Marie Davis. ebook. Ok m/m romance about an HIV-positive guy who’s turned his life around after living on the streets. He’s prepared to live his life on his own… and then he meets a guy who pushes him (gently) and challenges his beliefs about himself. I had a huge niggle with this book – when he was diagnosed as HIV-positive and went on a drug regimen… he was in a situation in which he would not have had health insurance. At that point, this book went straight to fairytale land for me.

From the Dreamspinner Midsummer’s Nightmare Daily Dose…
Dead End Job by Clancy Nacht. ebook short. So-so short paranormal m/m romance about a guy who manages an office full of zombies and then one day, there’s someone living hiding amongst them. Not a fan of zombie books…
Staking His Life by Kiernan Kelly. ebook short. Ok short paranormal m/m romance about a vampire whose life isn’t ever going to be the same again after he goes to a bar with his werewolf roommate. I didn’t like this one as much as I usually like Kiernan Kelly’s books – it was too heavy on puns and self-indulgent cleverness.
Vampire Movie Night by S. Blaise. ebook short. So-so short paranormal m/m romance about two guys watching a cheesy vampire movie and making out on the couch.
There’s Something About Spot by Felicitas Ivey. ebook short. Ok short paranormal m/m romance about a town of misfits and how two residents celebrate Midsummer.

“Foot cleaning? What are you talking about? We don’t even have feet.” -Chaos

*best innocent and adorable look* -Mayhem

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Extremely extreme linkity

31 Comments

Contests

Bookity

  • If you love to scribble in books and feel constrained when you borrow books or check them out from the library, check out NoteTabs, which are combo Post-its/book flags.
  • Rich also has a post on what he calls the WYSIWYG Conundrum – how it can be hard to edit (and particularly hard to edit our own words) because  we see what we expect to see when we read.

Ebookity

Learn, Make, Do, Think

  • Lifehacker has a nice comparison of Google Docs and Microsoft’s free Office Web Apps. (High level: Microsoft shines in dealing with highly formatted Office documents, but doesn’t have collaboration. Google Docs doesn’t have all the bells and whistles, but I definitely agree it’s great for real-time collaboration.)
  • Raise your hand if you thought the FDA had the power to recall dangerous food. Yeah, I thought the same thing. We’re wrong.

Gluten Free

  • D’oh! French Meadow Bakery is four blocks from me and I haven’t tried their gluten free muffins yet!

Not that Interested in the Post, But Holy Crap that Picture Is Scary

Huh

LOL

  • Poor Franklin reveals the nasty rash of lace charting symbols on his chest and arm.
  • I think I’m glad that all spiders are eaten here before things get to this point. (Eaten by the kitties, not me, just to clarify.)

Teh Cute, It Burns

  • Be honest – who, besides me, is tempted to catnap Melly?

Reading Update
Phonebook by Amy Lane. ebook short. Fun’n’steamy m/m romance short about a guy on a business trip who calls his boyfriend, but is too embarrassed to have phone sex… directly, at least.
Gay Man Seeks Same (G-A-Y, Book 8 ) by Kim Dare. ebook. Sweet’n’kinky m/m romance about a serious guy who has a crush on his fickle coworker and places a personals ad in an attempt to get the coworker off his mind.
Bound by Deception, Bound to Him, and Deliberately Unbound by Ava March. ebooks, plus free ebook short. Very good kinky Regency m/m romances about a minor aristocrat who’s been in love with one of his well-to-do friends for years, but only recently realized that his friend was also gay. Will his deceptive scheme to take the place of his friend’s usual whore, while remaining anonymous, ultimately backfire? (And check out Ava’s post Story Behind the Story – Bound by Deception.)
The Cross of Sins (Fathom’s Five, Book 1) by Geoffrey Knight. Say you had five gay Indiana Joneses… you’d have Fathom’s Five and a rollicking romp of a read. 🙂
The Landlord by Jeff Erno. ebook. Ok kinky m/m romance that was a really mixed read for me. It’s about a brand-new college grad who gets his first job, rents his first apartment, and, via his landlord, discovers his submissive side. While I enjoyed the story, I didn’t enjoy the writing; who thinks in the passive voice?!

The following are all part of Dreamspinner’s Midsummer’s Nightmare Daily Dose:
Love Among the Stacks by Andi Deacon. ebook short. Enjoyable paranormal m/m short about a guy who’s doing research among the library stacks late one evening when he meets a very intriguing library worker.
Becoming the Spoils by J.L. Merrow. ebook short. Very good, fun paranormal m/m romance short about a journalist who gets gothed up and goes clubbing in an attempt to get the scoop on vampires, but who gets a little bit more than he bargained for.
The Scenic Route by Chrissy Munder. ebook short. Spooky short m/m paranormal romance about two guys driving through Lower Michigan on their way to the UP who stop at an extremely rustic motel for the night…
The Wounds in the Walls by Heidi Cullinan. ebook. Very good paranormal m/m romance about a day laborer who’s hired by a paranormal psychologist to, supposedly, do some work on an old house with a tragic past. Be aware that there are some menagey bits, but, as with Special Delivery, Heidi Cullinan makes it work.
Wishes by Moria McCain. ebook short. Short paranormal m/m romance about werewolves living in a society that doesn’t believe there can be mating bonds other than male-female. This started out strong, but too much story was crammed into far too little space and the ending felt rushed.

“Maybe they’ll forget how crabby I was yesterday, coo about how cute I look today, and try to rub my tummy. Bwa-ha-ha!” -Chaos

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Fit To Be Linked

35 Comments

Congrats to Su, who won the copy of Someplace To Be Flying by Charles de Lint! Make sure all of you stop back on Tuesday, June 8, for a very special Charles de Lint contest….

Contests

  • The Rainbow Romance Writers (RWA LGBT Special Interest Chapter) is accepting submissions from June 1 – August 31, 2010, for the 2010 Rainbow Romance Award for Excellence in Romantic Fiction. Categories are contemporary, paranormal, romantic suspense, historical, scifi/fantasy, YA, and short/novella. To be eligible, submitted works must have been published in 2009 and have an ISBN.

Bookity

Ebookity

  • For a free paranormal m/m romance read the likes of which you’ll not soon find, check out Tam’s Chia Pet Hell.
  • Ebook Ant is a new ebook search and comparison site.

Learn, Do, Think

Gluten Free

Beware

Huh

Did You See?

LOL

Teh Cute!

Reading Update
Dark Designs (Half Lives, Book 1) by Luisa Prieto. ebook. Excellent m/m dark fantasy romance about a Pulitzer-winning journalist haunted by a horrifying event he can’t quite remember and a graphic novel artist who has been drawing strips that he believed were fantastical, but which may be echoes from a previous life. Deft and complex, this book drew me in slowly until I realized I couldn’t put it down. Do be aware that things are not at all resolved by the end of this book. *commences waiting impatiently for Book 2*
The Rest Is Illusion by Eric Arvin. ebook. Wow. I don’t even know where to start. This excellent novel is about a group of college students who are all, without necessarily knowing it, poised at the brink of transformation. It’s thoughtful, spiritual, ultimately hopeful, and worth savoring; I’m very glad to have read it.
The Mark of an Alpha (Pack Discipline, Book 1) by Kim Dare. ebook. Very intriguing paranormal m/m romance that takes the standard alpha werewolf trait of dominance and mixes it up with bondage and submission. Plus it was nice not to read a fated mates story for a change. I’m definitely reading more in this series as they are available.
Turquoise and Leather (Collared, Book 1) by Kim Dare. ebook. Very good kinky m/m romance about a dominant who’s not sure he wants to take on a very chattery untrained submissive.
Lights and Sirens by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a nurse who has a crush on a straight paramedic, but is pretty sure he doesn’t want to take that path to heartache.
Blood on the Ice by A.M. Riley. ebook short. Very good short paranormal m/m romance about a hockey player who gets bitten by a vampire.
Bad Angels: Falling by Belinda McBride. ebook. Ok m/m fantasy m/m romance about a fallen angel and the member of the Fae who teaches him what he needs to know to live in the world.
Ghost of a Chance by Jude Mason. ebook short. Ok short paranormal m/m romance about a guy who discovers that the house he’s just purchased has a ghost… a very amorous ghost, tied to a mystery. Yup, that’s Underwear Guy!
Melting Ice and Melting Ice 2 by D.J. Manly. ebooks. So-so unrelated m/m romantic suspenses about deeply closeted law enforcement agents who “thaw” under the attention of the wrong guys. By the end of each book, I wanted to slap characters.

“This is my box and my very special cushy mailing envelope that I dragged in here and placed just so.” -Mayhem

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Ackity!

38 Comments

Contests

  • Leave a comment for LesleyW with some urban fantasy related ideas to muse about for your chance to win a copy of Atlantis Rising by Alyssa Day. Winner announced on May 29.
  • S7anna’s having her very first contest. She’s giving away three different packs of romances and swag (bookmarks, etc). Leave a comment by May 30 for your chance to win.

Bookity

  • I don’t ever usually watch book trailers, but I’m glad I watched this one by Tessa Dare. Best. Book. Trailer. Ever. (Thanks, Donna F!)

Ebookity

Learn, Make, Do, Think

Yikes

LOL

Awww

  • Comparison pictures of how different kittens look when they’re young vs. when they’re a bit older.

Reading Update
The Blue Moon Cafe by Rick R. Reed. ebook. Very good paranormal m/m chiller about a guy who becomes involved with a mysterious restaurant owner who never seems to be available at certain times of the month. At the same time, Seattle’s gay community is reeling from a series of brutal murders…
Witness by L.A. Gilbert. ebook. Sweet m/m romance about a cop who meets a bike messenger while on a routine call, then runs into him again when he backs over the guy’s bike. This book would’ve benefited from a bit more conflict (or perhaps conflict not effortlessly resolved) and fewer point-of-view shifts, particularly near the beginning of the book.
Idaho Pride by Sarah Black. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a sports writer who ends up in an altercation between some hockey players and staff members of the Idaho Pride newspaper – an altercation that changes the lives of many of the guys involved.
Betweentimes by Jordan Castillo Price. ebook short. Cute short m/m romance about a businessman who is surprised (but pleased) when his cute bohemian neighbor invites him out for dinner at the tacky local Mexican place.
Special Delivery by Heidi Cullinan. ebook. Very good m/m romance about Sam, a nursing student who hits the road with trucker Mitch and learns a helluva lot about himself in the process. Those of you who know I’m not a fan of books with menagey bits are probably surprised to see that I read and liked this one, huh? This book worked for me because it didn’t neglect the emotional to focus strictly on the physical. While I had to stop reading several times because I was a bit overwrought about Sam’s emotional safety, I kept returning to the book and am very glad that I read it.
An Uncommon Whore by Belinda McBride. ebook. Very good m/m scifi romance about Pasha, a whore whose master, unable to cover a bet, loses him for 24 hours to a rough and fascinating man. Pasha can’t remember the man, who seems to know more about him than he knows about himself. I’m glad Jase warned me that this stopped abruptly, so I was prepared. *commences impatiently waiting for sequel*
Winner Takes All by Jenny Urban & Elizabeth Silver. ebook. Very good m/m romance about two competitive friends and business rivals (one gay, one straight) who fool around when they’re drunk… and then a business crisis escalates things a bit.
Black: Black Leather by Vic Winter. ebook short. Steamy short m/m romance about a band that’s touring for the first time since the previous lead singer overdosed. The lead guitar player isn’t looking forward to being in charge of keeping the new lead singer in line.
8 Seconds on the Mountain (Mountain #4) by P.D. Singer. ebook short. Oh oh – is Kurt trying to get himself and Jake beaten up at the rodeo?!
And Is Never Shaken by Alexi Silversmith. ebook. Good May-December m/m romance about a professor who keeps running into a book restorer. Will the secrets from the professor’s past be insurmountable?
Only His Heart (Only #3) by Shawn Lane. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a nurse, new to the hospital, who can’t resist the handsome doctor that the rest of the staff calls the Ice Queen.
Forces of Nature by Lily Grace. ebook short. Cute short m/m romance about a physicist who’s had a huge crush on his actor best friend since college, but has always been afraid to do anything about it until they get caught in a thunderstorm together.
Time Zone Impaired by Andy Slayde & Ali Wilde. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about a guy who stops at a restaurant after a flight from Australia, not realizing it’s Valentine’s Day until his cute waiter tells him. This had that unfortunate open-ended feel that makes me suspect it is the first in a series of shorts about this couple. I hate that – I’d much rather buy a longer completed story than read a serial.
Where the Moon Touches by Kiernan Kelly. ebook short. Good short m/m paranormal romance about a werewolf who’s being forced to marry a female and plans to go on sex binge with as many guys as he can during his last 30 days of freedom. His plan gets short-circuited almost immediately. (This also had that “part of a serial” feel.)
Left of Center by Zathyn Priest. ebook. Somewhat bizarre m/m romance about a non-Goth veterinarian who shamelessly lies on an online site for Goths so he can pick up guys – and then the player gets played.
Skipping Stones by D.J. Manly. ebook. I started out liking this book about a young artist who retreats from Paris after the end of an affair and seeks shelter with his best friend, who’s part owner of a gay friendly resort in Florida. Alas, by the end of the book, I wanted to slap the three main characters.
Picture Me Perfect (Sammy Dane, Book 2) by Stormy Glenn. ebook. So-so m/m romance about a photographer who moves in with a cop to hide from his abusive drug dealer ex-boyfriend. Typical Stormy Glenn. What else can I say, other than please get a better editor? (Or maybe any editor…)
Screwed by Amanda Young. ebook short. So-so short m/m romance about a teacher who was fired after racy pictures of he and another guy showed up online.

“Dear internetz: Please send help. This woman continues to hold me prisoner under the most miserable conditions imaginable.” -Mayhem

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Here, linkity, linkity, linkity…

45 Comments

Contests

  • Kris is having a really incredibly complicated super cool contest in which you could win m/m romance ebooks from Wren Boudreau, Stephani Hecht, Jambrea Jo Jones, Sean Kennedy, K.Z. Snow, and Angelia Sparrow. Since no one who’s entered so far has any clue what the right answers are (even those of us who’ve read the books in question) and we’re all guessing, your odds are no worse than random! Go! Go now! Guess away! Contest closes at noon Perth Australia time, May 23. According to the World Clock, that is 11 pm CDT, May 22, and 4 am GMT/UTC, May 23.
  • Amora’s having her very first blog contest and she’s a little excited/anxious about it – stop by and help calm her down, ok? 🙂 She’s giving away an ebook copy of Barbara Sheridan’s paranormal time travel samurai novel, Falling Through Glass, to someone who comments by May 28.
  • Nicole’s had some contest luck lately and now has duplicate books. She’s giving away the duplicates (Dear Sir, I’m Yours by Joely Sue Burkhart; Ecstasy Unveiled by Larissa Ione; Elfshadow by Elaine Cunningham) to three different people who comment on any of her posts from May 14 through midnight PDT, May 31. Make sure you mention which book you’d like in your comment!

Books & Reading

Ebooks

  • I really like this iPad/ebook reader stand. (Book stands are great for saving your wrists and for letting you knit while you read. If you swing that way. To knitting, that is.) *ahem* Apparently I’ll have a review of how this stand works with my handy, dandy ereader in the near future, since I just bought one – I can’t resist a cool book stand…

Minnesota

Learn, Do, Make, Think

  • Qwotebook is a new site that lets you save your favorite quotes and find new favorites.
  • I can’t decide if I’d love the pixelated rug or if it would drive me nuts.

LOL

  • I’m just waiting for this cat to start scratching his business and yelling for a beer…
  • Poor Basement Cat – he has minion fail. (Oh! Chaos has his very first minion! He’d like to welcome Lea to her new life of minionhood.)

Awwww

Reading Update
The Angel of 13th Street by Eden Winters. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a bar owner and former rentboy who, with help, turned his life around and now helps other young men get off the street and out of the life… and then one of his rescues really starts to get to him.
Valentine Wish by Eden Winters. ebook short. Like The Boy Under the Bridge, this was another good spinoff from The Wish. In this short m/m romance, Anton’s out with his friends and employers, celebrating his Valentine’s Day birthday. Will he be going home alone again, or will he get his birthday wish?
Mobry’s Dick by K.Z. Snow. ebook. Very good paranormal romance about guy who purchases an extremely mysterious object at a flea market and is not prepared for all of the interest it generates.
Handcuffs and Leather (Rawlings Men, Book 1) by Kim Dare. ebook. Very good kinky m/m romance about a constable who was briefly held prisoner and has to talk to a psychiatrist about the experience – the same psychiatrist he’s been dreaming of submitting to.
Lessons in Mastery 1-3: Under Control, Under Restraint, and Under Fire by Laine Williams. ebook shorts. Good m/m romances about a nurse, abused in the past, whose cop lover isn’t quite comfortable with exercising his dominance. Each of these books focuses on a critical life/relationship event.
Pool Hall Green by Sara Bell. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a former pool player whose white trash family kicked him out when he came out, yet keeps calling him to clean up their expensive messes… and he does.
Be the Air for You by T.A. Chase. ebook. So-so m/m romance about a rock star and his best friend, who he’s loved for 20 years but done nothing about. Is it time to change that? This just seemed to have a theme or two too many, and I never got emotionally invested.
Never Let Go by Jourdan Lane. ebook short. Decent short m/m romance about a writer who got tired of being the backup lay for his friend, a porn photographer, and kicked the guy to the curb six months ago.
What the Heart Wants by Cassidy Ryan. ebook short. Ok m/m romance about a guy who takes his cat Hellion to the vet and discovers that the vet is the guy he once loved… and left without a word.
Acquisitions and Mergers by Lucius Parhelion. ebook short. Ok m/m romance that I think was set in the 1950s (although I’m not sure it was ever stated). Anyway, it’s about two friends, one gay, one straight (and a widower), who own a company that’s in the process of being acquired. The story was fine, but for some reason the style kept me distanced from the whole thing.
Secret Skin by Sean Michael. ebook short. This ok short m/m encounter features Dal and Dillon from Secrets, Skin and Leather.
Nine-tenths of the Law by L.A. Witt. ebook. Very good m/m romance about two guys who start seeing each other after they discover they both had the same boyfriend… and neither was aware of the other. When something has such a messed up beginning, does it have a chance?
Carnal Intentions (Lost Shifters, Book 4) by Stephani Hecht. ebook. This was a good m/m paranormal about the continuing search for the jaguar shifter brothers who were kidnapped when they were very young. But I did realize that there’s only one more lost shifter in the immediate family this series has been about… will the next book be the last one?! There are still multiple unmated siblings…
Nothing But Trouble by Rachel Gibson. Not an ebook, not m/m. 🙂 Ok addition to Gibson’s books about the Seattle Chinooks hockey team. This was about the embittered and difficult former team captain, who won’t ever be able to play hockey again, and the actress the team hires in lieu of a home health care assistant (since the health care assistants never last longer than an hour).

*sunbeam blissout* -Chaos

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Welcome to Linkity, now available on Fridays! (Warning: This post is guaranteed to exceed your daily allowable dose of exclamation points!)

42 Comments

Congrats to Naomi, who won the copy of The One That Got Away (One  & One) by TC Blue!

Congrats to KC (Smokinhotbooks), who won the copy of In and Out (Men of Smithfield) by LB Gregg!

And congrats to orannia, who won the copy of Carnal Intentions (Lost Shifters, Book 4) by Stephani Hecht!

Whew…

Yes, you read correctly – Linkity is now going to be on Fridays instead of Thursdays. *waits for bereft sobbing to die down* Moving right along! 😉

Contests

Books & Reading

  • Have you checked out the Author Fan Letter Blog Crawl yet? I’m up on May 29th. No, I haven’t selected my author yet. It’ll be a surprise to all of us. 🙂

Ebooks

Learn, Make, Do

Think

Yum!

Eeep!

Huh

  • And I’m not sure that paper furniture would survive Chaos and Mayhem…

LOL

  • I don’t know about you, but I’m very pleased to not be a mother opossum.
  • Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

Awww

  • Good luck at your forever home, Maura!

Reading Update
Lover Mine (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 8 ) by J.R. Ward. *gasp* Not an ebook (bless the library). Not (precisely) m/m! This paranormal romance isn’t one you should pick up unless you’ve read the previous seven books. Fortunately, Lover Mine, being the story of John Matthew and Xhex, was very good. (Oh, come on, aren’t you a little paranoid with each new book now, after the debacle that was Lover Enshrined? And don’t even get me started on “Doc Jane”…) I even got a bit teary once or twice. And if Qhuinn had appeared in my living room, I would’ve smacked him silly.
In and Out (Men of Smithfield) by L.B. Gregg. ebook ARC. Very good m/m romance about a disgraced and now agoraphobic writer whose sanctuary is breached by a gardener, a corpse, his ex, and more! I was late to work yesterday morning because I had to finish reading it. 🙂 LB does such a nice job balancing the tender with the madcap, while managing to infuse both with plenty of humor. (I also liked the tie-in to Gobsmacked.)
Curious? A Woman’s Introduction to Gay Romance, edited by Elizabeth North. ebook collection. Very good m/m romance collection featuring stories by Amy Lane, Sean Kennedy, S. Blaise, M. Jules Aedin, Anna J. Linden, Chrissy Munder, Ashlyn Kane, Jaymz Connelly, Catt Ford, Isabelle Rowan, Bethany Brown, G.S. Wiley, and Janey Chapel. I really can’t remember if I’ve read a collection that I liked better. I think it would indeed serve as a good introduction to the genre.
Pain Management by Cassidy Ryan & Zoe Nichols. ebook. Very good m/m romance about two guys who are business partners and best friends, until a drunken night together threatens all of it. Um, I might’ve cried a bit – this one really got to me!
Between Want and Need To by Kris Dylan. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a fashion photographer who’s lived behind sturdy emotional walls for a long time – will he be able to face his demons and get beyond those walls?
Deadly Nightshade, Deadly Wrong, Deadly Dreams, and Deadly Slumber (Deadly Mysteries, Books 1-4) by Victor J. Banis. ebooks. rereads. These excellent m/m mysteries are set in San Francisco. (I’m rereading so I’m ready for the release of the fifth book. I actually reread the first two last month, but don’t seem to have mentioned them here…) Anyway! In the first book, gay police rookie Stanley must be the perfect guy to work on solving murders committed by a drag queen, right? While the SFPD thinks so, straight cop Tom, who gets stuck with Stanley as a partner, is not at all convinced. The first book, Deadly Nightshade, is available free at the GLBT Bookshelf (go! go now!), but be warned that if you start to read it and like it, you should immediately purchase the second book. You will be most unhappy if you finish the first book without the second book on hand. Trust me on this one.
Broken Bones, Mended Hearts by William Cooper. ebook short. Good non-angsty m/m romance short about a college student whose best friend helps him out after he’s been severely beaten.
Gay Pride (G-A-Y, Book 7) by Kim Dare. ebook short. Enjoyable m/m romance about a dom, not very active in the scene lately due to his activism, who opens his door to discover a drunk young man wearing nothing but a Pride flag.
Your Forever (Eight of Wands) by Jenna Jones. ebook short. Sweet m/m romance about a guy who over thinks everything, including getting involved with his best friend’s younger half-brother.
Taste Test: Shot Through the Heart by D.C. Juris, J.L. Merrow, and Lenore Black. ebook collection. This collection contained three short’n’sweet m/m romances loosely organized around the theme of Cupid.
Il Cavaliere delle Tazze (The Knight of Cups) by Kiernan Kelly. ebook short. Ok m/m time travel romance about a starving actor who receives a mysterious Tarot card in the mail – and the card takes him on a very unexpected journey.
Crossroads by Keta Diablo. ebook. So-so paranormal m/m about a cop turned private investigator who communicates with the dead when he meditates. Be warned that this book contains dub con – I’m not a fan, although it’s totally an old school romance and yaoi trope. (Hi, Torso Guy!)
Blood Prince (Wolf Creek Pack, Book 4) by Stormy Glenn. ebook. Pretty much what you expect from a Stormy Glenn m/m paranormal, although I’d be surprised if anyone actually edited this one.
Walking the Straight Line by D.J. Manly. ebook short. Ok m/m romance short about a dentist who has a crush on his straight best friend from college… and then his friend visits with a guy in tow…
Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Vic Winter. ebook short. Good m/m romance short about a guy who’s dragged to a gay B&B for the weekend, in the hope that it will help him get over his ex.

** “Bwa-ha-ha! All your souls are mine mine mine! Bwa-ha-ha!” -Chaos

Have a lovely weekend, everyone! I’m definitely looking forward to a little sunshine after a cold’n’cloudy week here.

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

It’s far too late to come up with a remotely clever linkity title

38 Comments

Congrats to Jase, who won the copy of Gay Pride (G-A-Y, Book 7) by Kim Dare!

Contests

Books & Reading

  • Both Kris and Katiebabs have posts about the difference between comfort reads and rereads.

Learn, Do, Make

  • If you’re not exactly sure how a cell phone call works, check out this infographic.

Wow

Huh

LOL

  • Oh oh… If you’ve been following Brigitte’s quest to not alert Atticus that he’s going to the vet… there’s been a dark turn of events.

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Icing on the Cake by Shayla Kersten. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a guy who’s the man of honor for his best friend’s wedding. She puts him in charge of getting the cake… and oh, that baker is hot. (I wish Shayla Kersten wrote more m/m, because I’ve really enjoyed what she does have out… *hint hint*)
Gaps in Your Soul by Shayla Kersten. ebook reread. Um, yeah, so after reading the previous book, I felt the need to read some more Shayla Kersten. This is a pretty good m/m romance about… Hmm. Having trouble with a summary. At its most basic? I’d say it’s about how the US military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy messes with people’s minds and ultimately messes them up.
The One That Broke Free (One, Book 4) by T.C. Blue. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a soldier who was discharged ten years ago after his leg was permanently damaged. Since then, he’s been living alone in the small, closed-minded Southern town where he grew up, but after being in Boston for his brother and brother-in-law’s wedding, he’s rethinking his life. (I was lucky enough to win this from the author! Thanks, TC! And hey, TC will be giving away an ebook here at SOC tomorrow…)
Out of Balance by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Pretty good m/m romance about a banker who’s been going through a rough time when a hunky customer asks him out.
Two Man Team (Team, Book 2) by Jet Mykles. ebook. Do I hear bodies hitting the floor out there?! 🙂 Sarah reviewed this book and I was intrigued. (No, it wasn’t because of the Candy Cane Guy cover!) It’s an m/m romance that starts as an m/f/m romance and I’m not a fan of menagey books. But this one managed to avoid the big issue I have with menagey books, so it actually worked pretty well.
Vindaloo and the T-Bird by Sarah Black. ebook short. Good m/m romance about an eye surgeon who buys an old T-Bird so he has an excuse to spend time with the mechanic he used to date. There’s one thing that bothered me about this, but it’s a spoiler – we can talk about it in email if you’ve read the book!
Object of His Desire by Ava March. ebook. Good m/m Regency romance (I’ll give you a minute to recover) about a young man who’s been at a debauched house party for a week. He hasn’t participated because he’s been pining for the lord who’s hosting the party. Alas, he knows his affections won’t be returned, as the lord is ostensibly using the week to audition for his next mistress… (And yes, that’s Underwear Guy on the cover!)
Convincing Arthur by Ava March. ebook. Another good m/m Regency romance! It turns out that I don’t mind (and actually enjoy) historicals if they aren’t overburdened with historical details. I know that some love reading elaborate details of the clothes, the furnishings, the food… but that’s what turned me off of historicals in the past. Anyway! Leopold’s been waiting for Arthur to be free from his long-term and unfaithful lover. Now that Arthur’s free, will Leopold’s own debauched reputation keep Arthur away?
Fantasies: Christmas by Cassandra Gold. ebook. Good m/m romance about a guy who’s had a really bad week (he gets laid off, his beloved old cat dies, and his boyfriend dumps him by email) until he wins a Hawaiian vacation at the liquor store and invites the helpful guy next in line to go with him.
Cutting Cords by Mickie B. Ashling. ebook. Good m/m romance about two young men who end up as roommates in NYC because their dads were pro baseball teammates once upon a time. One guy is going blind but in denial (about more than just going blind *ahem*). The other is dealing (not so well) with crippling self-esteem issues. This story is told in alternating first- and third-person point-of-view, but I think it would’ve worked better if it had been entirely in third-person.
Poker Night 5: Full House by Carol Lynne. ebook. Well, I had to know how it all ended, since the story of Kent and Marco has been building through the previous four books! I enjoyed it, but I’d recommend reading the rest of the series first.
Theron’s Return (Campus Cravings, Book 11) by Carol Lynne. ebook. Um, I sort of pick these m/m romances up randomly as the descriptions strike my fancy, so for me, this is a completely nonlinear series. This one’s about a guy living in BK House who’s had a really, really bad year and simply can’t deal with it any more. It was ok – exactly the sort of read I needed at the time.
Calendar Boys April: Out of the Storm by Jamie Craig. ebook. Good m/m romance about a meteorologist who’s just been dumped by his boyfriend on a weekend getaway when a hunky ranger shows up at his cabin door, stranded by a surprise storm. (Wait, just how many dumped boyfriend books did I read this week?!)
Calendar Boys August: Scorched by Jamie Craig. ebook. Another good m/m romance – this one’s about a NYC firefighter who returns to Utah to help fight an out-of-control wildfire and runs into his former best friend’s kid brother.
Apotrope by Chris Owen. ebook short. Huh. This paranormal m/m romance about a vampire trying to impress a guy just never came together for me. (It’s part of Torquere’s Spice It Up series and the spice in question was garlic.)
Murder by Design by Jade Falconer. ebook. Um. Well, this m/m romance about a cop investigating the murder of a slutty model’s sugar daddy might’ve been better if half of it was cut out – I’d recommend the extremely repetitive scenes in which our two heroes gushed lovingly at each other over and over and over, ad nauseum.

So my friend CJ went to RT and all I got was… dang. A lot of goodies! Thank you, CJ! And thanks to all the authors who signed stuff for me. 🙂

“Mom, I’m truly alarmed by the large number of naughty boys and utter lack of black kitties.” -Mayhem

Contests, Gluten Free, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

An Epic Episode of Linkity

32 Comments

Contests

  • Jackie of Literary Escapism is holding a baby pool – two lucky winners will receive $15 gift certificates to the online bookstore of their choice.
  • Ms Moonlight is giving away five print m/m romance books (Tri-Omega Mates by Stormy Glenn; Switch by Claire Thompson; Frost Fair by Erastes; Male of the Species by Kate Steele; Polar Reaction by Claire Thompson) to a follower of her blog. Contest closes noon EDT, May 7. You must live in the US or Canada to win.

Free Reads

  • Check out the Free Gay Ebooks page at the GLBT Bookshelf, which has free stories from Josh Lanyon, Mary Calmes, Victor J. Banis (the first Stanley and Tom Deadly mystery! I love that series.), Eden Winters, P.D. Singer, P.A. Brown, Claire Thompson, and more. (Thanks to Mary Calmes for the link!)
  • My Reading Update (below) has links to some of the books above, plus links to additional free m/m romance ebooks. Apparently it was freebie week!

Reading & Book Miscellania

  • Beware this nasty and elaborate scam in which victims are pressured to accept a “‘pre-trial settlement’ for copyright violations.”
  • Hmm. This bookcase seems like it’d be a bit hard on books – but what great exercise!

Ebook News & Views

  • Some articles on how public libraries are dealing with ebooks.

Covers

  • Thanks to SciFiGuy for the link to the amusing Good Show, Sir blog, which features the very worst of scifi and fantasy covers, complete with snarky commentary.

Reviewing

Learn, Make, Do, Think

  • Lay’s has restructured salt to help it dissolve faster and reduce the amount of salt needed for taste.
  • If you’re into genealogy, check out the new FamilySearch.

Huh

  • A sculpture made from cords and cables – love the quote from Gizmodo: “I do, though, wish I could stop myself from thinking how annoying it’d be to untangle all of those cords.”

Gluten-Free

LOL

The Cute

Reading Update
All or Nothing (Taking the Odds, Book 3) by James Buchanan. ebook. Very good m/m romantic suspense, being the continuing adventures of Nicky and Brandon. With a beloved series, I always worry that a new release won’t live up to the previous books, but I should’ve known better. So go. Go get the first book, Cheating Chance, and read it. I’ll wait. 🙂
Only for Him (Only, Book 2) by Shawn Lane. ebook. Sweet m/m romance about a slightly outrageous administrative assistant at a law firm who’s really attracted to a cutely nerdy guy (one of the firm’s partners).
Cow Pie Bingo by Addison Albright. ebook short. reread. A guy who’s recently realized that he’s gay but has no idea what to do next discovers a very cute guy in line at his kissing booth…
The Wish by Eden Winters. ebook. Very good m/m paranormal romance about two guys who have never met, but dislike each other based on reputation and circumstance. (Hmm. Possibly my most vague summary ever!) I don’t want to tell you too much about the story, because part of what I enjoyed about it was reading and putting the pieces together. How about I just say I highly recommend it? 🙂
The Boy Under the Bridge by Eden Winters. ebook short. This is about a character who makes a brief appearance in The Wish and isn’t treated particularly well or shown in the best light – it’s surprisingly satisfying to find out what happens to him. You should definitely read The Wish first!
The Telling by Eden Winters. free ebook. Good m/m romance about a soldier who returns from Iraq suffering from PTSD and crippling guilt.
The French Have a Word for It by Josh Lanyon. free ebook short. Very good short m/m romance about a young man painting in France who runs into the bodyguard who rescued him from kidnappers when he was a teen.
Pinky Swear by Lynn Lorenz. ebook. Good m/m romance about two guys who grew up next door to each other in New Orleans and were best friends until a misunderstanding drove them apart and they lost touch… and then Hurricane Katrina arrives.
Upwardly Mobile by Clare London. ebook short. Steamy m/m romance about a couple talking to each other on the phone, one from his parked car, the other from the train…
Home Sweet Home by Clare London. ebook short. Ok m/m romance about a couple who have been taking a break from each other, not sure that their differences are surmountable.
Swap Meet by Lolita Lopez. ebook. This m/m romance is terribly misnamed. It should be The Straight French Billionaire and the Gay Firefighter, especially since it reads like a smokin’ hot category romance, complete with the slightly awkward writing. The straight French billionaire is accompanying a female coworker to a partner swapping event – he’s just there because she needs to appear to be part of a couple to get in. A mysterious, magnetically handsome man gives the billionaire a card with just a name and a room number and the billionaire cannot resist going to the room… (Issue: If this is a couple’s event, who the heck did said magnetically handsome man arrive with? That’s never mentioned.)
Last One Standing (The Five of Swords) by Andy Slayde & Ali Wilde. ebook. Decent m/m romance about a prostitute who tries to blackmail a customer and instead ends up off the streets, working as a dishwasher. I liked this a lot more before the ending – it felt like the story simply stopped. If this kicks off one of those Torquere serials, I’ll be mightily annoyed. (Also, if they managed to tie the Tarot into this Arcana, I completely missed it.)
Angelfish by M. King. ebook. Very good m/m story about a guy, back in New Zealand after attending college in England, who isn’t settling comfortably into parental expectations as he’s haunted by the mocking image of a tattoo.
The Ice Shack by M. King. ebook short. Good m/m short about a couple getting away from their families over the holidays.
First Day of Forever by Mary Calmes. free ebook short. Sweet m/m romance about two guys who were best friends growing up. Did one wait too long to figure out what he wanted? (Needs a few more commas…)
If by Rowena Sudbury. free ebook short. Meh m/m story about two martial artists who train and live together, until one realizes the other has been lying to him. I didn’t really care about either of them by the end of the story, so… *sigh*
Waiting by P.D. Singer. free ebook short. Good m/m romance about a spring break that gets off to a really rocky start when Daniel’s boyfriend shows up at the airport with a girl clinging to him.
More Than Just a Good Book by Sloan Parker. free ebook short. Very good m/m short story about two guys who meet in the college library. *fans self*
Gregori’s Ghost by Sarah Black. free ebook. Very good m/m romance about a neurologist whose dying grandfather charges him with looking after the son of a man befriended by his grandfather during WWII. I’m definitely going to be reading more Sarah Black.
Some Place Only We Know by Christiane France. ebook. Ok m/m romance about a rather innocent bookstore owner who volunteers at a hospice, where he meets a writer who’s visiting his brother. Beware! Instalove alert!
The Five of Wands by Sara Bell. ebook. Decent m/m romance about a resident suspended after being accused of a careless medication error who finds help from an unexpected source.
Only Human by Glyn Soitino. ebook short. Good paranormal m/m romance about a man, created by a wizard with all the knowledge he needs to survive, who falls for a closeted cop. I didn’t realize until I was well into this story that it was the sequel to Out of the Blue. Oh well.
Hoosier Werewolf: Howl and Prowl by Kate Steele. ebook collection. Very good paranormal m/m romance collection of three stories about werewolves finding their mates. The cover’s the usual Changeling Press horror and the title’s kind of weird, but this was one well-done and scorching read.
BDSFerret by Celia Kyle. holiday ebook short. While this m/m paranormal romance about a ferret shifter going to a prairie dog shifter bar is billed as being a satire, it only managed that once or twice.
Passion’s Victory by K.C. Kendricks. ebook. So-so m/m romance about a guy who owns part of an architectural firm and can’t resist the newly contracted, older architect. Does Kendricks always write in first person point-of-view? Seems like it, from what I’ve read. Not my favorite, especially when the characters don’t seem particularly guy-like.
A Hard Habit To Break by K.C. Kendricks. ebook. Another so-so romance about two guys who’ve been in love with each other since high school, but allowed massive miscommunication and misunderstandings to come between them. Another story told in first person… Also, I think the blurb for this one is a bit misleading, so beware.

*happy sleepy stretchy clawy purry* -Chaos

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

These are a few of my linkity things (well, ok, more than a few)

33 Comments

Congrats to Deanna, who won the copy of A.M. Riley’s recent m/m romantic suspense, Son of a Gun!

Contests

Reading & Beyond

  • For info on new and upcoming releases, contests, interviews, and more: Lily (m/m romance), Literary Escapism (paranormal romance, urban fantasy), Katiebabs (all sorts of romance), and SciFi Guy (urban fantasy, paranormal romance, etc).
  • Both KMont and Katiebabs found examples of cover art reuse last week!
  • Jenre did a really interesting series of posts at Desert Island Keepers on category romance themes in m/m romance: historicals, westerns, and others.

Learn-Do-Make

Sad

LOL

WTF

Squee!

Reading Update
Jude in Chains by K. Z. Snow. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a gay journalist who attends a “reparative therapy” camp pretending to be a straight journalist.
Out of the Blue by Josh Lanyon. ebook. Very good m/m historical romance about a British and an American pilot in France during World War I.
The One That Stayed by T.C. Blue. ebook. Poignantly sweet m/m romance with characters who will be familiar to those who’ve read TC Blue’s The One That Was Lost and The One That Got Away. The story is told in a mixture of present day and flashbacks, with perhaps a bit too much headhopping.
Cinnamon Dreams by Vic Winter. ebook short. Cute short m/m romance a guy who ditches his hated office job to work in a bakery, where he spends a lot of time drooling over the hunky baker…
Officers in Need and Uniform Hardness by John Simpson. ebook shorts. These short m/m stories had some of the most stilted, least natural sounding dialogue I’ve ever read. They weren’t meant to be humorous, but I laughed out loud more than once. Ouch.
Man Down by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Enjoyable m/m romance about a paramedic student with a secret past and a paramedic who doesn’t really want to find him intriguing. While the characters from Running Hot do make brief appearances in this book, I think either book could be read first.
Still the One (The Best Gift, Book 2) by Shawn Lane. ebook short. This sweet m/m romance takes place five years after The Best Gift. Malcolm and Dusty are deeply committed to each other, but what will happen when they end up on opposite coasts for their careers?
Until the End of Time (At Long Last, Book 2) by Shawn Lane. ebook. Good m/m romance follow-up to At Long Last. Prescott and Scott have been together for seven months, but is Prescott ever going to admit to his parents and friends that Scott’s not simply his roommate?
Finding the Divine by J.L. Jensen. ebook short. Good m/m romance about a nurse who becomes friends and roommates with the sexy new doctor at the hospital. They’re attracted to each other, but neither knows the other is gay. This was part of Torquere’s “Arcana” series and was the first one I’d read in which the Tarot played a major part in the story instead of just being added as an afterthought. Also, it was set in the Twin Cities, which is always fun for me to read.
If I Must by Amy Lane. ebook short. reread. After reading the great review of this sweet m/m romance short at Reviews by Jessewave, I had the urge to reread it myself. Just as good the second time as it was the first!
The New Client by J.M. Snyder. ebook short. Meh short m/m mystery about a PI who’s hired by woman to find her missing twin brother. Not much of a mystery, plus a pretty glaring condom gaffe.
Savage Awakenings (Lost Shifters, Book 3) by Stephani Hecht. ebook. I have to confess I’ve put off reading this m/m paranormal because it’s Rat’s story; since I’ve always had this urge to punch Rat in the previous two books, I wasn’t sure I could make it through his book. Instead, I got totally sucked into the story. 🙂
Bound by Nature (Force of Nature, Book 1) by Cooper Davis. ebook. I really liked Boys of Summer by Cooper Davis. Alas, this m/m werewolf romance does not measure up well. While I don’t mind books in which flashbacks are used well (such as in Amor en Retrogrado and Son of a Gun), the alternating chapters of present and past in this book drove me nuts. As did a glaring continuity error in which one character puts on his glasses… and then picks up and puts on his glasses a paragraph later. How many simultaneous pairs of glasses can one person wear?! *ahem* Anyway.
To Hate and To Hold by Dakota Rebel. ebook. Good m/m paranormal romance about two vampires who hate each other and get bonded together as part of a mysterious curse. Their cursed bond forces them to get very, very familiar with each other… (Yes, that’s Slouching Open Black Jacket Guy on the left!)
A Pint Light by Devon Rhodes. ebook short. Enjoyable paranormal m/m romance about a vampire who’s expected to mate with a mage and is somewhat surprised to discover the mage is male.
Love Me Dead by A.M. Riley, Lex Valentine, & William Maltese. ebook collection. Good m/m paranormal romance collection about ghosts. (That cover scares me more than any ghost would…) I particularly enjoyed the two stories by A.M. Riley. Lex Valentine’s story was pretty good, but maybe a bit too sweet for me at the end. And, as is par for the course, I skipped the story by William Maltese.
Fire Season (Tales of the Darkworld, Book 3) by Lex Valentine. ebook. Ok m/m paranormal romance about a straight dragon shapeshifter whose fated mate turns out to be male. I thought the strongest part of this story was the time it spent showing how Holden dealt with (and didn’t deal with) his sudden attraction to a guy, which gets glossed over in a lot of fated mate stories. I didn’t like that Garrett made a lot of pronouncements, but never followed through on them. I also really wish I hadn’t read the epilogue, which suggests that their story isn’t finished… and I definitely won’t be reading the rest of it, based on that.
Caging the Tiger (Animal Attraction, Book 4) by Michelle Houston. ebook short. Ok m/m paranormal romance about a tiger shifter who’s finally going to meet the magician with whom he’s been corresponding for years. I think I’m done with this “series” of unrelated shorts, though – I just don’t care enough.
Guardian by Kalita Kasar. ebook short. Ok m/m romance about a guy who has no memory of his life before he was hit by a car when he was ten. And why does he have a recurring dream, from which he wakes yelling for Ben? He doesn’t know anyone named Ben… (Oh, good eye, you! That is BBG on the cover!)
Laying a Ghost by Jane Davitt & Alexa Snow. ebook. Very good paranormal m/m romance set on a Scottish island, about a fisherman who’s lived there all his life and a guy who comes to the island to live in the house his uncle left to him. Even with the insta-love aspect of the story, I really enjoyed this book. I know there are two additional books (and I have them already), but I’m not not sure I’ll be reading them soon because this really felt like a complete story unto itself.

“But I don’t want to use the other portable kitty cave, big kitty. I want to use this one.” -Mayhem

“Tough luck, May. I got it first and I’m prepared to defend it with my laser eyes!” -Chaos