Tag Archives: Mickie B. Ashling

Contests, Reading

Ebook Giveaway: Daddio (Horizons #3) by Mickie B. Ashling [CONTEST CLOSED]

51 Comments

Congrats to Crissy M, who won SuburbaNights (SubSurdity #3) by Eric Arvin! SuburbaNights is being released today by Dreamspinner Press.

Congrats to choccygrl, who won Phoenix Rising by Theo Fenraven! Phoenix Rising is also being released by Dreamspinner Press today.

Many thanks to Mickie B. Ashling for donating an ebook copy of her forthcoming m/m romance, Daddio (Horizons #3), for a lucky commenter to win! Daddio will be released by Dreamspinner Press on July 23.

Six months after meeting at the Taste of Chicago, Lil Lampert and Grier Dilorio are living together. Their physical bond glows brighter than ever, but the couple soon realizes that it takes more than three magic words and outstanding sex to make a partnership work.

Like any fledgling, Grier is learning how to navigate his new life. His problems should have ended when Jillian signed the papers acknowledging him as Luca’s biological father and he got the opportunity to pursue a career in interior design. Instead, he’s hampered by old fears and bad habits that are hard to let go.

Adjusting to a small apartment in a four-season state – with a much younger man sporting a stubborn streak – is a challenge for Lil. His position as Luca’s “Daddio” is a delicate balancing act between doing what he thinks is right and deferring to Grier’s eight years of experience.

Life is stressed enough, but now Lil and Grier also face an unexpected complication from a powerful, far-reaching ruling body. Suddenly Luca’s safety – and their happiness as an emerging family – depends on Lil’s keen understanding of human nature and Grier’s willingness to learn.

Excerpt (scroll down and expand)

Other Books

About Mickie

Mickie B. Ashling is the alter-ego of a multifaceted woman raised by a single mother on a steady diet of melodrama and trashy romance novels. By the time she discovered her own talent for writing, real life had intruded, and the business of earning a living and raising four sons took priority. With the advent of e-publishing and the inevitable emptying nest, dreams were resurrected, and the storyteller was reborn.

She stumbled into the world of men who love men in 2002 and continues to draw inspiration from their ongoing struggle to find equality and happiness in this oftentimes skewed and intolerant world. Her award winning novels have been called “gut wrenching, daring, and thought provoking.” She admits to being an angst queen and making her men work damn hard for their happy endings.

Mickie loves to travel and has lived in the Philippines, Spain, and the Middle East but currently resides in a suburb outside Chicago. You can find out more about Mickie at her website.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Friday, July 20.
  • By entering the contest, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
  • If you haven’t commented before, your comment will not be visible until after I moderate it. Please do not leave a second comment because your first doesn’t show up! The blog gnomes will decide your comments are spam and then only ritual dust bunny sacrifice will salvage your entry…
  • If your comment is actually an advertisement or if your CommentLuv link turns it into an advertisement, your comment will be deleted. (Most of you do not need to worry – this refers to some pretty clever comment spam.)
  • Winners will be selected by random number.
  • You must leave a valid email address in the “Email” portion of the comment form.
  • Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from stumblingoverchaos.com!
  • I am not able to reliably contact people with aol.com and netscape.com email addresses – please use a different email address if at all possible!
  • If a winner doesn’t respond to my congratulations email within 48 hours, I will select another winner.
  • If you win, please respect the author’s intellectual property and don’t make copies of the ebook for anyone else.
  • This contest is open worldwide!

“No, I’m not a frog and no, I haven’t been run over. Sheesh, Mom, how do you even come up with these silly questions?!” -Mayhem

Contests, Reading

Ebook Giveaway: Cleave (Cutting Cords #3) by Mickie B. Ashling [CONTEST CLOSED]

63 Comments

Many thanks to Mickie B. Ashling for donating an ebook copy of her forthcoming kinky m/m romance, Cleave (Cutting Cords #3), for a lucky commenter to win! Cleave will be released by Dreamspinner Press on May 11. And if the winner hasn’t read the first two books, Cutting Cords and Vessel, they will be included in the prize!

On New Year’s Eve, Cole Fujiwara stands vigil at his father’s deathbed while his surrogate wife, Noriko, gives birth to twins. As Cole contemplates his future, he acknowledges that he’s living his father’s dream… and that he’s probably destroyed his chance at happiness with Sloan, the love of his life.

Finding harmony in an emerging D/s relationship has not been without issue for Sloan Driscoll and his Master, Trent Hamilton. Their journey has been littered with mishaps, but their powerful love and sexual connection continue to bind them together – until Sloan comes face to face with Cole for the first time in nine months.

The meeting means different things to each of them. To Cole, it’s the first step on the path to a reunion. To Sloan, it’s a terrible mistake, one he confesses immediately. As for Trent, the bitter realization that a connection between the former lovers still exists forces him to issue an ultimatum. Is Sloan willing to do anything to prove their relationship is worth saving, including becoming Trent’s 24/7 slave? And if Sloan stays with Trent, how can Cole ever hope to find happiness again?

Excerpt (scroll down and expand)

Other Books

About Mickie

Mickie B. Ashling is the alter-ego of a multifaceted woman raised by a single mother on a steady diet of melodrama and trashy romance novels. By the time she discovered her own talent for writing, real life had intruded, and the business of earning a living and raising four sons took priority. With the advent of e-publishing and the inevitable emptying nest, dreams were resurrected, and the storyteller was reborn.

She stumbled into the world of men who love men in 2002 and continues to draw inspiration from their ongoing struggle to find equality and happiness in this oftentimes skewed and intolerant world. Her award winning novels have been called “gut wrenching, daring, and thought provoking.” She admits to being an angst queen and making her men work damn hard for their happy endings.

Mickie loves to travel and has lived in the Philippines, Spain, and the Middle East but currently resides in a suburb outside Chicago.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Thursday, May 10.
  • By entering the contest, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
  • If you haven’t commented before, your comment will not be visible until after I moderate it. Please do not leave a second comment because your first doesn’t show up! The blog gnomes will decide your comments are spam and then only ritual dust bunny sacrifice will salvage your entry…
  • If your comment is actually an advertisement or if your CommentLuv link turns it into an advertisement, your comment will be deleted. (Most of you do not need to worry – this refers to some pretty clever comment spam.)
  • Winners will be selected by random number.
  • You must leave a valid email address in the “Email” portion of the comment form.
  • Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from stumblingoverchaos.com!
  • If a winner doesn’t respond to my congratulations email within 48 hours, I will select another winner.
  • If you win, please respect the author’s intellectual property and don’t make copies of the ebook for anyone else.
  • This contest is open worldwide!

“You know you want to rub my tummy… Go on, I dare you.” -Chaos

Festing, Reading, Reviewettes, See the Sights

This is not the linkity you’re looking for (featuring travel photos & book reviewettes instead of “proper” linkity)

35 Comments

Congrats to Ella Jane, who won Bound for the Forest by Kay Berrisford!

While this post has plenty of links, they’re primarily related to my vacation in New Orleans for GayRomLit. Plus a reading update at the end. And a cat picture. Of course. 🙂

Devon Rhodes and me, both very drunk at Lafitte’s in Exile.

Me, again, although I’m not exactly sure where this was taken. Jackie??

Purple house!

Our neighborhood bar.

Wonderfully overgrown balcony in the French Quarter.

Hitching post in the French Quarter.

Jackson Square.

Random Thoughts

  • The swampy edges of Lake Pontchartrain looked like they were egret paradise.
  • I’m good at the roadtrip driving thing… if I have audiobooks. Even bad audiobooks.
  • Was it a New Orleans thing or a Southern thing that posted hours and actual open hours didn’t necessarily coincide?
  • I had a delightful gluten-free “Dine with an Author” lunch at Muriel’s, courtesy of Julia Talbot and BA Tortuga. We didn’t talk books at all – we shared gluten-free tips and stories.
  • Jimmy at Lafitte’s in Exile is an awesomely entertaining bartender.
  • I wandered by a yard sale being run by a man and his cockatoo.
  • The readers and writers I hung out with were pretty amazing people – smart and savvy. Why do they all live so far away?!
  • It was kind of traumatizing to leave sunny mid-80s weather and return to chilly grey Minneapolis. (Although we’ve had chilly sunshine for the past day or so…)
  • I returned home with a souvenir cold and hacking cough. Blech.
  • After I got home, I didn’t unpack the copy paper box that had some unopened snacks and other stuff in it. When I got up yesterday morning, Chaos had gotten the lid off the box and had been eating pretzels, sweet potato chips, and cashews. Hopefully more chips and fewer cashews… What a mess!
  • Don’t worry if I haven’t replied to your contest entry comment! I’m so far behind from being on vacation that I’ll probably just delete a bunch of emails and start fresh. If you can see your comment on the contest post, you’re entered.

GayRomLit Posts (these are varying degrees of NSFW, so beware)

Reading Update
Bound for the Forest by Kay Berrisford. ebook. Excellent kinky gay dark historical fantasy romance about a former soldier who returns to the family manor in the Greenwood (the manor which he just sold to cover debts) to retrieve some hidden valuables before the new owner takes possession. When he finds another, very captivating thief already there, he has no idea how the course of his life has just shifted.
Into the Woods by Anna Mayle. free ebook short. Fun short m/m paranormal about two guys who live in a town for retired circus performers (and their families) and who have a very unusual experience trying to walk through the woods…
Vessel (Cutting Cords #2) by Mickie B. Ashling. Excellent kinky m/m story set five years after Cutting Cords. This is not a romance per se – it’s a story about Sloan’s ongoing personal growth. Personal growth that, as is usually the case, is frequently painful and messy. But Sloan perseveres, learning more about himself as he goes, and the end of this story is hopeful. I hope we’ll get to read one more book – a book in which Sloan comes into his own. (Mickie reports that the third book should be out in May!)
Happily Neverafter (Petit Morts #11) by Jordan Castillo Price. ebook short. Very good short paranormal m/m romance about a Greek cop and an American tourist who collide. We also find out a bit more about Chance, although he’s really no less mysterious for that!
London Eye (Petit Morts #12) by Clare London & Jordan Castillo Price. ebook short. Very good short paranormal m/m romance about a banker whose boyfriend dumps him in a London backstreets restaurant. Drunk, disoriented, and stranded, he awkwardly accepts his kindhearted waiter’s assistance.
Spirits and Second Chances (Petit Morts #13) by Sean Kennedy. ebook short. Very good short paranormal m/m romance about a guy who leads ghost tours in Western Australia. He’s happy with his life, but it just seems as if there’s something missing…
Liquor by Poppy Z. Brite. Very good gay fiction about a couple who are line cooks in New Orleans and are approached by a financier interested in helping them open a restaurant. I especially enjoyed reading this while in New Orleans.
Life Over Limb (EMS Heat #11) by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Sweet m/m romance about a diabetic radiology tech who hasn’t been taking good care of himself and a former flight nurse, now ER nurse, who hasn’t really dealt with a patient dying under his care.
Dead Run (Dangerous Ground #4) by Josh Lanyon. ebook. Pretty good m/m romantic suspense in which Tyler’s flying to Paris to see Will for the first time in 11 months and things are awkward between them. This one just didn’t really work for me – it felt contrived and I thought the amnesia bit was weak.
Velvet Memories (Club Velvet Ice #4) by Violet Summers. ebook. Good kinky m/m romance about a jock who was in denial in high school. Ten years later, he’s a Dom and no longer in denial when he runs into the guy whose trust he abused in high school – the guy who now works as a submissive at Club Velvet Ice.
RSVP (Pushing the Envelope #2) by Kim Dare. ebook short. Good short kinky m/m that, like the first installment, consists of a scene between Scott and Joe.
Devotedly His (His #4) by Shawn Lane. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about a guy who goes to clubs and hooks up with anyone who reminds him of the best friend he’s been crushing on since college… the best friend who’s never been interested in him. Things seemed to happen much too quickly at the ending, and not in a way that would help build trust about the friend’s concern.
Murder in the Rue Dauphine (Chanse MacLeod #1) by Greg Herren. Good gay mystery about a New Orleans cop turned PI who shows up to meet a potential new client, only to find the client dead. Even without an actual client, he can’t seem to avoid working on the case… I read this whilst staying about 50 feet from Dauphine!
Kindred in Death (In Death #29) by JD Robb. audiobook. Really, what’s to say about these? They’re pretty solid, although a bit repetitive by this point in the series. And this was interesting enough to keep me alert as I was driving, which was what I really cared about.
Bad Moon Rising (Dark-Hunter #18, Were-Hunter #5) by Sherrilyn Kenyon. audiobook. So-so paranormal romance that suffered from too many points of view (possibly because the book was written as occurring during a whole bunch of previous books about other characters) and from being too long. Sheesh. It just went on and on and on and… I started to zone out as I was listening to it – not what I want to listen to while I’m driving!
Sizzling Sixteen (Stephanie Plum #16) by Janet Evanovich. audiobook. Ok mystery in a series that really needs to end. But since I didn’t fall asleep listening to it as I was driving, it served its purpose.

“Told you I’d get you back for being gone. Do we have any more of those tasty sweet potato chips?” -Chaos

Contests, Reading

Ebook Giveaway: Vessel (Cutting Cords #2) by Mickie B. Ashling [CONTEST CLOSED]

54 Comments

Many thanks to Mickie B. Ashling for donating an ebook copy of her forthcoming kinky m/m romance, Vessel (Cutting Cords #2), for a lucky commenter to win! Vessel will be released by Dreamspinner Press on October 7.

Five years into their relationship, Sloan Driscoll’s peaceful existence is suddenly upended. His lover, Cole Fujiwara, gives him an ultimatum: agree to a surrogate birth or break up. Noriko Evans, a beautiful woman of Japanese/American descent, is handpicked by Cole’s father to be the surrogate. At the same time, Trent Hamilton, model and established Dominant, sets his eyes on Sloan, offering him another life choice.

Sloan is thrown off balance by this series of events he can neither understand nor control. He’d thought the topic of children had been laid to rest years ago, but with the advent of a new form of genetic testing, Cole’s fear of passing on retinitis pigmentosa, a disease that leads to blindness, has been greatly reduced. Noriko’s abrupt appearance threatens Sloan, as does Sloan’s attraction to Trent and a side of the BDSM world he’d never thought to explore.

Will Sloan be able to muster the inner strength he’ll need to deal with one shocking revelation after another, or will he succumb to a dangerous coping mechanism? His decisions will either lead to salvation… or hasten the end of the relationship that literally saved his life.

Excerpt (scroll down and expand)

Other Books

About Mickie

Reading and traveling are my hobbies, but writing is my life. I was introduced to the world of men who love men around the time I discovered Queer as Folk in 2000. The characters on that show intrigued me, and I began to read everything I could find in the m/m genre. Soon after, I found myself writing the kind of stories that I enjoyed reading.

All of my novels are contemporary, and yes, I admit, filled with angst. Drama and emotional upheaval seem to be the ongoing theme so far; I like hurt/comfort stories where my characters work hard for their happy endings. There are usually graphic sex scenes, so if you are uncomfortable with the concept of men loving men, I suggest you move on.

I’ve had the good fortune to live in many parts of the world, but right now, home is a suburb outside the Windy City where the long winters are very conducive to writing.

You can find out more about Mickie and her books at her website.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Thursday, October 6.
  • By entering the contest, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
  • If you haven’t commented before, your comment will not be visible until after I moderate it. Please do not leave a second comment because your first doesn’t show up! The blog gnomes will decide your comments are spam and then only ritual dust bunny sacrifice will salvage your entry…
  • If your comment is actually an advertisement or if your CommentLuv link turns it into an advertisement, your comment will be deleted. (Most of you do not need to worry – this refers to some pretty clever comment spam.)
  • Winners will be selected by random number.
  • You must leave a valid email address in the “Email” portion of the comment form.
  • Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from stumblingoverchaos.com!
  • If a winner doesn’t respond to my congratulations email within 48 hours, I will select another winner.
  • If you win, please respect the author’s intellectual property and don’t make copies of the ebook for anyone else.
  • This contest is open worldwide!

“It wounds me when you call me a thug, Mom.” -Chaos

Contests, Reading

Ebook Giveaway – Momentos: Mick’s Journey (Loving Edits #3) by Mickie B. Ashling [CONTEST CLOSED]

50 Comments

Congrats to Arzu and SarahM, who won Again by Mary Calmes! Again is being released today by Dreamspinner Press.

Many thanks to Mickie B. Ashling for donating a copy of her forthcoming m/m romance, Momentos: Mick’s Journey (Loving Edits #3), for a lucky commenter to win! Momentos: Mick’s Journey will be released by Dreamspinner Press on July 18.

And if the winner hasn’t read  Loving Edits or Tono, those books will be included in the prize!

Before Mick Henley brought Paul Alcott and Tono Garat together in Loving Edits, it was simply Mick and Paul, two optimistic teenagers who began a love affair that would span twelve years – and leave an indelible mark on their lives.

The passionate young lovers shared a series of firsts before Paul’s harsh father drove a wedge between them, shattering their dreams and destroying everything Mick believed to be true about love. After Paul’s defection, Mick met Tono, a closeted Spanish athlete, who helped heal his broken heart.

From passionate highs to heartbreaking lows, Mick inspires the two most important men in his life and brings them together with his impending death. They’ll learn that all their memories, even the most difficult to bear, are precious and that love is the most amazing journey of all.

Excerpt (scroll down and expand)

Other Books

About Mickie

Reading and traveling are my hobbies, but writing is my life. I was introduced to the world of men who love men around the time I discovered Queer as Folk in 2000. The characters on that show intrigued me, and I began to read everything I could find in the m/m genre. Soon after, I found myself writing the kind of stories that I enjoyed reading.

All of my novels are contemporary, and yes, I admit, filled with angst. Drama and emotional upheaval seem to be the ongoing theme so far; I like hurt/comfort stories where my characters work hard for their happy endings. There are usually graphic sex scenes, so if you are uncomfortable with the concept of men loving men, I suggest you move on.

I’ve had the good fortune to live in many parts of the world, but right now, home is a suburb outside the Windy City where the long winters are very conducive to writing.

You can find out more about Mickie and her books at her website.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Tuesday, July 19.
  • By entering the contest, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
  • If you haven’t commented before, your comment will not be visible until after I moderate it. Please do not leave a second comment because your first doesn’t show up! The blog gnomes will decide your comments are spam and then only ritual dust bunny sacrifice will salvage your entry…
  • If your comment is actually an advertisement or if your CommentLuv link turns it into an advertisement, your comment will be deleted. (Most of you do not need to worry – this refers to some pretty clever comment spam.)
  • Winners will be selected by random number.
  • You must leave a valid email address in the “Email” portion of the comment form.
  • Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from stumblingoverchaos.com!
  • If a winner doesn’t respond to my congratulations email within 48 hours, I will select another winner.
  • If you win, please respect the author’s intellectual property and don’t make copies of the ebook for anyone else.
  • This contest is open worldwide!

“Look deep into my eyes. When you wake up, you will feed me all the kitty food I want.” -Chaos

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

In which we have linkity and no one is surprised at all

28 Comments

Congrats to Lora G, who won Smart Ass: Close Quarters from LB Gregg!

Congrats to Marie, who won the Uniform Appeal anthology, courtesy of Dreamspinner Press! Uniform Appeal will be released on April 11.

Contests

Bookity

Ebookity

Do, Think, Make, Learn

Cookity

Crafty

Cool

Wha…?

Randonymity

  • Long ago (in the mid-1990s), I lived with a guy who made videos for local bands. I have a very, very tiny cameo in one of them: I’m at 44 seconds in the video for “Smile” by Arcwelder. Check out my long, spiral-permed hair (complete with crazy white streak from the sun) and my Lennonesque glasses. 🙂

LOL

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Taste (Horizons #2) by Mickie B. Ashing. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a San Francisco architect visiting friends (Jody and Clark from Horizons) when he meets a cute tattooed guy working at Taste of Chicago.
Mandarin Orange: Sweet and Sour by T.C. Blue. ebook. Good m/m romance about a guy who eventually realizes he might not be as straight as he’d always believed after he meets the guy who will be living in the apartment downstairs.
Three Alarm Fire (EMS Heat #8) by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Sweet m/m romance about an EMT who was in an abusive relationship a few years ago and since then has been afraid to let anyone that close to him.
Wrong Number, Right Guy (Celebrity #1) by Mia Watts. ebook. Cute m/m romance about a guy who misdials and doesn’t realize that he’s talking to a closeted movie star in town for a film shoot.
Getting Off the Ground (Postcards from Paradise #1) by L.A. Witt. ebook. Good m/m romance about a guy who was left at the altar by his live-in boyfriend of six years. He decides to use one of the honeymoon tickets to go to Hawaii by himself and meets a very intriguing man in the airport when their flight is delayed. Please note that this is just the first part of the story – the second part will be released in a few weeks.
Anything in a Skirt (Gay Until Graduation #2) by Kim Dare. ebook short. free. Very good short kinky m/m romance following up on the two guys from Gay Until Graduation (G-A-Y #3). (I took that photograph at Twin Cities Pride 2010!)
Handcuffs & Ball Gags (Rawlings Men #6) by Kim Dare. ebook short. Good kinky short m/m romance about a police constable who gets upset when his flatmate attends a potentially dangerous environmental rally, which leads to a most interesting discussion…
Cut & Run (Book 1) by Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux. ebook. reread. Good m/m romantic suspense about two wildly different FBI agents who are tossed together to try to catch a serial killer. I think this would’ve been a better read if it had been tightened up – parts of it seemed to drag.
Sticks & Stones (Cut & Run #2) by Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux. ebook. Very good m/m romantic suspense two FBI agents who can’t go back out in the field until they pass their psych evals, so their boss sends them on vacation to relax for a few weeks… Usually Urban & Roux’s headhopping doesn’t particularly bother me, but it did a few times in this book.
Fish & Chips (Cut & Run #3) by Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux. ebook. Excellent m/m romantic suspense in which our two FBI agents are sent on a cruise to impersonate a high rolling couple. As usual, nothing much goes as planned.

“Put the computer down and feed me now and no one gets hurt… much.” -Chaos

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Linkity for the April Fools (feel free to interpret that however you’d like)

33 Comments

Congrats to Kimberly, who won Three Alarm Fire (EMS Heat #8) by Stephani Hecht! Three Alarm Fire is being released today by eXtasy Books.

Congrats to Kero, who won Precious Possession by Clare London!

Congrats to Lily, who won Resisting the Temptation by Valentina Heart!

Congrats to Dana A, who won Taste by Mickie B. Ashling! Taste will be released by Dreamspinner Press on April 4.

Contests

  • Knitnzu’s having her annual Snow Melt Contest! Hurry and get your guesses in by 6 pm EDT today, April 1, for your chance to win yarn, a needle case, or a $25 donation to your favorite human rights, child advocacy, or animal welfare organization.

Bookity

Ebookity

Think, Do, Make, Learn

  • So back when I was in grad school and would clean my apartment instead of writing a paper, it was because I knew the clutter was reducing my mental focus! (Um, right. I was procrastinating.)

Crafty

Cookity

Cool

Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

LOL

  • I hope my kitties remember the hungry part before they start such a project…

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Lover Unleashed (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 9) by J.R. Ward. Well. It was better than Phury’s book, covered a lot of ground at breakneck speed, didn’t have any boring chapters focused on the lessers, and ended most unexpectedly.
Shades of Gray by Brooke McKinley. ebook. Excellent m/m romantic suspense about an FBI agent who’s spent his whole life looking at things in black and white and blocking out what he doesn’t want to see or acknowledge. Things get infinitely more complicated for him when he has to keep an ex-con alive to testify against a drug kingpin.
Concubine by Jill Knowles. ebook. Very good kinky m/m fantasy romance about a prince who suddenly and most unexpectedly finds himself as a demon warlord’s concubine.
Out There in the Night (Out There, Book 1) by Laura Baumbach. ebook. Very steamy paranormal m/m romance about a doctor working in Alaska for six months who’s rescued by a very mysterious and compelling man after being seriously injured.
Horizons by Mickie B. Ashling. ebook. reread. Very good m/m romance about a deeply closeted college football player with a homophobic family who finds himself falling (despite himself) for the very out ER doctor who cares for his broken arm. That bizarre cover does such a disservice to this book!
Accidentally His by Shawn Lane. ebook. Good m/m romance about two guys who sort of meet after a bus accident during their commute.
Breaking Point by Chris Quinton. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about a guy who’s supposed to meet his ex to accompany him to a book auction but gets upset and a bit vengeful when his ex doesn’t show.
Clue Game (Breaking Point, Book 2) by Chris Quinton. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about two guys who’d really rather spend the day in bed together, but get up to help an annoying friend with her scavenger hunt clues.
Breaking Logan’s Laws (Quinn Security, Book 4) by Cameron Dane. ebook. Steamy m/m romantic suspense about Quinn Security’s newest employee, Logan, who lives by a series of rules designed to keep his heart safe. The sex and romance are completely overdone and unrealistic in the usual Cameron Dane way.
Christmas at Reynolds Hall (With or Without, Book 4.1) by J.L. Langley. free ebook short. Good short paranormal m/m romance about Matt’s first Christmas dinner away from his family in New Mexico.
Attack of the Killer Dust Bunnies (With or Without, Book 4.2) by J.L. Langley. free ebook short. Cute short paranormal m/m romance about Aubrey, Matt, and Matt’s young twin brothers.
In the Light of Day by Sasha Devlin. ebook. Good m/m romantic suspense about a straight cop who’s been struggling with his feelings for the guy he went undercover with to break up some sort of porn film ring. I kept thinking there had to be a previous book about their undercover stint, but this is the author’s first book.
Mane Attraction by Sarah Masters. ebook. Ok paranormal m/m romance about a London man who see a lion change into a man on his fire escape. Little does he know that things are going to get stranger after that… This was obviously the first book in a new series (things were left really open-ended), but I can’t say that I have any interest in reading future books.
Undercover Sins by Hayley B. James. ebook. Trainwreck. This m/m romantic suspense about an undercover cop working as a rentboy in order to get close to one of the honchos in a human trafficking ring was extremely convoluted. The plot had as many holes as loops, no one behaved consistently or believably, and I never came to care what happened to the main characters. Be warned that there’s noncon and a complete absence of lube.

“What are you doing, Mom? I hope you’re not trying to sneak that tiara onto my head!” -Mayhem

Contests, Reading

Ebook Giveaway: Taste by Mickie B. Ashling [CONTEST CLOSED]

62 Comments

Many thanks to Mickie B. Ashling for donating a copy of her forthcoming m/m romance, Taste, for a lucky commenter to win! Taste will be released by Dreamspinner Press on April 4.

What should have been a brief interlude turns into something deeper when Lil Lampert meets Grier Dilorio at the Taste of Chicago. Lil is in town visiting good friends Jody Williams and Clark Stevens (from Horizons), and he didn’t plan to hook up with a younger man and discover a mutual love for architecture, interior design, and a unique sexual kink that keeps Lil coming back for more.

By all appearances, Grier is the quintessential bad boy who loves speed, tattoos, and leather, but Lil slowly uncovers another side: selfless, responsible, and tender, especially for  Luca, the son he’s had to deny. With Lil’s love and support, Grier will make a decision key to opening the door to a possible future together, one that includes fatherhood, something Lil has dreamed of but has never dared to explore.

Excerpt (scroll down and click expand)

Book Trailer

Other Books

About Mickie

Reading and traveling are my hobbies, but writing is my life. I was introduced to the world of men who love men around the time I discovered Queer as Folk in 2000. The characters on that show intrigued me, and I began to read everything I could find in the m/m genre. Soon after, I found myself writing the kind of stories that I enjoyed reading.

All of my novels are contemporary, and yes, I admit, filled with angst. Drama and emotional upheaval seem to be the ongoing theme so far; I like hurt/comfort stories where my characters work hard for their happy endings. There are usually graphic sex scenes, so if you are uncomfortable with the concept of men loving men, I suggest you move on.

I’ve had the good fortune to live in many parts of the world, but right now, home is a suburb outside the Windy City where the long winters are very conducive to writing.

You can find out more about Mickie and her books at her website.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Friday, April 1.
  • By entering the contest, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
  • If you haven’t commented before, your comment will not be visible until after I moderate it. Please do not leave a second comment because your first doesn’t show up! The blog gnomes will decide your comments are spam and then only ritual dust bunny sacrifice will salvage your entry…
  • If your comment is actually an advertisement or if your CommentLuv link turns it into an advertisement, your comment will be deleted. (Most of you do not need to worry – this refers to some pretty clever comment spam.)
  • Winners will be selected by random number.
  • You must leave a valid email address in the “Email” portion of the comment form.
  • Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from stumblingoverchaos.com!
  • If a winner doesn’t respond to my congratulations email within 48 hours, I will select another winner.
  • If you win, please respect the author’s intellectual property and don’t make copies of the ebook for anyone else.
  • This contest is open worldwide!

“Whoa. That was some good ‘nip, dude!” -Chaos

Contests, Reading

Ebook Giveaway: Tono by Mickie B. Ashling [CONTEST CLOSED]

40 Comments

Many thanks to Mickie B. Ashling for donating a copy of her forthcoming m/m romance, Tono (the sequel to Loving Edits), for a lucky commenter to win! Tono will be released by Dreamspinner Press on January 14.

In the aftermath of Mick Henley’s death, his two lovers, Paul Alcott and Tono Garat, find themselves at odds. Tono has rejected Paul on the pretext that the public will find out about their love affair, thus tarnishing Mick’s memory; the reality is that Tono fears Paul will lose interest in him because they’re not intellectual equals. Tono’s fear is compounded when Mick’s final novel, Momentos, is presented to Paul posthumously with a request to start a trust from the proceeds to aid artists and writers suffering from ALS. Mick’s only stipulation is that Tono spearhead the organization.

Paul is energized by Mick’s request, but Tono is angry and conflicted about the challenge. After a five-month separation, they reunite, rekindling their strong physical attraction – and illuminating their many differences. As always, Mick’s presence lingers, intruding at unexpected times. Are their memories preventing Paul and Tono from finding true happiness as a couple? Can there be a life for two vibrant alphas without the gentle Mick to buffer the discord?

Excerpt (scroll down and click expand)

About Mickie

Reading and traveling are my hobbies, but writing is my life. I was introduced to the world of men who love men around the time I discovered Queer as Folk in 2000. The characters on that show intrigued me, and I began to read everything I could find in the m/m genre. Soon after, I found myself writing the kind of stories that I enjoyed reading.

All of my novels are contemporary, and yes, I admit, filled with angst. Drama and emotional upheaval seem to be the ongoing theme so far; I like hurt/comfort stories where my characters work hard for their happy endings. There are usually graphic sex scenes, so if you are uncomfortable with the concept of men loving men, I suggest you move on.

I’ve had the good fortune to live in many parts of the world, but right now, home is a suburb outside the Windy City where the long winters are very conducive to writing.

You can find out more about Mickie and her books at her website.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CST, Thursday, January 13.
  • If you haven’t commented before, your comment will not be visible until after I moderate it. Please do not leave a second comment because your first doesn’t show up! The blog gnomes will decide your comments are spam and then only ritual dust bunny sacrifice will salvage your entry…
  • If your comment is actually an advertisement or if your CommentLuv link turns it into an advertisement, your comment will be deleted. (Most of you do not need to worry – this refers to some pretty clever comment spam.)
  • Winners will be selected by random number.
  • You must leave a valid email address in the “Email” portion of the comment form.
  • Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from stumblingoverchaos.com!
  • If a winner doesn’t respond to my congratulations email within 48 hours, I will select another winner.
  • If you win, please respect the author’s intellectual property and don’t make copies of the ebook for anyone else.
  • This contest is open worldwide!

“Maybe all of you should go take a nap. You look sleepy.” -Mayhem

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

In which I completely fail to come up with anything remotely clever for a linkity post title

31 Comments

Congrats to Lily, who won the copy of Strawberries for Dessert by Marie Sexton! Strawberries for Dessert is now available from Dreamspinner Press. (To promote Strawberries for Dessert, Heidi Cullinan posted a free short featuring Randy and Sam from Special Delivery and Double Blind.)

Contests

  • LesleyW’s curious about your book prejudices. Leave a comment about said prejudices before August 7 for your chance to win a copy of The Vampire Shrink by Lynda Hilburn.
  • Devyn Quinn’s giving away a copy of her new paranormal romance, Siren’s Call (Dark Tides), to a commenter on each of the three posts she made during her visit to Desert Island Keepers. Leave your comments by midnight, August 7, to enter.

Bookity

  • New releases: Lily (m/m romance), Literary Escapism (UF/PNR; includes interviews, contests, & news), Katiebabs (forthcoming releases whose covers intrigued her), Renee (romances that she’s looking forward to), and Elisa (GLBT releases for July).
  • The climbing library is gorgeous and very clever. I wonder if my condo association would notice me adding one…
  • Check out the Misadventure that Kris found! I added another example in the comments. Be warned that some of the other links in the comments are very NSFW.

Ebookity

Make, Learn, Do, Think

  • Yes! Vindication for my years and years and years of not making my bed. 🙂
  • And vindication for being a twitchy, doodling meeting attendee!
  • I really like this nautical rope bracelet. I wonder if I could find black nautical rope to make one for myself?

Huh

  • You will not catch me knitting any of these. Some of the comments are pretty funny, too. (Um, thanks??, MamaTulip!)
  • If you’ve always wanted to be able to punch a hole through the cap of a beer bottle and drink your beer through a straw (and you aren’t worried about the little metal disk now floating in your beer), you’ll love the BottleBop Bottle Cap Punch.
  • July was National Ice Cream Month in the US. Consumerist listed ten bizarre ice cream flavors that you might want to try… or not. No, no haggis ice cream for me, thanks!

Cool

Linkity Peeps

LOL

  • Is it bad that I’d like to modify my car to do this?! And while I wouldn’t necessarily want to modify my car to do this, it’s pretty clever. (Thanks, Jeanne!)

Teh Cute

  • Just be warned that you might not make it out alive from the Daily Squee…

Reading Update
See what happens when I read long books instead of shorts?! I have a very short Reading Update. 🙂
Brushback (Evan Austin Mysteries, Book 1) by Jamie Scofield. ebook. Excellent m/m mystery about a Seattle private investigator hired to find an about-to-be heir by the mother who abandoned the boy and his father years ago. However, things aren’t quite as straightforward as that. 🙂 So… are there going to be any other books in the series?! This seems to be the only book from the press and the only book by this author… and no updates since the June 2009 release.
Double Blind (Special Delivery, Book 2) by Heidi Cullinan. ebook. Excellent m/m romance about a gambler who picks up and inadvertently saves a guy who just lost his last five dollars at roulette and isn’t sure what he has left to live for.
Loving Edits by Mickie B. Ashling. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a rich and prestigious editor, the writer/lover he dumped years ago, and the writer’s beloved and devoted boyfriend. The beginning might be tough to get through, because none of the three are shown in a particularly good light, but the payout is more than worth it (probably because of it)! I’m always hesitant to read menage, because so few authors have convinced me that it would work emotionally for everyone involved, but I can definitely add Mickie B. Ashling to my list of authors who can make it work.
Priority One by Stephani Hecht. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about a new paramedic, young and inexperienced in more ways than one, who’s living with his overprotective brother while trying to recover from a traumatic incident.
Tinsel and Frost by Eden Winters. ebook short. Sweet short holiday m/m romance about a former ballet dancer who’s now a stripper after a career-ending accident.
The Distance Between Us by L.A. Witt. ebook. Decent m/m romance that, unfortunately, drove me completely nuts more than once or twice, or I would’ve rated it higher. It’s about two guys who have been together for ten years and finally broke up recently. However, they’re still living together because of the housing market – they can’t afford to sell their house and they can’t afford to pay rent somewhere else and pay the mortgage on the house. They get a very hot roommate and then both get sexually involved with him. I wanted to slap the two main characters. Many, many times.The sex-to-story ratio was seriously skewed. And this wasn’t one of the menage books that worked for me. All of this is a shame, because I really like L.A. Witt’s writing.
So Much More Than Naked (Books 1 & 2) by D.J. Manly. ebooks. Um. These m/m romances were codependent trainwrecks of pseudo-bdsm, the two main characters were both TSTL, and I only kept reading out of sick fascination for how bad it could get.

“Well, ok, I am less bored now that Mom finally opened the windows again.” -Mayhem