Ups and Downs

The last day or so has been a bit up and down.

On the upside, I'm off work until next Monday.

On the downside, I might have bursitis in my shoulder (I thought I just pulled a muscle although I had no idea how) and I have to take drugs for 5 days and if that doesn't work I have to go to physio.

On the upside, my daughter and I are going to Montreal tomorrow and staying overnight for spring break.

On the downside, my Grandmother was hospitalized yesterday. They don't really know what the problem is. The Dr. claims not a stroke but in some ways it seems stroke-like and we are waiting for test results and a schedule for a CT scan. She's 86 and getting weaker but hasn't suffered any chronic health problems, so I just don't know. I'm hoping I don't need to make an emergency trip to Manitoba but ... My Grandmother raised me so she's more like a mother than most Grandmas.

On the upside, spring seems not quite so far away.

On the downside, work is a bit sucky and I've been told that I can't extend my position this year so have to job hunt this summer. It's not a matter of losing my job, just my position. Imagine 300 employees all playing musical chairs. You know there is a chair for you, but which one and will it be more comfortable than the chair you currently have? Who the hell knows.

Blerg. Oh well. Life goes on and I need to think positively on most of the downside stuff. I did get some reading done in the last few days.

The Rifter - The Shattered Gates by Ginn Hale (100 pages)
Blind Eye Books

BEB is offering a serialized book by Ginn Hale. It's a fantasy story that comes every month in 100 page chunks for 10 months. It does end on a cliff hanger and I know serials and cliff-hangers aren't for everyone. You'll be able to buy it after I'm sure but I know I'd never buy a 1000 page book.

John is a regular guy with a freaky roommate. Kyle has tattoos (on his eye lids no less) and is very mysterious, but introvert John is okay with that because he pays his rent on time. When Kyle disappears John opens an envelope with a key. One night when out exploring some suddenly exposed rocks with two friends, he manages to get them sucked into another world. Seems Kyle (aka Kahlil) was supposed to keep an eye on John and kill him because he could threaten their world. Ooops. So Kyle heads back home. After that it gets a bit complicated with John and his friends trying to survive in a snowy wasteland and eventually meeting a young man who seems to be training to be what Kyle was. Hmmm. Oh oh, soldiers.... It's quite complex, there is even another language they are learning (glossary in the back - I'm thinking about adopting the swear words, no one will ever know you're swearing at them) and I have tons of questions, but I'm sure they'll all be answered - eventually. It's not all dark and angsty, John's new-agey friends add a bit of lightness to the story. Definitely worth a read for those who like the concept or are willing to wait for the longer final version.

The Cabin by Shae Connor (43 pages)
Dreamspinner Press

Jen did a great review of this at BER. However for my own review, Jesse needed to get out of the city so heads to a rental cabin in the mountains. He meets is neighbor Eli and they hit it off and decide to go hiking together. There is lots of flirting and they get to know each other, eventually spending the night together and agreeing to get together once they get home. There is no angst here, there is no drama, stalkers, bear attacks or anything like that. It's just two normal (although hot) guys getting to know each other and purely by chance meeting on a weekend away. It's nice to have people who don't keep secrets, who talk about their family, haven't been wickedly damaged in some ways. It's just a sweet story of two guys meeting and starting out. When you need a nice light snack after something darker it's a great palate cleanser. I find the author's style and voice works well for me.

Celadon by KIL Kenny (86 pages)
Torquere Press

Surfer dude Bryan sold the clothing business in Australia he'd started with his best friend from college and moved home to Ohio, unsure what he'll do with his life. While taking his nephew to a Boy Scout activity he meets local potter Nilsson. Right away Nilsson comes on strong, then basically says thanks but I'm kind of busy, as he has a huge custom order for a customer that requires a special celadon glaze and it's not going well. However Bryan wants more. He's kind of bored, finally gets his own place and tries to connect with Nilsson who basically keeps blowing him off except for occasional sex. Bryan finally takes drastic measures to make it clear what he wants. This is another nice story about two normal guys, one who works like a maniac because he needs to in a way and figuring out how to make it work. There is some minor drama near the end and some confusion over the artsy life Nilsson lived when he was younger and Bryan's feelings for his ex-partner, but that's not the main drama and it's not blown out of proportion. It's more how do you make an independently wealthy (more or less) beach bum and a workaholic artist find a compromise that lets them be together? I could really see both sides. Bryan wanted a boyfriend not a fuck buddy, and Nilsson needed to keep himself out there if he wanted to be a success and make a living as an artist. You wanted them to work it out and again, another nice story about two guys. There is some good touches of humour as Bryan lets his niece and nephew help him decorate his new apartment. Lets just say Justin Bieber pillow cases are involved and chenille unicorn throws. :-)

Stroke to His Cox by JL Merrow (20 pages)
Dreamspinner Press

Another one that Jen reviewed. (I'm finally catching up on those books that I say "Oh, I'd like to read that.") Dave is the half-Japanese cox for this university rowing team. For those who don't row (and I barely know the basics), it the usually much smaller guy who sits in the boat and keeps the others on track. He's much smaller of course than all the huge hulks who row and has been crushing on Archie for a while, figuring no way. After they win a big race, Archie makes a move much to Dave's surprise and delight. This is told from Archie's point of view. I liked his voice, he's a bit sarcastic and snide and his oarsman don't seem to be the brightest of the lot some of them and while they say racist things, it's not because they don't like him, they're just oblivious. As I said, I know nothing about rowing and there is some terminology I didn't really get, but you don't need to in order to get the story, it's still a cute read about a surprise pairing, well, delightful surprise to Dave.

I'm on a reading roll now

Well, I seem to have my groove back. I've been reading like a maniac. :-) Kind of a decent day here today, with a hint of spring in the air but I'm not holding my breath.

Reminder for everyone that moves their clocks forward this weekend (for those who do).

Blue Sky Lodge by Chris Owen, Sean Michael, Julia Talbot and BA Tortuga (220 pages)
Torquere Press

This is an anthology of 14 short stories set around a gay-friendly ski resort, the Blue Sky Lodge. They are all quite short and range from employee couples getting together to stories about guest/employee hook-ups, and couples who are there for vacation. There were so many I won't get into them but there were some interesting themes. A double amputee musician who hooks up with a young snow board instructor, a blind man who comes with his long-time lover who's trying to pull him out of the depression she's suffered following the tragic accident that blinded him, a bit of a D/s employee couple who have an open relationship. They were the only couple who featured in two stories, once with others and once with each other, a temporary threesome and couples needing to reconnect and figure out their relationship. I found those stories had a lot more depth when it was the couples who came to try and use a luxury vacation to get their life back on track or to reconnect. Some stories are very graphically sexual, others less so. The writing all has a similar quality to it, as usual BA Tortuga's stories tend to feature more rough-hewn cowboys and for fans of the series, the Jarheads make a trip to the resort in the last story. There is also one story set at the resort in the summer, but most are focused on skiing and snow. I kind of liked the idea of all the stories being in the same setting and kind of mingled, made me want to go to such a resort as it sounded wonderful (not the skiing so much, but hot tubs and big rooms, massages and delicious food).

Too Soon for Love by Kimberly Gardner (320 pages)
MLR Press

The book starts with Michael at his lover's funeral. You soon discover that Michael is blind and despite his lover's family's good intentions he just needs to escape. The nurse's aid the family had hired to help (the lover had a stroke) comes to the rescue and offers to drive Michael home. It seems Alan has been crushing on Michael for awhile and realizes his timing sucks, but offers to be a friend and read Michael's mail as Michael is tired of depending on his lover's family who treat him like an invalid and want him to move in with them. While helping Michael, Alan discovers evidence that the lover was cheating on Michael and is torn about whether to tell Michael figuring it will just hurt him. They do have sex but Michael says too soon and lo and behold the other man shows up. Seems he had a threesome with the couple on vacation and comes in the guise of a friend, now Alan is torn even more about telling Michael when it all blows up and goes to hell. I really liked Michael and I thought his handling of his life alone was really well done. He's very capable but things like dealing with the mail or getting into town (live way out in the burbs) suddenly leap up and smack him in the face. I stayed up way too late reading this because I wanted to know if Alan would spill the beans about Robby and the dead man and then how it would all work out. The only thing I found a bit "preachy" if you will, was a gay couple at the nursing home Alan worked at who dealt with the family coming in and spiriting away the ill man across the country because his lover of 20 years had no legal rights. Except for showing how horrible that is and unfair, there was really no relevance to the rest of the story. Otherwise I quite enjoyed this. It could have been quite maudlin, but I didn't find it too much so, there were a few things that happened to lighten the mood.

Remember Me by Lynn Lorenz (95 pages)
Amber Allure

Chad is a Dr. in emergency in New Orleans a year after Katrina. A young man comes in badly beaten when Chad realizes it's his first love from summer camp. He had promised Jeff he'd keep in touch but fear of coming out and his family's pressures meant he never did. Jeff nearly dies and Chad feels responsible for him and all the old feelings come back. He steps in and clears out Jeff's apartment, takes custody of his cat and tells hospital staff they are partners so he can get medical information. When Jeff wakes up a few months later he's pissed that Chad would take over his life and he's still upset about him never calling. However he soon starts to realize that Chad did a good thing and his cat would have been sent to the pound and he would have flunked out of school rather than being withdrawn. I really liked how Chad worked through things as he spent time with Jeff during his coma for those two months, realizing that his behaviour with guys was because he'd never gotten over Jeff. I also liked that when Jeff woke up he was at first upset but then realized that Chad had done a good thing helping him and decided he wasn't going to let another chance at happiness slip through this fingers. It was a fairly quick read but I enjoyed the two guys and you hoped they'd get a second chance at happiness. It would have been nice to see them further down the road, but it's a nice hopeful HEA ending.

Sub-genre Schizophrenia?

Yay, the week is almost over. Had quite a few urgent things at work this week which I really don't mind because I prefer it to be busy and I tend to work more efficiently in a crisis. Go figure.

I will take a moment to whine about the weather. Arrgghh. 8 inches of snow followed by 4 inches of rain and more snow on Sunday and then more rain on Tuesday. It's crazy. The rain on snow means a lovely layer of ice on side-walks. Not fun and I nearly did some groovy moves on the walk in today but didn't fall on my butt so it's all good.

Terrible news about the earthquake in Japan. It's been quite the season for natural disasters. The videos of the tsunami were just freaky, seeing the water just go and go and go. Mojo to all and I know the Red Cross in most countries are probably already accepting donations. I know in the US and Canada they are.

Anyway, I've read a book in just about every sub-genre out there. Historical, paranormal, sci-fi. Whew. Two of the three not my normal choices either.

Chasing the Mailman by Amber Redd
Dreamspinner Press

Usher is a horse farmer in ... somewhere they don't usually get tons of snow. One of his horses is killed by what he suspects is a large wolf, however the game warden ignores his calls for help. He helps the mailman (Jarreth) whose truck goes off the road in bad weather and they become friends. Usher would like it to be more since his partner died 8 years ago, but Jarreth gives off mixed signals and finally makes it clear he's not gay. Things start getting weirder and when Usher's dog runs off in the woods at night (ever heard of a leash?), Usher is attacked by a werewolf (movie-style) and protected by a large timber wolf. Soon other people are being killed around town and Usher, Jarreth, and a few of their friends and family are hiding out in Jarreth's house. When the police come to ask questions the big attack happens with lots of drama and a dementia-ridden mother saving the day. This is written in a very unusual style. Regular past tense point of view from Usher, but then every few paragraphs it would flip into his thoughts. An example:

He noted the snow chains on the vehicle too. Maybe I should wait another day and give the township more time to treat the roads before driving into Stone Trail.

So rather than say "He wondered if he should wait another day ...." it hops right into his head and what he's thinking at that time. It was quite different and didn't really work for me and I found it rather distracting. I figured out the mystery of the guardian wolf and the werewolf pretty quickly. Personally I would have been more pissed off if I was Usher at Jarreth's confession later, but he seemed so desperate for the guy he didn't even blink about the lies, including the fact Jarreth WAS gay. Then again, as I've said before, I'm a bit of a vindictive bitch who would make them suffer more. For those looking for a different writing style with the present tense thoughts inserted it's an interesting read and I salute the author for trying something different. In light of all the snow we've had lately reading a story with lots of storms seemed kind of relevant.


The Nobleman and the Spy by Bonnie Dee and Summer Devon
Loose Id

Jonathan is a spy and former assassin who is tasked to keep an eye on a German nobleman. By chance he ran into Karl on opposite sides of the battle field years ago. Once Jonathan's cover is blown, there is instant chemistry between the two, despite Jonathan's reticence after being betrayed by his Captain and lover. However part of his job was to keep Karl safe if necessary and when a bomb goes off at a party nearly doing Karl in, they start to work together to solve the mystery of who wants him dead, while figuring out their relationship. I'm not a huge historical fan but I have read one or two of the other by these authors and enjoyed them and this was no different. While there is discussion of Karl and Jonathan being discrete, thanks to their positions they are able to be together and even back then, being royalty meant you could get away with a lot that the average guy on the street couldn't. I know some people didn't care for Jonathan and he is a bit of an everyman, kind of nondescript, no great personality, but I didn't mind him. He probably seemed more normal than most characters and I liked that he had less experience and was figuring out not only a relationship but sex with a more experienced Karl. So if you enjoy historical that while accurate (apparently), but not to the exclusion of a good romance - and I enjoyed the mystery part - this is another good one.

Retribution by Jambrea Jo Jones
Total-e-Bound

And on to outerspace. It's like I have a time machine. Doctor, where are you? Okay, enough.

Rave and Kain were lovers working for the Alliance when Rave was falsely arrested for smuggling and sent to prison. As this happened Kain just so conveniently disappeared, leaving him dangling in the wind. A couple of years later, after getting out of prison (badly damaged by his treatment there) Rave and his best friend Sela are running a transport ship. Even though Rave knows Kain is still alive he avoids him until Kain comes on the ship and tells him it was all a big plot and know the plan is to pretend he's kidnapped so when Rave picks up his next shipment which is some kind of weapon, the Alliance will have an excuse to arrest him, thus getting the weapon. Well Kain should have clued in right there with that convoluted plan, but his main goal seems to be the convince Rave to give them another chance and he's not quite sure why Rave is pissed. Duh! When the whole story comes out, both men were used, but I found Kain's naivete at how his military used him, lying to him and coming up with plans that any normal guy would likely have called bullshit on, a bit much. I thought his expectation that Rave should just fall back in his arms after 2 years rather unbelievable. I was happy when Rave punched him. (See vindictive bitch comment from above.) I'm not a huge sci-fi in books fan, but there wasn't overkill and most of it seems to take you to a pretty comfortable sci-fi universe, something most of us have experience with in movies or on TV. I did like the BF Sela, which is unusual because usually the female BF is a raging overprotective/meddling bitch, but she was just right.

Free stuff, discounts and e-book week.

It's e-book week and I may be a bit behind here so you'll have to shop fast but lots of m/m publishers have deals on this week to celebrate.

To start, freebies.

MLR Press is offering Laura Baumbach's Details of the Hunt (number 2 is coming - yay), LA Boneyard by PA Brown and The Hitchhiker by Stevie Woods.

I haven't read LA Boneyard or The Hitchhiker yet but I downloaded them today. I loved Details of the Hunt and I am so not a sci-fi fan, so if it worked for me, it should have wide appeal even if that's not your genre of usual choice. The freebies are little tiny icons at the top of the page.

You can win one of two e-readers HERE. You have to find the answer to a question found on the webpage, but if you are willing to do the work you might be the lucky winner of a Nook or a Kobo. It's open to readers outside of North America but I think you have to pay for shipping.

Dreamspinner Press has 20% off all e-books so snap up some deals there before Saturday night.


Amber Allure doesn't seem to have something directly related to e-book week but I see they have all novels and novellas 25% off in March.

Silver Publishing has a special on: Make a purchase during eBook Week and automatically stand a chance to win a Kindle eReader. You want more? Purchase a New or Coming Soon release and receive 30% off any of our backlist titles.

Rainbow e-books also has a special on this week. In celebration of eBook Week everything in the store is 20% off now through March 12th. Each day at 10pm we'll draw a user and give them everything on their Wishlist. On Saturday, March 12th at 10pm the winner will receive a brand new Kindle AND everything on their Wishlist. Every dollar you spend enters you to win!

These are some of the bigger publishers/resellers of m/m books that I usually shop at. If you are in the Good Reads group, check out Jase's thread where he lists some other smaller sales or more specific themes. People can add deals as they find them.

Happy Shopping. I love being an enabler. :-)

And as a special reward, a cookie or two. I'm pretending it's warm enough to go to the beach to see these guys, rather than prepping myself for 10 inches ... of snow.

Coming Soon to Brief Encounters Reviews

Coming later this month, Jenre and I have planned a Fortnight of Fun at Brief Encounters Reviews. We will have 14 days of fun focusing on British m/m authors of short stories (and many who have longer stories as well), there will be book give-aways, some fun posts and of course reviews of stories by the authors we are profiling.

Our schedule will be:

Sun. Mar. 20 - Kick off and announcement of book give-aways

Mon. Mar. 21 - Fabian Black

Tues. Mar. 22 - Anne Brooke

Wed. Mar. 23 - Sue Brown

Thurs. Mar. 24 - Kate Cotoner

Fri. Mar. 25 - Kim Dare

Sat. Mar. 26 - Chris Quinton

Sun. Mar. 27 - Funday Sunday

Mon. Mar. 28 - Alex Draven

Tues. Mar. 29 - Mara Ismine

Wed. Mar. 30 - Clare London

Thurs. Mar. 31 - JL Merrow

Fri. April 1 - Josephine Myles

Sat. April 2 - Closing Day

Hope you'll all stop by and find out more about some authors you may be familiar with or perhaps you'll find a new author whose work you can explore.

Sunday Summary

Why does the weekend go by so quickly? Ugh. And such awful weather. Yesterday POURING rain and just above freezing, then 6 inches of snow last night and way below freezing. Ugh. I just want to stay home but we have to go out later. Whine whine whine. I did do a lot of reading though this weekend so here we go.

A Russian Bear by CB Conwy (353 pages)
Torquere Press

Mischa is a dom who only does one boy one night. He's sent to a hotel bar to meet up with a young man when to his total embarassment he hits on grad student Tom who is at first totally freaked out, then curious and goes to a hotel room to try some of the things Mischa told him about. To his surprise he actually gets off on pain, a lot. Soon he's meeting Mischa again but Mischa has managed to convince himself that it's not a scene, he's just helping Tom who is so not a typical sub. he's smart and stubborn and curious and he likes him. Before long they are getting more and more into the lifestyle and Mischa has to admit Tom is something more. When Tom is attacked it throws their relationship for a loop as Tom suffers the after-effects. I'm not a huge fan of pain in my BDSM, but this one didn't bother me as I think there was lots of talk about what was happening and why and Tom and Mischa were both such likable people. Mischa was NOT the smug dom, and Tom was not the simpering kneeling sub, it worked for them. I made the mistake perhaps of checking this on Good Reads before I started (I couldn't remember what it was about) and lots of people disliked the ending and while I think it could easily have been cut and just ended the sweet story of two people finding their way, it didn't bother me that much. On the whole I really enjoyed this one.

Neon Yellow: Obsessive Adhesives by Andy Slade & Ali Wilde (119 pages)
Torquere Press

Jason is an outgoing guy who finds Spencer the quiet guy in accounting more and more intriguing, however not his type. Nope. When he runs into Spencer in Sky's store, they all end up at Sky's place looking at his pics from his trip to Australia, and Jason finds out Spencer does have interests outside of work such as mineral collecting and astronomy. He starts to pursue Spencer and Spencer is a bit shocked that a hot guy like Jason would be interested in a nerdy virgin. However things are going well until the "love notes" someone has been leaving on Spencer's computer get more and more threatening and it comes to a head when they are on a camping trip. I got quite excited when I realized that this was Sky and Nathan from Sandalwood and a Potato and even mentions Avery from Mist Gray. I have to admit I'm a sucker when stories overlap and mix like that. (However you don't have to have read either to read this.) This was a cute story about seeming opposites who have more in common than they thought. I liked both guys a great deal and how they got to know each other through real dates, not just falling into bed. I know some people may not love the stalker storyline it worked for me.

Under the Desert Sky anthology (59 pages)
Xcite Books

A collection of six gay erotic stories with mixed themes including alfresco, contemporary, historical (1920s), group sex, sex on holiday and cross-dressing.

Under the Desert Sky by Zee Kensington - Tim has followed his negligent boyfriend out to Nevada's Flaming Fool Festival, hoping to have a 'meaningful experience' at the celebration. Instead, he finds friendship - and a whole lot more - with sexy local boy Randy, who teaches Tim what a real 'meaningful experience' is under the desert sky. This was a nice story where Randy helped Tim figure out what he needed in his life as far as relationships go. A cute read and having seen pics of Burning Man I imagine this was based on that.

Lipstick in the Rain by Michael Bracken - During a routine traffic stop for a busted taillight, a closeted small-town cop finds himself frisking a female impersonator dressed as Courtney Love, and it soon becomes evident that the cop has more in mind that just writing a ticket. What the cop doesn't know is that the driver he's pulled over has an ulterior motive for lifting up his dress and bending over. I won't say what the motive is but this one I found a bit less compelling as you don't really get to know either man.

The Sculpture by Tabitha Raine - The Sculpture is the story of artist, Jason, who is carving a bust of a new client Quentin. Jason can't help being utterly turned on by his stunning subject and breaks his self imposed rule of fraternising with clients. A steamy studio romp ensues and the finished sculpture turns out a little different than the initial brief... A cute ending, but beyond one sexy interlude you don't know anything about either character so I was a bit removed from their relationship.

Soldiers of the Night by Landon Dixon - The Roaring 20's. War on the noir city streets, gangland-style. But as the lead flew and the booze flowed, there was still time for night moves, man-assault of another kind - sexual combat, gang-bang style. America was on the gayest, gaudiest spree in its history, and the soldiers of the night were at the forefront of it all. This had a lot of atmosphere of the time but I'll be honest, some of the slang I'd never heard and I was just using inference to get the meaning. Much more violent and sex-filled and less romance, but definitely a unique era and environment.

Without Words by Josephine Myles - Nick thinks it's worth the risk of getting his head kicked in to find out if the gorgeous redhead on the building site really is checking him out. Only trouble is, even if he is interested, Nick tends to end up spoiling things with his nervous babbling. This time he's going to have to keep his mouth shut. It's either that or he'll have to find some other way to occupy it... This was a cute story and I tend to love the babblers whose imagination runs away with them and I smiled more than once at Nick's random musings, however there is a bit of a touch a serious side as well when Nick finds out more about his mystery man then he expected. A sweet ending though.

Honey Do Me by Patrick Myers - When Lon discovers a handsome handyman he didn't hire repairing the gutters on his house, he turns the mix-up to his advantage and invites Handy Andy back later that day. After a dinner he pretends wasn't carefully planned and prepared, Lon learns just how handy Andy really is. A cute story about a guy who recently lost a lot of weight who finally makes a play for the hot handyman.

Back in the saddle?

Well, I seem to be back in the groove, for now. We'll see how long it lasts. I've been home by myself the last three nights as my kid has been digging her WWI trenches from floral foam and doing school stuff so no excuse not to read my head off. Some shiny and new books also to attract my attention. Sigh. My poor older books are staring at me forlornly when I open the TBR file.

Between the Pipes by Stephani Hecht (114 pages)
eXtasy Books

This is book two in the Blue Line Hockey series (book 1). Younger brother/goalie Trey is "blackmailed" by the reporter whose keeping his secret into helping her sister's young son whose the worst goalie ever. Trey's not thrilled, but he finds meeting the kid's uncle isn't bad. Except for one thing, Wade is a cop, and everyone continues to tell Trey how important it is to keep their secret about his father's death, however he can't stay away. Wade is the first guy who doesn't treat him like a convenient or celebrity fuck. Then their older drug addict brother Brock shows up, on the run from the cops, and soon Trey is keeping secrets from everyone as he tries to believe Brock wants to change his addict ways. I was very happy to see Trey get his HEA after the horrible abuse he suffered at the hands of his father and I was kind of annoyed with Devon who seemed more interested in protecting his ass than seeing Trey happy, but he came around. Wade and Trey maybe fall a bit fast for my taste, but on the whole it left you feeling good for Trey even though Brock managed to destroy a bit of his trusting nature by his behaviour.

Holiday Outing by Astrid Amara (123 pages)
Loose Id

Val at Obsidian Bookshelf recommended this, I think her review says it all, damn, I'm lazy. I also got this with the g/c I won during Zombie Week from Three Dollar Bill Reviews so thanks to the gang there for that. I totally agree with Val's assessment of this delightful story. Although I think I might have taken up smoking to deal with Jonah's family. I was also glad that Ethan's treatment of Jonah as a student in high school was addressed and not glossed over. At first Ethan seemed a bit of an asshole, and I didn't blame Jonah for being kind of testy, but it all came together nicely. I also wanted to smack Jonah's parents, but again, it all came together. The author doesn't let you stay mad at anyone for long. I though Aunt Goldie was a great character that was handled gently despite her growing confusion and dementia. I just didn't want to stop reading it and had such a good time. I love this author's Hanukkah stories.

An Assassin's Touch (Lost Shifter #9) by Stephani Hecht (127 pages)
eXtasy Books

I seem to be on a Stephani binge. I was eagerly looking forward to Shane's story because I'm a sucker for the damaged anti-hero type. Shane is working as an assassin and has been tracking a cobra shifter for some time who is killing shifter and humans. Ever since their Christmas liaison in the pantry, Trevor has been playing it cool with Shane and avoiding him, but is still obsessed and it seems Shane is the same. Several people warn Trevor off, either telling him Shane is too crazy, or that he's going to hurt Shane because he's just a slut. (my heart broke a tad there) However Shane is not staying away from him and despite everyone else being freaked that Shane is a killer, it makes Trevor hot and he sees only Shane's good side, which he manages to keep hidden. He's still badly damaged from his upbringing. So Shane is captured by the cobra and .... Okay, I believe there was a strangled cry, because it was either that or a strangled author and I don't want to spend time in a US prison. So I must wait to see the real end of their story. I just adored that Trevor could see the real Shane and thought he was funny, even though Shane's sense of humour is sadly missing, Trevor didn't care and Shane didn't care that Trevor had been promiscuous. So I just love these two and must wait, not so patiently, for the next book. *frowny face*

Tuesday Blahs

I have been totally in a reading slump. I'm blaming Jen because she told me she was in a slump and it's like H1N1, it spreads and now I've got it. I'm in re-read mode. Phhhhhttt.


Not much happening at home although my kid's life is getting crazy. Thanks to musical practice 4 afternoons a week plus all day Saturday plus history projects that involve carving WWI trenches into $30 pieces of floral foam. Ack! One more week and she's off for spring break. We were talking about going to Chicago but it's too cold. So guess I won't take the week off, I'll save up my days, she'll spend some time with her Dad and she suggested we go to Montreal for the day so that will be good. Would love spring to come and visit, but I'm not holding my breath.


So since I've not really read anything new except a short or two, you get some little update posts to amuse you. Or not. Whatever.


The GLBT Bookshelf is having their rummage sale again. I got some really good books there for a great price last time and all the money goes to support the site, so stop on by and see if you can get a deal on something by an author you love or maybe a new-to-you author.

Jen and I are planning a Fortnight of British m/m Authors on Brief Encounters for the last two weeks of the month. Each day we profile a different British author and review one of their short stories. We'll have some book give-aways as well so once we get closer I'll post more info and I hope everyone will stop by and say "cheerio" to our British guests.

Registration for readers is open for the GayRomLit event in New Orleans in October. There is a limit of 300 registrants but it's not full yet. It's $100 US for everything except the lunches and dinners I assume (since that's not on the registration) and also doesn't include your alcohol consumption. :-) Lots of us are going, me, Kassa, Kris, Chris, Janna, Leontine, Lily, Tracy (I hope) and probably lots more. Looks like a great opportunity for those who can swing it in October and hey, gay bar pub crawl, possibly with strippers. Bonus. Not that I'm into that. Noooooo.

I think KB posted this on Twitter. She found a new m/m review site. Man Oh Man Reviews. I don't know any of the people who are listed as reviewers, Kerri, Markie and Max, but the more the merrier I say. They also review m/m/f so this might be of special interest to some readers who do enjoy a little girl in their manly action. Anyway, it's worth checking out some additional opinions on m/m books. They seem pretty new, so hopefully they'll pick up some more followers.


That's all I got for today. Oh and 2 cookies. Just enough for a taste with your tea (or coffee or cola or water or margarita).

Another week, almost gone

Wow, February is almost over. How did that happen? It's crazy. Our weather has also been crazy. -20, +10, -15, snow, rain. Arrgghh. Pick a freaking season mother nature and stick with it. Oh well. Otherwise nothing too exciting going on in our neck of the woods, which given the horrible earthquake in New Zealand and the horrible things happening in Libya, I'm content to have a boring life.

For Love of War by Kiernan Kelly (116 pages)
Dreamspinner Press

This is the story of the God of War, Ares, who is tasked to kill a supposed half-breed Dion, by Zeus. However he quickly falls for Dion's charms and realizes he's no half-breed, but Zeus' son with Aphrodite and the only reason he wants him killed is because Hera will kick Zeus' ass if she finds out he sired a child. Ares soon realizes not only will Zeus be after them, but he might finally get the chance to have a good old knock out drag down war for a change. However when he's captured Dion, despite not really having a grip on his powers yet, rides to the rescue with the help of the Fates. I really enjoyed this and being a fan of Greek myths it was great fun to see the gods adjusting to life in modern days. There was lots of the author's humor and Dion's innocence and wonder at finding out he's a god at 21 was cute. Anyone who likes myths will love this I think. Great read.

Toy Box: Twins by Sean Michael, Chris Owen and BA Tortuga (53 pages)
Torquere Press

Three stories about twins. :-)

The Celebration: A Center Story by Sean Michael- This is a little slice from the Centre books where the three celebrate Grey's 5 years cancer free. I really find these guys too much. "I love you my Raine." "Touch our Grey my beloved." OMG, who thinks, talks like that? I never did finish the first book I'm afraid to say but I know some people love it.

Succulents by Chris Owen - Gil and Wayne run a landscaping business. Usually Gil does the books but he's been roped into helping outside at a client's. It seems that Gil is the more reluctant of the duo in their relationship, but after tripping and falling in the pool Wayne manages to convince Gil to get funky in the backyard despite Gil's natural reserve. I like this story of very opposite characters, twins who were very different.

The Good Twin by BA Tortuga - Mark and Luke got caught fooling around years ago, so Mark left, however has not had a great life taking on the role of the "bad" twin with Luke having a steady job, house, etc. When Mark catches his boyfriend with another guy he punches them and ends up calling Luke to bail him out. He wants Luke but is willing to leave so as not to destroy Luke's life. However Luke has come to the conclusion that he can't live without Mark and they decide to run off and start over somewhere new. It was one of the few twincest stories I've read where the couple is caught by others and censured for it. Usually it's never discovered.

Not the best twins stories. I was kind of hoping Jamie, Gent and Paul from Gemini would be the Chris Owen story, but they were okay for fans of the sub-genre. I know not everyone's cup of tea.

The Dance of Love by Vic Winter (77 pages)
Torquere Press

Brian is madly in love with Ricky, but he thinks he'd like more. Something a bit more kinky but Ricky seems to think that they wear eye-liner on the weekend is kinky, but he's so in love he is content to accept it. He would really like to get Ricky to move in with him even though he more or less lives there as well. When Brian's best friend hooks up with a big bear in a D/s relationship, suddenly Ricky is getting a bit more kinky and Brian's loving it, but afraid to talk about it for fear of it stopping. This is written in present tense which is sometimes a bit odd, but I thought it worked pretty well here and Brian's perspective was very clear as it's all told from first person POV. There were a few niggling questions. At Lucas and Bob's commitment ceremony Ricky makes a comment thanking Bob for the helpful hints which I guess explained the increase in kink (which was very tame by Bob and Lucas standards). But it was a sweet story about two guys totally head over heals in love with each other.

Sunday Already

Very lazy weekend here. Didn't even leave the house yesterday. After such a beautiful day Friday I didn't want to go out in the cold. Looks like I have no choice today. Sigh.

Life Changes Everything by TC Blue (250 pages)
Torquere Books

This is a follow-on to Life or Something Scary Like That. Ben is still mooning over his room mates, but sure that nothing will ever happen. He goes to a Dr. appt. with Cliff and meets his hot Dr. Aaron, who he then runs into again later at the gay bar. A one night stand starts to develop into more and things are going really well until Ben's younger sister gets into trouble and it comes out that he raised her from birth. Aaron is calming him down and helping him when Cliff and Jack drop the bomb that they wanted to have Ben as part of a three-some, but now he's in love with Aaron. Ack! I liked this one much better because the first book at both guys presuming things (wrongly of course) leading to much angst. In this one Aaron and Ben were very open with each other and although Ben was only 21 he was very mature and while it might have seemed a bit unrealistic, once you learn about his childhood it all makes total sense. I have to say I cheered a little at Ben's response to his friend's revelation about wanting him with them. On the whole, this was a good read with most of the conflict coming from outside and not from silly misunderstandings. On a funny note, I was checking something on Good Reads and someone mentioned that Ben really likes showers and I likely wouldn't have noticed but they do spent a lot of time in the shower. LOL But it's sexy time which works for me and I'd rather they be clean than not.

66 Hours in the Devil's House by Jamie Freeman (73 pages)
Dreamspinner Press

Nick is a famous author and has been tasked to stay in a haunted house for 66 hours along with his two lovers, lawyer Oliver and much younger on-line porn star Andy and their best friend and her dog. Nick is sure that it's all a hoax to attract customers, however some a knife shows up in the hallway and the hammer that supposedly was used to kill a family in the house starts appearing randomly. I kept wondering if there was other stories with this trip explaining how they got together and I did some searching and there may be other stories with them but I wasn't certain. You don't need to read the others, it's quite clear how their relationship works and references are made to past incidences of infamy for the three. This is kind of like Scooby Doo meets m/m romance. It was quite funny but there was also a hint of real mystery. On the whole when you're looking for a lighter ghost story this is a good choice and I enjoyed giving it a read.