Tag Archives: Mary Calmes

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It’s beginning to look a lot like linkity!

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Congrats to Sammy2006, Yvette, and Heather K, who won Simple Gifts (Cornwall Novellas #2) by LB Gregg!

Congrats to Morgana, who won My True Love Gave to Me by Ava March, which is now available from by Carina Press. It’s also available in the Men Under the Mistletoe anthology.

Congrats to Dianna, who won Winter Warmers by Josephine Myles, JL Merrow, Clare London, Chrissy Munder, and Lou Harper!

Contests

Bookity

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Think, Make, Do, Learn

Holidity

  • Gift Guide: Food (including adorable rainbow cake earrings, which are sold out)

Cookity

Crafty

Cool

Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

LOL

  • Truth (as someone who works from home three days a week…).

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Bad Boyfriend (Bad in Baltimore #2) by KA Mitchell. ebook. Excellent kinky m/m romance about a teacher who’s dumped by his closeted boyfriend of ten years, then picks up a hot younger guy at a bar to take along to the baptism of his ex’s baby.
While Under the Influence (Perfect Timing #8) by Kim Dare. ebook. Very good kinky m/m romance about a guy who’s in denial about being gay. He foolishly mentions it to his cousin when he’s drunk, thus setting in motion her plan for him to find out definitively whether he is or isn’t.
Paper Planes by M. Jules Aedin. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a photographer whose partner died in a plane crash a year ago and who isn’t really moving past that until after he becomes friend with an older pilot. I particularly liked that this book didn’t go in for quick fixes – recovering from a significant loss takes time – and that one of the main characters had a disability. Perfect main characters get boring!
Search Me (Cover Me #3) by LA Witt. ebook short. Good short m/m romance following up on Andrew and Nick from Cover Me, who we saw were having problems in Trust Me. I got a little sniffly when things didn’t look too promising for the guys…
The Winter Courtship Rituals of Fur-Bearing Critters by Amy lane. ebook. Very cute holiday m/m romance about a grumbly Colorado alpaca rancher who takes a liking to the cute younger guy who moves in next door.
Let It Snow by Devon Rhodes. ebook short. Good short kinky holiday m/m romance about a professional house sitter who’s feeling lonely and a little sorry for himself on Christmas Eve as he falls asleep making a wish…
What Can Be by Mary Calmes. ebook. Good holiday m/m romance about a guy who hasn’t seen his father or brothers for 13 years, since his mom took him and left. Since then, he’s avoided getting close to people… except he has and now he’s running away from that.
Happiness for Beginners by Zahra Owens. ebook short. Good short holiday m/m romance about two guys, one gay and one presumably straight, who used to play a gay couple on a tv show but haven’t seen each other for ten years. And then the straight one shows up at the other guy’s front door out of the blue…
Winter Rescue by Dawn Kimberly Johnson. ebook short. Good short holiday m/m romance about a guy trying to make it home for the holidays after not seeing his family for a few years, but he ends up in the ditch during a bitterly cold and snowy night and almost doesn’t make it home…
A Walk in the Dark by Kate McMurray. ebook short. Good short holiday m/m romance about a guy with a crush on his roommate’s boyfriend. This needed to be just a bit longer to be a satisfying read.
Prey Time by Sue Brown. ebook short. Steamy m/m/m encounter between a guy in a bar and a couple he picks up… or do they pick him up?
Cherry Pie by Samantha Kane. ebook. Pretty good m/m romance about a wealthy guy who recently moved to a small town in North Carolina from San Diego. One morning, he discovers the son of his house’s former (deceased) owner sitting outside. Alas, I never got fully invested in the main characters as a couple.
No One Should Be Alone by Tinnean. ebook. Ok holiday m/m romance about two operatives in a top-secret government agency who hook up. This one just didn’t work for me – not only could I simply not get into the story, it was told in alternating first-person with insufficiently distinct voices, so I kept getting confused.
Feels Like Home by Rowan McAllister. ebook. Sweet m/m holiday romance about two guys who end up spending a couple of days together because of a snowstorm. Editing inconsistencies kept annoying me and pulling me out of the story. (Really, that spare tire that got run over by a Hummer H2 at the beginning of the story? You’re not going to be putting it on and driving on it later in the story…)
Bringing Home the Ice Prince by Jana Downs. ebook short. Meh short m/m holiday romance written in the sort of flowery, over-the-top style that annoys me no end.

“Can’t… quite… hit… the… itchy… spot…” – Mayhem

Contests, Reading

Ebook Giveaway: Honored Vow (Change of Heart #3) by Mary Calmes [CONTEST CLOSED]

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Many thanks to Mary Calmes for donating an ebook copy two ebook copies of her forthcoming paranormal m/m romance, Honored Vow (Change of Heart #3), for a lucky commenter to win! Honored Vow will be released by Dreamspinner Press on November 21.

Jin Rayne is still growing into his frightening new powers as a nekhene cat and his place as reah of Logan Church’s tribe when he learns that a sepat, an honor challenge, has been called. Logan, who has never wanted to do anything but lead his small-town tribe, must travel around the world to Mongolia and fight to become the most powerful leader in the werepanther world.

Logan won’t be the only one making the journey. As his mate, Jin must fight with him to honor his commitment to Logan, his culture, and his tribe. But the trial is long, involving a prolonged separation between the two men, and Logan’s humanity is at stake. In order to make it through the nightmarish sepat, Jin and Logan must accept their fates, trust each other, and honor the vows between them no matter the cost.

Excerpt (scroll down and expand)

Other Books

About Mary

My name is Mary Calmes and I have been writing since I was in the seventh grade. One of my first stories ever was about Demetrius and Konor, two big strapping gorgeous knights and while it was not historically accurate in any way, hello, seventh grade, the one thing that became glaringly obvious was that the guys liked each other more than the damsels in distress they were trying to save.

“Boys don’t sleep in the same bed when they’re grown-ups,” my mother said when I read it to her.

“Men don’t talk nice to each other like that,” my step-father said that night.

They do in m/m fiction which I was destined to write.

I tried really hard to write a female lead but it just left me flat. I read all kinds of different books and I have favorite writers in every genre but I can only write about men. The dynamics between two men are more interesting to me and as a woman, I like men and the idea of two men together, two beautiful men… I don’t understand the question.

When people tell you that they’ve enjoyed something you’ve written, there really is no greater feeling.

You can find out more about Mary at her website or her blog.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 4 pm CST, Friday, November 18.
  • 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!

“…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz…” -Mayhem

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

In which it is Friday and there is linkity and no one is surprised at all

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Congrats to Verena, who won Teacher Plus Two (In the Eyes #2) by Valentina Heart!

Contests

  • Jenre’s giving away three ebooks by Aleksandr Voinov: Scorpion, Counterpunch, and a choice from Aleks’ backlist. Comment on one or both of the contest posts for your chance to win.

Bookity

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GayRomLit

Learn, Do, Make, Think

Halloweenity for Next Year

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Crafty

Cool

Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

LOL

Teh Cute

Reading Update
The German by Lee Thomas. ebook. Very good historical gay suspense/horror set in small-town Texas during WWII, when the brutal murder of two boys has emotions running high against the Germans in town. Be prepared for a very disturbing read.
Nexus (Warder #5) by Mary Calmes. ebook. Good paranormal m/m romance about lawyer and warder Marcus going to Kentucky with his hearth, Joe, to visit Joe’s family, never expecting to run into demons while there. While I did enjoy this, at times I felt simultaneously as if I was missing part of the story, yet was being rushed through the story.
I Dare You by Tam Ames. free ebook short. Cute free short Halloween-themed m/m romance about a college student whose roommate dares him to go to a Halloween party and make a move on a guy he likes.
More Than Anything (More #1) by Shawn Lane. ebook short. Sweet short m/m romance about a college freshmen who thinks the hunky football player hitting on him is just doing it to make fun of him. I want to read more about these two!
Hot Ticket (Serving Love) by KA Mitchell. ebook. reread. Good m/m romance about two very different guys who meet while doing court-ordered community service. *waves at Slave Boy*
Foxe Hunt (Skyler Foxe Mysteries #2) by Haley Walsh. ebook. Good m/m romantic suspense about high school English teacher Skyler who gets involved in another murder investigation while trying to decide if he actually has a boyfriend or not. It wasn’t until I hit the cliffhanger ending that I remembered I wasn’t going to read this one until the next book came out. D’oh! Also, Skyler is starting to reach new levels of TSTL and I spent a fair amount of time wanting to shake him.
Crankset (Chainbreaker #2) by Kate Roman. ebook short. Good short m/m sequel to Chainbreaker, which unfortunately lacks the charm of the original. In this one, our San Francisco bike messenger and his Gulf War veteran boyfriend become frustrated about living behind a curtain in the corner of someone’s living room.
Night Terrors (Night Wardens #1) by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Pretty good m/m paranormal romance about a guy who has to leave college in order to fulfill his destiny as a Warder and protect humanity from a paranormal threat. This one needed a bit more polish and development to really shine.
For the Bite of It (Vampire in Exile) by Viki Lyn &Vina Grey. ebook. Meh paranormal m/m romance about an exiled vampire stripped of his powers and baking cupcakes in Tempe, Arizona, where he comes under suspicion of murder. Did the suspicious cop have to be so appealing and so deeply closeted? Although this is kind of choppy and sloppily edited (“scoured” instead of “scowled”?!), it was heading for three stars until it abruptly stopped, at the point of a critical conversation, feeling very unresolved. If this is supposed to be the first part of a serial, there’s sure not anything about it on Liquid Silver’s page for the book. And if there had been – I wouldn’t have purchased it.

“Hmm. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?” -Chaos

Contests, Reading

Ebook Giveaway: Nexus (Warder #5) by Mary Calmes [CONTEST CLOSED]

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Many thanks to Mary Calmes for donating an ebook copy of her forthcoming paranormal m/m romance, Nexus (Warder #5), for a lucky commenter to win! Nexus will be released by Dreamspinner Press on October 26.

Marcus Roth is a top criminal lawyer by day and demon-slaying warder by night, but he is simply one of five warders – not really important to anyone but Joseph Locke, his hearth. Or so Marcus mistakenly believes.

On a trip to Lexington, Kentucky, to celebrate Joe’s grandfather’s birthday, that belief changes as Marcus unwittingly uncovers a paranormal dilemma and ends up revealing his identity as a warder to Joe’s family. Faced with a traitor, demons, and the return of an old enemy, Marcus must put his own needs aside to save his friends – though in so doing he may lose the man he loves forever. Even living through the ordeal might not be enough if Marcus can’t forgive himself and learn that his hearth and the rest of his clutch can’t do without him.

Excerpt (scroll down and expand)

Other Books

About Mary

My name is Mary Calmes and I have been writing since I was in the seventh grade. One of my first stories ever was about Demetrius and Konor, two big strapping gorgeous knights and while it was not historically accurate in any way, hello, seventh grade, the one thing that became glaringly obvious was that the guys liked each other more than the damsels in distress they were trying to save.

“Boys don’t sleep in the same bed when they’re grown-ups,” my mother said when I read it to her.

“Men don’t talk nice to each other like that,” my step-father said that night.

They do in m/m fiction which I was destined to write.

I tried really hard to write a female lead but it just left me flat. I read all kinds of different books and I have favorite writers in every genre but I can only write about men. The dynamics between two men are more interesting to me and as a woman, I like men and the idea of two men together, two beautiful men… I don’t understand the question.

When people tell you that they’ve enjoyed something you’ve written, there really is no greater feeling.

You can find out more about Mary at her website or her blog.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT,Tuesday, October 25.
  • 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!

“Really, we’re only this close to each other because we miss Mom.” -Chaos

“What the big kitty said!” -Mayhem

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Linkity loves Banned Books Week

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Stop by and enter the contest for Across the East River Bridge by Kate McMurray! Contest closes 7 pm CDT, October 10.

Congrats to Helena, who won Life Over Limb (EMS Heat #11) by Stephani Hecht! Life Over Limb will be released by eXtasy Books on October 1.

Contests

Bookity

  • Miss typewriters, but like the convenience of word processing? Maybe USB Typewriter can help! (Thanks, Bron!)

Ebookity

Think, Do, Make, Learn

Cookity

Crafty

Cool

Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

LOL

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Woke Up in a Strange Place by Eric Arvin. ebook. Very good fantasy m/m story about a man who wakes up in the afterlife, with no memory of his prior life, and, with the help of a cryptic guide, begins a journey to recover his memories and make his peace with the significant people from his life.
Blood Howl by Robin Saxon & Alex Kidwell. ebook. Very good paranormal m/m romance about a guy, formerly Special Forces, who now offers those skills for hire. When a job goes in an unexpected direction, he has no idea how much his world is about to change… If a few more questions had been answered by the end of the book, this could have been a five-star read. Maybe there will be a sequel?
Ex Equals by LA Witt. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a guy, formerly in the Navy, who has just started teaching math at a community college and discovers that his ex (still in the Navy) is in his evening class.
In Remembrance of Us by AJ Rose. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a guy suffering from amnesia after a mugging. He’s missing the last two years of his life… including he and his best friend becoming much, much closer. I got sniffly while reading this one. (Be aware that there’s cheating, which I realize is an automatic no for some readers.)
Boystown 3: Two Nick Nowak Novellas by Marshall Thornton. ebook. Two very good historical m/m mysteries about Chicago PI Nick Nowak. It’s 1982, and no one really understands why gay men are getting sick… 🙁
Bulletproof (A Matter of Time #3/#5) by Mary Calmes. ebook. Enjoyable roller coaster of a read that picks up three years after A Matter of Time. Sam’s been away from home in deep cover for months. Jory’s working a job he hates and trying to extricate himself from the complicated interpersonal situations he tangles himself into.
A Little Bite of Magic (Magic #1) by MJ O’Shea. ebook. Sweet paranormal m/m romance about a witch/chef who leaves his pretentious family behind in New Orleans to open a restaurant in San Francisco.
Happy Trails by Carol Lynne. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about a college student out hiking with his cop brother and his brother’s hot work partner. This read like a snippet from a longer book rather than a complete story, which I found frustrating.

“I am sooooooooooooo bored.” -Mayhem

Contests, Reading

Ebook Giveaway: Bulletproof (A Matter of Time #5) by Mary Calmes [CONTEST CLOSED]

103 Comments

Congrats to LoriO, who won Chance’s Vindication (Lost Shifters #13) by Stephani Hecht! Chance’s Vindication is being released by eXtasy Books today.

Many thanks to Mary Calmes for donating an ebook copy two ebook copies of her forthcoming m/m romantic suspense, Bulletproof (A Matter of Time #3 or #5, depending), for lucky commenters to win! Bulletproof will be released September 26 by Dreamspinner Press.

Jory Harcourt doesn’t have to go looking for trouble. Wherever he goes, it seems to find him – particularly when his partner, Sam Kage, is working undercover on a federal task force.

After the recession forces him to close his business, Jory goes to work as a matchmaker and event planner. From there, it’s only a matter of time before his big mouth and up-front attitude make him the rope in a tug-of-war between a trust fund baby and a drug-smuggling criminal. Then, as if that situation weren’t delicate enough, Jory’s undercover lover shows up working for the smuggler.

Between the men who want him and the men who just want him dead, Chicago is getting a little crowded for Jory, so on the advice of his brother, his boyfriend, and the FBI task force, he heads for Hawaii… where a serious accident threatens his quality of life. Can Sam and Jory keep the faith and prove that their relationship really is bulletproof?

Excerpt (scroll down and expand)

Other Books

About Mary

My name is Mary Calmes and I have been writing since I was in the seventh grade. One of my first stories ever was about Demetrius and Konor, two big strapping gorgeous knights and while it was not historically accurate in any way, hello, seventh grade, the one thing that became glaringly obvious was that the guys liked each other more than the damsels in distress they were trying to save.

“Boys don’t sleep in the same bed when they’re grown-ups,” my mother said when I read it to her.

“Men don’t talk nice to each other like that,” my step-father said that night.

They do in m/m fiction which I was destined to write.

I tried really hard to write a female lead but it just left me flat. I read all kinds of different books and I have favorite writers in every genre but I can only write about men. The dynamics between two men are more interesting to me and as a woman, I like men and the idea of two men together, two beautiful men… I don’t understand the question.

When people tell you that they’ve enjoyed something you’ve written, there really is no greater feeling.

You can find out more about Mary at her website or her blog.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Friday, September 23.
  • 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!

“No, this box isn’t too small for me. It’s cozy!” -May

Contests, Reading

Ebook Giveaway: After the Sunset (Timing #2) by Mary Calmes [CONTEST CLOSED]

120 Comments

Congrats to Cathy M, who won A Change of Pace (Change #3) by J.M. Cartwright! A Change of Pace is being released by Torquere Press today.

Congrats to Devon, who won Abercrombie Zombie by KZ Snow! Abercrombie Zombie is being released by Dreamspinner Press today.

Many thanks to Mary Calmes for donating an ebook copy of her forthcoming m/m romance, After the Sunset (Timing #2), for a lucky commenter to win! After the Sunset will be released on August 17 by Dreamspinner Press.

Two years after riding off into the sunset with ranch owner Rand Holloway, Stefan Joss has made a tentative peace with his new life, teaching at a community college. But the course of true love never does run smooth. Rand wants him home on the ranch; Stef wants an exit strategy in case Rand ever decides to throw him out. Finally, after recognizing how unfair he’s being, Stef makes a commitment, and Rand is over the moon.

When Stef gets the chance to prove his devotion, he doesn’t hesitate – despite the risk to his health – and Rand takes the opportunity to show everyone that sometimes life’s best surprises come after the sunset.

Excerpt (scroll down and expand)

Other Books

About Mary

My name is Mary Calmes and I have been writing since I was in the seventh grade. One of my first stories ever was about Demetrius and Konor, two big strapping gorgeous knights and while it was not historically accurate in any way, hello, seventh grade, the one thing that became glaringly obvious was that the guys liked each other more than the damsels in distress they were trying to save.

“Boys don’t sleep in the same bed when they’re grown-ups,” my mother said when I read it to her.

“Men don’t talk nice to each other like that,” my step-father said that night.

They do in m/m fiction which I was destined to write.

I tried really hard to write a female lead but it just left me flat. I read all kinds of different books and I have favorite writers in every genre but I can only write about men. The dynamics between two men are more interesting to me and as a woman, I like men and the idea of two men together, two beautiful men… I don’t understand the question.

When people tell you that they’ve enjoyed something you’ve written, there really is no greater feeling.

You can find out more about Mary at her website or her blog.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Tuesday, August 16.
  • 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!

“What?! I was sleeping!” -Chaos

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Linkity lounges about lazily

31 Comments

Congrats to Laura M, who won Blind Items by Kate McMurray! Blind Items is being released today by Dreamspinner Press.

Contests

  • Nicole’s giving away some of her lovely handmade cards. You can enter daily and the winner will be announced on August 1. To enter, leave a comment with a song to lift Nicole’s spirits, or let everyone know that you need your spirits lifted, too.

Bookity

Ebookity

Do, Learn, Think, Make

Cookity

Crafty

Cool

Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

LOL

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Dance With Me by Heidi Cullinan. ebook. Excellent m/m romance about two men who’ve both lost (or given up) something they cared about and been living half lives ever since. It’s also about learning to accept and deal with chronic pain/injury/illness. Plus the story takes place in the Twin Cities; in fact, Laurie’s condo would be a ten-minute walk from mine. 🙂 Recommended.
A Matter of Time, Volume 1 and A Matter of Time, Volume 2 by Mary Calmes. ebook. Very good m/m romantic suspense about an architectural assistant who inadvertently witnesses a organized crime-related murder and then meets a straight police detective who keeps turning up in the oddest places. I read this story when it was released a few years ago, in its original and unedited ebook form. It was a delight to reread it all without the editing issues detracting from the story.
Bridges by M.J. O’Shea. free ebook short. Very good free short m/m romance about two guys who got off on the wrong foot with each other in grade school and remain enemies throughout high school. Then they end up working together at the grocery store as overnight stockers…
Breaking Point by S.L. Armstrong & K. Piet. free ebook short. Very steamy free kinky short m/m scene between two lovers.
Shadowed (Treasured #2) by Cari Z. ebook. Very good paranormal m/m romance in which Arcane Studies PhD student Daniel and his occasional lover Rhys head to Venice for Daniel’s winter break. Things start out well for them…
Family Unit by ZA Maxfield. ebook. Good m/m romance about two very different guys in their mid-40s (one a retired marine, the other a liberal raising his grandson) who get off to an awkward start, but then slowly grow to know each other better. While I enjoyed this one more than the other ZAM titles I read this week, I felt it suffered from a similar problem with the ending – the story stops, with many questions left unanswered, and then an epilogue is tacked on… an epilogue that doesn’t answer the questions. 🙁
Rhapsody for Piano and Ghost by ZA Maxfield. ebook. Good paranormal m/m romance about a 19-year old pianist who’s brilliant musically, but very naive interpersonally. Then some well-meaning ghosts move in and start “helping” him with his social life…
All Stirred Up (Stir #2) by ZA Maxfield. ebook. Good m/m romance about the “evil” twin brother of one of the main characters from Stirring Up Trouble, who’s struggling with escalating PTSD. An intervention by his board of directors and his twin have him heading for rehab in the company of a very unusual doctor. I found the ending of this one very frustrating – it felt as if it just stopped, rather than providing closure, and the epilogue did nothing to assuage that.
What Child Is This? (Crossing Borders #2) by ZA Maxfield. ebook. Good holiday m/m romance about how getting away from it all for a relaxing holiday weekend doesn’t always turn out as one might hope.
The Truth About Al (Rocky Mountain High: Campus Hearts #2) by ML Rhodes. ebook. Good m/m romance about the son of a conservative politician whose family is pressuring him to present a “suitable” (i.e., straight) image so as not to damage his mother’s run for Senate.

“No, I’m not stuck. I’m just… thinking.” -Mayhem

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

A very Potterity linkity

33 Comments

Congrats to SueM, who won Knight Errant by K.D. Sarge! Knight Errant is available for $0.99 through July 31 at Smashwords.

Congrats to Susmita, who won Ranger’s Folly (Lost Shifters #12) by Stephani Hecht! Ranger’s Folly is being released by eXtasy Books today.

Congrats to Renee, who won Dark Sun by M.J. O’Shea!

Congrats to Julie, who won In the Shadow of a Hero by Anna Mayle!

Congrats to Amy, who won the Tea and Crumpet anthology, donated by Clare London!

Contests

Bookity

Ebookity

Do, Make, Learn, Think

Potterity

Cookity

Crafty

Cool

Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

LOL

  • *snicker* (Thanks, Lea!) (Possibly NSFW, although it is from USA Today…)

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Masochism 101 by Kim Dare. free ebook short, although you’ll need to be a member of the Goodreads M/M Romance Group to read it. The prompt for this excellent kinky short m/m romance was a guy photographed midway through falling in the bathtub…
Trust Me (Cover Me #2) by LA Witt. ebook. Very good m/m romantic suspense about a cop who’s ready to break up with his boyfriend because he suspects his boyfriend has been cheating on him, but what’s really been going on is a helluva lot more complicated. You also get to see how things are going with the guys from Cover Me.
And To All a Good Night (Life Lessons #1.5) by Kaje Harper. free ebook short. Very good short free holiday-themed m/m mystery that takes place a few months after Life Lessons, right before Christmas, as the out teacher continues to recover from his injuries and learns to deal with dating the deeply closeted cop.
Dirty Kiss by Rhys Ford. ebook. Very good m/m romantic suspense about a former cop, now PI, investigating the apparent suicide of a prominent Korean businessman when he becomes fascinated by the businessman’s disgraced cousin. Hopefully there’s a sequel… and I’d love to get more of Bobby’s story.
Again by Mary Calmes. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a guy who was devastated when the love of his life, a CIA agent, suddenly left him for someone else, without knowing that their surrogate was pregnant. It’s five years later when he runs into now-former CIA agent… I have to confess that I wanted to smack Dante more than once – he was such a steamroller! I wanted him to stop and actually listen. 🙂
Accidentally in Love by Jane Davitt & Alexa Snow. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a photographer who’s definitely a player, engaging in a non-stop string of one-night stands. When he rents part of a house from a goodhearted computer geek with crappy self-esteem, he decides to help the geek finally get a guy of his own. So why is he unhappy when his plan works? As others have mentioned, the first part of this book was excellent. The last part of it got bogged down by sex and lack of direction.
Tea and Crumpet by UK MAT. ebook collection. Very good collection of United Kingdom-themed GLBTQ short stories, from contemporary to paranormal to historical. I was delighted to discover that there was a Cambridge Fellows short from Charlie Cochrane! And I absolutely love the cover. 🙂
One Night by RJ Scott. ebook. Good m/m romance about a deeply closeted guy who’s convinced that two men can’t have a loving relationship, only a sexual one, so he’s engaged to be married to a woman so his adopted daughter will have a stable home.
Finding Forgiveness (Poconos Pack #1) by Dana Marie Bell. ebook. Good paranormal m/m romance about a wolf shifter who suffers from debilitating migraines and has no idea why the guy destined to be his mate avoids him at all costs.
Clay’s Challenge by Cassandra Gold. ebook. Good m/m romance about a guy going through a crisis in confidence about how he looks after someone he met online isn’t interested in dating him because he’s “too fem.” So he decides to go on a wilderness adventure and prove to himself that’s not the case. (Main character Clay was actually a minor character in Quinn’s Hart.)
Bicycle Built for Two by Jeff Adams. ebook short. Good short, completely angst- and conflict-free m/m romance about two guys who meet during a charity cycling event to raise money for HIV/AIDS research.
From Pack to Pride (Supernatural Mates #1) by Amber Kell. ebook. Good paranormal m/m romance about a wolf shifter whose alpha brother sends him to stay with a pride of lions in order to keep him safe from a hostile wolf who wants to kill him. (Ok, Tam, you were right – I liked it better than Hellbourne!)
A Prideful Mate (Supernatural Mates #2) by Amber Kell. ebook. Ok paranormal m/m romance about a lion shifter who sees a picture of jaguar shifter on a shifter dating website and knows the jaguar shifter is his mate. Now he just has to convince his mate to stay… and keep his mate alive.
Not in Kansas by R.G. Alexander. ebook short. Cute short m/m fantasy roughly based on the Wizard of Oz.
Salad on the Side by Karenna Colcroft. ebook. Ok paranormal m/m romance about a vegan who doesn’t realize he’s living among werewolves until he’s bitten and changed. These were probably the most long-winded werewolves ever – there needed to be a lot less talking in this book. Hopefully the obviously planned for sequel will be less chatty.
The Male Room by Carolyn Levine Topol. ebook. Ok m/m romance about two best friends, one who’s just been kicked out by his boyfriend and the other who’s just been fired, who decide to start an online GLBT dating service together. I need to remember that this author’s stories are too sugary for me…
Semi Precious Weapons by Clancy Nacht. ebook short. Ok short m/m romance about two models in New York City who hook up and hit it off, but then things get messed up between them. This book definitely needed a bit more editorial care – a couple spots were so tangled that I couldn’t sort out what exactly was happening.
Joy & Pain by Celia Kyle. free ebook short. Ok kinky short m/m romance about a stripper who meets and is attracted to an older big bear of a man. This book needed better proofing: “illicit” instead of “elicit”, “spurn” instead of “spur”, etc.

“You know what would hit the spot right now? A crunchy bug. Yum!” -Mayhem

Contests, Reading

Ebook Giveaway: Again by Mary Calmes [CONTEST CLOSED]

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Congrats to eeper, who won Trust Me (Cover Me #2) by L.A. Witt! Trust Me is being released today by Carnal Passions.

Many thanks to Mary Calmes for donating an ebook copy two ebook copies of her forthcoming m/m romance, Again, for a lucky commenter to win! Again will be released by Dreamspinner Press on July 13.

Six years ago, Noah Wheeler went to meet his boyfriend, Dante Cerreto, at the airport, and his world ended. Dante was kissing someone else and claimed to be in love. So Noah took his heartbreak – and the sonogram pictures of their surrogate child – and closed the door on the big picture of what he thought his life would be, focusing instead on the piece of the dream he got to keep, being a father.

Now on vacation in Las Vegas, Noah accidentally runs into Cerreto family, and then the man himself, and learns that not only was he deceived, but Dante was as well. Now Dante wants to make up for lost time, six years’ worth, and to do that he needs Noah, the only man he’s ever loved, and Grace, the daughter he didn’t know he had, to give him a chance at happiness. Dante’s going to have to take a crash course in communication and seduction, though. Noah’s not going to fall in love just to be broken again.

Other Books

About Mary

My name is Mary Calmes and I have been writing since I was in the seventh grade. One of my first stories ever was about Demetrius and Konor, two big strapping gorgeous knights and while it was not historically accurate in any way, hello, seventh grade, the one thing that became glaringly obvious was that the guys liked each other more than the damsels in distress they were trying to save.

“Boys don’t sleep in the same bed when they’re grown-ups,” my mother said when I read it to her.

“Men don’t talk nice to each other like that,” my step-father said that night.

They do in m/m fiction which I was destined to write.

I tried really hard to write a female lead but it just left me flat. I read all kinds of different books and I have favorite writers in every genre but I can only write about men. The dynamics between two men are more interesting to me and as a woman, I like men and the idea of two men together, two beautiful men… I don’t understand the question.

When people tell you that they’ve enjoyed something you’ve written, there really is no greater feeling.

You can find out more about Mary at her website or her blog.

Contest Rules

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“See? I can always be cuter than before!” -Mayhem