Tag Archives: CJ Black

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Congrats to Karl A, who won Galley Proof by Eric Arvin! Galley Proof is being released by Dreamspinner Press today.

Congrats to Cayce, who won Noble Metals by L.A. Witt!

Contests

Bookity

  • If you haven’t watched the Joy of Books video yet, you really should… even if it does take a dig at ebooks at the end.

Ebookity

  • Beware of knockoff ereaders and tablets. (And I’d further suggest that if you see a great deal on Woot! or the like, take a few minutes to go read reviews on reputable tech blogs – a lot of crappy tech gets dumped on “deal” sites.)

Think. Learn. Do. Make.

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Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

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Teh Cute

Reading Update
The Violet and the Tom by Eve Ocotillo. free ebook. Excellent kinky historical fantasy m/m romance about a pleasure slave gifted by a king to his unwilling son, who is uncomfortable owning a slave for reasons that slowly become clear…
The Angel of 13th Street by Eden Winters. ebook. reread. Excellent m/m romance about a bar owner and former rentboy who, with help, turned his life around and now helps other young men get off the street and out of the life… and then one of his rescues really starts to get to him.
The Gallows Tree by RJ Scott. ebook. Very good paranormal m/m romance about a guy who hasn’t stayed anywhere very long since his abusive ex got out of prison. When he goes to England to oversee the renovation of an old cottage, he realizes he’s hearing and seeing things and starts to wonder if he’s finally snapped. I liked this one despite there being a stalker. 🙂
Squeaky Clean by Kim Dare. ebook short. Good kinky short m/m story about a guy sitting on his couch, working on his laptop, who’s startled by a window washer. Inspired by an email I sent Kim last summer. 🙂
The Fix (Whitetail Rock #2) by Anne Tenino. free ebook short. Good short m/m romance following up with the recently graduated but underemployed Nik and his cop lover Jurgen.
Aspergirls: Empowering Females with Aspergers Syndrome by Rudy Simone. This was a book that definitely gave me a lot to think about… because even though I’m positive my computer design engineer father has Aspergers, it never occurred to me until recently that I might have it. I’m now pretty sure that I do – the reasons are too numerous to list, but having had the same breakfast for the past 20+ years and finding my weird pattern-matching ability described as “fluid intelligence” and an Aspergers savant skill… Yeah.
I also had a lot of trouble with this book because it seemed too touchy-feely, without enough references beyond the author’s other books. And then I hit a sentence that exponentially increased my resistance to the book: “…depression exists because there’s a problem in your life.” Oh, hellafuckno – sometimes it does, to be sure, but sometimes it’s a purely biochemical sort of thing that you have little control over.
Psychic Moon #1 by MD Grimm. ebook. Good m/m paranormal romance about two guys working for an animal rescue organization who are attracted to each other, but unaware of the other’s paranormal abilities…
Celtic Warrior and Wolf Spirit (Psychic Moon #2) by MD Greem. ebook short. Good short paranormal m/m holiday romance in which the two guys from Psychic Moon have to deal with one’s psychotic ex tracking him down.
Nothing To Do With Pride (Supernatural Mates #4) by Amber Kell. ebook short. So-so m/m paranormal romance about a coyote shifter trying to find his missing, possibly psychotic sister. This read almost like a story outline, plus it had some continuity issues; for example, is the sister’s son fine, as at the beginning of the story, or is he missing, as at the end of the story (with nothing between the two points about him vanishing)?
The Thirteenth Child (Section Thirteen #1) by JL O’Faolain. ebook. So-so m/m urban fantasy about an exiled sidhe living in New York City who gets called in by his “straight” ex to help the police solve a series of murders and child abductions. This had potential that wasn’t realized due to clunky style and pacing. As with so many other releases from this publisher, it needed indepth editing to realize that potential. Also, be aware that there’s virtually no romance in this one.
The Thirteenth Pillar (Section Thirteen #2) by JL O’Faolain. ebook. So-so m/m urban fantasy about an exiled sidhe now working as an NYPD cop investigating paranormal crimes. This was a frustrating read, because I like the characters and the storyline… just not their awkward presentation. The sex scenes in this one read like bad amateur porn, using terms like “love nut” (for the prostate) and “almighty Johnson”.
Loving Jacob by Lee Brazil. ebook. So-so m/m romance about a married attorney who has an “understanding” with his wife (they’re staying together “for the sake of the children”) and gets involved with a younger man – a younger man who’s looking for his Prince Charming. Broken hearts, boozing, and cutting ensue, but it’s all ok by the last couple pages. Um, yeah, obviously this one hit some negative buttons for me…
Layover by CJ Black. free ebook short. Meh short m/m encounter between two guys in a bus station.

“My name is not Kilroy! Honestly, Mom, you are so weird.” -Mayhem

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Sometimes I absolutely cannot come up with a clever title for linkity… this would be one of those times

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Congrats to Tam, who won Possession (Devlin Island, Book 1) by S. W. Vaughn!

Congrats to Natasha, who won Opposites Distract by Stephani Hecht! Opposites Distract was released yesterday by All Romance Ebooks as part of its Perfect Strangers series.

Congrats to Otter, who won How the Other Half Lives by Clare London! How the Other Half Lives will be released by Amber Allure on February 6.

Congrats to Carmel, who won Chocolate Dreams by Em Woods!  Chocolate Dreams will be released by Total-E-Bound on February 7.

Contests

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Do, Think, Make, Learn

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Reading Update
Rubbing Vignettes: The Wrong Way and the Right Way by Wren Boudreau. free ebook short. Cute short m/m Valentine’s romance split into two scenes as Greg tries to figure out how to celebrate his first Valentine’s with Finn, and then as they celebrate. I really hope that the first scene was the set up for a sequel to Back to Normal, featuring a couple of guys who rub each other the wrong way…
One Night Stand by Cassandra Gold. ebook short. Very good short m/m romance about a guy whose friends drag him to a club to help him get back out there after a few years. He seems to have a real connection to the guy he brings home… until the guy freaks out about having stayed over night and leaves. (This short story was originally part of the Friction anthology.)
Love Ahead: Expect Delays by Astrid Amara. ebook. Very good m/m romance about two guys driving a 1989 Geo from Seattle to drop off in Boulder, hoping to get there for part of Hanukkah, until the drive turns into the roadtrip from hell.
Half Pass by Astrid Amara. ebook. Good m/m romance about a horse phobic guy who inherits his aunt’s boarding stable and moves back to the small town in which he grow up so he can get the stable ready to sell. Unfortunately, it felt like all the details about the horses and their training and care overshadowed the actual story.
Handcuffs & Spreader Bars (Rawlings Men, Book 5) by Kim Dare. ebook. Very good kinky m/m romance about a dom (and police officer) who’s had his eye on one of the newer constables for a while, but has only just learned that the constable equates submission with being taken advantage of due to a prior bad experience.
MIA Case Files 1: Wolfsbane by K.C. Burn. ebook. Very good paranormal m/m romance about a closeted agent who works in a secret government agency (MIA) that investigates dangerous paranormal activities. While he and his partner are trying to figure out what’s going on in the small town of Rothburg, he meets and becomes fascinated by a gorgeous young man working at a coffee shop.
MIA Case Files 2: Blood Relations by K.C. Burn. ebook. Ok paranormal m/m romance about another MIA agent who gets involved with a young man who seems too good to be true. I didn’t enjoy the second book in this series nearly as much as I did the first – it was just too predictable.
Del Fantasma: Duck Fart by Jade Buchanan. ebook. Good paranormal m/m romance about an innocent Siamese cat shifter who just tracked down the best friend he’s had a crush on for years, only to discover that his friend is now mated to someone else. He thinks his heart is broken – so why is he leaving with that duck shifter and that human?!
High Flow (EMS Heat, Book 7) by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Good m/m romance about a medic who was gay bashed and now can’t let anyone get close or touch him. But maybe the handsome doctor in the ER will be patient enough to past his defenses…
True Hollywood by James Buchanan. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about two stuntmen who haven’t seen each other since their breakup years before until they run in to each other at their former mentor’s wake.
Second Helpings (Table for Two, Book 2) by Scarlet Blackwell. ebook short. Ok short m/m romance continuing the story of Luc, the arrogant French chef, and Daniel, the closeted British food critic, as Daniel’s obnoxious mother (who doesn’t know he’s gay) arrives for a visit and ratchets up the tension.
Beach Reading (Book 1) by Mark Abramson. ebook. Ok m/m mystery about a waiter in the Castro who spends a lot of time wandering around stoned and picking up guys. I did enjoy being able to picture the various locations mentioned. I didn’t enjoy the rambling brain dumps from everyone in the story.
A Bid for Love by T.D. McKinney & Terry Wylis. ebook. Ok m/m romance about an FBI agent who participates in a charity auction and is “purchased” by an anonymous bidder he assumes to be a woman. Ah, the surprise that awaits him when he and the bidder meet up in Italy. Sadly, the language was too flowery and overwrought for my tastes.
Knight or Daye by Jude Mason. ebook short. Ok short kinky m/m/m romance about a guy who infiltrates a human slavery ring, hoping that he can reconnect with and rescue the lover he drove away.
Howl by Lacey-Anne Frye. ebook. Ok m/m paranormal romance about a couple who stays at an isolated B&B in the middle of the woods. The proprietor tells them not to go outside after dark… Why don’t people ever listen??
What You See by C.J. Black. ebook short. So-so short m/m encounter between a waiter and an older man who always sits in his section at the restaurant.

“I’m hiding in my Plastic Tub of Invisibility. You can’t see me.” -Mayhem