Tag Archives: Clare London

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Linkity for an interminable winter

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Congrats to Juni, who won Yearning (Green’s Hill Werewolves, Book 1) by Amy Lane! Yearning will be released by Torquere Books on February 12.

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  • A very good post about what gay marriage means, from L.A. Witt. (This does the same thing, but be aware that you’ll likely hit NSFW stuff if you wander from that link.)

Valentine’s

Cool

Huh

  • I’m not sure I’m ready for Monopoly Live, which is controlled by a tower in the middle of the board.
  • Nose vibrator?! (Completely SFW. I know you’re surprised. But really, it is.)

LOL

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Rinse and Repeat by Amberly Smith. ebook. Excellent paranormal m/m romance about a guy who’s a Repeater, stuck repeating the same day over and over again until he can change some key event from the day. Things are different on this Repeat, because he’s started to care way too much about a skateboarder he’s watched die far too many times. (Hi, Pouty Guy!)
These Haunted Heights by Ally Blue. ebook. Very good paranormal m/m romance about a photojournalist who’s staying alone at his aunt’s house on the Oregon coast while he shoots a story about the area. Mysterious crying from the empty tower room and a handsome brooding neighbor complicate things in interesting ways…
How the Other Half Lives by Clare London. ebook short. Very good short m/m romance about two guys, one very tidy and the other very untidy, who exchange flatsitting duties with each other, but never actually meet… until they do.
A Russian Bear by C.B. Conwy. Very good kinky m/m romance about a grad student and a Dom who meet through a case of mistaken identity that leads to the Dom helping the grad student explore his attraction to submission.
Maleria, Cholera and Bubonic Plague (A Russian Bear, Book 1.5) by C.B. Conwy. web short. Good short m/m romance about Mischa waking up with hangover. (Although I would’ve eaten toast first, not chili!)
Call Me Sir, Boy! by Kim Dare. ebook short. Cute kinky short m/m romance about a dom who loses a bet and is stuck wearing a hat that says “Call Me SIR, Boy!” at the club for an evening when he’s approached by a submissive he’s never seen before – a submissive who seems perfect for him.
Opposites Distract by Stephani Hecht. ebook short. Sweet short m/m romance about a party boy who’s really attracted to a geeky guy he sees at their college’s GLBT student center, but the geeky guy doesn’t trust the party boy’s intentions.
Chocolate Dreams by Em Woods. ebook short. Sweet short m/m romance about an accountant who’s been burned by love before and lies about having a boyfriend to the chocolatier he finds attractive.
Sagittarius Blues by Katrina Strauss. ebook. Good holiday m/m romance about a college student whose inflammatory vlog personality has unexpected negative impacts on his life. For some reason, this never really came together for me and I haven’t been able to figure out why.
Into the Light (Clear Water Chronicles, Book 1) by Scarlet Blackwell. ebook. Ok m/m romance about a sheriff who’s a good man now, but was part of a bullying gang when he was in high school… and other members that gang raped a gay student while he stood by and did nothing. Now the victim of that rape has returned to town and wants the sheriff to pay for his part in the unreported crime. This was a really mixed read for me – I felt that it started out strongly, but by the end had turned into a melodramatic soap opera. 🙁
One True Thing by Amanda Grayson. ebook short. What an unsatisfying read! This m/m romance about an agent who has to go into deep cover by having his cover story planted in his brain was frustrating, particularly since it had so much potential. There was way too much story for a short, so the story had no depth and often seemed to jump around. And then the story just stopped, so you have no idea if they successfully completed the mission (i.e., the purported reason for the story).

“Go away. Being noble and dignified was exhausting.” -Chaos

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Long ago, in a linkity land…

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Cool

  • Tape art – way better than you expect.

Huh

LOL

Teh Cute

Reading Update
The Tourist by Clare London. ebook. Excellent paranormal m/m romance told from the perspective of a tourist, a spirit who can head hop, albeit with limited control. Usually he just stays for the sex and then moves on… but something’s different for him this time. This totally sucked me in and I couldn’t go to bed until I finished it. To be released 2/28.
Another Enchanted April by Eric Arvin. ebook. Excellent and cleverly written m/m romance about three friends on vacation in a seaside town, staying at an Italianate villa with intoxicatingly lovely gardens. Each of them will be profoundly changed… but not necessarily in the ways they expected. (And I may have gotten sniffly whilst reading this. I can neither confirm nor deny.)
A Strong Hand by Catt Ford. ebook. Very good kinky m/m romance about a famous photographer of erotica who’s shooting a catalog of high-end sex toys when he begins to realize he’s attracted to his assistant after his assistant models for the shoot.
Ruby Slippers by Alexi Silversmith. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a police detective who thinks that men shouldn’t wear makeup or do anything feminine, so when he finds out what his boyfriend does for a living, things get ugly. I enjoyed the chance to see James and Ethan from What They Say About Love as secondary characters.
Boystown: Three Nick Nowak Mysteries by Marshall Thornton. ebook. Very good collection of three m/m mysteries featuring Chicago PI Nick Nowak. Set in 1980 before AIDS devastated the gay community, these gritty stories reminded me of Sara Paretsky’s V.I. Warshawski mysteries, only with a lot more sex. 🙂
Boystown 2: Three Nick Nowak Mysteries by Marshall Thornton. ebook. Another very good collection of three mysteries featuring Chicago PI Nick Nowak. I really, really hope that the author is busily working on Boystown 3, because the final story ended on a surprising (but sadly realistic) dark note.
Out on the Net by Rick R. Reed. ebook short. Very good short m/m romance about a guy who finally accepts that he’s gay 20 minutes before he’s supposed to get married to a woman. The story is told via his blog as he tries to figure out being gay and meeting guys in his small town.
Bloodlines by Jessica Lee. ebook. Very good (and smokin’ hot) paranormal m/m romance about a wolf shapeshifter, supposed to be the next alpha of his pack, who’s kicked out of his pack when his father discovers he’s gay.
Red Hot by Kate Roman. ebook short. Very good short m/m romance about a straight guy who breaks up with his girlfriend because he can’t stop thinking about his male roommate.
Brush with Desire by Chrissy Munder. ebook short. Very good steamy m/m short that starts with an exhausted IT guy drooling over a hot man in a suit he sees in the grocery store and ends with a smoking hot (and humorous!) encounter between them.
Hearts and Flowers by Chrissy Munder. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about an accountant, a found puppy, classified ads, and quite a bit more. While I enjoyed the story, I felt there was just too much going on for the story’s length.
Driven to Distraction by Anah Crow & Dianne Fox. ebook. Good m/m romance about a professor who inherited his grandfather’s collection of classic cars. When he damages one of the cars, he has the chance to get to know his mechanic much, much better…
Possession (Devlin Island, Book 1) by S.W. Vaughn. ebook. Good paranormal m/m romance about an unfortunate vacationer who runs aground on Devlin Island with the worst possible timing, then meets a crabby male witch trying to figure out if there’s a demon loose on the island.
Where He Belongs by D.C. Juris. ebook short. Good kinky short m/m/m romance about a sub who left his two masters and now has to try to convince them to take him back.
Sandpipers’ Secrets (Sandpipers, Book 1) by Jade Archer. ebook. Good m/m/m romance about a guy who desperately needs a job to keep he and his brother off the streets and so is happy to get a kitchen job at Sandpipers, despite the attraction he feels to the couple who own the restaurant.
Xavier’s Way by Diana DeRicci. ebook. Good m/m romance about a guy who realizes that his now ex-fiance was siphoning money out of his business. But what are these strange feelings he has for the handsome auditor he’s hired to gather evidence of his ex’s wrongdoing?
A Measure of Discipline by Diane Adams. ebook short. Ok m/m short about a guy who’s leaving his university number crunching job and needs to train two student workers to take his place. I haven’t read the two previous stories and, alas, this was just confusing as a standalone.
Best Man by Shelley Munro. ebook short. Ok short m/m romance about two closeted rugby players and teammates, neither of whom knows the other is gay, who’ve been lusting after each other.
Work of Art by Rob Knight. ebook short. Ok short m/m romance about a neurotic artist and a guy who manages musicians. This was basically just a little slice of their life together and I couldn’t really see a point to it.
Tryst by Stone Richards. ebook. Meh m/m romance about a PI who gets sent to London to investigate a prominent businessman for a company considering a deal with the man. The whole thing was so implausible…

“Ok, you’re right, your phone doesn’t have a flash…” -Chaos

“…But the big kitty and I think you need to stop taking pictures of us anyway, flash or not.” -Mayhem

Contests, Reading

Ebook Giveaway: How the Other Half Lives by Clare London [CONTEST CLOSED]

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Many thanks to Clare London for donating an ebook copy of her forthcoming m/m romance, How the Other Half Lives, for a lucky commenter to win! How the Other Half Lives will be released by Amber Allure on February 6.

Martin Harrison keeps himself to himself and his flat as neat as a new pin. His friends want him to loosen up and enjoy more of a social life, but in Martin’s mind, that’s tantamount to opening the floodgates to emotional chaos. However, he agrees to join the flat-sitting scheme in his building. He’ll look after another tenant’s flat in exchange for a similar watch over his, when he’s traveling with his work as an antiques dealer.

A floor away in the same building, Russ McNeely is happy with his life as a freelance cook and a self-confessed domestic slob. His best friend Don persuades him to join the flat-sitting scheme, both to be neighborly and to help keep his flat in order, as Russ also travels with his work.

For a while, the very dissimilar men never actually meet. Martin is horrified at the mess at Russ’ flat, while Russ finds Martin’s minimalist style creepy. But in a spirit of generosity, each of them starts to help the other out by rearranging things in their own inimitable way. Gradually, the changes extend beyond interior decoration and into the habits of the men themselves.

Until the day a hiccup in the schedule brings them face to face at last.

Other Books

About Clare

Clare took the pen name London from the city where she lives, loves, and writes. A lone, brave female in a frenetic, testosterone-fueled family home, she juggles her writing with the weekly wash, waiting for the far distant day when she can afford to give up her day job as an accountant. She’s written in many genres and across many settings, with novels and short stories published both online and in print. She says she likes variety in her writing while friends say she’s just fickle, but as long as both theories spawn good fiction, she’s happy. Most of her work features male/male romance and drama with a healthy serving of physical passion, as she enjoys both reading and writing about strong, sympathetic and sexy characters.

Clare currently has several novels sulking at that tricky chapter 3 stage and plenty of other projects in mind… she just has to find out where she left them in that frenetic, testosterone-fueled family home.

All the details and free fiction are available at her website. Visit her today and say hello!

You can also visit Clare at her blog, on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, GoodReads, and the GLBT Wiki.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CST, Friday, February 4.
  • 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!

“I am soooooooo going to get you for taking that photo, Mom.” -Chaos

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Ebook Giveaway: Threadbare by Clare London [CONTEST CLOSED]

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Many thanks to Clare London for donating an ebook copy of her forthcoming historical paranormal m/m romance, Threadbare, for a lucky commenter to win! Threadbare will be released by JMS Books on January 23.

You can also head over to Clare’s blog to read a special bonus edition of the Misadventures in Stock Photography!

When Edward inherits the family textile mill from his deceased parents, he knows where his duty lies. As a young Victorian gentleman, he devotes himself to the family business and doing right by his customers and employees. What concern is it that he surrenders his own artistic ambitions and romantic passions?

But a hideous accident at the mill one day brings him into close contact with Mori, one of his most productive workers, a beautiful yet seemingly delicate and vulnerable young man. Edward takes Mori under his protection, bringing him back to his house. At last, Edward has found a friend and companion. His fascination for Mori grows swiftly into love, and he’s drawn out of his quiet introspection into a world of delight and passion.

Yet Mori has a private task that both baffles and concerns Edward: the completion of a stunningly beautiful, abstract tapestry. Edward doesn’t understand its significance, Mori’s devotion to it, or Mori’s strange behaviour when Edward tries to part the man from his mission. Mori loves him in return, he’s sure – but can that ever be enough? As Edward is tangled more deeply and irretrievably into the web of Mori’s love and mystery, what bittersweet price might he have to pay?

NOTE: This story was originally published in the anthology Masquerade.

Excerpt (scroll down)

Other Books

About Clare

Clare took the pen name London from the city where she lives, loves, and writes. A lone, brave female in a frenetic, testosterone-fueled family home, she juggles her writing with the weekly wash, waiting for the far distant day when she can afford to give up her day job as an accountant. She’s written in many genres and across many settings, with novels and short stories published both online and in print. She says she likes variety in her writing while friends say she’s just fickle, but as long as both theories spawn good fiction, she’s happy. Most of her work features male/male romance and drama with a healthy serving of physical passion, as she enjoys both reading and writing about strong, sympathetic and sexy characters.

Clare currently has several novels sulking at that tricky chapter 3 stage and plenty of other projects in mind… she just has to find out where she left them in that frenetic, testosterone-fueled family home.

All the details and free fiction are available at her website. Visit her today and say hello!

You can also visit Clare at her blog, on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, GoodReads, and the GLBT Wiki.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CST, Friday, January 21.
  • 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!

“Well, at least the naughty boys are somewhere else today… *sigh*” -Mayhem

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Ho ho ho, link link link!

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No post on Friday, December 24 – Merry Christmas to those who celebrate! Yes, that’s exactly why linkity’s on Thursday this week. 🙂

Congrats to Peggy P, who won Death by Misfortune by A.M. Riley!

Congrats to elaing8, who won Solstice Seduction (Celtic Fire, Book 1) by Bronwyn Green! Solstice Seduction will be released by Total-E-Bound on December 27.

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Gift Ideas

Holiday

Holiday LOLs

Cool

Huh

  • I’m not sure what I would do if I saw someone actually wearing this raincoat…

LOL

Teh Cute

Reading Update
A Shifter Christmas (Lost Shifters, Book 8 ) by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Good paranormal m/m holiday romance mostly focused on Noah and Seth, but moving other parts of the story along, too. If the next book is what I think it will be, things are going be very interesting!
Chasing Alex by Em Woods. ebook short. Ok short m/m romance about two guys who’ve worked together for several years and have both wanted more, although neither realized the other felt the same. Both of them seemed to spend too much time jumping to conclusions and overreacting, which I found frustrating.
Secret Santa Surprise by Tam. free ebook short. Very good, very funny short m/m holiday romance about a guy who works for a sex toy manufacturer and discovers that he has a son he didn’t know about.
The Christmas Throwaway by R.J. Scott. ebook. Very good m/m holiday romance about a throwaway, a nearly eighteen-year old whose abusive and controlling father kicked him out for being gay, and about the young cop who finds him half-starved and half-frozen, trying to sleep in a churchyard. I hadn’t read anything by RJ Scott before, but I’ll definitely need to read more from her.
In the Wind by Wren Boudreau. free online short. Very good short paranormal m/m holiday romance about a wolf shifter finding his true mate.
First Christmas by Diana DeRicci. ebook. Very good short paranormal m/m holiday romance about a cougar shifter/wolf researcher who rescues an injured wolf shifter, then provides a safe haven for him to recuperate from not only his physical but also his psychological wounds.
Christmas Wish by B.G. Thomas. ebook short. Very good short m/m holiday paranormal romance about an ordinary guy who becomes obsessed with a hunky leatherman and wishes he was hot enough to attract the leatherman’s attention.
Batteries Not Included by J.L. Merrow. ebook short. Very good short paranormal m/m holiday romance about a guy who goes to bed with a doll of his favorite singer on the other pillow and wakes up with a naked man in his bed.
Pop-Ups by Clare London. ebook short. Very good short m/m holiday romance about a workaholic who’s suddenly left without anywhere to go for Christmas.
Fishbowl by Dawn Kimberly Johnson. ebook short. Very good short m/m holiday romance about a guy who’s working as window mannequin for the holidays and who becomes enamored with a man he sees through the window several times.
A Reason to Come Home by Justine Currie. ebook short. Pretty good short m/m holiday romance about a guy who’s afraid to get involved with anyone after having his heart broken. Then something happens on a business trip that scares him even more…
Comfort and Joy by Selina Brody. ebook short. Ok short m/m holiday romance a guy who goes overseas to pick up the baby he adopted and meets a handsome Peace Corps volunteer. This one just didn’t grab me.
Revelations of the Heart by Lori C. Hawkins. ebook short. Ok short m/m holiday romance about a florist who suddenly meets two intriguing guys on the same day… and then things get a bit confusing for him. This was another one that just didn’t work for me, possibly because there was an awful lot of story packed into not many pages.
Christmas Tail by D.J. Manly. ebook short. Ok short m/m holiday romance about a guy who’s been naughty (too much “boinking”), so Santa takes him to Christmas Land to be punished with chastity. Of course, it doesn’t quite work out like that…
‘Twas a Dark and Delicious Christmas: Manlove Edition by J.P. Barnaby, K.C. Beaumont, & Troy Storm. ebook. Pretty good m/m holiday collection focused on Santa’s elves. JP Barnaby’s story was good, KC Beaumont’s story was very good, and Troy Storm’s story was ok.
The Perfect Gift by Jade Falconer. ebook short. Sweet (a little too sweet for me) short m/m holiday romance about a guy who takes a homeless man with amnesia home to feed him and give him a warm place to sleep.

“Mom’s lap is pretty comfy, but I could do without all the picture taking.” -Chaos

Contests, Reading

Ebook Giveaway: Branded by Clare London [CONTEST CLOSED]

47 Comments

Many thanks to Clare London for donating an ebook copy of her freshly released m/m fantasy, Branded, for a lucky commenter to win! (Yes, that is Wind-in-Hair Guy!)

Maen is a Gold Warrior, an elite defender of Aza City, respected by his fellow soldiers and favored by his imperious Mistress for services both in and out of the bedchamber. His loyalty and commitment are unwavering until he recruits Dax, a captivating and challenging Bronzeman who, despite his youth and inexperience, seduces Maen with his fierce hero worship. When they’re captured by enemies of the City, Maen risks everything to save Dax: his position, his faith, and even his life. But he loses his lover to the rebels and upon his return to the City is stripped of his rank.

In Aza, where a soldier’s only lawful devotion is to the City and his Mistress’s pleasure, the disgraced Maen is placed under the watchful guard of the arrogant Gold Warrior Zander and relegated to preparing a royal history for the new Queen. But his discoveries cast a new and shocking light on the past and threaten to stir revolution in both citizens and rebels. With the help of the lively and inquisitive scribe Kiel, Maen initiates a chain of events that will change their world forever—and offer him the chance to regain both his honor and his heart’s desire.

Formerly published in two novels: The Gold Warrior and Twisted Brand. Please note that there is some m/f in this book.

Excerpt (scroll down and expand)

About Clare

Clare took the pen name London from the city where she lives, loves, and writes. A lone, brave female in a frenetic, testosterone-fueled family home, she juggles her writing with the weekly wash, waiting for the far distant day when she can afford to give up her day job as an accountant. She’s written in many genres and across many settings, with novels and short stories published both online and in print. She says she likes variety in her writing while friends say she’s just fickle, but as long as both theories spawn good fiction, she’s happy. Most of her work features male/male romance and drama with a healthy serving of physical passion, as she enjoys both reading and writing about strong, sympathetic and sexy characters.

Clare currently has several novels sulking at that tricky chapter 3 stage and plenty of other projects in mind… she just has to find out where she left them in that frenetic, testosterone-fueled family home.

All the details and free fiction are available at her website. Visit her today and say hello!

You can also visit Clare at her blog, on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, GoodReads, and the GLBT Wiki. Whew! When do you have time to write, Clare?!? ;)

Contest Rules

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

“Stop pretending you can see me, Mom!! I’m hiding.” -Mayhem

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Loungetastic Linkity!

35 Comments

Congrats to Jenre, who won her choice from LA Witt’s backlist!

Congrats to cturtlechick, who won Why Jay Ran Away (Contact, Book 3) by Jade Archer! Why Jay Ran Away will be available from Total-E-Bound on October 18.

Congrats to Mary F, who won Blood and Alchemy (Drone Vampires, Book 11) and a bonus copy of The Third Floor by Stephani Hecht. How did Mary get so lucky? Well, after I kicked off the contest for Blood and Alchemy, the publication date got changed from October 15 to October 31; The Third Floor is being released today instead. Stephani’s giving Mary a copy of The Third Floor to help tide her over until the 31st – and you can still enter to win a copy of The Third Floor. 🙂

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Linkity Peeps

Halloweeny

Cool

Huh

  • I think the Portable Armrest makes people look like escaped asylum patients…

LOL

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Like Pizza and Beer (Dino & Seth, Book 2) by Elle Parker. ebook. Excellent m/m romantic suspense that you should not even pick up until you’ve read the first book, Like Coffee and Doughnuts. That won’t be a hardship. 🙂 Dino takes on two new cases: one for Seth, trying to find dirt on Seth’s sister’s scumbag boyfriend, the other for his own ex-girlfriend, which makes Seth very jealous. Add to that Dino’s own discomfort with anyone knowing that he’s dating Seth…
Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Clare London. ebook. Very good short m/m romance about a guy waiting at the airport for a very good friend who’s been overseas for a final job interview. Since his friend’s flight turns out to be delayed 12 hours, he has plenty of time to think about how much he’ll miss his friend and how much he screwed up the last time they saw each other. Some very unusual people sit near him and help distract him from his thoughts… or do they?
Picture Postcards by J.M. Snyder. ebook short. Very good short m/m romance about a guy, in love with his best friend, who drifts out of touch after his friend marries a woman… and then a postcard arrives in the mail.
Bittersweet Seasons by Fabian Black. ebook. Very good collection of short, poignant m/m romances, most of which touch on seasons or time passing.
Maxxed Out by Treva Harte. ebook. Good m/m romance about Max, a college student who hasn’t come out to his parents, who shows up at the door of his (deceased) brother’s best friend with an agenda… The one detractor was the alternating first person, which, while done pretty well, was confusing at times.
Sub for Hire by Claire Thompson. ebook. So-so kinky m/m romance about an author who works as a sub-for-hire at a professional dungeon until he can support himself with his writing. He can handle the job, as long as he’s able to keep his emotions detached, because he actually longs for a loving D/s relationship. Again, I just can’t engage with Claire Thompson’s older books the way I can with her newer books. This was particularly challenging, because I wasn’t overly fond of the dominant characters.
Burning Up by Z.A. Maxfield. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about a fire dancer, entertaining on the street, who gets heckled by a drunken idiot with a quieter, nicer friend.
Lockdown by Augusta Li & Eon De Beaumont. ebook short. Ok short m/m story about a superhero and a supervillain who are locked in a nuclear power plant after their fight damages the core…
In Knots by Celia Kyle. ebook short. Meh kinky short paranormal m/m romance about a human sub who goes to a werewolf bdsm club. At least there were some amusing editing fails.
Call Me Sir, Too (Sir, Book 2) by Stormy Glenn. ebook. Meh kinky m/m romance about a Dom and sub who met in the first book. Since then the Dom’s been gone on mysterious business and the sub’s been seriously traumatized and injured by an evil Dom. Will the good Dom be able to get the sub to trust again? My favorite line in the whole book (and I’m reproducing it exactly!): “That strange twinkled shinned in Dante’s eyes again.”
The Magic in Your Touch (Reed, Book 1) by Sara Bell. ebook. Meh m/m romance from an author whose more recent work I really love. Chicks with dicks, insta-love, stalker(s)… *sigh*
You Don’t Need a Doctor by Julia Talbot. ebook short. Doctors Without Borders Charity Sip Blitz. Good short paranormal m/m romance about an ER doctor who notices that the shooting victim he’s treating is awfully hairy and has very pointy teeth and is healing very fast… This would’ve been better as a longer story, because so much was crammed in.
El Cedral by Kiernan Kelly. ebook short. Doctors Without Borders Charity Sip Blitz. Very good short m/m romance about a doctor from NYC, taking a sabbatical from his cushy hospital job, who agrees to help out an old friend at his clinic on an impoverished Mexican island.

“None of you better be thinking of trying to steal my stripey socks! I’m keeping an eye on you!” -Mayhem

Contests, Reading

Ebook Giveaway: Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Clare London [CONTEST CLOSED]

42 Comments

Many thanks to Clare London for donating an ebook copy of her freshly released m/m romance, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, for a lucky commenter to win! If you’ve been curious about m/m romance, this would be a gentle introduction to the genre. 🙂

Garry’s definitely at the end of his tether. He’s waiting in an airport lounge to meet his friend Will, to go on holiday with mutual friends in a Scottish highlands hotel. Now there’s a ten-hour delay to incoming flights, the seat in the lounge is more like an instrument of torture, and he’s beyond tired of airport food.

What’s worse, he’s also dreading having to apologize for the pass he recently made at Will, under the influence of too many beers and a long-held crush. And the suddenly shocking realization that when Will accepts a new job offer on a continent thousands of miles away, it may be the end of their close friendship – let alone anything more.

To add to Garry’s stress, he’s treated to the company of Emily and Max, two young people who think he needs educating in the ways of the world – and his love life – whether he welcomes the interference or not. Struggling with their well-meaning help and the startling mess on his clothes from spilled ketchup and noxious-smelling sweets, he’s encouraged to re-examine how he feels about Will and to decide what kind of journey he’d really like them to take together…

Excerpt (scroll down)

Review

About Clare

Clare took the pen name London from the city where she lives, loves, and writes. A lone, brave female in a frenetic, testosterone-fueled family home, she juggles her writing with the weekly wash, waiting for the far distant day when she can afford to give up her day job as an accountant. She’s written in many genres and across many settings, with novels and short stories published both online and in print. She says she likes variety in her writing while friends say she’s just fickle, but as long as both theories spawn good fiction, she’s happy. Most of her work features male/male romance and drama with a healthy serving of physical passion, as she enjoys both reading and writing about strong, sympathetic and sexy characters.

Clare currently has several novels sulking at that tricky chapter 3 stage and plenty of other projects in mind… she just has to find out where she left them in that frenetic, testosterone-fueled family home.

All the details and free fiction are available at her website. Visit her today and say hello!

You can also visit Clare at her blog, on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, GoodReads, and the GLBT Wiki. Whew! When do you have time to write, Clare?!? ;)

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Thursday, October 21.
  • 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 put your left paw in, you put your left paw out…” -Chaos

Then, since you’re on a roll, enter the contest for Eat Me by Mia Watts! Contest closes 7 pm CDT, October 22.

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Linkity laceration!

30 Comments

Congrats to Shanna, who won Code Blue by Stephani Hecht! Code Blue is being released by eXtasy Books today.

Congrats to Susmita, who won Gayish (G-A-Y, Book 12) by Kim Dare! Gayish will be released by Total-E-Bound on October 4.

Contests

  • A number of bloggers are honoring urban fantasy author Jennifer Rardin, who died unexpectedly this week, by giving away a book from her Jaz Parks series: Renee’s Book Addiction (closes 11:59 pm PDT, October 1), Lurv a la Mode (one US winner & one international winner; closes noon EDT, October 4), and Sidhe Vicious Reviews (closes 11:59 pm, October 5).

Bookity

  • Has the Suck Fairy visited you when you reread a beloved book?

Ebookity

Learn, Make, Think, Do

  • Considering an Android smartphone, but have no clue where to start? Check out the Gizmodo guide.
  • Think the lottery’s your chance to improve your life? Play the lottery simulator to see how likely that is.

Gluten-Free

Linkity Peeps

  • Kristi’s got links to her fall-themed recipes. Wonder if I can make those pumpkin scones gluten-free?

Cool

  • Lego wedding ring! Why don’t they both have Lego rings? Then they could interlock. 🙂

Huh

  • Surely there’s a festive event to which you can bring a meat head?

LOL

  • I wouldn’t try this with one of your own SD cards…
  • Hmm. Do you think that tiger is hungry?! (Thanks, Jase!)

Teh Cute

Reading Update
72 Hours by Clare London. ebook. Very good m/m romantic suspense about an agent for a shadowy government organization (think 24 here) who’s been suspended and is hiding out, sulking, when the last man/agent he wants to see (his former lover) is deposited with him for safekeeping. You know how you read some books and get annoyed because the conflict could’ve been solved with some conversation? In 72 Hours, you might be tempted to think that at first, but you slowly come to understand that the critical conversations aren’t always easy. Kinda like in real life. 🙂
Handcuffs and Headlocks (Rawlings Men, Book 3) by Kim Dare. ebook. Very good kinky m/m romance about an undercover police officer who’s played so many different parts that he’s always playing a part, even when he meets an extremely centered martial arts instructor to whom he’d like to submit.
The Subtle Build of Perfection by L.M. Turner. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about a video store clerk and the video store customer who keeps coming in and renting movies to see him. This story definitely managed to capture the awkwardness of meeting someone, trying to figure out if that person is attracted to you, and so forth.
Devlin and Garrick (Seeking Redemption, Book 2) by Cameron Dane. ebook. Good m/m romance about Devlin, visiting San Francisco for a few days, who picks up a rough, tattooed guy for some quick fun that turns into a weekend in bed, followed by six months of emails and phone calls before the guy brutally dumps Devlin in email. Five years later, Devlin’s still struggling to deal with that when he bumps into a mysteriously familiar (but tattoo-free) guy new in town…
Hunter’s Light (Kindred Spirits, Book 2) by Jude Mason & Jenna Byrnes. Ok paranormal m/m romance about an overly enthusiastic guy who comes to the inn to see and write about its ghostly inhabitants. When he finds out there’s a ghost at the nearby lighthouse, he’s soon butting heads with the solitary lighthouse keeper.
Alex’s Appeal (Kindred Spirits, Book 3) by Jude Mason & Jenna Byrnes. ebook. Ok paranormal m/m romance about a lawyer who comes to the inn to think about whether he wants to accept a judgeship and move away from the home that he and his partner, who died eight months ago, shared. While at the inn, he becomes intrigued by the handsome young cook…
Juicy, Melty, Fun to Share (Book 1) by Augusta Li. ebook short. Good short holiday m/m story about a caterer who discovers that the event he’s catering is a holiday kink party, hosted by a gorgeous Dom. (Also, that cover has nothing whatsoever to do with the book.)
Twelfth Night (Juicy, Melty, Fun to Share, Book 2) by Augusta Li. ebook short. Ok short kinky m/m story in which the caterer runs into the gorgeous Dom for the first time since the holiday party.
Hearts Afire: September by Philippa Grey-Garou & Michael Barnette. ebook collection. Very mixed two-story m/m romance collection. Grey-Garou’s contemporary tale about a chef and a firefighter who meet as the chef’s restaurant goes up in flames was good. Barnette’s scifi story about a firefighter who saves a telepathic executive from a mine fire was so-so: a good plot marred by sappy language.
On Call: Afternoon and On Call: Dancing by P.D. Singer. ebook shorts. Enjoyable short m/m romances about a doctor and a veterinarian who meet on the job and then again on the job. I’m looking forward to reading the third installment, which is buried in the Torquere Press Charity Sips Blitz.
Borders by Kathryn Scannell. ebook short. Good short m/m story about a doctor with Doctors Without Borders stationed in Gaza City, where he has to hide his sexual orientation because it could mean his life, who’s on a weekend leave in Tel Aviv at a gay bar.
Another Border by K.I.L. Kenny. ebook short. Sweet m/m romance short about a guy tending his lover after he gets home from a long shift in the Alzheimer’s ward.
Breathe into Me by Jenna Jones. ebook short. Ok short m/m romance about a salesman whose doctor’s given him ten years to live if he doesn’t get his blood pressure and stress under control. At his sister’s urging, he takes a yoga class and runs into his first love from high school, who teaches the class.

“I am not amused, Mom. Not. Amused. At. All.” -Chaos

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

A flood of linkity!

35 Comments

Congrats to Jane, who won Not Anymore by Em Woods! Not Anymore will be released by Total-E-Bound on September 27.

Contests

Bookity

Ebookity

Learn, Make, Do, Think

  • I must confess to finding human-powered gadgets very cool – if all tvs and video games were powered by exercise bikes, would America have an obesity epidemic?

Linkity Peeps

Cool

  • Cute game, although it may cause cubicle workers to weep uncontrollably… (Thanks, Jase!)

Huh

LOL

  • The bad ex service… make sure you hover your cursor over the comic for additional text!
  • My kitties did not enjoy this black cat meow mix video. At all. Chaos was so sure that I was hiding another kitty in my laptop that he got mad and started to act out. (Thanks? Lisa!)

Teh Cute

  • Fetching kitty! (Both Chaos and Mayhem are fetching kitties – in both senses of the words.)

Reading Update
Seriously, was this my week to read about mysterious guys or what?! You’ll see. 🙂
Ruthless Pursuit (Lost Shifters, Book 6) by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Good paranormal m/m romance continuing the story of the search to find the Lost (Feline) Shifters, who were abducted when they were young and raised by humans. This installment is about trying to capture the criminally inclined Andrew.
Man and Wolf by Kate Roman. ebook. Decent paranormal m/m romance about a vet who meets and immediately connects with a mysterious guy who brings in his poisoned dog. I enjoyed this one, although an entire storyline of menace never really played out to be anything. Plus the sex-to-story ratio was a bit skewed.
Touch of a Wolf by Jez Morrow. ebook. Very good paranormal m/m romance about a grad student who just caught his boyfriend cheating and moved out. He has an uncharacteristic sexual encounter in an alley with a mysterious guy he runs into on the street – who later shows up on his fire escape – and his life is changed, possibly forever.
Wicked Cool by Val Kovalin. ebook short. Very good short m/m romance about a guy with a junk removal business who becomes very intrigued by a mysterious property manager he meets while on a job. Can he deal with the unknown, or will all the secrets drive them apart?
His Gift by Clare London. ebook short. Very good short m/m romance about a guy who wakes up injured in a rainy ditch, with no memory of how he got there. He manages to make it to an old house, where he meets a handsome, mysterious man and his life takes on a dream-like quality.
Bound by Blood (Soul Mates, Book 1) by Jourdan Lane. ebook. Very good paranormal m/m romance about a bartender with a vampire phobia who slowly realizes that not only is the hot guy he’s been ogling a vampire, he’s the Master vampire of the city… (I can definitely tell that Lane was influenced by Anne Rice’s early Vampire Chronicles and LKH’s early Anita Blake books. It works.)
Ethan’s Choice (Kindred Spirits, Book 1) by Jude Mason & Jenna Byrnes. ebook. Decent paranormal m/m romance about an analytical guy who’s considering buying the seaside inn he’s vacationing at. But why are the current owners selling it after only six months? And could the hunky handyman possibly be gay?
Almost Home by Nicole Gordon. ebook short. Intriguing short m/m story about two guys who’ve been friends for years, while one has been going through some rough things that just ended with his father’s death. Sadly, this book simply stops, with no resolution of any sort. However, I did leave a question for Nicole Gordon on her blog and she’s working on a sequel.
What They Say About Love by Alexi Silversmith. ebook short. Very good short m/m romance about a guy who breaks up with his girlfriend instead of proposing to her as he’d intended. He decides to go out and pick up a guy to explore a side of himself he’s kept under wraps since college…
The First Real Thing by Cat Grant. ebook. Good m/m romance about a male escort who picks up the wrong guy in a bar and finds himself in an actual relationship… with a guy who doesn’t know what he does for a living.
Not Anymore by Em Woods. ebook short. Good m/m romance about a guy who’s on vacation in Hawaii with his sister and her boyfriend when his attraction to a guy who approaches him on the beach outs him to his family. Things get really complicated when his nasty ex shows up and then the identity of the guy from the beach is revealed. Despite a few niggles, this was an enjoyable read and I’ll definitely look for future books from Em Woods.
Vince by J.M. Snyder. ebook. Pretty good young adult m/m story about two guys who’ve been best friends since they were little… until, when they’re 14, one confesses he’s in love with the other and gets laughter in return.
Just the Right Notes by Sean Michael. ebook. Good kinky m/m romance about an architect and a composer who periodically escape to their cabin for a weekend of D/s play. Will that be enough to keep them grounded when their lives go into crisis?
Prisoner of the State by Alex Morgan. ebook short. So-so short kinky m/m about a police chief who abducts a guy he pulled over for speeding and keeps the guy in his basement as a sex slave. This would’ve been better if it had been fleshed out more – it read more like a story outline at points.

“This sock, it has a flavor! It tastes… woolly.” -Mayhem