Tag Archives: Jaime Samms

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Leaves’ll be fallin’ when linkity comes callin’

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Congrats to AlbertaGirl, SarahM, and Melora, who won copies of Mourning Heaven by Amy Lane! Mourning Heaven is being released today by Dreamspinner Press.

Congrats to Mammarella, who won Sub Zero by Angel Martinez!

Congrats to Sarah S, who won Body Magic (Triad #2) by Poppy Dennison! Body Magic will be released by Dreamspinner Press on September 10.

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  • Chaos gets around this by simply ripping the roll into confetti – I haven’t been able to hang up a roll of toilet paper for many, many years. (For future reference, it’s in the cupboard under the bathroom sink. I hope you’re good at opening childproof locks one-handed whilst leaning over from the toilet…)

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Reading Update
The Cat in the Cradle (Loka Legends #1) by Jay Bell. ebook. Very good young adult gay fantasy (with romantic elements) about a young man and his talking cat who head out to experience more of life than what they’ve seen during their sheltered existence. They achieve that in spades.
Finding Fire, Flesh and Blood, and the Loka Legends Sketchbook (Loka Legends #0.5/1.5) by Jay Bell & Andreas Bell. free ebook collection. Finding Fire takes place before The Cat in the Cradle, but you don’t need to read them in that order. Flesh and Blood takes place before, during, and after The Cat in the Cradle; I recommend you read it after. Both (very good) short stories provide additional insight into the events of The Cat in the Cradle.
From Darkness to Darkness (Loka Legends #2) by Jay Bell. ebook. Very good young adult gay fantasy (with romantic elements) about life, death, love, and the responsibilities of power. Hmm. Could I be any more cryptic? 😉
Stained Glass by Jaime Samms. ebook. Very good kinky m/m romance about a guy who’s only recently realized he’s a sub, but who’s been almost destroyed by his dom imploding. He retreats into a bottle, but his friends are not ready to lose him.
Max & Finn (Men of Smithfield #2) by LB Gregg. ebook. reread. Very good m/m romance about a prep school teacher and dorm parent who is discomfited to discover that the security specialist he had an impulsive encounter with will be protecting one of the students in the dorm.
Slow Burn by Dawn Douglas. ebook short. Steamy short m/m romance about a college student whose twin sister blackmails him into doing a dreaded coffee delivery for a financial trust. In the elevator on the way to the delivery, he drools over the handsome older Brit…
Words and Their Digestion by seventhswan. free online short. Very good short m/m romance about a college student who’s probably somewhere on the autism spectrum and whose roommate is one of his few friends. And then his roommate gets a serious boyfriend…
Posted to Death (Simon Kirby-Jones #1) by Dean James. reread. This was a delightful and slightly twisted version of the British village cozy mystery, because Simon is a gay vampire (he can be out in sunlight and doesn’t need to drink blood, as long as he takes his medication) and well-known historian (who secretly writes romances and mysteries under several pseudonyms). Definitely recommended if you enjoy mysteries with a bit of snark and a complicated cast of suspects. (Also, for the wary, I would give this book a no-pepper heat rating – a very safe read.)
Faked to Death (Simon Kirby-Jones #2) by Dean James. Good gay mystery in which vampire and author Simon goes to a retreat for mystery writers, which is livened up a bit too much by murder.
A Road Not Taken by Jennifer Thorne. ebook. Good m/m romance about an eco-house builder who finds a depressed young man along the side of a road in a broken-down car, takes him home, and puts him to work. Things proceeded between them pretty fast – I think it would’ve worked better in a slightly longer format, with more time for their relationship to develop.
Love, Hypoethetically (Theta Alpha Gamma #2) by Anne Tenino. ebook. Good m/m romance about a grad student and tutor who’s never really gotten over his first love from high school, even though things ended in a way that left him horribly bitter.
Out of the Ashes by Olivia Duncan Craig. ebook. Good m/m romance based on Cinderella about a guy who grows up on a remote Texas ranch, basically living the life of an indentured servant. And then one day a handsome young man visits the ranch… This needed a wee bit more proofreading attention.
Murder on Camac (Marco Fontana #1) by Joseph RG DeMarco. ebook. Good gay mystery about a PI who also runs a troupe of male strippers and is hired by a grieving man to find out whether his boyfriend died in a mugging gone wrong, or was murdered because of a book he was writing exposing wrongdoing in the Catholic church.
Crimes on Latimer (Marco Fontana #3) by Joseph RG DeMarco. ebook. Good collection of six short gay mysteries featuring PI Marco Fontana, starting with Marco’s first “case” in high school. I was a little frustrated that a promising thread from “The DaVinci Theft” wasn’t resolved in that or any of the other stories.
Touching Evil by Rob Knight. ebook. Ok paranormal m/m romance about a psychic who can basically read minds when he touches someone or touches an object someone else touched. This makes him very useful to the police… until a serial killer starts working to get his attention. I found this a frustrating read – too many sex scenes, too many food descriptions, and too many sentence fragments (reminding me that “Rob Knight” is just a “Sean Michael” pseudonym).
It Happened in Buenos Aires (Grave Watchers #2) by Missouri Dalton. ebook short. Huh. I’m setting this to today, but I read this soon after it came out and can’t remember the dates. Perhaps my disappointment in the story blocked it all out?

“You better watch out, big kitty! I am preparing my kitty laser eyes!” -Mayhem

“I’m so scared. Not.” -Chaos

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In which linkity happens yet again

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Congrats to Giselle, who won The Decisions We Make by RJ Scott!

Congrats to Orannia, Eva, Bogusia, SarahM, and Zanara, who all won copies of Fall into the Sun by Val Kovalin!

Congrats to Helena, who won Cinder (A CinderFella Story) by Marie Sexton! Cinder will be released by Silver Publishing on February 4.

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  • This will only be humorous if you live in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN) and are familiar with the controversy over a new Vikings stadium.

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Reading Update
Time To Do (Perfect Timing #3) by Kim Dare. ebook. reread. Excellent m/m romance about two guys – one gay, one straight – who have been best friends since they were small and are now roommates at college. The gay guy’s been quietly in love with his best friend for years, but has been resigned to never being able to touch him… until he finds his friend’s list of things to experience, which segues from kissing and having sex with women (all checked off) to kissing a man (not checked off)… This was my first Kim Dare book, and remains my very favorite. 🙂
Dirty Laundry by Heidi Cullinan. free ebook short. Smoking hot kinky short m/m story about a timid grad student doing his laundry on a Friday night and the cowboy who comes to his rescue.
Forever in One Second by Finn Marlowe. ebook. Very good m/m paranormal romantic suspense about a rescue worker who can heal with touch. When one of the people he’s healed comes to find and thank him, neither of them have any idea how much their lives will change.
The Yearning by AJ Rose. ebook. Very good paranormal m/m romance told from the perspective of a ghost anchored to a young mortician who is in love with his oblivious best friend. This took some unexpected and enjoyable twists. 🙂
9:05 by KC Burn. free ebook short. Very good short m/m romance about an office worker who’s the only one moving around while the rest of world is stuck at 9:05 am.
Chapter Five and the Axe-Wielding Maniac by Marie Sexton. free ebook short. Very good short m/m romance about a writer with writer’s block hiding out at his Oregon cabin… and then a young man with a pick-axe knocks on his door with a surprising request.
Carbon & Ash by Chris Owen. ebook short. This was a short but sweet m/m romance about slowing sliding into something other than friendship without being fully aware. And it’s one of my comfort rereads.
A Simple Suburban Murder (Tom & Scott #1) by Mark Richard Zubro. Very good gay mystery about high school teacher Tom, who finds a much-hated math teacher dead in his classroom, and his closeted baseball player boyfriend, Scott.
All the Gear, No Idea (I Blame Brett #2) by Kim Dare. ebook short. Good short kinky m/m romance about a dom who’s asked to look after a clueless new sub.
Not a Whore by Jaime Samms. free ebook short. Good short m/m romance about a young man who’s sleeping with his boss, but things are more complicated than they appear at first…
Method Acting by Clare London. free ebook short. Cute short m/m story about two guys in bed… with a surprising twist.
Death Trick (Donald Strachey #1) by Richard Stevenson. ebook. Good gay mystery set in Albany in 1979, when things were wild pre-HIV. Donald Strachey’s been hired by the parents of a missing gay man suspected of murder, but nothing is quite adding up about the case. (This is such a weird cover! Pretty sure there wasn’t a dog in the book…)
Hair of the Dog by Ashlyn Kane & Morgan James. ebook. Good paranormal m/m romance about a guy who wakes up covered in blood the morning after his father’s funeral and quickly learns (from the mysterious men waiting outside his door) that he was bitten by a werewolf. It was an interesting storyline, but the timeline was too murky for my pattern-matching brain, leading the story to feel jumpy.
Melting by VJ Summers. ebook short. Good short kinky m/m romance that consists of an extended wax play bdsm scene between a dom and his beloved submissive. I really wanted to read more of this couple’s backstory.
Plan B (A Candyland Story) by VJ Summers. free ebook short. Steamy short m/m story about two guys hooking up in a bar, which appears to be the prequel to Liar, Liar.
Hold the Sky by AC Fox. ebook. Good m/m romance about two architects – one just starting out and the other quite successful – who can’t stop competing with each other.
How Much for the Whole Night? by RJ Scott. free ebook short. Good short m/m story about a guy who picks up a hooker for the first time ever on the night before his final divorce custody hearing. There was just way too much story for the number of pages!
The Librarian by Lee Brazil. ebook. Ok m/m romance about a university librarian who’s had a crush on his former college roommate, now his hairdresser, for ten years. I was going to rate this higher until nearly the end of the book, when it turned out that the entire premise was based on a big misunderstanding. *sigh*
Want (1 Night Stand #81) by Ann Mayburn. ebook short. So-so short m/m about a straight construction foreman who’s been lusting after one of the stonemasons working for him. Via the 1 Night Stand service, he manages to arrange a blind date with the man. The pronoun confusion in this one was painful – I really couldn’t figure out who was doing what to whom most of the time.

I know this is an exceptionally crappy picture, but it amused me so much to see them both sleeping in the same pose. 🙂 (May is closer to the camera, so she looks the same size as Chaos.)

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Yet another linkity post in which there are no llamas

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Congrats to Kate, who won The Love of a Mate (Pack Discipline #4) by Kim Dare! The Love of a Mate will be released by Total-E-Bound on June 6.

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Reading Update
Bob the Book by David Pratt. ebook. Excellent story about a gay book named Bob, as he travels from bookstore to armchair and beyond. It’s also a story about love found and lost, about discrimination and acceptance, about learning and growing… basically about life. Highly recommended.
A.J.’s Angel by LA Witt. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a tattoo artist trying to understand why his cheating ex has shown up in his shop four years later to get a tattoo commemorating a mysterious “A.J.” If the ending of the story had had been longer, this would’ve been five stars for me. Forgiveness happened too fast, then the ensuing struggles were merely alluded to in the epilogue.
As Advertised by Jaime Samms. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a guy who discovers some unpleasant things about his boyfriend at a party before he’s rescued by the hostess. I liked that one of the main characters suffered from migraines (I can relate) and the other suffered from OCD – it made things feel more realistic.
Apples and Regret and Wasted Time by Cornelia Grey. ebook. short. Very good short, poignant m/m story about two men who love each other… but that love isn’t enough in itself. (I love this cover! It really should be on a novel, rather than a short.)
Stranger in Black by Devon Rhodes. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a guy who realizes his boyfriend is cheating on him, so arranges to attend a masquerade ball incognito to see the proof for himself and help himself move on.
Heaven (Heaven Sent #1) by Jet Mykles. ebook. reread. Very good yaoiesque m/m romance about a straight hotel manager who’s surprised by his attraction to some of the male members of a band staying and playing at the hole.
The Wicca Man: Tongue-Tied by Emily Veinglory. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a university professor who’s also a witch. He accidentally uses a love binding spell when defending himself from a vampire attack, then isn’t sure how to free the handsome and enthralled vampire without getting killed. I really enjoyed the sly and smart alecky bits of humor throughout. If anyone knows of a sequel…
Eclipse of the Heart (Eclipse #1) by Emily Veinglory. ebook. Good paranormal m/m romance about a coyote-wolf shifter who moves to a new town with his oblivious-to-the-paranormal human boyfriend and gets caught up in the paranormal politics against his will. This is going to be one that people either love or hate…
Here Comes the Sun (Eclipse #2) by Emily Veinglory. ebook. Pretty good paranormal m/m romance continuing the story of the coyote-wolf shifter and his human boyfriend, told from the boyfriend’s point of view this time. Unfortunately, this felt like a partial story because of how it ended… and there doesn’t seem to be a third book. Not good, since this was published in 2008.
Snared by J.L. Merrow. ebook. Good paranormal m/m romance about a man on a hiking holiday who gets scratched up freeing a wildcat from a trap, not knowing that things aren’t ever going to be the same again.
The Buff Storm Type by Vic Winter. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about a guy who writes adventure romances featuring the absolutely perfect man, Buff Storm. Then the writer meets the personification of Buff Storm…
Bachelor Auction by Vic Winter. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about a professor participating in a bachelor auction fundraiser who’s surprised both by the amount he brings in and by who bought him.
Jumping the Fence (OC Pride #1) by Stephanie Vaughan. ebook. reread. Good m/m romance about figuring out who you really are and what you need to be happy.
Crossing the Line (OC Pride #2) by Stephanie Vaughan. ebook. reread. Good m/m romance about a guy who owns a lucrative import car repair business. He hasn’t had much luck with love, but that doesn’t stop him from pursuing a handsome, skittish waiter.
Catch Me If I Fall by Riley Knox. ebook. Good m/m romance about a computer programmer who works from home and lusts after the obviously straight divorced dad/construction worker who lives next door.
Bound by Love by Cassidy Ryan. ebook short. Good kinky short m/m romance about an artist who has an informal arrangement with a businessman/Dom, but fears he’s broken the arrangement by falling in love.
Four Days with Jack by Kelli A. Wilkins. ebook. Ok short m/m romance about a guy who’s been in love with his best friend for years, but has been in denial about it. Unfortunately, the writing was choppy and the numerous unclear pronoun references drove me crazy.
When I Dream of You by Mychael Black & Shayne Carmichael. ebook short. So-so short m/m romance about a guy with an abusive father who’s rescued by a sweet-tempered bodybuilder. While this was a storyline with potential, awkward writing and an abrupt, inconclusive ending definitely detracted.
Exceptions to the Rule by Fae Sutherland & Marguerite Labbe. ebook. So-so m/m romance about two unlikely guys (a bartender and a business analyst) getting together. I had a hard time finishing this one – besides the insta-love, the language was of the overwrought, overblown sort that I expect to find in an old-school m/f romance with a swirly pastel cover.
Diamond: Double Cross by Winnie Jerome. Meh paranormal m/m romance about a guy who works for a magic enforcement agency and holds a grudge against the guy who took his virginity over 20 years ago, then vanished. The books was a continuous infodump – all telling and no showing. Of course, with the amount of plot crammed into a completely insufficient number of pages…

“I don’t think I approve of being used to demonstrate photo effects.” -Mayhem

The photo effects today and Tuesday were created at pixlr-o-matic.

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Congrats to Helena, who won Fanning the Flames (The Match Before Christmas #2) by Eden Winters! Fanning the Flames will be released by Torquere Press on May 7.

Congrats to Lynn, who won Sharing Paul (Portals #3) by Jade Archer! Sharing Paul will be released May 9 by Total-E-Bound.

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Reading Update
Shifting Sands by Jet Mykles, Ally Blue, Willa Okati, JL Langley, Kimberly Gardner, & Brenda Bryce. ebook collection. Very good paranormal m/m collection about the cowboys of the Shifting Sands Ranch, who have been cursed to shift into animals from the Chinese zodiac each full moon. The stories were smoothly integrated, with the exception of one author who got carried away with the puns. Thanks to to Tam’s review for reminding me I had this one!
Some Kind of Magic by R. Cooper. ebook. Very good paranormal m/m romantic suspense about a werewolf detective who’s known for two years that the half-fairy consultant is his mate, yet hasn’t done anything about it because everyone knows that fairies don’t do anything for the long haul.
The Red Thread of Forever Love by Nicole Kimberling. ebook. Very good paranormal m/m romance about a Canadian folklorist traveling in Japan who has somehow attracted a very amorous spirit…
A Rose is a Rose by Jet Mykles. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a beautiful young man, just dumped by his sugar daddy, who becomes friends with the very sweet straight owner of his apartment complex. I got a little sniffly while I was reading this one.
Alphabet Soup by CB Conwy. ebook. Very good kinky m/m romance about a carpenter who keeps going to a BDSM club and hooking up with different Doms as he tries to get what he needs. He hasn’t been at all successful… and then he meets CK, who doesn’t behave like any of the other Doms. This story starts immediately after A Russian Bear and the free short Malaria, Cholera and Bubonic Plague takes place during this story.
Hotwired Heart (Tales from Rainbow Alley #1) by Jaime Samms. ebook short. Good short kinky m/m romance about a guy, trying to escape from his life as a gang member, who ends up in the Rainbow Alley part of town.
Finders, Keepers (Tales from Rainbow Alley, #2) by Jaime Samms. ebook. Good kinky m/m romance about a guy who’s inexperienced about bdsm and trusts the wrong Dom, who basically abuses him. This book would’ve worked better for me if it hadn’t been told in first-person, alternating between three different people. Also, stalker alert! 🙂
Fix This, Sir (Tales from Rainbow Alley, #3) by Jaime Samms. ebook. Very good kinky m/m romance about a guy who’s not doing so well recovering from a crippling injury on top of numerous other issues. I am so glad that this book was alternating third-person instead of the alternating first-person of the previous book! Made a huge difference for me. I was a little worried that this book suffered from Omniscient Dom Syndrome, but it turned out ok in the end.
A Helping Hand (Tennessee Cops #2) by Shayla Kersten. ebook. reread. This story of a closeted cop with a crush on his straight best friend was one of the earliest m/m romances I ever read, and I like to reread it periodically.
Mr. Plum by Sue Brown. ebook short. Sweet short m/m romance about two guys who always see each other at the same coffee shop and then in the train station before their morning commute. I love this cover.
Cup Check (Blue Line Hockey, #3) by Stephani Hecht. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about a deeply closet hockey player who’s terrified that coming out will ruin his chance of ever making it to the NHL.
Anything For You by Ethan Day. ebook. Good m/m romance about a deeply closeted ad exec who gets involved with a coming-out advocate. This generates some tension… Maybe it’s because they’re mostly (all?) written in first person, but Ethan Day’s books are starting to all feel the same to me.
Going the Distance (Driven to Distraction #2) by Anah Crow & Dianne Fox. ebook. Good short m/m romance following up with the professor and the mechanic who got together in Driven to Distraction as they sort out what they are to each other.
Sonoran Heat by Katrina Strauss. ebook. Good m/m romance about a guy in his 40s, recently single for the first time in nearly 20 years, who starts to date a much younger artist and student.
Wishing Star by Jambrea Jo Jones. ebook short. Cute short holiday m/m romance about a guy, sitting outside his stalled car in the middle of nowhere on Christmas Eve, who wishes on a star for true love and wakes to find himself miles away. This felt a bit rough due to some missing words and pronoun confusion.
Broken Rules (Broken #1) by Jade Buchanan. ebook. Good m/m romance about a guy who hasn’t been to his home town for ten years (ever since his parents kicked him out of the house when they discovered he was gay), but returns for his mom’s funeral and runs into his former best friend. I was frustrated by the sheer number of names introduced during the first third of the book. I’m not sure if that frustration was the reason I never fully connected with the characters or the story. Maybe.
Second Chance by Derek Adams. ebook short. Ok short m/m romance about a jogger and a cop who meet after the jogger chases down a burglar, then slowly get to know each other better.
Full Release by Marshall Thornton. ebook. Ok m/m mystery about an accountant who slowly realizes he’s being framed for a murder and tries to figure out who’s the actual killer. Unfortunately, he spent most of the book doing the most stupid thing he could in any given situation – TSTL characters frustrate me. A lot.

“If you loved me, you would feed me right now and forget this whole ‘It’s not time for dinner’ thing.” -Chaos

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Ebook Giveaway: The Saddle Up ‘N Ride anthology [CONTEST CLOSED]

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Many thanks to Em Woods for donating an ebook copy of the forthcoming m/m western anthology, Saddle Up ‘N Ride, for a lucky commenter to win! Saddle Up ‘N Ride will be released by Total-E-Bound on January 17.

Jack’s Way by Em Woods
When a down-on-his-luck architect meets a closeted cowboy with a cranky horse, can they find common ground or will ghosts from the past destroy their future?

Ben Morillo, a prominent architect, has a good life. He works for one of the leading firms in New Hampshire, owns his flat and stays out of the lime light. That is until his ex-lover shows up at his work months after their violent break-up, making a scene that gets Ben fired.

Jack Marr, ranch owner and closeted cowboy, can’t believe his bad luck when he has to pick up the handsome friend of his veterinarian. Convinced Ben won’t stick around, Jack struggles to protect his heart before the attraction between them leaves him broken.

Ben and Jack must feel their way through an amused veterinarian, a cranky horse and too many misunderstandings, but in the end, will Ben be able prove that Jack’s way is the only way for him?

Ride ’em Hard Cowboy by J.P. Bowie
Sheriff Joel Harper is being sued, but when he meets young attorney Jason Sherwood, he wants him to handle much more than just the lawsuit!

When Sheriff Joel Harper, ex-wrangler, is falsely accused of assault and battery by a rich rancher’s son, he turns to Royce Chandler and Charles Fletcher for legal advice. What Joel doesn’t expect is to fall immediately in lust with young attorney Jason Sherwood, Royce’s new recruit to his recently opened law office.

Their budding romance is hampered by burglary, hate-filled graffiti, hostile neighbours and co-workers, and by Joel’s own sense of responsibility to his younger brother, Toby. Can their love survive all that’s thrown at them or will Jason decide the ride is just way to rough for him to endure?

Roping His Man by Simone Anderson
When a vacation yields an unexpected surprise, choices must be made and love hangs in the balance.

When Colton Greenleaf returns to his parents’ buffalo ranch after college, he doesn’t count on long-buried feelings resurfacing or the pull of the Wyoming mountains luring him home to stay. He tells himself its only for two weeks, that he can put up with anything for two weeks. But, when he comes face to face with the man of his dreams his first night home, he isn’t so sure. Now, he must figure out whether to take the chance on love or follow his life plan and face losing out on love all together.

Emmanuel Keegan, known only as Hawk, knows that he is ready to settle down. The only problem is that the man he wants is twelve years younger and the boss’ only son. Not only that, Colt doesn’t plan on sticking around any longer than he has to. Hawk knows following his heart’s desire could make him the happiest man on earth or it could shatter his heart for all time.

A Fistful of Emmett by Jambrea Jo Jones
Emmett Longley just lost his job and home. When he hears of a ranch needing a jack of all trades, he jumps at the chance. What Emmett didn’t expect was to find himself drooling over his new boss. And the man was giving off some weird vibes. Was Kit gay or not?

Christopher ‘Kit’ Younger only looks at men to see if they fit the bill to work his ranch. He doesn’t have time for relationships. He never has, and if he did, they would be with a woman. That was until Emmett Longley drove up to his ranch and applied for the job of foreman. Why was he getting hard over Emmett? There was nothing feminine about Emmett so why did Kit catch himself daydreaming about being in the big man’s arms?

Sing For Your Supper by Jaime Samms
Hunger can drive a man to do just about anything in order to satisfy it, but when it’s hunger of the heart, will past relationships keep three men wanting more?

Taylor has left home, chased out by his family because he’s gay, and pursued across the prairies by the man who violently assaulted him in his own home. Now he’s homeless, friendless and using his charm and skills learned on his knees before his father’s farm hands to pay for his meals.

Matt sees something more than a desperate whore in the young rancher who comes to his diner in hopes a quick blow job will buy him a meal. He sees past Taylor’s current circumstances to a man who just needs a clean break.

Matt sends Taylor off to his friend Jim’s ranch hoping the older man will see the same things in Taylor and give him the opportunity to start over. No one expects the visceral attraction between the rancher and his new hire.

When Taylor’s past catches up to him, and he realizes he’s put both men in jeopardy just for trying to help him, he thinks maybe he deserves to be branded the fool he is.

Straight Cowboy by Jan Irving
Joshua Ryan did a stint for much-needed cash as the straight cowboy in gay porn movies but he doesnt think of himself as gay, so why does he want to do the things to Matt James he once did in front of a camera?

Cowboy Joshua Ryan can’t stop his erotic thoughts about Matt James, the hearing-impaired guest he’s taking into the foothills in search of wild horses. Matt James has dreamed all his life of coming out west. Hes at first taciturn with Josh, afraid hes as close minded as some other hands they encounter on their excursion, but when Josh reaches for him unconsciously in his sleep, Matt has a tough time hiding his desire for a straight man.

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  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CST, Friday, January 14.
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  • This contest is open worldwide!

“I was serious about the nap…” -Mayhem

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Pick a peck of peppered linkity

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  • Do you read Good Show Sir? They look at scifi/fantasy book covers and try to recreate what the art director must’ve told the artist to end up with the cover in question… 🙂

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  • Hmm. I think some of these kittehs are more Purgatory Kittehs than Basement Kittehs.

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  • You probably need Daily Bunny in your life. (Thanks, Jase!)

Reading Update
Truth in the Dark by Amy Lane. ebook. Excellent m/m version of Beauty and the Beast about a bitter, disfigured woodcarver who agrees to leave with a strange part man, part beast so that he will no longer be a barrier to his sister’s happiness.
Truthful Change by Jane Davitt & Alexa Snow. ebook. Very good kinky m/m romance about a retired mercenary who becomes fascinated by his seemingly innocent gardener…
Jacob’s Ladder (St. Nacho’s, Book 3) by Z.A. Maxfield. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a pastry chef who ends up in St. Nacho’s because of a cold and domestic violence. He’s planning to leave town as soon as his brother can pick him up… but you know how plans like that go in St. Nacho’s!
Start from the Beginning by Chrissy Munder. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a guy who recently had a stress-induced heart attack and is now staying at a friend’s cabin to learn how to slow his life down. Without much to do, he becomes fascinated by the reclusive artist who lives in a nearby cabin.
Fair Winds by Chrissy Munder. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a guy who’s supposed to be part of a sailboat’s crew during a big race, until the other crewmembers find out he’s gay. I’d really like to see a sequel to this one!
Blast from the Past by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Good m/m romance about a teacher who was laid off and is now working at a daycare center, where he runs into the guy he had a huge crush on in high school.
A Detour Home by Devon Rhodes. ebook short. Good short m/m romance about two college-age friends who’ve known each other for years, but not done anything about their attraction until they work together on summer road crew job.
Undeniable Magnetism by Bonnie Dee. ebook. Good m/m romance about two men who are very different (black/white, closeted/out, white-collar/blue-collar) who may or may not be getting involved with each other.
Runaway Love by Z.A. Maxfield. free ebook short. Good short m/m romance about an artist who’s driving to San Francisco when he stops to pick up two young hitchhikers.
Beautiful Sunset by Sarah Masters. ebook short. Lyrical short paranormal m/m romance about a man who was brutally betrayed by his boyfriend; since then, he’s been going to sit by a small lake and feed bread to a heron and think.
Life After by Jaime Samms. ebook short. Ok short m/m romance about a guy who’s taking some time off from the law firm where he works as he reevaluates his life. He’s been spending a lot of time thinking in the cemetery, until one day the caretaker walks up and starts talking to him.
Unstoppable Force by Lisa Marie Davis. ebook. Good m/m romance about a successful businessman who doesn’t believe in love, so he simply hires high-class prostitutes for a weekend or a few weeks. And then he hires a guy who starts to really get under his skin… and whose past isn’t quite ready to let him go. This would’ve been a much better read if everything hadn’t been tidied it up in half a chapter and an epilogue – it definitely felt rushed.
Martin and the Wolf by Anne Brooke. ebook. Very good short paranormal m/m romance about a guy who has a scorching hot encounter with a crude and mysterious man at a friend’s garden party – an encounter that he doesn’t realize will change his life.
Sweet Surrender by Ashleigh Walton. ebook. So-so, but very sweet, m/m romance about an architecture student who starts dating a guy with his own landscaping business. A bit too syrupy for my taste.

“But if I show you my super soft tummy, you might think that means you can rub it. And it doesn’t. At all.” -Mayhem

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Lost in the linkity again

37 Comments

Congrats to Orannia, who won the copy of Freeze Frame (Faerily Imperfect, Book3) by Mia!

Many thanks to Kris, as I was one of the winners in the Kris’n’Good Books m/m rut challenge!

Contests

  • Author Laurie R. King wants to know what your fantasy library would be like. If you let her know by April 9 and she falls in love with your library, you’ll win two pieces of literary art, plus she’ll send a box of her books to the public library of your choosing.
  • Leave a comment for author Julia Rachel Barrett in which you pitch a romance novel in 500 words or less. (Please note that this contest does not commit you to actually writing said romance novel!) Ten winners will receive a signed copy of The Cougar Book steamy short story collection, two winners will receive ebooks of Beauty and the Feast, two winners will receive ebooks of My Everything, and one winner will receive a raincheck for Daughters of Persephone (Books 1-4). Contest runs through April 21.

Reading and Beyond

  • “Hey, Chris, how come you aren’t posting all about that exciting new iPad gizmo?!” Well, two main reasons. First, I’m not an Apple fangirl. Yup, they’ve come up with some cool new stuff, but anything that’s going to force me to use iTunes (which I hate with a hatey sort of hate) isn’t going to appeal to me. Second, I think this we’re at a point of big change for ereaders. Maybe the iPad will change everything. Maybe it won’t. But as Gizmodo notes, there are more contenders out there than just the iPad.
  • CursingMama found a wonderfully thoughtful and eloquent post on simply blogging for blogging’s sake.

Learn and Make Stuff

Things That Amused Me (or Made Me Go “Huh?”)

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Duty and Devotion by Tere Michaels. ebook. Very good m/m romance primarily about the guys from Faith and Fidelity and how their relationship and lives develop. Recommended, but you must read both Faith and Fidelity and Love and Loyalty first. That shouldn’t be a hardship. 🙂
Downtime by Tamara Allen. ebook. Excellent time travel m/m romantic suspense about an FBI agent from the present who ends up back in 1888 London. I don’t want to say anything more about it (besides my getting rather tearful at one point), except that, yes, it was rather historical. And I don’t read historicals. I guess I’m mellowing!
Freeze Frame (Faerily Imperfect, Book 3) by Mia Watts. ebook. Fun’n’steamy paranormal m/m romance about a half-faery PI whose unpredictable ability to freeze time might be more hindrance than help as he becomes involved with a guy he’s supposed to be following. Hijinks ensue. 🙂
Can’t Hurry Love by M. Jules Aedin. ebook. Another fun paranormal m/m romance, this time about a guy who, as his probation from the Easter Bunny Department, is assigned to help a guy in the Cupid Department who isn’t meeting his quotas or completing his paperwork.
Windows in Time by M. Jules Aedin. ebook. Very well done m/m romantic suspense/ghost story about a writer, convalescing in his apartment after breaking his leg, who sees a guy in the apartment across from his do a striptease… and then dissipate.
All the Things You Are by M. Jules Aedin. ebook. Sweet (but not too sweet!) m/m romance about a guy who’s just finished college and moved to San Francisco from Alabama. He’d been hoping to play pro football, but a knee injury ended that possibility; instead, he plans to explore life uncloseted, which he wouldn’t have been able to do as pro football player.
Simple Men by Eric Arvin. ebook. Decent m/m romance about a straight college football coach who finds himself inexplicably attracted to the new college chaplain. There’s another storyline about two of the football players who are best friends and roommates.
Drawing Closer by Jane Davitt. ebook. Good m/m romance about a professor who tries to resist a slightly younger painter because he doesn’t believe the painter could be attracted to a D/s lifestyle. (I find this cover very disturbing, because it looks like the guy lying down is missing the lower half of his body.)
Pineapples & Chocolate by E.M. Lynley. free ebook short. Nicely done m/m short story (and free!) about a guy out grocery shopping, hoping to score.
Last Chance by Viki Lyn. ebook. This m/m paranormal romance really drew me in and I’m glad I didn’t start reading it right before bed, because I might have stayed up too late. A sexy science major is desperately trying to find a cure for his encroaching vampirism, so he certainly doesn’t need the distraction of a straight football player as his time runs out… or does he?
Hearts Afire: January by Bonnie Dee & T. A. Chase. ebook collection. I enjoyed Bonnie Dee’s paranormal m/m romance about a guy who inadvertently starts fires when he gets stressed, excited, etc. Will the sexy firefighter he meets believe him, or think he’s an arsonist? T. A. Chase’s m/m romance about a firefighter, an architect scarred by fire, and an arsonist stalker was ok… but, oh, am I ever sick of stalker stories…
Hearts Afire: April by Emery Sanborne & Jamie Craig. ebook collection. I thought that both of the m/m romances in this collection were very good. In Emery Sanborne’s, two firefighters in the same station don’t fight their mutual attraction very much, but things are complicated by them being just about the worst communicators ever. (Possibly worse than me! Impressive, that.) In the Jamie Craig story, a guy who was blinded in a car wreck looks up the firefighter who talked him through the rescue…
The Messenger by Adrianna Dane. ebook. Ok m/m holiday romance with some slightly squicky voyeurism and another darn stalker! Ack! Please. No more stalkers! (Also, I’d figured out what the big reveal was going to be by the time I’d read half of the story…)
Timeless by Patric Michael. ebook reread. Good m/m romance about two guys, one straight, one gay, who become friends in high school and stay friends, helping each other through the ups and downs of their lives and loves.
Reckless by Rick R. Reed. ebook short. Good, albeit disconcerting, short m/m story about a guy accused of passing HIV on to a one-night stand.
Moving Day by Jaime Samms. ebook. Nicely done m/m romance about a guy afraid to take a chance on love, and his best friend, who has loved over and over and watched too many of those loves die.
Apron Strings by Jaime Samms. ebook short. Well done m/m romance short about two guys in a relationship that’s gone a little stale over time.
The Best Man by Jenna Jones. ebook short. Hmm. Another well done m/m romance short about two guys in a long-term relationship that’s gone a little stale over time.
Wild Lickins by Amber Skyze. ebook. Between the title and the author name, I should’ve been warned, eh? Meh m/m romance about a guy who goes to a gay resort in an attempt to get over his attraction to his business partner, with whom he owns the ice cream shop Wild Lickins. It wasn’t too bad at first, but after some rather twisted duplicity was revealed, I was over the story. And it got worse as the dialogue deteriorated.

*sigh* “Always with the ear cleaning, big kitty…” -Mayhem