Tag Archives: Kate Steele

Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

The land that linkity forgot

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Congrats to jayhjay, who won Broken Memories (In the Shadow of the Wolf #2) by RJ Scott & Diane Adams! Broken Memories will be released by Silver Publishing on November 26.

Congrats to Brandi R, who won More Than Enough (More #2) by Shawn Lane! More Than Enough will be released by Amber Allure on November 27.

Contests

Bookity

  • Alas, Anne McCaffrey died this week. My very first hardcover purchase was her book The White Dragon, which I still have. It cost… $8.95 and appears to be valued a bit above that now.

Ebookity

Think, Do, Learn, Make

Holidity

Cookity

Cool

Cool or Wha…?

Wha…?

LOL

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Cop Out by KC Burn. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a straight cop who, after his partner on the force is killed in the line of duty, discovers that his partner was gay and had been in a long-term relationship. As he helps his dead partner’s boyfriend, he finds himself reevaluating his own sexuality…
Private Dicks by Katie Allen. ebook. reread. Well, um, it’s the second time I’ve reread this book this year and the fourth time I’ve read it in the past two years. Do I need to say more? 🙂
Hide Out (Private Dicks #2) by Katie Allen. ebook. reread. Third time I’ve reread this one, second time I’ve reread it this year. 🙂
The Second Door by TC Blue. ebook. Good holiday m/m romance about a guy who has a crush on his best friend and downstairs neighbor. He doesn’t want to chance their friendship, so he has to watch as his friend makes bad dating choices over and over…
Make a Right by Willa Okati. ebook. I’m pretty sure I cried for 2/3 of this book. I’m pretty sure I’ll have a crying hangover in the morning, too. The struggling couple in this m/m romance just got to me, over and over… and I can’t even tell you that it was anything other than a decent, angsty read, because I can’t step back far enough from the emotional impact it had on me. Your mileage will definitely vary. 🙂
It’s Not Shakespeare by Amy Lane. ebook. Sweet m/m romance about a community college professor who becomes involved with a younger mechanic introduced to him by one of his students.
This Rough Magic (A Shot in the Dark #1) by Josh Lanyon. ebook. Good m/m mystery set in the 1930s about a young man who fears that his sister’s thuggish boyfriend has stolen a valuable Shakespeare folio, so he hires a private investigator to find the folio. Sadly, this read too much like every other Josh Lanyon mystery.
The Closer You Get (The Distance Between Us #2) by LA Witt. ebook. Good m/m romance about an unrepentantly slutty bartender who befriends a virginal college student and helps him get rid of that pesky virginity, then panics when he realizes he’s developed feelings for his friend. I struggled a bit with this one because I had been frustrated by the previous book, The Distance Between Us.
The Name of the Game (Game #1) by Willa Okati. ebook. reread. Good m/m romance about a gay DJ who has a crush on his straight cop roommate. In an attempt to get rid of his psycho girlfriend, the cop decides to pretend to be gay and the DJ’s boyfriend and things get a bit complicated…
Starch Contrast (A Choose Your Own M/M Romance Story) by Deanna Wadsworth. free ebook short. Cute short story about a shy m/m romance author who goes to a gay romance conference in Idaho. (Sorry, you’re just going to have to read it to find out why there’s a potato on the cover…)
Altered Heart by Kate Steele. ebook. reread. Pretty good paranormal m/m romance about a werewolf enforcer who kills a psychotic alpha werewolf and rescues the young man/werewolf being kept as a pet by said psychotic alpha werewolf. It felt like the author was setting things up for a second book, but it doesn’t appear to exist.
Imperfect by Cassidy Ryan. ebook. Ok m/m romance about two cops who are partners at work and bed partners off duty. But one is prickly and erratic and just might explode… This had a lot of potential; however, the book wasn’t long enough for that potential to be realized, so it ended up feeling abrupt and not exactly believable.

“Why are you calling me a green-eyed monster?!” -Chaos

Contests, Gluten Free, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

An Epic Episode of Linkity

32 Comments

Contests

  • Jackie of Literary Escapism is holding a baby pool – two lucky winners will receive $15 gift certificates to the online bookstore of their choice.
  • Ms Moonlight is giving away five print m/m romance books (Tri-Omega Mates by Stormy Glenn; Switch by Claire Thompson; Frost Fair by Erastes; Male of the Species by Kate Steele; Polar Reaction by Claire Thompson) to a follower of her blog. Contest closes noon EDT, May 7. You must live in the US or Canada to win.

Free Reads

  • Check out the Free Gay Ebooks page at the GLBT Bookshelf, which has free stories from Josh Lanyon, Mary Calmes, Victor J. Banis (the first Stanley and Tom Deadly mystery! I love that series.), Eden Winters, P.D. Singer, P.A. Brown, Claire Thompson, and more. (Thanks to Mary Calmes for the link!)
  • My Reading Update (below) has links to some of the books above, plus links to additional free m/m romance ebooks. Apparently it was freebie week!

Reading & Book Miscellania

  • Beware this nasty and elaborate scam in which victims are pressured to accept a “‘pre-trial settlement’ for copyright violations.”
  • Hmm. This bookcase seems like it’d be a bit hard on books – but what great exercise!

Ebook News & Views

  • Some articles on how public libraries are dealing with ebooks.

Covers

  • Thanks to SciFiGuy for the link to the amusing Good Show, Sir blog, which features the very worst of scifi and fantasy covers, complete with snarky commentary.

Reviewing

Learn, Make, Do, Think

  • Lay’s has restructured salt to help it dissolve faster and reduce the amount of salt needed for taste.
  • If you’re into genealogy, check out the new FamilySearch.

Huh

  • A sculpture made from cords and cables – love the quote from Gizmodo: “I do, though, wish I could stop myself from thinking how annoying it’d be to untangle all of those cords.”

Gluten-Free

LOL

The Cute

Reading Update
All or Nothing (Taking the Odds, Book 3) by James Buchanan. ebook. Very good m/m romantic suspense, being the continuing adventures of Nicky and Brandon. With a beloved series, I always worry that a new release won’t live up to the previous books, but I should’ve known better. So go. Go get the first book, Cheating Chance, and read it. I’ll wait. 🙂
Only for Him (Only, Book 2) by Shawn Lane. ebook. Sweet m/m romance about a slightly outrageous administrative assistant at a law firm who’s really attracted to a cutely nerdy guy (one of the firm’s partners).
Cow Pie Bingo by Addison Albright. ebook short. reread. A guy who’s recently realized that he’s gay but has no idea what to do next discovers a very cute guy in line at his kissing booth…
The Wish by Eden Winters. ebook. Very good m/m paranormal romance about two guys who have never met, but dislike each other based on reputation and circumstance. (Hmm. Possibly my most vague summary ever!) I don’t want to tell you too much about the story, because part of what I enjoyed about it was reading and putting the pieces together. How about I just say I highly recommend it? 🙂
The Boy Under the Bridge by Eden Winters. ebook short. This is about a character who makes a brief appearance in The Wish and isn’t treated particularly well or shown in the best light – it’s surprisingly satisfying to find out what happens to him. You should definitely read The Wish first!
The Telling by Eden Winters. free ebook. Good m/m romance about a soldier who returns from Iraq suffering from PTSD and crippling guilt.
The French Have a Word for It by Josh Lanyon. free ebook short. Very good short m/m romance about a young man painting in France who runs into the bodyguard who rescued him from kidnappers when he was a teen.
Pinky Swear by Lynn Lorenz. ebook. Good m/m romance about two guys who grew up next door to each other in New Orleans and were best friends until a misunderstanding drove them apart and they lost touch… and then Hurricane Katrina arrives.
Upwardly Mobile by Clare London. ebook short. Steamy m/m romance about a couple talking to each other on the phone, one from his parked car, the other from the train…
Home Sweet Home by Clare London. ebook short. Ok m/m romance about a couple who have been taking a break from each other, not sure that their differences are surmountable.
Swap Meet by Lolita Lopez. ebook. This m/m romance is terribly misnamed. It should be The Straight French Billionaire and the Gay Firefighter, especially since it reads like a smokin’ hot category romance, complete with the slightly awkward writing. The straight French billionaire is accompanying a female coworker to a partner swapping event – he’s just there because she needs to appear to be part of a couple to get in. A mysterious, magnetically handsome man gives the billionaire a card with just a name and a room number and the billionaire cannot resist going to the room… (Issue: If this is a couple’s event, who the heck did said magnetically handsome man arrive with? That’s never mentioned.)
Last One Standing (The Five of Swords) by Andy Slayde & Ali Wilde. ebook. Decent m/m romance about a prostitute who tries to blackmail a customer and instead ends up off the streets, working as a dishwasher. I liked this a lot more before the ending – it felt like the story simply stopped. If this kicks off one of those Torquere serials, I’ll be mightily annoyed. (Also, if they managed to tie the Tarot into this Arcana, I completely missed it.)
Angelfish by M. King. ebook. Very good m/m story about a guy, back in New Zealand after attending college in England, who isn’t settling comfortably into parental expectations as he’s haunted by the mocking image of a tattoo.
The Ice Shack by M. King. ebook short. Good m/m short about a couple getting away from their families over the holidays.
First Day of Forever by Mary Calmes. free ebook short. Sweet m/m romance about two guys who were best friends growing up. Did one wait too long to figure out what he wanted? (Needs a few more commas…)
If by Rowena Sudbury. free ebook short. Meh m/m story about two martial artists who train and live together, until one realizes the other has been lying to him. I didn’t really care about either of them by the end of the story, so… *sigh*
Waiting by P.D. Singer. free ebook short. Good m/m romance about a spring break that gets off to a really rocky start when Daniel’s boyfriend shows up at the airport with a girl clinging to him.
More Than Just a Good Book by Sloan Parker. free ebook short. Very good m/m short story about two guys who meet in the college library. *fans self*
Gregori’s Ghost by Sarah Black. free ebook. Very good m/m romance about a neurologist whose dying grandfather charges him with looking after the son of a man befriended by his grandfather during WWII. I’m definitely going to be reading more Sarah Black.
Some Place Only We Know by Christiane France. ebook. Ok m/m romance about a rather innocent bookstore owner who volunteers at a hospice, where he meets a writer who’s visiting his brother. Beware! Instalove alert!
The Five of Wands by Sara Bell. ebook. Decent m/m romance about a resident suspended after being accused of a careless medication error who finds help from an unexpected source.
Only Human by Glyn Soitino. ebook short. Good paranormal m/m romance about a man, created by a wizard with all the knowledge he needs to survive, who falls for a closeted cop. I didn’t realize until I was well into this story that it was the sequel to Out of the Blue. Oh well.
Hoosier Werewolf: Howl and Prowl by Kate Steele. ebook collection. Very good paranormal m/m romance collection of three stories about werewolves finding their mates. The cover’s the usual Changeling Press horror and the title’s kind of weird, but this was one well-done and scorching read.
BDSFerret by Celia Kyle. holiday ebook short. While this m/m paranormal romance about a ferret shifter going to a prairie dog shifter bar is billed as being a satire, it only managed that once or twice.
Passion’s Victory by K.C. Kendricks. ebook. So-so m/m romance about a guy who owns part of an architectural firm and can’t resist the newly contracted, older architect. Does Kendricks always write in first person point-of-view? Seems like it, from what I’ve read. Not my favorite, especially when the characters don’t seem particularly guy-like.
A Hard Habit To Break by K.C. Kendricks. ebook. Another so-so romance about two guys who’ve been in love with each other since high school, but allowed massive miscommunication and misunderstandings to come between them. Another story told in first person… Also, I think the blurb for this one is a bit misleading, so beware.

*happy sleepy stretchy clawy purry* -Chaos

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Chaos re-butts… :)

41 Comments

Congrats to Tracey D, who won the ebook copy of Keeping Promise Rock by Amy Lane! And thanks again to Amy for donating the book. 🙂

Contests

  • Both Renee and Lea are giving away copies of Carolyn Jewel’s new historical romance, Indiscreet. Renee’s contest closes at midnight PST, February 5, and  Lea’s contest closes early morning, February 6.

Book & Reading News & Views

  • I’m a big fan of the journals that Oberon Designs makes, but I only recently realized that they make gorgeous ebook reader covers. They’re specifically sized for Kindles, Sonys, and the Nook. I’ve sent them an email to see which cover they think might work for my Hanlin V3/Astak EZReader…

Learn

  • Is lack of computer access keeping you off your exercise equipment? Check out the DIY PVC laptop stand.

Things That Amused Me

Cats

Reading Update
Keeping Promise Rock by Amy Lane. ebook. The only reason I didn’t spend half of this m/m romance sobbing my eyes out is because I took frequent breaks when I started to get wound up. 🙂 Parts of it were gut-wrenching. And parts weren’t. As a whole, this was a powerful, excellent read that I highly recommend.
Quinn’s Hart by Cassandra Gold. ebook. Why, yes, this is the ebook I just won at Jessewave’s. 🙂 This was a really nicely done m/m romance about two wildly dissimilar guys who get to know each other on a singles’ trip to Disney World.
Why, Why, Zed? by Leigh Ellwood. ebook short. Ok, having never flown into Toronto, I totally didn’t get the pun of this title until I read the quote from Neal Pert at the beginning. (Toronto’s airport being YYZ.) This was a so-so m/m romance, although I will confess that the ending surprised the heck out of me.
Footprints and Just Like in the Movies by Clare London. ebook shorts. For some reason, these short m/m romances (the first about two guys who are part of a counter-terrorism team and the second about two hostage negotiators) never fully engaged me – maybe it was the somewhat reserved first person narrative?
A Stranger’s Touch by Anne Brook. ebook short. I have to confess that this m/m tale about a prostitute and a mysterious stranger who delves into his psyche mostly just confused me.
Healing Doctor Ryan by Carol Lynne. ebook. Ok m/m romance about a cancer patient who asks his doctor out after completing treatment.
Lift Me Up by Rayne Auster. ebook. Cute m/m romance about an IT geek who ends up with a broken ankle when his cute neighbor trips over him in the hallway. I got a little frustrated with the dense language now and then, mostly because my brain was in the mood for fluff. 🙂
Thaw in Winter and Darling Brat by Kate Steele. ebook and ebook short. Thaw in Winter was agood m/m romance about Mark, an architect who saves Joe’s life when he’s injured while camping. Joe and Mark are attracted to each other… but Joe can’t remember why exactly he’s wearing that mysterious wedding band on his ring finger. I liked this one a lot, until the point at which the first book stopped abruptly, leaving unresolved a plot point that had been played up quite a bit. I then discovered that there was a short second book, which resolves that plot point. Grrr. I would’ve been happier for it to all be in one book… and maybe it was at one point.
Out of My Mind by M. L. Rhodes. ebook (reread). Well-done m/m romance in which a recently divorced police officer struggles with his growing attraction to his (work) partner/best friend.
Promises by Marie Sexton. ebook. Very good m/m romance about two guys, one gay and one not, in a small Colorado town who become close friends – this was all about letting your fears constrain your life and how good it can feel when  you finally stop doing so. Recommended.
JackMagic by Jillian Snyder. ebook short. Nicely done short m/m romance about a guy who gets dragged to a sexy magic show (part of his sister’s bachelorette party) and bumps into the magician outside between acts.
Private Property by Chloe West & Audra Beagle. ebook. So-so m/m romance about an author with writer’s block who takes a hate to a guy who shows up on his doorstep, claiming the house is his. I found the three main characters annoying and wanted to slap them all. That never makes for a happy reading experience… for me, at least!

“That was really mean of Mayhem. This box doesn’t make my butt look big! This box rocks!” -Chaos

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Absalanche!*

31 Comments

Don’t worry – even though today is supposed to be a day without cats on the internetz, you’ll still get your daily dose of Chaos and/or Mayhem here. Because, really? I’d be a-feared for my life otherwise. (Others are stepping up their cat blogging in reaction, too.)

Congrats to the contest winners, who will receive a copy of Michelle Rowen’s Tall, Dark and Fangsome from Hatchette Books:  Cyn, Donna S, Books on the Knob,  Chelsea B, and Mishia! Stay tuned for another contest or two when I get back from vacation later this month. 🙂

Zonda and her team the Skeleton Crew (they work in x-ray!) are going to be in the Relay for Life in October if you’d like to donate to support the cause.

Lots of book news and many contests! Donna (Fantasy Dreamer), SciFiGuy, Literary Escapism, and Book Reviews by Jess have great summary posts.

Make your own ebook reader case and stand.

Wow, look at the improvement in the eink display between the older Sony PRS-500 and the new PRS-300!

Squee! If I had an iPhone, this case would definitely tempt me.

Just say no. Please.

Huh. Loud music might be bad for your ears, but good for your brain.

I had no idea there was a drink called a black cat.

Ain’t this the truth?!

Probably Mayhem couldn’t play poker, either.

If you have a cat and you’ve ever wondered why you can’t find yarn you know you had…

Sad that you missed out on the food oddities of the Minnesota State Fair? Live vicariously through Amy at A Closer Look at Flyover Land. (Yes, there are butter sculpture pictures.)

Before y’all freak out over the number of books in this reading update, remember that I didn’t post a reading update last week! Plus, these are the abs that have to sustain you during my vacation. 😉

Reading Update
Demon Inside by Stacia Kane. The second in this decent paranormal romance series about psychologist Megan Chase, who’s trying to adjust to leading her little group of demons while dating another demon.
The Darkest Whisper (Lords of the Underworld, Book 4) by Gena Showalter. This was Sabin’s (Lord of Doubt) story. It was a solid addition to the series… but when will Paris’s torment end?! When is his book???
Heiress for Hire by Erin McCarthy. Contemporary romance sequel to McCarthy’s A Date with the Other Side about a disinherited heiress stranded in a farming town.
The Bachelor (The Chandler Brothers, Book 1) by Carly Phillips. So-so contemporary romance about a world-traveling reporter who returns to his small town home and runs into the only woman who ever broke his heart. Probably the most telling thing about this? I don’t care if I read the next two books or not.
Fated (Doomsday Brethren 1.5) by Shayla Black. Free ebook novella. Ho hum. I liked the first Doomsday Brethren book (hunky wizards!), but this story didn’t pull me in. Possibly reading Amor en Retrogrado immediately prior negatively affected my perception…
Amor en Retrogrado by A.M. Riley. ebook. Excellent m/m romantic suspense about an author who loses much of his memory in an attack. This was a powerful read – I even cried a few times. Highly recommended.
What Matters Most by Lisa Marie Davis. ebook. So-so, somewhat sappy slightly paranormal m/m romance – the writing never really engaged me.
Lovers, Dreamers, and Me by Willa Okati. ebook. Meh m/m romance about an oblivious bookstore owner and a psychic. I wanted to slap characters around by halfway through, which I find is never a good sign.
The Best Vacation That Never Was by Lynn Lorenz. ebook. Decent m/m romance about a firefighter and the guy he rescues and takes home with him…
Holed Up by Hank Edwards. ebook. Well done m/m romantic suspense about an FBI agent protecting a man who overheard information about a terrorist attack.
Crossing Borders by Z.A. Maxfield. ebook. Good m/m romance about a cop and a skateboarder/college student, although waiting to find out what the big dramatic tension was going to be about killed me. (“Now? Is it now? Not yet? Sigh.”) However, this book did get bonus points for the Rurouni Kenshin references.
Drawn Together by Z.A. Maxfield. ebook. I think it’s safe to say that Z.A. Maxfield is a manga/anime fan, since this m/m romantic suspense was about a guy who travels across the country to a con to meet the manga artist he idolizes and believes is female. I really enjoyed this one and I even got sniffly a few times.
The Last Bite by Evangeline Anderson. ebook. Paranormal m/m romance about a demon hunting werewolf and his protege, who is bitten by a demon and lies dying.
Immortality is the Suck and What to Buy for the Vampire Who Has Everything by A.M. Riley. ebooks. Paranormal m/m sort of romance. The protagonist, former crooked cop and now vampire Adam, is such an antihero that I was surprised at how involved I got in the story. Recommended, although be warned that these are not light’n’fluffy easy reads.
High Country by Michael Barnett. ebook. Ok paranormal m/m paranormal romance about a scifi writer who rents a cabin on a Colorado high country ranch for a month so he can work on his latest book.
Claimed by Darkness by Mia Watts. ebook. There just wasn’t quite enough story mixed in with all the steam to support this paranormal m/m romance. And maybe it was my imagination, but the prose seemed to deteriorate as the story went on.
Altered Heart by Kate Steele. ebook. Pretty good paranormal m/m romance about a werewolf enforcer who kills a psychotic alpha werewolf and rescues the young man/werewolf being kept as a pet by said psychotic alpha werewolf.
To the Highest Bidder by Kate Steele. Sweet m/m romance about a bookstore owner whose friend buys him a lunch date with a Hollywood actor in a charity auction.
Faith and Fidelity by Tere Michaels. ebook. Powerful m/m romance about a widowed cop, his kids, and how things can get very complicated when you fall in love with your best friend. Recommended.

“A day without cats on the internetz? As if! Cats are the internetz.” -Chaos

*Thanks to Van for suggesting this title lo! those many moons ago.