Tag Archives: Mia Watts

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Lost lands of linkity

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Contests

Bookity

  • Stuck on what to read next? YourNextRead might help you decide.

Learn, Make, Do, Think

Huh

LOL

Teh Cute

Reading Update
Sleepwalker by Jordan Castillo Price. ebook. Very good m/m romantic suspense about a night watchmen at a decrepit natural history museum who has a weakness for the skatepunk taxidermist brought in for some last minute exhibit cleanup. (Jordan reports that the followup book will be called Insomniac.)
Reasonable Doubt (The Boys in Blue, Book 2) by Mia Watts. ebook. I would’ve thought this m/m romance was very good, even if I hadn’t been mentioned in the dedication. 🙂 I loved the first book (Bad Boys, Bad Boys) and I was thrilled to read more about Geo and Mack!
Life After Joe by Harper Fox. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a medical intern who’s been living in a haze of booze and one-night stands in the six months since his boyfriend of years left him for a woman. I got sniffly while reading this one.
Marrick’s Promise (Thrown to the Lions, Book 2) by Kim Dare. ebook. Very good kinky paranormal m/m/m romance about a young man who’s determined to live life to the fullest and try everything once (but not necessarily twice). Will he change his mind after getting thrown to the (were)lions?
Miles and the Magic Flute by Heidi Cullinan. ebook. Excellent dark fantasy m/m romance about a man who’s lost his job and his dream life and been forced to return to his small home town in Minnesota. When he finds a mysterious silver flute in the pawn shop where he now works, he becomes caught in a series of fantastical events he could not have predicted… or have believed.
Word on a Wing by Jamie Craig. ebook. Very good kinky m/m romance about a directionless young man who gets pulled over by the infamously tough sheriff and offered a dangerous deal that will keep him out of jail…
Number Theory by Noah Bogdonoff. ebook short. Ok very short, somewhat literary feeling m/m about a boy who sees the world in binary/black and white.

From the Dreamspinner Midsummer’s Nightmare Daily Dose…
I Fell in Love with a Zombie by Sean Kennedy. ebook. Very good post-apocalyptic m/m with which I had two problems: the ending is abrupt (is there going to be a sequel?!) and I kept hearing this song in my head the entire time I was reading.
Raiders by Evan Gilbert. ebook short. Enjoyably wicked m/m paranormal short about two homophobic hustlers. I’m not saying anything more about this one, because the surprising twist was a big part of the fun!
Enter the Succubus by Kate Roman. ebook short. So so m/m paranormal romance short about a gay college student who’s accosted by a creepy woman who won’t take no for an answer.
66 Hours in the Devil’s House by Jamie Freeman. ebook. Pretty good paranormal menage about a celebrity trio and their best gal pal who stay in an allegedly haunted bed-and-breakfast for a weekend to determine whether the hauntings are real.

“You put your right paw in, you put your right paw out, you put your right paw in and you shake it all about…” -Chaos

Contests, Reading

Ebook Giveaway: Reasonable Doubt by Mia Watts [CONTEST CLOSED]

45 Comments

Congrats to Renee, who won the copy of The Onion Girl by Charles de Lint, and to Lily, who won the copy of Double Shot Cappuccino by Stephani Hecht (which was released on Sunday)!

Many thanks to Mia Watts for donating a copy of her forthcoming m/m romantic suspense, Reasonable Doubt (The Boys in Blue, Book 2), for a lucky reader to win! Reasonable Doubt will be released June 21 from Total-E-Bound.

Geo and Mack have faced a lot of problems, but when the problem is within their relationship, will Mack come clean and claim his man, or lose him to an old flame?

Geo Wilson’s feelings for his partner Mack Sullivan run deep. But formerly straight Mack grows distant when Geo’s old flame, a former female detective gone FBI, comes to town to take over the lead on their case. Geo makes no effort to discourage the woman, and Mack wonders if he missed the break up memo.

Geo’s apparent rejection hurts and Mack begins to have reasonable doubts about where they stand.

For Mack, taking the next step is a huge risk and one Geo has never taken before. Geo’s friendliness with the former girlfriend could be a sign of changing affection. It wouldn’t be the first time Geo has left a broken heart in his wake and Mack’s beginning to wonder if he’s just become another notch in Geo’s belt. All that’s left now is the case and as it comes to a close, will Mack and Geo catch the killer only to lose each other?

(This book is best read in sequence after Bad Boys, Bad Boys.)

About Mia

Mia makes her home in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she divides her time between a job and spying on people. Mia enjoys long walks in Como Park (except for the damn geese), daisies, dancing in the snow…(Delete prior sentence, meant for personal ad)…

Mr. Perfect may apply in person for a thorough evaluation and trial. All others will be towed.

You can visit Mia at her website and at her blog.

Contest Rules

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

“Clean foot, clean foot, I’m going to have a clean clean foot.” -Chaos

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

Contests, Reading

Ebook Giveaway: Dangerous Distractions by Mia Watts [CONTEST CLOSED]

46 Comments

Many thanks to Mia Watts for donating a copy of her freshly released m/m romance, Dangerous Distractions, for me to give away to a lucky reader!

An afterhour’s dare has Detective David Rook kissing the sexiest pair of lips he’s seen in a long time. He doesn’t expect it will shake his closeted lifestyle to the core. Now that ATF Agent Nate Giamanti is working with him on a case, Rook can’t avoid his forbidden desires.

Nate challenges Rook with every encounter, but when Rook backs off, Nate doesn’t want the drama that goes with hiding his sexuality, even if it means he could have a lot more of the detective in his bed. When their suspect trains his sights on Nate, will Rook finally get queened or lose the game to a killer?

You can read an excerpt here.

About Mia:

You know all about Mia already! 😉

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment stating that you are entering the contest. Contest closes 7 pm CDT, Tuesday, April 6.
  • 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 luck and counterintuitive espionage 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!

“Perhaps it has escaped your attention that you are not feeding us yet, Mom, and our dinnertime is only an hour away!” -Mayhem

“I feel so pale and weak… I think I’m going to fall off the ottoman at any moment…” -Chaos

Excerpts, Reading

Excerpt: Dangerous Distractions by Mia Watts

Dangerous Distraction
By Mia Watts
Excerpt

Rook knew what he had to do. The man had brought it on himself, the asshole. There were rules among alpha dogs. You pissed on the property, not the other dog. He needed to be taken down a peg, sent through the doors with his charismatic tail tucked between his legs and yelping. Strip his alpha. Make him a bitch. Besides, Rook had the undeniable urge to taste those sarcastically twisting lips.

He caught the man behind the neck with lightning speed, cradled his nape with laced fingers, and drew him in. The man looked surprised. He should be. It kind of surprised Rook with how easy it was to suck face with the enemy.

Rook’s lips made contact, claiming the other man’s mouth with firm pressure. The man’s bottom lip felt fuller than the top, soft, unexpectedly so. He grabbed Rook’s forearms and pulled, but Rook held fast, stroking his tongue in and deep when the man grimaced. Rook held him as his tongue explored. Fingers bit the insides of Rook’s wrists. He ignored the pain.

Free fucking beer for a month. He’s gonna give in soon. Any minute.

Hoots sounded around them. There was a cheer, some chanting. Rook heard Fucktardpissant above the bunch shouting something lame. The digging fingers hurt a little less, the grimace relaxed, and in another second the tables turned.

Aggressive dominance was stolen from Rook as the man responded, tangling his tongue with his instead of pulling away. Rook’s stomach spiraled downwards, made the floor unsteady again. It changed everything, softened, ripened, stretched until the only thing holding his wayward stomach up, was Rook’s stiff cock playing kick-stand to his shivering insides.

His pulse raced, his head swam, and Rook almost lost touch with reality as he barely strangled off the groan rising in his chest. He pulled away first, stumbling backwards. He stared at the other man, dragged the back of his hand across his mouth.

Gedry yelled, “The ninth ain’t got their own beer and pretzels?” Peripheral sound came rushing back, reminding Rook what he’d been doing and why he had thought kissing the man had been a good idea. Why had that been, again?

“What the fuck was that?” one of the ninth asked, his voice high pitched and nervous.

Rook shored himself up with arrogance he didn’t feel. He turned to the other four with a wide, knowing grin. “Who’s next?”

“The fucking seventh wants to have your baby cops, Nate,” another said, sneering. Nate’s friends laughed tightly.

He didn’t look at Nate, certain he’d notice how shaken the kiss had left Rook. Nonetheless, he listened for Nate’s response as he opened his arms in a “bring it on” gesture.

The bar continued to chant. The bar tender yelled to take it outside.

“Let’s go,” Nate said. His voice was barely loud enough to carry.

The bar cheered. Rook turned a slow circle like the champion in a fight, a cocky grin on his face as he bounced his wide-spread arms to the time of their chants. “Rook! Rook! Rook! Rook!”

The ninth began to file out and Rook kept his back to them, a deliberate show of disrespect and lack of concern.

A sharp, stinging slap zinged his ass. A warm body pressed up close to Rook’s back preventing him from turning. Nate, the fallen dog, whispered close to Rook’s ear from behind.

“It took one kiss to get you hard enough to pound nails. Another one, and your ass is mine for the taking. Next time we meet, I’m going to Queen your Rook, bitch.”

Contests, Reading

Ebook Giveaway: Freeze Frame (Faerily Imperfect, Book 3) by Mia Watts [CONTEST CLOSED]

50 Comments

Many thanks to Twin Cities author Mia Watts for donating a copy of her freshly released paranormal m/m romance, Freeze Frame (Faerily Imperfect, Book 3) for me to give away to a lucky reader! Read the rules carefully, because saying you want in on the contest isn’t going to be quite enough this time. It’s ok. It won’t be too difficult. I promise. Trust me. 🙂

Dill Harper can freeze time. It’s a faery gift which only works at the most inopportune times. Now he’s on a case for Harper Security, watching the very delectable ass of Mason Haliday, a man worth having, who doesn’t want to be had. When an unknown enemy puts a hit on Mason, the client and Dill are worried about the outcome. But how can Mason trust his heart to the man who’s been spying on him, despite the way Dill makes him feel under and over the covers?

You can read an excerpt here. (Don’t blame me if you’re unable to eat cheese after reading the excerpt! That’s all Mia…)

About Mia:

Mia makes her home in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she divides her time between a job and spying on people. Mia enjoys long walks in Como Park (except for the damn geese), daisies, dancing in the snow…(Delete prior sentence, meant for personal ad)…

Mr. Perfect may apply in person for a thorough evaluation and trial. All others will be towed.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, because Mia’s having a rough few weeks, please comment about something that makes you happy. Leave your comments by 7 pm CDT, Wednesday, March 31.
  • 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 luck and counterintuitive espionage 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!

“Someday the window will be open again. I believe!” -Mayhem

Contests, Knitting, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Supercalifragilinkalicious

29 Comments

Contests

  • Jessica of Racy Romance Reads is having contests to get rid of her paper books. For your chance to win two of the pictured books, let her know what was the most recent addition to your keepers shelf. Contest closes 2/13.

Books & Reading & Stuff To Think About

Make, Learn, and Do Stuff

Be Amused

Get Your Cute On

Reading  Update
Posted To Death (Simon Kirby-Jones Mystery, Book 1) by Dean James. 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.)
The Dickens With Love by Josh Lanyon. ebook. Very well-done holiday-themed m/m romance about a disgraced book hunter reduced to working for shady and unpleasant clients, one of whom has charged him to secretively and preemptively purchase a newly discovered Dickens’ Christmas story before it goes to auction.
Carol of the Bellskis by Astrid Amara. ebook. Another very well-done holiday-themed m/m romance (Hanukkah this time) about a paralegal who breaks up with his boyfriend (also his boss) because his closeted boss is backing out of their vacation plans. The paralegal heads off on vacation to his aunt and uncle’s kosher B&B alone… and finds himself taking care of all the guests, with his aunt and uncle nowhere to be found.
Falling by Cassandra Gold. ebook short. I really enjoyed this m/m short about a guy who gets accidentally knocked down the stairs at his apartment building and is taken to the hospital by his sexy firefighter neighbor.
Force of Law by Jez Morrow. ebook. Good m/m romance about a mechanic who believes he’s being used by his ex’s billionaire cousin for revenge. For the first third of this, I wasn’t sure I was going to keep reading, because the power dynamics were making me really uncomfortable. Things turned around after that, fortunately.
Melting the Slopes by Ethan Day, William Maltese, and Jason Edding. ebook collection. No surprise that there was at least some skiing in each of these tales of m/m romance, based on the title, huh? Ethan Day’s humorous romance “Snow Ho” was my favorite of the three stories, followed by the romantic suspense of William Maltese’s “Bottom’s Up”.
Let It Snow! by Michael Barnette. ebook. Kinda meh m/m romance – it actually was mostly ok for a while (bit of awkward language, etc, but not too bad), but then the story basically stopped, jumped to the epilogue, and everything was tied up in a nice tidy bow. *blink blink*
The Sound of Cicadas by Tory Temple. ebook short. Decent m/m romance short about two guys who see each other for the first time in ten years at their high school reunion – will they be able to get past their hurt pride and misunderstandings?
The Chocolatier by Elizabeth Jewell. ebook. Sweet (sorry, couldn’t resist…) m/m romance about a guy who makes chocolates that are rumored to make people fall in love. So how comes he’s still single?
To Find and To Keep (Book 1) by Serena Yates. ebook. Well, I won’t be reading the second book… The writing in this m/m romance was awkward and stilted, and the two guys? Read more like chick lit heroines.
The Mask He Wears by Fae Sutherland & Marguerite Labbe. ebook. Ok m/m romance about a lawyer, who has a marriage of convenience, confessing his feelings for his male secretary and really making a mess of it.
Hearts Afire November by Pepper Espinoza & India Harper. ebook collection. Two ok m/m romances about firefighters. The first was about a firefighter who starts to hang out with a street musician whose firefighter father died in a fire. The second is about a firefighter/investigator who becomes involved with the insurance investigator assigned to a series of fires… the insurance investigator who’s a former arsonist. The ending of this one didn’t work so well for me – I thought someone was way too quick to forgive something pretty major.
Silver and Gold by Devon Rhodes. ebook short. Enjoyable holiday m/m romance about a guy in his 40s whose first love wants to get together with him, at the same time he meets a younger man he really clicks with.
Sutcliffe Cover by Ariel Tachna & Madeleine Urban. ebook. Ignore the cover, as there are no mustaches or cowboy hats in this enjoyable m/m romance about a guy who owns a stable and riding school and becomes friends with an accountant who starts taking lessons at the school. If you’re looking for an angst break, this might be it for you. (Is it just me, or does that face look photoshopped in?!)
The Elf and Shoemaker by M. L. Rhodes. ebook. Nicely done m/m fantasy romance about the owner of a new age shop who’s about to lose his business when help comes from a most unexpected source. (If you have a mysterious old mirror wrapped up and tucked away somewhere, I’d really recommend you get it out and hang it up!)
FU by Mia Watts. ebook. This one was for Kris’ m/m rut challenge. I generally don’t read multiple partner books because it just doesn’t make sense to me how it could ever work. In this steamy tale, Parker is mistakenly assigned to a male dorm at Fullerton University (FU f’s up) and things get… complicated while Housing tries to sort it out. Ultimately, things do get simple in the end (whew!), but along the way, part of the story does qualify this for Kris’ challenge. So, I confirmed for myself that, while it was a fun read (Mia always puts together a fun’n’steamy read), I’m still a prude when it comes to multiple partner books, especially in regards to the power dynamics. O_o (I received this book from the author because she’s nice like that.)
Matchmen, Ltd. by T. C. Blue. ebook. Good m/m romance about the employees of gay matchmaking agency, Matchmen, Ltd. The book is split into three parts, each of which follows a specific employee. Hmm. I guess, since one section in this book turned out to be multiple partner, it fulfills the m/m rut challenge, too, because I kept reading and didn’t skip it, as I am wont to do in such situations. (Damn, Kris says no. Hmph.)
Ryland’s Sacrifice by Kim Dare. ebook. Good paranormal m/m romance about a PhD student who desperately needs money for tuition and food, so allows himself to be “thrown” to a pride of werelions, with unexpected results. Although this might sound like a multiple partner book, it isn’t. (I received this book from the author because she’s nice like that, too.)
A mysterious book that I can’t talk about yet, but which was a darn good read. 🙂

“What? Why are you laughing at me?” -Chaos

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Playlistening, Reading, Reviewettes

Linkity from the land of ice and snow

36 Comments

Contests: Reading

  • Have you heard about the League of Reluctant Adults’ Reading Challenge and Contest? Why not?!

Contests: Knitting

  • JessaLu will give away some of her handspun yarn to one lucky person who completes a short form to help her husband’s car club get some additional funding. The form must be completed by January 31.

Reading News & Bits

Knitting

Fun & Games

  • Many thanks to Marta Acosta, who put together an Amazon playlist of my Vampire Mix in her sidebar! Please note that the playlist is of Amazon’s song samples, which are about 30 seconds each.

Black Kitties Running Amok

Reading Update
Faith and Fidelity by Tere Michaels. ebook. Good grief. You’d think, since I was rereading this excellent m/m romance, that I wouldn’t cry. You would be so, so wrong.
Love and Loyalty by Tere Michaels. ebook. Another reread. Tere Michaels can write a darn good m/m romance, even if this one didn’t have as much impact on me as Faith and Fidelity (i.e., I didn’t cry).
Catnip Crazy (Cat House, Book 2) by Julia Talbot. ebook short. Not Talbot’s best, but sort of a cute (if a bit silly) m/m paranormal.
Jumping into Things (Thatcher Brothers, Book 1) by Julia Talbot. ebook. This book actually contains two pretty good m/m romances. The first is about pilot Jed Thatcher who falls for a prickly fire jumper. The second is about Army Airborne instructor Ross Thatcher, who hasn’t ever been attracted to another guy before.
Open Sesame (A Not Quite Wicked Tale) by Mia Watts. ebook short. Fun and very steamy m/m romance based on Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves, updated with insider trading and many fewer thieves.
A Wolf in Men’s Clothing (A Not Quite Wicked Tale) by Dakota Rebel. ebook short. Very enjoyable m/m paranormal romance based on Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf, with Red now being a guy in a red hoodie and the Wolf now being a werewolf.
One of Those Days by Zathyn Priest. free ebook short. Nicely done short m/m romance about a chiropractor who discovers the jock who bullied him in high school is his next patient.
Entanglements by Fae Sutherland and Marguerite Labbe. ebook. Decent m/m romance about whether it’s worth risking everything to maybe have it all.
With This Ring (Tabloid Star, Book 1.5) by T. A. Chase. ebook short. Ok m/m romance about the guys from Tabloid Star tying the knot. I fear it exceeded my syrupy sugary quotient…
Leftovers by Treva Harte. ebook. Good m/m romance about two guys who only see each other once a year, at Thanksgiving. After eight years, that isn’t enough for either of them anymore.
Loving the Rain by Drew Zachary. ebook short. Decent m/m romance (set in Ottawa) about an environmentalist and an artist who uses recycled materials who meet while they’re waiting out a cloudburst in a coffee shop.
The Painted House by Drew Zachary. ebook. Nice, non-angsty m/m romance about a location scout who meets an artist while looking for a location in Nova Scotia.
Once Upon a Veterinarian by Drew Zachary. ebook. A cop and a veterinarian meet when the cop starts investigating a string of pet poisonings in this m/m romance.
Summer Fever by Catt Ford. ebook. Pretty good m/m romance about a guy staying at a lake cabin and the cop he asked for directions on the way there.
Feeding Dragons by Misa Izanaki. ebook short. Ok m/m paranormal romance about a dragon shapeshifter who takes a liking to a young Japanese cook. (For those of you who really enjoy descriptions of food in your reading, this might be of particular interest.)
In the Heat of the Moment by Kim Dare. ebook. Steamy and kinky m/m tale in which a dominant works to convince a submissive that there’s nothing shameful in being submissive.
All’s Fair in Love and Advertising by Lenore Black. ebook. I really enjoyed this m/m romance about a hyper advertising exec who knows better than to get involved with a prospective client… usually.
Broomsticks and Stones by Jane Davitt. ebook short. Cute paranormal m/m romance short about two wizards.
Change of Heart by Kiernan Kelly. So-so paranormal m/m romance about a vet (who’s a werewolf) who hasn’t been doing a very good job getting over his evil ex.
Feeling Safe by Sonja Spencer. ebook. A cop rescues a guy from an in-progress burglary, then takes the guy home. My biggest complaint was the sometimes dizzying point-of-view changes – every paragraph for a while… including the cat.

“I think that more books should include the cat’s point of view. That’s what everyone’s interested in anyway.” -Chaos

Contests, Reading

Ebook Giveaway: Not Quite Wicked, with stories by Mia Watts, Dakota Rebel, Bronwyn Green, and Brynn Paulin [CONTEST CLOSED]

80 Comments

Many thanks to authors Mia Watts, Dakota Rebel, Bronwyn Green, and Brynn Paulin, who have donated ebook copies of their scorching hot January 19 Resplendence Publishing releases (constituting the Not Quite Wicked collection) for one lucky commenter! The Not Quite Wicked books retell old fairy tales and nursery rhymes, suggesting that the bad guys maybe weren’t so bad after all… just misunderstood and oversexed. 😉

Heart of Ice by Brynn Paulin (being a retelling of the Snow Queen)

Kai is perfectly unhappy with his life. Cast into a role as shop boy and forced into marriage to save his family, he sees nothing good in his future. In fact, his betrothed, Gerda, seems to hate everything he enjoys. Especially winter and his attraction to dominating his partners. His prospects look grim…until the Snow Queen arrives.

Wyn has spent her life alone, living vicariously through those who love winter. When she learns of Kai’s predicament, she knows she must save him. If only she could save herself. She craves his dominance, but there’s one tiny thing standing in their way. No human can touch her without experiencing chilly agony. And that might bring any relationship to an icy death.

About Brynn: When it comes to books and movies, Brynn has one rule: there must be a happy ending. After that one requirement, anything goes. And it just might in her books.

She lives in Michigan with her husband and two children, who love her despite her occasional threats to smite them. They humor her and let her think she’s a goddess…as long as she provides homemade chocolate chip cookies on a regular basis. Brynn has conducted workshops at several writers’ conferences around the country and enjoys mentoring and meeting new people.

According to Brynn, her writing success can be attributed to an eclectic collection of music, her local road construction crews, a trusty notebook, and of course, her husband, Mr. Inspiration, who puts up with a lot in the name of research.

Open Sesame by Mia Watts (being a contemporary m/m retelling of Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves)

Alister Baban overheard a business discussion which netted him and his Uncle Cassimer a lot of money. When the Simsim Group stock crashes and declares bankruptcy within weeks, the owners immediately suspect the Babans of playing dirty.

Oz Adamo, one of four brothers who owned Simsim Group, agrees to abduct Alister to obtain information and win back the lost pensions of former employees.

Tied to a bed and lusting after his captor, Alister fights the sexual attraction he has for Oz. They want information and he isn’t about to give it. But Oz loves a good challenge and shrewd, serious, sexy Alister is naked and his – at least for now.

Um… Ain’t nothin’ suggestive about that apple, eh?!

About Mia: Mia makes her home in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where she divides her time between a job and spying on people. Mia enjoys long walks in Como Park (except for the damn geese), daisies, dancing in the snow…(Delete prior sentence, meant for personal ad)…

Mr. Perfect may apply in person for a thorough evaluation and trial. All others will be towed.

Wolf in Mens Clothing by Dakota Rebel (being a contemporary m/m retelling of Little Red Riding Hood)

Little Red Riding Hood has nothing on Rhys. On his way to his grandmother’s house Rhys’ car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. Fortunately for him there is a big, bad rescuer watching and waiting to sweep him off his feet.

About Dakota: Dakota lives in Detroit, Michigan. She loves the city at night and the shopping during the day. She loves David Bowie and vampire movies, The Beatles and Dolly Parton. She is partial to pixie sticks and cannot stand nuts…in her food. She will always believe that pizza is the perfect food. She is as much in love with her partner as she is with herself. And she will be the first to tell you how incredibly witty she is. She doesn’t believe in lipstick but won’t leave the house without eyeliner. She is fiercely political and can often be found ranting around her house and the internet on any given topic. She still won’t admit whether or not she really believes that vampires exist. And if you let her, she can convince you she doesn’t know how to ride a bicycle.

Just Right by Bronwyn Green (being a contemporily naughty version of Goldilocks and the Three Bares Bears)

When Department of Natural Resources officer, Gwendolyn Locke, hits a black bear on the way home from work one night, her entire view of reality changes. She discovers that shape shifters exist and she’s just become Goldilocks to three, gorgeous, very aroused men who also happen to be werebears. Being snowbound has never been so hot.

About Bronwyn: Bronwyn lives in Michigan with her wonderful husband, two amazing sons and six somewhat-psychotic cats. When not tormenting her characters, she can usually be found helping with reading and writing projects in her sons’ classrooms as well as providing child care and tutoring for several daycare children. Besides writing, she also enjoys reading, knitting, sewing, cross stitching, pottery, drawing – basically anything that helps her avoid cleaning and cooking.

Contest Rules

  • To enter, leave a comment below stating that you are entering the contest. Leave your comments by 7 pm CST, Tuesday, January 19.
  • 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 luck and sacrificing a herd of dust bison will salvage your entry…
  • Winner 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.
  • This contest is open worldwide!

Good luck!

“I’m sulking, Mom. You never give away books about black kitties. Why is that?” -Mayhem

Um, any authors out there with a book about black kitties that they’d like to donate for a contest?!

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

‘Twas the night before the night before Christmas and all through the blog, not a creature was stirring, not even a… cat

27 Comments

Congrats to Keziah, who won the copy of Faery Surprising! Many thanks to Mia Watts for donating the ebook. Apparently, Mia had such fun running amok in the comments that she will be back! 😉

Remember that book cover with the guy in mistletoe underwear? Smart Bitches, Trashy Books is having a caption that cover contest for it! Winner receives a $50 gift certificate to the bookstore of their choice. Contest closes midnight EST, December 24.

Anna’s running a holiday contest and giving away ten different books. Leave a comment before December 25 for your chance to win.

Jill Myles is giving away signed copies of her forthcoming paranormal, Gentlemen Prefer Succubi. Comment by noon on December 29.

Marta Acosta’s giving away two Keri Arthur gift packs. Each includes Australian chocolates, Tim Tams, and a signed copy of one of the Riley Jensen novels. Contest runs through December 30.

Literary Escapism is now two years old and Jackie’s celebrating with a contest. First prize is Maria Snyder’s Glass series (signed) and second prize is T. A. Pratt’s Marla Mason series. Contest runs until December 31.

Donna (Fantasy Dreamer) is giving away three books of up to $20 each, winners’ choice. Contest closes midnight CST, December 31.

The weekend urban fantasy report from SciFiGuy has links to all sorts of fun and contesty goodness.

Not enough book links in this post for you? Anastasia has more!

Ever wonder what would happen if you lost all your gmail, blogger, flickr, or other online data? Backupify can back up that data, and if you sign up before January 31, you get unlimited storage free for life.

TeddyPig addresses some of the issues that he found with the recent LA Weekly article about the writers of gay romance, and some well-known m/m writers left great comments on his post.

Desert Island Keepers (DIK) will hold the DIK Reading Challenge next year – head over to the island for the details, but the grand prize will be a $50 gift certificate to the online bookstore of your choice.

Love Romance Passion has an interesting post about the emotional payoff of angst in books.

Gizmodo posted about the history of Christmas lights.

Need to make some last-minute Christmas gifts? Don’t make anything out of this book.

Make sure you check out CJ’s gift guides before shopping for the vampire or werewolf on your Christmas list. It could save your life… literally.

If you’re looking for some more serious (and inexpensive) last minute gift ideas, check out Lynn Viehl’s list over at Paperback Writer or the list of Lifehacker DIY gifts.

Best New Moon review evah, because it has kittehs! Thanks, Nicole. 🙂

SciFiGuy discovered that The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and the Undead will be coming out next August…

Book pr0n as you’ve never seen it before… guaranteed. Not as NSFW as you might think. 😉

Den of the Ogress speculates what the covers and titles might look like if Harlequin were to start an m/m romance line.

Remember the news item about some book publishers planning to delay ebook releases in the hope of reviving their hardcover and trade pb sales? Smart Bitches, Trashy Books has some Suessian commentary on that.

During her literary scavenger hunt, Amy took some pictures of Wild Rumpus, the wonderful Twin Cities bookstore for kids. What’s not to love about the purple door with a kid-sized door inset in it?

TeleRead has an intriguing post by an apartment dweller who’s switched from paper to ebooks for very practical reasons.

Here’s another good TeleRead post about tracking down fan fiction (free) for your ebook reader.

iPhone people – there’s now a Simon’s Cat application. Sadly, it isn’t free, but I’m sure it’s cute.

Do you agree with the ten netbook positions of exquisite pain? How do you sit or lounge to comfortably use your netbook or laptop?

Beware the Christmas Ninja!

Could be Chaos, if the nose was a bit longer.

Oh my.

No. No wigs for Mayhem or Chaos.

Reading Update
Untamed Heart by Ally Blue. ebook. Good m/m romantic suspense about an assassin who’s in Alaska to get his head together. After an attack, he’s rescued by a mysterious stranger… but will their individual mysteries be too much to surmount?
Easy by Ally Blue. ebook. Decent m/m romance about a closeted construction worker who rescues a rent boy and helps him turn his life around. I was left with one unanswered question at the end of the book, which I really felt needed to be answered.
Forbidden Desire by Carolina Valdez. ebook. M/m romance about a cop who was tortured while undercover and falls for the doctor who treats him. Eh. It was ok.
Wranglers: The Defense Rests (Book 3) by Vivien Dean. ebook. Ok m/m romance that’s the ongoing story of two lawyers. I found the ending a bit abrupt – I thought there’d be more information about the case that was introduced. I had the impression that this was the last of the Wranglers books – if so, that ending’s particularly unsatisfying.
Dead Man’s Curve by Vivien Dean. ebook. Another ok m/m romance that I might have liked better if it had a different title. It’s part of a collection of Amber Allure books named for song titles, so it’s intentionally using the title of the Jan & Dean song. Unfortunately, that titles evokes (for me, at least) the made-for-TV movie about Jan Berry’s car wreck, which kept interfering with my perception of the story.
Strangers in the Night by Christiane France. ebook. You guessed it – this m/m romance is part of another song-title named collection from Amber Allure. Because this title isn’t as evocative for me, I was able to enjoy the story more.
The Gallery on Main Street by Christiane France. ebook. Ok m/m romance about two guys who each inherit part of an antiques gallery, but can’t stand each other.
Ice Cream on the Side by Wren Boudreau. ebook. Very nicely done m/m romantic suspense about an architect who meets an artist and thinks this might be more than a casual thing… if they can avoid psycho exes and murder and stalkers, oh my! Make sure you stop back on Wednesday, December 30, when I’ll kick off a contest to give away an ebook copy of this book, donated by Wren!
TLC 101 by Janey Chapel. ebook. Decent m/m romance about a college football coach who breaks his ankle and reluctantly admits he needs assistance. This was definitely an HFN (Happy For Now), not an HEA (Happily Ever After) sort of story. The ending seemed a bit abrupt to me.
Heat, Flashover, Tinder, and Embers (Oceanside Fire, Books 1-3.5) by Tory Temple. ebooks. Very enjoyable m/m romance series about some of the firefighters of the Oceanside, California, Fire Department. I definitely got sniffly during the first two books.
The Best Gift by Shawn Lane. ebook. Ok, I got the giggles that one of the characters was named Jordan Castillo (Jordan Castillo Price, anyone?), but according to Shawn Lane, commenting over at Erotic Horizon’s blog, it wasn’t intentional. Sweet m/m romance about being in love with your best friend, but the timing just isn’t ever right to admit your feelings. Leave a comment over at Jessewave today (December 23) for your chance to win a copy of this ebook.
Calendar Boys January: Miami’s Perfect Weekend by Jamie Craig. ebook. I just can’t take this cover seriously… This was one of the Amber Allure Daily Deals (as in 75% off and a good way to take a chance on a book you aren’t sure about).
Half of the Other by Joanne Kells. ebook. This holiday-themed m/m romance was ok, but I never really got into the first person narrative.
If I Must by Amy Lane. Another holiday-themed m/m romance – I enjoyed this one, although I was a bit nervous of the editing at the beginning when the cat’s vet appointment was on Tuesday, then on Monday a page later…

“You people aren’t still lurking around out there, are you?! Sheesh. How’s a panther princess supposed to get any sleep?!” -Mayhem