Tag Archives: Michael Barnette

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

Linkity laceration!

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

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

Contests

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

Bookity

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

Ebookity

Learn, Make, Think, Do

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

Gluten-Free

Linkity Peeps

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

Cool

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

Huh

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

LOL

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

Teh Cute

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

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

Contests, Linkity linkity link, Reading, Reviewettes

TGILinkity

40 Comments

This has been one of those weeks that’s sorta beaten me up and left me for dead. 🙂 I’m sure I’ll catch up on blog reading… someday!

Contests

Bookity

  • New release info: Lily (m/m romance) and Literary Escapism (UF/PNR, plus news, interviews, and contests).
  • Although it might seem that ebook prices have climbed due to the agency model, this article at TeleRead suggests that ebook prices are actually going down.

Make, Do, Think, Learn

  • Beware – using water instead of windshield wiper fluid might turn that reservoir into a great place for pneumonia to incubate. (Besides having your washer fluid reservoir freeze and crack should you live someplace like Minnesota…)

Huh

LOL

  • Lily has an assortment of amusing links – but beware that many are NSFW. Also, several might scar you for life – and that includes links in the comments.

Weekly Cute Burn

Reading Update
The Cop and the Drifter by Christiane France. ebook. Ok m/m romance about a cop… and a drifter. 😀 What, you want more? Ok, it’s about a cop, on administrative leave and unsure whether he still has a job, who’s camping and meets a young homeless man. (I won this over at Wave’s place.)
Hajiri’s Pet (Midnight Rain, Book 1) by Auburnimp & Michael Barnette. ebook. Ok cyberpunk m/m romance about a mercenary whose life is saved by a genetically engineered “battlepet” who then imprints on him. Definitely a HFN ending… and there aren’t any other books in this series yet.
Safe House by M. King. ebook. Good kinky m/m romance about a guy who has always resisted acknowledging what he needs in the bedroom… and now it’s driving a wedge between he and his boyfriend.
Precious Jade by Fyn Alexander. ebook. Very good kinky historical m/m romance about Jade, raised in the theater, who gets a job as a secretary to an MP and has the chance to explore his submissive side.
Double Shot Cappuccino by Stephani Hecht. ebook. Very good m/m romance about a guy who’s having a hard time getting over his brother’s death the previous year. Will his brother’s best friend’s brief visit help? Or just lead to more heartache?
Mad Blood, In Passion and in Blood, Saved by Love’s Blood, Bound by Blood, and Reborn in Blood (The Drone Vampire Chronicles, Books 2, 4, 5, 7, & 8 ) by Stephani Hecht. ebooks. Enjoyable m/m paranormal romances about the Drone Vampires, who are made, not born, and are treated like second-class citizens by pure-born vampires. Toss in wizards and werefolk, too, just to keep things really interesting. (I skipped any books that weren’t strictly m/m.) (And how glad am I that Stephani’s such a good sport about her book covers being a veritable Who’s Who of the Misadventures?!)
Here and Now by Lisa Marie Davis. ebook. Ok m/m romance about an HIV-positive guy who’s turned his life around after living on the streets. He’s prepared to live his life on his own… and then he meets a guy who pushes him (gently) and challenges his beliefs about himself. I had a huge niggle with this book – when he was diagnosed as HIV-positive and went on a drug regimen… he was in a situation in which he would not have had health insurance. At that point, this book went straight to fairytale land for me.

From the Dreamspinner Midsummer’s Nightmare Daily Dose…
Dead End Job by Clancy Nacht. ebook short. So-so short paranormal m/m romance about a guy who manages an office full of zombies and then one day, there’s someone living hiding amongst them. Not a fan of zombie books…
Staking His Life by Kiernan Kelly. ebook short. Ok short paranormal m/m romance about a vampire whose life isn’t ever going to be the same again after he goes to a bar with his werewolf roommate. I didn’t like this one as much as I usually like Kiernan Kelly’s books – it was too heavy on puns and self-indulgent cleverness.
Vampire Movie Night by S. Blaise. ebook short. So-so short paranormal m/m romance about two guys watching a cheesy vampire movie and making out on the couch.
There’s Something About Spot by Felicitas Ivey. ebook short. Ok short paranormal m/m romance about a town of misfits and how two residents celebrate Midsummer.

“Foot cleaning? What are you talking about? We don’t even have feet.” -Chaos

*best innocent and adorable look* -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