Tag: gay romance

The difference between house and home

The difference between house and home

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Aaron is an eager young homeowner who wants to make his first home perfect in The Werewolf’s Heart. But he’s missing one vital ingredient. Here’s a quote from the novel to celebrate the book’s release on May 9.

This was my first real home ever. Or it would be one day, but there was one thing missing.

Taking stock of my finances when preparing to invest in a home and piling up my possessions put things into perspective and allowed me to evaluate my life. While largely on the right track, the romance department left a gaping hole in my otherwise promising future.

What would really make my new house feel like a home was the right man to share it with.

You can pre-order this M/M paranormal romance now! Check it out here.

When a werewolf’s heart belongs to a man in danger, how far will a supernatural detective go to save the one he loves?

Aaron Honeywell has almost everything he needs to turn his new house into a home, except for the right man to share it with. His sexy new neighbor Meritt seems like just the guy until he saves Aaron from a handsy stranger with glowing eyes, revealing that he’s more than man—he’s a werewolf.

Meritt Slate has worked some challenging cases before, but this is a whole other level of difficulty. The detective is stuck undercover in suburbia to lure out whoever is abducting werewolves. And his alluring neighbor is quite the distraction. Fighting his desires and doing his job has never been a problem before, but it’s possible he’s finally found someone worth settling down for.

But the dangers lurking outside their cozy street are getting closer to home. Kidnapping shifters is just the beginning of a sinister magical plot that may require Aaron’s help to succeed… whether he’s willing to provide it or not. Can the werewolf protect his heart or will evil forces shatter it forever?

Book Review: The Alpha and His King by Kiki Clark

Book Review: The Alpha and His King by Kiki Clark

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Quick Summary: An overworked alpha and abused half-wolf come together to lead a growing pack. But not everybody is happy with the pack’s success.

Overall Impression: Romance and action combine in this engaging first novel in a M/M paranormal romance series. A delicious story that creates an interesting world with many possibilities for the future. I also adore big stories with fun supporting casts where just about everybody is gay.

Rating: 5 out 5 fresh baked cookies  

Issues and the people who have them

Being the alpha of a thriving supernatural pack is a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it. That somebody is Ric. He’s tough but fair and takes his alpha responsibilities very seriously.

Keeping track of all the ins and outs of his growing pack is difficult, and things can slip through the cracks. Like the two wolfs who were stealing from the pack. On the list of people you don’t wanna piss off, alpha werewolf should be number one but I guess they thought they were weren’t gonna caught?

When Ric and his enforcers go to deliver justice, they see stealing was tip of iceberg. Because the two elder Kings are keeping malnourished abused wolves in the shed, the dad’s children from an affair.

Kai comes out of the shed swinging a rake to protect the younger ones. Not exactly a meet cute but memorable. The kiddos then become under Ric’s protection but they are naturally cautious, afraid, and suspicious.

Kai is the eldest. He’s protective, nurturing, and of course very desirable to Ric. But his fresh and traumatic time with his father make a relationship complicated.

The push and pull between them takes up most of the novel and is done just right. A slow but not too slow burn romance as Kai heals that leaves you wanting more and fully satisfied when finally delivering on the sexual tension. The romance hits you in the feels, the steamy scenes hit you in the… other parts. Very good stuff on both counts.

Pack Justice

One little detail is that Ric originally intended to punish the Kings by banishing them and branding them. The punishment increases when finding the mistreated children and he ends up taking a hand from them each. Which, yep, sounds extreme, though this is the more traditional punishment that was common in the old days.

The harsher old ways of the old days haven’t completely been eradicated in modern times. Many packs have harsh rules where only the strongest survive, which is part of Ric’s pack grows as people seek sanctuary in his more accepting territory.

The dynamic between barbaric werewolf culture and more tolerant modern ways is highlighted many times throughout the novel. I think it’s fascinating to see the two different styles and a ‘realistic’ element for a story about werewolves, torn between two mentalities of brute strength vs. acceptance.  

The writing is good at balancing romance and action with darker and deeper elements. I didn’t realize at first but there’s a lot of layers below the surface. And a little bit of magic and magical rituals, which also adds flavor.

Two Halves of One Whole

As Ric’s pack grows, it’s harder for one person to take care of everything. While it takes him a while to wise up, Ric is desperately in need of a complementary partner from the beginning. A lot of novels use this approach where it takes two to lead a pack, an alpha and mate, and both parties bring different strengths to the table. I thought it was particularly well done in this instance. Even right from the title, alpha and his king. Two superior forces that work even better together.

Quote

The Alpha and His King

When Kai flies out of a shed, swinging a rake, Rick’s life flips upside down.


As alpha, Rick’s dedication to his pack has never wavered—until Kai. The pull he feels toward the younger man is more than a simple distraction, but Rick won’t let himself lose focus. Not while a hidden enemy is drawing near.

Moving in with the grumpy alpha who saved him is a big change for Kai, and it isn’t long before he begins to ache for something he can’t have. As a half-human shifter responsible for his three younger siblings, he knows he can never be Rick’s mate.

Pushing aside their doubts and insecurities, they grow closer. But when the pack’s enemies strike, bringing their fears to fruition, Rick and Kai have to decide if they’re willing to risk it all to be together.

The Alpha and His King is the first book in the Kincaid Pack series and features a quick-tempered and possessive alpha; a sweet and feisty alpha-mate; shifters, seers, and witches galore; massive amounts of hurt/comfort; and a happily ever after.

Kincaid Pack Series

The Alpha and His King

The Second and His Bonded

The Deputy and his Enforcer

The Hunter and His Mates

Wolfy quote

Wolfy quote

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A laser-focused detective is hot on the trail of whoever snatched missing werewolves when he meets a sweet, optimistic young man who suddenly makes him question his all work and no play lifestyle in The Werewolf’s Heart. To celebrate the upcoming release of my new M/M paranormal romance on May 9, here’s a quote from the novel.

Wolves rarely cut and ran. It looked bad on them and their families to abandon the pack. Not to mention the emotional toll of leaving loved ones and their alpha without so much as a goodbye.

Wolves didn’t flee, not without a damn good reason. Or because they weren’t given a choice.

The Werewolf’s Novel

The Werewolf’s Novel

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I’m not sure why I always think I need the perfect opening line to talk about a new book, but whatever the perfect way to begin is, I haven’t found it. So let’s just dive right into discussing my M/M paranormal romance The Werewolf’s Heart.

In celebration of the book coming out on May 9, I’m going to post a quote and excerpt from the novel, but I’m not sure I’ve shared the cover and description yet, so that’s what is happening first.

Aaron Honeywell’s new house is a fixer upper, but his love life feels broken beyond repair. Fortunately, this fresh start is his chance to find the right man to help turn his house into a home. His sexy new neighbor Meritt seems like just such a guy until he saves Aaron from a handsy stranger, revealing that he’s more than man—he’s a werewolf.

Meritt Slate has worked some challenging cases before, but this is a whole other level of difficult. The detective is stuck undercover in suburbia to lure out whoever’s abducting werewolves. And his alluring neighbor is quite the distraction. Fighting his desires and doing his job has never been a problem before, but it’s possible he’s finally found someone worth settling down for.

But the dangers lurking outside their cozy street are getting closer to home. And when the supernatural world comes knocking on Aaron’s door, a werewolf protector may not be enough to save him. Can the werewolf protect his heart, or will evil forces break it first?

In this scene, Meritt the supernatural detective talks about the challenges with his latest case.

This assignment was full of challenges. Like me going undercover as a suburban homeowner. My interests included grisly murders, supernatural victims or suspects, and bringing killers to justice.

Now? I needed to blend in. Live a normal life. Whatever the hell that meant. Ugh, days, maybe weeks or more, full of… Being friendly. Polite chitchat at mailboxes. Socializing. Maybe going on a few dates. What regular people did. Even when they were werewolves , according to my annoying younger siblings.

Honestly? Pretending to be a regular werewolf living on the down-low among humans? Kinda sounded like torture.

Then I met him.

Aaron Honeywell—seriously with that last name?—was tempting. Too tempting…

Our fair spaz

Our fair spaz

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Best friendships are often tested as people age. This is doubly true when one person is a confused, possibly bisexual athlete and the other is a self-involved diva who hates serious discussions. Even worse, they both liked the same guy.

In this scene, Luke tries to clear the air with his best friend while Zach tries to avoid the conversation as always. This is from One Little Lie, where a clueless athlete learns the world is more than just gay or straight in this coming of age love story about secret relationships, friendship, and bisexuality.

~

Luke

 I rarely understood the way his brain worked. There was only one thing I needed to be sure about.

“You and Ryan seem friendly again,” I commented casually.

“Yep.” He kept his eyes on the road. Okay, he should keep doing that as he was driving.

“Cool. Great.” They should definitely get along. As long as it was only friendship. “You’re over Ryan, right?”

“No, Luke,” he replied dryly. “Let us commence a fight to the death to win the hand of our fair spaz.”

“Okay, you were joking for most of that, but you said no, so it’s no, right?”

“If I really wanted him, you wouldn’t stand a chance—”

“Not sure that’s true since—” I already had Ryan. He picked me.

“Which must mean I don’t want him.”

“Awesome.”

-Grab this book as part of the One Crazy Love Story Box set, which features the first four books in the One More Thing Series.

Fantasy Time: What does your dream home and dream neighbor look like?

Fantasy Time: What does your dream home and dream neighbor look like?

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Let’s play a game. Let your imagination run wild when thinking about this question.

What’s your dream home and who’s your dream neighbor?

In this scenario you’re free to live anywhere and have any kind of home your heart desires. And when you move into your ideal neighborhood, who would you be super happy to see living across the street?

(I wanna make some joke about the eye candy adding curb appeal but I don’t have it.)

Are you picturing a log cabin in the mountains with a sexy lumberjack? Or a palatial estate with an infinity pool, acres upon acres of land, and a classically handsome hottie with a square jaw grinning at you from his sports car?

Admittedly my head started somewhere around the latter but then I realized I’m a whimsical romantic sort. Cute, cozy, and a little quirky is much more my speed. So I started searching for fairytale-esque cottages.

The house is in Carmel-by-the-Sea California. Awesome name, and you don’t even have to ask if it’s near the sea because it’s right there in the title. The town apparently attracts artists and oddballs that want the area to retain its eccentric charm, so I’m guessing there’s no Chipotle nearby but otherwise looks like a nice place to live.

And since this is a fantasy I don’t have to ask myself who would water those plants and why I thought I could handle the responsibility of keeping them alive.

My ideal neighbor was a bit of a challenge because I wanted someone super good looking who also might be able to walk into a small cottage without bumping his head.

I went with Freddie Stroma from Bridgerton, though I recently watched him on Unreal where sometimes he looks nice and conventionally attractive and other times he grows a beard or gets this steely look in eye and goes from cute to dirty hot in a very appealing way.

The inspiration for today’s hypothetical question came to me based on my newest novel.

The book is a paranormal romance, so I suppose the scenario actually goes like this: What if your new home came with everything you desired, including a sexy new neighbor? What if your new neighbor was also a werewolf?

The Werewolf’s Heart is my new book that launches on May 9th. There’s a lot more to share with you soon, including the cover and special release day bonuses.

(No idea if this needs to be said, but in case you’re wondering, the book is of course M/M.)

Book Review: Witchfire by Austin Oakley

Book Review: Witchfire by Austin Oakley

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General Summary: Werewolves and a wayward hunter help one witch unlock his birthright. But starting fires and hunting the creatures who go bump in the night brings danger for him and everybody in his life.

Overall Impression: An intriguing first book with a keen sense of location. There’s an engaging love story and lots of potential for expansion.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Rainbow Roy unicorn plush toys

Is that a rusty sword in your pocket or are you happy to see me: Landon thinks he’s a regular guy in a small town, working to keep his family farm alive until a stranger asks Landon to sharpen his blade with witchcraft. Which is not a pickup line, though if it were, it would be a memorable one. Too bad it comes with the side effect of making the recipient wonder if you’re crazy.

Rousseau isn’t crazy. He’s a hunter tracking a werewolf, and this brings them together as they start an adventure bigger than one wolf. One of them is a plucky protagonist who makes wise cracks and flirts, the other is a tough guy hunter with a tragic past. While there are many serious and suspenseful moments, the romance is pretty much always adorable.

Your sex is on fire: there are all kinds of metaphors about steamy romance, being hot as fire, sizzling chemistry, etc. But in this book, the sex is literally on fire. Which is fun and makes for a memorable love scene.  

(I’m not a huge fan of this song, but I feel compelled to put it here anyway)

Titles are hard: If I were rating my ability to remember the title of this book, I would say 0 out of 5. There was fire on the cover and the dude wields said fire, so my brain decided the title was Firestarter and would not be dissuaded from this. I eventually realized that wasn’t the title and so somehow I started referring to it as Firebrand instead. It’s actually pretty simple. The main character is a witch. He makes fire. Witchfire. There ya go.

There were a fair number of typos and formatting issues, which bothers some people, so I should mention that. It has been a minute since I read the book, so it’s also possible this has already been corrected.

From from the novel

Witchfire

A small town boy. A dark stranger. And secrets that no one was supposed to uncover.

When cattle begin to turn up dead on the family farm, twenty four year-old Landon Winfield assumes it’s the usual culprits. But along with the string of mysterious deaths that threaten him and his mother’s struggling farm, the arrival of a handsome newcomer with strange tattoos brings Landon face to face — or more like face to frothy mouthed muzzle —with the real predator that stalks the forests of Rock Creek.

A werewolf.

Yeah, those exist. And apparently, so do people that hunt them. Crazy, right?

The shocking revelations continue as the attractive hunter Rousseau reveals that Landon is a witch and has the power to summon fire at his fingertips. But his hands aren’t the only thing that heats up as he and the hunter work closely together to rid the small town of its werewolf problem and Landon finds himself falling for the knife-wielding stranger from Texas.

As they get closer, so does the angry beast that’s stalking them and Landon must embrace his newfound power if he hopes to save the farm, his family, and the hunter that holds his heart.

Vampire Origin Stories

Vampire Origin Stories

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Have you ever wondered why vampires are called vampires? It had never crossed my mind to ask where the name came from until I came across the origin when looking up what a group of vampires were called. (the answer is lots of things, but I like clan best.)

‘Vampire’ comes from the Greek word, are you ready for this, one who drinks blood. Yeah. Kinda anticlimactic. And literal. At least if you’re an ancient Greek.

Well, actually, this is what I thought vampire meant, until I saw the origin only meant ‘drink’ and apparently my brain just added the blood part after.

So now I know. Even if it only comes from a word meaning drink, it’s still not a very creative name for a very creative concept. Since, you know, vampires are fictional and only exist in imaginary form. Right? Yes.

 Yet I feel like I should keep the mystery alive and be all ~ooooglly, spooky, you never know~ because that’s more exciting, but I am a big wimp. True story, the only reason I’m agnostic about ghosts and aliens is because I am not ready for either to introduce themselves to me.

Since I learned this info when writing my M/M paranormal romance Vampires vs. Werewolves? I feel like I should mention it here. That feels like an authorly thing to do.

Vitality

Vitality

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Hello, I wish to talk about my Kindle Vella novel, Invisi-bi-lity, but I’m not sure what to say. I had one image quote and post to make without having a plan for the content. This is always a dangerous situation, so let’s start with the easy stuff.

Description: John Hyde often feels overlooked. Even his best friend Cody doesn’t truly see him or that his feelings have changed from friendly to romantic. So he’s wondered before if anyone would notice if he disappeared, but he never thought he’d find out until he literally turns invisible. Is this the world’s worst superpower, a hex from a vengeful witch, or has bisexual erasure taken on new meaning? Whatever’s going on, if John can’t make himself seen soon he’ll vanish forever.

Hooray, I have now thought of either a terrible or perfect segue for the scene I’m sharing: in my novel, Cody and John go together like five ‘i’s in ‘invisibility.’ It’s vital! Yes, I admit this metaphor isn’t very catchy. (If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, check out this post about my titling woes for Invisi-bi-lity.)

In this scene, Cody tells John about his vitalness to Cody’s life. John is freaking out because he’s invisible for some reason?

~

I’d give anything to throw open the door and reassure Cody, but what will he find waiting on the other side? I’m afraid to look in the mirror again. There’s no way I’m invisible and yet… Whatever’s happening, I’m starting to believe the impossible. It’s terrifying.

 “What’s going on?” Cody asks quietly.

“Do you ever feel like you don’t exist? Do you worry nobody would notice if you were gone?”

“I’d notice,” he answers fiercely and immediately. “I would notice and I’m so glad you’re here. Don’t ever think of going anywhere.”

“I won’t,” I prom—say, because unfortunately, that might not be a promise I can keep right now.

“Besides,” Cody says. “How can I be myself without you in my life?”

Rising up with shaky legs, my head peeks over the bathroom counter—oh thank god. There I am.

After opening the door, I’m not sure who moves into who, but we wrap our arms around each other and don’t move for a long time. Things seem normal again. Normal enough. Feeling his burgundy wool sweater between my fingers makes me hold on tighter. In Cody’s arms, everything will be okay.

-Read more here!

M/M Paranormal Romance Novel Review: The Alpha’s Warlock by Eliot Grayson

M/M Paranormal Romance Novel Review: The Alpha’s Warlock by Eliot Grayson

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Quick summary: An amateur warlock must make an impossible choice: mate or die. The former doesn’t sound so bad when tying himself to a gorgeous tough alpha… who hates his guts. Is die still on the table? Possibly, if their enemies get their way.

Overall Impression: This enemies-to-lovers paranormal romance is right up my alley, so I LOVED IT SO MUCH and highly recommend. Lots of ‘I hate you but you’re hot’ and snarking at each other even during life-threatening situations, their need to bicker is so strong.

Rating: five out five magical socks (or ten if they’re in pairs)

The enemy of my enemy

Nate has lots of potential, but his father siphoned away and controlled his magic when he was alive. The young warlock is a relatively late bloomer, still learning to use gifts. The story starts when a fun night out got him kidnapped and nearly bonded to a member of the Kimball pack. He seeks help from their neighboring rivals, the Armitages.

Except their help requires more than borrowing a cup of sugar or hiding out in their territory. The mating bond process has already been started on his end and he needs to complete it or he’ll die.

Nate already knows his potential new mate, which is part of the problem. He is incredibly sure Ian despises him and has always despised him. Ian used to glare daggers at him when they were kids, and he’s drawn to yet also on guard against the tight-lipped wolf. And if you don’t know where this is going, you will probably be able to tell when you read it. So I don’t wanna spoil, and even if it is a bit predictable, let’s just say that when they clear things up I wasn’t surprised, but I still found it very satisfying and well-done.

At least buy me dinner first

This is an enemies to lovers story on steroids as the enemies are forced not only to have sex but bind their souls together. Undoing it is technically possible but not exactly easy or pleasant. The ‘fuck or die’ trope naturally comes with implied consent issues, though I would say both people don’t want Nate to die and are as on board as they can be given the circumstances.

In fact, the sex part is simple. Or should I say totally scorching hot and delicious because it is very damn good smut, a+ steamy scenes. The other parts give them more issues, as they’re suddenly living with a stranger who maybe hates you and they’re forced to get along and work together while sinister forces conspire against them.

There’s a fair bit of angst with their feelings, which I adored, but even if you don’t enjoy angst the main character Nate is full of humor and snark. Such a witty protagonist, he builds the drama one moment then has me cracking up. This was the first novel I read where sprinting through the woods and evading pursuers turns into a piggyback ride, which is honestly a travesty since this scene is delightful as hell. And Nate is lucky he barely has to search for shoes because he can craft the perfect footwear with his powers. It pays to be a witch with magical powers. How do I make this happen?

From the Novel

The Alpha’s Warlock

Cursed, mated, and in for the fight of their lives…

Warlock Nate Hawthorne just wants a cup of coffee. Is that too much to ask? Apparently. Because instead of precious caffeine, all he gets is cursed by a pack of werewolves who want to use him for his magic. Now the only way to fix the damage is a mate bond to a grumpy and oh-so-sexy alpha in the rival pack, who happens to hate him. This is so not how he wanted to start his day.

Ian Armitage never intended to take Nate as his mate. The Hawthorne family can’t be trusted. Ian knows that better than anyone. The fact that he’s lusted after the way-too-gorgeous man for years? Totally irrelevant. Ian’s just doing what is necessary to protect his pack. This whole mating arrangement has nothing to do with love and never will. That’s his story and he’s sticking to it.

Nate and Ian will have to work together if they have any hope of staving off the pack’s enemies and averting disaster. That’s assuming they can stop arguing (and keep their hands off each other) long enough to save the day…

The Alpha’s Warlock is an explicit M/M paranormal romance featuring a snarky warlock, a brooding alpha werewolf, knotting, enchanted socks (long story), and a guaranteed happily ever after. This series does not contain mpreg.

The Mismatched Mates Series

The Alpha’s Warlock

Captive Mate

A Very Armitage Christmas

First Blood

The Alpha Experiment

Lost and Bound