The Only Option, from Megan Derr

Hi, there! Welcome to another gay book review and I got to say that this one is on fire! Haha! Annelise, dear, this joke is so old when referring to dragons, please pull yourself together. Yeah, sorry guys Anyway, I was talking about The Only Option (haha), from Megan Derr! I received my review copy from Bewitching Book Tours in exchange for an honest review, so thank you a lot! Let’s go 😀

A desperate dragon. A lonely necromancer. A marriage neither wants.

When he is summoned to the royal castle, Rochus anticipates nothing more than a particularly difficult assignment. The bothersome journey is almost made worthwhile when he is propositioned by a young, beautiful dragon, Tilo, who seems untroubled by the fact that Rochus is a necromancer.

When Rochus arrives at the castle he is ordered to marry the very same dragon he spent the night with. Though Rochus would rather sign papers and return home, he is helpless against Tilo’s pleas for help, even if it means spending more time around a man he is desperately drawn to but who doesn’t seem to want him.

Just remembering that those were my impressions and opinion as a reader 🙂

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH! Actually, it’s a novella and honestly? The size was just right! Don’t get me wrong, I would gladly have read more about Rochus and Tilo’s romance, but I think Megan was a queen executing a great plot without that feeling that something was left off or that it has too many pages. Perfection, seriously. I loved every aspect of The Only Option: the narrative, the characters, the necromancy ( ❤ ), the shifting deal, the battle scenes, sex scenes, the cozy mystery… PERFECT. Five stars!

The narrative style was third person from Rochus point of view and I found that awesome, as he is funny, awkward, powerful and dangerous all the same time! I really liked him being a necromancer and how Derr didn’t try to beautify this on him: Rochus had black teeth, for goodness sake! That is so not sexy, haha! You know what would probably help him?

Annelise, dear, he would end up eating the poor dentist’s hand, stop joking around and review the book.

Back to business, I also adored Derr’s writing style: it was simple, with a fine humor behind it, cliché-free, entertaining and really fluid. I flew by this book and almost cried when I saw it ended, haha! Any chances we will have more adventures from Rochus and Tilo??

The plot was simple but with layers of complexity. At first, we have an unknown problem that summons Rochus and a fateful meeting with Tilo. Then, a mystery is added to the mix of guilty, anger and lust that the couple experiences by being forced to stay together. And as Rochus fights to help Tilo, a new layer of complexity is laid for us in the book until the reader has as many – or more – doubts as poor Rochus, haha! I really liked this simple start with a complexity added in bits 🙂 OH, AND NO INSTALOVE!!!! /o/

The characters were very developed and complex, especially Rochus, our narrator. He is a bit self-conscious despite being an experienced necromancer, as being physically different often causes social trouble – come on, it happens to the best of us and we don’t even have a full set of sharp and pointy black teeth, haha! I admit I felt the other characters aside Rochus and Tilo a bit superficial, but I think it isn’t a surprise in a novella. There is so much one can do with 30k words and Derr slayed nevertheless.

No surprises that both men ended up on that list, right? 😉

I really need to spotlight the necromancy details and explanations that Derr gives to her reader, as they were fascinating and totally didactic without falling on the boring side. It was awesome to see Rochus’ mind working and putting together his power and spells *–* I really want to dig more into this theme, Derr opened a reading appetite I didn’t even knew I had, haha!

And then there is this cover.

I arrest my case, haha!

Overall, if you enjoy fantasy, shifters, quick reads, macabre themes like necromancy, magic and steamy sex scenes, you really need to read The Only Option!

Thanks for reading my review! Bellow you can find more info on where to find this book, about the author, an excerpt and the giveaway prepared for this tour 🙂

You can find The Only Option in ebook format only 🙂

ARe | Amazon

Megan Derr is a long time writer of LGBTQ romance and keeps herself busy reading, writing, and publishing it. She is often accused of fluff and nonsense. When she’s not involved in writing, she likes to cook, harass her cats, or watch movies. She loves to hear from readers, and can be found all over the internet. For more information on other books by Megan, visit her website.

Website | Twitter | Blog | Tumblr

Rochus briefly considered changing into fresh clothes, but there was little point until after he’d had a bath—and no telling what would happen in the dining hall. It would hardly be the first time some country bumpkins or foreign nitwits wailed superstitious nonsense and tried to kill him, nevermind he reported directly to the crown.

He smoothed out his robes, frowning at a small tear in the right sleeve. He’d have to stitch it later after his bath.

For the moment, it was time for supper, and hopefully he’d get to enjoy it in peace.

Heading back downstairs, Rochus walked into and through the dining hall, keeping his head up even when the whispers started.

Necromancer.

Half-dead.

Blood-drinker.

His lips curled briefly when he heard someone ask their companion if Rochus was a vampire. As though he was one of those needle-teethed, full-dead mongrels. He drank blood and his teeth were meant for hunting, but it wasn’t the same thing. His teeth were more like those of a wolf—teeth he did not use thus because he was a civilized, capable necromancer of forty-three, not some ravening monster.

Rochus sat down at a table in the corner where he wasn’t too close to the fire but would still be warm and would be able to see anyone who tried to approach him.

A couple of minutes after he sat, a pale-faced young man brought him a pitcher and cup with faintly trembling hands. Rochus slid a coin across the table, nodding for him to take it. The boy took it and skittered away, and the whispers increased as Rochus poured himself a cup of blood and sipped it. Pig, which he preferred, save for those rare occasions he was able to get something as decadent as human.

He took several more sips, savored the way it warmed him through. There was nothing he hated more than being cold, but it was the one thing he would always be due to what was called his half-dead state. He wasn’t actually dead, half or otherwise, but necromancy demanded a high price, drained away half his spirit, replaced it with those unique spiritual energies he needed to wield his strange magic. The physical effects—the corpse white skin, the death-black bones, the need for food replaced by a need for blood—were what earned necromancers the reputation of being half-dead.

Three lucky winners will take home each a digital copy of Jumping In, by Cardeno C.!

To enter, just click here and good luck: GIVEAWAY!

That’s it, thanks for reading the whole post 🙂

BOOK BLITZ: For The One, by Brenna Aubrey (Gaming the System #5)

Hi, there! Good morning and welcome to the first out of three book blitzes, haha! ❤ May won’t be a calm bookish news month 😉 This one is hosted by Xpresso Book Tours for the fifth book in the Gaming the System series, by Brenna Aubrey: For the One!

For the One
Brenna Aubrey
Gaming the System #5
Publication date: May 10th, 2016
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

He’s got everything but game….

William Drake is an artistic genius with a photographic memory and the intensity to master practically any task. Oh, and he owns a chunk of a billion-dollar gaming company. A twenty-six year-old guy with his wealth, talent, and good looks shouldn’t have problems winning over women. Except he does. To be exact—and detail-obsessed William is always exact—he’s got problems with Jenna Kovac, the troubled beauty who has his heart working overtime and his tongue tied in knots.

And she can’t afford to lose.

Jenna Kovac is a survivor. When war ripped her world apart, she lost her family, her homeland, and her one true love. She’s made a new life for herself in the US, but she’s learned that nothing is permanent, and some nights it’s not even safe to dream. When a scumbag sells her future out from under her, suddenly the only man who can get it back is William Drake, geeky—but scorching-hot—social disaster. William must learn to stay cool under pressure for the all-important duel he’s about to fight. Unless she can teach him to loosen up, she’ll lose everything. Again.

But Jenna’s got a few things to learn from this irresistibly enigmatic man. As they spend time together, they’re soon exchanging long, slow kisses—and painful secrets. There’s so much more to William.

Something that might be worth taking one more risk…

For now, you can find For The One in ebook format 🙂

Amazon / iBooks / Kobo

“What the hell was that? Why did you storm off?”

“Because I didn’t want to say anything rude, and you made me angry.”

“Because I asked you to look me in the eye?”

“Yes.”

“Well, maybe I’m just tired of you looking everywhere but my eyes.”

He blinked. “It’s difficult.”

“Why?”

He shook his head. “Because when I’m looking in your eyes, I’m too distracted to hear what you are saying. It’s intense.”

“What’s intense? I mean, I know I’m beautiful, but…” I joked in an effort to lighten the mood.

“Yes. You are beautiful. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

I sucked in a breath. Wow. He’d said it in a matter-of-fact tone as if stating that the sky was undeniably blue. There was no art to the words, no obvious attempt at flattery. Why was my throat closing up like this?

“I was joking.” I laughed self-consciously. “I’m not really that full of myself.”

“I don’t know what that means. But you shouldn’t joke about being beautiful. It’s not a joke.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets and waited.

I felt both uncomfortable and pleased at the same time. My cheeks were flaming hot and—ironically—I couldn’t meet his gaze even if he wanted me to.

“I didn’t realize,” I suddenly blurted, my voice trembling with regret.

“What?”

“That it was so hard for you to look in my eyes. I thought that was a myth. I don’t spend a lot of time around autistic people.”

“It’s hard to look in anyone’s eyes, but easier if I know the person.” I was flooded with relief that he seemed okay discussing this. “Mostly it keeps me from focusing on what is being said. It also makes me feel like I’m violating that person’s privacy.”

“By looking in their eyes?”

“Like I’m seeing things that I shouldn’t see.” He shakes his head. “I get tired of having to explain it to people. And you aren’t going to get it so—”

“The eyes are the windows to the soul,” I interrupted quietly.

“Eyes are not windows.”

“It’s a metaphor, Wil. It means that a person’s eyes can show what’s going on with them beneath the surface. So maybe you’re feeling like a Peeping Tom?”

He was quiet for a long time, shifting from one leg to the other. “Yeah, so maybe if I make eye contact with you as long as you want, you’ll let me peep through your window.”

I opened my mouth, about to lodge a protest, when I saw the smile on his face. He was rather pleased with himself and his joke. “Ha ha. Then again, you do stare at my boobs enough.”

“I like your breasts.” His eyes darted to my chest, causing my nipples to tighten under my t-shirt.

I folded my arms to cover my unconscious reaction and laughed. “I can tell.”

“And your butt. And your legs. And—”

“All right, all right. I get the picture. Let’s get in your car,” I said with an exasperated sigh. Typical man.

Brenna Aubrey is a USA TODAY Bestselling Author of contemporary romance stories that center on geek culture. Her debut novel, At Any Price, is currently free on all platforms.

She has always sought comfort in good books and the long, involved stories she weaves in her head. Brenna is a city girl with a nature-lover’s heart. She therefore finds herself out in green open spaces any chance she can get. A mommy to two little kids and teacher to many more older kids, she juggles schedules to find time to pursue her love of storycrafting.

She currently resides on the west coast with her husband, two children, two adorable golden retriever pups, a bird and some fish.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Newsletter

That’s it, thanks for reading 🙂

BOOK TOUR: Traitor, by Nicole Conway (The Dragonrider Chronicles #3)

Hello, good morning! Welcome to the blog tour of the day, haha! And it’s a very special one from Chapter by Chapter, as we have the participation of a very special guest 😉 But for now, let me introduce the star of the hour: Traitor, third book in The Dragonrider Chronicles, by Nicole Conway ❤

Traitor

The Dragonrider Chronicles #3

by Nicole Conway

Release Date: May 10, 2016

Publisher: Month9Books ( ❤ )

Can anyone survive being lost in Luntharda?

No amount of training has prepared Jaevid Broadfeather for the frontlines of battle. Now facing the true horrors of war, with Luntharda looming on the horizon, Jaevid has begun to question everything he thought about his heritage. The only thing keeping him going is his oath to protect his dragonrider brothers. But in an instant, even that slips through Jaevid’s fingers as he steps from the safety of his dragon’s saddle into the depths of his mother’s wild homeland—the kingdom of the gray elves.

Stranded in Luntharda with his partner, Lieutenant Jace Rordin, Jaevid must finally confront the demons of his own past as he uncovers the truth about a war that began before he was ever born. Armed with a new appreciation for destiny, and flanked by his trusted friends, Jaevid moves to make the final strike against an enemy that has hidden in plain sight for far too long.

One kingdom’s traitor will become the world’s last hope.

You can find Traitor in paperback, ebook and audiobook formats 😀

Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Indies | Amazon | B&N | Kobo | TBD | iBooks

JUST GUESS WHO IS HERE TODAY WITH US?! Annelise, dear, every time you say someone stopped over your blog in the middle of a book tour, it’s the author in digital flesh.

But it never makes the experience any less magical! ❤ Thanks so much to Nicole Conway for indulging me and stopping by! *–*

AND GUESS WHAT I ASKED HER TO DO?! Annelise, dear, you always ask the same thing to authors, so we already know that you asked her to tell you 5 interesting facts about her series and/or writing process.

But I always ask the same thing because I love learning backstage stories and fun facts about books! So let’s enjoy Nicole’s ride, okay? 🙂

5 Fun Bonus Facts about The Dragonrider Chronicles!

 1) It’s about the riders, not the dragons.

I understand that, being a fantasy series, people are interested in the dragons. Who wouldn’t be? But this story is and has always been about the riders, their lives, and their struggles.

 2) The two “champion” fighters from each side are both women.

Jaevid may be the main character, but he’s not the best fighter. With Beckah “Seraph” Derrick fighting alongside Icarus for Maldobar and Araxie, princess of the gray elves, remaining dominant over the other warriors from Luntharda – these ladies mean business!

 3) Jaevid is gray elf royalty.

Among the gray elves, royal bloodlines are traced through the mothers rather than the fathers, as is customary for human monarchies. Jaevid’s mother was a princess, sister to Erandur, the current King of Luntharda. Despite being an illegitimate child, since he was kept and raised by his birth mother, he would be able to retain his noble title of prince. Jaevid’s own mother could have held the title of queen if she had not been chosen as lapiloque. That sacred calling supersedes all royal duties and so the crown inevitably passed to her brother, instead.

 4) Jace is the only dragonrider to have been recruited from prison.

Yep, you read that right. He’s the ultimate rehabilitation story. After a rocky past as an orphan and a criminal, Jace was offered a place in the dragonrider’s academy because of his skill with the blade. It saved him from being hung, but even more so, it revealed that he wasn’t too far gone. Sile is the only one who knew about Jace’s questionable past, but agreed to keep it a secret since Jace was trying to turn over a new leaf and make a new life for himself as a dragonrider.

 5) Sile and Ulric were best friends.

Before his heinous act of stealing the god stone, Ulric was a very different man – and not so different from Jaevid. His memories are now skewed and it’s difficult to say just how much of his life he actually remembers. But one thing is certain, Sile still cares greatly for his friend. That is the reason he has found it so difficult to treat Jaevid as a student and not a family member – because Ulric was like a brother to him.

Am I the only one that just HAS TO read this series right now?! That was awesome, thanks so much, Nicole ❤ ❤

Nicole is the author of the children’s fantasy series, THE DRAGONRIDER CHRONICLES, about a young boy’s journey into manhood as he trains to become a dragonrider. She has completed the first two books in the series, and is now working on the third and final book.

Originally from a small town in North Alabama, Nicole moves frequently due to her husband’s career as a pilot for the United States Air Force. She received a B.A. in English with a concentration in Classics from Auburn University, and will soon attend graduate school.

 She has previously worked as a freelance and graphic artist for promotional companies, but has now embraced writing as a full-time occupation.

Nicole enjoys hiking, camping, shopping, cooking, and spending time with her family and friends. She also loves watching children’s movies and collecting books. She lives at home with her husband, two cats, and dog.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram |Goodreads

FIVE INTERNATIONAL lucky winners will take home each a digital copy of Traitor (The Dragonrider Chronicles #3), by Nicole Conway!

To enter this awesome giveaway, just click here and good luck: GIVEAWAY!

That’s it, thanks for reading! Also, thank you Nicole for stopping by and thanks to Chapter by Chapter for my spot and making my guest post possible ❤

BOOK BLITZ: Kingdom from Ashes, by Megan Linski (Kingdom Saga #1)

Hello, there! Welcome to the second and last book blitz of the day 😀 This time on YA Bound Book Tours‘ account, I present you guys the first book from the Kingdom Saga, by Megan Linski: Kingdom From Ashes!

Kingdom from Ashes

Kingdom Saga #1

by Megan Linski

Genre: YA Fantasy

Release Date: April 1^st, 2015

Publisher: Gryfyn Publishing

Princess Bennua is to be married. The daughter of a sultan, her duty is to marry a powerful yet cruel warlord to be her husband, sealing an alliance that will scare the desert of Sahrahn into submission. But the wedding is halted in place when the infamous Raider Prince, king of thieves and leader of the dark city Ashana, threatens to take her city by force.

Sacrificing her freedom for her country, Bennua agrees to accompany the Raider Prince on his travels if he leaves her homeland alone. Stolen from her charmed life Bennua begins to learn the truth of what lies beyond the palace walls and the suffering that plagues Sahrahn’s people. Bennua begins to plan her escape, but the more she learns from the thieves the more she finds herself becoming one of the them…all while falling hard for their leader, the Raider Prince himself.

You can get Kingdom from Ashes FOR FREE! YAY! 😀

Amazon

 

Fallen from Ashes (The Kingdom Saga #2)

Redemption from Ashes (The Kingdom Saga #3)

Prince of Fire (The Kingdom Saga #4)

Megan Linski is the owner of Gryfyn Publishing and has had a passion for writing ever since she completed her first (short) novel at the age of 6. Her specializations are romance, fantasy, and contemporary fiction for people aged 14-24. When not writing she enjoys ice skating, horse riding, theatre, archery, fishing, and being outdoors. She is a passionate advocate for mental health awareness and suicide prevention, and is an active fighter against common variable immune deficiency disorder. She lives in Michigan.

Website│Twitter│Facebook│Goodreads

That’s it, thanks for reading! Don’t pass up the chance of grabbing Kingdom from Ashes for free 😀

 

 

 

 

BOOK BLITZ: Everafter, by M. Lathan (The Immortals of Westchester Prep #1)

Hello, there! Welcome to a Xpresso Book Tours book blitz for the upcoming release of M. Lathan! I’m talking about the first book in The Immortals of Westchester Prep series: Everafter!

Everafter
M. Lathan
The Immortals of Westchester Prep #1
Publication date: May 15th, 2016
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

After years of battling leukemia, seventeen-year-old Sydney Long has made peace with her impending death. She expected pain, she expected tearful goodbyes, but she never expected to be turned into an immortal monster who can, with the slightest touch, control life and death.

Now, flowers are stirring when she walks by, she’s oddly drawn to death and the dying, and she must wear gloves to keep her living parents safe.

While her family toils with this supernatural nightmare and finding a way out of it, Sydney falls for magic and an equally as enticing boy who she can’t seem to stay away from.

But nothing comes without a price. When Sydney is targeted for her illegal magic, she’ll learn a whole new meaning of fighting for her life.

Dying hurt as much as I’d thought it would.

My burning lungs begged for relief as air hissed into my nose through a plastic tube. The shallow breaths wheezing out of my mouth somehow tasted like medicine and sweat.

They tasted like my life.

Instead of violins and the somber music that played on movies in moments like this, I was dying to the soundtrack of beeping monitors and the soft shuffling of my parents’ feet. They moved around our suite quietly, like ghosts, as they waited for me to become one and finally lose to leukemia.

I’d spent the last three weeks at an upscale ski resort in Lake Placid, just watching my health fade and my time on Earth dwindle to nothing. The view of the constant snow and the towering mountains in the distance usually distracted me from the pain. I needed that view more than ever tonight. Everything hurt, but in my mind, if I didn’t mention it, if I didn’t break, I would beat cancer in my own way.

We couldn’t afford to stay in this snowy paradise, but my parents didn’t want me to die in a sterile hospital. We’d moved to Lake Placid five months ago to chase another faint glimmer of hope, but the clinical trial had ended like all of the others—with me getting sicker. This time, we weren’t doing anything about it. After five years of giving cancer all we had, my parents had decided that we’d fought too much, cried too much, and hoped too much to do it again.

And that was okay. It had to be.

My final days were passing in a blur of tearful calls from my grandparents, long stares from my mom and dad, and smiles from my strangely exuberant hospice nurse. Sarah, with her endless energy and joy, was easily my favorite person on the planet. She supplied medicine that stopped me from feeling and long stories that kept me thinking, which made me feel alive.

Tonight, she was so busy gabbing about her ballerina days that she’d forgotten a dose of painkillers. I didn’t mention it. As she adjusted my oxygen tube, I stared at her beautiful, pixie-like face and the bright red hair framing it. Her tiny features and permanent smile made her a living fairy to me. My personal Tinkerbelle.

“It’s going to happen tonight, isn’t it?” She didn’t answer me. She draped another blanket over my legs without making eye contact. “They gave me a week to live … a week ago.”

“Sydney, I don’t want you to be concerned about death. Ever. Only focus on life and the living. Remember that, sweet girl.”

What a weird thing to say to an almost-corpse. I didn’t need to remember anything anymore. I laughed at her, and that disturbed my failing lungs. One cough turned into two, and soon Sarah had to hold me as my chest heaved relentlessly. The awful sound summoned my parents to my room.

They crept in with red eyes and rivers flowing down their cheeks, wearing yesterday’s clothes.

Nothing said that I was dying more than my dad being home. No matter where we moved, he worked, thanks to his special talent of finding a job within a day. He’d emigrated from China with his parents as a kid, and his entire family worked like one day off would mean certain death. So that was what he did—he spent his days toiling at dead-end jobs to barely keep us afloat. Except for today.

He squeezed my mom’s hand as they approached my bed. Her long dreads were down and wild tonight, and she looked beautiful despite her swollen face and runny nose. My mom had four piercings in each ear, an effortlessly cool hippy style, and a thick Trinidadian accent. Once, I’d wanted to be just like her, but now, I didn’t know what being like her meant other than crying a lot and receiving bad news.

“Mr. and Mrs. Long,” Sarah said, “I was just about to give Sydney her medicine. She’ll be asleep soon, and you don’t look like you’ve gotten much rest. I can watch her tonight.”

“Sarah,” I whispered, as my chest finally calmed. “Go home. Your shift is over.”

She pressed her warm hand to my cheek. I could’ve sworn, for a moment, I felt completely okay.

Xpresso Book Tours did a wonderful Q&A with M. Lathan, the author! 😀 Let’s see what she has to say?

Xpresso Book Tours (XBT): Tell us about your new book.

M. Lathan (ML): Everafter is about a seventeen year old girl who was sure of her own death. She’s battled cancer since age twelve, and we meet her at the end. But instead of dying, someone turns her into a powerful immortal who can control life and death with a touch. This is the beginning of a paranormal nightmare, and she’s not entirely sure if she wants it to end. It comes with perks like guys she can’t stay away from and the chance to never die again.

XBT: What does your writing process look like?

ML: A rollercoaster. I get this cool idea and I start writing like crazy. Everything’s great until I stop to read and see how all over the place I am. That’s when I stop to outline. That keeps me in line and helps me with pacing as well. When the draft is done, the real work begins. I have about four complete and total overhauls in me before the story is ready.

XBT: Do you have any strange writing habits (like standing on your head or writing in the shower)?

ML: Yes. I do my best writing when I’m walking, which presents a problem. So I may take my phone on a walk around my neighborhood. When I was in college, I would walk around the creepy part of the library to get my thoughts flowing.

XBT: What book do you wish you could have written?

ML: For nostalgic reasons, The Baby-sitter’s Club. I lived and breathed those books.

XBT: How important are names to you in your books? Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds or the meaning? Do you have any name choosing resources you recommend?

ML: I think names are extremely important. I always start with baby name websites, and I look for something that sounds like who they are. And I think about what their parents would’ve named them and why. In addition to all of those deep thoughts, I also explore options for nicknames. I never call anyone in my life by their full name, so a character’s name, in my head, has to shorten nicely.

XBT: Do you ever get freaked out when you realize that the characters that you’ve created aren’t real?

ML: All the time. These people live in my head. Sometimes, when my husband asks what I’m doing today, I’ll say, “Oh, Sydney’s starting school so I need to get her there, think about what she’ll wear, and … I stop when he looks at me like I’ve lost it and I remember all of this will occur in my head.

XBT: What writing advice do you have for other aspiring authors?

ML: Write. I read that when I first decided I wanted to go for it and write a story that I would actually let someone read. I purchased three how-to books from Barnes & Noble, and each of them basically just told me to write. Of course, I rolled my eyes and asked … how? But the truth is, you just put a pen in your hand or your fingers to the keys and try. Write something awful. Write something beautiful. It doesn’t matter. Just write until you’re used to doing it.

XBT: Do you read your reviews? Do you respond to them, good or bad? Do you have any advice on how to deal with the bad?

ML: Yes, I read them, but I never respond. I don’t think readers are talking to me, so I don’t feel the need to. Also, it’s not a good idea to say something. Reviewers are just expressing their honest reaction to my work, and that needs to be true to what they feel. I don’t read every review, but in the beginning or when they are coming in slowly, I tend to see most of them. A lot of them are actually helpful and gives me things to work on, and some are just flat out entertaining.

Of course it’s sad when someone hates this thing you’ve poured so much time and love into, but I never expect every reader to like my story. That’s impossible. A review can pop up at 1:00 that says, “Characters are too sappy”. And at 1:30, someone could say, “Characters weren’t sappy enough”. Until you can find a way to write specifically for robots—good, meh, and bad reviews are just a reality. Somewhere after your twentieth bad review or so, the sting should fade. It helps to find your favorite book on Goodreads, the one you think is a flipping masterpiece, and read the bad reviews. You won’t agree, and that’s how it is for everyone. One opinion, or even a percentage of all opinions captured online, doesn’t determine if the work is good or bad. It means … it wasn’t for them. Hang in there.

XBT: What is your least favorite part of the writing process?

ML: Editing. I change my stories a lot. There is a good chance that right now as you read, I’m thinking about this one thing in Chapter 23, paragraph four, and how it should be said like this … which leads to me deleting the whole thing. I’m the worst. Editing brings that monster out of me, and my MacBook Pro sees a lot of tears and nearly collides into walls every day during this time.

XBT: Is there a certain type of scene that’s harder for you to write than others?

ML: Sad scenes. True scenes. I find a way to add my major life moments to every book I write, and even if readers don’t feel it, odds are, I was bawling when I wrote it. I have to get through it though. If I leave something true out, the editing monster in me will add it later (after chopping up the rest of the story).

XBT: Is this your first book?

ML: I have four other books, all a part of the Hidden Series. It’s about Leah Grant—an orphan who believes that she is the last witch on Earth after a magical extinction. Needless to say, she finds it hard to get along with humans, and her heart-wrenching story of blossoming from a bullied outcast to who she was meant to be is inspiring and easily my best accomplishment to date. Check out the Hidden Series. All books are available wherever eBooks are sold. The first book is free J

XBT: What are you working on now? What is your next project?

ML: Everafter is the first book in the Immortals of Westchester Prep trilogy. I am currently working on Book Two. It has a working title of Nightfall, but I am not to be trusted this early in the process. I’m working on it as fast as I can so readers who fall in love with Sydney’s story can continue it soon.

Thanks for letting me stop by your blog today. Everafter will be released May 15^th on Amazon, B&N, Kobo, and Smashwords. I hope you enjoy it, and good luck in the giveaway 🙂

It was my pleasure to have you here today, Lathan! 😀 May 15th won’t be here soon enough, haha! Good luck with the release, I bet Everafter will be a blast! ❤

M. Lathan lives in San Antonio with her husband and mini-schnauzer. She enjoys writing and has a B.S. in Psych and a Masters in Counseling. Her passion is a blend of her two interests – creating new worlds and stocking them with crazy people. She enjoys reading anything with interesting characters and writing in front of a window while asking rhetorical questions … like her idol Carrie Bradshaw.

Website / Goodreads / Amazon / Twitter

That’s it, thanks for reading and thanks to Xpresso Book Tours for the lovely Q&A!!

BOOK BLITZ: Cloaked in Blood, by T. F. Walsh (The Wulfkin Legacy #3)

Hi, there! Welcome to the second book blitz of the day, also by Xpresso Book Tours 🙂 Now it’s for the third book in The Wulfkin Legacy series, by T. F. Walsh: Cloaked in Blood!

Cloaked in Blood
T.F. Walsh
The Wulfkin Legacy #3
Publisher: Crimson Romance
Publication date: May 9th, 2016
Genres: Adult, Paranormal

The daughter of a sultan alpha, Selena Kurt agrees to an arranged wulfkin mating to protect her sister from a dangerous alpha from the enemy clan. To her surprise, her match is Marcin Ulf, the next in line for the Hungarian throne . . . and the wulfkin who broke her heart years ago.

Marcin is just as shocked to learn he’ll be matched to the enemy’s daughter and the woman he’s never forgotten. Before they can be paired, however, they’re drawn into a tournament where Marcin will compete to free his estranged imprisoned brother, while Selena battles for the life of another wulfkin alpha. Both intend to seize this chance to save those they’re fighting for – even if it means facing off with one another just as their romance rekindles.

Will tribe loyalty triumph, or will they realize they’re better off as a team before it’s too late?

Cloaked in Blood is the book 3 in the Wulfkin Legacy series, but can be read a stand-alone-book.

Wulfkin Legacy Series:

Cloaked (prequel to #1) – Out now

Cloaked in Fur (Book #1) – Out now

Cloaked in Secrecy (Book #2) – Out now

Cloaked in Blood (Book #3) – Out now

Cloaked in Christmas – End of 2016

Sign up here for T.F. Walsh’s newsletter to keep up to date with latest releases, giveaways, and exclusive content.

You can find Cloaked in Blood in ebook format 🙂

Amazon / Kobo / Barnes & Noble / GooglePlay / iTunes

SELENA

Then another wulfkin entered the room behind him. Solid, tall, and all shoulders.

And suddenly my heart hammered so hard the walls seemed to be thumping too.

Marcin.

Windblown hair draped over his shoulders, tawny brown strands reaching halfway down his chest. His shirt was torn across his shoulder. Blood stained the fabric, worn as a badge of honor for whatever heroic deeds he’d accomplished.

Our gazes locked, and he stopped midstride. It was like a sucker punch to the gut. All the air left my lungs, leaving me light-headed.

Sea-spray blue eyes, darker than I remembered them, searched my face. Shock crammed behind his gaze as his cheeks blanched. He’d had no idea I was coming here—it was written all over his frozen expression, the way his mouth fell open, his breath hitched.

My wolf prodded me, stirring inside, well aware of who stood before us. Marcin had grown into even more of a wulfkin god: muscular, strong cheekbones, and a chest broad enough for me to sleep across. All I could think about was touching him to make sure he was real and not in my imagination.

Move closer. Take him.

I shouldn’t, yet every molecule in my body fought against the logic that said stay away.

Sure, I’d planned for this very moment and even practiced my nonchalant response in front of the mirror. Except now, my voice was wedged somewhere between my toes and head. My body shook with the desperate urge to be pressed up against him, feel his hungry kisses, and listen to his wicked whispers. I struggled with the charge in my veins screaming that I should run to him, throw my arms around his neck, and forget the past nine years. Forget that he tore out my soul. Forget that I mistook him as my mate because he’d lied to me. Abandoned me.

T.F. Walsh emigrated from Romania to Australia at the age of eight and now lives in a regional city south of Sydney with her husband. Growing up hearing dark fairytales, she’s always had a passion for reading and writing horror, paranormal romance, urban fantasy and young adult stories. She balances all the dark with light fluffy stuff like baking and traveling.

 

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Amazon

That’s it, thanks for reading 🙂 I already talked about another book of this series here!

Rightfully His Omega, from Angelique Voisen

Good morning, peeps! Hope everyone is hanging there on this Monday morning! 🙂 I must warn you guys that I’m in heaven and reading gay book after gay book (you know, just in case you haven’t noticed my three gay book reviews in a row), so today’s review makes a four combo, haha! Don’t worry, though. I’ll break it myself a little later with a YA mystery review… And then I’ll be back to the gay book reviews tomorrow, lol.

Anyway, let’s talk business: Rightfully His Omega, from Angelique Voisen. I’ve received my copy from Bewitching Book Tours in exchange for an honest review and this is it! Let’s do this 🙂

from my Instagram 🙂

Charlie is a very rare and special omega wolf. Why? He has the ability of pregnancy. Many would kill to have him and the other omegas like himself as a reproduction center, so Charlie has been sheltered for everyone until he was 14.

One fateful night, his family entrusts him to his allegedly mate, Caleb, a very tall, dark and handsome man 10 years older. Charlie is scared and fears for his life, but Caleb explains to him that he was going to make sure Charlie would be okay and grew up just fine.

Caleb swore he would come back for Charlie. He just didn’t count that it would take them 10 years until they saw each other again.

Would Charlie ever forgive him for taking so long?

Just remembering that those were my impressions and opinion as a reader 🙂

Okay, so this book was a novella and really short. I don’t think you have to write a full book to have something wonderful – on the contrary, I usually complain about too many unneeded pages. But on Rightfully His Omega’s case, the story had so many information and was so under developed that I was seriously left wondering why Angelique had the trouble of writing it in the first place. I really liked the premise of bounded people reencountering after so long, to fix the past so they could have a future. Besides, it was my first MPREG (male pregnancy) book, I was highly anticipating seeing how this would be pulled off. To summarize, I expected nothing, as I didn’t new what to make of the book, and I was still let down. For the creativity of the plot and the one hour of entertainment it provided me, I rated it with 3 stars 🙂

The narrative was third person with switching points of view between Charlie and Caleb, but it switched without a moment’s notice and you had to stop, think, re-read some lines and then pick up your reading again. Despite being a fan of third person narratives, I didn’t really like Voisen’s writing style. It seemed too rough, as if she was writing a screenplay or something. She repeated the character’s names two to three times on the same sentence instead of using “he”, “the omega”, “the wolf” or anything like that. It was distressing, haha!

The plot had so much potential, but it left me in the dark. I got a particular interest on this book because I wanted to see how could a male pregnancy work – I found this so interesting! But I feel the need of warning you guys that no explanations were given whatsoever. The book has ended and I feel like I was cheated, haha! Also, I didn’t really feel any connection between Caleb and Charlie. It was a total instalove all over. I only forgave it on this book because of the werewolves mating deal, but still, there are a lot of ways to get around and avoid instalove. It’s awful to confuse lust and desire with love. Also, I felt that there were key scenes missing, but I won’t develop it further to avoid spoilers.

I’d really like to say that the characters were well developed and memorable, that they saved the book. But I can’t 😦 I felt they all were shallow with a past that was thrown at the reader on the prologue. Caleb was just another tall dark and handsome alpha that wants to put his mate on all fours and Charlie was just another bratty submissive omega. It also bothered me how fast they decided to stick together after so many misunderstandings. Too unreal, you know? 😦

You must be wondering at this point what did I like on the book, right? Haha! For one, I liked that Charlie was a stripper. I just like books involving male strippers, it’s one of my things 🙂 I also really liked the action scenes – not sheets action, actual action, haha! The sheets action aren’t even worth mentioning on this case. Despite everything, I liked to think that Charlie could someday have Caleb’s pups and I found it cute.

Oh, and can we please just take a moment to appreciate how beautiful this cover is? *–*

Overall, it was an amusing one hour read and if you like werewolves and short stories, you may end up enjoying Rightfully His Omega 🙂

Thanks for reading my review 🙂 Bellow, you can find info on where to buy Rightfully His Omega, about the author and how to enter the lovely giveaway set for this tour 🙂

You can find Rightfully His Omega in ebook version 🙂

ARe | Amazon

Angelique Voisen is a bisexual, twenty-something, type-2 diabetic and multi-pubbed writer who favors LGBT and ménage pairings. She likes experimenting with different sub-genres and her stories may include cogs, fangs, space battles, kinky magic systems and happily-ever-afters. When Angel’s not writing, she’s gaming, watching B-rated action movies, or enjoying teatime with friends while enviously eyeing their cake.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

 

Three lucky winners will take home each a digital copy of Two Howls, by Sean Michel!

To enter the giveaway, just click here and good luck: GIVEAWAY!

That’s it, thanks for reading my whole post and thanks to Bewitching Book Tours for my review copy and my spot on the tour 🙂

 

 

 

BOOK TOUR: Above the Flames, by Cassandra Fear (The Flames Trilogy #1)

Hi, there! Welcome to the first out of two book tours for today 😀 This one is hosted by Xpresso Book Tours and it’s for Above The Flames, by Cassandra Fear!

Above The Flames

The Flames Trilogy #1

by Cassandra Fear

Publisher: Limitless Publishing

Release date: April 19^th, 2016

Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

Jasmine’s sixteenth birthday was the worst ever…

All in one day, her dad died, she met a demon, and her mother rejected her existence forever. After all, the demon who killed her dad was there to take her, and all because of her stupid powers—the ability to conjure blue flames.

Two years later, she’s happy. But happy never lasts…

After moving to Idaho to live with her grandparents, Jasmine has a new life. Almost nobody knows about her powers, and she’s just a normal teenager with normal problems. Then comes her eighteenth birthday—and the earthquake that changes her world forever.

An army of demons rise from Hell. And Jasmine is right in the middle of the battle…

When demons claw their way to Earth, Jasmine is surrounded by hundreds of fire-eyed beasts. Worse, she is captured by a big-shot demon named Bael. He’s a tricky foe with a chip on his shoulder—and the desire to make Jasmine use her powers for evil.

Amon is a fallen angel with an attitude—and everything to lose.

Successfully escaping the underworld undetected, Amon is on a quest to regain God’s grace when he rescues Jasmine from the clutches of a particularly nasty demon he knows all too well. The attraction between him and the not-entirely-human captive is instantaneous. Heavenly sparks fly, but ideas of romance will have to wait. First they have to stop the demon race from wiping out the mortal realm. Humanity’s fate rests in their hands.

Can two troubled angels rise above the flames to ensure a future for mankind? Or will Jasmine and Amon’s souls be bound together—in hell?

You can find Above The Flames both in paperback and ebook formats 😀

AMAZON

“What was that noise?” Jasmine asked, coming around the front of the car. Dad was crouched down, inspecting the tire.

“What noise?” Dad asked, looking up.

“Mike, don’t tell me you didn’t hear that shrieking whistle. It was so loud,” Mom said.

Dad scrunched his forehead. “I really didn’t hear anything. But it’s obvious you did.” Dad rubbed his forehead. “What is going on around here?”

“I’m not sure, but I think it has something to do with me.” The man’s voice was raspy, but smooth, like silk torn to shreds. Jasmine’s spine stiffened, and goosebumps ran down her arms and legs. She turned slowly, just like in a horror movie, only to see the silhouette of a man behind her. Fog surrounded him, hiding his features.

Somehow able to find her voice, she asked, “Who are you? Where did you come from?”

The man stepped into view and smiled, revealing abnormally white teeth that looked sharpened at the tips. “I came from Hell, actually. And I’m ready for some fun. You wouldn’t believe how boring eternity in a flaming prison is.”

Jasmine inched backward. Her body tingled as her power moved through her, but she pushed it back again, not sure why it kept trying to get out. She never let it out anymore, and it never tried to escape. Not like this. She took another step backward, hoping the man wouldn’t notice her. Her phone was in the car, and this guy was crazy. They were going to need some help to get out of this alive. Maybe the police would make it in time. If only she could get to her phone.

“Nuh-uh, you pretty little thing. You stay right where you are.” The man came closer, backing her into the side of the car. “I’m actually here to see you, Jasmine.”

Cassandra Fear lives in Ohio with her husband, two kids and two dogs. Hiking, taking care of her fish tank and reading are her favorite hobbies. She loves chocolate, hates driving in the snow and could eat macaroni and cheese every day. In her spare time, she loves to write, and has always dreamed of becoming an author. Her dreams will become reality with her first book, Above the Flames.

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

One lucky INTERNATIONAL winner will take home a SIGNED copy of Above The Flames, by Cassandra Fear!!

To enter this giveaway, just click here and good luck: GIVEAWAY!

Thanks for reading and thanks to Xpresso Book Tours for my spot on this tour!

 

 

 

Book Shop Discovery: Riddles Tea Shoppe

Hello! Welcome to my new section here on the blog! *–* I’ve been stumbling on some awesome book lovers themed shops lately and I thought: why not show them off here? I mean, I’m that kind of person that I usually don’t know where to look when I want to buy bookish merch and many independent small sellers have stores at Etsy, Society 6 and Instagram, so this is also my own personal bookish merch shops’ catalogue, haha!

If you love a certain bookish merch shop, please tell me in the comments, so I can stalk visit them and take notes for future posts! 😀

For now, there isn’t a fixed schedule for this section, as it depends on discoveries, but I’d like them to be up and about at least twice a month 🙂

However, enough gibber jabber! Let’s talk about the very shop that gave me this idea: RiddlesTeaShoppe! 😀

RiddlesTeaShoppe is a USA store from California and they have tea, botton sets, thrown pillows ( ❤ ), mugs, clocks, phone cases and skins, art prints in canvas, paper and framed, totebags, stationary cards and travel mugs 🙂

I met them randomly at Instagram (@riddlesteashoppe) some weeks ago. They were hosting a Hogwarts House Pride competition and I happened to see that Slytherin was in last place! =O Unacceptable, of course! (If you didn’t know, I’m a Slytherin since I’m 7, haha!) So I hurried along and took my own House Pride picture:

View this post on Instagram

I noticed that Slytherin was lacking points on @riddlesteashoppe #rtshousepridefriday challenge 💚 Here's my entry as a proud #houseslytherin 🐍 #book #bookblog #bookreviewblog #blog #blogger #anneliselestrange #bookworm #booklover #bookporn #reading #readingblog #readingblogger #reader #bookstagram #bookaholic #bookblogger #booklover #nofilter #harrypotter #funko #funkopop #slytherin

A post shared by Annelise C. Lestrange (@anneliselestrange) on Mar 25, 2016 at 6:10pm PDT

And guess what? The competition had a giveaway included and I ended up being one of the lucky winners 😀

View this post on Instagram

Honestly? @riddlesteashoppe ROCKS HARD! Just look at everything that they sent! 😍💚🐍 I'm sooo in love! My own pair of Slytherin socks, Slytherin tea with infusers, an awesome botton set from their Etsy store, a copy of the Harry Potter coloring book and a pencil box with 24 colors! I AM IN HEAVEN!! If you have the time, please give them a follow and stroll on their Etay store – link in @riddlesteashoppe profile! SO MANY WONDERFUL THINGS! 😍❤️ And they deliver world wide 🎉 Again, THANKS SO MUCH, @riddlesteashoppe!!! Love you!! 💕 Hello, beauties! I know I've been sooo offline lately, but I don't want to trouble anyone with drama, so let's just say that my household may be in metaphorical fire? Haha! But let's go to the good and cool parts: the prize I won at @riddlesteashoppe giveaway/contest some weeks ago HAS JUST ARRIVED AND I AM FREAKING OUT!! 😍🎉😍🎉 Thanks so much for it!! I'll open now and post an unboxing in a few!!!! #book #bookblog #bookreviewblog #blog #blogger #anneliselestrange #bookworm #booklover #bookporn #reading #readingblog #readingblogger #reader #bookstagram #bookaholic #bookblogger #booklover #nofilter #giveawayprize #unboxing #bookmail #surprise #harrypotter #slytherin #coloringbook

A post shared by Annelise C. Lestrange (@anneliselestrange) on Apr 27, 2016 at 10:52am PDT

They sent me my own pair of Slytherin socks, Slytherin tea with an infuser, an awesome botton set from their Etsy store, a copy of the Harry Potter coloring book and a pencil box with 24 colors! And their packing was cute and great ❤

I already wore the socks, showed off the bottons on my Instagram and tasted the tea: all great products! I only need to start coloring my Harry Potter book now, haha!

At the moment, their Etsy store is closed, but never fear! They are back on May 12^th! Mean while, you can browse and shop on their Society6 store! 😀

I took the liberty of selecting my favorite products of their Society6 store to show off here:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Can you tell I love thrown pillows? Hahaha!

Oh, and did I mention they ship internationally? 😀 They do!

You can find RiddlesTeaShoppe here:

Etsy | Society6 | Instagram | Twitter

That’s it, I hope you enjoyed the new section and RiddlesTeaShoppe! Thanks for reading and don’t forget to let me know about your favorite stores on the comments 😀

BOOK BLITZ: Elemental Secrets, by Elle Middaugh (The Essential Elements #1)

Hi, there! It’s time for a book blitz by Xpresso Book Tours! Meet our star, the first book in The Essential Elements series, by Elle Middaugh: Elemental Secrets!

Elemental Secrets
Elle Middaugh
The Essential Elements #1
Publication date: February 27th, 2016
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Valerie Moore was a beautiful, headstrong girl with below-average social skills and above-average anxiety (including a flair for over-analyzing).

With her mother long deceased, and her father recently deployed, she ends up being sent to live with her eccentric aunt in a tiny town nestled in the mountains of Pennsylvania. But, being a Navy brat had made her into a bit of a loner, and making friends certainly wasn’t her strongest suit. As if the life of a typical teen wasn’t hard enough.

But Valerie soon discovers she’s not a typical teenager. Not by a long shot.

SECRETS are revealed…

…About her family, about her newfound friends and relationships, and about her whole world… Things that have been kept from her for her entire life…

But the biggest secret of all is revealed when Valerie discovers that she has Elemental powers, and a chain of inexplicable and irrevocable events unleashes throughout the little town…

You can find Elemental Secrets in both paperback and ebook versions 😀

Amazon

Cade leaned against the wall just inside the doorway, eyeing us silently and intently. The warring emotions that blurred in his eyes were like the chaotic flashing of lights. I tried to pin down a few of them, but I wasn’t sure if I actually succeeded.

Curiosity. Suspicion. Disdain. Jealousy?

“What’s up, Cade,” Holden said, tossing out a calloused greeting.

He shook his dirty blond head. “Just waiting for my lab table to open up.”

His emerald eyes locked onto mine, slowing me, maybe slowing time itself, until I was barely creeping on my way to the door. I so desperately craved for him to talk to me, and jaw taut, lips pursed, he looked like he was fighting the urge to do just that.

But he didn’t. He just watched with a frustrated expression as I tiptoed out of the room.

My lime green sandals had barely touched the old checkered tiles of the hallway when I felt it. The whole school began to shake. It sent palpable vibrations up my legs and dust falling from the ceiling like mini waterfalls. Balance and gravity completely eluded me and I dropped to the floor like a dizzy drunk. A siren screamed at the top of its lungs as the already dim lights flickered off and on under the strain of the trembling.

“This is not a drill!” Principal Bauer bellowed quickly over the intercom. “Use earthquake protocol; drop and take cover immediately! I repeat, this is not a drill! Drop and take cover immediately!”

All fifty states were at some risk for earthquakes, I knew, but Pennsylvania virtually never had them. It was completely uncharacteristic and absolutely terrifying.

The lights took their last breath then, plummeting the school into a thicket of shadows.

I crawled haphazardly on the tiled floor, the ground rumbling violently beneath me, until I reached the classroom across the hall. Most of the desks were unoccupied, so I slid under one in the front and waited. The quaking was subsiding, but the hammering in my chest was as jarring as ever. Each rapid breath I took only prolonged the anxiety as I waited for the aftershock.

Other students crouched under desks, too, silent with fear, eyes wide and disoriented. Dust hovered like a chalky fog and had a number of kids sneezing, coughing, and gagging. I coughed, then glanced at my hands. My palms were scuffed and stinging, but luckily that was all.

Lightning flashed blindingly through the windows and across our faces as a violent downpour suddenly unleashed from the sky.

And holy shit, global warming might have been happening after all. I wasn’t sure how else to describe the phenomena erupting all around me, but pinning a name to the destruction was the least of my worries right then; I just wanted to get the hell out of there in one piece.

Elle Middaugh is a newly published author, born in the sticks outside of Clearfield, Pennsylvania. After moving around the east coast a number of times, she now lives in her hometown with her husband and three children.

Reading has been a favorite past time since Elementary School and choose-your-own-adventure books. Writing has been her dream since Middle School when she first began penning her own material. Being published is the most awesome achievement in her writing career so far, but she hopes for more exciting landmarks and stepping stones in the future!

She’s a proud Navy wife; a frazzle-brained mother; a homebody who dislikes cleaning; a fan of tennis, and fitness in general; a lover of hot tea, mountain dew, and all things fiction; and she’s a bigger My Little Pony fan than her children.

Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Welcome to a huge giveaway! There will be SIX lovely winners!

• Two lucky winners will take home a $10 Amazon Gift Card each;
• Another lucky winner will take home a SIGNED paperback of Elemental Secrets;
• And other three lucky winners will receive each a digital copy of Elemental Secrets!

No matter the prize you aim to win, if you desire to enter the giveaway, just click on the Rafflecopter link bellow and good luck! 😀

a Rafflecopter giveaway

That’s it, thanks for reading 😀