>About to launch

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WE’RE ABOUT TO LAUNCH!!

Monday, March 1st

We launch our brand new review website!

Michele ‘n Jeff’s Reviews, Author Interviews, and More

Our Lineup for the first week:

Monday-Keta Diablo

bio

interview

Review of Crossroads

Tuesday-Brett Edward Stout

Interview and review of Sugar Baby Bridge

Wednesday-Keta Diablo

Interview of Crossroads Revisited

Thursday-Damian Serbu

Interview and review of The Vampire’s Angel

Friday-Keta Diablo

Review of Crossroads Showdown

Saturday-Blog by Jeff

When Does a Book Fail?

Win a free copy of Keta Diablo’s Crossroads, by leaving a comment on our blog! Good Luck!!

>Thank You

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We wanted to say thank you to all of you amazing authors who have jumped right to the plate with us to make this review site possible. We’ve had a great response so far and look forward to seeing more authors find their way here.

We go live March 1st! We couldn’t have done this without all of you and we will keep looking to you for your support, so that we can in turn support you. If anyone has suggestions, requests, or just feel like blogging here, please shout. We’re listening.

Have a wonderful weekend and we’ll see you Monday.

Michele & Jeff

>Another Review Site? You’ve Got to be Kidding!

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As if there aren’t enough mm fiction review sites out there already, we’ve decided to throw our hat into the ring and give it a shot. Being that we both are authors, we did not originally intend to get into reviewing the work of other authors and creating a blog to highlight and promote their work. Over the course of the past year or so, however, we began noticing a trend amongst the established review blogs, and it became very disturbing to us.

It has always bothered us to see reviewers disparage a book, raking the author over the coals, and then to have these nasty reviews followed up by a stream of endless praise to the reviewer for their outstanding review. It is even more alarming when we see comments from these same readers stating that they will certainly never bother to touch the book that has just been ripped to shreds.

In our opinion, this is not the purpose of a book review. When we review books, we merely are offering the opinion of one single reader—ourselves. We may or may not agree with the theme of the book. We may or may not particularly fall in love with some of the characters in the book. We may or may not believe all of the elements of the plot are plausible or even logical. We do, however, recognize that if a book has been published, it is likely to possess at least some redeeming qualities. If we can absolutely find none, we will not bother to review that book at all. Instead we will allow our silence to speak on our behalf, and we will leave the book to be reviewed by other reviewers who may have different interpretations.

We do not believe that books should be rated based upon our personal relationships with the authors. We do not believe that self-published books should be regarded as sub-standard or of lower quality than traditionally published books. We do not believe that our job is to influence readers as to what they should or should not like. And we do not believe that our personal tastes in relation to fetish, relational dynamic, or specific form of sexual expression are the basis for which we should rate a book.

We, Michele and Jeff, want to offer readers an alternative to what is out there now. We want to have a much different type of review site. We want it to be one which celebrates the creativity and imagination of the author. We want it to be open to concepts and ideas which others have typically shunned. We want to offer our opinions as to what we like and then allow you to judge for yourself whether or not you agree.

We promise never to brag about how important we are or about how many people we influence. We promise not to ever discourage an author from responding to our reviews. We are not deity, and if we are going to criticize an author for something they have written, we certainly welcome their feedback. Who better is there to explain or defend a work than the author him/herself?

We understand the thousands of hours that go into writing, editing, and publishing a book. As reviewers we realize that the only time and effort that we invest is the amount it takes to read the book and to write a review. We are not placing ourselves above the author in a self-appointed position of importance. We feel privileged that the authors have shared their talent with us, and we feel it is our responsibility to be as fair and unbiased as possible.

We sincerely hope that we can bring readers and authors together in a forum where nobody claims to know it all. We’re all in this together, and we all just wanna read some great books. Bring em on!

>We Are Still Setting Up…….

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Welcome

Thank you for visiting and we welcome you. We are however still setting up – so hitch your star to our wagon or put us on your readers and you will be the first to know when we are up and running…


Authors and Publishers

We are always looking for books and authors to review and interview. If you’re an author or know of one who needs exposure, please let us know. If you are a publisher or a blog tour cordinator please send an email to MichelenJeff@live.com.
 
Once again

Thank you for coming by…

Michele n’ Jeff

>Book Angel

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>Bio – Michele & Jeff

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Michele, in her own words:

I live in a place where I allow my imagination to rule me. I have lived most all of my life wondering ‘What If?’ Things just sort of go from there. I have more fun sitting in front of my computer getting lost in my “characters’ lives” than riding a roller coaster. Then again I love playing the Sims too…something in common there?

It’s funny but when a writer says they get their ideas from everywhere, they are telling you the truth. I can sit in a restaurant, a bar, or the airport and out of nowhere an idea hits me, just by watching the people. I can sit there and come up with a story about his/her life right there. I can imagine what he or she is doing there at that moment and the next second I’m jotting down the plot and ignoring (not on purpose) the people I’m with. Used to be when I took the pad of paper out with a pen they kept talking and asking me questions, now they know that I’m lost in my own world, at least until I look up at them with a grin.

Inspiration is defined as Stimulation of the mind or emotions to a high level of feeling or activity. And let me tell you, that my mind is always in overdrive. I love to create a story and get lost in its hold, in my characters lives. I get going on it and let me tell you, I get so caught up in it that it’s what I’m thinking of when I go to bed and it’s what I’m thinking of when I open my eyes. Honestly, someone needs to invent a way for me to write while in the shower. I don’t know how to not think about the story I’m working with for just a day. I can’t just take a day off, because really it feels as if I’ll just explode if I can’t get it out. Basically once I’m working with an idea, I stay lost until that idea is down and in the form of a manuscript, and ready to be read. I am so blessed to have been given a Muse; she keeps me going even when I don’t think I can go anymore.

Most of the time you can catch me sitting at my computer with my Zune going, and believe it or not, nine times out of ten I can’t tell you what’s playing. If someone puts the TV on and I can see it, I’m a lost cause. However, there is a bright side to that; I bet I will come up with another idea for another story.

I have three kids, I’ve been married to the same wonderful man for so many years and we have three grand babies. Life is worth living for sure!! I live in Colorado with my husband where our children and grand children surround us. Are we lucky or what? The best of both I’d say.

As you’ve probably guessed, my passion is writing. I love to dream of make-believe places and people and make them come to reality so that I can share them. So, if anything that I write touches you in any way, and it leaves you thinking, then I can say I’ve done my job. And if you’d like, you’re welcome to send me an email, I’d love to hear from you.

Lisa, In Her Own Words:

I am an avid reader and have been as far back as my memories go. While my reading tastes have ventured far from my Dr. Seuss days, I do still enjoy reading books from a wide variety of genres. I don’t hold degrees in literature or creative writing, but I know what I love, and I enjoy sharing my love of books with others. I share my thoughts and feelings in hopes of enticing someone to perhaps leave their literary comfort zone and expand their boundaries, to venture into new territory with the hope that a story will touch or enlighten them in the same way it did for me. There’s nothing quite like discussing, analyzing, and critiquing a great book with friends.

I am fascinated and awed by the talent and creativity of the mere mortal author who can lure me into a story, draw me emotionally into the lives of the characters, and elicit myriad feelings from me with a simple turn of phrase. I feast on searching for the symbolism and deeper meanings of the words an author chooses. Nothing is more thrilling to me than following the alchemy of a story, watching a hero follow the journey the author has set for him; witnessing the hero’s defeats and ultimate triumphs as he comes to the end of the adventure. The quintessential story is one that leaves me thinking about the characters long after I close the cover of the book and tempts me to revisit them again, many times over.

I have one mantra that I follow: “Live and let live.” Prejudice, hatred, and intolerance have no place in my life. Maybe I have two mantras because “Love and let love” is the partner to my first.

I’m the mom to three amazing children, and the wife of the luckiest man on earth. That was a joke! I’m very truly the fortunate one, and I feel very blessed each and every day that he chose me to share his life with.

Christine, In Her Own Words:
Chris Hughes Bio

Chris is an avid reader, sometimes editor, and guest reviewer for Michele & Jeff.

I’ve always been an avid reader; I started reading when I was 3 and never stopped. I read through my school library in elementary school, and was probably the only person ever to get in trouble in Junior High for reading on the first day of school. (And crying when the teacher threw my book down and broke the spine). I get excited by “dime words,” good grammar, and other such “geeky” things. I’m a sucker for a happy ending.

I am the co-author of a study regarding chronic pain published in the Spring 1998 International Journal of Pharmaceutical Compounding

I work from home and seldom leave my computer, so I often am reading news, blogs, Facebook, or something work related.

When I do tear myself away from the computer you can find me with my nose buried in a book. With any luck it’s a mystery.

I’m happily married to my soul mate who also loves big words and good grammar, and unhappily living on the surface of the sun

Kathy, In Her Own Words:

Yikes… as always I have to admit to being an avid reader and I’ve been an avid reader for as long as I can remember…and sometimes that’s just too many years. *grin*

I’m married and a mother of 4 and I’m *sniff* an empty-nester. I do, however, still babysit from my home and my part-time kids are keeping me from losing myself completely in a book. Oh wait…never mind, I do that as a matter of course.

Give me a book and I’m a happy person…even better give me a group of people that like to talk books and I’m just as content. Gotta like when people know exactly where I’m coming from.

Actually, the list of what I don’t like to read is much, much smaller:

• I don’t / can’t read horror—especially those like the Stephen King books that have been made into movies, i.e. Christine…uh and any others like that.

• I’m not a huge fan of biographies…on the other hand three of my favourite books are The Agony and the Ecstasy, The Origin and Tuesdays With Morrie (okay yeah, they’re a little different) … but these are probably the exception to the rule.

• Not a big fan of non-fiction… I need my books to take me away to places that I’ll never be otherwise and, frankly, I want to enjoy myself when I’m there. Don’t bring real-life into my reading… I won’t thank you for it.

• And here I’m going out on a limb, but I’m really, really, REALLY not a fan of any books that are, for the most part, critically acclaimed, must-reads or considered classic literature. Well, except for a few… it’s that exception thing again…I have a hard time sticking to the ‘rules.’

What do I like to read? Well, romance – any kind be it romantic suspense or romantic comedy; then there’s m/m romances, as well as those in the paranormal, historical, contemporary and even BDSM genres. And thrillers, but the good guy(s) always have to win. And mysteries. But that’s all because I live a very white-bread life—of which I’m quite fond thankyouverymuch.

>Review policy

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Authors and Publishers…

Thank you for considering Michele and Jeff to review your books and conduct an interview with you, the creator.

We review all sub genres of M/M and gay fiction, including contemporary fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, horror, historicals, westerns, paranormal, BDSM, erotica, and young adult.

We do accept e-books and print copies.

We will try to review every book received, and we promise to give you our honest opinion. We will not harp on minor errors for we all are human and we all make mistakes. At times we are likely to have criticisms, and we may not particularly love every book we have elected to review, but we will always focus more on the positive than the negative. Although we do not often expect to be faced with the unfortunate responsibility of posting a negative review, we will reluctantly do so when warranted. We know how important fiction is to an author, and it is not our goal to disparage the work of writers. We merely offer our opinions.

We give priority to our review books, and we will try to have ARC reviews published within a week of their release. If the book already has been released, we will work with the author or publisher on scheduling a date for the review.

We will occasionally have contests, so if you’d like to donate a copy of your book, please let us know before you are being spotlighted for the week.

We enjoy participating in Blog tours, author interviews, guest posts and/or giveaways. Generally, we prefer to read the book being promoted before publishing these types of posts.

Thank you again for your interest in our Blog, and we look forward to working with you.

Disclosures:

Due to the new FTC regulations, we have added a source line to each of our reviews. If the source of the book is the publisher or author, we have received this book free of charge in order to read and review it. All of our reviews are fair and unbiased. The source of a book does not influence our opinion of the book itself.

michelenjeff@live.com