>Tales from the Sexual Underground

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Tales from the Sexual Underground
by Rick R. Reed
MLR Press
204 Pages
5 KISSES

Buy Here

Synopsis from Rick R. Reed:

I wanted to write about people who were not just out, but out there, people who lived their sexual lives in ways most of us could only imagine…and for whom the flavor vanilla had absolutely no appeal. I interviewed porn stars, prostitutes, self-proclaimed sex pigs, and delved into bizarre sexual practices. It was eye-opening, arousing, and a lot of fun (but never, never good clean fun). I also include here my favorite dirty stories. They all explore a side of life that exists not in the twilight zone, but in my favorite destination…the sexual underground.

Review:

Dear Reader – If I may be so presumptuous as to believe anyone will ever bother reading this, you may be asking yourself, as I was throughout, why would a middle aged, Midwestern suburban housewife be reading a book called Tales From the Sexual Underground?

I spent my young adult years in the ‘80s, cutting my teeth on the principle of “I want it all, and I want it now”. [:bows to Freddy Mercury:] I am the “Me” generation. I spent many a night out clubbing with friends…I think…I don’t remember much of it, but I’m fairly certain I was there. I’ll never win any medals for sainthood, but compared to the characters in Tales, I’m practically virginal. So what would someone whose life experiences, in comparison, could never be labeled as anything quite so bold as vanilla, find remotely interesting in a book dealing with homo-erotica, fetishism, kink, voyeurism, exhibitionism, psychological egoism, psychological hedonism, and drug use? White rice? Wonder Bread? Yeah, those are pretty bland…I’m white rice and Wonder Bread, and I really liked this book.

Back to my original question: Why this book? Well, I probably wouldn’t have ever picked it up if I hadn’t been assigned to review it for Michele and Jeff’s Blog. I got to put my money where my mouth is with this one. Have I said I love a book that pushes my boundaries, makes me think, takes me out of my comfort zone? Boundaries, meet Rick Reed. Comfort zone – that has been expanded to somewhere near the ozone layer. I challenge any author to even try to find my boundaries again.

Tales From the Sexual Underground is written in a series of short vignettes, interviews, essays, and exposés. This is Mr. Reed’s magnum opus to sex, sexuality, and everything else the deepest, darkest recesses of your mind can imagine. I laughed hysterically at some parts – Sick Day will teach you the true definition of AWK-WARD, Cyberinfidelity had me nodding in agreement, Craigslist left me buggy eyed and slack jawed at the end and filled me with horror at the possibilities of what may have transpired: Boss, father, brother, uncle, grandfather, brother-in-law, second cousin twice removed? Rick Reed doesn’t reveal, but my imagination is fertile enough that I left myself in shock after reading it. My Perfect Date was beautiful and sensual, and The Dream People was profound and poignant. I yelled out loud, gave unsolicited advice, (Case in Point: If your man tells you he can have sex with other people without being emotionally unfaithful to you…yeah…cut your losses and kick his ass to the curb, Honey. If he’s thought about it enough to bring it up to you, the deed’s already been done.) I screamed, “Oh no, he did not just go there!”, looked on in amazement to see what lengths a person will go to for a quick orgasm, and the risks that a person will take, even to the point of ignoring his own fears and instincts, for a moment’s gratification. So many times throughout this books, my emotions juxtaposed one another; I bounced from fascination to trepidation to, “Holy shit! Do people really do that?!” from one paragraph to the next. It’s truly a whiplash read.

I still don’t feel as if I’ve adequately answered the “why” though. I’ve been in a happily monogamous, loving relationship for over 20 years. (Don’t scoff all you naysayers. It can be done. ) Some things in the book, my brain had a difficult time ciphering. I simply couldn’t relate to more than a few situations – let’s face it, I’ll never be able to walk a mile in the shoes of a gay man – but that didn’t deter from the awe I felt at how in depth Rick Reed goes to expose the darker underbelly of this world in which he’s lived.

The Gods’ honest truth is that I guess I’m transfixed by the male mind. Men say women are complicated? Pfffft. As if! Trying to figure out the machinations of the male mind is about as simple as attempting to put furniture together with instructions written in Chinese. If you ever come close to getting it figured out, simply enjoy what you’ve accomplished, even if you do have to tilt your head a little to the left and close one eye to make it work. Then pat yourself on the back for tackling this beautiful and complex book.

Review by Lisa

>S.J. Frost No Fear (Conquest # 2)

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No Fear
by: S. J. Frost
MLR Press  
368 Pages
5 KISSES
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Synopsis:

After touring for more than a year with his band, Conquest, singer Jesse Alexander is ready to head home for a long rest with his partner, superstar vocalist, Evan Arden. When it’s time to hit the studio again, there’s competition from two new bands and tensions reach a breaking point that threaten not only Conquest’s future, but Jesse’s relationship with Evan. As he faces challenges unlike any he’s ever known, Jesse must somehow keep it together to duplicate Conquest’s success and reach his ultimate goal: showing NO FEAR and announcing his love of Evan publicly.

Review:

I’m such a sucker for a fairytale romance, and as fairytales go, No Fear is a contender for a spot at the top of my list. There are books whose strengths lie in their plots, and those whose strengths lie in their protagonists. Conquest introduced Jesse and Evan, and it didn’t take long for me to realize that S.J. Frost’s mastery lies in character development, creating two of the most dynamic and magnetic personalities to ever leap off the pages. That’s not to imply that the plots of the stories don’t hold up to scrutiny, they do just fine in their own right, but for me it’s Jesse, Evan and the long list of appealing minor characters who leave me anxious to see what’s coming up next.

I know there are frequently cases where the sequels in a series can’t quite live up to the emotions and reactions of the book that introduces the readers to the world the author has built, but in the case of No Fear, my expectations were exceeded by a cohesive and well written story that deepened the connection between reader and characters. The extraneous attention to detail that sometimes bogged down Conquest and interrupted the flow of the story for me, was much better managed in No Fear. I also believe S.J. Frost truly excelled at the poetry of both the song lyrics and the substance she infused into Jesse and Evan’s bond. Their relationship and love for one another is a distinct and nearly tangible character in its own right. The progression of their romance has never felt forced, rushed, or inauthentic. Love at first sight may not be an altogether common phenomena, but for Jesse and Evan, the belief that such a profound attraction and sudden connection can exist is due wholly to the authors ability to make the characters’ emotions palpable to the reader.

Different books strike a chord in different readers for different reasons. For me, No Fear played directly to my love for character and relationship exposition, solidifying the foundation built in Conquest that will ensure I’ll follow these characters for as long as I’m gifted with books to read.

review by: Lisa  

>Blue Moon Cafe by Rick R. Reed

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Blue Moon Cafe

by Rick R. Reed

Amber Quill Press
182 Pages

3.5 KISSES

Buy Here

Synopsis:

Someone—or something—is killing Seattle’s gay men.

A creature moves through the darkest night, lit only by the full moon, taking them, one by one, from the rainy city’s gay gathering areas.

Someone—or something—is falling in love with Thad Matthews.

Against a backdrop of horror and fear, young Thad finds his first true love in the most unlikely of places—a new Italian restaurant called The Blue Moon Café. Sam is everything Thad has ever dreamed of in a man: compassionate, giving, handsome, and with brown eyes Thad feels he could sink into. And Sam can cook! But as the pair’s love begins to grow, so do the questions and uncertainties, the main one being, why do Sam’s unexplained disappearances always coincide with the full moon?

Review:

Rick Reed opens The Blue Moon Café gifting the reader with a rather abstract and chilling view from the eyes of a monster. Through this predator’s eyes, the reader gets a very real sense that the beast is culling his victims from the herd, as emotionally detached as a wolf would be choosing his prey from a flock of sheep – the significant difference being that this beast’s victims are very much human, and the killings are viciously brutal, not committed for survival but for pure malevolence. This eerie perspective sets the tone well for the horror and tension woven throughout the book.

Thad Matthews is a young unemployed man living in Seattle without much definition or purpose to his days. He is a relatable “every-guy” filled with the same longings, ambitions, insecurities and needs as anyone the reader may be personally acquainted with. He lives alone with his alpha Chihuahua, Edith, who I came to love as much as any other character in the book. Edith soon comes to prove that dogs are an excellent judge of character.

In a decision to shake off the stupor of hours of internet job searching, Thad makes a decision to treat himself to a night out, which he can’t afford, with the anticipation that he might even find someone to spend a night of passion with. Like a predator baiting a lure, Thad dresses to thrill and sets out for the Blue Moon Café, and in what can only be described as synchronicity, he meets Sam Lupino.

Sam is the owner and head chef of the Blue Moon Café, and also happens to be a werewolf in a family of werewolves. Ensnared in Thad’s seductive trap, Sam is instantly drawn to him and the drama soon begins. After a night of primal sex, Sam leaves an “it’s-not-you-it’s me” style goodbye note and disappears, not for the last time, from Thad’s life. From that point on, Thad is treated to secrets and outright fabrications that prey on each one of his insecurities.

I give Rick Reed major points for not following a romantic formula with his characters. As the reader becomes more involved in the story, it becomes clear that this is not one in which the protagonists will do anything as simplistic and cliché as riding off into the sunset together. In fact, I spent the entirety of the book mentally pushing Thad into the arms of his best friend, Jared Holmes. In a teaser of an ending, Mr. Reed left me hoping that this book will be followed up with a sequel sometime in the near future.

I had a few niggling concerns with the book that, while they were a minor distraction from the overall story, they far from discouraged me from enjoying it. The first concern is that, other than in the first few pages of the book, never again is it mentioned that Thad is concerned about his unemployment. We’re not privy to his financial circumstances, but he does mention a number of times that he must live frugally, yet he doesn’t seem to be anxious to find work. My second concern comes in the form of a character who is introduced at nearly the 11th hour, plays a rather large role in the story, then is never seen or heard from again. This made him seem like a device rather than a necessary component to the overall story. Lastly, while Sam and Thad are definitely a star-crossed (moon-crossed?) couple, I never really felt an absolute connection, other than physically, between the two. I’d have liked a bit more exposition into their attraction for one another through conversations and time spent together, and I’d also have appreciated a bit more substance to the mythology of the werewolves, but as the saying goes, “If they say the moon is blue, we must believe that it is true.”

As a horror/mystery/thriller, The Blue Moon Café is an effective and enjoyable book. Rick Reed delivers both a plausible motive for the killings in Seattle, and believable perpetrator for the crimes. As a romance, the book left me with some unresolved feelings, but those are minor enough that it wouldn’t keep me from recommending the book to others.

Review by Lisa

>S.J. Frost

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S.J. Frost

Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions, S.J. Can you tell us a little bit about your background?

Hi, Michele! Thanks so much for having me here! My background, let’s see…I’ve been writing for years, and even when I was young before knowing how to physically write, I would make up stories for myself. When I hit college, that’s when I started to get more serious about writing and that’s when I first realized I wanted to become a published author, with a little help from one of my characters, Jesse Alexander.

What was your first book and how long did it take to get it published?

My first full length novel was Conquest. I wrote it back in 2005, but at that time, really wasn’t sure what to do with. I knew I wanted to get it published, but hadn’t a clue how to go about doing that. So I spent a lot of time researching the industry, and decided to build a portfolio of smaller published works to show a publisher that I was a serious author. While I worked on getting short stories published, I continued working on Conquest to make it stronger. When I finally got up the courage to submit to publishers in late 2008, it didn’t take long before that acceptance came from MLR Press and Conquest was published in 2009.

When did you start writing mm romance ? What about this genre interested you the most?

Conquest was the first m/m romance I’d written, though I had a fantasy series I was working on before with a gay character. For me, Conquest was the first thing I’d written that felt really important. I’m a strong believer that all people have a right to equality and love, and with writing Conquest and m/m romance, I found a way to express that belief.

How many books have you written thus far?

Published, I have two novels with a third releasing in July, and I’ve had some short stories in various anthologies. For novels in the works, too many!

Do you write full time?

Oh, I wish! I’m a stay-at-home mom, so that’s my full-time job. But I do write as much and as often as I can.

Looking back was there something in particular that helped you to decide to become a writer? Did you choose it or did the profession choose you?

I think it chose me. I never really had a clear vision of what I wanted to do for a career. I attempted studying legal assisting in college, but wasn’t happy with it. When it hit one day writing was what I really wanted to do, it was quite a revelation and now I couldn’t be more thrilled to be able to share my work with people.

On a typical writing day, how would you spend your time?

Usually I start with looking over the last few paragraphs I wrote the day before to get it fresh in my mind again, but then I jump in and start going!

When it comes to plotting, do you write freely or plan everything in advance?

I’m a total fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants author, so normally, I just pop open Word and go where the story takes me. I’m not organized enough to do outlines, notes, or tape recorders. It can be hard not always knowing where I’m going, but sooner or later I find the ending.

What kind of research do you do before and during a new book?

I do a ton of research before going into a story, and throughout writing, I’ll double and triple check my facts. I try very hard to keep my stories accurate to whatever the topic is, whether the character is a rock star or a samurai. A lot of my research is done online, and even then I’ll check facts against different websites to make sure I’m getting the right info. If it’s something I can research in person, like a type of cologne, then off I’ll go to see for myself. I’m a bit obsessive like that!

How much of yourself and the people you know manifest into your characters? How do you approach development of your characters? Where do you draw the line?

My characters are really individuals in of themselves. If there is some of me in them, it’s unconscious and I don’t recognize it. They’re certainly all more interesting that me! Most of the time, they just come to me. There might be a theme I’d like to write, say surfers like for my short story in the Surfer Boys anthology, and if I keep that subject in mind, sooner or later a character steps forward. But some, like Jesse from Conquest and No Fear, just burst forward with ready to talk.

How long does it take for you to complete a book you would allow someone to read?

Depending on how much time I’m given to write and how much the characters are talking, I’d say about one to three months. But usually, it has to be pried away from me because I feel like nothing I ever write is finished or polished enough, and that’s just to let my editor see it. It’s a bit longer before I’ll let readers see it. It’s that darn obsessiveness again of wanting everything to be as perfect as possible!

Do you write straight through, or do you revise as you go along?

I write straight through, clawing and fighting my way to the ending! Once I get there, it’s always such a relief and I feel like the hard part is over. I have the finished shell of a story that I can go over again and again, and build upon.

Writers often go on about writer’s block. Do you ever suffer from it, and what measures do you take to get past it?

I’ve never suffered from a long bout of writer’s block. Oh, but now that I’ve said that, get me a forest’s worth of wood to knock on! I do, though, have a fear of it hitting someday. I think all writer’s do deep down, that someday the creative well will be empty. I’ve had times where I’ve hit hard points in a story where I don’t know what to do, and at those moments, just stepping away, doing something else, listening to some music, usually helps me work through it.

When someone reads one of your books for the first time, what do you hope they gain, feel, or experience?

My biggest hope is they’ll enjoy it, and as they finish the last word, they’ll have a good feeling in their heart. No matter what challenges my characters face, in the end, I want my readers to walk away feeling positive.

Can you share three things you’ve learned about the business of writing since your first publication?

Number one – a good editor is worth their weight in gold. I’m very fortunate to have one of the best editors around working with me at MLR Press, Kris Jacen. I can’t tell you how much I’ve learned from her and how with every book, she makes me a better author. Number two – Friendships with other authors and readers are invaluable. To have support around you, people who can understand the downs of writing and who you can share the ups with make it so much sweeter than trying to struggle alone. Number three – Never give up. If you have a story you believe in, even if you’re handed rejection after rejection, keep polishing and working on that story until you get it out there. It really is true that rejection isn’t personal, and where one house might think you’re work isn’t right for them, another will love it, so stay strong.

Does the title of a book you’re writing come to you as you’re writing it, or does it come before you even begin the first sentence?

Mine usually come to me as I’m writing. Or sometimes, like the one I just finished the first draft of, I’m still pondering between a couple choices. It’s so crazy that I can write a 100K word novel, but sometimes struggle coming up with a couple words for a title!

How would you describe your sense of humor? Who and what makes you laugh?

I shouldn’t admit it, buts it’s probably a little on the immature side. I’ll giggle at the silliest things. And my husband is really good at making me laugh.

What is the most frequently asked S.J. question?

I’d say since all my novels so far are centered around rock stars and the music world, I get asked a lot what bands I listen to, and if Jesse and Evan were inspired by real life musicians. Which I listen to all types of music, everything from rock to classical, and even though when I was writing Conquest and No Fear, I didn’t base Jesse and Evan off any particular artists, there are a couple who I hear them in now. But that’s a secret. I keep it to myself because I don’t want to influence readers’ opinions on what they sound like. I want readers to make them their own.

When it comes to promotion, what lengths have you gone to in order to increase reader-awareness of your work?

I hang out on Yahoo groups like author Ethan Day’s quite a bit. I’ve done some advertising, and I have my website, Facebook, and other social sites. I might be launching a blog in the near future to try and see if I can be the most boring blogger ever, which I think I stand a good chance at. Oh, and doing interviews, of course

Writing is obviously not just how you make your living, but your life-style as well. What do you do to keep the creative “spark” alive – both in your work and out of it?

My muse loves music, so I listen to quite a bit. The ideas just flow when I have some good songs playing. But I’ve also found sometimes I have to step away from a story because if I keep hammering, it almost starts to suffocate the spark. Letting it have some air lets it burn brighter.

What pros and cons surround the e-publishing industry, and how do you envision the future of e-publishing?

I believe ebooks are going to do to publishing what MP3s did to music. I know very few people who buy CDs now. There’s nothing like being able to click a button in the comfort of your home and have your purchase within seconds. That instant gratification is a huge pro for consumers with ebooks. And not only that, just like how MP3s have made it so easy to access international artists, ebooks have done the same thing in being able to take an author’s book worldwide.


Really, the only downside with ebooks that I see is the pirating. It seems like authorities take the theft of music and movies so much more seriously than the theft of books, which I completely don’t understand. I just wish there was a way to secure ebooks more, like if there could be a security code on them where the book would self-destruct if it was broken. Hopefully something in the future will come out about to help with that.

What kind of books do you like to read?

I’ll read pretty much anything. M/M erotic romance, historical fiction, fantasy. All that matters to me is there are characters I can get attached to. If so, I’ll read it!

If you weren’t a writer what would you be?

I’d probably still want to work in the book business in someway, but taking the whole book aspect out of it, I’d like to be in the music industry. Not playing, though. I sadly haven’t a hint of talent!

I recently read your novels Conquest and No Fear. Where did you get the ideas for those stories?

They really came with the main character, Jesse Alexander. Back in 2005, I was in a creative writing class and given the assignment to do a dialogue exercise. As I was walking through campus after class, mentally complaining because the prof said we couldn’t use any characters already presented in class and I didn’t know what to write, all of a sudden, there was Jesse, standing front and center in my mind. He started telling his story, and for my assignment, I submitted the part of the first chapter where he and his brother are talking about Jesse’s music, which I got an A on!

But also, the professor told me it was my best work, and Jesse still wanted to talk. Conquest was my first contemporary romance, and it was also the first m/m I’d written. But the most special of all the firsts, it was the first time I’d written something that I knew I wanted to get published because I believed in it so much.

When it comes to the covers of your books, what do you like or dislike about them?

I love all my covers. I’m lucky at MLR Press to have some input into my covers, though, usually my ideas are pretty rough, which makes me even luckier that I’ve had an amazing cover artist for all my books there, Deana C. Jamroz. She does really wonderful work and has been able to take my fumbling with ideas and craft something beautiful.

Aside from writing, what else do you enjoy doing?

I love spending time with my horses. They’re very relaxing to be around. Reading and watching movies are favorite pastimes too, even though I haven’t been able to do much of either lately. My child keeps me hopping, so all my free time these days goes into writing. But I also like being outdoors, going for walks in the woods with my dogs and little guy.

Any special projects coming out soon we should watch for?

Yep! The third Conquest novel, Keys to Love, which follows keyboardist and pianist, Julian Forrester, will be releasing this July!

New writers are always trying to glean advice from those with more experience. What suggestions do you have for new writers?

I think one of the biggest things you can do for yourself is network and build friendships in the business. When I was trying to get published, I shouldered it alone, not even knowing where I could go to make connections. If only I’d known what a huge community of writers is on Facebook and the other social networking sites, not to mention authors’ Yahoo groups like Ethan Day’s I mentioned earlier. The support on these groups is amazing, everyone is so kind and helpful. And all the authors I know are always willing to take a moment to give advice if an aspiring author asks them for it.

The other big thing, don’t give up. Sadly, rejection happens. And sometimes, it happens a lot. That in no way means you should give up. I try to look at it that rejection is nothing more than an opportunity to improve. If you get one, just look at your story and ask yourself, what can I do to make it stronger? But never give up!

What future projects do you have in the works?

The top three I’m working on are all m/m. One is centered around a rock band other than Conquest. Another is a vampire erotic romance. And the third is focused on a classical violinist. Now I just have to decide who gets my full attention next!

Can you please tell us where we can find you and your books on the Internet?

I can be found on my website, http://www.sjfrost.com/. I have my contact info there, along with my Facebook and other social sites. Feel free to friend me on any of those sites! And my novels can be found at MLR Press, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and many more stores. I’ve been in a few anthologies too, and the info on those short stories can also be found on my website.

Are there any fun facts about S.J. Frost that you think your readers would like to know about?

But here’s where it goes back to me being boring again! Well, I don’t know if this is fun or mental, but I have to eat a piece of dark chocolate everyday and especially when I’m getting ready to write. If I don’t I’ll struggle with writing until I do!

Quick, name five things under your bed.

Most likely a sock or two, a cat or two, some other things I won’t say, but I’ll let your imagination run wild…

What is your favorite T.V. show/movie? Ever.

The Black Stallion. I’ve loved that movie since I was a little girl.

Do you have any pets? What are they and their names?

I sure do! Ready for the list? Here goes!
The Dogs
Dusty – Collie
Shane – German Shepherd

The Cats (yeah, I live in the country. If you have a barn, the stray cats will come.)
Mercury
Keegan
Keira
Yuki
Spazzy

The Horses
Chick – Paint
Stormy – Paint
Sierra – Paint
Caleb – Clydesdale
And coming soon…a baby Paint from Stormy and Chick.

>Conquest by S.J. Frost

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Conquest

by S.J. Frost
MLR Press
376 Pages
4.5 KISSES

Buy Here

Synopsis:

Vocally gifted singer, Jesse Alexander, has dreams of taking his band, Conquest, to the top. Evan Arden was thought of as a musical genius when at the height of his career he vanished from the spotlight. Together, their relationship is just as intense as their music careers. With success pushing down on them, Jesse must decide between his life of music, or his life with Evan.

Review:

S.J. Frost has just introduced me to two characters who, based on my brief acquaintance with them so far, will go down as an all time favorite literary couple. Jesse and Evan are dynamic personalities individually, but together they are an absolute force of nature – not a breath of fresh air, but a hurricane force wind that comes along and simply blows the reader away.

There are no subtleties here, no attempts at masking Conquest as something other than a sweetly romantic love story between two very engaging and lovable characters, and I enjoyed the book immensely. It wasn’t flawless, but a book doesn’t need to be when it’s built around characters who are created and developed as brilliantly as Jesse and Evan. They are kindred spirits, they are two souls bound together by a love so profound as to be beyond explanation, and Conquest is the perfect book for the reader who enjoys becoming involved in a story highlighting the emotions and rush of a new romance. I am an emotional reader, so for those who respect an author’s ability to grab hold of your heartstrings and play your emotions like a prodigy on a Stradivarius, Conquest is pitched perfectly. It is sensual, it is seductive, and it will leave you absolutely breathless with every encounter between these two compelling men.

There was truly only one concern I had with the book, and that is, while I enjoy the techniques an author employs to create and help me fully realize the images in a scene, there were times when I felt that the descriptives in Conquest were a bit too overwhelming to the flow of the plot. In many cases, the details neither helped to advance the story, nor were they particularly helpful to set the mood of the scene, and I found myself skimming a little without feeling as if I were missing threads that would weave the story together more tightly. There are times when it’s OK to allow the reader to use his/her imagination rather than overwhelm with details, but this was such a minor misstep that it absolutely did nothing to detract from my enjoyment of the book as a whole.

If I’ve been too subtle in my praise thus far, let me just reiterate that it’s Jesse and Evan; their charisma, their charm, and the way in which S. J. Frost draws the reader into their relationship and keeps you cheering this couple on that makes the book a recommendable read. They are magnetic, and they will draw you into their lives until you want nothing more than to revolve around them. I’m absolutely looking forward to the sequel very much.
Review by Lisa

>Hard Fall by James Buchanan

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Hard Fall

By James Buchanan
MLR Press
230 Pages
5+KISSES
Buy Here

Blurb:

Deputy Joe Peterson is Mormon and in the closet. Then ex-con Kabe Varghese lands in town on parole. When a tourist falls off the mountain, Joe finds he needs the help of this cliff climbing adrenaline junky to solve the case. Will Kabe tear him apart or does Joe need to fall hard before he can start living?

Review:

Joe Peterson lives in the small town of Panquich, Utah where he is a deputy sheriff. Joe is a country boy, through-and-through, and he devoutly clings to the traditions of his Mormon faith. He has a penchant for rock climbing, and is by all intents and purposes what you may consider a pragmatic, conservative survivalist. Ironically, Joe is also gay.

When a local couple asks Joe to keep an eye on their ranch while they are away, he encounters Kabe Varghese, the ranch owners’ nephew. Kabe is new to the area, and Joe discovers that he has a criminal record. Kabe is on parole after doing time for a drug possession charge, and thus he has come to stay at the ranch for the duration of this two-year probationary period. Kabe is an avid rock climber himself, and of course he is also gay.

When Joe is called out to the ranch to investigate the death of a tourist who had been hiking on nearby property, he enlists the help of Kabe. They must descend the side of a cliff to retrieve the body of this female tourist who had apparently fallen to her death.

Initially Joe and Kabe do not see eye-to-eye, opposite one another in so many ways. As straight-laced and conservative as Joe is, Kabe is equally as free-spirited and rebellious. In spite of their distrust of one another, they form a bond as they begin to focus upon the investigation of this potential murder.

Written in first-person singular from Joe’s point-of-view, the vocabulary and writing style was very disturbing to me. It was so jarring, in fact, that I almost abandoned the read altogether. This is not to say, however, that I felt it was poorly written or edited. Contrarily, it was very skillfully written in what I believe to be a very natural and authentic presentation of rural-northwestern dialect. I must admit, though, that I visibly winced every time the wrong verb tense was used (such as “we was” or “he weren’t”), and the use of the words “If’n”, “cain’t”, “wontcha”, “y’all”, and numerous other slang expressions was enough to send my OCD into overdrive.

I am so thankful that I was able to adapt to the narrator’s accent because this book ended up being one of the most spectacular gay-themed, D/s, love stories that I have ever read. There are so many wonderful things I could possibly say about this book, that I easily could write a novel of my own simply for the purpose of extolling its virtues.

Firstly, it contained all of the classic elements of Dom-sub attraction. Joe is a natural-born leader. He is a pragmatist who makes decisions automatically and confidently. He is a black-and-white thinker who is very concerned with protocol and chains-of-command.

Kabe is sweet and sincere, and he is easily led by his heart. The initial trouble he had gotten himself into was the result of misplaced trust in a person whom he had once idolized. He had been seeking guidance, and in the process he was led astray.

Secondly, the characterization in the story is not only brilliant, but also amazingly realistic. I’ve encountered numerous stories in which the submissive character is fully fleshed out, but the Doms always seem to be an enigma. This story was written from the Dominant’s point of view, and it was amazingly and authentically insightful.

I especially loved the manner in which Joe’s dominant identity was awakened within him. This is precisely what happens in reality. A true submissive will awaken a true Dominant, and omg, when it happens, it is electrifying! Oh man, this review is so hard to write without spoilers, and I hope the author will forgive me for saying this, but this awakening to which I’m referring occurs during a wicked hot spank scene. It is so intensely powerful that afterwards the Dom is overcome with emotion. Reading it literally reduced me to a fit of sobbing.

And one more thing about the characterization: I loved the way Kabe arced during the story. It was not so much that he actually changed, but his vulnerability was exposed. Initially he was so guarded, and I could definitely understand this. He had been badly burned, taking the fall for someone whom he loved. There is a telephone conversation that Kabe has with his grandmother in which he reveals this vulnerability and describes why he is drawn to and needs Joe so desperately. Joe overhears the conversation inadvertently, and again…it is very emotional.

Thirdly—and this is a BIGGIE—let’s talk about the sex! Oh my word, the sex is amazing. Don’t get me wrong, this story is not laced with unnecessary sex scenes. In fact I believe that during the course of this 230 page novel there are only five scenes, but they are utterly perfect. These scenes made me fall in love with Joe. I literally wanted to crawl into the pages of this book and serve him myself. All I can say is you’ve got to read them.

Fourthly, I was beyond impressed by the manner in which Joe’s religious conflict was presented. Perhaps the most difficult issue that a gay person has to face within our society is the reconciliation of their faith with their identity. Many people who are not raised in a religious or rural environment have no understanding of this reality. They seem to think that a person should be able to just get over it and realize that the religion is a bunch of crap. In truth, however, our religious beliefs are often as strongly rooted within our identities as are our sexual orientations. I respect and appreciate that the author did not once trash the Mormon faith. The bigotry that existed within this religious community was exposed, but it was not generalized in a manner in which all people of faith were painted as homophobes. Kudos to the author for this respectful and sensitive presentation. I might also add that it was incredibly well-researched and spot-on accurate.

Fifthly and finally, I must comment on the mainstream presentation of the Dom/sub dynamic. This is a personal pet peeve of mine within BDSM literature. I rarely read BDSM due to the fact that for the most part it is so outrageously exaggerated. In Hard Fall, though, it is as real as it gets. There is no leather or costumes or wild fetish. There is, however, bondage and power-play, and the Top is always the Top—the bottom is always the bottom. It is presented not as a roleplay, though, but rather as a dynamic. It’s a matter of identity, and if you cannot understand this concept, you should not write BDSM. Buchanan obviously does understand!

I see why this book was nominated for the National Leather Association International Writing Award. My only surprise is that it did not win. Hard Fall has moved onto my short list of favorite-books-of-all-time. I highly recommend this read.

Review by Jeff

>If I Never by Gary William Murning

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If I Never
by Gary William Murning
Legend Press Ltd.
399 Pages
3 KISSES

Buy Here

Synopsis:

Price is used to living within the shadow of threatening friend George – forever in the fear that not to follow his lead with will end with a beating. However, new developments mean his life finally seems to be moving from the dormant and gaining some positive development. Before long, though, George is back and Price finds himself following his friend once more. But this time it is different – secrets are discovered, decisions are to be made and life and perspective will never be the same again. If I Never is a novel about asking questions but being unsure if you want to know the answers.

Review:

I’ve come to discover that there are books I love which are well written, books I love which aren’t particularly well written, and books that are beautifully written but, for whatever reason, they simply don’t strike a chord in me. If I Never is a book that so very clearly had the best of intentions, and I really wanted to love it, but in the end I can’t say, for me, that it accomplished everything it may have set out to be.

Its themes are universal, and its world is populated by its share of misfits, slackers, pessimists, deviants, the afflicted, the dejected, the helpless, and the hopeless. Some of these characters are prisoners in a cell of their own making; some are prisoners of their own minds and bodies. Some seek to help others through compassion, some seek to gain help through fear and intimidation. The story tackles the question of whether there is such a principal as altruism, or if we help others simply because it makes us feel good about ourselves.

Among the characters are the protagonists, Price Waters and Tara Pearson, a couple who suffer from their own afflictions and prove that there is a perfect someone for everyone in this world, and are two who bring a semblance of hope to the story. They see that they gain freedom from being defined by their afflictions by looking, not at what they are individually, but seeking out the strength of what they can become together.

There is a reference in the book to a quote by Jean-Paul Sartre, and I’m not exactly certain whether I’ve found the correct one, but his quote, “We are our choices”, seems to describe the way in which the characters and story evolve throughout the telling of the tale. It’s the choices we make that shape and define our character, and it’s the tragedy of continually making poor choices, then wallowing in the misery of our own making, that isolates us and prevents us from experiencing what it means to be a participant in the human race.

There’s a line in the book, “It’s false hope, not money that makes the world go round”, it’s hope that’s founded in an extremely unlikely outcome that many times is the only motivation some have to continue to participate in life. Life and love are a leap of faith, and sometimes taking that leap means all you can do is hope for the best outcome.

If I Never is a book that makes you think. It’s a book that causes you to ask questions and explore your own conscience. It’s a book that Gary William Murning poured his heart and talent into, but in the end, the plot and pacing of the story prevented me from becoming entirely immersed in the world he created.

Review by Lisa

>120 Days Later…We’re Still Here!!

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Thank You!!

It has now been 120 days since we launched our website, Michele n Jeff Reviews! And boy, it’s been an incredibly busy four months. To our delight, we have been privileged to have the honor of featuring some of our favorite authors. Our focus has largely been upon the m/m fiction genre, but we have also highlighted a few m/f, transgender, and young adult themed books.

We have brought you forty author interviews, 87 book reviews, and numerous excerpts. Our website has been visited over 2,000 times since we began counting (about a month after our initial launch).

Our unique approach to presenting the work of each author has given us a distinction from other m/m review sites, in that we do not merely post random reviews of books we have read, but instead we give each author a spotlight in which they can make themselves accessible to their readers by participating in an interview. We then read and review three or four of their published books or stories and often post an excerpt of their writing.

Although our reviews are honest opinions, we make a conscious effort to keep our focus positive. We each have our own preferences and biases, but we also recognize that readers and authors alike are extremely diverse. What may not be to the liking of one particular reviewer may be wildly popular with readers. It is never our goal to negatively influence the buying decision of a reader. If we did not find a book appealing, we are not pleased to hear that a reader has nixed it from their TBR pile. Contrarily, we would encourage readers to check it out and see if they may have a more positive opinion of the book.

Other review sites have held to a standard that authors are to be seen but not heard, and this particular viewpoint is the polar opposite of our philosophy. We welcome the feedback and/or rebuttal of any author whose books we have reviewed. If something did not work for us as reviewers, we’d love to hear the author’s take—why they made the choices they did while writing the book. If we have the audacity to publicly criticize a piece of literature, we feel we should be able to shoulder a little bit of criticism in return.

Recently we added a third reviewer to our team, and if you’ve yet read any of her reviews you already are aware that she is a fabulous reviewer. Lisa presents very detailed and insightful reviews which are intelligent, carefully-edited, and well-supported. We are thrilled to have her on board, and look forward to a lot more reviews from her.

We are still on the lookout for more guest reviewers and possibly even a couple more “regulars”.

In the coming months we have a lot of exciting things planned. You can expect to see a horror-themed week, a sports-themed week, a young adult week, and a yaoi week, as well as a lot more interviews which are specifically tailored and unique for each author. We also plan to focus some attention upon the talented cover artists who design some of these amazing bookjackets.

Thank you for helping to make our web site a success, and we are hopeful that this is merely the beginning. There are so many more authors to feature and so many more wonderful books to review. Keep em coming!! Thanks to your support, we are starting to hear the phrase “new review site” a lot less than we used to. Thanks again for visiting our site!!

>Dark Needs by Mychael Black and Shayne Carmichael

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Dark Needs

by Mychael Black and Shayne Carmichael
188 Pages
Phaze Books

5 KISSES

Buy Here

Blurb:

The Power of Two: As a vampire Master, Dominic has been eyeing his old friend, Grifith for quite a while. But being a Master in his own right, Grif resisted the notion of Dominic controlling him in any way. With startling skill, Dominic sets out to change that refusal. He has his own deep interest in him, born of watching Grif’s submission at the hand of another Master. Even though Dominic can’t help but toy with his old friend, in truth, he wants him only as an equal. But how to convince Grif without letting his guard down is Dominic’s biggest issue. Aware of some of that interest but not the reason for it, Grif has his own secret. His trust had been violated by his own vampire Master, and since that night, he’s refused to let another dominate him. And he’d swore to himself that no one ever would.

Dominion: Still dealing with the aftershocks of his ordeal at Tristan’s hands, Griffith St. James is fighting the urge to withdraw completely. He feels guilty for what happened, less than a man. The nightmares of his torture at his former master’s hands are worse than ever. Dominic Marcellus struggles to draw Grif back into their life before Tristan, but fate has other plans. Finding himself back in the clutches of his abusive former master, Grif is terrified and can only pray Dominic comes for him in time.

Side Note:

Before I jump into the review of this book I wanted to take a minute and talk briefly about Mychael Black and how I came to learn of him. I learned a lot about this amazing author in the interview we did with him. I almost wanted to send him another list of questions to ask, just to get more from him and his amazing mind. There’s a lot to learn there, but I know there’s more! I just didn’t want to seem like a stalker! Then add the mysterious Shayne Carmichael to the Mychael mix and you have one hell of a team. I fell instantly in love with the way they wove this story together. Hell, I fell for them as writers. Such talent!

I can remember when I began reading MM fiction, I came across this book, and when I read the blurb, I just knew I had to have the book. It contained two of my favorite things. Masters and Vamps! Only at that time I didn’t realize they were my favorite things. Only after I read these stories did I find out that they are my favorite in mm fiction. Vampires in general are dark, alluring, intriguing, scary, and very in control. Well, in the fiction romance world they generally are. I personally never met a real one, so I’m really not speaking from personal knowledge. Then add the thrill of BDSM, and I just had to dig in and read it up.

Now, some people don’t care for vampires, some don’t care for BDSM, and some do. Some don’t like the dark angst that can accompany Vampires and BDSM, and some do. I’m one who does. I’ve always enjoyed stories that teeter those safe lines that we as people rate our books at, or movies, or whatever it may be. Am I mis-wired? Maybe. I’m not sadistic, I myself don’t do pain, and don’t give it, but I’ll read about it in a fictional world of mm romance. If done correctly, these books sure can heat a person up. And I think Mychael and Shayne did it right.

Review:

At the start of the book the first Vampires I met are Dominic and Griffith. They are in the dungeon working a sub, it seems as if it’s a competition going on for the sub. Dominic is the older vampire and he’s in love with the younger vamp Grif. Though he doesn’t admit this until a bit later, you can just read the first chapter and know he is. For that matter Grif knows he loves Dominic too. However, —there is always a however, they are both Master Vampires. They own their own pets, slaves, subs; whatever you’d like to call them is fine by me. The subs names are Jason, Tage, and the newbie Tristan, that Dominic signed on.

Of course all was well in the Vamp Mansion, with the exception of the way the two masters felt about each other and taking a minute to admit it. A long minute. Dominic rescued Grif some years ago and offered him a safe place to live. He was beaten, raped, and who knows what else at the hands of his creator and master and had to escape to survive it. However, dealing with that intense psychological existence that Grif lived in it drove him on a path of self destruction. That is until Dominic came to his rescue. He took Grif in and taught him how to be a Master, but he never once over stepped his boundaries where Grif was concerned, not unless Grif wanted him to. Don’t you know it didn’t take Grif long to break? Well, he sorta had help with that.

See, that new sub, Tristan, was one of Griff’s Master’s sub boys who helped to rape, torture, and make Griff’s life pure hell. Why would Dominic allow Tristan to live in his mansion, to serve him? How could he do this to the man he claims he loves more than life itself? Well, if he had no idea that Tristan was involved in the brutal treatment of Grif, how could he know? Grif never even told Dominic all that had happened to him before him, when he was in Quinn’s home. Quinn is his creator, his ex-master. Dominic sure would not have let this happen to Grif if he would have known. But if he had, there would be no story here now would there?

So, all the time that Tristan vamp was living in the mansion, he was making life hell for Grif with his snide nasty remarks, his ugly actions against Grif, who by the way is a younger vamp, and even threatens to rape him again. Then he has the nerve to laugh and snicker about it!

Well, Tage and Jason, the two subs pretty much take the back burner for a bit. We see a bit of BDSM play with them and their masters but the story focuses on Grif and Dom and Grif and Tristan. I learned enough about them that I really loved them. Tage and Jason are two characters that I wish Mychael and Shayne would revisit for us. Tage was the shy one, he seemed more innocent, more clingy, whereas Jason was total the opposite. I think I can see Jason as a master one day. Hopefully Tage’s.

Things move along with the story and all too soon, there’s a nasty scene with Tristan, Grif, Jason, and Tage, and it’s anything but nice. Of course Dominic saves the day and we are in the 2nd half of the book.

In this part we see more of the Master’s playing with their subs as well as with one another. Vamps apparently are okay with not being monogamous. I mean it was okay for Dominic to get down and dirty with his sub, Jason, and with Grif. It was okay for Grif to get down and dirty with his sub, Tage and with Dominic. There was no jealousy at all whatsoever. In one scene, Dominic tended to his sub, sexually, and then hopped in bed with Grif. Hmm…Okay. Then again, Tage and Jason also get it on. One big happy family.

Griffith and Dominic go out one night, and who does Grif see? His old master of course! Now the nightmares begin and so does the story. Does he tell Dominic? Yes! Finally he says something. Of course Dominic is possessive and very jealous of outsiders looking at his man and he’s not afraid to act on those feelings. Grif likes it though. It makes him feel safe. That is until Quinn finds him. I don’t even want to tell you what happens then.

Overall the story was very interesting. The plot was solid, the characters very believable, and the setting perfect. Mychael and Shayne remain one of my favorite story telling duos in the M/M Romance world.

Recommend ONLY if you like Vamps and BDSM. Even if you don’t…give it a shot, you never know.

Review by Jeff

>The Lost Son by Mychael Black

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The Lost Son

by Mychael Black

Samhain Publishing

4.5 KISSES

Buy Here

Synopsis:

One warrior, one sorcerer, and a legacy that will change their lives forever…

In the world of Socendor, humans are forbidden from using magic and elves keep their distance.

Kalen Ysindroc has risen far from his humble beginnings as a blacksmith’s adopted son. Now the king’s general, he investigates reports of magic-wielding half-human, half-elven lithings sighted along the kingdom’s borders. It would be a lonely life, if not for the company of his best friend and long-time elven lover, Micheil Theirauf, the king’s sorcerer.

An attempt on Kalen’s life makes it clear to Micheil that there’s more afoot than random breaks in the land’s defenses. His lover is plagued by dreams no human should endure, and Micheil’s probe into Kalen’s subconscious reveals a past neither of them expected. And a future Kalen can’t escape.

Suddenly, everything Kalen never knew about his life is laid bare. A father possessed of terrible magical power. A half-brother who could be the family Kalen never had—or the catalyst that will rip Micheil out of his life forever…

Review:
The Lost Son is a novella that could actually be reviewed as two separate entities – a romance and a fantasy – and both halves would make the grade on their own merits.

I’ll begin with the fantasy aspect. Mychael Black does an admirable job of creating an enchanting and mystical world where elves, sorcerers, dragons, and other magical creatures reside. The ambiance brings to mind medieval England, where ethereal forests held their own mysteries, gallantry and chivalry were part of a man’s genetic makeup, and royalty ruled from the throne in hulking castles, sending their armies off on horseback to conquer invading enemy hordes. Court intrigue, betrayal, and deception compliment the fantasy to create the beginning of what promises to be an interesting adventure for the heroes. Unfortunately, the book ends in a *bleeping* cliffhanger, so I’ll have to wait to see where Kalen and Micheil are headed and what dangers await them when they arrive, but there is no doubt that I will be tuning in to follow the further adventures of these heroes. I just hope I don’t have to wait too long.

In the world that Mychael Black has created, Kalen and Micheil live openly as a loving and romantic couple, with a heavy emphasis on the loving part. For readers who love a good old fashioned bodice ripping romance – without the bodice, of course…I’ll call it a tunic ripping romance – the relationship between Kalen and Micheil is positively sublime. Witnessing the love these two characters feel for one another makes one feel a tad voyeuristic at times, even though they don’t attempt to hide their feelings for one another from anyone. What they do hide, however, is that Micheil is an elf, and a relationship between an elf and a human is taboo. It seems every society, whether real or imagined, harbors its own prejudices. The partnership of Kalen and Micheil is fully, realistically and beautifully explored, and I had no difficulty whatsoever becoming fully engrossed in the lives of these men.

Ultimately, as sex and magic unite to bond this couple on a soul deep level, a revelation about Kalen unfolds which promises to be the catalyst for the action coming in book 2 of the series. The wait will be difficult but worth it just to get another glimpse of these two characters and the world they inhabit.

Review by Lisa