Ethan Stone In The Flesh…

Ethan Stone and The Thunder From Down Under

Thanks for taking the time to be here with us today, Ethan. Why don’t we begin by having you tell us a bit about your background?

A:My background—Married, divorced, had kids, realized I was gay, fell in love with a wonderful man and became a writer. Not necessarily in that order.

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

A: I first wrote a book many years ago but never submitted it. It was a mainstream thriller called “A Gentleman Among Thieves.” It’s not very good but maybe someday I can do something with it.

How many books have you written thus far?

A: Four, not counting the one from years ago: In the Flesh, Flesh & Blood,Wolf Moon and Blood and Tears. Plus two short stories; Being Taught and Starting Over. I am currently working on a fifth book.

Do you write full time? If not, how many hours per day do you try to dedicate to writing?

A: I work 12 hours a day three and four days a week. On my work days I don’t have any time to write. I try to spend most of my weekends concentrating on writing.

Do you recall a definite moment in time when you realized you absolutely had to be a writer?

A: I was in third grade when we were assigned a Creative Writing assignment. I wrote a story about a multi-colored alien. Probably not the best ever, but since then I’ve been interested in writing.

Do you write straight through, or do you find that you revise/edit as you go along?

A: I make minor revisions and edits as I go along. But generally once it is written, I don’t make changes until the first draft is done. I do go through lots of ideas in my head before they make it to the draft. Wolf Moon went through a lot of different versions and plots while I wrote the first draft. And then more after that.

Do you outline your plots or generally write in a more freestyle way?

A: I’ve tried to write outlines but when I do I tend to lose interest in the story itself. I make lots of notes on scratch papers and end up with stacks of papers of different shapes and sizes.

What’s the most difficult topic you’ve ever approached in your writing?

A: In Flesh & Blood I wrote about both child prostitution and molestation. I had to walk a fine line between getting the story without being too descriptive.

Of all the characters you’ve created, do you have one who stands out as a favorite? Why?

A: Gabe Vargas has always stood out in my mind. He was supposed to just be a minor character in In the Flesh, but he became a major supporting character. I knew I wanted him to have his own story so I wrote parts for him in Flesh & Blood that would lead into his story, Blood and Tears.

How much of yourself, your experiences, and the people you know do you find make their way into your stories and characters?

A: Quite a lot, actually. In both Flesh novels there is a lousy public defender who stammers and stutters who is based on a real person. Cristian and Colby’s relationship somewhat mirrors my real life relationship when it comes to the push and pull of trying to get close, but not too close, and then realizing you fell in love and never planned on it.

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

A:In The Flesh took six months. Flesh & Blood took a month and a half. Wolf Moon and Blood and Tears fell in between those time frames.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? Do you have any routines or exercises you use to get past it?

A: I suffer from writer’s block quite often. I don’t do anything other than refusing to give up. I try to push myself to write something even if it’s only 100 words or if I end up trashing it.

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

A: It’s been different for all of them. I called my first book Flesh until it was completed and I made it into “In the Flesh.” I knew the title of Flesh & Blood before I ever wrote it. Wolf Moon and Blood and Tears both went about a hundred different titles before I finally decided on one.

When it comes to the covers of your books, how much creative control do you have over their design? Do you design them yourself or work with a graphic artist?

A: All my books have been with Dreamspinner Press and DSP is excellent about working with me. Artist Justin James has created outstanding covers for my books and has listened to any and all advice I offered. We went through a couple different covers for Wolf Moon and it was a true collaborative effort.

Aside from writing, what else do you enjoy doing? Do you have any hobbies?

A: I love to read and am addicted to television and movies. I’m the epitome of a couch potato.

Speaking as a published author, what words of advice would you give to someone just starting out in the business?

A: Keep writing. Take pride in the positive reviews but don’t let the bad reviews stop you. Keep writing, just keep writing.

What future projects do you have in the works?

A: Currently co-writing a story called “5-Star Review” about an author and a book reviewer.

When you have a free moment, what sorts of books are you likely to pick up? Who are a few of your favorite authors?

A: I read almost exclusively m/m. Marie Sexton, Josh Lanyon, Z.A. Maxfield and Clare London are just a few of my favorite authors.

What’s your all-time favorite movie?

A: Two-way tie between “When Time Ran Out” and “Poseidon Adventure.”

Who are your favorite actors, both male and female?

A: Male-Chad Allen. Female-Julianne Moore

What’s your favorite food?

A: Pizza.

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

A: Being asked what my pet peeve is.

Do you have a favorite quote?

A: “There is no try. There is only do or not do.” Yoda

Do you know more than one language?

A: Does Klingon count?

Do you enjoy travelling? Where’s your favorite travel destination?

A: I enjoy going places, but I don’t like travelling. I hate driving long distances and am not even that fond of plane travel. I recently went to Vegas with some very good friends of mine and I had an absolute blast.

Ethan, thank you again for taking the time to be with us today; will you please tell us where we can find you on the Internet?

http://ethanjstone.com/welcome

Would you care to share a favorite excerpt with us from one of your books?

From Flesh & Blood

I heard the front door open and then click shut. I knew who it was. I knew how Colby walked when he didn’t want to wake me up. With his big body, the floor always creaked under his weight.

Colby didn’t say a word as he stripped and climbed into bed. He lay on top of me and kissed me. Kissed me with such passion that the bad memory slipped from my mind. All I could think about was this magnificent man. I reached between us and stroked our cocks. I reached to the nightstand and grabbed the lube. I squeezed some onto my fingers and then on our cocks. I stroked us both for a few minutes as he continued to torture me by nibbling on my neck, my ears, and my nipples.

I reached between us to coat my hole. Colby knew what I wanted—and it wasn’t rough, rock-my-world sex. I wanted the type of sex that only Colby could give me. Slow and gentle lovemaking. I don’t know how he knew my moods so well, but I was fucking grateful he could. I wondered how my life would be different if I had met Colby sooner. But I think I wouldn’t have known what I had. When I met him I was ready for something different. I didn’t know it at the time, and I could’ve lost him.

Life in the future without Colby in it is what scared me the most. I couldn’t go back to that lonely, horrible place. And that made me wonder why I still pushed him away so much. I wondered why I was afraid to tell him about my past. The easy excuse would be that he wouldn’t think of me the same once he knew. But I knew that wasn’t true. I didn’t know why Colby loved me, but I knew he did. And I knew nothing could change how he felt about me.

My mind was brought back into the present as Colby entered me. With the head in, he stopped and leaned down to kiss me, his tongue sliding into my mouth. With our mouths still connected, he slid in a bit further, then pulled back. Forward and backward, back and forth, three inches in, two inches out, four inches in, three inches out. It was a slow dance of excitement and adoration.

When his entire length was buried in me, he remained still and looked down at me. I met his gaze, reached up and ran my hands through his dark, wiry hair. With our eyes still connected, he pulled almost all the way out, then slowly slid his cock back into my hole. I felt full and complete with Colby in me. Without him I felt like I was missing something. Only when I was with him did I feel complete.

He slowly and maddeningly made love to me, touching me everywhere with his lips and fingers. The wave began slowly and built until it was ready to crash through me. I pulled Colby into a kiss as I came, my seed coating our stomachs. His orgasm came seconds later with our lips and tongues still connected. He collapsed on me and started to roll off, but I held him there. I loved his big body on top of mine, and that’s how we both fell asleep.

In the Flesh (Flesh #1) by Ethan Stone

Title: In the Flesh
Author: Ethan Stone
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Pages: 220
Characters: Cristian Flesh, Colby Maddox
POV: 1st person
Setting: Reno, Nevada
Genre: Erotica/Crime-Drama/Mystery/Suspense-Thriller
Cover Rating: 4
Kisses: 4

Blurb:

Reno Detective Cristian Flesh lives his life by a strict set of personal rules, preferring one-time flings and anonymous encounters to committed relationships. His rules work for him… until his life is turned upside down when first, a former lover, a famous televangelist, is attacked, and then one of his one-night stands is murdered, making Cristian the prime suspect.

When handsome lawyer Colby Maddox takes his case, Cristian finds himself wanting to break all his rules about relationships. The instant attraction between them is undeniable. But before they can contemplate any kind of future together, they’ll have to clear Cristian’s name by finding the real murderer.

Review:

Reno police detective Cristian Flesh’s existence is guided by a strict set of directives, guidelines that allow him to remain emotionally detached and protected from the entanglements of intimate relationships—but when one of your guiding principles in life comes from a Kenny Rogers song, you know you just might be taking your rules a bit too far.

Flesh likes sex…a lot of sex. In fact, according to him, sex is like money: you can never have too much, so he accumulates nameless quickies the way some accumulate dividends on their investments—low risk, high rate of return. Until one of his anonymous encounters turns up dead and Cristian becomes the primary suspect in the man’s murder; then suddenly the investment carries a very high penalty.

While a man whose rules include no kissing, no sleepovers, no showering together, and no sex with the same guy two nights in a row may at once seem a bit superficial, Flesh is truly anything but. There are layers of pain and secrets beneath the veneer of detachment and indifference that, if you’ll pardon the really bad pun, make Cristian a fully fleshed out character rather than a mere object for other’s sexual gratification. He is not a stagnant, one dimensional narrator; rather he learns a lot of truths about life and about himself as the story progresses, with the help of his attorney, Colby Maddox, a man who is as closeted and sincere as Flesh is out and disconnected, but both are susceptible to their immediate and intense attraction to the other. Flesh is not an easily relatable character; the relationship between him and Colby not one that could in any way be tagged as a romance, but there is a definite attraction to them as the reader witnesses the way in which the two men and their bond with each other develops and strengthens.

Their attorney/client relationship soon evolves into much more, though not without missteps and challenges, as they work to prove Cristian’s innocence, exposing corruption on the Reno police force, as well as hypocrisy in the hellfire and brimstone preaching of a televangelist who hides his own sexuality behind his family and the pulpit from which he thumps his Bible. While the identity of the murderer was fairly evident early on in the story, much of the fun of this mystery was in watching the details unfold as Cristian finally catches on to what the reader already knows, leading to a satisfying conclusion in the end.

In the Flesh is a briskly paced, page turner of a story that, while there might have been a bit less repetition of certain elements of the plot, was an overall steamy, sexy, thrilling, and entertaining read.

Reviewed By: Lisa

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Flesh & Blood (Flesh #2) by Ethan Stone

Title: Flesh & Blood (Flesh #2)
Author: Ethan Stone
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Pages: 235
Characters: Ethan Stone, Colby Maddox
POV: 1st person
Setting: Reno, Nevada
Genre: Erotic Thriller/Suspense/Crime Drama
Cover Rating: 4
Kisses: 4

Blurb:

Detective Cristian Flesh is about to find out that he can only run from his past for so long.

When a local man is attacked and the suspect is a hustler, Cristian knows there’s more to the case than meets the eye. His investigation will lead him into a maze of lies, deceit, and underage prostitution. But that’s only the beginning as people start disappearing and turning up dead.

Cristian begins to realize that solving the case and stopping the murders won’t be enough. If he wants to make his new life with lawyer Colby Maddox work, he’ll need to face the demons of his past and put them to rest once and for all.

Review:

Pedophilia and incest wend their way through the plot of Flesh & Blood, the second installment in Ethan Stone’s series relating the story of Cristian Flesh, a flawed and fantastic character whose past holds more secrets, pain, and darkness than any one man should be capable of not only handling, but of overcoming.

With the help of his lover, attorney Colby Maddox, Reno police detective Flesh finds the strength to confront his ghosts, the spectral memories that have forced him to live his life by a very strict set of rules that allow him to cope. It is a journey into his past, one that he slowly begins to share with Colby, which allows Flesh to ultimately embrace the present and anticipate the future. Rules are made to be broken and in Flesh’s case, they are meant to be shattered in the face of the love he shares and security he feels with his partner.

Parallel storylines weave together in this installment, as Cristian’s past intersects with his current case, one that involves sex-for-hire and the peddling of underage boys, as well the abuse of power and the unconscionable violation of trust. It is a story of the loss of friendships, the loss of innocence, and the strength one finds in the end to preserver, overcome adversity, and thrive.

As the sequel to In the Flesh, these books must be read sequentially in order to fully appreciate the evolution of Flesh’s character. While Flesh & Blood does retrace some of the more significant plot points of the first book, it would be impossible to grasp the full measure of the characters and the way they relate with each other, without the benefit of following their growth from the start.

As Flesh’s name suggests, these are incredibly erotic books; each are a celebration of the physical and sensual. They are an exploration of the difference between going through the motions of sex, and going through the emotions of making love with someone who means more to you than a simple means of release.

Fast paced, evocative, and provocative, this series is well worth the loss of sleep or the ignoring of everything going on around you to become invested in Cristian Flesh and his world.

Reviewed By: Lisa

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Dutch’s Boy by Xavier Axelson

Title: Dutch’s Boy
Author: Xavier Axelson
Publisher: Seventh Window Publications
Pages: 88
POV: 3rd
Book Cover Rating: 5
Kisses: 5






Blurb:

Fulfilling your dream isn’t easy, especially if you’re the son of well-known rodeo rider Dutch Reynolds. Dutch doesn’t want to see his son Harry leave the family ranch until he feels Harry is ready. But for Harry, his dream of riding broncos at the rodeo seems to be passing him by. With the moral support of his best friend Reb, Harry takes his life in his own hands and leaves the ranch before Dutch can stop him. Chance encounters, sex and love soon teach the young cowboy life lessons that he will not forget.

Review:

Dutch’s Boy is a well told story about Harry, the son of a Rodeo Star, and his desire to leave the only home he’s known to follow in his fathers footsteps. However, his father, Dutch, isn’t so keen on that whole idea and absolutely forbade Harry and his sister from following in his footsteps. School comes first because he doesn’t want them to have to live the hard life he chose to live. Understandable as a parent to think that way, however, Harry isn’t the educational type, he’s a cowboy like his daddy, thru and thru. Given that, the only life for him is one which includes riding Bronc’s. And he’s good at it, too.

The tale starts off with Harry and his sister discussing their father and Harry’s urge to join the Rodeo, while she helps him pack to do just that, the scene then introduces Harry’s friend Reb, who I absolutely adore!

Reb has been Harry’s friend for many years they did everything together. Everything but this that is. Harry wants to be free, he needs the Rodeo, it’s in his blood, but with Reb? I really can’t tell you what his plans were, this is Harry’s tale, not Reb’s. It’s a tearful goodbye between Harry, his mother, sister, and Reb at the train station. But no matter how much Harry will miss the familiarity of the ranch, he hears a calling and he follows that right on out of town.

Harry’s biggest obstacle in life is his father, Dutch, as mentioned above, what I failed to point out was that Harry is somewhat scared of him and what he’ll do to him once Dutch finds out Harry has run away to join the Rodeo.

All in all, Dutch’s Boy is an interesting take on the lives of Rodeo stars and their families, it’s a contemporary western piece full of “old west” slang, and it’s also a YA coming of age, coming out story. Xavier did a great job with it, his choice of phrases, the set up, the delivery, the description, all done without a hiccup. Would I call this piece a romance? Lets go for a cowboy romance and it’ll fit perfectly.

Reviewer: Michele

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Kitsune Wedding by Tracy Rowan

Title: Kitsuné Wedding
Author: Tracy Rowan
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Pages: 22
Characters: Fujiwara Ryuichi, Kaji-no-Shita
POV: 3rd person
Setting: Japan
Genre: Fable
Kisses: 4

Blurb:

Shamed by an unworthy master, samurai Fujiwara Ryuichi is prepared to surrender his life to redeem his honor when kitsuné Kaji-no-Shita offers to find him a new and honorable position. All the fox spirit asks in exchange is to become Ryuichi’s spouse. With no other options, and remembering the reputation of kitsuné women for being beautiful and of fox families for being fortunate, Ryuichi agrees. But Kaji will prove to be not at all what Ryuichi expected.

Review:

Fujiwara Ryuichi is a samurai about to commit seppuku, a ritual act of suicide performed when a warrior has been dishonored. To be shamed was a fate worse than death to a brotherhood of men that placed honor above all else. Honor was defined not only by the character and actions of the warrior himself, but was also defined by the master he chose to serve. A disgraceful master meant disgrace to the samurai.

Before Ryuichi carries out the ritual, he is approached by the kitsuné, the mythical fox of Japanese folklore. Kaji-no-Shita offers Ryuichi an alternative to death, one in which the warrior will serve a new master, restore his honor, and acquire a bride—Kaji—in the process.

Depicted in fables and folklore as the sly trickster, the fox is always one to be dealt with cautiously, but the kitsuné’s offer is one that is too difficult for Ryuichi to pass up. It is on his wedding night that the samurai learns a valuable lesson about making assumptions—appearances can be deceiving.

What would a fable be without a moral? Kitsuné Wedding has any number to choose from and anyone who reads the story may see more or less, depending on perspective. Beyond the “like will draw like” theme, perhaps the most important is that love can overcome all obstacles.

For fans of the parable, Tracy Rowan has provided an original and imaginative tale.

Reviewed By: Lisa

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Settling the Score by Eden Winters

Title: Settling the Score
Author: Eden Winters
Publisher: Torquere Press
Pages: 305
Characters: Joey Nichols, Troy Steele
POV: 3rd person
Setting: American South
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover Rating: 4
Kisses: 5

Blurb:

Closeted mechanic Joey Nichols’ life is good. His boyfriend landed a major Hollywood role, and is well on the way to superstardom. Joey’s bags are packed and soon he’ll leave small town Georgia and join the man of his dreams in California, to live out, proud, and together. Days before his planned departure, his lover outs Joey during a televised interview and announces that they’ve broken up, leaving Joey to face the bigotry of the locals alone.

Bestselling author Troy Steele knows all about having life turned upside down by the media. Now a recluse, Troy shuns all the trappings that come with writing books made into blockbuster movies. He spends his time exacting revenge on a former flame via his novels and hiding out in rural South Carolina, watching celebrity gossip shows. Joey’s fifteen minutes of fame bear an eerie similarity to the plot of Troy’s latest work in progress. What if Joey could be transformed into everything the fickle ex wanted, as Troy is writing for his fictional hero, and secretly wishes for himself? Once polished, could a diamond-in-the-rough good ole boy confront his ex, then walk away, pride intact? These are Troy’s questions, and he’s counting on Joey for answers.

Review:

Joey Nichols is an auto mechanic in his father’s garage in rural Georgia. A sweet and simple young man, Joey is the best at what he does, yet his kindness and humility exceed even his talent. Joey sacrificed a high school diploma to help his family’s business survive his father’s illness. He’s a good son, a good brother, and a good person.

The closeted Joey is in a relationship with a man whose ambition to become a Hollywood actor eclipses his ability to be a decent human being; Riker Sanderson’s ego is every bit as vast as Joey’s integrity. When Riker finally gets his big break, he moves to L.A., leaving Joey behind, presumably to follow along later, where they can live openly as a couple. It’s a beautiful dream for Joey, one filled with the promise of being able to finally stop hiding; that is, until Riker publicly outs Joey and breaks up with him on a nationally televised gossip show.

As the reporters descend like vultures to fresh carrion on the Nichols’ doorstep, Joey is left to cope with the fallout of his ex-boyfriend’s betrayal. The scandal quickly goes viral and spreads to the pages of the gossip rags, at which point life for Joey spirals into a chasm of humiliation and hurt. The people who were once his friends and neighbors become antagonists, exposing bigotry and narrow minds in his small town. With the help of a supportive family, Joey forges ahead, existing the best he can and coping with his circumstances. But it soon becomes evident that life for Joey will never be as simple as it once had been.

Enter Troy Steele and Erica Davis.

Troy and Erica, a successful author and his personal assistant, conspire to take Joey on as a remodeling project. After witnessing his complete and utter downfall on national television, Erica concocts a plan to hire Joey as Troy’s assistant, then morph him into the embodiment of male beauty to make Riker sorry he ever left Joey behind. And if the lonely and reclusive Troy happens to fall in love with Joey in the process, all the better. It’s a plan that begins with good intentions but becomes derailed by Troy’s own need for vengeance against an ex-lover who had both cheated him and cheated on him.

Settling the Score is a Pygmalion-esque tale with a contemporary twist, in which a charming country boy is taken on as a work-in-progress and is transformed into…a charming country boy. How is this similar to Shaw’s play, then? No, Joey isn’t a cockney flower girl who is remade into a gentlewoman, but this is a tale that takes Joey out of his element, changes his trappings, but shows, in the end, that it doesn’t matter how one changes the external or attempts to refine the speech, true grace comes from one’s actions and character. It’s not the color of the hair and contact lenses but the content of the character that defines one’s beauty. It is a lesson that both Joey and Troy learn, but not without some difficulties.

This is a story that is, like Joey himself, engaging and uncomplicated on its surface, though as the plot unfolds, it becomes evident there is much more to explore beneath the exterior, lending the characters and their story depth and heart. As Troy and Joey work together, spending time talking and excavating Joey’s thoughts and feelings, they begin to discover their similarities outweigh their differences. It isn’t a case of opposites attract as much as it is a case of Joey serving as a reflection of who Troy had once been before life made him who he’d become. This is a story of transformation, but certainly not of whom I’d expected.

Reviewed By: Lisa

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1PlaceforRomance Story Writing Contest

1PlaceForRomance.com is holding a Romance Story Writing Contest.

The theme is SUMMER.

Published Authors and Rising Stars will compete in separate categories for editing and cover services, cash prizes and an exclusive sales contract at 1PFR. Finalists will be selected by the staff at 1PFR. The winners will be selected by the readers at 1PFR.

The length is 5000-7000 words. Stories must be received by June 1, 2011.

Looking to reach more readers? Looking for a fun contest, with a fun theme and a reason to set aside your serious WIP and do something fun? Well START WRITING!!!

See http://1PlaceForRomance.com/StoryContest for details and a link to the official rules.

Questions? Send them to: Promotion at 1PlaceForRomance.com

The Cut & Run Series by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux

Title: The Cut & Run Series
Author: Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Characters: Ty Grady, Zane Garrett
POV: 3rd person
Setting: New York, W. Virginia, the Caribbean
Genre: Mystery/Action/Suspense
Cover Ratings: 3
Kisses: 5 Overall

Blurbs:
Cut & Run: A series of murders in New York City has stymied the police and FBI alike, and they suspect the culprit is a single killer sending an indecipherable message. But when the two federal agents assigned to the investigation are taken out, the FBI takes a more personal interest in the case.

Special Agent Ty Grady is pulled out of undercover work after his case blows up in his face. He’s cocky, abrasive, and indisputably the best at what he does. But when he’s paired with Special Agent Zane Garrett, it’s hate at first sight. Garrett is the perfect image of an agent: serious, sober, and focused, which makes their partnership a classic cliché: total opposites, good cop-bad cop, the odd couple. They both know immediately that their partnership will pose more of an obstacle than the lack of evidence left by the murderer.

Practically before their special assignment starts, the murderer strikes again – this time at them. Now on the run, trying to track down a man who has focused on killing his pursuers, Grady and Garrett will have to figure out how to work together before they become two more notches in the murderer’s knife.

Sticks & Stones: Six months after nearly losing their lives to a serial killer in New York City, FBI Special Agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett are suffering through something almost as frightening: the monotony of desk duty. When they’re ordered to take a vacation for the good of everyone’s sanity, Ty bites the bullet and takes Zane home with him to West Virginia, hoping the peace and quiet of the mountains will give them the chance to explore the explosive attraction they’ve so far been unable to reconcile with their professional partnership.

Ty and Zane, along with Ty’s father and brother, head up into the Appalachian mountains for a nice, relaxing hike deep into the woods… where no one will hear them scream. They find themselves facing danger from all directions: unpredictable weather, the unrelenting mountains, wild animals, fellow hikers with nothing to lose, and the most terrifying challenge of all. Each other.

Fish & Chips: Special Agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett are back on the job, settled into a personal and professional relationship built on fierce protectiveness and blistering passion. Now they’re assigned to impersonate two members of an international smuggling ring—an out-and-proud married couple—on a Christmas cruise in the Caribbean. As their boss says, surely they’d rather kiss each other than be shot at, and he has no idea how right he is.

Portraying the wealthy criminals requires a particular change in attitude from Ty and Zane while dealing with the frustrating waiting game of their assignment. As it begins to affect how they treat each other in private, Ty and Zane realize there’s more to being partners than watching each other’s backs, and when the case takes an unexpected turn and threatens Ty’s life, Ty and Zane will have to navigate seas of white lies and stormy secrets, including some of their own.

Review:

The road to love isn’t always direct, made even more difficult to maneuver by a past that has left it riddled with potholes and obstacles, left the drifters emotionally crippled, incapable of trusting in themselves, let alone in anyone else, left them incapable of communicating any emotion other than anger, or worse, indifference.

Ty Grady is an ex-Marine, now a Special Agent with the FBI. Ty’s scars aren’t all visible on the outside. In fact, most of them remain buried deeply within Ty’s mind, scars that he hides behind an armor of sarcasm, apathy, anger, arrogance, and meaningless sex. After the death of his Bureau partner, Ty resolves to work alone rather than take the chance of losing another.

Zane Garrett is an agent on his last chance with the Feds. An expert in statistics, Zane is a man whose shattered past haunts him, a past that the wedding ring on his finger serves as a constant reminder of, taking its toll in the form of alcoholism and drug addiction to mask the torment. Given a final chance at exoneration, Zane’s been assigned to a new field partner, one who wants nothing to do with him and his weaknesses.

At the moment the two men are introduced to each other, the fireworks begin. And oh, what a spectacular show it is!

From tracking a serial killer within their own ranks in Cut & Run, to escaping treasure hunting killers in the mountains of West Virginia in Sticks & Stones, to going undercover on a cruise ship in the Caribbean that sees the two men masquerading as a married couple in Fish & Chips, Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux have created a series packed with action, danger, humor, and more angst than my poor little ticker could manage to handle at times.

Ty Grady and Zane Garrett are two of the most frustratingly lovable characters I believe I’ve ever run across in the pages of a book—complicated, petulant, angry, then aloof one moment; fully prepared to take a bullet for each other the next—the relationship between the two men is a full-blown evolution, transforming their partnership from duty to desire as they slowly learn to trust in each other and in themselves.

As each book plots the course of Ty and Zane’s bond through murders, explosions, car chases, a hail of bullets, and near death experiences, the men learn to relate with and read each other as much with words as with looks and actions. Even as their intense physical attraction communicates the extreme awareness they’re too confused and frightened by to speak of, the relationship comes to an emotionally satisfying arc as the two dynamic, dysfunctional, and off-the-charts sexy men learn that not only can they trust each other but they can also trust their feelings for each other. It’s an arduous journey for the reader as we’re tugged along, playing witness to the deepening love between the men that they themselves have so much trouble recognizing.

The turning point in their relationship in Fish & Chips is a full-scale onslaught of passion and growing recognition of what their bond has come to mean. It is incredibly satisfying to witness after following these two characters through the danger and upheavals they’ve faced and the connection that has evolved from mere want to near palpable necessity.

Now that I’m up to speed on the Cut & Run Series, the only thing I can say is that I’m incredibly sorry to have arrived so late at the Ty and Zane love-fest. But boy am I glad I’m finally here!

Divide & Conquer – Cut & Run Book 4—the title alone is causing me no small amount of anxiety and it can’t be delivered quickly enough. Bring it, Madeleine and Abigail: I’m ready!

Reviewed By: Lisa

CUT & RUN:
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STICKS & STONES:
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FISH & CHIPS:
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Four new books published by JMS Books LLC

Now Available from JMS Books LLC!

Back in the Saddle
by Vincent Diamond

Read an excerpt or buy your copy today!

BLURB:
For Marcus Denton, life on his Thoroughbred farm is blurred from his grief and the loss of his previous lover, Philip. When a group of interns work at the farm, one in particular stands out — David, with his sunny smile and sunnier disposition. There’s something about the golden boy that stir Marcus once more. After three years alone and in pain, is it time to try again?

This story appears in the author’s print collection, Holding the Reins and Other Stories.

Read an excerpt or buy your copy today!

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Now Available from JMS Books LLC!

Encore
by J.M. Snyder

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BLURB:
In Beautiful Disaster, pop superstar Corey Evans realizes how hollow he feels until he discovers he’s in love with his best friend and band mate, Ian Coltraine. Together they form the successful pop duo 2ICE, and this story picks up where the first left off.

A couple not only onstage but in the bedroom now, Ian and Corey have managed to hide their newfound relationship from the fans, the press, and — most importantly — their management. But when manager Dean Summers stumbles upon the two of them together, he’s determined to put an end to what he sees as a destructive course which can only end up tearing the band apart.

Is the budding love Ian and Corey share strong enough to stand up to the pressures they face?

If you haven’t read Beautiful Disaster, this story may not make much sense. So pick up the first story before diving into this short, satisfying sequel!

Read an excerpt or buy your copy today!

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Now Available from JMS Books LLC!

The Obsidian Man
by Jon Wilson

Read an excerpt or buy your copy today!

BLURB:
All his life, Holt has dreamed of leaving his life of drudgery to join the legendary Danann, a mysterious race of rangers and magicians. When trolls threaten his village, he sees his chance in the arrival of Kawika, a handsome ranger sent for protection. But things take a deadly turn when a demon appears, leading an army of horrible creatures. The village goes up in flames, Kawika vanishes, and Holt finds himself wandering lost and alone in the wilderness.

Rescued by the Danann, Holt suffers both physical and psychic scars. However, Kawika’s lover, Keone, hopes to use that connection to track and destroy the demon responsible for the attack.

Unfortunately, the link works both ways — Keone can track through it, and the demon can use it to invade Holt’s mind. As the pursuit continues, Holt’s sanity begins to slip away. Gradually the realization dawns that instead of helping Keone defeat the demon, he may be leading them both into the demon’s deadly trap.

Read an excerpt or buy your copy today!

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Now Available from JMS Books LLC!

Eating Ice Cream on the Subway
by Steve Nugent

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BLURB:
“To sin by silence when we should protest makes cowards out of men.” Most people know what they’d like to do when confronted with violence, but what really happens when they come face to face with the worst society has to offer? In this short, powerful story, when a man witnesses a hateful, homophobic bashing on the subway, his response might hit a little too close to home for some of us.

This story was first published online at Velvet Mafia and appears in the print collection, Attractions. It is offered here as an example of Steve Nugent’s vibrant storytelling at its best.

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Games Lovers Play: Amorous Liaisons by Ariel Tachna

Title: Amorous Liaisons (Games Lovers Play 3)
Author: Ariel Tachna
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Pages: 48
POV: 3rd
Kisses: 4.5

Blurb:

Micah and Cameron like a little spice in their relationship, and they both look forward to games night. Except that Micah’s gotten impatient and decides he can’t wait until their scheduled night to share his latest fantasy with his lover. Instead, he surprises “Lord” Cameron with a manservant who’s both unusually innocent and unusually responsive

Review:

Micah and Cameron are back, this time in a longer scene and they jump back in time to explore the English Lord and manservant. Micah decides on his own to begin the games early, ahead of their scheduled game night. He turns into an innocent manservant who will do anything for his lord and Master, Cameron. Master takes his innocent manservant and teaches him about sex, and let me just tell you, Ariel does an amazing job with setting this scene up. The characters are so believable, they are so in love, and the trust is outstanding.

As I’ve said before, Ariel, I sure hope you’re working on something with these two men because I miss them already.

Reviewer: Michele

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