Top 2 Bottom asked Bryl R. Tyne all this! And There’s A Give Away Too!

Thanks so much for taking the time to be with us today, Bryl. Why don’t we start by having you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?

My name is Bryl R. Tyne. I currently reside in Upstate, SC with Sugar Daddy and the last of seven kids we’ve raised together. I’m an editor for Noble Romance. I’m a writer. I enjoy what I do.

When did you discover your passion for writing? Was there someone in particular who encouraged and inspired your love of storytelling?

The youngest was four at the time, and he and I were locking horns (as usual), when his answer to my question on how he thought he was so damned smart was, “I used to be this guy who carried the big sword and huge shield… So, I knew all this stuff already, a long time ago. Duh.”

Something in his words or maybe the way he’d said them with such conviction really sparked my creativity, and not two months later, I’d written my first 70+k words.

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

My first book was If I Were a Lady… and it took my nine months from the time I started looking for a home for it until it was published.

Is there a particular sub-genre in which you enjoy writing more than others? (i.e. paranormal vs. historical vs. contemporary)

Most of my works are contemporary.

Do you prefer writing in the 1st or the 3rd person? What advantages do you see in writing in one vs. the other?

It’s natural for me to write in 1st person. I simply prefer it over 3rd because I can get deeper into character in 1st person.

How long does it generally take for you to finish a manuscript?

That all depends on the circumstances. I’ve had 20k words flow out of me in two days, and I’ve also taken two months to write half that many.

How much creative input do you have in the cover design for your books?

With all my single titles, I’ve had input, sometimes to the degree that I would’ve told myself to “stfu and let me work!” had I been the artist.

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

I do not write full-time, and I’m lucky to get two hours each morning to write when I can.

Do you typically outline your plots before you begin the writing process, or do you write in a more freestyle fashion?

I always outline my plots, at least with a rudimentary outline. I need a roadmap to see where I’m headed. Once the characters take over though (and they always do) the entire story usually changes, and then I just go with the flow.

How much do your characters resemble you and the people you know?

You will probably catch my characters speaking like I do or using phrases I’ve heard before from others.

How much do you draw upon your own life experiences in your writing?

Reactions/actions, motivations, and all my dialogue comes pretty much straight from my life experiences and those around me. Safe to say that would explain the correlation between readers not resonating with my characters and not understanding me either.

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

Teen suicide. Forsaken started out as a single short story about this angel, Zagzagel, saving a gay youth from committing suicide. I’d based it on life experience from over a decade ago, but writing it, bringing that all back up, really took its toll. I went on to write 5 more stories in that series, each stemming from a topic I knew intimately… I wanted to write more but was afraid it would eat away at my insides until I had nothing left.

Of all the characters you’ve created, do you have one in particular who stands out among the others as a favorite? If so, who and why?

After three years, I’m still in love with my yet to be published PI from Daytona Beach, Jesse Wolfe. I think he’s my favorite because his character really resonates with me. He’s assuming but totally in the dark that his actions/reactions are hurtful toward others.

When someone reads one of your books for the first time, what do you hope they take away from it?

It is always my hope that a reader closes his or her first book of mine with a smile and one thought, “Wow.”

Are you surprised by the ever growing female fan-base of Male/Male fiction? I don’t know. I don’t understand it, but then I never have understood most things from the female perspective.

[This question pertains to your female authors.]When did you begin writing in the Male/Male genre? What about it interests you the most?

What was the best piece of advice you’ve ever received with respect to the art of writing? How did it change the way you approach your craft?

I think the best advice I ever received was on how to make my characters’ motivations real. It’s slowed me down actually, because now, before I write any action/reaction sequence, I stop and think whether or not I have it in the right order.

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

1. This ain’t as easy as it looks, nor as glamorous; 2. To keep up, you have to constantly write; and 3. Just because you’re published, doesn’t make you a writer.

If you were to offer a word of advice to a new author just starting out, what would it be?

Are you prepared to work you ass off like never before?

Do you generally have the titles of your work planned before you begin writing, or does that occur later on in the writing process?

My title usually comes first. I’ve only had one instance so far when that hasn’t been the case.

What is the question you’re most frequently asked by your fans?

Are you writing a sequel?

What is your most memorable fan experience?

Which one? I have many. Each letter or email I receive where a reader is going on about how much my book meant to them… they’re ALL memorable to me. I cherish each one.

When you have the chance to sit down and enjoy some quiet reading time, what sorts of books are you most likely to pick up? Gay fiction, m/m, or a mystery. Who are your favorite authors?

Too many to list.

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

Dead.

If time travel were possible, what time period(s) would you most like to visit? Why?

I don’t think I would take advantage of it were it possible. I hate flying.

If you had the opportunity to sit down to dinner with one famous person, either past or present, who would you choose and why?

Probably Daniel Boone, so I could ask him about my relatives who he trapped and explored with.

If we were to look around the desk where you sit to write, what would we find there?

Excedrin Tension Headache, coffee, dental floss, energy drink, at least a dozen notebooks in various stages of use, three partially read books, and a peppermill.

How would you describe your sense of humor? What makes you laugh?

I’m all about the satire. Come with your mind in the gutter and your hearts not on your sleeves, because I find humor in almost everything!

Do you have an all time favorite fictional character?

Not really.

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

Politeness for the sake of conformity. Putrid.

Do you have a favorite personal mantra, quote, or saying that describes your outlook on life and the way you approach each day?

Always expect the worst, then accept what you get. That way, you’re never disappointed.

Do you speak more than one language? If so, which one(s)?

I do speak some Spanish, but nothing impressive.

Of all the modern conveniences, which one would you most likely say you couldn’t live without?

Clean Water.

Do you have any new projects coming up you’d care to share with us?

I’m currently writing a psychological Horror collection for Riptide. Not sure I can say much about it yet, other than it’s scaring the bejeezus outta me to write because it hits so close to events from my past.

Thank you again for spending some time with us, Bryl. Will you tell us where we can find you on the Internet?

Website URL: http://bryltyne.com
Blog URL: http://brylrtyne.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/bryl
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bryl.tyne
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/brylrtyne
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Bryl-R.-Tyne/e/B0034GBTZC
Goodreads Page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2877215.Bryl_R_Tyne
My Way column at The Pagan and The Pen:
http://thepaganandthepen.wordpress.com/my-way/

Leave a comment for Bryl before 11:59pm Eastern time today (11/7/11) and you’ll be automatically entered to win one of the following:

Pull, At Day’s End, Beneath Me, Rite of Passage, Behind Blue Eyes, Tough Guy, Best Unspoken, Coin Operated Boy, Trey #3, The Secret Ingredient, OR the Zagzagel Diaries.

GOOD LUCK!

Bryl R. Tyne – Defying Description

Thanks so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to be with us today, Bryl. Will you begin by telling us a little bit about yourself and your background?

My name is Bryl R. Tyne. I currently reside in Upstate, SC with Sugar Daddy and the last of seven kids we’ve raised together. I’m an editor for Noble Romance. I’m a writer. I enjoy what I do.

Was there a defining point in your life when you realized that sharing your stories was what you were meant to do?

Months prior to graduating with a Bachelor in Communication, the joy of writing came back to me as if it had never left. For nearly three decades I’d forgotten or had misplaced my priorities or maybe life happened (I’m still not entirely sure), but I had this epiphany moment when I read the first story I’d written in twenty-eight years and said, “I’m supposed to write…I knew that.”

How long did it take for your first book to be published?

Nine months from the day I first submitted it to a publisher.

Do you typically outline your plots before you begin the writing process, or do you write in a more freestyle fashion?

I always outline my plots, at least with a rudimentary outline. I need a roadmap to see where I’m headed. Once the characters take over though (and they always do) the entire story usually changes, and then I just go with the flow.

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

Teen suicide. Forsaken started out as a single short story about this angel, Zagzagel, saving a gay youth from committing suicide. I’d based it on life experience from over a decade ago, but writing it, bringing that all back up, really took its toll. I went on to write 5 more stories in that series, each stemming from a topic I knew intimately… I wanted to write more but was afraid it would eat away at my insides until I had nothing left.

Of all the characters you’ve created, do you have one in particular who stands out among the others as a favorite? If so, who and why?

After three years, I’m still in love with my yet to be published PI from Daytona Beach, Jesse Wolfe. I think he’s my favorite because his character really resonates with me. He’s assuming but totally in the dark that his actions/reactions are hurtful toward others.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, do you have any routines or exercises you use to get beyond it?

Yes, I suffer. And no, I have no solutions. If anyone has definite ways that work, please let me know what they are!

When someone reads one of your books for the first time, what do you hope they take away from it?

It is always my hope that a reader closes his or her first book of mine with a smile and one thought, “Wow.”

When did you begin writing in the Male/Male genre? What about it interests you the most?

I started out writing about men in love in April of 2008 when I put pen to paper for the first time in twenty-eight years. My only “interest” is that I leave all readers of my books knowing that love is love is love.

Do you generally have the titles of your work planned before you begin writing, or does that occur later on in the writing process?

I’ve only not had a title once. Most times, the title helps guide the direction of the story for me.

What is the question you’re most frequently asked by your fans?

It’s more of a statement than a question, but my fans most common inquiry is “Tell me that you have more on the way!”

Do you have any new projects coming up that you’d care to share with us?

I’m working on a series with Author Brita Addams called Johan’s Quest. It’s got a neo-noir feel, late 60s, New Orleans. The first book is titled The Soulless Man and will be out this Fall.

How much of yourself, your life experiences, and the people you know manifest themselves into your characters?

Most all of my characters’ personalities come from people I know or have known. Some have similar traits to my own. The most intriguing ones to me though are those characters who take me by surprise. I’ll re-read my WIP to get going each day and find myself questioning, “Who is this guy?” because he will be one of the most fascinating characters I’ve ever read, and I’ll have no clue where he came from.

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

Dead.

If time travel were possible, what time period(s) would you most like to visit? Why?

I would travel back to the days of Daniel Boone. Why? Because my Skaggs relatives explored and trapped with the man. I think I would enjoy reliving some of their adventures.

If we were to look around the desk where you sit to write, what would we find there?

Quick inventory: A jar of pens/pencils, a stack of bookmarked paperbacks that I am working my way through, a pile of spiral notebooks, gum, chapstick, vitamins, a cup of coffee, a liter of water, a pile of bills, and a peppermill.

How would you describe your sense of humor? What makes you laugh?

My sense of humor is sarcasm, and I will always laugh at a dirty joke.

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

Dishonesty.

Do you have a favorite personal mantra, quote, or saying that describes your outlook on life and the way you approach each day?

Yes. I learned this from an old friend who whenever I see her is always happy: “Expect the worst. Take what you get. That way, you’ll never be disappointed. “

Of all the modern conveniences, which one would you most likely say you couldn’t live without?

The Internet. I would surely die (at least my brain keeps telling me that every time I loose connection).

Thank you again for spending some time with us, Bryl. Will you tell us where we can find you on the Internet?

My website is bryltyne.com. I’m also on Facebook at Bryl Tyne, and my Twitter handle is Bryl.

And we’d love if you’d share a favorite excerpt from one of your books with us.

From Rite of Passage, coming June 8th from Dreamspinner Press:

Rite of Passage (c) 2011 Bryl R. Tyne

SO WENT my first week and a half in Divide. Stacking hay at the center—arms, neck, and back aching—some research. I hadn’t gotten any closer to the wolves, and every day went home exhausted. Spent an hour or two with Chad Hardy each night, a few moments hoping for another show from the neighbor, and the remainder with Jim or Jack until oblivion took me. Last night had been my worst.

With my headache, five bales might as well have been six hundred and fucking fifty today. I groaned, tossing another one into the barn as high as I could; I’d stack them better and higher, later. Right now, I was more concerned with unloading the flatbed because Pat wanted to haul in another load for me to finish before day’s end.

Why’d I do it?

A similar scene from one of my novels would read: he knew the consequences of his actions before he took them, and yet, nothing ever seemed to steer him from self-destruction, no matter how obvious.

Though, nothing would deter me from finishing a job I’d started, either. Call it will or plain stubbornness; even though I wasn’t getting in to observe those wolves, I knew why I showed up to the center each morning and why I now busted my ass in spite of this hangover from hell. For some dumb odd reason, I wanted to impress one Mr. Pat Smith.

Why?

I knew the answer, and I didn’t like it. Not one bit. What was this? Day ten of my sworn to solitude life, and already my dick was doing my thinking again, looking to hook up with someone—anyone. My stomach lurched as I released the next bale, and I grabbed for the side of the barn, and turned, one hand on my knee to steady myself as I upchucked.

“Damn it.”

I looked up to find a set of yellow eyes staring at me through the fence, and immediately started kicking dirt over my mess. “What are you looking at?”

The owner of said eyes didn’t answer, just tilted his head to one side as he sniffed the air, his gaze never leaving mine. Jesus, he looked so majestic, legs stiff, shoulders back, his silvery white coat tousled with leaves and twigs from a night under the stars. How’d he pull it off, when I’d spend hours getting ready to show my mug in public and still find flaws? Well, I hadn’t done that today. No.

Today, I’d rolled out of bed, clutching my head and, realizing I’d thrown my alarm clock against my bedroom wall and shattered it, had barely enough time to grab a cup of coffee before heading out the door. I had brushed my teeth, though, and I had wits enough about me to smack a swipe or two of Speed Stick under each arm.

My solitary friend broke eye contact to turn his head and hold his nose high.

“You don’t have to rub it in.”

“Rub what in?”

At the accompanying chuckle, I spun, regretting my move—my sudden stop and the glare of the morning sun causing me to squint. Pain throbbed through my head as I shaded my eyes and focused in on Pat in all his morning marvel, standing up the hill on the other side of the barn. Silhouetted by the sun at his back, one hand on his hip and the other on his hat, he looked like a god—a cowboy god.

“Oh. Hey.” I closed my eyes as I lowered my head, took two steps back to the flatbed, and grabbed a hold of another bale, wishing the invading thoughts away. I was here to work, and in the meantime, to gather knowledge on wolves for my next book.

When I looked up, Pat stood near the other end of the flatbed. “If you’d like, I can stack while you toss ’em, or you can. I’m pretty versatile.”

Bryl R. Tyne’s Zagzagel Diaries

Bryl Tyne has, in the Zagzagel Diaries series, created amazing and extremely powerful stories, each in a very few pages. The longest story is 13 pages while half of them are 9 pages each. Pretty amazing when you think of it; but then writing short stories that really grab the reader’s heart is definitely one of Bryl’s strengths. The series is now complete at six stories. In order they are: Forsaken [9 pgs], Denial [9 pgs], Desperate [13 pgs], Lost [10 pgs], Broken, [9 pgs] and Loved [11 pgs].

The overarching theme of the series is LGBT and the issues are those that arise from being apart from society, usually because of societal attitudes. The stories are often stark and always emotionally rich and detailed. They come from the heart of an author who knows. And who cares and needs to tell the stories. You will not soon forget, nor will you desire to do so. As a reader who has gone through each personal journey with the people over whom Zagzagel watches, all I have to say is—outstanding.

With a spare narrative style we are taken along with guardian angel Zagzagel as he takes matters into his own hands and, going against the wishes of ‘Papa’, will appear to his charge. He is only supposed to guard, yet with each of them, he involves himself personally in their struggles. Each story has left me reeling and I’ve found that I go back to them over and over. My heart is definitely with each of the souls that Zag is determined to not only save, but help them to go that one step further wherein they can actually begin to live.

These stories aren’t long, but you won’t notice. In each one there is so much detail that it is easy, so easy, to get utterly caught up in what’s happening. Not only does the emotional turmoil radiate from the pages, but what Bryl describes plays out on a screen before my eyes and I find myself totally immersed in the experience.

Title: Zagzagel Diaries #1: Forsaken
Author: Bryl R. Tyne
Publisher: Untreed Reads
Pages: 9
Characters: Zagzagel, young man
POV: 1st person – Zagzagel
Scene Setting: Anywhere
Sub Genre: Fantasy
Book Cover Rating: 4
Kisses: 5+

Blurb:

An unconventional guardian angel attempts to keep his gay charge from committing suicide, while wrestling with his own personal issues. This is the first in the Zagzagel Diaries series.

Review:

What a stunning introduction to a series that is certain to rock the very foundations of a belief system with which many of us grew up. This is a series that I rejoice has seen the light of day. Broken, the first of six stories in Bryl R. Tyne’s Zagzagel Diaries, holds a wealth of emotion; heartache, pain and ultimately acceptance. The characters, no matter how brief the time with them, are people that I can, and do, care for.

Reviewer: Kathy

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Title: Zagzagel Diaries #2: Denial
Author: Bryl R. Tyne
Publisher: Untreed Reads
Pages: 9
Characters: Zagzagel, Deena
POV: 1st person – Zagzagel
Scene Setting: Anywhere
Sub Genre: Fantasy
Book Cover Rating: 4
Kisses: 5


Blurb:

The guardian angel Zagzagel returns to save another of his charges, this time a young woman selling herself on the streets instead of saving herself for love. This is Book 2 of The Zagzagel Diaries series.

Review:

Deena’s story in Denial is another winner in Bryl Tyne’s The Zagzagel Diaries and once again I’m in awe of how quickly I was drawn to Deena. Of course Zag is a guardian angel beyond compare—always ready to step over the line if one of his charges needs a more personal touch.

Zagzagel really is all heart and I love how he gets right to the core of whatever pain is causing his charges so much distress.

If you’ve never read anything by Bryl Tyne, what are you waiting for? The stories are fresh, rich in emotion and always sure to satisfy on a deep and enduring level, and starting with the stories in the Zagzagel Diaries is an awesome beginning and introduction.

Reviewer: Kathy

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Title: Zagzagel Diaries #3: Desperate
Author: Bryl R. Tyne
Publisher: Untreed Reads
Pages: 13
Characters: Zagzagel, Nick
POV: 1st person – Zagzagel
Scene Setting: Anywhere
Sub Genre: Fantasy
Book Cover Rating: 4
Kisses: 5


Blurb:

Coming to terms with who you are can sometimes make you take desperate measures. The angel Zagzagel returns in this third entry to the series to help his charge choose love over murder.

Review:

Bryl Tyne’s third story in The Zagzagel Diaries—Desperate—packs a wallop that hits fast and hard and leaves you—okay, left me—reeling. But then in this series I’ve come to expect it. Even so my heart totally ached for Nick and as I read his story I was fighting the tears. Heck, even writing the review has my eyes stinging.

With The Zagzagel Diaries, Bryl Tyne has illustrated perfectly why this author is one of my favourites. There is so much raw emotion that enfolds us while taking us on many an unforgettable journey; truly outstanding!

Reviewer: Kathy

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Title: Zagzagel Diaries #4: Lost
Author: Bryl R. Tyne
Publisher: Untreed Reads
Pages: 10
Characters: Zagzagel, Charley
POV: 1st person – Zagzagel
Scene Setting: Anywhere
Sub Genre: Fantasy
Book Cover Rating: 4
Kisses: 5++


Blurb:

The angel Zagzagel finds himself under direct orders from Big Papa himself to do his job and not interfere with fate’s outcome for his charge Charley. Charley’s had her own share of issues and loss in her life, and Zag’s pretty sure she deserves a break this time. Unable to follow the orders from Above, Zagzagel begins to realize that he may not be able to fulfill his duties much longer. Can he help Charley find closure and peace in his own way, or is it time to give up his wings? This is Diary Entry #4 of 6.The End Is Near!

Review:

With each one of Bryl Tyne’s entries in the Zagzagel Diaries I’m sure that each one is my favourite, or that *this* one is the best. I can’t help it; Bryl writes with so much heart, so much… magic! I just, each and every time, am sure that the latest is the best.

Well, I think this time I’m right. Even now my eyes are welling up with tears—sad tears but also happy. This fourth book—Lost—in the series about the angel Zagzagel and his charges… and his disobedience to Papa’s orders, left me feeling blessed. It may seem an odd word choice, but it’s the way that I feel.

I really don’t know how Bryl manages, time and again, to come up with these jewels, but each and every time the story glows with a beauty and a uniqueness all its own. I know I’ve said this before and I will say it again, Bryl Tyne is one of my very favourite authors and you don’t have to go any further than Lost or any of the previous Zagzagel Diaries stories—Forsaken, Denial or Desperate—to discover just why I hold this author in such high esteem.

Not too often that I get so emotionally involved with the stories I read… it may appear that it happens often, but between the fact that I read a lot and that there are very few stories that I would give a 5 out of 5 (and I’m not confused…confusing yes, but confused, nope)…. the number of stories that I feel this strongly about is quite rare. But so far, all four stories in this series easily reach this peak.

And to be honest, I’m almost afraid of what is going to happen in books #5 and 6… but whatever it is, it will be stunning, I do know that.

Reviewer: Kathy

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Title: Zagzagel Diaries #5: Broken
Author: Bryl R. Tyne
Publisher: Untreed Reads
Pages: 9
Characters: Zagzagel, Chloe, Big Papa
POV: 1st person – Zagzagel
Scene Setting: Anywhere
Sub Genre: Fantasy
Book Cover Rating: 4
Kisses: 5

Blurb:

Following the traumatic events of Lost, the angel Zagzagel is more determined than ever to stand by his charges and do things his own way. Until now, Big Papa has allowed Zag to follow his heart, but He’s about to lay down the law with his renegade angel. The wrath of Heaven is about to crash down on Zag’s head, setting the stage for the showdown to come. Only one Diary entry left before the international bestselling short story series concludes!

Review:

I so did not expect this, not one little bit. How could I? All along, Bryl Tyne has kept me guessing from one page, no one word to the next. I’ve been able to catch a glimpse here and there as I lost myself in each of Zagzagel’s diary entries, but fully understand what this was all leading to? No; just not possible. And in Broken, the fifth of six stories, who knows what will happen in the next installment? The only thing I am sure of it that I will, again, be left, mouth gaping and tears running. I mean, that’s pretty much what I’m doing now.

And I’m really beginning to wonder now, just who each title was really meant for? The charge or the guardian? Hopefully with the last book next in the line-up I’ll finally know.
Will I tell you? Nope! You’ll need to discover by yourself.

Reviewer: Kathy

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Title: Zagzagel Diaries #6: Loved
Author: Bryl R. Tyne
Publisher: Untreed Reads
Pages: 11
Characters: Zagzagel and… I’m not telling
POV: 1st person – Zagzagel
Scene Setting: Anywhere
Sub Genre: Fantasy
Book Cover Rating: 4
Kisses: 5


Blurb:

It all comes down to this…

The guardian angel Zagzagel has had a difficult time reconciling the requirements of his job with his personal feelings for his charges. Through his diary entries (Forsaken, Denial, Desperate, Lost and Broken) his frustration has grown until it forced a showdown with none other than Big Papa himself.

Now the fallout from that confrontation begins to settle, but nothing can prepare Zagzagel for the return of two faces from his past…and a complete surprise that will forever alter his future.

This is the final entry in The Zagzagel Diaries, Bryl R. Tyne’s worldwide bestselling series.

Review:

Okay… I’m sitting here, somewhat stunned certainly, saying to myself, ‘Of course! What else could have happened?’

And so ends Zagzagel’s diaries. Granted, even though we’d only been with him for a very short time—he is, after all, a Guardian Angel and his lifetime exceeds millennia—it’s been in these six books where Zag really started to live. But it took all those thousands of years to bring Zag to this point; the years and the people… especially the last few he’d been with.

And while I had no expectations of what the ending would be like, Loved is the ultimate paean to a being who loves with everything he is. And Bryl Tyne has once again left me feeling utterly gobsmacked, and satisfied… and a little sad that the adventures with Zagzagel and his seemingly irreverent behaviour towards Big Papa are over.

But there is always re-reading! And with stories like this, re-reading is a must.

Reviewer: Kathy

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At Day’s End by Bryl R. Tyne

Title: At Day’s End
Author: Bryl R. Tyne
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Pages: 16
Characters: Samuel, Keith
POV: 1st person – Samuel
Scene Setting: Samuel’s house
Sub Genre: Bittersweet Dreams
Book Cover Rating: 4
Kisses: 4.5






Blurb:

Samuel’s not just feeling old, he is old, but he’s not dead… not yet. And the bright spot of his week is spying on his hot new gardener. No one knows better than he does how ridiculous it is to think a twenty-something beefcake would show any interest in a recluse like him; fifty years hasn’t changed a thing, really. Though Samuel feels a connection he can’t explain, he’s stunned beyond words one Friday morning to find the young man knocking at his back door….

A Bittersweet Dreams title: It’s an unfortunate truth: love doesn’t always conquer all. Regardless of its strength, sometimes fate intervenes, tragedy strikes, or forces conspire against it. These stories of romance do not offer a traditional happy ending, but the strong and enduring love will still touch your heart and maybe move you to tears.

Review:

I’m a romantic and I’ve always loved, and expected, a happy ending. So when I first heard about Dreamspinner’s Bittersweet Dreams titles I thought, no way! But the first one that I dared to read blew me away at the power and the emotion that emanated from the story. And I realised that yes, sometimes a story can be a romance, but not have the requisite HEA, or even an HFN (happy for now) and yet it can still tug on the heartstrings and leave you, if not joyous, at least feeling that you’ve been somewhere important.

Well, such is this Bittersweet Dreams title—At Day’s End—by Bryl Tyne. And at the end, even with a few tears that still strive to escape, I’m still feeling a sense of awe and wonder and thinking, once again, how does Bryl do it!? And I’m at a loss but, if possible, even more of a fan of this multi-talented author’s storytelling.

At Day’s End is touching, surprising, smile-inducing, heartfelt and a story that I will be going back to again and again. The emotional pull is amazing and even in the very short 12 [actual] pages of this story Bryl manages to take me through the entire gamut of emotions. And all I can say is, take a chance and discover the beauty that lies in the unexpected. This is not the typical happy ending, but it is an ending that you will go over and over again in your mind. Enjoy!

Reviewer: Kathy

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Tough Guy by Bryl R. Tyne

Title: Tough Guy
Author: Bryl R. Tyne
Publisher: Amber Allure
Pages: 71
Characters: Paul Kennedy, Tony Austin
POV: 1st person (Paul Kennedy)
Scene Setting: Wyoming, Tough Guy competition
Sub Genre: Contemporary Western
Book Cover Rating: 5
Kisses: 5

Blurb:
Paul Kennedy is set on entering and winning this year’s Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Days’ Tough Guy competition. So why is everyone from Paul’s ex to the Cody, Wyoming, postmaster hell-bent on discouraging him from competing? Each of his friends has his reasons. And among those, one is clear—Tony Austin, the Tough Guy champ for three years running, is sure to kick Paul’s ass.
But Paul’s not worried. He’s book smart and determined…he’ll win, as sure as there’s cowboy in his blood.
Tony Austin, however, has other designs on Paul Kennedy. Designs planned to keep Paul beneath him if only Tony can figure out how to make his desires known. But “Guy Grunt” gets a man only so far, and Tony must rely on the only other language he has a chance of stumbling through…the language of love.

Review:

Tough Guy by one of my favourite authors Bryl R. Tyne is a bit of a departure from what I’m used to reading… well actually, I can’t really say that because over the years, one thing I’ve learned about Bryl’s writing is that practically anything goes. There’s everything from a sweet and sexy transgender romance, to a hotter-than-hot threesome, to a futuristic sci-fi pleasure slave robot / android story to a 7-part series about a guardian angel who doesn’t play by the rules. If one thing could be said about Tyne’s writing is, regardless of who the characters are or where they come from, these stories plumb the depth of human emotions and relationships. They will always, always reach the reader’s heart and make them think and feel… never forget. I guess that’s why I’d have to put Bryl among my favourite authors; the stories are never a middle-of-the-road read and you may very well come away with a perspective that’s been turned ever so slightly.

And so it is with Tough Guy. First off, I assumed this was going to be a rodeo-type story… but you know what they say about assuming something right? If not, sorry, I’m not going to give anyone any more ammunition to use against me than I already have. *grin*

But while I may have been foggy on the details, Paul was not. Neither were any of the townspeople that tried to dissuade him from entering the Tough Guy competition. All that told me was that:

1. Paul is not someone who will ever give up, on anything! And…

2. The people who *think* they know him, don’t know thing one about him…at ALL!

I kind of liked that… actually I REALLY liked that. Paul is one of those rare people who knows himself, knows what he wants and will go against everyone to achieve his goals. What’s not to like or admire about a man like that?

But the other half of the equation is Tony Austin; the reigning Tough Guy champion… and no one has any doubts that he will remain undefeated. Well, other than Paul that is.

Tough Guy was, to me anyways, sweet, hotter than HOT, and sexier than I expected. There are also a few surprises in store about which I will not be giving clue one, so seriously, if you’re even part-way interested, pick up a copy because this is a story. It will charm, tantalize and satisfy… and you’ll find yourself as hooked on the stories of Bryl Tyne as I am… if you’re lucky anyways. Enjoy… and look for more of this author’s work, I’m pretty sure that you will not be disappointed.

Reviewer: Kathy

BUY LINK

http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/ToughGuy.html