Never A Hero by Marie Sexton

Title: A Tucker Springs Novel: Never a Hero
Author: Marie Sexton
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Pages: 174
Characters: Owen Meade, Nick Reynolds
POV: 1st
Sub-Genre: Contemporary Romance
Kisses: 5

Blurb:

Everyone deserves a hero.

Owen Meade is desperately in need of a hero. Raised by a mother who made him ashamed of his stutter, his sexual orientation, and his congenitally amputated arm, Owen lives like a hermit in his Tucker Springs apartment. But then hunky veterinarian Nick Reynolds moves in downstairs.

Nick is sexy and confident, and makes Owen comfortable with himself in a way nobody ever has. He also introduces Owen to his firecracker of a little sister, who was born with a similar congenital amputation but never let it stand in her way. When she signs the two of them up for piano lessons—and insists that they play together in a recital—Owen can’t find a way to say no. Especially since it gives him a good excuse to spend more time with Nick.

Owen knows he’s falling hard for his neighbor, but every time he gets close, Nick inexplicably pulls away. Battling his mother’s scorn and Nick’s secrets, Owen soon realizes that instead of waiting for a hero, it’s time to be one—for himself and for Nick.

Review:

Wow! I’ve only read a few books by Marie Sexton, but after reading this one, I suddenly have the desire to go back and read her entire back-lists of stories. Never a Hero is also the first Tucker Springs novel I’ve had the privilege to read. I will confess, that after I read it, I went back and ordered the others in this series and read them too. Each story is really special, but I will say that Never a Hero is definitely one of my favorites in the series.

What I liked about this book was the relationship between Owen and Nick. Both men have their own personal issues they must work through. Each man has been hurt and betrayed in his own way. I liked how their relationship evolved from friendship into something truly special between them. I found myself really rooting for this couple. Both Owen and Nick are easy to like, love and hope that they have their happy ending together.

We see early on that Owen has some baggage, but what was refreshing was the problem that Nick had. At first glance, Nick looks like he’s got it all going on for him. He’s successful, smart, funny and sexy as all get out! I liked how patient and kind he was to Owen and loved how Owen literally grew into a more confident man because of him. I also loved how Owen’s love for Nick also gave the ability to give his heart to him as well as forgive himself of his past.

As I mentioned earlier, this is a Tucker Springs novel. I’ve read each book and I highly recommend them. There has a home town feel to them and I love the camaraderie between all of the characters. Highly Recommended!

The Tucker Springs novels are:

Where Nerves End by LA Witt
Second Hand by Marie Sexton and Heidi Cullinan
Dirty Laundry by Cullinan
Covet Thy Neighbor by LA Witt
Never a Hero by Marie Sexton

Reviewed By: Gabbi

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Flowers for Him by Marie Sexton and Rowan Speedwell

Title: Flowers for Him
Author: Marie Sexton, Rowan Speedwell
Publisher: Total-E Bound
Pages: 58
Characters: Chandler Harrison, Neil Sweeney
POV: Alternating 1st Person
Sub-Genre: Contemporary Romance
Kisses: 4.75

Blurb:

He wanted to learn about beauty. He never expected to learn about love.

Billionaire Chandler Harrison’s third marriage is now history, and he’s left with his ex-wife’s parting barb, ‘You have no appreciation of beauty.’ Determined to prove her wrong, Chandler hires artist Neil Sweeney to add a mural to his office wall. He doesn’t even care what the picture is, as long as it’s beautiful.

Neil Sweeney is an ex-tagger, a free spirit, and a bit of a hippie. He’s never met anybody as uptight as Chandler, but when it comes to warming up Chandler’s cold, stark office, Neil has plans involving more than art.

Chandler begins to find himself strangely moved by the mural developing on his office wall. He’s especially moved by the artist himself. Chandler has denied his homosexual urges for most of his life, but it isn’t long before Neil begins introducing Chandler to all kinds of new things. As Neil’s masterpiece comes to life, so does Chandler’s appreciation for art, colour, and the best kind of beauty of all—love.

Review:

Flowers for Him a gem of a short story! I loved the strong connection between Chandler and Neil and enjoyed their story. If you’re in the mood for a sexy and sweet romance, this is definitely a great choice for you!

Professionally speaking, Chandler is a very successful man. He works hard and is respected by his peers. At first glance, you would think Chandler has it all, but unfortunately for him, his personal life is in disarray. His third wife is divorcing him, telling Chandler that he’s boring and wouldn’t appreciate beauty or the smaller things in life even if it hit him on the head. Troubled by this, Chandler is determined to bring some beauty into his world. He hires starving artist, Neil, to paint a colorful mural in his office. What Chandler doesn’t expect is his sudden attraction to the ‘hippy’ looking painter. Soon, Neil introduces Chandler to a different perspective in life and his black and white world turns into a colorful one.

I loved this story! It was so easy to like both Chandler and Neil. Chandler has gone through life working hard and because of it; he’s never really appreciated living. When he meets Neil, he’s confused by his feelings and attraction to him, but for once in his life, he decides to take a chance on love.

How could anyone not love these two men? Even though they are polar opposites, they truly make sense together. I enjoyed watching them learn from one another as well as work to fit each other into each other’s lives. The story itself is a fast-paced and sexy read…so quick; I hated to see it come to an end. Just when I became attached to his couple, the story ended. I hope these two authors revisit this couple in the future, because I would love to see how they really work to make their relationship thrive.

Flowers for Him is told in an alternating first person point of view, and because of it, we are really able to see what makes these characters tick. Both authors did a great job at getting to the heart and soul of their characters, and I for one love every moment I spent reading this book. If you are in the mood for a short, but well-told romantic tale, Flowers for Him is definitely the book for you! Highly Recommended!

Reviewed By: Gabbi

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Blind Space by Marie Sexton Wins The GLBT – Romantic Science Fiction / Futuristic Award!

Congratulations to Marie Sexton for winning The Romance Reviews award for best GLBT – Romantic Science Fiction / Futuristic book! 

 

Captain Tristan Kelley enjoys the luxuries of Regency service, as well as the pleasure of his prince’s bed. It’s an easy life, if not a happy one. When the prince decides to travel through the perilous Blind Space, Tristan must go with him, but somebody in the prince’s guard is a traitor.
Blind and held prisoner, Tristan finds himself at the mercy of the pirate, Valero. Valero is determined to seduce Tristan, and Tristan fears his resolve won’t last. His duty is clear, but so is his desire. As the days tick by without word from the Regency, Tristan begins to realize that being a prisoner may actually set him free.

 

Click here to purchase a copy.

Marie Sexton, Talia Carmichael, and S.A. Meade: A Naughty Threesome Blog Tour!

Hello, and thanks for joining us as we kick off our Naughty Threesome Blog Tour! As this is Day 1 of our tour, we’d like to invite you to tag along as our three authors, Marie Sexton, Talia Carmichael, and S.A. Meade all meet for the first time.

*****

Sue and Marie arrive at Talia’s place. Hugging them, Talia ushers them into the living room. They all sit around the center table laden with snacks and drinks. Marie grabs a bag of chips and Sue a glass of wine. Talia snags a beer, taking a deep drink then lowering it.

“I’m excited about our releases coming up.” Talia bounces in place, too giddy to keep still. She jiggles the bottle of beer.

“Me too,” Sue and Marie say together.

“Jinx!” they say together again.

They all laugh.

“I’m so nervous about this book,” Marie says. “I hope my readers don’t hate it.”

Sue and Talia look at each other then back at Marie. They laugh, but sober quickly as they realize she is serious.

“Marie, I’ve read all your books and loved them. And this time won’t be any different,” Talia assures.

Marie shakes her head. “But this is a departure from the contemporaries I usually do. What if it sucks?”

“Lady, believe me, it doesn’t suck,” Sue says decisively, taking a gulp of wine. “I loved it.”

“Why do you look like you are about to keel over after one glass of wine?” Talia asks Sue.

“I’m a Newbie with my first book. I see major suckage in my future, so Marie can’t suck. I have that all covered.” Sue takes another gulp of wine.

Talia takes the glass from her, putting it on the table, then pulls her to her feet. They go around and join Marie on the other side of the table. They all rest back against the couch.

“Aren’t you nervous about your book coming out too?” Sue eyes Talia.

“Beyond nervous. But I’m a little drunk.” Talia attempts to make the gesture but fails instead wiggling her fingers. ”Since I am a happy drunk I’m feeling Zen. Ask me when I sober up. Then I will be bat-shit crazy and biting off my fingernails. So come on and give me the details on your books. You first Marie.” Talia pokes Marie in the shoulder.

Marie: “Song of Oestend is my first non-contemporary. I guess you could call it fantasy, although not traditional fantasy. It’s more of an alternate universe, set in a frontier-type setting. With a haunted house, and wraiths running around in the night. Oh. And a bit of mild bondage. *wink*

Sue gropes for the chips. “It’s very atmospheric and the sex is hawt.”

“That sounds good. Especially the bondage.” Talia winks, then turns to Sue. “Now share yours.”

“I wrote Stolen Summer as a challenge to myself. It’s my first erotic romance. It’s about the excitement of discovering the love of your life and then nearly having it snatched away for good. There’s a lot of naughty bits, sad bits, explosions and gunfire,” Sue replies.

“Ohhh, sounds angsty. Love books like that,” Talia says.

“I love explosions and gunfire!” Marie says. She turns to Talia. “You’re not getting out of sharing yours, missy.”

“Yeah come on and give it up.” Sue pokes Talia in the side.

Talia laughs. “Okay, okay. Ralston’s Way is about a strong silent type cowboy who hates change, but life is changed when a computer geek takes on the job as his office manager. The cowboy is thrown for a loop by this geek who isn’t as he seems. And he makes the cowboy want to know more.”

Marie: “Ooh! I have a strong, silent cowboy too!”

“I love the sound of that!. All these hunky cowboys.” Sue searches for the dip.

Marie: “Let’s talk inspiration. Where did your story come from?”

Sue gulps another gobful of wine.”Mine came out of a challenge on the writer’s forum, Absolute Write. The challenge was to write an erotic piece in a totally opposite point of view than usual. I usually write in close third from a woman’s POV, so I wrote a scene in first from a man’s POV. It was quite…hawt and Colin and Evan, the characters, wouldn’t leave me alone. They kept tugging at my sleeve and telling me to write their story.

Marie: “That’s interesting. Song of Oestend is a bit of a switch for me as well. I almost always write in first person, and this is one of only two things I’ve written in third. It felt odd, but I guess Aren needed to keep me at a bit of a distance.”

“Sue,” Talia says, “it is a good thing you listened to your men or else we wouldn’t have gotten to read about them. And Marie, we have to go where they tell us. I had a similar thing with my heroes. Ralston, my cowboy, wanted things his way. Thus the title. But Blayne showed him that sometimes when things that aren’t your way that it can be very entertaining and sexy. Ralston was resistant because he hates change. It was fun.” Talia chuckles.

Marie: “I wanted to write about a cowboy and an artist. But I also wanted to write about a haunted house. Then I read The Warded Man, by Peter V. Brett, and I was really intrigued by the idea of these things running around in the night. And then somebody (probably Heidi Cullinan or Ethan Stone) said, ‘Put them all together.’ So I did.”

“Sounds like a great mixture. I read the excerpts and blurb and can’t wait to read the whole book. It will be mine when it releases.” Talia rubs her hands together in anticipation.

Marie: “So, we have a cowboy and a computer geek in Ralston’s Way, and a cowboy with an artist in Song of Oestend. Sue, give us the rundown on your Stolen Summer boys.”

Sue eyes the half-empty bottle of wine. “Evan is a journalist for a quality (unnamed) British newspaper. He’s a bit on the cynical side and he’s in a stale relationship with a woman. He’s known Colin since they were at University together, they were roomies and there’s a drunken night of watching porn films with Colin that’s nagging at him a bit. Colin is a lecturer in Poetry at Oxford University. He was a bit of a player in the past and he’s gone through a string of unsuitable relationships.”

“It seems as if we all have heroes that are vastly different. I love opposites that get together in books. It makes for them seeing things in a different way. Lots of fun to be had.” Talia grabs a chip from Marie, eating it and drinking another sip of her beer.

“Opposite attract is one of my favorites, too,” Marie says. “Although probably anybody who’s read my books knows that already.”

“Yep. I do know that, Marie. It’s what makes your books so interesting. That and I love your characters. Another important thing in books. That and when they finally realize that they are attracted to each other and make the move.” Snort. “That sounds so bad. Can’t come up with anything better my brain is fogged from being tipsy. Ralston kissed Blayne and shocked him since Blayne didn’t even know if he was actually gay. Then Ralston waited for Blayne to come to him. He is a wicked man. But Blayne showed him. Ahhh…those two are well matched.” Talia takes another drag of her beer.

Marie: “Aren is very aggressive. He basically jumps Deacon. He hasn’t had sex for a while, and he’s not about to take no for an answer!”

“Aren sounds like my kind of man. Go get your man, Aren. I’m sure Deacon enjoys every moment.” Talia laughs.

“Poor Evan was embarrassed as all get-out because Colin kisses him in the middle of dinner in a local Italian restaurant. When they get back to Colin’s flat, Colin decides to come clean and … let’s just say Evan gets quite an education and it’s not about poetry.”

“Public displays of affection are awesome. Go Colin, let him know how you feel. Teach Evan really well. And I think it’s poetry of the bodies.” Talia snickers wickedly. “Well ladies, enough of our books. They are out and we are here to party. We have a blog tour to prepare for. Let’s drink, eat and be merry that we got through to release day.”

“All except for poor Sue, who still has a week of nail-biting ahead of her,” Marie points out, handing Sue some extra chocolate. “Take two of these and call me in the morning.”

“Whoops. Sue, we’ll be nail biting with you. And we can drink again on that day too. For now…” Talia raising her bottle then realizing it is empty. She puts it down and gets a glass of wine and raises it. “Congrats on your release, Marie. And your upcoming one, Sue. And here’s to many more for all of us to come.”

“Back atcha ladies. Can I have my chocolate now? I’ve run out of fingernails.”

“I’m partial to caramel so have some of that too.” Talia hands over some caramel to Marie and Sue.

“Cheers!” to all of you who joined us!

*****

Buy links:
Ralston’s Way, by Talia Carmichael: http://tiny.cc/3mqw2 (available now)
Song of Oestend, by Marie Sexton: http://tiny.cc/mkqzb (available now)
Stolen Summer, by S.A. Meade: http://tiny.cc/5qsa0 (available for pre-order, release date August 29th)

*****

Please be sure to follow us on our blog tour. We’re keeping track of everybody who leaves a comment along the way, and on August 30th, we’ll choose one person to win our Grand Prize!

The Grand Prize winner will receive:
● $50 All Romance Ebook ebooks bucks! (You must have an account at All Romance Ebook so we can send the prize to you.)
● 1 pdf from Talia’s backlist (winner’s choice of Detour, Reckless Behaviour, or A Tender Roughness)
● A swag pack from Marie
● 1 ebook from Marie’s backlist (winner’s choice of Promises, A to Z, Strawberries for Dessert, or One More Soldier)
● 1 pdf of S.A. Meade’s Stolen Summer

Follow along and comment often. The more places you visit us, the better your chance of winning.

Monday, August 22nd: Top 2 Bottom Reviews (http://top2bottomreviews.wordpress.com/)
Tuesday, August 23rd: Talia Carmichael’s blog (http://taliacarmichael.com/blog/)
Wednesday, August 24th: Amara’s Place (http://www.amaras-place.blogspot.com/)
Thursday, August 25th: Fiction Vixen (http://www.fictionvixen.com/)
Friday, August 26th: Marie’s blog (http://MarieSexton.net)
Saturday, August 27th: Heidi Cullinan’s blog (http://heidicullinan.wordpress.com/)
Sunday, August 28th: Smexy Books (http://www.smexybooks.com/)
Monday, August 29th: S.A. Meade’s blog (http://kestrelrising.blogspot.com/)

Thanks again for stopping by, and thanks to Top2Bottom for having us!

Song of Oestend by Marie Sexton

Title: Song of Oestend
Author: Marie Sexton
Publisher: Total e-Bound
Pages: 274
Characters: Aren Montrell, Deacon
POV: 3rd Person
Sub-Genre: Paranormal, AU, M/M/M
Kisses: 5

Blurb:

Symbols have power…

Aren Montrell has heard tales of the Oestend wraiths – mysterious creatures which come in the night and kill anyone who’s not indoors. Aren’s never had reason to believe the stories, but when he takes a job as a bookkeeper on the BarChi, a dusty cattle ranch on the remote Oestend prairie, he soon learns that the wraiths are real. Aren suddenly finds himself living in a supposedly haunted house and depending on wards and generators to protect him from unseen things in the night. As if that’s not enough, he has to deal with a crotchety old blind woman, face “cows” that look like nothing he’s ever seen before, and try to ignore the fact that he’s apparently the most eligible bachelor around.

Aren also finds himself the one and only confidante of Deacon, the BarChi’s burly foreman. Deacon runs the BarChi with an iron fist and is obviously relieved to finally have somebody he can talk to. As their relationship grows, Aren learns there’s more to Deacon and the BarChi than he’d anticipated. Deacon seems determined to deny both his Oestend heritage and any claim he may have to the BarChi ranch, but if Aren is to survive the perils of Oestend, he’ll have to convince Deacon to stop running from the past and finally claim everything that’s his.

Review:

Two very different men are attempting to escape their pasts.

Aren Montrell, an artist and scholar, has accepted a position as bookkeeper at the BarChi Ranch in the desolate, wild, and supremely dangerous Oestend territory. Aren is a man whose desires have led him to make choices that, in the harsh light of day, have often left him feeling ashamed of those needs and the way in which he’s been forced to satisfy them—his body used as a playground by men who could not have cared less for Aren, but cared very much about slaking their own physical hungers.

Deacon is the foreman of the BarChi, a man who was pushed by prejudice, years before, into denying his attraction to men. Deacon is a man who wears the weight of his responsibility like a mantle, forced each day to earn the respect of the hands and to ensure that the ranch and everyone who lives and works there not only does his share but also remains safe from the natural and unnatural dangers that make the days and nights in Oestend a perilous existence to navigate. Deacon’s iron rule over the ranch does little to earn him friendship from the men he leads, but friendship doesn’t count for much of anything if the men don’t respect him. Deacon is a man with an uncertain past, and rather than aligning himself with one history or the other, he has chosen to deny both. In doing so, he has denied both his birthright and his heritage—a heritage that will ultimately prove to be incomparably vital to his future.

When Aren and Deacon meet, it seems unlikely the men might find enough in common to form any sort of bond, but they do, slowly and genuinely, as they each discover that friendships can spring from necessity and grow from little more than the need to connect with someone who understands that companionship is not about what you can take, but also about what you can give; that it’s not about what you say, but that you’re willing to listen.

Song of Oestend is set in a landscape that conjured a picture in my mind of distant times, when the American West was nothing but miles of barren land, a land where Native American lore was a religion in which the People honored those who had come before them.

The land of Oestend is haunted by the spirits of the Old People who left the realms of the living and passed into a spirit world to become revenants, an intangible and utterly deadly foe that will kill anyone who dares to trespass upon the dark of the night they claim as their own. The wards and songs, the prayers sung in the ancient language of the Old People, have been mostly forgotten and replaced by more modern technology, a dependence that turns tragic when technology fails those who depend upon it to survive.

Marie Sexton has written a tale that is woven together from several threads. It is a story of the paranormal that runs through an alternate universe of centuries past, where the unusual is the norm. It is a story of legend and of a race that has been all but decimated, of a lost language and customs that are part of the past, but find a very urgent purpose in the present. It is a story of a young love torn apart by religious intolerance, about one boy who moved on, while the other became mired in what might have been, and crippled by his inability to let go. That betrayal of self becomes integral to the story for Aren and Deacon when its poison threatens to harm them.

At its heart, however, this novel is the story of two men who find their way to each other from different paths in life. It is a story of a dominant man who, in the private times they share, is willing to give up control of himself—heart, soul, and body—to a man who, until that point, had only submitted to those who’d used and dismissed him. Their bond is formed within mutual need and a profound and undeniable trust that they mean more to each other than merely a way to satisfy their own individual desires. They are connected by the certainty that they have each found in the other, the one who will give him the strength to fight for a future not haunted by the past.

Symbols have power, which Aren and Deacon prove when death threatens to separate them, but those symbols are made even more powerful when constructed in love. Though the journey isn’t always easy, though it takes some time for Aren and Deacon to find the crossroads that will alter the paths their lives have been on, it was so well worth the trip.

Reviewed By: Lisa

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Between Sinners and Saints by Marie Sexton

Title: Between Sinners and Saints
Author: Marie Sexton
Publisher: Amber Allure Press
Pages: 276
Characters: Levi Binder, Jaime Marshall
POV: 3rd person
Setting: Miami/Georgetown, SC
Sub-Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover Rating: 4
Kisses: 5

Blurb:

Levi Binder is a Miami bartender who cares about only two things: sex and surfing. Ostracized by his Mormon family for his homosexuality, Levi is determined to live his life his own way, but everything changes when he meets massage therapist Jaime Marshall.

Jaime is used to being alone. Haunted by the horrors of his past, his only friend is his faithful dog, Dolly. He has no idea how to handle somebody as gorgeous and vibrant as Levi.

Complete opposites on the surface, Levi and Jaime both long for something that they can only find together. Through love and the therapeutic power of touch, they’ll find a way to heal each other, and they’ll learn to live as sinners in a family of saints.

Review:

Is there anything quite as divisive and at the same time as unifying as religion? Maybe politics. But it’s not politics that provide for the conflict between Levi Binder and his family in Marie Sexton’s Between Sinners and Saints. Rather, it’s the religious directives of the Binders’ faith that have both divided and united Levi’s family, a difference of ideals that has threatened to isolate him from them—possibly for all eternity.

Love is supposed to be unconditional: Patient and kind, it is not arrogant, nor does it act unbecomingly. Love rejoices in the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But sometimes it doesn’t work that way. It’s only in the hands of we mortal beings that love can be used to manipulate and to judge, even though our hearts may be in the right place while we’re doing it.

Though they love Levi immensely and have only the best of intentions for him and his immortal soul, it’s the Binder family’s inability to love him unconditionally that proves to be their undoing. The more the Binder’s push Levi to give up his homosexual lifestyle, the more Levi pushes back, working at a gay bar while night after night, he makes anonymous hook-ups in the back room, knowing those are the very things he can use to hurt them as much as they’ve hurt him by not accepting him for who he is. The more they try to gather him back into the family fold, asking him to repent and deny his sexuality, the more they push him away in a repetitive cycle of anger and pain.

But where love has the power to hurt, it also has the power to heal. It has the power to heal even those who didn’t know they needed healing to begin with. It has the power to heal those who are broken by the lasting damage of a past that has left its share of visible and invisible scars. But while Jaime Marshall may be broken, he is not damaged beyond all hope.

A nagging muscle injury leaves Levi in need of a massage therapist, which places him directly into the very capable and elusive hands of Jaime Marshall, a man whose fear and anxiety manifests itself in regimented behaviors and his inability to tolerate being touched. How does a man who cannot stand to be touched by anyone, ever, endure touching others for a living? Control—something that had been stolen from him as a child, something that eludes him in his nightmares. It’s his unconquerable and often overwhelming fear that threatens to steal his control on a daily basis. And it’s that fear that creates an irrevocable bond between the two men, as Levi fulfills a need in Jaime, the way Jaime fulfills a need in Levi; the need to connect and to belong to someone else. Jaime’s pain and fear become Levi’s pain and fear, a burden he willingly accepts in an effort to ease Jaime’s affliction.

Trust, friendship, family—those are all things Jaime has been lacking in his life, the very things he wants and needs, the very things Levi can provide for him, but first Levi must prove himself to be trustworthy. It’s a long and arduous journey, as the two men travel together through the building of a friendship that will cement a lifelong bond. Through the power of touch, something that Jaime has only been able to give but never to accept, Levi gives Jaime a safe place to fall, gives him a family, and gives him unconditional support and love.

Faith and love cannot remain at odds if a family is to survive. It’s a hard-fought conflict for the Binder’s, and one that love, with all its influence, overcomes in the end.

Between Sinners and Saints is, simply put, a brilliant and beautiful story of recovery and redemption. It’s a story that explores the eternal conflict between spiritual beliefs and the temptations and trials of the secular world, without ever crossing the line into sermonizing.

How can love between two consenting adults, the sort of love that is entirely pure and unselfish, patient and kind, possibly be considered sinful? It’s a theme that is conveyed through a group of characters who are each genuinely portrayed with real personalities and emotions.

It is a question that shouldn’t need to be addressed at all. But if it’s going to be, it should always be addressed this well.

Reviewed By: Lisa

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Marie Sexton Serves Us A Little Cheesetastic, With A Side Of Craptacular. Oh, And She Has A New Book Release Too!

One of the greatest things about writing is learning about my characters, because they rarely go the direction I intend. My latest release, Between Sinners and Saints, is a perfect example. When I started this book, I had in my head that my shy massage therapist Jaime Marshall was a bookworm, but I wasn’t very far into the story before I realized it simply didn’t fit. Jaime is haunted by events of his childhood. He struggles each day to stay just one step ahead of the fears and nightmares that plague him. I couldn’t see him wanting to curl up with any book that might bring those terrors closer rather than helping keep them at bay. When, early in Between Sinners and Saints, he woke in the night, gasping for breath, trying to get away from the memories in his head, he didn’t retreat into a book as I had planned. Instead, he padded downstairs with his dog Dolly at his heels. He turned on the TV. And he watched….

Something.

But what? What exactly would Jaime want to watch? I had to know, because somehow, that information was a key to who he was. What would he choose?

Something not too sappy. Something not too deep. Something that would keep his attention enough to distract him, and yet allow him to fall back asleep too. After a little bit of thought, I realized he’d watch the one thing guaranteed to be on at any hour of the night: a low-budget monster movie on SyFy, where the horror is too absurd to be scary, and the acting too bad to warrant tears.

SyFy has managed to build a name and a reputation for themselves, not to mention a surprising amount of success, on these monster monstrosities. They’ve carved themselves a pop-culture niche with such new classics as Mansquito, Mega-Python vs. Gatoroid, and Mongolian Death Worm. These movies are low on plot and high on imagination. They’re made on budgets of about $30 a piece and apparently filmed on some guy’s iPhone. There’s always a scientist, usually female, in her mid-thirties (she lives), and a slew of young bimbos in bikinis (they don’t). There’s usually a stud-muffin who can’t seem to button his shirt higher than his navel, and a leering bad guy who nobody suspects, despite his evil laugh. The movies are silly. They are predictable. They are gleefully, unapologetically craptastic.

I kind of love them.

Now, I confess, I watch these movies often, yet I don’t ever watch them attentively. After all, I don’t have to. That’s the beauty of them! I can jump in at any time without worrying about having missed a crucial plot point. I can leave the room and come back, and maybe I missed a scantily-clad coed suffering a spectacularly low-budget death, but there’s always another coed lined up to take her place, so it’s okay! I don’t need to see the end, because I know the monster dies and the brainy-but-hot female scientist falls for the can’t-button-my-shirt-up stud-muffin. I’ve turned on Snakehead Terror at least twenty times over the past year, and I don’t actually remember a single second of it. And yet, if it were on again right now, I’d turn it on. I really would.

Wait a minute…

Holy shit! Look at that! It is on!!

Of course, I shouldn’t be surprised. That is, after all, the secret of SyFy’s success: there’s nearly ALWAYS some freak-fest movie to watch. Any day of the week, any time of the day, just turn on SyFy and you’ll be greeted by cheesetastic masterpieces like Caved In: Prehistoric Terror, and Bats: Human Harvest. SyFy movies are more reliable than either UPS or the USPS. They’re like the slippers next to your bed, except without the dog drool. (Okay. I lied. There might be dog drool in Hellhounds.)

So next time you’re flipping through the channels, trying to decide how to kill some time, think about Jaime Marshall in Between Sinners and Saints, and check out SyFy. Keep your mind open and your expectations low. Pour yourself some wine – this is cheese we’re talking about, after all, and it always goes better with wine. (I recommend white over red in this case, because when you burst out laughing and inadvertently spit it across the room, it’s far less likely to stain.) Kick off your shoes. Sit back and relax. Prepare to be blown away by the sheer, unabashed absurdity that only SyFy can deliver. Because seriously, have you ever seen anything as cool as a giant shark jumping out of the ocean to take down a jumbo jet?

I didn’t think so.

For the full cheesetastic glory of SyFy, check out this clip from Mega-Shark vs. Giant Octopus

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Paris A to Z by Marie Sexton

Title: Paris A to Z (Coda Books #6)
Author: Marie Sexton
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Pages: 106
Characters: Zach and Angelo, Matt and Jared, Cole and Jonathan
POV: Dual 1st person—Zach and Matt
Setting: Paris
Sub-Genre: Contemporary Romance
Cover Rating: 5
Kisses: 5

Blurb:

Zach Mitchell and his lover Angelo Green are headed to Paris (along with their Coda friends Matt and Jared) to attend Jon and Cole’s wedding. Matt will have to face Jared’s former lover, and Angelo will have to spend an entire week with Zach’s ex-boyfriend.

Between Matt’s jealousy and Angelo’s temper, Zach thinks they’ll be lucky to get through the week without one of the grooms being punched. But Zach soon realizes he should worry less about Angelo and more about himself. Facing the bittersweet memories of his past and his own guilt over breaking Jon’s heart is harder than expected, but Zach will have to find a way to leave his past behind if he’s to have any hope of the future he wants with Angelo.

Review:

Oh, how I love the Coda men; and all the men together in Paris, the city that is synonymous with romance? Well, that’s pretty well my definition of insanely good reading.

If you’ve read the previous five books in this series (and I highly recommend you do), you’ll know that these men have histories that intertwine, either through long-standing friendships or past romantic entanglements. It’s those past affairs that create much of the conflict and emotional tension in Paris A to Z, the sixth installment in the series that travels to the City of Lights with all three couples to celebrate Cole and Jonathan’s wedding.

Is there anything that illuminates your past failings quite like spending a week with a man who, at one time, you had loved deeply but hurt irrevocably? That’s a harsh reality Zach and Jonathan must endure as, after twelve years, they attempt to reconcile the way in which their relationship ended amidst infidelity and rejection. There is a sublime poignancy to their storyline, as each man has moved on to find their perfect soul mate—the men who each have taught Zach and Jonathan that they can fly, yet still have their feet planted firmly on the ground, that their compasses will always point toward home, so long as the one they love is there.

While the story is told in alternating points of view between Zach and Matt—Matt, of course, having to come to terms with his jealousy and antagonistic feelings toward Cole—I honestly felt this was Angelo and Zach’s book. Their relationship is so entirely complex and so utterly glorious that I found myself missing Zach’s voice when the focus was not on him and his angel. Angelo’s evolution and by extension, the deepening of his and Zach’s feelings for each other was oh-so-sigh-worthy, causing frequent bouts of anxiety, mixed with episodes of sheer giddiness as their commitment to each other strengthens.

Zach and Jonathan’s relationship failed because Jon wasn’t able to accept Zach for who he was. Zach and Angelo’s relationship thrives because Zach loves Ang precisely for who he is, not for who he has the potential to become. Angelo has given himself completely to Zach, and there is no greater gift than that. It’s an unconditional love and understanding that makes their unconventional relationship work absolutely. I adore them both, which means, based on the ending of this one, I cannot wait until book 7 to see what Marie Sexton has planned for these two men next.

”You are the known place to which the unknown is always leading me back.” And I follow gladly.

Reviewed By: Lisa

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Putting Out Fires by Marie Sexton

Title: Putting Out Fires
Author: Marie Sexton
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Pages: 36
Characters: Matt Richards, Jared Thomas
POV: 1st person
Setting: Coda, Colorado
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Kisses: 4.5






Blurb:

A Coda Valentine’s Day Story

Matt Richards has never given much thought to Valentine’s Day, but when his lover of almost three years, Jared Thomas, hints that he feels unappreciated, Matt realizes he needs to do something. He’s determined to make this Valentine’s Day special, but nothing is going to turn out the way Matt plans.

Review:

I am the self-professed Ebenezer Scrooge of Valentine’s Day. Bah-humbug to it, I say! The made-up holiday is nothing more than a poor excuse for picking a man’s pocket every fourteenth of February, inciting bouts of near fatal stress to impress. Spontaneously give me roses on the twenty-first of August if you want to impress me.

Reading Putting Out Fires reminded me of why I have such a distaste for the day. Poor Matt! And it all began with a pink envelope, a misinterpreted comment, and the fear that the fourteenth of February meant something more than it truly does.

I loved this short, funny, and heartwarming story. It serves as a reminder to be sure to show your appreciation for your significant other more than just once a year, and to do it because you want to, not because you feel obligated to by a date on the calendar.

This is a Murphy’s Law story told from Matt’s point-of-view—if anything could go wrong in his attempts to romance Jared, it did, with near disastrous but comical results.

I love the men of Coda and I thoroughly enjoyed this little treat. Putting Out Fires is so much better than chocolates and flowers any day of the year.

Reviewed By: Lisa

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