Monday’s Hot Couple & Sexy, Smutty Scene from Eternal Seduction by Jennifer Turner

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This week I’ve picked a sexy scene from a novel I’m reading atm: Eternal Seduction by Jennifer Turner. It’s the first book from the Darkness Within series, of which the second book will come out later this year. The cover of Eternal Seduction immediately caught my eye when I first saw it. Turns out that it not only has a gorgeous cover, but also a great heroine! She’s a drug addicted waif when we first meet her, living on the streets of New York, streetwise and not easily scared. You can’t help but like her with her sassy mouth. And ancient old vampire Kerestyan couldn’t help himself either. Although he should kill her or at least erase her memory because she knows about vampires, he doesn’t do either. He takes her home with him. In the next scene they get sexy.
Enjoy!


“
Clinging to his muscular biceps, she shivered as his thumbs drew slow circles around each erect nipple before he ducked his head and pulled one into his mouth. Hot and wet, his tongue retraced the same path his fingers had blazed. She tipped her head back, giving in to the exquisite tension building inside her as he fanged one taut peak to a nearly painful state, then the other.
The man definitely knew what he was doing.
As he trailed a searing line of kisses up to her neck, she slid her hands down his chest, delighting in every dip and curve of lean, sculpted muscle on the way down to the deep grooves between his abs. He had a body to die for, nothing but firm skin and hard lines.
Logan shivered as Kerestyan’s fangs scraped her throat. Her entire body was on fire, burning hotter everywhere his mouth touched her. His deep moan vibrated against her throat, urging her on as she found the lone button nestled between them.
After undoing his pants, she wrapped her fingers around the thick base of his cock and smiled. Unless he’d changed his clothes while she slept, he’d been commando since the moment she met him. She stroked the hard, throbbing length of him before he claimed her mouth again. Hot tendrils of excitement wound down her spine. Tightening her grip, she savored the animalistic growl that rumbled its way through his chest, straight into hers.
”

Jennifer Turner’s website | on Goodreads
Buy Eternal Seduction here
Read the first 3 chapters for free here

Backblurb Eternal Seduction:
After living on the streets of New York for over a decade, Logan admits her perceptions might be a little skewed. But twisted or not, there's a satisfying irony in watching a well dressed vampire stand in the middle of a ghetto alley, windblown trash scraping circles near his feet. What she finds even more intriguing, is waiting for him to decide if he's going to kill her. Kerestyan hasn't made up his mind. As the Lord of New York, he can't let a drug addict, whose memories are packed with knowledge of vampires, run free in his city. It's not the first time he's been in this situation with a human, it's just the first time he's come face to face with one who doesn't seem to care. And that's what makes the decision so difficult. What horrors could you witness before you went numb? How long would it take before you felt that way? What could make you care again? Logan's answers are simple: the worst humanity has to offer, almost thirty, and something she never expected.


What are you reading at the moment?

Happy Monday!

Review of Big Diehl: The Road Home by George Seaton

George Seaton
Big Diehl: The Road Home
MLR Books, 2010

Backblurb:
Diehl's return to Wyoming from six years of service to his country---including combat in Iraq---is colored with a dark intent to even the score with his father. But before he can once again embrace that family, including Tony, a ranch hand with a military history of his own, Diehl's single-minded purpose of revenge against his father precipitates events that turn his life in a direction never envisioned. His comfort through it all, is Jack, a Border Collie who Diehl rescues from certain death; a dog who, perhaps, rescues Diehl from himself.

Genre & Keywords:
M/M, Military, Cowboys, Suspense, Murder, Abuse, Love for dogs

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Heat level: 1.5 out of 3 flames

Why I read it:
The author sent me a copy for review

From the cover and the backblurb of Big Diehl: The Road Home one could think this book is about a boy (Diehl) and his dog (Jack). Well, it is, but there are lots of secondary characters too. Among them, a few of Diehl’s lovers; his friends (a lesbian couple that takes in waifs like him); his father and all kinds of different inhabitants of the region where Diehl grew up. Most of these characters get their own detailed attention and in some cases even their own voice or perspective through which we hear Diehl’s story. This makes this a very broad and circumstantial novel which is much more than a romance story.
In fact, the romantic elements are just a small part of this book. It’s more of a coming-of-age story about a young gay man finding his home. To accomplish this he has to deal with the abuse he suffered in his youth, go through six years of the tough military life he signed up for, and learn the hard way about death and loss.

I’m never one for extensively summarizing a book, but in this case I wouldn’t even dare to try to do that. In the first place because a lot is happening but secondly because the pleasure of reading this book lies mostly in letting the author take you from the beginning to the end of his story. It’s easy to surrender to his narrative: not only does Mr Seaton tell an interesting story – with a good insight in military life and Wyoming small town life, all wrapped in a nice suspenseful plot – he also likes to accommodate the reader by telling everything there is to know in detail. All threads are tied together nicely in the end, no questions are left unanswered and the reader can just sit back and let it all wash over him without having to think too much him/herself. By filling in everything himself and leaving nothing to the reader’s imagination the author risks that his reader gets a bit lazy, but sometimes a solid book like this can be such a delight. Personally I really enjoyed the ride Mr Seaton took me on - in his unusual writing style, with clipped sentences in which the use of a pronoun is considered overrated.

Step by step the picture the author presents of his main character gets constructed. This happens gradually and the picture gets clearer with every occurrence Diehl has to face by the way he handles things. A lot can also be read from his behavior towards his dog, Jack. The two of them are a moving pair to watch. And because the author uses an omniscient narrator it feels like we’re watching from the outside. Not only when it involves Diehl and Jack, but with everything that’s happening. At times I felt like watching it all from a helicopter with a camera that sometimes zoomed in on this part of Wyoming and sometimes on that part of some motel room, etc. This somehow worked perfectly for me. And forming my opinion about Diehl (and his adventures) felt like an objective process – pure and not manipulated by feelings (e.g. from other characters about him). I don’t know if this makes sense. Anyway, it resulted in me loving Diehl. He’s a straightforward, honest guy who’s very likeable, which helps a lot in enjoying his story.

For those who like their stories to have a HEA ending, I can assure you this book has one. Although it’s uncertain until far into the book with whom Diehl will hook up eventually. He has loved more than one or two guys in those six years and I found myself constantly on the fence about who I wanted him to find his HEA with. This was partly due to the ‘incomplete’ backblurb regarding the mention of his love interest(s). Now I like to keep it a mystery too because I want you to find out yourself, plus, like I said before, the romantic elements aren’t necessarily this novel’s main focus. As a result the smexing (hey, I can’t not mention it ;)) is not to write home about. Not that the sex scenes aren't explicit, just pretty short and to the point. But although this might be far from a panty-scorching erotic story, it has a lot other interesting and good stuff to offer for every lover of gay themed novels! Hardcore romance/erotica readers might want to give this a skip, but everyone else I'll recommend to give it a try.

PS: The author assured me that it's not necessary to read the earlier published novella Big Diehl first, because all the information from that story can be found in Big Diehl: The Road Home. I think that this novel can indeed perfectly be read as a standalone.

Linking:
George Seaton’s weblog | on Goodreads
Buy Big Diehl: The Road Home here

I’m lazy, but it’s Happy Gay Friday!

Let me tell you, vacation time makes you lazy! Well, at least me, lol! Looking back at my last week of vacationing I can’t honestly mention one useful thing I’ve done, except maybe going to the hairdresser (which cost me a whole afternoon btw!). It might have been useful because of this party we're going to this Saturday, and now my hair looks pretty again after the mess the beach, sun and wind had made of it. But I’m telling you, the two colors that adorn my hair now are so not worth the long afternoon wasted! To be honest I pretty much hate going to the hairdresser. Am I weird? Or am I not the only one?

Good thing about being lazy is that it’s so easy to surrender to reading. Which I happily did! I haven’t even spent much time behind the computer, apart from buying me some more books (as if I needed those ;)). So if you wondered where I was… picture me sprawled all over the couch, the bed or the lazy chair with my ereader in hand! Pretty picture, huh? ;)

Well, I’m just seizing the day while I still can, because next week all hell breaks loose again when the EDJ starts again. And because it’s the start of a new season full of new activities I’ll be out of the office a lot for the whole month of September, visiting the volunteers and their activities all over the country. By the end of September I can’t stand traveling by train any longer, lol!

Back to books! I still have some catching up to do regarding reviewing the books I’ve read while we were away. One of my intentions was to read/finish a good deal of the series that are gracing my ereader. Right! Well-counted I finished one, just one (!), whole series. And this was only a series of 4 novellas too. I didn’t even manage to read a few more books from other series either. So, one can safely say that I majorly failed on the good intentions, lol.
But, there’s always a but, this series that I did manage to read, was very enjoyable. I’ve read all four novellas in one day. It’s the Only Forever series by Shawn Lane. I’m using the handy Goodreads app again to share my very short thoughts on them with you. You can click the book titles for the synopsis on Goodreads.


Only In His Dreams by Shawn Lane

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was an okay read but my least favorite of the Only Forever series. It’s Travis and Darrell’s book which is a romance-at-work story that I found a bit vanilla in the smexing department. Theirs is an interracial relationship with no angst, it’s nice and light, but without a proper HEA or HFN ending because there’s no exchange of the ‘I love you’s if I remember correctly. It’s a good set-up for the rest of the series in which we see the other characters again – getting their own romantic love story.

Only For Him by Shawn Lane

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is Barnaby and Nathan’s story, who both work at the same law firm as Travis and Darrell from book one, Only in His Dreams. They make a very cute couple. I loved the bouncy Barnaby, who knows what he wants. I had the urge to smack Nathan a few times, but his insecurities made for good heart-wrenching moments and these were actually quite adorable as was he in all his geekiness. They seem an odd couple at first sight but in the end I believed that they were a perfect match all together.

Only His Heart by Shawn Lane

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This third book in the Only Forever series is not taking place at the law firm, like the first two books. Matt and Calvin are working at a hospital, but there’s a connection to the other books, as Calvin is the older brother of Barnaby from book #2. Both brothers stole my heart, with their difficult past and resulting different personalities. This third book is my favorite of the series because of the emotional depth of this story. Here the heartache is caused by a misunderstanding (no smacking urges here, like in book #2). Both Matt and Calvin are loveable protags.

His One And Only by Shawn Lane

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In the last book of this series we’re back at the law firm from the first two books. The third lawyer and partner in the firm, Mark, is finding his love interest in Drew, a friend of Barnaby. Their story was quite enjoyable as well, thanks to the likeable MC’s. They’re a bit of an odd couple too, first only meeting for coffee but gradually becoming more than just friends, but they’re very sweet together. And let’s not forget to mention hot! I think this is also a nice conclusion to the series with a cruise at the end where all the love couples from the previous books meet again, in a perhaps wee bit short wrap-up.


That was it for today! I'm going back to being lazy! ;)

Happy Friday everyone!

Quick vacay-reading update

I’ve not only read quite a few novels while I was vacationing but also some short stories and novellas. I hope to write some longer reviews about the novels later. Meanwhile here are some quick thoughts about the short stories and novellas (for which I used the very handy Goodreads app to post them here):

Short stories:

The Hitchhiker by habu

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I thought this was a weird, plotless short story which is basically about a rape/noncon encounter. It has some strange twists and turns (seriously? a vice cop?) and not a HEA or HFN ending. Not for a romance lover like me, since it’s just pron/erotica and not even very hot imo. But it’s a free story, for those who want to see for themselves... 1.5 stars

An Anniversary Gift by Jude Mason

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a nice, free m/m story about breeders, which is practically one long erotic scene with a small introduction. It’s hot and well-written but maybe too short to consider it a real story.

A Love for All Nights by Jessica Coulter Smith

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This story asked for me to suspend my disbelief a little bit. It’s about a vampire (Carson) finding his mate (Alexa) by accident. It’s love at first sight, but this insta-love is explained with the paranormal feeling/force of ‘knowing’ your mate. It’s a nicely written story with a pleasant arc for such a short read. Plus it’s free. :) 3.75 stars

Up the Chimney He Rose by James Buchanan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A really hot and well-written short m/m story about a 30-year old business man, Jeff, meeting a 20-year old student, Chris, at the Christmas party of his company while they were both hiding in the bathroom trying to escape the party. They have very hot sex including the sexy use of Jeff’s Christmas themed tie, but without a condom… This is one of the free stories you can find at the author’s website.

‘Love and War’ is another free one by the same author. Only, I didn’t enjoy this one as much. Before I figured out who these guys were the story was already over…

Joy Ride by J.M. Snyder

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Really cute, sexy free short story about a young and older biker hooking up for some hot and wild sex on the bike. For a quickie this was really good, and the couple made me smile. 3.5 stars

Valentine's Vindication by Keta Diablo

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This well-written story takes place in one night in which both men are unbelievably sexually potent (up to three times). It’s about a cheating sub who wants to do everything for his Dom to take him back. The night is a test and there’s a lot of spanking and hot sex involved. Fun, quick read if you don’t mind the spanking. 3.5 stars

Novellas:

Gay Best Friend by Kim Dare

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a nice and kinky GFY story about two best friends. The gay friend is submissive and when the straight friend finds out about that he makes a pass at his friend. But he’s drunk and that doesn’t work for his gay friend, submissive or not. But luckily they get a second chance and it turns out they match perfectly. Enjoyable read that I would rate somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars.

Gay Man Seeks Same by Kim Dare

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another kinky installment in Ms Dare’s G-A-Y series. This one is about two coworkers who seem the opposite, not only in looks (gray/dull vs leather/kinky) but also in their expectations in the relationship department (long term vs one-night-stand). When the first guy places a contact add the other one responds because he thinks it’s time they finally get romantically involved after knowing each other for 8 months. They have one kinky night together in which a sex sling is involved *waggles eye brows* but after that the first guy needs some more convincing before they can have their HEA. This story was kind of sweet and hot in one. 3.75 stars

Moving Day by Jaime Samms

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Moving Day is the first book I’ve ever read by this author and it was a great first read. It’s written in first person from Mike’s POV who’s helping his friend Jay move to a place he and his deceased lover bought. Gradually it becomes clear that Mike and Jay are in love with each other for ages now but never dared to take the step to tell the other guy so. There’s some heavy pull-and-push between them which makes this a very compelling and intense story about fear to commit and to show one’s weak side, mourning, insecurity, new and last chances, friendship and trust. I sometimes felt that everyone (including Mike) thought too easily it was all Mike’s fault that his and Jay’s relationship was tainted with misunderstandings. Jay was imo a wee guilty too, of at least some evasive behavior.
The writing style was pleasant and the author has a way of sucking you into the story. Anything you might want to call into query only shows up after reading the story, not during. The story arc was excellent and the choice for the first person POV has some limitations but it also added some of the tension. I must say that we had to wait pretty long for some smexy scenes, but I actually didn’t miss them until then, thanks to the excellent tension from the start between the guys which was concentrated around their feelings.
In short, a well-written and entertaining story that I rate somewhere between 4 and 4.5 stars.

Sammy Dane by Stormy Glenn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cute and sexy story with nice secondary characters and a quick, little bit shallow story arc about a stalker. This stalker element is not annoying but not really adding some serious tension either. I was a bit confused that we got the HEA already around page 70 (of 134). Shortly after that the story became a bit silly imo, but it picked up most of its former pace soon enough.
This was my first Stormy Glenn book and it was not bad at all, despite some unusual twists and turns and a overly plotted nature. The characters were very nice, perhaps a bit stereotypical (cop and geek who reverse roles in the bedroom), but it worked and made for some hot scenes. Towards the end the love scenes became a bit more vanilla though but were still sexy.
All in all this was an enjoyable read that kept me entertained and had enough depth to make me believe the love between these two guys, which came a bit fast at first.

Stroke of Luck by Jenna Byrnes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very enjoyable story about trusting people after winning the lottery. Steve only first meets Paul after he wins 97 million dollar and he keeps hearing a little niggle in his head about winning the lottery. He’s afraid Paul might not have been interested in him before he won the pot of money. Once he decides to take the leap, all is well. The falling in love does happen quickly but is not too unbelievable. These guys make a nice couple, the smexing is good and the premise of winning the lottery is great. I also liked the side story line about Steven’s brother and wife who recently had to deal with the loss of their 3 year old son. This story line is handled well (with an inventive solution) and adds some depth to the main story.

Bad Moon Rising by Leeanne Kenedy

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Entertaining short m/f story with a nice flow, but nothing too exciting. It’s an easy read which is leaning towards stereotypical characterization. It has a hot sex scene and some good dialogues and ends with a sweet, fast told HEA. An enjoyable quick snack. 3.5 stars


That’s it for now. I’ve read some more, but I’m done writing about it atm…

Happy reading!

Monday’s Hot Couple & Sexy Scene

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First I want to congratulate bloggy friend Leontine who’s celebrating her Birthday today!! Woohoot! Congrats, hon!
For the occasion she’s giving away two awesome books, so check out her place here>>> and show her some BD love!

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We’re back to normal again after my vacation, which means the return of Monday’s hot couple and sexy scene at my blog. I just know you’ve all been craving for them ;)

Today I’ve picked a sexy kissing scene from a m/m novella I finished last weekend: Don’t Tell by Eve Cassidy. I really enjoyed this rather short, hot story, although I felt disappointed with the ending. It was wrapped up too fast and the ‘solution’ too easy and then it abruptly ended. Still, it was a very good read and I’d love to see more of this couple, preferably in a full length novel in which the ‘problem’ of Jeff being a closeted marine will lead to some interesting conflicts between him and Finn.
Enjoy!


“
Jeff leaned forward, brushing his hip and thigh against Finn. More heat flared between them and he glimpsed an impressive bulge in the singer’s jeans. Damn he wanted a piece of that.
“We should go somewhere more private to discuss it.”
Finn’s breath caught. “I’ve got another set before I can leave.”
“No worries, I’ve got all night.”
“Speaking of… I better get to it...” Finn hesitated.
Sensing his need for more, Jeff wrapped his hand around the back of Finn’s neck and drew him close. With their lips only inches apart, he caught the subtle flare of Finn’s nose as he held his breath. The muscles in his neck clenched under Jeff’s hand when he pulled him closer yet until their lips brushed against one another. Public displays of affection weren’t his normal style but damn something about Finn had him craving all kinds of things normally left unsaid.
He pushed his tongue between slightly parted lips and found Finn pulling him in. Wet heat beckoned, encouraging him to explore, soft lips, a firm tongue… Kissing him sent a direct line of sensation to his cock. Fuck, at this rate he’d be coming in his pants like an untried virgin. What the hell had gotten into him or better yet why did Finn make him so hungry?
In an instant the low burn of arousal leapt to a full alarm fire and the urge for more nearly overwhelmed him. He tore his mouth from Finn and pushed him away.
“You’d better go before I don’t let you.”
Finn smirked. “Talk about making it hard to walk away.” Emerald eyes bored into him for several long seconds before he edged from the booth and walked to the stage.
”

Eve Cassidy’s website | on Goodreads
Buy Don’t Tell here

Backblurb Don’t Tell:

For Jeff Ward, keeping his sexual preference a secret from his platoon was of utmost importance. But being celibate was never in his plan. So when tension and frustration are at the breaking point he takes some advice and heads out of town for a quick chance to blow off steam.
On the brink of super stardom, Finn has sworn off getting involved with anyone. Especially the tall, muscled Marine that just walked into the pub. He has a career to think of and he’d already been burned once by the infamous ‘Don’t Tell’ policy of the Corps.
Despite their differences, one song later both men realize some rules are meant to be broken, sudden lust can’t be denied and random encounters aren’t always as random as they seem…

Happy Monday!

Vacay winners & some awards

It took me a while but I finally managed to gather all the entries and have random.org pick the six winners of my Vacay Giveaway! Here they are:

1. Elaing8
2. Blodeuedd
3. Carol L.
4. Stella (Ex Libris)
5. Leontine
6. Tanya

Congrats to you all!!
Winner #1, elaing8, gets the first choice from the six prizes, #2 can pick from the remaining 5 prizes, etc.
I’m going to email you all as soon as it’s your turn to choose.

The prizes are, in random order:
• A $15 Gift Certificate from any online bookstore I can buy from
• An ecopy of Daughters of Persephone by Julia Rachel Barrett
• One of Mia Watts’ ebooks of choice. Check out her books here
• A book of choice from The BookDepository (of max $10 and only when they ship to your country... sorry)
• One of Bronwyn Green’s ebooks of choice. Check out her books here
• An ebook of choice from DreamSpinner Press

Thank you all for playing! A special thanks to DreamSpinner Press, Mia Watts, Bronwyn Green and Julia Rachel Barrett for donating their prizes!

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I also like to thank the lovely bloggers Evi and Tanya for thinking of me and giving me these wonderful awards! It’s always such an honor to get one and it’s making me smile from ear to ear!

This one is from Evi @ Zwillingsleiden

This one is from Tanya @ Among the Muses

They are the sweetest ladies for making my day! If you haven't checked out their places, and you're a lover of all that is romance, then you're missin' out! (although you should know Evi’s blog is mainly in German).

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To conclude this post I like to send some virtual hugs and kisses to a fabulous and kind-hearted book blogger who's celebrating her one year of book reviewing today (with a wonderful giveaway)! Congrats Sophia @ Fiction Vixen Book Reviews! :)

Hope you're all having a great weekend!

Remember me? ;) Well… I’m back again!

It feels like I was gone for ages, but it was only 18 days really! I’m uber relaxed, totally happy and anxious to fall back into my blogging addiction again! :) Boy have I missed you!!!

First things first: Thank you all for coming over to my place the past couple of weeks and showing all the comment love! I really appreciate it, although I’m a little sad that I missed the party! ;)
Especially a warm thank you to my guest bloggers: Leontine, Kris, Pattepoilue, Tam, Bronwyn, Cecile and KC, who not only wrote these wonderful posts but also were here to respond to all the comments! Awesome! They rock, don’t you agree?!

I’ll be busy this afternoon with reading all your comments (yay!) and hopefully with some bloghopping --> don’t know where to start, I’ve missed so many posts…
And maybe I have some time left for twitter… although I doubt it… because there’s also some laundry to do (bleh!) and a back-from-vacation-family-dinner to attend tonight (sort of a tradition in hubs family).
The rest of this weekend looks busy too – we’re meeting our best friends tomorrow and on Sunday hubs and I have a date for a Millennium-marathon --> we’re going to watch all three Millennium-movies in a row – while eating some pizza in between. We thought this was a nice way to end our joint vacation – hubs has to go back to work on Monday, I still have another week… which is a good thing because I have a lot of reviews to write, with all the wonderful books I’ve read during my vacay!
And of course I have to start collecting all the entries for the contest so I can announce the 6 winners this weekend!

Yep, vacation is definitely over, lol!

Good thing we had such a relaxing time! I can recommend vacationing in France, Bretagne, if you ever have the chance. We stayed for the best part of our vacation in an apartment at the sea, which was bright and spacious with the best view we could’ve wished for. With the huge difference between high and low tide the view of the sea and small harbor changed several times a day, at one moment you could swim nearly right in front of our door, at the next moment you had to walk for almost a mile before you even reached the water. We enjoyed the low tide walks the most, looking for souvenir shells and getting fascinated by all the squirming little crabs and other sea creatures.
Our evenings we spent partly on the balcony listening to one of the bands that played on a little stage at the boulevard, and partly hanging on the couch in our living room with wine and a good book – in my case a smutty one – and me with my feet in hubby’s lap who was so sweet to rub them every time! *sigh*

Still, it’s good to be home again. :) One of the things I look forward to is catching up with DeRo, aka Deniz and Roman from the German soap Alles Was Zählt, which I watch through Eskimokissproject’s channel on YouTube. I’m wondering if they’re back together again…
Never heard of them? Here’s what you’re missing:



And no, I didn’t forget it’s Happy Gay Friday today! So, here’s the cookie you’ve all been waiting for ;) I’m really glad I can browse my folders with boyz again! :) And because you, and I, had to do without them for a couple of weeks, I add a nice vid of kissing boyz this week. Enjoy!

BTW commenting on this post still counts for my Vacay Giveaway until I announce the winners in a new post on Saturday or maybe even Sunday (depends on how much work it is, there are hundreds of comments on the giveaway posts, from a lot of different peeps --> thanks again for playing!).

Happy Gay Friday!!

Vacay Guest: KC wants to know if you're a Manlovkie

My last vacation guest blogger, KC, I admire for her hilarious observations and to-the-point-reviews and I’m happy to have her at my blog today. Check out her smokinhot site here>>>

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Are you a Trekkie for Manlove?

Trekkie: A devoted fan of the television series Star Trek....

Manlovkie: devoted fan of any and everything to do with m/m romance books.

If you've ever seen the documentary Trekkie (seriously, if you haven't go rent it - good times are ahead of you) you can see how 'involved' ubber fans of the show Star Trek are. And then I got to thinking....I'm kind of like a Trekkie. Instead of donning my Spock ears and flashing the Vulcan hand sign I devour male male romance books. My habit is now at least 3 books a week *bites nails* so...I'm more than just a fangirl of boys kissing boys; I'm kind of an addict. Or a Manlovkie? Other than the sensual aspect of two gorgeous guys having sexy time (hey, I'm a red blooded gal here), I really enjoy reading about relationships of gay men. Who knew? If I had to narrow down one reason why my Kindle has over 140 m/m books (ok, I lied more like 160) I think it boils down to this - excitement. It takes a lot to wow me these days and m/f contemporary romance just doesn't seem to be tickling my fancy the way a spiffy m/m romance book does.

I’ve taken the time to write this extremely serious, comprehensive questionnaire to find out if you are indeed a Manlovkie. If you answered yes to at least one, welcome my people blows kisses. If you’ve answered no, you are dead to me. I kid. I joke. Never take what I say seriously except for book recs.

Warning Signs You May Be A Manlovkie:

• You know and visit daily, the awesomeness that is Dreamspinner Press

• Instead of Barbie and Ken playing house, you role-play with Ken and maybe one of your GI Joe Figurines enacting scenes from Family Unit by ZA Maxfield.

• You are anticipating J.R. Ward's Qhuinn and Blay book so badly that sometimes you write out your own chapter 32 (Jeaniene Frost reference)

• You often clear your cookies and cache after visiting sites like Rainonroof and the naughty video site (the) Banana Blog <-- NSFW

• You know what Black Wade is

So....are you a Manlovkie?

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Contest rules:

Leave a comment on this and/or any other blog post between August 2nd and 20th for a chance to win one of the six Vacay Giveaway prizes.
A comment on one of the posts from August 2-20 gives you 1 entry for the contest, a comment on 2 of the posts 2 entries, a comment on 3 of the posts 3 entries, etc. So, the more frequent you return to show some luv to my guest bloggers the higher your chances to win one of the six prizes! :)
In the weekend of August 21st I’ll announce who the 6 winners are (selected with random.org); winner #1 can choose first, winner #2 second, winner #3 third, etc. from one of the six prizes. Don’t forget to check back then or leave a way for me to contact you in your comment or profile.

The prizes are, in random order:
• A $15 Gift Certificate from any online bookstore I can buy from
• An ecopy of Daughters of Persephone by Julia Rachel Barrett
• One of Mia Watts’ ebooks of choice. Check out her books here
• A book of choice from The BookDepository (of max $10 and only when they ship to your country... sorry)
• One of Bronwyn Green’s ebooks of choice. Check out her books here
• An ebook of choice from DreamSpinner Press

With thanks to DreamSpinner Press, Mia Watts, Bronwyn Green and Julia Rachel Barrett for sponsoring this Vacay Giveaway by donating their prizes!

Vacay Guest: Cecile is keeping it Dirty, Smutty & Hussy

It’s a joy to have smutty hussy Cecile, one of the kindest bloggers I know, making my place unsafe today. Her blog is a celebration of everything that’s hot and smutty, check it out here>>>

~~~~~

Janna came to me one day and asked me to be a guest at her place while she was away...

Of course I said yes...

Who would not want to come to the Netherlands Islands...

I mean just look at this place I found...

This is "Flamingo Beach Resort"

So, what's a girl to do but hop in the Hussy Jet and take off....

I am really building up these frequent flier smutty hussy miles!!!

Off to Janna' s place I go!!!

Now what is it she wanted me to talk to you about...

hummmmmm....

Oh wait...

First, who I am....

My name is Cecile Smutty Hussy.

I come to you from across the pond.

Louisiana, USA is my home.

And my Hussy Lair is

All I Want and More!

Now for those of you that already know me....

Know that I have my own harem of men

known as....

The Tribal Men...

**It is so nice being a hussy**

So... for this trip, I gathered a couple of guys from my Lair who looked beach ready

(the rest are hiding in the hotel that you see above... they are not beach ready)

**evil laughter, I'm a hussy what do you expect**

Allow me to introduce you too....

Dillon

and

Aaron

Now... on to the reason I am here... lol..

Oh, you thought it was just to bring you some hunks from my lair...

No no no... I actually have hussy business here to discuss with you....

Since I am hanging out at Janna's hometown while she is away,

I thought we could play...

**I see the glances going back and forth to each other**

Don't worry...

I promise you it will be nothing hard or difficult or require you get naked...

****yet.....mmmaawwwhhhawwww****

We are going to play...

What would read on vacation?

Since Janna is on vacation...

I figured I would ask to see how our tastes are diverse....

Because some of my vacation reads would be....

Not your mother's reading material...

Me and the boys went through the books on my shelf...

**yeah, my beautiful new bookcase now**

and this is what we found that we wanted to take with us on vacation...

Buck and Caroline's story is very.... hot.

You will quickly be out of clothes and barely in a bathing suit when you start reading this one... And.... ohhh yeah, it gets kinky...

So, you might save this one for later, you know... after you go to the beach! =)

Then Dane... Oh man.. Okay, this one you can read while laying out...

Just beware that the sun will not be the only thing heating you up!

Dane and his brothers are worthy of being called a COVER HUSSY!

Yeah, I wear that badge proudly too!

And yes, I proudly display my covers while I read!!!!

***big cheesy grin***

I have yet to get my hands on this man...

But believe me when I do...

You will be the first to find out...

But dragons... oh my!

And these... maybe for personal reasons...

You will see why..

I mean... you will need some rest from the sun...

So why not let it be some wicked rest!

And of course.... just the cover alone makes me want to strip my man down

and take him where he is....

Oh you know you were thinking about it!!!

Ohhh hell yeah, he is coming on vacation with me.....

Hello.... just hello........

So... now tell me what or who would you bring on vacation with you???

And I hope you all liked what I would bring on vacation with me!

=)

Remember... Keep it Dirty, Smutty & Hussy!

~~~~~



Contest rules:

Leave a comment on this and/or any other blog post between August 2nd and 20th for a chance to win one of the six Vacay Giveaway prizes.
A comment on one of the posts from August 2-20 gives you 1 entry for the contest, a comment on 2 of the posts 2 entries, a comment on 3 of the posts 3 entries, etc. So, the more frequent you return to show some luv to my guest bloggers the higher your chances to win one of the six prizes! :)
In the weekend of August 21st I’ll announce who the 6 winners are (selected with random.org); winner #1 can choose first, winner #2 second, winner #3 third, etc. from one of the six prizes. Don’t forget to check back then or leave a way for me to contact you in your comment or profile.

The prizes are, in random order:
• A $15 Gift Certificate from any online bookstore I can buy from
• An ecopy of Daughters of Persephone by Julia Rachel Barrett
• One of Mia Watts’ ebooks of choice. Check out her books here
• A book of choice from The BookDepository (of max $10 and only when they ship to your country... sorry)
• One of Bronwyn Green’s ebooks of choice. Check out her books here
• An ebook of choice from DreamSpinner Press

With thanks to DreamSpinner Press, Mia Watts, Bronwyn Green and Julia Rachel Barrett for sponsoring this Vacay Giveaway by donating their prizes!

Vacay Guest: Bron shares a tale of vacation gone horribly wrong

I’m still vacationing in France while one-of-a-kind-witty author Bronwyn Green is taking over my place with her warm personality. Check out her enjoyable and versatile site here>>>

~~~~~

Since Janna’s on vacation, I thought I’d share a tale of vacation gone horribly wrong. Well, not the whole vacation…just the part where

Fellow author Brynn Paulin and I were in NYC at writing conference. We'd gone out to dinner with some chapter members and some of the women said they wanted to ride the subway, but were afraid to do it on their own. So Brynn, her dh and I, who'd been riding the trains all week, went with her and decided to ride the F train since it was on the way back to our hotel. That's when things started to go awry.

There were these handy automated ticket machines. Put in two bucks, and it would spit out a ticket, then you went to the turnstile slipped the ticket into the reader, the machine clicked and you pushed open the turnstile...at least that's how it's supposed to work.

Unfortunately, it was a full body turnstile instead of the waist-high ones I was used to. Having used my last two dollars, I stood in line behind my friends and waited my turn. I fed the machine my ticket and tried to walk through.

It didn't work.

Brynn patiently stood on the other side of the turnstile and passed me two dollars and told me to get another ticket...so I did.

Same thing.

Brynn, slightly less patiently, handed me another two dollars.

Same thing.

By now, I've got about 20 New Yorkers standing behind me trying to give me advice on how to get through.

"Just go real, slow, girl and then push—real slow...then push."

"Okay, what ya hafta to do is push and walk, push and walk."

"You can do it, girl. You can do it."

I think we went through this scenario two more times. I'm laughing so hard at this point I've got tears rolling down my face and I can hardly stand up. There was a little old woman who kept asking Brynn if her friend was okay—as though I was some sort of escapee from a mental hospital.

Brynn, wearing the expression she usually saves for her misbehaving children, sent me back for one more ticket. The very nice people in line let me through again, and I fed the ticket into the machine. Before I could touch the gate, Brynn finally snapped, "Don't. Touch. Anything. Just. Walk." She then proceeded to pull the gate toward her, and of course I manage to walk right through.

We got through in time to make the train where many of the poor souls who had been standing behind me were already seated. When I entered the car, several of the people clapped and cheered. One guy yelled, "You GO girl. I knew you could do it. I just knew it."

Sometimes, I feel like my purpose in life is to be a walking talking cautionary tale.

So…anybody wanna go on vacation with me? ;)

Okay, I don’t blame you. Instead, let’s take a brain vacation together. Here’s some of my favorite man candy. :D

~~~~~



Contest rules:

Leave a comment on this and/or any other blog post between August 2nd and 20th for a chance to win one of the six Vacay Giveaway prizes.
A comment on one of the posts from August 2-20 gives you 1 entry for the contest, a comment on 2 of the posts 2 entries, a comment on 3 of the posts 3 entries, etc. So, the more frequent you return to show some luv to my guest bloggers the higher your chances to win one of the six prizes! :)
In the weekend of August 21st I’ll announce who the 6 winners are (selected with random.org); winner #1 can choose first, winner #2 second, winner #3 third, etc. from one of the six prizes. Don’t forget to check back then or leave a way for me to contact you in your comment or profile.

The prizes are, in random order:
• A $15 Gift Certificate from any online bookstore I can buy from
• An ecopy of Daughters of Persephone by Julia Rachel Barrett
• One of Mia Watts’ ebooks of choice. Check out her books here
• A book of choice from The BookDepository (of max $10 and only when they ship to your country... sorry)
• One of Bronwyn Green’s ebooks of choice. Check out her books here
• An ebook of choice from DreamSpinner Press

With thanks to DreamSpinner Press, Mia Watts, Bronwyn Green and Julia Rachel Barrett for sponsoring this Vacay Giveaway by donating their prizes!

Vacay Guest: Tam - Oh Canada Baby!

Today cool and friendly Tam came all the way from Canada to entertain you today over here at my blog. Check out her unique and bodacious m/m blog here>>>

~~~~~

Janna asked me to do a post while she’s off basking in the sun, drinking wine and eating bread and cheese, so I thought I would take over her blog for the day, and tell you about some m/m books that are set in my country, Canada, specifically in my city, the capital, Ottawa.

911 by Chris Owen

This is a classic story for those who love m/m/m and one of my all-time favourite books. It begins with firefighter Drew asking doctor Scott to move in with him as a roommate. It soon progresses to more and a long while later, paramedic Eric moves in to share the rent, and eventually their bed. It takes place over a couple of years, it’s not insta-love and they have their ups and some serious downs, dealing with family acceptance of three, Drew being injured on the job and the fall-out, insecurity of their place in the relationship, and verge of cheating situations. I think it’s realistic that it’s not all hearts and flowers, but they work through it because they love each other. I just adore all three of them and it’s super smexy.

Cheek to Cheek by Chris Owen

This is set the same world as 911, where bisexual firefighter Mallory breaks up with his long term girlfriend because he’s just not feeling it. He goes to a gay bar and hooks up with Will. When the new guy shows up at work he freaks because it’s Will. Will wants a relationship but Mal is all about no strings, to which Will agrees. The guys from 911 make a cameo appearance and it’s fun to see Mal convince himself that he’s not in a relationship while he obviously is. I liked that Mal’s ex was not a vicious shrew, she knew he was bi, they parted on good terms and she plays a realistic role (although other disagree LOL). They also have to deal with Will’s brother who is NOT pleased that he’s dating a white man. And yes, there is ballroom dancing involved as per the cover.

Loving the Rain by Drew Zachary

Tony, an artist and temporary office worker, and office admin Brendan get caught by a freak rain storm at their usual morning coffee spot. They hit it off and make a date for that night. It’s just a cute 38 page story of Brendan and Tony getting to know each other. Brendan works for a non-profit concerned with the environment and Tony uses found articles in his sculptures so they share a passion for making the world a better place. There is a fisting scene in this one for those who are squeamish but I thought it was well done and not crude. I love both Tony and Brendan, just two young guys falling in love.

P.S. That cover has NOTHING to do with the story. There is no girl related to the relationship nor are there any dogs. Weird.

From the Get Go by Sean Michael

Art gallery manager Jeff meets Texas leather artist Dakin when he participates in a show at their gallery. Dakin is a typical Texas cowboy, and Jeff is smitten. They spend most of the time Dakin is in Ottawa together and after a period of a long distance romance, Dakin asks Jeff to move to Texas with him. I liked this because there are a lot of descriptions of Ottawa which are pretty much spot on and it also deals with the complexities and difficulties of Jeff moving to the US permanently. That is a bugaboo for me, people who just “move” to other countries, so I liked that it was handled realistically. Weird thing to enjoy but hey, what can I say? We all have our quirks.

P.P.S. Another weird generic cover that means nothing.

Now some of you are saying “Yes Tam, Ottawa is a lovely city we’re sure, but what about the rest of Canada? Toronto, Quebec City, St. John’s, Calgary. Where are their stories?” Well do I have a book for you.

Canadian Shots by Drew Zachary (again)

This is an anthology of short stories that covers nearly every single province and territory in Canada. There is even one story about roughing it in the arctic as far from a city as you can get. They range from hot encounters that you know are only going to last the night, to a threesome in a BDSM club in Toronto, to the beginnings of possible romances, to some threesome twincest in the forest, to a long term relationship. The story set in Ottawa takes place on Canada Day and having spent a few Canada Days downtown, I think it’s a great depiction of what it’s like there on our big day (except that I’ve never seen any hot gay boys rubbing off during the fireworks – damn).  Every story might not be for everyone, and while some might be considered more erotica than romance, there is always that undercurrent of liking each other, even if it’s only for a weekend.

So I hope that some of you will check out a couple of stories set in Ottawa or at least in Canada and explore the world via books. It’s much cheaper than an airline ticket and hotel.
Thanks Janna for letting me share my passion for m/m books and Canada. Hope you are having an amazing holiday.

~~~~~



Contest rules:

Leave a comment on this and/or any other blog post between August 2nd and 20th for a chance to win one of the six Vacay Giveaway prizes.
A comment on one of the posts from August 2-20 gives you 1 entry for the contest, a comment on 2 of the posts 2 entries, a comment on 3 of the posts 3 entries, etc. So, the more frequent you return to show some luv to my guest bloggers the higher your chances to win one of the six prizes! :)
In the weekend of August 21st I’ll announce who the 6 winners are (selected with random.org); winner #1 can choose first, winner #2 second, winner #3 third, etc. from one of the six prizes. Don’t forget to check back then or leave a way for me to contact you in your comment or profile.

The prizes are, in random order:
• A $15 Gift Certificate from any online bookstore I can buy from
• An ecopy of Daughters of Persephone by Julia Rachel Barrett
• One of Mia Watts’ ebooks of choice. Check out her books here
• A book of choice from The BookDepository (of max $10 and only when they ship to your country... sorry)
• One of Bronwyn Green’s ebooks of choice. Check out her books here
• An ebook of choice from DreamSpinner Press

With thanks to DreamSpinner Press, Mia Watts, Bronwyn Green and Julia Rachel Barrett for sponsoring this Vacay Giveaway by donating their prizes!