One the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

My first guest author and the kick off my 12 Days of Christmas Extravaganza is.....PIPER VAUGHN!!! To get us started I asked Piper (and each of my other guest authors) to answer a few holiday themed questions for us. =)


Me: What winter holiday, if any, do you celebrate?
Piper: I celebrate Christmas. I was raised Catholic, though I'm not anymore, and it's so deeply ingrained that I know I will always celebrate it. Besides that, all of my family is still Catholic, too, so there are always celebrations. =)


Me: What is your favorite family holiday story/recipe/tradition/etc?
Piper: When I was young it was getting together at my grandparents' house because the entire extended family would converge on them and it was great getting to see all of them. Once my grandparents moved to Puerto Rico after they retired, that tradition died and we never really started another one. Now we alternate what we do, including what food we make. So I suppose at the moment, aside from normally hanging out with the same cousins every year, our only tradition is that we have none. ;) My mom wants to start a new one this year of us all getting together on Christmas day, playing board games, watching movies, etc. Now that my brother is back--he lived in Hawaii for several years--I'm looking forward to it.

Me: What is your favorite holiday story and why? You can choose one m/m and one not if necessary. =)

Piper: In M/M, probably "Christmas with Danny Fit" by Amy Lane. I'm just a big fan of hers, and I loved everything about it. I don't really have a traditional favorite, though. I like "A Christmas Carol," but I'm ashamed to say I've only watched the film versions and never read the book itself.

Me: What is your favorite thing that you have written and why?

Piper: Hmmm...tough call. It would probably be a tie between "The Luckiest," which is the sequel to the book I co-authored with MJ O'Shea, "Moonlight Becomes You," and "One Small Thing," which was also co-authored with MJ, but is the started of a totally different series. No rockstars there. :) Neither of these books are released yet, but "One Small Thing" is due out in May, and we're waiting to hear back about "The Luckiest," but we're hoping for early 2012 for that one also. :) 

Book of the Week - Zombie Wonderland

Title: Zombie Wonderland
Author: Piper Vaughn
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Length: 15,400 words
Rating: 4 Quills
Tags: paranormal, zombies, holiday, action, short

Blurb

Nothing says Christmas like droves of the undead...

All Emery wants for Christmas is someone to share it with. It looks like he might finally be getting his wish in Ross, the sexy customer he's been crushing on for months. But neither of them counted on the zombies, or on being caught in the worst blizzard in half a century. Even with a plan for contending with the zombie hordes, surviving will take a miracle.

It's not exactly how Emery dreamed of spending Christmas with Ross, but he can’t think of a better way to spend a zombie apocalypse. 


Review

Emery is feeling lonely because the diner customer he has been crushing on for the last few months has not come by tonight. It's not unexpected because it is Christmas Eve. Much to Emery's surprise, Ross bursts into the diner just a few minutes later, followed by....a Zombie.

I particularly liked this book because the zombies are zombies. They are undead creatures who eat brains, are hard to kill and look gross. There are none of those zombies with a heart of gold or zombies who really remember who they are...deep down inside. Yay for slicing up zombies with butcher knives and running them over with cars!!!

This is a zombie apocalypse tale worthy of the title. Add to that Ross' sweet and capable need to keep Emery safe and Emery's determination and trust, you get a m/m romance tale also worthy of the title. I would definitely recommend this book, especially if you are tired of overly sappy and ridiculous holiday stories that abound this time of year!!! 4 Quills.

PS If there is ever a real zombie apocalypse I am totally headed over to Ross' cabin. Guns, a generator and lots of man love, what more could you ask for? =)

You can buy Zombie Wonderland for $3.99 at Less Than Three Press.

Friday First Kiss - Sunshine

Have you ever watched a movie with a scene where the main character is standing still and it seems like the whole world is speeding around him like streaks of colorful light? Or maybe like life is passing him by filmed on a camera running 100 times faster than it should? He stares into the one spot of stillness with a dead look in his eyes; like he can’t believe this is his life.

I stared at the drink in my hand. I didn’t even remember what it was or how I had gotten it. I let my eyes be drawn back up to the dance floor. It was writhing with hundreds of men in various states of dress and intoxication. I could walk out there and slip in between two of them and then my evening would end just like every other evening of my life. Inside a stranger. Or, if I got drunk enough, maybe with a stranger inside me.

The colored lights flashing and swirling made me think of that movie scene as I stood there staring out at the meaningless chaos of my life. Work, eat, drink, fuck, sleep and then do it all over again. When I moved here that was the dream, to live on my own and have a different guy every night if I wanted it. Now, I was five years older and five years lonelier. I didn’t have a fag hag girlfriend or an uncharacteristically cool with it straight guy bestie or the circle of seemingly shallow twinks that you could always count on, that you hear about in the books or the movies.

It was me. And the lights streaming by at 100 miles per hour.

Until that night.

12 Days of Christmas Extravaganza sign up

Next Wednesday, December 14th I will be kicking off my 12 Days of Christmas Extravaganza!!! Over the course of the 12 Days of Christmas, I will be having multiple giveaways, posting excerpts from at least 3 different WIPs, trivia, holiday short stories and much much more. There are nine wonderful authors participating, in addition to myself.


So far, the prizes I have lined up are

• Piper Vaughn's Zombie Wonderland
• Lily Sawyers's Love on the East End
• Megan Derr's The Christmas Package
• Taylor V. Donovan's Southern Winterland
• Kaje Harper's Unacceptable Risk
• Lissa Kasey's Inheritance and Reclamation
• Either Xara X. Xanakas' Snakeskin Boots OR Crazy Wind 
• A Friday First Kiss with characters you create OR a follow up ficbit written with any two characters I have already created
• $10 gift card to the online bookseller of your choice
• Mystery Trivia Prize

Other posts you can look forward to are

• M.J. O'Shea's Christmas cooking fun with Snowflake cookies
• excerpts from WIPs or other posts from Lily Sawyer, Kaje Harper, Pia Veleno, Xara X. Xanakas, and Summer Michaels
• A Christmas story featuring Chaz and Job from Broken
• Author Trivia (for a prize, of course)

I am working on getting a few more things together as well so it should be a ton of fun.

So now, what you are really waiting for....how to sign up!

There are three ways to get entries into the main giveaways:

1. comment below with valid e-mail address for one entry
2. become a follower of this blog for a second entry
3. Pimp this event on facebook, goodreads, twitter, etc and post the link in your comment for a third entry

Entries for this portion of the giveaways will be open until 7:00 pm, EST on December 14th and winners will posted throughout the event. You will have 48 hours to get back to me or I will draw a new winner.

To be entered to win the Trivia prize, find the answer to each daily trivia question on the featured author's blog or website and e-mail it to me at kchayes54@gmail.com with "Trivia - Author's Name" as the subject line. DO NOT post your trivia answers as a comment or you will give it away. =)

And finally, I will give away the $10 giftcard on Christmas day, if and only if, I have reached 50 followers before Midnight, EST on Christmas Eve. I will draw a winner from everyone who is a follower. Each person gets only one entry.

So sign up and tell everyone about it and get ready to have a great time while we wait for Christmas!!!!

Book of the Week - Infected: Freefall

Title: Infected: Freefall (Book 4)

Author: Andrea Speed

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Length: 343 pages

Rating: 4.5 Quills

Tags: paranormal, shifter, detective, mystery, second love, artist

Blurb

In a world where a werecat virus has changed society, Roan McKichan, a born infected and ex-cop, works as a private detective trying to solve crimes involving other infecteds.

Conceived bearing the lion strain of the virus, Roan is the only fully functioning virus child in the country—maybe in the world. But that doesn’t mean he’s okay. He’s still struggling with the death of his husband and the guilt of finding new love; his old enemy, the Church of the Divine Transformation, is becoming increasingly hostile; and he’s taken on a tragic cold case involving a long-missing boy.

As Roan fights to control the lion inside him, his world explodes with all kinds of trouble. The leader of the church is ramping up the violence against him, calling Roan out as a traitor to his kind. There’s a loose Infected terrorizing the city. And Holden, male prostitute and Roan’s unofficial assistant, brings him a case involving the suspicious death of one of Holden’s clients, which puts Roan far too close to a murderer for his state of mind....

Review

Freefall is a continuation of Roan's story and it is a wonderfully rich addition. Normally, I am all about the HEA when I am reading. I feel let down when I don't get it and will often eschew authors who I know won't give it to me. It must be a testament to her skill that despite almost never giving me a traditional or partial happy ending, I keep coming back for more of the Infected series.

The brilliance of this series is that is not merely a paranormal story or merely a detective story or merely a romance. It is a series about Roan's life. He happens to be a private detective were-cat with somewhat of a roller coaster of a love life. We are let into every aspect of his life and the lives of those around him. Andrea paints a picture of a complete world. What, in other books, might come across as meaningless minutiae, in this book, comes across as world building of the most epic and beautiful and simple kind.

Roan is such a tragically, humanly, wonderfully flawed character that you can't help loving him while at the same time pulling your hair out as you watch him do one stupidly heroic macho thing after another. Furthermore, (spoilers ahead) after reading about him with Paris for two books and crying along side him as he spirals into a deep dark place after Paris dies, it almost seems like there could be no hope for him. But Andrea brings you along on his painfully slow journey of healing (which is by no means complete yet) and allows Roan to become more than just a character on the page. He crawls into your heart, along with his hopelessly loveable band of friends and won't let go. This book gets and unreserved 4.5 Quill rating.

On one final note, the cover art for this series is some of the most hauntingly creepily beautiful work I have ever seen.

Again, you can find Infected: Freefall for $6.99 at Dreamspinner Press.

True Love's Kiss - Part 1

“Mils, why under the four heavens did you drag me on this insane quest of yours?” I complained as the first drops of rain soaked through my tunic.

“Because, Be, I need you to protect me from all the evil men in the capital whose only purpose in life is to deprive me of my virtue. And besides, you promised.” She replied in an overly syrupy voice.

I groaned to myself, decided discretion was the better part of valor, and kept my mouth shut. Ever since that bard had come through town, telling tales of our beloved cursed prince when she was eight years old, she had vowed that when she was old enough she would be the one to break the curse with true love’s kiss.

Stupidly, when she was twelve, I promised her that if she still wanted to go when she turned eighteen, I would take her to the capital for her chance.

***

“Name and purpose of visit.” The court secretary demanded.

“Milara Nalorna of Sasharin and Bierni Nalorna of Sasharin here to attempt to break the curse.” Mils announced boldly.

The pompous looking man in the official blue and silver livery of a high court functionary slowly ran his eyes up and down each of us and it was obvious from his expression that he believed such back country hicks should not be allowed in the same room as the prince. But the law said any citizen could make their vow and then be allowed an attempt.

Friday is now Saturday and 12 Days of Christmas Extravaganza

Hi All!!!

This has been a crazy week. I had to travel (by car) to a far distant city for work and on my way home I-35 (MAJOR highway) was actually completely closed. I think I went about 1/2 a mile in over an hour. Anyway, point being, this week's Friday First Kiss is going to be a Saturday First Kiss. It is coming, never fear. Just be patient. =)

In other news, I am preparing for a 12 Days of Christmas Extravaganza. It is going to be super exciting with giveaways, interviews, excerpts, recipes and general holiday season wonderfulness. So far I have seven amazing authors who have signed up to join in the fun and am still waiting to hear back from a few more. No I am not going to tell you who. Anticipation will sweeten the deal here, peeps. More info about this and how to sign up for the giveaways will be coming next week. Until then, I leave you with these pics of holiday loveliness:

It almost looks like they are holding hands. =)

Book of the Week - Bear, Otter and the Kid

Title: Bear, Otter, & the Kid

Author: T.J. Klune

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Length: 350 pages

Rating: 4 Quills

Tags: family drama, kids, angst, in the closet, contemporary

Blurb

Three years ago, Bear McKenna’s mother took off for parts unknown with her new boyfriend, leaving Bear to raise his six-year-old brother Tyson, aka the Kid. Somehow they’ve muddled through, but since he’s totally devoted to the Kid, Bear isn’t actually doing much living—with a few exceptions, he’s retreated from the world, and he’s mostly okay with that. Until Otter comes home.

Otter is Bear’s best friend’s older brother, and as they’ve done for their whole lives, Bear and Otter crash and collide in ways neither expect. This time, though, there’s nowhere to run from the depth of emotion between them. Bear still believes his place is as the Kid’s guardian, but he can’t help thinking there could be something more for him in the world... something or someone.

Review

This is the story of one man's struggles to keep his family together. He must realize that he is not alone and his family is larger than he ever expected. Three years ago, Bear's mom left him to raise his little brother on his own. Since then, he has been doing the best he can to provide a loving stable environment for the Kid, all the while missing the one person who makes him feel like home. When Otter finally returns and they are forced to admit their feelings for each other, fireworks ensue, and not just the good kind.

I had avoided this book for quite awhile because it was so hyped up. I tend to purposely ignore "it" books until they have lasted for awhile. However, this book deserved the hype. I started reading it, planning just to start it for a few minutes before bed. 4 am rolled around and I was just finishing it. The characters drew me in and would not let me go. I experienced a whole gamut of emotions from tears to laugh out loud moments to wanting to rip my hair and knock some sense into Bear and Otter. 

However, my one complaint is that the "big misunderstanding" felt a little contrived. I get that he was being threatened and felt there was no way out but it seemed a little over the top how that played out (no spoilers here though). Despite imperfect characters and a few over-worked moments, this book is a gem. 4 Quills.

You can find Bear, Otter and the Kid at Dreamspinner Press for $6.99.

Friday First Kiss - Something to be Thankful For

I ducked out of the General Store on Main Street before Old Man Peterson could snag me and force me to help unload “just this one box.” It was never one box. I glanced furtively over my shoulder to ensure I had made a clean escape before fleeing back to my house. This Thanksgiving was my first trip home since I had left for college. I’d been gone three months and absolutely nothing had changed. 

All of the sudden, I practically skidded to a stop, watching as a vision from some city-fied magazine stepped off the bus just a little ways down the road. His blond hair was a little wavy and shone brilliantly in the east Texas sunlight. His muscular shoulders were perfectly outlined in a lush green button down and one of those fancy vests. My eyes traveled down the man’s back and ate up his ass in dark grey slacks and matching shoes. He was so far from the boots, jeans and plaid shirts everyone else (including me) wore that it took me a second to tear my eyes away.

Then the mystery man grabbed his bag and turned around.

Book of the Week - In the Darkness

Title: In the Darkness

Author: Charles Edward

Publisher: LooseID

Length: 177 pages

Rating: 4 Quills

Tags: fantasy, first time, demons, magic

Blurb

Gareth is his parents’ dirty secret: Cursed with a demonic appearance, he has always been in hiding just to stay alive. He must never be seen or his family will die. But when a violent attack endangers a local youth -- whom Gareth adores from the shadows -- there is no one else to help, and Gareth is driven to risk everything to save him.

Now the young man, Evin, wants to know more about this terrifying and beautiful stranger. Where did he come from? Is he a demon, or something more? They begin to meet in the darkness, becoming friends and then lovers. Evin’s sexual exploration and adoration of every part of Gareth’s strange body erase fear and self-loathing; and Gareth’s enthusiasm and prowess make every tryst more powerful, more deliriously sensual than the last.

But there is a purpose to Gareth’s existence, and when it is revealed, Evin and Gareth will be enslaved by rivals, separated to end up on opposite sides of a war. Evin will be forced to play a dangerous role: One which may make him Gareth’s destroyer.

Review

This is the story of Gareth, who has been hidden away his whole life by his parents because of his "demon-like" appearance and Evin, a boy just turned man who has been abused his whole life and always felt left out. Gareth is unfailingly kind and naive in the sweetest sense. He is loyal and true of heart, if occasionally misguided. Evin is slightly jaded but still open to the unexpected when he is saved by Gareth.

The first half of the book was sweet as they got to know each other and I spent the second half of the book on tenterhooks, wondering when they would find each other again. The simple joy at finding each other and then the exquisite pain at their separation is palpable when reading and my heart broke for Gareth and Evin as I was reading. But never fear, there is a happy ending, and one I never would have expected from Evin. ;) 

I know that there has been some discussion about there being on screen m/f action in this book. There was, but very limited in detail and only to demonstrate the evil machinations of the queen. This was not an m/f romance plot by any means. All the romance is between our two boys.

So now for what you have been waiting for.....I give this book a solid 4 Quills. Go forth and read it!!

You can find In the Darkness By Charles Edward at Loose ID for $7.99!

Friday First Kiss - Everything Changes

I reached out and pressed Jessie’s doorbell, trying to ignore the butterflies that were trying to stage a prison break in my stomach. He had never made me feel quite like this before. But, today at lunch, everything changed.

As I sat doing my best not to wonder what mystery meat my hotdog was made of, I jerked into awareness when I heard Nelson mention “that theater freak.” Now there are any number of theater kids at my school but only one rated that level of scorn in Nelson’s voice: Jessie.

“D’ya hear? That theater freak’s a fag.” Nelson told everyone at the table, with a sneer plastered on his face.

“Yah?” replied someone else at the table. Nelson responded by recounting how Jessie had told everyone during his speech on Gay rights during Public Speaking class that morning. But after I realized what he was saying was probably true and not just another way for Nelson to torment Jessie, everything went a little fuzzy. A rushing sound filled my ears and my vision tunneled. I think my heart even stopped beating for a second from pure unadulterated hope.

Then reality smacked back into place and I broke out in a sweat, fearing someone had noticed my reaction. No one at my table appeared to be paying attention to me. But as I looked up, I saw Jessie staring at me from one table over. Before I could react, he got up and stormed out of the cafeteria.

Book of the Week - The Girl for Me

Title: The Girl For Me
Author: Failte
Publisher: Fictionpress
Length: 268 pages
Rating: 4 Quills
Tags: high school, athlete, cross dressing, first time, contemporary

Blurb

Straight jockboy Kevin thinks he has gay, cross-dressing Danny under his thumb. Kevin only likes girls.

So... why does he keep thinking about her?

Or him.

Whatever.

Review

All I can say to begin with is, "Wow." This is the story of two high schoolers trying to figure out who they are. I think it highlights the fact that there aren't necessarily discrete boxes in which people's sexuality fit into. Danny, or Dani, depending on how s/he is feeling that day, struggles with fitting in with what s/he perceives as trans. Kevin struggles first with realizing he might be attracted to a guy and then with having that guy being confused with his own identity. This story was heart warming at times and brought into the light the struggles many people have to deal with. These two get into any number of hijinks that only high schoolers can find themselves in and occasionally you want to smack one or the other of them upside the head just for being a teenager but overall you can't help but loving these two characters.


I did have one issue with the story. ALERT - SPOILER COMING BELOW.

In one scene, Kevin gets very excited and doesn't listen when Dani says no and Dani is hurt. This scene was relatively explicit and could be too far for some readers. I was torn reading this because I felt that Kevin had unforgivably violated Dani. I will not say how this was resolved, but, thankfully, it was not ignored.  I am not sure how realistically I was able to engage the end of the book because of this though. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and feel that it portrays the gender and sexuality struggles of many teens very well. Despite some of my misgivings, I would still highly recommend this book and give it a 4 Quill rating.

You can find it for free at Fictionpress. I'd love to hear from you if you decide to read this book. =)

Friday First Kiss - Peace

Jumper patted the top pocket of his tactical vest as they were about to pull out. It was a like a prayer that he would get back alive. In it he had a picture of his family. Mom, dad, sister and best friend who was closer than a brother to him.

They were headed back from a simple recon mission and he was in the middle truck. It all happened so suddenly, there was hardly any time to think. The first thing he noticed was that it seemed like he couldn’t hear anymore. Then there was dirt and fire and metal flying at the front of his truck. Without thinking, he grabbed Hernandez’s vest by the neck as he started to stand up next to him.

They had to keep moving. If they were under attack, they had to keep moving. Push through the fire. That’s all he could think. The truck in front of him was gone. Blown to bits by the IED. That meant O’Shaugnessy would never get to see his kid before he was born and Hansen would never see his daughter graduate high school.

Jumper’s stunned thoughts were cut off as a wave of heat hit him. There must have been another explosion. He could tell he was on fire, but it was like he was watching it in a movie. There was no pain yet.  Just shock at the smell of burning flesh. He saw his hand still gripping Hernandez’s vest, but Hernandez was unrecognizably mangled. At that sight, it all wooshed back into focus; the pain and the fear were white hot in his mind and he passed out, clutching his hand to the top pocket of his tac vest.

“Jared, Jared…Wake UP!” He heard as someone shook his shoulders. Jared? No one had called him Jared since he’d left for Iraq. It was either Richardson or Jumper. “Jared…” He heard again, in a more insistent tone.

He opened his eyes, momentarily confused to be on the couch in his best friend’s apartment.

“Robbie?”

“Oh, thank God. You were screaming so loud. I thought you would never wake up,” Robbie breathed worriedly.

Before Jared knew what he was doing he was clutching Robbie to him and crying as if his soul had broken. Maybe it had. After a moment of hesitation, Robbie’s arms wrapped around Jared. Strong, solid, dependable. Jared cried until there were no tears left and all he felt was empty. And still Robbie held him.

Eventually, Robbie pulled back and looked him in the eye for a brief intense moment. Then he leaned forward and gently kissed the tears off each of Jared’s cheeks and pulled Jared more firmly back into his arms.

Jared thought he should feel awkward. They had never talked about his being gay. But he didn't. Then Robbie pulled him down on the couch and whispered, “sleep,” into his ear and, for the first time since he went to war, all he felt was peace.

The Beginning.

Give to the departed, especially those killed in war, eternal rest and let light perpetual shine upon them. Amen.

Happy Veteran's Day

Never fear, today's Friday First Kiss is on the way. I am just running a bit behind today. In the mean time, in honor of Vetaran's Day, I leave you with this picture:

Book of the Week - Grown Men

Title: HardCell #1 - Grown Men

Author: Damon Suede

Publisher: Riptide Publishing

Length: 95 pages

Rating: 4 Quills

Tags: sci fi, futuristic, first time, isolated/desert island, series

Blurb

Every future has dirty roots.

Marooned in the galactic backwaters of the HardCell company, colonist Runt struggles to eke out an existence on a newly-terraformed tropical planetoid. Since his clone-wife died on entry, he’s been doing the work of two on his failing protein farm. Overworked and undersized, Runt’s dwindling hope of earning corporate citizenship has turned to fear of violent “retirement.”

When an overdue crate of provisions crashes on his beach, Runt searches frantically for a replacement wife among the tools and food. Instead he gets Ox, a mute hulk who seems more like a corporate assassin than a simple offworld farmer.

Shackwacky and near-starving, Runt has no choice but to work with his silent partner despite his mounting paranoia and the unsettling appeal of Ox’s genetically altered pheromones. Ox plays the part of the gentle giant well, but Runt’s still not convinced he hasn’t arrived with murder in mind.

Between brutal desire and the seeds of a relationship, Runt’s fears and Ox’s inhuman past collide on a fertile world where hope and love just might have room to grow.

Review

I have to say that the first thing that struck me about this book was the intense world building. And I mean that in a good way, a wonderful way. Reading this book I could almost taste sea air of a distant planet in the Andromeda Galaxy. I could imagine the bio engineered animals scurrying around the beach. It was like I was transported into this world that was created by Damon's mind and come alive on the page.

As I jumped headfirst into the universe unfolding before me, I got to meet the prickly on the surface but open underneath, Runt, and the gentle giant with a secret past, Ox. Those of you who read Damon's Hot Summer Days Short, Seedy Business, will begin to recognize some of the back story before the end of this book but by no means must you have read Seedy Business in order to enjoy Grown Men.  For the first half of the book, I wondered how Damon was going to get these two together and if, in the end, it would be a matter of "I'm just so horny, I can't help myself." But I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of feeling and breadth of emotion these two displayed.

So, if you are in the mood for fun sci-fi story with a bit of quirk and real heart, Grown Men is definitely for you. 4 Quills.

You can purchase Grown Men at Riptide Publishing for $4.99.