...I'M OK, UR OK Blogger Award

Tracy from Tracy's Place passed this colorful, and truly cool award on to me a couple of weeks ago. Of course, the meaning behind the words is what it's all about.

Quoting Lisabea from Nose In a Book makes it easy for me to pass on this wonderful award to a couple of bloggers who "review across the spectrum of romance, who do so with laughter and a good will, and who aren't limited to the expectations of their audience. They open doors."

I'm passing this most wonderful of awards to Ms. Moonlight(Elizabeth Jules Mason) from Moonlight to Twilight Blog and to Carolyn Crane (CJ) from The Trillionth Place -- two ladies whose blogs definitely fit the above description for me and whose reviews and posts I really enjoy.

Thank you, Tracy!

M/M Review: Out of Bounds by T.A. Chase

Can a sexy nightclub owner convince an all star basketball player to risk it all?

Professional basketball player Kasey Johnson makes a point of keeping his sexual preference under guard and out of the public eye. Empty, off-season flings are all he can look forward to until he retires. He figures his secret is safe -- until he meets Ingram Fletcher, a nighclub owner who ignites a passionate inferno in his body.

Gram has lusted after Kasey ever since the long, tall basketball player was traded to Phoenix a year ago. But with Kasey's twin brother running interference, up until now Gram's been unsure if it's safe to make a play. Then some incidental contact in the crowded club leads to a kiss that starts Gram wondering if a relationship is possible -- now, and beyond March Madness.

A romantic weekend together answers that question. Now the only one remaining is if Kasey is ready to make a fast break out of his comfort zone.

In Out of Bounds, T. A. Chase touches on a few different themes: gays in professional sports; coming out to the public; privacy vs. the public's right to know. Most importantly Chase focuses on a man's personal needs and happiness vs. his career and having viable future. This is Kasey's dilemma and the one he and Gram must face together.

The contrast between Kasey and Gram's developing relationship and the almost brittle desperation we see in Garrett, Kasey's twin brother, is startling and it serves Kasey well. The protective and close relationship between the brothers was both exasperating and touching -- just as those brotherly relationships tend to be.

Kasey and Gram's story as told by T. A. Chase is full of sexual tension and eroticism. The chemistry between these two is scorching, as is the love that flourishes between them. Although their first encounter comes quick, Chase develops their relationship. Kasey's slow realization that their relationship might be worth more than a few encounters, and Gram's unrelenting and surprising commitment won me over.

Out of Bounds is a wonderful addition to my growing T. A. Chase collection.

M/M Romance Erotica: Hot B+

Find this book here.

Originally posted at Musings of a Bibliophile August 11, 2009

...on the Hybrid Zone and Perdido Street Station

"...the point where one thing becomes another. It is what makes you, the City,the world, what they are.... the zone where the disparate become part of the whole. The hybrid zone." (Mr. Motley to Lyn). Perdido Street Station by China Miéville.

In Perdido Street Station, Miéville constructs a world where the bizarre and the recognizable often coalesce -- not for the weak of heart, or for that matter the weak of stomach.

New Crobuzon, his characters and their lives all seem to be hybrids -- made of different parts that not always seem to fit together, yet work. They are shocking, but like a car wreck on a highway so fascinating, they make it impossible to look away from the page.

From the characters to New Crobuzon, a character in itself, the world in Perdido Street Station seems to be a place where transitions are blunt and yet become unseen by those who are trapped living the experience.

Reviews at Musings

Upcoming Reviews:

Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale is a book I've had on my TBB list ever since I saw it highlighted at the Galaxy Express last March under their 'Steampunk' recommendations. A book I looked forward to reading and saved to savor like candy for the end of the Challenge. *g*

Out of Bounds by T.A. Chase was an erotic trip through the world of sports. He addresses the prejudices still rampant in that world and the pros and cons of being "out" for an athlete -- but also the decisions that must be made by the man. I'll be reading more T.A. Chase.

Reviews Posted at Musings:

The Edge of Impropriety by Pam Rosenthal, a historical romance from a new-to-me author. I was curious about this book and just had to give it a shot. My thoughts are posted at Musings as more impressions than review mode. A book that surprised me in more ways than one.

No Limits by Alison Kent is a contemporary romance book that I won at the author's website in a contest. This is another new-to-me author and I read this book without any expectations or knowledge as to style. This book had an interesting mixture of characters and atmosphere.

Islands by Samantha Kane, a beautiful love story set in World War II with wonderful characters and atmosphere. This one made me sigh.

Summer has taken its toll and I'm not reading as much as I usually do, but I'm right on track with the M/M Challenge. One more to read, and after this week... one more to review. So, that's okay, right?

After I'm done with those... I'll have to tackle the huge TBR pile this challenge has created... all the wonderful new authors discovered and backlists to investigate. It seems I'll be overflowing with hot new reads to keep me warm come the winter. :) Plus, this second half of the year, I'm planning on reading more Fantasy / Sci-Fi Romance and Contemporary Romance.

See you at Musings!

Edited: All reviews can be found here at Impressions. 

Review: No Limits by Alison Kent

Simon Baptiste's latest SG-5 mission just went south in a major way. It seems like a good time to take are of some business back home in Louisiana. Simon knows it ain't going to be pretty. He's got old enemies in Bayou Allain who won't exactly roll out the red carpet. But Simon's first night back is more than he bargained for: Not only has the homestead gone to hell in a hand basket, but there's a half-naked woman hiding inside it -- a woman whose face Simon knows all too well. It's Michelina Ferrer; the sultry spokes model for her family's Ferrer fragrance empire -- and Simon's been starting at her picture on a billboard outside his Manhattan apartment for weeks...

Micky Ferrer came down to Bayou Allain looking for her old college friend, only to discover that Lisa Landry has been missing for days. As soon as Micky starts asking questions, someone runs her car off the road. She's hiding out in the old Baptiste place when Simon shows up -- and he's the hottest thing she's laid eyes on since she got to town. Simon agrees that something strange is going on and that Lisa's disappearance may be tied to it. As he and Micky search for answers, the sweltering heat makes it hard to keep their heads straight on their hands off each other...even as they unravel the small-town secrets that some people are willing to kill for...

Alison Kent is a new-to-me author, and No Limits a no expectations type of read. I understand this book is part of a long series -- the SG5 -- however, I think it reads well as a stand alone. The above book description is very thorough in the way it outlines the plot, so I'll just outline my thoughts.

No Limits gives us enough Cajun flavor without really steeping us into the culture or the true southern atmosphere of the Bayou. We get a sense of that flavor from some of the phraseology, usage of language and pacing, but the details are not really found here to provide heavy atmosphere.

Micky, as in Micky Mouse, reminded me of a cross between a super-model and the type of celebrity we see pictured in tabloids all too often. Although initially developed as an immature young woman who acts before she thinks and is adept at running rather than taking responsibility for her actions, her character does show some growth throughout the story. Simon is a character you'll recognize easily. He is a sexy ex-military, ex-mercenary who now works with the SG5 team. He is an alpha male who is not overdone in this story, although a bit brooding. I found the dialogue and tension between these two characters better than the chemistry.

King, Simon's cousin, is one of a memorable cast of secondary characters. A wonderfully brooding Cajun, King caught my attention from the beginning and kept it to the end of this story. Some of the most heated sexual scenes in this book are between King and Paschelle -- King's friend with benefits. As a secondary story, King and Paschelle's troubled, sexual relationship became my favorite part of the book. I certainly looked forward to every single scene where both these characters were included.

The mystery/suspense in the book was a disappointment for me. The villain of this piece is known almost immediately as is the reason for the crime. There didn't seem to be any surprises at the end.

No Limits was a mixed bag for me. I thoroughly enjoyed parts of it and thought Ms. Kent's secondary characters made the story -- from Judge Bear and pitiful Lorna to sexy King and Paschelle. However, I felt the suspense was lacking and the ending felt more like a "happily for now" than a "happily ever after." This book gets a C+ from me.

You can visit the author here. You can read an excerpt here.

Originally posted at Musings of a Bibliophile August 8, 2009

Review: The Edge of Impropriety by Pam Rosenthal

The ribald private life of novelist Countess Marina Wyatt is the stuff of public scandal -- and it doesn't hurt the sale of her romances either. But she's totally unprepared for her consuming new affair with Jasper James Hedges, noted art appraiser and her former lover's uncle.

In Marina, Jasper sees a work of art of another kind. And for all of Marina's passionate inventions, nothing can compare to what Jasper delivers -- an erotic and dangerous voyage to the edge of impropriety and beyond.

The Edge of Impropriety is a book that took me by surprise. Frankly, I didn't know what to expect since this is my first book by Pam Rosenthal.

I found this to be an excellent historical romance with a mixture of fictional, historical characters, and/or based on real people of the times, peppered with beautiful details of time and place. I loved the way the writer allows us glimpses of the ton from the outside -- through the eyes of those who resided on the periphery, even the tradesmen. Her observations from that point of view were quite refreshing and kept me turning the pages.

Her hero and heroine are presented as mature adults with responsibilities and not-so-pretty pasts. You must keep reading to really get to know Marina, but there is nothing coy or disingenuous about her -- she is who she is and I loved her character. Jasper is easier to know and is presented as straight forward in his dealings with Marina and complex in his relationship with his family. I found their encounters to be very passionate -- nothing coy in that regard either -- although I found the way Rosenthal went about writing these scenes quite interesting.

For me, the way Ms. Rosenthal resolved conflicts in this book were also refreshing. Secondary characters are interesting and add much to this story. There's a secondary romance in the book that was both sweet and unexpected and a twist at the end to a bit of a mystery. The ending to this story was unusual, yet appropriate in my opinion. The only minor problem I found with the book was the length of some of the internal dialogues which were a bit long winded at times.

Visit the author here. Read an excerpt here.

Originally posted at Musings of a Bibliophile August 6, 2009

Review: ePistols at Dawn by Z.A. Maxfield

M/M Reading Challenge: Part Eight

Choose your weapons.

Jae-sun Fields is pissed. Someone has taken the seminal, coming of age novel Doorways and satirized it. He's determined to use his Internet skills and his job as a tabloid reporter to out the author as the fraud and no-talent hack he's sure she is.

Kelly Kendall likes his anonymity and, except for his house, factotum and all-around slut, Will, he craves solitude. There's also that crippling case of OCD that makes it virtually impossible for him to leave the house. He's hidden his authorship of Doorways behind layers of secrets and several years' worth of lies -- until he loses a bet.

Satirizing his own work, as far as he can see, is his own damned prerogative. Except now he has an online stalker, one who always seems several steps ahead of him in their online due for information.

A chance meeting reveals more than hidden identities -- it exposes a mutual magnetic attraction that can't be denied. And pushes the stakes that much higher, into a zone that could get way too personal...

In ePistols at Dawn, Z. A. Maxfield writes a book where she explores much more than an erotic or a romantic relationship -- although the romance/erotic relationship is also here. She introduces us to some wonderful characters and through them proceeds to basically do a study of today's "cyberspace" society -- specifically how it pertains to writers and their fans. The way fears, resentments and lies can be used or abused... and of course, the ever nagging question of privacy vs. the public's "right to know."

She ties this same story arc -- privacy vs. the public -- by tackling a public figure's right to keep their sexual orientation private vs. a newspaper's right to publish that person's sexual orientation upon discovery. The consequences, moral ambiguity, and gray areas this question raises are there in the pages to see. Ms. Maxfield doesn't attempt to answer the questions, but I love that she asks them and explores them.

There seems to be an underlying sub-plot running throughout the book from all the parties involved. Fear of discovery, fear of being hurt, fear of love, fear of 'coming out,' fear of life... and ultimately (for some) triumph over all that fear.

As you can see, so far I've addressed the book in general and not the characters in particular. Maxfield's characterization in ePistols at Dawn is excellent, and I must admit to being fascinated by Kelly, Jae, Will and Shannon. They were all individually and collectively important and they definitely tell the story.

Kelly, the writer with OCD who hid behind his computer, his different personas and his housekeeper Will, was a character study all by himself. You would think that a man who is, at heart, lonely and who has so many quirks and insecurities would not make for a great hero in this type of book. I fell in love with Kelly -- a loving, loyal and sexy geek -- he was the one character that I thought grew the most in this story. I was touched by both his love for Jae and his loyalty to Will.

Jae's obsession with Doorways and the moral questions that arise from his questionable actions due to that obsession were some of the most fascinating parts of this book for me. His attraction for Kelly is palpable, as is his desperation when those gray areas start to turn dark for him. He's one sexy big guy too! The braid, the braid!

Will and Shannon as secondary characters were developed and then some! They both provide some of the wonderful humor that I most liked about this book -- which by the way is peppered with great lines throughout. Will's character seems to jump off the pages and steals every scene he's in. Although, I must admit for a while I expected to be disappointed with Will and Kelly's part of the story, the resolution was satisfying for me.

In the end Doorways, the name of the book in ePistols at Dawn, perfectly represents what our characters must do -- they each must make a choice and walk through the right door.

An excellent read! One I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.

You can find this book here.

M/M Author Spotlight: Gavin Atlas

Rafael, a gorgeous and promiscuous bottom boy, has always been the favorite of every top in his town. However, Rafael knows he won't be young forever, and a part of him wants more than just night after night of giving up his rump to an endless array of men. Worse, a psychic predicted that if Rafael didn't find love by the time he turned twenty-eight, he would never have anything more than meaningless sex.

When the eve of his twenty-eighth birthday arrives, Cavan, a mysterious and handsome stranger, strips Rafael naked at a popular club and abducts him. Cavan is the most dominant and talented top Rafael has ever experienced, but he even has more to offer. Cavan is a vampire, and he desires to make Rafael his eternal bottom slave. Cavan has the power to keep Rafael young, beautiful and healthy forever, but he requires the one thing Rafael has never been capable of: monogamy. 

Will Cavan's unstoppable lust and unceasing love make Rafael give up what he craves most for one man?

Slave to Shadows, Gavin Atlas' vampire story, will release August 24, 2009 from eXcessica Publishing.

This month I am featuring one M/M author.  Gavin Atlas has been writing since the fifth grade, but started writing erotica in 2004 and was first published in 2007. His stories, Claiming Danny and Simple and Easy were bestsellers for Forbidden Publications. He also has stories in anthologies: Cleis Press - Hercules to the Rescue in Hard Hats and Blue Star Boy in Surfer Boys; Alyson Books - The Only Bottom for a Thousand Miles in Island Boys and Business with Pleasure in Ultimate Gay Erotica 2009; and from Ravenous Romance Which Way to Dominance in How The West Was Done. His short story, La Playita is available at All Romance eBooks.

The first piece I read by Gavin Atlas was Wet Pass. It's a short story about a single encounter between an Olympic Water Polo player and a journalist. The encounter takes place in the locker room when the journalist goes to do an interview -- hmmm.... what an interview! Explicit and hot, this piece is definitely not romance, but raw erotica. A short hot piece that definitely gave me a taste of Mr. Atlas' raw style. 

Which Way to Dominance in the How the West Was Done Anthology is a short piece that I found to be disturbing but also one that made me think -- it stayed with me. I know that I discussed this short story with friends more than other M/M novels. I reviewed this piece.

After a recent breakup, Jamie a college student who has always escaped boring life through books, travels to the warmth of Costa Rica. His fantasies about surf and sand and boys, of course, may just come true thanks to some very friendly local waiters.

La Playita has received many accolades and comes highly recommended. This book and Mr. Atlas' latest release Slave to Shadows are two of my planned M/M reads for the month of August. I've been saving it for a beautiful summer day and now its time is coming!

You can visit Gavin Atlas here.  Or you can find Gavin at his LJ Blog "No Rest for the Wicked." 

M/M Review: Islands by Samantha Kane

Lieutenant Commander Gabriel Conlan, United States Navy Seabees, knows he's not in Kansas anymore when he steps off the launch at the small island of Ile Dorée and sees gorgeous Frenchman René Dubois waiting for him on the dock. The year is 1943, the place is the Pacific and the world is at war. Free from the censure of the military, Gabe has an explosive affair with René. But when the world intrudes, Gabe denies René and tries to forget the best sex of his life.

The only westerner on his small Pacific island, René is desperately lonely. When the tall, lanky American steps onto his dock, René knows his life will never be the same. He teaches Gabe how to make love to a man and, unexpectedly, falls in love. René will brave prejudice, Japanese Zeros and Gabe's reluctance to find love at last.

Gabriel Conlan is a man of his times. A man who is used to being in command and control as a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy, but also a man who maintains that same control on his emotions. He knows that he can't let his true self show for a moment or his credibility and career will disappear in an instant. His self-contempt and repressed longings are made evident early on in the story, as well as his lack of experience in the love arena. Oh, he knows what it is to have sex with another man, but love? That, he has never experienced.

René Dubois is a Frenchman and the only westerner in a Pacific Island where he is responsible for all its inhabitants. A lonely and passionate man, René grew up in France where he was accepted as a gay man from an early age. He wears his passionate nature and capability for love like a second skin. Gorgeous and confident, René oozes the type of sensuality and determination that scares Gabriel.

In Islands, Samantha Kane writes a love story heavy in atmosphere and 1940's period details. She makes you feel as if you were there in the Pacific Islands during WWII during those terrible times of war and danger, and yet she provides that oasis for a short period of time where these two characters met and changed each other's lives forever. From the way Gabe held his cigarette, to the pacing of their dialogue, this felt like a period piece. I could visualize it as I was reading it.

Secondary characters and backgrounds are not neglected in this story either. Ms. Kane gives us rich details about the culture of the island and its inhabitants. The Fa'afafine are highlighted in this story as they play a part here. These are young men who think of themselves as females and are treated as such from the time they are children. They dress and act as females and are highly respected within the culture. We also meet other servicemen -- Mr. Watson's story parallels Gabe's, although in a supportive role. Gabriel and René stay as the focus.

For me, this book was a romance with wonderful erotic scenes. The way René seduced Gabriel and showed him a man could be loved was more than erotic -- I found it moving. Gabriel's doubts and reservations didn't have a chance... not after René called him "Mon Ange" the first time. Their trials and tribulations take place within a short period of time, but the resolution to their conflict takes time. I think this is one of the parts I most appreciated about Islands.

Ms. Kane delivers a complete story with compelling characters, wonderful atmosphere and an intensity to her scenes that left me more than satisfied with this book. For me, Islands is a keeper and it will be re-read.

M/M Romance: Grade A


Originally posted at Musings of a Bibliophile August 2, 2009