An Erie Collection by V.L. Locey - Release Blitz

Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Cover Design: Meredith Russell

Blurb

You can now have all four of the MM Lake Erie pack novellas in this one reasonably priced collection! Included in the set are the previously released novellas An Erie Halloween, An Erie Operetta, and An Erie Garden Party. To round off this whimsical and romantic shifter set is a brand-new novella, An Erie Uprising!

It’s been one wonderfully romantic year since skunk shifter Templeton Reed met Mikel Lupei, the alpha wolf of the Lake Erie pack. During that year, the two men fell in love and worked side-by-side to solve some tricky murder mysteries. They also opened up Lupei Manor, Mikel’s familial home, to other LGBTQ mystical beings in the Erie area. Sadly, being gay in the supernatural world Templeton and Mikel live in can be a death sentence.

During the past year, the magical world has slowly been coming unraveled. Civil unrest now runs rampant through the community as the lesser breeds revolt against the hateful dictates of the Elder Counsel. The uprising will surely touch every person residing in the magical world beside Lady Erie. Will the flames of unrest and war consume everything and everyone Templeton and Mikel hold dear as well?

Author Bio

V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, Dr. Who, Torchwood, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, two Jersey steers and a flock of assorted domestic fowl.

When not writing lusty tales, she can be found enjoying her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand.

Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Blog

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted By Signal Boost Promotions

Between Us by F.E. Feeley Jr.

Pages: 48

Fantasy - Paranormal

Buy links:      Amazon         Amazon UK

The blurb:

When Jeremy, a tall, hunky, ladies man begins to explore his bisexual attractions, he realizes he loves his best friend and college roommate Roger. 

Roger secretly loves Jeremy back but is holding on to a secret of his own. A terrible one. 

On Halloween night both men are invited to a party where the truth of each other will be revealed in a horrific way. Will they survive a night of terror? Or will it rip them apart forever? 

My thoughts:

I don’t read (or watch) scary stories as a rule. I’m all for murder and mayhem, but horror… not so much most of the time. This blurb, however, intrigued me so I decided to overcome whatever preconceived reservations I might have and dive in.

The start of the story lulled me into a false sense of security. But the playful banter was soon replaced by the first apparition and the creepiness kicked off. As soon as it did I remembered why I so rarely read creepy stories; they make me feel too much. My stomach churns and I get jittery. It gets too much and I close the book only to open it again two minutes later because I HAVE to know what happens next, except that I don’t want to because NERVES, but I do because I can’t stand the tension of not knowing. LOL. It’s an experience I both love and try to avoid. And the more invested I am in a story the stronger those feelings become.

Yes, I did get quite invested in Between Us. Me, the self-confessed wimp who doesn’t deal well with either angst or tension, fully enjoyed the wonderfully torturous combination of romantic uncertainty and ghostly scariness. In fact, I was really impressed that the romance and ghost storylines in this book are perfectly balanced. All too often I’ve come across books in which one storyline ends up taking precedence at the expense of the other. Not in this book; romance and ghostliness play next to each other and one enhances the other.

I liked Jeremy and Roger, enjoyed the way they interacted, and I loved the premise of the story. While this is a fully formed story without an open ending, I would love to see more of them. And given what Roger’s secret is, and considering that he’s met and recognised Cindy (yes, I'm being vague on purpose), I could well see more spooky adventures for these two men. I would most definitely read them.

This was my first encounter with this author and I can safely say it won’t be my last. Between Us packed a whole lot of story into relatively few pages and did so very well. While I wouldn’t have minded more words, the story didn’t need them. If F.E. Feeley Jr can hook me this much in under fifty pages I can’t wait to find out what’ll happen when I pick up a full length novel.

Overall I highly recommend this book if you'd like to add more ghosts and romance to your Halloween.

About the author:

F.E. Feeley Jr was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and lived there for twenty years before joining the military. He is a veteran of the US Armed Services; having done a tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2002-2003, he turned college student, pursuing a degree in political science. He now lives in Southeast Texas where he is married to the love of his life, John, and where they live with their five year old German Shepherd, Kaiser. 

As a young man, reading took center stage in his life, especially those novels about ghosts, witches, goblins, and all the other things that went bump in the night. His favorite authors include such writers as Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Anne Rice, whose work allowed him to travel to far off places and meet fascinating and scary characters. As a gay man, he wishes to be able to write good fictional literature for those who love the genre and to write characters that readers can relate to. All in all, he is a cigarette smokin’, whiskey drinkin’, rock and roll lovin’, tattoo wearin’ dreamer of a man with a wonderful husband who puts up with his crap and lets him write his stories.

All Hallows' Eve by Annabelle Jacobs - Release Day Blitz with Giveaway

Annabelle Jacobs - All Hallows' Eve

Author: Annabelle Jacobs

Cover Design: Natasha Snow

Length: 81,000 words

Buy Links: Amazon US Amazon UK

Blurb

Will a centuries-old broken heart ruin the promise of new love?

Dominic Ashworth is descended from a long line of witches, although the family practice of witchcraft died out generations ago. Forever connected to a dark history, the house he grew up in remained in the Ashworth family for generations until his estranged father sold it.

On a mission to check out the new owners, Dominic runs into Caleb Jones and gives the gorgeous man his phone number—but getting a date should be the last thing on Dominic’s agenda.

Caleb and his best friend, Zach Briceworth, are oblivious to the heartache and magic tied to the foundations of their new home. When strange things start to happen, the truth emerges and surprises them both, especially as everything revolves around Caleb’s new love interest.

After a shaky start, Caleb and Dominic settle into an easy relationship, falling faster than either of them expected. But with Halloween approaching, the possibility of danger increases. The past is not always as it seems, and the ripples of a tragic event threaten to put an end to everything between them.

Excerpt

“Hi.”

Dominic jumped, startled, and turned to face the stranger jogging towards him. Tall, broad-shouldered, wearing black running shorts and a bright blue T-shirt, his short black hair—longish on top—stuck to his forehead in a sweaty mess. He came to a stop in front of the gate and leaned on it, breathing heavily. “Sorry … just need to … catch my breath.”

“A little hot for running, isn’t it?” Dominic’s gaze ran the length of the stranger’s body and he flushed as he caught himself.

“I don’t mind. Can I help you with something?” The guy then proceeded to lift the bottom of his T-shirt and wipe his face with it.

“Um.” Dominic swallowed. The flat, toned stomach on display reminded him of how long it had been since his last boyfriend. Although he used that term loosely. “Do you live here?”

The guy nodded. “Yeah, just moved in.”

Oh. So either Zach was living with his parents, or Briceworth senior had left his wife and moved in with a hot younger guy.

The guy narrowed his eyes as he looked at Dominic closely. “Why do you ask?”

The Sold sign lying just inside the gate on the ground caught Dominic’s eye. He smiled and attempted to look sheepish. It was always best to stick to the truth where possible, so he said, “Sorry, I was just curious. My sister and I used to live here, and when we heard it’d been sold, we wondered who’d bought it.”

The guy frowned at him and cocked his head to one side, clearly suspicious.

Dominic needed to nip that in the bud. He wouldn’t get any info if the guy thought he was a crazy stalker. “God, I’m not explaining myself well at all. My dad was the one who sold it to you. The place was in my family for generations. I haven’t spoken to my father in seven years. When we found out he’d sold the house, it was a bit of a shock, and I guess I just wanted to see who’d bought it. I don’t mean to come off as weird or anything.” He smiled and stuck out his hand. “Dominic Ashworth.”

The guy smiled back, took his hand in a firm grip, and shook it. “Caleb Jones. And it’s a little weird, but lucky for you I’m okay with that.”

Author Bio

Annabelle Jacobs lives in the South West of England with three rowdy children, and two cats. An avid reader of fantasy herself for many years, Annabelle now spends her days writing her own stories. They're usually either fantasy or paranormal fiction, because she loves building words filled with magical creatures, and creating stories full of action and adventure. Her characters may have a tough time of it—fighting enemies and adversity—but they always find love in the end.

Author Links

Twitter         Website        Facebook

Email – ajacobsfiction@gmail.com

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

THE HAUNTED MAZE A Review

THE HAUNTED MAZE by Theo Fenraven

Pages: 75

Date: 01/11/2014

Grade: 4.5

Details: Novella

Own / Kindle

The burb:

“Still in his twenties, Percy Callendar is one of the richest men in the world. In an attempt to find the future love of his life—and because he likes to have fun—he builds the ultimate haunted house and assembles a select group of men to go through it. 

Sage Donovan, owner of a fledgling IT company, is the seventh applicant to receive an invitation. He figures completing the maze—something no one has done yet—will guarantee fame and maybe fortune, and he immediately accepts despite having a little problem with anxiety. 

Witches, spiders, ghosts and ghouls are the least Sage has to deal with, because before the night is over, he will face his deepest fear, changing his life and Percy’s forever.”

My thoughts:

They say good things are worth waiting for. I’m not the most patient of creatures and waiting for Amazon to get their act together and release ‘The Haunted Maze’ was very frustrating, but...I have to admit it, well worth the wait in the end. Talk about building anticipation...

Theo Fenraven amazes me. Every time I start one of his books I find myself diving into something completely new. This author doesn’t repeat himself, he flirts with genres and then moves on to the next one, always flexing his artistic muscles and pushing himself and the reader to extend their boundaries. Of course the amazing aspect of this flexing is not so much that he does it, but that he not only gets away with it but manages to own each of the genres he tackles as well as put his personal spin on it.

It’s hard not to fall for Sage. He’s presented as an honest, good and reliable young man who wants to do and be the best he can be. His perseverance when faced with his deepest fear was described so well I almost experienced his anxiety as well as his determination to overcome it.

I wasn’t entirely sure what to think or make of Percy. His scheme is, of course, utter madness and yet there is something sweet and almost innocent about his hope and belief he might find a man who will love him in the middle of a haunted house.

The same is true for Richard, Percy’s lawyer and friend. I couldn’t quite pinpoint him. Like Percy he sounds impersonal and ‘big business’ a lot of the time. And yet there are these gestures and casual remarks suggesting both men might be basically good. This of course makes the characters more interesting and realistic. While having a clear cut distinction between sympathetic and despicable characters can make a story easy to read, it rarely makes a book or the characters in it fascinating. And if Percy and his haunted house are to be described as anything, fascinating would be the word to use.

Once Sage enters the Maze the story blew me away. The various scenes, the different kinds of horror and the puzzles he has to solve were all cleverly thought out and presented so well it was possible to visualize the creatures and monsters. Sage’s internal conflicts as a result of rationally knowing everything he sees and experiences is fake and the very real fear he experiences regardless, was recognisable and made him all the more realistic. His internal dialogue as well as the comments he makes to Percy, who he knows is observing him, added a wonderful touch of humour to the story and put a smile on my face on more than one occasion.

I loved how Theo Fenraven managed to portray a burgeoning relationship between two characters who spend most of their time apart from each other. Initially the only interaction between Percy and Sage takes place without face to face contact, through short conversations over the intercom. And yet, despite the lack of direct contact the reader is in no doubt these two men are getting to know and appreciate each other more with each new horror Sage faces.

I really don’t want to say anything else about the story. Exactly what imaginative horrors Sage runs into and how he deals with them should be a surprise to the reader. The same is true for what happens when Percy’s carefully laid plans are thrown into turmoil. Reading this book is very close to visiting a haunted house. The reader, like Sage, has no idea what to expect next. Each turn of the page may bring a new surprise or shock, just like turning each corner in a haunted house would bring you face to face with something else to make you startle and scream. Very well done, Mr. Fenraven.

The Haunted Maze, despite its title, is a love story, be it that we only get to see the very early stages of the romance. In most books that would result in me wishing the story had been longer. The Haunted Maze didn’t leave me feeling disappointed though. By the time the story ended I’d seen enough of Sage and Percy to believe it was possible for them to be something special together. This was one book in which how they got to that point was far more interesting than what might happen afterwards could ever be.

As always – and I do seem to reflect on this in every review of books by this author - the writing in The Haunted Maze is breathtaking and awe-inspiring. I’ll never understand how Theo Fenraven manages to create such vivid pictures with so few, yet very carefully chosen, words. Reading his books is pure reading delight for me and I can’t wait to see what he’ll be coming up with next.

Buy link for The Haunted Maze on Amazon: http://smile.amazon.com/Haunted-Maze-Theo-Fenraven-ebook/dp/B00P47DVJQ/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1414928030&sr=8-8&keywords=The+Haunted+Maze

THE HAUNTED MAZE a true Halloween Horror Story

I’ve reached the stage in my life where few things manage to upset me. There are exceptions to that rule though. It still gets to me when I expect a book to be available at a certain date and time, only for it to be delayed for whatever reason.

I was really looking forward to Theo Fenraven’s The Haunted Maze. In fact, I had been counting the days until its release on Halloween. Have a look at the cover and blurb and you’ll understand why.

Blurb: 

Still in his twenties, Percy Callendar is one of the richest men in the world. In an attempt to find the future love of his life—and because he likes to have fun—he builds the ultimate haunted house and assembles a select group of men to go through it.

Sage Donovan, owner of a fledgling IT company, is the seventh applicant to receive an invitation. He figures completing the maze—something no one has done yet—will guarantee fame and maybe fortune, and he immediately accepts despite having a little problem with anxiety.

Witches, spiders, ghosts and ghouls are the least Sage has to deal with, because before the night is over, he will face his deepest fear, changing his life and Percy’s forever.

As it is, Amazon has decided today is the day to fuck up. I’ve been stalking their website since I got up about thirteen hours ago and have been getting more frustrated with each passing hour.

Of course, if this is frustrating for me, imagine what it must be like for the author. He must be tearing his hair out by this stage. You perfectly time your ‘haunted’ story to be released on Halloween only for Amazon to ruin all your carefully laid plans.

I’ll continue my vigil of Amazon and will be one-clicking The Haunted Maze as soon as it appears. After all, a good story is a good story whatever day it's released on. And, unless Amazon makes an even bigger balls up of this, my review of The Haunted Maze should be up on Sunday. Still, somebody ought to tell Amazon exactly how badly they messed this one up.

HALLOWEEN