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The Top Five Reasons I Love Pet Rats by Andi Lee – Guest Blog and Giveaway

August 13, 2019 By Long and Short Reviews Leave a Comment

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Andi Lee who is visiting with us to celebrate today’s release of Mischief Maker, an Animal Lark novel. Enter the Rafflecopter at the end of the post for a chance to win a $10 gift certificate from Dreamspinner Press.

Thank you, Long and Short Reviews for having me on the first stop of my blog tour. I’m so excited to be here. My name is Andi Lee, I’m from the UK and Mischief Maker is my debut novel. I love romance novels that feature adorable pets that bring their owners together, but I’ve never read a love story that featured a pet rat (or twenty!). So I knew I needed to write my own. I’ve owned pet rats on and off for over twenty years, so it was so much fun to add my own experiences into the novel. When I was trying to decide what subject I should do for my Top Five it was a no brainer! It just had to be the top five reasons I love pet rats. What was difficult was sticking to just five. There are probably hundreds of reasons why I love these amazing creatures, but I’ve managed to wrangle the reasons down. It was difficult to choose, though!

1 Sociable
They are inquisitive, affectionate and love to be with other rats as well as humans. If they’re out of their cage then they want to play with you. They’re so fun and love attention. When I first got them I used to have long hair and they’d sit on my shoulders with just a tail or a nose poking out. No one would even notice they were there—this was especially amusing when I took them on the bus! (Only very short stops, and I’d always have the carrier too)

2 Bruxing and eye boggling
Either of these things alone means your rat is happy. Together? Then they’re super duper happy! If you see a rat wiggle its eyes and hear it grinding its teeth, this is what it’s doing. I had a rat who would do this whenever she was snuggled with her sisters in a hammock—they’d all be piled on top of her and she’d look squished, but she loved it! My latest rat, Asher would sit on the sofa next to me happily bruxing away. You know that feeling when you hear a cat purring? That’s the same feeling I get when I see a rat do either of these things.

3 Cuteness
They are adorable. From to their tiny human-like paws to the tips of their tails. There are so many varieties and colours. I’ve had Dumbo rats, top-eared, Russian Blue and Himalayan. I’ve rescued rats, brought them from pet stores and breeders, and they all have one thing in common. They’re all just so darn cute. Not only are they cute, they do cute things. When I see them groom each other it always melts my heart. I had a rat called Ferret (just to confuse everyone) and she would carry the youngest rat around the cage as if she was her baby.

4 Clever
They’re incredibly smart! You can teach them to do tricks, they learn their names, they can be potty trained. My rat Asher learned ‘do you want a nana?’ very quickly! It was safe to say he always wanted a banana chip! I did try and train him to stand on his hind legs by holding a banana chip above his head, but he was so greedy he’d just grab and run (or waddle). They also knew when I got up for work and would be awake waiting for a treat, then go back to their hammocks. I never trained mine to do tricks, but I’ve seen some fantastic YouTube videos!

5 Love
They’re so affectionate that it’s easy to love them. I’ve had friends who were scared of rats, but once meeting mine, they quickly changed their minds. Rats love people, and love to be with you. They’re much more social than other rodents and much easier to tame. They are more like puppies than rodents in how they act. They’re always happy to see you, and they can be grumpy if you go on holiday and don’t see them for a week or two! They’re perfect pets for those who don’t have space for dogs and they never fail to put a smile on my face. If you’ve had a stressful day, then a rat cuddle will make you feel so much better.

What to expect when your pet rat is expecting, or how to fall in love at a pet show.

Jamie Hewett rescues and breeds prize-winning fancy rats. While he’s surrounded by supportive, animal-loving friends, his ex-boyfriend has never been one of them. One embarrassing breakup later, he definitely isn’t looking for love again, but perhaps a rebound relationship might ease his broken heart.

Liam Donnelly’s quirky dating life is the subject of a popular vlog, and his viewers have interesting ideas on where he might find romance. When they suggest he take Mabel, his new rat, to a pet show, he’s up for the adventure.

Although they can’t deny their growing interest in each other, neither Jamie nor Liam believes in love at first sight. They’ve both had bad luck with men, and Jamie isn’t pleased that Liam makes a living as a serial dater. On top of that, others are conspiring to keep them apart, and Jamie is left holding the baby—or twenty-plus babies—when their fur children have no trouble making a connection. Will a YouTube ukulele serenade convince Liam that Jamie’s love for him—and their unborn rat children—is for real?

About the Author: Andi Lee lives in the UK, close enough to Birmingham city to be considered a ‘Brummie’, but far enough away to enjoy the Staffordshire countryside. She enjoys writing in many different genres as long as they contain a large dose of cute guys falling in love. She’s a sucker for a happy ending.

When she’s not writing, she enjoys making junk journals, and also jewellery out of polymer clay and resin. She has kept pet rats on and off for twenty years and fell in love with her first ferret when she found him on her way to work one day. She’s kept them ever since.

(And she apparently has an obsession with Vans—the shoes not the vehicles!)

Website | Facebook | Twitter | InstagramBuy the book at Dreamspinner Press.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Romance Tagged With: Andi Lee, Giveaway, GLBT

Growing Up in Springhaven by Jamie Fessenden – Guest Blog

August 6, 2019 By Long and Short Reviews Leave a Comment

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Jamie Fessenden who is celebrating today’s release of Small Town Sonata.

Growing Up in Springhaven

For the first ten or so years of my life, my family lived in a small town in northern New Hampshire called Gorham. It’s population is about 2,000 today, but I’m not sure how many lived there when I was a boy. At that time, the “big city” was nearby Berlin—population close to 20,000 until the paper mill closed in 2006.

The town of Springhaven in Small Town Sonata is an idealized Gorham, which was a wonderful town to grow up in. Small and beautiful, surrounded by white birches and crystal clear, fast-moving rivers full of trout, with Mount Washington and the rest of the White Mountain range looming over us. I visited recently and was surprised by how tall the trees were. Where I live now, over a hundred miles to the south, the forests are relatively new, recovering from farmers clearing all the land in the 1800 and some severe blights. Most trees are 30-40 feet high. In the mountains, where most of the land is too rocky and not flat enough for farming, the trees are twice as high.

The locations in Small Town Sonata are largely to be found in Gorham. I lived on Androscoggin Street, where Ben lives. At the end of my street was (and is) Welch’s Restaurant—somewhat renovated now, but still there. I renamed it Townsend’s in my story. Dean and Aiden sit in the red padded booths I remember, eating a favorite dish of mine: poutine. It’s a French-Canadian dish—basically, french fries with gravy and cheese.

Next to the restaurant is the hardware store that features so strongly in Dean’s backstory. And if you head the other direction down Main Street, you’ll come to the town park. As described in the story, one corner of the park is a baseball diamond, but there’s a large area of grass with a bandstand.

At some point during the summer or fall, the carnival used to roll in and set up there. I don’t know if it still does. I remember my brother and I thinking we were tough enough to brave the Octopus and discovering we weren’t. My brother screamed for them to stop the ride and let us get off, but I can’t say I fared any better—I was just too petrified to scream. But that’s why the Octopus ended up in the novel.

The railroad tracks bordering one side of the park are silent now, as most railroad tracks in New Hampshire are, but when I was a boy, my friends would jump up on the outside ladders of passing train cars to impress each other with their bravery/stupidity. I was too frightened by urban legends of kids falling off and being ground under the wheels—something that probably never actually happened in my town, though certainly the danger was real.

The best part of growing up in a small town, in my opinion, was that we were safe enough to walk to school on our own or trick or treat after dark without adult supervision, while still having a lot of spooky places and creepy stories to keep our lives interesting.

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It was an idyllic, Ray Bradbury-ish time for me, and although Dean and Aiden are hardly children, it was wonderful reliving my memories of this beautiful place for them.

Can the trusted town handyman rebuild a broken pianist’s heart?

When a freak accident ends Aiden’s career as a world-renowned classical pianist, he retreats to his New Hampshire hometown, where he finds the boy he liked growing up is even more appealing as a man.

Dean Cooper’s life as handyman to the people of Springhaven might not be glamorous, but he’s well-liked and happy. When Aiden drifts back into town, Dean is surprised to find the bond between them as strong as ever. But Aiden is distraught over the loss of his career and determined to get back on the international stage.

Seventeen years ago Dean made a sacrifice and let Aiden walk away. Now, with their romance rekindling, he knows he’ll have to make the sacrifice all over again. This time it may be more than he can bear.

About the Author: Jamie Fessenden is an author of gay fiction in many genres. Most involve romance, because he believes everyone deserves to find love, but after that anything goes: contemporary, science fiction, historical, paranormal, mystery, or whatever else strikes his fancy.

He set out to be a writer in junior high school. He published a couple short pieces in his high school’s literary magazine and had another story place in the top 100 in a national contest, but it wasn’t until he met his partner, Erich, almost twenty years later, that he began writing again in earnest. With Erich alternately inspiring and goading him, Jamie wrote several novels and published his first novella in 2010. That same year, Jamie and Erich married and purchased a house together in the wilds of New Hampshire, where there are no street lights, turkeys and deer wander through their yard, and coyotes serenade them under the stars.

Website

Buy the book at Dreamspinner Press or Amazon.

Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Romance Tagged With: GLBT, Jamie Fessenden

Joe Cosentino’s 8 Tips for Writing a Winning Mystery Series – Guest Blog and Giveaway

August 5, 2019 By Long and Short Reviews Leave a Comment

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Joe Cosentino who is celebrating the recent release of his latest book in the Nicky and Noah series Drama Dance. Post a comment about why you love The Nutcracker Ballet. The one that tickles our tights the most will win an audiobook of Drama Queen, the first Nicky and Noah mystery, by Joe Cosentino, performed by Michael Gilboe.

Joe Cosentino’s 8 Tips for Writing a Winning Mystery Series
at the release of Drama Dance, the 8th Nicky and Noah mystery novelWriting a successful mystery series is like having a baby. Okay, I’ve never done that. It’s akin to going to war. Oops, I’ve never done that either. I’m sure you get the idea. It’s difficult. Since I’m the author of two popular mystery series (The Nicky and Noah Mysteries and The Jana Lane Mysteries), new mystery writers often ask my advice about writing in the genre. In honor of the release of Drama Dance, the eighth Nicky and Noah mystery novel, here are my eight tips for writing a winning mystery series.

1) Start with the twist ending. I generally wake up at about 3am with a wonderful idea for the end of a new novel. Beginning with a shocking and terrific ending and working backwards will give the story a strong and justifiable conclusion. Readers constantly tell me they never saw the ending of my book coming. However, once the sleuth reminded them of the clues in the last chapter, they slapped their heads screaming, “How could I have missed that!”

2) Create a roadmap for the story. I moan when I read a mystery that presents suspects and then randomly selects whodunit at the conclusion. You need to chart out every clue, red herring, and plot point. It’s important to decide when to offer information and when to use sleight of hand to camouflage it.

3) A mystery, like any story, is only as good as its characters. Create realistic, loveable, captivating characters that we enjoy. I’m always so thrilled when readers tell me they love Nicky and Noah as much as Nicky and Noah love each other.

4) A mystery should include all aspects of real life, which includes romance and drama. Don’t bog your characters down with so much sleuthing that they can’t have personal lives and careers. Jane Lane faces a personal crisis in each Jane Lane mystery novel, at home and on the set. In addition to producing their show, Nicky and Noah embark on a personal journey in each Nicky and Noah mystery, including dating, marriage, and adopting and raising a child.

5) Especially in these trying times, humor can save us. Don’t force it but find the humor in as many situations as possible. It’s always there. I remember one Christmas my parents gave me a jacket and my sister a house. When I complained to my mother, she replied, “But it’s a nice jacket, and we’ll be living in the house with your sister.” I love when readers tell me they laugh out loud at Nicky’s snarky aside comments, his best friends’ Martin and Ruben’s good-natured bickering, or Martin’s secretary’s barbs. Jana Lane’s old world agent is also a riot.

6) The setting should be another character in the mystery. Whether it’s cozy, exotic, or fantastical, use the setting to help tell your story. Jana Lane’s upstate New York mansion in the Jana Lane mysteries highlights her glamorous yet small community lifestyle. Treemeadow College in Vermont is the perfect setting for the Nicky and Noah cozy mysteries with its white Edwardian buildings, low white stone fences, lake and mountain views, and cherry wood offices with tall leather chairs and fireplaces.

7) Write what you know about. Since I was a professional actor, it’s not a coincidence that my Jana Lane sleuth is an ex-child star making a movie comeback. Nicky and Noah are college theatre professors like me. Real life brings a wealth of information, stories, and characters. The Nutcracker Ballet is my favorite ballet, so it provided the perfect production for Nicky to direct at Treemeadow College in my current release Drama Dance. My colleagues at my college tease me that if they annoy me, I might kill them in my next Nicky and Noah mystery. And they’re right! (smile)

8) Travel everywhere! Not only is travelling fun and educational, you can use it in your mysteries. It’s not a coincidence that Jana Lane (and I) travelled to Washington, DC and New York City, or that Nicky and Noah (and I) embarked on trips to Alaska, Hawaii, and Scotland.

I hope you enjoyed reading my eight tips on mystery writing. Now it is my joy and pleasure to share this eighth novel in my Nicky and Noah mystery series with you. Below are the blurb, my bio, the purchase links, an excerpt, and a special giveaway offer. So take your seats. The curtain is going up on Clara, the Nutcracker, the Mouse King, the Sugar Plum Fairy, and the Cavalier. And of course hilarity, romance, and murder Nicky and Noah style in Drama Dance!

Theatre professor Nicky Abbondanza is back at Treemeadow College directing their Nutcracker Ballet co-starring his spouse, theatre professor Noah Oliver, their son Taavi, and their best friend and department head, Martin Anderson. With muscular dance students and faculty in the cast, the Christmas tree on stage isn’t the only thing rising. When cast members drop faster than their loaded dance belts, Nicky and Noah will once again need to use their drama skills to figure out who is cracking the Nutcracker’s nuts, trapping the Mouse King, and being cavalier with the Cavalier, before Nicky and Noah end up stuck in the Land of the Sweets. You will be applauding and shouting Bravo for Joe Cosentino’s fast-paced, side-splittingly funny, edge-of-your-seat entertaining eighth novel in this delightful series. Take your seats. The curtain is going up on the Fairy—Sugar Plum that is, clumsy mice, malfunctioning toys, and murder!

Enjoy an Excerpt

The Victorian-era playroom was adorned with wallpapered walls of pink and gold swirls. A large window hovered over a cushiony toy chest. Standing guard on one side was a grandfather clock and a pink chaise lounge on the other. Elaborately decorated gift boxes of all shapes and sizes stood between them. Cherished music played as couples in elaborate gowns and vested tuxedos executed a promenade at the Stahlbaum’s holiday party. Little boys in knickers galloped with their toy horses, and sweet girls in frilly party dresses danced with their dolls. A small, thin, elderly man entered in a puff of smoke, causing a hush in the room. Uncle Drosselmeyer, in a maroon suit, motioned for pretty young Clara, dressed in white, to join him next to the Christmas tree adorned with gold balls, candles, and garland. Clara’s younger brother, Fritz, joined her with mischief in his eyes. The adults and children left the playroom, except for Drosselmeyer, Clara, and Fritz. The lights in the room flickered as the bald man waved his tiny arms and magically produced—a garlic crusher.

“What happened to the nutcracker?” I asked from the front row center orchestra, resting the notepad and pen on my lap.

Ruben Markinson entered the stage from the wings. “I couldn’t fit a nutcracker up Martin’s sleeve.”

Martin Anderson dropped his Uncle Drosselmeyer persona and sneered at his husband. “So you expected Clara to dance with a garlic crusher?”

Ruben replied, “It’s less absurd than you dancing on stage at your advanced age, Martin.”

Martin glared at his longtime companion. “My body is a temple.”

“And it’s in ruins!” Ruben replied.

We’re back! For you Nicky and Noah mystery virgins, let me explain. I’m Nicky Abbondanza, Professor of Play Directing at Treemeadow College, a quaint college in picturesque Vermont. Treemeadow was named after the quaint gay couple who founded it: Harold Tree and Jacob Meadow. They are immortalized together in bronze at the quaint college entrance—to the delight of every pigeon in the county.

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For the carnally conscious, I’m tall, with dark hair, a cleft in my chin, emerald eyes, a Roman nose, and long sideburns. I have a muscular body, thanks to the gym on campus—and to my fear of giving into gravity now that I hit the big four zero.

My husband of five years, recently promoted Associate Professor of Acting Noah Oliver, as usual joined me as the production’s acting coach. Noah’s dance training in college made him a perfect understudy for the Sugar Plum Fairy’s Cavalier. By the way, Noah is seven years younger than me. But it doesn’t bother me. At all!

Noah is gorgeous with golden blond hair, sea-blue eyes, milk-and-honey skin, and a tight little body. We both always wear dress shirts, dress slacks, and blazers, except to bed. Speaking of clothing, to my tailor’s horror and Noah’s delight, I have a nearly foot-long penis when erect. Had I been a caveman, I wouldn’t have needed a club. A gay porn star would hang his head (both of them) next to me. Why am I telling you this? I tell you everything.

As for the rest of the cast and crew, elderly Martin is playing Clara’s elderly Uncle Drosselmeyer. Martin’s equally elderly husband, Ruben, agreed to be our props master. Dance faculty members took on the roles of the Sugar Plum Fairy, Cavalier, the Mouse King, and choreographer. The star dance students were cast in the roles of Clara, Clara’s understudy, the Nutcracker, and the Nutcracker’s understudy. In the ensemble, the remaining senior dance students filled the roles of the parents, and the freshmen were cast as the children. I brought my theatre student, Nate Owens, along as stage manager. Other theatre students are doing the set, lights, sound, and costumes.

Finally, due to his vast talents, and my nepotism, Noah’s and my eleven-year-old adopted son, Taavi Oliver Abbondanza Kapule, was cast as Clara’s brother, Fritz.

Now back to the action.

Praise for the Nicky and Noah mysteries:

“Joe Cosentino has a unique and fabulous gift. His writing is flawless, and his use of farce, along with his convoluted plot-lines, will have you guessing until the very last page, which makes his books a joy to read. His books are worth their weight in gold, and if you haven’t discovered them yet you are in for a rare treat.” Divine Magazine

“a combination of Laurel and Hardy mixed with Hitchcock and Murder She Wrote…
Loaded with puns and one-liners…Right to the end, you are kept guessing, and the conclusion still has a surprise in store for you.” “the best modern Sherlock and Watson in books today…I highly recommend this book and the entire series, it’s a pure pleasure, full of fun and love, written with talent and brio…fabulous…brilliant” Optimumm Book Reviews

“adventure, mystery, and romance with every page….Funny, clever, and sweet….I can’t find anything not to love about this series….This read had me laughing and falling in love….Nicky and Noah are my favorite gay couple.” Urban Book Reviews

“For fans of Joe Cosentino’s hilarious mysteries, this is another vintage story with more cheeky asides and sub plots right left and centre….The story is fast paced, funny and sassy. The writing is very witty with lots of tongue-in-cheek humour….Highly recommended.” Boy Meets Boy Reviews

“This delightfully sudsy, colorful cast of characters would rival that of any daytime soap opera, and the character exchanges are rife with sass, wit and cagey sarcasm….As the pages turn quickly, the author keeps us hanging until the startling end.” Edge Media Network

“A laugh and a murder, done in the style we have all come to love….This had me from the first paragraph….Another wonderful story with characters you know and love!” Crystals Many Reviewers

“These two are so entertaining….Their tactics in finding clues and the crazy funny interactions between characters keeps the pages turning. For most of the book if I wasn’t laughing I was grinning.” Jo and Isa Love Books

“Superb fun from start to finish, for me this series gets stronger with every book and that’s saying something because the benchmark was set so very high with book 1.” Three Books Over the Rainbow

“The Nicky and Noah Mysteries series are perfect for fans of the Cozy Mystery sub-genre. They mix tongue-in-cheek humor, over-the-top characters, a wee bit of political commentary, and suspense into a sweet little mystery solved by Nicky and Noah, theatre professors for whom all the world’s a stage.” Prism Book Alliance

“This is one hilarious series with a heart and it just keeps getting better. I highly recommend them all, and please read them in the order they were written for full blown laugh out loud reading pleasure!” Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

About the Author: Joe Cosentino was voted Favorite LGBT Mystery, Humorous, and Contemporary Author of the Year by the readers of Divine Magazine for Drama Queen. He also wrote the other novels in the Nicky and Noah mystery series: Drama Muscle, Drama Cruise, Drama Luau, Drama Detective, Drama Fraternity, Drama Castle, Drama Dance; the Dreamspinner Press novellas: In My Heart/An Infatuation & A Shooting Star, the Bobby and Paolo Holiday Stories: A Home for the Holidays/The Perfect Gift/The First Noel, The Naked Prince and Other Tales from Fairyland with Holiday Tales from Fairyland; the Cozzi Cove series: Cozzi Cove: Bouncing Back, Cozzi Cove: Moving Forward, Cozzi Cove: Stepping Out, Cozzi Cove: New Beginnings, Cozzi Cove: Happy Endings (NineStar Press); and the Jana Lane mysteries: Paper Doll, Porcelain Doll, Satin Doll, China Doll, Rag Doll (The Wild Rose Press). He has appeared in principal acting roles in film, television, and theatre, opposite stars such as Bruce Willis, Rosie O’Donnell, Nathan Lane, Holland Taylor, and Jason Robards. Joe is currently Chair of the Department/Professor at a college in upstate New York, and he is happily married. Joe was voted 2nd Place Favorite LGBT Author of the Year in Divine Magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards, and his books have received numerous Favorite Book of the Month Awards and Rainbow Award Honorable Mentions.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon Author PageBuy the book at Amazon, Smashwords, or Barnes and Noble.

Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Mystery/Suspense Tagged With: Giveaway, GLBT, Joe Cosentino

My Top 5 Current Favorite Computer Games by Tia Fielding – Guest Blog

July 25, 2019 By Long and Short Reviews 1 Comment

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Tia Fielding who is celebrating the recent release of her newest book Four, a Love by Numbers book.

My Top 5 Current Favorite Computer Games

I honestly don’t know if anyone who might read this is into gaming at all, but since I’m closing in on forty, I’m queer, and I love PC games I thought I’d write this list anyway, because a lot of people think a person like me couldn’t possibly be a gamer!

1. Dead by Daylight – This is one of my all time favorite games for whatever reason, so of course it made this list. DbD is a horror-esque game, where you play either one of four survivors or a killer. Then, you’re plopped onto a map, where the survivors repair broken generators to power up the exit gates to escape. The killer, of course, tries to catch them, hook them on these big meat hooks (by the shoulder, it’s a game, it’s not realistic…) and after being hooked 2-3 times, the survivor is claimed by the Entity, the universe’s deity of sorts.

Whether you play a killer or a survivor, you get your pick from variety of characters, and even some horror movie ones have been added to the game. You can now play as Freddie Kruger, Michael Myers, or the Pig from the Saw movies, to start with (there are others too.) Some of the survivors are from those movies as well, but there are both original survivors and killers, too.

In all its simplicity, Dead by Daylight is a lot of fun. The more you play, the better you get, and you end up playing with people with your skill level which opens up a lot more strategic options in how you play.

Of course there’s a lot more to the game, like offerings you burn at the start of a match to change certain things, or the perks—think of them like additional skills your character has—you can choose from, or even the items the survivors can take with them, such as maps, tool boxes, and first aid kits to name a few.

If you can stomach horror games and like co-operative games, this might be worth checking out!

2. Coloring Pixels – Now I got to admit, this next one is a bit of a change of pace. It’s literally what it sounds like; a coloring game where you color pixel graphics. Each image is made up from little squares, pixels, and you choose a color that’s on the block, and then click to fill it. You can zoom in and out as you wish, and pick from different sizes of images with many different subject matters. It’s the polar opposite of DbD, and it’s my favorite chilling out and calming down method. Funny, because I’ve never been able to calm myself by coloring books in real life!

3. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey – Ah, Ancient Greece. In this stunning game, you travel around Greece on your ship, do quests for people, and try to figure out your character’s heritage-related issues. That’s all I’m going to tell you about the main plot.

It’s so, so beautiful and these games are always so historically accurate it’s scary. The one in the series before Odyssey, Origins, was set in Ancient Egypt, and boy, if that’s your thing, I highly recommend it. Origins also has a sightseeing mode, so if you want to go check out the reconstruction of a pyramid or the Library of Alexandria, and you have someone who plays this game in your circle, just ask them if they could show you around!

4. Minecraft – Okay, okay, hear me out here…. I know everyone and their uncle was playing Minecraft like five years ago and you probably haven’t heard much about it unless you have a Minecraft-addicted kid or something. I played it a bit then, too, I’m not going to lie about that.

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5. Youtubers Life – This game was my random pick from the Steam Summer Sale. It’s basically a simulator where you start as a character who wants to be a Youtuber. You make videos (music, cooking, or gaming related ones) and try to advance in your career, get money to upgrade your gear, to move out of your mother’s house, and become a Big Name Youtuber eventually.

When I put it like that, it might sound lame, but it’s actually quite a lot of fun, especially if you’re into the thing your channel is specializing in—for me, obviously gaming.

If you enjoy simulation games and like YouTube, maybe give it a go?

If anyone who read this wants to know more about gaming or wants a friend to play Minecraft or Dead by Daylight with, just holler at me on social media and we’ll figure something out!

When unlikely attraction blossoms between a twentysomething genderqueer tattoo artist and an older, small-town veterinarian, both are forced to face their pasts for a chance at a loving future.

Four years ago Padraig Donovan lost his husband, the only man he’d ever been with. Now his life consists of the work he loves, a big empty house, and the possibility of a lonely future.

Kaos’s experiments with makeup landed him in the hospital at the hands of his disapproving ex. With nowhere else to turn, he flees to Acker, Wisconsin… and runs into a sexy widower and the kindest man he’s ever met.

Padraig and Kaos know there’s something worth exploring between them, and as they raise a puppy and deal with the ups and downs of their respective jobs, they fit into each other’s lives in ways they never expected. Being with Kaos—who is so different than the guys he’s always been attracted to—opens up an exciting new world for Padraig. But can he convince Kaos to trust another man with his body… let alone his heart?

About the Author: Tia Fielding is a Finnish LGBTQ+ romance author. She lives in a small middle-of-nowhere town surrounded by nature and silence, just like she prefers. Tia identifies as genderqueer, but isn’t fussy about pronouns, because her native language doesn’t have gender-specific ones. She’s a lover of caffeine, sarcasm, peppermint, cats and dogs, sleeping and witty people.

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Buy the book at Dreamspinner Press or Amazon.

Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Romance Tagged With: GLBT, Tia Fielding

My Top 5 Quotable TV Shows by Jess Anastasi – Guest Blog

July 24, 2019 By Long and Short Reviews 3 Comments

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Jess Anastasi who is celebrating yesterday’s release of Take Down, a Texas Heroes book.

Top 5 Quotable TV Shows

Let’s be honest. Who doesn’t enjoy a good snarkfest? I certainly can’t go past snappy dialogue from a character with just the right amount of attitude, so today I thought I’d share with you my top 5 favourite quotable TV shows.

1) Supernatural

Ah the Winchester brothers. So much to love. So many years of snark. Sam and Dean have been filling our screens with spookiness, gore and humor for 14 years now. Its certainly going to be the end of an era when the 15th and final season airs later in the year. I’m extra sad about it because I’m the same age as the brothers and it’s been kinda cool to have that one TV show with characters of a similar age to go back to again and again. Not only do we get all the brotherly love in Supernatural (the jerk/bitch thing never gets old) but we’ve also been treated to Dean’s particular brand of commentary (“I’m Batman!”) and memorable episodes like the time Sam was cursed with a rabbit’s foot and had a string of comical bad luck (“I lost my shoe.” *insert sad face emoji*) and who could forget the time Dean died over and over in increasingly ridiculous ways? Supernatural has always managed to strike the perfect balance of humor, tension, fear and heartbreak. There’s probably never been a show quite like it and likely never will be again.

2) Killjoys

If you haven’t checked out this SyFy gem yet, you’re seriously missing out. I can’t even begin to paint a picture of the snark that is Dutch, Johnny and D’avin. For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, Dutch and Johnny are Killjoys, which are basically like futuristic bounty hunters and they fly a cool spaceship. In the pilot episode, Johnny has to go rescue his older brother, D’avin, from what amounts to a prison/slaver ship. Johnny has an adorable entertaining-banter-type relationship with their ship’s AI, named Lucy (which included an episode where Lucy was downloaded into this android bot thing and was a woman for a few hours. Easily one of the best eps). Not only is this show is filled with snappy one liners (“I think I prefer regular bitchy Dutch to creepy nice Dutch” and “That guy is the dickiest dick that ever dicked.”), but the banter back and forth between the characters—including the secondary characters—is just brilliant (D’Avin: “No offense, but I always pictured my last stand blaze of glory being with my brother. Not you.” Fancy Lee: “I heal, remember? You’re the one having an existential crisis. Don’t worry, I’ll tell everyone you died sexy.”) This show has a really great balance of series-arcing story line, action and humor that keeps the plot spinning.

3) Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Where to even begin? Similar to Supernatural, I was the same age as Buffy when it started way, waaay back in 1997. While I know that some people watch Buffy now and point out all the ways its problematical, for its time, Buffy really was revolutionary. It proved to viewers and critics alike that a show primarily from the feminine perspective could be sharply humorous while enjoying a swath of pop culture references and constant dismantling of horror movie clichés. For myself, I always think Buffy was one of the first signpost for me becoming an author. I was addicted from the first episode. It just amazed me that something could be so fun and clever and emotionally wrenching (“I may be dead, but I’m still pretty. Which is more than I can say for you.”) all at the same time. It made me think differently about how stories could be told and I think Buffy’s unique style of dialogue and storytelling created a long legacy for books and TV shows going into the 2000s

4) Firefly

Yes, another Joss Whedon entry. Another cult classic with undertones of issues when looked at with 20 years hindsight, but take Firfely’s clever dialogue (“I swear by my pretty floral bonnet, I will end you.”), space western feel and cast of characters, and its easy to see why this became an obsession for many people after its premature (and probably short-sighted) cancelling by Fox. I can say with all certainty that Firefly had a hand in inspiring me to write my own sci fi series, along with many other authors who no doubt were frustrated by the abrupt way the show had to end and all the questions that were never answered. While Firefly had really great snark, it also went the extra mile with sarcasm (“Well, my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle.”) and hyperbole that was just enough to be entertaining, but never over the top (“You know what the chain of command is? It’s the chain I go get and beat you with until you understand who’s in ruttin charge here.”). And like Buffy, Firefly was able to find a really great balance of emotional angst, humor and action, with the added bonus of intrigue over things like River Tam and Shepard Book. This one is always an easy go-to when I’m feeling nostalgic and wanting to re-watch some of my favourite TV shows.

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Teen Wolf was a really great drama, surprisingly aired by MTV. One of the elements that probably made this show, however, was the character of Stiles Stilinski. First introduced as the goofy sidekick and humorous counterpoint to the main character Scott’s more serious and sometimes brooding personality, Stiles ended up owning the role and a good portion of the audience in his long-time ship with Lydia. He transcended the typical sidekick role to become a cornerstone of the series, but always stayed true to character (“I’m 147 pounds of pale and fragile skin and bone, okay? Sarcasm is my only defense.”). What the writers did with Stiles was almost art. He was there for some of the most tense, emotionally charged moments, but could always be relied on to break the tension when the audience needed to take a breath (“Well, I shouldn’t say I told you so, cause it’s not strong enough. How about, I’m always right and you should listen to whatever I have to say, and never disagree ever for the sake of your wolvlihood.”). I always really loved how Teen Wolf played to its character’s strengths and weaknesses, making for compelling stories week after week and season after season.

So that’s my top 5 favorite quotable TV shows; snark, angst and action all the way. What more could you want from a story?

Take Down is now Available!

Attraction sizzles when Danny Jones sets eyes on Deputy Jake Perez, despite meeting over the discovery of a mutilated corpse. But being with Jake could cost Danny his family, and being with Danny could cost Jake the very thing that brought him to Everness, Texas—revenge against the man who killed his brother. How much will Jake sacrifice to take down a psychotic criminal and finally see justice served?

After college, Danny thrived as a gay man in Houston. But when his mom’s cancer brings him back to small, conservative Everness, he must go back into the closet or risk the wrath of his abusive father—a choice made even harder when Danny starts to see a future for him and Jake.

As the body count rises and Danny becomes a target, Jake is caught between his vengeance and protecting the man he loves. He never wanted to end up in a backward town like Everness, but Danny is the best thing that ever happened to him. Jake needs to keep Danny safe as his secrets catch up to them—especially when the threat might be closer to home than they imagined.

About the Author: Jess Anastasi has been making up stories ever since she can remember. Though her messy handwriting made it hard for anyone else to read them, she wasn’t deterred, and now she gets to make up stories for a living. With a multi-award-winning science fiction romance series to her name, her books feature larger-than-life heroes with relatable vulnerabilities who find themselves in situations that push their resolve to the limit. Jess is a tea addict who loves loud music, dancing in her kitchen, and a good book on a rainy day. A fangirl at heart, she probably spends too much time watching too many TV shows. Jess lives in regional Victoria, Australia.

Buy the book at Dreamspinner, Amazon, iBooks, or Kobo.

Filed Under: Romance Tagged With: GLBT, Jess Anastasi

My Top Five Vacation Spots by Lisa Henry – Guest Blog

July 23, 2019 By Long and Short Reviews Leave a Comment

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Lisa Henry who is visiting with us today to celebrate today’s release of Anhaga.

My Top Five Vacation Spots

Hi, I’m Lisa Henry, and I’m excited to be here today to tell you a little bit about my newest release Anhaga, and a little bit about myself. I’m going to share with you my five top vacation spots, so you can learn a bit about me, and also judge me for my choices! I recently just got back from the US from a vacation, and on my new favourite places is… INDIANA.

No, wait, come back, I’m serious. Here’s a bit of backstory. JA Rock and I once wrote a series of books set in Indiana and, in the comments on the drafts of that first book, The Two Gentlemen of Altona, JA’s hatred of Indiana grew more and more hilariously apparent. Look, the only reason I picked Indiana to set it in was so we could riff off Shakespeare’s The Two Gentlemen of Verona. It rhymed, okay? There was nothing deeper there. But it turned out that JA, as someone who’d grown up in Ohio, hated Indiana with a passion I can only relate to as a Queenslander hating New South Wales at State of Origin time. JA lives in Chicago now, and when I visit we drive to Ohio to hang out with other friends. And we decided that at some point instead of just driving through Indiana, one day we’d actually stop and explore things.

Which we did, in June. And it was wonderful. What’s more fun than road-tripping with a good friend and her dog? We stayed overnight in Story, which is a beautifully restored historical town in the middle of nowhere. We also visited the Indiana Football Hall of Fame, the RV Museum, a massive candle outlet store, Nappanee, and the biggest ball of paint in the world. Yes, it’s a thing, and yes, it was amazing.

Look, Indiana is never going to be on a list of must-see places in the world, but sometimes, if you look a little harder at the ordinary places, you can find wonderful things.

AMSTERDAM

The first time I went to Amsterdam as a poor backpacker, I hated it. Looking back, this is entirely because I was still suffering from the flu I picked up in Paris and I would have hated literally anywhere. But I’ve since been back to Amsterdam, and I loved it. It’s such a vibrant and beautiful city, and there’s something there for everyone.

MELBOURNE

Melbourne is probably my favourite domestic holiday destination. That age old question of which city is better: Sydney or Melbourne? It’s Melbourne. Always.

VANUATU

Whenever I think about how much I wish I lived in Europe, where not everything is a 20+ hour plane ride away, I remember the fact that I’m only a few hours away from somewhere as amazing as Vanuatu, and count my blessings. Vanuatu is the sort of place that regularly ranks on the World Happiness Index. It’s definitely the sort of place you visit, then spend the rest few months wishing you could just live on a hut on the beach and never have to go to your day job again.
Last time I was in Vanuatu we visited the island of Tanna, where the sand on the beach is black because its volcanic, and you can go and watch the sun rise over an active volcano that spits lava into the air as you sit right there. It was an incredible experience. We were also staying somewhere that only had electricity for part of the day, so at night we’d just fall asleep in our beachside huts, listening to the rolling ocean only metres away, and the rumbling of the volcano in the distance. It was magical.

TALLINN

I mean, where else can you find creepy faceless monk statues around every corner? The old city of Tallinn is so beautiful, and when you get tired of all those hills and stairs, you can hop on the little train and get driven around instead! Also, that gorgeous front cover for Anhaga? Totally Tallinn.
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Anhaga is out now from Dreamspinner and other retailers!

Aramin Decourcey—Min to his few friends—might be the best thief in Amberwich, and he might have a secret that helps him survive the cutthroat world of aristocratic families and their powerful magic users, but he does have one weakness: his affection for his adopted nephew, Harry.

When the formidable Sabadine family curses Harry, Min must accept a suicide mission to save his life: retrieve Kazimir Stone, a low-level Sabadine hedgewitch who refuses to come home after completing his apprenticeship… and who is in Anhaga, a seaside village under the control of the terrifying Hidden Lord of the fae. If that wasn’t enough, Kaz is far from the simple hedgewitch he seems.

With the Sabadines on one side and the fae on the other, Min doesn’t have time to deal with a crisis of conscience—or the growing attraction between him and Kaz. He needs to get Kaz back to Amberwich and get Harry’s curse lifted before it kills him. Saving Harry means handing Kaz over to his ruthless family. Saving Kaz means letting Harry die. Min might pride himself on his cleverness, but he can’t see his way out of this one.

The Hidden Lord might see that he never gets the choice.

About the Author: Lisa likes to tell stories, mostly with hot guys and happily ever afters.

Lisa lives in tropical North Queensland, Australia. She doesn’t know why, because she hates the heat, but she suspects she’s too lazy to move. She spends half her time slaving away as a government minion, and the other half plotting her escape.

She attended university at sixteen, not because she was a child prodigy or anything, but because of a mix-up between international school systems early in life. She studied History and English, neither of them very thoroughly.

She shares her house with too many cats, a dog, a green tree frog that swims in the toilet, and as many possums as can break in every night. This is not how she imagined life as a grown-up.

Lisa has been published since 2012, and was a LAMBDA finalist for her quirky, awkward coming-of-age romance Adulting 101.

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Buy the book at Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, or Barnes and Noble.

Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Romance Tagged With: GLBT, Lisa Henry

Top Five Bagel Flavors by Andrew Grey – Spotlight

July 15, 2019 By Long and Short Reviews Leave a Comment

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Andrew Grey who is celebrating the recent release of his newest book Survive and Conquer.

I have done enough of this type of post that I am trying to think of something new and different that I can choose for a Top 5. I wandered through the house and tried to think when I came on something that is uniquely me. I will let you in on a secret, I absolutely love bagels, toasted and dripping with butter and cream cheese. In case you don’t know, I am lactose intolerant, but cream cheese on a bagel is worth taking pills for. I swear I will eat them every single morning if Dominic would let me. I know this may seem a little strange, but I’m sitting here right now with one on the plate next to my computer. I swear the bagel is one of the gifts from the gods. So here are my top 5 flavors.

1) Cinnamon Crunch – These things are incredible and a sugar coma waiting to happen

2) Onion – Simple and flavorful

3) Cinnamon raisin – I can smell the toasty goodness right now

4) Plain – With garlic and herb cream cheese. (Sitting right next to me.)

5) Blueberry – With either strawberry or plain cream cheese. Bring on the fruity goodness.

Newton DeSantis was on the ground when the towers collapsed on 9/11. Though he still carries the scars on his body and his heart, he’s determined to ease some of the world’s suffering. Now a social worker and father to two children with special needs, he’s doing his best. But when his son’s health takes a drastic turn, Newton knows he can’t do it alone.

Family law attorney Chase Matthews is a rising star, and he’s in high demand. Still, Newton is very persuasive, and Chase takes his case pro bono. Everything about the other man appeals to Chase, but he’s determined to keep the relationship professional—even though, after meeting Newton’s kids, he wants to be a part of their lives.
Chase’s job doesn’t always allow him to pick his clients, though, and a case that could make him partner will put him on the opposite side of the courtroom from Newton—along with everything he believes in and the future they could build together.

Enjoy an Excerpt

The door to the courtroom opened, and Chase Matthews strode out, looking amazing in a suit that probably cost as much as Newton made in a month. The man had style and knew how to dress, which made him look damn fine, that was for sure.

Newton scrambled off the bench and hobble-ran up to him. “Mr. Matthews.”

Chase stopped, turning around, his electric gaze falling onto Newton, sending a thrill running up his spine. “Can I help you?” he asked in a voice that could melt butter.

“Not me, but one of my clients,” Newton said as he used the cane for balance. “She needs a lawyer, and….”

Chase shook his head. “Oh no. I’ve done my pro bono work for the year, and I have real clients that I need to get to work on.” The eyes that Newton had thought so intense and expressive grew cold, and he suppressed a shiver. “I only took this case because I was required to by Judge Harker.” He turned to walk away, but Newton was pissed off enough that he grabbed his arm. “Now see here—”

“Look. I have a mother with two kids who need help, desperately. She’s trying to keep her children. Her husband, soon to be ex, is in prison for abusing those adorable girls, and now she’s got to fight his parents because they feel their son’s rights aren’t being represented.” Newton didn’t let go, and he did his best to ignore the woodsy cologne that wafted around him.

“I’ve done my part. I have a practice that I need to return to and clients who are paying me to represent them. I can’t just take on another case like that right now. I’m sorry, but I’ve done what I can.” Chase shrugged off Newton’s hand, strode toward the elevator, and pressed the call button. Newton got his bag and made his way over to join Chase as he waited. “God, this is slow.”

“Yes, I know. That gives me plenty of time to try to convince you to change your mind.” Newton flashed a little smile.

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“If I did, I wouldn’t be able to help my clients. And these people need help. Angela’s in-laws have money, and they are willing to use it to get their way and do what isn’t in the interest of these girls. They were five and seven when their father abused them.” Newton was laying it on thick, but in his job, often all he had was the human angle, and he was very good at tugging at people’s heartstrings.

The elevator doors slid open, and they stepped inside. Chase pushed the button to go down, and the doors slid closed. Newton knew he had just a few seconds to make his case before Chase made his escape. “You know justice isn’t fair, as much as we hope it can be….”

“Life isn’t fair,” Chase said, then sighed. “I can’t take on any more work right now. My caseload is full and I’m working twelve-hour days as it is.” He shifted his weight.

“And you’re not the only one.” Newton looked down at his old suit and partially rumpled shirt because he hadn’t had enough time to iron it that morning, with breakfast to make, getting the kids off to school… everything.

“I’m sorry.” Chase stepped off the elevator and was about to walk away.

Newton was desperate. “When was the last time you had a home-cooked meal?” It was a Hail Mary shot, but he had to go for it. Guys like Chase ate out or at their desk, and the food they consumed could be pretty crappy. Newton would know, because he did the same thing when he was at work.

Chase stopped and turned around.

“Come over to the house, meet Angela, and then you can decide. I’ll even cook.”

Chase rubbed his temple, and Newton could tell he was trying to make a choice. “I….”

“What have you got to lose, except your taste buds?”

Chase smiled, and Newton knew he had him. He reached into his bag, got a card, and handed it to Chase, who got a card from his pocket and handed it over after writing a number on the back as well.

“I know I’m probably going to regret this,” he said with a half smile.

About the Author: Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and works in information systems for a large corporation.

Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing) He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Dreamspinner Press.

Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Romance Tagged With: Andrew Grey, GLBT

Top 5 Dragon Depictions by M.D. Grimm – Guest Blog

July 12, 2019 By Long and Short Reviews Leave a Comment

Long and Short Reviews welcomes M.D. Grimm who is celebrating today’s release of her newest book On Wings of Passion.

Good day! M.D. Grimm here to promote my newest release On Wings of Passion. I want to give a big thanks to Long and Short Reviews for hosting me today.

On Wings of Passion is the prequel to my surprisingly popular story On Wings of Thunder. It tells the story of the great dragon Asagoroth and his first angel love, Roland. I greatly enjoyed writing this story. It’s probably the fastest I’ve written a story in a very long time.

So let’s get into it, shall we?

Dragons.

They are my favorite creation to spring from the minds of people. I shall always wish they were real and always mourn that they are not. Whether they be depicted as beasts or as having human-like intelligence or somewhere in the middle, I love it all. My home is covered in posters and pictures of various dragon types from a variety of artists. I have draconic decorative items as well, including pens with dragon heads, Christmas ornaments, and several T-shirts. Dragons are my happy place.

Despite the obsession, or perhaps because of it, I am very picky on the look and depiction of dragons. I steer clear of the more goofy-looking types. I enjoy the deadlier dragons, the ones spewing fire or guarding a hoard of treasure.

So, since my latest release features the badass dragon Asagoroth, I thought I’d share my Top 5 favorite dragon depictions, whether in literature, movies, or TV shows. Since there is no way I could actually pick a #1, I will simply list them in no particular order. These are in my Top 5 bunch:

• Toothless (and by extension all the dragons from the “How To Train Your Dragon” universe)
o Need I explain? I feel like those who get it, get it. And those who don’t, well, what are you doing with your lives?
• Smaug (and by extension Fafnir that he is inspired by)
o Yes, I know he’s basically evil but I *adore* him. JRR Tolkien wonderfully captured the brutal essence and dark metaphor of what dragons represented to the Old Norse/Scandinavian/Germanic people. The greed, isolation, and wild violence that was in stark contrast to the family ties and importance of clans/tribes, and the emphasis on being a good host that the peoples of those cultures held in high regard.
• The dragons from The Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey
o This series truly started my obsession with dragons when I read it in middle school. I enjoyed dragons before but after reading about the riders I fell in love. Seriously check it out!
• Draco from the movie Dragonheart
o Cheesy? You bet. But it was my first movie that had a dragon and I was a kid so I didn’t “see” the cheesiness until I was older. Still holds a special place in my heart.
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o This movie blew me away. It had every single thing I want in a romance movie that involves a dragon. Despite being in Russian, so I had to read subtitles, the move was visually rich, the dragon was gorgeous, and the story was well told. I think I had a smile on my face from beginning to end.

Note: No, I didn’t mention the dragons from Game of Thrones. Why? Well, I don’t watch that show. (I see your shocked face). Seems right up my alley, right? Nope. I watched the first two seasons and decided it wasn’t for me. I enjoy the look of those dragons but I don’t feel comfortable including them on my Top 5 since I didn’t reach the parts where they grow up and starting burning stuff.

So there’s my list. And that’s just scratching the surface.

I hope to eventually write two sequels after On Wings of Thunder to continue Asagoroth and Trystan’s story. Perhaps in a year or two.

Right now I am working on three series concurrently plus a fantasy trilogy I hope to submit next year. I have way too many stories buzzing around in my brain.

Thank you for joining me and I hope you’ll check out my story!

May dragons guard your dreams,
M.D. Grimm

Every story has a beginning….

Dragons. Angels fear them and demons follow them. Formidable beasts of incredible power, they fight each other to the death for dominance. But dwindling dragon numbers cause alarm among the angelic ranks. Surely when the dragons have finished killing each other, the victors will search elsewhere for conquest… maybe even the Upper Realm.

Roland, an angelic artist of significant talent, doesn’t know what to believe. Part of him longs to see a dragon in person, and his peaceful life of contentment is wearing thin. He wants passion, desire, adventure, and love. He gets more than he bargained for when he and his sister are ambushed and captured by demons, and they bring him to a creature who surpasses Roland’s wildest imaginings.

But the mighty dragon Asagoroth is not all that he seems. Something sparks between him and Roland. Something neither anticipated. Something that will shake the cosmos to its core.

About the Author: M.D. Grimm has wanted to write stories since second grade (kind of young to make life decisions, but whatever) and nothing has changed since then (well, plenty of things, actually, but not that!). Thankfully, she has indulgent parents who let her dream, but also made sure she understood she’d need a steady job to pay the bills (they never let her forget it!). After graduating from the University of Oregon and majoring in English (let’s be honest: useless degree what else was she going to do it with it?), she started on her writing career and couldn’t be happier. Working by day and writing by night (or any spare time she can carve out), she enjoys embarking on romantic quests and daring adventures (living vicariously, you could say) and creating characters that always triumph against the villain (or else what’s the point?), finding their soul mate in the process.

Facebook | Goodreads | WebsiteBuy the book at Dreamspinner Press.

Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Romance Tagged With: GLBT, M.D. Grimm

The day the bassist burned down his tent… by Victoria Milne – Guest Blog

July 10, 2019 By Long and Short Reviews Leave a Comment

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Victoria Milne who is celebrating yesterday’s release of Purple Method.

The day the bassist burned down his tent…

Was something that didn’t make it into , although I was very tempted to adapt some of this story and include it. The day the bassist burned down his tent actually turned out to be a very significant day for me.

In my teenage years I played bass guitar. I loved the power of the riffs and I wanted to play music that felt formidable. For me, bass was the obvious choice. But I soon found out that in the real world of bass guitar playing, on the whole, the riffs tended to be monotonous and often mind-numbingly repetitive.

I accepted it for what it was and didn’t give it much thought until I discovered Les Claypool (of Primus), Flea (of The Red Hot Chili Peppers), and Tim Commerford (of Rage Against the Machine). Les Claypool’s bass guitar playing in particular blew my mind, and he was who I aspired to play like. He is an absolute bass guitar genius and plays bass as if it is a lead guitar! Needless to say, I never managed to reach his level. Not even close. Just managing to play a few bars was cause for me to have a huge celebration!

I’d only been playing bass guitar for about a year when an opportunity presented itself that I couldn’t turn down. A few friends had heard me play, but I wasn’t in a band or anything. It was early Sunday morning and the phone rang. One of my friends was desperately ringing around to find a bassist for his friend’s band who had a practice session booked and had just found out their bassist wouldn’t be turning up. They needed someone to fill in for him and to be there in half an hour. His friend’s band turned out to be one of the most successful local rock bands. I couldn’t believe my luck!

Arriving there in a daze, totally starstruck, I found myself on an industrial estate, in a practice room, and was suddenly expected to play along with these talented musicians. It all happened so fast, I didn’t have a chance to get nervous, thankfully!

It turned out that they were the nicest guys and were grateful just to have a bassist to help them out as they had some big gigs coming up that they needed to prepare for. They showed me a basic version of the riffs they wanted me to play and told me to just do my best, they understood I was very new to this, and said they weren’t worried if I screwed up. They just needed some form of bass to be played while they did their thing.

By the end of the session I was having the time of my life, and somehow managing to hold my own alongside these awesome musicians. Thank goodness I’d been listening to Les Claypool!

As we were packing up, their bassist showed up, and boy did he look pissed off! It turned out that the most bizarre thing had happened. He’d gone to a bike rally the night before, planning to camp over. It had been cold, so he and his friends had thought it would be a good idea to light their gas stove in the tent to help them keep warm. Needless to say, that had been a terrible idea. The tent had caught fire and burned down. Luckily no one was hurt. It did mean, however, that their bassist had had nowhere to sleep that night. He hadn’t been able to ride home as he’d been drinking, so had had to wait it out until morning.

As he told us the story of how he was still cold, hungry, tired, and extremely annoyed at spending the night in a field in the middle of nowhere with no shelter—clearly looking for some sympathy—his bandmates were howling with laughter and jokes were flying. He was certainly never going to hear the end of it!

I did feel terrible for what had happened to him, but couldn’t help thanking my lucky stars that I’d answered the phone that morning. It was an experience that I’ll never forget!

A 2007 review also found that chiropractic is effective for Slowing and Possibly Stopping Hair Loss Due to Male Pattern viagra on line Baldness (Alopecia). Some of the most effective home remedies for acid reflux. sans prescription viagra This and in buy viagra in spain low toll makes it the most celebrated generic medicament for men harrowed with erectile brokenness issue. This Kamagra is cheaper than the tadalafil cheap brand. Purple Method came out yesterday! Meet Max and Rick in a fun and entertaining summer read about a bunch of crazy-ass heavy metal musicians, a martial arts expert, and loads and loads of really delicious food.

Are you ready to join the party?

An up-and-coming heavy metal singer and a martial artist desperate to join a top MMA gym must decide how hard they’re willing to fight—for their dreams and each other.

Max Diaz is firmly in the closet, and as unbearable as that’s becoming, he can’t risk his only remaining family—his brother, Tony—or his band Purple Method’s chance to make it big.

Rick Bernstein dreams of rising in the ranks of the MMA circuit and securing a training career at a top gym, but with rejections coming thick and fast and his financial future in dire jeopardy, starting a relationship is the last thing on his mind—especially with someone who isn’t out.

But when Purple Method returns to Elfinbrook after a six-month tour, one kiss changes everything. Now Max and Rick face decisions that will change both of their lives forever.

About the Author: Victoria Milne discovered fiction writing relatively late in life, back in 2012, and has loved every second of the journey. Her belief that life is one big adventure to be experienced to the max has stood her in good stead, but it has resulted in rather a lot of plot bunnies that don’t give her a minute’s peace!

A firm believer that consensual love should come without labels and without prejudice, these themes often appear in her stories, as do Victoria’s passions for martial arts, cooking, yoga, and loud music. It was no surprise when these subjects began to resonate in her writing, frequently taking center stage, and rather than fighting it she’s learned to accept and enjoy that these will always be indispensable elements in her work.

Although Victoria appreciates that stories don’t always have to have happy endings, hers always do—because everybody deserves to find their true love(s).

In 2016, Love Unlocked—the anthology in which her story “Writer’s Lock” was published—was a Rainbow Award finalist. The experience fueled her desire to learn as much about the mechanics of writing as she could. In 2017 Victoria completed her training with the Society for Editors and Proofreaders and became a full-time freelance editor. Victoria has always loved reading, and still can’t quite believe she’s been lucky enough to not only create books of her own but also help other writers perfect theirs too!

Website | FacebookTwitter

Buy the book at or Dreamspinner.

Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Romance Tagged With: GLBT, Victoria Milne

Fun Facts About HOME IMPROVEMENT – A LOVE STORY by Tara Lain – Guest Blog and Giveaway

July 9, 2019 By Long and Short Reviews 7 Comments

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Tara Lain who is celebrating today’s release of her newest book Home Improvement – A Love Story. Enter the Rafflecopter at the end of the post for a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card.

Fun Facts About HOME IMPROVEMENT – A LOVE STORY

Hi. I’m so happy to be here today to celebrate the release of my new romance, HOME IMPROVEMENT – – A LOVE STORY. Here are a few fun facts about this different romance.

• This is my editor’s favorite Tara Lain book she’s worked on.

• It’s my first book set in my new hometown of Ashland, Oregon.

• The story talks about the renovation of a wild, rundown estate in Ashland, and the house is a real place.

• The renovation plans for the house are based on actual plans drawn up by an architect – my husband

• Of course, the book incorporates my favorite trope – opposites attract.

• I worked one of my favorite Ashland restaurants into the story and also my totally favorite homemade ice cream!

• I loved writing the relationship between my hero, Gabe, and his teenage daughter

Writing this book was total fun. Since it’s currently a stand-alone story, I got to create everything new. I hope you’ll have just as much fun reading HOME IMPROVEMENT – A LOVE STORY.

Romance on Aisle Sixteen—opposites attract amid the hammers and screws of the home improvement store.

Gabe Mason became a father at seventeen, and his daughter, Ellie, is the most important thing in his life. But being the parent the courts demand means Gabe has given up most of his dreams—education, making furniture, a gay social life—to be a model dad with a steady, reliable job in a home improvement store. Life’s predictable until Jerry, a shy, eccentric guy in a hat and sunglasses, begs Gabe to oversee the renovation of his run-down mansion.

Gabe loves the house and the work, and Jerry’s pretty lovable too, but when Gabe discovers Jerry’s secret identity, he fears their passion could overturn both their lives forever.

Enjoy an Excerpt

When he got to the end of the aisle, he looked casually to his left. Tight against a display of light fixtures, back turned to Gabe, stood the guy in the beanie. He had long legs in baggy jeans, an equally baggy sweatshirt that still stretched across really wide shoulders, all his hair covered by the cap, and still the total strangeness didn’t obscure the view of one world-class ass inside the jeans.

Gabe cleared his throat but didn’t get too close. “Can I help you find something, sir?”

“Wha—” He half turned, and Gabe saw he’d put on sunglasses after he’d withdrawn from peering around the corner.

“Can I help you, sir?” Gabe thought he should probably walk away, but the guy had become kind of a challenge.

The customer reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a drawer handle. He muttered, “Need handles this size.”

Gabe took it. “All right, sir. If you’ll come with me, we have the drawer pulls at the end of aisle sixteen.”

The guy nodded and turned but never raised his head enough to look Gabe in the eye. Still, his high cheekbones and full lips made his face striking, even when it was pointed at his shoes.

Gabe started walking, trusting from the soft scuffling of sneakers behind him that the man was following. Those footsteps slowed when they passed the woman with the kids as she gathered the last of her screws, but he sped up again after she dragged the children toward the checkout registers. In front of the rows of drawers containing handles and knobs, Gabe pointed to the samples attached to the front of each drawer. “See any you like?”

The guy’s head barely moved, so through the glasses, Gabe couldn’t see if he even looked. He shrugged.

“Do you like modern? Traditional?”

“Modern.”

“Brushed nickel, maybe? Or are you a chrome guy?”

The slim nose wrinkled.

“So no chrome. Nickel, then.” Gabe walked to the drawers and held out the sample the guy had given him to check for size and spacing center to center. He picked a couple of modern pulls he liked and took them from the drawers, then held them out to the man.

He looked at the pulls intently, cocked his head, and then ripped off the glasses somewhat impatiently, as if someone had made him wear them.

Gabe sucked in a soft breath. The guy’s eyes were two different colors, one a deep blue and the other light green. Startling and very distinctive. Maybe it affected his eyesight or sensitivity to light and that’s why he was wearing sunglasses in ImproveMart?

The guy reached out a long-fingered hand and tapped the handle that was Gabe’s favorite—a simple wide U-shape of brushed nickel. Gabe nodded. “Yeah, that’s a good one. How many do you need?”

“Uh, eight.” His voice was soft to the point of nonexistence.

Gabe pulled the drawer out farther and began counting out the plastic packages that contained the handle and necessary screws, piling them on the shelf beside him. “Need anything else?”

The guy had put his glasses back on by the time Gabe turned to him. Darn. Those eyes are something. The man nodded his head and pointed to some simple, ball-shaped drawer pulls. “Ten.”

“Oh, I hope I have enough.” Gabe pulled open the drawer and started counting.

The dude stepped closer to watch the counting, which turned out to be a bad idea for Gabe’s autonomic responses. What is that smell? Like some mix of orange and spice. Whatever it was, Gabe’s lower regions came out for a sniff. He shifted his feet and pressed his elbows against his work vest to be sure it covered his crotch. Down boy.

He forced a smile as he scraped the last package from the drawer. “There you go. We just made ten.” Gabe looked around. The guy had no cart. Not even a carry basket. What exactly was he planning on hauling stuff in?

The man seemed to realize it at the same time as Gabe. He grabbed his lip between his teeth, looked down, took hold of the hem of his giant sweatshirt, and held the bottom out like a bag.

Gabe chuckled. “Excellent save.” The problem with the dude’s invention was it raised the shirt from his narrow hips—and what might, just might, have been a half-mast condition thrusting out the front of his jeans. Don’t need to know that—if it’s true. Hell, just what he needed. To get turned on by weird customers.

About the Author:Tara Lain believes in happy ever afters – and magic. Same thing. In fact, she says, she doesn’t believe, she knows. Tara shares this passion in her best-selling stories that star her unique, charismatic heroes — the beautiful boys of romance — and adventurous heroines. Quarterbacks and cops, werewolves and witches, blue collar or billionaires, Tara’s characters, readers say, love deeply, resolve seemingly insurmountable differences, and ultimately live their lives authentically. After many years living in southern California, Tara, her soulmate honey and her soulmate dog decided they wanted less cars and more trees, prompting a move to Ashland, Oregon where Tara’s creating new stories and loving living in a small town with big culture. Likely a Gryffindor but possessed of Parseltongue, Tara loves animals of all kinds, diversity, open minds, coconut crunch ice cream from Zoeys, and her readers. She also loves to hear from you.

Buy the book at Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, iBooks, Kobo, or Barnes and Noble.

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Filed Under: Guest Blogs, Romance Tagged With: Giveaway, GLBT, Tara Lain

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