First review for Unbreak My Heart - Yay!

I don't usually post reviews but I was excited to see this one this morning. I had one other review before and it was from a lovely friend that, although, doesn't review every one of my books, I still feel is probably biased. And I love her for it.

This one is from a complete stranger who'd never read me before and it made me speechless. :)

5 out of 5 stars

"OMG!!! 

This is one of the most beautiful stories I have read in a long time. Extremely well written. The story made me laugh and cry. 

Wonderful!!!" 

It was a nice way to start the day, and it makes all the wrung-out hell Brett put me through worth it. :D

Hope you're all enjoying the book tour. Still a few days to go. :) (links updated)

Unbreak My Heart Book Tour

Thursday, August 22 - Joyfully Jay

Friday, August 23 - Thorny, not prickly

Saturday, August 24 - Tara Lain

Sunday, August 25 - RELEASE DAY

Chaos in the Moonlight 

Monday, August 26 - Babes in Boyland

Monday, August 26 - Amber Heat blog

Tuesday, August 27 - Dakota Trace

Wednesday, August 28 - Erica Pike

Thurs, August 29 - Coffee & Porn in the Morning

Friday, August 30 - T.A. Chase

Saturday, August 31 - S.J. Frost

Talk of swag, stock photos & other babble...

I still haven't deleted all the pics on my blog. *sighs* Still not sure what I'm doing about that. It's mostly my main page that will be a bummer. I know I can still use Nicu

<-- Nicu

because he's bought and paid for and yes, he did have a female behind him in the original. He looks better without, don't you think? :)

Reviews for Love & Patience

Reviews. You want to see them but at the same time you don't. To be perfectly honest, they scare the crap out of me and I've had so many authors say not to read them or if I do, don't put a lot of merit into what they have to say. That's hard to do because when you send your words or your art - short story, novella, novel, poem, painting, drawing, whatever- out into the world, it's like sharing your baby, something you've created with your heart, and of course you don't want anyone saying bad things about your baby, right?

The hardest part of reading reviews is hearing that something didn't make sense in the story, something that you were pretty sure did make sense but either the reviewer didn't quite understand or maybe - gasps - you, as the writer, didn't make clear enough on the page. When I closed the proverbial book on Love & Patience, I knew there was so much more I could do with it, but since I'd already gone over the allotted word count of 5000 (by 3000 - oops, sorry Sam), I did what I could to make the story what it needed to be. And to be honest again, I liked where it went and how it ended. There are a lot of loose ends to be tied up, as well as a lot of exploring I can still do with regards to Anael and Del and I've already decided they need to tell the rest of their story in a sequel. They're dancing around in my head, giving me bits and pieces of themselves and that's fabulous, but it's finding the time to fit it in with everything else I'm writing, that's the problem.

I hope this doesn't make anyone uncomfortable about reviewing anything I'm written because that's not my intention. I want reviews. Reviews make me see what the story could have been, what I could have written better, or in the best case, that I did a good job. So even though I'm still scared to death every time I see one, I'm still thankful that someone took the time to read what I've written.

Here are the two reviews I've received for Love & Patience.

Hearts on Fire Reviews - Love & Patience 



Brief Encounters Reviews - Love & Patience
B- (or on GoodReads scale 3.75 upped to 4)

Favorite rocker stories

I have a serious rock star addiction and probably obsession, too. I call myself a rocker groupie because in all fairness I kind of am or at least, have been in the past. Last year I saw the same band 10 - no - 11 - no, I think it was 12 times - in Canada and the States. Live shows bring out things in me that aren't normally there; I become more social, more of an extrovert, more unaware of my self-conscousness and self-confidence issues. So I think it's only natural that rock star books and hot rock star boys make me happy.

Anyhow since I do have this obsession and I'm writing my own rocker series, Glitter Fox, I'm going to share my fave rock star reads with you.

Jordan's got a good life. He's got his own web business, a fat cat for a pet and his own house, which he shares with his sister -- oh well, nothing's perfect. Also not perfect is not having someone special to share his life with. His sister Rebecca believes it's because he's too picky and too unapproachable, but Jordan just wants someone to do the Sunday crossword with, take walks with, someone who'll be his mate for life. Is that really too much to ask?

One night Rebecca drags Jordan to a Tyler Curtis concert. Tyler is a notorious bad boy who treats his audience with contempt and sleeps with a different groupie every night, and Rebecca is determined to be tonight's groupie. Jordan is there under protest. At least he is until he meets the man beneath the crass, bad boy image. Will Jordan get to know the true Tyler or will Tyler's manager and a world wanting the man to match the image conspire against them?

I love this book and it's one of the only m/m books I've read, and really enjoyed, that doesn't complete the sex act. Some people don't like that aspect of the book but I didn't feel like I'd been slighted in the least. The emotions and issues in this story are raw, complex and real and I challenge anyone to not find something in this book that strikes a chord with them. I cried a whole lot of tears but recovered with a whole lot of smiles and "awwwws". Fabulous writing and characters make it just a fabulous read.

*****

Vocally gifted singer, Jesse Alexander, has dreams of taking his band, Conquest, to the top. Evan Arden was thought of as a musical genius when at the height of his career he vanished from the spotlight. Together, their relationship is just as intense as their music careers. With success pushing down on them, Jesse must decide between his life of music, or his life with Evan.

There are 5 books in this series and I loved them all, but I have to say my faves are the original Conquest, Not Fear and Black Heart Down because I think they all involve my fave couple in the books - Evan and Jesse. That seems to be a pattern of mine - the first couple in a series usually end up being my fave. I could read about these boys for days and yeah, I probably have. They're emotional and loving and supportive and I can only hope my Glitter Fox boys will touch someone as much as Evan and Jesse touched me. As far as I'm concerned, SJ and Jet Mykles are the "queens of rock stars" and I bow down to their greatness. ;)

*****

Danny and Jeff have never had an easy relationship. Danny admits early on that he wants Jeff, maybe even loves him, but all Jeff wants is a normal life, at least as normal as a rock star can have. Over the years, the two of them will come together and drift apart, as Danny spirals deeper into depression over what he feels is an unrequited love. Jeff has his ownreasons for pushing Danny away, but when he finally decides to take life by the horns and find Danny again, it might be too late. Can Jeff and Danny find a wayto put their past behind them, and build a future as bright as the prospects of their new band?

This book just blew me away. There's really nothing sweet or mushy about it, at least not in an overall way. It's gritty and raw and made me want to throw things on occasion - at the characters - but it's also memorable and real. It takes place over several years and there are no angels and saints to be found - everyone has their own flaws, some far greater than others, but the beautiful way its written, makes you just wanna adopt these guys, flaws and all.

*****

Heaven Sent gets a hell of new keyboardist with a name to match. Hell Witting is an amazing musician and proves to be the answer to a sound that the band was missing. With lavender hair and big violet eyes, he captivates Brent Rose from the start, and not just with his music. When Hell makes his interest in Brent all too obvious, Brent is unprepared and unable to stay away. So, fine, if they just keep it at sex, everything will be all right...

This isn't the first in the Heaven Sent series but actually the third. I did like them all but I ended up with this special obsession with the little lavender-haired, alpha-in-the-sack, keyboardist named Hell. He's pretty damn special and together with Brent, they're an awesome combination. Jet has another rockstar series and I love that one, too, but I'll just let Hell speak for her for now.

*****

Brandon Ashwood had it all--fame, fortune, and Nicholas Kilmain--but it took almost losing everything to realize his most important possession was his belief in himself. And the one thing he'd fight for was Nicholas.

This book broke my heart in a lot of ways and in a lot of places, but that's also the kind of story I like as long as the ending makes me feel better again. It was a complex, angsty, emotional read, twisting and turning much like the characters' minds and hearts. The complexities came in the form of a back and forth pattern of past and present references, and though, the "past" journal did add the backstory, I found myself just wanting more of the "present" story which, yeah, I eventually got. The characters were rich, well-drawn and believable with both strengths and flaws. It was another total tear-jerker for me and that's not a bad thing.

*****

Cassidy Monarch had dreams to sing, to be famous, to tour the world at the head of his own rock band. Then his parents were killed in a tragic accident, leaving him to raise his two siblings. Determined to hold on to what remained of his family, Cassidy settled into an ordinary life, his dreams of fame reduced to occasional nights of singing at karaoke dives. But his careful, ordinary life began to fray with his new job, and the beautiful, charming boss who reminds him of all the things he tried to stop wanting.

Malcolm Osborne is a classic rags to riches story, a foster child who wound up with the perfect family and more money than he knows what to do with. He's wealthy, beautiful, successful, and completely miserable. Then he hires a new worker for his office, a young, hard-working man with a sadness in his eyes that Malcolm aches to banish, hoping that in doing so he will be rid of his own loneliness as well.

This was a beautiful read and Cassidy is just an incredible, all-round character. The story is one of the sweetest that I've ever read in this genre and it sucks the reader into the psyche and dreams of this lovely young man. Truly great read.

*****

Hard rock band Schadenfreude is finally on the verge of the success that’s eluded them for the last several years. With Aaron McClure as their new lead singer, nothing’s going to stop them…except maybe a steamy, secret relationship between Aaron and bassist Bastian Koehler. Aaron knows all too well what can happen when band members get involved with each other. After all, his last band was a casualty of his last relationship, and Schadenfreude forbids band members from dating for that very reason. But Bastian is too hot to resist, and besides, it’s just sex, so what’s the harm?

Bastian has just gotten out of a long relationship with his volatile ex-fiancée when Aaron catches his eye. The sexy singer is irresistible, and in spite of the potential for strife within the band if this comes out, Bastian can’t help himself.

Their passion in the bedroom is rivaled only by their ambition as musicians, though, and pretty soon, it's going to tear them, and Schadenfreude apart, if they can't get back to playing with the band.

The secrets and passion and just plain hotness really sold me on this book. I could just hear the music and see the bandmembers rocking out on stage - that's how descriptive and great the writing was.

*****

Jake Brenner has too many wild oats to sow to fall in love—or so he claims. Besides, he's much too busy with his band, the Wayward Sons, to go looking for romance. His reticence has nothing to do with his embarrassing crush on Chris, the band's lead singer and Jake's erstwhile best friend. But that was before enigmatic wanderer Parker McAvoy signed on as the band's new lead guitarist.

He can only deny his attraction to sweet, dorky Parker for so long before the urge to do something about it becomes impossible to ignore. The trouble is, Parker knows all about Jake's philandering ways—and oh, yeah, he's not gay. Or so Jake thinks until a string of related events provides encouraging new insight. Can he convince Parker to overlook his colorful past and give him a chance? Or will this love song fade out before it even begins?

Sweet story with not a lot of angst but that was okay under the circumstances. It's a soothing story that's comprised of blog entries which really work in the context. The ending is perfect HEA and as Baby Bear says everything ended "Just right."
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Living Promises by Amy Lane

I love this series and though the first book is still my fave, this was such a close second because we got to see so much of all the characters from the past. I've been a Deacon-addict since Keeping Promise Rock and I still am. Here's my review.


Living Promises by Amy Lane

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I have to admit that until I started reading this book, I didn't remember who Jeff was. I blame that on my Deacon obsession but once I got into it I remembered the quirky, supportive man for the unique character that he was. Jeff is such a beautiful man and I loved getting more insight into his mind and his heart. He has so much love to give and I was so happy when he let Collin into his life.



Collin is an awesome character. He's strong and determined and in-your-face-honest and I just love him. The combination of the two of them - Jeff and Collin - is a fabulous addition to the Pulpit, as well as another beautiful couple to give and take support from their "family".



This was a very heavy, emotional read dealing with HIV and heart disease, but it still revolved around the basis of the whole series - love. I was thrilled to see so much of Deacon and Crick's story included though the parts where Deacon was sick made me want to put the story in the freezer so I didn't have to know the pain and helplessness he was feeling, and the consequences of him not getting better.



I survived though and seeing Deacon alive and vital with his family again - especially in the scene with Kevin's father where he takes charge in his calm Deaconish way - made me warm all over. The wedding and Jon's stunning words brought tears to my eyes again, and I hope we get to revisit Promise Rock again soon.





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