Short Review: The Fairy Pond by Jason Black

Title:  The Fairy Pond

Series: ---

Author: Jason Black

Publisher: self-published

Release Date: December 17, 2018

Length: 29 pages
Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fantasy

Tags: Dark, Fantasy, Historical, Period, Fae, Faeries

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43280397-the-fairy-pond

Synopsis:

Nevan lives a simple life. He works hard in the fields with his brothers and his grandpa and adores his mother wholeheartedly. He's a good boy who usually stays out of trouble, but even when Grandpa warns him to stay away from the pond, he can't help feeling curious about it...and the creatures that watch him whenever he's near.

My Review:

Black has captured the true feeling of dealing with faeries in this short but heartwarming, if not a little unsettling tale, of a family farm and its fae populated pond.

The main character is a young boy who is the only one (other than his Grandpa) who can see the faeries that inhabit the farmyard water feature. Nevan is charming, hardworking and a most well-behaved youngster.  His character is in direct opposition to the creatures that live in the water - they are definitely not kind, although perhaps as charming - but those who would venture too close quickly discover how deadly the fae are.

The author has also done an outstanding job in creating vivid descriptions of 'life on the farm, back in the day', and creating a short tale with various layers that will have each reader walking away taking something different with them.

The last paragraph will send shivers down your spine.

A perfect fairy tale.

Rating:

Available At:

Amazon 

Meet The Author:

Jason Black lives in Texas with his partner and two roommates. He cooks. He writes. He's an okay guy.

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Book Review: Blink by Rick R. Reed

Title:  Blink

Series: N/A

Author: Rick R. Reed

Publisher:  Dreamspinner Press

Release Date: January 23, 2015

Heat Level: 3/5

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 200 pages

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24672251-blink

Synopsis:

Life can change in the blink of an eye. That's a truth Andy Slater learns as a young man in 1982, taking the Chicago 'L' to work every morning. Andy's life is laid out before him: a good job, marriage to his female college sweetheart, and the white picket fence existence he believes in. But when he sees Carlos Castillo for the first time, Carlos's dark eyes and Latin appeal mesmerize him. Fate continues to throw them together until the two finally agree to meet up. At Andy's apartment, the pent-up passion of both young men is ignited but is snuffed out by an inopportune and poorly-timed phone call.

Flash forward to present day. Andy is alone, having married, divorced, and become the father of a gay son. He's comfortable but alone and has never forgotten the powerful pull of Carlos's gaze on the 'L' train. He vows to find him once more, hoping for a second chance. If life can change in the blink of an eye, what will the passage of thirty years do? To find out, Andy begins a search that might lead to heartache and disappointment or a love that will last forever...

My Review:

This is the second Rick R. Reed book I've read this year, and the consistency continues! There's one thing that threads the two together, and I suspect would be a common element throughout all of Mr. Reed's thirty different novels. I have already selected a handful of them on Goodreads to the 'to read' category, and as much as Reed excels in the Contemporary M/M Romance category, I suspect his horror novels are equally as well written.

Here's the thing: Reed's books aren't what I would call fluffy. And fluffy is not bad - I like fluffy - those books where you settle in comfortably, the read is easy, and the story is sweet (even if there are obstacles to overcome by the main characters). That's not these novels. Reed makes you ponder about the tales he tells. He makes you struggle along with the main characters. He has a unique ability to get the reader deep into the mind space of the story he's weaving.

Let me explain.

In this tale, Andy struggles as a young man with his sexuality, and a chance encounter on the subway leads to a one night encounter. The strife experienced by Andy was tangible. I could relate. I have been there. I'm attracted to men...what does that mean...what about my plans for a family...everyone will hate me...I can't do this...but I can't NOT do it. Andy's struggles at the beginning of this book took me back to my early twenties when I was experiencing the exact same thing.

And then, as we bounce back and forth between the perspectives of Andy and Carlos, we get to see and experience how each of the people involved in this brief encounter views the one-night-stand, and how it shapes them.

Have you ever had that experience in your life? That moment that defined a part of you? A moment in time that burned a memory so deep into you that it formed a part of who you are? That tiny moment, a blink in your existence surely, but an occurrence so important that it framed who you were going to grow into? That is this book. It's the exploration of that moment for Andy and how he carried the one night encounter all throughout his adulthood until he was finally able to accept his sexuality.

And then we see that encounter from Carlos's eyes.  In the end, for him, as much as he felt sorry for Andy, it didn't have the same impact. Stunning revelation. What triggers one person to become someone new or different, or embeds a lasting memory, is a passing moment in time for another.

I'm sure we all 'know' that's true, but this story paints it out in bright vivid colours.

It's also a romance about second chances. So those who are looking for that kind of story - this is for you.

I think I have to make more room for Mr. Reed's novels in my library.  They are definitely memorable. Once again, the #ownvoices shines through. Those who live the lives and experiences have a certain knack, a magic, and the knowledge for retelling life's journeys. They make new stories that will resonate with every one of us who have experienced something similar.

Rating:

Available At:

Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | Kobo

Meet the Author:

Rick R. Reed draws inspiration from the lives of gay men to craft stories that quicken the heartbeat, engage emotions, and keep the pages turning. Although he dabbles in horror, dark suspense, and comedy, his attention always returns to the power of love. Rick is the award-winning and bestselling author of more than 50 works of published fiction and has been recognized by Lambda Literary as "a writer that doesn't disappoint." Rick lives in Palm Springs, CA with his beloved husband and their Boston terrier.

Catch up with Rick Reed here...

Website | Twitter | Amazon Page | Goodreads

Short Review: Paint by E.M. Hamill

Title:  Paint

Series: ---

Author: E.M. Hamill

Publisher:  Star Bard Books

Release Date: November 04, 2018

Heat Level: 2 - just a quick taste

Pairing: M/M

Length: 7 pages
Genre: Paranormal

Tags: Dark, Paranormal, Gay, Urban Fantasy

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42953523-paint

Synopsis:

A broken heart leads to sensual, dark magic. A fantasy short

My Review:

I love E.M. Hamill's writing. She's one of the few authors I've come across in the last couple of years that captures me with her tales effortlessly. So, it's no surprise that I love everything she pens. This quick little tale is no different.

Paint, is a short yarn, something that could easily be read on a ten-minute coffee break. But don't let that deter you. Once again Hamill has managed to weave a beautiful tapestry, twisted, dark and most assuredly a walk into the deepest shadow.

Imagine a lover who's jealousy is so profound they take the "If I can't have you, neither can anyone else," to its extreme.

Immerse yourself in the feeling of being trapped forever, and surrounded by others who were also once lovers of a supernaturally talented artist. Confined and locked in a permanent state of bloody, exquisite torment.

Honestly, this is short to the extreme. But if you let your mind wander deep into a state of empathy for the lovers who once were, the full ramifications of this heinous tale linger with you for a long time.

Well done, Hamill. 

Rating:

Available At:

Amazon 

Meet The Author:

E.M. (Elisabeth) Hamill writes adult science fiction and fantasy somewhere in the wilds of eastern suburban Kansas. A nurse by day, wordsmith by night, she is happy to give her geeky imagination free reign and has sworn never to grow up and get boring.

Frequently under the influence of caffeinated beverages, she also writes as Elisabeth Hamill for young adult readers in fantasy with the award-winning Songmaker series.

She lives in eastern Kansas with her family, where they fend off flying monkey attacks and prep for the zombie apocalypse.

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Book Review: Vice Enforcer by S.A. Stovall

Title:  Vice Enforcer

Series: Vice City #2

Author: S.A. Stovall

Publisher:  DSP Publications

Release Date: April 03, 2018

Heat Level: 3 - a romping good time

Pairing: M/M

Length: 250 pages
Genre: Mystery & Detective, Thrillers

Tags: Mob Crime, Private Investigator, Cops, Detective

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37796640-vice-enforcer

Synopsis:

Holding on to a life worth living can be hard when the nightmares of the past come knocking.

Eight months ago, Nicholas Pierce, ex-mob enforcer, faked his death and assumed a new identity to escape sadistic mob boss Jeremy Vice. With no contacts outside the underworld, Pierce finds work with a washed-up PI. It's an easy enough gig - until investigating a human trafficking ring drags him back to his old stomping grounds.

Miles Devonport, Pierce's partner, is top of his class at the police academy while single-handedly holding his family together. But when one lieutenant questions Pierce's past and his involvement in the investigation, Miles must put his future on the line to keep Pierce's secrets.

The situation becomes dire when it's discovered the traffickers have connections to the Vice family. The lives of everyone Pierce cares about are in danger - not least of all his own if Jeremy Vice learns he's back from the dead. Pierce and Miles face a conspiracy that reaches the highest levels - one that will gladly destroy them to keep operating. As Pierce uses every dirty trick he learned from organized crime to protect the new life he's building, he realizes that no matter how hard he tries, he might never escape his past.

But he's not going down without a fight.

My Review:

Back in 2017, I had a chance to read Vice City, which is the first book in this series. You can see what I said here. Not an elaborate breakdown for sure, but it didn't matter. I had read that book in a few short days and was instantly hooked with the gritty and dark underground of Stovall's crime-ridden, mob family novel.

I'm not a detective fiction kind of guy, but the main character, Pierce, just seemed to latch onto me - and the fact that a mob enforcer was also gay? Here...take my money.

And now we have book two! Stovall does a fantastic job creating her crime underworld - complete with bad neighborhoods, rotten cops, even more, rotten criminals, and derelict cityscapes. Pierce, once a brutal enforcer for a violent mob family, is now trying to make it 'straight' by becoming a Private Investigator. He clings onto the scraps of what's left of his human decency, an honor code if you will, of his own making, that served him well in book one, and also in book two. However, in this new installment, Pierce begins to grow as a respectable human being by questioning his past, what it means for him now, how that might influence his future. Most notably, Pierce constantly judges his relationship with his boyfriend Miles and the possible ramifications of his sordid past sullying Miles potential career as a cop.

But Miles is the glue. He holds everything together, confident and yet, still young and learning how to spread his own wings and be his own person. Miles is the 'don't worry, everything will be okay' kind of guy, and he's fiercely loyal. Pierce is trying so hard to be 'the good guy', but inevitably falling short. There are a few times throughout the story where his self deprecating evaluation of his abilities and worth gets to be a bit much - but then, it truly makes you feel for the guy. And that's commendable. After all - how do actually feel bad for someone whose special skill was back alley assassinations and sharp shooting gun fights? 

And yet, here I am, rooting for Pierce, the once bad guy now turned sort-of good guy, the gay anti-hero, an ex-mob enforcer who loves his guy and will sacrifice himself to ensure a better life for his better half.

And then there's the whole human trafficking thing woven through this tale too! Honestly, Stovall did such a good job of making this seem as dirty and creepy and utterly disgusting as it really is...and makes me wonder - how DO you do research for that kind of story-telling? How do you become an expert in that? 

This is not a warm and fuzzy read. This is gritty, dark, and violent (even the sex between Pierce and Miles is rough). But WOW, what a ride, and what a story.

Pick this up, and its predecessor. You won't be disappointed. Promise.

Rating:

Available At:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Meet The Author:

S.A. Stovall grew up in California's central valley with a single mother and a little brother. Despite no one in her family having a degree higher than a GED, she put herself through college (earning a BA in History), and then continued on to law school where she obtained her Juris Doctorate.

As a child, Stovall's favorite novel was Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell. The adventure on a deserted island opened her mind to ideas and realities she had never given thought before - and it was the moment Stovall realized that storytelling (specifically fiction) became her passion. Anything that told a story, be it a movie, book, video game, or comic, she had to experience. Now, as a professor and author, Stovall wants to add her voice to the myriad of stories in the world, and she hopes you enjoy.

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