Padme's Library: Monday's Mystical Magic: Halloween Derby

Monday, November 5, 2018

Monday's Mystical Magic: Halloween Derby

Brigham Vaughn and K Evan Coles hosted a Halloween Derby on Facebook the day before Halloween and at the time there were many free reads by a variety of authors available on Prolific Works (formerly Instafreebie). Unfortunately, I was unable to find enough time to read all available (however, I did get them all downloaded to my Kindle so eventually I will get to them all😉) but today's Mystical Magic post features my reviews for those I was able to read. Not all are available currently but I've included the Goodreads links and authors' websites to watch for any possible future details.

Inked in Blood by K Evan Coles & Brigham Vaughn
Summary:
Jeff Holloway is a twenty-five-year-old skater with a killer smile and lots of free time on his hands. He’s also a vampire who prowls the dark corners of San Francisco looking for entertainment and his next meal. Lately, he’s been spending lots of time watching a tattoo parlor in the Mission District, where someone tall, artistic, and handsome has caught his eye.

Santiago Alvarez, the forty-three-year-old owner of Iron & Ink has a huge secret. He lives a quiet life, finding joy in his career and his friends, but it’s caused him to shut himself off from dating and getting close to anyone romantically. When he bumps into Jeff on the sidewalk near his shop, he’s intrigued but hesitant to let anyone get close.

An unexpected event one night will change everything for both men, and neither of their futures will ever be the same.

Who doesn't love a good vampire tale every Halloween? Inked in Blood is a wonderfully entertaining short read from the collaborated minds of Brigham Vaughn and K Evan Coles. Their previous works together have all been amazing pieces of storytelling and although Inked is drastically shorter in quantity it is not lacking in quality. As I said, their work together is great but so far has all been contemporary but with Inked in Blood, its pretty obvious that they have plenty of talent in the paranormal world of storytelling as well. I really hated to say goodbye to Jeff and Santiago so maybe if we're super good the boys will get another adventure to share.

RATING:

Moonlight by K Evan Coles

Summary:

Ryen Justice lives a quiet existence in Sequim, Washington, running a successful horse farm with his twin brother and sister-in-law. Still, something nameless in him yearns for more.

An old barn on the farm becomes Ryen’s haven where he spends evenings watching the moon and stars. With Halloween approaching, he volunteers to decorate the barn for a party, knowing the job will guarantee him more time alone.

One night as Ryen labors, a man walks out of the woods. Ryen knows he should feel apprehensive, but he is intrigued by the dark-haired stranger who calls himself called Kamer. What Ryen doesn’t know is that lurking beneath Kamer's handsome face lies something that could prove dangerous to both Ryen’s body and soul.

Moonlight is the first solo work by K Evan Coles I've read and it certainly left me hungry for more. As a bit of an introvert myself, I definitely understood Ryen's need for alone time but I also appreciated how his twin and sister-in-law, though hating to see him alone, understood his need for the peace and quiet even if a bit reluctantly. Pushy family members really tend to grate on me so this element was a definite plus for me. As for the connection between Ryen and Kamer, well let me just say it was deliciously heartwarming. The fun and/or trouble😉 these boys could get up to would make for some very intriguing reading but whether we get more or this is it, you will definitely swipe that last page of Moonlight completely entertained.

RATING:

Careful What You Wish For by Helena Stone

Summary:

All Josh has ever wanted is to submit to another man; to give all of himself, completely, without reservation.

For the past six months Josh has been chatting with and submitting to Pascal online, and this evening his dream of doing the same in person, is about to come true.

Will Pascal be everything Josh imagines or is he about to learn that wishes can be dangerous?

I think we have all wished for something and immediately said to ourselves "careful what you wish for" well this is a prime example of that. I haven't read everything by Helena Stone but what I have read has been amazing but has all been contemporary, now whether the author feels Careful What You Wish For is outside her comfort zone or just outside the box, I can honestly say its wonderful and I am so glad she stepped outside her norm. One of the huge pluses for me was the paranormal entity she uses, I won't say what it is but its not something I've come across very often in my readings which only heightened the pleasure for me. A definite win-win from beginning to end.

RATING:

Dick for Treat by Chris Ethan

Summary:

Harry’s his professor, but he can’t get him out of his head.

After weeks of swooning over him, Freddy invites his teacher to the university Halloween party.

Freddy’s his student and wanting him can cost him everything.

Harry has been craving the new first-year from the moment he stepped foot into his class.

Their attraction is not allowed.

But it’s too damn strong to resist…

I think when we all think of Halloween stories images of demons, fright-fests, all manners of creepy and scary come to mind but it can also just be a Halloween party that leads to more . . . or not(I won't spoil this delectable short😉). Professor and student, what could be more heat-filled for a masquerade party? I won't say much more other than, yes I would have loved to see more of Freddy and Harry but for a Halloween short, Dick for Treat is deliciously fun that certainly got the blood pumping.

RATING:

Hot and Sweet: Two Stories by Tanya Chris

Summary:

Sweet with a touch of hot

Two short stories:

One Man's Hell

Because even Satan deserves a soul mate

Anytime, Anyplace

One jock, one geek, not what you think

I really don't want to say too much about this little gem, a two-for-one read that is a lovely blend of heat and sweet. If I had to choose a favorite of the two, I would have to go with One Man's Hell because as the blurb says "even Satan deserves a soul mate" and watching him find one is not something you often see in books. As so often with short stories, I hated to see them come to an end and would have loved to see more but then on the other hand too much of a good thing doesn't always equal great. I guess what I am saying is both One Man's Hell and Anytime, Anyplace are pretty entertaining just as they are.

RATING:

K Evan Coles
K. Evan Coles is a mother and tech pirate by day and a writer by night. She is a dreamer who, with a little hard work and a lot of good coffee, coaxes words out of her head and onto paper.

K. lives in the northeast United States, where she complains bitterly about the winters, but truly loves the region and its diverse, tenacious and deceptively compassionate people. You’ll usually find K. nerding out over books, movies and television with friends and family. She’s especially proud to be raising her son as part of a new generation of unabashed geeks.

K.’s books explore LGBTQ+ romance in contemporary settings.

Brigham Vaughn

Brigham Vaughn is on the adventure of a lifetime as a full-time writer. She devours books at an alarming rate and hasn’t let her short arms and long torso stop her from doing yoga. She makes a killer key lime pie, hates green peppers, and loves wine tasting tours. A collector of vintage Nancy Drew books and green glassware, she enjoys poking around in antique shops and refinishing thrift store furniture. An avid photographer, she dreams of traveling the world and she can’t wait to discover everything else life has to offer her.

Her books range from short stories to novellas. They explore gay, lesbian, and polyamorous romance in contemporary settings.

Helena Stone
Helena Stone can’t remember a life before words and reading. After growing up in a household where no holiday or festivity was complete without at least one new book, it’s hardly surprising she now owns more books than shelf space while her Kindle is about to explode.

The urge to write came as a surprise. The realisation that people might enjoy her words was a shock to say the least. Now that the writing bug has well and truly taken hold, Helena can no longer imagine not sharing the characters in her head and heart with the rest of the world.

Having left the hustle and bustle of Amsterdam for the peace and quiet of the Irish Country side she divides her time between reading, writing, long and often wet walks with the dog, her part-time job in a library, a grown-up daughter and her ever loving and patient husband.

Chris Ethan
Chris Ethan is a book whore. He enjoys selling his feelings for money and other pleasures and is blatantly unashamed to do so for as long as he breathes. Chris Ethan is also a persona for Rhys Ethan, author of fantasy and sci-fi. He uses Chris Ethan to share stories of adult queer romance with those who need it. Before you delve into his books however, be warned. He likes putting his characters through shitstorms and hates anything conventional. But then there's that darned happy-ever-after. Also, he likes swearing. Deal with it!

Tanya Chris
Tanya writes in a variety of romantic and erotic genres, being an avid follower of many of these genres herself. Some of her favorites are M/M romance, MFM threesomes, and BDSM with male submissives.

Tanya lives in New England with her boyfriend and her cat and has participated in many of the activities about which she writes, but not all of them. It's left to the reader to decide which are which.