Review Tour: The Jackal's House by Anna Butler

Title: The Jackal's House

Author: Anna Butler

Series: Lancaster's Luck #2

Genre: M/M Romance, Steampunk

Release Date: October 30, 2017

Cover Design: Reese Dante

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Summary:
Something is stalking the Aegyptian night and endangering the archaeologists excavating the mysterious temple ruins in Abydos. But is it a vengeful ancient spirit or a very modern conspiracy….

Rafe Lancaster’s relationship with Gallowglass First Heir, Ned Winter, flourishes over the summer of 1900, and when Rafe’s House encourages him to join Ned’s next archaeological expedition, he sees a chance for it to deepen further. Since all the Houses of the Britannic Imperium, Rafe’s included, view assassination as a convenient solution to most problems, he packs his aether pistol—just in case.

Trouble finds them in Abydos. Rafe and Ned begin to wonder if they’re facing opposition to the Temple of Seti being disturbed. What begins as tricks and pranks escalates to attacks and death, while the figure of the Dog—the jackal-headed god, Anubis, ruler of death—casts a long shadow over the desert sands. Destruction follows in his wake as he returns to reclaim his place in Abydos. Can Rafe and Ned stand against both the god and House plots when the life of Ned’s son is on the line?

About The Series

Lancaster’s Luck is set in a steampunk world where, at the turn of the 20th century, the eight powerful Convocation Houses are the de facto rulers of the Britannic Imperium. In this world of politics and assassins, a world powered by luminiferous aether and phlogiston and where aeroships fill the skies, Captain Rafe Lancaster, late of Her Majesty’s Imperial Aero Corps, buys a coffee house in one of the little streets near the Britannic Museum in Bloomsbury.

So begins the romantic steampunk adventures which have Rafe, a member of Minor House Stravaigor, scrambling over Londinium’s rooftops on a sultry summer night or facing dire peril in the pitch dark of an Aegyptian night. And all the while, sharing the danger is the man he loves: Ned Winter, First Heir of Convocation House Gallowglass, the most powerful House in the entire Imperium.

Rafe and Ned have settled into the early stages of a blossoming relationship but Rafe's family is about to way in and expect him to not only continue his "friendship" but to encourage it so they have Ned's possible House support in the future.  When Ned's latest dig is going to take him away from Rafe for nearly 6 months, situation presents itself for Rafe to go along.  Will the find danger during the expedition and will said danger cause heartache for the new lovers or will it strengthen what is already there?

Once again we find ourselves in the steampunk AU that Anna Butler has created and once again I was bowled over by the story.  As I always include in my Blogger Note for any steampunk review, I don't really get the whole sub-genre definition of steampunk for me it's all just science fiction but however you label it, I am fascinated in the idea of historical science fiction settings and Anna Butler has created an amazing AU with her Lancaster Luck series.

With The Jackal's House we get to see a little of the House politics again but even more so we get to see Rafe and Ned's relationship grow.  As much as these two would love for things to run smoothly I don't think it's in their nature or in the cards for intrigue not to follow them.  There is just so much packed into this story that I don't even really know where to begin without doing spoilers so I'll just say this: I loved it, there is just no more simpler way to express it.  I was glad to see Sam and Hugh back as well as the introduction of Ned's son Harry and his four legged companion Molly.  Such an eclectic little band of characters that you just knew intrigue, danger, schemes, and deception wouldn't be far behind.

As I said above, I was delighted to revisit the AU of Lancaster's Luck series that Anna Butler has created and I hope The Jackal's House isn't the last time we see Rafe and Ned but if it is, I know I'll be re-reading their journey for years to come.

Blogger Note: I have to say that I don't really get the whole terminology of steampunk.  I know what it means and I know it is a sub-genre of science fiction but to me science fiction is science fiction, nothing more, nothing less.  As a reader, I will be putting this and others labeled steampunk on my science fiction library shelf but as a book blogger I will defer to the whole steampunk terminology labeling.  Just wanted to put that out there.

RATING: 

I like kissing.

Like Ned, I’d spent years in hiding. His constraint had been matrimony and the sense of honor and duty that would never have allowed him to be unfaithful to the mother of his sons. Only her untimely death had released those bonds. Mine had been less noble: I had no desire for a court-martial and a dishonorable discharge from Her Imperial Majesty’s Aero Corps. Most of my encounters over the years had been quick and furtive, but I’d taken every chance I could to practice my technique.

I not only liked kissing, I was good at it.

Fast little kisses to start with, kisses that barely made contact with the skin of Ned’s throat, kisses meant to tease. He tilted his head back to let me in, closing his eyes. His mouth opened on a soft sigh. I hoped he was giving himself up to the pleasure, losing himself in it, that nothing mattered to him at that moment except the feel of my mouth on his throat and lips. I hoped so. I wanted to please him.

I kissed and licked the delicate skin under his ear until he choked with laughter at the tickling. He tightened his grip on my hands and tugged at them until I raised my head. Ha! He’d lulled me into trusting him there and took full advantage of it. He swooped to capture my mouth with his, cutting off breath and thought, bringing a dizzying warmth with his hot tongue, and making me moan.

Of course, they were very manly moans.

The Gilded Scarab #1
Summary:
When Captain Rafe Lancaster is invalided out of the Britannic Imperium’s Aero Corps after crashing his aerofighter during the Second Boer War, his eyesight is damaged permanently, and his career as a fighter pilot is over. Returning to Londinium in late November 1899, he’s lost the skies he loved, has no place in a society ruled by an elite oligarchy of powerful Houses, and is hard up, homeless, and in desperate need of a new direction in life.

Everything changes when he buys a coffeehouse near the Britannic Imperium Museum in Bloomsbury, the haunt of Aegyptologists. For the first time in years, Rafe is free to be himself. In a city powered by luminiferous aether and phlogiston, and where powerful men use House assassins to target their rivals, Rafe must navigate dangerous politics, deal with a jealous and possessive ex-lover, learn to make the best coffee in Londinium, and fend off murder and kidnap attempts before he can find happiness with the man he loves.

Original Review March 2017:
I really enjoyed the blend of romance, mystery, and steampunk/science fiction that The Gilded Scarab brought to the table.  Rafe is a service pilot that can no longer fly due to wounds to his eyes and he's left floundering trying to discover what the next stage of life will be.  When he discovers a coffeehouse on one of his jaunts, he didn't expect it change his life but that's what it does.  I have to admit that even though I loved the blend of romance and mystery set in the alternate history that Anna Butler has created, I would liked to have seen a bit more time spent on the steampunk factor throughout the story.  Having said that, I loved the character study of Rafe, watching him evolve from pilot to citizen to coffeehouse owner and yet he never lost sight of his values, even when he had to accept financial help from his House, which was the last thing he wanted to do.  This is the first Anna Butler story I've read but I can honestly say it won't be the last.

Blogger Note: I have to say that I don't really get the whole terminology of steampunk.  I know what it means and I know it is a sub-genre of science fiction but to me science fiction is science fiction, nothing more, nothing less.  As a reader, I will be putting this and others labeled steampunk on my science fiction library shelf but as a book blogger I will defer to the whole steampunk terminology labeling.  Just wanted to put that out there.

RATING: 

Author Bio:
Anna was a communications specialist for many years, working in various UK government departments on everything from marketing employment schemes to organizing conferences for 10,000 civil servants to running an internal TV service. These days, though, she is writing full time. She recently moved out of the ethnic and cultural melting pot of East London to the rather slower environs of a quiet village tucked deep in the Nottinghamshire countryside, where she lives with her husband and the Deputy Editor, aka Molly the cockerpoo.

FACEBOOK  /  TWITTER  /  WEBSITE

NEWSLETTER  /  FB FRIEND  /  FB GROUP

PINTEREST  /  KOBO  /  GOOGLE PLAY

B&N  /  SMASHWORDS /  DREAMSPINNER

iTUNES  /  AMAZON  /  GOODREADS

The Jackal's House #2

AMAZON US  /  AMAZON UK  /  B&N

KOBO  /  iTUNES  /  GOOGLE PLAY

DREAMSPINNER  /  GOODREADS TBR

The Gilded Scarab #1

AMAZON US  /  AMAZON UK  /  B&N

KOBO  /  iTUNES  /  GOOGLE PLAY

DREAMSPINNER  /  GOODREADS TBR

a Rafflecopter giveaway

October 30 - Love Bytes
November 1 - Nerdy, Dirty & Flirty
November 3 - Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, The Novel Approach
November 6 - RJ Scott 
November 7 - Gay Book Reviews
November 8 - MM Good Book Reviews, My Fiction Nook, Jim's Reading Room
November 9 - Alpha Book Club
November 10 - Drops of Ink, Bayou Book Junkie, Padme's Library

Brought to you by:

Monday's Montage Mantlepiece: SNOW-Stories of Forbidden Love

Title: SNOW-Stories of Forbidden Love

Authors: Kelly Anne Blount, Gabriela Cabezut, Megan Devos

Rachel Meinke, Noelle N, MC Roman, Gavin Hetherington

Delilah Mae, Shaun Allan, Lindsey E Lippincott, Lucy Rhodes

R Diamond, Sarah Benson, JM Butler, Debra Goelz, Neilani Alejandrino

Genre: New Adult Romance

Release Date: May 9, 2017

Summary:
One cabin. Sixteen stories of forbidden love.

With an online audience of over ONE MILLION combined followers, and hundreds of millions of reads on their stories, the SNOW ANTHOLOGY showcases talented Wattpad authors from around the globe.

Journey into the woods where you will discover a cabin surrounded by snow, filled with secrets…

The SNOW ANTHOLOGY features sixteen original novellas and novelettes in multiple genres, including Young Adult, New Adult, Contemporary Romance, Historical Romance, Urban Fantasy, Supernatural and Paranormal.

Brought to you by USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR KELLY ANNE BLOUNT and available for a LIMITED TIME ONLY! Don’t wait for the snow to melt before you uncover these stories of love, loss, and self-discovery.

Check out the incredible list of authors participating below!

Back to Us by M. C. Roman – MCRomances on Wattpad
Whiteout by Sarah Benson – SarahBensonBooks on Wattpad
Tobacco & Pine by Lucy Rhodes – Lucyface on Wattpad
Red Snow by Debra Goelz – BrittanieCharmintine on Wattpad
Fawn by Gavin Hetherington – GavinHetherington on Wattpad
Seeing Him Again by Delilah Mae – _HakunaMatata_ on Wattpad
Of A Feather by Lindsey E. Lippincott – Red_Assassin on Wattpad
Through the Paintings Dimly by J. M. Butler – JessicaBFry on Wattpad
Chasing Jupiter by Rachel Meinke – knightsrachel on Wattpad
Limbo by Noelle N. – hepburnettes on Wattpad
Crash by Megan DeVos – styleslegend on Wattpad
Snowed In by Kelly Anne Blount – KellyAnneBlount on Wattpad
Unexpected Love by Gabriela Cabezut – GabyCabezut on Wattpad
Wings by Shaun Allan – ShaunAllan on Wattpad
Sober by R. Diamond – rdiamond89 on Wattpad
True Love’s Kiss by Neilani Alejandrino – sweetdreamer33 on Wattpad

Back to Us by M. C. Roman

Whiteout by Sarah Benson

Tobacco & Pine by Lucy Rhodes

Red Snow by Debra Goelz

Through the Paintings Dimly by J. M. Butler

Chasing Jupiter by Rachel Meinke

Limbo by Noelle N.

Snowed In by Kelly Anne Blount

Unexpected Love by Gabriela Cabezut

True Love’s Kiss by Neilani Alejandrino

MC Roman(aka MCRomances on Wattpad)
M.C. Roman grew up in Mexico City and currently lives in Brooklyn with her funny sexy hubby. When she's not reading or writing, her hobbies include daydreaming, watching shows on Netflix, and cooking home cooked meals from Blue Apron.

Her debut novel, Teaching Mia, has garnered millions of reads online and was featured on Indie Reader Insiders’ Next Picks. Since then, she has also written Stealing Emma, Chasing Sofia, Loving Olivia, and translated her books into Spanish.

Sarah Benson(aka SarahBensonBooks on Wattpad)
Sarah Benson lives in a log cabin in the beautiful mountains near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho with her husband and four kids. She has worked as a journalist and graphic designer. She now writes fiction, which makes her happy. She holds degrees from BYU-Idaho. Sarah loves interacting with her readers.

Lucy Rhodes(aka Lucyface on Wattpad)
Lucy Rhodes loves fonts and pretty things.

She’s an experienced writer, graphic designer and content editor, whose clients range from academics to bestselling novelists.

Lucy once dreamed of being a teacher, until she realised that she actually didn’t want to spend her life doing homework. Instead, Lucy dove into corporate and nonprofit client service roles, a decade-long journey that ultimately led to her happy place: the world of storytelling.

She’s been inhaling books since before she started school, and probably needs to disable her Amazon one-click function.When she’s not reading, writing, or making pretty pictures in Photoshop, you can find Lucy binge-watching episodes of Poirot, or gaming with her husband.

Debra Goelz(aka BrittanieCharmintine on Wattpad)
Debbie Goelz is a refugee from Hollywood. She served for ten years as a financial executive for such companies as Universal Pictures, Dino de Laurentiis and Jim Henson Productions. Her performing career began and ended with her puppeteering a chicken during the closing scene in Muppet Treasure Island. She was thrilled to be included in the "Once Upon Now" anthology as well as in "Imagines: Celebrity Encounters Starring You." She also wrote a YA humorous fantasy on Wattpad under the pseudonym Brittanie Charmintine called "Mermaids and the Vampires Who Love Them." It won a Watty award in 2014. She lives in a redwood forest in rural Marin County. Her two children have abandoned her to seek a college education in New York.

Gavin Hetherington(aka GavinHetherington on Wattpad)
Gavin Hetherington is an award-winning author, best known for his 'Abyssal Sanctuary' series that began in October 2013. He is also currently a writer for popular entertainment website SpoilerTV.

Gavin's debut novel, 'Remnants of the Damned', received critical recognition in 2014 as he won awards at the Readers' Favorite Book Awards and Global eBook Awards for Young Adult Horror Fiction, as well as reaching 14th place in the 2015 Shorty Awards for Best Author on Twitter. The success of Gavin's first book has led him to appear in newspapers in the UK as well as radio interviews to discuss his first self-published novel. The success of the book has extended from Amazon exclusitivity to popular book retailers such as Barnes & Noble, Apple's iTunes store, Sony, Kobo and more.

Gavin prides himself in being a philanthropist. As a gay man, Gavin has been an advocate for gay rights, as well as supporting the 'No Bullying' message. He also works as a volunteer for Reach Out Volunteers, visiting third-world countries such as Cambodia to help build houses and classrooms for families and children who need it most.

Lindsey E Lippincott(aka Red_Assassin on Wattpad)
Proud member of the #WattpadStars and #Wattpadres. Wattpad Ambassador, Wattpad Featured author of The Huntress. Pagemaster for #tcbwatt. Journalism major.

JM Butler(aka JessicaBFry on Wattpad)
Hello there. I'm Jessica B. Fry though for my writing I use the name J.M. Butler. It's a tribute to my grandfather, Jim Butler, a wonderful man who was one of the first people to believe I would be an author.

I write speculative fiction with a particular focus on multicultural fantasy and supsenseful adventures. Some good old fashioned romance as well. For my day job, I serve as an attorney and run a small law firm with my husband, James Fry, in rural Indiana.

When I'm not writing, I enjoy working with the youth at my church, hosting fun fandom themed parties (Doctor Who, Marvel, Star Wars, DC, Star Trek, OUAT, & more), reading all the books I can get my hands on, and uncovering new hobbies. Some of my favorites are studying mythology, cosplaying on occasion, practicing knife throwing (you're fine if you stay by the target), and looking for adventures. I know. I have to look for my own adventures as Gandalf hasn't shown up to take me on one yet.

I also love spending time with my wonderful husband, and he regularly indulges me in story talk. While we don't have children, we do have four wonderful cats. The names go in themes. We've been in a Norse theme for awhile, so it's Maelona, Sophie, Thor, and Loki. (There's a good reason why two of those names aren't Norse. It might have something to do with Jr. High me using a Norse/Celtic namebook and not distinguishing.)

Kelly Anne Blount(aka KellyAnneBlount on Wattpad)
Hey! I'm Kelly Anne Blount, bestselling author of The Necoh Saga (Grishma and Ayla), Hard Love Series (Impassioned), Shade (Part of the Pandora Paranormal Box Set) and Captured. I love creating unique and compelling characters with amazing stories and new worlds for readers to explore.

My work has been read over 15 million times on Wattpad and I have two novels optioned for film.

When I'm not writing, I can be found spending time with Lee, the love of my life, our furry rescues, and enjoying the beautiful sites of Asheville, North Carolina.

Gabriela Cabezut(aka GabyCabezut on Wattpad)
Gabriela Cabezut is a Mexican author who has been inclined to write ever since she was little. Being a creative person has always been one of her major traits.

When she was a child, she used to type short stories for her family and friends.

Then, she created and directed a school newspaper for her Elementary School.

Reading has always been an important part of her life. Distinctively, she loves to read in English. Therefore, after being a silent reader for most of her life, she started to write romance stories on a writer’s community website, where she has succeeded by having thousands of readers from around the globe reading her stories.

She manages her time between her family and friends, as well as her own cake-decorating business and as of lately, writing romance stories.

She's an active Wattpad writer. You can find several stories on her profile

Shaun Allan(aka ShaunAllan on Wattpad)
A writer of many prize winning short stories and poems, Shaun Allan has written for more years than he would perhaps care to remember. Having once run an online poetry and prose magazine, he has appeared on Sky television to debate, against a major literary agent, the pros and cons of internet publishing as opposed to the more traditional method

Many of his personal experiences and memories are woven into Sin’s point of view and sense of humour although he can’t, at this point, teleport.

Neilani Alejandrino(aka sweetdreamer33 on Wattpad)

⭐Wattpad Star⭐ Published Author * Author of @Wattpad viral stories, My Possessive Billionaire and The Girl He Never Noticed

MC Roman

FACEBOOK  /  TWITTER  /  ABOUT ME

WATTPAD  /  KOBO  /  iTUNES  /  INSTAGRAM

PINTEREST  /  TUMBLR  /  YOUTUBE

SPOTIFY  /  B&N  /  AMAZON  /  GOODREADS

Sarah Benson

TWITTER  /  WEBSITE  /  KOBO  /  B&N

WATTPAD  /  AMAZON  /  GOODREADS

Lucy Rhodes

FACEBOOK  /  TWITTER  /  WEBSITE

WATTPAD  /  GOODREADS

Debra Goelz

FACEBOOK  /  TWITTER  /  WATTPAD

AMAZON  /  GOODREADS

Gavin Hetherington

FACEBOOK  /  TWITTER  /  WEBSITE

WATTPAD  /  AMAZON  /  GOODREADS

Delilah Mae

WATTPAD  /  GOODREADS

Lindsey E Lippincott

FACEBOOK  /  TWITTER

WATTPAD /  GOODREADS

JM Butler

FACEBOOK  /  TWITTER  /  INSTAGRAM

WATTPAD  /  AMAZON  /  GOODREADS

Rachel Meinke

WATTPAD  /  GOODREADS

Noelle N

FACEBOOK  /  TWITTER  /  WATTPAD

B&N  /  AMAZON  /  GOODREADS

Megan DeVos

WATTPAD  /  GOODREADS

Kelly Anne Blount

FACEBOOK  /  TWITTER  /  WEBSITE

KOBO  /  iTUNES  /  WATTPAD

B&N  /  AMAZON  /  GOODREADS

Gabriela Cabezut

FACEBOOK  /  TWITTER  /  WEBSITE  /  B&N

WATTPAD  /  AMAZON  /  GOODREADS

Shaun Allan

TWITTER  /  WEBSITE  /  KOBO  /  B&N

WATTPAD  /  AMAZON  /  GOODREADS

R Diamond

TWITTER  /  WATTPAD /  GOODREADS

Neilani Alejandrino

FACEBOOK  /  TWITTER  /  FB GROUP

INSTAGRAM  /  WATTPAD  /  GOODREADS

AMAZON US  /  AMAZON UK  /  B&N

KOBO  /  iTUNES  /  GOODREADS TBR

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Brought to you by:

Monday's Montage Mantlepiece: Don't Try This at Home

Summary:
Bonked heads. Rough carpet. Burned dinner. Awkward silence. Bitten lips. Startling length. Spilled wax. Pinched fingers. Shattered wineglass. Closet quickie. Flat souffle. Broken bedframe. Shower sex. Overzealous spanking. Embarrassing ex. Lost wallet. Terrible taste. Sore shoulders. Noxious odor. Absent date. Unbelievable girth. Kitchen canoodling. New toy. Stained sheets. Backward compliment. Stifling pillow. Locked handcuffs. Aching ass. Missing keys. Torn seams. Wrenched back. Angry cat. Overeager pass. Uncooperative zipper.

Something always goes wrong in real life. Fortunately, in these stories love blunts the edges so that romance always triumphs over adversity.

Stories included are:
Midnight Caller by Anna Birmingham
Snapshots by Rena Butler
Basil's Luck by Henrietta Clarke
Boys, Toys, and Carpet Fitters by Taylin Clavelli
Outbursts by Bell Ellis
Tyler Wang Has a Ball by Kim Fielding
Boy Next Door by Ellee Hill
Gremlins in the Works by Kiernan Kelly
Good Food Gone Bad by Venona Keyes
Attack of the Hedgehogs by Kate Pavelle
It's Not What You Think by Teegan Loy
Slippery When Wet by K. Lynn
Desperate Measures by E.T. Malinowski
Gordon's Cat by Aundrea Singer
Photo Finish by AC Valentine

Midnight Caller by Anna Birmingham
Aaron's career as a legal advisor often has him working late hours, but it's nice, safe, and respectable—three words that can't be applied to his new neighbor, Daniel. Whether he's locking himself out of his apartment, hosting loud parties, or knocking over Aaron's potted plant, Daniel is definitely disturbing—in ways Aaron is sure he shouldn't be noticing.

Snapshots by Rena Butler
Alex, a tightly-wound IT professional, never expected to find love--or even lust--passed out on the floor of a men's room in a Miami nightclub. But Bryce, a freelance photographer who's had a few too many, immediately sparks Alex's interest, though the two part ways without exchanging phone numbers or even names. A few weeks later, Alex gets a second chance when he runs into Bryce at a bar... to less-than-ideal results. Is it a sign they aren't meant to be, or is it worth a few bumps in the road if Bryce can see the best there is in Alex?

Basil's Luck by Henrietta Clarke
If it weren’t for bad luck, Basil Caraway Watkins would have no luck at all—or so he thinks until he runs into handsome stranger Tom John in his local grocery store. The attraction is instant, but when one accident after another threatens to halt their relationship before it has started, can Basil’s unexpected good luck hold out long enough for him to hold on to Tom?

Boys, Toys, and Carpet Fitters by Taylin Clavelli
Moving into his own apartment gives Michael the chance to enjoy his freedom, his friends, and the collection of sex toys he'd never felt comfortable using around his parents. When hard partying and an enthusiastic dog leave his carpet in dire need of replacement, Michael is stunned to discover the installer is his teen crush, Andrew, now grown into an even more delectable man. But not as stunned as Andrew is about to be….

Outbursts by Bell Ellis
Matt is brilliant at his IT job, but hopeless in social situations. He's precipitated so many office disasters that his co-workers have nicknamed him the Mattastrophe. So when he meets Roe, the gorgeous and suave addition to the company sales department, Matt knows he faces two terrible dooms: to fall madly in love, and to make an ass of himself, repeatedly.

Tyler Wang Has a Ball by Kim Fielding
A vegetarian at a testicle festival? Berkeley graduate student Tyler Wang should have known better than to allow his flaky friend to lure him way out to the country for such a bizarre event. As if the friend’s failure to show up isn’t bad enough, Tyler ends up getting accidentally whacked in the face by a cowboy—a very handsome cowboy. And that’s not the end of the day’s disasters. But despite the mishaps, maybe things won’t end so badly after all.

Boy Next Door by Ellee Hill
Kyle moves back into his childhood home after his parents retire to Florida. When a good deed for a family friend leaves Kyle in an embarrassing situation, his hot new neighbor, Shane, comes to the rescue. Kyle's been lusting after Shane ever since he moved in next door, but jumping the guy in his mother's kitchen five minutes after they meet leaves him so guilty he kicks Shane out. It will take another near-disaster to convince Kyle that Shane's as obsessed as he is.

Gremlins in the Works by Kiernan Kelly
Kevin and Jamison have just moved into a new house together when they suffer a string of bad luck. One thing after another goes wrong, and superstitious Kevin is convinced gremlins are the cause of it all. In between bouts of hot sex, he tries to find a way to rid the house of its unseen villains.

Good Food Gone Bad by Venona Keyes
Scott and Colum, partners for five years, rarely see each other between their busy work and post-grad schedules. They decide there's no better way to get reacquainted than a four-day weekend exploring some ancient and uncommon aphrodisiacs. Uncomplicated food and body exploration—what could go wrong? There's no chance the bad luck from past getaways would repeat itself… could it?

Attack of the Hedgehogs by Kate Pavelle
Ricky runs into Sam in the supermarket—literally, with a shopping cart. Smitten, he coaxes Sam out for a “feel better” dinner, and the evening evolves into days spent together. The two men are so compatible, it almost feels too good to be true—until Sam tries something that cools Ricky’s ardor.

It's Not What You Think by Teegan Loy
Micah is having a run of bad luck when it comes to meeting guys. Hooking up used to satisfy him, but now he's looking for something more. The problem is that he thinks he may have found it—in his best friend’s new boyfriend. And if he values his life, he needs to stop crushing on Cole before Jenna figures it out.

Slippery When Wet by K. Lynn
David and his husband Jake love their older house and have set out to make it truly a home. One morning David has an idea to spice up their somewhat vanilla sex life by joining his husband in the shower for a bit of pre-breakfast fun. What's supposed to be a kinky venture into first-time shower sex turns into a trip to the emergency room when they forget the warning "slippery when wet."

Desperate Measures by E.T. Malinowski
Parker Devereaux is calm, cool, and collected. A talented architect at an international firm, he's no stranger to wooing clients. So when his boss tells him he’s hosting a dinner party at his house, he has no choice but to agree, even though he can’t cook to save his life. Luckily his lover Gregorio Montesano can—except Parker can't reach him to let Greg know what's going on.

Gordon's Cat by Aundrea Singer
Mitch and Gordon have just started a relationship, and it's going wonderfully—until Mitch meets Gordon's cat, Chelsea, who hates Mitch on sight. When their every attempt at a romantic tryst ends in disaster, Mitch begins to despair. He loves Gordon, and Gordon loves him, but Gordon also loves Chelsea—and Mitch isn't about to make him choose between them....

Photo Finish by AC Valentine
Skylar is ready for a night of passion with his boyfriend. He has his list of everything he needs and he’s checked it twice. Roses (check), wine (check), lube (check), condoms (check), toys (check), handcuffs (check), handcuff keys... Uh oh. Then his boyfriend dumps him by text while Skylar's stuck handcuffed to the bed. He needs his best friend Ari to get him out of the fix he’s in. The only problem is, Ari finally has Skylar right where he wants him.

Author Bios:

Anna Birmingham

Hello fellow readers and writers! I'm originally from the UK but currently living in and loving the USA. I have been reading and attempting to write m/m stories for around three years. It's a not so new guilty pleasure. I used to work in finance but am currently a stay at home mom to two young children under the age of four, so free time doesn't come along that often. When it does, writing about hot guys doing sexy things is the perfect antidote to the 'terrible twos'!

Rena Butler

Born and raised in Florida, Rena Butler has long been in love with the written word.  She discovered the joys of writing M/M romance several years ago, and her Muse likes to visit very late at night. She has worked as everything from a seamstress to a theme park character to a graduate teaching assistant, but dreams of becoming a full-time writer.  When she gets a little spare money, she likes to travel, and would one day like to return to Australia, where she spent a memorable semester studying abroad.  In addition to reading anything she can get her hands on, she also enjoys sniffing clean laundry right from the dryer and filling out crossword puzzles with a freshly-sharpened pencil.

Henrietta Clarke

Henrietta Clarke is a quirky Yorkshire lass who had the misfortune to discover the path she was actually meant to take in life three days into an intensive postgraduate course. Now free from the hell of law study, she divides her time between working as a lunchtime supervisor in a primary school, training as a fiction editor, and writing her own stories. When she’s not working, Henrietta can usually be found in the kitchen, hanging out with her parents and eccentric dogs or baking cupcakes. Every remaining second is spent reading or sleeping—sometimes simultaneously.

A hopeless romantic who is as much in love with the English language as with all the delicious fictional men it creates, Henrietta suffers from abibliophobia and has a serious book-buying addiction as a consequence. The day there are no unread items on her Kindle will be the day the Earth stops turning. Her other addictions include bad TV and chilli in any form, and she collects everything from books and DVDs to china elephants, keyrings and photo frames—most of which stay empty far too long. She has a minor obsession with rainbows, and plots everything in purple Sharpie.

Taylin Clavelli

Taylin Clavelli lives in the United Kingdom, about fifteen miles south of Birmingham, with the world famous Cadbury’s Chocolate just about a neighbor. She’s married with children and loves her family with all her heart.

Her love of books has been a long-standing affair. Taylin likes nothing better than to lose herself in an imaginary world. Favorite authors include Wilbur Smith, David Gemmell, and David and Leigh Eddings.

Outside of writing, her interests include martial arts (she’s a 2nd Degree Black Belt in Tae kwon do), horse riding, and movies, all of which facilitate her love of a variety of genre movies. Her action heroes include Jet Li and Tony Jaa. If pressed, she’ll admit to thinking the first appearance of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl to be the greatest screen entrance ever. Her all-time favorite movies are Star Wars and Lord of the Rings.

Bell Ellis

Bell Ellis made her writing debut at the age of eight with a series of truly dreadful stories about unicorns.  She continued to happily produce abysmal fiction until she was distracted by several college degrees, a social life, and a steady career in software design.  By the time she returned to her writing again, several of her acquaintances informed her that she'd fallen into the terrible habit of actually writing readable stories.  She never recovered from this.  Now she produces tolerable fiction at a furious rate in a tiny little house in the woods, to the dismay of her two cats, various family members, and legions of abandoned unicorns. 

Kim Fielding

I have lived in Illinois, Oregon, Nebraska, and Croatia, but for a long time now I've called the boring part of California home. I have a husband, two daughters, a day job as a university professor, and a passion for travel. I write in many genres--contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, historical--but no matter when and where my stories are set, I love complex worlds and complicated characters. I think that often it's a person's flaws that make him stronger and more beautiful.

Ellee Hill

I am a native New Englander who has dreamed of seeing my stories in print ever since winning the Young Authors contest in the fourth grade. My love of books, and my father’s way with words,  began my journey into writing. A lover of travel, French fries, and my smartphone, I got over the fear of rejection by posting fan fiction while creating original works on the side. It’s thanks to the support of my friends and family, and their amazing examples of courage and determination, that I made that final push to get my first short story published. When told the good news, my mother said happily, “Honey, it’s about damn time.” I couldn’t agree more.

Kiernan Kelly

Kiernan Kelly lives in Florida among the alligators and palmetto bugs with her husband and a Shar Pei-Labrador puppy who thinks she's a person (the dog, not Kiernan. Kiernan knows she's a person. At least, she is after she's had her daily dose of caffeine). Kiernan spends most of her time writing gay erotic romance while chained to a computer in the dark recesses of her office, which her children have dubbed, "The Gay Cave."

Venona Keyes

VENONA KEYES is a modern woman who believes in doing it all; if doing it all is only in her head. She amazes people that she can be wholly unorganized yet pack a perfect carryon suitcase for a ten-day trip to Paris. She is a believer in the “just in time” theory and can be seen sprinting in airports to the gate before the plane door closes.

She has experienced love and loss at the deepest levels and is thankful for writing and daydreaming, for it kept—and still keeps—her sane. Writing also introduced her to some of the most supportive and wonderful people, for which she will always be grateful.

Venona is a voracious reader, loves her two feline boys, volunteers at an animal shelter, is an accomplished speaker, and enjoys swimming, biking, skipping, and her beloved overgrown garden.

Kate Pavelle

Just about everything Kate Pavelle writes is colored by her life experiences, whether the book in your hand is romance, mystery, or adventure. Kate grew up under a totalitarian regime behind the Iron Curtain. In her life, she has been a hungry refugee and a hopeful immigrant, a crime victim and a force of lawful vengeance, a humble employee and a business owner, an unemployed free-lancer and a corporate executive, a scientist and an artist, a storyteller volunteering for her local storytelling guild, a martial artist, and a triathlete. Kate’s frequent travels imbue her stories with local color from places both exotic and mundane.

Kate Pavelle is encouraged in her writing by her husband, children, and pets, and tries not to kill her extensive garden in her free time. Out of the five and a half languages she speaks, English is her favorite comfort zone.

Teegan Loy

Teegan Loy began writing a long time ago. Notebooks filled with ideas were stacked around the house. One day, she sat down with renewed ambition and something fantastic happened: she completed a story.

Now most of her time is spent writing, but she takes an occasional break to go to the movies, where she imagines her stories on the big screen. She also enjoys watching hockey, filling her IPod with music and driving her daughter around town to various activities.

K. Lynn

K. Lynn has been an avid reader and writer since childhood. In her youth, she could most likely be found in the local library, devouring books that covered everything from WWII History to Dr. McCoy's latest adventures aboard the Enterprise, with some X-Men thrown in for good measure. Once she had read everything that was on the shelves, she turned around and read them again. K. Lynn was also known to create elaborate adventures that more than once made it to the page. Ink-filled papers gave way to overflowing computer memory as the years went on, but the stories never ceased.

While in college, K. Lynn increased her involvement in LGBT issues and writing within the LGBT fiction genre. She has become a long-time fan of the authors that seek to explore the commonality that exists within all sexualities and genders. Most of K. Lynn's work features LGBT characters, many of whom are in established relationships and show how love perseveres through every trial and tribulation that life holds. She also has a particular interest in seeing transgender characters gain a larger foothold within the LGBT fiction genre, hoping that the market for these works expand in the future.

K. Lynn has degrees and certificates from UNC-Chapel Hill in the areas of American History, Religion, Creative Writing, Public Health, and Journalism. She is a member of Mensa and has an extensive writing and editing background. To her, life is an ongoing adventure where she seeks to learn something new every day. When K. Lynn is not writing short stories, she is working on her novels. Her interests range from erotica to education, with stops along the way in paranormal fiction, historical novels, and established relationship romance. Give her a good story and she's willing to read.

E.T. Malinowski

E.T. Malinowski is the youngest of seven girls. It was her love of reading that eventually led her to attempt writing. From there, a passion was born. She began writing romance in her early teens and, at that time, never dreamed of sharing her work with anyone. With the help of several dear friends, not to mention her ex-husband, she found the courage to take that last step towards publication.

As the single mother of three rambunctious boys, finding time to write is a bit difficult. Yet, E.T. manages to do it, even if it’s on break or lunch at a regular day job. She has found her place in homoerotic romance. To her, love doesn’t recognize gender boundaries and is always special.

An avid reader, E.T. finds inspiration in all her favorite genres, from mainstream romance by her favorite authors to Japanese manga and Anime. To her, even the classic fairytales hold that spark of motivation and if there is one thing she has learned from her many years of writing solely for herself, it’s this; Never deny the Muse, she gets cranky and pulls out the bullwhip.

Aundrea Singer

Aundrea Singer was born in Canada and spent her formative years on a hobby farm, helping her parents raise chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys, and a plethora of cats, dogs, guinea pigs, rabbits, and hamsters. She has always had an active imagination—she enjoyed turning her Barbies into bounty hunters—and has been an avid fan of sci-fi and fantasy since her mother read Lloyd Alexander and Madeleine L'Engle to her at a terribly impressionable age. 

Despite these beginnings, she was well into adulthood before giving up her aspirations to normalcy and embracing her geekatude, whereupon she naturally fell in love with an engineer and moved to Texas. She started telling stories before she could write and will always be enthralled with how words can be used to create entire universes. She is grateful to her husband that she is now able to write full time. Aundrea still lives in Texas with her much-beloved husband, three cats of varying levels of insanity, and the most wonderful little boy in the entire world. Her pen name is a small homage to her parents, her heritage, and her husband, as well as a salute to the gaming buddies she left behind. 

A.C. Valentine

AC Valentine is a New Yorker who recently traded her quiet bohemian life in the Village for the wild metropolis of Vermont. She dragged with her a tattooed corporate husband, a small child, a neurotic dog, and several libraries worth of books.

She can’t clean or cook but can throw a mean party. She can always be found bemoaning the lack of a day job while happily reading or writing m/m fiction or fiddling around with some craft project to add to the pile that is threatening to take over the dining room. The newest craft project is a bouncing baby boy who believes all the other craft projects are edible.

Anna Birmingham

ARe  /  DREAMSPINNER  /  GOODREADS

Rena Butler

ARe  /  DREAMSPINNER  /  GOODREADS

EMAIL: renabutlerwrites@gmail.com

Henrietta Clarke

TWITTER  /  BLOG  /  ARe

DREAMSPINNER  /  GOODREADS

EMAIL: heclarke@hotmail.co.uk

Taylin Clavelli

FACEBOOK  /  TWITTER  /  WEBSITE  /  WIP

DREAMSPINNER  /  ARe  /  GOODREADS

EMAIL: taylinclavelli@gmail.com

Bell Ellis

ARe  /  DREAMSPINNER  /  GOODREADS

EMAIL: ellis.tales@gmail.com

Kim Fielding

FACEBOOK  /  TWITTER  /  WEBSITE  /  BLOG

GOOGLE PLAY  /  ARe  /  YOU TUBE

AMAZON  /  DREAMSPINNER  /  GOODREADS

EMAIL: kim@kfieldingwrites.com

dephalqu@yahoo.com

Ellee Hill

ARe  /  DREAMSPINNER  /  GOODREADS

Kiernan Kelly

TWITTER  /  WEBSITE  /  GOOGLE+  /  AMAZON

ARe  /  DREAMSPINNER  /  GOODREADS

EMAIL: kiernankelly@kiernan-kelly.com

Venona Keyes

ARe  /  DREAMSPINNER  /  GOODREADS

EMAIL: VenonaKeyes@yahoo.com

Kate Pavelle

TWITTER  /  WEBSITE  /  ARe

DREAMSPINNER  /  GOODREADS

EMAIL: katesky@verizon.net

Teegan Loy

TWITTER  /  ARe  /  DREAMSPINNER  /  GOODREADS

EMAIL: teeganloy@gmail.com

K. Lynn

TWITTER  /  WEBSITE  /  AMAZON

ARe  /  DREAMSPINNER  /  GOODREADS

EMAIL: writerklynn@gmail.com

E.T. Malinowski

ARe  /  DREAMSPINNER  /  GOODREADS

EMAIL: etmalinowski@gmail.com

Aundrea Singer

TWITTER  /  WEBSITE  /  ARe

DREAMSPINNER  /  GOODREADS

EMAIL: aundrea.singer@gmail.com

A.C. Valentine

TWITTER  /  TUMBLR  /  ARe

DREAMSPINNER  /  GOODREADS

AMAZON US  /  AMAZON UK

B&N  /  KOBO  /  iTUNES  /  ARe

DREAMSPINNER  /  GOODREADS TBR