No Glitter Blown

Didn't expect to enjoy this as much as did. 

This could have been a disaster to read. So many things could have set me off, but it didn't happen. Donovan didn't shy away from illustrating the serious repercussions of Cedric's condition or his medication. Watching both characters deal with the effects were inspiring/terrifying/cringe-worthy wanted to curl in a ball/exhilarating. Meds screw with the body and expecting it to perform when your tilting hormones sideways is unrealistic, but seriously, the 'grab the bull by horns' approach to the situation here was brave and honest. 

The initial meeting between Cedric and Kevin was hot and nasty and boy was I surprised by where it went after that. How Kevin handled Cedric and accommodated his needs because he wanted to be with him was patient and beautiful. How Cedric constantly challenged himself to be more to be with Kevin. How they both incorporated their lives and came to decide what was important. Most of all, the realization that life isn't an end goal. it's a series of steps and there is no perfect to shoot for, but there is perfectly happy and blessed now.

~~Side note: The first prescription doesn't always meet the needs of an individual. Finding the right meds and dosages takes time and depending on the severity and number of meds in play can take years to get right. Please keep that in mind and talk to your physician if something seems wrong.~~

This was so adorable and feel good that I read it twice, one right after the other. Fell asleep when I finished it the first time and then reread it the next day. Still just a smile worthy. 

I love Easton's description's of things. They always manage to capture so much of the character and moment without explicitly stating the obvious. Great weaving.

When Fielding’s eyes said Eureka!, civilizations crumbled and gods wept.

“No. I’ve managed to escape thus far, clinging to the sides of the room like a limpet.”

And the dialogue also rocks.

She’s going to hunt me down like a fucking rabbit—this mistletoe business, really it’s sexual harassment, plain and simple, but that’s the holidays for you."


“Mine’s more traditional, though. They made a movie out of it and everything. There’s something to be said for a classic.”

“And yet, time marches forward. Hence the demise of floppy disks.”

This is just a delightful holiday treat where love transcends--gender, cliques, and stupidity.

Holy Shitakes!

Yes…yes, YES! OMG. That was a roller coaster ride and it's only going to get more wild. Things are changing. Some major movement in D and Peter's wold. Everything that was is gone and a new, dangerous future lies ahead. Needless to say, like an addict I'm itching to start the next installment. Attempting restraint, but the curiosity about the Shift is killing me. 

Oh…and the action between these two is thermonuclear hot. There is some crazy closet action and wickedly postured pounding for a voyeur that scorches. Mine, mine…MINE! Back, back…BACK!

Favorite quote:

"Next to my ear he breathed, “I said, unzip your pants because if I do it, I’ll just rip them off.”

Jeez. That ends at a climatic moment. 

Nice start with some great background set for Darwin and Pete. A little shifty and dark, with sweet moments. Waiting for the other shoe to drop since the dragons have only been alluded to, not viewed. So glad I'm reading this with all the pieces done because I'd be going nuts waiting for the next episode.

Kyle is a kinky little fucker. The more I learn about him, the more I like him. 

This is a stand alone story, but the reader would definitely get a better understanding of Kyle and Dan if they've read CLOWN'D or RAINBOW BASH'D, the preceding books in the series. Not because the story is missing anything, but the depth of Kyle and Dan's emotions would be much clearer.

I admit that I like puppy play and my only regret about this story is that it wasn't longer. We spend a lot of time in Kyle's head with his bestial fantasies and I would have liked more time spent with Ares overtaking him physically. Pretty darn kinky and the Ares treatment of Kyle is both rough and sweet. The end notes in their encounter definitely hit all the right buttons for me.

This is puppy play on the sweet and kinky side feeding into Kyle's fantasies. How Dan takes care of Kyle and his needs are pretty spectacular. I like this couple a lot and look forward to future forays into their lives. *fingers crossed*

~~~A copy was provided to me for a No Glitter Blown review~~
Reviewed for Hearts On Fire Reviews

The Christmas season is upon us! Time for a special holiday treat!

I recently got the rights back for The Klaus Brothers Series from my publisher, and so I re-released SWEET MAGIK (Book #2) with a brand-new cover, compliments of Penny Reid. I LOVE IT!

I don't have any new holiday stories this year, so I thought it would be nice to offer the first two books on sale...

Sweet Inspiration (Book #1)... Read more about this book here!

Amazon -- 99 cents

Barnes and Noble -- 99 cents

Kobo -- 99 cents

Sweet Magik (Book #2)... Read more about this book here!

Amazon -- 99 cents

Barnes and Noble -- 99 cents

Kobo -- 99 cents 

I've seen warnings on some erotica, so I thought I would add one here for my series. Ready?

THE KLAUS BROTHERS SERIES contains scenes with elves, x-treme Christmas spirit, Santa Claus, the North Pole, sex-in-a-sleigh, magic, old-fashioned romance, and very sweet scenarios. It requires a willing suspension of disbelief, a love of beards, and is enhanced by the addition of a gingerbread latte.

Good luck!

I've made up a couple of fun Etsy treasury collections to celebrate!

I decided the rest of the series will be novellas. Coming up next...Sweet Adventure (#3) is Sven's story. I added a new one just for Gregor and his true love called Sweet Cinderella (#4). And the final novella is Sweet Destiny (#5), which is Wolfgang's story.

I'm hoping to get SWEET ADVENTURE out for next xmas, 2014.

Please spread the word about this awesome sale. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Love yinz,

Penny

Tricked. Bamboozled, I tell you. *grunts* 

The beginning of this book is so dark and gritty that I felt a delightful shiver rundown my spine.

The numbers and symbols flashing across his internal display didn't keep him from seeing the gore strewn about the corridors, as if some gruesome human abattoir had suffered a catastrophic explosion.

Hello. I am so ready for this twisted tale to unfold. But what began in the pitch black ends with rainbows and sunshine O_o

I loved the characters. All of them. Not only were the MCs awesome and lovingly scarred when we meet them, but the secondary characters rocked, too. Oz is beautiful, damaged and doing just fine, thank you very much when he encounters Turk. An impressive and intimidating mountain of a warrior. A Corzin, a race feared for their unparalleled martial acumen. Silent and terse in combat mode and a veritable poet and meltingly sensual when inspired.

The worldbuilding was fascinating and sucked me in. Both the technical and social structures were well wrought. The dialogue was smart and character distinct. I was rambling right along until we hit the midpoint and then everything slowed…down. The edge was gone and things began to feel fluffy. 

Don't get me wrong, I wanted some happiness and earned bliss for our daring and beautiful protagonists--but the shift about 50% is significant. Utopia discovered and threatened by evil Empire…*deep sigh*…yeah, a little abrupt. So we ended up at 4 stars instead of 5. That said, I was riding high the entire way and definitely interested in more books planned for this universe. 

Pain, intrigue, and betrayal
These are a few of my favorite things

*skips through blood puddles singing*

Resolute in the face of unbearable pain….All that is sweet and holy, Uriskel is a beautiful, beautiful thing. To say that I am beguiled by this tortured creature is an understatement. He possesses all that covet: honor, prowness, and cunning.

The bliss he'd held for a moment was a bitter candle in the long darkness ahead.

Okay, now that I've nattered on about my obsession--back to the story itself. Me likey. Book Two in the Fae series amps up the intrigue and plays some big cards. The reveal totally changes the landscape and subsequently the players' positions--very nice. Makes me want Book Three, Unforgiven even more. 

There is a love story with the overlooked Trystan, much like Uriskel, he is underestimated and considered a throwaway, too. How truth can bleed out and be seen from untainted eyes is a key point. Preconceptions are dangerous. We often use them as a shortcut, but that's what they do--cut things short. Never whole, always missing. 

We meet back up with Will and Cobalt from Book One, Skin Deep as Uriskel and Braelan play in the mortal realm. But the troubles born from there to here must go back again, to the source, the fountainhead. 

Note: This book contains graphic violence done for amusement purposes.

Absurdly, ridiculously amusing and so OTT that either you'll love this story or despise it.

Enjoyed the story's characters, but some bits of both of them could have been better explored. I still have a few questions about Ollie including his attraction to Ben in the first place. 

Favorite quote:

They’d had to shave my belly, so I looked even more patchy than usual— like a discarded teddy bear, worn bald and carelessly repaired.

Fun IM flirting and company takeover, romance…meh.

Infamous tattoo artist meets famed radio talk show host.

The story has an intensity driven by violence and a sense of impending doom for both protagonists. This is especially so due to the cruelty both are subjected to and done onto secondary characters. 

Will is a gentle soul who seems to keep finding bad nuts to get involved with. His predisposition to find a partner who will dominate manifests into relationships with individuals who abuse—he hasn’t quite gotten it right. And the scenes with Lyle are graphic and rather difficult to read because not only is Will unequivocally abused, but his confusion as to what is happening and what he wants is heartbreaking.

His love life was one long fucking train wreck, and the tracks never ended.

Cobalt is in exile. Having been banished from the Fae realm he works and plays in the mortal one. His precious relationships have all ended horribly and he is no longer interested in committing. Tempted by Will he takes an irrevocable step. And finally...

"I wanted it just as much—and the sounds you make are thanks enough."

This is the beginning of a series and the secondary characters are extremely interesting. While the conflict surrounding Will and Cobalt is resolved there are series’ arc conflicts that are set up as well as some interesting stories to explore. I enjoyed the world building and the characters. This story might be a heavy on violence for some, but the interactions between the protagonists are loving.

Unexpected. If there's one thing I've come to expect from Merikan is that wherever you think you're going, you're not. All of the stories have these bizarre twists that have you spinning around going, "Wait...weren't we?"

Crunch, boy do I love any guard with a moniker like that, is a hoot. Not going to say much because I really feel that experiencing this story without to much foreknowledge is a plus. Victor, well he has some skills and enough panache to pull you along. And Honeyhill, it's unique with some old-fashion attractions:

That Jacob man only spent a month here, and already looked rugged, his manly charms gone like the knocked out teeth.

For a zombie apocalypse you get your assorted gore and whatnot, but I have to say that the special surprise regarding that is...well, creepy and more than a little gross. Add in some topsy-turvy dynamics and enough violence to get you into the proper dystopian spirit and voila! One sweet, disgusting and always just one step ahead of you tale of love in the most unusual of places. Trust me; it's unusual. 

Recommended for zombie aficionados and bee lovers

Favorite quote:

Crunch knew that look all too well. Was this whole fucking army full of eager boy arses?

~~A copy was provided to me for a No Glitter Blown review~~
~~~Reviewed for Hearts On Fire Reviews~~~

Yum. Smart, sexy love story that made me laugh.

Nikolai is the Texas Ranger in this modern tale of rare metal mining cowboys. Cybele, a brash startup in the high stakes game of gold mining makes an overture for funding to expand operations to extract a major, untapped source. I like the Wild West references to the ex-Communist states and a big thank you for the incredibly sassy mythological references in this one. Not happy about the poor Attis boys of yore--definitely, want them intact. I think Henri would agree.

If Nikolai is the Ranger, then Henri is the slick robber baron heir. Henri's persona is reminiscent of Lord Blakeley of the Scarlet Pimpernel--easily dismissed as a dilettante, but hiding key skills from the ignorant and unworthy. That said, I want to drive his car.

Their meeting, an unexpected catalyst. Simply undeniably erotic, these two took several pages from my personal "Best of" reel.

“Let me . . . see,” Nikolai said, breathless.

If that seems hot, then round two will just melt your ereader.

The story stands on its own, but another treat for "Special Forces" fans is a guest appearance by Vadim. The family context adds a lot to both this story and to Vadim's background. Still sexy, but mellowed by age and love. It is fun seeing him through Nikolai's eyes.

Nikolai paused while the waiter brought the coffee and water and then vanished back behind the bar to linger adoringly where Vadim sat, at the far end, back to the wall, seemingly playing with his smartphone—or really plotting who to kill first in this room with nothing more than a cocktail umbrella.

Now, I'd love to see more of this story not just because Nikolai and Henri are beautiful, but I'd enjoy finding out more about Ruslan, Nikolai's friend and boss. At first, I wanted to compare him to Reardon from "Atlas Shrugged", but honestly, he's Galt.

Favorite quote for personal reasons:

You’d be quite sane and well-adjusted if your family had happened to somebody else, his last ex had told him.

A toast to epiphanies...no matter how late in life they come.

A story about unexpected love for both Evan and Matt. Neither suspected their interest in the other until it was there in their faces. Maybe I've become less doubting of the GFY premise, but I found this story with two older protagonists touching--emotionally. *rolls eyes* The trepidation and uncertainty they both approach their feelings and desires feels very realistic. The rate at which they progress, again, very realistic. 

What I didn't enjoy were the gut reactions that blew things out of proportion, but after lingering like a festering wound were suddenly cleared up a bit too quickly. In general, all external conflicts were resolved ridiculously fast and the internal ones dragged.

Overall, I enjoyed the story, but doubt I'd read again. Nice way to pass a couple hours.

Favorite quote:

The house needed cleaning. Screw it ‑‑ the house needed cleansing with cock’s blood and chanting.

Decent beginning, marshmallow middle and better ending.

I started this book with high hopes of a M/M cop story based in LA. Yay. I got the copy and what an outstanding specimen of blue he is. Matt never wandered into the hero complex, but was pretty much a modern day paladin. He's the perfect city guardian until he finds the one thing that cracks his facade, KIra.

Kira, beautiful and strong definitely ensures the alpha meets alpha guidelines. Their interactions at the gym are steaming hot. Matt's inner characteristics emerge and the ensuing chase is very nice. Then...I swear I lost femininity points just reading how romantic, gooey and emotional these two men were. Must read with an espresso to cut through the sugary loving. They are sweet. 

I was seriously vascillating around two stars until the end where they redeemed themselves with some intensity and more balanced emotions, imo. 

Favorite quote:

"You need to let the guilt go. It not yours to own.”