Bayou Book Junkie: Virtual Book Tour ~ The Covenant by M. LeAnne Phoenix ~ (5 Star Review, Character Review, Excerpt + Giveaway)

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Virtual Book Tour ~ The Covenant by M. LeAnne Phoenix ~ (5 Star Review, Character Review, Excerpt + Giveaway)

Virtual Book Tour ~ The Covenant by M. LeAnne Phoenix ~ (5 Star Review, Character Review, Excerpt + Giveaway)

Author Name: M. LeAnne Phoenix

Book Name: The Covenant

Series: Covenant Series

Book: One

Release Date: January 15, 2016

Goodreads

Blurb:

When love is forbidden, who can you trust?

Seventeen year old David has been best friends with Jonathan for as long as he can remember, but the day he sees the pastor's daughter press a soft kiss to Jonathan's cheek everything changes. Overcome by jealousy, his explosive reaction reveals a deeper connection that sends their relationship spiraling down into dangerous territory.

When their clandestine love is discovered, they have nowhere to turn for help. The brutal circumstances of their parting test David and Jonathan's covenant to each other in unimaginable ways. Forced to face their fears, it is in their darkest moments that the two young men discover that the courage, hope, and strength they need to to fight for their love, has been the foundation of their covenant all along.

Pages or Words: 280 pages, 71,000 words
Categories: Gay fiction, M/M Romance, New Adult, Poetry, Romance

Excerpt:

David opened his locker to get out his Biology, History, and Music History books and shoved them into his backpack, swallowing hard against the lump in his throat. Jonathan’s comforting hand lit on David’s side as he came to lean on the locker to the right of David’s own, holding up in one paint-besmeared hand, a small piece of black cardboard. On it, David saw symbols, ones he thought might be Greek. Remembering the foreign exchange student from Thessaloniki shared Jonathan’s sixth period art class, he smiled and turned to his boyfriend as he took the proffered gift.

“What does it say?” David couldn’t help but smile at the joy lighting Jonathan’s eyes. “This has to be something that Kallias helped you make—”

“You aren’t wrong,” Jonathan interjected. “That is Greek writing and Kallias even taught me how to say it.”

“Enlighten me, please!” David rasped, focusing wholly on Jonathan’s gift. “Say it and then tell me what it means.”

“If I say it right, it’s agape menomou—”

David furrowed his brow, repeating, “A guppy man oh moo?”

Jonathan slid down the locker in a giggle. “Noooo! I must have said it wrong because your face… oh my gosh, your face!”

Blushing and biting his lower lip, David sank down to his haunches in front of Jonathan. “Then say it again, slower, and tell me what it means!”

Jonathan looked around, and seeing no-one in their locker bank, leaned up to whisper the Greek in his ear, the sounds slower… thicker. “Agape menomou means O love of my heart.”

Character Interview

Today I'm happy to welcome David and Jonathan from The Covenant by M. LeAnne Phoenix, to Bayou Book Junkie!

Gentlemen, thanks so much for agreeing to this interview. It's a pleasure to have y'all here! Tell us a little about yourselves!

JS: Hey thanks, so much—

DB: Yeah, thankee for havin’ us here! It’s too cool to be interview—

JS: She’s interviewin’ us, babe.

DB: (blush) Thankee for havin’ us! Bring on the questions! (cheesy grin)

What has been the greatest challenge in your relationship?

JS: So far? I think it’s the nature of our relationship. We had few champions in the beginning—well, few that we knew of when we began. I mean, it’s 1993. The environment for homosexuals isn’t exactly—

DB: It’s not easy to be one, he means to say. (smiles at Jonathan, leans against him) My dad wasn’t—well, he didn’t react well. My momma says she always knew.

JS: Neither of our dads reacted well at first, actually. My mama wasn’t surprised. They’ve really been our champions, our moms. My coach at school, and our principal.

DB: Ms. Kelley is awesome! And we’ve got some really good friends—

JS/DB: AMY!

DB: I think, due to the nature of this broadcast… haha… if I had to answer your question succinctly, the answer would be who to trust. That’s been hardest for me, I think. (looks at Jonathan) Nah, I think it’s been hard for both of us.

JS: What he said. We don’t trust many people, because you never know who’s really your friend and who isn’t. Outside of our newly formed family, it’s really quite difficult to give that extended—

DB: Palm branch—

JS: Olive branch! (kisses his cheek) And our answering has got to go to the next question or we’ll be here all day.

What are your favorite qualities about your partner?

JS: He’s optimistic. He has the biggest heart ever… and he thinks I can do anything.

DB: He can! He’s always there. He always lets me know that I am loved. He knows how to make me laugh… even when I don’t think I want to laugh.

JS: He never gives up. Period. Don’t tell him he can’t do something—he’ll find a way to do it.

DB: He never gives in. He’s like, the immovable object.

JS: Then you’re the unstoppable force… and we are destined to always hold one another.

DB: He’s such a cheeseball… and I’m done for.

What's your funniest memory?

JS: I have two, but I bet he’ll pick one of them.

DB: Which one are you going to choose?

JS: I’ll pick the book that he wrote about me, him and Eli. Greatest moment in our history before this year. Tom, Dick and George is not necessarily fiction, except for the breaking of my babe’s arm. There are so many times we had close calls at the creek—

DB: Toooo many close calls. (nervous laugh) My favorite is when he loaned me my Mini Micro Machines. I still carry them with me.

JS: I loaned them to you, Dave. That still makes them mine.

DB: That’s what I said! When you loaned them to me. You can still visit them. (snorts)

What do you value most in your friends?

DB: Loyalty.

JS: Yeah. Definitely.

DB: Amy and Chad and Travis. They just need to be like them. Stat.

JS: (laughs) Oh, babe! (laughs again)

DB: What’d I do?

What is your favorite song?

JS: Probably… Jeez, that’s hard.

DB: Like asking me my favorite poem. Mine is probably INXS, “Never Tear Us Apart”. Oh! Or “Within You” by David Bowie. It’s off of the Labyrinth soundtrack.

JS: Wow! Not Erasure? Or Madonna?

DB: You still gotta answer. I already gave mine. Can we just say the entire David Bowie catalogue for him?

JS: (dissolves into laughter)

Favorite foods?

JS: He loves cheesecake.

DB: He loves the school taco salad. (shudders)

What movie will you watch over and over again?

JS: The Star Trek movie with the whales and Spock’s colorful metaphors.

DB: I only get one? I can’t choose! The Labyrinth of the Princess Bride! ROUS’s? I don’t believe the CLEANERS! RUN!!!

JS: Oh, babe… (has tears)

5 Stars!!

**Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.**

David and Jonathan have been friends since they were very young. Along with their friend Elisha, the three boys have been inseparable and the best of friends. Recently the feelings between David and Jonathan have evolved from the best of friends to a romantic relationship. But being in a small Texas town, where church rules in the early 90's, could cause one or both of them harm if they are found out.

I knew this was going to be an emotional story from the blurb and I was right. This story takes you on an emotional roller coaster. It tore me up to read some of the scenes in this story, yet others truly warmed my heart. The bond and love David and Jonathan share runs deep. Something that I truly believe may be unbreakable. The chemistry came at me off the pages of this story. You feel the chemistry and love David and Jonathan share.

I adored these young men. They were more mature and handled the things life threw at them together, and better than most adults would have. David, even though some would consider him the weaker and more effeminate one in the relationship shows true strength and courage.

I loved the support system of their close friends and family members. Some of them truly surprised David and Jonathan with their support. I read the interview at the end of this ARC, and I was very happy and excited to read there will be a number of books in this series. I'm looking forward to what I hope will be some of secondary characters stories. I also hope to see what the future has in store for David and Jonathan. I am hoping to see a sequel for them in the future.

This was a well written book. It moved at a slow pace at times, but my interest never wavered. I'm not too much older than David and Jonathan, as I was only 21 when this story takes place, so I felt transported back to my days right out of high school. I loved seeing references to some of the music and things I knew and remember as a young adult. It was like taking a small trip down memory lane.

This is my first book by this author, but I look forward to more in the future. Highly recommended!!

*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie in exchange for a fair and honest review.***

This book was absolutely amazing! Angsty and heartbreaking and breathtakingly beautiful in equal parts.

David and Jonathan have been the best of friends since they were really young, but when their friendship blossoms into something more, they will have to face several things that will test their devotion for each other.

I simply adored the relationship between David and Jonathan. They were sweet and hot, and the progression from best friends to boyfriends and then to lovers was seamless, growing into something that seems pretty much indestructible. They had to go through so much, especially David, but they just became stronger because of all of it.

This book is set in Texas during 1992/1993, which wasn't an easy time for LGBT rights, and that plays a big part in the story.

I loved their awesome moms and their brothers, Cody and Elijah and their true friends that moved heaven and earth to help them and Grams, you can't forget Grams because she rocks! Even Jonah, David's stepfather, finally saw the light and that was nice to see after how he'd behaved. And I hated Joshua, David's brother, and Vince and David's aunt, who were just awful with him.

I stayed up until 4:18 am on Saturday because I couldn't put this book down, and I was all puffy eyed on Sunday, because I cried so much while reading, but it was well worth it. This is definitely one of my favorite angsty reads ever and one I'll have to revisit again once I have some free time. All in all, a fantastic read!

Definitely recommendable!

Rating: 5 Stars!!!

Buy the book:

CoolDudes ~ Gumroads ~ Are ~ Amazon US ~ Amazon UK

Meet the author:

M. LeAnne Phoenix would tell you that the worst time of her life was the two years that she attempted to take off from writing. If you asked her to explain exactly why she did such a thing, you would most likely get the mad attempt to arch an eyebrow like her dad and then a shake of the head as she told you it was unlucky to speak of such things. Suffice it to say, it will never happen again!

Born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas in the mid-1970's, Ms. Phoenix was young and wild (and even free!) during the crazy wondrous decade known as the 1980's and the even crazier but now grungy decade of the 1990's. Music is second only to the muses that live and breathe to fill her mind with beautiful men, and music always helps them to tell their stories. She is never without her iPod or her computer no matter where she goes, although, she does like to hike and take pictures of the sky and the moon, and even the occasional shot of the sun through the branches of a tree.

An avid cat lover, Ms. Phoenix has been owned by many throughout her life, though her current owner is one Lily-Rose, who really would like for her to step away from the keyboard and pay her some attention! After all, hasn't she earned it?

Where to find the author:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mleannephoenix
Twitter: @MLPhoenix
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mleannephoenix/
Website: www.mleannephoenix.com
Goodreads Link: www.goodreads.com/mleannephoenix
Publisher: CoolDudes Publishing
Cover Artist: Kellie Dennis