Showing posts with label 3 Star ARC Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 3 Star ARC Review. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Virtual Tour: M/M ~ Buttermilk Ranch by Patricia Logan ~ (ARC Review, Author Interview, Excerpt + Giveaway)

Virtual Tour: M/M ~ Buttermilk Ranch by Patricia Logan ~ (ARC Review, Author Interview, Excerpt + Giveaway)
Author Name: Patricia Logan
Book Name: Buttermilk Ranch
Release Date: August 29, 2015
Publisher: Westburg Publishing
Cover Artist: AJ Corza


Buy The Book:

Blurb:


Wendell Blackowl has spent all his life in the working cow horse show ring where toiling with sweaty cowboys all day is the fodder for wet dreams. Though privately he’s come to terms with his sexuality, publicly Dell’s had to build a façade. When his beloved horse Buttermilk dies, Dell finds himself at loose ends so he decides to pick himself up by his boot straps and do what he’s always wanted to do… open an environmentally friendly organic vegetarian café.

Pace Avila, well known music critic, has been drawn to Austin by the live music scene. When friends invite him to check out a fresh new dinner experience, Pace reluctantly agrees to push the deadline on his national column. He isn’t interested in vegetarian food or a restaurant with the cheesy name of Buttermilk Ranch Café, but the moment Pace lays eyes on the stunning cowboy chef, things begin looking up. 

When openly gay Pace walks into his cafe and his life, Dell realizes he’s tired of living a lie and tired of being alone. When Mother Nature throws an unprecedented storm at Austin, the muddy waters threaten to wipe out everything Dell’s worked so hard to build. He soon realizes that with a man like Pace by his side, love really can conquer all.

Pages or Words: 62,000 words

Categories: Contemporary, Erotica, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance, Western/Cowboy

Excerpt:
“Yoo Hoo! Dell, ya up there, ya sidewinder! Get outa bed or I’m gonna drag that lazy ass out!”
“What?” Pace said, startled awake as he lifted his head from Dell’s chest where he’d fallen asleep in the wee hours of the morning. He wiped his face of drool and stared across the muscled chest he loved, finding Dell’s face. He had one eye peeled open and he didn’t look all too happy by what sounded like Branch’s bellowing from downstairs.
“Fuckin’ ass poor timin’,” Dell grumbled as they both sat upright in bed. Pace knew it would be pretty awful if Branch came bursting into the room with them, lying buck naked in bed. “Guess I’d better find out just what the hell he’s doin’ here.” Pace watched as Dell threw his legs over the side of the bed. He watched his ass from behind, noting the muscled expanse of his back and the thick thighs he loved so much, as the man stood.
“What the hell is he doing here? He and the boys had a show,” Pace grumbled.
“Ya rattlesnake! Ya need me to come up there and put my boot up yer ass?” Branch howled. Pace couldn’t help but chuckle. He loved his brother but he loved the disgusted look on Dell’s face more. Dell walked to the doorway and stuck his head out.
“I’ll be down in a minute, ya jackass… unless ya want to see me in all my nekkid glory!” Dell yelled back.
Pace heard a chuckle coming from downstairs. “Hell naw! Get some clothes on there, scarecrow! Yer movin’ slower than a snake’s belly in a wagon rut.”
“Oh for Christ’s sake, here we go,” Dell said, glancing over at him. Pace just buried his face in the pillow and laughed.


Author Interview:

Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Patricia Logan, author of Buttermilk Ranch. 

Hi Patricia, thank you for agreeing to this interview.

What inspired you to write a story about Vegetarian Cafe, is this something that's important to you?

I was lucky enough to attend the Austin Author Affair in May this year right about the time that the massive storm passed through town causing flooding all over central and south Texas from Austin down to Houston. I stayed with a friend of AJ Llewellyn who is a vegetarian. I’ve had vegetarian food before but until I stayed with AJ and Tam, who are both vegetarians, I hadn’t learned to appreciate it. After my time in Austin, I was asked by my Italian translator to write a cowboy book. Gay cowboys are apparently very popular in Italy so I wrote Buttermilk Ranch with a cowboy who retires from the working cow horse world and opens a vegetarian café as a nod to both gay cowboys and vegetarians.

I loved the food I ate and I had no idea so many tasty foods can be made without meat. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve gradually moved away from meat in my diet primarily because I can digest vegetables so much easier than meat now. But, even if I hadn’t had digestive issues, I’ve become a great admirer of the animal rights movement and I am trying to phase meat out of my diet entirely. I think I will get there eventually. I’ve already begun ordering vegetarian dishes from menu selections in restaurants and I find I just enjoy them so much more than those with meat.

What are your favorite qualities about each of these main characters?

Wendell Blackowl (my cowboy, Dell) is a man of commitment. He’s committed to living healthy, introducing others to vegan/vegetarian foods, and living a lifestyle without meat in his diet. Coming from a world where all his friends are steak and potatoes kind of guys, that’s saying something. He’s also a proud Native American man with a mother who’s a Native American spokesperson and activist for their tribe. He refuses to cut his long hair because he doesn’t want to lose any of his heritage, even in the looks department. He’s in the closet at the beginning of the book and he’s never had a sexual relationship with anyone, much less a man. When he realizes he’s tired of living without love in his life, he comes to terms with his homosexuality and embraces it in a big way, coming out to the world in a pretty bold way. He’s strong, committed, and brave and those are the things I admire in a person.
Pace Avila, his openly gay lover, is fearless. He wears his blond hair spiked on the top of his head and dyed rainbow colors. He dresses in flamboyant clothing and doesn’t give a damn about what the typical Texan on the street says or thinks about him. He knows who he is and goes after what he wants and in this case, what he wants is a gorgeous vegetarian cowboy. Yee Haw! He’s also incredibly intelligent and of course, Pace is a writer, something I can relate to.

How did you come up with the title of this book?

I had just written my outline and took a break to make lunch. I was thinking to myself, “What the heck am I gonna call this cowboy book?” when I opened the door to the fridge to make a sandwich. On the top shelf was the result of my husband’s shopping trip of the night before, staring me right in the face… a jar of Buttermilk Ranch dressing. I started laughing, made my sandwich, came back upstairs, and saved my outline titling it, Buttermilk Ranch Outline, and my story was born.

When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?

When I retired from the mortgage world after its collapse in 2007, I started reading my entire library of MF vanilla romances. After I finished what I had, I began buying more and discovered MM. At that point, I began devouring everything I could get my hands on. 8 years ago, there weren’t that many MM writers, believe it or not… about 40 or 50 and I read all of them. At some point, I decided to sit down and write one so I did. That was it. I never looked back. This week, I am coming up on my 5th year as a published author and it’s pretty cool to realize that Buttermilk Ranch will be my 40th title in 5 short years. Boy,that time went fast.

Can you share the project(s) you are currently working on?

I am currently writing a book called Unforeseen Danger. It is a companion novel to the Lei Crime series by Toby Neal, published in the Kindle Worlds. I got involved in this project because my friend AJ Llewellyn wrote one and it looked like a lot of fun. My novella has gay characters but there is no sex or profanity on the page. That’s something I’ve never tackled before but I am finding it very liberating, not having to include sex scenes and really concentrate on the thriller/mystery angle of the book. It is a blast and the story is really good and fast paced, dealing with the methamphetamine/ice trade in LA and Hawaii. If you want a great cop story, this is the one for you! It will be released just prior to Oct 31st, 2015.

Tracy's Review:


3 Stars

*copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by author/publisher via Pride Promotions in exchange for an honest review*

I've read rave reviews about Patricia Logan's books. The blurb sounded really intriguing, so I thought why not? Maybe this was the wrong Patricia Logan book to start with.

This book was syrupy sweet, and filled with the overly used words, Cowboy (my cowboy, my hot Cowboy, my sexy cowboy, my big cowboy, you get my point), Darlin' and I don't know how many times I heard them say "they were falling for the other".

The southern culture and language was kinda cheesy. There was instalove! Everything just felt too perfect. There relationship, Dell coming out, yeah it was all a little too easy. There was no real angst.

This book wasn't badly written, it just wasn't for me.

If you're in the mood for a sugary sweet, sexy love story... I definitely say I recommend this. For me it was just a little too over the top. I will give her work another try, because I have heard really great things.


Meet the author:
Patricia Logan resides in Los Angeles, California along with her husband, four children, her grandchild and ever increasing number of cats. When not being stage mom, baking cookies, or scooping kitty litter, she writes steamy, award winning, gay erotic romance and tries to lead her readers on a journey of discovery with more than a little angst.

Where to find the author:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ploganauthor
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/authorpatricialogan?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PatriciaLogan1
Other: author website: http://authorpatricialogan.com/



Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Buttermilk Ranch’ by Patricia Logan

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Saturday, August 15, 2015

Book Blast: M/M ~ Taking Pole by Catherine L Byrne ~ (ARC Review, Excerpt + Giveaway)

Book Blast: M/M ~ Taking Pole by Catherine L Byrne ~ (ARC Review, Excerpt + Giveaway)


Author Name: Catherine L Byrne
Book Name: Taking Pole
Release Date: August 15, 2015
Publisher: eXtasy Books
Cover Artist: Latrisha Waters

Buy The Book:

Blurb:


Two bitter racing rivals have fought since their teenage years to beat each other to the championship title. When they are both caught up in a serious accident, however, their plans and conflicts fall apart. Thrown together to make sense of what happened, the aftermath forces them to wonder what they are actually fighting for.

Pages or Words: 32,000 words

Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Sports (motorbikes)


Excerpt:


 “The sofa pulls out into a bed—I—I mean—you could sit with your leg up on it so you are comfortable,” said Javier.
“Oh, okay.” Glen nodded.
They arranged the sofa into a bed and switched the television on. Glen wondered what the other rooms were like. One door obviously led to the kitchen because it was half open and he could see the oven, the others must be the bathroom and bedroom. Would Javier sleep like a king in a vast four poster bed with curtains? How would he sleep? Curled up? On his front? On his back? Glen sniggered. Javier lying on his back. Now there’s a thought. I must stop .
“Why do you laugh?”
“Oh—er—no reason.”
“What would you like to drink and eat? I have my family’s own wine.”
“You make wine?”
Javier drew himself up and puffed out his chest. “Si! For centuries now, the Diaz family has been important players in the wine business. My father, and his father before him, and his father—we have all been connoisseurs of wine and producers of our own finest vintage, House of Diaz. When I give up racing—”
“Give up racing?” Glen’s stomach dropped. “So you decided to give up after all? After all we talked about the accident not being your fault?”
“No—listen—I meant after I win the championship, I can give up and continue my wine making.”
“But—but—who would I race against?”

Tracy's Review:

3 Stars



*copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by author/publisher via Pride Promotions in exchange for an honest review*


I was so excited when I read this title. I'm a HUGE NASCAR fan and thought yay! Then I read the synopsis and thought. Bikes? I can do bikes, and this sounds really good! I HATE giving a bad review. This is the worst part of being a reviewer. Taking someones hard work and feeling like you are stomping on their hearts, because that's where these books come from.

The first thing I'm going to say is, I found it frustrating that Javier, being from Barcelona, the author used Spanish phrases and words, and didn't always explain what they meant. Glen used a lot of British slang, and at times I felt like I was trying to read a book written in 3 different languages, and I only speak one!

The story started off good, and it ended good, but in the middle it got muddled. The storyline was good, but the story itself was choppy. It didn't feel like it had a natural flow to it. Things felt rushed. It needed more meat.

The chemistry between the characters was lacking. There were points in the story that needed more emotion. The journey to them becoming a couple, had a lot of opportunities to add more emotion to the story, but the author didn't take it. I was actually bored until the last 30 or so pages. At that point it stated to pick up, and it finally grabbed me.

I liked the way the author dealt with the situation, and the ending was good. It left things unresolved, but I'm okay with that. My problem is, I'm not sure if I'm okay with that because it's okay, or because I just wasn't really vested in the story.

This is not my first book by Catherine, and it won't be my last. This book just wasn't for me. 

About the author:
Catherine L Byrne writes stories about relationships which push buttons and provoke reactions from readers. She writes about both gay and straight relationships, depending on which characters in her books shout the loudest to have their stories told. 
An inquisitive author, she prefers writing about different situations in each book rather than writing a series about the same one—her stories range from 10th century Viking Britain, to modern educational settings and from mystery to romance. 
As she was born and bred in England and lives there with her family, this infuses her books with a distinctly English tone. She has been writing since as long as she can remember and Extasy Books have published her novels since 2014.

Where to find the author:
Goodreads
Facebook Author Page: ~Author FB
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CatherineLByrne
Blog: https://catherinelbyrne.wordpress.com/
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Wednesday, February 18, 2015

What's In A Name? by Pat Henshaw ~ Book tour, ARC Review, Excerpt, Author Interview, Giveaway

What's In A Name? by Pat Henshaw ~ Book tour, ARC Review, Excerpt, Author Interview, Giveaway
Book Information:
Book Name: What’s In A Name?
Author Name: Pat Henshaw
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: AngstyD

Blurb:
Barista Jimmy Patterson thinks it's a good idea to get rip-roaring drunk on his birthday after he’s dumped by his boyfriend. When the burly owner of Stonewall’s Bar rescues Jimmy, the night starts to look up.

Now Jimmy just wants to know the bartender's first name since he's worn a different name tag every time Jimmy's seen him. "Guy" Stone gives Jimmy seven guesses, one for each night he takes Jimmy out on a date. 

While Jimmy’s trying to come up with his name, he's distracted by the destruction of his coffee shop and what looks more and more like a hate crime.

Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

Excerpt: 

Stonewall [Saloon] was chaos when I got there. Guy and another bartender were mixing drinks as fast as they could. I squeezed in at the end of the bar near the hatchway and sat on an abandoned stool there.

I didn’t think Guy had seen me come in, so when there was a lull in the frenetic pace and he was nearly within arm’s reach, I called out, “What’s a guy gotta do to get a drink in this place?”

Guy looked up, grinned at me, and yelled back, “Fuck the bartender.”

A slim man sitting next to me perked up, gave Guy the once-over, and yelled, “Okay!”

Guy’s startled gaze met mine, and we broke out laughing.

The man next to me sighed and slumped over his beer. “I knew it was too good to be true,” he mumbled.

I patted him on the shoulder.

“Maybe next time,” I commiserated with him.

“Right,” he answered glumly.

Guy's POV

Falling in love in your 30s, I'm here to tell you, is the shits. Take it from me. You're rolling along, minding your own business--in my case as the working owner of Stonewall Saloon--and then wham! You think you're immune, especially since you see so many crap-ass guys doing stupid shit every night. Maybe it's the bar. Who knows? I never thought good guys went to bars a lot until I met Jimmy.

Along about November a year or so ago, Jimmy Patterson and his stupid as fuck boyfriend started dropping by Stonewall three, four times a week around 8 or 9 and staying sometimes until closing, but mostly for a couple, three hours.

The boyfriend, this asshole named Alex, would parade in wearing whatever passed as the latest style and park Jimmy on a stool at the bar.

Now, see, Jimmy's the real friendly type. Shoot, he was even nice to Gus, a regular left over from when my Grandpa was owner and bartender. Gus can't see or hear too well now and for some reason gets on the nerves of my younger customers all the time. Mostly because you gotta yell and repeat what you say to him about a million times. And then he still doesn't get what you said.

Jimmy never blinked an eye at Gus. Just treated him like all the other guys who sat down next to him to bullshit.

"Good boy, that Jimmy," Gus'd tell me over and over when Jimmy and Dickhead came in.

I had to agree. During slow periods, Jimmy and I'd talk about all sorts of things. He wanted to open a coffee shop in Old Town, around where Stonewall is, and asked me questions about places along the strip. We even talked quarterlies during tax time and shit like that.

There's a few queer-run places now the big city guys have discovered us, and Jimmy wanted to know how they got along. Yeah, sure, there's some resistance from blowhards like Tommy Thompson and a few others, but mostly we're a live and let live kinda place.

At Christmas we laughed about some of the stupid ass holiday decorations along Main Street. Jimmy'd even asked if I was going to decorate. My answer? Blow me. For a minute it looked like he considered it.

The more we talked, the more lost I was. Got to the point I told one of the other bartenders to come get me if I was in the back when Jimmy came in. Go figure. Never done that in my life.

In the meantime, every time they were here, Dickhead the boyfriend was making the rounds. I caught him a few times sucking cock in the back. Made me so mad I nearly hit him up one side and down the other. I didn't though cuz I didn't want Jimmy to stop coming in.

It bothered me though. You know, one of those moral dilemmas. Should I tell Jimmy or not? So I started asking around.

Didn't help when I learned Jimmy'd moved into a condo with the Dickhead. What kind of friend tells a guy his boyfriend's a scumbag? On the other hand, what kind of friend keeps the news to himself? Moral dilemma, like I said.

Okay, so we're coming up to Jimmy's birthday, which I know because after I had another bartender card him, I wrote the date down. I decide to give the Dickhead one more chance. See if he could man up on the big night. I knew a bunch of Jimmy's friends were gonna throw him a party at Stonewall, you know try to get him drunk, all the regular crap. So I'd better be seeing Dickhead stand up and act right.

By that point, I've already been smacked around by Jimmy-love and am ready to beat down walls to make him happy on his big day. He's never gonna see his 20s again and he's feeling the pain. At least that's what he's said. I just want the guy to be happy, real happy.

What happened? Well, yeah, you gotta read Jimmy's side of the story. I mean, don't listen to me. I can't tell a story about love. Shit, I can barely tell a clean joke. Just listen to Jimmy. He's got it covered.

Buying the Book:


Tracy's Review:
3 stars 

On his birthday Jimmy's boyfriend, Alex takes him to the local bar and proceeds to leave with another guy. Jimmy gets smashed and ends up being taken home by the bartender. Alex/Alex2/A2, later Big Guy/BG/Guy.. We don't know his name. He won't tell anyone. (When I got to the end, yeah.. I wouldn't have told anyone either)

After a ride on Guy's bike, Jimmy says he wants to get a bike, so Jimmy and Guy enter into a little competition where he gives Jimmy 7 guesses, one every day for a week, to guess his name. If Jimmy guesses correctly, Guy will buy him a Motorbike and teach him to ride. Everyday he guesses wrong, Guy gets a kiss.

This book moved at warp speed. Jimmy is dumped by his bf. Jimmy goes home with Guy and they have sex the next morning. When Jimmy goes to pack his stuff the next morning (after said sex with Guy) he is upset and tearful. Well he couldn't have been too damned upset since he and Guy are boyfriends 3 days later!!

I try to find the good in every book. This book was light, fluffy, funny, yet suspenseful at times. But this wasn't for me. I didn't connect with the characters and I found they had very little chemistry. For such a romance there was no heat or passion between them. You don't have to have graphic sex or even describe a kiss to feel passion between two characters, and I felt none with Jimmy and Guy. 

It wasn't a badly written book and I will give this author another chance. I just didn't connect with these characters.

About the Author:

Born in the Heartland of Nebraska, Pat Henshaw has made America hers by living in Texas, Colorado, Northern Virginia, and Northern California. She has found joy in visiting Mexico, Canada, Europe, Nicaragua, Thailand, and Egypt, and relishes trips to Rome, Italy, and Eugene, Oregon, to see family.

Pat has spent her life surrounded by words: Teaching English composition at the junior college level; writing book reviews for newspapers, magazines, and websites; helping students find information as a librarian; and promoting PBS television programs.

Two of her fondest memories are touching time when she put her hands on the pyramids and experiencing pure whimsy when she interviewed Caroll Spinney (Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch). Her triumphs are raising two incredible daughters who daily amaze her with their power and compassion. Her supportive husband keeps her grounded in reality when she threatens to drift away writing fiction.

Finding Pat around the Web:
E-mail: whatsinanamenovella@comcast.net

Author Interview:

What is for you the perfect book hero?
Is there a perfect book hero? I can't even imagine. I think we read books to sample the different kinds of people we don't meet in real life. Some of my favorite literary heroes--take Rochester from Jane Eyre--I'd never want to meet in real life. So can he be the perfect hero? That's the wonderful thing about romance to me. I get to meet all sorts of heroes without having to take them home in real life.

Also, I don't want my characters to be "perfect" but to be real people, people that ordinary readers can identify with. Part of my message is that even if you're not the most handsome, built man, you can find love.

Do you pay attention to literary criticism?
Yes and no. I'm pretty secure as a writer, so I like to read what critics say. Also, I was a fiction reviewer for All About Romance, Booklist, Publishers Weekly, The Romance Reviews, and three newspapers, so I know that criticism is very subjective. Do I take what critics say seriously? Not really. I know they're all just trying to put their reactions down as honestly as they can

When you start a book, do you already have the whole story in your head or is it built progressively? 
Usually I have a character and a situation in mind. As I write, the main character's story unfolds.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? 
Yes, my message in this novella is we are more than our outer trappings--our names, our appearance, our manner. We are what is inside us, inside our hearts. While sex is all good and fine (duh!), it takes more than sexual compatibility to make a relationship last. A sense of humor helps as does a committment to the other person.

Can you share something about your works in progress? 
I've submitted the sequel to What's in a Name?, a novella called Redesigning Max about Jimmy's good friend, Fredi Zimmer and the outdoor sports store owner Max who just needs a little courage to make his move. I'm currently writing The Behr Facts, the third in the novella series, about the construction company that's mentioned in the previous books. I have an idea about a fourth book, but I'm caught up in the Behr story first.

Also, I'm writing the sequel to The Vampire's Food Chain, called Devil's Food in which the protagonist, a vampire named Shawn, must visit hell and make a difference there. Finding hell is the challenge at the moment. It's spread across so many places!

Tour Dates/Stops:
28-Jan
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11-Mar
18-Mar

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