Showing posts with label Catherine L. Byrne. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Catherine L. Byrne. Show all posts

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/
a Rafflecopter giveaway


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Monday, July 20, 2015

Book Blast: M/M ~ The Minder by Catherine L Byrne ~ (Author Interview, Excerpt + Giveaway)

Book Blast: M/M ~ The Minder by Catherine L Byrne ~ (Author Interview, Excerpt + Giveaway)
Book Information:
Author Name: Catherine L Byrne
Book Name: The Minder
Release Date: July 15, 2015
Publisher: Extasy Books
Cover Artist: Latrisha Waters

Buy The Book:


Blurb:

 
When down-on-his-luck minder Chase takes on a job for a fading gangster, the job and his charge both turn out to be very different to what he expected. Someone is trying to sabotage the mobster’s business and doesn’t care who they hurt in the process. Soon Chase finds himself on the run with his charge, trying to carry out a friend’s last wishes before their pursuers catch up with them.

Pages or Words: 92 pages
Categories: Gay fiction, M/M Romance, Mystery, Thriller



Excerpt:

They sneaked down the stairs and along the corridor like ghosts, the voices of the killers shouting in the distance. Chase went first and they reached the long, white kitchen. The spare sets of car keys were in a box by the back door so people could take or return them on the way out. He had just grabbed one when Jody clutched his arm.
“I have to go back for my phone,” he hissed.
“Really? You little—” But Jody had a point. They needed phones to communicate. “I’ll come with you. Just a sec.” He pointed the key through the window blinds at the parked cars lining the driveway by the garage and the red Ferrari 458 flashed its lights. “Nice.”
“Come on.” Jody pulled his arm again and they crept out of the kitchen towards the stairs and Jody’s bedroom.
They reached Jody’s room and it only took him a few minutes to locate the phone and shove it in his pocket. Then Chase remembered something.
“Quick, come with me.” He steered Jody into Tony’s office, unlocked the safe, took out stacks of notes and put them in his rucksack.
“What are you doing?” Jody glared at him. “Stealing?”
Chase pushed him against the wall—no time for pleasantries. “Listen, we’ve got to go or they’ll kill us too,” he snarled in Jody’s face. “Understand? Come with me or I’ll leave you to them.”
Jody gulped and nodded, his brown eyes wide.
“Good.” Chase let him go and dragged him out of the office and down the stairs.

Author Interview:

We are lucky to have Catherine L Byrne author of The Minder, here to sit down with us today, and answer some questions.

Welcome Catherine!


How do you come up with the titles?
I just love thinking up titles! I’m not sure how I think of them but I just play around with words til I get it. Like, my current book was inspired by Jason Statham and his films, which are often called The (something)—The Transporter, The Mechanic etc.—so it became The Minder.


I also love a title with a double meaning. My next book is set in the competitive motorbike racing arena so had to have a title that is a motor racing term and if it sounded a bit suggestive, even better. There are so many phrases that racing commentators say which sound like euphemisms so out of those I chose Taking Pole as the best of them. Another book I wrote featured people trapped in a falling lift and then having a forbidden affair, so I chose Descending to symbolize both those aspects.


How much of the book is realistic?

This particular book The Minder is not realistic at all, lol. I haven’t been on the run from criminals (yet) but I have seen a lot of films where that happens so I tried to imagine how it would turn out—running away from them, falling through things, fighting them etc. The characters’ relationship is realistic I hope—the sensible minder and his difficult ‘mindee’. We’ve all met such people and can relate to them I hope.


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:
Tour Dates & Stops:

Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘The Minder’

a Rafflecopter giveaway


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Friday, April 17, 2015

Extended Book Blast: Kjartan the Gentle Tales of Forbidden Love From the Danelaw, by Catherine L. Byrne ~ (Excerpt + Giveaway)

Extended Book Blast: Kjartan the Gentle Tales of Forbidden Love From the Danelaw, by Catherine L. Byrne ~ (Excerpt + Giveaway)
Book Information
Author Name: Catherine L. Byrne
Book Name: Kjartan the Gentle Series: Tales of Forbidden Love From the Danelaw, book 3. This is the only M/M book of the trilogy and can be read as a standalone.
Release Date: February 1, 2015
Publisher: eXtasy Books
Cover Artist: Carmen Waters




Blurb: 

916 A.D. East Anglia under the Danelaw.
In Dark Age Britain, you knew your place and if you didn’t keep to it, you faced the consequences…

Hot-blooded Kjartan, accidental hero, has settled down into married life, with a baby on the way. But when he meets handsome glass maker Lini, their unlawful relationship provokes angry and passionate reactions from their kinfolk.

They have to fight back against the prejudice of Norse culture, and find out who their real friends—and enemies—are. And this conflict leads to murder.

But who is the victim, and who the killer?

Pages or Words: 33,541 words

Categories: Bisexual, Historical, M/M Romance, Mystery, Romance

Excerpt:

Lini then went to the kiln and put the glass blowing rod into it, collecting a blob of molten green glass. He wore gloves, but there were old burns on his arms above the glove cuff. He blew into the cloth mouthpiece of the iron rod carefully, and Kjartan gasped as the bubble expanded. Lini spun it round and held a tool to it, shaping it into a symmetrical bowl shape. When finished, he put it into the low-heated oven so it would cool down slowly and not crack. He then repeated the process a few more times.

By this time, Kjartan had completely forgotten what he was talking about and stood just gazing, mesmerised.

“It’s wholly different to fighting in a battle, yes?” Lini smiled and wiped the sweat from his brow with his arm. “Quite calming.”

Kjartan just nodded, staring at the sweat running down Lini’s tanned back.

“So, the fighting school? You got as far as saying what you were going to teach them.”

“Oh. Yes. I’ll think of something.” It was far too hot in the forge and stopped his mind from working properly.





About the author:
Catherine L Byrne amused herself writing as a hobby for some years until she had her daughter, but becoming a mum made her realise she now had a purpose and time was limited, so she must get on with writing seriously.
The winter of 2009 was severe and as she and her family live in a small village, they were house bound by unusually deep snow for southern England. So she settled down in her office (i.e. the corner of her bedroom) and began her first book, which was published in 2010.
She hasn't stopped writing since, generally on the theme of forbidden or unrequited love, and often including erotic scenes.

Where to find the author:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Some Other Freedom by Catherine L. Byrne ~ ARC Review, Factoids, Excerpt, Giveaway

Some Other Freedom by Catherine L. Byrne ~ ARC Review, Factoids, Excerpt, Giveaway
Book Information:
Book Name: Some Other Freedom
Author Name: Catherine L. Byrne
Release Date: February 15, 2015
Pages or Words: 51,189
Publisher: eXtasy Books
Cover Artist: Latrisha Waters

Blurb: 

Ambitious teacher Anthony, who is firmly in the closet, works at a very conservative school, carefully living up to expectations in order to further his career

After drinking too much at a wedding, however, he meets a gorgeous man and can’t resist having a passionate liaison with him.

Weeks later, Anthony is engaged to his girlfriend, but then his secret lover turns up at school as the new teacher in his department…

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

Excerpt:

“Here’s your drink, mate,” he said to Anthony, as if asking him a question. Anthony smiled at the Australian accent, and the waiter gave him a subtle wink, making him quickly look away as the man gave Francesca her Daiquiri.

“Shall we eat here too?” said Francesca. “Could we have a menu please?” She smiled, fluttering her eyelashes at the waiter, who smiled back, showing a gold tooth.

“Of course, I’ll get it.” He strode out, reminding Anthony of Blondie at the wedding. How would it feel if this Australian lay on top of him on the huge hotel office desk? He turned back again to his girlfriend. His proper, steady girlfriend.

Lunging to kiss her, his lips hit her cheek, and she twisted her head so their mouths could meet, but he moved the wrong way and kissed her hair. His hand slipped on the arm of her chair and he fell forwards onto her shoulder. A sudden gust of wind, carrying the rotting, fishy smell from the tide going out, forced him to stifle a cough.

“Here you go.” The Australian accent conveyed a hint of amusement as the couple untangled themselves and sat up.
Buy The Book:
Extasy Books
Amazon

Tracy's Review:

4 Stars
*This book was provided to me by the author/publisher via Pride Promotions in exchange for an honest review*

Anthony is uptight, proper teacher at a local school. He has just been promoted and asked his long time friend Francesca to be his girlfriend. Anthony is also so deep in the closet I'm not sure he really believes he's gay.

At a wedding for the principal of the prestigious Catholic school where Anthony is head of the drama department, he meets Jake. They sneak off to an empty office together.

A few weeks later Jake shows up as Anthony's new temporary teacher. Will Anthony come out of the closet or will he go ahead with his plans to get ahead in his career, marry Francesca, and live a normal straight life?

This book was good, but it drug in places. I just wanted things to move on already. I loved the interactions between Anthony, Jake, Trina and the drama students. It was entertaining and funny.

I had mixed feelings about Anthony. I wanted to strangle him and shake some sense into him, then I listened to the people he worked with, his family, and his fiancé's family, and I understood why he hid so far in the closet. He was surrounded by small-closed minded people. It's disgusting that in 2015 people still feel people should be put to death for being a homosexual. *shakes head and seethes*

Once Anthony let's go, and becomes his true self, and let's himself love Jake, the transformation is amazing. These guys together had a chemistry, passion and a love. I wish I would have seen more of it. I wish the author wouldn't have taken so long to put them together, but once she did it was sweet!

About the author:
Catherine L Byrne amused herself writing as a hobby for some years until she had her daughter, but becoming a mum made her realise she now had a purpose and time was limited, so she must get on with writing seriously.
The winter of 2009 was severe and as she and her family live in a small village, they were house bound by unusually deep snow for southern England. So she settled down in her office (i.e. the corner of her bedroom) and began her first book, which was published in 2010.
She hasn't stopped writing since, generally on the theme of forbidden or unrequited love, and often including erotic scenes.

Finding Catherine around the web:

We asked Catherine:

Two weeks with a private yacht or jet – which would you use and who would you take with you?
I’d take my husband on a yacht but we’d laze about while the crew did all the hard work

How old were you when you wrote your first story and do you remember what it was about?
I was 12 and it was about a family of four children who had lots of hamsters which kept escaping.

Favorite childhood book?
Probably any of Enid Blyton’s adventure stories—the Famous Five or the ones with Jack, Lucy-Ann, Philip and Dinah.

Tour Stops:

Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of the book

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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