Nights in Canaan, Kendall McKenna

"Who are you?" "I am the ancient vampire that always awakens your ancient warrior...I am your balance; your other half."

-Review by Kazza K

I loved this book. It ripped a hole in my chest, like the Terminator in his quest for Sarah Connor, and stomped on my heart like a cruel bitch...and I loved every minute of it.

Nights in Canaan is an amazing tale of reoccurring paranormal star crossed lovers. Two beings reborn again and again, both serving a purpose for what they believe in. Both have different interpretations of what life means. The vampire always knows quickly who he is when reborn and senses his nemesis before his nemesis knows what/who he's looking for. The warrior always goes through change, not knowing why initially - itching in his shoulders becomes pain as wings form, going out instinctually at night to dig in the desert sand for his sword. They are always lovers first, but then memories come back and they must do their dance of words, duty and actions.


One of the main characters is 'the' vampire. He drains people or turns them. He's not an apologist for what he is. One is 'the' warrior, pursuing the vampire in the relatively short cycle they have together on every occasion. They are each passionate about their roles, their beliefs, each other. They can't seem to change. However, as time progresses, it feels like they draw closer. Will things change?  Can they afford to? 

In Kendall McKenna's paranormal all of the action between the MC's is centred around conflict throughout time in the Land of Canaan. A great choice as it has been a source of incredible history and war throughout the ages. Why wouldn't a vampire be in this region as opposed to, say, Romania? Life was created here, if you believe in Adam and Eve. If you don't, then it's a great story with a great backdrop. There are three time periods covered specifically in this book, although you know they have been doing this dance for millenia -

1350 BCE City of Gina Egyptian ruled Land of Canaan  - Jesse/Saul - A time of revolt and the Siege of Gina. Saul is reborn and waiting for that fateful day when Jesse remembers and comes for him, so they can do the dance they do so beautifully.

1187 CE  Kingdom of Jerusalem Land of Canaan - Imad/Christophe - Emperor Salah El-Din is storming the walls of Yerushalayim. Christophe is taking his opportunity amongst chaos to feed on as many as he can in the time allotted him before Imad comes for him...again.

2004 CE City of Fallujah, Iraq Land of Canaan - Jayden/Kareem - This period is the longest part of the story and where I totally lost my heart to these two souls. It doesn't matter the name it's the spirit of both on these three occasions that I fell so deeply for. The body is a vessel. Here you get to see their time lived in more detail and understand the beings involved. The full development of Jayden, and Kareem waiting for him. Bringing this rebirth of his lover, his destiny to him.

I loved the historical setting of each rebirth. I loved getting just a bit more on the characters. I loved that Kendall McKenna could 'Groundhog Day' this story, yet give the reader more and make it incredible -

"'Til next time Jesse," said Saul, blue eyes boring into Jesse. Without a word, Jesse drove his glowing sword into the join of Saul's neck and shoulder. As he was overcome with vertigo, his final thought was the hope that next time, things might be different.      

"Perhaps next time, we will be blessed to have more time together before we remember," Imad said as he raised his blade.
"I look forward to it."
With one powerful swing, Imad brought down the blade.

Nope, not going to Jayden and Kareem.

It could have been boring. It was anything but. The setting was perfect. The eroticism of each period delicious -

"Release him," Imad said. "You know I cannot allow you and those you've turned to leave this city. It is senseless for you to harm this one."
"Not if it brings you to me one last time." As he spoke he trailed his fingertips down the exposed flesh of the man's neck. He nuzzled at his victim's ear, all the while watching Imad across the space that separated them.
Imad's heart raced. His fingers ached to touch Christophe, to touch his fangs and feel them as they sank into the man's vulnerable throat. He longed to savour the blood on Christophe's lips.


But the period of 2004 was not only telling it was scorching -

"Don't listen to the voices in your head, Jayden," Kareem said in a rough voice. He knelt on the bed, straddling Jayden's thighs. "Listen to what you know in your heart.

"I can't fucking wait to be inside of you again," Kareem murmured just before he covered Jayden's mouth with his own. 

Kareem's fangs penetrated Jayden's throat at the same moment Jayden's ass was filled by Kareem's cock.



Why did  this work so much for me? The writing was strong, sexy and sure. The facts good. The character development perfect, I adored Jesse/Imad/Jayden and Saul/Christophe/Kareem. They appealed to me at this visceral, raw, emotional level. They inspired so much passion and they made me think. I cried like a baby. Big tears streaming down my face as I read their words to one another, their actions. Maybe it's because I've had great love in my life and I appreciate sacrifice, knowing who my other half is no matter what. But....What would I do to have that eternally? That presents an interesting conundrum. That's a huge part of the love I felt for this story. I was hooked on  their inexorable moth-to-the-flame attraction. Their acceptance of who they each were. How they come to a mutual conclusion that it's better one way than an alternative and the reasons why. It's perfect.

Kendall McKenna has well and truly seated herself on my favourite author's list after reading Nights in Canaan, my fourth ebook of hers. I highly recommend Nights in Canaan for people who like to think and can appreciate the intensity of these beings, who don't need cookie-cutter to see the beauty and meaning in (this) love.

Dirty Drag 2: The Night Drags On, Kyle Adams

Another great story by my favorite short story author.

- Review by Cindi

This is a great follow up to Dirty Drag.  It takes place immediately after Rick and Ashley leave the bar after hooking up in the bathroom.  They go to Rick's place where the fun begins... again.  Ashley is a hot mess.  His make-up is smeared, his wig is all over the place and he's still wearing his slutty female clothes, stilettos included.  After a bit of eating and teasing the men make their way to Rick's bathroom and the fun starts all over again.  Ashley going home the next morning is hilarious.  He looks like a 'drugged crack whore' still wearing his girly clothes which now includes a My Little Pony shirt.  At Ashley's place we are introduced to his friend and I assure you (as the blurb says) you will never look at a Q-tip the same again. :)

It's no secret that I am a big fan of this author.  I devour his work as quickly as it is released.  Once again Kyle Adams left me smiling.  This of course after a bit of giggling while reading the story.  Rick and Ashley are hilarious and you can't help but adore Ashley's best friend.  I hope to see more of these guys soon.

Another great read by Kyle Adams.

The cover, once again, is perfect. :)


My review for Dirty Drag, the first in the series, can be found at:

Dirty Drag (#1)

Lust in Time (Anthology), Various

The best anthology I have ever read.

- Review by Kazza K

by Kayla Jameth , C.C. Williams , Tilly Hunter , Julian Siminski , Stevie Woods , Jeff Mann , Kenzie Mathews, James Thorpby, more…K. Vale, Michael Roberts, Salome Wilde, Steve Rudd,  Barry Brennessel, Richard May, Landon Dixon, Rob Rosen 


1) 1000 BC,  C.C. Williams

A M/M retelling of the story of David and Goliath.  Some good fictional storytelling amongst some period/era facts are here. Not bad at all the way the author pulled it all together based around the biblical story. Jonathon,  King Saul's son, falls hard for the young shepherd turned hero, David. David turns from a shy, unsure youth into a secure, confident partner for Jonathon. Interestingly, Jonathon and David were friends and Jonathon was considerably older, in the biblical accounts. Just another fact, Jonathon never sort the kingship and was never jealous of David. So 1000 BC was very interesting.






2) 496 AD,  Kayla Jameth   see review link here - http://bookreviewsandtherapy.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/496bc-apollos-men-15-kayla-jameth.html




3) 27AD,  Tilly Hunter

Well. Wasn't this one kinky little number! I do like some kinky, rough sex. And while this is a short it delivers a quick fix. Lucius is a Roman Centurion whose legion has just been defeated by lesser trained but feisty "barbarians." Lucius is taken prisoner, roped and marched along behind Finian, his captor. He is tied to a pole, and despite his discomfort, he is turned on. He has never admitted his desire for such treatment before -

"Please fuck me, my liege." I moaned despite my vow not to plead. "Please," I begged.
"You should learn I don't give into pleas," he said. the more desperately you beg, the longer I will make you wait, and perhaps, even then I will fuck you with the hilt of your sword rather than favor you with my cock."

Good use of a sword, in multiple ways. I liked it!



4) 130 AD,  Julian Siminski

An interesting account of the actual love between King Hadrian and his young lover Antinous. Antinous was of Greek origin and not a lot is known about Antinous, outside of the fact that Hadrian wept openly when Antinous drowned in the Nile, and he was deified by Rome, something that was pretty much unheard of for non patricians and foreigners. In 103 AD the author tells the story from Antinous' POV. He is a young man turning twenty worried about the outcome of no longer being boyish enough to stay with Hadrian. Greece was very much into pederasty and Roman culture very much imitated aspects of Greek culture at the time. Antinous is worried that Hadrian will no longer desire him, love him and that the senate will make Hadrian banish him from his bed, from his household. It also looks at the relationship between Hadrian, his wife, Sabine, and his lover Antinous. To add to the overall drama of the piece it has been foretold twice that something dark is coming for Antinous, and he is concerned. Historically it was never clearly determined exactly what happened to Antinous in the Nile but here history is given a human face.


5) 794 AD Stevie Woods

Norseman are about to raid a local priory and the local Baron calls his vassal's to arms against the marauders. Amongst the vassals are neighbours, Aland and Garrick. They are worried about the outcome of the fight, they have never been in one before, even more so because they are lovers and in love with one another. This little story didn't really make me feel like I was transported to another time but it was enjoyable nonetheless. I liked the message of the difficulties of loving another man  when there are social requirements to take a wife, still happens now. But then, in this time, you needed children to help on the farm, to grow food and survive. There was some sweet dialogue between the lovers -

Garrick brushed his lips over Aland's forehead. "I know things are going to be different soon. You will take a wife. I understand that, but I want you to appreciate nothing will change for me. I will never take a wife, for my love will always belong to you."
"I can't expect that of you," Aland declared. "You must take a wife."


6)  1066 AD Jeff Mann   *very slight spoiler alert*

This short runs the full emotional gamut. Thorir is a Viking waiting on his lover, Eirik, in his lover's cabin, when an armed "Orcadian" enters from behind him. Thorir is blindfolded, bound, and gagged for the "Orcadian's" pleasure. You know where it is going, The Orcadian is in fact his lover Eirik, and they are role playing. Oh. Yeah! Mighty bloody sexy I might add -

"I'm going to have you, my well trussed warrior. I'm going to ride you. On your side. On your belly. On your back. Deep within you, you will take my man-seed."

 There is a great love between these two warriors, Thorir is uptight about being same-sex attracted whereas Eirik is philosophical about it. He believes love is how you feel about someone, not their gender. He also believes they need to live in the here and now because life is too short. Especially given their line of work. The bondage allows Thorir to feel more comfortable about their lovemaking as well and I liked the way Thorir was introduced as this big bear of a Viking but smelling a flower and thinking of his lover. Both of these men are bears who have this strong, raw, yet gentle love. I liked the names they had for one another that were quaintly era- complimentary. Also a nice tie into Lindisfarne by the way.

I don't want to say any more because it will spoil this short. It packs a lot into a few pages. It showcases a lot of emotions and meaning. I know one thing, I'm off looking for more Jeff Mann books very shortly. A tissue warning is also in place.




7)  1576 AD Kenzie Mathews 

Another interesting read.  This time set in Venice, which I don't often read much about. This story is set during the 1576 plague where fearful, superstitious people had to blame someone for the body count, whether they be vampire, witch or Jew -

Papa might have trusted the Jews, but the rest of Italia most definitely did not.

At first I could not stand Cesare, the cocky young noble whose family use the services of Tuviya's family for accounting. Tuviya's family are Jewish, and at the time of what could be another plague some money has been...misappropriated?, leaving Tuviya to pay the price for the deeds created by his father. I have to say that this would have been so much better as a novella or novel as there were bits and pieces that could have been expanded on much better. The anti semitism is an interesting back story here and obviously being a M/M there is that forbidden sex element as well. The sex here is tinged in humiliation and ownership, which I don't mind. I liked the writing. I just wanted a bit more.


8)  1822 AD  James Thorpby

King George's personal physician, Charles McCloud, is somewhat over treating the King's ailments, constipation indeed! McCloud is happy that the King will be heading off to Windsor and he will be staying at Brighton. Part of that is also the sweet-meat he has on the side in the rather lovely young servant, Mosby.Who he rendezvous with when he can at night.
This was sexy, sexy, sexy reading and had me laughing out loud at the description of McCloud's HUGE cock, and balls -

Mosby winced as the older man's horsecock ploughed deep inside him.   

McCloud slowed his strokes eager to to make his selfish pleasure last longer. Yet it was futile,  for deep inside McCloud's plum-sized balls, millions of angry sperm were preparing to shoot outwards.


 

Not to mention the description of Mosby's arse, or is that mancunny? It is not easy to be sexy and humorous all at once, not to mention throwing some well placed period-relevant information or wording in the mix. Loved! it. Write some more, James Thorpby.





9)  1865 AD more…K. Vale

"Tomorrow could be our last day on earth," Ammon began. "If I fall on the battlefield, I want to know I've loved you completely - that I gave you my heart as well as my body, Ben." The words sliced through Ben like a bayonet. Every day he lived in fear of losing Ammon, of one or the other of them being cut down. 



This is one of the most romantic shorts in this anthology. Set during the time of the Civil War, Ben dreams of his times spent with Ammon, his best friend and lover. Ben has been sent home after losing his right hand/fingers in battle, but Ammon still fights for the Union. I really loved how the author made you strongly feel the sentiments about the difficulties facing young men in battle. Having to keep love a secret was definitely an encompassing theme. This was short but beautiful. Another author I've not heard of who needs to write more. Definitely have a tissue ready.


10) 1881 AD  Michael Roberts

Eric has developed a time machine that has allowed him to go back and forth through time. It just so happens that he has grabbed Billy the Kid mid,er, bonk and transported him back with him to current day. Billy learns that Eric is of the same-sex persuasion and is giving him some stick about it.

He left the room for a moment, and when he returned, the towel was gone, and he had put on the briefs. he moved gingerly, as if there might be pansy germs in the garment that would bite him and transform him into a limp-wristed, lip-smacking ass-fucker.

Eric wants to learn more about Billy from an intellectual standpoint. Was Billy as pragmatic as Eric thought when it came to sex with men as well as "wimmen?" A time travel tale that doesn't take itself too seriously and is just a bit random. And, ah, no thanks on Billy the Kid and his odorous cock.


11) 1889 AD Salome Wilde

"The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles." 
Karl Marx the Communist Manifesto

A young Jewish immigrant fleeing Czarist Russia meets a charismatic man on his voyage via Amsterdam to the USA. J. speaks of "comrades" and has a Marxist outlook, initially making our narrator nervous then showing him kindness in the face of the great loss of his family. Salome Wilde did a terrific job of bringing the trip alive and the characters in such a short word count. There is some beautiful writing in this short - 

I arch and buck into what I have before this togetherness known as wrong, unholy, savage. No, that is untrue: had I known men could lie together so, I would have judged it as monstrous. But when J. nurtures me to such bliss, to uncontrolled eruption? There is no truth but our truth, no sin but in denying the perfect beauty of our youthful sameness, shared fully and without reservation.

The two men, whilst loving one another, have different paths. J. as a man believing in a growing political ideal and J. believing in the traditions of a devout Jew, including beliefs of having family so his family's name can live on, living a new life in this new land.



12) 1890 AD  Steve Rudd

Shem Locheart sees a poster for jobs with Buffalo Bill's Wild West and he saw it as a chance to get out of his town. Didn't matter that he wasn't much of a cook he could read and write which put him ahead of the game.

The west it was shrinking from what it once was, but in that camp of ours, well now, it was just as wild as it ever was.

I enjoyed this short. I'd have to say it's pretty much PWP, which I do enjoy. They all had big cocks - no objections. Originally there was sex between two men, Shem and Wayne, then Wayne brought in a third for a nice interracial menage  It was pretty raw and sweaty sex with some nice dirty talk. Oh, yeah. I liked it

Then he looked up at me with a curious grin. "Um, you ever ride a man like a bull rides a cow?" he asked.....

"Yeah, partner," he moaned softly. "Break that hole in." 





13) 1909 AD Barry Brennessel

A really sweet coming-of-age short about eighteen year old Jesse Ostermann reconnecting with a best friend, Newton 'Fig' Brabinger. Fig moved away to Philadelphia two years ago and is now visiting his grandmother. He sees Jesse stuck on the side of the road in the snow just outside his family home in Jesse's dad's maroon Buick Model F, and comes over to give him a hand with the crank.


Jesse has just dropped his parents off at the railway station and he later finds out they are staying the night in Washington. This gives Jesse and Fig time alone to reconnect and re-establish something  they weren't sure about just before Fig left. The story is sweet, charming, and warm. Once again a longer story would have been ever better. There was much going on - Jesse's older brother, Wes, the night spent in the ghost house, Jesse wanting to go into the theatre....Another great story to add to the mix for this anthology

"I can't get enough of kissing you," Fig whispered.



14)  1916 AD Richard May

All I can say is this is the most beautiful storytelling. I'm giving a whole tissue box warning for this short gem.

Captain Jack Simmons is from the British upper class. He is the commanding officer of his regiment, has known more loss of life than any young man should - he has had five NCO's in two years. He has also lost his friend and lover, Alex, elsewhere in the war that was going to be over by Christmas -

We were assigned to different units on distant parts of the line. It came down to a letter from his sister to tell me he was dead, killed at Marne.

Two years on I still dreamt of us and wondered if Woffeths heard me moan at night, if so, what he thought the moans were for.

Another private is bought into his regiment, Higgins. New, wet behind the ears and leaving Jack to ponder how long he will last given all he has seen and experienced since volunteering in 1914. Life expectancy in the trenches was not often long, particularly at this stage of the war.

On leave Jack and Higgins cross paths and discover more about one another than commanding officer and private -

I must have been staring, because I became conscious that he was too. I saw the interest and hunger in his eyes. I should have turned away for many reasons: class, the fact that I was his commanding officer, but he didn't and I didn't  and there we were: on the other side of the looking glass with no way back.

Another short but terrific read. Richard May hit this short for a six! 


15) 1957 AD   Landon Dixon


I found this short really humorous. once again it's mainly a PWP but no complaints from me. I like some short and sexy with some interesting dialogue and vernacular.

A PI gets down on his knees for Solly who, um, uses his services in more ways than one. Said PI has the chance to go inside a game show to see if it is rigged, as is suspected by another stations executive. PI gets more than he expected from the game show and its very obliging host. I laughed out loud at some of the writing, not in a bad way, it was very entertaining -

My real passion was thespian not gumshoe, but I hadn't gotten the breaks.

"Acting!?" Solly snorted a laugh all over my dreams. "Do a soliloquy on my dick; that's your acting gig.

"Good glory! I gasped. staring down at the telegenic man with the tonsil-buried cock - my cock.

A lot of fun with some vernacular of the time and some action from all quarters - yes, the casting
couch was very much alive


16)  1969 AD Rob Rosen

It is sad to say that I understood the music, the times and actually had the triple vinyl LP of Woodstock. Can remember the music like it was yesterday. *Memories*

This was a nice short that captured the free nature and spirit of the concert, Yasgur's Farm, and the times. Glenn and Steven meet when one is looking for weed and the other thinks the guy looking for weed is worth looking for. They hook up, start to play around, sure there were lots of people around them but, meh, it was sixties and Woodstock. They take it to a more secluded spot and have sex against a tree where they leave their mark...in more than one way. They are supposed to meet up later but never do. Forty years on and Glenn travels back to find their tree still standing and a phone number carved into the tree under their original carving. Naturally he calls. Nice, sexy, sweet, transports you back in time if only for a short while. Peace, man. Groovy.


Well. I've finished this anthology and I'm sad it's over. I could have kept going. This is the best anthology I have ever read. It is well edited, in every sense of the word, the stories all well written. They may have been short but not one missed the mark. Out of 16 shorts 15 would have been given 4 or 5 stars from me and one would have received 3.5 stars, that is pretty darn good. I have found some new authors I am just dying to read more of although, sadly, some don't appear to have anything else out. If I'm wrong please correct me. If some authors are using pseudonyms please let me know the other names they/you write under because I'm keen on reading more. I highly recommend this anthology to those people who like a stroll through time. You don't have to be a history loving M/M reader as these stories all touch on a point of love is love, no matter who, no matter where, no matter when and I promise you you will find something you really like in this collection.

City Mouse (Country Mouse #2), Amy Lane, Aleksandr Voinov

A great follow up with two of my all-time favorite characters.

- Review by Cindi

Country Mouse (the first in the series) was one of my favorite books of 2012 and is listed as such in my "Best Of"  list on this blog.  In it we were introduced to Malcolm Kavanagh, a wealthy British banker.  He was stuffy, arrogant and snobby.  He got off by dominating other men in bed with no emotional connection.... when he wasn't working 80-hour weeks.  For Malcolm it was all about money, power and domination.  Then he met Owen Watson, an American vacationing in London with his ex-girlfriend (who was there for a booty call with her ex).  Malcolm is gay. Owen is bi.  

The two men meet in a bar when Malcolm's one-night-only sub fails to show.  Malcolm wrongly assumes that Owen will be a pushover and immediately begins to pursue him.  Little does Malcolm know.  Owen was no pushover.  They end up spending a weekend together and Malcolm, who has never felt anything other than the need to be in power suddenly started seeing things... feeling things... with the American tourist that he never would have believed possible.

I am not going into everything that happened in that book but I will say that I am a total sucker when it comes to certain things in books.  I am a complete romantic sap.  Without giving it away for those who have not read Country Mouse, I will say that the ending of that book was by far one of my all-time favorites.  It was a definite "Aww..." moment.  I made a point in reading it again before starting City Mouse and it felt just as good the second time.  I adored this couple in that book and that adoration carried through in this one.

City Mouse picks up almost immediately after Country Mouse.  Malcolm and Owen are now living together in Malcolm's flat in London and are slowly becoming domestic.  Malcolm is still working his crazy hours and Owen is quick to find a job of his own.  Everything is perfect in the beginning.  They are still in the honeymoon phase and it's still all about sex and getting to know each other.  Unfortunately, as time goes by the two must make adjustments in order to make things work.  Some are painless, some not.

This takes place over a period of six-weeks with each week bringing something else into the world of Malcolm and Owen.  As each week passes and the two men make their way to the six-week mark (considered to be when the honeymoon phase is officially over) Malcolm and Owen realize that there is more to a real relationship and being in love than just sex.  They love each other deeply but are different in so many ways that their personalities and ways of life clash.  Often.

Malcolm is still all about money and his career. Owen only wishes to be happy in his job regardless of the amount of his paycheck.  Malcolm is arrogant.  Owen is laid back.  The two must work together... hard... to make it work.  

There is a lot of humor in this book.  I found myself laughing more than once at Malcolm.  There is one part of the book where Malcolm goes to Owen's place of employment which is where Owen does IT work for a co-op of various businesses.  One is an adoption agency.  Malcolm very obviously does not like kids and makes this known quite bluntly.

"A world full of baby photos.  Adorable infants.  Blonde girls.  Middle Eastern boys.  Happy families.  Kids cuddling teddy bears.  Would he make it to Owen before he developed diabetes?"

"Who knew where the kids on the walls came from -- they'd likely been left behind after one screaming fit too many in a public place, or maybe their parents had been lynched because they couldn't keep the critters under control on a packed train."

Then there is the sex between Malcolm and Owen.  Hot.  Very, very hot.  It was hot as hell in the first book and that does not change in this one.  If anything, it got better and more creative especially where it happens.  Malcolm is creative.  To put it mildly.  Unfortunately his creativity and teasing tends to backfire on him.

"Priaprism," Owen said automatically, and the fact that it mirrored Malcolm's own thought made Malcolm want to smack him. "It's the state of having an extreme and engorged --"

"I know what it is, what I need to know is where to get rid of it."

 This book is all about the reality of a relationship.  Once the honeymoon period is over the real world steps in and real issues arise.  When you throw together two men who are complete opposites in pretty much everything those issues will be greater.  It was a pleasure watching as Malcolm and Owen got beyond theirs and worked toward their happily-ever-after.

Overall, an excellent continuation of Malcolm and Owen's story.  I absolutely fell in love with them in Country Mouse and that was only added to in this one.  My thanks to the authors for not stopping in the train station. :)

I should also note that this reviewer is kicking herself for not yet reading another series by one of these authors that my blog partner has pushed me to read (and that I do have on my Kindle).  It is mentioned briefly in this book.

Another great book by two amazing authors.

This book was provided by Net Galley and Riptide Publishing in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A Shadow of Wings, Linda Gayle

Not your average shifter story.

- Review by Cindi

Dylan, now twenty-three, was thrown out of his home as a teen by a homophobic stepfather.  The day Dylan told his parents that he was gay he, along with all of his belongings, were tossed out into the street.  His mother cried as it was happening but did nothing to stop it.  After years of getting mixed up in bad relationships and being forced to do anything to survive, he is offered a job as a part time worker in a veterinarian clinic.  The position was offered after Dylan rescued abandoned kittens and took them to the clinic for care.  As a result of his part time job, Dylan is able to find a cheap apartment in a bad part of town.  It's dangerous but at least he has a roof over his head.  While walking home from work one night, Dylan stumbles on gangbangers beating and kicking a pit bull.  He jumps in to save the animal with little thought of what he is jumping into.  All he cares about is saving the helpless animal.  The bangers immediately forget the dog and attack Dylan.  Just when he is convinced that he will die in a dark alley the men are pulled off of Dylan and dealt with by a stranger.  Once the danger is over, Dylan gets a good look at his rescuer and there is an instant attraction to the mysterious man.

Cam Coburn lives a life of secrets.  He has the body of a 21-year-old man but in reality he is a cockatrice with the unwanted gift of being able to seek out those who need help.  He is able to jump in and save the day and then disappear again without a second thought.  Until he rescues Dylan.  There is something about Dylan that calls to him unlike anyone... or anything... before.  Breaking his own rules and those set by others of his kind, he allows Dylan to walk with him to his home after he rescues the man and the pit bull.  Cam is not supposed to mingle with or get close to humans.  It is against the rules of his kind.  Getting too close can have horrific consequences not just for Cam but for the human as well.  But there is something there with Dylan.  When Dylan makes an advance it is impossible for Cam to say no.  He wants Dylan more than he's ever wanted anything in his life.  They play around a little that first night (the first intimacy of any kind for Cam) and continue to meet up over a period of days eventually having sex for the first time.  This leads to more and more sex between the two and it doesn't take long before the two men are in love though neither voices it at the time.

Cam must keep Dylan secret from his mentor, Tash, and others in order to keep him safe.  Cam wears a special gold chain that keeps him in human form.  If the chain is removed he will immediately go back to his true form with eyes that will kill with one look.  Dylan knows there is something different about Cam.  He sees wings in shadows behind him that appear depending on Cam's mood, his eyes are different, his speech is much too formal for a twenty-one-year old man and he is still a virgin with almost zero knowledge of anything sexual.  Only later in the book does he find out just how different Cam is.

Toward the end, there is drama and violence and then something out there happens with Cam.  Up until that point of the book, I didn't think it could get more strange.  I'm not saying that in a bad way as I found myself totally engrossed in the story and eager to see what happened next.  I just did not expect what happened toward the end though I should have as the signs were all there had I paid attention earlier in the book.  The way everything came together in that regard was written well.  However, I felt that the ending was quite rushed considering what had just occurred in the story.  The author threw in an epilogue and this helped some.  However, I wanted to see what happened in the months after the last chapter.  

This is not your typical shifter book and for that I am grateful.  I admit to being confused quite a bit in regards to who Cam was and the history behind his kind. I will not lay all of that out here as that would only serve to confuse anyone reading this review.  Suffice it to say that Cam's history goes way back to mythical times of dragons and other beings.  There are different parties and groups who fight against and with each other in order to preserve an agreement made thousands of years earlier.

Overall, an entertaining read though like I said, quite confusing in some parts.  There are some major editing issues throughout.  I managed to overlook that for the most part with the exception of names being in the wrong place many times.  With those, I had to reread the same sentence sometimes two or three times to figure out what I was reading.  I got it eventually.

This was interesting enough for me to want to seek out more by this author.  It was definitely not more of the same.

Between Sinners and Saints, Marie Sexton

Two men who consider themselves to be damaged must fight the trauma of past sexual abuse, religion, overbearing family members and other major issues to come together in a beautiful and touching story.

- Review by Cindi

I will start this review with a disclaimer.  This book was chosen for me by 'Shanna' in a group I participate in on Goodreads in a pick-it-for-me challenge.  Between Sinners and Saints was chosen from my own personal to be read shelf having been added a year and a half ago (and completely forgotten about).  I was hesitant to read this book for several reasons.  One, I have read other books by this author and they did not click with me as they seem to with others.  Two, I have a major issue with reading a book that is full of exclamation points used constantly in dialogue.  Marie Sexton is well known for using them on almost every page.  Three, this author tends to lean toward open relationships in books (at times thrown in without warning to the reader) and all who know me know that I shy away from that.  Four, this book is long by my standards at 377 print pages according to Amazon.  I had committed to reading whatever was picked for me so I dove into this one not expecting much.  I feel the need to point that out before I continue.

Having said that....

Levi Binder is a thirty-year-old self-described man slut.  He works as a bartender at The Zone, a gay bar in Miami.  The Zone is well known in the area as the place to go if you want to hook up.  There is a storage room in the back that is used for that purpose by employees and patrons alike.  The owner not only looks the other way, he encourages it, even making sure the small room is stocked with supplies: condoms, lube, Vaseline.  Levi uses the storage room often, hooking up with someone different almost every night of the week.  There's no emotion.  Only sex.  He likes it that way.  His move to Miami years earlier was not to find excitement in the  city.  He ran from his parents and purposely chose a place to live solely to anger them.  Having grown up in a strict Mormon family, Miami was his way of saying "Fuck you" to the family who constantly tried to change him, to get him to denounce his homosexuality.  What better place to do that than a city like Miami?

Jaime Marshall is a licensed massage therapist.  He is a loner having no relationships of any kind (family, friends) other than with his clients.  Jaime experienced horrific sexual abuse as a child and now, in his mid-twenties, he is still dealing with the trauma of those events.  He can not be touched .. by anyone.  He considers himself to be gay but there is constant doubt and guilt as a result of what he endured as a small child.  Did the abuse make him think he was gay?  Could the abuse have turned him from a would-be heterosexual to thinking he's homosexual?  Jaime's past is with him constantly, in every single thing he does.  There are nightmares night after night.  He refuses to go out.  His only companion is his dog Dolly. He lives in constant fear, keeping the doors to his house secured with more locks than would be considered normal.  The mere thought of being with anyone.. male or female... sets off panic attacks that are later accompanied by the nightmares.  

Levi experiences severe pain that radiates from his lower thigh to his buttock muscle.  This is aggravated night after night while tending bar.  He is also an avid surfer and the pain has tamped down on his favorite hobby.  It is suggested that he go to a massage therapist, one who specializes in deep tissue massage.  It is by taking this advice that Levi meets Jaime Marshall who becomes his new message therapist.

Levi comes from a very large Mormon family that lives and abides strictly by the teachings of their church.  I am not Mormon nor do I know much about the religion so I have no right to judge nor will I.  But I found myself angry over and over about Levi's interactions with his family.  There are frequent phone calls from his mother telling him to denounce his ways or go to hell, each call leaving Levi full of guilt for not living up to his family's expectations and standards. Then there is a sister, Ruth, who is more of a go-between between Levi and his parents.  Each time he is guilted into going home for visits, Levi is ganged up on.  His father Abraham calls a confab (which thankfully the author described where the reader would understand it) where each family member, parents as well as all siblings, have a formal family meeting of sorts.  Each meeting discusses various things regarding the family and any issues... both old and new... in regards to the family.  The number one item discussed is always Levi and his sinning ways.  Each of these meetings has various family members attacking Levi verbally and telling him what he would do (not should do) to change his lifestyle according to the teachings of the church.  At no time are Levi's feelings or wants considered.  If the decisions are made (voted on by the family members) Levi is expected to abide by them without question regardless of his own views or the fact that it is his life.  I did not understand this but I respect that each religion is different so I did not allow that to detract from the story for me.  I admit to getting angry many times in regards to it but I tried to respect the process regardless.  

When Levi meets Jaime for his first message appointment, Levi is determined to make Jaime his next conquest.  Jaime has that shy boy next door thing going and Levi refuses to take no for an answer.  He will have Jaime in his bed no matter what.  All it will take (he thinks) is a little seduction and maybe a little strong-arming and he will have Jaime.  What he does not expect is the other man to literally freak out and to throw him out after only a few visits.  Looking at Jaime during his refusals something clicks with Levi.  Jaime is not just saying no.  The man is terrified.  This hits on something inside Levi and after weeks of trying to make Jaime just a sexual conquest, Levi has now suddenly realized that he must fix whatever is wrong with Jaime and protect him at all costs. This happens over a period of weeks with something clicking inside Levi that he has never experienced before. Jaime is no longer seen as a sexual conquest.  He is seen as the one person who maybe, just maybe Levi can love. This realization sets about major changes in Levi's life.  He can not keep working at The Zone and be the man Jaime deserves.  He can no longer hook up with random strangers without feeling guilt over Jaime.  Though the two men are not yet in any type of intimate relationship, Levi still knows he must change... for Jaime.

I have to say that around the first third of this book I anticipated a DNF (did not finish).  Levi was an absolute bastard and at one point I got so angry with his character that I sent my blog partner a ranting email about how I could not see this character improving in my eyes and how I would read the book for a little while longer and then chalk it up as not for me.  Then something changed.  The author took this complete bastard (Levi) and showed him in an entirely new light.  His bad behavior was explained satisfactorily in my eyes and the way he went about changing everything about his behavior was written perfectly.  I saw that bastard turn into a very good person who grew to love Jaime and would literally do anything in his power for the man even if it means going against his family in the process or even if it means never again being inside a man.

Jaime considers himself to be damaged in so many ways because of his past.  Levi works hard over time to prove to the man that he is not damaged and that he is worthy of love.... Levi's love.

Jaime's past issues are not downplayed in this book in any way.  The author makes a point in showing the reader what he went through where there are very few questions but without going into every minute detail about the abuse. I never felt cheated as far as Jaime and his past sexual abuse was concerned nor did I have to cringe by reading too many details.  His emotions come through clearly and I found myself wanting to cry for the character more than once.  I absolutely loved Jaime from his introduction.

Levi shocked me.  I literally hated his character from the onset.  He would hook up with all these different men not caring if they got off or not.   When he was angry he would lash out at Jaime by saying horrible, inexcusable things.  In no way could I see myself changing my mind about his character in the first third of the book.  I could not have been more wrong.  By the time I got to 50% on my Kindle not only was I rooting for him and Jaime but I was rooting for him with his family as well.

Overall, I have to say that this was an outstanding book.  Levi's transformation takes place over time so I never felt that it was done too quickly.  My heart broke for Jaime throughout the entire book.  He loves Levi but feels he can never be man enough for him because of his fears.  The author brought all of this together beautifully and I absolutely loved the ending.  I ended this book still not feeling a lot of love for Levi's family but there is resolution there as well.

My only real issue has been an issue with every other book I have read by this author and that is the overuse of exclamation points (as mentioned above).  I understand wishing to show excitement at times during dialogue but I find this to be extremely distracting for the reader.  If other ratings and reviews are to go by of this author's work, I am obviously in the minority.  I was able to get beyond it in Between Sinners and Saints for the most part but only because the story between Levi and Jaime made up for it in the long run.

My Thank You To A Very Generous Author.

By Kazza K

Just recently I had a lovely gift turn up from overseas. The gift was a bunch of books. Is that even the right term for books hanging out together, a bunch? Anyway, I was so pleased to get this delivery, as in teary-eyed pleased. You might think Kazza K is a sentimental old fool for getting teary-eyed over some books turning up. You could be right, but I'd like to say why I felt that way before you judge me as mushy :)

I recently approached a favourite author of mine and asked them if I bought a bunch (there's that word again) of their books on Amazon, and shipped them to the author would they autograph them for me and then send them on to me at my expense? So I would buy the books myself and I would pay for the postage for all legs of the books' journey to me in Australia. Postage is not cheap, especially from overseas to Oz, and I'm talking about a few books here that were/are heavy. This particular author is not on social networking sites, I don't even know if they read their reviews, but they are always very pleasant. I was so happy when they said that it would be their pleasure to organise the books for me, asked for my address and thanked me for my interest in their books and my enquiry. I wouldn't give my address because I wanted to make sure I knew the costings and I paid a fair price for the books that I wanted and the postage. I received another email telling me that the books were organised and it was their pleasure to send the books to me at their own expense. No charge for the books or postage. I did not know what to say. For once I was speechless. I'm not good at getting something for nothing. I don't expect something for nothing. I'm not always good at thanks either, especially when I can't begin to say how thankful I am. I'm truly not a gushy person and I've been told I can come off as abrupt. So I had no choice but to graciously accept their generous offer, and let me tell you it was a generous offer, the postage alone was a fortune. The books are worth a bit as well. I want to put it into perspective, it often costs me around $25.00 upwards to buy a book from Amazon, then there is postage, which is always expensive. For example, I just bought a J H Trumble book for my son and it cost me around the $30.00 mark for the book and mid-range postage delivery time to Australia. That was a cheaper buying experience. I received more than one book from this author. They are all beautifully autographed with something different in each book. Just lovely, thoughtful, and kind.

Living in Australia is a wonderful thing except when it comes time to travel, egads it's a long journey to the rest of the world from here. It's also a problem when it comes to getting your books autographed. We don't have erotic or LGBT reading conferences here like GRL, or the one Kimberly Hunter is organising at Bent-Con, or the ones run in England. I don't get to pop-off and have my favourite authors sign my books. And because of the time, expense, and effort I rarely ask someone to sign a book for me. I have had some other terrific authors recently sign copies of special books for me, and they take pride of place in my tree'd bookshelf. I can't thank them enough. Everyone who visits gets to be told about who the author is, what the book is about and why I love it so much. People don't want to visit me anymore, I think they're scared of my, er, enthusiasm. My family get glazed expressions in their eyes when I receive a 'special' book. Luckily for them it doesn't happen often

So, bottom line here is that I'm not going to name the author, give away gender, or anything about them. I don't believe they would want that and I don't want people to think that they did it for my reviews. I honestly don't think they read them. I don't want anyone expecting the same thing. I truly didn't expect this. I don't expect something for nothing and I cannot believe they were so generous. The author will more than likely never see this blog. But I want to say thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You have made this Aussie book reading crazy very happy. It was a lovely, kind, ridiculously generous gesture from someone I don't know, other than I absolutely adore their books.

By the way, we have some good erotic and LGBT writers in Australia so it's about time we organised a conference here. I'm over the fact that nothing happens in Australia. If you are an Aussie LGBT or  erotic writer or reader I'm happy to help or be involved in getting something together. Who knows it might just take off and that has to be a good thing, right?