Author S.J. Frost in the Backseat

I want to welcome M/M Romance author S.J. Frost to Naughty Boys in the backseat today.  I was lucky enough to get her on our buddy site Naughty in the Backseat for the MLR Press publisher feature going on this week.  She gives us a peek into her writer self and the Conquest Series available through ManLoveRomance Press.

You can read about Ms Frost while she wears her writer hat. – http://naughtyinthebackseat.com/blog/2010/09/s-j-frost-an-mlr-press-author/

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Dropping in from Naughty in the Backseat…

But I suppose that’s probably enough about me as a writer. I should give a little insight into me when I take off my author’s hat, and so here are a few of my favorite things!

Favorite food: Chocolate!
The darker, the better! Give me a bar of Godiva 72% dark with almonds and I’m your forever friend. For more “real” food, tacos, absolutely stuffed and overflowing with meat, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and topped with a little salsa.
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Favorite movie: My sentimental favorite is The Black Stallion. I grew up loving that beautiful black Arabian stallion, and now I own five horses. My other favorite movie is Amadeus. I can listen to Mozart for hours, and I think the movie is so well done. Not to mention, I can never get enough of Mozart’s little giggle in it.
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Favorite Superhero: I’ve got to go with Spiderman, because along with all his superpowers, he’s also very human and vulnerable.
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Most embarrassing moment: I’ve had so many, it’s hard to narrow them down. I have a tendency to run into things, doors, walls, cars, people, at really inopportune times and when plenty of people are around to see it. One of the worst episodes was when my husband and I were on our way to the Michigan Renaissance Festival, and we stopped at Tim Horton’s for some café mochas. As we were leaving, I looked out the store’s front windows and saw a small white dog in the road.
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I started freaking out that it was going to get hit and was walking really fast toward the door so I could help it. Well, the store had floor to ceiling windows right by the door with a bar going across that looked like a door handle. I smashed right into a window, face first. For a split second, I was like a bug on a windshield. And yeah, the place was packed with people. Hubby was trying to ask if I was okay through laughter, but I shot out the door because I was still worried about the dog. Of course, the owner had appeared at that point and was carrying it safely to their car, which I was relieved to see, and then the embarrassment set in.
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To top off that day, I also stepped in mud at the festival, got grease all over my coat from fair food (still don’t know how), and when walking between cars going back to ours, I ran into another car’s side mirror, ricocheted off it, and fell into the car parked beside it. I haven’t been to another renaissance festival since.
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Favorite foreign language film: Seven Samurai, but I really enjoy watching old Japanese samurai movies and Asian movies in general. Could be why I’ve got that m/m samurai novel-to-be waiting for some attention.
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Favorite band and song: Queen and their “Bohemian Rhapsody”.
Going along with that, music is listed very high among my favorite things. Rock, classical, country, Top 40, rap, I can find something I enjoy with all genres, and thought it might be fun to share a few videos of what I’m listening to right now. I have to give credit to the folks who posted these videos, since none of them are mine. I only know how to “favorite” things on Youtube. Tech savvy I am not.
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First up, here’s Japanese rock star, Gackt, performing live one of my favorite songs
of his, “Flower”. Though really, I could listen to him sing nothing but the alphabet
and be happy since I think he has an amazing voice.

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Next, “Love Drunk” by the band, Boys Like Girls. They’re a new band for me and I’m
still learning their music, but this is the song that hooked me:

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Now we’ll go with violinist, David Garrett. The man has breathtaking talent and
it’s because of him I have a classical violinist character in my head, who happens to
look a lot like him, wanting to have his story told.

And for the finale, I have to put up Queen. I already mentioned how Bo Rhap is
my favorite song, but this one, “Love Of My Life”, falls a very close second.

See more about S.J. Frost at her website.  http://www.sjfrost.com/

Or at MLR Press – http://www.mlrbooks.com/

Smart Ass: Close Quarters

by Amber Green

Publisher: MLR Press

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Summoned to his parents’ estate, brash young Kendall Turner steels himself for yet another confrontation. He doesn’t expect this level of betrayal, though. His parents play an explicit and humiliating video surreptitiously recorded by KT’s ex, who has taken up blackmail. KT is ordered to report to a psychiatric facility while his family scrambles to brush the dust back under the carpet.

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He flees instead, accompanied by Turner Scott, heavily muscled star of his most personal fantasies. Only the flight turns into more of a kidnapping when Turn needs to buy time for his own mysterious activities.

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When his ex turns up dead, then missing, then most definitely dead, Kendall feels a trap closing in–and all clues that don’t point to him point to his protector, Turner Scott.

- Synopsis – From http://www.shapeshiftersinlust.com/

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Smart Ass: Close Quarters by Amber Green

Review by Jasmine

4.45/5 Whips

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Long awaited romance.  The thought that it could never be, and then it was.  But when it was it went a little too fast.   Turner Scott and Kendall Turner.  So many Turners.  So we have KT’s long time crush forced back into proximity by family, and situation.  Close Quarters is aptly titled and Amber Green does a great job of creating a layered family dynamic.  You can feel the pressure on KT and his frustration against his controlling and powerful family.

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When your family is too powerful and too wealthy to escape on your own what do you need?  Your personal teenage fantasy older and just maybe available.  That might work and it made a good read.  The tension was there and Amber Green certainly has a tongue in cheek sense of word play as our two hero’s names demonstrate.  So the emotions run high, the tension, both sexual and situational both drive the story along, but I know you can sense the “but” coming.

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Here it is.  The story winds itself tighter and tighter.  All the elements are there, but it was kind of a chocolate chip cookie with not enough chocolate chips.  The story does not round out fully.  The two Turners did not provide an emotional resolution after all of the build up.

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This is a story I would read again and I think Amber Green did a great job of creating a world that was quirky and yet believable world.  I have her on my to watch, or I guess that would be to read list for future releases.  Close Quarters is a solid read that I have picked up more then once and enjoyed more with each read.

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Find out more about this Title and others by Amber Green at her website – http://www.shapeshiftersinlust.com/

Lucky me, I had a fabulous publisher, Laura Baumbach step forward to give us a peek into ManLoveRomance (MLR) and its stable of authors.  It is a fun term, stable – sounds kinda Naughty…

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Terry Kate:  Welcome to Laura Baumbach, Owner/Publisher of MLR Press.  You specialize in gay erotic romance and fiction, can you please share a little bit more about your Press and what readers can expect to find?

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Laura Baumbach:  ManLoveRomance Press was created to bring m/m erotic romances to print for our readership. I write M/M erotic romance almost exclusively. I started out being published by a small print house in the LA area, and then began submitting and being accepted by multiple ebook publishers. My print house wasn’t paying royalties like they should have been and did nothing to promote the work. This made me frustrated and discontent. I began looking for other print publishers for my work. While one of my ebook publishers did take one of my stories to print in an anthology, they wouldn’t commit to doing more of my novels. Their focus was e-publishing and they had limited interest in doing print. I understood that but because I knew from my readership and fan letters that there was a growing interest in having these books in print, I continued to submit to houses like Alyson and Kensington. Unfortunately for me, they weren’t interested in gay erotic romance at that time. After a number of attempts and rejections of stories I knew where print worthy, I decided to gather together my closest and most talented friends within the industry and fill what I saw as a void in the publishing industry—a press for gay erotic romance and fiction by creating ManLoveRomance Press, LLC aka MLR Press. We publish the ‘feel good, falling in love again’ stories that readers were asking for.

I’ve kept the focus of MLR Press on gay erotic romance and fiction because that is the genre I know inside and out and can market and promote effectively. The readership for this genre is almost entirely straight women and gay men and I target different media and events for each, keeping in mind that there are a lot more cross over venues each year.

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TK:  What makes a story stand out to you as something MLR Press should publish?

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LB:  Writing in this genre is, to me, a calling. You have to understand the genre and its components. You can’t take a het romance and change one character’s name to make it two men. The way your characters act, talk and react are different and if you don’t have the understanding of that down pat it shows in the writing. It’s easy to spot someone who is writing M/M to cash in on the popularity of it and one who writes it because they have to because their characters won’t have it any other way.Characters have to be strong and plots intriguing and well-thought out. Sex should flesh out the characters or progress the story not just hang there in the air as filler. We like unique, edgy work.

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TK:  What sub-genre is the most popular with readers?

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LB:  Mystery. But any of the titles with good action and plot, breath-taking heroes and sizzling intimacy work.

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TK:  And why not?  We as readers want an experience other then our own, a little mystery or action would certainly spice my life up!   On a more personal note, this is your company and being a publisher is a tough job.  What is the hardest part of being a publisher?

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Laura Baumbach:  Having to say no to an author. Whether is to a submission, a cover request, whatever. I like my people happy. But it isn’t always possible to do it 100% of the time.

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Terry Kate:  Laura, thank you so much for your time and I am so excited to be hosting your authors all this week on Naughty Boys in the Backseat!  To find out more about MLR join us this week and visit their website -

http://www.mlrpress.com

Secret Santa

by Aaron Michaels

Publisher Torquere Books

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Ollie Dickinson, the office Scrooge, hates company parties, especially the yearly Secret Santa gift exchange. Except this year he’s drawn Matt Robbins, the hot new junior accountant, who just happens to be the object of loner Ollie’s very secret fantasies. Great, right? Not exactly. Matt is the protégé — and some say boy toy — of Ollie’s cougar boss, and totally out of poor Ollie’s middle management league.
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Ollie finds out his secret crush on Matt isn’t quite so secret when he gets gift-giving advice from co-workers who seem to be pushing him in Matt’s direction. Can Ollie find the perfect Christmas gift and win Matt’s heart without getting himself fired? Christmas is, after all, the season of miracles.

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Secret Santa by Aaron Michaels

Book Review by Missy

4.25/5 Whips in the Backseat

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Jingle Bells, Not Enough, Not Enough for Me!

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Okay it is August so maybe my sad little holiday song is extra weak, but oh well.  So the office Secret Santa…  I think this tradition has played a role in other stories and other romances I have read before, but that doesn’t distract from a story that uses it well.  Aaron Michaels made me want to be in a cubicle and maybe be surprised when my work crush returned the interest.

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Ollie might be a stick in the mud, but I enjoyed reading about him.  He is an endearing Scrooge.  Though the romance was a little to a lot too Ollie-centric.  We learn a lot about him, his past, his Holiday trauma, his office awkwardness.  What about his love interest Matt?  We “meet” him for the first time on page 26 of 53.  I would have loved more interaction between them to be included earlier, even as memories of when Ollie first spoke to him, just about anything that would tie Matt in.

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So more Matt, more Ollie and Matt together, more of their interaction after the Secret Santa exchange that has sparks flying.  I liked Ollie so much and had been rooting for him through the whole build up to his possible Matt romance that I was sad and a bit frustrated not to spend a little more time post-present exchange.  The ending left some openings that make revisiting Ollie and Matt seem possible, so I hope we do!

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Aaron Michaels is welcome to bring these two men back in a sequel and I will be the first in line to get a copy!   Only please consider giving us Matt’s point of view.  Ollie paints himself to be a fuddy-duddy so I really want to know what Matt sees him as.  I would reuse my opening line, but I recognize that might be cruel, I even have some other lines to add in, but I will refrain.  I can only hope as a holiday gift to readers Secret Santa is not the end of this Saga.

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Find more books by Aaron Michaels at Torquere Books

Tasim’s Tale

by Stephanie Vaughan

Publisher: Torquere Press

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Captured by the Kundari, a neighboring kingdom, Tasim is a stranger in a strange land. When he is made part of the entertainment at a lusty reward ceremony for the king’s soldiers, Tasim has one hope for survival: make Dorian, the rugged captain of the regiment, his protector. A single encounter will shock them both — but first they must survive the night.

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Tasim’s Tale by Stephanie Vaughan

Review by Missy

4.5/5  Whips

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If you like the idea of being stolen away and sold to a handsome man, this story is a perfect match for you.  Rough and tumble soldiers, domineering and yet in the case of Tasim’s new match, oddly caring.  Isn’t that a big part of the fantasy?  Get captured, auctioned off as a sex slave and end up with a caring and protective man who decides you are the most desirable of all.

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The hero will never have another slave lover and though there was hardship our characters were meant to be together.  Right?  Well that last bit is actually what this story lacked.  The resolution that this was more then just attraction at first site.  That there is more to it.  It is possible that could have all been taken care of in an epilogue, or maybe not.

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I found the world a fascinating place to visit and I do wish we could spend a little more time seeing what the day to day life is like.  The culture and society is rich, but we only get a quick peek.  I want more -  though I confess, the sex is hot and the story interesting.  Overall I found it too interesting to be cut so short.  I hope we get to revisit this world again, maybe see Tasim and Dorian again from a distance.   I confess I am not the biggest fan of sequels, though I would make an exception for these two.

Love Eternal

by Wayne Mansfield
Torquere Press

Evan is a man lost in the modern world. He has a job, a house, and a best friend. He also has a hole in his soul that he hadn’t even realized was there until one night he meets a mysterious stranger, lurking in the shadows of a tree-lined lane where men meet for sex.

There is something striking and a little terrifying about this stranger. Evan’s initial intrigue is soon compounded when he discovers that they have met before. A long time ago. And that they used to be lovers. When the memory is awakened in Evan, his ordinary life is transformed. The hole in his soul is filled. But Evan can’t know how completely his life is about to change once more.

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Love Eternal by Wayne Mansfield

Review by Missy

3.5 Whips in the Backseat

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This was an interesting mix of old school charm and vulgarity.  Love Eternal has the feel of the classic writing style that charmed me, very old world.  Wayne Mansfield had me thoroughly engaged as the story moved on.  Our main character Evan has a somewhat reclusive life.  He works a 9-5 and hates Mondays.  All in all a self-contained and seemingly quiet man who likes to take walks, and stroll through an illicit lane where men meet.   And where he is reunited with his immortal lover.

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Sebastian is a vampire, weighting 1,500 for the reincarnation of his love.  I get it, though that much patience and waiting is quite a feat.  Yet the story keeps the reader at a distance.  In part it is the style of writing, in part it is the fact that we are never invited into Sebastian’s world.  There is no discussion of him as a vampire, how that effects his relations ship with Evan.  At the end he lets slip that to survive he has to kill people which is then blown by a bit more.  So how am I supposed to feel about Sebastian?  He is confessing to be a killer.  He tells us he is dead and reanimated by a virus.  I was having flashes of Resident Evil in my mind.

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The stylized writing is not what threw me out of the story however.  It was the out of character and pretty vulgar language used during the intimate scenes that leaves me with my rating.  The beginning of the story is stylized and eloquent not that the style will appeal  to all readers – So I STRONGLY recommend reading the excerpt to get a feel for the tone.   When Sebatian and Evan get together the story goes for a bit of a loop.  To me as a reader the use of the term bowels is less then sexy.  Some of the other lines during the intimate moments also turned me off in word choice and the incongruity of tone after a well paced opening.  I find myself unable to recommend the title, or not recommend it.

Please share your thoughts on the title if you have read it.  Perhaps I was sensitive about the vocabulary and others were not

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Thanks for reading.

Missy

Chasing Smoke

by K. A. Mitchell

Samhain  Publishing

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An old mystery brought them together. Solving it could tear them apart.

In the best of times, Daniel Gardner hates visiting his family. With his boyfriend pressuring him for a mortgage-serious commitment, Christmas in Easton, PA sounds, for once, like a welcome escape. His old house holds more than memories of a miserable adolescence, though. It has Trey Eriksson.

At seventeen, Trey was taken in by the wealthy Gardner family after his father was jailed for his mother’s murder. Until he left for the Army, he fought a double-edged battle—for proof of his father’s innocence and against his attraction to Daniel.

Fifteen years later, things haven’t changed. Trey is still looking for the real killer. And Daniel has never forgotten how Trey used to sneak into his room at night.

Now new clues to the murder are resurfacing—and so is Trey and Daniel’s sexual chemistry. Except this time, Trey has come to terms with his orientation.

But their connection may not be enough to overcome the mistakes of the past. Not while a murderer still walks free…

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Chasing Smoke by K.A. Mitchell

Review by Missy

-  4.95/5  Whips

This title is Smoking HOT!  I like, like, liked it.  We have drama, murder, mystery, and two long separated lovers.  K.A. Mitchell weaves a complex tapestry of young love, mis communication, and what happens when the romance is rekindled.   Here is a bit of how the story runs its course and I won’t giveaway spoilers.

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We have our boy Daniel who is returning for the holidays and to help his mother move, leaving his current boyfriend alone.  Does Daniel fear commitment or is BF just not the right one?   The impression when Trey walks in is that he has kept Daniel from committing elsewhere.  First loves have a way of lingering.  A set up that felt so believable I was embarrassed at the awkward moments for them.

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Family dinner with your current BF who is pushing for a commitment and your first lover who still holds your heart?  I Squirmed!  Poor Daniel must have felt  that times ten!  Plus why would Daniel NOT have a lover?  The dynamic would have been weakened if all we read was Daniel pined for Trey, and Trey obsessed silently over Daniel.

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This book reminds me of an Onion! It too has lots of layers.  Though parfait would be an appropriate analogy as well.  There is the family history, the main characters personal history, the murder mystery, the sexual tension, the whole deal is wrapped together in a carrying case of onion skins.  Wait the onion may not have been the best choice.

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Chasing Smoke by K.A. Mitchell is way up there on my list of favorite reads – so why might you ask is this not a 5/5?  I am not the biggest fan of the far reaching implications of the murder element.  In a story so strongly driven by character and richly defined by human drives any thing that goes outside believability detracts from the men who feel real enough to walk off the screen.   I look forward to more of her work.

Zimaya Heights

by Stevie Woods

Publisher Torquere Books – Synopsis

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Twenty-seven year old Willem Rostoq is worried about his father, Tomaz, the famous explorer and archaeologist who’s missing in just about the most dangerous place in the world. In a fit of pique Will pressed his father to take on the challenge to find the fabled lost city of the Q’anan in the jungles of the Zimaya Heights. Will persuades Gant, an old colleague of his father, to accompany him on an expedition to find Tomaz.
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Through torrential rain and unbelievable heat, surrounded by insects, snakes, and animals long since thought extinct, they travel deeper and deeper into the jungle toward the Heights and the towering Mount Zimaya. As a youth Will looked up to Gant, but Gant attracts the adult Will in a very different way. Gant would like nothing better than to share his life with Will, but he is worried how Will might react when he discovers why Tomaz threw him out all those years ago.

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Zimaya Heights

Review by Jasmine

2/5 Whips

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Zimaya Heights has a really interesting story line.  The search for father/adventurer Tomaz bringing together two men who have always had strong feelings for each other is an interesting approach.   The trip draws Gant and Will into the jungle and eventually the closeness draws them into each others arms.  So over all the story has strong elements.

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So why the 2 whip rating?  I could NOT get into the story and was constantly distracted by inaccuracies.    There are a number of reasons why I was driven crazy.  First the group entering the jungle with Tomaz has 4 people?  Expeditions usually have more then that.  There are more bodies to carry supplies that way.   If this place is so remote it would take a long time to get there.  Hikers traveling the Appalachian Trail average 12.7 miles and that is without hacking jungle out of their way.

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They also magically seem to be carrying a lot of water and food considering the length of their trip.  1 gallon of water weighs 8.35 lb. give or take a little.  Add in that they seem to have the full load of food with them for the whole trip and their other supplies and their travels do not read as realistic.  The weight they would have on their backs would be unreasonable.  Water would be more of an issue.  You can only carry so much and then you need to find more or collect rain water.  It is like bullets in Die Hard 2 – they magically appear never to run out.  So it is with food and water on this trip to find Tomaz.

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Leaving aside the technical issues of Gant and Will in the jungle, there is Gant and Will themselves.  I can believe that they can relate so well with their shared interests, even when Will was still very young.  The tension of “I want but am afraid to reach out,” is what draws me as a reader.  I like to pine with the character, feel their belief that what they want is impossible.  In Zimaya Heights this element was not as clearly focused as it could be.  I hate to bash someone – even if they are not real, but Will is a little annoying, pining can work, wining can not.  If Daddy doesn’t love you and you have issues, GO to therapy.

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Zimaya Heights by Stevie Woods is a well thought out story, though the lack of true reality in the characters experiences separated me while reading.  As did a few of the terms used.  First meal, third meal, and other words that were alien to the eye or at least not USA English.  I have no problem with characters taking a lift to their flat.  The words used here did not fall into those normally seen.  These are all little things that came together to distract me from the story and made the story hard to follow.  I would be very willing to check out another title by this author – she creates very interesting situations for her characters.

-  Jasmine

Reviewer Jasmine: So I want to welcome our first author interview to Naughty Boys in the Backseat, Ms Eden Winters. Welcome to the Backseat!
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Eden: Nice to be here! Hmmm….can I get a hottie back here?

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RJ: Umm, sorry I did not bring one along, but I will keep that in mind for future interviews.
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Eden: Hey, it is “Naughty Boy in the Backseat!” Bring on the naughty boys!!!

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RJ: Valid observation! It is no secret that I am a big fan of your book Angel of 13th Street. It is a rather dark tale. Where did that come from?

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Eden: Thanks, so glad you liked it. I began writing Angel after reading an article about young people aging out of foster care. Statistics were given of how many would become homeless within eighteen months. My jaw dropped. Eighteen and nineteen year olds living on the streets? In the article the girl still attended school, finding places to sleep wherever she could. In a way this story was created to help raise awareness of a common situation that absolutely none of my acquaintances that I questioned knew about. I knew it existed, I just didn’t know how bad it was until I began researching. Sadly, many of these young people do fall prey to predators.

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RJ: What has the response been from readers to that issue in the book?

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Eden: Most are more focused on the prostitution issue, but I’ve heard from a few teachers who’ve had students in similar circumstances. They praised the way Jeremy’s struggle was portrayed. One even commented, “It’s hard to focus on homework when you’re hungry and in pain.” I’ve not received any direct comments about it being too sinister, though some commenting on reviews said they’d have to pass because they were worried that the subject matter would prove too dark for them.

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RJ: Dark and delicious. Bringing to mind the man who steals the show is Billy Cordell/Willie Carnell. Where did he come from?

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Eden: Oh my. I didn’t even realize how big a role he had until folks like yourself began commenting on him. Several times in the book I mention “choices.” That character represents the path that either Noah or Jeremy could have taken. What some may not have noticed is that Billy/Willie is the true hero of the book.

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RJ: Really?

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Eden: There are subtle clues. Noah thought Billy didn’t visit him in hospital, then recalls seeing a crying Billy when he’s brought in. He also thinks that, because of his scars, Stevie the pimp lets him go without a fight. When Noah goes to see his lover after getting out of the hospital, Billy seems glad to see him at first, then renounces him. Stevie, their pimp, is watching from a window. Then Noah starts saving young prostitutes. A short while later Billy becomes Willie and gets rid of Stevie. Guess why? Billy cut a deal with Stevie to get Noah out.

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RJ: Hmmm

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Eden: Then when Stevie thought Noah a threat…..threat eliminated but a different threat
In his own way, Willie is Noah’s angel.

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RJ: I adored him – maybe you can bring him back somehow though it would kill the reality of the story.

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Eden: Would folks buy him coming back as an angel spirit? He has to do a good deed.

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RJ: Hard to say. Did you consider giving him a little more face time in the story or is he a mystery on purpose?

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Eden: He was more of a mystery to being with. I’m sure I drove my editor crazy adding more about him last minute. It’s funny, but sometimes your characters take on their own personalities, and Noah argued with me to let him get back with Billy. Sigh. So Billy had to go.  The story was supposed to be about Jeremy. It didn’t work out that way.
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RJ: Will we see the boys again in the future?  Any plans to head back to 13th Street?

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Eden: I’m not sure. I’ve had an idea for a story that involved Noah bowing out when Jeremy goes off to college, insisting it’s better that way. Jeremy doesn’t agree but honors Noah’s wishes. He parties, has sexual adventures befitting his age, then graduates and becomes a successful businessman. He never forgets Noah. Then he hears that Noah’s bar has been burned down by an angry pimp, and Noah hospitalized, and returns to assume the white knight role Noah once played for him, rejoining the mission of saving young men that he’d abandoned when he left the city.

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RJ: Wow, thanks for the insight… If that is just a tease though readers might find out where you live and come get you.  Mission TP Eden’s House…

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Eden: I have several other projects going that would have to be completed first.   I hope to see it come to fruition one day.
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RJ: So what IS Next?

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Eden: I have another novel coming out in August from Toquere, call “Duet.” It’s part contemporary and part historical, with strong elements of the paranormal, and a hot specter in a kilt! Hey, I wonder if the heroes, Aillil and Malcolm, would join me on this backseat? Oh, there’s also violins. They are key to the plot.

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RJ: Reader Warning – further discussion of Eden’s time in the backseat with her two boys may not be appropriate for the young or those with a weak heart.

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Eden: Let’s look up Aillil’s kilt! Just kidding.  There’s an anthology coming out in Sept. called A Place for Me. I’ll have a short in it featuring Mark, the rent boy Noah helps. It’s about what happens when he goes home.
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RJ: I look forward to seeing Mark and I will keep my eyes open for that one!

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Eden: I love HEA and he really needed one.

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RJ: Eden thank you so much for your time,  I look forward to reading more of your work!

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Eden: Thanks for having me here. Ummm….me and the boys are cozy, and Aillil’s never seen a back seat before since he’s from 1763. Mind if we stay awhile? He need enlightening

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Reviewer Jasmine: Umm – It’s your car…

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Eden: lol

Find out more about Eden Winters and her books at Torquere Books

Angel of 13th Street

by Eden Winters

Publisher Torquere Books

Synopsis

The Angel. That’s what the young hustlers call Noah Everett, the man who’ll help them get off the streets. Once a hustler himself, Noah doesn’t take his own good advice, which is, “Don’t let this ruin your life.” Haunted by the past and those he couldn’t save, Noah carefully keeps others at bay until his self-imposed loneliness is shattered by determined, ambitious, but homeless eighteen-year-old Jeremy Kincaid.

A ruthless pimp has targeted Jeremy, but if Noah will fight to get anonymous young men out of the life, he’ll fight harder to keep Jeremy from getting in, even if it means a return to old stomping grounds to make a deal with the devil. To save Jeremy, Noah risks more than just his body. He risks his soul as well, because Willie Carnell, pimp, was once Billy Cordell, Noah’s lover.

Angel of 13th Street by Eden Winters Review

Review by Missy

5/5 Whips

Bravo!  No joke.  Angel of 13th Street is a well executed, complex story that makes this world of semi-underground male prostitution believable.  Maybe believable is not the best word, perhaps there are others that work better, like accessible, relatable,  insightful?  Okay, maybe not 100% of the time, but as a reader I was there with our main character Noah every second and drawn into his story and struggle.

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As for the young man, Jeremy, who falls into his life there were a few issues with him as the catalyst to the story.  He is being followed by a former lover who would like to recruit him to work the street corner.  That is when the “Angel” steps in.  Noah and Jeremy have a believable attraction – though I might have been happier if the younger half of the couple had a few more years on him.  You can be 20 and still look young.  But his age worked for the story, and to stop the city pimp from bothering Jeremy, it forces Noah back into the lions den to see HIS former lover.

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Which brings me to the elusive Billy Cordell/Willie Carnell.  I do NOT want him to be elusive.  I loved the snap shots we see in flashback of Noah and the then called Billy as lovers.  If there was one disappointment with the book it was that there was not enough interaction between Noah and the now called Willie.  Their dynamic was the most interesting element of the whole tale.  That was an area I would have explored happily in the story.  Oh, and is Willie really an intimidating enough name for a bad ass pimp?  Who is afraid of the big, bad, Willie?

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The story is one I could not put down, plan to re-read, and would recommend to any reader who enjoys M/M and is willing to look into the darker side.   I really can not call it a happy story, but it is uplifting in its own way.  It is easy to fall in love with Noah.  It is also hard NOT to fall a little in love with Billy, and even Willie.  What can I say?  I am a sucker for a man who pines for his lost love.  Adore the book, and I will be searching for more by this author.

- Missy