Archive for the ‘Torquere Publishing’ Category

Alphabet Soup

by CB Conwy

Publisher:  Torquere Press (April 27, 2011)

ISBN:  9781610402101

Andy knows exactly what he needs: scenes hard enough to take him out of himself. Then he meets CK, and everything is turned upside down. CK is relaxed and gentle and nothing like what Andy’s looking for. Despite that, or maybe because of it, Andy’s still attracted to the stranger. CK is new to the city and the club, but definitely not to the scene. Andy’s ideas of BDSM are very different from CK’s, but there’s still something about the man that draws CK. Something fascinating and completely unpredictable. The results can be amazing scenes or complete disasters. Andy is difficult to get to know, and CK has to work hard to find the reason for Andy’s erratic behavior. CK is nothing if not stubborn, though. He’s very determined to help Andy, and Andy’s ready for it, but there’s so much Andy’s trying to forget. Like the conscientious Dom he is, CK guides Andy’s recovery, one scene at a time. Very much against his principles, CK finds himself falling in love with the man he’s trying to help. Now he has to fight not only Andy’s past, but his own conscience as well.

Buy “Alphabet Soup” by CB Conwy:  Amazon

Guest post from CB Conwy:

Keep it real

Believe it or not, this has been my motto for a while now. Probably to my readers’ surprise. Because this world of ours – Romanceland – peopled by thoughtful, interesting, hot men is anything but realistic. These guys don’t have bad hair days, they don’t fuck up at work, and they certainly don’t have to spend the evening cleaning their kitchen. In Romanceland, floors are magically swept and morning breath is as fragrant as… Sorry, I’m all out of metaphors. Insert something flowery here; the author part of my brain doesn’t work during allergy season.

Let me get this straight: There’s nothing wrong with Romanceland. When I read a romance novel, I don’t want realism; I want to be in a world where there’s a kindred spirit as well as a happy ending for all of us. Yeah, it’s escapism. So what? Real life can be a bitch; sometimes you just want to run as fast as you can.

But I want it to be a good escape. I want my characters to be real enough that I can imagine meeting them on the train (I often do exactly that when I’m commuting, as a matter of fact. For your information, I’m not a crazy lady talking to herself; I’m talking to my fictional friends, thank you very much).

This is why my characters in my latest book, Alphabet Soup, are less than perfect. CK is an amazing man, but he fucks up. Badly. So does Andy, the other main character. And that’s the way I want it. I might want to lose myself in beautiful, hot, romantic stories, but they have to be convincing – whether I read them or write them. The characters might be larger than life, but they have to be believable. They have to feel real.

And hey, I still hope to meet my own personal Mischa somewhere, sometime.

I love to hear what my readers think of Romanceland, reality, and my books, so don’t hesitate to contact me at cbconwy@yahoo.co.uk.

Buy “Alphabet Soup” by CB Conwy:  Amazon

The Amethyst Eye

by Julia Talbot

Publisher: Torquere Books
ISBN: 978-1-61040-157-9

Jared might be physically blind, but he has the amethyst eye his granny gave him, and there are things he can see perfectly well. When a mysterious stranger starts following him around the city, Jared knows that changes are coming, and he might just be looking forward to the excitement. Dante is more than willing to give Jared what he needs. It’s been a long time since anyone has seen Dante for what he really is, and he knows it might be Jared, not the eye, who has all the magic he wants.

The Amethyst Eye by Julia Talbot

Book Review by Jasmine

3/4/5 Whips in the Backseat

The Amethyst Eye by Julia Talbot is a book that needed multiple ratings in my opinion. Why you ask? Well because elements were great while others were lacking. The characters: Engaging, well developed emotionally. I felt for them and the attraction between them was fast and furious.  Another thing to like – the scenes between Jared and Dante are Hot Hot HOT! So on that front there was not a thing missing – 5/5

World building? Believability? 3/5 – Again you ask why? Well the magic and the blood sucker and the lack of explanation for any of those things. What does it mean to be a vampire in this world? Are they just flying below the radar? Jared isn’t interested enough to ask? What happens when you walk hand in hand into the sunset? I was left with a lot of questions that did not match up with the happy reader feeling I got from the emotions between characters at their immediate attraction in The Amethyst eye.

So in the end – the average is 4/5 whips in the Backseat

The Alpha Bet

by Cassidy Ryan

Publisher Torquere Books

In a casino at Lake Tahoe, West and Grey make a very private bet that results in West spending twenty four hours catering to Grey’s every little whim. He’s always been happily vanilla, but West discovers a taste for something a touch spicier as a result of his lost wager.

The Alpha Bet by Cassidy Ryan

Book Review by Jasmine

4/5 Whips in the Backseat

The Alpha Bet by Cassidy Ryan is certainly a hot read. A light BDSM element plays a role without being the most important element in the book. West and Grey are in a committed relationship and because of a wager between them things spice up and we see a little more clearly Grey’s needs. There was a little too much tell when it came to their relationship history, but once the action gets going everything clicked together.

SPOILER AND REVIEWER RANT NOT UNRELATED TO THE STORY

Okay fellow readers here is what really throws me out of a book or story. Unbelievable timelines!

That movie the Proposal – He worked for her way – way – way too long for me to believe that he might make the jump to loving her. Shorter time I would have believed it. And I have felt this way about a lot of books. If something had come out sooner I would have believed it.

Reguarding

The

Alpha

Bet

- Okay wanted to make sure my spoiler was not seen by those reading the review, -

Grey has kept his dominant desires from West for three years! Three! Two I can believe, but holding that in for 36 months? It was just a little too long. I get that he loves West, and that he was scared that this might scare him away, but still. to not hint or try to put his desire to dominate his partner forward even a little threw me out of the story a bit.

It happens occasionally in a story that I am unable to suspend my disbelief, and once I am thrown off, well there is almost no way to bring me back all the way into the world of the book. – This is not to say that the author did anything wrong – or that this might bother other readers, but for me…

- Jasmine

Join us in meeting some of the new authors on the scene every Friday.  Hear what the newbies have to say and discover the voice of a new author.

1 – How well do you really know your characters?  Underwear preference?  Favorite flavor of ice cream?  Coffee or Tea?
That’s an easy one. There are two main characters, Janus and Alcaeus, and I know them as well as I know the keys on my keyboard. (I’m very unfamiliar with the back of my hand). Janus is a tea drinker, especially herbal or green tea, and he takes it with honey. He’s not a fan of sweets but he loves anything citrusy – lemons, limes, grapefruit, and oranges especially. As for underwear, well, I guess you could say he goes commando. This time period doesn’t really have boxers or briefs. Alcaeus however, is a coffee drinker doused in milk and sugar and if ice cream was to be had, he’d be a Neapolitan kind of guy. But really, he loves pie with pretty much any fruit you can stuff in it, though he favors strawberries over anything else, especially when his sister, Ceres, is the one who makes it.

2 – What music are you listening to lately?
Recently, I’ve been listening to Linkin Park’s A Thousand Suns on constant repeat. I think it’s a fantastic album and the songs really drive the muses. They’ve been a great push for the recent novels I’ve been working on, especially Iridescent and Burning in the Skies. Three Days Grace also had a new album in 2009, Life Starts Now, which I’ve recently discovered and it has been filling my ears as well. Join those with a nice mix of Evanescence, Breaking Benjamin, and any decent movie soundtrack and I’m always listening to something.

 3 - Classic Novel you would like to see turned into a movie?
Well, I don’t know if you would call this a classic, but it’s a classic to me… Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. I’m worried about what Hollywood might do and edit from the story, but it’s my absolute favorite science-fiction book and one I read probably three times a year. I really need to replace my current copy because it’s so worn it’s falling apart. I’ve heard rumors that they are making it a movie, but I’ve not seen a trailer yet so I’m not holding my breath. But the day I do see one, you can guarantee I’ll be there on opening night with all the other Sci-Fi geeks.

4 – Favorite Superhero?
That’s an easy one. I’d have to say Batman. I’ll take him in pretty much any shape and form I can get him, whether comic book or cartoon or live-action film though my favorite would have to be Kevin Conroy. He’s been the voice actor for Batman/Bruce Wayne since 1992 in nearly every animated incarnation of the superhero and was the first person in animation to alter his voice for the two different personas of Bruce Wayne and Batman. Needless to say, I can often be found arguing with Superman fans over whose better, Batman or Superman. (Batman naturally)

5 – What did you do to celebrate when your first book was published?
 Well, right around the time my first book was published, I was in transit between jobs and housing. Things were a little complicated and stressful, but I still managed to find time to celebrate. My mother took me to a very nice, very trendy sushi restaurant where I not only ate sushi for the first time but downed way more cocktails than I needed to. Still, it was fun and it’s always amazing to know that your family supports you. A week later, my friend drove down from out of state and she, too, took me to dinner. I ate a lot in celebration.

Bio: Nicole Wilkinson is twenty-four, happily single, and living it up in Charlotte with her mother who needs a bit of a helping hand. Born in Washington State, she was transplanted to the East Coast just before the awful teenage years and often remarks that it was like moving to a different country. She’s only been writing seriously for three years, but reading and writing have always been a passion. Nicole’s first story was written in the fourth grade and was a lively, if not strange, tale about a girl who was being inexplicably chased by spiders. Thankfully, since then, she has moved on to more interesting fare. Starting first with fan fiction that gave her a good basis in story construction, detailing, and editing, she soon shifted into works of her own. After taking a timeout to gain a degree in Environmental Resources – which has absolutely nothing to do with fictional writing whatsoever – she’s now back on track and determined to bring her stories to life.

You can find out more about Nicole Wilkinson here http://dracosdebauchery.tripod.com or here http://dracoqueen22.livejournal.com or get your copy of Nicole Wilkinson’s The Requiem of Janus here http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2666

Welcome Readers!

Join us in meeting some of the new authors on the scene every Friday.  Hear what the newbies have to say and discover the voice of a new author.

How well do you really know your characters?  Underwear preference?  Favorite flavor of ice cream?  Coffee or Tea?

- It depends on the story they came from or how long I’ve worked with them. If it’s a one-shot short, then the best I can give you is a physical description. For my novels and series shorts, I can practically give you their shoe-size and lube preference lol.

What holiday do you look forward to most?

 - Thanksgiving; even though my family is small, it’s nice to have some time together where we can all get together, eat, and relax. Christmas would be a close second, because that’s when I spend time with my friends ^_^ .

If you could live in another time in history when would it be?

 - Hmmm, either feudal Japan or the wild west days of America. It’s a real toss up between the beauty and energy of Japan, with the raw, gritty truth of the American expansion.

If you could choose to time travel would you go forward or backward?

 - Either, really. I’d love to go back and experience life out in the pristine wilderness or maybe learn some wisdom from someone wise. But, I’d also like to see what exactly the future holds, and if my “Stars” setting even comes close to what humans/Terrans become.

What is the scariest part of sending out that first book?

 - Waiting for the first reply back from the editor. You sit there, either waiting by the mail-box or refreshing your e-mail page, and wonder if you sent the right file. Or if your edits were good enough. Or if the story was too intense or not intense enough. Or if something you said turned the editor off for some reason.

 Secret Fantasy, If you were going to be famous for something other then writing what award would you want to win?  Tony? Grammy? Oscar? WWE Championship belt?

- I can just imagine myself, standing on the ropes of the ring, holding up my championship belt for the audience to scream over. Ah, the roar of the crowd…you know, a Nobel prize would be nice too ^_^ .

Bio – “So far as the Galactic Union knows, the being known as Gabriel West is currently being confined somewhere on Mathai’s surface. It is generally assumed that he’s either been captured by the Maa’rish Imperial forces or by his lover’s clan. Little is known about his whereabouts or the identity of this reported lover. Either way, his illegal activities seem to have lessened, for the time being.”

Learn more about Gabriel West here http://gabrielsknife.livejournal.com/ and at www.torquerepress.com 

Touch of a Wolf

By Jez Marrow

Published by: Torquere Publishing

On a rebound from his cheating lover, Matt Winter has sex in a Philadelphia alley with a man packing a gun and sniffing like a coke addict. When Matt’s stranger from the alley lets himself into Matt’s apartment through the window, Matt learns that the man has a badge to go with that gun. Detective John Channing of the Philly PD has been passing as a dirty cop.

Channing needs a safe place to get himself clean and sober so he can be a credible witness in court against a murderer. And he wants sex. The anonymous encounter was not enough for either of them. As Channing goes into withdrawal the hallucinations start, but it’s Matt who wakes up in bed with a wolf. Matt doesn’t believe in werewolves. But then, he doesn’t believe in love at first sight either…

Touch of a Wolf By Jez Marrow

Review By Missy

4.9/5 Whips in the Backseat

Touch of a Wolf by Jez Marrow is not your average shapeshifter book.  For a big part of the book there is no shifting at all.  It starts with an alley encounter and goes on from a sordid start to a heart jerking read.  Strangers getting off on the side of the road is not very sexy.  Snorting coke isn’t either, guns do nothing for me.  It takes a skillful author to overcome my preconceived notions on all three and write a book I could not put down.

This book has drama, suspense, and most importantly emotional depth.  After such a abrupt meeting between our heros the story needs to convince me that these two men have a romance, not just horny tendencies.  At first their attraction is on the surface a improbable match, but sometimes you do meet someone that you are instantly comfortable with.  It happens.  Where the story goes after that needs to get you to the HEA.  Jez Marrow’s book do that and more.

It is a rare, rare book these days that makes me stand up, run to the computer, and say, “I need every book this author has written.  NOW!”  I will be doing that after I write the review because I truly enjoyed Touch of a Wolf by Jez Marrow.