Friday Recs

Totally did not get around to this last Friday ^^;;

This book is a bit on the odd side, and I definitely don’t think everyone would like it. Wild west + magic + Azetc gods = one hell of an interesting book. But it’s not a quick read, convoluted, violent, and the back and forth in the timeline thing can drive some people up the wall.

That being said, the characters all kick ass. Chess. OMG Chess. That is one crazy ass bastard. Gay, flamboyant, proud of it (in the wild goddamn west) and will kill anything that so much as blocks his view of a door. Crazy motherfucker and he’s AWESOME. The narrator, Ed, is odd for a narrator. Very quiet, very background, almost, for the main voice of the book. But that suits him, suits the book. Even Rook is cool in his own you fucking asshole way. And not a one of them is easily slotted as good or bad guy. GOD I want the second and third books, but I must wait until bills and shit are paid. SULK SULK SULK.

If you don’t like horror, or books that tend toward convoluted, avoid this. But it’s the best book rec I’ve been given in forever and I loved the fuck out of it.

As I have oft said, I am Sasha’s biggest fan. If I did not live with her, I would stalk her quite ruthlessly. Mutual stalking may actually have been how we met, hmm. Anyway, What Matters Most is her newest release at LT3 and I loved it from the first draft ^___^ I always liked this one because it’s about a man who has done his best to stand up for a cause (oddly apropos, given the Hop), and now is dealing with the fallout of taking that stand.

I’ll be honest and say that I first rejected Heart’s Home because I hate the cover. It completely undermines the book, IMHO, and it’s a really good book. My only real quibble was that the werewolf got a little repetitive in his emoing/whining. But it’s a minor thing, and subject to personal pref. I loved the setting, I loved it happened AFTER Jack the Ripper and the way that affected things. Loved the characters. But if I hadn’t happened to read a post where the author was guest blogging and really liked it, I probably never would have bought it b/c of that bodice ripper cover. It is worth reading, though, so don’t be petty like me.

Love this author duo. I recently reread Room at the Top, and have been looking forward to Rock and a Hard Place. Definitely worth the wait ^__^ It’s not really enemies to lovers, per se, but it is ‘coworkers who loathe each other for no good reason and finally figure that out’ which is close enough. Absolutely loved when they were trapped on the island. So well done, I loved they were not somehow survival experts and could make fun of themselves for that, and still scrape by and all. My fav part of the book, though the rest of it is just as solid.

Wasn’t sure about this book a couple of times, but it’s hard not to fall in love with the chars eventually. They both kind of make you want to reach into the pages and choke them a couple of times, but then you’d feel bad and be compelled to make them cookies or something. I loved the premise, I like neither character is all sparkles and light, but once they stop fucking up and misunderstanding they’re really cute–and watching them fuck up is hilarious at some point, and headdesk at others. Loved how it all played out.
 
 
 
 
 

I almost did not read these books because the Silver Publishing website has became a source of frustration for me -_- It took me two hours to buy these four books. The sad part is that I was going to buy the whole set. But I could never find WHERE to buy the whole set. I felt dumb for not being able to figure it out. And every single page takes forever to load. By the time I got these four, I was ready to throw my computer across the room (and this is why the links go to ARe).

These four were all wonderful reads. My favorite is Always MJ, b/c fuck am I sucker for the premise. I won’t spoil the secret admirer, but when I realized who it was I was sold. Totally biased and in love. I’ve read it like three times. Taxes and TARDIS, so fucking adorkable. I’ve read some reviews that the end was overwrought, but I ate that shit right up. Prove Me Wrong was one I bought not sure if I’d like it, but the MC is so much love. Watching him fall is the cutest, most hilarious thing ever. The psychic touch was very well done. Don’t Judge a Book was the most serious of the lot, and I really liked both chars: their insecurities, the way they both behaved (often poorly) and how in the end they actually got it all to work. Much love to all these authors.
 
 
 
And … that appears to be it. I thought I had more. But double checking my lists, I see there were like five other books that I read, but am not inclined to rec.

Books I plan to buy once I have money again:

One Small Thing
The Chimera Affair
Mourning Jack
Sub-mission
The next two Hexslinger books :3
Armed & Dangerous (I am kind of nervous of reading this series, cause I loved the first one and don’t want to ruin it, but the latest one is out so I feel it’s time).

There are others, and we won’t discuss the books I have that I still need to read ^^;;; Oh, to have a week off just to catch up on my reading.

Everyone enjoy the weekend ^__^ I’m going back to torturing Jet and Jason. I don’t know why anyone allows me to write contemporary, I really don’t take it seriously enough.

Hop Against Homophobia

Live for the next four days, definitely stop by all the sites you’re able, there’s a truly awe inspiring amount of goodwill and support.

The LT3 crew is participating:

LT3 Blog
Samantha
Sasha
Me

And follow the Hop image link to check out the other blogs.

Print Book Giveaways

So I am finally catching up on all the print books I have to do, and thought that with a few of them I would do giveaways ^__^ Impractical and Deceived are live and GTG, Sword of the King is still pending. When the Lost Gods are ready, those are getting a very special, very fucking awesome giveaway, so stay tuned. For now:

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Deceived by Megan Derr

Deceived

by Megan Derr

Giveaway ends May 31, 2012.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Impractical by Megan Derr

Impractical

by Megan Derr

Giveaway ends May 31, 2012.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Bad Moon Rising (Yay Werewolves) :D

So the Bad Moon Rising serial is nearing completion. After the current story, there are only two left to go. Mine is the very last one, and I’m pleased with it. My nonsensical, fluffy stories are always among my favorites. Am very pleased with the revamped cover, too. The first one was done in a rush, and not very good, but the final version pleases me.

It’s a good mix of stories, so if you like werewolves, definitely grab it when it comes out the end of August ^__^

Excerpt from my story, The Werewolf of Grey Lake Inn

“I don’t care what he does for a living,” Astor snapped, taking a right turn a little harder than he had meant, his driving suffering for his temper. He corrected himself, took a deep breath, and went back to yelling at his idiot cousin. Talking or shouting sense into Amanda was an exercise in futility, but still he had to try. “That man is a trial by jury waiting to happen, and you are only proving yourself to be a nitwit—”

He jerked as she slammed her phone down on him. Flipped his to silent, he then threw it on the passenger seat in disgust. May whatever deities existed save him from the aggravations of family. He gave it a month before Amanda went running home in tears because her new perfect, wonderful, wealthy lawyer boyfriend turned out to be scum precisely as Astor had tried to tell her. He could spot bad news at a hundred yards, but did anyone listen to him? No.

Disgusted, fed up, and in sore need of a beer, Astor hit the gas and sped up the mountain, moderately soothed by the growl and purr and smooth motion of his bright blue corvette. He could not wait to reach the inn where he would be spending the next month, doing research for his next book. Heaven was definitely an entire month of not having to attempt to counter the rampant stupidity afflicting the rest of his family.

He could focus on ghosts and his own rampant stupidity; it would almost be a nice change.

The parking lot was mostly empty when he reached the inn, and Astor felt more than justified in stealing two to parking space for his car. If there was so much as a scratch on his baby when he left there, he’d add some new ghosts to the collection. He put the top up on his car and gathered up his jacket, duffle bag, and phone from the passenger seat. He stalked toward the inn—

—And stopped in his tracks as his eyes landed on a familiar car. He would know that dark blue BMW anywhere, even pretending for a moment that he didn’t have the license memorized. What the hell was Tennyson doing there? He was supposed to be fourteen hours away, at home. Astor had picked the Grey Lake Inn precisely because the ‘prime ghost viewing time’ was during Christmas and so no one would bother to visit him or check up on him. He had planned to bury himself in the mountains for a month to work on his books and finally try to stop being in love with his agent.

He should have known that the day would be a wash when he woke up to find that Casper had run away. Stupid, useless, ungrateful feline. Who needed the mouthy, troublemaking ball of fluff anyway? Stifling a sigh because sighing would accomplish nothing, Astor slung his duffle over one shoulder and trudged toward the inn.

Friday Recs

Hello, peeps ^__^ Am nearly all settled here in North Carolina. Normal schedule resumes on Monday. But I have been spending a lot of my evenings readings, since I’m too tired to do anything else. I’ve read some really good books, and after I watch Avengers 10 times today I hope to read some more :3

Onward!

Magical species must never mix. According to the rules, Simon Osborne should ignore the children’s cries for help. After all, they’re werewolf cubs, and he’s an apprentice mage. But for once in his life, Simon breaks the rules and rescues the cubs, saving them from a demon intent on draining them of their magic.

Of course, all actions have consequences, and Simon’s bold move earns him the displeasure of his peers and the attention of the cubs’ alpha, a man named Gray Townsend.

The last thing Gray needs is a mage in his life, but Simon did save his son. Since Simon is now a friend of the pack, Gray doesn’t have much choice about it—or the forbidden attraction that goes along with it. Unfortunately for the alpha, he needs Simon’s help to track down the demon behind the kidnappings—before it strikes again. Simon and Gray must join forces to protect the pack, even as they struggle to resist the temptation that threatens to destroy them both.

Definitely my favorite of the latest bunch, and likely a top favorite. I love the characters, especially Simon. I like the world, and the way each group is so isolated that they know nothing about each other. I absolutely love the way they do not spend the entire damn book mistrusting and arguing and all that crap. They act like adults, not drama queens. Simon and Gray are awesome, the children are love, and I so cannot wait to see more books from this verse. Definitely going to get the paperback version of this one when I have that kind of money again ^__^

Christo’s life fell apart when his partner of eight years walked out on him. There wasn’t even a reason for it: sometimes love just fades, as quickly and mysteriously as it appears in the first place.

Enter Damien. Damien’s the guy with a different man on his arm for every event, he’s smooth and arrogant and always impeccably turned out. Christo hates him. But God, he’s gorgeous. Damien could be exactly what Christo needs to get him over John.

It’s only going to be a fling. Nothing serious, nothing that will affect their working relationship or the rest of their lives. So why are they fighting through the night rather than letting go and walking away? Why does Damien’s secretive nature bug Christo so much? And why does he even care that the other man might not be as tough as he pretends to be?

This was a very close runner up for top fav in the bunch. I grabbed this one on a whim because I like office stories and the whole rivals-to-lovers thing. It wound up being a very kick ass book. I’m totally in love with Damien, my god that boy <3 I like Christo, too, and all his insecurities and the way he's too hard on himself and misconstrues so much. Lovely story from start to finish.

Another urban paranormal series, and I really fucking love it. The first book is about a guy who is kidnapped and enslaved in a secret lab as a lab rat. This book is a threesome, and it’s a good one, which is a nice change when so many menage and poly stories I read disappoint. Love all the characters, love the paranormal elements. The second book is just as good, and involves a detective from the Society in the first one. He’s a total woobie and I love him to fucking death. Based on when these books came out, I am fervently hoping that a certain other char will be getting his story this September. We shall see.

I don’t usually go much for westerns, but I do love ‘male order bride’ type stories, and they’re pretty rare. This one did an excellent job I think. Only minor quibbles are that it could have been shorter, and the end was a little too bullet point. But overall, an awesome read.

Conviction latest in the Dominion series, which is so very much worth reading. I love the entire series, and have been looking forward to this addition. It did not disappoint ^__^

I honestly bought Alexios’ Fate thinking it would be total crack, and it’s definitely crack, but the author totally carried it and I wound up really liking this book. I’m curious to see what is next, since it’s apparently a series :3

JackMagic is another book that surprised me. A very cute, easy read. Given all the books I have to read are looong, finding the occasional cute short like this really makes me happy.

And that’s all for now, peeps ^__^ Everyone enjoy their weekend! <3

Moving: Final Stages

Alright, Peeps.

From here on in, I and the rest of LT3 are mostly out. Tomorrow is our double update night (see LT3 if you have not seen that announcement/explanation the past two months), and after that we are gone, baby gone until we return to work on May 7th. If you need me today or tomorrow, email. After Tuesday night, you can email, but it’s a pretty safe bet I won’t get back to you any time soon (we’ll be moving Thurs/Friday, and after that is lots of unpacking/settling, and we don’t even get internet in the new place until the 30th).

So speak now or wait until the seventh :3 Don’t have too much fun without us!

Friday Recs

Recs this week are late, sorry ^^ Was busy writing; the closer I get to the end the slower it goes, I swear.

Anyway, recs. Not many this week, see above, but there were a few good ones ^__^

My absolute fav, and one of the best werewolf books I’ve read in a while:

Leon’s drifter lifestyle gives him the freedom to attend as many music festivals as his heart desires. Even the ones that leave him covered in feathers. Wet feathers, thanks to the rain as he hitchhikes back to his hostel. When he’s offered a ride by a good-looking man in a Porsche, Leon thinks it’s his lucky night. Until he discovers his savior from the storm hides a dark secret: he’s a werewolf.

At first glance, Christoph thinks the shaggy stranger walking Berlin’s streets is a rogue werewolf. By the time he realizes his mistake, it’s too late for both of them. Forced to turn Leon into a monster to save his life, Christoph still has to suffer his pack leader’s brutal punishment for endangering them all.

Leon awakens, horrified by what he’s become—but it’s his lover’s fate that spurs him to action. Freeing Christoph is easy, but the aftermath complicates everything as they go on the run, desperate to uncover the secrets their pack leader is hiding. Secrets the pack will kill to protect…

JL Merrow does awesome first person–how it should be done. Loved the MC and his love interest, the way their relationship goes down. The entire thing with the werewolves was creative, loved the twist with the main villain. Absolutely kick ass story.

I honestly did not expect to The Gladiator’s Master, but I gave it a try because I like the authors. I’m glad I took the risk, because it turned out to be a very good book ^__^ The characters are what most often make it or break it for me, and these chars made it. It’s a premise that is too often fucked up, but these two authors proved it can be done very well indeed.

My last book is Death, the final in T.A. Chase’s Four Horsemen. It’s a great final story, and Death remains my favorite of the four ^__^ (though, if I got to pick amongst five, it would so be Lam and I hope she writes his book soon :D ). As I’ve said before, it’s a fun series and a cool take on the Four Horsemen. Chase is also one of those who can take a problem like drug addiction and let you see all sides of it without being lecturing on any one aspect. I’m so often put off books that entail drugs etc. b/c I feel like the author is lecturing me. Chase never does that. I always love her chars. This was a great series to spend time on.

And now, I am off to read some more. Tomorrow, lots and lots of packing x_x

Friday Recs

England, 1588. When a fairy betrothal ritual goes wrong, village lad Tam is bonded to Herne the Hunter. Warrior, legend, and Greenwood spirit, Herne once led the terrifying Wild Hunt, an army of the undead who rode as harbingers of doom. When his passions are stirred and his blood is up, Herne sports the antlers of a mighty stag.

Herne could be the dominant lover Tam secretly craves, but Herne’s past makes Tam fear the brooding warrior will enslave or kill him. While Herne admires Tam’s toughness and humor, he has rejected love — as he has sworn off leading the Wild Hunt — and wishes only for solitude. To break their betrothal, they must travel into the Greenwood, a realm of magic and bondage where their desires for each other grow dangerously irresistible, and the Wild Hunt bays for their blood.

As the threat rises, Herne’s mastery and compassion realize Tam’s darkest sexual fantasies. Soon he’s no longer fighting for his freedom, wishing to be bound to the beast forever. But can Herne’s tortured heart be reawakened? And if so, will their love destroy them both, or prove Herne the Hunter’s greatest weapon?

Publisher’s Note: This book contains explicit sexual situations, graphic language, and material that some readers may find objectionable: BDSM theme and elements (binding, spanking), dubious consent, exhibitionism, male/male sexual practices, violence, voyeurism.

This book was definitely my favorite of the week ^__^ I love Kay’s Greenwood books, and cannot wait for a third one. Absolutely loved the main characters, especially Herne, who wins the prize for Longest Sulk. The fairies crack me up. The Wild Hunt was awesome in how much I hated their creepy asses. Excellent book.

Daybreak is the fourth book in Anna Mayle’s Stolen Child series. It’s a direct sequel to the first one, and a very good one. If you like things more twisted, definitely pick this series up ^__^ The author will be guest blogging with me on the 16th, so stay tuned :3

Written in the Stars is a fun book about a guy who after losing his job/reputation, winds up working for a friend at his magazine, writing editorials and the astrology column (which he HATES). He winds up going on a series of dates to disprove astrology, and the entire growing relationship between him and his friend is hysterical and adorkable. Only minor complaint is that the story went on a little long. But it’s still very much worth reading. The MC is fucking hysterical.

Sequel to Moonlight Becomes You, about the bad boy of the band :3 It’s a good story, especially the way it did not drag out the rehab thing forever. It was a starting point, then moved on. The MC and his love interest are really cute, especially the way poor Nick just does not know what he’s doing. Piper and MJ do very good rockstar stories (very good stories period) and this one is worth grabbing whether you’re a fan of the genre or not. I really do adore Nick and the way he does try so hard. He’s much with the love ^_^

I really liked the first two stories in this collection, Hey Baby and Cupid Darling. Both authors wrote stories that they could have rushed, could have made all smexy times and awful, but they held their pace, executed them beautifully, and I especially loved the ending of Cupid. The third story, Sweetie isn’t awful. It’s definitely cute, it just felt there was too much all at once for it to be believable. But if you like short stories (as I do, but they are fucking impossible to find anymore), this book is worth grabbing.
 
 
 
 

In the sci-fi category we have a space romp and a post-apoc.

Tian’s Hero is why it pays to read books that do not meet your preferences/standards/whathaveyou. I honestly noticed this book because one: I follow the author on twitter and like her, and two: I saw it was a threesome and good threesomes are really fucking hard to find. But it’s sci-fi, still not my fav genre (though I’m reading it a hell of a lot more than I used to) and it did come with a rape warning (which is not a deal break, but makes me leery). The writing style for this book took a bit of getting used to it, but is a lot of fun once you get the rhythm of it. I love all three of the MCs. The story was interesting in the way it went from the ship to the planet, how everything came together and played out. Even the mpreg didn’t bother me, b/c I loved the chars so much and honestly there were points they were fucking hysterical.

Bitter Harvest I enjoyed b/c it would have been easy for this book to be done very poorly. The author pulled all the elements together, even the way sex is used to transmit the nanos that turn you into creepy bee people. Loved the world, she really nailed the setting. Adored both of the MCs, the one for being So Serious and the other for being a total slut, and both in the end utter dorks and woobies.

And that’s all for this week ^___^ Take care, peeps <3

Poll: Rockstar Anthology

So as many know, Less Than Three Press has put out a call for rockstar stories ^__^ They’ll run as one of our popular serial anthologies :D Click on the pic for more information! Write us a shiny! :3

Now, my dilemma is this: what should I write for it? I have two ideas, and cannot decide between them. So if you are inclined, my darling readers, you can help me decide ^__^

What should Megan write for Rocking Hard?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

New Release: Sword of the King


Dragons are amongst the most feared creatures in the paranormal world, nigh unbeatable and barely controllable. Every year, countless men and women who bear dragon potential are stolen away and turned into beasts, their former lives lost forever. They are drugged to compliance and trained to fight in the notorious pits for the profit of the crime lords who breed them.

Blaze has been a pit fighter all his life, and it is a life he hates. The only thing that keeps him going is that if he stops, he risks losing the only thing that matters to him: his dragon, Erie. Though pit rules say it’s a bad idea to get too close to the dragons, Blaze has never been able to help it. He’ll do anything to protect Erie.

Ken and his dragon Nevada were once victims of the pits, stolen from their normal lives and made to fight. Now, they work to bring down the pits they despise, though the battle seems futile. Everyone who has ever tried has wound up dead. Stopping the pit fights once and for all would take a miracle—or a legend.

This book was an arduous write. I had to stop and start more times than I care to admit because the damn thing just would not cooperate. There was one chapter I had to rewrite twice (once to fix stuff, once b/c my computer ate it). I was four chapters in when I realized I needed to add a POV, then I had to go back and redo everything to account for that. Every time I thought I was on track, something else would blow up in my face. At this point, I honestly hate looking at it. Some stories lay down nice and smooth. Other stories make you want to quit. Most fall somewhere in between the two.

But though I hate looking at it right now, the fact I still beat it into submission pleases me. I’m very happy with this story, and can’t wait until I’m able to do more with my DwtD dragons. It’s not a story for everyone, but for those who do pick it up, I hope you like it ^___^