Happy Friday! Reading Day is back this week with frequent guest Jeff Baker, who brings us a short but dark story from a museum. Note from the author: the artist - Bernecky - mentioned at the end is from the show Murphy Brown, for those who remember. :) You can find more about Jeff and his work authorjeffbaker.com
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Happy Friday, everyone! We have reached the end of the week and another Reading Day! This week, I'm reading to you from Ellie Thomas' newest m/m historical - London in the Rain. This time, Ellie takes us to 1930's London, just before the start of WWII. Come have a listen :) London in the Rain by Ellie Thomas JMS Books Books2Read A life of set routine is the norm for Raymond Smith. Now in his mid-thirties, a fleeting wartime romance far behind him, he is an exemplary clerk at a London insurance firm where he’s perceived as dry and conventional. But Raymond has a secret. Every month or so, he visits Charlie’s, one of the more understated bars in Soho's flowering gay scene in the 1930s. There, he seeks relief with strangers to get him through the next few weeks. On one of these visits, he encounters suave David Carstairs, a well-travelled linguist with the Foreign Office. Rather than a brief encounter, David offers him friendship and even affection. Despite Raymond’s misgivings, the two men, with their contrasting backgrounds and experiences, start to form a bond in the spring of 1936 as Europe inexorably begins to march towards war. Will Raymond fearfully reject this chance of happiness? Or can he unbend enough to allow David into his heart and life? About Ellie:
Ellie Thomas lives by the sea. She comes from a teaching background and goes for long seaside walks where she daydreams about history. She is a voracious reader especially about anything historical. She mainly writes historical gay romance. Ellie also writes historical erotic romance as L. E. Thomas. https://elliethomasromance.wordpress.com/ https://www.facebook.com/elliethomasauthor/ We've reached Friday! Hooray! This week, I'm reading to you from a story included in Warren Rochelle's queer speculative fiction anthology, To Bring Him Home And Other Tales. This particular story, "Blue Ghosts", takes place two hundred years in the future, post alien invasion. :o Come have a listen: To Bring Him Home And Other Tales by Warren Rochelle JMS Books Amazon Barnes & Noble Kobo Home, a place where we belong and are safe and loved. Home, the house in which we grew up, a neighborhood, a culture, even a country. Home is a state of mind, it is a place of the heart, and in the heart. Finding home, coming home, and bringing home the one we love is a journey, a journey that can be a dangerous adventure. For the lovers in these stories, adventures can include quests and fighting dragons and demons, past and present, physical as well as mental and emotional. Rocket launchers need to be dodged, the Wild Hunt needs to be outrun. For some of the lovers here, home has been lost, or they have been forced to leave, as is too common for LGBT+ youth. In this collection, queer positive speculative fiction stories explore the idea of what and where home is in the lives of these lovers. Will they survive their quests, defeat their monsters? Will they find a place to call home? About Warren:
Warren Rochelle lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, with his husband and their little dog, Gypsy. He has just retired from teaching English at the University of Mary Washington. His short fiction and poetry have been published in such journals and anthologies as Icarus, North Carolina Literary Review, Forbidden Lines, Aboriginal Science Fiction, Collective Fallout, Queer Fish 2, Empty Oaks, Quantum Fairy Tales, Migration, The Silver Gryphon, Jaelle Her Book, Colonnades, and Graffiti, as well as the Asheville Poetry Review, GW Magazine, Crucible, The Charlotte Poetry Review, and Romance and Beyond. His short story “The Golden Boy” was a finalist for the 2004 Spectrum Award for Short Fiction. His short story “Mirrors” was just published in Under a Green Rose, a queering romance anthology from Cuil Press. “The Latest Thing,” a flash fiction story, is forthcoming in the Queer Sci Fi anthology, Innovation. Rochelle is also the author of four novels: The Wild Boy (2001), Harvest of Changelings (2007), and The Called (2010), all published by Golden Gryphon Press, and The Werewolf and His Boy, published by Samhain Publishing in September 2016 and re-released from JMS Books in August 2020. For more information, please visit facebook.com/warren.rochelle. Happy Friday, All! This week, we have a m/m paranormal on deck for our reading - M.D. Neu's The Calling! Immortals and dangerous visions! Come have a listen: The Calling The Calling #1 by M.D. Neu Ninestar Press Author website Books2Read Being nobody isn’t Duncan Alexander’s life goal, but it’s worked for him. He has a nondescript job, a few good friends, and overall he’s content. That’s until one fateful trip to San Jose, California, where he is ‘Called’ to meet the mysterious Juliet de Exter. Juliet is a beautiful, wealthy, powerful Immortal who is undertaking ‘The Calling’ – a search for a human to join her world of Immortals. Inexplicably, Duncan’s calling is more dangerous than any of the Immortals, even Juliet, ever thought it would be. There is more to this nobody, this only child of long deceased parents, than anyone thought. When Duncan experiences uncontrollable dreams of people he doesn’t know and places he hasn’t been, Juliet and the other Immortals worry. Soon, his visions point to a coven of long dead witches. The dreams also lead Duncan to his one true love. How will Duncan navigate a forbidden romance with an outcast Immortal? How will he and the others keep the balance between the Light and Dark, survive vicious attacks, and keep the humans from learning who they truly are? More importantly, who is this implacable foe Duncan keeps seeing in his dreams? About M.D. :
M.D. Neu is an inclusive international award-winning Gay fiction writer with a love for writing and travel. Living in the heart of Silicon Valley (San Jose, California) and growing up around technology, he’s always been fascinated with what could be. Specifically drawn to sci-fi and paranormal television and novels, M.D. Neu was inspired by the great Gene Roddenberry, George Lucas, Stephen King, Alice Walker, Alfred Hitchcock, Harvey Fierstein, Anne Rice, and Kim Stanley Robinson. An odd combination, but one that has influenced his writing. Growing up in an accepting family as a gay man, he always wondered why there were never stories reflecting who he was. Constantly surrounded by characters that only reflected heterosexual society, M.D. Neu decided he wanted to change that. So, he took to writing, wanting to tell good stories that reflected our diverse world. When M.D. Neu isn’t writing, he works for a nonprofit and travels with his biggest supporter and his harshest critic, Eric, his husband of twenty plus years. Happy Friday, everyone! This week, I have an excerpt from a contemporary romance in a historical place! Making History at Crofton Hall is part of Rebecca Cohen's Crofton Hall books - some of which take place in the past and some today. It's the tenth anniversary of Crofton Hall, too. :D Come have a listen! Making History at Crofton Hall Modern Crofton #2 by Rebecca Cohen Kindle Unlimited Crofton Hall is buzzing with anticipation for the filming of the Secret Histories TV special about a scandalous affair that has been hidden for over four hundred years. The hall's new historian, Dara Callaghan, is drawn not just by the hall's rich history but to TV producer, Nathan Lorimer. Nathan is finally ready to start dating again, several years after the death of his husband. There's something about Dara, a quietly spoken Irishman, and the romance that surrounds Crofton Hall, that makes him want to take a chance. Meanwhile, Ben Redbourn, 16th Earl of Crofton, is trying to persuade his boyfriend Ashley Niven that he'd like to don doublet and hose and play Sebastian to his Anthony. But Ashley's not having any of it... until someone else agrees to the take the part of the 1st Earl of Crofton's lover. This is the second Modern Crofton novel, featuring Benjamin Redbourn, the 16th Earl of Crofton and descendant of Anthony Redbourn, 1st Earl of Crofton from my historical series, The Crofton Chronicles. While designed to be read as a standalone, events that lead to this novel follow chronologically from Saving Crofton Hall. Trigger warnings: discussion of grief and dealing with bereavement Crofton Hall This year marks 10 years of the Crofton universe, The Actor and the Earl first released way back in 2012 and on Februray 24, the newest Crofton novel, Making History at Crofton Hall was released into the world. Start the journey with The Actor and the Earl <3 Marriage of convenience <3 Twins swapping places <3 A virgin and a rogue <3 Elizabethan courtly love <3 Risking it all for a happy ending <3 Inspired by Shakespeare Or the first Modern Saving Crofton Hall <3 Boss/employee <3 Secrets uncovered <3 Very British Gay Rom Com <3 “A Modern, Gayer, Downton Abbey” ;) About Rebecca
REBECCA COHEN spends her days dreaming of a living in a Tudor manor house, or a Georgian mansion. Alas, the closest she comes to this is through her characters in her historical romance novels. She also dreams of intergalactic adventures and fantasy realms, but because she’s not yet got her space or dimensional travel plans finalised, she lives happily in leafy Hertfordshire, England, with her husband and young son. She can often be found with a pen in one hand and sloe gin with lemon tonic in the other. With contemporaries, historicals, sci fi and fantasy in her back catalogue, there should be something for every taste in Rebecca's work. Find Rebecca’s work here: https://www.amazon.com/Rebecca-Cohen/e/B007UEFIXS My social media Facebook Profile https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.cohen.710 Facebook Group: Rebecca’s Ramblings https://www.facebook.com/groups/498970581304907 Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/Rebecca-Cohen-105099898528923 https://twitter.com/R_Cohen_writes https://www.instagram.com/rebeccacohenwriter/ Website https://rebeccacohenwrites.wordpress.com/ Newsletter https://dl.bookfunnel.com/g6xh4q8a8v Get a freebie (Life in the Land) for subscribing
Hello, hello! This week, I have queer steampunky goodness for you from R. J. Theodore! A mysterious ring that's already nothing but bad news, an airship captain who just wants a buyer for the darn thing - come have a listen! :D
Flotsam
The Peridot Shift #1 by R J Theodore Books2Read Captain Talis just wants to keep her airship crew from starving, and maybe scrape up enough cash for some badly needed repairs. When an anonymous client offers a small fortune to root through a pile of atmospheric wreckage, it seems like an easy payday. The job yields an ancient ring, a forbidden secret, and a host of deadly enemies. Now on the run from cultists with powerful allies, Talis needs to unload the ring as quickly as possible. Her desperate search for a buyer and the fallout from her discovery leads to a planetary battle between a secret society, alien forces, and even the gods themselves. Talis and her crew have just one desperate chance to make things right before their potential big score destroys them all.
About R J:
R J Theodore is an author, graphic designer, podcaster, and all-around collector of creative endeavors and hobbies. She enjoys writing about magic-infused technologies, first contact events, and bioluminescing landscapes. Her love of SFF storytelling developed through grabbing for anything-and-everything “unicorn” as a child, but she was subverted by tales of distant solar systems when her brother introduced her to Star Trek: The Next Generation at age seven. A few years later, Sailor Moon taught her stories can have both. She lives in New England, haunted by her childhood cat. Find more information at rjtheodore.com. Author Website: https://rjtheodore.com/ Author Facebook (Author Page): https://facebook.com/RJTheodore Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/bittybittyzap Author Instagram: https://instagram.com/bittybittyzap Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17166271.R_J_Theodore Author Liminal Fiction (LimFic.com): https://www.limfic.com/mbm-book-author/r-j-theodore/ Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B073ZLVGMM Happy Friday, everyone! Come on in for this week's excerpt! This week I'm reading to you from Aldrea Alien's new dark fantasy, Tracking Trouble, part of her Spellsters Universe, in which we meet Tracker himself. World-weary heroes are some of my favorites. :D Come have a listen: Tracking Trouble A Spellster Novel by Aldrea Alien Amazon KU For years, Tracker’s life has had two facets: Hunting spellsters and entertaining strangers in his bed. Few doubt he’s good at both, although only one is considered acceptable amongst the King’s Hounds. His trip to Toptower should be just another task in an endless string of routine. Take down any dangerous spellster he finds and send the timid ones to Demarn’s tower prison. It is a role he was born to play. One he has grown weary of. But there’s something off about the spellsters he’s encountering. The people he typically finds aren’t usually this powerful or anywhere near as lethal to a man immune to magic. It’s as if something, or someone, is releasing them with an eye to weaken an already harried kingdom. To what end, he cannot be certain of. History is littered with the dangers of magic running unchecked. He must uncover the truth, and quickly. But with all leads pointing one way, will he be able to uphold the code of the King’s Hounds once he finds it? About Aldrea:
Aldrea Alien is an award-winning, bisexual author of fantasy romance with varying heat levels. Born and raised in New Zealand, she lives on a small farm with her family, including a menagerie of animals, who are all convinced they're just as human as the next person. Especially the cats. Since discovering a love of writing at the age of twelve, she hasn’t found an ounce of peace from the characters plaguing her mind with all of them clamouring for her to tell their story first. Author Links: Website: https://www.aldreaalien.com Newsletter: http://www.subscribepage.com/GDsignup Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/aldreaalien Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/314283805670626 Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/aldreaalien Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/aldreaalien Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/aldrea-alien Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/aldreaalien Hello, everyone! This week's Reading Day brings us back to the Starship Teapot with all her odd and loveable crew - come have a listen as we walk into the aftermath of a transport job that needed a warning label: Judgement Dave Starship Teapot 2 by SI Clarke Books2Read This time, the universe puts the cat in catastrophe… Lem is adapting to her new home aboard a strange spaceship in an even stranger universe, where the misfit crew of the Teapot have more than enough trouble on their hands running their interplanetary charter service. But when they accept an urgent assignment, they have just one week to save a race of cat-people from certain destruction. Stuck with a disaster-platypus of a project manager and a population seemingly determined to thwart their own rescue, the Teapotters face the impossible job of herding cats and evacuating the planet before it’s blown to smithereens. Can Lem and the gang avert disaster and save this race of infuriating cat-people? Perfect for fans of wacky and imaginative sci-fi stories, this satirical space opera is a ridiculous adventure that will delight readers of John Scalzi’s take on Fuzzy Nation or TJ Berry’s Space Unicorn Blues. Get it now! About SI:
SI CLARKE is a Canadian misanthrope who lives in Deptford, sarf ees London. She shares her home with her partner and an assortment of waifs and strays. When not writing convoluted, inefficient stories, she spends her time telling financial services firms to behave more efficiently. When not doing either of those things, she can be found in the pub or shouting at people online — occasionally practising efficiency by doing both at once. As someone who’s neurodivergent, an immigrant, and the proud owner of an invisible disability, she strives to present a realistically diverse array of characters in her stories. https://www.goodreads.com/clacksee https://twitter.com/clacksee https://www.instagram.com/clacksee_author/ https://www.bookbub.com/authors/si-clarke https://www.readerly.com/readers/clacksee https://whitehartfiction.co.uk/newsletter/ Hello, everyone, and Happy 2022! This week, I have another seasonal offering to share - a bit of historical Christmas escapades from Ellie Thomas's new short, A Midwinter Night's Magic. Former lovers in a forced proximity situation and some Shakespeare! Come have a listen. :) A Midwinter Night's Magic by Ellie Thomas Universal Buy Link In late 18th-century England, when Matthew Lewis accidentally accepts an invitation to a festive country house party, he vows to stay only for as long as is polite. However, not only is there a heavy snowfall to detain him but also, the guests are expected to take part in a recital of A Midsummer Night’s Dream on Christmas Day. If amateur theatricals are not enough to contend with, the unexpected presence of former lover Crispin Marley is sent to try his frayed patience. The pair has had no contact since Crispin abandoned him with no explanation four years previously. Matthew is determined to feel nothing but enmity towards his lost love. But the influence of the play can change everything. Can Puck sprinkle a little fairy magic to bring this warring couple back together? About Ellie:
Ellie Thomas lives by the sea. She comes from a teaching background and goes for long seaside walks where she daydreams about history. She is a voracious reader especially about anything historical. She mainly writes historical gay romance. Ellie also writes historical erotic romance as L. E. Thomas. https://elliethomasromance.wordpress.com/ https://www.facebook.com/elliethomasauthor/ Happy Friday and Merry Christmas Eve for all our readers who celebrate! This week, I have an excerpt to read to you from a Christmas Eve story - hooray! Nell Iris brings us "The Santa Emergency" - come have a listen :) The Santa Emergency by Nell Iris JMS Books Universal Book Link I have a Santa emergency and I desperately need your help. Sigge isn’t exactly a grinch when it comes to Christmas, but he’s not a fan of the holiday either. So when his new neighbor Kristian shows up in a panic, begging him to help by donning a Santa suit, Sigge’s gut reaction is to say no. But Kristian is cute and funny, rendering Sigge powerless against his heartfelt plea—especially after a promise of spending more time together—so he agrees. The instant connection deepens as they share mulled wine and conversation as easy as breathing. But is it just holiday magic swirling in the air, or is it something real? Something that will last into the new year and beyond? About Nell:
Nell Iris is a romantic at heart who believes everyone deserves a happy ending. She’s a bona fide bookworm (learned to read long before she started school), wouldn’t dream of going anywhere without something to read (not even the ladies room), loves music (and singing along at the top of her voice but she’s no Celine Dion), and is a real Star Trek nerd (Make it so). She loves words, bullet journals, poetry, wine, coffee-flavored kisses, and fika (a Swedish cultural thing involving coffee and pastry!) Nell believes passionately in equality for all regardless of race, gender or sexuality, and wants to make the world a better, less hateful, place. Nell is a bisexual Swedish woman married to the love of her life, a proud mama of a grown daughter, and is approaching 50 faster than she’d like. She lives in the south of Sweden where she spends her days thinking up stories about people falling in love. After dreaming about being a writer for most of her life, she finally was in a place where she could pursue her dream and released her first book in 2017. Nell Iris writes gay romance, prefers sweet over angsty, short over long, and quirky characters over alpha males. Find me on social media: Webpage/blog: http://www.nelliris.com/ Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/hnEdVD Twitter: https://twitter.com/nellirisauthor Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nell_iris/ Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/nellirisauthor/ Facebook profile: www.facebook.com/nell.iris.12 Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/nelliris Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/nell-iris |
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About Angel
Angel writes (mostly) Science Fiction and Fantasy centered around queer heroes. Currently living part time in the hectic sprawl of northern Delaware and full time inside her head, she has one husband, one son, two cats, a love of all things beautiful and a terrible addiction to the consumption of both knowledge and chocolate. |
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