L.C. Chase’s Top Five Music Choices for Writing – and Giveaway!


Long and Short Reviews welcomes L.C. Chase who is celebrating the recent release of Waves of Winter, a novella in the World of Love series. Leave a comment and you’re entered to win one of two (2) ebook copies of Waves of Winter!

L.C. Chase’s Top Five Music Choices for Writing – and Giveaway!

I am a huge fan of music. Always have been, always will be. Even though I don’t listen to the thrash metal as much as I used to. 😉 I have music going pretty much all day every day. I have an eclectic selection of genres to choose from, depending on my mood or activity: working out music, housecleaning music, chill bath music, and of course, writing music. I have everything from classical to heavy metal on my ipod, all into “mood” folders. Instead of a specific soundtrack from writing Waves of Winter, I thought might do a top five of the music I listen to while I write.

This was a whole lot harder than I’d imagined, which means it is in no way at all exhaustive. I love far too much music to widdle down to just five. Sometimes I’ll play certain songs on repeat because they so perfectly fit the scene I’m writing. When I really thought about it though, these five get the most overall writing play.

Led Zeppelin

I’m a huge fan of Led Zeppelin, have all their music, and so wish I’d been able to see them live. My favorite albums to listen to while writing are In Through the Outdoor and Physical Graffiti. It’s the mood of the groove that always works for me.

 

The Dark Knight Soundtrack

Composed by Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard. This has been a long-time favorite of mine when writing. While the music does have its dark moods, there is an underlying note of hope and victory. There’s a sense of rising from ones troubles, fighting through the darkness, and coming through the other side stronger, better…free.

 

Spy Game Soundtrack

Composed by Harry Gregson-Williams. I actually can’t quite pinpoint why I love writing to this soundtrack. Maybe because for a spy movie, much of the music is “quiet” for lack of a better word. It runs the gamut from intense and pulse-quickening to softly romantic and relaxing.

 

 

Pride and Prejudice Soundtrack
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Performed by Jean-Yves Thibaudet. Romance is what this soundtrack is all about. I’m honestly not sure I’ve ever heard music quite as beautiful as on this disc. There is so much beauty and light and hope and peace in the notes that is the perfect music to play while writing heartfelt romance. To my ears, this is the sound of falling in love.

 

Ed Sheeran

Because how can one not love Ed? 🙂 I just love his voice and lyrics and groove. Many a song of his has ended up on repeat, perfectly conveying the mood or situation a character found themselves in. He somehow manages to pack a world of emotion into every song.

 

 

The west coast of Vancouver Island is one of the few places to boast world-class winter surfing, and Vancouverite Kellan Tremblay hits the waves as often as possible. On the ferry crossing to the island, he meets Australian Jax Colston. Jax is there for some snowboarding. He’s intrigued to discover that not only is winter surfing a thing, but you can surf and ski in the same day. Sensing a kindred spirit, Kellan offers to play tour guide and gives Jax a place to stay in his spare room.

The two men bond over all things surf and snow, and it isn’t long before their passion for life lands them in bed together. Neither wants the week of cold days and hot nights to end, but Jax has to go home soon. Still, Jax doubts he’ll stay away for long. The draw of fresh powder, the long hot nights and the thrill of just being with Kellan will keep him coming back for a long time….

About the Author:  Cover artist by day, author by night, L.C. Chase is a hopeless romantic, free spirit, and adventure seeker who loves hitting the open road just to see where it takes her. When not writing sensual tales of beautiful men falling in love, she can be found designing romance novel covers, taking photos, drawing, horseback riding, or hiking the trails with her goofy four-legged roommate.

L.C. is a two-time Lambda Literary Award finalist; an EPIC eBook Awards winner for Pickup Men; a nine-time Ariana eBook Cover Art Awards winner, and Bronze winner in Sinfully’s 2014 Reader’s Choice Awards for Cover of the Year. She also won runner-up for Best Gay Contemporary Romance and Best Gay Book in the 2016 Rainbow Awards for A Fortunate Blizzard; honorable mention for Best Gay Contemporary Romance in the 2015 Rainbow Awards for Pulling Leather; and Best Gay Mystery/Thriller in the 2012 Rainbow Awards for Riding with Heaven.

For more info, visit L.C.’s website at www.lcchase.com, sign up for her super sporadic newsletter at https://mailchi.mp/dadf1f743af7/lcchase-book-news, or occasionally find her on facebook at www.facebook.com/authorlcchase.

Where to Buy:

Dreamspinner Press
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Apple Books

Top 5 Recipes (and how they relate to my writing) by Amanda Meuwissen – Guest Blog

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Amanda Meuwissen

Top 5 Recipes (and how they relate to my writing)

Cream Corn Chili

1 lb. hamburger
1, 8 ounce can of tomato paste
1, 10 ounce can of Rotel Diced Tomatoes (with habaneros recommended)
1/3 of an 8-ounce block of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1, 15 ounce can of corn (no salt added recommended)
1, 15 ounce can of black beans (no salt recommended)

Brown hamburger. Drain beans and corn. Add paste and tomatoes to hamburger. Melt cream cheese into hamburger mixture. Add corn and beans. Stir well. Simmer to desired softness of beans. Serve with sour cream or plain.

I love ‘normal’ chili, which of course can be whatever anyone wants it to be. There are chili cookoffs for a reason, spanning heat level, base ingredients, and sometimes specifically looking for out of the norm recipes. I guess I’ve always been out of the norm with my writing, tackling issues and characters not everyone does, but it’s always a ‘delicious’ experience going off the beaten path.

Best Ever Rhubarb Pie

4 cups fresh rhubarb
2 cups sugar
4 tablespoons flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
¼ cup milk
½ teaspoon butter
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2, 9 inch pie shells, unbaked

Preheat oven to 400. Press 1 pie shell into a lightly greased pie tin. Cut rhubarb into small pieces. Mix together sugar, flour, and salt. Beat eggs. Add milk to eggs. Add milk and egg mixture to flour mixture. Add rhubarb. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Use second pie shell to cover the top of the pie, pinching the edges together and adding slits to the top to avoid spill-over. Dot top with butter and cinnamon. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Reduce to 350 and bake for another 45 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream. Also good cold.

I do not have a sweet tooth. I need a potato chip after too much sugar to cleanse my palette. But sometimes nothing is as fulfilling as dessert. I often laugh at how, when I consume certain fiction, such as movies or TV shows, I wish they’d focus less on romantic relationships, yet at the end of the day, my own writing is all about sweet romance for that slice of ‘dessert’.

Perfect Zucchini Muffins

2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups finally shredded zucchini (usually 2 medium-sized zucchini are perfect)

Preheat oven to 375. Grease 12 muffin cups. In a mixing bowl, beat oil with eggs, sugars, and vanilla. Combine flour, soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add to wet ingredients. Stir until blended. Fold in zucchini. Fill muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes. Makes 12.

Don’t be fooled by the vegetables in this meaning you’re being healthy or that they won’t taste incredible. But there’s still some nutritional value. Right? Right…? Sometimes we need indulgence at all times of the day (I usually eat these for breakfast) just like how I write not only every day but often all throughout the day at little needed intervals.
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Saucy Potstickers

Sauce:
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon minced Thai basil leaves
2 green onions, minced
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 cup mirin
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon Sriracha
1 tablespoon freshly minced mint leaves
Filling:
1 pound ground pork
1 tablespoon freshly minced cilantro leaves
1 green onion, minced
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
1 tablespoon finely minced ginger
40 round gyoza wrappers
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

Combine all sauce ingredients and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until time to use. Combine all filling ingredients and mix very well using your hands. Once filling is made, set aside. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Take a gyoza wrapper and put a dollop of filling in the middle. Start pinching in the wrapper all the way around the dumpling to close it up. Arrange the finished dumplings on the cookie sheet. Add oil to a large nonstick skillet. Start adding the dumplings to the pan and turn the heat to medium-high. Brown both sides of dumplings, about 2 minutes each. Reduce heat to medium, add the sauce, cover the pan and steam for 2 minutes. Repeat on other side. Uncover pan and turn over dumplings to coat with sauce. Transfer to a serving dish and enjoy.

This recipe takes patience and time and is generally better with assistance. That’s writing in a nutshell, because even if you’re not an outliner, there is planning that goes into your work, a lot of patience, and the end product is always better with multiple editors and eyes for review.

My husband’s homemade pizza

Yeah sorry, you don’t actually get this recipe, but it is one of my favorites. I can’t give it to you because I don’t know it. It was passed down to my husband from his father, and is a closely kept secret, but we have converted many a nonbeliever that this is some of the best pizza anyone ever has (whatever toppings they might request—except pineapple; that’s unacceptable). Sometimes when writing, you have to hold back, either with your prose or with certain details to be revealed later, making the journey that much more enjoyable.

Mmm… now I’m hungry.

Love is easy once you learn the steps.

In the competitive world of dance, Teddy was a flawless performer and hardass choreographer who students feared and admired in equal measure. But hip surgery ended the glamour and drama, and now Teddy is recovering at his beach house, lost and listless.

Until he meets Finn, his neighbor, who is too perfect, gorgeous, and kind to exist—but very ill timed. In a seaside town as small as theirs, they can’t avoid each other, especially since Finn is also Teddy’s new physical therapist. But Teddy isn’t the man he used to be, and though Finn flirts shamelessly with him, Teddy can’t believe a has-been dancer is worthy of someone so young and full of life.

Finn’s sunny smile is also hiding heartache. Pursuing Teddy challenges both his professionalism and his self-preservation, but if he can convince Teddy to trust him, maybe they both can heal.

About the Author:Amanda Meuwissen is a primarily gay romance writer, as well as Marketing Operations Manager for the software company Outsell. She has a Bachelor of Arts in a personally designed major from St. Olaf College in Creative Writing, and is an avid consumer of fiction through film, prose, and video games. As author of the paranormal romance trilogy The Incubus Saga, the superhero romance duology Lovesick, and much more, Amanda regularly attends local comic conventions for fun and to meet fans, where she will often be seen in costume as one of her favorite fictional characters. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with her husband, John, and their cat, Helga.

Website | Goodreads | Tumblr | Facebook | Twitter

Buy the book at Dreamspinner Press or Amazon.

K.D. Worth’s Top 5 Favorite Things to do Besides Writing – Guest Blog

Long and Short Reviews welcomes K.D. Worth who is celebrating the release of The Lost Souls the third book in the Grim Life series.

K.D. Worth’s Top 5 Favorite things to do besides writing
 

  1. One of my favorite pastimes is gardening. Not flowers so much, but vegetables and herbs. I even grow swiss chard and bell peppers in my front flower beds.
  2. I love music. Like LOVE music. From live concerts to my extensive vinyl collection, I listen to everything from pop to rock to country.
  3. I enjoy cooking. When one grows as much food as I do, they really have to broaden your recipe repertoire, an I’m always scouring the internet for new recipes
  4. I love practicing yoga. It’s not only physically challenging and helps with general pain, it really has a way of clearing the stress from my mind
  5. I enjoy construction projects and am rather handy with power tools. From drills to miter saws, I’ve become quite proficient as my hubby’s apprentice as we’ve remodeled houses and repaired our own

 

THE LOST SOULS

The Grim Life: Book Three

Teenage grim reapers Max and Kody are already dealing with being dead… and now they’re expected to save the world.

With the help of their guardian angel, Slade, and each other, Max and Kody have finally discovered the destiny God planned for them—help the lost souls languishing in purgatory back to heaven. But they’re still growing into their roles. Kody, the Healer, struggles to understand the power born of his empathy, and Max’s abilities as Protector suffer because of longing for his best friend… along with Slade’s dire prediction that Max will lose Kody. So many are depending on them, and they’ll have to summon all the love and faith inside them to face a mass school shooting and bring love and hope to those who need it most.

NOW AVAILABLE!

Buy the book at Amazon, Harmony Ink, Barnes and Noble, Google, or Kobo.

 

Special offer for a limited time:

The Grim Life: FREE and The Wounded Heart: only $.99
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About the Author:K.D. Worth has always considered herself to have the heart of a teenager with an old soul. When not talking to the characters living in her head, she loves to hang out at her favorite townie bar, then go dancing and partying with her husband and friends. There is always music playing in her home, and if it’s too loud, you’re too old! On the flip side, K.D. enjoys spending time in her vegetable garden, canning the food she grows, and making homemade jams and jellies. She also is known to crochet washcloths and blankets for her closest friends and smiles when they tease her for her “grandmotherly” ways. These two different sides to her personality create a layered tapestry of life experience that brings depth and believability to the characters she writes. She loves to hear from her fans almost as much as she loves her cocker spaniels.

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Andrew Grey’s Top Five Reasons for Country Living – Guest Blog


Long and Short Reviews welcomes Andrew Grey who is visiting with us today to celebrate today’s release of Heartward.  See our review for this book here.

I spent some of my childhood in the country and I thought I would give you my…

Top 5 reasons for country living.

1) Its very quiet At night, it’s all about nature. In the summer the trees are decked out with fireflies like it’s Christmas.

2) Pets – There is plenty of room so we always had cats and dogs as well as rabbits and the occasional chicken. (Never again with the chicken. Dang thing was mean.)

3) Neighbors who had horses – need I say more. That was when I learned to ride.

4) Fresh fruit and vegetables. – The neighbors had huge gardens, so there was plenty of fresh stuff.

5) The Amish bakery. – That was where I saw a boy about my own age who years later became the inspiration for Eli. (Eli is a character from Love Means…Simple Gifts and is also a character in this new book)

He doesn’t know that home is where his heart will be….

Firefighter Tyler Banik has seen his share of adventure while working disaster relief with the Red Cross. But now that he’s adopted Abey, he’s ready to leave the danger behind and put down roots. That means returning to his hometown—where the last thing he anticipates is falling for his high school nemesis.

Alan Pettaprin isn’t the boy he used to be. As a business owner and council member, he’s working hard to improve life in Scottville for everyone. Nobody is more surprised than Alan when Tyler returns, but he’s glad. For him, it’s a chance to set things right. Little does he guess he and Tyler will find the missing pieces of themselves in each other. Old rivalries are left in the ashes, passion burns bright, and the possibility for a future together stretches in front of them….

But not everyone in town is glad to see Tyler return….

Enjoy an Excerpt

A soft poke on the shoulder woke him, followed by another. Then a giggle and footsteps on the floor. Tyler kept his eyes closed, listening for another giggle and waiting for a pounce. When it came, Tyler held Abey as he tugged him up onto the bed, to much laughter. It had taken months to hear that expression of joy, and it rang in Tyler’s ears as the most wonderful sound on earth.

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Abey immediately stilled, grew silent, and then buried his face in the covers.

“That’s your grandma. She’s really nice. I promise.” Tyler held Abey closer and waited for him to lift his face out of the blankets. “It’s okay.” He sat up and lifted Abey along with him. He went right to him, burying his face in Tyler’s neck.

“I’m making you something to eat,” his mom said quietly.

“Thanks. I’m going to get him cleaned up, and then we’ll be out.” He held Abey tightly and grabbed some of their stuff. He had gotten used to doing a lot of tasks one-handed, and once his mom had gone and closed the door, Abey let Tyler put him down. Tyler grabbed some fresh clothes and things, then headed to the bathroom with Abey.

Tyler got Abey washed up and helped him dress. Abey wanted to do it himself, which took three times as long, but Tyler could be patient and was relieved that Abey was acting a little more like a normal three-year-old. “Are you hungry?”

Abey nodded.

“Grandma is making us something to eat.” Tyler knelt down right in front of him. “Your grandma is very nice, and she is going to love you a lot. I promise.” God, he wished he knew if Abey understood him at all. Most of the time, he talked but thought all of it went right over Abey’s head. Not that he could blame him. This entire situation was difficult for both of them, but all the change for Abey had to be overwhelming his young mind.

Abey hugged him around the neck, and Tyler lifted him up. Few things in the world were as rewarding as those hugs. He carried Abey out of the bathroom and back to the bedroom, where Tyler changed quickly and took Abey into the kitchen.

About the Author: Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and works in information systems for a large corporation.

Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing) He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Amazon Author Page | Barnes and Noble Page | Dreamspinner Press | Facebook | Facebook Group All the Way with Andrew Grey | Goodreads | Twitter @andrewgreybooks | Website
Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or DreamSpinner Press.

 

Top Five Favorite Recipes by KD Fisher – Guest Blog and Giveaway

Long and Short Reviews welcomes KD Fisher who is celebrating yesterday’s release of A Christmas Cabin For Two. Enter to win a custom recipe card with the author’s panettone recipe as well as a signed print copy of A Christmas Cabin for Two at this rafflecopter.

Top 5 Favorite Recipes

Anyone who knows me knows I’m obsessed with food. I love cooking and even almost went to culinary school instead of going the traditional college route. So, my books tend to center around the joy of shared meals and the sexy potential of brushing up against each other while working in a kitchen. A Christmas Cabin for Two is no exception. One of the heroes, Mikah, comes from a Sicilian family and their culinary holiday traditions are central to the novel. The other hero, Matt, runs an organic farm and cares about growing excellent produce. So, I thought I would share some of my favorite recipes with you all! Since, I like Mikah, am Italian I tend to cook a lot of Italian food. Hope you enjoy!

1) Pasta Alla Norma

This is one of my all-time favorite things to cook. When I visited Sicily for the first time I tried a plate of spaghetti alla Norma that was, no exaggeration, the best thing I’ve ever eaten. It’s a simple sauce made from tomatoes, eggplant, basil, and grated ricotta salata cheese. I know people tend to have mixed feelings about eggplant, but I grow several varieties in my garden every summer because I love it so much. This recipe is one I really like.

2) Lasagna Bolognese

Throughout my adult life I’ve gone back and forth on being a vegetarian, and I think Lasagna Bolognese is the reason I’ve never been able to fully commit. While I’m a firm believer that all lasagna is delicious, lasagna Bolognese is the perfect version. I love rolling out my own pasta for this, but I’ve made it with regular noodles from the box and it has been delicious too. The key is to let your sauce simmer all day! Here’s my favorite recipe.

3) Insalata di Mare

I live in Maine, land of the excellent seafood so this year I’m more excited than ever to make insalata di mare (seafood salad.) If you enjoy seafood, this is a wonderful light dish. It’s a traditional part of the Italian holiday meal, the Feast of the Seven Fishes, and makes an appearance in the novel! I like this recipe.

4) Focaccia

Baking bread is a nice, cozy winter activity. But it can also be intimidating and time-consuming. The first type of bread I ever baked was focaccia. It’s pretty easy and very delicious. Plus once you get the recipe down you can start to tinker with different flavorings and toppings! This is my go to recipe.

5) Panettone

Just as it does in my life, holiday baking plays a big role in the Christmas celebrations of Mikah Cerullo’s Italian family. In the novel, Mikah is making his nonna’s treasured panettone, a sweet, citrusy holiday bread, for the first time on his own. In true Mikah fashion, he labors over every step to make sure the bread is perfect. I would like to say I’m more relaxed about my own holiday baking, but I can also be a bit of a perfectionist. I based Mikah’s grandmother’s recipe on the one I’ve been tinkering with for the past few holiday seasons. Two winners will get this custom recipe card with the panettone recipe as well as a signed print copy of A Christmas Cabin for Two. You can enter the giveaway here!


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A match as perfect as cold nights and cozy fireside heat.

Gentle giant Matt Haskell and urbane teacher Mikah Cerullo are as opposite as the Teton Mountains and downtown Manhattan.

Hardworking organic farmer Matt has little time to think about love, but when Mikah, a sexy and snarky New Yorker, arrives at his farm to buy a Christmas tree for the family’s Jackson Hole mansion, the attraction is immediate for both of them, and they agree to share a cozy cabin in the Idaho woods. The clock is ticking on their holiday fling, since Mikah is due to take a teaching position back in the city, but as the holiday magic envelops them, they wonder if their budding romance might withstand their differences.

A Heartwarming Queer Holiday Romance
Content Warnings: mention of parental death, mention of substance abuse

Enjoy an Excerpt

Color rose to Mikah’s cheeks, and he lifted his gaze to mine, glancing at me through inky lashes. He really was adorable. Hot tension arced between us, and my whole body clenched with need at the thought of his full lips against mine. Too bad I hadn’t brought some of that damn mistletoe with me. Taking a slow, deep breath, I decided honesty would be the best course of action. “I want to kiss you.” I looked right at him.

Mikah’s breath caught. He took a large gulp of hot chocolate, wincing like he’d burned himself. A tiny bit of marshmallow stuck to his full lower lip. Lust sluiced through me when his tongue darted out to lick it away.

“That okay?” I asked. The words came out low and rough. I cleared my throat. Mikah nodded slowly. “C’mere.” I patted the couch next to me. He slid over, clearly tentative, his eyes still locked with mine.

With equal trepidation I lifted my thumb to his mouth, brushing over it softly. His skin was warm and flower-petal soft. Then his tongue was on my finger, and electric pleasure thrummed over every inch of my skin. One touch and I was aching for him as his lips closed around the very tip of my thumb. His shoulders dropped, and he gasped, an audible release of the tension he’d been radiating since he got out of his car. Mikah smiled a small, almost victorious smile. Then he closed the rest of the distance between us, and his lips brushed the corner of my mouth, the contact still a little cautious.

“Please,” I breathed against his lips, my mouth so dry I could barely grind the word out.

About the Author: KD Fisher is a queer New England-based writer of authentic, heartfelt LGBTQ+ narratives. KD grew up all over the United States, bouncing from North Carolina to Hawaiʻi to Illinois, and finally settling in Maine where she spends far too much time at the beach.

When KD isn’t writing, she can usually be found hiking with her overly enthusiastic dog, obsessing over plants, or cooking elaborate meals. She loves classic country, perfectly ripe tomatoes, and falling asleep in the sun.

Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Facebook | Pinterest | Newsletter | Website

Things I Wished I Knew Before I Was Published by Sue Brown – Guest Post and Giveaway

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Sue Brown who is celebrating the recent release of Slow Dating the Detective. Enter the Rafflecopter at the end of the post for a chance to win a $20 Amazon gift card.

Things You wished You Knew Before You Were Published

I love this question because I’ve been thinking about publishing a lot recently. Publishing, not writing.

Writing I’ve got the hang of, publishing not so much.

So here are my five things I wished I known before I pressed send on my short story, “Sacrifice.”

1) Writing what I wanted led to some interesting and varied books, but they weren’t necessarily what was going to sell. I spent the first five years writing everything from contemporary to cowboys, historical to (kind of) new adult. I love them all, but smarter and more savvy authors focused on one thing and stuck with it.

2) I wish I’d known that I’d make the best friends that I’ve ever had in this genre, authors and readers. I’d travel across the world to meet them and people would want to meet me. The last nine years have been so exciting. Newbie me thought she was publishing a short story. Me now realises she was getting a new life.

3) Newbie me would have benefited from a marketing course or five. I didn’t understand the business of marketing myself as much as my books, of having a brand and being ‘Sue Brown – author’ rather than ‘the Brit from somewhere south of London writing those books set on a small island no one knows the name of.’ I needed the groups that are on Facebook now for the publishing business. I’m learning so much and taking note of what people are doing.

4) Get a more interesting pen name. Could you get more boring than Sue Brown? I’ve spent the last nine years bemoaning my name. I could have been Portia Pumpkin-Speaksalot, or something interesting like that.

5) The importance of a mailing list. Seriously, it’s the ONE thing I wish I’d started from the beginning.

A gentle bartender might have what it takes to mend a relationship-phobic detective’s broken heart… but first they have to admit they’re dating.

Keenan Day could kick himself for letting the hot, dark-haired stranger he met outside a strip club get away. Instead of a phone number, he gets a punch in the face—from the boyfriend of his prospective employer at the Cowboys and Angels bar. When two cops come to check up on him, one is the sexy stranger, Detective Nate Gordon.

The initial attraction hasn’t cooled, and though Nate is leery of commitment, one hookup turns into another until they’re seeing each other in everything but name. After a recent nasty breakup, Nate balks at being part of a couple, and Keenan agrees, even though that’s all he’s ever wanted.

Just as they reach a standstill, a crisis shows them what their friends have known all along—they’ve already moved way past hookups. Now they just have to decide how to move forward.

Enjoy an Excerpt

“Are you transferring the precinct to Mom’s house?” Keenan forced himself not to watch Nate’s every step. The man could have stepped off the pages of GQ. He pressed all of Keenan’s buttons.

“It was Mom’s idea,” Karen said. “She said he must be lonely here. I’ve asked him before, but this was the first time he said yes.”

This was the first time? Did Nate know Keenan was coming?
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Nate reached them. He wore dark gray trousers and a pale blue dress shirt, open at the throat, and he carried a bottle of red wine and a spray of pale yellow and white carnations with baby’s breath, wrapped in yellow tissue paper. Keenan wanted to eat him up. “Hi.” It might have been a general greeting, but his eyes rested on Keenan.

“Hey, Gordon,” Karen said.

Nate rolled his eyes. “You’ve invited me to lunch, Karen. Call me Nate.”

She nodded. “Nate. You’ve met Max. This is my little brother, Keenan.”

Keenan rolled his eyes. “Twin brother. Twin.”

“Younger is younger,” she insisted.

“They’ve already met,” Ramon said, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “Twice.”

Karen looked between them and narrowed her eyes at Keenan. “You have? You didn’t think to share that piece of news?”

“It’s been a busy time,” Keenan murmured.

“Are we going in or eating out here?” Max asked, to Keenan’s enormous relief. “Good to see you again, Nate.”

Nate shifted the flowers and drink to one hand and shook Max’s. Then he turned to Keenan. “You’re looking better.”

Keenan gave him a skeptical look. The bruising had come out, and his eyes were black and purple. “You’ve got a strange idea of ‘better.’”

“Maybe.” The look in Nate’s eyes seemed genuine enough.

They followed Karen, Max, and Ramon through the gate and up the steps to the front door. Keenan was very aware of Nate’s proprietary hand on Keenan’s lower back.

About the Author: Cranky middle-aged author with an addiction for coffee, and a passion for romancing two guys. She loves her dog, she loves kids, and she loves coffee; in which order very much depends on the time of day.

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Five Favourite M/M Romances with Dragons by Jenn Burke – Guest Blog

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Jenn Burke

Five Favourite M/M Romances with Dragons
I’ve been a fan of shapeshifters for a long, long time. Werewolves are my favourite, but dragons are a very close second. I love imagining that this is how the dragons of lore have managed to stay hidden—by taking on the form of their greatest enemy.

After reading a ton of dragon shifter romances, I definitely wanted to tackle one myself. And now that I’ve written one…I might write more! They’re a blast. As soon as I get through the other hundred ideas in my work-in-progress folder…

In the meantime, here are five of my favourite m/m romances featuring dragons!

Reawakening by Amy Rae Durreson

The nearly god-like dragons who defended the world from the last terrible uprising of evil a thousand years ago have disappeared and been all but forgotten by the descendants of the people they saved. But the stirring of a new wave of evil awakens one, and he has to learn how to fit into a world that’s relegated their kind to legends and nothing more.

I love this entire series. It’s epic and sweeping and just wonderful. Unfortunately, it appears to be unavailable at the moment, but the author is working to republish the series.

Burn the Sky by Jaye McKenna

In order to ascend to the throne, Prince Garrik must display some sort of wytch power—except he hasn’t yet, and that means the future of his kingdom is in jeopardy. His father insists his power be forcibly awakened, but Garrik’s dormant wytch power turns out to be one of the most dangerous. He’s a dragon shifter, and historically, they can’t be controlled.

The worldbuilding in this series is fantastic, and each book is building up to what looks to be an epic rebellion. I highly recommend it.

Knight’s Fire by S.J. Himes

Sir Gawain is asked by his sister, the queen, to travel to the edge of the kingdom, where a village is under siege from a beast. There, he finds Zephyr, a young fire dragon who had once been enslaved. Zephyr is injured and needs Gawain’s protection, as well as time to discover who he is and what he wants from life.

This was an adorable story, with a rarity in books featuring dragon shifters—a dragon shifter who needs protection instead of the other way around!

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Twig Starfig is a half-dragon, half-fairy private investigator. Yeah, I’m not sure how that works, either, but it makes for a great, unique character. He’s compelled by a unicorn to hunt down an enchanted artifact, and to take the unicorn’s indentured human servant along with him. Quinn, the human servant, is hiding something, though. Because of course he is.

This was a really funny, really unique fantasy. I love how the author spins some tropes on their heads in a way that totally works without being too over the top. I highly recommend it.

The King’s Dragon by Sam Burns and W.M. Fawkes

Tristram is a knight with a secret—he’s half-dragon, even though he looks fully human and can’t shift into dragon form. That last bit won’t matter if King Reynold ever finds out. Despite being Tristram’s friend, he knows Reynold will have him executed because the human kingdom of Llangard remembers all too well how the dragons had once enslaved them. But the arrival of two strangers from the north threatens to reveal all of Tristram’s secrets.
This was a complex plot, wonderfully woven between different points of view and machinations of characters with conflicting goals and motivations. Very highly recommended!

A Golden Kingdom Novel

The heart remembers.

When Aidan Bishop staggers out of the woods, naked and suffering from amnesia, he needs to relearn who he is and where he fits in the world.

His boss, nearly five-hundred-year-old dragon Nassim, head of a successful tech company, hurries to claim his wayward assistant and guide him back into the life he disappeared from. As they get to know each other again, Aidan wonders if their relationship went deeper than employer and employee. But Nassim isn’t telling, and Aidan has a secret of his own… even if he doesn’t know it yet.

About the Author: Jenn Burke has loved out-of-this-world romance since she first read about heroes and heroines kicking butt and falling in love as a preteen. Now that she’s an author, she couldn’t be happier to bring adventure, romance, and sexy times to her readers.

Jenn is the author of a number of paranormal and science fiction romance titles, including the critically acclaimed Chaos Station science fiction romance series (authored with Kelly Jensen), the Not Dead Yet series, and the Golden Kingdom series.

She’s been called a pocket-sized and puntastic Canadian on social media, and she’ll happily own that label. Jenn lives just outside of Ottawa, Ontario, with her husband and two kids, plus two dogs named after video game characters…because her geekiness knows no bounds.

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Top 5 Things to Love About Summer by Jess Anastasi – Guest Blog

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Jess Anastasi who is celebrating the recent release of Locked Down, the second book in her Texas Heroes series.

Top 5 Things to Love About Summer

Summer is by far my favourite season. You know what’s even better than summer by itself? Summer in Australia! Here in the land of Down Under, the weather is starting to warm up and I couldn’t be happier.

1) The Beach
When you think of an Aussie summer, a beach is one of the first thing you picture, right? Sparkling crystal waters, white sand for miles and endless blue sky. You can bet it’s as gorgeous in real life as it is in the photos. There’s nothing quite like sand beneath your toes, salt on the warm breeze and the sun glinting off a beautiful Aussie ocean. Even better? An ice cream melting from the cone over your fingers faster than you can eat it. Nothing beats ice cream at the beach in summer.

2) BBQs
Is there anything better than a few snags on a barbie in the backyard with a couple of mates on a summer evening? To translate, that would be a few sausages on a BBQ with friends. So you might need to burn a few citronella candles and cover yourself in bug spray to keep the mozzies (mosquitos) from biting. And you might be forced to eat with one hand because your other hand is constantly batting flies away. And your beer (or chosen drink) might get warm within two minutes because it’s so bloody hot. But that’s what makes it so Aussie!

3) Christmas and Holidays
Anything other than snow and a white holiday season probably sounds like the weirdest thing ever to people in the northern hemisphere, but there is something really awesome about the holiday season coinciding with summer. Kids are on school holidays from early to mid-December until the beginning of February. Many families celebrate their festive holiday lunches outside on a patio or in the garden, sometimes by the pool. Its always a long, lazy afternoon, and since we have the public holiday of Boxing Day after Christmas, we get extra time to recover from out indulgences.

4) Summer Fruits
Some of my favourite fruits, including stone fruits like cherries, become available at this time of years and end up forming an integral part of deserts for the holidays. I’m generally a big fan of fruit, and in summer I love nothing more than to head to the grocery store (or occasionally a farmer’s market) and pick out all the tropical fruits, berries, citruses, grapes and stone fruits I’ve missed all the long winter. Even better if you have a tree or two in your own backyard where you can pick the fruit at your leisure.

5) Thongs
Not THOSE types of thongs. I’m talking about the quintessential Aussie footwear. Unless you have several different types of thongs – dressy thongs with things like diamenties on them, casual thongs, and your well-worn backyard thongs—then you can’t really call yourself an Aussie. Thongs will go with anything for any occasion and I refuse to believe otherwise. It’s so much easier to slide your feet into a comfortable pair of thongs on your way out the door instead of messing around with socks or laces or buckles or who knows what other type of footwear. If I lived in Queensland where its warm all year round, I probably wouldn’t have any other types of shoes in my closet.
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A charming, confident FBI analyst gets more than the fling he bargained for when his lover lands smack in the middle of his investigation.

Gabe Lopez travels to Everness, Texas, to investigate and profile a dangerous group of white supremacists living on the outskirts of the small town. As far as he’s concerned, the assignment can’t end soon enough. When he stops to help Matt York with a flat tire, he anticipates a sexy distraction—nothing more. But Matt has a knack for getting himself into trouble, and soon Gabe is torn between protecting Matt and doing his job.

Matt left a successful life and business back in San Francisco to fulfill a promise to his aunt: find his runaway cousin and bring him home. But Tommy is on a dangerous path, and someone is trying to scare Matt off—or worse.

When the situation escalates, Matt turns to Gabe, who doesn’t like mixing business and pleasure. But in Everness, the secrets are buried deep, and like it or not, Matt is at risk of being buried right alongside them.

About the Author: Jess Anastasi has been making up stories ever since she can remember. Though her messy handwriting made it hard for anyone else to read them, she wasn’t deterred, and now she gets to make up stories for a living. With a multi-award-winning science fiction romance series to her name, her books feature larger-than-life heroes with relatable vulnerabilities who find themselves in situations that push their resolve to the limit. Jess is a tea addict who loves loud music, dancing in her kitchen, and a good book on a rainy day. A fangirl at heart, she probably spends too much time watching too many TV shows. Jess lives in regional Victoria, Australia. Find out more about Jess and her upcoming releases at her website.

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The Winter Quarters by Anna Veriani – Guest Blog

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Anna Veriani who is celebrating the recent release of The Winter Quarters

There’s nothing I love more than talking about books. Today I’m savoring the opportunity to share five of my favorite romances—although choosing just five is difficult! While I stuck to contemporary romances only, the list varies across m/m, f/f, and m/f, and includes both novels and manga.

1. Work for It by Talia Hibbert

This is the most recently published book on the list and I absolutely adored it. It was my first time reading Hibbert and I can’t wait to get into her backlist. Work for It is an m/m featuring two lost souls—Olu, betrayed by an ex, feels isolated in the city, while Griffin, the queer village outcast, is alienated in the countryside. Hibbert is a wicked sharp writer, and I loved her complex characters and quick, layered prose.

2. The Music and the Mirror by Lola Keeley

This masterfully crafted f/f features an enemies-to-lovers romance about the legendary retired “Queen of Ballet”, Victoria, and her simple, sweet protegée, Anna, who quickly becomes hardened by the cutthroat world of New York City ballerinas. I adored everything about this book, from the dialogue that made me squee to the epilogue that is probably my favorite romance ending of all time.

3. The Remaking of Corbin Wale by Roan Parrish

Corbin is a small town weirdo with too many pet dogs and a childlike belief in magic and curses. Alex is a baker opening a cozy shop. The two of them are so incredibly sweet, and this whole book was like a blissful dream, more like the way we fantasize books ought to be than the way most books really are. It’s my favorite holiday romance.

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This is an m/f manga that took me pleasantly surprised: The main character Tsugumi reunites with an old high school crush, Itsuki, and finds that he’s now disabled and uses a wheelchair. I was really happy to read a romance that I personally feels features paralysis in a realistic way. A movie adaptation came out in Japan, too, and it made me really happy in a simple way.

5. Love My Life by Yamaji Ebine

This is the oldest book on the list, one I’ve enjoyed for over a decade. Love My Life is an f/f manga about two university girlfriends. When one, Ichiko, comes out to her father, he shocks her by telling her both he and her mother are queer. The story is overall a romantic slice-of-life tale. Unfortunately it’s never been translated into English, although I believe it’s available in French. I still cherish it as my first and favorite f/f story, and there was a movie adaptation that was released in the U.S. I highly recommended if you can track it down.

So that’s my list! I hope you discover some good stories from it. It’s interesting for me to reflect on which bits of which stories may have influenced The Winter Quarters, and it’s wonderful to be reminded of what a lasting hold a good romance book can have on your heart. <3

Snow, steam, and a second chance.

Reluctant socialite Kai has thirty-five days before his family starts shooting the next season of their reality TV show, revealing a life he’d rather keep private—and one that feels increasingly scripted. Desperately needing a break, Kai escapes to his childhood best friend Hiro Asada’s inn in rural Japan. He finds peace in the thousand-year-old hot springs, but his yearning for Hiro resurfaces at the worst time: Hiro is about to inherit the inn, and his parents expect him to marry within the year.

Hiro’s traditional family loves him for who he is, but they can’t imagine two men running the inn. Meanwhile, Kai has a TV contract his lawyer insists can’t be broken. Hiro and Kai need to think outside the box—and solve their problems before Christmas Day, when Kai’s show shoots its annual holiday special.

About the Author: author bio: Anna Veriani was born with a deep love of queer lit and .99¢ New York pizza slices. After graduating from NYU with a degree in East Asian Studies, she set sail for Ishikawa, Japan. Now she spends her days writing by the river and dreaming of opening an expat pizzeria.

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Top 5 Favorite Places in Ireland by Emy Calirel – Guest Post

Long and Short Reviews welcomes Emy Calirel who is celebrating today’s release of From Brussels, With Love.

Top 5 favorite places in Ireland

I lived in Ireland for a year, and I loved it. The views, the amazing people, the history of the place. It marked my life in many ways, and it has a special place in my heart. Which is probably why I can never help but add some Irishness to my stories. Either one of the main characters is Irish (like in From Brussels, With Love) or the story is entirely set there. Even when the thread is small, there’s always a tie-in added somewhere.

There’s many places I love in Ireland, so finding a top 5 was hard, but I went with souvenirs and experiences instead of views. After all, everything looks fantastic in Ireland so a choice of perfect scenery would have been impossible.

5 – Kilmainham Gaol

Not the happiest of places, that’s for sure, but a very interesting one. I visited the prison on my first trip to Dublin, and it was an eye opener. Of course, I knew a little about Irish history. I knew about the famine, I knew about The Trouble, and I knew about the British domination of the Island. But I only had general ideas of what had actually happened and Kilmainham Gaol taught me a lot. It was the stepping stone I needed to dig deeper into the fascinating (and bloody) history of Ireland. It made me understand so much about the Irish and the way they view life and their own past. I always recommend this place to people when they visit the country.

4 – Blarney Castle – Cork

I unfortunately didn’t have a lot of time in Cork, but when my friend visited me from Germany, Blarney Castle was high on our list of places to see. We couldn’t find a haunted castle to stay at during our weeklong trip, but we did find a castle and my friend loves them. For me, it wasn’t so much about the old stones, it was mostly about a specific old stone. Yes, I went to Blarney Castle just so I could kiss the Blarney Stone. I don’t know if, as legend has it, it made me more eloquent, but I did kiss it!

3 – Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge

This was a quick stop on our way to the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland, but it had been on my bucket list for years. 20 metres long and standing 30 metres above the rocks below, the rope bridge welcomed us with just enough wind to make the crossing even more fun. I love high places.

To make things even more interesting, the universe decided to throw me a curve-ball that day. One of my heels broke off just before we stepped on the bridge. Impossible to get it fixed, and of course this was our first stop of the day and I didn’t have a change of shoes. Yes, I spent the whole day with one heeled shoe and one flat. And yes, we did walked around a lot that day. Fun times.

2 – Trinity College Library

It’s a library. Filled with rare books. Often part of Most Beautiful Libraries in the World lists. Do I need to say more?

1 – Strandhill

Where I lived for a year and could see the ocean from my bedroom window. It’s a small town with grassy hills swept by the wind, Knocknarea (high limestone hill) in the background, and surfers all year around. It has a people’s market, a seaside bakery/cafe/shop that serves eggs wearing little sweaters, and obviously a great pub. And so many memories. I went down to the ocean almost every day, with the kids or by myself, and I never grew tired of it. I still miss it.
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I never use the name specifically, because I want the liberty to create the town I want in my books, but every time I write a small Irish town, I’m writing about Strandhill.

Dispirited after a recent breakup, Irish project manager Trevor is guilted into a trip to Brussels with his best friend. A chance meeting with cute and funny tour guide Jerome turns into a weekend of sex and friendship. Forgetting his phone at Jerome’s apartment shifts their fling into a long-distance relationship held together by postcards, texts, and stolen weekends. But distance isn’t the only thing keeping them apart—Trevor is a workaholic who values his success, while artistic Jerome is carefree but insecure.

Starting a life together means facing major challenges, but the loving words they’ve shared build a bridge across the sea—one that might let them meet in the middle.

About the Author:Emy Calirel grew up in France, but also spent some time in Africa as a child. When she finally reached adulthood, she jumped on opportunities and moved to California, then Ireland, before coming back to her roots. San Francisco still holds her heart, though, and always will.

After trying a couple different jobs, she settled down and now works in a funeral home/monumental masonry, which she loves. To handle life’s daily stress, she laughs with her coworkers a lot and spends any free time she gets reading or daydreaming about queer folks finding their happily ever after.

She’s a cat owner, a plant killer, and a San Francisco Giants fan. Wanderlust flows in her veins, and her goal is to visit every capital in Europe—if she can ever stop herself from going back to London over and over again.

Emy’s muse is a sassy being who expertly farms plot bunnies in Emy’s overgrown imagination. As a consequence, Emy has more stories and characters living in her head than she’ll ever be able to write in her lifetime. She’s fine with it, though, as, like a child, she loves playing in her sandbox.

A documentary enthusiast and curious to a fault, Emy often loses herself in research and will happily share her discoveries with everyone. Did you know most mammals empty their bladders in twenty-one seconds?

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