Book Spotlight & Character Interview: The Naked Prince by Joe Cosentino

The Naked Prince and Other Tales from Fairyland
by Joe Cosentino
M/M Fantasy/Fairytale retellings
Dreamspinner Press
Amazon | BN | Allromance | Dreamspinner

Cinder, a poor and beautiful young man who designs clothing, makeup, and hair for his stepmother and stepsisters, offers his clothing and slippers to a naked stranger in the woods who turns out to be none other than Prince Charming. Follow Cinder and Prince Charming in this twist on the classic “Cinderella” tale, as they discover their inner strengths and find their very own happily ever after.

Enjoy “The Naked Prince” and three other reimagined Tales from Fairyland, each with a unique spin on stories we all know and love, including “The Golden Rule,” where eighteen-year-old Gideon Golden, after being thrown out of his home in Fairyland by his homophobic parents, breaks into the cottage of three burly men on Bear Mountain.

“Whatever Happened To…?,” in which friction ensues between a celebrity with a growing appendage and the reporter who has a thing for giants, and “Ice Cold,” where young Gaelen must save his love Kieran after a handsome but evil prince freezes Kieran’s heart and bewitches him into being the prince’s slave.

Praise for Joe Cosentino’s books from Dreamspinner Press:

“unbelievably beautiful” “a masterpiece” Lovebytes Reviews

“as Joe Cosentino proves time and time again, with his wonderful writing and storytelling ability, love will prevail, and you will smile from ear to ear." Kathy Mac Reviews

“Like an onion, Joe Cosentino's stories have layers.” “For those readers looking for something a little bit different - dare I say unique? For those readers who like to laugh. For those readers who appreciate the nuances of people and the way each character is different. For those readers who want to read a damn good story - check out this author. I'm glad I did.” “A truly fabulous read.” Boy Meets Boy Reviews


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Interview with Gideon from “Ice Cold” in Joe Cosentino’s
THE NAKED PRINCE AND OTHER TALES FROM FAIRYLAND
published by Dreamspinner Press

I am happy to have with me today, Gaelen from “Ice Cold” in Joe Cosentino’s new novella from Dreamspinner Press, THE NAKED PRINCE AND OTHER TALES FROM FAIRYLAND. Since the readers can’t see you, what do you look like Gideon?

I have auburn hair, violet eyes, a slightly crooked nose, golden freckles, and I’m pretty muscular from working outside our cottage. Since we live in Frost Village, there is lots of shoveling to do. When Kieran and I sit by the fire at night, he tells me I smell like fresh-baked bread.

How old are you?

Eighteen. I was frigid until I met Kieran and we had that first glorious night in front of the fire.

Both your parents and Kieran’s parents died in the great ice storm. How did that make you feel?

Terrified. We didn’t know where to go. Thankfully the old woman who lived nearby took us both in and became our mother.

But things grew frightening again when Kieran accepted a ride on a beautiful sleigh from Prince Isidore.

I’ll say! I had to search through quite a few kingdoms to find him, melt his heart, and bring him back home to me.

And along the way you had quite a few adventures. Tell us about them.

You’ll have to read the book. All I can say is they were full of adventure and romance.

Why haven’t we seen gay fairytale characters in mainstream fairytales or movies?

Joe Cosentino wondered the same thing! As a kid Joe’s older sister read him fairytales in bed every night before sleep. Joe was entranced by the riveting stories of peasants becoming princes and princesses and finding true love. The stunning locations, wonderment, humor and tragedy, and happy endings filled his young mind like peanuts in an elephant’s sack. Joe wanted to be a character in those stories, live in those palaces, dine with the charming princes, and bring happiness to everyone in the kingdoms.

Later as an adult, he wrote musical plays based on fairytales for professional theatre companies: Princess and the Pea, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, Aladdin, The Emperor’s New Clothes, and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. But here’s where guys like Kieran and me came into the picture. Joe recently reread many of his favorite fairytales, and he was upset to see no openly gay characters in any of them! So he asked himself, ‘Why aren’t there gay people in fairyland? Why can’t a peasant boy fall in love with a handsome prince (or a frozen queen)? Wouldn’t a homeless blond boy seek refuge in a house with three hunky bears? What was Pinocchio’s growing appendage really all about?

Did Jack enjoy his time with the Giant more than Jack ever let on? What’s the good of fairytales without any fairies?’ Miraculously Kieran, Prince Isidore, I and the other characters in The Naked Prince and Other Tales from Fairyland were born in Joe’s mind in four humorous, romantic, adventurous, touching, and gay tales. I feel so lucky to star in one of them!

What are the stories about?

“The Naked Prince” is a different take on the Cinderella story. Cinder, a poor and beautiful young man who designs clothing, makeup, and hair for his stepmother and stepsisters, offers his clothing and slippers to a naked stranger in the woods who turns out to be none other than me, Prince Charming. Will Cinder and I confront our manipulative mothers, bring equality to the kingdom, find ourselves, and find one another? I can give you a hint. We are still living happily ever after together in Fairyland.

In “The Golden Rule,” when he is caught with nimble Jack, eighteen-year-old Gideon Golden is thrown out of his home in Fairyland by his homophobic parents. With nowhere else to go, he breaks into the home of three men living on Bear Mountain. Bo and Butch enjoy having a young roommate, but Ben isn’t convinced. Will Gideon and Ben make vinegar or honey?

“Whatever Happened To … ?” takes place on Christmas Eve. A reporter living on Andersen Lane interviews a celebrity for the Queen Newspaper series, “What Ever Happened To … .” Friction ensues between the celebrity with the growing appendage who can’t tell fact from fiction, and the reporter who has a thing for giants. Eventually a romantic spark is lit between the two as Christmas Day arrives, and they realize they have more in common than living in Fairyland. Finally in “Ice Cold,” after losing their families during the great ice storm in the northernmost kingdom of Fairyland, young Gaelen and Kieran pledged their love for one another. When Isidore rides into Frost Village on his elaborate sleigh, Kieran follows the handsome prince to his castle in Arctic Kingdom, where Kieran becomes Isidore’s bewitched slave. This leads Gaelen on an amazing adventure to find his true love and melt his frozen heart. All four stories are terrific, but I like mine and Cinder’s best.

Who is your favorite character in THE NAKED PRINCE AND OTHER TALES FROM FAIRYLAND, besides yourself?

Kieran of course! Not only is he handsome and muscular with thick dark hair and piercing hazel eyes, he is so sweet, caring, warm, and terrific. How lucky I was to save him from Prince Isidore’s cold, calculating clutches!

Will you be starring in more of Joe Cosentino’s books?

This is it for me. However, all of his books are great. If you haven’t yet, also check out AN INFATUATION (Divine Magazine’s Readers’ Poll Award for 2nd Place Best LGBT Romance of 2015), A SHOOTING STAR, and A HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS from Dreamspinner Press. If you like mysteries, don’t miss out on DRAMA QUEEN (Divine Magazine’s Readers’ Poll Awards for Best Mystery, Best Crime, Best Humorous, and Best Contemporary Novel of 2015) and DRAMA MUSCLE Nicky and Noah Amazon bestselling mysteries from Lethe Press. And Joe told me he is working on a new series about a gay resort at the New Jersey shore, COZZI COVE: BOUNCING BACK and COZZI COVE: MOVING FORWARD coming soon from Nine Star Press. I wonder, is the New Jersey shore anything like Fairyland? Joe tells me it is quite different, but it does snow there in the winter.

How can your readers contact you and Kieran?

Joe will get any messages to us. He loves to hear from readers. It gives him a break from hearing from characters like me. They can contact him at: http://www.JoeCosentino.weebly.com.

***

About the Author:

Amazon Bestselling author Joe Cosentino wrote An Infatuation, A Shooting Star, A Home for the Holidays, The Naked Prince and Other Tales from Fairyland (Dreamspinner Press), Drama Queen the first Nicky and Noah mystery (Lethe Press), Drama Muscle the second Nicky and Noah mystery (Lethe Press), Paper Doll the first Jana Lane mystery (Whiskey Creek Press), and The Nutcracker and the Mouse King (Eldridge Plays and Musicals). He has appeared in principal acting roles in film, television, and theatre, opposite stars such as Bruce Willis, Rosie O’Donnell, Nathan Lane, Holland Taylor, Charles Keating, and Jason Robards. His one-act plays, Infatuation and Neighbor, were performed in New York City.

He wrote The Perils of Pauline educational film (Prentice Hall Publishers). Joe is currently Head of the Department/Professor at a college in upstate New York, and is happily married. His upcoming releases are Cozzi Cove: Bouncing Back, Cozzi Cove: Moving Forward (NineStar Press) and Porcelain Doll the second Jana Lane mystery (Wild Rose Press releasing March 15). Joe was voted 2nd Place for Best MM Author of the Year in Divine Magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards for 2015.

Web site: http://www.JoeCosentino.weebly.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JoeCosentinoauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeCosen
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4071647.Joe_Cosentino
Amazon: Author.to/JoeCosentino

Release Day Spotlight: Deep by A.L. Bates

Synopsis

Fleeing from a troubled past that left him feeling tarnished and used, Sean finds work as a medic aboard the deep sea mining ship Ariel, on a distant planet.

Under the leader ship of the infuriating, yet charismatic, Captain Joel Riley, Sean settles into his simple, but dangerous, new life. It’s a life he soon comes to love; albeit one in which he conceals his sexuality and avoids intimacy.

But Sean’s new world is turned on its head when an old face threatens to expose him for the man he used to be.
With Joel’s help, will Sean learn to come to terms with his past and become a man he can be proud of?

Buy Links

Don’t miss the limited time 30% discount across Amazon sites!
WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/deep-by-al-bates/
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Deep-L-Bates-ebook/dp/B01AOB6VW0/
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ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-deep-1969763-177.html

Book Trailer

Excerpt

Joel Riley was a difficult captain to work under, and for his first season in the Deep, Sean was pretty sure he despised the man. But another season in he’d grown accustomed to the captain’s volatile temper and inability to compromise. Joel had been a miner all his life, born on Titan to a family of miners. He had the sea in his veins and Ariel was his heart. There was a confidence to Joel that drew the crew to him and an arrogance that kept him slightly out of reach. Rugged, strong, and built for hard labor, he was the exact opposite of Sean—and yet of all the crew, Sean felt closest to Joel. Sean understood the captain’s approach, his passions, and he trusted the older man with his life. 

“Captain, is everything all right?” Sean said from the entrance. 

Joel jumped, knocking his knees on the control board. “Jesus, boy! What you doing creeping around in the middle of the night?" 

“I wasn’t creeping,” Sean said. 

“Skulking around, spying on people, and you reckon that’s not creeping,” Joel grumbled. 

 

Sean thought better of continuing into an argument. If Joel’s mood was testy they were going to go around in circles annoying each other. 

“I was about to turn in,” Sean said, deciding it was best to be passive. 

“You looking for permission?” Joel’s tone was still curt, but it wasn’t really directed at Sean. 

Something else was bothering him. 

“No, I just thought I’d come in and say good night.” 

Joel sighed, apparently appeased by the lack of confrontation. He gave Sean a weak, tired smile. “Better get some rest, Doc. Couple of hours and Harvey will need you to stitch something, no doubt." 

Wasn’t that the truth. Harvey, their engineer, was pretty good when it came to mineral mining and keeping the ship moving, but he could injure himself getting into his dive suit.

“What about you, Sir?” 

“I’m not planning on cutting anything,” Joel said, his smile strengthening. 

“I meant are you turning in?” 

Joel hesitated. Usually the captain was impossible to read, but every so often Sean got hints of the man behind the muscle. There was a softness to him, hidden behind the square jaw and piercing eyes. Sean had always been drawn to his vulnerable side. It crept in from time to time, reminding Sean that the captain, despite liking to pretend he was a demigod, was just a man. A good man. 

“Not yet.” A shadow seemed to be hanging over him. 

“Would you mind some company?” Sean offered, sensing the captain had something he needed to get off his chest. 

“Suit yourself.” It was as close to an invitation as Joel ever gave anyone.

About the author

A.L. BATES has a keen interest in Sci-fi and adventure novels and enjoys writing stories with strong characters in imaginative backgrounds. Although an avid writer, Deep is the first published novella by A.L. Bates.

A.L. Bates can be found on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoralbates

Cover Reveal: Callum's Fate by Dianne Hartsock

Synopsis

But as fate would have it, Callum is lured onto the moors by the will-o-the-wisp. Lost in the dark, he falls into enchantment, encountering faeries and nymphs, until he stumbles into the arms of a licentious Barrow-Wight who lays claim to his soul.

Hearing his silent pleas, Donal sends Liam the gruagach (faery) to rescue Callum and bring him to his farm, a place of refuge from the Fae.

Callum is happy working on Donal’s farm, slowly falling in love with the beautiful, silver-haired gruagach.
Yet there’s something wrong in the nearby forest….

Despite Donal’s warnings, Callum is lured into the forest and becomes tangled in its magic, easy prey for the Barrow-Wight.

Will Liam be able to strike a deal with the Barrow-Wight to save Callum’s life, or has Callum found his last resting place instead?

Pre-order links

Don’t miss the final day of the Australia Day Sale – 50% off all titles, including coming soon books, on the WIP website!
WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/callums-fate-by-dianne-hartsock/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-callum039sfate-1973471-143.html

Video Trailer

Excerpt

CALLUM RAN UNTIL his lungs burned, every breath ragged and painful. Fear spurred him on, though fog began to cling to the rough mounds of the barrows, making such flight dangerous. Stones stabbed through his worn boots with each footfall, but he daren’t stop. There had been voices in the shadows…. 

Exhaustion slowed him, his chest heaving as he fought for air. Dusk spread its dark mantle on the landscape, and he shivered as a finger of dread traveled up his spine. Perilous to be on the moors at night without shelter. He cursed the ill fortune that had sent him this way, but he was hungry and ill. He’d followed the will-o’-the-wisp, thinking they were the lights of a farmhouse. His brothers would crudely have called them swamp gas and continued on the road, but Callum had always been the fool. 

An owl hooted in the semi-darkness, making his skin crawl. “Sweet Lord,” he muttered, heart thumping. “Protect me—”

He stumbled on a loose stone and fell heavily against a dark mound of earth. Oh God! The ground caved in under him and he dropped into the barrow in a shower of dirt. 

“Save me!” he sobbed as he scrambled to his knees. 

Sinewy arms reached up from the blackness and twined around him. Callum screamed, but no sound escaped his throat, choked with terror. He was yanked against a hard chest and hands ran over him, disembodied in the darkness. 

“Soft. Sweet.” A voice sliced the silence and a cold breath washed over his face. He gagged on the waft of rot and decay. The tip of a dry tongue scraped along his jaw and he shuddered against the body under him. “Nice strong bones to gnaw,” the voice continued. “Sweet marrow to suck and swallow. Shall I eat you, my lovely one?” 

Callum whimpered as the low tones wound through his head. The mists parted and moonlight filled the barrow, showing him the creature. He gasped at the cold beauty of its face. Eyes dark as pitch burned into him and brushed against his soul. Lush lips, dripping honey, overripe, took his mouth in a kiss that sent his pulse into a riot of hunger and desire.

About the author

DIANNE HARTSOCK is the author of m/m erotic romance, both contemporary and fantasy, the psychological thriller, and anything else that comes to mind. Oh, and a floral designer. If she can’t be writing, at least she has the chance to create through the rich colors and textures of flowers and foliage to bring a smile to someone’s face.

Currently, Dianne lives in the Willamette Valley of Oregon with her incredibly patient husband, who puts up with the endless hours she spends hunched over the keyboard letting her characters play.

Social links

Website: https://diannehartsock.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diannehartsock
Twitter: https://twitter.com/diannehartsock
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/diannehartsock/

Sale - 30% off Amazon for pre-orders and for the first 48 hours after release

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Callums-Fate-Dianne-Hartsock-ebook/dp/B01B383YP0/

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Callums-Fate-Dianne-Hartsock-ebook/dp/B01B383YP0/

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Free Book Spotlight: Tomorrow Morning by Shamir Kali Griffin

Tomorrow Morning: Erotic Poetry and Soul
Urban Poetry and Soul Book 3
by Shamir Kali Griffin
LGBTQ Poetry

Blurb:

Erotic poetry that promises to not only to tantalize the senses of its readers, but also educate them with a sincere voice of wisdom on the beautiful complications of sex. Every one night stand and act of passion deserve a Tomorrow Morning.

The book is free through Jan 22 - Jan 27 at Amazon


***

About the Author:

Shamir Kali Griffin won the 2014 Rainbow Choice Award from Community Link Newspaper.

Previous works include:

Identity in Shades: Urban Poetry and Soul
Whispers of the Moon: Words of Love, Pain, Understanding, and of a Perverted Poet
Memories in the Rain: Something to Hold Onto

Cover Reveal: Deep by A.L. Bates

Synopsis

Fleeing from a troubled past that left him feeling tarnished and used, Sean finds work as a medic aboard the deep sea mining ship Ariel, on a distant planet.

Under the leader ship of the infuriating, yet charismatic, Captain Joel Riley, Sean settles into his simple, but dangerous, new life. It’s a life he soon comes to love; albeit one in which he conceals his sexuality and avoids intimacy.

But Sean’s new world is turned on its head when an old face threatens to expose him for the man he used to be.

With Joel’s help, will Sean learn to come to terms with his past and become a man he can be proud of?

Pre-order Links

Don’t miss out the 30% pre-order sale on Amazon, the ARe 25% off sale till January 23^rd, WIP’s Unzipping 2016 Sale – 35% off all list titles till January 24^th, or the huge Australia Day Sale–January 25 to January 27—50% off all titles on WIP’s website and 35% off on ARe!
WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/deep-by-al-bates/
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Deep-L-Bates-ebook/dp/B01AOB6VW0/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Deep-L-Bates-ebook/dp/B01AOB6VW0/
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/Deep-L-Bates-ebook/dp/B01AOB6VW0/
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/Deep-L-Bates-ebook/dp/B01AOB6VW0/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-deep-1969763-177.html

Book Trailer

Excerpt

THE HARDEST THING about working on Ariel was the absence of day and night. That deep in the ocean the hours passed in meaningless numbers as the ship floated in the endless depths of Titan, a rich oceanic moon orbiting Jupiter. Sean’s body clock had never adjusted. Three seasons underwater and he still found himself falling asleep during his shift in the infirmary or staring up at his bedroom ceiling, wide awake.

His head dropped sharply, the suddenness of it waking him up. He looked about, checking that no one had been in and caught him napping. Any of the five other crew members onboard were capable of tormenting him when his guard was down. During his first season the pranks were unbearable, but Sean had been a different man back then. He didn’t understand how to fit in and be part the crew. He took their games to heart for a long time.

It was better now. He was better. They still played their pranks, and sometimes he still got annoyed, but he appreciated them. The crew were family, and he cared for them all deeply. He never thought a man from his walk of life, with all his wealth and all his privilege, would happily settle on a rusty old mining ship with a group of feral deep-sea laborers. He expected the rest of the crew thought the same. 

Sean stretched and yawned. His body had changed dramatically since he’d taken his first dive, too. You had to be strong and maintain good physical health working this deep. His body was toned and lithe and bigger than it had been when he first showed up on Titan looking for a job.
“You’re a bit young and scrawny to be a doctor, aren’t you?” the captain had said to him that day in the docking station, seeing a man barely scraping twenty-three and not fit for more than standing around and looking pretty. 

Sean had given him some pompous reply that still made him cringe when he thought back to it. Sometimes he suspected the captain only took him on to try to break him. Captain Riley could be a sadistic bastard when he wanted to be.

About the author

A.L. BATES has a keen interest in Sci-fi and adventure novels and enjoys writing stories with strong characters in imaginative backgrounds. Although an avid writer, Deep is the first published novella by A.L. Bates.

A.L. Bates can be found on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoralbates

Book Review: Handy Harry by Erin M. Leaf

Handy Harry
by Erin M. Leaf
M/M Contemporary
Novella
Eevernight Publishing
5 Stars
First Reviewed at the Romance Reviews:
http://glbt.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=19651

Blurb:


Reclusive artist Rufus Ward’s house needs repair, but he hates demolition and dust. However, when handyman Harry Hande rings his doorbell, Rufus lets him in. He’s everything the famous painter likes in a man: young, sexy, and somewhat confused about his sexuality. Rufus thought he was done with dating, but Harry is hot enough to push him from loneliness into love.

Harry’s sensible demeanor disguises desperation. His brother is a jerk and he needs to move out, but his fledgling business isn’t quite ready to support him. Rufus is supposed to be just another client, but when they meet, all of Harry’s preconceived notions of attraction are demolished. Lust launches him into the dare of a lifetime. Will letting Rufus draw him nude destroy him, or will his true nature come out?

Review:

A short but engrossing tale with two adorable male leads, who are awkward but soon get over it. Rufus Ward is a reclusive painter who hasn't dated anyone in over five years. He's mostly dated women, but is bisexual and just doesn't want the hassle of trying to explain it to all and sundry. His house is falling down around his ears, but he barely notices, so engrossed is he in his art. It's up to his sister to arrange for a handyman to come and fix those odd jobs that he never seems to get around to. Rufus is annoyed and opens the door to give the hanydman a piece of his mind, but the words dry up when he sees the handsome man standing there.

Harry Hande is young to have his own contracting business, but he's good at his job and he needs the money so he can move out and away from his older brother who does nothing but complain--about his job, his life, everything about Harry's life. Harry has always considered himself straight, but that was before he came face to face with Rufus Ward, the painter whose art Harry has loved for years and even managed to buy some prints.

Working on the house is very disconcerting, especially when Rufus stares at him with such intensity and then comes the day when Rufus asks him to model for him...

Sometimes a reader might feel cheated when they read a short story or novella, but that certainly isn't the case with Handy Harry. Ms. Leaf has written a complete story with deep characterization and engaging leads. Harry and Rufus are both so awkward around each other at first and I have to admit I do have a bit of a soft spot when it comes to characters who are a bit unsure. Not everyone in the world is confident and outgoing and it is wonderful to see less confident characters get their happily ever after, too.

The book has a bit of unresolved sexual tension before Harry and Rufus finally get together and when they do, it is even hotter due to the build-up over those few weeks when they yearn from afar. The love scenes themselves are erotic and explicit, but without being coarse. You get the connection between the two characters, there is emotional depth as well as the physical acts. Rufus and Harry are both wonderful characters and I for one wouldn't mind a longer adventure with these two.

If you like a slight bit of angst before the happily ever after, give it a try. You'll be glad you did.

Book Review: Ravenhearth by Lotus Oakes

Ravenhearth
by Lotus Oakes
Less Than Three Press
M/M Romance/Fantasy
4 Stars

Blurb:

In a world covered by a deadly miasma, humans survive by way of the protection of powerful mages known as Keepers. In the town of Ravenhearth, the Keeper requests a companion every ten years. What happens to them after those ten years, no one knows, for none has ever returned.

Ash is a young orphan who dreams of learning magic. When the newest request for a companion is posted, he volunteers. Upon his arrival, he finds the Keeper's home is nothing like the fearful whispers shared around the village. Instead, he slowly grows to become part of the close-knit family of the Keeper's castle—and falling for Giles, the butler of Ravenhearth, rather than the mage he's been sent there to attend.

Review:

Orphaned and homeless, Ash ekes out a living doing odd jobs around the town of Ravenhearth for a pittance in coins and scraps of food. His clothes are ragged and worn and the rest of the townfolk give him a wide berth, for they always felt there was something strange about him.

Like all inhabited towns, Ravenhearth is protected by a Keeper, who lives in a castle not far from the town. Every ten years the Keeper sends a letter asking for a companion from the village. Ash is old enough to remember the last letter and the sting of magic from it. His mother had been a mage, not as powerful as a Keeper and Ash too wishes to learn magic.

And maybe, if he volunteers this time, then the Keeper might be able to teach him. And leaving the town where his mother died would certainly be no hardship, it's not as if he'd be leaving lots of friends behind. And so begins Ash's adventure in the castle of the Keeper.

The book had a little bit of a fairy tale feel to it, and reminded me a little of the Cinderella story, although this one was a gay story.

Ash is the point of view character for the whole book and while that helped you get into Ash's head, you only reall got to know the other character's through Ashs's eyes. It has excellent characterisation, even some you love to hate. I couldn't stand the twins, Whitney and Courtney. They came across as petulant, whining brats, although they were adults and older than Ash. Lilah and Verity became surrogate mothers of a sort to Ash and it was good to see him let go of some of the grief he was still carrying around after his own mother's death.

Romance between Ash and Giles is slow to take off, it's mainly one-sided for most of the book, with Giles not even being aware that Ash has fallen in love with him. When they do get together, you feel like them cheering them on, finally!

The book was about 60,000 words and unusually for a book of that length, there weren't really any chapters, just scene breaks. Chapters would have helped it flow more easily.

There were some questions I would have loved to have been answered in the book, but they weren't. What was this strange fog? Why was it toxic to humans? Was it some sort of industrial accident? A magic experiment gone wrong? We don't find out. The author gave a tantaslising taste of world-building but not enough. I wanted to know more about Ash's world, more about how magic worked here but we barely see any magic at all. Mostly Ash reading about it and doing meditation to clear his mind.

So, although I had some problems with the world-building, the story itself is good, well-written and populated with interesting characters. There are a couple of explitict scenes, but I'd say this romance falls more on the sweet side, with a lot of tension and build-up between our two main characters.

If you want a romantic read that's light on the angst, give this one a try.

Cover Reveal: Rhythm and Blue by D.P. Denman

About the Book

Title: Rhythm and Blue

Author: DP Denman

Genre: Contemporary Romance / Gay Romance

What’s a little treachery among friends?

Blue’s unexpected success earns him international recognition and costs more than he expected. When jealousy turns a trusted friend against him, Blue learns the price of fame and the precarious balance of ego and amity.

Can he repair the damage or will friendship be the first casualty of his success?

Don’t miss the gripping sequel to the best-selling novel BLUE

Author Bio

Award winning author DP Denman writes character-driven contemporary romance about gay men. Her stories are real and intense, but resolve in endings that make people want to read the book all over again. She lives among the moss and trees of the Pacific Northwest with a rambunctious pair of fur babies.

In her spare time, she is a dedicated LGBTQIA rights activist with a special focus on the thousands of rejected and abandoned kids who end up on the street every year. To support the cause, 25% of the royalties from every book go to LGBT charities.

Links

http://www.dpdenman.com

https://twitter.com/dpdenman

http://dpdenman.tumblr.com

https://www.facebook.com/dp.denman

http://dpdenman