Blog Tour Book Review & Giveaway: Deep by A.L. Bates

Title: Deep
Author: A.L. Bates
Genre: Science Fiction, Gay Romance, Gay SciFi
Length: Long Novella
Publisher: Wayward Ink Publishing

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?

Review: 4 Stars

Running from the authorities back on Earth, Sean has been working as a medic on a mining ship for the past two years. All his documents are forged, and the captain knew it, but he still gave Sean a chance. It's a lonely, hard life, but Sean has made it his own and down in the deep he feels his troubles are finally over. He's in love with Joel, but hasn't mentioned it and tries to keep his feelings and his sexuality hidden, feeling that no one would want to be on the ship with him if they knew. A distress call from another ship soon puts paid to the idea that his troubles are over.

One of Sean's ex-lovers, David, is the only survivor on the other ship. And he wastes no time in blackmailing Sean back into a relationship with him: if Sean doesn't comply, then he will tell Captain Joel Riley all about Sean's sordid past. Feeling he has no option, Sean acquiesces, for he doesn't want the captain to find out about his past. But bedding Sean isn't David's only agenda, and the crew find themselves in danger in more ways than one.

I'm not really a fan of the "gay for you" trope, but I have to admit that in this story it worked well. Joel has always considered himself straight, but he can't deny that there is something about Sean which intrigues him and he is jealous when he catches Sean and David together – if he'd opened his eyes a bit sooner, he might have realised that Sean didn't want to be with David, he was doing it to protect the ship and the other crew.

Sean is so confused and messed-up, I really felt for him and wanted things to work out. He has been through so much, ashamed of things in his past and fears that if anyone finds out they will disown him. Sean wants Joel but he has so many hang-ups about sex due to his past that he doesn't even know how to approach the subject, never mind do anything more physical.

And Joel, Joel understands completely. There is no jumping into bed together in the first five minutes and the book is stronger for it. It's a romance, there's no doubt about that, but romance doesn't have to mean sex in every chapter. Sean needs time, as does Joel for he's never been with a man before, and they both get the time they need to sort out their heads first before they make love.

Great characters, well-written prose, and a fast pace that leaves you breathless. A new author to watch.

Buy Links

Don’t miss the Valentine’s Day Sale (February 11-17) 50% off on WIP’s website and 40% 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

Giveaway

Prizes: $10 WIP Gift Card + $4.99 WIP Gift Card
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

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/
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

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: 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