Release Day Review: Clique by Jayden Brooks

I’m feeling all the wow right now. 😀

The Novel Approach Reviews

Amazon USAmazon USTitle: Clique (Heartsville)

Author: Jayden Brooks

Publisher: Self-Published

Pages/Word Count: 78 Pages

At a Glance: Funny, sweet, and sarcastic, Clique is a story about taking risks, hanging on, and fighting for something real.

Reviewed By: Lisa

Blurb: Adam Locke’s youthful looks aren’t the blessing everyone seems to think. At twenty-eight, he’s a successful photographer with his own studio and respected by his peers—but that doesn’t seem to matter to the men who catch his eye. Instead, he’s brushed aside like an underage twink with a daddy fetish.

When a hot, bearded stranger stops him from accidentally walking into traffic, Adam looks up and finds the man of his dreams. Unfortunately, his first meeting with Brandon ends with him being dismissed as a kid. Again. Adam can’t help his annoyance. He also can’t help staring (and drooling) whenever he spots Brandon walking…

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Release Day Review: Unscripted by Nico Jaye

Love this story! Love this review!

The Novel Approach Reviews

Amazon USAmazon USTitle: Unscripted (Heartsville)

Author: Nico Jaye

Publisher: Self-Published

Pages/Word Count: 80 Pages

At a Glance: Fun, sweet, adorable, charming—Unscripted is all that and a little more.

Reviewed By: Lisa

Blurb: Theater manager Teddy Carbone’s life has gone pretty much according to script… until now.

To his surprise, Teddy finds himself co-owner of the Oasis Theater with Carter Monroe, a corporate shark who’s looking at him like he’s chum in the water. Being in charge of the theater is one thing, but having to deal with Carter and his demands is another. With Carter’s proposed plan to sell the Oasis looming, Teddy must convince Carter the theater is worth saving. When he introduces the bright, bold world of the stage to Carter’s cold, all-business lifestyle, though, Teddy soon comes to recognize that the Oasis might not be the only thing he has…

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Heartsville Series! Welcome to the gayborhood!

Series Covers - Heartsville (Order of Release)

Welcome to the gayborhood! In the cozy town of Heartsville, the streets are lined with trees, the shops are full of friendly faces, and happily ever after is just around the corner. Come get to know the boys next door—naughty, nice, and everything in between.

Bookmarked by Piper Vaughn (Oct. 26th)

To save his bookstore from closing, Mark Werner realizes it’s going to take a miracle—like getting reclusive, best-selling author Shepherd Knight to agree to appear for a signing.

After their disastrous last encounter, Mark doesn’t hold up much hope Shepherd will agree. Shepherd’s never made a single public appearance. In fact, Mark wouldn’t even know what he looks like had he not accidentally discovered the sexy stranger he’d been flirting with for months, aka “Tall-Dark-and-Grumpy,” was also his fanboy obsession.

But desperate times call for desperate measures. If Mark can convince Shepherd, it’ll be a major coup in the book world and might just save Bookmarked from sinking. Too bad Shepherd won’t reply to his e-mails. Yet Mark didn’t earn the reputation of having a “sunshine-and-rainbow-fart” personality for nothing. He’ll do whatever it takes to get his man… and hopefully not make a fool of himself in the process.

Amazon
ARe

Unscripted by Nico Jaye (Oct. 27th)

Theater manager Teddy Carbone’s life has gone pretty much according to script… until now.

To his surprise, Teddy finds himself co-owner of the Oasis Theater with Carter Monroe, a corporate shark who’s looking at him like he’s chum in the water. Being in charge of the theater is one thing, but having to deal with Carter and his demands is another. With Carter’s proposed plan to sell the Oasis looming, Teddy must convince Carter the theater is worth saving. When Teddy introduces the bright, bold world of the stage to Carter’s cold, all-business lifestyle, though, he soon comes to recognize that the Oasis might not be the only thing he has a chance to save.

Amazon
ARe

Another Shot by J.H. Knight (Oct. 28th)

The town of Heartsville means something different to everyone who lives there. For Aaron Forester, it’s a gay-friendly buffer between himself and the rest of the world. After being outed in high school and bullied to the point of violence, his family uprooted their lives and relocated to the small hamlet. He’s moved on from all that and now owns a popular café in the bustling shopping district. But after twenty years of happy living, Aaron’s past creeps up on him in the most unexpected way.

Brad Collins only has one regret and he’s carried it with him since he was a teenager. When he moves to Heartsville and gets set up on a blind date with the most adorable, engaging man he’s met in a long time, he couldn’t be happier. But Brad didn’t expect the guy to be the person he outed in high school—who he’s now falling in love with.

Aaron and Brad hit it off instantly—in and out of the bedroom. But after a long overdue apology and a small serving of resentment, is their fledgling relationship worth another shot?

Amazon
ARe

Clique by Jayden Brooks (Oct. 29th)

Adam Locke’s youthful looks aren’t the blessing everyone seems to think. At twenty-eight, he’s a successful photographer with his own studio and respected by his peers—but that doesn’t seem to matter to the men who catch his eye. Instead, he’s brushed aside like an underage twink with a daddy fetish.

When a hot, bearded stranger stops him from accidentally walking into traffic, Adam looks up and finds the man of his dreams. Unfortunately, his first meeting with Brandon ends with him being dismissed as a kid. Again. Adam can’t help his annoyance. He also can’t help staring (and drooling) whenever he spots Brandon walking through the neighborhood with a different dog.

He watches from afar, wondering about Brandon’s story—until the day he’s dared to take another chance. It’s just the push Adam needs, and finally, he catches Brandon’s interest. Now if only he could figure out the key to getting taciturn Brandon to open up and let Adam in. But Adam knows sometimes all it takes is a little patience for the last piece to click into place.

Amazon
ARe

Bloom Box by Cate Ashwood (Oct. 30th)

If there’s one thing William Sullivan knows less about than how to run a business, it’s flowers. When Will is left carrying responsibility for the flower shop he’d leased for his cheating ex-boyfriend, he is sure it will lead him into financial ruin.

Just when he’s about to abandon all hope, in walks Milo Hart—young, overflowing with energy, and perhaps best of all, a genius when it comes to flowers. Will hires him on the spot and they begin a working partnership that might be Will’s only saving grace. The more time they spend together, the more Will’s feelings for Milo evolve and Will must choose between keeping things strictly business, or taking a chance to let love bloom.

Amazon 
ARe

Mother Nature’s Cruelest Predator (A Prickly Business Ficlet)

I legit LOL’d while reading the ficlet Piper wrote for Avery and Dylan. ❤️

A Heart for Robbie by JP Barnaby

BLURB:
Waiting for someone else’s child to die so yours can live is the worst kind of Hell.

Celebrated Young Adult author Julian Holmes pits the heroic characters in his Black Heart series against all different kinds of monsters. But when a critical heart defect threatens his son’s life, he finds he has no champion. No amount of books, classes, or practice can prepare Julian for the fight to save his beautiful son’s life.
A Heart for Robbie
Suddenly there are hospitals, transplant lists, and the nightmare of insurance red tape to navigate. In the midst of his trouble, Julian meets Simon Phelps, the insurance coordinator for Robbie’s case. Simon lives so deep in the closet he might never find his way out, but he dreams of exactly what Julian has. Then one night, drunken need and desperation brings them together, and a new fight begins.

Link: Dreamspinner Press

 

Mended (2014 Daily Dose Anthology) by Dreamspinner Press

Life comes with a bit of hurt, but luckily for these men, it also comes with the right amMended_postcard_front_DSPount of comfort to mend their breaks, both of the body and the heart. From facing deranged exes to economic trials, the men in these tales have faced trial by fire–or in some cases water–for the right to love and live. Step into their shoes as they rebuild their family after a gutting betrayal or traverse the stars with an unexpected partner. The Mended Daily Dose package delivers stories about all kinds of second chances built on love.

Tricia Kristufek, Shannon Shell, Felicitas Ivey, Zahra Owens, Emily Moreton, Cardeno C., S.A. Garcia, M. Lee, Ellis Carrington, Kim Fielding, Ari McKay, E.T. Malinowski, Bru Baker, K.C. Wells, Gwynn Marssen, Lee Comyn, Ashavan Doyon, Eli Easton, Charley Descoteaux, Therese Woodson, MA Ford, L.D. Blakeley, Elizabeth Noble, Kenzie Cade, Jayden Brooks

 

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3025495.Felicitas_Ivey

 

A Review: That’s Who I am, by Jayden Brooks

http://zevdevalera.wordpress.com/2014/05/28/a-review-thats-who-i-am-by-jayden-brooks/

“Last night, I dreamt I went to Manderley again …”

So begins Daphne du Maurier’s novel, Rebecca. Little by little, the reader is drawn into the mind of the narrator and so into the minds and worlds of all the secondary characters. Thus, are we drawn into the world of Jared Winters and his family in Jayden Brooks’ Novel That’s Who I Am.

A victim of unspeakable trauma, Jared recounts his recovery through vivid flashbacks as he struggles to relate to the new and sometimes threatening world around him as he comes to consciousness in a sanitarium. Like the protagonist of Rebecca, Jared must come to terms with not only the ghosts of his past but with his own self-identity.

Ms. Brooks is an adept at placing the reader firmly in the mind of the protagonist. One feels each and every physical pain as Jared recovers from his injuries; and one also feels – viscerally – the psychological and emotional damage Jared has suffered at the hand of his abuser; and by his own failure to act.

That’s Who I am is at once a study of the psychology of the abuser and the abused and a thoughtful essay on the importance of ‘family’ – biologically or otherwise.

At the end of the novella, one comes away satisfied. Cheering for Jared and his successful journey of self-discovery and appreciative of a writer who can pull one down to the depths of despair and lift one to the heights of hopefulness with equal aplomb.

That’s Who I Am

My first book, That’s Who I Am is coming out June 1st!  That'sWhoIAm_FS

Jared Winters’s life has been little more than a collection of moments where he didn’t think before opening his mouth. Always a bit different, he’s learned to accept an existence on the outside looking in. But one day, his mouth lands him in a position that nearly costs him his life. Only the timely intervention of Sophie, his twin Conner’s ex-girlfriend, saves him.

Siblings Sophie and Donovan Carrigan step in and offer support, comfort, and a place to call home. Under their care, Jared begins to heal and learns to trust just enough to act on his attraction to Donovan. He just hopes it’s worth the risk.

Dreamspinner Press

Amazon

Author Bio

Writing an author bio was an absolute nightmare. I did my typical procrastination routine until the last minute… and I came up with diddly squat! Talking about myself and my life is usually easy for me. Talking about myself in the third person is waaaay outside my comfort zone. So I agonized over it, and began to seriously worry that I wouldn’t come up with anything even remotely acceptable.

Then my beloved Piper came to my rescue. My poor sweetheart was sick and miserable, but she managed to leave a cute comment saying, jokingly, “I’ve got you covered.” Ha! Her messing around bio had me bawling my head off. Because it showed how well she knew me, knew what was important to me, knew what I’d be cool with sharing, and made me sound sooo much more interesting than I actually am.

“Jayden Brooks is a pretty cool chick. Just ask her friends. She’s a woman of great mystery and suspense, but she can’t tell a lie without confessing. She’s fond of gingers, tea, and tales of hot men falling in love with each other—not necessarily in that order. She lives in the suburbs of Chicago with her family, a golden retriever who goes by the name of Mickey, and a cat who wandered in one day and never left. More than anything, she believes that love is love, and everybody deserves a chance at a happily ever after.”

With Piper’s blessing–I copied, pasted and sent that sucker. ❤

Remembering Bernie

On World AIDS Day I want to share a memory of someone special to my heart.

One of the most influential people in my life died when I was 17 – he died of complications due to the AIDS virus. My foster brother Bernie was an incredible creature. I can’t even hope to convey how unique he was and how large an impact he had on my life in the handful of years I had him. Circumstances had us placed in the same home, a home that could handle kids who came had high profile cases or dangerous families. To say it wasn’t a great time in my life is a disgusting understatement. But Jaysus, when Bernie pranced out with, “It’s a girl! I have a new sissy! Can I keep her?” He freaked me out with his swishing, dramatic effusiveness. The minute the foster parents cleared the room, he dropped the affectation from his voice, cocked his hip, got in my face and set me straight. “Don’t touch my shit, stay out of my room, and keep out of my way – or you’ll regret it.” Whoa! The princess had claws! And he was a princess, a diva, and a drama queen of the highest order. He had the tiaras to prove it – or did eventually. He was exhausting at times. Looking back, he could have been the poster child for ADHD.

Over the next few years, this kid who was 17 to my 12, became my world. He let me tag along with him and his friends, he let me sleep in his room, I wore his shirts and jackets – he was my safety net. He was my heart. Once he aged out of the system, our foster parents let him live in the basement apartment. Most nights I snuck down to sleep with him still. Then one day, when I crept down the stairs, I found him in a messy, bloody heap by the back door. Someone had hurt him. Bad. He refused to let me get help. You see, that kind of thing doesn’t happen to guys. He knew that Chicago Police wouldn’t do anything to his attacker… his boss, a respected businessman. They would say he asked for it, or he was lying… we’d seen it happen to other boys before. Nothing would be done. It was awful. But it wasn’t over. Within the year he got sick and stayed sick with one thing after another, cold, flu, ear infection, strep throat, pneumonia, cysts, boils… the list went on and on. Finally one doctor tested him for HIV. He was positive.

There’s so much I want to say about this young man who was taken far too soon. There are so many stories and memories I have hoarded away, humorous glimpses into what made Bernie so incredibly special to my heart. He was more than a victim of AIDS. He was ‘make you wet your pants’ funny. He could sing like an angel. He couldn’t cook to save his life, but ate like he had a tapeworm. He would wear a scarf in the hottest days of summer… because he thought his neck was scrawny. He was right, it always amazed me such a skinny neck could hold up his massive head… and I told him so often. That’s what sisters do. There’s one more thing you should know about Bernie – he was mine. Heart and soul. It makes me sad to think that I never had to learn to share him. Never had to step aside to make room for his love. I console myself with the knowledge that I loved him with every fiber of my being, and that he loved me in return.

In the winter of 1990 my Bernie died, he took an enormous piece of my heart with him. It amazes me to realize I only had him for a tiny 5 year window, but 23 years later, his existence continues to have a tremendous impact on my life.

I wish so hard that he had had the advantages of the medications of today – research has come a long way. But there’s still more work to be done. It pains me to see so many young people acting as though HIV/AIDS has been cured and is no longer a threat. That’s not true.

Get involved. Know your status. Know the facts!! My GOD, know the fekkin FACTS!!

http://www.worldaidsday.org/

I miss you, Princess.

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'Nathan Burgoine

mostly short queer fiction from a tall queer guy

Through the lens...

Ryan Colford Photography www.ryancolford.com

Shannon Kelly White

Food, utter nonsense and general fuckery

Jamie Lynn Miller

"Men in uniform...and out"

AF Henley

Gay Romance Fiction Author

Dani Alexander

Romance with character

The Struggling Writer

Where the triumph of intellect and romance over brute force and cynicism is celebrated!

AJ Rose Books

I talk to imaginary people, speak of events that didn't happen. I tell lies. Also known as fiction, of the gay romantic variety.