review

Author Name: M. LeAnne Phoenix

Book Name: The Covenant

Series: Covenant Series

Book: One

Release Date: January 15, 2016

Pages or Words: 280 pages, 71,000 words

Categories: Gay fiction, M/M Romance, New Adult, Poetry, Romance

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28052976-the-covenant

Publisher: CoolDudes Publishing

Cover Artist: Kellie Dennis

When love is forbidden, who can you trust?

Seventeen year old David has been best friends with Jonathan for as long as he can remember, but the day he sees the pastor’s daughter press a soft kiss to Jonathan’s cheek everything changes. Overcome by jealousy, his explosive reaction reveals a deeper connection that sends their relationship spiraling down into dangerous territory.

When their clandestine love is discovered, they have nowhere to turn for help. The brutal circumstances of their parting test David and Jonathan’s covenant to each other in unimaginable ways. Forced to face their fears, it is in their darkest moments that the two young men discover that the courage, hope, and strength they need to to fight for their love, has been the foundation of their covenant all along.

US: http://amzn.to/1NkQLzv

UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B018RBXPJ6/

David opened his locker to get out his Biology, History, and Music History books and shoved them into his backpack, swallowing hard against the lump in his throat. Jonathan’s comforting hand lit on David’s side as he came to lean on the locker to the right of David’s own, holding up in one paint-besmeared hand, a small piece of black cardboard. On it, David saw symbols, ones he thought might be Greek. Remembering the foreign exchange student from Thessaloniki shared Jonathan’s sixth period art class, he smiled and turned to his boyfriend as he took the proffered gift.

“What does it say?” David couldn’t help but smile at the joy lighting Jonathan’s eyes. “This has to be something that Kallias helped you make—”

“You aren’t wrong,” Jonathan interjected. “That is Greek writing and Kallias even taught me how to say it.”

“Enlighten me, please!” David rasped, focusing wholly on Jonathan’s gift. “Say it and then tell me what it means.”

“If I say it right, it’s agape menomou—”

David furrowed his brow, repeating, “A guppy man oh moo?”

Jonathan slid down the locker in a giggle. “Noooo! I must have said it wrong because your face… oh my gosh, your face!”

Blushing and biting his lower lip, David sank down to his haunches in front of Jonathan. “Then say it again, slower, and tell me what it means!”

Jonathan looked around, and seeing no-one in their locker bank, leaned up to whisper the Greek in his ear, the sounds slower… thicker. “Agape menomou means O love of my heart.”

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book so fast. I couldn’t put this down. I may have a bit of the novel’s hero (I’ll get to why I used that instead of “main character”) in me because I have so much going on in my head right now.

The first thing which jumped out at me, and the reason I picked this to read, is that it is a modern retelling of the biblical story of David and Jonathan. I’m partial to stories with spiritual content, and this is a narrative which begs telling over and over in any number of ways.

My second thought as soon as I started reading was that these characters are the same age as me. It was a treat being able to read about people who grew up in my era, and it made me think about the possibility that I knew (without realizing it) boys like them, hiding a serious relationship and in fear of coming out. It was a hostile time for gay youth, and I love that the story is set against this backdrop.

Above, I referred to David as the hero, and this is absolutely true. Like his biblical counterpart, David faces many giants, and each time, he comes out stronger. David is a fascinating character, and I have to wonder if he lived in our current time whether he would consider himself genderfluid or another non-binary identity. He’s shown as a sweet, feminine boy who might be mistaken for being delicate or weak—and this is how those who hate him want to see him. But he isn’t, and he repeatedly proves that he is both strong enough to fight for himself and strong enough to trust the people who love him to be at his side.

Speaking of which, there are so many wonderful side characters. I adore Momma Claire, David’s mother, and the littler boys—Cody and Elijah—are fun. There are so many ups and downs, as with most families, but the overarching theme is how much all these people love each other. David’s close relationships with his friends and family are a nice departure from a lot of romance, where the exclusive focus is between the two lovers. David and Jonathan both, as wrapped up in each other as they are, have a lot besides being in each other’s orbits all the time.

There are a number of moments when I thought my heart would stop and I feared one or both these wonderful boys wouldn’t make it out alive. There is real danger to them both throughout, and the tension had me on the edge of my seat. Some of the events were perhaps a bit over the top (for example, the scenario with David’s brother Joshua). However, because it’s an allegory of sorts and because the actual events are not really the point of the story, I think that can be easily forgiven.

There are only a couple of things I noticed. I had a hard time puzzling through the ages of the characters. I wasn’t sure why David and Jonathan weren’t in the same grade, and the younger boys’ ages confused me as well. It’s not a huge thing, but it was a little distracting. The other issue is that there is a lot of descriptive (not necessarily graphic) sex between boys under age 18. This is definitely not YA, even though the characters are high schoolers. Since many publishers won’t take books with overt sexual situations between characters considered “underage,” some readers may not be expecting this (I know I wasn’t). It didn’t make me like it less, but I think it’s worth noting. It’s best to read this more as historical fiction or as a look back at an era rather than exclusively as young/new adult fiction.

Overall, this is wonderful and a must-read for anyone who came of age during that time, anyone who has struggled with reconciling spirituality with being lgbtqia, and anyone who simply wants a story about the intensity of young love against the odds.

This gets 10/10 fountain pens for deep emotions, a trip down memory lane, and an author who has earned a new fan.

LeAnne Phoenix would tell you that the worst time of her life was the two years that she attempted to take off from writing. If you asked her to explain exactly why she did such a thing, you would most likely get the mad attempt to arch an eyebrow like her dad and then a shake of the head as she told you it was unlucky to speak of such things. Suffice it to say, it will never happen again!

Born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas in the mid-1970’s, Ms. Phoenix was young and wild (and even free!) during the crazy wondrous decade known as the 1980’s and the even crazier but now grungy decade of the 1990’s. Music is second only to the muses that live and breathe to fill her mind with beautiful men, and music always helps them to tell their stories. She is never without her iPod or her computer no matter where she goes, although, she does like to hike and take pictures of the sky and the moon, and even the occasional shot of the sun through the branches of a tree.

An avid cat lover, Ms. Phoenix has been owned by many throughout her life, though her current owner is one Lily-Rose, who really would like for her to step away from the keyboard and pay her some attention! After all, hasn’t she earned it?

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mleannephoenix

Twitter: @MLPhoenix

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mleannephoenix/

Website: www.mleannephoenix.com

Today I’m welcoming M. LeAnne Phoenix to chat about writing, life, and their current project. Welcome! Let’s talk a little about The Covenant.

What inspired you to write this story?

I felt like there needed be exploration into what my life would’ve been like had I had the courage to come out when I was in high school. I was at the beginning of NaNoWriMo 2014, and I needed a story to write, so I chose the short story I’d turned in twenty years ago as a basis and it exploded into The Covenant.

Is there a character you feel especially connected to? Why?

David is the one that is mostly me, but he’s also developed his own personality as well. He has all of my characteristics—hair and eye color, wears glasses, is always writing poetry and stories.

What was the hardest part of writing this?

Revisiting the pain.

Choose a favorite line or short passage. What do you like about it?

David’s eyes had widened with every remembered word tumbling over Jonathan’s lips. Reaching over to grab his boyfriend’s hand as those amber eyes opened on his own blue eyes, David blinked, whispering, “You only read it once… h-how did you—?”

“I’m fairly eidetic, remember? And… they’re your words. I don’t forget your words simply because they are yours, babe.”

Giving his hand a quick squeeze, he loosed David’s hand to push a lock of errant blonde hair from his eyes and over his ear. “Now let’s see what you have here for me.”

I like it because every writer wants to their words to be sacred to the one they love. Jonathan is supportive of David’s poetry, especially when it’s hard for him to write in iambic pentameter. (The poem he refers to is written in response to Shakespeare.)

How do you choose names for your characters?

I usually choose their name somewhat by characteristics I want them to have, and by culture. Sometimes it’s by hearing a name I like, but mostly the aforementioned. Then, I Google the nationality and whatever gender names I’m looking for. After that, it’s all about the name meaning itself.

Where do you look for inspiration for new stories?

Most of it is just sitting down and seeing where it will go.

What else do you use to immerse yourself in the story (music, visuals, etc.)?

Music, visuals, and I always make a wallpaper for my computer.

Word sprints!

1. Coffee or tea? Both, but I love me some coffee!
2. Cats or dogs? Total cat person.
3. What’s your favorite book? Lord of the Rings
4. What’s your favorite of your published works? The Covenant
5. Do the people in your life know about your writing? Yes

15-Jan: Prism Book Alliance, KathyMac Reviews, Velvet Panic, Mikky’s World of Books, It’s Raining Men, Carly’s Book Reviews

18-Jan: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Kimi-Chan, Nephy Hart

19-Jan: Bayou Book Junkie, Unquietly Me

20-Jan: Louise Lyons, Books A to Z, Michael Mandrake, My Fiction Nook

21-Jan: Iyana Jenna, Hearts on Fire

22-Jan: Havan Fellows, Happily Ever Chapter

25-Jan: MM Good Book Reviews, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

26-Jan: Inked Rainbow Reads, Dawn’s Reading Nook, A.M. Leibowitz

27-Jan: Jessie G. Books, BFD Book Blog

28-Jan: Love Bytes, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Alpha Book Club

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Author Name: Sean Michael

Book Name: Three To Get Ready

Series: Mannies Incorporated

Book: Four

This book can be read as a standalone

Release Date: December 18, 2015

Pages or Words: 64,000 words/190 pages

Categories: Contemporary, Erotica, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/452671.Sean_Michael

Publisher: Sean Michael

Cover Artist: Kris Norris

Single father Jack Jones is in dire need of a new nanny. His five year old son Nathan is legally blind, he has twin baby girls arriving in less than two months and the girl currently working for him is leaving at Thanksgiving to go home and continue her higher education. If Mannies Incorporated doesn’t come up with a viable candidate soon, he’s not sure what he’s going to do.

Dan Miller is on the hunt for a new job. He’s had some great placements with Mannies Incorporated, many as Manny to multiple birth families to get them over the hump. He even has experience with special needs children, so the job he’s interviewing for looks like it’s right up his alley.

When Dan arrives at Jack’s house, he discovers that this Jack Jones is his Jack Jones, the man he was in love with during college, and who broke up with Dan because Dan wanted children. Will Dan and Jack be able to put the past behind them and work together, or will their past keep them from having a future together?

I picked this up because, I’ll be honest, I’m a complete sucker for a story with kids. And let’s be real, if there are sexy dads involved, well, that’s icing.

I’ve read other books by Sean Michael (and I love the way he writes families), but I’d never read the other Mannies stories (something which I will now have to rectify). What a treasure! This read to me like Babysitters Club only gayer and a lot more adult. I loved all the tiny details about day-to-day life with sweet little boy Nathan and Jack’s gentle parenting. Enter Dan, who swooped in and pretty  much stole everyone’s hearts, throw in two feisty newborns, and you’ve got a recipe for a delightful afternoon read.

What really sold me on this was that it was such a cozy slice-of-life tale. Sure, there were some extra-sexy times between Jack and Dan, but those were not the focus.I found Nathan’s visual impairment to be well-written, and I loved the balance both Jack and Dan struck between knowing what he could do and encouraging him to try new things. I’ll admit I don’t always like reading about newborns because I’m long past that stage of parenting, but I liked the twins, too, and I loved how they already had such strong personalities. (Though I did cringe at the line about the surrogate mother “popping [babies] out like grapes” because…no. Just, no. Not how it works, dude, not even after 6 of ’em.)

They say that having a child is like having your heart walk around outside your body, and I think this book is that proverb in story form. There wasn’t any real heavy drama or serious tension, just a warm, Christmasy glow. Do I like my guys with a bit of angst? Sure, but it’s equally good to take a break, slow down, and enjoy something a little more fluffy and sweet. Watching the relationships gradually blossom is every bit as rewarding.

This gets a solid 8 fountain pens for cute kids, loving daddies (of the actual parent variety), and a happy-every-after tied with a big, red Christmas bow.

Dan Miller followed the instructions on his GPS to one Jack Jones’ house for his interview. He was trying to decide if it was a good or bad omen that he’d dated a Jack Jones. It had ended, so maybe bad. On the other hand, they’d ended because Jack didn’t want kids and he did, which was better to learn early on, before they’d invested a lot of time in each other, right? So good sign.

Chuckling at himself, he went over what Drake at Mannies Inc had told him about the family.

Single gay dad, one special needs son – the boy was nearly six and clinically blind. Apparently he could see general shapes if they were high contrast and he could see lights and light contrast. There were twin girls on their way. In a few weeks in fact.

Newborns were Dan’s favorite. He loved that new baby smell. He loved their chubby little cheeks and limbs, their fat bellies and how quickly they changed.

After reading the file, he’d had to agree with Drake that he seemed like a really good fit for the family.

The position was live-in, so he paid close attention as the condo came into view. Not far from the beach, it was a decent size, not too big, but not tiny. The front was neat and he could see the backyard was fenced in.

Pulling into the drive, he turned off the engine and took a deep breath. Okay. Interview time. He climbed out of the car, with his best ‘I’m the perfect man to look after your kids’ face on.

He knocked on the front door.

“Daddy! Maddie, someone is here!”

“I’ll get it, man. Hopefully this one will work for your daddy, Mr. Picky. I have to leave the week of Thanksgiving. I have to.”

The door opened and a lovely dark-skinned young woman stood there with a skinny little boy in thick glasses. “Hey there. Can I help you?”

“Hi, Dan Miller. I’m here to see Mr. Jones?”

“Sure. Come on in. I’m Maddie, Nathan’s personal assistant.” She winked at him.

“Very nice to meet you.” He shook her hand.

Then he turned his attention to the little boy. “Hey there, You must be Nathan.”

“Uh-huh. Nathan James Jones.” One hand was held out. “Pleased meeting you.”

Dan took Nathan’s hand and shook it solemnly. “Pleased to meet you, too.”

“Hey there. Sorry, man. I was paying some bills. Crazy life.”

Dan looked up at the familiar voice and blinked. Strong jaw, blond curls, and the bluest eyes in the history of the earth — that was Jack. His Jack.

Dan felt like he’d been poleaxed.

His Jack who didn’t want kids, no way no how was he fucking crazy for even suggesting it.

“Jack?” Oh, smooth, Dan. Clearly it was Jack. Hell, even if he couldn’t believe his eyes, the folder he’d gotten from Drake had said the guy’s name was Jack.

“Dan? Danny? Oh, my God!” Jack’s eyes went wide. “Look at you. You look amazing.”

He kind of hated the way Jack’s words made him stand a little taller, a little straighter. “So do you. The years have been good to you.” Twelve years. Shit, things had changed in that time, that much was obvious, but not how just a glance from those devastating eyes could make his cock perk up. That hadn’t changed a damn bit.

Often referred to as “Space Cowboy” and “Gangsta of Love” while still striving for the moniker of “Maurice,” Sean Michael spends his days surfing, smutting, organizing his immense gourd collection and fantasizing about one day retiring on a small secluded island peopled entirely by horseshoe crabs. While collecting vast amounts of vintage gay pulp novels and mood rings, Sean whiles away the hours between dropping the f-bomb and pursuing the kama sutra by channeling the long lost spirit of John Wayne and singing along with the soundtrack to “Chicago.”

A long-time writer of complicated haiku, currently Sean is attempting to learn the advanced arts of plate spinning and soap carving sex toys.

Barring any of that? He’ll stick with writing his stories, thanks, and rubbing pretty bodies together to see if they spark.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004713810507

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/SeanMichaelWrites/

Twitter: seanmichael09

Website: www.seanmichaelwrites.com

Blog: http://seanmichaelwrites.blogspot.com/

Today I’m welcoming Sean Michael to chat about writing, life, and their current project. Welcome! Let’s talk a little about Three to Get Ready, a Mannies Incorporated novel.

What inspired you to write this story?

It has become a tradition that I do a novel in the Mannies Incorporated series every December, so I knew I wanted to write another in the series. Jack and Nathan showed up in my head first, bringing Dan with them.

Is there a character you feel especially connected to? Why?

I figure I put some of myself into all my characters, and as they all live in my head, they feel like a part of me, so on that front, I feel connected to all of them.

What was the hardest part of writing this?

Probably remembering that Nathan was blind, so that had to be taken into account whenever he was in the scene. Obviously he’s not going to be able to see a nod or things like that.

Choose a favorite line or short passage. What do you like about it?

My favorite parts are always the smutty parts. I love the way the characters can communicate without words, the way making love brings them together.

Tell us a little about any upcoming projects.

I always have a bunch of documents open, and try to work on all of them every day. Among the things I’m currently working on are the next Fairytale Shifter book – this one will be a little longer than the first two and will be a kinky romp riffing off of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. I’m also working on the next (number 4!) Iron Eagle Gym story, another Shifter Rescue story, and a novel about a billionaire dragon and his new personal assistant.

Are there any types of scene you find hard to write (action, love, death, etc.)?

I find the parts where the characters are hurt, either physically or mentally, are the hardest to write. I hate it when they’re hurting. Ironically, these are also the parts that go the fastest because I will push through it as quickly as possible so I can get them to a happy place.

What do you do when you feel stuck (writer’s block)?

This is where working on a lot of stories at the same time comes in handy. If I’m feeling stuck on one story, I can move on to another. While I try to write the same amount on each story every day, there’s always one or two that are ‘running hot’ and I get a lot done on them, while others might be dragging a little. If it’s a story that has an upcoming deadline, though, I might just have to push through it. I think the writing is better if it’s flowing, but sometimes you just don’t have a choice.

How do you handle a story that doesn’t go as you planned?

This happens to me all the time because the characters are the ones running the show. Sometimes it’s a problem, sometimes it isn’t.

If the story is for a specific call and it either goes too short or too long, or the plot takes it too far away from the call, I have to put the story aside and start on a new one that will fit in with the call. Then I can go back to the original story and finish it without the constraints of the call I’d originally been writing it for.

If the story isn’t for a specific call, then it isn’t a problem when it takes off in an entirely different direction than I’d planned because it doesn’t have any constraints on it. It can be a bit of a pain if I have to go back and fix stuff at the beginning to match the new direction the book has taken, but on the whole, it’s a minor issue.

Word Sprints!

1. Plotter or pantser? – pantser all the way
2. Coffee or tea? – tea
3. Reusable or disposable grocery bags? – reusable
4. What’s your favorite food? – bacon!
5. What’s your favorite ice cream? – butter pecan (and usually not easy to find)

Thank you so much for having me today.

-Sean

Smut fixes everything

18-Dec: Inked Rainbow Reads, Gay Book Reviews, Mikky’s World of Books, Kirsty Loves Books, Dawn’s Reading Nook

21-Dec: Sassygirl Books

22-Dec: Open Skye Book Reviews, Divine Magazine, Book Lovers 4Ever, Foxylutely Book Reviews

23-Dec: Velvet Panic

24-Dec: Unquietly Me, The Novel Approach

25-Dec: Havan Fellows

28-Dec: Up All Night, Read All Day, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

29-Dec: MM Good Book Reviews, Prism Book Alliance

30-Dec: Bayou Book Junkie

31-Dec: Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, The Hat Party

1-Jan: Happily Ever Chapter

4-Jan: QUEERcentric Books, Full Moon Dreaming

5-Jan: Making It Happen

6-Jan: Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings

7-Jan: Multitasking Mommas, 3 Chicks After Dark

8-Jan: Molly Lolly, A.M. Leibowitz

11-Jan: Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

12-Jan: Jessie G. Books

13-Jan: Bonkers About Books

14-Jan: Love Bytes, Alpha Book Club

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