Review: Welcome. Brother by Erica Pike

Welcome, Brother (College Fun & Gays #5) by Erica Pike
Unavailable for Purchase
Short Story: 29pgs
3 Pants Off

Blurb:
Please note: This title is being prepared for republishing and will be unavailable for a while. Sorry for the inconvenience.

When arts student Kyler Morris applies for membership to The Nova Britannia Brotherhood, he's immediately floored by their intimidating leader, Hunter Kingsley. Fellow arts student Hunter, however, isn't the bad-ass he's made out to be and takes Kyler under his wing.

While Kyler struggles to keep his crush under control and his sexuality hidden from the Brothers, Hunter battles daemons of his own in the form of two Brothers who aren't playing by the rules.

Short Review:
Kyler Morris is hoping to join The Nova Britannia Brotherhood, but judging from the questions he might not get in. Just so happens that the leader of the brotherhood is present during his interview, Hunter Kingsley which is really throwing Kyler off his game. Hunter in all reality is the big man on campus and what sexy dreams are made of, but Kyler knows he most definitely is off limits. With the random question interrogation, Kyler can see his chances dwindling every time he answers but you can't knock him for wanting to try.

To his surprise Kyler is accepted and the icing on the cake is getting Hunter as a mentor which would mean he gets to share a room with him. Which is a win/lose situation because he can lust after Hunter in close proximity but he has to keep it on the DL because his sexuality isn't something he’s willing to battle with. There is just no way he can be gay in the brotherhood, and when he witnesses the horrible bullying of a friend believed gay, it just confirms that his sexuality be kept a secret.

Welcome Brother is very different from the previous stories in the series. This one is about establishing a friendship that moves into a romantic relationship. I really enjoyed the closeness of the characters, their sensitivity in helping a friend, and eventually being honest about their feelings. Though not my fave in the series the author still does a wonderful job of handling a real issue. Only problem is that its way too short to really get into to the meat of anything.

P.S Love all the cuddling, it’s to die for.

3 Pants Off

Review: Born This Way by Poppy Dennison

Reviewed by Fehu
Born This Way by Poppy Dennison
Dreamspinner Press
Novella: 115pgs
3 Pants Off

Blurb:
Dayton Whitmore injures his arm playing basketball with his lion-shifter friends, and his best friend asks Dayton to check on her estranged brother Hart while he’s in Atlanta visiting a specialist. Though Dayton and Hart were never close, he grudgingly agrees.

Banishment from his pride meant Hart Sherman could never see his family again. His liger heritage—a tiger mother and lion father—was a thorn in his alpha father’s side. He always planned to go back for Dayton, the man he knows is his mate, but he uses his career as an entertainment attorney as an excuse to avoid risking Dayton’s rejection. When Dayton shows up unannounced on his doorstep, Hart wants nothing more than to claim him.

Knowing what it means to be a lion’s mate, Dayton isn’t in any hurry to make a lifetime commitment. To convince Dayton he’s serious, Hart must come to terms with the circumstances of his birth—and find a place in the pride for them both.

Review:
After finishing her shifter trilogy I was glad to see another shifter story by Poppy Dennison, the lion shifters had me thinking of the cub Simon adopted, but sadly it was not his story. Born This Way is for lovers of typical shifter stories and typical dynamics in such relationships.

Hart is a ligar, a cross breed between tiger and lion, and that made him stand out in his father’s lion tribe. He was becoming stronger than his pride leader and was therefore banished from his home and forbidden any contact with his family. On his own, Hart becomes a successful lawyer in the entertainment business and it's just his mate that is missing from his life. A mate whose identity Hart has known since he was little, a mate who he was forced to leave, when he was thrown out of his home, his sisters best friend - Dayton.

Now Dayton has come into Atlanta to see a doctor for his broken arm and to visit the brother of his best friend Tawny. They both fall in instant lust, when they first see each other, but Dayton pulls back before they can go through with the mating. Not one to give up easily Hart vows to himself to do anything possible, to convince his mate of his sincerity but he still has his father and his former weretiger tribe to fight for the right to court his human mate.

Surprisingly, after the first time there are not a lot of sparks flying, mostly they get to know each other, just a bit fast. Then there is the whole weretribe issue. Both combined happened and I would have liked a bit more background information. A former relationship was mention, a reason why Dayton was so cautious, but it was never explained. If this story had a bit more space to unfold, it would have been fabulous, as it is it's still a very nice shifter story, which has not the standard wolf shifters in its focus.

3 Pants Off

Special Call for Submissions: Torquere Press

Torquere Press Special Calls for Submissions

SEPTEMBER - OUTSERVE CHARITY SIP BLITZ

Every year, the great authors at Torquere Press put their money where their mouth is, donating their time writing stories for our chosen charity. Those same authors donate any royalties earned on their stories to the chosen organization, with Torquere matching those donations 100%. In the past we've raised $5000.00 for Lambda Legal, over $3000.00 for the Matthew Shepard Foundation, and more than $10000.00 combined for organizations such as NOH8 and Doctors Without Borders.

For the 2013-2014 Charity event, which will premiere in September 2013, we've chosen OutServe-SLDN as our donation organization. OutServe is an non-profit that provides legal services and support to LGBT military individuals and families, working toward equal representation and benefits.

This year's theme for Charity Sips, or short stories, is "In Uniform". Who doesn't love a man, or woman, in uniform? While OutServe is primarily a military charity, we want to encourage authors to use their imaginations. Soldiers, sailors, pilots? Absolutely. But we're also open to stories about first responders like police, firemen and EMTs, as well as security guards, park rangers or anyone else who wears a snappy uniform to work. Give us hot, romantic, fully realized stories with happy endings about all the unsung heroes and heroines in the world.

Word count for Charity Sips ranges from 3000-8000 words. Deadline for submissions is July 1, 2013. Please send stories to submissions@torquerepress.com with OutServe Charity Sip and your story's title in subject line. Include full manuscript in RTF or Word formats, and in the body of the email include a cover letter with your full legal name and address information, as well as a synopsis of your story. Please our general submissions guidelines for formatting and other information. Feel free to emailkristi@torquerepress.com for more information.

OCTOBER - LIGHTS OUT SIPS!

They say there’s nothing there in the dark that isn’t present in the light. We disagree! Halloween is all about things that go bump in the night, and October is all about Halloween here at Torquere. Give us romantic, fully realized, LGBT tales about Halloween and/or paranormal activity, from ghosts to were-creatures to vamps and everything in between. Give us all the things that only come alive when the lights go out!

Please send your submissions to submissions@torquerepress.com with Lights Out in the subject field. Please see our general submissions guidelines for formatting etc. Deadline for submission is August 1, 2013. Length, 3000-8000 words.

NOVEMBER - THANKFUL SIPS

We should all stop and be thankful for something. Whether it's the big things -- like love and family -- or the little things -- like flavored lube -- or simply the HOT things, we want to know! For our Thankful sips, we're looking for fully realized, romantic LGBT stories about love during Thanksgiving holidays. Make us laugh or cry, surprise us and make us glow with happy endings! Length is 3000-8000 words.

Please send your submissions to submissions@torquerepress.com with Thankful in the subject field. Please see our general submissions guidelines for formatting etc. Deadline for submission is September 1, 2013.

DECEMBER - ALL I WANT SIPS

All I want for Christmas (or Hanukah or Yule) is you. Or you and you… Who doesn’t want to be with someone they love for the holidays? For our All I Want sips, we’re looking for fully realized, romantic LGBT stories about love at the holidays. Make us laugh or cry, surprise us and make us glow with happy endings! Length is 3000-8000 words.

Please send your submissions to submissions@torquerepress.com with All I Want in the subject field. Please see our general submissions guidelines for formatting etc. Deadline for submission is September 15, 2013.

Wilde City 4th of July Sale!!!

Wilde City is having a sale and you are invited! be sure to check out their offerings, and its also a nice way to discover a new publisher and authors.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY TO MY U.S FRIEND

And The Winner Is...

SUSAN

Winner of Lou Harper's Dead Man and the Restless Spirits. 

*congrats!! and thanks to all who entered. Winner chosen using random.org*