Guest Post: Chat with Dale & Keyno of "The Harvest" by M.A Church

The Harvest: Taken - by M.A. Church Available at Storm Moon Press, All Romance eBooks, and Amazon!

Blurb: In the year 2050, humanity finds out they are indeed not alone.

Massive space ships appear without warning above the capital cities of all major nations. The planet Tah'Nar is dying. Chemical warfare has reduced the once-intersexed warrior race to sterility. They need fresh DNA in order to reproduce and have an idea for a harvesting program... and so they turn to Earth.

Earth governments negotiate a lottery, and Dale Michael assumes he's safe since he's under the Harvest age limit. How wrong he is. He's illegally harvested and claimed by Tah'Narian starship captain Keyno Shou. From the moment Keyno sees Dale, he knows he must claim the spirited human male for his own. What he doesn't expect is a spitfire with a mind of his own—and a deadly disease that will require a risky procedure to cure.

Hey everyone! My name is M.A. Church and I'd like to introduce you to the Tah'Narians, a novel about an alien species that took me over a year to write. Keyno, one of the main characters, is a spaceship captain. Dale, my human, will be the one Keyno takes as his mate. Sounds simple, right? Oh, believe me, this love story is anything but simple.

I'm going to let Dale and Keyno tell you their story. I think they can do it better than I can?

* * * * *

Dale: Well hey, everyone. My name is Dale Michaels, and I was harvested illegally by my loving mate.

Keyno: Dammit, Dale... Gods, nothing like just jumping right into the middle of it.

Dale: Oh by the way, I guess you could say "Dammit, Dale" is my nickname. Keyno tends to say it a lot.

Keyno: Huh, I wonder why.

Dale: *snort* We're so not going there. Anyway, back to what I was saying. In a nutshell, the Tah'Narians came to Earth, told its leaders they needed DNA, and set up a program to basically 'harvest' males as mates. A lotto was set up and numbers were drawn. I wasn't supposed to be part of the harvest; I was under the age limit that had been set. But it seems my mate had other ideas.

Keyno:*cringe* I've told you why I did what I did, why we do what we do. And you know my feelings on this. I wish...

Dale: *reaches over and pats Keyno* I know, babe. I can't help it if it took me a while to understand. What your kind did was wrong. *slashes hand through air* I know your species was dying. I get that, and get how that would make a race desperate. But keep in mind, you guys brought it on yourselves.

Keyno: We did. Attacking the Onfre was the stupidest thing the old king of our race ever did. We paid horribly and dragged many other species into our troubles.

Dale: Yes, you guys did. The people out there need to know you guys aren't as bad as you first seem. They'll see. But, this harvest was different. Things happened that changed history. Out of your offer to help the Onfre captain, you met Captain Ti of the Onfre. Look what came form that... all the things that came from that.

Keyno: True. *laugh* And Colt. Don't forget Colt.

Dale: Believe me, that's hard to do. He's... something else, and still makes my hair stand on end. But Colt wasn't the only person to be changed by what the Tah'Narians did. I found Chad again, met John... A whole race learned the true meaning of peace, too.

Keyno: All I did was offer Ti help when he was attacked. You offered friendship with a simple meal. You, my mate, made the difference and still are. You are my world, and I love you.

Dale: *rubs Keyno's pointed ear* You overgrown alley cat, I love you, too, even if I did want to tie your tail in knots in the beginning.

Excerpt

Once our meal was over we returned to our cabin so I could study more. Keyno had reports he needed to read. I didn't want to think how... homey this was. I settled on the couch and pulled the gadget on. Half way through the hour session, I pulled it off and rubbed my eyes.

Keyno looked up from the small desk. A hologram image was in front of him. He waved his hand and the image disappeared. "What's wrong? You're pale."

"My head's hurting, and I'm slightly nauseous." I patted my belly, trying to settle the grumbling down. "Is that a common side effect of this thing?"

"No. No one has ever complained about that before." Keyno frowned at me. "Maybe I should call our Chief Medical Officer, Tanlor Kere."

I opened my mouth to tell him not to worry about it when I was seized by a horrible stomach cramp. The pain in my head worsened, blindsiding me. "Keyno? Ah, shit, I feel like I'm going to—"

"Gods, you're green, Dale. Hold on." Keyno hurried around the desk and helped me to the bed. He wet a washcloth, and the coolness did help settle my stomach some. Keyno buzzed their doctor, and seconds later he arrived with a portakit.

"Hello, Dale. I'm Doc. Remember meeting me earlier while you ate? I'm going to look you over and see what the problem is. All right? I won't hurt you."

I did remember him. "Hey, Doc." I lay on the bed, being very still. The less I moved, the better.

He ran tests on me, his face carefully blank. Finally, he injected me with something to help with the pain. With a warm smile, he stepped away and motioned Keyno to follow him. Keyno and Doc stood outside the door, talking for several minutes before Keyno returned. Swear to God, were all doctors the same?

Moments later, Keyno returned to the bedside. "Tanlor—whom we call Doc— requested that you stay in bed for the next twenty-four hours. What he injected you with will stop the pain and nausea soon."

"What's going on?" I whimpered as the pain stabbed at me again and then slowly faded.

"Do you remember the conversation that you had with Chad earlier?" Keyno sighed. "Remember when he told you that you were injected with our DNA?"

"Yeah," I moaned as a bolt of nausea swept through me. "How did you know what we talked about?"

"I asked him to speak to you about certain things that you needed to know." Keyno gently settled on the bed.

"Am I having a reaction?" I gritted my teeth as my stomach cramped up again. When the hell was that stuff going to take effect?

"No!" Keyno gasped loudly. "No, you're fine. This just wasn't expected to happen quite so fast."

"What wasn't expected to happen so fast?" I was now more worried about why he was avoiding giving me a straight answer.

Author Bio:

M.A. Church lives in the southern United States and spent many years in the elementary education sector. She is married to her high school sweetheart and they have two children. Her hobbies are gardening, walking, attending flea markets, watching professional football, racing, and spending time with her family on the lake.

But her most beloved hobby is reading. From an early age, she can remember hunting for books at the library. Later nonhuman and science fiction genres captured her attention and drew her into the worlds the authors had created. But always at the back of her mind was the thought that one day, when the kids were older and she had more time, she would write a book.

By sheer chance she stumbled across a gay male romance story on the web and was hooked. A new world opened up and she fell in love. Thus the journey started. When not writing or researching, she enjoys reading the latest erotic and mainstream romance novels. She can be found on her blog, Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads!

Review: The Caldwell Ghost by K.J Charles

Reviewed by SinChan
The Caldwell Ghost by K.J Charles
Torquere Presss
Short Story: 17pgs
3 Pants Off

Blurb:
When Robert Caldwell inherits a haunted house, he calls on ghost-hunter Simon Feximal to rid him of the supernatural menace. But the ghost is stronger than either man realizes -- strong, angry, and desperate for release. Trapped in a haunted house with a dangerously attractive ghost-hunter and a sexually frustrated spirit, can Robert survive the night intact...and will he want to?


Short Review
What a fun story for Halloween! The story is about a ghost haunting an old mansion for centuries. A practical, nonbeliever in the supernatural man moves into the haunted house he survives the screams and moans at night but finally caves in and calls a ghost hunter when the walls start to bleed.

I like both characters through the short glimpse I got from the short page length. The plot is simple but perfect for this story. Some secrets of the ghost-hunter trade are unique ideas that add to this novella’s charm and make some writing references. Robert is a journalist and Simon, the ghost-hunter uses his skin as a writing pad for the ghosts to vent and that is the way for him to exorcise the ghost.

A comical ending completes this grand (though not very scary) tale of a haunted house. This is a short, fun read that's perfect for the Halloween season and as a stress reliever after a long day.

3 Pants Off

Review: Thicker Than Water by A.F Henley

Reviewed by Fehu
Thicker Than Water (Proud to be A Vampire) by A.F Henley
Less Than 3 Press
Short Story
3 Pants Off

Blurb:
Ladomer's first experience with vampires instilled a deep hatred--an emotion he gladly uses to bring destruction to the beasts that can't be purged from his memory. Hunting alongside the compelling man who saved his village, Ladomer and Zor are ruthless in their quest to stop the growing threat. When a new call pulls them deep into Eastern Europe, Ladomer learns anew just how cruel vampires can be--and how much deeper love can go.


Review
Intriguing, but too short to fulfill the promise of the summary. We first encounter Ladomer, when he first encounters a vampire as a child and that experience sets the course of his future.

In a world where vampires have come out from their hiding, the civilization is no more. Cities were abandoned and farm communities have grown. No electricity exists any longer and people trust only the strangers who come when the sun shines. No one leaves when it's dark, since that is the time when vampires hunt.

When Landomer was a boy he dreamed about travelling and seeing more than just his village, to see places filled with books and the machines former people in the cities abandoned. A lot of knowledge was lost, when people left the cities to live in small villages and of course it sounds like a great adventure to a boy to recapture at least a bit of this knowledge. That is also the time when he is not careful and does not see that it did get dark, he follows a firefly and it leads him to a strange man. Landomer would have been dead, but his brother has come to his rescue and died in his place.

That is something Landomer still dreams about, when he and his lover, Zor, rest after finishing their hunting for the night. Years later, a grown up Landomer has become a hunter and helps the man who has come to the rescue of his village. He has fulfilled his dream to travel, but has paid a high prize.

Now Zor and Landomer want to kill a master vampire, the one who created the creatures they encounter and this is one encounter, where they might not survive.

Flashbacks are not favorites and I know some people don't like them, so consider you warned. The first scene, Landomers childhood, was quite detailed. Other things like him becoming a hunter were a bit of a flash forward. In the end I ended up not knowing a lot about the grown up Landomer, there was some telling and not nearly enough showing, to get me invested into these characters.

The initial story, what about the vampires coming about and hunting humans, so that humans have to leave was not explained well enough. Why didn't the military do something? All scientist in the world could not combat vampires and no armies? That was my problem with the plot, there was just not enough reason to leave the cities and abandon all the modern props, which might give humans a fighting chance. Also I didn't understand how wanderer protected themselves in the night from vampires, since people did leave their village; I would have loved an explanation for that!

Should You Read It? The first scene and chapter were quite promising and if the story would have been longer it might have lived up to it full promises. As it is, it's promising, but I'd love to have some answers for my questions to word building.

3 Pants Off

Guest Post: "Love" by T.T Kove (Yesterday's Tears)

Yesterday’s Tears might deal with grief of loosing loved ones, but most of all it’s about love. Josh and Damian are an established couple in the novel, they’ve been together since they were both eighteen years old. They’re both troubled, but those who’ve read the shorts published about them know that Josh might be the most troubled and that he’s been leaning on Damian and his love ever since they met.

In this novel, it’s all flipped. Damian’s world is turned upside down and now Damian’s the one who has to lean on Josh, and Josh has to stay strong because Damian needs him. Josh also tries to stay strong for Matt, Damian’s cousin, who is reeling from losing his parents, but Matt isn’t as receptive to help as Damian is.

Matt does find help though—in a very special someone and that helps him come to terms with his parents’ death. It isn’t easy, it doesn’t happen quickly, and it never really goes away, but it becomes easier. He shuts everyone out, but slowly begins to open himself up again, and even though he’s only just eighteen years old, he does experience his first love.

Whereas Damian and Josh are an established couple, you have to read the book to find out who Matt’s special someone is. I can promise you it’s quite a ride!

Thanks so much to Pants Off Reviews for hosting me today! If you want to check Yesterday’s Tears out, here’s the blurb for you:

Blurb:
Damian's world is irrevocably altered the night his aunt and uncle are brought into his A&E, victims of a terrible car accident. Grief-stricken and lost, with nowhere else to turn, he calls Josh—the man he loves, and who left him.

Meanwhile Matt does not know how to live in a world where his parents aren't, especially when the rest of his family seems capable of handling it while he wants only to hide from the world. His only solace is Adam, whom he wishes was so much more than the man he occasionally has sex with—and who apparently has been keeping a secret that ruins the only comfort Matt had left.






Yesterday’s Tears will be released tomorrow, at Less Than Three Press!

Buy Link: Less Than 3 Press

Thanks again for letting me guest post at your blog! ^_^

T.T. 

T. T. Kove

Website / Blog

Where Fantasies Come to Life

Review: A White Coat is My Closet by Jake Wells

Reviewed by SinChan
A White Coat is My Closet by Jake Wells
Dreamspinner Press
Novel: 344 pgs
5 Pants Off

Blurb:
Zack Sheldon doesn’t have time to be lonely. He’s in his last year as a pediatric resident, almost married to the job, and busy with the joys and sorrows that come with providing medical care to children. Professionally, he’s confident, accomplished, and respected. But personally he’s too insecure to approach a sexy man like Sergio Quartulli, or even to imagine that Sergio might be attracted to him.

Zack spots Sergio from across the gym, and then a chance meeting poolside somehow turns into a date. Before Zack knows it, they’ve become a couple, but Zack’s white coat is his closet at the hospital, and committing to a relationship with Sergio makes it difficult for Zack to continue hiding behind it. On the other hand, he grew up in a small town where being gay was shameful, and he works in an environment that can sometimes be homophobic, so it’s hard for him to open up about who he really is. Before Zack can make a choice on his own terms, circumstances force him to make a decision. He can continue to hide, or he can step out from behind his white coat and risk everything for love.

Review
The first chapter is so exciting! The story starts out with Zach helping to develop a body into the world and mediate any complications. There are a lot of medical terms and procedures, but the chapter also conveys a rush and anticipation. The hospital setting is an integral part of the story and this medical novel clearly shows the pecking order in the hospital. Personality, I love the details and medical terms used in the story, especially since everything is explained so readers without a medical background can understand them. Being a doctor, you really spend a lot of time in the hospital and that is a big part of a doctor's day to day life, so I'm glad the story shows Zach being a doctor the majority of the book.

Zach and Sergio's first few meetings are awkward and uncomfortable for me because I don't know where or how this couple will end up. Zach is completely infatuated with Sergio's looks and physique, even though those things don't define a person. He's socially awkward and shy and tends to put himself down a lot. I love him as a doctor but how he handles his personal life doesn't endear me to him at all. He's very bias against men that are not the stereotypical hot stud. He cleanly splits his "straight" life at work and "gay" life at home. His friends from his two worlds don't mix. None of those things endear me to him.

Sergio, on the other hand, is super guarded and seems like he has something to hide or be wary of. It makes me suspect he had a bad love experience or something against Italian and American relationships. However, that didn't turn out to be the case, so I didn't grasp this character's personality until later into the story.

Zach shows amazing character growth and the credit goes to an amazing boyfriend that's really forgiving and friends that care. He was stuck in the closet by his own insecurities and childhood fears but that's completely understandable from my point of view. He conforms to his parents' beliefs of what a real man is and grew up having to hide in the closet. The central theme of the story: accepting that he is gay and being able to stand firm against homophobic opinions is the big statement.

It's amazing to me that I can remember most of the side characters in the story. The impact of the characters comes out the pages loud and clear. The little boy and girl that gets admitted into the ER and falls under Zach's care makes an impression on me. Zach cares about these kids and the reader also knows the kids' medical conditions and complications. Zach's best friends also have distinctive personalities and voices and they are a wonderful supporting cast.

On the downside, I think the jokes are a little too frequent or too strong and they distract me from the story and seem unrealistic. Even though some of them are funny and I actually laughed out loud, having jokes in the majority of character dialogues is a little much. I keep thinking people don't talk like that in real life.

Overall, this is a moving story (translation: I cried a lot through it). I'm totally committed to Zach's and Sergio's relationship by the end. This book is amazing and I'll probably reread in the near future to experience the drama, emotional tension, and hospital crises again (with the romance taking a backseat). Highly recommended.

5 Pants Off