I See, a Look at writing a blind character by Sean Michael

Writing a blind character really makes you think. You can’t use any of the usual cues when you’re writing a section from their point of view. You have to paint the picture for your readers using sounds, tactile sensations, tastes and smells. Then there’s the fact that the character himself doesn’t understand things the same way seeing people do. How do you describe blue to someone who has never seen it?

Learning how to write Trey was paralleled in some ways by Lucien learning how to love him. Lucien couldn’t rely on visual cues to let Trey know what was coming. He would have to remember to talk to Trey, to tell him what was happening, what they would be doing. For instance, instead of picking up a dildo and showing it to Trey, he would have to tell Trey that’s what he was doing, and either describe the dildo, or let Trey ‘see’ it with his fingers, learn the shape of it, feel the texture, etc.

There’s an exchange in Love Matters that deals directly with this kind of thing:

“…Your sunglasses inside give you away more, I think.”

“Yeah. I used to not wear them, but it wigs people out.

Lucien touched the side of Trey’s face. “It doesn’t bother me.”

“Well, I hope not. You get to see my eyes a lot!”

Chuckling, he stroked his fingers along Trey’s skin. “Yeah. I think they’re beautiful. I’ve never seen a blue quite like yours.”

“I imagine blue is cold.”

“It is what they call a cool color.”

“Tell me what it looks like,” Trey demanded.

“Wow. That’s really hard.” He considered it, tried to figure out how to describe it without using sight as a reference. Blue was… It was blue. Then he figured it out. “It looks like how the ocean feels on your skin.”

“Like regular water, but it leaves a little roughness behind from the salt?”

“Yeah, that sounds about right.”

It’s kind of amazing how much we rely on all our senses for massive amounts of input and never even think about it. I really enjoyed the challenge writing Trey gave me.

Sean Michael
smut fixes everything

About Love Matters:

For ten years they’ve done things Trey’s way. Now Lucien wants more. He wants to be with his lover full-time. Is Trey ready? Will he ever be?

Ten years after they first met and fell in love, Lucien and Trey are still together—after a fashion. Terrified that he’s going to become entirely dependent on Lucien, Trey calls his lover to come spend four to five days with him whenever he finishes a novel. Lucien wants more, but up until now has been willing to bow to Trey’s wishes.

Finally broaching the idea of seeing each other more often, during Trey’s writing periods, Lucien suggests that they begin to date each other on Friday nights. Trey agrees to the experiment and begins to flourish as Lucien gets him out of the house more—to eat, to swim, to visit the beach.

But can Trey remain faithful to his work ethic, get the job done with his novels and enjoy the distractions and adventures Lucien plans for him? Or will Lucien’s desire to have more break them apart?

Like the sound of Love Matters? Buy it here.

About Sean Michael:

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, organising 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 channelling 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.

Excerpt from Love Matters:

Lucien watched, utterly fascinated by Trey. There was such an unconscious grace in the slender boy, in each of Trey’s movements.

He circled Trey’s belly, watching the muscles jerk and flex beneath his fingertips.

A pink flush climbed up Trey’s cheeks. “Good.”

“I…” Trey couldn’t argue with that. Trey would be lying after all, if he did.

The rests of the excerpt is NSFW-by clicking on the link you certify you are 18 years of age or older…

Follow Sean’s blog tour to read more! The seven stops will all be running on from one another, so check out all seven to get a real insight into the book!

Check out Totally Bound’s competition for the chance to win a copy of Love Matters as well as three books from Sean Michael’s backlist.

http://www.totallybound.com/index.php?route=information/competition&competition_id=57&embed=1

The Bohemians by Sean Michael
Release Date: June 3, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Torquere Press
Cover Artist: BSClay

Sales Links: Torquere Books – Amazon

Topaz is a free-spirit, loving easily, though searching for his true soul-mate. As soon as he meets Quincy, he realizes this is the man who has been calling for him in his dreams and he offers his whole self, body, heart, mind and soul, without thought.

Quincy gives away his heart too easily, and has been hurt in love more than once. Still, that doesn’t stop him from falling head over heels for Topaz when he first meets the man.

It seems like a match made in heaven, but Topaz lives with two men who are his best friends, and also his lovers. Will Quincy ever be able to understand that Topaz has more than enough love in his heart for his best friends and his soul-mate, or will Topaz’s bohemian ways be too much for Quincy to understand?

Originally published in the Bus Stories Anthology.

Pages or Words: 28,000 words

Categories: Contemporary, M/M Romance, Ménage/Poly, Romance

Topaz parked the bicycle in the back yard and backed into the kitchen, bags in hand. “Daisy? Ku? I brought tomatoes and cilantro and some spinach on my way home from Rosa’s. They had beautiful honeydews, too.”

Grinning Leonaka grabbed the sacks with huge, calloused hands, shiny black hair held back in a braid. “What did she say, Topaz?”

He sighed, heading for the refrigerator for some tea. “She said I have to wait for him to come to me. That the spirits want me to be patient and calm.” He poured a glass and then brought the pitcher to the table, refreshing Leo’s and Stephan’s before kissing Stephan’s cheek. “I don’t do patient so well, Daisy.”

Topaz settled into a padded chair, watching Leo wash the food in the bright, sun-drenched kitchen. One of the kittens climbed up for her love, his fingers stroking her soft ears without hesitation.

Stephan smoothed the edge of Leo’s t-shirt down with graceful fingers and then came over and began to rub his shoulders. “You don’t do patient well? Leo, do you believe that?”

“Little bit, I have seen you sit for hours and hours, untangling a single skein of thread. You might be eager, but you are the most patient man I know.” Leo chuckled, gaze warm. “He’s that special?”

Topaz relaxed under Stephan’s magical fingers, the worries and negative energy of the day fading. “You should see his eyes, Ku. There’s something about them. Something I want to know all about.”

“They are a pretty blue,” Stephan added. “I haven’t seen you this excited about someone in a long time, Sunshine.”

“Oh, Daisy. It’s been so long since I had a soul mate. Someone who looked at me like Leo looks at you.” He turned his head, kissed Stephan’s fingers. “I know you two love me, but part of my heart is missing. Maybe making those eyes laugh is a piece of that.”

He heard Ku’s soft cluck, the worried sound that meant that Leo was sure he was leaping into open air without a net. Again.

Stephan’s hands tightened on his shoulders and then pet him gently, his friend sitting next to him. “How can we help, Sunshine?”

“Rosa did my cards, Daisy. She says he’ll come. That I should be still.” Topaz grinned, taking Stephan’s hand in his.

“That doesn’t mean we can’t let the universe know I’m interested though. I’m thinking some long meditations, a cleansing bath, a few candles lit in hope.” He gave Stephan a grin. “Maybe some more wildflowers?”

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.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004713810507
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/SeanMichaelWrites
Twitter: seanmichael09
Other: http://seanmichaelwrites.blogspot.ca/
Other: http://www.seanmichaelwrites.com/

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘The Bohemians’.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

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Tour Dates & Stops: June 15, 2015
Parker Williams, Divine Magazine, MM Good Book Reviews, BFD Book Blog, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Kimi-Chan, Havan Fellows, Wake Up Your Wild Side, Hearts on Fire, The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat, Happily Ever Chapter, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, The Hat Party, Molly Lolly, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Bayou Book Junkie, Mikky’s World of Books, Redz World, Rainbow Gold Reviews, TTC Books and More, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Velvet Panic, Iyana Jenna, Up All Night, Read All Day

Blended Family (Briar Rose #3) by Sean Michael
Release Date: July 15, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Torquere Press
Cover Artist: Kris Norris

Sales Links:   Torquere Press

Matt and Adam are back and this time they’re welcoming two established Master/sub pairs who want to play together. Without ruining their friendship.

Subs Peter and Max have been best friends forever, since before they met their masters. They were lovers once, but both men needed the influence of a Dom to stay on an even keel. Happily in love with their masters, Devon and Swan, the boys nonetheless want more.

Devon and Swan care deeply for each other and are willing to give becoming something more a try and the Briar Rose seems like the perfect place to give it a go. As neutral ground, if things go wrong, they should be able to put the whole thing behind them and go back to their lives as simply friends.

Can Devon, Peter, Swan, and Max become the blended family they yearn to be?

Pages or Words: 36,000 words

Categories: BDSM, Contemporary, Erotica, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Menage/Poly, Romance


Matt filled out all the paperwork and double-checked his e-mail, making sure that he was on top of everything. The truth was that he was thinking about everything but the guests they were expecting today.

They’d had couples’ stays overlap before, and once there had been three couples all wanting to learn rope bondage. That had been fun — day after day of demonstrations and checking the Doms’ work.

This was different, though.

Today they had two couples coming in who were friends and had decided they wanted to try playing together, perhaps becoming a foursome. Without ruining their friendship. That was the trick.

They were coming for over a week to work with him and Adam.

Matt wasn’t sure what to say to them. This didn’t seem like a BDSM situation, but a marriage counseling one. Adam had been sure they could help them, though, and he trusted his sub completely. That didn’t mean it was going to be easy.

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.

Where to find the author:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100004713810507
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/SeanMichaelWrites
Twitter: @seanmichael09
Blog: http://seanmichaelwrites.blogspot.ca


Tour Dates & Stops: July 13, 2015
Parker Williams, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Bayou Book Junkie, The Hat Party, My Fiction Nook, Inked Rainbow Reads, Havan Fellows, Hearts on Fire, Full Moon Dreaming, Up All Night, Read All Day, BFD Book Blog, Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance, Kimi-Chan, Iyana Jenna, Dawn’s Reading Nook, VS Reads, Charley Descoteaux, MM Good Book Reviews, Velvet Panic, It’s Raining Men, Michael Mandrake, Molly Lolly

Enter to win a  Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Briar Rose: Blended Family’.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.
Rafflecopter Code:
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Rating: 4,5 out of 5 stars

Last Christmas, Kenn Greyson gave husband Chris Martenson an ultimatum—spend more time with the family or we’re leaving. He never expected Chris’s reply would be “then leave,” but that’s exactly what happened, and Boxing Day took on a whole new meaning. 

Separated for nearly a year now, both men are miserable apart and coping the best they can for the kids’ sake. With Christmas just around the corner, a new conflict arises: neither man is willing to forego Christmas morning with their children. Chris finally suggests they spend the holiday together at the house and, to his shock, Kenn agrees.

Armed with the knowledge that he’s been a stubborn idiot, but that perhaps he can change and begin to repair their relationship, Chris takes steps to win his husband back. He just hopes he can get Kenn on the same page before Santa comes down the chimney on Christmas Eve.

A story from the Dreamspinner Press 2015 Advent Calendar package “Sleigh Ride”

Sean Michael is the author I go when I need some sweetness and cuddles in my reading time. He never disappoint me. Especially in his stories featuring children. I’m a sucker for those ones. So you can guess how happy I was when I finished this DSP Advent Calendar short called Unto Us The Time Has Come.

It is a second chance at love story with an established couple, Kenn and Chris, who just spent the last year being apart, but they are still deep in love. Christmas is around the corner and they need to spend it together, for their children’s sake. Moreover it’s time for them to pull their heads from their asses and understand being apart is just making them miserable.

Yes, I love Sean Michael books. His stories are all easy to read, full of emotions and always full of steamy sex. I can’t ask for more. And this story is the reason why I keep being hungry for more of his work. It is a short but it lacked of nothing, especially in the good feelings.

I like the cover art by Catt Ford very much.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 59 pages
Published November 30th 2015 by Dreamspinner Press
ASINB018RSHBOE
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesSleigh Ride – 2015 Advent Calendar

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AMAZON http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018RSHBOE?keywords=unto%20us%20time%20sean&qid=1449606144&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

DSP  https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7180

Three To Get Ready ( Mannies Incorporated #4) by Sean Michael
Release Date: December 18, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Sean Michael
Cover Artist: Kris Norris

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Sean Michael here today to celebrate the  release of Three To Get Ready. Welcome, Sean.

Thank you for helping me to celebrate the release of Three To Get Ready, a Mannies Incorporated story.

So usually, I’m usually knee deep in frigid temperatures and lots of snow at this time but this year there is no snow, there are no cold temps, it’s early fall or mid-spring weather. At the end of December. This makes me sad.  Christmas cookies, however, make me happy, no matter what the weather is doing outside.

Cookies are one of the things that help manny Dan and his charge Nathan bond over in Three to Get Ready. Together they make all sorts of cookies, but the first ones they bake together is peanut butter. I myself do not like peanut butter cookies. I don’t actually like peanut butter in anything sweet aside from paired with jam in a pb&j sandwich. So I’m not going to be sharing any peanut butter cookie recipes. I will however share one of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes. Maple Cookies. This is also a very Canadian recipe as it has real maple syrup in it. They have the added benefit of being very easy to make – which for me is always a requirement!

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do.

Maple Cookies

Ingredients:

1 c. butter

1 c. brown sugar (packed)

1 c. real maple syrup

Directions:

Cream those together really well.

Then add an egg and a teaspoon of vanilla

In a separate bowl, sift together 4 c. flour, 2 t. baking soda, 1/2 t. salt

Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients

Roll into 1 inch balls and place on greased or parchment paper covered cookie sheets

Press a walnut into the top of the ball – I try to use a whole section so it looks like wings

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes

A couple of these cookies and a glass of milk would be a wonderful snack to munch on while enjoying Three to Get Ready.

Sean

Smut fixes everything

Now more about Three To Get Ready ( Mannies Incorporated #4) by Sean Michael

Blurb

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?

Pages or Words: 64,000 words/190 pages
This book can be read as a standalone
Categories: Contemporary, Erotica, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

Excerpt

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 couple of weeks 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.

Buy the book::Amazon |All Romance Ebooks

Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

Threesome Rook, Knight and Bishop make Jason an offer he can’t refuse. Can the four of them be exactly what they each need? Find out in this Opening Move.

Rook, Knight and Bishop have been searching for a fourth man to join their threesome for quite a while when Knight meets Jason, the live model in the art class he’s auditing. He thinks that Jason is the perfect man for them and his lovers Rook and Bishop quickly agree. The trick will be convincing Jason…

Join these sexy men as they make their Opening Moves.

It always seems that there’s no way around Sean Michael, if you’re a fan of M/M BDSM Erotica. So I figured it was high time I gave this famous author a try as well. And a M/M/M/M romance/erotica is not something I’ve ever read before, so I had high hopes. Unfortunately, I was rather disappointed.

Essentially, this was porn without plot. There’s not a single page without sex or thinking or talking about sex in the entire book. Porn isn’t so bad every now and then, but somehow the sex was rather boring here. It probably didn’t help that I really struggled to keep Rook, Knight and Bishop apart, so I was constantly wondering who was doing what. The sex felt kind of formulaic, to be honest. We start off with sucking and end up fucking. There was a bit of BDSM between Bishop and Knight, but that wasn’t really all that exciting either.

The whole set up was a little silly and unrealistic. There’s Rook, Bishop and Knight in a happy relationship. They have tons of money and find themselves craving a fourth man in their relationship. So they decide to hire a boy to play with for a year. They choose Jason. Now, Jason isn’t gay, but he’s broke and likes the trial sex with Rook, so he agrees. Turns out Jason is very much gay and loves every sexual activity with the three men. He occasionally questions his sexuality, but then sex ensues and he kind of seems to forget about the whole thing.

Another issue with this book was the characters themselves. I was simply unable to connect to them at all. There was so much sex, there was no room for any real feelings to develop. I didn’t dislike them, I just didn’t care about them at all. Again, my inability to keep them apart didn’t help.

Still, the idea behind the story is definitely unusual and does have potential. In the beginning, the sex was quite alright, too, till it started getting repetitive.

Cover art works for the story.

Sales Link: Pride Publishing | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 2nd Edition, 120 pages
Published October 6th 2015 by Pride Publishing (first published January 30th 2012)
ISBN139781784308087
Edition LanguageEnglish

SeriesChess #1

RATING  3,75 out of 5 stars

Ten years after a terrible car accident left carpenter Andy Johnson dead, Steven Billings has yet to move on. Though he’s put aside his art to run his family’s foundation—just like his parents always wanted—Steven has never been able to put Andy and the love they shared behind him.

Except Andy’s not dead. And after a long, agonizing recovery—alone—Andy has come to hate Steven, believing Steven abandoned him when things got tough. When a chance encounter at a bar throws them back together again, it’s like the dead have come back to life and the past has come back to haunt them both.

Sean Michael is one of my favourite authors, I’m not sure how I missed Out of the Past the first time it was released. So when I saw this second edition, the blurb and the cover caught my interest. I’m a sucker for second chance at love, I had to have it.

The story is very simple. Steven spent the last ten year mourning the love of his life Andy, killed by a terrible incident. He tried to move on but it was impossible, he still comes back to Andy grave each week. One night he walks in a pub and he is soon attracted to a man who then reveals to be Andy, his (supposed) dead lover. How is it possible? Steven buried his lover. Is there someone who is playing with his grief? Or maybe he was just betrayed by the most important person in his life.

What did really happen? Most of all can they overcome the hurt of the loss and be together again?

I’ll be honest, there isn’t a lot of development in the story, apart from knowing they will of course get their own HEA. They met, explanations were given, they were still in love with each other. There were a lot of sex scenes, hot and well done like only Sean can write. Nonetheless I liked this novellas because it was light and emotional too, sexy and well written, the main characters were delined just enough to let us know the important things. It was right, not overdone, not lacking. In a way I appreciated it wasn’t different and perhaps too heavy as it could have been if the author had chosen another writing path.

Out of the Past is a second chance at love story, made of hurt and loss, determination and hope to build a future who was took away from two men deeply in love after ten years of hell. I feel to recommend it.

The COVER ART by MelodyA. Pond is really great, I especially like the colors.

Sales Links:  Dreamspinner Press | ARe | Amazon

BOOK DETAILS

ebook, 2nd Edition, 60 pages
Published January 20th 2016 by Dreamspinner Press (first published May 10th 2008)
Original Title Arcana: Out of the Past
ISBN 1615813918 (ISBN13: 9781615813919)
Edition Language English

Filed under: Book Reviews, Books, Contemporary fiction, Dreamspinner Press, eBooks, LGBTQ Book Reviews, M/M Book Reviews, M/M Contemporary Fiction, M/M Fiction, M/M Romance Tagged: A Stella Recommended Story, A Stella Review, author Sean Michael, Out of the Past by Sean Michael, second chance at love

Rating: 3 stars  out of 5

Who wouldn’t want a do over?

When Thaine wakes up in the hospital after a bull-riding injury, he immediately asks for his lover, Jerry. He has no idea who this man next to his bed is, despite the fact Drew insists they have been an item for the last five years.

Thaine’s best friend, Jesse, calls Jerry. He thinks it’s a pretty crappy thing to do to the new boyfriend, but tells himself it’s unlikely Jerry will come after so many years. He also doesn’t get why Thaine would pass up the opportunity to be with Drew since he’s young, optimistic, and hardworking. In short, everything Jesse ever wanted in a man.

Jerry still carries a torch for his cowboy, so when Thaine asks to go home with him to recover, Jerry agrees. At first, they pick up their intense physical relationship right where they left it before the breakup. Jesse, in turn, consoles the now homeless Drew and offers him quite a bit more than a shoulder to cry on. But in the back of all the men’s minds loom Thaine’s lost five years.

Amnesia is two stories wrapped into one. It can also be seen as past and present relationships. Not only the individual pairings take the forefront, but the friendships between the four men play an important part too. As couples, they don’t interact with each other much, but their decisions had repercussions in each other’s lives.

Thaine Russell can be considered the central characters since he’s the bull rider with the amnesia problem. He’s the one having a role in all of the men relationships. It’s hard to see Thaine as a heartless bastard because the only thing he wants during the entire story is to be happy with JJ. I think we needed to see a little about his relationship with Drew to sympathize with him.

Drew Zucker is the new man in Thaine’s life. At the time of the accident, they had been together for three years. He’s younger and sweeter than his partner. Very devoted to him and he only wanted to get Thaine back. It’s easy to see his concern for Thaine and how much he meant to him, but as soon as he has the first chance to spend time with Jesse, I stopped feeling sorry for Drew.

Jesse Lourdes is Thaine best friend. At the same time, he has been holding a candle for Drew. He knew his friend was fond of the “kid” but not in-love with him. Reading the blurb, you will think that everything he does is for Thaine’s benefit, but his primary concern is for Drew.

Jerry Wortmeyer is Thaine’s one true love. He has made money since his cowboy left him and after seeing his man once again, he’s back into their original relationship. He comes back to Thaine’s life and takes charge. He doesn’t care about anything else than Thaine’s health and happiness. Everything else is secondary.

I enjoyed Thaine’s and JJ’s relationship. Their love for each other is strong and still there after five years. They work great together in and out of bed. Their exchanges and banter felt real, and we get to see more of them beyond the sex, not much, though. I wanted them back together since the very beginning and was happy that it happened. Unfortunately, the good sex and their isolation weren’t enough.

And Drew’s and Jesse’s relationship felt more like a consolation prize. I wished Drew had taken more time before completely accepting Jesse. There was no transition between relationships. He entered the room as Thaine’s partner and left as Jesse’s possible new partner. I liked Jesse, but never warmed up to Drew.

Originally, I thought this was my first Sean Michael’s book. After looking at my bookshelves, I realized it was my second. One thing is true about both books, they are more PWP than anything else. The first line of my review for Malting said, “This was a nice piece of smut. Definitely, not a romance,” those words ring true here as well.

This story is a compilation of sex scenes tight together by common characters. Every time I thought I’d get an answer, I got a sex scene instead. In the end, all the sex isn’t worth the lack of plot and missed opportunities. The premise was good, but the execution failed. Sadly, this was a second edition. I wonder why simple things like the years and word repetition weren’t updated. And why the plot wasn’t developed. Overall, a really disappointing book.

————-

Brooke Albrecht is a new-to-me cover designer, and I’m very pleased with the result. The cover has beautiful sky colors, and bull rider is the center of it. The superimposed images matched the two stories in the book.

Sale Links: Dreamspinner | Amazon | ARe

Book Details:

ebook, 200 pages
Published: June 13, 2016 (2nd edition), Dreamspinner Press
ISBN: 1634769759 (ISBN13: 9781634769754)
Edition Language: English

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

When Master Damien Richardson (Day to his friends) takes over the front desk manager job at the Iron Eagle Gym, he knows he’s going to need an assistant. But finding the right person for the job is harder than he thought it would be. When he meets Saw, he thinks he’s found the solution to all his problems, and maybe something more.

Sawyer Whitehead lost his master to a tragic car accident some years ago, and since then one opportunity after another has gone sour on him. Thoroughly convinced he’s cursed and a jinx to everything and everyone he touches, he refuses to officially become Day’s assistant because he knows that as soon as he does, something terrible will happen. He’s even more determined not to get involved with Day, despite his attraction, because it would kill him to be responsible for tragedy befalling the lovely man.

Day must convince Saw that he’s not cursed and that together, they can face any challenge that comes their way—in both their professional and personal partnerships.

This is book 4 in the series, but can be read as a stand alone. I hadn’t read the previous 3, so that’s a good thing for me.

I had to infer some things, but it wasn’t difficult.  Day takes over as the manager of the Iron Eagle gym. Almost immediately he realizes it is way too much work for one person. He asks a regular member to help him recruit someone to help.

Sawyer, known as Saw, is a member who had lost his previous Master to a car accident years ago. They lived a 24/7 life and Saw was drifting and lost. Between that and other failures, Saw feels cursed. He agrees to help, but without pay and only until a permanent replacement is found.

The chemistry between Day and Saw is immediate and palpable. Saw has committed himself to being alone, but Day knows what Saw needs. Him.

I really enjoyed Day pulling Saw out of his shell and getting him to believe that he is worthy of a loving relationship.

Saw is an ultimate sub, and even though he said he wouldn’t be anyone’s sub again, it is so natural for him, he slips right into the role without realizing it. Day never takes that for granted though. He is loving and nurturing.

This book is chock full of sex. Dirty and loving, sweet and hot.

There were parts that were a bit repetitive,  including endearment and Master. There were a few continuity issues with it being read as a stand alone.

A good BDSM book, but I recommend reading the previous three first.

Cover art by L.C. Chase is good and works for the story.

Sales Links

        

Book Details:

RATING 4 out of 5 stars

Come to Rainbow Island, where all your sexual fantasies will come true.

James, Guard and Damien are back, still running their resort, where every fantasy, no matter how perverse, may come true. The three men continue working out the bumps in their threesome, but when it comes to their clients, they’re a well-oiled machine. Which works perfectly for the three new couples arriving in paradise.

Cameron is losing his sight, and he knows that he’ll be useless once it goes completely. He’s cashed in everything to leave his life behind for one last fling. Xander is on the island for a fantasy, too. He’s looking for someone to love on, someone to care for and Cameron seems to be the perfect match, but can they make it work?

As a writer, Ben always writes the script, which is why his fantasy is to give up control. He’s told his fantasy can’t be fulfilled, so he settles in for a relaxing vacation on an island paradise instead. Is he really as safe as he thinks he is?

Finally, Leo is a consummate top, always wanting to better his technique. He wants to know what it’s like to be a sub, but it won’t be easy for a Dominant to bottom for five days. Leo will do his dead-level best to measure up—his only worry is who the boys choose to be his fantasy top…

Don’t miss out on these fantasies come true.

Reader Advisory: This book contains a scene of fisting as well as scenes of kidnap and dubious consent

I’m a huge fan of Sean Michael, once a month I need to read something by him, a re-read or a short, anything is good.

Three More Wishes is the book two in the Rainbow Island series, incredibly I missed the first one but apart for some more details about the relationship between the three hosts of the island,  James, Guard and Damien (which I would love to know), this re-release worked well as a standalone to me. If you already have read this author, you’ll know what to expect. Sean Michael is great at writing very hot scenes, sexy and dirty just how I like them. And the sex is never pointless, it’s just the guarnish to lovely and sweet plots.

In Three More Wishes I get to know three new couples and their relative meetings and starting of new relationships.

Cameron and Xander were probably the sweetest couple, they are a match made in heaven. One blind, desperate man, ready to end a life with no sight and with no possibilities for him to survive, meet Xander, protective, already trained up on the world of the blind people. It was very emotional seeing Cameron first so resigned and then start to believe in Xander and the reality of a future together.

Ben and Tip relationship was more adventurous, Ben is a writer interested in knowing what it means to be kidnapped. Things don’t go exactly how Ben expected, on the contrary he will find the unexpected Tip. And I can assure you, since I didn’t read the blurb before starting the book, for a moment I truly thought he was kidnapped.

The last couple was probably my favorite. Leo and David story was hot and cute. Leo is a dom looking for another dom who will help Leo better understand sub’s minds. That dom is David but David is also in love with Leo since forever.

I enjoyed Three More Wishes a lot. Of course there are four stories in just a little more than two hundred pages, there is no space for a lot of development but what I got greatly satisfied me. I can’t wait for the next installment, especially cause I want more  James, Guard and Damien scenes.

Just a note, read the warning at the ending of the blurb, if you’re not comfortable with those triggers, better stay away from the book.

The cover art by Posh Gosh is just okay, I like it but in my opinion it’s not fitting. I can’t understand who is the couple depicted. For this book a cover with no people at all would have been a winner. In fact I like more the cover of the old edition.

Sales Links

Pride Publishing

BOOK DETAILS

• Reader Advisory: This book contains a scene of fisting as well as scenes of kidnap and dubious consent.
  Publisher’s Note: This book has previously been released elsewhere. It has been revised and re-edited for re-release with Pride Publishing.

Kindle Edition, 2nd edition, 222 pages
Published August 9th 2016 by Pride Publishing (first published September 13th 2011)
ASIN B01HQ4N2NO
Edition Language English

Rainbow Island Series

• Three Wishes #1
• Three More Wishes #2

Rating:  4 stars out of 5

When easygoing Texas artist Dakin McBride makes his way to Ottawa, Canada, for a showing, he meets Jeff Tamrin, the fastidious manager of the Sussex Gallery. Despite coming from different worlds and being opposites in almost every way, the attraction is immediate, and soon Dakin and Jeff negotiate their own brand of diplomatic relations, forgetting all about art or seeing the sights the city has to offer. They get wrapped up in the moment, each of them intrigued by what he feels for the other.

The more they get to know each other, the more they like what they see. Dakin has a life to go back to in Texas, though, and Jeff has his own in Canada. Is there any way for their budding romance to survive the thousands of miles separating them? The relationship seems doomed, but at the same time, it feels too right to give up without a fight.

This was a fun quick read.  I have greatly enjoyed Sean Michael’s books in the past and this one was no different.  Jeff and Dakin feel an immediate attraction to each other upon meeting and decide to act upon it even though their time together is limited.

Jeff falls for Dakin pretty hard and quickly when Dakin is in town for the gallery show.  They can’t stand the idea of being parted, so Dakin invites Jeff to come and visit him in Texas when the show is over.  Both of the characters fall hard and fast, but decide to live in the moment until they actually see an end of their time together.  I adored both character’s they were so sweet to each other and also their family around them.  They worked hard to integrate their lives together, which was wonderful to see.

Cover art by LC Chase is perfect and I love it.

Sales Links

        

Book Details:

ebook, 86 pages

Published: 2nd Edition, September 28, 2016 by Dreamspinner Press

ISBN-13: 9781634770859

Edition Language: English

The Closet Boy
Author Sean Michael
Artist L.C. Chase

Dreamspinner Press
Sales Links  eBook and Paperback

The Closet Boy Cover by Sean Michael

It’s important to me that all the covers for the Iron Eagle Gym books are immediately recognizable as a part of the same series. The first few books in the series were easy enough to do that, but with this one, I really wanted to have the character in the doorway of a closet. And I had no idea how to accomplish that and still make it look like a part of the same series with the color scheme and all. This is why I am not a cover artist – I had no clue.

However, LC Chase, who has done all the other awesome Iron Eagle Gym covers, is a great cover artist. She had plenty of ideas and I’m so pleased with what she came up with.

I really wanted that closet represented, because it plays two roles – the ‘coming out of the closet’ aspect, as well as the fact that at the begining of the book, Way’ra is literally living in a closet. So thank you LC Chase for being able to translate my awkward attempt at describing the cover in my brain and making it happen.

Sean Michael

smut fixes everything

 Blurb

Way’ra Bernard is only twenty years old when his parents kick him out of the house. He has been brought up to believe being gay is wrong and he is going to go to hell for it. He tried very hard not to be gay but couldn’t change the way he felt. Now he’s living furtively in a closet on the third floor of the place he’s working as a janitor—the Iron Eagle Gym.

Neal McPherson is an unattached Dom in his midtwenties and a member of the gym. One evening after working out, he notices Way’ra on the stairs, and he’s immediately attracted and intrigued, so he asks Way’ra out. Unable to come up with a reason to refuse, and also interested in Neal, Way’ra accepts.

There are a lot of obstacles to the relationship they attempt to build after their date, not least of which is Way’ra’s upbringing and his lingering doubts about the kinky sex Neal enjoys. But with patience and persistence, Neal might convince Way’ra to not only accept himself, but to loosen his inhibitions enough to explore and find a happy ending together.

Excerpt

Chapter One

God, he was tired.

Way’ra finished his shift with the broom and waved to Dalton, the nice night manager sitting at the counter at the front of the Iron Eagle Gym. “Bye, man. I’m going to check the bathrooms, and then I’ll be out of your hair.”

“Have a good night, Way. Don’t party too hard.”

Right. Because he remembered parties. The last four months had been the longest of his young life. He’d been outed, thrown out of his conservative religious college and out of his house without anything more than the clothes on his back and his wallet.

No phone. No laptop. No cash. No shoes. He’d managed to pull two hundred dollars from the ATM before his dad froze the account.

Still, he’d done it, hadn’t he? He had a job cleaning here at the Eagle, and in a month he’d have enough saved to rent a room. All he had to do was wait it out.

Well, wait it out and pray that no one noticed that someone was sleeping in one of the third-floor broom closets. So far he’d been doing it for a few months and no one was the wiser. He’d tried staying in the park, but between the snow and the cold, it had been so nasty. He’d been hoping spring would be difference, but there’d been so much rain. He only had the one pair of jeans; he couldn’t show up to work with them wet.

When he’d discovered the tiny broom closet with a layer of dust on the floor, it had felt like magic, like it was meant to be. He wasn’t hurting anything. No one was staying there, and he was super careful to sneak out before one of the day managers saw him in the morning, grab his one meal of coffee and a doughnut, and hang out for a couple of hours before he showed back up to work.

He was headed up the back stairs, quiet as a mouse, when a gorgeous stud suddenly appeared at his side. The guy was tall, close to a foot bigger than him, and with the best muscles. He was wearing a pair of sweats and a T-shirt, gym bag slung over one shoulder.

“Headed up too?” Even the guy’s voice was studly—deep and growly.

“Uh. Uh-huh. Just checking supplies.” He kept his head down, his gaze forward. This man was twice his size, easily, and he wasn’t interested in a confrontation.

“Oh right, you work here. I thought I recognized you. Do you like it?” The guy was taking the stairs two at a time, but doing it slowly enough that they stayed level.

“Yes, sir. It’s a good job.” No one asked questions. No one bothered him. No one noticed him. He didn’t exist, and that was just like he wanted it.

Sean Michael Bio:

Best-selling author Sean Michael is a maple leaf–loving Canadian who spends hours hiding out in used book stores. With far more ideas than time, Sean keeps several documents open at all times. From romance to fantasy, paranormal and sci-fi, Sean is limited only by the need for sleep—and the periodic Beaver Tail.

Sean fantasizes about one day retiring on a secluded island populated entirely by horseshoe crabs after inventing a brain-to-computer dictation system. Until then, Sean will continue to write the old-fashioned way.

Sean Michael on the web:

WEBSITE: http://www.seanmichaelwrites.com

BLOG: http://seanmichaelwrites.blogspot.ca

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/SeanMichaelWrites/

TWITTER: seanmichael09

Sean Michael is giving away a eBook copy of The Closet Boy to one lucky reader.  Leave a comment below along with your email address where you can be reached if chosen.  Contest runs until midnight, November 2.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

The Closet Boy (Iron Eagle Gym #4) by Sean Michael
Dreamspinner Press

Cover art by L.C. Chase

Sales Links

Sean Michael is here at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words sharing his top ten list of things to do at the Iron Eagle Gym.  Want to know more?  Check out Sean’s latest release, The Closet Boy (Iron Eagle Gym #4) and all the other books in the series!

~

Top Ten Things to do at the Iron Eagle Gym

10. Work out

9. Meet new people

8. Hang out with your friends

7. Kneel for your master

6. Kiss your fellow subs

5. Fuck your spotter

4. Apparatus sex

3. Shower sex

2. Watch a public scene

1. Do a public scene

Sean

smut fixes everything

The Closet Boy

Way’ra Bernard is only twenty years old when his parents kick him out of the house. He has been brought up to believe being gay is wrong and he is going to go to hell for it. He tried very hard not to be gay but couldn’t change the way he felt. Now he’s living furtively in a closet on the third floor of the place he’s working as a janitor—the Iron Eagle Gym.

Neal McPherson is an unattached Dom in his midtwenties and a member of the gym. One evening after working out, he notices Way’ra on the stairs and he’s immediately attracted and intrigued, so he asks Way’ra out. Unable to come up with a reason to refuse and also interested in Neal, Way’ra accepts.

There are a lot of obstacles to the relationship they attempt to build after their date, not least of which is Way’ra’s upbringing and his lingering doubts about the kinky sex Neal enjoys. But with patience and persistence, Neal might convince Way’ra not only to accept himself, but to loosen his inhibitions enough to explore and find a happy ending together.

Excerpt

He was headed up the back stairs, quiet as a mouse, when a gorgeous stud suddenly appeared at his side. The guy was tall, close to a foot bigger than him, and with the best muscles. He was wearing a pair of sweats and a T-shirt, gym bag slung over one shoulder.

“Headed up too?” Even the guy’s voice was studly—deep and growly.

“Uh. Uh-huh. Just checking supplies.” He kept his head down, his gaze forward. This man was twice his size, easily, and he wasn’t interested in a confrontation.

“Oh right, you work here. I thought I recognized you. Do you like it?” The guy was taking the stairs two at a time, but doing it slowly enough that they stayed level.

“Yes, sir. It’s a good job.” No one asked questions. No one bothered him. No one noticed him. He didn’t exist, and that was just like he wanted it.

“Good, good. This is a good place. It’s nice to know everyone is family.” It looked like this guy was going all the way up, just like he was.

“Yes, sir.” Dammit. He needed to slip into his closet. He had a dog-eared paperback he’d found in the lost-and-found and a cold Coke.

“Do you work out here too?”

God, this guy was Chatty McChatterson.

“No, sir.” Did he look like he worked out? Ever?

“You look like you could use a few sessions. Oh fuck, that was rude, I’m sorry.”

“No worries. I’ll mop harder tomorrow. Have a good evening.” Go away.

The guy gave him a sharp look. “I didn’t say I thought you were doing a bad job.”

“Yes, sir. I’m sorry. I left my… cleanser. I mean, my pad downstairs. Excuse me.”

The guy stopped and put a hand on his arm. “I’ve upset you now. I didn’t mean to. How about I buy you a cup of coffee by way of an apology?”

“Me? I’m the janitor. You don’t have to apologize.”

“I don’t believe in classes. In fact, without you, my enjoyment here at the gym would be so much less.”

The words were dear and made his cheeks heat. “Thank you. I appreciate it. Honestly.”

About the Author

Best-selling author Sean Michael is a maple leaf–loving Canadian who spends hours hiding out in used book stores. With far more ideas than time, Sean keeps several documents open at all times. From romance to fantasy, paranormal and sci-fi, Sean is limited only by the need for sleep—and the periodic Beaver Tail.

Sean fantasizes about one day retiring on a secluded island populated entirely by horseshoe crabs after inventing a brain-to-computer dictation system. Until then, Sean will continue to write the old-fashioned way.

Sean Michael on the web:

• WEBSITE: http://www.seanmichaelwrites.com
• BLOG: http://seanmichaelwrites.blogspot.ca
• FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/SeanMichaelWrites/
• TWITTER: seanmichael09

Add Love and Mix by Sean Michael
Dreamspinner Press
Cover art by

Available for Purchase at

        

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Sean Michael here sharing his thoughts on holiday traditions and his latest release, Add Love and Mix.  Welcome, Sean and Happy Holidays.

Holiday Traditions by Sean Michael

Most people have traditions around this time of year, even if they don’t celebrate Christmas or another specific holiday. Jason and Scott spend every Christmas Day working because they don’t have kids and believe the folks that do ought to have the day off. Then they spend the day after Christmas with Scott’s family. At least, that’s their Christmas tradition until Kerry comes along. Holiday traditions are just one of the many things that change for them at that point.

I have some traditions that I’ve shared with my family since I was little, and some new ones that I’ve developed since moving out. We have always celebrated both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, honoring the Danish and Canadian sides of the family. We’ve always done a ‘family’ Christmas on a separate day if we’re traveling to visit relatives on Christmas itself.

Some of my new holiday traditions include visiting BA and Julia every November for Thanksgiving. I do a bunch of different cookies to give away every year and the number of people I give them away to has somehow grown a little every year. I put up my outside decorations on December 1 (or close to it if the weather is bad on the 1st). And I make lists and do my very best to make sure that I have all my shopping done well before Christmas Day. That last one is only three years old, but I’m liking it more every year.

I love hearing about other people’s traditions, so please share yours!

Sean

smut fixes everything

Add Love And Mix

Firefighter Jason Weller and EMT Scott Bronson are living the perfect life. They work together in jobs they love, they live together, and in their downtime, they still can’t get enough of each other. It’s been six amazing years. Then on Christmas Eve, Jase’s former lover Elsa shows up with a six-year-old girl in tow. The strung-out junkie claims Kerry is Jase’s daughter and it’s his turn to care for her, and then she walks out.

Shocked at both the fact that Elsa is now a junkie, and that he has a daughter he never knew about, Jase nonetheless steps up to the plate as her father, and Scott offers his full support. Having an instant family comes with plenty of challenges, and the two men work to deal with sweeping changes in their lives and to make things right for Kerry.

It’s not going to be easy, and their new circumstances test them and their relationship like nothing ever has. They’ll need all the love they have for each other, and the love they discover for their daughter, to keep from breaking apart.

About the Author

Best-selling author Sean Michael is a maple leaf–loving Canadian who spends hours hiding out in used book stores. With far more ideas than time, Sean keeps several documents open at all times. From romance to fantasy, paranormal and sci-fi, Sean is limited only by the need for sleep—and the periodic Beaver Tail.

Sean fantasizes about one day retiring on a secluded island populated entirely by horseshoe crabs after inventing a brain-to-computer dictation system. Until then, Sean will continue to write the old-fashioned way.

Sean Michael on the web:

• WEBSITE: http://www.seanmichaelwrites.com
• BLOG: http://seanmichaelwrites.blogspot.ca
• FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/SeanMichaelWrites/
• TWITTER: seanmichael09
• INSTAGRAM: seanmichaelpics

Rating:  3.5 stars out of 5

Cash McCord’s life is pretty much perfect. He owns the family ranch, loves his work, and invites the occasional cowboy into his bed. But everything is turned upside down when his brother Jack and Jack’s wife Val are killed in a car crash, leaving behind six kids.

Cash is made guardian of the children, along with Val’s brother, Brad Rafferty—a man who couldn’t be more different from Cash if he tried. A Yankee, Brad is a video-game developer who works twelve-to-fourteen-hour days at his desk. They lock horns as soon as they set eyes on each other. Neither man is happy to have the other around, but neither is willing to give up custody of his nieces and nephews.

It’s up to these two polar opposites to keep the kids together and give them a family again. But first they’ll have to keep from killing each other.

This was a sweet story of two men, who don’ really know each other, who suddenly become fathers together.  Cash and Brad are completely different, but need to work together to make the kids lives better without their parents.  They both have some things they continue to dig their heels in on, but when their disagreement becomes physical they finally open their eyes and really get a look at each other.

Cash and Brad both want what is best for the kids and have to learn to work together.  We get to connect to the characters through their eyes.  I love seeing their love for their nieces and nephews and how much they are willing to give for them.  Their relationship is a big part of what helps them make decisions and move their own and the kids’ lives forward.  It was just what I expected from a sweet Sean Michael book.

Cover art by Bree Archer is wonderful connecting us with the characters.

Sales Links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | B&N

Book Details:

ebook, 80 pages

Published: 3rd Edition, February 1, 2017 by Dreamspinner Press

ISBN-13: 9781634776363

Edition Language: English

Inheritance by Sean Michael
Dreamspinner Press

   

Cover art by Bree Archer

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Sean Michael here today talking about his story, Inheritance. Welcome, Sean!

~

Thank you to Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words for hosting me today!

Life is Short

Cash and Brad learn very quickly at the beginning of this book that life is short. Their sister and brother have just been killed, leaving them with six kids to look after. I was reminded of this myself only last week, when my high school best friend’s father passed away. He was quite old and it wasn’t a surprise, but it was a reminder. This high school friend and I had more or less lost touch – Christmas cards, the occasional call. We have been reminded that we need to make a bigger effort to keep in touch with the people we want to.

Don’t make your bucket list for later. Make it for now. Sure you probably can’t do them all at once or right this minute, but it certainly doesn’t have to be a list for later.

And that’s one of the reasons why I write romance. Life is short and we all deserve our happy ending. I love giving the characters that live in my head their happy endings. Just like Cash and Brad and their brood.

I hope you enjoy Inheritance.

Sean Michael

smut fixes everything

Inheritance

Cash McCord’s life is pretty much perfect. He owns the family ranch, loves his work, and invites the occasional cowboy into his bed. But everything is turned upside down when his brother Jack and Jack’s wife Val are killed in a car crash, leaving behind six kids.

Cash is made guardian of the children, along with Val’s brother, Brad Rafferty—a man who couldn’t be more different from Cash if he tried. A Yankee, Brad is a video-game developer who works twelve-to-fourteen-hour days at his desk. They lock horns as soon as they set eyes on each other. Neither man is happy to have the other around, but neither is willing to give up custody of his nieces and nephews.

It’s up to these two polar opposites to keep the kids together and give them a family again. But first they’ll have to keep from killing each other.

About the Author

Best-selling author Sean Michael is a maple leaf–loving Canadian who spends hours hiding out in used book stores. With far more ideas than time, Sean keeps several documents open at all times. From romance to fantasy, paranormal and sci-fi, Sean is limited only by the need for sleep—and the periodic Beaver Tail.

Sean fantasizes about one day retiring on a secluded island populated entirely by horseshoe crabs after inventing a brain-to-computer dictation system. Until then, Sean will continue to write the old-fashioned way.

Sean Michael on the web:

• WEBSITE: http://www.seanmichaelwrites.com
• BLOG: http://seanmichaelwrites.blogspot.ca
• FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/SeanMichaelWrites/
• TWITTER: seanmichael09
• INSTAGRAM: seanmichaelpics

Just the Right Notes by Sean Michael
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Jennifer Vance

Available for Purchase at

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Sean Michaels here today talking about his latest story, Just the Right Notes.  Welcome, Sean!

✒︎

Thank you to Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words for hosting me today.

Sometimes it’s easy to figure out what a character does – often they arrive with their job in tow, ready to go. Other times, the nature of the story calls for the character to have a specific job, or a certain type of job. And every now and then, they arrive without an occupation and I have to figure it out, which can often take way more time than I’d like. In the case of Just the Right Notes, the guys came complete with occupations — architect and symphony conductor — which is always the best scenario.

I thought I’d share my top ten sexiest jobs, occupations that for one reason or another, seem sexier than others.

Top Ten Sexiest Jobs

1. Fireman
2. Marine
3. Navy Seal
4. Police Officer
5. Chef
6. Dancer
7. Doctor
8. Cowboy
9. Swimmer
10. Manny

SeanMichael

smut fixes everything

Just the Right Notes

Elliot is an up-and-coming architect who just opened his own firm—which is a lot more work and pressure than he expected. His partner, Graham, is a respected composer and conductor. They share their love and lives in a beautiful house designed by Elliot, and whenever things get too hard to handle, they retreat to their cabin getaway where Elliot becomes Dom to Graham’s needy little sub.

When things at Elliot’s firm begin to crumble, Graham needs to be the tough one, the one to suggest the cabin and the games they play there, knowing Elliot’s role as Dom will give him strength and that their games will recharge his lover. Together, they keep working to find that precarious balance in their lives—until an accident threatens to change everything. Elliot and Graham’s love faces its greatest challenge yet, and only the resilience they draw from each other can see them through hardship and keep the music in their lives.

Excerpt:

Oh, he didn’t think so. Enough was enough. If anything or anyone was going to torture Graham, it was going to be him, and Graham was going to love every fucking second of it.

Elliot turned on his heel and headed for their bedroom to grab the black bag from the back of the closet. He didn’t need to check it—it would have everything they needed. Every time they used it, he carefully repacked it when they got home again so it was always ready. He took it out and put it in the trunk of the car.

Back inside, he called his work number and reset his outgoing message to indicate he would be unreachable for the weekend.

Then he went to wake Graham.

His beautiful lover’s jet-black hair was loose, wild, and tangled, undisciplined and uncontrolled. He reached out, stroked a hand through it, and Graham’s eyes fluttered open.

Crouching next to Graham, Elliot smiled into the most amazing green eyes he’d ever seen. “G. Love.”

About the Author

Best-selling author Sean Michael is a maple leaf–loving Canadian who spends hours hiding out in used book stores. With far more ideas than time, Sean keeps several documents open at all times. From romance to fantasy, paranormal and sci-fi, Sean is limited only by the need for sleep—and the periodic Beaver Tail.

Sean fantasizes about one day retiring on a secluded island populated entirely by horseshoe crabs after inventing a brain-to-computer dictation system. Until then, Sean will continue to write the old-fashioned way.

Sean Michael on the web:

• WEBSITE: http://www.seanmichaelwrites.com
• BLOG: http://seanmichaelwrites.blogspot.ca
• FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/SeanMichaelWrites/
• TWITTER: seanmichael09
• INSTAGRAM: seanmichaelpics

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Jason and Scott were living a dream. They were together for six years and were crazy in love for each other.

They worked at the firefighter station, Jason as a firefighter and Scott as an EMT. They lived together and had the same schedules, allowing to see each other the max time possible, on and off work.

Everything was perfect. Until, on Christmas Eve, Jason’s ex-girlfriend, Elsa, showed up with a six-years-old girl, called Kerry. Elsa just claimed the girl was Jason’s daughter and walked away, leaving the kid with him and Scott.

Jason was shocked to find out he was a father to a beautiful and traumatized girl. And after knowing about her and seeing how terrified she was [blame Elsa for it. She was an awful mother] he promised to himself he wouldn’t let Kerry down. He would accept the responsibility and take care of her. And he would pray to Scott doesn’t run away from him.
Scott had no intention to run away, he loved Jason so much and assured he would be there for him, doing whatever was necessary.

Of course, it was not easy. They had big challenges and adjustment to do. They had to change they schedule to take care of Kerry and their time together and alone was reduced drastically. Things got hard on then, but they needed to be strong for Kerry and fight for not let their relationship broke apart.

I liked so much this audiobook. It’s was great male-male-with-kid’s story and I really recommend it.

I loved the development of the book and how the story was written. I was so connected with the narrative and the characters while listening to it, that just couldn’t stop until I finished.

Scott and Jason had problems and even though things get hard, I could feel their love for each other and how they fought for being together. Kerry had adjustments to do as well, after all, she came from a mother who treated her like crap to a father she didn’t know and was terrified of.

I loved the way the author developed the characters during the story and their evolution as an individual and also as part of a new family.

It was a fluid and light story, yet. It had a little bit angst, but it didn’t darken the book.

Steve Balderson did a great job with this narration. I loved how he featured the characters and brought life to each of them.

His interpretation may be one of the reasons I liked so much this book. He has a good voice and could differentiate each character with his intonation.

I specially loved the sweetness in Karry’s voice and Scott’s father thick voice.

The cover art by L.C. Chase is like an assembly with three different pictures. Each picture representing one of main character. It’s not a bad cover, but don’t represent the story the way it could. It would be better if it was an only picture with all the three character together as a family.

Sales Links

Audible | Dreamspinner Press

Audiobook Details:

Audible Audio, 1st edition, 206 pages
Published March 20th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press (first published December 26th 2016)
ASINB06XKPZV4Z
Edition Language English
Narrated by: Steve Balderson

Length: 6 hrs and 18 mins

Release Date: March 22, 2017(Audio Edition) by Dreamspinner Press

Main Characters

Jason Weller, Scott Bronson, Karrisa Weller

Golden by Sean Michael
Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Brooke Albrecht

Buy links Dreamspinner Press  | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo 

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Sean Michael here today.  Welcome, Sean!

✒︎

Thank you to Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words for having me today ☺

• Has your choice of childhood or teenage reading genres carried into your own choices for writing?

Surprisingly no. My favorite genres have always been sci-fi, fantasy and especially post apocalyptic fiction. I love reading those the best, but I tend to write contemporary, paranormal and BDSM romance. I do have a fantasy world on the go – Windbrothers – but it’s a very different writing mindset to the romance.

• Have you ever had to put an ‘in progress’ story aside because of the emotional ties with it?  You were hurting with the characters or didn’t know how to proceed?

No, actually. The more my characters are hurting, the more I write on a book. I hate it when they’re hurting and I have a hard time leaving them that way, even just to go to bed. This might be one reason why my books tend not to be angst heavy.

• Do you like HFN or HEA? And why?

I love HEA! I write romance – it’s all about the happy ending. There are enough terrible things going on in the world, I like to spread happiness – I want to add positivity.

• Do you read romances, as a teenager and as an adult?

I did read a ton of romance during university – that was the way I shut my brain down in the evenings. I’d go to bed with a romance and read it, then I’d be able to sleep.

• How do you feel about the ebook format and where do you see it going?

I think ebooks have made it cheaper for everyone to have lots of reading material. I think they’ve made it easier to store books no matter the size of your living space. And easier to take books with you when you’re on the go. I don’t think it’s going anywhere.

• Do you have a favorite among your own stories?  And why?

I’m not allowed to pick favorites, it would rile the characters who live in my head! Having said that, my latest is usually my favorite – It always feels wonderful to be with the characters who are being written.

• What’s next for you as an author?

More writing! No, seriously, I still love it – it’s still the best job in the world and I’m happy to believe I’ll be able to continued doing it for a long time to come.

Sean

smut fixes everything

Blurb:

After winning Olympic gold four years ago, Justin retired from swimming, and he’s been floundering ever since. The Fourth of July finds him contemplating doing something stupid, so Justin calls up his former coach, Chris Jarvis. To his surprise, Coach answers.

When Justin retired, Chris cut all ties with the swimmer he’d fallen in love with. He never wanted Justin to love him just because it was easy. But he’s been waiting for Justin to reach out, and he’ll gladly take Justin back into his life.

When he finds out Justin is drowning in a pool of self-doubt and the belief that his happy years are behind him, Chris realizes he made a mistake letting go so suddenly, and that Justin needs structure and a firm, dominant hand to keep him on the right track. It’s time to remedy his error—as long as he can convince Justin that it’s really love.

About the Author

Best-selling author Sean Michael is a maple leaf–loving Canadian who spends hours hiding out in used book stores. With far more ideas than time, Sean keeps several documents open at all times. From romance to fantasy, paranormal and sci-fi, Sean is limited only by the need for sleep—and the periodic Beaver Tail.

Sean fantasizes about one day retiring on a secluded island populated entirely by horseshoe crabs after inventing a brain-to-computer dictation system. Until then, Sean will continue to write the old-fashioned way.

Sean Michael on the web:

WEBSITE: http://www.seanmichaelwrites.com

BLOG: http://seanmichaelwrites.blogspot.ca

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/SeanMichaelWrites/

TWITTER: seanmichael09

INSTAGRAM: seanmichaelpics

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Meet the Beteferoce brothers. Five dragon shifters, each with a strong elemental power. And each with a fierce desire to find his soul mate.
…
Deke has yet to meet a man who gives him a rush. Coast Guard rescue has kept the dragon shifter busy, but there’s no harder work than finding a mate. Then comes Bryan. Bearded and inked, the personal trainer turned mechanic smells of grease, sweat and red meat. How irresistibly human can you get? And when it comes to hot, slamming sex, they’re the perfect fit. Now all Deke has to do is to tell Bryan what he really is, and what he has planned for them.

Bryan has never met anyone like Deke, a consuming lover with a body so arousing it damn near hurts. And he knows how to use every inch of it. Yet he can’t shake the feeling that Deke is hiding something. Just not this-the stud he’s falling for is a centuries-old dragon who has marked him as a mate.
Bryan has to admit that something inside him is changing. For the first time ever, he’s satisfied, body and soul. If Deke really is telling the truth, this could be his destiny-if he’s ready to face it.

There is no question that Sean Michael writes hot, sexy men and combustible sex scenes.  That’s in abundance here with dragon shifter Deke and his soul mate Bryan.  This is not a 1- story but 10 as their scenes together almost set the room on fire, ironic when one dragon’s element is water.  But I’m getting a little ahead of myself.

Seduced by the Tide by Sean Michael is the second story in the Dragon Soul series and the first one I’ve read (something I’m going to remedy asap).  While I would have liked to have had the background and history of that first story, I don’t feel it was necessary to have in order to understand everything that was going on here.  Michael delivers enough past information that I wasn’t left floundering in the dark, instead I felt I had a pretty good foundation of this universe to sit back and enjoy the meeting and mating of Deke and Bryan. Plus they were surrounded by the first couple (and Bryan’s neighbors),Jack and Shae. This was beneficial in so many ways.  Having Jack and Shae there provided additional information as to what was happening to this couple (they had  gone through it) and gave a wonderful update to those readers who had read the first story.

I loved the depth of world building here and the glimpses I got of the other brothers who’s books  I know are coming.  There was the tattoo and Elf ink master I wanted to know more about, plus the dragon home world and of course the rest of the Beteferoce brothers.  Michael makes each man interesting and their mating sexy, hot and intimate.

I can’t wait for the next story and get to find out how it all began with the first installment Branded by Flames (Dragon Soul, #1) by which I’m guessing that Jake the dragon shifter’s element is fire.  I hope it’s as good as this story.  As it is, if you love hot men, hot sex, love and dragons, you will love Seduced by the Tide (Dragon Soul #2) by Sean Michael.

Cover design is perfect for this story.  I love the dragon elements on the bottom half especially.

Sales Links:  Carina Press 

Book Details:

Book two in the Dragon Soul series
This book is approximately 79,000 words