Linzé's Mischief: 27 November 2016

It has been a tough month, but I finally made it. Never had such a struggle, but I suppose there is always that first time, isn't it? Well, it's done and now I can relax and look forward to some new challenges in December.

Book Feature: GOING ALL IN by Kristine Cayne

GOING ALL IN

Men of Boyzville, Book One

Life has been tough on Harry Cooper. Rejected by his best friend, abandoned by his family, Harry spurns relationships, settling instead for backroom hookups and one-night stands. Out and proud, he scrapes by selling drinks in gold lamé trunks while struggling to make a name for himself as a musician. Desperate for a change, he and his roommate take a trip to Vegas, where Harry finds himself getting more than he’d bet on.

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N08A299

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N08A299

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01N08A299

Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01N08A299

Fragrance chemist Ashton Montgomery is the man behind the Ashton George line of perfumes and colognes. He is also a gay man hiding behind the façade of one of New York City’s most eligible straight bachelors. After a failed paternity suit against him, he sneaks off to Vegas to celebrate his freedom. But is he really free, or is he locked into the future his parents have mapped out for him—CEO to the family business and married to a society woman of their choosing?

A chance meeting at a rock concert in Sin City catapults Harry and Ashton into an adventure where each man comes head to head with what he fears most. Can they learn to trust each other as a couple, or is undeniable lust all they have? When all the cards are on the table, they each must decide whether to fold or go all in.

About the Author

Kristine Cayne's books have won numerous awards and acclaim. Her first book, Deadly Obsession, was an RT Book Reviews Top Pick and won Best Romance in the 2012 eFestival of Words Best of the Independent eBook Awards. Her second book, Deadly Addiction, won two awards at the 2014 eFestival of Words and 1st place in the INDIE Awards, Romantic Suspense Category (a division of Chanticleer Book Reviews Blue Ribbon Writing Contests).
Her book Under His Command won Best BDSM Romance at the 2012 Sizzling Awards and was a finalist in the 2013 eFestival of Words and 2013 RONE (Reward of Novel Excellence) Awards, and her book Everything Bared was a finalist in the Erotic category of the I Heart Indie awards.

Going All In is Kristine’s second gay romance.

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New Releases List (http://kristinecayne.blogspot.com/p/new-releases-list.html) 

Linzé's Mischief: 13 November 2016

I learned something about myself this past week: I hate being behind and needing to catch up.

This year is my fifth year doing NaNoWriMo and it is the first time that I fell behind the daily word count target. By week 2 I had been ahead all the previous times, and laughed at the 'dreaded week 2' warnings that everyone dished out.

Only this year I was a victim of week 2, and I have to say, I did not like it one bit. Of course, the were extenuating circumstances (there always are, true?) but dammit, it is not as if I am a rookie at this. I should have seen it coming!

But I didn't. And that I think is where the true danger lies. We get so lost in the speed of life, that before you have a chance to blink, three days have passed. A few years ago, I set myself a personal target of 100k words in November. I made the target, but I learned something very valuable: taking care of myself, especially my hands. They were really hurting and I promised myself not to do that again. I write everyday, so why should I punish myself by overdoing it one month of the year? Not that 50k is what I normally do in a month, but still. I need to care for my hands. I only have one set, and I do like them just the way they are.

So stuck in the misery of week 2, I had fallen behind far enough that I was wondering how I could possibly catch up, without going through that pain again. And it hit me - voice recognition. So I put on my trusty gaming headset (thanks, Francois) and started dictating my words.

Only until I caught up those numbers that I was behind on, since I still prefer to type my words. I caught myself laughing a few times - at myself. Dictation requires practice and like writing you have to be 'fit' to do it, and I had forgotten that. Some of the words the computer wrote down...really had me going. Thank you, editing. Those words will really need a hard edit before this year ends, otherwise I will never remember what I wanted to write. But that is for after November.

So now I am caught up, a little ahead to be honest, and I can relax. Not completely though, since I still have a few thousand to go. But to my mind I am no longer a potential loser, I am a potential winner. And that makes all the difference, doesn't it?

Book Launch: JOURNEY by the Pretoria Writers Group

Mark you calendars! We are launching Journey
in time for Christmas.

How to get a copy? Click this link > http://linzebrandon.blogspot.com/p/paperback.html

Book Review: Dream Crusher by Natacha Guyot

I volunteered to read and review this book.

Amazon buy link

I love science fiction, but this book turned out to be a fantasy story rather than science fiction. Mentioning space travel does not science fiction make. There are no other science based elements, soft or hard core, in the story.
Crystals and mystics and alien races with supernatural powers are the realm of fantasy and I would rather classify it as such.
The story is rather thin on the ground in the action scenes. Very little details on what happens and the reader is left with a feeling of dissatisfaction. Whether the battles are won or lost, it wasn't possible to get into the action when it was underway. Only the mystics' reactions to the crystals were explored.
I liked Vahika. The priestess was no pushover, and the subtle undercurrent of attraction between her and Morden felt realistic in the scenes where they interacted with each other.
I also liked the way Sorred, one of Morden's team members, was portrayed. He had a temper. It made him real.
The character that impressed me the least was Morden himself. It was a surprise that his characterisation as the main character was not as one would expect of the leader of a group of soldiers. It took a few chapters to realise that Morden had no flaws. He had issues, but he was portrayed as a perfect character.
He was the hero. He liked children; they liked him. He was considerate towards his team members - rather foregoing sleep than bother theirs by snoring. He didn't even swear or get angry. Explicit text is not required to understand a character's internal dialogue.
It was difficult to relate to him. He was just too likable, too nice, and nothing made me root for him. He had no inner conflicts to resolve, and the battles themselves were too vague to really grip my attention.
When one of the group was killed during a battle, there were no emotional reactions from any of the main characters. Even experienced soldiers would have had some reaction to the event, whether they liked the victim or not.
Internal and external tension was lacking throughout the entire book.
Their so-called rogue mission didn't create too many sparks either. It was listed as the primary conflict in the synopsis and yet there was little to draw the reader's emotions. Their boss accepted their decision, and the anticipated fall out didn't realise with the expected level of conflict.

The story was easy to read, but I find it difficult to recommend it, even to readers of YA fantasy books.

Linzé's rating