What I Am Reading ~ Amber Green: Bareback

Bareback Read more

Tags: Amber Green, Gay, Loose-Id, Vampire Romance

Jamie Craig: Unveiled

Unveiled by Jamie Craig
From: Amber Quill Press

“What happened?” Emma asked. She wouldn’t believe him if he told her nothing happened; Jess was sure she probably felt his tumultuous emotions from outside the building. He finished off the bottle and tossed it into the trash with a little too much force.

“Xavier wasn’t at the party, so Gideon, in his infinite wisdom, agreed to a second party. Without bothering to ask
the display if that was going to be a problem. But that’s okay, I have nothing to be afraid of except a room full of vamps, and humans, and their bloodlust.”

Her eyes darted around the room, her head finally turning to fix on the bedroom door. Emma stared at it for long seconds before shifting back to Jesse. “Did you get hurt tonight?”

“No.” He rotated his head, stretching the muscles in his neck. “No more than what was planned, at any rate.”

“So why…” She stopped, her frown deepening as she looked behind her. In the next second, she was stepping out of
the way as Gideon came barreling into the kitchen.

“What the fuck did you expect me to do?” He ignored Emma to march forward and shove Jess into the refrigerator.
He was oblivious to Jesse’s wince as fresh pain bloomed in his back, though Emma’s sharp gasp meant she was more than aware. “You can’t think I actually like this, can you?”

Jesse pushed both hands against Gideon’s chest, allowing himself just enough room to get past Gideon. He wasn’t going to be cornered and shouted at, or cower beneath Gideon’s hard eyes, like he had done something wrong. Like he was being the unreasonable one.

“I’m sorry, I’m having a bit of a hard time putting myself in your shoes, Gideon. I didn’t realize it was so fucking hard on you to be the one free to walk, and talk, and fight, and leave, and not be locked alone in the dark.”

Emma blocked his exit. Twin spots of color had risen in her cheeks, and her breathing had quickened, but she remained firm when he attempted to navigate past her.

“Tell him you’re scared.” Her dark eyes were beseeching. “Tell him anything, Jess.”

“I did.” Jesse didn’t bother to disguise the fact that he was hurt. “But that doesn’t seem to matter right now.”

“No, what matters is that you trust me to make this right,” Gideon barked.

Emma’s head snapped around to stare at him. “You’re not helping.”

“Gee, and you figured that out all on your lonesome, did you?” His mouth curled into a sneer. “If you’d let us go after your bitch of a sister with guns blazing, we wouldn’t even be in this mess.”

Jesse spun to face Gideon, appalled. It was one thing for Gideon to lash out at him—Jess knew eventually they would put all of this behind them—but he didn’t expect him to be so vicious to Emma. “What the fuck is wrong with you? Don’t talk to her like that.”

“It’s okay, Jess.” Her voice was surprisingly calm. “He’s just trying to bait me so we don’t end up talking about what’s really wrong here.”

Gideon jabbed an angry finger in their direction. “Being able to tell Jess is pissed does not give you permission to interfere in this.”

“No, the fact that you two insisted on me sticking around when I wanted to go is. And Jess isn’t the only one I can read right now.”

Gideon’s eyes flashed. “Vampire, remember? You can’t read me.”

“I can’t read you easily. But the more I get to know you, the easier it gets.” Emma took an even step back in his
direction. “And I’m not going to touch on the fact that you both are so wired right now, I’d have to be deaf and blind not to know how hurt both of you are.”

Jesse’s head was pounding. His inherent need for everybody to get along was starting to pull at his anger, and a
part of him wanted to abandon his own frustrations and work on smoothing things over between Gideon and Emma. It was an almost ridiculous impulse, but it was strong. But beyond that, he wanted to scoff at Emma’s words. What had hurt Gideon? That Jesse didn’t want to quietly submit to something so fucking dangerous and painful? “It doesn’t matter,” Jesse muttered, making another attempt to get past Emma.

This time, she grabbed his arm. “It does,” she said. “Don’t run away, please.”

Warmth radiated from her palm and spread up his arm. He recognized immediately what she was trying to do—replace
the frustrated pain with something more peaceful. At first, he resented the attempt. These were his emotions, and he came by them honestly, and he had every right to suffer through every hellish second of them. But at the same time, the spark of heat was a welcome relief. But it was only a spark.

“We need to talk about this,” Gideon said.

The tips of Emma’s fingers began to stroke the underside of his arm. “I know how scared you are.” Her voice was as soft as her touch. “But you were there for me when I was so terrified at Sangre and the next morning. Let me be here for you now. Please, Jess.”

Jesse relaxed slightly, no longer poised for flight. He turned his attention to Gideon. “Do you want to talk about
this? Or do you just want me to agree with you?” The question was more curious than confrontational. Even if Emma wasn’t fighting each wave of anger with her touch, Jesse was too exhausted to sustain the argument for much longer.

“I would’ve talked to you about this at the party if I’d had the chance,” Gideon said.

Jesse knew that was probably true, but despite his protests, that wasn’t the only thing bothering him. Gideon seemed to have complete disregard for what Jesse was feeling, and that was more confusing than anything else. He had never been so caught up in the greater good he was willing to sacrifice Jesse’s life for it, and now Jess didn’t know how to reconcile this apparent contradiction. He felt like they were in a stalemate. “Emma, can you….can you show him? What I’m feeling?”

Her eyes flew to Gideon, but before he could put up a protest, she slid her hand down to Jesse’s and entwined their fingers, dragging him back to face his lover. She kept Jesse at her back, pulling his hand around to rest it on her stomach. It effectively put them into a half-embrace, but in spite of the added warmth being pressed to her spread through his body, it was the way Gideon’s eyes locked on his that kept him still.

Man, have I been slacking lately?!? Between work and such I just have been lapsing into a world of blah. Maybe I need a vacation but that will have to wait for now I guess.

Anyway, back to the book…

Jamie Craig are back with another chapter of the continuing saga of Gideon, the vampire, and Jesse, his faithful human sidekick. Fighting crime and finding new and interesting ways to use dungeon equipment on each other. As you can tell from the cover wax comes into play in this story and I really liked the idea that a Top would use a dungeon scene to “wax creative” so to speak. Yes, I will not give up my day job promise. Wax on, wax off!

So um… What did I think about it though? Hmmmmmm, this is one of those books I generally re-read several times to focus my thoughts on it, because it is not poorly written at all. The character arc is logical, the motivations are reasonable and the continuity from the other story is wonderfully interwoven. No real indicators can be pointed to as to why I felt cheated.

Well, maybe there is a way I can show you what I mean with some compare and contrast. Let’s switch back to the last book for a moment and review the scene where Jesse was looking through those old pictures of Gideon getting it on and then obviously killing the other men he is shown having sex with. Jesse then confronts Gideon..

“The difference is knowing when to stop and then caring enough to actually do it.” When Gideon snaked his tongue around the shell of Jesse’s ear, a shiver ran down Jess’ spine. “Even when I know how badly you want it.”

Jesse clutched Gideon’s shirt with one hand, his other hand sneaking between their bodies to cup Gideon’s erection. “I’m glad one of us knows when to stop,” he murmured. “Because sometimes I do want it.”

Gideon snorted. “I’m beginning to wonder if your definition of sometimes is the same as Webster’s.”

It was passages like this in the last book that caught my attention and made me enjoy the interplay between the two men. I liked the idea of love and fear being combined to create this hot passionate relationship between a vampire and a human. That control is a battle fought minute by minute.

The crime they investigate reflects the relationship they begin, the deaths caused by the Obsidian drug, a drug that allows vampires to let go and do whatever they have carefully inhibited themselves from doing.

This idea was then reflected in the sudden feelings that spring up between Gideon and Jesse. The idea that Gideon could eventually let go and harm or kill Jesse and that Jesse finds that power over him by Gideon sexually HAWT.

This dynamic is also reflected in the BDSM dynamics they then explore.

All these mirrors within mirrors and dang clever writing made the whole package a must read for me. I got it, a vampire romance with teeth, and I loved it.

Now back to our current story here in Unveiled. Where is the danger to Jesse from Gideon? It seems they have worked it all out and they seem very comfortable with each other now. *sigh* Comfortable enough to explore their feelings about having Emma join them.

But that’s not all, Emma is an empath so their emotions must be carefully explored and mapped. Oh no, that was the uncertainty that I liked about Jesse and Gideon. The power Gideon has over life and death, the unknown depths he must possess, the dance of danger they both participate in based on the fact that one could easily kill the other. The romance between the savage animal and his prey.

I saw the pulling of the vampires teeth reflected even in the crime they investigated in Unveiled. I swear, I never once felt Jesse was in any real danger and the excerpt above came across to me more like Jesse was bitching about the taking of necessary risks and not about going above and beyond the risks he took in the last book. Maybe in thinking about it showing Jesse’s POV during the events may have helped make it more real… I don’t know maybe it is just me.

This is not a black and white deal though. The story is well written and the characters growing to find some comfort level around each other makes perfect sense. I guess I just wanted the danger of the unknown, the dark hint of threat in every bite, to remain a little longer which is my own bias. I also like dark chocolate so…

I will be reading the next book in the series that just came out Mosaic Moon.

I am giving this book a B because honestly I think the problems I have are with my own expectations and not with what you wrote.

Tags: Amber Quill Press, BDSM, Gay, Grade B, Jamie Craig, Vampire Romance

What I Am Reading ~ J.C. Wilder: Retribution

Retribution ~ Shadow Dwellers Book 2 by J.C. Wilder
From: Ellora’s Cave

After years of torment, Jennifer Beaumont found a lover who should’ve lasted an eternity. Instead she was forced to walk away, to betray her very heart in order to keep her love safe from her vengeful master, the vampire Mikhail. Brokenhearted, Jen struggles to rebuild her life and the unthinkable happens, throwing her back into the arms of the man she loved and betrayed.

Conor MacNaughten has been alive for nine centuries and he’s seduced thousands of women, but none captivated him as much as Jennifer—the one woman able to resist his sexual advances, the only woman he’s ever loved. But her beautiful face hid a black heart and she cast him aside for another. Now, years later, a friend’s life is on the line and Valentin asks him to work with the one woman he loathes in order to save another.

The game begins with a kidnapping, bringing together two people who can’t forgive or forget…

Tags: Ellora's Cave, J.C. Wilder, Straight, Vampire Romance

Jo Carlisle: Raina’s Fantasy

Raina’s Fantasy by Jo Carlisle
From: Ellora’s Cave

First principles, Clarice. Simplicity. Read Marcus Aurelius. Of each particular thing ask: what is it in itself? What is its nature? What does he do, this man you seek?

You know who I was rooting for in Silence of The Lambs? You might think it was Clarice Starling but you would be wrong. Sure it was Jodie Foster’s best movie role but she did not sell me her character. You know who made her shine? Dr. Hannibal Lecter made her shine, and that is who I was left rooting for at the end of the movie, not Clarice. It’s all about liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.

The way it worked so well for me was that Dr. Hannibal Lecter was not an idiot, he was not some raging monster, he functioned incredibly well and interacted very intelligently far more so than any other character in that movie and even Clarice noted he had honor. He just did not share our sense of right and wrong, our social taboos. He ate people. Yet you and I wanted him to have an HEA at the end of that film. Oh, come on admit it.

Jo Carlisle, creator of Drakkon, come on down!

What shall I say about this story? OK here is what Jo initially sets up for us.

Johan Stone, Alpha Supreme, and his faithful yet sick side kick Zane Ramsey, are discredited Warriors (fantasy world cops) and Zane is starting to succumb to pneumonia while still looking good in a g-string. So Johan has a bright idea to sell their asses into slavery.
Vampire Queen Raina Zharov out bids the evil demon Drakkon and makes our boys her slaves.

Zane is totally into the slave thing they have fallen into and even the homo sex with his best buddy turns him on big time. With both feet he jumps right in. Johann on the other hand is ALPHA, so no go on the slave show. That is until he figures out that him and missy Vampire Queen got a thing going on. So basically the first half of this book you get this…

He’d do anything for Raina. For Zane.
Anything at all, no matter the cost to himself.
Was this…love?
Yes, he’d always loved Zane. Raina had him pegged on that score. If not for the extraordinary circumstances they’d found themselves in, would he ever have expressed those feelings toward Zane physically? Probably not.
But what about Raina? Truth be told, she’d done nothing but try to protect her men since she’d rescued them from Lash and whisked them from Drakkon’s clutches. She’d tried to comfort him, to convince him she wasn’t the enemy. Had worried over their safety as they’d gone into the night poorly armed to search for a killer. With Zane’s and Alexi’s help, she’d healed him from the demon attack, then saved his sanity when the ardin merged with his DNA.
Being the Vampire Queen, she must conduct herself in accordance with the law, but she wasn’t at all selfish and cold as she’d have others believe. Raina was sexually free, compassionate, beautiful—
Two truths hit Johan between the eyes like twin hammers.
Hadn’t he already guessed? The thread glowed brighter between him and Raina, illuminating his heart and soul, every fiber of his being, because she was…his mate. My mate! He couldn’t explain how he knew, but he did. The other truth?
Johan, former warrior-turned-slave, was falling hard for Raina Zharov.
Gods, how is this possible? My Queen, my mistress, my mate.
And he didn’t have a fucking clue how to avoid becoming entangled in her silken web. A bitter laugh escaped his lips. Too late. Damn it to Hades, he should leave. Take his chances and just go, as soon as possible.
At once, the bond screamed in protest and terror, a white-hot lance skewering his brain. The beast added to the cacophony, roaring in displeasure, coiling his muscles into a knot at the very idea of abandoning his mate. Mine!
Gritting his teeth, Johan gripped the chains and rode the agony, muttering a foul oath. Didn’t Raina know the shackles at his wrists and ankles were no longer necessary?
His own traitorous heart had performed the task just fine.
Trapped like the animal he’d become, with no way out.

Yeah, I know. Me ALPHA, you mate! Let’s fuck! *yawn*

But then, Jo gets us to chapter 16 and Missy Mate the Vampire Queen has a little public confrontation with Drakkon the Demon King…

“You consume human flesh, Drakkon. That’s wrong on so many levels, I can’t even begin.”
“Why?” He sounded genuinely baffled. “If a group of middle-class humans pickets a meat-packing plant with signs declaring ‘save the cows’, they’re dismissed as weirdoes. I, on the other hand, perform a service to humans and shifters by cleansing the earth of their lesser brethren. Through the slave system, I dispose of career criminals and other foul wretches no one wants littering the streets. They are my cows, if you will. The choice slaves I use for sex, same as any upper-class member. And I do all of this legally. Why is that wrong, yet your consumption of human blood and ownership of that lovely thrall isn’t?”
Zane glanced down at his mistress from under his lashes. The demon hit a nerve. Her lips were drawn into a grim line, her face taut with anger. The scary thing was, every word he’d said was true. A prime example of what made Drakkon such a dangerous enemy, of how he kept the Council in his corner. Smooth talker with a forked tongue. Typical politician.
“Touché. Be that as it may, I’m not here to debate with you. I’ve come to propose a trade, one of mutual benefit to us both.”

My bored mind suddenly came awake and my pop culture sensibilities came alive and I was… Oh Jo! You are not going there, are you girl?!

Oh and she did, oh she did! She has Zane, the happy thrall, get corrupted by Hannibal Drakkon!

Oh Clarice NO!

“Mercy,” he croaked.
“No, because you do not want me to stop. Tell me what you really desire. Say it!”
“H-h-hurt me…please…”
The strikes redoubled, falling with ruthless precision. Each one sent shocks to his dick. The fog thickened until he reached and found the prize. Rapture.
“Yes, yesss,” he sobbed.
As if sensing he’d broken the thrall at last, Drakkon tossed aside the whip. He dragged two fingers through the blood on Zane’s skin and came to stand in front of him once more. Slashing open his own wrist, he watched as the dark liquid beaded on the surface. He rubbed the crimson fingers into his wrist, mingling their blood, then held his wrist to Zane’s lips.
“Taste.”
On instinct, Zane tried to avert his head. Restrained as he was, Drakkon dabbed his lips with little effort and out of sheer reflex, Zane’s tongue flicked out to clean off the droplets.
“Ohh!” His heart and lungs seized, his brain spinning. He’d never mainlined heroin, had avoided that deadly Venus flytrap, but this is exactly what he imagined the high to be like. An addictive rush bleeding to every fiber, carrying him toward his destiny, black and final.
When the demon’s wrist touched his lips again Zane didn’t resist. He latched on hungrily, drinking with greedy swallows, loving the heady nectar pouring down his throat. Taking the essence of his master inside him.
“Now you are mine,” the demon approved, stroking Zane’s hair with his free hand. “We will keep our secret for a while, but I am your master in truth. Only I will be able quench the dark fire burning within you. After tonight, I will stay away until your urgency to submit to my touch drives you mad, until your sanity hovers on the brink. And when I call, you’ll come to me eagerly. Beautiful thrall…mine forever.”
“Yours, my lord, to do with as you wish,” he whispered, nuzzling his face into the beloved hand. The awesome instrument of sadistic cruelty, carnality stripped to its most primal elements.
What am I saying? What have I done?
Drakkon smiled, caressing his cheek. “That’s right, sweet boy. The others will try to fill your head with lies about me, but you will not listen. If you betray me, you’ll accomplish nothing but your own destruction because your body and soul cannot survive without me. Have I given you anything except what you so desperately need?”
“No, my lord.”
“Have I done anything to your delicious body that you did not desire?”
He closed his eyes. “No.”
The hand left his face and he felt the absence of the sensual touch like a physical blow. Blinking, he sought his captor…and sucked in an appreciative breath. Drakkon stood naked in his most human form, clothing vanished. Ebony hair tumbled past his shoulders, framed his massive, gorgeous chest. He was all muscled perfection and olive skin. The enormous penis jutting between his thighs and the weighty orbs beneath testified he wasn’t anywhere near human. In true demon form, supersized all over, could Zane house all of that magnificent length?
A feral, determined expression hardened Drakkon’s face. He stepped around the rack, positioning himself behind his prey. He parted Zane’s ass, nudging his tight hole. Pushed in just the head, teasing. “My thrall.”
“Please,” he begged, reason gone. “If you don’t take me, I’ll die.”
“Never forget it.”

YES! Fucking YES!

My inner editor came out during the standing ovation and wanted Jo to go back shift as much as possible to Zane’s POV, dump a couple of characters, and let Missy Vampire Queen and Johann (I’m an ALPHA) do their thing on the back burner. *yawn* Zane was the one I needed to watch slowly be setup for the downfall.

So you see, this is not a perfect book. None of the other sex scenes besides the one in chapter 16 hit me because everybody recovered so easily from the dramatic moments. Even the straight guy, Johann (I’m an ALPHA DAMN IT!) and his side kick Zane fucking away did not register because there was no real solid angst to hang off of, no moments of OMG, before or after. I was not really sold any sense of trepidation.

But… this wonderful Demon King and Zane? Oh hell yes!
When Drakkon is impressed with Zane all hung up and ready to fuck crying for him to “do me Daddy” in his native form, he did not want a bed time story, that was true love right there baby.

I could really tell where this writer was having fun and honestly if this is her fun then honey take those old Romance rules in both hands and go *SNAP*. If I wanted safe I would not be buying eBooks, I would buy Harlequins. Jo, you had me begging for you to turn the tables on my ass and let the bad guy and his angst ridden corrupted love slave get the HEA. All Romance says is there has to be an HEA, it does not say WHO gets one.

I suddenly wanted a whole book dedicated to Zane as he betrays his (cardboard cut-out) friends at the whims of his Dark Lord and Master, Drakkon the Evil Demon King. I want that sweet sweet evil demon lovin PLEASE.
They are that good together.

I have argued with myself over this grade girl. This is may have not been in your plans Jo but you hit on some great characters in the second half and saved this dang book from an average score.
Great villains with great sex scenes deserve Grade B at the least.

Tags: BDSM, Bisexual, Ellora's Cave, Grade B, Jo Carlisle, Ménage à Trois, Vampire Romance

What I Am Reading ~ Jamie Craig: Unveiled

Unveiled by Jamie Craig
Coming in August From: Amber Allure

Beauty is in the eye of the master…

Gideon Keel and Jesse Madding have seen dozens of gruesome crime scenes over the years, but nothing compares to the grisly discovery they make in a small apartment above a sporting goods store. The body has clearly been put on display, and clues in the apartment indicate that while the woman was dying, party guests were enjoying rich caviar and expensive champagne. The two men are mystified.

They receive help from an unexpected source—a young woman they rescue from an auction at the vampire club, Sangre. Emma Coolidge is determined to save her sister from the same monsters Gideon and Jesse are hunting. While both men are utterly fascinated by her beauty, her intelligence, and her rare talent as an empath, they value her for her friendship. The three plan a sting operation to infiltrate the small group of “art connoisseurs” by sadistically turning Jesse into a living work of art, but will it be enough to save Chicago from more vicious murders in the name of beauty?

Heh! This reminds me of a Baltimore Motorcycle Club anniversary I was hanging around at one time. By “hanging around”, I mean I was literally hanging from a frame that John setup and suspended me in chains in a horizontal position. They wheeled me out on stage and had each club member come up with a lit candle and pour a little wax onto me and then set the candle into the wax. By the end of the scene I was this huge hanging human candle holder. Those club guys gave me a big hug every time I saw them for months afterwards.

Ah, the life of an old school Leather slave, I tell ya.

Tags: BDSM, Gay, Jamie Craig, Vampire Romance

Jamie Craig: Master Of Obsidian

Master Of Obsidian by Jamie Craig
From: Amber Heat

“You gave me the door knob, knowing it was tainted,” Gideon said. Whether he was deliberately ignoring Jesse’s
meaning, he had no idea. He simply wished he could see what Gideon was doing. “You did it deliberately to see what would happen.”

There wasn’t time for a response. The crack of leather split the air.
Jesse trapped the howl in his throat, and his lungs seized, the sudden contact freezing the air in his chest. He was more shocked than hurt, but the shock enveloped him completely. His cock jerked, a single thread of pleasure winding its way down his spine and to his groin.

“I’m sorry,” Jesse gasped, when he could speak. “It won’t happen again.”
Gideon chuckled. “You’re lying. You’ve got balls, I’ll give you that. But if you thought it would get you what you wanted, you’d do it again.” The whip cracked again. Slivers of heat sliced down Jesse’s back. “Admit it.”

It occurred to him to lie again, but he suspected Gideon’s reaction would be the same whether he told the truth or not. “I would if I thought we’d both get what we wanted.”
“And what’s that?”
“You don’t want to have to care about the consequences.”
The whip landed across his shoulders. “You want to be the one in charge.” And lower on his ribs. “You think you should be able to do whatever you want to me, and, God, Gideon, I want that, too.” The whip whistled through the air behind him, erupting like fire across his skin. Jesse cried out, unable to ignore the pain any longer.

So wrapped in the searing agony now making his skin throb, he never heard Gideon move.
“I should be able to do whatever I want to you,” Gideon murmured in Jesse’s ear. His bare chest pressed to Jess’ back, and the cool contact helped ease some of the sting. “But right now, I’ll settle for this.”

The first touch of Gideon’s tongue along his split skin made Jess cry out again, but this time, it was a sound of shocked pleasure.
Jesse writhed against Gideon’s mouth, but never attempted to pull away from him. If anything, he wanted more contact. Gideon abandoned his broken skin and sought out the long thin lines of blood rolling down his back. Each swipe of Gideon’s tongue soothed every sliver of pain, until he was quivering with pleasure and need, the sting from the whip almost entirely forgotten.

“I smell you everywhere.” Gideon’s voice floated up to him, caressing hands gliding around the front of his thighs. “In the office, in my bed. Do you know I can’t bring myself to change my sheets ever since you spent the day in them? You need to bleed more often. I don’t think my cock’s been soft since I fucked you.”

Jesse moaned. He knew Gideon wanted him, but remembering a long night of fucking was not the same as hearing the words come from Gideon’s mouth. Gideon moved his hands over his thighs, his fingers framing Jesse’s stiff cock without actually touching him. He wanted Gideon to make him bleed, wanted Gideon to fuck him, wanted Gideon to touch him, wanted Gideon to bite him…
Rivulets of blood trickled down his back, disappearing one by one. Gideon’s tongue traced over swells of flesh until Jess felt his mouth at the upper curve of his ass. His heart thumped, and he stood a little straighter, spreading his legs on instinct in order to open himself up.

“I already said you weren’t going to be rewarded,” Gideon chastised. He came around Jesse’s body, standing tall and pressing his blood-slick chest to Jess’. “You don’t get my cock, and I’m not touching your ass.” He smirked. “Not even if you beg.”

Jesse leaned forward, stretching his neck to tentatively lick the patch of skin beneath Gideon’s jaw. For a moment, he savored the taste of Gideon’s skin—which led him to thoughts of other areas of Gideon he wanted to taste. “I don’t get your cock at all?”
“No.” His eyes turned golden. “I get yours.”
Blood smeared down Jesse’s body as Gideon slid down. His breath caught in his throat as Gideon grasped his cock at
the root, angling it away from his body. With one last wicked leer, Gideon dropped his jaw and swallowed Jess down in one stroke.

Jesse fought the temptation to close his eyes—he needed to watch Gideon. He tensed, expecting to feel razor sharp fangs against his shaft, but Gideon was surprisingly careful. He pulled back, sliding his warm mouth along Jesse’s shaft, and then swallowed him once more, his teeth barely scraping against his cock. Gideon looked up, his golden eyes sending a shockwave through Jesse’s body.

I was talking with someone the other day about a Gay Vampire Romance series I am reading over at Loose-Id and the fact I could not quite put my finger on it but even after three books into the series it was simply missing something. The person I was talking to was also reading the series and stated “It needed more emotion“.

I stopped, I thought about it and damn she was right, the whole three books came across written at an emotional distance. Sure the sex was there and the usual violence inherent in a vampire romance book, gay or straight. It was all there but the emotion, the thing that draws me into liking a bad boy character like a vampire and wanting to find out more about them and eventually see them get the guy, it was simply missing.

Jamie Craig has none of that problem here in Master of Obsidian. Her Their vampire Gideon is a gentlemen with an admittedly disturbing past but he stays civil and honorable and has a trusting human assistant named Jesse Madding who is his best friend and right hand man. The relationship is very professional and courteous… that is until a drug called Obsidian starts showing up that by simply touching it drives vampires to unleash their hidden inner desires.

Gideon is suddenly dominating Jesse in the most forcefully HOT, sexy as hell, BDSM sex scenes I have read in a long while. I mean Shit! this book is Damn hot. Gideon is of course ashamed of himself when he wakes up the next morning after having been pile driving and sucking his assistant into complete submission throughout the night. Jesse on the other hand loved every nasty, bad boy, fuck me harder, minute of it. In fact he wants more, a lot more and he is gonna make damn sure he gets it and Gideon as his Master to boot.

Go now, pick this book up over at Amber Heat or Amber Allure or Amber “whatever the hell they are gonna create next week”. I just do not get the sections they have. Get over it guys, pick one name, promote it, and stick with it… OK? I swear these publishers can act like elementary school kids when it comes to selling Gay Romance sometimes. What is wrong with simply calling the whole frigging website one professional name (Amber Press perhaps?), like your well known competitor Samhain does and quit acting like mixing the genres will give the rest of the books cooties or something. How silly can you get? It just makes finding these great books confusing and the last thing we need is another difficult website to wade through like Torquere Press.

Grade A Jamie Craig! Now you two go write a sequel damn it!

What do other people say…
TwoLips Reviews
Joyfully Reviewed
The Romance Studio
Elisa Rolle
My Book Cravings

Tags: Amber Quill Press, BDSM, Gay, Grade A, Jamie Craig, Vampire Romance

What I Am Reading ~ Jamie Craig: Master Of Obsidian

Master Of Obsidian by Jamie Craig
From: Amber Heat

Jesse Madding has been working for Gideon, a vampire fighting to maintain the balance between good and evil, for two years, and has loved him for nearly that long. When Gideon slams him against an alley wall and demands sex, Jesse is too happy to oblige, but it opens doors in their relationship that Gideon isn’t sure he wants to enter. Especially since he suspects he was under the powerful influence of an unknown substance, and Jesse is his best friend.

As they try to negotiate a new relationship involving Jesse’s willing submission to Gideon’s darker desires—including bondage, pain, and bloodplay—they learn that a new drug is being distributed in the city. Known simply as “obsidian,” this drug unleashes a vampire’s demon, destroying any sense of self-control. Widespread use of obsidian could bring chaos to Chicago and turn the city into a bloodbath, but even as Jesse and Gideon race to contain it, they’re consumed and distracted by their own growing passion and burgeoning emotions…

Tags: Amber Quill Press, BDSM, Gay, Jamie Craig, Vampire Romance

Amelia Elias: Chosen

Chosen by Amelia Elias
From: Samhain

I bought all three of these dang books from Samhain yesterday Amelia Elias and read them through the night. I wanted you to know that in case I seem a wee bit cranky and maybe even exhausted as I sit here attempting to review them in the middle of my work day nightmare. But I will dang it!

So let’s get right to the latest one from Samhain…

Chosen, the third book in The Guardians’ League series, takes us to New Orleans and introduces us to Gareth Ambrocio, Patriarch of the Arachnid Clan (Meat Packers Local #666) and Alexa London an ICU nurse and part time dhampyr. Alexa does a body shot off our bad boy Patriarch at the Bourbon Street Vamp watering hole and sparks fly. Well sparks and a roving gang of Outcasts and some religious fanatics called Templars and then Eli and Renee show up on their honeymoon. Well, if you can’t tell it gets a bit complicated.

The fun part is Alexa not buying the poor home boy Gareth’s story about being a Vampire, until she gets attacked that is. Those bad, evil, nasty, Outcasts! But love conquers all, even the rare elusive dhampyr it seems.

This book just seemed to breeze by with no outrageous mistakes to cut short my enjoyment, not like book two of The Guardians’ League was… but we will talk about Outcast in good time.

All in all, I loved Chosen. It’s not a short story (280 pages) but I finished this thing in like maybe 4 hours and I rushed off in search of the rest the series. Chosen is fast paced, tightly plotted, hot and sexy in all the good Vampire ways and best of all the world they inhabit is dark and scary, and has a logic that makes sense. I am totally on Alexa’s side about the whole “Dame Matron” deal. That’s not a rank or title, that’s a punch line.

I will say that it is evident that the next book is probably going to be around Jenyssa aka Nyssa and Ronin which should be interesting seeing as how Ronin has not done much in the series but grunt and kill things so far. Oh, and he shed that single tear over the baby. The big manly grunting softy.

So I just had to go pick up the first book in the series to find out what I missed…

Hunted is the first book of The Guardians’ League series. We start off in beautiful San Francisco although we do not see much of my fair city. Why do people bother writing about this town without showing it off. I mean even Anne Rice shorted us with the Vampire in San Francisco writing thingy, now she’s writing “Jesus stories” so that should tell you something right there. The point is, I know more about what New Orleans looks like than I do San Francisco and we are a pretty place. Just do not breath in through your nose while down town and you’ll think we are the fairest jewel of all US tourist traps. Urine Town! Boo-Yah!

Anyway, here we meet Diego Leonides Patriarch of The Panther Clan, and former prince of Spain, and Sian Lazuro, bad driver, former cop and full time mob target. Sian runs into Diego with her Mini Cooper and almost does herself in as well. Diego, the studly Vampire hero he is, helps her get it back together only to have Eli (His big boss man Head Vampire) catch him in bed with her. Eli works a whammy and next thing you know they are “bondmates” with matching arm tats. I thought that was a very expensive and yet considerate wedding gift for the new couple but Diego did not seem all that thrilled in the least.
Sucker! Heh, Get it? Vampire… sucker… *sigh*

Sian is not too happy either, since she trusts no one first and asks questions later. Not since dear old dad got the bullet meant for her. Oops, sorry. I hate spoiling all that angst. So, she fights with Diego “the sexy” in a continual verbal battle that gets a little forced near the end of the book. I mean after the first big sex scene she should have tuned it down a little bit there but then we find out she’s a dhampyr so maybe that was the problem. Maybe she’s upset that dhampyr’s are not as rare and elusive as they are made out to be? Maybe she needs to feel special?

It was after Hunted that Eli started to get to me. I liked him. He was dark and mysterious and all powerful and a hoot. He came across as a very well written secondary character in both these books and the best part was after reading both the third and first books in the series I realized Amelia had done the impossible and had not made these stories dependent on each other. I figured it out by watching the secondary characters interact. You could pick up either of these books and read only one and feel you had gotten the whole story even with the underlying running interplay between the characters. Amelia never relies on past story lines or those “remember when” moments at any time so you could read Hunted or simply buy Chosen, the new book, and enjoy, it does not matter and that my friends is pure writing talent. Thanks Amelia!

Now the bad side of this review… on to Outcast.

Oh my my my!

Have you ever read a book, liked it, but about halfway through started to get a sinking feeling when the writer began to color in the hero and the back story sucked?

Sorry Amelia, I got that horrible feeling here in Outcast the second book of The Guardians’ League series. I mean, I already loved Eli. He was tall, very dark “character wise”, handsome, a wild card that came and went any way he pleased and was far far more powerful than any of the Vampires you introduced us to and far far more knowledgeable. In fact so much so the others stood in awe of Eli.

I liked him already. You did not have to do a dang thing to make him better. Then you wrote this book about him and his romance with Renee Hardin whom Eli watches get attacked and turned into a Vampire by the evil, nasty, vicious, Outcasts. Eli is guilt ridden with ages of issues and baggage beyond belief. The whole “sire” thing was a smart move. Even making Eli “THE OLDEST” Vampire was pretty much in keeping with what you had already written and more than one of your other main characters has suspected as much. That was logical, really, believable too.

But the whole Eli “God Thing”! The whole Eli “Greek God Thing”! Oh my my my my…

Nope, that explanation just fell flat. It was dead in the water from the get go. Greek Mythology is rife with Disney-fication amongst other things. It is not as dark or mysterious as say Egyptian Mythology (Eh no, Anne Rice did that one already. Sorry, but the great thing is she will never write another page and a half description of a room with an open window again. Woohoo!) or hell, Sumerian Mythology. Yeah, next time try Sumerian Mythology. Or just write your own, this is fiction you know. The other problem was Eli became way too powerful. The balance got lost with the modern day story setting and the whole story fell over.

Eli would have been the perfect “imperfect god”. He could have been the first Vampire and not really known why he was created or how and the story could have taken an even darker and more realistic turn with the lack of answers. He could even have created that bad Vampire and felt all that guilt without once saying one word about any Greek Gods. I have this thing about “SHOW ME” do not “TELL ME” in writing. Well, the big thing was there was a lot of telling. This happened with Diego in the first book too, but not as bad. Both these books could have used a prologue that showed the heros way back when they first started and it would have had more impact and lessened the need to recount everything about their past.

The best part of this series again is that anyone could read the first book and the third book and skip Outcast and have a great time reading some good Vampire stories. I would so dump Outcast and set it aside for re-write in a New York minute. I felt like the last part dragged me so far down, jeez, it sucked. I had just breezed through the last two books with no problems, then this fine mess.

Amelia you are a damn good writer (Not surprising since you are published by Samhain) and not many people, even those writers presented to us continually in romance as “the best”, can write a series of books that work individually as well as together. You have done this and done it very very well. I respect your writing talent and thank you for some really good Vampire Romance stories. I really want to give this whole series an overall A for consistency but not in it’s current shape.

Till then, my only request Amelia Elias is… Where is the Gay Vampire Patriarch and can two men be “bondmates”? Now that would be hot and sexy in your more than capable writing hands.

Grade B for Chosen, Grade B for Hunted, Outcast? What Outcast?

Tags: Amelia Elias, Grade B, Samhain Publishing, Straight, Vampire Romance

What I Am Reading ~ Angela Fiddler: Lineage

Angela Fiddler: Lineage
From: Loose-Id

Tags: Angela Fiddler, BDSM, Gay, Loose-Id, Vampire Romance

What I Am Reading ~ Amber Green: Lights Out!

Amber Green: Lights Out!
From: Loose-Id

Tags: Amber Green, Loose-Id, Ménage à Trois, Straight, Vampire Romance