Author: Kassa

New Rainbow Reviews and Contest!

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 New Rainbow Reviews! I’ve been so busy I just haven’t read/reviewed as much lately but here are the few I do have to offer:

 

Memory of Darkness by P.A. Brown

Taste Test: Alberta Bound by G.S. Wiley

Snow Bunny by Vic Winter

Three Wrong Turns in the Desert by Neil Plakcy

 

In other news, the first day of the contest got off to a bang! For a Sunday, I was worried there wouldn’t be a lot of entries but I was pleasantly surprised!

 

For Monday’s Drawing we have:

 

Masks: Rise of Heroes by Hayden Thorne

 

 

Blurb:

Strange things are happening in Vintage City, and high school goth boy Eric seems to be right in the middle of them. There’s a new villain in town, one with super powers, and he’s wreaking havoc on the town and on Eric’s life. The new superhero who springs up to defend Vintage City is almost as bad, making Eric all hot and bothered, enough so that he almost misses the love that’s right under his nose.

Peter is Eric’s best friend, and even if he does seem to be hiding something most of the time, he finds a way to show Eric how he feels in between attacks. The two boys decide to start dating, much to the chagrin of their other best buddy, Althea, who has a terrible crush on Peter, and a secret or two of her own to keep.

As the fight between the villain, known as the Devil’s Trill, and superhero Magnifiman picks up, Eric’s relationship with Peter almost ends before it begins. When the Trill takes an interest in Eric, can he and his friends figure out the villain’s plan in time?

 

 

This is the first in the series, so start now! A great, entertaining story with a lot of humor and fun. The usual rules apply!

 

Ways to enter for a FREE e-book of this great novel!

–        leave a comment with an email address

–        email me at penelopes.smut@gmail.com

–        RT on Twitter the following: RT @kassa_11 to enter for a chance to win a free e-copy of Hayden Thorne’s Masks: Rise of Heroes

 

More contests!

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So today’s my birthday (yay!) and since I’ve had a really good year, I decided that I’d do some sharing on my birthday. So I’m going to be giving away either a print book or an ebook each day until Halloween.  To enter for that day’s contest, simply leave a comment or RT on twitter. Your entry lasts for that day and that contest and there will be a new book each day.

 

I decided to feature the books I’ve really loved this year and it’s incredibly hard to choose just 7! But here are the books that are going to be featured this week (in no particular order and not in the order how they’ll be given away): 

Angels of the Deep by Kirby Crow (My Review)

Tigers and Devils by Sean Kennedy (My Review)

Finn by Angel Martinez (My Review)

A Regularly Scheduled Life by KA Mitchell (My Review)

Soft Focus by Reno MacLeod and Jaye Valentine (My Review)

Masks: Rise of Heroes by Hayden Thorne (My Review)

Like Coffee and Doughnuts by Elle Parker (My Review)

These are just 7 of the books I’ve loved and they’re not even the top 7 I’d say, although definitely somewhere near the top. I also limited it to novels because adding in and choosing from short stories made this incredibly tough.  

So Sunday’s book up for grabs is: A Regularly Scheduled Life by KA Mitchell

Ways to enter for an e-book of this great novel!

–        leave a comment with an email address

–        email me at penelopes.smut@gmail.com

–        RT on Twitter the following : RT @kassa_11 to enter for a chance to win a free e-copy of KA Mitchell’s Regularly Scheduled Life

 

Be sure to add the @kassa_11 so I can see your tweet. Everyone that tweets, emails, and/or posts will be entered and one random winner will be drawn Sunday Night at midnight. Be sure to check back each day all week for a new book drawing!

 

Love & Loyalty by Tere Michaels

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Love & Loyalty by Tere Michaels

Blurb:
Detective Jim Shea is a Seattle homicide detective who has never taken his work home with him ~ until now. A case has gotten under his skin and though it’s "over," it isn’t for Jim. The emotional toll has left him vulnerable and tied to the victim’s dying father.

Meanwhile, Hollywood comes calling for a hot story, and screenwriter Griffin Drake sees the tragic case as his ticket to more serious fare than his usual action blockbusters. But to get the whole story he needs to win over the stoic and protective Detective Shea.

Neither man has had much luck when it comes to romance or long-term relationships and neither is particularly looking but there’s an attraction from their first meeting that can’t be denied. Their impromptu first date seems to have no end in sight ~ quickly becomes a barreling freight train of romance.

Looming problems outside threaten their relationship ~ death, secrets and broken trust ~ and they’ll have to learn loyalty to save their new found love.

great sequel

Pricing cont’d – Noble Romance Publishing

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Welcome back to the pricing series where I look at various electronic publisher (specifically those offering M/M romance) and try to analyze their pricing structure. For those new to this, I’m trying to compare publishers within themselves for consistency and against other publishers for sheer cost. What is the best “bang for the buck” for consumers. Please keep in mind I do not take cover art, editing or lack thereof, customer service, and quality into consideration. This is strictly a numbers game. 

A list of past posts HERE!

 

Today’s look is at Noble Romance Publishing Think Kink! I’ll shorten them to NRP. I like the catchy title but most consumers aren’t really aware of this publisher. They seem to be quiet, under the radar a bit and don’t have the same buzz as other more well known publishers. This could partially be the low number of available books from Noble. There are a total of 59 books available on the Noble website, although it doesn’t say when the company started.

 

Looking at their website, going through all 59 books is pretty easy and it’s clear there is some inconsistency. Just for reference there are 18 books listed as M/M, although one is M/M/F. So really for pure M/M enthusiasts this is 17, which is 28%. Roughly 1/3 of Noble books are M/M so that’s still worth checking out.

 

This particular analysis is different from others since Noble Romance is not listed on FW. Complaining of this, the Cocktease tells me now ARe/OmniLit (my preferred vendor) is now offering word counts. Thanks! So let’s use ARe listed word counts with the same caveats as before. Unfortunately of the 59 available books at Noble, only 34 are available at ARe as of today and none are available at FW. Perhaps this is why few readers are very aware of the publisher.

 

NRP categories are pretty easy and clearly listed:

 

Anthologies            $6

Collections             $4.50    15-20k words

Naughty Nibbles     $1.99      5-10k words

Novellas                 $4.50    15-20k words

Novels                    $5.95       21k+ words

 

So let’s break down what this means more closely.

 

Anthologies – No word count listed. 3 books that contain 4 stories each for a total cost of $6 per anthology on the website.

 

$6 NRP / 20,000 words for $4.50 at ARe

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=35

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-spankmeonceanthology-17546-144.html

 

$6 NRP / 26,851 for $5.00 at ARe

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=45

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-spankmetwiceanthology-79510-145.html

 

Third anthology is not listed at ARe.

 

Collections – 5 novellas listed for $4.50 each. 4 are up at ARe so here is the breakdown:

 

$4.50 NRP / 17,000 words for $3.50 at ARe

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=24

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-fridayschildsexualhealing-17724-143.html

 

 

$4.50 NRP / 26,800 words for $3.50 at ARe

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=26

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-mondayschildkissandspell-17719-140.html

 

$4.50 NRP / 18,000 words for $3.50 at ARe

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=30

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-saturdayschildstormsaturdaynight-17725-146.html

 

$4.50 NRP / 30,500 words for $3.50 at ARe

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=31

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-sundayschildthewiseguy-17726-140.html

 

 

 

Naughty Nibbles – 5-10k words.

There is some discrepancy here with an earlier wording of “Tryst” used on some books. Of the 13 books listed:

 

1 Naughty Nibble for $1.50 NRP/ Not at ARe

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=49

 

2 Trysts for $1.99 (1 listed at ARe)

 

$1.99 NRP / 5,000 words for $1.99 at ARe

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=25

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-valentinesvindication-17704-144.html

 

9 Naughty Nibbles for $1.99 (5 not listed at ARe)

 

$1.99 NRP / 4,700 words for $0.99 at ARe

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=40

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thedate-17710-144.html

 

$1.99 NRP / 5,000 words for $1.99 at ARe

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=41

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-bestunspoken-80066-144.html

 

$1.99 NRP / 7,000 words for $0.99 at ARe

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=39

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-doublejeopardy-17714-144.html

 

$1.99 NRP / 13,000 words for $1.50 at ARe

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=22

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-beautifulccksucker-17707-144.html

 

 

1 Naughty Nibble for $2.50 NRP/ Not at ARe

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=54

 

 

So what does this mean? Well if you can generally trust the word counts in comparison to one another (leave off the comparison to actual word count just for now) then the cost per word is all over the place. Especially taking into consideration the price discounts at the third party e-tailer – here ARe. I know this is common with publishers and Noble is by far not the only one doing this, others are as well as I’ve stated previously. So again, readers shop smartly for the best price. It likely isn’t at the publisher’s. Not to mention there is some confusion between the two names – Tryst and Naughty Nibble – for the same length of book and a wide range of cost from $1.50 to $2.50 on the publisher site and $0.99 to $1.99 on ARe. This is pretty pricey.

 

Novellas – 18 books listed from $4.00 to $4.75.

2 for $4.00

2 for $4.75

14 for $4.50

 

$4.50 NRP/ 9,000 for $2.00 ARe

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=36

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-onenightinbangkok-17715-144.html

 

$4.00 NRP/ 14,000 for $3.00 ARe

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=52

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-sinfullydelicious-89353-144.html

 

$4.50 NRP/ 19,500 for $3.00 ARe

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=42

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-onceinabluemoon-82269-139.html

 

$4.50 NRP/ 20,000 for $3.50 ARe

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=34

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-hourispleasure-17716-143.html

 

$4.50 NRP/ 20,900 for $3.50 ARe

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=33

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-theirlover-17702-144.html

 

$4.50 NRP/ 30,000 for $3.00 ARe

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=47

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-betrothedtotheenemy-89349-144.html

 

$4.50 NRP/ 23,000 for $3.50 ARe / My count 24,080

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=32

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-ifiwerealady-17703-144.html

 

$4.50 NRP/ 32,000 for $5.00 ARe

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=60

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-absintheeyesandotherlies-89958-140.html


$4.50 NRP/ My Count is 32,500

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=56

$4.50 NRP/ My Count is 20,200

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=50

$4.50 NRP/ My Count is 18,100

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=37

$4.75 NRP/ 19,700 for $5.00
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-damngorgeous-363684-140.html
https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=58

 

$4.75 NRP/ My Count (I couldn’t find the book but I know I have it!)

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=57

 

 

Now this is disturbing. While not all the novellas are listed on ARe the ones that are vary widely in price and word count available on ARe versus available on the publisher’s website. Even if the word counts are off, they are all off by the same amount so the inconsistency shown above is disconcerting. Paying more for 10,000 less words is shocking. While all publishers DO discount on third party retailers, I’d hope it’d be consistent in some way otherwise how can you tell you’re getting a good price?

 

Novels – 20 listed for $5.95. 11 were listed on ARe as follows:

 

$5.95 NRP/ 32,650 for $4.50 ARe

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=23

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-goodguysdeservebadgirls-79509-140.html

 

$5.95 NRP/ 47,000 for $6.00 ARe

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=8

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-deadlydreams-13191-144.html

 

$5.95 NRP/ 50,000 for $5.95 ARe

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=21

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-redribbonsinherhair-13508-144.html

 

$5.95 NRP/ 50,000 for $5.95 ARe

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=19

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-sextoysandnaughtyboys-13503-147.html

 

$5.95 NRP/ 50,000 for $5.95 ARe

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=17

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-calliesshadow-13316-144.html

 

$5.95 NRP/ 58,000 for $5.95 ARe

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=20

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-decadentdeceptions-13314-144.html

 

$5.95 NRP/ 60,000 for $4.00 ARe

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=46

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-calenmysoultokeeptrilogy-89348-140.html

 

$5.95 NRP/ 61,666 for $5.95 ARe

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=15

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-biteme-13317-147.html


$5.95 NRP/ 62,000 for $4.50 ARe

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=38

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-fivedaysinfrisco-17713-144.html

 

$5.95 NRP/ 65,700 for $5.95 ARe

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=16

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-deadlysecrets-13318-147.html

 

$5.95 NRP/ 75,000 for $6.00 ARe

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=18

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-bloodline-12670-144.html

 

Here you pay anywhere from $4 to $6 on ARe for counts from 32,000 to 75,000. The range and variety between the two (publisher and retailer) is enough to cast some doubt. NRP is very consistent on their website but the price at a retailer varies wildly.

 

So let’s look at what this means in comparison.
When comparing NRP’s website by categories and pricing, here is the breakdown.

 

As always when offering the same price for higher counts, the cost per word goes down. Also the cost per word decreases as the length of the book increases even when it’s a more expensive, longer book.

 

But let’s look at an internal comparison of word counts…

 

 

Here I went by the word counts listed at ARe and compared the price buying from ARe or buying from the NRP website. It’s rather inconsistent but clearly your best bet money wise is to buy from ARe.

 

 

But how does this compare to other publishers?

 

Here since there are no word counts from FW I had to use ARe for all the publishers. I had to go back and re-enter all the publishers word counts from ARe (which does differ from FW) so they all had the same internal comparison. Yes this sucked.

 

But what this shows is that Noble is actually one of the more pricey publishers. Their shorter works are erratic with pricing but this gradually levels out similar to other publishers and the longer novels are all basically equivalent. Noble (the dark blue) tends to be higher in cost than most publishers but only by a small margin that may or may not be important.

 

Looking a little closer at the novella and novel price comparison shows this clearly.

 

 

 

 

So what does all of this mean!?!?

 

Well NRP is mostly consistent within their website. 15% of the books in their rather small catalog are outliers that fall – price wise – outside of their general price. The biggest aspect is that the price listed on NRP’s website is not always the best price. In fact, although it’s consistent within CATEGORY, it may not be a good deal for your money. The wide variety in price and word count on ARe show that the best price is often looking there. You can sometimes save more than $2 which is quite a difference in cost.

 

As for comparison with other publishers, Noble tends to be higher in cost than other publishers, often costing more than our most expensive publisher so far, Dreamspinner. Part of this I attribute to the relatively small catalog of books and what seems to be a publisher still in flux. The changing of names and prices on some books tends to reflect published dates as well (older published work seems to be less expensive while the newest novellas are more expensive). I believe the cost differences in the categories are due to shorter/longer word counts than the averages but it’s almost impossible to tell with the craziness on ARe.

 

Also keep in mind the relative difference in cost is still rather small. Noble is the most expensive, but what is the real difference? Depending on the book, this could be pennies or dollars.

 

Bottom line.

 

Noble Romance is comparatively costly. They are somewhat consistent if buying off the website but you tend to pay considerably more. Buying off All Romance Ebooks/OmniLit will get you a better price but also highly inconsistent prices for word count. Hopefully there will be some kind of consistency soon as the publisher has a nice website and better than average cover art. Not to mention the customer service is superb.

 

As always – your opinions.

 

BTW – I apologize for the rather EPIC nature of this post.

    

 

Ethan Day’s Dreaming of You

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Dreaming of You by Ethan Day

Blurb:

Restaurateur Aden Ingle has been in love with the perfect man since his fourteenth birthday. Unfortunately, his perfect boyfriend only exists in his dreams. But Aden’s always believed it was his destiny to meet his dream man, and he’s perfectly content to wait around for him to walk into his real life.

 

When he meets Logan Price at a Hotel/Restaurant Trade Show, he finds himself drawn to this man who shakes him out of his dream world. Pretty soon, the flesh and blood reality is becoming more appealing than the fantasy. The only problem is Logan lives half way across the country in California.

 

Aden’s going to have to choose whether to give up everything he’s built for himself professionally and uproot his whole life for Logan, or wait for the man from his dreams to become a reality.

 

[For some reason every time I see this cover, I think its a man and a woman. Maybe it’s the towel]

 

Review:

 

This fun, exaggerated comedy is meant to be read in a light hearted manner. The characters and situations are over the top, creating outlandish personalities that clash and pop in a comic setting that is just as outrageous as the people. If you can get into the characters and zany antics, this is a breezy summer read with a lot of humor thrown in. The actual personalities are certifiable and can’t possibly exist without medicated help but the book is very much a nod to pop culture, romantic comedies. If you enjoy those sorts of movies, you’ll want to go along on Aden’s ride.

 

Aden is a total klutz and has such an exaggerated personality – I wouldn’t be surprised if this was a caricature of the author or a close friend. Aden is described as incredibly hot and good looking but his odd quirks and weird habits tend to cause some problems for his relationships. He has a tendency to shout out loud in response to his inner conscience, keep a detailed karma point balance, and can’t manage to walk and chew gum without getting a concussion. He manages to turn every possible smooth move into an ad for medicated help. However, despite all his problems and quirks, he has a charm that draws men and women alike to his inherently good nature.

 

Throughout his life Aden has always had dreams of one man. These dreams are different and complex ranging from new meetings to honeymoons and vacations. These dreams created a fantasy world for Aden to slip into and escape the stress and loneliness in his life. Aden’s fantasy world is challenged when he meets the all too real Logan. Logan is also in the restaurant business but is a chef and for some reason, all those quirks and odd behaviors of Aden’s that drive his friends insane, Logan loves that about Aden. Their whirlwind romance becomes a long distance relationship and just when things start to get serious, Aden’s dream man may just be real. Aden must make some tough choices and risks to find happiness.

 

The characters are all as over the top as their antics. Fag hag and physically abusive Finn is a fun character even though her friendship is a bit suspect. Nathan is a good support and perhaps the only normal one of the entire group and thus gets little to no real depth and action in the storyline. Logan is sympathetic and a strong support for Aden, though he is often very one note. The development of his character starts well and hits some bumps, mostly because the story revolves around Aden to the point that there is less development for others than how Aden reacts to those around him. Since the narrative is in first person for Aden, he is the only fully realized character. The actions of everyone around him range from thinking he’s incredibly weird to being charmed by his oddball behavior. Aden has his own set of insecurity and fears and reactions, which move the story along at a quick, comic pace but allow for little real progress.

 

This is a fun, light story that is weak on the angst and emotional maturity and long on the quirky, romantic comedy actions with numerous nods to pop culture. The story line is light and moves incredibly fast with engaging, witty dialogue. The ridiculous characters add many elements of fun if the reader can laugh along with their humor. I wasn’t fully invested in the story and thus had some “is he crazy or just psycho” moments, however, it’s worth going along for the ride in the light hearted manner it’s intended. There are a lot of classic stereotypes and tropes thrown in but nothing overwhelms the story and Aden is a charming narrator with all his weirdness. This isn’t one I’d re-read but for a summer story to laugh with, it accomplished that goal. 

Get it HERE!

Rowan McBride’s One Shot

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One Shot by Rowan McBride

Blurb:

Nick Carlyle understands the intricacies of his job better than anyone. He lives to crunch those numbers and his skills are valued throughout the company. If his personal life might be lacking, he doesn’t notice, especially whenever he steals a harmless glance or two at Riley Jameson’s tight body. But he’s the boss, and that means look but don’t touch.

When a universal flu shot is developed, it’s hailed as a miracle, and rightly so. But the seemingly harmless side effects begin to change the world, warping the statistics that Nick’s always used to guide him through life. Everything he thought he knew is suddenly upside down.

No one changes as much as Riley. Suddenly the young man is bigger, stronger. He’s also aggressive in ways Nick isn’t prepared for, and for the first time analyzing the numbers does nothing to help the situation.

Now, his numbers only add up when it comes to Riley.

 

Review:

 

This is an over the top, outrageous, and ultimately fun yaoi influenced story. The antics and actions are sometimes completely ridiculous, yet there is a certain humor and enjoyment if you’re willing to let go and just enjoy the ride. The characters have appeal and interest and while the story is far fetched, it’s just a vehicle to introduce yaoi characteristics to the pairing. On the downside the lead character of Nick is entirely too obsessive compulsive and whines throughout the entire book. However, if you can get past that – and I surprisingly did – this might be the fun yaoi book that satisfies.

 

In this day and age of flu shots, the particular shot in this book also has the added bonus of increasing height in the majority of the recipients. Nick is very happy at an even 6 feet but worries and stresses that everyone else will be taller than him and thus making him the dreaded “average.” Nick worries that being average will ultimately cause him to lose income, be less attractive, and even lose intelligence. While Nick is worrying about the increased height of everyone else, he doesn’t run out and get the shot himself since it’s known that 0.4% of people actually –lose- height and that’s a gamble he’s not willing to risk. It’s not until Nick’s paranoia reaches untenable levels that he finally gives in and gets the shot himself.

 

Unfortunately, Nick classically is in the rare percentage that loses height instead of gains and he shrinks from 6 feet even to a perky 5’8”. Here the confident, intelligent, if obsessive, Nick turns insecure and whiney as he complains about his height, his looks, his intelligence, and even his sex appeal. While everyone around him is taller and to him, more attractive, he is ignorant and clueless to his own appeal. Nick can’t fathom how anyone would be interested in him and the one person who has always shown interest, Riley, must be using Nick in some horrible, evil way now that Nick is shorter and thus vulnerable.

 

The characterization in the book is uneven. On the one hand there is Nick who whines enough to annoy likely the most placid reader, yet this is tempered by the adorable character of Riley. Riley grows to massive, hulk-like status just by breathing. He is constantly outgrowing his clothes whenever he happens to take a deep breath or encounter Nick. Riley even has some hilarious and ridiculous scenes when his (also growing) dick bust through his clothes. This is very reminiscent to the Hulk getting a woody. Funny, over the top, and potentially painful but entertaining in a comic book style. This is where the book is able to transcend the ridiculous premise into a story with typical yaoi personalities and some fun sex scenes.

 

The writing is engaging, so much so that the whiney Nick doesn’t ruin the story. The dialogue is sometimes strong and interesting and overall the emphasis and intense focus on muscle building didn’t bother me. This clearly is a fantasy story that will appeal to those with a muscle fetish first and foremost, yaoi fans as well, but the prose choice and voice compliment the story. At times I rolled my eyes and others I was fully invested in the story. If you’re looking for a cute, funny story with a bloated emphasis on muscle growth – this will definitely satisfy. 

Get it HERE!

Criss Cross by Jordan Castillo Price

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Criss Cross by Jordan Castillo Price

Blurb:

Criss Cross finds the ghosts surrounding Victor getting awfully pushy. The medications that Victor usually takes to control his abilities are threatening to destroy his liver, and his new meds aren’t any more effective than sugar pills.

Vic is also adjusting to a new PsyCop partner, a mild-mannered guy named Roger with all the personality of white bread. At least he’s willing to spring for the Starbucks.

Jacob’s ex-boyfriend, Crash, is an empathic healer who might be able to help Victor pull his powers into balance, but he seems more interested in getting into Victor’s pants than in providing any actual assistance.

 

 

Review:

Sometimes proficient authors with large backlists can be scary with such questions as where to start and how to sample without feeling overwhelmed. Thankfully Jordan Castillo Price has made things really really easy for those readers who haven’t sampled her fabulous PsyCops series. When I first read Among The Living, it was offered as a free download to entice readers. I have no doubt it worked since it intrigued me enough to buy the next 2 books immediately. Now that offer is gone but JCP still offers the first HALF of Among the Living for free over at GLBT bookshelf. Now that’s a deal. Additionally her site now makes it crystal clear how the series is to be read and in what order. It truly makes my little reader heart soar with happiness. I mention this specifically because I had commented on such problems when I read the first book. So enough of that – how was Criss Cross you may ask. It was a pretty good sequel, not as good as the first but enough to hook me on the series definitely.

Here Vic, our favorite drug popping psychic cop has a new partner. Unfortunately the ghosts around him have multiplied and Vic’s favorite drug induced coma coping mechanism has been taken away from him. Not to mention Vic seems to be channeling a dead killer while sleeping with his kind of new boyfriend, Jacob. As if all of this wasn’t enough, Jacob’s ex appears to help Vic cleanse his aura and Lisa is calling with cryptic messages from California. Vic must sort it all out before his head explodes or his liver does from drug use.

Told again in first person point of view from Vic’s perspective, the strength of the story relies on Vic’s drug popping nature and his dry sense of humor. The ability to recognize crazy in himself and still manage to function is a cornerstone of the story, and series, when his drug use and instability would incapacitate most people. The story itself is somewhat indistinct and loose and lacks a strong focus. There is a purpose to the action, but the reasoning is vague and limited to the last few pages. Several of the set up scenes are obvious in their intent and Vic’s constant distraction and absent attention can be frustrating. That guy with a chainsaw at 2 am is not necessarily just cutting down a bothersome tree people. However there are always reasonable excuses for each lapse on Vic’s part, even if the reader is annoyed at the lack of intelligence sometimes.

Another of the strengths of the story is the solid characterization and furthering the relationship between Vic and Jacob. Although neither man is given more depth than the previous novella, their relationship is strong, interesting, and engaging without overwhelming the story with sappy, unnecessary romance and sentimentality. The strong, silent nature of their relationship works very well so the focus of Vic’s mental chaos doesn’t overwhelm the story with too many components. Additionally the engaging voice and dialogue make the story a fun, entertaining read and one you don’t want to put down. There is subtle humor, horror, and paranormal elements deftly woven into the setting and characters creating a unique atmosphere and series that instantly attracts and draws readers in from the first scene to the last. The quick pace and dry wit keep readers connected to the story and interested in the outcome.

Although the story lacked a strong focus and meandered along for most of the novella, the great writing keeps this as a fun, must read for the series. The urban fantasy setting is more complex and intricate in this book so that also helps cover the lack of complicated mystery. The wonderful writing, tight descriptions, and crisp pose make this a solid story you won’t want to miss. If you haven’t started the PsyCops series I suggest you do so and I personally am excited to read the next books and hope to eventually get through that extensive backlist and series.

Get it HERE! 

 

What factors into your buying?

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 Ok I’m taking this week off from my publisher cost analysis due to being home sick all week and lack of motivation while sick but I do promise to continue next week. In lieu of that post but still in conjunction with cost analysis and benefit to consumers, I’m curious about the buying habits of readers.

 

Looking at the various offerings of publishers there is anything from a 2500 word 5 minute story to epic long 150,000 word sagas and the corresponding prices of $1 to $8. So when you’re off shopping for your next e-book, what influences you?
 

Let’s leave aside the basics off the plot or genre because of course those are going to be factored in but what about the other tangibles?
 

What about publisher, author, cover, length, cost, blurb, excerpt? These must factor in – or do they?
 

Out of curiosity, I’ve devised a poll below to try to gauge the importance of factors when buying books.  No doubt I’ve left off your *perfect* choice so please feel free to vote and leave comments! 

This is my first poll with LJ and I put the results so that I could see and unfortunately you can’t edit the poll once you finish (unless someone can tell me) so I will be sure to reveal the results ASAP.

POLL!