Hello everyone! We are wrapping up our first week of this year’s Reading Challenge Month with our New-to-Me Author Week challenge.
You guys can play along with this event in two ways. First off, you can leave a comment on any of this week’s challenge week reviews and earn one entry point for each. And second, if you read along with your own challenge book, you can tell us all about it by leaving a mini review in the comments of this post and earn 10 contest entries. So if you comment on all the posts and do a mini-review, you can earn mega entries!
This week’s fabulous prize is sponsored by NineStar Press! Six lucky winners will get a $20 NineStar Press gift card!
And remember, all entries throughout the month qualify you for the grand prize sponsored by Dreamspinner Press. They are giving away a Kindle Fire loaded with some great releases, plus a 3-month subscription to their Dreamspun line!
Ok, before we get too far, some things you may need to know:
- All the contest details and rules are in this post or at least linked from here
- This week’s deadline to leave comments on our reviews, or your mini review of your own book here on this post, is Saturday, September 8th at 11:59 pm ET. All entries will also carry over for the grand prize at the end of the month.
- In case you missed any, here are the books we reviewed this week for the New-to-Me Author Challenge. Comment on each for chances to win!
- Makepeace by Anna Butler
- A Mage’s Power by Casey WOlfe
- Push Me Pull Me by Amanda Rhodes
- Horror at Hideaway Cove by Hank Edwards
- The Unexpected Heiress by Frank W. Butterfield
- Anthony’s Tailor by Liza Kay
- Looking Forward by Michael Bailey
- Daddy Issues by Lynn Van Dorn
- Novae by KaiJu
- Chance by Archie Hellshire
- Winter by M. Raiya
- If you read along your own challenge book this week, leave your mini review here on this wrap up post.
Thank you so much to everyone who has been participating all week (and all month)! Don’t forget to leave your comments and your mini reviews for a chance to win!
I’m enjoying this reading challenge so much! I’ve got my lineup picked out for the whole month, so I’m hopeful I’ll be able to read along each week. This week I read Heart by Garrett Leigh (based on a great review from this blog!) and I really, really enjoyed it. I have never read Garret Leigh before, of course, but from her author’s note I gathered that she likes writing angsty characters and that’s right up my alley. I loved the sweet, supportive romance between Seb and Dex and I also loved all the kitchen and restaurant industry scenes. (I’ve been watching a lot of Top Chef lately so this was perfect timing!) Leigh’s prose was so readable and engaging that I managed to finish the book on Monday, just a day after I started it. 4/5 stars from me, just because I found the resolution a little rushed. Otherwise it was really great!
Hey Sara. So great to hear that you enjoyed Heart (I reviewed it for the blog). I have read many books by Garrett Leigh and I find her books effortless to fall into as her style works for me. I have her upcoming release, Lucky, on my schedule next. Thanks for participating in the challenge and discovering Garrett Leigh.
Thanks for sharing and glad you enjoyed your book!
After reading Sue’s review of the third book in Anna Butler’s Taking Shield series, I decided to read the first book Gyrfalcon (which happily is currently free for Kindle readers). I’d classify it as futuristic military science fiction. Shield Captain Bennet is in an open and tense relationship with his partner, Joss, who is unhappy with his frequent absences. While on assignment, Bennet meets Flynn (a pilot), and they connect on many levels. It’s clear that their relationship will develop as the series progresses. I enjoyed this book and will happily read on.
In honor of this week’s sponsor, I decided to read Seasonal Sentiments: NineStar Press 2016 Holiday Stories which introduced me to many new authors. As with all anthologies, some stories appealed more than others. I particularly liked Stone and Shell by Lloyd A. Meeker, Hearts Alight by Elliot Cooper, Ibiza on Ice by Gillian St. Kevern, and A Christmas for Oscar by Alex Whitehall.
I also read the novella Different Names for the Same Thing by Francis Gideon (also from NSP). This featured a writer pre- and post-transition and his connection with a fan both now and five years ago.
Ooh, sounds like a good week! Thanks for sharing your reviews!
I love the New-to-Me author week because I always discover new authors I can add to my favourites. I was feeling like some sci-fi, so I choose It doesn’t Translate by Ofelia Gränd… and what a great choice it was!
Max Welch owns a restaurant at Luna station. He misses the Earth, but he is proud of his business, has a faithful clientele and a good relationship with his alien body-guard and employee Quam. If only a nasty pirate and his very dangerous crew would stop showing once a month, his life would be almost perfect….
Noir had not seen a human before, and Max immediately catches his interest… But he is not the only one interested in sweet Max, and Noir has to choose between protecting the human he likes, or sticking to his mission. Although he soon realises he has no choice at all…
This was a great surprise, and very entertaining sci-fi short story with endearing characters and a surprisingly fresh humorous tone that I really enjoyed…. As a lover of sci-fi, cats and language, this story ticked all the right boxes with me. I really loved the way humans are portrayed in the story, no longer the all-conquering race, humans have become a rarity in this universe, and they are considered fragile and exotic… enough that they are trafficked with. That’s why Max has Quam to protect him. Quam is another great character, I do hope he gets his own story. As for Noir, he is all cat, and I loved him to bits.
Another great aspect of the story is the “lost in translation” subtopic. Many things from human language does not translate well, so Noir has many problems understanding a purposefully misleading Max. The same happens with facial gestures or attitudes (the bit about Max leaking… simply hilarious).
In short, a great story from a new author, who I think is going to become a favourite.
Very recommendable
Susana, It doesn’t Translate by Ofelia Gränd sounds quite intriguing, and I’m adding it to my list. If you’re interested in another book in which language plays a role, you might like Lyn Gala’s Claimings, Tails, and Other Alien Artifacts which is the first in her Aliens trilogy. It’s a definite favorite of mine.
I was thinking about getting this one. Thank you for making up my mind!
Thanks Susana! I am familiar with this author but haven’t personally read anything by her. Glad you enjoyed your book!
I love Ofelia Grand’s books. That’s a good one. I had so much fun reading it
A new-to-me author, too, and I’m loving the sound of it. Thanks for sharing it with us, susana.
For this week’s challenge I read No Regrets by Alex Jane. This is a novella and the author has written a very satisfying and complete story. The MCs are Ryan, a 35 yo ex Army Ranger and Lucas, a 20 yo college student. Ryan is leading a somewhat lonely life and works as a short order cook in a diner, where he meets Lucas. Lucas is a victim of great physical abuse from his step father. Ryan becomes his protector and they slowly become involved in a loving relationship. As the story develops, the reader learns that Ryan also suffered physical abuse from a parent. When Lucas is attacked by his step father and almost dies, Ryan realizes that the step father must be stopped. How the the step father is stopped from abusing Lucas again may be problematic for some readers but the resolution worked for me. This is an HEA story.
Thanks for the review! This is a new to me author as well.
I read The ghost slept over by Marshall Thornton. I grabbed it when someone mentioned it was on sale and they considered it a 5 star book. It was really funny, laugh out loud funny. Cal finds out an ex-boyfriend left him his estate but when he goes to the house, his ex-boyfriend starts haunting him. The romance part of the book was just ok, but the overall story was enjoyable. 4/5 stars and I would read another one.
Marshall Thornton does well with humor. Glad you liked it!
I liked this one, too!
My new-to-me author is Nicky James. I’d seen some of her books recommended, but had yet to read any. I’m part of the MM Taboo Book Lovers group and saw a blurb for her book “Sinfully Mine” and decided to take the plunge with this one. It has a relationship between 2 brothers, but it is way more than a piece of erotica. It is well-written and delves into the psychology of their relationship and how it developed. I’ll definitely be reading more of her books. If you’re interested, get it from Amazon while you can (it’s available in KU). Due to its taboo subject, it could be removed.
Thanks for the review Jennifer! Glad you enjoyed it!
Lockdown by Daya Daniels
BLURB:
Jamison:
A man like me was never meant to live beyond these walls—in the outside world. Men like me belong in places like this. It’s where my heart doesn’t beat. It’s where the sun doesn’t shine. It’s where the word “love” does not exist, nor humanity.
Here, I am home.
Brees:
This place is a sh*t hole—full of animals—monsters and men who lost their souls long ago.
How did I get here? Oh, yes right. I’ll have to tell you ALL about it. It’s quite crazy actually.
But, my story might get cut short because…I just might not make it out of this place alive.
Review:
I really enjoyed this one, It is very well written and you can definitely feel the prison environment and the emotions of the inmates. I think that for a short story you get just enough character development but when things got really interesting and some secrets are revealed it just ended. I would absolutely loved this bookt if it was a longer novel instead of a novella so we had a chance to see this unusual couple come to terms with what they learned in the last couple of pages of the book. I wouldn’t mind a sequel or a re-write longer novel.
I give this a 4 out of 5 star review
Thanks for the review Angela!
I was totally ready to pick this one up just based on the blurb, but reading your review that it wasn’t quite long enough to totally satisfy, I think I’ll pass instead. I can’t stand when the ending doesn’t fully pack a good punch.
Yep, the ending could have been more fleshed out i think but it is still a good read and for only $0.99 on Amazon it is definitely worth to try it 😉
I have a bit of trouble finding one book for this week because of two reasons 1) I am really not in the mood for LGBTQ book at the moment (been devouring non-LGBTQ instead) and 2) If I do, I am not intrigued enough with new authors. So I “cheated” a bit and bought a seasonal-theme novella from NSP for this week’s challenge because hey, Christmas stories are always good, and it’s short enough for me to enjoy.
My book is “Christopher’s Kind” by Colton Aalto.
I thought this was a sweet “Christmas on the beach” theme with a LOT of reference towards Christopher Isherwood (PS. the title refers to Christopher and His Kind, both Isherwood’s memoir as well as a BBC TV Movie starring Matt Smith). I liked the age-gap angle. Have soft spot for that trope.
Glad you enjoyed the story! And just to clarify, you definitely don’t need to read LGBTQ books for the challenge. Anything that interests you is just fine.
My new-to-me author was Jackie North. I read an ARC of her upcoming book, Honey From the Lion, and loved it to pieces. The writing was beautiful, the characters were solidly developed, and the emotional punch left me a wreck. I highly recommend it. Release date is September 21.
Glad you liked it! Michelle will be reviewing that one for us here.
I read WHEN THE BAND CAME TO TOWN, by H. Lewis-Foster. In the late ’50s, shy British teen Jeff is wowed when Danny Speed and his band play the local pub. After the show, Danny’s flirtatiousness inspires Jeff to kiss a man for the first time…and Danny to punch Jeff in the face. Jeff moves on to university, where he enjoys friendship (with frequent but by no means exclusive benefits) with his roommate Archie, only to have his world turned upside down when the now-famous Danny comes to play. Danny seems to return Jeff’s feelings, but only wants things on the down-low.
This book was unusual for me in that its historical nature ended up bumping up the quality a few notches. For instance, the beginning is very heavy on the exposition. While I still think more length would have helped, the fact that being gay was still illegal in the UK until 1967 was important to establish in the story. (Likewise, Danny’s hot-and-cold behavior, while still annoying, was strangely poignant due to the likelihood that he could lose much more than his career.) The choice between sweet but flighty Archie and glamorous, closeted Danny did keep me in suspense throughout, and Jeff was very sympathetic. The epilogue, revealing what the characters were doing in 2014, was very satisfying, offering a great HEA. At the same time, it didn’t ignore the realities of 50-plus years of their lives as gay men (two beloved friends apparently died of AIDS years earlier), and the era’s momentous changes. So, while I had issues here and there with the execution, it was a great quicker read, and I’d be curious to read more of the author’s work.
Oh that sounds good. I think contemporary historical is particularly interesting when dealing with LGBTQ romance b/c of all the ways things have both changed and stayed the same
My new to me author was C.C. Bridges. I had actually bought his books before, but they are still on my TBR pile. I have no idea why because the new book, Beyond Meridian was great. It’s a futuristic, science fiction novella with a lot of action and space travel. The characters are likeable and have good chemistry after the initial bad first impression. They grow closer through their adventures and compliment each other well. There is war happening so expect political intrigue, with plenty of opportunity for character growth as they navigate making ethical decisions in dangerous situations.
Sounds really good! Thanks for the review Lennis!
My New to me Author was T. M. Chris, I’d read Owned. I didn’t liked it as much as I thought I would.
I choose it because, it was a new to me author, it was short and I didn’t have much time to read this week and there was spanking on it. It was ok. It was entertaining enough to keep me reading until the end but I just couldn’t get myself to care about the characters. It was so awkward at the begining with Kurt’s father involved in the spanking and I was considering stop reading at that point but I keep reading and it did get better but not as I expected. There was so little romance and no real chemestry between Kurt and Liam. So, I guess it wasn’t the right book for me. I still feel tempted to give the author another opportunity so I guess I’ll be reading another of her books sometime.
Thanks for sharing your review Ana. FWIW, TM Chris is the erotica pen name for Tanya Chris. I wonder if perhaps that is why there wasn’t as much building of the romance, since that isn’t really the focus of erotica. I have really enjoyed many of Tanya Chris’ books, particularly High Lonesome and Kris has enjoyed her Ever After series.
Maybe. I did got interested on reading more from the author to make out my mind about her, so maybe those could be a good option, thanks.
I decided to read Salt Magic Skin Magic by Lee Welch. I read a really good review here on Joyfully Jay and put it at the top of my wish list.
I really enjoyed this book…lots of magic and suspense. This is the kind of paranormal book I really
like, and the romance wasn’t half bad either. 🙂
So glad you enjoyed it and that my review inspired you to check it out!
My book was a library find, so it was a new to me author and I’d never heard of the book before. I read Sometime After Midnight by L. Philips, and it’s a YA gay romance with the tagline “A Cinderfella Story,” so you know it’s got a somewhat fairy tale quality to it. I recently read Riven by Roan Parrish, and if you enjoyed it, I think SAM would be a really good companion read.
The two guys (one just out of high school and doing a gap year, one just about to start senior year) both love music and meet at a indie band’s concert, and both are heirs to their father’s musical talents: Nate’s father a singer/songwriter/musician who died by suicide before he could put out his first album and Cameron’s father who was the current head of the family’s music label and who Nate blames for his father’s breakdown. With the help of a blurry pic of Nate’s self-styled shoes and Cam’s model/socialite twin sister, suddenly the hunt is on for Cam’s Cinderfella.
Obviously music is a huge part of the story (just as it was in Riven), which I love. At times I would think the guys were really/too mature for their ages, but then I reminded myself that Nate deals with the trauma from the death of his father and his musical legacy as well as being left to be raised by an indifferent stepmother, and Cam grew up in the spotlight expected to take over the three-generations-old family business with a demanding father. Other than that occasional thought, I just really loved everything about the story, where the main and secondary characters are all fleshed out and respected, as well as the romance between Nate and Cam. SAM has a great blend of serious and sweet, and if you’re at all inclined towards YA reads, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it.
This does sound good, Carolyn; I’ll add it to my list.
Oooh sounds really good! And yes, I do see how it would appeal to folks who liked Riven
I came across Cloaked in Shadow by Ben Alderson and decided to give it a read. Ben Alderson is a new author to me and I just chanced upon his book while looking for a m/m fantasy book.
The story follows Zacriah is an elf, who is heartbroken from a recent breakup. One day the king’s men come to his town to gather teens of age to join the the king’s army. The new recruits are tested and the few who have passed discover things about themselves and the kingdom that they were kept in the dark about. Zac knows he is different from the other recruits and tries to hide what he is. But, unfortunately (actually really fortunate for him) the prince has taken an interest in him and is willing to keep his secret.
It was a really wonderful read and I don’t think my summation of part of the book and the blurb really doesn’t do it justice. There was some good world building since the focus of the book involved elves and their environment. I felt it had a good balance of romance, suspense, danger and intrigue. The characters were pretty likable and I liked that readers got to know the main characters and their background. The ending did end in a cliffhanger but book 2 is out so there’s not waiting involved to see the fate of Zac and of Prince Hadrian.
Cloaked in Shadow does sound appealing, H.B.; thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Oooh, this sounds good. I didn’t read a lot of fantasy but this one sounds great!