Cha-cha-cha Changes

This is a delayed post. Usually I aim for the 8th of the month but I've been combating a move, spiders, contractors, a deadline, and finishing a second draft. 

Changes can make us stronger and can inspire. They can also make us feel defeated. Sometimes all we can do is roll with them and wait until the ride is over. That's the beauty; everything passes in time. 

Whatever change is going on, take a moment and imagine your are through it. How does it feel?

My full book reviews will have to wait until next time. If you're into Mercy Celeste, I'm loving her last two releases. 

Transition

For me and many of my friends and acquaintances, this year has been a time of major transition. The United States has nominated two presidential candidates, who have been the most controversial and historical to date. As a global society, we have lost some of the greatest musicians, Prince and David Bowie, seen terrorism ruin many lives, and divided ourselves into a Us vs.Them mentality. Personally, I believe the sensationalism of the media and the immediate gratification the Internet brings is caustic, promoting violence through hype while the facts become diluted, and often misrepresented (I’m guilty of it, passing along a quote or something I believed true without the proper research. I vow to do better). 

I want us united as a people, to rise above our differences because it is necessary. Our precious planet is suffering its own transition. The air is harder to breathe. Temperatures are rising. The creatures so dependent upon fragile ecosystems are suffering and becoming extinct, whether we believe it’s a product of human consumption, or like some of the less scientifically minded believe, God’s will. What remains is: our planet is heading toward crisis. Its decimation will continue to increase as the population grows and requires more habitat to provide shelter and food for us humans. This future is dark, and it is a future we all share.

Sign petitions. Protest. Stand up for this world. There are injustices. Change is inevitable. Gandhi said, "If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. ... We need not wait to see what others do."* 
I’ve failed at times and I’ve succeeded at other times. I encourage all of us to keep trying to learn, to grow, to direct this transition toward protecting the fragile planet for future generations and for the denizens who depend on us, who don’t have a voice but do have a right to live wild and free. One voice can change the minds of many, but we have to act as a collective to make the required changes to protect our home, planet Earth. I invite you to start small. Transition can happen in baby steps. This month pick one thing you’d like to change, either about yourself or about the world, and take action toward it. 

*Brian Morton, “Falser Words Were Never Spoken,” New York Times, August 26, 2011, accessed August 7, 2016.

Counting Daisies by Nicola Haken is a story all about transition. Cameron and Dylan were childhood best friends, torn apart without getting to say goodbye. Years later, Cameron is a successful chef, who finds Dylan in a dire position. Despite the significant change in his childhood friend, all Cameron can see is the boy he once loved and is compelled to help Dylan rise above the hardships he's endured.
SPOILERS
What I love about Haken is she addressed the issue of addiction in a very believable manner. I've had many people in my life who have struggled with various substance abuse problems. It is something they constantly battle, minute by minute at times, and Dylan conveys how immensely difficult addiction can be. Haken is a admirable storyteller, and while this story isn't for those who want a light fluffy romance, it is a powerful, well-written romance. FIVE STARS

 One Giant Leap by Kay Simone is one of the best thought out romances I've read lately. The format bounced back and forth using press interviews to forward the plot of Curtis and Patrick's evolving relationship. At first I found it distracting, but it grew on me.
Curtis is a bad boy astronaut, who inspired Patrick to work for NASA. When Patrick finds himself tossed in the role of spacecraft communicator, he finally gets to meet his hero. Sort of. Curtis is floating above him in space. During the course of the mission, Patrick is Curtis's tether to life on Earth and through skillful engineering, he's able to talk in near privacy to the single-handed savior of NASA. Curtis has no idea what Patrick looks like, but he recognizes they share an amazing connection and looks don't matter. He'd fallen for the man.
This is a sweet romance and I loved every minute of it. My favorite part was when Curtis and Patrick finally meet. It's so perfect and almost funny. Simone is a gifted writer and I immediately devoured her other books after this one, though this one remains my favorite. FIVE STARS

Couch Wisdom

Well kiddies, it's been a month since I rattled off and I've learned something valuable: Shit never goes the way you think it will. This doesn't necessarily mean it's going to go in a bad direction, it just means hold on because it is going to be a bumpy ride. 

I've never seen so many shooting, so much us vs. them injustice, so many people blaming others for their own actions or lack there of. It's repulsive and it divides us, stripping away the beautiful potential we have as humans to love and be generous. 

It's up to each of us to decide to be kind, to respect each other. Stay positive. Love one another. Prayers go to Orlando and Dallas and to all of those who have suffered by the injustice of another.

Decisions

It's been a trying month full of decisions, the hardest being where to move. With any decision the hardest part is weighing pros and cons. The second is sticking to a choice. The great part about decisions is no matter how crappy, we still get to choose. Which reminds me, it's the California primary today. Vote. Make the decision to be a participate, and earn your right to bitch about this country and its seedy politicians. 

Grace

Victories

This week I got my first publishing contract. I’ve written stories for many years never intending to publish them. This year I wanted that to change, and I’m blessed to have this goal come to fruition. Seven Minutes, a novella, was picked up by Dreamspinner Press and is slated for a December/January release.
I’ve got several stories in progress and have been working diligently now that my health has returned. I’ve also been writing music, which occupied most of my week. Adding to the craziness that is life, I’ll be moving in mid-June. As of now I’ve no idea to where exactly aside from it being closer to Burbank, and by closer I mean an hour or so.
Personal victories, on any scale, are worth celebrating. Somedays getting out of bed is a victory. Other days our dreams come true. The point is, victories come every day to us; it’s just a matter of seeing them and celebrating them.

REVIEWS!!!
I’ve read many books I’d like to share with you:

Like a Lover (Housemates Book 2) Jay Northcote
Josh, to avoid accumulating debt, works as an escort to pay for college. When one of his client’s fails to meet him at the bar, he catches the eye of a hot man, a man he’d sleep with regardless of payment—but that’s not an option.
Rupert is immediately attracted to Josh, and though he’s never paid for sex before, he has to have this man. All too quickly, Rupert finds himself falling for Josh, getting jealous he’s with other men, and wanting to spend every weekend with him. It’s a good thing Rupert has some serious cash because Josh isn’t cheap.
Rupert and Josh’s relationship develops, and their feelings develop beyond client and escort. Josh can’t afford to have a relationship, especially with a jealous man, and Rupert can’t have Josh sleeping with other men, not when he’s got enough money to take care of Josh’s needs. And yet to Josh, that’s simply a different form of prostitution.
I like all the books I’ve read by Jay Northcote. This story bares resemblance to “Pretty Woman,” without doubt. But I loved that movie, and I enjoyed this m/m version of it. If you’re looking for a light, feel-good read, this is your book!

Salvation (The Protectors, Book 1) Sloane Kennedy
Ronan lost everything the day he lost his lover. From that day forward, his Hippocratic Oath meant nothing. He became an Angel of Vengeance and used the money his fiancé left him to start a business righting the wrongs the Justice system failed to correct. There’s only one problem: the brush of Seth’s lips haunted him, threatened to deconstruct his carefully build world of vengeance and retribution for his dead lover.
A violent home invasion took the lives of Seth’s parents and almost killed him. With one kiss, he also lost the man he’d been pinning for since he was a teenager; it didn’t matter Ronan had been his brother’s fiancé. When Ronan is forced back into his life, the undeniable—and molten hot—fire between them pits their relationship into a tug of emotion full of angst, anguish, and reluctant love.
I LOVED THIS BOOK! I enjoyed the first of the series, Absolution, but Salvation had some of the hottest, angst-sex I’ve read since Clouded Hell. The tension between Ronan and Seth was beautifully written, unfolding and developing like a slow on-coming orgasm. Kennedy provided a refreshingly unique environment for her main characters and an equally refreshing history to create such a powerful relationship for Ronan and Seth. I’m very much looking forward to the next book in the series. Read this one. You won’t be disappointed.

In Front of God and Everyone Nealy Wagner
Josh lived in what most people called a cult where if anyone knew he liked men, one in particular, he’d been thrown to the curb—literally. Josh loved his friend, Caleb, though he’d never tell him. Caleb was straight.
Their utopian life came to a halt when Josh gets thrown out, and like always, his good friend protected him, even though it meant they had to face the real world without money or a place to live. There was one perk: in the real world Josh learns other people are gay and not chastised for it. Too bad Caleb, the only man he’s ever wanted, isn’t gay…or is he?
 Josh is sweet, innocent, and naive. Thankfully, Caleb is far more outgoing and willing to break the rules. Together, they balance each other, and as their trust blooms for each other and the new friends they meet, their relationship gets deeper…until an expected visitor threatens their happiness.
Religious cults, or cults of any kind, make me cringe. People stuck in situations because they know no better way of life makes me cringe. Add the two together and Imma go punch someone. But it does make for a good story. I recommend this read for when you want to bash some skulls and fall in love, though are uncertain which appeals more.

Keep Me Still Steven Hoppa
Travis ran away from his past life and did his best to survive. Pizza delivery boy didn’t have a promising future, until it brought him to Cody’s doorstep…or giant bear.
Cody’s secluded cabin kept him safe from everything—except cute deliveries boys who ruined the damn bear statue he meant to take down. Cody sees Travis is hiding something and Cody wants to heal him, help the young man face the pain he so clearly avoids. And he knows just how to help Travis surrender and release. So what if it involves being tied up? All the better.
Travis trusts Cody and surrenders to his dominate fetishes. But happiness can’t last, not for someone like Travis. Cody has secrets, and one of them is downright deadly.
Secrets and sex? Who doesn’t love that in a story? Add in a little bondage and you’ve got a steamy romance. Cody’s one of those guys you could snuggle up to at night and know if anyone unwanted came around, he’d kick their ass to protect you. Travis needed to heal from his pain and Cody was his perfect match.
This book will take you to a backwoods cabin where leeches, angry goats, and some mean asshats exist. Perfect for a late Spring read.