Christmas Eve at the Powers That Be Cafe by Xavier Axelson

Christmas Eve at The Powers That Be Cafe by Xavier Axelson

My rating: 4½ of 5 stars

Christmas Eve at The Powers That Be Cafe is a delightful little story! This is Xavier Axelson's first romance and I for one am eagerly awaiting the next one.

In 40 pages this author took me right into the world of The Powers That Be Café; it was a step back to a time I've never been, but after having read of Nat and his place I feel as though I've seen it all through his eyes.

There the efforts of the servicemen and those they're leaving behind to pretend a cheerfulness that cannot totally over-ride the reason that they are all there in the first place. It hangs in the atmosphere; right in the very air they all breathe. Tears, desperation, moments in which to make memories, all of it in an effort to try to forget—for awhile—that these young men are headed off to war with no guarantees that they will be returning.

Mr. Axelson captured this all beautifully.

Then there's Nat; a man who's lived here, if not his whole life, then a majority of it. He's always seeing people arriving and people leaving, but there's no one that stays. Living in a place where there is always someone going or coming and yet, for Nat, there is nowhere else. This is what he knows, this is what he lives. And he's starting to feel the aloneness of his life.

His meeting with Kent is a life-affirming experience, even for those of us that are taken, for a brief moment in time, someplace most of us have never experienced.

Painting with words such vivid pictures is something I usually equate with an author with many books under their belt. But with Christmas Eve at The Powers That Be Café, Xavier Axelson has shown that what it really takes is talent and a facility to be aware of those who with whom we share a world. Nicely done.

Originally posted at Dark Divas Reviews January 22, 2011

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G.A. Hauser's Strangers With Candy

Strangers with Candy by G.A. Hauser
Perfect Strangers Series
Publisher: OmniLit/All Romance Ebooks
Genre: M/M, Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Length: 8710 words

Buy Here


Summary: Some temptations are too delicious to ignore…
IRS employee Gareth Witherspoon spies a man, alone at a nearby table in a coffee shop on Valentine’s Day. Something about the foreigner calls to him and in an uncharacteristic leap of faith he impulsively slips the man a box of candy.
Urie is new to the United States, but he’s no stranger to heartache. Since arriving in Los Angeles he’s been lonely, isolated, and in desperate need of friendship. Gareth’s gesture touches his heart and Urie finds himself throwing caution to the wind.
All bets are off and anything goes when the two men spontaneously become lovers. Could it be Urie has found his soul mate in the City of Angels?


Kalyko’s Review: Oh I loved this story! I think it was just because Urie and Gareth were so much alike under the skin and that, taking the chances they did, they ended up with their hearts’ desire. A sweet and heartwarming tale that is perfect for the buildup to Valentine’s Day!

Being party to Urie’s thoughts and feelings adds a depth to this story that I hadn’t really expected. We’ve all been lonely, but to feel, as he did, that he didn’t belong and that he would never have what his heart yearned for was so poignant. So when Gareth made the first move, the hope that started to build in Urie was incredibly touching. And to discover that Gareth too had little to no hope for a happy-ever-after, just made the development of what happened between them that much more beautiful.

G.A. Hauser has, once again, taken a fairly simple story-line and added so much emotion and personality to it that you can’t help but be taken in. And if she were ever to write more about these two men, I’d be very happy to indulge myself once again. Strangers with Candy is sweet, but not achingly so…just the right touch with which to celebrate love.

Rated 4½ Ravens by Kalyko!

Originally posted on Blackraven's Reviews

Geoffrey Knight and The Riddle of the Sands

Geoffrey Knight not only did it again with The Riddle of the Sands, he totally blew the series out of the water... or rather, the sands. *grin*

After I finished The Cross of Sins I didn't see how it would be possible for Geoff to ratchet up not only the tension and action, but to add another steamy and crazy-fun layer of story. But he did it, and he did it marvellously!

As to which of the five of Fathom's Five I like the best, let me just say... "I don't know!"

But I think Jake Stone's leading the pack a bit.

Geoffrey Knight's series has been likened to the Indiana Jones chronicles and the James Bond series, and I agree that there's a very definite similarity. But if you really want to describe the Fathom's Five series, you'd have to have not only a combine Indy and James, you'd have to up the count to 5 gorgeous, sexier-than-sin, talented and otherwise wonderful gay men who know how to live their lives large and very much in charge.

My one complaint? We're left hanging on a few fronts... and I wanna know now! Pretty please???

Geoffrey Knight and The Cross of Sins

4½ stars ~ What a rush! I started reading The Cross of Sins late in the afternoon and finished 3½ hours later... I had to stop for dinner, y'know. *grin* But I sure didn't want to put the book down!

With this first book in his Fathom's Five series, Geoffrey Knight has opened up a whole new, exciting and uber-fascinating world.
Talk about heart pounding, non-stop action that takes the reader on a thrill-ride not to be soon forgotten.


If you're into reading stories with sexy men, hot sex and thrilling adventure, then look no further than Geoffrey Knight's The Cross of Sins.

Timeless by Patric Michael

Wow... this story has it all, and then some!  Patric Michael is a new-to-me author whose books have just jumped onto my favourite and auto-buy list.  His character delineations are superb, his conversation and descriptions witty, concise and very effective at carrying the story through to its conclusion.  I was entranced and very entertained; I was also very caught up in Nate's story and his connection with Andy over the years.  A good, good read with the requisite and very satisfying romance.  What a treat!

Book Info
Patric Michael; Timeless; Dreamspinner Press; June 2009

Description

Out since he was a freshman in high school, Nate meets Andy, who is gorgeous, and unfortunately, straight. They're best friends through thick and thin until a practical joke leads Nate to a surprise revelation:
If I had known just how thoroughly it would turn my world upside down, I would never have kissed Andy in that damned banquet room. I would have kissed him a hell of a lot sooner.

Stepping Up to the Plate by J.M. Snyder

This story is often raw, sometimes dreary and even heartbreaking at times; ultimately though it is anything but. There's a lot wrong in Stacy's life ~ worst of all, in his opinion, is his name. He's also white in an area where he's definitely in the minority... and he's gay. All this is at the root of his problems... he's definitely on the outside looking in and those on the inside, they're just happy to make him miserable.
Being 16 is bad enough, but being different is death in high school.
Trying to change this leads Stacy to the discovery that life in the 'real' world isn't much better.

Watching as Stacy deals with, or not, and strives to come to terms with a life that is going nowhere fast is sometimes very difficult, certainly it's heartrending. But there are a couple of people in his life that provide him with a tenuous, but important, support: his mother and his friend, and crush, Ange. There's no magic wand, no sudden breakthrough; but there is a glimmer of hope that grows as the story progresses. Stacy's not the boy next door ~ he's been fighting against others for so long that he no longer knows how to let people in. But finding himself enrolled in a GED course is the beginning. And while we often struggle along with Stacy, being there, watching as things begin to happen... that's the beauty and magic in this story.

If you're looking for a romp, this is not the book for you. But if you enjoy an excellent story that will leave you feeling good at the end, then give this a try. You will definitely find it worth your while!

_______________________________________________________

J.M. Snyder; Stepping Up to the Plate; Lulu Press; 2006 [110K]


At 16, Stacy Evans dropped out of high school in the hopes of moving on with his life. But four years later, he's stuck in an abusive relationship with Lamar, a "friend with benefits," and works long hours at a dead-end job just to get by.
Then his mother enrolls him in a program to earn his GED. There he meets Darian, a woodshop teacher who is everything Stacy's friends are not -- smart, successful .. and who seems to take a personal interest in helping Stacy turn his life around.
The two develop a rapport that keeps Stacy after school just to spend extra time with him. In intimate moments alone, they grow closer than just student and teacher.
On the right track for once, Stacy has a chance to choose between his troublesome past and a promising future with Darian.  But his jealous friends won't let him go so easily.

Dreaming of You by Ethan Day

This is Ethan Day's second book and the promise shown in his first book ~ Self Preservation ~ is wonderfully kept. There's something about Ethan's characters to which I really respond; they're so very real and likable, even when they're being bitchy.
They've got their flaws, foibles and fantasies but they've got heart, loyalty and a genuineness that makes them people that I'd love to know. The friendship between Aden, Nathan and Finn ~ superb... and hilarious, always a giggle or three. Aden and Logan ~ sizzle & burn! but also romantic... very, very romantic.
I'd love to insinuate myself into Aden's circle of friends 'cause there's something about Aden that gets to me, way down deep. Of course, I felt exactly the same way about Davis in Self Preservation.

To be honest I get the same feeling reading anything by Ethan Day; his sense of humour is a delight and a riot and you never know what he's going to say next! But whatever it is, it's worth reading and always more than just enjoyable.

In September, I believe, Ethan's got another book due: As You Are. I can hardly wait... well I can, but I'm going to be impatient while doing so.

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SYNOPSIS:
Copyright 2009 Ethan Day.
All Rights Reserved.

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.