This story had me smiling, giggling, tearing up a couple times, and interested in the characters. April and Jamie made a great couple. Loved Jamie's instant attraction to April and her son. April was protective, fun, and patient. The Cook brothers and family were wonderful as well. I look forward to reading more in this series. I highly recommend this book.

I received a copy of this story through Enticing Journey Book Promotions, and this is my unsolicited review.

I'm a notorious busy bee. I can never stop, even when I'm already in the middle of something, so I usually have at least four or five WIP's (works in progress) on the go at once.

Here's a quick glance at some that I'll be working on throughout 2018. And, because I'm so bad at starting a story and not finishing it, or coming up with new ideas when I'm supposed to be doing something else, there are too many for one post, so keep an eye out for more, in the future.

~

When his brother places a personal ad to find 'Josey', an old friend from high school, Lucas couldn't be angrier. Until he learns that his brother made a mistake in the ad. A single typo – turning Josey into Joey – is about to knock Lucas flat on his ass and make his upcoming high school reunion the most awkward night in history.

If only he could regret his brother sticking his oar in where it doesn't belong.

~

There were things he couldn't say...but could someone else?

Injustice can make a man bitter, but when Texas is put into prison for defending himself in a bar fight, at just aged twenty, it proves to be a blessing in disguise. His new cell mate, Rigg, is exactly the kind of mystery that Texas craves to solve.

When prison politics rears its ugly head and Rigg and Texas are forced into a more intimate relationship than either expected, things take a turn for the strange. Not that Texas would complain, but his cell mate is painfully straight.

With one year in prison, a sexually giving but emotionally distant cell mate and an emotionally available but sexually off-limits guard peaking his interest, Texas is in a whole lot of trouble.

It will take a knife, a gun, the FBI and a family feud to add the spark to the flame of his life.

~

King Lennox Mortas will do anything to seek revenge against the man who killed his father and stole his kingdom. As long as Jerrell Loflin sits in his throne as King of Solrun, Lennox will never stop fighting for justice. Even if that means waiting for Jerrell to bear children and stealing his only male heir on his first night of existence.

The long game begins with Prince Eucen's birth, but will take twenty years to come into fruition, as Lennox gathers the might, wealth and allies who will see him rise to vistory over the tyrant Jerrell.

But can a simple peasant boy change the course of history? Can a young man, barely twenty, not only reunite the kingdoms under its once title of Sanelrun but save the people from two Kings with a personal grudge?

Every action had a consequence. Can Lennox see his, before it's too late?

~

Waking up in a strange, empty room, with no memories and no name, is only the start of Ayden's nightmare. Alone, kidnapped and confused, falling in love is unexpected. Facing a fight of strength and free will is bad enough, but lust, respect and love are worse.
Can Ayden tame his emotions or will love be his undoing?

~

When did no-commitment sex become so complicated?

With a growing addiction to being desperately needed, Houston takes up his friend's advice of joining the Dalliance Escort Agency, to get a little cash and feed his addiction. Hooking up with gorgeous men is always on his agenda, so Houston uses his inner wild side to become a team player – literally.

A social party that quickly descends into an orgy destroys his trust and crushes his heart in one night. Just when Houston has chosen the path for his future, in walks the only man who could derail him. Joining an escort service was supposed to let him enjoy his addiction in a safe environment. Instead, it brings a potential boyfriend, a love rival and a strangely sweet, closeted young man into his orbit.

~

I'm a notorious busy bee. I can never stop, even when I'm already in the middle of something, so I usually have at least four or five WIP's (works in progress) on the go at once.

Here's a quick glance at some that I'll be working on throughout 2018. And, because I'm so bad at starting a story and not finishing it, or coming up with new ideas when I'm supposed to be doing something else, there are too many for one post, so keep an eye out for more, in the future.

~

He never thought the end of the world would be a fresh start. He never thought that a simple political move would bring about the end of days. He never thought an archaeological dig would see humans become the lesser inhabitants of the earth.

Waking up alone in a hospital is just the start of Hudson's nightmare. What follows is a search for the truth, his missing boyfriend, and a way to survive this new world.

~

When a relationship goes sour, sometimes running away is an instinctive reaction. Sometimes begging can be a regret that stays with you. And sometimes, no matter how you react, you look back and wonder just what on earth you were thinking.

When Noah bumps into his first love years later, the begging, pleading, screaming scene he created the night they broke up rushes back to haunt him. What he's left with are the lies we tell ourselves about what we saw, what happened and just whose fault it really was.

~

A band in a world of their own.

Answering an ad on the Forums for a lead singer to his favourite band is a dream come true for Felix. Until he arrives to meet them and discovers that not all the band members are happy to see his personal robot A.R.E.N. or discover that he has a Talent.

It's going to take some persuasion, but he might just be able to open their eyes to their ruined reputation through the Sectors. He could show their fans that he can be a better singer than the guy who wrecked their reputation in the first place. All he needs is the chance to show what he's got.

Because, despite their name, Pleading Ignorance could be the best home he's ever known.

~

Dante was raised in a gang environment. He was raised with expectations of taking over the gang, just as soon as he turned of age. But he didn't want to live his life by the gun, fighting over egos and territory.

At the age of eighteen, he escaped into the army, with the help of the one man who should have been his enemy...Cassius. Leader of a rival gang, he shouldn't be the only friend Dante has. He shouldn't be his first crush. He shouldn't be anything to him, much less the architect of his escape.

So when his military career crashes after two years, Dante is forced to return home to the same pressures, the same expectations and the same dangers he thought he'd left behind. And the only person who can save him from his family legacy is the one man who is more dangerous than all the rest. To Dante's life...and his heart.

~

Bennett was never cut out to be a nanny. He studied to be a teach of special needs kids, but working as a live-in nanny for a family with a young boy with special needs is about as close as he could get.

He just never expected his new boss to be the same guy he had a one night stand with on Halloween. While they were both dressed up in costumes that mean his new boss has no idea who he is. Or what they shared together.

When Bennett is unmasked, it may be the best...or worst...thing of his life.

~

I am a NaNoWriMo Winner for 2015.  That's the good news. :)

Bad news is that this is yet another NaNoWriMo where, despite the fact I've reached over 50,000, the novel's nowhere near done.  My actual word count is around 62,000 - some of it was handwritten, and the rest of it was typed, so I tried the word generator to supplement what was typed...and it screwed up, but I'm leaving the count on the site it as is. Probably when I end up finishing it, it'll be 85,000 - 95,000 words.  So it's hefty.

The idea for "Mark of Contagion" came from a number of inspirations.   (Took forever to come up with a title, but nonetheless it finally came to me mid month as I was writing).  I knew I wanted to pen a female protagonist of color in a fantasy realm that was a blend of old and new scenescapes - so I ended up creating a blend of tech heavy environments and rustic environments in the novel as the backdrop.  Not to mention I've been somewhat inspired from settings that were designed in the backdrop of the old Amiga game "Shadow of the Beast" (which I've heard they're remaking for the PS4).  I think that's the best way to describe the mind and vision I had when penning the novel.

Sadi's a young woman (15-16 years old) who lost her entire village to a brutal plague.  First part of it physically turns the person into a foul looking creature (and this is a transient stage - meaning the person infected can turn back to a human if they can manage the symptoms), second part they lose their humanity and ability to make decisions, third part is a self-destruct stage where the monster's body breaks down, so ultimately it destroys them from within.  The onset of the plague was so brutal in Sadi's village that her people never went through these distinct stages, and she's the only survivor left to tell what happened to her village - at least among the humans who weren't either killed or turned.  She realizes that she's symptomatic of the plague and that she only has so much time to figure out the cause, how to cure it, and how to warn others of its on-coming (because otherwise it'll kill her), but she fights an uphill battle because not everyone is welcoming of her (since she's symptomatic), and some even think she's untruthful and might've been behind the killings of her village and want to kill her before she loses her humanity.  But she travels with a group of colorful comrades who believe in her mission and want to save her before she succumbs to the plague.  That's the basic description of it without major spoilers.

I still have yet to determine how I want to end it, but I know that I'm still working on structuring the novel so far, and there may be some characters I decide to keep and some I take out.

I'm pretty sure that this novel will be one that I work on for another year or so, so after a point, I may set it to the side and try to finish other projects once I get the first draft done.

But I'm at least happy to have gotten the first leg of it completed.  It took me all month, so my other projects are going to be on delay, but nonetheless, I'm going to start back reading and writing at my normal pace in December.

Happy reading/writing all,

Rose