Review - Fun and Games with Rudolph

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Four and a half out of five stars!

Deanna Wadsworth delivers another one of her quirky Naughty North Pole stories. A mix of traditional, contemporary and fairy tale/fantasy elements that is a fun romp through a winter wonderland that is uniquely hers.

Lars is a fun loving elf whose goal in life is to find out what flavor every elf at the North Pole is. Don't know what I mean? Well, let's just say when he's very happy, Lars is peanut butter. And such a busy man never does repeats.

He spends much of his free time chatting with MikeLikes69 on Elf4Elf, an app that elves, being horny little bastards, use for hook ups. Lars surprises himself to find that he'd rather chat than use the app in the pursuit of his life goal.

Lars and Mike have two rules: No strings and No face photos. But other than that anything goes. Sexting, photos and videos of each other in action. However, as often as Lars asks, Mike won't tell him what flavor he is and Lars has never been able to guess.

Then one night caught up in a fantasy they had both built, Lars asks for the equivalent of a face shot. He immediately panics, but Mike doesn't lose a beat, even promises to deliver the next night. And in true skittish masculine behavior, is never seen again.

Being a department head at the North Pole, the last week before Christmas is usually the most wonderful time of the year, but this year Lars could star as Scrooge in the North Pole's production of A Christmas Carol.

Finally, even Santa seems to have had enough and sends him on an errand to deliver a package to Rudolph the cranky old hermit who lives on the frozen backside of BFE. The package must be there by midnight, and since he had to go by ground bourn sleigh, he had to leave before Santa's launch and Ms Santa's sex party.

As time outs went, Santa managed to nail Lars' two favorite events of the year.

Now Lars is stuck out in the cold as a blizzard prepares to make this either a Christmas tragedy or a Christmas miracle.

I love her slightly twisted sense of humor. If you want a bit of angst with your chuckles, this is definitely the story for you.

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Dark Space Shines

Dark Space is a well written m/m science fiction novel. And I should know; I have spent most of my life reading the scifi and fantasy stories of greats like CJ Cherryh, Patricia McKillip, Jo Clayton, Andre Norton, and Steven Brust, just to name a few.

Therefore, I have certain expectations of both scifi and fantasy stories and I don't mean "I set it in the future/alternate reality/fantasy so it will be ok for two men to be together." That happens way more often than I like. (Pet peeve)

If you are going to use a setting like that, you must invest the time into world building. Logic bombs drive me crazy and if they are big enough, I can't finish the story. Things have got to make sense. You can't do something just so your story works without giving it a basis in your world.

Fortunately, Lisa Henry doesn't do that to me. Her story is a true scifi. It has world building, history, and get this—it's not ok for two men to be together just because we are enlightened in the future. It will still get your ass beat down on this military instillation in space. It's not a free ticket. Brady and Cameron still face all the difficulties present in the modern military.

Plus they face a greater adversity, a threat to all mankind—the Faceless, an unbeatable alien race that has it in for humanity.

Brady is a young recruit just trying to get through the last seven years of his ten year enlistment so he can go home to care for his sick father and baby sister. Time can't go fast enough for him.

Cameron was last seen when the Faceless captured the shuttle he was piloting four years ago.

When a strange insect-like pod arrives at the space station, Brady is called on to ease Cameron's reintroduction to the fold since they are from the same neck of the woods back home. After all the pilot has been through, everyone wonders if the former hero is actually a traitor.

These young men face danger in the form of homophobia from the other soldiers, hostility from all quarters, and the coming of one of the Faceless' generals.

The writing is intense and the world building sublime. If you haven't read Dark Space, you should. I also strongly recommend The Island.

Some Common Misconceptions about Pederasty in Ancient Greece

Pederasty, or the ancient practice of mentoring, was a social institute similar to modern day networking with religious and military implications that originated in Crete. This practice had nothing to do with the sexual orientation of the men involved. The mentor and his youth were more likely to be straight than homosexual, but since this was a social practice every male citizen (BTW that is redundant) participated regardless of orientation.

Sexual interactions between the older erastes (mentor) and eromenos (youth/future citizen) occurred in Crete and Athens primarily, although it varied from city-state to city-state. The only acceptable form of sexual activity between the two men was intercrural in nature. The term erastes means lover, eromenos means beloved.

What is intercrural? Intercrural refers to the older man placing his penis between the youth's thighs. This is literal and not an euphemism. Sexual activity was regulated by the class distinctions between the individuals. Penetration was for women and slaves, not men. And most definitely not social equals or even future citizens. In fact, penetration of a free man was considered to be a form of hubris, the ultimate sin.

The beardless youth was courted by one or more prospective mentors. The young man (mid-teens) was expected to chose the most noble man. However once he became a man, and developed a beard and body hair, he was expected to marry and produce heirs. The mentor was to remain supportive of his protege.

Even in Athens, the city-state were pederasty was most strongly tied to sexual behavior, the relationship was only intended to last for a few years. Sometimes a youth became a kept boy, but he did so at the risk of losing his citizenship and all the associated rights, especially the right to vote.

The Spartans practiced pederasty strictly for its religious and military aspects. The mentor was given the place of foster father. At least since the time of their greatest lawgiver Lycurgus, any sexual relations between the men required they either commit suicide or go into exile to redeem the affront to Sparta's honor (Aelian).

The Sacred Band of Thebes (378-338 BC) was made up of 150 pairs of male lovers. The rational being that "a band cemented by friendship grounded upon love, is never to be broken, and invincible; since all, ashamed to be base in the sight of their beloved (eromenos), willingly rush into danger for the relief of one another." Three hundred warriors were chosen and then grouped into pairs with an older man (erastes - lover) sworn to a younger man (eromenos - beloved). This group of warriors so impressed Philip of Macedonia, that even after their final defeat he said, "Perish any man who suspects that these men either did or suffered any thing that was base."

As you can see, the practice of pederasty varied significantly in the ancient world and making broad generalizations about it is impossible.

Don't Throw Stones at Glass Shoes

Naughty Nursery Rhymes Rule #1

Don't throw stones at glass shoes. - Cinder

Cinder is the main character in From the Ashes.

From the Ashes is a Cinderfella (m/m version of Cinderella) roughly set in 16th century France.

Roughly? you ask. It's a fairy tale, all of which are roughly set in a previous era. What does this mean? It means that magic and a fairy godmother exist in my story, but probably not in real 16th century France.

Unfortunately if you were looking for a story about a 16th century laundress, you will have to look elsewhere.

If you were looking for a cute, heartwarming m/m fairy tale, look no farther.

Excerpt:

Dancing couples parted effortlessly around them as the elegant man escorted him to the center of the floor. Cinder's cumbersome skirts swayed and swept the floor, threatening to entangle his feet past any hope of grace.

Fighting down panic, Cinder frantically searched his memories for how to waltz. He could do this. He had to do this. He couldn't risk discovery. He quailed at the punishment meted out to servants impersonating nobility. If anyone guessed, he would be beaten or worse.

Fumbling as he tried to remember which hand went where, Cinder placed his right hand on a broad velvet-covered shoulder. Strong, warm fingers enfolded his other hand and gave a reassuring squeeze. The man seemed to sense his unease. The awkward way he held himself, all tense and tight, had to be unmistakable.

Cinder corrected himself several times as he either stepped off with the wrong foot or tried to lead. How was he supposed to do this without harming either one of them? Why couldn't it have been a pavane?

The blasted slippers were so slick that Cinder had to hang on to the other man more than he wanted to just to remain on his feet. He had the distinct impression that the noble got the wrong idea from that.

The man caught his eye and smiled, somewhat more predatorily than Cinder was entirely comfortable with. What was going through the aristocrat's mind? Cinder began to feel like one of the small cakes the footmen carried on silver trays.

Did he want this man to gaze on him in that fashion? Cinder blushed and turned his face awkwardly away. He needed to concentrate on the dance. He didn't have the luxury of sharing soulful glances and chattering like a magpie.

He needed to find some way to extricate himself before he made a mistake and gave himself away. He didn’t normally have to worry so much because everyone already knew he was a girl and would ignore anything he did. But this man saw him with fresh eyes unhampered by the fiction of Cinderella. He would recognize any misstep.

The longer they were together, the more his risk increased. If he could escape quickly enough, the other man might never realize the deception. The noble might not care about an awkward woman he shared one dance with, but as the lie grew ever bigger, the duped man’s anger, if Cinder were discovered, would too.

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What's New with Apollo's Men

I know it's been a while since I said anything about how the series Apollo's Men is progressing. First it was because I couldn't get Blogger to work. Then it was because I was writing and writing and writing...

Now that I've got Blogger working and have made some substantial progress, it's time for an update.

Alexios' Fate was the first story in the series. Some readers felt it contained unresolved issues because let's face it, it's a series so I couldn't fix everything in book 1.

I immediately set about writing book 2 (it's untitled) to begin resolving one of the biggest issues as far the readers were concerned. I was about 1/2 way through with the MS when I received a call for an anthology of historical short stories (Lust in Time). So what did I do?

I wrote a short story entitled 496 BC. It is Alexios' Fate 1.5 and told from Galen's POV. He deserved to tell his side of the story. And boy did he!

Then of course, I went back to work on book 2. I even had the vague outline for book 3, A Spartan Love. About 2/3 through the MS (Are you sensing a theme here?), I realized that A Spartan Love takes place before and a bit concurrently with book 2. So I started on A Spartan Love.

But there was still one unfilled spot in that anthology. A short story about how Theron and Andreas from A Spartan Love first got together formed. No matter what I did, I couldn't keep Taming Theron under the 7K word limit. I chopped all over the place, but it felt like it had taken a hatchet to it. Finally, I gave up and made it into a novel.

Now (Finally!) I'm working on A Spartan Love. I'm about 1/2 through with this MS. But don't worry, I won't be switching gears. Because of how Taming Theron ends, I have to have A Spartan Love ready to release soon after Taming Theron. I don't plan on subbing them separately.

Then I'll get back to that poor unnamed MS. So I actually have three books written or nearly written and getting close to being subbed.

I also have a vague outline for an untitled book 5. Then I have a couple of contemporaries I really want to work on.

Apollo's Men:
Alexios' Fate
496 BC
Taming Theron
A Spartan Love
Untitled book 4
Untitled book 5

Sexy Men on Bikes

I'd like to welcome Deanna Wadsworth to talk about her latest release Easy Ryder. She has brought along several sexy guys to help make her point. Damn, isn't that a great cover?

I got Easy Ryder first thing on release day and read it in two sittings. I love Micheal and Snake's adventure and their sexy romance.

Take it away, Deanna!

What is it about men on motorcycles that makes them so sexy? And why do we love them so darn much?

Is it the muscles, the leather, or the adrenaline rush of having our arms wrapped around their waist as we fly down the road? Or just the pure, raw masculinity of seeing a guy on the back of a beautifully sculpted piece of machinery capable of taking us away from it all at dangerous, break neck speeds?

Hey, I don’t know what it is, but I love it, LOL

And so does Michael Ryder, the hero and narrator of EASY RYDER.

He is picked up while hitchhiking on the highway during the summer of 1976, America’s 200^th birthday by a sexy biker wearing nothing but, boots, jeans, a vest, and dog-tags. Snake is the sexy biker every one of us dream about.

Here’s an exclusive excerpt of the wild ride Snake is about to take Michael on, just for Kayla’s blog and her followers. Enjoy!

Excerpt:  I had no idea what to expect from my current lift, but I would be more than willing to do whatever this rough-hewn biker might require. I studied his hands on the grips, the strong macho lines, deciding a ride in exchange for those hands on my body would be an extremely fair trade.

What that said about me, I didn’t care to think about.

Trying to stay alert despite my exhausted state as we cruised into the bustling metropolis of Indianapolis, I wondered how he could tolerate the cool air wearing only a vest. Even in the height of summer, where the best place for relief from the heat was the night, being on a bike felt chilly. I was grateful for my jacket.

Out of the blue, the chopper whipped to the right.

Startled, I tightened my grip and moved with him, heart skipping several beats. We shifted back to the hammer lane. Then he gunned it, maneuvering past a second car. Thank God this wasn’t my first time on the back of a motorcycle. He hadn’t been kidding when he’d told me to hold on.

He picked up more speed, and my cheeks stung from windburn. The way he drove caused every insect to feel like shrapnel hitting my exposed face and hands. Another bug smacked my chin so I ducked my head and used him as a block, pressing against him more out of safety than any physical desire. The bike had no fairing, but he rode hard anyway, either used to the windy assault or indifferent to it.

Faster and faster we flew down the highway. Like Steve McQueen in that awesome car chase from Bullitt, we wove in and out of traffic with a chopper instead of a ’68 Mustang GT. Traveling at such a breakneck speed, I had to wonder if the man was on the run, desperate to get away from something or someone chasing him. Then again, maybe he just liked the thrill or wanted to scare me.

While part of me feared his recklessness, I longed to wrap my arms around him even tighter, bury my face in his back, and beg him to go faster. Every mile we logged took me farther from my past and closer to my future.

As if sensing my urgency, the bike roared and pushed onward.

Though I might be more at risk from his driving than anything he had planned, my heart thrummed in my chest, racing along with the chopper. I held on to his waist for dear life, his body tense beneath me. Over his shoulder, I squinted against the glaring headlights from oncoming traffic, hoping nothing hit me in the eye, and tried to predict his next move as we approached other cars so I could move accordingly. My every sense had come alive, exhilarated by the unknown dangers on the road ahead.

You can pick up your copy of EASY RYDER today in print and ebook!

Deanna Wadsworth might be a bestselling erotica author, but she leads a pretty vanilla life in Ohio with her wonderful husband and a couple adorable cocker spaniels. She has been spinning tales and penning stories since childhood, and her first erotic novella was published in 2010. Her fascination with people and the interworkings of their relationships have always inspired her to write romance with spice and love without boundaries.

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Buy Deanna’s books at Dreamspinner Press, Decadent Publishing or at any reputable eBook seller