Peachy's Blog Book Discoveries, Treasures AND GIVEAWAYS!

So, the blog really started on a whim. There was a herd of us that liked a lot of the same books, we chatted, joked, mocked one another mercilessly and shared porn links. You know, BFF stuff. The blog started, we would post about books we loved just to share our treasures with fellow readers. We are really casual about stuff in general and just want the blog to be a place of book fun times. It wasn’t long before authors and promoters were contacting us with review requests and we were like,

“WHOA, no way.”

Then, you know what they would do? They would send us their books to read and review and we were like,

“WHOA, no fucking way! This blogging shit ROCKS!”

Did I mention we were really casual?

Getting books to read and review is a perk and a half, seriously, we are so lucky and very thankful. You know what has been my absolute favorite thing though? Reading a book by and author that is new to me and falling in love with their words. Unexpected treasures really are the best surprises. I picked a couple of books that were not on my radar in any way before the blog. Review requests came in through our email and I was lucky enough to pick them up to read and now to highlight here. It wasn’t easy to pick just a couple, but these two stood out and our anniversary seemed like the perfect time to highlight them again.

The two I picked are Lily by Xavier Axelson and Anything but Everything & Five More Gay Erotic Stories by J. Phillip Elwes. Both authors were kind enough to write a little something for us to share and a big thank you and hug to both of them for helping us celebrate!

 

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We'll start with Lily . . .

What does one say when they realize their child is gone? Better yet, what does one say when that child returns, but is different?

This is the question Pryor must ask himself after his daughter, Lily, is dragged into the woods by a wolf and her body is never found. It isn't until he sees a wolf in the woods with eyes that resemble Lily's that he feels hope. And then something is whispered from deep within the woods, a promise for him to see Lily again.

One day...

But which day and for how long?

And then Pryor meets Ned, a silversmith who brings out desires that Pryor hasn't felt in years and helps him hatch a plan to keep Lily with him.

Now the question isn't about how much time Pryor will have with Lily, it's about how far will he'll go to keep her with him.

Here's the original review and I have to say I was so amazed and horrified in the best way by this story. If you are a fan of a true horror story, this one is for you. I'm not talking gore-fest horror, I'm talking fuck with your head, make you squirm, keep looking over your shoulder horror. It also has a romance I fell in love with and some seriously steamy scenes between two men who are so obviously in love.

And now a word from Xavier on how Lily came to be:

Lily is one of my favorite pieces. It is unexpected, touching, and terrifying. I wrote Lily back in 2012 in response to my then publishers request for a “Father’s Day” story, and “Dad’s need love too,” idea. They wanted to highlight the struggle a father has finding love. I couldn’t think of a dad struggling more than one recovering from the loss of a child, especially if that child was dragged into the woods by a wolf…on Father’s Day.

I was shocked when my editor claimed it wasn’t quite what they had in mind for a Father’s Day story. So they decided to publish “Lily” on its own merits. I couldn’t have been happier, although to this day I believe it to be a perfect Father’s Day story. Then again I think Dracula is a romance.

To have Lily chosen by Boy Meets Boy as a favorite read of 2014 is an honor. My work is not for everyone so when it gets into the hands of someone who appreciates it, I am wowed and awed. Thank you Ann for reading and enjoying Lily!

Thank YOU Xavier, I can't recommend it enough!

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My second choice, Anything but Everything & Five More Gay Erotic Stories . . .

Anything But Everything & Five More Gay Erotic Stories is six short stories about men lusting for and loving other men.

Here you will read about college fraternity bothers, a mechanic, police detectives, a former boxing champ, a famous photographer and others in such varied locales as San Francisco, a Colorado ranch, a ski resort and a small town in Oklahoma.






See the original review here. I've said it once and I'll say it again, this is erotica done right. It's deliciously filthy and I loved it. This author nails the friends to lovers theme and there is more than just porn happening in this anthology. It's fun, it's sexy and I loved the characters. Plus, there are more stories to come - YAY! (I really can't wait for Liam's story!)

JP shares his inspirations:

I'm very pleased Ann has selected Anything But Everything. I started writing gay erotica not long after I wrote my first nonfiction piece for my school newspaper. I grew up in the second half of the last century, decades before the internet and personal computer. In those days, the LGBTQ community was nowhere to be found in mainstream media, except in a few quick clips on a big city's gay pride parade, during which the evening news anchors did little to disguise their disdain. I felt alone and invisible but knew in my heart I was not. I'd read about "the love that dares not speak its name" in literature and in history books. I knew gay skin magazines were sold in the stores on the outskirts of my town. I bought them as soon as I found the courage. I was astounded by the pornographic images of handsome men naked for the enjoyment of other men. It was a revelation to read in those magazines erotic short stories of men lusting for and loving other men. I had no doubt I would one day be living as an openly gay man lusting for and loving other men. I first wrote gay erotica as a release from living a half-life in the closet.

I later wrote gay erotica to loudly and proudly celebrate human sexuality, which popular culture seemed bent on sanitizing well into the 1990's. The global reach of the internet, of course, changed everything. I discovered forums and groups, where I disseminated my gay erotic short stories and read lots of stories by other authors. My stories were published on a gay website and in anthologies. I considered self-publishing. It seemed difficult. A decade later, I looked into self-publishing on Amazon and saw how straight forward it is. I selected five of my gay erotic short stories I most enjoy. (Three have not been previously published.) In just over a week, I wrote the title story, Anything But Everything, while imagining an athletic happy-go-lucky looking for love in all the wrong places. I then published the collection of six stories. Today, I enjoy writing gay erotica because the stories are the most personal writing I do - no word count to constrict me; no publisher to please - and because I can explore lust and romance among all types of men living in big cities, small towns and rural communities, as Walt Whitman writes in In Paths Untrodden "to celebrate the need of comrades."

Thank you JP, I am so looking forward to more and of course, Liam!

And NOW, it's time for prezzies! My gifty to you, we want you to read and love these as hard as I did so it's Giveaway Time!!!

To enter to win ebook copies of both Lily and Anything but Everything, please leave a comment on this blog post and let us know your name and a means of contacting you (e.g., email, Twitter handle, link to Goodreads account, etc.).

The giveaway is open until 10:00PM (Pacific time) on 11/20/14. Shortly thereafter, we will contact a winner whom we will select using a highly scientific "names in a hat" method (or, you know, an internet randomizer). Please respond to the winning notification within 48 hours or we will choose another winner.

Thank you to both Xavier and J. Phillip, you guys rock!