Dustin Reviews: Rainbows All Around Us by Nathan J. Morissey

Deeply closeted and lonely, Justin spirals into a depression when he has no one to turn to. When compassionate and sexy Lucas enters the picture, he changes Justin into a confident and happy young gay man. But tragedy strikes when Lucas gets involved in the gay rights movement and attracts homophobic bigots. Can Justin protect his true love? Or will they be torn apart forever?

Set amid the gay marriage movement, Rainbows All Around Us is an uplifting and inspirational gay love story about the difficulties of being both gay and masculine in the modern world, the importance of being yourself, and most importantly, the power of love to change your world.

Please note that this story contains explicit sexual content and language not appropriate for readers under 18. Reader discretion is advised.

Rainbows All Around Us was a sweet sweet read. Justin and Lucas are perfectly paired and through their individual strengths and weaknesses a beautiful tale of love unfolds and builds to an emotional climax. Wiping the tears from my eyes, I discovered the story continued with what I considered a ramble of explanations that was not needed. The additional closing passage and epilogue were a disappointment after the story peaked so beautifully. It’s nice to have all the loose ends tied up in a bow, but sometimes not every detail needs to be explained. Leave a little to the readers imagination.

Do I recommend this book? ABSOLUTELY YES!

About the author

Nathan J Morissey loves to read and write gay fiction and gay erotica. When he’s not reading or writing, he’s rock-climbing, exercising and weight-training.

Blog: http://nathanjmorissey.blogspot.com

Rainbows All Around Us is available at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Rainbows-All-Around-Us-ebook/dp/B007G1BRTY

Tags: romance, erotic romance, crush on me, gay erotic romance,love,love story, sweet romance, actor fiction, gay marriage, novella, fiction, high school, young adult, homophobia

Word Count: 25,000 Words (approximate)

Language:English

Published March 1st 2012

ASIN: B007G1BRTY

4 out of 5 stars

Dustin Reviews: When Dad Came Back As My Dog by Robert Alexander

What would you give to have someone back from the grave, even for an hour or two? Better yet, what would you say?

For those who’ve loved and lost yet find themselves still looking for answers, this heart-warming book tells the story of how Robby discovers love, life, death, and dogs. But what really happened back in his hometown of Chicago…and is it happening again? There’s only one place to find the truth…and only one creature who can tell him. A humorous look at all that can be found when all seems lost, When Dad Came Back As My Dog recounts the somewhat fictional but mostly true tale of a prominent Windy City family.

Robert Alexander Times bestselling author of The Kitchen Boy and other historical novels.

I thought the title: When Dad Came Back As My Dog was cute. However I feared the novella would be a hokey and childish read. I was TOTALY Wrong.

The fast paced story unfolds as Robby’s emotions and struggles are revealed. Sometimes humorous and always interesting, the story had me in tears during several passages. An uplifting and upbeat story that anyone (regardless of age) who has ever loved a dog can relate.

About the author

Robert Alexander is the author of the New York Times bestselling novels Rasputin’s Daughter, The Kitchen Boy, and The Romanov Bride. He has spent over thirty years traveling to Russia, where he has studied and also worked for the U.S. government. He speaks frequently to book clubs, and the schedule for his live video webcasts can be found at his website.

When Dad Came Back As My Dog is available at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/When-Dad-Came-Back-ebook/dp/B004UW00DQ

Tags: dogs, alcoholism, pet, chicago, gay fiction, novella

Print Pages 121 pages (approximate)

4 out of 5 stars

Dustin Reviews: The Wrong Side of the Tracks by Mike Wells

When 14 year old Stephen moves into a tough neighborhood, 17 year old Ben takes Stephen under his wing and protects him. But Ben is a reckless daredevil, and he pushes Stephen to prove his manhood by playing dangerous games with the freight trains that pass through the neighborhood. When Ben finds out that Stephen has a crush on a girl in his history class, Ben pressures him to stand up to her older, jealous boyfriend who threatens Stephen’s life. The tension mounts as the story speeds towards its its life or death climax. This novel explores first love and the meaning of true courage.

The Wrong Side of the Tracks was one of those remarkable reads that sucked this reader right out of the real world and into Wells fictional story book universe. When one finds such a read, it’s magical.

From the first paragraph, I was reminded of the1986 American dramatic film: Stand By Me, directed by Rob Reiner. Based on the novella The Body by Stephen King which starred Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman and others. (By the way, I loved that movie.) Reading The Wrong Side of the Tracks was like visiting old friends that I hadn’t seen in years. (Which reminds me, I should pull out my video copy of Stand By Me, along with a box of tissues and watch it again.) Although Stephen King’s and Mike Wells stories are quite different, they share a similar overall feel. Wells brought the teenage (main) characters to life in a way that I felt I was actually part of the story itself, although I was a silent observer. Wells descriptions and dialogue are spot on and weaves a very realistic and believable story. The Wrong Side of the Tracks holds true to Wells reputation as a writer of ‘unputdownable’ novels.

About the author

An American bestselling thriller & suspense author, Mike Wells teaches in the Creative Writing program at Oxford. Wells is known for his super fast-paced, ‘unputdownable’ novels.

The Wrong Side of the Tracks – Book 1 is available at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00538TQ40

Tags: adventure, fiction, teen boys

Print Pages 103 pages (approximate)

5 out of 5 stars

Dustin Reviews: Bonds of Fire by Sophie Duncan

Drekken is a dragon warrior. Bonded to his dragon, Miri, together they lead a squadron of fliers. His fliers respect him, his enemies fear him, his reputation precedes him. Yet, nothing in his life could have prepared Drekken for his greatest challenge: babysitting.

Stranded after a deadly battle, separated from his squadron and Miri, Drekken finds himself the only hope for two young empaths and their nursery group of hatchlings. He must lead them all to safety and, along the way, discover some truths about himself. 

Bonds of Fire was a pleasant read surprise. A fantasy short story with heart and feeling. The characters are well developed and interesting. A sweet feel-good read when a pick-me-up is needed.

About the author

By day Sophie Duncan is a project manager developing IT solutions for a large company in the South East of England. By night, you’ll find her scribbling away at many a story that just won’t leave her alone. Sophie has been writing since she was a wee thing, and publishing since she discovered the internet in 1994 or so.

“Writing is a passion and there’s nothing better than writing for an audience. Any writer who says they don’t care about feedback must have had an ego amputation ”

Bonds of Fire is available as a free-read download at Smashwords:
http://www.smashwords.com/isbn/9781908333094

Tags: gay, fantasy, dragons, dragon, gay romance, augmented human, dragon bond, baby dragons, short story

Words: 20697 (approximate)

Published June 6th 2011 by Wittegen Pres

4 out of 5 stars

Dustin Reviews: My Fifteen Minutes by SM Johnson

Michelle is a big-time fan of the groundbreaking cable TV drama, Gay Paradise. When Brady, one of the lead actors on Gay Paradise, attempts to kill himself by overdosing on sleeping pills, he gets admitted to the psychiatric unit where Michelle is a nurse.

Meeting Brady might be the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to Michelle. Her job is to help him create a safety plan for when he leaves the hospital, but all she really wants to talk about is Brady’s incredibly hot co-star, Colton.

When Colton arrives to pick up Brady, Michelle’s fifteen minutes closeted with a star are over, but will she ever give up her obsession with Gay Paradise?

My Fifteen Minutes was a delightful read with a fun twist. Michelle is the perfect “star-struck” fan and this makes for an enjoyable and fast paced read. 

About the author

SM Johnson hibernates in a conservative community of northern Wisconsin, where she writes darkly erotic fiction about things that go “naughty” in the night.

Smashwords Profile:http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/devante9901

My Fifteen Minutes is available as a free-download at Smashwords:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/74831

Tags: short story, glbt fiction, psychological gay fiction, psych unit

Words: 8101 (approximate)

Publication Date:July 19th 2011

4 out of 5 stars

Dustin Reviews: The Math Teacher Is Dead by Robert Manners

Danny Vandervere has the world on a string: beautiful, athletic, intelligent, rich, popular; but the string starts to unravel when Danny trips over the corpse of his math teacher during his morning run. With a sprained ankle and the unlikely assistance of Ash, an unpopular goth kid from school, Danny begins to investigate the life and death of a man he only knew as Mr. Janacek. But when his ankle heals, he returns to his normal routine, only to have it interrupted again by the discovery of another corpse. As his senior year progresses, the deaths and accidents of people he knows mount up, and it seems there is a serial killer on a spree in this tiny mountain town…and all of the victims have Danny Vandervere in common. He and Ash must discover the killer before he (or she) closes in on Danny himself.

The Math Teacher Is Dead was an interesting mystery/crime read, however, I thought Danny was a tad bit too overly emotional for the richest kid in town. With that said, the story was engaging and an enjoyable short story. I would have liked to have seen this manuscript expanded into a novella.

About the author

Robert Manners was born on the Fort Ord Army Base, longer ago than he cares to admit, and grew up in Oakland, Twain Harte, and Concord, California. He is a graduate of San Francisco State University and currently earns his daily bread as an administrative assistant for a social-services nonprofit.

Website:http://www.robertmanners.com/

The Math Teacher Is Dead is available as a free-download at :Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/The-Math-Teacher-Dead-ebook/dp/B004EYT0TK

also available at Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=the+math+teacher+is+dead 

Tags: gay mystery, short story, romance, young-adult, thriller, crime, contemporary

56820 words (approximate)

Publication Date: December 2, 2010

4 out of 5 stars

Dustin Reviews: Oasis by David L. Dawson

An urban fantasy adult short story about love and murder in a shopping mall.

Oasis was a strange and bizarre story. I felt as if I was trying to figure out an abstract painting – the pieces just didn’t fit – not even to make an imperfect picture. Maybe I was in the wrong frame of mind when I read this tale. It just didn’t work for me.

About the author

A writer of many things; young adult fantasy books and science fiction and anything that takes my fancy. The Fall, my dystopian YA book, is my baby. I have other stuff on Amazon that have rubbish sales but that hasn’t deterred me. Writing is my passion.

Oasis is available at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0057YDBCS

Tags: fantasy, horror, horror fiction, paranormal, short story

Print Pages 11 pages (approximate)

2 out of 5 stars

Dustin Reviews: Freshman Orientation (Pauer Bautam University #1) by Brandon Reed

Welcome to Pauer Bautam University… where gays… young and old… come to play.

Hunky college senior Ryan Kelly hasn’t gotten any in weeks… but that’s about to change. A new wave of freshmen are swarming the college campus, and he’s got his eyes set on a young hottie named Sean. Will Ryan’s dry spell finally come to an end?

WARNING: Explicit Gay Sex

Freshman Orientation is an adorable story of Ryan’s quest to score with the hottest new freshman Sean. Is it bad timing or kismet that repeatedly comes between these two young men preventing them from getting it on? A cute fast read.

Freshman Orientation is available at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0057YDBCS

Tags: mm romance, gay romance, gay & lesbian fiction, gay fiction, short story, young men, college boys

Kindle Edition, 51 pages (approximate)

3 out of 5 stars

Dustin Reviews: A Not-So-Grimm Fairytale by Ann Somerville

A Not-So-Grimm Fairytale is proof positive that fairy tales aren’t just for children. This tale of a Prince in search of love has a witch, a spell and of course a handsome prince. An entertaining tale for sure.

About the author:

Ann Somerville grew up in one of Australia’s prettiest small cities. In 1989, she left Australia with a BA and a burning ambition to see more of the world and its people, and to discover this ‘culture’ thing people kept telling her about. In 2006, she returned home to Southeast Queensland with two more degrees, an English husband, and a staggering case of homesickness, vowing never to leave Australia again.

Her long, plot-driven fiction featuring gay and bisexual characters has been professionally published, although copious free full length stories and novels are also available on her website. She blogs about writing, publishing, her life and many shiny distracting things.

A Not-So-Grimm Fairytale may be obtained at Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/99652

Tags: mm, gay romance, silliness, gay & lesbian fiction, gay fairytales, short story

Words: 5019 (approximate)

3 out of 5 stars

Dustin Reviews: Reasons for the Fall by Greg M Schumaker

Channeling the magical love of storytelling of early American writers like Kate Chopin and F. Scott Fitzgerald, Reasons for the Fall follows a trio of aimless, romantic and wealthy friends on a summer vacation to Saugatuck, an enchanted and bohemian town snuggled alongside the dunes of Lake Michigan. This volume also includes three short stories which travel from the sandy Great Lakes coast to the mind of an enchanted old woman, to a personal narrative by the author and, across the solar system, to the cold surface of one of Jupiter’s mysterious moons.

Reasons for the Fall was a delight to read. I found myself smiling at the generous sprinkles of subtle humor. An entertaining fast read. The additional bonus stories (Dinner for Buddha, Decaffeinated and Jupiter) were enjoyable, but not as much fun as Reasons for the Fall.

Reasons for the Fall may be purchased at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Reasons-for-the-Fall-ebook/dp/B00802JI2G

Tags: gay drama, gay fiction, gay love, gay romance, homosexual, gay and lesbian, gay fantasy, gay suspense, gay themed, homosexuality, short story, young adult drama, young guys

Kindle Edition, 137 pages

4 out of 5 stars