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