Elisa - My reviews and Ramblings

Tainted Heart (Mi Corazón Sangrante Series 2) by Melissa Graves
Series: Mi Corazon Sangrante (Book 2)
Paperback: 294 pages
Publisher: Interlude Press (November 5, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1941530524
ISBN-13: 978-1941530528
Amazon: Tainted Heart (Mi Corazón Sangrante Series 2) by Melissa Graves
Amazon Kindle: Tainted Heart (Mi Corazón Sangrante Series 2) by Melissa Graves

Blurb: A year after meeting and falling for the young, mysterious vampire, Dr. Brian Preston is now living and working side-by-side with Kyle Hayes for the agency guiding vampire-human relations at a secret underground facility. As the couple adapts to the demands of Brian’s career tending to vampires, Kyle’s return to school and the needs of their evolving relationship, a dangerous conspiracy puts everyone they know and everything they have been working for in danger. The sequel to 2014’s Bleeding Heart, Tainted Heart is Book Two in the Mi Corazón Sangrante series.

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Meet the author: A veteran writer of fan fiction with thousands of followers, Melissa Graves wrote her first story at age thirteen, and by age sixteen had met her future husband in an online vampire fiction chat room. A fan of science fiction and fantasy, she has a degree in anthropology and a passion for good chocolate, amateur erotica and fan worlds that celebrate diversity. She is mother to two cats.

Bleeding Heart, book one of the Mi Corazón Sangrante series, was her debut novel for Interlude Press.

1) What genre is your book and what drew you to this genre?
Tainted Heart is a combination of urban paranormal, political thriller, and erotic romance—I’d like to think a bit of the best of all three! Erotic romance is my primary love, but it’s always been the most fun for me when I can play with the setting and theme, taking the story to a place outside of the usual mainstream modern context. Vampire fiction is a favorite of mine. I love how the story of the minority plays out in many vampire universes, so I tied that to contemporary themes of social queerness and ran with it.

2) How many days a week do you write?
Zero to seven, depending on my mood! No, really—I try not to plan writing sessions. For me that would be like planning every sexual encounter I had; the mood would die fast. If I’m on a deadline and have an outline, I do try to structure myself and make time to write scene by scene so that I don’t fall hopelessly behind, but I am not a writer who believes you need to write every day to succeed. If you want to, you should. If you don’t, you shouldn’t. For me, writing is all about what I have to say and feeling inspired to say it.

3) On average, how long does it take to write a book?
Six months if I’m in control of the word monster—a year if I’m not, or if I’m crafting something more carefully than usual. Again, I hate to put a timetable on writing, but deadlines are deadlines no matter what you do in life. Once I get going, I can maintain a pretty intense pace, but it’s the getting going that’s the challenge.

4) Do you have a trailer for your book? If yes, give us the link. If not, do you think you’d like to have one done at some point?
Oh, I wish! Anyone out there interested in making one? And can it be smutty?

Let’s be real—I want a trailer and a movie! But yes, absolutely. I come from fanfiction roots, and it’s always nice to have things made for the works you create—fanart, fan videos, “fake” movie posters, and so on. To have something like that for my original work would be amazing.

5) If I could be a character in a book, I would be _______?
I’d be the socially awkward yet worthy sidekick, if I’m being honest. I love quirky helper characters, and I love being an observer, or the person the “main” characters confide in. There’s something to be said for observing the action and collecting a record of events—this is probably why I ended up becoming an author, now that I think about it!

Where to find the author:
Connect with Melissa at msmelissagraves.com, on Twitter at twitter.com/msmelissagraves, on Goodreads at goodreads.com/melissagraves and on Facebook at facebook.com/msmelissagraves.
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26223006-tainted-heart

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Shuttered by Emma Jane
Gay Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press; 1 edition (December 24, 2014)
Amazon Kindle: Shuttered

When wildlife and landscape photographer Daniel Hopson gets a reading from clairvoyant Rowan Foster at a local craft fair, he quickly realizes it’s a con. But he sees the charm behind the chancer's façade, and so rather than expose him, he starts to date him—only to discover that some of Rowan’s other cons are far more serious.

The so-called psychic owes ten thousand pounds to two men after deceitfully claiming to be able to find the body of their murdered mother. Daniel must help Rowan recover the genuine gift he possessed in childhood and contact the spirits before the men catch up to them—and the key to doing so might be Daniel’s telepathic connection with his dog Sasha.


I really enjoyed this mystery/suspense story. It had good pacing and plot. I was less convinced by some of the characters, especially the way Rowan's criminal past was overlooked so easily by Daniel. The settings were vividly shown, especially the scene on the moors when searching for the Millers' mother. 

This is a wonderful, unique mystery with a sweet romance. Daniel & Rowan were endearing and perfect for one another, flaws and all. And Sasha adds a special twist, also stealing my heart by being a hero. Shuttered is a must read!

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Falling by Suki Fleet
Gay Contemporary Romance
Paperback: 200 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (June 3, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1634761545
ISBN-13: 978-1634761543
Amazon: Falling
Amazon Kindle: Falling

Josh's idea of a romance is curling up alone and reading a novel with a happily ever after. He’s made his flat a safe haven where the walls are covered with beautiful words and his living room ceiling is a map of the universe.

Angus may be shy and inexperienced, but he's incapable of hiding anything, especially his attraction to his older neighbor.

When Josh admits to Angus that he’s gay, he doesn't expect Angus’s reaction. Angus’s obvious interest terrifies Josh. For years he’s managed to keep the world at arm’s length and avoid getting too close to anyone. Well, anyone except Eleanor, Angus’s mother, who helped Josh rebuild his life after he was hospitalized for depression. But Josh still thinks he’s broken. His past has left scars he thinks are too deep to heal. Despite Josh’s defenses, Angus begins to mean more to him than just the cute boy next door. If Josh can take a risk and let someone into his isolated world, he might have a chance for a real-life happy ending.


Flawless novel that pits the realism of mental illness against the exhilaration and thrill of first love while featuring a cast of well-balanced characters who discover that sometimes friends grow on you despite your best intentions, highly recommended.

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Angel Eyes by Christopher Hawthorne Moss
Gay Historical Romance
Publisher: Shield-wall Productions (March 26, 2015)
Amazon Kindle: Angel Eyes

Michael Murphy , who will be seen again in Moss’s WHERE MY LOVE LIES DREAMING, tells his own story of his youth, sent to assist Major General Winfield Scott when President James K. Polk declares war on Mexico in 1846. Michael, or “Mick as he is known to his intimates, has a series of romantic adventures along the way, ending almost tragically at the hands of the young scion of a wealthy Mexican family. You know he gets back to New Orleans, but this stirring tale will tell you how he gets there and why he limps.


This story has it all. Beautiful use of the English language, an easy flow of writing, well researched and detailed historical era, and multiple sensual encounters between hot guys. Mick is a man's man, an adventurer, a bit naive at times, even cruel in his honesty, but still a smart, daring, and honorable hero, with a touch of spicy rogue. I hear his voice, and those of the others, in my head, and the story leaps off the pages to life.

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