Review: The Lion and the Crow (Historical) by Eli Easton

This story is offered for free as part of the Love Has No Boundaries Event. Sponsored by the M'M Group on goodreads. If you're a M/M lover, there are a host of free stories to do with this event here. I'm going to be reviewing some over the next few weeks.

Title: The Lion and the Crow
Author: Eli Easton
Genre: M/M Romance Historical
Length: Novella
Formats: Epub, Mobi, PDF
Price: FREE

 4 Stars

This one is a far cry from my usual tastes (no BDSM for a start, lol, and it's historical). It's a little surprising on the historical side; I have a linguistic's degree, and I'm a huge -- HUGE -- lover of language, so it's a little strange that I don't often cover this genre (too much lexical density and word order manipulation for my liking, that and issues with my English tutor back at secondary school!!). But there was some lovely hard takes on language in this that kept me focused. If I could sum up this story, it would be with:

"At least I can choose the lie.”

I loved this aspect, of accepting a bad situation and giving it some 'balls'. There were some tense elements to this that kept the heart pounding and fascinated with finding out what would happen. It was also very sweet in places, getting that "yeah, come on, just be heppy with who you are, lads" feeling going. I like the way the conclusion came about, can't say much about it because it will be a big spolier, but it was well put together and very plausible for the time period. And then there was the brother issue... quite well handled!

It is a slow burner, so if you like the lust simmering along with that "will they, won't they?", "Can they, should they?" element, then you'll like this.

Blurb:

This is a tale about two medieval English knights—Sir William Corbet, aka the Lion, and Sir Christian Brandon, aka The Crow. In a time when duty was everything, personal honor was more valued than life itself, and homosexuality was not tolerated by the church or society, how can these two men reconcile their deepest, most secret yearnings to love another man?

Sir Christian was raised in a household where he was hated for his unusual beauty and for the sake of his parentage. Being smaller than his six brutish half-brothers, he learned to survive by using his wits and developing a gift for strategy. He feels little loyalty to the system that’s abused him since birth.

Sir William, a large and fierce warrior, has pushed his unnatural desires down all his life. He’s determined to live up to his own ideal of a gallant knight. But when he takes up a quest to rescue his sister from her abusive lord of a husband, he’s forced to undertake a journey with Christian. It’s a partnership that will test every strand of his moral fiber, and, eventually, even his understanding of the meaning of duty, honor, and love.

Free for Download: here 
Author's website: here 

William: Free M/M thriller Story: Lost in the Echo. Available now.

"Three days. Three questions. Three answers."

Kidnapped, blindfolded, and bound to a bed, running isn't an option any more for Will Chambers. Despite being a linguistic tutor and having every conversational tool at his disposal, all Will wanted to do was fade into the background, become lost in the echo of wild heath and harbour. But now someone wants to put his body and mind on full display, force Will to find his voice -- answer three questions, over three days.

All Will has to do is provide three... simple... answers.


It's good to see William finally made available for download. He's been such a gorgeous character to work with.

Goodreads have published him as a free story of mine, written for their M/M Group's Love has no Boundaries' challenge. This one's a little special for me as it was written with a particular reader in mind, someone who provided a photo, and then asked an author to write the story. It's a gorgeous way to write, and it's why I love doing this.

If you'd like to see a little detail on the "Dear-Author" request, plus have a link to where the story is available, the link is here: M/M Romance Group






Picture "Fashion Shot Of A Young Man" courtesy of: Photostock:FreeDigitalPhotos.Net

Week Three: William (Goodreads' LHNB "Dear Author" Free Short Story)

It's week three of the LHNB thread hop, and this time it's Paper or Plastic (yep, I had no clue either, lol). The Short Story has officially been finished and handed over to the wonderful Goodreads' team in the M/M group. It should (hopefully) be available in June. But for now...

Jack: [Knocks on door] Paper or plastic, guys?

Kidnapper: Jack, I thought you’d got the hint to go home.

Jack: Just one more question, I promise. Paper or plastic?

Will: Paper or plastic what, Jack?

Jack: shopping bags. What do you use when you go shopping? Paper or plastic? Which one, guys?

Kidnapper: Because I do the whole skipping down a shopping aisle throwing food into a basket?

Jack: Alcohol, then. Paper or plastic bag for your alcohol. You look the type for that.

Kidnapper: My throat.

Jack: Ohhhhhkay [mumbles something about psycho]. And you, Will – paper or plastic?

Will: A knife to cut through this rope?

Jack: Ah. Still an awkward time, is it?

Kidnapper: Yes.

Will: No – no. Stay. Talking’s good.

Kidnapper: Go away, Jack.

Will: [shouts] Wait. Paper -- paper. And there are two in my house – next to my phone, you know, my phone and access to a few cops?

Kidnapper: [Chuckles] Go away, Jack. Me and Will need some alone time.

*********

A little extract (names have been disguised to protect the oh so very wicked):

“Would it be so bad?” the man breathed into Will’s ear. “If I took you now, like this—” His hands traced along the ropes, then found Will’s bound hands. “—would it really be so bad if I took you bound down like this?”

Picture "Fashion Shot Of A Young Man" courtesy of: Photostock:FreeDigitalPhotos.Net

Meet Will: Week Two (LHNB thread hop)

It's week two of the Love Has No boundaries thread hop over on Goodreads, and this week it's "Tell us three things that we won't discover about your main character from the story". This was a hell of a lot of fun to do as I was able to interview Will when he was... slightly exposed (perks of the job!). 

And without further need to keep Will covered:

*********

Jack: So, Will. It’s really good to meet you. How are things going between you and Mr. Kidnapper?

Will: [Shifts uncomfortably on the bed] It's a little… tense.

Kidnapper: [Grunts a chuckle from over in the corner]

Jack: Ah. I should mention that Mr Kidnapper has graciously allowed an all access pass to Will today and Will's, well, slightly overexposed.

Will: You noticed that, huh? Any chance you can untie me from the bed? Maybe pass me the sheet back?

Jack: Uh, well, I’m kind of under strict orders from the guy in the corner not to interfere, touch, or even let my eyes wander below waistline. Sorry.

Will: [Manages a chuckle] How’s that going for you?

Jack: He blindfolded me to make sure. [Whispers to Will] He’s taking this really seriously, isn’t he?

Will: Yeah, just a touch. [Whispers back] You sure you can’t untie me, lend me a jacket — bake a cake with a razorblade in it for him to choke on?

Kidnapper: [Gives a deliberate half laugh, half cough]

Jack: You wouldn’t need the razorblade, not with my baking skills, anyway. [Straightens in chair] So, hmmm, Will. Now may not be the best time, I realise this, but I’m interested to know a few things about you that we’re not going to find out during this whole mess.

Will: I don’t think personal details are wise, what with, y’know, the whole ropes, kidnapping, and “guy tied to a bed” scene going on here. But… thinking on it, I am a sucker for happy endings, one where the antagonist is incarcerated, even seriously worked over in jail by other thugs — huge muscled thugs with baseball bats.

Jack: Ohhhh-kay, so away from this situation, you’re maybe open to a heated debate on the pros and cons of the English judicial system and the effectiveness of rehabilitating criminals back into society?

Will: It’s certainly moved up on my list of priorities.

Kidnapper: [Chuckles softly]

Jack: Anything else?

Will: I suppose I could go for my favourite colour… of baseball bat. Which would be white, by the way, just to accentuate any other colours it could come into contact with.

Jack: [Chokes a laugh] So. Things are certainly a little… tense, then? What would you normally be doing to relax away from life issues like this?

Will: [sighs heavily] I could go for a Friday-night movie-night right now.

Jack: Care to elaborate?

Will: I grew up with Friday nights being “Movie Night” at home. Kind of liked to watch my mom and dad sit there together on the sofa as I claimed the floor and two buckets of popcorn.

Jack: Any particular movies? Flavour of popcorn? And why the hell two?

Will: Movies? Any really. [Goes quiet] It was just good to see my parents together. As for the popcorn, it’s got to be toffee: one big enough to share, another smaller one for me.

Jack: [smiles sadly] You like to have a little piece of the world set aside for yourself?

Will: Mostly just set aside to share with the right…

Kidnapper: Say it.

Will: [Falls quiet]

Jack: Yet you don’t mention any brothers or sisters in there, Will. I take it you’re an only child?

Will: Yes. Just me. Although I did have a—

Kidnapper: [a door creaks open] Out.

Jack: But… but Will, he... you. I haven’t even started on you yet.

Kidnapper: Yeah? Tell it to someone who gives a—

Jack: [Door slams conveniently shut] Oh, right. I see. [Shouts] I take it you didn’t get any Friday night movie nights with your parents, and you’d rather steal popcorn rather than share?

Kidnapper: Get lost, Jack. Busy here.

**************

There are some other great thread hops going on over in the M/M Group on Goodreads: handcuffs, Doms, Elfs, Knights, lovin' in the poppy fields etc.... It's all continuing for a few more weeks before the stories are released.

It's pretty close to my heart, because we're able to give readers insights into the writing process and comment/interact along the way. And we get to tailor a character and story to a particular reader's need.



Picture "Fashion shot of a Young Man" courtesy of Photostock: FreeDigitalPhtos.net

Meet William: M/M Story Extract (Free Story Coming From Goodreads LHNB Dear Author Challenge)

A few authors from the Goodreads' M/M Group have banded together to create a thread hop that will lift the sheet on our characters from the Love Has No Boundaries short stories that will soon be availble for free download.  Kind of an all-access pass for readers to see what's hidden beneath the M/M sheets.

This week it's week one, day six of the thread hop, and the theme is an extract, (next week it will be: "Three Things We Won't Find Out About Your MC From The Story").

Fancy a teaser? My picture is a guy bound almost naked to a bed *waggles eyebrows*, and all the pains and troubles that come with being held captive:


Where do you go to, Will? Extract:

*************

“I could take her off your hands.”

Sat in his car, William just about caught the soft voice as he turned the Rover’s engine over. Jake from a few doors down was out for his evening run, and he offered Will a shy smile as he glanced at the motorbike on Will’s drive. He stood just a few feet away from the car, moving slightly from foot to foot as if ready to bolt at the slightest word from Will. “She’d get a good home,” said Jake, nodding at the motorbike as Will let the window fall all the way down.

“Humph, well, I’ll....” Jake always offered; Will always promised to get back to him. Will never did, and something in Jake’s kind eyes said he didn’t mind. He understood. Will hated how everyone understood, especially when he couldn’t figure a thing out of this whole mess for himself. “Can... would you just keep an eye on her for me whilst I’m away, please?” he asked instead, burying the need to move the gears into first as the need to get away ate at his insides.

“Always,” said Jake. He looked like he’d say something else; he’d looked like he’d been on the verge of saying something else for the past year, but Will fell back into the security of a safe distance, giving just a quiet thanks, this time adding a promise to pick Jake something up for all of his troubles. “You know where I am if there’s any, y’know, problems.”

“Yeah,” said Jake, avoiding any eye contact now. “You take care, Will.”

Will nodded. Dorset offered a whole week of running; no motorbikes, no houses that should have been homes, and no sweet men from a few doors down wanting a little more than simple friendship. All Will needed now was to disappear into the background, maybe be forgotten, just become lost in the echo of wild heath and harbour.

*************

A member's only forum, but they love new members (and are soon to offer up loads of free m/m short stories, ranging from contemporary romance to BDSM) Found Here

It would be good to see you there.





Picture "Fashion shot of a Young Man" courtesy of photostock. FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Caught in the Writing Act

Group Widget for M/M Group on Goodreads

Sometimes the ups and downs of writing can make me feel like I'm out in the middle of a crowd with my skirt tucked in my pants, all screw-ups on full display, especially in those early days.

So, to celebrate the whole process of wearing our hearts on our sleeve, regardless of any screw-ups that may/may not occur, a few Goodreads' authors over in the M/M group's Love Has No Boundaries "Dear Author" challenge have decided to join together and do a little hop (no knickers on display, hopefully).

Over the next few weeks, we'll post something up that shows some of thinking going on behind the stories we're creating, or snippets of detail that wouldn't otherwise be known about the characters we're starting to paint, just something that shows how serious we get when it comes to bringing everything to life.

The first hop goes to the lovely Kate Lowell. She's starting everything off with a nice easy blurb, and that's more or less our theme this week just to ease ourselves gently into things. Link here: Kate Lowell's blog and her Goodreads link is here: Goodreads' Link (Members Only)

*Chuckles* One of these days I'm going to have the courage to do an out-take post, just note down all the screw-ups with writing that have kept my partner in laughs for years (yeah, yeah, the 'g' on keyboard is waaaay too close to 'h' on the keyboard, so trying to write a heated scene with 'the gardener' just asks for 'the hardener', if you ask me -- I know my faults, lol).

On the hop, hopefully you'll join us, because in the end it will lead to seven great free m/m stories (with access to so many more, from so many talented M/M writers). 

Dear Author -- Joan: meet...

... Sizzling Summer Fun.

I'm pretty new to the whole Goodreads "Love Has No Boundaries" event in the M/M group, and all I can say is: I can't believe it's taken me this long to get my ass in there and get involved. I'm LOVING it.

Theory to the fun is: a member provides a picture, gives a prompt, and the writer states "claim" and then writes the story. When I came across "Dear Author -- Joan", I fell in love with the picture that was posted (who wouldn't? A guy bound to a bed *waggles eyesbrows* -- you've just gotta cry claim). And as for the prompt itself -- it couldn't have stirred things any better. All psych-play and restraint... absolute heaven.

So along with my other commitments this month, I'm writing a free story for Goodreads LHNB M/M group, and loving it in the process. Along the way, there'll be extracts posted, character traits, and anything else that comes to mind.

All I can say is thanks to the M/M group for organising all of this, but also a huge thanks to Joan for providing such a gorgeous tease to work with.




Flame image courtesy of Free Images