The Powers Of Love 1: Origins by J.M. Snyder

The Powers of Love by J.M. Snyder

Vic is a simple man with a tough look: shaved (in all body), muscular and shy. He meets Matt, but when knows he is the new buddy of a co-worker, he back up, fearing to proprose himself. Matt is a quite handsome man, not impressive, but somewhat alluring.

Months pass and Vic learns that Matt is now free and they soon begin to see each other but Matt impose a rule: not sex on the first date. But the first date pass and also the second, and also some weeks and the months and still Matt refuses to make sex with him. Finally on the New Year Eve, the fireworks happens also in Vic's house, not only outside. And it's a beautiful night and they speak of love.

But the morning after strange things happen to Vic: he reads minds, he has extraordinary strenght and he can fly! He is not at all happy with that, he is scared and he fears to loose Matt. But maybe Matt is part of the problem...

A strange and brief tale, I believe J.M. Snyder is considering to write more about this couple. Stil it's very interesting cause the character of Vic is irresistible: he looks like a wild bear and instead is a teddy bear. I'm curious to see what J.M. Snyder will do with this wonderful character.

http://www.jms-books.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=26&products_id=154

Amazon Kindle: The Powers of Love (Vic and Matt)

Matching Tats by J.M. Snyder

We have seen Matt and Vic in The Powers of Love: Matt has the ability to give supernatural power through sex and Vic, who is just a sturdy man with a tender heart receives all of these powers.

Even if Vic is stronger and bigger than Matt, he is a submissive by nature. He loves to bottom, but he is a really strong bottom, commanding and demanding. And he has a passion for tattoo. Tattoo turns him on and now Matt want a tattoo for himself, a tattoo which claims his love for Vic.

But Matt fears the pain and Vic has to find a way to soothe him.

A really short story, maybe you will appreciate better if you have just read The Powers of Love. Vic is a really tender character: he has a rought look, but he is like a teddy bear and Matt is overwhelmed by this man, by all the love this man can share. Hot and joyful sex scenes.

http://www.jms-books.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=26&products_id=164

Amazon Kindle: Matching Tats

http://www.jms-books.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=8&products_id=163 (print book)

Amazon: Vic and Matt Book I: Origins
Paperback: 146 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace (November 27, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 145631078X
ISBN-13: 978-1456310783

With This Ring by J.M. Snyder

Another adventure in the Vic and Matt's series. They are partners since 5 years and more or less they have learnt to live with the "powers" that Matt passes to Vic during sex. Vic sometime has to stay at home, when the daily power prevents him to go to work, but all in all he is pretty comfortable with them. He is not an usual superhero, he doesn't use the powers to do "great" things, instead he is an ordinary man who helps the people around him, like those retired grandparents who help the kid to cross the street outside school.

But Matt is always worried for his man, he hates when he puts himself in danger, even if he is doing so to help the other. And so when a doctor for a R&D department of a condoms firm suggests that he has a solution for their problems, Matt is willing to try. But loosing the powers means also loosing the telepathic connection he has with Vic: are they ready to become "normal" lovers?

What I like in this series, is that the paranormal element is dealt as an almost "normal" event in the day-to-day life of Vic and Matt. All in all they remain a simple gay couple, who like to do normal thing, like doing shopping (well Matt likes it) and cuddle on the couch in front of the television. Vic has not changed from the simple bus driver who was when he first met Matt, he still considers himself an all too simple man, someone not worthy of Matt's love, who always is wondering why an handsome man like Matt should decide to be his lover. For this reason Vic is very jealous of his man, and even if he is totally convinced of Matt's loyalty, so is not for the other men, that he always believes ready to steal Matt from him.

http://www.jms-books.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=7&products_id=159

Amazon: With This Ring
Amazon Kindle: With This Ring
Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace (December 4, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1456310828
ISBN-13: 978-1456310820

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle 

The Powers Of Love 1: Origins by J.M. Snyder

The Powers of Love by J.M. Snyder

Vic is a simple man with a tough look: shaved (in all body), muscular and shy. He meets Matt, but when knows he is the new buddy of a co-worker, he back up, fearing to proprose himself. Matt is a quite handsome man, not impressive, but somewhat alluring.

Months pass and Vic learns that Matt is now free and they soon begin to see each other but Matt impose a rule: not sex on the first date. But the first date pass and also the second, and also some weeks and the months and still Matt refuses to make sex with him. Finally on the New Year Eve, the fireworks happens also in Vic's house, not only outside. And it's a beautiful night and they speak of love.

But the morning after strange things happen to Vic: he reads minds, he has extraordinary strenght and he can fly! He is not at all happy with that, he is scared and he fears to loose Matt. But maybe Matt is part of the problem...

A strange and brief tale, I believe J.M. Snyder is considering to write more about this couple. Stil it's very interesting cause the character of Vic is irresistible: he looks like a wild bear and instead is a teddy bear. I'm curious to see what J.M. Snyder will do with this wonderful character.

http://www.jms-books.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=26&products_id=154

Amazon Kindle: The Powers of Love (Vic and Matt)

Matching Tats by J.M. Snyder

We have seen Matt and Vic in The Powers of Love: Matt has the ability to give supernatural power through sex and Vic, who is just a sturdy man with a tender heart receives all of these powers.

Even if Vic is stronger and bigger than Matt, he is a submissive by nature. He loves to bottom, but he is a really strong bottom, commanding and demanding. And he has a passion for tattoo. Tattoo turns him on and now Matt want a tattoo for himself, a tattoo which claims his love for Vic.

But Matt fears the pain and Vic has to find a way to soothe him.

A really short story, maybe you will appreciate better if you have just read The Powers of Love. Vic is a really tender character: he has a rought look, but he is like a teddy bear and Matt is overwhelmed by this man, by all the love this man can share. Hot and joyful sex scenes.

http://www.jms-books.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=26&products_id=164

Amazon Kindle: Matching Tats

http://www.jms-books.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=8&products_id=163 (print book)

Amazon: Vic and Matt Book I: Origins
Paperback: 146 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace (November 27, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 145631078X
ISBN-13: 978-1456310783

With This Ring by J.M. Snyder

Another adventure in the Vic and Matt's series. They are partners since 5 years and more or less they have learnt to live with the "powers" that Matt passes to Vic during sex. Vic sometime has to stay at home, when the daily power prevents him to go to work, but all in all he is pretty comfortable with them. He is not an usual superhero, he doesn't use the powers to do "great" things, instead he is an ordinary man who helps the people around him, like those retired grandparents who help the kid to cross the street outside school.

But Matt is always worried for his man, he hates when he puts himself in danger, even if he is doing so to help the other. And so when a doctor for a R&D department of a condoms firm suggests that he has a solution for their problems, Matt is willing to try. But loosing the powers means also loosing the telepathic connection he has with Vic: are they ready to become "normal" lovers?

What I like in this series, is that the paranormal element is dealt as an almost "normal" event in the day-to-day life of Vic and Matt. All in all they remain a simple gay couple, who like to do normal thing, like doing shopping (well Matt likes it) and cuddle on the couch in front of the television. Vic has not changed from the simple bus driver who was when he first met Matt, he still considers himself an all too simple man, someone not worthy of Matt's love, who always is wondering why an handsome man like Matt should decide to be his lover. For this reason Vic is very jealous of his man, and even if he is totally convinced of Matt's loyalty, so is not for the other men, that he always believes ready to steal Matt from him.

http://www.jms-books.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=7&products_id=159

Amazon: With This Ring
Amazon Kindle: With This Ring
Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace (December 4, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1456310828
ISBN-13: 978-1456310820

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle 

Call Me Sir, Too by Stormy Glenn

Stormy Glenn likes to play with her spoiled brat and Daniel is another good example of this type of character. Call Me Sir Too is of course the sequel of Call Me Sir and actually it starts in a similar way: an accomplished Dom falls for a fresh and “innocent” sub and decides he will be “his” sub; but for a reason or the other, the moment when he’s claiming the boy is always delayed and a dramatic event will make it even difficult to happen. What probably I liked most of this sequel is that Daniel, for how much naïve and small, little sputtering brat is, he is the one who is deciding for his life; in any dangerous situation, or apparently dangerous, he is protecting himself, without the help of his big bad Dom.

For sure the novel is naïve, there are some point that I found difficult to believe, like when a fake police officer not only steals a police squad car, but his mistaken for one even by his supposed colleagues: now or he is really good, and from the story he is not, or the other police officers are not so clever, and again, from the story it’s not. Moreover, even if I really loved that Daniel was able to look out for himself, sometime he came out from some dangerous situation a little too easily.

But sincerely, I don’t think the author wanted to write a thriller story, I think she was more interested in making this a little emotional and a lot romantic and funny story: Dante is clearly in love with his little Daniel, so much that he is not even able to see that Daniel is not so helpless as everyone thinks. By the way, I think that neither Daniel is aware of his strength, above all since he likes to be helpless, he likes to be protected and cherished by big bad Dante. Sometime the little brats are aware of their power and they use it to top from the bottom their Dom; but I don’t think this is the case for Daniel: he is not intentionally walking around Dante, to bring him where he wants, but in the end, he is doing exactly that, and being him unaware of his own actions, makes the character even more cute.

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=112

Amazon Kindle: Call Me Sir Too

Series:
1) Call Me Sir: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/943745.html
2) Call Me Sir, Too

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading_list&view=elisa.rolle

Call Me Sir, Too by Stormy Glenn

Stormy Glenn likes to play with her spoiled brat and Daniel is another good example of this type of character. Call Me Sir Too is of course the sequel of Call Me Sir and actually it starts in a similar way: an accomplished Dom falls for a fresh and “innocent” sub and decides he will be “his” sub; but for a reason or the other, the moment when he’s claiming the boy is always delayed and a dramatic event will make it even difficult to happen. What probably I liked most of this sequel is that Daniel, for how much naïve and small, little sputtering brat is, he is the one who is deciding for his life; in any dangerous situation, or apparently dangerous, he is protecting himself, without the help of his big bad Dom.

For sure the novel is naïve, there are some point that I found difficult to believe, like when a fake police officer not only steals a police squad car, but his mistaken for one even by his supposed colleagues: now or he is really good, and from the story he is not, or the other police officers are not so clever, and again, from the story it’s not. Moreover, even if I really loved that Daniel was able to look out for himself, sometime he came out from some dangerous situation a little too easily.

But sincerely, I don’t think the author wanted to write a thriller story, I think she was more interested in making this a little emotional and a lot romantic and funny story: Dante is clearly in love with his little Daniel, so much that he is not even able to see that Daniel is not so helpless as everyone thinks. By the way, I think that neither Daniel is aware of his strength, above all since he likes to be helpless, he likes to be protected and cherished by big bad Dante. Sometime the little brats are aware of their power and they use it to top from the bottom their Dom; but I don’t think this is the case for Daniel: he is not intentionally walking around Dante, to bring him where he wants, but in the end, he is doing exactly that, and being him unaware of his own actions, makes the character even more cute.

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=112

Amazon Kindle: Call Me Sir Too

Series:
1) Call Me Sir: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/943745.html
2) Call Me Sir, Too

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading_list&view=elisa.rolle

Behind the Cover: Robert Bonfils

Robert Bonfils (b. 1922) is an American illustrator, best known for his work for Greenleaf Classics.

Robert Bonfils started his illustration career in Chicago in the mid 1950s, doing various commercial art assignments such as advertisements, decorations, illustrations and magazine, record and book covers. He was then hired by Hamling Organization as art director. He moved to San Diego where Hamling was located and began to produce paperback book covers exclusivly for them.





The titles were published under a variety of imprints within the Hamling group, such as Nighstand Books, Leisure Books, Adult Books, Candid Readers and Companion Books and others, commonly known today as Greenleaf Classics. Bonfils retired from doing cover art in the mid 1970s.

The cover art on Greenleaf Books was never signed so the identity of the artist who did the covers was unknown until the mid eighties when information surfaced among specialty book collectors that the artist was named Bonfils.

In 2002, Bob was reunited with Earl Kemp, an editor at the Hamling Organization. Most of the original art for the Greenleaf covers has mostly been lost, although a few pieces have survived.

Source: http://www.artandpopularculture.com/Robert_Bonfils

( more covers )

Behind the Cover: Robert Bonfils

Robert Bonfils (b. 1922) is an American illustrator, best known for his work for Greenleaf Classics.

Robert Bonfils started his illustration career in Chicago in the mid 1950s, doing various commercial art assignments such as advertisements, decorations, illustrations and magazine, record and book covers. He was then hired by Hamling Organization as art director. He moved to San Diego where Hamling was located and began to produce paperback book covers exclusivly for them.





The titles were published under a variety of imprints within the Hamling group, such as Nighstand Books, Leisure Books, Adult Books, Candid Readers and Companion Books and others, commonly known today as Greenleaf Classics. Bonfils retired from doing cover art in the mid 1970s.

The cover art on Greenleaf Books was never signed so the identity of the artist who did the covers was unknown until the mid eighties when information surfaced among specialty book collectors that the artist was named Bonfils.

In 2002, Bob was reunited with Earl Kemp, an editor at the Hamling Organization. Most of the original art for the Greenleaf covers has mostly been lost, although a few pieces have survived.

Source: http://www.artandpopularculture.com/Robert_Bonfils

( more covers )

Tatterdemalion by Anah Crow & Dianne Fox

This is a luscious urban fantasy story that reminded me one of my favorite tv fiction, the one with a leo man living in an underground New York City. And I think the authors wanted also to play a bit with old legends and modern romance: the two main characters are a shapeshifter leo (even if until the end the reader and the other man is not understanding exactly what type of leo and how magical he is), Dane, who is gentle and caring, and as the hero of my youth favorite tv show, even if he has a royal presence and attitude, he is indead almost a servant of other characters; the other man, boy, is fragile and delicate in body and name, Lindsay, and he is the one Dane has to protect and cherish.

To play along with the imaginery, and to a point that reminded me almost a Fedro or Esopo’s fable, Dane is a leo and he calls Lindsay little bunny; moreover Cyrus, the man who seems to have power on Dane’s actions, asks Dane to take care of Lindsay, basically he is asking to a leo to take care of a bunny, it’s like a mythical temptation, exactly like in those fables of above. The animal metaphor is subdetly used again when Dane and Lindsay, for most part of the book, instead of having sex, are mostly cuddling: better Lindsay is searching for Dane’s big body like a shelter, a comfort blanket, a source of warm and protection; and Lindsay is like the little bunny who, unaware of the hazard of being near a leo, awakes the sleeping leo.

I think this novel was mostly concentrated around Lindsay: not only he is younger, and still in a developing phase, but he is the one who has to learn about his power and gain enough self-esteem to be a right companion to the big leo. Dane is a little of a mystery, but the mystery is right with his character: a leo has that aurea around him, of royal power, but indead, what exactly a leo does, if not protect his relatives, only if strictly necessary, lazly sleep and make love to his partner? It’s not the leo who has to do most of the work, basically his task is to protect and being strong for his dear ones.

As often in the urban fantasy with a New York setting, the story has a “gothic” feeling, that is strengthened by the habitat where Dane is living and Lindsay is brought; a big mansion with multiple floors, strange inhabitants; even when Dane and Lindsay go out, in the daylight, the feeling was always of a gloomy day and the idea was confirmed by the revelation of Dane “true” nature. The authors managed to mix different sources, mythological, fairy, gothic, and created a good melting pot that has plently of cues for other adventures.

http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/tatterdemalion

Amazon: Tatterdemalion (Foundations of Magic)

Amazon Kindle: Tatterdemalion (Foundations of Magic)

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading_list&view=elisa.rolle

Tatterdemalion by Anah Crow & Dianne Fox

This is a luscious urban fantasy story that reminded me one of my favorite tv fiction, the one with a leo man living in an underground New York City. And I think the authors wanted also to play a bit with old legends and modern romance: the two main characters are a shapeshifter leo (even if until the end the reader and the other man is not understanding exactly what type of leo and how magical he is), Dane, who is gentle and caring, and as the hero of my youth favorite tv show, even if he has a royal presence and attitude, he is indead almost a servant of other characters; the other man, boy, is fragile and delicate in body and name, Lindsay, and he is the one Dane has to protect and cherish.

To play along with the imaginery, and to a point that reminded me almost a Fedro or Esopo’s fable, Dane is a leo and he calls Lindsay little bunny; moreover Cyrus, the man who seems to have power on Dane’s actions, asks Dane to take care of Lindsay, basically he is asking to a leo to take care of a bunny, it’s like a mythical temptation, exactly like in those fables of above. The animal metaphor is subdetly used again when Dane and Lindsay, for most part of the book, instead of having sex, are mostly cuddling: better Lindsay is searching for Dane’s big body like a shelter, a comfort blanket, a source of warm and protection; and Lindsay is like the little bunny who, unaware of the hazard of being near a leo, awakes the sleeping leo.

I think this novel was mostly concentrated around Lindsay: not only he is younger, and still in a developing phase, but he is the one who has to learn about his power and gain enough self-esteem to be a right companion to the big leo. Dane is a little of a mystery, but the mystery is right with his character: a leo has that aurea around him, of royal power, but indead, what exactly a leo does, if not protect his relatives, only if strictly necessary, lazly sleep and make love to his partner? It’s not the leo who has to do most of the work, basically his task is to protect and being strong for his dear ones.

As often in the urban fantasy with a New York setting, the story has a “gothic” feeling, that is strengthened by the habitat where Dane is living and Lindsay is brought; a big mansion with multiple floors, strange inhabitants; even when Dane and Lindsay go out, in the daylight, the feeling was always of a gloomy day and the idea was confirmed by the revelation of Dane “true” nature. The authors managed to mix different sources, mythological, fairy, gothic, and created a good melting pot that has plently of cues for other adventures.

http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/tatterdemalion

Amazon: Tatterdemalion (Foundations of Magic)

Amazon Kindle: Tatterdemalion (Foundations of Magic)

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading_list&view=elisa.rolle

Stepping Up to the Plate by J.M. Snyder

Stepping Up to the Plate is not an easy romance, since probably it’s not even a romance, or at least it’s not only a romance. When the story starts Stacy, the main character, is only 16 years old, but don’t think that this is making the novel a cute coming of age story: Stacy’s life is far from being cute or pretty or easy. He is a troubled kid, a working mum who loves her son but has not enough money, or courage, to pretend a better life for him; a step-dad who probably doesn’t like Stacy and would be more than glad to see him gone; a circle of friends that instead of helping him going through these difficult years is dragging him down. It’s probably only out of luck that Stacy ends only with leaving school.

Four years later a 20 years old Stacy is not much different: he is living with Lamar, but Lamar is not exactly his boyfriend; he has a crush on Ange, but neither Ange is exactly his boyfriend; he is having sex with both of them, and probably with other guys, but Stacy doesn’t see where that is wrong when all of them are fine and good. Sex is nothing more than a scratching an itch and even if he thinks that maybe he in love with Ange, Stacy doesn’t really know what love is. Moreover Stacy doesn’t have much self-esteem, so if people, or Lamar, is treating him like trash, maybe he is not so wrong, maybe he deserves nothing more.

But Ange, and Stacy’s mother, have not the same idea and they convince Stacy to get his GED and try to do something better in his life; if not for his immediately liking of the trade teacher, Darian, Stacy would have probably abandoned also this chance at a better life, but for once sex did something good for him. Darian is an Afro-American big guy who takes a liking for the scranny kid maybe since he wants to be for Stacy what his big brother was for him when he was that same age and needed direction. True, Darian’s feeling for Stacy are not exactly brotherly, but as I said this is not exactly a romance, so don’t expect a steamy story of sex between a student and his teacher: Darian has a better opinion of Stacy than Stacy himself. Darian uses sex as a carrot with an horses, he entices Stacy with it, but he has to do something good before being allowed to reach for it.

The story is very long and it’s all about Stacy; it’s a long journey, from being a kid to an adult, and Stacy is the right example of how sometime the school system is not able to save or comprehend the kids. Stacy is not particularly bad, he is not a criminal, but he is not even a diamond star, he is an average guy, with an average brighteness. Being in the middle, not bad, not good, he was almost forgotten and instead Stacy only need a little care and someone who believes in him. Darian is that man; I like him, he is good to Stacy, but probably I liked better Ange; unfortunately he was not the right man for Stacy, but nevertheless he was a wonderful character, and probably as generous as Darian, only with less chances to help Stacy.

http://www.jms-books.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=29&products_id=97

Buy here

Amazon: Stepping Up to the Plate

Amazon Kindle: Stepping Up to the Plate

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading_list&view=elisa.rolle

Stepping Up to the Plate by J.M. Snyder

Stepping Up to the Plate is not an easy romance, since probably it’s not even a romance, or at least it’s not only a romance. When the story starts Stacy, the main character, is only 16 years old, but don’t think that this is making the novel a cute coming of age story: Stacy’s life is far from being cute or pretty or easy. He is a troubled kid, a working mum who loves her son but has not enough money, or courage, to pretend a better life for him; a step-dad who probably doesn’t like Stacy and would be more than glad to see him gone; a circle of friends that instead of helping him going through these difficult years is dragging him down. It’s probably only out of luck that Stacy ends only with leaving school.

Four years later a 20 years old Stacy is not much different: he is living with Lamar, but Lamar is not exactly his boyfriend; he has a crush on Ange, but neither Ange is exactly his boyfriend; he is having sex with both of them, and probably with other guys, but Stacy doesn’t see where that is wrong when all of them are fine and good. Sex is nothing more than a scratching an itch and even if he thinks that maybe he in love with Ange, Stacy doesn’t really know what love is. Moreover Stacy doesn’t have much self-esteem, so if people, or Lamar, is treating him like trash, maybe he is not so wrong, maybe he deserves nothing more.

But Ange, and Stacy’s mother, have not the same idea and they convince Stacy to get his GED and try to do something better in his life; if not for his immediately liking of the trade teacher, Darian, Stacy would have probably abandoned also this chance at a better life, but for once sex did something good for him. Darian is an Afro-American big guy who takes a liking for the scranny kid maybe since he wants to be for Stacy what his big brother was for him when he was that same age and needed direction. True, Darian’s feeling for Stacy are not exactly brotherly, but as I said this is not exactly a romance, so don’t expect a steamy story of sex between a student and his teacher: Darian has a better opinion of Stacy than Stacy himself. Darian uses sex as a carrot with an horses, he entices Stacy with it, but he has to do something good before being allowed to reach for it.

The story is very long and it’s all about Stacy; it’s a long journey, from being a kid to an adult, and Stacy is the right example of how sometime the school system is not able to save or comprehend the kids. Stacy is not particularly bad, he is not a criminal, but he is not even a diamond star, he is an average guy, with an average brighteness. Being in the middle, not bad, not good, he was almost forgotten and instead Stacy only need a little care and someone who believes in him. Darian is that man; I like him, he is good to Stacy, but probably I liked better Ange; unfortunately he was not the right man for Stacy, but nevertheless he was a wonderful character, and probably as generous as Darian, only with less chances to help Stacy.

http://www.jms-books.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=29&products_id=97

Buy here

Amazon: Stepping Up to the Plate

Amazon Kindle: Stepping Up to the Plate

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading_list&view=elisa.rolle