Book Blast: Hidden Gem by Lissa Kasey

Hidden Gem by Lissa Kasey
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press; 1 edition (September 26, 2014)
Amazon Kindle: Hidden Gem

Misaki “Aki” Itou is a psi—a person with mutated DNA granting him psychic abilities. He’s also a contracted companion—a whore. It may not be the perfect profession, but having a roof over his head, food to eat, and not being subjected to torture is a dream come true. He is the top companion at the Hidden Gem, and it makes him enough money to buy the prettiest, most sparkly shoes he can find.
Shane McNaughton is an Irishman who survived the Third World War and works as a cop. Head of Missing Persons, he’s good at finding people, but after the plague of the Third mutated his DNA, he has a hard time letting anyone see the monster inside. He’s been paying for Aki’s services for two years, both the psi and the sexual kind, but he wants more from the companion.
Shane needs Aki’s ability to see into another person’s past to track down a serial killer murdering the children of rich and powerful men, but the more they work together, the clearer it becomes that they are linked through a darker past than either of them realizes.



( Excerpt )

Author Bio: Lissa Kasey lives in St. Paul, MN, has a Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing, and collects Asian Ball Joint Dolls who look like her characters. She has three cats who enjoy waking her up an hour before her alarm every morning and sitting on her lap to help her write. She can often be found at Anime Conventions masquerading as random characters when she's not writing about boy romance.
Author Contact:
Twitter: @parisbvamp
Website: www.lissakasey.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lissa.kasey

Available from Dreamspinner Press:
Inheritance
Reclamation
Conviction
Ascendance
Hidden Gem

Available from Lissa Kasey:
Friction
Resolute
Consequences
Decadence
Jamie
Devotion
Samhain
Dominion Shorts (compilation)

Available from Lissa Kasey/Xara X. Xanakas
Sink or Swim



Tour Dates: 9/26/14
Tour Stops: Parker Williams, Emotion in Motion, Velvet Panic, Decadent Delights, Book Whores United, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, Amanda C. Stone, The Hat Party, Jade Crystal, Iyana Jenna, Nephylim, Elisa - My Reviews and Ramblings, MM Good Book Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads, Boy Meets Boy Reviews, Sinfully Sexy, Cate Ashwood, Andrew Q. Gordon, Fallen Angel Reviews, Multitasking Mommas

Rafflecopter Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway
Rafflecopter Prize: $20 Amazon Gift Card

2014 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mentions

Waiting for the list of finalists to be announced beginning of October, I will post daily the 2014 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mentions: an honorable mention means a judge gave a rate of 36 or above out of 40 to the book; an honorable mention doesn't mean the book is automatically among the finalists, could be could be not, but it's important to understand there are more than 500 books in the literary contests, all books are in the process of being read by the jury, but only half of them will go to finals. So please, congratulate with me this year honorable mentions:



Lesbian Romantic Comedy
Out Of Retirement by Erica Lawson
Paperback: 230 pages
Publisher: Affinity E-Book Press NZ; First edition (April 14, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1927282586
ISBN-13: 978-1927282588
Amazon: Out Of Retirement
Amazon Kindle: Out Of Retirement

"This book is truly unique and will make you laugh out loud, as I did many times! The main characters are unlike others in other books. Hopefully there will be a sequel!"

Gay Contemporary Romance
Because of Jade (Vasquez & James Series) by Lou Sylvre
Series: Vasquez and James
Paperback: 270 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (May 23, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1627989471
ISBN-13: 978-1627989473
Amazon: Because of Jade (Vasquez & James Series)
Amazon Kindle: Because of Jade (Vasquez & James Series)

"Such a beautiful story, very easy to read but not because of a simplicity of language or skimping on plot. Everything about this story flowed wonderfully, from the loving relationship between the main characters to them negotiating the tragedy that invades their lives to the eventual, and hard-won, happy ending. This is the first Luki and Sonny novel I’ve read, and it speaks well of the author’s deft handling of the world she’s created that I didn’t feel like anything was really missing for me when I read it. That being said, I definitely want to go back and start at the beginning now."

Gay Historical Romance
Masquerade (2 novellas as 1 submission) by Joy Lynn Fielding
Paperback: 216 pages
Publisher: Siren Publishing, Inc. (February 11, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1627407634
ISBN-13: 978-1627407632
Amazon: Masquerade [Carnevale: A Gilded Cage]

"This pair of short stories was written on a large canvass with vivid imagery. The sights, sounds, and smells of Venice of long ago, and the beautiful countryside vineyard are detailed and brief as to let the reader see what they will as the story progresses. What takes center stage is the true sexual awakening of Perry, a young gentleman from England, and his attachment to Jack, the former Englishman that cannot go home."

Gay Young Adult
Here’s to You, Zeb Pike by Johanna Parkhurst
Paperback: 180 pages
Publisher: Harmony Ink Press (November 7, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1627985247
ISBN-13: 978-1627985246
Amazon: Here's to You, Zeb Pike
Amazon Kindle: Here's to You, Zeb Pike

"I loved this book it had me sucked in from the first page…"

"Very moving, strong character development, fully realized."

Gay Young Adult
Every Inferno by Johanna Parkhurst
Paperback: 180 pages
Publisher: Harmony Ink Press (July 24, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1627987983
ISBN-13: 978-1627987981
Amazon: Every Inferno
Amazon Kindle: Every Inferno

"This is such a wonderful YA story with strong characters, especially JJ, who, although has his own flaws turns out to be a very strong young man who would wouldn't stop his search of the person who killed his parents and so many others at a theater ten years ago. Through his nightmares he starts putting pieces of that dreadful day together and with the help of his friend, McKinley, and a doctor he meets, his lost memories come to him little by little until the truth surfaces luring out the killer. Overall, I really liked this story. It covered a topic we deal with our children (teens) everywhere, alcoholism, or the fact that they drink at all."

Gay Contemporary Romance
After the Fall (A Tucker Springs Novel) by L.A. Witt
Series: A Tucker Springs Novel
Paperback: 184 pages
Publisher: Riptide Publishing (September 28, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1626490775
ISBN-13: 978-1626490772
Amazon: After the Fall (A Tucker Springs Novel)
Amazon Kindle: After the Fall (A Tucker Springs Novel)

"This was one those books you couldn't stop from reading. You could feel the physical ache of the characters, or maybe that was just my sympathy. Loved every page!"

Gay Erotic Romance
No Distance Left to Run by Aleksandr Voinov & L.A. Witt
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd. (May 13, 2014)
Amazon Kindle: No Distance Left to Run

"This is the first book in this series that I have read.  Even though it's book 4 in the series I found it very easy to follow.  I thought it was a solid read all the way around.  I especially loved how the setting, including the Mormon religion, helped define the characters and plot."

Lesbian Mystery / Thriller
Tumbledown by Cari Hunter
Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books (February 18, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1626390851
ISBN-13: 978-1626390850
Amazon: Tumbledown
Amazon Kindle: Tumbledown

"This book is a sequel, but you do not to have read it to enjoy this book.  (although I did read the first book).  This book will keep you guessing until the very end what happens to the main characters.  I loved this book."

"Great book, easy to read in one sitting! Loved it! Charac ters were real and likable."

Gay Young Adult
This Is Not a Love Story by Suki Fleet
Paperback: 270 pages
Publisher: Harmony Ink Press (May 22, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1632160404
ISBN-13: 978-1632160409
Amazon: This Is Not a Love Story
Amazon Kindle: This Is Not a Love Story

"Hard topic beautifully written. This is a love story that works on many levels--it's true to life, tough, harsh, and yet hopeful. It made me think, but most importantly it made me feel. A marvelous debut novel."

"This is truly a gripping story of teenagers---one mute with an artistic gift, one damaged inside but with a beautiful  spirit---but this is NOT a teenage story.  There are tears, abuse, homelessness, grief, loss, more loss, and then. .  .well, it is not a love story, but it IS a story about love.  And sacrifice.  And where home really is."

"I just couldn't find anything that didn't deserve the highest rating. This is a book that will stay long with you after you finished reading it. Usually I am not such a happy end person, but for these characters I desperately needed a happy end - anything else would have been devastating. Luckily I have no experience with homelessness, but to me the descriptions of their struggles felt real and I was caring deeply for the characters - not only for the main characters Romeo and Julian, but also for the ones they meet on their way. Books like these are the reason why I love participating in the Jury of the Rainbow Awards so much, because I don't know if I would have otherwise found and read this book."

Gay Mystery / Thriller
Damaged (Uniformity Book 2) by Ethan Stone
Series: Uniformity
Paperback: 222 pages
Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing (January 24, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1781847037
ISBN-13: 978-1781847039
Amazon: Damaged (Uniformity Book 2)
Amazon Kindle: Damaged (Uniformity Book 2)

"This book is either a sequel or the second in a series.  I have not read the earlier book, but I never felt at a loss in reading this installment, so the author has done a great job in making this story stand on its own. I loved the characters and thought the mystery that developed here was handled expertly. The writing was sharp and the personality of the narrator came through distinctly."

Something Different by T. Baggins

There was something in this book that was "unappealing" and yet somehow "addictive", it was like my mind was saying "hey, do you really like it?" and an inner voice was replying, "yes, I like it, and so what?" and it pushed me to continue reading it.

The theme, prim and proper business man meets rent boy, fall in love and rescue him from the hell is basic and common, something I like indeed, but not something that would cause my addiction to this book; it was more the character of Michael, the business man who isn't actually a business man but a content editor, averagely wealthy, from a trust fund more than from his chosen profession, with a wife and kids at home, maybe the wife isn't really warm to him, but she isn't neither a monster, just probably they aren't in love anymore, if they were ever. Michael searches for that comfort he isn't finding at home in the arms of James, a rent boy who isn't really the good-hearted whore of so many movies and books, but just an average boy from the ghetto, with some trouble and no chance to go out his private hell if someone doesn't help him. At one point, Michael rightly tells James they will never be equal from a social status point of view, not cause James is stupid or not worthy, but simply cause Michael had a born advantage that James didn't have.

Anyway the story is sometime passionate, sometime gritty, sometime even too explic, dark and brooding, and, truth be told, never once light. This wan't a fluffy romance at all, but, as I said, it was somehow addictive.

Paperback: 142 pages
Publisher: Lyonnesse Books (October 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1481151711
ISBN-13: 978-1481151719
Amazon: Something Different
Amazon Kindle: Something Different

More Reviews by Author at my website: http://www.elisarolle.com/, My Reviews