Review: Pain Slut (The Subs Club #2) by J.A. Rock

Honestly, I’m ready to take a step back from the Subs Club. Making the kink world a safer place for subs is the sort of bandwagon I’d have boarded as an idealist in my early twenties, but now I’m a pragmatist in my late twenties. I prefer to focus on adopting and raising a child.

But unexpected factors inevitably derail my plans. Like Drix Seger—attractive and the first genuine sadist I’ve encountered. If I were not in the process of renouncing my masochistic ways and becoming the normal, responsible potential father the adoption agency wants to see, Drix and I might do well together.

But he has a foolish name and belongs to a cult of vampyres, and I am quitting kink. So why does Drix’s infatuation with blood and biting make me so hot I can’t think straight? And why, when he looks at me, does he seem to see something beyond a basket case with a stick up my ass?

Can I start a new phase in my life without leaving part of myself behind? Please send help.

—Miles



I consider myself a #TeamPain enthusiast so I was STOOOOOKED to read this one. I lean toward impact play pain rather than chemical or edgeplay pain which is Miles' preference. What I'm loving so much about this series is the humanizing of kink J.A. is doing. I think many people tend to think of BDSM as something that weird or damaged people engage in and all of these guys are sympathetic characters with every day problems and worries.

Miles is Mos Def in a Mr. Rogers cardigan for Pete's sake! There's nothing freakish about him, though he does struggle with reconciling being a masochist with being a father. Miles has made the decision to adopt and believes his kinky time has to come to an end because he can't be a masochist AND a father. Can he? Miles is exceedingly intelligent; he a business owner at 27 and to quote the great Ferris Bueller...




Replace 'Cameron' with Miles and you get the idea.

Miles is a spinner. He takes something and flips it over so many times until he becomes paralyzed with fear of making the wrong decision. So, yeah, insecure control freak perfectionist. *shrugs* We all have our crosses to bear, eh? Along comes all 6'7" of Drix into Miles' store and sparks fly. He turns out to be the yin to Miles' yang; he has the ability to throw a wrench in those spin outs. They work.

Ironically, Drix reminds me quite a lot of Kamen only he's a sadist. Kamen, the one Miles shuts down and discounts on the regular! This amused me to no end. Drix is a vampyre and a PI which sends Miles into a judgmental tailspin or maybe a boomerang since he realizes he's being a supercilious asshat and apologizes. 

Drix does have sadistic tendencies and enjoys blood. Because VAMPYRE! But he has no practical BDSM experience, so a long time play partner named Bowser (ginger lumbersexual & Dr. Sadist *growls*) agrees to mentor him. There are a couple of ménage scenes just so you know. And, p.s., I found Bowser intriguing and it occurred to me during the reading of this that I would like to begin a campaign for a spin off series called The Doms Strike Back. Who's with me?




As I was saying...

When Drix agrees to learn how to be the kind of sadist that can give Miles what he needs that spoke volumes about his character to me and center punched me right in the feels. They both mold to fit the other because they are so enamored of the other, but their road does have a couple potholes. Miles has never been in a relationship with or loved his play partners until Drix and he finds that what he thought he needed no longer holds as much appeal as being in the moment and sharing the experience with someone he cares about. It's kind of freeing for him and enlightening.

Can we just gather round the camp fire and talk about the face melting sex? JAYSUS!!!!!!! My BRer, Adam, and I were PMing about our feels and my response to one scene in the back of an SUV was simply: *honk honk*. Rendered me speechless. 


He made me want to fuck loudly and messily, while I was crying or scared or delirious with joy.






The kinky sex gets progressively more intense as their relationship develops and Drix puts his education to practice which begs the question of how in the sweet name of Baby Jeebuz Miles thinks he's going to give up kink in just a few short months when his adoption hopefully comes through? The kid is pretty adorbs though so maybe.

Miles' family, the other subs in the club, the evolution of The Subs Club and the process of adoption by a single parent rounded out the story nicely. I feel like I know Miles now; he's not just a tight ass. He's an insecure tight ass with a big heart and some poor communication skills who loves his friends more than he can say and needs a hug. A lot of them. Speaking of hugs... 


Kamen,

I'm coming for you, honey bunches a'oats.





Soon.

Giddyup,
CC

Still loving the stuffing out of this series.






An ARC was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


Find out more on Goodreads.

Blog Tour & Giveaway: The Art of Hero Worship by Mia Kerick


Mia Kerick has a new book coming out! EEEE!! We have some awesome info to share with you including the blurb, cover reveal, and an excerpt. Not to mention a giveaway!

Cover & Blurb:

Trembling on the floor, pressed beneath a row of seats in a dark theater, college freshman Jason Tripp listens to the terrifying sound of gunshots, as an unknown shooter moves methodically through the theater, randomly murdering men, women, and children attending a student performance of Hamlet. Junior Liam Norcross drapes his massive body on top of Jason, sheltering the younger man from the deathly hail of bullets, risking his life willingly, and maybe even eagerly.

As a result of the shared horror, an extraordinary bond forms between the two young men, which causes discomfort for family and friends, as well as for Jason and Liam, themselves. And added to the challenge of two previously “straight” men falling into a same-sex love, are the complications that arise from the abundance of secrets Liam holds with regard to a past family tragedy. The fledgling passion between the men seems bound to fade away into the darkness from which it emerged.

Jason, however, is inexplicably called to rescue his hero in return, by delving into Liam’s shady past and uncovering the mystery that compels the older man to act as the college town’s selfless savior.

The Art of Hero Worship takes the reader on a voyage from the dark and chilling chaos that accompanies a mass shooting to the thrill of an unexpected and sensual romance.




Excerpt:

Pop-pop-pop…. 

No, I’m not even remotely safe. But thankfully I play dead far better than my dog did when I taught him that trick at the age of seven.

The shots are earsplitting and getting louder because the shooter’s heading our way. I’m so fucking scared I’m trembling violently, but I promised the guy lying on top of me that I’d stay still. I concentrate on taking short shallow breaths, one after another, in my effort to stop trembling. To stay frozen—like I’ve been since I pulled Ginny to the floor and promptly let go of her hand so I could curl up into a tight fetal ball.

Somebody near me sits up, scrambles to his knees, and impulsively crawls toward the far aisle.

Pop-pop-pop…

“Bang, bang… you’re dead.” The voice comes from directly above me; it’s blank and monotone and controlled. The weird snicker that follows is chilling. I want nothing more than to throw the big guy off my back and run like hell toward the double doors, but I just keep on going with the short breaths and stay as still as I’ve ever been in my life. Even in my terrified state, I know that the guy on top of me is totally exposed and I can’t move because I’ll cheat him out of his life, for sure. Which is so not cool when he’s trying to save mine.

I smell blood. Never noticed the smell of blood before. It reminds me of Grandma’s penny collection… if it got spilled onto the sticky floor of the theater. The scent of old copper is everywhere… like wet pennies strewn all around me on the floor.

Pop-pop-pop… 

Shooter’s right above us now. Don’t move… don’t move… don’t move….

“Dear God, help us!” This request seems to catch the shooter’s attention and he turns around and steps away from us. I curse myself for feeling as relieved, and maybe even glad, as I do.

Pop-pop-pop….

We wait and it seems like forever. We wait as voices beg and plead and pray and he shuts them up with bullets. We wait as the sound of shots moves to the front left near the exit, where I figure he’s shooting at anyone who tries to get out through the double doors.

And then, for a second, it’s quiet.

“Now….” The big guy’s voice is whispering but it seems to blast into my left ear. “We have to make our move now.” Before I agree, the heaviness of his body lifts and I feel cold and exposed. “This is our chance to get outta here….”

His hand is attached to the back of my wrist, clutching me so hard that I know I’ll have fingerprint bruises for a week… if I live so long.

Buy the book:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1JCypPj

About Mia Kerick:

Mia Kerick is the mother of four exceptional children—all named after saints—and five nonpedigreed cats—all named after the next best thing to saints, Boston Red Sox players. Her husband of twenty years has been told by many that he has the patience of Job, but don’t ask Mia about that, as it is a sensitive subject.

Mia focuses her stories on the emotional growth of troubled young men and their relationships, and she believes that sex has a place in a love story, but not until it is firmly established as a love story. As a teen, Mia filled spiral-bound notebooks with romantic tales of tortured heroes (most of whom happened to strongly resemble lead vocalists of 1980s big-hair bands) and stuffed them under her mattress for safekeeping. She is thankful to CoolDudes Publishing, Dreamspinner Press, Harmony Ink Press for providing her with an alternate place to stash her stories.

Mia is proud of her involvement with the Human Rights Campaign and cheers for each and every victory made in the name of marital equality. Her only major regret: never having taken typing or computer class in school, destining her to a life consumed with two-fingered pecking and constant prayer to the Gods of Technology.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mia.kerick
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/Mia-KerickAuthor-231404220346244/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MiaKerick
Newsletter Sign Up: http://eepurl.com/bCLWfT
Website: www.miakerick.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6474518.Mia_Kerick
Amazon Author Page:
http://www.amazon.com/Mia-Kerick/e/B009KSTG9E/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1410298098&sr=8-2
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28369581-the-art-of-hero-worship
Publisher: Cool Dudes Publishing
Cover Artist: Louis C. Harris


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Stops:
Parker Williams, The Jena Wade, Boys on the Brink Reviews, Kimi-Chan, Bayou Book Junkie, BFD Book Blog, The Hat Party, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Gay Book Reviews, Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, MM Good Book Reviews, Wicked Faerie's Tales and Reviews, 3 Chicks After Dark, Kirsty Loves Books, V's Reads, Alpha Book Club, Because Two Men Are Better Than One, Happily Ever Chapter, Jessie G. Books, Velvet Panic, Book Lovers 4Ever, Caraway Carter, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Molly Lolly, Divine Magazine, Boy Meets Boy Reviews, Love Bytes

Review: Horsefeathers by Caitlin Ricci

Justin was sent to get a mare, and is helpless to explain to his unhappy boss why he came back with an untouchable gray stallion instead, but there's just something about the horse that wouldn't let him leave it behind.

Of course, because an angry boss and a horse they don't need isn't enough, the horse goes missing—leaving a strange man in his place, a man who speaks in riddles and seems more than a little crazy, but he's also just as hard to refuse as the stallion…











This was a little different. And my first Caitlin Ricci.


Nohatu is a Native American wild horse shifter. He lives a "half-life" because he shares he body and soul with another, Brother Horse. We meet Brother Horse at a mustang adoption where he catches Justin, a ranch hand's eye. The two make a deeper connection than they planned once the adoption takes place. They travel from the adoption place back to Justin's ranch where he works in Colorado where Justin gets a big surprise.

The story jumps into paranormal fairly quickly since the reader starts in Brother Horse/Nohatu's head. It was an interesting concept. I wonder how he'd got himself caught but for the sake of a story, I rolled with it. Justin being the love interest? Mmm...I'm not too sure about it. I wouldn't say Horsefeathers was romantic. It ends with a HFN feel with a possibility for more.

Do I think the two started sexual contact too quickly? Not really. So do a lot of people nowadays with just an exchange of names and sometimes even barely that. (No judge zone) I think it was necessary as a catalyst for the paranormal aspect which goes into a concern I have about the story.

My bigger gripe is I think this story would work better longer. I don't think it's novel material but a couple more thousand in words to help some with those rough transitions. An example, the characters are in the cab of a truck, in the blink of an eye, one of them is in the bush. Then the other is waking up. It reads a little jarring. So maybe 35-50 pages, tighten up some of the ideas introduced, explore & explain how the difference between certain types of shifters. (You'll have to read to understand what I mean.)

Something about an off hand comment Justin made to Nohatu during an argument rubbed me the wrong way. If he felt that way in the heat of the moment, how will you guys even last? I have a question mark on Justin and Nohatu's 'relationship' but the open ending helps some.

Some.

Overall, I liked the ideas, I have some issues with the execution, one remark (okay two but the one from Justin is the main one) rubbed me wrong but it can be argued it was said in anger.

The story is readable. The folktale feel that Nohatu brought with his past was cool. Wish that was expanded on, or maybe written a little differently. The title and the cover are very fitting. I think they're the best parts.

Who might enjoy this most? Readers who want something quick, paranormal and features a different sort of shifter without much world building.

For more information on Gooreads or Booklikes!

A copy provided via Netgalley for an honest review.

Review: Snowed In by Teodora Kostova

Be careful what you wish for...

Nate has been in love with Quinn, his brother’s best friend, for as long as he can remember. But when he finally gets the chance to show Quinn how he feels, his heart gets broken in the most unexpected way.

Second chances come when you least expect them...

Quinn doesn’t believe in miracles, especially not Christmas ones. When he decides to win Nate back he knows it won’t be easy. The last thing he expects is a health scare, a road trip and a vicious snow storm to work in his favor.

In the end, a cabin in the woods turns out to be not only the shelter they desperately need, but also Quinn's very own Christmas miracle.

Sometimes, to forgive, you need to get snowed in...



Maybe kinda spoilerish...

Falling in love with your brothers best friend ***sigh***

Snowy cabin in the woods ***SIGH***

High-tailing it outta there for a couple of years with NO COMMUNICATION... ***sound of book slamming shut*** (Metaphorically as I read it on an e-reader...)

Actually, I'm being a tad unfair, mainly because I felt quite let down. I absolutely loved the first part of this book, it was ticking boxes left, right and centre and I had the stupidest, dreamiest smile on my face and then... then it went downhill. Not the writing, the writing was good, but the reasoning didn't stand up for me. I could see exactly what the author was trying to do, I just don't think it worked and this made me sad because I wanted to like this book.

I could understand the reason Quinn left, but I couldn't understand how is leaving was so absolute. How there was no communication at all; it just felt too manufactured. It was there for the sake of drama and that pissed me off. It's the 21st century; texting, messaging, emailing are things. Hell a like on a popular social networking site is better than sweet FA.The story could have worked without a two year disappearance. It would have worked differently, but it would have worked better. For me, at least, and unfortunately that is the memory I take of this book; not the sweet romance that was there at the start and end, but the needless drama and angst in the middle. Which is a shame.

Teodora Kostova knows how to write though and I'm not letting my experience with this book put me off from reading other books by this author. This is only my opinion, my feelings - check out Goodreads for some five star reviews and see what others thought.


A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.
For more information see Goodreads.

Reviews: Break Me (Outlaw MC #8) AND Outlaw MC of Mars: A Christmas Story (Outlaw MC #9) by James Cox

What if bad guys ruled the world and the good guys were the outlaws?

Now that the war is won, Outlaw returns to earth to break Liam out of prison. But what the VP of the club experienced is still unknown. Outlaw must prepare for the worst, a broken lover that he took too long to rescue. Meanwhile, Mars is rebuilding under new leadership but the peace is short lived with an old enemy on the loose. And the Prospect has some unexpected revelations, like his crush on Outlaw. As if the president of the Outlaw MC didn’t have enough to deal with.

Finding Liam in an abandoned earth prison is his goal, the rest of the universe would have to wait. Outlaw only hoped he wasn’t too late to be Liam’s hero.

AND
The war is over but the fight Liam faces has just begun. He must confront his memories or be consumed by them. Nightmare’s plague his sleep. Although Liam’s body has healed, his mind is fractured and dark. As the joy of Christmas falls on Mars, Liam along with Outlaw and Reilly return to earth. To the very prison where Liam’s torment first began...

 Will the Outlaw MC of Mars finally find their happy endings?

I love this series. Like, a lot. And, while I’ve loved reading every pairing along the MC’s journey to retake Mars, I’ve been dying to get back to Outlaw and Liam. Liam’s imprisonment on Earth has been hanging over every story and the toll it takes on Outlaw is a heartbreaker. James does a great job of showing Outlaw’s strength he keeps up for all the members of their cause while at the same time I could feel how much the loss of Liam is tearing him apart.

And then there is Reilly, the Prospect who has been in love with Outlaw from day one. (Also, that is TOTALLY him on the cover.) I wasn’t sure how this was all going to play out and still let me keep my feels for the original relationship between Outlaw and Liam. It’s what got me hooked on the series to begin with, so, not gonna lie, I was a little nervous.

But, one of the many things that James does so well, is build a menage relationship. Seriously, that’s something that is NOT easy to do and a reason why a lot of readers don't dig on reading them, I get that. The relationships all start to run together, the feels are all the same and when it comes time to head to Pound Town, the holes become interchangeable. I don’t want to read about interchangeable holes. 

I want my characters to keep their personalities and the relationships should all be unique. Outlaw can’t love Reilly the same way that he loves Liam. But, he can still love him and the difference is what makes it so good. The relationship begins to take some shape, but Outlaw is never going to move forward until he gets his Liam back.

 The journey to Earth, what they found and how they rescued Liam was soooooo good. Just because the MC reclaimed Mars, didn’t mean the excitement was over. And Liam, poor strong, amazing, beautiful Liam. He was so damaged, BUT, he was an Outlaw MC of Mars and no tentacled beast was going to keep him from going home. He knew. He knew Outlaw was going to come get him, he just had to survive long enough.

Now, the whole Reilly thing was a bit of a surprise, but what I like about this series in general is how these guys acknowledge their feelings of confusion or trepidation, but at the same time, they know how lucky they are to find love and they appreciate it without a ridiculous amount of angst. Given the world they are living in, it makes sense. There were no declarations of insta-love, just openness and optimism of what they were heading toward together.

Liam needs a lot of support right now and it will take two men to help make him whole again. This is where the uniqueness of the characters comes in and works so well again. Outlaw and Reilly both provide an unwavering foundation, but they offer it in completely different ways. I loved it. Liam isn’t instantly healed as soon as he gets home and gets a dose of Outlaw’s magic peen. But, he’s on his way and with Outlaw and Reilly by his side I had no doubt he would find his peace again.

Now, you can’t stop at #8, there is a 25 page little Jizzmas gem that follows, The Outlaw MC of Mars: A Christmas Story #9  that you have to read. For one, it’s a great wrap up of all the pairings we’ve read about in books 1-8, it also gives the final scene I needed/wanted for Outlaw, Liam and Reilly. Liam is “forced” to face his demons by his lovers and while it may have been a little unconventional and definitely uncomfortable for Liam, his partners were there for him and the final scene was some hot-as-hell therapy that I could totally get behind. This is a must read for fans of this series. That being said, I already miss them!

For more info on the Outlaw MC's of Mars #8 and #9, check them out on Goodreads, hell, check out the whole series!


Review: Drama Muscle by Joe Cosentino

It could be lights out for college theatre professor Nicky Abbondanza. With dead bodybuilders popping up on campus, Nicky, and his favorite colleague/life partner Noah Oliver, must use their drama skills to figure out who is taking down pumped up musclemen in the Physical Education building before it is curtain down for Nicky and Noah. Complicating matters is a visit from Noah’s parents from Wisconsin, and Nicky’s suspicion that Noah may be hiding more than a cut, smooth body.

You will be applauding and shouting Bravo for Joe Cosentino’s fast-paced, side-splittingly funny, edge-of-your-seat entertaining second novel in this delightful series. Curtain up and weights up!

When we met Nicky and Noah in Drama Queen, they were Jessica Fletcher(s) to Tree Meadow's Cabbot's Cove - all while falling in love. Of course, by then end of the book they'd tied up the mystery is a velvet bow and worked out whodunnit before going back to their busy lives, their short careers as detectives behind them.

Until now that is. Now, when they are working with the gym department to put on a body building show (Nicky and Noah add a little help in the theatrics part of the competition) and all of a sudden they find themselves having to work out whodidit again. It was in the gym, with... well, various weapons... but WHO is the culprit? They know the where and the how, but they need to work out the who and the why before anyone else falls foul of the gym killer.

In Joe Cosentino's inimitable style Nicky, and Noah, set out to find out who is killing off body builders faster than you can say gym bunny. There is a fine line of writing farcical humour, too far and it just becomes eye-rollingly stupid, but Cosentino walks it beautifully. It's in your face, but has subtle undertones at the same time. It's the sublime and the ridiculous in just the right amounts. From the names to the situations and scenarios, every detail is thought out.

The who's shagging who in this story is reminiscent of an eighties bedroom swapping drama. You know, the ones where nobody ends up in bed with who they expect too. Nobody is as sweet and innocent as they appear. I suppose all that oil the body builders are rubbing into their bodies makes for good lubrication.

As well as trying to stage this show and solve this mystery, Noah's parents have come to stay, and Nicky is getting a little suspicious about Noah's frequent disappearances. The story lines keep us loving the relationship between Nicky and Noah as well as the mystery and humour.

Drama Muscle is such a well woven story that is literally laugh out loud funny. Reminiscent of the Carry On films in humour, if you've not tried this author I'd say start with Nicky and Noah, they definitely hooked me in.

Before I go...it's gotta be said, on my (decidedly rare) visits to the gym, I often feel like killing people. All that working out, it's meant to make you feel happy and buzzed but it's just a waste of good reading time, if you ask me.


A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.
For more information, see Goodreads.

Author Visit and Interview: Joe Cosentino talking about Drama Muscle.


A big welcome back to one of my favourite authors, Joe Cosentino. Hi Joe, it's great to have you back in the clubhouse.

It’s great to be back on your terrific site.

Congratulations on DRAMA QUEEN winning Divine Magazine’s Readers Poll awards for Best Mystery Novel, Best Crime Novel, Best Humorous Novel, and Best Contemporary Novel of 2015!

Thank you! I am still on Cloud 9. What a thrill. It means so much to me that readers love the Nicky and Noah series.

Your humour tickles my funny bone. It’s farcical, witty, just the right amount of over the top and very clever. Does it come easily to you or do you have to work at it. Also, do you know straight away if something is funny, or do you question and rewrite?

I come from a funny Italian-American family. For example, when I received a faculty endowed chair at the college where I am a professor/department head, my father said to me, “You better bring that chair home so I can fix it. What do college guys know about making chairs?” My mother said to me, “Keep working hard. Maybe one day you’ll get a desk too!” I’ve always thought funny, and I love making people laugh. It’s been proven that we get positive health benefits from laughing. I decided early on that the Nicky and Noah mysteries would be gay, farcical, cozy whodunits taking place at an Edwardian style university, Treemeadow College, named after its gay couple founders, Tree and Meadow. I knew the clues, murders, and laughs would come fast and furious with enough plot twists and turns and a surprise ending to keep the pages turning. I also wanted the love story to build from book to book between Associate Professor of Directing Nicky Abbondanza and Assistant Professor of Acting Noah Oliver. All three books, DRAMA QUEEN, DRAMA MUSCLE, and the upcoming DRAMA CRUISE made me laugh from the first draft. I think a mystery needs more than a whodunit. Getting there should be half the fun. As you know, in DRAMA MUSCLE Nicky and Noah don their gay Holmes and Watson personas again to find out who is murdering musclemen as Nicky directs the annual bodybuilding competition on campus. Bodybuilding students and faculty drop faster than barbells until Nicky figures out the identity of the murderer, as well as Noah’s secret revolving around Van Granite, one of the bodybuilding professors. Noah’s colorful parents visit from Wisconsin and are drawn into the action, and Nicky and Noah reach a milestone by the end of the novel.

I’ve gotta ask about the names of your characters. From rhyming to real to the downright ridiculous, they are really amusing. How on earth do you think of them?

I took a writing class back in college, where the professor strongly believed each character’s name should say something about his/her personality. I’ve stuck to that in each of my books, especially in the Nicky and Noah series. For example, the names of the bodybuilding professors in DRAMA MUSCLE are Brick Strong, Cheryl Stryker, and Van Granite.

Nicky and Noah are my favourite of your creations. Nicky though is sneaky, a tad self-obsessed (is that an oxymoron?) and … well let’s just say sometimes his morality leaves a bit to be desired *cough* peeping Tom *cough*. How do you write a character like that who is still likeable?

Nicky has such wit, perseverance in the face of adversity, and smarts. I love his sense of determination in not only nabbing the murderer, but also getting his man—Noah. Nicky is genuinely concerned about others, and enjoys taking on the role of hero. Finally, he is a one-man man, and Nicky is proud to admit that man is Noah Oliver. Nicky is also, tall and muscular with Italian good looks. And his enormous manhood doesn’t hurt. Well, maybe it does. Hah. Nicky is the perfect amateur sleuth because he never loses his sense of humor even when he has to eavesdrop for clues, flirt to get certain information, or use his theatre skills to impersonate others.

Who was the easiest character to write?

Martin Anderson, the department head, who I patterned after myself was easiest to write. I love his dedication to the college, paternal instincts toward Nicky and Noah, sense of theatricality, and his inquiring mind—meaning he’s a big gossip. I also like that he is happily married. We get to know Martin’s husband Ruben quite well in the third novel, DRAMA CRUISE.

Which character was the hardest to write?

The Kim twins bodybuilding students can read each other’s minds. So their dialogue is always in answer to something the other has thought. While this is quirky and funny to read, it was difficult to write.

Sex. I really want to talk about sex. There is an ancient Michael Fox film from the eighties called The Secret of my Success, and in it is one of those classic bedroom mix up scenes – you know the ones where everybody is creeping around at night and nobody quite ends up with the bed partner they’d intended. Now, I know this is not reflective of the storyline in DRAMA MUSCLE, but it popped into my head, because there certainly is a lot of who’s shagging who in the story. From sweet and romantic (ish) to lewd and inappropriate, you cover the whole 9 1/2 inches … (I pay attention) – how do you find writing the sex scenes? Fun, difficult, embarrassing, liberating, other … ?

As you know from reading my other novels, my sex scenes are generally on the sweet side. However, in DRAMA MUSCLE I found myself writing about bodybuilders who spend hours in the gym pumping iron, shaving their bodies, tanning, and posing in tiny gold trunks. It seemed fitting to have more sex in this one, even a threesome with three bodybuilding students in the locker room! The scenes were fun for me to write since in every case they furthered the storyline and added to the sexy mystery, mayhem, and merriment.

When you write a whodunit do you know who did it from the start, or are you in the dark until the culprit reveals themselves to you?

It generally starts for me at 3am when I jump out of bed with a terrific idea. I jot it down on the pad on my night table then fall back to sleep. The next morning, if I can read what I wrote, I have a great surprise ending to a mystery. I work backwards from there writing characters biographies and an outline, deciding where and when to place the clues, murders, plot twists and turns, reversals, and of course surprise but justified ending.

There’s a definite cosy aspect to the series. Was that intentional?

Completely. For most of my life I’ve read cozy mystery novels. In DRAMA QUEEN, it is winter, so white snow, cherry wood mantels surrounding blazing fireplaces, and hot chocolate are in abundance. In DRAMA MUSCLE, it is fall, so gorgeous leaves of amber, violet, and scarlet blanket the campus. The third book (DRAMA CRUISE not yet published) takes us on a cruise to Alaska for sights of glaciers and whales while Nicky directs a murder mystery dinner theatre show onboard ship.

You were a professional actor, working in film, television, and theatre opposite stars like Rosie O’Donnell (AT&T industrial), Nathan Lane (Roar of the Greasepaint onstage), Bruce Willis (A Midsummer Night’s Dream onstage), Charles Keating (NBC’s Another World), Jason Robards (Commercial Credit computer commercial), and Holland Taylor (ABC’s My Mother Was Never a Kid TV movie). Do you see The Nicky and Noah Mystery Series on television in the future?

I totally see that! Now I need a television producer and network to see it too. Can’t you see Matt Bomer as Nicky, Neil Patrick Harris as Noah, and me as Martin Anderson? Come on, TV producers, make your offers!
Yep - come on TV producers, this would be a fabulously funny TV series!

Tell us about your other mystery series, the Jana Lane mysteries.

I created a heroine who was the biggest child star ever until she was attacked on the studio lot at eighteen years old. In PAPER DOLL (Whiskey Creek Press), Jana at thirty-eight lives with her family in a mansion in picturesque Hudson Valley, New York. Her flashbacks from the past become murder attempts in her future. Jana ventures back to Hollywood and uncovers a web of secrets about everyone she loves. She also embarks on a romance with the devilishly handsome son of her old producer, Rocco Cavoto. In PORCELAIN DOLL (releasing from The Wild Rose Press on March 15!), Jana makes a comeback film and uncovers who is being murdered on the set and why. Her heart is set aflutter by her incredibly gorgeous co-star, Jason Apollo. In SATIN DOLL (not yet released from The Wild Rose Press), Jana and family head to Washington, DC, where Jana plays a US senator in a new film, and becomes embroiled in a murder and corruption at the senate chamber. She also embarks on a romance with Chris Bruno, the muscular detective. In CHINA DOLL (not yet released from The Wild Rose Press), Jana heads to New York City to star in a Broadway play, enchanted by her gorgeous co-star Peter Stevens, and faced with murder on stage and off. I am writing RAGDOLL now. Jana stars in a mystery TV series, where life imitates art. Since the novels take place in the 1980’s, Jana’s agent and best friend are gay, and Jana is somewhat of a gay activist, the AIDS epidemic is a large part of the novels.

Your Dreamspinner Press novellas (An Infatuation--(Divine Magazine Readers’ Choice Award 2nd Place for Best MM Romance), A Shooting Star, A Home for the Holidays, and The Naked Prince and Other Tales from Fairyland) were well received. What do you say to people who loved them and might be surprised that the Nicky and Noah mysteries are quite different?

I’d ask them to give DRAMA QUEEN and DRAMA MUSCLE a try. Like I found eating fried octopus (We’re Italian!) as a kid, they may acquire a different taste.

What’s next for you as a writer?

NineStar Press is publishing my two novels that take place at a gay summer resort on the Jersey Shore, which is ironic since I hide under a beach umbrella at the beach. They are COZZIN COVE: BOUNCING BACK and COZZI COVE: MOVING FORWARD.

How can readers contact you?

I love to hear from readers via my web site. Let’s pump up!

THank you so much for dropping by Joe - as always it is a real pleasure. 

My review of Drama Muscle will be on the blog later, so stop back to see what I thought. 


It could be lights out for college theatre professor Nicky Abbondanza. With dead bodybuilders popping up on campus, Nicky, and his favorite colleague/life partner Noah Oliver, must use their drama skills to figure out who is taking down pumped up musclemen in the Physical Education building before it is curtain down for Nicky and Noah. Complicating matters is a visit from Noah’s parents from Wisconsin, and Nicky’s suspicion that Noah may be hiding more than a cut, smooth body.

You will be applauding and shouting Bravo for Joe Cosentino’s fast-paced, side-splittingly funny, edge-of-your-seat entertaining second novel in this delightful series. Curtain up and weights up!

DRAMA MUSCLE (a Nicky and Noah mystery)
a comedy/mystery/romance novel by JOE COSENTINO from Lethe Press
purchase links: Lethe Press