Life gets in the way...

Hi, guys! It's been a while. I've tried to keep the blog going but we all know what they say about best laid plans..

I just realized that almost one year has passed since my last post. So many things have happened. So many things have changed, but I'm finally getting back on track. One step at a time.

I won't sign up for blog tours anymore. I don't have the time for it nor am I in the right frame of mind to promote and review books on a schedule. My entire focus is on getting better and taking care of myself and my son. 

I'll try to be more active and talk about the books I've read and loved. I found quite a few I'm dying to tell you about. 

There are quite a few gems out there that many people don't know about and I've discovered a few "new to me" authors. I'll tell you all about them and their books soon. I hope.

When I started this blog I was so excited about finally being able to promote my favorite authors and books. Somewhere along the way, I've lost that enthusiasm. I never lost my love for books though, but sitting down to write a review seemed such an effort and I let myself believe that no one will care anyway. Depression is like that. 

I am better now. I still have good and bad days but there's more light surrounding me, more hope. 

I want to write again, for myself, because I always had stories to tell even when no one wanted to listen. 

I don't know if I'll ever publish anything but writing makes me feel good and it's time to take back that part of myself. Like I said, one step at a time and this is a good beginning. 

Sorry for the whine. I'll try not to bore you with my issues in the future. LOL

Thank you for your patience and thank you to those who haven't given up on me even if I have been a horrible friend. Love you all!

Mikky 💗

Happy Reading!

~~MM Romance Valentine's Giveaway~~

The M/M Romance Valentine’s Giveaway event has been organized by author Isobel Starling as a way of giving readers a little bit of free Valentine’s love in these days of uncertainty and turmoil and to find new readers for a group of super authors. 

On the event page readers can download 34 new stories -- Shorts, novelettes, and excerpts from established M/M authors and several new authors. We have a wonderfully diverse range of subgenres on offer – Contemporary, BDSM, Erotica, Fantasy, Historical, Comedy, and Paranormal.

The giveaway page will be live on 10th February until the 15th of February, so if your want to get a head start on your Goodreads reading challenge, or just want some quick fun reads, why not download a few short stories and give a little love back by leaving reviews for the authors. 

http://isobelstarling.wixsite.com/books/freelove

Review: The Next Competitor by Keira Andrews

Amazon 

If he risks his heart, can he keep his head in the game? 

To win gold, figure skater Alex Grady must train harder than the competition morning, noon, and night. He’s obsessed with mastering another quadruple jump, and due to the lack of filter between his mouth and brain, doesn’t have a lot of friends. As for a boyfriend, forget it. So what if he’s still a virgin at twenty? The Olympics are only every four years—everything else can wait. Relationships are messy and complicated anyway, and he has zero room in his life for romance. 

So it’s ridiculous when Alex finds himself checking out his boring new training mate Matt Savelli. Calm, collected “Captain Cardboard” is a nice guy, but even if Alex had time to date, Matt’s so not his type. Yet beneath Matt’s wholesome surface, there’s a dirty, sexy man who awakens a desire Alex has never experienced and can’t deny… 

Note: This gay romance from Keira Andrews features opposites attracting, new adult angst, sexual discovery, and of course a happy ending. 

This new version has been extensively rewritten, updated, and expanded into a new adult romance with explicit on-page sex.

The Next Competitor was a captivating story from beginning to end. Figure skating is such an elegant sport and it was interesting to see the dynamics behind every competition, the gruesome training that every skater has to endure just to stay in shape, not to mention the hours upon hours of training to make sure they learn to perfection every second of the programs. 

We only see the end result, the beauty of the dance executed on the rink but there’s so much more than that going on behind the competition.

Alex and Matt are trying to find their way amid confusion, the intricacies and politics of the sports world and the grueling training sessions before each competition. Both of them are plagued by insecurities and having to hide all the time doesn't help assuage their fears.

Matt is the calm while Alex is the storm and, like every storm, there will be thunder and lightning. They clash a lot, mostly due to Alex's temper, yet they always find their way to each other when one of them needs comfort.

But wanting something and actually doing it are two different things. And we can't always have what we want.

Apart from wanting to repeatedly hit Alex upside the head, this novel was really good. I definitely recommend it.

He was just one of those characters who, somehow, managed to get on my nerves from the beginning and, everything he did after that, just served to assert my first impression.

Don’t get me wrong, he’s not a bad guy. I kind of understood the why’s later on. But I still wanted to knock some sense into him. The guy’s mood swings gave me a whiplash.

Keira’s books are always worth it. One of the things I’ve always appreciated about her is how much care she puts into every detail of each story and how seriously she takes her research. That’s always a good thing as far as I’m concerned. 

I think this was the first book I’ve read where the characters are ice skaters and it wasn’t hokey. I want more.

Thank you, Ms. Andrews, for another heartwarming story.

If you enjoy reading steamy romances between two men who can’t live without each other, you’ve come to the right place.

After writing for years yet never really finding the right inspiration, Keira discovered her voice in gay romance, which has become a passion. She writes contemporary, historical, fantasy, and paranormal fiction and — although she loves delicious angst along the way — Keira firmly believes in happy endings. For as Oscar Wilde once said:

“The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily. That is what fiction means.”

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~ Happy New Year! ~

Happy New Year, everyone! 2017 is finally here and I sincerely hope it will be better than 2016. Have you made any resolutions? If so, share them with us. 

This year, I'm taking it day by day. 2016 has been painful and it has taken so much from me. Every single plan I made has been ruined so, it's time to make some changes.

I want to focus more on my writing and try to publish at least a novel. God knows I kept postponing it long enough. After seeing the ARe disaster unfold can't say I'm very motivated but it's one of my dreams so, I'll give it a try. That's the only long term plan I have. 

I will also try to write more reviews. The other day, I was looking through my "Read" list on Goodreads and I realized that there are so many wonderful books I've read and failed to review. I'll try to rectify that mistake, which means that I'll have to re-read some of them just to make sure I remember all the facts. Not a bad deal since I'm not exactly the person who keeps up with every new release or reviews only on release day. There are a ton of novels out there that deserve attention and that readers seems to have forgotten about. 

This being said, I wish you all peace, love, serenity, good health and may 2017 be exactly what you imagined it to be. 

Happy Reading!