Leiland DaleBesprekingen

I have contrasting feelings about this novella. First of all it’s an incest story, two male brothers falling in love at a very young age; for most part of the story, I was almost thinking the author would have found a way to “lighten” the bond, maybe having one of the two brothers being an adopted one, but no, they decide to playing “straight” (no pun intended) with the plot, and remaining “faithful” to the incest theme. Truth be told, I’m not totally comfortable with an incest story, on a scale between 1 to 10, I would say 8, meaning that I leave that 2 ranges of perplexity, but said that, I’m not the one to shy away to a story only since it has an incest theme.

Maybe some of the uncomfortable vibes came from the two brothers being really young, barely legal. They are both in college, 2 years of difference between them, but they are really naïve, especially Hunter, the older one. Truly I had the feeling that Avery, even if younger and smaller, was the one with the power in the relationship; Hunter is really a “big baby”, strong in body, but still with some growing to do on an emotional side. Avery instead gave me the feeling of being more “complete” from an emotional point of view, with his plan for the future already set.

And now the “sore” point: I really didn’t like the final ménage; sure these are boys in college, still with all the world to experiment in front of them, and the ménage was almost “friendly”, like boys playing, but still, to me, it felt like it was not necessary. Said that, I also read another review about the sequel on this same novella in which the reviewer was complaining the ménage in that one was not enough developed ;-) so, you see, it’s really all relative.

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A Prophecy of Destiny is a pretty classic shafeshifter paranormal romance, very much like the Silhouette Nocturne the author says was reading before discovering M/M romance. If you have a check list of “must have” factor, this novel will respect all of them: cute young man with a romantic heart? Checked. Strong werewolf in search of his mate? Checked. Strong mate binding between the two of them, so strong they cannot avoid to be over each other? Checked. Sexy lovemaking scene with just that touch of kinky (read the knot…) to make them a bit paranormal? Checked. That is probably the most distinctive sign of this novel, that even if it’s a paranormal story, and the events in the story are upturning Will’s life, he is in a way more interested in his love story with Eric, than the “little” detail that he is the answer to an ancient prophecy and that he has to same all the werewolves in the world, starting from Eric’s pack.

Will in a way is only a young man, not a strong and courageous man; or yes, he is stubborn, and he doesn’t like to be ordered around, but that is again part of the above check list, the chosen mate for your typical strong Alpha man is almost always a little brat, who enjoys being cherished and cuddled by his personal teddy… wolf.

Who probably is not exactly “in” the role is Eric, and that is a good novelty; he is not the Alpha of his pack, he is actually the brother of the Alpha, near enough. In any case, in comparison to Will, he is even more than an Alpha; that is, Eric, among his peers, is an average wolf, that more than once has to be saved by other wolves, but to the eyes of Will, he is the strongest ever. What probably make Eric special, and right for Will, is that he is a tender and caring man, and Will, being the precious jewel of the pack, needs a man like him. An Alpha would probably have other obligations in respect of the pack, Eric instead can devote himself to the care of Will and only him.

A Prophecy of Destiny is a nice first attempt to a paranormal romance; there is maybe something that can be improved in the writing, sometime I felt like the author was repeating to the reader unnecessary details (like in this case, a sentence says “(…) the key were still
laying on the ground” and in the next sentence a character says “The key’s laying on the ground there”), but sincerely that was not something that distracted me too much from the reading.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003DA43K2/?tag=elimyrevandra-20

Leiland Dale has a gift when it comes to delivering poignant one-liners. One example is listed above in his blurb… “What’s a city boy to do when a small town cowboy ropes him in?” You’ll find numerous such morsels within his writing, but my all-time favorite is this one: “When a man comes along and looks at you as if you are his world…then you know you’ve found the one.” This is the deathbed advice that central character Devon receives from his dying mother in When the Bluebird Calls.The love story of Devon and Greg is without question a classic romance. Dejected, rejected, and lonely protagonist Devon Reid leaves his heartache behind him in search of a new life away from the city. He ends up in a small Montana town where he meets Greg Elliot—hunky, sexy, and incredibly masculine ranch hand. The two are instantly drawn to one another.Greg has some issues in his own past, having been rejected by his family due to his sexual orientation. He is instantly attracted to Devon, but he’s fearful of rejection so he hedges a bit. Eventually the couple do find themselves together when veterinarian Greg is called in the middle of the night to aid in the delivery of a foal at Greg’s ranch.The couple fall head over heels in love, and Devon comes to realize that Greg is the man of his dreams. He realizes this in a very literal sense due to the fact that he has actually been dreaming about this specific man since a time long before he met him. Included in the recurring dream is a bluebird, hence the book’s title.I am genuinely impressed with author Leiland Dale, and sincerely feel he’s an extremely talented writer. I’m particularly pleased with the way he presents his love scenes, and as I read them I honestly feel quite swept away. He writes with emotion, which is my favorite quality when it comes to a writer’s voice.There were two issues that I had with this story. The first relates to a character who was introduced early in the book. His name is Andrew and he is the brother of one of the secondary characters in the plot. A couple of foreshadowing references are made to Andrew, indicating that he possibly may become a barrier or stumbling block to the protagonists’ eventual happiness. I found it odd, though, that Andrew seemed to just disappear. He never was mentioned again, and it made me wonder why he was included in the story at all.This brings me to the second criticism that I had with the plot. There did not actually seem to be any obstacles for the protagonists to overcome. There was no conflict. Eventually an ex-lover did make an emergence, but his appearance was rather brief and ultimately he was swept out of the picture.As I stated above, I truly do enjoy the author’s writing style. I make no apology for the fact that a reunion scene within the book actually moved me to tears. This is how gifted this author is when it comes to conveying feeling. He also paints very vivid mental pictures with his descriptions, and although he doesn’t pummel the reader with ostentatious vocabulary, he writes very intelligently. I genuinely look forward to reading everything that he releases in the future.My hope is that my honest review, including criticisms, will not dissuade readers from enjoying this gifted author’s talent. When the Bluebird Calls is a very enjoyable and touching story, and I think it will be a pleasurable experience for most readers. I sort of wonder, though, if the author was not a bit hurried or possibly anxious to get this published. I wonder what his original intention was when he included the character Andrew, and I wonder if it had anything to do with a conflict. Had he gone this route, I probably would have ended up awarding the book five stars.

A pack of werewolves is slowly dying, being ravaged by a mysterious disease which has no cure. Their leader Blake is the Alpha, and he turns to an ancient prophecy for answers. The key to their salvation, he discovers, lies in one of his young pack members, Eric Bryce. Eric is commissioned by the pack’s spirit guides, called the Ancient Ones, to complete a mission. He must go and find the “Chosen One”.Will Stanton is an average kid who works for his grandfather running their family’s bookstore. He is coming of age, now a young adult, and locates an old trunk in the back of the store. When he asks his grandfather about the trunk’s content, he’s told that it contains special information which was left by Will’s grandmother. Will takes the trunk home and begins to read the diaries contained therein. He discovers that he and his ancestors are related to werewolves, and he has been chosen to fulfill a unique destiny.When Eric and Will meet the first time, they’re immediately drawn to one another, and Eric realizes instantly that Will is his soul mate. Initially their courtship is slow, but gradually they fall in love. Eric reveals to Will the truth of his nature, that he is wolf. Will shares the ancient prophecy, and the couple leave together to complete their destiny.This is the third of Leiland Dale’s books that I have read, and in my opinion, his storytelling ability seems to be improving dramatically. I am impressed by the manner in which he develops his characters, and as usual, the greatest strength of his story lies in the beautiful lovemaking scenes which he vividly describes. The story itself is interesting and exciting, and the plot makes sense to me. Two young men are drawn together, aware that they each have an important destiny to fulfill. It is power of their love for one another which strengthens them, and leads them to the fulfillment of their life-mission. The secondary relationships within the story are especially poignant. Specifically, the relationship that young Will has with his aging grandfather, is very touching. The love and devotion that Eric has for his pack and his family is palpable.The criticism I have with this book has nothing to do with the story or the writing itself. There are multiple editing errors which are very distracting. These include spelling errors, improper verb tense, and misuse of vocabulary. I do not wish to be knit-picky, but I think that a book which could have otherwise been regarded as exceptional, can be perceived as an amateur effort with so many easily-identifiable and correctable errors. I hope the author will put the book through a final proof and correct these errors in order to make an exceptional book even more fantastic.With or without the minor errors, I highly recommend this read. Leiland Dale is a very gifted writer of mm fiction, and his inclusion of tender yet passionate erotic scenes makes his stories especially enjoyable. I look forward to many more books from this talented author, and I enjoyed my time with Prophecy of Destiny.

A Loving Hart is book two of Leiland Dale’s Heart of the Mountain series, beginning precisely where When the Bluebird Calls concludes. The central characters from book one are secondary in the sequel and only play a minor role in the story. A Loving Hart focuses upon Jasper Elliot, brother to Greg who was the love interest in the first book.Jasper arrives at the Mountain Hart Ranch, which is an all-male, all-gay, small-town Montana horse ranch, after his father rejects him and kicks him out of his home upon discovering his sexual orientation. The ranch is owned and operated by Seth Hart who had acquired it several years prior and has allowed it to become a safe haven for gay men who have been unable to find acceptance and happiness within their own families and communities.When Jasper first lays eyes upon Seth, there is an instant attraction, and he senses that these feelings are mutual. Although Seth is initially very guarded and hesitant, Jasper begins to realize that Seth has taken a keen interest in him. It becomes confusing to Jasper when Seth pulls back a bit, and this apparent reluctance on Seth’s part sends mixed signals to Jasper, who is becoming all-but obsessed with his new boss.It is early one morning when Seth finds Jasper asleep in the barn and tries to gently awaken him that they share their first kiss. Things do not immediately heat up for the couple, though, for Seth cannot bring himself to a point of trusting Jasper enough to reveal a startling secret from his past. Seth had previously experienced rejection and harsh judgment when he’d allowed himself to trust another like this, and he’s terrified that Jasper will ultimately reject him as well.Eventually Seth must face his fears and find the courage to be honest about his identity, while Jasper must examine his own heart and determine whether or not he is open-minded enough to accept the shocking paranormal nature of Seth’s secret. Having now experienced several of Leiland Dale’s stories, I’m finding myself becoming a bigger fan of his with every read. I enjoy his writing style immensely, and it seems to me that he’s getting better with every piece he publishes. His material is now much more carefully edited, and his love scenes are even hotter than before. The paranormal element within this story was a huge shock to me, for in the first book of the series there did not even seem to be a hint that the series would head in this direction. Although initially I was a bit flabbergasted, I felt that the twist was unique enough to make it intriguing. I also particularly appreciated the fact that the erotic content was progressive. There was only one climactic scene toward the end of the story when the couple finally consummated their relationship, and it tied in with the big revelation. Had the author gone another route and laced the story with torrid, passionate sex scenes, it would have lessened the impact of the beautiful moment shared by the protagonists at the end.As is typical with Leiland Dale’s stories, the reader is left with some plaguing questions. Where will the series go from here? What will become of the situation with Seth’s ex-lover Wayne, who makes a brief foreshadowing appearance and is not heard from thereafter? Will Greg and Jasper’s tyrannical and controlling father reemerge in a future episode? Will the frisky ranch hands who have their eye on Jasper throughout the story create problems which could jeopardize Jasper and Seth’s happiness?I guess we will have to wait for book three in order to find out all these answers. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and look forward to future installments.

Even before Brokeback Mountain, people have always had a soft spot for the Western Romance. It’s something typical of the western culture, in Europe and in other places all around the world, there aren’t real cowboys, that is something typical of the United States. Western Romances, the contemporary genre, have something in common: the genuineness of the characters; they can be happy, they can be sad, they can be gay friendly or homophobic, but, above all, they are bounded with a double knot to their land and their traditions. Country life give them comfort and warm, and it’s exactly what Devon needs now: he has just lost his mother to cancer, his boyfriend left him since he was not willing to be near him when Devon needed him more, and there is nothing left for him in the city. So he packs all his things and moves to Bridger in Montana, a gay friendly small town where Devon not only finds good townsfolk but also a new boyfriend, Greg, a big and strong cowboy, with a big heart and plenty of love to share. Greg lost his family when he came out to them, and like Devon, he found a new family in Bridger, a family made of friends, but not yet a lover. Greg and Devon fit together since moment one, and their story is nice and quite, without bumps.

Sure, it’s an idyllic representation of reality, I don’t know if a place like Bridger really exists in the world, but I think that When the Bluebird Calls is basically an old fashioned romance, and in this type of romances there is little space for sadness or reality. What little reality the author decided to fit in the story is Devon’s story with his mother, his pain in losing her, and his awareness that he is not fit for a life in the city where no one really cares for him. Life in the country allows him to have a real relationship with his neighbours, the call them by name; it’s at the same tame a bliss and a problem, Bridger is a nice place to live if you are gay, but Devon and Greg are well aware that it’s not like that right outside their little paradise.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0036Z9XUY/?tag=elimyrevandra-20

The plot of this crime story is quite common, police detective has to investigate on a child serial killer and he has no leads. Mourning sensitive arrives from out of the city to help him solve the case. So far nothing new.

Probably the most interesting thing of all the story is the development of the story, told in first point of view from both Matt, the detective, and Paul, the sensitive, and the rarefied atmosphere. Despite the cruel crimes both men witness, there is no 'splattering' effect, both the emotional development of the characters than the story follow a quite flow, without rollercoast. Even when the drama occurs, it's like in undertone, sottovoce, I don't know how to explain, but it's like the author's voice never screams, and instead it's like a whisper.

As often with cop themed stories, it's also a G ay for You plot. Matt is just coming out of a bad divorce, and even this event it's not so dramatic as it could be, Matt lives his divorce as it was just another event in his life. Before meeting Paul, I don't think Matt has ever had a s exual thought on another man, and truth be told, even if now he desires Paul, it's like Paul is without gender. Yes, Matt wonders about this sudden desire for another man, but it's more the unexpected that causes him trouble than the desire in itself; Matt needs only to adjust to the new situation, and everything it will be all right.

Probably the quiet atmosphere is a consequence of Paul's presence. Due to the overload of sensation he is bombed every day, Paul needs to live in a peaceful situation, and so, even if he is affected by Matt's initial refusal, both of him as collaborator than possible lover, he simply steps back and waits. Everything will go smoothly in the end, Paul has no need to accelerate them.

I think the author did a good job in dealing with an abused theme like the relationship between cop and sensitive even if, maybe, she didn't dare so much. I actually didn't understand if the 'restrained' feeling I had reading the story was an intentional feeling dictated by Paul's particular needs, or if it was instead a consequence of the first experience of the author with this genre. Anyway it was a nice debut, and the 'odd' feeling wasn't negative at all.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0036FU1B4/?tag=elimyrevandra-20