As a thank-you to my readers and all readers of m/m romances, I’m holding a giveaway for a free e-book copy of my upcoming novel HOW TO SAVE A LIFE (due out January 15, 2013 from Loose Id) and a $25 gift certificate (winner’s choice of Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or All Romance eBooks). Depending on the number of entries received, up to 6 total winners may be selected.
Contest closes at 11:59 pm EST Tuesday, January 1, 2013 or as soon as there are 250 entries (whichever comes first).
Instructions / Rules
- To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this blog post indicating that you’d like to enter and include the name of one m/m romance (not one of mine please) you’d recommend to a friend who hasn’t read any gay romances but would like to, and also share why you’d pick that book. This should give us all a list of great books to recommend to newcomers. I’ll post the full list of recommendations on my blog after the New Year (I’ll keep your recommendations anonymous on that post).
- Be sure to include a valid email address in the email form field in order to be entered in the drawing. Your email address is for my use only (in order to contact the winners). It will NOT be published on the blog or used for marketing/promotional purposes.
- If for any reason you cannot leave a comment, email me and I’ll post your comment for you, including your answer to the above question (that way everyone can see how many entries there are).
- One random winner will be selected from all who comment on this post. Additionally, for every 50 entries another winner will be selected (up to a maximum of 6 total winners).
- After the giveaway ends, I will contact the winners directly to ask them for their choice of gift certificate and which format they’d prefer for the e-book.
- One entry per person please.
- Contest closes at 11:59 pm EST Tuesday, January 1, 2013 or as soon as there are 250 entries (whichever comes first).
- Winners will be announced on the blog and privately emailed within 48 hours after the giveaway ends.
Feel free to share the link to this blog post. There’s also a direct link to the giveaway on my website.
Good luck and thank you again! I have the best readers and I really appreciate all the emails I’ve received telling me how much you’ve enjoyed my work and what certain stories have meant to you. Those individual reader contacts make the long hours writing, editing, and the other work that comes with this business so worth it. Thank you!
Much love and happiness,
Sloan
Reminder: To enter, leave a comment on this blog post indicating that you’d like to enter and include the name of one m/m romance (not one of mine) you’d recommend to a friend who hasn’t read any gay romances but would like to, and also share why you’d pick that book.
Would love to enter. My recommendation is RJ Scott’s, A Better Man. It is one of my favorite M/M books. I love Ms. Scott’s writing; sensitive and loving men. Also her Sanctuary Series.
Yvette
yratpatrol@aol.com
I would love to enter the contest. As far as a m/m recommendation, I normally would say “Anything by Zathyn Priest” but that would be more than one book. :) So I will recommend The Curtis Reincarnation by him as it is not only a beautiful story, it is also my all-time favorite m/m book and I’ve read hundreds. It is the perfect book for a first-timer.
I want to enter!
I would recommend Hot Head by Damon Suede. It’s one of my favorites and has a great development to the relationship.
Woul,d recommend Andrea Speed Infected seri es and JP Barnaby’s Lost Boys series. Both are such wonderful reads that grab your interest from start to finish..
I would reccomend one of two books. Either Crossing Borders by ZA Maxfield for a more sweet love story. I love that this book doesn’t happen in a week or two, and that you can see their relationship develop over time. Plus who doesn’t love Sparky!!
And Duck! by Kim Dare for a more intense, angsty book. This one makes me cry so hard every time – I just love it. And it is very well written – it drags you right into the world she created, and makes you miss it when the book is finished.
Please sign me up! That’s a hard one. I would have to say anything by Mary Calmes or S J Frost Conquest (entire series actually)!
I would and have many times recommended The Cut & Run Series by Abigail Roux as a first m/m read. The books are amazing and Ty & Zane are characters you fall in love with immediately.
Cop Out by KC Burn. This story sticks with me because it’s a slow growing relationship that turns into something more but not before some mistakes. I prefer the friends to lovers rather than the insta-love and that’s why I like Cop Out so much.
I would love to enter thank you for offering your work as the prize. For me I have a lot of authors and books that I have come to love, ultimately my recommendation would have to be Harper Fox’s Scrap Metal, followed very closely by the Adrien English Series by Josh Lanyon.
I have two books, both by Amy Lane. For a person who wants a more dramatic, angst filled book Chase in Shadow is perfection! This is my favorite book; its sexy but also filled with the rough parts of life. Then for a person that wants something a little on the fluffier side The Winter Courtship Rituals of Fur-Bearing Critters is the book to read. There are animals, a lovable but gruff hero, and naughty knitting! ;)
Caught Running by Abigail Roux and Madeline Urban was my first m/m book and I’ve have recommended it so many times I’ve lost count. Good characters, light angst and it’s a sweet story with a side of sports.
Quinn’s Hart by Cassandra Gold would come in pretty close to first also. Quinn is one of my favorite m/m characters and it’s another sweet story.
Thanks!
peanutty222@hotmail.com
Oh..I could mention so many recommendation..but I’ll narrow it down , Megan Derr’s Missing Butterfly is a favorite and a feel good Cinderfella kind of story and Witness by L.A. Gilbert is so sweet and Missy Welsh’s My Summer Of Wes is also a great story.
Thanks for participating in a giveaway! Please count me in. I’d suggest “Wanting” by Piper Vaughn as a starter book to the genre, as it’s well-rounded, has romance, and has compelling characters. It can be found on Goodreads (as well as on the author’s website) for free, since it was written as part of the M/M Romance Group’s summer reading anthology a while ago. A good gateway to both the author and the genre!
I would recommend the PsyCop series by Jordsn Castillo Price. Humor, ghosts and great characters. Also Gravediggers’ Brawl by Abi Roux. Funny, scary, and delightfully strange.
brendurbanist at gmail dot com
Thanks for the giveaway. Count me in, please! I’d recommend Companions Nich’ooni by Jed A. Bryan, a book I just finished. It is a touching, poignant story about self-discovery, self-acceptance, the finding of love and the fierce struggle between one’s deepest, honest desire and his religion.
data.rajah@yahoo.com
I’d like to be entered please.
I would recommend Kaje Harper’s Into Deep Water. Its an epic tale, showing that love can last, regardless of who you are. Its also free which for a reader dipping their toes into a new field must be a bonus.
I’d like to enter, please.
I would recommend To Touch the Stars by Jeremy Pack, it’s slash, well written and not explicit.
I’d recommend Pricks and Pragmatism by JL Merrow. I like the British setting, the angst and the sweet romance. I read this book whenever I need to feel happy.
Hi Sloan, What a great idea you have here., My recommendation would be Crossing Borders by ZA Maxfield A delightful story of a developing relationship that sweetly and very well written develops into a love relationship. A great read for any new m/m readers.
I recommend Bareback by Chris Owen. I didn’t think I would like it, but it was hands down one of the best books I have ever read. I laughed a lot and cried a few times and the sex was HOT
I read all the recommendations before my comment and it’s strange how people tastes differ – just one single book was repeated :)
One of my favorite books is “Whistling in the Dark” by Tamara Allen. I think it’s good for beginners, because it great story apart from being m/m romance. The picture of after-war America, exhausted and poor, but also hungry of novelties (radio and jazz) is pleasure to read about. Plus the sex is mostly off the pages – also good thing when you are new to m/m.
Please count me in.
My recommendation would be: The first M/M book I ever read is The Assignment by Evangeline Anderson. It is a great first read, and is still my favorite. Its about two best friends who are cops, that are sent on an assignment at a gay country club, and figure out that they are inlove with each other.
If you are looking for a great series it would be the: In the Company of Men by Lynn Lorenz. This series is great, it tugs at your heart. It is set back in Regence time, about mercenaries who meet up and fall in love, and all the pain, misunderstandings, laughter, and finally HEA.
What a great contest, thank you, Sloan! Please count me in. I would and have recommended three Absolutely Eric by Erica Pike and Frat Boy and Toppy & Love, Hypothetically by Anne Tenino to friends who not only have never read m/m romances but also question why I like them because they have humor along with all the emotions of coming out and falling in love.
I hope that ya’ll have a Safe & Merry Christmas!
Hugs, Pati
JPM6966@aol.com
Whee! There are so many I love, but I find myself recommending DIVERSION by Eden Winters all the time. It’s amazing as a thriller, a buddy comedy, and a scorching m/m romance. For those who seem more skittish about the actual manlove, I’d pick the UNCONVENTIONAL AT BEST anthology or the holiday story 7 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS by Nicole Dennis.
vitajex(at)aol(dot)com
Oh, and yes, I *would* love to enter, absolutely! A little sleep-deprived today…
Ps to post 12 thanks for the contest, Congrats on the new book and * head desk * of course I’d like to enter the giveaway.
I would love to be entered in the contest!
I would recommend “Bareback” by Chris Owen. Great love story with HOT love scenes, a little angst, and the ups and downs of a real life romance. Plus hot cowboys in tight jeans, can’t go wrong!
Would like to join the contest. My recommendation would be several ebooks, I know the contest have just asked for one but I couldn’t (not wouldn’t) choose ony one, so please bear with me. Cut & Run series by Abigail Roux, Bear, Otter & Kid series by TJ Klune, Conquest series and Loving Instincts by SJ Frost, a Matter of Time and Timing series by Mary Calmes. I highly recommend these m/m romances for they will make you laugh and cry and feel good in the end while awaiting the next part of the story. Congratulations on the release of your latest novel. Carpe Diem!
Please count me in. I’d recommend anything by Mary Calmes. Love her books! Thanks!
Please enter me in the contest.
I love anything Amy Lane writes. One of the first books I read by this amazing author was Keeping Promise Rock. It takes you on quite a journey, sometimes a painful one, but it is so worth it. Lots of great secondary characters, too. It is the start of a great series.
Thanks for the giveaway, Sloan. Happy Holidays!
Please enter me in your contest.
I would recommend Second Chances by T.A. Webb. It’s a story of love and of loss and of new beginnings. It’s such a beautiful heartfelt tale. And be sure to have an entire box of Kleenex with you while reading…it’s a tear jerker, but totally worth it. He’s working on book 2 and I can’t wait.
Thanks Sloan!!
Put my name in the hat please!
My recommend is by Jambrea Jo Jones “Rayne’s Wild Ride” She shows that life is precious and shold always be taken care of.
Thanks for the giveaway and happy holidays!!
Please enter me in the contest.
Now reading Mark of the Gladiator—terrific M/M story –want more from Sloan.
I would recommend Claire Thompson’s, The Cowboy Poet.
Please enter me in the drawing.
Thanks,
Donna
donnafisk at bellsouth.net
Please include me in your contest.
I would recommend Val Kovalin’s Fall in the Sun. It deals with long time friends and the struggles to come together in the face of culture and family.
Enter me in the contest, please!
I’d recommend Grey’s awakening by Cameron Dane. It is pure fire but the romance is also beautiful. Both of de MCs have a past but they learn together to overcome it.
Thanks Sloan!
Um. Should I enter the contest or not?! :)
Among the Living by Jordan Castillo Price – I think the PsyCop books have a great balance between story and sex.
I’d love to participate. Any book from Cardeno C. is good, but I was most impressed with Where He Ends And I Begin.
Thanks for the contest and Happy Holidays!
Hi~ oh, please count me in!
and I’d recommend “Change of Heart” by Mary Calmes. and I have been actually and thanks to that book, I now have a friend completely obsessed with her work and gay novels. LOL…
Judi
arella3173_loveless@yahoo(dot)com
I would love to be included in your contest. My suggestions for first stories to introduce to anyone new to glbt is Amy Lane’s Knitter series, Mary Calme’s A Matter of Time series, Megan Derr’s Missing Butterfly and Jewel Bond series. For something really light Sock it to Me, Santa! by Madison Parker or First Kiss
by J. Tomas. They’re all very sweet reads and highly enjoyable. A Matter of Time was the books that got me started down the road of glbt novels I use to just read manga for my BL needs.
The first thing that came to mind was
Clear Water by Amy Lane. It’s a great mix of humor and romance.
As for series I love the Coda Series by Marier Sexton and the pretty much anything that Andrew Grey writes.
Thanks so much for the giveaway! You’re awesome! There’s a lot of titles I could recommend but since I have to pick one I’ll go with……Dark Soul by Aleksandr Voinov. Aleksandr has quite a few titles I could’ve mentioned in fact.
joderjo402 AT gmail DOT com
Drat, I hit enter too quick…. The reason I chose Aleks’ book is because of its intensity, dramatic storyline, and well-fleshed out characters along with well presented character development. Now I’m ready to be entered!
Thanks so much for the contest – I would love to be included. I would recommend One Small Thing by Piper Vaughn and MJ O’Shea. It made me laugh and tear up and just made me happy at the end. The romance was really lovely and more than that, it was about making a family. I would also recommend Promises by Marie Sexton and Love Means…No Shame by Andrew Grey.
Yes, I would love to be included in the contest.
I love the Jarhead series by Sean Michael. I would recommend reading Three Day Passes first. The love between the 3 main characters is true & real and the books are scorching!
Yes please enter me in the contest.
Mine would be the Heaven Sent series.
All the guys are lovable and nothing bad happens in it .
MFierydrgn@aol.com
I would love to enter!
That is a difficult question, but I’m going with Nighttime Wishes and Nighttime Dreams, by M.A. Church, because they introduced me into the erotic world of m/m love alien style, and because they’re hot as hell! I love books with happy endings and men that don’t cheat, but love and protect one another.
shelley_runyon@yahoo.com
For someone new to MM I would definitely suggest starting with Josh Lanyon Adrien English Mysteries. That’s what got me started and I still re-read them a few times a year. Jordan Castillo Price’s Psycop series is a close second.
aelnova@aol.com
I’d like to be entered.
I recommended SJ Frost’s Conquest to my cousin to introduce her into the genre because she loves romance and is not big on angst. SJ’s works are great at the romance.
I recommended The One That Got Away by Rhianne Aile & Madeleine Urban and The Rebuilding Year by Kaje Harper to my boss because they have great character development and the romance slowly builds up that it eases the reader into it.
It is so incredibly hard to pick just one book there are so many I love and so many genres…
I’ll recomend ” I spy something Bloody” by Josh Lanyon. Any of his books really. I think he is a good author to test the waters of m/m. He was one of the first authors of m/m I read way back before ebooks, when m/m books were very hard to find.
I would like to enter this contest.
I recommend Blacque/Bleu by Belinda McBride , because it’s a very good paranormal romance .
I would recommend The Cat in the Cradle by Jay Bell because it such a great fantasy novel, I really enjoyed the world the author created.
I also recommend Hemovore by Jordan Castillo Price, it’s a a love story with vampires in the mix.
The Christmas Throwaway by RJ Scott, a beautifully written story of love great to read anytime.
Conquest by S J Frost, incredibly sexy rockers in love wonderfully written. It’s amazing
Bareback by Chris Owen, Sexy cowboys in love and angst
brilliantly written. It’s one of the best m/m books ever.
All 3 of these books I’ve read numerous times. It’s a testament to the awesome writing. I think any newbie to the genre would love them.So hard to pick just one.
I love the werewolf series by Brannan Black especially Wolfman Apocalypse.
Belinda McBride has some wonderful m/m books.
Lex Valentine is another author that I love. To hard to pick only one of her m/m books.
Gabrielle
meingee@yahoo.com
I’d like to enter, please!
Hm, what to recommend. Astrid Amara’s Archer’s Heart, perhaps. It still has some het and the male/male develops slowly. Also it’s a great fantasy book first.
Happy Holidays!
Anas
I shouldn’t enter, but this question is just too intriguing, so count me in.
I’d recommend Incursion by Aleksandr Voinov, because it’s a damn good science fiction story all by itself. Yes, it’s m/m, but it’s just one level in what is a very strong, involving story.
Count me in, please!
My rec would be Megan Derr’s Fairy Tales Volume 1. They are non-explicit and really sweet stories, so the m/m readervirgin wont be shocked. ;)
Yes, I would love to be included in the contest.
I’ll recommed Josh Lanyon’s books, especially the Aidrian English series, it’s a great crime series, one of my favorite series ever and the characters draw you in, pretty fast.
I would love to enter!
There are several that I could recommend, but if I have to chose I would say Megan Derr’s Prisoner. It’s has a great story(which doesn’t center around the relationship or sex) and is a gentle introduction for a first time M/M romance reader into the genre.
I’d love to participate.
I would say Whistling in the Dark by Tamara Allen, it’s a fantastic historical romance, the relationship is rather light but one just cannot help but fall in love with the characters.
I would love to enter, too!
I have over 50 books in my “Favorites” folder, but I’m going to pick G.N. Chevalier’s The Bonds of Earth. This story of two young damaged men who find each other in the aftermath of WWI, is beautifully told – a really touching, tender story.
Thanks for holding the giveaway again and happy holidays!
Please enter me in the contest.
I recommend
I love Frog by Mary Calmes. It is a sweet story.
Soho by Ethan Day is very funny.
I would recommend Bob the Book by David Pratt. This is a lovely story, and is something a little different and not at all explicit.
This was a toughie. there are so many. but I’d have to say one of my fave books, and one I think anyone new to the genre would enjoy. is “Blue Notes” by Shira Anthony. It’s an American in Paris story, but so much more. anyone who loves music, would love to travel to France but can’t afford to, anyone who loves a great love story, well this is perfect. Because it’s all those things rolled up into one.
Please enter me in your contest.
Happy Holidays everyone
Linda
Just one? Well Sno Ho by Ethan Day, because it’s a hoot and it fits the season.
Please enter me as well.
Merry Christmas everyone
If I can only recommend one then I have to go with Tara Lain’s Sinders and Ash.
It’s a great m/m take on an old fairy tale that should appeal to most people as they will recognise the Cinderella story and maybe feel more comfortable reading it.
Happy Holidays to You
ilona
Please count me in!
The m/m story I would recommend to someone who hadn’t read m/m before I think would be Like the Taste of Summer by Kaje Harper. It’s such a good story about two guys that follows the beginning of their journey through to 30 years later. When I read it, it just blew me away with the authenticity. I feel that way about almost all of her writing – her characters are just so fully realized and drawn and her dialog is so spot on.
My first M/M reading was Special Forces – but I wouldn’t recommend that to start with. I’m pretty hardcore and used to watch the surgery channel for fun but that doesn’t fit for everyone. I did tell Aleks at GRL that it was his fault that I now have something like 5000 M/M books in my calibre library :)
Please count me in.
What to choose…
I would recommend M Chandler’s Shadow of the Templar.
There are lots of characters, all really interesting, a great storyline and the sexy bits are optional – it’s free and you can decide whether to include these or not. Of course, I did! And it is a real novel, not just a short story.
Most importantly there is humour, action and that conflict of the two main characters – one on the side of the law and the other not.
I would recommend Riding Heartbreak Road by Kiernan Kelly. This is a great book. A book of soul mates that grow together and last a lifetime.
Please count me in for the drawing. And my recommended reads…the list would be huge! But will try to trim it down, lol:
1- As You Are by Ethan Day. This was the first book I read by Ethan and is still one of my all time favorites!
2-Bareback by Chris Owen. Truly a classic, imho, I literally cried.
3-The Little Boy Lost series by J.P. Barnaby. A hard read at times but I think an unfortunately accurate picture of what young gay men face wrapped up in a beautiful love story.
4-Finding Zach by Rowan Speedwell. Another hard read but this book has stayed with me
5-And last but never least, for the truly brave hearted, The Special Forces epic by Aleksandr Voinov. I have never read a more gritty, gut-wrenching, realistic story in my life!!!
Thanks for the contest, Sloan! Can’t wait to read the new book…Happy Holidays!
I want to enter too :-)
There are a lot of books I would recommend but a few of my favorites are Bear, Otter and the Kid by TJ Klune, Tough Love by Helen Gabriel, or Coming Home by Ava Rose Johnson. There are so many others but those books always bring tears to my eyes and have me rereading over and over.
Please enter me in the contest! I would recommend A Strong and Sudden Thaw by RW Day – it’s a great book with an entertaining fantasy plot and wonderful characters :-) It was one of the first M/M books I ever read and is a great introduction to the genre.
smaccall AT comcast.net
Please count me in! What book would I recommend? Such a difficult decision as I have so many favorite authors (ie: Marie Sexton, Mary Calmes, Kaje Harper, Amy Lane) that are automatic buys when they come out with something new. If I had to choose I’d probably recommend Josh Lanyon’s Adrien English series because of the humor in the writing and the snarkiness of Adrien and the great supporting characters.
Thanks for the contest. I’d love to enter. Now which book to recommend for the first time m/m reader…Shattered Glass by Dani Alexander. It has action and a good plot. It’s not really angsty and it is so darn funny! The dialogue keeps the reader entertained.
Can’t wait for the new book! Happy Holidays!
Jennifer
jennpurr1970@yahoo.com
I would recommend 911 by Chris Owens, that was a excellent book to read and it started me to reading M/M/M books!
Merry Christmas! I would love to eniter the contest :) As for a book that s not yours that I’d recommend, I have to say Cut and Run by Abigail Roux and Madeleine Urban. It’s a great intro with an amazing storyline that grabs you, fastpaced, and really gets into the emotions of both characters without making you gag with sappyness.
Sloan please enter me into this wonderful contest that you are offering to your fans.
The gay m/m romance that I would recommend to a a friend that has not read a gay novel is Jay Bell’s Something Like Summer. Why? It’s a realistic rendering of a romance that spans more than 12 years: it’s inspiring, endearing, thought-proking, and well told. It’s also redemptive in it weaves the sincerity of a second chance. The last chapter is a little rushed but it is an incredible read. Happy Holidays and to you a Happy and Prosperous New Year!
Hi ! I would love to enter the contest !
A great book I would recommend is Tinseltown. I can,t remember right away who’s the author, but I remember reading it a few times and it was Amazing !!!
Happy Holidays everyone ! And Sloan ! Love your work !
Thanks !
Please enter me in the contest! I can’t wait for your next book!
My recommendation would be Jez Morrow’s Force of Law. I really love this story amd re-read it often.
Thanks!
Please enter me for this contest!
This is a hard question. There are so many books that I would recommend!
1. Anything by Marie Sexton – my faves are Strawberries for Dessert and A to Z.
2. Anything by K. A. Mitchell – faves are Regularly Scheduled Life, Collision Course and But My Boyfriend Is.
3. Anything by Cardeno C- The WHOLE Home Series
4. Everything by T. J. Klune!
I am constantly re-reading any books by these authors and of course all of your books! There are more but I would be here for a while. :)
Thanks!!
I have several favorite authors, but it depends on what you are looking to read Sean Micheal has several series I really enjoy and have read more than once, such Jarheads, Hammer and various singular novels/ short stories. Also enjoy BA Tortuga and her Rough Stock series. Love the Cowboys, military men & tough guys! Really Enjoy Vic Winter too, wish he would write a long novel! I have many of his short stories. Those are just a few of authors I really enjoy reading and look forward to finding more new authors to read as well.
I would love to enter the contest. Thanks!
I would recommend Zero at the Bone by Jane Seville because it was my first MM romance and I have been hooked ever since!!
I would love to enter the contest. My first ever m/m romance was Bareback by Chris Owen, and I’ve been a huge fan ever since.
I would love to enter the comp.
I would recommend any j m Snyder books
Or crossing borders by z a maxfield
Oh yes please Sloan, include me. You are still my favourite author. You hooked me with More and I have never altered my opinion that this book is the best I have ever read in the mmm genre.
Hello! Thanks so much for this lovely giveaway! I’d love an entry.
As a newbie to the M/M genre, I was particularly in love with Mary Calmes’ “The Guardian”. Although I think I like some of her other books more, this one is a perfect gateway book.
I picked it up because it was a fantasy novel, first and foremost, and it was a wonderful jump from “high fantasy” to “high fantasy that also includes hot men falling in love and oh yeah also steamy sex”.
I’ve circulated it to friends who were never into M/M romance before, and already I have four converts I can name!
Hi Sloan
Thanks for the wonderful Holiday Giveaway!!! I would love to be entered, Thanks.
Well I am a huge fan of M/M Romance books and I find it hard to pick just one author to recommend, there are so many to choose from for a variety of reasons.
If you can bear with me I will list a few that have found their way into my heart and are truly excellent reads.
1) S. J. Frost – Conquest Series. I have read and re-read all these books numerous times and would highly recommend them as they have the ability to make me laugh, cry, smile and sigh. You will get very invested in the relationships the characters. 5 stars Excellent read.
2) Stormy Glenn – Tri Omega Mates Series. This I recommend for a few reasons not least of which the development of the relationships between the characters. If you think M/M is hot you definitely need to see how Ms Glenn portrays the love which can exist in a Menage relationship. 5 Stars another excellent read.
3) Toni Griffin – Holland Brothers Series. These books were one of my first forays in the M/M Paranormal genre. They are sensitive, heart warming tales of love and commitment which give me a warm tingly feeling each time I read them. If you like them you will also want to read the first of the spin off series which has just come out titled Liam (Atherton Pack Series). 5 Stars and definitely worth it.
Thanks again for the lovely giveaway and I wish you and yours all the best during the Holiday Season and into the New Year.
I always recommend Good To Know by D.W. Marchwell (Dreamspinner Press) I think it is a nice romantic novel not to heavy in the sex for a first-timer.
I’d like to enter!
I would definitely recommend Close Protection by Cordelia Kingsbridge, which is available for free online at AFF, FP, and LJ. Although some of the sex scenes are a little hardcore for new, vanilla readers, the story is brilliant and so well-written, and it can really show a new reader that the world of m/m fiction can be just as complex, touching, and great as more heteronormative fiction.
Hi I would love to enter this contest and the book I recommend is Hunter’s Moon, By: M.J. O’Shea I Just love this great story about lican’s and vimpires… it’s just great just trust me jijii you will like it
Hi Sloan, thanks for giving us a chance to win what I’m sure is a wonderful book.
The book I would recommend to for a first time m/m reader would be Shattered Glass by Dani Alexander because it’s fun, not too erotic and has an enticing story that makes you want to read more of this type of book. Thanks for the many hours of enjoyment you’ve given me.
Please enter me in your contest. Thank you!
I would like to recommend THAW by Jordan Castillo Price
I would like to enter the contest. As for the book recommendation, I’d suggest Megan Derr’s “Dance with the Devil”, which is a supernatural detective story (with vampires, demons, imps etc) that contains really great m/m romance elements as well.
Hi Sloan, I would love for you to enter me in the contest for your new book. I loved ‘More’ so I’m excited for this one to be released. I’m going to recommend what I am currently reading because I am enjoying it so much. It’s ‘After Ben’ from the Seattle Stories series by Con Riley (sequels are Saving Sean & Aiden’s Luck). So well written with sorrow balanced with humor. I love a book that can make me laugh and cry at the same time.
Hi, Please enter me in the drawing. My recommendation would be “Truth in the Dark” by Amy Lane, about the power of love and learning to accept the gift of love from someone else. Merry Christmas!
Hi, Sloan! thanks for the awesome chance to win your book.
My first M/M book was Josh Lanyon’s “The ghost wore yellow shoes”. From then on I read many exceptional books, including yours, but I tend to be loyal to where I started from. So, I’d still recommend Josh Lanyon. Firstly because there are few erotic scenes in his books, but those few scenes capture the reader’s attention due to the fact that they’re already very emotionally attached to the main characters. So the eroticism would definitely shock in a good way.
Plus the mystery would probably be familiar to the reader, so I think it’s a great way to make the transition form het books to gay books. If I were to really choose a book I’d say either Adrien English or Fair Game, ’cause those are my favorites so far.
I think it also depends a lot on that particular person’s preferences.
If they’re someone who really likes sports, I’d definitely recommend Tigers and Devils for their first M/M book.
If they love music, The Missing Butterfly, for sure.
If they’re really into paranormal, surely something by JCP, maybe a free series, like the Magic Mansion or Turbulence, so they see how awesome freebies can be in this genre.
If they prefer shifters, I’d go for Crying for the Moon by Sarah Madison.
And, lastly If they’re a huge fan of humor like me, something, anything, by Ethan Day or Zathyn Priest.
As for contemporary, there are just too many to mention.
I guess that covers it all. Merry Christmas!
Hi! I would love to enter the contest!
There a some, depends on what one like. :)
Tigers and Devils by Sean Kendy – Coming Out and Sports, opposites attrackts
Megan Derr’s fairy tales anthologies or anything, really, I loved Prisoner, Lost Gods series, for fantasy lovers
Whistling in the Dark or To Touch the Stars – for historical books
Crime- well there is Josh Lanyon and his well known Aidrian English series, or anything, they are all brilliant! In my heart of hearts, I would rec Cards on the table by Josh Lanyon, if one wants a taste of his work
Happy Holidays!
I’d like to be counted in , please.
The book I’d recommend to a newbie is actually a series:
The “A Strange Place in Time” series by Alyx Shaw, available from Torquere Press’s website.
I gave a copy to a newbie who absolutely loved them, especially as they’re not hardcore, but a nice intro into the genre.
A second choice would be another series: “Scarlet and the White Wolf”, by Kirby Crow, also published by Torquere.
These are both fantasy series with initially, at least, gentle romances, so wouldn’t overface a newbie.
I would love to be entered into this contest. Thanks for doing it.
I’d recommend Zero at the Bone by Jane Seville. It’s my favorite M/M romance and is a terrific action adventure thriller with a slow burn sexual tension developing between the MC’s throughout the book.
Posting for an anonymous reader:
“I just finished a book that moves to the top of my list for a first time m/m reader or even a seasoned pro. The book is Brute by Kim Fielding. Why would I recommend it? simply because it is just a beautiful love story! The sex scenes are implied rather than explicit and Brute is one of the best characters I’ve ever read! …this book is truly heartwarming and I hope everyone finds a Brute of their own!”
(By the way, I’m absolutely loving reading everyone’s responses. So many books I have yet to read. Thanks to everyone for sharing. I can’t wait to put together the full list of recommendations. Hope you all have a safe and happy New Year! -Sloan)
Wow, this is quite the list – some books are on my to read list, but I have more to add now!!!
Please enter me as well, email is diall(at)shaw(dot)ca or diall@shaw.ca if it shows up okay!
As for recommendations, two of my first ones I read, that I still think are great are “My Summer of Wes” by Missy Welsh and “No Going Home” by TA Chase.
There are so many good ones, but these are two books I constantly go back to!
Happy reading and Happy New Year everyone!
I would love to be entered into the contest. After reading all the recommendations, I was surprised how many I had read (and agreed that they were good), but for a first time m/m reader who likes fantasy, I would recommend Marie Sexton’s Song of Oestend. Megan Derr is another good choice for a first time read.
Count me in, please!
I would recommend Something Like Summer by Jay Bell or The Cranberry Hush by Ben Monopoli as great introductions into the m/m genre. Both are beautifully written stories with have wonderfully developed characters that grab hold of you and don’t let go.
Oh count me in please and thanks.
I would recommend The British Devil by Greg Hogben. It’s a great story about love winning the challenges thrown up at the main characters.
jacquie.sawyer (at) bell.net
Thanks
Yes, please count me in, I’d like to enter!
I would recommend Josh Lanyons A Dickens With Love, it’s a fabulous story, well written, great romance, but also some angst and it’s a pageturner.
Thank you all for entering the giveaway and sharing your recommendations for newcomers to M/M Romances. I’m really looking forward to putting together the final list of books and authors, which I’ll be posting to my blog in the next week or so.
Now on to the drawing: There were a total of three random winners selected. Congratulations to Hope (comment #17), Diane A (comment #100), and Cindi (comment #2). I’ll be contacting each of you via email so you can select which gift certificate you’d like and what format of e-book.
Thanks again to everyone for stopping by the blog and sharing your recommendations. I wish you all a happy, healthy, and joyful 2013!
All the best,
Sloan