The Library Christmas Blog Tour

The O'Raven Chronicles is Honored to host this opening post for The Library Christmas Blog Tour

Opposites Book series spot-light; 

** Warning, Opposites is an adult dystopian majorly m/m series ** 

Book one, Opposites 

                                                            



In the year 2081 our planet survived global warming of an apocalyptic scale. When the dust settled and the water receded Dr. Anthony Smith, one of only a few hundred survivors of GWI, started society anew. Having come to the conclusion that injudicious breeding played a huge role in the destruction of Earth as we knew it in the twenty first century, he worked closely with other survivors to isolate the Dionysus gene. This gene has the ability to manipulate human DNA to ensure that all male children be born gay, and all female children be born lesbians. A new society is born.

In the year 2300 Dr. Smith’s descendants are ushering in the twenty fourth century having maintained control of the government that still rules society. Twins Aiya and Aiyan are preparing to meet their matches and take control of House Gaeland, the current ruling House. But not everything is as it seems.

Love is Love.. it knows no gender and doesn’t conform to restrictions and boundaries. Aiyan has found his soul mate in Kaden, the prince of House Devi that he is matched with and eventually marries. But when the person Aiya falls in love with tests the boundaries put in place after GWI, all hell breaks loose. And in the midst of one secret unraveling, another will emerge. There is a growing anomaly that threatens to destroy over two hundred years of progression. This anomaly is known as Opposites.

*WARNING* Opposites is a majorly M/M New Adult novel that contains explicit sexual content and relationships between gay, lesbian and straight couples

The Library, an Opposites novella

                                                              


Three gay couples run amuck in this short story where clothing, beds, even four walls are all optional!

Want to know what happened that night in the library?
Cirian and Rian had a fight in the library and Rian ends up naked on the desk, on his back, at Cirian's mercy.

Want to know how far things went with ice cream?
A romantic evening by the fire feeding his husband ice cream leads to a lot more than heavy petting for Aiyan and Kaden.

Want to know what was going on when those birds fled?
Travelling hundreds of miles, battling the rebels and then travelling back to House Gaeland will take it out of you. But when Tanis wants something, he takes it. Raven is about to be bent over a tree!

A Note from the Author: I've taken three scenes from Opposites that were cut short and elaborated on the shenanigans that ensued. I also focused more in the beginning on the relationship between Cirian and Rian, to give readers a chance to know them and their inner workings better.

**Warning, The Library is a novella set in the same world as Opposites. It's an adult dystopian M/M novella that includes consenting and explicit sexual relationships between gay couples**

About The Author;

Smith is an outspoken advocate for Autism and equal rights for the LGBTQ community.

Her Opposites series is based outside the normal parameters of social acceptability, examining a 'what if'... What If to be gay or lesbian were the norm? What if to be straight labeled you as an Opposite and made YOU the Outkast?

Author Amazon page: T.M. Smith on Amazon

Author website: Author Web / Blog site

GoodReads book: Opposites Goodreads page

GoodReads author: Author Goodreads page

Facebook: Author Facebook page

Raven and Tanis spot-light;

This Link to The Library Release post will give you other links many which are to previous posts about Raven and Tanis:            The Library Release Post 

Insight into Raven and Tanis (from the real life Raven); 

Given that I am the real life inspiration for Raven I thought I would share some personal reflections. Please note that these are my thoughts and do not reflect those of The Author. 

Raven differs slightly from me in that he struggles with maintaining his relationship with God while pursuing a human love affair. While this would never be an issue for me now, it certainly does reflect much of my personal turmoil in my preteen years. There were many dark times when I gave into suicidal thoughts and tried to take my own life. As you can plainly tell, I am still here alive and kicking. I survived Abuse and Bullying. I grew up in a family which has long been in the ministry. When I was young there were a lot of mixed messages I received about sex. One message came through loud and clear though....Homosexuals were bad, Homosexuality was a sin; I was inherently born wrong...though I was also told it was a choice. I knew it was never a choice for me. I used to beg God to crush me up into little pieces and re-make me "the right way". After I reached my sixteenth year the darkness was passing. I became very Spiritual and Religious but not in the same way that I grew up understanding either of those terms. I renewed my relationship with my Creator. I still struggled with coming to terms with my sexuality. It was shortly after my seventeenth birthday all that would change, I had a spiritual experience which altered me forever. One night as I was staying with a friend, I took a walk in the wooded area beside her apartment complex. I remember this crushing weight on me, on my head, on my chest. I looked up to the light of the full moon. I looked up above even that into the darkness of space and to the stars that were shining like diamonds, bright and clear white fire adorning the deep vastness beyond our world. I fell to my knees and cried out loud and prayed. "Oh God, please help me....help me come to terms with this...help me bear it...please give me peace"! The wind began to blow through the woods, through me....filling me. I felt like I was being heard...being cleansed. I felt all the weight of all my years being lifted from me. All the agony....all the pain....all the hurt, and the heartache just blew away. I was left feeling a type of euphoric awe! I heard a voice say to me (and this is a very abbreviated version lol)... "Oh My child, My child...why do you weep? Don't you know how beautiful I have made all of My children? Don't you know that I created everyone as they are, with a purpose and a place? I created you with a purpose....be at peace after this with who you are...feel My presence ever with you....feel My love and be at peace"! In that moment I was utterly transformed. I had never felt so safe, and protected, and loved, and cherished....uplifted, validated, and called. Yes that is how I felt....like I had been called into service. Much later after finding my true Religious and Spiritual path and Faith Tradition, and being trained as a Healer....I became Ordained as a Minister. I also started to educate myself on what scripture does and does not say about Homosexuals and people of alternative sexual orientation. In fact scriptures says little to nothing on the subject. Like the character of Raven I had made peace with my self.

 In The Library you really get a sense of how far Raven has come in his emotional journey to wholeness in finding his true lover and soul mate in the dashing Tanis. When T.M. Smith my good friend was crafting the story and the character using me as a reference she really took time to try and understand me and who I am as a person and I will forever be honored by the experience. Raven and Tanis were both crafted in a sense after me. Raven was crafted after who I am as a person. Tanis was crafted after what I long for in a lover. Though I have never found my real life Tanis...I still hope and dream that one day my prince will come lol! Tanis is a prince, and a warrior. The Warrior Archetype is something that I am deeply attracted to. In Raven and Tanis's story the clashing and later the uniting of the very different Priest and Warrior Archetypes created this huge unforeseen interesting side story in the series. Neither the author or myself could have guessed that these side characters would turn into main characters. Tanis is pivotal to the story to me because of what he brings to the table, and because of the chain of events he sets off in the story. Tanis shares a lot in common, in my mind; with his fathers and with Aiyan as far as personality traits go. Tanis however has inner turmoil of his own. Though this part of his story has yet to be revealed. In upcoming stories you will be able to come to know Tanis better. Tanis has a fierce love and loyalty like many of the characters...he fights for what he loves; however Tanis has this strange type of bravado and way of coping with emotions that is not like any of the other characters to me. I never considered what his inner story would be when this project started. I admit that I was so focused on what Tanis meant to Raven that I didn't consider Tanis's inner life and world at all. Tanis is a force of nature. He is aggressive and persistent. Perhaps he is even relentless in his pursuit of his priest. As much as Tanis is this big strong man who is going after what he wants...he is also very child like to me. He has this great vulnerability that comes through in his pursuit of Raven. It is almost as if he not only wants Raven at all costs....not only is he terrified of final rejection....but he is just as terrified of loosing Raven...of not participating in the chase and the hunt. He is scared not to try, and scared of what really loving this man means. Tanis is nothing if not a skilled lover in the physical sense...but he has had to learn a lot about how much more there is to true love and a real relationship. Falling in love with Raven forced the wild child party playboy to grow up emotionally and realize that if he is to be a true mate to Raven he has to be able to take care of all his needs, not just the physical ones. In some ways it seems to me that for Tanis, Raven is like several things all rolled into one package that he just can't resist. For Tanis, Raven represents innocence that he must protect and care for. In other ways Raven for Tanis seems like a type of lofty spiritual ideal that he comes to believe in and wants to uphold and defend. In yet another way Raven seems like the biggest best present under the tree at Christmas for that bright eyed little boy who wakes up with the first streaks of light on Christmas morn.

 For Raven, Tanis represents all the things he ever wanted and considered too selfish to dare to ask for. Raven can't be said to have low self esteem I don't think; however there is this part of Raven's psyche that can't fathom that anyone could love him the way Tanis does. I think it stems from what he was sure his life's course was, more than anything else. He had of course resigned himself to being alone forever. Tanis comes into Raven's life and literally rocks his entire world. I think inside on an unconscious level Raven probably views Tanis as Angel or a message from God that is telling him to wake up and look deeper into the mystery of life. Not to be so attached to his own dogma's that he isn't paying attention to everything going on around him. Tanis's love literally wakes up Raven's heart and soul from a type of slumber. Raven has always spoke his mind but he becomes more outspoken and learns to truly fight for what's right in his eyes. This call to wake up and really pay attention will become a huge part of the story. The groundwork for this facet of the story was laid in book one. I won't go into details...it would spoil the surprise and then T.M. Smith would commit grave acts of violence against my personage lol! I will say this...each of the three main couples in the story has obstacles to overcome in their relationships which help propel the story. These themes are part of what make this series so interesting and help enrich the world the author has created and bring it to life in a much deeper way. Again I want to thank T.M. Smith for this opportunity and experience. It isn't everyday that one gets to examine themselves in this way...through a character, unless one is an actor. If you haven't read this series and are only now hearing about it...I want to urge you to get these books and let yourself experience this fascinating world, and story concept! T.M. Smith has really created something special with this series and I hope people really take time to not just breeze through the story but truly absorb the message and take it to heart. What if you were the outcast? What if it was you that was on the outside looking in, just wanting to be seen and treated the same as everyone else? I hope people take this opportunity to ask themselves one of the greatest questions that there is.... "What if"? 

Raven's Character Facebook Page 

~ A special Christmas Message from Raven and Tanis ~

***

Tour schedule and links:

Dec 17th ~ http://revloush.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-release-of-library-opposites.html?zx=5ca905b037bc222d">The O'Raven Chronicles {tour schedule and spotlight on Raven of House Gaeland}

Dec 17th ~ {review and character interview w/Raven & Tanis}
Dec 18th ~ {review & top 10 LGBT books}

Dec 19th ~ {review & guest post for Aiya and Sawyer}

Dec 20th ~ http://mommysabookwhore.blogspot.com/?zx=3fb01e280aeb10cb">Mommy's a Book Whore {spotlight}

Dec 21st ~ {spotlight & Playlist}

Dec 22nd ~ {review & spotlight}

Dec 23rd ~ {review & guest post blending The Library w/Opposites}

Dec 24th ~ http://morticiaknight.blogspot.com/?zx=da736b8f99b43c6a">Morticia Knight {review & author interview}

Dec 24th ~  ttcbooks&more

*** 

A Rafflecopter Giveaway;

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rest In Peace Paul Walker...

I was so saddened to hear of the tragic news that yet another great actor has passed over. Paul Walker was killed in an auto-accident and the world has been robbed yet again of another bright light leaving it a little dimer than it was before. His memory however will live in the hearts of all those who loved him and his work. I hope he finds his way to the light and that his light shines in all who loved him, and helps us all to love and live better; life is better just for the fact that he lived and graced us with his presence. Rest in Peace Paul, we shall miss you. Thank you for sharing your talent, your gifts, your art, your light, your beautiful spirit, and some of your life with us. We are all the better for having witnessed your presence here. 

May The Lord Bless Thee and Keep Thee, May He bring you into His Courts where the eternal feast of Thanksgiving unfolds and awaits. May you know Eternal Love, Joy, and Peace! Blessed Be Most Excellent! Amen. 


                                                           In Memoriam 

                             

You can find out more about him and look at the body of his film work by clicking on the following link;

         Actor Paul Walker's I.M.D.B. Page

                               

 

The Release of The Library an Opposites Novella By T.M. Smith

The O'Raven Chronicles is so very proud to present this special post about The Library an Opposites Novella By Author T.M. Smith

Book Series Spot-light; 

Opposites; 

The First Post about Opposites

The Second Post about Opposites

The Third Post about Opposites

The Library; 

Cover Reveal Post for The Library

Author Spot-light; 

T.M. Smith; 

A military brat born and raised at Ft. Benning Georgia; Smith is an avid reader, reviewer and writer. She now calls Texas home from her small town on the outskirts of the DFW Metroplex. Most days you can find her curled up with her kindle and a good book alongside a glass of something aged and red or a steaming cup of coffee! 

At 42 years young, she’s decided to enter the next phase of her life by adding the title of “author” to her list of accomplishments that includes single mom of three disturbingly outspoken and decidedly different kids, one of which is Autistic. Her two eldest kids and gay best friend were the inspiration for her book series, Opposites.

Author Links: 

Author's Website / Blog

Author's Facebook Page

Author's Goodreads Page

Author's Smashwords Page

Opposites Smashwords Page

The Library Smashwords Page

Author's Amazon Page

Opposites Amazon Page

The Library Amazon Page

Character Couple Spot-light; 

Tanis and Raven: 

                                                                       TANIS

                                                                      RAVEN

Another Post about Raven

Author's Character Interview with Raven

Raven's Facebook Page

Raven's Wood: 

An Excerpt from Raven's Wood, out of The Library... 

Tanis slammed into him from behind and he had his hands wrapped around Raven, pants unbuttoned and unzipped before Raven even knew what had hit him. “What the hell Tanis?!” Raven barked. “I have to have you! Right here, right now.” He spun Raven around and slammed him back against the tree. Raven’s mouth was open, a question or complaint forming when Tanis shoved his tongue in. He ground his groin into Ravens hip as he growled into his mouth. Raven forgot how to speak, much less think from that moment on. Tanis had his leg in between Raven’s and had his hand shoved into the front of his pants, a steel grip wrapped around Raven’s cock and he gasped. Tanis shoved his tongue deeper into Raven’s mouth since it was wide open and kissed him. The kiss was deep and commanding as was the slow pull on his cock. Tanis drug his hand from root to tip and back down in slow, steady motions. Raven began moaning into Tanis’s mouth and rocking his hips up to meet each twist of Tanis wrist as he jerked him off.

Rafflecopter Giveaway; 

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Author Spot-light; Jayson James

Author Bio; 

Jayson James graduated from Western Washington University with a bachelor's degree in Education. He was born and raised in Washington State, where he currently lives and teaches. The farthest off the west coast he has ever been was Nevada and Arizona. Whenever Jayson has the time (and money), he likes to travel, hoping to see most of the United States over the next 5 years.

After much prompting from his friends "Finding Our Way" debut in September 2012 as Jayson James first published novel. A couple months later, he wrote and released the follow-up novel "Tormented Discovery" and thanks to his dedicated editor and friend, the book released in early 2013. Jayson has at least one more book releasing later in 2013 with the same characters. Much to his delight, fans are eagerly waiting to read what happens next with Justin, Derrick and the rest of the gang.

When Jayson is not writing he enjoys reading a variety of books from different genres. He is an avid supporter of fellow Indy authors and does whatever he can to support them. Although he often denies it when asked, he also likes to draw, mostly cartooning and sketching using pencils and oil pastels. He also loves listening to music and watching movies, one or the other is constantly playing every time he is writing or drawing and even sometimes when he is reading.

Although his first published works are of the gay new adult and gay young adult genre, he plans on publishing books of other genres at some point. Such as a children's book he has been contemplating for many years.

Book Series Spot-light; 

Finding Our Way book series: 

Book Synopsis for each book in the series; 

FINDING OUR WAY 

Derrick Wilson and Justin Parker have been the best friends since middle school. They are both 17 and in their junior year at Chandler High School. Derrick is feeling distant and tired of his own much too perfect family. Justin has become the invisible son in the midst of his parents failing marriage. A drunken night of passion awakens feelings neither ever knew they had. 

What happens when two best friends cross the boundaries of friendship in drunken passion? Are they able to be happy together? How can keep their secret from their friends? Will they be able to hide their relationship from their parents? To complicate things even further they girlfriends. Being a teenager can difficult. Being gay can be tough. Imagine being both 

TORMENTED DISCOVERY 

Justin and Derrick have a secret that they revealed only to their closest friends. They are gay and are now a couple. The story of Justin and Derrick continues as they learn more about being a gay couple in their senior year of high school and the complications that arise from it. Some friends will have their backs while others simply stand on the sidelines. Other friends will be accepting and others will ridicule them. 

Sometimes love is almost not enough to save a relationship and both Derrick and Justin begin to have their doubts as they watch relationships around them rise and fall. Justin and Derrick both want to have new experiences, new choices and make new friends, which leads to them questioning their own relationship. They soon discover that some of the people they consider friends have their own secrets, some darker than others. The couple begins to see how people react towards homosexuality and just how people want to deal with it and them. 

DRIFTING 

Derrick and Justin have been a couple since High School and have been through a lot. They both stuck together even when their friends and family found out about their relationship. When their school found out about them. Struggling with challenge after challenge they have finally made it to College. Living together is a whole new world and being open with their relationship is even more new. 

As the couple begin to spend every day together they begin to learn about their differences more and more. Can their relationship survive the differences? Can it survive new friends and new romances? Will they begin to find their way together or will they have to find their own ways again?

Drifting Excerpt; 

Derrick

“I hate this.”

“So do I.” Whole-heartedly I did. We talked on the phone all of the time, emailed and even were using

Skype, but it was not the same as seeing each other in person. Justin Parker, my boyfriend, was sitting

next to me on his bed, staring and giving me a pouty face. I bit my lip and stared back at him for a

moment. “What are we going to do about it?”

He sighed, “One of us is going to have to change schools.”

I knew this was coming. I admitted, “I applied to the University of Washington my second week at

Western.” He looked at me surprised. I grinned, “They accepted me. So I guess I’ll be changing

schools.”

Justin laughed, “I got into Western Washington University. I applied about the same time.”

We both laughed. Justin pulled me close and we kissed and snuggled.

“Where does that leave us?” My mind was preoccupied with this question.

Justin shrugged, “I like UW, but I love you Derrick Wilson.”

“I feel the same way about Western.” I bit my lip as I hoped he would tell me he would make the

change. I had my room to myself since my roommate dropped out before the winter break. I could not

bring myself to make the suggestion.

The doorbell rang. We had been so wrapped up in ourselves that we forgot we ordered pizza. Justin

stood up and quickly pulled on his pants and shirt. I did the same.

Justin stated, “So much for fucking around before the pizza got here.” I agreed. We both darted down

the stairs as the doorbell rang a second time.

Justin opened the door as I stood back. His eyes got very big as he looked back at me. It took me a

moment to figure out what this was all about. The delivery person was Janie, the girl I had been dating

when Justin and I progressed to being boyfriends a couple of years earlier. Without realizing it, I bit my

lip and stood feeling uncomfortable. Janie looked like she could not drop off the pizza fast enough and

get out of there. She was friendly and cordial, although as her face turned red. Justin paid her and she

darted away before the door was even closed.

“That was awkward,” Justin whispered as he held our pizza and sodas in one hand and locked the door

with the other. I nodded my head in agreement. He went on, “She had to know that she was coning to

my house.”

*********************  

Author sites; 

Author's Blog

Author's Facebook

Author's Amazon page

Author's Goodreads page

~Random Musing on Death Rites~

With Samhain just having past the subject of death has been on the minds of many, including my own. I often look at funerary rites and wonder... Did we humans create death rites because we were worried we would forget the dead; or did we create the death rites because we were worried the dead might forget us?

The Caprion's Wings Cover Reveal

The Cover Revealed...

Caprion's Wings By T. L. Shreffler...

A novella of The Cat's Eye Chronicles.
Release Date: January 31st, 2014

Book Synopsis; 

By the age of nineteen, all Harpies know how to fly—except Caprion. He has yet pass the test of the Singing and gain his wings. His family has disowned him in shame and people are beginning to talk. Now an evil voice haunts his dreams, taunting him, drawing out his worst fears—that he will remain wingless forever.

Caprion decides to find the root of this insidious voice, no matter what it takes. He journeys to the secret prisons of the Harpy underground, where he meets a young slave named Moss. In those sunless, decrepit cells, a forbidden friendship is formed. Can Caprion and Moss find the source of the voice? And can Caprion save Moss from a terrible fate?

Join young Caprion as he journeys down, down into the earth, finding his wings and forging a friendship that will change him forever.


*This is a novella of The Cat’s Eye Chronicles. If you are new to the series, you can download the first book, Sora’s Quest, for free!


Download Sora's Quest for FREE (The Cat's Eye Chronicles, Book 1)
Amazon +  Barnes and Noble + Kobo Books + Smashwords + iTunes
OR Buy in Print!

About The Author; 

T. L. Shreffler lives in Los Angeles, CA. She loves diversity, fantasy, romance, iced tea, long walks, philosophy, and thrift store shopping. She recently graduated with a BA in Badass (Creative Writing) and her poetry has been published consecutively in Eclipse: A Literary Journal and The Northridge Review. She is author of The Cat's Eye Chronicles (YA/Epic Fantasy) and The Wolves of Black River (PN Romance). For more info on this author, visit her website.

The Giveaway; 

Shreffler is giving away an early ebook copy of Caprion's Wings and a Cat's Eye necklace to one lucky winner! Jess and I will be giving away a swag pack that includes a one of a kind keychain made with tender love and care by Jess herself.

*US/Canada only*

 a Rafflecopter giveaway