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Gothika #5
Contact
Since ancient times, humankind has looked into the night sky and wondered: Are we alone? Are there other civilizations beyond the stars? Will we ever encounter these beings? Who are they, what are they like, and what might they want with us?
These questions are about to be answered, but those who discover the truth might wish they had never asked. On the other hand, some might find salvation in visitors from other planets. For while some aliens are hostile, others are benevolent. Some have little in common with humans, but for others, the need for love and acceptance is universal. Lives will intersect and otherworldly passions will ignite as four acclaimed authors of gay romance explore first contact—and where it can lead.
These questions are about to be answered, but those who discover the truth might wish they had never asked. On the other hand, some might find salvation in visitors from other planets. For while some aliens are hostile, others are benevolent. Some have little in common with humans, but for others, the need for love and acceptance is universal. Lives will intersect and otherworldly passions will ignite as four acclaimed authors of gay romance explore first contact—and where it can lead.
306 pages, Paperback
First published October 24, 2016
6 people are currently reading
101 people want to read
About the author
F.E. Feeley Jr.
19 books256 followersNoted author, poet, producer, and all-around badass, F.E. Feeley Jr. is one of the most important queer voices writing today. He lives in the Deep South with his fur babies, campaigning for social justice, and occasionally howling at the moon.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 29, 2025
I have really enjoyed each of the four previous anthologies in the 'Gothika' series so when I realized the fifth installment was going to revolve around science fiction, I was more than stoked. The science fiction genre is one I have loved since I was a little kid and any chance to read it is always a good thing! With that said, this fifth installment was mesmerizing and kept me glued to the pages.
Abducted by Jamie Fessenden
I vividly remember the first time I stood in line at the grocery store with my mom and read the front of one of the rags where someone was claiming alien abduction. I was fascinated and, to a point, I still am. I find it rather narcissistic of the human race to believe that we're the only sentient beings in the galaxy. The universe is fairly large and most of it unmapped so it stands to reason that there are other planets with intelligent life. We just haven't met them. Yet.
I found Jamie's story of abduction to be rather interesting, particularly the fact that two different alien races were involved, one in an attempt to harm, and the other only to study from a scientific perspective. The world building, or should I say the outer space and spaceship building, was intriguing and definitely kept me interested. As did the interspecies sex that happened! Although, to be honest, the action-packed attack against the insect-like foe was the best part for me.
Kudos Jamie, to a wonderful story!
Please find my full review at Rainbow Book Reviews
Abducted by Jamie Fessenden
I vividly remember the first time I stood in line at the grocery store with my mom and read the front of one of the rags where someone was claiming alien abduction. I was fascinated and, to a point, I still am. I find it rather narcissistic of the human race to believe that we're the only sentient beings in the galaxy. The universe is fairly large and most of it unmapped so it stands to reason that there are other planets with intelligent life. We just haven't met them. Yet.
I found Jamie's story of abduction to be rather interesting, particularly the fact that two different alien races were involved, one in an attempt to harm, and the other only to study from a scientific perspective. The world building, or should I say the outer space and spaceship building, was intriguing and definitely kept me interested. As did the interspecies sex that happened! Although, to be honest, the action-packed attack against the insect-like foe was the best part for me.
Kudos Jamie, to a wonderful story!
Please find my full review at Rainbow Book Reviews
November 6, 2016
Refugee by Kim Fielding - 4.25
My Final Blog by F.E. Feeley, Jr. - 3.5
Abducted by Jamie Fessenden - 3.5
Unusual Attention by B.G. Thomas 3
My Final Blog by F.E. Feeley, Jr. - 3.5
Abducted by Jamie Fessenden - 3.5
Unusual Attention by B.G. Thomas 3
Read
November 4, 2016A Joyfully Jay review.
4 stars
Contact is the latest installment in the Gothika series of anthologies, focusing on close encounters of the third-kind. Three of the four stories revolve around burgeoning intergalactic romance and the fourth centers on a pair of lovers dealing with the knowledge that humans are not alone.
In general, I really enjoyed the first three stories. The final one felt less compelling to me in comparison. One of the biggest differences is that the final story doesn’t align with the trope used in the other three (falling in love with an alien). Overall, though, if you’re interested in giving paranormal stories a shot, I think this is a great collection. I have read a couple other Gothika collections and my gut feeling is that this collection of four stories is a stronger showing that some of the works in earlier books. They are each roughly 80 pages in length, but each contains a well-rounded story and, surprisingly, not a single one of them comes across as shamelessly insta-lovey—no mean feat given the usual object of affection is someone the MC meets on-page.
Below are summaries of each of the stories and a few thoughts I have about each of them.
Read Camille’s review in its entirety here.
4 stars
Contact is the latest installment in the Gothika series of anthologies, focusing on close encounters of the third-kind. Three of the four stories revolve around burgeoning intergalactic romance and the fourth centers on a pair of lovers dealing with the knowledge that humans are not alone.
In general, I really enjoyed the first three stories. The final one felt less compelling to me in comparison. One of the biggest differences is that the final story doesn’t align with the trope used in the other three (falling in love with an alien). Overall, though, if you’re interested in giving paranormal stories a shot, I think this is a great collection. I have read a couple other Gothika collections and my gut feeling is that this collection of four stories is a stronger showing that some of the works in earlier books. They are each roughly 80 pages in length, but each contains a well-rounded story and, surprisingly, not a single one of them comes across as shamelessly insta-lovey—no mean feat given the usual object of affection is someone the MC meets on-page.
Below are summaries of each of the stories and a few thoughts I have about each of them.
Read Camille’s review in its entirety here.
Read
September 28, 2016This is volume 5 in the Gothika series. Each volume contains stand-alone novellas on a particular theme, so you can enjoy any of the volumes without having read the others. And this time we have aliens! I've so enjoyed writing the stories in this series, and I'm so proud to be in such good authorial company!
November 15, 2016
4.5 Stars ~ This latest Gothika anthology deals with stories of the extraterrestrial kind, and features four authors: Kim Fielding, F.E. Feeley Jr.,Jamie Fessenden, and B.G. Thomas. While all have a similar theme—contact with alien life—all the stories are vastly different and overall, the authors did a great job writing characters that were both interesting and believable. The anthology itself dwells less on the scarier elements of alien life and more on the idea that there is intelligence out there beyond our own, and the idea that love is more universal than we think. That’s not to say there aren’t some rather intense moments in most of the stories, but they are tempered by the more inquisitive nature of the alien races and their capacity for compassion.
The first story, Abducted, offered up by author Jamie Fessenden, started off with a bang. After receiving a frantic call from his friend Cody, Marc hurries off to the middle of nowhere to find both Cody and the home he bought in a shambles. It seems that Cody believes he is being taken by an alien race and being experimented on and is just about ready to succumb to a nervous breakdown. After convincing his friend that he needs help, Marc agrees to stay the night with him, only to awaken to find his friend being dragged from the house by a beam of light. Trying to rescue him by grabbing hold of him, Marc himself is wrenched through an upper floor window and when he wakes he realizes he is not in Kansas anymore, so to speak. What follows is his introduction to a highly intelligent race who is pursuing the god-awful bug like creatures that have been grabbing Cody and others in order to experiment on them. While Marc is with them, one of their leaders, Dalsing, leads the extraction mission to not only save Cody but also destroy the enemy ship. Little does Marc realize that the short time spent with Dalsing will bring about more than just feelings of gratitude for his heroics.
I enjoyed this story mainly due to the way in which the author took the time to develop the alien race Dalsing was a part of, and to give a view into their sexuality and way of life. While they had genuine remorse that the humans were being tortured, their real mission was to destroy their enemy before they colonized earth. From Dalsing’s physical appearance to the way he respected Marc and cared for him while Marc was on their ship, Dalsing quickly wormed his way into my heart, strange anatomy aside. Mr. Fessenden writes an earthy, sexual story, but also allows for more than just lust to grow between his two main characters. I was very impressed with the way in which he created not one but two alien races, along with their modes of transportation. The depth of the description and scene setting in this story was incredible given the brevity of the tale itself. All in all this one was by far the most detailed and action packed. Rating: 4.5 stars
Kim Fielding offers up the next short story entitled Refugee, which is also the anthology’s only historical fiction trope. Set in post World War II, medic Walter Clark comes home only to find he no longer fits into the family and life he once had. Harboring real survivor guilt as well as not being able to confront the demons that war has left behind, Walter packs his life into his army duffle and takes off on a road trip that eventually brings him to the idyllic small town of Kiteesha. It’s here that he finds the town’s only diner and experiences food just like his grandmother used to make, and people who, while a bit strange, are incredibly warm and welcoming. After checking into the town’s motor lodge, Walter meets the owner, Martin, who is instantly drawn to Walter, and vice versa. But this is the late 1940s, and gay men hide deep in the closet. When Walter realizes the town not only knows about he and Martin but also embraces their sexuality, Walter cannot help but wonder what kind of fairy tale land he has stumbled upon. When he is drawn into the woods and sees the startling light in the night sky, he panics and nearly destroys the man he has come to like way too much.
I must admit this one really tugged at my heartstrings. Both Walter and Martin were hurting souls, and their moments together were tender and incredibly loving. The townspeople were almost too good to be true and yet, when the real secret behind the town was revealed, it all made sense in the end. There was a shocking twist to this story that made me gasp; thankfully, the author chose to turn it around and give the story a redeeming and peaceful ending. All in all I would have to say this was one of my favorites despite it being much too short. Rating: 5 stars
F.E. Feeley Jr.’s story, My Final Blog, was the darkest and most gripping tale of the four, in my opinion. George is your average kind of guy. His one outlet is maintaining a blog where he writes about his life. Lots of people comment, but there is one, Universal47, who has been with him from the beginning and has gone beyond just politely responding to George’s posts. They have formed a connection of sorts, and so when George tries to end a disastrous affair with an abusive lover, Joseph, he is surprised to find out that Universal47 is behind his finding out that Joseph had been cheating on George all this time. When George finally pushes Universal47 to meet, little does he know that Universal47 has been with him the entire time—waiting for an opportunity to confess his love for him. However, a beam of light is a hard thing to hold in your hand and just what or who Universal47 is turns out to be surprising indeed.
This story was just way too short. I wanted more the moment I read the final words. George was a simple guy who wanted someone to love. The fact that he ended up with a right bastard of a boyfriend who took every opportunity to run him down was no surprise. However, the blog he had begun as a whim turned out to be the thing that saved him—at least, his biggest fan did. Universal47 was a mystery, and when George confronts him online and demands they meet, little did he know that Universal47 would end up saving his life. This story moves so quickly and yet it managed to convey enough of George’s character that you end up rooting for the guy by story’s end. While it was a bit vague as to how Universal and George end up, we are assured that they are happy—and that is all you need to know after the bit of hell poor George is put through. Rating: 4.5
The final tale, Unusual Attention by B.G. Thomas, is the only one that does not end with a human/alien lover theme. Instead it centers on Adam, who has not one iota of interest in falling in love–particularly with a guy who does most of the things he despises: smokes, likes sports, and lives over three hours away. But from their fateful first meeting at a Pride festival, Adam has found himself wanting to spend time with Shane more and more. Then Shane reveals his side bit of crazy when Adam discovers that Shane is pretty sure he has been abducted by aliens and, in fact, is now carrying one of their tracking devices inside his body. Not only that but when Shane discovers that Adam has “lost” time on one of his rides home from spending the weekend with Shane, he is fairly sure that Adam was abducted as well. Essentially, this just cements what Adam was worried about the entire time—Shane is not for him.
However, Adam cannot shake the nagging feeling that Shane may have been telling the truth—at least his warped version of it. So as he digs deeper and deeper into the idea of alien abduction, Adam begins to realize that Shane may not be so crazy after all—and that he also might like the guy quite a bit more than he has allowed himself to admit. By story’s climax, he is racing to Shane’s home in order to save the guy from being taken again. But he may be too late.
Clocking in as the longest story in the anthology, this one was also the most in depth when it came to actually discussing the research and stories of what many believe to be real life abductions. This was a very compelling story that honestly had me ready to believe in alien life forms and the idea that they may indeed be taking humans to observe and experiment on. The interesting twist that Adam and Shane uncover once they are taken aboard the ship is fascinating and ultimately benign in comparison with what we are led to believe during the build up to the climax. In that way it was a bit of a let down and felt slightly contrived, yet one cannot find fault with most of this story. It was most entertaining and spellbinding. Rating: 4 stars
Overall I would most definitely encourage sci-fi lovers to pick up this anthology. Contact will certainly entertain those who love the idea that we are not alone in this big galaxy of ours.
Reviewed by Sammy for The Novel Approach Reviews
The first story, Abducted, offered up by author Jamie Fessenden, started off with a bang. After receiving a frantic call from his friend Cody, Marc hurries off to the middle of nowhere to find both Cody and the home he bought in a shambles. It seems that Cody believes he is being taken by an alien race and being experimented on and is just about ready to succumb to a nervous breakdown. After convincing his friend that he needs help, Marc agrees to stay the night with him, only to awaken to find his friend being dragged from the house by a beam of light. Trying to rescue him by grabbing hold of him, Marc himself is wrenched through an upper floor window and when he wakes he realizes he is not in Kansas anymore, so to speak. What follows is his introduction to a highly intelligent race who is pursuing the god-awful bug like creatures that have been grabbing Cody and others in order to experiment on them. While Marc is with them, one of their leaders, Dalsing, leads the extraction mission to not only save Cody but also destroy the enemy ship. Little does Marc realize that the short time spent with Dalsing will bring about more than just feelings of gratitude for his heroics.
I enjoyed this story mainly due to the way in which the author took the time to develop the alien race Dalsing was a part of, and to give a view into their sexuality and way of life. While they had genuine remorse that the humans were being tortured, their real mission was to destroy their enemy before they colonized earth. From Dalsing’s physical appearance to the way he respected Marc and cared for him while Marc was on their ship, Dalsing quickly wormed his way into my heart, strange anatomy aside. Mr. Fessenden writes an earthy, sexual story, but also allows for more than just lust to grow between his two main characters. I was very impressed with the way in which he created not one but two alien races, along with their modes of transportation. The depth of the description and scene setting in this story was incredible given the brevity of the tale itself. All in all this one was by far the most detailed and action packed. Rating: 4.5 stars
Kim Fielding offers up the next short story entitled Refugee, which is also the anthology’s only historical fiction trope. Set in post World War II, medic Walter Clark comes home only to find he no longer fits into the family and life he once had. Harboring real survivor guilt as well as not being able to confront the demons that war has left behind, Walter packs his life into his army duffle and takes off on a road trip that eventually brings him to the idyllic small town of Kiteesha. It’s here that he finds the town’s only diner and experiences food just like his grandmother used to make, and people who, while a bit strange, are incredibly warm and welcoming. After checking into the town’s motor lodge, Walter meets the owner, Martin, who is instantly drawn to Walter, and vice versa. But this is the late 1940s, and gay men hide deep in the closet. When Walter realizes the town not only knows about he and Martin but also embraces their sexuality, Walter cannot help but wonder what kind of fairy tale land he has stumbled upon. When he is drawn into the woods and sees the startling light in the night sky, he panics and nearly destroys the man he has come to like way too much.
I must admit this one really tugged at my heartstrings. Both Walter and Martin were hurting souls, and their moments together were tender and incredibly loving. The townspeople were almost too good to be true and yet, when the real secret behind the town was revealed, it all made sense in the end. There was a shocking twist to this story that made me gasp; thankfully, the author chose to turn it around and give the story a redeeming and peaceful ending. All in all I would have to say this was one of my favorites despite it being much too short. Rating: 5 stars
F.E. Feeley Jr.’s story, My Final Blog, was the darkest and most gripping tale of the four, in my opinion. George is your average kind of guy. His one outlet is maintaining a blog where he writes about his life. Lots of people comment, but there is one, Universal47, who has been with him from the beginning and has gone beyond just politely responding to George’s posts. They have formed a connection of sorts, and so when George tries to end a disastrous affair with an abusive lover, Joseph, he is surprised to find out that Universal47 is behind his finding out that Joseph had been cheating on George all this time. When George finally pushes Universal47 to meet, little does he know that Universal47 has been with him the entire time—waiting for an opportunity to confess his love for him. However, a beam of light is a hard thing to hold in your hand and just what or who Universal47 is turns out to be surprising indeed.
This story was just way too short. I wanted more the moment I read the final words. George was a simple guy who wanted someone to love. The fact that he ended up with a right bastard of a boyfriend who took every opportunity to run him down was no surprise. However, the blog he had begun as a whim turned out to be the thing that saved him—at least, his biggest fan did. Universal47 was a mystery, and when George confronts him online and demands they meet, little did he know that Universal47 would end up saving his life. This story moves so quickly and yet it managed to convey enough of George’s character that you end up rooting for the guy by story’s end. While it was a bit vague as to how Universal and George end up, we are assured that they are happy—and that is all you need to know after the bit of hell poor George is put through. Rating: 4.5
The final tale, Unusual Attention by B.G. Thomas, is the only one that does not end with a human/alien lover theme. Instead it centers on Adam, who has not one iota of interest in falling in love–particularly with a guy who does most of the things he despises: smokes, likes sports, and lives over three hours away. But from their fateful first meeting at a Pride festival, Adam has found himself wanting to spend time with Shane more and more. Then Shane reveals his side bit of crazy when Adam discovers that Shane is pretty sure he has been abducted by aliens and, in fact, is now carrying one of their tracking devices inside his body. Not only that but when Shane discovers that Adam has “lost” time on one of his rides home from spending the weekend with Shane, he is fairly sure that Adam was abducted as well. Essentially, this just cements what Adam was worried about the entire time—Shane is not for him.
However, Adam cannot shake the nagging feeling that Shane may have been telling the truth—at least his warped version of it. So as he digs deeper and deeper into the idea of alien abduction, Adam begins to realize that Shane may not be so crazy after all—and that he also might like the guy quite a bit more than he has allowed himself to admit. By story’s climax, he is racing to Shane’s home in order to save the guy from being taken again. But he may be too late.
Clocking in as the longest story in the anthology, this one was also the most in depth when it came to actually discussing the research and stories of what many believe to be real life abductions. This was a very compelling story that honestly had me ready to believe in alien life forms and the idea that they may indeed be taking humans to observe and experiment on. The interesting twist that Adam and Shane uncover once they are taken aboard the ship is fascinating and ultimately benign in comparison with what we are led to believe during the build up to the climax. In that way it was a bit of a let down and felt slightly contrived, yet one cannot find fault with most of this story. It was most entertaining and spellbinding. Rating: 4 stars
Overall I would most definitely encourage sci-fi lovers to pick up this anthology. Contact will certainly entertain those who love the idea that we are not alone in this big galaxy of ours.
Reviewed by Sammy for The Novel Approach Reviews
November 16, 2016
See bottom of my review for the blurbs for each individual story, as they aren't up on the main book blurb here.
After really enjoying the previous Gothika anthologies, I was looking forward to this one, especially as the theme is aliens! I love sci-fi and am always on the look out for good stories in this genre. however, I'm a bit disappointed with this one.
Abducted, by Jamie Fessenden This was a pretty fun story and the one I started with out of the four shorts. It started off as a pretty typical abduction type story and then became something a bit different! It was definitely a little far-fetched at times, especially the short timescale that everything happens in, but I guess it's difficult to be more realistic considering the short word count.
Refugee, by Kim Fielding This was definitely a very sweet little story, but everything happened so fast and although it was nice and imaginative, I didn’t really feel this was the kind of alien encounter I was expecting. It was ok but really there were no sci-fi elements to speak of and we never find out anything about the aliens’ backstory really.
My Final Blog, by FE Feeley Jr – I thought this was quite an imaginative story – I loved the idea behind this one, although I think it needed to be a little longer to really do the idea justice. I would have liked to see more detail around the blog and their friendship over the years to feel that connection, instead of just being told about it briefly. I always love digital (online/text/email etc) conversations as part of a story, so I was a bit disappointed we didn't get more of this. And the final section seemed a bit rushed - but I think that’s unfortunately the downside of shorts.
Unusual Attention, by B.G. Thomas Unfortunately I haven't read this one. I liked the idea behind it and I did try and start it but I couldn't get into the story, so this one has been left for now.
------
A new Gothika anthology has just been released and this one is themed around aliens! I noticed the blurb on GR and amazon doesn't include the individual blurbs for each of the stories within it yet like the previous Gothika anthologies did, so here they are from my copy:
Abducted, by Jamie Fessenden
One night, Marc receives a frantic call from his friend, Cody. When he arrives at Cody's isolated farmhouse, Cody is filthy, half-starved, and under the paranoid delusion that aliens are abducting him and implanting things in his body.
Marc agrees to stay one night, as long as his friend will go to the hospital in the morning. But Cody isn't mentally ill. Aliens have been abducting him, and in the process of trying to stop it from happening again, Marc is abducted himself. But that's just the beginning of his nightmare.
Marc learns of two alien races at war. To make matters worse, the Alzhen have Marc and the evil Karazhen have Cody. Marc's only ally is Dalsing, the Alzhen security chief he feels an unexpected attraction to. They'll have to learn to trust each other if they're going to rescue Cody... and prevent the creation of a deadly biological weapon.
Refugee, by Kim Fielding
When World War II ended and army medic Walter Clark returned to Chicago, he discovered that although home remained the same, he had changed. Unable to fit comfortably into his old life, he spent a year gradually making his way west. Now he's gone as far as he can - the shore of the Pacific - but old memories make ocean views intolerable. He turns inland and finds himself in the hidden hamlet of Kiteeshaa, Oregon, where the locals are surprisingly friendly and the cafe serves food exactly like his grandmother used to make.
Martin Wright runs the Kitee Motor Court Inn and offers Walter a place to stay for a few nights. Later, Martin offers him a great deal more. But while Martin is a delight, he also harbors secrets - and there's something not quite right about Kiteeshaa. No matter how far the two men have traveled, they can't run away from their pasts.
My Final Blog, by F.E. Feeley Jr
George has never stood out. In fact, the only thing that's ever been special about him is his sexuality - a source of torment throughout his high-school career. Like many others, George found solace and an outlet for his creativity online. Through his blog, he met kindred spirits, allies, and even someone special - though the only thing George knows about his lifetime friend is their screen name: Universal47.
George never pushed for more, but over the years, he couldn't help developing feelings for Universal. He's always been there when George needs him most, and when George finds himself trapped in an abusive relationship, Universal steps up once again to help him break free. But the ordeal has left him devastated, and he needs more from Universal. George threatens to cut off contact unless Universal reveals his identity. The truth might be much more than George is ready to accept.
Unusual Attention, by B.G. Thomas
Until recently, Adam Brookhart has led what he considers a relatively uneventful life. His biggest problem is that he can't let his guard down and allow himself to get close to anyone, emotionally or physically - until he meets Shane Farmer.
Shane lives in a small town many miles from Adam and is his complete opposite. In fact, he's just about the last person Adam can imagine himself in a relationship with. But Adam is drawn to the man, and neither distance nor their differences can keep him away.
Late one night, while driving home from Shane's house, something very strange happens. Adam loses two hours of time and has no idea how or why. But as he digs for clues, the answers he finds are totally crazy...and the man he is falling in love with might be crazy as well.
After really enjoying the previous Gothika anthologies, I was looking forward to this one, especially as the theme is aliens! I love sci-fi and am always on the look out for good stories in this genre. however, I'm a bit disappointed with this one.
Abducted, by Jamie Fessenden This was a pretty fun story and the one I started with out of the four shorts. It started off as a pretty typical abduction type story and then became something a bit different! It was definitely a little far-fetched at times, especially the short timescale that everything happens in, but I guess it's difficult to be more realistic considering the short word count.
Refugee, by Kim Fielding This was definitely a very sweet little story, but everything happened so fast and although it was nice and imaginative, I didn’t really feel this was the kind of alien encounter I was expecting. It was ok but really there were no sci-fi elements to speak of and we never find out anything about the aliens’ backstory really.
My Final Blog, by FE Feeley Jr – I thought this was quite an imaginative story – I loved the idea behind this one, although I think it needed to be a little longer to really do the idea justice. I would have liked to see more detail around the blog and their friendship over the years to feel that connection, instead of just being told about it briefly. I always love digital (online/text/email etc) conversations as part of a story, so I was a bit disappointed we didn't get more of this. And the final section seemed a bit rushed - but I think that’s unfortunately the downside of shorts.
Unusual Attention, by B.G. Thomas Unfortunately I haven't read this one. I liked the idea behind it and I did try and start it but I couldn't get into the story, so this one has been left for now.
------
A new Gothika anthology has just been released and this one is themed around aliens! I noticed the blurb on GR and amazon doesn't include the individual blurbs for each of the stories within it yet like the previous Gothika anthologies did, so here they are from my copy:
Abducted, by Jamie Fessenden
One night, Marc receives a frantic call from his friend, Cody. When he arrives at Cody's isolated farmhouse, Cody is filthy, half-starved, and under the paranoid delusion that aliens are abducting him and implanting things in his body.
Marc agrees to stay one night, as long as his friend will go to the hospital in the morning. But Cody isn't mentally ill. Aliens have been abducting him, and in the process of trying to stop it from happening again, Marc is abducted himself. But that's just the beginning of his nightmare.
Marc learns of two alien races at war. To make matters worse, the Alzhen have Marc and the evil Karazhen have Cody. Marc's only ally is Dalsing, the Alzhen security chief he feels an unexpected attraction to. They'll have to learn to trust each other if they're going to rescue Cody... and prevent the creation of a deadly biological weapon.
Refugee, by Kim Fielding
When World War II ended and army medic Walter Clark returned to Chicago, he discovered that although home remained the same, he had changed. Unable to fit comfortably into his old life, he spent a year gradually making his way west. Now he's gone as far as he can - the shore of the Pacific - but old memories make ocean views intolerable. He turns inland and finds himself in the hidden hamlet of Kiteeshaa, Oregon, where the locals are surprisingly friendly and the cafe serves food exactly like his grandmother used to make.
Martin Wright runs the Kitee Motor Court Inn and offers Walter a place to stay for a few nights. Later, Martin offers him a great deal more. But while Martin is a delight, he also harbors secrets - and there's something not quite right about Kiteeshaa. No matter how far the two men have traveled, they can't run away from their pasts.
My Final Blog, by F.E. Feeley Jr
George has never stood out. In fact, the only thing that's ever been special about him is his sexuality - a source of torment throughout his high-school career. Like many others, George found solace and an outlet for his creativity online. Through his blog, he met kindred spirits, allies, and even someone special - though the only thing George knows about his lifetime friend is their screen name: Universal47.
George never pushed for more, but over the years, he couldn't help developing feelings for Universal. He's always been there when George needs him most, and when George finds himself trapped in an abusive relationship, Universal steps up once again to help him break free. But the ordeal has left him devastated, and he needs more from Universal. George threatens to cut off contact unless Universal reveals his identity. The truth might be much more than George is ready to accept.
Unusual Attention, by B.G. Thomas
Until recently, Adam Brookhart has led what he considers a relatively uneventful life. His biggest problem is that he can't let his guard down and allow himself to get close to anyone, emotionally or physically - until he meets Shane Farmer.
Shane lives in a small town many miles from Adam and is his complete opposite. In fact, he's just about the last person Adam can imagine himself in a relationship with. But Adam is drawn to the man, and neither distance nor their differences can keep him away.
Late one night, while driving home from Shane's house, something very strange happens. Adam loses two hours of time and has no idea how or why. But as he digs for clues, the answers he finds are totally crazy...and the man he is falling in love with might be crazy as well.
October 30, 2016
Anthology: Contact
Series: Gothika Book 5
Authors: F.E. Feeley Jr., BG Thomas, Kim Fielding, Jamie Fessenden
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: Sci-fi, Horror
Rated; Mature M/M
The Newest Sci-fi / Horror Anthology from Dreamspinner Press features four authors. The only author I was familiar with and read frequently is Fred Feeley Jr. So when I saw Mr. Feeley was involved in this book I jumped at this read. I admit I did read his story first, knowing what I was getting. Then read the stories of other three authors, who are all new to me (hopefully not any longer) and I will review the three wonderful stories next.
Being a child of the 50’s The Shadow on radio is my first intro to scary, Captain Video and his space ship was next followed by Rod Serling and the Twilight Zone was the bomb. The Thing was my first intro to 50’s scary movies. I always looked towards the stars, space travel and body snatcher movies. So reading these four stories gave me everything I could ever want!
MY FINAL BLOG; F.E. Feeley Jr. 5*****Stars
Outstanding story of the power of the internet. Most Millennials are the children of computer generation. I myself (much older) look for it to give me news, arts, and communication with many people I would have never met before. Blogs have subsequently appeared, where people read the Bloggers personal life and comments are made, friendships made. You get to ‘know’ these people by their handle, sign on names. George has a Blog and Universal 47 has been there with him since inception; always there while others came and went. Mr. Feeley has taken us to a friendship that has continued on the computer screen, for years, with George baring his soul to his friend. Universal 47 finally sharing that his name is Elijah. The window has opened, follow this amazing tale. Breathtaking!!!
ABDUCTED- Jamie Fessenden 5*****Stars
Abducted is the first story in this book, and it shows why this was chosen to open this anthology. I have not read any stories written by this author, and I am ashamed to say it, but this will be soon corrected. Spaceships, alien abductions have been on covers of the supermarket newspapers and magazines for years. Do you believe this, could any of these things have happened? Mr. Fessenden takes that concept and runs with it, beginning with Cody and his friend Marc and a farm house way out of town. Come join them IF YOU DARE!! I was truly wrapped up in the adventure. I loved it!!
REFUGEE- Kim Fielding 5*****Stars
This addition by Kim Fielding Refugee caught me by surprise. Unlike the age of computers, life after WWII was different. There was hope in the air, a war was over, America was growing, and television would be the biggie. When Walter Clarke came home to Chicago, he needed something more like all soldiers who had seen the horrors of life. Taking himself on a trip out west to get a job and relocate he found himself finding a small town/ hamlet population 178 called Kiteeshaa, Oregon. He drives into town driving his sputtering 1937 old relic. Our author had me hearing the music of the Twilight Zone with Rod Serling announcing Walter’s entrance to town He first meets Martin Wright, proprietor of the local Motor Court Inn. Hungry he spies a sign that reads Café. Martin advises to ask Dorothy for the special. Walter is enchanted that the food was what his grandmother used to make. Bring in the eerie music. Walter is looking for something maybe this town offers, and Martin has some ideas too. An excellent story.
UNUSUAL ATTENTION- B.G. Thomas 5*****Stars
Last but not least, B.G. Thomas an also new to me author has written the grande finale for this book. Shane and Adam meet quite casually at Pride celebration. The connection was immediate. Adam had thought he would always be alone. He could never get close to anyone, he hated smokers, baseball and Shane loved both. How could they be good together? They even lived 3 hours apart, yet for the last 6 weekend Shane traveled the distance. It was that last weekend, traveling home, Shane alone on a dark road, a bright light. He called Adam like always when he got home and heard a hysterical boyfriend on the other end of the line asking where he had been. He had lost hours of time that he couldn’t account for…..Cue the music and read this wonderful story.
I must also add, Dreamspinner has Gothika 1,2,3,and 4 for those like me who haven’t read them….Just Sayin’
Review by Gloria Lakritz
Sr Reviewer and Review Chair for the Paranormal Romance Guild
Series: Gothika Book 5
Authors: F.E. Feeley Jr., BG Thomas, Kim Fielding, Jamie Fessenden
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Genre: Sci-fi, Horror
Rated; Mature M/M
The Newest Sci-fi / Horror Anthology from Dreamspinner Press features four authors. The only author I was familiar with and read frequently is Fred Feeley Jr. So when I saw Mr. Feeley was involved in this book I jumped at this read. I admit I did read his story first, knowing what I was getting. Then read the stories of other three authors, who are all new to me (hopefully not any longer) and I will review the three wonderful stories next.
Being a child of the 50’s The Shadow on radio is my first intro to scary, Captain Video and his space ship was next followed by Rod Serling and the Twilight Zone was the bomb. The Thing was my first intro to 50’s scary movies. I always looked towards the stars, space travel and body snatcher movies. So reading these four stories gave me everything I could ever want!
MY FINAL BLOG; F.E. Feeley Jr. 5*****Stars
Outstanding story of the power of the internet. Most Millennials are the children of computer generation. I myself (much older) look for it to give me news, arts, and communication with many people I would have never met before. Blogs have subsequently appeared, where people read the Bloggers personal life and comments are made, friendships made. You get to ‘know’ these people by their handle, sign on names. George has a Blog and Universal 47 has been there with him since inception; always there while others came and went. Mr. Feeley has taken us to a friendship that has continued on the computer screen, for years, with George baring his soul to his friend. Universal 47 finally sharing that his name is Elijah. The window has opened, follow this amazing tale. Breathtaking!!!
ABDUCTED- Jamie Fessenden 5*****Stars
Abducted is the first story in this book, and it shows why this was chosen to open this anthology. I have not read any stories written by this author, and I am ashamed to say it, but this will be soon corrected. Spaceships, alien abductions have been on covers of the supermarket newspapers and magazines for years. Do you believe this, could any of these things have happened? Mr. Fessenden takes that concept and runs with it, beginning with Cody and his friend Marc and a farm house way out of town. Come join them IF YOU DARE!! I was truly wrapped up in the adventure. I loved it!!
REFUGEE- Kim Fielding 5*****Stars
This addition by Kim Fielding Refugee caught me by surprise. Unlike the age of computers, life after WWII was different. There was hope in the air, a war was over, America was growing, and television would be the biggie. When Walter Clarke came home to Chicago, he needed something more like all soldiers who had seen the horrors of life. Taking himself on a trip out west to get a job and relocate he found himself finding a small town/ hamlet population 178 called Kiteeshaa, Oregon. He drives into town driving his sputtering 1937 old relic. Our author had me hearing the music of the Twilight Zone with Rod Serling announcing Walter’s entrance to town He first meets Martin Wright, proprietor of the local Motor Court Inn. Hungry he spies a sign that reads Café. Martin advises to ask Dorothy for the special. Walter is enchanted that the food was what his grandmother used to make. Bring in the eerie music. Walter is looking for something maybe this town offers, and Martin has some ideas too. An excellent story.
UNUSUAL ATTENTION- B.G. Thomas 5*****Stars
Last but not least, B.G. Thomas an also new to me author has written the grande finale for this book. Shane and Adam meet quite casually at Pride celebration. The connection was immediate. Adam had thought he would always be alone. He could never get close to anyone, he hated smokers, baseball and Shane loved both. How could they be good together? They even lived 3 hours apart, yet for the last 6 weekend Shane traveled the distance. It was that last weekend, traveling home, Shane alone on a dark road, a bright light. He called Adam like always when he got home and heard a hysterical boyfriend on the other end of the line asking where he had been. He had lost hours of time that he couldn’t account for…..Cue the music and read this wonderful story.
I must also add, Dreamspinner has Gothika 1,2,3,and 4 for those like me who haven’t read them….Just Sayin’
Review by Gloria Lakritz
Sr Reviewer and Review Chair for the Paranormal Romance Guild
October 30, 2016
hmm, a very solid collection of stories. I actually *really* liked all of them except for the last one. Unfortunately it was also the longest, and I ended up just skimming through it. But I checked this out from hoopla, so no great loss. The first story was really cool. I think I might need more gay alien stories in my life now? Kim Fielding, as always, you rocked it. SO much tenderness and emotional connection in just a few thousand words. You're a genius.
February 25, 2017
Excellent collection of stories!
October 27, 2016
4.5 heart review for Love Bytes Reviews!
A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review. This review was originally posted at Love Bytes Reviews, please visit www.lovebytesreviews.com to see this and many more reviews, interviews, and giveaways!
I’ve read three of the four previous books in this series, and they walked the line between cool and creepy for me… this one will be a challenge, I’m a little freaked out by aliens! But I’ve liked the last stories, or at least most of them, so I’m going in!
Abducted by Jamie Fessenden
Oh I liked this one! It did start out creepy, Marc receives a panicked phone call from his friend Cody, and heads to the old nasty farm Cody lives on, only to get sucked in to a bizarre story of alien abductions. Cody is convinced he’s been abducted by aliens and experimented on. He convinces Marc to spend the night and see if he does get taken, if not, he’ll go to the hospital with Marc in the morning. Of course he does in fact get abducted by bad aliens, and Marc is abducted by good aliens! What follows is a surprisingly sweet and creative story about Marc learning about, having sex with, and falling in love with an alien. I loved it, it had slightly stereotypical moments, aliens, with silver skin and big eyes, the whole abduction thing, weird food and bathroom issues, things like that. Then a really hot sex scene with a wonderful explanation about alien reproductive anatomy. I loved Jamie’s solutions to issues, both with the food and bathroom moments, communications, health and safety. I loved the plot, bad guys grab the human, good guys help the human, happy ending. It worked very well! I’ve read several books and stories by Jamie Fessenden and have always liked his writing style and books. This one was just great, lots of story development within a short story, creative characters, a little snark, a little sex, it all worked for me!
Off to a good start with this story!
Rating: 4.5 Hearts
Refugee by Kim Fielding
Holy crap that made me cry! So Walter is just out of the military after WWII and came home pretty traumatized. He tries to settle back in at home in Chicago, but just can’t do it. After two years of trying, he gives up, tosses his bag in the back of his car and heads west. He makes it all the way to the coast of Oregon, and realizes he can’t be near the ocean. Too many memories come up, of bloody water… He turns back in, following a sign, and manages to enter the twilight zone. He finds a small town, friendly but odd people, good food, perfect houses and flowers, a room at the local motel, and Martin, a very sweet man. But there is so much more to these people than he thinks. He is gradually accepted by the people, brought in to their lives, and shown their secret. A really bad thing happens, and I freaked out! The the ending… Ah, so damn perfect!
This story had some serious feels going on. Walter is so hurt it broke my heart. I wanted to save him! Then Martin is sweet and gentle, then the ending! Oh my heart! Kim Fielding is amazing. I love her books, several are like this, a combo of sad and sweet, but with a good ending. I’m always scared, not sure how she’s going to get her characters to the happy ending, but she manages to do it every time. I loved this story so much!
Rating: 5 Hearts
My Final Blog by F.E. Feeley Jr
Wow! We are on a roll with this whole book! I’ve read a book by this author and it was a little too scary for me, so I wasn’t sure about this one. It was a good book, don’t get me wrong, he’s a great author, but scary isn’t my thing… This story is just on the edge of creepy, but really good!
George is also a loner, (I’m seeing a pattern with the stories in this book) also spent some time in the military, and also lives in an old farm house. He started a blog when he was a whiny teenager, and has kept it up for years, through his life changes. His followers have changed, coming and going, but one has always stayed with him. He has built up a sort of relationship with Universal47, although he knows very little about the person, he assumes is male. George has just ended a relationship with an asshole, and has gotten somewhat closer to Universal47, even going so far as to exchange names. Then things get weird! And very cool.
I liked the way this story was written, so much of the beginning of it is just George’s inner dialogue, then we follow his blog conversations with Universal47, then finally get some actual human conversation. I liked that transition, George going from so much internal focus to more external focus. There is some creepiness, just enough to start to freak me out, but then the ending was so awesome I didn’t ever really get scared. The whole blog thing was just really cool. Great writing, interesting characters, and a creative ending! Worked for me!
Rating: 4.5 Hearts
Unusual Attention by B.G. Thomas
So this one was more creepy and more what I was expecting with stories about aliens… This is the story or Adam and Shane, their growing romance, and their abductions. The two meet at a pride festival, and begin a nice little romance, even though they are very different. Adam doesn’t care for men who smoke. Shane smokes. Adam does care for sports. Shane is a big fan of baseball. Adam loves the city, and not small town life. Shane lives in a small town. Adam is kinky. Shane is vanilla and inexperienced. As you can see, there are some challenges between them! The biggest one is Shane’s belief in aliens, and Adams disbelief.
I did like this story, even though it made me uncomfortable! The romance is between two humans, unlike the others which involved an alien and human. That was ok, but I did really like the blending of the humans and aliens in the other stories. I liked how this one was written, the… spacing? pacing? Not sure how to say it. I liked the way the author broke it in to… not really chapters since some sections were literally a sentence or two, but how the story was arranged worked very well for me. I liked Adam’s inner dialogue, the use of italic font, and the use of parentheses was odd at first, but really worked! I loved Adam and Shane and their story that was happening while the creepy alien stuff was happening, and I liked the ending. I’ve read just a few stories in the other books in this series by this author, and I really do need to go look at his other books. I liked this one!
Rating: 4 Hearts
OVERALL REVIEW:
I’ve enjoyed the other books in this series, and how the stories in each book fit the theme. Each has been a little outside of my normal reading pattern, I like the paranormal aspect, but I don’t do horror, and some of the stories are right on the edge of my comfort level. This book followed the pattern of the other books for me, just a little creepy, just a little freaky, but all really well done. The stories are the right length, a complete story in each one, not too long, not rushed. I liked the different interpretations of aliens and their interactions with humans. I particularly liked the human/alien romances, and the creative sex scenes. The writing in all of them was very good, and I liked the varying styles of the authors. If you are in to aliens stories, I’d definitely read this book. If you aren’t a fan of aliens but are curious, I’d give this one a try. I hope we see more of these anthologies, I like them!
OVERALL RATING: 4.5 Hearts
A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review. This review was originally posted at Love Bytes Reviews, please visit www.lovebytesreviews.com to see this and many more reviews, interviews, and giveaways!
I’ve read three of the four previous books in this series, and they walked the line between cool and creepy for me… this one will be a challenge, I’m a little freaked out by aliens! But I’ve liked the last stories, or at least most of them, so I’m going in!
Abducted by Jamie Fessenden
Oh I liked this one! It did start out creepy, Marc receives a panicked phone call from his friend Cody, and heads to the old nasty farm Cody lives on, only to get sucked in to a bizarre story of alien abductions. Cody is convinced he’s been abducted by aliens and experimented on. He convinces Marc to spend the night and see if he does get taken, if not, he’ll go to the hospital with Marc in the morning. Of course he does in fact get abducted by bad aliens, and Marc is abducted by good aliens! What follows is a surprisingly sweet and creative story about Marc learning about, having sex with, and falling in love with an alien. I loved it, it had slightly stereotypical moments, aliens, with silver skin and big eyes, the whole abduction thing, weird food and bathroom issues, things like that. Then a really hot sex scene with a wonderful explanation about alien reproductive anatomy. I loved Jamie’s solutions to issues, both with the food and bathroom moments, communications, health and safety. I loved the plot, bad guys grab the human, good guys help the human, happy ending. It worked very well! I’ve read several books and stories by Jamie Fessenden and have always liked his writing style and books. This one was just great, lots of story development within a short story, creative characters, a little snark, a little sex, it all worked for me!
Off to a good start with this story!
Rating: 4.5 Hearts
Refugee by Kim Fielding
Holy crap that made me cry! So Walter is just out of the military after WWII and came home pretty traumatized. He tries to settle back in at home in Chicago, but just can’t do it. After two years of trying, he gives up, tosses his bag in the back of his car and heads west. He makes it all the way to the coast of Oregon, and realizes he can’t be near the ocean. Too many memories come up, of bloody water… He turns back in, following a sign, and manages to enter the twilight zone. He finds a small town, friendly but odd people, good food, perfect houses and flowers, a room at the local motel, and Martin, a very sweet man. But there is so much more to these people than he thinks. He is gradually accepted by the people, brought in to their lives, and shown their secret. A really bad thing happens, and I freaked out! The the ending… Ah, so damn perfect!
This story had some serious feels going on. Walter is so hurt it broke my heart. I wanted to save him! Then Martin is sweet and gentle, then the ending! Oh my heart! Kim Fielding is amazing. I love her books, several are like this, a combo of sad and sweet, but with a good ending. I’m always scared, not sure how she’s going to get her characters to the happy ending, but she manages to do it every time. I loved this story so much!
Rating: 5 Hearts
My Final Blog by F.E. Feeley Jr
Wow! We are on a roll with this whole book! I’ve read a book by this author and it was a little too scary for me, so I wasn’t sure about this one. It was a good book, don’t get me wrong, he’s a great author, but scary isn’t my thing… This story is just on the edge of creepy, but really good!
George is also a loner, (I’m seeing a pattern with the stories in this book) also spent some time in the military, and also lives in an old farm house. He started a blog when he was a whiny teenager, and has kept it up for years, through his life changes. His followers have changed, coming and going, but one has always stayed with him. He has built up a sort of relationship with Universal47, although he knows very little about the person, he assumes is male. George has just ended a relationship with an asshole, and has gotten somewhat closer to Universal47, even going so far as to exchange names. Then things get weird! And very cool.
I liked the way this story was written, so much of the beginning of it is just George’s inner dialogue, then we follow his blog conversations with Universal47, then finally get some actual human conversation. I liked that transition, George going from so much internal focus to more external focus. There is some creepiness, just enough to start to freak me out, but then the ending was so awesome I didn’t ever really get scared. The whole blog thing was just really cool. Great writing, interesting characters, and a creative ending! Worked for me!
Rating: 4.5 Hearts
Unusual Attention by B.G. Thomas
So this one was more creepy and more what I was expecting with stories about aliens… This is the story or Adam and Shane, their growing romance, and their abductions. The two meet at a pride festival, and begin a nice little romance, even though they are very different. Adam doesn’t care for men who smoke. Shane smokes. Adam does care for sports. Shane is a big fan of baseball. Adam loves the city, and not small town life. Shane lives in a small town. Adam is kinky. Shane is vanilla and inexperienced. As you can see, there are some challenges between them! The biggest one is Shane’s belief in aliens, and Adams disbelief.
I did like this story, even though it made me uncomfortable! The romance is between two humans, unlike the others which involved an alien and human. That was ok, but I did really like the blending of the humans and aliens in the other stories. I liked how this one was written, the… spacing? pacing? Not sure how to say it. I liked the way the author broke it in to… not really chapters since some sections were literally a sentence or two, but how the story was arranged worked very well for me. I liked Adam’s inner dialogue, the use of italic font, and the use of parentheses was odd at first, but really worked! I loved Adam and Shane and their story that was happening while the creepy alien stuff was happening, and I liked the ending. I’ve read just a few stories in the other books in this series by this author, and I really do need to go look at his other books. I liked this one!
Rating: 4 Hearts
OVERALL REVIEW:
I’ve enjoyed the other books in this series, and how the stories in each book fit the theme. Each has been a little outside of my normal reading pattern, I like the paranormal aspect, but I don’t do horror, and some of the stories are right on the edge of my comfort level. This book followed the pattern of the other books for me, just a little creepy, just a little freaky, but all really well done. The stories are the right length, a complete story in each one, not too long, not rushed. I liked the different interpretations of aliens and their interactions with humans. I particularly liked the human/alien romances, and the creative sex scenes. The writing in all of them was very good, and I liked the varying styles of the authors. If you are in to aliens stories, I’d definitely read this book. If you aren’t a fan of aliens but are curious, I’d give this one a try. I hope we see more of these anthologies, I like them!
OVERALL RATING: 4.5 Hearts
October 26, 2016
Aliens. Travelers from outer space. Others. Typically I avoid these stories – they’re just not my interest. But these stories are amazing! (All the covers for this series have been amazing but isn’t this one just GORGEOUS?!)
Refugee by Kim Fielding
Blurb
When World War II ended and army medic Walter Clark returned to Chicago, he discovered that although home remained the same, he had changed. Unable to fit comfortably into his old life, he spent a year gradually making his way west. Now he’s gone as far as he can—the shore of the Pacific—but old memories make ocean views intolerable. He turns inland and finds himself in the hidden hamlet of Kiteeshaa, Oregon, where the locals are surprisingly friendly and the café serves food exactly like his grandmother used to make.
Martin Wright runs the Kitee Motor Court Inn and offers Walter a place to stay for a few nights. Later, Martin offers him a great deal more. But while Martin is a delight, he also harbors secrets—and there’s something not quite right about Kiteeshaa. No matter how far the two men have traveled, they can’t run away from their pasts.
Review
I just love Kim’s characters. She’s so good at giving us “real guys”. They all have things that make them unique and superlative (but don’t we all?) but at their core they’re just guys making their way through life.
This is historical – but you really couldn’t tell it beyond the stories they share. I loved the glimpse at this simple, sweet place on the Oregon Coast. The skill set Martin and his other refugees share. The way that they opened up and all of them embraced Walter whole heartedly.
It’s sweet, a little sexy and really just gave me this very warm and contented feeling. Lovely!
(The Ester Lee still exists on the Oregon Coast!)
5 of 5 stars
Abducted
By Jamie Fessenden
Blurb
One night, Marc receives a frantic call from his friend, Cody. When he arrives at Cody’s isolated farmhouse, Cody is filthy, half-starved, and under the paranoid delusion that aliens are abducting him and implanting things in his body.
Marc agrees to stay one night, as long as his friend will go to the hospital in the morning. But Cody isn’t mentally ill. Aliens have been abducting him, and in the process of trying to stop it from happening again, Marc is abducted himself. But that’s just the beginning of his nightmare.
Marc learns of two alien races at war. To make matters worse, the Alzhen have Marc and the evil Karazhen have Cody. Marc’s only ally is Dalsing, the Alzhen security chief he feels an unexpected attraction to. They’ll have to learn to trust each other if they’re going to rescue Cody… and prevent the creation of a deadly biological weapon.
Review
Man I was a bit worried about this one. Alien abduction, intergalactic war. Ugh. Not my thing. But…
Wow, I was pleasantly surprised!
Those things did happen. Sure. But the aliens weren’t too scary and were very human like. (That’s important to me ☺ ) I loved the “Ken Doll” analogy and the smexy times were very hot.
I also liked how Marc ends up being a pseudo shrink for his fellow abductees. The love story was really sweet and the world building really interesting and did not skeeve me out at all. Very enjoyable!
4.5 of 5 stars
My Final Blog
By F.E. Feeley Jr
Blurb
George has never stood out. In fact, the only thing that’s ever been special about him is his sexuality—a source of torment throughout his high-school career. Like many others, George found solace and an outlet for his creativity online. Through his blog, he met kindred spirits, allies, and even someone special—though the only thing George knows about his longtime friend is their screen name: Universal47.
George never pushed for more, but over the years, he couldn’t help developing feelings for Universal. He’s always been there when George needs him most, and when George finds himself trapped in an abusive relationship, Universal steps up once again to help him break free. But the ordeal has left him devastated, and he needs more from Universal. George threatens to cut off contact unless Universal reveals his identity. The truth might be much more than George is ready to accept.
Review
This was really fascinating. Totally unique and different from anything I’ve read before. It’s very low steam and sort of existential. I liked the message and the love story very much.
4 of 5 stars
Unusual Attention
By B.G. Thomas
Until recently, Adam Brookhart has led what he considers a relatively uneventful life. His biggest problem is that he can’t let his guard down and allow himself to get close to anyone, emotionally or physically—until he meets Shane Farmer.
Shane lives in a small town many miles from Adam and is his complete opposite. In fact, he’s just about the last person Adam can imagine himself in a relationship with. But Adam is drawn to the man, and neither distance nor their differences can keep him away.
Late one night, while driving home from Shane’s house, something very strange happens. Adam loses two hours of time and has no idea how or why. But as he digs for clues, the answers he finds are totally crazy… and the man he is falling in love with might be crazy as well.
Review
Well. This was my least favorite. The writing was good and the story was compelling – don’t get me wrong – but it is exactly the “Alien” stuff that I DON’T like. It was a little dark and spooky and though it has a very happy ending – VERY happy – it wasn’t all lightness and fun either.
I appreciated the turn it took, like I said, it was really interesting. I also appreciated the “moral of the story” as far as the romance went, too. But it was darker than I expected and definitely the darkest of the bunch.
So… if you did the more authentic Alien type stories – abductions, probing, floating lights, etc – this one is right for you. For me – not so much.
3 of 5 stars
Overall this was a really neat collection and I enjoyed ALL of the stories immensely.
4.5 of 5 stars
Copy Generously Provided by Publisher for Honest Review
Refugee by Kim Fielding
Blurb
When World War II ended and army medic Walter Clark returned to Chicago, he discovered that although home remained the same, he had changed. Unable to fit comfortably into his old life, he spent a year gradually making his way west. Now he’s gone as far as he can—the shore of the Pacific—but old memories make ocean views intolerable. He turns inland and finds himself in the hidden hamlet of Kiteeshaa, Oregon, where the locals are surprisingly friendly and the café serves food exactly like his grandmother used to make.
Martin Wright runs the Kitee Motor Court Inn and offers Walter a place to stay for a few nights. Later, Martin offers him a great deal more. But while Martin is a delight, he also harbors secrets—and there’s something not quite right about Kiteeshaa. No matter how far the two men have traveled, they can’t run away from their pasts.
Review
I just love Kim’s characters. She’s so good at giving us “real guys”. They all have things that make them unique and superlative (but don’t we all?) but at their core they’re just guys making their way through life.
This is historical – but you really couldn’t tell it beyond the stories they share. I loved the glimpse at this simple, sweet place on the Oregon Coast. The skill set Martin and his other refugees share. The way that they opened up and all of them embraced Walter whole heartedly.
It’s sweet, a little sexy and really just gave me this very warm and contented feeling. Lovely!
(The Ester Lee still exists on the Oregon Coast!)
5 of 5 stars
Abducted
By Jamie Fessenden
Blurb
One night, Marc receives a frantic call from his friend, Cody. When he arrives at Cody’s isolated farmhouse, Cody is filthy, half-starved, and under the paranoid delusion that aliens are abducting him and implanting things in his body.
Marc agrees to stay one night, as long as his friend will go to the hospital in the morning. But Cody isn’t mentally ill. Aliens have been abducting him, and in the process of trying to stop it from happening again, Marc is abducted himself. But that’s just the beginning of his nightmare.
Marc learns of two alien races at war. To make matters worse, the Alzhen have Marc and the evil Karazhen have Cody. Marc’s only ally is Dalsing, the Alzhen security chief he feels an unexpected attraction to. They’ll have to learn to trust each other if they’re going to rescue Cody… and prevent the creation of a deadly biological weapon.
Review
Man I was a bit worried about this one. Alien abduction, intergalactic war. Ugh. Not my thing. But…
Wow, I was pleasantly surprised!
Those things did happen. Sure. But the aliens weren’t too scary and were very human like. (That’s important to me ☺ ) I loved the “Ken Doll” analogy and the smexy times were very hot.
I also liked how Marc ends up being a pseudo shrink for his fellow abductees. The love story was really sweet and the world building really interesting and did not skeeve me out at all. Very enjoyable!
4.5 of 5 stars
My Final Blog
By F.E. Feeley Jr
Blurb
George has never stood out. In fact, the only thing that’s ever been special about him is his sexuality—a source of torment throughout his high-school career. Like many others, George found solace and an outlet for his creativity online. Through his blog, he met kindred spirits, allies, and even someone special—though the only thing George knows about his longtime friend is their screen name: Universal47.
George never pushed for more, but over the years, he couldn’t help developing feelings for Universal. He’s always been there when George needs him most, and when George finds himself trapped in an abusive relationship, Universal steps up once again to help him break free. But the ordeal has left him devastated, and he needs more from Universal. George threatens to cut off contact unless Universal reveals his identity. The truth might be much more than George is ready to accept.
Review
This was really fascinating. Totally unique and different from anything I’ve read before. It’s very low steam and sort of existential. I liked the message and the love story very much.
4 of 5 stars
Unusual Attention
By B.G. Thomas
Until recently, Adam Brookhart has led what he considers a relatively uneventful life. His biggest problem is that he can’t let his guard down and allow himself to get close to anyone, emotionally or physically—until he meets Shane Farmer.
Shane lives in a small town many miles from Adam and is his complete opposite. In fact, he’s just about the last person Adam can imagine himself in a relationship with. But Adam is drawn to the man, and neither distance nor their differences can keep him away.
Late one night, while driving home from Shane’s house, something very strange happens. Adam loses two hours of time and has no idea how or why. But as he digs for clues, the answers he finds are totally crazy… and the man he is falling in love with might be crazy as well.
Review
Well. This was my least favorite. The writing was good and the story was compelling – don’t get me wrong – but it is exactly the “Alien” stuff that I DON’T like. It was a little dark and spooky and though it has a very happy ending – VERY happy – it wasn’t all lightness and fun either.
I appreciated the turn it took, like I said, it was really interesting. I also appreciated the “moral of the story” as far as the romance went, too. But it was darker than I expected and definitely the darkest of the bunch.
So… if you did the more authentic Alien type stories – abductions, probing, floating lights, etc – this one is right for you. For me – not so much.
3 of 5 stars
Overall this was a really neat collection and I enjoyed ALL of the stories immensely.
4.5 of 5 stars
Copy Generously Provided by Publisher for Honest Review
October 25, 2020
Abducted - Jamie Fessenden - 4/5 - Marc arrives to help out an old friend, Cody, who claims to be abducted by aliens. Marc obviously doesn’t believe, but agrees to stick around and witness if Cody will agree to go to a hospital the next day. But Marc doesn’t expect to be abducted himself! He soon learns that while he has been abducted by the humanoid like aliens, the Alzhen, Cody has been abducted by the insect-like, enemy aliens of the Alzhen. And since these two groups are at war and the abduction of thsoe humans means the enemies are doing research to discover Alzhen weaknesses, the Alzhen head off after their enemies to recover the humans and destroy the baddies. And they take Marc along for the ride. His liaison and ambassador to Alzhen culture is Dalsing, who introduces him to a great many new things, including alien sex. Great world building here. You see a lot of alien stories and while they aliens might look different, they are essentially human and you don’t really see and experience the major differences. This author takes the time to explore how an alien culture would be different and it’s really fun reading.The romance is pretty fluffy and angst-free and I do wonder at the HEA when it’s pretty established that Alzhen people view earthlings as ignorant savages or “talking monkeys.” Yeah, Marc gets to be with the ba-ti he loves, but he’s not going to be truly accepted as an equal in their society...ever. Not to mention the issue of the Alzhen longevity and humans’ lack thereof. So a fun and enjoyable read, but some questions remain about the HEA.
Refugee - Kim Fielding - 4/5 - Walter, suffering the impact of his experience as a medic in WWII, takes off to explore the west coast and introspect. He discovers the small town of Kineeshaa and it’s quaint, delightful community. And he meets and has a romantic affair with the local innkeeper, Martin. For once, Walter can see himself being happy, but cannot understand how these good, clean people seem to accept his corrupted soul among them...or how Martin can love him as he is. But that’s because the town is not what it appears, nor are its people. Another enjoyable story here. Things do move pretty fast...most particularly the romance between Walter and Martin, but it still manages to work. Martin and his people’s ability to “see” the essence of a person make it more believable...as does Walter’s longing for affection and acceptance. They really just worked together as a couple and how the town reached out to accept Walter was really touching. Still felt like there were some unanswered questions about who/what these people are and their history, but I did like reading this one a lot. This author has a talent for thematic messaging and it makes the story feel more emotionally impactful.
My Final Blog - F.E. Feeley Jr. - 2/5 - George is just an average guy who has finally escaped his abusive relationship with his ex. As he has always done, he turns to blogging and his most loyal follower, Universal47 for comfort and support. For years, George has dreamed of Universal47 and longed for him to be real to him...and now, George asks him to come to him. And Universal47 does...but it’s not what George expects. I REALLY like how the author develops George’s character. I mean, you can’t help but connect to this guy and feel for him. That’s the definite strength in this story. But aspects of this were also kinda confusing. I get that Universal47/Elijah is basically a digital lifeform and all that. It was vaguely mentioned that he’d been “seeing” George for years and visiting him in his dreams, but I’m still not sure how. It seemed like he’d show up through the computer and George would dream of him? I don’t know. And what George decides to do in the end in order to be with Elijah...still have no idea. Kinda sounds like George kills himself? transfers his existence to digital format? Somehow? And the chemistry and attraction between George and Elijah unfortunately has no time to develop. And their sex scene is basically one paragraph that says “they made love.” I could definitely see the positives here and that this almost ventured into an artistic type story...rather than following a traditional plot. But I wasn’t really feeling this one. It might be to others taste, but not mine really.
Unusual Attention - B.G. Thomas - 3/5 - Adam has just started a relationship with Shane and he feels things are going really well despite the fact that Shane has a list of faults that Adam swore he’d never get involved with. But they seem minor enough. That is, until Adam shares with Shane that he lost time driving home from Shane’s place one evening and Shane goes off on his experiences being abducted by aliens. Adam is quick to end things believing Shane is completely off his rocker. But if that’s so, Adam is quick to also descend into madness as he begins to see and understand things that couldn’t possibly be true. This was definitely an unusual one. The realization of the aliens and the suspense of sort of waiting for Adam to be abducted again is the highlight here. You really sort of feel like you’re along with Adam as he takes a ride on the crazy train. The romance with Shane feels absolutely secondary to all of that...but never would have happened without that relationship. There is some relationship angst but it takes a backseat to the drama of alien conspiracies.
Refugee - Kim Fielding - 4/5 - Walter, suffering the impact of his experience as a medic in WWII, takes off to explore the west coast and introspect. He discovers the small town of Kineeshaa and it’s quaint, delightful community. And he meets and has a romantic affair with the local innkeeper, Martin. For once, Walter can see himself being happy, but cannot understand how these good, clean people seem to accept his corrupted soul among them...or how Martin can love him as he is. But that’s because the town is not what it appears, nor are its people. Another enjoyable story here. Things do move pretty fast...most particularly the romance between Walter and Martin, but it still manages to work. Martin and his people’s ability to “see” the essence of a person make it more believable...as does Walter’s longing for affection and acceptance. They really just worked together as a couple and how the town reached out to accept Walter was really touching. Still felt like there were some unanswered questions about who/what these people are and their history, but I did like reading this one a lot. This author has a talent for thematic messaging and it makes the story feel more emotionally impactful.
My Final Blog - F.E. Feeley Jr. - 2/5 - George is just an average guy who has finally escaped his abusive relationship with his ex. As he has always done, he turns to blogging and his most loyal follower, Universal47 for comfort and support. For years, George has dreamed of Universal47 and longed for him to be real to him...and now, George asks him to come to him. And Universal47 does...but it’s not what George expects. I REALLY like how the author develops George’s character. I mean, you can’t help but connect to this guy and feel for him. That’s the definite strength in this story. But aspects of this were also kinda confusing. I get that Universal47/Elijah is basically a digital lifeform and all that. It was vaguely mentioned that he’d been “seeing” George for years and visiting him in his dreams, but I’m still not sure how. It seemed like he’d show up through the computer and George would dream of him? I don’t know. And what George decides to do in the end in order to be with Elijah...still have no idea. Kinda sounds like George kills himself? transfers his existence to digital format? Somehow? And the chemistry and attraction between George and Elijah unfortunately has no time to develop. And their sex scene is basically one paragraph that says “they made love.” I could definitely see the positives here and that this almost ventured into an artistic type story...rather than following a traditional plot. But I wasn’t really feeling this one. It might be to others taste, but not mine really.
Unusual Attention - B.G. Thomas - 3/5 - Adam has just started a relationship with Shane and he feels things are going really well despite the fact that Shane has a list of faults that Adam swore he’d never get involved with. But they seem minor enough. That is, until Adam shares with Shane that he lost time driving home from Shane’s place one evening and Shane goes off on his experiences being abducted by aliens. Adam is quick to end things believing Shane is completely off his rocker. But if that’s so, Adam is quick to also descend into madness as he begins to see and understand things that couldn’t possibly be true. This was definitely an unusual one. The realization of the aliens and the suspense of sort of waiting for Adam to be abducted again is the highlight here. You really sort of feel like you’re along with Adam as he takes a ride on the crazy train. The romance with Shane feels absolutely secondary to all of that...but never would have happened without that relationship. There is some relationship angst but it takes a backseat to the drama of alien conspiracies.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 1, 2016
Each short story sticks to the theme but they all have their own unique take on ‘Contact’. Abducted by Jamie Fessenden, Refugee by Kim Fielding, My Final Blog by F.E. Feeley, Jr., Unusual Attention by B.G. Thomas. Although all the stories are well written, my favorite has to be unusual Attention. It grabbed me with the plot and characters then refused to let go. The losing time, the romance, it was really intriguing.
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February 22, 2020
I don't know if this one didn't click with me because of the stories or if I'm just in a weird reading funk, don't really have much to say on this one, there wasn't a story this time that jumped out and grabbed me, having said that if they make a 6th I'll be in line with bells on.
October 25, 2016
1st story 3* because it's a human-meets-alien story that I enjoyed.
2nd 1*, because it's more about a character growth/character healing, than about human-meets-alien. And I just couldn't stand the emo.
3rd 2*, because while the story wasn't that entertaining, I could empathize with the MC.
4th DNF, because I didn't like the choppy writing and the wackadoodle MC.
2nd 1*, because it's more about a character growth/character healing, than about human-meets-alien. And I just couldn't stand the emo.
3rd 2*, because while the story wasn't that entertaining, I could empathize with the MC.
4th DNF, because I didn't like the choppy writing and the wackadoodle MC.
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