Book Tours: Starter Day Party The Emperor’s New Clothes

emperorbanner

I’m hosting the starter day party for science fiction M/M romance novel “The Emperor’s New Clothes”. The tour runs from December 17 to January 17. I’ll be reviewing the book on my blog on January 3rd. Stay tuned for the review, and check out the other tour stops!

Tour Schedule

December 17th: Starter Day Party @ I Heart Reading

December 19th: Book Excerpt @ Books are Love

December 21st: Character Interview and Giveaway @ Forever Book Lover

December 23rd: Book Excerpt @ Editor Charlene

December 25th: Book Review @ I’m an Eclectic Reader

December 27th: Character Interview @ Majanka’s Blog

December 29th: Book Excerpt @ Endazzled Reading

December 31st: Book Review @ The Book Daily

January 1st: Book Excerpt @ Bookish Madness

January 3rd: Book Review and Giveaway @ I Heart Reading

January 5th: Character Interview @ Cassidy Crimson’s Blog

January 7th:  Book Excerpt @ Hollow Readers

January 9th: Book Review @ Readers Writers Connect

January 11th: Book Excerpt and Giveaway @ Zipper Rippers

January 13th: Character Interview @ The Single Librarian

January 15th: Book Excerpt @ Sylv Jenkins

January 17th: Book Review, Excerpt and Giveaway @ Readers Writers Connect

About The Book

RR1ATitle: The Emperor’s New Clothes

Author: Aldous Mercer

Genre: SciFi M/M Romance

Imperial Agent Royce Ree needs to pull off the biggest heist the Universe has ever seen, or it’s bye-bye cushy government job, hello cleaning toilets in a dive-bar on Baga-V.

To succeed, he will need help from the last person he’d ever ask: his ex.

THIS IS THE FULL-LENGTH OMNIBUS EDITION (#1 – #5).

THE EMPEROR’S NEW CLOTHES: PART 1

Royce has a simple mission: steal some tech from the newly-discovered civilization of Baldessh. But Royce thinks HQ’s mission specifications are utterly stupid. So he disobeys a direct order, and goes to steal the tech his own way.

“The Empire has survived wars, supernovae, democracy, and the collapse of a neighborhood universe. Let us hope it survives the good intentions of Agent Royce Ree.”
– Author unknown (personal communication to the Emperor) 

DRIVEPOLITIK: PART 2

Royce’s primary mission has been abandoned in the chaos of Baldessh’s hostile takeover by a third party. Now his only objective is to get himself, and his fellow “agent” off-planet as fast as possible. Unfortunately for Royce, nobody is quite ready for him to leave just yet.

“”I find it curious that the agent was not rescued before the comms-blockade, Spymaster.”
“Imperial Intelligence is not in a habit of rescuing AWOL agents, Councillor. Apprehend and prosecute, yes, but not rescue.”
“I suppose both of us must wait. For…evidence.”
“Would you mind waiting somewhere other than my office? Only, we can’t all be Councillors, Councillor, and I have real work to do.”
-Conversation, Imperial Intelligence Headquarters, Trinity Prime

THE GORILLA IN THE VENTS: PART 3

Royce now has three days to rescue 40,000 space marines, and he’s just been told that the tech he came to Baldessh for doesn’t actually exist. He also has some real problems—his co-agent’s time is running out, and somewhere, far away, traitors are plotting to start a war that will engulf the entire Universe in flames.

Hope, however, can sometimes be found in the darkest of places. Like ventilation ducts.

“ “Every pre-FTL civilization we know of has alcohol. I mean, imagine being stuck to a single planet, wasting decades just crossing your own solar system! Who wouldn’t invent vodka?”
-Gaste Trade Cartel Sales Representative (Conversation overheard at spaceport dive-bar, Gomo-Prime) 

MADMAN’S RUE: PART 4

Royce has been betrayed, Baldessh’s burgeoning rebellion is going to be crushed, and all the animals are going to be exterminated. But Royce is smiling. Because Royce, like always, has a Plan.

“ “An Imperial Agent cultivates paranoia the way an Imperial Gardener cultivates prize-winning rosebushes.”
-Master Mess-Remeier,”The Nature of Empire: Volume 7”, 1st Edition

IMPERIAL COMMAND: PART 5

It looks like things are going to be OK for everyone except Royce and his ex. Looks can be deceiving—there are plots within plots, and Royce’s true test awaits him at the edge of Imperial Space.

“ “I’m sorry, sir, your payment didn’t go through.”
“What! Why?”
“There is a hold on your accounts, pending a Deadbeat Investigation.”
“I’m the Procurement Officer for the entire Kovan Fleet, woman!”
“Yes, sir, I recognized your uniform. But I’m afraid your job description has nothing to do with this conversation.”
“The hell it doesn’t! What are my soldiers going to do if you don’t sell to us?”
“Respectfully, sir, that’s not my problem.”
“We’re in the middle of an invasion!”
“I’m very sorry to hear that. Perhaps your soldiers could target a facility that manufactures the toilet paper you need?”
–Transcript, Kovan Flagship: “Comms exchange between Fleet Procurement and Gaste Cartel Customer Service.”

ROYCE REE #6: ON THE TAKE is coming out in 2014.

Author Bio

A native of Toronto, Aldous Mercer enjoys martinis and relaxing on the beac-ha! No.

Aldous Mercer is a workaholic with a penchant for numerical mind games and caffeinated beverages. He uses his degree in Engineering to ensure that none of the spaceships in his books have cubic pressure-vessels. In real life he always annotates Engineering Drawings in Iambic Tetrameter.

Aldous can also be found on Facebook, Twitter and Gmail.

Links

www.technomance.com
@technomance
www.facebook.com/technomance

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/385227

http://www.amazon.com/Royce-Omnibus-Emperors-Clothes-Volume-ebook/dp/B00H4L8244

THE FREE BOOKS:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/385218

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/385219

Book Review: The Chosen by Annette Gisby

chosen_promoTitle: The Chosen

Author: Annette Gisby

Genre: M/M fantasy romance

Age Group: Adult (18+)

Rating: 4 stars

Purchase: Amazon, Amazon.co.uk, All Romance eBooks, Smashwords

Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions in exchange for an honest review.

The neighbouring kingdoms of Oscia and Arcathia have been at a tentative peace for three years after centuries of warfare. Prince Severin of Arcathia has been brought up to put duty before all else and as the only son of the King and Queen, it is his duty to marry and produce an heir. His parents want him to marry an Oscian princess to cement that tentative peace. Unfortunately Severin isn’t interested in princesses. Now, if he had his pick of princes that would be another matter.

Havyn has been a slave all his life. When his aptitude for wizardry is discovered, he finds himself purchased and freed by Prince Severin and apprenticed to the royal wizard, Ildar. His duty is to stay chaste to keep his powers strong, but his feelings for Severin sorely test his resolve.

With kingdoms at war, the throne hanging in the balance, magic in the air, and outside forces trying to keep them apart, can the two men find happiness together, or is duty more important than love?

Prince Severin of Arcathia occassionally wanders into Oscia, in disguise, as not to upset the tentative peace after centuries of waging war against each other. He uses money he saved to buy slaves and set them free. This time, his eyes falls on Havyn, a young slave, who Severin decides to rescue. But Havyn isn’t an ordinary slave. With abilities far surpassing the ordinary, and traces of magic in his blood, plus a sharp tongue and a good amount of wit, he makes an excellent match for Severin, who has no interest in women or ever getting married, and would much prefer Havyn’s company. However, Severin doesn’t want to force the young man into something he may not entirely agree with, so he stays mute about his feelings.

When Severin and his travel companion, the royal wizard Ildar, leave to go back to Arcathia, it is decided that Havyn, with his magical aptitude, will become Ildar’s newest apprentice. However, this means it is the young man’s duty to stay chaste…Something that grows increasingly tougher the more time he spends with Severin. Relationships between princes and former slaves are highly frowned upon, naturally, but that doesn’t stop Severin and Havyn from longing for each other…

I was surprised by the depth of this story. At only 96 pages in .pdf format, it’s a quick, but intriguing read. The fantasy world we’re introduced to, with the neighbouring kingdoms of Oscia and Arcathia, is a vast, imaginative world, and well-explained, even in such a short time frame. We’re straightaway introduced to our main cast, and the relationships between the characters take shape rather quickly, but not too quick. I’m a fan of slow romance, the kind that builds gradually over time, starting with attraction and only over time developing in love. While there was definitely a build up here, I would have no problem if the build up had lasted longer.

The book started straight into the action though. Fantasy novels often start by rambling off the world’s history in the first few chapters, but this certainly didn’t happen here. The story is very character-driven, and it’s the characters who shine and make the book come alive. I preferred Severin over Havyn, but I liked both of them. Severin had a more serious attitude, which I preferred. His internal struggle was very well described, and I could easily relate to him.

Story-wise, I was hooked. This was a fast-paced, intriguing, romantic read.