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Posts Tagged ‘Clare London’

Perfection by Clare London

Posted in Authors: J-L, B, Horror, tagged , on February 15, 2013 | 2 Comments »

perfectionTitle: Perfection
Author: Clare London
Length: 8,350 words
Publisher: JMS Books
Genre: m/m Horror
Rating: B

Blurb: James is surprised when co-worker Vic disappears, but even more so when Vic shows up months later as James’s manager. As a single gay man with few responsibilities, James takes his fun wherever and whenever he can. He’d even played around with Vic a few times. But now something’s changed, something James can’t quite put his finger on. In fact, almost everything about Vic is subtly different — and maybe not so subtly, when it comes to them resuming their affair. James never used to think Vic was hot, but now Vic’s like a new man and he wants James. James should be flattered, shouldn’t he?

Unfortunately, things don’t develop quite the way James hopes. He’s just out for a good time, but Vic wants something more than mutually satisfactory sexual games. He’s obsessed with finding out James’s idea of a perfect man. And what’s more, Vic seems determined to do whatever’s necessary to become that person — whether James is a willing participant or not.

Review: I’ve been meaning to read and review this little short for a while now, but I was in the mood for horror this week, so it was perfect timing. And this is definitely horror, without romance and complete with a horrifying, non-HEA ending.

James is a bit full of himself, but he doesn’t mince words and he knows what he wants. He’s a fit guy who likes to have a lot of sex and doesn’t care much who they are. He befriends a co-worker, Vic, who seems to have a bit of a crush on him. As they become friends, Vic’s feelings seem to grow. Soon, James finds himself without a partner for the night, and though Vic is probably the last person he’d choose to have sex with, well, he isn’t very picky. But the newfound intimacy seems to give Vic the wrong message, and after James is forced to tell him that he’s only looking for a good time, Vic disappears.

It is now several months later, and Vic has shown up again. Only, things are different — he carries himself differently, he looks different — he’s changed.

This is really a great story, and one of the best Halloween tales I’ve read because it really is spooky. It isn’t blood and gore that are really scary, but sociopathic and obsessive characters that can really make you squirm, and what I think Clare does so well in this story is show the reader the changes in Vic through James’ point of view. James is quite egocentric, and because of that he only really sees their “relationship” (whatever it is) from anyone’s point of view but his own, nor does he really seem to care for others’ feelings. At the same time, it makes us less caring of James’ ultimate downfall, and it creates a natural suspense, where the reader can see the slow progression into madness and James cannot.

So, if you’re looking for a short read of something a little different, make sure to check this one out!

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The Mask by Clare London

Posted in Authors: J-L, B-, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance, tagged , on October 30, 2012 | 4 Comments »

Title: The Mask
Author: Clare London
Length: 6,079 words (17 pdf pages)
Publisher: JMS Books
Genre: m/m contemporary humour
Rating: B-

Blurb:

There’s a mixed reception for Joey and his friends when they go trick or treating at the exclusive Grosvenor Square Hotel — everything from hostility to humour to handfuls of caramels. They’re a motley crew — a swamp monster, a vampire, a red devil, and a ghost in a less than flattering sheet. Joey’s costume is uncomfortable and daft, his friends are unruly, and he’s tired of everyone dismissing his best friend Gaz’s awkward stutter. The novelty of the quest soon wears off.

But when Gaz goes missing, Joey learns some home truths about his apparently shy friend. And when they knock at the final door, a horrific masked figure tricks Joey into finding maybe the best treat of all — that romance has its own, often startling disguise.

Review:

This was actually an interesting read for me, having stayed at the hotel that the guys go trick-or-treating at, but obviously not on the sixth floor, since my room was the size of a broom closet. :-) The guys have decided for a lark to go trick-or-treating on the expensive suites floor of high-class hotel. They have done up their costumes to the nines, save for poor Gaz, who because they ran out of funds and time, is now using the classic sheet with holes cut in it for a costumes.

The joy in this is the encounters the five of them have on the floor. From doors slammed into their faces, to dog bites and not so subtle come-ons by the residents. It’s not quite the experience they had hoped, especially as Joey had ‘heard’ that Tom Cruise sometimes stay at this hotel. During a break, they suddenly realize that Gaz has disappeared. Joey assumes he was upset for some reason. They are best friends and have been for years, doing everything together, sharing everything. However his ignorance of the situation finally forces one of the guys to blurt out that it’s obvious he can Gaz are practically married and that Gaz wants him, but they didn’t want to say anything until they two of them had figured it out.

In typical guy fashion, Joey was totally oblivious, but now that they point it out… One last try at the trick-or-treating gives them a real surprise at door 666, when Joey is kidnapped by a monster, and the others take off leaving him to the mercy of the creature… who happens to wear the same boots as Gaz. This was a lot of fun and it was nice to see Joey finally grab a clue. My only couple of niggles was I wasn’t quite sure why the friends were so determined to keep quiet about the obvious attraction between the two. Given how they behaved, I didn’t think keeping their mouths shut would be a big deal. Still, it’s a fun Halloween romp that will leave you with a smile.

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Just Like in the Movies by Clare London

Posted in Authors: J-L, B-, Contemporary, Romance, tagged , on August 22, 2012 | 4 Comments »

Title: Just Like in the Movies
Author: Clare London
Length: 2,600 words
Publisher: JMS Books
Genre: m/m contemporary romance
Rating: B-

Blurb:
All Bailey wants is to be a good negotiator, and to impress his boss and teacher, the legendary Drew Fletcher. He admires Fletcher for his skills in the field, but that doesn’t stop him admiring the man for other, more romantic reasons as well. In a tense hostage situation, it’s pretty unlikely Bailey’s usual, rash behaviour will cover him in glory, but in his dreams, it’s all going to happen just like in the movies.

When he finally acts to protect his boss, it doesn’t go the way he hopes — or does it? Will Bailey get to play the hero and get the guy of his dreams?

Review:
This cheeky short with a high dose of humour reminds me why I really like this author’s short stories. She’s great at taking a sideways view of situation and giving us a glimpse of romance. Here the story is from the first person point of view of Bailey, a trainee negotiator. He’s blundered into the situation and got himself shot, much to the annoyance of his trainer Drew.

At just over two and a half thousand words there’s not much to the story but we are given a view of Bailey as a slight manic man who in his mind compares his situation to what it would have been like if the same thing had happened in a movie. This is what provides the comedy to the story, as the reader sees the discrepancy between how Bailey wanted things to go, compared with the reality of him making a error of judgement. The story is amusing in the way it made me smile fondly rather than laugh out loud, but I still found it very entertaining.

The romance is only slight, with Drew’s feelings shown in the way he reacts to Bailey in words as well as his actions, and I thought the author had done a good job in showing Drew’s feelings, which seem to be a mix of exasperation, fondness and desire, through the closed first person POV of Bailey. I also liked the surprise that Bailey feels when things take an unexpected turn and the end left me satisfied that something new and exciting was going to happen between them.

Overall, if you’re looking for an amusing quickie, then you can’t go too wrong with this free short at JMS books. It may even make you want to seek out this author’s longer works – which wouldn’t be a bad thing because she really is a superb writer.

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Making Camp by Clare London

Posted in A, Authors: J-L, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance, tagged , on July 30, 2012 | 7 Comments »

Title: Making Camp
Author: Clare London
Length: 3,032 words (10 pdf pages)
Publisher: JMS Books (FREE)
Genre: m/m contemporary humour
Rating: A

Blurb: 

Nick’s a dedicated city boy, Max is from the West Country: the chance of a compatible date seems unlikely until Max invites Nick to spend a weekend with him. It’s the chance Nick’s been waiting for, the opportunity to get to know the guy he’s been mooning over at work, up close and personal. Nick just has to cope with the fact it’s got to happen outdoors.

Through various disasters and culture shocks, Nick tries to impress. But finding himself a fish out of water, albeit on a camping site, Nick demonstrates far too well the fact he doesn’t do canvas. Can town meet country, and he and Max find more common ground?

This story originally appeared in Tea and Crumpet.

Review:

Plain and simple, I am giving this story an A because it made me laugh, out loud. Nick is definitely a city boy and his way of describing his love of diesel fumes and the smell of the hot pavement in the city was chuckle-worthy. Really, those things are appealing? Why yes they are, to Nick. It’s only his sheer lust for IT guy Max that induces him to agree to go camping with the man, in the country no less.

I do like camping, at least I used to, but Nick’s disorientation as he awoke to the sound of crows, not the traffic, and the utter collapse of his tent, well, the descriptions the author brings forth had me laughing out loud. I have to confess, I am one of those people who will laugh at other’s misfortunes (if they aren’t injury inducing – and maybe even then if the injury is mild) and I laughed at poor Nick and his sad tent.

After that, Nick rather settles down to enjoy his day in the country with Max, much to his surprise, leading to that moment when they finally acknowledge their simmering attraction and their agreed sharing of a tent since Nick’s is pretty much buggered up do to the collapse. It was just funny and sweet and you know these two guys are going to have fun, being two rather opposite souls, but perhaps able to appreciate the world they each find appealing. So when you are in the mood to come away smiling, snap up this freebie and take a few minutes to lighten your day, at poor Nick’s expense. :-)

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Boxing Day Extravaganza Winners!

Posted in Give-aways, tagged , , , on December 31, 2011 | 9 Comments »

Many thanks to all our readers who took part in our Boxing Day giveaway.  The winners, who were all picked by random.org, are listed below.

  • Winterlude by Tam Ames – Stevie Carroll
  • Naughty: The Santa Problem by Tam Ames – Jen
  • The Winter Warmers Anthology - Juliana
  • Secret Santa by Clare London – Melanie Marshall
  • Twinkle Twinkle by Josephine Myles – Sammy2006
  • Dating the Delaneys by Anne Brooke – Tracy

Well done to the winners. I have emailed the authors and they should be contacting you soon with your books.

Many thanks again to the authors who contributed to the giveaway. It went so well we may even do another extravaganza giveaway in the future :) .

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Boxing Day Giveaway Extravaganza!

Posted in Give-aways, tagged , , , on December 26, 2011 | 27 Comments »

I’m not sure what it’s like in the rest of the world but Boxing Day is the day that all the sales start in the UK.  Not that you would catch me fighting the crowds looking for bargains in the shopping centres *shudder*. I’d much rather be sitting at home, munching left over turkey/mince pies/Christmas cake/trifle/chocolates and reading my book.

Well, this year Brief Encounters Reviews give you the opportunity to do that, and your short stories can be FREE!  Yes, four authors have very kindly offered to giveaway one or more of their short stories in our Boxing Day Giveaway Extravaganza (OK, it’s 6 books but it’s more than we usually give away so I can call it an extravaganza if I like :) )!  Please find below a list of the books we are offering in the giveaway, and all you have to do is leave a comment saying which books you would like to win and you’ll be put into the draw.  Yay! Free books!  You have until Friday 30th December to enter and I’ll announce the winners on New Year’s Eve.

  • Winterlude by Tam Ames
  • Naughty: The Santa Problem by Tam Ames
  • The Winter Warmers Anthology by Pink Squirrel Press
  • Secret Santa by Clare London
  • Dating the Delaneys by Anne Brooke
  • Twinkle, Twinkle by Josephine Myles

Many thanks to the authors who have kindly donated their books and good luck to our readers!

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