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Posts Tagged ‘Jane Davitt’

Couched as a Question by Jane Davitt

Posted in Authors: D-F, B, Contemporary, Romance, tagged , , on September 21, 2012 | 10 Comments »

Title: Couched as a Question
Author: Jane Davitt
Length: 7,800 words
Publisher: Torquere Press
Genre: m/m contemporary romance
Rating: B

Blurb:
When Matt’s partner Jordan suggests redecorating, Matt’s agreeable until he discovers it means getting rid of the red couch. They bought that couch together, and they’ve done a lot more than sit on it. It means a lot to Matt and if Jordan’s bored of it, maybe it’s not the only part of Jordan’s life he wants to change…

Review:
Matt and Jordan are partners who have lived together for two years. Jordan thinks it’s time for a redecoration of the living room, including getting rid of their ugly red leather couch, but Matt has fond memories of the couch and has trouble letting go.

I really enjoyed this short story which takes an established couple and then uses the conflict over a couch to explore their relationship over the last two years. There’s a bit of flashback but that is fitted seamlessly alongside memory so it never felt jarring. Matt shows us some of his favourite memories, buying the couch, snuggling in front of the TV and hot sexual encounters, and this makes him resentful of getting rid of it. This is the part that worked best for me, seeing the development of the relationship and the love that Matt feels for Jordan, and it’s all tied in with the couch.

The story has a slight misunderstanding which didn’t work so well. Matt resentful thoughts lead onto a minor case of paranoia, which even I could see was unfounded. I couldn’t quite understand how he would make the jump from ‘he’s getting rid of the couch’ to ‘he’s getting rid of me’, but I went with Matt’s slightly hysterical response to a normal situation because it forms the main drama in the story. It was the sort of situation which could have been resolved by sitting down and talking to each other which is why it made me slightly miffed.

The character of Jordan was a plus point. He’s flamboyant and a bit pushy, but you can tell he loves Matt to bits. Matt’s crazy about him too and their relationship made me feel warm and fuzzy, especially the end, once Matt had been forced to ‘fess up about his paranoid thoughts. I also liked Matt’s friend who tried to inject a note of sanity into the proceedings.

Overall, this was a cute story which utilised the leather theme well. It’s a great addition to the sip blitz overall and I’d recommend it.

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Broomsticks and Stones by Jane Davitt

Posted in Authors: D-F, B, Contemporary, Paranormal, Romance, tagged , on July 2, 2012 | 4 Comments »

Title: Broomsticks and Stones
Author: Jane Davitt
Length: 34 pages
Publisher: Torquere Press
Genre: m/m paranormal romance
Rating: B

Blurb:
Set in a modern world where magic is a regular part of life, Broomsticks and Stones is the story of young lawyer, Peter Carruthers, who is entrusted with a task involving the delivery of a gem to Scotland, to be handed over to the new head of a clan.

Traveling by broomstick in a blizzard, Peter crashes and is lucky enough to find shelter with Jamie MacGellis who, when he finds out what Peter plans to do, has ideas of his own for the gem — and for Peter.

Review:
Peter is a lawyer for a firm who have a number of magical clients. He’s tasked by his boss to transport, by magical means, a rare gem which is given to the head of his bosses household. Peter duly sets out for Scotland on bis broomstick but bad weather causes him to crash outside the home of Jamie. There’s a surprising and almost instant attraction between them but Jamie has a bit of a secret.

I rather liked the premise to this story. It’s set almost in the modern world, but with many people being able to practice magic. Peter is a bit useless at all the magic stuff, and one of the things I most liked about this story is the way that this aspect is developed through Peter meeting Jamie. I don’t want to give too much away but I liked the way that Jamie allows Peter to grow in confidence and set aside some of the grief and fear which is hindering his magic. The end made me smile because it shows how much Peter has come in the short space of time he knows Jamie.

The story has rather a fun and lighthearted tone, often found in the parts where Jamie and Peter are together. I have a fondness for gruff Scotsmen and Jamie was perfect in this role. The tenderness in their relationship builds quickly, and the story veers almost into insta-love. Normally, this would bother me, but my liking for the characters went a long way for me forgiving this aspect. Peter’s slightly uptight nature perfectly complimented Jamie’s relaxed sauciness and there was much fun to be had from watching Jamie attempting to seduce Peter whilst Peter tries to stick to the matter at hand.

The plot involving the family gem also worked well and I enjoyed the humourous focus on family machinations into which Peter is unwillingly drawn.

Overall, this was a nicely written short story with a couple of very likable characters whose attraction zings off the page. I generally love books by this author and this one didn’t disappoint. I’d recommend Broomsticks and Stones to those looking for a light, breezy contemporary with a paranormal twist.

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Introducing Jane Davitt

Posted in Author Interview, Authors: D-F, tagged on July 2, 2012 | 6 Comments »

Jane Davitt is English, and has been living in Canada with her husband, two children, and two cats, since 1997. Writing and reading are her main occupations but if she ever had any spare time she might spend it gardening, walking, or doing cross stitch. She’s recently taken up yoga and loves discovering her ability to bend.

Jane has been writing since 2002 and wishes she’d started earlier. She is a huge fan of SF, fantasy, erotica, and mystery novels and has a tendency to get addicted to TV shows that get cancelled all too soon.

She owns over 4,000 books, rarely gives any away, but is happy to loan them, and is of the firm opinion that there is no such thing as ‘too many books’.

Welcome the blog Jane and we’re glad to add a new Canadian to our mix. On with the questions. 

1. If someone was coming to the Canada on vacation, tell them one place they MUST visit (can be as large as the Rocky Mountains, or as specific as a unique museum)?

Has to be Niagara Falls. The first time we saw it, we rounded the corner in the car and it was just THERE and it was huge and loud and spectacular. We’ve been there many times, all seasons, and it’s still a sight to see.

2. Can you ice skate? Do you understand the rules of hockey and have a favourite team? (please don’t be the Maple Leafs)

No, sadly. I was born in England and the nearest rink was forty miles away. I don’t understand ice hockey at all, though my husband loves it. That darn puck goes so fast I can’t keep up and the fights and injuries freak me out. I do know the Maple Leafs are a hockey team, but that’s about it.  My daughter’s class sang the National Anthem at a Kitchener Rangers game so we went to watch and live it was pretty exciting but soccer is my game.

3. Do you think there is a quintessential Canadian food? What would you serve guests who demand some real Canadian food?

I guess poutine springs to mind, though that’s quite regional. I’d give them ribs, sweetcorn, potato salad. Anything you can barbecue too. We’ve been to Christmas parties when the host has stood out in a blizzard barbecuing something. There’s no season for it; it’s all year round. But local laws state you have to do it with a beer in hand ;-)

4. How many provinces/territories have you visited? Have you ever been to the arctic?

About 1,500 km from Toronto, accessible only by air.

When we were still in the UK, we came here on our honeymoon (little did we know we’d be moving here three years later) and went to Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia. While we’ve lived here we’ve stepped over into Quebec on a visit to Ottawa and driven from Calgary to Vancouver Island, which took us through Alberta and British Columbia. My husband still teases me that when we planned our honeymoon, I pointed at the Polar Bear Park in Northern Ontario and suggested we drove up there, not realizing the scale of the map and just how big Canada is.

5. What was your first published story?

Broomsticks and Stones, a fantasy novella published by Torquere.

6. Have you ever written a story set in Canada? Which one?

No, but I’m working on a short set in Toronto right now. It’s fun adding in places like Tim Hortons and knowing exactly what places look like.

7. Who is your favourite Canadian actor or actress?

Got to be Paul Gross. He’s gorgeous and so talented.

8. Who is your favourite Canadian musical artist?

I’m not really into music these days; cling to my past as a rocker, but I always loved Rush.

9. If you could be a Canadian animal shifter, what would you be?

A Canada Goose. Seeing them fly over, honking mournfully gives me shivers.

10. Winter – yay or nay? Discuss. :-)

England’s climate is pretty one-note so even after fifteen years here I still get a kick out of the extremes of Southern Ontario, both hot and cold. In recent years though the winters have been getting very mild which bothers me. I love staring out at a white garden and seeing how deep the snow is; even still like shoveling it.

11. What’s the best thing about being Canadian?

People are so friendly and polite. Yes, it’s a cliché, but it’s true. If someone bumps their shopping cart into me, we both say sorry; people hold doors open with a smile, and let you go before them in a line, just generally make life feel pleasant. We love it here.

Thanks for joining us Jane. It’s always fun to see how someone who wasn’t born her views Canada now that they are a local. You can find Jane on the internet at:

My webpage is here: http://www.janedavitt.com/fiction.html

My Goodreads page is here: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1563721.Jane_Davitt

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Go With the Flow by Jane Davitt

Posted in Authors: D-F, B+, Contemporary, Romance, tagged , , on October 11, 2011 | 6 Comments »

Title: Go With the Flow
Author: Jane Davitt
Length:  28 pdf pages,  7600 words.
Publisher: Torquere Press
Genre: m/m contemporary romance
Rating: B+

Blurb:

Stressed and exhausted, Paul’s not too happy about being pushed into taking a yoga class by his sister, but the instructor, Rob, is hot enough to change his mind. When he falls asleep at the end of the session, he thinks he’s blown it and wants to leave, but Rob’s got other ideas.

Review:

This is one of those blurbs that makes the story sound rather more erotic than it really is, but I wasn’t disappointed by the way things turned out. Jane Davitt is a new-to-me author, but one I definitely intend to check out in future as she’s done a great job with this short story.

Paul is our point of view character and the story all takes place over the evening (and following morning) of his first yoga class. We are treated to a brief and amusing flashback of how his sister tricked him into attending before bailing out at the last moment, leaving Paul feeling incredibly awkward among all the women who make up the class. The details in this section really made it all spring to life, such as Paul’s embarrassment at having brought with him a plastic multi-pack water bottle rather than a reusable, environmentally-friendly one.

Once Rob the instructor makes his appearance, the attraction is immediate, but Paul is too tired to get turned on by Rob’s touch. I loved the way Davitt balanced Paul’s discomfort and cynicism about yoga with little flashes of awakening as he allowed himself to begin to unwind. There was also a light tease about a possible submissive streak in Paul:

“Relax,” Rob murmured. “Every muscle. Relax. Don’t fight it.”

It was an order. The friendliest one Paul had ever had, but an order nonetheless. Something in him greeted it like dry earth meeting rain. He absorbed, accepted, obeyed. The discomfort lessened as he stopped struggling and for a few moments, he felt at peace.

I loved the way Davitt worked this gentle eroticism into the fabric of the story without ever making it overt, allowing the characters to shine through and keeping the focus on Paul’s spiritual journey – not that he’d thank you for calling it that! Paul freely admits to having a competitive, driven streak and he’s horribly stressed, for reasons that become apparent later, after he wakes up from his yoga-induced sleep on the floor of the studio.

In this second half of the story we find out much more about what has led Paul to his current dilemma, and a little more about Rob. Indeed, my only real quibble with this story is that Rob is almost too perfect, and seems to know exactly the right thing to say at every moment. However, this is clearly what Paul needs right now. It’s perhaps a little harder to understand quite what laidback Rob sees in corporate, driven Paul, but Rob explains he was fascinated by Paul’s sister’s description of him, as she made him sound so different from anyone else he knew.

This story felt like it should finish with a sex scene, but it ends up being more of a tease. However, I wasn’t unduly disappointed as I’d been entertained by the characters and enjoyed watching Paul’s mini-enlightenment unfold, as well as his relationship with Rob get off to a promising start. Go With the Flow is perfectly named as it’s a gentle story, but a warm-hearted and beautifully written one that flows effortlessly. Enjoy.

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