It’s that time again…
The Smashwords annual weekly sale starts today and runs through next Saturday. I have two ebooks on sale, A Knight’s Tale: Kenilworth, my medieval romance novel, and my latest contemporary M/M romance, Once You are Mine. They’re highly discounted! Check them out.
Reviews have been generally good and perceptive for Once You Are Mine, which I finished in late December 2020 and released into a still floundering—and politically toxic—pandemic world. One reviewer called it “dystopian fiction brought to the m/m genre,” which I found interesting. My view of the world may be too dystopian to write romance with strong heroes or heroines; I’m more interested in flawed LGBT characters who find enough strength within to keep loving the person they have fallen for. It is an internal type of journey.
An early reviewer touched me by writing, “This story grounded me. It reminded me of trust, hope, and the joy in all the little things. Thank you for this story.” Another reader found it beautiful and healing.
Some reviewers felt the love story strongly. Writer Gina Genovese wrote: “The main character, Alex, is a 20 year old man right out of jail, looking for a fresh start. As usual, West masterfully brought me into his world, and made me feel his struggles and challenges with an unnerving vulnerability. I grew to care for him more and more each chapter, and struggled with him as he reckoned with his past and made choices for his future. Without any spoilers, West did a great job expressing the passion of rushed love and the tidal wave of emotions that come with it.”
Gabriella West 