Sometimes Life Just Needs a Little Plaid

Here I thought June was going to be a busy month. *whew* Wait - someone tell me where July went, please?

How's everyone doing? Enjoying the summer? Sailing? Reading? Reading about sailing? (how was that for a smooth and subtle plug for Fair Winds? ) Just having fun?

I'm always tickled to come across a review of some of my older shorts and A Halloween Tail is no exception. There's a nice review up at Library Thing .

Also new is a review for Drive Me Home by Ley over at Joyfully Reviewed..

Whoops! Is this me flooding my f'list? I've not been online this much in ages. Blame the Dreamspinner Chat! If you've not had a chance to stop by please do - and remember to look for the Topaz Promotions post with the discount code.

There are a couple of new reviews I just had pointed out to me.

I'm very excited about this one:

Teresa at Fallen Angels has reviewed Undiscovered Territory. One of my favorite sweet, rather than spicey pieces.

Ms. Munder has created a fun story about chance meetings that could change the course of your life. This may be a short story, but the plotline and characters come together to engage the reader from the beginning. This is a great story if you want to read a book that isn’t real long but is delightful to read. Layne isn’t looking for a new relationship, but his instant reaction to Terri surprises him. I loved watching how Layne and Terri were immediately attracted to each other. Thanks go to Ms. Munder for a wonderful story.

Thank you! Teresa.

And Joyfully Reviewed has reviewed both Make Me a Match Vol. 1 and Make Me a Match Vol. 2..

New reviews are out and about on the web (click on the links for the full reviews)

Here's a couple of new ones for Brush With Desire .

It received 4-1/2 stars as reviewed by scribbler at Rainbow Reviews. - Geeks in love, or at least in lust, make me smile when they’re done right, and I’m always a sucker for a fun story. Chrissy Munder’s “Brush with Desire” manages to nail both, with a bit of BDSM thrown in for some spice.

and

What makes this story really work are the characters, Brian in particular. He’s tired, a little goofy, and, like most geeks, easily distracted by shiny things. The resulting internal monologue is both real and a riot. Dale’s a bit less well developed, but in all the right ways; the story’s told from Brian’s point of view, and that view’s dead-on scatterbrained. The two play off each other well, and the story just hangs together from end to end.
A quick read, but a good one.

Also check out the review by Cassie from Joyfullyreviewed.com. - Brush with Desire is a quick, hot little tale of finding romance in a most unexpected place.

Stormy Weather available in the Make Me a Match Anthology Vol. 2 received 3 stars from Nikki at Rainbow Reviews . - “Stormy Weather is a lighthearted, fun, and romantic story. Craig is adorable and Grant is a sweet guy too. They have great chemistry, and it feels like the real thing with them.”

And I was thrilled to read that Well Read chose Giving Gifts as one of their 10 most enjoyed in the Dreamspinner Press Advent Calendar Collection . - The real strength of this story was in the way that the reader really empathises with the character of Seth. We meet him when he is feeling at his best and experience all his hopes for the night ahead, then when that comes crashing down around him we feel his sense of crushing embarrassment, then when we feel his surprise and powerful emotion as he meets someone who values him for who he is. Marvellous.

And Enigmatically Emily had this to say about A Gift of Ash and Frost - This is the second story from Chrissy as part of the advent calendar ~ this is quite different from the first story and is just as enjoyable. This is an intense story of a man who has been dealt a difficult hand with his life, more so than you can possibly imagine from the start of the story. As the story progresses, we learn more about Mathias as he discovers things about himself. I love the style this story is written in ~ it pulls you right into the overall setting of the story."

and

"The story's fast pacing drives toward the exceptionally poignant ending. This is the type of story that I really do feel I need to read numerous times in order to fully digest and appreciate all of it's intricacies and nuances ~ something that I personally love in a story. I really enjoy when each reading can reveal a bit more about the charcters and the underlying design of the story. It is a beautifully written and moving story that I greatly enjoyed and can't wait to read again."

Dashing in quickly to say I've come across a few new items across the web.

There's a review up at Fallen Angels for The Journey Back - Full Review here .
This reader enjoyed watching the mists clear from Riley’s mind and his world return to focus. The Journey Back may be short, but it is an intense and agreeable read. Thanks, Whitney.

And my short story Third Times the Charm available in the Make Me a Match Anthology Volume One was chosen as the Books of the Year - M/M short Story 2008 by Well Read .

The more I think about that the more stunned I truly am.

There's also a review up at Joyfully Reviewed for Brush With Desire . The full review can be found here .

Reviews for Drive Me Home.

Drive Me Home was chosen as a December Reviewer's Top Pick at Dark Diva Reviews in 2009 and also received 5 Divas and a Recommended Read.

You can read the entire review here, but how about an excerpt?

"After reading and reviewing Fair Winds, the first book I read by this very talented author, I was sure that this was going to be an excellent read. But with Drive Me Home, Ms. Munder has reached a whole new plateau and I’m still feeling somewhat stunned. Low-key and subtle are two elements that really mark this book, and I’m firmly hooked on Chrissy Munder’s writing."

And a 4.25 out of 5 from Tracy at Tracy's Place where Drive is last, but not least. It's always a pleasure to hear a reader enjoyed a story.

Eric has proven to be an interesting character, one that many readers project their own emotions on.

Read this Review by Ley over at Joyfully Reviewed..

And this very thoughtful and detailed review over at Well-Read. If you want to read the story without any spoilers (?) you may not want to click the link.

Overall, I think what pleased me most about this review was her ending comment: "Even now, days later, I am still thinking about this book, reflecting on its themes of passivity and control; mulling over what it was about Eric that made me so cross; and thinking over the implications of the ending for the two men. For that reason alone I think this deserves a grade of 'Very Good'."

I don't feel I can ask for more than someone spending time thinking about a story once they are done reading it.

Although I will say, this tickled me as well:

The slightly disorientating way of showing the point of view of the two men working under cover, the way that we never really know who they are until quite close to the end was rather chilling.