Book Tour for From the Ashes by Kayla Jameth (Review & GIVEAWAY)

Today brings us a new-to-me author with Kayla Jameth visiting with her m/m fairytale read, From the Ashes.  Keep reading to learn more about writing in the m/m genre along with my impressions of this book.  Don't forget to make a comment at the bottom of this post for your chance to win a bookstore GC!

I would rather hang out with guys than girls. I have no interest in discussing clothing, hairstyles, makeup, marriages and births. I can weld, bale hay and make maple syrup, as well as, cross-stitch, cook and make costumes. I'm also a veterinarian so you can make certain assumptions based on that skill set. I am myself and do not chose to be categorized by others.

So when I first watched the anime Yami no Matsuei (Descendants of Darkness), I was captivated by the kiss between Tsuzuki and Muraki. I'd never seen anything like that. There was just something about the vulnerability on Tsuzuki's face that entranced me. I devoured yaoi anime and manga.

A friend introduced me to slash fanfiction and several m/m authors. And it was love at first sight.I agree with the fangirls. Who needs some girl when two hot guys are better?

I think there are several factors playing a role in the popularity of m/m romance:

-The general boredom and discontent with het romances. I don't want to read about marriage and kids. I've got marriage and kids. Give me the fantasy!

-The m/m stories can offer so much more diversity in situations, individuals, conflict and challenges.  What het couple ever has to think about coming out? The mere thought of coming out is fraught with possible danger, heartache, security, and trust issues. Then add on timing, who to share with, and how much to share. There is just a whole level of conflict not available in het romances, an entire range of emotionally charged issues that affect every aspect of life for gay men.  Plus all the activities that are more available to two men that a het couple would find difficult to engage in, jobs, life choices, even parts of the globe that are relatively inaccessible to women.

-The heroines who are too stupid to live. I'm not her. I don't like her. And I don't want her getting all the goodies in the end. I can't identify with her so the story is an utter failure at that point for me. 

-The tall, dark and silent (read: emotionally unavailable) men.  If I wanted tall, dark and silent, I would get a life-sized cardboard cutout of Gale Harold or Nathan Fillion.  Oh! Brian Kinney x Captain Malcolm Reynolds slash. Shiny! Sorry, I'll just wipe the drool off my chin. Now where was I? Oh, yeah...  The "prize" is not something I would strive for. I don't need gushy, touchy-feely, but I don't want a stick in the mud either. Traditional het romance isn't written for tomboys who just want someone normal to be their help meet.  Not to mention the hot sex. See above. We all know Brian is verse, but I don't see Mal as anything but a top.

-But probably most importantly, culturally, humanity has reached a place where yaoi,shonen ai, BL, slash, and m/m fiction is no longer taboo. And people want it. You can argue over whether m/m romance is fetishism or the acceptance of homosexuality into mainstream romance as just another pairing. I don't really care who is in whose bed. It's none of my business unless one of my characters slips under the wrong blanket.

.....I'm sure there are other people with their own reasons, but I'm equally sure that people will agree with some or all of my thoughts on this. Either way, I'll keep reading and writing m/m erotic romances.

Cinder never thought that he could rise from the ashes of his life, but an unexpected encounter with a woman claiming to be his fairy godmother may be just what he needs. Finding himself flung into his very own fairy tale, she sends him off to meet his Prince Charming. But was the gown really necessary?

EXCERPT:

"Cin-der-ELLA!"
The old harridan always made a point of calling him by the hated name she had forced on him. "Ella", indeed! He ground his teeth. She and her brood were the only ones who called him that. As if saying it would somehow make it true.
The other servants had quickly learned to call him Cinder if they wanted him to respond. Only they tolerated even this small rebellion on his part. He was not Cinderella!
Cinder never would have guessed, all those years ago, he would become a maid in his own home, unable to claim his birthright. He had been happy when his father brought home his new family. But then his kindhearted father died and his stepmother showed her true colors.
Dame Constancia immediately sacked the staff that had known Cinder all his life and replaced them with people loyal only to her. Before any of the new servants arrived, she rushed a confused eight-year-old child into some of her daughters' cast off clothing, renamed him, and voila! His father lost an heir, and she gained a fortune.

BUY here.

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

Kayla Jameth has turned the fairytale world on its ear by putting a new spin on the well-known story of Cinderella.  In this unique and clever m/m story a young man is forced into the Cinderella role when his nefarious step-mother hides his true gender to keep the inheritance that should have gone to him upon his father's death.  As he gets older he longs to shed the disguise forced on him and become the man his body is pushing him to be.  For too long he's been malnourished both physically and mentally and there's a childlike essence to his personality at the start of the story.  Things start to change for him when his fairy godmother sends him to the ball and he meets the one man to completely upend his existence and puts him on the path to a somewhat unconventional HEA.  It's not until the very end when he's allowed to be himself that he fully matures into the man he was always supposed to be.

The man Cinder meets is of the royalty and is tired too of keeping his true self hidden.  He wants to be with someone who accepts him for himself and an unexpected encounter with the one person who he senses is just like him has him searching the countryside for this lost love.  Henri wholeheartedly accepts Cinder, and in a too neatly tied up conclusion, is allowed to ride off into the sunset with the man of his dreams.

This story is mainly focused on Cinder and we get to know his deepest emotions.  Henri is older and wiser but we don't get to know him nearly as well.  He's Cinder's savior and helps him become a man.  Their early encounters are shy yet playful.  Late in the story is when things really get hot.  Until then readers are put on a whimsical journey where things are not what they always seem.  Cinder is likable and you long for him to get his HEA.  You also want his step-family to pay for what they put him through but unfortunately that part of the story is left hanging.  On a whole this is a fun and sexy story that has you thinking about fairytales in a whole new way.

My rating for this is a B-/C+

*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

A bit of a tomboy, Kayla Jameth grew up pretending to be a Native American brave on her family's farm. Somewhat eclectic, she can weld, make maple syrup, and even earned a knighthood making medieval costumes. Although she is now a veterinarian, her love of all things ancient led her to minor in Classical History. Now she spends her free time writing m/m erotic romance.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Author.Kayla.Jameth
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/KaylaJameth
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KaylaJameth
Blog: http://kaylajameth.blogspot.com/
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Kayla-Jameth/e/B0054SNO4C/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1363308908&sr=8-2

**********GIVEAWAY**********

Kayla will be awarding $25 All Romance eBooks GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

-To be entered, leave a comment, along with your email addy.

-Winners will be chosen randomly from all comments made throughout the tour, so the more you comment the greater your chances of winning.  A list of all participating blogs can be found here.

-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 5/17.