Angela Benedetti

Book Utopia posted a great review of A Spirit of Vengeance.

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From the very first words, the unrelenting emotion and overwhelming grief grip the reader by the lapels and refuses to let go. There is no preamble. The author shoves you straight into the middle of Josh’s confusion regarding his partner’s death, and holds you down in it until there’s nowhere else to turn. That’s not a bad thing. You’re hardly aware of being so expertly corralled until you’re there, and then, it’s just a short, intense ride through the rest of the story as it plays out around you.

Josh doesn’t know how to process Kevin’s violent death, a crime that seems to have been inspired by hate. His palpable feelings twist and turn until neither he nor the reader knows which end is up, so when Kevin’s ghost starts visiting him, it’s disconcerting at best. There’s absolutely no reason to distrust Josh’s fearful reaction to it, and the time it takes for him to come to grips with the possibility that, yes, he’s not crazy, only serves to further cement my belief in how hard this loss has hit him. This reaction, so real, so human, provides the fulcrum upon which the rest of the story balances. Because I can believe that, I can believe in Kevin, and the plot that follows, even if it seems to be secondary to the more relevant task of processing his grief.

The suspense portion of the story, that of satisfying Kevin’s need for revenge, felt rushed in comparison to the careful unfolding of Josh’s emotions. That holds it back a little, as the other players almost seem extraneous. The details supporting the so-called real world, too, never rang as vibrantly true as Josh and his feelings, but they were certainly more than adequate to keep the story believable and moving forward. The true thrust of this novella is Josh and Kevin’s love story – and I’m deliberately choosing to use that term rather than romance – and for this alone, it provides a poignant, compelling read.

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Thanks so much to Book Utopia Mom. Hearing about how someone liked one of my stories just makes my day.

Angie

PD Singer had some nice things to say about my short story, Candy Courage:

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I don’t review in the traditional sense: I don’t assign ratings or stars, or warble on and on about something a friend has written that (if truth be told, as it so seldom is) is riddled with typos and has at least one plot hole that a medium-duty truck could drive through without scraping the rear-view mirrors.

Instead, if I read something that makes me happy, really happy, for some identifiable reason, I might be inspired to tell you about it here. Mate from Lauren Burka got my attention that way, because of the truly outstanding world building. Angela Benedetti’s Candy Courage inspired me to start typing, and given the sheer volume of my reading, that puts it in a special class.

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The trigger-tripper was the tiny magical element that fueled this Halloween tale; the elderly man adds a special ingredient each year to the treats he shares with the neighborhood. This year it’s courage, but what did he add in previous years, I wondered, and what unintended consequences did it have? For surely the old man did not plan that a father of a trick-or-treater would become brave enough to take the offered treat. That treat was very sweet indeed, and good reading on its own, but the tiny vignettes of the other trick-or-treaters who gained enough courage to do something they desired but had hung back from added a human element that lifted the story above the usual younghandsomemeninbed tale.

Because framing the fear and desire of one man to reach out to another in terms of a child touching a dog that outweighs her and whose huge jaws are so near her face is a stroke of genius. I’ll be reading this again.

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Read the whole thing here. Thanks to Ms. Singer for her comments.

Full disclosure: PD Singer is a fellow writer, and we both had stories in the anthology Walk the Plank.

Angie

Hilcia over at Musings of a Bibliophile reviewed two of my short stories. She enjoyed them both and I’m delighted with what she had to say.

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In the Driver’s Seat

Brian Stokes is looking for a new bed mate after his latest bed-buddy leaves him for a permanent partner. Benedetti draws Brian as a good looking and arrogant male used to having his own way. He’s not interested in serious relationships, but would like to have someone who at least knows his likes and dislikes. He knows it won’t take him long to find someone new… but, the gym where he works has the same faces and bodies — been there, done that.

Brian walks in the locker room and notices someone fresh and different. Val turns out to be an old acquaintance. He worked at the gym during summers as a teenager and Brian was a kind of mentor to him back then. Things have changed.

Val is now a grown up man with assets that won’t quit and Brian wants him on the spot. He figures he can teach Val a thing or two between the sheets and is surprised when Val seems reluctant — but a date is on. Brian is in for an unexpected, if ultimately, pleasant surprise. The question becomes; who will be giving the lesson and who will be receiving it? Who will give and who will take?

Benedetti did a terrific job with this short Torquere Sip. I enjoyed how she wrote Brian and Val’s surprisingly hot and erotic encounter, as well as, the quick pacing and phrasing of the story. Brian’s internal dialogue and personal ramblings became a personal favorite.

M/M Erotica, D/s: Hot B+

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Candy Courage

Take an old gentleman who mixes magic into his yearly Halloween supply of home made peanut brittle. Stir in a single father who takes his boy trick-or-treating, and throw in a gorgeous co-worker who lives in the area. There you have the recipe for Candy Courage.

Our main character Glen Bellamy is a single father who recently moved to the neighborhood. He and his son Georgie are out trick-0r-treating when they come by Mr. Fiorentelli’s old home. The peanut brittle Mr. Fiorentelli gives the kids smells wonderful, but it is not store bought, so Glen is not about to let Georgie eat it — that doesn’t mean he himself can’t have it.

A couple of more blocks and they unexpectedly reach the home of Neal Sampson. He is Glen’s hot and smart co-worker, and he has a bit of a lusty crush on him. To his own surprise, Glen flirts and aggressively makes a date with Neal for the following day. Will Glen continue to have the courage he needs to approach Neal once the magic wears off? Will his shyness allow it?

I found this short Torquere Halloween Sip by Ms. Benedetti to be a sweet, hot read. She captured a moment, the consequences and its possibilities quite well.

M/M Erotica: Quick, Enjoyable, Sweet B-

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Thanks again to Hilcia!

Angie

Emily, who recently reviewed “A Spirit of Vengeance” and “In the Driver’s Seat” for Rainbow Reviews, is working her way through my backlist and so far seems to like everything. I love seeing new reviews of my stories pop up; they make me want to dive back in and write more, to say nothing of putting a silly smile on my face.

Here’s what she said about one of my Halloween stories, Candy Courage:

Book Blurb:
Glenn Bellamy, a divorced dad, is taking his son around trick-or-treating. He confiscates some homemade peanut brittle ~ and eats it himself of course ~ not knowing that the old man who made it is an alchemist who adds something special to his candy each year. This year it was Courage, so when Glenn and his son hit Neal Sampson’s house, Glenn finds himself flirting and making a date for the next day. Will the candy courage wear off, or will Glenn find the guts to go after what he wants?

“‘No prob.’ Glenn winked at Sam while opening up the wax paper packet and snagging a piece. ‘This ith good thtuff,’ he added around a bite of peanut brittle. ‘Way too good to wathte on the kidth.’”

Sebastiano Fiorentelli likes to participate in the Halloween traditions by making homemade candy for all the kids. After being around the neighborhood for so many years, no one questions letting their kids eat the special candy but they really have no idea quite how special it is. Each year Mr. Fiorentelli adds something extra to the candy, and this year he has decided to make courage. Anyone that eats the candy gets a small burst of extra courage, that lil push they need to face their greatest fears. For Glenn Bellamy, when he hits co-worker Neal Sampson’s house after eating the peanut brittle o’ plenty, the candy helps him to openly flirt and make a date with the man he has been admiring from afar. The next day his fears start to break down his confidence, and Glenn struggles to hang onto the courage from his night of throwing caution to the wind by grabbing life, or someone else, by the balls.

The thing I love most about reviewing for Rainbow Reviews is that I get introduced to new authors that I otherwise might have missed and in the case of Angela Benedetti I feel that I’ve hit a gold mine. After reviewing In the Driver’s Seat and A Spirit of Vengeance I knew I had to get the rest of her backlist and read every story. I now realize that I missed one but I will most definitely be rectifying that as soon as possible! I have loved each and every story I’ve read and look forward to reading more. Angela possesses a unique brand of storytelling that flows so easily and introduces characters that are engaging in just a few short pages. Each story I have read is fresh and thoroughly enjoyable, so much so that I read them more than once.

Candy Courage is a fun Halloween tale with an interesting quirk. I loved how Angela sets up the affect the candy has on people who consume it through eight-year-old Robbie who is afraid of the trampoline cage in his backyard and six-year-old Graciela who is frightened of her brothers’ dog Lito. Children are so open with their feelings and the affect the candy has on their lives is touching and adorable. The story then focuses on Glenn as he is taking his son Georgie trick-or-treating. Glenn’s relationship with his son is wonderful, and they have quite a bit of fun for Halloween. Eating the peanut brittle with a kick gives Glenn just the hint of courage he needs to throw caution to the wind and go after what he wants. What results, thankfully for readers, is what can only be referred to as “sextastic” which I have to say is one of my new favorite words. Unfortunately for Glenn, his insecurities start to creap back in and following along as he tries not to wimp out is capitavating and a joy to read. The two men geek out together a bit, something I always love being a fellow geek, and you just know they will hit it off quite well if Glenn can hang onto the newfound burst to his courage. Overall this is a phenomenal tale and a great Halloween story that I enjoyed immensely. Fans of Angela’s writing will most definitely enjoy this story and anyone who hasn’t had the chance to read any of Angela’s stories must drop everything and read one immediately! You won’t be disappointed!

And here’s what she had to say about my other Halloween story, Chasing Fear:

Book Blurb:
Emilio loves Martin with everything he has, but he’s still scared to go out and be openly gay, especially with the way his family reacted to the news. Martin just wants to go out and have a good time, so he pushes Emilio’s limits to the breaking point. Emilio figures having greenman for a lover has its dangers, especially when it comes to going on a date in the great outdoors. Can he and Martin learn to see eye to eye?

“Sometimes having a Greenman for a lover was a pain in the culo.”

Emilio knows he should be heading home to his partner Martin but he just can’t bring himself to go, finding any excuse he can to stay outdoors. When he finds a tree that was felled by loosened soil after a heavy rain, he spends time clearing it by himself. Anything to have an excuse not to have to go out with Martin as he agreed to do, to be out in the open and not hiding the fact that he is gay. When Emilio doesn’t show up like he’s promise to, Martin seeks him out and decides to a change of plans. If Emilio can’t bring himself to go out and have a good time, Martin will make his own good time, and the nature in the forest is on his side.

Yet another Halloween story that I enjoyed from a writer that has quickly moved to the top of my favorites list. The interaction between Emilio and Martin is quite fascinating for many reasons, not the least of which being that he is a Greenman. When Martin faces off with Emilio in the forest, Emilio is at a slight disadvantage as he can’t control the vines and leaves and trees like Martin can. Emilio gets trapped, victim to Martin’s desires, but despite everything, Martin loves Emilio deeply and is willing to stand by his side while Emilio battles his fears. This is a wonderful story with a paranormal twist that is unique and characters that are engaging and complex. Definitely check out this story!

Thanks so much to Emily for her wonderful reviews.

Angie

[EDIT: Closed to comments because of a spam storm.]

Emily over at Rainbow Reviews gave me an excellent 4.5 star review of A Spirit of Vengeance.

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BOOK BLURB:
When Josh comes home from a business trip to find out that his lover, Kevin, has been killed, his life takes a terrible turn. Even worse, Kevin is haunting him, wanting Josh to exact revenge on his killer. Josh thinks Kevin is a hallucination to begin with, but he soon starts to believe that his lover’s spirit is really hanging around.

As he begins to believe in Kevin’s ghost, Josh also starts to believe he knows who killed Kevin. He’s not sure what to do, and neither is Kevin, who never really considered an afterlife. Can these two figure out how to catch a killer and how to move on with life after death?

BOOK REVIEW:
Josh’s life has been turned upside down by the unthinkable ~ his lover Kevin has been murdered inside of their apartment. Not knowing why, or even the details of how, Josh is left trying to pick up the pieces of his life when he is thrown yet another curve ball. Josh starts to see and hear things that cannot possibly be real, but he comes to find out that Kevin’s spirit is lingering, desperate for Josh to exact revenge on his killers.

It takes time for Kevin to convince Josh that he is real, by entering his dreams and manifesting while Josh is awake, but finally he succeeds. Josh is thrilled to be able to talk to and hold his lover again, but the main focus is still on trapping Kevin’s killers so that justice is served. Josh must be careful to protect himself from the killers and to protect his heart as he’s in love with a ghost.

A Spirit of Vengeance is an exceptional story, a refreshingly unique paranormal tale of love and revenge. Benedetti drops readers right into the story from the very beginning and the pace doesn’t let up. We connect with Josh as he deals with having a ghost following him around, even if it is his dead lover. His reactions are very real, making him a truly believable character. There are touching moments between Josh and Kevin, but most is left to the imagination. The real focus of this story is the vengeance that Kevin seeks and how Josh helps him on that path and anything more would have distracted from the story. It’s a perfect blend of action and emotional connection that results in a fantastic story that I will surely read over and over again.

For readers that are new to Benedetti, this is a great place to start to experience the subtle brilliance this writer possesses. Her stories are quite powerful, compact and concise and a window into the human soul. Here, Benedetti doesn’t need to rely on elaborate sex scenes or overly developed plots ~ with two well-developed characters she has created an engaging story that is moving and gripping and definitely a recommended read.

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Thanks so much to Emily — I’m thrilled she enjoyed it.

Angie

Emily from Rainbow Reviews gave me a great review for my short story In the Driver’s Seat, and a four-star rating.

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BOOK BLURB:
Brian is used to being in control in the bedroom, but somehow he’s found himself without anyone to play with. Then he runs into recently-returned ~ and surprisingly grown-up ~ Val, who he knew years before as a cute high-school kid. Val’s not a high-school kid anymore, though, and there’s an air about him that says he’s been around and has had a few lessons in the bedroom.

Brian’s eager to provide some advanced schooling, but his assumptions end up getting him into trouble. To his own surprise, he finds it’s a kind of trouble he’s not all that eager to escape.

BOOK REVIEW:
Since his most recent fuck-buddy Tom now has a boyfriend, Brian finds himself with no one to turn to when he needs sex. Brian is cocky and quite confident about his sexual prowess and knows he will find someone to use for his own purposes. The last thing he wants is a relationship, just sex plain and simple with no strings attached where Brian is in control at all times.

When he sees a cute ass in the locker room, Brian is surprised to discover that it belongs to Val, a grown-up version of the cute kid that worked at the gym six years prior while in high school. At the time, Brian acted as a big brother toward Val, but now his thoughts about Val are much more dirty. Brian wants to show Val “a few advanced exercises in a different discipline” and starts his seduction of the younger man.

From the moment Brian enters Val’s house, however, nothing goes quite as he had planned and everything gets turned on its head. Brian has to make some quick decisions about how far he is willing to go with Val, and ends up having every assumption destroyed, in the best possible way.

In the Driver’s Seat is a wonderful story about assumptions being turned upside down and being open to new experiences. I loved how cock sure Brian is from the beginning, until Val throws a wrench in his plans. The story is filled with surprises, as well as some extremely hot sex that is stimulating and satisfying throughout. I would love to see more from these characters, and am intensely curious what else would happen to them in the future, but for now I will have to satisfy myself by reading this story over and over.

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Thanks to Emily! I’m so glad she liked it!

Angie

Boylove_Addict over on LJ posted a great review of Spirit of Vengeance the other day:

A Spirit of Vengeance by Angela Benedetti
Josh is lost in grief after the gruesome murder of his beloved partner Kevin, until he realizes that Kevin is dead, but not gone. Kevin haunts Josh, because he wants revenge. Yet in staying in the “living” plane, he gives Josh a chance to think, a chance to act, a chance to heal, a chance to say good bye and most importantly a chance to stay alive. Kevin might claim to be an angry spirit of vengeance, but I would say he is a loving spirit of protection.

Angela delivers a poignant story about love and life in the face of tragedy. Those brave enough to go along for the ride will find it entertaining, beautiful and very touching. Just know that it is the ride and not the destination that counts in this wonderful story.

I’m thrilled that she enjoyed it and grateful for the wonderful comments.

ETA:  Comments turned off  to cut off a spamstorm.

Angie

I just ran across this great review of “A Spirit of Vengeance” from back in June over at Two Lips Reviews. Obviously I don’t do enough vanity searches.

Reviewer Bella gave it 4.5 kisses and said:

Josh is still reeling from the death of his lover, Kevin, when strange things begin to happen that make him question his sanity. In the middle of the numbness that has wrapped Josh since the news of Kevin’s death, Josh has started to “hear” Kevin’s voice in his head. And that can only mean that Josh is losing it, right? But as Josh begins to believe that Kevin is really there, he also feels compelled to find and punish Kevin’s killer.

A Spirit of Vengeance is a heart-wrenching paranormal romance that will make readers hope for the “life” after death that is experienced through Kevin. Both men will invoke strong feelings of love, sadness and joy as they come to terms with what is left after Kevin’s death. Angela Benedetti did a wonderful job of creating characters that will pull at every heartstring, while delivering a quick paced and entertaining suspense. A Spirit of Vengeance is a great read that should not be missed!

Thanks so much to Bella!

Angie