MOMENT OF SILENCE will be on sale for 99 cents from Dec 21-31.

Perfect for the holidays is a Christmas/Hanukkah romance and it’s the holiday season.

Moment of Silence was uplifting, it was heart breaking, it was joyful, it was spiritual, it was life changing for the characters, it was sexy and I loved every minute of it, even the ones that made me cry. ~ Slick, Guilty Pleasures

MOMENT OF SILENCE (Moments In Time, Book 4)
(A standalone novel from  the Moments In Time series)

RELEASE DATE – 12/18/15

Description:
Growing up, Jason Stern led a charmed life complete with devoted sisters, a father who was one of Brooklyn’s most respected rabbis, and a mother who made the world’s best babka. He headed to NYU ready for anything—except falling for the wrong guy, coming out, and getting disowned by his once-loving family. In spite of that, Jason managed to graduate with honors. He’s got friends who treat him like family, and he’s proudly running the largest LGBTQ teen shelter in Manhattan. Life is good, but he’s still falling for the wrong men.

When charming, sexy Quinn Fitzpatrick begins work at the shelter, Jason falls hard and fast. Quinn is tall, blond, funny—damn near perfect. Only if Quinn’s gay, even he doesn’t seem to know it. If he does, he’s not telling anyone. And he’s about one ceremony away from becoming a Catholic priest.

Long hours of work turn to long nights of talking and laughter, and Jason dares to hope this time he’s falling for the right guy. But Quinn’s got a past to deal with and major decisions to make about his future. When Quinn leaves for a silent retreat, Jason knows the silence may change everything.

Review copy provided for an honest review

My emotions are all over the place after reading Karen Stivali’s Moment of Silence. Once again I am blown away by this author’s ability to immerse me in her story and make me feel a part of her character’s inner circle. This book was uplifting, it was heart breaking, it was joyful, it was spiritual, it was life changing for the characters, it was sexy and I loved every minute of even the ones that made me cry.

Quinn Fitzpatrick is at a crossroads in his life; before taking his final vows to become a Catholic priest Quinn is taking some time off to make sure he is ready to commit his life and self to the priesthood and church. While Quinn thoroughly believes in God and religion recent events in his family have caused him to question the teachings of the church. Quinn is a good man; no he is a great man and always sees the good in others, is always willing to lend a helping hand and believes in serving those less fortunate. Honestly anyone would be lucky to have Quinn in their lives. That doesn’t mean he hasn’t made mistakes including some he’s made recently with his own family and quite possibly the one he was semi forced to make as a young man about entering the priesthood. Quinn is living in New York and working as a handy man at New Home a center for at risk GLBT teens and a job his gay brother, Collin help him get.

Jason Stern’s life was turned upside down when he was a student at NYU and figured out once and for all he was gay. Coming out to his large and loving family didn’t go as planned with his Rabbi father immediately disowned him and cut him off financially and forbade his mother and sisters from seeing him. He was befriended by a fellow student who helped him when he was a moment away from being homeless and that friend got him a job at the New Hope center, his grandmother’s pet project. Once he graduated Jason became the manager of New Hope and loves his work in not only serving and helping the teens that come through the center but in writing grants and finding funding to keep it open. Jason has suffered from falling for the wrong men including Quinn who is one step away from priesthood but as far as he knows very heterosexual.

The story of these two men just grabbed me by my heart from the start mainly because they are both intelligent, hard working and nice men (okay so maybe some of Jason’s thoughts were kind of raunchy but he IS a nice guy). I love the way they formed a friendship and began to share so much of their lives with one another as friends. I felt like they really knew one another deep down so when Quinn makes a move on Jason it isn’t unexpected. While there was a moment of panic I appreciated that Jason understood Quinn’s panic and helped him through it. For Jason being the one with experience, Quinn really did take charge in their sexual explorations and while Jason very much enjoyed that I think he was also aware that Quinn needed to be in charge of this part of his life. I will say their intimate scenes were not only smoking hot it was evident there was much more going on that physical needs between them. As the reader I could feel their connection on a much deeper level something they both experienced as well. It was amusing watching them figure out their relationship especially since Quinn still had some pretty big decisions to make about his life, but I loved that they enjoyed each and every moment together and they talked a lot throughout their time together. More importantly Quinn went above and beyond when Jason was faced with a family crisis proving once again what an outstanding human being he is.

This romance was not without its ups and downs and the lingering question of if Quinn would take his vows or renounce them and I really felt for them both because their love was clearly shown throughout this book, but I felt especially bad for Jason who would be the one left behind.

Moment of Silence was and emotionally charged story but it was filled with so much happiness, hope and love that while there were moments of sadness (and tears for me) it was still a story that was very easy to appreciate and love. I especially enjoyed the way Ms. Stivali blended the two faiths of these young men, that she showed you can be religious and be gay and most of all to not be afraid of owning who you are and living the life you deserve. Most of all I thank Ms. Stivali for their journey; it wasn’t easy but they both discovered so much about themselves and each other that I have no doubt they will lead a very long and happy life together.

PS–Ms. Stivali if you read this review I need to know what was in the “blue” envelope as it is driving me a wee bit crazy not knowing.

Author name: Karen Stivali

Karen Stivali is a prolific writer, compulsive baker and chocoholic with a penchant for books, movies, and fictional British men. She’s also the multiple award-winning author of contemporary and erotic romances. She writes novels about love…like real life, only hotter.

Karen’s lifelong fascination with people has led her to careers ranging from hand-drawn animator, to party planner, to marriage and family counselor, but writing has always been her passion. Karen enjoys nothing more than following her characters on their journey toward love. Whether the couples are m/f or m/m, it’s guaranteed that Karen’s novels are filled with food, friendship, love, and smoking hot sex—all the best things in life.

When Karen isn’t writing (and often when she is), she can be found on Twitter attempting witty banter and detailing the antics of her fruit-loving cat, BadKitteh. She loves to hear from readers (and other writers), so don’t hesitate to contact/follow/like her at:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/karenstivali/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenStivaliAuthor/
Website: http://karenstivali.com/
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/karenstivali/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/KarenStivali/
E-mail: karenstivali@gmail.com/

Other books in the Moments In Time series:
MOMENT OF IMPACT (Book 1)
MOMENT OF TRUTH (Book 2)
MOMENT OF CLARITY (Book 3)
MOMENTS IN TIME (a compilation of Books 1-3)