In memory of Patricia Matthews

Patricia (Anne Klein, née Ernst) Brisco Matthews (1927-2006) and her husband, Clayton (1918-2004), had been heralded as "the hottest couple in paperbacks," by People magazine. The name Patricia Matthews appeared with astounding regularity on bestseller lists. Five of the ten historical romance were in the one-million category of paperbook books. Patricia's Love series for Pinnacle Books have sold over fifteen million copies. Clayton's successful titles included Dallas, Harvesters, and The Power Seekers.

A native Californian, Patricia Ernst was born on July 1,1927, a moon child, a dreamer with a penchant for creativity. She was raised in San Fernando. According to her, "The valley then was nothing but cattle ranches and tumbleweeds, and the area was used by film studios to film Westerns." A child performer, her mother thought she might become another Shirley Temple and enrolled her in a famous Meglin Kiddies school. "I still enjoy music today," said Patty, who recorded two of her songs professionally and sang them for the demo tape.

Patricia met Matt at a local writer's group in California. It was a collaboration at first sight and their meeting soon resulted in two novels: a fantasy and a juvenile tale. Real-life romance followed and after his divorce from his first wife; the couple married in 1971 and moved into their residence in San Diego, California, with a new cat, Pywacket.

The Patricia Matthews historical romances came about in 1976 at the suggestion of the Matthews's agent, Jay Garon "Until this time Patty had been content writing Gothic mysteries, fantasy and mystery short stories, juvenile books a play, and poetry using the name Patty Brisco and P. A Brisco " Matt recalled, his eyes clear and thoughtful behind his spectacle's.

Clayton died in 2004. Patricia died at 5:30 a.m. on December 07, 2006 in the familiar house of Brisco in Arizona.

To read more:

http://rosaromance.splinder.com/post/19259558/

In memory of Patricia Matthews

Patricia (Anne Klein, née Ernst) Brisco Matthews (1927-2006) and her husband, Clayton (1918-2004), had been heralded as "the hottest couple in paperbacks," by People magazine. The name Patricia Matthews appeared with astounding regularity on bestseller lists. Five of the ten historical romance were in the one-million category of paperbook books. Patricia's Love series for Pinnacle Books have sold over fifteen million copies. Clayton's successful titles included Dallas, Harvesters, and The Power Seekers.

A native Californian, Patricia Ernst was born on July 1,1927, a moon child, a dreamer with a penchant for creativity. She was raised in San Fernando. According to her, "The valley then was nothing but cattle ranches and tumbleweeds, and the area was used by film studios to film Westerns." A child performer, her mother thought she might become another Shirley Temple and enrolled her in a famous Meglin Kiddies school. "I still enjoy music today," said Patty, who recorded two of her songs professionally and sang them for the demo tape.

Patricia met Matt at a local writer's group in California. It was a collaboration at first sight and their meeting soon resulted in two novels: a fantasy and a juvenile tale. Real-life romance followed and after his divorce from his first wife; the couple married in 1971 and moved into their residence in San Diego, California, with a new cat, Pywacket.

The Patricia Matthews historical romances came about in 1976 at the suggestion of the Matthews's agent, Jay Garon "Until this time Patty had been content writing Gothic mysteries, fantasy and mystery short stories, juvenile books a play, and poetry using the name Patty Brisco and P. A Brisco " Matt recalled, his eyes clear and thoughtful behind his spectacle's.

Clayton died in 2004. Patricia died at 5:30 a.m. on December 07, 2006 in the familiar house of Brisco in Arizona.

To read more:

http://rosaromance.splinder.com/post/19259558/

The Long Way Home by Catt Ford

Andy and Jake were best friends for all their life. Living one near the other in their family farms, they grew happy and together; Jake was always the leader and Andy the willing gregarious, more than happy to follow his friend everywhere only to have the chance to admire him. Very soon Andy realized that what he felt for his friend was not only admiration, but love, and when they were grown up, Andy went to college and Jake remained at home. In the city Andy thought to be able to find his real life and he never had the courage to come back home, fearing that seeing again Jake will reveal his real feelings, since, despite all his experiences, Jake is his first and only love.

But this Christmas Andy is forced to come back home, and obviously the first person he meets is Jake, a very hurt and sad Jake who is still wondering why is best friend left him without a word.

The story is very nice, I always like when the first love becomes the love of your life. But there is also a touch of reality, since Andy doesn't fall blindly in the sea of love, he had the chance to try his hand outside and now he knows that Jake is the one and only for him. It's quite interesting to read how Andy, the nerdy side of this friendship, is now the skilled one, the one who has to now lead Jake through the tentative first step of lovemaking, as Jake before led Andy through their teen years.

This is the second book I read by Catt Ford, and again she uses the card of the country boy who went in the city, only to discover that the real and happy life is back home in the country. And again the country city boy is the nerdy type and he finds true love in the healthy arms of his buff country boyfriend, who hadn't had to go to the city to discover that the true happiness can be found there at home.

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/advent.htm

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

The Long Way Home by Catt Ford

Andy and Jake were best friends for all their life. Living one near the other in their family farms, they grew happy and together; Jake was always the leader and Andy the willing gregarious, more than happy to follow his friend everywhere only to have the chance to admire him. Very soon Andy realized that what he felt for his friend was not only admiration, but love, and when they were grown up, Andy went to college and Jake remained at home. In the city Andy thought to be able to find his real life and he never had the courage to come back home, fearing that seeing again Jake will reveal his real feelings, since, despite all his experiences, Jake is his first and only love.

But this Christmas Andy is forced to come back home, and obviously the first person he meets is Jake, a very hurt and sad Jake who is still wondering why is best friend left him without a word.

The story is very nice, I always like when the first love becomes the love of your life. But there is also a touch of reality, since Andy doesn't fall blindly in the sea of love, he had the chance to try his hand outside and now he knows that Jake is the one and only for him. It's quite interesting to read how Andy, the nerdy side of this friendship, is now the skilled one, the one who has to now lead Jake through the tentative first step of lovemaking, as Jake before led Andy through their teen years.

This is the second book I read by Catt Ford, and again she uses the card of the country boy who went in the city, only to discover that the real and happy life is back home in the country. And again the country city boy is the nerdy type and he finds true love in the healthy arms of his buff country boyfriend, who hadn't had to go to the city to discover that the true happiness can be found there at home.

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/advent.htm

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

Around the World: St. Nicholas Church

Since it's almost Christmas, I thinks that a pic of a St. Nicholas Church could be in theme... I remember with both joy and sadness this trip to Budapest, since I had a lot of time to wander alone around the city, but sometime I was too young to dare a bit more. Like in the case of this church: I have a passion for ruined churches, don't know maybe there is something a psychiatric would find interesting behind it, but I always like to take photos of those naves which finish with the sky or of those rose windows which look through. But this church is incorporated in the Hilton Budapest, and to see better the ruin you have to enter the hotel. I believe it's allowed, you can enter only to see the ruins even if you are not a guest, but as I said I was too young to be daring, and I limited myself to take pictures from the outside

 
by Elisa, Budapest, 1996:
http://www.elisarolle.com/travel/1996Budapest.htm

Truth be told there was not a good weather and the sun was random in the sky, but when I was taking this picture it came out, giving to me a good contrast with the ruins and the glass, ancient and modern together... Don't know if it's right that a modern building has incorporated in this way ancient ruins, but if it is a way to preserve them...

( St. Nicholas Church )

Around the World: St. Nicholas Church

Since it's almost Christmas, I thinks that a pic of a St. Nicholas Church could be in theme... I remember with both joy and sadness this trip to Budapest, since I had a lot of time to wander alone around the city, but sometime I was too young to dare a bit more. Like in the case of this church: I have a passion for ruined churches, don't know maybe there is something a psychiatric would find interesting behind it, but I always like to take photos of those naves which finish with the sky or of those rose windows which look through. But this church is incorporated in the Hilton Budapest, and to see better the ruin you have to enter the hotel. I believe it's allowed, you can enter only to see the ruins even if you are not a guest, but as I said I was too young to be daring, and I limited myself to take pictures from the outside

 
by Elisa, Budapest, 1996:
http://www.elisarolle.com/travel/1996Budapest.htm

Truth be told there was not a good weather and the sun was random in the sky, but when I was taking this picture it came out, giving to me a good contrast with the ruins and the glass, ancient and modern together... Don't know if it's right that a modern building has incorporated in this way ancient ruins, but if it is a way to preserve them...

( St. Nicholas Church )

Rampant by Eric Del Carlo

In a fantasy world were people are divided into Village and City, Wyst is a young guy from Village. The separation is not only physical but also in behavior: Villagers are simple men who live of barter and of what the nature gives them, hunting, fishing and harvesting; free love is a normal behavior, but people are safe and health in the small community of the village. In the City instead everything has a price even sex; and the sex is something dirty, something that is seen with suspicious. In the City there is a virus which is killing people and everything and everyone is suspected to be the source of the disease. Fear, suspicious and rage is arising.

Wyst is "touched" by the goddess who protects his village, and having contact with the goddess is a taint punishable with exile. Wyst is forced to leave the Village and he goes to the City, but he is perplexed, in the City everyone wants something, everything has a price, and Wyst is not used to this. Lucky him he meets Gamomal, a gentle man who like him, for different reasons, is a banished among his people.

The story is very strange, and I don't know if you can define it a romance; there is not actually a love at first sight between Wyst and Gamomal, also since Wyst is not used to consider sex a way to express love; sex is a common practice, something Wyst is used to share without problem during the ceremonial Galas in his Village. And so he slowly realize that he loves Gamomal not since he enjoys sex with the man, but when he realizes that he can't no more bestow his favors indistinctly to men and women alike.

Gamomal is a difficult character to understand, he doesn't speak much. He is for sure gentle and he cares for Wyst; he is very proud and generous, what he has he shares freely. He is not a particular clever man, but he knows that: he was the son of a troubadour, but he had not the skills to continue his father's profession, but still he is probably more cultured than the people he is forced to live with.

The nice and original parallelism between the fantasy world in the story and the real world, is that in this fantasy world the virus is spread through breath and cured through blood, and so Wyst and Gamomal's lovemaking is not a death risk, but the reason why Gamomal is safe from the virus.

http://www.loose-id.net/detail.aspx?ID=723

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle


Cover Art by Anne Cain

Rampant by Eric Del Carlo

In a fantasy world were people are divided into Village and City, Wyst is a young guy from Village. The separation is not only physical but also in behavior: Villagers are simple men who live of barter and of what the nature gives them, hunting, fishing and harvesting; free love is a normal behavior, but people are safe and health in the small community of the village. In the City instead everything has a price even sex; and the sex is something dirty, something that is seen with suspicious. In the City there is a virus which is killing people and everything and everyone is suspected to be the source of the disease. Fear, suspicious and rage is arising.

Wyst is "touched" by the goddess who protects his village, and having contact with the goddess is a taint punishable with exile. Wyst is forced to leave the Village and he goes to the City, but he is perplexed, in the City everyone wants something, everything has a price, and Wyst is not used to this. Lucky him he meets Gamomal, a gentle man who like him, for different reasons, is a banished among his people.

The story is very strange, and I don't know if you can define it a romance; there is not actually a love at first sight between Wyst and Gamomal, also since Wyst is not used to consider sex a way to express love; sex is a common practice, something Wyst is used to share without problem during the ceremonial Galas in his Village. And so he slowly realize that he loves Gamomal not since he enjoys sex with the man, but when he realizes that he can't no more bestow his favors indistinctly to men and women alike.

Gamomal is a difficult character to understand, he doesn't speak much. He is for sure gentle and he cares for Wyst; he is very proud and generous, what he has he shares freely. He is not a particular clever man, but he knows that: he was the son of a troubadour, but he had not the skills to continue his father's profession, but still he is probably more cultured than the people he is forced to live with.

The nice and original parallelism between the fantasy world in the story and the real world, is that in this fantasy world the virus is spread through breath and cured through blood, and so Wyst and Gamomal's lovemaking is not a death risk, but the reason why Gamomal is safe from the virus.

http://www.loose-id.net/detail.aspx?ID=723

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle


Cover Art by Anne Cain

Claiming Danny by Gavin Atlas

I'm sincere, I was very in doubt if writing something about this book since it let me very perplexed... I don't know if like it since, in a way, it's true and too open, or dislike it since it's cruel and too open.

In a small mine town the old "gays" gather in a pub lamenting the lack of interest they arise from the nearby prep school students. And what can you expect? Men older than fifty years against wealthy young students? no chance. But then one of the old man has a chance encounter with Danny, a young and cute student who can't literally say no. After being dumped by one of his professor, Danny searches solace in the anonymous sex, with only one condition: his lovers should be way older than him. At first Danny tries to have safe sex, he has always ready a condom for his visitors, but it's clear that his behavior his quickly leading him to a very dangerous field.

Then a man takes an interest in Danny more than passing. He finds himself captivated by the young boy, a boy that never asks and always does. The older man would like for Danny to be more selective, to be able to say no when he wants to say no, but soon he realizes that Danny is unable to say no, and so he decides to take that decision from him, to be Danny's caretaker and to be the one who will direct the traffic! Please? He will not protect Danny, a boy that obviously has some unsolved trouble in his past, he will only control from that moment on that the people who will take advantage of him, will pass though him first.

I can understand that this could be a till true situation, but who cares of Danny in all this? Danny is asking in a very loud way to be helped and I don't think that this is the way to help him.

http://www.forbiddenpublications.com/book_pages/claiming_danny.html

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle

Claiming Danny by Gavin Atlas

I'm sincere, I was very in doubt if writing something about this book since it let me very perplexed... I don't know if like it since, in a way, it's true and too open, or dislike it since it's cruel and too open.

In a small mine town the old "gays" gather in a pub lamenting the lack of interest they arise from the nearby prep school students. And what can you expect? Men older than fifty years against wealthy young students? no chance. But then one of the old man has a chance encounter with Danny, a young and cute student who can't literally say no. After being dumped by one of his professor, Danny searches solace in the anonymous sex, with only one condition: his lovers should be way older than him. At first Danny tries to have safe sex, he has always ready a condom for his visitors, but it's clear that his behavior his quickly leading him to a very dangerous field.

Then a man takes an interest in Danny more than passing. He finds himself captivated by the young boy, a boy that never asks and always does. The older man would like for Danny to be more selective, to be able to say no when he wants to say no, but soon he realizes that Danny is unable to say no, and so he decides to take that decision from him, to be Danny's caretaker and to be the one who will direct the traffic! Please? He will not protect Danny, a boy that obviously has some unsolved trouble in his past, he will only control from that moment on that the people who will take advantage of him, will pass though him first.

I can understand that this could be a till true situation, but who cares of Danny in all this? Danny is asking in a very loud way to be helped and I don't think that this is the way to help him.

http://www.forbiddenpublications.com/book_pages/claiming_danny.html

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading list&view=elisa.rolle