Christmas Charade by Jaymz Connelly

We have an old motto in Italy that more or less says: Christmas with your parents and Easter with whoever you want. And so Sean is pretty much forced to bring home for Christmas his six months boyfriend... the problem is that said boyfriend doesn't exist. Tired to listen to his mother complains about how much lonely he seemed in the city, Sean invented a boyfriend and as inspiration he used his work colleague Gary, And so why not asking to Gary himself to come back home with him for Christmas? Being Sean and Gary really friends, it's easy for Sean to convince him, but now another problem is facing up: Sean is starting to feel a bit too much comfortable with Gary as boyfriend, and Gary has always thought that Sean is a one night stand type of guy, and so, maybe, is not so easy to prove that he can be the "real deal".

The story is short, 39 pages, but has a really "young" and "fast" style: a lot of dude, mate and I can almost hear the slaps on the shoulders... Gary and Sean are a little bit crazy, but more crazy seems to be their family, both of them very much supportive: no problem here on where the boyfriend of their son will sleep while he is in their house, I was quite expecting to find the supplies in the bedside table...

Funny and enjoyable, it represents the light side of the Christmas tales.

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

Reading List:

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

Christmas Charade by Jaymz Connelly

We have an old motto in Italy that more or less says: Christmas with your parents and Easter with whoever you want. And so Sean is pretty much forced to bring home for Christmas his six months boyfriend... the problem is that said boyfriend doesn't exist. Tired to listen to his mother complains about how much lonely he seemed in the city, Sean invented a boyfriend and as inspiration he used his work colleague Gary, And so why not asking to Gary himself to come back home with him for Christmas? Being Sean and Gary really friends, it's easy for Sean to convince him, but now another problem is facing up: Sean is starting to feel a bit too much comfortable with Gary as boyfriend, and Gary has always thought that Sean is a one night stand type of guy, and so, maybe, is not so easy to prove that he can be the "real deal".

The story is short, 39 pages, but has a really "young" and "fast" style: a lot of dude, mate and I can almost hear the slaps on the shoulders... Gary and Sean are a little bit crazy, but more crazy seems to be their family, both of them very much supportive: no problem here on where the boyfriend of their son will sleep while he is in their house, I was quite expecting to find the supplies in the bedside table...

Funny and enjoyable, it represents the light side of the Christmas tales.

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

Reading List:

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

Behind the Cover: Amanda Kelsey

Artist info:
Current Age: June 10th 1980
Current Residence: Leuven, BE
Interests: All forms of art and expression
Favourite movie: Labrynth, Donnie Darko, Willow, Usual Suspects
Favourite band or musician: Coldplay, Sigur Ros, Death Cab, Wolfmother, Ok Go, Incubus, Snow Patrol, Postal Service
Favourite artist: Kandinsky, Salvador Dali, MC Escher, Pollock, Picasso, Aurthor Dove, Miro
Favourite poet or writer: E.E. Cummings, Rilkes, Poe, Shakespeare, Tolkien, Rowling, Tad Williams
Personal Quote: "Truth is entirely and absolutely a matter of style." - Oscar Wilde
Tools of the Trade: Whatever makes it work.



( more pics )

"What can I say? I have always been artistic. I think it is in the blood. My whole family seems to have a creative streak. My brother is one of the most talented artists I know too bad he doesn't paint much anymore.

I've always loved creating beautiful things no matter what my medium. Now, I am working as a cover artist which has to be the best job ever. I get new inspiration with each assignment and I am able to push myself to find new and more interesting designs."

http://elune-555.deviantart.com/

Behind the Cover: Amanda Kelsey

Artist info:
Current Age: June 10th 1980
Current Residence: Leuven, BE
Interests: All forms of art and expression
Favourite movie: Labrynth, Donnie Darko, Willow, Usual Suspects
Favourite band or musician: Coldplay, Sigur Ros, Death Cab, Wolfmother, Ok Go, Incubus, Snow Patrol, Postal Service
Favourite artist: Kandinsky, Salvador Dali, MC Escher, Pollock, Picasso, Aurthor Dove, Miro
Favourite poet or writer: E.E. Cummings, Rilkes, Poe, Shakespeare, Tolkien, Rowling, Tad Williams
Personal Quote: "Truth is entirely and absolutely a matter of style." - Oscar Wilde
Tools of the Trade: Whatever makes it work.



( more pics )

"What can I say? I have always been artistic. I think it is in the blood. My whole family seems to have a creative streak. My brother is one of the most talented artists I know too bad he doesn't paint much anymore.

I've always loved creating beautiful things no matter what my medium. Now, I am working as a cover artist which has to be the best job ever. I get new inspiration with each assignment and I am able to push myself to find new and more interesting designs."

http://elune-555.deviantart.com/

Irish Winter by John Simpson

The book tells Ian and Devlin's story from 1919 to 1924, the years during which Ireland fought for its independence from England. Ian is an apothecary apprentice of only 19 years old; he doesn't really care for war or kill, he wants to become an apothecary and make his own life in the world. Ian is a quite guy, probably even more quite since it's years that he realized that he prefers the company of men, but he has never acted upon his preferences. He tries to be as average as possible and to not be seen in the crowd. But when he witnesses to the assassination of a man and his old mother in the street to the hand of English soldiers, he cannot hide no more. He offers his help to the IRA army and among the brotherhood he finds Devlin.

Devlin is only one years older than Ian, and they know each other enough to greet on street but not enough to be considered friends, they are on different level in life; Devlin's mother unofficially has a lot of "boyfriends" who visit her at night, and on hers track, Devlin started to find some "odd" works at night in the near cities, with married men in dark alley.

While Ian considers himself homosexual, Devlin at first approaches Ian more with a friends with benefits attitude: Devlin likes both women and men, and in this moment he likes Ian. But he knows that the lad, as he calls him, is way more inexperience than him, and even if they deepen their relationship to an intimate level, Devlin is reluctant to be fully involved, more for Ian's good than anything else. But more the years pass and the war worsens and more both men realize that they are now not only friends and fellow soldiers, but also lovers.

Despite passing through really nasty moments, Devlin and Ian are really young; they face the independence war with more heart than brain, they are not warriors, sometime I read them like children with adult dresses. Both of them follow something bigger than them, and they are really lucky to always come out alive; they are not hero characters, but more supporters.

The love story between them is nice, the more romantic minds should close the eyes in front of Devlin's side profession, something he is forced to bring on sometime more during his relationship with Ian, he really has no choice; but I think that it respects his character and the time, sincerely it's just enough of a pink glasses prospective for the two to be together, without being also too moralist. Maybe sometime I found the sex a bit too extreme (nothing fancy mind you): too much position other than the missionary and too much words in bed... I don't know, but sometime it felt forceful.

All in all a very nice and easy book to read, with enough historical details which prove that the author has more than a passing interest in the matter, and a medium long novel that allows plenty of time for the reader to enjoy the characters.

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/currenttitles/irishwinter/irishwinterbuynow.htm

Amazon Kindle: Irish Winter

Amazon: Irish Winter

Reading List:

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

Irish Winter by John Simpson

The book tells Ian and Devlin's story from 1919 to 1924, the years during which Ireland fought for its independence from England. Ian is an apothecary apprentice of only 19 years old; he doesn't really care for war or kill, he wants to become an apothecary and make his own life in the world. Ian is a quite guy, probably even more quite since it's years that he realized that he prefers the company of men, but he has never acted upon his preferences. He tries to be as average as possible and to not be seen in the crowd. But when he witnesses to the assassination of a man and his old mother in the street to the hand of English soldiers, he cannot hide no more. He offers his help to the IRA army and among the brotherhood he finds Devlin.

Devlin is only one years older than Ian, and they know each other enough to greet on street but not enough to be considered friends, they are on different level in life; Devlin's mother unofficially has a lot of "boyfriends" who visit her at night, and on hers track, Devlin started to find some "odd" works at night in the near cities, with married men in dark alley.

While Ian considers himself homosexual, Devlin at first approaches Ian more with a friends with benefits attitude: Devlin likes both women and men, and in this moment he likes Ian. But he knows that the lad, as he calls him, is way more inexperience than him, and even if they deepen their relationship to an intimate level, Devlin is reluctant to be fully involved, more for Ian's good than anything else. But more the years pass and the war worsens and more both men realize that they are now not only friends and fellow soldiers, but also lovers.

Despite passing through really nasty moments, Devlin and Ian are really young; they face the independence war with more heart than brain, they are not warriors, sometime I read them like children with adult dresses. Both of them follow something bigger than them, and they are really lucky to always come out alive; they are not hero characters, but more supporters.

The love story between them is nice, the more romantic minds should close the eyes in front of Devlin's side profession, something he is forced to bring on sometime more during his relationship with Ian, he really has no choice; but I think that it respects his character and the time, sincerely it's just enough of a pink glasses prospective for the two to be together, without being also too moralist. Maybe sometime I found the sex a bit too extreme (nothing fancy mind you): too much position other than the missionary and too much words in bed... I don't know, but sometime it felt forceful.

All in all a very nice and easy book to read, with enough historical details which prove that the author has more than a passing interest in the matter, and a medium long novel that allows plenty of time for the reader to enjoy the characters.

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/currenttitles/irishwinter/irishwinterbuynow.htm

Amazon Kindle: Irish Winter

Amazon: Irish Winter

Reading List:

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

How to make Elisa smiles after a very shitty day...

This is one of the few personal entries I post sometime... Today was one of that day to forget (maybe since it's 17?). Anyway it seemed started well, my manager told me that my work in the last two projects went well and they asked to my boss if they can have me for another half year. It's a good news since the project is in Dublin, and I like to travel for work. Then tonight, while I was coming back home I had a very bad car accident: to me less damage, I have a mild concussion on the head, but my car is destroyed and I'm also in the wrong side, so I have to pay also the damage to the other car. I have a few money I was saving for a travel I would like to gift to my mother, and instead I will use it to repair the car.

I was just entering home when again I saw a nice letter addressed to me; since it's not the first time I knew that it was by Katrina Strauss and probably it was her nice new cover... and it was, and she also sent me two postcards this time so when I opened the letter and obviously my mother asked for the postcard, this time I could give it to her... it was almost a tragic drama scene, opening the letter I was crying since all the tension was going on me but I was also smiling for the nice thought from Katrina

All right, enough for this night, and I swear this is only a passing post, I will not make an habit to rant of my problem in this journal...

ETA: I should add this, thank you to all people who wish me good and also other... it was a shitty day and other things happened in the past on the financial side of my life, but as I said, my day work is going well, and I will face also this last event. I wrote the post more as a way to loosen the tension than other, this LJ is a good therapeutical tool for me :-). No worry, in a day or two I will be again of my usual mood. Many many thanks to all of you. Elisa


Sleight of Hand by Katrina Strauss, Cover Art by Anne Cain

How to make Elisa smiles after a very shitty day...

This is one of the few personal entries I post sometime... Today was one of that day to forget (maybe since it's 17?). Anyway it seemed started well, my manager told me that my work in the last two projects went well and they asked to my boss if they can have me for another half year. It's a good news since the project is in Dublin, and I like to travel for work. Then tonight, while I was coming back home I had a very bad car accident: to me less damage, I have a mild concussion on the head, but my car is destroyed and I'm also in the wrong side, so I have to pay also the damage to the other car. I have a few money I was saving for a travel I would like to gift to my mother, and instead I will use it to repair the car.

I was just entering home when again I saw a nice letter addressed to me; since it's not the first time I knew that it was by Katrina Strauss and probably it was her nice new cover... and it was, and she also sent me two postcards this time so when I opened the letter and obviously my mother asked for the postcard, this time I could give it to her... it was almost a tragic drama scene, opening the letter I was crying since all the tension was going on me but I was also smiling for the nice thought from Katrina

All right, enough for this night, and I swear this is only a passing post, I will not make an habit to rant of my problem in this journal...

ETA: I should add this, thank you to all people who wish me good and also other... it was a shitty day and other things happened in the past on the financial side of my life, but as I said, my day work is going well, and I will face also this last event. I wrote the post more as a way to loosen the tension than other, this LJ is a good therapeutical tool for me :-). No worry, in a day or two I will be again of my usual mood. Many many thanks to all of you. Elisa


Sleight of Hand by Katrina Strauss, Cover Art by Anne Cain