Jul. 5th, 2009

reviews_and_ramblings: (Default)
AMBER ALLURE
Bottom's Up: Triplesex by Amanda Young
Buy Link
Bring The Heat by M. L. Rhodes
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ASPEN MOUNTAIN PRESS
Berdache by Lena Austin
Excerpt: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/713832.html
Buy Link

DARK ROAST PRESS
Carnal Cravings by Keta Diablo
Excerpt: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/711943.html
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Niko-Chan by Angelia Sparrow
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DREAMSPINNER PRESS
Kaji Sukoshi & The Shining One by Connie Bailey
Excerpt: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/712424.html
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Come Back to Me by Lisa Marie Davis
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EXCESSICA
It Was Just a Kiss by A. Mistory
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Cowboy by J.M. Snyder
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EXTASY BOOKS
Lady Jane and the Egyptian Curse by Ora Le Brocq
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Blood Eclipse by A.J. Llewellyn & D.J. Manly
Excerpt: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/714288.html
Buy Link
Colors of the Night by Adriana Kraft
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LIQUID SILVER BOOKS
Unfinished Business by Etienne D'Artagnan
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LITERARY ROAD
The Vampire King's Husband by Amber Kell
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LOOSE ID
Don't Look Back by Josh Lanyon
Excerpt: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/713661.html
Buy Link
Ghosts of Alcatraz by Carol Lynne
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LOVEYOUDIVINE
Black Roses by Jamie Samms
Excerpt: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/712651.html
Buy Link
Almost Human by M. King
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LULU PRESS
Out of Balance by Lyn Gala
Buy Link
Tinseltown Blues, #1: All That Glitters by Acer Adamson
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P.D. PUBLISHING
Hidden Enemies by Trish Kocialski
Excerpt: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/712930.html
Buy Link
Kicker's Journey by Lois Cloarec Hart
Buy Link
The Way You Say My Name by Sara Bell
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PHAZE BOOKS
Crossroads Revisited by Keta Diablo
Excerpt: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/711710.html
Buy Link

RESPLENDENCE PUBLISHING
Extinction by Carol Lynne
Buy Link

SHADOWFIRE PRESS
A Taste of Inspiration by Moondancer Drake
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SIREN PUBLISHING
Sex Games, Cowboy Sex 2, by Natalie Acres
Buy Link

STARBOOKS PRESS
Lusty Adventures of the Knossos Prince by Jay Starre
Buy Link

TORQUERE BOOKS
Seeds of Time 2: Bread on the Waters by GS Wiley
Buy Link
The Last Paladin 3: Devotion and Grace by Vaughn R. Demont
Excerpt: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/713027.html
Buy Link
Used, Rare and Custom Jobs 3: Tender Awarded by Chris Owen
Buy Link
Change of Plans by TC Blue
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Rig and the Gym Bunnies: A Jarheads Short by Sean Michael
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Renovations 1: Framework by Anah Crow and Dianne Fox
Excerpt: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/714036.html
Buy Link
Chasing Tail by Lorne Rodman
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TOTAL-E-BOUND
Simon Says by Ashley Ladd
Buy Link
Poker Night: Slow Play by Carol Lynne
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WHISKEY CREEK PRESS
A Woman for Zachary (Meghan's Playhouse, Book 2) by Adriana Kraft
Excerpt: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/713300.html
Buy Link

For Publishers: If you would like to be add to the weekly releases post, please contact me.

For Authors: If you would like to post an excerpt, please contact me.
reviews_and_ramblings: (Default)
AMBER ALLURE
Bottom's Up: Triplesex by Amanda Young
Buy Link
Bring The Heat by M. L. Rhodes
Buy Link

ASPEN MOUNTAIN PRESS
Berdache by Lena Austin
Excerpt: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/713832.html
Buy Link

DARK ROAST PRESS
Carnal Cravings by Keta Diablo
Excerpt: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/711943.html
Buy Link
Niko-Chan by Angelia Sparrow
Buy Link

DREAMSPINNER PRESS
Kaji Sukoshi & The Shining One by Connie Bailey
Excerpt: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/712424.html
Buy Link
Come Back to Me by Lisa Marie Davis
Buy Link

EXCESSICA
It Was Just a Kiss by A. Mistory
Buy Link
Cowboy by J.M. Snyder
Buy Link

EXTASY BOOKS
Lady Jane and the Egyptian Curse by Ora Le Brocq
Buy Link
Blood Eclipse by A.J. Llewellyn & D.J. Manly
Excerpt: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/714288.html
Buy Link
Colors of the Night by Adriana Kraft
Buy Link

LIQUID SILVER BOOKS
Unfinished Business by Etienne D'Artagnan
Buy Link

LITERARY ROAD
The Vampire King's Husband by Amber Kell
Buy Link

LOOSE ID
Don't Look Back by Josh Lanyon
Excerpt: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/713661.html
Buy Link
Ghosts of Alcatraz by Carol Lynne
Buy Link

LOVEYOUDIVINE
Black Roses by Jamie Samms
Excerpt: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/712651.html
Buy Link
Almost Human by M. King
Buy Link

LULU PRESS
Out of Balance by Lyn Gala
Buy Link
Tinseltown Blues, #1: All That Glitters by Acer Adamson
Buy Link

P.D. PUBLISHING
Hidden Enemies by Trish Kocialski
Excerpt: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/712930.html
Buy Link
Kicker's Journey by Lois Cloarec Hart
Buy Link
The Way You Say My Name by Sara Bell
Buy Link

PHAZE BOOKS
Crossroads Revisited by Keta Diablo
Excerpt: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/711710.html
Buy Link

RESPLENDENCE PUBLISHING
Extinction by Carol Lynne
Buy Link

SHADOWFIRE PRESS
A Taste of Inspiration by Moondancer Drake
Buy Link

SIREN PUBLISHING
Sex Games, Cowboy Sex 2, by Natalie Acres
Buy Link

STARBOOKS PRESS
Lusty Adventures of the Knossos Prince by Jay Starre
Buy Link

TORQUERE BOOKS
Seeds of Time 2: Bread on the Waters by GS Wiley
Buy Link
The Last Paladin 3: Devotion and Grace by Vaughn R. Demont
Excerpt: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/713027.html
Buy Link
Used, Rare and Custom Jobs 3: Tender Awarded by Chris Owen
Buy Link
Change of Plans by TC Blue
Buy Link
Rig and the Gym Bunnies: A Jarheads Short by Sean Michael
Buy Link
Renovations 1: Framework by Anah Crow and Dianne Fox
Excerpt: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/714036.html
Buy Link
Chasing Tail by Lorne Rodman
Buy Link

TOTAL-E-BOUND
Simon Says by Ashley Ladd
Buy Link
Poker Night: Slow Play by Carol Lynne
Buy Link

WHISKEY CREEK PRESS
A Woman for Zachary (Meghan's Playhouse, Book 2) by Adriana Kraft
Excerpt: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/713300.html
Buy Link

For Publishers: If you would like to be add to the weekly releases post, please contact me.

For Authors: If you would like to post an excerpt, please contact me.
reviews_and_ramblings: (Default)
Director: Yen Tan

Writers: Alessandro Calza (writer) and
Yen Tan (writer)

Release Date: 30 March 2008 (AFI Dallas Film Festival, USA)

Genre: Drama, Romance

Tagline: A Tale of Love.
Every ending has a new beginning.

Plot: Deeply sincere and exceedingly slow even at 87 minutes, "Ciao" involves two strangers - Adam Neal Smith as Jeff and Alessandro Calza as Andrea - who become acquaintances after the death of a mutual friend. Directed by Yen Tan, who wrote the screenplay with Mr. Calza, the story takes off (slowly) shortly after the mutual friend, Mark (Charles W. Blaum), dies in an accident. Jeff mourns, largely by staring off into space under the fixed gaze of Mr. Tan's stationary camera. The movie picks up somewhat with the introduction of Andrea, an Italian who hoped to consummate his and Mark's online flirtation with a visit to the States. Jeff suggests that Andrea stick to his travel plans. He does, and you can guess the rest. Shot in muddy video, "Ciao" weds a story that sounds (and often plays) like a pornographic quickie with a torturously ambitious visual style. Though it's a bit of a relief that someone in American independent cinema apparently knows how to use a tripod, Mr. Tan has only traded one contemporary visual cliché (dribbling camerawork) for another (the art-house long shot).

@IMDb
@Amazon: Ciao
@Netflix



more pics )

Cast (in credits order)
Adam Neal Smith ... Jeff
Alessandro Calza ... Andrea
Ethel Lung ... Lauren
Chuck Blaum ... Mark
John S. Boles ... Mark's Father
Margaret Lake ... Mark's Mother
Tiffany Vollmer ... Doctor





reviews_and_ramblings: (Default)
Director: Yen Tan

Writers: Alessandro Calza (writer) and
Yen Tan (writer)

Release Date: 30 March 2008 (AFI Dallas Film Festival, USA)

Genre: Drama, Romance

Tagline: A Tale of Love.
Every ending has a new beginning.

Plot: Deeply sincere and exceedingly slow even at 87 minutes, "Ciao" involves two strangers - Adam Neal Smith as Jeff and Alessandro Calza as Andrea - who become acquaintances after the death of a mutual friend. Directed by Yen Tan, who wrote the screenplay with Mr. Calza, the story takes off (slowly) shortly after the mutual friend, Mark (Charles W. Blaum), dies in an accident. Jeff mourns, largely by staring off into space under the fixed gaze of Mr. Tan's stationary camera. The movie picks up somewhat with the introduction of Andrea, an Italian who hoped to consummate his and Mark's online flirtation with a visit to the States. Jeff suggests that Andrea stick to his travel plans. He does, and you can guess the rest. Shot in muddy video, "Ciao" weds a story that sounds (and often plays) like a pornographic quickie with a torturously ambitious visual style. Though it's a bit of a relief that someone in American independent cinema apparently knows how to use a tripod, Mr. Tan has only traded one contemporary visual cliché (dribbling camerawork) for another (the art-house long shot).

@IMDb
@Amazon: Ciao
@Netflix



more pics )

Cast (in credits order)
Adam Neal Smith ... Jeff
Alessandro Calza ... Andrea
Ethel Lung ... Lauren
Chuck Blaum ... Mark
John S. Boles ... Mark's Father
Margaret Lake ... Mark's Mother
Tiffany Vollmer ... Doctor





reviews_and_ramblings: (Default)
I saw CIAO (2008) some weeks ago and was really impressed both by the movie than the actors. Ciao is basically a movie based on its characters and their acting, and so I was very glad to see an Italian actor in one of the main role... even if I was a bit perplexed. Living in Italy and being quite a movie fan, I have never heard before of Alessandro Calza. How was that? Alessandro Calza is, other than a very handome man (and at 38 years old he is a man, not a pretty boy), and a good actor, also the screenwriter. So I decided to browse the net, found out that he lives in Genoa, and that he is Italian from Italy, so the real deal ;-) I obviously grab the chance to for once speak in Italian with someone else and then asked him for a little interview (this time in English); Alessandro is a very nice man and I think we, him and me, have many things in common, but above all I think that many of my online friends will love to know him better. So, my friends, I'm glad to introduce you, Alessandro Calza.



1) Acting is not your main career, am I wrong? How did you end being an actor and also screenwriter in CIAO?

Yes, I am actually a graphic designer. Acting and screenwriting is one of the things I always wanted to do. Ever since I was a kid. But of course it takes some work to turn a fantasy like that (hard, especially for somebody italian that wants to work in the US) into reality.
Practically director Yen Tan asked me to collaborate on the screenwriting and audition for the part.

Alessandro Calza in CIAO )

2) Between being an actor / screenwriter and a webdesigner, what do you prefer?

I have been designing/drawing since I was a kid and later on I have been designing in different fields, from architecture to web to lighting systems and so on. I guess that's in my DNA and will ever be something I do on a daily basis.

But I always disliked the idea of being forced to stand on just one side of the fence.
The industry is full packed of 'gay creativity' that works behind the stage to make the world more appealing in different areas like fashion, cinema, music, design.

Modeling and acting is the way for me to keep the balance.

Alessandro Calza )

3) Do you have any other projects on in the movie industry?

There's a couple of things in the air but you know, it's the kind of stuff you can't talk about...we're all superstitious when it comes down with these sort of things.

Alessandro Calza )

4) I browsed your website, and found a lot of pictures, ranging from almost personal to professional shot... but I didn't understand if you are proposing yourself as a model, or if it's only for your pleasure ;-) Could you tell me something more about those shots?

What I am doing is self portrait. Photography is about a style (the photographers') applied to different subjects. Self portrait is about different styles applied to the same subject.

Using the same subject stimulates you to evaluate different ways of seeing the subject cause you easily exhaust your palette after you start.

It has a huge load of interesting implication.

Call it... visual twittering

Alessandro Calza )

5) I know that you are from Genoa and that you lived there when you were filming CIAO. And now? Do you still live there? If yes, how is it to live in a provincial Italian city while moving online in an international circle of friends? (I'm curious to listen to your answer to compare with my situation, I live in Padua, that, more or less, I believe is quite similar to Genoa)

I still live here. It is good and bad. Being in a very understimulating environment push you toward studying and self improvement. That's why basically monks live the way they do.

I think I unconsciously never made the choice to move somewhere bigger, more crowded and busy because I knew if I got caught in the stream of the big city, I would have never had the focus to do the things I like to do.

The internet is a good support. Today you can do things in a different way. It would have been impossible 20 years ago.

Alessandro Calza )

6) Want to tell us something personal about you? How old are you, what do you like, who do you like (this last is probably the question my friends want to know most of all ;-) )

I'm 38, born in Genova... I like a lot of stuff, in a way I can tell you through the years, there's almost nothing I didn't like sooner or later. Music, as 95% of the people, stay in the top 5 I guess.

Who I like...you mean men? Let's stay within cinema so it is easier. I like Colin Farrel in Tigerland, James Gandolfini in the Mexican, Mel Gibson in Mad Max 1, Jeremy Piven in Entourage... a broad range. I had a thing for Takeshi Kitano, but now he's too old :)


Colin Farrel in Tigerland

Alessandro Calza's men )

7) This year the Gay Pride parade in Italy was in Genoa. Did you attend?

It was the first time of the gay pride in Genova, it has been an important event. The parade has been fun and definitely sober, which is not surprising since Genova is the capital of understatement. Unfortunately I had to hear Lella Costa mixing up the spirit of the day with her personal views about the 2001 G8 events.

I hope this gay pride will be the starting point for the creation of a gay party which is neither left or right wing oriented but is just focused on the things we need as a communtiy.



---

Alessandro Calza is a webdesigner and has his own site www.ahunter.org and he says he is a nerd "I love Windows, I hate Mac. I love the two triads, ie Adobe: Photoshop / Illustrator / Indesign and Macromedia: Fireworks / Flash / Dreamweaver”.

The things he likes are, in order: "muscle, martini / campari, Leigh Bowery, grass, men, Levis 501, Ducati Monster 650, Microsoft, light & sound machine, I have already said men?, working between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m.". In 2005 he co-wrote and played a gay independent movie, CIAO, that is having a good audience at film festivals (gay or not) all around the world.

CIAO beautifully explores the difficult path to accepting loss amidst the hope of new beginnings. This somber and touching modern love story focuses on the incidental friendship between two strangers living in two different parts of the world. Their connection is sparked by the unexpected loss of a mutual friend, Mark. When Jeff (Adam Neal Smith) is left in charge of handling Mark’s possessions and tying up loose ends he stumbles upon one of Mark’s email conversations with Mark’s online Italian romance, Andrea (Alessandro Calza) and must tell him the bad news. With a trip already booked, Andrea decides to come and learn more about his recently departed friend. What begins as a tragedy that links two strangers from different ends of the world becomes a deeply realized friendship that may change their lives forever.



Gay Romance Movie: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/715953.html

Amazon: Ciao [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import - Australia ]

Alessandro Calza )
reviews_and_ramblings: (Default)
I saw CIAO (2008) some weeks ago and was really impressed both by the movie than the actors. Ciao is basically a movie based on its characters and their acting, and so I was very glad to see an Italian actor in one of the main role... even if I was a bit perplexed. Living in Italy and being quite a movie fan, I have never heard before of Alessandro Calza. How was that? Alessandro Calza is, other than a very handome man (and at 38 years old he is a man, not a pretty boy), and a good actor, also the screenwriter. So I decided to browse the net, found out that he lives in Genoa, and that he is Italian from Italy, so the real deal ;-) I obviously grab the chance to for once speak in Italian with someone else and then asked him for a little interview (this time in English); Alessandro is a very nice man and I think we, him and me, have many things in common, but above all I think that many of my online friends will love to know him better. So, my friends, I'm glad to introduce you, Alessandro Calza.



1) Acting is not your main career, am I wrong? How did you end being an actor and also screenwriter in CIAO?

Yes, I am actually a graphic designer. Acting and screenwriting is one of the things I always wanted to do. Ever since I was a kid. But of course it takes some work to turn a fantasy like that (hard, especially for somebody italian that wants to work in the US) into reality.
Practically director Yen Tan asked me to collaborate on the screenwriting and audition for the part.

Alessandro Calza in CIAO )

2) Between being an actor / screenwriter and a webdesigner, what do you prefer?

I have been designing/drawing since I was a kid and later on I have been designing in different fields, from architecture to web to lighting systems and so on. I guess that's in my DNA and will ever be something I do on a daily basis.

But I always disliked the idea of being forced to stand on just one side of the fence.
The industry is full packed of 'gay creativity' that works behind the stage to make the world more appealing in different areas like fashion, cinema, music, design.

Modeling and acting is the way for me to keep the balance.

Alessandro Calza )

3) Do you have any other projects on in the movie industry?

There's a couple of things in the air but you know, it's the kind of stuff you can't talk about...we're all superstitious when it comes down with these sort of things.

Alessandro Calza )

4) I browsed your website, and found a lot of pictures, ranging from almost personal to professional shot... but I didn't understand if you are proposing yourself as a model, or if it's only for your pleasure ;-) Could you tell me something more about those shots?

What I am doing is self portrait. Photography is about a style (the photographers') applied to different subjects. Self portrait is about different styles applied to the same subject.

Using the same subject stimulates you to evaluate different ways of seeing the subject cause you easily exhaust your palette after you start.

It has a huge load of interesting implication.

Call it... visual twittering

Alessandro Calza )

5) I know that you are from Genoa and that you lived there when you were filming CIAO. And now? Do you still live there? If yes, how is it to live in a provincial Italian city while moving online in an international circle of friends? (I'm curious to listen to your answer to compare with my situation, I live in Padua, that, more or less, I believe is quite similar to Genoa)

I still live here. It is good and bad. Being in a very understimulating environment push you toward studying and self improvement. That's why basically monks live the way they do.

I think I unconsciously never made the choice to move somewhere bigger, more crowded and busy because I knew if I got caught in the stream of the big city, I would have never had the focus to do the things I like to do.

The internet is a good support. Today you can do things in a different way. It would have been impossible 20 years ago.

Alessandro Calza )

6) Want to tell us something personal about you? How old are you, what do you like, who do you like (this last is probably the question my friends want to know most of all ;-) )

I'm 38, born in Genova... I like a lot of stuff, in a way I can tell you through the years, there's almost nothing I didn't like sooner or later. Music, as 95% of the people, stay in the top 5 I guess.

Who I like...you mean men? Let's stay within cinema so it is easier. I like Colin Farrel in Tigerland, James Gandolfini in the Mexican, Mel Gibson in Mad Max 1, Jeremy Piven in Entourage... a broad range. I had a thing for Takeshi Kitano, but now he's too old :)


Colin Farrel in Tigerland

Alessandro Calza's men )

7) This year the Gay Pride parade in Italy was in Genoa. Did you attend?

It was the first time of the gay pride in Genova, it has been an important event. The parade has been fun and definitely sober, which is not surprising since Genova is the capital of understatement. Unfortunately I had to hear Lella Costa mixing up the spirit of the day with her personal views about the 2001 G8 events.

I hope this gay pride will be the starting point for the creation of a gay party which is neither left or right wing oriented but is just focused on the things we need as a communtiy.



---

Alessandro Calza is a webdesigner and has his own site www.ahunter.org and he says he is a nerd "I love Windows, I hate Mac. I love the two triads, ie Adobe: Photoshop / Illustrator / Indesign and Macromedia: Fireworks / Flash / Dreamweaver”.

The things he likes are, in order: "muscle, martini / campari, Leigh Bowery, grass, men, Levis 501, Ducati Monster 650, Microsoft, light & sound machine, I have already said men?, working between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m.". In 2005 he co-wrote and played a gay independent movie, CIAO, that is having a good audience at film festivals (gay or not) all around the world.

CIAO beautifully explores the difficult path to accepting loss amidst the hope of new beginnings. This somber and touching modern love story focuses on the incidental friendship between two strangers living in two different parts of the world. Their connection is sparked by the unexpected loss of a mutual friend, Mark. When Jeff (Adam Neal Smith) is left in charge of handling Mark’s possessions and tying up loose ends he stumbles upon one of Mark’s email conversations with Mark’s online Italian romance, Andrea (Alessandro Calza) and must tell him the bad news. With a trip already booked, Andrea decides to come and learn more about his recently departed friend. What begins as a tragedy that links two strangers from different ends of the world becomes a deeply realized friendship that may change their lives forever.



Gay Romance Movie: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/715953.html

Amazon: Ciao [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import - Australia ]

Alessandro Calza )

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