The Inside Reader: Rowena Sudbury

Show me the books he loves and I shall know the man far better than through mortal friends - Silas Weir Mitchell

This week I'd like to host two very different inside readers. The first of them is Rowena Sudbury: she wrote a very nice manlove medieval romance, that reminded me a lot of the old savage romance I was so fond of many years ago. So I'm not surprise to see in her Top 10 List some "old" names, that for the romance fans are now classic. Rowena is a special inside reader since her list is not strictly LGBT related, but it's interesting to see how a woman who loved classic romance is now a gay romance author.

I am a life long reader, and have been reading romance novels for almost thirty years. I discovered early on that I tended to like historical romances over straight "trashy" romance novels, but sometimes a great trashy novel is just what one needs.

I'm afraid I stole my first ever romance novel. It was back in the early 1980s, and my husband and I were visiting his cousin. She worked in a grocery store and had a bookshelf full of books that had the covers torn off. She blithely told me it was ok because she worked at a grocery store, and it was common to tear the covers off books that didn't sell. I started reading one of them and hadn't quite finished by the time we were going to leave so she told me I could have it. It wasn't until years later that I found out that books with the covers torn off are supposed to be thrown away, so in essence I had stolen it. To make up for it I bought every novel I could find by that author.

Here is my list of "straight" historical romance novels. I've also included one LGBT novel, really the only one I've read all the way through. Too busy writing now to read much of anything. These books are pretty much listed in the order in which I originally read them.

1) The Poldark Saga by Winston Graham. This series of books were not romance novels per se, but they were my introduction to Cornwall and ignited my love for the area. I've read these books countless times. My favorite of the series is The Four Swans. The series centers on the life of Ross Poldark, and his wife Demelza. There is a scene of incredible sensuality in this novel; a scene of adultery between Demelza and a young naval captain named Hugh. I think what really drew me in was Winston Graham's ability to describe a scene is such detail, including physical description and emotional turmoil. I found myself reading it again and again.

Paperback: 581 pages
Publisher: Macmillan UK (April 1996)
ISBN-10: 0330344994
ISBN-13: 978-0330344999
Amazon: The Four Swans (The Poldark Saga)

Ross seems secure in his hard won prosperity, but a new dilemma faces him in the sudden infatuation of a young naval officer for his wife Demelza. For Demelza, Elizabeth, Caroline, and Morwenna, there are times of stress and conflict ahead.

( books from 2 to 10 )

About Rowena Sudbury: Rowena Sudbury writes m/m stories and is published with Dreamspinner Press

The King’s Tale
Paperback: 282 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (July 27, 2009)
Publisher Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=55_148&products_id=1508
ISBN-10: 1615810218
ISBN-13: 978-1615810215
Amazon: The King's Tale

Though Dafydd is the fourth son of Welsh nobility, when he leaves his home he becomes a humble woodsman in small kingdom of Lysnowydh on the sea. During a fierce storm, a stranger seeks shelter in Dafydd's remote cottage. He is no ordinary traveler—he is Christopher, King of Lysnowydh. The wild passion that flares between them rivals the storm, and love moves King Christopher's heart to name Dafydd Marshal of his troops to keep him close. However, love is never simple or safe when it must endure the pressures of political life. Though Dafydd proves himself in battle, Lysnowydh's nobles protest his rise in position and power. Forces will conspire against Dafydd and Christopher, and they must endure treason, treachery, and the demands of a kingdom requiring an heir to secure their happiness together.

The Inside Reader: Rowena Sudbury

Show me the books he loves and I shall know the man far better than through mortal friends - Silas Weir Mitchell

This week I'd like to host two very different inside readers. The first of them is Rowena Sudbury: she wrote a very nice manlove medieval romance, that reminded me a lot of the old savage romance I was so fond of many years ago. So I'm not surprise to see in her Top 10 List some "old" names, that for the romance fans are now classic. Rowena is a special inside reader since her list is not strictly LGBT related, but it's interesting to see how a woman who loved classic romance is now a gay romance author.

I am a life long reader, and have been reading romance novels for almost thirty years. I discovered early on that I tended to like historical romances over straight "trashy" romance novels, but sometimes a great trashy novel is just what one needs.

I'm afraid I stole my first ever romance novel. It was back in the early 1980s, and my husband and I were visiting his cousin. She worked in a grocery store and had a bookshelf full of books that had the covers torn off. She blithely told me it was ok because she worked at a grocery store, and it was common to tear the covers off books that didn't sell. I started reading one of them and hadn't quite finished by the time we were going to leave so she told me I could have it. It wasn't until years later that I found out that books with the covers torn off are supposed to be thrown away, so in essence I had stolen it. To make up for it I bought every novel I could find by that author.

Here is my list of "straight" historical romance novels. I've also included one LGBT novel, really the only one I've read all the way through. Too busy writing now to read much of anything. These books are pretty much listed in the order in which I originally read them.

1) The Poldark Saga by Winston Graham. This series of books were not romance novels per se, but they were my introduction to Cornwall and ignited my love for the area. I've read these books countless times. My favorite of the series is The Four Swans. The series centers on the life of Ross Poldark, and his wife Demelza. There is a scene of incredible sensuality in this novel; a scene of adultery between Demelza and a young naval captain named Hugh. I think what really drew me in was Winston Graham's ability to describe a scene is such detail, including physical description and emotional turmoil. I found myself reading it again and again.

Paperback: 581 pages
Publisher: Macmillan UK (April 1996)
ISBN-10: 0330344994
ISBN-13: 978-0330344999
Amazon: The Four Swans (The Poldark Saga)

Ross seems secure in his hard won prosperity, but a new dilemma faces him in the sudden infatuation of a young naval officer for his wife Demelza. For Demelza, Elizabeth, Caroline, and Morwenna, there are times of stress and conflict ahead.

( books from 2 to 10 )

About Rowena Sudbury: Rowena Sudbury writes m/m stories and is published with Dreamspinner Press

The King’s Tale
Paperback: 282 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (July 27, 2009)
Publisher Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=55_148&products_id=1508
ISBN-10: 1615810218
ISBN-13: 978-1615810215
Amazon: The King's Tale

Though Dafydd is the fourth son of Welsh nobility, when he leaves his home he becomes a humble woodsman in small kingdom of Lysnowydh on the sea. During a fierce storm, a stranger seeks shelter in Dafydd's remote cottage. He is no ordinary traveler—he is Christopher, King of Lysnowydh. The wild passion that flares between them rivals the storm, and love moves King Christopher's heart to name Dafydd Marshal of his troops to keep him close. However, love is never simple or safe when it must endure the pressures of political life. Though Dafydd proves himself in battle, Lysnowydh's nobles protest his rise in position and power. Forces will conspire against Dafydd and Christopher, and they must endure treason, treachery, and the demands of a kingdom requiring an heir to secure their happiness together.

The Inside Reader: James Buchanan

Show me the books he loves and I shall know the man far better than through mortal friends - Silas Weir Mitchell

And here is the second Inside Reader for this week; James was actually one of the first authors I interviewed more than 2 years before for another blog that I have now long ago abandoned, but I still remember with pleasure that experience.

I don’t profess to any great literary tastes as evidenced by my list. Having cut my teeth on 70’s and 80’s science fiction, devoured dime store mysteries and delved into the land of trashy romances, I’m far more pulp-fiction than highbrow. These are in no particular order.

1) The Man Who Fell in Love with the Moon by Tom Spanbauer. I loved the narrator, the half-Indian Shed (who’s name is short for Out Back In The Shed, cause that’s where he services his male customers). It’s wild and crazy and terribly sad at times. Spanbauer goes from raunchy to poignant in a matter of moments. The crazy cowboy Dellwood – Shed’s mentor and lover – obtains a black stallion for Shed…which Shed promptly names “Princess.” You don’t know who’s more insane, the prostitutes Shed calls family or the bible thumpers in their town. This is one of those books I love so much, I find it hard to talk about why.

Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Grove Press (January 6, 2000)
Publisher Link: http://www.groveatlantic.com/#page=isbn9780802136633%20
ISBN-10: 080213663X
ISBN-13: 978-0802136633
Amazon: The Man Who Fell in Love with the Moon: A Novel

Set against the harsh reality of an unforgiving landscape and culture, The Man Who Fell in Love with the Moon provides a vision of the Old West unlike anything seen before. The narrator, Shed, is one of the most memorable characters in contemporary fiction: a half-Indian bisexual boy who lives and works at the Indian Head Hotel in the tiny town of Excellent, Idaho. It's the turn of the century, and the hotel carries on a prosperous business as the town's brothel. The eccentric characters working in the hotel provide Shed with a surrogate family, yet he finds in himself a growing need to learn the meaning of his Indian name, Duivichi-un-Dua, given to him by his mother, who was murdered when he was twelve. Setting off alone across the haunting plains, Shed goes in search of an identity among his true people, encountering a rich pageant of extraordinary characters along the way. Although he learns a great deal about the mysteries and traditions of his Indian heritage, it is not until Shed returns to Excellent and witnesses a series of brutal tragedies that he attains the wisdom that infuses this exceptional and captivating book.

( books from 2 to 10 )

About James Buchanan: James Buchanan is an award winning author of, primarily, gay erotic fiction. James grew up in a small Southwestern town, hours away from any other small Southwestern town. A stint at the State University, where he ostensibly majored in English, garnered him a degree useful for being someone's secretary. The absolute lack of employment opportunities led James to Southern California. After a stint in County Mental Health (administration not client) he ran screaming into the field of Law. James has been practicing for nine years and someday he might even get it right. James has published several short stories and novellas as well as six novels with various publishers.

Personal Demons
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: MLR Press (October 7, 2009)
Publisher Link: http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=PDEMONS1
ISBN-10: 1608200620
ISBN-13: 978-1608200627
Amazon: Personal Demons

Hunting a notorious hit man, FBI Agent Chase Nozick and LAPD Det. Enrique Rios Ocha delve into the inner worlds of Santeria, Voodoo and Palo Mayumbe. A missing informant, her murdered brother and a ghost from Chase's past send them on a hunt through mystics and psychic surgeons to find their witness before it's too late. Can he rely on leads from a child possessed by Orishas? Do cards hold stronger clues than blood? Chase must conquer his own personal demons to bring the killer of his partner to justice and find the strength to take a chance on Enrique.

The Inside Reader: James Buchanan

Show me the books he loves and I shall know the man far better than through mortal friends - Silas Weir Mitchell

And here is the second Inside Reader for this week; James was actually one of the first authors I interviewed more than 2 years before for another blog that I have now long ago abandoned, but I still remember with pleasure that experience.

I don’t profess to any great literary tastes as evidenced by my list. Having cut my teeth on 70’s and 80’s science fiction, devoured dime store mysteries and delved into the land of trashy romances, I’m far more pulp-fiction than highbrow. These are in no particular order.

1) The Man Who Fell in Love with the Moon by Tom Spanbauer. I loved the narrator, the half-Indian Shed (who’s name is short for Out Back In The Shed, cause that’s where he services his male customers). It’s wild and crazy and terribly sad at times. Spanbauer goes from raunchy to poignant in a matter of moments. The crazy cowboy Dellwood – Shed’s mentor and lover – obtains a black stallion for Shed…which Shed promptly names “Princess.” You don’t know who’s more insane, the prostitutes Shed calls family or the bible thumpers in their town. This is one of those books I love so much, I find it hard to talk about why.

Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Grove Press (January 6, 2000)
Publisher Link: http://www.groveatlantic.com/#page=isbn9780802136633%20
ISBN-10: 080213663X
ISBN-13: 978-0802136633
Amazon: The Man Who Fell in Love with the Moon: A Novel

Set against the harsh reality of an unforgiving landscape and culture, The Man Who Fell in Love with the Moon provides a vision of the Old West unlike anything seen before. The narrator, Shed, is one of the most memorable characters in contemporary fiction: a half-Indian bisexual boy who lives and works at the Indian Head Hotel in the tiny town of Excellent, Idaho. It's the turn of the century, and the hotel carries on a prosperous business as the town's brothel. The eccentric characters working in the hotel provide Shed with a surrogate family, yet he finds in himself a growing need to learn the meaning of his Indian name, Duivichi-un-Dua, given to him by his mother, who was murdered when he was twelve. Setting off alone across the haunting plains, Shed goes in search of an identity among his true people, encountering a rich pageant of extraordinary characters along the way. Although he learns a great deal about the mysteries and traditions of his Indian heritage, it is not until Shed returns to Excellent and witnesses a series of brutal tragedies that he attains the wisdom that infuses this exceptional and captivating book.

( books from 2 to 10 )

About James Buchanan: James Buchanan is an award winning author of, primarily, gay erotic fiction. James grew up in a small Southwestern town, hours away from any other small Southwestern town. A stint at the State University, where he ostensibly majored in English, garnered him a degree useful for being someone's secretary. The absolute lack of employment opportunities led James to Southern California. After a stint in County Mental Health (administration not client) he ran screaming into the field of Law. James has been practicing for nine years and someday he might even get it right. James has published several short stories and novellas as well as six novels with various publishers.

Personal Demons
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: MLR Press (October 7, 2009)
Publisher Link: http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=PDEMONS1
ISBN-10: 1608200620
ISBN-13: 978-1608200627
Amazon: Personal Demons

Hunting a notorious hit man, FBI Agent Chase Nozick and LAPD Det. Enrique Rios Ocha delve into the inner worlds of Santeria, Voodoo and Palo Mayumbe. A missing informant, her murdered brother and a ghost from Chase's past send them on a hunt through mystics and psychic surgeons to find their witness before it's too late. Can he rely on leads from a child possessed by Orishas? Do cards hold stronger clues than blood? Chase must conquer his own personal demons to bring the killer of his partner to justice and find the strength to take a chance on Enrique.