The Rainbow Awards: Cover Contest Round 7

Next friday Phase 3 of the Rainbow Awards will finish and so also the Cover Contest. This is the last phase. 16 covers in contest all from different artist.



Here are covers and poll:

( covers )

the covers are grouped in slot of 8, each slot represent a question in the polls.

Since this is a "funny" contest, I will allow only votes through LJ accounts, not voting with comments sorry. The good news is that you can vote as many covers as you want for all the length of the contest :-) The winning cover will be announced at the same time with the winner of the 2009 Rainbow Awards for LGBTQ Fiction and Non Fiction.

[Poll #1495206]

The Rainbow Awards: Cover Contest Round 7

Next friday Phase 3 of the Rainbow Awards will finish and so also the Cover Contest. This is the last phase. 16 covers in contest all from different artist.



Here are covers and poll:

( covers )

the covers are grouped in slot of 8, each slot represent a question in the polls.

Since this is a "funny" contest, I will allow only votes through LJ accounts, not voting with comments sorry. The good news is that you can vote as many covers as you want for all the length of the contest :-) The winning cover will be announced at the same time with the winner of the 2009 Rainbow Awards for LGBTQ Fiction and Non Fiction.

[Poll #1495206]

A Perfect Game by Reno MacLeod and Jaye Valentine

This novel collects some of my preferred themes in Gay Romance: it has a college setting, Kit, 20 years old is attending a Christian college to fulfil a promise to his wealthy father, maintain good grades while he is pursuing his real dream, to become a professional baseball player; Kit falls for Liam, the 36 years old college professor of one of Kit’s courses. So other than a college themed novel, this is also a very nice May / December romance, with a switch that I liked, the dominant lover in the couple it’s not the older man, Liam, but Kit: the dominant role serves to Kit to grew, not only in age but also in self-esteem. Kit has not a solid family behind, and above all, he has a troubled relationship with his father who treats him more like a teenager than a young adult. Kit is loosing himself in relationship with older men, probably a way to prove that he can “control” them and impose to them his decisions, while he is not able to do the same with his father. When Kit meets Liam, the need of Kit to “dominate” an older man, is matched to Liam’s need to be dominated; it’s not strictly necessary for Liam that his partner is younger, but probably Liam has a soft spot for younger men, and so to find a younger man who is also able to be an attentive and careful dominant, is the perfect combination for him.

Liam is not probably a strong man, if for strong you means an emotional independent man. Liam is very fragile on an emotional level; I think he can be easily wound with harsh words more than with a real physical pain. Liam is also the classical man who needs to take care of his partner in a very ordinary way, cooking dinner, doing chores, and so on. He has the need to prove his love with small things, and he has the need to have a life partner near him, someone to share his day-to-day life.

As you probably have already understood, there are two more themes: a BDSM relationship and the sport setting. While I’m not so fond of the first of the two, I can say that in A Perfect Game, the kinky side of BDSM relationship is well compensated by the love relationship, Kit never pushes too much Liam, he is always attentive of Liam’s changes of mood, and in the end, and their games are more sexy than painful. The sport setting instead is a bit on the behind scene, it’s not fully developed but hinted: there is probably space for a sequel, where this side of the story can be developed further.

I also liked a lot the real setting, the places where the novel is developed, Providence, Provincetown, Newport… all places I visited last September and that I recognized in their description. It’s clear that the authors are describing places they know and love, and this love transpires from their words. It made me want to come back there to see if my memories and their descriptions are up to the reality.

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=79

Amazon Kindle: A Perfect Game

The Rainbow Awards: Third (and last!) Phase: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/850354.html

A Perfect Game by Reno MacLeod and Jaye Valentine

This novel collects some of my preferred themes in Gay Romance: it has a college setting, Kit, 20 years old is attending a Christian college to fulfil a promise to his wealthy father, maintain good grades while he is pursuing his real dream, to become a professional baseball player; Kit falls for Liam, the 36 years old college professor of one of Kit’s courses. So other than a college themed novel, this is also a very nice May / December romance, with a switch that I liked, the dominant lover in the couple it’s not the older man, Liam, but Kit: the dominant role serves to Kit to grew, not only in age but also in self-esteem. Kit has not a solid family behind, and above all, he has a troubled relationship with his father who treats him more like a teenager than a young adult. Kit is loosing himself in relationship with older men, probably a way to prove that he can “control” them and impose to them his decisions, while he is not able to do the same with his father. When Kit meets Liam, the need of Kit to “dominate” an older man, is matched to Liam’s need to be dominated; it’s not strictly necessary for Liam that his partner is younger, but probably Liam has a soft spot for younger men, and so to find a younger man who is also able to be an attentive and careful dominant, is the perfect combination for him.

Liam is not probably a strong man, if for strong you means an emotional independent man. Liam is very fragile on an emotional level; I think he can be easily wound with harsh words more than with a real physical pain. Liam is also the classical man who needs to take care of his partner in a very ordinary way, cooking dinner, doing chores, and so on. He has the need to prove his love with small things, and he has the need to have a life partner near him, someone to share his day-to-day life.

As you probably have already understood, there are two more themes: a BDSM relationship and the sport setting. While I’m not so fond of the first of the two, I can say that in A Perfect Game, the kinky side of BDSM relationship is well compensated by the love relationship, Kit never pushes too much Liam, he is always attentive of Liam’s changes of mood, and in the end, and their games are more sexy than painful. The sport setting instead is a bit on the behind scene, it’s not fully developed but hinted: there is probably space for a sequel, where this side of the story can be developed further.

I also liked a lot the real setting, the places where the novel is developed, Providence, Provincetown, Newport… all places I visited last September and that I recognized in their description. It’s clear that the authors are describing places they know and love, and this love transpires from their words. It made me want to come back there to see if my memories and their descriptions are up to the reality.

https://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=79

Amazon Kindle: A Perfect Game

The Rainbow Awards: Third (and last!) Phase: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/850354.html

Make the Yuletide Gay (2009) directed by Rob Williams

Director: Rob Williams

Writer: Rob Williams (written by)

Genre: Comedy

Plot: Rob Williams, the director of Long-Term Relationship, Back Soon and 3-Day Weekend, brings us a hilarious addition to the gay holiday genre.

The holidays get overly festive as Olaf "Gunn" Gunnunderson (Keith Jordan), an out-and-proud gay college student, crawls back into the closet to survive the holidays with his parents (hilarious performances by Derek Long & Kelly Keaton). He keeps his cool as his quirky Midwestern hale and hearty parents try to set him up with his high school sweetheart, Abby (Hallee Hirsh). But when his boyfriend, Nathan (Adamo Ruggiero), shows up at their doorstep unannounced, Gunn must put on a charade to keep the relationship a secret. With pressure mounting from all sides, will Gunn come out before the truth does?

@IMDb
@Amazon: Make the Yuletide Gay
@Netflix
@TLA Releasing
@Wolfe Video



( more pics )

Cast (in credits order)
Keith Jordan ... Olaf 'Gunn' Gunnunderson
Adamo Ruggiero ... Nathan Stanford
Hallee Hirsh ... Abby Mancuso
Kelly Keaton ... Anya Gunnunderson
Derek Long ... Sven Gunnunderson
Alison Arngrim ... Heather Mancuso
Ian Buchanan ... Peter Stanford
Gates McFadden ... Martha Stanford
Steve Callahan ... Professor Van Devere
Wyatt Fenner ... Thomas
( rest of the cast )

Gunn & Nathan

Make the Yuletide Gay (2009) directed by Rob Williams

Director: Rob Williams

Writer: Rob Williams (written by)

Genre: Comedy

Plot: Rob Williams, the director of Long-Term Relationship, Back Soon and 3-Day Weekend, brings us a hilarious addition to the gay holiday genre.

The holidays get overly festive as Olaf "Gunn" Gunnunderson (Keith Jordan), an out-and-proud gay college student, crawls back into the closet to survive the holidays with his parents (hilarious performances by Derek Long & Kelly Keaton). He keeps his cool as his quirky Midwestern hale and hearty parents try to set him up with his high school sweetheart, Abby (Hallee Hirsh). But when his boyfriend, Nathan (Adamo Ruggiero), shows up at their doorstep unannounced, Gunn must put on a charade to keep the relationship a secret. With pressure mounting from all sides, will Gunn come out before the truth does?

@IMDb
@Amazon: Make the Yuletide Gay
@Netflix
@TLA Releasing
@Wolfe Video



( more pics )

Cast (in credits order)
Keith Jordan ... Olaf 'Gunn' Gunnunderson
Adamo Ruggiero ... Nathan Stanford
Hallee Hirsh ... Abby Mancuso
Kelly Keaton ... Anya Gunnunderson
Derek Long ... Sven Gunnunderson
Alison Arngrim ... Heather Mancuso
Ian Buchanan ... Peter Stanford
Gates McFadden ... Martha Stanford
Steve Callahan ... Professor Van Devere
Wyatt Fenner ... Thomas
( rest of the cast )

Gunn & Nathan

Rip Cord by Jeanne St. James

The story told here is probably my secret dream: a high school reunion where the geek guy takes his vengeance on his previous schoolmates finally stealing the attention of the dream man of all of them, guys and girls alike. When Gil was in high school he had a crush on Rip Cord, the bad boy and football player star of the school; obviously Gil has never had a chance with him and he left high school with his dreams unfulfilled. Actually it’s not that Gil after high school changed so much, he didn’t suddenly become a hot shot or the most desired man, and he is now a nice guy, an accountant with a good job and some good friends. But in the end, he is still the same geeky guy, shy and with a bit of self-esteem problems. So, when he receives the invitation to his 10 years high school reunion, Gil would be not of the idea to go if not for his girl best friend that practically drags him.

Things are not going so well, Gil is trying with all his strength to be again a wallflower when he spots Rip; now a professional football player, Rip is not changed so much, he is still the same bad boy. But in one thing he is changed, he is now more than interested in Gil, and the boring night suddenly becomes an adventure with Rip and Gil revisiting their teenager places, but with a change in the script, now it’s not Gil who is secretly spying Rip, it’s Rip who is chasing Gil, in the locker room, in the shower, in the hall…

There are a lot of unanswered questions, after the first encounter with Gil who fulfils his secret dream; he actually has the courage to ask to Rip why he was so detached and uncaring during high school, a question to which Rip actually gives a not so good answer. Then there is the role Rip is playing, the forever bad boy, the strictly top macho man… something that let me think that Rip is not yet arrived to fully accept his sexuality. And then there is the future, what will be of these two when real life will make its appearance? All in all this is a short story, it lasts only a night, and we don’t know what will happen when they will test the relationship with everyday life. But probably, that was not the purpose, the real purpose was to finally give to all the geeky guys inside us a dream night to remember for life.

http://www.king-cart.com/Phaze/product=Rip+Cord/exact_match=exact

The Rainbow Awards: Third (and last!) Phase: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/850354.html

Rip Cord by Jeanne St. James

The story told here is probably my secret dream: a high school reunion where the geek guy takes his vengeance on his previous schoolmates finally stealing the attention of the dream man of all of them, guys and girls alike. When Gil was in high school he had a crush on Rip Cord, the bad boy and football player star of the school; obviously Gil has never had a chance with him and he left high school with his dreams unfulfilled. Actually it’s not that Gil after high school changed so much, he didn’t suddenly become a hot shot or the most desired man, and he is now a nice guy, an accountant with a good job and some good friends. But in the end, he is still the same geeky guy, shy and with a bit of self-esteem problems. So, when he receives the invitation to his 10 years high school reunion, Gil would be not of the idea to go if not for his girl best friend that practically drags him.

Things are not going so well, Gil is trying with all his strength to be again a wallflower when he spots Rip; now a professional football player, Rip is not changed so much, he is still the same bad boy. But in one thing he is changed, he is now more than interested in Gil, and the boring night suddenly becomes an adventure with Rip and Gil revisiting their teenager places, but with a change in the script, now it’s not Gil who is secretly spying Rip, it’s Rip who is chasing Gil, in the locker room, in the shower, in the hall…

There are a lot of unanswered questions, after the first encounter with Gil who fulfils his secret dream; he actually has the courage to ask to Rip why he was so detached and uncaring during high school, a question to which Rip actually gives a not so good answer. Then there is the role Rip is playing, the forever bad boy, the strictly top macho man… something that let me think that Rip is not yet arrived to fully accept his sexuality. And then there is the future, what will be of these two when real life will make its appearance? All in all this is a short story, it lasts only a night, and we don’t know what will happen when they will test the relationship with everyday life. But probably, that was not the purpose, the real purpose was to finally give to all the geeky guys inside us a dream night to remember for life.

http://www.king-cart.com/Phaze/product=Rip+Cord/exact_match=exact

The Rainbow Awards: Third (and last!) Phase: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/850354.html