Mar. 7th, 2010

reviews_and_ramblings: (Default)
You think that to be rich and famous is equal to be happy? For Drake no. He is a famous song writer and singer, but in the last years his job doesn' satisfy him like in the past. He writes less and every bit of his life are on the media. He was married but his marriage goes wrong cause two weeks after he admitted to his wife that he is gay. But only to his wife. Nobody else knows nothing. He never have had a male partner.

Then he receives a letter from a former high schoolmate, Scotty. Scotty only says that he watched him on tv and found him tired. If he want to take some rest, he can enjoy him in his home. An home very isolated from everything. And Drake take some clothes and go.

For weeks he rests and writes, meanwhile Scott paints. Scott is welcoming and makes no questions. But Scott is gay, and says to him that in high school he had a crush on him. And Drake wants Scott: his desire his quite but fierce.

Scott and his home are paradise, but outside the real world wants Drake back...

I like this story: is peaceful. The passion is strong but not sudden. It grows day by days to become indissoluble.

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2551

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading_list&view=elisa.rolle
reviews_and_ramblings: (Default)
You think that to be rich and famous is equal to be happy? For Drake no. He is a famous song writer and singer, but in the last years his job doesn' satisfy him like in the past. He writes less and every bit of his life are on the media. He was married but his marriage goes wrong cause two weeks after he admitted to his wife that he is gay. But only to his wife. Nobody else knows nothing. He never have had a male partner.

Then he receives a letter from a former high schoolmate, Scotty. Scotty only says that he watched him on tv and found him tired. If he want to take some rest, he can enjoy him in his home. An home very isolated from everything. And Drake take some clothes and go.

For weeks he rests and writes, meanwhile Scott paints. Scott is welcoming and makes no questions. But Scott is gay, and says to him that in high school he had a crush on him. And Drake wants Scott: his desire his quite but fierce.

Scott and his home are paradise, but outside the real world wants Drake back...

I like this story: is peaceful. The passion is strong but not sudden. It grows day by days to become indissoluble.

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2551

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading_list&view=elisa.rolle
reviews_and_ramblings: (Default)
Director: Nacho G. Velilla

Writers:Oriol Capel (writer)
Antonio Sánchez (writer)
David Sánchez (writer as David S. Olivas)
Nacho G. Velilla (writer)

Release Date: 6 April 2008 (Málaga Film Festival, Spain)
15 March 2009 (QFest, USA)
24 April 2009 (Italy)

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Plot: Energetic performances from Almodóvar regulars Javier Cámara (Talk to Her) and Lola Dueñas (Volver) anchor this wholly entertaining farce bustling with quick-witted dialogue and comical hi-jinks.

Bright, breezy and briskly directed by Nacho G. Velilla, this Spanish delight was the Opening Night of the Lincoln Center’s Spanish Cinema Now and even had The New York Times declaring it “a raucous comedy.”

Chef Maxi (Camára) has plenty on his plate. Between running a high-end restaurant, keeping it in the black and corralling his unpredictable staff, who could begrudge him a foul-mouthed outburst, or two, or several? His best gal pal and next door neighbor Alex (Dueñas) is desperate to find a good man while sous-chef Ramiro can't put his hard-partying days behind him. Add to the mix an unexpected reunion with two estranged children and a blossoming gay romance with a closeted international athlete, and you've got one troubled gourmet. Now the Michelin Guide food critic is coming to review his restaurant and it whips Maxi into such a frenzy the he must learn to juggle the new dynamics his children and lover bring to the table, with over-the-top, hilarious results.

Reviews )

Awards: 2009 Fotogramas de Plata Award as Best Movie Actor (Mejor Actor de Cine) to Javier Cámara
2009 Goya Award Nomination as Best Actor (Mejor Actor Principal) to Javier Cámara and as Best Supporting Actor (Mejor Actor de Reparto) to Fernando Tejero
2009 Audience Award as Outstanding Dramatic Feature Film to Nacho G. Velilla (L.A. Outfest)
2008 Audience Award as Best Film to Nacho G. Velilla (Málaga Spanish Film Festival) and Silver Biznaga Award as Best Actor (Mejor Actor) to Javier Cámara; Golden Biznaga Award Nomination to Nacho G. Velilla
2009 Premio ACE Award as Best Actor to Javier Cámara and as Best Supporting Actor to Benjamín Vicuña
2009 Spanish Actors Union Award Nomination as Performance in a Minor Role, Male (Reparto Cine - Categoría Masculina) to Luis Varela and as Supporting Performance, Female (Secundario Cine - Categoría Femenina) to Chus Lampreave

@IMDb
@Amazon: Chef's Special
@Netflix
@TLA Releasing
@Wolfe Video 

 

more pics ) 

Cast (in credits order)
Javier Cámara ... Maxi
Benjamín Vicuña ... Horacio
Lola Dueñas ... Alex
Fernando Tejero ... Ramiro
Chus Lampreave ... Celia
Luis Varela ... Jaime
Cristina Marcos ... Marta
Alexandra Jiménez ... Paula
Junio Valverde ... Edu
Alejandra Lorenzo ... Alba
rest of the cast )

       
Maxi & Horacio

reviews_and_ramblings: (Default)
Director: Nacho G. Velilla

Writers:Oriol Capel (writer)
Antonio Sánchez (writer)
David Sánchez (writer as David S. Olivas)
Nacho G. Velilla (writer)

Release Date: 6 April 2008 (Málaga Film Festival, Spain)
15 March 2009 (QFest, USA)
24 April 2009 (Italy)

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Plot: Energetic performances from Almodóvar regulars Javier Cámara (Talk to Her) and Lola Dueñas (Volver) anchor this wholly entertaining farce bustling with quick-witted dialogue and comical hi-jinks.

Bright, breezy and briskly directed by Nacho G. Velilla, this Spanish delight was the Opening Night of the Lincoln Center’s Spanish Cinema Now and even had The New York Times declaring it “a raucous comedy.”

Chef Maxi (Camára) has plenty on his plate. Between running a high-end restaurant, keeping it in the black and corralling his unpredictable staff, who could begrudge him a foul-mouthed outburst, or two, or several? His best gal pal and next door neighbor Alex (Dueñas) is desperate to find a good man while sous-chef Ramiro can't put his hard-partying days behind him. Add to the mix an unexpected reunion with two estranged children and a blossoming gay romance with a closeted international athlete, and you've got one troubled gourmet. Now the Michelin Guide food critic is coming to review his restaurant and it whips Maxi into such a frenzy the he must learn to juggle the new dynamics his children and lover bring to the table, with over-the-top, hilarious results.

Reviews )

Awards: 2009 Fotogramas de Plata Award as Best Movie Actor (Mejor Actor de Cine) to Javier Cámara
2009 Goya Award Nomination as Best Actor (Mejor Actor Principal) to Javier Cámara and as Best Supporting Actor (Mejor Actor de Reparto) to Fernando Tejero
2009 Audience Award as Outstanding Dramatic Feature Film to Nacho G. Velilla (L.A. Outfest)
2008 Audience Award as Best Film to Nacho G. Velilla (Málaga Spanish Film Festival) and Silver Biznaga Award as Best Actor (Mejor Actor) to Javier Cámara; Golden Biznaga Award Nomination to Nacho G. Velilla
2009 Premio ACE Award as Best Actor to Javier Cámara and as Best Supporting Actor to Benjamín Vicuña
2009 Spanish Actors Union Award Nomination as Performance in a Minor Role, Male (Reparto Cine - Categoría Masculina) to Luis Varela and as Supporting Performance, Female (Secundario Cine - Categoría Femenina) to Chus Lampreave

@IMDb
@Amazon: Chef's Special
@Netflix
@TLA Releasing
@Wolfe Video 

 

more pics ) 

Cast (in credits order)
Javier Cámara ... Maxi
Benjamín Vicuña ... Horacio
Lola Dueñas ... Alex
Fernando Tejero ... Ramiro
Chus Lampreave ... Celia
Luis Varela ... Jaime
Cristina Marcos ... Marta
Alexandra Jiménez ... Paula
Junio Valverde ... Edu
Alejandra Lorenzo ... Alba
rest of the cast )

       
Maxi & Horacio

reviews_and_ramblings: (Default)
For the first time in its history, Amber Allure (the GLBT imprint of Amber Quill Press) is pleased to announce a Call for Submissions. Although they're not open to "general" submissions, they are looking for stories that fit very specific themes. For detailed information, please visit their website at

http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/AA_submissioncalls.html

Current Calls For Submissions

Series: Working Stiffs

Series Type: Gay (M/M) - Blue-Collar Love Affairs

Novella Length: 18,000 to 39,999 words

Heat Level: 3+ (Love scenes should be extremely explicit and contain graphic language. Stories may also contain sexual situations or storylines that push the envelope—heavy bondage, spanking, as well as ménage, domination and submission, multiple sexual partners, etc.)

Note regarding sexual content: Although subplots featuring hetero (M/F) or ménage (M/M/F, M/F/M, etc.) pairings may be acceptable for secondary characters, they should not take up more than a small percentage of the overall story. The heroes (the main focus of each novella) must be strictly gay and not bisexual—they should have no sexual desire for females. For storyline purposes, your heroes may have a history of heterosexual or bisexual activity, but generally, they are now either fully out of the closet or will be fully out before the story concludes. Your heroes, however, may participate in gay ménage (M/M/M) or all-male group sex. Again, all "female" involvement within the story should be kept to a minimum, and when it comes to your heroes, all sexual content should be M/M only.

Specific Guidelines: Each novella for this "picture/series" should feature at least one blue-collar hero (regardless of industry), who's a hard-working laborer considered "good with his hands" both at work and at play, and tell the tale of his love affair with a man of his own social class/standing (or maybe not—that's entirely up to you). Although stories should have a contemporary setting only, they may also be sub-categorized as romantic comedy, suspense or thriller, action and adventure, as well as BDSM. But once again, please keep in mind that at least one of your heroes must be "blue-collar" worker, just the sort of hero depicted in the above photograph. Moreover, all stories should have a "happily ever after" ending, or at least what is considered a "happily for now" conclusion.

Deadline for Submissions: June 1, 2010 (no exceptions)

Series: Hot Summer Daze

Series Type: Gay (M/M) - Summertime Love Affairs

Novella Length: 18,000 to 39,999 words

Heat Level: 3+ (Love scenes should be extremely explicit and contain graphic language. Stories may also contain sexual situations or storylines that push the envelope—heavy bondage, spanking, as well as ménage, domination and submission, multiple sexual partners, etc.)

Note regarding sexual content: Although subplots featuring hetero (M/F) or ménage (M/M/F, M/F/M, etc.) pairings may be acceptable for secondary characters, they should not take up more than a small percentage of the overall story. The heroes (the main focus of each novella) must be strictly gay and not bisexual—they should have no sexual desire for females. For storyline purposes, your heroes may have a history of heterosexual or bisexual activity, but generally, they are now either fully out of the closet or will be fully out before the story concludes. Your heroes, however, may participate in gay ménage (M/M/M) or all-male group sex. Again, all "female" involvement within the story should be kept to a minimum, and when it comes to your heroes, all sexual content should be M/M only.

Specific Guidelines: Each novella for this "picture/series" should tell the story of a hot and steamy summer affair. Whether your heroes meet at some exotic resort, on a luxury cruise, or even while hanging out at their neighborhood pool, a red-hot romance should develop between them and turn their lives upside down. Although stories should have a contemporary setting only, they may also be sub-categorized as romantic comedy, suspense or thriller, action and adventure, as well as BDSM. All stories should have a "happily ever after" ending, or at least what is considered a "happily for now" conclusion, so show us how the summers will sizzle once your heroes get together and realize what they have is a whole lot more than just a meaningless fling.

Deadline for Submissions: July 1, 2010 (no exceptions)

Important notes: Amber Allure will not consider any previously published stories, therefore each novella should include only new material. Additionally, the submission should not be part of a series published at another house. Only completed manuscripts will be accepted for consideration. Please also include a detailed synopsis of the manuscript as well as a query letter. And finally, no simultaneous submissions please.
reviews_and_ramblings: (Default)
For the first time in its history, Amber Allure (the GLBT imprint of Amber Quill Press) is pleased to announce a Call for Submissions. Although they're not open to "general" submissions, they are looking for stories that fit very specific themes. For detailed information, please visit their website at

http://amberquill.com/AmberAllure/AA_submissioncalls.html

Current Calls For Submissions

Series: Working Stiffs

Series Type: Gay (M/M) - Blue-Collar Love Affairs

Novella Length: 18,000 to 39,999 words

Heat Level: 3+ (Love scenes should be extremely explicit and contain graphic language. Stories may also contain sexual situations or storylines that push the envelope—heavy bondage, spanking, as well as ménage, domination and submission, multiple sexual partners, etc.)

Note regarding sexual content: Although subplots featuring hetero (M/F) or ménage (M/M/F, M/F/M, etc.) pairings may be acceptable for secondary characters, they should not take up more than a small percentage of the overall story. The heroes (the main focus of each novella) must be strictly gay and not bisexual—they should have no sexual desire for females. For storyline purposes, your heroes may have a history of heterosexual or bisexual activity, but generally, they are now either fully out of the closet or will be fully out before the story concludes. Your heroes, however, may participate in gay ménage (M/M/M) or all-male group sex. Again, all "female" involvement within the story should be kept to a minimum, and when it comes to your heroes, all sexual content should be M/M only.

Specific Guidelines: Each novella for this "picture/series" should feature at least one blue-collar hero (regardless of industry), who's a hard-working laborer considered "good with his hands" both at work and at play, and tell the tale of his love affair with a man of his own social class/standing (or maybe not—that's entirely up to you). Although stories should have a contemporary setting only, they may also be sub-categorized as romantic comedy, suspense or thriller, action and adventure, as well as BDSM. But once again, please keep in mind that at least one of your heroes must be "blue-collar" worker, just the sort of hero depicted in the above photograph. Moreover, all stories should have a "happily ever after" ending, or at least what is considered a "happily for now" conclusion.

Deadline for Submissions: June 1, 2010 (no exceptions)

Series: Hot Summer Daze

Series Type: Gay (M/M) - Summertime Love Affairs

Novella Length: 18,000 to 39,999 words

Heat Level: 3+ (Love scenes should be extremely explicit and contain graphic language. Stories may also contain sexual situations or storylines that push the envelope—heavy bondage, spanking, as well as ménage, domination and submission, multiple sexual partners, etc.)

Note regarding sexual content: Although subplots featuring hetero (M/F) or ménage (M/M/F, M/F/M, etc.) pairings may be acceptable for secondary characters, they should not take up more than a small percentage of the overall story. The heroes (the main focus of each novella) must be strictly gay and not bisexual—they should have no sexual desire for females. For storyline purposes, your heroes may have a history of heterosexual or bisexual activity, but generally, they are now either fully out of the closet or will be fully out before the story concludes. Your heroes, however, may participate in gay ménage (M/M/M) or all-male group sex. Again, all "female" involvement within the story should be kept to a minimum, and when it comes to your heroes, all sexual content should be M/M only.

Specific Guidelines: Each novella for this "picture/series" should tell the story of a hot and steamy summer affair. Whether your heroes meet at some exotic resort, on a luxury cruise, or even while hanging out at their neighborhood pool, a red-hot romance should develop between them and turn their lives upside down. Although stories should have a contemporary setting only, they may also be sub-categorized as romantic comedy, suspense or thriller, action and adventure, as well as BDSM. All stories should have a "happily ever after" ending, or at least what is considered a "happily for now" conclusion, so show us how the summers will sizzle once your heroes get together and realize what they have is a whole lot more than just a meaningless fling.

Deadline for Submissions: July 1, 2010 (no exceptions)

Important notes: Amber Allure will not consider any previously published stories, therefore each novella should include only new material. Additionally, the submission should not be part of a series published at another house. Only completed manuscripts will be accepted for consideration. Please also include a detailed synopsis of the manuscript as well as a query letter. And finally, no simultaneous submissions please.
reviews_and_ramblings: (Default)
I have a theme tag in my reviews that is “Virgins… at least in one way”; it’s obviously a fun tag, but I mainly use it for those stories dealing with an usually young boy dealing with his first same-sex sexual experiences. It doesn’t mean that he is a real virgin, most of the time the boy arrives from an heterosexual tentative past, and now he is coming out to his real true.

Lust in London instead is a pure “Virgin” themed novel, without the necessary specification of the same-sex relationship. Alex is 21 years old and at his first experience far from home; a good student and a bit ahead of his time, he is spending six months in London to specialize his Law degree. The experience seems perfect, he is sharing an house with 2 other American students, and he is happy to welcome any novelty he can expect. I think Alex is maybe a bit exhilarated by this sudden freedom and maybe dazzled by all the chances he has around. Alex has always believed that, with his studies ended, he would have found a good man and started a long term relationship. He would have been happy and good, and the ugliness of the world would never have touched him. Alex is a bit naive.

When he meets Mason on a pub, Alex falls over heels in “love” with the man. Alex doesn’t know what love is and Mason maybe is even a bit flattered that a cute young boy like Alex is behaving like that, talking of being boyfriends and being always ready to meet him at his own snapping fingers. I don’t think Mason is a negative character, I think he profits, as any normal man would do, of what Alex was offering. Then if you consider Alex’s innocence, and his obvious inexperience, maybe Mason could have been a little more cautious, but well, no one is saying that Mason is perfect.

While friends are trying to warn Alex that he is doing a big mistake, in particular his roommate Paolo, the young boy is always more set to follow the impossible dream love with Mason. Alex is obviously the main hero of this novel, he is the one the reader has to have the best good in mind, but truth be told, I think that he, sometime, came out as obsessive and insecure. At some point it’s pretty clear that Mason was not searching what Alex was offering, so, truly, I was not cheering for their relationship to find a way to develop; where most of the readers were probably expecting for Alex to loose his virginity in a dreamy night, and with that act everything would have “straightened” up for Mason and Alex, I was secretly hoping that something happened to prevent Alex to reach that step.

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/9815

Amazon Kindle: Lust in London

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading_list&view=elisa.rolle
reviews_and_ramblings: (Default)
I have a theme tag in my reviews that is “Virgins… at least in one way”; it’s obviously a fun tag, but I mainly use it for those stories dealing with an usually young boy dealing with his first same-sex sexual experiences. It doesn’t mean that he is a real virgin, most of the time the boy arrives from an heterosexual tentative past, and now he is coming out to his real true.

Lust in London instead is a pure “Virgin” themed novel, without the necessary specification of the same-sex relationship. Alex is 21 years old and at his first experience far from home; a good student and a bit ahead of his time, he is spending six months in London to specialize his Law degree. The experience seems perfect, he is sharing an house with 2 other American students, and he is happy to welcome any novelty he can expect. I think Alex is maybe a bit exhilarated by this sudden freedom and maybe dazzled by all the chances he has around. Alex has always believed that, with his studies ended, he would have found a good man and started a long term relationship. He would have been happy and good, and the ugliness of the world would never have touched him. Alex is a bit naive.

When he meets Mason on a pub, Alex falls over heels in “love” with the man. Alex doesn’t know what love is and Mason maybe is even a bit flattered that a cute young boy like Alex is behaving like that, talking of being boyfriends and being always ready to meet him at his own snapping fingers. I don’t think Mason is a negative character, I think he profits, as any normal man would do, of what Alex was offering. Then if you consider Alex’s innocence, and his obvious inexperience, maybe Mason could have been a little more cautious, but well, no one is saying that Mason is perfect.

While friends are trying to warn Alex that he is doing a big mistake, in particular his roommate Paolo, the young boy is always more set to follow the impossible dream love with Mason. Alex is obviously the main hero of this novel, he is the one the reader has to have the best good in mind, but truth be told, I think that he, sometime, came out as obsessive and insecure. At some point it’s pretty clear that Mason was not searching what Alex was offering, so, truly, I was not cheering for their relationship to find a way to develop; where most of the readers were probably expecting for Alex to loose his virginity in a dreamy night, and with that act everything would have “straightened” up for Mason and Alex, I was secretly hoping that something happened to prevent Alex to reach that step.

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/9815

Amazon Kindle: Lust in London

Reading List:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bottom.php?tag=reading_list&view=elisa.rolle
reviews_and_ramblings: (Default)
This is only a short story but it’s very nice and romantic, and how could be anything else, when we are speaking of hot doctors and their furry friends, little matchmaker kitties?

At first Dr. Dante James, vet, goes to Dr. Keith Hoyer, m.d., with a health problem, but the problem is minimal and soon forgotten, and instead Dr. Keith is more interesting in knowing more of the handsome African American vet than his health status. Only that the chance doesn’t come, and so Keith manages to have it; when he accidentally steps onto his cat, Harpo, first thing in his mind is to call Dante. Now, I can concede to Keith that he said he is new at the practice, so maybe also new in town? So maybe he has not yet found a vet for his beloved kitty? Or maybe Keith sees as a good chance to grasp when he suddenly needs the help of a vet right when he was thinking how to call again Dante?

As you can imagine, this is a short story, 15 pages, so I can’t really say much, other than the feeling of the story was light, the love story promising, and the help both men received by their respective pet friends real cute. As often when there are pets in a short story, they tend to steal a bit the scene to their owners, as it’s in this case for Harpo, he has almost the better scenes.

On Call: Afternoon is exactly what the title suggest, a love affair in a lazy Saturday afternoon, but maybe this is only the start of a true love story.

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&manufacturers_id=275&products_id=2537

Reading List:

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

Profile

reviews_and_ramblings: (Default)
reviews_and_ramblings

December 2025

S M T W T F S
 12 3456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031   

Links

Most Popular Tags

Disclaimer

All cover art, photo and graphic design contained in this site are copyrighted by the respective publishers and authors. These pages are for entertainment purposes only and no copyright infringement is intended. Should anyone object to our use of these items please contact by email the blog's owner.
This is an amateur blog, where I discuss my reading, what I like and sometimes my personal life. I do not endorse anyone or charge fees of any kind for the books I review. I do not accept money as a result of this blog.
I'm associated with Amazon/USA Affiliates Programs.
Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. However, some books were purchased by the reviewer and not provided for free. For information on how a particular title was obtained, please contact by email the blog's owner.
Days of Love Gallery - Copyright Legenda: http://www.elisarolle.com/gallery/index_legenda.html

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Dec. 5th, 2025 10:41 pm
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios