Greetings from West Hollywood, California

West Hollywood, a city of Los Angeles County, California, was incorporated on November 29, 1984, with a population of 34,399 at the 2010 census. 41% of the city's population is made up of gay men according to a 2002 demographic analysis by Sara Kocher Consulting for the City of West Hollywood. West Hollywood and the neighboring city of Beverly Hills are together entirely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles.

The West Hollywood Halloween Carneval is an event that takes place annually on October 31. The largest Halloween street party in the United States (spanning over one mile (1.6 km) of Santa Monica Boulevard from La Cienega Boulevard on the East to Doheny and the Beverly Hills border on the West), the 2007 Carneval was reported to have more than 350,000 people in attendance, with some traveling from other countries specifically for the event.

Christopher Street West is a gay pride parade and festival that was first held in June 1970 in Hollywood to commemorate the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York. After incorporation, the event moved to West Hollywood and is typically held the second weekend in June.

The Oscars is a major event in the city with a majority of the large Academy Award party venues being located in the city. Many streets are closed and traffic swells on this day each year.

 
Questa foto di West Hollywood è offerta da TripAdvisor.

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Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Hollywood

Everyone has to go, at least once to the Abbey, in WeHo -- it's a right of passage.  It's too expensive, the ambiance however is nice with all sorts of different seating areas. --James Buchanan

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( Further Readings )

Greetings from West Hollywood, California

West Hollywood, a city of Los Angeles County, California, was incorporated on November 29, 1984, with a population of 34,399 at the 2010 census. 41% of the city's population is made up of gay men according to a 2002 demographic analysis by Sara Kocher Consulting for the City of West Hollywood. West Hollywood and the neighboring city of Beverly Hills are together entirely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles.

The West Hollywood Halloween Carneval is an event that takes place annually on October 31. The largest Halloween street party in the United States (spanning over one mile (1.6 km) of Santa Monica Boulevard from La Cienega Boulevard on the East to Doheny and the Beverly Hills border on the West), the 2007 Carneval was reported to have more than 350,000 people in attendance, with some traveling from other countries specifically for the event.

Christopher Street West is a gay pride parade and festival that was first held in June 1970 in Hollywood to commemorate the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York. After incorporation, the event moved to West Hollywood and is typically held the second weekend in June.

The Oscars is a major event in the city with a majority of the large Academy Award party venues being located in the city. Many streets are closed and traffic swells on this day each year.

 
Questa foto di West Hollywood è offerta da TripAdvisor.

( Read more... )

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Hollywood

Everyone has to go, at least once to the Abbey, in WeHo -- it's a right of passage.  It's too expensive, the ambiance however is nice with all sorts of different seating areas. --James Buchanan

( Read more... )

( Further Readings )

Unprotected Love by John F. Rooney

First of all, I have probably to warn who usually reads my blog that this is not a romance and neither a gay novel. If someone wants to probably label it in the LGBT field, than maybe it could be a bisexual mystery/thriller. That is probably not a surprise for who is used to John F. Rooney’s novels, they know he is not actually a writer of gay novels, aside for a novel, The Rice Queen Spy, about a retired gay spy for Her Majesty’s secret service, who was cruelly outed and tortured
for his homosexuality. Moreover this is the third mystery in the Denny Delaney’s series, and in the previous two books, and in this one as well, Denny is happily married with Monny, and many chapters in the books start with “Denny and Monny” doing something, going to dinner, attending a Broadway show, planning a night together, both in some trendy NYC location than staying at home.

But in this novel Denny is investigating about a serial killer who is targeting young gay hustlers, and Denny becomes involved with Tim, a friend of two of the victims and an hustler himself. Not only Denny is worried about Tim since he is the only lead he has on the case, he is also worried about him as a person, and Denny’s feelings are new to him, but not unwelcome. Strange, but not something that horrified Denny, more a source of perplexity. What I probably didn’t like about Denny is that, yes, he wonders about what these feelings will imply in his relationship with Monny, but sincerely I didn’t feel like Denny was really wondering if his relationship with Monny was at risk. For this reason I think that more than gay this novel is on the bisexual field: Denny doesn’t exclude he can have feelings for Tim, but I have never questioned that he would, in the end, find a way to stay with Monny.

As many noticed, Denny and Monny have a really intense social life, and a lot of scenes in the novel take place in some real location: theatres, Broadway shows, restaurants, club, and I didn’t check all of them, but I bet they are all real and exactly in the place where Rooney located them in the novel. I think that was done with a purpose, and for two different reasons: first, to highlight the difference between the “superficial” lights of the NYC socialite, and the sordid fate fell upon those poor souls, just outside the circle of those same lights. Second to prove that Denny and Monny are a steady couple, that they have place in common, a circle of friends, shared interests… all reasons why, even if Denny could go astray for a day or two, in the end, he will always come back.

As usual, I will not comment on the mystery, that is really not my cup of tea; I can say that, of course I had my idea on who was the serial killer, mainly since I didn’t like their attitude, and in the end, I was right, but that was more something from the gut than a real “detective” job.

Amazon: Unprotected Love
Amazon Kindle: Unprotected Love
Paperback: 218 pages
Publisher: Senneff House Publishers (February 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0975275615
ISBN-13: 978-0975275610

Reading List:



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

Unprotected Love by John F. Rooney

First of all, I have probably to warn who usually reads my blog that this is not a romance and neither a gay novel. If someone wants to probably label it in the LGBT field, than maybe it could be a bisexual mystery/thriller. That is probably not a surprise for who is used to John F. Rooney’s novels, they know he is not actually a writer of gay novels, aside for a novel, The Rice Queen Spy, about a retired gay spy for Her Majesty’s secret service, who was cruelly outed and tortured
for his homosexuality. Moreover this is the third mystery in the Denny Delaney’s series, and in the previous two books, and in this one as well, Denny is happily married with Monny, and many chapters in the books start with “Denny and Monny” doing something, going to dinner, attending a Broadway show, planning a night together, both in some trendy NYC location than staying at home.

But in this novel Denny is investigating about a serial killer who is targeting young gay hustlers, and Denny becomes involved with Tim, a friend of two of the victims and an hustler himself. Not only Denny is worried about Tim since he is the only lead he has on the case, he is also worried about him as a person, and Denny’s feelings are new to him, but not unwelcome. Strange, but not something that horrified Denny, more a source of perplexity. What I probably didn’t like about Denny is that, yes, he wonders about what these feelings will imply in his relationship with Monny, but sincerely I didn’t feel like Denny was really wondering if his relationship with Monny was at risk. For this reason I think that more than gay this novel is on the bisexual field: Denny doesn’t exclude he can have feelings for Tim, but I have never questioned that he would, in the end, find a way to stay with Monny.

As many noticed, Denny and Monny have a really intense social life, and a lot of scenes in the novel take place in some real location: theatres, Broadway shows, restaurants, club, and I didn’t check all of them, but I bet they are all real and exactly in the place where Rooney located them in the novel. I think that was done with a purpose, and for two different reasons: first, to highlight the difference between the “superficial” lights of the NYC socialite, and the sordid fate fell upon those poor souls, just outside the circle of those same lights. Second to prove that Denny and Monny are a steady couple, that they have place in common, a circle of friends, shared interests… all reasons why, even if Denny could go astray for a day or two, in the end, he will always come back.

As usual, I will not comment on the mystery, that is really not my cup of tea; I can say that, of course I had my idea on who was the serial killer, mainly since I didn’t like their attitude, and in the end, I was right, but that was more something from the gut than a real “detective” job.

Amazon: Unprotected Love
Amazon Kindle: Unprotected Love
Paperback: 218 pages
Publisher: Senneff House Publishers (February 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0975275615
ISBN-13: 978-0975275610

Reading List:



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

Congratulations to a debut and another established author, both writing Romance

So I think this is big enough to mention, especially after a year where people discussed a lot on the different between Gay Fiction and M/M romance: yesterday night, Andy Cohen during a chat with Joe Gorga (or better during a flirting session with Joe Gorga) on his night show WATCH WHAT HAPPENS LIVE mentioned Damon Suede's debut novel Hot Head, in the contest of a discussion about Gay Erotica (http://www.bravotv.com/watch-what-happens-live)

And just the other day, a well-known name in the Gay Fiction world, Michael Thomas Ford, had a review of his last book, The Road Home (recently re-released in paperback) on USA Today, one of the 4 romance books in that article (http://wap.usatoday.com/article/life/books/49159862?preferredArticleViewMode=single)

And I'm even more happy since not only Hot Head was one of the best gay romance I read lately (as I said in my review) but my review of The Road Home was also the one picked by another literary magazine (yes LITERARY) for their July issue. So I cannot be more happy that both books received such attention also outside the tight circle made by reviewers and readers of Gay Romance.

Of course, Hot Head and The Road Home cannot be more different, one more a Romance leaning towards Erotica and the other more pointing towards mainstream literature, but they are both Romance, no doubt about that. Well, aside from my most sincere congratulations to both authors, I think this is yet another proof that Gay Fiction, and ABOVE ALL Gay Romance is getting the deserved attention from the mainstream public. True, apparently Andy Cohen is a gay celebrity, but reviewer of USA Today was reviewing Romance (and NOT gay romance).

Hot Head by Damon Suede
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (June 17, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1615819487
ISBN-13: 978-1615819485
Amazon: Hot Head

Where there's smoke, there's fire... Since 9/11, Brooklyn firefighter Griff Muir has wrestled with impossible feelings for his best friend and partner at Ladder 181, Dante Anastagio. Unfortunately, Dante is strictly a ladies' man, and the FDNY isn't exactly gay-friendly. For ten years, Griff has hidden his heart in a half-life of public heroics and private anguish. Griff's caution and Dante's cockiness make them an unbeatable team. To protect his buddy, there's nothing Griff wouldn't do... until a nearly bankrupt Dante proposes the worst possible solution: HotHead.com, a gay porn website where uniformed hunks get down and dirty. And Dante wants them to appear there-together. Griff may have to guard his heart and live out his darkest fantasies on camera. Can he rescue the man he loves without wrecking their careers, their families, or their friendship?

The Road Home by Michael Thomas Ford
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Kensington; Reprint edition (May 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0758218540
ISBN-13: 978-0758218544
Amazon: The Road Home

Bestselling author Michael Thomas Ford demonstrates once again why he is the master of portraying the contemporary gay experience, in this moving, beautifully told story of love, family, and finding one's place in the world. When a car accident leaves photographer Burke Crenshaw in need of temporary full-time care, he finds himself back in the one place no forty-year-old chooses to be--his childhood bedroom. There, in the Vermont home where he grew up, Burke begins the long process of recuperation, and watches as his widowed father finds happiness in a new relationship that's a constant reminder of everything Burke wants and lacks. Meeting Will Janks is an unexpected complication. Will is the twenty-year-old son of Burke's high school best friend, Mars. After what transpired between them one summer long ago, Burke had hoped he and Mars might become more than friends, but Mars has always pretended that night never happened. Will, in contrast, makes no secret of his interest in Burke, who can't resist his attraction to the handsome young man. The burgeoning relationship draws Burke out of himself and into the community he left behind. Exploring local history, he discovers an intriguing series of letters from a Civil War soldier to his fiancé. With the help of librarian Sam Guffrey, he begins to research a 125-year-old mystery that seems to be reaching into the present day. The more Burke delves into the past, the more he's forced to confront the person he has become: the choices he made and those he avoided, his ideas of what it takes to be a successful gay man, his feelings about his mother's death, and the suppressed tension that simmers between himself and his father. Compelling, frankly funny, and often wise, The Road Home is the story of one man's coming to terms with who he is, what he wants out of life, and where he belongs--and the complex, surprising path that finally takes him there.

Congratulations to a debut and another established author, both writing Romance

So I think this is big enough to mention, especially after a year where people discussed a lot on the different between Gay Fiction and M/M romance: yesterday night, Andy Cohen during a chat with Joe Gorga (or better during a flirting session with Joe Gorga) on his night show WATCH WHAT HAPPENS LIVE mentioned Damon Suede's debut novel Hot Head, in the contest of a discussion about Gay Erotica (http://www.bravotv.com/watch-what-happens-live)

And just the other day, a well-known name in the Gay Fiction world, Michael Thomas Ford, had a review of his last book, The Road Home (recently re-released in paperback) on USA Today, one of the 4 romance books in that article (http://wap.usatoday.com/article/life/books/49159862?preferredArticleViewMode=single)

And I'm even more happy since not only Hot Head was one of the best gay romance I read lately (as I said in my review) but my review of The Road Home was also the one picked by another literary magazine (yes LITERARY) for their July issue. So I cannot be more happy that both books received such attention also outside the tight circle made by reviewers and readers of Gay Romance.

Of course, Hot Head and The Road Home cannot be more different, one more a Romance leaning towards Erotica and the other more pointing towards mainstream literature, but they are both Romance, no doubt about that. Well, aside from my most sincere congratulations to both authors, I think this is yet another proof that Gay Fiction, and ABOVE ALL Gay Romance is getting the deserved attention from the mainstream public. True, apparently Andy Cohen is a gay celebrity, but reviewer of USA Today was reviewing Romance (and NOT gay romance).

Hot Head by Damon Suede
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (June 17, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1615819487
ISBN-13: 978-1615819485
Amazon: Hot Head

Where there's smoke, there's fire... Since 9/11, Brooklyn firefighter Griff Muir has wrestled with impossible feelings for his best friend and partner at Ladder 181, Dante Anastagio. Unfortunately, Dante is strictly a ladies' man, and the FDNY isn't exactly gay-friendly. For ten years, Griff has hidden his heart in a half-life of public heroics and private anguish. Griff's caution and Dante's cockiness make them an unbeatable team. To protect his buddy, there's nothing Griff wouldn't do... until a nearly bankrupt Dante proposes the worst possible solution: HotHead.com, a gay porn website where uniformed hunks get down and dirty. And Dante wants them to appear there-together. Griff may have to guard his heart and live out his darkest fantasies on camera. Can he rescue the man he loves without wrecking their careers, their families, or their friendship?

The Road Home by Michael Thomas Ford
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Kensington; Reprint edition (May 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0758218540
ISBN-13: 978-0758218544
Amazon: The Road Home

Bestselling author Michael Thomas Ford demonstrates once again why he is the master of portraying the contemporary gay experience, in this moving, beautifully told story of love, family, and finding one's place in the world. When a car accident leaves photographer Burke Crenshaw in need of temporary full-time care, he finds himself back in the one place no forty-year-old chooses to be--his childhood bedroom. There, in the Vermont home where he grew up, Burke begins the long process of recuperation, and watches as his widowed father finds happiness in a new relationship that's a constant reminder of everything Burke wants and lacks. Meeting Will Janks is an unexpected complication. Will is the twenty-year-old son of Burke's high school best friend, Mars. After what transpired between them one summer long ago, Burke had hoped he and Mars might become more than friends, but Mars has always pretended that night never happened. Will, in contrast, makes no secret of his interest in Burke, who can't resist his attraction to the handsome young man. The burgeoning relationship draws Burke out of himself and into the community he left behind. Exploring local history, he discovers an intriguing series of letters from a Civil War soldier to his fiancé. With the help of librarian Sam Guffrey, he begins to research a 125-year-old mystery that seems to be reaching into the present day. The more Burke delves into the past, the more he's forced to confront the person he has become: the choices he made and those he avoided, his ideas of what it takes to be a successful gay man, his feelings about his mother's death, and the suppressed tension that simmers between himself and his father. Compelling, frankly funny, and often wise, The Road Home is the story of one man's coming to terms with who he is, what he wants out of life, and where he belongs--and the complex, surprising path that finally takes him there.