Arnette Lamb (January 12, 1947 - September 18, 1998)

Arnette Lamb (b. January 12, 1947 in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. - d. September 18, 1998) was an U.S. American writer of 13 romance novels from 1990 to 1998. Arnette Lamb was known world wide for her romance books set in Scotland. Arnette was an inspiration for authors, particularly those in her Houston, Texas critique group and she always had time for her fans.

She has won for two years the Romantic Times Career Acheivemente Award (1989-1990 e 1993-1994) and her Anthology "A Holiday of Love" is in the Top Ten Anthology List by All About Romance.

Surrounded by her husband, family and friends, Arnette, at the age of 51, passed away September 18, 1998, after a two year fight with nasal pharyngeal, a form of cancer. Her funeral service was held in the Rothko Chapel in Houston, Texas.

Arnette Lamb’s Books on Amazon: Arnette Lamb

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

Arnette Lamb (January 12, 1947 - September 18, 1998)

Arnette Lamb (b. January 12, 1947 in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. - d. September 18, 1998) was an U.S. American writer of 13 romance novels from 1990 to 1998. Arnette Lamb was known world wide for her romance books set in Scotland. Arnette was an inspiration for authors, particularly those in her Houston, Texas critique group and she always had time for her fans.

She has won for two years the Romantic Times Career Acheivemente Award (1989-1990 e 1993-1994) and her Anthology "A Holiday of Love" is in the Top Ten Anthology List by All About Romance.

Surrounded by her husband, family and friends, Arnette, at the age of 51, passed away September 18, 1998, after a two year fight with nasal pharyngeal, a form of cancer. Her funeral service was held in the Rothko Chapel in Houston, Texas.

Arnette Lamb’s Books on Amazon: Arnette Lamb

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

Event: A Reading with Justin Torres

Date: 09/20/2011
Time: 5:30 pm
Place: Giovanni's Room
At 12th & Pine Streets in Philly's "Gayborhood" in Center City
345 South 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

Justin Torres is the author of We the Animals (Houghton Mifflin, $21 hb).

Hardcover: 144 pages
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; 1 edition (August 30, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0547576722
ISBN-13: 978-0547576725
Amazon: We the Animals

An exquisite, blistering debut novel. Three brothers tear their way through childhood— smashing tomatoes all over each other, building kites from trash, hiding out when their parents do battle, tiptoeing around the house as their mother sleeps off her graveyard shift. Paps and Ma are from Brooklyn—he’s Puerto Rican, she’s white—and their love is a serious, dangerous thing that makes and unmakes a family many times. Life in this family is fierce and absorbing, full of chaos and heartbreak and the euphoria of belonging completely to one another. From the intense familial unity felt by a child to the profound alienation he endures as he begins to see the world, this beautiful novel reinvents the coming-of-age story in a way that is sly and punch-in-the-stomach powerful. Written in magical language with unforgettable images, this is a stunning exploration of the viscerally charged landscape of growing up, how deeply we are formed by our earliest bonds, and how we are ultimately propelled at escape velocity toward our futures.

Event: A Reading with Justin Torres

Date: 09/20/2011
Time: 5:30 pm
Place: Giovanni's Room
At 12th & Pine Streets in Philly's "Gayborhood" in Center City
345 South 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

Justin Torres is the author of We the Animals (Houghton Mifflin, $21 hb).

Hardcover: 144 pages
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; 1 edition (August 30, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0547576722
ISBN-13: 978-0547576725
Amazon: We the Animals

An exquisite, blistering debut novel. Three brothers tear their way through childhood— smashing tomatoes all over each other, building kites from trash, hiding out when their parents do battle, tiptoeing around the house as their mother sleeps off her graveyard shift. Paps and Ma are from Brooklyn—he’s Puerto Rican, she’s white—and their love is a serious, dangerous thing that makes and unmakes a family many times. Life in this family is fierce and absorbing, full of chaos and heartbreak and the euphoria of belonging completely to one another. From the intense familial unity felt by a child to the profound alienation he endures as he begins to see the world, this beautiful novel reinvents the coming-of-age story in a way that is sly and punch-in-the-stomach powerful. Written in magical language with unforgettable images, this is a stunning exploration of the viscerally charged landscape of growing up, how deeply we are formed by our earliest bonds, and how we are ultimately propelled at escape velocity toward our futures.

Beneath the Neon Moon by Theda Black

The novella is a mix of horror and psychological thriller; there is a splash of romance, but it’s really not the main element of the story.

Zach is the character that has more deepness, probably since he is the one the author gives a clear glimpse in his past; orphaned by mother, with an alcoholic father, Zach has not had an easy childhood. He managed to build a life for himself, poor and lonely, but at least he managed to have something to eat, as often didn’t happen when he was a boy. But the economic downfall is again playing with his life and the loneliness is even more hard to face bringing Zach to search casual encounter with strangers… a careless moves that has him chained in a basement with another man.

Of Mal we have some info here and there, a college kid, a little older than other kids since he was in trouble when he was a freshman and he is now attending college on a scholarship since his parents don’t want to help him no more. He gives me the idea of a friendly guy, an all American boy type, easy to approach, easy to be friend to. Zach in comparison is more edgy, moody, always waiting for the next blow to strike.

While Zach unwillingly admit almost immediately he is gay, he confessed he was with their captive for a night of no strings attached sex, Mal is more a mystery on that side. In the end I don’t know if he was already gay, or if he falls in love with Zach in the two days they are chained together in that basement. As I said, even if there is a romance between Zach and Mal, and sex, the romance is not really the main element of this story. What takes the lion share of the story is the fragile equilibrium Zach and Mal are reaching together, an equilibrium they have to find to arrive both alive at the end of the story.

It’s not the first time Theda Black surprised me with her complex characters.

Amazon Kindle: Beneath the Neon Moon
Publisher: TKB Books (July 12, 2010)

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

Beneath the Neon Moon by Theda Black

The novella is a mix of horror and psychological thriller; there is a splash of romance, but it’s really not the main element of the story.

Zach is the character that has more deepness, probably since he is the one the author gives a clear glimpse in his past; orphaned by mother, with an alcoholic father, Zach has not had an easy childhood. He managed to build a life for himself, poor and lonely, but at least he managed to have something to eat, as often didn’t happen when he was a boy. But the economic downfall is again playing with his life and the loneliness is even more hard to face bringing Zach to search casual encounter with strangers… a careless moves that has him chained in a basement with another man.

Of Mal we have some info here and there, a college kid, a little older than other kids since he was in trouble when he was a freshman and he is now attending college on a scholarship since his parents don’t want to help him no more. He gives me the idea of a friendly guy, an all American boy type, easy to approach, easy to be friend to. Zach in comparison is more edgy, moody, always waiting for the next blow to strike.

While Zach unwillingly admit almost immediately he is gay, he confessed he was with their captive for a night of no strings attached sex, Mal is more a mystery on that side. In the end I don’t know if he was already gay, or if he falls in love with Zach in the two days they are chained together in that basement. As I said, even if there is a romance between Zach and Mal, and sex, the romance is not really the main element of this story. What takes the lion share of the story is the fragile equilibrium Zach and Mal are reaching together, an equilibrium they have to find to arrive both alive at the end of the story.

It’s not the first time Theda Black surprised me with her complex characters.

Amazon Kindle: Beneath the Neon Moon
Publisher: TKB Books (July 12, 2010)

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

Greetings from Dupont Circle and Logan Circle, Washington DC

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a special district to serve as the permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution. The District is therefore not a part of any U.S. state and is instead directly overseen by the federal government. (Picture: 2007 High Heel Race)

Researchers using data from the 2000 Census revealed that an estimated 33,000 adults in the District of Columbia identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual, about 8.1% of the city's adult population. The city council passed legislation in 2009 authorizing same-sex marriage and the District began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in March 2010.

Gentrification efforts are taking hold in Washington, D.C., notably in the neighborhoods of Logan Circle, Shaw, Columbia Heights, the U Street Corridor, and the 14th Street Corridor. Development was fostered in some neighborhoods by the late-1990s construction of the Green Line on Metrorail, Washington's subway system, which linked them to the downtown area. In March 2008, a new shopping mall in Columbia Heights became the first new major retail center in the District in 40 years. As in many cities, gentrification is revitalizing Washington's economy, but analysts claim its benefits are unevenly distributed throughout the city and that the economic growth is not directly helping poor people.

Logan Circle is a traffic circle, neighborhood, and historic district in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. The primarily residential neighborhood includes two historic districts, properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and sites designated D.C. Historic Landmarks. It is the last major circle in the District that remains entirely residential.


Logan Circle

( Read more... )

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

( Further Readings  )

Greetings from Dupont Circle and Logan Circle, Washington DC

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a special district to serve as the permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution. The District is therefore not a part of any U.S. state and is instead directly overseen by the federal government. (Picture: 2007 High Heel Race)

Researchers using data from the 2000 Census revealed that an estimated 33,000 adults in the District of Columbia identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual, about 8.1% of the city's adult population. The city council passed legislation in 2009 authorizing same-sex marriage and the District began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples in March 2010.

Gentrification efforts are taking hold in Washington, D.C., notably in the neighborhoods of Logan Circle, Shaw, Columbia Heights, the U Street Corridor, and the 14th Street Corridor. Development was fostered in some neighborhoods by the late-1990s construction of the Green Line on Metrorail, Washington's subway system, which linked them to the downtown area. In March 2008, a new shopping mall in Columbia Heights became the first new major retail center in the District in 40 years. As in many cities, gentrification is revitalizing Washington's economy, but analysts claim its benefits are unevenly distributed throughout the city and that the economic growth is not directly helping poor people.

Logan Circle is a traffic circle, neighborhood, and historic district in the Northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. The primarily residential neighborhood includes two historic districts, properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and sites designated D.C. Historic Landmarks. It is the last major circle in the District that remains entirely residential.


Logan Circle

( Read more... )

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

( Further Readings  )

Another Enchanted April by Eric Arvin

As the title suggests, Eric Arvin takes a spin on A Midsummer Night’s Dream and weaves a contemporary tale with a fantasy flavour. I say flavour since, after all, nothing that will happen in this novel is magical, if not the magic of love.

Doug is friend of Jerry and Jerry is friend of Tony and so Doug is friend of Tony too; they all met at Verona College (a place that often appears in Eric Arvin’s novels) and their friendship survives still now, when they are at the verge of thirty. Actually Doug and Jerry had something more than friendship happening between them, but Doug was, and still is, a flirt, and he doesn’t notice that Jerry is nursing a deeper feeling for him. Sometime Doug let it out that in 10 years or so maybe he will be ready to settle down with only one man and that, if he meets the right man, Mr Right will be willing to wait for him. I think Jerry applied for the role, and is now in the waiting phase, even if Doug didn’t notice.

Tony noticed though, but he has his own trouble to deal with and so is not really able, or willing, to help Jerry. On the contrary he would like for his friends to let him alone, but they don’t listen: they practically kidnap Tony to bring him with them on an isolated B&B in a beach village when outside is still too cold for the summer season. They will have a manor house all for them and the nice surprise will be the wonderful garden outside the house and the even more wonderful gardener. Where Doug is all looks and friendly attitude, and Jerry a plain joe type with a nice heart, Tony is bitter and aloof but he is the one to catch the eyes of the handsome Sal, the master of the gardener.

No one of the three men will find in Beechwood and in its enchanting gardens what they were looking for, but in the end all of them will go away with what they really needed.

The feel of the novel is of fresh air and blossoming season, i.e. a moment in time when everything could happen. Even the sex is a little absurd, very much like in a comedy of errors, when people fall in bed with the wrong partner to then wake up searching for the one they really want. But even if sex happens, and often, it’s not explicit, on the contrary is almost fake, and the author describes it in detail only when it’s happening between the wrong ones, and instead, when the sex is between the soul mates, then it happens behind closed courtains.

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2148

Amazon Kindle: Another Enchanted April
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (January 12, 2011)

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

Another Enchanted April by Eric Arvin

As the title suggests, Eric Arvin takes a spin on A Midsummer Night’s Dream and weaves a contemporary tale with a fantasy flavour. I say flavour since, after all, nothing that will happen in this novel is magical, if not the magic of love.

Doug is friend of Jerry and Jerry is friend of Tony and so Doug is friend of Tony too; they all met at Verona College (a place that often appears in Eric Arvin’s novels) and their friendship survives still now, when they are at the verge of thirty. Actually Doug and Jerry had something more than friendship happening between them, but Doug was, and still is, a flirt, and he doesn’t notice that Jerry is nursing a deeper feeling for him. Sometime Doug let it out that in 10 years or so maybe he will be ready to settle down with only one man and that, if he meets the right man, Mr Right will be willing to wait for him. I think Jerry applied for the role, and is now in the waiting phase, even if Doug didn’t notice.

Tony noticed though, but he has his own trouble to deal with and so is not really able, or willing, to help Jerry. On the contrary he would like for his friends to let him alone, but they don’t listen: they practically kidnap Tony to bring him with them on an isolated B&B in a beach village when outside is still too cold for the summer season. They will have a manor house all for them and the nice surprise will be the wonderful garden outside the house and the even more wonderful gardener. Where Doug is all looks and friendly attitude, and Jerry a plain joe type with a nice heart, Tony is bitter and aloof but he is the one to catch the eyes of the handsome Sal, the master of the gardener.

No one of the three men will find in Beechwood and in its enchanting gardens what they were looking for, but in the end all of them will go away with what they really needed.

The feel of the novel is of fresh air and blossoming season, i.e. a moment in time when everything could happen. Even the sex is a little absurd, very much like in a comedy of errors, when people fall in bed with the wrong partner to then wake up searching for the one they really want. But even if sex happens, and often, it’s not explicit, on the contrary is almost fake, and the author describes it in detail only when it’s happening between the wrong ones, and instead, when the sex is between the soul mates, then it happens behind closed courtains.

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2148

Amazon Kindle: Another Enchanted April
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (January 12, 2011)

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