Abra Taylor (1932 – February 26, 2005)

Writing as Abra Taylor, Barbara Brouse was one of the world’s bestselling romance writers—an author renowned for evoking an emotional depth and drama not seen at that time in contemporary romance. As an author in the early eighties, she was also part of a romantic revolution, one of a group of writers who injected new realism into bigger and bolder love stories. Little wonder then that Barbara was asked to write Harlequin’s very first Superromance novel, End of Innocence, before eventually switching over to Special Edition. She also wrote as Araby Scott.

As Abra Taylor, she created a world in which love's raging passion always overcomes deceit, betrayal and flame-haired predators (aka the other woman), in which the oh-so-handsome (but distant) count will finally sweep our heroine, the small grey-eyed governess, into his rippling arms and, with a shudder, a groan low in his throat, cover her mouth with burning kisses.

She was one of the world's best-selling romance writers.

As Barbara Brouse she had to be: her own marriage was disintegrating and she was single-handedly keeping four children and a grand house going in Rosedale.

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Abra Taylor's Books on Amazon: Abra Taylor

Source: Toronto Star - Lifelines - April 4, 2005 - Romance writer troubled by memories (http://www.brouse.org/~barbara/)

( Vintage Covers )

Laura Black (May 1, 1929 – February 26, 2000)

Roger Erskine Longrigg (born Edinburgh, May 1, 1929) was the son of Brigadier Stephen Hemsley Longrigg. He married Jane Catherine Chichester, daughter of Marcus Beresford Chichester and Myra Brownrigg Jay, on 20 July 1957. Three daughters: Laura Jane Longrigg b. 21 Jun 1958, Frances Angelica Longrigg b. 26 Mar 1961, Clare Selina Longrigg b. 23 Aug 1963. He died on 26 February 2000.

ROGER LONGRIGG was the author of 55 books. There is nothing unique about this statistic. Many writers have achieved a similar output. What was unique was that the authorship of each was concealed behind one of eight different noms de plume. Even more remarkable was that the books in each different category were financially profitable.

Readers of the busty Scottish historical novels supposedly written by Laura Black would have been surprised to know that Rosalind Erskine, creator of the saucy The Passion-Flower Hotel (1962), came from the same stable. Or that Ivor Drummond, the Ian Fleming lookalike, was the author of The History of Horse Racing (1972).

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Laura Black's Books on Amazon: Laura Black

Source: The Independent (London), Mar 1, 2000 by Graham Watson

LGBT Ebook and Print Releases February, 2012

A Bid for Love By: KT Grant (Decadent Publishing Company)
A Bit of You by Bailey Bradford
A Broken Light By: Diane Adams (Silver Publishing)
A Chance Encounter By: Gale Stanley (Silver Publishing)
A Family Found By: Nicole Dennis (Silver Publishing)
A Friend In Need By: Kali Lowe (Kali Lowe)
A Frozen Echo (Echo Branson) by Linda Kay Silva
A Game of Hearts by T.C. Blue
A Ghostly Initiation By: Jillian Cumming (Jillian Cumming)
A Gift to Remembrance By: Siobhan Crosslin (Less Than Three Press)
A Guardian's Touch by Stein Willard
A Housekeeper Twink By: Erika Loveley (Erika Loveley)
A Kiss Before Dawn by Laurie Salzler
A Mysterious Room By: Alina Howell (Alina Howell)
A Native Valentine By: India Jackson (Less Than Three Press)
A Private Gentleman By: Heidi Cullinan (Samhain Publishing)
A Ring and A Promise by Devon Rhodes (Total-e-Bound)
A Silent Echo by Silva Linda Kay
A Single Man's Valentine By: P.K. Morris (Rebel Ink Press)
( more books )

For Publishers: If you would like to be add to the monthly news releases post, please contact me.
For Authors: If you would like to post an excerpt, please contact me.

LGBT Ebook and Print Releases February, 2012

A Bid for Love By: KT Grant (Decadent Publishing Company)
A Bit of You by Bailey Bradford
A Broken Light By: Diane Adams (Silver Publishing)
A Chance Encounter By: Gale Stanley (Silver Publishing)
A Family Found By: Nicole Dennis (Silver Publishing)
A Friend In Need By: Kali Lowe (Kali Lowe)
A Frozen Echo (Echo Branson) by Linda Kay Silva
A Game of Hearts by T.C. Blue
A Ghostly Initiation By: Jillian Cumming (Jillian Cumming)
A Gift to Remembrance By: Siobhan Crosslin (Less Than Three Press)
A Guardian's Touch by Stein Willard
A Housekeeper Twink By: Erika Loveley (Erika Loveley)
A Kiss Before Dawn by Laurie Salzler
A Mysterious Room By: Alina Howell (Alina Howell)
A Native Valentine By: India Jackson (Less Than Three Press)
A Private Gentleman By: Heidi Cullinan (Samhain Publishing)
A Ring and A Promise by Devon Rhodes (Total-e-Bound)
A Silent Echo by Silva Linda Kay
A Single Man's Valentine By: P.K. Morris (Rebel Ink Press)
( more books )

For Publishers: If you would like to be add to the monthly news releases post, please contact me.
For Authors: If you would like to post an excerpt, please contact me.

Embrace by Megan Derr

What surprised me of Embrace is that, despite the theme, Vampire retro-fantasy about alternative Master and pet relationship, it was strangely sweet, sometime even pretty, and very romantic. The blurb presents the story of nobleman Aubrey and his vampire pet Ruthven, but it’s also the story of Gille and Stregoni, respectively cousin and best friend of Aubrey, and probably this second love story is the one I like the best.

Aubrey is not the typical nobleman hero, i.e. he is not strong and aloof, with a trouble soul which needs to expiate some past sins, and above all he is not the typical hero you would see in the role of a Master; on the other hand, Ruthven is far from being submissive, and, while the story presents a different type of vampire, men and women who are submissive to their owner, Ruthven is exactly how you would imagine an ancient vampire, self-assured, quick in mind and actions, but with a light touch, a penchant for sweetness, that makes him more near to Aubrey.

As I said, I loved Stregoni and Gille; Gille is the villain, or at least this is like the author presents him, the aloof man who was not able to tight a bond of friendship with Aubrey, the one who stole the love of Aubrey’s father, the substitute son, someone Aubrey considers better than himself, at least in being the son his father wants. Plus Gille has stolen Stregoni’s heart, and he is now treating him no better than a whore, using him for sex without never giving him sweet words or some kind actions. But Gille is also very possessive, and when he has the little doubt that Stregoni can find in someone else the love he is not able to find in Gille, he becomes jealous, and almost violent in proving Stregoni he is Gille’s property and no one else.

As in the previous novel by Megan Derr I read, this is a fantasy tale in a regency setting. It’s not historical, the regency setting is good but this is for sure a fantasy, the paranormal elements are intertwined in the story like they were absolutely ordinary elements, the vampires are part of the society like they were simply people from another part of the world, they are “strangers” but no “strange” creatures.

http://www.lessthanthreepress.com/books/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=92&products_id=184

Amazon: Embrace
Amazon Kindle: Embrace
Paperback: 222 pages
Publisher: Less Than Three Press (October 10, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1936202034
ISBN-13: 978-1936202034

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

Embrace by Megan Derr

What surprised me of Embrace is that, despite the theme, Vampire retro-fantasy about alternative Master and pet relationship, it was strangely sweet, sometime even pretty, and very romantic. The blurb presents the story of nobleman Aubrey and his vampire pet Ruthven, but it’s also the story of Gille and Stregoni, respectively cousin and best friend of Aubrey, and probably this second love story is the one I like the best.

Aubrey is not the typical nobleman hero, i.e. he is not strong and aloof, with a trouble soul which needs to expiate some past sins, and above all he is not the typical hero you would see in the role of a Master; on the other hand, Ruthven is far from being submissive, and, while the story presents a different type of vampire, men and women who are submissive to their owner, Ruthven is exactly how you would imagine an ancient vampire, self-assured, quick in mind and actions, but with a light touch, a penchant for sweetness, that makes him more near to Aubrey.

As I said, I loved Stregoni and Gille; Gille is the villain, or at least this is like the author presents him, the aloof man who was not able to tight a bond of friendship with Aubrey, the one who stole the love of Aubrey’s father, the substitute son, someone Aubrey considers better than himself, at least in being the son his father wants. Plus Gille has stolen Stregoni’s heart, and he is now treating him no better than a whore, using him for sex without never giving him sweet words or some kind actions. But Gille is also very possessive, and when he has the little doubt that Stregoni can find in someone else the love he is not able to find in Gille, he becomes jealous, and almost violent in proving Stregoni he is Gille’s property and no one else.

As in the previous novel by Megan Derr I read, this is a fantasy tale in a regency setting. It’s not historical, the regency setting is good but this is for sure a fantasy, the paranormal elements are intertwined in the story like they were absolutely ordinary elements, the vampires are part of the society like they were simply people from another part of the world, they are “strangers” but no “strange” creatures.

http://www.lessthanthreepress.com/books/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=92&products_id=184

Amazon: Embrace
Amazon Kindle: Embrace
Paperback: 222 pages
Publisher: Less Than Three Press (October 10, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1936202034
ISBN-13: 978-1936202034

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

Snooogles by Christopher Osman

A funny and light comedy about a modern time gay couple; Mardy and Joey’s life is not perfect, Joey is not yet comfortable to come out even if he is in an in-live relationship with Mardy; on the other hand Mardy comes from a very religious family that is accepting of his homosexuality at the only condition he is able to build a traditional family with kids and co.

Now being gay in California when gay marriage is not even recognized is not the best basis to apply for adoption, and Mardy and Joey have no money to hire a surrogate mother. The only thing that Joey can do to console a desperate Mardy is to propose him, and to bring Mardy to Las Vegas to marry. On the way back from Las Vegas, in a borrowed pink Cadillac, Mardy and Joey stumble upon a baby alien, a cute creature who steals Mardy’s heart, despite Joey’s fear and attempt to make Mardy reasoning. Mardy thinks at Snoogles, as he calls the alien, as his only chance to be a parent, and he wants to bring him back to Los Angeles. How he could believe they can be a normal family raising a baby alien is only the proof of what candid soul Mardy possesses, almost to a level of naiveté. Mardy is full able to ignore everything that is against his dreams, like those things don’t exist, like simply ignoring make them disappears. Joey is in love with Mardy, despite everything, a love that sees no reason.

What I liked of the story is that, even if in love, Mardy and Joey are young men in their twenties, and as such, they are not perfect, and even if their mistakes are maybe stranger than an ordinary twenty years old guy, they are the proof Mardy and Joey are real, and despite all, cute.

Amazon Kindle: Snooogles
Publisher: Thought Bubble Publishing (December 14, 2011)

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

Snooogles by Christopher Osman

A funny and light comedy about a modern time gay couple; Mardy and Joey’s life is not perfect, Joey is not yet comfortable to come out even if he is in an in-live relationship with Mardy; on the other hand Mardy comes from a very religious family that is accepting of his homosexuality at the only condition he is able to build a traditional family with kids and co.

Now being gay in California when gay marriage is not even recognized is not the best basis to apply for adoption, and Mardy and Joey have no money to hire a surrogate mother. The only thing that Joey can do to console a desperate Mardy is to propose him, and to bring Mardy to Las Vegas to marry. On the way back from Las Vegas, in a borrowed pink Cadillac, Mardy and Joey stumble upon a baby alien, a cute creature who steals Mardy’s heart, despite Joey’s fear and attempt to make Mardy reasoning. Mardy thinks at Snoogles, as he calls the alien, as his only chance to be a parent, and he wants to bring him back to Los Angeles. How he could believe they can be a normal family raising a baby alien is only the proof of what candid soul Mardy possesses, almost to a level of naiveté. Mardy is full able to ignore everything that is against his dreams, like those things don’t exist, like simply ignoring make them disappears. Joey is in love with Mardy, despite everything, a love that sees no reason.

What I liked of the story is that, even if in love, Mardy and Joey are young men in their twenties, and as such, they are not perfect, and even if their mistakes are maybe stranger than an ordinary twenty years old guy, they are the proof Mardy and Joey are real, and despite all, cute.

Amazon Kindle: Snooogles
Publisher: Thought Bubble Publishing (December 14, 2011)

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