Collared by Kari Gregg

I knew Kari Gregg as an author before reading this book and I knew she likes her submissive to be VERY submissive and her Dominant to have a protective streak. In a near future, a genetic mutation whose purpose was to inhibit aggression had instead highlighted the Dominant side of most, men and women alike. But among them there are some anomalies, 1 out of 1000, who instead have become more submissive, wanting the touch of a Dominant lover, better craving it. Connor is one of them, and IT director who already before the mutation was a kind and nice guy, but now he is like honey for the bears. When the change happened, Connor was in a relationship, but his partner became aggressive, so aggressive that he had to me forcedly removed from Connor and not the poor guy is without a Master, i.e. prey to everyone who is daring enough to claim him. David, Connor’s CEO on the firm, understands that he is in danger and decides to temporarily claim him, until he will be able to find a suitable Master. David is straight, soon to be married to Hannah, and even if he is attracted to Connor, he cannot be what Connor’s need. Problem is that, to David’s eyes, Emmett, the right Master, is not good enough for his precious Connor, not until the time Emmett will not prove to David to be worth of Connor, and to do that he has to court Connor, to cherish and protect him like David is doing. Between them Connor is not able to think straight (no pun intended), David is a safe shelter, warm and comfort, but Emmett is like a volcano, hot and sexy. If only he could have both their qualities in one package…

To the more skittish readers, I have to give a warning, Connor is not playing to be a submissive, he is a submissive; after the mutation Connor has feeble memories of the independent man he was before, he knows he was someone different, and that is the reason why I approve of David’s attempts to recreate a safe haven where Connor can thrive, but Connor cannot live alone; Connor needs a Master to live, he needs to be said what to do, how to do and when to do everything, from the simple shower to eating to working. Approaching this story, readers have to try to think like Connor, to live in the body of a “prey” since to the 1000 Dominants out there he is the only 1 submissive available, and so he is a coveted prize.

There is some sex, not as much as you could imagine, and to some level, there is some non-con sex, or at least, sex that at the beginning needed a little convincement. Plus David and Emmett, with their bartering and fighting sometime forget that Connor is there and maybe he needs them; sure none of them want to hurt Connor, but sometime they don’t realize it.

http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/collared

Amazon Kindle: Collared
Publisher: Riptide Publishing (November 26, 2011)

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


Cover Art by Petite-Madame VonApple

Collared by Kari Gregg

I knew Kari Gregg as an author before reading this book and I knew she likes her submissive to be VERY submissive and her Dominant to have a protective streak. In a near future, a genetic mutation whose purpose was to inhibit aggression had instead highlighted the Dominant side of most, men and women alike. But among them there are some anomalies, 1 out of 1000, who instead have become more submissive, wanting the touch of a Dominant lover, better craving it. Connor is one of them, and IT director who already before the mutation was a kind and nice guy, but now he is like honey for the bears. When the change happened, Connor was in a relationship, but his partner became aggressive, so aggressive that he had to me forcedly removed from Connor and not the poor guy is without a Master, i.e. prey to everyone who is daring enough to claim him. David, Connor’s CEO on the firm, understands that he is in danger and decides to temporarily claim him, until he will be able to find a suitable Master. David is straight, soon to be married to Hannah, and even if he is attracted to Connor, he cannot be what Connor’s need. Problem is that, to David’s eyes, Emmett, the right Master, is not good enough for his precious Connor, not until the time Emmett will not prove to David to be worth of Connor, and to do that he has to court Connor, to cherish and protect him like David is doing. Between them Connor is not able to think straight (no pun intended), David is a safe shelter, warm and comfort, but Emmett is like a volcano, hot and sexy. If only he could have both their qualities in one package…

To the more skittish readers, I have to give a warning, Connor is not playing to be a submissive, he is a submissive; after the mutation Connor has feeble memories of the independent man he was before, he knows he was someone different, and that is the reason why I approve of David’s attempts to recreate a safe haven where Connor can thrive, but Connor cannot live alone; Connor needs a Master to live, he needs to be said what to do, how to do and when to do everything, from the simple shower to eating to working. Approaching this story, readers have to try to think like Connor, to live in the body of a “prey” since to the 1000 Dominants out there he is the only 1 submissive available, and so he is a coveted prize.

There is some sex, not as much as you could imagine, and to some level, there is some non-con sex, or at least, sex that at the beginning needed a little convincement. Plus David and Emmett, with their bartering and fighting sometime forget that Connor is there and maybe he needs them; sure none of them want to hurt Connor, but sometime they don’t realize it.

http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/collared

Amazon Kindle: Collared
Publisher: Riptide Publishing (November 26, 2011)

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


Cover Art by Petite-Madame VonApple

Rainbow Awards: Cover Contest (December)

Voting on each slot will happen every 2 weeks.

- in round 1 there will be 12 slots, 1 for each month in the Submission period (from September 2011 to August 2012).
- in parallel with the poll, a special jury will vote the covers; the jury is composed by: Damon Suede, Dylan Rosser, Jodie, Julie, Max Rhyser, Mitzie, Tammy.
- you can vote as many covers as you want, using the poll in this post or "liking" the cover on FB (I prefer the poll, it's easier for me, and you can vote logging with FB, Twitter or other accounts)

Most Voted Covers last round:


Dark Soul 1 (Jordan Taylor)


Marathon Cowboys (Anne Cain)


Blinded Mind (Anne Cain)

All the covers are here:

http://www.elisarolle.com/rainbowawards/2012CoverContest_04December.htm

or here:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.317258224974933.80032.100000722741394&type=3&l=16188d1ab3

and here is the poll:

[Poll #1832378]

Muscling Through by J.L. Merrow

This story reminded me a little The Boxer by Jan Irving, but only since the incipit is similar, after that the development is very different, and above all Muscling Through has a full English flavour. Al Fletcher is this big guy with a kind heart but with a different perception of reality; he is not stupid, but Al is not able to fake emotions, not even the small things you do to not hurt people. To Al, what you say is what you think, what you do is what you want. Larry on the other side is small and lithe, an history art college professor.

The first time Larry sees Al, he is scared, he thinks the man to be a rapist, and when he realizes that he has judged Al from his looks like all the other people, maybe Larry is ashamed, and he decides he wants to know the real Al, the kind and sweet man, the one who will never hurt him or anyone else. I like that, being Al an artist and all is not what is influencing Larry’s decision, Larry and Al’s relationship start before that, Larry is not considering All an idiot savant or a special art project. Sure, he will help Al with his art, he will push him to follow his talents, but that is only since that is what Al likes, and not to prove to someone else that Al is better than what they believe. Al is exactly what he looks, a simple man who loves Larry with all his own, whose first priority is to make Larry happy.

I really like the setting, the college town of Cambridge, and also the English characterization of Larry and Al is good, when they talk about blokes, and mates, and other similar slang, they didn’t feel forced or fake, and after a bit, it was almost like if I raised my eyes from the screen I could see outside a rainy cobble paved street outside my window.

Muscling Through is sweet and romantic, sometime sexy, but mostly it’s a love story with a wonderful happily ever after.

http://store.samhainpublishing.com/muscling-through-p-6382.html

Amazon Kindle: Muscling Through
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd. (July 19, 2011)

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

Chaser, Help Us Tell Our Story

Today I want to ask for your help, but not for me, for my friend Max. Max Rhyser is one of the first online friends I made years ago, when I opened this LiveJournal and it says a lot if 6 years later we still call each other friends, online friendship is feeble and hard to make it last. But with Max, I don't know, it was always easy. In the past six years we met face to face twice, and it was always a nice experience, something I look forward to re-do everytime I happen to be in NYC.

Aside from being nice, kind, with a wonderful smile that reflects the pure soul he has, Max is also a promising actor, he has just won BEST MALE LEAD for his portrayal of Simon Greene in The Austerity of Hope on Broadway this past winter. And now Max, with Sal Bardo, is pursuing another dream, Chaser, a story that has to be told.

From Max's own words:

"The film Chaser started germinating in my mind at the age of 18. In recent years, both my work a s a bartender in a gay night club and then later my Spiritual Healing Practice, has proven to me how much disease there is around sex. This is not particular to any one group of people but certainly the most prevalent within the LGBT communities.

This inspired my research into sex, sexual psychology, deviancy, self-injury and more. This was without question the darkest period of my Life. And I'm happy to say is now finally over. Hallelujah!

I joined forces with filmmaker Sal Bardo, and together we are the co-creators, writers and producers of Chaser.

While from some the support has been immense, we have also met quite some resistance. The topic is controversial. Chaser tells the story of a young, promising high school teacher who, disconnected from his family, culture, and community, seeks solace in the fringes of gay bareback community. Our story focuses on Zach who may or may not be a Chaser - we have done our best to leave that ambiguous enough so the audiences can decide that for themselves... Our commentary is on the increase of unprotected sex within the LGBT community - Our goal, to start a conversation and ask why?

If the topic doesn't excite you, if it downright displeases you... then perhaps your knowledge of me, who I am and what I aim to do with my Life, maybe that is enough to inspire you to help me tell this story. I hope so.

The good news is we will make Chaser no matter what! We'd like to do it right. And as starving artists (at times) we believe in paying our cast and crew for their time and work - therefor the budget of 20,000.00.

Online we've made just over $6,000.00. With additional fundraising we've raised about $2,500.00.

If you are able to donate, do so below:

www.indiegogo.com/chaser (Donors, and donation amounts can be anonymous and no amount is too small.)

If you are not able - please share this with someone who is... or a handful of folk, alas it is a number game - the more people the better...



And in lieu of the above, our final Fund Raising Event is A SPRING AFFAIR, the eve before the end of our campaign.

If you can come, please do, if you cannot, please send your friends, if you are short of friends in the NYC area, please buy tickets in spirit anyway...

10% of ALL BAR SALES will go directly to Village Care's Ryan White program whom deal specifically with GAY MEN OF COLOR aged 18-30, the demographic MOST affected by the spread of the HIV virus." --Max Rhyser

Here is a podcast with Max and Sal talking of the project, if you are still not convinced, listen to it and you will be: http://clickclickexpose.com/podcasts/pm_03202012.html

Often people send me virtual gifts on this Livejournal, of which I'm grateful, I love those virtual gifts on my profile page, but please consider to instead donate to Chaser. It's not my birthday yet, and the IndieGoGo campaign will end on April 18, so I know I'm asking in advance ;-) but please, please, do that. Even if it's a drop, thousand of drops make a storm!

And please, if you can, spread the word on your own blog, facebook, twitter.

Catch Me If You Can (Romano and Albright, Book 1) by L.B. Gregg

I know that I should highlight how good the mystery plot of Catch Me If You Can was, I know I should tell you that Caesar Romano and Dan Green are a perfect detective couple and that they will become the next magnificent duo, but closing this novel what most remains with me is the fun I had reading it.

Caesar Romano is the son of a typical Italo-American family, typical since, doesn’t matter if you are a saint or a sinner, if you are family you are loved; and Caesar, Ce for his friends, knows he is loved and that gives him an attitude to life more than positive. He knows he will succeed in his career, and today’s target is to land the job as Assistant Direct to the most important art gallery owner of NYC, Mallory Albright. For that reason he has perfectly planned the exhibition opening at his current gallery, and since the subject are naked marble busts, what is better than having the waiters serving cocktails with the upper half of their uniform missing? Everything is perfect until the moment Ce’s former boyfriend, and in the closet actor, Shep, crushes the party, Ce’s current boss starts to behave in a strange way and a former police detective, Dan Green, develops a sudden interest in Ce and his whereabouts.

The morning after the party, one of the busts, that of Justin Timberlake, is missing the head, the clock that was at its wrist is found around Shep’s private part, a paint from Albright’s gallery is missing as well, and Ce and Dan have to resolve a mystery… the missing artworks? Well that too, but mostly they have to find a way to make their budding relationship works. True, they are on the right path, since Ce’s family likes Dan, once they went over the fact he is/was a cop and apparently not all businesses of the Romano family is 100% legal, and you know that if you want to conquer and Italian lad, you have to pass through his family.

The novel is fast paced, so fast that you cannot really miss a word, otherwise you risk to not grasp the full concept of the sentence. Or maybe that was the result of Ce being a little incoherent, thoughts were swirling in his mind like confetti during carnival, and sometime I was still following one confetti from the sky to the ground, while Ce was already jumping on another wagon.

http://store.samhainpublishing.com/catch-me-if-you-can-p-6235.html

Amazon: Catch Me If You Can (Romano and Albright, Book 1)
Amazon Kindle: Catch Me If You Can (Romano and Albright, Book 1)
Paperback: 216 pages
Publisher: Samhain Publishing (February 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1609281020
ISBN-13: 978-1609281021

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