Around the World: Singapore (Colonial District)

I'm quite satisfied with today photo tour ;-) It was a very good day and I managed some good shots, my focus were the colonial buildings, and I think I managed to photograph the most beautiful ones. (under the cut a lot of pictures, you are warned!)





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GayRomLit Ebook Giveaway: Erica Pike - Absolutely Eric

I asked to all the authors joining the GayRomLit convention in Albuquerque in October (http://gayromlit.com/authors.php) a personal favor, a special Ebook Giveaway: every day I will post 1 book from each author, and among those who will leave a comment, I will draw a winner. Very easy and very fast ;-) I will send a PM to the winner, so remember to not leave anonymous comments! (comments close on August 14)

and the ebook giveaway goes to: mightymaeve please contact me.

Today author is Erica Pike (http://www.ericapike.com)

Absolutely Eric by Erica Pike
Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: MLR Press (May 11, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1608206599
ISBN-13: 978-1608206599
Amazon: Absolutely Eric
Amazon Kindle: Absolutely Eric

Twenty year old college student Eric Wesley is looking for love, but instead of choosing Mr. Right, he goes after Mr. Wrong. Eric Wesley is short and snazzy, hot and happy. Or that's what he thought. After three years of living on the wild side he's tired of being a playboy and wants to find love. Eric, however, has never been in love before and doesn't see that the guy who's been gazing at him all summer might be Mr. Right. Alexander Centauri isn't only style-less and clumsy, but also terribly awkward. After a miserable date, Eric plants Alex on another guy's lap and goes after Mr. Wrong...who looks so right. When Eric realizes his mistake, it might be too late.

Purly Gates by Vastine Bondurant

Nice, short novella almost lost in time. The time is actually the ’30, and I think the author picked this time to give both an allure than a feeling of being outlaws to the characters.

Purly and Lucky meet in an isolated beach in California. After days spent looking at each other without interacting, a chance event allow them to officially meet. The target of both men is clear, they are men loving men, and they want to share an intimate moment and nothing else. But nothing is simple, and both Purly than Lucky got secrets.

I love the out of time feeling of the novels, and the uncertainty approach of Purly, maybe one of the few hints this is not today time; sure, lately I started to discover real life stories of men loving men in the ’20, ’30 and ’40, strangely it seems they were even more “free” than in later years, but still, it was done beyond closed door, nothing was in plain sight. So Purly approaches Lucky with a little fear, a feeling that seems strange to the man, quite strange as we will discover later in the story. And Lucky? Lucky is maybe more eager, but also with a layer of innocence that both appeals than scares Purly.

I think this is a first attempt from this author, but it’s a nice one. I’m intrigued enough to want to reading more.

Amazon Kindle: Purly Gates
Publisher: LIG Publishing (April 24, 2012)

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

A Handful of Blossoms by Lara Biyuts

This is not a simple book. Masterly written, each word weighted with care, it’s in the form of the diary of Constance-Otilia-Alexandrine, Princess of Anhalt-Welf, who accepts a dynastic marriage with Constantine-Leopold, Prince of Askanier-Hortz. The diary last from May 20, 1764 to November 27, 1764, no long indeed, and it starts barely two weeks after the marriage. As often happened at the time, Constance didn’t really know her soon to be husband, he was a family acquaintance, but he had a title, and a good position, and Constance’s guardians accepted his proposal. No-one asked Constance, but even if they did, Constance would have said yes, since that is what was expected from her. As it was expected of course to bear her husband’s children, if not for the issue that her husband hates all women. And he doesn’t hide it to Constance, arriving even to propose her to have an intercourse with his steward, and distant cousin, to satisfy her female instinct, and why not, to procreate an heir to their combined distanies.

That is one point that made me wonder about this novel. The character of Constantine is not exactly positive, he is very cold and distant, and while he doesn’t mistreat Constance, he is far from being friendly or welcoming. Nevertheless, I didn’t find him unpleasant, and I think neither does Constance. In a way, she is upset he is not interested in making theirs a real marriage, even if, don’t get me wrong, Constance is not in love with Constantine. I think she is more outraged, and she feels like he deceived her, since that was not the supposed agreement.

Constance is a cultured woman, and she has no prudery; she is not really upset when her husband proposes her to have an affair with Sylvain, I think that, if Constantine was willing to make it something permanent, she would have even agreed. I don’t think Constance wants a love marriage, but for sure she wants what she has the right to have, and I think she will manage to obtain it, in a way or the other. I’m pretty sure that, of the two, it’s Constance who is the stronger, and in the long run, she will be the one with the power.

Complex story, complex writing style, but if you have the patience, and the courage to start it, I think you will find this is a very original insight in an uncommon era and setting for a novel.

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/168036

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