Rainbow Awards: Current Submissions (281-290)

281) Ethan Stone - Bartender, PI
Publisher: Silver Publishing (April 13, 2012)
Amazon Kindle: Bartender, PI

When hockey star Linc Carpenter is banned from playing his beloved sport, he starts over in Tampa. Master of the mixed metaphor, Linc knows he's not the sharpest tool in the shed. He's a lousy bartender, but doesn't know what else to do until he gets a shot at being a private investigator. If he can prove that wealthy fashion designer Quentin Faulkner is cheating on his wife, this case will earn him big money. Faulkner's bodyguard, Brady Williams, proves to be the biggest hindrance to completing his assignment, other than his own ineptitude. Linc is shocked when Brady admits to being attracted to him. He's even more shocked when Brady turns down immediate sex because he's looking for so much more. Will their new relationship survive the dangers of this case?

282) Shelter Somerset - On the Trail to Moonlight Gulch
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (April 13, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1613724462
ISBN-13: 978-1613724460
Amazon: On the Trail to Moonlight Gulch
Amazon Kindle: On the Trail to Moonlight Gulch

It's 1886, and Chicago is booming, but for nineteen-year-old Torsten Pilkvist, American-born son of Swedish immigrants, it's not big enough. After tragically losing a rare love, Tory immerses himself in the pages of a Wild West mail-order bride magazine, where he stumbles on the advertisement of frontiersman and Civil War veteran Franklin Ausmus. Torsten and Franklin begin an innocent correspondence-or as innocent as it can be, considering Torsten keeps his true gender hidden. But when his parents discover the letters, Tory is forced out on his own. With nowhere else to go, he boards a train for the Black Hills and Franklin's homestead, Moonlight Gulch. Franklin figures Tory for a drifter, but he's lonely after ten years of living in the backcountry alone, and his "girl" in Chicago has mysteriously stopped writing, so he hires Tory on as his ranch hand. Franklin and Tory grow closer while defending the land from outlaws who want the untapped gold in Franklin's creek, but then Franklin learns Tory's true identity and banishes Tory from his sight. Will their lives be forever tattered, or will Torsten-overhearing a desperate last-ditch scheme to snatch Franklin's gold-be able to save Moonlight Gulch and his final shot at love?

283) Liz Bugg - Oranges and Lemons
Paperback: 356 pages
Publisher: Insomniac Press (April 15, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1554830656
ISBN-13: 978-1554830657
Amazon: Oranges and Lemons
Amazon Kindle: Oranges and Lemons

In the glamorous world of advertising, image is everything as intrepid lesbian PI Calli Barnow finds out when she goes undercover at a top Toronto agency. Following a twisted money trail, she stumbles across the body of a hot young copywriter, dead of a drug overdose at his desk. Just another casualty of the Bay Street rat race? Calli doesn’t think so, and when she follows her intuition, trouble usually follows her. Oranges and Lemons is the second in the Calli Barnow mystery series.

284) Lori Toland - The Long Con
Paperback: 234 pages
Publisher: Loose Id, LLC (September 10, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1611189659
ISBN-13: 978-1611189650
Amazon: The Long Con
Amazon Kindle: The Long Con

British Agent Nathaniel Bradley is tasked with bringing home a stolen heirloom. After tracking the Faberge egg all the way to a group of criminals in New York, Bradley infiltrates a ring of con artists and gets sucked into the role of a high priced prostitute. While hoping for a chance to take back what is rightfully his, Bradley's sole mission becomes to seduce Tony Terranova, Jr, the heir to a notorious mafia dynasty. Though Tony is strikingly handsome, the usually dominant Bradley is hesitant to submit to the sexual whims of a dangerous Mafioso. What Bradley doesn't expect is for Tony to fall to his knees so eagerly for him, leaving him blindsided by how intensely their dark tastes complement each other. Now Bradley is caught up in a deadly game of lies and desire, where what he truly wants may not be what duty requires.

285) Christopher Koehler - First Impressions
Paperback: 300 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (April 16, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1613724799
ISBN-13: 978-1613724798
Amazon: First Impressions
Amazon Kindle: First Impressions

The first time Henry Hughes and Cameron Jameson meet, it's an unmitigated disaster. Cameron reminds Henry of all he left behind when he stopped making adult films, and he cruelly rejects Cameron. When Cameron discovers Henry's porno-thespian past, he assumes he's dodged a bullet. But circumstances continue to throw the two together. Though the physical attraction between them grows, they cling to first impressions, even as a slow dance reveals just how good they could be. Henry finally realizes how wrong he was, but Cameron can't cope with "sleeping with the enemy." It will take a confrontation for Cameron to realize just how wrong he's been, but unfortunately, he may have lost his chance.

286) Felice Picano - Twelve O'Clock Tales
Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books (April 17, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1602826595
ISBN-13: 978-1602826595
Amazon: Twelve O'Clock Tales
Amazon Kindle: Twelve O'Clock Tales

Twelve O’Clock Tales is the fourth collection of short fiction by legendary novelist and memoirist, Felice Picano (The Lure, Like People in History, True Stories). A personal homage to the storytellers of his youth, Edgar Allen Poe, E.F. Benson, and H. P. Lovecraft, as well as his acquaintances, Arthur C. Clarke and Harlan Ellison. Eleven dark tales, eerie, bizarre, and dreamlike, the tales will thrill and disturb, discomfort and titillate, enthrall and leave you wondering. Picano ranges across time and space, from tribal West Africa to the American heartland, to a lab in Venezuela, and a California Highway fifteen years from now. His characters range from a teen accident survivor with a secret, to a far-future scholar forced to travel to a galactic backwater, to a retired L.A. cop who dabbles in astrology, and a peasant girl in B.C.E. Israel encountering the strangest of strangers. The eleven tales include brand new stories and acknowledged Picano masterworks collected here for the first time.

287) Rachel Spangler - Love Life
Paperback: 254 pages
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books (April 17, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1602826552
ISBN-13: 978-1602826557
Amazon: LoveLife
Amazon Kindle: LoveLife

Life coach Elaine Raitt is educated, elegant, and dedicated to her profession. Blue-collar boi Joey Lang is too insecure to even approach her—that is until her well-meaning but meddling best friend Lisa decides to break the ice and makes Joey a life-coaching appointment with Elaine. A session meant to bring clarity only leaves them both feeling more confused about their purpose in life and love. Will Joey be able to find the strength to chase the woman of her dreams, and even if she does, will Elaine be willing to risk the life she loves for the woman who could be the love of her life?

288) J.M. Redmann - Ill Will
Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books (April 17, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1602826579
ISBN-13: 978-1602826571
Amazon: Ill Will (Micky Knight Mystery)
Amazon Kindle: Ill Will (Micky Knight Mystery)

First, do no harm. But as New Orleans PI Micky Knight discovers, not every health care provider follows that dictum. She stumbles into a tangle of the true believers to the criminally callous, who use the suffering of others for their twisted ends. In a city slowly rebuilding after Katrina, one of the most devastated areas is health care, and the gaps in service are wide enough for the snake oil salesmen—and the snakes themselves—to crawl through. First, her investigation is driven by anger, but then it becomes personal as someone very close to Micky uses her cancer diagnosis to go where Micky cannot, into the heart of the evil where only the ill are allowed. Micky is her only lifeline out. Can Micky save her in time to get to the medical treatment she desperately needs to survive? The seventh Micky Knight mystery.

289) Rebekah Weatherspoon - The Fling
Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books (April 17, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1602826560
ISBN-13: 978-1602826564
Amazon: The Fling
Amazon Kindle: The Fling

Three months before her wedding to her post-college sweetheart, reality show producer Annie Collins finally acknowledges her dormant desires. Wrapped in the arms of another woman—her trainer, Oksana Gorinkov—Annie experiences a physical heat she never knew existed. Soon the one-night stand meant to be her final farewell to the single life stretches into a consuming month-long affair, the genuine intensity of which neither woman can ignore. Annie sees where her heart belongs, and though the objections from her family and friends and the scars from Oksana’s ex threaten to drive them back to their respective sides of Los Angeles, Annie knows she must fight for this relationship, a real love worth much more than any fantasy she’s ever dreamed up.

290) Sheri Lewis Wohl - Burgundy Betrayal
Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books (April 17, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1602826544
ISBN-13: 978-1602826540
Amazon: Burgundy Betrayal
Amazon Kindle: Burgundy Betrayal

When truth is buried so deep it can kill, will the love of one woman be enough to save the life of another? Kara Lynch lives a simple life as a ranger in Washington’s Riverside State Park. When dead bodies begin to turn up, her simple life vanishes. Adopted at birth, Kara has no idea her birthright is at the center of the murders and is the sole reason her life hangs in the balance. Help comes in the form of wolf expert, Camille “Cam” Black Wolf. Tall and mysterious, Cam is both a blessing and a curse—it’s hard to concentrate on saving hikers when Kara’s fighting the urge to run her hands all over Cam’s body. With assistance from vampire Riah Preston and her partner Adriana James of the Spiritus Group, they race to stop a preternatural killer. But will the secret they uncover give Kara wings or send her to the grave?

Rainbow Awards: Current Submissions (291-300)

291) J.P. Beausejour - Buccaneer Island
Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books (April 17, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1602826587
ISBN-13: 978-1602826588
Amazon: Buccaneer Island
Amazon Kindle: Buccaneer Island

At the age of nineteen, Sir Edmund, third son of an English earl, discovers a taste for spanking, submission, and dominant men. Caught on his knees in his father's stables, his backside marked by the whip and his lips around a stable hand's member, he is banished to Louisiana, to pursue the sugar planter's trade. Shipwrecked and marooned on a Caribbean island, he falls under the spell of Matthew, a common seafaring man and sometime pirate. Alone on a desert beach with the handsome giant, Edmund learns to accept Matthew's dominance, and soon finds himself falling in love. He begins his transformation into his rescuer's devoted wife, but when he learns Matthew plans to betray his trust with the Creole witch and brothel keeper Mistress Reid, he escapes into the jungle, and into a world of lust and adventure among the wild buccaneers.

292) Q. Kelly - Switch
Paperback: 186 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (April 19, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1475022816
ISBN-13: 978-1475022810
Amazon: Switch
Amazon Kindle: Switch

Ellora Landry and June Blue Sky meet after they find out a nurse switched them when they were newborns. Ellora and June are forty years old and have led vastly different lives. June, raised by hippie parents, is an out lesbian who has not had the best experiences in the love department. Ellora, from a conservative family, is coming to terms with her lesbian identity and has just left her husband. Ellora and June experience an undeniable attraction. However, they are reluctant to risk their hearts, especially since that means revealing secrets and telling the entire story behind half truths. Will they realize that perhaps they were fated to be together since their births?

293) Dirk Vanden - It Was Too Soon Before
Paperback: 270 pages
Publisher: Lethe Press (April 18, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1590213548
ISBN-13: 978-1590213544
Amazon: It Was Too Soon Before... The unlikely life, untimely death, and unexpected rebirth of Gay Pioneer, Dirk Vanden
Amazon Kindle: It Was Too Soon Before... The unlikely life, untimely death, and unexpected rebirth of Gay Pioneer, Dirk Vanden

It Was Too Soon Before... is the autobiography of Richard Fullmer who wrote under the penname Dirk Vanden. He was a serious novelist in the early days of the development of the gay literary genre. His first books were published--augmented with sex scenes inserted by the publisher--as porn pulps. This autobiography tells the story of his life from his upbringing as a devout Mormon to his discovery of sexual realities, to his move to the gay meccas of San Francisco and Los Angeles in the 1960s and discovery of the thriving gay counterculture with all its sexual and psychedelic dimensions, through the death by AIDS of his longtime partner, to retirement and obscurity, to a ''rebirth'' as his books have been rediscovered by modern gay literary scholars. Included is ''The Wit & Wisdom of Gabriel Horny,'' a collection of humor and wisdom in short aphorisms that express the profound and often whimsical spiritual wisdom Vanden has garnered through his seventy-eight years.

294) Ethan Day - A Token of Time
Paperback: 428 pages
Publisher: MLR Press (April 20, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1608206505
ISBN-13: 978-1608206506
Amazon: A Token of Time
Amazon Kindle: A Token of Time

The murder of Zachary's lover and a mysterious connection to the recently deceased legendary matinee idol, Marc Castle challenged everything Zachary knew to be true - to believe that the impossible, was possible. On the run from his family, Zachary Hamilton was cursed with a gift he neither wanted nor asked for. The recent murder of his lover unleashed a chain of events revealing Zachary's connection to the recently deceased legendary matinee idol, Marc Castle. Attempting to unravel the mystery behind the movie star, Zachary encountered an ancient relic shrouded in history and folklore, leading to a discovery so shocking it altered his very existence -- challenging everything Zachary knew to be true -- to believe that the impossible, was possible.

295) Alex Ironrod - Red Knight Rising
Paperback: 292 pages
Publisher: MLR Press (April 20, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1608206416
ISBN-13: 978-1608206414
Amazon: Red Knight Rising
Amazon Kindle: Red Knight Rising

Rousing adventure and fierce BDSM love draw two young English knights together to fight on one of the Crusades in the Middle Ages. Battling young warriors.BDSM love.Fierce passions.Adventures in exotic lands. At the time of the Crusades, as young Harry becomes a knight and Earl of Derby, he falls in love - or is it lust - with the brawny, but penniless,Bruce, Lord Berwick. Wrestling in a relationship forbidden by their church , the two of them join the Crusader army of the sadistic, legendary warrior King Richard The Lionheart. They face challenges to their sexual needs, and adventures that strengthen their fighting skills, as they campaign across Europe and the Holy Land. Forced to perform BDSM service and then torn apart by their king and the war, can they survive?

296) Angel Martinez - Vassily the Beautiful
Paperback: 474 pages
Publisher: Silver Publishing (May 21, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1614956715
ISBN-13: 978-1614956716
Amazon: Vassily the Beautiful
Amazon Kindle: Vassily the Beautiful

Vassily Belikov, composer and pampered son of privilege, suffered neurological damage in the accident that killed his father. Resentful of his invalid status, he lives as a recluse, dependent on his mother, until the day she brings home a new husband with two sons of his own. His mother's kidnapping leaves him at the mercy of his amoral stepfather. Fighting addiction, fear, and physical shortcomings, he's forced to seek out the criminal mastermind Baba Yaga for a replacement part. While she agrees to a deal if he beats his addiction, paranoia infuses her household. Drawn to her fierce youngest son, certain his actions are carefully measured, Vassily must find the courage to face his fears and his desires if he expects to survive.

297) Aleksandr Voinov & Amy Lane - Country Mouse
Publisher: Riptide Publishing (April 21, 2012)
Amazon Kindle: Country Mouse

Owen may be a bit of a country mouse, but he’s loving his vacation in London. After a long day playing tourist, he’s on the hunt for some cheap beer and a good burger. Instead he finds a man hunting him, an arrogant prick with only one thing on the brain: the kind of meat that doesn’t come on a bun. Eighty-hour weeks at a trading desk don’t leave Malcolm Kavanagh much time for meaningful relationships. Besides, in his world, everything’s a competition—even sex. When his newest one-night-sub fails to show, Malcolm sets his sights on the pretty young Yank on the bar stool beside him. Owen’s all for an adventure with a native, but he’s not the pushover Malcolm thinks he is, and Malcolm’s not as shallow as he tries to be. They both soon learn that nothing's too intimate to share with a stranger, and the strangest things happen when two people share the most important pieces of their hearts

298) Geoffrey Knight - Scott Sapphire and the Emerald Orchid
Publisher: Imperial Pride: Imprint of Dare Empire eMedia Productions (April 21, 2012)
Amazon Kindle: Scott Sapphire and the Emerald Orchid

Meet Scott Sapphire—lover of French champagne, Belgian chocolate and dangerous men. He is suave. He is sexy. He is a man of the world—and a man that the world desperately wants to catch. For Scott Sapphire is the greatest jewel thief of our time. Dashing. Daring. And always neck-deep in trouble. But when Scott’s latest heist lands him in possession of a map to a rare and precious orchid, it’ll take more than bedroom eyes and a charming smile to stay one step ahead of one of the world’s most powerful business tycoons, as well as keep the CIA off Scott’s back and a handsome special agent out of his pants—or maybe not. From the Venice canals to the Amazon rainforest, from Rio de Janeiro to the casinos of Monte Carlo, comes a brand new gay hero as irresistible as diamonds and pearls. Adventure has a new name! And that name is Scott Sapphire.

299) Kate McMurray - Out in the Field
Publisher: Loose Id LLC (April 23, 2012)
Amazon Kindle: Out in the Field

Matt Blanco has had a Hall-of-Fame-worthy career as the first baseman for the legendary Brooklyn Eagles, but age and a knee injury are threatening to end it. That's when rookie Ignacio Rodriguez walks into his life. Matt has a policy of not getting involved with anyone for fear that they might share his secret with the world: that he's a gay professional athlete. But this new rookie has him wanting to throw that policy out the window. Iggy Rodriguez just got everything he ever wanted: a position in the starting lineup of the Brooklyn Eagles, his favorite team since he was a kid. Even better, he's playing alongside his idol Matt Blanco. A locker room encounter one day reveals that he and Matt have even more in common than he would have guessed. When Matt and Iggy fall for each other, they have a hard road ahead, their path to happiness blocked by injuries, trades, and the New York media hungry for a scandal. Fate has pitched them a game-winning run, but will the choice between love and baseball make them with a no-hitter instead?

300) Heidi Cullinan - The Pirate's Game
Publisher: Loose Id LLC (April 23, 2012)
Amazon Kindle: The Pirate's Game (The Etsey Series)

As the love slave of the captain of the pirate ship The Merry Sue, Charles Perry, professional mess and reluctant god, is at last reunited with his lover Timothy—partly, at least. Somehow Timothy has become implanted in Captain James Gibbs's mind, and for the right sexual favors, the pirate will grant Charles's lover a few moments at the helm. Three square meals a day, endless pirate fantasies played out in real time, and more Timothy than he's seen in months. How can Charles complain? Of course, trouble always manages to find its way home to Charles. The Pretender is still trying to kill him. His cousin is in a funk and shocks everyone with the reason why. But the most worrisome part is that Charles has realized he'd trade all his god powers and most of the world he made to have Timothy back with him for real—and he's finally figured out how to do just that.

Rainbow Awards: Current Submissions (301-310)

301) Poppy Dennison - Mind Magic
Paperback: 200 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (April 23, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 161372456X
ISBN-13: 978-1613724569
Amazon: Mind Magic
Amazon Kindle: Mind Magic

*Magical species must never mix.* According to the rules, Simon Osborne should ignore the children's cries for help. After all, they're werewolf cubs, and he's an apprentice mage. But for once in his life, Simon breaks the rules and rescues the cubs, saving them from a demon intent on draining them of their magic. Of course, all actions have consequences, and Simon's bold move earns him the displeasure of his peers and the attention of the cubs' alpha, a man named Gray Townsend. The last thing Gray needs is a mage in his life, but Simon did save his son. Since Simon is now a friend of the pack, Gray doesn't have much choice about it-or the forbidden attraction that goes along with it. Unfortunately for the alpha, he needs Simon's help to track down the demon behind the kidnappings-before it strikes again. Simon and Gray must join forces to protect the pack, even as they struggle to resist the temptation that threatens to destroy them both.

302) Chris Kenry - The Survival Methods and Mating Rituals of Men and Marine Mammals
Paperback: 450 pages
Publisher: Kensington; 1 edition (May 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0758204388
ISBN-13: 978-0758204387
Amazon: The Survival Methods and Mating Rituals of Men and Marine Mammals
Amazon Kindle: The Survival Methods and Mating Rituals of Men and Marine Mammals

Dumped, depressed, and stone-cold broke, children's book author Davis Garner needs a new life plan. With no other options, he signs on to be a technical writer on a research vessel in Antarctica. What Davis knows about marine technology would comfortably fit in a tweet, but he soon realizes that no one around him is quite who they seem - including Maureen, an ice-cold network administrator; a lovelorn technician known by the acronym Worm; and Artaud, a charismatic scientist with dubious motives. In between waves of seasickness and self-doubt, Davis finds creative inspiration and an unlikely passion for his new job. And something more unexpected still - the willingness to fight for the principles he believes in and the life he still loves...

303) Josephine Myles - Handle with Care
Paperback: 200 pages
Publisher: Samhain Publishing (March 5, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1619211149
ISBN-13: 978-1619211148
Amazon: Handle with Care
Amazon Kindle: Handle with Care

The best things in life aren’t free…they’re freely given. Ben Lethbridge doesn’t have many vices left. After raising his little sister to adulthood, he wasted no time making up for the youth he lost to responsible parenting. Two years of partying it up—and ignoring his diabetes—has left him tethered to a home dialysis regimen. He can do his job from his flat, fortunately, but most of his favourite things are forbidden. Except for DVD porn…and fantasizing over Ollie, the gorgeous, purple-haired skateboarder who delivers it. Their banter is the highlight of Ben’s lonely day, but his illness-ravaged body is the cruel reality that prevents him from believing they’ll do anything more than flirt. Not to mention the age gap. Still, Ben figures there’s no harm in sprucing himself up a bit. Then one day, a package accidentally splits open, revealing Ben’s dirty little secret…and an unexpected connection that leaves him wondering if he’s been reading Ollie wrong all this time. There’s only one way to find out: risk showing Ollie every last scar. And hope “far from perfect” is good enough for a chance at love.

304) Vastine Bondurant - Purly Gates
Publisher: LIG Publishing (April 24, 2012)
Amazon Kindle: Purly Gates

A lonely stretch of beach becomes a hiding place for two men who, when their paths cross, are determined not to be ships just passing in the night. Purlman “Purly” Gates—dark, brooding, mysterious, hiding from his past and the hefty price on his head—is hopelessly attracted to the young man who strolls the beach every morning. At the risk of his own exposure and its deadly consequences, Purly succumbs to his desire and sets out to lure the beautiful enigma into his lair. Lucky Cleary wants the swarthy stranger who watches him from the shadows of the cottage deck, and his morning promenades finally pay off when the man steps out onto the beach and into Lucky’s life in a move to bring their paths together. But Lucky has a secret as well—a past mistake following close behind him, promising certain death if it catches up with him. When each man discovers the other’s identity, the truth forms a powerful bond between them and fans the flame of their passion. But is the meeting of these two lonely souls a beautiful destiny or merely a cruel twist of fate in which their desire is nothing more than the kiss of death for them both?

305) Rae Gee - Mars on the Rise
Paperback: 340 pages
Publisher: Torquere Press (April 25, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1610403053
ISBN-13: 978-1610403054
Amazon: Mars on the Rise
Amazon Kindle: Mars on the Rise

A storyteller steps off a pier and into a world of steampunk oddities, fearsome weapons, and a dangerous man. Promised fame and fortune by the country's largest weapons manufacturer, Cedo gratefully falls into the arms of Erus Veetu. Dark, dangerous and with nothing to lose, Erus shows him that Svenfur isn't all Cedo thought it was. For beneath the streets is a dark, gas lit world of slavery, human sacrifice ,and deadly machines. With the machines waging war in the East, can Cedo stop the country's deadliest man from bringing it to the shores of England? Or is he too late to penetrate the cold exterior of his Master and halt the cogs and gears of progress? Set in a Victorian world of sex, drugs and steampower, Mars on the Rise tells is a dark, gritty story of what happens when our dreams come true. Whether we want them to or not.

306) Freddy MacKay - Moving Mountains
Publisher: Silver Publishing (April 28, 2012)
Amazon Kindle: Moving Mountains (A Finding Peace Series Spin-Off)

A wonderful story of friends-to-lovers filled with misunderstandings and crossed wires... is a well-written story that draws you in with the confusion of a young man who just hasn't got a clue about anything other than his work. I will recommend this to those who enjoy friends to lovers, clueless academics, a bit of angst, misunderstandings, developing love and a happy ever after. ~M/M Good Book Reviews - 4.5 out of 5 Hearts

307) Lavinia Lewis - Nate's Deputy
Publisher: Total-E-Bound Publishing (April 30, 2012)
Amazon Kindle: Nate's Deputy (Shifter's Haven)

Book five in the Shifter's Haven Series. Can two very stubborn men conquer their personal demons in order to come together as mates? Werewolf Nate Stanford is riddled with guilt over his brother Rick’s death...so much so that when he meets his mate—Deputy Sheriff Jared Ambrose—he rejects him, believing he is not good enough for Jared and not worthy of being loved. The only thing that matters to him is buying his childhood home in honour of his brother’s memory. Since their father died, Jared Ambrose has taken on responsibility for his younger brother, whose drinking binges are constantly getting him into trouble. Jared’s only hope of saving his brother is finding them a place they can call home. Jared wants to make Sheriff, but believes he’ll never be elected if the residents of his new town find out he is gay. When he realises Nate is his mate, he knows it’s not possible for them to be together. But trouble in their small town and unrest in the supernatural council force them together and make them question their decisions. Can these two stubborn men conquer their demons and overcome all obstacles to carve out a life together?

308) Nikki Mccoy - Keepers of the Night
Paperback: 262 pages
Publisher: Total-E-Bound Publishing (April 30, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0857159836
ISBN-13: 978-0857159830
Amazon: Keepers of the Night (Volume 3)
Amazon Kindle: Keepers of the Night (Volume 3)

Malen and Turek thought they had found completion when they found each other. Despite the pain of their pasts, they were able to form a bond built on trust and forged in faith. When the call came to once again rise up against the cruelty of Mikel, the son of Death, they were among the first to answer-to battle alongside their friends and defend their race. It was when Mikel’s reign of terror had been brought to an end, however, that their true battle began. Xilonen was a man on the edge of desperation. Throughout his tortured life, he’d dreamt about finding and pleasing his mate. But when the time finally came and he met the two men destined to be his for all eternity, his dreams were brought to a shattering halt. Forced to betray his Gods, his kind, and his mates, Xilonen went on the run. But soon he found that he alone could not protect his brother, Shayne, from the cunning plans of their mother, the Goddess of Night. He needed strength, guidance and courage. He needed Malen and Turek. Now they must find it within themselves to move past the pain of betrayal and lies to the love and faith that could bind their hearts. But will they find it in time to stop Night from stripping Shayne of what she had so heartlessly taken from Xilonen...his innocence?

309) Freddy MacKay - Beginning Again
Paperback: 420 pages
Publisher: Silver Publishing (April 30, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1614954593
ISBN-13: 978-1614954590
Amazon: Beginning Again (Finding Peace #1)
Amazon Kindle: Beginning Again (Finding Peace #1)

David McCourt knows pain and loss. Transferring to Capstone Ridge University fulfills a longtime goal and David hopes to leave his past behind. He wants a chance to start over with a clean slate, a new life, and zero complications. Everyone likes Bobby Daniels and he likes helping people. After seeing the hurt David carries around, Bobby decides to help his awkward roommate come out of his shell--with the help of some friends and a nutty professor. Jackson Black is attracted to guys, but buries it deep, thinking he'll find the right women and fix the problem. Until the intense stare of David McCourt completely undoes him. David has his hands full trying to figure life out. When he gets hurt, friends and lovers surround him, trying to help close the wounds. But it may not be enough.

310) Jeremy Pack - The Heart of the Jungle
Paperback: 250 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (April 30, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1613724624
ISBN-13: 978-1613724620
Amazon: The Heart of the Jungle
Amazon Kindle: The Heart of the Jungle

Murder Mystery Chris James is Fate's favorite plaything. When She took his parents in a car crash, Chris narrowly escaped the grief with his life, and he has the scars on his wrists to prove it. Seven years later, just as his life is finally turning around, Fate smashes his universe once again, taking his partner and two-year-old daughter and leaving behind a bloodbath. After nearly a year of investigation, with no bodies, no motive, and no clues, the police are giving up. Enter Jason Kingsley, a wickedly handsome private investigator with a troubled past and a disconnected puzzle piece he could never find a place for. Jason has his work cut out for him: his search leads down a road that was never meant to be traveled, where a ruthless and hidden enemy lurks and dark secrets await. With passion drawing them together and sinister forces threatening to tear them apart, Chris and Jason race against time to unravel the mystery and get to the shocking truth that lies behind it all: The Heart of the Jungle.

My Regelence Rake (Sci-Regency 3) by J.L. Langley

There was no way I couldn’t love this romance for various reasons. First of all, I’m an old (very old) fan of Regency Romances, and while there is the twist of the Sci-Fi setting, My Regelence Rake is basically a very good Regency Romance (it was a long time I didn’t find the word “bedlam” in a novel…). Second, when asked, I always say I prefer Contemporary Gay Romance, since I want to see the main characters deal with realistic situation, but I have also a kink for transposing those same main characters in an alternative reality, and see how they would deal with a society where homosexuality not only is accepted, but it’s more common than heterosexuality. That is exactly what this series is doing, and I think J.L. Langley was one of the first to use this trick.

Aside from some oddity like laptops, a butler that is actually a software, a King with a King-Consort, phazers instead of swords, My Regelence Rake is the classical example of scandalous situation happening in front of the ton: Prince Colton has always being in love with Viscount Wentworth, Sebastian, but the Captain of the Royal Guard is a rake. Of course he is like that due to a broken-heart, a valiant officer he married into aristocracy for love, not for interest, but his beloved husband betrayed his love and trust; good-riddance he is now dead leaving Sebastian a widower and a viscount.

Of course there will be a scandal, and of course Sebastian will do the right thing, i.e. marry Colton. And here is where the surprise will also start: what if the obvious pairing the reader was building, Colton the shy and submissive virgin, Sebastian the bold and notorious scoundrel, is instead completely wrong? What if Colton will take the upper hand in their relationship, despite his young age? Already the author was preparing the ground having Colton with a big and strong body structure; only the age is inferior to Sebastian, but once these two are naked and alone, there are no cultural barriers between them, and they can enjoy their relationship as they like.

Even if it doesn’t seem so important, this is actually for me the main point of the novel: what is the expected relationship balance in this simil-Regency like society when both parties involved are men? Who is the Alpha/top and who is the Omega/bottom? (in the original concept I would have asked, who is the man and who is the woman?) if you think this is not important, you are not used to the Regency novels, where there are strictly rules on how the main characters have to deal with each other and with the context. In any case, J.L. Langley chose to dare those conventions, and to write her how balance… good for her and good for her readers!

http://store.samhainpublishing.com/regelence-rake-p-7007.html

Amazon Kindle: My Regelence Rake
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd. (October 2, 2012)

Series: Sci-Regency
1) My Fair Captain: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/106500.html
2) The Englor Affair: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/427577.html
3) My Regelence Rake

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

Rainbow Awards: Next Season

One month to the end of this year Rainbow Awards, and I’m already thinking to next year! I actually don’t know if this is wonderful or scaring; I love the Rainbow Awards but it’s certain they have eaten most of my free time.

When I started them, I had no real plan or agenda. I wanted an award that was aimed to all LGBT fiction and non fiction, but of course I have a penchant for romance, and that is clear on the number of submissions I receive for that genre. It’s not that I push them, it’s only that, reviewing mainly Gay Romance, that is the genre where my name and the Rainbow Awards have more following. But in any case, the Rainbow Awards are open to all genres, and indeed this year, the number of submissions for Contemporary General Fiction and Sci-Fi/Fantasy is almost the same, if not higher than Contemporary Romance and Erotic Romance. Plus Mystery/Thriller and is almost the same than Parnormal/Horror (that has a good share of Paranormal Romance submissions inside). So I think the balance is even on regards of genre. Not the same for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender categories, where of course Gay is having the lion share, but I’m working hard, really, to have more Lesbian, Bisexual and above all Transgender submissions, it’s not easy, but I’m working on it.

So why this long introduction? Because I have to accept the idea I cannot continue alone in managing the Rainbow Awards; I told the same last year, but then I thought, if I start a little earlier, maybe I will have more time… and instead the submissions almost doubled and again I’m at the same point. I hope, since this is actually a good thing, next year will be the same, but me too will be the same, 1 person managing 147 jury members, almost 500 books, I don’t know how many publishers, more than 30 categories… not possible, really.

There is who offered to help, and to the single person, I have always said no, not since I don’t trust other people, but since I think these Awards need a solid structure, lot of labor and love, an organization. I found an organization, and I liked what they told me; I feel the Awards will gain from this partnership, and viceversa. There will be changes, of course they have to happen; I fought some of them, but to other I had to agree they were good suggestions.

The main change is that, there will be a submission fee; this is probably what I fought more than anything else, but I asked opinions, and the answer was pretty much the same: when you publish a book, the initial cost for the author is so huge, that your fee is really nothing in comparison. But in any case, the amount of all fees is not enough to pay the work of the jury, we are so many, and so what to do with this money? Aside from a little share that will go to administrative expenses (having an organization it means having also an official guidelines, so maybe the counseling of a lawyer, some shipping cost, things like that), I decided the majority (I hope 80/85%) will go to charity. It has to be decided how to pick the charity, and my idea is to change every year, but the most important thing is that who is paying the fee will know that the money will be used for good.

In addition to the charity, I'd also like to select a public library and/or organization to donate all finalists and winners books, again a different library every year. My idea is to first ask to the publishers to donate 1 copy of their books, and then, to buy the rest with the fees (but knowing that money is going to charity, I'm sure the publishers will donate the books!)

The second change, and I think that is good, is that we will have a live Awards Ceremony, and we will give a prize (I’m thinking to some pretty glass/Plexiglas plate, see the above administrative expenses and things like that) to the winners. It means also that we will have a list of finalists and one winner for each category, so the managing of the reading phase will change also, but I will delayed further explanations to when I will post the new Awards Guidelines (in March 2013). Again, the partnership with an organization it allows me to have the live Awards ceremony, they will help me in managing and organizing it, I couldn’t have done it alone.

Related to the introduction of the fee, is the third, and final change: submissions will be of the author not the publisher (unless the publisher is not willing to face the fees for their own authors). I hope this will not discourage the long list of publishers who were long-last participants to the Rainbow Awards (Bold Strokes Books, Lethe Press, Kensington Books), I hope they will forward the Awards Guidelines to their authors and ask them if they are interested to participate. From my side, I want to assure that, all people involved are doing it out of love for LGBT literature and with the intent of making more visible good books to potential readers, so I think it’s a win to win situation.

As a final point, I want to highlight that, to balance the partnership with an organization that is genre oriented (i.e. it’s focused on a specific genre, while instead the Awards are multigenre), I first of all ask and make sure the multi-genre nature of the Awards will be preserved, and second I thought to introduce new “blood” to the Awards: at today I asked, and they agree, to Patricia Nell Warren, Keith Hale, Aaron Fricke, Felice Picano, Brent Hartinger and Vincent Virga to collaborate in different capacities to the Awards; the how and when it has to be define, but I’m sure these wonderful authors will be a perfect addition to the Rainbow Awards team.

So, next year, bigger and stronger? Do you think it’s a good change? Comments are welcome, I’m open to suggestions and/or critiques, it was not easy for me to arrive to such decisions, but believe me, my first thought was to preserve the Rainbow Awards for the future.

P.S. I will disclose the name of the organization when all legal aspects are straightened out, but if they want to come forward, I will welcome them ;-)