2013 Rainbow Awards Submission: Carter Quinn - Out of the Blackness

Out of the Blackness by Carter Quinn
Paperback: 360 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (July 17, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1490997873
ISBN-13: 978-1490997872
Amazon: Out of the Blackness
Amazon Kindle: Out of the Blackness

A childhood of abuse has left Avery so physically and emotionally scarred he believes he shouldn't be alive. His only sanctuary has been his relationship with his older foster brother Sam. Avery finally lets Sam convince him to start therapy to help overcome his crippling anxiety, but even that can't prepare him for the upheaval caused by meeting Noah Yates. Noah is everything Avery fears. He's large and physically powerful—and undeniably capable of destroying Avery's hard-earned progress. Although Noah seems to have a tender streak when it comes to him, Avery is terrified of being victimized again. But no matter how many times he tries to push him away, Noah never goes far. Noah wants to save Avery, but can he be the catalyst Avery needs to begin the journey out of the blackness?

Charlie David (born August 9, 1980)

Since I browse quite a lot on the net, and I have my notorious lists on Amazon, at one point I started to find this title, "Mulligans", practically every time I did a research. I first found it as a movie, and since it seemed interesting, I ordered the movie. Then I discovered that there was also a book with the same title, the adaptation from the movie, and I put it on my Wish List. So whenI received an email from a certain Charlie David, asking me if I was willing to list his coming soon book in my Manlove & Sport list, I said, "sure", I already had in mind to do that anyway and I bought also the book (I prefer to read the books I promote... silly me ;-) ).

As all you know, I'm Italian, so the name "Charlie David" didn't ring any bell in my brain, I thought he was a newbie author who was nice enough to write to me to present himself. And so, when I started to browse his name (I always do that with new author I have in mind to read), and found who really was Charlie David, I was in awe, I couldn't believe that someone like him had written to me. Charlie is a good actor, with some important movie to his credit, and he is also a producer and now a writer. In his private life he is also a very kind man, and when I told him that I would have liked to post about him, he was happy of the idea, and he replied to my email even if he was in Greece for his travel show (Bump!) and with limited internet connection. He also said that my LiveJournal "looks wonderful", and saying that he won my heart since if you complimented my "baby" you will always be in my "Nice" list. So I know he will read this post, but maybe not so soon, probably in this moment he is basking under the Greece sun!



( Read more... )

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

( Further Readings )

Joe Orton & Kenneth Halliwell

John Kingsley ("Joe") Orton (1 January 1933 – 9 August 1967 ) was an English playwright.

In a short but prolific career lasting from 1964 until his death, he shocked, outraged and amused audiences with his scandalous black comedies. The adjective Ortonesque is now used to refer to something characterised by a dark but farcical cynicism.

John Kingsley Orton was born at Causeway Lane Maternity Hospital, Leicester, to William and Elsie Orton. William worked for Leicester County Borough Council as a gardener and Elsie worked in the local footwear industry until tuberculosis cost her a lung. When he was two years old, they moved from 261 Avenue Road Extension in Clarendon Park, Leicester, to the Saffron Lane council estate. Joe soon had a younger brother, Douglas, and two younger sisters, Marilyn and Leonie.

Orton attended Marriot Road Primary School, but failed the eleven-plus exam after extended bouts of asthma, and so took a secretarial course at Clark's College in Leicester from 1945 to 1947. He then began working as a junior clerk on £3 a week.


Joe Orton met Kenneth Halliwell at RADA in 1951 and moved into a West Hampstead flat with him and two other students in June of that year. Halliwell was seven years older than Orton and of independent means, having a substantial inheritance. They quickly formed a strong relationship and became lovers. On 9 August 1967, Halliwell murdered Orton at his home in Islington, London, and then committed suicide with an overdose of 22 Nembutal tablets washed down with the juice from canned grapefruit.

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

Joe Orton. What more can be said? No this isn’t fiction, but it reads like it is. I wonder what Orton would have accomplished if he had not been murdered by his lover Kenneth Halliwell in 1967? Joe Orton’s plays had me riveted to the pages. Again I thought, did he dare? Did he make that young man gay in this play? Does anyone know? If they knew would they allow it to be put on in a theater? The secrecy of his character’s desires, the hidden life Orton himself led, all fascinated me. Call it sordid, call it mad, but I gobbled up every word written by Joe Orton and I hope he is never forgotten. --G.A. Hauser

( Further Readings )

More LGBT Couples at my website: http://www.elisarolle.com/, My Ramblings/Real Life Romance

José Lezama Lima (December 19, 1910 - August 9, 1976)

José Lezama Lima (December 19, 1910 in Havana, Cuba - August 9, 1976 in Havana, Cuba) was a Cuban writer and poet who is considered one of the most influential figures in Latin American literature.

Born in the Columbia Military Encampment close to Havana in the city of Marianao where his father was a colonel, Lezama lived through some of the most turbulent times of Cuba's history, fighting against the Machado dictatorship. His literary output includes the semi-autobiographical, baroque novel Paradiso (1966), the story of a young man and his struggles with his mysterious illness, the death of his father, and his developing sensuality and poetic sensibilities. Lezama Lima also edited several anthologies of Cuban poetry and the magazines Verbum and Orígenes, presiding as the patriarch of Cuban letters for most of his later years.

Although he only left Cuba on at most two occasions (one trip to Jamaica and a possible trip to Mexico), Lezama's poetry, essays and two novels draw images and ideas from nearly all of the world's cultures and from all historical time periods. The baroque style that he forged relied equally upon his Góngora-influenced syntax and stunning constellations of unlikely images. Lezama Lima's first published work, a long poem called "Muerte de Narciso," released when he was only twenty-seven, made him immediately famous within Cuba and established Lezama's well-wrought style and classical subject matter.

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Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Lezama_Lima

( Further Readings )

Lance LePere & Michael Kors

Michael Kors (born Karl Anderson, Jr.; August 9, 1959) is a fashion designer based in New York City. He is best known for designing classic American sportswear for women. Kors married his partner, Lance LePere, on August 16, 2011. The two were married in Southhampton, NY. The ceremony was officiated by Southhampton Mayor Mark Epley. Michael Kors and Lance LePere met in 1990 when LePere interned at Kor’s company. Michael Kors released a statement stating, "To marry someone as wonderful and special to me as Lance barefoot on a glorious beach is more than I could have dreamed of."

Kors was born Karl Anderson, Jr. on Long Island, New York, the son of Joan Kors (née Hamburger), a former model, and her first husband, Karl Anderson, a college student. His mother got remarried to Bill Kors when he was five, and his surname was changed to Kors. His mother told him that he could choose a new first name as well; subsequently he renamed himself Michael David Kors. He grew up in Merrick, New York and graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in Bellmore, New York. Kors' mother is Jewish and his father was of Swedish descent.

Kors had an affinity for fashion since he was very young. His mother thought it might have had to something to do with the fact that he was exposed to the apparel industry through her modeling career. As a teen, Kors began designing clothes and selling them out of his parents' basement, which he renamed the Iron Butterfly. In 1977, he enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. However, he dropped out after only nine months and took at job at a boutique across from Bergdorf Goodman on 57th Street, where he was given a small space to sell his designs. Shortly after, Dawn Mello, the fashion director at Bergdorf, discovered Kors. She asked if he would show his collection to Bergdorf Goodman's buyers and he has had his collection ever since. In 1981, Kors launched the Michael Kors womenswear line at Bloomingdales, Bergdorf Goodman, Lord & Taylor, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue. Kors was named the first ever women's ready-to-wear designer and creative director for the French fashion house Celine in 1997. In his tenure at Celine, Kors turned the fashion house around with successful accessories and a critically acclaimed ready-to-wear line. Kors left Celine in October 2003 to concentrate on his own brand. Kors launched his menswear line in 2002.


Michael Kors is a fashion designer based in New York City. He is best known for designing classic American sportswear for women. Kors married his partner, Lance LePere, on August 16, 2011. The two were married in Southhampton, NY. Michael Kors and Lance LePere met in 1990 when LePere interned at Kor’s company. Michael Kors released a statement stating, "To marry someone as wonderful and special to me as Lance barefoot on a glorious beach is more than I could have dreamed of."



( Read more... )

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

( Further Readings )

More Fashion Designers at my website: http://www.elisarolle.com/, My Ramblings/Art

More Real Life Romances at my website: http://www.elisarolle.com/, My Ramblings/Real Life Romance

GayRomLit Ebook Giveaway: T.A. Chase & Devon Rhodes - Chasing The King Of The Mountains

I asked to all the authors joining the GayRomLit convention in Atlanta in October (http://gayromlit.com/grl-authors) a personal favor, a special Ebook Giveaway: everyday 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!

And the ebook giveaway goes to: Qbeeqt

Today author is Devon Rhodes: At 39 and holding, Devon finally figured out the best way to channel her midlife crisis was to morph from mild-mannered stay-at-home mom to erotic romance writer. She lives in Oregon with her family, who are (mostly) understanding of all the time she spends on her laptop, aka the black hole.
Website: http://www.devonrhodes.com
Most recent title : A Sticky Wicket in Bollywood
Publishers: Amber Quill/Amber Allure, Dreamspinner Press, Total E-Bound

Chasing the King of the Mountains (International Men of Sports) by TA Chase and Devon Rhodes
Publisher: Total-E-Bound Publishing (July 4, 2013)
Amazon Kindle: Chasing the King of the Mountains (International Men of Sports)

International Men of Sports:

Come with us around the world as the men who compete in their country’s most popular sports find that, though it’s not always easy to win in the game of love, it’s the only victory worth having.

Chasing the King of the Mountains by T.A. Chase & Devon Rhodes

Book Two in the International Men of Sports series.

If you loved Fire Inside: A Chaos Novel by Kristen Ashley and Soldier of Fortune's Downfall by Charlie Richards then you will not be able to put down this absolute treat!

Pascal might be chasing the title of King of the Mountains, but will he realise in time that Laurent is chasing him?

Pascal Durant, one of the best mountain riders in the cycling world, was about to finally win his first polka-dot jersey denoting him King of the Mountains in the Tour de France. Then he suffered a horrific accident that left him unable to complete the race. In his forties and fighting chronic injuries, he knows he only has one more shot at the top.

Laurent Desrochers, an internationally known reporter, hears about his dear friend’s crash and watches a moving viral video of Pascal, bloodied yet unbowed, congratulating the winner. When Pascal tells him he’s going to do the Tour one last time, Laurent decides to convince his network to let him follow Pascal on his quest.

Friends for a decade, they had never thought of the other as more. Pascal’s focus on his sport and poor taste in men has never produced a long-term relationship. And Laurent’s constant travel causes a rift between him and his fiancé Jan that proves insurmountable.

Laurent finally realises his ideal partner has been in front of him all along. Can he pull Pascal’s focus from his goal long enough for him to know he’s being chased...and let Laurent catch him?

Lost Sky by Andrew Grossman

Lost Sky is almost an eco-adventure novel, very visual in its development; the strength of the story is in the description of the subterranean island that Matthew discovers once he accepts the inheritance of his great-uncle Alexander; but with the island arrives also Salal, a supernatural being who was Alexander’s lover and who is still quite upset that his chosen companion decided to go back to the human world, leaving him. It seems almost natural that Matthew substitutes Alexander in Salal’s life, even if Matthew’s sudden attachment to Salal is quite strange, especially for someone as shy as he is.

The odd thing is that, I didn’t particularly like Salal, I find him quite brusque, and not really a good matching for a gentle, and sometime meek soul like Matthew. Their relationship seemed unbalanced, but for sure I didn’t wish to Salal what will happen in the end. Maybe there is an hint of non consensual relationship, meaning that I’m not really sure Matthew was aware, or fully willing, to engage with Salal, at first it seemed to me that Salal pretended from Matthew to replace Alexander, willing or unwilling.

The story starts a little slow, and actually Salal enters the scene more or less at midnovel. That is maybe the reason why I didn’t manage to connect with him. Anyway he is for sure an interesting character and he will redeem.

It’s a bittersweet story, and while the ending is good for one of them, it’s not so for the other. That is the reason why, more than a romance, I consider this the story of Matthew’s evolution and of the time when, leaving the safe shelter of his secure life, he will find the answers to who he is, what he wants and whom he wants to love.

Amazon: Lost Sky
Amazon Kindle: Lost Sky
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Queered Fiction (February 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 192044114X
ISBN-13: 978-1920441142

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

2013 Rainbow Awards Submission: Jamie Fessenden - Billy's Bones

Billy's Bones by Jamie Fessenden
Paperback: 254 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (July 22, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 162380941X
ISBN-13: 978-1623809416
Amazon: Billy's Bones
Amazon Kindle: Billy's Bones

Kevin Derocher was thirty-two when he walked into Tom's office, newly married, a baby on the way, and the collar of his red flannel shirt pulled up to hide the bruises around his throat from when he hanged himself in his garage. After his initial consult, therapist Tom Langois believes he'll never see Kevin again-but Kevin turns up three years later to make repairs on Tom's new house.

Kevin and Tom become fast friends, and Tom begins to suspect Kevin may be interested in more than friendship. However, Kevin remains haunted by something from his childhood-something so terrible he blocked it from his mind. These suppressed memories make it impossible for Kevin to get close to anyone without panicking and lashing out, sometimes violently. But as his past begins to surface, it becomes apparent that Kevin may hold the key to a twenty-five-year-old mystery: what happened to Billy?

2013 Rainbow Awards Submission: Jamie Fessenden - Murderous Requiem

Murderous Requiem by Jamie Fessenden
Paperback: 270 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (April 8, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1623805686
ISBN-13: 978-1623805685
Amazon: Murderous Requiem
Amazon Kindle: Murderous Requiem

Jeremy Spencer never imagined the occult order he and his boyfriend, Bowyn, started as a joke in college would become an international organization with hundreds of followers. Now a professor with expertise in Renaissance music, Jeremy finds himself drawn back into the world of free love and ceremonial magick he'd left behind, and the old jealousies and hurt that separated him from Bowyn eight years ago seem almost insignificant.

Then Jeremy begins to wonder if the centuries-old score he's been asked to transcribe hides something sinister. With each stanza, local birds flock to the old mansion, a mysterious fog descends upon the grounds, and bats swarm the temple dome. During a séance, the group receives a cryptic warning from the spirit realm. And as the music's performance draws nearer, Jeremy realizes it may hold the key to incredible power-power somebody is willing to kill for.

tMf Magazine - Issue 9

They say the best things in life are worth waiting for and with the summer issue of tMf you’re most definitely getting the best!

After a short hiatus, tMf is back with #9! This special double issue features a massive 200+ pages of some of the hottest men shot by some of the best photographers of the male form!


Starting with the cover, Nick Wolanski’s hypnotising blue eyes and incredible body will make you want to dive in and see more! Inside you will find 16 glorious pages of Nick shot by tMf editor Dylan Rosser.

( Nick Wolanski )

Inside you will go into the woods with photographer Mikel Marton's beautiful images of Marc A, into the concrete jungle with Fabio Lopes by Ricardo Muniz, and into the shower with the incredible Robert Axel from ManPhoto Studios.






Also featured within; Jare’d Andre Goodloe by Seth London, Kim Tien by Ali Choudhry, Josh Taylor by Juan Franco and stunning photographer profiles from Andrew Bowman, Farrand Bloch & Gert Kist.






( Andrew Bowman )

( Farrand Bloch )

( Gert Kist )

Summer reading is a priority with book previews of Rosser’s Full Frontal, Summer Souvenirs by Fred Goudon, American Eros from Mark Henderson, Timeless Bodies by David Vance and various artists coming together for the sexually charged Turnon: Boys.

( Full Frontal )

( Mark Henderson's American Eros )

By bringing together so many astounding artists and their visions in one place, tMf brings you page after page of the male form at its best. tMf is almost a ‘coffee table book,’ itself with beautifully presented hi-resolution images and fun behind-the-scenes information. tMf provides a platform for photographers, models and artists to gain exposure from a wider audience while giving viewers a publication showcasing the pinnacle of male nude photography.

tMF Magazine is an ONLINE ONLY magazine and is not available in print.
ISSUE #9 is out now and priced at just $8.95

Price will return to normal for Issue 10

www.tmfmagazine.com

2013 Rainbow Awards Submission: Lisa Worrall - I Can See For Miles

I Can See For Miles by Lisa Worrall
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press; 1 edition (April 30, 2013)
Amazon Kindle: I Can See For Miles

After a kayaking accident took Josh Donald’s sight, he’s faced with learning to negotiate the world as a blind man. In short order, his boyfriend leaves him behind, making it clear he’s not inclined to deal with special needs. Reeling from the blow, Josh flounders. In an attempt to help, Josh’s friends take him to a camp for the blind, where he falls for the camp organizer, Charlie Cooper. Charlie seems to feel the attraction too, but when a horse named Dottie pushes them into a hot first kiss, Charlie resists. He believes he’s damaged goods, not boyfriend material. Since the accident, Josh has faced tough obstacles, but the most challenging hurdle of all may be getting Charlie to open up and take a chance on love.