Rudy Galindo (born September 7, 1969)

Val Joe "Rudy" Galindo (born September 7, 1969 in San Jose, California) is an American figure skater who competed in both single skating and pair skating. As a single skater, he is the 1996 U.S. national champion and 1987 World Junior Champion. As a pairs skater, he competed with Kristi Yamaguchi and was the 1988 World Junior Champion and the 1989 and 1990 U.S. National Champion.

Rudy Galindo is the third child of Jess and Margaret Galindo, having a brother, George, who was ten years older and sister, Laura, five years older. He began skating with his sister. Although the sport was expensive, his parents were supportive and forewent a chance to buy a house, settling instead for a larger trailer.

As a singles career, Galindo won the 1987 World Junior title.

Galindo was paired with Kristi Yamaguchi by his coach, Jim Hulick. They placed 5th on the junior level at the 1985 U.S. Championships and won the junior title in 1986. Hulick died of AIDS-related cancer in 1989. Galindo did not compete in singles in the 1988-89 and 1989-90 seasons in order to concentrate on pairs. Galindo and Yamaguchi won the 1988 World Junior title and the U.S. senior championships in 1989 and 1990. However, in April 1990, their partnership came to an end when Yamaguchi decided to focus on her singles career. As there was no one of her caliber available, Galindo returned to singles competition.

Rudy Galindo's father died of a heart attack in 1993, his brother, George, died from AIDS in 1994, as did another coach, Rick Inglesi, in 1995. Galindo took eight months off after the 1995 U.S. Championships. However, with the following year's event in his hometown, presenting a chance to compete in front of his mother who no longer traveled, he decided to resume training in September 1995. In January 1996, he won the men's title at the U.S. Championships at the San Jose Arena, becoming the oldest male to win this title in 70 years. He went on to win a bronze medal at the 1996 World Championships. His sister, Laura, was his coach.



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

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Russell Leong (born September 7, 1950)

Russell Charles Leong (born September 7) is an academic editor, a professor, a writer, and long-time Chen Taichiquan student. The long-time editor of Amerasia Journal (1977-2010), he was an adjunct professor of English and Asian-American studies at the University of California at Los Angeles and currently serves as senior editor for international projects. During the 2012-2013 year, Leong is Dr. Thomas Tam Visiting Professor at Hunter College CUNY in New York City. Leong is also the editor and project coordinator for the U.S.-China media brief.

Leong was born Chinatown, San Francisco. He attended local Chinese and American schools where his English teachers and family encouraged him to write. In 1972, He got his B.A. from SFSU where he took one of the first Asian/American writing classes from Jeffrey Chan. Linking art with social and political activism for Asian-Americans, Leong participated in the Kearny Street Workshop. From 1973 to 1974, Leong studied at the National Taiwan University before earning an MFA from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1990.

Leong has a "life is war" ideology representing his dislike towards the academic community. He would like to see himself more as an activist than an academic. Leong's religious views relate most strongly to Buddhist philosophy. Buddhism applies to many aspects of his life including relationships and writing. He agrees with the accepting nature of Buddhism and finds it a strong, but not oppressive set of values to incorporate in daily life.

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

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GayRomLit Ebook Giveaway: Geoffrey Knight - Nude Surfing

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 gisu29

Today author is Geoffrey Knight: From palace-hopping across the Rajasthan Desert to sleeping in train stations in Bulgaria, from spinning prayer-wheels in Kathmandu to exploring the skull-gated graveyards of the indigenous Balinese tribes, Geoffrey Knight has been a traveller ever since he could scrape together enough money to buy a plane ticket. Born in Melbourne but raised and educated in countless cities and towns across Australia, Geoffrey was a nomadic boy who grew into a nomadic gay writer. When he’s not travelling the world, Geoffrey is travelling the world of his imagination—where the adventures, thrills and romance are limitless. His gay novels, novellas and short stories include: The Cross of Sins, The Riddle of the Sands, The Curse of the Dragon God, To Catch a Fox (co-written with Ethan Day), Scott Sapphire and the Emerald Orchid, The Pearl Trilogy, The Boy from Brighton, Nude Surfing, Hotel Pens, Paperboy, Boy Scout, Harm's Way, Drive Shaft, Drive Shaft 2: Between a Rock and a Hard Place, Under the Bridge, The Gentlemen's Parlor: Room of Chains, and the Non-Fiction work Why Straight Women Love Gay Romance edited by Kris Jacen. His work also features in several anthologies including Best Gay Erotica 2013 edited by Richard LaBonte. He currently owns his own advertising and design agency which he runs from his island home on the Great Barrier Reef, and can't wait to buy his next plane ticket—whether it’s real or imaginary.
Most recent title : Scott Sapphire and the Emerald Orchid
Publishers: Dreamspinner Press, MLR Press, Stiff Rain Press, Storm Moon Press, Whiskey Creek Torrid, Wilde City Press

Nude Surfing by Geoffrey Knight
Publisher: MLR Press (January 25, 2013)
Amazon Kindle: Nude Surfing

Clancy Wade didn't plan on taking off for the Australia Day long weekend, but after waking up naked in the bed of his best mate Johnno, Clance panics, packs up his surfboard and his faithful dog Bluey, and heads north in an attempt to straighten himself out. But at a remote beach on the New South Wales north coast, Clance meets Brazilian traveller Danilo, an open-minded, free-spirited surfer who's about to teach Clance that sometimes in order to find yourself... you just have to let it all hang out.

Kindly offered by MLR Press