2014 Rainbow Awards Submission: Love Is A Stranger

Gay Mystery / Thriller
Love Is A Stranger by John Wiltshire
Paperback: 294 pages
Publisher: MLR Press (May 16, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1608209407
ISBN-13: 978-1608209408
Amazon: Love Is A Stranger
Amazon Kindle: Love Is A Stranger

Loving a total stranger can be very hard work sometimes. How do you love someone who exists entirely in the shadows? How do you love a man who describes himself as dead? How do you get that ghost to love you back? Ex-SAS soldier Ben Rider falls in love with his enigmatic married boss Sir Nikolas Mikkelsen, but Nikolas is living a lie. A lie so profound that when the shadows are lifted, Ben realises he's in love with a very dangerous stranger. Ben has to choose between Nikolas and safety, but sometimes danger comes in a very seductive package.

Charities Donation program progress:
25$ Odyssey Youth Center: www.odysseyyouth.org/
25$ Lancaster LGBT Center: http://www.centralpalgbtcenter.org/
25$ YouthCare: www.youthcare.org/
30$ Covenant: www.covenanthouseno.org/
50$ Wes for Youth: wesforyouth.privacemail.com/
50$ PFLAG: community.pflag.org/
50$ Lambert House: www.lamberthouse.org/
50$ Ruth Ellis Center: http://www.ruthelliscenter.org/
75$ CARE: careprogram.org/
75$ Inland Northwest LGBT Center: www.thelgbtcenter.org/
100$ The Center Colorado: http://www.glbtcolorado.org/
105$ Moveable Feast: http://www.mfeast.org/
110$ Lambda Legal: www.lambdalegal.org/
150$ Point Foundation: www.pointfoundation.org/
160$ UCAN: www.ucanchicago.org/
180$ The Trevor Project: www.thetrevorproject.org/
312$ Lost-n-Found Youth: www.lost-n-found.org/
313$ COLORS: www.colorsyouth.org/
317$ Galop: www.galop.org.uk/
425$ SAGE: giveto.sageusa.org/
710$ Ali Forney Center: www.aliforneycenter.org/
735$ Other Funds
TOTAL: 4072$*

* more than 150$ is a direct donation from a supporter of the Rainbow Awards who isn't submitting; while some authors were more than generous, arriving to donate 5 times the suggested amount, being the submission fee a non mandatory and voluntary direct donation, we were struggling to raise the same amount as last year and there is who decided to cover part of it. I thank you for all you are doing, and if you wish to donate to the above links, please drop me a note with your donation and I will update the total.

2014 Rainbow Awards Guidelines: reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org/4162490.html

GayRomLit Retreat: Kendall McKenna, Cherie Noel & Jambrea Jo Jones

Starting from March up until September I will feature authors attending the GayRomLit Retreat in Chicago (October 16-19, 2014: http://gayromlit.com/grl-authors).

Today authors are Kendall McKenna, Cherie Noel & Jambrea Jo Jones: Kendall McKenna is the MLR Press 2013 Author of the Year. Her first work of fiction was written at the worldly age of nine, and was a transformative work that expanded on the story told in a popular song of the time. She tried her hand at vampire and cowboy fiction, winning high school poetry and short story contests along the way. It wasn’t until she discovered the world of m/m erotic fiction and found her stride with cops, Marines and muscle cars, that she felt inspired to share her stories with readers who enjoy the same things. Putting herself through college by working in a newly-created HIV testing clinic in her local Department of Health, introduced Kendall to the gay and lesbian community. Understanding and empathy has made her a lifetime advocate of GLBT issues. A brief bout of unemployment gave Kendall the time and focus she needed to finally produce a novel worth submitting for publication. Her first novel, Brothers In Arms, introduced the world to her authentic military stories and characters. Kendall’s second novel, Strength of the Pack, was nominated for a 2013 Bookie Award, by Author’s After Dark. Kendall was born and raised in Southern California, where she still lives and works. A non-conventional relationship has kept her happy for the last decade. Her four dogs enjoy it when she writes, as she sits still long enough for them to curl up around her.
Website: http://kendallmckenna.com/

Cherie Noel: Butcher, baker, candlestick maker…ummm, eww, every chance I get, and I surely would if these damn characters would ever shut up. Born in West Palm Beach, Florida and raised…er, is all over the damn place a sufficiently descriptive term? No? Then how about this? Tinker, tailor, Indian chief…Ooooh, especially when smexy men are involved (!), only under duress, and did the cheek-bones give it away? Seriously? I’ve lived in Washington D.C., Virginia, Upper Michigan, Texas, New York, California, and Alabama in the United States; Hessen in Germany, London in England, Masirah Island in Oman and…sometimes it was in a house, sometimes in a tent, and sometimes anyplace I could find to lay my head. I’ve been in love with words since before I drew breath, and I don’t see that ever changing. I write stories. Sometimes I write music with them, sometimes they’re poems, and lately, to my great delight, M/M erotic romance. Yum. Smexy man to the second…or third power…now that’s the kinda math I can get behind!! The hair curls or frizzes as it will, the eyes are green and tend to look in two different directions—no, really—and the rest is subject to change. You know the guy who didn’t know if he was a butterfly dreaming he was a man or a man dreaming he was a butterfly? Yeah, that’s me, but substitute drag queen for butterfly and wacky, wild ex-Army chick for man.
Website: http://talesfromthewritingcave.blogspot.com/

Jambrea Jo Jones wanted to be the youngest romance author published, but life impeded the dreams. She put her writing aside and went to college briefly, then enlisted in the Air Force. After serving in the military, she returned home to Indiana to start her family. A few years later, she discovered yahoo groups and book reviews. There was no turning back. She was bit by the writing bug.
Website: http://www.jambrea.com

Kendall McKenna, Cherie Noel & Jambrea Jo Jones are offering a copy of Big Bone Lick Pack to one commenter on this blog. You can comment on LJ or DW if you have an account (I will send a PM to the winner), if you don't have an account, please leave a comment on DW with a contact email.

Big Bone Lick Pack by Kendall McKenna, Jambrea Jo Jones and Cherie Noel
Paperback: 278 pages
Publisher: MLR Press (January 24, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1608209164
ISBN-13: 978-1608209163
Amazon: Big Bone Lick Pack
Amazon Kindle: Big Bone Lick Pack

Welcome to the Big Bone Lick Pack: A more friendly and hospitable group of werewolves you'll never meet! Visit with; 'Devil Dog & Bad Wolf', a 'Big Bad Bear' and enjoy some 'Shifty Fox Shenanigans'. Watch yourself, 'round the state park, 'cause we had a grizzly on the loose, just a bit ago. Our brave men and woman of the Boone County Sheriff's Department have everything under control. (Except maybe their own love lives!) But if find yourself needing a doctor, head on down to Rabbit Hash clinic, or St. Elizabeth's Hospital is just up the road a piece. We hope you enjoy your stay.

Referrals Program: Yearly Top List

In June 2009, I joined the Referrals Program with different online sellers; this allows me to see where the people goes to browse after leaving my LiveJournal. It is still a surprise month after month, people tend to be interested on the most different topics and objects (many more than only books)

Some books were meteors, only 1 month in the list, some others appeared month after month. I decided to post the yearly Top List so that you can better understand the trend, and of course, find out a title that maybe you missed in the past year. Congrats to all the authors, I'd love to post all of them, but it would be really a HUGE list; to allow a better browsing I divided it in Fiction and Non Fiction (i.e. essays, memories, art books and movies).

Yearly Top List - Fiction

The Nothingness of Ben by Brad Boney
Link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Nothingness-Ben-Brad-Boney/dp/1623801389/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
His Roommate's Pleasure by Lane McGregor
Link: http://www.amazon.com/His-Roommates-Pleasure-Lana-McGregor-ebook/dp/B00CC68G7Y/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Texas Pride by Kindle Alexander
Link: http://www.amazon.com/Texas-Pride-Kindle-Alexander-ebook/dp/B00BVQD4ZA/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Slam! By JL Merrow
Link: http://www.amazon.com/Slam-JL-Merrow-ebook/dp/B00AUDVFP6/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
The Backup Boyfriend (The Boyfriend Chronicles) by River Jaymes
Link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Backup-Boyfriend-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00GZYZYVK/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Clicking Beat on the Brink of Nada by Keith Hale
Link: http://www.amazon.com/Clicking-Beat-Brink-Nada-Keith/dp/141965991X/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Broken Pieces by Riley Hart
Link: http://www.amazon.com/Broken-Pieces-Riley-Hart-ebook/dp/B00I87FILS/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Collide (Blackcreek Series) by Riley Hart
Link: http://www.amazon.com/Collide-Blackcreek-Series-Riley-Hart-ebook/dp/B00GK9L2XO/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
The Dark Collector by Vanessa North
Link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Dark-Collector-Vanessa-North-ebook/dp/B00GLX4JF2/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Lovers in Arms by Osiris Brackhaus
Link: http://www.amazon.com/Lovers-Arms-Extended-Osiris-Brackhaus-ebook/dp/B00ECZ6I0K/?tag=elimyrevandra-20




( from 11 to 40 )

Yearly Top List - Non-Fiction

The Gay Metropolis: The Landmark History of Gay Life in America by Charles Kaiser
Link: http://www.amazon.com/Gay-Metropolis-Landmark-History-America/dp/0802143172/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Manly by Dale Lazarov and Amy Colburn
Link: http://www.amazon.com/Manly-Dale-Lazarov/dp/3861878879/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Naked by Dylan Rosser
Link: http://www.amazon.com/Naked-Dylan-Rosser/dp/3867872260/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Sticky by Dale Lazarov and Steve MacIsaac
Link: http://www.amazon.com/Sticky-Dale-Lazarov/dp/3861879719/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Particular Voices: Portraits of Gay and Lesbian Writers by Robert Giard
Link: http://www.amazon.com/Particular-Voices-Portraits-Lesbian-Writers/dp/0262571250/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Nightlife by Dale Lazarov and Bastian Jonsson
Link: http://www.amazon.com/Nightlife-Dale-Lazarov/dp/3867870446/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
A Queer History of the United States (ReVisioning American History) by Michael Bronski
Link: http://www.amazon.com/History-United-States-ReVisioning-American/dp/0807044652/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Intimate Companions: A Triography of George Platt Lynes, Paul Cadmus, Lincoln Kirstein, and Their Circle by David Leddick
Link: http://www.amazon.com/Intimate-Companions-Triography-Lincoln-Kirstein/dp/0312271271/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Private Moments of Bel Ami 2010 Calendar by Howard Roffman
Link: http://www.amazon.com/Private-Moments-Bel-2010-Calendar/dp/3867873054/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Texas Twins: The Story of Morgan & Nash by Howard Roffman
Link: http://www.amazon.com/Texas-Twins-Story-Morgan-Nash/dp/3861878585/?tag=elimyrevandra-20




( from 11 to 40 )

Statistics: May 2014

Here are the 3 months statistics for the visits on my website and 2 journals:

Site	March 2014	April 2014*	May 2014
elisarolle.com	335.393	372.441	350.927	-6%
reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org	12.131	15.580	19.238
elisa-rolle.livejournal.com	27.526	32.958	25.354
Total	375.050	420.979	395.519	-6%
*on a 31 days basis

there was a decrease of the 6% on the visits on the website, and of 6% on the total number of visits for all three locations.



Reminder: starting from January 2014, there is the possibility to place an advertising banner on my website: http://www.elisarolle.com/. The two top banners are already booked for all 2014, but there is still availability for the rotating side menu banners.

Moreover I have a special proposal for spotlight/promotion, to be considered if you have a coming soon release.

For more info please contact me and I will send details.