When I asked my friends to name their favorites, I didn't give them much rules, if not they pick a book read in 2014... The result is various and awesome, and I'm surprised to say, I didn't know most of the books, but me myself found a lot of inspiration for future reads in the list. Hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.
In alphabetical order, here are the Favorite LGBT Books of 2014:
A Forbidden Rumspringa (Gay Amish Romance 1) by Keira Andrews:When two young Amish men find love, will they risk losing everything? In a world where every detail of life--down to the width of a hat brim--is dictated by God and the all-powerful rules of the community, two men dare to imagine a different way. At 18, Isaac Byler knows little outside the strict Amish settlement of Zebulon, Minnesota, where there is no rumspringa for exploration beyond the boundaries of their insular world. Isaac knows he'll have to officially join the church and find a wife before too long, but he yearns for something else--something he can't name. Dark tragedy has left carpenter David Lantz alone to support his mother and sisters, and he can't put off joining the church any longer. But when he takes on Isaac as an apprentice, their attraction grows amid the sweat and sawdust. David shares his sinful secrets, and he and Isaac struggle to reconcile their shocking desires with their commitment to faith, family and community. Now that they've found each other, are they willing to lose it all?
Heidi Cullinan: I read A Forbidden Rumspringa by Keira Andrews. Probably my favorite read of the year, largely because I was very nervous about it yet ended up loving it. Also I now have a shirt that says “I Survived the Forbidden Rumspringa of 2014.” I wear that shirt a lot.
Heidi Cullinan has always loved a good love story, provided it has a happy ending. She enjoys writing across many genres but loves above all to write happy, romantic endings for LGBT characters because there just aren't enough of those stories out there. When Heidi isn't writing, she enjoys cooking, reading, knitting, listening to music, and watching television with her family. Heidi also volunteers frequently for her state's LGBT rights group, One Iowa, and is proud to be from the first midwestern state to legalize same-sex marriage. I'm happy to friend you here, and will try to answer all questions eventually, but due to a high volume of authors spamming this account with "events," I can't be on Goodreads as much as I'd like these days, and replies to PMs will possibly take months. You can always email me or talk to me via the forum on my website.
A Suitable Replacement by Megan Derr: After three years abroad on an arduous expedition, Maximilian is happy to be home, where he can pursue his private studies in peace and enjoy not living in a dusty tent. He is also glad he has arrived in time to attend his twin sister's wedding in a few months, and to finally meet her fiancé, Kelcey. Instead he arrives home to be accosted by his sister's furious fiancé, who wants to know where she has run off to and why. When they confirm the wedding is most definitely canceled, Max has no choice but to fulfill the runaway clause in the marriage contract: he must find Kelcey a new spouse. And if that was not enough to manage, there is also the matter of the people his sister angered when she vanished ...
Cira Arana: "A Suitable Replacement" by Megan Derr - Regency-flavoured maderr at her very best.
Rainbow Awards judge
Abroad: An Expatriate's Diaries 1950-1959 by Harriet Sohmers Zwerling: Hers is the most authentic voice I’ve heard from the expat fifties. She brings to life a seminal decade in literary and sexual history, one that she and her fellow expats, coming home, passed on to the next generation of Americans who thought that they had invented the Sexual Revolution. This is an essential book. And a damn good story as well!
Edward Field: my pick of the year is ABROAD, AN EXPATRIATE'S DIARIES 1950-1959 by Harriet Sohmers Zwerling (Spuyten Duyvil Press, 2014). Her notable sexual playmates included Susan Sontag and Maria Irene Fornes, plus a thousand anonymous bedmates, and she brings back a post-war decade when everyone who was anyone was in Paris, probably to escape the grimness of a U.S. obsessed with its cold-war-inspired HUAC witchhunt.
Edward Field is the author of The Man Who Would Marry Susan Sontag, and Other Intimate Literary Portraits of the Bohemian Era. He recently appeared on Prairie Home Companion (Dec. 6, 2014). He is working on his new book of poems.
All Kinds of Tied Down by Mary Calmes: Deputy US Marshal Miro Jones has a reputation for being calm and collected under fire. These traits serve him well with his hotshot partner, Ian Doyle, the kind of guy who can start a fight in an empty room. In the past three years of their life-and-death job, they've gone from strangers to professional coworkers to devoted teammates and best friends. Miro’s cultivated blind faith in the man who has his back… faith and something more. As a marshal and a soldier, Ian’s expected to lead. But the power and control that brings Ian success and fulfillment in the field isn't working anywhere else. Ian’s always resisted all kinds of tied down, but having no home—and no one to come home to—is slowly eating him up inside. Over time, Ian has grudgingly accepted that going anywhere without his partner simply doesn't work. Now Miro just has to convince him that getting tangled up in heartstrings isn't being tied down at all.
Lex Valentine: I have a hard time choosing what I think was the best book I read this year. It’s truly a toss up between Eli Easton’s The Mating of Michael and Mary Calmes’ All Kinds of Tied Down. I guess All Kinds of Tied Down edges it out a little though because not only did it have a great friends to lover cop story it had a great secondary story with the two young gay witnesses the main characters protect. I find myself rereading that book almost as much as I reread Mary’s Floodgates, which is probably my favorite of her books.
Lex Valentine writes M/M across genres from contemporary to urban fantasy. A native of Northern California, Lex now lives in Southern California with her tattooed husband and a bunch of cats she collectively calls “babies.” She works for a 100+ year old cemetery, builds her own computers, and is honored to be the only LGBT author in RWA’s historic first anthology, Premiere.
Almost Mine by Eden Winters: A perfect life. A perfect home. A perfect husband. Gone in an instant. Ian’s world turned upside down the day Travis walked out without so much as a word, or even a backward glance, leaving a lonely Ian to wonder why. Their son implores him, “Please go see Dad.” Two years of hurt leaves Ian ready to confront the man who’d broken his heart, but what if everything he’d believed about their failed romance turned out to be wrong? What if the biggest problem in Ian’s marriage was…Ian?
Feliz Faber: My favorite book of 2014 was Almost Mine by Eden Winters. I've read many fabulous books in 2014, but none that touched me deeper, none that went more to my heart than this little novella. It is as sad and bittersweet as it is optimistic and uplifting, it is simple without being simplistic, and it's just a beautiful story.
Reader, writer, translator. Small things are what matter: The first cup of coffee in the morning. Starting a new book on a rainy Sunday. Laying awake at night and hearing my family's breaths around me. Meeting with friends and talking about everything and nothing for hours on end. Wording the perfect phrase. Starting a new story. Typing the word "end". That's bliss.
Another Place in Time: A Collection of Historical Short Stories: Welcome to another place in time...where one can be swept away into lands and eras long forgotten. Included in this anthology:
"Office Romance" by Tamara Allen
"Introducing Mr. Winterbourne" by Joanna Chambers
"The Ruin of Gabriel Ashleigh" by KJ Charles
"Unfair in Love and War" by Kaje Harper
"Carousel" by Jordan L. Hawk
"Deliverance" by Aleksandr Voinov
Along with a foreword written by Alex Beecroft, enjoy these original short stories that make up "Another Place in Time". All proceeds from the purchase of this anthology will be donated to AllOut.org in celebration of LGBT History Month, October 2014.
Sara Alva: I'm going to cheat and pick an anthology: Another Place in Time, a collection of historical short stories from many fantastic authors. I often have a craving to read and learn about experiences very different from my own, and historicals fulfill that need. I enjoyed all the stories but particularly wanted to mention "Office Romance" by Tamara Allen and "Unfair in Love and War" by Kaje Harper. Like all her stories, Allen's "Office Romance" has that sweet, slow burn that makes the romance that much more fulfilling. Foster and Casey are living their ordinary lives as the story unfolds, but it's Allen's magic that transports us to another time and allows their story to be extraordinary. "Unfair in Love and War" by Kaje Harper is a story that evokes so much emotion in so few pages...I'll have to break from trying to sound mature here and just say that I bawled. I don't want to spoil any moments, so I'm going to cut myself off and just recommend that everyone read it, even if they're not into historicals (as well as the rest of the anthology, which gives all proceeds to AllOut.org).
Sara Alva is a former small-town girl currently living in big-city LA with a husband, two cats, and an avocado tree. She recently discovered— after a year in her house— that she also has a fig tree in her backyard, which might mean she needs to get out more. But sometimes the stories waiting to be told demand more attention, and when she puts fingers to keyboard, it’s usually to write about journeys of self-discovery, heartache, personal growth, friendship and love. When she isn’t writing, she’s teaching or dancing.
Antidote (Don't Book 2) by Jack L. Pyke: “No head games, no tests. Just us, Jack.” Videos of Jack having sex with a man who brutally mutilated teenagers for fun should have stayed dead and buried, just like the man who filmed them. So when footage of Jack’s past starts showing up on internet port sites, Jack’s whole world is again turned on its head. At first, the videos merely unsettle Jack’s fire-and-ice world of Gray Raoul’s BDSM kink and Jan Richards’ gentle, vanilla touch. But when the videos of teenaged Jack get more extreme, even Gray becomes suspicious, leaving Jack isolated from the protection of the Masters’ Circle. Jack soon finds himself at the mercy of a group of men set on altering Jack’s perceptions of BDSM as brutally as possible. Jack’s sex life is now on camera for a whole new audience, and the only thing he has left to lose is himself.
Jane Siveyer: I choose Antidote by Jack L Pyke. I approached Antidote with some trepidation because BDSM and threesome relationships aren't really my thing . I sat down with a large glass of wine and thought to myself, 'Here goes.' That said, I could not put it down and found myself thinking about the characters and their lives during the days that followed. In fact I'm still thinking about them now, particularly Jack and Gray, and how their earlier interactions - referred to in all three books: Don't, Antidote and Breakdown - panned out; how their relationship developed both within the expectations of the Masters Circle and out. The story grabbed me by the throat and pulled me into the world the author had created. Characters were complex, with dual aspects to their personalities, not always making the right choices or doing what the reader wants them to so they will get their happy ever after. Antidote is not an easy read by any means. The author does not pull her punches with the details of the dark world two of the main characters found themselves embroiled in nor with the emotional backlash following their trauma. This is the most riveting book I have read in a long time and I was on the edge of my seat at times with the tension of the plot line.
Jane Siveyer is a teacher who works in the UK. She discovered the world of m/m fiction 10 years ago when she stumbled across Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy fan fiction during a Google search into something completely unrelated. Since then she had read avidly, both fan fiction and original work, beta read for online authors and has dabbled in writing her own short stories before becoming a Rainbow Awards judge.
Anyone But You by KG MacGregor: An underground pipeline has ruptured, spilling oily sludge into Minnesota’s pristine Lake Bunyan. Taking the media’s heat for Nations Oil is Corporate Communications Director Cathryn Mack, an old pro when it comes to spinning the facts in her company’s favor. Stuck in Duluth to handle the press during eight weeks of cleanup, she finds a silver lining when Stacie Pilardi pops up on SappHere, a mobile app that seeks out nearby lesbians. Stacie is smart, funny, sexy as hell, and wants a longterm relationship as much as Cathryn—which is to say, not at all. A perfect arrangement, until they realize they’re rivals—Stacie is head of the Clean Energy Action Network, in town to protest the greed and recklessness of oil companies and the havoc they wreak on the environment. It’s best for everyone involved if they end this, and that’s exactly what they intend to do. Eventually...
Diane Marina: It was hard to pick just one book for the entire year, so I'm choosing two very different books. The first is the newest by one of my favorite authors, KG MacGregor, Anyone But You. I buy KG's books without reading the synopsis, because I trust that the story will always be good. I was worried when I read the plot for this one, but I loved this. I think what I loved about the characters was that they had such different backgrounds and despite the fact that they barely knew each other, they fell in love and knew that they were right for each other.
Diane Marina lives in the US. She is the author of several short stories, as well as a full-length novel, How Still My Love. When not writing, she spends her time reading, hiking, running, and traveling. When she's not traveling, she's dreaming of all of the places she'd like to visit.
Assimilation, Love, and Other Human Oddities by Lyn Gala: Ondry and Liam have settled into a good life, but their trading is still tied up with humans, and humans are always messy. When political changes at the human base lead Ondry to attempt a difficult trade, the pair find themselves entangled in human affairs. Liam wants to help the people he left and the worlds being torn apart. He also wants to serve Ondry with not only the pleasures of the nest but also by bringing human profits. Ondry has no hope of understanding human psychology in general; he only knows that he will hold onto his palteia with the last breath in his body...and he'd like to keep his status and his wealth too. Unfortunately, new humans bring new conflicts and he is not sure how to protect Liam. He does know one thing that humans seem to constantly forget--that the peaceful Rownt are predators, and when their families are threatened, Rownt become deadly killers. Liam is his family, and Ondry will protect him with his last breath… assuming that he can recognize the dangers in time to do so.
Megan Derr: My favorite part of this book (this series) is how much effort Gala puts into the world-building, the different cultures and how they clash, how they see the world, priorities, etc. I love love how hard Ondry and Liam work at being together, how much they’ve overcome and continue to overcome just to be together. Gala writes some of the most engaging sci-fi I’ve ever read (and this year has become one of my absolute favorite writers). I really look forward to the continuation of the series.
Megan is a long time resident of m/m fiction, and keeps herself busy reading, writing, and publishing it. She is often accused of fluff and nonsense. When she's not involved in writing, she likes to cook, harass her cats, or watch movies (especially all things James Bond). She loves to hear from readers, and can be found all around the internet.
At Her Feet by Rebekah Weatherspoon: During a night of Web surfing for celeb gossip and masturbatory material, digital marketing producer Suzanne Kim stumbles across an intriguing thread while checking her profile on kinklife.com. Suzanne isn’t exactly looking, but the request for a very specific type of submissive from the attractive mistress, Mami-P, is hard to resist. Though the two hit it off during their first online conversation, Suzanne never imagines how strong their real life attraction and compatibility will be. After a few missteps in training, trust, and communication, Suzanne finds a deep love with her mistress, Pilar. Overworked and overstressed in her daily life, Suzanne comes to crave their relationship for the visceral escape it provides, but before they can make the ultimate commitment, someone from Suzanne’s professional life threatens to disrupt their perfectly balanced bliss.
Sheree L. Greer: "At Her Feet" by Rebekah Weatherspoon -- unlike anything I've ever read. A story about sex, fetishes, and role playing that catches you off guard by how quickly you begin to relate to the main character. Love's trappings are the same whether you crave ball gags or walks on the beach!
A Milwaukee, Wisconsin, native, Sheree L. Greer has been published in Hair Trigger, The Windy City Times, Reservoir, Fictionary, The Windy City Queer Anthology: Dispatches from the Third Coast, and Best Lesbian Romance 2012. She has performed her work across selected venues in Milwaukee, New York, Miami, Chicago, and Tampa, where she hosts Oral Fixation, the only LGBTQ Open Mic series in Tampa Bay. She earned her MFA at Columbia College Chicago and currently teaches writing and literature at St. Petersburg College. Sheree, an Astraea Lesbian Writers Fund grantee, completed a VONA residency at University of Miami and self-published a short story collection, Once and Future Lovers. While her obsessions constantly rotate and evolve, Sheree has an undying love for hot sauces, red wines, and crunchy tacos. She plays less-than-mediocre electric guitar but makes nearly-perfect guacamole.
Avalanche by Xena Semikina: This is a novel about friendship, maybe in its unusual, extreme form. The two main characters, Mike and Nick, meet in the Alps on a scientific expedition. They become very close, but struggle to place their relationship in the context of their lives. They fear that the bond between them will not survive outside their research hut, and that the outside world will present challenges impossible to overcome. But then a tragic accident changes their lives forever... This story is an investigation into the nature of ties between people, the limits of loyalty and the power of conventions.
Grigory Ryzhakov: I would very much recommend Avalanche, a very special book by a London author Xena Semikina, exploring an obsessive bond between two straight men evolving into a love.
Grigory (a.k.a Grisha) Ryzhakov grew up in the Russian Far East, bathing in the icy waters of Seas of Okhotsk and Japan and playing hide-and-seek in the snowdrifts that carpeted his native town of Korsakov. He later travelled thousands of miles to vibrant London, on the way collecting his MSc degree in biochemistry at Moscow State and PhD in molecular biology at Cambridge University. Meanwhile, Grigory has been ceaselessly creating poems, songs and prose until eventually he wrote his debut novel "Mr Right & Mr Wrong". "Usher Syndrome" was his first published story, also adapted for the stage and performed at London's Barons Court Theatre in 2010.
Barring Complications by Blythe Rippon: It's an open secret that the newest justice on the Supreme Court is a lesbian. So when the Court decides to hear a case about gay marriage, Justice Victoria Willoughby must navigate the press, sway at least one of her conservative colleagues, and confront her own fraught feelings about coming out. ÂÂ Just when she decides she's up to the challenge,ÂÂ she learns that the very brilliant, very out Genevieve Fornier will be lead counsel on the case. Genevieve isn't sure which is causing her more sleepless nights: the prospect of losing the case, or the thought of who will be sitting on the bench when she argues it.
Diane Marina: It took me awhile to get into the book. I normally don't like flashbacks, but the flashbacks are what drew me in and got me interested. These characters were fascinating and I couldn't wait for them to get together. I judge a good book by whether it makes me think about it once I'm finished with it, and this book made me do just that. I hope there's a sequel!
Diane Marina lives in the US. She is the author of several short stories, as well as a full-length novel, How Still My Love. When not writing, she spends her time reading, hiking, running, and traveling. When she's not traveling, she's dreaming of all of the places she'd like to visit.
Behind the Curtain by Amy Lane: Dawson Barnes recognizes his world is very small and very charmed. Running his community college theater like a petty god, he and his best friend, Benji know they'll succeed as stage techs after graduation. His father adores him, Benji would die for him, and Dawson never doubted the safety net of his family, even when life hit him below the belt. But nothing prepared him for falling on Jared Emory's head. Aloof dance superstar Jared is a sweet, vulnerable man and Dawson's life suits him like a fitted ballet slipper. They forge a long-distance romance from their love of the theater and the magic of Denny's. At first it's perfect: Dawson gets periodic visits and nookie from a gorgeous man who “gets” him—and Jared gets respite from the ultra-competitive world of dancing that almost consumed him. That is until Jared shows up sick and desperate and Dawson finally sees the distance between them concealed painful things Jared kept inside.
Cira Arana: If I had to pick one, I'd probably chose "Behind the Curtain" by Amy Lane. I enjoyed reading it tremendously. It's a wonderful story about love in all its variations. A story of healing. The characters were wonderful, and the writing just sucked me in. A very well-written book but more than that, it's the kind of book I read for comfort. The kind where, after reading the ebook, I went and ordered the paperback because I need to have it on my shelf, to be able to take it down at any one point, to browse through while lying in bed with a migrane. It's a very satisfying book all around.
Rainbow Awards judge
Bitter Eden: A Novel by Tatamkhulu Afrika: ONE OF NPR'S GREAT READS OF 2014. A modern classic being introduced to the United States for the first time, Tatamkhulu Afrika's autobiographical novel illuminating the profound and incomparable bonds forged between prisoners of war. Bitter Eden is based on Tatamkhulu Afrika’s own capture in North Africa and his experiences as a prisoner of war during World War II in Italy and Germany. This frank and beautifully wrought novel deals with three men who must negotiate the emotions that are brought to the surface by the physical closeness of survival in the male-only camps. The complex rituals of camp life and the strange loyalties and deep bonds among the men are heartbreakingly depicted. Bitter Eden is a tender, bitter, deeply felt book of lives inexorably changed, and of a war whose ending does not bring peace.
Elliott Mackle: Bitter Eden: A Novel, by Tatamkhulu Afrika (Picador, 2014 in the United States) Publisher's blurb: "This frank and beautifully written novel draws heavily on the author's World War II experiences as a captive in North Africa and a prisoner of war in Italy and Germany. Three men who see themselves as "straight" must negotiate the emotions that are brought to the surface by the physical closeness of survival in the male-only camps. The complex rituals of camp life and the strange loyalties and deep bonds between the men are compellingly depicted in this tender, bitter, powerful tale of lives inexorably changed and a war whose ending does not bring peace." This semi-autobiographical historical novel so thoroughly engaged me that, upon finishing it, I turned back to page one and read it again.
Elliott Mackle, author of The Capain Harding Trilogy and The Caloosa Club Mysteries. The latter series will include the forthcoming "Sunset Island."
Blurred Lines edited by Kathleen Tudor: A growing phenomenon in the queer community is rejecting the strict confines of the gender binary. The need to be 'all boy' or 'all girl' all the time—or to feel like one or the other at all—is a restriction on free gender expression. What does it look like when someone blazes their own path through gender roles? Wearing, saying, and doing what they want, even when it causes confusion or discomfort to others? It takes a strong personality to defy societal norms, and this collection brings together several of them. In "Werebears and Water", Rayce and his boyfriend, Vince, take a break from their busy college lives to visit a WereCon, where they hope to meet others like themselves. Most of the attendees are players and posers, but when a sexy spitfire of a girl named Maia comes to share their room after a hotel mix-up, they will find that she's everything they were looking for... and everything they didn't even know they were looking for.
Sally Bend: The only challenge is picking just one book. :) Blurred Lines edited by Kathleen Tudor was one of the most positive, inclusive, delightful collections I have had the pleasure of reading in a very long time. Erotic and well-told, they were all positive in their blurring of gender lines. Just such a wonderful collection of authors and stories.
Rainbow Awards judge
Bright Lights of Summer by Lynn Ames: It's March, 1941. Captain America appears in a comic book for the very first time. New York City receives 18.1 inches of snow, its 3rd largest snowfall in history. In Holland, the Nazi occupiers forbid Jews to own businesses. In Poland, Heinrich Himmler inspects Auschwitz. World War II is raging in Europe, but America has yet to enter the fray. And in Phoenix, Arizona, a 16-year-old scrap of a girl named Theodora "Dizzy" Hosler, takes the field to try out for the World Champion P.B.S.W. Ramblers softball team. Set against the backdrop of perhaps the most dramatic time in US history, comes the story of Diz and Frannie, two women fueled by an unquenchable passion for the game of softball and feelings for each other that go far beyond the bounds of friendship. Will their love for the game bring them closer together or tear them apart?
Patricia Nell Warren: My pick is the novel "Bright Lights of Summer," by Lynn Ames (Phoenix Rising Press, 2014). I picked this book because of my ongoing interest in LGBT sports. Invented in Chicago in 1887, women's softball is quintessentially American -- one of those sports revealing a long-time lesbian presence, and deserving of more attention than it has gotten from writers. This novel blends an evolving love story with detail and atmosphere of the 1940s state of this sport.
Patricia Nell Warren grew up on a historic ranch in Montana, spent many years working in the New York media, and has lived and traveled extensively in Europe. She now resides in Los Angeles County, where she writes both best-selling fiction and provocative political commentary. While her earlier works came out from establishment publishers like William Morrow and Random House/Ballantine, today Wildcat Press is her own independent award-winning publishing company and imprint, founded in 1994. Warren is best known for her landmark gay-themed novel THE FRONT RUNNER, In June 2011, she published her 10th book title -- namely MY WEST: PERSONAL WRITINGS ON THE AMERICAN, an anthology of her writings about her native region over 50 years. Her developing book tour will take her all over the U.S. Warren has also been politically active for decades. In 2007, she ran for city-council office in West Hollywood, CA, and lost, but appreciated the insight into politics that she gained.
Byron and Greek Love: Homophobia in 19th Century England by Louis Crompton: Making use of previously unpublished letters from the poet and his circle, Louis Crompton traces Byron's many homoerotic involvements. He argues that Byron's homosexuality was a motive for his first journey to Greece and his later ostracism and exile from England, and an important source for the mood of proud alienation that colors his serious poetry. Byron and Greek Love is at once a fascinating biography and an incisive social commentary; its far-reaching implications for the social and cultural history of early 19th-century England have been widely acclaimed. Original hardback edition was published by University of California Press (1985).
Julie Bozza: My favourite LGBT-themed book that I read this year was ‘Byron and Greek Love: Homophobia in 19th Century England ’ by Louis Crompton. This is a very readable book about not only Lord Byron and his sexuality, but also about Jeremy Bentham and the period more generally. A fascinating mix of biography and social history! Highly recommended.
I was born in England, and lived most of my life in Australia before returning to the UK a few years ago; my dual nationality means that I am often a bit too cheeky, but will always apologise for it. I have been writing fiction for almost thirty years, mostly for the enjoyment of myself and my friends, but writing is my love and my vocation so of course that’s where my dreams and ambitions are. In the meantime, technical writing helps to pay the mortgage, while I also have fun with web design, photography, reading, watching movies and television, knitting, and imbibing espresso.
Calvin's Head by David Swatling: Life in Amsterdam isn't all windmills and tulips when you're homeless. Jason Dekker lives in a jeep with his dog, Calvin, on the outskirts of the city. A thesis on Van Gogh brought him to the Netherlands, and the love of Dutch artist Willy Hart convinced him to stay. But Willy is gone and Dekker is on the brink of a total meltdown. On a summer morning in the park, Calvin sniffs out the victim of a grisly murder. Dekker sees the opportunity for a risky strategy that might solve their problems. Unfortunately, it puts them directly in the sights of the calculating stone-cold killer, Gadget. Their paths are destined to collide, but nothing goes according to plan when they end up together in an attic sex-dungeon. Identities shift and events careen out of control, much to the bewilderment of one ever-watchful canine. Oscar Wilde wrote that each man kills the thing he loves. He didn't mean it literally. Or did he?
Stacia Seaman: (Disclaimer: I was an editor for this book.) I loved the writing style, the original storytelling, and the setting (the Netherlands and France). This book was creepy in the best possible way.
Stacia Seaman has edited numerous award-winning titles, and with co-editor Radclyffe won a Lambda Literary Award for Erotic Interludes 2: Stolen Moments; an Independent Publishers Awards silver medal and a Golden Crown Literary Award for Erotic Interludes 4: Extreme Passions; an Independent Publishers Awards gold medal and a Golden Crown Literary award for Erotic Interludes 5: Road Games; the 2010 Rainbow Award of Excellence in the Short/Novella category for Romantic Interludes 2: Secrets, and a Golden Crown Literary Award for Women of the Dark Streets. Their most recent anthology is Amor and More: Love Everafter, and Myth and Magic: Queer Fairy Tales will be out for Christmas. She has short stories in several anthologies. She also has essays in Visible: A Femmethology (Homofactus Press, 2009) and Second Person Queer (Arsenal Pulp Press, 2009).
Camellia by Cari Z and Caitlin Ricci: Danny doesn't expect much to come from the interview she has lined up through her modelling agency, who told her only that it involved tea and a kink convention. She thinks it won't be much more than wearing some strange outfit, sitting around, and getting easy money that she desperately needs. What she gets instead is Lucy, a formidable woman in riding boots and a corset, who makes Danny want to please her without saying a word. By the end of the interview, Danny is convinced that her new job isn't going to be anywhere near as easy as she first believed. Can Danny make the woman determined to keep her at the end of her riding crop let her into her heart as well as her bed?
Lori Toland: It was a delicious read. I see there is a #1 by the name and I'm really hoping there will be more in the series. Yay!
CEO by day, erotic romance writer by night, Lori Toland somehow finds time to play video games and watch movies while taking care of her cats and husband. I'm also a secret cat.
Champion of the Scarlet Wolf, book 1 & 2, by Ginn Hale: Five years after abandoning the Sagrada Acedemy, Elezar Grunito has become infamous in the sanctified circles of noble dueling rings for his brutal temper and lethal blade. Men and women of all ranks gather to cheer and jeer, none of them knowing Elezar’s true purpose. But a violent death outside the ring marks Elezar as a wanted man and sends him into hiding in the far northern wilds of Labara. There, creatures of myth and witchcraft—long since driven from Cadeleon—lurk in dark woods and prowl the winding streets. Soldiers and priests alike fear the return of witch-queens and even demons. Elezar soon learns that magic takes many forms, some too alluring to resist, others too terrible to endure. But just as he begins to find his place in this strange new country, the past he left behind along with his school days returns to challenge him once again.
Lou Harper: Champion of the Scarlet Wolf, book 1 & 2, Ginn Hale spins tales, creates new worlds, and populates them with fascinating characters like nobody else. I fell in love with her writing with Wicked Gentlemen, and I'm still in love--deeply and madly.
Under a prickly, cynical surface Lou Harper is an incorrigible romantic. Her love affair with the written word started at a tender age. There was never a time when stories weren't romping around in her head. She is currently embroiled in a ruinous romance with adjectives. In her free time Lou stalks deviant words and feral narratives. Lou's favorite animal is the hedgehog. She likes nature, books, movies, photography, and good food. She has a temper and mood swings. Lou has misspent most of her life in parts of Europe and the US, but is now firmly settled in Los Angeles and worships the sun. However, she thinks the ocean smells funny. Lou is a loner, a misfit, and a happy drunk.
Christmas at Leo's by Gillibran Brown: The fifth instalment in the ‘Memoirs of a Houseboy’ series. I wasn’t looking forward to spending Christmas as part of a house party at Leo’s place to begin with. The booze ban by my boyfriends had taken the lustre right off the party season for me. What’s Christmas without a flagon of ale or a classy glass of fancy fizz? Boring! A visit to my mother, on the day before Christmas Eve, did nothing to lift my mood. It triggered a welter of memories and emotions that made Christmas seem even less appealing. Stuff the season of goodwill. I just wanted to be left alone to brood. I wasn’t given the choice. I was spending Christmas at Leo’s, whether I liked it or not. It proved to be eventful in its own way.
Mariana Arias: My favorite new book is Christmas at Leo's by Gillibran Brown. Although there is some debate whether he is just a character or a real person; his books are entertaining, thought provoking, engaging and emotional. I find Gilli special and in need of a hug/love. This book in particular, was deeply emotional and really shows so much complexity in being human. I loved that Gilli doesn't pretend to be other than what he is and I appreciate his honesty.
Rainbow Awards judge
Deadfall by David Lennon: Thirteen years after a serial killer stalked the streets and forests of a small Massachusetts town, the last near-victim returns hoping to rebuild his life after recovering from a coma. As Danny Tyler pieces together fragments of lost memory, however, he begins to realize that not only was his childhood very different than he thought at the time, but the wrong man might be in jail for the murders. Part mystery and part meditation on the nature of perception and memory, DEADFALL explores the dynamics of family and relationships in the aftermath of tragedy.
Drewey Wayne Gunn: The only BGLT book I have read that was first published in 2014 is David Lennon's Deadfall. I recommend it highly -- a departure for the writer: part psychological study of a dysfunctional family, part murder mystery.
Drewey Wayne Gunn is professor emeritus at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, where he taught for twenty-eight years. He has a quarterly column, GunnShots, for Lambda Literary online and has served for eight years as one of the judges for the Lambda Literary Award for best gay mystery. He is also a regular contributor to the e-journal Reviewing the Evidence.
Desire at Dawn by Fiona Zedde: Recently turned from human to vampire, Kylie wants nothing to do with her new life or with the clan that claims her. She certainly wants nothing to do with her mother, Belle, who is completely infatuated with her vampire wife and clan leader. To escape her unwanted existence, Kylie befriends a human, Olivia, who has been abandoned by her family. But unknown to Kylie, someone is watching her. An enemy has targeted her as the perfect way to destroy her clan. While battling this enemy, Kylie also grapples with the surprising desires she feels for the human. Desires that she’d once seen as wicked and wrong. Fighting for her life, Kylie must confront both the assassins and the beast within her that would do anything to keep her loved ones safe.
Sheree L. Greer: "Desire at Dawn" by Fiona Zedde -- vampires, sex, mortality, and mommy-daughter issues. What's not to love? A wonderful second book in Zedde's Desire Vampire Series.
A Milwaukee, Wisconsin, native, Sheree L. Greer has been published in Hair Trigger, The Windy City Times, Reservoir, Fictionary, The Windy City Queer Anthology: Dispatches from the Third Coast, and Best Lesbian Romance 2012. She has performed her work across selected venues in Milwaukee, New York, Miami, Chicago, and Tampa, where she hosts Oral Fixation, the only LGBTQ Open Mic series in Tampa Bay. She earned her MFA at Columbia College Chicago and currently teaches writing and literature at St. Petersburg College. Sheree, an Astraea Lesbian Writers Fund grantee, completed a VONA residency at University of Miami and self-published a short story collection, Once and Future Lovers. While her obsessions constantly rotate and evolve, Sheree has an undying love for hot sauces, red wines, and crunchy tacos. She plays less-than-mediocre electric guitar but makes nearly-perfect guacamole.
Dissonance by Lisa Lenard-Cook: When Anna Kramer, a Los Alamos piano teacher, inherits the journals and scores of composer Hana Weissova, she is mystified by this bequest from a woman she does not know. Hana’s music, however, soon begins to uncover forgotten emotions, while her journals, which begin in 1945 after she is released from a concentration camp, slowly reveal decades-old secrets that Anna and her family have kept buried. Dissonance is a quiet and dramatic novel that offers great emotional urgency and wisdom. It is bold in its scale, placing readers at different eras—in the concentration camp at Theresienstadt and in the scientific world of Los Alamos, New Mexico. With extraordinary sensitivity, the author unfolds the story of a woman musician inheriting the “score” of another woman’s life, reconciling its themes of self-discovery with the processes of self-discovery in her own life, and, finally, freeing imprisoned memory.
Catherine Ryan Hyde: I really think an outstanding LGBT pick for 2014 is Dissonance, a novel by Lisa Lenard-Cook. It was first published quite a few years ago by the University of New Mexico Press, but rereleased in 2014 by the Santa Fe Writer's Project, and I was fortunate enough to read it for a second time in honor of its second publication. I think what I like best about Dissonance is that it's literary in the very best sense of the word. People often sling that term about as an insult, but this book is enough (in my opinion) to restore the good name of literary fiction.
I'm the author of 24 published and forthcoming books. My newest releases are Where We Belong, Don’t Let Me Go, Walk Me Home, When I Found You, When You Were Older and Second Hand Heart. Forthcoming is Take Me With You (June '14) and a young readers' edition of Pay It Forward (8-12). Newer novels are Becoming Chloe, Jumpstart the World, Love in the Present Tense, The Year of My Miraculous Reappearance, Chasing Windmills The Day I Killed James, and Diary of a Witness. Both Becoming Chloe and Jumpstart the World were included on the ALA’s Rainbow List. Jumpstart the World was chosen as a finalist for two Lambda Literary Awards, received a third place Rainbow Award for Young Adult/Coming of Age Fiction and a tie for first place in Bisexual/Transgender Fiction. Love in the Present Tense enjoyed bestseller status in the UK, where it broke the top ten, spent five weeks on the national bestseller list, was reviewed on a major TV book club, and shortlisted for a Best Read of the Year Award.
Educating Simon by Robin Reardon: Everything sixteen-year-old Simon Fitzroy-Hunt loves is in England. There's his school, his boyfriend, his cat, and especially Oxford University, which Simon plans to attend just as his beloved late father planned. But all of Simon's certainties come crashing down when his mother remarries and drags him to Boston with her. Furious and unforgiving, Simon finds plenty to resent in America. His stepsister, Persie, is overindulged by her father and struggling with Asperger syndrome. And Simon's school project--coaching a young student for the national Spelling Bee--hits a complication when eleven-year-old Toby makes a confession: there's a girl trapped inside his body, and her name is Kay. Helping Kay find her way begins changing Simon too, opening him to different perspectives, revealing a strength that's gone untapped until now. And as the life he's known and the future he envisioned slip further away each day, he realizes he can either lose his direction entirely or forge a new--and perhaps even better--path.
Brent Hartinger: One of my favorite LGBT novels of the year was EDUCATING SIMON by Robin Reardon. I loved the main character, Simon Fitzroy-Hunt. He's a perfectly-realized character -- extreme, but never exaggerated; flawed, but always relatable. It's an excellent book.
Brent Hartinger's first novel, GEOGRAPHY CLUB, was recently adapted as a feature film. His latest, THE THING I DIDN'T KNOW I DIDN'T KNOW, is out now.
Enlightened series (Provoked, Beguiled, and Enlightened) by Joanna Chambers: Five months ago, David Lauriston was badly hurt helping his friend Elizabeth escape her violent husband. Since then, David has been living with his lover, Lord Murdo Balfour, while he recuperates. Despite the pain of his injuries, David’s time with Murdo has been the happiest of his life. The only things that trouble him are Murdo’s occasional bouts of preoccupation, and the fact that one day soon, David will have to return to his legal practice in Edinburgh. That day comes too soon when David’s friend and mentor takes to his deathbed, and David finds himself agreeing to take on a private mission in London. Murdo is at his side in the journey, but a shocking revelation by Murdo’s ruthless father leaves David questioning everything they’ve shared. As tensions mount and the stakes grow higher, David and Murdo are forced to ask themselves how far they’re prepared to go—and how much they’re prepared to give up—to stay together.
Z.A. Maxfield: There were so many book I loved this year it’s hard to pick just one. One highlight was the "Enlightened” series by Joanna Chambers, Provoked, Beguiled, and Enlightened. All three books were compelling, emotional, and richly detailed. I enjoyed them very, very much.
Z. A. Maxfield started writing in 2007 on a dare from her children and never looked back. Pathologically disorganized, and perennially optimistic, she writes as much as she can, reads as much as she dares, and enjoys her time with family and friends. If anyone asks her how a wife and mother of four manages to find time for a writing career, she'll answer, "It's amazing what you can accomplish if you give up housework." Her published books include Crossing Borders, Epic award finalist St. Nacho's, Drawn Together, Physical Therapy, Blue Fire, Fugitive Color, and Jacob's Ladder from Loose Id, The Long Way Home, from Aspen Mountain Press, ePistols at Dawn from Samhain Publishing, and Notturno, Stirring Up Trouble, and Vigil from MLR Press.
Every Drop of My Love by Jane Davitt: Steve is a human donor, making a living by allowing dying vampires to feed from him. Then he meets North, a vampire sun-damaged and terribly scarred but very much alive. As North feeds from Steve they become friends with a strong attraction building. Once healed, North makes Steve an offer he doesn't want to refuse; let North hunt him through the city before being brought back to North's home to fulfill every fantasy Steve's shared with him. It's going well until a mugger threatens Steve's life and North intervenes, creating an unbreakable bond between the two of them that threatens to ruin what they'd begun to build.
Susan Laine: I checked my list of books I'd read this year, and I found only one 5+ book (thanks to Goodreads for keeping my book list alive). The book is Every Drop of My Love by Jane Davitt by Torquere Press. I read it in January 2014, though I think it was published some time in 2013. Why did I like it? Every Drop of My Love was certainly no Twilight, and, oh my, did I like it! In fact, in this almost terrifying tale of dark love, vampires really are cold predators, dangerous and to fear. And yet… these vampires are individuals, with different stories, some tragic, some sad. This tale was new, invigorating, even frightening. There’s a dark BDSM element to the play between the vampire North and his blood donor Steve, the play almost akin to torture, but mostly only hinted at. I liked this one a lot, as it didn't offer clear solutions, quick answers, or sugary sweet endings. In fact, at the end, anything could happen. This one left me wondering, kind of amazed too, and the story stayed with me for a long while.
I'm an award-winning author of LGBT erotic romance, and I write for Dreamspinner Press, Siren Publishing, and Evernight Publishing. I'm a Finn, and I like books, pop music, chocolate, saunas, and the seasons in Finland.
Everything I Know by Josh Lanyon: Connor loves teaching. He loves working with kids, he loves feeling like he’s making a difference. And the kids—and parents—seem to love him. Until the afternoon he makes a small error in judgment, and an angry father’s thoughtless comments start the kind of rumor that destroys careers. And lives. Everything Connor thought he knew about himself and his world is now in doubt. But sometimes help comes from the most unexpected direction.
Eve: My pick.... I am torn. I'd say, Josh Lanyon's novella "Everything I Know" won hands down in novella category. He's such a master in saying so much in just a few sentences.
Rainbow Awards judge
Family Connections (The Connelly Chronicles 1) by NJ Nielsen: Ray and Viv realise love isn’t always what they expect it to be, but learning to deal with the road ahead can be worth the heartache. Thrown into circumstances beyond their imaginations, Ray Connelly and Christopher ‘Viv’ Vivvens must step beyond their personal lifestyles to survive the future. What started out as a small white lie about being boyfriends soon becomes more than they bargained for, especially when family and friends decide to interfere in their lives. However, when tragedy strikes, Ray and Viv must step up and become parents, too. Along the way, they welcome nine children of varying ages, but there is plenty of love to go around. Ray and Viv realise love isn’t always what they expect. Sometimes it’s downright hard. They also learn that dealing with life’s obstacles can be worth the heartache. In doing so, the couple discover how strong they are together. When everything is running smoothly, an ex comes along to ruin their happily ever after.
Lydia: I read A LOT, and always come across several books that become “favorites”. It’s hard to pick one over the other but, if I had to choice just one from the past year, I suppose it would have to be Family Connections by NJ Nielsen. This book was republished this year through Totally Bound Books. I absolutely loved this story. While it does have main characters with which the story revolves around, Family Connections is more like an ensemble piece, as the secondary characters are just as important as Ray and Viv. I loved the way the author pulled me into the story and the many twists and turns that kept me turning the pages. Family Connections is the first book in a series and I can’t wait until the next book comes out.
Rainbow Awards judge
Fear (The Copper Horse 1) by K.A. Merikan: London, 1907, twenty years into the zombie Plague. Reuben is a baker living in the slums of London, sharing a room with his father and an extended family of cockroaches. Poor, uneducated, and repressing all his sexual desires, he leads a life of misery, only sometimes sprinkled with gin and a rough tumble in a filthy back alley. But when he is abducted into Bylondon to be the slave of a wealthy crime family member named Erik Dal, his values are put to the test. His new master is obsessed with all things equestrian, and Reuben soon learns that if he obeys and performs well as Erik's horse, he might just get everything he yearns for: pampering, foods he never even dreamed of, and shameless sex with a demonically handsome young man in leather riding boots. As Copper, Erik's treasured dun stallion, Reuben must submit to his new master's obscene fancy of possessing another man completely. That is, if he yearns for treats and not the lick of a riding crop.
Tami Veldura: I read and loved Fear (The Copper Horse #1) by K.A. Merikan at the beginning of the year. All of my favorite tropes: non-con, dub-con, pet-kink, 24/7 lifestyle, and the occasional zombie, hurt-comfort of the most insane variety with a poignant ending, post-apocalyptic, just awesome in every way.
Tami Veldura is a writer, reader, lover and artist. She currently resides in San Marcos, CA. She writes science fiction, fantasy, steampunk, and GLBTQ fiction. Tami can host blog tours and interviews for any artist, writer, or publishing professional. She is also available for hire as a freelance editor of complete fiction stories of any length.
Fighting Instinct (L'Ange Book 2) by Mary Calmes: Only a privileged few know L’Ange’s head of security Arman de Soto is a shifter, and even fewer know he’s been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the château’s overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman’s reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don’t mix—but Arman won’t give him up. Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L’Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he’s ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame, no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts.
Mallory Hytrek: I loved Mary Calmes' latest, Fighting Instinct. I always love her characterization and way with words, but this one was amazing, as her characters were so very different from her usual fare. It was clever, hot, but with a dark and unique twist that made it a favorite this year.
Rainbow Awards judge
Fuerte: a Journey continued by Marcelino Rosas: In Afuera, Roberto Salas came of age by discovering his sexuality, dealing with his family, finding first love and forming deep friendships. Now on his own in a new city, Roberto hopes for a fresh start. But new beginnings bring new challenges; work, school, and sex compete for his time. How will he juggle them all when life throws him some unexpected curve balls? "Fuerte: A Journey Continued", delves into Roberto's discovery that being a young adult in Los Angeles, away from everything he knows, is far crazier than anything his past has prepared him for.
Marcelino Rosas: Fuerte: a Journey continued by Marcelino Rosas. It's the sexy sequel to "Afuera: A young Latino's journey." It's a great read and it's sure to keep you warm during the holidays.
My name is Marcelino Rosas I'm 24 years old and my general goal in life is to make a positive contribution to the world and achieve anything and everything I set my mind to. I am an international male model and I’ve been very fortunate to have my work published throughout Europe, Australia, and also here in the USA. Please refer to the "Awards" section of my profile which lists my achievements to date. Since modeling is such a great passion of mine, I aim to continue on this road of success, continuously challenging myself to be the best I can be and never settling for second best. As a model, physical fitness and a healthy life style is important to me, and I've also set myself high goals for what I want to achieve in the gym and how I want to sculpt my physique. I've always been active in the sporting circles, particularly soccer and played at club level. My latest passion is cycling and I'm training for a triathlon sometime in the future.
Gabriel's City by Laylah Hunter: For spoiled young aristocrat Colin Harwood, the port city of Casmile is a buffet of easy pleasures. But when he steps into a pub brawl to help a dangerously outnumbered young man, he is drawn into the seedy underbelly of the city the young man calls home. Gabriel is a cutpurse and a knife for hire, practically an urban legend. His vision of Casmile is touched by a strange combination of faith and madness, driven by fairytale logic and a capacity for love that he often must suppress to survive. He’s always worked alone, but when a dashing dragon who calls himself Colin saves him in a bar fight, he pulls Colin into his world. Gabriel’s city is nothing like the refined, socialite existence that bored Colin senseless. Colin finds adventure and excitement there—and maybe even love. But with his layers of finery stripped away, nothing remains to protect him from poverty or danger—except Gabriel.
Rachel Haimowitz: My book of the year was Gabriel's City by Laylah Hunter--an underappreciated gem that defies categorization, written by a nearly new author (this is their first published novel, but they've had several shorts published) with astonishing talent. It's part historical adventure, part fantasy (but there's no magic or magical races--just a fantasy-type setting), part YA (but don't let that turn you off if YA's not your thing; you won't even notice it), and very much a coming-of-age love story between a spoiled young aristocrat who gets his eyes roughly opened to the world and a mentally ill homeless boy who's made a reputation for himself as the city's most terrifying criminal.
M/M erotic romance author, freelance writer and editor, sadist with a pesky conscience, shamelessly silly, proudly pervish.
Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew A. Smith: "In the small town of Ealing, Iowa, Austin and his best friend, Robby, have accidentally unleashed an unstoppable army. An army of horny, hungry, six-foot-tall praying mantises that only want to do two things.
This is the truth. This is history.
It’s the end of the world. And nobody knows anything about it.
You know what I mean.
Funny, intense, complex, and brave, Grasshopper Jungle brilliantly weaves together everything from testicle-dissolving genetically modified corn to the struggles of recession-era, small-town America in this groundbreaking coming-of-age stunner."
J.M. Snyder: My pick would be Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew A. Smith. Though not marketed as LGBT, the main character struggles with his sexuality and attraction to his gay best friend throughout the story. It's a YA apocalyptic tale that is seriously one of the best books I've read all year.
An author of gay erotic/romantic fiction, J.M. Snyder began in self-publishing and worked with Amber Allure, Aspen Mountain, eXcessica, and Torquere Presses. Snyder's highly erotic short gay fiction has been published online at Amazon Shorts, Eros Monthly, Ruthie's Club, and Tit-Elation, as well as in anthologies by Alyson Books, Aspen Mountain, Cleis Press, eXcessica Publishing, Lethe Press, and Ravenous Romance. In 2010, Snyder founded JMS Books LLC, a royalty-paying queer small press that publishes in both electronic and print format.
Ham: Slices of a Life: Essays and Stories by Sam Harris: In a collection of personal essays that are “both rip-roaringly funny and sentimental, drawing natural (and justified) comparisons to David Sedaris and David Rakoff” (Esquire), longtime recording artist and actor Sam Harris recounts stories of friendship, love, celebrity, and growing up and getting sober. In sixteen brilliantly observed true stories, Sam Harris emerges as a natural humorist in league with David Sedaris, Chelsea Handler, Carrie Fisher, and Steve Martin, but with a voice uniquely his own. Praised by the Chicago Sun-Times for his “manic, witty commentary,” and with a storytelling talent The New York Times calls “New Yorker– worthy,” he puts a comedic spin on full-disclosure episodes from his own colorful life.
Larry Duplechan: A witty, moving memoir that made me laugh a lot, and occasionally cry.
Larry Duplechan is the author of five novels, including Blackbird (considered the first modern Black "coming-out" novel) and the Lambda Literary Award-winning Got 'til it's Gone. His hobbies include singing, playing the ukulele, reading show business biographies, and pursuing his ongoing quest to forestall the physical aging process and build truly outstanding pecs. He lives in Los Angeles with his husband of 38 years and a 17 pound Chartreux cat named Mr. Blue.
Hunted by Liz Powell: As a professional footballer it looks like Adam Hunter has it all, but when the secret of his affair with midfielder Louie Jackson begins to leak out he’s plunged into the depths of misery – prompting a desperate series of manoeuvres to conceal the truth. Injured, distrusted by his team-mates and plagued by personal tragedy, Adam goes from hero to zero – and by the time Louie’s transferred to a German side he’s running out of reasons to stay alive. If there’s any way back from the brink of suicide, it isn’t clear to him at the moment...
Eve: In terms of full-length novel, I'd have to say Liz Powell's "Hunted" is one of the few books that stayed in my mind long after I finish it. I love the refreshing/realistic approach it took about gay sportsmen, at the same time, a highly emotional and suspenseful read. Not to mention, it is also a very apt subject to tackle this year with several top sportsmen coming out.
Rainbow Awards judge
Imogene's Eloise: Inspired by a true-love story by Marguerite Quantaine: Witty and endearing, jubilant and insightful, Imogene’s Eloise traces the unpredictable journey of a young woman living alone amid the political unrest and social taboos of Manhattan during the 1960s and early 70s, oblivious to her own feelings and those of others until being smitten by the sight of a stranger in town for the weekend whose name and number she’s prevented from getting. In trying to appear calm, she downs a glass of gin she’s mistaken for ice water, awakening the next morning in a fog — but determined to find that one person in a city of millions before time runs out. On a fast paced track towards an ending you can’t possibly imagine, Imogene’s Eloise (inspired by a true story) is certain to erase any doubt you might harbor in the existence of love at first sight and forever fortify your faith in happily ever after.
Fay Jacobs: Aside from Elisa's marvelous encyclopedia of gay lives, my favorite is Imogen's Eloise by Margeurite Quantaine. Published in fall 2014, it's a stunningly written romance, set in 1970s Greenwich Village with all the passion of the time and all the history, too. Great writer, great romance, great read!
Fay is a native New Yorker, who spent 30 years working in journalism and public relations. Her first book, As I Lay Frying a Rehoboth Beach Memoir (2004) is in its 3rd printing. Her second, Fried & True Tales from Rehoboth Beach won the 2008 National Womens Press Association Book of the Year for humor. Fay is the publisher of A&M Books a small feminist press. Fay has contributed The Advocate, Baltimore Sun, Delaware Beach Life, Sussex Weekly and the Wilmington News Journal. "
Jericho by Ann McMan: Librarian Syd Murphy flees the carnage of a failed marriage by accepting an eighteen-month position in Jericho-a small town in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia. Her plans to hide out and heal her wounds fall by the wayside as she gets drawn into the daily lives of the quirky locals. She becomes fast friends with Maddie Stevenson, the enigmatic physician who has returned to the backcountry community to take over her late father's medical practice. Together they learn that life and love can have as many twists and turns as a country road.
Anne Barwell: It's difficult to chose my favourite book as there were many I enjoyed so I'm choosing a favourite instead. Jericho by Ann McMann. I was recommended this book by a friend, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters are three dimensional, and banter is great, and quite literary - something which appeals to me as a reader. Loved also the fact that Syd is a librarian. The relationship which begins as a friendship is realistic, as is both characters' realisation that it's more than that. Also loved the 'supporting' characters who were also well fleshed out and believable. It's not a fast read, but I stayed up many a late night savouring more of it. It makes me happy that there is a sequel - which is now on my reserve list at the library.
Anne Barwell lives in Wellington, New Zealand. She shares her home with two cats who are convinced that the house is run to suit them; this is an ongoing "discussion," and to date it appears as though the cats may be winning. In 2008 she completed her conjoint BA in English Literature and Music/Bachelor of Teaching. She has worked as a music teacher, a primary school teacher, and now works in a library. She is a member of the Upper Hutt Science Fiction Club and plays violin for Hutt Valley Orchestra. She is an avid reader across a wide range of genres and a watcher of far too many TV series and movies, although it can be argued that there is no such thing as "too many." These, of course, are best enjoyed with a decent cup of tea and further the continuing argument that the concept of "spare time" is really just a myth.
Junction X by Erastes: Set in the very English suburbia of 1962 where everyone has tidy front gardens and lace curtains, Junction X is the story of Edward Johnson, who ostensibly has the perfect life: A beautiful house, a great job, an attractive wife and two well-mannered children. The trouble is he's been lying to himself all of his life. And first love, when it does come, hits him and hits him hard. Who is the object of his passion? The teenaged son of the new neighbours. Edward's world is about to go to hell. "Both a haunting tale of sexual obsession and a stunning portrait of an ordinary man caught up in the throes of an illicit love and teetering on the brink of self-destruction, told with pinpoint psychological insight and mouth-watering prose, this is a splendid example of the storyteller's art, reminiscent of James Baldwin." - Victor J. Banis, author of The Man from C.A.M.P.
Suki Fleet: My choice is Junction X by Erastes. It's not a new story but it's the most affecting story I've read this year. A truly brilliant and devastating story about love. I read this a few weeks ago and I still feel deeply affected by it now. Stories like this are why I read. The author manages to garner my sympathy for the actions of the main character while at the same time I find myself hating him for what he does. Absolutely compelling.
Suki Fleet grew up on a boat and as a small child spent a lot of time travelling at sea with her family. She has always wanted to be a writer. As a kid she told ghost stories to scare people, but stories about romance were the ones that inspired her to sit down and write. She doesn't think she can ever stop writing them.
Lasting City: The Anatomy of Nostalgia by James McCourt: The darkly intense Irish-American family drama come alive like never before in this "virtuosic meta-memoir" (Publishers Weekly, starred review). “The blood-red of Manhattan, the brilliant green of an Irish-American wake, the blue-rinsed divas of the opera and the bathhouse alike” (Michael Gorra) are hypnotically rendered in this “astoundingly smart book” (John Waters). With some of the most lyrical cadences in recent literature, the legendary James McCourt animates twentieth-century New York through a “kaleidoscope of sharp-edged, brilliantly colored memories” (J. D. McClatchy) and with “dynamic prose and high-brow erudition that has gone the way of the dodo” (Publishers Weekly). Braiding a nostalgic portrait of the eternal city with a boy’s funny, guttersnipe precocity and outrageous coming-of-age in the 1940s and 1950s, McCourt revisits the fantasy city of his youth.
Vincent Virga: NOW: admittedly I am biased BUT, for me, the book of the year is Jimmy McCourt's LASTING CITY. Burroughs said there are two kinds of gay men: Pale Faces and Savages. Jimmy is a SAVAGE. His book scared all the Pale Faces of this world (most with any power married with kids), including the New York Times: they did not review it after reviewing ALL his other books; and in spite of stupendously positive reviews everywhere reviews appeared: PW starred; Kirkus starred; Booklist rave; G&LR rave, it was not even nominated by the shameful Pale Faces at Lambda Book Awards. Crazy to find a majority of modern gay men adopting the mores of the same-as-you suburban 70s who, as one said in an Advocate interview: "We prefer malls to museums." In spite of them all, the SAVAGES are the ones who will be remembered for it has always been thus....
Vincent Virga has been called "America's foremost picture editor." He has researched, edited, and designed picture sections for more than 150 books, including Eyes of the Nation: A Visual History of the United States and the full-length photo essay The Eighties: Images of America. He is also the author of A Comfortable Corner. He is working on a third novel, Theatricals.
Love is a Stranger by John Wiltshire: 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.
A.B. Gayle: Mine was "Love is a Stranger" and everything else by John Wiltshire. He has had six books published this year since May and all are great. The writing craft is good, the characterisation excellent and the plots all held me spellbound.
Unlike many authors, I haven't been writing stories all my life. I've been too busy living life. My travels took me from the fjords of Norway to the southern tip of New Zealand. In between, I've worked in so many different towns I've lost count. I've shoveled cow shit, mustered sheep, been polite to customers, traded insults with politicians and need to be forgiven on occasions when I get confused as to who needs what where. Now that I'm settled in Sydney, Australia, my real-life experiences can morph with my fertile imagination and create fiction which I hope readers will enjoy. My philosophy on posting reviews is to recommend books I like which I think other people may not read and state why I like them. These are only the tip of the iceberg of books I read. If I do post a negative review, it's because there is some craft aspect (usually) that, to me, prevents the book from reaching its full potential.
Love Me As I Am: gay men reflect on their lives by Ade Adeniji, Darren Brady & Francois Lubbe: ‘Love Me As I Am’ is an anthology documenting the biographies and letters of 24 gay men as they reflect on the childhood experiences that shaped their lives. In sharing their life stories these men, coming from all walks of life, give the reader a bird’s eye view of the key moments that bear upon the lives of many gay men. The book speaks hard truths, and echoes a prevailing message of hope, which holds the promise of reaching much further than the gay community and has the potential to leave a lasting impression on every reader — irrespective of his or her sexual orientation. As the world slowly transforms into a more tolerant and accepting place we all can play a small part in making a big difference… One book at a time.
Tobias Oliver: At the end of the year I was lucky enough to attend one of the amazing weekend self-development workshops for gay men called ‘The Quest’. The aim of these weekends is to explore and better understand the challenges of growing up as a gay man in today’s society. As part of the workshop you are asked to write a letter to your 16 year-old self. ‘Love Me As I Am’ is an anthology of such letters written by 24 gay men, alongside their life stories, as they reflect on the childhood experiences that shaped their lives. The letters reveal experiences of men from all walks of life. Experiences that may or may not mirror our own but nevertheless allow us to recognise the shared struggle to live with courage and integrity in a sadly, all-too-often hostile society. But this book is not just a fascinating insight into the lives of others, it is above all a powerful, brutally honest and profoundly moving testament to the resilience of the human spirit. It reminds us that however hard things may have been or still are, there is always hope and that it does get better.
Tobias Oliver grew up in London and read English with Drama at the University of Sheffield. He went on to study Text and Performance at RADA and King’s College London. After 20 years working in the arts and major events industries he became Marketing Director of Mr. Bugg Presents, a music theatre company his husband, composer Matthew Bugg, and he set up with producer Keith Arrowsmith. They have taken their critically acclaimed production, Miss Nightingale – the musical written by Matthew, on two hugely successful tours of the UK, including a run in London’s West End.
Mary Ann in Autumn by Armistead Maupin: Following the success of his New York Times bestseller Michael Tolliver Lives, Armistead Maupin’s Mary Ann in Autumn is a touching portrait of friendship, family, and fresh starts, as the City by the Bay welcomes back Mary Ann Singleton, the beloved Tales of the City heroine who started it all. A new chapter begins in the lives of both Mary Ann and Michael “Mouse” Tolliver when she returns to San Francisco to rejoin her oldest friend after years in New York City…the reunion that fans of Maupin’s beloved Tales of the City series have been awaiting for years.
John Glines: I know and love the characters. The plot is terrific. It's another gem in the Tales of the City series.
John Glines (born October 11, 1933 in Santa Maria, California) is an American playwright and producer. Glines graduated from Yale in 1955 with a BA in drama. As a writer in children’s television, he worked for seven years on Captain Kangaroo and for four years on Sesame Street. His play In The Desert Of My Soul was anthologized in Best Short Plays Of 1976. His musical Gulp!, written with Stephen Greco and Robin Jones, had a lengthy off-off-Broadway run in 1977. His plays written for, and originally produced by The Glines, the non-profit organization for gay arts which he co-founded in 1976 with Barry Laine and Jerry Tobin, include On Tina Tuna Walk, In Her Own Words, Men Of Manhattan, Chicken Delight , Body And Soul Murder In Disguise, Key West, and Heavenly Days. Glines won a Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award in 1983 as producer of Torch Song Trilogy. In his acceptance speech for the Tony, he was the first person ever to acknowledge his same-sex lover on a major awards show.
Muscling Through by JL Merrow: The bigger they come, the harder they fall... in love. Cambridge art professor Larry Morton takes one, alcohol-glazed look at the huge, tattooed man looming in a dark alley, and assumes he’s done for. Moments later he finds himself disarmed—literally and figuratively. And, the next morning, he can’t rest until he offers an apology to the man who turned out to be more gentle than giant. Larry's intrigued to find there's more to Al Fletcher than meets the eye; he possesses a natural artistic talent that shines through untutored technique. Unfortunately, no one else seems to see the sensitive soul beneath Al’s imposing, scarred, undeniably sexy exterior. Least of all Larry's class-conscious family, who would like nothing better than to split up this mismatched pair. Is it physical? Oh, yes, it’s deliciously physical, and so much more—which makes Larry’s next task so daunting. Not just convincing his colleagues, friends and family that their relationship is more than skin deep. It’s convincing Al.
Cira Arana: "Muscling Through" by JL Merrow, for its unique and adorable narrator.
Rainbow Awards judge
Mustang Hill by Rolf and Ranger: An online series that's unlikely ever to be published, but it deserves be better known, and I reread it *twice* this year. This is a 2010 novel, because the current novel in the series is a work-in-progress.
Dusk Peterson: The most moving of the stories in the lengthy Falls Chance Ranch series, this novel takes a gay polyamorous domestic-discipline family that lives on a modern Western ranch, and places them in the aftermath of an American national crisis. The reader is offered images of healing from grief, detailed descriptions of cowboy life and corporate life, a psycho-spiritual journey that touches upon Native American heritages, and an absorbing tale of the protagonist's continuing quest to come to terms with his personal limitations and strengths. I know of no other novel like this in m/m literature.
Honored in the Rainbow Awards, Dusk Peterson writes historical speculative fiction, including lgbtq novels. Suspense plays an important role in many of the tales; the conflict in those tales is both external and internal. Peterson's stories are often placed in dark settings, such as prisons or wartime locations. The mood of the stories, however, is not one of unrelieved gloominess: romance, friendship, and faithful service are recurring themes. Visit duskpeterson.com for e-books and free fiction.
My Favorite Uncle by Marshall Thornton: Martin Dixon's carefully-constructed, peaceful life is turned upside down when his super Christian eighteen-year-old nephew Carter shows up unexpectedly on his doorstep and announces he's gay. Martin's first impulse is to send him back to his parents. But when he discovers that Carter has been in a mental hospital to cure his gay-ness he realizes he's stuck with the boy. Unfortunately, the two get on each other's nerves, each driving the other to distraction. Independently, however, they each arrive at the same conclusion. The other would be much less annoying if he only had... a boyfriend.
Jess Faraday: ONLY ONE ?????? =) My favorite LGBT book this year was My Favorite Uncle by Marshall Thornton. I enjoyed his extremely gritty Boystown mysteries, and was delighted to find that the author can do comedy with an equally deft hand. But although there were some slapstick moments, the heart of the story turned out to be about family--both the family you choose and the one you don't. An absolutely delightful read.
Jess Faraday is the author of the Ira Adler series (including the Lambda-shortlisted Affair of the Porcelain Dog), the steampunk thriller The Left Hand of Justice, three book translations, a handful of short stories, and numerous nonfiction articles. She also moonlights as the mystery editor for Elm Books. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona (B.A.) and UCLA (M.A.). Since then, she has earned her daily bread in a number of questionable ways, including translation, lexicography, copyediting, teaching high school Russian, and hawking shoes to the overprivileged offspring of Los Angeles-area B-listers. She is currently at work on her fourth novel, Fool’s Gold, a mystery set in Victorian London and the American west.
My Happy Days In Hell by György Faludy: My Happy Days in Hell (1962) is Gyorgy Faludy's grimly beautiful autobiography of his battle to survive tyranny and oppression. Fleeing Hungary in 1938 as the German army approaches, acclaimed poet Faludy journeys to Paris, where he finds a lover but merely a cursory asylum. When the French capitulate to the Nazis, Faludy travels to North Africa, then on to America, where he volunteers for military service. Missing his homeland and determined to do the right thing, he returns - only to be imprisoned, tortured, and slowly starved, eventually becoming one of only twenty-one survivors of his camp.
Ross Eliot: My Happy Life in Hell by George Faludy (1962) This memoir runs rife with themes that resonate throughout my own memoir about a queer European who didn't fit prevailing LGTBQ stereotypes. A brilliant poet, Faludy found himself at odds with every early 20th century Hungarian political ideology, from nationalists to fascists and communists. Never a completely sympathetic character, at one point he speculated with his male lover about murdering their wives, but couldn't follow through, though claiming the other man did. It's a complex and fascinating adventure story, but never a comfortable one.
Ross Eliot is a writer and commercial fisherman based in Portland, Oregon and Sitka, Alaska. He is best known as publisher and editor of the critically acclaimed counterculture gun politics magazine American Gun Culture Report from 2006-2011. He has been featured on National Public Radio and Restore the Republic Radio as well as in periodicals including the Oregonian, Portland Mercury, The Sovereign, Street Roots and Skanner newspapers. Ross Eliot served as keynote speaker at the 2010 Liberal Gun Club Annual Convention in Chicago and has also testified before the Portland City Council on Second Amendment issues. January of 2014 saw the unveiling of Babette: The Many Lives, Two Deaths and Double Kidnapping of Dr. Ellsworth, Ross Eliot’s first book.
Names Can Never Hurt Me by Wade Kelly: What if sexuality wasn’t a definable thing and labels merely got in the way? Nick Jones can’t remember a time when he wasn’t part of the in crowd. Everywhere he goes, he stands out as the best looking guy in the room, and women practically fall into bed with him. Then, after kissing Corey on a dare led to much more and on many occasions, Nick’s “screw anything” reputation escalated, but he didn’t care. When Nick meets RC at the restaurant where he works, it throws his whole life out of whack. Overweight, always sweaty, gay, and hairy like a bear, RC lives up to his dubbed nickname “Scruffy Dude.” He seems Nick’s complete opposite, but Nick can’t get him out of his head. Because of peer-pressure and his fears about defining his sexuality, Nick struggles with stepping out of his comfort zone and caring about someone different than himself. If he’s lucky, somewhere between arrogance and ignorance, Nick might find out what it means to be an adult, but if he’s wrong, he could lose everything.
Jeff Adams: I've thought about this book a lot since I've read it. Not only do I think the writing is excellent, but it's messages are so relevant in the world today where society rushes to put a label on everything and tends to tear down anything that doesn't fit their own likes. Wade wrote a thoughtful book on the subject, and gave us a great romantic story as well.
Jeff Adams caught the writing bug in middle school and finally became a novelist with the Hat Trick series, which will conclude in 2015. He’s also written a number of m/m romance shorts, including the recent re-release of Rivals. Jeff and his husband, Will, left the hustle and bustle of New York City to return to the more peaceful lifestyle of Humboldt County, California, during the summer of 2014, which allows more time for him to write. Extending his love of hockey beyond novels, Jeff covers the Detroit Red Wings, as well reviews books that feature LGBT hockey players, for PuckBuddys.com.
Nothing Special by AE Via: Detective Cashel 'Cash' Godfrey is big, tattooed and angry so people typically keep their distance. He's fresh out of the police academy, however, no one is looking to partner with the six foot four beast with a huge chip on his shoulder and an inability to trust. When Cash scans the orientation room he wasn't expecting to find sexy hazel eyes locked onto him. Eyes of the handsome Detective Leonidis 'Leo' Day. Leo is charming, witty, hilariously sarcastic and the only one that can make Cash smile. He’s proud, out and one bad-ass detective. Together Cash and Leo become the most revered and successful narcotics detectives Atlanta’s ever seen. Able to communicate and understand each other, without even having to voice it, they quickly climb up the promotional ranks. When Cash saves Leo's life in a raid that turns deadly, Leo begins to see something in the big man that no one else does…something special. But Leo fears he'll never break through the impenetrable wall that protects Cash's heart.
Vicktor Alexander: I would have to say that my favorite book for 2014 is AE Via's Nothing Special. I stumbled upon it when I went to buy some new books and was instantly hooked on the characters of God and Day. These two characters, so manly, so hardcore and butch, and yet with this vulnerability that only the other seems to be able to see and delve into. And the sex? Hop-dogee! It is liable to melt your Kindle. Everything was pulled out of me, anger, lust, anticipation, humor, romance, I ran the gamut of emotions and feels. This was hard and raunchy and got me hooked on the series and the author, immediately.
Vicktor Alexander “Vic” wrote his first story at the age of 10 about his youngest sister and her destruction of the world…with her breath. Much to his youngest sister’s dismay the story was a hit and became the first story of a series all dealing with the planets that were destroyed by his siblings and their strange quirks and body odors. Vic now enjoys writing about shifters, humanoids, cowboys, firemen, rent boys, fairies, elves, dancers, doctors, Doms, Subs, and anything else that catches his fancy, all sexy men falling in love with each other and having lots of naughty, dirty, man-on-man sex. Author of the best-selling series, The Tate Pack, Vic is a huge fan of the “happily-ever-after” ending. But while his characters all ride off into the proverbial sunset, all sexually satisfied and in love, they all bear the scars of fighting for that love, just like in real life.
Now and Yesterday by Stephen Greco: In the three decades since Peter first moved into his Brooklyn apartment, almost every facet of his life has changed. Once a broke, ambitious poet, Peter is now a successful advertising executive. He's grateful for everything the years have given him--wealth, friends, security. But he's conscious too of what time has taken in return, and a busy stream of invitations doesn't dull the ache that remains since he lost the love of his life. Will is a young, aspiring journalist hungry for everything New York has to offer--culture, sophistication, adventure. When he moonlights as a bartender at one of Peter's parties, the two strike up a tentative friendship that soon becomes more important than either expected. In Peter, Will sees the ease and confidence he strives for, while Peter is suddenly aware of just how lonely his life has become. But forging a connection means navigating very different sets of experience and expectations, as each decides how to make a place for himself in the world--and who to share it with.
Victor Bumbalo: It's a unique exploration of two generations of gay men. It's wise, witty, and insightful..
Victor Bumbalo is an award-winning playwright whose plays have been produced worldwide. He graduated from the Masters Program in Theater at Bennington College. Coming to New York City, Bumbalo became immersed in the Off- and Off-Off Broadway theater scene. He directed the American premiere of Mrozek’s The Enchanted Night and became the artistic director of the Soul and Latin Theater, one of the first successful street theaters. Their productions toured the streets of New York for four consecutive summers. But as a gay man, he felt the need to put the lives of gay people on the stage. He wrote Kitchen Duty, produced by John Glines. Then came Niagara Falls, a comedy about a working-class family’s reaction to their gay son and his lover arriving unexpectedly for his sister’s wedding. This play has enjoyed a long life, playing in both mainstream and alternative theaters. In the 1980s he received two MacDowell Fellowships and a Yaddo and Helene Wurlitzer Residency.
Objects in the Rearview Mirror (Memoirs of the Human Wraiths) by F.E. Feeley, Jr.: Memoirs of the Human Wraiths. Their new home on Frederick Street in Clay Center, Kansas, was supposed to give writer Jonathan David and his husband, clinical psychologist Dr. Eddie Dorman, an opportunity to enjoy married life. Jonathan has just released his first major bestseller, and he hopes to finally escape his traumatic past and find the quiet existence he has always craved. Eddie has taken a job at the Kansas State University psychology department, and they intend to begin anew. They have barely settled in when the nightmare begins. Noises, disembodied voices, and mysterious apparitions make Jonathan’s life hell. Part of the house has decided to bare its teeth, show its jagged edges, and bring back the worst of Jonathan’s past. At first, Eddie cannot perceive the spectral events and fears for his husband’s sanity. When he’s also affected by the haunting, he’s unsure of what to do but refuses to be beaten. Together, they seek a way to fight the forces trying to tear them apart.
Ulysses G. Dietz: I might go on about Harper Fox, my favorite author ever. But I need to put aside my traditional favorites and applaud my favorite new authors this year: F. E. Feeley, Jr. (Fred) and Edmond Manning. These two authors are new to the world of gay fiction, and have both created wonderful, captivating novels that are literate, compelling, different and emotionally powerful. I’ve discovered lots of great books this year (over 150 and still counting); but I have to salute new voices in our world.
Ulysses Grant Dietz grew up in Syracuse, New York, where his Leave it to Beaver life was enlivened by his fascination with vampires, from Bela Lugosi to Barnabas Collins. He studied French at Yale, and was trained to be a museum curator at the University of Delaware. A curator for thirty-two years, Ulysses has never stopped writing fiction for the sheer pleasure of it. He created the character of Desmond Beckwith in 1988 as his personal response to Anne Rice’s landmark novels. Alyson Books released his first novel, Desmond, in 1998. Vampire in Suburbia is his second novel. Ulysses lives in suburban New Jersey with his husband of 37 years and their two teenaged children. By the way, the name Ulysses was not his parents’ idea of a joke: he is a great-great grandson of Ulysses S. Grant, and his mother is the President’s last living great-grandchild. Every year on April 27 he gives a speech at Grant’s Tomb in New York City.
Pissing In A River by Lorrie Sprecher: Amanda moves to London with nothing but her guitar and her collection of punk music as the soundtrack to her every move. With the company of a few friendly voices in her head, she looks for—and finds—a best friend and new lover. She forms a band, Lesbian Raincoat, and completely rewrites the story of her life. In this irreverently funny yet profound novel, Amanda risks deportation, recalls the fervor of AIDS activism in the United States, connects to the class struggle of punk, and finds redemption in love. But she also must confront her own mental illness, her lover's rape, and the violence of post-9/11 politics. Pissing in a River captures the glee and turbulence of surviving the cacophony of modern life. Lorrie Sprecher is the author of Sister Safety Pin and Anxiety Attack. She was a member of ACT UP/DC, has a PhD in English and American literature, and resides with her dog Kurt in Syracuse, New York. The punk song "It's a Heteronormative World, No!," recorded by her band Sugar Rat, appears on a compilation put out by Riot Grrrl Berlin.
Sassafras Lowrey: My top pick for the best new book of 2014 is Lorrie Sprecher's "Pissing In A River." This punk dyke novel is political and provocative chronicling queer activism in a post 9/11 world. Sprecher doesn't shy away from the uncomfortable she's written a fun and thoughtful novel that explores the intimate and community response to sexual assault, homophobia and seamlessly includes an intimate portrayal of anxiety and other mental illnesses with a punk rock soundtrack.
Sassafras Lowrey is a straight-edge queer punk who grew up to become the 2013 winner of the Lambda Literary Emerging Writer Award. Hir books—Kicked Out, Roving Pack, and Leather Ever After—have been honoured by organizations ranging from the National Leather Association to the American Library Association. Sassafras lives and writes in Brooklyn with hir partner and five furry beasts. Hir next novel Lost Boi will be released from Arsenal Pulp Press in Spring 2015.
Pretty Boy Dead by Jon Michaelsen: A murdered male stripper. A missing go-go dancer. A city councilman on the hook. Can Atlanta homicide detective Sergeant Kendall Parker solve the heinous crime and remain safely behind the closet door? When the body of a young man is found in a popular midtown park, police and local media are quick to pin the brutal killing on a homeless gay kid with AIDS. But homicide detective Sgt. Kendall Parker isn't so convinced, even when the suspect is accused of assaulting another police detective with a deadly weapon. City leaders want the murder solved yesterday and jump at the chance to pin the crime on the drug-craving teen. It's an election year, so remaining in office is their top priority, even at the sacrifice of the young man. Sgt. Parker isn't so persuaded and is determined to prove Hopper's innocence, despite the protest of his colleagues, and threatening the deep secret Parker has carefully hidden from his comrades for years.
Ryan Field: my pick is "Pretty Boy Dead" by Jon Michaelsen. I don't read much mystery or suspense for lack of time, but when I do I'm usually very picky about them. I knew the minute I started reading "Pretty Boy Dead" I was going to like it. I liked the writing as much as I liked the story, and I really did feel the author put a great deal of work into this story. It really showed.
Ryan Field is a gay fiction writer who has worked in many areas of publishing for the past 20 years. He's the author of the bestselling "Virgin Billionaire" series and the short story, "Down the Basement," which was included in the Lambda Award winning anthology titled "Best Gay Erotica 2009." Though not always, he sometimes writes gay parodies of *straight* mainstream fiction/films in the same way straight fiction and Hollywood has been parodying gay men for years, without apology. He also writes hetero romances with pen names, and has edited several short story anthologies. He has a long list of publishing credits that include over 84 works of lgbt fiction, some with pen names in various sub-genres.
Rebound by Lynette Mae: Women's basketball star Conner Maguire has the world by the tail. She's at the top of her game, in demand, and life is good. One day the unthinkable happens and her world is ripped apart. That split second event forces Conner to re-evaluate her entire existence. Shawn Tyler, a beautiful warrior with a shattered heart and incomparable spirit may be the key to conquering her fears, if Conner can open her heart enough to see the world from a new perspective. "Life has its own playbook and the rules can change on a dime."
Jody Klaire: There were so many great books, Nudge from Sandra Moran, Balefire by Barrett and Hoosier Daddy by Ann McMan and Salem West (all fellow Bedazzled Ink ladies) and of course Midnight Moon by Gerri Hill. My pick however has to be Rebound by Lynette Mae. Her book really touched me (and I know nothing much about basketball) but Conner has to be one of the coolest characters I've ever met. Everything about the story really spoke to me, as it follows her journey from a WNBA star to starting over as in Wheelchair Basketball. It inspired me, it lifted me and it drove me to go out and get involved myself (in a less painful sport!) It is a book that comes from the soul and one that, in turn, made me fall in love with it. What a story, what a message, what an author!
When Jody started writing novels, she had been composing, arranging and performing music (and lyrics) for fifteen years but becoming an author had never been something she aspired to. However, the moment that she began to compose the story for her first novel, she was hooked. Jody has been many things from Police officer to Singer/songwriter and tries to use her experiences in life to evoke vivid pictures. She aspires for her characters to touch the hearts of the reader. “If the author does their job well, then you get the pleasure of meeting a life-long friend.” Jody lives with a host of furry friends: her golden retriever puppy (lovingly called McFang) and several gerbils. She loves writing, sport, music, art and teaching herself new subjects and she also tends to like cake a fair bit too... The Above and Beyond Series - The Empath - (Book 1) - **Runner up in the Rainbow Awards 2014 & honorable mention.** The Black Wolf Chronicles - Fractured - (Book 1) is out Dec/Jan 2014/15
Red Caps: New Fairy Tales for Out of the Ordinary Readers by Steve Berman: Red Caps might be a rock band. Or they might be something more sinister, a fey source of sounds that are but the backdrop to thrills and misadventures. These thirteen stories provide readers jaded by the traditional, Old World fairy tales with tempting new stories that will entice bored readers from their suburban ennui. Closets are waiting to be explored. Escape from work camp leads to a dangerous encounter on a wet road. That high school year book is magical and might be mocking you...or helping you find love. And isn't love one of the central premises of the fairy tale? These teenage boys and girls need not fear that their love has no worth, because Steve Berman has written for them princesses who love maidens and adorkable students who have wondrous and smart boyfriends. Readers can be assured that, if the tale does not end happily, it ends most memorably.
Jeff Mann: I loved Steve Berman's Red Caps: New Fairy Tales for Out of the Ordinary Readers. It was an amazingly varied, imaginative, and moving collection of YA speculative short fiction.
Jeff Mann’s poetry, fiction, and essays have appeared in many publications, including Prairie Schooner, Shenandoah, Laurel Review and The Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide. He has published three award-winning poetry chapbooks, Bliss, Mountain Fireflies, and Flint Shards from Sussex; two full-length books of poetry, Bones Washed with Wine and On the Tongue; a collection of personal essays, Edge: Travels of an Appalachian Leather Bear; a book of poetry and memoir, Loving Mountains, Loving Men; and a short fiction volume, A History of Barbed Wire, which won a Lambda Literary Award. He teaches creative writing at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.
Refuse by Elliott DeLine: Dean, a 22-year old female-to-male-transsexual, is no LGBT poster boy. Unemployed, depressed, mid-transition, friendless, and still living in the upstairs bedroom of his parents’ house in a conservative suburb, he can think of little to do but write his memoir. In the third person, he tells the tale of his would-be love affair with his college roommate, Colin, another trans man with a girlfriend and a successful indie rock band. The plot is interrupted intermittently by Dean’s first person commentary, often criticizing middle-class conformity—but also the queer counterculture from which he feels equally alienated. He is obsessed with Morrissey of The Smiths and wants nothing in life other than the same level of fame. As his far-fetched dreams become a foreseeable reality, he must decide between honesty and belonging, conformity or isolation, community or self.
Christopher Hawthorne Moss: I will name a transgender book because that is terribly important to me. Elliott DeLine’s two novels, I KNOW VERY WELL WHERE I GOT MY NAME and REFUSE are as true to what it means to be a transman as any I have read, including my own.
Kit wrote his first short story when he was seven years old. When summer camp friend Laura and he started their florid medieval saga they called "The Story" Kit became a regular writer, with mostly wry humorous stories written with like-minded friends. Kit had a stint writing copy for web sites, and he published a nonfiction work in 1991 titles LOVING THE GODDESS WITHIN. Kit had been participating in a collaborative writing group called Ghostletters on Yahoogroups, at one point starting to rewrite "The Story" from an adult perspective. He realized he had a novel in all these tales and published it as AN INVOLUNTARY KING which he published independently in 2008. It was such a successful experience he decided to make historical novel writing a career. Since that book he has continued to write stories, articles, reviews, and more novels, most recently with GLBT themes. He is devoted to using historical fiction to solve the erasure of GLBT history.
Return on Investment by Aleksandr Voinov: Martin David, an eager but inexperienced financial analyst, is the newest member of the investment team at Skeiron Capital Partners in London. His boss is an avowed financial genius, but he’s also overbearing and intense. Despite his erratic behaviour, Martin can’t help being drawn to him both professionally and personally. Too bad his boss doesn’t seem to feel the same. In a firm where pedigree and connections mean far more than Martin’s newly-minted business degree, Martin feels desperately inadequate—at least until he meets the enigmatic investment manager Alec Berger, who promises to help Martin establish himself in the financial community. Martin is so charmed by Alec’s sophistication and wit that he gives him data that should have stayed confidential. Then the financial crisis hits. Banks burn, companies teeter on the brink, and Skeiron’s survival is at stake.
Elin Gregory: I have read some AMAZING books this year and I'm really torn about which to mention but I have chosen one that was both stunning and unusual. That book is Return on Investment by Aleksandr Voinov, a financial thriller set in London at the time of the 2008 banking crisis. Frighteningly intelligent, but still a little naive, Martin David, our protagonist works in the City, that part of London where the financial transactions are made and where telephone numbers < mortgage repayments. Martin is hungry – for success, to prove himself, to acquire the things he needs to be SEEN as a success, but most of all for the approval of his boss. In order to get these things Martin is prepared to do pretty much anything it takes. Radix malorum est cupiditas – money is the root of all evil – and this book reflects that while showing how easy it was to fall into the traps that wiped out livelihoods and ruined portfolios. I found the financial aspects as fascinating as the plot concerning the shifting allegiances within the financial community. No, this ISN'T a romance in the usual sense. If I had to categorise it, it would be as a coming of age story as Martin matures and decides what is REALLY important to him. Absolutely a Five Star Read. I loved it!
Elin Gregory lives in South Wales and works in a museum in a castle built on the edge of a Roman fort! In addition to museuming and writing historical adventure stories, Elin enjoys betaing other authors work and blogging about their books when they are published. She is also the newest member of the UK Meet organising team. Is it 2015 yet?
Secrets of Neverwood by Libby Drew, Diana Copland and GB Lindsey: "Three foster brothers are called home to Neverwood, the stately Pacific Northwest mansion of their youth. They have nothing in common but a promise to Audrey, the woman they all called mother—that upon her death, they would restore the house and preserve it as a home for troubled boys. But going home is never easy. Cal struggles to recover from past heartbreak, while Danny fears his mistakes are too big to overcome. Devon believes he may never break down the barriers that separate him from honest emotion. On the path to brotherhood, they discover the old mansion holds more than dusty furniture and secret passageways. Audrey's spirit still walks its halls, intent on guiding ""her boys"" toward true love, and an old mystery stirs up a new danger—one that could cost the men far more than just the house. Secrets of Neverwood includes:
One Door Closes by G.B. Lindsey
The Growing Season by Diana Copland
The Lost Year by Libby Drew"
Indra Vaughn: I'd like to nominate The Secrets of Neverwood by Libby Drew, Diana Copland and GB Lindsey. The stories of the three foster brothers, what they went through and how they, and the house that was so important to all three of them, find their peace is absolutely beautiful. I've read this book three times this year, and I'm sure I'll read it again. Absolutely amazing.
In 2008 Indra Vaughn packed up everything but the kitchen sink... no, that’s a lie. She left everything behind apart from her books and moved from Belgium to Michigan. She now lives in the suburbs of Detroit with her dog who thinks he's a toddler. Indra’s professional background is in Nursing and Chinese Medicine, but she prefers to spend time making up stories about mysterious men and their unrequited love.
She Ain't Heavy, She's My Mother by Bryan Batt: Gayle Batt is the kind of lady who throws elegant cocktail parties while wearing layers of silk chiffon, dripping pearls, and eight months’ pregnant. She is the kind of woman who says “anyhoo” and calls everyone “Dahlin’” or a special pet name. With hair, makeup, and nails always done to perfection, she triumphs rather than crumbles when infidelity, alcoholism, cancer, or any form of adversity attempts to shatter her family. Endearing and enduring, Gayle is a big-hearted, strong-willed true Southern belle—and she taught her son everything he knows about being a man. In She Ain’t Heavy, She’s My Mother, Bryan Batt, the actor who plays Sal Romano on the Emmy, Golden Globe, and Peabody Award–winning Mad Men, chronicles his life—and his mother’s supportive presence in it.
Christopher Logan: A light, frisky read of a book is "She Ain't Heavy, She's My Mother" by Bryan Batt. Bryan is best known for his turns on Broadway and his role as Darius in the gay Classic film "Jeffrey" ( which I think should be 'required viewing' for the younger gays )
Christopher Logan was born in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and studied acting as The Stella Adler Academy of Dramatic Arts in Hollywood, California. He has appeared in over 40 television shows and films and currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia where he produces events and books to raise funding for independent film.
Sheep's Clothing by Elin Gregory: Meet Darren Murchison: self-employed plumber and reluctant werewolf…
Charlie Cochrane: Beautifully British, fantastically funny, quirkily romantic, an inventive story which didn't just make me laugh and smile, but also featured one of the most exciting fight scenes I've read in a while. Can't recommend it highly enough.
As Charlie Cochrane couldn't be trusted to do any of her jobs of choice—like managing a rugby team—she writes, with titles published by Carina, Samhain, Bold Strokes, MLR, Riptide and Lethe.
Shirewode (The Wode 2) by J. Tullos Hennig: The King of the Shire Wode. That is what they will call you. Years ago, a pagan commoner named Rob of Loxley befriended Gamelyn Boundys, a nobleman's son, against seemingly insurmountable odds-and with horrific consequences. His home razed by order of the Church, Rob was left for dead, believing his sister, Marion, and his lover, Gamelyn, had perished. But Gamelyn yet lives. Guilt-ridden by his unwitting betrayal of Loxley, one of the last bastions of the Old Religion, Gamelyn rides off to seek absolution in the Holy Land. Rob vanishes into the greenwode and emerges as leader of a tight-knit band of outcasts who revolt against the powers that be. When the two lovers meet again, it will be in a brutal, blindfolded game of foxes and hounds that pits Templar assassin against Heathen outlaw. Yet the past cannot be denied, and when Rob discovers Marion is also still alive, the game turns.
Christopher Hawthorne Moss: I have loved Robin Hood stories since I was about four, and that’s 59 years ago, and her books are easily the best interpretation and delivery of any books on the subject in all possible categories. Her understanding of the ancient tale, her nuanced characters, her awareness of the myths of the era, her sense of drama, and her simple loving touch with the characters is easily the very best. I consider myself a bit of an expert on these stories, and I heard one familiar treatment after another in her books, and for that I will be eternally grateful to her.
Kit wrote his first short story when he was seven years old. When summer camp friend Laura and he started their florid medieval saga they called "The Story" Kit became a regular writer, with mostly wry humorous stories written with like-minded friends. Kit had a stint writing copy for web sites, and he published a nonfiction work in 1991 titles LOVING THE GODDESS WITHIN. Kit had been participating in a collaborative writing group called Ghostletters on Yahoogroups, at one point starting to rewrite "The Story" from an adult perspective. He realized he had a novel in all these tales and published it as AN INVOLUNTARY KING which he published independently in 2008. It was such a successful experience he decided to make historical novel writing a career. Since that book he has continued to write stories, articles, reviews, and more novels, most recently with GLBT themes. He is devoted to using historical fiction to solve the erasure of GLBT history.
Skin Deep Magic: Short Fiction by Craig Laurance Gidney: Magic is more than skin-deep. It hides in the folds of a haunted quilt and illuminates the secret histories of Negro memorabilia. Magic reveals the destiny of a great storyteller and emanates from a sculpture by an obscure Harlem Renaissance artist. Magic lurks in the basement of an inner-city apartment building and flourishes in a city park. Magic is more than skin-deep; it shimmers in the ten stories in this collection.
Sandra McDonald: My favorite book of the year was Skin Deep Magic by Craig Laurance Gidney. Craig is a top-notch writer exploring poignant themes of race, gender and sexuality, and this collection of fiction showcases his imagination and interests.
Sandra McDonald's transgender collection Diana Comet and Other Improbable Stories won a Lambda Literary Award. Her newest work is the memoir Hollywood Loves Me: From Navy Lieutenant to Hollywood Assistant.
Felice Picano: I'd like to recommend Craig Laurance Gidney;s collection of short stories titled Skin Deep Magic published by Rebel Satori Press in 2014. These are wonderful, fanciful, fantastic stories in their nature and yet oh so real in the truths they convey. My favorite's are "Mauve's Quilt" Zora's Destiny" and "Death and the Two Maidens," but they are all intriguing and fresh and totally individual. "Lyes" is probably the funniest of the lot. It had me and my friends howling with recognition and laughter!
Felice Picano (born 1944) is an American writer, publisher, and critic who has encouraged the development of gay literature in the United States. He has received the Ferro-Grumley Award and Gay Times of England Award for best gay novel and the Syndicated Fiction/PEN Award for best short story, as well as the Jane Chambers Play Award in 1985. He was a finalist for the first Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award and was nominated for five Lambda Literary Awards. He received the Lambda Literary Foundation's Pioneer Award in 2010, and the City of West Hollywood's Rainbow Award and Citation in 2013.
Snow on Spirit Bridge by Freddy MacKay: Alone in Japan, Finni is struggling against the constant distrust, avoidance, and xenophobia he experiences every day. He misses home. He misses his family. Nightmares come all too frequently because of the stress, and well, Christmas is just not Christmas in Japan. Not how he understands it. Distressed by how miserable Finni is, his roommate, Mamoru, offers to be Finni's family for Christmas. Little does he know how much one agreement would change everything between them, because both of them kept secrets neither ever dreamed were true.
Lexi Ander: My pick would be Snow on Spirit Bridge by Freddy MacKay. Everything that I've ever read by Freddie has so much heart and soul, but I have to say that Snow on Spirit Bridge exceed all my expectations. This multifaceted story has depth and beauty. The characters are expertly crafted, the story they tell is rich and full of color. Once I began reading, I was ensnared until the very end. Highly Recommended.
Lexi has always been an avid reader and at a young age started reading (secretly) her mother’s romances (the ones she was told not to touch). She was the only teenager she knew of who would be grounded from reading. Later, with a pencil and a note book, she wrote her own stories and shared them with friends because she loved to see their reactions. A Texas transplant, Lexi now kicks her boots up in the Midwest with her Yankee husband and her 80 pound puppies named after vacuum cleaners.
Spencer by J.P. Barnaby: It’s been nearly five years since Aaron woke up in the hospital so broken, he couldn’t stand the sight of his own face. The flashbacks no longer dominate his life, but he’s still unable to find intimacy with his lover, Spencer Thomas. With time, patience, and the support of his family, his therapist, and his loving partner, Aaron has figured out how to live again. The problem is, Spencer hasn’t. His life has been on hold as he waits for the day he and Aaron can have a normal relationship. Hoping to move things forward for them both, he takes a job as a programmer in downtown Chicago, leaving Aaron alone. Reeling in the wake of Spencer’s absence, Aaron receives another shock when his attackers are caught. Now, he must testify and verbalize his worst nightmare. Publicly reliving his trauma without Spencer at his side destroys his precarious control. But he finds someone who can understand and empathize in Jordan, who watched his brother cut down in a school shooting.
Shae Connor: It’s so hard to single out one book when I’ve read so many good ones, but the first title that came to mind was Spencer by J.P. Barnaby. I was already a fan of her work, but I felt as if her already excellent writing took a leap forward with this book. The cover blurb from The Novel Approach describes it as “an emotionally articulate novel,” and I agree completely. As both a reader and a writer, I love being in a position to experience and enjoy a favorite author’s growth.
Shae Connor lives in Atlanta, where she works for the government by day and reads and writes about people falling in love by night. She's been making up stories for as long as she can remember, but it took her a long time to figure out that maybe she should start writing them down. Now, she usually has far too many stories in progress, but when she does manage to tear herself away from her laptop, she enjoys running, hiking, cooking, and traveling, not necessarily in that order.
Spymistress: The True Story of the Greatest Female Secret Agent of World War II by William Stevenson: She was beautiful. She was ruthless. She had a steel trap for a mind and a will of iron. Born Vera Maria Rosenberg in Bucharest, she became Vera Atkins, legendary spy and holder of the Legion of Honor. Recruited by William Stevenson—the spymaster who would later come to be known as “Intrepid”—when she was only twenty-three, Vera spent much of the 1930s running countless perilous espionage missions. When war was declared in 1939, her fierce intelligence, blunt manner, personal courage, and knowledge of several languages quickly propelled her to the leadership echelon of the highly secretive Special Operations Executive (SOE), a covert intelligence agency formed by, and reporting to, Winston Churchill. She recruited and trained several hundred agents, including dozens of women, whose objectives were to penetrate deep behind enemy lines.
Fran Heckrotte: I wish the list included stories about strong women. I've been focused on Vera Atkins and the SOE of WWII this year and read some great books. If you ever get a hankering to read about some amazing very real women, check out Spymistress, the Life of Vera Atkins or Flames in the Fields.
Rainbow Awards judge
Strain by Amelia Gormley: In a world with little hope and no rules, the only thing they have to lose is themselves. Rhys Cooper is a dead man. Cut off from the world since childhood, he’s finally exposed to the lethal virus that wiped out most of the human race. Now his only hope for survival is infection by another strain that might provide immunity. But it’s sexually transmitted, and the degradation he feels at submitting to the entire squad of soldiers that rescued him eclipses any potential for pleasure—except with Darius, the squadron’s respected, capable leader. Sergeant Darius Murrell has seen too much death and too little humanity. He’s spent a decade putting plague victims out of their misery and escorting survivors to a safe haven he can never enjoy. He’d rather help Rhys live than put him down, so when Rhys can’t reconcile himself to doing what’s necessary to survive, Darius is forced to save Rhys in spite of himself. But with each passing day, it looks less and less likely that Rhys can be saved.
AJ Rose: Hard to choose just one, but mine would be Strain by Amelia Gormley. There are a lot of books I got into, enjoyed, and some I recommended, but this one sticks out because it was brave. Different. And it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire length of the book. It wasn't formulaic and it left me thinking long after I finished. I loved it.
I talk to imaginary people, speak of events that didn't happen. I tell lies. Also known as fiction, of the gay erotic variety.
The Blinding Light by Renae Kaye: Jake Manning’s smart mouth frequently gets him into trouble. Because of it, he can’t hold a job. Combined with some bad luck, it's prevented him from keeping steady employment. A huge debt looms over him, and alone he shoulders the care of his alcoholic mother and three younger sisters. When a housekeeping position opens, Jake’s so desperate he leaps at the opportunity. On landing, he finds his new boss, Patrick Stanford, a fussy, arrogant, rude… and blind man. Born without sight, Patrick is used to being accommodated, but he’s met his match with Jake, who doesn’t take any of his crap and threatens to swap all the braille labels on his groceries and run off with his guide dog unless he behaves. Jake gets a kick out of Patrick. Things are looking up: the girls are starting their own lives and his mum’s sobriety might stick this time. He’s sacrificed everything for his family; maybe it’s time for him to live his life and start a relationship with Patrick.
Cardeno C.: Blinding Light by Renae Kaye is a heartwarming read with wonderful characters in a captivating and erotic romance. Highly recommend!
Cardeno C. - CC to friends - is a hopeless romantic who wants to add a lot of happiness and a few "awwws" into a reader's day. Writing is a nice break from real life as a corporate type and volunteer work with gay rights organizations. Cardeno's stories range from sweet to intense, contemporary to paranormal, long to short, but they always include strong relationships and walks into the happily-ever-after sunset.
The Boy with the Painful Tattoo by Josh Lanyon: It’s moving day at Chez Holmes. Somehow, against Kit’s better instincts, he and J.X. are setting up house together. But while J.X. is off at a mystery fiction convention, Kit unpacks a crate that should contain old china. It doesn’t. Within the mounds of Styrofoam popcorn is a dead body. A very dead body. There goes the neighborhood.
Amy Lane: Holmes & Moriarity series by Josh Lanyon, in particular, The Boy with the Painful Tattoo-- I like the way the romance is wound subtly throughout the story in these books, and the way Kit Holmes is not exactly hero material, but he always seems to come through.
Amy Lane dodges an EDJ, mothers four children, and writes the occasional book. She, her brood, and her beloved mate, Mack, live in a crumbling mortgage in Citrus Heights, California, which is riddled with spiders, cats, and more than its share of fancy and weirdness. Feel free to visit her at www.greenshill.com orwww.writerslane.blogspot.com, where she will ride the buzz of receiving your e-mail until her head swells and she can no longer leave the house.
The Butterfly King (The Lost and Founds Book 3) by Edmond Manning: Terrance Altham doesn’t know why he’s been arrested. He’s committed no crime and the cops aren’t talking. Sadly, the man sharing his holding cell talks too much. Known only as Ghost, he is a young grifter, apparently familiar enough with this police station to convince Terrance a break out is possible, and pushy enough to leave Terrance no choice but to follow Ghost into the underbelly of New York City. Terrified by the unjust imprisonment and the possibility of a life behind bars, Terrance searches for proof of his innocence while Ghost seeks the elusive Butterfly King. But neither man seems in control of the weekend’s direction and the consequences of mistakes are life-changing. As Ghost’s manipulations come to an explosive head, each man must decide amid danger and street violence what kind of man will triumph, lost or found?
Ulysses G. Dietz: I might go on about Harper Fox, my favorite author ever. But I need to put aside my traditional favorites and applaud my favorite new authors this year: F. E. Feeley, Jr. (Fred) and Edmond Manning. These two authors are new to the world of gay fiction, and have both created wonderful, captivating novels that are literate, compelling, different and emotionally powerful. I’ve discovered lots of great books this year (over 150 and still counting); but I have to salute new voices in our world.
Ulysses Grant Dietz grew up in Syracuse, New York, where his Leave it to Beaver life was enlivened by his fascination with vampires, from Bela Lugosi to Barnabas Collins. He studied French at Yale, and was trained to be a museum curator at the University of Delaware. A curator for thirty-two years, Ulysses has never stopped writing fiction for the sheer pleasure of it. He created the character of Desmond Beckwith in 1988 as his personal response to Anne Rice’s landmark novels. Alyson Books released his first novel, Desmond, in 1998. Vampire in Suburbia is his second novel. Ulysses lives in suburban New Jersey with his husband of 37 years and their two teenaged children. By the way, the name Ulysses was not his parents’ idea of a joke: he is a great-great grandson of Ulysses S. Grant, and his mother is the President’s last living great-grandchild. Every year on April 27 he gives a speech at Grant’s Tomb in New York City.
The City of Palaces by Michael Nava: In the years before the Mexican Revolution, Mexico is ruled by a tiny elite that apes European culture, grows rich from foreign investment, and prizes racial purity. The vast majority of Mexicans, who are native or of mixed native and Spanish blood, are politically powerless and slowly starving to death. Presiding over this corrupt system is Don Porfirio Díaz, the ruthless and inscrutable president of the Republic. Against this backdrop, The City of Palaces opens in a Mexico City jail with the meeting of Miguel Sarmiento and Alicia Gavilán. Miguel is a principled young doctor, only recently returned from Europe but wracked by guilt for a crime he committed as a medical student ten years earlier. Alicia is the spinster daughter of an aristocratic family. Disfigured by smallpox, she has devoted herself to working with the city’s destitute. This unlikely pair—he a scientist and atheist and she a committed Christian—will marry.
Christopher Bram: My favorite new novel this year is City of Palaces by Michael Nava. Set in Mexico City on the eve of the Mexican Revolution, it follows a heroic husband and wife, a doctor and aristocrat, with a gay son. This is the first volume of a tetralogy that promises to be a Mexican-American War and Peace. I am completely involved in the lives of these people and can't wait for the next volumes.
Bram grew up in Kempsville, Virginia. After graduating from the College of William and Mary in 1974 (B.A. in English), he moved to New York City four years later. There, he met his lifelong partner, documentary filmmaker Draper Shreeve. Bram's novel Father of Frankenstein, about film director James Whale, was made into the movie Gods and Monsters starring Ian McKellen and Brendan Fraser. Bill Condon adapted the screenplay and directed. Condon won an Academy Award for his adaptation. In 2001, Bram was a Guggenheim Fellow. In 2003, he received the Bill Whitehead Award for Lifetime Achievement. He currently resides in New York.
The Days of Anna Madrigal: A Novel (Tales of the City Book 9) by Armistead Maupin: The Days of Anna Madrigal, the suspenseful, comic, and touching ninth novel in Armistead Maupin’s bestselling “Tales of the City” series, follows one of modern literature’s most unforgettable and enduring characters—Anna Madrigal, the legendary transgender landlady of 28 Barbary Lane—as she embarks on a road trip that will take her deep into her past. Now ninety-two, and committed to the notion of “leaving like a lady,” Mrs. Madrigal has seemingly found peace with her “logical family” in San Francisco: her devoted young caretaker Jake Greenleaf; her former tenant Brian Hawkins and his daughter Shawna; and Michael Tolliver and Mary Ann Singleton, who have known and loved Anna for nearly four decades. Some members of Anna’s family are bound for the otherworldly landscape of Burning Man, the art community in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert where 60,000 revelers gather to construct a city designed to last only one week.
Rick R. Reed: My favorite LGBT book of the year would be THE DAYS OF ANNA MADRIGAL, by Armistead Maupin. I have been a fan of the TALES OF THE CITY books since I began reading them back in the early 1980s. It just gets sweeter, more profound, funnier, and more poignant as it goes along.
Rick R. Reed is all about exploring the romantic entanglements of gay men in contemporary, realistic settings. While his stories often contain elements of suspense, mystery and the paranormal, his focus ultimately returns to the power of love. He is the author of dozens of published novels, novellas, and short stories. He is a three-time EPIC eBook Award winner (for Caregiver, Orientation and The Blue Moon Cafe). Lambda Literary Review has called him, "a writer that doesn't disappoint." Rick lives in Seattle with his partner and a very spoiled Boston terrier. He is forever "at work on another novel."
The Heracian Affair by Liv Olteano: Even years after Rizzo Berg’s lover and Dom died in combat, the memories torment him. Following a particularly disappointing date, Rizzo goes to sleep in his apartment only to wake up on a spaceship with tall, gorgeous, alien Captain Conrad D’Ollet of Heracia, a man so deliciously dominant Rizzo’s knees turn to jelly. Apparently the Heracians need help, and Rizzo is a humanitarian through and through. Spending more time around Conrad is totally not one of the reasons he wants to lend a hand. Soon Rizzo finds himself completely conquered and blissfully owned. But neither he nor Conrad is willing to risk his heart, let go of the past, and dare to believe in a future that won’t end in catastrophe.
Chris T. Kat: that's a hard choice to pick only one book. Since a lot of people will probably pick Charlie Cochet and Josh Lanyon's books, I'll have to go with a book written by Liv Olteano: "The Heracian Affair". It was published in 2013 but I only discoverd Liv's book this year. As for the reason why it's a favorite book: I loved the main character, Riz, because of his snarky attitude and humor. The world building in this story was complex and very interesting and the relationship between Riz and Conrad was adorable. There were lots of fun and also sexy moments.
Chris T. Kat lives in the middle of Europe, together with her husband of many years and their two children. She stumbled upon the M/M genre by luck and was swiftly drawn into it. She divides her time between work, her family—which includes chasing after escaping horses and lugging around huge instruments such as a harp—and writing. She enjoys a variety of genres, such as mystery/suspense, paranormal, and romance. If there's any spare time, she happily reads for hours, listens to audiobooks, or crafts.
The Lee Shore by Rose Macaulay: During the first week of Peter Margerison's first term at school, Urquhart suddenly stepped, a radiant figure on the heroic scale, out of the kaleidoscopic maze of bemusing lights and colours that was Peter's vision of his new life. Peter, seeing Urquhart in authority on the football field, asked, "Who is it?" and was told, "Urquhart, of course," with the implication "Who else could it be?" "Oh," Peter said, and blushed. Then he was told, "Standing right in Urquhart's way like that! Urquhart doesn't want to be stared at by all the silly little kids in the lower-fourth." But Urquhart was, as a matter of fact, probably used to it. So that was Urquhart. Peter Margerison hugged secretly his two pieces of knowledge; so secret they were, and so enormous, that he swelled visibly with them; there seemed some danger that they might even burst him. That great man was Urquhart. Urquhart was that great man.
Drewey Wayne Gunn: The "2014" book that continues to linger longest in my mind, although republished this year in one of those series devoted to making available out-of-copyright works, first came out in 1912: Rose Macaulay's The Lee Shore. I discovered it while finishing up research for my Gay Novels of Britain, Ireland, and the Commonwealth, 1881-1981: A Reader's Guide. Richard Burton mentioned it in passing in one of his introductions for Gay Men's Press, but otherwise I have never seen it discussed in surveys of our literary heritage. It is an amazing book, set in London and various parts of Italy near the beginning of the last century, populated with vivid characters rich and poor. To put the novel into some perspective: it came out the year after Lawrence published The White Peacock and the year before Forster began Maurice, and it bears comparison to both. I think one reason I like it so much is that Peter Margerison, its hero, is such bumbling failure, somewhat like the hero of Forster's The Longest Journey, who yet manages, unlike Forster's Rickie, to be happy. He is in love with a straight friend, he has problems accepting that his brother is not only a fraud but using him for his own gain, he allows himself to be trapped into a marriage with a woman who too is using him, and he misses that two very presentable men are in love with him. Yet by refusing ever to become discouraged and by remaining faithful to his many good qualities, Peter ultimately finds contentment with his son, a stray dog, and an Italian vagabond, so that the ending is, surprisingly, upbeat. The novel really deserves to be better known than it is, the kind of work to be savored while sipping a fine vintage wine.
Drewey Wayne Gunn is professor emeritus at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, where he taught for twenty-eight years. He has a quarterly column, GunnShots, for Lambda Literary online and has served for eight years as one of the judges for the Lambda Literary Award for best gay mystery. He is also a regular contributor to the e-journal Reviewing the Evidence.
The Magpie Lord by KJ Charles: A lord in danger. A magician in turmoil. A snowball in hell. A Charm of Magpies, Book 1. Exiled to China for twenty years, Lucien Vaudrey never planned to return to England. But with the mysterious deaths of his father and brother, it seems the new Lord Crane has inherited an earldom. He’s also inherited his family’s enemies. He needs magical assistance, fast. He doesn’t expect it to turn up angry. Magician Stephen Day has good reason to hate Crane’s family. Unfortunately, it’s his job to deal with supernatural threats. Besides, the earl is unlike any aristocrat he’s ever met, with the tattoos, the attitude…and the way Crane seems determined to get him into bed. That’s definitely unusual. Soon Stephen is falling hard for the worst possible man, at the worst possible time. But Crane’s dangerous appeal isn’t the only thing rendering Stephen powerless. Evil pervades the house, a web of plots is closing round Crane, and if Stephen can’t find a way through it—they’re both going to die.
Alex Beecroft: My pick for the year would be The Magpie Lord by KJ Charles. The marriage of historical and fantasy is completely my thing anyway, and it's handled with such flare. The characterization is deft, the prose is beautiful, the pace is breathtaking and it's just enormous fun.
Spaceships and galaxy spanning empires, conversations with angels, viking villages, haunted mansions and forbidden love in the Age of Sail... I love a good strong plot in an exotic setting, with characters you can admire, and a happy ending. If you make a venn diagram of genres, including historical, fantasy, gay romance and mystery, I occupy the space in the middle where they overlap.
The Mating of Michael by Eli Easton: Everyone admires Michael Lamont for being a nurse, but his part-time work as a gay sex surrogate not only raises eyebrows, it's cost him relationships. Michael is small, beautiful, and dedicated to working with people who need him. But what he really wants is a love of his own. He spends most of his time reading science fiction, especially books written by his favorite author and long-time crush, the mysteriously reclusive J.C. Guise. James Gallway’s life is slowly but inexorably sliding downhill. He wrote a best-selling science fiction novel at the tender age of eighteen, while bedridden with complications of polio. But by twenty-eight, he's lost his inspiration and his will to live. His sales from his J.C. Guise books have been in decline for years. Wheelchair bound, James has isolated himself, convinced he is unlovable. When he is forced to do a book signing and meets Michael Lamont, he can’t believe a guy who looks like Michael could be interested in a man like him.
Lex Valentine: I have a hard time choosing what I think was the best book I read this year. It’s truly a toss up between Eli Easton’s The Mating of Michael and Mary Calmes’ All Kinds of Tied Down. The Mating of Michael was such a touching story and the character of Michael is one of those who sticks in your head for a long time to come.
Lex Valentine writes M/M across genres from contemporary to urban fantasy. A native of Northern California, Lex now lives in Southern California with her tattooed husband and a bunch of cats she collectively calls “babies.” She works for a 100+ year old cemetery, builds her own computers, and is honored to be the only LGBT author in RWA’s historic first anthology, Premiere.
The Queer South: LGBTQ Writers on the American South edited by Douglas Ray: In The Queer South, Douglas Ray has assembled over 60 queer-identified voices exploring their experiences of the American South in nonfiction and poetry. From hilarious to heartbreaking, anxious to angry, religious to reluctant, contemplative to celebratory, this anthology expands our ideas of what it means to be queer and what it means to represent the land south of the Mason-Dixon.
Kelly McQuain: My GLBTQ reading pick of the year is editor Douglas Ray’s The Queer South: LGBTQ Writers on the American South, published by Sibling Rivalry Press out of Arkansas. Full disclaimer: I have two poems in the collection. But don’t read it for me; the work overall is a fine mix of poetry and provocative essays from stellar authors (Dorothy Allison, Matthew Hittinger, D. Gilson, Jeff Mann, Valerie Wetlaufer, and more) who question what it is to be a southerner in the 21st century. It’s a must-read for anyone who was raised there or lives there, especially if he or she is still coming to terms with the joys and strictures of a southern past.
Kelly McQuain is a writer, artist and college professor living in Philadelphia. He grew up in West Virginia surrounded by the wooded mountains of Monongahela National Forest. His family back home still live on a dirt road bearing the McQuain name. He is the author of VELVET RODEO, which won the 2013 Bloom Chapbook Prize, judged by poet C. Dale Young. The collection includes poems published in several national journals, including “Scrape the Velvet from Your Antlers”, which was nominated for a Pushcart Prize by the journal Kestrel.
The Summer We Got Free by Mia McKenzie: At one time a wild young girl and a brilliant artist, Ava Delaney changes dramatically after a violent event that rocks her entire family. Once loved and respected in their community and in their church, they are ostracized by their neighbors, led by their church leader, and a seventeen-year feud between the Delaneys and the church ensues. Ava and her family are displaced from the community even as they continue to live within it, trapped inside their creaky, shadowy old house. When a mysterious woman arrives unexpectedly for a visit, her presence stirs up the past and ghosts and other restless things begin to emerge. And something is reignited in Ava: the indifferent woman she has become begins to give way to the wild girl, and the passionate artist, she used to be. But not without a struggle that threatens her well-being and, ultimately, her life. Winner of the 2013 Lambda Literary Award for Debut Fiction.
Sheree L. Greer: "The Summer We Got Free" by Mia McKenzie -- a novel about the secrets, shame, and guilt that stem from denying your true self. A slow start, but so worth it once the story finds its groove.
A Milwaukee, Wisconsin, native, Sheree L. Greer has been published in Hair Trigger, The Windy City Times, Reservoir, Fictionary, The Windy City Queer Anthology: Dispatches from the Third Coast, and Best Lesbian Romance 2012. She has performed her work across selected venues in Milwaukee, New York, Miami, Chicago, and Tampa, where she hosts Oral Fixation, the only LGBTQ Open Mic series in Tampa Bay. She earned her MFA at Columbia College Chicago and currently teaches writing and literature at St. Petersburg College. Sheree, an Astraea Lesbian Writers Fund grantee, completed a VONA residency at University of Miami and self-published a short story collection, Once and Future Lovers. While her obsessions constantly rotate and evolve, Sheree has an undying love for hot sauces, red wines, and crunchy tacos. She plays less-than-mediocre electric guitar but makes nearly-perfect guacamole.
The Thing I Didn't Know I Didn't Know by Brent Hartinger: "I guess this was what they meant by a loss of innocence. Who knew?" Russel Middlebrook is twenty-three years old, gay, and living in trendy Seattle, but life isn't keeping up with the hype. Most of his friends have a direction in life—either ruthlessly pursuing their careers or passionately embracing their own aimlessness. But Russel is stuck in place. All he knows is that crappy jobs, horrible dates, and pointless hook-ups just aren't cutting it anymore. What's the secret? What does everyone else know that he doesn't? Enter Kevin, Russel's perfect high school boyfriend. Could rekindling an old flame be the thing Russel needs to get his life back on track? Or maybe the answer lies in a new friend, an eccentric screenwriter named Vernie Rose, who seems plenty wise. Or what the hell? Maybe Russel will find some answers by joining his best friend Gunnar's crazy search for the legendary Bigfoot!
Robin Reardon: My pick would be Brent Hartinger's The Thing I Didn't Know I Didn't Know. Hartinger uses his light-hearted voice to sneak up on readers with lessons we all need to learn. Russel is a fun, contemporary version of the classic Everyman.
A number of people have asked me why I write novels about gay teens. It's a good question. If I told you I'd had an answer for them right away, that would be fiction. I had to think about it. And there is more than one reason. For one thing, I hate injustice. While there are other groups of people I could write about who are treated unjustly, the cognitive disconnect I see around the issue of homosexuality is both fascinating and infuriating to me. Logically, rationally, if you read any current events at all, you see that science is coming up with proof after proof that this orientation is a normal, naturally occurring phenomenon - not just in people, either, but in over 1,500 different animal species. So far! So the disconnect is coming from someplace outside of reason. Outside of reality. Which puts it into fascinating areas, irresistible to an author: psychology, social conditioning, religious extremism - juicy territory. Teens of any orientation are going through a precarious time of life.
Then the Stars Fall by Brandon Witt: The death of his wife four years earlier left Travis Bennett a shell of the man he used to be. With his dog by his side, Travis raises his three children, manages his business, and works as a ranch hand. But every day, every minute, is an aching emptiness. Wesley Ryan has fond memories of the small Ozark town of El Dorado Springs. Seeing it as a safe place to put his failed relationships behind him, Wesley moves into his grandparents’ old home and takes over the local veterinary clinic. An early morning visit from Travis and his dog stirs feelings that Wesley seeks to push away—the last thing he needs is to fall for a man with baggage and three kids as part of the package. Life, it seems, has other plans.
Diana Copland: I loved this book so much. Travis is a widowed father of three who has stopped caring about himself after the loss of his beloved wife, and lives now only for his kids. Wesley is a vet, come to town to take over another vets practice. The two could not be less alike. Travis is a ranch hand, down to earth and stoic. He recognized his attraction to men and acted on it in college, but once he married he never did it again and the fact he ever did is a closely guarded secret. Wesley is definitely 'out', and not ashamed of it. They seem like the least likely couple, ever. And yet, they work, and the story works, because of Witt's own great big, warm heart, and his inherent understanding of the nature of grief and what it takes to recover from it. Populated with a wonderful cast of secondary characters, 'Then the Stars Fall' is one of my favorite books, ever.
Diana Copland began writing in the seventh grade, when she shamelessly combined elements of Jane Eyre and Dark Shadows to produce an overwrought gothic tale that earned her an A- in creative writing, thanks entirely to the generosity of her teacher. She wrote for pure enjoyment for the next three decades before discovering LiveJournal and a wonderful group of supportive fanfiction writers, who after gifting her with a "Best New Author" Award encouraged her to try her hand at original gay fiction. Born and raised in southern California, Diana moved to the Pacific Northwest after losing a beloved spouse to AIDS in 1995. She lives in eastern Washington near her two wonderful adult children and her surprisingly supportive parents.
Think of England by KJ Charles: Lie back and think of England... England, 1904. Two years ago, Captain Archie Curtis lost his friends, fingers, and future to a terrible military accident. Alone, purposeless and angry, Curtis is determined to discover if he and his comrades were the victims of fate, or of sabotage. Curtis’s search takes him to an isolated, ultra-modern country house, where he meets and instantly clashes with fellow guest Daniel da Silva. Effete, decadent, foreign, and all-too-obviously queer, the sophisticated poet is everything the straightforward British officer fears and distrusts. As events unfold, Curtis realizes that Daniel has his own secret intentions. And there’s something else they share—a mounting sexual tension that leaves Curtis reeling. As the house party’s elegant facade cracks to reveal treachery, blackmail and murder, Curtis finds himself needing clever, dark-eyed Daniel as he has never needed a man before…"
Kaje Harper: There were a lot of good books, but I'm going to make an impossible choice (skipping over ""Shaking the Sugar Tree"", ""Mark Cooper Versus America"", ""Enlightened"", ""Stories Beneath Our Skin"", ""Assimilation, Love and Other Human Oddities"", and many more) and go for ""Think of England"" by K.J. Charles. I loved both the main characters in this historical tale of spies and betrayal, manners and appearances. This author's forte is clearly in creating interesting and appealing men with a gift for snark and banter. Archie Curtis is bluff and almost slow, and has a very conventional viewpoint about how women and military men and public school colleagues should act. Da Silva is slippery and clever and mocking, and their attraction starts slowly. But gradually, as the two men find themselves more and more aware of each other's virtues, so does the reader. I ended up cheering for them, helped along by great lines, like:
Grayling looked uncomfortable. ""Holt's awfully good.""
Holt gave a modest shrug. ""I can hold my own.""
""I dare say you have to,"" murmured da Silva.
This book is more a combination of drawing-room drama and action-adventure than real mystery. The culprits are revealed early, but getting them to justice isn't a simple thing in that isolated big estate. The true joy of the book is in the unfolding of the main characters and their relationship. And I was delighted to hear that this is only the first book in a series for these two men.
"I live in Minnesota (where the two seasons are snow removal and road-repair, and the mosquito is the state bird, and where sometimes in winter it is so beautiful you can't breathe for gazing at it). I have been writing for longer than I care to admit, and currently am focused on writing m/m romance. My first professionally published book, Life Lessons, came out from MLR Press in May 2011. This was the first thing I had submitted anywhere and I was thrilled when it was accepted. There are now three free short stories, and three more novels in the Life Lessons series. My free Smashwords book was the first thing that actually released - I put it up a month before Life Lessons just for the fun of getting it out there. Lies and Consequences began as a reaction to the November 2010 election. It looked like the repeal of DADT might be derailed by the political shift and I put the insanity of that law into the book. Then as I was finishing the first draft in mid-December the repeal passed.
This Is Not a Love Story (Love Story Universe) by Suki Fleet: When fifteen-year-old Romeo's mother leaves one day and doesn't return, he finds himself homeless and trying to survive on the streets. Mute and terrified, his silence makes him vulnerable, and one night he is beaten by a gang of other kids, only to be rescued by a boy who pledges to take care of him. Julian is barely two years older than Romeo. A runaway from an abusive home, he has had to make some difficult choices and sells himself on the street to survive. Taking care of Romeo changes him, gives him a purpose in life, gives him hope, and he tries to be strong and keep his troubles with drugs behind him. But living as they do is slowly destroying him, and he begins to doubt he can be strong enough. This is the story of their struggle to find a way off the streets and stay together at all costs. But when events threaten to tear them apart, it is Romeo who must find the strength within himself to help Julian (and not let their love story turn into a Shakespearean tragedy).
Gene Gant: I have two LGBT-themed books that were my favorites of 2014. I liked them both equally, but for different reasons. MC Lee's You Don't Know Jack featured a strong yet vulnerable character caught up in a plot of intrigue and adventure that kept me on the edge of my seat as I read. Suki Fleet's This Is Not a Love Story featured two very sympathetic characters who immediately captured my interest and held it until the very end.
Gene Gant grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. He lives in a quiet, rural community outside the city.
Tinseltown by William J. Mann: The Day of the Locust meets The Devil in the White City and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil in this juicy, untold Hollywood story: an addictive true tale of ambition, scandal, intrigue, murder, and the creation of the modern film industry. By 1920, the movies had suddenly become America’s new favorite pastime, and one of the nation’s largest industries. Never before had a medium possessed such power to influence. Yet Hollywood’s glittering ascendency was threatened by a string of headline-grabbing tragedies—including the murder of William Desmond Taylor, the popular president of the Motion Picture Directors Association, a legendary crime that has remained unsolved until now. In a fiendishly involving narrative, bestselling Hollywood chronicler William J. Mann draws on a rich host of sources, including recently released FBI files, to unpack the story of the enigmatic Taylor and the diverse cast that surrounded him.
Owen Keehnen: Subtitled Murder, Morphine and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood, this book more than lives up to its title. Centering around the scandalous murder of director William Desmond Taylor in 1920 with a supporting cast of A list stars of the time, this expose of the silent era is a brilliant rendering of time and place. Gay literary maestro William Mann’s exacting narrative manages to capture an era when parties were wilder, film stars were gods, and money was as plentiful as bootleg booze. Part true crime, part Hollywood history, and part character study, Mann manages to not only tell a great story, but also to breathe life into it for a vibrancy and vividness that makes this an unforgettable read. Egos. Passion. Power. Decadence. Art. I never wanted this book to end. Brilliant by any standards and a must-have gem for fans of Hollywood and especially silent film aficionados. I loved every engrossing moment I spent reading it. Bravo!
Owen Keehnen is the author of the novels Young Digby Swank, The Sand Bar, Doorway Unto Darkness, as well as several ebook M/M romances. His non-fiction books include Leatherman: The Legend of Chuck Renslow, Jim Flint: The Boy From Peoria, Vernita Gray: From Woodstock to the White House, and We're Here, We're Queer. His fiction and non-fiction pieces have appeared in dozens of periodicals and anthologies worldwide. He lives in Chicago with his partner Carl and two spoiled dogs.
We're Working On It by Richard Norway: Cory Anderson is 15 years old and living on the streets. His father has rejected him and turned him out because he is gay. Richard Mathews is 50 years old, and his life is a mess. His business has grown and is now self-perpetuating and did not need him any longer. Richard hasn’t made a decision about his life for years. Cory and Richard’s lives were in ruins, but something amazing happened. They met.
Richard Summerbell: Shortly after my own book was posted on Amazon, I looked at the site and saw that there were icons there for other books that people who'd looked at my page had looked at, plus books that other buyers of my book had bought. One book that always appeared on these lists in Canada and the U.S. was 'We're Working On It,' by Richard Norway, published by the author and copyrighted 2012. There was some similarity of theme with my book: Norway's book features gay teens as central characters just as mine does. Whereas mine rockets the teens off into unimaginably bizarre science-fiction, though, his is resoundingly true to earthly, American life - though it does have its elements of wish-fulfillment. It features an aging, single gay guy, Richard Mathews, father of a grown and long-departed daughter, who unexpectedly stumbles upon a 15-year-old gay 'throwaway,' a boy who has been violently packed out of the house by his late mother's alcoholic former boyfriend. The book then looks into Richard's chaste and discreet efforts to re-find purpose in his life by rescuing Cory, the boy, legally giving him shelter, and guiding him through the crises of gay youth. I'm sure there is a good market for the dreams of older gay guys who'd like to reconnect with gay youth in a civilized way. Many, perhaps, would love to help one or more of today's semi-liberated, semi-alienated boys deal with the savage modern world, while sublimating any sexual attraction they may still feel for members of that distant age-group. Norway plays on these dreams simply but with orchestral credibility. His story rings true until the end, and the writing is deftly paced. There seems to be a whole genre of books along these lines: uplifting gay teen novels featuring real-life problems and uncomplicated, storytelling text - the gay teen equivalent of the Zane Grey western. I'm glad I started my exploration with Norway's novel - I like his style, his characters, and his discernment. Recommended for those who aren't afraid to have someone playing ever-so-modern Sam Smith love-songs on their gay heartstrings.
Richard C. Summerbell (born 29 June 1956) is a Canadian mycologist, author and award-winning songwriter. He was editor in chief of an international scientific journal in mycology from 2000 to 2004. In the 1970s and 80s, he was a gay activist and an early commentator on (then) controversial topics such as AIDS and promiscuity and attitudes to homosexuality in organized religion. Born in Brooks, Alberta, Summerbell trained as a botanist, receiving his master's degree from the University of British Columbia and his doctorate degree from the University of Toronto. He has lived with his partner, Ross Fraser, since 1978 and currently resides in Toronto, Canada.
You Don't Know Jack by MC Lee: Jack has never known an ordinary life. “The Center,” a shadowy organization with its own hidden agenda, has been his home, his school, and his job. Under the command of a man he knows only as his guardian, Jack has trained relentlessly in order to carry out the Center’s secret missions. In the three years since he turned thirteen, he’s been given more and more complex assignments, rarely questioning the reasons behind each operation. Now, going by the name Jack Carlisle, his orders are to go to Maine and befriend high school track star Leo McCormack. Jack finds Leo easy to like, and soon the like becomes something more. He knows he shouldn’t act on his attraction—it’s against all the rules. However, Leo wants Jack in his life as much as Jack wants Leo, and soon the two begin a relationship. Jack gets a sweet taste of real life, but when the mission ends the fallout could be disastrous--and not just because Leo’s father is the target of the operation.
Gene Gant: I have two LGBT-themed books that were my favorites of 2014. I liked them both equally, but for different reasons. MC Lee's You Don't Know Jack featured a strong yet vulnerable character caught up in a plot of intrigue and adventure that kept me on the edge of my seat as I read. Suki Fleet's This Is Not a Love Story featured two very sympathetic characters who immediately captured my interest and held it until the very end.
Gene Gant grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. He lives in a quiet, rural community outside the city.
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Jennifer Higdon (born December 31, 1962) is an American composer of classical music. She has received many awards including the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in Music for her Violin Concerto and the 2009 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition for her Percussion Concerto. Higdon lives with her partner Cheryl Lawson in Philadelphia. They met in high school.
During the year I feature the winners of past years Rainbow Awards on their birthday or on another significant date, but there are some I don't have a date to match with. So here is the wrap up post, and if by any chance you know a significant date I can match an author with, please let me know and I will feature them this coming year:
So, if I had to do a "review" of 2014, of course it would be my book, Days of Love, and I did wonder... have I ever posted the whole list of couples featured in it? I don't think so, and so, here they are and if you want to read about them... well buy the book! .png)