Patricia Nell Warren (born June 15, 1936)

Patricia Nell Warren (born 15 June 1936) is an openly lesbian American author and journalist.

Primarily known as an author, Warren is also commonly known as "the mother of Frontrunners" - the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender running/walking clubs that have been started in Los Angeles and other large cities around the world which was inspired by Warren's bestselling novel The Front Runner about a gay coach and his Olympic runner. There have been several failed attempts to have TFR made into a full length feature movie, but a production with a viable production budget has never materialized. As a runner herself she was one of the first women to run in the Boston Marathon.

She was introduced to Ukrainian literature in the late 1950s by her husband Yuriy Tarnawsky. Prose writer, poet, translator, publisher and editor, she has published three books of poetry in Ukrainian including The Tragedy of Bees (1960), Legends and Dreams (1964) and Pink Cities (1969). She stopped writing in Ukrainian and left the group in the early 1970s, shortly after she divorced Tarnawsky.

Warren, aka "Patches", to her Front Runners family, also frequented the runs and the annual dinners held by the Los Angeles group and participated in the annual Christopher Street West GLBT rights parade as part of the Frontrunners contingent during the 1990s thanks to then president Marty Freedman and then executive board member Don Norte.

( Read more... )

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

How many other gay men have had the same experience as I did? I discovered The Front Runner by Patricia Nell Warren on a trip to the mall when I was in high school, surreptitiously bought it when my friend wasn´t looking, and took it to home, hid it between my mattress, and box springs...and absolutely treasured it. It opened my eyes to so much (yes, two men can really love each other-it´s not a sickness or an abnormality) and made me realize I was not alone. --Rick R. Reed

Yes it’s a cliché—practically every Gay male over 40 at least has read The Front Runner by Patricia Nell Warren, a pivotal-for-its-time piece of Gay Americana. Whatever its disputed merits or flaws, it jumped out at me on a public library shelf when I was a lonely, closeted 17-year-old who had no idea what was really possible between two men beyond the most obvious physical basics. Warren’s book was my first peek at the possibility of true love between men and so in that sense she changed my life. If that doesn’t warrant inclusion on a list like this, I don’t know what does! --Dan Stone

The Front Runner is the first gay-themed book I ever read. First published in 1974, this story of the love between a track coach and a young runner has had a profound effect on countless readers. I have had the privilege of meeting the wonderful Patricia Nell Warren, who is still writing and publishing great books through her own independent imprint Wildcat Press. For a recent interview with Patricia, see the November 2009 issue of John Morgan Wilson’s Book Buzz column at http://www.lambdaliterary.org/resources/book_buzz.html. --Wayne Courtois

What can be said about The Front Runner by Patricia Nell Warren, a classic, that hasn´t already been said? Unstereotypical. Groundbreaking. Heartrending. All those superlatives are true. And for me, it was very familiar. It reminded me of the school I attended, Hanover College. A heartbreaking book of love transcending bigotry...almost. So where´s the movie? --Eric Arvin

( Patricia Nell Warren, 1997, by Robert Giard  )

( Original Covers )

( Further Readings )

More Particular Voices at my website: http://www.elisarolle.com/, My Ramblings/Particular Voices

Daniel Kramer & Simon Callow

Simon Phillip Hugh Callow, CBE (born 15 June 1949) is an English actor, musician, writer and theatre director. Callow is one of the most prominent gay actors in Britain, listed 28th in the Independent's 2007 listing of the most influential gay men and women in the UK. In 1999 he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to acting. For some time Callow lived with director Daniel Kramer. They shared a house in Camden, North London, but have now ended their relationship.

He was one of the first actors publicly to declare his homosexuality, doing so in his 1984 book Being An Actor. In another he revealed his platonic relationship with the theatrical agent Peggy Ramsay who was 40 years his senior.

'I'm not really an activist, although I am aware that there are some political acts one can do that actually make a difference and I think my coming out as a gay man was probably one of the most valuable things I've done in my life. I don't think any actor had done so voluntarily and I think it helped to change the culture.' — Simon Callow: Laughter in the dark, interview The Independent 2004

Callow was born in Streatham, London, England, UK, the son of Yvonne Mary (née Guise), a secretary, and Neil Francis Callow, a businessman. His father was of English and French descent and his mother was of Danish and German ancestry. He was brought up Roman Catholic. Callow attended the London Oratory School and then went on to study at Queen's University Belfast ('Queen's') in Northern Ireland where he was active in the Northern Ireland civil-rights movement (1960s), before giving up his degree course to go into acting at the Drama Centre London.


Simon Callow, CBE, is an English actor, musician, writer and theatre director. Callow is one of the most prominent gay actors in Britain, listed 28th in the Independent's 2007 listing of the most influential gay men and women in the UK. In 1999 he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to acting. For some time Callow lived with director Daniel Kramer. They shared a house in Camden, North London, but have now ended their relationship.

( Read more... )

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

( Further Readings )

David Burtka & Neil Patrick Harris

David Burtka (born May 29, 1975) is an American actor and chef. He also serves as an entertainment news correspondent for E! News.

In 2006, after Burtka's How I Met Your Mother appearance, allegations arose that the actor received the part because of a romantic relationship with one of the series' stars, Neil Patrick Harris. Speculation around this story eventually led Harris to publicly acknowledge that he is gay in a cover story in People magazine. Burtka made no public response to the story, though later Harris stated that he and Burtka were moving in together.

Burtka and Harris attended the Emmy awards in September 2007 as an openly acknowledged couple for the first time, an appearance which Harris discussed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. (Picture: Neil Patrick Harris)

On February 4, 2009, Burtka and Harris appeared for the first time on stage together singing a duet from Rent at a benefit for The LGBT Community Center in New York. The two actors have been together since April 2004. Harris refers to Burtka as "my better half" and "an amazing chef". Burtka and Harris are parents to fraternal twins Gideon Scott and Harper Grace, born on October 12, 2010 via a surrogate mother.

Following the passage of the Marriage Equality Act in New York on June 24, 2011, Burtka and Harris announced their engagement via Twitter, stating that they had proposed to each other five years earlier but had kept the engagement secret until same-sex marriage became legal.


David Burtka is an American actor and chef. He also serves as an entertainment news correspondent for E! News. In 2006, after Burtka's How I Met Your Mother appearance, allegations arose that the actor received the part because of a romantic relationship with Neil Patrick Harris. Burtka and Harris attended the Emmy awards in September 2007 as an openly acknowledged couple for the first time. Burtka and Harris are parents to fraternal twins Gideon Scott and Harper Grace, born on October 12, 2010.

( Read more... )

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

Neil Patrick Harris (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor, singer, director, producer and magician. He is best known for the title role in Doogie Howser, M.D., the womanizing Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, a fictionalized version of himself in the Harold & Kumar series, and the title role in Joss Whedon's musical web series Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.

Harris was named as one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in 2010, and was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in September 2011. Harris has also hosted the Tony Awards on Broadway in 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2013.

Harris was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and grew up in Ruidoso, New Mexico. His parents, Sheila (Scott) and Ron Harris, ran a restaurant. He attended La Cueva High School in Albuquerque, where he acted in school plays and musicals. Harris graduated as an honors student in 1991.

Harris began his career as a child actor and was discovered by playwright Mark Medoff at a drama camp in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Medoff later cast him in his 1988 film Clara's Heart, a drama starring Whoopi Goldberg based on the novel of the same name by Joseph Olshan. Clara's Heart earned Harris a Golden Globe nomination. The same year, he starred in Purple People Eater, a children's fantasy.

His first film role as an adult was 1995's Animal Room, although he portrayed a teenager. His subsequent film work has included supporting roles in The Next Best Thing, Undercover Brother, and Starship Troopers. Harris plays a fictionalized version of himself in the Harold and Kumar stoner comedy films Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, and A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas.

( Read more... )

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

( Further Readings )

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

Lorna Hinson & Shawn Squires

Lorna Hinson is a publisher, editor and writer. She worked in libraries and magazine distribution for fifteen years before quitting her day job to focus on gay and lesbian books. She writes romance under the pseudonym Julia Talbot. In September of 2003, she and Shawn Squires formed Torquere Press Inc., a publisher of GLBTQ romance.

Shawn Squires (born January 9) is a graphic designer, writer, and editor who has worked for newspapers such as the UTA Shorthorn and for the Texas State Library, designing their summer reading materials. Shawn writes romance under the pseudonyms BA Tortuga and Dallas Coleman and is working on her first YA novel.

Shawn and Lorna formed Torquere Press Inc. because back in 2003, no one was publishing GLBT romance. There were several LGBTQ publishers who worked primarily in erotica and literature, and a very few ebook romance publishers, but none of them accepted what Shawn and Lorna were writing. Having met online in various writing groups, Shawn and Lorna began to write together, and then decided to start trying to get their work published. After many rejections consisting of exclamations of disgust, they decided to start their own company, believing everyone deserved to see themselves reflected in romances with happy endings. After they formed the company, the ladies met in person, and that was when the love affair began!

Lorna and Shawn married on June 15, 2014.


©Laura Kaye Wootan. Lorna Hinson & Shawn Squires
Lorna Hinson is a publisher, editor and writer. She writes romance under the pseudonym Julia Talbot. Shawn Squires is a graphic designer, writer, and editor who has worked for newspapers such as the UTA Shorthorn and for the Texas State Library, designing their summer reading materials. Shawn writes romance under the pseudonyms BA Tortuga and Dallas Coleman and is working on her first YA novel. Having met online in various writing groups, Shawn and Lorna began to write together, and then decided to start trying to get their work published. After they formed the company, the ladies met in person, and that was when the love affair began! Lorna and Shawn married on June 15, 2014.

Days of Love: Celebrating LGBT History One Story at a Time by Elisa Rolle
Paperback: 760 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition (July 1, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1500563323
ISBN-13: 978-1500563325
CreateSpace Store: https://www.createspace.com/4910282
Amazon (Paperback): http://www.amazon.com/dp/1500563323/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Amazon (Kindle): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MZG0VHY/?tag=elimyrevandra-20

Days of Love chronicles more than 700 LGBT couples throughout history, spanning 2000 years from Alexander the Great to the most recent winner of a Lambda Literary Award. Many of the contemporary couples share their stories on how they met and fell in love, as well as photos from when they married or of their families. Included are professional portraits by Robert Giard and Stathis Orphanos, paintings by John Singer Sargent and Giovanni Boldini, and photographs by Frances Benjamin Johnson, Arnold Genthe, and Carl Van Vechten among others. “It's wonderful. Laying it out chronologically is inspired, offering a solid GLBT history. I kept learning things. I love the decision to include couples broken by death. It makes clear how important love is, as well as showing what people have been through. The layout and photos look terrific.” Christopher Bram “I couldn’t resist clicking through every page. I never realized the scope of the book would cover centuries! I know that it will be hugely validating to young, newly-emerging LGBT kids and be reassured that they really can have a secure, respected place in the world as their futures unfold.” Howard Cruse “This international history-and-photo book, featuring 100s of detailed bios of some of the most forward-moving gay persons in history, is sure to be one of those bestsellers that gay folk will enjoy for years to come as reference and research that is filled with facts and fun.” Jack Fritscher

Lucy Tait & Mary Benson

Edward Frederic Benson (24 July 1867 – 29 February 1940) was an English novelist, biographer, memoirist and short story writer, known professionally as E.F. Benson. His friends called him Fred.

E.F. Benson was born at Wellington College in Berkshire, the fifth child of the headmaster, Edward White Benson (later Chancellor of Lincoln Cathedral, Bishop of Truro and Archbishop of Canterbury), and Mary Sidgwick Benson ("Minnie"), who was described by Gladstone as the 'cleverest woman in Europe' and after her husband's death set up a lesbian household with Lucy Tait, daughter of the previous Archbishop of Canterbury, Archibald Campbell Tait.

Benson was the younger brother of Arthur Christopher Benson, who wrote the words to Land of Hope and Glory, Monsignor Robert Hugh Benson, author of several novels and Roman Catholic apologetic works, and Margaret Benson (Maggie) an amateur Egyptologist. Two other siblings died young. Benson's parents had six children and no grand-children. E. F. Benson never married but there is no evidence that he was homosexual, though thought so by many people.

E. F. Benson was an excellent athlete, and represented England at figure skating. He was a precocious and prolific writer, publishing his first book while still a student. Nowadays he is principally known for his Mapp and Lucia series about Emmeline "Lucia" Lucas and Elizabeth Mapp.

The principal setting of four of the Mapp and Lucia books is a town called Tilling, which is recognizably based on Rye, East Sussex, where Benson lived for many years and served as mayor from 1934 (he moved there in 1918). Benson's home, Lamb House, served as the model for Mallards, Lucia's home in some of the Tilling series. There really was a handsome 'Garden Room' adjoining the street but, unfortunately, it was destroyed by a bomb in the Second World War. Lamb House attracted writers: it was earlier the home of Henry James, and later of Rumer Godden.


25 Brompton Square

( Read more... )

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

Mary Benson (née Sidgwick; 1841 - 1918) was an English hostess of the Victorian era. She was the wife of Revd. Edward Benson, who during their marriage became Archbishop of Canterbury, i.e. chief bishop of the Church of England and of the world-wide Anglican communion. Their children included several prolific authors and contributors to cultural life. During her marriage, she was involved with Lucy Tait, daughter of the previous Archbishop of Canterbury. She was described by Gladstone, the British Prime Minister, as the 'cleverest woman in Europe'.

Mary Sidgwick was born in Britain in 1841, at Skipton, Yorkshire, the daughter of William Sidgwick, a headmaster, and his wife, Mary (née Crofts). She was the youngest of six children, and was nicknamed Minnie. Among her older brothers was the philosopher, Henry Sidgwick.

She and Edward White Benson were married on 23 June 1859 at Rugby, Warwickshire, by Frederick Temple.

Between 1860 and 1871 they had six children. Their fifth child was the novelist, E. F. Benson, best remembered for the Mapp and Lucia novels. Another son was A. C. Benson, the author of the lyrics to Elgar's "Land of Hope and Glory" and master of Magdalene College, Cambridge. Their sixth and youngest child, Robert Hugh Benson, became a priestin the Church of England before converting to Roman Catholicism and writing many popular novels. Their daughter, Margaret Benson was an artist, author and amateur Egyptologist. None of the children married; and some of them appeared to suffer from mental illnesses, possibly bipolar disorder.


Mary Benson was the wife of Revd. Edward White Benson, Archbishop of Canterbury. Gladstone, the British Prime Minister, described her as the ‘cleverest woman in Europe’. After her husband's death in 1896 Mary set up household at Treemans, South of Horsted Keynes, Surrey, with Lucy Tait, daughter of the previous archbishop of Canterbury, Archibald Campbell Tait. Lucy had first moved in with the Bensons in 1889. They lived together until Mary’s death.

( Read more... )

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

Days of Love: Celebrating LGBT History One Story at a Time by Elisa Rolle
Paperback: 760 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition (July 1, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1500563323
ISBN-13: 978-1500563325
CreateSpace Store: https://www.createspace.com/4910282
Amazon (Paperback): http://www.amazon.com/dp/1500563323/?tag=elimyrevandra-20
Amazon (Kindle): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MZG0VHY/?tag=elimyrevandra-20

Days of Love chronicles more than 700 LGBT couples throughout history, spanning 2000 years from Alexander the Great to the most recent winner of a Lambda Literary Award. Many of the contemporary couples share their stories on how they met and fell in love, as well as photos from when they married or of their families. Included are professional portraits by Robert Giard and Stathis Orphanos, paintings by John Singer Sargent and Giovanni Boldini, and photographs by Frances Benjamin Johnson, Arnold Genthe, and Carl Van Vechten among others. “It's wonderful. Laying it out chronologically is inspired, offering a solid GLBT history. I kept learning things. I love the decision to include couples broken by death. It makes clear how important love is, as well as showing what people have been through. The layout and photos look terrific.” Christopher Bram “I couldn’t resist clicking through every page. I never realized the scope of the book would cover centuries! I know that it will be hugely validating to young, newly-emerging LGBT kids and be reassured that they really can have a secure, respected place in the world as their futures unfold.” Howard Cruse “This international history-and-photo book, featuring 100s of detailed bios of some of the most forward-moving gay persons in history, is sure to be one of those bestsellers that gay folk will enjoy for years to come as reference and research that is filled with facts and fun.” Jack Fritscher

Adam Rapp (born June 15, 1968)

Adam Rapp (born June 15, 1968) is an American novelist, playwright, screenwriter, musician and film director. His play, Red Light Winter, was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2006.

The son of Mary Lee (née Baird) and Douglas Rapp, he was born and raised in Joliet, Illinois, with his brother, actor Anthony Rapp, and sister, Anne. His parents divorced when Rapp was five, and he and his siblings were raised by their mother, who died in 1997 from cancer.

He graduated from St. John's Military Academy in Delafield, Wisconsin and Clarke College in Dubuque, Iowa, where he played varsity basketball. He had dreams of becoming a professional basketball player until he took a poetry writing class in college, where he discovered he had a talent for creating stories. He also completed a two-year playwriting fellowship at The Juilliard School.

Rapp attended the O'Neill Playwrights Conference in 1996. His play Finer Noble Gases was staged by the Eugene O'Neill Theatre in 2000, by Actors Theatre of Louisville in 2001, by Carolina Actors Studio Theatre in Charlotte in 2003, and by Rattlestick Theatre in New York City in 2004. In 2001, Nocturne was premiered by the New York Theatre Workshop. It has also been staged at by American Repertory Theater and Berkeley Repertory Theatre. His play Stone Cold Dead Serious was produced in 2002 by the American Repertory Theater.

Rapp's Red Light Winter received the Joseph Jefferson Award in 2005 for its production at Steppenwolf Theatre Company. The play was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2006. Rapp directed a production of Los Angeles, by Julian Sheppard, in 2007 at the Flea Theatre. As of 2007, Rapp was the resident playwright at the Edge Theatre Company in New York City. He teaches at the Yale School of Drama. In 2011, Rapp's The Metal Children was given its regional debut by Swine Palace on Louisiana State University's campus.

( Read more... )

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

Further Readings:

Punkzilla by Adam Rapp
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Candlewick; Reprint edition (December 28, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0763652970
ISBN-13: 978-0763652975
Amazon: Punkzilla
Amazon Kindle: Punkzilla

An award-winning writer and playwright hits the open road for a searing novel-in-letters about a street kid on a highstakes trek across America.

For a runaway boy who goes by the name "Punkzilla," kicking a meth habit and a life of petty crime in Portland, Oregon, is a prelude to a mission: reconnecting with his older brother, a gay man dying of cancer in Memphis. Against a backdrop of seedy motels, dicey bus stations, and hitched rides, the desperate fourteen-year-old meets a colorful, sometimes dangerous cast of characters. And in letters to his sibling, he catalogs them all — from an abusive stranger and a ghostly girl to a kind transsexual and an old woman with an oozing eye. The language is raw and revealing, crackling with visceral details and dark humor, yet with each interstate exit Punkzilla’s journey grows more urgent: will he make it to Tennessee in time? This daring novel offers a narrative worthy of Kerouac and a keen insight into the power of chance encounters.

More Spotlights at my website: http://www.elisarolle.com/, My Lists/Gay Novels

Ana Castillo (born June 15, 1953)

Ana Castillo (born 15 June 1953) is a Mexican-American Chicana novelist, poet, short story writer, and essayist.

Castillo was born and raised in an inner city barrio of Chicago, Illinois. After completing undergraduate studies, she immediately began teaching college courses. She earned her Master's degree in Latin American and Caribbean studies from the University of Chicago with a thesis entitled "The Idealization and Reality of the Mexican Indian Woman". She received her doctorate from the University of Bremen, Germany, in American studies in 1991. In lieu of a traditional dissertation, she submitted the essays later collected in her highly acclaimed work Massacre of the Dreamers.

Castillo writes about Chicana feminism, which she dubs "Xicanisma", and her work centers on issues of identity, racism, and classism. Many of her protagonists are fiercely independent, sometimes lesbian, women. Her "imaginative fiction" shows the influence of magical realism. For example, the novel Sapogonia is about a fictional country that is the home to all mestizos. Much of her work has been translated into Spanish. She has also contributed articles and essays to such publications as the Los Angeles Times and Salon.

Her papers are housed at the California Ethnic and Multicultural Archives at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

So Far from God Castillo's third novel (1993), might best be described as a telenovela, in which intimate details of people’s loves and losses are told, and what will happen in the next day’s broadcast is hinted at. The novel, set in the tiny village of Tome, New Mexico, employs magic realism to examine the lives of Mexican-American women on the borders. The character Sofi, a middle-aged single mother, and her four daughters live at a crossroads between Chicano, Mexican, Spanish, and First Nations cultures. While juggling her small business duties and childcare, Sofi confronts both the modern technological moment and ageless traditions of birth, growth, and loss; for comfort, she and her neighbors are immersed in competing religious traditions of Catholicism, curanderismo, and folk-traditions concerning the nature of the spirit.


Ana Castillo and Cherrie Moraga, 1989, by Robert Giard

( Read more... )

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

( Ana Castillo, 1989, by Robert Giard )

( Further Readings )

More Particular Voices at my website: http://www.elisarolle.com/, My Ramblings/Particular Voices

Euro Pride Con: Hans M. Hirschi

Starting from June 1, 2015, I will daily feature authors attending the three conventions I will join, Euro Pride in Munich (July), UK Meet in Bristol (September) and GRL in San Diego (October).

For the Euro Pride in Munich, July 11-12, 2015, today author is Hans M. Hirschi (Hans M. Hirschi will also attend the UK Meet in Bristol and the GRL in San Diego): Born and raised in Switzerland, Hans graduated from High School in Arizona, worked for several years in the Swiss financial industry before pursuing his university studies in Zurich and Gothenburg.

His majors include literature, linguistics & social sciences.

Hans self-published his first book with poetry and a short story in 1991.

Nine years later, he followed up with a professional book on e-learning pedagogy and in 2010 his book "Common Sense" was published.

He's published five novels so far. Detailed info can easily be found here, below.

The latest novel by Hans Hirschi tackles some of humanity’s greatest challenges, racism, global warming, migration, from the darkest possible onset: what if we were to fail?

The world we know is gone, destroyed by greed and ignorance. On a post-apocalyptic Earth, centuries into the future, few have survived the great war. Some have taken refuge deep inside a mountain. One of them, Willem, is exiled to the surface…
Struggling to survive, alone, Willem embarks on an epic journey, making a discovery that could alter the future of humanity, once again.

Willem of the Tafel is an epic sci-fi tale of survival, second chances, hope & undying love.

Hans is currently working on his sixth novel, a sweet love story of a boy in a wheel chair and a collection of several diversity based short stories.

Further Readings:

Willem of the Tafel by Hans M. Hirschi
Paperback: 194 pages
Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing (May 28, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 191063543X
ISBN-13: 978-1910635438
Amazon: Willem of the Tafel
Amazon Kindle: Willem of the Tafel

The world we know is gone, destroyed by greed and ignorance. On a post-apocalyptic Earth, centuries into the future, few have survived the Great War. Some have taken refuge deep inside a mountain. One of them, Willem, is exiled to the surface... Alone and struggling to survive, Willem embarks on an epic journey, making a discovery that could once again alter the future of humanity. Willem of the Tafel is an epic tale of survival, second chances, hope and undying love.

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UK Meet: Dawn Sister

Starting from June 1, 2015, I will daily feature authors attending the three conventions I will join, Euro Pride in Munich (July), UK Meet in Bristol (September) and GRL in San Diego (October).

For the UK Meet in Bristol, September 11-13, 2015, today author is Dawn Sister: Dawn is from the North East of England. Her life is spent juggling. The juggling balls are: children, husband, work (occasionally), voluntary work, professional knitting (notice she doesn't class this as work), and writing. When she has time she actually sleeps.

For a long time nothing she wrote was shared, even with her husband. Nothing seemed to be right. Then she discovered the M/M genre after a very dramatic encounter with the movie Brokeback Mountain. She became desperate for those characters to have a happy ending, and through this desperation (i.e. frantically searching the internet for happier ending fan fiction) she discovered a wealth of original M/M fiction. She's never looked back since.
Her favourite quote is by Philip Pullman of "His Dark Materials" fame, who said: "If you want to write anything that works, you have to go with the grain of your talent, not against it." This is the quote she churns out every time someone asks her "Why gay romance?" The other quote she gives is her own (or maybe she might have heard it somewhere else as well) and that is "Why the hell not?"

The whole point of writing for Dawn is not to publish and be read but just to get it all off her chest and out of her head. If she doesn't write it down then she ends up having long conversations with the characters out loud and her husband thinks she's nuts.

Further Readings:

Dazzled By The Light by Dawn Sister
ebook
Published January 31st 2011 by FictionPress
edition language English

Tristan is possibly the best pitcher Carl Blake has ever coached, he is also about to become much more than just his student. Can they cope with the potential fall out or will they be dazzled by the light?

GRL & Blog Tour: Letters From A Cowboy by Sue Brown

Starting from June 1, 2015, I will daily feature authors attending the three conventions I will join, Euro Pride in Munich (July), UK Meet in Bristol (September) and GRL in San Diego (October).

For the GRL in San Diego, October 15-18, 2015, today author is Sue Brown. Moreover I'm also hosting the Blog Tour for Letters from a Cowboy:

Letters From A Cowboy (Morning Report) by Sue Brown
Paperback: 210 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (June 10, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1634764927
ISBN-13: 978-1634764926
Amazon: Letters From A Cowboy (Morning Report)
Amazon Kindle: Letters From A Cowboy (Morning Report)

A Morning Report Story

Simon Wood arrives at Tamar Ranch looking for a job after being fired from his last position for seducing the boss's son. It doesn’t take much for him to prove his skills with horses, so he’s taken on, but soon he clashes hard with Chip Henson.

The animosity between them hides something very different, but not for long. No matter how hard they try to resist their attraction, eventually they give in to their need. They start leaving notes for each other, and others notice and warn them to be more careful.

Fearful of discovery, Simon leaves Tamar Ranch to save Chip’s job. When he learns that his departure sent Chip off the rails, he knows he needs to risk everything and go back for him.

( Excerpt )

About the author: Sue Brown is owned by her dog and two children. When she isn't following their orders, she can be found plotting at her laptop. In fact she hides so she can plot and has gotten expert at ignoring the orders.

Sue discovered M/M erotica at the time she woke up to find two men kissing on her favorite television series. The series was boring; the kissing was not. She may be late to the party, but she's made up for it since, writing fan fiction until she was brave enough to venture out into the world of original fiction.

AUTHOR LINKS
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suebrownstories
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/SueBrownsStories
Twitter: https://twitter.com/suebrownstories
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+SueBrownstories/
Blog: http://suebrownsstories.blogspot.co.uk/
Website: http://www.suebrownstories.com/
Email ID: suebrown.stories@gmail.com

Tour Schedule:
June 10: Love Bytes Reviews || Up All Night, Read All Day
June 11: Molly Lolly: Reader, Reviewer, Lover of Words || Divine Magazine
June 12: Elin Gregory
June 15: Elisa - My reviews and Ramblings
June 16: Multitasking Mommas Book Reviews || Drops of Ink
June 17: Rainbow Gold Reviews || Man2ManTastic
June 18: Gay.Guy.Reading And Friends || Evelyn Shepherd
June 19: MM Good Book Reviews || Wicked Faeries Tales And Reviews
June 22: Foxylutely Books || BFD Book Blog
June 23: Nessa’s Book Reviews || Diverse Reader
June 24: RJ Scott || Nautical Star Books
June 25: Bayou Book Junkie || Prism Book Alliance
June 26: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

Giveaway
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