Kim Pritekel (born June 28)

I was born and raised in Colorado where I still live today. Go Mile High City! I come from a loving family, who I'm still close to. I began writing at 9 years old and was published for the first time at age 24 with my novel, 'First'. Love cats, love movies and music, Sarah Brightman my favorite singer. I also work in the film industry off and on as a director and screenwriter, though novels are my true passion.

1049 Club won a 2010 Rainbow Award as Best Lesbian Contemporary and Best Lesbian Novel. After Shadow won a 2013 Rainbow Award as Best Lesbian Paranormal Romance.

Further Readings:

1049 Club by Kim Pritekel
Paperback: 324 pages
Publisher: P.D. Publishing, Inc. (June 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1933720727
ISBN-13: 978-1933720722
Amazon: 1049 Club

Flight 1049 from New York, NY to Milan, Italy experiences mechanical and guidance failure, and goes down in the Atlantic. Six passengers survive and find themselves on an uncharted island. They survived the crash, but must now learn to survive the harshness of the island, the elements from Mother Nature, and the differing personalities of the others. The family and friends of those lost on Flight 1049 come together for support, forming the 1049 Club - a help to those left behind who have lost parents or breadwinners. The 1049 Club also finances flights to continue the search for those missing after the authorities have given up. Can those on the island find new family and loved ones amongst their fellow survivors? Can those left behind find new life, new loves and continue on in spite of the void made by the loss of their loved ones? How long will those seeking survivors continue to have hope?

After Shadow by Kim Pritekel
Paperback: 598 pages
Publisher: Sapphire Books Publishing (February 15, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1939062101
ISBN-13: 978-1939062109
Amazon: After Shadow
Amazon Kindle: After Shadow

Clara always knew she was different, but just how different she was was to be seen. She will be forced on a journey to places that, though nightmarish to some, make perfect sense to her. While living a life in darkness and shadow, massaging the ghosts we all want to hide from beneath the covers, she will discover her own light of day. But, can she discover her heart?

More Rainbow Awards at my website: www.elisarolle.com/, Rainbow Awards/2010 & 2013

Donald Spoto & Ole Flemming Larsen

Donald Spoto (born June 28, 1941) is an American biographer and theologian. Spoto is openly gay and lives with his husband, Danish artist and school administrator Ole Flemming Larsen, in a quiet village, an hour's drive from Copenhagen in Denmark.

Spoto is best known for his best-selling biographies of film and theatre celebrities such as Alfred Hitchcock, Laurence Olivier, Tennessee Williams, Ingrid Bergman, James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, Marlene Dietrich, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and Alan Bates. He has also written biographical accounts of the House of Windsor from the Victorian Era through to Diana, Princess of Wales and of religious figures such as Jesus, and Saint Francis of Assisi, which was made into a television program by Faith & Values Media.

A native of New Rochelle, New York, Spoto graduated from Iona Preparatory School in 1959 and received his B.A. summa cum laude from Iona College in 1963 and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Theology (New Testament studies) from Fordham University in 1966 and 1970, respectively. He taught (theology, Christian mysticism, and Biblical literature) at Fairfield University, at the College of New Rochelle and at the New School for Social Research from 1966 until 1986 and then at University of Southern California, beginning in 1987. In addition, he was a visiting lecturer at the British Film Institute and the National Film Theatre in London from 1980 until 1986.

In the middle-to-late 1970s, he began writing biographies of film directors and other film and stage celebrities. More recently, he has alternated between the celebrity biographies and accounts of such religious figures as Jesus and St. Francis of Assisi. The latter was made into a television program of the same title, Reluctant Saint: Francis of Assisi, "produced for Faith & Values Media by Lightworks Producing Group and West Egg Studios." Spoto's Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis: A Life was adapted into a four-hour drama which aired in 2000 on the U.S. Broadcast Network CBS. Spoto was an executive producer of the project, along with George Stelzner of West Egg Studios.


Alfred Hitchcock & Donald Spoto
Donald Spoto (born June 28, 1941) is an American biographer and theologian. Spoto is openly gay and lives with his husband, Danish artist and school administrator Ole Flemming Larsen, in a quiet village, an hour's drive from Copenhagen in Denmark. Spoto is best known for his best-selling biographies of film and theatre celebrities such as Alfred Hitchcock, Laurence Olivier, Tennessee Williams, Ingrid Bergman, James Dean, Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, Marlene Dietrich, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and Alan Bates.

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

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Brent Ridge & Josh Kilmer-Purcell

Brent Ridge (born May 10, 1973) is an American physician, business owner and reality television participant. He was formerly the Vice President of Healthy Living for Martha Stewart Omnimedia. Brent Ridge met his partner, Josh Kilmer-Purcell, in 1998 on a website. Josh was the first man that Brent had ever dated. They were engaged in December 2011 and got married at their farm on June 28, 2013 with guests including Martha Stewart.

Together with Kilmer-Purcell, Ridge bought in 2007 a 19th Century farm, Beekman Mansion, located in Sharon Springs, New York. The couple launched a business, Beekman 1802, selling products derived from produce raised on the farm.

In 2010, Ridge and Kilmer-Purcell became the stars of The Fabulous Beekman Boys, a reality television series on Planet Green that follows their lives as they work to develop the Beekman brand to the point where they can live at the farm full time. In 2012, CBS announced that Ridge and Purcell had been cast in the 21st season of The Amazing Race, ultimately becoming the season's grand prize winners.

Ridge grew up in Randleman, NC. He graduated from the University of North Carolina –Chapel Hill with a B.S in Public Health.

He was accepted into the University of North Carolina School of Medicine as part of the Early Acceptance Program. During medical school he was awarded fellowships to study socialized medicine in England as well as a grant from the American Federation of Aging Research which enabled him to work on the New England Centenarian Project at Harvard University


Brent Ridge is an American physician, business owner and reality television participant. He was formerly the VP of Healthy Living for Martha Stewart Omnimedia. Brent Ridge met his partner, Josh Kilmer-Purcell, in 1998 on a website. Josh was the first man that Brent had ever dated. They got married at their farm on June 28, 2013 with guests including Martha Stewart. In 2012 Ridge and Purcell had been cast in the XXI season of The Amazing Race, ultimately becoming the season's grand prize winners.



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

Josh Kilmer-Purcell (born August 28, 1969) is an American writer, television personality, and businessperson. He is best known for appearing in the television reality show "The Fabulous Beekman Boys" with his husband, Brent Ridge, and for his bestselling memoirs. The pair also participated in the 21st season of The Amazing Race, ultimately becoming the season's grand prize winners.

In 2010, Discovery Network's Planet Green channel debuted a reality television series about Kilmer-Purcell and Ridge, titled The Fabulous Beekman Boys. The series documents their relationship and lives as farmers in upstate New York as they build a green lifestyle company together. The President and General Manager of Planet Green declared it the "No. 1 original series" on the network. In 2012, Cooking Channel acquired rights to the program, and began airing the second season.

On March 10, 2010, Bravo television network announced a development deal with Darren Star to produce I Am Not Myself These Days as a scripted television series based on Kilmer-Purcell's bestselling memoir of the same name.

Kilmer-Purcell has written or co-written four bestselling books, including two memoirs, a novel, and a cookbook.

I Am Not Myself These Days: A Memoir, Harper Perennial, 2006, Memoir. Kilmer-Purcell's first memoir is a tragicomic account of his early days in New York City, living as an advertising art director by day and a drag queen named "Aquadisiac" (or "Aqua") by night. The memoir details his relationship with a crack-addicted male escort named "Jack", and was a New York Times bestseller in the spring of 2006.

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Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josh_Kilmer-Purcell

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

John & Michael August

John August is an American screenwriter and film director. He married his partner since 2001, Mike Douglass, on June 28, 2008 during the four months same-sex marriage in California was recognized. Together they have a daughter and share an house in Hancock Park neighborhood in LA. August said his sexual orientation has helped him notice things others miss. August: “For the first 20 years of my life, I was observing the world & trying to model my behavior to look as straight as possible. It's sort of this psychological 'CSI' you're doing on a daily basis. You're always looking for motivation."

He writes and maintains the popular screenwriting blog johnaugust.com, and develops screenwriter-targeted software.

He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, voting in the Writers branch.

August was born and raised in Boulder, Colorado. He earned a degree in journalism from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa and an MFA in film from the The Peter Stark Producing Program at the University of Southern California. He lives in Los Angeles.

August's debut film was 1999's critically acclaimed Go, for which he also served as co-producer and second unit director.

In 1998, August acquired the film rights to Daniel Wallace's Big Fish. His adaptation became the 2003 Tim Burton film of the same name and earned August a 2003 BAFTA Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.


John August is a screenwriter and film director. He married his partner since 2001, Mike Douglass, on June 28, 2008. Together they have a daughter and live in Hancock Park neighborhood in LA. August said his sexual orientation has helped him notice things others miss “For the first 20 years of my life, I was observing the world & trying to model my behavior to look as straight as possible. It's sort of this psychological 'CSI' you're doing on a daily basis. You're always looking for motivation"

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

( Further Readings )

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

Achy Obejas (born June 28, 1956)

Achy Obejas (born 1956) is a Cuban American writer and journalist focused on personal and national identity issues, living in Chicago, Illinois. She frequently writes on her sexuality and nationality, and has received numerous awards for her creative work. She has worked as a journalist in Chicago for two decades.

Obejas was born June 28, 1956 in Havana, Cuba. After emigrating to the United States at the age of six, she lived in Michigan City, Indiana and attended Indiana University from 1977–1979, when she moved to Chicago.

At the age of 39, Obejas revisited Cuba. Reflections on her home country are dispersed throughout her work, such as in the story collection We Came All the Way from Cuba So You Could Dress Like This? Although she has lived in the Midwest since childhood, Obejas says her Cuban origins continue to be a defining detail in her life. In an interview with Gregg Shapiro, Obejas discussed the peculiar duality of growing up in the U.S. but not truly identifying as an American:

"I was born in Havana and that single event has pretty much defined the rest of my life. In the U.S., I'm Cuban, Cuban-American, Latina by virtue of being Cuban, a Cuban journalist, a Cuban writer, somebody's Cuban lover, a Cuban dyke, a Cuban girl on a bus, a Cuban exploring Sephardic roots, always and endlessly Cuban. I'm more Cuban here than I am in Cuba, by sheer contrast and repetition."

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

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

Euro Pride Con: Mario Lipinski

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 Mario Lipinski: "I finally ended the experiment of self-publishing a book on amazon and took it off the virtual shelf.
So, what did I learn?
I'm a touchy bitch when it comes to reviews, and I was so close (I'm pinching together my thumb and my index finger right now) to becoming a BBA.
By sheer force of will I decided to become a NBA (Nicely Behaving Author):
"Perception: A German Love Story" can now be downloaded for free here at Goodreads! (Just follow the ebook link)
Writing was and will be a hobby. I'll continue telling stories because it is fun for me. If anyone else enjoys them, that's just a nice bonus.
I'm not saying that I'll never commercially publish a story again, but I'll think twice (or an appropriate multiple thereof) before doing so.
Over and out. :)"

Further Readings:

Perception: A German Love Story by Mario K. Lipinski
Kindle Edition, 281 pages
Published April 30th 2012 by Mario K. Lipinski
ASIN B007ZFK3VE
edition language English
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/539697

Marcel Ritter is an excellent pupil at a German school, has two loyal, best friends, and caring parents.
Still, his life is far from being perfect.
He is the bullying victim of Tim ‘Dumb’ Eschner, soccer hunk and the school’s official dimwit.
When the vice principal witnesses one of Tim’s assaults, Marcel’s problems seem to be solved at last. But his good nature and his fast tongue get him into more trouble than he would prefer.
Forced to work together, they both discover that there is more to the other one than meets the eye.
A feel-good story about change, forgiveness, and love.

UK Meet: J.P. Kenwood

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 J.P. Kenwood: "Sarcastic, sassy and over-educated writer of deliciously smutty, plot-packed stories that celebrate men loving men, often. My stories, often dark and always erotic, focus on master/slave power dynamics. My passion is ancient Rome.

My current novel, Dominus, is the first book of an m/m alternative history fantasy series set in ancient Rome during the reign of the Emperor Trajan (AD 98-117). What if Trajan had been the custodian of two boys instead of only one? What if Hadrian had been privy to secrets that could damage the political authority of his older and more successful fellow imperial ward, Gaius Fabius? What if a Roman general had fallen in love with his captive Dacian slave? Could a powerful Roman aristocrat of noble ancestry have been deliberately erased from history?

Gaius Fabius, a lusty, ambitious Roman general and potential heir to the imperial throne, acquires a new pleasure slave—a recently-captured, feisty Dacian prince named Allerix Dominus is the slow-buring saga of two sworn enemies who both take risks and make sacrifices—it is about the unforeseen consequences of seeking vengeance, earning trust and falling in love.

While most details are historically accurate and tied to major historical events and prevailing cultural attitudes, the tale is entirely fictional and the dialogue is deliberately modern in flavor. There is very little Latin and there are no gratuitous gladiators."

Further Readings:

Dominvs (Dominus 1) by JP Kenwood
Series: Dominus
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (April 21, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1500115630
ISBN-13: 978-1500115630
Amazon: Dominvs (Dominus 1)
Amazon Kindle: Dominvs (Dominus 1)

In AD 107, after a grueling campaign against Rome's fierce enemy, the kingdom of Dacia, Gaius Fabius returns home in triumph. With the bloody battles over, the commander of the Lucky IV Legion now craves life's simple pleasures: leisurely soaks in fragrant baths, over-flowing cups of wine, and a long holiday at his seaside villa to savor his pleasure slaves. On a whim, he purchases a spirited young Dacian captive and unwittingly sparks a fresh outbreak of the Dacian war; an intimate struggle between two sworn enemies with love and honor at stake. Allerix survived the wars against Rome, but now he is a sex slave rather than a victor. Worse, the handsome general who led the destruction of his people now commands his body. When escape appears impossible, Alle struggles to find a way to preserve his dignity and exact vengeance upon the hated Romans. Revenge will be his, that is, if he doesn't lose his heart to his lusty Roman master. Dominus is a plot-packed erotic m/m fantasy that transports readers back to ancient Rome during the reign of the Emperor Trajan (98-117). This is the first book in an alternate history series—a tumultuous journey filled with forbidden love, humor, sex, friendship, political intrigue, deception and murder.

GRL: Mercy Celeste

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 Mercy Celeste: "Mercy Celeste is the pen name and super hero persona of mild mannered MJ Colbert....which is bull, I'm not mild mannered. I was, in fact, raised in a barn--or several. We even had grain silos. My motto growing up, anything a boy can do, I'm right behind him doing it just as well or better. I've broken too many bones to begin to count. Scraped, skinned or scarred pretty much everything that can be scraped, skinned or scarred. How I'm still walking and talking is a miracle.
So about the writing, well, I don't really consider myself to be a writer. I'm a storyteller, and when I have a story to tell, it won't rest until it's twisted me up and purged itself. The result is at times comical or tragic, depending on the people who live in my head and what they have to say. Most days that's not a lot of anything. Others I can't shut them up. They especially love when I'm driving, oh, yeah, a drive across town is a lesson in how not to get myself killed or be pulled over for reckless driving. And those are the good days.
Welcome to my crazy world, if it's boring now, wait five minutes, and don't blink. Things have a tendency to get interesting around me."

Further Readings:

Light from the Dark by Mercy Celeste
Publisher: MJC Press (March 5, 2015)
Amazon Kindle: Light from the Dark

After a year of picking up the pieces of his shattered life, former US Marshal Micah Beasley takes a job as bodyguard for a spoiled rich kid who can’t leave his house. It’s supposed to be a cupcake assignment. He just needs to get back in the game. What could possibly go wrong?
Brilliant and incredibly talented, Christopher (Kit) Auberon wears tragedy as a second skin. Kit is all that’s left of a powerful family. Seemingly forgotten, he’s spent his entire life in seclusion at the family estate, and he likes it that way. He’s free to play his games and create worlds without ever having to set foot in the real one.
Kit’s past is anything but forgotten. When death threats become real threats, Micah and Kit are forced to put their differences aside to discover who wants Kit dead.
But there are monsters in Kit’s closet that should never be disturbed.

2015 Rainbow Awards Submission: Drama Queen by Joe Cosentino

Drama Queen: A Nicky and Noah Mystery by Joe Cosentino
Gay Romantic Comedy
Paperback: 196 pages
Publisher: Lethe Press (June 12, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1590214676
ISBN-13: 978-1590214671
Amazon: Drama Queen: A Nicky and Noah Mystery
Amazon Kindle: Drama Queen: A Nicky and Noah Mystery

It could be curtains for college theatre professor Nicky Abbondanza. With dead bodies popping up all over campus, Nicky must use his drama skills to figure out who is playing the role of murderer before it is lights out for Nicky and his colleagues. Complicating matters is Nicky's huge crush on Noah Oliver, a gorgeous assistant professor in his department, who may or may not be involved with a cocky graduate assistant...and is also the top suspect for the murders! You will be applauding and shouting Bravo for Joe Cosentino's fast-paced, side-splittingly funny, edge-of-your-seat, delightfully entertaining novel. Curtain up!

THE WACKY WORLD OF ACADEMIA PROMPTED A NEW GAY MYSTERY SERIES by Joe Cosentino

Colleges, especially theatre departments, are havens of mystery, comedy, romance, plot twists and turns, and surprise endings. I’ve been a theatre college theatre professor for over twenty years and a department head for ten years. Though I love my job, it requires an enormous amount of creativity, energy, and diplomacy. I have also met the most amazing students, faculty colleagues, staff, and administrators. While nobody has been murdered at my college (thankfully), it occurred to me one day that a college campus with its numerous buildings, around the clock access, and diverse personalities is the perfect place for a comedy mystery series.
Mystery novels have always been my favorites, in particular those in a series that include heightened humor and romance. However, I was unable to find many gay mystery series along that line. So I decided to create my own. Since the mysteries I like are of the cozy variety, I set my series in the quaint, fictitious, New England college town of Treemeadow, named after its original founders, gay couple Tree and Meadow. Edwardian buildings, stone fireplaces, and hot chocolate are in abundance. At the center of the series is Nicky Abbondanza, Professor of Directing, and Noah Oliver, Professor of Acting. It’s up to Nicky and Noah to use their theatrical skills like role play to figure out whodunit and why. Complicating matters is the fact that in book one Noah is the top suspect. As Nicky and Noah embark on one frantically funny farcical (try saying that three times fast) escapade after the next, they fall in love with each other, and hopefully the readers fall in love with them.
In Drama Queen, Nicky and Noah have to uncover why college theatre professors are dropping like stage curtains while Nicky directs the college play production—a murder mystery.
In Drama Muscle, Nicky and Noah have to find out why musclemen are dropping like weights in the Physical Education department while Nicky directs the Student Bodybuilding Competition.
In Drama Cruise, Nicky and Noah go on a cruise to Alaska, and discover why college theatre professors are going overboard like lifeboats while Nicky directs a murder mystery dinner theatre show onboard ship.
I enjoy mysteries with strong clues, enticing red herrings, plot twists and turns, reversals, and a shocking yet earned and satisfying ending. The characters I enjoy are larger than life, witty, and loveable with healthy sex lives. Plots need to move quickly, and the unexpected is always welcome. So my mystery series incorporates all of those things.
I hope everyone will welcome Nicky and Noah into their libraries and into their hearts.
There’s nothing better than a good laugh, a tantalizing gay romance, and a clever mystery.

About the Author: Joe Cosentino is the author of Drama Queen the first Nicky and Noah mystery (Lethe Press), An Infatuation (Dreamspinner Press), Paper Doll the first Jana Lane mystery (Whiskey Creek Press), and The Nutcracker and the Mouse King (Eldridge Plays and Musicals). He has appeared in principal acting roles in film, television, and theatre, opposite stars such as Bruce Willis, Rosie O’Donnell, Nathan Lane, Holland Taylor, and Jason Robards. His one-act plays, Infatuation and Neighbor, were performed in New York City. He wrote The Perils of Pauline educational film (Prentice Hall Publishers). Joe is currently Head of the Department/Professor at a college in upstate New York, and is happily married. His upcoming novels are Drama Muscle the second Nicky and Noah mystery (Lethe Press), A Shooting Star (Dreamspinner Press novella), A Home for the Holidays (Dreamspinner Press holiday novella), and Porcelain Doll the second Jana Lane mystery.

2015 Rainbow Awards Guidelines: http://www.elisarolle.com/rainbowawards/rainbow_awards_2015.html