2016 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Starless Nights (354-08-31-2016)

A taut plot filled with nonstop action. Clear, crisp prose, and a diverse cast of excellent characters. Thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish.

Starless Nights (Dark Horizons #2) by Rae D. Magdon & Michelle Magly
Lesbian Sci-fi / Futuristic
Series: Dark Horizons
Paperback: 218 pages
Publisher: Desert Palm Press; 1 edition (September 29, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1517503663
ISBN-13: 978-1517503666
Amazon: Starless Nights (Dark Horizons #2)
Amazon Kinlde: Starless Nights (Dark Horizons #2)

In this sequel to Dark Horizons, Taylor and Maia did not know where they would go when they fled Earth. They simply trusted Akton to take them somewhere safe. Leaving behind a wake of chaos and disorder, Coalition soldier Rachel is left to deal with the backlash of Taylor’s actions, and soon finds herself chasing after the runaways. Rachel quickly learns the final frontier is not a forgiving place for humans, but her chances for survival are better out there than back on Earth. Meanwhile, Taylor and Maia find themselves living off the generosity of rebel leader Sorra, an ikthian living a double life for the sake of the rebellion. With Maia’s research in hand, Sorra believes they can deliver a fatal blow against the Dominion.

Rainbow Awards Guidelines: http://www.elisarolle.com/rainbowawards/rainbow_awards_2016.html

2016 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Hurricane Season by B.J. Phillips (360-08-31-2016)

Pretty good debut story. Some dialogue was a little quirky in my opinion. I really liked both MC's but the supporting cast could have been developed a bit more. The ending was a little drawn out as well. I would read other works from this author.

Hurricane Season by B.J. Phillips
Lesbian Contemporary Romance
Paperback: 206 pages
Publisher: Desert Palm Press; 1 edition (June 7, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1942976127
ISBN-13: 978-1942976127
Amazon: Hurricane Season
Amazon Kinlde: Hurricane Season

Shawn Richards (aka S.K. Richardson) is a romance author. She’s had her heart broken badly again and is done with love. Ditching San Francisco, she moves back home to Southwest Florida to get her feet back under her and finish her latest novel. Carrie Alexander is a huge S.K. Richardson fan, but has no idea what she looks like. She does, however, like the looks of the new neighbor down the street, Shawn Richards. Drawn to each other as friends, Shawn still tries to keep some distance in spite of what she’s beginning to feel for Carrie. Carrie isn’t the kind of woman you just have a fun night with and then move on. Carrie’s the kind you fall in love with and make love to, and live happily ever after with—but she just can’t let herself trust her heart yet. After all, the last time she fell for one of her fans, it ended badly. Carrie is looking for ‘happy ever after’ just like in all those romance novels she reads. Shawn could be the one, or maybe Carrie’s fooling herself and there’s really no such thing as all that romantic stuff in Shawn’s books. Shawn is afraid she can’t deliver on that ‘happy ever after’ she knows Carrie wants—and she wants, too, truth be told. Destiny might have given them a push when Carrie tripped at the local grocery store and literally fell into Shawn’s arms. But fear could cost Shawn the woman of her dreams.

Rainbow Awards Guidelines: http://www.elisarolle.com/rainbowawards/rainbow_awards_2016.html

2016 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: The Orchard of Flesh by Christian Baines (314-08-25-2016)

Very engaging story about vampires. Great prose and interesting characters.

The Orchard of Flesh by Christian Baines
Gay Paranormal Romance
Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books (August 16, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1626396493
ISBN-13: 978-1626396494
Amazon: The Orchard of Flesh
Amazon Kindle: The Orchard of Flesh

Reylan's last assignment for The Arcadia Trust brought a rebellious human servant under his roof, and a volatile werewolf lover named Jorgas into his bed, leaving the self-reliant Blood Shade--known to the outside world as vampires--in no hurry to risk his immortality for them again. But when a new terror starts disappearing humans from a bad part of town, Reylan must do everything in his power to keep Sydney's supernatural factions from the brink of war. Having an ambitious, meddlesome human in the mix is only going to make things worse...especially when that human is Jorgas's father. Reylan will need all his determination and cunning to keep the peace under his roof, between the night's power brokers, and in his lover's troubled heart.

Rainbow Awards Guidelines: http://www.elisarolle.com/rainbowawards/rainbow_awards_2016.html

2016 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: According to the Order of Nature (333-08-27-2016)

I found this book very interesting. The poem and illustrations were not what I was expecting but am glad I got the chance to read it. Readers should keep in mind that some of the illustrations are NSFW and may want to be mindful of those around them.

According to the Order of Nature (We too are Cosmos Made) by Stephen Mead
LGBT Poetry
Paperback: 158 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition (January 24, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1523675918
ISBN-13: 978-1523675913
Amazon: According to the Order of Nature (We too are Cosmos Made)

"According to the Order of Nature (We Too Are Cosmos Made") is a mixed media series of paintings and montages begun in late 2009 and completed by New Years 2014. The title refers to all of the laws which weigh against LGBT individuals globally, only this project reverses the persecution, exploring LGBT sensuality for its spiritual roots and profound bonding, more so when people risk their lives in order to have and to hold love. While specific pieces present graphic erotic gay sexuality, by incorporating organic matter such as moss, hair, leaves, spices, rose petals etc., they go beyond the realm of titillation for the viewer to celebrate (or be challenged by) the validation of earth-centered sensuality. Juxtaposed with the larger mixed media series are small 8" x 10" images depicting outlines of the naked male form in traditional yoga poses. These independent paintings are then merged with various star, earth, and weather pattern imagery to create the sense that, looking at the night sky, a person may connect the dots, draw pictures in the clouds, and find not just Orion or The Big Dipper, but an innate sensual energy directly connected to the heavens. I envision the combination of all these images, as being exhibited on one wall, the text which eventually evolved from them forming underneath letter by letter: forest green on rose marble.

Rainbow Awards Guidelines: http://www.elisarolle.com/rainbowawards/rainbow_awards_2016.html