2017 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: What Everyone Deserves Dan Ackerman

1) Quite an interesting story, well written, likable characters and it kept me 'flipping' its pages wanting to read more. I'm looking forward to reading more from this new to me author.

What Everyone Deserves Dan Ackerman
Gay - Historical
Paperback: 198 pages
Publisher: Supposed Crimes, LLC (November 1, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1944591206
ISBN-13: 978-1944591205
Amazon: What Everyone Deserves Dan Ackerman

In this 1950s period drama, Junius is a New York City fertility demon with a crush. Ever since falling from heaven he's been alone. Except for the mothers and children he watches over.

James Kelly Rosenburg, a black soldier with snowflakes in his hair, walks right into his life with a big problem. James Kelly, turned vampire during the war, is new to New York and its prohibition against vampire killing in city limits.

Junius offers to teach him to overcome his bloodthirsty instincts and live a proper Manhattan life. Their growing friendship leaves them both conflicted as they explore a city both welcoming and alienated by their kind.

2017 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Defenseless A.J. Rose

1) This is by far been my favorite read so far. The plot was well developed and real. At times it was even hard to read the struggles of the couple in the aftermath of the attack, but I couldn't put it down. Writing something like this can come across as preachy, but the author did an excellent job of hold the characters in the forefront maintaining the focus on their relationship. My only negative is that I would have liked to seen more of the recovery of their relationship after the reconciliation. Excellent job of building Jessie and Kyle's world. The author did a fantastic job of bringing the attack and court experience to life on the page. At times I loved the characters and at times I hated them. The were REAL and complete individuals. Very fluid and full of excellent imagery. Never did I feel like an oberver looking in but present in the lives of these men and their friends.

Defenseless A.J. Rose
Bisexual - Contemporary Romance
File Size: 5287 KB
Print Length: 500 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publication Date: September 13, 2016
Amazon: Defenseless A.J. Rose

From Rainbow Award-winning author AJ Rose, Defenseless is a gut-wrenching, heart-stopping story of love through adversity.

Kyle Decker knew dating Jesse McGovern would change his life. Young and in love, and with the Supreme Court ruling in favor of marriage equality, the world is theirs to conquer.

But their victorious Pride celebration ends in a savage attack, brutally demonstrating they’re far from equal. Instead of wedding planning, Jesse and Kyle face an arduous recovery and a shattered sense of their place in the world, their once-promising future suddenly something to survive.

While Jesse struggles with a permanent injury and its emotional aftermath, Kyle’s single-minded focus on Jesse’s recovery is the only thing keeping his demons at bay…for now. What was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of love is now full of lies and resentment.

With their dreams tattered and forever changed, trusting anyone—even each other—is daunting. So how can they have faith in twelve strangers on a jury? They’ve already learned the hard way it only takes a moment to become truly defenseless.

2017 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Come to the Oaks: The Story of Ben and Tobias

1) Come to the Oaks is a story set in a time when two men from opposite worlds couldn't be friends, much less lovers. Yet, in this deep and heartfelt story, these men are determined to escape to be free to love and live the lives they were meant to live. Mr. Clark paints a vivid world of strife and delivers a wonderful historical tale of two men who will stop at nothing to be together. A highly recommended read.
2) The author tackled a very difficult subject in a very respectful and informative way. I learned so much that I didn't know before - all the while believing in the developing romance of Ben and Tobias.
3) Come to the Oaks successfully transports the reader back to an era that none of us experienced first-hand--and that is only one of its many achievements. I was enthralled in not only the love story, but the story of Tobias and Ben's effort to escape. It was refreshing to see each story take a back-seat when necessary, but still remain important to the overall plot. The supporting characters were all essential, the setting was impressively described and Bryan's ability to effectively portray a time frame from hundreds of years ago is a feat that couldn't have been easy. This book could've easily been something that lacked depth or historical authenticity. But, it had both. Each character's journey was distinctly unique--and provided the necessary spark to keep me reading and anticipating each scene. 
4) This was a fantastic story, well written and well researched. It captures the deceit and cruelty of the slave era where people in Africa were taken from their homeland betrayed, tortured and enslaved by white men, then sold to the highest bidder. It shows how not all white men believed nor agreed in what was done to these families, where women were raped, families were separated and the weak and sick were killed because they found no use for them. It is heartbreaking reading these events although, in the book we know it was written as fiction, one has to wonder how much of this actually happened in real life. This is the first story I've read from this author and would like to read more. Well done!

Come to the Oaks: The Story of Ben and Tobias Bryan T. Clark
Gay - Historical
Paperback: 274 pages
Publisher: Cornbread Publishing; 1 edition (March 6, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0997056231
ISBN-13: 978-0997056235
Amazon: Come to the Oaks: The Story of Ben and Tobias Bryan T. Clark

In 1845, as America is drowning in its own racial conflict, in a time when forbidden love has to remain a secret, can two young men find love when one has everything to lose, and the other has nothing? For Tobias, a young African man, life has ended before it began. Snatched abruptly from his homeland and enslaved into the Antebellum South, grand homes and majestic oak trees meant little to him. Now he is considered the property of other men, but his spirit would not be broken. The awkward Benjamin Nathanael Lee lives a privileged life. His father owns the largest tobacco plantation south of the Mason Dixon line. Ben wants little to do with the harsh realities of running a plantation—that is, until he meets Tobias, the one person that changes everything for him. Wealth, greed, and power brought them together. The same now threatens to separate them forever. The two men are on the verge of losing the one thing that matters: their love for one another. Against the odds, they steal off and embark on a journey to find freedom: the freedom to love one another and to live a life without the chains of slavery. Come to the Oaks is the tale of a forbidden romance—a love forged by two young men as they journey through a land that is tearing itself apart.

2017 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Mistress of Mogador T.T. Thomas

1) Well researched and strong character development kept me reading and interested in a setting and a time so different from our own.  The descriptions of setting and especially of inner emotions were particularly well wrought.
2) It's wonderful to find a piece of historical fiction that is so thoroughly researched.  The last score has a couple of points off because the pacing was so very scrambled, leaping back and forth in time in a way that did not, to me, serve the story.  Still, a wonderful read and a glimpse of a culture I'd only known of from passing references.

Mistress of Mogador T.T. Thomas
Lesbian - Historical Romance
Paperback: 458 pages
Publisher: Bon View Publishing; First Edition edition (August 26, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0986260045
ISBN-13: 978-0986260049
Amazon: Mistress of Mogador T.T. Thomas

1895 – From the teeming shipping docks of Liverpool, England to the caravans of sub-Saharan deserts to the mysterious port of Mogador, Morocco, intrigue, danger and passion surround three unusual women looking for an uncommon love in a country and a world least likely to help them find it. Morocco! A land of elegant and revered architecture, the arts and the umblemished beauty of harsh opposites. Morocco! Traditions and tribal loyalties govern all political power, and cultural and religious differences make enemies of neighbors and beloveds of strangers. Nora Mandrake, owner and captain of a small fleet of cargo sailing ships, must navigate more than rough seas and an unfamiliar culture between Liverpool and Morocco, as her emotions fluctuate and fumble from constancy to capricious and between an old love and a new one. When Nora agrees to take on a paying passenger to augment the struggling cargo business, she finds herself intrigued with the lovely Alice Tattersall who happens to find Mandrake similarly fascinating. Little does Nora know, Alice’s father, Bertie Tattersall has plans for both his daughter and his shipment of contraband, innocuously labeled as sewing machines. But there’s a woman in Mogador, Najwa, who awaits the return of Captain Mandrake with whom she has begun to pursue a special relationship. Najwa, a proud and progressive Amazighen (Berber) woman has a high standard for love and an inviolable sense of integrity. This could be disastrous. But thrilling. But disastrous! Mandrake realizes her most dangerous enemy is herself—her passions force her to confront the troubling realization that her attitudes toward women are no more enlightened than the prevailing male attitudes she has come to despise in the Morocco she has come to love. How could this happen to her? Mandrake wants it all, and all of it is what she stands to lose, as all three women pivot unsteadily on the eve of the enormous progress and breath-taking social turmoil of the 20th century.

The History of Rainbow Awards: 2009

2009 Rainbow Awards: 108 books, 64 judges

Winners:
LGBT Cover: Hemovore by Jordan Castillo Price - Cover Art by Kanaxa
Amazon: Hemovore by Jordan Castillo Price

LGBT Young Adult/Coming of Age: Josef Jaeger by Jere' M. Fishback
Amazon: Josef Jaeger by Jere' M. Fishback

LGBT Contemporary: Collision Course by K.A. Mitchell
Amazon: Collision Course by K.A. Mitchell

LGBT Fantasy: Out of Position by Kyell Gold
Amazon: Out of Position by Kyell Gold

LGBT Futuristic: A Strong and Sudden Thaw by R.W. Day
Amazon: A Strong and Sudden Thaw by R.W. Day

LGBT Historical: Whistling in the Dark by Tamara Allen
Amazon: Whistling in the Dark by Tamara Allen

LGBT Mystery / Thriller: L.A. Heat by P.A. Brown
Amazon: L.A. Heat by P.A. Brown

LGBT Paranormal / Horror: Conflict in Blood by Ariel Tachna
Amazon: Conflict in Blood by Ariel Tachna

LGBT Non Fiction: The First Risk by Charles Jensen
Amazon: The First Risk by Charles Jensen

Best Setting Development: False Colors by Alex Beecroft
Amazon: False Colors by Alex Beecroft

Best Characters Development: A Strong and Sudden Thaw by R.W. Day
Amazon: A Strong and Sudden Thaw by R.W. Day

Best Writing Style: A Strong and Sudden Thaw by R.W. Day
Amazon: A Strong and Sudden Thaw by R.W. Day

Best Bisexual / Transgender Novel: Holy Communion by Mykola Dementiuk
Amazon: Holy Communion by Mykola Dementiuk

Best Gay Novel: Out of Position by Kyell Gold
Amazon: Out of Position by Kyell Gold
Whistling in the Dark by Tamara Allen
Amazon: Whistling in the Dark by Tamara Allen

Best Lesbian Novel: Barking at the Moon by Nene Adams
Amazon: Barking at the Moon by Nene Adams

The History of Rainbow Awards: 2010

2010 Rainbow Awards: 221 books, 160 judges

Winners:
LGBT Cover: The Lost Library - Cover Art by Mel Odom
Amazon: The Lost Library

Gay Young Adult/Coming of Age: Summer Song by Louise Blaydon
Amazon: Summer Song by Louise Blaydon

Bisexual / Transgender Contemporary: She's My Dad by Iolanthe Woulff
Amazon: She's My Dad by Iolanthe Woulff

Gay Contemporary: Tales My Body Told Me by Wayne Courtois
Amazon: Tales My Body Told Me by Wayne Courtois

Lesbian Contemporary: 1049 Club by Kim Pritekel
Amazon: 1049 Club by Kim Pritekel

Gay Erotica Contemporary: Special Delivery by Heidi Cullinan
Amazon: Special Delivery by Heidi Cullinan

Gay Contemporary Romance: More by Sloan Parker
Amazon: More by Sloan Parker

LGBT Fantasy: Diana Comet and Other Improbable Tales by Sandra McDonald
Amazon: Diana Comet and Other Improbable Tales by Sandra McDonald

Gay Fantasy: Hero by Heidi Cullinan
Amazon: Hero by Heidi Cullinan
Miles and the Magic Flute by Heidi Cullinan
Amazon: Miles and the Magic Flute by Heidi Cullinan  

LGBT Historical: The Seduction of Moxie by Colette Moody
Amazon: The Seduction of Moxie by Colette Moody  

Gay Historical: The Lonely War by Alan Chin
Amazon: The Lonely War by Alan Chin  

Gay Mystery / Thriller: The Riddle of the Sands by Geoffrey Knight
Amazon: The Riddle of the Sands by Geoffrey Knight  

Lesbian Mystery / Thriller: The Seeker by Ronica Black
Amazon: The Seeker by Ronica Black  

Gay Paranormal / Horror: Last Chance by Viki Lyn
Amazon: Last Chance by Viki Lyn  

Lesbian Paranormal / Horror: Everafter by Nell Stark & Trinity Tam
Amazon: Everafter by Nell Stark & Trinity Tam  

Gay Sci-fi / Futuristic: Light of the Body by Mark Alders
Amazon: Light of the Body by Mark Alders  

LGBT Non Fiction: The Golden Age of Gay Fiction by Drewey Wayne Gunn
Amazon: The Golden Age of Gay Fiction by Drewey Wayne Gunn  

Best Setting Development: The Lonely War by Alan Chin
Amazon: The Lonely War by Alan Chin  

Best Characters Development: The Lonely War by Alan Chin
Amazon: The Lonely War by Alan Chin
The Seduction of Moxie by Colette Moody
Amazon: The Seduction of Moxie by Colette Moody

Best Writing Style: Special Delivery by Heidi Cullinan
Amazon: Special Delivery by Heidi Cullinan
The Seeker by Ronica Black
Amazon: The Seeker by Ronica Black
Fever by V.K. Powell
Amazon: Fever by V.K. Powell

Best Bisexual / Transgender Novel: Diana Comet and Other Improbable Tales by Sandra McDonald
Amazon: Diana Comet and Other Improbable Tales by Sandra McDonald

Best Gay Novel: The Lonely War by Alan Chin
Amazon: The Lonely War by Alan Chin  
Best Lesbian Novel: The Seduction of Moxie by Colette Moody
Amazon: The Seduction of Moxie by Colette Moody

The History of Rainbow Awards: 2011

2011 Rainbow Awards: 309 books, 115 judges

Winners:
LGBT Cover: Visible Friend by KZ Snow, cover art by Anne Cain
Amazon: Visible Friend by KZ Snow

LGBT Young Adult/Coming of Age: Robin Reardon - The Evolution of Ethan Poe
Amazon: Robin Reardon - The Evolution of Ethan Poe

Gay Contemporary Erotica: Heidi Cullinan - Nowhere Ranch
Amazon: Heidi Cullinan - Nowhere Ranch

Lesbian Contemporary Erotica: Roscoe James - Dancing with Venus
Amazon: Roscoe James - Dancing with Venus

Gay Contemporary General Fiction: Alan Chin - Match Maker
Amazon: Alan Chin - Match Maker

Lesbian Contemporary General Fiction: Farzana Doctor - Six Metres of Pavement
Amazon: Farzana Doctor - Six Metres of Pavement

Gay Contemporary Romance: Sloan Parker - Breathe
Amazon: Sloan Parker - Breathe

Lesbian Contemporary Romance: Robin Summers - After the Fall
Amazon: Robin Summers - After the Fall

Bisexual / Transgender Contemporary: Justine Saracen - Sarah, Son of God
Amazon: Justine Saracen - Sarah, Son of God

Gay Fantasy: Marie Sexton - Song Of Oestend
Amazon: Marie Sexton - Song Of Oestend
Dusk Peterson - The Eternal Dungeon
Amazon: Dusk Peterson - The Eternal Dungeon

Lesbian Sci-fi/Fantasy: Barbara Davies - Bourn's Edge
Amazon: Barbara Davies - Bourn's Edge

Bisexual / Transgender Sci-fi/Paranormal/Fantasy: L.A. Witt - Static
Amazon: L.A. Witt - Static

LGBT Historical: Marten Weber - Benedetto Casanova, The Memoirs
Amazon: Marten Weber - Benedetto Casanova, The Memoirs
Tamara Allen - The Only Gold
Amazon: Tamara Allen - The Only Gold

LGBT Mystery / Thriller: J.M. Redmann - Water Mark
Amazon: J.M. Redmann - Water Mark

Gay Paranormal / Horror: Megan Derr - Midnight
Amazon: Megan Derr - Midnight

Lesbian Paranormal / Horror: Meghan O'Brien - Wild
Amazon: Meghan O'Brien - Wild

Gay Sci-fi / Futuristic: CC Bridges - Angel 1089
Amazon: CC Bridges - Angel 1089
Aleksandr Voinov and Rhianon Etzweiler - Dark Edge of Honor
Amazon: Aleksandr Voinov and Rhianon Etzweiler - Dark Edge of Honor
M.J. O'Shea - Dark Sun
Amazon: M.J. O'Shea - Dark Sun

LGBT Non Fiction: Fay Jacobs - For Frying Out Loud
Amazon: Fay Jacobs - For Frying Out Loud
Patricia Nell Warren - My West
Amazon: Patricia Nell Warren - My West

Best Plot Development: Sloan Parker – Breathe
Amazon: Sloan Parker - Breathe

Best Setting Development: Tamara Allen - The Only Gold
Amazon: Tamara Allen - The Only Gold
Andrew Wolter - Much of Madness, More of Sin
Amazon: Andrew Wolter - Much of Madness, More of Sin

Best Characters Development: Sloan Parker – Breathe
Amazon: Sloan Parker - Breathe
Marie Sexton - Song Of Oestend
Amazon: Marie Sexton - Song Of Oestend

Best Writing Style: Tracy Rowan - Suffer the Little Children
Karis Walsh - Harmony
Amazon: Karis Walsh - Harmony

Best Bisexual / Transgender Debut: Ryan Loveless - Building Arcadia
Amazon: Ryan Loveless - Building Arcadia

Best Gay Debut: Lee Houck - Yield
Amazon: Lee Houck - Yield

Best Lesbian Debut: Robin Summers - After the Fall
Amazon: Robin Summers - After the Fall

Best Bisexual / Transgender Novel: Justine Saracen - Sarah, Son of God
Amazon: Justine Saracen - Sarah, Son of God
Catherine Ryan Hyde - Jumpstart the World
Amazon: Catherine Ryan Hyde - Jumpstart the World

Best Gay Novel: Sloan Parker – Breathe
Amazon: Sloan Parker - Breathe

Best Lesbian Novel: Meghan O'Brien – Wild
Amazon: Meghan O'Brien - Wild

The History of Rainbow Awards: 2012

2012 Rainbow Awards: 481 books, 138 judges

Winners
LGBT Cover: Ink by Isabelle Rowan, Cover art by Anne Cain
Amazon: Ink by Isabelle Rowan
 
Gay Contemporary General Fiction: Wayne Hoffman - Sweet Like Sugar
Amazon: Wayne Hoffman - Sweet Like Sugar

Lesbian Contemporary General Fiction: sbr martin – pig
Amazon: sbr martin – pig
 
Bisexual / Transgender Romance/Erotic Romance: Giselle Renarde - The Red Satin Collection
Amazon: Giselle Renarde - The Red Satin Collection
Clancy Nacht & Thursday Euclid - Le Jazz Hot
Amazon: Clancy Nacht & Thursday Euclid - Le Jazz Hot

The Bobby Michaels Award for Gay Erotic Romance: Abigail Roux - Stars and Stripes
Amazon: Abigail Roux - Stars and Stripes
 
Lesbian Erotic Romance: Meghan O'Brien - The Night Off
Amazon: Meghan O'Brien - The Night Off
 
LGBT Erotica: J.P. Beausejour - Buccaneer Island
Amazon: J.P. Beausejour - Buccaneer Island
 
Gay Historical: Jeff Mann – Purgatory
Amazon: Jeff Mann – Purgatory

Lesbian Historical: Justine Saracen - Tyger Tyger, Burning Bright
Amazon: Justine Saracen - Tyger Tyger, Burning Bright

Gay Mystery / Thriller: Elliott Mackle - Only Make Believe
Amazon: Elliott Mackle - Only Make Believe
 
Lesbian Mystery / Thriller: J.M. Redmann - Ill Will
Amazon: Elliott Mackle - Only Make Believe
 
Bisexual/Transgender Contemporary General Fiction/Historical/Paranormal: Beth Burnett - Man Enough
Amazon: Beth Burnett - Man Enough
 
LGBT Non Fiction: Thomas Keith - Love Christopher Street
Amazon: Thomas Keith - Love Christopher Street
 
LGBT Biographies/Memoirs: Dirk Vanden - It Was Too Soon Before
Amazon: Dirk Vanden - It Was Too Soon Before
 
Gay Paranormal/Horror: Andrea Speed - Infected, Freefall
Amazon: Andrea Speed - Infected, Freefall
Vaughn R. Demont - Coyote's Creed
Amazon: Vaughn R. Demont - Coyote's Creed

Lesbian Paranormal/Horror: Catt Kingsgrave - One Saved to the Sea
Amazon: Catt Kingsgrave - One Saved to the Sea
 
The William Neale Award for Gay Romance: Amy Lane – Sidecar
Amazon: Amy Lane – Sidecar
 
Lesbian Romance: Ronica Black – Wholehearted
Amazon: Ronica Black – Wholehearted
 
Bisexual / Transgender Sci-fi/Fantasy: Aleksandr Voinov – Incursion
Amazon: Aleksandr Voinov – Incursion
 
Gay Sci-fi/Fantasy: Marie Sexton - Blind Space
Amazon: Marie Sexton - Blind Space
 
Lesbian Sci-fi/Fantasy: Erica Lawson – Soulwalker
Amazon: Erica Lawson – Soulwalker
 
LGBT Young Adult/Coming of Age: Hayden Thorne - Renfred's Masquerade
Amazon: Hayden Thorne - Renfred's Masquerade

Best Bisexual / Transgender Debut: Luke Hartwell - Atom Heart John Beloved
Amazon: Luke Hartwell - Atom Heart John Beloved
Michelle Moore & Reesa Herberth - The Slipstream Con
Amazon: Michelle Moore & Reesa Herberth - The Slipstream Con

Best Gay Debut: Ken O'Neill - The Marrying Kind
Amazon: Ken O'Neill - The Marrying Kind
 
Best Lesbian Debut: Rebekah Weatherspoon - Better Off Red
Amazon: Rebekah Weatherspoon - Better Off Red
 
Best Bisexual / Transgender Novel: Aleksandr Voinov – Incursion
Amazon: Aleksandr Voinov – Incursion
 
Best Gay Novel: Wayne Hoffman - Sweet Like Sugar
Amazon: Wayne Hoffman - Sweet Like Sugar
 
Best Lesbian Novel: Ronica Black – Wholehearted
Amazon: Ronica Black – Wholehearted