2014 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mentions
Oct. 3rd, 2014 08:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
reviews_and_ramblingsWaiting for the list of finalists to be announced beginning of October, I will post daily the 2014 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mentions: an honorable mention means a judge gave a rate of 36 or above out of 40 to the book; an honorable mention doesn't mean the book is automatically among the finalists, could be could be not, but it's important to understand there are more than 500 books in the literary contests, all books are in the process of being read by the jury, but only half of them will go to finals. So please, congratulate with me this year honorable mentions:
Bisexual Contemporary Romance
Fusion (North Star Book 2) by Posy Roberts
Paperback: 300 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (November 18, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1627982221
ISBN-13: 978-1627982221
Amazon : Fusion (North Star Book 2)
Amazon Kindle: Fusion (North Star Book 2)
"Excellent style and beautifully written. Sad but poetic and well plotted."
Gay Young Adult
Vivaldi in the Dark by Matthew J. Metzger
Paperback: 294 pages
Publisher: Queerteen Press (December 8, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 149362279X
ISBN-13: 978-1493622795
Amazon: Vivaldi in the Dark
Amazon Kindle: Vivaldi in the Dark
"A lovely YA, with the right amount of uncertainty, humour and action. I didn't put it down from beginning to end. Not even for a coffee break."
Gay Contemporary General Fiction
Walking the Camino Sagrado by Michael Chavez
Paperback: 198 pages
Publisher: Regal Crest Enterprises, LLC (December 11, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1619291347
ISBN-13: 978-1619291348
Amazon: Walking the Camino Sagrado
Amazon Kindle: Walking the Camino Sagrado
"This was my first experience reading Michael Chavez's work. I have bought another novel by him immediately after reading this one. The Characters are compelling and the plot had me reading into the night, even though I had to work the next day."
Lesbian Erotic Romance
Escapades by MJ Willamz
Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books (July 15, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1626391823
ISBN-13: 978-1626391826
Amazon: Escapades
Amazon Kindle: Escapades
Gay Contemporary Romance
A Heart for Robbie by J.P. Barnaby
Paperback: 214 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (July 11, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1632160668
ISBN-13: 978-1632160669
Amazon: A Heart for Robbie
Amazon Kindle: A Heart for Robbie
"You can feel the desperation that Julian is trying to cope with as well as Dane's fear of being ostracized for coming out. You can see and smell the hospital where Julian is forced to spend his time in order to save his son's life. The author truly makes you want to save Robbie's life too. I found myself unable to justify lowering the score in any of the categories."
Bisexual Sci-fi / Futuristic
The Stars Change by Mary Anne Mohanraj
Hardcover: 162 pages
Publisher: Circlet Press (July 1, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1613901178
ISBN-13: 978-1613901175
Amazon: The Stars Change
Amazon Kindle: The Stars Change
"Wow. I finished this and sat back and wondered how the author packed so much story into such a compact form with so many fully formed characters and such a serious story-line. Race, sexuality, tradition, technology, terrorism, age, love--how people fight without fighting... it was all packed into this well-formed and well-written book. I cannot thank the author enough for showing me a culture that was human and familiar and wonderful that wasn't based on white Europe. The relationships--especially family--felt real and wonderful and heartbreaking. And yes, there was tragedy, but also love. I am very grateful to have been able to read this, and will be hunting down the author's other works. It's one for the keeper shelf."
Gay Contemporary General Fiction
Dissonance (Blue Notes) by Shira Anthony
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (August 8, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1632161818
ISBN-13: 978-1632161819
Amazon : Dissonance (Blue Notes)
Amazon Kindle: Dissonance (Blue Notes)
"I loved the growth shown by Cameron through out this novel. Very well written story."
Gay Contemporary Romance
The Silence of the Stars by Kate McMurray
Paperback: 200 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (May 30, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1627988939
ISBN-13: 978-1627988933
Amazon : The Silence of the Stars
Amazon Kindle: The Silence of the Stars
"Although this story is a sequel the book can be read as a stand-alone as the couple is new. I was pulled into the story and loved both main characters. The chemistry between them is intense and I loved how they circled around each other in the beginning. This book should not be missed."
Gay Contemporary Romance
Out of the Gate by EM Lynley
Paperback: 270 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (April 21, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1627986820
ISBN-13: 978-1627986823
Amazon : Out of the Gate
Amazon Kindle: Out of the Gate
"Well written with good development of characters and storyline."
Gay Romantic Comedy
Can This Be Real by L.E. Franks
Publisher: MLR Press
Amazon Kindle: Can This Be Real
"Needless to say, I found this book to be a very charming surprise. The standard initial attraction (and understated, witty interactions) between the two main characters set up the story for a thoughtful, but not heavy-handed, exploration of love. These men, who seem incompatible on an essential level, who stand on opposite ends of an issue that is very important to each - for very different reasons - learn how to reach a middle ground for the sake of the love they bear each other. Christian's cooking for Andy in a way that would get him "kicked out of the CIA" (as his sous chef remarks) and Andy's learning to cook for Christian seemed very poignant illustrations of love to me. I found the source of the conflict to be original and the execution to be perfect - had it been handled in a more heavy handed way, it would have made me roll my eyes, but the characters reactions were spot on for me. This story was not long, but it was very well-crafted, complete with eccentric but vividly drawn secondary characters and a villain who, in the end, turned out to be flawed but still human. A perfect read."
Bisexual Contemporary RomanceFusion (North Star Book 2) by Posy Roberts
Paperback: 300 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (November 18, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1627982221
ISBN-13: 978-1627982221
Amazon : Fusion (North Star Book 2)
Amazon Kindle: Fusion (North Star Book 2)
"Excellent style and beautifully written. Sad but poetic and well plotted."
Gay Young AdultVivaldi in the Dark by Matthew J. Metzger
Paperback: 294 pages
Publisher: Queerteen Press (December 8, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 149362279X
ISBN-13: 978-1493622795
Amazon: Vivaldi in the Dark
Amazon Kindle: Vivaldi in the Dark
"A lovely YA, with the right amount of uncertainty, humour and action. I didn't put it down from beginning to end. Not even for a coffee break."
Gay Contemporary General FictionWalking the Camino Sagrado by Michael Chavez
Paperback: 198 pages
Publisher: Regal Crest Enterprises, LLC (December 11, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1619291347
ISBN-13: 978-1619291348
Amazon: Walking the Camino Sagrado
Amazon Kindle: Walking the Camino Sagrado
"This was my first experience reading Michael Chavez's work. I have bought another novel by him immediately after reading this one. The Characters are compelling and the plot had me reading into the night, even though I had to work the next day."
Lesbian Erotic RomanceEscapades by MJ Willamz
Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books (July 15, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1626391823
ISBN-13: 978-1626391826
Amazon: Escapades
Amazon Kindle: Escapades
"All the elements were there and I liked it very much."
Gay Contemporary RomanceA Heart for Robbie by J.P. Barnaby
Paperback: 214 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (July 11, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1632160668
ISBN-13: 978-1632160669
Amazon: A Heart for Robbie
Amazon Kindle: A Heart for Robbie
"You can feel the desperation that Julian is trying to cope with as well as Dane's fear of being ostracized for coming out. You can see and smell the hospital where Julian is forced to spend his time in order to save his son's life. The author truly makes you want to save Robbie's life too. I found myself unable to justify lowering the score in any of the categories."
Bisexual Sci-fi / FuturisticThe Stars Change by Mary Anne Mohanraj
Hardcover: 162 pages
Publisher: Circlet Press (July 1, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1613901178
ISBN-13: 978-1613901175
Amazon: The Stars Change
Amazon Kindle: The Stars Change
"Wow. I finished this and sat back and wondered how the author packed so much story into such a compact form with so many fully formed characters and such a serious story-line. Race, sexuality, tradition, technology, terrorism, age, love--how people fight without fighting... it was all packed into this well-formed and well-written book. I cannot thank the author enough for showing me a culture that was human and familiar and wonderful that wasn't based on white Europe. The relationships--especially family--felt real and wonderful and heartbreaking. And yes, there was tragedy, but also love. I am very grateful to have been able to read this, and will be hunting down the author's other works. It's one for the keeper shelf."
Gay Contemporary General FictionDissonance (Blue Notes) by Shira Anthony
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (August 8, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1632161818
ISBN-13: 978-1632161819
Amazon : Dissonance (Blue Notes)
Amazon Kindle: Dissonance (Blue Notes)
"I loved the growth shown by Cameron through out this novel. Very well written story."
Gay Contemporary RomanceThe Silence of the Stars by Kate McMurray
Paperback: 200 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (May 30, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1627988939
ISBN-13: 978-1627988933
Amazon : The Silence of the Stars
Amazon Kindle: The Silence of the Stars
"Although this story is a sequel the book can be read as a stand-alone as the couple is new. I was pulled into the story and loved both main characters. The chemistry between them is intense and I loved how they circled around each other in the beginning. This book should not be missed."
Gay Contemporary RomanceOut of the Gate by EM Lynley
Paperback: 270 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (April 21, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1627986820
ISBN-13: 978-1627986823
Amazon : Out of the Gate
Amazon Kindle: Out of the Gate
"Well written with good development of characters and storyline."
Gay Romantic ComedyCan This Be Real by L.E. Franks
Publisher: MLR Press
Amazon Kindle: Can This Be Real
"Needless to say, I found this book to be a very charming surprise. The standard initial attraction (and understated, witty interactions) between the two main characters set up the story for a thoughtful, but not heavy-handed, exploration of love. These men, who seem incompatible on an essential level, who stand on opposite ends of an issue that is very important to each - for very different reasons - learn how to reach a middle ground for the sake of the love they bear each other. Christian's cooking for Andy in a way that would get him "kicked out of the CIA" (as his sous chef remarks) and Andy's learning to cook for Christian seemed very poignant illustrations of love to me. I found the source of the conflict to be original and the execution to be perfect - had it been handled in a more heavy handed way, it would have made me roll my eyes, but the characters reactions were spot on for me. This story was not long, but it was very well-crafted, complete with eccentric but vividly drawn secondary characters and a villain who, in the end, turned out to be flawed but still human. A perfect read."
