I am posting this new 37,000 word novella in the Different Senses universe as a free download here. It will also be part of the second volume of Different Senses but will remain free.

Summary: Javen wants a lover who doesn't care about his empathy, and but when he gets his wish, he also gets someone trying to kill his new boyfriend. How can he keep his lover safe, find out who wants him dead and keep his friendships alive, all at the same time?

Warnings: Language, snark and some exceedingly chaste m/m. SPOILERS for the previous stories.

Although it should make sense if you've read the free prologue and first story of this series, it will make more sense and be much more enjoyable if you have read the three stories that come before it. So see this as a thank you to those who bought Vol 1, and, uh, encouragement to those who haven:t :) You can buy the previous stories here for a modest $4.49.

I'd be grateful to have any errors or inconsistencies pointed out to me. If anyone wants Vol 1 but is financially embarrassed, or unable to use Lulu's payment system, please contact me and I will gladly give you a copy.

Reviews welcome, and please spread the word about this freebie.

Over the weekend, I consumed Hell Cop and its sequel, Hell Cop 2. (Not a very inspiring name for a sequel, I know, but that does make it easy to find.) Both titles run about $8 per ebook from Loose ID; neither are available in print yet.

I recommend both books very highly. Both volumes feature exciting, fast-paced, and well-written stories from Ginn Hale, Nicole Kimberling, and Astrid Amara. ( More Details )

In Hell Cop 2, I won't give the details away except to say that the same three authors bring back their characters and weave together another excellent trio of stories. I liked the sequel even better than the first book! If you like urban fantasy, I urge you to give these a try.

With many thanks to rebecca2525 for organising the next on-line reading event.



Starting on the 20th of July 2009.

We had such a good time discussing the first book in Joseph Hansen's "Brandstetter" series, we've decided to continue on with book number two, "Death Claims". As Rebecca says, each novel is a self-contained story and can be read on its own. (The books are also not very long, it would be possible to read the first book before July 20th.), so please feel free to join in at the d_brandstetter community, even if you missed the first discussion event.

(This post isn't about a specific book, so I hope members will forgive that.)

Daniel Tammet is a unique person. His breakfast porridge is made from 45 grams of oatmeal every morning, not more, not less. He cannot leave the house without having counted the articles of clothing he's going to wear. He has no instinct for social skills, and is often unable to differentiate a question from a statement. He has difficulty distinguishing left from right, and with even minor changes in a routine, such as dropping a fork while washing dishes. Yet he's capable of astounding feats of mathematical genius, and is able to learn a foreign language within a week.

The root of both Daniel's talents and difficulties is savant-syndrome, a form of Aspergers syndrome (which in turn is a form of autism), coupled with a neurological phenomenon known as synesthesia, wherein numbers, letters, words, etc., are perceived as visual, olfactory or tactile impressions. What makes Daniel's case unusual is his ability to communicate, and in his autobiographical book Born on a Blue Day, he gives a remarkable account of his life and his coming-of-age as a gay man struggling with savant-syndrome. His narrative of childhood memories, the challenges he faces as a result of his condition, and the fascinating descriptions of his thought processes are recounted in honest and straightforward detail. Completely void of any attempts to teach or dismantle myths, the book does just that, beginning with his infancy and concluding with both the challenges and the joys Daniel finds in his relationship with his partner, Neil. All in all, it's an amazing read and a rare first-hand glimpse into the world of Aspergers syndrome.

I continue to get comments on my previous post about gay werewolf reads and I continue to read about them. So, here's another batch!

( Wolfy by Kate Hill )

( Wild Ones by Kira Stone )

( Wolfkin by Emily Veinglory )

( Marked by Joely Skye )

( Mourning Doves by Angela Romano )

( Hoosier Werewolf: Howl & Prowl by Kate Steele )

( Soul Mates series by Jourdan Lane )

( Cursed by Rhianne Aile )

***

Laura Bambauch's "Ripples on the Moon", which was supposed to be out in March was delayed until late July. I haven't read D.J. Manly's "Wolf Saga" yet, either, so those will have to wait for the next batch.

As before, if you'd like to recommend some gay werewolves I've missed, I'd be happy to try them. Also, does anyone else here read in themed streaks like this?

 

QUEER WOLF
(Queer Legends)

“Their world lies between the shadows and the moonlight, between man and animal…and in the city under neon moons and through iron-treed streets, the queer wolves run.”

Bound within QUEER WOLF is an exciting collection of contemporary, urban and sensual werewolf tales; a gathering of queer wolves presented by exciting, new and established authors.

“The debut anthology from James EM Rasmussen's QueeredFiction is an entertaining and varied collection, boasting such talents as Charlie Cochrane and Ginn Hale. Lovers of the lycan will find much to slaver over here: from the werewolf wanabee to the lovers-through-time, to waifs and strays. From the carnal to the violent to the passionate, this anthology will wag your tail, I guarantee it.” Erastes author of Standish & Transgressions

Different Senses Volume I

$4.49 - buy now from Lulu

Preview (includes Prologue and complete first story)

Javen Ythen is an angry man. A shooting on the job triggered his genetic empathy, and as a result, he lost his career as a cop, and his lover. Now he has to find something to do with his life, while coming to terms with losing the job and the man he loved, as well as a racial heritage unsuspected by anyone in his family.

He lives in a society divided by class and race. Born to privilege, nonetheless his search for a new career brings him up in repeated contact with the much despised banis race, and despite his own prejudices, he finds himself drawn towards the people and their concerns. Perhaps in working with those he knows little about, he will come to understand them - and himself.

Different Senses Volume I contains five stories and explanatory notes, 81,000 words in total, in HTML, PDF, .prc and .lit formats.

These stories contain no graphic content, only the occasional bad word.

Review copies available. Please contact me to request one.

I thought I'd try another novel by Frederick Smith, whose first novel I reviewed last week.  His second book, Right Side of the Wrong Bed, is a better-crafted novel, but less satisfying than Down For Whatever. Click the cover for my review.

I keep a page of Gay book recs at my site, and have recently updated it with a few reviews of Gordon Merrick's books. Most of the books I review are older and, most likely, less well known, partly because I do not at all have any faith in the e-/small pubisher book establishments' ability to provide anything other than vaguely pleasant, overpriced tripe. If you're interested, the link is here.

--

It's been a while since I did more than rec a book on the fly.  Check out my review of Down For Whatever, an ensemble drama novel about gay men of color in LA, by the impressive Frederick Smith.

# 37: Nights in the Gardens of Spain by Witi Ihimaera:

So Chris is back in my life.
On the day after the American carrier left, he was pallbearer at the funeral of a close friend, All the World Was In Front of Him, who died after a debilitating Aids-related illness. A violinist in the city orchestra, All the World was a vivacious presence among us, someone who discovered his gayness late and kept gasping at the joy of it, as if he had always been holding his breath.

Synopsis: Staid academic upsets his parents by leaving his family and living more fully his other life as a gay man cruising in Auckland. Epic wobblers and lots of beautiful men ensue.

( There was poking. There might have been prodding, also. )

So, after I finished reading  "The Boy I Love", i felt so emotionally overwhelmed (for real!! that story is heavy!)  that I can't handle any more dramatic reading for the day.  I picked up "Holiday Outing", just to cheer me up and it totally did.  The story is light, adorable, sexy and has its funny moments.   It  follows the cliche of jock/nerd's love/hate relationship from adolescence, pass-forward to adulthood, plus a who-dun-it scenario, but don't let that turn you off!  The book is well-written and cute, guarantee to perk you up.  Here's the synopsis from the site where you can buy the ebook

"It's been years since Jonah Levinson has seen his parents. But now he is going to spend Hanukkah with them in order to finally tell them the truth: not only is he gay, but he is a successful author of gay novels and not the struggling (and straight) writer they imagine him to be.

But the holiday starts poorly. A record blizzard delays his flight. The snow storm locks him and his loud, argumentative relatives in the house. The power fails. And, worst of all, Jonah has to share his room with his childhood rival, the perfect Jewish son, the one he spent his entire life unfavorably compared to: Dr. Ethan Rosenberg, son of his mother's mahjong partner, and apparently God's gift to the Chosen People.

If this isn't bad enough, Jonah has to interpret Ethan's strange new fascination with him. Is Ethan flirting? Or is this just another trick to break Jonah's heart?

But when a valuable family heirloom is stolen during the festivities and suspicion falls on Jonah, Ethan agrees to help prove Jonah's innocence. They have eight days to do it. But will they solve the crime before the cooking oil - and everyone's civility - runs out?"

Brief synopsis from BN.com:
"A tangled web of love and betrayal develops when war hero Paul returns from the trenches. He finds himself torn between desire and duty, his lover Adam awaits but so too does Margot, the pregnant fiancee of his dead brother. Set in a time when homosexuality was the love that dare not speak its name, Paul has to decide where his loyalty and his heart lie."
"The Boy I Love" is a novel set in post WW1.  It is heartbreaking to follow the lives the characters, so damaged, whether physically or/and emotionally, by the war and the oppressive society that they live in. However, throughout the story, you can see that the love is there and struggling to survive.  It is very endearing, sad and lovely.  I wholeheartedly recommend this novel, especially to readers who like "While England Sleeps" by David Leavitt.
The sequel "Paper Moon" follows and I hope that it will tie up loose ends and hopefully not so depressing. I go read now...

If you've read the Dave Brandstetter books, you might like to join in the book discussion that's just started at d_brandstetter. Click here to read the first entry featuring "Fadeout".

If you're not familiar with the books, you can read about them at Amazon.com. Reviews for "Fadeout" can be found here.

From www.thrillingdetective.com:

In many ways a conventional P.I. - although he is in fact an insurance claims investigator - DAVE BRANDSTETTER makes for an interesting read partly because he is one of the few convincing (male) gay characters in crime writing. What makes the Brandstetter books very good however, is the way they combine a compelling, well-written 'whodunit' with their evocation of 70's and 80's Southern California, particularly Los Angeles. Listen to this, from Fadeout (1970): "Fog shrouded the canyon, a box canyon above a California town called Pima. It rained. Not hard rain but steady and grey and dismal. Shaggy pines loomed through the mist like threats. Sycamores made white twisted gestures above the arroyo. Down the arroyo water poured, ugly, angry and deep. The road shouldered the arroyo. It was a bad road. The rains had chewed its edges. There were holes. Mud and rock half buried it in places. It was steep and winding and there were no guard rails."

I am extremely excited to announce that LIKE MAGNETS, WE ATTRACT is now available in PRINT at Amazon & CreateSpace. Additionally, LIKE MAGNETS, WE ATTRACT is available in ebook format at eXcessica, All Romance eBooks, Fictionwise, Amazon Kindle & Smashbooks.

The anthology is edited by Jaye Valentine, and includes the following stories:
~ Makau/Makai, by Shea Meier
~ King Kong vs. The Skinny Pirate, by Addison Albright
~ Fairy Tail, by Rob Rosen
~ Lucky, by A. Steele
~ Forever, by William Holden
~ Common Ground, by Cassidy Ryan & Tyler McKenzie
~ The Taming of the Bull, by Taylor Lochland
~ The Hideaway, by David Wesley
~ Against the Current, by Heidi Champa
~ Fire and Water, by V. Greene

200 Pages / Available eBook file types – .PDF, .HTML, .LIT, .KML, .PDB, .MOBI, .RB

BLURB - The Anthology
Lovers who are polar opposites. Perhaps one is an unskilled surfer falling for the surf god of his dreams. Maybe one is a fussbudget attorney who ends up going home with a grease-monkey. A prince trapped in a tower and a fairy with gossamer wings. A knight errant and the dragon he's been sent to slay. Vampires and their human lovers. The computer geek and the jock. These stories and more will bring you hot men who appear to be complete mismatches for their partners.

Like Magnets, We Attract brings you erotic stories that range from the sweet to the scorching hot, from the dramatic to the whimsical, written by both well-known veteran writers of the genre and those contributing with their first professional publications.

( REVIEWS )

Excerpts from all stories in the anthology are available on editor Jaye Valentine's Livejournal, here.

I'm giving everyone a chance to win a copy of my new book, Many Roads Home, in a competition over at my blog.

WARNING! Thinking caps required!

Lots of consolation prizes too, so why not drop over and give it a go?

Buy Many Roads Home from MBaM!

Read An Excerpt Online

More information about Many Roads Home

Knowing that I like reading her stories, Ann kindly sent me a copy of her novel Many Roads Home and asked that I review it. I'm happy to say it was a very enjoyable read. As per her dedication, I'm also very glad Samhain has given her the opportunity to be published "for real" because she certainly deserves an audience.

Many Roads Home
$6.50, 245 pages, currently available as an ebook.

In a very well-developed fantasy setting, Yveni is heir to a ducal throne, fleeing for his life from his would-be regent. A loyalist helping Yveni escape dies, leaving the young man stranded-- but not without brains.

( More )

If you're unfamiliar with Ann Somerville's writing, or undecided about making a purchase, I urge you to check out her website and sample her work. She has great short stories, fantasy-- including an excellent (epic!) series, and several sci-fi offerings from very dark to humorous.