TMI?

I love reading author interviews. This is mainly because I am a nosy cow, who likes finding out about people. In fact, this is partly why I've started doing interviews on this blog. I have a number of authors whose work I enjoy, who never seem to get interviewed so I don't get to satisfy my curiosity about them. What better way of righting this by interviewing them myself?!

However, sometimes I read an interview and I think: Eek! That was something I really didn't want to know. TMI alert!

Usually this is when the author refers to what they and their partner get up in bed to or other aspects of their sex life - past or present. At this point I wonder why the author has told me this. I wouldn't expect any of my friends to tell me about their sex life (although I do have one friend who insists on telling me things I'd rather not know) so why would a complete stranger want to let the whole world know about their sexual practices?!

Sometimes it is relevant to what an author writes. For example, James Buchanan writes books which contains scenes with Japanese rope play and in his interviews he has mentioned that he and his partner engage in this type of bed play. I suppose this is relevant because it is telling the reader that he knows what he is talking about. I don't mind that. I can see why he might say it.

However, sometimes authors drop in stuff during interviews about their partners/spouses and what they get up to behind closed doors that frankly I don't need to know. It's almost as though they feel as writers of erotic fiction they need to show that they have an active sex life or they want to say something outrageous so that people will remember them. Personally I would rather they didn't.

I'm curious as to what other people think about this. In today's society we are used to reading about the sex lives of various celebrities - especially the less discreet minor ones. Does this mean that we also want to read about the sex lives of our favourite authors as well?

Short Review: Devon Cream by Jet Mykles

It seems an absolute age since I last read a new book by Jet Mykles. This is probably because her last book was one of the ‘Dark Elves’ books and I’ve never really fancied those. However, I was pleased yesterday when I realised that her long-awaited contemporary was finally out and headed off to snap it up. It’s only a quick read – I read it in a couple of hours – but it was still thoroughly enjoyable, as all Jet Mykles’ m/m contemporaries have been for me.

Plot: The book is basically a ‘straight to gay’ storyline which is a theme that Jet Mykles has used a lot, especially with the “Heaven Sent” books. However, whereas previously we have had the books written from the point of view of the supposed straight guy, this time the hero is Steven, the gay guy. Steven meets Devon, a young straight man, when he moves into the same apartment block as Steven. Steven takes Devon under his wing and, along with his neighbour, Patty, looks after Devon whilst he is finding his feet. Steven is very attracted to Devon as he pushes all Steven’s ‘gorgeous young guy’ buttons and much fun is had by the reader at Steven’s expense as we watch him trying desperately to keep control of his rampaging hormones whilst around Devon. The scene where Steven has to go into Devon’s apartment to wake him up is particularly delicious.

Characters: I liked Steven a great deal. He is a kind-hearted man, and perhaps at first I thought a little too kind-hearted. He is also very honourable, putting the needs of others before himself and trying to deny his growing attraction to Devon because he didn’t want to jeopardise their friendship. I was less sure about the character of Devon at first. I thought that he took a bit too much advantage of Steven’s generous nature, although this could have been put down to the usual thoughtlessness of young men just away from home for the first time, plus he was a bit of a slacker. However, by the end of the book Devon had redeemed himself and I think had become a more mature adult as a result of Steven’s influence. The only other character was Patty, the fag-hag neighbour. Even though she was described as white with blonde hair, my brain insisted in seeing her as a black woman. I have no idea why, except that she spoke with a cadence which reminded me of Whoopee Goldberg so maybe that put the picture in my head.

Overall: I spent a very pleasant couple of hours with these characters. I liked the fact that we saw the ‘straight to gay’ storyline from the gay man’s viewpoint; I liked that there was character growth on the part of both heroes, with Devon learning to stand on his own two feet and Steven learning to trust that Devon wasn’t going to run out on him; I liked the sex scenes which were emotionally fulfilling as well as hot. However, when I got to the end I was vaguely dissatisfied. I wished that the story had been longer; that there had been some scenes where Devon and Steven really talked, especially about past hurts on both sides. There was a lot of information thrown in almost as an aside, such as the problems Devon had with his family and the disappointments Steven had suffered with men in the past and the book would have been more substantial (in page and emotional terms) had those themes been given more of an airing. With that in mind, I’m giving this book a grade of ‘Very Good’. Jet Mykles next book is a ménage between Gretchen from the “Heaven Sent” books and two men. I’ve always shied away from ménage, but maybe (maybe), I’ll give that one a go.

Sob Story

Last week I read a m/m book where the hero cried all the time. He cried when he was happy, sad, angry, frustrated, caught up in the moment and even during sex. By the end of the book I was thinking 'Oh for goodness sake, pull yourself together'.

Conversely, two weeks ago I read a m/m book where the hero went through a tremendous amount of crappy stuff and didn't cry at all. He often felt like crying and even had to deliberately stop himself from crying on a few occasions, even though he was alone and felt burdened down with his problems. This time I was thinking 'Oh for goodness sake, let it out, have a good cry, you'll feel better for it'.

There has to be a middle ground, surely. This got me thinking about men and whether it is appropriate to have them cry in books.

I come from a part of the world where men don't cry. And, actually, even for England, Yorkshire is bad for this. Yorkshiremen take stoicism to a whole new level. According to the 'unseen men rules of Yorkshire', crying, especially in public, is a form of emasculation which should be avoided under all circumstances. So, having been brought up in this environment, I have quite a low tolerance level when men cry in books. There has to be a damn good reason for them doing so or my sympathy meter runs empty.

Having said that, I do think that having a male character cry can give an incredible emotional punch to a scene. For example, having the wise-cracking, emotionally distant Adrien cry on the last page of "Death of a Pirate King" added an extra intensity to the scene. Also in "Voyager" by Diana Gabaldon when Jamie sees the pictures of Brianna and breaks down in tears, the fact that he is crying at that moment, when we know that he has already been through so much and yet remained dry-eyed until that point, gives additional impact.

On the whole, I think I am in favour of having male characters cry. However, it does have to be at an appropriate occasion - as a last resort, as it were - or the men end up looking like a bunch of cry babies, or, God-forbid, a woman!

So what about you? Do you mind if a hero cries? If he cries a lot? Or are you more like me, with a low tolerance threshold?

Review: The Elf and the Shoemaker by ML Rhodes

I was all set to buy this book and then I won it at Wave's blog and, as I may have mentioned, I love free books. However, even though this was free, and even though I was sent this directly by the author who was really lovely (I get so excited when authors email me. Honestly, it's such a big thrill. The day I get blasé about this, is the day someone has to shoot me because I'm about to disappear up my own arse), I'm still going to be brutally honest in my opinion of this book. No holding back, no sparing the feelings of the nice Ms Rhodes, no quarter taken.

So, it's a good job that I liked the book then, isn't it?!

The plot revolves around our hero, Logan, who owns the sort of shop I used to frequent when I was a student indi chick and wore lots of black and purple clothing, long swishy skirts, Doc Martens and dangly ethnic ear-rings (stop sniggering at the back). The shop is called 'Shoemaker's Magick Shoppe' and sells all sorts of stuff from aromatherapy oils to books on witchcraft, from statues of dragons (OK, I admit, I had one of them) to tarot cards. Logan's shop is not doing well. His sales have dwindled to almost nothing so he's about to have his electricity shut off and is living on Raman Noodles (whatever they are. I think they might be the US equivalent of 'supa-noodles' in which case it's a wonder that he hasn't died of a serious vitamin deficiency by now). Logan is in the depths of despair and attempts to drown his sorrows in a bottle of red wine (I like this guy, he thinks like I do). Whilst in a drunken state he calls out for help to whatever unknown god may be listening to him, and promptly passes out.

The gods aren't listening, but our other hero, Hallan, is. He's a elf who has been watching Logan through a special 'elf glass' sent secretly to him by his Mother. Hallan is the master potion maker for the king of the elves, a paranoid and increasingly mad elf who thinks everyone is trying to plot to kill him. Hallan is suspected as being one of those plotting against the king, so he is held under guard at the king's palace, unable to leave his room without an armed escort. Hallan watches Logan as a way of escaping his increasingly stressful life and has fallen in love with him. When Logan calls out for help, it activates the elf glass and Hallan can enter into Logan's world.

The book then follows Logan and Hallan's relationship as they meet three times. Hallan can't stay in Logan's world for a long time in case someone notices that he is missing in his own world. The other complication is that Logan is not allowed to see Hallan, or Hallan will be sucked back through the elf glass (or mirror in Logan's world) and they will never be able to meet again. This led to lots of lovely touchy-feely sex for Logan. The forced short time periods made each of their meetings emotionally powerful and provided a wonderful, concentrated intensity to the relationship between the two heroes.

One of the main themes of the book, that of 'love at first sight', isn't particularly one of my favourites. I've blogged before about how I often find it unrealistic. However, in this book, it worked well. Hallan is already in love with Logan, having watched him for so long and the care and tenderness that he shows to Logan in their first encounter overwhelms Logan's emotions. The author had already set the scene for this in describing how lonely Logan is, how much he longs to find that special person. So Logan's response to Hallan seems to fit well with his character - he realises how much Hallan loves him and responds in kind. The story itself takes place over about a month, during which time Logan has plenty of opportunities to dwell on his feelings for Hallan. By the time we reached the end, I was convinced by the HEA, which doesn't always happen for me with a 'love at first sight' theme.

If I have one criticism of the book it is that the fantasy fan in me would have liked to see a bit more of Hallan's world. A lot of what happens with Hallan happens off page. I can understand why the author wrote it that way: the book may have lost some of the emotional intensity between the heroes if we had spent more time in Hallan's world. However, especially towards the end, I would have liked to have seen the exciting finale in the elf world, rather than have Hallan describe it to Logan afterwards.

This was a very enjoyable, romantic book. The development of the relationship between the two heroes was gentle and passionate; the fantasy setting was unusual and interesting. The pacing was quick, perhaps too quick in a way: I wanted to spend longer in this story. All in all, I'm giving the book a grade of 'excellent' and I strongly recommend this for anyone who likes a lot of romance with their hot men.

Author Interview: Jaime Samms

Finally, here is one of the long-promised author interviews I mentioned a few weeks ago. It's not the only one in the pipeline, there'll be another one each week for the next two weeks and after after that, who knows?! I'm perhaps hoping to do one a month (if I can twist a few author arms between now and April!).

Today, I'm very happy to introduce the talented m/m author, Jaime Samms. Who, by a stroke of extraordinary coincidence (not really), has a new novella out today at Freya's Bower called "Moving Day". You can get to it, and all her other books by clicking on the book covers.

As you will see in a moment, Jaime has been very open and honest in response to my very nosy questions for which I am very grateful. I'm sure she will be very willing to join in with any comments or questions you may have for her.

On Writing

How did you get into writing m/m novels?
By accident? I'm not sure how it happened, really. I found myself pairing up my men very early on. Where the fantasy books I was used to reading had some strong male friendships, I found when I started writing, the friendships grew. The first m/m couple I ever wrote was a prince and a spy in a novel I started when I was much younger than I am now...
I was writing gay couples into my stories before I ever realized I wasn't the only one doing it. Imagine my surprise (and delight) when I found the internet and the thriving m/m community. I think moving from those early stories into romance was more a conscious decision on my part than writing same sex couples.

Which do you prefer to write: short or long fiction? Why?
I'd have to say short, or, rather, medium. Under 10,000 words, that short is very hard to write and get the entire story in there, make it more than just a nice scene. I enjoy that challenge and have a few stories that worked out nicely, and a few that have been re-written and re-written in an attempt to get it right. Novels are hard because they require staying power I haven't developed yet.

How much time do you spend writing each day (or each week, if you prefer)?
Oh, gosh. Not nearly enough. My kids will maintain I'm on the computer 24/7. I think my husband might say it's more than that. But, while most of that time is spent on writing-related activities, not enough of it is spent writing. If I had to give you a number? I'd say it averages out to about two hours a day actually producing words or editing them. Promotion takes up at least that much time as well, and there is a crit group and two review sites I help run...

How difficult do you find it to juggle writing with work and looking after children?
Let's just say I have very independent children! LOL! I'm lucky in that I only work a day (or rather, evening) job six months of the year. It's low on my list of priorities, and luckily, takes the least amount of my precious energy. Because I home school, my kids are a huge time and emotional investment, but they are also my greatest pride. I'm blessed that they are bright, happy kids who are interested in how this whole writing thing works. My daughter has come up with a story of her own that we are currently collaborating on, and she's come up with the most brilliant ideas, for an eight-year-old, that I only hope my writing skill are equal to the task of conveying them.

As for how difficult it is? Very. Would I change it? I'd cut out the day job if I could, but someone has to pay the bills, right? I'd never give up having my kids with me, learning alongside me, nor would I ever stop writing, even if no one ever publishes another word I write.

Most of your books or stories are straight m/m romance (a bit of a paradox there!). Have you considered writing in other genres? If so, which and why?
I have, and actually, I am working on a few different projects, some paranormal, some fantasy, and the book I mentioned with my daughter, which is YA, and if it comes to fruition, will be (hopefully!!) published under some other pen name, to reflect the collaborative effort.
I grew up on fantasy, and it is still my favourite thing to read. Throw a couple guys getting it on in there, and I'm pretty happy. These types of stories are getting easier to find, but when I started writing (sometime in the last age) they were few and far between. I had to write my own. Much of that early material is for my eyes only, a reminder of how far I've come, how much I've learned, but I intend on going back to those roots in the very near future.

How easy did you find it to get published?
Once again, I lucked out. Twice. My very first submission ever was accepted by Iris Print (now sadly defunct) in 2005. There were many submissions and rejections and a few acceptances after that until I found my home at Freya's Bower, which was my second stroke of luck. I submitted a story to an anthology, I admit, a little bit because the editor seemed to think there was no such animal as a sweet M/M romance, and I had to just prove I could do it. Also, I have this deliberate obstinate streak that backs my belief that gay romance and straight romance should be allowed to coexist in the same volume of work, so knowing full well that 90% of the submissions were going to be straight romance was just an added challenge for me to get my story in there. The story didn't make it into the anthology, (which did turn out to be all straight romance, and is a very good collection of stories) but the editor in question did accept it as a standalone to help launch the Bower's Inherently Sexual Series of M/M short romances.

Don't get me wrong. I still receive my fair share of 'no's, but I am grateful to have had the breaks that I did, and that isn't going to stop me trying again and again. It's kind of like an addiction, this gig.

On Your Books

Many of your books and stories feature a character who is, on the surface, straight, or at least denying that they are gay. Why do you like exploring this theme?
Oooh. Now we get personal. *grin* This is something I happen to understand on a very intimate and personal level. I dated girls all through high school, college and university. Then I met this guy... It's an ironic, real-life twist on the theme, I guess. Straight-for-you? I believe nothing on the surface is exactly what it appears to be, and I think people are very adept at talking themselves into believing all sorts of things about themselves. That journey through the deception to the truth of who we really are can be a tough one, and worth exploring, I think.

Society makes it easy, sometimes, to take the route of least resistance through denial and wilful blindness. Having the strength to look beyond that easy path, to walk down it, that's where the stories are, and it doesn't have to be about sexual orientation. It can be about motherhood, talent, political stances, any number of things that we talk ourselves into believing we are or are not. I just happen to write stories where sexuality matters, and it would be unrealistic to ignore how society views these things, and how that view influences individual perceptions and actions.
And yes, it does come back to my own experiences, my own denial, and my own ways of dealing with who I am and getting beyond the easy to where I'm not afraid or ashamed to admit it. After all, aren't we always advised to write what we know?

What would you say to those people who sneer at the “Gay for You” storyline and call it unrealistic?
Ummm...did I already answer that? I think there are ways and ways to deal with that theme. Assuming a character was 100% straight until the right guy came along is, I think, a little far-fetched. Assuming he just didn't want to examine those feelings, or that he refused to acknowledge them is not, so much. I'm sure I could point to people in my life who would never have guessed I'm not a straight, white-bread wife and mother. Just because I don't shout it from the rooftops, doesn't mean the feelings aren't there. What you see on the surface might not be what's there, and it's that inner life that I try to explore.

I look at my 'gay-for-you' characters, if you want to call them that, more as 'willing-to-admit-it-for-you', or 'willing-to-take-the-chance-for-you'. So I would say, imagine human sexuality on a spectrum, not as either/or, and the theme starts making more sense.

Your books and stories are full of angst-ridden men. What attracts you to this type of hero?
In my life, I'm surrounded by stoic men. Maybe it's my knee jerk reaction to that. I do think there's a lot going on inside those lovely, thick skulls. I guess this is just my translation. I do like broken men, it's true, but I like putting them back together, too, always realizing that once broken, nothing's going back the way it was. The cracks will always show, and those flaws are what make the characters interesting.

In your novel “Poor Boy”, you have set your story in the seedy underbelly of Chicago. Why did you choose that particular setting?
I'm curious as to what makes you think it's Chicago? The only city-identifying mark in the book is the cafe where Roy and Pete meet for lunch, and it's actually a little place on College Ave in Toronto, Ontario. Or it was a few years ago. I don't know if it's still there. I didn't purposely pick any city at all, actually.

Jenre: Eek! That's dreadful that I didn't pick that up! I have no idea why I'd got it into my head that the book was set in Chicago. *dies of mortification*
Let's try phrasing that again...

Your book "Poor Boy" looks at the contrast between the rich and poor areas of a city and the people who live in them. Why did you use this as a theme for a book?
To answer this, I have to talk a little bit about my writing process. I'm a pantser, you see. I don't sit down and think to myself: "What should I write about today?" or "What should this story be about?" I get a setting, or a line of dialog, or some other bit of inspiration, and I write it down. A character evolves, and the story slowly takes shape, organically, from there. I never really know where it's going or what it's about until I'm well in and I've gotten to know the people a little bit.

In Poor Boy, the story actually started with a conversation between Roy and his father that in the end, didn't even make the final cut. It illustrated, though, that as much physical comfort as these two men lived in, they had next to nothing in terms of an interpersonal relationship, and were very heart-poor. Mentally, Roy was stuck somewhere between confused and lonely teenager and angry young man. Emotionally, he had no tools to deal with the tragedies in his life, and it seemed only natural that the only way he would find what he needed was to take away what he did have and see if he would sink or swim. Pairing him with Scooby, who has nothing but enough reason to hate the world and live a morally bankrupt life just seemed like the natural thing to do. They both have the means to destroy or to save each other, and what they do, how they deal with that power, that's what the story is about. Whether I succeeded in showing how they grew and changed is something readers will have to decide.

Do you have a favourite character from any of your books or stories? Tell us a bit about him.
Heh. I like the way you automatically assume it would be a he. My very favourite is a man named Nerrim. He's in a series of scenes I wrote for a live journal community a few years ago, my one free (though horrifically disjointed) fantasy story still available on line. He's a dragon avatar who loves to hate his ex, and ends up dying for him anyway, thereby proving he never really stopped loving him. It's all very tragic. But he's fiery and stubborn, and never loses sight of what he wants, or shies away from going after it.

I loved the free fiction that you offer on your website. Why do you offer up so much of your work for free?
Because people like to read it and I'm an attention whore? LOL I write. Some people will pay for it, some can't. I'm not an author unless I have readers, and what better way to show how much I appreciate the support than to give some of it away? I'm not going to deny the royalty check is nice, but I'm not in this to make a living. I'm in it because I love to do it.

You have a new book coming out today...tell us about it.
Well, first off, for those who thought Poor Boy was a bit on the heavy and gritty side, Moving Day is less so. The angst is still there. What can I say? It's what I'm good at. There are no nasty pimps, no drugs, just two men struggling to make a life.

Jay and Mickey, the main characters, have known one another since they were kids. Mike's been ambivalent about finding himself a partner because deep down, he already knows who he wants. Jay has always known what he wanted, too. Shame they took so long to actually talk to each other about it. Now, it might be too late. They might have missed the boat, and Jay just isn't sure he can take another heartache.

What’s next for you?
I have a few projects in the works. Two other Freya's Bower authors and I are currently putting together an anthology of gay love stories featuring immortals. Not sure when that will come out, but soon, I hope.

I'm also working on a ghost story I intend to send to ManLove Romance, and another novella for Freya's Bower. There are other stories, too, further from completion, and ideas floating around in my brain.

Finally, I intend to focus on the dragon avatar story I mentioned before, called After a Thousand Years. I want to make it into a cohesive novel and post it to my website. I'm hoping to get it up by the end of the summer, and now I've said it publically, so I guess I have to follow through! This story has been available, in a series of rather messily put together scraps and scenes for a few years on a live journal account, and I think it's time to give those boys a proper beginning, and a happy ending, if I can manage it.

That's great! Thank you, Jaime, for your detailed answers to my questions. You can find Jaime and all her lovely free fiction at her website here and her books at Freya's Bower here.

Bloody Budget Airline...

...cancelled my flight yesterday and couldn't reschedule for 24 hours so I've been kicking my heels in Aberdeen today. Not that Aberdeen isn't a lovely city, but eldest daughter has missed school, I've missed work, and hub has had to take time off work to take the other three kids to school and collect them.

Had a great weekend catching up with my friend - thanks for all the well wishing! I'm knackered now, so no post today (apart from this rant/moan).

However, tomorrow's post will be excellent. I promise. So come back then and find me in a better mood!

Now We Know

Just a short post today. I'm flying up to Bonnie Scotland later today with eldest daughter to see my friend and her Godmother in Aberdeen, so I need to get packing as well as try and get some other jobs done.

All this means is that I'm not going to be able to post tomorrow and I'm going to be absent from blog land until late on Sunday. I know, how will you all cope without me?!

So, to leave you all in a good mood, I'm posting one of my favourite sketches from "Mitchell and Webb", two of my favourite comedians. It doesn't have anything to do about books, but be warned, it may alter how you view sex in books and films! It's also not suitable for work or anyone under the age of 15.

Now we know!




See you on Monday!

Not a Review: The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn and Hal Iggulden

Or alternatively: Jenre stiffens her British upper lip and stops feeling sorry for herself.

See, I'm like Shakespeare today. I have two titles to my blog post. Not that I could in any way compare myself the the master of literature. That would be like the Beatles saying they are bigger than Jesus. OK, I'm rambling now and completely off the point. Let's just get on with it shall we?

I was trying to think of something fun to do today when I remembered this book which Hub's brother had got for eldest son at Christmas. It's a bit like an encyclopedia containing all the information that a boy needs to survive from about the age of 8 to 16. Actually, all the things a boy needed to survive 30+ years ago! It's got a delightful sense of nostalgia to it, and yet the authors are adamant that this book is useful today. Take this bit from the introduction...


Boyhood is about curiosity and men and boys can enjoy stories of Scott of the Antarctic and John Simpson in Touching the void as much as they can raid a shed for the bits to make an electromagnet, or grow a crystal, build a go-cart and learn how to find north in the dark. You'll find famous battles in these pages, insects and dinosaurs - as well as essential Shakespeare quotes, how to cut flint heads for a bow and arrows and instructions on making the best paper aeroplane in the world.

Sounds great doesn't it? The authors have a way of explaining quite complicated subjects - like the rules of cricket! - in a simple way which doesn't patronise. They also have a gentle humour when offering advice which is quite charming and also helps when trying to be reassuring. Take this bit from the section "First Aid".

Accidents are going to happen. You can't spend your life worrying about them or you'll never get anything done ... One rule of thumb is that if someone is screaming they are clearly alive, conscious and certainly in less danger than someone silent and still.

However, hands down my favourite bit was the section on girls. This is how it begins:

You may already have noticed that girls are quite different from you. By this we do not mean the physical differences, more the fact that they remain unimpressed by your mastery of a game involving wizards, or your understanding of morse code. Some will be impressed, of course, but as a general rule girls do not get excited by the use of urine as a secret ink as boys do.

The authors then go on to give 8 pieces of advice for boys about girls. I'm not going to list them all, but here are my favourites:

Be careful with humour. It is very common for boys to try to impress girls with a string of jokes, each one more desperate than the last. One joke, perhaps, and then a long silence while she talks about herself...

Avoid being vulgar. Excitable bouts of wind-breaking will not endear you to a girl, just to pick one example.

Play a sport of some kind. It doesn't matter what it is, as long as it replaces the corpse-like pallor of the computer programmer with a ruddy glow.

It's all so well done.

I heartily recommend this book for anyone who has a young son or a tom-boy daughter (I would've loved this when I was young) or even a husband who likes to sigh wistfully at his lost boyhood. One note of caution: It is very British, with much of the history and science sections focused on British achievement. The rest of the book can be read from a international viewpoint. After all, a tree-house is the same whether you live in Leeds or Los Angeles or Perth.

Why Bother Reviewing?

I've been thinking about this question quite a lot recently. Wondering whether I should do more reviews, wondering whether it's worth it, wondering whether it makes a difference in the long run.

Then I read a post by the ever-sensible Josh Lanyon, over at the Loose Ends blog where he offers his advice to authors on how to cope with reading a bad review. It's a good post and has some excellent advice. I have to say, though, after reading the post, all my self-doubts and insecurities about reviewing came flooding back.

One of the things Josh says is that reviews don't matter; that authors shouldn't take them seriously; that ignoring a bad review is the best way of dealing with it. I know why he wrote this. It's to avoid those author train-wrecks we see so often on the internet, where an author barges in, guns blazing, to defend his or her book from the evil reviewer and thus ends up looking a complete fool. The thing is, a little bit of me was rather hurt to read that. That authors should ignore reviews, especially mine, when I've taken such a long time to think carefully about a book and put down in (often agonised over) words how a book has made me feel. I start to think, well, why do I bother?

The hardest reviews for me to write are those which gain a grade of good or very good. Excellent reviews are easy, as long as I don't run out of a varied number of superlatives. To write a review where there have been parts or characters I haven't liked; or other problems which have spoiled my enjoyment of a book is very tricky. I am very much aware that the author may read my review, and I want to be able to express exactly why I didn't like those areas as well as say which bits I did enjoy. I like to be balanced. I don't want to intentionally hurt the author's feelings (which is why I hate those reviews which tear apart a book for the enjoyment of the masses and I would never write one of those reviews) but nor do I want to pretend that everything was lovely when it wasn't - in my view, anyway.

This is why, for many weeks, I only wrote reviews on books that I thought were excellent. I know how much time and effort authors put into their books and I didn't want to be the bearer of bad news. After I while I began to see how stupid this was. If I only ever wrote reviews on excellent books, then people would stop taking my reviews seriously and if that was the case, then why bother to review at all? So, I've now started to put in a few more good and very good reviews - I don't often read poor books which is why I haven't reviewed any as yet.

What I would like to let every author who visits this blog know is that I do think carefully about what I write. I try to avoid knee-jerk reactions to books. I try to focus on the good as well as the bad (like that makes any difference because authors always only ever see the bad stuff you write!). Most importantly, though, I feel pretty awful saying bad things about your books. I hate it. If I could avoid the criticisms, I would, but I try to be honest wherever possible, so the bad stuff has to be said as well. If I ever got to the stage where I stopped feeling awful every time I wrote a bad review on a book, I will have to stop reviewing altogether. Empathy is important.

One last thing: Josh raised the issue of author feedback on blogs. I love it when an author thanks me for doing a review (it's my own bit of affirmation). I also want to know if I've made a factual mistake. I have done this on occasion, like the time I got the date wrong or the wrong city for the setting. I will be mortified by my error, but at least I can change it on the review and not look like such an idiot! Thank you to all those authors who have taken the time to respond to a review I have written and then even flagged the review up on their website or blog. It's a big deal to me and makes all the time I put into reviewing worth it.

Review: Reflections of Love a Dreamspinner Press Anthology

I don't think I can tell you enough of how much I love the anthologies put out by Dreamspinner Press. They are always remarkably good value and contain a wide selection of m/m stories from a number of talented authors. This particular anthology was all on the theme of Valentine's Day, so you would expect that there would be a huge amount of slushy love declarations and shmaltzy storylines. Well, actually, you would be wrong. Some of the stories are a bit mushy on occasion, but this is m/m we're talking about here and, as all women know, men are notoriously bad at expressing their feelings!

I've read a number of the anthologies put out by DSP and recognised a few of the authors writing here. Some of the stories are follow ons from previous stories in other anthologies or use characters featured in books by the authors. However, with the exception of maybe one of these stories, it isn't necessary to have read the previous work. With that in mind, let me take you through each story. There were quite a few so this may turn out to be a bit of a long review. Those of you with short attention spans may wish to skim through this bit to get to the end!

Don't Shoot the Messenger by Sean Kennedy

I don't think I've been shy at telling you how much I like Sean Kennedy's writing. He has such a sly sense of humour and his men are always 'proper blokes'. This can be seen in this cute, funny story about Dave, who works for a singing telegram company, being sent to sing an 'I'm breaking up with you' song from a client to poor other hero, Mitch, whilst dressed as a large yellow teddy bear. The description of the 'jazz hands' alone made me snort with laughter. The way that Dave then tries to console Mitch was delightful and I was very satisfied with the sweet last image in the story.

The Second Time is the Charm by Maria Albert

This was the only story in the anthology where you do need to have read her previous stories. Every single previous couple appears in here as well as a couple of new ones. So we once again get to meet Kevin & Tim, Dillon & Gabriel, Rick & Jeremy and even Dana & Cat get a mention. Plus we are introduced to Seamus & Jamal and our main heroes (sort of) Sean & Jeff. Does it seem a bit crowded to you? It certainly did to me! The story was a mix between a follow on from Rick & Jeremy's story from "Make me a Match Vol2" and the new relationship between Sean & Jeff. In some ways I would have like to have seen less of the previous couple and more of Sean's romance which ended up being rather tacked onto the end.

Better Late than Never by Ashlyn Kane

This story is a prequel to the novel "True North" written by Kane and Bethany Brown. It is set about 10 years before that book and tells the story of a very young, insecure Julian (the hero from "True North") meeting his very first boyfriend, Patrick. The main enjoyment I got out of this story was seeing the difference between the painfully shy Julian as opposed to the witty man we see in "True North". If you haven't read "True North" this will probably come across as a lovely first romance between a confident gay man and one who is just starting to come to terms with his own sexuality.

Indulge on Valentine's Day by S Blaise

This was one of my favourite stories in the anthology and not just because it is set in Britain. It is about welsh hunk, Glyn, who works part time in a shop that sells chocolate, and his crush on the manager, Max. There are a lot of misunderstandings in the story, but that didn't bother me because the format was short enough to resolve most issues quickly. I really liked Glyn who was quite insecure and a bit shy but tried very hard to keep up a show of bravado even when he was feeling bad. A bit like many British men! The other plus point, of course, was the description of chocolate and how it made Glyn feel (he loves chocolate). It really made me want to rush out and break my diet!

Dr Hot Reindeer Antlers Kisses it Better by Bethany Brown

This story was a follow on from a story in the "Christmas Dreams" anthology. Seth and Noah (the hot doctor from the title) met at Christmas when Seth had to visit ER after falling off a roof. Now it's six weeks later and Seth is shopping for food for a romantic meal for Noah and his son when he bumps into an ex-lover who claims to have seen Noah going into a hotel with another man. This brings out all Seth's insecurities and basically turns hims into a completely different man to the one we met in the previous story. This probably wouldn't bother those who haven't read the other story, but it bothered me. I liked Seth in the first story. He was a laid back man with a self-depreciating sense of humour who, although sad at the break-up of a previous relationship, was philosophical about it. In this story he becomes a paranoid, insecure, overly-emotional man and I wondered what had happened to the other Seth. It implied that falling in love makes your emotions more extreme.

Milestones by Chrissy Munder

Chrissy Munder always writes a great story and I wasn't disappointed here. This is the story of a relationship slowly dying from lack of attention. Jeff spends most of his time building up his business and as a result has let his relationship with Devon take second place. Devon feels pushed out and unloved, so he is gradually withdrawing from Jeff, spending more and more time working away from home. It takes the intervention of a mutual friend to make Jeff realise what an idiot he is being. What made this story work for me is how realistic it was in showing how easy it is to allow life to get in the way of love and also how all relationships have to be worked on if they are going to thrive.

Under Protest by GS Wiley

This story is set in the heady days of 1973, where general waster and wannabe writer, Bobby, is caught up in the whirlwind of events surrounding the protest rallies against the Vietnam wars. During one rally Bobby meets with Jim, his first boyfriend, and we have flashbacks to their time together. The flashbacks told a lovely coming of age story which contrasted nicely with the present time which showed the ugliness of living in a squat and having your illusions shattered. It was all very well done.

A Year Long Valentine by Jaxx Steele

The message in this story is that the best things are worth waiting for. Stephen is a jazz singer at a club. The mysterious owner of the club takes an interest (both professional and sexual) in Stephen and sends him on a tour of the other clubs he owns without ever meeting him. Whilst away, at each of the locations, Stephen meets a sexy, disguised man, not knowing that this is the same man and the owner of the club. I liked the idea of the story, Julio (the club owner) wants to allow Stephen time to build up his reputation as a singer and doesn't want Stephen to see him as a step up to fame. This is why he doesn't reveal his true identity until a year later once the tour is over. What spoiled it for me is when Julio finally reveals his identity, Stephen instantly falls in love with him even though he has only met him three times. The story would have worked much better with a HFN rather than a HEA.

Meant to Be by Zahra Owens

This is a lovely tale of long distance love. Kai and Toby meet each other in an airport whilst waiting for a delayed flight. There is an instant attraction between them and they start a relationship. We then fast forward 5 years where Kai is feeling the strain of loving someone who works away for most of the year. I liked these two men. They were sensible and worked out their problem with great maturity. There was no histrionics, no ultimatums, just two men who loved each other trying to solve their issues. Brilliant.

The Wild Side by Janey Chapel

This was my joint favourite story along with "Indulge on Valentine's Day". In this story we meet Ryan who is, to put it bluntly, a bit of a man-slut. He sleeps around, never with the same man twice. Despite this, Ryan is actually quite a likeable character. He has a joy of life and his sexuality which is quite charming and makes you forgive his whoreish ways. Whilst helping out a friend by waiting tables at a seaside resort club, he meets Nick who is recovering from a painful and embarrassing divorce and has sworn off one night stands. The great bit about this story is how the two men complement each other. Ryan's love of life and sex overcomes Nick's cynicism and hurt and Nick's cautiousness makes Ryan see that some things are worth the wait. I was rooting for these guys all the way and was pleased that the romantic ending fit the mood of the story exactly. I've not read anything by this author before but she has definitely gone on my 'one to watch out for' list.

Coming Home by Nicki Bennett and Ariel Tachna

This story is a follow on from one of my favourite stories in the "Christmas Dreams" anthology, although you don't have to have read that one to understand this story. Tate and Mason met each other when trucker Tate rescued Mason in a snow storm. It is now six weeks later and both men are feeling the strain of Tate's long weeks away on his rig. Like the story by Zahra Owens this tale of coping with long distance love works well because the men are willing to talk sensibly to each other without reproach or recriminations. I really enjoyed meeting these characters again and watching them come to a decision about their future together.

On the whole, this anthology was a delightful mix of romantic stories, showing how ordinary gay men cope with love and relationships. I would recommend this anthology to anyone who likes great love stories (and some sex) as it certainly warmed my heart to read them. I'm giving the anthology as a whole a grade of 'Very Good', with some in the anthology being excellent and some not quite as good as that.

A Minor Complaint

I think I've mention just a few (hundred) times how much I like free fiction. So I was very happy when Samhain put out 15 free short stories as part of their newsletter - one a day, with the last one coming out yesterday, each story being about 12-14 pdf pages long. It's been nice to read authors whose books I wouldn't have necessarily bought and perhaps to add some of them to my 'authors to look out for' list.

However, I wasn't entirely satisfied with the selection of stories that were offered. 'What!', I hear you exclaiming, 'you're complaining about free fiction?'. Um, well, you know we British aren't entirely happy unless we have something to moan on about and this is only a little moan.

Out of the fifteen stories provided only one was a m/m. That's my biggest gripe. The m/m story that was provided was a follow on from a book I haven't read before, "Handyman" by Clare Thompson (which seems to be quite a favourite of m/m readers). I don't mind this, but the story did read as a huge plug for that book, rather than a nice story of its own. This wouldn't have bothered me too much if there had been one or two other original m/m stories offered amongst the other 14 offered by Samhain. Sadly, once again m/m books and stories are edged out in favour of het contemporary romance and other 'hot' or erotic genres.

On that note, out of the other 14 books, 6 were het contemporary erotic romance, one erotic futuristic (all of which containing the 'p' word, grrrr), four 'sweet' contemporaries, 2 paranormals (one sweet, one hot), a fantasy and a historical (both hot).

Unsurprisingly, for me, out of the het romance I liked the historical "Cupid, Be Mine" by Anya Delvay best. It was a lovely romantic tale of mistaken intentions, which worked brilliantly in this short format because there wasn't enough time to for it to become an annoying 'big misunderstanding'.

The other stories I liked were the 'sweet' contemporaries. Sometimes it's nice to read stories about the beginnings of relationships (which a lot of these were) without the protagonists jumping into bed with each other within five minutes of meeting. My favourites from that selection were "Charmed" by Meg Allison, which was a lovely 'friends to lovers' story, and "Queen of Hearts" by Renee Wildes, which was a delightful tale of a schoolteacher getting stranded in the snow and rescued by a farmer (ie. a city v country story).

I suppose the idea of putting out this free fiction is to get people interested in new authors. Of course that can backfire - I was put off some of the authors by reading the stories, rather than attracted to their books; but this was due to the genre of the book rather than the writing, all the stories were very well written and engaging. However, I'm certainly going to be looking out for the three authors I've mentioned above, so for them, at least, giving up some of their time and talent has gained them at least one new reader.

Valentine's Day

I dislike Valentine's Day. Not because I begrudge people being happy but rather that the whole day is covered with saccherine sweetness. I stood looking at V Day cards yesterday and a woman standing next to me exclaimed, "They're all awful!". I had to agree, the trite sentimentality, the overly sweet greetings in some of the cards was like eating a bucket of candyfloss whilst being doused in golden syrup.

I like my romance with a healthy dollop of savoury spice. So to celebrate the day when everyone tries to be nice to the one they love, here is one of my favourite tongue-in-cheek love songs by the Australian comic Tim Minchin.

Enjoy!

Down There

I rarely read het contemporary erotic romance. It's not that I don't like the sex or that I'm too prudish to like erotica, quite the opposite in fact. I wouldn't read m/m if that were the case. It's all to do with the terminology. In fact, I have a confession to make:

I hate the term 'pussy'. Now this isn't just a vague dislike; it's a real physical hatred. Sometimes, especially when I read phrases like "her pussy was wet" or "dripping pussy", I feel slightly nauseous and have to stop reading. I even feeling a bit ill writing about this now.

The thing is, I can't understand why. It's just a word, right? Authors have to have some word to describe 'down there' on a lady, so why not use this one? It has obviously become the word to use in erotic fiction, just like 'cock' seems to be the male counterpart. I don't have any objection for the other words used to describe lady bits, just this one. I would even go so far as to say I would prefer the dreaded 'C' word over pussy.

On a side note about the C word: Has anyone been to see "The Vagina Monologues"? This is a great show where three women take it in turn to discuss what it is like being a woman today. It's also very rude in parts (which I have to confess were my favourite bits). One section of the show is all about the C word and how women should unite in reclaiming this word as our own and thus taking away its power to hurt. The way they set about this is to get the whole audience to shout out the word at the top of their voices. So there we were, a theatre full of women (and about 5 men - honest) shouting "c**t" at the top of our voices. After we had done it, I overheard a young women who was sitting behind me say, "Did you say it, Mum?" in a horrified voice. To which the older lady sitting next to her replied, "I certainly did!". Heh, heh!

Anyway, back to the main point. I've been trying to think of alternate words to use instead of the 'p' word and I've come up short on this. Erotic romance is explicit and therefore needs to have a word to use - vague euphemisms like 'low in her belly' or 'down there' won't cut it in erotica. So what can they use? Vagina is too clinical; I don't really like cunny either; lady bits is too silly and any other option and we're into the realms of some of the ridiculous terms usually found in historical fiction.

So it looks like I'm going to have to keep avoiding contemporary erotic romance for a while, at least until they discover a new way of describing 'down there'. Perhaps you have some suggestions? Or maybe you don't mind the 'p' word. Bring it on and tell me what you think!

Short Review: Poor Boy by Jaime Samms

Haven't done one of these for a while.

Plot: Rich boy, Roy, is cut off by bastard dad for getting his face in the papers too often and sullying the family name. He heads off with his druggie lover only to be ditched when said lover finds out all the money has dried up. Abandoned in a rough part of the city with no money, credit cut off and only the clothes he stands in, Roy is befriended by Scooby, a streetwise young man who offers him shelter. However, Scooby and his brother, Clark, are victims of a crime hushed up by Roy's dad and their motives in befriending him might not be completely altruistic.

Characters: This has to be the first book I've ever read where I had no sympathy for any of the characters. It wasn't that I disliked them, as such, just that I didn't understand why they were acting the way they were and that placed a large distance between them and my emotions. Roy spends most of the book making stupid decisions, mostly fueled by misplaced guilt and I couldn't understand why he didn't just walk to a better side of town and get out of all the misery he was in. Scooby is selfish and manipulative. At one point he does something which was guaranteed to make things more difficult for Roy, even though Roy was taking care of Scooby. I couldn't understand why he did this, unless it was a reaction to Scooby's growing feelings for Roy. He tells Roy time and again that he is straight and then deliberately comes on to Roy, just to mess with his emotions. He acts like a teenage boy, rather than the young man he is. Clark isn't as well fleshed out as the other two characters, but he seems to be motivated by revenge on Roy, for something that wasn't even Roy's fault and happened when he was a teenager. When it got to the end and the, somewhat surprising, declaration of love, I was torn between thinking that the HEA is never going to last and wishing them all luck because they deserved each other!

Overall: Despite my feelings for these characters, I liked the writing in the book. It was a fast paced read, pared down to the bone in terms of description - so much so that I had to fill in a lot of the gaps. I wanted to find out what happened to these characters and how Roy was going to get out of the situation he was in. The book left me with a lot of questions which I was hoping to have answered by the end, but, sadly the book ended rather abruptly and on a bit of a convenient yet forced note. I would have liked to have seen Roy and Scooby working through their problems and coming out stronger on the other side. Instead a stroke of good fortune landed in their lap and I wondered whether Roy or Scooby had learned anything in their time together.

I bought this book because I had liked the free short story offered up by Jaime Samms at Freya's Bower. Although the same great prose was evident in this book as in the short story, I don't think the book lived up to my expectations. Having said that, I think I'm going to look out for other books by this author because I can see that she has the potential for greatness. In fact, she has another book out at the end of this month which I think I will buy. As for this book, I'm giving it a grade of "good" and that is mostly for the pacing, writing and because I got a reaction to the characters, even if it wasn't particularly positive.

May to December Romance

When I got back into starting reading romance I read a lot of historicals. One of the things that almost immediately struck me was that in all of these books there was a large age gap between the h/h. The heroine was usually in her early 20's and the hero in his early 30's, with the age gap usually about 8-10 years. This didn't bother me too much as it seemed to fit in with the idea that women married early to get the best out of their childbearing age and men didn't have such a drive to marry so early and therefore could leave it until later.

Then I read "One Little Sin" by Liz Carlyle. The heroine in that novel was 19 and the hero 37. That was too much for me, too much of a gap. He moved from being a heroic and handsome slightly older man into 'almost a pervert' territory and I found it difficult to engage with either lead. Of course it didn't help that she was so very naive and innocent and he was a 'rake' with far too many notches on his bedpost.

After that, I've shied away from any books with obvious large age-gaps between the hero and heroine. In romance there is already such an imbalance of power between the two leads, with the man seeming to have all the power and the woman very little, that having the added experience verses innocence makes me uncomfortable.

Until, that is, I started reading m/m romance. Suddenly I was reading books where the two leads didn't have such an imbalance of power. Two men are practically on an equal footing, so having a character who was much older was just a different dynamic in a balanced relationship. Now, I'm not talking about 'the twink and the daddy', that would not be an equal dynamic and even has us back to the pervy old man again. Instead I'm talking about a young man who is experienced and comfortable in his own sexuality, meeting and being attracted to a man who is much older - sometimes by 15-20 years.

Two of my favourite books have a 'May to December' theme. In both of these books: "Lord and Master" by Jules Jones and "I Spy Something Bloody" by Josh Lanyon, the younger men are intelligent, strong, confident and aware that they are attracted to older men. It is the older men in the books who, though they are also intelligent and confident, have the doubts, fears and worries that they are somehow 'corrupting' the younger man or that these men will get bored and leave them (or leave them again in the case of Mark from "ISSB"). It is just so different to het romance where the older man is ultimately the confident one and a refreshing change in the power dynamic.

There are times when a large age gap doesn't work so well in m/m romance. I don't like books where the older man is 'initiating' the younger man, mainly because the power shifts too much in favour of the older man. It also doesn't work if the age gap is only there to show how the older man is so much better because experience has made him that way or because he is richer and more powerful. The younger man must be able to contribute equally to the relationship, both in terms of emotional support and being able to 'pay his way' as it were.

It's really a great shame there aren't more m/m 'May to December' romances. There's so much fun that can be had from inverting stereotypes, exploring the perceptions of secondary characters and showing how the relationship can work despite the age gap. Or perhaps there are a number of books that I've missed completely - any suggestions for me to add to my list are very welcome.

That's the Way to Do It!

Authors take note! Here is a way to get people to buy your books:

1) Git y'sen abaart on t'internet (as we say in Yorkshire). In other words have an online presence, not just on your own blog/website but on other people's as well (ahem, like mine for instance). Then visitors to those sites will be wowed by your insightful commentary and be tempted to look at your website.

2) On your site, don't just tell people what books you've written, but also tell people where to look for your published books. Then they might think: 'hey, I'll go and check out that obscure publisher and see how much the books cost'.

3) At the publisher, offer up some FREE fiction as well as some books to buy. It doesn't have to be a whole novel, just an itty bitty short story so that the reader gets a taste of your writing. **

4) Sit back and laugh in joy as the reader is amazed by your fabulous short story and goes back to obscure publisher to buy the book that will actually earn you royalties.

See? Easy peasy!

Well it worked for Jaime Samms, why shouldn't it work for you too?!

** Instead of this, you can offer the FREE fiction on your website, but make sure it's flagged up in big letters on your home page so that the less observant visitor (yes, me) sees it and reads it.

This message has been brought to you by Jenre's author advisory service.

Review: Gobsmacked by LB Gregg

I have a pretty strange sense of humour. I like silly visual gags and people who are in potentially embarrassing situations – the British comedy “Peep Show” is one of my favourites because it contains both those elements in spades. With that in mind, the opening chapter of this novella hit all my funny buttons and I laughed out loud. I mean, how could you not laugh when a gay man storms into a Catholic church during an Ash Wednesday mass, denounces his lover as a cheat and liar and proceeds to hit him over the head with a bible? It certainly got my attention, that’s for sure.

The gay man in question is our hero and narrator, Mark. Earlier that morning he discovered his live-in lover, Jamie, in bed with the landlord. The rest of the book follows Mark over the next 3 days as he comes to terms with his lover’s betrayal, makes more discoveries about Jamie, before finding that his perfect man was actually under his nose the whole time. The book is basically about relationships: The ending of one relationship and the start of another; the relationships between Mark and the townspeople of Smithfield; the relationships within families. This all takes place within the slightly oppressive atmosphere of a small town in the depths of winter.

I have to admit I had very mixed feelings about Mark. At first I had a great deal of sympathy for him as he realises the extent of Jamie’s betrayal. However, as I got to know Mark better, I began to see how really self-absorbed he is, to the extent that he has behaved quite selfishly in the past. Mark is also very reactive, as can be seen from the opening chapter. He doesn’t seem to think things through very clearly before acting, which then leads to further trouble later on. Even a simple thing like a misplaced remark has him over-reacting and on a number of occasions I wanted to give him a bit of a shake and tell him to climb out of his own arse. Having said that, he does redeem himself by the end and part of my delight in this book was watching Mark come to realise what an idiot he has been. I am hoping that my reaction to Mark is one that the author was hoping for. At least I had a reaction.

In contrast, the other hero, Tony, is very reliable. He’s strong, dependable, sensible and thoughtful. The complete opposite to Mark and just what Mark needs during the few days where his life is turned upside down. Tony reminded me very much of a certain LA cop, except that he is firmly out of the closet – but that was no bad thing. I liked that it was obvious to the reader that Tony was attracted to Mark – even if Mark couldn’t see it himself – and that Tony was man enough to admit his mistakes, even before Mark wised up to his own mistakes.

One plus point for me was the setting. The snowy winter in New England was a perfect counterpoint to the warmth of the people who live there. I have a special fondness for NE, having visited a few times (once in a very cold March) and the people there are very similar in temperament to my native Yorkshire. The secondary characters, especially Mark’s family, didn’t appear very often, but when they did, there was a real sense of love and commitment to each other. The descriptions of the cold environment, especially in the scenes at the end of the book, gave depth to the book and emphasised the importance of the setting within the story.

I really enjoyed this novella. It was a smooth, fast paced read with some lovely use of descriptive language. There was no overblown prose here, everything was written for a reason – as should be the case in such a short medium as a novella. Despite my reaction to Mark, I can see that this is a superb effort from a first time author and I’m giving it a grade of ‘Excellent’. I very much look forward to the next in this series. Oh, and that was another great thing, there were no scenes setting up the next heroes in the series. The whole book was focused solely on Mark and Tony and their relationship. Bonus!

We interrupt these proceedings with a bit of technical jargon...

I don't usually post on Sunday, but I wanted to pass on some technical information.

I've been using the relatively new 'embedded' comment form on this blog. I like it. It looks prettier than the pop-up comment form and I'm all about aesthetics. However, some of my non-blogger friends have been having some trouble logging in using the embedded form. This could just be due to blogger being...er...difficult, or it could be early technical stuff with the embedded form.

So to make it easier for all concerned, I've reverted back to the pop-up form. I'll let it run for a while and see whether it makes it easier to log into. If people are still having trouble, then I shall go back to the embedded form and you'll just have to curse Blogger everytime you are having difficulties!

Happy 101

Yesterday was my 100th post here at Well Read. I was rather surprised when I noticed it this morning. Wow. I've sat at my computer and spilled out my guts on books 100 times and I feel pretty chuffed about this, like it's some kind of achievement. I'm rather taken aback by how much blogging has taken over my life, as hub said to me: "It's become rather an obsession, hasn't it?"

For the last few weeks I've been thinking quite a lot about this blog and what to do with it. I've built up a steady readership on the blog - hello to my lurkers, thanks for reading! - and I would like to offer them a bit more than the odd review and rant. At the moment I work on a day to day basis. Each morning I wake up and, after several cups of tea, start to think about what I'm going to blog on today. This thinking can go on all day and sometimes I wonder whether I'll get any inspiration at all! However, the gods are kind to me and I can usually think of something before the end of the day. I'm always amazed by bloggers like jessiewave who put out a weekly post detailing what is going up on their blog this week. That's just so organised!

When I started the blog, I was going to post three times a week - two reviews and one piece of opinion. It hasn't worked out that way - mainly because I love blogging and got too carried away! I'm still intending to keep up the two reviews a week (I know, I don't always manage that because sometimes I don't want to review the books I've read) and I'll keep the opinion, mainly because I'm a gobby cow frustrated reader, who needs to vent on occasion. One thing I am going to start to do is author interviews. I've got one coming up later in the month which I'm very excited about. If it goes well (cross fingers) I think I'll try a few more.

Some bloggers like lisabea, jessiewave and JenB have regular weekly posts - Manlove Monday, Friday gorgeous men pics and WTF Wednesday. These always seem very popular and I sometimes think that perhaps I should do something like that. But what? I have to admit I don't feel too inspired about that.

Oh dear, I have 'rambled on' in this post haven't I? Mainly, I just wanted to throw around a few ideas. Feel free to chip in any ideas of your own - I may just ignore them, but suggestions are always helpful. I also wanted to say a big thank you to all my invisible blogging friends who have made me feel welcome in their little community and an even bigger THANK YOU to all my readers. If it wasn't for you, I would have taken my bat and ball and gone home weeks ago!

Let's talk about Sex

Ha! That got your attention didn't it?!!

Actually what I'm going to write about is talking about sex in front of children. I've just read a book where the two main (gay) characters talk openly about sex and having sex in front of a ten year old boy - the son of one of the men. At one point the kid even tells them that they can make as much noise as they like and if they woke him up, he'd just go back to sleep. This really creeped me out and I almost stopped reading the book at this point.

I have a 10 year old son. We've done the 'talk' with him because he's very bright for his age and has younger brothers and sisters. One day, when he was about 8, he said "Why do I have balls?" and the conversation went on from there. It was one of those 'how did I get into this conversation?' moments for me, but he took it fairly well and accepted that, whilst it might sound pretty gross now, when he got older it may seem a more attractive proposal! However, despite knowing the facts, he would never, ever talk openly about sex with me or hub. He gets embarrassed enough with kissing scenes in programmes and films (he covers his eyes and I have to tell him when it's over!).

Conversely, hub and I would never openly talk about sex in front of him or our other children, nor would we put them in a position where they could hear us having sex. Sex is for adults and adult conversation only - and perhaps YA - not for young children, no matter how intelligent or gifted they may be. If any of my children brought up the topic, I would discuss it with them in a way appropriate to their age, but I wouldn't ever initiate a discussion on sex in their presence. Does this make me a prude? Actually I think it makes me a responsible parent.

Not that I haven't been caught out on occasion. I once followed hub into my son's bedroom and made a lewd and suggestive remark to him - thinking that eldest son was downstairs. He was actually laid on his bed (it's a bunk bed, so I didn't see him). I don't know who was more embarrassed out of the three of us!

The way that these men discussed their sex life with the boy was meant to be seen as them being responsible parents - Look! He doesn't mind the gay sex, he's well adjusted! I didn't see it like that at all.

Perhaps I'm reading too much into this. The book was supposed to be a lighthearted comedy, but, sadly, the themes of fidelity, homophobia and raising a child within a same sex relationship are too serious to be dealt with as flippantly as they were in this book.

Review: A Strong and Sudden Thaw by RW Day

I bought this book after reading Kris' review of it on her site "Kris 'n' Good Books" - click here if you want to read it. The book sounded interesting especially as I hadn't read any spec. fiction before, or so I thought. As soon as I started reading I was reminded of the middle section of "Cloud Atlas" by David Mitchell. The same ideas were present in both books: A catastrophic event in the past; a society clinging onto its identity; trying to survive in a world stripped of all modern amenities.

In the case of this book the catastrophe was a sudden ice-age which swept down from the north, engulfing most of the northern hemisphere in ice. This ice-age happened nearly 100 years before the events in this book and we are occasionally given glimpses of the times before the ice came and shortly after, a decidedly chilling reminder that society constantly hangs in the balance. In fact this theme of 'before and after' runs throughout the novel. The 'before' time is represented by the Grandma character, who can remember the time before the ice. The after is represented by our hero, David, who, at 16, has only ever known the time after the ice.

But I'm getting ahead of myself here. The novel is written in the first person from David's POV. As I have said he is sixteen and on the cusp of manhood - children grow up quickly in this harsh environment. He is the son of a farmer and trapper, who loves the hills of Virginia where he lives. I really liked David. He was an interesting mix of innocence and experience. In one sentence he would describe the beauty of his surroundings and in the next he would be checking the traps and killing the animals caught for their fur. Throughout the book he is straining towards manhood, desperate to be taken seriously by the men in the town, and yet he often acts in a rash and impetuous manner, like the boy he still is. It was this mix in David that makes him a sympathetic narrator.

As the novel begins we are introduced to our other hero, Callan who has recently moved into town as an assistant to the 'healer'. In many ways Callan is opposite to David. He is well educated; from a lonely, yet sheltered background; from the warmer, southern climate; delicate and blond to David's dark. However, despite being 6-7 years older, he seems the less mature of the two, often drifting through the events, seeming unable to control what is happening to him - unlike David who tries to take control of his life. David and Callan form a friendship and then more. This might have been a little uncomfortable, given David's age, but the author has given David such a mature voice, that it didn't bother me at all. Many young people discover love and sex at the age of 16-17, and it was nice to see this reflected in a novel. The relationship between David and Callan is a dangerous one, as homosexuality has been outlawed at this time. The ice-age was attributed the the 'wrath of God' and many of the liberal laws from the past have been overturned. The consequences for David and Callan as their relationship develops forms most of the story in the first half of this book.

Alongside the romantic plot is a secondary plot concerning a government conspiracy. Dragons have been let loose on the countryside, killing sheep and children, burning houses and terrorising the community. This plot runs seamlessly alongside the romance and becomes intertwined at the end. If I have any complaints at all, it would be that we never really find out why there are dragons.

I really enjoyed this novel. It was another one of those books where I thought about it even when I wasn't reading. I savoured the book, not wanting to read it too quickly. The author's prose is concise and beautiful. Using the speech pattern of David, she draws us into a cold, bitter, harsh world, and yet makes it seem wonderful. The warmth of David, his interactions with his family, his love for Callan come shining through the darkness of a post-apocalyptic world. I'm giving this a grade of 'Excellent'. It was a compelling, thoughtful, layered story which I will read again and again.

One last thing: This book is a re-release from Lathe Press (along with that fabulous cover) - the author's previous publisher closed down and there was a time when she wasn't sure she would find another one. The book ends with many loose ends and the author has indicated that at one time she was going to write a sequel. However, due the publisher problems above, she is now no longer sure she will write the sequel, especially as she wrote this book four years ago and feels that her writing has 'moved on'. I, for one, feel that it would be a great shame if the sequel is never written as I've now invested time and emotions in these characters and want to see how their story is concluded. let's hope that RW Day changes her mind!

Satisfaction Guaranteed?

Warning: This blog post contains spoilers for the film "No Country for Old Men". If you haven't seen the film and don't want to find out what happens then go and look at someone else's blog!



Last night hub and I watched the DVD of "No Country for Old Men". When it finished, we sat in silence watching the credits roll. We were both thinking the same thing - IS THAT THE END?!

I'm not one of these people who expects my films to always have a happy ending. In fact, I often get cross at some films based on books where the ending has been changed to make it 'happier' or more palatable for the US market. But last night's film went one stage on from a non-happy ending - there was no resolution at all, no satisfactory rounding off of loose ends, no cathartic release of tension. It really bugged me. Basically every single main character gets murdered in this film (and even quite a number of minor characters). The man responsible for most of the murders - Mr psycho-head, walks off into the sunset scott-free (apart from a broken arm). The sheriff gives up on the investigation and goes home to retire. These are the only characters left alive at the end - the sheriff and the psycho-head. I was not a happy bunny. I felt somewhat cheated.

Now, I understand that the film was supposed to represent real life - sometimes the psycho-head murderers do get away with it, sometimes the law does give up and go home - But it was still frustrating. Hub wasn't too bothered about the ending. He said it didn't matter to him that the film was somewhat unresolved at the end. This has made me wonder how much of my reading gives me expectations of how I want my films to end.

When I read, I expect there to be closure when I reach the end - unless, of course, I am reading a series, where there is some expectation that certain plot threads will spill over into subsequent books. Other than that, I need to see that a romance is reciprocated; a murder or mystery is solved; an adventure is concluded; that loose ends are tied. One of the reasons I stopped reading high literary fiction is because the endings were often frustrating, like this film. Life is so full of uncertainty that I need to have somewhere to escape to and reading does that for me.

Perhaps I now need to alter my film viewing too. Stick to the mindless blockbusters with their car chases, hunky heroes and happy endings. This is so limiting though and I like to watch films that are thought provoking. I suppose there is one thing I can say about this film, it certainly got a reaction out of me and there're not many films that do that these days.

Review: Masquerade by Clare London

In terms of m/m publishing this book is a bit of an oldie, having been published in 2007. However, I'm slowly working my way through Clare's backlist and came across this when I was looking for a book to spend my reward voucher on at Books on Board. Now, I have to admit, I did something a bit out of character for me when I bought this. I didn't look to see what the book was actually about. I saw the book was by Clare London and thought 'oh, her books and stories are always fabulous' and bought it unseen, as it were. A bit of a risk, I suppose, but I reckoned that Clare wouldn't let me down - and I wasn't disappointed.

I was a bit surprised then, when I discovered that this book is actually a set of four short stories, each having a paranormal theme. That is about where the similarity ends as Clare shows us in each of these stories just what a versatile author she really is. I'm going to take each story in turn.

Bonded

This story is written in the first person and takes the viewpoint of a rich, handsome, spoiled chancellor of an unknown country set sometime in the past, possibly medieval. As the story begins he is brought a young, ragged man, named Oriel. Oriel has special powers - once he touches someone they have their greatest need fulfilled. He is a traveller who moves throughout the land, staying with people and helping them in return for shelter and food. The chancellor, Charis, is immediately attracted to Oriel and they begin a relationship. The joy of this book was watching the way that Charis changed from a jaded, wholly self-centred anti-hero, into someone that would risk his life for the gentle Oriel.

Trickery

This book was also set in the medieval period but has a very different feel to the first story. This is a comedy which follows two hapless squires searching a tower for their royal master who has gone missing. The story is full of silly and sly humour, both at the expense of the squires as well as at the genre. Rapunzel it is not! It reminded me greatly of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail".

Possession

This was a horror story set in the Victorian age and told in an interesting mix of first and third person. The hero is the owner of an auction house which is gradually failing. A mysterious buyer comes forward and offers to sell some priceless rubies at the auction house, thus saving the flagging business, but only on the condition that he deals with Lucas in person. At the same time, Lucas is plagued by disturbing dreams where he is visited by a male lover. These dreams disgust and entice Lucas, especially as he is fighting an attraction to his best friend, Valentine. This story was genuinely creepy, particularly in the scenes with the mysterious buyer. The ending was a real shocker!

Threadbare

This was my favourite story. Written in the first person from the point of view of Victorian mill owner, Edward, it involves his sweet relationship with a mill worker called Mori. Mori is a mysterious young man who is the leader of a small group of mill workers who work hard and produce fine cloth. In their spare time they weave an intricate tapestry, each taking turns to add to it. One by one, illness or accident carries off the workers in this group until only Mori is left to complete the tapestry. I can't say too much about this story without giving away spoilers but by the end my heart ached.

Each story is written in Clare's beautifully evocative prose. She is a master (or is that mistress?)of understated emotion, using a few words concisely to show us how the the characters are feeling. Take this passage from "Threadbare".

"I just liked to watch him sleeping, surrounded by large, thick pillows that cossetted him, embracing him in their soft shell. I liked the way he stirred in his secret dreams, his eyes flickering under his lids, and his delicate hand clasping at the coverlet. I liked to see his dark hair spread on the white linen, and his legs tangled among the crumpled sheets. I liked the smile on his face when he eventually woke to find me still there."

In one short passage, the author has managed to convey all the pride, protectiveness, sensuality and love that Edward feels for Mori. Beautiful.

This anthology made me experience a whole breadth of emotion: From laughter to tears; from hate to love. It was at times surprising, breathtaking, horrifying and exciting. I highly recommend you read this book and I give it a grade of 'Excellent'.

Pimp the Publisher

I’m unashamed in my pimpage of authors and novels. I think that if bloggers have an author whose books they love, then they should spread the love of that author.

However, today I’m pimping a publisher: Dreamspinner Press.

Small presses rely heavily on word of mouth recommendations; on good reviews for their books; on their readers spreading the word. But do I, as a reader, have any obligation to do so? Well, no. In order to ‘encourage’ us the publishers then put on offers or sales to try and get into readers’ good books – well some do, anyway.

Today I’m going to tell you what Dreamspinner Press did for me - apart from provide an extensive list of consistently excellent m/m books and authors - and why it’s one of my favourite publishers.

In November, I pre-ordered the “Christmas Dreams” Anthology which was 31 novellas and/or short stories sent out, one a day, for every day in December. It cost me $30 (if I had left it ‘til December the price went up to $50). That’s less than a dollar a day. Some of the stories were great, excellent, amazing and some were ‘meh’, but it was still great value and I didn’t regret buying it.

Then, last week, they sent me an email thanking me for buying the anthology. To show their appreciation they offered me 15% off my next purchase at Dreamspinner and a free download of a fabulous story by Madeleine Urban and Rhianne Aile. Wow, just because I bought a heavily discounted set of stories from them. In the email, they mentioned that they did a newsletter and invited me to sign up, so I did.

The February newsletter came yesterday morning and along with the expected adverts for their recently released books and some funny, quirky stuff like recipes for cocktails, was a charmingly cute vignette of a short story from Clare London. Hooray, free fiction - I love it! How marvellous was that! Top marks to their marketing team.

So here I am, pimping this publisher, because they went that extra mile for me, a lowly reader. And because I have a (albeit small) voice on the internet, I can show my appreciation to them by spreading the love.

I think it’s a case of “I’ll scratch your back.....”

I’ve also signed up for the Samhain Newsletter and they are giving away 14 stories – one a day – to coincide with Valentine’s Day. Hooray, more free fiction!

So it’s top marks for Dreamspinner and a gold star for Samhain.