Alan Orr: “I’m a college professor in Canada, where I teach writing and literature courses. To me, good fiction is about engaging characters who grow and change as a result of experiencing compelling circumstances. It’s all about the characters in my view; if the readers are indifferent to them, the plot won’t matter. In a comedy or romance, the characters flourish and succeed (in a tragedy not so much); boy gets boy, girl gets girl and they all ride off into the sunset. One of the reasons I’m looking forward to participating in this year’s Rainbow Awards so much is that authors of GLBT fiction are generally so skilled at creating wonderfully interesting and basically fun-to-read characters. To all the writers: I tip my hat to you for sitting down with your inspiration and putting your thoughts into words to share with all of us.”
Ali G.: "I'm a scientist who reads far too many books, be they romance, crime thrillers or epic fantasies. If I'm not reading a research paper or some industry news, chances are I'll be reading a book of some sorts. I'm somewhat new to the gay romance world, having discovered it through the slippery this is known as slash fanfiction, but I've kept up a review blog somewhere for almost three years and I try to have a high number of mainstream books with GLBTQ characters included. I like non-traditional, non-perfect characters, rather than the perfect and flawless sort, and would love to see more in the genre."
Amie L.: "I am an avid, lifelong reader of many genres. As a child I was teased because I read the back of the cereal box and cookbooks if nothing else was available. I was born in the Appalachian Mountains and lived in a small, one stoplight college/farm town in the Midwest; I think it was the closest thing the real word has to a gay utopia. We moved to Hollywood, California, where I experienced intense culture shock. I live in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States."
Anna B.: "I'm Anna, originally from the UK, but living in the USA right now. I'm in my 30s and married with a young daughter. I discovered m/m fiction in late 2007 and haven't looked back since, especially after getting an eReader... I've read more m/m books that I care to admit to and there are still many many more to go. I'm currently writing a screenplay based on one of my all time favourite m/m stories (with the very generous permission of the author). My dream is to write for the movies one day, so watch this space!"
Anne Barwell: "Writer of m/m and avid reader. I have a Batchelor of Teaching and BA in English Literature. I work in a library and relief teach in a local school. While I have a weakness for a good hurt/comfort story, I'll read anything that piques my interest especially if it has good characterisation and plot."
Antonella: "I'm Italian, but I live in a German-speaking country. I'm a professional translator. I love my job because it's interesting (translations vary from love letters to divorce sentences), no one tells me what to do and I work whenever I want. I do believe we should leave behind us a better world. That's why I'm engaged in political and environmental battles and since 1994 I work as a volunteer in a Centre Against Racism. I started to read LGTB books especially after ''Brokeback Mountain'', which had a deep impact on me. I've been reading a lot since then and I'm honoured to be in the same jury with some of the authors I love."
http://aoifebright.dreamwidth.org/
Arch: "I´m Arch, from a small town an hour from Venice, Italy. Divided between my scientific studies and work - in a completely different field, of course *sigh* -, a lot of my free time is spent reading, there are so much books in the world... One day I will have a huge room turned into a library, for now I simply have piles and piles of books around and thanks God for ebooks! My passion for the GLBT genre goes back many years ago. However in Italy, the field is limited, so I decided to kill two birds with one stone, improve my English with pleasant readings. Well, from then on I am like a kid in a candy store."
Austin Wallace: "My name is Austin Wallace and I've spent about 20 or so years working in gay and lesbian bookstores and publishing. I was a book buyer for Lambda Rising in Washington DC, Obelisk Books in San Diego and White Rabbit in North Carolina. I've also worked for Cleis Press (and still do the occasional editing on the side for them) and Chronicle Books. I currently work for the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Museum Store. In the past I also acted as a judge for the Lambda Literary Awards in the Mystery Category (though I'm open to other areas as I read pretty much across the spectrum.) and a reviewer for the Lambda Book Report. The first gay book I ever read was The Front Runner (like a lot of young gay boys) back in 1983 and I haven't stopped reading since."
Benjamin: An art graduate, one time art teacher and freelance graphic designer, Benjamin now his devotes time to painting. An avid reader. A regular book reviewer and an Amazon Vine (UK) reviewer from its inception, Benjamin also reviews books sent by both publishers and authors. He has also edited books.
http://wryterreviews.blogspot.com/
Bobby D. Whitney: "I´m an employee for the State of Washington, work in downtown Seattle and live way out in the rural `burbs. I use that long daily commute to read -- lucky me with at least two full hours of relative quiet to read daily! What else? I´m a motorcycle rider, avid if bumbling crafter, mother to a 20-year-old son, and wife to an incredibly patient and supportive man. My degree is in English, which qualifies me to read and write and make embarrassing typos. The blue hair is my mid-life crisis. It was cheaper than a sports car! There is an amazing amount of writing talent out there. A desire to encourage these wonderful authors (as well as an inability to shut up and keep my opinions to myself) is the driving force behind BookWenches Reviews. This is my third year to act as Jury for the Rainbow Awards, and I´m honored to participate."
http://www.bookwenches.com/
Brandi R.: "I am an avid reader (usually around at least 10 books a week). I will read almost any genre. I started reading M/M a little less than a year ago while on bed rest. I have been reading it ever since. I work for a major phone company and proof read for a publisher. I live in the general Dallas area and like to spend a lot of time with my nieces and nephews whenever possible".
http://www.webdigestweekly.com/
http://www.careyparrish.com/
Carol H.: "My name is Carol and I live in North Carolina. I have been reading forever it seems. Even sneaking my mom´s romances that "I was too young" to read (yea right!). She finally learned just to let me read whatever I wanted as I would go through 5-6 books a day. Today I still read books daily. Number vary depending if I read an excellent book and need to savor it a while, I may only read 3 that day. I never leave the house without a book."
Caroline: "I'm an English teacher and "wannabe" translator from Poland. My hobby is - no surprise here - literature. It started when I was six and read my first book. (some nursery story about two bears;))I've always felt my favourite genre would be LGBT stories but I also discovered I should have learnt English to have full access to them and enjoy them properly. My dream is to introduce the best stories to Polish readers (since we have but a few LGBT stories on the market here) and that's why I'm studying to be a translator. Who knows what'll be?"
Cherie Noell: Butcher, baker, candlestick maker…ummm, eww, every chance I get, and I surely would if these damn characters would ever shut up. Born in West Palm Beach, Florida and raised…er, is all over the damn place a sufficiently descriptive term? No? Then how about this? Tinker, tailor, Indian chief…Ooooh, especially when smexy men are involved (!), only under duress, and did the cheek-bones give it away? Seriously? I’ve lived in Washington D.C., Virginia, Upper Michigan, Texas, New York, California, and Alabama in the United States; Hessen in Germany, London in England, Masirah Island in Oman and…sometimes it was in a house, sometimes in a tent, and sometimes anyplace I could find to lay my head. I’ve been in love with words since before I drew breath, and I don’t see that ever changing. I write stories. Sometimes I write music with them, sometimes they’re poems, and lately, to my great delight, M/M erotic romance. Yum. Smexy man to the second…or third power…now that’s the kinda math I can get behind!! The hair curls or frizzes as it will, the eyes are green and tend to look in two different directions—no, really—and the rest is subject to change. You know the guy who didn’t know if he was a butterfly dreaming he was a man or a man dreaming he was a butterfly? Yeah, that’s me, but substitute drag queen for butterfly and wacky, wild ex-Army chick for man.
Chris: "I'm a blogger and voracious reader who lives in Uptown Minneapolis, Minnesota. I've been reading m/m for two years and blogging for nearly six years"
http://www.stumblingoverchaos.com/
Debra S.: "I live in Ohio USA. I have 3 kids at home. In high school, many, many years ago, I discovered Robert Heinlein and an instant love for scifi. Of course Star Trek (the original) was doing its original run at the time thus reinforcing my scifi love. I enjoyed many different types of books. I attended over 20 years of school becoming an attorney, of all things. The kids kind of destroyed my enjoyable reading time until I discovered PDAs, and downloadable fanfiction. Now I can read in bed and not annoy anyone. Lesbian authors and fiction that include mystery, action/adventure, historical fiction, romance all kicked up my interest. Lesbian fiction is the only thing that I want to read now I enjoy it so much. I, like Arch, feel like a kid in a candy store!"
http://www.emlynley.com
Erotic Horizon: "I read extensively and like to keep an open mind about any book I read. I love romance and tend to go through various phases in a year of how I read the books I read. I am a big lover of paranormal and M/M romances, but am known to rush out and buy the latest Mills & Boon or sci-fi annuals as soon as they hit the shelf. I like my crime fiction just as much as the most avid reader and tend to stick to the bread and butter authors - you know the ones you swear it's the last time you're going to buy their book, but end up a faithfull servant to their artistry with the pen. I appreciate books that gives you pause to think and look at the other side of the coin, but I also love the books that are heavy on the erotic and big on alpha males and feisty heroine. My days are currently filled with plots to find the perfect spot to hide from my overachieving kids and my nights are overrun with men in loin clothes chasing the hero or heroine of their choice. There are time I wish all my days were nights. Come visit me - Erotic Horizon is my little spice of the pie."
http://erotichorizon.blogspot.com/
Eve: "I started reading gay fictions when I was about 19 years old - discovered a new GLBT section in the local bookstore. I loved to read both "serious" gay fiction and what in the old days called "gay porn", so I'd be reading Edmund White, David Leavitt one day and Alex Kane by John Preston the next day. These days, however, 80% of my reading are m/m romance and fiction - thanks to the convenience of ebooks. I have pop culture journalism experience, however, I have long resigned to the fact that, despite being an avid reader, I am hopeless when it comes to writing original characters."
Gillian Rodgerson: Gillian Rodgerson is a freelance editor living in Toronto, Canada. As a journalist, she was a member of The Body Politic Collective, wrote international news for Gay Times magazine, and edited Capital Gay newspaper and Diva magazine in London, England. With Elizabeth Wilson she co-edited Pornography and Feminism: the case against Censorship (Lawrence & Wishart, 1991). Her hobbies include cooking, needlepoint, and writing pornography
Sally Sapphyre: "A close friend once accused me of being a bookslut. She meant it in jest, but humour is always strongest when it contains an element of truth. A tattered copy of Stephen King’s Pet Semetary, hidden beneath the bed and read in secret, first sparked the imagination of a 10 year old boy. Year later, a pristine copy of Clive Barker’s Imajica, carried proudly and read publicly, ignited the literary passions of a teenaged transsexual. The only thing I love more than curling up with a good book is sharing one with friends and watching them fall in love. That’s why I started http://bibrary.com/, and why I continue to spend far too much time digging through used bookstores for those hidden gems that positively embrace the LGBTQ community."
http://www.heidicullinan.com/
http://amazoniowan.livejournal.com/
Heidi French: Heidi French lives in a small town nestled between the bustle of Vancouver and the renown ski resort of Whistler, British Columbia, Canada -- both of which recently played host to the 2010 Winter Olympics. Her home is sandwiched between the best of both worlds, with all the excitement and diversity of one of Canada's fastest-growing cities at her doorstep and some of the best outdoor recreation in the world at her backdoor. Her grade three teacher described her a voracious reader, a label that still fits to this day as she continues to read several books a week. Reading isn't just a pass time for Heidi, it is a way of life, one she that shares with her husband and was fortunate enough to have passed on to her two young children. In 2005 she discovered LGBT novels, which fast became one of her favourite genre's and she hasn't looked back.
Jamie N.: "I'm Jamie, a mom who is desperately trying to get her child to read instead of playing video games. I have a degree in Classics with a minor in British and American Lit. Currently I write reviews and work as a line editor while aspiring to become a published author. I live in Virginia, USA, and will read anything that catches my attention. I can usually be caught reading more than one book at a time."
Janet: "I am an avid reader. I know where every bookstore is located within a 50 mile radius of my home. I'm pretty eclectic in terms of what I enjoy reading, but I am open to anything provided it is written well. I live in NorCal near San Francisco and love the beauty of the SF Bay Area. I work as a paralegal during the day, but if I could figure out a way to get paid to just read all day -- well, I would be in heaven."
Jason B.: "A full-time college student with the goal of becoming a counselor for GLBT youth, my partner and I live in Fort Worth and help raise his 7 year old daughter from a previous relationship. As one of the moderators for the goodreads M/M Romance group, I post a daily author and publisher report for our members. I enjoy writing, reading, cooking, kink, and long walks on the beach. :)"
Jem: An avid reader as well as book collector, Jem accidentally started reading M/M over twenty years ago with Mercedes Lackey's "Last Herald Mage" trilogy (still one of her all-time favorite fantasies). In the last few years she discovered yaoi, and the growing gay romance genre. She has hundreds of reviews on Amazon, and has written reviews for GottaWriteNetwork.com. Jem has also done beta reading, as well as reviews, directly for authors. She lives on the East Coast of the United States with her husband of eleven years, and three fat lazy cats.
http://www.librarything.com/catalog/jshillingford
http://jshillingford.livejournal.com/
http://twitter.com/jshillingford
Jenre: "I'm a British woman who writes a review and commentary blog which covers m/m romance. I've been reading m/m for about three years and blogging for two years." http://jenre-wellread.blogspot.com/
Jessica G.: Jessica is the author of a handful of short stories, as well as the translator of four books by renowned healer and Olympic coach Semjon Bek. She is also the designer of Faraday Bags, a line of data-shielding wallets, purses, and clothing. An outdoors enthusiast, she enjoys hiking, camping, and cycling.
Jorgi-Anne: "I'm an American living abroad, most currently in the Middle East. I'm a voracious reader and have been ever since I learned to read at the age of 3 (thank you Sesame Street!) My love of GLBT fiction has only grown exponentially with the advent of e-books. I've drabbled the odd story or two, but find that I'm more enthusiastic about reading than writing at this point in my life. Maybe I'll write once I retire :)"
http://josephine-myles.livejournal.com/
Júlia F.: "I'm a student from Spain, who loves English and loves reading even more. Reading ebooks started out as a (kind of natural, to me) evolution from fanfiction and, so far, it has proven to be a very satisfactory turn of events. It also helps me keep my English up to date in a easy, laid-back way, which is a very important point when you spend all day staring at books. Along the way, I've found some marvelous writers who have inspired and amazed me and I'm joining in the jury this year to try taking the next step: not only reading, but evaluating the book at deeper levels and letting my impressions be known, so maybe, they'll help someone."
Julie W.: "I love to read and enjoy discovering new writers. I am in constant search for a book I can escape into, where the characters live in me for days, giving my mind a much needed vacation. These books end up on my bookshelf to be read again and again. Though, my love will always remain with sci-fi and fantasy, mysteries and romance occupy just about as much space on my bookshelf. Thanks to my Kindle, not only can I read as often as I like, I have a another bookshelf (albeit a much lighter one) to store my favorites. I look forward to the next book that I want to read over and over."
http://www.katemcmurray.com/
Kathy Kozakewich: "Like so many other members of the Jury, I'm an avid reader with a voracious appetite for anything that tells a good story, brings emotions to the fore and always leaves me feeling good at the end. In the past I was adamant about not being a fan of books where the bad guy wins, where love is lost or where I'm going to be scared to death... although I've noticed over the last while that my 'definitely don't reads' are now becoming part of my diet. Huh. I've been a fan of m/m romance--and any sub-genre out there--for almost four years now and it's a big part of my library, but I've also enjoyed f/f romance, m/f and ménages... gotta love a lot of lovin'. :) My four children, now all gone from home, are also readers and I like to think that I had something to do with that. They, and my wonderfully supportive husband, may not understand my steady diet of GLBT or romance books, but as readers themselves they understand that good stories can be found anywhere. I'm a reviewer for five, make that six, sites--nothing like being able to read a book and tell people what it is about it that appeals to me--and I'm now also working as Assistant Editor-in-Chief for Silver Publishing. I always knew that books were important to me, now they're a part of everything I do. How wonderful is that!"
Kelli Collins: Kelli Collins spent a dozen years in the newspaper biz before accepting the Editor-in-Chief position at Ellora's Cave. She loves her job, particularly working with authors, and is proud to be part of a company dedicated to introducing the masses to all types of erotica, including LGBT, one reader at a time. She also thinks it's wildly amusing and terrifically appropriate that she's number 69 on the 2011 LGBT Rainbow Awards jury.
Kenley Maitland: Kenley Maitland is the top secret, alter ego of a popular M/M romance author.
http://www.lee-rowan.net/
Lia: "I love reading, I don´t leave home without at least one book in my bag, ever. That's all that´s relevant, really. If it isn´t: I am German, married to a Brit, 2 bilingual kids. I´m currently living in Germany, but I lived in England and the USA for several years. Other than reading I love classical music and sing in 2+ choirs."
Lily: "I've been addicted to reading pretty much since I picked up my first book. After many years of reading m/f books, of which I was getting increasingly bored with, I discovered m/m ebooks. I'm totally hooked now and 99% of what I've read in the past three years has been m/m. My Sony eReader is never far from my side and I enjoy writing reviews as well as reading other people's thoughts on the books I've read. I live in North Florida and enjoy the mostly sunny days with my family."
http://www.loritoland.com/
Lyne: "My name is Lyne and I am an avid reader. Reading was something that came hard for me and in the 9th grade I ended up having to take a remedial reading class. It wasn't until my mother threaten to throw the TV out the window if I did not start reading however before I really picked up a book. That was 30 years ago and I haven't stopped reading since. I picked up M/M books 3 years ago and absolutely love them. I am constantly looking for new ones to read and of course I have several that I love to read over and over again."
Marilyn B.: Marilyn B is an Ohio native who now spends her time soaking up the sun in Florida. When she's not watching Ghost Hunters or reading on her Nook, she divides her time playing Monopoly on Pogo and fantasizing about Elvis Cole and Joe Pike falling in love with each other.
Melanie Marshall: Melanie Marshall is an actor by trade and a reader by birth. She identifies as pansexual and loves reading memoirs about people's terrible childhoods. Her favorite LGBTQ books are How I Learned to Snap by Kirk Read, The Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson, and everything Augusten Burroughs has ever written or will ever write. As part of her Bachelors Degree in Theatre Arts, Melanie completed a semester in playwrighting and continues to write one-act plays today. As an artist, Melanie is inclined to analyze the merit of all things she reads and is not afraid of being blunt and straightforward. She will also cop up to fangirling things she thinks are awesome. She looks forward to being a judge for the Rainbow Awards and hopes to gain new and interesting vocabulary words.
http://www.MykolaDementiuk.com/
Morg: "I hail from the empty lands of cold north, love gay novels for the alpha males, hunt for shapeshifters and aliens, worship the brilliant minds of authors who keep surprising me, and I always choose awesome plot and character development over heated scenes. I'm also really mean and picky when it comes my favorite theme, D/s."
http://yachay.livejournal.com/
Norma Nielsen: "I am a 42 year old stay at home wife, I am currently trying to get my first book 'Broken Rules' published it is the first in a series of Eighteen the series is called 'The Lines of Marsden'. and spend most of my time reading anything and everything... got introduced to the LGBT books half way through last year and now have over 1000 in my personal library... also have my 21 year old daughter hooked on them as well. I live in a little country town in the South East of Queensland, Australia. I enjoy a good book because it can transport me to another place and let me live someone else's life while I am there."
Perpetua: "Hi I am Perpetua and I live in Northern Ireland I am a total Book Slut, which means that I can't stay faithful to one book at one time I usually have three on the go at once!. I have ebooks on my laptop and my phone I never leave home without them and take every opportunity to read! (well except when I am driving! Phones and driving DO NOT mix)."
Rachel Mc.: "My name is Rachel and I currently live in the Southeast. I recently retired from the workforce but decided I wanted to fulfill one of my dreams and that is go back to college and complete my degree. So now I am a full-time student by day and a full-time reader by night. I have been reading books since forever and it is absolutely my favorite thing to do. The first books I remember reading were the Bobbsey Twins ,Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. I have always liked to read romance and mystery but in the last year I somehow stumbled upon m/m, shapeshifters, and vampires and I realized I have been missing out on so many damn good books!. At any given time I am reading at least 2 or 3 different books because I am still discovering authors that I have yet to read and I am usually re-reading a story that I just can't let go of. I have books on my kindle, my PC and on my cellphone. Some people buy shoes, purses or clothes, I buy books."
Rosemary: "I live in Missouri, I'm a Reviewer for Literary Nymphs and I also write customer reviews posted at Amazon under pen name Venus junkie. My favorite genre is male/male, I'm fond of explicit/detailed vampires, shifters and fantasy, although I enjoy most m/m sub-genre. I've never wanted to be an author but I enjoy being a plot bunny and doing research."
Rosie: "I am an avid reader and have been my whole life. I literally adore books. I will read any genre in the m/m field. A book is a success to me, if it has captured my emotions and engaged my imagination. Good writing always does that for me. I simply couldn't imagine my life without books in it. I am married with two children and I live near London in the UK. I am honoured to be part of this judging group."
http://ryan-field.blogspot.com/
Sandra M.: "I'm German. Reading gay fiction is my life. I started with male/male romance in adolescence when I discovered a German edition of 'The Lord won't mind' in a local bookstore - because it had such a beautiful cover ^_^. After that came difficult years - good gay fiction in German? No such thing. Back then it was hard to find stuff because there was so little. Now with the internet, ebooks, me being able to read English and all it is equally hard - because there is so much ^_^. My favourite genres are mystery, fantasy and historical romantic gay male fiction."
Stephan Schmetterling: "Aspiring historical fiction short story writer (male/male stories) and also an aspiring essayist on homosexual history. An antique queer Oscar Wilde sort of man in a female body. Education: B.A. in History, A.S. in Behavioral Science, A.S. in Library Science, and a Library Technology Certificate."
http://www.SteveCallahan.com/
Uli: "My name is Uli, I am a single woman from Germany and like probably all the other members of this jury I love to read... As a kid I couldn´t get enough of stories about American Indians. Later I read one mystery/ thriller after the other. But then Brokeback Mountain happened... But while I always had a soft spot for gay characters in movies I had no idea that there was a whole world of gay fiction waiting for me - somewhere out there... So after getting lost in fan fiction for about two years I also started reading original gay fiction about two years ago - and I have no idea how I am supposed to keep up with all the recommendations I get from friends I met online because of all this... And my unread mainstream books keep rotting away on my bookshelves... What I do for a living is very far removed from m/m fiction, though... I am working as a quality engineer in the automotive industry and so I had the opportunity to work on different projects in a variety of countries like South Africa, Belgium and the US. Unfortunately work has kept me very busy for the last years, so there is not really much more to say about me..."
Verena: "My name is Verena, I’m 23 years old and I live in Austria. I started reading m/m fiction about 2 years ago. Since I prefer to read printed books, I will need a bigger room for them soon because I have so many. Reading was always very important for me, but after discovering m/m fiction I have to admit that I’m a bookaholic."
And also: Al B., Alannah, Amanda T., Anke, Audrey, Aya M., Barbara L., Carol C., Dan, Danielle R., Danika, Dawn, Ellis C., Graeme, Helen B., James Rasmussen, Janice S., Jerry L. Wheeler , Jodie A., Juli-Anna D., Juni W., Kati L., Kirsten, Kymmie, Lidya X., Luce, Matt Rauscher, Melissa L., Merith, Michelle, Minami, Mitzie, Penny B., R.J. Scott, Rachel T., Robert Jaquay, Shanna, Shellie B., Signy Kuiper, Stacia Seaman, Susan Roebuck, Tammy, Theresa W., Tim K., Will Freshwater, Z.A. Maxfield, Z.C.
