Elisa - My reviews and Ramblings

More than 480 books, almost 150 judges, all over the world, and many, many submissions, from indie publishers, from mainstream publishers and a lot of self-published authors. I have some news about the awards, they are so big that we need to rethink them, but this is not the moment, today is the day to cheers on the winners.

First of all a big thank to all the judges who helped me to arrive to this result:

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A special thank you to the special jury for the Rainbow Award Cover Contest: Damon Suede, Debra, Dylan Rosser, Jodie, Julie, Max Rhyser, Mitzie, Tammy.



And as always a big thank you to the Publishers which allow me and the judges to have all the books for the reading phase:

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And now what all you are waiting, the 2012 Rainbow Awards. And the awards go to:

Best LGBT Cover:
1) Ink (Anne Cain)
2) Dark Soul 1 (Jordan Taylor)
3-tie) Dragon Tamer (Shobana Appavu)
Speechless (Anne Cain)

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Link: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1815243.html

Best Gay Contemporary General Fiction:
1) Wayne Hoffman - Sweet Like Sugar
2) Ken O'Neill - The Marrying Kind
3-tie) Lewis DeSimone - The Heart’s History
Brandon Shire - Listening To Dust

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Link: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1815324.html

Best Lesbian Contemporary General Fiction:
1) sbr martin – pig
2) Ann McMan – Sidecar
3) Q. Kelly – Waiting

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Link: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1815690.html

Best Bisexual/Transgender Romance & Erotic Romance:
1-tie) Giselle Renarde - The Red Satin Collection
Clancy Nacht & Thursday Euclid - Le Jazz Hot
2) Aleksandr Voinov & Amy Lane - Country Mouse
3) Darcy Abriel – Silver

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Link: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1815946.html

The Bobby Michaels Award for Best Gay Erotic Romance:
1) Abigail Roux - Stars and Stripes
2) L.A. Witt - Where There's Smoke
3) Freddy MacKay – Incubation

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Link: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1816144.html

Best Lesbian Erotic Romance:
1) Meghan O'Brien - The Night Off
2) Rebekah Weatherspoon - The Fling
3) L.T. Marie - Three Days

Link: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1816383.html

Best LGBT Erotica:
1) J.P. Beausejour - Buccaneer Island
2-tie) Rachel Haimowitz & Cat Grant - Power Play Awakening
Jerry L. Wheeler - Riding the Rails
3) Jeff Mann - Desire and Devour

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Link: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1816805.html

Best Gay Historical:
1) Jeff Mann – Purgatory
2) Charlie Cochrane - Home Fires Burning
3) KevaD - Whistle Pass

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Link: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1816909.html

Best Lesbian Historical:
1) Justine Saracen - Tyger Tyger, Burning Bright
2) Rebecca Buck - The Locket and the Flinklock
3) Paul Alan Fahey - The View from 16 Podwale Street

Link: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1817297.html

Best Gay Mystery / Thriller:
1) Elliott Mackle - Only Make Believe
2) Drake Braxton – Missing
3) Scott Sherman - Second You Sin

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Link: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1817448.html

Best Lesbian Mystery / Thriller:
1) J.M. Redmann - Ill Will
2) A.C. Henley - McKee, Unabridged
3) Trin Denise - She Left Me Breathless

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Link: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1817782.html

Best Bisexual/Transgender Fiction (Contemporary General Fiction, Historical, Paranormal / Horror):
1) Beth Burnett - Man Enough
2) Lauren Gallagher - Who's Your Daddy
3-tie) J.M. Snyder - A Cowboy's Heart
Vincent Meis - Tio Jorge

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Link: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1818036.html

Best LGBT Non Fiction:
1) Thomas Keith - Love Christopher Street
2) Ron J. Suresha & Scott McGillivray - Fur, The Love of Hair
3) Johnny Townsend - Let the Faggots Burn

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Link: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1818141.html

Best LGBT Biographies & Memoirs:
1) Dirk Vanden - It Was Too Soon Before
2) Jack Scott - Perking the Pansies
3-tie) Greg Hogben - The British Devil
Red Haircrow - Silence Is Multi-Colored In My World

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Link: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1818602.html

Best Gay Paranormal / Horror:
1-tie) Andrea Speed - Infected, Freefall
Vaughn R. Demont - Coyote's Creed
2) William Holden - Words to Die By
3-tie) Kate McMurray - Across the East River Bridge
J.L. Merrow - Midnight in Berlin

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Link: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1818694.html

Best Lesbian Paranormal / Horror:
1) Catt Kingsgrave - One Saved to the Sea
2-tie) Radclyffe & Stacia Seaman - Women of the Dark Streets
Rebekah Weatherspoon - Better Off Red
3-tie) Cate Culpepper - A Question of Ghosts
Nell Stark & Trinity Tam – Sunfall

Link: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1819035.html

The William Neale Award for Best Gay Romance:
1) Amy Lane – Sidecar
2) Jeremy Pack - To Touch the Stars
3-tie) Rick R. Reed – Caregiver
J.L. Merrow - Hard Tail
A.B. Gayle - Red+Blue

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Link: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1819387.html

Best Lesbian Romance:
1) Ronica Black – Wholehearted
2) Gun Brooke - Speed Demons
3) Rachel Spangler – LoveLife

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Link: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1819476.html

Best Bisexual/Transgender Sci-Fi / Fantasy:
1) Aleksandr Voinov – Incursion
2) Michelle Moore & Reesa Herberth - The Slipstream Con
3-tie) Rae Gee - Mars on the Rise
Belinda McBride - The Bacchi

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Link: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1819891.html

Best Gay Sci-Fi / Fantasy:
1) Marie Sexton - Blind Space
2) Cari Z. - Changing Worlds
3) Chris Quinton – Paradox

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Link: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1819913.html

Best Lesbian Sci-Fi / Fantasy:
1) Erica Lawson – Soulwalker
2) Gun Brooke - Pirate's Fortune
3) Q. Kelly – Third

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Link: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1820224.html

Best LGBT Young Adult / Coming of Age:
1) Hayden Thorne - Renfred's Masquerade
2) K.Z. Snow - The Zero Knot
3) Jeff Erno - Another Dumb Jock

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Link: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1820591.html

Best Bisexual/Transgender Debut Novel/Book:
1-tie) Luke Hartwell - Atom Heart John Beloved
Michelle Moore & Reesa Herberth - The Slipstream Con
2) Beth Burnett - Man Enough
3) Rae Gee - Mars on the Rise

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Link: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1820854.html

Best Gay Debut Novel/Book:
1) Ken O'Neill - The Marrying Kind
2) Jack Scott - Perking the Pansies
3) J.H. Trumble - Don't Let Me Go

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Link: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1821053.html

Best Lesbian Debut Novel/Book:
1) Rebekah Weatherspoon - Better Off Red
2) Robin Silverman - Lemon Reef
3-tie) Yvonne Heidt - Sometime Yesterday
Kathleen Knowles - Awake Unto Me

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Link: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1821208.html

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Link: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1821640.html

Best Bisexual/Transgender Novel/Book:
1) Aleksandr Voinov – Incursion
2-tie) Luke Hartwell - Atom Heart John Beloved
Michelle Moore & Reesa Herberth - The Slipstream Con
3-tie) Giselle Renarde - The Red Satin Collection
Clancy Nacht & Thursday Euclid - Le Jazz Hot

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Link: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1821864.html

Best Gay Novel/Book:
1) Wayne Hoffman - Sweet Like Sugar
2) Amy Lane – Sidecar
3-tie) Jeremy Pack - To Touch the Stars
Dirk Vanden - It Was Too Soon Before

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Link: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1822204.html

Best Lesbian Novel/Book:
1) Ronica Black – Wholehearted
2) J.M. Redmann - Ill Will
3) A.C. Henley - McKee, Unabridged

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Link: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1822329.html

This journal is friends only. This entry was originally posted at http://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org/3376168.html. If you are not friends on this journal, Please comment there using OpenID.

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This journal is friends only. This entry was originally posted at http://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org/3368612.html. If you are not friends on this journal, Please comment there using OpenID.

World AIDS Day, observed on 1 December every year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. Government and health officials observe the day, often with speeches or forums on the AIDS topics. Since 1995, the President of the United States has made an official proclamation on World AIDS Day. Governments of other nations have followed suit and issued similar announcements.

http://www.worldaidsday.org/

As Sam J. Miller beautifully says in his essay about Michael Grumley for The Lost Library:

AIDS did not just kill the brilliant writers and artists whose names we know. AIDS also killed the literary agents and the editors and the publicists and the audiences that nurtured and supported those artists, and in the process an overwhelming amount of art and talent has been lost.

I want to remember all of them, remembering some of them (you can find link to their specific posts here: http://pinterest.com/elisareviews/we-shall-not-forget/), very few in comparison to the million of people we lost (AIDS has killed more than 25 million people between 1981 and 2007):

Casey Donovan (November 2, 1943 – August 10, 1987) was an American male pornographic actor of the 1970s and 1980s, appearing primarily in adult films and videos catering to gay male audiences.

Steven Arnold (1943–1994) was a California-based multi-media artist, spiritualist, gender bender and protegee of Salvador Dalí. His work consisted of drawings, paintings, rock and film poster art, makeup design, costume design, set design, photography and film.

Roy Marcus Cohn (February 20, 1927 – August 2, 1986) was an American attorney who became famous during Senator Joseph McCarthy's investigations into Communist activity in the United States during the Second Red Scare. Cohn gained special prominence during the Army–McCarthy hearings. He was also an important member of the U.S. Department of Justice's prosecution team at the espionage trials of Soviet spies Julius and Ethel Rosenberg.

Pierre Menard was a violinist with the Vermeer Quartet based at Northern Illinois University, where he was also a professor of music.A violinist and founding member of the Vermeer Quartet, he died on August 3, 1994, at his home in Warren, Me. He was 53. The cause was AIDS, said his companion, John Ladley.

Gordon Hoban (born August 4, 1941, Faribault MN, USA, died of AIDS on April 10, 1993, Kakuihaele, Hawaii) was an American writer, a dramatist who wrote porno and S works. His books include "Adventures of a High School Hunk," 1990, "The Marine Olaf," 1990, and "Runaway."

Christopher Gillis (February 26, 1951 in Montreal – August 7, 1993 in New York City), a choreographer and a longtime leading dancer with the Paul Taylor Dance Company, died on August 7, 1993, at his home in Manhattan. He was 42.

Jack Brusca was a painter who was also a set and costume designer for ballet, including work performed by the Alvin Ailey Company.

Stephen Gendin (February 20, 1966 – July 19, 2000) was a prominent AIDS activist, involved with ACT UP, ActUp/RI, Sex Panic!, Community Prescription Service, POZ Magazine, and the Radical Faeries. Gendin was raised in Ypsilanti, Michigan, where he was an Eagle Scout. He attended Brown University, where he learned that he was HIV positive as a first-year student in 1985.

David Wojnarowicz (September 14, 1954 – July 22, 1992) was a painter, photographer, writer, filmmaker, performance artist, and activist who was prominent in the New York City art world of the 1980s.

William "B.J." Turner was a stage actor. He won a Drama-Logue Award for his portrayal of Lady Bracknell in "The Importance of Being Earnest" and an LA Weekly Award for his panto of "Rumpelstiltskin."

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Continue: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1814594.html

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And the Rainbow Award goes to:




1) Ink (Anne Cain)


2) Dark Soul 1 (Jordan Taylor)


3-tie) Dragon Tamer (Shobana Appavu)


Speechless (Anne Cain)

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This journal is friends only. This entry was originally posted at http://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org/3368927.html. If you are not friends on this journal, Please comment there using OpenID.

And the Rainbow Award goes to:



1) Wayne Hoffman - Sweet Like Sugar (Double )

An exceedingly very good novel which had me trapped in its pages from the start and all I wanted to do was follow it along. Strange, because nothing really happens, just an old Jew collapsing on the young gay’s couch and the young man seems to be trapped by the old man’s voice and actions. Very few novels hold me as this one did; an exquisite writing job. My hat goes off to the author, “Shalom, very well done, indeed!” –Mick

A great character driven novel; Sweet Like Sugar explores the idea that love, lust, and spiritual enlightenment don’t have to be mutually exclusive. My compliments to Mr. Hoffman, and his publisher; we need more books like this one. --Tim

Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Kensington; 1 Original edition (August 30, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 075826562X
ISBN-13: 978-0758265623
Amazon: Sweet Like Sugar

In Yiddish, there is a word for it: bashert - the person you are fated to meet. Twenty something Benji Steiner views the concept with scepticism. But the elderly rabbi who stumbles into Benji's office one day has no such doubts. Jacob Zuckerman's late wife, Sophie, was his bashert. And now that she's gone, Rabbi Zuckerman grapples with overwhelming grief and loneliness. Touched by the rabbi's plight, Benji becomes his helper - driving him home after work, sitting in his living room listening to stories. Their friendship baffles everyone, especially Benji's sharp-tongued, modestly observant mother. But Benji is rediscovering something he didn't know he'd lost. Yet the test of friendship, and of both men's faith, lies in the difficult truths they come to share. With each revelation, Benji learns what it means not just to be Jewish, but to be fully human - imperfect, striving, and searching for the pieces of ourselves that come only through another's acceptance.

2) Ken O'Neill - The Marrying Kind

A sweet and yet often emotionally charged story that is very topical (in the US), this novel really pulled me in. I couldn't read the book fast enough and when done almost wanted to start over again. –Kathy

I thought the New York setting was well used. You didn't really get a feel for the big city, so much as you got an insider's view of living there. I liked that. A comfortable book that you can pick up anywhere at any time and get right back into it. I liked the message it gave and there was a perspective there that was new to me. –Kirsten

Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books (June 5, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1602826706
ISBN-13: 978-1602826700
Amazon: The Marrying Kind

Wedding planner Adam More has an epiphany: He has devoted all his life’s energy to creating events that he and his partner Steven are forbidden by federal law for having for themselves. So Adam decides to make a change. Organizing a boycott of the wedding industry, Steven and Adam call on gay organists, hairdressers, cater-waiters, priests, and hairdressers everywhere to get out of the business and to stop going to weddings, too. In this screwball, romantic comedy both the movement they’ve begun and their relationship are put in jeopardy when Steven’s brother proposes to Adam’s sister and they must decide whether they’re attending or sending regrets.

3-tie) Lewis DeSimone - The Heart’s History

The shifting 3d person POV all focusing on each narrator's friendship/love for Edward works beautifully here, with the author providing sympathetic, detailed portraits of man and a subtle timeline of the impact of AIDS over the years. This is one of those books that makes it a joy to be a reader for the Awards, as I doubt I would have discovered it otherwise. –Melissa

Paperback: 308 pages
Publisher: Lethe Press (May 5, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1590213424
ISBN-13: 978-1590213421
Amazon: The Heart's History

This is Edward architect, friend, lover, mystery. Everyone has their own Edward a kaleidoscope of images struggling to define a man who has never let anyone get too close. But now, Edward is dying, and all of his loved ones are desperate to understand him, to connect fully with him, before it's too late. In this beautiful and haunting novel, Lewis DeSimone, author of the acclaimed Chemistry, explores the hidden depths of love, the struggle to maintain a balance between connection and individuality. Edward's illness is set against the backdrop of a sea change in gay culture, a time when AIDS is assumed to be simply a manageable condition, and when the drive for assimilation through marriage, or the military has begun to trump the distinct characteristics that were once a source of pride. Deftly shifting perspectives to paint a compelling portrait of a man and a community on the cusp of a critical transition, The Heart's History gives hope that, despite the impossibility of ever achieving true oneness with another person, it is the attempt itself that gives life its greatest joy.

Brandon Shire - Listening To Dust ()

This was a great story. It was very intense and also sad. I really wish it would have been longer. –Verena
Top marks for an amazing emotional story. I didn't stop crying throughout the whole story. This was a finely drawn tale excellently written, with flawed real characters that wrap at your heartstrings. –Sue

Paperback: 142 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (March 21, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1470181290
ISBN-13: 978-1470181291
Amazon: Listening To Dust

Murder touched Stephen Dobbins when he was a young boy and left him living in a void of aching loneliness. A chance meeting with a young American chased away the fear that he would always be alone and brought him the prospect of a new existence. Dustin Earl joined the military and escaped his small town Southern upbringing with the hope that he could give his mentally challenged brother a better life. But Dustin had never known real love, an honest hug, or a simple kiss. He considered his sexuality a weakness; a threat that had been used against those he cared about. For eight months their relationship blossomed until Dustin suddenly returned home. He cherished Stephen, but felt his responsibilities to his brother outweighed his own chance at happiness. Shattered, unable to function and unwilling to accept Dustin’s departure, Stephen flew three thousand miles to get Dustin back and rekindle what they had. But what he would learn when he got there… he could never have imagined.

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And the Rainbow Award goes to:



1) sbr martin – pig

This was an incredible book. The ending was a surprise that left me in complete shock. It made me reflect on my life and that is something that not many books can do! –Mitzie

Paperback: 286 pages
Publisher: The Artists' Orchard, LLC (August 7, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0985701420
ISBN-13: 978-0985701420
Amazon: pig

A troubled woman sits alone on a couch in a crowded funeral home, in wake of her husband's "accident." In her right hand, she holds a scrap of paper she refuses to reveal, and, in her heart, she holds a lot of secrets, including a big one she's keeping from herself. As the familiar faces of funeral home patrons stir in her a lifetime of memories, her story and her secrets unravel in a narrative of domestic abuse, sexuality, reflection, and loss. What does it take for a troubled woman to finally let go? How did her husband get in that box? And what is she holding in her hand? Step into Lily's past to answer the present questions. But don't expect to be pleased with everything you learn. Some stories just aren't meant to have happy endings.

2) Ann McMan – Sidecar

This collection was a pleasure to read; each with intelligent and fully developed characters, funny and witty dialogue, and a compelling storyline. Simply enjoyable. Well done. –Julie W.

Paperback: 216 pages
Publisher: Bedazzled Ink Publishing Company (June 2, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1934452769
ISBN-13: 978-1934452769
Amazon: Sidecar

A fast, funny, and wholly satisfying compilation of short stories filled with the same rich detail, witty humor, jagged verbal jousting, and joyous intellectual tête-à-tête that are Ann McMan's calling cards. Reconnect with Syd, Maddie, and the Jericho gang in "V1: A Valentine's Day Odyssey," as a sweet and simple gesture of love ignites a conflagration that could destroy friends, lovers, and a professional-grade mixer named Gloria. Meet Kate Winston, Shawn Harris, and the best, brightest, and most uniquely "gifted" personalities in contemporary lesfic, in the all-new novella, Bottle Rocket. Grace and Abbie screw up the courage to let themselves go for one magical night-only to find that the Fates are cheeky little bitches with a wicked sense of humor in "Falling from Grace." Take flight with Poe's celebrated raven in "Nevermore!" as two improbable coworkers, Diz and Clarissa, find friendship and maybe a bit more in a comic holiday romp set to the dulcet tones of Enya. Features a foreword by The Rainbow Reader's Salem West. Sidecar carries a bounty of fun, a bit of pathos, and a few fine wine recommendations.

3) Q. Kelly – Waiting

Wow, this one really took me by surprise. The concept seemed as if it might be a bit strained, and the pacing was definitely slow, but this was a beautiful read that really made me care about the characters. Very easy to relate to . . . and to get lost in. –Sally

Paperback: 156 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace (October 14, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1466409681
ISBN-13: 978-1466409682
Amazon: Waiting

Caris Ismay, 30, is falling in love with a woman she dares not pursue, and at exactly the wrong time. Caris knew that life after having her baby would be different, especially since her wife did not love her anymore. But Caris never expected post-baby life to be this difficult. Dale, her wife of three years, is in a coma that turns into a vegetative state. Lena, Dale's 29-year-old daughter, is put in the awkward position of revealing Dale's secrets to Caris. Caris and Lena share a perfect, passionate kiss that they cannot stop thinking about. Plus, they can help each other in ways no one else can. They try to build a friendship, but their growing attraction gets in the way. Can Caris and Lena move past the taboo of their attraction and find their path together?

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And the Rainbow Award goes to:



1-tie) Giselle Renarde - The Red Satin Collection ()

The lesbian and trans were the most important characters but when the drunken father started talking about the Cree Indian spirit world it brought the entire novel into focus, that you had say, “Ah hah!” –Mick

Paperback: 328 pages
Publisher: loveyoudivine Alterotica (November 28, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1600546382
ISBN-13: 978-1600546389
Amazon: The Red Satin Collection

When coming home means coming out. The Red Satin Collection brings together all three transgender lesbian romance stories in Giselle Renarde’s erotic holiday trilogy. Red Satin, The Night Before Red Satin Christmas and Red Satin Christmas all previously published as individual eBooks by loveyoudivine Alterotica. In Red Satin, mall magic inspires love and soon lust in the hearts of Regan and her transgender friend Maisie. Maisie’s family hasn’t seen her since she began her transition from male to female—not until she and Regan head home for the holidays in The Night Before Red Satin Christmas. Regan figures she’s just along for the ride, lending her girlfriend support, until Maisie’s mother surprises her with a special dinner guest in Red Satin Christmas. Regan hasn’t spoken to her hard-drinking Cree father in years. Can she finally trust the man who’s once again claimed to have changed for good? Together, Regan and Maisie face drama only Christmas can create. How will their well-meaning families impact their blossoming relationship?

Clancy Nacht & Thursday Euclid - Le Jazz Hot ()

Because this story sucked me in so much I thought like was right there in the rooms with them. It made me laugh and in parts brought tears to my eyes… this was just an excellent book and I will definitely looking for more of their work. –Norma

I really liked this. I have a soft spot for boys discovering the joys of gay love, and another for drag queens who live their role. Sure, it was a bit far-fetched, but the boys were hot and the story turned out to be very romantic. I would definitely read more about Julia(n). –Candace

Paperback: 230 pages
Publisher: Loose Id, LLC (March 26, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 161118391X
ISBN-13: 978-1611183917
Amazon: Le Jazz Hot

Handsome Julian Larson is a talented singer and dancer who performs in drag to make ends meet. So when his best friend needs a burlesque act at the last minute for a fireman's birthday party, he calls Julian. There, Julian dances for the birthday boy, Trent Fitzgerald; a too-good-to-be-true heartthrob who is too nice to keep a woman in his life. Falling hard for the leggy, blond singer--but believing that she's a woman named Julia--Trent tracks Julian down to his apartment where Julian poses as "Julia's" twin in a desperate, doomed ploy to win over the sexy firefighter. When Trent inevitably uncovers the truth, will it mean the end of Julian's chances or a brand new opportunity?

2) Aleksandr Voinov & Amy Lane - Country Mouse

These 2 authors work very well together. London seemed to come alive at certain moments. Both main characters were complex and a joy to read about, especially Malcolm. –April O.

Publisher: Riptide Publishing (April 21, 2012)
Amazon Kindle: Country Mouse

Owen may be a bit of a country mouse, but he’s loving his vacation in London. After a long day playing tourist, he’s on the hunt for some cheap beer and a good burger. Instead he finds a man hunting him, an arrogant prick with only one thing on the brain: the kind of meat that doesn’t come on a bun. Eighty-hour weeks at a trading desk don’t leave Malcolm Kavanagh much time for meaningful relationships. Besides, in his world, everything’s a competition—even sex. When his newest one-night-sub fails to show, Malcolm sets his sights on the pretty young Yank on the bar stool beside him. Owen’s all for an adventure with a native, but he’s not the pushover Malcolm thinks he is, and Malcolm’s not as shallow as he tries to be. They both soon learn that nothing's too intimate to share with a stranger, and the strangest things happen when two people share the most important pieces of their hearts

3) Darcy Abriel – Silver

Every time you think the story has reached its height, every time you figure the sexual innovations have reached their peak, Darcy insists on taking you a bit farther. And, just when you think you've figured out where the story is going, Darcy exposes a few satisfying twists that force yet another compromise - this time, with the your expectations. –Sally

Very interesting story. Loved the characters, especially Silver. –Tammy

Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Samhain Publishing; Reprint edition (November 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1609283120
ISBN-13: 978-1609283124
Amazon: Silver: Humanotica, Book 1

Born to freedom. Molded into submission. Pleasure is her only weapon. No matter what the law decrees, Entreus is no one’s chattel. And he’s determined that no other humanotic—part human, part robot—spends one more second under the stranglehold of the power-mad government machine. That means doing whatever it takes to advance the cause for freedom. Even seduce a government minister’s favorite toy, a newly minted trinex named Silver. Silver was a free woman until she committed the ultimate sin—pretending to be male to gain entrance to an exclusive science academy. Her punishment: modification. Now she is equal parts female, male and machine. The property of the secretive, charismatic Lel Kesselbaum, whose appetites push her new sexual abilities to heights of pleasure that make her wonder who is master, who is slave. Until Entreus bargains his body in exchange for a secret meeting that rekindles her longing for freedom. Yet helping the fiery revolutionary execute his plan isn’t so simple, especially when she discovers her master’s secret—a secret that leaves her heart torn between two men. And one step in the wrong direction could mean death for them all.

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And the Rainbow Award goes to:



1) Abigail Roux - Stars and Stripes

This was the sixth book in the Cut & Run Series; which does a very nice job advancing the development of the relationship between the two main characters as well as their relationships with their respective families as their relationship is revealed. –Linda E.

This is the first novel by this author that I have read. I just bought the first one in this series. I loved this novel and look forward to beginning this series off the proper way. From the start. –April O.

Paperback: 292 pages
Publisher: Riptide Publishing (August 13, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 193755158X
ISBN-13: 978-1937551582
Amazon: Stars & Stripes: Cut & Run, #6

Special Agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett have managed the impossible: a few months of peace and quiet. After nearly a year of personal and professional turmoil, they're living together conflict-free, work is going smoothly, and they're both happy, healthy, and home every night before dark. But anyone who knows them knows that can’t possibly last. When an emergency call from home upsets the balance of their carefully arranged world, Ty and Zane must juggle family drama with a perplexing crime to save a helpless victim before time runs out. From the mountains of West Virginia to a remote Texas horse ranch harboring more than just livestock and childhood memories, Ty and Zane must face their fears—and their families—to overcome an unlikely enemy and bring peace back into their newly shared world.

2) L.A. Witt - Where There's Smoke

I really enjoyed this - tension was high pretty much throughout, ending was realistic. Smoothly written, good voice. –Aleksandr

I liked this book. Raw and interesting with current themes to associate with. Each revelation of Jesse and Simone, individually as well as a couple, had me surprised. I rarely find a book I cannot predict, but this one had enough twists and turns to keep me interested the entire read. Great characters! Ms. Witt has a flawless style. It’s fluid and fun. –Alisha

Publisher: Loose Id LLC (February 20, 2012)
Amazon Kindle: Where There's Smoke

Anthony Hunter wonders what the hell he’s gotten himself into when he agrees to manage an unproven candidate’s campaign for governor of California. As soon as he meets the gorgeous, charismatic—and married—politician, attraction gives Anthony’s rock-solid professionalism a run for its money, and Anthony knows he’s in way over his head. Jesse Cameron doesn’t like the idea of putting himself out there as a happily married, wholesome candidate, but his retired senator uncle insists it’ll give him an edge over a challenging rival. The only problem is that Jesse’s marriage is over, existing only to maintain his heterosexual façade. Oh, and there’s that minor detail about his undeniable attraction to his smoking hot campaign manager. Or the fact that the attraction is very, very mutual. Before long, temptation explodes into a sizzling, secret relationship, but under the microscope of the media and the relentless scrutiny of the voting public, Anthony and Jesse can only keep their secret for so long. And this is one scandal a campaign won’t survive...

3) Freddy MacKay – Incubation ()

A HFN novel (2nd in a series) involving a older gay college student who's lost so much, hurt physically, mentally, and emotionally, and is given a second chance to have a true family, if he can survive the real-life demons still hounding his very steps. Does involve MM & MF interactions and discussion of rape. –Tame

It was a bit too long, but I couldn’t put it down! –Stacia

Paperback: 514 pages
Publisher: Silver Publishing (August 6, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1614957398
ISBN-13: 978-1614957393
Amazon: Incubation (Finding Peace #2)

David McCourt's makeshift family moves in together and forms a protective cocoon around him. But they don't know David's whole story, and he finds the constant noise a distraction instead of a help. Bobby, Chris, and Austin want to help David however possible--but he needs to open up. Jackson crossed a line he never thought he would. He wants to take a chance with David, even if his dreams of a normal life are firmly rooted with Alyssa. The group has the makings of a rag tag family, but secrets--old and new--threaten their fragile bond. The community takes sides and David ends up where he doesn't want to be: the center of everything.

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And the Rainbow Award goes to:



1) Meghan O'Brien - The Night Off ()

Hot, steamy fun. –Debra

Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books (July 17, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1602826730
ISBN-13: 978-1602826731
Amazon: The Night Off

Emily Parker has a busy life over which she maintains iron-clad control. Raised by drug-addicted parents, she’s used to taking care of the people around her, to the exclusion of her own needs. But not tonight. After years of celibacy, she’s ready to pay for exactly what she wants: to surrender control, by having it taken away. Having worked as a high-priced escort for years, Nat Swayne not only enjoys her job—she’s damn good at it. Dangerously sexy, she knows precisely how to fulfill the fantasies of women who enjoy her special brand of make-believe—all without ever becoming emotionally involved. When their night of intense play turns into something more, Emily and Nat can’t help but pursue a connection in the real world. Unfortunately, old habits die hard, and love isn’t always enough. Or is it?

2) Rebekah Weatherspoon - The Fling ()

I enjoyed this story and the way that Rebekah Weatherspoon didn't over-use drama. I really liked the growth shown by Annie Collins; she worked to be the best person she could be for Oksana Gorinkov. I loved Oksana's grandmother and younger sister; they added a lot of personality and charm to the story. Very nicely done! –Kathy

Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books (April 17, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1602826560
ISBN-13: 978-1602826564
Amazon: The Fling

Three months before her wedding to her post-college sweetheart, reality show producer Annie Collins finally acknowledges her dormant desires. Wrapped in the arms of another woman—her trainer, Oksana Gorinkov—Annie experiences a physical heat she never knew existed. Soon the one-night stand meant to be her final farewell to the single life stretches into a consuming month-long affair, the genuine intensity of which neither woman can ignore. Annie sees where her heart belongs, and though the objections from her family and friends and the scars from Oksana’s ex threaten to drive them back to their respective sides of Los Angeles, Annie knows she must fight for this relationship, a real love worth much more than any fantasy she’s ever dreamed up.

3) L.T. Marie - Three Days

Absolute gem of a story. I don't read much lesbian fiction, but this author will be an auto-buy for me. Scorching hot love scenes, well-rounded complex heroines and crisp pace. –Annabeth

Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books (October 18, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1602825696
ISBN-13: 978-1602825697
Amazon: Three Days

Dakota Riley is not looking forward to the next three days in Vegas. Her best friend Riann is getting married there, but Dakota doesn’t like the heat or the fact that she is going to be spending three days with twenty women she can’t stand. All she wants is a little free time and a warm body to fill her bed, that is until her world is upended by the introduction of her best friend’s cousin, the mysterious Shawn Camello. Shawn Camello has been invited to her cousin Riann’s bachelorette party at the last minute. She is reluctant to go but is persuaded by Riann in the hope that they can become reacquainted after not seeing each other for twenty-five years. The moment she meets the sexy, determined Dakota Riley, she tries avoiding her at every turn. The problem is, everywhere she looks, Dakota is there, and she’s becoming harder and harder to resist. In a town like Vegas where anything can happen, Shawn and Dakota find that the stakes are love at all costs, and it’s a gamble neither can afford to lose.

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And the Rainbow Award goes to:



1) J.P. Beausejour - Buccaneer Island ()

As erotica this book is flipping BRILLIANT. Oh my gosh good. Yeah. It's all that and a bag of chips. This piece had everything an erotica book should have, and was a treat to read. –Cherie

Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books (April 17, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1602826587
ISBN-13: 978-1602826588
Amazon: Buccaneer Island

At the age of nineteen, Sir Edmund, third son of an English earl, discovers a taste for spanking, submission, and dominant men. Caught on his knees in his father's stables, his backside marked by the whip and his lips around a stable hand's member, he is banished to Louisiana, to pursue the sugar planter's trade. Shipwrecked and marooned on a Caribbean island, he falls under the spell of Matthew, a common seafaring man and sometime pirate. Alone on a desert beach with the handsome giant, Edmund learns to accept Matthew's dominance, and soon finds himself falling in love. He begins his transformation into his rescuer's devoted wife, but when he learns Matthew plans to betray his trust with the Creole witch and brothel keeper Mistress Reid, he escapes into the jungle, and into a world of lust and adventure among the wild buccaneers.

2-tie) Rachel Haimowitz & Cat Grant - Power Play Awakening

I enjoyed the book a lot. I am glad that it wasn't very graphic, and the authors didn't choose to have the characters humiliated for shock value. That their journey was loving and what each needed. –Mariana

Paperback: 262 pages
Publisher: Riptide Publishing (June 11, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 193755144X
ISBN-13: 978-1937551445
Amazon: Power Play: Awakening (Volume 2)

Give me six months, and I'll give you the world. Brandon McKinney is a man reborn. Newly awakened to the notion of consensual power exchange and the submissive urges inside him, he begs for a second chance from the man who opened his eyes to this world: Silicon Valley superstar Jonathan Watkins. But no birth is absent pain, and Brandon’s is no exception. He fears he’s not strong enough to see it through. Jonathan knows better. He’s seen the iron core inside his new submissive, and the wounded heart inside him too. He means to teach Brandon to heal the one with the other. They have five months left on their contract, after all, and Jonathan has done more with less before. It’s tough to stay objective, though, when you’re falling in love. Shame Brandon doesn’t feel the same. He’s only there for the three-million-dollar payout at contract’s end—a fact that Jonathan, nursing his own wounded heart, reminds himself of each day. For even as Brandon’s barriers break and his mind expands, even as he grows to love his place at Jonathan’s feet, he’ll never love life with a sadist—especially one who cannot escape the public eye.

Jerry L. Wheeler - Riding the Rails

An evocative collection of well-written-- and hot-- stories about sex on trains. –Alan

Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books (December 20, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1602825866
ISBN-13: 978-1602825864
Amazon: Riding the Rails: Locomotive Lust and Carnal Cabooses

Some of the hottest writers of gay erotica spin tales of Riding the Rails. Trains are so romantic. The clock fades from your mind as the country spreads out before you. Forget catching up on your reading—you have scenery to inspire you and time for an innocent flirtation or two. Or ten. Maybe not so innocent and more than a flirtation. It could be the guy in the cargo shorts across the aisle, sleeping with his legs just far enough apart. It could be the blond in the tight muscle shirt and baggy sweatpants heading for the bathroom. It could even be the handsome stranger sitting opposite you who chats you up and invites you to the dining car with yet another invitation in his eyes. This train will take you places you never dreamed of going.

3) Jeff Mann - Desire and Devour

An entertaining and very sexual story. I liked Derek more in the beginning than the end. Jeff Mann is a very gifted writer. He got me interested in this vampire, when I've become tired of vampires. I would definitely read another Jeff Mann book, as he was good at keeping my interest. –Mariana

Paperback: 202 pages
Publisher: Bear Bones Books (August 25, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1590213939
ISBN-13: 978-1590213933
Amazon: Desire & Devour: Stories of Blood & Sweat

Desire. The longing for the touch of men. The edge of hunger. The need for supplicants craving a sweaty embrace, a passionate tryst in the dark. Devour. To drink, to dispatch, to swallow. To quench one's unimaginable thirst. To leave an empty vessel behind as one walks away into the night. More than a hundred and fifty years before Dracula ever touched English soil, Scottish Highlander Derek Maclaine became one of the undead to bring a terrible vengeance on those who had taken the man he loved. But revenge could not sate his appetites for sweat and blood through the years; an immortal learns to survive, to love again, as the lives of mortals are bright and brief flames that attract vampires like amorous moths. Award-winning author Jeff Mann has collected his erotic and powerful stories of Derek's unlife, adventures that travel centuries and the globe. Loosen your collar, bare your throat, sigh in expectation, but do not forget to shiver as this burly and brawny stalker of men steps behind you, to brush his beard against your neck as his hands grasp you where you most need to be touched.

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And the Rainbow Award goes to:



1) Jeff Mann – Purgatory (Double )

Mann does write lovely passages - this sits uneasily when it's torture he's writing about, it feels gratuitous in parts to the point of revelry, and the slow burn and self-discovery is what does work for this story very well. –Michelle

I truly loved every bit of this novel, the whole damn book. Brilliant. –Miria

Paperback: 286 pages
Publisher: Bear Bones Books (March 5, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1590213750
ISBN-13: 978-1590213759
Amazon: Purgatory: A Novel of the Civil War

During the Civil War, two young soldiers on opposite sides find themselves drawn together. One is a war-weary but scholarly Southerner who has seen too much bloodshed, especially the tortures inflicted upon the enemy by his vicious commanding officer, his uncle. The other is a Herculean Yankee captured by the rag-tag Confederate band and forced to become a martyr for all the sins of General Sheridan's fires. When these two find themselves admiring more than one another's spirit and demeanor, when passions erupt between captor and captive, will this new romance survive the arduous trek to Purgatory Mountain?

2) Charlie Cochrane - Home Fires Burning

Both stories were well-written and very enjoyable. The author brought two separate historical times to life and intrigued and entertained. I will definitely be looking for more from Charlie Cochrane. –Kathy

Paperback: 198 pages
Publisher: Cheyenne Publishing (September 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 098282677X
ISBN-13: 978-0982826775
Amazon: Home Fires Burning

Two stories, two couples, two eras, timeless emotions. "This Ground Which Was Secured At Great Expense" It is 1914 and The Great War is underway. When the call to arms comes, Nicholas Southwell won't be found hanging back. It's a pity he can't be so decisive when it comes to letting his estate manager Paul Haskell know what he feels before he has to leave for the front line. In the trenches Nicholas meets a fellow officer, Phillip Taylor, who takes him into the unclaimed territory of physical love. Which one will he choose, if he's allowed the choice? "The Case of the Overprotective Ass" Stars of the silver screen Alasdair Hamilton and Toby Bowe are wowing the post WWII audiences with their depictions of Holmes and Watson. When they are asked by a friend to investigate a mysterious disappearance, they jump at the chance-surely detection can't be that hard? But a series of threatening letters-and an unwanted suitor-make real life very different from the movies. Charlie Cochrane, author of the delightful Cambridge Fellows series, brings her familiar romantic, roguish style to the two novellas that together are "Home Fires Burning."

3) KevaD - Whistle Pass

Loved this story! Engaging, well-written, and with fully developed characters I wanted to root for. One of my favorites. –Pamela T.

Paperback: 210 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (February 27, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1613723768
ISBN-13: 978-1613723760
Amazon: Whistle Pass

On the battlefields of WWII Europe, Charlie Harris fell in love, and after the war, Roger marched home without a glance back. Ten years later, Charlie receives a cryptic summons and quickly departs for his former lover's hometown of Whistle Pass. But Roger Black isn't the lover of Charlie's dreams anymore. He's a married, hard-bitten political schemer who wants to secure his future by destroying evidence of his indiscreet past. Open homosexuality is practically a death sentence, and that photo would ruin Roger and all his wife's nefarious plans. Caught up in foggy, tangled events, Charlie turns to hotel manager Gabe Kasper for help, and Gabe is intrigued by the haunted soldier who so desperately desires peace. When helping his new lover places Gabe in danger, the old warrior in Charlie will have to take drastic action to protect him... or condemn them both.

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And the Rainbow Award goes to:



1) Justine Saracen - Tyger Tyger, Burning Bright

Covering eleven years in world history many would prefer to forget; Saracen masterfully tells the story of love and friendship able to withstand the horrors, tragedy and loss of this terrible time. Well done! –Julie W.

Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books (March 13, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1602826528
ISBN-13: 978-1602826526
Amazon: Tyger, Tyger, Burning Bright

Twelve years of terror end with a world in flames. Behind filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl’s stirring footage of a million joyous patriots, the horror of Nazi Germany slowly unfolds. It engulfs Katja Sommer, a “good German” with dangerous desires; Frederica Brandt, a traitor to her homeland; Rudi Lamm, a homosexual camp survivor and forced soldier for Hitler; and Peter Arnhelm, a half-Jewish smuggler on the run. Under the scrutiny of the familiar monsters of the Third Reich, their enablers, and their hangers-on, these four struggle for life and for each other. Love does not conquer all, but it’s far better than going to hell alone.

2) Rebecca Buck - The Locket and the Flinklock

Well done historical novel, strong characters and intriguing plot. –Julie W.

Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books (May 8, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1602826641
ISBN-13: 978-1602826649
Amazon: The Locket and the Flintlock

Will the masked outlaw who stole Lucia’s locket also claim her heart? When Miss Lucia Foxe is robbed by a band of shadowy highwaymen, she does not realize this frightening event will change her life forever. Her brave quest to retrieve her stolen locket brings her into close contact with the thieves and their dashing and fearless masked leader, Len Hawkins. But there is more to Len than meets the eye. Beneath the robber’s mask lies a woman who, in her heart, is not really so very different from Lucia. As their unlikely love grows against the backdrop of the poverty and violent protest of Regency England, Lucia learns how much more there is to the world than her upbringing has taught her. Len flirts with death every day, and eventually, an attempt at exacting revenge on her cruel father threatens to snatch her from Lucia’s arms. Will Len survive her encounter with death and avoid the retribution of the agents of justice? And can respectable gentlewoman Lucia love Len enough to sacrifice everything she knows?

3) Paul Alan Fahey - The View from 16 Podwale Street

WWII Poland just before Hitler's invasion. Two ladies, "employer" and "employee", will they escape? –Debra

Publisher: JMS Books LLC (July 8, 2012)
Amazon Kindle: The View from 16 Podwale Street

April 1939. Warsaw, Poland. To the casual observer, the houses on Podwale Street look very much alike. Yet at 16 Podwale, nothing is as it seems. Within, the walls hold many secrets that could destroy the lives of its inhabitants as they witness the city’s ever-mounting tide of Nazism. Wealthy recluse Elwira Malinowska is more an observer than participant in life. In her seclusion at 16 Podwale, she watches the world pass her by. Then Raz Zielinsky comes to work as a housemaid for her father, and Elwira’s life is suddenly divisible by two -- the time before Raz and the time after. Years pass, and the women become lovers. They depend on each other. Elwira is Raz’s protector, and Raz is Elwira’s conduit to the outside world, where people speak of nothing but the continual threat of war with Germany. Elwira, a steadfast Catholic, believes Pope Pius XII will intervene to save Poland from the rumblings of a maniac and an imminent invasion. But when the Pope fails to mediate peace and the political situation worsens, Elwira and Raz plan their escape to freedom. Will their plan succeed? Or is it already too late?

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And the Rainbow Award goes to:



1) Elliott Mackle - Only Make Believe ()

Many characters had a tension throughout, the somewhat homo son, the underage daughter having sex with an older male, the two cops, they all fit together in an underhanded way. They may have not been perfect characters they were ideal for this story. Had me from the start and carried me to the end. Bravo! –Mick

Really enjoyed the book. The setting, early 1950s, was outstanding, the author’s knowledge of WWII and Korean War history, as well as the military hierarchy was also outstanding. The murder/mystery plot was solid. The book was well-written, well-edited and a pleasure to read. –Shira

Paperback: 178 pages
Publisher: Lethe Press (August 15, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1590212924
ISBN-13: 978-1590212929
Amazon: Only Make Believe

It's amateur night at the ultra-private, members-only Caloosa Club on the Fort Myers, Florida, riverfront. Trouble begins when the fat lady sings. Her triumph is sweet. But, only hours later, the diva lies near death in a hotel room upstairs, the victim of a vicious beating. Hotel manager Dan Ewing and his sidekick, Lee County Detective Bud Wright, soon discover that this was no lady and that a variety of unsavory characters hoped to dance on the dead diva's grave. In Southwest Florida in January 1951, almost anyone who wanted to have a little illicit fun put his--or her--life on the line. Dan, a World War II veteran who survived Japanese torpedoes, five days on a life raft and the death of his Navy lover, feels he's found more safety and freedom than any gay man might expect. Dealing cards, serving untaxed mixed drinks and selling the services of escorts of both sexes, he acts as if he has nothing to lose. Yet he does. Bud, his secret lover, is a former Marine sergeant twice decorated for valor. Strong and brave but deeply conventional, he lives with the uneasy knowledge that every time he and Dan make love they commit a felony according to the laws he is sworn to uphold. The Caloosa, exposed to the pitiless glare of a front-page homicide investigation, attracts unwanted attention. The mounting pressure, instead of forging a stronger bond between Dan and Bud, threatens to tear them apart. As the jeopardy to both escalates, Dan realizes he may lose the one man who holds the key to the peace and harmony of his postwar world.

2) Drake Braxton – Missing ()

Oh, this one was heartbreaking and yet full of hope. The way the main character coped with the tragic events brought me to tears. And yet I wanted to know what happens next – even if I thought there would be no happy ending, which, fortunately, wasn't the case. –Caroline

I was really surprised by this one. It was different but engaging from start to finish. –Janet S.

Paperback: 216 pages
Publisher: Seventh Window Publications (August 31, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0988231018
ISBN-13: 978-0988231016
Amazon: Missing

While attending a 20th high school reunion in Alabama, Blain Harrington loses the love of his life in the blink of an eye. He soon realizes that everything is not always as it seems as he sets out on a journey for answers. What do you do when the world you thought you knew crumbles around you? How do you piece it back together?

3) Scott Sherman - Second You Sin

Second You Sin has all the makings of a traditional mystery genre novel, but with a uniquely gay twist. The narrative voice is strong, the protagonist is witty, and the intimate moments are hot to say the least. Awesome book. –Tim

Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation; 1 Original edition (September 27, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0758266510
ISBN-13: 978-0758266514
Amazon: Second You Sin (Kevin Connor Mysteries)

Someone is killing New York City's hottest male prostitutes, and it's up to full-time call boy, part-time sleuth Kevin Connor to find out who. With his spectacular boy-next-door looks, quick wit, and ability to role-play even the most outrageous scenarios, Kevin is facing his most challenging position yet--to stop a ruthless killer. As Kevin begins his investigation, there s no shortage of possible suspects or motives. Could the killer be a sadistic head case with a deadly fetish? A high-profile celebrity worried that his biggest secret might get out? Or perhaps it's a right-wing politician, guilty of protesting too much from his pious and unforgiving soapbox. As Kevin gets closer to the truth, he'll find himself trapped in a scandalous web of secrets where the line between victim and predator blurs, and no sin goes unpunished. . .

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And the Rainbow Award goes to:



1) J.M. Redmann - Ill Will ()

Very much enjoyed this one, which is saying a lot because I don't really enjoy mysteries. I had several other books I’d been waiting to read, but I couldn't put this one down. Lovely soft touch and slow burn but still excellent pacing. –Heidi C.

Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books (April 17, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1602826579
ISBN-13: 978-1602826571
Amazon: Ill Will (Micky Knight Mystery)

First, do no harm. But as New Orleans PI Micky Knight discovers, not every health care provider follows that dictum. She stumbles into a tangle of the true believers to the criminally callous, who use the suffering of others for their twisted ends. In a city slowly rebuilding after Katrina, one of the most devastated areas is health care, and the gaps in service are wide enough for the snake oil salesmen—and the snakes themselves—to crawl through. First, her investigation is driven by anger, but then it becomes personal as someone very close to Micky uses her cancer diagnosis to go where Micky cannot, into the heart of the evil where only the ill are allowed. Micky is her only lifeline out. Can Micky save her in time to get to the medical treatment she desperately needs to survive? The seventh Micky Knight mystery.

2) A.C. Henley - McKee, Unabridged

This one was a delight to read. The characters were engaging, the pacing believable, and the plot twists satisfyingly unexpected. I thoroughly enjoyed it. –Cherie

Paperback: 446 pages
Publisher: L-Book ePublisher (September 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1934889644
ISBN-13: 978-1934889640
Amazon: McKee, Unabridged

Private investigator Quinlan McKee has returned to Los Angeles after a three-year absence, only to find herself embroiled in a world of child slavery and police corruption. Chaos ensues as she finds an unlikely ally in a savvy police detective Vivian Walsh, who lives by the letter of the law. Quin unwittingly becomes engulfed in the lives of new friends and old acquaintances during her journey through the seedier sides of two cities, Los Angeles and Chicago. Risking her sanity and her heart, she will search for the truth about a buried past and soon be pulled into a web of deceit and intrigue...putting everything she thought to be true in doubt. Quin searches for her happy ending where the lines blur between good and evil, friend and foe.

3) Trin Denise - She Left Me Breathless

Loved this book. Great angst between the MC's. The author knows how to tell a story and hold the reader's interest! –Tammy

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Ragz Books; 1 edition (April 11, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1908822120
ISBN-13: 978-1908822123
Amazon: She Left Me Breathless

Sydney Welsh is a self-made millionaire. She is successful, confident, and seems to have the world at her feet but something is missing. Her life is a catastrophic mess and the reality of her situation sets in when she arrives home from a business trip and finds her lover in bed with a female executive from her company. She realizes that the only woman she has ever loved was Rachel Ashburn and that ended thirteen years ago when Rachel made a choice, a life-changing choice that did not include Sydney. Sydney knew she could compete with another woman, or even a man for Rachel’s love, but how can anyone compete with God. Now with more money than she knows what to do with, she puts an elaborate plan in motion to bring Rachel back into her life. She tells herself that she is doing it for revenge, and hiring business wiz-kid Caitlyn—Rachel’s nineteen-year-old daughter for an internship with her company is a key part of that plan. She learns that it’s okay to make plans as long as you don’t plan the outcome and when an embezzler is suspected inside her company, she makes several miscalculations and unknowingly puts Rachel and Caitlyn’s lives in danger. As with all best laid plans, things can go wrong and once again, Sydney finds herself falling head over heels in love with Rachel, the only woman who had the power to leave her breathless.

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And the Rainbow Award goes to:



1) Beth Burnett - Man Enough ()

A beautiful understanding thoughtful novel about people trying to live as best they could. Normal everyday people getting out of bed, yawning, scratching themselves and living life as best as they could. Was a perfect novel at that, bravo! No, triple bravo!!! –Mick

Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Amazon Kindle: Man Enough

Things are going well for Davey Carter. She loves her job and she has a comfortable bed. Granted, her love life is non-existent, her pot-smoking mother is wreaking havoc in her apartment, and she is starting to suspect that her lesbian best friend might be secretly in love with her. But none of that matters when Davey meets Danny, a kind, loving, intelligent man who just may be the love of Davey's life. Until it turns out that Danny is harboring a secret of his own.

2) Lauren Gallagher - Who's Your Daddy

An interesting tale that had the potential to be really awkward, like a bad soap opera, but which turned out to be rather sweet and romantic. I can't say I agreed with all of the decisions made, but I really bought into the characters struggles, and appreciated the handling of the situation. –Sally

Paperback: 296 pages
Publisher: Samhain Publishing (July 2, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 161921282X
ISBN-13: 978-1619212824
Amazon: Who's Your Daddy?

Everyone’s bringing baggage to this baby shower… After her divorce, Carmen James is still trying to get back on her feet when fate pulls the rug out from under her. She’s pregnant—and she’s not sure who’s the father. Just one more thing for her impossible-to-please family to worry about. On the bright side, there are only two candidates: her best friend, Donovan, and Isaac. His boyfriend. A little too much wine and the desire to comfort led Donovan and Isaac to a night they both hope Carmen doesn’t regret. When she drops the B-bomb, though, Donovan’s plate, already crowded with a teenage son and a disapproving father, gets fuller. And Isaac, who’s already on the fence about his sexuality, wonders how he’ll handle fatherhood at forty. Above all, both men worry that whatever the answer to the ultimate question—which of them got her pregnant—it will forever alter their longstanding friendship. While they’re waiting, continuing their casual sexual relationship feels natural. But when emotions get involved, the cracks in their logic begin to drive them apart just when they need each other the most.

3-tie) J.M. Snyder - A Cowboy's Heart

A lovely little HEA western romance with a cute cowboy twink and a rather fetching whore with a heart of gold (and a secret). Tommy and Hal are stock characters, but Lila has a nice history, and an interesting role in evolving Tommy's character. The setting is stock, again, but nicely detailed. Overall, the writing was good, if a bit too feminine for such a gritty setting. –Candace

I really enjoyed the story of Lila's search to be who he truly was, inside and out. I would have liked the cowboy to have come to a more stated acceptance of Lila, and not kept calling him Lyle. –Lynn

Paperback: 170 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (April 12, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1475057318
ISBN-13: 978-1475057317
Amazon: A Cowboy's Heart

Ranch hand Tommy Prout thinks he's in love ... with his boss, Hal Bolstrum. Problem is, Hal's engaged to be married to the ranch owner's daughter and, though he knows of Tommy's crush, he sees it as nothing more than harmless affection. When payday rolls around and the other cowboys want to ride into town to check out the girls at the Wildhorse saloon, Tommy tags along to throw off any suspicion anyone might have about his feelings for his boss. He sure as hell doesn't want to spend his money on any of the soiled doves the town has to offer. At the bar he meets Lila, an enterprising young working girl who takes a liking to him. When Tommy says he wants to be left alone, Lila suggests he rest in her room -- with the promise they don't have to actually do anything. But Lila isn't like the others, and when she discovers Tommy is more scared of her than attracted to her feminine charms, she lets him in on a little secret. Lila's real name is Stephen Marsh. He lives as a woman, moving from saloon to saloon, pleasing men for money. He loves men and enjoys his work, and what others don't know about what's under his skirt doesn't bother him. In all his years on the prairie, he's never met someone quite like Tommy. When he discovers Tommy is sweet on Hal, he suggests teaching the cowboy just how to please a man. He doesn't mean to lose his heart to Tommy in the process. With "Lila" in his life, Tommy begins to dream of someone softer than Hal, someone pretty when dolled up but still man enough where it counts. Someone like Lila. As his feelings deepen, can he use Lila's own teachings to win the heart he really loves?

Vincent Meis - Tio Jorge

Wonderfully gripping flawed characters. –Kris

Interesting story although a lot of the focus is really on the daughter of one of the men (who is deceased) and how it affects her, although the POV is shared between her and the surviving man, who had a relationship years ago with her father. –Anne B.

Paperback: 310 pages
Publisher: Fallen Bros. Publishing (May 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 061562023X
ISBN-13: 978-0615620237
Amazon: Tio Jorge

From a wealthy cul-de-sac in Hillsborough, California to a dusty village in Central Mexico, Tio Jorge gives us an emotional portrait of a young woman who cannot move forward until she silences the ghosts of her tragic childhood. On her graduation day from Stanford University, she thinks she sees in the crowd the man accused of her mother’s death sixteen years earlier, but he flees before she can speak to him. Believing he is the key to unlock the mystery of her father who abandoned her, she sets out to track him down, and in the process discovers the Mexican side of her family. Heartened by the love and warmth of her Mexican relatives, she has the courage to confront her mother’s family and seek justice for the man who had been her father’s secret lover.

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And the Rainbow Award goes to:



1) Thomas Keith - Love Christopher Street ()

The breadth of lives and experiences related in this book really touched me at both an intellectual and an emotional level. –Myranda
A historically and culturally significant resource... Not to mention a hell of a good read about Greenwich Village in the 1970s! –Alan

Paperback: 422 pages
Publisher: Vantage Point (June 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1936467348
ISBN-13: 978-1936467341
Amazon: Love, Christopher Street: Reflections of New York City

These twenty-six original essays by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered writers include personal stories that span forty years of LGBTQ life in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island, and together create a queer love letter to New York City. Chapters in this volume range from personal anecdote to memoir, reportage, history, herstory, and daydream, as well as tributes to people, places, and events.

2) Ron J. Suresha & Scott McGillivray - Fur, The Love of Hair

Eye-popping artwork and photography pay homage to the hirsute body and the man known as a "bear." The authors write with knowledge and appreciation, and when I could drag myself away from the illustrations, I found their style enjoyable. –Bobby

Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Bruno Gmünder (May 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 3867872422
ISBN-13: 978-3867872423
Amazon: Fur: The Love of Hair

Gone are the times when sprouting hair on a man's chest was considered to be unstylish. Chest hair and beards are popular again! This fact was also proved by the success of our anthology HAIR two years ago. But since so many of you obviously just can't get enough, we produced a comprehensive follow-up: Fur - The Love of Hair offers you sexy men en masse - and they all show their hair roudly. The pictures by various artists are complemented by informative and entertaining texts.

3) Johnny Townsend - Let the Faggots Burn

It’s hard to be critical over such a powerful piece of non-fiction. Disturbing to read but so well written. –Ali

Paperback: 342 pages
Publisher: Booklocker.com, Inc. (2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1614344531
ISBN-13: 978-1614344537
Amazon: Let the Faggots Burn

On Gay Pride Day in 1973, an arsonist set the entrance to a French Quarter gay bar on fire. In the terrible inferno that followed, 32 people lost their lives, including a third of the local congregation of the Metropolitan Community Church, their pastor burning to death halfway out a second-story window as he tried to claw his way to freedom. A mother who'd gone to the bar with her two gay sons died alongside them. A man who'd helped his friend escape first was found dead near the fire escape. Two children waited outside of a movie theater across town for a father and step-father who would never pick them up. During this era of rampant homophobia, several families refused to claim the bodies, and many churches refused to bury the dead. Author Johnny Townsend pored through old records and tracked down survivors of the fire and relatives and friends of those killed to compile this fascinating account of a forgotten moment in gay history.

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And the Rainbow Award goes to:



1) Dirk Vanden - It Was Too Soon Before ()

I found it very difficult to put the book down and would often mull over what I'd read other times. Mr Vanden's ability to draw me into the story was fantastic; his recitation of his history was enthralling. Most of all it was him being true to himself I found the most inspiring. I experienced a raft of emotions as well: anger, sympathy, heartbreak, excitement, and always fascination. –Kathy

Top marks, extraordinary! –Lee

Paperback: 270 pages
Publisher: Lethe Press (April 18, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1590213548
ISBN-13: 978-1590213544
Amazon: It Was Too Soon Before... The unlikely life, untimely death, and unexpected rebirth of Gay Pioneer, Dirk Vanden

It Was Too Soon Before... is the autobiography of Richard Fullmer who wrote under the penname Dirk Vanden. He was a serious novelist in the early days of the development of the gay literary genre. His first books were published--augmented with sex scenes inserted by the publisher--as porn pulps. This autobiography tells the story of his life from his upbringing as a devout Mormon to his discovery of sexual realities, to his move to the gay meccas of San Francisco and Los Angeles in the 1960s and discovery of the thriving gay counterculture with all its sexual and psychedelic dimensions, through the death by AIDS of his longtime partner, to retirement and obscurity, to a ''rebirth'' as his books have been rediscovered by modern gay literary scholars. Included is ''The Wit & Wisdom of Gabriel Horny,'' a collection of humor and wisdom in short aphorisms that express the profound and often whimsical spiritual wisdom Vanden has garnered through his seventy-eight years.

2) Jack Scott - Perking the Pansies ()

A really excellent book. Funny and insightful and poignant all at once. It's a memoir that reads like a novel, with a lively and entertaining cast of supporting characters and a lot to say about a culture not many Westerners know much about. –Kate Mc.

The book is written in a conversational style that made me think of sitting down with a close friend and listening to a lot of wacky and (occasionally) bittersweet stories. I was so caught up with the narrative that I was surprised by the time I got to the end. The author wrote a memoir that touched on the human experience in a way that as honest and thought-provoking. –Luce

Paperback: 252 pages
Publisher: Summertime (December 22, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1904881645
ISBN-13: 978-1904881643
Amazon: Perking the Pansies - Jack and Liam move to Turkey

Jack and Liam, fed up with kiss-my-arse bosses and nose-to-nipple commutes, quit their jobs and move to a small town in Turkey. Join the culture-curious gay couple on their bumpy rite of passage in a Muslim country. Meet the oddballs, VOMITs, vetpats, emigreys, semigreys, debauched waiters and middle England miseries. When bigotry and ignorance emerge from the crude underbelly of Turkey's expat life, Jack and Liam waver. Determined to stay the course, the happy hedonistas hitch up their skirts, move to the heart of liberal Bodrum and fall in love with their intoxicating foster land. Enter Jack's irreverent world for a right royal dose of misery and joy, bigotry and enlightenment, betrayal and loyalty, friendship, love, earthquakes, birth, adoption and a senseless murder. Perking the Pansies will make you laugh out loud one minute and sob into your crumpled tissue the next.

3-tie) Greg Hogben - The British Devil

At first I thought the book was mismarked as non-fiction because the book was written in such a brilliant fiction style, which was engaging and funny. But the hard cold fact is I know such horrible realities exist for bi-national couples in love but Mr. Hobson wrote this with such flair, that I enjoyed the story of Danny and Greg while the message came across loud and clear. Read it and fall in love all over again. –Lori

Paperback: 290 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (July 30, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1613726198
ISBN-13: 978-1613726198
Amazon: The British Devil

British national Greg Stephens knew there would be challenges in his new relationship with handsome American Navy officer Danny Taylor: long distance; Don't Ask, Don't Tell; the Defense of Marriage Act; US immigration.... But he didn't anticipate his greatest obstacle: Danny's born-again Christian mother, Vivien. A secretary in a small-town Southern Baptist church in Texas, she bristles at Greg's secular beliefs. Through passive-aggressive manipulation, subtle deceit, or outright battle, Vivien resolves to banish Greg and return Danny to the fold, come hell or high water. Greg's hold on Danny's heart is pitted against Vivien's crusade for Danny's soul. All the while, Greg devotes himself to keeping Danny happy while negotiating the cultural differences of his life in America. Danny's new career as a lawyer takes them from his native Texas to New York. But with Vivien testing Greg's stiff upper lip at every turn, something has to give. The British Devil is a semiautobiographical novel exploring culture, religion, and love in a binational relationship.

Red Haircrow - Silence Is Multi-Colored In My World ()

Essays of a profoundly deaf gay man, who moved to Germany from Russia at the age of 14. I found myself immediately drawn into Haircrow’s work. His use of Essays as a frame for his writing allowed him to paint unique portraits from moments of his life, his thoughts, & experiences. Perhaps due to being a non-native speaker, Haircrow’s English has a lyrical quality about it that colors his words & phrases. –Linda E.

Having read a few of Red Haircrow's books—and enjoying them—I was intrigued with this autobiography and the author's reminiscences. I was pleased to discover the same deft hand here as in his other work. There is a lot of deep introspection where I would find myself bogged down in minutiae, but at the same time it gave the story its full flavour. I find myself wanting to discover more of Red Haircrow's books. –Kathy

Publisher: Flying With Red Haircrow (May 10, 2012)
Amazon Kindle: Silence Is Multi-Colored In My World

An imaginative collection of memories and observations written from the perspective of a young man who was orphaned early, who was gay, deaf and Russian. He was simple and complex, light-hearted and serious, whimsical and infinitely strong, and when he loved, he loved with all his heart and soul. A former sex worker and later a husband, he was an amateur activist and philosopher, a startlingly intelligent, passionate individual able to intensely appreciate even the small wonders of the world and the people for whom he cared. Part diary, part dialogue, and part rhetoric, “Silence Is Multi-colored in My World” is based on actual experiences. It is a literary portrait of a man with nothing to hide and everything to reveal. It is a slice into the willing veins of a mental and emotional free bleeder. A memoir/biography with photos.

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And the Rainbow Award goes to:



1-tie) Andrea Speed - Infected, Freefall

Infected, Freefall is a complex who done it, full of plot twists and just the right amount of drama. The pacing and dialogue, were excellent, both quick and witty without trying too hard. Overall though, great read. –Tim

Paperback: 350 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (November 25, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1613722494
ISBN-13: 978-1613722497
Amazon: Infected: Freefall

In a world where a werecat virus has changed society, Roan McKichan, a born infected and ex-cop, works as a private detective trying to solve crimes involving other infecteds. Conceived bearing the lion strain of the virus, Roan is the only fully functioning virus child in the country-maybe in the world. But that doesn't mean he's okay. He's still struggling with the death of his husband and the guilt of finding new love; his old enemy, the Church of the Divine Transformation, is becoming increasingly hostile; and he's taken on a tragic cold case involving a long-missing boy. As Roan fights to control the lion inside him, his world explodes with all kinds of trouble. The leader of the church is ramping up the violence against him, calling Roan out as a traitor to his kind. There's a loose Infected terrorizing the city. And Holden, male prostitute and Roan's unofficial assistant, brings him a case involving the suspicious death of one of Holden's clients, which puts Roan far too close to a murderer for his state of mind....

Vaughn R. Demont - Coyote's Creed ()

I believe this book is a perfect fit in its category. A truly compelling and delightful read. –Susan

Reading the beginning of the book, I was expecting to dislike it. Knowing for the blurb that the character referred to early on as “uncle” would then become love interest, instantly gave me a feeling of “ick”, but, the writers makes everything clear as the story unfolds as to what the relationship really is and the story turned from “ick” to “wow”! –Theresa

Paperback: 280 pages
Publisher: Samhain Publishing (September 4, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1609287835
ISBN-13: 978-1609287832
Amazon: Coyote's Creed (Broken Mirrors)

Always have an ace up your sleeve. Broken Mirrors, Book 1. If con games were taught in high school, Spencer Crain would be on the honor roll. As it is, he’ll be riding the edge of failure to graduation next month. Then Spence gets the news that his long-gone father is not only dead, but was a Coyote, one of three clans of tricksters in the City. With a near-catatonic mother on his hands, Spence couldn’t care less about the Coyotes’ ongoing feud with the Phouka and the Kitsune—until it lands on his doorstep. Suddenly he’s thrown headfirst into a dangerous world he knows next-to-nothing about. His only guide is Rourke, dashing King of the Phouka, plus a growing pack of half-siblings, a god, and Fate herself. As Spence embarks on a journey to learn the Coyote’s creed, the truth about his heritage, and how to handle his growing attraction to Rourke, he wonders when his life turned from TV sitcom to real-life danger zone. And what price must he pay to survive the next roll of the dice…

2) William Holden - Words to Die By

Dark but very good. –Andrew

Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books (March 13, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1602826536
ISBN-13: 978-1602826533
Amazon: Words to Die By

Delve into the darker side of human nature with these sixteen stories by William Holden. As darkness enters the mind through revenge, jealousy, paranoia, or the uncanny operations of a supernatural force, these stories lead you onto new heights of fear… and arousal. In "Felonious Behavior," Jack Stevens takes matters into his own hands when the police can't or won't do anything about the driver who ran him down. In "The Other Man," a sex doll named Joey finds life through jealousy over his owner’s new boyfriend. "Fear #2 - Hierophobia, The Fear of Priests" tells of Gian, who returns home to confront his childhood fear—only to find that the priest who once terrified him isn't human, and his destiny is to follow in the priest’s dark footsteps. The human mind is fragile. How much fear one person can handle depends on how deep the darkness runs.

3-tie) Kate McMurray - Across the East River Bridge

I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. After reading the synopsis, I didn't think I'd be interested in this type of storyline. I was definitely in for a surprise. –Jenna W.

Publisher: Loose Id LLC (October 10, 2011)
Amazon Kindle: Across the East River Bridge

When Finn’s boss sends him to a museum in Brooklyn, the last person he expects to see is his old rival, Troy. Although Finn and Troy have undeniable sexual chemistry, Finn still blames Troy for sending his career off the rails but Troy has research Finn needs. Troy also has an intriguing story; the museum he curates is haunted by the ghosts of two men who died under mysterious circumstances in 1878. Troy strikes a deal: he’ll help Finn if Finn helps him find out what happened to the men who died. From diaries, police reports, and newspaper articles, Finn and Troy piece together the lives of the two dead men--and the romance that bloomed between them. As it becomes clear that the men were murdered, it also becomes clear that the ghosts are real and are capable of manipulating the dreams, thoughts, and actions of the living. When Finn and Troy start falling for each other, Finn worries that it’s all an illusion concocted by the ghosts to keep them working together to solve the mystery, but Troy is convinced the love between them is real. But how can he get rid of a couple of ghosts and prove it?

J.L. Merrow - Midnight in Berlin

I really enjoyed the author's sarcastic humor throughout the story. It's hard to find authors that make you laugh. It was nice that the setting was "off the beaten path" by placing it in Germany and using some German words in the dialogue. I was mildly surprised there wasn't more eroticism involved. –Jenna W.

Paperback: 232 pages
Publisher: Samhain Publishing (January 1, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1609288904
ISBN-13: 978-1609288907
Amazon: Midnight in Berlin

The hookup from hell…or the ride of his life? Leon’s drifter lifestyle gives him the freedom to attend as many music festivals as his heart desires. Even the ones that leave him covered in feathers. Wet feathers, thanks to the rain as he hitchhikes back to his hostel. When he’s offered a ride by a good-looking man in a Porsche, Leon thinks it’s his lucky night. Until he discovers his savior from the storm hides a dark secret: he’s a werewolf. At first glance, Christoph thinks the shaggy stranger walking Berlin’s streets is a rogue werewolf. By the time he realizes his mistake, it’s too late for both of them. Forced to turn Leon into a monster to save his life, Christoph still has to suffer his pack leader's brutal punishment for endangering them all. Leon awakens, horrified by what he’s become—but it’s his lover’s fate that spurs him to action. Freeing Christoph is easy, but the aftermath complicates everything as they go on the run, desperate to uncover the secrets their pack leader is hiding. Secrets the pack will kill to protect…

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