So, a new week and new announcements starting with this one:
Next month we have a new movie critic. This would be great news by itself because it shows that the website is growing by leaps and bounds, but what’s even more incredible is the name of the reviewer – she is M.L. Rhodes, author. I know you are just as amazed and thrilled as I am (I’m tickled AND amazed that she agreed to do this).:) ML has a fabulous library of movies – she’ll kill me if I gave out the number of movies currently in her collection *g* – and her first review will be on Shelter. I know you can’t wait for her reviews, but she has to finish writing Fires of Ballian, the sequel to her incredible paranormal adventure The Draegan Lords. She’ll tell you all about it when she’s guest blogging here on September 30.
My post on Favourite Gay Books received a huge response from readers and the recommendations are still pouring in. Thanks to all of you. I hope to post the final list which will include most but not all of your recommendations. Unfortunately if I were to include all of the recs. we would end up with a list that had 400 titles, and I wanted to make it manageable and easy to refer to. I would like to clear up what may be a misunderstanding: This is not a Top 100 or Top 200 list of books. It’s merely a list of favourite books that I put together after reading reviews on this site and others and checking sites such as amazon and Barnes & Noble. In addition, other readers thought highly of many of these books. I know that some of you had hoped for a more sophisticated list, categorized by type with lots of bells and whistles, but those are available elsewhere on the internet so I didn’t want to duplicate what’s already there. I will be indicating on most of the books the sub sub genre i.e. historical, speculative fiction (which is a catch all for fantasy, paranormal etc.), YA will be on a separate list and I will show which books are memoirs or non fiction. As you can realize, this is a lot of work and Wren, a reader, has been very helpful in tabulating your recommendations and she will be helping me with the final list. Thank you so much Wren. Please note that all of the recommendations will remain on the post and you can refer to them at any time. Thanks Cathleen and Nichem for your wonderful suggestions – I only wish that I had the time to incorporate them but maybe on the next version of this list.:)
Yesterday Val posted on why contemporary romances seems to be the most popular M/M sub genre. Comments are still coming in and if you haven’t read her post here’s the link .
Last week I updated my review of Captain’s Surrender by Alex Beecroft which is being reissued by Samhain on October 2nd. This was my first Age of Sail book and I was hooked by her wonderful and imaginative writing. If you haven’t seen the review here’s the link.
Now on to this week’s other news …
Today I hope to post my review of Bad Boys, Bad Boys, part of a series by Total-e-bound called Lust Bites. The books are all short and I’ll tell you what I think later today.
On Monday we have a major treat in store for you – Nicole Kimberling and Josh Lanyon are guest blogging. I won’t tell you what the topic is but I think that authors especially will be interested in this post and readers will love it as well. Hope to see all of you here tomorrow for the Josh and Nikki show.:)
Also on Monday the Amber Allure “free” book is Shawn Lane’s Sweet Reunion. Shawn is a favourite so I know that many of you will be trying to win this book. Aunt Lynn will post her review of Warrior’s Cross by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux.
On Tuesday Erastes’s post is entitled Spare Us The Details, Please. As usual, she hasn’t shared with me exactly what this topic is about so I’m just as much in the dark as you and we’ll both be surprised when it’s posted! Also on Tuesday the Amber Allure Book free book will be Wranglers – Voir Dire by Vivian Dean. In addition, Val will review Glad Hands by Angelia Sparrow & Naomi Brooks and Kassa will tell you all about how much she likes Veiled Security by Carolyn LeVine Topol. Lynn will also be posting her review of Lessons in Power by Charlie Cochrane, part of her Cambridge Fellows Mysteries.
On Wednesday I have a very big interview with A.J. Llewellyn, a wonderful, prolific author whose popularity with his fans knows no bounds. AJ tells us why he moved from Oz all those years ago and how much he loves Oahu, Hawaii and California, where he currently resides, and why he lives in two places. He also talks about which of his books is being made into a movie and whether he has a starring role.*g* The interview is wide ranging and covers many important topics including what I have to do to get him to accept his statuette for winning ugliest cover in our first Ugly Cover competition for A Vampire Christmas. Please remember, this award is for the cover not the book, which is very popular and is one of his best sellers!
I will be posting this week about our Third Ugly Covers competition and I look forward to your nominations :DDD
Also on Wednesday Val will post her review of Buritto Belle’s Gringo Guy by Dierdre O’Dare.
On Thursday Jen will review Bastards & Pretty Boys by K.Z. Snow, His Convenient Husband by J.L. Langley and Nick of Time by T.A. Chase.
On Friday the boys are stopping by for a brief visit because they have a date elsewhere later. You’ll find out more about that at the end of the week.
Also, I’m posting another poll on Friday and the next two weeks as a result of an email I received from a gay reader who had a number of questions for M/M authors. I hope you will all log on. This will be very intriguing!:)
On Saturday there will be lots of posts but I can’t figure out right now which ones deserve your attention so we’ll both be surprised when they show up.
There’s lots more going on but I can’t tell you because it’s a sekkrit and I would have to kill you if I told you.:DDD
Till next week!
I was just wondering is Erastes taking a break from her Tuesday’s posts?
Subaru
Thank you for reminding me!! This week she wrote her post so early that I totally forgot to include it – she’ll be so pissed at me when she finds out.:)
Sounds great! Looking forward to the guest blog, I’m a newly minted Josh Lanyon fangirl.
JFM
I think you’ll like the show that Josh and Nikki have put on for the enjoyment of everyone. As an author-in-waiting you’ll be particularly interested in this post. I can’t say any more – my lips are sealed!
::starts obsessively clicking refresh:: 😉
Another super week. Can’t wait for all the new reviews and the fun.
Hey Tam
This one is really going to be humdinger of a week. Looking forward to seeing you. What are you doing next Sunday?:)
Next Sunday? Ummm. I dunno. What do you want me to be doing? LOL What do I do every Sunday. Watch Food Network, read and whine about the pile of laundry in my basement. I’m consistent if nothing else.
You want me to write something now don’t you. Ack. I just told Josh and Nicole I’m not a writer. See, I don’t write things because that sounds like work. 🙂 I’ve had an idea rolling around in my head. Maybe I’ll flesh it out, but seems I need an outline, extensive internet research, a voice in my head, a possible muse and some musical inspiration first. Crap, I’m so in trouble. 🙂
Tam
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“What do I do every Sunday. Watch Food Network, read and whine about the pile of laundry in my basement. I’m consistent if nothing else. ”
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That’s what you do on Sundays? What about sex, drugs and rock and roll? *g*
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email me about your post.:) It’s so nice of you to volunteer! I knew I could count on you.
“What about sex, drugs and rock and roll? *g*”
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I save that for Friday nights when my daughter’s at her Dad’s. 😉
Hi Tam
It’s probably time for another post by you.:)
Ooooh, yes, the guest blog. Josh mentionned it on his LJ yesterday or two days ago or something approaching. let’s see if I can make it this time. I missed his last two visits on the blog.
M.L. Rhodes reviewing movies is fantastic news! I’m sure we’ll get plenty of good recs, although whether I’ll have time to watch them is another thing. I tend to do the same with movies as I do with books, which means buy more than I have time to watch. That does make me very popular with the friends who borrow those books and movies though *g*
I’m really looking forward to the Warrior’s Cross review, although I’m not even sure I’m going to read it in full. I don’t want any soilers. Mainly, I just want a confirmation that it’s good. Not that I have much doubt – Abigail and Madeleine? Together they’re the closest thing to a sure value that I have in the M/M genre. I don’t think they could ever write bad and the excerpt on the DSP site was captivating. So I don’t actually need the review, I’m going to buy the book anyway. But still. Additional reassurance is always welcome.
Bad boys bad Boys… I knew that title rang a bell. It’s right there in my ebook folder. Bought…umm, May 22nd. 61 pages, and IIRC it’s gay for you. Why the hell haven’t I read that already? *checks time* Supper at 6:30. Umm… catch up with rest of blog, watch Star Trek episode, answer mails or read book? Choices, choices.
And I’m totally out of ugly M/M covers, but I’ll see if I can find some in other genres. Wish me luck 😀
Mary
I’m still pinching myself that ML will be reviewing M/M movies on the website. Isn’t that a kick?
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Why do we bother to write reviews if you’re not going to read them? Are you just going to check the rating???? Lynn wants you to read her review of WC – she doesn’t have spoilers, I swear.
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Re the review of Bad Boys, Bad Boys, I was out most of the day with friends and have just returned at 6.15 P.M. so it will be pretty late before the review is posted. By then you will have read it.
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I have to check out Josh’s Lj to see if he gave away any secrets about what he and Nikki are going to be doing.*g*
Oh my, Wave. This sounds just great! It promises to be a very interesting week. 😀
Hi Christian
It will be a humdinger of a week.:)
Wave, sounds like a great week.. M.L. Rhodes is one of my favorites, been looking forward to , Fires of Ballian. * credit card ready* 🙂 Will be great to check out movie reviews.
Crystal
It should be a really fun week and I hope you enjoy the uopcoming posts, starting with Josh and Nikki tomorrow.
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ML is one of my favourite authors and she’ll talk a little bit about Fires of Ballian when she’s on the site September 30.
Must remember the little buggers **
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Honey, I do read the reviews. Most of the time. I especially like them when I haven’t heard about a book at all, or only a little. The ones I’m already eagerly waitng for, I’m always a bit wary, because I’m afraid of learning that it isn’t up to my expectations before I even have a chance to read it for myself. It’s happened before – JR Ward, not to name her *snif*. And if I hear bad things about a book, I’m unable to not think of them when I read the story and it completely spoils my enjoyment. So, I really, really don’ think that will be the case with WC, but, you know, just in case. So yup, I will probably only check the rating. If it’s higher than 3.5, I’ll read the review. Otherwise, I’ll still buy the book, and then go read he review later see if Lynn and I thought the same thing.
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As for Bad Boys, I’ve finished it already. For me it was very meh. I kinda think your opinion will be similar, but there again, I’m going to read the review to see on which points we agreed and/or disagreed :-D.
Mary
I just posted the review, Let me know what you think. I’ll know if you’re faking it and didn’t really read it.:)
Hey Wave!
Can’t wait for next week, and i am so jazzed about the favorite M/M book list….I have to wonder what the heck I did with my time BEFORE e-books and GREAT sites like this one!…..Probably didn’t DO anything, cause I am a BIT of a compulsive reader…..actually a HUGELY compulsive reader, but my son and husband only complain when dinner is late *giggles*….Looking forward to the completed list:)
Hi Elaine
Thanks for saying such nice things about the site.
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Wren is doing a great job putting together the recommendations and then I’ll insert them into the list and finalize it by the latest, early next week.
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I hope you have fun spending all your money on books:)