Over 6 months ago we published our first list of diverse M/M books and I know that many of you have found it very valuable going by the number of hits. At last count over 3,000 of you have accessed this list and I’m really pleased you found it to be a useful tool in deciding on your new purchases. Now it’s time for an update and Kaija has again agreed to incorporate your new recommendations into this list. Since technology is not my friend 🙂 Aunt Lynn will be finalizing the information into the same format as before.
The categories are:
Disability & Health (Please don’t just use the word “disabled” – include the type of disability – see previous post)
Ethnicity (MCs with different racial backgrounds)
Older Protagonist (one MC must be at least 40 years of age – this is a change)
Non Traditional Religion (includes atheists)
Before recommending a book please check the current post to ensure that you’re not recommending one that’s already on the list.
Each category follows a different format in terms of number of columns on the current list, and I would appreciate it if you would use the same format, as that would make Kaija’s and Aunt Lynn’s work less onerous.
I will be closing off this post on February 22. Thanks guys.
One question – is this intended to be a comprehensive list of all that’s published, or only a list of recommendations by readers? Because while I’d be very happy to let you have details of my diverse books, obviously I’m hardly qualified to recommend them impartially! 😉
This is a list of M/M books that are diverse. If you check the previous list you will see what’s there. I think a couple of yours are already on the list. Anyone can recommend books – not just readers. 🙂
Okay, here goes, then:
Disability & Health:
Permanently Legless by JL Merrow (wheelchair user; both legs amputated)
Sense Memory by JL Merrow in When a Man Loves a Man anthology (blind)
Ethnicity
A Calling for Pleasure by JL Merrow (black)
(and its sequels A Blast from the Past & A Wish Too Far)
Stroke to His Cox by JL Merrow (mixed race Japanese/English)
Religion
Midnight in Berlin by JL Merrow (narrator is Jewish, although he’s not really religious)
Josephine Myles also writes a lot of diverse characters. 😀
JL
Stroke to His Cox by JL Merrow (mixed race Japanese/English)
Is “English” in this context Caucasian?
Also in A Calling for Pleasure is the other MC Caucasian?
Sorry, Wave – that wasn’t very clear, was it? I’m afraid I’m a bit fuzzy-headed with a bad cold at the mo. 🙁
Dave Tanaka in Stroke to His Cox is half Japanese, half White British (that’s what they usually call the category on forms over here).
In A Calling For Pleasure and the others, the other MC is indeed Caucasian (he’s of Nordic descent).
Of course, I’ve read two books featuring diabetic protagonists since the last post – and now I can’t remember the titles. Getting old is so sad… Will look for them – I’m pretty sure they’re not on the list yet.
Renfred’s Masquerade by Hayden Thorne? The protagonist has a deformed leg.
Clear Water by Amy Lane. Protagonist has ADHD. One of my favorites.
For the older protagonist category I’d suggest
C’est La Vie by Lynn Lorenz (both protagonists are over 40, by a couple of decades at that)
Fall Into The Sun by Val Kovalin (just released and the protagonists are both 40)
And for the ethnicity category I’d suggest
It’s Not Shakespeare by Amy Lane – one MC is Hispanic
I really liked all three stories as well as the protagonists in them.
Bless your heart, Eva! Thanks for keeping my book in mind. 🙂 I’d add that Fall Into the Sun also qualifies for the Ethnicity category. Both characters are Hispanic.
And thank you to Kaija and Lynn and everybody for doing the update of this list. That’s going to be a major job!
Scorpion – Black protagonist & black lover, leg injury.
Dark Soul – mental illness (autism/Asperger)
Ethnicity: The Saturnalia Effect by Heidi Belleau and Violetta Vane. Arab protagonist (Arab/white relationship).
Actually, I’d like to clarify that last. Ethnicity is Arab-American.
For Disability & Health: Color Me by Blaine D Arden – has two deaf protagonists
thanks for adding ‘Color Me’
I’d like to add:
Disability & Health: ‘The Storyteller’ by Blaine D. Arden – has a blind MC
Older Protagonists: ‘The Forester’ by Blaine D. Arden – Taruif is over 40
NON-TRADITIONAL RELIGION: ‘The Forester’ by Blaine D. Arden – unnamed elfin religion (not sure if it counts, but I thought I’d add it anyway)
Ethnicity: “Loving Luki Vasquez” by Lou Sylvre. “Delsyn’s Blues” by Lou Sylvre. One character is Native American, the other Polynesian/Italian.
(These also fit Older Protagonist as one of them is 42(?).)
Ethnicity: “Whitetail Rock” and “The Fix” by Anne Tenino (East Indian MC)
Older Protagonists: Er, well… I guess “Long Tall Drink” by LC Chase would fit as one MC is 40. :anonym:
Older protagonist: “Final atonement” by Steve Neil Johnson – one of the guys is 42 and another one is also in his forties I am pretty sure, but could not figure out his exact age. There is also a second mystery about them called “Final confessions”, but I have not read it yet, although I guess I can recommend it anyway since they can only get older there not younger 🙂
Disability and health – Lovegames by M.Jules Aedin. One of the protagonists supposedly has bypolar disorder. I say supposedly, because he only got preliminary diagnosis before and while it seemed pretty definite, he was going to get a definite diagnosis when the book ends. I guess it is bypolar for sure? And it looked like chronical depression as well.
Older protagonist: thought this one was already there, but could not find it, so here it is – Jardonn Smith “Caricature(got 15 minutes)” – both guys are in their 60s for the most part of the story.
Here’s what I posted last time:
Religious:
Winterlude by Tam Ames (half-Muslim Canadian)
Horny for Hanukkah by Rob Rosen Jewish
Holiday Outing by Astrid Amara (Jewish)
Love Ahead by Astrid Amara (Jewish and non-Jewish)
Carol of the Bellskis Astrid Amara (Jewish)
Racial:
Hot Merchandise by JM Snyder black
Behind the Scenes by GR Richards black
The Jade Prince by L. Shannon Japanese
At the Sign of the Ancestors by Kara Larson Thai
Five Spice: Ying and Yang by Kara Larson Thai
Whitetail Rock by Anne Tenino East Indian
Medical
Raven’s Mark by Jade Archer PTSD (not sure you count that)
Change on the Fly by Stephani Hecht brain injury
Riley’s Regret by Stephani Hecht bi-polar disorder
Christmas Auction by Sean Michael – amputee (there are three couples profiled, one is a double leg amputee)
Island Affair by Cait Miller brain injury following a gun shot wound about half-way through.
Learning to Walk by Drew Zachary severe injury following car accident, wheelchair for most of the book.
Tam
If you posted your recommendations after the closing date last time then they would not have been included.
Re Learning to Walk by Drew Zachary, did the MC suffer a back or leg injury? We’re not including wheelchair bound as an illness.
Ethnicity: Jessica Freely – Broken. One of the protagonists is Chinese.
Older protagonists: Sarah Black “Flamingo” – one of the protagonists is in his sixties.
Okay pardon me if this gets kind of lengthy, but I’m here to pimp my stuff 😎
Not sure if I have any health & disability, yet. But, I have Graceland coming out in July from Samhain, and one of my guys in that has a new diagnosis of diabetes that causes him many problems. Graceland is also racially diverse, with one main character black and one Cherokee.
On to ethnicity:
Easy – one MC 2nd generation Latin-American
Bay City Paranormal Investigations series – one MC from a Creole family
Fireflies – one MC half black, half fae. Oh yeah.
Naked Richmond – one MC black
Adder – one MC half Arab, half Italian
Love, Like Ghosts – one MC half Creole
All The Moon Long (short story in Shifting Sands antho) – one MC half Mexican, half Scottish
Religion:
Practically every character I have is either atheist or it’s not mentioned. About the only ones who are Christian ( or “Sunday” Christians) are the guys in Christmas Future and Drew in These Haunted Heights.
My only alternate religion characters are the ones in the Mother Earth series, who worship an Earth Mother. Thus the series name, LOL.
Older protags:
Bo in the BCPI series is in his 40s.
These Haunted Heights – Drew is in his mid-40s.
I think that’s it. Is that enough???
Hi Ally
I think we’ve got enough. 😆 Sheesh. 😈
Hey, I need to make sure you don’t get bored :whistle:
😕 Apparently I am a softie when it comes to my MCs, haven’t disabled or made them sick yet! Might have to keep that in mind… :thinker:
Ethnicity-
One More Wish, Devon Rhodes, Japanese
Older Protag-
Silver and Gold, Devon Rhodes
Religion-
Silver and Gold, Devon Rhodes, Jewish
Thanks for all your hard work for our benefit!! :bravo:
Disability & Health: Shattered Glass, Dani Alexander, (Spoiler Alert:>>>>> Tourette’s (/Spoiler)
Are you updating it later in the year? Because I have two books coming out this year, one of the protags is bipolar and Muslim and in the third novel one of the MC’s is African American. <3
Love this category and love the m/m community who demands it. Inclusion ftw <3.
Boats in the Night by Josephine Myles qualifies for two categories: Ethnicity (one character Maori/Caucasian) and religion (one character is pagan)
While I’m at it:
Religion: Secret Light by Z.A.Maxfield (Jewish)
Ethnicity: Marathon Cowboys by Sarah Black (Native American(Navajo))
Age: Trust Me by BG Thomas (one character is in his 40s)
Sarah Black’s Flamingo – the protagonist is 61; Sarah Black’s Tuareg – it’s self-explanatory title 😀 Isabelle Rowan’s Twelve Days (sequel to A Note in the Margin) – mental illness
For the ethnicity category-
Yakuza Pride H. J. Brues Japanese
So many books to explore- it’s cruelty to the weak and addicted……sub category I belong in!
Thanks for doing these lists Aunt Lynn and Kaija
Disability and Health and Older Protagonist – The Substitute by Tionne Rogers.
This book kicked my add quite literally… One of the hardest reads I ever had.
You’ve got my second two books but not the one that started the series:
In the Flesh by Ethan Stone. Black man.
I see Sonoran Heat under Older Protagonist. Thank you to whoever suggested that one and including it on the list. 😀
Here are a few more of mine if I might suggest them:
Ethnicity — Blue Ruin series by Katrina Strauss, Korean-American
Disability and Health — Blue Ruin 4: Need You Tonight by Katrina Strauss, Blindness
Disability and Health — Sleight of Hand by Katrina Strauss, Mental Illness
At the risk of blatant self-pimpage (does that make me a whore? *ponders*)…
Disability: The One That Stayed (Russ spends most of the story either in a coma or recovering less than perfectly from being shot in the head).
The One That Broke Free (Travis has a bad leg from schrapnel in Iraq).
Race: Snow & Mistletoe (X-mas story — Ty is African American).
Mandarin Orange: Sweet & Sour (Kelly is Japanese/Irish).
Age: The One That Stayed (both Russ and David are well into their 50s/60s).
Berry Blue: Lessons Learned (Peter is 50).
Also, NOT one of mine… Tere Michaels’ ‘Love and Loyalty’ has an MC who’s 45.
That’s all I can think of off the top of my head. 🙂
~Tis
I never saw this list before! Wow. Wave this is great.
Medical:
Cards on the Table – epilepsy
The Ghost Wore Yellow Socks – asthma
Just Desserts – spinal cord injury
Fair Game – artificial knee
Come Unto These Yellow Sands – cocaine addiction
In a Dark Wood – alcoholism
Over 40
The Holmes & Moriarity series