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I'll be hosting a chat tomorrow at the Dreamspinner Press Facebook Page, where I'll be talking about my latest release, No Surrender, No Retreat, and all kinds of things. I'll also be doing a giveaway of the book. Event details are here, and I'll be on the Facebook DSP page from 9am SA Central Standard Time / 7:30pm Florida, USA time. I'll be around for about four hours, so if you've got a Facebook, drop in and say hi!
No Surrender, No Retreat is out today, and you can get it here:Paperback: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3111
eBook: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3110
This is the sequel to No Quarter, and if you want to catch up, you can grab that over here:
Paperback: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2854
eBook: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2853
The blurb for No Surrender, No Retreat is: Archangel Chronicles: Book 2
Seventy years after it began, the war between angels and demons is over. Archangels Gabriel and Michael reunite at last, but a dangerous new challenge stands in the way of their happiness: someone is kidnapping angels and selling them as trophies on the black market. When Raphael, Archangel of Healing, goes missing, his tearful lover joins with the Brotherhood of Archangels and their lieutenants to rescue him.
Without Raphael’s healing touch, disease spreads quickly through the world’s human population. The situation only worsens when the angel Agrat is kidnapped: the number of sex crimes begins to rise and her husband, Gabriel’s lieutenant, loses himself to his grief. As they mount a rescue mission, Gabriel and Michael’s relationship will be put to the test. With the threat of the world dying around them and tragedy looming overhead, can Gabriel and Michael keep love and hope alive?
Dreamspinner Press is having a 25% off sale on all items until July 31st. All my books are at great discount prices and while you're there, why not stock up on all the other wonderful authors with DSP?
And finally, for this wonderful release day, there's an interview with me over at H. C. Brown's place. Do stop by and have a chat!
Manga and Romance Blog Hop Post.
Jun. 22nd, 2012 12:28 pm**Everyone who comments goes into the running for a grand prize. More information is here and at the blog hop main post. :)**
For Hayley's Blog Hop, I decided to write about a series of novels that are set during the T'ang Dynasty in the 7th century. They are the Judge Dee novels, semi-fictional detective novels based on Di Renjie, a magistrate and statesman in the T'ang court. Translator Robert van Gulik first came across Judge Dee in a secondhand book store in Tokyo in a book called "Dee Gong An", and he translated the book to English and then created his own Judge Dee stories. Judge Dee lived from 630 – 700AD.
What makes these stories so engaging, apart from the setting, which van Gulik describes with sparse detail that reveals just enough to give the reader a mental picture of the people and places is that they cover absolutely everything you can imagine.
The first book is The Chinese Gold Murders, which sees Judge Dee traveling to a new posting in the countryside with his faithful family retainer, Sergeant Hoong. On the journey, they are waylaid by two highway men, who, after being beaten in a sword fight by Dee, become his retainers and assistants. Ma Joong and Chiao Tai are so impressed with Dee that they give up their life of crime and join his retinue on the spot. The novel is set in the spring of 663AD.
There are several murder threads to unravel in the book, and in the course of the story, we learn that the clerk who served Dee's predecessor was gay. His lover is dying, having been incarcerated and both men are overcome with guilt at how they have concealed information from Dee, and committed suicide.
This love between the two men is written in a sensitive way, the Judge feeling regret that the two of them chose to die to save their honour. He doesn't linger on the situation, for there are other things he has to deal with, not the least of which are solving the murders. He has the case of illegal immigration from Korea into China, the situation of a bride being dishonoured and disowned by her family, the illegal brothels operating in boats moored on the river, and an attempt on his own life.
All the characters are interesting and engaging, and the resolution of the mysteries and the murders are all very satisfying. The stories of Judge Dee and his three companions are well worth reading, not just for the mystery solving, but for the characters and, in the case of The Chinese Gold Murders, the secondary characters, including the very believable and sensitive story of the love between two men, two officials of the T'ang Dynasty government and the concept of honour within that Dyanasty.
There are over twenty Judge Dee novels by van Gulik, after his death, French author Frédéric Lenormand wrote a further nineteen novels, which have not yet been translated into English. Another French author, Sven Roussel wrote another Judge Dee novel and American Chinese author Zhu Xiao Di wrote the Tales of Judge Dee. The enduring appeal of the Judge Dee stories has led to two television shows, one made by Granada TV in the UK in 1969, and they were in black and white. In 1974, a TV movie of The Haunted Monastery was made, called Judge Dee and the Monastery Murders and starred Mako, Soon-Tek Oh, Keye Luke and James Hong.
Some of van Gulik's Judge Dee stories have been made into TV movies on Chinese TV, and from 2010, the series was called Detective Di Renjie. In 2010, a film starring Andy Lau and Li Bingbing, called Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame was made. The film was directed by Tsui Hark. (Trailer.)
*~*~*~*
Homosexuality in China wasn't an issue for many, many years. In the Ming Dynasty, literature such as Biang Er Chai is said to portray homosexual love, and portray them as more loving and lasting than heterosexual ones. As in Ancient Rome and Greece, homosexuality in China was not considered morally deviant until the introduction of influence of foreign cultures. Confuscianism does not focus much on sexuality – heterosexual or homosexual. The Tao considers homosexuality as neutral in terms of life essence, because it has no beneficial or detrimental affect on that life essence.
The beginnings of opposition to homosexuality in China are during the T'ang Dynasty, due to the influences of Christianity and Islamic values, but did not become prevalent until the Qin Dynasty. This is not to say that homosexuality vanished from China entirely, because it didn't; rather that homosexual lovers had to be more discreet and hide their relationships far more than previously. The most popular view by sociologists is that anti-homosexual attitudes became most prevalent during the 19th and 20th centuries. Traditional terms for homosexuality in China include tongzhi, The Passion of the Cut Sleeve duànxiù zhi pi, and The Bitten Peach fentáo.
To close, here is a love poem by Li Bai, written to his lover.
Longing, in springtime.
By Li Bai
701-762 CE (translated by William P. Coleman)
The northern grasses are just bright green threads;
but on eastern mulberries, green branches hang down.
Days when the lord is first eager to come back —
those are a wife’s heartbreak times.
The wind of desire and I no longer know each other;
what right has he to enter my silk gauze curtains?
Painting used above: Woman spying on male lovers, Qing Dynasty, Chinese Sexual Culture Museum, Shanghai
References/Further Reading:
Judge Dee Info: http://www.judge-dee.info/welcome/index.jsp
Le Juge Ti: http://www.lejugeti.com/us/indexus.htm
Judge Di on Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judge_Dee_stories
Passions of the Cut Sleeve: http://books.google.com.au/books/about/Passions_of_the_Cut_Sleeve.html?id=1LmEC1b1bncC&redir_esc=y
Great Queers of History: http://rictornorton.co.uk/greatgay/greatgay.htm
Mizi xia and the Bitten Peach: http://www.gay-art-history.org/gay-history/gay-literature/gay-mythology-folktales/homosexual-chinese-folktales/mizi-xia-bitten-peach-homosexual/mizi-xia-bitten-peach-homosexual.html
The bitten peach (NSFW): http://www.niwdenapolis.com/2007/03/bitten-peach.html
The Gay Love Letters of Bo Juyi: http://rictornorton.co.uk/bojuyi.htm
Chinese poetry: http://williampcoleman.wordpress.com/translations-chinese-poetry/
(And my books that are available to buy can be found here.)
For Hayley's Blog Hop, I decided to write about a series of novels that are set during the T'ang Dynasty in the 7th century. They are the Judge Dee novels, semi-fictional detective novels based on Di Renjie, a magistrate and statesman in the T'ang court. Translator Robert van Gulik first came across Judge Dee in a secondhand book store in Tokyo in a book called "Dee Gong An", and he translated the book to English and then created his own Judge Dee stories. Judge Dee lived from 630 – 700AD.
What makes these stories so engaging, apart from the setting, which van Gulik describes with sparse detail that reveals just enough to give the reader a mental picture of the people and places is that they cover absolutely everything you can imagine.
The first book is The Chinese Gold Murders, which sees Judge Dee traveling to a new posting in the countryside with his faithful family retainer, Sergeant Hoong. On the journey, they are waylaid by two highway men, who, after being beaten in a sword fight by Dee, become his retainers and assistants. Ma Joong and Chiao Tai are so impressed with Dee that they give up their life of crime and join his retinue on the spot. The novel is set in the spring of 663AD.There are several murder threads to unravel in the book, and in the course of the story, we learn that the clerk who served Dee's predecessor was gay. His lover is dying, having been incarcerated and both men are overcome with guilt at how they have concealed information from Dee, and committed suicide.
This love between the two men is written in a sensitive way, the Judge feeling regret that the two of them chose to die to save their honour. He doesn't linger on the situation, for there are other things he has to deal with, not the least of which are solving the murders. He has the case of illegal immigration from Korea into China, the situation of a bride being dishonoured and disowned by her family, the illegal brothels operating in boats moored on the river, and an attempt on his own life.
All the characters are interesting and engaging, and the resolution of the mysteries and the murders are all very satisfying. The stories of Judge Dee and his three companions are well worth reading, not just for the mystery solving, but for the characters and, in the case of The Chinese Gold Murders, the secondary characters, including the very believable and sensitive story of the love between two men, two officials of the T'ang Dynasty government and the concept of honour within that Dyanasty.
There are over twenty Judge Dee novels by van Gulik, after his death, French author Frédéric Lenormand wrote a further nineteen novels, which have not yet been translated into English. Another French author, Sven Roussel wrote another Judge Dee novel and American Chinese author Zhu Xiao Di wrote the Tales of Judge Dee. The enduring appeal of the Judge Dee stories has led to two television shows, one made by Granada TV in the UK in 1969, and they were in black and white. In 1974, a TV movie of The Haunted Monastery was made, called Judge Dee and the Monastery Murders and starred Mako, Soon-Tek Oh, Keye Luke and James Hong.
Some of van Gulik's Judge Dee stories have been made into TV movies on Chinese TV, and from 2010, the series was called Detective Di Renjie. In 2010, a film starring Andy Lau and Li Bingbing, called Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame was made. The film was directed by Tsui Hark. (Trailer.)
Homosexuality in China wasn't an issue for many, many years. In the Ming Dynasty, literature such as Biang Er Chai is said to portray homosexual love, and portray them as more loving and lasting than heterosexual ones. As in Ancient Rome and Greece, homosexuality in China was not considered morally deviant until the introduction of influence of foreign cultures. Confuscianism does not focus much on sexuality – heterosexual or homosexual. The Tao considers homosexuality as neutral in terms of life essence, because it has no beneficial or detrimental affect on that life essence.
The beginnings of opposition to homosexuality in China are during the T'ang Dynasty, due to the influences of Christianity and Islamic values, but did not become prevalent until the Qin Dynasty. This is not to say that homosexuality vanished from China entirely, because it didn't; rather that homosexual lovers had to be more discreet and hide their relationships far more than previously. The most popular view by sociologists is that anti-homosexual attitudes became most prevalent during the 19th and 20th centuries. Traditional terms for homosexuality in China include tongzhi, The Passion of the Cut Sleeve duànxiù zhi pi, and The Bitten Peach fentáo.
To close, here is a love poem by Li Bai, written to his lover.
Longing, in springtime.By Li Bai
701-762 CE (translated by William P. Coleman)
The northern grasses are just bright green threads;
but on eastern mulberries, green branches hang down.
Days when the lord is first eager to come back —
those are a wife’s heartbreak times.
The wind of desire and I no longer know each other;
what right has he to enter my silk gauze curtains?
Painting used above: Woman spying on male lovers, Qing Dynasty, Chinese Sexual Culture Museum, Shanghai
References/Further Reading:
Judge Dee Info: http://www.judge-dee.info/welcome/index.jsp
Le Juge Ti: http://www.lejugeti.com/us/indexus.htm
Judge Di on Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judge_Dee_stories
Passions of the Cut Sleeve: http://books.google.com.au/books/about/Passions_of_the_Cut_Sleeve.html?id=1LmEC1b1bncC&redir_esc=y
Great Queers of History: http://rictornorton.co.uk/greatgay/greatgay.htm
Mizi xia and the Bitten Peach: http://www.gay-art-history.org/gay-history/gay-literature/gay-mythology-folktales/homosexual-chinese-folktales/mizi-xia-bitten-peach-homosexual/mizi-xia-bitten-peach-homosexual.html
The bitten peach (NSFW): http://www.niwdenapolis.com/2007/03/bitten-peach.html
The Gay Love Letters of Bo Juyi: http://rictornorton.co.uk/bojuyi.htm
Chinese poetry: http://williampcoleman.wordpress.com/translations-chinese-poetry/
(And my books that are available to buy can be found here.)
The release of "No Surrender, No Retreat" is drawing near (25th July), so here are places you can grab yourself a copy of "No Quarter," the first book in my Archangels series. And, an excerpt!
Blurb:
Archangel Chronicles: Book One
You would never know it from his flamboyant lifestyle, but Gabriel’s not just the cheerful, fun-loving adoptive father of a pair of indulged young adult humans. He’s an Archangel, commander of Heaven’s legions of Seraphim, and despite his apparently easy virtue, he’s harboring a serious crush on his superior officer, Michael.
For years Michael has devoted himself to developing a team of humans, the Venatores, to aid in the fight against Hell. He’s been pining after Gabriel for centuries without hope, believing himself to be too serious to attract the other Archangel’s interest. He’s happy to discover that he’s wrong, but their burgeoning relationship is stymied by a major problem: an egomaniacal human is recruiting demons and fallen angels in a bid to take over the world. It’s up to Michael and Gabriel, and the rest of the Brotherhood of Archangels, to beat back the forces of Hell before the Earth is overrun.
Where to get it:
Dreamspinner: ebook http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2853 and paperback http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2854
Amazon: kindle http://amzn.com/B007QQ6O3S and paperback http://www.amazon.com/dp/1613724330/ref=cm_sw_su_dp
Kobo: epub http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/No-Quarter/book-5KH1g2DTwkiD7FlCABTTuw/page1.html?s=zZ9gwBrvb0aWV-ASZgQ0KA&r=1 and pdf http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/No-Quarter/book-7Jjzi_8P3UiZCLWeDjM7Pg/page1.html?s=zZ9gwBrvb0aWV-ASZgQ0KA&r=3
ARe: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-noquarter-770209-140.html
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-quarter-lj-labarthe/1109802167?ean=9781613724330
Powells: ebook http://www.powells.com/biblio/91-9781613724347-0 and paperback http://www.powells.com/biblio/61-9781613724330-1
The Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/No-Quarter-LJ-LaBarthe/9781613724330
Excerpt:
Gabriel didn’t bother with knocking on Michael’s door, he simply appeared in Michael’s living room, his eyebrows shooting up as he took in the sight of Michael, who was pacing back and forth up and down the length of his rooms, gnawing on a thumbnail and glowering at the floor.
“Y’know,” Gabriel drawled as Michael looked up at him, “you’re going to wear a trench to China if you keep that pacing up.”
“Pardon?” Michael stared at him, the color draining from his face as he took in Gabriel’s blood- and gore-smeared armor. “Gabriel! Are you hurt?”
“Huh? No! Oh, no. No, this ain’t mine, just demons.” Gabriel grinned. “Takes more than a bunch of demons to hurt me.” Which was more than he could say for Uriel right now, he thought.
Michael’s face was still pale. “You scared me,” he said. “You are certain you are not injured?”
Immediately contrite, Gabriel took three quick steps across the room and took Michael’s hands in his. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. I’m fine, I promise. Dirty, but fine.”
Michael let out a long, slow breath. His fingers, Gabriel realized, were shaking.
“As you say. You have come to report?”
“Aye.” Gabriel let go of Michael’s hands. “It’s not a good report, though.”
“They rarely are these days.” Michael sighed and sat down. “Give me the report.”
Gabriel did, making it as concise as possible, and when he was finished, he watched Michael closely. The color had returned to Michael’s cheeks, and his dark eyes were full of concern and anxiety. The simple Chinese robes he wore were, Gabriel suddenly realized, what Michael wore when he was intending to sleep. Suddenly feeling like an intruder, Gabriel cleared his throat.
“So, uh, I should leave you to it.” Awkward, he thought. Could I be any more awkward around Michael?
“You do not have to.” Michael’s voice was soft. “In truth, I could not sleep until I knew the extent of Uriel’s injuries. Raphael is certain he will recover?”
“As certain as he can be.” Gabriel bit his lower lip. He was about to say more, but at that moment, there was the sound of feathers rustling, and Raphael was there.
Raphael looked tired, Gabriel thought, but he also looked relieved. “Raz works fast,” he said without preamble. “He’s come up with an antidote for Uri. Uri’s going to be fine. Cranky as a bear with a sore head, but fine. Coming up with a vaccine against the poison in the first place will take a little longer, but Raz is on it. I just figured you two should know.”
“Okay, good,” Gabriel said. “So, until you and Raz have this inoculation thing sorted, keep everyone from going anywhere alone?”
“Yeah.” Raphael nodded.
“I am very relieved,” Michael said. “You are certain Uriel is well?”
“Positive, Mike. Anyway, I’ve still got work to do, so I’ll leave you to it. I’ll let the others know. Have a good night.” With that, Raphael vanished.
“What a relief,” Gabriel muttered, running blood-smeared hands through his hair.
“Gabriel,” Michael said, sighing, “perhaps you should bathe. I am certain that you must be feeling sticky, to say the least.”
Gabriel blinked. Then he started to laugh, the tension he was feeling dissipating. “Yeah, you got that right. Can I borrow your shower?”
“Of course.” Michael gave him a small smile. “Make yourself at home.”
“Thanks.” Gabriel headed into the bathroom and quietly closed the door behind him. It didn’t take long to shuck his armor, although cleaning it properly would have to wait. Gabriel used his power to get the worst of the detritus of battle off it with a thought, and with another thought, moved it back to his house in Deep Bay.
He couldn’t deny that he felt sticky. Patches of dried blood stuck to his skin, and Gabriel wrinkled his nose in distaste as he turned on the faucets, adjusting them to get the water the temperature he wanted it. Washing himself down felt wonderful, and he was much more relaxed when he finally finished bathing. Turning off the faucets, Gabriel stepped from the shower and toweled himself dry. Then he wrapped the towel around his hips and stepped from the bathroom, trailing a cloud of steam behind him.
“Thanks, I feel loads better,” Gabriel said as he ran his hands through his damp hair.
Michael was standing by the window, and he turned as he heard Gabriel’s voice. He opened his mouth to say something and stopped, staring, his cheeks immediately going red.
For a moment, Gabriel considered asking Michael what was wrong. His unspoken question was answered as Michael quickly crossed the room to him, cupped his face in his hands, and kissed him.
Gabriel groaned into the kiss, his arms winding around Michael’s waist, pressing close. Michael kissed him harder, pushing him up against the wall, and Gabriel groaned louder, fingers clenching in the fabric of Michael’s robe. As Michael growled, running a hand over Gabriel’s chest, Gabriel broke the kiss, his head falling back against the wall. “Michael,” he panted.
Bloghopping:
The Manga and Romance Blog Hop organised by Hayley B. James starts next week (click the image to go to the information page), and I'll be blogging as part of it. So keep your eyes peeled and come along and read and enjoy a variety of posts by some great authors. There's also a give away with loads of prizes!
Blurb: Archangel Chronicles: Book One
You would never know it from his flamboyant lifestyle, but Gabriel’s not just the cheerful, fun-loving adoptive father of a pair of indulged young adult humans. He’s an Archangel, commander of Heaven’s legions of Seraphim, and despite his apparently easy virtue, he’s harboring a serious crush on his superior officer, Michael.
For years Michael has devoted himself to developing a team of humans, the Venatores, to aid in the fight against Hell. He’s been pining after Gabriel for centuries without hope, believing himself to be too serious to attract the other Archangel’s interest. He’s happy to discover that he’s wrong, but their burgeoning relationship is stymied by a major problem: an egomaniacal human is recruiting demons and fallen angels in a bid to take over the world. It’s up to Michael and Gabriel, and the rest of the Brotherhood of Archangels, to beat back the forces of Hell before the Earth is overrun.
Where to get it:
Dreamspinner: ebook http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2853 and paperback http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2854
Amazon: kindle http://amzn.com/B007QQ6O3S and paperback http://www.amazon.com/dp/1613724330/ref=cm_sw_su_dp
Kobo: epub http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/No-Quarter/book-5KH1g2DTwkiD7FlCABTTuw/page1.html?s=zZ9gwBrvb0aWV-ASZgQ0KA&r=1 and pdf http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/No-Quarter/book-7Jjzi_8P3UiZCLWeDjM7Pg/page1.html?s=zZ9gwBrvb0aWV-ASZgQ0KA&r=3
ARe: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-noquarter-770209-140.html
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-quarter-lj-labarthe/1109802167?ean=9781613724330
Powells: ebook http://www.powells.com/biblio/91-9781613724347-0 and paperback http://www.powells.com/biblio/61-9781613724330-1
The Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/No-Quarter-LJ-LaBarthe/9781613724330
Excerpt:
Gabriel didn’t bother with knocking on Michael’s door, he simply appeared in Michael’s living room, his eyebrows shooting up as he took in the sight of Michael, who was pacing back and forth up and down the length of his rooms, gnawing on a thumbnail and glowering at the floor.
“Y’know,” Gabriel drawled as Michael looked up at him, “you’re going to wear a trench to China if you keep that pacing up.”
“Pardon?” Michael stared at him, the color draining from his face as he took in Gabriel’s blood- and gore-smeared armor. “Gabriel! Are you hurt?”
“Huh? No! Oh, no. No, this ain’t mine, just demons.” Gabriel grinned. “Takes more than a bunch of demons to hurt me.” Which was more than he could say for Uriel right now, he thought.
Michael’s face was still pale. “You scared me,” he said. “You are certain you are not injured?”
Immediately contrite, Gabriel took three quick steps across the room and took Michael’s hands in his. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. I’m fine, I promise. Dirty, but fine.”
Michael let out a long, slow breath. His fingers, Gabriel realized, were shaking.
“As you say. You have come to report?”
“Aye.” Gabriel let go of Michael’s hands. “It’s not a good report, though.”
“They rarely are these days.” Michael sighed and sat down. “Give me the report.”
Gabriel did, making it as concise as possible, and when he was finished, he watched Michael closely. The color had returned to Michael’s cheeks, and his dark eyes were full of concern and anxiety. The simple Chinese robes he wore were, Gabriel suddenly realized, what Michael wore when he was intending to sleep. Suddenly feeling like an intruder, Gabriel cleared his throat.
“So, uh, I should leave you to it.” Awkward, he thought. Could I be any more awkward around Michael?
“You do not have to.” Michael’s voice was soft. “In truth, I could not sleep until I knew the extent of Uriel’s injuries. Raphael is certain he will recover?”
“As certain as he can be.” Gabriel bit his lower lip. He was about to say more, but at that moment, there was the sound of feathers rustling, and Raphael was there.
Raphael looked tired, Gabriel thought, but he also looked relieved. “Raz works fast,” he said without preamble. “He’s come up with an antidote for Uri. Uri’s going to be fine. Cranky as a bear with a sore head, but fine. Coming up with a vaccine against the poison in the first place will take a little longer, but Raz is on it. I just figured you two should know.”
“Okay, good,” Gabriel said. “So, until you and Raz have this inoculation thing sorted, keep everyone from going anywhere alone?”
“Yeah.” Raphael nodded.
“I am very relieved,” Michael said. “You are certain Uriel is well?”
“Positive, Mike. Anyway, I’ve still got work to do, so I’ll leave you to it. I’ll let the others know. Have a good night.” With that, Raphael vanished.
“What a relief,” Gabriel muttered, running blood-smeared hands through his hair.
“Gabriel,” Michael said, sighing, “perhaps you should bathe. I am certain that you must be feeling sticky, to say the least.”
Gabriel blinked. Then he started to laugh, the tension he was feeling dissipating. “Yeah, you got that right. Can I borrow your shower?”
“Of course.” Michael gave him a small smile. “Make yourself at home.”
“Thanks.” Gabriel headed into the bathroom and quietly closed the door behind him. It didn’t take long to shuck his armor, although cleaning it properly would have to wait. Gabriel used his power to get the worst of the detritus of battle off it with a thought, and with another thought, moved it back to his house in Deep Bay.
He couldn’t deny that he felt sticky. Patches of dried blood stuck to his skin, and Gabriel wrinkled his nose in distaste as he turned on the faucets, adjusting them to get the water the temperature he wanted it. Washing himself down felt wonderful, and he was much more relaxed when he finally finished bathing. Turning off the faucets, Gabriel stepped from the shower and toweled himself dry. Then he wrapped the towel around his hips and stepped from the bathroom, trailing a cloud of steam behind him.
“Thanks, I feel loads better,” Gabriel said as he ran his hands through his damp hair.
Michael was standing by the window, and he turned as he heard Gabriel’s voice. He opened his mouth to say something and stopped, staring, his cheeks immediately going red.
For a moment, Gabriel considered asking Michael what was wrong. His unspoken question was answered as Michael quickly crossed the room to him, cupped his face in his hands, and kissed him.
Gabriel groaned into the kiss, his arms winding around Michael’s waist, pressing close. Michael kissed him harder, pushing him up against the wall, and Gabriel groaned louder, fingers clenching in the fabric of Michael’s robe. As Michael growled, running a hand over Gabriel’s chest, Gabriel broke the kiss, his head falling back against the wall. “Michael,” he panted.
Bloghopping:
The Manga and Romance Blog Hop organised by Hayley B. James starts next week (click the image to go to the information page), and I'll be blogging as part of it. So keep your eyes peeled and come along and read and enjoy a variety of posts by some great authors. There's also a give away with loads of prizes!
GBLT and Bollywood Cinema.
Jun. 11th, 2012 02:48 pmAs part of YAM Magazine's GBLT blogathon week, I wrote this post about GBLT film in the largest filmmaking industry in the world: Bollywood.
When people think of Bollywood cinema, they tend to think of lavish musical productions with singing and dancing and women in brightly coloured saris, doing big group dance numbers.
Bollywood is a bit more than just the above simple description. In recent years, it's evolved into many genres beyond romance, such as crime, action, gritty realism, and now into GBLT film. The common denominator in these films is, of course, the music, and the romance. Such films as Don 2 or Ghajini, while full of violence and action, also have a romantic subplot and at least one song-and-dance number. Lighter action fare, such as the Dhoom series of films, also have a romance subplot that blossoms into part of the main plot, and, of course, the song-and-dance routine.
No one was more surprised than me when I watched a Bollywood movie after years of wrinkling my nose at them and discovering how much I loved it. That film was Shahrukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai's Devdas, and I realized that Bollywood wasn't just musicals (which is why I'd been wrinkling my nose – I'm not a fan of musicals!), it was costumes, story, plot twists, highs and lows, and touched on subjects such as prostitution, alcoholism, disinheritance and arranged marriages and many more. Devdas also, much to my amazement and horror, because I was really rooting for the two characters to have their happily ever after, had a terribly tragic ending. After watching Devdas, I was hooked. More Bollywood films for me, I said, and when Australian multicultural TV channel, SBS, played Bollywood films, I watched them all. It's getting to the point now that I think I've seen every film SBS has the rights to air – not just from Bollywood, but Indian cinema as a whole, Chinese cinema and South Korean cinema. And Japanese horror, which turns me into a gibbering, terrified mess. No one does horror like the Japanese. But I digress.
So SBS were airing Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi on the weekend, one of my favourite Shahrukh Khan films, and I was watching it for the umpteenth time, when, during SRK's straight-laced character pretending to be the uber cool Raj Kapoor character, I wondered, has Bollywood ever done any gay romance? After all, China, South Korea and Japan have, but what about Bollywood?
It turns out that yes, Bollywood has a handful of gay themed films, but the most controversial in India is a 2010 film called Dunno Y … Na Jaane Kyon (English: Don't Know Why). The film is directed by Sanjay Sharma and stars his brother, Kapil Sharma and Yuvraaj Parashar. The "Times of India" newspaper describes the story as:
The review by the "Times…" is fairly lukewarm, but what stuck out for me was the closing lines:
The political background to this film is heated – since 2008, there have been Pride Parades in India, in cities such as Kolkata, Delhi and Bangalore. In 2009, the Delhi High Court overturned laws that made homosexuality illegal and the gay online paper, Pink Times was launched as a celebration of the legalization of homosexuality. Shortly after, India's first gay magazine, Bombay Dost was relaunched in Mumbai. With the legalization of homosexuality, more and more cities held pride parades drawing thousands of people, and in 2010, the first GBLT film festival held in mainstream multiplex theatres, Kashish Mumbai Queer Film Festival, was held in Mumbai.
In December 2002, the fight began to overturn completely Section 377, which is a law that prohibits homosexuality in India. It took years, but finally, the law was repealed:
So what does this have to do with Bollywood? Quite a bit. As homosexuality is still considered very taboo in India, despite successes in the courts, Dunno Y… was considered a risky film to make. Not just for the director, but for the stars as well. Sanjay Sarmar said to the BBC of the film that:
The poster for the film is certainly clear – it leaves no doubt as to what the romance in the film is. It's a beautiful poster (click the thumbnail to embiggen), and the untouched original photograph is quite a bit more suggestive (full image is found here). The film won a lot of awards and received more cinema time around the world than a lot of Bollywood films, but back home in India, its stars were getting less than stellar treatment.
Yuvraaj Parasher's family are less than pleased. Said his father to the "Times of India" and the "Bombay Times":
This is a film, the effects of which, I feel, will be felt through India for a long time to come.
In conclusion, a word from Yuvraaj Parasher on the role, from an interview with "Indyarocks":
Five GBLT Films I Highly Recommend:
(Not including Brokeback Mountain, because I think everyone knows that film, and knows how good it is.)
1. The Sum of Us - one of the best performances by Russell Crowe I've seen. From Australia, 1994, 100 minutes.
2. A Frozen Flower - A historical, with amazing fight scenes in between the love story. A stunning film. From South Korea, 2008, 133 minutes.
3. Bent - Tragic story of the fate of gay Jews in Nazi Germany. Starring Clive Owen (who is fantastic here), Mick Jagger, Nikolai Coster-Waldau (Jaime in "Game of Thrones"), Jude Law and Ian McKellan to name a few. From the UK, 1997, 105 minutes.
4. Gods and Monsters - Ian McKellan and Brendan Fraser (yes, "Encino Man" and "The Mummy" Brendan Fraser) are phenomenal in this biopic. From the UK, 1998, 105 minutes.
5. The Old Testament A beautiful, gut-wrenching film about gay love in Communist China. From China, 2001, 74 minutes.
And if you're looking for more, this is a great list of films to watch.
Five Bollywood Stars I Love And One of Their Films:
1. Shahrukh Khan. What can I say, I love him. He's such a versatile actor. And I'm cheating a little and rec'ing two films. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (romantic comedy which does always make me laugh out loud) and Don 2 (action, crime.)
2. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Devdas (romance, tragedy). I love her. She's gorgeous, and I love how down to earth she is. Plus she's a great actress.
3. Hrithik Roshan. Dhoom 2 for action with comedy and the fact he spends most of the film minus a shirt or with his shirt open. And another for sheer acting awesomeness, Jodhaa Akbar, a historical epic. Both co-star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
4. Ahbishek Bachchan. Raavan (drama, thriller). This is a pretty intense film, with Bachchan playing a bandit. He co-stars with his wife, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Vikram.
5. Preity Zinta. Veer Zaara (drama, romance). This is set against the backdrop of the conflict between Pakistan and India. Preity plays a Pakistani woman who falls for an Indian man, played by SRK.
L-R: Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Ahbishek Bachchan.
References:
Bollywood director confident gay kiss will pass censors (2 Feb 2010) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8492974.stm
Dunno Y Na Jaane Kyun (12 Nov 2010) http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/hindi/Dunno-Y-Na-Jaane-Kyun/movie-review/6871127.cms
India's Answer to Brokeback Mountain (23 April 2010) http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/apr/23/india-gay-film
Indian Film Star Yuvraaj Prashar is Disowned by His Family (27 Sept 2010) http://greginhollywood.com/indian-film-star-yuvraaj-parashar-is-disowned-by-his-family-for-playing-a-gay-man-in-a-film-38135
People are so Focused on the Script (22 Sept 2009) http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-09-22/news-interviews/28076394_1_zeenat-aman-maradona-rebello-pankh
Gay Film in India Sparks Homophobia (5 Oct 2010) http://bestgaynewsmagazine.com/2010/10/05/gay-film-in-india-sparks-homophobiadunno-yna-jaane-kyun.aspx
When people think of Bollywood cinema, they tend to think of lavish musical productions with singing and dancing and women in brightly coloured saris, doing big group dance numbers.
Bollywood is a bit more than just the above simple description. In recent years, it's evolved into many genres beyond romance, such as crime, action, gritty realism, and now into GBLT film. The common denominator in these films is, of course, the music, and the romance. Such films as Don 2 or Ghajini, while full of violence and action, also have a romantic subplot and at least one song-and-dance number. Lighter action fare, such as the Dhoom series of films, also have a romance subplot that blossoms into part of the main plot, and, of course, the song-and-dance routine.
No one was more surprised than me when I watched a Bollywood movie after years of wrinkling my nose at them and discovering how much I loved it. That film was Shahrukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai's Devdas, and I realized that Bollywood wasn't just musicals (which is why I'd been wrinkling my nose – I'm not a fan of musicals!), it was costumes, story, plot twists, highs and lows, and touched on subjects such as prostitution, alcoholism, disinheritance and arranged marriages and many more. Devdas also, much to my amazement and horror, because I was really rooting for the two characters to have their happily ever after, had a terribly tragic ending. After watching Devdas, I was hooked. More Bollywood films for me, I said, and when Australian multicultural TV channel, SBS, played Bollywood films, I watched them all. It's getting to the point now that I think I've seen every film SBS has the rights to air – not just from Bollywood, but Indian cinema as a whole, Chinese cinema and South Korean cinema. And Japanese horror, which turns me into a gibbering, terrified mess. No one does horror like the Japanese. But I digress.
So SBS were airing Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi on the weekend, one of my favourite Shahrukh Khan films, and I was watching it for the umpteenth time, when, during SRK's straight-laced character pretending to be the uber cool Raj Kapoor character, I wondered, has Bollywood ever done any gay romance? After all, China, South Korea and Japan have, but what about Bollywood?
It turns out that yes, Bollywood has a handful of gay themed films, but the most controversial in India is a 2010 film called Dunno Y … Na Jaane Kyon (English: Don't Know Why). The film is directed by Sanjay Sharma and stars his brother, Kapil Sharma and Yuvraaj Parashar. The "Times of India" newspaper describes the story as:
The film traces the relationship between two young men who do fall in love but fail to find a conducive atmosphere to freely express it. On the one hand, there is family pressure and on the other there is social derision which forces this gay couple to remain in the closet and hope for a new, more liberal world order.
The review by the "Times…" is fairly lukewarm, but what stuck out for me was the closing lines:
There is a degree of sensitivity while tackling the homosexual relationship, nevertheless the drama lacks punch and the conclusion becomes self-defeatist. Surely, there could have been a bolder climax if the film wanted to lift the taboo from this bond.
The political background to this film is heated – since 2008, there have been Pride Parades in India, in cities such as Kolkata, Delhi and Bangalore. In 2009, the Delhi High Court overturned laws that made homosexuality illegal and the gay online paper, Pink Times was launched as a celebration of the legalization of homosexuality. Shortly after, India's first gay magazine, Bombay Dost was relaunched in Mumbai. With the legalization of homosexuality, more and more cities held pride parades drawing thousands of people, and in 2010, the first GBLT film festival held in mainstream multiplex theatres, Kashish Mumbai Queer Film Festival, was held in Mumbai.
In December 2002, the fight began to overturn completely Section 377, which is a law that prohibits homosexuality in India. It took years, but finally, the law was repealed:
On 2 July 2009, in the case of Naz Foundation v National Capital Territory of Delhi, the High Court of Delhi struck down much of S. 377 of the IPC as being unconstitutional. The Court held that to the extent S. 377 criminalised consensual non-vaginal sexual acts between adults, it violated an individual's fundamental rights to equality before the law, freedom from discrimination and to life and personal liberty under Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution of India. The High Court did not strike down S. 377 completely – it held the section was valid to the extent it related to non-consensual non-vaginal intercourse or to intercourse with minors – and it expressed the hope that Parliament would soon legislatively address the issue. ("A New Law for India's Sexual Minorities," The Guardian, UK, 21 July 2009)
So what does this have to do with Bollywood? Quite a bit. As homosexuality is still considered very taboo in India, despite successes in the courts, Dunno Y… was considered a risky film to make. Not just for the director, but for the stars as well. Sanjay Sarmar said to the BBC of the film that:
"Dunno Y" is Sanjay Sharma's directorial debut and he says his first project is not a publicity stunt but a "serious film" about an issue which saw Bollywood make fun of gay characters with 2008 release "Dostana". "Dostana" portrayed two men who "pretended" to be gay to fool a landlady into letting her daughter live with them. Although the male characters kissed at the end of that film as a punishment, they were not gay. Sanjay insists "Dunno Y" depicts a "normal relationship" between two men and that he was not scared to broach the subject.
"I'm not afraid of anything," he said. "I stand by my conviction."
The poster for the film is certainly clear – it leaves no doubt as to what the romance in the film is. It's a beautiful poster (click the thumbnail to embiggen), and the untouched original photograph is quite a bit more suggestive (full image is found here). The film won a lot of awards and received more cinema time around the world than a lot of Bollywood films, but back home in India, its stars were getting less than stellar treatment. Yuvraaj Parasher's family are less than pleased. Said his father to the "Times of India" and the "Bombay Times":
“I feel what he has done is against the culture and tradition of our country and it challenges the purity of the relationship between a man and a woman. He kept us in the dark right from when he signed the film and told us that he is acting with a girl. When we heard about the poster and the things he has done in the film, we were shocked, hurt and humiliated. People will make fun of us and we won’t be able to live peacefully ever again.
“His mother is totally devastated. We are a respected family and I’m appalled that he is playing a gay man’s role. We’re finished. All the dreams and hopes we had built around him are over. For just a film role, he has lost out on his blood ties. We don’t want to see his face ever … not even when we are dying.”
This is a film, the effects of which, I feel, will be felt through India for a long time to come.
In conclusion, a word from Yuvraaj Parasher on the role, from an interview with "Indyarocks":
“I feel cinema and the audience have changed. I never wanted to make my debut as a collegian wooing a chick on a bike. When I was selected to play gay in the audition, I was elated. I’d rather do something unconventional.”
Speaking about making love to a guy on camera, Yuvraaj said: “It was awkward. After doing it with Kapil we avoided each other. Finally we looked at one another and burst laughing.”
Five GBLT Films I Highly Recommend:
(Not including Brokeback Mountain, because I think everyone knows that film, and knows how good it is.)
1. The Sum of Us - one of the best performances by Russell Crowe I've seen. From Australia, 1994, 100 minutes.
2. A Frozen Flower - A historical, with amazing fight scenes in between the love story. A stunning film. From South Korea, 2008, 133 minutes.
3. Bent - Tragic story of the fate of gay Jews in Nazi Germany. Starring Clive Owen (who is fantastic here), Mick Jagger, Nikolai Coster-Waldau (Jaime in "Game of Thrones"), Jude Law and Ian McKellan to name a few. From the UK, 1997, 105 minutes.
4. Gods and Monsters - Ian McKellan and Brendan Fraser (yes, "Encino Man" and "The Mummy" Brendan Fraser) are phenomenal in this biopic. From the UK, 1998, 105 minutes.
5. The Old Testament A beautiful, gut-wrenching film about gay love in Communist China. From China, 2001, 74 minutes.
And if you're looking for more, this is a great list of films to watch.
Five Bollywood Stars I Love And One of Their Films:
1. Shahrukh Khan. What can I say, I love him. He's such a versatile actor. And I'm cheating a little and rec'ing two films. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (romantic comedy which does always make me laugh out loud) and Don 2 (action, crime.)
2. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Devdas (romance, tragedy). I love her. She's gorgeous, and I love how down to earth she is. Plus she's a great actress.
3. Hrithik Roshan. Dhoom 2 for action with comedy and the fact he spends most of the film minus a shirt or with his shirt open. And another for sheer acting awesomeness, Jodhaa Akbar, a historical epic. Both co-star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
4. Ahbishek Bachchan. Raavan (drama, thriller). This is a pretty intense film, with Bachchan playing a bandit. He co-stars with his wife, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Vikram.
5. Preity Zinta. Veer Zaara (drama, romance). This is set against the backdrop of the conflict between Pakistan and India. Preity plays a Pakistani woman who falls for an Indian man, played by SRK.
L-R: Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Ahbishek Bachchan.
References:
Bollywood director confident gay kiss will pass censors (2 Feb 2010) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8492974.stm
Dunno Y Na Jaane Kyun (12 Nov 2010) http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/hindi/Dunno-Y-Na-Jaane-Kyun/movie-review/6871127.cms
India's Answer to Brokeback Mountain (23 April 2010) http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/apr/23/india-gay-film
Indian Film Star Yuvraaj Prashar is Disowned by His Family (27 Sept 2010) http://greginhollywood.com/indian-film-star-yuvraaj-parashar-is-disowned-by-his-family-for-playing-a-gay-man-in-a-film-38135
People are so Focused on the Script (22 Sept 2009) http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-09-22/news-interviews/28076394_1_zeenat-aman-maradona-rebello-pankh
Gay Film in India Sparks Homophobia (5 Oct 2010) http://bestgaynewsmagazine.com/2010/10/05/gay-film-in-india-sparks-homophobiadunno-yna-jaane-kyun.aspx
YAM Magazine LGBT Blogathon Week.
Jun. 11th, 2012 12:39 amThis week is the LGBT Blogathon over at YAM Magazine. From the post:
It's open to all, and this is what to do to get involved:
And where is it? Click the banner below to go to the relevant post. (Opens in a new tab/window).
You can talk about ANYTHING entertainment (that goes for film, television, music, books, or anything else you can think of…) that is related to LGBT themes. From anywhere in the world, in any language.
Join us on June 11th – June 17th to share the best of worldwide LGBT entertainment~
It's open to all, and this is what to do to get involved:
Just add the banner on your site (so we can get people talking) and when the time comes to write your (multiple) contributing post(s), do one ore more of these things:
- you post something having some text linking to this post (like: contribution to YAM Magazine’s 2012 LGBT Blogathon).
- Write your post, and leave a comment down here with a link to it.
- Tweet us your post @yammag or using the #YAMLGBT hashtag
- or leave a link on the Facebook event page.
And where is it? Click the banner below to go to the relevant post. (Opens in a new tab/window).
What's Going On Here in May!
May. 1st, 2012 12:51 pmMay is here, and with it comes a few announcements. :)
First up, this month, I will be hosting some guest authors. Some will be presenting guest blog posts, others have been interviewed. I do hope you'll join us and read these wonderful and interesting posts and be part of the Merry Month of May here.
Second up, May 17-20 is the Blog Hop Against Homophobia. I will be putting up a post on the 17th and doing a giveaway of my novel, "No Quarter" to one lucky commenter. So do stop by for that.
So go forth and tell your friends!
Click the above pic to find out more about the Hop Against Homophobia.
And finally, but not least, Dreamspinner Press turns five this May, and with it comes a huge, month-long celebration that includes sales, giveaways, prizes, and more!
From DSP:
Over the course of the month, all titles will be discounted according to how long the author has been with the publisher.
May 1-5: Grab the 40% discount off all books (including in-stock paperbacks) by authors who signed with them during their first year of business: Rhianne Aile, Eric Arvin, Connie Bailey, Alix Bekins, Nicki Bennett, Giselle Ellis, Catt Ford, Shay Kincaid, Marguerite Labbe, Clare London, Dar Mavison, Anais Morten, Chrissy Munder, Zahra Owens, D.G. Parker, Abigail Roux, John Simpson, Fae Sutherland, Ariel Tachna, Madeleine Urban.
May 6-12, we will offer a 35% discount off all books (including in-stock paperbacks)by authors who signed with us during our second year of business. Watch the web site for the list.
May 13-19, we will offer a 30% discount off all books (including in-stock paperbacks)by authors who signed with us during our third year of business. Watch the web site for the list.
May 20-26, we will offer a 25% discount off all books (including in-stock paperbacks)by authors who signed with us during our fourth year of business. Watch the web site for the list.
May 27-31, we will offer a 20% discount off all books (including in-stock paperbacks)by authors who signed with us during our fifth year of business. Watch the web site for the list.
In addition, we have three scheduled giveaways for the month!
One lucky participant in our Time Is Eternity Daily Dose chat at the Literary Nymphs Yahoo! Group on May 5 will win a Kindle Fire!
One lucky participant in Jeremy Pack's Meet the Author at Dreamspinner Press's Facebook page on May 19 will win all the eBooks on his or her wishlist!
One lucky customer on our web site during the month of May will win an iPad! Each purchase from midnight EST May 1 to midnight EST May 31 constitutes an entry.
We'll also be doing special flash sales, so keep an eye on the web site for unannounced excitement!
First up, this month, I will be hosting some guest authors. Some will be presenting guest blog posts, others have been interviewed. I do hope you'll join us and read these wonderful and interesting posts and be part of the Merry Month of May here.
Second up, May 17-20 is the Blog Hop Against Homophobia. I will be putting up a post on the 17th and doing a giveaway of my novel, "No Quarter" to one lucky commenter. So do stop by for that.
So go forth and tell your friends!
Click the above pic to find out more about the Hop Against Homophobia.
And finally, but not least, Dreamspinner Press turns five this May, and with it comes a huge, month-long celebration that includes sales, giveaways, prizes, and more!
From DSP:
Over the course of the month, all titles will be discounted according to how long the author has been with the publisher.
May 1-5: Grab the 40% discount off all books (including in-stock paperbacks) by authors who signed with them during their first year of business: Rhianne Aile, Eric Arvin, Connie Bailey, Alix Bekins, Nicki Bennett, Giselle Ellis, Catt Ford, Shay Kincaid, Marguerite Labbe, Clare London, Dar Mavison, Anais Morten, Chrissy Munder, Zahra Owens, D.G. Parker, Abigail Roux, John Simpson, Fae Sutherland, Ariel Tachna, Madeleine Urban.
May 6-12, we will offer a 35% discount off all books (including in-stock paperbacks)by authors who signed with us during our second year of business. Watch the web site for the list.
May 13-19, we will offer a 30% discount off all books (including in-stock paperbacks)by authors who signed with us during our third year of business. Watch the web site for the list.
May 20-26, we will offer a 25% discount off all books (including in-stock paperbacks)by authors who signed with us during our fourth year of business. Watch the web site for the list.
May 27-31, we will offer a 20% discount off all books (including in-stock paperbacks)by authors who signed with us during our fifth year of business. Watch the web site for the list.
In addition, we have three scheduled giveaways for the month!
One lucky participant in our Time Is Eternity Daily Dose chat at the Literary Nymphs Yahoo! Group on May 5 will win a Kindle Fire!
One lucky participant in Jeremy Pack's Meet the Author at Dreamspinner Press's Facebook page on May 19 will win all the eBooks on his or her wishlist!
One lucky customer on our web site during the month of May will win an iPad! Each purchase from midnight EST May 1 to midnight EST May 31 constitutes an entry.
We'll also be doing special flash sales, so keep an eye on the web site for unannounced excitement!
Guest Blogging And....
Apr. 6th, 2012 07:51 pmI'm at Guys Like Romance, Too, today, so do drop in and say hello!
No Quarter is a featured book of the week at Dreamspinner Press too, which is awesome!
No Quarter is a featured book of the week at Dreamspinner Press too, which is awesome!
Dreamspinner Press Blog Tour!
** Introductory and hello post.
** Excerpt from "No Quarter".
** Excerpt the second.
** Titles, Languages and a Giveaway.
Romance with SASS. Talking about snow and the beach at Margie Church's place.
** Introductory and hello post.
** Excerpt from "No Quarter".
** Excerpt the second.
** Titles, Languages and a Giveaway.
Romance with SASS. Talking about snow and the beach at Margie Church's place.
Guesting and Give-away.
Mar. 21st, 2012 05:17 pmI'm at Blak Rayne's today, talking about "No Quarter", writing, Archangels and films. Drop on by and leave a comment with your email address to go into the draw to win a copy of the "No Quarter" ebook on release day, 2nd April 2012.
Guesting and Give-away.
Mar. 21st, 2012 05:17 pmI'm at Blak Rayne's today, talking about "No Quarter", writing, Archangels and films. Drop on by and leave a comment with your email address to go into the draw to win a copy of the "No Quarter" ebook on release day, 2nd April 2012.
It's a good day today.
Firstly, I'm guest blogging at![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
clarelondon's blog, today, talking about inspiration in photos, and I've shared some images of inspirational things, including one of Daniel Craig. Inspiration is in everything, am I right? Anyhoo, do stop by!
Secondly, I got a contract for book two of my Archangels series, No Surrender, No Retreat, which I am delighted and excited to accept, so yay!
These are jolly good things after several weeks of blah - the hot weather here has been dreadful, the heatwave has been one of the worst in years, so when the cool change finally hit on Monday morning, all of Adelaide drew a huge breath of relief. Being able to think without feeling like your brain is jelly? What a marvellous sensation!
There's been some health issues for me, above and beyond the usual (there's always something, sigh), so I am off to visit cardiologists directly and get that diagnosed properly. Interim diagnosis is SVT, which is Supraventricular Tachycardia, basically where the electrics in your heart misfire, so your heart starts beating a mile a minute. It is a very scary feeling, believe me. However, in my case, there's some concern that there's an underlying issue - not to mention a history of heart disease in my family - so it's off to the cardiologist for me. Soon, I will be on a first name basis with everyone in all the specialist units in the Royal Adelaide Hospital. My mum is also having tests at the end of February, so she will be staying here at my house for a few days, one before, the day of, and at least one day after the tests.
All of that explains why I've been less than frequent with blogging or doing the Thursday Thirteens or Six Sentence Sundays. Heat, plus health, plus worrying, do not make for a productive mindset. Today is a new day, though, a good day, so onwards and upwards!
Firstly, I'm guest blogging at
clarelondon's blog, today, talking about inspiration in photos, and I've shared some images of inspirational things, including one of Daniel Craig. Inspiration is in everything, am I right? Anyhoo, do stop by!Secondly, I got a contract for book two of my Archangels series, No Surrender, No Retreat, which I am delighted and excited to accept, so yay!
These are jolly good things after several weeks of blah - the hot weather here has been dreadful, the heatwave has been one of the worst in years, so when the cool change finally hit on Monday morning, all of Adelaide drew a huge breath of relief. Being able to think without feeling like your brain is jelly? What a marvellous sensation!
There's been some health issues for me, above and beyond the usual (there's always something, sigh), so I am off to visit cardiologists directly and get that diagnosed properly. Interim diagnosis is SVT, which is Supraventricular Tachycardia, basically where the electrics in your heart misfire, so your heart starts beating a mile a minute. It is a very scary feeling, believe me. However, in my case, there's some concern that there's an underlying issue - not to mention a history of heart disease in my family - so it's off to the cardiologist for me. Soon, I will be on a first name basis with everyone in all the specialist units in the Royal Adelaide Hospital. My mum is also having tests at the end of February, so she will be staying here at my house for a few days, one before, the day of, and at least one day after the tests.
All of that explains why I've been less than frequent with blogging or doing the Thursday Thirteens or Six Sentence Sundays. Heat, plus health, plus worrying, do not make for a productive mindset. Today is a new day, though, a good day, so onwards and upwards!
It's a good day today.
Firstly, I'm guest blogging atclarelondon's blog, today, talking about inspiration in photos, and I've shared some images of inspirational things, including one of Daniel Craig. Inspiration is in everything, am I right? Anyhoo, do stop by!
Secondly, I got a contract for book two of my Archangels series, No Surrender, No Retreat, which I am delighted and excited to accept, so yay!
These are jolly good things after several weeks of blah - the hot weather here has been dreadful, the heatwave has been one of the worst in years, so when the cool change finally hit on Monday morning, all of Adelaide drew a huge breath of relief. Being able to think without feeling like your brain is jelly? What a marvellous sensation!
There's been some health issues for me, above and beyond the usual (there's always something, sigh), so I am off to visit cardiologists directly and get that diagnosed properly. Interim diagnosis is SVT, which is Supraventricular Tachycardia, basically where the electrics in your heart misfire, so your heart starts beating a mile a minute. It is a very scary feeling, believe me. However, in my case, there's some concern that there's an underlying issue - not to mention a history of heart disease in my family - so it's off to the cardiologist for me. Soon, I will be on a first name basis with everyone in all the specialist units in the Royal Adelaide Hospital. My mum is also having tests at the end of February, so she will be staying here at my house for a few days, one before, the day of, and at least one day after the tests.
All of that explains why I've been less than frequent with blogging or doing the Thursday Thirteens or Six Sentence Sundays. Heat, plus health, plus worrying, do not make for a productive mindset. Today is a new day, though, a good day, so onwards and upwards!
Firstly, I'm guest blogging at
clarelondon's blog, today, talking about inspiration in photos, and I've shared some images of inspirational things, including one of Daniel Craig. Inspiration is in everything, am I right? Anyhoo, do stop by!Secondly, I got a contract for book two of my Archangels series, No Surrender, No Retreat, which I am delighted and excited to accept, so yay!
These are jolly good things after several weeks of blah - the hot weather here has been dreadful, the heatwave has been one of the worst in years, so when the cool change finally hit on Monday morning, all of Adelaide drew a huge breath of relief. Being able to think without feeling like your brain is jelly? What a marvellous sensation!
There's been some health issues for me, above and beyond the usual (there's always something, sigh), so I am off to visit cardiologists directly and get that diagnosed properly. Interim diagnosis is SVT, which is Supraventricular Tachycardia, basically where the electrics in your heart misfire, so your heart starts beating a mile a minute. It is a very scary feeling, believe me. However, in my case, there's some concern that there's an underlying issue - not to mention a history of heart disease in my family - so it's off to the cardiologist for me. Soon, I will be on a first name basis with everyone in all the specialist units in the Royal Adelaide Hospital. My mum is also having tests at the end of February, so she will be staying here at my house for a few days, one before, the day of, and at least one day after the tests.
All of that explains why I've been less than frequent with blogging or doing the Thursday Thirteens or Six Sentence Sundays. Heat, plus health, plus worrying, do not make for a productive mindset. Today is a new day, though, a good day, so onwards and upwards!
Stuff Your Stockings Blogfest - TODAY!
Dec. 24th, 2011 04:09 pm
So I'm talking about a different sort of Australian Christmas over at Whipped Cream Guest Blogs today, and you can join in the conversation and enter the draw for one of two copies of my Christmas novella story from Dreamspinner Press called Long Road Back.
Stop on by and say hi!
Stuff Your Stockings Blogfest - TODAY!
Dec. 24th, 2011 04:09 pmSo I'm talking about a different sort of Australian Christmas over at Whipped Cream Guest Blogs today, and you can join in the conversation and enter the draw for one of two copies of my Christmas novella story from Dreamspinner Press called Long Road Back.
Stop on by and say hi!
Guest Blogging: Blak Rayne Books.
Dec. 20th, 2011 07:44 amI'm at Blak Rayne Books today, talking about Christmas and sharing Byzantine cooking recipes! So do stop by!
~Over here~
~Over here~
Guest Blogging: Blak Rayne Books.
Dec. 20th, 2011 07:44 amI'm at Blak Rayne Books today, talking about Christmas and sharing Byzantine cooking recipes! So do stop by!
~Over here~
~Over here~
STUFF YOUR STOCKINGS BLOGFEST
Dec. 19th, 2011 12:43 pmI'll be blogging over at the WC Guest Blog (http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/) on December 23rd from 6pm US EST, which is 10am Australian central daylight savings time. I'll be talking about a different sort of Australian Christmas and giving away two copies of my Christmas novella Long Road Back, so do stop by!
