Rainbow Awards: Current Submissions 181-190
181) Bruce P. Grether - Moontusk, Rendezvous in a Ruined City, Lethe Press, Gay, Fantasy
Paperback: 308 pages
Publisher: Lethe Press (February 21, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1590213610
ISBN-13: 978-1590213612
In this intriguing and frankly erotic tale set in an intricately developed alternate world, the moon has rings, mammoths survive in the far north, and a patriarchal empire rules over provincial kingdoms where the Goddess is still revered. Legend tells that long ago the Gods sailed here from the East, but now this is a world of humans. Or is it? At the heart of the Kemnoan Empire, in the imperial capital Ulan, handsome Prince Dare is the heir to the throne. But this restless young man flees from his duty on a journey of self-discovery with his chameleon cat, Maumet, as his only companion. Telling himself that he's seeking enlightenment, Dare sets off on foot for the mountainous kingdom of Loonapoore, where sacred mammoths are revered. The Loonapoori term for enlightenment means ''tusk of the moon.'' As much as spiritual enlightenment, the young man really seeks the truth of the feelings and passions in his maturing body. Meanwhile, a young Loonapoori noble named Hosis flees from his own family destiny riding on the back of a stolen mammoth cow. From separate directions, the two young men are pulled inexorably toward what will be to both a startling rendezvous and the beginning of an epic adventure together. Accompanied by the mysterious Lady Dee, they will journey to the South Seas to seek the fabled Dream Orchid, said to bestow either enlightenment or death. Along the way Dare encounters both the threat-and the promise-of alluring erotic fulfillment.
182) S.L. Danielson - Ranch Hands, Wicked Nights, Gay, Contemporary Romance
Sid's in serious trouble; he's rapidly sinking into a pit of despair, with no way out. His farm is failing, his lover left him high and dry a year ago without a word, and the note on the farm is six months overdue. Desparate times breed desparate measures. Sid is forced to do what he'd vowed he'd never do again-he takes on a live-in hired hand to help him work the land and bring it back to life. Will Roger be the answer to Sid's problems, or will he leave Sid high and dry too?
183) Angel Martinez - A Different Breed, Amber Quill Press, Gay, Paranormal / Horror
Paperback: 160 pages
Publisher: Amber Quill Press, LLC (December 21, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1611249910
ISBN-13: 978-1611249910
Josh hunts vampires with relentless, cold precision until the night he confronts a gorgeous hunk of vamp in the woods outside Ithaca. Richard destroys all of Josh's prejudices about vampires in the first few moments of conversation, and the sexual sparks between them ignite almost as quickly. Richard offers the stability Josh never had, while Josh offers the healing Richard needs so desperately. But it's nearly impossible just to walk away from a life of violence. An attack one evening leaves a friend in the hospital, Richard with a bullet through his chest, muttering about strange creatures, and Josh fighting to piece together what really happened. Are Richard's nightmare attackers real, or is Josh's favorite vamp losing his mind? Is there a reasonable explanation or has the hunter now become prey?
184) Julie Lynn Hayes - For Love of Max, Dreamspinner Press, Gay, Paranormal / Horror
Paperback: 446 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace (June 18, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1463529945
ISBN-13: 978-1463529949
Life is truly beautiful! Richard actually asked me to marry him, do you believe it? Of course there's a small hurdle we have to cross--namely that gay marriage isn't legal here in Missouri. But it's a start, right? Things are looking up for us, now that I know the truth about Richard. Our careers are doing well, we're blissfully happy together, and Mother has given us her blessing! My sister Diana is going through boyfriends like some people change clothes. I wonder if she'll ever find Mr. Right? Cat's cousin has turned out to be a real interesting character, and the most interesting thing is--he’s a werewolf! And more disturbing than that, I think that maybe my father (that shadowy figure who's never figured in my life) might just be someone named Jason. It's a long story. Just when I thought I had things figured out, they change, and I find out that what I thought I knew was just so much nonsense. In other words--lies. Who can I trust? Other than Richard, of course. And what should I believe? And why does it seem like the world is trying to shake me out of my lycanthropic closet? What's a gay werewolf to do?
185) Anne Barwell - Cat's Quill, Dreamspinner Press, Gay, Sci-Fi / Futuristic
Paperback: 350 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (May 30, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1615818944
ISBN-13: 978-1615818945
Tomas Kemp has two successful novels to his name and the true belief that a successful sequel is only a matter of a little inspiration. When Tomas meets a mysterious stranger under the branches of an old oak tree, he feels compelled to tell him about a book he holds dear and the sequel he wants to read. But Cathal doesn't share that deep belief that the sequel Tomas seeks ends happily. Cathal has seen enough of a world where stories are real to know that happy ever after is sometimes the dream that won't come true. But stories have never let Tomas down, and as he follows Cathal across the reality shift between their worlds, he learns that Cathal is right: Happy ever after is never just given-but sometimes, it can be fought for and won.
186) S.L. Armstrong - Wild Passions, Storm Moon Press, Gay, Fantasy
Paperback: 198 pages
Publisher: Storm Moon Press LLC (June 17, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0982700857
ISBN-13: 978-0982700853
Other worlds, other planes of existence, other places where humans are not the only type of creature to walk and talk. Human-like animals populate the pages of Wild Passions! These are not shifters, but humanoid animals that experience love and lust in their sometimes wild, sometimes civilized worlds. Meet Liam, a half-fox in a world where 'urban jungle' isn't a metaphor. When trouble comes in the form of an organized militia looking to experiment, Liam must put his trust where he never expected -- in the hands of a human. Koit is a Shterpi, a reptilian alien with a reputation for womanizing. A dare from a friend has Koit changing his target to other men, and he finds that variety really is the spice of life. Alec and Nahale are feral-Maith, genetic offshoots from a fantastic race. Under pressure, Alec challenges Nahale for leadership of their clan, threatening to destroy the relationship they'd been building for years. Panos only wants to live a normal life, free from the secret that's kept him isolated from others. However, he still needs a roommate, and his attraction to the other man has him wondering if opening up might not be so bad after all. Ferran is making his last trip away from his home planet of Perelan before duty calls him back. But a rakish spaceship captain tosses a wrench into his finely crafted plans, and his world may never be the same. Gordon and Leo work in the freak-show at a traveling carnival, wowing audiences with their half-animal physiques. But when animal constructs are second-class citizens and legal property of others, falling in love is the most dangerous act of all.
187) Joseph R.G. DeMarco - A Study in Lavander, Lethe Press, Gay, Mystery / Thriller
Paperback: 358 pages
Publisher: Lethe Press (June 5, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1590210387
ISBN-13: 978-1590210383
What other characters from English literature have captivated hearts and minds as thoroughly as Sherlock Holmes and his loyal companion John Watson? Many fans imagine the relationship between these men is deep and more than platonic. In A Study in Lavender, the Holmes universe is queered and authors have devised stories in which Holmes and Watson are lovers, or investigate mysteries of inverts hidden from the laws and cultures of the Victorian era; even the indomitable Lestrade has his turn at love; and eerie apparitions in the night sky, reminiscent of Jules Verne, draw Holmes to Cleveland Street, home to an infamous scandal.
188) Nathan Goh - Blame It On The Raging Hormones, Lethe Press, Gay, Contemporary General Fiction
Paperback: 202 pages
Publisher: Tincture (February 10, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1590211154
ISBN-13: 978-1590211151
This coming-of-age memoir of an ordinary gay boy from Singapore, in the form of an online journal, is brutally honest, endearing, poignant and raw. Nicky, an insecure youth in Singapore, goes on a journey of love and self-discovery and soon crashes into an underworld of sex, drugs, hustling and betrayal. After a series of failed romance, he heads for a breakdown, especially when his three friends, Dexter, Daniel and Dave, the Triple Ds, who support and guide him, have problems of their own and cannot help him. Can Nicky survive the cruel gay world of superficialities? Will he ever find true love? And is that even the solution to all his problems?
189) Dan Boyle - Wonder, Lethe Press, Gay, Contemporary General Fiction
Paperback: 324 pages
Publisher: Lethe Press (January 15, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1590212371
ISBN-13: 978-1590212370
Have a gay Caltech professor and his dying mother uncovered the secrets of the mind... and the universe? Tom Flaherty's mother is suffering from a strange form of dementia that causes her to journey back in time; especially when she's housecleaning and finds personal items that trigger her memory. But Maude Flaherty's travels--from the Scopes Monkey trial in 1925 to the 1936 Berlin Olympics to the Civil Rights March on Washington in 1963--might be the evidence Tom needs as a Caltech physicist to develop a unified theory of space, time, and place and reconnect with a society he's lost touch with since the loss of his partner a decade ago. As Tom attempts to determine just what is happening to his mother, the sense of wonder that disappeared with Ken's murder returns and his renewed quest for the meaning of life leads him to the national spotlight. Housecleaning is both a gay love story and a family drama, questioning science and faith and how scientists see the universe as God.
190) William Holden - A Twist of Grimm, Lethe Press, Gay, Fantasy
Paperback: 156 pages
Publisher: Lethe Press (October 9, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1590213432
ISBN-13: 978-1590213438
The stories that delighted us as boys, now told with a sensual edge for us as men! The Glass Coffin. The Elves. Fitcher's Bird. Old fairy tales that might provoke a wistful grin at their magical storytelling. Author William Holden has breathed new life into such stories in A Twist of Grimm--his retellings strike true, like Eros's arrow: below the belt. Herein are such tales as Wicked Little Tongues -- a shoemaker discovers new lust brought on by a pair of diminutive trolls -- and The Flaccid C*ck that Sang -- sibling rivalry, a magic sword, and, of course, a lifeless prick that needs rescuing. Randy princes, well-hung knights, and fairies in every sense of the word await you.