2014 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mentions
Waiting for the list of finalists to be announced beginning of October, I will post daily the 2014 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mentions: an honorable mention means a judge gave a rate of 36 or above out of 40 to the book; an honorable mention doesn't mean the book is automatically among the finalists, could be could be not, but it's important to understand there are more than 500 books in the literary contests, all books are in the process of being read by the jury, but only half of them will go to finals. So please, congratulate with me this year honorable mentions:
Gay Young Adult
Us Three by Mia Kerick
Paperback: 180 pages
Publisher: Harmony Ink Press (April 3, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1627989080
ISBN-13: 978-1627989084
Amazon: Us Three
Amazon Kindle: Us Three
"This is a great coming of age story. If i had not already been a fan of this author Us Three would have made me one. The characters make you care about the from the beginning and hoping they will be able to find there happily ever after. Beware, this story is also full of angst."
Gay Young Adult
Safe by Mark Zubro
Paperback: 236 pages
Publisher: MLR Press (January 10, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1608209121
ISBN-13: 978-1608209125
Amazon: Safe
Amazon Kindle: Safe
"I've been a fan of Mark Zubro's mysteries for many years - in fact, his was the first I ever saw that had a gay detective. And this is just about the perfect sort of book to give a glbt teen. It's got everything: an appealing hero, Roger, a serious story, and a sadly credible situation. It's almost impossible to say what I like most about it, but if I had to choose I'd say this: it gives hope. And, second only by a hair, it illustrates the way that bullying really is murder-murder of the human spirit that can progress into something worse. The poignant discovery of Kyle's clandestine life and the potential that was destroyed by lies and cruelty is something that ought to resonate with anyone who reads the story - and might possibly nudge them to look more closely before dismissing someone else's pain. Top marks all around. Could not give it any less."
Gay Young Adult
Running Through A Dark Place: Children of the Knight #2 (The Knight Cycle) by Michael Bowler
Series: The Knight Cycle
Paperback: 388 pages
Publisher: self; First edition (May 12, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0990306305
ISBN-13: 978-0990306306
Amazon: Running Through A Dark Place: Children of the Knight #2 (The Knight Cycle)
Amazon Kindle: Running Through A Dark Place: Children of the Knight #2 (The Knight Cycle)
"I can't say how much I love King Arthur and Lance, glad Lance is still here! Michael's writing hits to the heart of most teen matters. The new "children" joining in the crusade bring such differing personalities, so many walks of life. I can't wait to read the third!"
Gay Erotic Romance
A Little Too Broken by Brad Vance
Paperback: 162 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (September 18, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1492247227
ISBN-13: 978-1492247227
Amazon: A Little Too Broken
Amazon Kindle: A Little Too Broken
"Title says it all, HIV, PTSD, Double Amputee. Wow, thrust issues Jamie deals with, the terrors Tom deals with, both men support and contribute to the others problems so well by the end. They were meant to be. Brad brought some real life problems to life and showed us what we may never have to deal with but we should understand and support those that do. I cried and became so very angry at some of the people that Jamie and Tom had to deal with. Some people need slapped up-side the head. Thank you Brad for writing such a wonderful heartbreaking book!"
Bisexual Sci-fi / Futuristic
Cythera by Jo Graham
Paperback: 156 pages
Publisher: Supposed Crimes, LLC (November 1, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 193810840X
ISBN-13: 978-1938108402
Amazon: Cythera
Amazon Kindle: Cythera
"This book made me feel so much less awkward about my own early, terrible attempts at writing space opera romance/erotica - because here I see that it can be done and done excellently."
"Cythera is the Greek "island of love" off whose shores Aphrodite was reputedly born. The protagonist of Graham's novel couldn't have been more aptly named, as she is a sacred courtesan who approaches her work as vocation, with the care and devotion of a priestess. The novel begins in Cythera’s “temple,” the Grecian-inspired pleasure palace where she participates in highly theatrical performances meant to delight and inspire the guests. If all erotica were written this well, I might read nothing else --the sensuality has far deeper purpose than titillation, with beautiful prose that is arousing in both a sexual and spiritual sense. "
Lesbian Fantasy
Dogs of War: An Underdogs Novel by Geonn Cannon
Publisher: Supposed Crimes LLC; 1 edition (June 29, 2014)
Amazon Kindle: Dogs of War: An Underdogs Novel
"Dogs of war surprised me out of the gate with an on topic prologue that didn't give away the bad guys or serve as a poorly written chapter one. All of the characters had their own arcs to move through and even the minor angst between the main characters was nicely understated. I'm a fan of shifter stories and this is an excellent entry to the genre."
Lesbian Contemporary General Fiction
Let the Lover Be by Sheree L. Greer
Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books (August 19, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1626390770
ISBN-13: 978-1626390775
Amazon: Let the Lover Be
Amazon Kindle: Let the Lover Be
"In one word... riveting. The development of the characters was spot-on, as was the development of the plot. Outstanding debut novel. I look forward to the author's next release. "
Gay Romantic Comedy
Shiny! by Amy Lane
Paperback: 200 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (February 21, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1627986545
ISBN-13: 978-1627986540
Amazon: Shiny!
Amazon Kindle: Shiny!
"Well developed plot and characters. Incredibly humorous and engaging. Author did an excellent job of developing characters and plot, leading to readers becoming invested in the story and characters."
"I really enjoyed this sweet tale of Kenny, who dumps his cheating boyfriend and their sex toys on the same day, and Will, the clueless former teacher (fired from a religious school for letting kids read Harry Potter) who runs his car into the trash can full of toys. The storyline if fun, and the characters are downright adorable."
Gay Contemporary Romance
Behind the Curtain by Amy Lane
Paperback: 266 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (January 6, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1627985093
ISBN-13: 978-1627985093
Amazon: Behind the Curtain
Amazon Kindle: Behind the Curtain
"This was a near perfect book. I read it in one sitting and loved every minute of it. Unfortunately, I had to deduct a point because of a major consistency error. The POV character says he doesn't know the name of the love interest's sister, but in fact, it was mentioned earlier in the story. It's a dramatic moment, and the power was lost because of that error. I hope the book can be corrected to fix it."
Gay Contemporary Romance
Ethan in Gold by Amy Lane
Paperback: 350 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (October 4, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1627983171
ISBN-13: 978-1627983174
Amazon: Ethan in Gold
Amazon Kindle: Ethan in Gold
"I’m a sucker for Amy Lane’s style of writing, no matter what genre she is writing in. It would be unusual for me to give her anything less than a perfect score. Like I said previously, she’s one of my very favorite m/m authors."
This journal is friends only. This entry was originally posted at http://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org/4446631.html. If you are not friends on this journal, Please comment there using OpenID.
Gay Young Adult
Us Three by Mia Kerick
Paperback: 180 pages
Publisher: Harmony Ink Press (April 3, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1627989080
ISBN-13: 978-1627989084
Amazon: Us Three
Amazon Kindle: Us Three
"This is a great coming of age story. If i had not already been a fan of this author Us Three would have made me one. The characters make you care about the from the beginning and hoping they will be able to find there happily ever after. Beware, this story is also full of angst."
Gay Young Adult
Safe by Mark Zubro
Paperback: 236 pages
Publisher: MLR Press (January 10, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1608209121
ISBN-13: 978-1608209125
Amazon: Safe
Amazon Kindle: Safe
"I've been a fan of Mark Zubro's mysteries for many years - in fact, his was the first I ever saw that had a gay detective. And this is just about the perfect sort of book to give a glbt teen. It's got everything: an appealing hero, Roger, a serious story, and a sadly credible situation. It's almost impossible to say what I like most about it, but if I had to choose I'd say this: it gives hope. And, second only by a hair, it illustrates the way that bullying really is murder-murder of the human spirit that can progress into something worse. The poignant discovery of Kyle's clandestine life and the potential that was destroyed by lies and cruelty is something that ought to resonate with anyone who reads the story - and might possibly nudge them to look more closely before dismissing someone else's pain. Top marks all around. Could not give it any less."
Gay Young Adult
Running Through A Dark Place: Children of the Knight #2 (The Knight Cycle) by Michael Bowler
Series: The Knight Cycle
Paperback: 388 pages
Publisher: self; First edition (May 12, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0990306305
ISBN-13: 978-0990306306
Amazon: Running Through A Dark Place: Children of the Knight #2 (The Knight Cycle)
Amazon Kindle: Running Through A Dark Place: Children of the Knight #2 (The Knight Cycle)
"I can't say how much I love King Arthur and Lance, glad Lance is still here! Michael's writing hits to the heart of most teen matters. The new "children" joining in the crusade bring such differing personalities, so many walks of life. I can't wait to read the third!"
Gay Erotic Romance
A Little Too Broken by Brad Vance
Paperback: 162 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (September 18, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1492247227
ISBN-13: 978-1492247227
Amazon: A Little Too Broken
Amazon Kindle: A Little Too Broken
"Title says it all, HIV, PTSD, Double Amputee. Wow, thrust issues Jamie deals with, the terrors Tom deals with, both men support and contribute to the others problems so well by the end. They were meant to be. Brad brought some real life problems to life and showed us what we may never have to deal with but we should understand and support those that do. I cried and became so very angry at some of the people that Jamie and Tom had to deal with. Some people need slapped up-side the head. Thank you Brad for writing such a wonderful heartbreaking book!"
Bisexual Sci-fi / Futuristic
Cythera by Jo Graham
Paperback: 156 pages
Publisher: Supposed Crimes, LLC (November 1, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 193810840X
ISBN-13: 978-1938108402
Amazon: Cythera
Amazon Kindle: Cythera
"This book made me feel so much less awkward about my own early, terrible attempts at writing space opera romance/erotica - because here I see that it can be done and done excellently."
"Cythera is the Greek "island of love" off whose shores Aphrodite was reputedly born. The protagonist of Graham's novel couldn't have been more aptly named, as she is a sacred courtesan who approaches her work as vocation, with the care and devotion of a priestess. The novel begins in Cythera’s “temple,” the Grecian-inspired pleasure palace where she participates in highly theatrical performances meant to delight and inspire the guests. If all erotica were written this well, I might read nothing else --the sensuality has far deeper purpose than titillation, with beautiful prose that is arousing in both a sexual and spiritual sense. "
Lesbian Fantasy
Dogs of War: An Underdogs Novel by Geonn Cannon
Publisher: Supposed Crimes LLC; 1 edition (June 29, 2014)
Amazon Kindle: Dogs of War: An Underdogs Novel
"Dogs of war surprised me out of the gate with an on topic prologue that didn't give away the bad guys or serve as a poorly written chapter one. All of the characters had their own arcs to move through and even the minor angst between the main characters was nicely understated. I'm a fan of shifter stories and this is an excellent entry to the genre."
Lesbian Contemporary General Fiction
Let the Lover Be by Sheree L. Greer
Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books (August 19, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1626390770
ISBN-13: 978-1626390775
Amazon: Let the Lover Be
Amazon Kindle: Let the Lover Be
"In one word... riveting. The development of the characters was spot-on, as was the development of the plot. Outstanding debut novel. I look forward to the author's next release. "
Gay Romantic Comedy
Shiny! by Amy Lane
Paperback: 200 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (February 21, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1627986545
ISBN-13: 978-1627986540
Amazon: Shiny!
Amazon Kindle: Shiny!
"Well developed plot and characters. Incredibly humorous and engaging. Author did an excellent job of developing characters and plot, leading to readers becoming invested in the story and characters."
"I really enjoyed this sweet tale of Kenny, who dumps his cheating boyfriend and their sex toys on the same day, and Will, the clueless former teacher (fired from a religious school for letting kids read Harry Potter) who runs his car into the trash can full of toys. The storyline if fun, and the characters are downright adorable."
Gay Contemporary Romance
Behind the Curtain by Amy Lane
Paperback: 266 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (January 6, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1627985093
ISBN-13: 978-1627985093
Amazon: Behind the Curtain
Amazon Kindle: Behind the Curtain
"This was a near perfect book. I read it in one sitting and loved every minute of it. Unfortunately, I had to deduct a point because of a major consistency error. The POV character says he doesn't know the name of the love interest's sister, but in fact, it was mentioned earlier in the story. It's a dramatic moment, and the power was lost because of that error. I hope the book can be corrected to fix it."
Gay Contemporary Romance
Ethan in Gold by Amy Lane
Paperback: 350 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (October 4, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1627983171
ISBN-13: 978-1627983174
Amazon: Ethan in Gold
Amazon Kindle: Ethan in Gold
"I’m a sucker for Amy Lane’s style of writing, no matter what genre she is writing in. It would be unusual for me to give her anything less than a perfect score. Like I said previously, she’s one of my very favorite m/m authors."
This journal is friends only. This entry was originally posted at http://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org/4446631.html. If you are not friends on this journal, Please comment there using OpenID.