The Inside Reader: Joely Skye
Show me the books he loves and I shall know the man far better than through mortal friends - Silas Weir Mitchell
I think that, someway, Joely Skye and me are similar. Authors like Laura Kinsale, Suzanne Brockmann and Jennifer Crusie are in my background like they are in hers. I indeed use a Laura Kinsale's theory, the identification of the female romance reader with the male romance hero and not the heroine, to explain my preference for gay romances. For this reason, and also since I always find Joely Skye's paranormal romance to be something original, I'm happy to have her as my guest today
Joely Skye's Inside Reader List:
1) I found making this list more difficult than I'd supposed! Nevertheless, my number-one choice was never in question. During a period of time when I was reading and writing science fiction and fantasy, I picked up the oft-recommended Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner. This is incredibly well-done political intrigue, fantasy without magic. The world-building is exquisite. Set in a Regency-like city where lives are worth little and self-interested nobles betray each other at a drop of a hat, the details of Kushner’s world and her characterization are wonderful. At the heart of the story is a romance between two men, Richard a swordsman and Alec a noble who has run away from his family and is now slumming it with a death wish.
Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Spectra (February 4, 2003)
Publisher Link: http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780553585490
ISBN-10: 0553585495
ISBN-13: 978-0553585490
Amazon: Swordspoint
The classic forerunner to The Fall of the Kings now with three bonus stories. Hailed by critics as “a bravura performance” (Locus) and “witty, sharp-eyed, [and] full of interesting people” (Newsday), this classic melodrama of manners, filled with remarkable plot twists and unexpected humor, takes fantasy to an unprecedented level of elegant writing and scintillating wit. Award-winning author Ellen Kushner has created a world of unforgettable characters whose political ambitions, passionate love affairs, and age-old rivalries collide with deadly results. On the treacherous streets of Riverside, a man lives and dies by the sword. Even the nobles on the Hill turn to duels to settle their disputes. Within this elite, dangerous world, Richard St. Vier is the undisputed master, as skilled as he is ruthless--until a death by the sword is met with outrage instead of awe, and the city discovers that the line between hero and villain can be altered in the blink of an eye.
2) The Charioteer by Mary Renault. This is simply a gorgeous book. There’s sadness and joy in it. Set during World War II, it’s hard to see these young men having been sent off to war and the aftermath of it. The slowly developing relationships are fantastically done, and I found it very moving. I couldn't tell you who I cared more deeply for, the idealistic Laurie or the more pragmatic but very-hard-on-himself Ralph. Beware, there is a love triangle of sorts, even if I never found the outcome of that in question. (And I felt for the third man.)
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Vintage (May 13, 2003)
Publisher Link: http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780375714184
ISBN-10: 0375714189
ISBN-13: 978-0375714184
Amazon: The Charioteer
After enduring an injury at Dunkirk during World War II, Laurie Odell is sent to a rural veterans’ hospital in England to convalesce. There he befriends the young, bright Andrew, a conscientious objector serving as an orderly. As they find solace and companionship together in the idyllic surroundings of the hospital, their friendship blooms into a discreet, chaste romance. Then one day, Ralph Lanyon, a mentor from Laurie’s schoolboy days, suddenly reappears in Laurie’s life, and draws him into a tight-knit social circle of world-weary gay men. Laurie is forced to choose between the sweet ideals of innocence and the distinct pleasures of experience. Originally published in the United States in 1959, The Charioteer is a bold, unapologetic portrayal of male homosexuality during World War II that stands with Gore Vidal’s The City and the Pillar and Christopher Isherwood’s Berlin Stories as a monumental work in gay literature.
3) The Chrysalids by John Wyndham. This is a book I read and reread as a teen. Set in a post-nuclear world where any hint of a mutation of any kind leads to death, a group of teens have to hide their telepathic abilities. I reread it many years later and it held up wonderfully.
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: NYRB Classics (November 18, 2008)
Publisher Link: http://www.nybooks.com/books/imprints/classics/the-chrysalids/
ISBN-10: 1590172922
ISBN-13: 978-1590172926
Amazon: The Chrysalids
The Chrysalids is set in the future after a devastating global nuclear war. David, the young hero of the novel, lives in a tight-knit community of religious and genetic fundamentalists, who exist in a state of constant alert for any deviation from what they perceive as the norm of God’s creation, deviations broadly classified as “offenses” and “blasphemies.” Offenses consist of plants and animals that are in any way unusual, and these are publicly burned to the accompaniment of the singing of hymns. Blasphemies are human beings-ones who show any sign of abnormality, however trivial. They are banished from human society, cast out to live in the wild country where, as the authorities say, nothing is reliable and the devil does his work. David grows up surrounded by admonitions: KEEP PURE THE STOCK OF THE LORD; WATCH THOU FOR THE MUTANT. At first he hardly questions them, though he is shocked when his sternly pious father and rigidly compliant mother force his aunt to forsake her baby. It is a while before he realizes that he too is out of the ordinary, in possession of a power that could doom him to death or introduce him to a new, hitherto-unimagined world of freedom. The Chrysalids is a perfectly conceived and constructed work from the classic era of science fiction. It is a Voltairean philosophical tale that has as much resonance in our own day, when genetic and religious fundamentalism are both on the march, as when it was written during the Cold War.
4) Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie. This book brought me back to reading romance. Crusie manages to write a story that is very funny, very sexy and very thoughtful. Crusie pulls together all her strengths here with sharp writing, hot sex, murder mystery, and a great cast of characters.
Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (April 15, 2001)
Publisher Link: http://us.macmillan.com/welcometotemptation
ISBN-10: 0312974256
ISBN-13: 978-0330482332
Amazon: Welcome to Temptation
Turn left at small town secrets... Sophie Dempsey is content living a quiet life filming wedding videos until an assignment brings her to Temptation, Ohio. From the moment she drive into town, she gets a bad feeling; Sophie is from the wrong side of the tracks and everything in Temptation is a little too right. And when she has a run-in with the town's unnervingly sexy mayor, Phineas Tucker, making a little movie turns out to be more than a little dangerous. Yield to oncoming desire... All Sophie wants to do is film the video and head home. All Phin wants to do is play pool with the police chief and keep things peaceful. They both get more than they bargained for when Sophie's video causes an uproar and the proper citizens of Temptation set out to shut them down. Welcome to temptation... As event spiral out of control, Sophie and Phin find themselves caught in a web of gossip, blackmail, adultery, murder, and really excellent sex. All hell breaks loose in Temptation as Sophie and Phin fall deeper and deeper in trouble...and in love.
5) The Shadow and the Star by Laura Kinsale. A very emotional read. A beautiful hero who carries the burden of his abusive past, and never quite recovers. Kinsale does not gloss over the consequences of Samuel’s childhood, nor does she allow it to overwhelm the book. There is a lot of humor and she has a light touch when it comes to the heroine, Leda, and her relatives. (Interestingly, there are fans who don’t think much of The Shadow and the Storm and prefer Flowers From the Storm, my second favorite Kinsale. More intense-the hero is in real jeopardy-with less humor. Quaker heroine and dissipated rake. It works.)
Mass Market Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: Avon (September 15, 1991)
Publisher Link: http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780380761319/Shadow_and_the_Star_The/index.aspx
ISBN-10: 0380761319
ISBN-13: 978-0380761319
Amazon: The Shadow and the Star
From nationally acclaimed bestselling author Laura Kinsale comes a boldly original, breathlessly unforgettable tale of honour, adventure and undying love. The Shadow is wealthy, powerful and majestically handsome, he is a man of dark secrets - a master of the ancient martial arts of an exotic distant land. Scarred by a childhood of shocking degradation, he has sworn to love chastely ... but burns with the fires of unfulfilled passion. The Star is lovely, innocent and nearly destitute, and drawn to him by a fevered yearning she could never deny - following her enigmatic ′shadow warrior′ into a dangerous world of desire and righteous retribution.
6) The Lymond Chronicles by Dorothy Dunnett. Gosh, what can I say. I’m a huge Dunnett fan. Our adventurer and ex-galley slave, Francis Crawford of Lymond, is brilliant, beautiful, wounded, brittle, and utterly compelling. Polyglot, musician, expert swordsman, leader of men, lover of Scotland. Be warned, I broke my heart on book four and it took me years to recover. But when I revisited this series, it was the most engrossing reading experience I’ve ever experienced. I was immersed in her world and characters. Book six is fantastic romance, but you need the previous books.
Paperback: 543 pages
Publisher: Vintage Books; 1St Edition edition (April 29, 1997)
Publisher Link: http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780679777434
ISBN-10: 0679777431
ISBN-13: 978-0679777434
Amazon: The Game of Kings (Lymond Chronicles, 1)
For the first time Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles are available in the United States in quality paperback editions. The first book in the legendary Lymond Chronicles, Game of Kings takes place in 1547. Scotland has been humiliated by an English invasion and is threatened by machinations elsewhere beyond its borders, but it is still free. Paradoxically, her freedom may depend on a man who stands accused of treason: Francis Crawford of Lymond.
7) Snowball in Hell by Josh Lanyon. Actually, anything by Josh Lanyon. (If you like murder mysteries, pick up the Adrien English series.) I read Snowball in Hell twice and was blown away by it. Lanyon balances a lot in this relatively short work. Great period detail-it’s 1943. Interesting mystery. But what had me riveted was the characterization of the two leads: Lt. Matthew Spain and reporter Nathan Doyle. Two men falling in love at this time wasn’t easy and, in fact, I was quite sad at times. Very moving, with a strong emotional punch. I'm still hoping for a sequel.
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: MLR Press; 1 edition (December 4, 2007)
Publisher Link: http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=PIC00002
ISBN-10: 1934531022
ISBN-13: 978-1934531020
Amazon: I'll Be Dead For Christmas - Partners in Crime#2
Snowball in Hell by Josh Lanyon. It's 1943 and the world is at war. Reporter Nathan Doyle is just back from the European Theater when he's asked to cover the murder of a society blackmailer--a man who, Homicide Detective Matthew Spain believes, Nathan had every reason to want dead.
8) Lovers’ Knot by Daniel Hardy. Edwardian-set mystery-slash-ghost story. Excellent characterization and, again, excellent period detail. My heart was in my mouth at times, and there's a painful past to uncover. But this is a real page-turner and I feel that there should be more people reading this compelling story that haunted me for days afterwards.
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Running Press (December 22, 2009)
Publisher Link: http://www.perseusbooksgroup.com/runningpress/book_detail.jsp?isbn=0762436859
ISBN-10: 0762436859
ISBN-13: 978-0762436859
Amazon: Lovers' Knot: An M/M Romance
Jonathan Williams has inherited Trevaglan Farm from a distant relative. With his best friend, Alayne, in tow, Jonathan returns to the estate to take possession, meet the current staff, and generally learn what it’s like to live as the landed gentry now. He’d only been there once before, fourteen years earlier. But that was a different time, he’s a different person now, determined to put that experience out of his mind and his heart.... The locals agree that Jonathan is indeed different from the lost young man he was that long ago summer, when he arrived at the farm for a stay after his mother died. Back then the hot summer days were filled with sunshine, the nearby ocean, and a new friend, Nat. Jonathan and the farmhand had quickly grown close, Jonathan needing comfort in the wake of his grief, and Nat basking in the peace and love he didn’t have at home. But that was also a summer of rumors and strange happenings in the surrounding countryside, romantic triangles and wronged lovers. Tempers would flare like a summer lightning storm, and ebb just as quickly. By the summer’s end, one young man was dead, and another haunted for life. Now Jonathan is determined to start anew. Until he starts seeing the ghost of his former friend everywhere he looks. Until mementos of that summer idyll reappear. Until Alayne’s life is in danger. Until the town’s resident witch tells Jonathan that ghosts are real. And this one is tied to Jonathan unto death...
9) Hot Target by Suzanne Brockmann. I didn’t just read this book, I lived it. If, less than halfway through the book, I start daydreaming scenarios for the characters, I am absolutely and completely hooked. The primary romantic relationship is m/f but the book belongs to Jules-FBI, gay, hot, and part of a doomed triangle. I couldn’t wait until Jules got his HEA. (And, he does, in two further books of Brockmann's, Force of Nature and All Through the Night.)
Mass Market Paperback: 560 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books; 1St Edition edition (November 29, 2005)
Publisher Link: http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780345456953
ISBN-10: 0345456955
ISBN-13: 978-0345456953
Amazon: Hot Target (Troubleshooters, Book 8)
New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Brockmann knows exactly what makes hearts race and pulses pound: peril and passion. No one succeeds more brilliantly at blending these exhilarating elements in breathtaking novels of men and women forced to grapple with the deepest emotions and the highest risks. And there’s no better proof than her new novel of suspense: Hot Target aims to thrill on every level. Like most men of action, Navy SEAL Chief Cosmo Richter never learned how to take a vacation. So when he finds himself facing a month’s leave, he offers his services to Troubleshooters Incorporated. Founded by a former SEAL, the private-sector security firm is a major player in the ongoing war against terrorism, known for carrying out covert missions too volatile for official U.S. military action. But the first case Richter takes on is anything but under the radar. High-profile maverick movie producer Jane Mercedes Chadwick hasn’t quite completed her newest film, but she’s already courting controversy. The World War II epic frankly portrays the homosexuality of a real-life hero-and the storm of advance media buzz surrounding it has drawn the fury of extremist groups. But despite a relentless campaign of angry E-mails, phone calls, and smear tactics, Chadwick won’t be pressured into abandoning the project. Then the harassment turns to death threats. While the FBI appears on the scene, nervous Hollywood associates call in Troubleshooters, and now Chadwick has an army of round-the-clock bodyguards, whether she likes it or not. And she definitely doesn’t. But her stubbornness doesn’t make FBI agent Jules Cassidy’s job any easier. The fiercely independent filmmaker presents yet another emotional obstacle that Cassidy doesn’t need-he’s already in the midst of a personal tug-of-war with his ex-lover, while fighting a growing attraction to Chadwick’s brother. Determined to succeed-and survive-on her own terms, Chadwick will face off with enemies and allies alike. But she doesn’t count on the bond she forms with the quiet, capable Cosmo Richter. Yet even as their feelings bring them closer, the noose of deadly terror all around them draws tighter. And when all hell erupts, desire and desperate choices will collide on a killing ground that may trap them both in the crossfire.
10) Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale. Blind Eye Books has been doing some fantastic work, and this title has won a lot of accolades and awards, for good reason. Wicked Gentlemen is made up of two closely related short stories, each solving a mystery while following the developing relationship of Prodigal Belimai Sykes and Captain William Harper. Sharp prose and characterization pulled me right into this fascinating world. Again, I hope there's a sequel so I can learn more about this alternate Victorian England that has demon descendants, inquisitors and ophorium.
Perfect Paperback: 222 pages
Publisher: Blind Eye Books (May 14, 2007)
Publisher Link: http://www.blindeyebooks.com/wicked.html
ISBN-10: 0978986113
ISBN-13: 978-0978986117
Amazon: Wicked Gentlemen
Belimai Sykes is many things: a Prodigal, the descendant of ancient demons, a creature of dark temptations and rare powers. He is also a man with a brutal past and a dangerous addiction. And Belimai Sykes is the only man Captain William Harper can turn to when faced with a series of grisly murders. But Mr. Sykes does not work for free and the price of Belimai’s company will cost Captain Harper far more than his reputation. From the ornate mansions of noblemen, where vivisection and sorcery are hidden beneath a veneer of gold, to the steaming slums of Hells Below, Captain Harper must fight for justice and for his life. His enemies are many and his only ally is a devil he knows too well. Such are the dangers of dealing with the wicked.
About Joely Skye: I’m an introvert, a Spooks (MI5) fan, a wife, and a mother. One of my favorite books ever is Ellen Kushner’s Swordspoint and, while I don’t watch much TV, I couldn’t resist Queer as Folk.
I write male/male romance. Don’t ask me why. Men fascinate me, as does romance, so gay romance is the perfect fit for me.
Come say hello at my livejournal: http://joelyskye.livejournal.com or visit my blog at http://joely.wordpress.com.
Wolf Town by Joely Skye
Publisher: Samhain Publishing (June 15, 2010)
Publisher Link: http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/wolf-town
ISBN-13: 978-1-60928-055-0
Amazon: Wolf Town
Poised to run. Aching to stay. What lies between is sweet torture.
For nine years, Scott Lund has been erasing himself. Making sure his own kind-those who can control people’s minds-can’t track him down. It has been a lonely existence. So lonely, that when he makes a real connection with a stranger, he breaks his own cardinal rule and falls asleep in the man’s arms.
Rory McIntyre has been sent by his pack alpha to keep a protective eye on Scott. Seduction wasn’t part of the plan, but once he lays eyes on the Minder, Rory isn’t satisfied to keep his distance.
The moment Scott opens his eyes, he panics and flees-straight into a Minder trap. The handsome stranger from the night before turns out to be his rescuer, who whisks him away to a safe place. Wolf Town.
Overwhelmed by Rory’s family, Scott knows only two things for sure. His attraction to Rory is growing by the minute. And to keep his lover safe, he must put as much distance between them as possible…
I think that, someway, Joely Skye and me are similar. Authors like Laura Kinsale, Suzanne Brockmann and Jennifer Crusie are in my background like they are in hers. I indeed use a Laura Kinsale's theory, the identification of the female romance reader with the male romance hero and not the heroine, to explain my preference for gay romances. For this reason, and also since I always find Joely Skye's paranormal romance to be something original, I'm happy to have her as my guest today
Joely Skye's Inside Reader List:
1) I found making this list more difficult than I'd supposed! Nevertheless, my number-one choice was never in question. During a period of time when I was reading and writing science fiction and fantasy, I picked up the oft-recommended Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner. This is incredibly well-done political intrigue, fantasy without magic. The world-building is exquisite. Set in a Regency-like city where lives are worth little and self-interested nobles betray each other at a drop of a hat, the details of Kushner’s world and her characterization are wonderful. At the heart of the story is a romance between two men, Richard a swordsman and Alec a noble who has run away from his family and is now slumming it with a death wish.
Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Spectra (February 4, 2003)
Publisher Link: http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780553585490
ISBN-10: 0553585495
ISBN-13: 978-0553585490
Amazon: Swordspoint
The classic forerunner to The Fall of the Kings now with three bonus stories. Hailed by critics as “a bravura performance” (Locus) and “witty, sharp-eyed, [and] full of interesting people” (Newsday), this classic melodrama of manners, filled with remarkable plot twists and unexpected humor, takes fantasy to an unprecedented level of elegant writing and scintillating wit. Award-winning author Ellen Kushner has created a world of unforgettable characters whose political ambitions, passionate love affairs, and age-old rivalries collide with deadly results. On the treacherous streets of Riverside, a man lives and dies by the sword. Even the nobles on the Hill turn to duels to settle their disputes. Within this elite, dangerous world, Richard St. Vier is the undisputed master, as skilled as he is ruthless--until a death by the sword is met with outrage instead of awe, and the city discovers that the line between hero and villain can be altered in the blink of an eye.
2) The Charioteer by Mary Renault. This is simply a gorgeous book. There’s sadness and joy in it. Set during World War II, it’s hard to see these young men having been sent off to war and the aftermath of it. The slowly developing relationships are fantastically done, and I found it very moving. I couldn't tell you who I cared more deeply for, the idealistic Laurie or the more pragmatic but very-hard-on-himself Ralph. Beware, there is a love triangle of sorts, even if I never found the outcome of that in question. (And I felt for the third man.)
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Vintage (May 13, 2003)
Publisher Link: http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780375714184
ISBN-10: 0375714189
ISBN-13: 978-0375714184
Amazon: The Charioteer
After enduring an injury at Dunkirk during World War II, Laurie Odell is sent to a rural veterans’ hospital in England to convalesce. There he befriends the young, bright Andrew, a conscientious objector serving as an orderly. As they find solace and companionship together in the idyllic surroundings of the hospital, their friendship blooms into a discreet, chaste romance. Then one day, Ralph Lanyon, a mentor from Laurie’s schoolboy days, suddenly reappears in Laurie’s life, and draws him into a tight-knit social circle of world-weary gay men. Laurie is forced to choose between the sweet ideals of innocence and the distinct pleasures of experience. Originally published in the United States in 1959, The Charioteer is a bold, unapologetic portrayal of male homosexuality during World War II that stands with Gore Vidal’s The City and the Pillar and Christopher Isherwood’s Berlin Stories as a monumental work in gay literature.
3) The Chrysalids by John Wyndham. This is a book I read and reread as a teen. Set in a post-nuclear world where any hint of a mutation of any kind leads to death, a group of teens have to hide their telepathic abilities. I reread it many years later and it held up wonderfully.
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: NYRB Classics (November 18, 2008)
Publisher Link: http://www.nybooks.com/books/imprints/classics/the-chrysalids/
ISBN-10: 1590172922
ISBN-13: 978-1590172926
Amazon: The Chrysalids
The Chrysalids is set in the future after a devastating global nuclear war. David, the young hero of the novel, lives in a tight-knit community of religious and genetic fundamentalists, who exist in a state of constant alert for any deviation from what they perceive as the norm of God’s creation, deviations broadly classified as “offenses” and “blasphemies.” Offenses consist of plants and animals that are in any way unusual, and these are publicly burned to the accompaniment of the singing of hymns. Blasphemies are human beings-ones who show any sign of abnormality, however trivial. They are banished from human society, cast out to live in the wild country where, as the authorities say, nothing is reliable and the devil does his work. David grows up surrounded by admonitions: KEEP PURE THE STOCK OF THE LORD; WATCH THOU FOR THE MUTANT. At first he hardly questions them, though he is shocked when his sternly pious father and rigidly compliant mother force his aunt to forsake her baby. It is a while before he realizes that he too is out of the ordinary, in possession of a power that could doom him to death or introduce him to a new, hitherto-unimagined world of freedom. The Chrysalids is a perfectly conceived and constructed work from the classic era of science fiction. It is a Voltairean philosophical tale that has as much resonance in our own day, when genetic and religious fundamentalism are both on the march, as when it was written during the Cold War.
4) Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie. This book brought me back to reading romance. Crusie manages to write a story that is very funny, very sexy and very thoughtful. Crusie pulls together all her strengths here with sharp writing, hot sex, murder mystery, and a great cast of characters.
Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (April 15, 2001)
Publisher Link: http://us.macmillan.com/welcometotemptation
ISBN-10: 0312974256
ISBN-13: 978-0330482332
Amazon: Welcome to Temptation
Turn left at small town secrets... Sophie Dempsey is content living a quiet life filming wedding videos until an assignment brings her to Temptation, Ohio. From the moment she drive into town, she gets a bad feeling; Sophie is from the wrong side of the tracks and everything in Temptation is a little too right. And when she has a run-in with the town's unnervingly sexy mayor, Phineas Tucker, making a little movie turns out to be more than a little dangerous. Yield to oncoming desire... All Sophie wants to do is film the video and head home. All Phin wants to do is play pool with the police chief and keep things peaceful. They both get more than they bargained for when Sophie's video causes an uproar and the proper citizens of Temptation set out to shut them down. Welcome to temptation... As event spiral out of control, Sophie and Phin find themselves caught in a web of gossip, blackmail, adultery, murder, and really excellent sex. All hell breaks loose in Temptation as Sophie and Phin fall deeper and deeper in trouble...and in love.
5) The Shadow and the Star by Laura Kinsale. A very emotional read. A beautiful hero who carries the burden of his abusive past, and never quite recovers. Kinsale does not gloss over the consequences of Samuel’s childhood, nor does she allow it to overwhelm the book. There is a lot of humor and she has a light touch when it comes to the heroine, Leda, and her relatives. (Interestingly, there are fans who don’t think much of The Shadow and the Storm and prefer Flowers From the Storm, my second favorite Kinsale. More intense-the hero is in real jeopardy-with less humor. Quaker heroine and dissipated rake. It works.)
Mass Market Paperback: 464 pages
Publisher: Avon (September 15, 1991)
Publisher Link: http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780380761319/Shadow_and_the_Star_The/index.aspx
ISBN-10: 0380761319
ISBN-13: 978-0380761319
Amazon: The Shadow and the Star
From nationally acclaimed bestselling author Laura Kinsale comes a boldly original, breathlessly unforgettable tale of honour, adventure and undying love. The Shadow is wealthy, powerful and majestically handsome, he is a man of dark secrets - a master of the ancient martial arts of an exotic distant land. Scarred by a childhood of shocking degradation, he has sworn to love chastely ... but burns with the fires of unfulfilled passion. The Star is lovely, innocent and nearly destitute, and drawn to him by a fevered yearning she could never deny - following her enigmatic ′shadow warrior′ into a dangerous world of desire and righteous retribution.
6) The Lymond Chronicles by Dorothy Dunnett. Gosh, what can I say. I’m a huge Dunnett fan. Our adventurer and ex-galley slave, Francis Crawford of Lymond, is brilliant, beautiful, wounded, brittle, and utterly compelling. Polyglot, musician, expert swordsman, leader of men, lover of Scotland. Be warned, I broke my heart on book four and it took me years to recover. But when I revisited this series, it was the most engrossing reading experience I’ve ever experienced. I was immersed in her world and characters. Book six is fantastic romance, but you need the previous books.
Paperback: 543 pages
Publisher: Vintage Books; 1St Edition edition (April 29, 1997)
Publisher Link: http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780679777434
ISBN-10: 0679777431
ISBN-13: 978-0679777434
Amazon: The Game of Kings (Lymond Chronicles, 1)
For the first time Dunnett's Lymond Chronicles are available in the United States in quality paperback editions. The first book in the legendary Lymond Chronicles, Game of Kings takes place in 1547. Scotland has been humiliated by an English invasion and is threatened by machinations elsewhere beyond its borders, but it is still free. Paradoxically, her freedom may depend on a man who stands accused of treason: Francis Crawford of Lymond.
7) Snowball in Hell by Josh Lanyon. Actually, anything by Josh Lanyon. (If you like murder mysteries, pick up the Adrien English series.) I read Snowball in Hell twice and was blown away by it. Lanyon balances a lot in this relatively short work. Great period detail-it’s 1943. Interesting mystery. But what had me riveted was the characterization of the two leads: Lt. Matthew Spain and reporter Nathan Doyle. Two men falling in love at this time wasn’t easy and, in fact, I was quite sad at times. Very moving, with a strong emotional punch. I'm still hoping for a sequel.
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: MLR Press; 1 edition (December 4, 2007)
Publisher Link: http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=PIC00002
ISBN-10: 1934531022
ISBN-13: 978-1934531020
Amazon: I'll Be Dead For Christmas - Partners in Crime#2
Snowball in Hell by Josh Lanyon. It's 1943 and the world is at war. Reporter Nathan Doyle is just back from the European Theater when he's asked to cover the murder of a society blackmailer--a man who, Homicide Detective Matthew Spain believes, Nathan had every reason to want dead.
8) Lovers’ Knot by Daniel Hardy. Edwardian-set mystery-slash-ghost story. Excellent characterization and, again, excellent period detail. My heart was in my mouth at times, and there's a painful past to uncover. But this is a real page-turner and I feel that there should be more people reading this compelling story that haunted me for days afterwards.
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Running Press (December 22, 2009)
Publisher Link: http://www.perseusbooksgroup.com/runningpress/book_detail.jsp?isbn=0762436859
ISBN-10: 0762436859
ISBN-13: 978-0762436859
Amazon: Lovers' Knot: An M/M Romance
Jonathan Williams has inherited Trevaglan Farm from a distant relative. With his best friend, Alayne, in tow, Jonathan returns to the estate to take possession, meet the current staff, and generally learn what it’s like to live as the landed gentry now. He’d only been there once before, fourteen years earlier. But that was a different time, he’s a different person now, determined to put that experience out of his mind and his heart.... The locals agree that Jonathan is indeed different from the lost young man he was that long ago summer, when he arrived at the farm for a stay after his mother died. Back then the hot summer days were filled with sunshine, the nearby ocean, and a new friend, Nat. Jonathan and the farmhand had quickly grown close, Jonathan needing comfort in the wake of his grief, and Nat basking in the peace and love he didn’t have at home. But that was also a summer of rumors and strange happenings in the surrounding countryside, romantic triangles and wronged lovers. Tempers would flare like a summer lightning storm, and ebb just as quickly. By the summer’s end, one young man was dead, and another haunted for life. Now Jonathan is determined to start anew. Until he starts seeing the ghost of his former friend everywhere he looks. Until mementos of that summer idyll reappear. Until Alayne’s life is in danger. Until the town’s resident witch tells Jonathan that ghosts are real. And this one is tied to Jonathan unto death...
9) Hot Target by Suzanne Brockmann. I didn’t just read this book, I lived it. If, less than halfway through the book, I start daydreaming scenarios for the characters, I am absolutely and completely hooked. The primary romantic relationship is m/f but the book belongs to Jules-FBI, gay, hot, and part of a doomed triangle. I couldn’t wait until Jules got his HEA. (And, he does, in two further books of Brockmann's, Force of Nature and All Through the Night.)
Mass Market Paperback: 560 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books; 1St Edition edition (November 29, 2005)
Publisher Link: http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780345456953
ISBN-10: 0345456955
ISBN-13: 978-0345456953
Amazon: Hot Target (Troubleshooters, Book 8)
New York Times bestselling author Suzanne Brockmann knows exactly what makes hearts race and pulses pound: peril and passion. No one succeeds more brilliantly at blending these exhilarating elements in breathtaking novels of men and women forced to grapple with the deepest emotions and the highest risks. And there’s no better proof than her new novel of suspense: Hot Target aims to thrill on every level. Like most men of action, Navy SEAL Chief Cosmo Richter never learned how to take a vacation. So when he finds himself facing a month’s leave, he offers his services to Troubleshooters Incorporated. Founded by a former SEAL, the private-sector security firm is a major player in the ongoing war against terrorism, known for carrying out covert missions too volatile for official U.S. military action. But the first case Richter takes on is anything but under the radar. High-profile maverick movie producer Jane Mercedes Chadwick hasn’t quite completed her newest film, but she’s already courting controversy. The World War II epic frankly portrays the homosexuality of a real-life hero-and the storm of advance media buzz surrounding it has drawn the fury of extremist groups. But despite a relentless campaign of angry E-mails, phone calls, and smear tactics, Chadwick won’t be pressured into abandoning the project. Then the harassment turns to death threats. While the FBI appears on the scene, nervous Hollywood associates call in Troubleshooters, and now Chadwick has an army of round-the-clock bodyguards, whether she likes it or not. And she definitely doesn’t. But her stubbornness doesn’t make FBI agent Jules Cassidy’s job any easier. The fiercely independent filmmaker presents yet another emotional obstacle that Cassidy doesn’t need-he’s already in the midst of a personal tug-of-war with his ex-lover, while fighting a growing attraction to Chadwick’s brother. Determined to succeed-and survive-on her own terms, Chadwick will face off with enemies and allies alike. But she doesn’t count on the bond she forms with the quiet, capable Cosmo Richter. Yet even as their feelings bring them closer, the noose of deadly terror all around them draws tighter. And when all hell erupts, desire and desperate choices will collide on a killing ground that may trap them both in the crossfire.
10) Wicked Gentlemen by Ginn Hale. Blind Eye Books has been doing some fantastic work, and this title has won a lot of accolades and awards, for good reason. Wicked Gentlemen is made up of two closely related short stories, each solving a mystery while following the developing relationship of Prodigal Belimai Sykes and Captain William Harper. Sharp prose and characterization pulled me right into this fascinating world. Again, I hope there's a sequel so I can learn more about this alternate Victorian England that has demon descendants, inquisitors and ophorium.
Perfect Paperback: 222 pages
Publisher: Blind Eye Books (May 14, 2007)
Publisher Link: http://www.blindeyebooks.com/wicked.html
ISBN-10: 0978986113
ISBN-13: 978-0978986117
Amazon: Wicked Gentlemen
Belimai Sykes is many things: a Prodigal, the descendant of ancient demons, a creature of dark temptations and rare powers. He is also a man with a brutal past and a dangerous addiction. And Belimai Sykes is the only man Captain William Harper can turn to when faced with a series of grisly murders. But Mr. Sykes does not work for free and the price of Belimai’s company will cost Captain Harper far more than his reputation. From the ornate mansions of noblemen, where vivisection and sorcery are hidden beneath a veneer of gold, to the steaming slums of Hells Below, Captain Harper must fight for justice and for his life. His enemies are many and his only ally is a devil he knows too well. Such are the dangers of dealing with the wicked.
About Joely Skye: I’m an introvert, a Spooks (MI5) fan, a wife, and a mother. One of my favorite books ever is Ellen Kushner’s Swordspoint and, while I don’t watch much TV, I couldn’t resist Queer as Folk.
I write male/male romance. Don’t ask me why. Men fascinate me, as does romance, so gay romance is the perfect fit for me.
Come say hello at my livejournal: http://joelyskye.livejournal.com or visit my blog at http://joely.wordpress.com.
Wolf Town by Joely Skye
Publisher: Samhain Publishing (June 15, 2010)
Publisher Link: http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/wolf-town
ISBN-13: 978-1-60928-055-0
Amazon: Wolf Town
Poised to run. Aching to stay. What lies between is sweet torture.
For nine years, Scott Lund has been erasing himself. Making sure his own kind-those who can control people’s minds-can’t track him down. It has been a lonely existence. So lonely, that when he makes a real connection with a stranger, he breaks his own cardinal rule and falls asleep in the man’s arms.
Rory McIntyre has been sent by his pack alpha to keep a protective eye on Scott. Seduction wasn’t part of the plan, but once he lays eyes on the Minder, Rory isn’t satisfied to keep his distance.
The moment Scott opens his eyes, he panics and flees-straight into a Minder trap. The handsome stranger from the night before turns out to be his rescuer, who whisks him away to a safe place. Wolf Town.
Overwhelmed by Rory’s family, Scott knows only two things for sure. His attraction to Rory is growing by the minute. And to keep his lover safe, he must put as much distance between them as possible…