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Book Review: The Sun, the Earth & the Moon by Larry Benjamin

Books, Featured, Reviews

About the Book

Title: The Sun, the Earth & the Moon

Author: Larry Benjamin

Language: English

Expected: 15th November, 2019

Publisher: Beaten Track

Edition: 2nd, revised

ISBN: Paperback ISBN: 978 1 78645 348 8
eBook ISBN: 978 1 78645 349
ASIN: B07ZNVLBYN

Length: 60,700 words (approx.)

Category: Non-Fiction

Genre: LGBT, Romance and Relationships, Literary, Family and Friendship

Goodreads

Trailer

Synopsis

When seventeen-year-old Thomas arrives for his freshman year at the University of Pennsylvania, he thinks he is ready for anything. Anything arrives quickly in the form of Dondi Whyte. Dondi is handsome, glamorous, and rich—everything Thomas is not. Is Thomas really ready for anything?

Thomas falls helplessly in love with Dondi and the two begin a love affair. When it ends abruptly, Thomas is devastated. To make up for breaking his heart, Dondi invites Thomas to spend the summer at his family’s mansion by the sea. There, Thomas meets Dondi’s brother, Matthew, and discovers it is sometimes in an ending that we find our beginning.

This is a revised edition of What Binds Us, previously published electronically by Carina Press.

Purchase Links

My god, I don’t even know where to begin. There aren’t words that can capture the depth of my feelings when reading this book.

I first read it a few years ago because someone had recommended it. Somehow, I always seem to read Larry Benjamin’s books while I’m on vacation up in the mountains. For the second year in a row, I was grateful to have picked up one of his when I could have fresh air and space to process it afterward. In this case, I spent most of an afternoon crying (for different reasons) and then trying to explain to my family that my emotional output was over a book.

This time around, I knew what to expect. I also had the exceptional privilege to work behind the scenes, proofreading for the second edition. Nothing I can say here will ever touch the awe I felt at having my fingers on it, even for just a moment.

This is hands down one of the most beautiful, heartbreaking, and uplifting books I’ve ever read. It cracked me open, pulled out my heart, and then miraculously pieced me back together.

Like with previous books I’ve read from the author, it’s not necessarily in the story as a whole (though I do love this one) nor in the beautiful, flowing sentences (I love those too). It’s in certain small details, things that resonate for one reason or another.

For example, there’s a point in the narrative when a seemingly everyday action leads to a virtual avalanche, like pulling one brick out of a wall and having it collapse. A loved one of mine was in a very similar precarious position, with a very similar outcome. The first time I read that part, I sat up and gasped because how in the world could someone miles away and in vastly different circumstances know so exactly how I felt?

My life looks very little like the characters in the story. But I don’t believe we need to experience every last thing down to the bone in order to be seen and understood. And that is how I felt when reading this book. It wasn’t in the specifics of the situations but in the emotions and the interactions between the characters.

In my opinion, this book specifically should be read and analyzed by literature students. Not only is it a good lesson in recent history, a microcosm of a particular era, it’s also incredibly well-written. It deserves to be studied in depth.

There isn’t much more I can say because this is a story that needs to be read with fresh eyes and heart. I highly recommend taking an afternoon to do nothing else but read. And make sure to have a box of tissues handy.

For gorgeous prose, emotional catharsis, and hope shining through, I give this 10 fountain pens.

About the Author

Bronx-born wordsmith, Larry Benjamin considers himself less a writer than an artist whose chosen medium is the written word rather than clay or paint or bronze. He is the author of two previous novels: In His Eyes, and Unbroken. He is also the author of Damaged Angels, a collection of short stories, and the allegorical novella Vampire Rising.

He lives in Philadelphia with his husband and their two dogs.

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LarryBenjamin.com | This Writer’s Life

Featured Book & Review: The Shoreless Sea by J. Scott Coatsworth

Books, Featured, Reviews

About the Book

Title: The Shoreless Sea (Liminal Sky #3)

Author: J. Scott Coatsworth

Publisher: DSP Publications

Publication Date: Tuesday, October 15 2019

Format: eBook, Paperback

ISBN: 978-1641081498

ASN: B07T5C8DWY

Price: $6.99, $19.99

Length: 131K

Cover Artist: Aaron Anderson

Category: sci fi, near future, space opera

Tags: gay, lesbian, transgender, future, generation ship, AI, artificial intelligence, nb, non-binary, deaf

Series: Liminal Sky

Goodreads

QueeRomance Ink

Purchase Links

Get Books One and Two on Sale:

The Stark Divide – 99¢

The Rising Tide – $1.99

Synopsis

As the epic trilogy hurtles toward its conclusion, the fight for the future isn’t over yet. It could lead to a new beginning, or it might spell the end for the last vestiges of humankind.

The generation ship Forever has left Earth behind, but a piece of the old civilization lives on in the Inthworld—a virtual realm that retains memories of Earth’s technological wonders and vices. A being named Lilith leads the uprising, and if she succeeds in setting its inhabitants free, they could destroy Forever.

But during the generation ship’s decades-long voyage, humanity has evolved. Liminals with the ability to connect with the world mind and the Inthworld provide a glimmer of hope. They’ll have to face not only Lilith’s minions, but also the mistrust of their own kind and persecution from a new government as homotypicals continue to fear what they can’t understand.

The invasion must be stopped, the Inthworld must be healed, and the people of Forever must let go of their past and embrace what they’re meant to become.

Series Blurb:

Humankind is on its way to the stars, a journey that will change it forever. Each of the stories in Liminal Sky explores that future through the lens of a generation ship, where the line between science fiction and fantasy often blurs. At times both pessimistic and very hopeful, Liminal Sky thrusts you into a future few would ever have imagined.

Review

This entire trilogy has been a wild ride. It’s science fiction, yes, but there’s an element of magic in it too. The technology in this future world is living and breathing, and many of the inhabitants have developed gifts. The world building is wonderful and detailed. It really does help to have read previous installments to have a better grasp on it, though I would also recommend starting from the beginning for the sheer fascination of watching it all unfold.

One of my favorite types of story is multi-arc ensemble cast, and this delivers in every way. The series spans several generations, and each book’s story follows a lengthy period in successive generations’ lifetimes. We see the characters grow and develop over the course of their narratives. I felt that this kept the plot going, but I sometimes also felt as though I was playing catch-up and missed whatever was unspoken in the gaps. It does require some concentration to follow it. Skipping segments where little is happening helps keep the plot flowing, but it also can feel frustrating when there are gaps.

There’s a lot of diversity packed in here. In any other story, that might feel a bit like pick-a-mix or like an attempt to sound more inclusive than the story actually is. But in this case, I think we would expect the future to have a more diverse population, especially when the idea is rebuilding from scratch. So instead of feeling like a bit much, it comes across more as idealism than as diversity-stuffing.

I’m honestly not sure how well I can speak to the individual representation. First of all, I only know what’s similar to my own experiences. Second, even those are highly personal. And third, this all takes place in a fictional, futuristic world where people’s self-identification and expression differ from 21st century Earth. On the whole, the characters lean toward being people first, rather than cardboard cut-out stand-ins.

Which brings me to another aspect of the people. While this does have an overarching plot and plenty of action, especially toward the end, it’s actually heavily character-driven. The ups and downs of their relationships with each other are the most significant part of the story, and that all comes into play as they hurtle toward facing the Big Evil that threatens their world’s security.

I thought the final battle, if that’s even the right word, was well done. That was the point at which I became completely absorbed in the narrative. The carefully developed world-building all leads to this point, and it’s vital to have a full understanding of it or readers risk confusion. It’s hard to say more without giving spoilers.

Overall, this book is an excellent conclusion to the series. I’m giving it 9 out of 10 stars, only taking off a little for the places where it felt like lost time in between major events and for my lack of knowledge regarding how some characters are represented.

Excerpt #1

Dax frowned and pulled Kiryn onward, toward the village green.

When they reached the center of town, Kiryn stopped, his mouth dropping open.

He’d never been to the green at night.

The wide round lawn was dark, but the giant oak tree that stood at its center, wrapped in night ivy, glowed with dim silver light from the spindle above, turning the world an enchanting monochrome.

Lamp poles stood at regular intervals around the edges, burning luthiel, creating a golden circle.

It was beautiful.

He turned to Dax and grinned to show his approval.

“Come on.” Dax enunciated the words clearly for his benefit. He pulled Kiryn through the empty green, across the grass to the white tower that stood on the far side. It was surrounded by a low red fern bush, the night plant glowing with its namesake color.

The antenna had once been the main point of contact between Micavery and Transfer Station. His teachers had taught him all about it.

Now it stood abandoned, a relic of a time that seemed less and less relevant to the current day.

Sometimes Kiryn wondered why they had to learn such ancient history. There were so many more interesting things in the modern world.

Dax looked around. Seemingly satisfied that no one was watching, he slipped his fingers under a metal panel on the side of the antenna. He pried it open and beckoned for Kiryn to climb inside.

Snipping a piece of red fern, Dax followed and pulled the hatch closed behind them.

The little branch lit up the inside of the tower with enough of a glow to see by, revealing a metal ladder set into the wall. Kiryn flicked his fingers toward the heavens. “Up?”

Dax nodded. He clambered up the ladder, and Kiryn, after testing a couple of the rungs to be sure it was safe, followed the receding pink glow.

So far, this date wasn’t turning out at all like he expected, and he kinda liked it.

They reached the top, and Kiryn emerged onto a wide metal catwalk that went all around the tower, just underneath the main dish. He looked out as he emerged and gasped.

Dax’s grin said it all.

The whole city was laid out below them. They were probably a hundred meters above the ground, and from here Kiryn suspected he’d be able to see all the way to the Anatovs in the daytime.

Micavery was a treasure of sparkling jewels on black velvet, the golden luthiel lanterns lining the streets as they wound up into hills dotted with the windows of businesses and homes.

He wanted to ask Dax so many questions, but he was choked up. No one had ever done anything like this for him before.

His imperfect voice suddenly seemed inadequate to respond to such a beautiful gift.

Dax sat with his back to the tower and opened his carry sack, pulled out a bottle and a cloth-wrapped packet. Then he brought out a small notebook and handed it to Kiryn.

Kiryn always carried one, but he was pleased that Dax had thought about it.

Dax opened it, scribbled something inside, and held it out to Kiryn. Do you like it?

I love it, he replied the same way. Where’s the school?

Dax pointed.

Kiryn could see the round form of the Schoolhouse, wrapped in night ivy. Above them, the spindle glowed a subdued silver to match the school.

Thank you for bringing me up here. Writing was such a clumsy way to communicate, but it was what they had.

Dax nodded and handed him the bottle.

He took a sip. It was cool water.

Dax’s grin said You were expecting something else? He opened the cloth packet, pulled out a sandwich, and handed half of it to Kiryn.

Kiryn grinned. “Thanks.”

They ate without communicating except at the most rudimentary level. Dax’s hand sought out his, and they looked out on the quiet city while they ate.

A couple of lake gulls flitted by, swinging around to land on the railing, watching the food avidly.

Kiryn pulled off a crumb of bread and tossed it over the edge, and one of the gulls leapt after it.

Dax shook his head.

“What?”

The other gull stared at them plaintively until Dax relented and threw a piece of his own sandwich to the bird, who snatched it up greedily.

In two minutes, they were surrounded by a whole flock of noisy birds.

“That.”

Kiryn laughed.

Dax shooed the birds away and brushed off his hands. He picked up the pad and scrawled out, I want to learn.

Learn what?

How to talk like you do. With your sister.

Kiryn stared at him. No one had ever asked him that before. Why?

Dax looked away for a moment, pain evident on his face.

Kiryn squeezed his shoulder. “Sorry,” he said. With the pencil, he scribbled out, Did I step in it?

Dax picked up the pencil. Don’t be. I had a sister who was deaf.

“Had?”

Dax wrote out his reply. She died a long time ago.

So sorry. What was her name?

Naveen.

This back-and-forth with the pencil was tiring.

Kiryn wondered what it would be like to lose his sister. Belynn was such a huge part of him, even if she annoyed the hell out of him sometimes.

He shuddered and hoped he’d never find out. He took the pencil and pad again. What do you want to know?

Dax’s grin returned. For starters, how do you say “kiss me”?

Kiryn read it and laughed. “Like this.” He mimed kissing his right hand and then kissing it to his left, and puckered his lips.

Dax grinned and leaned forward to kiss him gently.

When he pulled away, he scribbled something on the paper and handed it to Kiryn, watching his expression anxiously. You asked.

Kiryn nodded and pulled him close to kiss him again.

Excerpt #2

Kiryn Hammond-Clarke floated in the darkness of space, stars he’d never seen in person twinkling against the velvety black depths.

The voice came to him from out of nowhere. “Can anyone hear me?”

In his dreams, he could hear. Like when Belynn let him ride in her mind.

The voice repeated, sounding stretched and thin. “Is anyone out there?”

In the distance, a single star glowed brighter than all the others, though it was still just a small golden dot.

Kiryn reached out toward the light, his hand naked to the cold of the void.

Ice crystals formed on his arm, hardening it in place. The cold reached into his bones like knives of frozen glass. It raced up his bicep, the burning cold fire of the void.

He snatched back his arm, but he was too late. The freezing grip reached his heart, and he screamed silently—

Kiryn awoke with a start, sitting up in bed in his dorm room drenched with sweat. He ran his hands through his dark hair, letting them come to rest clasped behind his head.

First Light flashed past in the trees outside his window, brightening up the room.

The world was utterly silent.

The silence, his constant companion since birth, was particularly soothing after his rude awakening. It wrapped itself around him like a blanket, a suit of armor, a barrier between him and the hustle and bustle of the outside world.

Between him and emotion.

He held his arm out for inspection, half expecting it to be blackened by the void. Instead, it looked perfectly normal. Warm and tan, halfway between his mothers’ sepia and white skin tones.

He shivered at the memory.

The bed moved under him, and his date from the night before sat up, his mouth moving soundlessly.

The man was handsome, a Thyrean sent to the university at Micavery for his higher schooling—long limbs, blond hair shaved short, warm brown eyes.

His name was Dax. Or Zack. Or something.

Kiryn’s lipreading was decent, but he hadn’t bothered to spend too much time learning this one’s name. Dax or Zack hadn’t seemed to mind much.

Kiryn pointed at his ear and shook his head.

The man’s mouth closed, and he blushed. “Sorry. I forgot.”

That one was easy enough to read.

He grabbed the piece of cotton paper and a pencil Kiryn kept at his bedside just for that purpose and scribbled something out longhand, then handed it over to him.

It’s Dax. And are you okay?

Kiryn stared at him. Did you just read my mind? Maybe there was a little Liminal in him. He laughed, wondering not for the first time what it sounded like from the outside. It felt clunky and awkward on the inside.

He sighed and took the paper and pencil.

Dax’s hand lingered over his for an extra second before letting go.

Bad dream. Class in fifteen minutes. He hesitated, then scribbled, Dinner?

Dax took the paper, and a grin lit up his face. His eager nod needed no translation. I work at the hatchery until six. Meet me there?

Kiryn nodded and grinned.

Dax slipped out of bed and pulled on his trousers and white shirt, the V-neck showing off his chest to perfection.

Kiryn sat back with his hands behind his head, admiring the view.

He leaned over, kissed Kiryn on the cheek, and mouthed, “See you.”

When Dax left, Kiryn grabbed a change of clothes and headed down the hall to the dorm bathroom. He hopped into the shower, using the aromatic red berry soap bar his mom and mamma had sent him from the Estate. The smell transported him, and he closed his eyes and imagined himself standing among the long, even rows of red berry vines that arched across the hillsides.

His parents worried about him, out here alone, but it was Andy who had insisted he go.

When Kiryn had been born congenitally and profoundly deaf, Andy and Shandra had learned sign language from the world mind in vee.

There were so few other deaf people in Forever. So few like him.

The day before he was set to leave for university, to catch the public wagon headed for Darlith and then Micavery, he’d had a huge panic attack.

His parents had sat him down along with his sister, Belynn.

“I’m scared. Why do I have to go away?” He was fidgeting, nervous.

“You have to go. There’s nothing here for you.” Andy indicated the Estate, where the family had built a thriving agricultural business on the backs of Trip’s and Colin’s earlier work.

“You’re here.” His hands signed it while his knee bounced up and down.

Andy shook her head. “This is our place. You need to go.”

He flushed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I was such a burden.”

“No.” That was emphatic. “That’s not what I meant. We don’t want you to get trapped here, working on the Estate for the rest of your life. There’s a whole world out there for you to explore.” She looked up at Shandra, who nodded.

“I’ll go with him,” Belynn said and signed it at the same time, but he could hear her inside his head too.

Mom could do that, too, of course, but she had to touch him to do it.

“You’re not ready.” Shandra glared at Belynn and shook her head.

“I’ve been with Kiryn in every vee class since I was born. I’m only two years younger than he is. Let me go with him to help.”

Kiryn frowned. He wasn’t sure he wanted his little sister tagging along after him, cramping his style. If he decided to go.

Belynn’s hand found his, palm to palm, and he could feel her emotions. We can take care of each other. That thought was private, just for him, inside his head.

Maybe so.

Andy looked at Shandra. “They could take care of each other.” She echoed Belynn’s thought and touched Shandra’s hand. Something passed between them.

Shandra looked at him and then at Belynn, uncertainty clear on her face. “We could… try it.”

Belynn squeezed his hand. “Yes!”

“For a semester.” Andy kissed Shandra on the forehead.

Kiryn thought about it. It would be nice to have someone close by, just in case. Someone who really knew him. “Okay.” And it would be a lot less scary.

Now he was here, and Belynn wouldn’t be far behind.

Where are you, big brother? Belynn’s insistent voice.

I’ll be back in a minute. He pulled the towel from its wooden peg, dried off his hair and shoulders.

A couple of the other guys in the dorm, Stave and Trevor, waved on their way to their own showers. Cute as hell, but straighter than the old antenna on Micavery’s village green. Well, except when Stave got drunk on red berry wine….

Kiryn grinned. He pulled on his trousers and shirt and padded back to his room. Belynn was waiting for him on his bed. “How did you get in?” he signed.

They touched palms, the emotions flowing between them and synching.

“Easy. Aric at the front desk is a sucker for a pretty girl.”

“Like I said, how did you get in?”

She stuck out her tongue at him. “Come on. We’re going to be late.” She tugged him off the bed, and Kiryn barely had time to grab his carry sack before she had him out the door and down the hall.

About the Author

Scott lives between the here and now and the what could be. Indoctrinated into fantasy and sci fi by his mother at the tender age of nine, he devoured her library. But as he grew up, he wondered where the people like him were.

He decided it was time to create the kinds of stories he couldn’t find at Waldenbooks. If there weren’t gay characters in his favorite genres, he would remake them to his own ends.

His friends say Scott’s brain works a little differently – he sees relationships between things that others miss, and gets more done in a day than most folks manage in a week. He seeks to transform traditional sci fi, fantasy, and contemporary worlds into something unexpected.

A Rainbow Award winning author and Science Fiction Writer’s Association (SFWA) member, he runs Queer Sci Fi and QueeRomance Ink with his husband Mark, sites that bring queer people together to promote and celebrate fiction reflecitng their own reality.

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Giveaway

Scott is giving away a $25 Amazon gift card with this tour, along with three eBook sets of his Oberon Cycle trilogy. For a chance to win, enter via Rafflecopter:

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Rainbow Snippets: Book Review – Like Flesh Covers Bone by Jan Steckel

Books, Reviews

Happy Saturday! I’m jumping right to the snippet this week. It’s not my book this time but a fantastic collection of poetry by Jan Steckel, Like Flesh Covers Bone. I had the privilege of interviewing her for the BiCast this week.

I’m snipping from a poem called “Intersection”; my review follows below.

I’m a woman, but there’s a man in me.
He’s a bit of a fop, sort of a pansy.
He might be a fag.

Why shouldn’t everything about me be fluid?
I’m a squishy skin-bag of water and salt,
ocean inside and out.

Rainbow Snippets is a safe and welcoming space for LGBTQIA+ authors, readers, and bloggers to share 6 sentences each week from a work of fiction—published or in-progress—or a book recommendation. Feel free to join in!

About the Book

Synopsis: A hundred pages of direct, uncompromising, and lyrical poetry filled with moving moments of intimacy, humor, love & loss.

Genre: Poetry

Date: December 2018

Publisher: Zeitgeist Press

ISBN: 978-1-940572-21-5

Purchase Link

Goodreads

Review

I have been following Jan Steckel on social media for some time, so I was familiar with her poetry before reading Like Flesh Covers Bone. I’ve been delighted by many of her sharp observations of the world, sometimes optimistic and other times cynical. This new collection is one I am sure to read over and over, particularly a few of my favorites.

My top two are the titular poem, “Like Flesh Covers Bone,” and one called “Intersection.” In both cases, it is the way they reach into my soul and my personal experiences. The first knocked me emotionally flat the first time I read it. I gasped for breath, recalling my own first disillusionment as a newly graduated hospital nurse. The second had me nodding along with every line, feeling as though Steckel reached right into my heart and plucked out what was written there.

Every poem hits a high note, which is an accomplishment. Admittedly, I love poetry of all kinds, so I went into it with an already open mind. Even so, it’s rare that I am so drawn into the words that I don’t want to do anything except sit at the poet’s feet and bask in the beautiful lines. I couldn’t put it down.

I had the privilege of speaking with Steckel on the BiCast, a podcast for the bisexual+ community. (Link is below.) I highly recommend listening and absorbing what she has to say about writing, life, and bisexuality. She reads a few of her poems, and it is a treasure to be able to hear them right from her lips.

There’s a little of everything in here: some relatable moments and feelings, political cynicism and activism, history lessons, heart-wrenching memories, and humor. What I always say with poetry is that not every verse is for every person, but in a collection everyone can find something. Reading through is worth it for every aha! moment, every instance of feeling seen and heard and understood.

And that, for me, is the heart of this book. As a writer, what I strive for is to create something that tells others, “You are not alone.” This is what Steckel has accomplished here, a work which reminds us that someone out there gets us, that what we feel is not wrong. These pages are like seeking a comforting hand in the dark and, once found, holding on for dear life. I challenge everyone reading to find themselves in at least one of the poems and meditate on the words.

Like Flesh Covers Bone is a book for any of the following people to enjoy: lovers of poetry; bisexual people; genderqueer and gender non-conforming people; readers who enjoy swearing in their poetry; anyone who would like to understand queerness better; humans.

For relatable moments, flashes of keen insight, and poetry at its finest, this gets 10/10 fountain pens.

About the Author

Jan Steckel was a Harvard- and Yale-trained pediatrician who took care of Spanish-speaking children until chronic pain persuaded her to change professions to writer, poet and medical editor. She is an activist for bisexual and disability rights who lives in Oakland, California.

Her poetry book The Horizontal Poet (Zeitgeist Press, 2011) won a 2012 Lambda Literary Award. Her fiction chapbook Mixing Tracks (Gertrude Press, 2009) and poetry chapbook The Underwater Hospital (Zeitgeist Press, 2006) also won awards. Her creative writing has appeared in Scholastic Magazine, Yale Medicine, Bellevue Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her work won the Goodreads Newsletter Poetry Contest, a Zeiser Grant for Women Artists, the Jewel by the Bay Poetry Competition, Triplopia’s Best of the Best competition, and three Pushcart nominations.

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Book Blitz & Review: Defensive Play by Jamie Deacon

Books, Featured, Reviews

About the Book

Title: Defensive Play

Series: A Boys on the Brink Novella

Author: Jamie Deacon

Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing

Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

Release Date: November 30, 2018

Genre: Gay YA Sports Romance

Length: 21,500 words

Goodreads

Synopsis

One glance is all it takes to bring his defences crashing down…

Seventeen-year-old Davey has never made friends easily. Shy, geeky, crippled with social anxiety, he feels isolated from his peers, and only his position as defender for the school football team fills the void of loneliness. On the pitch, his deft footwork has earned him the respect and acceptance of his squad, though at a price. Desperate to hold onto this camaraderie, Davey conceals the truth from everyone, even his own family.

Then, during the annual Brookshire football tournament, his eyes meet those of a rival player across the field and a spark flares between them, one neither boy can deny. Adam is everything Davey longs to be—confident, popular, comfortable with his sexuality. Davey aches to explore their connection, to discover where it might lead, but how can he follow his heart and risk rejection by his teammates, the closest thing to friends he has ever known?

Purchase Links

Review

This is a story short enough to be read in a single sitting. While I wouldn’t call it pure fluff, it isn’t full of a lot of angst and drama, either. It’s really just two boys who find their way to each other and to a happy ending.

Much has been made recently of a couple of mainstream young adult gay romances, and it is good to see queer YA getting its due. Sadly, a lot of them still rely on “othering” LGBTQ kids around their coming out. This story is free from any of that.

Davey does experience some anxiety about who is safe and who is not, and he does have cause for concern with a couple of homophobic teammates. However, Davey’s anxiety is primarily not centered on his sexuality. It’s something he deals with in other ways, and we see how it manifests when it comes to his identity. The story is not primarily about how he confronts bullies, and there aren’t any contrived plots surrounding his being forcibly and non-consensually outed.

Both of the boys in the story, Davey and Adam, are realistic and likable. They’re not perfect. Davey can be thoughtless, wrapped up in his own fears. Adam can come on a bit strong. I liked this about them, the way they behave like actual teenagers.

This is a hallmark of Jamie Deacon’s work. The characters never come across as an adult trying too hard to sound “teenagerish,” nor like a projection of what an adult imagines teenagers must sound like and act like. They simply feel real and well-defined, even in a work as short as this one. I left the story with a sense that I really knew Davey and Adam as people.

There isn’t much else to say about the story. It’s short, sweet, and a breath of fresh air. Nothing too heavy, just a gentle, lovely romance. It’s the sort of story my own teens would refer to as “wholesome”: something so overall nice that everyone comes away a better person afterward.

For fully formed characters, a gentle romance, and a well-written story, this gets 10/10 fountain pens.

Excerpt

The rain has stopped. A soft mist hangs in the air, turning the distant streetlights a hazy orange. After the stuffiness of the clubhouse, the night is bitterly cold and I pull on my sweatshirt against the chill. I sit on the steps overlooking the car park, heedless of the damp that seeps through my jeans. Elbows on knees, I rest my chin in my hands and close my eyes, attempting to clear my mind. I don’t want to think anymore. I just want to sit with nothing but the dark and the quiet for company.

I haven’t been hunched there long when the door opens, ejecting a stream of warmth and thumping bass. I glance behind me, although I know who it will be. My body goes still. Adam lets the door swing shut and, just like that, we’re alone.

He doesn’t seem surprised to find me on the steps. Perhaps he saw me leave. Has he followed me? My insides clench. What if Adam thinks I did it deliberately, that I meant to lure him out here. Maybe I had. Maybe, deep down, a part of me hoped Adam might come, even while the rest of me prayed he wouldn’t.

This time, when our gazes connect, there’s no one to see, no football match to act as a buffer. I drink him in. Even in the faint glow filtering through the frosted pane in the door, his eyes are a vivid blue.

“Hey,” Adam says. Such a simple word that expresses so much. There’s recognition there, like we’re childhood friends meeting after years apart, but uncertainty, too. He has a nice voice, I register through my turbulent thoughts—warm and slightly husky.

“Hey.” My reply emerges somewhere between a croak and a squeak. Cringing, I stare down at my feet.

“It’s Davey, right?”

I fling him a startled look. Had this boy—this confident, gorgeous boy—actually gone to the trouble of finding out my name?

One side of Adam’s mouth lifts in a crooked smile. “Well, I had to know who the lunatic was who almost took my leg off.”

“God.” I bury my face in my hands. Of course Adam was going to ask about me after what happened on the pitch. “I’m so sorry.”

He laughs and nudges my thigh with the toe of his trainer. “I’m kidding. Seriously, you did us a favour.”

I dare a peep at him, unable to rid myself of the thought that he has pursued me out here to take the piss. That wouldn’t be anything new, after all.

“It’s true.” Adam crouches on the step beside me, his expression amused but without malice. “Rob warned me about you. He said the rest of your defence was pretty solid, but probably weren’t quick enough to catch me. You were the real threat.”

I grimace. “I’m guessing he wasn’t expecting me to take you out quite so spectacularly, though.”

“Funnily enough, that wasn’t included in the pep talk. Still, I should be thanking you. You made our job a whole lot easier.”

“Don’t remind me. You should’ve heard the guys after the match. I’ll never hear the end of it.”

Adam laughs again, and I can’t hold back a smile. Here I am, having an actual conversation with an amazing-looking boy—a boy who’d caught me checking him out, no less—and I’m not making an ass of myself.

The door behind us bursts open and several guys spill out. I tense, guard raised. Will they think it odd us sitting out here alone? I scan their faces, but none are from Farnstead. A moment later, they barrel down the steps without giving either of us a second look and head for one of the cars parked nearby.

As they pile in and the engine growls to life, I exhale, shoulders slumping. I can feel Adam studying me and keep my gaze lowered.

“You’re not out,” he says, “are you?”

“What?” My entire body goes rigid. He knows. I’d already guessed as much, but suspecting it is one thing; being confronted with the indisputable truth sends me spiralling back into panic mode. Why had he really followed me out here? I’d thought…been sure I’d read something in his eyes when they locked with mine, but what if I’m wrong? Do I truly believe someone like Adam, someone popular and self-assured, would have sought me out? Unless…

I see again the Brookminster players in their huddle, sniggering, moments after Adam caught me staring. I’d reassured myself they weren’t laughing about me, but perhaps my fears had been well founded. The cold certainty settles like a snowball in my gut. I’d given myself away, and now the other lads have sent Adam out here to chat me up, trick me into an admission I won’t be able to take back. For all I know, his mates are somewhere close by as we speak, listening in.

“Hey.” Adam extends his palms in what is probably supposed to be a calming gesture. “It’s all right. I know and it’s all right.”

“You don’t know anything,” I snap. The instinct for self-preservation, to keep my protective wall intact at any cost, propels me to my feet. “You hear me? You don’t know anything about me.”

Before he can respond, I’m down the steps and sprinting into the darkness, phone already out to call my parents. All I want is to go home, crawl into bed, and forget today ever happened.

About the Author

Jamie lives in a tranquil spot close to the River Thames in Berkshire, England, and has always been just a little out of place—the only redhead in a family of brunettes; an introvert far more at ease with dogs than with people; a connoisseur of simple pleasures in a society intent on the quest for wealth and fame. Despite an outward cynicism, Jamie is a romantic at heart, and, when not immersed in a book, can mostly be found writing emotional stories where young men from all walks of life are forced to navigate the sometimes painful reality of growing up, coming out, and falling in love.

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Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Defensive Play, Jamie Deacon is giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card. For your chance to win, simply enter via the Rafflecopter below. The giveaway is open to entrants world wide, and closes at midnight EST on Friday December 7, 2018.

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Review: Somewhere in Between by Natasja Hellenthal

Books, Featured, Reviews

About the Book

Title: Somewhere in Between: An Intersex non-binary genderqueer Fantasy Romance

Author: Natasja Hellenthal

Release Date: November 30, 2018

Length: 110 pages

Genres: fantasy/romance

Categories: intersex, genderqueer, non-binary, gender fluid, sapphic

Purchase Link

Amazon

Free with Kindle Unlimited

Synopsis

For Yarden, who never seemed to fit in, life was never easy. Born with both male and female gender traits they never truly belonged to either sex, or wanted to conform just to be able to “fit in”. Living and working as a travelling artist, Yarden tries to avoid the masses as much as possible.

One day, Jalmaz appears and the artists’ world gets turned upside-down. Who is this mysterious, beautiful woman who, after entering the workshop, and soon Yarden’s heart, buys a sculpture, but is never to be seen again?

And then, out of nowhere, Jolaz turns up, very similar to Jalmaz, though seems to be male . . .

Is he her twin? What has he done to Jalmaz and why?

Can Yarden, despite their own non-binary gender and fluid appearance, ever accept their strange new love interest, who they after all, have so much in common with?

Do we only allow ourselves to fall in love with someone because the gender is “suitable”, or can we love someone romantically despite of it? Can we truly love someone for who they are, body and soul?

Read ‘Somewhere in Between’ an original genderbending story that will speak to most readers; straight, genderqueer, transgender, lesbian, gay, non-binary, pansexual and cisgender alike.

Review

The minute I saw the description of this book, I knew I had to read it. I’ve been largely immersed in the gender-segregated reading communities of MM and FF Romance, which more often than not means non-binary characters whose genitalia “matches” that of the cisgender love interest. So it is a rare and wonderful gem to find books which cannot be neatly slotted into MM or FF with readers allowed to simply imagine the genderqueer characters as aligning with their preferred category.

This short story delivers exceptionally well on that front. Yarden is intersex. Owing to a loving parent who sees no need to require them to choose, Yarden never does. It is in their point of view, and they are wonderful. Their description of their history and musing about gender and expression are refreshing to read. At no point did I feel as if Yarden had been shoved into a binary box, nor did I feel the need to do so myself.

Something I particularly appreciated was that the author also did not go to lengths to somehow “hide” Yarden’s “true gender” (i.e., birth-assigned gender) from readers. We are fully aware that Yarden has physical traits of more than one sex and exactly what that has meant for them. We also get a picture of what it’s like for a child to be raised in a loving home without being forced to choose. Yarden has distinct preferences for how they express; they are not a blank slate or even completely androgynous. I very much enjoyed getting to know them.

The rest of the story is short enough to be read on a cozy afternoon with a blanket and a cup of tea. I loved the growing affection (I won’t say love quite yet–the story is far too brief) between Yarden and Jalmaz. Jalmaz herself is a fascinating character, one who I won’t spoil for readers. It’s important to see the story unfold for yourself. For me, Jalmaz was a lovely bit of reader wish-fulfillment, though I can’t say why without spoilers.

I think the only thing I would say–and this is not really a criticism–is that it might be good for readers to know the first 20% or so is the author’s explanation of intersex conditions and how this story came to be written. Personally, I enjoyed it, but I think some people might not be as enthusiastic. Also, there are parts of the story itself that feel just a shade on the “educational” side. And the last 25% or so is previews of other books. Some readers won’t mind; others might not enjoy it so much.

All in all, this is a lovely little story. It made me curious about Jalmaz’s world. I believe this is a companion story to a series, though it stands alone just fine. I’m certainly intrigued enough to check out the other books.

For a terrific non-binary character, a gentle and understated romance, and a fascinating setting, this gets 8/10 fountain pens.

Excerpt

“Why should it matter that I was born into another gender; a hermaphrodite? I know that is what they call people like me as I have been in and out of the doctor’s office for most of my childhood until my father decided enough was enough with the studying of my body and trying to decide what to do and what gender to choose to look like. It’s either one or the other in this world I’ve found out; you can’t be both. Dad let me decide whatever clothes I wanted to wear and how I wanted to be called: he or she, as surgery was out of the question. Not only was it deemed too dangerous, but as I was healthy and happy, it was simply unnecessary. I was fortunate with a father like him. But even if I normally felt better being addressed and treated as a boy, it still didn’t sit right. I don’t feel comfortable in clothes typically worn by women, or living a woman’s lifestyle in particular. Don’t even get me started on marriage! I’m only partially female after all, so why should I change for anyone? I don’t dislike my breasts or my other bits, so I know surgery would not have made me happier, but that was never the intention of any doctor. No doubt it would make things easier for me out there. I have bound my breasts in the past to avoid the stares and the questions, but no more. I wear my hair short as I like it that way and wear what I want to which are loose fitting tunics and leggings. I will not let other people decide my happiness. They will just have to take me as I am or walk away. It’s that simple.

What makes one appear male or female to outsiders? Physical attributes obviously, but apart from that, how much does a certain dress code, hair style affect behaviour? Of ourselves and those around us? And isn’t behaviour taught? Isn’t a girl made a girl and a boy a boy? If we were all raised and dressed the same way, the issue of gender undoubtedly would be almost non-existing. There would still be the male and female hormones and the effects, I’ve learnt one of the doctors say, that’s only natural, but apart from that, everything would be so much easier and light-hearted. No one would always be guessing what you are all the time. It simply wouldn’t matter. They would be using their time more productively. It would be more important what you do, how well you do it, and how you contribute to the world and help others.

I don’t often ask myself these questions, but lately I do, notably only when I’m around other people.”

About the Author

Ms Hellenthal is not human. She is a novelist, eco-warrior, animal lover (and thus vegan). Her interests include reading the best books, poetry, space and science, the unexplained, nature and art, and outdoor activities such as hiking, organic gardening, swimming in the sea, paddle-boarding and cycling. She lives in the Pyrenees, South of France where she co-parents two children and a yorkie, and has a long distance relationship with a kiwi in the UK.

She writes witty, speculative fiction that entertain people but at the same time makes them think. Her work has been described as ‘thought-provoking’. Her writing is about change, freedom, advocating for lgbt equality and animal welfare.

In her writing she also deals with big psychological and ethical themes and struggles of life such as death, love and loss, abuse and the consequences of our actions. She tries to build strong characters as realistic as possible, for even though the genre is Fantasy she wants people to feel connected with her heroes and villains as they would with their real life people.

‘The Queen’s Curse’ was her debut novel and has been an international Best-Seller.
Her books are available for Kindle, free with KindleUnlimited and in Paperback.
Ms Hellenthal is influenced by writers such as Tanith Lee, Kahlil Gibran, Patricia McKillip and Hermann Hesse.

She is currently working on book 3 in the Epic Supernatural Fantasy Comyenti Series. Book 1, ‘Call Off The Search,’ and the dramatic sequel, ‘Children Of The Sun’ are available both for Kindle and in Paperback. ‘Chained Freedom’– a stand alone fairy-tale for adults as part of the Comyenti Series to give readers a taste– is a FREE download on Amazon.

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More books by Natasja Hellenthal

The Queen’s Curse
SkyWhisperers

The Comyenti Series
Call Off The Search (1)
Children of the Sun (2)
The Comyenti Series Book Bundle 1&2
Catching the Saurian (3) (coming 2019)

Comyenti Novellas
City of Dreams
Quarterling

Lesbian Romance Mythology Series
The Cursed (1)
The Taken (2)
The Immortal (3) (coming January 2019)

Review: Mama, Me, and the Holiday Tree by Jeanne G’Fellers

Books, Reviews

About the Book

Title: Mama, Me, and the Holiday Tree (Appalachian Elementals #1.5)

Author: Jeanne G’Fellers

Publisher: Mountain Gap Books

Publication Date: November 5, 2018

Word Count: 74 pages

Tags: LGBT, holiday, elemental magic

Genre: Contemporary Fantasy

Series: Appalachian Elementals

Goodreads

Purchase Links

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | iBooks

Synopsis

A dozen handmade holiday ornaments, that’s all, but it might be an impossible task.

Centenary Rhodes and her mother are at constant odds. It’s one of the many reasons Cent left home when she was eighteen. Mama’s difficult for anyone to manage, but now that Cent’s back home, she has to try. Mama, however, won’t acknowledge who Cent’s become, even though she’s repeatedly been shown the truth.

It’ll take more than popcorn strings and paper snowflakes to heal the rift that’s formed between Cent and Mama. It’s going to take bushels of patience, heaps of magic, and assistance from everyone on both sides of Embreeville Mountain to reset the Balance between them.

But with Yule and Christmas just around the corner, it might already be too late.

Join Cent and her Mother for a heart-warming, magic-filled holiday tale of acceptance, family of choice, family of blood, love, magic, and patience all served with a queer Appalachian twist.

Review

This is a perfect tide-me-over while awaiting the next full novel in the series. I love holiday books of all kinds, and I’m also a sucker for family stories. This sweet, short read delivers both in a bite-size package perfect for a cozy afternoon.

Cent is one of my favorite characters. She’s complicated, as anyone might be after living through multiple successive lives. This time around, her mother is one of those complications. Even the best of parent-child relationships have moments of struggle, but Cent and her mother’s is made complicated by Mama’s mental illnesses.

This story does, of course, contain all the fantasy magic of the first novel, and there’s a healthy dose of the family’s spiritual practices as well. But what gives this heart is the way the relationship between Cent and Mama unfolds. Living with mental illness can be challenging on all sides. There’s no judgement found in this book. We understand that Mama has her own troubles, and we understand Cent’s mixture of love and frustration. Ultimately, they are able to come to peace with each other and find a way forward.

What makes this book such a gem is that it shows how important it is to be surrounded by love and support for everyone involved. No one person is responsible for all the needs of any other person. All of the optimism, hope, and joy of the holiday season come together to make this heartwarming story.

There are valuable lessons in this tale as well as affirmation for readers that we don’t have to do it all alone. But it’s also just plain fun, with humor and surprise sprinkled all through. The best way to describe it is that reading this story is like enjoying grandma’s fresh-baked holiday cookies…and having grandma pass along the recipe to you with a dash of her old-fashioned wisdom.

For the pleasure of revisiting favorite friends, a respectful portrayal of family issues, and all the sweetness of the holidays, this gets 10/10 fountain pens.

About the Author

Born and raised in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains, Science Fiction and Fantasy author Jeanne G’Fellers’ early memories include watching the original Star Trek series with her father and reading the books her librarian mother brought home. Jeanne’s influences include author Anne McCaffrey, Ursula K. LeGuin, Octavia Butler, Isaac Asimov, and Frank Herbert.

Jeanne’s first series, The Taelach Sisters Series, won two Golden Crown Literary Awards for excellence in Speculative Fiction and was short-listed for a Lambda Literary Award.

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