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[09 Dec 2009|05:20pm] |
icon x77 - w-inds, JUJU, KREVA, Leah Dizon, Miyazaki Hayao, Akanishi Jin
  
more @ ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) chocoberrie
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| I'm thinking either frogs or locusts next... |
[09 Dec 2009|03:18pm] |
Since last night we have had:
*Freezing rain
*A thunder storm, complete with lightening and wind.
(yes, in Pennsylvania, in the middle of December)
*Several minutes of hail, enough to cover the ground in a good two inches of loose ice.
Internet access is intermitent at best. See you on the flipside!
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| Different Suits (Poker Night 4) by Carol Lynne |
[09 Dec 2009|08:35pm] |
 Different Suits was a bit of a surprise since I didn’t expect the evolution of Angelo’s character. From what we learned about him in the previous books, Angelo gave me the impression of a very strong and independent man, other than a successful businessman. Now in his book it’s not that he comes out as weak, but he definitely plays the role of the submissive in the relationship with Moody, the big stud of police detective who helps him with his problems with a fanatic homophobic reverend. Little by little all those hints we had of Angelo as strong man, are instead read in a different way, they become little oddities that Angelo uses to prove to himself that he is for real out of his poor childhood: he is obsessed with expensive dresses, beautiful cars, with an impeccable house, but it’s not the behaviour of a control freak, but the natural evolution of a scared little boy who now clings to material things to search for security.
On the other side there is Moody, a latino police detective that, despite being able to come out from a childhood quite similar to Angelo taking the good path, has not cancelled that past. It’s strange since Moody and Angelo are both from a breed notorious to be “bloody” feeling, but Angelo suppressed that side of his character. Instead Moody (and his nickname is a proof of it) is still driven by his gut more than by his mind. I have a feeling that, the first time he saw Angelo, he thought to have found someone like him, and he was almost expecting to be able to deal with him on the same level; and instead Moody was surprise to crash against the cool exterior of Angelo, and now he is bent upon the task to find a way to go behind that chilling shield.
The relationship between Moody and Angelo is very much physical, the romance comes after the sex, but it’s probably in line with both men’s characters: they are not innocent or naïve, and in this case, the hot bothered nature of their genes matches perfectly in bed. And in bed is also where Angelo loses all his insecurities and becomes to one in lead; now don’t get me wrong, Angelo is almost always a bottom, but he is for sure the one who is more at ease with his body and his desires.
Different Suits is probably in contest to be one of the nicer book in the Poker Night series.
http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=599
Serie: Poker Night
1-2) Poker Night Vol 1: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/627020.html
3) Poker Pair: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/779960.html
4) Different Suits
The Rainbow Awards: Third (and last!) Phase: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/850354.html
Cover Art by April Martinez
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| In the Spotlight: Greg Herren |
[09 Dec 2009|11:22am] |
 The Book: Bourbon Street Blues introduces Dick Dansoir, personal trainer and occasional go-go dancer at the boys' bars in the Big Easy. He is irresistible, especially for a guy whose real name is Milton "Scotty" Bradley. Of course, he keeps in shape, which helps as the book's wrong-man-in-the-wrong-place-at-the-wrong-time plot unfolds. A friend and client turns up shot, execution style, in front of his place. Add a mysterious computer disk found in his dancing boot, an attempted mugging, an eerily attractive stranger who claims to be FBI, and his home being trashed by a Molotov cocktail--and a gorgeous go-go boy just must get help. He turns to his attorney brother, Storm (his sister is Rain), for advice, then risks everything by assisting the Feds in preventing the destruction of New Orleans, a horror Scotty has foreseen in visions (forgot to tell you: he is "gifted" with sporadic psychic powers, too). Dashing Dick saves the day, natch, and who could ask for anything more? Thoroughly engaging in every way.
Amazon: Bourbon Street Blues
( Other Books in the List )
 The Author: "I am the author of six mystery novels set in New Orleans: BOURBON STREET BLUES, JACKSON SQUARE JAZZ, MURDER IN THE RUE DAUPHINE, MURDER IN THE RUE ST. ANN , MARDI GRAS MAMBO and MURDER IN THE RUE CHARTRES, which was released in November 2007. I also work as senior editor for The Harrington Park Press, and have edited, to date, five anthologies currently in print. I also have a short story in the forthcoming NEW ORLEANS NOIR called "Annunciation Shotgun."" Greg Herren
Top 100 Gay Novels List (*)
External Link to the Top 100 Gay Novels List (simple - without photos)
External Link to the Top 100 Gay Novels List (wanted - with photos)
*only one title per author, only print books released after January 1, 2000.
Note: I remember to my friends that guest reviews of the above listed books (the top 100 Gay Novels) are welcome, just send them to me and I will post with full credits to the reviewer.
Other titles not in the top 100 list:
http://www.librarything.com/catalog/top50MM
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| Picture Previews... + BtR DVD CM |
[09 Dec 2009|07:55am] |
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mood |
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chipper |
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music |
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Eternal-Akanishi Jin ft Yamashita Tomohisa (on repeat) |
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Excluding Cinema Square because it had been shared~ Beautifullll!! XDDD ( previews, previews )Credit: XQ. ( BtR DVD cm )p/s:NO HOTLINKING. HOT LINKERS SHALL BE HAUNTED TO DEATH. |
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| Becoming Us by Anah Crow and Dianne Fox |
[08 Dec 2009|10:35pm] |
 The story is about young men almost out of college, so I think, 20-21 years old, maybe more, but truth be told, the feeling is more of a story of younger men, they are so innocent and scared of the big bad world outside, or at least one of them is.
Perry, Zac and Bryce were roommates and best-friends. With other two students from the same Swim College Team, they rented an house for their sophomore year and everything seemed perfect till the day Zac and Perry made coming out during an interview for the College newspaper. From that moment on Bryce changed, and Perry and Zac did common front against him. But now Perry is out of college and Bryce and Zac are again alone, and maybe Zac is missing his best friend. So he finds the courage to face Bryce and asks him reasons on his past behaviour, but instead of the angry and homophobic man, he finds a scared child. Bryce is scared since he would have liked to be with Perry and Zac on that journal, he would have liked to have the courage to face his family, his father and brothers, and tell them that he is gay. Since Bryce was only a teenager, his relatives always threatened him of cutting him off the family if he ended to be gay. In the novel it’s not said, but probably Bryce was giving out some signs of his tendencies, since I can’t believe a family can say something like that out of the blue; and if it was like that, it served them right that in the end Bryce is really gay.
Actually, for how I read him, Bryce is more bisexual than gay, he has no problem to be with girls, but he has fallen in love with a guy, Zac. His reaction to Perry and Zac’s coming out, was not only due to the fear to be “forced” to do the same, sooner or later, but also from the realization that Perry and Zac had something in common that they were hiding from him, there was a bond between Perry and Zac that was deeper than any other bonds he could have with Zac. I think that, in a way, Bryce was jealous, and also scared to remain alone in the closet, that suddenly seemed darker than before.
When I said that the story is more about boys than men, it’s since I feel that Bryce is not yet fully developed as man. He has still a lot of trouble in seeing himself as an independent man, and he is still too bonded to his father’s recognition. He is still in that phase when pleasing your parents it’s your main purpose in life, he is still more a child, a son, than a man, a lover. Zac is maybe a little more grown up, but all in all, he is not much “older” than Bryce. In the end they are lucky that they are not living in a situation that could be really troubling for both of them, they are not really putting in danger all their lives, they will have maybe to finally fully front face their parents, but they have alternatives, they can take the risk.
The story, in the end, is more sweet than angst, and it’s more about the development of the sexual relationship between Zac and Bryce, than their emotional development; at the end of the story, Bryce has maybe gathered a bit of courage, but he is far from being emotionally independent. And Zac is still in that stage when he wants to please Bryce, he wants to make things easy for him, even if it means to put aside his own desires; this is not a situation that can last forever, sooner or later Zac will have to take his life in hand, and make clear his needs, both in life than in bed. For now, both of them are still wrapped up in the pink bubble of romance: there are a lot of “I love you”s, “I want you”s and being together is important like breathing… a proof more that, all in all, Zac and Bryce are young and in love, maybe for the first time.
http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2238
Amazon: Becoming Us
The Rainbow Awards: Third (and last!) Phase: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/850354.html
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| Minami-sensei's prints & this week's auctions |
[08 Dec 2009|09:41am] |
This week's auctions are up, including some awesome signed items from Yamane Ayano, Tateno Makoto and Asami Tojo.
--[ http://ycon-auction.livejournal.com/ ]--
And don’t forget, if you signed up to reserve a "Thank You" print from Minami-sensei, your SASE is due by 12/15/09. We have received envelopes from only half of you who've signed up for one, so far. And if you haven't requested one, there's still a little time! Remember that if you get one of these prints, your name gets submitted for a drawing for one of 25 signed A4-size prints!
--[ http://yaoicon.com/forms/ycon_09_haruka_request.html ]--
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| Behind the Cover: Morgan Kane |
[08 Dec 2009|10:57am] |
Morgan graduated from the Cleveland Art Institute in June of 1942. During World War II, he served in General "Hap" Arnold's Air Room in Washington D.C. He was then assigned to the Office of Flying Safety where he illustrated flying manuals and safety posters.
After the war, Morgan moved to Chicago where he worked with well-known illustrators, including Hadden Sundblum and Harry Anderson. During that time he painted many commercial pieces for companies such as Coca Cola and City Service, etc.
( more pics )
In 1951, wanting to be near the magazine and publishing industry, he, his wife Kay Haefele Kane, (his art school sweetheart), and their son and daughter moved to Connecticut. There he illustrated stories for the following publications: Saturday Evening Post, Ladies Home Journal, American Magazine, Esquire Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, McCall’s Magazine, American Weekly, Sports Afield
He also illustrated for Fleetway Publishing and Odham’s Press in London. Morgan's work has been included in the "Saturday Evening Post", "Ladies Home Journal" and "McCall’s" traveling exhibits. Second reproduction rights to his illustrations have been sold worldwide.
In 1963 Morgan opened a photo studio, and for the next eleven years created many photo advertisements and hundreds of book covers. Among his credits was the well publicized movie poster for the James Bond film "For Your Eyes Only".
Returning to illustration, he painted covers for hundreds of book covers and many movie posters for Paramount Pictures, Disney Productions, United Artists, Universal Studios, Warner Brothers, and Orion Pictures. Morgan has been included in all three of Walt Reed's books entitled "The Illustrator in America."
Easily bored with painting similar subjects and using similar styles, he believes that, "It's like eating the same meal at the same restaurant every day."
As a hobby, Morgan studied hypnosis and became president of the New York chapter of the National Federation of Hypnotists. For many years he has also enjoyed practicing prestidigitation. After losing his wife to cancer, he found a great escape in figure skating. Morgan continues to paint a variety of subjects in a variety of styles, ranging from contemporary to traditional to nudes.
http://www.morgankaneart.com/
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| An Improper Holiday by K.A. Mitchell |
[07 Dec 2009|11:49pm] |
 In 1814, after the Battle of Badajoz, Ian has one reason more to not consider himself a proper man, he lost a limb in battle and not he is not even up to the task he was destined to as second son of an Earl, to be an army officer. He is now living wandering from one relative to another, trying to choose the one who pities him less. He is probably searching to disappear from the world, and so he is not so happy when his brother, the Earl, asks him to be the chaperon to their sister to the annual Twelve Night fete at Carleigh Castle: the heir to the Marques, Nicholas, was not only Ian’s best friend at school, he was also his first love. Like so many lovers before them, when they were young and careless, they swore to be everything for each other for forever and ever, but then the war changed it all.
There is a right characterization in both men: Ian is the typical second son, the one to whom everyone, from his father to his tutors, always instilled the concept of honour. His family was not enough wealthy to provide for him, and so Ian had to find his way in the world alone; he was supposed to be an officer, he was supposed to be independent. Not yet out of school, and in love with another man, Ian was forced to enlist and leave everything he knew. He did that to honour what everyone expected from him, and even if he didn’t leave Nicky with a promise to come back, inside his heart he was bound to be an honoured man even with him: Nicky was his first man, and Ian was determined to maintain him the only one also. In every aspect of his life, with his family and with his lover, Ian was and still is a perfect romance hero. And as a perfect romance hero, when he comes back home with an heavy handicap, he can’t consider to “impose” himself upon his lover, that, on the other hand, being a first son and heir, has to marry and fathered one heir or two at least. Probably in Ian’s mind, if Nicky marries a woman, it’s not almost a betrayal; it’s another way to be an honoured man, something Ian can perfectly comprehend. So, in his “innocence”, Ian doesn’t consider Nicky totally lost, in a way he is still faithful to the memory of their past love.
It’s so with despair that Ian discovers that, not only Nicky was not faithful to them when Ian came back home as a less than full man, he wasn’t neither faithful to them when Ian was in battle. Nicky tells to himself that it was the need of companionship, maybe even the fear for what could happen to his lover, but in a way or another, Nicky didn’t respect the unsaid pact of being faithful to Ian. And, again, I think this is quite right with his character: Nicky is the first son, the heir; he has no need to be an honoured man; he will have everything thanks to his birth right. Oh yes, while Ian was away, he conspired with Ian’s sister, Charlotte, to have news on Ian himself, but this is the only hint I have that Nicky was as involved in their relationship as Ian was and still is. Now that Ian is back home, Nicky is bent upon the task to convince the man that they can be still together, that there are way for them to be couple, even if not in front of the society, at least in the intimacy of their bedroom. The solution is simple, and probably one that many before them took. But still, even if Nicky is now behaving as a man in love, I would not say that he is a perfect romance hero like Ian, I think he is a bit selfish and for sure a spoiled brat.
The setting is quite nice, the story turns mainly around Ian and Nicky, but there are some interesting supporting characters, and I liked very much as the author described the different connections inside both families, of Ian and Nicky; there are all the different possible relationships of the time, the widowed and ruined cousin, the married but without child sister who plays the role of mistress of the house ad interim, the old father, the distant brother… it’s like an handbook of a noble English family of the nineteen century.
http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/an-improper-holiday
Amazon Kindle: An Improper Holiday
The Rainbow Awards: Third (and last!) Phase: http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/850354.html
Cover Art by Amanda Kelsey
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