At the End of the Leash by Jeffrey Ricker

Man's best friend knows best. :)

"Dinner" Brian said, while thinking, You are reading my mind and know exactly what I want you to do and are willing to do it.

Carl turned a bright crimson that started at his ears and spread like wildfire across his cheeks, "I have this theory that people who own dogs are automatically in a different category. You can't hide things from dogs, you know? They follow their hunch when it comes to people because it's all they've got. So if someone has a dog or if my dog likes someone, I figure they're good people."

Your dog liked me... Pages 170-171.

Fool for Love: New Gay Fiction edited by Timothy J. Lambert and R.D. Cochrane

Visit Jeffrey Ricker here.

Like No One's Watching by Josh Helmin

First love.

In a development that Mark found somewhat unnerving, his eyes were glued to the actor playing Jack every time he appeared on stage. Just the sight of Jack, played by Seth Stratton, a fellow senior with a mop of brown hair and a tall, lean frame, caused Mark to hold his breath and his palms to sweat. Mark sometimes stared at Seth even when he was supposed to be watching somebody else. In the first act, when Seth sang a song about his adventures up the beanstalk, Mark felt himself growing lightheaded.  Pages 150-151

Fool for Love: New Gay Fiction edited by Timothy J. Lambert and R.D. Cochrane

Visit Josh Helmin at the Josh & Josh are Rich and Famous blog.

De Anima by Joel Derfner

Love and the knitted soul.

It was the morning after my boyfriend told me he wanted to seek freedom from homosexuality through the power of Jesus Christ that I decided to knit the brain.  Page 133

...I looked through my yarn stash (I hate that term but that's what they call it), and after briefly considering a gorgeous soft green alpaca, went with a cheap purple polyester, as I suspected it was more appropriate for an ex-gay. I started knitting according to the diagram I had drawn up, yanking the yarn hard as I went... Page 139

Fool for Love: New Gay Fiction edited by Timothy J. Lambert and R.D. Cochrane

Visit Joel Derfner here.

Trunk by Trebor Healey

Finding love on the edge.

They muttered and wept as they communed together and didn't really stop crying completely until they'd betrayed the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy, as well as Paul's letter to the Corinthians and Romans --and arguably Timothy.   Page 130

Fool for Love: New Gay Fiction edited by Timothy J. Lambert and R.D. Cochrane

Visit Trebor Healey here.

Happy Hour at Café Jones by Rob Byrnes

Looking back, love was always there.

...if you can't be silly standing in a cold misty rain on the cracked asphalt of a municipal parking lot with the man you've just realized you never stopped loving, when can you? Page 99

Fool for Love: New Gay Fiction edited by Timothy J. Lambert and R.D. Cochrane

Visit Rob Byrnes here.

Gratitude by Felice Picano

Love at any age. Happiness found the hard way!

He was hardly a child, closer to sixty than fifty. No friend to the reflections of window panes and looking glasses that had a startling way of creeping up and suddenly presenting him to his nowadays always unsuspecting and usually horrified self. Page 70

Fool for Love: New Gay Fiction edited by Timothy J. Lambert and R.D. Cochrane

Find out about Felice Picano's work here.

The View by Brandon M. Long

The Fates. Recognizing love.

The view was spectacular, city lights reflecting off the Sound in myriad dancing shimmers. I walked to the window and stared. I could feel Will standing next to me, but he didn't say anything. He just let me take it in. After a while, I turned to him.

  "I don't really know what to say," I stammered. "There aren't words to do it justice."

For once, Will wasn't smiling. He stepped closer and gently kissed me....

Page 60

Fool for Love: New Gay Fiction edited by Timothy J. Lambert and R.D. Cochrane

Brandon M. Long lives with his partner, two dogs, several fish, a bunch of birds, and a tortoise in Salt Lake City. He is not a Mormon. Mr. Long has no website.

Matchmaker by Shawn Anniston

Anything but romance.

....The swans intrigued me, so I consented to a second date. It ended badly when he wanted to give me a full body massage with scented oils.

  "What the hell is wrong with these men?" I demanded of Mick. "Have they no pride? Can't they just scratch their balls and offer me a can of Budweiser? Why must I always be tormented with moonlight and roses?"

  "You poor lamb," Mick said. Page 37

Fool for Love: New Gay Fiction edited by Timothy J. Lambert and R.D. Cochrane

Visit Shawn Anniston here.

Thai Angel by David Puterbaugh

Looking for love.

Kama looked at the note. "Well, I don't know what this word is," he said, picking up a pen. "But this is how you say hello. Sawasdee Khrap."

"Sawasdee Khrap," Sean repeated. He smiled at Kama. "Cool."

"Why the sudden interest in learning Thai? Kama asked.

Sean shrugged. "Just figured I come in here enough. Thought it'd be polite if I learned how to say hi." Page 2

Fool for Love: New Gay Fiction edited by Timothy J. Lambert and R.D. Cochrane

Visit David Puterbaugh here.

Love Taps by Mark G. Harris

Fighting for love.

Memory bathed him at the right temperature. He remembered why he'd written so passionately in his journal the night he and Chuck had met. He remembered Chuck teaching him how to bowl. He remembered how, when he and Chuck went to protests, Chuck would always, between shouted slogans, mutter under his breath asides to him. Things like I love you more than my snooze button, or I could eat you with a spork. Page 23

Fool for Love: New Gay Fiction edited by Timothy J. Lambert and R.D. Cochrane

You can visit Mark G. Harris here.

Review: Fool for Love: New Gay Fiction edited by Timothy J. Lambert and R. D. Cochrane

A very dear friend sent me the Fool for Love: New Gay Fiction anthology as a Christmas present, and what a wonderful present it was. I chose it as my first read of 2010 and as the first book to read and review for Anezthezea's M/M Romance Challenge.

In an age of hookups and cybersex, who has time for a little romance? For all those who think love’s gone the way of the 8-track tape comes a collection of new gay fiction designed to reignite their belief in love and romance. Follow the travails of a dog walker enchanted with his new client, a restaurant owner who catches the eye of his most loyal customer, a blind date fix-up, and other seekers of the lost flame as they stumble upon romance and a possible chance at love.

Fool for Love: New Gay Fiction is comprised of seventeen short stories by some of today's best-known gay writers, as well as some writers whose work was published for the first time in this anthology. I was really looking forward to reading works by both the well known and the newly published writers. However, I knew this book was going to be special after reading the Prologue written by Timothy J. Lambert.

Mr. Lambert's introduction is indeed beautifully honest and thought provoking. I remember writing and telling the friend who gave me this book that the introduction should have a title: "Romance and I." After I finished reading it, I felt as if I'd just finished reading the first short story and couldn't wait to read the rest of the book.

We've had some good times, Romance and I. We first met on a rocky beach in New England and held hands as we walked, not caring that the salty surf soaked our sneakers as the sun set on another summer. Later, we warmed our feet on a hearth made of granite and held each other close as we looked at photographs Romance had taken earlier of majestic pine trees and pairs of seagulls blithely crapping on weathered driftwood.

The introduction certainly reflected the beauty, quality and honesty and in some cases edginess I found when I read the book. Every. single. one. of the writers and the stories contributed are praise worthy and I refuse to choose a favorite among the seventeen included in this book.

As I began writing this review, I decided to do something different. I would like to give you a glimpse of the different stories and writing styles you'll find in this beautiful Gay Fiction anthology. Instead of writing one long review reprising each story, in coming days I'll be doing a series of short posts featuring each writer. I'll be posting a one-line summary and will highlight a short quote from each one. The quotes will either reflect the plot, or they'll be the ones I couldn't resist -- that's all. After all of them have been posted, they will be linked to the bottom of this review.

Beautifully written and edited, Fool for Love: New Gay Fiction is an anthology full of stories some of which I found to be sweet, some edgy, some heart wrenching, some funny and some just downright romantic. Above all this anthology is about love. I recommend this excellent book be read slowly for greater enjoyment.

Gay Fiction/Romance: Grade A

Thai Angel by David Puterbaugh
Love Taps by Mark G. Harris
Matchmaker by Shawn Anniston
The View by Brandon M. Long
Gratitude by Felice Picano
Happy Hour at Café Jones by Rob Byrnes
Trunk by Trebor Healey
De Anima by Joel Derfner
Like No One's Watching by Josh Helmin
At the End of the Leash by Jeffrey Ricker
Two Tales by Paul Lisicky
Heart by 'Nathan Burgoine
Party Planning by Rob Williams
Two Kinds of Rapture by Andrew Holleran
Everyone Says I'll Forget in Time by Greg Herren
Angels, What You Must Hear on High by John H. Roush

Other Reviews:
Indigene - The Three Dollar Bill Reviews

Find anthology here or here

M/M Review: Rough Cut: Vincent Diamond Collected by Vincent Diamond

In Rough Cut, Vincent Diamond gives us a beautiful collection of short stories -- 17 in total -- some of them connected with the same characters, some of them single short stories that give us more than just what I've come to expect from M/M Erotica. Some of these short stories make us think and ponder -- there are just so many scenarios, so many "what ifs," so many "gray areas." Diamond manages to gift us with all of these things AND romance AND eroticism in these short stories. Her love of animals and nature is evident throughout all of them and it's lovely to see her passion for it; as well as her love of the characters in the writing.

The book begins with an impressive Foreword by Richard Labonte, one that I have to agree with. The characters in these stories, weather you are reading the single short story, or the connected ones, are well developed as are the relationships. I was impressed with how invested I became in the relationships while reading this book.

Lions and Tigers and Snares & Cold Hands, Warm Heart are linked stories with the same characters. In these two shorts, you'll find Kendall Knight, a Licensed Handler of large animals working at a "big cat" refuge, and Byron an undercover detective investigating Kendall and his partner. I loved these stories, not just the sizzling chemistry between these two men, but their love and commitment for their work and what I could only imagine their future holds.

A Cold Night’s Sleep & Fire are linked stories with the same characters. Sandy is an ex-cop who now works as a Ranger in a State Park and Tanner is an ex-con just out of prison. This is a story of how one person can make a difference in another's life. A day, a moment, can help the healing process and sometimes it can come from the most unexpected places or person. Beautiful.

Haunted, Slide into Desire, Walking the Blue Line, Deep Trouble Undercover, A Question of Taste, Dangerous Days, Tropical Daze. The story of Conrad and Steven, an undercover cop and a Rave Master and ex-con. Seven short stories that are really one complete story in the end. It's just beautiful. We go through Steven's journey of self-discovery, guilt, passion and love and Conrad's right there with him. I fell in love with these characters, their Romance with a capital R (because that's exactly what it was), and the sizzling passion they shared. I couldn't stop reading these shorts until I finished. Can you tell these were my very favorite stories and characters? The best recommendation I can give is... I'll be re-reading these. I'll definitely want to read Conrad and Steven's journey again.

Shepherd -- What a thought provoking piece! A single short that left me thinking, thinking... I'll have to quote here: "It's not who we are, it's where we are." A quote that made me think about the choices made in this story, but also about how it particularly applied to me personally under other circumstances and situations having nothing to do with M/M. Specifically applied to the immigrant's experience. This is the story of Felipe, who has been imprisoned for criminal assault and his experiences in prison during his first months of incarceration. I found this short gripping. I wanted more and at the same time, I thought it was perfect the way it was because of the way it made me think. Not the usual look at M/M; definitely not romance. Loved this piece.

Bruised, Back in the Saddle, Horsing Around -- These three stories are also linked. The story of Marcus and David. Marcus owns a Stud Farm where horses are also trained for competition. Not horse races, but dressage. David is a young veterinarian doing part of his internship at Marcus' farm. Gorgeous story(stories) of self-discovery and of learning to love again. This is one where I was left hanging. I really wanted to know what happened next and hope Diamond writes that next short.

Irish Cream -- Ohhhhh, Irish Cream! What a finish to this book! It broke my heart and it soothed it. This is a beautiful single short told by an old man who is remembering Liam, an Irish young man he met in the 1950's. We get glimpses of what it was like to be gay during that time, of stolen moments and beauty shared and lost. I loved this piece.

A few things I would like to add that includes all the stories. These are great to read one at a time if you don't have the time to read a whole book, or in between reads. Although I found myself so fascinated by some of the stories that I had to go on and finish those. The love stories are just gorgeous, all of them. The passion in these books felt real to me -- Diamond has a way of writing a bedroom scene (or a barn scene, as may be the case) that's for sure. However, it is undeniable that together with the passion, Diamond also gave us the romance without taking the easy way out.

NOTE: I read this book back in February of this year before I began blogging. However, I did not want this year to end without posting my review for what became one of my favorite M/M Anthologies/Collections of short stories this year. The original review was posted at The Manhole @ The Phade on February 8, 2009.

You can visit Vincent Diamond here.

Mini-Impressions: Latest M/M Reads #2

Okay more Mini-Impressions! These are four M/M books I really enjoyed and recommend every single one of them. They are different types of books, you'll find an excellent paranormal, a raw gay lit anthology, a contemporary erotic romance and a contemporary romantic western. My favorite in this foursome is Tabula Rasa by Tory Temple, but then I'm admittedly a cowboy junkie. :)

Damn Gorgeous by Jaye Valentine

Spencer Patterson writes "news" reports on paranormal phenomena for The Weekly Harbinger, a national tabloid magazine. He's had a lifelong love affair with all things supernatural, and having failed at serious news reporting, he eventually merged his hobby with his journalism degree and embarked on a tabloid career.

On assignment in the sleepy Massachusetts town of Fall River, home of the infamous Lizzie Borden axe murders, Spencer meets and falls for sexy Virgil Slade, lifelong resident and owner of a nearby bed-and-breakfast. Things are not as they seem. Virgil, with his hot body, sexy dreadlocks and unusual tattoos, harbors a tremendous secret that turns Spencer's world upside down.

Damn Gorgeous by Jaye Valentine is a book I highlighted as a new release I was looking forward to reading in September. It was not a disappointment. I thought Valentine was very creative when putting together this excellent paranormal piece, but then that's not a surprise. The McLeod/Valentine team seems to have the golden touch when it comes to creating edgy, unique, dark characters and situations for the M/M paranormal sub-genre. If you've read their StarCrossed series, then you already know what I mean. I do hope this is the start of a new series, Damn Gorgeous has that feel to it and lots of potential for some great future installments.


Reckless Behavior by Amanda Young

After six months with his lover, Cody yearns for monogamy. The threesomes he and Dante engage in are fun, but he needs more from the man he loves. Although Cody longs to tell Dante how he feels, he fears love and fidelity are two words missing from his older lover’s vocabulary.

The discovery of a naked man in Dante’s apartment confirms Cody’s worst fears. The cliché Dante uses as an excuse for his betrayal further clouds the issue at hand. Cody doesn’t know whether to trust the word of a man notorious for screwing around, or believe the worst and walk away from love he wants more than anything.

I'm sorry it took me so long to read Amanda Young's Reckless Behavior. This book caught my attention when it was released and then it got lost in my M/M TBR pile during the M/M Reading Challenge. I loved both characters and, although short, it was one hot, sexual read. I love that we get both character's points of view, so we know their feelings from the get go. The older man (not so old) / younger man relationship here worked for me, as did their dilemma. Great read.


How the West was Done Anthology

Men on horseback. Men in saloons swilling back shots of whiskey. Men alone on the trail. Men with desires unfulfilled. Men with an unstoppable passion for each other. This isn't just the retelling of how the old west was won, it's...HOW THE WEST WAS DONE!

In these eleven steamy stories, the archetypal image of the cowboy is given a fresh new spin as the virile man who shares his mind, his passion...and his body with other cowboys. Whether it's a story set in the Wild West of the 1800s or an exploration of the modern-day cowboy, each author takes the cowboy fantasy to new erotic heights. Contributing Authors:Gavin Atlas, Adam Carpenter, M. Christian, Curtis C. Comer, Ryan Field, Michael Luongo, Neil S. Plakcy, Cage Thunder, Jeff Wilcox, Kelvin Williams, Zavo

I finally finished reading How the West Was Done, an Anthology I started during the Challenge. I reviewed Gavin Atlas' story, but didn't read the whole anthology at that time. Boy, oh boy! This anthology was one of the dirtiest! rawest! anthologies I've read so far... you want to talk about the smells and tastes of M/M sex? Well... you'll find them here, some of them are dirty and not pretty, and some of them are touching and unique. So, if you want some raw, dirty, cowboy sex read this anthology. I know I love this type of book once in a while and absolutely enjoyed the heck out of it. If you're squeamish... well... you've been warned.


Tabula Rasa by Tory Temple

Rodeo cowboy Teagan has inherited his father's ranch, and it's in a bad way. He needs to work the rodeo circuit hard to make enough money to pay the bills, so he starts looking for a rodeo partner.

Team roper Cash is just the ticket. He's not the friendliest sort, but he has a good seat and a better roping arm, so Teagan takes Cash on, and as they get to know each other, things start to heat up fast.

Maybe too fast. When Teagan finds out he's not the only one Cash has in the saddle, things go bad, and Teagan thinks he and Cash are over for good. When he gets the call that Cash has had an accident, though, he knows he has to go and see if he can make good. He cares too much about Cash to just let it go.

Like any good rodeo ride, Teagan and Cash have ups and downs, crashing and burning as often as they blaze bright. Can they work through all of the deception and stubborn pride to find a love that works as smoothly as their roping?

Tabula Rasa by Tory Temple is a contemporary western erotic romance that just moved up to the top of my list in this category and is already a favorite. This is a story that I definitely recommend if you like M/M cowboy stories. I fell in love with both characters, Cash and Taegan. There's something so touching about this story, yet it's pretty down to earth, as are the flawed characters. It's sweet and hot, touching and raw. Loved it!

Review: Must Love Hellhounds by Charlaine Harris, Ilona Andrews, Nalini Singh, Meljean Brook

The Britlingens Go To Hell by Charlaine Harris

Batanya and Covache, two Britlingen Collective bodyguards are contracted by Crick to go to Hell. He needs to collect an object he stole from Lucifer but left there while escaping from imprisonment. Batanya is assigned this dangerous duty by her superior Tovis, who seems to be obsessed with harassing her. 

In this world, witchcraft is enhanced by science and the witches facilitate transportation for the bodyguards. Batanya, Covache and Crick battle their way through the dark and dangerous tunnels of Hell and on their way meet Hell's monsters, Amelia Earhart, Narcissus and two hellhounds. 

This is my first Charlaine Harris read and I'm afraid neither the story nor the writing grabbed my attention. The addition of Earhart and Narcissus to the story came out of left field for me and threw me out of the story. This novella was the weakest in the anthology for me. 

Angel's Judgment by Nalini Singh

In this pre-quel to Angel's Blood, we meet Sarah before she becomes the Director of the Guild of Hunters. Angel's Judgment is Sarah and Deacon's story. 

Deacon is the Slayer for the Guild. A position so secret, it is known only to the Guild Director and now to Sarah. His job is to hunt rogue Guild hunters -- those who kill vampires instead of returning them to their masters. In this story, Deacon and Sarah join together in the battle against a rogue who is killing vampires -- this right after Sarah is offered the position as Guild Director and comes under scrutiny from the Archangels. During their battles, they encounter an angel, vampires and of course Lucy, the hellhound. 

Sara and Deacon's mutual attraction and sizzling chemistry is apparent from the start. Their attraction is one that may conflict with their future professional relationship.I thought both the action and the romance were well done in this story. 

I liked the characters and the story kept my attention. We were not given as many details as expected about the Guild Hunter's world, although what we did learn was relevant. Elena and Raphael both make brief appearances and neither has much of an impact on the story.  A nice addition to this series, Angel's Judgment gives us a closer look and some added development to some important secondary characters in this UF/Romance series.

Magic Mourns by Ilona Andrews

Magic Mourns is a novella related to Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels urban fantasy series. Andrea Nash is a knight in the Order of Knights of Merciful Aid and Kate's best friend. She's also a shapeshifter in denial. The story picks up a few weeks after Magic Strikes ends, while Kate is recuperating from her wounds and Andrea is covering for her at the Order. 

In Magic Mourns, Andrea and Raphael, the sexy werehyena who has been courting her for six months, embark in their own harrowing adventure. They battle the three-headed Cerberus, Hades' hellhound, and must figure out why he left the gates he's supposed to be guarding. In the process, Andrea must come to terms with her feelings for Raphael and with her own secret monster. 

This story is told through Andrea's point of view, a refreshing way of seeing this character story and adding further development. Here, as in other Kate Daniels books we encounter mythology -- this time of the Greek kind. Fast paced and full of action, Ilona Andrews delivers a complete story with a couple of characters I loved and some great action.  This story was a winner for me.

Blind Spot (A Guardian Novella) by Meljean Brook

In this novella by Meljean Brook, Maggie "Winters" and Geoff Blake are thrown together when Katherine, Geoff's sister, is kidnapped. Maggie's loyalty is in question as the two of them joined by Mr. Pup, a three-headed hellhound, take off after the kidnappers for the rescue. 

A family secret that has been guarded and is only known by Colin, Savi, Katherine and Geoff is revealed. Maggie and Geoff discover each other's attractions while they race to save Katherine and prove Maggie's innocence.

I'm not familiar with this series and this is my first book by Ms. Brook. I found Blind Spot easy to follow and loved both the characters and world they inhabit. Ms. Brook's portrayal of Maggie and Geoff as both vulnerable and strong made them a winning couple for me. I'll be looking up the rest of this series. 

I usually read anthologies to discover new writers, to make decisions about a new series or to follow series I'm already reading. I discovered a new-to-me series I want to read, and loved the added development to two series I'm already reading.  Must Love Hellhounds was definitely a successful read for me.

You can find out more by visiting the authors:

Charlaine Harris, Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews and Meljean Brooks.