Angels, What You Must Hear on High by John H. Roush

A happily ever after...

I wouldn't be anywhere else except with Tom. He keeps me grounded. He's the silent type, and you know what they say about the silent type: They're animals in bed! This man could make me praise Jesus in twenty-one different languages. Oh, sorry about that, Angel. Page 258

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


About the Author:
John H. Roush lives in a quiet New England town in Connecticut with his partner. He belongs to a nonprofit organization that goes throughout the United States and Canada raising money for other nonprofit groups. He is one of New England's leading female impersonators. Mr. Roush doesn't have a website (at least not that I could find).

Everyone Says I'll Forget in Time by Greg Herren

Closure and new beginnings.

I got through it all; I survived; I went on. I went through the closet and the dresser and took his clothes to Goodwill. I did all the things you're supposed to do, and I got through it all.

But the bed still seems empty every morning when I wake up. The house seems quieter, no matter how loudly I play the stereo. The world seems different, somehow -- the sun a little less bright, the sky a little less blue, the grass a little less green.

Everyone says I'll forget in time. Page 240

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

See a list of books by Greg Herren here.

Two Kinds of Rapture by Andrew Holleran

Yearning.

...I found rapture in a street of yellow leaves, and the super from Guatemala, or his wife and daughter, have located it in a miniature Christmas tree. But better than all these is love, he thought as he went into the building. Oh, how I wish I were in love. Page 238

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

See list of books by Andrew Holleran here.

Party Planning by Rob Williams

Free to love.

Inside the house, I could hear my mother's voice introducing Linda to the partygoers. She spoke slowly, no longer yelling, but now high and light, like a wind chime. I wondered if Kurt would keep walking or would he wait for me at the end of the block. Or would there be someone, someone else. Soon. Waiting for me. Page 224

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

Visit Rob Williams here.

Heart by 'Nathan Burgoine

The gift of love. I enjoyed the beat.

"Can we dance?" Miah asks, voice nearly a whisper now. I can see through him again.

We dance in the parking lot, and I close my eyes. He presses against my chest, and I spin him. We step and turn and rock back and forth gently, without music. He grows lighter in my arms, and for a while, my tears gather in his hair. I can even smell his soap.

My heart.  

Page 207

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

Visit 'Nathan Burgoine here.

Two Tales by Paul Lisicky

Ties and recognition.

Tale 1. Bear Week
Tale 2. Friends  

Quote from Friends:
He sat the character down in a chair, dropped a teabag into a teacup. Quietly, he walked across the room. He lifted his violin from the lid of his piano, drew his bow, and began to play the most spontaneous notes that had ever been played. The character closed his eyes; if it wasn't music as he knew it, it was something richer, stranger. Song sparrows? Marsh wrens?

"Friend," said the man from the novel.

"Friend," said the hermit, swallowing back tears. Page 194

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

Visit Paul Lisicky here.

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