Ryan Field's Blog, page 499

One Interesting Kid...

The only thing that frustrates me more than someone who is too pushy and has a big mouth is someone who is too pedantic. I see all three of the above all over the Internet and I often wonder where the normal people are. Where are the friends we all have who don't do social media and rant on blogs and forums? The nice people. The people who aren't mean. The people who believe in good manners. We need more of them online.

Anyway, here's an e-mail that was sent to me by a good friend and I thought I'd share. I agree. I would have given the kid 100%, too.

STUDENT WHO OBTAINED 0% ON AN EXAM
I would have given him 100

Q1. In which battle did Napoleon die?
* his last battle

Q2. Where was the Declaration of Independence signed?
* at the bottom of the page

Q3. River Ravi flows in which state?
* liquid

Q4. What is the main reason for divorce?
* marriage

Q5. What is the main reason for failure?
* exams

Q6. What can you never eat for breakfast?
* Lunch & dinner

Q7. What looks like half an apple?
* The other half

Q8. If you throw a red stone into the blue sea what it will become?
* It will simply become wet

Q9. How can a man go eight days without sleeping ?
* No problem, he sleeps at night.

Q10. How can you lift an elephant with one hand?
* You will never find an elephant that has only one hand..

Q11. If you had three apples and four oranges in one hand and four apples and three oranges in other hand, what would you have ?
* Very large hands

Q12. If it took eight men ten hours to build a wall, how long would it take four men to build it?
* No time at all, the wall is already built.

Q13. How can u drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking it?
*Any way you want, concrete floors are very hard to crack.

When Gay Writer's Write M/F Romance...

Though I concentrate more on LGBT fiction, I do write m/f romances once in a while. I always have, always will. Sometimes I use a pen name, and sometimes I don't. With this story, IT'S NICE TO BE NAUGHTY, the publisher and I decided to just shorten my first name to an initial. We were hoping readers who know my LGBT work already would see that something was different and read the details carefully so they wouldn't be mistaken about the content of the story.

There are various reasons why authors use pen names, but in most cases it's because they hop genres and they don't want to confuse their readers. In this case, I wanted it to be clear that INTBN was based on two hetero main characters, not gay male characters.

The interesting thing about my m/f romances that are published with pen names is that I don't spend much time promoting them. And yet I've been happy with the sales results of each one. I often wonder what would happen if I actually spent more time promoting these books. But it all comes down to the fact that there are only so many hours in a day and usually something has to suffer. With me, it's fiction I've published under pen names.

But IT'S NICE TO BE NAUGHTY has surprised me more than once since its release. It's been on more than one bestseller list, and it's remained in the top thirty over at fictionwise.com since it's been released. If I had an answer to why this happened with INTBN, I'd share it with everyone. But I honestly don't know and probably never will. I do know I enjoyed writing the story more than I thought I would. I wanted a story with a main character who is a woman, in her thirties, who has been suppressed most of her life. She's not model thin, she's not a raving beauty, and she's not even the most stylish woman. But there is a lot more to her than meets the eye. And when she finally meets a handsome young man in his twenties who sees her as the voluptuous, sexy woman she wants to be (dreams about being), she finally has a chance to act out her fantasies. In spite of the age difference, these two unlikely characters are the perfect balance of opposites do, indeed, attract.

Here's the blurb:

Even the nicest girls have to be a little naughty sometimes. Though Sally Mae Frye has worked hard and played by the rules all her life, she wonders whether she's missed something along the way. She's already in her late thirties, and she's still single. She spends most of her time either working or dealing with her aging mother. And then she hires handsome, young Phil Winston to be her personal assistant at the bank, without even realizing he's a sweet guy with a kinky little fetish that will eventually turn her into the sort of naughty woman she's always fantasized about. Sally Mae can't ignore Phil's rough hands and the subtle bulge between his legs, or the way he tends to notice her when she leaves a room. At first, all it takes is a heavy snow storm and a sopping wet male assistant who likes to strip for his full-figured boss. After that, it's all about the way dirty, young Phil knows how bend Sally Mae over and use the palm of his rugged hand to please her.

Here's a link to fictionwise where the story is now at #27 in the erotic/fetish category. There haven't been a lot of ratings left, at least not compared to the amount of books that have been sold (erotic romance is all about discretion), but it seems the ratings that are there are a balance from people who either loved it or hated it. This story can also be found on amazon and other retail web sites where e-books are sold.

Here's an excerpt:

Though he didn't look like someone who would work in a bank, with his slick leather jacket and his shiny black shirt with a wide collar, Sally Mae appreciated his complete honesty. Another young guy probably wouldn't have mentioned this alcoholic business at all. "Would you be interested in a full-time receptionist job?"

He smiled so wide his gums showed. "Well, yes, definitely."

Sally Mae had always trusted her gut instincts when it came to hiring, and she needed a receptionist. The thought of placing an ad, and then going through the interview process caused a lump in her stomach. "Since you don't have any experience, let's try it out for a couple of weeks and see what happens. When can you start, Mr. Winston?"

"Right now if you want," he said. His voice was still deep but more relaxed and smoother. His lavender and blue eyes popped; he couldn't believe she'd just hired him on the spot.

What her gut instinct didn't recognize was Phil Winston had a staid, unfulfilled quirk. His penchant was for pale-skinned, middle-aged women with flat chests and bursting, pear-shaped bottoms. When he saw a flabby ass jiggle in white cotton shorts, his knees nearly buckled. If he happened to be on the beach and noticed a cellulite-ridden rear end in a bathing suit, he'd cover his crotch with a beach towel and wait for the nine-inch erection to subside. But more than that, Phil didn't merely want to fuck these rotund women; he wanted to spank those immense white bottoms until they were reddish purple. Unfortunately, his little fetish went unfulfilled for the most part: he wasn't interested in the skinny young women his own age with boney asses and big tits. And it simply wasn't that easy to find a full-figured, mature woman who knew how to appreciate a good ass whipping.[image error]

Gerry Burnie's Tribute to Artist Steve Walker

Instead of doing a regular Valentine's Day post, I figured I'd link to a post written by Gerry Burnie. It's a wonderful tribute to a gay artist, Steve Walker, who recently passed.

Check it out, here.

The Bored Kangaroo

Focus on the background. This won't end well.

Contemporary Romance: Further Explorations by David Russell

Last year I had the chance of getting to know David Russell through a series of e-mails about his books. I read one, Self's-Blossom, and enjoyed it so much I wrote a short blog post about it.

And while I don't review books here often (If I do, it's usually only mass produced books by large publishers and big name authors who couldn't care less about my opinion.) I do like to put in a good word when I do like a book or an author.

This time I'm posting about another contemporary romance from David Russell, Further Explorations. The first book in the series was Explorations . One amazon reviewer said this about Explorations:

This novelette tells a story of emerging or perhaps re-emerging sexual vitality, as told from both male and female perspectives. While it describes adults, it has the quality of being both a projective look by adolescents, toward their sexual future, and retrospective looks by adults, toward their earlier, and now re-awakened sexuality.


I find that David's work is very romantic and his female characters are strong and smart. I like reading about strong women in any romance. The men are just as strong. David seems to have a knack for this...the ability to balance two strong people and pull them together.

You can find Further Explorations here at a publisher web site, or here, on Amazon.

Here's the blurb:

Energised by their lovely liberating experience, Janice and Cedric are determined to 'spread their wings' and take the world by storm, a two-person conspiracy. They head off physically in different directions, but remain in constant depth communication electronically, ever comparing notes, monitoring each other's minds and experiences for a depth of mutual understanding. They may meet again fully equipped with a great depth of self-knowledge, and a knowledge of each other's depth. They negotiate giddy peaks of high finance; Janice even goes into 'dreamscape', making a pact with the devil. Further delights of sensuality are explored by both, with exotic partners; the depths and shallows of life are all embraced …

Another Favorite Author: AJ Llewellyn

Today I'm catching up on a few short posts I've been meaning to write since Christmas. I have two new releases coming out soon, plus a short novella with Loveyoudivine.com marking the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, and I'm just finishing up edits for the 10th installment of the next stand alone book in The Virgin Billionaire series...THE VIRGIN BILLIONAIRE'S LITTLE ANGEL. In this VB installment, I can promise a few emotional surprises I haven't written about in the past. Lives change drastically for more than one character. No spoilers.

I've been meaning to write about this author for a while. While I've read a number of AJ Llewellyn's books I rarely ever write reviews for anything m/m or gay-lesbian oriented. If I love a m/m book, the review sounds awkward...to me. If I don't love a m/m book I sound like one of those raving author/shrews who write negative blog posts and sit in front of a computer screen the size of an old fashioned TV dipping into the gin pail between rants about how bad and how dumb other m/m authors are. Dismal at best; I have a rule about keeping things positive here.

So I always keep a low profile with m/m reviews. But I don't mind talking about another author's work in a general sense. I love AJ Llewellyn's work. I've never been disappointed by AJ Llewellyn's books, or what AJ has the ability to contribute to the world as an author. As a reader, I'm always inspired.

So check out this link to Amazon for AJ's fiction, here.

And check out this link to AJ's web site for more information, here.

From what I see on social media, I'm not the only fan of AJ. A lot of readers agree with me, too.

Jill Elaine Hughes: American Playwright

When I first met Jill Hughes, I was more than impressed by her writing style. Like most dedicated career writers, Jill's professional work varies. She has the ability...which isn't easy to do...to switch from technical writing to fiction without making it look difficult. And the one thing that's always impressed me the most about Jill's work is that the tight, well-trained, ability to craft words into sentences and form paragraphs is there.

And I just read where Jill has been mentioned here, as an American Playwright now.

She is currently the only American playwright to have her work included in three consecutive editions of Applause Books' prestigious BEST AMERICAN SHORT PLAYS anthologies, where she is privileged to share pages with such dramatic powerhouses as Neil LaBute, John Guare, David Lindsay-Abaire and David Ives, among others. She is also a member of Chicago Writers' Bloc, a playwrights' collective.

To read more, follow the link above. It will lead you to more links and descriptions about Jill's plays.

Philadelphia Hosts LGBT Health Issues with White House

I recently read where the city of Philadelphia will be the host for a series of discussions with the White House regarding LGBT health issues and concerns. From what I gather, this isn't focused on HIV/AIDS. This conference will be more of an open forum that discusses all health related issues and challenges within the LGBT community.

"This is an opportunity to not only look at what the administration is doing this year but at the entire breadth of what they have done in the last three years in advancing LGBT health," said Mazzoni Center executive director Nurit Shein. "The secretary will be able to articulate well a lot of things that have happened almost under the radar but that have enabled better access to health care and outcomes for LGBT people specifically. That's not to say the work is done — there is still plenty of work to do — but it's really remarkable to see the dedication to LGBT health this administration has that we have never seen in any previous administration."

One of the most interesting aspects of this conference is that it's not going to just focus on health issues, allegedly it will focus on quality of life issues where LGBT youth and the elderly are concerned. There's still a large amount of confused young LGBT people out there who either get thrown out of their homes or leave because they aren't sure how to deal with their circumstances. I know for a fact there are elderly LGBT people who have health issues, but don't have family to help them out. Where I live, because it's a small town with a large LGBT community, we have our own networks and people help each other out. But not everyone has this kind of network system.

"These will be more conversations than presentations," she said. "People will be able to say what they feel, what they think the big issues are, and then the HHS representatives will take that back."

You can read more by following this link to PGN (Philadelphia Gay News)

Risha Namaste...

Namaste is a salutation that comes from India and Nepal which would be best compared to "good day" or "greetings" in English. You can read more about it here, in this short, interesting piece on wiki.

"In Nepal, younger persons usually initiate the exchange with their elders. Initiating the exchange is seen as a sign of respect in other hierarchical settings."

Friends tell me namaste is often used in Yoga, at the end of classes, to mean "I bow to your true self." You can read more here if you wish.

The reason I'm posting about this now is because I have a facebook friend with the name "Risha Namaste" whom I know very little about. I've never seen one person put together so many wonderful photographs on any social media before. If I still owned my gallery I would be knocking doors down to find out who this person is and where I could at least get copies of the prints he/she posts. They are truly spectacular. Here's Risha Namaste's link to facebook. Below are a few examples I'm talking about I found in her albums. They almost have an Andrew Wyeth feel. Check it out and send a friend request if you're interested in the arts and beautiful, wonderful visual things. You won't be disappointed.

Okay, I'm Finally Admitting the Truth!!

This past week was difficult for a lot of people who write same sex fiction, so I wanted to end the week with a different kind of post, something more personal. On top of everything else going on, another author posted about me and not only attacked me personally in a defamatory way but also questioned my identity again. No names, no links. I don't like to give people like that any attention. And, I have absolutely nothing to hide.

But I did decide to come clean on something I haven't mentioned before on this blog. First, everything I have written on the blog is true. My brother, who is also gay, does own this design firm in Manhattan. My mom and dad are retired therapists. The photo of me (and others like it on the web) is really me. I do live here.And I really do have a very good friend who has been a literary agent in New York for over forty years.

But there is one thing I haven't discussed on the blog and this is mainly because I'm a very private person. When I'm finished working and I go out into the world, I don't even tell other people what I do. I just say I work in publishing and leave it at that. I've been getting published for twenty years and I've learned how to separate my work from my private life. (Which is also why my publisher, whom I love dearly, often gets frustrated with me about making appearances at events and book signings in New York.)

The main reason I'm admitting the truth today and talking about this is because I post about same sex marriage and same sex relationships and it often sounds like hearsay. The truth is that I've been in a twenty year monogamous relationship with the same man since we were both in our early twenties.

We met in 1992, his name is Tony, and we've shared every single aspect of our lives since the day we met. There was no big wedding with gifts and checks. Every single thing we own we bought on our own through hard work, and working together as a couple.

For the first fifteen years of our relationship, Tony worked in corporate America and travelled the world. While he was in Germany, France, and Anywhere, USA, I was running my own art gallery in New Hope, and working part time in publishing as a writer and editor. They were rough years because I hated being alone, but work always got me through it. The down time in my gallery afforded me the ability to continue in publishing and pursue a career as a writer. Tony and I started, built, and eventually sold a very successful business between 1998 and 2004. We've bought and sold property together since our first two bedroom town house in 1992. And we've been living in the same private home just outside New Hope for the past ten years.

So when I write about the more technical aspects of same sex relationships, it's not just hearsay. I know what it's like to hire an attorney and have legal papers drawn up that cover everything from legal power of attorney to wills. I also know what it's like to not only fear the loss and devastation of losing my partner on an emotional level (I can't even think about it for too long...after 911, a day Tony was in the air on his way to Boston, I never stopped worrying), I also fear the inheritance taxes either Tony or I will be forced to pay when something does happen to either one of us. There are many things gay couples can do to protect themselves; we're constantly learning and trying to find out what's new.

Tony and I both come from large families. And we've been lucky enough to have been embraced by both our families. I love Tony's family as much as I love my own, and I know he feels the same way about mine. Ironically, Tony and I have been together longer than any of our siblings. Unfortunately, we been forced to witness the pain when a few of our siblings had to experience bad divorces. We buried Tony's mother in 2002 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer, we supported my mom through an arduous ordeal with bladder cancer in 1998, and we buried our eighteen year old cat, Nittany, two years ago. On Thanksgiving, which we usually host here at the house, we have anywhere from forty to sixty guests at one time. If we ever decide to scale back, I have no idea how we'll deal with this.

I'd like to make it clear that the point of this post isn't to brag or boast about being openly gay and in a long term relationship. I think by now all the straight women authors who know me know that I support them completely and that I truly believe anyone should be able to write anything they want to write. In fact, one of the reasons why I love Michelle Montgomery's work so much is because of the "Tony and Ryan" book she first wrote. It really did remind me of Tony and me.

The main point of this post is to come clean so I can continue to write about all the legal and emotional aspects of gay life the same way I've been doing it since I began this blog. And this time it won't sound like hearsay. It's coming from my experience and from my heart.