Bryl R. Tyne's Blog, page 6
February 12, 2011
Column up: My Way: Roadtrips, Hauntings, and Signings
I have a new column up this morning at The Pagan and the Pen.
My Way: Roadtrips, Hauntings, and Signings… Check it out to find out about my upcoming roadtrip this fall to New Orleans and about my "little friend"
Enjoy,
Bryl
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February 5, 2011
Ruth Sims receives Over the Rainbow recognition
"I was born Jack Rourke. My father was a demon and my mother was a whore. I was a thief. I was good at it."
Kit St. Denys, THE PHOENIX
Lethe Press; New Edition, 2009
ISBN-10 1590210468
ISBN-13: 978-1590210468
E-Book ASIN: B001PTG3PQ
Wanted to blog about a fellow author and her latest achievement. Ruth Sims, author of The Phoenix, has received literary recognition for her sequel to that book. Details in a message I received from Ruth and, with her permission, I'm sharing below:
*Counterpoint: Dylan's Story has been named as one of the 108 Recommended
Books for 2011 by the GLBTQ Round Table of the American Library
Association!
This is indeed an honor—especially to be on a list with the likes of icon Edmund White and other outstanding authors. The entire list, including TWO by Josh Lanyon, is at http://www.glbtrt.ala.org/overtherainbow/archives/283
___________________________________________________________
A Book List from Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table of the American Library Association
Available now!
From DreamSpinner Press
978-1-61581-533-3 Paperback
978-1-61581-534-0 eBook
Congratulations, Ruth! And Good Luck to you.
If you haven't read a story by Ruth Sims, please do. You won't regret it.
Find out more about Ruth on her website: http://www.ruthsims.com/index.php
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February 1, 2011
Happy Birthday Untreed Reads!
Yep, Untreed Reads' one year anniversary is finally here! 1/29/11, marked the day Untreed Reads launched their first title, How to Eat Fruit, by the wonderful Anne Brooke, who would later go on to publish a whole bunch more with UR. Now, 365 days later (or so), Untreed Reads has over 100 titles from both new and established authors and in a wide variety of genres.
February will be a month-long celebration. Beginning February 1st, all titles will be on sale at 25% off at all of the following retailers through February 28th (in addition to The Untreed Reads Store):
1PlaceForRomance.com
AllRomanceEbooks.com
Amazon.com
AmazonUK.com
CoffeeTimeRomance.com
OmniLit.com
RainbowEbooks.com
The Sony Reader Bookstore
The following titles will be offered for free.
These titles started Untreed Reads off, and are a birthday gift to their readers:
How to Eat Fruit by Anne Brooke
The Zagzagel Diaries: Forsaken by Bryl R. Tyne
Roads Through Amelia: The Beast and the Forgotten Tribesman by Joshua Calkins-Treworgy
**The free titles are not available at all of the vendors listed above, but will be free wherever they are carried.
***Because of the sale, all Better Together bundle prices will be suspended until March 1st.
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January 19, 2011
Anchored Blog Tour: Book Review – Anchored: Belonging Book One by Rachel Haimowitz
[image error]Welcome to the Anchored: Belonging Book One Blog Tour! I'm thrilled to be a stop on this tour. I enjoy discovering new to me authors and was excited to receive a copy of Anchored from Ms. Haimowitz in order to review the book. This story, set in an alternate contemporary universe where pleasure slaves are the norm and there's a definite line between the haves and have nots, blew me away, to say the least.
Yesterday, authors Alan Chin and Marie Sexton hosted a Q & A sessions with author Rachel Haimowitz. If you missed them, you can check them out here: http://alanchinwriter.blogspot.com/2011/01/anchored-blog-tour-featuring-rachel.html and here: http://mariesexton.net/rachel-haimowitz-anchored
Today's next stop will be at Coffeetime Romance Blog, where Rachel will have multiple advertisements on display from the alternate universe she's created for this series. You'll want to see them: http://coffeetimeromance.com/CoffeeThoughts/
Be sure to check out the other tour stops and leave comments in order to win some great prizes! Those who leave a comment here today will be in the running for the following:
1 eBook copy of Ms. Haimowitz's Counterpoint: Book I of Song of the Fallen OR of Sublime: Collected Shorts (winner's choice).
1 swag pack of goodies featuring cover art from Anchored and Rachel's other works.
On with my REVIEW:
[image error]A little about Anchored:
Network news anchor Daniel Halstrom is at the top of his field, but being at the bottom of the social ladder–being a slave–makes that hard to enjoy.
Especially when NewWorld Media, the company who's owned him since childhood, decides to lease him on evenings and weekends to boost their flagging profits.
Daniel's not stupid; he knows there's only one reason a man would pay so much for what little free time he has, and it's got nothing to do with his knowledge of current events. But he's never been made to serve like that before, and he fears he won't survive the experience with his sanity intact.
He finds himself in the home of Carl Whitman, a talk show host whose words fail him time and again when it comes to ordering Daniel to bed. Daniel knows what Carl wants, but it seems as if Carl isn't willing to take it, and Daniel's not willing to give it freely. His recalcitrance costs him dearly, but with patience and some hard-won understanding, love just might flourish where once there'd been only fear and pain. Can Carl become the anchor in Daniel's turbulent life, or will he end up the weight that sinks his slave for good?
What I think of this book:
I'm amazed by Ms. Haimowitz's world building, in that she breathes life into a world of pleasure slaves and their owners. Fascinating indeed.
In Anchored, Daniel's a slave–one not kept properly, despite having anything he could ever dream of, including a great job as a news anchorman with the company that owns him. Daniel's never known a life other than one of a pleasure slave, so though he feels pain and fear and frustration, most times, he chalks them up as part of the territory. Through it all, he maintains a desire, an ounce of free will that has never been able to be crushed by any owner. He longs to be something more, have something more, maybe, someone… and this longing is what gets him in trouble with his corrupt owners.
Enter Carl, rival anchor with a rival news company. He's paid a hefty sum for Daniel's privileges, and he's set on getting his money's worth.
What I found most fascinating with this story was how the differences in slave ownership highlighted can be compared to the old adage of luring flies–this story proves through the interaction between Carl and Daniel, however, it's not always easier to lure flies with honey if the flies have been fed nothing but shit their entire lives. There were some major growing pains between the new master Carl and the slave Daniel, which Daniel paid for in ways that left me shocked (**Warning: some violence *forced sex* in this pain/comfort story is NOT for the faint of heart), but the events are necessary for the plot and set up the ending.
I enjoyed Carl's slaves, Jane and Dave, a couple in Carl's keep. Jane especially is a complex character and her role and her guidance in helping Daniel assimilate into his role under a loving master–as opposed to the ingrained role he's learned under the worst of masters, including those from his early childhood–is top notch. I would love to discover more about her and see her in future stories.
But Carl stole my heart. I understood where he was coming from, his longing, his adoration, his impatience with his purchase, and in truth, despite Daniel's own longing and desires, other than wanting to see Daniel rescued from a life of hell, I think I secretly routed for Carl to come out the winner.
In all, I'm intrigued by the relationship dynamics and world building in Anchored, and I'm anxious to read the next book in the Belonging series and anything else for that matter by author Rachel Haimowitz.
About the Author:
[image error]Rachel is an M/M erotic romance author and a freelance writer and editor. She originally dipped her toes into cable news and book publishing, decided the water was cold and smelled kinda funny, and moved on to help would-be authors polish and publish, write for websites and magazines, and ghostwrite nonfiction.
Her first novel, an M/M fantasy erotic romance titled Counterpoint: Book One of Song of the Fallen, released in August 2010 with Guiltless Pleasure Publishing. Her second novel, an M/M alternate-history erotic romance titled Anchored: Belonging Book One, released January 17 with Noble Romance Publishing. Her third, Crescendo: Book II of Song of the Fallen, will release in the fall of 2011. In between, Rachel is writing shorts and novellas, including the M/M BDSM collection Sublime: Collected Shorts, and a not-yet-released cyberpunk novella titled Break and Enter, co-written with Aleksandr Voinov.
You can find Rachel tweeting as RachelHaimowitz, chatting in the Goodreads forums, and blogging at Rachel-Haimowitz.blogspot.com. She loves to hear from folks, so feel free to drop her a line anytime at metarachel (at) gmail (dot) com.
Tomorrow on the Anchored Blog Tour:
Read a review and character interviews with Jane, Dave, Tim, and Eric Foster at Amara's Place & Reader Q&A, Part III with author Rick Reed
If you missed out on any of the other blog tour stops, you can view the entire blog tour schedule below:
Complete Anchored Release Party Schedule: http://rachel-haimowitz.blogspot.com/p/blog-tour.html
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January 12, 2011
Call for Submissions: Candlelight literary romance line @ Untreed Reads
Untreed Reads launched a new literary romance short story line called Candlelight. The line is now open for submissions.
*Note* Untreed Reads does have VERY specific guidelines for Candlelight which are:
1. Every sexual orientation is welcome.
2. Word count limit is 7000.
3. The heat level is limited to PG or PG-13. Any sex scenes must be consummated "off-page." These should be "sweet romances."
4. Stories should have a very strong literary feel to them. Examples of current Untreed Reads titles that would fit into this would be: Song on the Sand by Ruth Sims, How to Eat Fruit by Anne Brooke, Continuum by George Seaton and 4 Stories Down, 4 Stories Up by Sara Elizabeth. Excerpts from these titles are available in The Untreed Reads Store to give you a better idea of our expectations.
5. Works need to be believable and real. No genies, werewolves, witches, aliens, etc.. Real people in real relationships.
6. HEA (Happily Ever After) is NOT a requirement. See #5.
Stories must be very strong in both character and plot. The standard Untreed Reads Submission Guidelines remain in regards to what we will never accept (i.e.: rape, bestiality, etc. refer to Submission Guidelines on Untreed Reads Website).
Untreed Reads is particularly interested in the following plots: 60+ romance, Spanish-language, minority cultures and family life (romance when you've got kids, while taking care of elderly live-in parents, etc.).
Should you have any questions, please feel free to direct them to Jay Hartman at jhartman@untreedreads.com . This is an open, ongoing Call for Submissions. Please feel free to redistribute to any mailing lists or groups you might have.
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December 31, 2010
My Reflection of the Year @ Queer Magazine Online
Anders Rodskar, Founder of Queer Magazine Online, asked me to share my Reflections for 2010 on the QMO Blog. It's up if you're interested.
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Here's to making 2011 a happier and more prosperous year for everyone!
Enjoy,
Bryl
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December 22, 2010
Just Released: BROKEN (#5 in The Zagzagel Diaries)
The Zagzagel Diaries: BROKEN
Copyright 2010 by Untreed Reads Publishing, LLC
Cover Art by Dara England, Copyright 2010
Following the traumatic events of Lost, the angel Zagzagel is more determined than ever to stand by his charges and do things his own way. Until now, Big Papa has allowed Zag to follow his heart, but He's about to lay down the law with his renegade angel. The wrath of Heaven is about to crash down on Zag's head, setting the stage for the showdown to come.
Enjoy,
Bryl
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December 19, 2010
Excerpt for Just Wink
Donuts and Desires blog highlighted a Christmassy excerpt from my Sugarplum: Just Wink out at Changeling Press right now. This is a cute little story (omg… did I just say that? Cute?) I did. The stories good. Check it out.
Here's the link: http://donutsdesires.blogspot.com/2010/12/festive-frenzy-sugarplum-just-wink-by.html
Enjoy,
Bryl
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December 17, 2010
Let's PARTY!
Door prizes — Our very own author cookbook to everyone who stops by!
Win T-shirts and other Noble gear by showing up and pretending to like me. Okay, you don't have to go to that extreme, but to win, you must show up and you must at least act like you're having the time of your life or some such other.
When: Saturday, Dec 18th
Where: Noble Romance Publishing readers group
Time: Noon to 9 p.m. (Eastern Std time)
Who: Any reader who likes their stories HOT and their authors HOTTER (Oh my!)
Author Barbara Sheridan and I will be hijacking this thing from 7-8 p.m. So, if you want one of our books, make sure you pop in and say hey!
Enjoy,
Bryl
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December 11, 2010
My "My Way" Column is up
I was thrown off-track by a couple incidents this past week but gained an inspired poem. Trouble is, my heart goes out to my inspiration. Read about it in my latest My Way column over at The Pagan and The Pen!
http://thepaganandthepen.wordpress.com/2010/12/11/my-way-too-old-for-this-shit/
Enjoy,
Bryl
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