Brandon Shire's Blog, page 15

GiveOUT Day with Brandon Shire

Today I have the pleasure of hosting the annual GiveOUT Day over at Smoocher’s Voice. We’re raising $2000for homeless lgbt children (and we’re halfway there!). You can win prizes, meet new people and help us reach our goal by giving to the part of our LGBT communitythat need it most. Stop by, have some fun, win some prizes. And even if you can’t give, please help us share the event.

Making Gay Books Cool Again (in the Club)

Don’t even go home with them.

One of my first questions in the club (way back when) was…What have you read lately?

I recently had someone ask me what it told me about a person besides the genre. So here goes:

That the man opposite me liked to think/explore new things/ideas.

That he was out ofcollege and the associated drama. (Thereadinglist hasn’t changed in eons.)

That he wasn’t afraid to spend time alone. (Always important.)

That ‘the scene’ didn’t encompass all his waking hours and thoughts.

And,...

21 Gay Writers talk about The Other Man

Welcome writer and editor Paul Fahey, who I invited to the blog after readers nominated the award-winning, The Other Man: 21 Writers Speak Candidly About Sex, Love, Infidelity, & Moving On for a 2014 LGBT Book Gem.

From the beginning, this project has been a labor of love, especially since the charity involved, the It Gets Better Project, is one near and dear to all our hearts. (A portion of the proceeds from sales of the anthology goes to It Gets Better.)

Here’s how the book happened:

In 2010,...

LGBT Music Monday – Bob Mould

Some of you may know Bob Mould already, some of you may not. Here a few tracks from his upcoming album Beauty & Ruin to be released in June.

Proud to Be Different: The Road to London

You may have heard about it, but if you haven’t, you will. Adriano Bulla is here to talk to us about his highly lauded novelTheRoadto London. Readers were quick to point me to this as an LGBT Book Gem. ~B.

When I started writing The Road to London, in the very same gay club mentioned in the novel, I was blessed with having no idea about what I was writing: while dancing away, words just started coming to me… I say blessed, because that may have felt like a rather daunting and, at times, ‘spook...

When Gay Meets God: Faith in M/M Fiction

Religion is a problem for me. It always has been. I won’t lie about that. I’ve personally witnessed the very worst it has to offer the lgbt community and no matter how devout, compassionate and understanding a person of faith is, I always take a step back from them. They can be straight or gay. It doesn’t matter. It’s not something I admire about myself, but it is a part of me. I don’t dislike people who hold to their faith, not at all. But my gut reaction is something I struggle with relentl...

Were LGBTQs Ever Fully Equal to Other Humans?

Ron Fritsch stopped by with a question. His book, Promised Valley Rebellion was selected by readers as A 2014 LGBT Book Gem. ~ B.

Historians seem to have found LGBTQs almost everywhere they’ve looked. When public figures such as the former president of Iran claim LGBTQs don’t appear in their part of the world, the overwhelming response is ridicule.

But can we find a time when and a place where LGBTQs were fully equal to the other humans they lived with? In the Western world we often look to anc...

Talking Muses with Julie Bozza

In between going to the Rainbow Con, traveling and business, I had a chance to sit down with Julie Bozza and talk about the writing process, reader reactions, and tropes. You might be a little surprised with my answers. Join in our conversation and let us know what you think.

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Losing My Con Virginity

So, I finally did it. I took the plunge and came out to visit a few of my fans. It was a pleasant experience. Humorous mostly. The ladies were so gentle, as if I was going to run away if the crowd got too thick. “You okay?” was a constant. And, other than a developing cold that had me running back and forth to the loo (to blow my nose) like a coke head, Iwas okay. The panels were informative. I got a chance to meet so many of the authors I know only online, and I got a chance to grab a few bo...