Brandon Shire's Blog, page 17
March 14, 2014
Make Do and Mend
Welcome Adam Fitzroy to the blog, his book, Make Do and Mend was chosen by readers as an LGBT Book Gem. ’Book Gems’ are those books which readers thought so fantastic, they wanted other readers to know about them.
Some authors prepare meticulously when they begin to write a new book, knowing in detail from the outset precisely what will happen to whom and in what order. Personally, I find this approach dampens creativity, and I prefer to take the journey alongside the characters; I will usuall...
March 10, 2014
Harley – A Sneak Peek at this Upcoming Gay Film
So far it’s short clips strung together and you’ll still see some watermarks. But the quality of the actors, the message, and the tension behind all of it caught my attention quickly. I think it will do the same for you. Let me know what you think.
March 7, 2014
Why I’m Writing a Saga About Human Trafficking
I asked author Caddy Rowland to stop by and talk to us about the difficult topic of human trafficking and why she decided to tackle it in her new saga, There Was a House. The several book saga focuses on the topic with both straight and gay MCs. ~ B.
A little over a year ago I had no idea I’d be writing fiction about human trafficking. Then Dave and I decided to take a drive.
As we drove, Dave asked me why I hadn’t read 50 Shades of Grey. I said it was because I’d read The Story of O years ago,...
March 3, 2014
LGBT Music Monday – Ryan Dolan
Recently out Irish singer Ryan Dolan with his new single. Connect with him on Twitter.
February 28, 2014
The Boy with the Yellow Socks
I was a boy of twelve the summer I looked out my bedroom window and saw my father standing in the front yard and my friend, who lived across the street, come toward him in a staggering walk that made me think he was going to fall with each step. My friend was a sixty-something bachelor, and many an afternoon I’d sat in his kitchen drinking lemonade and listening to him tell stories from his boyhood that always made me laugh. Finally, swaying on unsure feet, my friend stood before my father. “...
February 24, 2014
Worst Thing About Coming Out
We hear a lot of stories, especially recently, about the wonders of coming out. Here’s an interesting documentary about what an LGBT person goes through and what happens after that momentous occasion. A common theme in this film, and what I often see in real life, is that teens especially fear their parent’s reaction much more than they do their peers. Or is it as one person suggests, that you are perpetually coming out? You decide.
Worst Thing About Coming Out: stories of identity oppression...
February 21, 2014
Incidental Sexuality in Literature
Welcome Spring Horton to the blog. She stopped by with a subject that is getting more and more traction from both within the LGBTQ writing community and from outside of it as well. – B.
I wanted to write this guest post to discuss the future of LGBT characters in literature. I have to admit that we’ve come a long way; much further in books than in film and television. The explosion of new queer characters is amazing, especially in the male/male romance genre. And not only are droves of books b...
February 17, 2014
Wasn’t gay marriage legal in ancient Greece?
Welcome Andrew J. Peters to the blog. He writes gay-themed fantasy fiction and is the author of The Seventh Pleiade and the Werecat series. In his other life, he was a social worker for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth in the New York City area. Nowadays, he balances his time between writing and working at a university.
Brandon: First, let me start with a confession. I loved the richness of the mythological lore in which The Seventh Pleiade is set. Greek mythology was a huge favori...
February 14, 2014
Museum Of Broken Relationships
It’s Valentine’s Day 2/14/14. On this day we’re supposed to think of love and loved ones, perhaps more so than on any other day. But as a writer I normally approach the subject of love from the opposite end of that spectrum – broken relationships. Heartbreak is the manna from which real human stories are made. Think about it. If every story and every relationship was a happily-ever-after, how boring would that be? And how unrealistic? (Sorry die-hard romance fans.)
We humans evolve from broken...
