Larry Benjamin's Blog: Larry Benjamin's blog - This Writer's Life - Posts Tagged "larry-benjmain"

Two days before the release of my debut novel, What Binds Us, this waiting is what I imagine being pregnant is like: for thirty-eight weeks you carry this child and for those thirty-eight weeks everything is possible; he could be president, he could be beautiful. And then he’s born and what he is is real, flesh, yours.

Waiting, I find myself trapped by two fears—equally paralyzing—what if the book sucks? what if no one reads it? What if it doesn’t suck and I never write again? I went to bed.

I awoke at 4 a.m. because the words were coming, would not stop coming, were shouting to be heard, written down, not forgotten, wouldn’t in fact stop until pen hit paper. (These are the words that came—part of my next book, I think.)

Then it struck me: I got the words. I am a writer. Nothing more, nothing less am I. I got the words. Will continue to write them down.

After, when that rush of words, released in the writing down, quieted, I began to write this blog entry, to admit this writer’s fears.

Sunday at midnight, I bought the book on Amazon. At 1:30 a.m. I held my Kindle in my hand and did what I suppose every mother does—counted the toes, the fingers, the ears, the eyes, in this case I read the words, studied the commas (when you write really long sentences, commas are important). Again, I guessed what I felt was a feeling like that of a new mother: despite the preparations, despite what you know to be true, he doesn’t seem quite real, this child. Not yet. Not until you can hear his sound in the world will he seem real.

And then you hear his sound in the world and you don’t care if he’s president, if he’s beautiful because he is, above all, yours.
What Binds Us

As a newlywed and the author of the gay romances, Unbroken and What Binds Us, I think a lot about weddings. This week I turn my blog over to Stacey Thomas, entrepreneur and owner of The Philadelphia Wedding Chapel, where my new husband and I recently got married. Stacey talks about why she does what she does and weddings big and small. Give the post a read and then join the conversation by leaving a comment. Tell us about your wedding experience or your preference--big or small.

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Today is the day. We've revealed the cover and first excerpt for my novella, Vampire Rising. There’s also a giveaway of all three books from my backlist. You can check it out on my multi-blog Cover Reveal Tour starting here.

Vampire Rising will officially release on July 19, 2015 but if you pre-order now, you can get it for just 1.97 USD (eBook).

Back in July 2012, I wrote a blog post about an LGBT film, “Prince and Ekaj,” which was being made by Mike and Cati Gonzalez. (Read the original post here.

The trailer was very promising and I was excited to see the film giving voice to LGBT youth who often remain invisible, voiceless. So, I was delighted the other day when I got an email from Cati telling me they had completed the film, now titled, “Ekaj,” and asking if I wanted to preview it. My answer, in a heartbeat, was, “heck yeah.” And I am so glad I said yes. The movie covers topics not often seem or spoken of—homeless youth, finding a way to survive and love in a harsh world. Happily the film doesn’t dwell on any one thing but it covers a range of very real issues that are seldom spoken of anymore, and when they are they are it is in whispers, or spoken of as if they existed in the distance past: AIDS, drug abuse, domestic violence, rape. This is a socially responsible film that is never pathetic or preachy.

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