Anna Butler's Blog, page 12

William C Tracy’s Facets Of The Nether

William C. Tracy has a new Queer/MMF sci fi/fantasy/steampunk tale out, book two in the Dissolution Cycle: “Facets of the Nether.”

The Dissolution approaches.

Sam has saved the Assembly of Species, but at a terrible cost. Locked in his apartment, his memories gone and his best friend abducted, he is once again crippled with anxiety. Meanwhile, Enos struggles to free her brother from imprisonment, alone for the first time in her life. Her true species has been revealed, and there are hints the deadliest of her kind survived an ancient war.

But the Nether contains more secrets. A musical chime disrupts daily life, signaling changes to its very fabric. To solve this mystery, Sam must face his anxiety and confront truths about his memories and unique abilities. Only then can he save his friends from the machinations of the Life Coalition, by understanding the reality behind the Facets of the Nether.

Amazon | Bookbub | Goodreads

Giveaway

William is giving away a $10 Amazon gift card with this tour. Enter via  Rafflecopter  for a chance to win.

Excerpt

– The appearance of a new house of the maji is not to be as surprising as its origin. My apprentice, who firmly appeared to be of the House of Communication, is the one who is showing me these new things, at my age. Truly, the Nether is changing.

Journal of Origon Cyrysi, Kirian majus of the Houses of Communication and Power

A chime erupted through the Imperium, as if all the crystal plates in the world rang and shattered at once. Samuel van Oen held his ears and, through the window of his mentor’s apartment, watched a flight of alien birds split and scatter at the noise.

“What was that?” Sam dropped his hands from his ears as the sound stabilized into a deep, clear tone he felt in his gut. It was loud, but not as unbearable as it had been. Deep in the back of his mind, the Grand Symphony responded to the noise like a tuning fork against a plate of metal. The different rhythms fractured and multiplied at the chime, like the whole world was vibrating.

No one answered his question, as Majus Cyrysi was out again. The Kirian had spent more time in the libraries of the Spire than in teaching Sam, not that he was ever particularly good at teaching.

The tower of the House of Communication vibrated beneath Sam’s feet as the sound lessened to a background hum. The music normally playing in its halls had ceased during the explosion of sound, but now picked up fitfully, warring with the chime’s resonance. The flock of birds—with crests of orange, and three scaly wings down each side of their body—swooped in an irregular pattern, disrupted by the noise.

Sam went to the window and looked down. To one side, dust fell from the strange stone bridge that ran from the middle height of the House of Communication to the immense wall of the Nether. He’d been out on it before, as it was a curiosity of this House, and maji occasionally used it to take in the view. There were a few maji on it now—a tall Etanela and two Methiemum—looking up at the immense wall of the Nether, bathed in blues and purples like a titanic sheet of ice.

On the ground far below, people milled around in confusion. Sam guessed the bell-like sound wasn’t normal, but he’d only been in this place a little under two months. Before that, things became blurred and hazy in his mind. The presence that had rooted through his head took many of his memories. He remembered Earth, and that he had stayed with his aunt after something happened to his parents. Their faces refused to come to mind. Thinking about what happened at the Dome of the Assembly made him seek the silence of Majus Cyrysi’s apartment, and he couldn’t stop. He was obsessing about what he could have—should have—done differently. He was slowly spiraling down to a place of solitude and loneliness, and his body wouldn’t obey his deeper wish to break the cycle.

Sam jumped back from the window as someone banged on the door. A spike like an icicle in his gut went through him. Sweat pricked his forehead.

Don’t be someone new.

It could only be one of a few people, but his throat threatened to close at the thought of explaining why he was sitting here alone, staring out a window. How long ago had Majus Cyrysi left?

Sam put one eye to the peephole in the door, then sagged in relief. It was Enos. He could ask her about the sound digging its way into his head.

He opened the door and let his friend in, looking her over. There were bags under her eyes and she hadn’t combed her long black hair.

“You haven’t slept either, have you?” said Enos.

Sam let out a burst of air. It wasn’t quite a laugh. “That’s what I was going to say.” He pulled her into the room by her hand, quickly closing the door. The hall should be familiar, but it didn’t feel like the right day to go outside. Again.

“You hear that too, right? Do you know what—”

Enos shook her head. “No idea. I was about to ask you. People are running around like mad. I don’t think anyone knows.”

Then why would she think I knew? He stared at the closed door.

Enos followed his gaze, then took his other hand. “It’s been a ten-day since you left Majus Cyrysi’s apartment.” She winced as if she had a headache. Probably that irritating chime. It was like a dull drill, pressing against the back of his head.

Sam frowned. Now wasn’t the time to talk about going out. Couldn’t Enos see he had other things on his mind?

“Before this noise started I was trying to remember…remember—” He bit his lip and focused over her shoulder. It was something about Earth. He’d almost had it.

“Remember what?’ Enos asked, bringing his focus back. “Is it connected with the attack on the Assembly? Or about the new themes you hear in the Symphony? Can they help us find Inas?”

Sam shook his head. He was letting Enos down.

She won’t want to be with me anymore.

He knew it wasn’t true, but the fact beat against the inside of his head. Inas had been the other side of a scale, balancing him. Without him, everything was harder.

Author Bio

William C. Tracy is a North Carolina native and a lifelong fan of science fiction and fantasy. He self-published his Dissolutionverse space opera books and has one epic fantasy published with a small press.

He also has a master’s in mechanical engineering, and has designed and operated heavy construction machinery. He’s trained in Wado-Ryu karate since 2003, and runs his own dojo in Raleigh. He is an avid video and board gamer, a reader, and a writer.

In his spare time, he cosplays with his wife such combinations as Steampunk Agent Carter and Jarvis, Jafar and Maleficent, and Doctor Strange and the Ancient One. They also enjoy putting their pets in handmade costumes and making them cosplay for the annual Christmas card. Get a novelette by signing up for William’s mailing list at http://williamctracy.com, or follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/wctracy for writing updates, cat pictures, and martial arts.

Author Website: http://williamctracy.com/

Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/bill.tracy.311

Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/williamctracyswsf/

Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/wctracy

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracywc/

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/60627.William_C_Tracy

Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/William-C-Tracy/e/B01D1Z2MD8

William C Tracey’s Facets Of The Nether

William C. Tracy has a new Queer/MMF sci fi/fantasy/steampunk tale out, book two in the Dissolution Cycle: “Facets of the Nether.”

The Dissolution approaches.

Sam has saved the Assembly of Species, but at a terrible cost. Locked in his apartment, his memories gone and his best friend abducted, he is once again crippled with anxiety. Meanwhile, Enos struggles to free her brother from imprisonment, alone for the first time in her life. Her true species has been revealed, and there are hints the deadliest of her kind survived an ancient war.

But the Nether contains more secrets. A musical chime disrupts daily life, signaling changes to its very fabric. To solve this mystery, Sam must face his anxiety and confront truths about his memories and unique abilities. Only then can he save his friends from the machinations of the Life Coalition, by understanding the reality behind the Facets of the Nether.

Amazon | Bookbub | Goodreads

Giveaway

William is giving away a $10 Amazon gift card with this tour. Enter via  Rafflecopter  for a chance to win.

Excerpt

– The appearance of a new house of the maji is not to be as surprising as its origin. My apprentice, who firmly appeared to be of the House of Communication, is the one who is showing me these new things, at my age. Truly, the Nether is changing.

Journal of Origon Cyrysi, Kirian majus of the Houses of Communication and Power

A chime erupted through the Imperium, as if all the crystal plates in the world rang and shattered at once. Samuel van Oen held his ears and, through the window of his mentor’s apartment, watched a flight of alien birds split and scatter at the noise.

“What was that?” Sam dropped his hands from his ears as the sound stabilized into a deep, clear tone he felt in his gut. It was loud, but not as unbearable as it had been. Deep in the back of his mind, the Grand Symphony responded to the noise like a tuning fork against a plate of metal. The different rhythms fractured and multiplied at the chime, like the whole world was vibrating.

No one answered his question, as Majus Cyrysi was out again. The Kirian had spent more time in the libraries of the Spire than in teaching Sam, not that he was ever particularly good at teaching.

The tower of the House of Communication vibrated beneath Sam’s feet as the sound lessened to a background hum. The music normally playing in its halls had ceased during the explosion of sound, but now picked up fitfully, warring with the chime’s resonance. The flock of birds—with crests of orange, and three scaly wings down each side of their body—swooped in an irregular pattern, disrupted by the noise.

Sam went to the window and looked down. To one side, dust fell from the strange stone bridge that ran from the middle height of the House of Communication to the immense wall of the Nether. He’d been out on it before, as it was a curiosity of this House, and maji occasionally used it to take in the view. There were a few maji on it now—a tall Etanela and two Methiemum—looking up at the immense wall of the Nether, bathed in blues and purples like a titanic sheet of ice.

On the ground far below, people milled around in confusion. Sam guessed the bell-like sound wasn’t normal, but he’d only been in this place a little under two months. Before that, things became blurred and hazy in his mind. The presence that had rooted through his head took many of his memories. He remembered Earth, and that he had stayed with his aunt after something happened to his parents. Their faces refused to come to mind. Thinking about what happened at the Dome of the Assembly made him seek the silence of Majus Cyrysi’s apartment, and he couldn’t stop. He was obsessing about what he could have—should have—done differently. He was slowly spiraling down to a place of solitude and loneliness, and his body wouldn’t obey his deeper wish to break the cycle.

Sam jumped back from the window as someone banged on the door. A spike like an icicle in his gut went through him. Sweat pricked his forehead.

Don’t be someone new.

It could only be one of a few people, but his throat threatened to close at the thought of explaining why he was sitting here alone, staring out a window. How long ago had Majus Cyrysi left?

Sam put one eye to the peephole in the door, then sagged in relief. It was Enos. He could ask her about the sound digging its way into his head.

He opened the door and let his friend in, looking her over. There were bags under her eyes and she hadn’t combed her long black hair.

“You haven’t slept either, have you?” said Enos.

Sam let out a burst of air. It wasn’t quite a laugh. “That’s what I was going to say.” He pulled her into the room by her hand, quickly closing the door. The hall should be familiar, but it didn’t feel like the right day to go outside. Again.

“You hear that too, right? Do you know what—”

Enos shook her head. “No idea. I was about to ask you. People are running around like mad. I don’t think anyone knows.”

Then why would she think I knew? He stared at the closed door.

Enos followed his gaze, then took his other hand. “It’s been a ten-day since you left Majus Cyrysi’s apartment.” She winced as if she had a headache. Probably that irritating chime. It was like a dull drill, pressing against the back of his head.

Sam frowned. Now wasn’t the time to talk about going out. Couldn’t Enos see he had other things on his mind?

“Before this noise started I was trying to remember…remember—” He bit his lip and focused over her shoulder. It was something about Earth. He’d almost had it.

“Remember what?’ Enos asked, bringing his focus back. “Is it connected with the attack on the Assembly? Or about the new themes you hear in the Symphony? Can they help us find Inas?”

Sam shook his head. He was letting Enos down.

She won’t want to be with me anymore.

He knew it wasn’t true, but the fact beat against the inside of his head. Inas had been the other side of a scale, balancing him. Without him, everything was harder.

Author Bio

William C. Tracy is a North Carolina native and a lifelong fan of science fiction and fantasy. He self-published his Dissolutionverse space opera books and has one epic fantasy published with a small press.

He also has a master’s in mechanical engineering, and has designed and operated heavy construction machinery. He’s trained in Wado-Ryu karate since 2003, and runs his own dojo in Raleigh. He is an avid video and board gamer, a reader, and a writer.

In his spare time, he cosplays with his wife such combinations as Steampunk Agent Carter and Jarvis, Jafar and Maleficent, and Doctor Strange and the Ancient One. They also enjoy putting their pets in handmade costumes and making them cosplay for the annual Christmas card. Get a novelette by signing up for William’s mailing list at http://williamctracy.com, or follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/wctracy for writing updates, cat pictures, and martial arts.

Author Website: http://williamctracy.com/

Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/bill.tracy.311

Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/williamctracyswsf/

Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/wctracy

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracywc/

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/60627.William_C_Tracy

Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/William-C-Tracy/e/B01D1Z2MD8

Joe Cosentino’s “Finding Armando”

A few weeks ago I was delighted to host Joe to tell us about the first of this series of novellas, Finding Giorgio. Now we’re talking about about the second book in the series, where Armando is the one being sought, AND news of a combined anthology of both books.

Today, one of Joe’s characters drops by: here’s Jamison Radames, a leading character in Finding Armando, Found At Last series book 2, to answer questions.

Jamison, congratulations on the release of your story Finding Armando, Found At Last e-book 2, and the paperback novel of Found At Last (Finding Giorgio & Finding Armando).
Thank you for letting me out of the book to stretch. It can get tight in there.

Since the readers can’t see you, what do you look like?
I’m twenty-eight, tall, with jet-black hair, and muscular thanks to the gym at the resort. Theo says I have crystal blue eyes, peaches and cream complexion, and a strong nose. I can thank my parents for that. My mother is Swedish and my dad is Egyptian.

Tell us about Theo.
Theo is twenty-six, tall, with sexy dark hair and eyes, and a hunky build. His first name means godlike, and his last name, Stratis, means good soldier. Theo is both those things. Theo cares about others deeply, yearns for fairness and justice, and loves with all his heart.

What happened after the release of Finding Giorgio, Found At Last series book 1?
Our first story, Finding Giorgio, was a novella cherished by so many people. They fell in love with Theo, as I did. The readers also admired how Theo and I risked so much to reunite Nolan and Giorgio, who were separated at eighteen years old by their homophobic parents. Thankfully, our story didn’t end there. As the new owners of Nolan Giorgio’s Resort in the Pennsylvania Pocono Mountains, Theo and I have a new challenge. That’s the story of Finding Armando, Found At Last book 2.

Tell everyone the story of Finding Armando.
Theo and I embark on a second search, this one for our friend, resort manager Asher’s lost love, Armando, separated from him years ago under the military’s old Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. Complicating matters further, my playboy younger brother, Kendall, pays us a visit on leave from the Navy, and a woman in need makes Theo and me a shocking offer.

Is the second story also told through Theo’s perspective?
Of course. He’s my man!

Do you and Theo reunite the separated lovers again and find a happily-ever-after ending for yourselves?
My lips are sealed, but I will tell you this second At Last story, like the first one, is full of humor, adventure, drama, surprises, plot twists and turns, and of course sweet romance that will bring a tear to your eyes and warm your heart.   

Why are the two Found At Last novellas so special?
Each of the two stories offers a current romance and a past romance that will stay with you for a long time to come.

In Finding Armando, we meet your playboy younger brother Kendall and the resort’s conservative assistant manager Phoenix. They seem like an unlikely couple.
And theirs is a very rocky road to romance, which makes their storyline exciting, humorous, and very sexy.

What else is special about Finding Armando?
The story’s location in the Pennsylvania Poconos mountains is gorgeous with its log cabins near stunning lakes surrounded by sun-kissed mountains. I especially like that both At Last stories also include an older gay couple, which you don’t find much in MM literature.

Are your and Theo’s families back in Finding Armando?
They sure are, and they are as entertaining as ever. I love Theo’s big Greek family, and readers do too!

Who is your favorite character in Finding Armando?
The resort manager, gray fox Asher Hillel. In his younger days, Asher was taunted for being Jewish and gay. He was separated from the love of his life in the Navy during the discriminatory Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. Yet he made a success of himself.

Which character is the sexiest?
Theo of course! Next is Phoenix, the assistant manager at the resort in the Poconos. He is tall, muscular, handsome, mixed-race, and an ex-Marine. While regimented and cold on the outside, he has a heart of gold ready to melt.

I’m sure you’ve been told Finding Armando would make a terrific movie. How would you cast it?
Here’s my wish list to name a few: Colton Haynes as Theo, Ezra Miller as me, John Barrowman as Asher, Charlie Carver as Kendall, and Shemar Moore as Phoenix. Come on, TV producers, make Joe an offer!

Tell us about Joe’s other books published by Dreamspinner Press.
Joe’s In My Heart series includes An Infatuation which was loosely based on his high school years, and A Shooting Star which was loosely based on his college years. The Bobby and Paolo Holiday Stories are about distant cousins who meet in Capri, Italy, fall in love, marry, and adopt a son. Finally, the Tales from Fairyland stories are Joe’s comic gay take on my favorite fairytales. Theo and I aren’t in any of them.

Joe also wrote the popular Nicky and Noah mystery series, Cozzi Cove series, and Jana Lane mystery series.
Yup. And Theo and I aren’t in any of them.

How can your readers get their hands on the Finding Armando e-book and the Found At Last (Finding Giorgio & Finding Armando) paperback?
The purchase links are below.

Thank you, Jamison, for interviewing today.
My pleasure. I hope everyone will read both Found At Last stories at last. I’m sure, like me, you will fall in love with Theo as we bring together lost lovers from the past. And I love to hear from readers. So contact me through Joe at http://www.JoeCosentino.weebly.com.

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About Finding Armano

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An investigative adventure in search of an elderly man’s first love brought Theo and Jamison together. Now they’re called to put their sleuthing skills to use once again and reunite Pocono resort manager Asher with his lost love, Armando. But the hunt through rural Pennsylvania won’t be easy with Jamison’s younger brother locking horns with the resort’s assistant manager and a shocking offer from the sous chef, Grace.

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Length: 127 pages
Language: English
Genre: MM, contemporary, romance, mystery, comedy, adventure
Cover Art: Paul Richmond

ASIN: B0873DFXZC

Release date: June 23, 2020

Buy Links

FINDING ARMANDO, Found At Last book two, an e-book novella by JOE COSENTINO, published by Dreamspinner Press

Dreasmspinner | Amazon | B&N

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About the Found At Last anthology

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Theo and Jamison meet while volunteering at a nursing home and come together on an investigative adventure to reunite elderly Nolan with his first love, Giorgio. Their sleuthing skills are needed again to create a second chance at happiness for resort manager Asher and his first love, Armando. As they search for the men who got away, Theo and Jamison grow closer, and the lessons of the past could change their lives—and their future—forever.

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FOUND AT LAST Anthology (Finding Giorgio & Finding Armando) – a paperback novel by JOE COSENTINO, published by Dreamspinner Press

BUY IT AT DREAMSPINNER

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Excerpt from Finding Armando

Asher appeared to be transported back in time. “I always knew I was gay. Coming from a small farming town in Pennsylvania, I never acted on it. After attending community college, I joined the Navy and remained there for eight years. It was the best time of my life until….” Sitting back, he said, “Let me start at the beginning. During boot camp, I noticed another recruit from Pennsylvania. He had piercing, tortured gray eyes like a wounded animal. The guy was always alone, never speaking to anyone. I learned his name was Armando Caro.”

The name seemed familiar to me, but I couldn’t place it.

“Armando had jet-black wavy hair and a wide, strong build. Though we never spoke, he and I stole furtive glances at each other during drills, meals, and before bed. I wondered who he was, what he was thinking, and if he liked me.” He took in a shaky breath. “A bunch of the other guys in boot camp weren’t thrilled about me being Jewish.”

I asked, “How did you know?”

“They called me Christ-killer, Jew-boy, kike.”

“That would do it.”

“One night after lights out, they dragged me from my bed into the latrine.” A look of terror filled his face. “One guy held my hands behind my back. Another pressed down on my feet. Three others pummeled my face and stomach. I’d never been so afraid in my life. I screamed, thinking my life was over and wondering what my parents would do when the Navy shipped home my dead body. Like an angel of mercy, Armando appeared and threw them off me. I had never seen anyone fight like that. As if a windmill in motion, he landed punch after punch until they fled back to their beds. When Armando and I were alone, he rested my head on his shoulder, and he asked me if I was all right. I told him, ‘I’m all right for the first time in my life.’ Then he took a clean cloth, washed the blood off my face, and ran his fingers through my hair. Finally, he held me in his strong arms and rocked me back and forth. After that night, the others left me alone.”

“Armando was a true hero,” I said.

Asher nodded. “After boot camp, I couldn’t believe my good fortune when Armando and I were stationed on the same ship in the Middle East. One night after chow, he slid a piece of paper into my pocket. It read, ‘Meet me in the storage room near the forecastle at 0200.’ When I arrived, without saying a word, Armando took off his uniform and skivvies. Then he removed my clothes, and he gently rested me on top of some old blankets. Covering me with his powerful mass, he kissed me softly and tenderly. And I started to cry.”

“Why?”

“I had never felt anything so wonderful.”

“What happened next?”

“Armando taught me how to make love. I’m not talking only about the mechanics. I mean love itself.” He rubbed his forehead. “My parents proved their love to me by working hard—my father as a salesman and my mother as a bookkeeper and homemaker. As a kid, I heard a lot about the importance of making ends meet, owning a presentable home, wearing clean clothing, and having good manners. But my folks were never affectionate to each other… or to me.”

“And Armando was different?”

“That’s an understatement. He hugged and kissed me continuously throughout our lovemaking. Afterward, he pressed my back against his strong chest, wrapped his arms around me, and whispered of his love in my ear. Armando opened a whole new world for me, but it existed solely in that storage room. I never wanted to leave it.”

“But you had to.”

Asher made eye contact with us again. “Armando and I met in our secret place whenever we could get away, going mad when we were apart and living for those precious hours together. We not only made love, we shared our hopes and dreams for the future, and our fears too. I told him about my family life and my goal to enter the business world. Armando was from a poor neighborhood, and his family was very Catholic. His father was a car mechanic. Armando was a champion boxer in high school, and he wanted to have his own gymnasium someday. I told him I’d like to manage it. We both studied and worked hard in the Navy. Like the other gay couples onboard ship, we kept that side of our lives hidden, and nobody bothered us. Eventually Armando and I were each promoted to chief petty officer.” His face hardened. “That’s when the trouble started.”

“The trouble?” I asked.

Jamison was a step ahead of me. “You were in the military during the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy.”

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Praise for Joe’s writing

“Joe Cosentino has a unique and fabulous gift. His writing is flawless…will have you guessing until the very last page, which makes his books a joy to read. His books are worth their weight in gold, and if you haven’t discovered them yet you are in for a rare treat.” Divine Magazine

“adventure, mystery, and romance with every page….Funny, clever, and sweet.” Urban Book Reviews

“The author executed his storyline with a marvelous precision that would be the envy of many authors. He draws the readers into the lives of his characters, they become real and in turn, their emotions becomes yours….If you can only afford to buy one more book this year, buy this one.” Three Books Over the Rainbow Reviews

“I really loved this book and having an ending that made me laugh and cry at the same time is testament to the brilliant writing.” BooksLaidBareBoys

“In true Joe Cosentino style…this cast of characters will have you laughing out loud one minute before ripping your heart out the next.” Joyfully Jay Reviews

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About Joe

Joe Cosentino was voted Favorite LGBT Mystery, Humorous, and Contemporary Author of the Year by the readers of Divine Magazine for Drama Queen. He also wrote the other novels in the Nicky and Noah mystery series: Drama Muscle, Drama Cruise, Drama Luau, Drama Detective, Drama Fraternity, Drama Castle, Drama Dance, Drama Faerie, Drama Runway; the Dreamspinner Press novellas: In My Heart/An Infatuation & A Shooting Star, the Bobby and Paolo Holiday Stories: A Home for the Holidays/The Perfect Gift/The First Noel, The Naked Prince and Other Tales from Fairyland/Holiday Tales from Fairyland, Found At Last: Finding Giorgio and Finding Armando; the Cozzi Cove series (NineStar Press): Cozzi Cove: Bouncing Back, Cozzi Cove: Moving Forward, Cozzi Cove: Stepping Out, Cozzi Cove: New Beginnings, Cozzi Cove: Happy Endings;andthe Jana Lane mysteries: Paper Doll, Porcelain Doll, Satin Doll, China Doll, Rag Doll (The Wild Rose Press).

Joe was voted 2nd Place Favorite LGBT Author of the Year in Divine Magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards, and his books have received numerous Favorite Book of the Month Awards and Rainbow Award Honorable Mentions.

He has appeared in principal acting roles in film, television, and theatre, opposite stars such as Bruce Willis, Rosie O’Donnell, Nathan Lane, Holland Taylor, and Jason Robards. Joe is currently Chair of the Department/Professor at a college in upstate New York, and he is happily married.

Web site: http://www.JoeCosentino.weebly.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JoeCosentinoauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeCosen

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4071647.Joe_Cosentino

Amazon: Author.to/JoeCosentino

Beryll and Osiris Brackhaus and “The Pet and His Duke”

Beryll and Osiris Brackhaus have a new MM sci fi space opera romance out: “The Pet and His Duke”, and they’ve gifted me with a unique excerpt!

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About the book

Robert is a pet, a human pleasure slave, and well past his prime.

So when teenage Duke Thomar of Aylian buys him via mail order, Robert first suspects a dreadful misunderstanding. The duke is young, handsome and headstrong, and the very last thing he needs while struggling to secure his reign over his planet is an aging bargain bin pet by his side.

Only, the more time Robert spends with Thomar, the more he learns that the young duke rarely makes mistakes. Unless, of course, Thomar dashes off on one of his mad adventures, which Robert increasingly becomes a part of…

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‘The Pet and his Duke’ is a standalone m/m romance novel in the ‘Virasana Empire’ universe. Written by Rainbow Book Award winners Beryll and Osiris Brackhaus, it is a story of self-determination and love, and Happily-Ever-Afters in the most unlikely places.

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Publisher | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CAN | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | QueeRomance Ink | Smashwords | Goodreads

Excerpt

For any slave, being traded was one of the most terrifying periods of time possible.

It was a moment of utter vulnerability. No attachments to any master equalled the lack of any protection. And the trader would virtually do anything to sell you.

The trader would want to get rid of you as quickly as possible, for as high a price as possible. The buyer would want to get you as cheaply as possible. That mostly resulted either in haggling – if the buyer was already hooked – and having your potential new owner point out all your flaws aloud was never a good thing. Or the buyer would walk away if they considered you too expensive. Though depending on the potential buyer, that could be a good thing. Mostly, the main risk of not being sold immediately was an assortment of punishments, a lowered price, and finally a change of traders to someone who dealt in lesser-grade goods.

And then there were the auctions, of particular horror to any slave. Being paraded in front of an audience, often unable to see who was bidding, sometimes forced to perform on stage – those were things slaves’ nightmares were made of.

But Robert had been bought and sold so many times he considered himself above that fear. He had grown so accustomed to the situation that it didn’t bother him much anymore.

Born and raised as a pedigree pet on a specialised breeding farm on Malicorn, he had been trained to become the perfect pet for a high-ranking noble or filthy rich commoner.

At his first auction, he had been sold as the evening’s prime piece. His price had been astronomical. His first owner had treated him accordingly, locking him up, enjoying him privately and only showing him to his most esteemed guests.

Consequently, there had never been an opportunity for Robert to create any sort of personal attachment in his owner, those emotional ties which were so crucial in ensuring you would not be resold.

So, at some point, the novelty had worn off and Robert had been passed on as a precious gift. Not that it had mattered how precious he was by that point. Used goods were used goods and his best shot at a permanent owner had been wasted.

But he had been young and foolish and hopeful. Teenagers were like that.

Foolish had gone first.

Then young.

Finally hopeful.

He had been passed on, sold, resold, inherited, even stolen. Every possible way for a slave to change ownership had at some point happened to him, his price dropping a bit each time, eroding like a mountain worn down by the rain.

He had grown too old to be a cute pet, too old to be an experienced pet, then simply too old, finally ridiculously old. He clearly remembered that dreadful morning he had stood in front of a bathroom mirror and noticed the first lines around his eyes.

That had been years ago.

He was still handsome, but his youth was unquestionably gone. He was still sinewy and poised, his dark hair still in short, thick curls. But there were the first flashes of grey in his hair, a sprinkle of salt in the pepper of well-groomed goatee that he hoped would give him a bit more sophistication. He had to watch his diet not to gain weight, and more often than not, he had to struggle to keep up with his exercises.

Robert had been thirty-eight when his last owner – a man he had never even met, locked up in his serail with much younger boys – had died from poisoning.

The cute boys had passed into his owner’s son’s possession, while Robert had been sold once more. For a pittance, considering what he had been worth to start with.

But none of those countless changes of owner had prepared him for the latest turn of events. He simply hadn’t been prepared for the utter humiliation of being picked out from a catalogue and ordered via mail. You bought a pack of field slaves or miners from a catalogue. But a pet? That was the definite low point of his career.

That the buyer had not bothered to show up in person, that buying him was so insignificant – it got to him much more than he would have expected.

Of course, he should have been happy to have been sold at all. He had spent nearly a year in this latest trader’s stock and the trader had already joked that he would keep him as a lucky charm because everything else had been selling exceedingly well since he had picked up Robert.

As slave traders went, he had been pretty nice, making sure his stock was kept not just in good physical shape, but also providing enough mental exercise for his high-grade slaves so they didn’t go insane from boredom. Reader pads were cheap on Floor and allowed the trader to improve his stock’s quality by making his slaves learn useful new skills. In Robert’s case, that had meant newspapers and magazines from all over the empire to keep him up to speed on current gossip. After all, it was unlikely anyone in their right mind would buy a pet his age for mere physical entertainment.

And from one day to the next, he had been sold with no warning whatsoever. He hadn’t been told whom he had been sold to. Just to pack his few personal belongings and get ready to move out of the tiny cell he had called home for much too long.

Author Bios

We are Beryll and Osiris Brackhaus, a couple currently living our happily ever after in the very heart of Germany, under the stern but loving surveillance of our cat.

Both of us are voracious but picky readers, we love telling stories and drinking tea, good food and the occasional violent movie. Together, we write novels of adventure and romance, hoping to share a little of our happiness with our readers.

Beryll

An artist by heart, Beryll was writing stories even before she knew what letters were. As easily inspired as she is frustrated, her own work is never good enough (in her eyes). A perfectionist in the best and worst sense of the word at the same time and the driving creative force of our duo.

Osiris

An entertainer and craftsman in his approach to writing, Osiris is the down-to-earth, practical part of our duo. Broadly interested in almost every subject and skill, with a sunny mood and caring personality, he strives to bring the human nature into focus of each of his stories.

Author Website: http://www.brackhaus.com/

Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100011014541510

Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/Brackhaus

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brackhaus/

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6427435.Osiris_Brackhaus

Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Osiris-Brackhaus/e/B00IVTRO2E

Edale Lane is telling Secrets of Mil

Edale Lane has a new FF alternative historical fantasy out, book two in the Night Flyer trilogy: “Secrets of Milan.”

The Night Flyer had brought Florentina and Madelena together but now threatens to drive them apart. While Florentina searches for a mysterious underworld organization that has attempted to murder the woman she loves, Maddie struggles to deal with the danger Florentina is courting. Her brother, Alessandro, has become the most prominent merchant of Milan, but the Night Flyer uncovers a secret so shocking it could destroy them all.

Secrets of Milan is the second book in Edale Lane’s Night Flyer Trilogy, a tale of power, passion, and payback in Renaissance Italy. If you like drama and suspense, rich historical background, three-dimensional characters, and s romance that deepens into true love, then you’ll want to continue the Night Flyer saga. Order your copy today!

Past and Prologue Press | Amazon | BookBub | Goodreads

Giveaway

Edale is giving away a $20 Amazon gift card with this tour – enter via a Rafflecopter giveaway

Excerpt

Turning her attention back to the pulpit, Maddie determined to listen to the homily. When they returned home, she would invite Fiore to her room to try to explain the emotions she had been struggling with and to reassure her and ask forgiveness. It was time to put everything right and stop letting fear rule over her life.

Madelena had just cleared away the mental replays to concentrate on the service when a most unusual occurrence diverted her complete attention. Florentina had scooped up Betta and Matteo and was pushing her out of her seat toward the aisle. “Run,” she commanded fiercely as she jerked her chin at the door.

For an instant Maddie was too stunned and confused to move, but for only the blink of an eye. Florentina–the Night Flyer–had the most excellent instincts and if she was bolting out of Epiphany Mass, imminent danger surrounded them. “Get out now!” Florentina shouted as she continued to push Maddie down the center walkway.

There were likely murmurs and stirring among the congregation members at the outburst, but Madelena, heart racing, dashed ahead with a glance over her shoulder to see her tutor with one child under each arm a mere step behind her. The sudden noise was deafening, but it was the shock wave from the blast that sent them all flying. Maddie hit the floor hard amid screams and the sounds of breaking glass and crashing bricks. Smoke began to fill the chapel, and someone stepped on her hand in their haste to evacuate.

“Remain calm!” a tenuous voice intoned as panic broke out in earnest.

“Mama!” Maddie pushed up to her scraped hands and bruised knees and turned toward Betta. The wide-eyed, frantic child clutched her arms around her mother’s neck.

“I’m here, baby; I’ve got you,” she comforted and reached a hand to Matteo. “Are you both alright?”

“Florentina saved us,” Matteo said in astonishment. “We aren’t hurt; don’t be afraid, Mama.”

“Keep moving,” Florentina insisted as she stumbled up to the trio. “Out the door, now.”

Madelena did not argue, but with somber eyes fixed on Fiore’s gave her a nod. Carrying Betta in her arms, she forged on through wreckage and stampeding parishioners toward the open doorway. Florentina followed, holding tight to Matteo’s hand. Once past the archway, they collapsed on the steps.

“Are you injured?” Florentina’s voice was drowned in concern. They were all covered in pink brick dust with small scraps of debris having showered over their hair and clothing.

“No, just some bruises from falling. What about you?” Maddie turned her gaze to Fiore who sat an arm’s length away leaning against the exterior wall of the church.

“I’ll live,” she replied queasily. “My back feels as if it’s on fire and my head is pounding like a chorus of drums.”

“My children,” Maddie uttered in disbelief. “You saved them, and me.”

With smudged face and disheveled hair, Florentina raised radiant eyes to hers. “Si. You may not love me anymore, but I am still devoted to you and to them. I would lay down my life to save any of you without hesitation.”

Panic of a different sort grabbed hold of Madelena’s soul, threatening to undo her. “Is that what you think?” Grief clouded her verdant gaze, and her mouth fell into a gape of horror.

“What am I supposed to think?”

“I am so sorry!” Tears swam in Maddie’s eyes. “That is not the problem; it never was.” Quite the opposite, she thought.

“We love you, Florentina!” Betta declared and left her mother’s lap to hug her tutor. “How did you know the church was going to fall down?”

“It didn’t just fall down,” Matteo stated as he took his turn to embrace his mother.

“No, it didn’t,” Florentina confirmed exchanging a look with Madelena and then it clicked.

Even greater shock swept over Maddie’s features, turning them pale as death. “A bomb? Someone bombed the church?”

“Someone did indeed, and I need to go back and help. People are injured and some may even be dead.” Florentina started to push to her feet but collapsed on the step again with her head in her hands. “Seems I’m a bit dizzy still.”

“You don’t have to do everything,” Maddie said and reached a hand to tenderly stroke her head. “Look, some city watchmen have arrived and the fire brigade will be here any minute. You alerted everyone and saved lives, including ours. How did you know?”

“Paying attention,” she answered with difficulty. “Knew something wasn’t right, then glass breaking, saw the bomb… was on our row… two of them.”

“Fiore, don’t try to talk now,” she instructed. “I’ll secure a carriage to drive us home and then I’m going to inspect you for injuries.”

“It’s only a few blocks,” Florentina dismissed. “I can walk.”

“That may be, but we aren’t sitting here waiting for tomorrow, and that’s about when you’d be able to walk home,” Maddie declared.

“I’m scared,” Betta said in a small voice as she snuggled back against her mother again. “Church is supposed to be a safe place.”

Matteo took her hand in his as he settled on the spot between Florentina and Madelena. “Don’t be scared, Betta,” he said with assurance. “I’m right here.” Then with his other hand he patted Florentina’s shoulder. “Thank you. I’m glad you are the smartest person in Milan and that you’re with us.”

“I’m glad I’m with you, too, Matteo,” she replied and offered him a weak smile.

Maddie could tell by her pained expression and weakness that Florentina had absorbed some measure of shock from the blast. She was also certain that without Fiore’s lighting reflexes they would all be seriously wounded or dead. Feet rushed past the spot where they sat; men called out, women screamed, children cried. She looked around, between those coming and going, to see a gigantic hole in the side of the brick facade, broken windows with smoke trailing out, and a body lying on the ground. She closed her eyes and swallowed hard.

“Make way for the fire brigade!” a man shouted.

Madelena pushed to her feet and reached a hand for Fiore. “Come now,” she instructed. “We have to move out of the way. Let’s get you in that carriage and home.”

Author Bio

Edale Lane is the penname used by Melodie Romeo for LGBTQ fiction novels. She is a native of Vicksburg, Mississippi, earned a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from the University of Southern Mississippi and a master’s degree in History from the University of West Florida.

Ms Romeo is a retired school teacher who currently travels the country as an over the road truck driver. Her first book, Vlad, a Novel, an historical thriller, was published in 2002. She has had short stories published in anthologies by Seventh Star Press, Charon Coin Press, Alban Lake Press, Less Than Three Press, and Past and Prologue Press.

Edale Lane’s first novel, Heart of Sherwood, is an historical retelling of the Robin Hood story supposing that the hooded outlaw had been a woman:  https://pastandprologuepress.lpages.co/heart-of-sherwood1/

In addition to driving and writing, Melodie is also a musician who plays the French horn, composes, and has spent many years as a choral and instrumental director. She aspires to be a successful enough author to quit driving and devote herself to writing fulltime. Melodie resides in Utica, MS with her longtime partner, Johanna.

Some of her works can be found at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00WFFFEA4

In 2019 Melodie founded Past and Prologue Press. Please visit her website.

Author Website: https://pastandprologuepress.Ipaged.co/

Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/melodie.romeo

Author Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/edalelane

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melodieromeo/

Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Edale-Lane/e/B07GRFPDRZ/

Joe Cosentino’s “Finding Giorgio”

 

Joe Cosentino’s a favourite here at Love That’s Out of This World. He’s always up for a nice interrogatio little chat about his latest book — in this case, Finding Giorgio the first novella in his new Found At Last series published by Dreamspinner Press. And while I’m awed by his output (Joe’s a far faster writer than I am!), I obviously don’t have his stellar work ethic. So I shall continue to admire and exclaim, in the full knowledge he has me beat. Anyhow, here’s a Q&A with Joe about his book, followed by more info, excerpt etc. Scroll on down, or use the handy-dandy links to navigate:

Q&A with Joe Cosentino, author of Finding Giorgio

Buy Links

About Finding Giorgio

Praise for Joe’s writing

About Joe

 

 

Q&A with Joe Cosentino, author of Finding Giorgio

 

Welcome, Joe, and congratulations on the release of Finding Giorgio

It’s released at last!

 

What propelled you to write Finding Giorgio?

Actually, I shied away from writing it for years.

 

Why is that?

For many years I’ve wanted to write a story about lovers separated over decades with a chance to reunite at last. However, I didn’t feel I had the maturity as a writer and as a man to do it.

 

So you wrote your MM romance novellas while you matured?

Yes, I wrote my In My Heart series: An Infatuation which was loosely based on my high school years and A Shooting Star which was loosely based on my college years. Thrilled when those two novellas won awards and were so well received, I continued writing with my Bobby and Paolo Holiday Stories about distant cousins who meet in Capri, Italy, fall in love, marry, and adopt a son. Next, I wrote my Tales from Fairyland comic gay take on my favorite fairytales.

 

But?

All the while, my yearning to write a story about separated lovers with the hope of reuniting at last continued to haunt me. Yet, I still didn’t feel ready to do it. So, as a cozy mystery buff, I wrote my very successful Nicky and Noah mystery series and my Jana Lane mysteries. Still, my original idea beckoned to me. My gay serial, Cozzi Cove, included gay couples of all ages, but I still didn’t feel ready to tell my original story.

 

What finally led you to write it?

On a significant birthday, I looked myself in the mirror and said, “I’m ready. At last!” And I was.

 

Tell everyone the story of Finding Giorgio.

In Finding Giorgio, Theo Stratis, an unlucky in love young accountant, registers at his upstate New York LGBTQ Center to visit an elderly gay person. Theo is matched with Nolan Downes who lives in a local nursing home. The young man is charmed by the eccentric ex-pharmacist and his wisecracking caretaker Tanisha. However, Theo is shocked at Nolan’s request for him to find the love of Nolan’s youth: Giorgio Roberto. Upon questioning Nolan, Theo finds out Giorgio’s parents had separated Nolan and Giorgio at eighteen after their romantic summer at a Poconos resort. Nolan had kept Giorgio’s picture and his love for Giorgio in his heart ever since. Theo is also surprised to meet the gorgeous Jamison Radames, a medical director, who is visiting the same nursing home. Theo and Jamison embark on an exciting adventure to find Giorgio. Their search takes them to an old neighborhood, a veterans’ center, a homeless shelter, and all the way from New York to Boston. Along the way, Theo and Jamison uncover a great deal about Giorgio and about themselves. By the end of the novella, two brothers are reunited, and two couples emerge in an emotional climax that will leave you overjoyed but also tear at your heartstrings.

 

Would you call Finding Giorgio an MM romance, a mystery, an adventure, a comedy, or a drama?

All the above. That’s one of the reasons it’s so special.

 

What’s another reason?

The story spans many decades in an incredibly emotional yet realistic way with humor, pathos, and of course romance.

 

Is the story told through Theo’s perspective?

Yes, but the other characters also shine through as full, three-dimensional characters who will warm your heart.

 

Do Theo and Jamison fall instantly in love?

Not exactly. The two get off to a rocky start, but eventually they find their way into each other’s hearts.

 

What else is special about this book?

Nolan and his caretaker Tanisha are quite comical. The story’s locations are gorgeous, including the Walkway Over the Hudson, upstate New York in fall with its stunning views of the rippling water, white church steeples, multicolored leaves, and sun-kissed mountains. I especially like that the story includes a few older characters, a rarity in MM literature. These characters are quite fascinating.

 

Who are the supporting characters in Finding Giorgio?

Theo’s Greek parents and sister, Jamison’s Egyptian/Swedish parents and sister and her family, Giorgio’s Italian brother, and the various colorful characters Theo and Jamison meet along the way as they search for Giorgio.

 

Who is your favorite character?

Nolan Downes. As an elderly man in failing health, he keeps his sense of humor, strength, and will. The ex-pharmacist grieves his long-deceased husband. At the same time, he yearns for the true love that was taken away from him. Nolan believes if he can reunite with Giorgio, his spirit will be made whole.

 

Which character was the hardest to write?

Some of the members of Giorgio’s family were difficult since they didn’t fully understand Giorgio’s struggles and what was in his heart.

 

Which character is the sexiest?

Definitely Jamison. He is kind, sincere, handsome, muscular, stalwart, loyal, smart, and successful. In reading the story, you completely understand why Theo is falling in love with him.

 

Many of your characters in Finding Giorgio are of various ethnicities and sexual identities. Is that deliberate on your part?

Sure. We live in a diverse world. Literature should reflect that.

 

You currently live upstate New York. Did that play a part in selecting your prime locations for Finding Giorgio?

Sure, as they say, write what you know about. Besides, it’s a gorgeous area with the best nature has to offer, especially in the fall!

 

I’m sure you’ve been told that the novella would make a terrific movie. How would you cast it?

Here’s my wish list to name a few: Colton Haynes as Theo, Ezra Miller as Jamison, Wanda Sykes as Tanisha, Ian McKellan as Giorgio, and me (a bit of nepotism) playing Nolan—with age makeup of course. Come on, TV producers, make me an offer!

 

How can your readers get their hands on Finding Giorgio?

The purchase links are below.

 

What’s next in this new Found At Last series?

Book Two of course. It’s a novella called Finding Armando, and it’s just as wonderful as Finding Giorgio. More on that later!

 

Thank you, Joe, for interviewing today, and the very best of luck with your new release.

My pleasure. I hope everyone will read Finding Giorgio. I’m sure, like me, you will fall in love with Theo, Jamison, Nolan, and Giorgio and their amazing story. And I love to hear from readers. So contact me at http://www.JoeCosentino.weebly.com.

 

 

Buy Links
http://mybook.to/FindingGiorgio

https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/finding-giorgio-by-joe-cosentino-11658-b

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/finding-giorgio-joe-cosentino/1136391360?ean=9781644058206

 

About the Book

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When young accountant Theo Stratis visits Nolan Downes, an elderly gay man in a local nursing home, he is surprised by Nolan’s request: find the lost love of his youth, Giorgio Roberto. Theo is also surprised to meet handsome and successful Jamison Radames, who is visiting the same nursing home. As Theo and Jamison embark on an investigative adventure to find Giorgio, they discover a great deal about themselves and each other. Solving the mystery of what happened to Giorgio might mean happily ever after for more than just Nolan.

Length: 119 pages

Language: English

Genre: MM, contemporary, romance, mystery, comedy

Cover Art: Paul Richmond

Release date: April 21, 2020

 

 

Excerpt from Finding Giorgio

(Found At Last Book One, by Joe Cosentino, published by Dreamspinner Press)

I slowly walked Nolan out of the room, down the hallway, and into the lounge with large windows overlooking the Mid-Hudson Bridge surrounded by the clear azure sky. After we were settled on a sofa next to a marble fireplace, he tented his fingers. “I want to tell you about a man I once loved.”

Assuming he had forgotten, I replied, “You told me about Frank.”

“Not that man.”

That caught my attention.

“His name was Giorgio Roberto.” Nolan’s face lit up. “I knew him when we were eighteen years old.”

“And you still remember him?”

“I remember everything about Giorgio.” He grinned like a schoolboy.

“How did you two meet?”

Nolan gazed straight ahead as if turning back the pages of time. “My father was a high school history teacher. My mother was a writer. Every summer we vacationed at a resort in the Pocono Mountains: my father, my mother, my sister, and me. We had a wonderful time back then—swimming in the lake, mountain climbing, playing volleyball and checkers, and eating the family-style meals in the dining room.” His eyes brightened and cheeks grew rosy.. “Every summer there was a dance contest. My sister and I won each year.” He winked at me. “I still have a few moves.” He extended his leg, then rested back, recovering on the sofa. “We didn’t have air-conditioning back then. So the summer of my eighteenth year, after Clancy and I took the silver cup, I headed out of the community room to the veranda while all the other boys inside asked my sister for a dance—except for one boy.”

“Giorgio?”

Nolan nodded. “I was standing outside, staring at the gray mountains and the inky lake. Then I saw him, bathed only in starlight as he sat on the balcony railing.”

“What did he look like?”

Nolan reached into his pocket and displayed an old black-and-white photograph of two attractive young men sitting on a large rock. Giorgio was average height. But that was the only average thing about him. He had wavy jet-black hair and a strong Roman nose. A white T-shirt barely contained his rippling muscles, and tight black jeans with a button-up fly housed his bulge. Black boots and a black leather jacket finished the look.

I pointed to the young man next to Giorgio in the photo. “You were quite the looker yourself, Nolan, with your handsome face and cut body.”

“I was what you now call a ginger.” He smiled. “And being with Giorgio made me feel so special. Giorgio gazed at me as if he could look straight into my heart. Though I had never seen him before, he seemed so… familiar, as if we had known each other in a parallel universe. I stared into his dark eyes, and for the first time in my life, I was safe. It was as if I had come home after a long, exhausting journey.” Nolan sat up straight with a grin on his face as if reliving it. “We stayed like that for some time, watching each other, smiling, but not saying a word. Finally, Giorgio said in a velvety voice, ‘Where’d you learn to dance like that?’ I tried to answer, but my voice broke like a choirboy’s. When I found my voice, I said, ‘My sister and I have been dancing together since we were little kids.’ Giorgio unleashed the most radiant smile I’d ever seen. ‘So, she’s your sister. That’s good,’ he said. ‘Why is that good?’ I asked. He came closer and I breathed in the scent of his mint gum. ‘That means she’s not your girlfriend,’ he said. ‘I don’t have a girlfriend,’ I replied. Then I breathed a sigh of relief when he said, ‘Looks like we have that in common.’ He asked me to dance with him, and I did. Giorgio and I stood out there for most of the night, talking about our families, friends, schools, vacations, hobbies, likes, dislikes, fears, and dreams.”

“Did you live far apart?”

Nolan shook his head. “My family was in Poughkeepsie and Giorgio’s in Hyde Park.” He recited as if it had all happened yesterday, “Giorgio’s father was a butcher. His mother a seamstress. He had two older brothers. They worked for his father. Though Giorgio had never been on a plane, he was fascinated with them, stopping dead in his tracks to watch every time one flew overhead. Giorgio told me he wanted to be a pilot. I told him I found that exciting. He replied, ‘I like that I excite you.’ When I told him I wanted to be a pharmacist, he asked me, ‘Does a pharmacist work on a farm?’” Nolan smiled nostalgically.

“Did you guys spend a lot of time together?”

He cooed. “Every waking minute of that summer. We played shuffleboard, ping pong, went fishing, and we enjoyed food marathons and walks through the woods. Our favorite activities were swimming and boating. When I saw Giorgio in his tight lemon swim trunks, I nearly fainted. He told me I looked ‘adorable’ in my navy trunks.”

Feeling like a gossip columnist, I asked, “Did anything romantic happen?”

“Not for most of the summer.” Nolan grinned. “But the last week we were there, Giorgio and I were in a sailboat far from the shore. It was a calm summer day, so the boat was barely moving. We were out on the lake for about an hour when he suddenly turned to me and said, ‘I want to see you after we leave here.’ I told him I wanted the same thing. Then to my surprise, he leaned in and kissed me, and I kissed him back. It was as if the lion’s gate had been opened. Once we started, we couldn’t stop. We held on to each other for dear life, hugging and kissing until our mouths ached. After tearing off our swimsuits, we made love, experimenting and learning as the sun’s golden rays surrounded our rocking boat. When we were through, I rested my head on his chest. As we kissed and held hands, we pledged our love to each other. When we got back to shore, we planned to meet the next morning after breakfast. Giorgio went to his family’s cabin as usual, and I did the same. That night, as every night, I hugged my pillow, pretending it was Giorgio, my first love.”

“What happened when you met at breakfast the next morning?”

“We didn’t.” Nolan’s eyes filled with moisture. “That night, our sailboat must have been closer to the shore than we had thought.”

“Somebody saw you?”

He nodded. “Giorgio’s father. He pounded on my family’s cabin door early the next morning, ranting and raving at my father that ‘my son can never see your son again.’ Back then, many Irish and Italian people feuded. Adding homosexuality to the mix, which was illegal and thought of as a mental illness, sent our two fathers over the edge.”

My heart broke for Nolan. “What did your dad do?”

A crease appeared on his forehead. “My father damned me to Hell and sent me away to a Catholic college, where I ironically had to dodge frisky priests.”

“And Giorgio?”

“On the day we left the resort, I saw him from inside our car.” A tear slid down his face. “He had a welt on his cheek and a blackened eye.”

“After that, didn’t you try to contact him?”

“I wrote to him every day from college. My letters were all returned to me unopened, I assumed by Giorgio’s father. After my first year at college, I came home for the summer. When I drove to Giorgio’s house, the woman who answered the door was Dutch. She had bought the house from a realtor, and she hadn’t heard of the Roberto family. When I went back to college for my second year, I met Frank. We kept our relationship a secret… at the college and to our families.”

“Your parents never knew about Frank?”

“They knew all right, but they called Frank my ‘roommate’ or ‘friend.’” He sighed. “My parents and I could have been such close friends; instead we were distant relations.”

“And you never saw Giorgio again?”

“Only in the midst of a crowd of people, each time realizing it was just my imagination.” He placed the picture back inside his pocket.

I heard a silky, masculine voice. “Nolan, they let you out of your room? Are the other residents safe?”

I glanced up at the most gorgeous man I had ever seen. He seemed about my age, tall with a peaches-and-cream complexion and jet-black hair. There was a quiet dignity about the man, whose periwinkle sweater and dark slacks housed his muscular physique.

At the sight of him, Nolan giggled merrily. “Darn, you found me! Next time I’ll try hiding under the sofa.”

“You’re so thin, you could fit.”

The two men shared a laugh.

Nolan noticed the confused look on my face. “Theo Stratis, this is Jamison Radames.”

I rose and extended a hand.

 

 

Praise for Joe Cosentino’s Books

“Joe Cosentino has a unique and fabulous gift. His writing is flawless…will have you guessing until the very last page, which makes his books a joy to read. His books are worth their weight in gold, and if you haven’t discovered them yet you are in for a rare treat.” Divine Magazine

“adventure, mystery, and romance with every page….Funny, clever, and sweet.” Urban Book Reviews

“The author executed his storyline with a marvelous precision that would be the envy of many authors. He draws the readers into the lives of his characters, they become real and in turn, their emotions becomes yours….If you can only afford to buy one more book this year, buy this one.” Three Books Over the Rainbow Reviews

“I really loved this book and having an ending that made me laugh and cry at the same time is testament to the brilliant writing.” BooksLaidBareBoys

“In true Joe Cosentino style…this cast of characters will have you laughing out loud one minute before ripping your heart out the next.” Joyfully Jay Reviews

 

 

About the Author

Joe Cosentino was voted Favorite LGBT Mystery, Humorous, and Contemporary Author of the Year by the readers of Divine Magazine for Drama Queen. He also wrote the other novels in the Nicky and Noah mystery series: Drama Muscle, Drama Cruise, Drama Luau, Drama Detective, Drama Fraternity, Drama Castle, Drama Dance, Drama Faerie, Drama Runway, Drama Christmas, Drama Faerie; the Dreamspinner Press novellas: In My Heart/An Infatuation & A Shooting Star, the Bobby and Paolo Holiday Stories: A Home for the Holidays/The Perfect Gift/The First Noel, The Naked Prince and Other Tales from Fairyland/Holiday Tales from Fairyland, Found At Last: Finding Giorgio/Finding Armando; the Cozzi Cove series (NineStar Press): Cozzi Cove: Bouncing Back, Cozzi Cove: Moving Forward, Cozzi Cove: Stepping Out, Cozzi Cove: New Beginnings, Cozzi Cove: Happy Endings; and the Jana Lane mysteries: Paper Doll, Porcelain Doll, Satin Doll, China Doll, Rag Doll (The Wild Rose Press). He has appeared in principal acting roles in film, television, and theatre, opposite stars such as Bruce Willis, Rosie O’Donnell, Nathan Lane, Holland Taylor, and Jason Robards. Joe is currently Chair of the Department/Professor at a college in upstate New York, and he is happily married. Joe was voted 2nd Place Favorite LGBT Author of the Year in Divine Magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards, and his books have received numerous Favorite Book of the Month Awards and Rainbow Award Honorable Mentions.

 

Web site: http://www.JoeCosentino.weebly.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JoeCosentinoauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeCosen

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4071647.Joe_Cosentino

Amazon: Author.to/JoeCosentino

Valerie J. Mikles “The Qinali Virus”

 

Valerie J. Mikles has a new queer sci fi book out: “The Qinali Virus.”

 

About the Book

Rage. Poverty. Disease.

They’re gone. Every last one.

The cost was great. The population has been devastated. But for the survivors, utopia has arrived.

Then the suspicious death of a young person forces Amber to question her world like she never has before. The Contentedness Council is after her, determined to protect their perfect society. Now Amber must unbury her city’s repressed past, expose the crimes that led to their utopia, and find a way to stop the Council from killing the world… again.

Join astral-projecting asexual Amber and her telepathic sister as they fight to save the human race from extermination!

 

Get It on Amazon

 

 

Excerpt

 

Jenise gasped. “Don’t do it.”

“Don’t call for help?” Amber asked, setting the tablet aside. “This is an astral injury. Maybe someone back home can help you.”

“No, please,” Jenise whimpered.

Amber felt her body vibrating and heard a ringing in her ears. The world became hazy and she saw her physical body collapsed on the ground. She hadn’t moved, and when she reached to the side, her hands passed through everything. This was how her book had described the astral plane.

“I did it! I’m here,” she squealed. Then she saw Jenise lying on the ground. A needle-like splinter pierced Jenise’s brain, and her aura seemed to ooze from the wound.

“Oh, this… this is bad…” Amber stammered, gathering the oozing essence back toward Jenise. Her hand went right through the glowing ooze and Jenise’s body. “How can I help you if I can’t touch you? What did the book say?”

“She’s coming for me,” Jenise murmured. Her physical form twitched, the red welts spreading as the needle dug deeper into her brain. Amber tried to clamp Jenise’s chin, but Jenise’s body passed through hers, so she grabbed the needle, and suddenly Jenise went still. She saw the needle because Jenise had described the needle. It was a manifestation of an injury; not a physical injury.

“I can manipulate a manifestation,” Amber murmured. Moving gingerly, Amber extracted the needle from her sister’s brain, and Jenise started to scream.

“Do you want me to stop?” Amber asked. Jenise kept screaming, oblivious to the question.

Gritting her teeth, Amber removed more of the needle, and her sister’s essence gushed from the wound. Amber blew gently on the oozing liquid and it seemed to dissolve into her sister’s skin. Once the needle was out, she molded her hands around her sister’s head, trying to close the wound. Her hands kept passing through Jenise’s skull, making her twitch. Amber didn’t like astral surgery, and she hoped she was helping.

“They’re coming,” Jenise murmured, her hands flailing, passing through Amber’s astral body. She felt her form vibrate and a ringing sound filled her ears.

“No. No, I’m not finished!” Amber cried, feeling an anchor pulling her back to her physical form. She curled into a fetal position, fighting to get back to the astral plane.

Jenise rolled onto her side and spooned behind Amber. “We have to run,” she rasped. “Someone’s coming.”

“Who? Is it Parey? Someone from the Council?” Amber asked. Amber heard the truck now, its wheels crushing the dirt and gravel as it came down the road from Highmere.

“I can’t tell,” Jenise rasped. “Don’t give up, Amber. Don’t go back.”

Amber sensed Jenise’s urgency, but when she saw the truck, she felt relieved. Running meant more isolation and uncertainty. What if Jenise wasn’t really better? Going back to Highmere made sense.

“Let’s go home,” Amber said. “You were scared, Jenise. We were scared. We can say… I don’t know. They’ll give us counseling and then we can go back to our lives.”

“I don’t want to go to brainwashing therapy,” Jenise said.

“Stop calling it that,” Amber explained.

“You don’t even know, do you?” Jenise said. “You don’t remember how you were before Cenn died. What “therapy” did to you.”

“It helped,” Amber insisted, looking hopefully at the truck ambling toward them. “I was a mess. I needed to be able to talk to someone without dumping it on all of you.”

“But you stopped feeling,” Jenise argued. “Not just the grief; you stopped feeling joy. You used to make twittering noises when you read books. You used to get so excited about things that Cenn had to sit you down so you wouldn’t pass out.”

“I’ll be fine. I’ll be calm,” Amber said, fighting for a reason to trust her people. “They want the tablet with Chenna’s research. That’s all this is. A misunderstanding.”

“I was almost misunderstood to death!” Jenise cried, kicking at Amber, and rolling out of reach.

“Jenise, unless you can move, we can’t outrun them,” Amber said. “I am not leaving without you. I—oh, no.”

The stress of the argument made her dizzy and she dropped to her knees. A moment later, she was standing by the road, watching the truck roll by. Her voice caught in her throat, but she didn’t need to call out. The husky man in the passenger seat saw her and hollered, and the truck screeched to a stop. She recognized him from the Council—Tobin Wauld.

“I know we’re not supposed to be here. We’re scared. Can you take us home?” she asked. The weight of fear lifted for a moment, but then Wauld hoisted himself out the window, and drew a long-barreled weapon.

“Well, well, Discontent Delouise. This was too easy,” he smirked.

Amber’s lips quivered and her legs froze. She’d never seen a weapon like that in Highmere, but she’d seen them in that zombie movie. Run, you idiot, her brain shouted. She’d muttered it at the characters in the movies often enough.

He shot Amber with an orange-tipped weapon as he stalked past. She felt the sting of the puncture and a thin stream of liquid dripping into her astral form.

“Tobin, you shot her!” his companion cried.

“We came with tranqs for a reason. We don’t have time to argue with discontents,” Wauld said.

Amber still couldn’t believe a councilperson had shot her. Pretending to faint, she turned and dropped, rolling down the embankment. The moment the truck was out of sight, she willed herself back to her physical body.

“How’d it go?” Jenise asked.

“They shot me,” Amber said. Her whole body was trembling from adrenaline and she could feel the spread of the tranquilizer dart pushing against it.

“Misunderstanding?” Jenise taunted.

“Oh, no. Very clear,” Amber said, blinking away the spots in her vision. She had never experienced violence in Highmere, and she didn’t even know her people had dart guns. The feelings of shock and betrayal hit her in waves, as did a profound sense of loss. This wasn’t a short camping trip that ended with a meek return home anymore.

 

Author Bio

Valerie loves dancing, writing, astronomy, sci-fi, and grapes. She’s agender, aromantic, and asexual, and even though her labels describe many things she is not, her motto in life is “I can be everything I want, just not all at the same time.”

Although she has yet to get paid to eat grapes, she was delighted to learn that people would pay her to study black holes, and spent much of her twenties as a black hole hunter. She was rewarded with an astronomy PhD, which promptly inspired her to move to L.A. to be a screenwriter. How she ended up working on weather satellites for NOAA, we may never know.

Her passion for story-telling extends back to before she could write, and in fall 2017, she achieved a life dream and published her first book, “The Disappeared.” Valerie currently has six books published in her New Dawn series You can learn more about Valerie’s books on her website: http://www.valeriejmikles.com

An asexual activist, Valerie has written and produced a series of comedic short films featuring asexual characters. You can watch her films online at: http://www.aces-sitcom.com. Her third book ‘Trade Circle’ features an asexual protagonist, and interestingly, she created this character before she even knew there was a word to describe it. She is super-excited about the release of the Qinali Virus, featuring an asexual, aromantic astronomer (and a weather satellite for good measure).

Author Website: http://www.valeriejmikles.com

Author Facebook (Author Page): http://www.facebook.com/vjmikles

Author Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/valeriebean

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16941635.Valerie_J_Mikles

Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Valerie-J-Mikles/e/B074K2QCHG

Author LibraryThing: https://www.librarything.com/author/miklesvaleriej

E. M. Hamill’s “Peacemaker” – with giveaway

 

 

E.M. Hamill has a new queer sci fi book out, book two in the Dalí Tamareia series: “Peacemaker.”

Third-gender operative Dalí Tamareia thought their life as an ambassador ended when they joined a galactic intelligence agency. When they’re yanked out of the field and tapped to negotiate the surrender of deadly bio-engineered warriors who crashed into hostile territory, Dalí is thrust headfirst back into the tumultuous world of galactic diplomacy.

Dalí has faced Shontavians before, but not like these. The stranded mercenaries are highly intelligent and have an agenda of their own. Dalí can’t afford to be distracted from the negotiations by their own demons or the presence of a charming diplomat with a mysterious past.

As a brewing civil war threatens to derail the entire mission, Dalí must use all their skills to bring this dangerous situation to a peaceful end—but the Shontavians may not be the biggest monsters at the table. Someone is determined to see Dalí and their team dead before they discover the brutal truth hiding in the wreckage.

 

NineStar Press | Amazon | iBooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Smashwords | Goodreads

Giveaway

E.M. is giving away a $15 Amazon gift card with this tour. Enter via a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Excerpt

 

 

I took a quick turn in the cleanser to rid my skin and hair of the tacky residue left by the decon spray. In the warmth and vibration, I shuddered as the last of the physical characteristics I’d adapted to pass as male shifted back into my neutral, sexless state. My crewmates didn’t expect me to assume a gender, something for which I remained grateful. Without hormone stimulation to drive the change, the process was more painful, and my shoulders complained against the grind of bone and muscle.

I tamed my wavy brown mop as best I could, drawing it into a short, braided queue at the back of my neck before putting on the dress black uniform hanging in my quarters. The white starburst of diplomacy blazed in holographic relief on my left shoulder with the multiarmed spiral of the Remoliad’s sigil on the opposite sleeve.

To be back in the uniform of an ambassador felt strange. Transient reflections in the narrow window showed a me I hadn’t acknowledged in over two years. I barely recognized the echo of who I used to be, a transparent ghost against the stars outside.

The reason I had been pulled out of the field began to make sense, though I still didn’t know what the assignment entailed. Time to find out.

At the closed door of Sumner’s ready room, I tugged at the tunic’s high collar, squared my shoulders, and tapped on the panel to request entry.

“Commander. Permission to enter?”

“Granted.” The door slid aside with his verbal acknowledgment. I stepped through.

Silhouetted by the flicker of busy data screens behind the desk, Sumner wore a black uniform with insignias of diplomatic service similar to mine but without the starburst rank of ambassador. Instead, he wore the pips of an officer in the Remoliad Fleet on the high neck of his collar. He stared at the screen of a PDD, his expression dark and troubled.

Sumner glanced up and a crooked grin formed on his lips as he rose. “Ambassador Tamareia. I haven’t seen you in a while.”

His vocal inflections sounded almost normal, but his eyes still held frost. We were never this formal with each other, a sign of the tension between us.

“I haven’t seen me in a long time either. It feels very strange.” I took a deep breath. “I would like to apologize for my insubordination, especially for what I said in med bay, Commander. I was out of line.” Embarrassment burned in my cheeks, and I lowered my gaze. “I owe Melos and Ziggy more than an apology. I was under the influence on a mission, and I put the lives of my teammates in danger. I will accept the consequences of my actions as you deem appropriate.”

“Grab a chair.” He gestured opposite his desk, and I sat. “I think I owe you an apology as well. I’ve gotten used to autonomy. When some bureaucrat tells me to drop whatever I’m doing and pull my operatives in the middle of a potentially productive mission, it pisses me off. The order to recall you came from so far over my head I got vertigo. The rest is just the frost on the comet, and it pushed me over the line.” He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry for the vendetta remark.”

“No, you were right. I needed to be reminded why I’m here. You promised only that I will be involved when we take them down, not that I would be the instrument.” No matter how badly I wanted the privilege, I had a bigger job to do. “Who told you to recall me?”

His mouth twisted in an ironic smile. “The Remoliad security council.”

My eyebrows threatened to merge with my hairline. “The security council has authority over the Penumbra?”

“Technically. My superior answers to the secretary general, but it’s almost unheard of to receive a direct order from any office.”

“I don’t understand.” I frowned. “Did my mother have anything to do with this?”

“No, Ambassador Urquhart isn’t involved as far as we can tell. We checked since the order was so specific. But I just received more details.” He handed me the data device he’d been scowling at when I came in. “Against all previous declarations of disdain for galactic alliance, the Ursetu recently issued an emergency petition for their planet to become a member of the Remoliad.”

I narrowed my eyes at him and took the PDD. “I saw something about that in my debriefing file. The crown princess is dead?”

“Yes. The queen and her grandson, Prince Razaxha, are still alive.”

“What happened? Was the planet attacked?”

“Yes and no.” He swept his hand and a heads-up display swirled into view between us. “I’ll warn you up front, this is brutal.”

The wreck of some immense ship blighted the forested grounds of a ziggurat-like palace, silhouetted against the backdrop of a sharp black mountain. Columns of smoke and flames traced the outline of warped and twisted debris. The recording lens zoomed in on a section of the disaster where tiny flashes of light sparked and died. As the picture enlarged, I sat forward in shock.

“Enhance this area.” Sumner circled the spot on the heads-up and spread his fingers. The portion of the holovid expanded, grainy, blurred, and blocked by foliage, but I made it out plainly enough. Enormous, gray-skinned figures piled out of the wreckage.

Shontavians.

The four-armed beings appeared unstoppable as they swatted aside the Ursetu and their guns, snatched up the soldiers with their sharp-taloned hands and—

A psychic memory of the taste of blood and entrails hit me so hard I fought the urge to vomit.

“Stop the playback!” I drew heavy breaths through my nose until the nausea passed and my heart stopped pounding. Sumner swept his hand over the enlarged holo, reducing details to a safe distance as my mind attempted to process what I’d seen.

A ship hadn’t crashed in the middle of an Ursetu city. It was the orbiting laboratory where Shontavians were engineered and kept isolated until their sale to whomever bought their mercenary services. It crashed into the planet or was deliberately brought down.

By whom?

The Ursetu faced monsters of their own making—huge, intelligent creatures with the serrated teeth and claws of a predator, created solely for fighting wars. And they had a craving for sentient meat.

Author Bio

Elisabeth “E.M.” Hamill is a nurse by day, unabashed geek, chocoholic, sci fi and fantasy novelist by nights, weekends, and whenever she can steal quality time with her laptop. She lives with her family, a dog, and a cat in the wilds of eastern suburban Kansas, where they fend off flying monkey attacks and prep for the zombie apocalypse.

Her other books include the acclaimed sci fi novel Dalí, the snarky urban fantasy Nectar and Ambrosia, and several short works of fiction. Visit http://www.elisabethhamill.com for a full list of literary work.

Author Website: https://www.elisabethhamill.com

Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/EMHamill

Author Twitter: @songmagick

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16592440.E_M_Hamill

Author QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/e-m-hamill/

Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00JY0FV8S

Asta Idonea’s Pirates of Romance

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Asta Idonea’s publishing her new book, Pirates of Romance, TODAY!  This is an MM/Contemporary/short story of about 10,500 words.

The cover art & formatting is by Alina Popescu. Isn’t that a lovely, lovely cover?

 

About Pirates of Romance

Xander joins his local am-dram group in order to make friends. He certainly doesn’t expect to fall for the group’s playboy star.

Graeme is confident and easygoing. He believes in fun without commitment. However, all that changes when Xander gets under his skin.

 

Buy the book from this Universal Buy Link

 

Listen to these excerpts

Audio Excerpt

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And at YouTube:

 

 

About Asta

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Asta Idonea (aka Nicki J Markus) was born in England but now lives in Adelaide, South Australia. She has loved both reading and writing from a young age and is also a keen linguist, having studied several foreign languages.

Asta launched her writing career in 2011 and divides her efforts not only between MM and mainstream works but also between traditional and indie publishing. Her works span the genres, from paranormal to historical and from contemporary to fantasy. It just depends what story and which characters spring into her mind!

As a day job, Asta works as a freelance editor and proofreader, and in her spare time she enjoys music, theatre, cinema, photography, and sketching. She also loves history, folklore and mythology, pen-palling, and travel, all of which have provided plenty of inspiration for her writing.

 

Blog: http://www.nickijmarkus.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NickiJMarkus

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NickiJMarkus

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/aleera21

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickijmarkus/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4567057.Nicki_J_Markus

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Asta-Idonea/e/B00RMGGVYO

Who needs toilet paper, eh?

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As I’ve remarked elsewhere this week, it’s odd that those gritty, realistic apocalyptic/dystopian books and movies never mention our most pressing concern when disaster strikes, and that’s “OMG! Zombie attack! Alien invasion! Meteorite hits Earth! Plague! Breakdown of society! Do I have enough toilet paper?!!” I’ll never be able to watch War of the Worlds, f’rinstance, without a wry grin at how badly wrong the screenwriters got our obsession with stockpiling toilet tissue in the garage. Knowing you’ve got a 24 rolls pack in there stiffens the sinews and assures you that you’ll have the fortitude to stare the zombie Martians in the face. You can face up to anything if you don’t have to resort to using cut-up newspapers.

I was a little concerned that when Covid-19 really started to bite, the restrictions put on us would deepen divisions in an already fragmented society. We don’t interact with people as much as we used to, even before the fear that a cough or a snivel heralds an illness that has had such a terrible impact. When we’re told to stay indoors, to go out just once a day for exercise or essential shopping, to stay at least 2m from everyone else… well, I feared that would make us ever more separate, more selfish, more inward-looking.

When the supermarket shelves were cleared of everything useful, that fear intensified. I do understand the panic buying. We’ve seen what happened in China and Italy, where people have been confined to their houses for weeks. It’s human nature to try and make sure that if it happens to you, you aren’t going to add hunger and short rations to your stir-crazed misery. But it seemed one more nail in the idea of all being in this together, didn’t it? When you’re looking at an immense rack of empty shelving, there isn’t much sense of community.

Then, astonishingly, it was FACEBOOK that started to alleviate my fear that this would destroy us. Nothing that FB itself did, you understand, but a shining example of some of the good FB can do when it’s used properly.

I live in a very small village in Nottinghamshire. Probably not more than 1500 souls. Someone quickly set up a FB group to support the villagers and it’s been a cheerful and reassuring place to go each day to see who needs help, or who’s offering it.

On Tuesday, it struck me that the things people are stockpiling are the staple items foodbanks depend upon to give families who are truly struggling, families which – as the shut-down intensifies, unemployment rises and people’s incomes vanish – will struggle even harder. I posted on the local group, saying if people would be willing to give just one thing from their store cupboards, I’d collect it and take it to the food bank as a village donation.

The picture at the top of this post was the result. People gave freely, and gave so much more than one item each. In some cases, they filled the plastic crates I was using for collecting the donations. Filled them. Despite their own fears, despite the primaeval urge to hoard food against the threat of privation and hunger, they filled those boxes – tins and jars, rice and pasta, tea and coffee, toiletries… even those precious, impossible-to-find toilet rolls.

Despite everything forcing us to be separate, to be selfish and fragmented, people can still come together for the common good. People are still kind and decent. I’m so proud of my neighbours. They stepped up like Trojans and gave so much, so generously. Never, ever let the Margaret Thatchers of this world tell you that there’s no such thing as ‘society’. My small village is just one example of what a lie that is.

I am very proud and humbled. And ever so much more hopeful than I was this time last week.

Stay safe, and stay well. The next few weeks will be hard, but we’ll get through. And if my village is anything to go by, we’ll be stronger.

 

 

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