Ofelia Gränd's Blog, page 75

What sharp teeth you have!

It's October—the month of monsters! Do you have a favourite monster? I do. About ten years ago I read every vampire story (mostly PNR) I could get my hands on. This went on for a while so, in the end, I grew a little tired of tall, dark and deadly and started mixing it up a little. But as the nights grow darker I find myself wanting back to the time when I curled up on the sofa and read a novel a day, most often one including sharp fangs tearing through delicate skin.

But where are the gay vampires?

I know there are tonnes of M/M vampire stories out there, and maybe I haven't read the right ones. Maybe I grew a little tired of these evil hotties even before I started reading M/M. Maybe, just maybe, the gay vampires are too busy having sex to actually take part in a rememberable plot.

I don't mean to criticise, not really, but when I think of vamps, the books popping up in my mind aren't M/M. I'm thinking of Black Dagger Brotherhood (yeah, I know one book in there is an M/M but it's the weakest in the series in my opinion), Anita Blake, Nighthuntress, Sookie Stackhouse, Chicagoland Vampires, Guildhunter, I even think of Twilight before I think of an M/M story—though that's probably more because of well-done marketing than a rememberable plot.



So where are the gay vampires? I scrolled through my read list to see which books I'd forgotten because some pale hunk must have swept me off my feet these last years. There must have been someone, right? Nah, not really.

Don't get me wrong. I love Jordan Castillo Price's Channeling Morpheus series but, as much as Wild Bill drags me in, the stories have little to offer outside the bedroom activities. I really liked Winter Winds by Missouri Dalton about Cillian the deaf vampire. And let's not forget Harvey Feng in the Sanguine series by Harper Lou. You have to love a cross-dressing, vegetarian vampire. Among the favourites, I also have to mention Jordan L. Hawk's Hunter of Demons . I've only read the first in the SPECTR series but I so loved Gray.

I'm still missing a gay vampire snagging and managing to keep my attention, though. I miss desperately searching for the next book in a series. I miss not being able to put the book down until the dreaded 'The End' stares back at me.

Which vampire books should I read?

 

Friday Reads | Thirsting for More

Autumn is here. In my head, I'm painting pictures of us all snuggled up on the sofa with something hot to drink and a good book to help us escape the whining wind outside. The reality is not getting any sleep because the kids are coughing through the night and being covered in snot because they use me as a living tissue.

In an attempt to place myself  in that romantic picture of a book, a steaming cup, and a cosy sofa I went looking for a vampire story. Yes, vamps are very autumny. But, since reality once again made itself known, I realised I'd better pick something short if I'm ever going to finish it. I was browsing Amazon when I spotted Thirsting for More by Claire Cray in the 'Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought' section.

I recognised Claire Cray's name, I've read her before, and before I knew what I was doing I pressed the buy button. The book is free so don't worry, I didn't impulse buy books for my food money.

Thirsting for More is about Cal, who has been a vampire for seven years, and Ira who has been one since the 1940s. It's a short, sexy tale about love and misunderstandings. I wouldn't have minded a little less sex and a little more vampy stuff but hey, still a great little story worth every minute invested in it.



Cal's seven years as a vampire haven't been so bad. After being turned by a horny immortal he never saw again, he got used to things pretty quick. The aphrodisiac venom has been an unexpected perk, keeping him supplied with beautiful boys who double as meals.

There's just one thorn in his side: for this entire seven years, Cal has suffered a painful unrequited crush on the vampire Ira. Cool, narcissistic, and loudly straight, Ira drifts in and out of his life as he pleases, soaking up Cal's attention when he's around and then leaving him alone with his hopeless desires.

After Ira's latest departure, Cal has decided to get over him for good. But now Ira's back with a shocking proposition that threatens to change their dynamic forever...

Friday Reads | Jonathan Trilogy

These last days I’ve read the Jonathan Trilogy by Hans M. Hirschi. Hans is a fellow Beaten Track author and I was given Jonathan’s Hope , Jonathan’s Promise , and the ARC of Jonathan’s Legacy (will be published on the 29th) in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve only read a short story by Hans before so I didn’t really know what I was getting myself into with the Jonathan books. I figured from the titles they would be about a guy named Jonathan—they are and they aren't. They are about a whole lot of characters and they weren't at all what I had expected.

In Jonathan's Hope Jonathan is only seventeen years old. We get to follow him as he fights for his life before he is rescued by Dan. Sparks fly and life will never again be the same for either of the characters. As the books proceed the main focus isn't on Jonathan and Dan but on their children and grandchildren as well. I have to admit the beginning of Jonathan's Promise both surprised and touched me, I hadn't expected that. Even with the epilogue in Jonathan's Hope, I hadn't expected that.

What I liked about the stories was that we're served a slice of life, we get to follow the characters through ups and down, through sickness and health, and we get to see them age.

What I struggled with was the LOVE. I generally like my books with far more blood and gore and far fewer confessions of undying love. I generally avoid everything close to insta-love, and I prefer the candy floss out of sight. But that's just me, if you're a romantic you'll love these book. I guess I'm too Swedish when it comes to love declarations—I love my husband and if that changes I'll let him know, until then let's not talk about it, okay? :D

These books touch on many important issues—homophobia, sexual abuse, overcoming the loss of a partner, being a parent etc. but I would have wanted more depth. I know you can't dive into these questions too deeply in a book but some (not all, some we really do go into depth on) are brought up, discussed in a few lines, and then quickly hurried past.

Jonathan's Hope was published in 2013 if my sources are correct whereas Jonathan's Promise and Jonathan's Legacy both are published now in 2016. I thought there was a huge difference between the first and two last books when it came to author voice. I truly do believe we develop as writers for as long as we keep at it and where I thought Jonathan's Hope was a bit confusing at times with mixed POVs and stuff Jonathan's Promise and Jonathan's Legacy are skillfully penned.

If you want something more than just a quick fix you should check these books out. You'll find love and loss and love again, and you'll get reminded of what's really important in life.



Jonathan's Legacy returns to the roots of the Jonathan Trilogy: the love for those weakest amongst us, children, particularly the undesired ones, street kids who find new homes and love, just as Jonathan and Dan once had, in their youth.

We follow the Jackson family, founded by Jonathan and Dan, as they grapple with the loss of their family patriarch. Parker and Cody set out to start a patchwork family of their own, while Marc comes to terms with his loss. And who is Kim Hwan?

This is the third and final book in this accidental trilogy, a book written out of the desperate search for answers, to bring hope where there was only despair, and to find much-needed closure. Anything but a happily ever after is unimaginable.

In this trilogy:
Jonathan's Hope (Book 1)
Jonathan's Promise (Book 2)
Jonathan's Legacy (Book 3)

Release Day | Flight

The 2016 Queer Sci Fi Flash Fiction anthology, Flight , is here, and my story A Cup of Coffee and a Slice of Death is in it...in the horror section.

It's a really cool concept:

A 300-word story should be easy, right? Many of our entrants say it’s the hardest thing they’ve ever written.

Queer Sci Fi's Annual Flash Fiction Contest challenges authors to write a complete LGBTQ speculative fiction micro-story on a specific theme. "Flight" leaves much for the authors to interpret—winged creatures, flight and space vehicles, or fleeing from dire circumstances.

Some astonishing stories were submitted—from horrific, bloodcurdling pieces to sweet, contemplative ones—and all LGBTQ speculative fiction. The stories in this anthology include AI’s and angels, winged lions and wayward aliens. Smart, snappy slice of life pieces written for entertainment or for social commentary. Join us for brief and often surprising trips into 110 speculative fiction authors’ minds.

The book us available in eBook form (4.99), and will soon be available in paperback with b/w illustrations inside (12.99) and in a special collector's edition with color illustrations (24.99).



Buy Links

Amazon eBook | Kobo | All Romance | Goodreads



Excerpt:

Smoke, by Zev de Valera

He rubbed his temples and squinted at the soft light of his surroundings through the fans of his thick eyelashes. The last drink had been a mistake.

Was that a shaker he'd felt, or the onset of a hangover?

He clutched a silken pillow and waited.

Suddenly, he felt his home tremble; a few pieces of glass

and ceramic ware teetered and then fell to their demise.

Shit. This is the real thing.

With an effort, he hauled himself from his bed.

How many years had it been since the last one?

Sixty? Seventy?

The shaking ceased, and he looked around his small dwelling.
A model unit when he'd purchased it. Now filled with the result of years of collecting: a gramophone, a first generation television set, a water clock. And much more. All of it all had sentimental value—as did the photos of the various men that sat atop or alongside the items in his collection. Some of these men had loved him. All of them had once owned him. Now he owned their memories. That was the bargain.

Another shake. Followed by several unnerving tilts. He willed his cherished possessions to remain in place and willed himself into sobriety and a more becoming appearance as he prepared himself for work.

What to wear?

He selected a red brocade tunic and pants. A classic look always worked best for the initial consultation.

A resounding thud.

He peered up into the small shaftway at the center of the ceiling.

A pop.

Then a small circle of light at the end of the shaft.

He sighed, folded his arms, and transformed into a cloud of red smoke.

Up and away to meet his new master.

 

Judge's Choice — J. Scott Coatsworth 



Author Bio:

In the first year of the Queer Sci Fi Flash Fiction contest, we received about 15 entries for the theme “Endings”. In the second year, it was 115 for “Discovery”.

This year, we had more than 170 entries from people around the world, and from all parts of the LGBTIQA rainbow. “Flight” represents 110 of those people and their stories.

 

The authors:

Colton Aalto
Kiterie Aine
Odin Alexander
John Allenson
Tam Ames
R.R. Angell
Bran Lindy Ayres

Jeff Baker
Jessica Bansbach
J.P. Barnaby
Capri S. Bard
Jonah Bergen
Michael J. Bode
L.M. Brown
Marie Brown
Michelle Browne
'Nathan Burgoine
Iona Burnfield
A.M. Burns

Katelyn Cameron
Hank T. Cannon
Foster Bridget Cassidy
Skylar M. Cates
H.J. Chacon
M.A. Church
Rebecca Cohen
S.A. Collins
J. Comer
Ross Common
Elliot Cooper
Gretchen Crane

Jase Daniels
Claire Davis and Al Stewart
Avery Dawes
Zev de Valera
Bey Deckard
Jana Denardo
Nicole Dennis
Kellie Doherty
Jude Dunn

Tray Ellis
Rhi Etzweiler
Thursday Euclid

K.C. Faelan
Christina Mary Francis
L.E. Franks
J.R. Frontera
Liz Fury

Elizabella Gold
Ofelia Gränd
S.E. Greer
M.D. Grimm

Jenna Hale
Kaje Harper
Qaida Harte
Saxon Hawke
Kelly Haworth
Cheryl Headford
Valentina Heart

Jaylee James
Jambrea Jo Jones
Michael M. Jones
Ryvr Jones
Ellery Jude

Jon Keys
K-lee Klein

Jennifer Lavoie
A.M. Leibowitz
Mario K. Lipinski
L.V. Lloyd
Clare London
Meraki P. Lyhne

Lloyd A. Meeker
Eloreen Moon
John Moralee
Christopher Hawthorne Moss
E.W. Murks

Rory Ni Coiliean
Jackie Nacht
Thea Nishimori
Bealevon Nolan
Alicia Nordwell

Mathew Ortiz

Nina Packebush

Donald Qualls
Kirby Quinlan

Mann Ramblings
Loren Rhoads

Jojo Saunders
Brent D. Seth
L.M. Somerton
Rin Sparrow
Andrea Speed
Paul Stevens
Ginger Streusel
Jerome Stueart

Julia Talbot
Jo Tannah

Natsuya Uesugi

Allen Walton
A.T. Weaver
Missy Welsh
Eric Alan Westfall
Brandon Witt
Alexis Woods
Christine Wright
P.T. Wyant

Victoria Zagar

Friday Reads | Tainted

It’s Friday and I’m still immersed in the Channeling Morpheus series. I’ve reached Tainted which is the fourth story in the series and am right now in the middle of some blood sucking in a fitting room.

I’ve said it before but I really like Jordan Castillo Price’s way of writing. I only have one small complaint and that is that I would’ve wanted a little more focus on the plot. I get that it’s erotica but I really believe these stories could’ve gained from a few more sex-free pages. Not that I mind read about what Wild Bill does and wants to do, I’d gladly bleed for him too, but still. There are some amazing characters that we’re only brushing upon on our way to the bedroom, but that’s erotica I guess.

I like that we get both Michael's and Bill's POV in these stories, not in the same story (so far at least), but that the novelettes have different POVs. I can only assume that the staking will continue now that Bill got Michael a pink new toy. Off to see more bad vampires and to lose myself in the mix of sex and blood!



Vampires agree that vampirism must be spread through sex, because if a bite on the neck could turn someone, the world would be overrun with legions of bloodsuckers by now. So Wild Bill's been careful. The last thing he'd want is to turn anyone. Especially his boytoy.

Despite Wild Bill's caution, Michael's looking pale and thin...more so than usual. He wears it well, just like the leather jacket, the black-dyed hair and the eyeliner. But for someone as starved as he is, food should hold more of an appeal. And is that a preternatural grace Bill detects in Michael's movements?

Friday Reads | Payback

My morning coffee went on and on today because I allowed myself to get enthralled by Jordan Castillo Price’s Payback (Channeling Morpheus). I’m a Jordan Castillo Price fan but instead of reading all of her books in one go I’ve saved them. Sounds silly but it’s what I do. When I’m looking for a new book to read I go over my to-be-read list and think ‘no better save those for a rainy day’. But it’s Friday and we all deserve something nice, for me that meant a little horror erotica with my coffee.

Payback is about Michael who is searching for the vampire who killed his friend. He finds the vamp he’s looking for but he also finds Wild Bill. The three of them head back to Michael’s motel room and that’s where the fun begins. I fell in love with Wild Bill, it was inevitable.

I’m assuming almost everyone has read these books already, but if you haven’t and like some scoring hot vamps mixed with a little gore then these stories are for you. The Channeling Morpheus series has its own website if you want to check it out.

Now, on to next one!



The hunt is on.

Pretty young men and women like Michael's best friend, Scary Mary, are disappearing from underground goth clubs all over Detroit. For over two years, Michael has been scouring the midwest for buried newspaper articles and obscure medical reports, and now he's finally pinpointed the source of the problem. Too bad he can't exactly go to the cops and tell them his friend was murdered by vampires. Since it's his duty to start wiping out the scourge, he's posing as bait—and he's got a bag of sharpened hickory stakes to do the job.

Everything should go smoothly, given the amount of preparation that Michael has put into the hunt. He's got a practiced repertoire of come-hither eyeliner looks and a full blister-pack of the date rape drug Rohypnol. But he didn't count on Wild Bill showing up.

Wild Bill is a vision in spiked hair and scuffed black leather—exactly the type of guy Michael would have fallen for…if he'd ever had the chance. Unfortunately, with a vampire in his sights, Michael has no time for an actual date. Despite his best efforts, it seems there's nothing Michael can do to shake Bill loose. Looks like they're in for a wild, wild ride.

Friday Reads | The WAG and The Scoundrel

Are you reading this Friday? I’ve just started Debbie McGowan’s The WAG and The Scoundrel (Gray Fisher #1).  I can’t really say anything about the plot since I’ve just begun but this book makes me want to curl up on the sofa and just let myself get sucked in. It has that feel to it.

I know I write this every time I read something by Ms McGowan but I love her voice. I can’t really describe it, but her language is…rich. Many books I read are easy, mindless almost. I deliberate pick them, hey I have four kids and a gazillion animals, don’t judge! People talk about mindfulness but I need  some mindlessness every now and then. So most often I pick these "easy" books. I read line after line, not paying attention to the language, and then when I’m finished I close the book and a few days later I’ve forgotten most of it. That does not happen with a McGowan book, you don’t skim! You read every word, and they are beautifully crafted. And some days that's what you really need, to read something skillfully created.

I’m excited to see where this story goes. If you’re in the mood for mystery check it out!

Three years after the death of his civil partner, DCI Gray Fisher is finally ready to make the break from the police. For too long, he has used his work as a means of survival; now, he's looking forward to a nice, quiet life in academia.

Investment banker Will Richards is a walking, talking contradiction. With his love of surfing and his farmhouse menagerie of rescue animals, he's far removed from Gray's idea of the perfect man, but that's 'not a problem'. Gray wants nothing more than friendship, and Will seems happy to accept that. After all, with his mum's illness and resigning from his job, he's got enough on his plate already.

Assuming, of course, he's telling the truth.

When former colleague, Rob Simpson-Stone, asks for Gray's help with a case of a destitute banker who faked his own death, Gray is understandably reluctant to get involved...until Rob reveals the identity of one of the suspects.

Nortown Release!

Today John, Zachary, Tristan and Aiden are let out of their cabins!

There is this strange place called Nortown. Where it is no one really knows. I look out my window and write what I see (yes, I’m practically run down by lumberjacks every day) but so far I haven’t come across a real Nortown in Sweden. Though I lived up north for a few years in a small village where the meeting point is a café almost like Jen’s. During winter there are snowmobiles everywhere, by the bicycle stands outside the shop the kicksleds are lined up, and, I kid you not, they spread sand on half the pavement. The unsanded half is for the kicksleds. First snow comes in October, you hardly see the sun during winter (but it never gets dark during summer), and it’s cold enough for your eyelashes to freeze together.

But, back to Nortown! You’ll know you're there if you see lots of bearded men in chequered shirts, wayward dogs, and gossiping women knitting and sipping on coffees.

It’s about time to get a cat or two in there, is it not? And now, writing this, I think I need to get a kicksled in there too.

By the time we released Once in a Forest I already knew I would write Once in May. John was there, wanting to be let out of his cabin. His and Zachary’s story is not as fluffy and bright as Aiden and Tristan’s or even Tom and Jason’s but everything will be fine in the end, I promise.

Happy Endings is a Tristan and Aiden story, just a short little massage fun in Aiden’s studio. Og the dog even makes an appearance, not in the massage studio but in the story.


The big question now is what do I write next??

Friday Reads | A Frost of Cares

Sometimes all you want is a good ghost story and A Frost of Cares is that. I've read about 70% and I really like where Amy Rae Durreson is going.  A little while ago I read Spindrift  and I enjoyed it plenty but this is better. Usually, a story is told as if the MCs are unaware of there being a reader. Here you are addressed at times, and Luke (the narrator) talks to his husband through the text. I haven't really made up my mind about what I think about it, if you're a romantic you'll probably think it's a nice touch, though.

Usually, a story is told as if the MCs are unaware of there being a reader. Here you are addressed at times, and Luke (the narrator) talks to his husband through the text. I haven't really made up my mind about what I think about it, if you're a romantic you'll probably think it's a nice touch.

Luke is a military historian, which normally would have scared me off—I usually stay away from military dudes, I'm married to one that's enough—but here it's perfect. Just thinking about empty halls in old military buildings has me trembling.

In RL I'm a teacher and staying late at work always scare the crap out of me. Mind you, schools can be scary too. There is something about the dark study halls, the automatic light coming on as I walk by, my steps echoing in the empty corridors that send shivers down my spine. You never think of it during the days when there are students everywhere but once the dark creeps in and the rooms turn quiet *shudder*.

Anyway, A Frost of Cares is definitely the best purchase I've made this week and if you like ghosts you should check it out!



Military historian Luke Alcott leaps at the chance to live in the seventeenth-century country mansion of Eelmoor Hall, home of the Royal Military School of Medicine, after being offered a job cataloging the school’s archives. Luke believes he chose the perfect place to start a new life and put his broken past behind him. But soon after settling into the old house, he hears strange noises—like footsteps—and he begins to suffer from terrible nightmares.

The only person Luke can turn to for help is the taciturn caretaker, Jay, a veteran of the Afghanistan war who carries an old battle wound. Together they try to understand Eelmoor Hall’s history and decipher what could be causing the haunting. As the weather grows colder and snow dusts the countryside, a child goes missing. Luke needs to deal with his own demons and learn to trust in love again if he hopes to face down the angry spirit and find the missing girl.

Friday Reads | Soulless

I'll be brief today. I'm on my way to pick up a new kitty, but it's Friday and we all have to read, right?

I'm reading Soulless by T. Baggins. I've read T. Baggins before both as T. Baggins and S.A. Reid. The first story I read was Thirst and, while maybe not the most logical story out there, it sure made an impression. There is so much blood dripping evil in just a few short pages that T. Baggins was endeared to me forever.

Soulless, like Thirst, is a creepy  vampire story. I like evil vampires, I like reading about the dark and gritty. I'm not usually into historicals, though, but I'm enjoying this one. T. Baggins language is enthralling, the worldbuilding is great, and if you fear the creature in the shadows, know that there is something far worse in the basement. It's a long read and I'm pretty sure some will hate it—torture, rape, and lots of blood. This is not a time for sparkly vamps!



A Man of Science

Nicholas Robinson is a chemist decades ahead of his time. Crippled by a riding accident and embittered by his injuries, he shuns the world, focusing on his laboratory and experiments. But when the sale of his country estate, Grantley, leads to an encounter with a vampire, Nicholas realizes there is more in heaven and earth than he ever dreamed possible.

A Creature of Darkness

Although three hundred years old, Bancroft Ulwin is young by supernatural standards. Enslaved by his cruel, deformed maker, Ban is forbidden from relations with mortal men unless it ends in death. But his liaison with Nicholas, expressly against his master’s wishes, soon expands beyond mere lust to something more.

A Love Predestined

Long ago while still mortal, Ban met Serafino, the only true love of his life. When death separated them, Ban accepted his role as an enemy of human kind. But as he comes to suspect Nicholas is Serafino reincarnated, Ban begins to question everything he once believed. Including his own damnation.