Elisa Rolle's Blog, page 267
October 8, 2016
2016 Rainbow Awards: Eligible Categories and Books
Below the Eligible Categories and Books for the 2016 Rainbow Awards
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"Air de Capri" is a 1923 painting by Gerda Wegener, with Gerda herself and her husband, transgender male to female, Lili Elbe
"Rainbow Pride Cheesecake" is the official pin-up boy of the Rainbow Awards especially created by Paul Richmond
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October 7, 2016
2016 Rainbow Awards Cover Contest
This year all the covers will remain in the poll till the end. BUT I will push your competitive profile letting you know, week by week which covers are in the top 10 
:-) this week there are 13 since there are tie-ins. AND... Everyone has a second vote! yes, I will delete only the triple and more votes, not the doubles, therefore go and vote again if you have already. And continue to vote until the end nothing has been written out! http://www.elisarolle.com/rainbowawards/covers.php
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:-) this week there are 13 since there are tie-ins. AND... Everyone has a second vote! yes, I will delete only the triple and more votes, not the doubles, therefore go and vote again if you have already. And continue to vote until the end nothing has been written out! http://www.elisarolle.com/rainbowawards/covers.php comments
October 4, 2016
GRL Featured Blog: C. Kennedy
Meeting Readers Is the Best Part of Gay Rom LitHi, I’m Cody Kennedy, and I’m getting ready for Gay Rom Lit Retreat! This will be my second time attending GRL and I am very excited! A very special thanks to Elisa Rolle for supporting Gay Rom Lit, our books, and, of course, the incredible feat of the Rainbow Awards!
My favorite part of GRL is spending time with readers. The love, laughter, and warmth shared with readers is the very essence of living life to the fullest. I met the most awesome readers in the world last year and I look forward to seeing you again and meeting new readers this year!
For those of you who aren’t familiar with my books and me, here is a little about me:
Raised on the mean streets and back lots of Hollywood by a Yoda-look-alike grandfather, Cody doesn’t conform, doesn’t fit in, is epic awkward, and lives to perfect a deep-seated oppositional defiance disorder. In a constant state of fascination with the trivial, Cody contemplates such weighty questions as If time and space are curved, then where do all the straight people come from? When not writing, Cody can be found taming waves on western shores, pondering the nutritional value of sunsets, appreciating the much-maligned dandelion, unhooking guide ropes from stanchions, and marveling at all things ordinary.
ALL.OF.IT.IS.TRUE. One thing the above short bio doesn’t tell you is that I am old! Yes! It’s true! I’ll likely be the eldest author at GRL—is there an award for that?—and I write for the youngest crowd. I write for young adults, yet my stories deal with the very real adult problems our youth deal with today. Rebel that I am, my books also contain inference of violence, inference of sex, and music. I score my books. Please do not mock me. It’s a plight. Here is the music playlist for my newest novel, Thárros.
(if embedding is not working here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy8JxfOJoPg&list=PLEbLIyCiBFQ3cCFcYUTcR0uFDmg4xo05-)
Raised in Hollywood, I spent way too much time on film sets growing up, but it gave me a unique perspective on storytelling. You’ll find more dialogue and action in my books than narrative. I also like to give readers a thrill. You’ll find twists and turns in my stories, the periodic Boo!, and at least one ‘are you freakin’ kidding me?’ moment. I have a wild imagination and look to bring imagination to life and give readers the best possible reading experience. You’ll also find three other things in my books. Romance, hope, and a happily ever after.
Without readers, we authors are nothing. Thank you for reading our books and I can’t wait to meet you at Gay Rom Lit!
Stop by my Blog with questions or comments, or simply share what’s on your mind.
Find me on Facebook, Twitter @CodyKAuthor, Pinterest, Tumblr, Google+, Ello, Goodreads, Medium, and read my free serial story, Fairy
P.S. I also write books for adults as Aisling Mancy and Heartifact will release on Thanksgiving Day! Check it out!
Here’s a little about my latest novel, Tharros! Elpida, book 3 in the series, will be out June, 2017!
Θάρρος
Thárros. Greek. Meaning courage
Courage. n. /ˈkərij/
1. The ability to do something that frightens one.
2. Strength in the face of fear, pain, or grief.
Courage is resistance to fear,
mastery of fear,
not the absence of fear. ~Mark Twain
Tharros (Elpida) by C KennedySeries: Elpida (Book 2)
Paperback: 350 pages
Publisher: Harmony Ink Press (April 14, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1634768957
ISBN-13: 978-1634768955
Amazon: Tharros (Elpida)
Amazon Kindle: Tharros (Elpida)
High school senior Michael Sattler leads a charmed life. Almost. He has great friends, parents who love him just the way he is, and he was a champion hurdler until someone took out his knee when they kidnapped his boyfriend. Yet, Michael is determined to make the USATF tryouts in spite of his injuries.
Christy Castle is Michael’s entire world. Healing from years of abuse, his abduction by a predator has left him hiding a new secret as he tries to start his life again. Together, Michael and Christy work to recover from their wounds in time to make prom and graduate high school. To complicate matters, Christy is astonished to learn a fellow victim from his native Greece has survived. Christy will stop at nothing to bring him to the US to keep him safe.
But the prosecution of Christy’s kidnapper looms large in their futures and the struggle to return to normal only worsens. Christy's past continues to haunt them and, when the prosecution turns ugly and Christy’s new life is torn apart, only their unrelenting courage and determination can save them from the nightmare that threatens to destroy their future together. Read Chapter One of Thárros!
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September 30, 2016
2016 Rainbow Awards Cover Contest
To make the event more fun for everyone, this year all the covers will remain in the poll till the end. BUT I will push your competitive profile letting you know, week by week which covers are in the top 10 :-) this week there are 11 since there is a tie-in. Enjoy! and continue to vote until the end nothing has been written out!
Vote here: http://www.elisarolle.com/rainbowawards/covers.php
comments
Vote here: http://www.elisarolle.com/rainbowawards/covers.php
comments
September 23, 2016
2016 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Meridian by Kirby Crow (415-09-16-2016)
1) This is a very well written book about an interesting pair of potential lovers and an almost more interesting set of secondary characters. The setting was wonderfully laid out and used and useful in the story. The main characters' pasts were used well. This is probably my own failing as a guy but these characters really talked about their feelings more than most of the men I've ever known. Also the B/D aspect sort of limits it's appeal. But in the end they were believable.
2) I loved this book. Loved it! Crow has this enviable talent to make every phrase, every scene clear and vibrant. Characters jump off the page, emotions well up uncontrollably and with startling depths. This book has some serious underpinnings of some classic thriller and carries hints of evil. Grant is sexy, strong, and insightful, and poor Matty is left shellshocked and floundering by recent revelations. They way the dance around each other, coming together and facing things head on is fantastic. I am dearly hoping for a sequel, as I need more of these characters and this world! I was NOT expecting a Crow contemporary to compare to Crow's fantasy books! Well done!
Meridian (Mirror #1) by Kirby CrowGay Contemporary General Fiction
Series: Mirror
Paperback: 262 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (September 1, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1537238205
ISBN-13: 978-1537238203
Amazon: Meridian (Mirror #1)
Amazon Kindle: Meridian (Mirror #1)
Grant Baines operates a specialty-tour company with his sister, Andie. The tour part is ushering frat boys around the Gulf of Mexico in his charter yacht. The specialty is that he's an ex-military psychologist who does favors for the government. When Grant is asked to spend a week evaluating traumatized FBI Advisor Matty Sawyer, he agrees, thinking it will be just another babysitting assignment. Grant is more relaxed in a bondage playroom than he is going on a date, so he's amazed by how strongly he’s attracted to the damaged but brilliant man who arrives in his town. Grant’s job is to assess Matty’s stability to return to the FBI after Jaeger Koning— Matty’s former lover— is charged with multiple assassinations. Knowing Matty's past poses a danger to his family, Grant is determined to keep his distance, until Matty reveals a submissive side that Grant finds impossible to resist.
Rainbow Awards Guidelines: http://www.elisarolle.com/rainbowawards/rainbow_awards_2016.html
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2016 Rainbow Awards: Meridian by Kirby Crow (415-09-16-2016)
Meridian (Mirror #1) by Kirby CrowGay Contemporary General Fiction
Series: Mirror
Paperback: 262 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (September 1, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1537238205
ISBN-13: 978-1537238203
Amazon: Meridian (Mirror #1)
Amazon Kindle: Meridian (Mirror #1)
Grant Baines operates a specialty-tour company with his sister, Andie. The tour part is ushering frat boys around the Gulf of Mexico in his charter yacht. The specialty is that he's an ex-military psychologist who does favors for the government. When Grant is asked to spend a week evaluating traumatized FBI Advisor Matty Sawyer, he agrees, thinking it will be just another babysitting assignment. Grant is more relaxed in a bondage playroom than he is going on a date, so he's amazed by how strongly he’s attracted to the damaged but brilliant man who arrives in his town. Grant’s job is to assess Matty’s stability to return to the FBI after Jaeger Koning— Matty’s former lover— is charged with multiple assassinations. Knowing Matty's past poses a danger to his family, Grant is determined to keep his distance, until Matty reveals a submissive side that Grant finds impossible to resist.
Rainbow Awards Guidelines: http://www.elisarolle.com/rainbowawards/rainbow_awards_2016.html
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2016 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Malachite by Kirby Crow (414-09-16-2016)
1) Little slow to start but really built into a great story.
2) I loved how the author was able to establish character, setting, and history in a few deft strokes. The world of this story drew me in right away. A rousing and thoroughly enjoyable read.
Malachite (Paladin Cycle #1) by Kirby CrowGay Fantasy
Series: Paladin Cycle
Paperback: 408 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (August 23, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1535261692
ISBN-13: 978-1535261692
Amazon: Malachite (Paladin Cycle #1)
Amazon Kindle: Malachite (Paladin Cycle #1)
Marion Casterline is the highwarden of Malachite, an ancient, beautiful city floating in a shallow sea. In the aftermath of a brutal gang war, there is finally peace in the city, which gains new life every year through the sacred ritual of Aequora. Through Aequora, exiles, outlaws, and orphans can become citizens of Malachite. This ritual is vital to the city's survival, because Malachite is populated only by males. Jean Rivard grew up in the Zanzare slums at Marion's side. As boys, they were branded into the violent Teschio gangs that ruled the criminal underworld of Malachite. Known in the slums as the Prince, Jean became a spy, an assassin, and Marion's lover. As men, they worked together to destroy the Teschio and crown Kon Sessane as magestros of the city, only to drift apart after the battles were won: Jean to the Black Keep, Marion to the grand halls of the Consolari. When Marion announces his engagement to Kon's son, Jean is hurt and resentful. Marion is leaving him and their past behind in every possible way. Marion also believes that he's starting a new life, but when a charismatic rebel leader kindles a revolt in the slums, he realizes that the only man who can prevent war from devouring the city he loves is his very own prince.
Rainbow Awards Guidelines: http://www.elisarolle.com/rainbowawards/rainbow_awards_2016.html
comments
2016 Rainbow Awards: Malachite by Kirby Crow (414-09-16-2016)
Malachite (Paladin Cycle #1) by Kirby CrowGay Fantasy
Series: Paladin Cycle
Paperback: 408 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (August 23, 2016)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1535261692
ISBN-13: 978-1535261692
Amazon: Malachite (Paladin Cycle #1)
Amazon Kindle: Malachite (Paladin Cycle #1)
Marion Casterline is the highwarden of Malachite, an ancient, beautiful city floating in a shallow sea. In the aftermath of a brutal gang war, there is finally peace in the city, which gains new life every year through the sacred ritual of Aequora. Through Aequora, exiles, outlaws, and orphans can become citizens of Malachite. This ritual is vital to the city's survival, because Malachite is populated only by males. Jean Rivard grew up in the Zanzare slums at Marion's side. As boys, they were branded into the violent Teschio gangs that ruled the criminal underworld of Malachite. Known in the slums as the Prince, Jean became a spy, an assassin, and Marion's lover. As men, they worked together to destroy the Teschio and crown Kon Sessane as magestros of the city, only to drift apart after the battles were won: Jean to the Black Keep, Marion to the grand halls of the Consolari. When Marion announces his engagement to Kon's son, Jean is hurt and resentful. Marion is leaving him and their past behind in every possible way. Marion also believes that he's starting a new life, but when a charismatic rebel leader kindles a revolt in the slums, he realizes that the only man who can prevent war from devouring the city he loves is his very own prince.
Rainbow Awards Guidelines: http://www.elisarolle.com/rainbowawards/rainbow_awards_2016.html
comments
2016 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Archer's Omnibus of Oddities by Jesse Archer (413-09-14-2016)
This collection of almost 60 short essays, some no more than a page or so long, others a thousand words or so, actually do add up to a remarkable look at current gay male ideas, trends, fashions, social consciousness etc. He begins with rather simple, single concept pieces, but as he continued writing on--mostly for OUT magazine-- he took on a great many more serious, even "heavier" issues such as having sex when you HIV viral load exists but is "undetectable," as well as the continued division between positive and negative guys, which won't be going away any time soon. Other concepts come Archer's way-- when to drop a once very close friend; what to expect and how to behave as a gay man in other countries ---South Africa for example. Also how to deal with--and/or avoid--unhelpful families, parents and others. It all adds up to a thinking man's compendium, and as Archer is a good, lighter writer it is always interesting and entertaining.
Archer's Omnibus of Oddities, Mischievous Exploits & Sundry Tales of Insubordination: A Queer Collection of Essays by Jesse ArcherGay Non Fiction
Publication Date: August 28, 2016
Amazon Kindle: Archer's Omnibus of Oddities, Mischievous Exploits & Sundry Tales of Insubordination: A Queer Collection of Essays
Jesse Archer spins his most shocking escapades into short editorial that is sometimes salacious, often incendiary, and always irreverent. From Manhattan to Burning Man to North Dakota's Corn Palace, follow the totally true adventures of a gay man with a lot to learn. This volume includes a decade's worth of outrageous tales which may involve black sheep, masculine bottoms, forbidden fruit, sex parties, suicide, AIDS cures, prison pen pals, Fire Island survivors, a high school hero, and how to ruin your best friend's wedding.
Rainbow Awards Guidelines: http://www.elisarolle.com/rainbowawards/rainbow_awards_2016.html
comments
2016 Rainbow Awards: Archer's Omnibus of Oddities by Jesse Archer (413-09-14-2016)
Archer's Omnibus of Oddities, Mischievous Exploits & Sundry Tales of Insubordination: A Queer Collection of Essays by Jesse ArcherGay Non Fiction
Publication Date: August 28, 2016
Amazon Kindle: Archer's Omnibus of Oddities, Mischievous Exploits & Sundry Tales of Insubordination: A Queer Collection of Essays
Jesse Archer spins his most shocking escapades into short editorial that is sometimes salacious, often incendiary, and always irreverent. From Manhattan to Burning Man to North Dakota's Corn Palace, follow the totally true adventures of a gay man with a lot to learn. This volume includes a decade's worth of outrageous tales which may involve black sheep, masculine bottoms, forbidden fruit, sex parties, suicide, AIDS cures, prison pen pals, Fire Island survivors, a high school hero, and how to ruin your best friend's wedding.
Rainbow Awards Guidelines: http://www.elisarolle.com/rainbowawards/rainbow_awards_2016.html
comments
