Elisa Rolle's Blog, page 355

GRL: Trina Lane

Starting from June 1, 2015, I will daily feature authors attending the three conventions I will join, Euro Pride in Munich (July), UK Meet in Bristol (September) and GRL in San Diego (October).

For the GRL in San Diego, October 15-18, 2015, today author is Trina Lane: If you look up the word conundrum in the dictionary, there should be a photo of Trina Lane. Her personality is so multifaceted that her friends have spent countless hours scratching their heads in wonder. A scientist with a passion for history, music and photography she loves to travel and experience new places but is terminally shy around people she doesn't know.
Trina has been devouring romance novels since her tender teenage years, although only began writing in 2007. When her debut novel was met with resounding success, she said "Hey I can do that again". The rest as they say is history.
Her choices in reading and writing material are as diverse as her iTunes library, which contains music from Mozart to Metallica. Her one concession is all stories must have a happily ever after ending-did we mention she's incurably romantic?
She lives in Missouri with her loving and indulgent husband, a toddler who rules her world, and an orange tabby cat--affectionately referred to as 'Houdini' for his stealthy escape attempts.

Further Readings:

Love's Return by Trina Lane
Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing (January 22, 2015)
Amazon Kindle: Love's Return

Will love get a second chance or is history destined to repeat itself?

Critical care pediatrician Dean Whitten spends his days working with pint-sized people who hold the power to bring him great joy or, when the situation takes a turn for the worst, break his heart. He finds himself having a rare day off and he really wants to make the best of it. However, it happens to be Valentine’s Day and Dean hasn’t had anyone special in his life for a very long time—fifteen years to be exact. Dean is resilient, though, and is determined to make the best of the day alone. Cupid, however, decides to give Dean a little surprise when his past comes back in a big way.

Just out of the Marine Corps, Eric Sparks is starting over in life. When he decides to break from preparing for his new job by going to the movies, he isn’t expecting to encounter the boy—now a grown man—who stole his heart as a teenager.

Fifteen years ago, Eric left the country with his military family, ending his and Dean’s budding relationship. The two quickly discover that their dormant feelings are erupting again, especially once they’re back in each other’s arms. But Dean is settled in his life and Eric is scheduled to move across country in a matter of days. Will love and life give them a second chance?



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UK Meet: Victoria Milne

Starting from June 1, 2015, I will daily feature authors attending the three conventions I will join, Euro Pride in Munich (July), UK Meet in Bristol (September) and GRL in San Diego (October).

For the UK Meet in Bristol, September 11-13, 2015, today author is Victoria Milne: Many years ago, Victoria chose the words ‘watch this space’ to accompany her picture in the school yearbook and had no dreams of being a writer. Sixteen years later, after a friend joked that she should be an author, she began the first page of her very first novel and realized how perfect those words had been.
As a latecomer to the world of creative writing, Victoria is now making up for lost time and enjoying every second of the experience.
In the rare moments these days when she’s not writing or dreaming up new plots, she can usually be found at either the ice rink or the dojo and all of these are done listening to loud music.
Victoria would love to hear from anyone who shares her passion for writing; and in particular from anyone who has tips on how to tame the editing fetish she has unwittingly acquired along the way.

Further Readings:

The Strawberry Farm by Victoria Milne
Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing (June 19, 2015)
Amazon Kindle: The Strawberry Farm

Charlie’s furious when a burger truck begins trading in the country lane outside his strawberry farm and encroaches upon his business. What makes it worse is that the infuriating owner refuses to move, claiming he’s found the perfect spot on the English coast to spend his summer.

But when Charlie’s friends from the city show up and are convinced that Tai, the bold American chef, and Charlie should be attracted to one another, the farmer is left with no option than to grudgingly go along with his friends’ plans to set them up.

His world is rapidly turned into bedlam when disaster strikes, forcing the reticent farmer to make a decision that will affect both his and Tai’s summer, and will either bring them together or permanently drive them apart.

Part of "Summer Bigger Than Others - A Summer Anthology" from Beaten Track Publishing.



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2015 Rainbow Awards Submission: Knave of Broken Hearts by Tara Lain

Knave of Broken Hearts (Love in Laguna) by Tara Lain
Gay Contemporary Romance
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (August 3, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1632169614
ISBN-13: 978-1632169617
Amazon: Knave of Broken Hearts (Love in Laguna)
Amazon Kindle: Knave of Broken Hearts (Love in Laguna)

A Love in Laguna Novel

Jim Carney has a full time job―running from himself. Since he walked out on his wealthy family at sixteen because he’d wrecked his best friend’s life over some yaoi graphic novels, Jim has lived a macho, blue-collar existence of too much booze and too little responsibility. Then Billy Ballew, the man Jim most admires, gives Jim a chance to come through as his construction supervisor. For once, Jim is determined to make someone proud. Then Jim goes in for a physical for his new job, and his yaoi dream comes to life in the form of cardiologist Ken Tanaka. Jim discovers he has two heart problems―a wonky mitral valve and a serious attraction to his doctor. But Ken is a major player, and Jim might be just a notch on the doc's stethoscope. To Ken, Jim is unforgettable―but the living embodiment of his traditional family’s worst nightmares. How come the minute Jim decides to be responsible, he finds himself taking care of his kid brother, getting a proposal from a wealthy woman, making a deal with the devil, and winding up in the hospital―when all he really wants is the Knave of Broken Hearts?

2015 Rainbow Awards Guidelines: http://www.elisarolle.com/rainbowawards/rainbow_awards_2015.html

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2015 Rainbow Awards Submission: Aidan's Journey by CJane Elliott

Aidan's Journey (The Serpentine Book 2) by CJane Elliott
Bisexual Contemporary General Fiction
Paperback: 326 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (October 15, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1632162881
ISBN-13: 978-1632162885
Amazon: Aidan's Journey (The Serpentine Book 2)
Amazon Kindle: Aidan's Journey (The Serpentine Book 2)

A Serpentine Series Book

The star of the University of Virginia theater department, Aidan Emery is lusted after and admired for living out and proud. He uses his talent and good looks to his advantage and never sleeps with the same guy twice. But his glamorous patina has been carefully honed to hide the pain he carries inside.

Aidan wasn't always such a player. He starts college naively romantic, hungry for the attention he can’t get from his workaholic father and mentally ill mother. Unfortunately, that leaves him ripe pickings for predatory professor Rodney Montgomery. Rodney’s flattering regard seduces Aidan into a dysfunctional relationship that destroys his innocence.

Life looks up for Aidan when he finally breaks free of Rodney’s pull and moves to New York City to make it as an actor. Meeting sweet fellow actor Patrick Jaymes seems like the start of a fairy tale. But before Aidan can rebuild his life into happily ever after, family secrets rip him wide open, leaving him easy prey when Rodney decides he’s not willing to let Aidan go.

2015 Rainbow Awards Guidelines: http://www.elisarolle.com/rainbowawards/rainbow_awards_2015.html

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2015 Rainbow Awards Submission: All in a Day’s Work

All in a Day’s Work by Shae Connor, Bru Baker, Holly O. Hale, Therese Woodson, Henrietta Clarke, Jenni Michaels, Amy Jo Cousins, Kay Walker
Gay Anthology / Collection / Contemporary Romance
Paperback: 200 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (September 22, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 163216504X
ISBN-13: 978-1632165046
Amazon: All in a Day’s Work
Amazon Kindle: All in a Day’s Work

A guy’s got to make a living. He can do it the conventional way―by selling cars, scooping ice cream, or delivering sandwiches―or he can earn his money as a spy, a historical interpreter, or the host of a myth-busting television show. Whether the men in this anthology are working hard to build their own business or performing in drag at a dance hall, every day has the potential for surprises and the chance to satisfy their lust or maybe find something more permanent. For the guys in these stories, what’s all in a day’s work might be anything but what they expected.

Ice Cream Dreams by Shae Connor
My OTP by Bru Baker
The Bet by Holly O. Hale
Not Quite 1776 by Therese Woodson
Extra Mayo by Henrietta Clarke
Short Timer by Jenni Michaels
Dance Hall Days by Amy Jo Cousins
Unmasked by Kay Walker

2015 Rainbow Awards Guidelines: http://www.elisarolle.com/rainbowawards/rainbow_awards_2015.html

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GRL: Alexa Land

Starting from June 1, 2015, I will daily feature authors attending the three conventions I will join, Euro Pride in Munich (July), UK Meet in Bristol (September) and GRL in San Diego (October).

For the GRL in San Diego, October 15-18, 2015, today author is Alexa Land: "I write and independently publish M/M love stories. My best-selling Firsts and Forever series includes: Way Off Plan, All In, In Pieces, Gathering Storm, Salvation, Skye Blue, Against the Wall and Belonging. Coming Home will be released in later summer, 2015.

I've also published Feral, a paranormal M/M romance, and The Tinder Chronicles, a paranormal trilogy."

Further Readings:

Coming Home by Alexa Land
Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (July 17, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1515191826
ISBN-13: 978-1515191827
Amazon: Coming Home
Amazon Kindle: Coming Home

For twenty-six-year-old rent boy Chance Matthews, surviving day-to-day in San Francisco is difficult enough. Then an ill-fated road trip to Wyoming to search for his biological father throws his life into a tailspin. When a string of catastrophes leaves him stranded and desperate, help comes from the last person he’d expect. His knight in shining armor is everything he could want and then some, but Chance is sure a man like that would never want someone like him. That’s the stuff of fairy tales, and he stopped believing in those a long time ago. Coming Home is the ninth book in Alexa Land’s best-selling Firsts and Forever series, but each book can stand alone, so jump in anywhere.



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Owen Hawley & Ralph Schroeder

Owen Hawley (August 29, 1930 - July 31, 2006) and Ralph Schroeder (1920 - 1976) are buried together at Mound Cemetery, Marietta, Washington County, Ohio, USA

Owen Hawley was a professor at Marietta College. He lived with another man, the same way someone else would live with a wife or a husband. His partner, Ralph Schroeder, died in 1976, and Owen Hawley died in 2006. They are buried in Mound Cemetery, along with many Revolutionary War soldiers and the early political and religious leaders of Marietta. May be the first gay couple to be buried there.

At WASHINGTON COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY people can browse the Ralph Schroeder and Owen Hawley Architecture Collection, a XIX and XX century photography collection of Marietta's buildings.


Owen Hawley (August 29, 1930 - July 31, 2006) was a professor at Marietta College. He lived with another man, the same way someone else would live with a wife or a husband. His partner, Ralph Schroeder (1920 - 1976), died in 1976, and Owen Hawley died in 2006. They are buried in Mound Cemetery, along with many Revolutionary War soldiers and the early political and religious leaders of Marietta. May be the first gay couple to be buried there.

( Further Readings )

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John Andrew Frey & Peter Louis Morris

Peter Louis Morris of Capitol Hill died peacefully on Sunday, August 29, 2010. Born December 29, 1929, in Peekskill, NY, he was beloved partner of Jack Frey (Aug. 29, 1929 - Aug. 22, 1997), with whom he is buried under a common burial resembling a bench in the Congressional Cemetery, Washington, District of Columbia.

Together 43 years, they met while Catholic University students at DC’s then most popular gay male establishment, the piano bar/restaurant the Chicken Hut on H Street near Lafayette Park where biweekly, Sunday afternoon gay dances were later sponsored by the Mattachine Society of Washington in 1961 and 1962. Frey was a Fulbright Scholar, professor of Romance Languages at George Washington University, and author of books on Victor Hugo and Emile Zola. Morris was an expert French cook, and on the Board of Directors of the gay Catholic organization Dignity for whom he coauthored a community cookbook.

In the absence of any other information, MICHAEL WILLIAM HILDEBRAND is presumed to be gay because of the proximity of his grave to that of John Frey and Peter Morris suggesting they might have been friends, and because of the shape and color of his unique gravestone reminiscent of the Pink Triangle, the symbol gay men were forced to wear in Nazi concentration camps.

All over Frey and Morris's bench, Inscription read:
Us While wandering down the back roads Of my mind I came upon a memory of us Faces garden-fresh blooming and Full of promise.
My inner-eye welled up Furrows have etched their way Into our fields of being. What had youth's straightness Now bends and curves into Accommodation.
We have become ourselves Not alone, but with each other's Help.
On the face of it, youth's bloom Has gone Replaced by hardier stuff Whose roots are deep and all Encompassing.
How fortunate we were to Have loved each other then And even more so, to still Love each other Now.
Forty-three years together Is not enough But we will be together again.
John Andrew Frey August 29, 1929 August 22, 1997
Peter Louis Morris December 29, 1929 August 29, 2010
In Memory of our Parents George Henry Frey Marie Berter Frey
Louis Morris Sr. Dorothea Chaplin Morris
And our pets, Bucky, Pudgy, Major, Jelp I II, Rosh I II III, Franah I II, Mime I II, Madame


Together 43 years, John Andrew Frey & Peter Louis Morris met while Catholic University students at DC’s then most popular gay male establishment, the piano bar/restaurant the Chicken Hut on H Street near Lafayette Park where biweekly. Frey was a Fulbright Scholar, professor of Romance Languages at George Washington University, and author of books on Victor Hugo and Emile Zola. Morris was an expert French cook, and on the Board of Directors of the gay Catholic organization Dignity for whom he coauthored a community cookbook.

Source: www.leonardmatlovich.com/images/HCC_Gay_Graves_Map_DRAFT-B.pdf

( Further Readings )

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2015 Rainbow Awards Submission: Wayward Son by Shae Connor

Wayward Son (Sons Book 2) by Shae Connor
Gay Erotic Romance
Paperback: 200 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (May 11, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1634760786
ISBN-13: 978-1634760782
Amazon: Wayward Son (Sons Book 2)
Amazon Kindle: Wayward Son (Sons Book 2)

Sequel to Unfortunate Son

Sons: Book Two

After his move to Atlanta and away from the influence of his conservative parents, Mikey O’Malley finally feels free to be himself: art student, aspiring animator, and out gay man. He has friends, a new job, and not one, but two men interested in him. Cory Lassiter and Jimmy Black have been a happy couple for years, occasionally bringing a twink into their bed, but only for a brief roll in the hay. When Mikey meets the pair, the attraction is immediate, and it runs three ways. Mikey just can’t believe they’d have room in their lives for a permanent addition.

When Mikey’s newfound life is shattered by a lawsuit that accuses him of molesting a child years earlier, he’s determined to face his troubles on his own, but Cory and Jimmy are just as determined that he not have to go it alone. To reconcile his need for independence and his desire for love, Mikey has to learn that being a man isn’t just about standing on your own two feet. It’s about letting yourself lean on the ones who love you.

2015 Rainbow Awards Guidelines: http://www.elisarolle.com/rainbowawards/rainbow_awards_2015.html

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2015 Rainbow Awards Submission: Unfortunate Son by Shae Connor

Unfortunate Son by Shae Connor
Gay Erotic Romance
Paperback: 200 pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (January 12, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1632165309
ISBN-13: 978-1632165305
Amazon: Unfortunate Son
Amazon Kindle: Unfortunate Son

Sons: Book One

Five years ago, Evan Day lost his lover in the Afghan sand, and in the fallout, he lost his military career and his family. With help from friends, he reinvented himself as porn star Trevor Hardball, but his scars are hidden, not healed. When Riley Yeats falls into Evan’s lap in a bar, he awakens a part of Evan he’d thought was dead and gone. Evan’s fascinated by the blond and twinky Riley, even though he’s the opposite of Evan’s usual type.

Then Evan’s family reappears in his life, and Evan soon learns Riley has his own family-inflicted wounds—ones that make it hard for him to be there for Evan. A disastrous confrontation between Evan and his parents leaves Evan’s mother injured and Evan overcome by anger and fear. Losing his tenuous hold on his emotional control, Evan makes one bad decision after another, but maybe his final fall will be the wake-up call Evan needs to set things right—with his parents, and with Riley.

2015 Rainbow Awards Guidelines: http://www.elisarolle.com/rainbowawards/rainbow_awards_2015.html

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