Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia: Re-thinking Transgender Issues

Welcome to my post on the Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia, recognising the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.

Until recently I'd not really thought in any great detail about how transgender people live their lives and how it affects those who are close to and love them. This is mainly because I didn't personally know anyone who identified as transgender, other than those I have met via blogs and the internet, and so whilst I recognised that life must be very hard at times for transgender people, it seemed a distant thing.  Then in the last few months a couple of things have made me think about how difficult being transgender can be.

The first is a story line in an online comic that I follow - Questionable Content. This follows a group of twentysomething people and is set mainly in a coffee shop or a library. One of the things I like about the comic is the fluidity of the sexuality of the characters. Some are gay, some are straight and some are bisexual, and there's a great feeling of acceptance and inclusion amongst the friendship groups. A few months ago three new characters were introduced as library interns. There has been much fun to be had with these characters and how they interact with Marten, one of the library workers who has to be my favourite character in the whole comic.  One of these interns is Claire, and at a party she admitted to Marten that she's male to female transgender.  It's obvious that she's nervous about telling Marten, but his overwhelming acceptance of Claire - especially as he's often quite clueless as to what to say in emotional situations - was heartwarming and I've enjoyed reading about their continued friendship. Claire has a twin brother who is fiercely protective of her, another sweet aspect of the story.  Claire's story isn't done in a heavy handed way, but allowed me to see some of the struggles she faces and as a result made me think more about the problems and issues for transgender people.

The second thing is more personally connected with me. Many of you know that I'm a Christian and go to Church. A few months ago the twenty year old son of a couple from my church came out as transgender. It was a big shock for the couple, as they had no idea that their son, now daughter, felt that way and there was a time of adjusting as they went through stages of guilt (that they hadn't seen this coming), bewilderment and finally acceptance. However, throughout the whole time they were adjusting they never stopped loving their daughter or questioned her decision. The couple were very open at church about what was happening to them and the whole church has helped and supported the couple and their daughter. There's been a huge feeling of love for that family during these last few months. All too often Christians are shown as condemning and hateful, but I've found the opposite in my church.  This situation has made me think differently about the families and friends of those who come out as transgender. Yes, it's very hard for transgender people, but it's hard too, albeit in a different way, for those who love them and who have to go through each stage supporting the ones they love. This couple have been with their daughter as she visited the doctors for appointments regarding a gender reassignment operation, have shopped with their daughter for clothes, have stood firm with their daughter when other family members have found it hard to accept.  I have nothing but admiration for their strength when, even if they often couldn't truly understand why, they've still given their wholehearted love to their daughter.

So where am I going with this rather rambling post? Mainly, I suppose to say that over the last few months I've learned something about transgender people and that whilst I've always had a 'live and let live' attitude to other people, this new knowledge has given me a deeper appreciation of how hard it is to be transgender. Let's hope that comics such as Questionable Content continues to reach people, like me, who hadn't really thought too much about it previously. Let's also hope that through more publicity and public awareness, transgender people find acceptance and no longer have difficulty in being who they are.

Thanks for reading my post. Leave a comment today with your email, perhaps telling me about your experiences either as a transgender person or as someone who is just learning about transgender issues, and one lucky commenter will win a $10 All Romance Ebook voucher to spend on a book of their choice. Good luck!

Review: Every Move He Makes by Barbara Elsborg

Every Move He Makes by Barbara Elsborg

My rating: 4 of 5 stars/Very Good



I picked this one up because there had been a generally good vibe about it on Good Reads, plus it seemed ages since I'd read a romantic suspense, so I broke my own rule about not buying any more new books and bought it.

The story is a James Bondesque story of Logan, an MI6 agent, who after being badly compromised on a mission, is beaten almost to death. His face needs extensive reconstructive surgery and the surgeon decides to turn him from an average looking guy to movie-star handsome. Logan's boss takes advantage of Logan's new face to kill him off to the world, leaving Logan without family ties. Logan's next job is to pose as a bodyguard to a spoiled Russian popstar, Zak, in the hope that he can find out what Zak's businessman father is up to, but keeping Zak safe is a difficult job. When the two are forced to flee, Logan can't trust anyone and the Zak becomes much more than just a job.

Let's start by saying that I know nothing about MI6, but I wasn't entirely sure this was an accurate portrayal of how they do things. Having said that, neither are the James Bond films, so I set any skepticism aside and hung on for the ride. The story is told at a fast pace with the pair moving from location to location and I read quickly through the book because the story just propels you on. It was tense and exciting but there was also room for a lot of character development. I liked the way that both characters change for the better through the story. Zak isn't easy to like at first but it wasn't long before he wormed his way into my heart and ended up being my favourite of the two characters. Logan too has a lot to learn about trust and acceptance and I enjoyed the way this slowly develops through the story.

The story isn't perfect. At times the things that happen stretched my incredulity, in particular the behaviour and justification of the bad guy, and Logan's actions towards Zak at times made me want to give him a good old shake, especially as the 'not wanting to get too close' excuse wore thin quickly. However, I still liked them, their relationship was a definite plus and the sexual tension handled perfectly and I would recommend this to people who want a fast-paced read that manages to combine action, tender romance, hot sex and a great British setting.



View all my reviews

Review: Boystown 5: Murder Book by Marshall Thornton

Poor Nick Nowak, he's really put through the wringer in this story. Marshall Thornton looks like such a nice, genial chap from his author photo, you would never guess that he had a liking for cruelty towards his characters, but in the case of the fifth book in this consistently gripping and marvellous mystery series, I did feel tremendously sorry for Nick for pretty much the whole book.

The book begins with the death of Harker, Nick's lover. They've had an uneasy relationship, mainly because of Nick's wariness in allowing himself to become attached to anyone, but gradually Harker had softened Nick and they were in love. Nick knew that Harker would eventually die from AIDs and was prepared to help Harker through the next few difficult years. Now Harker has been murdered by the Bughouse Slasher - a case that Harker had been working on before he retired from the force on disability and continued to work on privately - and Nick is left in complete shock.  Nick isn't someone who does emotion well and so, after a couple of weeks of privately falling apart, he spends the rest of the book being horrid to everyone whilst following up on the clues that Harker left in his murder book on the Bughouse Slasher.

This wasn't an easy book to read.  That doesn't mean that it was bad, it wasn't, quite the opposite in fact. It was compelling and wholly absorbing with a mystery that kept me guessing along with a side plot where Nick investigates a case of fraud.  As a study in one man slowly coming to pieces it was acute and painfully realistic and that was the most difficult part to read.  The thing is, despite all his flaws, I like Nick and always have done. He's rude and objectionable pretty much most of the time and his people skills are rubbish, but under that there's always been the sense of a man who's been badly let down and hurt by those he cares about the most, and so armours himself against further hurt by pushing people away.  Harker's death is such a blow to him that it heightens all the defense mechanisms and he becomes almost impossible. He pushes away anyone who tries to comfort him. More than that, he's cruel to people in a desperate attempt to regain some control over his grief, and yet he's constantly bewildered by the kindness of others. Nick's also desperately hurt by Harker's actions which led to his death and wanders through the book in a sort of haze, latching onto the murder investigation as a way of suppressing the hurt and grief, in the hope that catching the killer would give some relief. Just occasionally we get flashes of the decent man Nick is underneath the bravado, especially in his dealings with Mrs Harker, who he really doesn't like but knows he has to protect for Harker's sake, or the way he rushes to the hospital when he thinks a friend is ill.  My heart went out to Nick time and time again, and I marvelled at the delicacy and insight that the author brings to the character of Nick and his situation. This is truly great writing.

As with all the books in this series the characterisation works alongside the dogged and dreary investigative work. Nick moves about Chicago, catching taxis, public transport or just walking as he chases down each lead moving slowly closer to the killer. There's an element of cat and mouse to this mystery too as Nick discovers more about the Slasher and the Slasher keeps one step ahead of him every time.  The eighties setting remains authentic and just occasionally I found myself thinking how much more difficult everything is without access to mobile phones or the internet, and yet Nick still gets the job done.  Another aspect to the series is seeing that time period through the eyes of a gay man, as AIDs becomes more well known but there's still unprotected sex with strangers because no-one is yet aware of the risks.  There are fewer sex scenes in this book because Nick is grieving and frankly isn't in the mood most of the time, and the sex is often perfunctory, a way of releasing tension, showing yet more insight into Nick's state of mind. I didn't personally find any of the sex scenes, apart from one very poignant scene, sexy and I think that was the point. Nick can't even lose himself in one-off encounters and when he does he hates himself for being weak.

This is a gay mystery story, not a romance, and so don't expect to see Nick happy by the end. The last scene was very downbeat and we leave Nick at a very low period, hiding from his friends and those who care about him, wallowing in self disgust, despite having solved the mystery. It was a difficult way for me as a reader to leave Nick and I really hope that the poor guy gets a break in the next book.

So, as I said, this wasn't an easy but to read. However, it was brilliantly written with a depth of characterisation that I strongly admired.  This series has me completely hooked and I can't wait to read the next one.  Grade: Excellent.

Buy this book HERE.

Review: Spirit Sanguine by Lou Harper

Similar to the last book I read by this author, Dead in LA, Spirit Sanguine is a series of three shorts/novellas all based around the same characters and involving separate mystery plots. Unlike Dead in LA, this book has a paranormal theme of vampires and vampire slayers. Now, I'm rather a fan of vampire books so this seemed just the ticket and I was keen to read.

The first story is the shortest in the book and whilst it has a bit of a mystery plot, its main function is to introduce the main characters, get them into the start of a relationship and establish the vampire world and Gabe's place in that.  Having said that, it's not a filler story and for me it had some of the most entertaining and humourous elements of the whole book.  We begin with Gabe who is newly arrived back in the US after spending many years training and hunting as a vampire slayer in the 'Old Country'. He's in a club when he senses a vampire and decides to follow him so he can kill the vamp - after all, that's what he's spent years doing so far. Except things don't go to plan when he is at first outwitted by the vamp, Harvey, and then discovers that vampires in the US are very different to the murderous vamps he's used to killing in self defense. After having his whole vampire world view turned upside down, Gabe finds himself attracted to Harvey and willing to help when a human friend of Harvey's is kidnapped.

I have to admit, I loved these characters, especially Gabe who experiences the most in terms of character development in the book. At first he seems a bit clueless and sees things in black and white but gradually we discover that he has a tenacity and doggedness which works well when it comes to solving mysteries and that he has a strong protective streak towards his friends.  It was easy to like him because the author does such a great job of really getting into the mind of Gabe, showing his conflicting emotions and showing that, despite his faults, he's a nice guy who wants to do good in the world.

Harvey is another great character, although maybe less defined than Gabe. His troubled past calls out to Gabe's protective streak and as a pair they work well together with Gabe's slow and steady personality complimenting Harvey's sharper, more sarcastic exterior.  Their relationship deepens through each story as they grow closer and I particularly liked the way that Harvey is patient with Gabe, allowing him to sort through his feelings - even if it does exasperate Harvey on occasion. I also very much liked the use of role-play in the sex scenes which gave the sex scenes a lightness of touch, along with being very hot.  There's a lot of fun and laughter between them which also helped to lighten the tone of the book and made their relationship seem solid, one that will last.

During the second story we are introduced to another great character, Denton, who can sense the last moments of a person's life and so is called on to help Gabe in investigating a series of murders. I liked Denton a great deal and enjoyed the wryly humourous interchanges between him and Gabe.  I was pleased to see that the author has written a spin-off short about Denton and I'm looking forward to reading that.

My main problem with the book is that it suffered a little from a saggy middle. The mystery plot during the second story began well, but I pretty much guessed the murderer quickly, even if I hadn't guessed the motivation, and whilst I liked that the mystery was tied up with Gabe's past and gave us some insight into him as a character, there were just a few too many 'interview' scenes with minor characters towards the end of the story and I found my attention wandering.

However, things picked up again in the third story which brought things full circle to concentrate on Harvey's past and shed some light on Gabe's experiences in the Old Country. This story had a real pep to it and I enjoyed the way the pace picked up as well as seeing the development of loose threads from the previous stories. The change of setting to Las Vegas helped with this, adding a frisson of danger with the unfamiliar setting for the characters, and also shed some light on Gabe's boss. Not everything is tied up neatly though, suggesting that there may be more stories planned for the future. I hope so because I really liked the characters and the paranormal setting.

Overall, this was a highly entertaining and mostly engrossing book with a very readable style. I like how this author manages to combine charming characters with witty dialogue, and also has a good eye for action scenes mixed with solid romance and character building.  If you like vampire books then I would recommend this as there's enough familiarity to please those who like the genre whilst adding its own unique twist to the vampire world for those looking for something a bit different.  Grade: Excellent.

Buy this book HERE.

Where the Heck am I?

Very sorry that I've been AWOL all week. It's actually not my fault. It's totally the fault of Anke and Orannia whose re-read of the Falls Chance Ranch series has tempted me to a re-read too. Each book is veeeeerrrrrrryyyyyy long and so all my spare time has been taken up with reading those. I'm nearly finished so normal programming will resume soon :).

I have some reviews to post, especially one of Spirit Sanguine by Lou Harper and that will come sometime in the coming week.

However, things may be a little quiet soon because the dreaded marking is starting up again. This year I'll be fitting it in around my two other jobs so opportunities for blogging may be scarce.

On a happy note, I met up with Clare London on Friday. I was in London for a meeting and we had dinner and a few drinks together. It was great fun and lovely to catch up. I'm now looking forward to the UK Meet in Manchester even more now. Only a couple of months to go for that, so if you haven't booked yet, get to it!

Review: Slam! by JL Merrow

Jude spends his day working in a vegan cafe and ogling the hottie martial arts instructor who jogs by on a regular basis. When Jude is attacked, the hottie, Dave, rescues him and persuades him to join his karate club. Jude is more interested in getting into Dave’s gi, but problems with his Mum’s boyfriend and the fact that Dave is not out at work means that things are not easy for Jude.

How much you like this book will depend strongly on your reaction to Jude. He’s sassy, outspoken, with a mind and mouth which run a mile a minute. There’s very little filter between his brain and mouth and he blurts out what he’s thinking, without considering the implications. He’s also funny and flamboyant and I laughed out loud on a number of occasions, especially at his inventive and witty limericks. It was also wonderful to read a flaming, out and proud gay man, who was completely unapologetic about it, despite the problems that it had caused Jude in his life. I liked him a great deal, but by the end I was getting a little worn out by his relentless wordy narrative.

Another consequence of Jude’s personality is that it completely dominates the book. Jude drowns out the other characters. His friend Keisha is perhaps one of the characters who manages to retain some individuality, probably because she is larger than life herself. Dave is the character who suffers worse for this and his character is an almost unknown, even by the end of the book. We know he works for a firm of builders, we know he’s not out at work but other than that he’s pretty much an unknown and other than lust, and perhaps the sense of calm and safety Jude gains from him, it was difficult to see what he could bring to the relationship with Jude.

There were other parts of the book which I enjoyed a great deal. I loved Bubbles and the cute master/doggie relationship that Jude has with Bubbles. I also loved the protective relationship that Jude has with Keisha. She’s prickly and difficult, but he sees through to the heart of her, and manages to show love and concern. Jude’s relationship with his mum is another way we see Jude’s protectiveness. The whole plot with Jude playing along with his Mum’s lies, despite the damage it does to his relationship with Dave, made me a little uncomfortable but it showed his loyalty to his mum.

So overall, I had slightly mixed feelings about the book. The writing was amusing and funny at times. I liked Jude who was warm and quirky. I liked Dave, even without knowing much about him, mainly because he seems a steadfast influence on Jude and the hurt/comfort scenes between them were sweet. The romance moved at a steady pace without too much in the way of conflict and ended at a HFN point. There were still some unanswered questions such as how they would proceed with the relationship and what Jude was going to do with his life and I would have liked to perhaps have seen a little further into their future as a couple. The book wasn’t without flaws but I would still be happy to recommend it with a grade of ‘Very Good’.

Buy this book HERE.

Guest Post: Interview with Raven de Hart & K. Piet

Today I'm pleased to introduce K Piet and Raven de Hart. They are here to promote a new anthology from Storm Moon Press: Gay and Lesbian Coffee Break Quickies by telling us a bit about themselves and their story.  Over to you Raven and K!

Tell us a little about yourselves.

[Raven]: I'm just the dirty little old lady down the way, sitting around, writing M/M fiction. Personally, I think every town should have one. Of course, that's not all I do. I do spend a little time in my herb garden, more as the weather up north here is getting warmer, and I take care of my Pekingese, Rufus.

[K.]: I'm K. Piet, and I serve as the Marketing Director for Storm Moon Press in addition to writing the occasional solo short story and my many more numerous works co-authored with S.L. Armstrong. I write a little bit of everything: gay, lesbian, bisexual, fluffy contemporary, edgy urban fantasy, you name it! I have a penchant for twinks and love to dye my hair crazy colors.

Storm Moon Press' Gay & Lesbian Coffee Break Quickies anthology just released April 12th. What are the names of your short story contributions, and what are they about?

[Raven]: Mine is "1-888-Boredom". It's all about getting a final office fling before getting fired. I mean, honestly, there's no other point of getting a temp job in an office if you don't get to play a little on the side, in my opinion.

[K.]: My short is "Hands On" and a lesbian piece between two co-workers at a corporate massage chain. You know the trope of the 'Happy Ending'? Well, these characters certainly get theirs after a long, slow day. I'd say a little erotic massage is the best possible way to spend an hour when your lunch break ends up taking up half of the day.

What themes in your erotic shorts set it apart from the rest? Is there something special each of you put into them that readers should look forward to?

[Raven]: I can't very well say what sets it apart. Haven't gotten around to reading the other stories yet. Busy busy busy. As for something special... well, let's just say there's a little fun with the copy machine.

[K.]: I'm lucky in that, as one of the editors, I was able to read several of the stories ahead of time. I think the biggest thing that sets my story apart is the setting of the massage clinic. There's such a stigma about sex happening in those places, even if the establishment is totally legitimate. My story totally plays with the trope, even though you'd get in lots of trouble if you ever pulled this kind of stunt at a professional clinic. It's definitely a no-no!

Do either of you have your own coffee break fantasy from a menial job? What about that secret flame for a co-worker? Any work-related tidbits from your life you can share in celebration of your book release?

[Raven]: Fantasies galore, darling! The curse of the imaginative. Of course, not naming any names, there was a stock boy when I worked overnights at Wal-Mart. Nice, beefy brunette. Set my... 'heart' to fluttering. I never fell in love with anyone at work, though.

[K.]: That stock boy sounds damn good to me. The wonderful thing about working in the massage therapy field is that you see a lot more diversity when it comes to sexual and gender identity and expression. In my own experience as a therapist, I've had crushes on both co-workers and clients. Never enough to make me act on the little fantasies, but there's nothing better than a gorgeous man coming in for some deep tissue, great conversation, and to perfume the room with nice cologne. ;)

What's television show comes up most at your water cooler conversations?

[Raven]: Well, if I had a water cooler, I can only imagine it would involve a lot of conversations about reality TV. I love all those pawn shop shows and storage locker shows. Sure, they're mindless and insipid, but that doesn't bother me. I mostly like to put them on for background noise while writing, anyway.

[K.] At my day job, people talked incessantly about sports, which never interested me in the slightest. At home, however, with the Storm Moon Press crew, we've been catching up on Supernatural. S.L. Armstrong and I constantly bitch about celebrity chefs as well, since our normal background television centers around Cooking Channel and Food Network.

Where can readers find the two of you?

[Raven]: Well, in theory, people can find me at my blog. But mostly in theory. I forget to update for months at a time, sometimes. But you're welcome to drop in, anyway. I keep the wine under the kitchen table.

[K.]: I have a website in desperate need of updating, but I'm starting to get a bit better about updating my blog. I can always be found on Twitter, though, @k_piet!

Thank you K and Raven for letting us know a little bit about yourselves. For those who are interested here's some more information about the anthology.

Gay & Lesbian Coffee Break Quickies – Now available from Storm Moon Press for $3.99 (ebook) 

Ah, the allure of the office romance. The sly smiles across the room as you wonder if anyone else knows. The danger of being caught by the boss. The thrill of those stolen moments in the copy room or supply closet. It's this feeling that we've condensed, distilled, and captured in the short shorts of Gay & Lesbian Coffee Break Quickies. We've compiled thirteen brief tales of men and women getting it on with a co-worker or a boss in a steamy office romance.

Some of them are established and have been sneaking around the office for some time, like Lori Hunt and her P.A. Ms. Lovell in She's the Boss or Tom and Neal in Personal Assistance. Others, like The New Guy's Greg and Eli or the awkwardly-named Rebecca A. and Rebecca B. from Tele-Romance are just beginning to experience the allure that can come from keeping the secret. Nor are such trysts confined to the office itself, spilling out into stairwells, copy rooms, gyms, and even computer server rooms. Whatever the case, though, they're sure to arouse your imagination, and maybe even leave you looking at your own co-workers a little bit... differently.

Gay & Lesbian Coffee Break Quickies includes:
Skype Wars by Rob Rosen
Hands On by K. Piet
One Week by L. Alonso Corona
Working Lunch by Ann Anderson
Personal Assistance by K. Lynn
She's the Boss by Angel Propps
The New Guy by John Amory
Stair Walking by Harper Bliss
1-888-BOREDOM by Raven de Hart
Fair Play by Anna Hedley
His Nonexistent Coffee Break by Lor Rose
Tele-Romance by Erik Moore
Three Strikes by Piper Vaughn