Brandon

Why Gay YA?

April 11, 2014 By Brandon 3 Comments

Welcome Chris O’Guinn to the blog. Readers chose his novel, Fearless as a 2014 LGBT Book Gem.

It’s quite an honor to have my book, Fearless, be counted among the Hidden Gems on this list. I am very grateful to Brandon for giving me the chance to introduce people to this story. Of everything I have written, this one is closest to me personally. And given the reaction of my wonderful readers, it seems to be striking a chord with people all over the world.

One of the most common and most interesting questions I get is, “Why do you write gay YA?” I like this question because the answer is so layered. It gets at the core of what I really want to accomplish with my books. [Read more…] about Why Gay YA?

Oops, I Didn’t Know I Couldn’t Write About Sex

April 4, 2014 By Brandon Leave a Comment

Welcome friend and author Brian Centrone with a few words concerning his new short story collection, Erotica which features seven stories, one for every sin.

D.H. Lawrence got in trouble over it. Anne Rice used a pen name to write it. E.L. James made a fortune off it. No one can deny that sex sells, yet it remains controversial. The mere mention of erotica sends literary noses pointed toward the heavens in a triumphant stance of superiority. For the majority of the literary world, erotica is not literature at all.

The truth is that some believe erotica is cheap. They dismiss it with other genre writing like Sci Fi or Romance. Many see these types of stories as inferior to scholarly or academic works. I disagree. I won’t argue that some erotica is pure smut, merely words to get off by, but not all, and certainly not mine. I believe that there is such a thing as “literary erotica,” and I consider my work to fall into that category. Why? Because I write erotic stories the way I write any fiction. I use the building blocks of literature to craft and develop tales which seek for more than just to lube a reader up. My stories aren’t about sex. They feature sex, yes, and prominently—that’s the nature of erotica—but they are always about something more: love, relationships, self-discovery. [Read more…] about Oops, I Didn’t Know I Couldn’t Write About Sex

A Place of My Own – Short Film

March 31, 2014 By Brandon Leave a Comment

A young boy caught between his conservative mother’s scrutiny and his own desire to dress in girls’ clothes. This divide erects irreversible barriers between his mother and himself.

As I watched this I couldn’t help but note the similarities occurring in my own family over a young niece’s coming out.

The Cool Part of His Pillow

March 28, 2014 By Brandon 3 Comments

Welcome Rodney T Ross to the blog. His novel, The Cool Part of His Pillow was nominated by readers as a 2014 LGBT Book Gem. I asked him to stop by and tell us a little about himself and the book. ~ B.

REAR-VIEW MIRROR

The adage is absence makes the heart grow fonder.

I might add to that: A little distance, too.

It’s been well over a year since publication of The Cool Part of His Pillow (TCPohP).

Only now, impregnation and labor behind me, can I address its birth without excessive tears and gastrointestinal distress.

I circulated the manuscript to what mainstream publishers still accept unsolicited work –- approximately zero -– and literary agents. Many indicated they had enough LGBTQ-inclined authors. Like an aspiring career politician, I would apparently have to wait for someone to die to be installed. My favorite rejection was to what I thought was a succinct plot summary and my best three chapters. [Read more…] about The Cool Part of His Pillow

Naked in the Rain

March 21, 2014 By Brandon 2 Comments

Welcome Eowyn Wood to the blog. Her award-winning novel, Naked in the Rain was nominated by readers as a 2014 LGBT Book Gem.

My novel Naked in the Rain and its sequel Afterglow tackle the controversial topic of underage prostitution, along with drug addiction, homelessness and… music. It is not all dark and dreary. I hope readers find beauty and humor generously sprinkled throughout both novels.

People ask me, why write about two boys who run away and become prostitutes? The answer is, I don’t really know! Some people attribute it to my “day job” working at Cascade AIDS Project, a non-profit AIDS service organization. While it’s true CAP has exposed me to people with a lot of different life experiences, the story was in my head long before I began working there. [Read more…] about Naked in the Rain

invisible – Short LGBT Film

March 17, 2014 By Brandon 1 Comment

Because love knows no gender.