Sometimes the music just speaks for itself.
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The final weeks until Afflicted 2
UPDATE: Publication date has been set for December 6th. Mark it on your Goodreads TBR List.
I’m in the home stretch for getting Afflicted II out to you by December and thought I would share some of the music that has been part of the writing process, as well as some thoughts about the Afflicted series itself.
First, let me start off with an admission: Afflicted was an experiment. In 15 years of writing I’ve never attempted to write erotic romance. This was a first. I enjoyed writing it. It was nice to have written something with a definitively happy ending; and if the muse has her way, I may offer up more for your critique.
But let’s get Afflicted finished first (please). [Read more…] about The final weeks until Afflicted 2
Nessa L Warin on LGBT YA books and her new release
I’m talking with Nessa L. Warin today. Nessa has 4 books under her belt, works with Harmony Ink promoting positive books for LGBT Youth and has a new book out, To Dream, Perchance to Live.
B: Before we get into your book, let’s talk a little about what you do at Harmony Ink. The press is set up to promote books with positive role models for LGBT Youth, what do you do there to help foster the growth and reach your audience? [Read more…] about Nessa L Warin on LGBT YA books and her new release
Music Monday – ZZ Ward
To my knowledge ZZ Ward is not LGBT, but her music is so good that I thought I’d do a little sample here.
Til the Casket Drops is the first song she wrote for her new CD. The song is a story about going to war for the one you love, and as the muse starts hitting me with thoughts for a new book, it seems this captures its vibe perfectly. And if this seems familiar, you may have heard her on Pretty Little Liars, The Voice, or several other TV shows, and I’m sure you’ll likely be hearing her a lot more in the future.
48-hour Street Vigil for Atlanta’s homeless LGBT Youth
Living as homeless
November 6-8
Starting November 6, Executive Director of Lost-N-Found , Rick Westbrook, will be living on the roof of a truck parked in Midtown Atlanta with no more than the clothes on his back, his ID and his cell phone—no wallet, no money—for 48 hours. Please join the Lost-n-Found Facebook page for more information and live updates once he’s there.
ALL proceeds go directly to getting LGBT kids off the street.
The truck will also take donations of coats, underwear/socks, canned food, etc., and Rick will post updates to Facebook.
November 7 – Immediately following the annual meeting, we ask the community to join us at the truck around 9:00 pm for a candlelight vigil to show continued support of homeless LGBT youth.Location: Brushstrokes (Parking Lot), 1510 Piedmont Avenue Northeast, Atlanta, GA 30324
Find them on Facebook, Twitter and at the website.
If you can’t make it in person, please consider a donation.
Interview with author Amelia C Gormley (with a bonus excerpt)
I’m talking to Amelia C. Gormley today whose debut book Inertia (Impulse #1) is garnering great reviews. We’re chatting about her book, her future plans, her next book in the series, and her goal of aiding the Ruth Ellis Center in Detroit.
Inertia (Impulse #1) is the story of Derrick Chance, a man who lost his heart once and isn’t willing to risk it again. (But you know that never works out, no matter how much we try.)
B: One of the first things that struck me about your MC, Derrick, is that he felt like an old soul, and was not a fashionista, which I find all too (stereotypically) often in M/M romance. Externally he appears quite comfortable with his life, but internally…that’s a different story. How did you develop his character? [Read more…] about Interview with author Amelia C Gormley (with a bonus excerpt)
Prince & Ekaj – LGBT Film
Prince & Ekaj is a story about two gay Latino teenagers who are completely different from each other. One is a runaway teenager, and the other is a self-taught street hustler who spends his time wandering the streets of NYC at night looking for ways to make money. They both meet by chance and end up realizing that they depend on one another more than they think in a city that is full of crime, drugs, prostitution, and of course, hope.
Their story is not an easy one, but then surviving on the street as a gay teen isn’t easy either.
I featured the producers of this film on my blog some months back, and then brought it up again when one of the young actors was beaten and robbed in real life. The film is in the last two & a half weeks of filming and has a fundraiser event in NYC on Oct 25th and you can be a part of this monumental work of art. Space is limited to 75 guests. Register
See the trailer on their website
Hip Hop taking another step forward for LGBT
You may remember that I featured the song below when it first came out and was featured on Soundcloud. Here’s the stunning and poignant video in support of LGBT life & marriage.
MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS – SAME LOVE feat. MARY LAMBERT (OFFICIAL VIDEO)
Interview with new author Jeff Ballam
I’m talking with Jeff Ballam today. Jeff is a lgbt author and a 6th grade teacher. His new book is Out of the Past .
B: Welcome Jeff. Tell us a little about Out of the Past, what’s the story line?
J: Thank you, Brandon. First, I want to thank you for the opportunity to chat here with you. I appreciate the support. The story line is about a young gay man, Paul Vanderwall who is also a schoolteacher. He has been hurt by love, so he doesn’t want to take any risks. He’s summoned to jury duty and meets a tall, dark, handsome defense attorney who is trying the same case Paul is serving on. Their paths continue to cross during the trial, and so do their eyes, so they can’t act on their desires, yet once the trial is over, Paul receives a letter inviting him on a date with the attorney, and there are quite a few surprises along the way. [Read more…] about Interview with new author Jeff Ballam
The other side of Homophobia on Twitter
I’ve been on Twitter for almost two years now, tweeting away about LGBT Youth, books, music, and all manner of things generally LGBTQ related. When the news about the new site that tracks the use of homophobic slurs hit the Twittersphere this week I had already seen it (and tweeted about it) before it became a huge news item on the LGBT circuit. I watched as many of the major LGBT blogs/feeds spoke about how depressed, saddened, and disturbed they were. I also noted how more than a few people repeated that sentiment on their own feeds, some of them had just a few friends and followers, and some had thousands.
What did the big news sites fail to report?
There is, and has been, just as much lgbtq-positive and anti-homophobic sentiment on twitter as there is homophobia. (See feed below.) [Read more…] about The other side of Homophobia on Twitter