Brandon Shire

Author of Contemporary Gay Romance

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Assumption and prejudice – from beta readers

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Reading (© Jenny Rollo)
Reading (© Jenny Rollo)

Consider this.

My book, Afflicted came out in September. It is an HEA M/M novel that deals with a blind man and male prostitute who was thrown from the house as a young boy because he was gay. When I passed it on to my beta readers they loved the story, its eroticism, and its passion, but some of the comments I got back dismayed me:

Gay kid thrown from the house and becomes a hustler is a bit passe. 

500,000 homeless gay kids on the street right now, more than a few of them selling their bodies for $10 for a warm bed (for one night) and the concept is passe? Is this where we have come to? That we can scream about a chicken sandwich but step over a 15 yr old kid whose parents didn’t think him worthy of being called human? What does that say about how homophobia has really affected us when we can, as a community, accept homeless kids as normal or passe? Even in a fictional story the idea insults my heart. [Read more…] about Assumption and prejudice – from beta readers

10% of Book Sales to LGBT Youth Charity

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As of September 1st, 2012 ten percent (10%) of ALL book sales will go to two LGBT Youth Charities

 

lgbt nonprofitAs most of my regular readers already know, it was previously set up so that 50% of the proceeds from The Value of Rain went to two charities working with LGBTQ youth. Unfortunately, that has turned into an accounting nightmare in which the end loser is the charities themselves.  With two books out, another coming out in September, and several more planned for next year I can see this getting worse.

Changing how I raise funds will allow all my readers to know that their money is going to a solid cause (getting homeless LGBT kids off the street) and broaden the choices for those readers while at the same time giving me/us the ability to send more money to the nonprofits involved. (10% of multiple books is more than 50% of one). [Read more…] about 10% of Book Sales to LGBT Youth Charity

There’s a bridge I hide under – from LGBT Youth

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lgbt youth nonprofit

A 6-month update from the Executive Director of Lost-n-Found Youth, Rick Westbrook, is below. We have upwards of 7 homeless youth on our wait list. Your support goes a long way, not only to help the 6 youth we are housing, but to help us plan to expand to help even more!

 

Lost-n-Found Youth has just passed the 6 month mark, and things are in full swing.

All of the youth in the house now:

-Have jobs or are just waiting on their schedules

-Start school / college this week, Or

-Go off to Job Corps soon [Read more…] about There’s a bridge I hide under – from LGBT Youth

Interview with Indie filmmakers Cati and Mike Gonzalez

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Filmmakers Cati and Mike GonzalezToday I’m talking with internationally known Indie filmmakers and photographers Cati and Mike Gonzalez, and you know me, if it’s raw and gritty any media can hook me pretty quick. This team of filmmakers had me hooked in about ten seconds. Not only are they well known in NYC and around the world, but it’s pretty rare that I come across someone that has a project that so closely matches my own concerns with LGBTQ youth.

Let me tell you about their film first. Prince & Ekaj hits on so many levels it’s not even funny. This is not some lame Glee view of what it means to be LGBTQ but a hardcore look at what it is to be growing up Latino, gay, and homeless in the hard city. (You can see the trailer below and a longer clip on their website.) [Read more…] about Interview with Indie filmmakers Cati and Mike Gonzalez