JUNE 2012 M/M ROMANCE NEWSLETTER
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Welcome to our newsletter. We hope the content on this page is both informative and entertaining. We welcome feedback; you can send it to the Newsletter Editor. Also, please visit the Dreamspinner Press blog! Follow the blog to see author posts, book excerpts, contests, and other news from the press about M/M romance. Enjoy!
Ariel Tachna, Social Networking Coordinator, Dreamspinner Press
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TIME IS ETERNITY DAILY DOSE IS NOW AVAILABLE |
"Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity." ~Henry Van Dyke
Millennia, centuries, decades, years, months, days, hours, minutes, seconds... if it's a love for the ages, then past, present, or future has no meaning. In these stories, time travel—forward or backward, for an instant or for a lifetime—is the way to fulfilling romance. The Time Is Eternity Daily Dose package delivers 30 M/M stories (plus a bonus short!) about love conquering all through the ages.
Summer reading fun! Over 1,500 pages of fiction now available individually as priced or as a bulk package for $64.99 (a $92.70 value!).
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AUTHOR INTERVIEW |
Why did you decide to write romance stories?
You know, that's an excellent question and I'm not really sure. I've always been drawn to and enjoyed stories with more of an action/adventure/sci-fi slant.
Somewhere along the way I realized that romance could be, and often was, woven in with those types of plots. Having your two main characters also be lovers
adds another, deeper dimension to any situation, I think. For me it became one of those things I more or less fell into because I enjoy exploring emotional
connections between people. So, the more intense their connection and bond, the more there is to explore.
How were you introduced to M/M fiction?
Via fandom M/M slash fiction.
What are five of your favorite books/series?
Shogun by James Clavell. He actually wrote several books with the same characters, but I'm not sure if there was a series name.
Anything by Greg Bear
Isles of Glory by Glenda Larke. She wrote a book called Havenstar which is another favorite, but used the name Glenda Normly.
Arthur C Clarke's Space Odyssey series
And recently I've become a big fan of Anne Barwell and Lou Sylvre, which okay, that's six not five, but I did it in five lines. Does that count?
Why did you decide to try to publish your stories?
There isn't a time in my life I can remember when I didn't write. The thought to publish was always in the back of my mind, even as a child. Being involved in
fandom led to posting fanfic online and gave me that final confidence boost and push I needed to put together the first book proposal. Complete strangers not only
liked my stories, but asked for more. All those people gave me courage to really put effort into getting published.
Elizabeth Noble started telling stories before she actually knew how to write, and her family was very happy when she learned to put words on a page. Those words turned into fan fiction that turned into a genuine love of M/M romance fiction. Being able to share her works with Dreamspinner is really a dream come true. She has a real love for all things sci-fi, futuristic, and supernatural and a bit of an unnatural interest in a super-volcano in Wyoming.
Visit her at http://www.elizabeth-noble.com, her Facebook, and her blog at http://e-noble.livejournal.com/. You can contact her at elizabeth.noble19@gmail.com..
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Win an eBook copy of your choice of one of this author's works. Clues are available in author bios on our web site.
This author lives in Florida among the alligators and palmetto bugs with her husband and a Shar Pei-Labrador puppy who thinks she's a person. She spends most of her time writing gay erotic romance while chained to a computer in the dark recesses of her office, which her children have dubbed, "The Gay Cave."
E-mail the Newsletter Editor with your answer. A winner will be chosen randomly from the correct answers. Contest ends the last day of the month.
The correct answers to last month's question: This author has a degree in medieval history and loves castles, knights in shining armor, and barbarian warriors with no armor at all. H.J. Brues
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"Where did you find those?"
Jamie gazed at the pile of oddments spilled from the moldering cardboard box onto the table without replying.
Malcolm's hand came down on the table in front of her, the loud slap against the melamine making her jump. "Where did you get them?"
"Daddy, it wasn't anything like you think. I was cleaning out the spare room closet. This was at the back."
"I've told you to stay out of there."
"But—"
"Put it away." He pulled the falling-apart box across the table and threw the items back inside without regard for their condition.
"Daddy! The blueprints!" She grabbed for them, but he was quicker, snagging them away and flinging them across the room.
"Leave them!" She froze in her tracks, her jaw set, glaring at the crumpled pile of purple-blue paper in the corner.
"It's just old junk, Daddy," she said quietly, knowing it was no such thing, wishing he would tell her what it really was. He turned and stalked out of the room without a word.
Carefully, she retrieved the documents from the floor and spread them on the kitchen table. Taking the time to smooth the wrinkles from them, she sat for a long time attempting to decipher the hieroglyphs of the drafters' language while her father sat in the next room watching baseball with the sound down.
Finally, she got up and went to his side, sitting on the floor next to his knees. After a minute, she leaned carefully against him, waiting. As she knew it would, his hand descended on her head to gently stroke her hair.
"Was it a house you were going to build with Mom?" she asked. His hand stopped its rhythmic motion, but did not withdraw.
"If I hadn't married your mother, Jennifer, you wouldn't be here now."
"I know that." Still, she waited.
"Your mother was a good woman. Patient. Understanding."
"I know that too."
"I loved her."
"But you loved someone else too," she guessed. "Was she nice? Patient? Understanding?"
"Not so much, no."
"But you loved her anyway?"
Slowly, so she had time to remove her weight from his knee, he sat up and took his hand away from her head, as though he didn't want to touch her as he spoke. "We loved each other. Times were different then and we couldn't be what we wanted to be. I wasn't brave enough to give him what he wanted. What he deserved. So he left me." Jamie looked up into her father's face. "I don't regret it, you understand. It's just the way things were."
"Times have changed, Daddy."
He looked down at her. "Meaning?"
"Mom's been gone a long time."
"Yes."
Jamie stood and smiled down at her father. "You should be happy too. Did you ever try to find him?"
"Why would I? It was so long ago."
"Because you still love him."
"I'm old, Jamie."
She smiled and smacked his shoulder. "So is he. Don't you want to know what happened to him?"
"Yes." He thought of the men his own age, old and decayed even in life, thought of all his contemporaries who must be dead and gone by now. Did he want to know if his past had gone to the grave without him, while he wasn't looking, while he'd been distracted with the camouflage of a sweet woman and an adoring daughter? "Maybe."
"Even if he died, Daddy, wouldn't you want him to know you remember him? That he isn't just moldering in the back of some closet?" She held out her hand, closed in a fist over something, and he let her drop the concealed items into his palm. She knelt in front of him to look into his face as she spoke. "We are the only two left in the world who knew Mom was the best mother in the world, the sweetest woman, the most kind, generous spirit she could be. What if you are the only one who knows who this man really is? What if he's lived his life locked behind secrets too? All we really are is what others know about us."
Malcolm turned the keys she'd given him over in his hand. The gold caught the light flickering from the television and glinted back at him. They had not a mark on them. Their unblemished, pristine surface reflected his memory of the time they'd been purchased, along with the lock that had never been opened.
"He doesn't need me intruding into his life after all this time, Jamie."
"So you did try to find him."
"I never lost him. Not completely. I just lost what we were. There is no going back now. He has his life and I have mine."
"Did he come to Mom's funeral?"
"Actually, he did."
"So he doesn't hate you any more."
"I suppose not."
"Is he married?"
"Not exactly, no."
"Do you miss him?"
"I can't miss what I never really had." He closed the keys in a fist and looked up at her, trying to be reassuring in the face of her confusion.
"But you lived your whole life as something you're not."
Cupping her face, Malcolm smiled at his little girl, not so little any more. "I'm a father, a husband," he swallowed a little lump, "a widower. I loved you both, still love you both. I made a decision, and some people would say I cheated and took the easy road, hid myself away, but I say I live the life I want to live. I chose the path I knew would lead to losing someone precious to me, but along it, I found a lot more than grief. I also chose the path that led to you. If I regret anything, it's only that I didn't tell you this long ago. I didn't choose my orientation. I did choose my life, and that's the best way to get from one end of it to the other; by choice."
To see the rest of the story of those blueprints, read Sure in last month's newsletter.
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Mine
By Mary Calmes
"Mine is an edgy, intense story. The characters, the plot, and the sex, especially the sex, are very pungent. Trevan's profession may be illegal, but who he is, not what he does, defines him. He's honorable, loyal, dependable, and oh my god so good to (and for) Landry. Landry is endearingly unstable. He's dependant on Trevan, he's needy and crazy jealous at times. He's also very sweet and kind and madly in love with Trevan. His feelings are tangible. Their relationship has its dysfunction, they both have issues, but they are so clearly made for each other. Mine is has drama, sizzling sex, danger, excitement, and a riveting storyline that will grab you and hold you till the end."
Nannette at Joyfully Reviewied
Fallout
By Ariel Tachna
"This is a fascinating and unusual story for many reasons. For one, it is set against the background of impending nuclear disaster, yet it is not a 'disaster story'. The focus is firmly on how the affected people deal with the sitaution, with just enough technical detail to make it believable. The other aspect that sets is apart is the touching cross-cultural love story that is swritten with sensitivity and a real understanding of the different assumptions both men make about relatioships."
Serena at QMO Books
The Rare Event
By P.D. Singer
"This is both a plot-driven book (make lots of money, have lots of sex, get revenge), and most definitely a character-driven book. The main characters are men I love and want to read more about. The secondary characters are beautifully developed as appealing and in some cases appalling men and woman. I loved this book and PD Singer's style of writing well-researched novels. I highly recommend this book."
Mrs. Condit at Mrs. Condit & Friends Read Books
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NEWS |
The following authors will host Meet the Author events at Dreamspinner Press's Facebook page this month. All Meet the Author events are from 1 to 6 pm EST unless otherwise noted:
June 2 - Ada Maria Soto - 3:30 pm EST, June 9 - Clare London, June 16 - Rodney Ross, June 23 - J.L. O'Faolain, June 30 - Elizabeth Noble.
The following authors will host Meet the Author events at Dreamspinner Press's Goodreads group this month. All Meet the Author events are from 1 to 6 pm EST unless otherwise noted:
June 2 - Cardeno C., June 9 - Ryan Loveless, June 16 - Jamie Fessenden, June 23 - Andrea Speed. More events will be announced as they are scheduled. Watch the Goodreads group for details.
CALLS FOR SUBMISSIONS
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In order to give all our potential authors the best service and attention, Dreamspinner Press no longer accepts simultaneous submissions.
See the Open Calls for Submissions page for further details.
Limited Calls for 2012
Don't Try This at Home
Edited by Anne Regan
Bonked heads. Rough carpet. Burned dinner. Awkward silence. Bitten lips. Startling length. Spilled wax. Pinched fingers. Shattered wineglass. Closet quickie. Flat souffle. Broken bedframe. Shower sex. Overzealous spanking. Embarrassing ex. Lost wallet. Terrible taste. Sore shoulders. Noxious odor. Absent date. Unbelievable girth. Kitchen canoodling. New toy. Stained sheets. Backward compliment. Stifling pillow. Locked handcuffs. Aching ass. Missing keys. Torn seams. Wrenched back. Angry cat. Overeager pass. Uncooperative zipper.
Something always goes wrong in real life. Fortunately, love blunts the edges so that romance trumps adversity.
Editor's Note: Humor a plus, no rape/nonconsensual situations, contemporary genre only.
Submission Deadline: July 16, 2012
Evergreen
2012 Advent Calendar - A Story a Day in the Month of December
Edited by Lynn West
When it comes to romance, ageless images are carried forever in your heart: A candle in the window burning bright. Warmth billowing from an old stone hearth. Snowflakes falling from the night sky under a full moon. Twinkle lights glinting in a lover's eyes. Romance during the winter holidays is evergreen, and these stories will get you in the mood for love. Your Christmas present to yourself!
Editor's Note: Because of the packaged nature of the set, all stories need to stand alone. No sequels to or spin-offs of previously published works, please.
Submission Deadline: Sept. 1, 2012
Snow on the Roof
Edited by Anne Regan
"Just because there's snow on the roof, doesn't mean the fire's gone out in the furnace." There's something to be said for maturity and experience, and in all of these relationships, at least one of the lovers is over forty. Whether it's a May/December romance, a second chance at love, or finding a soul mate later in life, these stories prove that it's never too late for love.
Editor's Note: At least one of the couple must be age 40+.
Submission Deadline: Nov. 19, 2012
Continuous Call
Dreamspinner Press is accepting submissions for our in-house genre Timeless Dreams, romantic M/M historical fiction with happy endings. While reaction to same-sex relationships throughout time and across cultures has not always been positive, these stories celebrate M/M love in a manner that may address, minimize, or ignore historical stigma. You can visit the rough and tumble Old West, travel the ancient kingdoms of desert sheikhs, see the black and red lacquer of the Far East, or dance in dramatic Regency England. No matter where or when, in the romantic worlds of Timeless Dreams, our heroes always live happily ever after.
Manuscripts of any story length may be submitted. You must follow general submission guidelines for short stories for proper consideration. Please list "Timeless Dreams" in the subject line of your submission.
Dreamspinner Press is accepting submissions for our in-house genre, Bittersweet Dreams, stories of M/M romance with nontraditional endings. It's an unfortunate truth: love doesn't always conquer all. Regardless of its strength, sometimes fate intervenes, tragedy strikes, or forces conspire against it. These stories of romance do not offer a traditional happy ending, but the strong and enduring love will still touch your heart and maybe move you to tears.
Manuscripts of any story length may be submitted. You must follow general submission guidelines for short stories for proper consideration. Please list "Bittersweet Dreams" in the subject line of your submission.
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HARMONY INK PRESS IS NOW OPEN! |
Dreamspinner Press is proud to announce the newest release from our new Young Adult imprint, Harmony Ink. The Thunder in His Head by Gene Gant 
Kyle Manning is a tall, strong, openly gay sixteen-year-old who makes decent grades and plays on his school's basketball team. He’s a good kid who cares deeply about his family and friends. But his life has become a mess. His mom, Lela, has finally had enough of her husband Joe's serial cheating. Kyle's parents are headed for divorce, and the collapse of their marriage torments him.
Divorcing parents is bad enough, but Kyle also has to deal with new people in his parents' lives. He likes Stephanie, his father's girlfriend, but he finds himself increasingly attracted to his mother's handsome boyfriend, Reece. As Kyle struggles with his fear and frustration, he grows angrier and more erratic.
Then he meets Dwight Varley, a buff, attractive athlete from another school who takes an instant liking to him. Having Dwight around doesn't solve all Kyle's problems, but it does make life more bearable. As their relationship develops, Dwight becomes a bright oasis in Kyle's harried life. But Dwight's life is more complicated than Kyle ever imagined, and just when things start to get better, Kyle discovers the truth about Dwight—and about his father.
Interested in submitting to Harmony Ink Press?
Harmony Ink Press is accepting manuscripts for young adult fiction featuring at least one strong LGBT main character who shows significant personal growth through the course of the story. Identifying as LGBT can be part of the growth process depicted in the book. We are looking for stories in all subgenres, featuring primary characters between the ages of 14 and 18 that explore all the facets of young adult life. Sexual content should be appropriate for the characters and the story. Manuscripts may contain any level of sexual content; however, excessive, crude or extremely explicit descriptions will be rejected. Sex between a minor and an adult (whether consensual or abuse) will only be accepted if it is implied, off page, and overcoming the occurrence contributes to the growth of the character in a positive way.
Submission Highlights
LGBT primary character between the ages of 14 and 18 who shows significant personal growth through the course of the story.
Authentic voice, unforgettable characters, and powerful world building (even for contemporary stories).
Novella or novel length (15,000-90,000 words). All manuscripts over 45,000 words will release in print as well as ebook.
Any subgenre is acceptable with a fresh premise.
Submissions inquiries of gay-themed Young Adult fiction can be sent to our Submissions e-mail. Please indicate Young Adult in the subject line so the submission is given to the appropriate editor for review. Follow the standard Guidelines for Submission.
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DREAMSPINNER PRESS |
Launched in May 2007, Dreamspinner Press offers quiet romance, supernatural passion, out-of-this-world lovers, kinky explorations, and heated dreams—a little taste to whet your appetite for romantic homoerotica. We hope you take a little time to be enchanted, romanced, and loved by enjoying the publications of Dreamspinner Press.
We appreciate your patronage! If you have feedback, please e-mail to contact@dreamspinnerpress.com or mail to Dreamspinner Press, 382 NE 191st Street #88329, Miami, FL 33179-3899, USA. Thank you!
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