W_L

Well Chapter 5 is now live. I want to share some South Africa Xhosa translations with you all and thoughts: "Hamba uyo bepha inja" = "Go and Fuck a Dog" "Xolo" = "Sorry" "Ndiyakuthanda"= "I love you" "umncinci"= "Little One"/"Youngest" "Intanda"= "Beloved" "ihenyukazi"= "Whore"/"Prostitute" -------- -For those wondering, I do enjoy Cajun Cuisine, the spice and sauces are some of the best representations of American combination cuisines. I've dined at Commander's Palace, Cafe Du Monde, and a few smaller restaurants in New Orleans, in and out of the Quarter. It's sad that very few regions outside Louisiana and tourist spots have Cajun cuisine. -The long scene of positivity at dinner, it's an ancient idea that people have forgotten transcends religious and regions. Rituals and prayers are just window dressing, the reason why we do things like that was to remember that there is positivity in our lives. I want to reinforce the nature of idealism in this story versus fatalistic realism. It balances the darkness that each character lives with to have a ray of light even if it's brief. -Like I said, every character has a backstory, it includes Cook, and you are starting to learn about them all, along with their interactions with other characters. -We all know what book Beau is reading Brad I never promised that I wouldn't inject fantasy references, even if I leave out fantasy elements. -One of the interesting things about the argument towards the end of the chapter, it's the argument of realists and idealists. Brad's worldview is one based on reality with material gains and losses. Beau sees ideals and extrapolates truth from fantasy in the hopes of rising above Brad's kind of limiting worldview.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40245507-born-again-sinner My reaction to this book: Dang, Cody has awakened a sexually repressed virgin twink, I hope he’s ready for all the emotions. The second book in Daryl Banner’s Spruce Texas series is far more polished and well-thought out than book 1. It’s a different take on religious repression on a gay man, which is a novelty that I have not read in this corner of fiction, especially without tragedy or bigotry getting mixed in. There are

Interesting, I just started reading this book on a whim. It's a very creative concept I'm a fan of Ninjas from watching/reading Naruto, but they didn't do many Assassination missions on the show though. There's a bit of a power rangers vibe from the wave-suit. To be honest, I've always wanted Billy and Jason to end up together from the OG series (read several fan-fics that went in that direction too), so I sort of imagine your characters like power rangers.

Thanks for reading, you and anyone else can feel free to speculate on future plot points in the story discussion thread. I don't mind. There's a lot of potential I just opened up. This story is pretty organic and I am growing it.

Wow, thanks for the enthusiasm! I wasn't expecting a lot of people to like this story. I don't have an editor, nor a beta this time around. I am grateful for all the readers like you. It's rewarding to get good feedback.

Well, technically, Brad was the one who came up with game plan that sacrificed his teammates in order for him to personally win the Colorado High School State Football Championship. Gary was the scheming sidekick whispering in his ear and poisoning him with praise, innuendoes, and so on. He also was the one who led Brad into a trap that ultimately broke Brad. Essentially, if you were to think of the type of villain Gary was/is, Gary is like Lady MacBeth in MacBeth or the two evil daughters of King Lear or Iago from Othello, at least until his plan succeeded and he clears a path for him to be "Prince". Like I said, I am translating fantasy into modern fiction, maybe with a little Shakespeare in the mix just to flesh out Gary Gaston character and Brad's relationship with others. ------ Thanks for being such a dedicated reader

Well Chapter 4 should be live now Here some thoughts on a very revealing chapter: -As a reader, I personally believe that side-characters' stories need to be developed alongside main characters, they impact the flow of plot and develop the main characters. As such, any named character I've added to this story will have a background story. -Paki's background for those who have not done a quick google search for Pretoria is the second capital city of South Africa. He was using Xhosa language, which is a colloquial language of South Africa and Zimbabwe. It's nominally the 2nd language of South Africa after English. I also added a local swear in there for authenticity. As I noted earlier, his name in Xhosa means "Witness". Also of note, Pretoria is known among the most crime infested cities in his country and is ranked in the world's worst. -As for Brad's use of high-dosage methadone for his issues, it's an idea I was building up in earlier chapters, especially the last chapter, when I described how light could not easily enter his garden view room. Photo-sensitivity is one of the side-effects of the withdrawal symptoms. Methadone use is controversial and highly regulated or illegal in various parts of the world, it can be powerful counter-agent for substance abuse and pain relief, but it is also a dangerous innocuous abusive substance in on itself. The high dose variant Brad uses would not be allowed outside a special clinic and there would be a media storm over such an accommodation. Just as Gary can be a predator due to his wealth and status by his family, Brad's family has parallel special treatment. -Francis reveals his connection to Gary and Brad in this chapter. This was getting built up since chapter 2. Francis' innate hatred of Brad is more than just simple disdain at his current words or behavior, the subtext I've laid down is one of betrayal by someone he admired, someone he was obsessed with. I mentioned the concept of Limerence last chapter as part of Beau attempt to justify his attraction to Brad, but Francis and Brad's past might be a textbook study on that concept. Love is not the same as obsession; though, obsession is part of love. Not sure how I will play that out. I mentioned it and wanted to play it. -We still have 2 boys unexplored: Warren, the former wrestler with heavy make-up wearing burn scarred Latino effeminate boy, and Min, the wheelchair bound former baseball player of Japanese descent. Plus, "Cook", who has no background revelation yet at all. Even Mrs. Potter is known to be a caring nurse, whose husband walked out on her due to how he treated his disabled son, Chip. --------- Anyway, I hope readers enjoyed this chapter

Morris is not happy with my imminent departure. He isn’t happy for the reason I am leaving, nor my new living conditions with someone who may or may not be as bad as Gary Gaston. My roommate is a very kind man, despite his voracious heterosexual appetite. Based on what I’ve learned about him, I think Morris was taught to be welcoming to people in search of a home by his family, because they don’t want what happened to them to repeat itself. His family left the Deep South a generation ago, moved

Thanks for reading, he'll get what's owed to him.

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/33955848 My reaction to this book: Oh Lord in Heaven, I think my gay heart can’t take so much sweetness. Yes, even this Yankee can find some joy in a good ole’ southern romance. Daryl Banner was someone I haven’t really read anything on, he’s not as well known as some of the female and male LGBT writers I’ve noted in the past. Based on what I have read so far in his Spruce Texas series, I can honestly say he’s probably my go to writer for simple,

Yes, I do like Durian and Stinky re-fried Tofu, along with Duck tongue and fried pork intestines. I hate Anchovies on anything, olives, cured fish, and kale belongs in the sea, not my stomach. I was a Sci-Fi geek before I got into fantasy. I read a lot as a kid as well, when my eyesight was better than it is today. I've mentioned my reading of young adult mystery novels in the 1990's and my love of Applegate's Animorph series, which I still have fond memories over as one of my favorite book series, because it hid nothing about the costs of war and tragic sacrifices that have to be made for the greater good. Science Fiction, not fantasy, was my first genre. Harry Potter came into play in my early teen years as the movies were starting to be produced, so I read the books. I think you will enjoy Nightrunner and Tamir Triad series, Nightrunner features two bisexual male spies involved in mysteries and intrigue in the name of the Queen. The first book starts off quite fast and the action never lets up. I'll probably hold off reviewing the 7-book series until Winter, so if you want to wait to start on it until I post reviews, you may have to wait a few months. The Tamir Triad, which George R.R Martin praised has a complex plot involving a gender fluid main character, a girl who is turned into a boy and lives a life of doubt with a destiny to one day be the greatest Queen of his/her nation's history. On sexuality/romance front, she as a boy falls in love with another boy, too, so you have a bit of gender vs. personal love question on romance. While I did not have interest in trans affairs, it helped me to understand some trans issues better from an unique perspective. Suffice to say, it's a fascinating book series, when it came out almost 20 years ago. Tell me your preference for type of story, subject, genre, and setting, I'll make suggestions.

Try Wolfsong book 1 of Green Creek Series by TJ Klune, it's a werewolf-human romance regarding one werewolf pack. It's not an Omegaverse story, despite how it begins. I personally didn't like Book 1, but I've heard good things about the series so I gave TJ Klune the benefit of the doubt. By book 3, I was hooked and wanting blood. I also think you should consider Audible versus Kindle, when reading TJ's books. Michael Lesley does a great job in Tales from Verania series starting with Lightning Struck Heart for the delivery of sassy dialogue with unique voices for each character. Kirt Graves does the same in Green Creek series, starting with Wolfsong. If you like modern fantasy, I'd recommend SJ Hines Beacon Hill Sorcerer series, which is a love romance between a Vampire and Necromancer. Beyond them, there's Lynn Flewelling's Nightrunner and Tamir Triad series, which George R.R Martin, the author of Game of Thrones, praised in the early 2000's, when it was published. It's set in a medieval fantasy world with magic, gods, fair folk (fae are protagonist), and warrior Queens leading a nation. I have more possibilities, I am fan of gay fantasy as much as I am a fan of gay science fiction, I gather as much of those books as I can read. In general, I read Sci-Fi and Fantasy as a passion beyond gay fiction too, so fantasy author's like George R.R Martin, Lynn Flewelling, Katherine Kurtz, Cassandra Clare, and others are on my radar. Science Fantasy is also covered under this as I do read stories that flow between both genres, horror fiction like Stephen King being a notable example of Science Fantasy. If you are willing to venture into the Dork Side I highly suggest reading Everina Maxwell's Winter's Orbit, it's really fun Sci-Fi gay fiction published recently. Science fiction is one of my favorite genres.

@lomax61Just added Elle Kennedy as Co-Author, odd enough, I don't know why the goodreads series page ignored her. I read my books by the way via Audible and sometimes through Kindle, if it's unavailable due to vision issues. I've got a collection of hardcover/paperbacks at home gathering dust, sadly. It's a limiting factor to what I have access to and what I don't.

My grandmother contracted it last year in her long term care facility, she's 95 years old and survived it. Her nursing home though is now understaffed for normal operations due to the needs of a specialized COVID wing. However, she still lives and struggles through all of this. She survived World War II British Burma under Japanese occupation, survived Nationalist Pogroms in Burma to cleanse Ethnic Chinese in the late 1940's, survived Communist rule in Mainland China and Cultural Revolution as a Teacher, and survived losing family including her father, mother, and my late aunt through these major and minor events in the 20th century. My grandmother does not know when to stop fighting for survival, which is a blessing and a curse at times. I hate this pandemic, I hate what it has done to our daily lives. I still work from home, but I would rather be back in my office, where I can see the results of my efforts rather than spreadsheets telling me the results. Despite the stereotype, Accountants are not people who only care about numbers, we actually care about what we dedicate our time and energy to keep organize and process.

Thanks Chris for reading chapter 3, Yeah, I wanted to flesh out the reasons why Gary can act the way he does without facing any consequences. It's not that hard to believe; we've seen similar things happen in bigger institutions from Hollywood to Congress to professional Sports, some people are beyond the reach of rules and laws that apply to everyone else. It's sort of a truism that "everyone is equal, but some people are more equal than others" to paraphrase George Orwell. Brad is a complex character, chapter 4 will explain why he's the way he is. Gary deserves a lot worse, I am open to reader suggestions.

Chapter 3 is now live and I should shed some light on a few things: 1. If it's not apparent by the end of the chapter, Brad is not as crass or crude as he may seem. Beneath his psychological and physical issues, he's actually a very intelligent and strategic guy. He's pushing for Beau to stay in the house to protect him for more than the stereotypical "you're my future boyfriend" angle in romance fiction. He's fine with Beau not wanting him and still wanting to protect him from Gary. Beau is attracted to him and wants him, but Brad doesn't know that for sure at this point. One thing I felt that Beauty and The Beast/La Belle et La Bete needed in a translation from fairy tale to modern fiction was a better Non-Ownership/Stockholm syndrome situation for the protagonist to remain with the Beast. The french novel had Belle's father being indebted to the Beast, while the Disney version had the Beast imprison Belle at first. While I could have gone full BDSM mode, I chose to be more inventive with the scenario. 2. Gaston behavior is upped from how he's portrayed in Disney versions, but while people in the past would just shrugged it off as "boys will be boys" with his aggressive pursuit of lovers. I took a much darker approach to his sexual aggression. When I noted my story would be "dark" as a tag, I wasn't joking. He represents the greatest issues of modern society, a character of "Too Big to Fail" within an individual that allows predators like him to thrive and prosper as people try to rationalize circumventing justice and social order to make the world work. 3. I've looked around for a while and I have not found anyone using Lion to reference a prideful protective hairy gay blond man (like Bears, cubs, Otters, Wolves, Unicorns, and Twinks). Maybe I am being original by creating a whole new gay sub-type definition. If any reader knows of an author, who has adopted that title, I would like to know. Otherwise, consider me to be the first to use the term Lion, to describe a proud protective hairy gay blond male. 4. One of the interesting things I remembered working in corporate, even 5 years ago, there was a fear of being recorded in secret meetings. I kid you not, at high-level executive meetings everyone had to remove everything in their possession not just phones, but also pens, wallets, jackets, belts, and any personal accessories in case recording devices were hidden inside. Unless you absolutely needed it like dress shirt, pants, socks, and underwear, you couldn't bring it in. That's one of the fears of the 21st century, too many people have been caught in these kinds of compromising conversations. I consider prior experience and apply it to Beau's setting, if done like they did, it can also be used as a form of intimidation, metaphorically stripping you of any protection, while giving you terms you cannot deviate. ----------- I hope I've earned the tag of "Dark" among my readers, there's love there between Beau and Brad, but it's not going to be easy between them, nor are the issues they face going to be simply solved with "True Love's kiss".

I know it’s stupid to want to thank Brad, or the Beast personally. I know based on everything so far, he’s not going to be nice towards me. Francis, who appears to bear a lot of hatred towards the Beast, advises me to just leave after breakfast and ignore everything else. Despite my growing reservations, I ask for directions to his room. It turns out to be the room facing the Blue Rose Garden, which was how I entered this house last night. As I approach the room, the cook is leaving the room wit

True, Percy was very fun as the straight wealthy Nigerian billionaire (A real Nigerian Prince 😛 ). As to negative nitpicks, you'll find we have a few GA members like that, who ignore the concept and pick apart the details, especially when they are defending the British Royals. One of the more peculiar issues I've recognized in reading is that a lot of people who are trying to pick apart popular authors are going after their details rather than their overall story, especially with award winning gay authors. I finished reviewing Bill Konigsberg's Openly Straight duology with the first book being praised and award winning, while the second book panned and pulled apart. Trying to be something you're not is easier to understand/connect with (and want to slap the Main character a few times on), but dealing with finding your own personal truth without a label for your same-sex interest, it set some readers off to the point of causing him to cancel plans for a third book. I thought the 2nd book was weak due to underdeveloped side-characters and a meandering plot, but I hate it when gay authors are getting attacked by our own community for failing even slightly. Bad books deserve negative reviews based on the story, but the author does not deserve hate mirroring our own experiences of being rejected for expressing our sexuality. I feel a need to write counter rebuttals to people who attack authors on Goodreads, which is where I go to search for new LGBT titles and book recommendations of various titles, since Amazon/Audible don't have them categorize that well. My rebuttals made me want to do something more, so I started this on GA. I can be harsh, I can be aggressive with my passion, but I try to be as fair as I can be on my tastes. No everyone will like what I do, but I wanted to share it.

Thanks for reading my review, I've got eclectic tastes from award winning classics to trashy gay romances too. Gay fiction isn't a single category or genre of writing, it's just a type of story that incorporates same sex partners, sometimes better and sometimes worse. If you're favorite genre is Fantasy, I'd highly recommend reading T.J Klune's Tales from Verania Series Starting with The Lightning-Struck Heart, it's dramatic, comedic, and completely gay. He's a very talented gay writer and I think you will be pleasantly surprised. I've got other recommendations if you are interested.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27230789-honestly-ben Oh boy, this was a step down from the brilliant story concept and execution of Openly Straight. I read somewhere online that Bill Konigsberg had intended to create a trilogy for this book series, but after the reception of Honestly, Ben, he stopped. As a reader, I hate it when stories fall apart with so many open plots thread still left hanging. As a writer, I can understand why he did what he did after failing to connect with audien

True, I think part of my issue with the original novel was that it was trying too hard at the end to make an impossible narrative to round out. Amazon's series went further and explicitly explored alternate timelines/universes, I thought Fringe did it much better personally with its open ended implications. For me the best alt-history writer in Sci-Fi would be Turtledove, Harry Turtledove's stories inject humanity into his alt-history scenarios, even when they involve aliens with cold fusion and interstellar propulsion. He examines contemporary issues and near-future technologies in context to one another. One of the points made is being more advanced does not make a civilization better or greater, because power alone is not enough to influence human beings to follow you.

Aye, I don't disagree with you that quality science fiction/fantasy or any novel to media adaptation, is not assured. On a side note: @RonI am curious what is your thoughts on Amazon's show The Man in The High Castle, the alt-history/multiverse Science Fiction from Philip K. Dick, one of the greatest Science fiction writers of the 20th century (also likely having severe mental health issues)? I think Amazon extended the concept of Alternate realities well beyond Philip K. Dick's original work, built a more complex story, and pushed some boundaries (probably borrowed from Fox Fringe), but I didn't feel any closure at the ending of the book or the Amazon show. Technically, Amazon was being faithful to Dick's original vision/story, but personally, I didn't like the original ending either. I know this book was well before my birth, but I'm a Harry Turtledove fan as well, alt-history is a sub-genre in science fiction that appeals to me. Among the stories I am awaiting for someone to latch onto, I hope Turtledove's WorldWar will get produced one day and showcase Turtledove's grand alien invasion and historical epic.

One of the things about disability housing on college campuses, it's actually quite difficult, especially for Freshman. Most students are just put into regular housing with special accommodation applied to classes. There's also very little interaction between kids with similar disabilities and background. Yes, you will have blind kids, deaf kids, mobility disabled kids, and so on in college meet in clubs/groups, but it's hard to find people just like you. I'm not sure if folks ever considered that aspect about disability and college education before. It's something I remember and I know it hasn't improved that much over the years. Add to the fact that these boys are all former athletes, emotionally scarred, and gay to boot, it's quite a daunting task to find housing for them, if they can afford it as well.

Or who can't afford college at all? Welcome to the House of Broken Boys Glad you are liking the story so far Mrs. Potter, Chip, and the unnamed cook are the only 3 non-college student members of the house. Brad technically doesn't take any classes, either, but he is enrolled. It's my interpretation of the Beast's magic castle, without fantasy elements, since he was supposed to be a Prince.

Well for those people who follow my writing, book reviews, and stories, you probably noticed I started a new series, True As It Can Be, a story inspired by the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast. I have read the classic fairy tale La Belle et la Bête in high school french class, along with watching the Jean Cocteau 1946 french film and 1991 Disney animated movie. Everyone has seen or heard of the classic, most of the folks probably have seen the Disney version as kids like me. However, I wondered what if I take away the fantasy elements from the story and added in modern realities, especially issues involving disabilities, depression, added complex characters psyches, and reinterpreted the concept in a college setting. I don't know if readers will like or hate my story idea, especially without an editor on board for it. I wanted to try a hand at writing something that speaks to me. Currently the cast of Characters in the story so far are: Brad Brooks aka The Beast - A big muscular blond haired former High School Football Quarterback from a wealthy background. Originally, he's from Colorado. He is gay naturally, but he used his innate sexual appeal on women during his high school years to gain popularity and influence. He used to be vane, arrogant, ambitious, and selfish, but he made the mistake of sacrificing others for his personal gain and loving someone that he created in his own image. The result is his disfigurement, injuries to his body, and a state of angry depression that he cannot control. The only person he has even shown an ounce of tenderness toward is the unlikely Beau Cocteau. He is my interpretation of the Beast from both the classic movies and the novel. Beau Cocteau - He is a petite Caucasian brown haired college freshman, who has very few friends and was disowned by his family in Minnesota. He's inquisitive and very well read. He is significantly shorter than most boys his age, his hair is neck length, and his clothes are from the kids section of discount stores, like Marshall or TJ Maxx, due to his lack of support from his family even before he was disowned. He knows he's weak and alone, but he doesn't give up without a fight. He feels attracted to the Beast/Brad, even though he is not attracted to big muscular jock-type guys, because his family belittled him. There's something in those blue sapphire eyes. He represents Belle in my interpretation. Gary Gaston- The main antagonist of the story. He's vane, masochistic, and cruelly seeks out personal pleasure or desires without regard to others. He used to be Brad's protege in high school and love interest, but he betrayed Brad. He comes from a wealthy background as well, but while his family fortune may not compare to that of Brad, his family's influence is built on generations. He tries to rape Beau and fails due to Brad's intervention. He is my interpretation of Gaston from the Disney version. Mrs Angela Potter- She's the resident caregiver and licensed nurse at the unofficial Keller Hall, which Brad and the other students live in. She's separated from her husband. She has one young son around the age of 11-12, named Chris, who is affectionately called "Chip". She is my interpretation of Mrs. Potts, the teapot, from the Animated Disney movie. Chris "Chip" Potter- He's a talkative, spontaneous, and easily distracted brown haired young boy, who lives with his mother at Keller Hall. He suffers from ADHD and is on the Autism Spectrum. Quite intelligent, but very innocent acting and will speak without any filters about everything. He has a love of Pokemon and has several different outfits that are color coordinated to match each of the creatures. He is my interpretation of "Chip", the teacup, from the Disney version Francis Lumens- He's a blind redheaded caucasian resident of Keller Hall. He's a former high school American Football O-Line Center. Despite sharing many similarities to the Beast, he has a lot of personal antagonism against the Beast especially. He is my interpretation of Lumiere from the Disney version. Min Takato- He's a wheelchair bound Asian boy, who was a former high school baseball player. He's sympathetic to the Beast's issues. He is my interpretation of Cogsworth Paki Feathersworth - He's an effeminate Black boy without a hand. He used to be a high school gymnast. He's also sympathetic to the Beast and continual bickers with Francis. Paki's name in African-Xhosa language means "Witness", which parallel his background and his relationship to the sightless Francis. For those who know the Disney version of the character, you can guess why. He is my interpretation of the Feather duster from the Disney version aka Fifi. Warren Garcia- He's an effeminate Latino Boy with massive burn scars across half his face that he hides with makeup very well. He used to be a high school Wrestler. He shares a dismissive towards the Beast with Francis. He is my interpretation of the Wardrobe in the Disney version. Morris - He's Beau's Black freshman roommate initially, who acts as a protector and friend. He is heterosexual and has major sexual desires to the point of developing an STD during the first month of school. He's overall treats Beau like family. He's my interpretation of Maurice, Belle's father in all the incarnation. Unnamed Cook- Nothing is known so far, except he can scramble eggs, make pancakes, and can make a mean omelet ----------- Anyway, I hope this story is fun for readers as it is to me. I set it in November, so I am preparing to go whole hog on the Holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas, along with others.