Because the Out in Colorado anthology is available for preorder from Storm Moon Press! And one of this otter’s buddies is in the anthology. Stories from Caitlin Ricci, Lichen Craig, George Seaton, and moi, all with a Colorado theme, are packed into one volume. Check it out.

Most of the events that affect me personally also affect another person much more, and those stories are not mine to tell. But I love him dearly and am glad to see any change in the world that will make him happier.

I’ve tried to do that in a small way, by writing stories that show happy endings, that love is love and that everyone deserves and should get their own slice of love and happiness. It’s not a reality for everyone, and that has to change.

I wrote a short a few years ago, which came out at a time when the news was full of stories of young gay people killing themselves, often driven by bullying. I had no idea that the story would be so timely, and in fact, it frightened me. The worst part is that I am not sure that anything’s changed, aside from the news coverage. The story isn’t entirely grim–it ends on hope, the kind of hope I want all young people to feel, that all good things are possible for them.

All of you who are here are showing your open minds and open hearts. Thank you. Spread the love. It’s International  Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia http://hopagainsthomophobia.blogspot.com/, May 17, so lets send it all around the world.

And as my thanks to you, anyone who comments is welcome to a copy of that short in PDF, MOBI, or EPUB, your choice. Leave a comment with your file preference and your email, and I will buzz you off a copy of On Call: Crossroads.

And if you want to tell me one good thing you’ve seen recently regarding matters QUILTBAG, that would be great!

Find our other participating blogs here.

Bet you can find something good to read in this list.  ;D

From May 13-19, we will offer 30% off all books (including in-stock paperbacks) by authors who signed with us in our fourth year of business. These authors include: Jeff Adams, Diane Adams, Sarah Black, Jessie Blackwood, Louise Blaydon, Ashleigh Brannigan, Selina Brody, Sue Brown, Cardeno C., Scotty Cade, Talia Carmichael, Allison Cassatta, David Cheater, Alan Chin, Elizabeth Coldwell, Shae Connor, William Cooper, R. Cooper, Kate Cotoner, Justine Currie, Charlie David, Jessica Skye Davies, Andi Deacon, Zoe Devlin, Dawn Douglas, Ryssa Edwards, CJane Elliott, Phoenix Emrys, Jeff Erno, Pepper Espinoza, Etienne, Feliz Faber, J.L. Farnsworth, Jamie Fessenden, P.A. Friday, Rebecca Lynne Fullan, S.A. Garcia, A.B. Gayle, Evan Gilbert, Michael Gouda, Raev Gray, K. Roxanne Gunn, Red Haircrow, Michael Halfhill, Nick Hanson, Lou Harper, Lesley Hastings, Lori C. Hawkins,Valentina Heart, Ellee Hill, Brian Holliday, Azura Ice, Morgan James, Hayley B. James, Kiernan Kelly, M. King, Christopher Koehler, Maggie Lee, Rebecca Leigh, J.J. Levesque, Augusta Li, Pearl Love, J.R. Loveless, Ryan Love less, Barry Lowe, Sui Lynn, Jake Mactire, Helen Madden, Sarah Madison, A.J. Mars, Anna Marie May, Belinda McBride, Moria McCain, Farida Mestek, T.C. Mill, Maria MoonStar, Michelle Moore, Ian Muise, Clancy Nacht, Elizabeth Noble, J.L. O’Faolain, M.J. O’Shea, Stephen Osborne, Timothy Owen, D.V. Patton, SJD Peterson, Wolf Phoenix, Nora Catherine Price, Amber Redd, Rick R. Reed, Tracy Rowan, G.G. Royale, Jaime Samms, Rodello Santos, Stefan Seabourne, Damon Shaw, Kate Sherwood, Corinna Silver, Ruth Sims, Joel Skelton, Amberly Smith, Shelter Somerset, JoAnne Soper-Cook, Andrea Speed, Caroline Stephens, Ethan Stone, Jan Suzukawa, Paul Taylor, B.G. Thomas, Tinnean, C. M. Torrens, Jenny Urban, Wynn Wagner, Felicia Watson, Mia Watts, Cooper West, Sullivan Wheeler, Braden Williams, Maureen Willman, Eden Winters, Lisa Worrall, Connor Wright, Beth Wylde, Sulayaman X, and C. Zampa.

Ooh, Eden Winters is on here–have you read Highway Man or Naked Tails yet?

Nuh uh.

But looky! I has art now for the upcoming print release of Donal agus Jimmy! Still formatting the interior, but the outside, aside from that small matter of how wide the spine will be, is done. Much as I love the story’s current face, my harsh taskmaster reminded me that if I didn’t do my own, I wouldn’t learn how, and spatted my hand for doing a back cover and spine without the front. Le sigh.

The theory is that these line up neatly one-two-three, which happens everywhere but here because I can’t get rid of the spaces. It’s well after midnight and my brain shorted out a good hour ago.

The inside is fun–one little tweak of the tracking control and whole lines of text organize themselves.

Where’s that button for the rest of my life?

Bet you can find something you’ve been longing for in this list. ;D

May 6-12, we will offer a 35% discount off all books (including in-stock paperbacks) by authors who signed with us during our third year of business: Andi Anderson, Jae Ashley, Rayne Auster, Lenore Black, Scarlet Blackwell, Anne Brooke, H.J. Brues, Brackley Burke, Mary Calmes, Tessa Cárdenas, Heidi Champa, R.W. Clinger, Rachelle Cochran, Diana Copland,J. Crow, Heidi Cullinan, Jana Denardo, Sophia Deri-Bowen, Sonia Devereaux, Libby Drew,Anne Dudley, Chelle Dugan, Andy Eisenberg, Henri Fer, Jamie Freeman, Lacey-Anne Frye, Lyn Gala, L.A. Gilbert, Roland Graeme, Cornelia Grey, Julie Lynn Hayes, S. Reesa Herberth, Violet Hilton, Jan Irving, Felicitas Ivey, Dawn Kimberly Johnson, Joanne Kells,V.B. Kildaire, L.J. LaBarthe, Amy Lane, Trina Lane, Sam C. Leonhard, Anna J. Linden, Taylor Lochland, Amylea Lyn, EM Lynley, D.W. Marchwell, Rowan McAllister,Brooke McKinley, Kate McMurray, JL Merrow, Patric Michael, Margaret Mills, Ellie Moonwater, Emily Moreton, Maggie Morton, Josephine Myles, Mallory Path, J.R. Patrick,Jeff Pearce, Devon Rhodes, G.R. Richards, Kate Roman, Persephone Roth, Linda Reilly,Lily Sawyer, RJ Scott, Rosina Scott, Marie Sexton, Barbara Sheridan, Aundrea Singer,K.Z. Snow, Jillian Snyder, Rowan Speedwell, Jay Starre, Rowena Sudbury, Lori Toland,Carolyn Levine Topol, Jonathan Treadway, Bryl R. Tyne, Matthew Vandrew, Anel Viz, Aleksandr Voinov, Edward von Behrer, Ashleigh Walton, Tedy Ward, Nessa L. Warin,Sarah Ann Watts, Rachel West, Ellen Whitehall, A. Willingham, L.A. Witt, Serena Yates, Cari Z., J.A. Zecca.

The biggest problem is knowing what the tools do. It’s getting easier, but we’re all a little frustrated because we’re at that very steep part of the learning curve. Sometimes it’s easy enough to to do something once you know what to use. Intuitively obvious it ain’t. There’s tools to do just about anything if you use the right one/pair/trio, third thing down the fifth dropdown menu.

It’s not ready to show yet, but I’m kinda pleased with the results so far.

WIBBOW

Would I Be Better Off Writing?

I tend to get caught up in the wonders of the internet–there’s always a blog to read or a tidbit of information to gather, and one click leads to another. You know how that is. I tell myself I might find something wonderful by serendipity but the reality is that I mostly spent another hour doing nothing much constructive.

So the question I have to ask myself is WIBBOW.

Usually, the answer is yes. I should use one of those silver sharpies to write that all over my computer. And get the hell off YouTube.

I also adore me some Manny, who doesn’t have his own story (yet), but plays a mean secondary role here, and Angie’s been working hard on getting his story told. I’m ready to read.

So… I am on my way to Portland, OR, where I will be spending some time with Angie, in Lincoln City on the coast, taking a course with Dean Wesley Smith, who is a guru of publishing and writing and all. I expect Angie and I will learn many things about writing and publishing, plus having a hellagood time. I haven’t seen Angie in meatspace since GayRomLit in New Orleans, so she needs to be prepared to get glomped. (Yes, I bear a curious resemblance to a happy St. Bernard. Hope I don’t knock her all the way over.)

The trouble with getting from Denver to Portland is that it requires an airplane. While being a miracle of planet shrinkage, and way faster than Conestoga wagons, air travel has its own set of pitfalls. I’m prepared to sit in a flying pilchard tin for a couple of hours, but I kind of expect the trip to be a lot like this.

Good thing I have a Kindle filled with superior m/m adventures like Angie’s Sentinel series.

It took quite a bit of setting up and getting the angles right.

It’s anamorphic because it only shows the picture when seen from one particular angle, otherwise, it’s only  dinner as served in my house.

Fly Not Yet

Fly not yet; ’tis just the hour
When pleasure, like the midnight flow’r
That scorns the eye of vulgar light,
Begins to bloom for sons of night
And maids who love the moon…
‘Twas but to bless these hours of shade
That beauty and the moon was made:
‘Tis then their soft attractions glowing,
Set the tides and goblets flowing
Oh! stay! Joy so seldom weaves a chain
Like this tonight, that oh! ’tis pain
To break its links so soon…

Fly not yet; the fount that play’d
In times of old thro’ Ammon’s shade,
Tho’ icy cold by day it ran,
Yet still, like souls of mirth, began
to burn when night was near…
And thus should woman’s hearts and looks
At noon be cold as winter brooks,
Nor kindle till the night, returning,
Brings their genial hour for burning.
Oh! stay! Oh, stay!
When did morning ever break,
And find such beaming eyes awake
As those that sparkle here?…

Now I have to find someone singing it.