Merry Men - A Brilliant New Graphic Novel That Re-Visions The Legendary Robin Hood as a Gay Hero

Merry Men, written by Robert Rodi, Illustrated by Jackie Lewis, Colored by Marissa Louise and Shari Chankhamma, Lettered by Jon Cairns

Thirteenth-century England. Robert Godwinson, former lover of King Richard, lives with his band of Merry Men in Sherwood Forest, away from the watchful eye of Prince John, who has outlawed homosexuality. Though isolated, the men live in peace—that is, until a stranger enters their camp seeking aid for a nearby town besieged by the Sheriff of Nottingham. Robert, nicknamed Robin, is reluctant to hlep, but equally eager to be rid of this perplexing stranger... and to put his formidable bow-and-arrow to use. It's Robin Hood like you've never seen him before, based on scholarly speculation about what's really behind the outlaw's legend.

The story was riveting for how it pulled all the pieces of the Robin Hood legend together with the homophobic history of England, including both gay, bi, and trans storylines and characters to root for. I'm a fan!

Some great interior pages to give you a taste:

There's even some bonus "Queer History of England" pages at the end!

Throughout, "Merry Men" is the euphemism for "men who love other men" and it's brilliant!

Add your review of "Merry Men" in comments!

The Godsteed series - Epic Medieval Fantasy with Heroes, Horses, Swordfights, & a Gay Romance

Godsteed series by BJ Hobbsen

Book 1: Night of Wolves

In a kingdom brought to the brink of utter destruction, the unicorn slayer is close to completing his quest - to destroy the white stallion, Aurion, before it can transform into a Godsteed. Can the immortal Horse Lords of Senfar save the last unicorn and restore hope and magic to the world? And can they find the true bonded rider of the horse before all they have fought for is lost?

Book 2: Darkness Before Death

The Queen is dead, taking with her Areme’s one chance of redemption. In a world catapulted into war, he fights to find another way to save all he holds dear. Who is the true bonded rider for the Godsteed, the horse destined to transform into a unicorn and restore magic to the world? Can the immortal Horse Lord of Senfar keep the horse alive long enough to find out?

Book 3: Ascension

Will the true bonded rider of the horse finally be revealed?

Book 4: Dead Man's Race

Swept away by an avalanche, the Queen of Mirador fights to survive in a kingdom torn apart by war. Abducted, press-ganged, shipwrecked and sold into slavery, can Orlanda find a way to escape, reverse a life-threatening curse placed upon her by a sorceress long since dead, and reclaim her throne?

The author wrote me to say that books 5 and 6 are in the works, and that "the relationship between two of the main characters is far from straight :)." Add your review of any or all of the Godsteed series novels in comments!

An Infatuation - Will A 10 Year High School Reunion Re-Ignite The Gay Romance They Had (Even though they're both now married, one to a Man, and one to a Woman?)

An Infatuation by Joe Cosentino

With his ten-year high school reunion approaching, Harold wonders whether Mario will be as muscular, sexy, and tantalizing as he remembers. As a teenager, it was love at first sight for Harold while tutoring football star Mario, until homophobia and bullying drove Mario deep into the closet. Now they’re both married men. Mario, a model, is miserable with his producer wife, while Harold, a teacher, is perfectly content with his businessman husband, Stuart. When the two meet again, will the old flame reignite, setting Harold’s comfortable life ablaze? How can Harold be happy with Stuart when he is still infatuated with his Adonis, his first love, Mario?

Add your review of this Novella, "An Infatuation," in comments!

The Otto Digmore Difference - A New Adult Gay Ex-Boyfriends and now 'just friends?' Road Trip

The Otto Digmore Difference by Brent Hartinger

Otto Digmore is a 26-year-old gay guy with dreams of being a successful actor, and he’s finally getting some attention as a result of his supporting role on a struggling sitcom. But he’s also a burn survivor with scars on half his face, and all indications are that he’s just too different to ever find real Hollywood success.

Now he’s up for an amazing new role that could change everything. Problem is, he and his best friend Russel Middlebrook have to drive all the way across the country in order to get to the audition on time.

It’s hard to say which is worse: the fact that so many things go wrong, or that Russel, an aspiring screenwriter, keeps comparing their experiences to some kind of road trip movie.

There’s also the fact that Otto and Russel were once boyfriends, and Otto is starting to realize that he might still have romantic feelings for his best friend.

Just how far will Otto go to get the role, and maybe the guy, of his dreams?

In an interview about the book, Brent says, "I confess that when I first introduced Otto in 2005 (in The Order of the Poison Oak, the first Geography Club sequel), I was annoyed by the response in some quarters of the literary world. I heard more than once that I shouldn’t be equating being gay with being disabled, because you don’t “choose” to be disabled. Like you choose to be gay?

But the world has changed a lot since then,. The last few years, the topic of “diversity” has finally broken through. It finally seemed like the time to give Otto his own book."

Add your review of "The Otto Digmore Difference" in comments!

The Futon Years (The New Russel Middlebrook Trilogy) - Russel is gay, out and in his 20s, trying to figure life out

So the first two books in this new trilogy are out, and I'm pretty excited about it:

The Thing I Didn't Know I Didn't Know by Brent Hartinger

Russel Middlebrook is twenty-three years old, gay, and living in trendy Seattle, but life isn’t keeping up with the hype. Most of his friends have a direction in life—either ruthlessly pursuing their careers or passionately embracing their own aimlessness. But Russel is stuck in place. All he knows is that crappy jobs, horrible dates, and pointless hook-ups just aren’t cutting it anymore.

What’s the secret? What does everyone else know that he doesn’t?

Enter Kevin, Russel’s perfect high school boyfriend. Could rekindling an old flame be the thing Russel needs to get his life back on track? Or maybe the answer lies with a new friend, an eccentric screenwriter named Vernie Rose, who seems plenty wise. Or what the hell? Maybe Russel will find some answers by joining his best friend Gunnar’s crazy search for the legendary Bigfoot!

One way or another, Russel is determined to learn the all-important secret to life, even if it’s a thing he doesn’t even know he doesn’t know.

Barefoot In The City Of Broken Dreams

Twenty-four year-old Russel Middebrook and his boyfriend have moved to Los Angeles so Russel can try to make it as a screenwriter.

Almost right away, in a forgotten old house off of Sunset Boulevard, Russel meets Isaac Brander, a once-famous film producer who is convinced he can turn Russel’s screenplay into a movie.

Russel knows that success can’t possibly come this easy. After all, most of Russel’s Los Angeles friends are so desperate to make it that it’s downright scary. His ex-boyfriend, Otto, is trying everything to become an actor, and Daniel, the sexy neighbor, doesn’t even need a casting couch to get naked.

So what’s the catch with Mr. Brander? Could it be that movies about Hollywood don’t tell the whole truth? But what does that mean for Russel’s soul?

*  *  *

I really liked the second part of the dedication of Book 1 in this series, where Brent writes:

...And for everyone in the twenties
Spoiler alert! Life all works out in the end

Note that the author says this is a series "for adults." Add your review of "The Thing I Didn't Know I didn't Know" and/or "Barefoot In The City Of Broken Dreams" in comments!

Timothy - a gay romance suspense thriller

Timothy by Greg Herren

The memory of Timothy haunts every corner of Spindrift, the beautiful mansion on the Atlantic shore. His face was flawless, his body breathtaking perfection. Everyone who saw him loved him, desired him, wanted him—whether they first laid eyes on him in a magazine ad, on a billboard, or on a box of underwear. No one ever forgot him, once they had passed through his orbit. They remember his wit, intelligence, and sense of style. He was the perfect match for wealthy Carlo Romaniello. Spindrift was the perfect backdrop for the glamorous couple, and the unforgettable, fabulous parties they hosted there. But then tragedy took Timothy, and darkness descended on the beautiful house on the beach. Carlo closed the house, and its secrets remained hidden within.

When Carlo reopens the house as a home for himself and his new young husband, those old secrets begin to creep out into the light. And those secrets might just prove deadly for his new spouse, a young man who has to compete with the memory of the unforgettable Timothy…

Add your review of "Timothy" in comments...

Lazarus, Covenant, and Epiphany - A Trilogy About Gay Black and Latino College Guys

Lazarus, Covenant and Epiphany by Rashid Darden

Lazarus

ADRIAN is handsome, brilliant, and devoted to serving others. Under the cool exterior, however, he is tormented and unfulfilled. Abandoned by his father and emotionally distant from his mother, he feels alone - adrift on campus - until he meets SAVION. With rhymes dripping from his lips like honey, Savion has just what Adrian needs: stability, maturity, and love. Although their friendship is filled with peaks and valleys, their relationship is threatened by Adrian's biggest challenge: BETA CHI PHI.

Finding the appeal of pledging his father's fraternity irresistible, Adrian decides to take the plunge and pledge Beta Chi Phi in an attempt to fill the void in his heart, even after his relationship with Savion blossoms. Almost immediately, Adrian is thrust headlong into a world of mind games, controlled behavior, and strokes from the paddle--tempered with the brotherhood that bonds men in times of adversity. Adrian knows that he must keep his relationship with Savion a secret at all costs, for if his new-found family were to learn the truth, he may have to choose...

The one he loves...or his brothers.

Covenant

Who will be the first to break?

ADRIAN is on a mission to heal himself from his emotional wounds. Though he is fresh off the “burning sands” of Beta Chi Phi, he suddenly finds himself alone. He sets himself to the task of reconciling with his parents while forging his own path as a newly “out” man on campus – no easy feat when some fraternity brothers still harbor animosity toward him.

ISAIAH is struggling to redefine himself. He is a student, basketball player, and boyfriend to a beautiful young lady. But who does he want to be? Isaiah’s friendship with Adrian awakens new feelings within him – feelings that are both exciting and terrifying. Over the course of one summer these two men are united as friends – and more.

What happens between them is kept secret, even from their closest friends. As they cross each other’s paths on the close-knit campus, they both long to finish what they started during that long, humid summer. Still, they made a promise…

Epiphany

ISAIAH is head over heels in love with his boyfriend and isn’t afraid to let the world know it. His devotion threatens his future as a professional basketball player. Though he is being forced to choose between the love of his life and his career, it appears that he could be making a decision which could irrevocably affect his future.

Meanwhile, ADRIAN has unfinished fraternity business. As a Big Brother for the first time, he has an obligation to uphold the chapter’s sacred traditions, yet feels a responsibility to end the cycle of violence.

Friendships will dissolve. Rivals will return. Secrets buried in LAZARUS and maintained in COVENANT will finally explode in EPIPHANY.


These books were published by the author. Add your review of Lazarus, Covenant and/or Epiphany in comments!

Free Reads: Two Short Stories About College Guys Falling For Other Guys

Second Shot  by Andrew Gordon

What do you do when you are deep in the closet but you meet the man of your dreams? Do you take the chance and risk the consequences?  Jason (a closeted soccer player) has to figure it out when he meets Peter, an out martial arts champion.

and


Bettor To Lose by Andrew Gordon

Jack's luck with dating hasn't been the best. When a fraternity brother suggests he can't get a date, Jack agrees to a bet: Jack brings a date to the Fraternity Formal or he loses. Now all he needs is a date. 


The stories are posted by the author and available for free at the http://www.gayauthors.org site (just click on the titles above.)  Add your review of "Second Shot" and/or "Bettor To Lose" in comments.

The Spirit Of Detroit - A College-Age sequel to "Drama Queers"

The Spirit of Detroit by Frank Anthony Polito

September 1992. Madonna’s SEX is poised to hit bookstore shelves, The Crying Game makes its cinematic debut in limited release, and George H.W. Bush will soon square off against William Jefferson Clinton in the battle to be elected leader of the Free World. After abandoning his dreams of becoming a famous actor, Bradley Dayton returns to his roots and enrolls as a Theatre major at Wayne State University in Detroit — a town known for its rich cultural history, as well as its gritty urban decay. But a new cast of characters begins to interfere with his education as these friends (and lovers) induct Bradley into their dark world of backstage drama. By semester’s end, he will have spent many a wild and sleepless Motor City night…and found his fair share of thrills along the way.

"The Spirit of Detroit" is the follow up to Frank’s Lambda award-winning Drama Queers, and was published by the author. Add your review of the book in comments!

An Ordinary Boy - Tom Has a Plan To Come Out During His First Year Of College

An Ordinary Boy by Brian Centrone

Tom Grove’s family is rich, his grandparents are famous, and he’s beautiful. He can have anything he wants, but all Tom really wants is to be an ordinary boy. Like his best friend, Marissa, Tom wants to fit in, make friends and date sexy boys. It would also help if he could be free of his father’s weighty expectations, his mother’s insane demands, and his older brother’s snide remarks.

When Tom begins his first year of college, he believes he’s going to come out and start a new life. But Tom’s plan to come out of the closet and meet hot college boys isn’t exactly foolproof. His new roommate is a straight jock, the gay club at school is made up of outcasts, and the lines between going out to dinner and a date are blurry at best. If that wasn’t a challenge enough, Tom has to learn how to navigate drunken college parties, the campus social hierarchy, and the attentions of the wrong sort of boys. What begins as a journey to independence turns into a series of mishaps, love, heartache, soul searching, awkward situations and the realization that life is less like an Abercrombie & Fitch catalog and more like the everyday low prices of Wal-Mart.

And to make matters worse, he still has to make it through freshman year.

You can read an excerpt at the publisher's site here.  And add your review of "An Ordinary Boy" in comments!

Color Fields, C.A. - Gay Middle Eastern College Kids in California Search For Love

Color Fields, C.A. by Navid Sinaki


Two best friends. Two broken hearts. Opposite sides of the Golden State.

Nika and Vivi were always outcasts in Rancho Cucamonga, a suburban epicenter of swimming pools and strip malls where being gay and/or a minority made you a freak. Away at different colleges, Nika and Vivi send e-mails to close the distance with an ounce of whimsy and wit.

Here, four years of heartbreak and broken wishbones; the pressures of first-generation college kids; the bruises of alcoholism and abuse. Four years of slow-dancing alone, compulsive daydreams, and the occasional shared porn link.

From Nika's trip to Paris for a boy he hasn't met, to Vivi's failed relationship with a childhood friend turned druggie, the two find themselves returning to California where the cinematic blurs with the anticlimactic.

This book was published by the author. Add your review of "Color Fields, C.A." in comments!

The Sin Warriors - Historical Fiction Based On The 1950s purge of Gay people from Florida's Universities

The Sin Warriors by Julian E. Farris

Fifty years ago, three hundred teachers and students in Florida vanished. No storm troopers. No mass graves. Who were they? Just wasted lives from blackmail, coercion, entrapment--tactics of state senator Charlie Johns and his covert investigations of homosexuals in Florida's universities. The Sin Warriors is a novel inspired by those actual events.

David Ashton has struggled for self-acceptance and identity his entire life. David's estrangement from a dysfunctional family childhood, his sexual awakening and bonding with his gay professor places them in the crosshairs of state senator Billy Sloat, an ambitious, country politician obsessed with ridding the university of subversives--homosexuals, blacks, alleged communists--on the heels of the McCarthy hearings during the mid-fifties. But who is Sloat actually, and where does his hatred and contempt come from? From a backwoods childhood in North Florida to his reign as a powerful senator, Sloat intends to destroy the new life David has built for himself in college, and questions are raised: What is family? Whom should we love? What price do we pay to defend our country and our integrity? Which is more enduring fear or love? 

Add your review of "The Sin Warriors" in comments!

Twin Lives Twisted: Gay Romance and Some Swashbuckling Action

Twin Lives Twisted by Shannon Mulroy

Twin lives torn apart by murder and envy; twin lives blighted by slavery; twin lives lived in the shadow of the whip.

When Rekeir is given to Captain Terrahe, master of the merchant vessel Gold’s Confidence, he begins more than a sea voyage: his journey will take him from the depths of mankind’s depravity to the heights of love—the kind of passionate love that only two men can share.

House slave Reon is willed to Evari, a cold but thoughtful diplomat in the service of a foreign king. Will love light a spark between master and slave or are they doomed to sorrow when Reon is called to set right the injustice of his past?

For twin brothers Rekeir and Reon freedom is but a distant memory; enslaved since childhood they set out on a perilous path that will lead to liberty or death.

Add your review of "Twin Lives Twisted" in comments!

Freeing - A college-age story of how knowing who you are and accepting who you are come at different prices

Freeing by E.K. Blair

Jase Kinrick grew up in your typical, all-American household. But after the death of his sister, his parents shut down, forcing him to deal with everything life throws his way alone. Terrified of the person he’s discovering himself to be, Jase has his way with every willing girl to try and rid himself of what he fears he is—gay.
Escaping California and moving to Seattle to attend the University of Washington, Jase frees himself to the reality that he likes men. Never staying with any guy long enough to get to know them, he doesn’t realize that he’s still hiding from who he is until he meets Mark. Scared of having real feelings for another guy stirs up the questions and fears he’s fought hard to bury.

To strip away the barriers to the heart of what is real, and to be okay with what lies underneath, will be Jase’s moment of truth. But he’ll need Mark to lead him there.

Published by the author, this is a companion novel to "Fading, cited as a USA Today Bestseller.

Add your review of "Freeing" in comments!

As Others See Us - A gay romance of two generations

As Others See Us by Alan Phillips

While holidaying in the Seychelles, Paul Green's life is changed dramatically when he meets Richard Carter, a youth about half his age. After a wonderful holiday, the two part but meet again in London, where Richard feels compelled to reveal his background. Paul persuades Richard to give up his degrading lifestyle, provides him with accommodation and finds him a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to put his past behind him and make a fresh start. But as Richard discovers, fame can bring with it a mountain of problems – including blackmail, libel and slander – everyone's motives are suddenly suspect. We follow Richard's exploits from his early days on the streets to his trusting, loving relationship with his mentor, Paul and round in a circle to reveal how a disreputable past life now threatens his future.

This book was published with a subsidy publisher.  My thanks to Lis for letting me know about "As Others See Us."  Add your review in comments!

Whistle Pass - The 1950s, Homophobia, and Gay Romance

Whistle Pass by KevaD (a.k.a. David Kentner)

On the battlefields of WWII Europe, Charlie Harris fell in love, and after the war, Roger marched home without a glance back. Ten years later, Charlie receives a cryptic summons and quickly departs for his former lover’s hometown of Whistle Pass.

But Roger Black isn’t the lover of Charlie’s dreams anymore. He’s a married, hard-bitten political schemer who wants to secure his future by destroying evidence of his indiscreet past. Open homosexuality is practically a death sentence, and that photo would ruin Roger and all his wife’s nefarious plans.

Caught up in foggy, tangled events, Charlie turns to hotel manager Gabe Kasper for help, and Gabe is intrigued by the haunted soldier who so desperately desires peace. When helping his new lover places Gabe in danger, the old warrior in Charlie will have to take drastic action to protect him... or condemn them both.

Add your review of "Whistle Pass" in comments!

Prelude To An Empire - A Questioning Twenty-Something Agonizes Over His Life (With Characters of Color)

Prelude To An Empire by Terry J. Benton

“At 23, how the hell did I get to this point?” Russell Wright asks himself as he sits in his car with a handful of pills, ready to commit suicide. Russell’s life has been a roller coaster ride for as long as he can remember and today he wants to get off – forever.

While growing up in rural Georgia, Russell shares an unusual friendship with his mother, Charlene Wright. Charlene and Russell bond over their private struggle with Russell’s abusive father – a situation that climaxes the night that Russell’s father tries to murder their entire family.

As if things weren’t bad enough with his family issues, Russell has to endure relentless bullying surrounding suspicions about his sexuality – something he has yet to determine for himself. As a result of bullying and conflict with his spirituality, Russell’s personal growth is hindered and he struggles to find himself and his place in the world.

The one bright spot in Russell’s life is his best friend, Mercedes. She is beautiful, a diva, and sometimes a bit too ghetto – but most importantly, she provides comedic relief, strength, and support for Russell… and she’s also a lesbian. Russell and Mercedes’ relationship strengthens over her struggle for acceptance of her lifestyle and they vow to be best friends forever – until they leave for college and their friendship takes a dramatic turn for the worst.

As Russell’s story progresses, he fights to understand himself and the motives of the people in his life, as he experiences the lows and highs of friendships and relationships. In the end, this powerful and dramatic journey comes full circle to resolve the issue of whether he will indeed end his life.

This book is published by the author.  Add your review of "Prelude To An Empire" in comments!

And remember, if you or someone you know is feeling desperate or you just need someone to talk to, there's always someone you can talk to at the Trevor Project's lifeline at 1-866-488-7386.

The Fall - A Gay College Athlete Comes Out and Comes of Age

The Fall by Ryan Quinn

The new school year at Florence University, nestled in the Pennsylvania countryside, dawns bright with the possibilities that only a fresh start can bring. For three students in particular, it will be a year unlike any other, one that will alter the courses of their lives forever. There is Ian, the film buff trying to figure out his life—and how to catch the eye of the football player he can’t stop fantasizing about; Casey, the local football star whose future off the field is frustratingly uncertain; and Haile, the classical-music prodigy seeking refuge from a past life so that she may start anew as a singer-songwriter. Together the trio will form a fateful friendship, told through alternating first-person narratives.

This book was originally self-published and then picked up by the new traditional publisher Amazon Encore.  Add your review of "The Fall" in comments!

Totally Fabulous - Two Gay Romantic Comedies

Totally Fabulous by Chad Wilde

Just out of college, Sebastian finds himself caught between hunks when his former flame and a new heartthrob both go in hot pursuit of Sebastian's heart.  In a second story, Sebastian finds out that introducing your boyfriend to your family never gets easier as a trip home turns into relative insanity.

This title was published by the author.  Add your review of "Totally Fabulous" in comments!