Happily Ever After? A Requirement in Love Stories?

Once a week I post about something I’m loving (tv, movies, books, art, photos, romances, authors, or anything else). So here is this week’s For the Love of…

I love intense drama in the fiction I read and write. I love emotional and physical conflict. I love when characters suffer. I like to “watch” them squirm (both in and out of the bedroom). Yeah, I’m evil like that. ;-)

I want to experience their journey as they build themselves back up, stronger than ever. I like a love story where the characters help each other find peace and happiness–help each other become who each is meant to be.

And in the end? I want the happy ending. I want to go along for the ride on their emotional journey and feel that peace myself. To be reminded that even when the world around us can really suck, those moments of love and happiness make the journey worth living.

Yep, I’m a sap. How about you? Do you only read love stories with happy endings?

Sloan Parker

I was tagged today. Here’s my M/M meme

I was tagged by Devon Rhodes to complete this m/m meme. Thanks for including me. Devon! These are some good questions. And thanks to Kris at Kris ‘n’ Good Books who started it all.

LoveToKiss

(c) www.fotosearch.com

Rules:

1. Answer all the questions below in either the comments here or post it on your own site. If you post it on your own site you have to come back and give the link here so I/Kris can mosey on over and see if you have a sticky beak.

2. You have to tag two other people once you’re done and pester them relentlessly until they do the meme too.

3. Instead of a meme image thing you have to post a cookie, preferably a twofer. It is an m/m meme after all. ;)

Questions:

1. How long have you been reading GLBTQ fiction?
Two years this past October. Not sure I had read any romances with main characters who were GLBTQ before that.

2. What was the first book you read in this genre?
Lee Rowan’s Ransom

3. Are you ‘out’ as a reader?
Oh yeah. I’m out all over the place. As a writer too. Of course my dad wants to know how come I can’t leave the “sex stuff” up to the reader’s imagination. He’s so cute.

4. Ebooks, print or both?
Mostly ebooks, but I will buy my favs in paperback or some that are not available in ebook format.

5. Do you buy direct from publishers or from secondary sellers?
I buy from both. I’ve been trying to make an effort to buy more direct, but sometimes it just doesn’t work out (due to pricing and discounts or format)

6. Prove you’re a Book Slut. How many books would you say you buy a week?
That varies. I’ll buy a ton at one time then go a couple weeks or even a month without buying anything. It averages out to maybe 10-20 a month. Sometimes more if there’s a huge sale.

7. Are you a cover, blurb or excerpt buyer?
A nice cover can pull me in. But I always read the blurb before buying (if it’s an author I love). For new-to-me authors, I read an excerpt to see if I like the writing style.

8. Yeah, you read reviews, but do you actually take notice of them?
I do. I have a database of all the books I own/want to read. Sometimes I’ll add links to reviews with the book’s entry in the DB, especially if the review made it sound like something I’d like to buy.

9. Who’s your fave publisher?
Loose Id (Was I supposed to say anything else? They’re publishing my debut novel hehehe. Seriously, they’ve been great to work with)

10. What about authors? Your top two only!!
Oh man. Only two. That’s tough. Okay, off the top of my head, Josh Lanyon and JL Langley and WA Hoffman and Tere Michaels and Jordan Castillo Price and…uh, I can’t stop.

11. Is there a sub-genre you particularly dis/like?
I don’t read much fantasy, but will if I’ve heard enough good things about a book. It’s hard for me to get into the story and characters when I’m trying to figure out the world.

12. Short or long?? *rolls eyes* And, no, I’m not talking about cocks.
Usually long. I want the read to last a few days, and I want to really get into the characters’ heads. Some authors can pull off short fiction with great characterizations, but a lot of the time, I’m just left feeling like I wanted more.

13. Anything turn you off about m/m or is all just glorious smut to you?
I can’t think of anything I’ve actually read that was a turn-off in terms of the sex. Maybe too much of the same sex over and over. I”ll probably think of something later that creeped me out. I don’t like cheating, but if the author is really good and redeems the story/characters with huge emotional payoffs, then I can keep reading (and yes, that includes Jake Riordan. He’s on his way, and I’m hoping he sees the light and gets out of other people’s beds in book 5).

14. Finish this sentence. You know it’s m/m twu wuv when
They get a tattoo or piercing together

15. What trope or theme are you heartily sick of in m/m romance?
Not sure. If an author is really good at his/her craft, I’ll read any trope/theme again. It’s all in how well they build the characters within the plot.

16. If you could choose any 3 characters for a m/m/m who would they be?
It’s probably so wrong to say this, but I’d pick Luke, Richard, and Matthew, the three guys from my book More, an m/m/m tentatively due out in March from Loose Id.  :)

17. What new GLBTQ release are you most hanging out for right now?
I’m looking forward to The Dark Tide by Josh Lanyon and Matt’s story from JL Langley. Oh, and the final Raised by Wolves from WA Hoffman.

18. What GLBTQ book has completely blown you away this year?
The Adrien English books by Josh Lanyon (they were new to me this year) and Faith & Fidelity by Tere Michaels.

19. What do you think we’ll see more of in m/m romance in 2010?
Vampires. And more short stories and novellas rather than novel length.

20. Don’t you agree that author Josh Lanyon should kill off arsehole character Jake Riordan?
Not kill. I want him to tell Adrien what we all know he feels for him (and grovel…A LOT!). I’m a sappy romantic. I want them to have their happy ending.

Tag, you’re it:

Kathy Kozakewich

SJ Frost

The On-line Community of Booklovers

Once a week I post about something I’m loving (tv, movies, books, art, photos, romances, authors, or anything else) that I’ve seen or read about recently. So here’s this week’s For the love of …

I love booklovers — people who read nearly every day. People who love to lose themselves in a good story. I’ve always loved reading, but when I was a kid, I often felt like an oddball. I didn’t read the same books as everyone else I knew. That’s why I love the Internet. I can connect with other readers who have the same interests, no matter how small the market for a particular genre. As an example, I belong to a Yahoo group that discusses just one book series. It’s a lot of fun to share quotes and discuss scenes and characters while we wait for the fourth book in the series.

I joined Goodreads (“the largest social network for readers in the world”) this week, and I’m really liking the site. I haven’t added all the books I’ve read even in the past couple years, but I tried to add as many as I could from the same genre I write in. And I updated my “to read” list with a lot of the books I own but haven’t gotten around to reading yet. I try to read a little every day (it just doesn’t always work out with my writing schedule). As a writer, reading helps my own voice become stronger and helps me write with more clarity and ease. If that makes any sense. Reading fiction has always been such a big part of my life. And on Goodreads, it’s so easy to connect with other readers who also share my love of books.

So is anyone else using Goodreads? Here’s my profile information if you’d like to friend me.

www.goodreads.com/sloanparker

Thanks for stopping. Hopefully, I’ll see you on Goodreads soon.
Sloan Parker

GLBT Bookshelf

This past week, I finished writing an article about GLBT Bookshelf, a new on-line community. As their web site states, this is a site for “writers, artists, publishers, reviewers and readers … with a difference. We’re a GLBT Community, where the emphasis is on gay books. If you enjoy a great gay read, this is the place for you!”

The article will be featured in the upcoming Rainbow Romance Writers’ chapter newsletter. I had the pleasure of talking with the site’s creator, Mel Keegan. Mel is passionate about this site, and I could see why. It’s a global community dedicated to supporting and promoting GLBT books … and ONLY GLBT books. Kinda nice, huh? Writers of gay stories often have to deal with discrimination against their writing in contests, bookstores, and other areas of the business. It’s nice to have a site where all the books, opinions, reviews, and more are not excluded or judged for their gay content. You can click into the Bookstore and all the books are GLBT, categorized by genre. Way to go Mel Keegan and the other site administrators.

So check it out. You can browse for books, post reviews, participate in discussions, look at cover art, and more at www.glbtbookshelf.com.

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Here’s the page I created on the site. My page includes info on my writing and free fiction. I also list some of my favorite authors and books since I don’t just write gay stories–I read them too!

What do you think? Have you checked out GLBT Bookshelf yet? Comment or send me an email. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the site.

Sloan Parker

Rainbow Reviews 2009 Author Extravaganza

Rainbow Reviews is celebrating their 2nd year online and to celebrate, they’ve gathered together some of the hottest GLBT authors to give away free books all month long!

Free GLBT books? You can’t get much better than that.

Check out this page and return every day in August for another chance to win!

About Rainbow Reviews: The goal of Rainbow Reviews is to provide honest and intelligent reviews for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender books.