Memorizing You

"Memorizing You" by Dan Skinner

An Answered Prayer

Highly Recommended

So, usually I start with a recap so you get a taste of what the book feels like. Then I tell you what worked and didn’t work, and what touched me. Forgive me if I break a little from my usual style. This book has me all over the place, in a good way.

David is a regular kind of guy, and Ryan is a jock. They are both in high school in the sixties, when being gay was just not okay. They meet, the become friends, then more. Then life and hate and the times tear them apart. Life goes on. People move on. And yet…

Now here’s the beautiful sadness that grabbed me in the darkest and most hopeful and cynical places in my soul—life never takes you quite where you think it will. Yes, we are caught in the hurricane, but sometimes, just sometimes, it drops you in the most unexpected places. Sometimes, even after forty years, you look up and holy hell, there’s your second chance.

I don’t want to spoil anything for you as you read this incredible book. Dan Skinner, God bless him, has created characters that I know, that I lived with, played with, grew up with, loved, lost, cried over and still love. These are the people of my past. This story is mine, and probably in a lot of ways, Dan’s. Gay men of a certain age (and doesn’t that sound haughty, and is a simple way of saying, fifty-ish) have a very different experience of coming to terms with their homosexuality. It might be difficult now, but for those of us who discovered that part of ourselves in the sixties and seventies (and early eighties) lived a different life.

Here’s the thing, and I’m sorry I’m all over the place here. This book is a must read. It’s love, life, loss and joy, pain, sadness and…I am almost lost for words.

The lessons here? Life is bittersweet, take your happiness a day at a time, and hope is a fickle bitch that surprises you when you least expect it. It might take forty years, but sometimes, God gives you back that which you never thought you would see or feel or hold again.

What a gift.

Read this book. It’s a prayer answered.

Tom

Forever Promised

"Forever Promised" by Amy Lane

Beautiful and loving ending to my favorite series

Very Highly Recommended

There’s this bittersweet feeling that comes with completing something you love. Whether it’s a task at work, a knitting project, building a cabinet—for me it’s usually associated with reading or writing. One of the first books I ever read in the male/male genre was Keeping Promise Rock, and I became an instant Amy Lane fan. She’s who I want to be when I grow up, and now to be able to review the fourth, and last, Promise book overwhelms me.

I want to do it justice, and I know I won’t be able to, but here’s my best shot.

At my dad’s house, and I imagine at most family’s homes, there are two special seats. One is for the head of the family. It’s usually the patriarch, like my dad, but sometimes it’s the revered female also. At my house, it’s my dad. He’s ninety years old, and we—all eight of us kids and the grandkids and great-grandkids and now soon to be a great-great-grandson—look to him before we do anything. It’s how it should be, forever and ever, amen.

Then there’s the emotional head of the family. Since my mom passed away in 2000, that role has mostly been filled by my sister Diane. Not Big Diane, but Little Diane. See, I have two sisters named Diane. Remember, I am from the south, and everything we do comes with a story here. My mom and dad were both married before—my dad was divorced and has three kids from his first marriage, and my mom was widowed with three daughters before they married and had me and my younger brother. And they both had daughters named Diane, and yeah, the older was Big Diane and the younger Little Diane.

Well, in Amy Lane’s world, Deacon is the head of the family. He’s the one that the family turns to, the dad, the sun that all the planets of his collected brothers and sisters circle. He’s been the center of the series, and he’s my perfect man. Stubborn as nails and loyal to a fault, he puts the family first, always.

Then there’s the seat at the other end of the dining room table. And most would think it’s Crick, or Benny, but it’s not. In this book, it’s Mikhail. See, I can’t call him Mickey, because I don’t want my arms yanked off like a fly, and I’m not quite family, as much as I want to be. I know it will surprise many, but trust me, here, it’s Mikhail.

Forever Promised opens with Benny, and appropriately enough, ends with Benny. In between, we have love, life, death, marriage, and all the little things that form the fabric of our lives. And oh, have these things been woven into a tapestry that took my breath away. Every single player was represented here. All of this wonderful, beautiful family has their moment in the sun. But three stand out for me.

Deacon, as always, has my heart. His family gets to give back to him as they haven’t before. There is one scene with Jon—I had to put my book down and walk it off. It was that…transcendent.

Mikhail. Now I love the little man, and have since I saw his snitty little butt make an entrance on the second book. But here, oh God, he takes my breath away. I fell in love with him so hard, and I wanted to wrap him up in cotton and carry him away.

And Benny. It’s so clichéd, but our little girl grew up. In such a big, heart-stopping way. And I fell a little in love with her too.

I don’t want to give the plot away, since this book deserves to be savored. I will say, if it has to end, this was the way to do it.

Amy Lane has had my heart for a couple of years now, and she broke it a little, roughed it up, but then wrote this love letter to grace and care, love and family, and healed it. Such damned fine writing, and with her hand on the rudder, I’d sail to any port with her.

Amazing. Simply amazing.

Bolt Hole

Bolt Hole by Amy Lane
Two more fantastic characters
Very Highly Recommended

A bolt hole a funny thing. It’s used as a hidey place, somewhere you can run to and feel safe when the hounds are after you and you need to get away from the rest of the world. Terrell Washington—his whole life is a bolt hole. He’s the shining example of what is heard way too often. He’s black and poor: his mother left him to be raised by a grandmother too busy with raising her own kids and grandkids dumped off on her, working, and her church to have much love or attention for him. 

He’s too smart for his own good, going to college and getting a journalism degree that does him no good. And to top it all off? He’s gay in a culture where that can get you killed. So he crushes it down with all his other failed dreams and hides in plain sight. He becomes a bartender, has one-offs, and grows more and more bitter.

Until he meets Colby Meyers. The two men have absolutely nothing in common—Terrell is black, poor, embittered and gay while Colby is white, shiny and funny and straight—but somehow the two form an unlikely friendship that brings sunshine into Terrell’s life. Then he finds company in the little bolt hole of his life.

It all changes when Colby takes matters into his own hands and kisses Terrell. Right as their jerk of a boss is murdered, and he’s the center of attention. Suddenly, his deepest, darkest secrets are right there on the edge of being discovered. Is Colby worth taking a step out of the dark places he’s been hiding in? And if he does, will he be safe before the murderer strikes again?

This is a different Amy Lane book, and dammit, I like it. Terrell is cranky, funny, shy, bitchy and an all-around bear of a guy. Right up my alley! He’s on the edge of giving up on everything, including himself, and all it might take is one small push to take him over the edge. That’s where Colby comes in; the pushy little white boy that makes him—and me—smile. I love that it wasn’t instalove, and that these two men become friends first. Their very sweet friendship is wonderful to watch. Sometimes, all it takes is one person willing to reach out and connect to make all the difference for a drowning man.

And Colby. Like an onion, we get to see all the layers of what could be a cliché peeled back. Where he starts as the friend, he becomes so much more. We think he’s a surfer boy dude, but we see he’s so very much more. And he’s the perfect match and foil for Terrell’s rabbiting. He forces him out from the closet—another of his many bolt holes—and has grand plans for the two of them.

The murder mystery is an essential part of the story, and is fun to watch play out. The women in this book play a vital role, and we get to see solid, real females for a change. Once of the very nice things about this book is the realness of the characters; these aren’t the men and women you expect from Amy, and it’s great to see her take a different tact. A very successful one.

Overall, another great effort. I can’t get enough of these solidly drawn, complicated and accessible characters. Fantastic job.

A Bear's Thoughts on GRL 2013...

I'm not quite sure how to process this posting as yet. I attended last year as a reader, since I wasn't published at the time I registered, and there really wasn't a Reviewer slot. But my novel was published the day before GRL started, and I had another out co-written with another author.

The event itself was fun. I got to fan-boy and meet all my heroes. And that's what the event is about, right?

But now I am on the other side of the table. I am a published author and was considering registering as one this year. When I read this, though, I thought, will I be welcomed? I am an amoeba in a fishpond compared to hundreds of other authors, and will my "ranking" be enough to get me in as a writer?

The fact the event is in my home town makes me think I may, for several reasons. But I am seeing a lot of commentary from my peer group who are upset about the turn of events. And I can't blame them. I am too. But I like to take a longer view of it, and will make my decision to attend based on my personal ethics and beliefs when the time comes.

I am concerned however. This tastes and smells and feels like something I don't want to think about - elitism. It's very well reasoned and rolled out, but so was "All pigs are equal. Some are more equal than others, though..."

High school, for me, was over in 1979, and I choose not to revisit it, especially in this arena. I wasn't in the "Cool Kids" group then, and sure as hell am not now. And I can say, I have heard almost the same sentiment from at least ten other authors whose opinions I respect.

I just don't know.

I DO know that I have seen way too many instances where, in this small community of personalities, a tiny spark erupts into a flashfire, and oftentimes it's ridiculous and over the top. I couldn't write some of the drama that occurs in real life on Goodreads, or if I did, it would get one star. And TPTB may be counting on this announcement burning off before the website is opened to the public and slots sold.

And have no doubts, it WILL sell out.

But who will be there? And will it it be the best line-up for the fans, the readers, the reviewers?

Guys and gals of the committee, I hope it doesn't blow up in your faces.

One last thought...is this now a RWA event? Because I don't have my Little Orphan Annie decoder ring yet, so where does that leave me?

Wishing you a happy week.

Tom

PS  Here's the link to the GRL posting...

http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=2f9594b419e354dd7c4130b97&id=6e12844973

If the Stars Fall

"If the Stars Fall (Making of A Man)" by Diane Adams

Warm, electric tinglies to my heart

Very Highly Recommended

Alex Ross has loved Jared Douglas from almost the moment he met him. He was fifteen and Jared almost twenty, but the gap was, to him, nothing. But to Jared it was the difference between consent and abuse, and he made sure Alex was nothing more than his friend for the first year of their relationship.

Now, sixteen years later, the two are partners in all sense of the word. Happily together, living in the home Alex designed for them and happier than Jared ever thought possible, a horrible accident strikes. One that almost takes Alex from him and which rocks both men to the core.

Jump ahead nineteen more years, and it's Alex's turn to be shaken at the potential loss of the other half of his soul. Jared hospitalized and ill, and even thirty-five years of loving the man isn't enough. He is Alex's for all time, until the stars fall from the sky...

Both incidents spur introspections by these two incredible men. Will they get through the pitfalls of health scares intact? How will their lives change? Is their love strong and enduring enough?

In this sentimental, stunning little book, Diane Adams had me on the edge of what Dolly Parton calls smiles though tears (her favorite emotion) from damn near the first page. I've been reading this series since "Our December (Book One)", and have read all five books plus some other smaller stories. I thought nothing could match Clark's Story. God, was I wrong.

There is a purity grounded in real life that makes these tales of love, care and family so very accessible and memorable. Alex and Jared are soulmates, yes, but they are not without their challenges. Alex is a dreamer, apt to jumping in with both feet before he looks. Jared is so self-secure and solid, but also righteous and rigid. Together, they make their friends sick with their never-ending passion and love for one another.

But Ms. Adams doesn't stop with them being a sappy couple. No, that would be selling them, and us, so very short. Alex's mother, for years and years, won't accept her son's homosexuality, and it's like a thorn in his heart for every singe minute of those years to him. All he wants is her love, and she withholds is so very, very cruelly.

And Jared, his whole persona and identity is built on an image he's carried of his father, and how a man should be. But that base is not quite as solid as an outside observer can see; Jared was sexually abused and raped as a teen, even though he refuses to call it that. And it's made for some lonely, harsh days for him. He is a class act, though, trying to be the rock for others when his feet are on slippery ground so much of the time in his head.

But when these two found each other, they truly became more than the sum of the two. Ah, and when they looked outside the two of them and built their lives with their families, both blood and of the heart, they truly shine.

So when we get to this jewel of a book, and see the two of them struggle, we know it will be okay. They have each other, they have Clark, Stevie, their families.

And they decide to marry. 

Let me tell you a little story. I love to read, and I hate to drive, so I use my Kindle speech function, with ear buds, when I drive back and forth to work and to run errands. So here I am, near the end of this damn book, struggling already to hold my emotions in because it's just so damned beautiful to read (and you should hear it, trust me) and I get the the scene where Alex and Jared exchange their vows.

I had to pull off on the side of the road. I couldn't see to drive through my tears.

And that's the whole series, to me. Seeing two men fall in love, weather life's storms and come out the other end whole and complete and better for the wear. How can that not move you? Isn't that all of our dreams?

It's not perfect, but it's darned close.

Trust me, read these giant-hearted stories back-to-back. Not many do it better than Ms. Adams.

Tom         

Under the Rushes

"Under the Rushes" by Amy Lane

Steampunk meets Batman and HOLY COW!

Very Highly Recommended

How do you break a man? You take away the things most important to him. Destroy them, or give them back broken.

Ten years ago, Dorjan allowed himself to believe in his country, his leaders, and his duty. That childish way of life lead to his leaders betraying him, using him to hurt and kill innocent persons, and almost to his own death. Injured, he is used as a scapegoat and barely escapes with his health and sanity. Unfortunately for his best friend Areau, the same can’t be said about him.

Dorjan has loved Areau like a brother for his whole life, and while his friend isn’t gay, they two couldn’t be closer than most lovers. When Dorjan’s father risks everything to return Areau home, stealing him from the very men who hurt and used his son, Dorjan again knows the bitter taste of betrayal.

Now Dorjan is working from within the system, trying to affect change. By day, he’s part of the government. But at night, he’s…something more. Someone who prowls the night, costumed, helping those who most need him and battling to keep the streets clean. It’s there he meets Taern. Funny how fate throws people together again and again, until they get the message. This time, Taern is a young man working the streets, proud, funny and strangely hopeful.

As Dorjan, in concert with his old friend Areau—now…broken and in a strange, horrible relationship with Dorjan—strive to take down the cancer killing their country, Taern is added to the volatile mix. Will it help? Or will it be the final piece, the straw that breaks the camel’s back for Dorjan? Will he be forced to pay the ultimate price?

I’m not normally a fan of steampunk. I find it a little…too much, too noisy and busy and just plain weird. But, damn it, Amy Lane has taken the genre by the short, curly ones, thrown in a liberal dash of Batman and Robin, added a dash of hot gay lovin’ and given us a dashing, entertaining and oddly moving and deep tone poem on love, duty, sacrifice and good old fashioned derring-do.

I was by turns laughing and gasping at shocks to my heart with these characters. Dorjan, whose sense of honor runs so deep he is willing to give and give to the last drop of blood in his body, was the perfect hero. He has a heart so huge, and a will to match it. Faced with loss and heartbreak at every turn, he keeps plodding, one foot in front of the other, resigned to his fate.

Then we have Taern, the perfect foil to Dorjan’s seriousness. Sensual, fun, sexy and stubborn, he is reluctant and wary to give his heart, but quickly and completely falls for Dorjan. He takes it upon his young shoulders to carry the extra load of Dorjan’s burden, and makes it his mission to ensure the big man succeeds, but survives. He is the perfect companion for the seriousness that is Dorjan.

But it is Areau that captivates me. As beautiful inside as he is on the outside, he is brutally treated by those in power, broken physically, mentally and spiritually. Dorjan makes it his mission to cobble Humpty Dumpty back together, but the man that is left…he’s just not the boy Dorjan knew. What he does, what he has become, broke my heart.

Ah, but his redemption; glorious. I think he stands among Amy’s most memorable characters. I adored him, and grieved for him every moment of the story. What he went through, what he became, the potential — just heartbreaking. But then…ah, I can’t ruin the story for you.

And that’s the sign of a wonderful story. It makes you want to grab everyone you come in contact with, and force them to sit and listen to you rave about it and insist they read it. Kind of like I am doing with you right now, as I think on it.

So quit reading now, go to your friendly bookseller, and buy this epic. Now! What are you waiting for?!?

Tom

A Bear on Book's Best of 2012

In which Pooh reads a ton of M/M and tries to narrow it down to his top 10 20 25 50...

Okay, I can do this. I really can.

This was a banner year for M/M books. The quality was terrific, there were many bright new names that put out books I laughed at, cried over, sat stunned with, and just enjoy like...well, a bear with a honey jar.

I really was trying to narrow it to my top twenty, then twenty-five, but I identified about sixty worthy of mention. I could cut a little, so I finally decided on fifty.

So, without further ado (because I know you really don't want all my prattles, you want to get to the goodie inside the blow-pop), here are Tom's Favorite Fifty Books of 2012. My only criteria was that they had to be published in 2012.

My favorite book of 2012 is:

To Touch the Stars by Jeremy Pack

This book has it all - heart, a fantastic storyline, believable and engaging characters, and that something that just grabbed me by the heartstrings and wouldn't let me go.

Jeremy Pack wrote his heart out with this stunning story of two men's journey over twenty years and three continents to be together. When I turned the last page, I wanted to burn every page I have ever written, because I can't hope to write anything this beautiful.


In no particular order, numbers 2 through 10 in no particular order...

• The Island by Lisa Henry.  A slow rise of nausea and fear for the first two thirds or so of this book kept me more engaged than almost any book of the year. The tension...*shivers*
• Chase in Shadow by Amy Lane. A life almost, almost over too soon. I ached, and this book hit way too close to home.
• Sub Zero by Angel Martinez. Nobody build a world like Angel Martinez. But that's the easy part; she then fills it with believable characters who make me think, feel and care.
• I Am Fallen by Scarlet Blackwell. This book was damned near perfect. A tragedy in the making, the end blew me away.
• Who We Are by TJ Klune. Has there ever been a sequel so anticipated? And delivered so spot on? The Kid, Otter and our very own Bear - mwah! A book for the ages. The dinner party scene? Perfection.
• The Rare Event by PD Singer. Slow building, exquisitely told, this was my runner up for book of the year. I sat there after finishing it and had to re-read it immediately. I was afraid I missed a word, a sentence.
• King Perry by Edmond Manning. No book surprised me more this year. Edmond and I talked and he asked me to read it. I thought, why not. I had no idea where it was going, and when I did...my heart leapt. This book filled me with hope.
• End of the Innocence by John Goode. An important book. Vital and essential reading. Tied for runner up for best book of the year. The tragedy that is caused by hate, played out in a high school. God, it hurt to read this book but I loved every word of it.
• Conner's Courage by SJD Peterson. The best of the Whispering Pines Ranch series, and that is no small event. This one was a surprise; it was a slow dance on a Saturday night with your favorite guy, whiskey on the rocks and the stars in an open sky, all rolled into a beautifully told story.

Numbers 11 through 25 in no particular order...

• Jack by Adrienne Wilder. A huge surprise and a kick in the gut. A transgendered/kinda-sorta m/m story that deserves wide-spread attention. Adrienne Wilder made me forget gender while weaving a totally unexpected love story. Unconventional and worth the read.
• Fifteen Shades of Gay (For Pay) by T. Baggins. A coming-out story that made me laugh, think, and most of all, care. This one is fantastic.
• Velvet by Xavier Axelson. Known for his atmospheric stories, Xavier gives us a full novel in a medieval world, where being gay is deadly and angering the king more so. This was like a fairy tale for adults, and I wanted more, so much more of it. Anything by Xavier is worth reading, and this - his best.
• (Un)Masked by Andrew Gordon and Anyta Sunday. A man whose face reflects back the person you most wish to see. A family curse. Characters that were so real they leapt off the page. Just a damned fine book.
• Mourning Heaven by Amy Lane. A powerful story of a wasted life and love found and hearts healed. One of her best. Ever.
• Chaser by Rick Reed. A book that makes the reader think, is attraction more than skin deep? And what if the initial attraction is for something society says is wrong...as in to a heavy man. Finally, someone explores an area long untalked about.
• The British Devil by Greg Hogben. A quasi-memoir that had me laughing my ass off. But best of all, under the laughter is a story that makes us think about serious issues. Like loving someone from another country, how unfair our laws are, and how religion can tear apart families. 
• Yes by Lou Sylvre. A Vasquez and James story, and one that had me in tears. The beautiful sadness of nearly losing that someone you love...horrifying, told with care and respect, and a story that I wish I could write so well.
• Missing by Drew Braxton. Imagine your worst nightmare - you are visiting someone and your lover disappears. And you can't find him. Then, turn it sideways and squint, and you have this innovative and powerful read. I adored it.
• Tigerland by Sean Kennedy. The long awaited sequel to Tigers and Devils, this showcases the humor and love that Sean Kennedy showed in his earlier work. What happens when Dec's ex wants him back? Simon won't stand for it, that's for damned sure!
• Hard Candy, Soft Cream by Chloe Stowe. The unexpected follow up to Hard Wood, Soft Heart, this book took my breath away. For real. It's a hard realization to come to that you may outlive your partner, and to see it from both men's views? Stunning.
• Oceans Apart by Laura Harner. The second in a four book series about an English detective and his Arizona counterpart who flounder around an attraction while solving crimes. This time, each has another partner...or do they? I adore Miggy.
• A Broken Light by Diane Adams. What if you spent your whole life hunting down evil, only to have your brother infected with it? And to then find the man you love may be part of it too? This was a pleasant surprise on the familiar shifter/hunter story. Well written with strong characters.
• Light of Day by Sue Brown. The sequel to The Night Porter, one of my favorite books last year. So bittersweet, this one gives us a happy for now that I can live with. I've read these two a half dozen times...
• Whistle Pass by DevaK. Post WWII mystery/detective/love story. Two improbable lovers meet and deal with the realities of the time. Well written, strong storyline and characters. So damned solid.

See how darned hard this stuff is???

Okay, and the next twenty-five all could be anywhere above too. It's THAT hard to choose. So...numbers 26 through 50, in no particular order.

• Frog by Mary Calmes. A cowboy in love, a family in need and San Francisco. Can all three merge together? Mary Calmes does this so damned well, giving us memorable men who need each other.
• Stranger in Translation by Charles Raines. A ghost story or not? I'm not so sure, and that's what makes this unforgettable tale so good - it's totally off the wall and engaging.
• Geoff's Teddy by Havan Fellows. A bear of a man who isn't gay - or might he be? - and the guy who falls for big ol' bears. A story made in heaven and after my own heart!
• Shattered Glass by Dani Alexander. A fun and sexy story about a straight guy who suddenly finds having it all isn't quite so satisfying without a certain redheaded guy. Totally came from nowhere and is one of the most fun things I read this year.
• Out in the Field by Kate McMurray. A baseball tale that just might happen. One player on the way up, and another ending his career find love. Hit all the right boxes for me - sports, romance, HEA.
• Purly Gates by Vastine Bondurant. The unexpected love between a gangster and a mystery man on the beach. Simply told, quiet and respectful and oh-so-good. A pleasure, guilty or not.
• A Hole in God's Pocket by KZ Snow. A gay Amish man and a not-so-sure ex-monk. KZ Snow writes like an angel, and this stunning book resonated with me for weeks afterwords. Really, one of the year's best.
• Water Waltz by Harley B. James. A crazy tale of devils and demons and men. Easily one of the most creative books of the year.
• The Rebuilding Year by Kaje Harper. A hunky straight ex-fireman. A hunky straight groundkeeper. One house. Tension, and self-discovery. And so beautifully told, as only Kaje Harper can, with grace and style and care.
• It's Simple, Simon by Lee Brazil. The great re-imagining of fairy tales is hard to do, but Lee Brazil knocks this one out of the ball park. Complete, wonderfully imagined and fun. And sexy.
• Beggars and Choosers by Mia Kerick. Two wounded young men begin a quiet dance of respect, friendship and, eventually, love. I LOVED this book.
• Something Like Winter by Jay Bell. Telling Something Like Summer from Tim's POV was risky. And it paid off so very well. And gives us more of Tim and Benjamin. So good.
• Love Comes Silently by Andrew Grey. A deaf man, a kid with cancer, and what do you have? One of the best imagined, quietly heartfelt books of the year. Amazing.
• Another Dumb Jock by Jeff Erno. Twenty years later, we see the old story of jock meets nerd repeat. And it's timeless, and Jeff Erno tells it with the straightforward heart-on-his-sleeve that makes all his works so memorable.
• Daddio by Mickie Ashling. Continuing the story of Lil and Grier and their new little family, I was spell bound by how much I cared. Third in a wonderful series.
• An Immovable Solitude by S.A. McAuley. The story of a relationship that dissolves before our very eyes, and how it may possibly be salvaged and rebuilt. Stunning.
• Stars and Stripes (Cut and Run) by Abigail Roux. The sixth in the series, and in my opinion, the most fun and engaging. I love Ty and Zane, and this one shows them at their best.
• The Mountain by Ally Blue. What happens when an agoraphobiac falls for a man who lives down the mountain? Deft handling, interesting and engaging characters make this story shine.
• Let It Go by Mercy Celeste. Two antagonistic jerks are forced by a judge to live together and cooperate. Of course it leads to love. But it's a rocky road, and Mercy Celeste drags our hearts around a bit first. Darn her.
• Paradox by Chris Quinton. Telling the story of two men across centuries, this book grabbed me from the first page and pulled me in. I read it in one sitting and wanted more. Chris Quinton is the best at laying out impossible situations and making me care. Bravo.
• Bonds of Earth by G N Chevalier. Set after WWI, this story of a broken man and the former massage therapist who falls for him is timeless. And told so damned well. The prose was some of the best I read all year.
• Of Dark and Bright by Kate Sherwood. The further tales of the unlikely trio of Jeff, Evan and Dan. I fell for all three men, and still can't decide how they would work without each other. I think I am secretly in love with Jeff. No, Dan. Or maybe it's Evan. Damn!
• Inherit the Sky by Ariel Tachna. A man with nothing going right in his life moves to New South Wales where his mother inherited a ranch. And promptly falls for the foreman. Sweeping story, beautifully told.
• The Starving Years by Jordan Castillo Price. In a world where hunger has been eradicated, three men become privy to a secret that could take it all down. And oh, they all fall for each other. Told with a twist, fun and thoughtful as only Jordan Castillo Price can do it.
• Country Mouse by Amy Lane and Aleksandr Voinov. Incredibly thought-provoking short about two men who discover themselves in a one-night stand that grows into more. What's so fantastic is how the characters grow and discover so much about themselves during sex. Amazing.

And that's fifty.

* Addendum * I forgot to add JP Barnaby's Aaron. Somewhere between my handwritten list and typing, I left it out. It's a crime I did - this story about a broken and abused teen's slow re-entry into living broke my heart. Not to be forgotten.

Holy Hell - I know!!! I had another ten that easily could have made the list.

And you know, that's what makes this genre go good. The depth, the talent and the diversity.

I can't wait for 2013.

Thank you all for checking in.

Tom