A Year And A Day, by Willa Okati. Those of you who are familiar with Willa's work have probably already picked this one up, because once you've read Willa you become an obsessive fan. Those who have never read her before should go buy this right away. Remember that line from The Princess Bride? "Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while." Well, that nails the heart of this lovely book perfectly.
Ash and Slate have the kind of love that everyone wants: deep, passionate, and forever. When Ash dies, too soon and too suddenly, it nearly destroys Slate. He's willing to anything, even dabble in dark magic, to bring his lover back. What a beautiful, rich, moving story this is. It had me on the edge of my seat from the first word. There were moments when my eyes were so full of tears that I could barely read, but there were tears of happiness as well as tears of sorrow. Nothing gets me right in the heart quite like angst and sadness followed by a happy ending, and this book fits the bill perfectly. It pulls you through a gauntlet of intense emotion, ending with joy and satisfaction. What more could anyone want? Go get it, immediately!
*****
Stephen King's latest, Cell. Boy, this one brought back the olden days of King's novels. Fast paced, suspenseful, and stripped down like his books haven't been for years, it still retains his trademark fully realized characters. One of those can't-put-it-down books. Definitely worth keeping.
*****
Achilles' Other Heel, by Tulsa Brown. This is no fluffy romance, folks. Neither is it an angsty happily-ever-after like I tend to write. This is a gritty, sometimes painful tale of addiction, self-loathing, and ultimately, redemption. It faces some very ugly issues head on, without flinching. The protagonist and narrator, Lee Dahl, is a nineteen-year-old junkie who hasn't found the motivation he needs to give up his True Love, heroin. This story, told from his wry and razor-sharp point of view, is the tale of his journey up from the bottom. The situations are not sugar coated, and neither are the characters. There's no purity here: no pure good, no pure evil. Just real people, in all their many shades of gray. This is an amazing story. And my husband did the cover art!
*****
Need, by Sean Michael. One hot gay rent boy, one gorgeous gay vampire, a weird and colorful cast of characters, and Sean Michael's smokin' hot sex scenes. What more could you want? I ask you. Go get it.
*****
The Long Road Home, by B.A. Tortuga. Some of the sharpest dialogue and characters you'll find anywhere, including a couple of adorable doggies and an assistant I wish I could have for myself. And lots of hot, sweet, sexy manlove that'll make you feel all mushy inside.
*****
Gemini, by Chris Owen. One word, people: twins. Beautiful, sensual, desirable twins who are as into each other as they are the incredibly lucky narrator of this tale. My lady parts may never recover.
*****
One Degree of Separation, a one-author collection of gay male love stories by Fiona Glass. Each story is different, and wonderful in its own way. Fiona is a fabulous writer, so go get it! You'll be glad you did!
*****
The Syndicate series by Jules Jones and Alex Woolgrave. Hysterically funny, clever, surprisingly sweet, and so hot it makes you squirm. Some of the hottest manlove there is. Go to page 7 to find the Syndicate books.
*****
Rain and Whiskey by B.A. Torguga is the book to get if you want male/male sex so hot it'll catch your hard drive on fire.
*****
A Gentleman of Substance, by Julia Talbot. Historical gay romance. Hot and sweet, with characters that'll capture your interest right away. The epilogue will have you squirming in your seat!
Handle Me With Care, by Diane Charles Linford. Unusual and touching romance with a hint of Lovecraftian horror.
*****
Adventures of the Soul, by Jeigh Lynn. What a treat this book is! Sharp, funny, fast-paced, and HOT. You'll never look at Greek mythology the same way again.
*****
Boy's Life by Robert R. McCammon. God, what a great book. Made me cry, AND it kept me on the edge of my seat. Second only to Lord of the Rings for me.
*****
The Love In Vein short story collections, edited by Poppy Z. Brite. If you're a fan of steamy, sexy, often disturbing vampire fiction, you have to get these.
*****
The Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton. Or, well, at least up through Obsidian Butterfly. I want to be Anita when I grow up.