Featured Website: Liminal Fiction

As the welcoming page at Liminal Fiction states, “We’re an inclusive library of spec fic titles (fantasy, sci fi, paranormal and horror). Use the book search, our filter search, or the menu links.” Readers can find speculative fiction by genre, tropes, keywords, etc. They can also find sales, book reviews, and much more.

Please read my biography at Liminal Fiction and explore this multi-made presentation of Taldra: Two Science Fiction Adventures.

The Food of the Gods

Though it pales in comparison to his classics War of the Worlds, The Time Machine, The Island of Doctor Moreau, and The Invisible Man, the H. G. Wells novel provides a creepy look at good intentions gone awry. It often appears in boxed sets or single-volume collections of his work. I loved my H. G. Wells boxed set as a kid and still think about his writing.

Gay Book Review: The Emp Test

The Emp Test by J. Scott Coatsworth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

J. Scott Coatsworth’s fantasy story The Emp Test involves two men from different cultures, thrown together and obviously attracted to each other. Jey must let Avain care for him, though their people see each other as enemies.

Coatsworth works a great deal of mythology into the story in a natural way that both connects the two men and divides them. Jey also faces conflict within himself, but I won’t give any of that away.

Readers who want a gay story without tired settings or predictable tropes should enjoy this emotional, fast-moving, and empowering fantasy.

I had been following Coatsworth for years via social media and the book sites he runs with his husband but had honestly never gotten around to reading one of his books. The Emp Test provided a brief but enjoyable introduction that made me want to read more.



View all my Goodreads reviews.

Learn about the author via J. Scott Coatsworth’s Press Kit.

Thanks for visiting my blog! Please read about my books, including the small-town fiction collection The Acorn Stories and my free eBook Degranon: A Science Fiction Adventure.

Odd Bird

Writer/director Katy Dore’s gay short film Odd Bird brings a comic book creator back to his home town. This charming comedy includes some tense or awkward moments before going off in an unexpected direction. #GayFilm #GayMovies

SciFi Sons of Taldra Images, Interviews, Etc.

Teaser Trailer:

Sons of Taldra: 2nd Trailer.

Sons of Taldra: 3rd Trailer.

Sons of Taldra: 4th Trailer.

Sons of Taldra: Animated Cover 1.

Sons of Taldra: Animated Cover 2.

Sons of Taldra: Animated Cover 3.

Sons of Taldra: BookTok.

Sons of Taldra: Futuristic Music BookTok.

Sons of Taldra: The Iroquois Scientist BookTok.

Sons of Taldra: Thought the aliens wouldn’t find us. BookTok.

Sons of Taldra: Stranger Things/Alternate World: BookTok.

Sons of Taldra: She Needed to Protect: BookTok.

Sons of Taldra: She wants more power: BookTok.

Sons of Taldra: Argen’s Room: BookTok.

Sons of Taldra: Emergency: BookTok.

Sons of Taldra: QueerBookTok.

We thought the aliens wouldn’t find us. We thought we could trust the Maintainers. We were wrong.

The Iroquois scientist Taldra became Leader of our world a year before the alien shapeshifters attacked. Her twin gay sons, Telius and Argen, will rally to her side.

Telius, a former time traveler, wants to marry his boyfriend, a former spy. Argen, a prodigy with a troubled past, modifies a handsome captain’s vessel for the battle.

Our world’s other protectors hold dark secrets that might pose an even greater threat than the invaders.

“A major voice not only in American literature but also in the LGBTQ genre. Highly recommended.” –Author Grady Harp

“A gripping science fiction novel.” –Scribble’s Worth

“Truly unique and amazing!” —Author Eric Rench (formerly Shay Mills)

“Refreshingly different, and at its beating heart is some much needed diversity that slots in effortlessly and with purpose.” –Sebastian J. Brook. Read the review at Doctor Who Online.

“Overall, this book was a quick fun read for anyone who enjoys sci-fi and adventure books. The plot was compelling and the characters were engaging.” –Fiction Flock

“An explosive book that will mean different things to each reader. The familial love and romantic love that shine make it even a deeper read.” —N. N. Light’s Book Heaven

“I recommend this book to science fiction readers and those who like complex storylines.” —Review Tales

Nook eBook * Kindle eBook * Smashwords eBook * Kobo Plus eBook

Character artwork for Sons of Taldra: General Sydra, Taldra and Argen, Telius and Jase-Dawn, Telius and Argen, Telius and Argen.

YouTube & TikTok Space Twins.

Degranon and Sons of Taldra in One Volume.

Glossary.

Add Sons of Taldra to Your Goodreads Reading List.

The Navajo Influences on the Aliens in Sons of Taldra.

Why Taldra’s Family is Iroquois.

Queer SciFi Novel in Consideration for LGBT Book Award.

Interview About Sons of Taldra and More at BooksGoSocial.Com.

Character interview with Taldra at Feed My Reads.

New! Character interview with Admiral Nil at The Protagonist Speaks.

Sons of Taldra Review at Strange Book Reviews.

Sons of Taldra Review at Enas Reviews.

Sons of Taldra: What is Gay SciFi?

DuaneSimolke.Com: Pressure Tournament: Scene Cut from Gay SciFi Sons of Taldra.

Prism Book Alliance: Sons of Taldra Interview.

Book Excerpt at A. O. Chika Book Blog.

Book Teaser, Spoiler Alert.

Writing a Novel.

Science Fiction: TV in an Alternate Reality

On the season premiere of Lalololalo’s Celebrity Show, meet Admiral Nil, Top Maintainer, and learn about how she protects us from alien invasions, criminals, heavy hazard thoughts, and ourselves. All of Valchondria will be tuning it, so click the link below for the interview.

Meet the Antagonist Nil at The Protagonist Speaks.

The Protagonist Speaks features character interviews from a variety of writers and includes details on how other authors can participate, as a type of book promotion and content creation. Author Assaph Mehr of egretia.com created and manages that site.

Admiral Nil becomes a nemesis of the heroic Taldra in Sons of Taldra: A Science Fiction Adventure.

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Book Review: Remember Always by BL Maxwell

Remember Always by B.L. Maxwell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

With Remember Always, author BL Maxwell sidesteps all the tragedy and hatred that permeate too many books and movies about LGBTQ characters. Here, two gay men in love navigate how to best plan their lives together, with the support of a loving community. Thanksgiving might provide a special opportunity for bringing those plans in an even happier direction.

Maxwell keeps the narrative moving quickly, with both men trying to balance their career goals with their undeniable connection. While the book perhaps needed more editing for punctuation, the writing is polished and enjoyable in every other way. I highly recommend Remember Always for fans of MM romance.

The small-town setting makes it even more appealing, adding to the sense of supportive community and giving queer lit fans a break from big-city landscapes. Everything about this story feels fresh and welcoming.


View all my Goodreads reviews

Thanks for visiting my blog! Please read about my books, including the small-town fiction collection The Acorn Stories and my free eBook Degranon: A Science Fiction Adventure.

Gay Movie Review: Bear City (repost)

Summary:

Learn about bear culture in a rowdy comedy from the director of Raising Heroes. A bear chaser bursts onto the scene, where he finds friendship and conflict.

Text:

Aside from Bear Cub, few gay films give much screen time to the bear community. BearCity not only provides a crash course in the unapologetically hirsute gay subculture but also provides frequent laughs and shows a heart much bigger than any of the exposed bellies.

Though young and cute, Tyler (Joe Conti) hates the twink culture that welcomes him. He secretly longs for the company of less fashion-obsessed and thin-obsessed men. When Tyler finally gets up the nerve to visit a bear establishment, he finds some of the same gossip and cattiness that he found elsewhere, but also finds men that he sees as potential friends, or potentially more.

The movie quickly spins into subplots, but keeps them threaded together. The comedy and sexual tension often give way to surprisingly dramatic or tender moments.

When Tyler moves in with Fred (Brian Keane) and Brent (Stephen Guarino of Logo’s The Big Gay Sketch Show), he becomes intertwined in their rising relationship changes and in their circle of friends. From the attractive and unattainable Roger (Gerald McCullouch) to the loving mama bear Michael (Gregory Gunter), all the characters help Tyler discover himself and his place in the local bear community.

Douglas Langway (Raising Heroes) directs, from a script he wrote with Lawrence Ferber. They provide a fast pace, with the more serious moments interjected between lighter ones.

Some of the more graphic scenes will offend many viewers. However, the movie’s honesty and the characters’ search for acceptance in a world of supposed perfection will attract many other viewers.

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I wrote the above review long before the sequels arrived and haven’t seen them but hope to do so in the future.

Thanks for visiting my blog! Please read about my books, including the small-town fiction collection The Acorn Stories and my free eBook Degranon: A Science Fiction Adventure.

El & Em by M. E. Samm LGBTQ Book Review

El & Em by M.E. Samm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

At times, M. E. Samm’s novel El & Em feels much like a music biography or an episode of MTV’s Behind the Music. However, this rock narrative also centers around the attempts of two bisexual men to form a lasting relationship in an atmosphere where that love could easily destroy their careers. It starts in Philadelphia, in 1972, continuing decades beyond that.

Luke seems to love nothing more than his music, and he often fails to see the ways he dismisses the feelings of others while trying to make the live performances and studio recordings match the vision he creates for his songs. Complicating matters, his desire to add a trumpet player will awaken other desires.

As a fan of both classic rock and stories about gay or bi men, the premise of this book caught my attention. It delivers on both fronts. The descriptions of the long tours and long studio sessions ring true, along with how the musicians must endure both obscurity and the pressures of fame. The fear and longing the two men experience also seems all too real as they constantly attract and repel each other.

Samm writes with subtle grace, turning a lingering touch or gaze into a stepping point for a relationship that will take years to even begin. At times, I wasn’t even sure if Luke and Emmett were really the title characters El and Em, thinking maybe one of them might fall in love with some other guy who could fit within that title. Still, the connections exist and keep reemerging over the years.

The novel’s long span of time not only captures the highs and lows of a popular band but also shows how AIDS, racism, and homophobia impacted countless lives in countless ways during those years. Fortunately, the focus mostly stays on music and love. M. E Samm gives us an entertaining rock and roll story about people who often seek perfection in their work but often miss it in how they treat themselves and each other. I won’t give more away, but I hope more people download the book and hit the road with El & Em.


View all my Goodreads reviews

Thanks for visiting my blog! Please read about my books, including the small-town fiction collection The Acorn Stories and my free eBook Degranon: A Science Fiction Adventure.

Small-town talking

• “A lush tangle of small-town life branches out in this engrossing collection of short stories.” –Kirkus Reviews
• “The Acorn Stories delivers insight into a fictional small town, illustrating the ups and downs of life.” –Novels Alive
• “Duane Simolke’s stories invite the reader to linger — to notice the quiet in between the noise. A lovely reminder that depth lives in the details.” –Iwan Ross, author of Keepers of the Lighthouse
• “If you enjoy stories of new beginnings, stories with humor, and realistic characters then this is absolutely the book for you.” –Scribble’s Worth Book Reviews
• “Each story left me delighted and satisfied, yet still yearning for more.” –Robert Karl, author of The Goldies: 50th High School Reunion
• “The central theme is the human condition and the shared experiences, emotions, and challenges of the town's residents, with topics that range from light and funny to dramatic and thought-provoking.” –Tenkara Smart, author of His Name is Junsaku
• “I swung from sad to happy, angry to laughing out loud.” –Tweetables
• “Simolke shares life’s beautiful and humorous moments side by side with the devastating and painful ones, and the contrast is palpable.” –The RedHead Notes
• “For those who are searching for a book which is written so well that you are able to enjoy a respite from reality and enter into a fictional world…this is the book for you!” –Author and book blogger Leonard Tillerman
• “Duane Simolke presents an enthralling collection of slice-of-life stories set in a fictional Texas town.” –Readers' Favorite
• “Duane Simolke is one of our great American writers just ready to be recognized as such. He has the talent and the imagination and the humanity and the perspective to make each of our lives richer. Bravo!” –Grady Harp, Amazon Hall of Fame Reviewer
• “I found this book to be a perfect vacation companion.” –A. Chandler
• “These highly believable settings and naturally developed characters could be anywhere in the nation.” —TMDGReviews
• “I love the numerous small wins of the characters and the unexpected turns of luck.” –Billy O.
• “You’ll want to read every story to the very end of the book to grasp the concept of the interweaving relationships of these characters that at first glance appear to have no connection.” –RLWood.Rocks Book Reviews
• “Having spent quite a bit of time in Texas, I could see each character matching someone I know or have met in my time there.” –Noel D
• “Amazing and hard to put down.” –Kimmie Sue’s Book Review and More
• “Snapshots of the lives of people and their life-changing encounters that will leave lasting impressions on you.” –Michelle Williams
• “Readers who enjoy immersive first person stories about small town life and the human condition will love this book.” –Purple
• “The author demonstrates a healthy understanding of human nature.” –John H. Mangold
• “A talented, insightful author.” –E. Conley, Betty's Books
• “The town is Acorn, Texas, and it is a representation of all of the tiny places, or wide places in the road that dot America.” –jonboy
• “If you liked WINESBURG, OHIO . . . rejoice.” –Watchword
• “By the time you have finished reading these tales of the people who inhabit the fictitious town of Acorn, Texas, population 21,001, you will have met some endearing as well as irritating characters, from the Mayor to the local would-be gigolo; from the busy-bodies to the business owners; from those who grew up in Acorn and have tried to escape the small town to those who have moved to Acorn to escape from the real world.” –Ronald L. Donaghe, author of Uncle Sean
• “A well-crafted collection of short stories.” –L. L. Lee, author of Taxing Tallula
• “It was a real pleasure to read about the fictional town of Acorn, Texas.” –Mark Kendrick, author of Desert Sons
• “Simolke makes good use of his vivid imagination in creating credible dialogue and satirical images.” –Huda Orfali, author of Blue Fire
• “There are people that you like, some that you can't wait to see if they get theirs.” –Joe Wright, StoneWall Society
• “Each of Simolke's stories lets us look into the lives of some of the most interesting characters I have ever read about.” –Amos Lassen, Literary Pride
• “When you finish, when you put the book aside, Acorn will still be with you.” –E. Carter Jones, author of Absence of Faith
• “I highly recommend this book!” –Richard Carlson, author of Jeremy Grabowski's Crazy Summer in Stormville!
• “…reminds us that nobody is perfect and that everyone is just trying to get by in life either it be by hurting others or by trying to change their life for the better.” —The Abstract

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Want to learn more? Please Google The Acorn Stories by Duane Simolke.