Blog from Lubbock, Texas, Author Duane Simolke.
The Falls and The Falls: Testament of Love. Gay Mormon companions fall in love. An unusual love story with surprise twists.
No Night Is Too Long. Speaking of surprise twists, this Canadian thriller keeps them coming.
Out To Kill. A gay murder mystery with a fun script.
“A thought provoking and fun sci-fi read.”—Blogger Girls.
“A must read.” – Joe Wright, StoneWall Society.
“I recommend DEGRANON for its exciting, well-constructed narrative, its often intriguing characters, and its wealth of ideas both political and philosophical.” –J. Clark.
#Degranon: #Diversity-Themed Science Fiction Adventure: gay marriage is legal, and everyone is a #PoC. @ScifiSelect http://t.co/dv6kixHNPC
— Degranon Author (@DuaneSimolke) October 31, 2014“Be maintained, if you want to be a part of this family.” #Degranon: SciFi Novel LGBT #novellines #Diversityinsff pic.twitter.com/waSLYr9t6L
— Degranon Author (@DuaneSimolke) November 20, 2014
But they wouldn’t be holding her hand anymore. They had warned her to avoid the rally. “Think of your career,” her mother had said. Her father had said much worse: “Stay away from disruptive elements. If you don’t distance yourself from them, we’ll have no choice but to distance ourselves from you. Be maintained, if you want to be a part of this family.”
His hand presses/Against my chest,
As if holding me together. ...more@ http://t.co/KqVwxUQqX1 #GayPoems #GayLovePoem pic.twitter.com/CGhn23SZcC
— DuaneSimolke (@DuaneSimolke) October 25, 2014“Until I see writing and living/As a single color” #poetry #bookquotes #bookplugs #amwriting
http://t.co/Vl9Z9tkcHf pic.twitter.com/AJWcU64oOA
— DuaneSimolke (@DuaneSimolke) October 24, 2014Thanks to my 1000th Twitter follower @4FreeKindleBook! Authors and publishers, for free tweet requests, http://t.co/0x2l9fn7RY
— DuaneSimolke (@DuaneSimolke) September 24, 2014Find more book promotion services via the Writer Resources label below.
#GaySciFi
The brilliant scientist Taldra loves her twin gay sons and thinks of them as the hope for Valchondria's future, but one of them becomes entangled in the cult of Degranon, while the other becomes stranded on the other side of a doorway through time. Can they find their way home and help Taldra save their world?
In less than 24 hours since its international debut, our Issue 1 of the world's 1st featured #comics hero with #autism is now on back-order.
— FaceValueComics (@FaceValueComics) August 28, 2014Face Value Comics' autistic script #writer features a #comic hero with #autism in a #steampunk world with aliens, robots & lots of misunderstanding!
#Goodreads #reader gives four stars to #books Degranon, Starbound, The Omniverse: The Unearthing, Witches Brew, etc. https://t.co/ZBjHi2z1FB
— DuaneSimolke (@DuaneSimolke) September 1, 2014Works with four stars include books from Terry Brooks, Stephen Batchelor, Lawrence P. White, Steve Karmazenuk, Joe Haldeman, and Michael Siemsen.
The closer the general release date gets (Sept 12th) the more excited we become! @PrideMovieUK https://t.co/s0kZ752oUX
— Gay's The Word (@gaystheword) August 23, 2014Movie description:
It's Summer 1984, Margaret Thatcher is in power, and the National Union of Mineworkers are on strike! At the Gay Pride March in London, a group of gay and lesbian activists decides to raise money to support the families of the striking miners. But the only problem is the Union seems too embarrassed to receive their support.Not discouraged, the activists ignore the Union and go direct to the miners. They identify a small mining villiage in Wales to make their donations to the community in person. This journey begins a surprising partnership between two seemingly alien comunties as they fight for the same cause.
Pride stars Bill Nighy, Adrew Scott, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West, Joseph Gilgun, Paddy Considine, George MacKay, Ben Schnetzer, Sophie Evans, Jessie Cave, Freddie Fox, Faye Marsay, Adrian Palmer, Lasco Atkins and Shane Salter.
Selected Poems, new cover. #GayPoetry #GayLove #GayPoems #GayPoem http://t.co/NPBo1CB0H5 pic.twitter.com/S6KOJnmE5k
— DuaneSimolke (@DuaneSimolke) August 15, 2014Complete list of poems in this book: Chasing Seagulls, Home, Album, Children in the Streets, The Gardener, Friday Afternoon Spectrum, Reception, second year, Angels and Razors, Separated, Faces, Songs In Sign Language, Forgotten, Higher Education, Family, Ex-Gay? Part I: Cocoon, Ex-Gay? Part II: The Ex-Me Movement, Ex-Gay? Part III: Who Does God Hate?, The Escape Artist, Daughter, The Same Lips, Pharisee, Anne Bradstreet, Bareback, Cycle, Cross, Two Rapes, Rainbow, Elephant on an Opera Stage, Detour, Editing, Process, Haiku.
These works also appear in my longer anthology Holding Me Together: Essays and Poems.
Keywords: Gay pride, Gay romance, Gay men, Gay poem, Gay poems, Gay poetry, Gay poets, Gay writers, Love poems, Story poems, Humor, Homophobia, Exgay, Ex-gay, Diversity, Poetry, American poets, Lubbock poets, Texas poets.
Available from bn.com (for Nook) , Smashwords (for multiple eBook platforms), and Amazon (for Kindle).
Blog entry updated 8/16/2014.
Book Review: Degranon: A Science Fiction Adventure by Duane Simolke http://t.co/4IZM0J9Jxa via @Blogger_Girls
— Lexi Ander (@LexiAnder1) June 24, 2014Read #StarTrek writer @DavidAlanMack's fantastic response to complaint of too much diversity in sci-fi. http://t.co/wCvtAbzeWq
— Blastr (@blastr) August 12, 2014
Get ready: @straczynski is reportedly bringing sci-fi classic #Babylon5 back to life with movie reboot in 2016 http://t.co/NmL9hMaXdZ
— Blastr (@blastr) August 8, 2014
For more information on Ryan Skyy, visit http://www.ryanskyy.com.
Review:
In this imported film, two young men love soccer, and maybe each other. However, their life in Havana offers little hope for their relationship.
Close friends Reinier (Reinier Diaz) and Yosvani (Milton Garcia) live in the heat of Havana, often content just to afford the basic necessities. They enjoy soccer, the beach, and night life. Their lives start to change when they unexpectedly kiss.
Neither man identifies as gay, and both make a point of denying any homosexual leanings, even while embracing each other. However, Reinier works as a male prostitute. He finds comfort in the arms of men and obviously wants an ongoing gay relationship. Reineir has a child with his wife, but his mother-in-law encourages his prostitution, as a way to support the family. Yosvani is engaged, and his future father-in-law (Luis Alberto Garcia) pulls him into the black market.
Soccer provides an escape and becomes increasingly important to Reinier, but the rest of his life collides with his ambitions. The growing connection between the two young men lacks any support from their environment or their situations. Though the film might sound bleak, a strong script and an equally strong cast make it appealing. It also includes some light moments and some surprisingly tender ones.
The Last Match is in Spanish, with English subtitles.
Luis breaks up with his boyfriend and visits Berlin in this German import. He gets caught up in a twisting story of romance and mystery.
Text:
After breaking up with his boyfriend, young Spaniard Luis (Fernando Tielve) decides on a carefree visit to Berlin. Naïve and often reckless, Luis makes a series of bad choices that lead to love, danger, and possibly hallucinations. The pulsing club music throughout fits the trippy storyline.
At times, the viewer must guess about what actually happens to Luis, and about which of the characters to trust. Even though Luis is handsome and charming, he sometimes seems too willing to deceive his friends and even risk his life.
The story becomes slightly brutal at times and slightly confusing at others. The twisting plot helps the movie live up to its title. Despite a fairly large cast, the focus stays on the talented and engaging lead. I kept wondering why Luis would go anywhere with the unstable Viktor (Marko Mandic), much less fall in love with him. Still, their relationship drives much of the mystery, especially after it turns out that Luis looks a lot like Viktor’s missing ex-lover. I also couldn’t quite decide what to make of the ending, but I enjoyed the movie anyway.
This German import is in English, Spanish, German and Greek, with English subtitles. Canteen Outlaws and TLA Releasing distributed it.
World history and #NativeAmerican mythology inspired this stand-alone sequel to #Degranon: A ScienceFiction Adventure http://t.co/xp8onx31s6
— DuaneSimolke (@DuaneSimolke) July 8, 2014
I felt strong emotions from Taldra, and even though she was a strong female in her own right, she was also a mother who never forgot that being a mom came first. She is the mother of two gay twin sons. They are the reason, I believe, that is considered this a gay themed book. But the gay is so accepted that it came across as secondary and more a book about strong females.
The Blogger Girls post reviews, giveaways, interviews, and more at a very active blog.
We thought the aliens wouldn’t find us. We were wrong. #scifiadventure #SonsOfTaldra #gayscifi #Goodreads #Serial pic.twitter.com/rOVL1atgT4
— DuaneSimolke (@DuaneSimolke) June 17, 2014A middle-aged indie filmmaker fears he might never find true love or success. Director Jeff London and his partner co-wrote this romantic story, based on their relationship.
Text:
Jeff London directed this very personal story. He co-wrote and co-produced it with his partner, James Steven Handshoe, creating a script that was inspired by the true story of how they fell in love. Paul F. Burchett executive produced, while Timothy Dam and Curtis Gropp served as associate producers. Most of those people have worked with London before or are working on his upcoming comedy/horror film, Pizza Boy Massacre.
Mel England plays David, an indie filmmaker turning fifty. The birthday becomes an obsession, forcing him to evaluate his career and everything he expected from life. His boyfriend Greg (Nate Moore) seems to care about him but not to understand him or respect his creative ambitions. Both men obviously sense the inevitable end of their relationship.
Peter Stickles (from Shortbus and Here TV’s The Lair) plays David’s best friend James, who thinks David should meet his cousin Shane (Tom Saporito). The men initially make contact through instant messaging; that scene drags a bit, but that’s the only time this story slows down.
David stands at a crossroads both in career and personal life, as he fears he might live the rest of his life without true love or a sense of true success. We immediately see chemistry in the first meeting between David and Shane, even if they’re initially too nervous to look at anything but the floor.
David’s worries about the fifteen-year age difference between himself and Shane might sabotage their potential relationship. In fact, David isn’t sure if Shane likes him, or if Shane is even gay. Ace Lundon plays an older and wiser gay friend who puts David’s myriad concerns into perspective.
David talks about how changes to the independent movie industry threaten his ability to reach an already limited audience. The script includes some obvious references to Jeff London’s other movies, though David never refers to them by name. It also affectionately shows how the real-life relationship behind the script began to blossom. With Best Day Ever, London delivers a love letter both to his fans and to his partner.
Best Day Ever is romantic, touching, and sometimes funny in its honest portrayal of a gay man searching for love and a satisfying career. I have been following London’s work for a long time and think this is easily one of his best films ever. Maybe middle age isn’t so bad after all.
Best Day Ever is a Radioactive Cactus Production.
2 Patricia Nell Warren THE FRONT RUNNER
3 Duane Simolke THE ACORN STORIES
4 Austin Gary THE QUEERLING
5 Christopher Rice THE HEAVENS RISE
6 Diane and Jacob Anderson- Minshall QUEERLY BELOVED: A LOVE STORY ACROSS GENDERS
7 Jerry Rabushka STAR BRYAN
8 Joel Derfner LAWFULLY WEDDED HUSBAND How My Gay Marriage Will Save the American Family
9 Sally Bellerose THE GIRLS CLUB
10 Ellen Hart REST FOR THE WICKED
Read more at http://www.outvoice.net/currentlitpickstop10chart.htm
Gay and Lesbian Philadelphia Magazine features my latest film Apocalypse Kiss http://t.co/ClpCAK8HdW #gay #lesbian #scifi #Michaelbarrymen
— Christopher Inlow (@ChrisInlow) June 6, 2014#Senn is a scifi film made by two husbands with a gay main character. Watch the trailer here: http://t.co/Y24NLf4IYy
— Geeks OUT (@GeeksOUT) November 15, 2013Post-production begins / Pls ReTweet this sneak pic of #Credence movie: http://t.co/vURydfjbfq #SciFi #Gay #Film :) pic.twitter.com/LNhhTT0Mog
— Mike Buonaiuto ツ (@videographer88) June 2, 2014In previous chapters, Taldra’s rivalry with a military leader became dangerous, aliens attacked a peaceful ship, Jase-Dawn proposed to his boyfriend, and Argen grappled with the effects of his past drug addiction.
gayscifi LGBTscifi queerscifi diversityinscifi race people of color
#GayLovePoem (+playlist): 265,075 views @YouTube #GayLove #M4M #MM #GayPoetry #GayPoems #LGBTBooks #LGBTbook #GayMen http://t.co/KvKQsoaCQ9
— DuaneSimolke (@DuaneSimolke) May 27, 2014
The scene that I do not tire of seeing, nor fails to move me to tears each time I’ve viewed it (well over 20 times by now) is the final scene in Torch Song Trilogy. This is Arnold’s ‘morning after the showdown’ with Mama and after a brief uneasy reconciliation of sorts – Arnold goes about tidying his apartment after Mama’s departure. As he gathers one by one various objects to himself – he has a dawning realization that after a lifetime of fighting for respect for being who he is, he is loved by various significant others who ‘see’ him beyond his Virginia Ham alter-ego.The cap signifies David the son who has come to need and value his parental attention, the oranges from Mama – who may never fully understand not accept him completely but who’ll love him in the best way she can all the same, the spectacles are Ed’s – who’s beginning to get enough courage (with Arnold’s help) to bravely setting up a family-life of sorts with Arnold and David at the risk of losing the approval of his straight friends and parents, and the photo of Alan – the now deceased love of his life – whom Arnold will never forget because of the many many ways in which Alan had softened, rounded out and deeply touched the once brittle core of him. And as Arnold sits and clutches these items to himself, I imagine him thinking that he may lose his looks, his apartment, his financial security, his career – but he will never lose the love of nor his memories of these very folk who have come to matter so much to him.
I always tear up when the film score of Ella Fitzgerald singing "This Time The Dream’s On Me" swells up just before the credits roll, because for me (who’s on this side of 44 years of age), maybe like Arnold, I may find that the life I’ve dreamt of having may well be the life I’m living and journeying on after all.
This scene is of course bitter-sweet, but if a funny, feisty, flawed but fabulous individual like Arnold can look around to see and find that life can promise hope and opportunity after all, then so can I, a gay man coming to terms with his sexuality much later in life. And for this, the scene will always spring to my mind whenever anyone asks me for my favorite gay-themed movie.
Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History by S.C. Gwynne
This new series looks more like Smallville and Arrow than any big-screen version of Batman, but those TV shows are both good.
or his other reviews. He gave The Acorn Stories five stars, calling it “an inspiring, vivid and unique work.” “A lush tangle of small-town life branches out in this engrossing collection of short stories.” –Kirkus Reviews
“The ability to depict such a wide cross section of humanity, including details of each character’s breadth of knowledge and experience, takes a talented, insightful author, and Duane Simolke is such a writer.” –E. Conley, Betty’s Books
“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
“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!
“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
gay scifi, sci-fi, science fiction, adventure, gay marriage, Degranon, Duane Simolke, Native American, First Nation, African American, black, Arabic, Indian, Hispanic, people of color, strong women, female leaders, space travel, health care, shapeshifters, aliens, teen heroes, new adult, diversity, social issues, alternate reality
Out to Kill, a new film by writer/Director Rob Williams (Make the Yuletide Gay), stars singer-songwriter Tom Goss. Williams filmed the mystery in Tampa, Florida. Read an interview about that movie in the Tampa Bay News.
Wattpad provides a community for writers and readers to share or discover stories.
Winner, StoneWall Society Pride in the Arts Award.
The brilliant scientist Taldra loves her twin gay sons and sees them as the hope for Valchondria's future, but one of them becomes entangled in the cult of Degranon, while the other becomes stranded on the other side of a doorway through time. Can they find their way home and help Taldra save their world?
The new clips show more characters and effects, with dramatic voice-overs from Prof. X and Magneto.
2 Rita Mae Brown RUBYFRUIT JUNGLE
3 Armistead Maupin THE DAYS OF ANNA MADRIGAL
4 Duane Simolke DEGRANON
5 Ronald L Donaghe COMMON SONS
6 Josh Aterovis BLEEDING HEARTS *
7 Austin Gary THE QUEERLING
8 Lori Lake BUYER'S REMORSE
9 Christopher Rice THE HEAVENS RISE
10 Jan Morris CONUNDRUM
Read more at OutVoice, along with details about the top 10 in gay-themed music.
Visit the Goodreads Degranon page to discuss diversity-themed scifi or preview the upcoming sequel, Sons of Taldra.
Revised eBook, published 2014 on Nook and Kindle.
Though born to a noble maternal lineage, Sasha Varov lives in exile on a dangerous island. Her family faces constant threats from deadly weather and deadlier dragons. That family sends sixteen-year-old Sasha back to their beloved kingdom of Jaan to buy seeds. She stumbles into adventures and becomes an accidental legend, known as “Innocence.”
A year later, Sasha leaves her father and her gay brother protecting the other exiles while she returns to Jaan. She begins her journey, unaware that an old enemy has gained arcane powers, or that the people of Jaan expect her to defeat that enemy. With the help of an outcast, a mutant, and an aging but heroic lesbian couple, Innocence might prevail.
Dare2Care provides resources, ideas, news, poetry submission, and much more to create supportive environments in place of bullying and fear. Read the results from their Poetry Competition.
Preview the Degranon sequel, with more chapters coming soon.
