Piercing Fiction: Straight Arrow Reviews

For Me and My Gal by Robbi McCoy

2012-02-26T21:22:00.000-05:00

Publisher: Bella Books

"It was very hard to be a lesbian back then. You had to lead a double life, a life full of lies and hypocrisy.... It seemed easier. There was so much secrecy and shame too. I know we're all proud now, but you can't really be proud in a climate like that. I mean, you kept it to yourself. You had to...."

Those are the words from a journal that will set Gwen Lawford on a journey of discovery and bring love into her life. They are also words that should be remembered by lesbians today.

Gwen and Shelby Pratt are going to discover that their lives are entwined in more than one way. Gwen is the director of a naval museum on San Francisco Bay and first meets Shelby when she unintentionally gets Shelby fired from her waitressing job. After making amends for that, the women become friends. When Gwen finds the journal of a Navy WAVE written in World War II, she and Shelby begin to unravel the mystery of who the woman was. Shelby is in for a surprise she never expects, beside the fact that she's falling in love with Gwen.

This is a romance, both old and new, but the real story is about women during the war. McCoy does an excellent job of showing how the war changed the lives of women, the jobs they were allowed to hold, the change of their positions in households and the expectations they held for themselves. World War II would alter many people's ideas about the possibilities for various minorities in the United States and McCoy shows how women tried to cope with those changing beliefs. Then she runs that plot simultaneously with one about lesbians in the military and how they were forced to hide an important part of themselves. By bringing the story into current time, she makes a nice contrast with the period now following the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

The problem with history is that it is so easy to forget. If something is not going on at that very moment, it tends to be shoved to the side and forgotten. People who live in the present have a tendency not to understand how different or difficult things were before them and to judge things only by what they have experienced. Many women today do not realize that women were ever segregated into their own units in the military. Books like For Me and My Gal remind us of where we came from and how we got here. That is an important service in giving the reader a chance to reflect and think.

For Me and My Gal has two romances, a bit of history and current topics. Robbi McCoy is a masterful writer and she delivers more than one great story in this book. The reader can feel confident in buying it and know that she's going to have a satisfying experience.

Entangled by Maria V. Ciletti

2012-02-26T19:24:00.000-05:00

Publisher: Intaglio Publications

Maria Ciletti chose a topic for Entangled that is bound to create mixed feelings for readers. Where is the boundary between a teacher and her student? When is it alright to cross that boundary to seek a relationship? In a time when the news seems to feature a story every week about teachers who have violated that line, this book shows both how complicated and uncomfortable such a situation can be.

Hayden Crissman graduates from high school and is looking forward eagerly to starting college in the fall where she can study for a career in nursing. She takes a summer job to earn extra money and that brings her back in contact with one of her former teachers, Abbey Spencer. Abbey helped Hayden get into college and Hayden has a secret crush on her. Abbey's life is spinning out of control. Her long time relationship with one of her former college professors is breaking up over a man and Abbey's method for dealing with it is to turn to alcohol. Hayden finds herself thrust into the role of caretaker for a drunken Abbey on more than one occasion and a new relationship develops between them. The events of just a few weeks will tear Abbey's life to pieces and will have many people questioning what the proper behavior between a teacher and a former student is.

Entangled touches on more than one delicate issue. First there is a woman who "decides" she isn't a lesbian anymore because it's not good for her career. Ciletti does well at capturing her calculating personality. Then there are the relationships of these teachers. Every teacher knows that there is a constant awareness of the distance that has to be kept between the adult and the student. That can be especially difficult when the people are close in age. Gay teachers deal with the added knowledge that behavior in a private life can have serious consequences for a professional life. Many places still consider homosexuality as grounds for instant dismissal from a job and too many people actually believe that teachers use their jobs to troll for "converts." Gay teachers are still required in some places to live a double life that is disappearing in other professions. Although Ciletti illustrates the situation fairly well, she doesn't really capture how dire the consequences can be. It takes too long for Abbey to realize how serious what she is doing is.

There are no simple solutions to the events in this book and none are provided. That at least is refreshing. The real villain doesn't receive the punishment she deserves and the situation between Abbey and Hayden is open ended. The characters needed more development, especially Hayden, and there was too much going on in the book to be dealt with effectively unless the book was lengthened. The central topic is an uncomfortable one and Ciletti doesn't make the mistake of trying to make it anything else. This isn't her best novel, but she does deserve credit for tackling subjects that many people would rather avoid.

Don't lose the history

2012-02-12T21:13:00.000-05:00

I recently finished Robbi McCoy's For Me and My Gal. As I'm finding out, I enjoy each of Robbi's books, for different reasons. This one is a historical novel, always something close to my heart, and I'll write about that in a review. There were two paragraphs though that rang a bell with me and that, I think, speak to a concern I have. Let me quote them first. One of the characters, who started a US Navy career during World War II, is speaking in the present about why she left a woman she loved.

"It was very hard to be a lesbian back then. You had to lead a double life, a life full of lies and hypocrisy.... It seemed easier. There was so much secrecy and shame too. I know we're all proud now, but you can't really be proud in a climate like that. I mean, you kept it to yourself. You had to....

.....You might think this is funny, but I never even knew the word 'lesbian' until I was your age, late twenties. I mean, I was one, but I didn't know what I was. I didn't know what to call it....The thing is, if you don't have a label, you can't form a united front. Some people think labels are destructive, but there are a lot of instances where a label gives you a community, and a community gives you strength. If you don't even have a name for what you are, you don't identify with others like you. We lived very private and lonely lives. That was the worst thing. We lived in shadows. And we had no idea how many of us there were."

I worry sometimes that we're losing our history. I see it in the intemperate words that characters sometimes say in the books when they rail against people who are closeted or the comments that are sometimes made on groups by younger members who say they don't understand why people are concerned about being identified.

I hear this all the time from my students. The African American students know practically nothing about the civil rights movement and even less about what came between the end of the Civil War and Montgomery. The female students don't understand why there was a women's movement. Every year several of them will tell me that they are accepted at a particular college and then they look at me with a total lack of comprehension when I say that I wanted to go there, too, but that school didn't accept female students when I was applying to college. When I tell my students that I remember when the medical profession finally declared that being homosexual isn't a medical disease, they don't understand why anyone would think that in the first place.

I understand that it's a normal process. Those who never experienced something can't really appreciate what it was like. For those who lived through the experience however, it's difficult to hear younger people talk about how much easier it is now, to say that they don't understand it, or, worse, that they don't remember anything about it.

As a lover of history, I would wish that none of us would ever forget what came before us.

96 Hours by Georgia Beers

2012-02-05T23:26:00.000-05:00

Publisher: Bywater Books

Writing a book about the tragedy on September 11, 2001 will never be easy. The horror, pain and suffering caused by the events on that day make it a topic that many don't want to read about. It has to be handled with great caution to avoid being too maudlin or a nationalistic rant disguised as a patriotic story. Georgia Beers used her considerable talent to approach the subject by dealing with a side event that reflected the best of humanity instead of the irrationality of the terrorist attack.

Erica Ryan and Abby Hayes are just two people trying to get to New York. Erica is returning from a business trip and Abby is on another leg of her aimless wandering around the world. Their flight is routine until they suddenly find their plane landing in Gander, Canada. This small town finds itself inundated with people as US air space is closed and planes are diverted to other airports. For ninety-six hours these refugees are stranded outside of the US as they desperately try to contact their families for information. Their support system becomes the people of Gander who open their homes, stores and facilities to care for total strangers. Erica and Abby are brought together by a special couple who take in four of the passengers. Erica is a realist who doesn't believe in lasting relationships, but she finds the warmth of the Gander people reaching into her and she begins to connect with others in a way she hasn't felt in a long time. Abby, an eternal optimist and free spirit, experiences just the opposite. As she is drawn into the tragedy by the scenes on television and the fear of the people around her, she loses touch with her basic values and attitudes. The women are drawn to each other for support, but they only have ninety-six hours and there is no guarantee that what they feel will last beyond that time.

Beers set herself a difficult time constraint. Her characters only have four days to show their personalities, interact and create a plot. Things have to happen more quickly and intensely. The combination of fear and uncertainty from the attack and the confusion of being in a strange place heighten the emotions and the characters' willingness to form instant relationships. It also makes all of it believable.

While this is a romance, it captures another story about the people of Canada. A reader might think that Beers is exaggerating the openness and friendliness of the Canadians, but anyone who has spent time in the country knows that she did them justice. That they would respond so freely to help the shell-shocked passengers indicates the quality of their national character and why they make such good neighbors for the US.

96 Hours tells a unique story that was lost in the chaos that followed the attack and it shows how life altering just a moment in time can be for people who are caught on the fringes of a historic event. Beers captures the confusion and terror of that time, but tempers it into a palatable story of some heroic people and two women who fall in love. This definitely ranks as one of her finest books.

The Mystic Market by Ruth Perkinson

2012-01-30T22:19:00.000-05:00

Publisher: Bella Books

Ruth Perkinson doesn't write books that are easy to read. She chooses topics that some people find disturbing and she uses words in ways that build images and create thoughts that are one moment crystal clear and then floating on the air in an ethereal manner the next. She tells a deceptively simple story that suddenly unveils deeper emotions and subjects. The reader has to concentrate to make sure that she's not missing anything as the plot progresses. This style makes Perkinson's books rich in content, challenging for a reader and rewarding to read.

The Mystic Market is a combination grocery, bar and tackle shop located in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and run by Diana Tucci and her sister Fannie Crabwell, the town's resident Tarot card reader and general eccentric. It's also home to Deputy Blair Wingfield and her paralyzed brother Aaron. They are as much a part of the scenery as the market itself and life goes on at a pretty regular pace until a death rocks the small town. Mary Louise Martinez is found hanging from the net on the basketball court at the local high school. The device she used to hang herself was a rainbow flag and she left a note blaming the school and the basketball coach for the bullying that was aimed at her. When Mary Louise's parents decide to sue the school system, they hire Fannie's daughter Emma Jacobs as their lawyer and Jackson Hole finds itself at the center of a media swirl about gay rights and bullying. Blair is plunged into her own chaos when Aaron ends up in the hospital fighting for his life after a stroke and she finds herself attracted to Emma, a supposedly straight woman. Blair is forced to deal with a number of issues she'd just as soon avoid.

The Mystic Market is not as deadly serious as it sounds. Perkinson manages to inject humor into quite a bit of the book. In the opening scene a young Blair is listening to a sermon and finds the answer to why God lets bad things happen to good people. When the priest recites, "Even the hairs of your head have all been counted," Blair finally understands that God suffers from OCD. He's so busy counting hairs that he can't pay attention to anything else. There are also warm and caring scenes between Blair and Aaron, aka "The Stephen Hawking of Jackson Hole." Aaron is the type of character that wraps himself around a reader's heart and makes you wish you really knew him.

Perkinson does deal with weighty issues in this book. There is constant friction between Blair's atheism and the beliefs of other characters. The trial revolves around the problem of anti-gay bullying, the religious right and the role that schools need to play in protecting students. As with many books written by gay people, the issue of how people choose to form families is crucial. And there is the growing attraction between Blair and Emma, which doesn't make sense to either of them, but draws them together like a moth and a flame.

Perkinson also writes a very dense story. The book is 171 pages, but contains enough information to feel like it's well over 200. She chooses her words carefully and they blend together to create a multitude of images all at once. Sometimes it is necessary to re-read a passage to make sure that everything has been absorbed. Perkinson never talks down to her readers. She assumes they can assimilate what is going on without constantly backing up over or explaining the plot points.

The Mystic Market is a thoughtful book. The story itself can be easily read and enjoyed, but the reader who looks for more will find it.

L.A. Metro by RJ Nolan

2012-01-16T22:19:00.002-05:00

Publisher: L-Book

Kimberly Donovan and Jess McKenna know about betrayal. Kim was forced to leave her last position at a hospital when false accusations were made against her and her closeted lover refused to support her. She comes to LA Metro hoping to start over and that her past won't follow her. Jess McKenna, the chief of LA Metro's ER, is an emotionally closed off workaholic who uses her icy reputation to cover her inability to make a relationship work with another woman. Jess limits her personal contacts to her sister and her Great Dane Thor. If not totally satisfying, that has kept her from being hurt again.

Kim is a unique individual though. Her positive attitude and her willingness to volunteer to be the psychiatric resident in the ER wins over everyone, including a very reluctant Jess. Slowly they develop a friendship, which is where they both swear they're going to keep the relationship, but it's not to be. Secretly, each woman wants to pursue something deeper, but neither of them is sure she can open up enough for that, especially Jess. Each one has made such poor choices in the past that she's not sure she can trust her instincts for the future.

RJ Nolan's ability to develop characters and create plots is showing improvement in each book that she produces. L.A. Metro is her most complex novel to date. Underneath the typical romance is a story about how damaging relationships can be and also how they can heal. Kim shows the same patience building a bridge to Jess that she shows in building bridges between the departments in the hospital. The struggle that Jess goes through with her intimacy issues is extremely realistic and touching. These are mature women who deal with situations in a mature manner. Everything isn't perfect in their world, but they deal with it. It's nice to read a story where relationships develop gradually, plus confront and deal with real situations.

L.A. Metro is an entertaining story. Nolan's fans of her previous books won't be disappointed.

Cresswell Falls by Kerry Belchambers

2012-01-15T22:40:00.002-05:00

Publisher: Blue Feather Books

Christina Brewster never expected to move back to her hometown Cresswell Falls permanently. Since her parents' divorce, her time has been spent traveling with her mother and then following a very successful career in modeling. Christina has retired from modeling however and on a trip home to visit her father, she agrees to take over running his successful realty company. Alicia Sanders married the town sports hero who because a professional baseball player. His long absences from home and inability to connect with Alicia and their young son ruined the marriage and now she wants to sell their home. That is what brings Christina and Alicia together; then, they discover they have other interests in common. Alicia has a talent for designing clothes and Christina sets them up in a company to promote her work. There is also an attraction between them that confuses Alicia and worries Christina. Christina thinks the way to deal with that is to push Alicia into the arms of a man, but Alicia eventually develops other plans.

Cresswell Falls is the debut novel for Kerry Belchambers and it's a better than average first book. On the surface, it is a romance, but it covers issues beyond that. Belchambers captures the problems of living in a small town where everyone knows you and everything you do. The book is also about forgiving people for the past and the destructive power of words. The biggest lesson though is about learning the difference between what you are responsible for and what you cannot control. All of these can make a life productive or devastating, something Belchambers illustrates quite effectively.

This book has a slightly different pacing to it, which is subtle, but unique. This might be due to the fact that Belchambers is an African living in Kenya and writing about a small town in the United States. Why she chose to do this isn't stated in the book, but it gives it an interesting touch Cresswell Falls is a good story with a few twists and a good pace, plus the characters are appealing and more realistic than in many books. It shows that Kerry Belchambers has real promise and has produced a book worth reading.

Bingo Barge Murder by Jessie Chandler

2012-01-15T09:48:00.000-05:00

Publisher: Llewellyan Worldwide Ltd. (Midnight Ink Books)

Bingo Barge Murder is the debut novel for Jessie Chandler and the first in the Shay O'Hanlon mystery series. It's another entry in the genre of slapstick stories that feature a bumbling amateur and her friends.

Shay O'Hanlon runs a coffee shop called The Rabbit Hole where her most difficult job is making a proper latte until the police want to talk to her best friend Coop about the murder of his boss. Instead of working with a police detective who Shay finds very attractive, she decides to try and solve the situation herself. The consequences result in kidnappings, more murders and tangling with Mafia hit men. The entire plot revolves around a shipment of very valuable nuts that Shay manages to steal and that several other parties want. Along the way Shay acquires a large, but loveable dog and manages to put more of her friends in danger. Even taking the beautiful Detective Bordeaux into her confidence doesn't insure that Shay will be able to rescue her friends or escape injury herself.

Readers who enjoy farcical stories with humorous characters will probably like this book. It has the stereotypical people – the hapless friend who can't do anything right (Coop), the feisty older woman who doesn't know when to be quiet (Eddy) and the unrepentant gossip (Kate). The villains also fit into typical role models. None of the characters are developed beyond their roles, so they tend to be rather flat. The story moves along at a clip however and has enough ridiculous situations to be amusing.

True lovers of mysteries will probably want to avoid this book. There really isn't a mystery in it except to wonder how many inept maneuvers characters can make in one story. Not once, but twice, Shay knows that "dangerous" people are after her and, instead of insulating herself and her friends from the threat, she decides to go to sleep or do something else which allows the criminals to catch up to her. All Shay can talk about is how efficient and good at her job Detective Bordeaux is, but then she treats the police like they can't solve a simple case. Shay, who has no training at all, manages to keep finding evidence that is in plain view, but seems to have eluded the police when they went through the same area. Bordeaux reveals that the police have been working on the case for months with few solutions, but Shay is able to settle everything in a matter of days. Vicious killers can't deal with an old woman or manage to shoot a gun and hit someone who is standing right in front of them. After a while these inconsistencies become irritating.

Bingo Barge Murder isn't a bad book. It simply contains many of the missteps made by first time authors. There is enough good about it to hold out hope that Chandler will improve with experience. She has a strong cast of characters to work with and that might be where the book went astray. Since it is the first in a series, it reads more like Chandler was trying to introduce her cast than focus on telling a compelling mystery. The book is fine for an entertaining reading, but it's not one that has you turning pages because you can't put it down.

Faithful Service, Silent Hearts by Lynette Mae

2012-01-15T00:38:00.000-05:00

Publisher: Regal Crest Enterprises

Faithful Service, Silent Hearts is a view of what life was like for gays in the US military before the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy went into effect. Now that that policy has been ended, the book serves as a reminder of what used to be. It's important that younger people have books that remind them of what people went through before changes were made in any situation.

Devon James excels as a soldier and a leader in boot camp and is quickly put on the fast track as an officer. She is outstanding at everything she does, but she lives with the secret that she is gay. Devon experiences great pain as her first love is taken from her in a witch hunt and she loses the second one to a tragedy. Devon shuts down her emotions to protect herself and her career, but eventually will be drawn out by a surprising contact from her past. When her career is threatened again, Devon has to make the choice between staying in the military that she loves so much or leaving the service and living a more open life. Either one comes with a heavy price.

This story is well told and interesting. It's a good debut novel for Lynette Mae because it features something with which she is personally familiar so the story has a sense of authenticity about it. Some of the scenes are a bit rushed and the conclusion is somewhat contrived, but that's more a sign of a new author. Experience should teach her to smooth out those bumps. The book could have used a better content editor. For example, in one scene two characters are drinking beer from a pitcher, go play a game of pool and when they return to the table, they are drinking from bottles. It's little things like that which can distract an attentive reader and should not happen in a book.

As a whole, Faithful Service, Silent Hearts is a good read. The weaknesses don't overshadow the book and it shows enough promise to make this reviewer curious to read Lynette Mae's next book.

My top 11 books for 2011.....so far

2012-01-07T02:07:00.001-05:00

Lara Zielinsky asked me to make a list of the top 11 books I read in 2011 for the radio show we did and I never got through the entire list, so I thought I'd post it here. There are two caveats:

except for the top 4, the rest of the books probably could change positions easily.
I haven't had a chance to read the latest books from Justine Saracen, Robbi McCoy, Ruth Perkinson or Amy Dawson Robertson.....YET. I'd be willing to bet they would knock some books off of my list, but I'll have to see.

So, for what it's worth, here they are.

1. Shaken and Stirred by Joan Opyr tied with
Beyond Instinct by Lynn Ames and you couldn't
find two books more different.
3. The Indelible Heart by Marianne Martin
4. After the Fall by Robin Summers
5. The Wedding Party by Tracey Richardson
6. Open Water by Pol Robinson
7. Like Lovers Do by Lori Lake
8. My Soldier Too by Bev Prescott
9. The Girls Club by Sally Bellrose
10. If the Wind Were a Woman by Kelly Sinclair
11. Confined Spaces by Renee MacKenzie

The Wedding Party by Tracey Richardson

2011-12-31T03:33:00.002-05:00

Publisher: Bella Books

When is a wedding more than a wedding? When it's the background for a group of people to find out a lot of information about themselves.

Dani and Shannon have been planning their wedding in Las Vegas for a long time. Shannon would have preferred something less elaborate, but Dani feels like a big event is a sign of her love for Shannon. She has paid to fly in their closest friends for a week of activities before the wedding and everything will be perfect. It has to be because afterward Dani has to tell Shannon that she's been out of work for more than a month, she really can't afford any of their plans and their world is about to fall apart. Shannon is hiding a secret of her own that could be just as devastating to their relationship. It soon becomes clear that their friends Jordan and Claire and Shannon's niece Amanda have issues of their own to resolve. Whatever answer each woman settles on will change the group dynamic significantly and could end relationships that have taken years to build.

The Wedding Party ostensibly starts out as the story of a group of friends celebrating a wedding; however, Richardson soon takes it into an exploration of what keeping secrets and not trusting people can do to relationships. Dani and Shannon cannot admit certain truths to each other despite their long relationship. It raises the question of how you can commit to someone if you can't trust them with the truth. Jordan, the eternal womanizer, is afraid to admit that she's finally reached a point where she wants stability and Amanda is afraid to trust the person she has been the closest to all of her life. Claire is hiding more than anyone, not only from her friends, but from herself. The reader might question how this group can be so close when the members are keeping so much from each other, but the reality is that people often hide things from those they rely on the most. What Richardson shows is the consequences of this behavior and possible solutions for these situations.

Tracey Richardson is very good at writing stories that have more depth than appears on the surface. The Wedding Party can be enjoyed as a character study of a group of friends, but a little more thought shows that it's also about the importance of openness and honesty in maintaining a group dynamic. A standard story is used to mask a more important lesson. Richardson writes well. It's always easy to recommend her books.

Love Another Day by Regina Hanel

2011-11-25T23:13:00.000-05:00

Publisher: Regal Crest Enterprises

Sam Tyler enjoys her job as a park ranger at Grand Teton National Park, most of the time. Sometimes she's thrown into dangerous situations, but every day offers something new. That helps distract her from a tragedy that occurred two years ago and that she hasn't recovered from. Sam isn't pleased at first when she's given a special assignment to work with photojournalist Halie Walker, but she's more cooperative when she finds out that Congress is considering closing Grand Teton Park and Halie's article might help prevent that. As the women experience the park together, they grow to appreciate the work that each one does and to develop an attraction. Sam is afraid to let anyone into her life though and Halie can't tolerate being around her as just a friend. A helicopter crash could be the catalyst for changing everything.

Love Another Day is a standard romance. The story follows the usual formula with no surprises. It does give an interesting picture of how diverse a park ranger's job can be. They do much more than direct tourists to scenic views. Anyone who has read many romances will know where the story is headed before reading many pages. The romance develops too quickly and complex questions have simple solutions; however, the reader who is looking for something light to pass the time with will find it acceptable.

The Secret of Lighthouse Pointe by Patty G. Henderson

2011-11-25T16:46:00.000-05:00

Publisher: Black Car Publishing

Constance Beechum is in an unenviable position. She is single and penniless in a time when a woman without any prospects has little hope of respectability. A letter arrives from her uncle offering her a position as a nurse/companion to Lady Elizabeth Gerard and Constance has no choice but to accept even though she has no experience at doing either. The trip to Castine, Maine, is dark and spooky, but not nearly as spooky as Edward and Roger Gerard and Edward's wife Catherine. Constance devotes herself to making Lady Gerard's last days as comfortable as possible, something which doesn't appear to interest her family, but does appeal to the mysterious George Kane. Constance uncovers a mystery about "Mr." Kane and together they try to battle the evil which seems to be about to engulf them.

Patty G. Henderson has reached into the style of the Gothic novel to tell her story. She captures many of the most common traits – a brooding old house with secret rooms, a damsel in distress from a tyrannical male, an upstanding hero, supernatural or mysterious events and a heightened sense of emotionalism. People who read this book have to approach it with an understanding that Gothic is a very particular style requiring characters and the scenery to behave in certain patterns. What might appear to be stilted or overblown to the modern reader is part of the format that has to be followed. The characters are somewhat flat, but that could be because they are written according to a template.

Classifying this book for a modern reader is difficult. Though the main character is lesbian, there isn't a typical "romance" that many require. The atmosphere is bleak and looming, but the "mystery" never is very mysterious since the answer is apparent almost from the beginning. Most of the book is predictable from the early chapters. Followers of Gothic literature will probably find it more satisfying than most typical readers. However, if the reader is looking for something different and an entertaining story, The Secret of Lighthouse Pointe will do fine.

The Girls Club by Sally Bellerose

2011-11-16T04:14:00.002-05:00

Publisher: Bywater Books

Your sister. For a woman, she's the person who knows you better than you do yourself sometimes. She knows your secrets, your strengths and how to push your buttons faster than anyone else. She'll torment you incessantly and then punch in the nose any bully who tries the same thing. Sisters form a girls club unlike any other.

The title of Sally Bellerose's debut novel has a double meaning. One refers to a lesbian bar that has particular appeal to one of the characters. The other refers to the ultimate club shared by Marie, Renee and Cora Rose LaBarre. Like most sisters they fight, they compete and they form a united front against the world, most of the time. Cora Rose is the youngest sister and the focus of the book. Her life is a jumble of issues from her conflict with her Catholic upbringing to the fact that she ends up married to a man she doesn't love because she tries to conform to what society dictates and ends up pregnant. The truth is that her attraction is to women, but she doesn't know how to cope with it. Leave it to her sisters to understand her needs better than she does. Blunt, direct Marie calls her on the issue when they are still teenagers and sophisticated, beautiful Renee will help guide her to the light eventually. In the process they deal with unplanned pregnancies, men who fail to meet their needs, drug and alcohol abuse, creating careers, dealing with family issues and the general struggle with life. Cora Rose deals with two extra issues, her sexuality, which she doesn't understand, and a chronic illness dubbed the Dreaded Bowl Disease. That last issue isn't one that normally appears in books, but it plays a central role in what happens.

Bellerose has created a book that doesn't easily fit into any category. Cora Rose is a lesbian, but her life does not revolve around that. There are no torrid love scenes to appeal to romance lovers, but there is a type of romance that develops between the sisters. Their love for each other, even when it is disguised as something else, is the strongest relationship in the book. There is no mystery or adventure here, except that which normally appears in life. Instead there is a complex story of how people interact, especially within a family, and struggle to find direction in their lives. Marie, the most direct sister, takes on life with a "take no prisoners" attitude. Renee, the perfect child, is a study in unfulfilled potential and Cora Rose is a passive aggressive personality, letting life shove her from event to event, resenting much of what she is presented with, but basically incapable of directing her own story. When she finally begins to assert herself and establish her own course, there is no surprise that the two people who are pushing and leading her along are the ones with whom she has spent her whole life.

The title The Girls Club would seem to refer to the lesbian bar that Cora Rose can't resist, but it's really about a much more intricate relationship. Readers will find much to relate to in this story as they recognize how the sisters interact. Instead of depending on emotionally powerful scenes, Bellerose makes her point by letting the reader just watch the sisters and their lives unfold. It has a slow steady pace, but it becomes clear by the end that the pace that is used is the only one that works.

This book won the Bywater Prize. That means the reader can expect a story that is deeper and more intricate than the average lesbian novel. It requires more attention than just sliding through a typical story of girls meets, girls resolve their conflicts and live happily ever after. It's similar to watching an intricate dance or drinking a fine wine. The reader won't get the full effect until the end.

Two for the Show by Chris Paynter

2011-11-15T15:36:00.000-05:00

Publisher: Blue Feather Books

Two for the Show is Book Two of Chris Paynter's Playing for First Series. It picks up the story of Amy Perry, the first woman to play in the professional baseball league, her partner Stacy McCrady and their friends. "The Show" is the term used by baseball people for playing in the major leagues and Amy has finally been called up permanently to join the team. She and Stacy will have to divide their time between two cities, but the transition will be easier for Amy because her best friend Lisa Collins has also been moved up to network reporting, with the particular assignment to cover Amy's team. Things seem to be going wonderfully until personal tragedy strikes Amy's family. Her emotional trauma leads to her inability to hit the baseball or contain her anger on the field. She reacts in a totally destructive manner that might not only threaten her career, but her relationship with Stacy. Amy is totally out of control and if she can't get it back, she'll lose everything.

On the surface this is a sports story, but it's also a story about working your way through the hard spots to reach the good. Amy is crashing down barriers for women and often running a gauntlet of homophobic demonstrators. Her ability shows that women can play in the professional leagues with men, but her determination to live her life as an out lesbian draws as much, if not more, attention as her talent. The strength that helps her to deal with that situation is the very thing that may destroy her life. Amy is the strong, silent type who holds her emotions in. The consequence of that is that she can't deal with what is happening to her and she lashes out at the people who try to help, especially Stacy. It takes a great deal of trust and strength on Stacy's part to deal with the situation.

This is a story of a woman who has to cope with difficulties in her professional and private life. It's also about how important family and friends can be to that process. Perhaps most importantly it's about how reaching for help is not a weakness and can create a stronger person in the long run, but it can be a difficult process for a person to go through, especially if someone is very stoic. Amy will learn that some of the lessons she's learned on the ball field will apply equally well to her life.

Paynter's books will appeal to readers who like series characters. Each new volume gives the reader a chance to catch up on what has been happening to familiar figures, very much like reading Facebook entries. That can also be a weakness. After a while, the characters simply seem to be moving forward through life. The sense of drama can be lost in place of a comfortable story. It will be interesting to see how long Paynter can keep these characters fresh and interesting so that readers will care enough to want to find out what is the latest development in their lives.

In A Family Way by Karen D. Badger

2011-11-05T19:04:00.002-04:00

Publisher: Blue Feather Books

Billie Charland isn't looking for more complications. She's working two jobs as a paralegal and an aerobics instructor; then she spends time with her son Seth who is in a coma after being struck by a drunk driver. When Caitlan O'Grady joins the aerobics class though, it's clear that the uncoordinated doctor needs some help. Billie agrees to give her private lessons that lead to a relationship developing slowly between the women. Caitlan has a daughter from a previous relationship and her family uses their resources to help Seth, so Billie and Caitlan are well on their way to establishing a new family when Billie's ex-husband catches up with them. This provides more complications for women who weren't looking for any at all.

In A Family Way addresses a number of issues. The characters fight prejudice and a neighborhood that is at first hostile to the lesbians who infiltrate their street. Billie eventually finishes a law degree and becomes a crusader to change the state laws. The main story however deals with creating a family. They face issues of acceptance by relatives, cooperation from school authorities and the adoption of children. There is a lot going on in this story, but it captures a picture of what lesbians go through in trying to gain acceptance for their families.

Karen Badger has experience as a writer from stories she has posted online and previously published books. She knows how to create characters and to make a story flow. She has created a book that makes for pleasant reading.

Verge by Z Egloff

2011-10-23T18:40:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Bywater Books

Is it possible to like a book but not like its main character? Verge will give the reader a chance to decide that.

Claire McMinn is a recovering alcoholic and sex addict who wants to be a film maker. Unfortunately, she slept with the wife of the professor who controls whether or not she can stay in the film program at her college and she got caught. Now Claire is scrambling to save her career. If she can complete her class project, maybe she'll be allowed back in the program. Hope resides in Sister Hilary, who works at a community center where Claire volunteers. The center owns video equipment and Claire is given permission to use it if she will make a film about the center. Complications pile on top of complications between Claire's peculiar family, her best friend Shelby, with whom she has on and off again affairs, and Sister Hilary. Whether or not Claire is going to be able to accomplish any of her goals is highly doubtful.

The best way to describe Claire McMinn is to say that she's a mess. She's certainly irresponsible and her own worst enemy. In quick order she sleeps with her professor's wife, her best friend, who identifies herself as straight, and then seduces a nun. Some of her behavior can be explained by her being in an alcoholic haze, but there's also an underlying feeling that Claire thinks she can do anything she wants to and get away with it. She always seems perplexed when other people don't see things that way. If she was deliberately trying to ruin her life, she couldn't do a much better job at it.

A description of this book says: "Verge will appeal to readers who are interested in spirituality, addiction recovery, the madcap humor of gay/lesbian AA, the creative arts, and the lives of twenty-first-century nuns, as well as the trials and tribulations—and adventures—of contemporary lesbians." The book certainly touches on some of those subjects, but not in a very convincing manner. If this is supposed to be a picture of the lives of contemporary lesbians, then it's a disappointing one. While Claire says she's dedicated to recovering from her alcoholism, her behavior calls into question her true dedication to the underlying problem. She makes bad decisions. It's hard to know whether to be pulling for Claire as she bumbles through her life or hope that someone finally confronts her for what she's doing and holds her accountable.

The same feeling involves the whole book. Verge is structurally well written. That can be said with certainty. Z Egloff knows how to write. It has received acclaim from some well-known writers and was a finalist and winner of some awards. The question is if the acclaim is for the production of the book or the story within it. No matter how well the story is written, the main character is irritating to the point of wanting to sometimes slap her for her behavior. Perhaps that is the essence of creating a realistic character.

Going back to the original question, is it possible to like a book but not like its main character? Maybe it's best to leave that up to the reader to decide. This reader's answer would be "No," but there is room for discussion.

Photographs of Claudia by KG MacGregor

2011-10-19T02:31:00.001-04:00

Publisher: Bella Books

Photographs of Claudia is about the relationship between two women in two different decades. Leonora Westcott is hoping to be accepted into a program for photographers and she needs to put together a portfolio. She meets Claudia Galloway, a teacher intern, who agrees to become her model. As their sessions progress, the pictures become more intimate and an attraction grows between the women. Claudia is scheduled to marry a very wealthy man, so Leo is afraid to tell her how she feels, but Claudia takes the lead. She decides that she wants to spend her life with Leo and returns home to tell her family. She never comes back. Years later Leo, who is now a successful photographer, agrees to do a friend a favor and take wedding pictures for a young woman who turns out to be Claudia's daughter. The passion that was once there reignites, but Leo has risked herself one time. Twice might be more than she's capable of.

This book starts off a little slow and turns into another "straight woman discovers she's gay" story. However, it is well developed and tells a poignant story. The women meet in their twenties and don't see each other again for a quarter of a century. It's rather sad to think about what they missed in their lives, but there is no guarantee that their situation would have worked out anyway. As mature women, they might have a greater chance of success.

MacGregor is an accomplished writer. She knows how to give a story a sad twist without it becoming maudlin. She also knows how to resurrect it into something happier. The characters are appealing, the plot flows at a good pace for most of the book and it's an enjoyable book to read. KG MacGregor is a dependable writer, so spending the time on one of her books really isn't a gamble.

After the Fall by Robin Summers

2011-10-16T22:14:00.001-04:00

Publisher: Bold Strokes Books

Taylor Stone is trying to survive in a world that has been devastated by a plague. Though it's never clear exactly what the plague was, it's killed millions of people around the world, more women than men. Keep moving, don't get involved has become Taylor's mantra as she struggles to get to her family in Indiana to see if any of them survived. Then she comes to Burninghead Farm. She finds a community of survivors who through ingenuity and will-power have built a self-sustaining camp and they invite Taylor to join them. Her intention is to only spend a few days while she strengthens herself for the rest of the trip. She doesn't need friends and she doesn't want friends, but the people in the community have a way of working themselves into her emotions. That's especially true of Kate. Kate reignites Taylor's interest in life. She shows the potential for new hope and love, but Taylor doesn't find that as appealing as might be thought. Taylor has done things she's not proud of and she feels they make her unworthy of Kate's love. Kate could heal Taylor's soul, but Taylor isn't sure she can have that. She needs to find out what has happened to her family. That need may destroy Taylor's chance to create a new life.

Summers knows what the focus of her story is. She doesn't dwell on what caused the catastrophe because the message is clear that it doesn't matter how mankind failed. What matters is that it did. This book is about survival and what comes after the destruction. It's not an odyssey either. Unlike many similar stories, the reader will not follow Taylor through the situations she encounters before she arrives at Burninghead Farm. Just enough of that is revealed to know that life hasn't been easy and that Taylor's soul has been scarred. What matters is the time that Taylor spends on the farm and the way it transforms her.

Taylor and Burninghead Farm provide an interesting contrast. Because of her experiences, Taylor is cynical and jaded. She trusts no one because she knows even people who seem friendly are probably waiting for a chance to take advantage of you. The farm is comparable to an experiment in utopianism. Things are almost too perfect in that the people work together peacefully with no disharmony. The only malcontents are expelled soon after Taylor arrives and though they reappear later, they're unimportant to most of the story. The people live by a common set of rules that appeal to everyone. It would be interesting to see how this community was established in the first place and able to achieve what they had, but again, what is important is that it exists. Taylor and the farm represent the battle between despair and hope. Taylor will come to realize that, contrary to what she says, she's just as invested in the farm's success as the people who have been there all along. With all of the discussion about whether or not the world is about to come to an end, one can only hope that there is a Burninghead Farm out there for when it happens.

After the Fall is easy to read and tells a compelling story. Summers alternates third person chapters with those written in first person so that the reader is always aware of what is going on in Taylor's head and can follow her transformation. It makes a very interesting debut novel for Robin Summers; one worth reading.

Fearless by Erin O'Reilly

2011-10-16T12:06:00.003-04:00

Publisher: Affinity e-Book Press

A story that is getting more coverage in recent years is the one about the women pilots who helped with the effort to win World War II. Although they were not supposed to go into battle, these women acted as the pilots who ferried planes to the war fronts and to repair facilities. That occasionally brought them into as much danger as the war zones.

Fearless is about a group called the Air Transport Auxiliary. Both men and women joined it to carry out work that would free battle-ready pilots for combat. The story features a group of women who come from such diverse places as England, Ireland, Australia, Texas and Chile. They also come from diverse backgrounds – rich, poor and in-between, gay and straight. They train together, they fly together and they form a uniquely molded band dedicated to a common cause. Two of them, Jo Laughlin and Sarah Faulkner, are particularly popular with the rest of the group, so when they disappear on a mission, everyone goes into a tailspin. These women face danger and adventure every day. Can they deal with the possible loss of two of their own?

The topic of the women pilots in World War II is one that has been covered in a number of books recently. O'Reilly's book doesn't add any new knowledge to that history and unfortunately it doesn't tell a very compelling story. Too much time is spent devoting chapters to telling the backgrounds events for each of the women. It feels like the reader is spending chapters reading through biographies. The details that are necessary for the later story could have been covered much quicker. The part of the book that relates to the women's experiences flying the planes never explodes with the adventure that would seem to be inherent in this activity. When Jo and Sarah are shot down in France, little about their adventure really seems to be dangerous until the last few minutes. As some say in the advertising world, the book just doesn't pop. It seems to hover right on the edge of catching fire, but misses its chance. It's similar to eating really good food with a cold. You know the taste is there, you just aren't receiving it.

It's difficult to know how to classify this book. There is a small romance in it, but it's very subdued, so the book is not a romance. There is some adventure, but not the kind that has the reader on the edge of her seat wondering what is going to happen. It could be classified as historical fiction or possibly a character study of a group of people. The story itself is fine, certainly for escapist reading. There are more memorable books about the same topic however.

Beyond Instinct by Lynn Ames

2011-10-09T20:48:00.004-04:00

Publisher: Phoenix Rising Press

Sometimes you see reviews that say, don't start this book unless you have time because you won't be able to put it down. When I say that about Beyond Instinct, believe it.

Sage McNally saw something she shouldn't have. She didn't know it, but what she saw causes her to be kidnapped off of the streets of Mali and taken into the desert by Tuareg warriors. Vaughn Elliot, former CIA agent and now a security expert for the State Department, hasn't known the diplomat long, but she knows she has to rescue Sage and determine why someone would do this to her. The women have fallen into a treacherous plot that stretches from Washington, DC, to Africa and on to Afghanistan. Vaughn, who has watched a former lover be murdered in the line of duty, is determined that it won't happen again. A congressional visit appears to be at the center of the mystery and Vaughn has to determine how all of the pieces fit together. Sage holds the key if she can only remember what it is. The women are joined by a cast that includes highly skilled field agents, corrupt politicians, deadly assassins and heroes who are willing to die for what is right. Though Sage and Vaughn are attracted to each other, nothing can come before the mission. Too much depends on its outcome.

Lynn Ames has written a suspenseful adventure novel that can be compared with the best in the field. Beyond Instinct can stand against any Robert Ludlum or James Patterson novel on the shelf. The action is fast paced and the characters are defined just enough to see each one of them clearly and why that person had to be in the story. The weaponry and technology that are employed in the book have obviously been well researched and their usage gives the book a very real and modernistic feeling. The emotions that come from the characters tap into the reader and create a feeling that the reader is sharing the fear, horror and relief that everyone is experiencing. As the reader nears the end of the book the need to read slower speaks to the reluctance to see the story end.

Ames does two things in this book that make it refreshing. The people of Africa are treated with great respect. Unfortunately, the stereotype in Western literature is to show them as poor, corrupt and backward. Ames' Africa most certainly contains poverty and illegal activities, but there are also characters who act with great dignity and honor. There is a very delicate balance struck in the Tuareg leader. Though he is going to perform a despicable act, he does it out of a sense of honor and has the decency to understand that what he is doing is wrong. The other interesting point is the relationship between Sage and Vaughn. The fact that they are lesbians and feel drawn to each other is a strong thread in the story, but it doesn't dominate what is going on. There is never any doubt that the point of this story is to figure out who is behind what is happening, what their ultimate objective is, and how to stop them. This is never a story that is simply holding together scenes so that the women can hop into bed together.

One of the best things to observe in literature over time is the growth of an author. Anyone who is a Lynn Ames fan from her first books is going to find a very different writer in Beyond Instinct. From someone who wrote rather formulaic novels, she has progressed to something much more. Her use of vocabulary, characters and scenery has grown tremendously from her first books and gives this one a more mature feeling and allows the reader to flow seamlessly from scene to scene. Ames' development of her abilities is striking.

For anyone who enjoys a book that is based around adventure, intrigue and suspense, there can't be a better example than Beyond Instinct. Just one warning. Don't start it late at night because you won't be going to sleep for a while.

Open Water by Pol Robinson

2011-09-25T01:05:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Bella Books

Pol Robinson's debut novel is an exciting and enjoyable story about competition, hard work, dedication and building a friendship before romance.

Cass Flynn thought she had lost her chance to be on the US Rowing Team at the Beijing Olympics. A terrible accident threatened to take her career completely, but after long months of rehabilitation, Cass finds herself added to the team to replace an injured rower. As the oldest member and someone who bears scars on her legs, she has to prove to the other rowers that she not only deserves this chance, but that she can win. Team Captain Laura Kelley has serious doubts about Cass's suitability, but her own issues consume her attention more. Laura blames herself for the suicide of her ex-lover's sister and the guilt is interfering with her own performance. As the woman train and battle their private demons, they begin to establish a relationship that, in the end, could be more important than any gold medals they might win.

Sometimes it's difficult to put a finger on why a book is so enjoyable. It's not that any one thing stands out about it, but that everything combines to create an experience that is worth having. Open Water is that type of book. Pol Robinson has experience as a rower, so she is able to create the authenticity that captures the experience of training for and competing in rowing so well. The reader can feel with each character what she is going through as she prepares for her races. The strain that Cass feels in trying to recover from her injury and prove her worth to the team is very strong. The anxiety that Laura experiences over how her personal life is affecting the team makes her character extremely well rounded. These are women that the reader will recognize and identify with. The reader may know women like them.

Open Water flows off of the pages. The story passes smoothly and quickly, almost emulating the strokes of the rowers' oars. The personality of each character contributes to the atmosphere of the book as well as the setting in Beijing. It's also a very clean book with no mistakes or misprints in it. That makes the reading even easier. If this is an example of what can be expected from Pol Robinson in the future, then readers have some good books to look forward to.

Between Two Women - - movie

2011-09-17T16:51:00.001-04:00

This is a lesbian movie made for straight people. It doesn't cross any lines that will make them uncomfortable. It's slow paced, like many British movies. A mother comes to be friends with a teacher when the teacher shows an interest in the son's artistic ability. Things start slowly and remain slow. The women come to realize they have feelings for each other and decide what they want to do. As to interaction between the characters, they could have been deciding to be best friends. The movie was OK, but I kept getting distracted by emails and other things. It just didn't hold my attention.

If the Wind Were a Woman by Kelly Sinclair

2011-09-11T22:34:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Blue Feather Books, Ltd.

Kelly Sinclair sets her new novel in Tantona, Texas in the 1970s. Tantona is a typical small southern town. Men are in charge, women stay home to take care of the family, and most people go to church on Sunday. It hardly seems to be a place that is on the cusp of the changes that are gripping the country, but appearances can be deceiving. Latino/Hispanic/Mexican Americans (they can't decide what to call them) are moving in to change the culture, some of the women are going to work and a scandal breaks over them revealing that there is at least one lesbian in the town. Oh, if they only knew.

Barbara Wolfe isn't interested in being an advocate for anyone. The fact that she is a lesbian is the worst kept secret in Tantona, but as long as she's not overt about it, people are willing to pretend they don't know. Barbara is discreet about her affairs until she meets Darlene Fisher. One little slip nearly gets Barbara killed, she loses her job and most of the town sees her as a pariah, including her own daughter. Barbara can handle her own problems, but she's afraid of what might happen to Darlene. While they try not to antagonize the town, the women find themselves in the midst of a group of family and friends who are determined to help them make their relationship work. Maybe, just maybe, it's time to test the people of Tantona and find out how many, if any, of them are willing to catch up to what is beginning to happen in the rest of the country.

If the Wind Were a Woman provides a picture that is beginning to disappear in lesbian literature as young women who are growing up in a different time don't know about or remember a time not too long ago when things were very different in the US. Sinclair reminds the reader that not only was being gay a crime, but it could very easily get you killed and many law enforcement officials simply did not care. Identifying other members of the gay community to form a support system could be difficult to impossible and being in the closet was a survival tactic, not simply a choice. Sinclair captures that predicament very well with Barbara and another character named George. One is forced into the open and the other is terrified that he will be put in the same position. They also demonstrate how what happens to one person can have a ripple effect on other people and their decisions.

One of the strongest themes in this book is about the power of women even when people do not perceive that they have that power. The blurb on the back of the book says that Darlene is "an uncontrollable force of nature" who is driving the action in the book. That is questionable. There are a number of women who drive different issues and Darlene seems to have the least strength of all of them. She spends most of the book pretending to be interested in men while Barbara stands in front of the community and takes the blows. There is also Barbara's best friend Mary who is defiant in the face of the townspeople and will not desert her friend just because she is a lesbian. Gracie Munoz shows her strength in forcing the town to accept cultural diversity and Barbara's mother exhibits another type of courage when she refuses to let the town shame her daughter. The book is an homage to the role that women play, when they are at their best, in holding families together, managing the civic conscience and fighting for the underdog.

If the Wind Were a Woman is not a long book, only 172 pages, but it packs a lot of story in it. An author does not need to write a lot of words if she knows which words to choose. The book shows how far society has come and, unfortunately, has not come. It's worth reading.

Tilting at Windmills by Geonn Cannon

2011-09-05T17:08:00.001-04:00

Publisher: P.D. Publishing

Claire Lance is a wanted woman, but not in the way she wants to be. The authorities think that Lance is a rogue cop who killed her lover Elaine. No one believes what really happened, so she's been moving for over a year trying to avoid being arrested. FBI Special Agent Faye Mallory is particularly tenacious because she is Elaine's sister and determined to make Lance pay for what happened. Lance's car breaks down outside of a small Texas town and she is forced to take a job in a local bar to earn the money for the repairs. Roy Morse isn't a great boss. He's tied into the local crime community and he abuses his wife Gwen. In a very short time, Lance is forced to kill two men, including Roy, and finds herself on the run again, this time with Gwen in tow. As they flee from the police, Roy's gang and Agent Mallory, Lance will find herself forced to confront her past. Gwen will learn things about herself that will alter her future.

Tilting at Windmills is a fast paced story. By focusing on Lance's struggle to survive and protect Gwen it allows for a lot of action. There isn't a great deal of character development, though the flashback sequences of what happened to Lance and Elaine gives greater detail to Claire's character. The struggle between Lance and Mallory adds another dimension. It's obvious how much each one is suffering. The reader will wish they could reach some understanding.

One of the problems with Cannon's books in general is how he writes about lesbians. It sometimes seems as if he sees them as men in women's skin. Lance and Mallory could easily be portrayed as male characters. All Cannon has done is change the gender of the pronouns. He misses on the emotional bonds that exist between women as part of a relationship. They may appear to be acting like men, but they aren't thinking or feeling that way. A point that seems to escape Cannon.

Where Cannon's book is unique is in how he ends the story. Romances generally follow a formula. Cannon departs slightly from that formula, which gives the book a refreshing and realistic ending. It also leaves the characters open for a sequel if he should choose to revisit them.

In all Tilting at Windmills is a quick read that may appeal to action or suspense fans. There are also enough intimate scenes included to please romance fans. It's an average book, but fine for a few hours of reading.

Like Lovers Do by Lori Lake

2011-09-01T23:52:00.001-04:00

Publisher: Regal Crest Enterprises

It's been a while since Lori Lake had a new book, but she's returned with a very well written romance. Lake is an experienced writer and she shows that in Like Lovers Do.

There is more to Kennie McClain than meets the eye. The casual observer would see a woman who works security in an apartment building and does a little maintenance work in exchange for a small apartment. What the tenants don't know is that Kennie owns the building. Although she is friendly, she prefers to keep to herself as she mourns the death of her partner three years before. Lily Gordon and Max Wallington change all of that. Lily is a beautiful and famous painter who brings out feelings in Kennie that she wishes she did not have. Kennie doesn't want to hurt anymore and Lily has a lover who is a real problem, especially because she is a police officer. Max is a homeless teenager that Kennie saves from a beating in back of her building one day and then allows to move in with her. For her good Samaritan deed, Kennie finds herself hosting a group of abandoned teenagers and in danger. All of these new friends are going to open Kennie up to possibilities she had never considered.

Like Lovers Do on the surface is a routine romance. Two women meet and struggle to have a relationship. What raises this book above the crowd however is how the book is developed. Lake is able to reveal a lot about her characters with a few words, so she has more room for a richer story. Sometimes it's easy to read a book and feel that the characters are flat. That does not happen here. Kennie is a particularly appealing person. Her motivations are easy to understand and her emotions totally realistic. Her sadness over her partner's death and her sense of betrayal by Lily's behavior radiate off of the pages. Max is vibrant, vulnerable and the kind of friend Kennie needs. She opens Kennie up to introspection and a deeper understanding of what she can do for other people. Lily is exasperating because she won't admit what is wrong with her girlfriend and their relationship, but the reader can relate to that because Lily knows just how hurtful her behavior is for Kennie, yet cannot seem to change it. Many will recognize similar experiences. The only character that remains a puzzle is Lily's girl friend PJ. Even then she remains realistic because she alternates between someone the reader can dislike and admire.

There is another story in this book. Many gay people find themselves building families of "choice." In a sometimes hostile world where rejection by family and society is common, they choose who to be close to, share confidences with, join with at holidays and where to place their trust. These groups may be only gay or a mixture of gay and straight, but their importance is that they supply the support and nurturing that do not come from blood relations. Kennie creates her family from the people at the Allen Arms. Lake shows how this dynamic works by contrasting those people with the behavior of Kennie's sister and brother. The message comes out very clearly that love comes in many forms and not always from the places that most people would expect.

Like Lovers Do is an enjoyable book to read, with intriguing characters and an interesting story. It's good to see Lori Lake return with such a well written book.

All Things Gay Radio

2011-08-30T12:20:00.001-04:00

All Things Gay is the first gay radio program in New Hampshire. It's located on Portsmouth community radio at WSCA 106.1 FM. Marianne Martin and Joan Opyr were recently interviewed, so I thought I'd give you the links in case you want to listen to them talk about their books, careers and experiences.

Marianne Martin: http://audio.wscafm.org/audio/ALLGAY/WSCA_08-29-2011_08-00.mp3

Joan Opyr: http://audio.wscafm.org/audio/ALLGAY/WSCA_08-15-2011_08-00.mp3:

When Rachel Returns by Balticbard (Barbara Leyva)

2011-08-22T18:59:00.000-04:00

Publisher: iUniverse

Sometimes you read a book that's so good you want to go back and reevaluate any books you've rated before because you rated them too highly. Other times you read a book that's so bad, you want to change the ratings because you didn't rate the other books high enough. When Rachel Returns unfortunately fits in that last category.

The book has a thinly plausible plot - girls meet, girls get together, girls separate, years later girls rediscover their true love for each other. That's where the believability of the book ends. Ann Williams goes to the Division of Motor Vehicles to renew the tag on her car and finds herself standing in a long line that isn't moving. Rachel Stone, who manages the office, propositions Ann to get her paperwork processed quickly if Ann will have lunch with her. During lunch they realize they have fallen madly in love with each other, despite the fact that they've never seen each other before and Ann, up to that point, has been straight all her life and has a fiancée waiting for her.

Their affair lasts for about two years until Rachel decides Ann is boring and runs off with a younger woman. Ann's old fiancée takes her back and they live happily until he dies in an accident. Meanwhile, Rachel's girlfriend cheats on her, runs off and devastates Rachel so badly she becomes a derelict drug/alcohol addict on skid row. One day Rachel sees a story on TV about Ann's husband, then immediately decides to fix her life and go reclaim Ann's love. Rachel travels to the university town where Ann teaches and is hired to be Ann's secretary. Another professor who is married is chasing Ann, but his wife is a lesbian and they have an "arrangement." This story only gets more bizarre. Before the end, the lesbian wife makes a play for Ann; hires a hitman to kill her husband, but nearly kills Ann instead; Ann takes Rachel back; and the lesbian, her husband and another female professor end up living together. Throw in some more unbelievable characters and situations and you have this book.

This is a story that first appeared online and then was published by the author. That is the problem with self-publishing. There is no one to tell you to forget it and not waste your money on a project like this. The dialogue is poorly written, there are many printing mistakes and the story itself is totally unbelievable in many parts. It is almost impossible to find something redeeming about this book. This is one that is better left unread.

Under the Big Montana Sky by Jillian Carole

2011-08-22T18:34:00.000-04:00

Publisher: AuthorHouse

Sometimes self-published books come out OK and then there are books that needed help before they were published. Under The Big Montana Sky is one of those.

Sarah Erickson and Alice Thompson have been email friends for over five years. Despite their difference in age, they have bonded and Sarah travels to Montana to finally meet Alice. She doesn't know that Alice is a very wealthy woman who lives on a large sprawling ranch or that she has a daughter Jo who thinks Sarah is a gold digger. Jo is furious when she discovers that her mother has created a trust fund for Sarah to be able to pursue her art career and, despite the fact that Sarah doesn't know about the fund, Jo is determined to prove to her mother that Sarah is no good. What Jo doesn't anticipate is that Sarah will win her over with her naïve personality and Sarah is about to discover things about herself that explain some unanswered questions in her life. The two women are drawn together until a tragedy forces them apart. Sarah returns to her home in Houston unsure of how Jo feels about her, while Jo's life spins out of control. The question is whether anything can get Sarah to return to the Big Sky Country of Montana to give them a second chance at happiness.

The story itself is fairly standard lesbian fare and flows at an even pace. The problems with the book could have been solved if the company had provided a decent editor to work on it. There are too many grammatical errors, incorrectly used words, and poorly written dialogue. Often it's difficult to determine if a character is talking to another character or thinking inside her head. Then there are mistakes in details. An example is when the receptionist in the law office tells Sarah everything about her trust fund over the phone, which anyone should know would be a breach of confidentiality. The relationship is dealt with in a somewhat superficial manner because of a lack of development and the ending seems abrupt. None of these are flaws that couldn't have been corrected or improved by a skilled person going over the story and making suggestions. Unfortunately, that wasn't done. Still, if you can ignore the mistakes, the story isn't bad.

The Skin Beneath by Nairne Holtz

2011-08-22T18:27:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Insomniac Press

Sam O'Connor's sister Chloe is dead. That much is certain. She died in a hotel in New York City five years before the book opens. That much is certain. Everything after that becomes murky. Sam was allowed to believe that the older sister she idolized killed herself with an overdose of drugs, but she receives a postcard telling her Chloe died of a gunshot wound and that it might not have been self-inflicted. This sets Sam on a quest to learn what exactly happened to her sister and why her father hid the truth. Her search takes her to Montreal, Toronto, Detroit and New York, following every twisting thread of Chloe's life, trying to find out who her sister really was. She encounters paranoid conspiracy fanatics, possible Middle Eastern intrigue, supporters of paramilitary organizations, prostitutes and a possible love interest in Chloe's old roommate Romey, an exotic dancer. Each bit of information Sam discovers leads her to a new mystery and a new city. In the process she tries to free herself of the domination that Chloe's personality always had over her. At the end, that might be more important than finding out the truth about how Chloe died.

This book has been nominated for the McAuslan First Book Prize in Canada where it was published and has received good reviews from publications there, which is perplexing. Perhaps this is one of those books that appeals to certain cultures though it's hard to believe that Canadian and American tastes are that different. This reviewer found the plot confusing in that it doesn't resolve anything. First, it appears to be a murder mystery; then it seems to be about political intrigue and conspiracies. In the end, it's not clear what it is about. The story moves from scene to scene with bizarre characters who take the score for paranoia right off of the scale. None of the pieces seem to fit together except that Chloe walked through them and there is no resolution at the end. Parts of the story seem to contradict each other. Ultimately the inclusion of all of the side stories about conspiracies and having Sam run all over the place don't make sense if the ending doesn't make them significant. And, if these people were as paranoid as they are described, why would they so willingly share things with Sam? If Chloe killed herself, then what was the point in anyone sending Sam the postcard? The failure to tie up loose ends leaves a very unsatisfying feeling.

It might be easier to ignore the confusion in the plot if the characters were more appealing. Sam never reaches out and touches the reader so that you care about what she is trying to do. It's not until page 208 that an insight is given into the fact that Sam is trying to escape her sister's influence and from where the book gets its title, but the rest of the story that follows muddies everything up again. Sam's relationship with Romey has no depth and, though Sam claims to madly love her, it's apparently not enough to keep her away from other women. The one really interesting character, named Amanda, is the one that is most incomplete. She's intriguing because of her behavior and all of the suggestions made about what she "might" be, but it would have been nice to have one of them resolved.

The Skin Beneath is a perplexing book. Some people will probably find it enjoyable. This reviewer didn't.

The Qualilty of Blue by Valarie Watersun

2011-08-22T18:20:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Publish America

Jewelry designer River Tyler believes she has started a new life when she moves from a small community in Virginia to live in the Florida Keys. Her parents, who she describes as aging hippies, have been supportive, but also smothering. River hopes that by becoming the manager of Designs by Deidre, where she will design individual pieces of jewelry, she will have a chance to experience a few things in life. What she doesn't count on is meeting Larken Moore, the charismatic woman who buys gems and stones for the company. Larken seems to like and get along with everyone, except River. Larken believes that River has her job because of her ties to Simon Minorca. Minorca is a financial backer of the store and is reputed to have ties to organized crime and Larken assumes that River is his latest mistress. Despite that, she can't help but feel drawn to the innocence that she feels coming from River. As the two women are attracted more to each other and begin to fall in love, they know they will have to deal with Simon, but neither can imagine what he is willing to go do to get what he wants. Eventually there is a confrontation which threatens all of their lives.

There is a good framework to this story, but it needed more definition. Everything passes too quickly without any development. There are a number of areas where the story should have been expanded. The relationship between River and Simon before she arrives in Florida is unclear; therefore, the incidents that occur between them seem rushed and incomplete. Larken mentions the difficult conditions she has to endure to obtain the gems for the store and a further description of what she goes through would have expanded the story in an interesting manner. It would have been particularly informative to read about her efforts in troubled nations to obtain what are called "blood gems," those produced by slave labor in order to finance wars. And the final scenes between River, Simon and his rather bizarre mother just don't seem realistic. This book reads like a first draft of a story that an author typically goes back over and fleshes out with more detail. Only the details aren't there, so the book is very superficial.

This isn't a bad book. It's just a very ordinary story. Be prepared though to wish that there had been more to it. This seems to be a book that you can read, enjoy for what is there and then forget about.

The Illusionist by Fran Heckrotte

2011-08-22T18:16:00.000-04:00

Publisher: L-Book

The Illusionist is a good example of a book where everything happens too quickly. There is the good basis for a story, but there are a lot of holes that needed to be filled in to help the reader understand what exactly is going on. Heckrotte plans a sequel and may have wanted to hold back some secrets for that book. The problem is there are questions that should have been answered in this book to increase the reader's comprehension of the story.

Yemaya Lysanne is The Illusionist. She performs around the world astonishing people with what she is able to do. What her audience doesn't know is that she is exerting power and control over them that they don't realize. Dakota Deveraus is an investigative journalist who is trying to uncover Yemaya's secrets. She thinks she's been hired to do an expose on people who perform stunts and doesn't realize that she is actually the tool of a powerful CEO who wants to control Yemaya's power. The two women are quickly drawn to each other, so there is no hesitation when Yemaya invites Dakota to accompany her back to her homeland Moldova. This is an actual country that lies between the Ukraine and Romania, generally in that area more famously known as Transylvania. When Dakota arrives, she discovers a county true to the stereotypes – thick fogs, mysterious houses, and villagers totally loyal to Yemaya and her brother Raidon, who are treated like the ruling royalty. There are also wolves that have a connection to Yemaya and serve as her protectors and assistants.

Agents working for the CEO have followed the women home and there is a madman stalking the village, not to mention various spirits and old gods who come to play a part in the story. Amidst all of this, plus death threats and attempted kidnappings, the two women find themselves falling in love and discovering that they are soul mates. The question is if they can survive all of the forces attacking them to establish a life together.

Yemaya and her brother are definitely not human (they say so themselves) and she can communicate directly with the wolves, but it's not clear exactly what they are. The villagers seem typical of what appears in the Frankenstein and Dracula stories, but they see the Lysanne's as protectors against the monsters, not as the monsters themselves. The book has a dark and mysterious tone, so you certainly expect something to leap out at you. The spirit of Dakota's ancestor, who was a pioneer woman on the Great Plains, makes frequent appearances and provides some comic relief, but the "dialect" she speaks is nothing but irritating. Finally, there is the relationship between the women. They have hardly met when they realize they are totally in love and absolutely devoted to each other. There is very little development in the relationship.

The Illusionist isn't a bad book. There is a story to be read in it, but it needed a little more work to be complete. Another 15-20 pages would have helped the flow of the story. There is adventure, suspense and romance. When you finish the book though, you'll feel like you still don't know the whole story.

Southern Heart by Katie P. Moore

2011-08-22T18:01:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Intaglio Publications

Kari Bossier hasn't been home to Louisiana in over three years and she isn't thrilled to be headed that way at the opening of the book. She has been summoned to the family estate by her mother to participate in the annual garden party, an event steeped in old Southern traditions, none of which appeal to Kari. She is happy living in Seattle, far from her mother and sister, especially her mother. The two of them seem to have nothing in common and have never had anything but a difficult relationship. Kari also has a secret because she has discovered she is a lesbian. She hasn't done anything about that yet, but this is an issue that she definitely doesn't want to discuss with her mother.

The trip home is more momentous than Kari could ever imagine however. Soon after arriving she meets Regency, the beautiful daughter of the gardener, who enjoys flirting, hot sex, and introducing Kari to a world that she had only dreamed about. Kari also finds herself reluctantly having to entertain Lani Trusdor, the daughter of one of her mother's friends. Lani, who is robust, sturdy (oh, heck, just say plus sized) and quiet, is nothing like Regency. At first she appears to have no hope of attracting Kari's attention, but Kari begins to realize there is more to Lani than just appearance. Eventually, Kari finds herself questioning which woman is really the more attractive person. And in the process, discovers a secret about her mother that alters their entire relationship.

One of the most intriguing aspects of this book is the character of Lani. She is not your typical central player in a lesbian novel. She isn't tall and beautiful with startling magnetism. Lani represents what many women are like, a little bit of a weight problem, a shy personality, not necessarily the center of attention in a crowd. She has quite a competitor in the flashy, charismatic Regency, but you'll find yourself hoping that Lani wins the girl because she possesses the attributes that should be important.

There is one drawback to this book. It should have been longer. Katie Moore could have spent more time on developing her characters and explaining their motivations. The reader knows what Kari does, but not always why. By the end of the book, you know who she chooses, but why Kari chooses her is harder to grasp. This is a good book that, with some more time and development, could have been much better.

She's the One by Verda Foster and BL Miller

2011-08-22T17:58:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Intaglio Publications

She's the One is the story of two police officers, Sgt. Laurel Waxman and rookie Nicole Burke, who become partners and friends, then discover that there is an attraction between them. This isn't acceptable because Laurel is a senior officer and Nicole has a policy of not dating anyone that she works with. Nicole made that mistake before and doesn't intend to repeat it. The problem is that their emotions want to take them places where their heads say they shouldn't go. To make the situation more difficult, their families are intertwined in various ways (Laurel's uncle is a mentor to Nicole's teenage brother), so they are brought together in their personal lives as well as on a professional level. The women are caught in a situation of being drawn together while they try to push each other away. Ultimately, there seems to be only one way to solve the dilemma, but there is no guarantee that it will make either woman happy.

This is a simple story of two women discovering each other and trying to find a way to work out a relationship. There is some character development, though not a great deal, and very little background story, just enough to explain some of Nicole's situation. There is a little bit of action as the women go about their police work, but not enough to keep adventure lovers entertained. There's nothing complicated about the book, just a straight forward telling of the events. If you are a fan of Foster and Miller's previous works, Graceful Waters or Crystal's Heart, especially the former, don't expect that level of book from this one. This one doesn't draw you into the story or involve you with the characters. It makes a couple of hours of pleasurable reading, but it isn't one that will be considered a classic.

She Waits by Kate Sweeney

2011-08-22T17:50:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Intaglio Publications

Kate Sweeney introduces a new mystery series with her first book She Waits. Her heroine Kate Ryan is a klutz. She doesn't mean to be, but Kate can't seem to do much without having an accident of some sort. It actually makes her rather endearing.

Kate was once a private investigator, but, after a horrible incident that is never fully explained, she gave up that occupation to become a very successful wildlife photographer. When the book opens, she is on her way to Galena, Ill., to spend a peaceful weekend with her sister. While she is in the area, some friends have asked her to visit a friend of theirs who is having some problems. Maggie Winfield has had some strange things happen to her and her friends are hoping that Kate can help her figure out what is going on. Maggie doesn't want anyone else to help her, especially Kate after the way they meet. Kate is driving down the road and nearly hits Maggie as she crosses the road at a high rate of speed on her horse. For a while, things go downhill from there. As the mystery unfolds it is clear that Maggie's rather eccentric family is hiding secrets and that these secrets are related to what is happening to Maggie. There is a string of unusual deaths, including Maggie's parents and a long time family employee. Maggie is quite wealthy and her death would make someone very rich. Then there's the ex-girlfriend Allison who seems to be tied into everything. Kate has more clues than she knows what to do with and they don't seem to fit together.

Two of the best characters in the book are Maggie's Aunt Hannah and Kate's dog Chance. Hannah is the walking definition of blunt, irrepressible and buttinski. Sometimes it's difficult to tell what interests her more, solving the mystery or getting Kate and Maggie together. Chance is a gem. Totally dedicated to her mistress….or whoever will scratch behind her ears, and with a sharp nose that keeps turning up the clues in the case. Add to these two Kate's sister Teri and her husband Mac and you have the supporting characters that should transfer with this series very easily.

Sweeney has written a well-structured book to introduce a new series. She Waits contains an interesting mystery that isn't solved until the final pages. A possible relationship between Kate and Maggie is set up for exploration at a later time and enough hints have been dropped as to what the tragedy was in Kate's life that readers will be encouraged to buy the next book. She Waits is a very satisfactory introduction of a new character in lesbian fiction.

Relief by L.E. Butler

2011-08-22T17:38:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Regal Crest Enterprises

Katie Larken is escaping from her past in Boston. After eduring a murder-suicide in the family and a stay in a mental hospital, she is a slave to the drugs that help her to cope with her life, except that she isn't coping very well. She thinks that Venice, Italy, will give her a chance to start over and live off of her painting. Venice in 1912 is a center of bohemian art and radical politics and, at first, Katie, is totally lost. When she meets Rusala, a Russian ballet dancer, she is drawn into a world of artists, poets, and various ex-patriots. The women dream of making a life from their art and escaping to where they will be comfortable to be together without anyone telling what to do. Katie paints, Rusala dances and they plan while being surrounded by a unique group of friends. Katie still has serious lessons to learn about the undependable characters of friends and the betrayal of love. Everything revolves around a secret Rusula is keeping that can destroy all that they hope for.

Relief is a different type of book. The setting of the book is very lush and the life of turn of the century Venice provides a unique atmosphere; however, the characters are difficult to relate to and are more interesting than likeable. It's never quite certain if Katie is going to go off the deep end and lose it completely to insanity. Her nervousness translates into the book and gives it an edge. Rusula is a shadowy figure, not quite honest and not quite a charlatan, or so the reader will want to believe. The relationship between the women doesn't seem to click or generate any real emotion and their friends are as shallow as they are portrayed. The description on the back of the book promises an erotic love story and a mystery. Some readers will say that is misleading. The love story is understated to almost not existing and the ending isn't so much a mystery as a surprise that probably should have been expected. Readers who have been asking for books that depart from the typical formula should find this one fits the bill. This story doesn't promise happily ever after or that love is eternal. It also shows that lesbians can be as deceptive and manipulative in a relationship as heterosexuals. That alone makes this a different story.

It's difficult to know if a reader is going to like this book or not. One of the perplexing details is where the name Relief fits into the story. It's not clear that anyone feels relieved over anything at the end. The reader is most likely to finish this book with a "Huh!" rather than a feeling of completion. If the reader is looking for a tale that is about a place and time and the peculiar people who inhabited it, then this book is worth trying. If it's a standard romance that is sought, keep looking.

Reality Bytes by Jane Frances

2011-08-22T17:30:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Bella Books

Reality Bytes is the sequel to Frances' earlier novel Reunion. It continues the story of partners Cathy and Lisa and their friends Emma and Toni, with the emphasis this time being on Emma and Toni.

Reality Bytes is set one year after the end of the previous novel, one year after Cathy and Lisa were reunited and one year since Toni lost Cathy to Lisa. Cathy and Lisa go off for a month long vacation in Italy to celebrate their anniversary and Toni is left to run the accounting firm. Unfortunately, Toni comes down with a serious case of chicken pox and is confined to her house for most of that time. Meanwhile, Emma is trying to recover from the hurt of her unrequited love for her straight neighbor who has decided to get married and wants Emma in the wedding. Emma also finds herself job hunting after she is forced out of the veterinary practice she had been a member of for years. Both Toni and Emma turn to the Internet and chat rooms to fill their time and establish new friendships. A surprising twist will bring them a greater chance at happiness than either of them anticipated. They could be solving their problems while Cathy and Lisa have discovered one. Cathy wants to start a family, an idea that Lisa had never considered or desired. Could their trip to Italy be the end of the relationship instead of a celebration of the beginning? Friends, problems and how they deal with them is the theme of Reality Bytes.

Frances writes a very routine story. It follows the traditional pattern of women meeting, developing an attachment and working out if a relationship is possible. There's nothing wrong with the story, there just isn't anything to make it stand out either. There's no suspense, no adventure, nothing new. The characters are presented with just enough details to tell the story, but there's no great development of their personalities either. Unlike some books, you won't feel a connection to the women or what is happening to them. The few questions that are presented in the book are solved rather quickly and predictably.

If you're looking for something to read to just pass the time or for pure enjoyment without any effort, this book should satisfy those requirements. If you're looking for something refreshing and different, keep looking.

Private Dancer by T.J. Vertigo

2011-08-22T17:25:00.000-04:00

Publisher: Intaglio Publications

Private Dancer is the story of Reece Corbett, who runs a gentleman's club (read strip joint), Cori, one of the dancers and Faith Ashford, a wealthy woman whose family disinherited her when she decided to become an actress in New York City. Reece has led a hard life and seen her share of trouble. If she had not been taken in by the man who once owned the club and used her as his enforcer before his death, she probably would have spent the rest of her life locked up in a prison somewhere. Except for Cori, who has managed to penetrate her protective shell, no one means anything in her life until she meets Faith. Faith may be the person Reese has been looking for to complete her life, if she can find the ability to trust her.

Private Dancer is a disappointing book for more than one reason. The plot is exceptionally thin and reminiscent of Therese Syzmanski's Brett Higgins series, except this story isn't told as well. There is absolutely no depth to these characters and their relationships with each other are, at times, extremely confusing. Reece is not a character to be admired. She thinks nothing of using women and discarding them like used tissues and, if you believe the story, all of the women she encounters can't wait to experience this miserable treatment. She's supposed to be a hard as nails, street-wise dyke who takes one look at Faith and becomes totally unhinged with love.

The interaction between Reece and Cori is often confusing and makes no sense. Cori is supposed to be a poorly educated waif whose only talent is taking her clothes off. Apparently she has a bizarre ability though to be able to understand the motivation behind any behavior Reece exhibits. For example, Reece will do something extreme like smashing a glass and then Cori has a revelation that this is caused by some trauma from her childhood and reflects Reece's need for love and acceptance from a special woman. What is never explained is how Cori comes to her startling interpretations of what Reece really means. What is the basis for this understanding?

The character of Faith is the most perplexing. She starts out as a naive rich girl who is abandoned by her family because she wants to be an actress, a story line that is never developed, is living in a terrible part of New York City without any adjustment problems and goes from knowing nothing about sex to performing some acts that might make a stronger woman blush. And none of these women have a problem with performing sex acts in front of each other or other people. In fact, they seem to enjoy it. Unfortunately, the "good" parts of the book aren't enjoyable because the reader should be wondering what is wrong with these women.

A suspicion is reasonable that Private Dancer exists for the purpose of tying sex scenes together. The author biography says that T. J. Vertigo has a web site where this story was originally posted. As a story that is free and available on the web, it's perfectly fine. As a book that was bought, it's not. If you want to read the story, find the web site, save yourself some money.