Champagne and Gay Erotica

Ha! Thought that would spark the interest ... it's certainly made my day a little less grey in any case. Was really pleased to receive my fifth review for "Pink Champagne and Apple Juice" on Amazon last night, courtesy of a reader called Megsl, which - in case you haven't heard my wild screams of joy yet (really? have you been away?) - I have reproduced below:

"Pink Champagne and Apple Juice is a book full of larger than life, intriguing characters. Anne Brooke has the capacity to create the kind of bizarre characters that have such a unique flavour they will, I'm sure, enter the realm of classic characters. I loved the flamboyant "Uncle John" and the moody Heinrich who turns out to be pure gold in the end. I warmed to the kind of philosophy that lies behind much of Anne's writing and which encourages us to be whatever we want to be, to be that bravely and spiritedly, and to be damned as to what others think."

I'm particularly fond of that last sentence, I have to say - only wish I could always live it myself.

And I'm feeling a lot better than I have over the last week, thank the Lord. I even found myself singing in the bathroom today ("Wonderful day" from "Seven Brides ..." if you're wondering, and no I don't have Jane Powell's range. Sadly. Or even a soprano voice.) and eating normally. Hurrah. Lord H is 99% pleased. We both acknowledge, with amusement, the 1% that lies beneath, where he actually appreciates it when I'm ill, knowing that (a) I'm quiet, (b) I'm biddable, and (c) he knows I won't come and disturb him when he's playing Sim City. On such wry awareness are marriages built indeed ...

This week must be writing mag week - not only has Mslexia turned up, but I now have my copies of Writing Magazine & Writing News (which I much prefer, I have to admit). And, yes, I've had a quick check and I'm not in either this month. Pause for egotistical sighing. However, I did pick up that the editor of City Boy and Best Gay Erotica is on the look out for material (including novel extracts) for BGE 2008, so I'm sent them a scene from "A Dangerous Man", in which my hero, Michael (artist and part-time prostitute) first has sex with Jack (rich financier employer). Well it can't do any harm. And heck, it's the scene I most enjoyed writing - and interestingly the only one where my editor from Flame Books (http://www.flamebooks.com) made no changes. When the book comes out (as it were), I promise to give you the page number. After all, I'm a great believer in saving time.

Have just finished reading Pulp.net's short story (with some poetry) anthology, "Down the Angel and Up Holloway". There's some very strong stuff in there. I particularly liked Julie Balloo's portrait of a family falling apart in "Pop Goes the Weasel". Great writing. It took an age to arrive, but was well worth it.

Oh, and I popped my head over the scary modern parapet and had a brief look at the ins and outs of podcasting - it all looks like a very good idea, but the amount of information you appear to need to know has driven me back into my Luddite cave and I am still gibbering. I suspect that you will have to go on imagining my voice for a while yet then ...

Today's nice things:

1. The "Pink Champagne and Apple Juice" review
2. Singing in the bathroom - badly, but who cares?
3. Re-reading my Michael/Jack sex scene - heck, I'm only human after all.

Anne Brooke
http://www.annebrooke.com
http://www.goldenford.co.uk