Aches and pains galore

Life News:

Um, I've been sick for most of the week, I'm afraid, so not much life news, or indeed any other news, apart from that going on. Mind you, K and I did manage between us to plant 150 plants in the front garden on Bank Holiday Monday, and lay a stepping stone path across the lawn, so it's not been all moaning and groaning and wishing for a suitably early demise, hey ho.

Since then, I've had galloping toothache and a pretty nasty cold/catarrh session. Managed a visit to my new dentist in the village (um, the one who's actually given me the pain in the first place, I have to say ...) who told me I needed to let it settle down to see if the pain carried on. Hmm, not too impressed then. Said dentist is also the one who's done something with my lovely husband's tooth and now he's in pain every now and again too (the first time he's ever had tooth pain in his life), so I can't really recommend them. I suspect unless a miracle cure takes place in the next day or so, we just ain't going back ...

Anyway, the slightly good news is that from Tuesday onwards, I've been wiped out by a bout of catarrh together with a bad cold so that seemed to put the toothache on the back burner, so I've spent 4 nights on the sofa doing a hell of a lot of coughing and crosswords. As you do. Last night I felt well enough to actually go to bed, but sadly that's meant the toothache has returned and rather worse than before. Eating takes an age, but I suppose it's one way to lose weight - as I get so bored with it all that I simply can't finish the plate. The other sad news is I was too ill to go and see the new Star Trek film we'd booked for in 3D(!) on Thursday night, and certainly too ill for golf or cake-making. Oh well. Much moaning in the marshes.

Tomorrow, now the cold/catarrh seems to be under control, I'm going to try another dentist in a totally different village to get a second opinion and see if they're in the business of taking pain away rather than giving me more of it. I don't think I'm being unreasonable in that expectation, my dears ... In the meantime, I'm using a fatal combination of whisky, dental gel, desensitising toothpaste and crying to get through. I can't really say it's been a good week. Ho hum.

Book News:

No writing has been done, but I've had a lovely 5-star review on Amazon US for biblical short story Dancing with Lions, and another 5-star review on Amazon US for gay comedy Who Moved My Holepunch? Many thanks to both readers for that.


Anne Brooke
Gay Reads UK
Biblical Fiction UK
Lori Olding Children's Author

Hallsfoot and Holepunches

Book News:

It's a double book week this week, I'm happy to say. First of all, the second book in my fantasy trilogy, Hallsfoot's Battle, is now out. The blurb is:

In the second book in The Gathandrian Trilogy, Gelahn the mind-executioner begins his campaign. His powers are sublime, unmatched – even without the mind-cane in his possession. Using fear and pain he enslaves his victims, but next he will break and possess the Lammas Overlord.

Recently appointed Acting Elder and left in sole charge of her people, Annyeke Hallsfoot draws on all her mind-skills and courage as the fight for Gathandria rages. The precious ancient Legends are her bedrock and she begins teaching their wisdom to the scribe, Simon Hartstongue, who must quickly learn to work with the mind-cane’s strange powers. But Simon is distracted by his own demons and only fears the artefact. Supported by Johan and Talus, her young charge, Annyeke plots a desperate strategy to defeat the enemy.

As the Gathandrians rally behind their new leader, Gelahn strikes at the heart of the city.

If you've missed out on the first of the trilogy, which is The Gifting, then you can find out more about that book here.

At the same time, gay romantic comedy Who Moved My Holepunch? is now available at Amber Allure Press as part of their Office Affairs collection. The blurb for that one is:

Darren Fording works as a Senior Timetabling Officer for his local college. When Max Sheldon arrives to take over as Acting Registrar, Darren finds himself consumed by lust for his new boss and making the kind of decisions he as a stuck-in-his-ways administrator has never made before.

When Darren initiates a full-on kiss during a meeting with Max, the enthusiasm of the Registrar's response takes him by surprise. Max is reluctant to pursue a relationship with an employee, but Darren is equally determined not to take no for an answer. Can he prove his worth to the man he's beginning to love and show him he's a dab hand at educational politics as well?

It's already gained one pre-publication 5-star review from Mrs Condit Reads Books (many thanks, Josie) and she says:

"I found this book a breath of fresh air; it was funny, witty and very cute. I loved Darren; he was just perfect as the insecure (well, at the beginning) quirky administrator … His two assistants, the chatty, gossipy Miranda, and the quiet sensible Stewart were well written as well, and the aloof Max was simply adorable. … I can't recommend this book highly enough. If you want to laugh, giggle and smile as you turn every page then this book is perfect. My only regret is it isn't twice as long."

Not to be outdone, gay thriller A Dangerous Man was showcased at the Gay Books site (thank you, Richard), and also gained a 4-star review at Obsidian Reviews. There Val says:

A Dangerous Man is not a gay romance with a traditional happy ending, but it is a compelling work of gay fiction and a real page-turner. Things to praise include the flawless writing and the subtlety with which Michael's tragic past is revealed. The London setting is vivid and three-dimensional, and the author has a perfect ear for dialogue.

Many thanks, Val.

Meanwhile, Biblical short story collection, The Betrayal of Birds, was briefly at No 77 in the Amazon US Christian short story charts, so that was jolly nice.

This weekend, I had a great session at Elstead Writers, which was much needed amidst the bleak midwinter this spring has suddenly turned into. Snow - how shocking! Oh, and I joined the Christian Erotica Readers and Writers Group on Facebook, which has in some respects caused a bit of a stir. It should more accurately be called the "Group for Christians who Read and/or Write Erotic Fiction of All Flavours", but that's a tad long for anyone to remember. It's nice to have a group just for us, I must say - it's about time we came out ...

Life News:

Earlier in the week, K and I enjoyed a wonderful evening at the production of Calamity Jane at Haslemere Hall - a fabulous show, starring my colleague Ruth from work in the chorus - who looks rather fetching in pink, I must say. And it was nice for K to work out that behind all those good old songs I sing in the shower, there is actually a story - a revelation as he's not seen it before, well gosh!

Yesterday's cake was Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins, which I took from the recipes at the back of the US crime novel The Pumpkin Muffin Murder. They're really nice too - spicy and moist with a lovely crunchy topping, mmmm ... And always great to have a fictional mixture of murder and baking, with the recipes, hurrah.

It's also been a lovely weekend for coffee and catch-up with the neighbours - so many thanks to you all in the road for that. Much appreciated.

Today, K and I bravely visited the Wisley Spring Plant Fair - aka the Wisley Winter Fair, alas - and caused great joy amongst the stallholders as, with the snow, very few people had turned up and they're all having a rather dull weekend. Whilst there, I bought a new tiarella - Mystic Mist, which has lovely soft pink leaves, so it's rather unusual. We decided against the full Wisley tour but, thankfully, the glasshouse was open, and the orchid display there is as stunning as ever.

Finally, over at The Angry Anglican, I'm taking the new Archbishop to task for his latest statement, sigh.

Anne Brooke
Gay Reads UK
The Gathandrian Fantasy Trilogy
Biblical Fiction UK
Lori Olding Children's Author

Thorn in The Flesh

Book News:

My bisexual literary thriller Thorn in The Flesh has been republished by Untreed Reads this week. There's currently a 30% discount if you buy direct with the publisher, so definitely worth a look. You can also find it at Amazon UK and Amazon US, with a variety of reviews from its previous incarnation.

It was longlisted in the Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger Awards in 2006 and the blurb is:

Kate Harris, a lecturer in her late thirties, is attacked in her home and left for dead. This terrible assault and the anonymous hate letters she starts to receive bring to light the past she'd prefer to leave behind, a past which includes the son she bore in her teenage years and whom she chose to give away.

What happens to Kate also affects the people she counts as friends and colleagues now. She has been in love with her best friend, Nicky, for a long time but Nicky is happily married with two young children, and Kate is determined never to upset the lives of those she cares for.

However, when she makes the momentous decision to contact the father of her long-forgotten son, and then to trace her son as well, Kate inadvertently sets in motion a series of frightening events she seems to have no control over. Can she protect herself and those she loves from the menacing enemy who stalks them all?

At the same time, I've taken the opportunity to update my general website with all the latest book news, so you can see what's being published in March and in the months to come too. There's something for every taste, I think.

Meanwhile, biblical short story Dancing with Lions is on special offer at All Romance Ebooks at the moment, so the ideal time to pop that one in your shopping basket. And I'm very happy to say that there are only three days to go before fantasy novel Hallsfoot's Battle, the second in the Gathandria series, is published on 20 March, so I'm very much looking forward to that.


Life News:

Earlier in the week, I've been battling bravely with the onset of a cold, but I appear - unusually for me - to have kicked it into touch at the moment, so I jolly well hope it stays there.

K and I have also been busy in the garden, as we've potted up our new and overwintered dahlias for storage in the summerhouse until the frosts are gone. Plus we've pruned the cornus hedge and potted up a new magnolia - which is basically a big stick really, but promises greatness in the years ahead. I hope. And, taking my courage into both hands, I've repotted the orchid so I hope it's going to be a lot happier now its roots aren't seriously squashed, poor thing.

This week's cake is the old faithful of Coffee and Walnut Cake - I don't think it's quite as good as the one I baked in March, but hey nobody's complaining, phew. At least it got rid of the walnuts I had left over. Trouble is, I bought a new packet just in case, so I am now probably stuck in a coffee-and-walnut loop until time itself ends. Hmm, still no complaints being heard, however.

Finally, over at The Angry Anglican, I'm blogging about the brand-new pope and the Argentinian revenge ...

Happy St Patrick's Day!


Anne Brooke
The Gathandria Fantasy Trilogy
Gay Reads UK
Biblical Fiction UK
Lori Olding Children's Author

The Delaneys, My Parents and Me: Publication Date

Book News:

The Delaneys, My Parents and Me, the final story of the Delaneys erotic menage series, is published today, so if you would like to find out what happens in the end for Liam and his delectable but dangerous twins, then rush along to Amber Allure Press and pop a copy in your shopping basket at the special first week discount price.

Speaking of discounts, there's 30% off all my Untreed Reads books for their special Anniversary deal, so do feel free to browse there as well. The discount will be taken off at the checkout point.

In the meantime, I've sent the final proofs for bisexual thriller Thorn in The Flesh back to Untreed Reads, so hope to hear about a publication date soon.

There is also news about Hallsfoot's Battle, the second in the Gathandrian fantasy series. It will now be published on 20 March, so I'm really looking forward to that too.

March is certainly looking to be an enjoyable and busy month, that's for sure. Elsewhere, lesbian literary short story The Girl in The Painting was briefly at No 25 in the Amazon UK lesbian short stories chart, which was very pleasing indeed. And biblical short story Dancing with Lions gained a lovely new 5-star review at Amazon US. Gosh indeedy.





Life News:

Great product news this week, which I absolutely must share with you all. Due to K's excellent lateral thinking, we have discovered that Steradent Active Plus denture cleaner is brilliant at clearing limescale completely from your toilet. You heard it here first, folks! And I'm sure the marketing team at Steradent will be delighted with our discovery. All you need is 15 of the little tablets (it comes in tubes of 30) in the loo overnight and all is perfect by the morning. A Lenten miracle indeed, and certainly saves all that frantic scrubbing. As it were ...

Turning to slightly more ordinary matters, I'm pleased to say that this week's cakes are Chocolate Brownies and very nice they are too. I think I just managed to save them from being overcooked, which I believe is always a danger with Brownies, though the amount of whisking at the beginning of the process was utterly exhausting, my dears. Still, we think they're worth it.

This weekend, K and I have spent a great deal of time in garden centres, and planting lots of spring colour - primroses, big pansies etc etc - in our borders, hanging baskets and pots. It has definitely brightened up the garden, though as always there seem to be vast spaces left still to fill. Plus we've got the weeding under control, which is great news.

Finally, over at The Angry Anglican, I'm blogging about the essential gayness of Rome and the essential importance of women. Definitely a week to ponder on then.

Anne Brooke
Gay Reads UK
The Gathandrian Fantasy Trilogy
Biblical Fiction UK
Lori Olding Children's Author

Seed cake and the fallen woman

Book News:

I'm happy to say that the publication date for The Delaneys, My Parents and Me, the last in the gay menage Delaneys series, has been brought forward and it will now be available from 3 March. Moreover, later in the summer a paperback collection of all six stories (you lucky people, you!...) will be made available. The working title for that is The Dangerous Delaneys and Me: the Collection, and further details will appear in due course.

To keep you going till then, my literary lesbian short story, A Woman like The Sea, has a Valentine special 15% discount direct from Untreed Reads until 15 February. Buy now to avoid the rush.

I'm also pleased that, after a spate of 1-star reviews from people who found it "horrid" and the "worst book ever read" (Gawd bless 'em, and I honestly feel quite proud!...), my biblical short story, Dancing with Lions, has gained another 5-star review at Amazon US, where the reader in question said:

"Loved this book. Brings out what life was really like in Bible times and what heaven might be like. Something to look forward to."

Gosh indeedy. What a contrast.


Life News:

I have now gone all the way through my Keyboard Playing for Beginners book once, and have started going through it again to see if it makes any more sense and is becoming more do-able. The good news is it does seem to be coming slightly more easily to the fingers (as it were), though some of the chords are giving me pause for thought. Can one's fingers really ever be in that position? I'm not sure people are built like that ... But much-needed encouragement from the Internet world is getting me back in my keyboard seat and I'm going to keep practising - though I suggest that there's no need to buy those concert tickets just yet.

Other lovely news is that my neighbour's son, Rob Heanley (bottom left of pic), was in Death in Paradise last week, and it was very exciting indeed to catch a few glimpses of him at the start of it all, and later in flashback. My, what fun. And if you are going to get a small part in an ongoing series, you couldn't do better than choosing one filmed in a Caribbean Island. Well done, Rob!

Earlier in the week, I (literally) came a cropper when I attempted to sneak out of bed early in the morning without waking my beloved husband. This involved not turning the landing light on (as we have a glass panel above the bedroom door) and making my way by feel. Somehow I got utterly disorientated and manage to perform several illegal ballet manoeuvres down the first flight of stairs before landing in a heap. Ah, the spirit is willing but the flesh is incredibly noisy when rebounding off a wall or two. And he was certainly awake then ... Astonishingly, I managed to keep firm hold on my handbag all the way through so feel that my credentials as a bona-fide woman are now beyond question. Anyway, no harm done, though my hip is rather bruised, and the pattern it's formed would make a great tattoo, if I ever had the courage to add extra pain into my action-packed schedule.

This weekend, I have made seed cake, just like Grandma used to make - but, I have to admit it, far nicer, actually. Especially when it's fresh out of the oven. No pictures today, as it doesn't look very exciting, but the taste is pretty damn good, hurrah. Candied peel and carraway seeds - the hot ticket to bliss.

K and I also managed a trip to Wisley and admired their snowdrops, daffodils and crocuses, amongst other early spring plants. Sadly, the queue into the Butterflies in the Glasshouse event was over one-hour long so we gave it a miss. However, we've seen it before and I made up for it by having a Butterfly Cake as part of my lunch, so honour was satisfied. Back in our own garden, the honeysuckle is now in bloom, there's more blossom on the daphne tree and some of our aliums are coming up, well gosh.

As an utter contrast, over at The Angry Anglican, I take a look at same-sex marriage with just a touch of satanism (in the best possible taste). And there's Stop Press News: You'll be pleased to hear that the Church of England has taken the full opportunity of this important upcoming vote to look even more ridiculous than it currently does, thus fulfilling all our expectations, and distancing many more people from its centre, including myself. But the Angry Anglican will blog more fully about this later in the week ... Be afraid, be very afraid.

Anne Brooke
Gay Reads UK
The Gathandrian Fantasy Trilogy
Biblical Fiction UK
Lori Olding Children's Author

Maloney revisited and the keyboard queen

I'm very happy to say that my literary gay thriller Maloney's Law is now available with this lovely brand-new cover at Amazon UK (where it briefly hit No 56 in the gay fiction charts earlier this week) and Amazon US. The blurb plus its credentials are:

Paul Maloney, a small-time private investigator from London, reluctantly accepts a case from his married ex-lover, Dominic Allen. Before he knows it, Paul finds himself embroiled in the dark dealings of big business and the sordid world of international crime. The deeper he pushes, the closer he comes to losing everything he holds dear.

Can he solve the mystery and protect those he loves before it's too late?

Maloney's Law was shortlisted for the Harry Bowling Prize 2006 (for novels set in London) and the Royal Literary Fund Scheme, and longlisted for the Betty Bolingbroke-Kent Novel Award.

The book has also just gained a 5-star review at Amazon which says the following:

"I don't read that many mystery novels but this one caught my attention and after reading a sample I had to read the entire book ... The plot was great and I couldn't turn my e-reader off."

That certainly put a smile on my face. I hope you enjoy the read.

Following on from that, The Bones of Summer (which is the sequel to Maloney's Law) has been chosen by a book group for their January read and they're enjoying it so far. Well, gosh.

Keeping to nice book news, gay short story Where You Hurt The Most gained a 5-star review at Goodreads, and my biblical short story collection The Betrayal of Birds reached No 82 in the Amazon UK Christian short story charts. So that was nice too.

Meanwhile, I've finally finished the first draft of the last story in the gay menage Delaneys series - so will need to get that edited over the next few days to see if it makes sense at all. Here's hoping, eh.

And I've booked myself into the UK GLBTQ Fiction Conference up in Manchester in July, so can't wait for that. Roll on the summer!

On the home front, I believe I'm at last getting well after about two weeks of cold/catarrh nastiness. I did go back to work on Wednesday last week, but that was a big mistake, and so I was off sick on Thursday. Start the year as you mean to go on, eh. Hopefully, tomorrow will be better.

The good news is that for the first time ever in my life, an orchid under my care and attention has actually grown two more flowers. Heavens above, this is indeed the Christmas miracle. The trick - at least for me - appears to be to do nothing that the orchid experts tell you to do, but simply to ignore the plant entirely, at which point it produces blooms to prove to you it still exists. Ha. That's my answer then.

Stirred by such unexpected success, I have this weekend got myself back into cake-making and have produced a Lemon Flower Cake. I cheated with the flowers - the recipe calls for me to go into the garden, pick edible flowers and then sugar-coat and dry them, but if you think there's a hope in hell of me ever doing that, then it's time to think again ... so the decorations are shop-bought and all the tastier for it.

Ooh, and my lovely husband has worked out how to make our electronic keyboard function properly - so I can now play When the Saints Go Marching In, The Banks of the Ohio and By The Rivers of Babylon, all with one hand only. How happy the neighbours are! Believe me, these long winter evenings are simply going to fly by, my dears ...

Finally over at The Angry Anglican, I take issue once more with homophobia and discover the real meaning of the TARDIS. You have been warned.

Anne Brooke
Gay Fiction UK
Biblical Fiction UK
The Gathandrian Trilogy
Lori Olding Children's Author

The Truth About Butterflies and fantasy failure

I've just published my second book on the Kindle today - it's a lesbian erotic collection, The Truth About Butterflies, and consists of two stories about first-time experiences:

In Butterfly Girl, Abi’s marriage is happy enough but she’s bored. When she meets Tina online, they quickly become friends. Soon their virtual friendship becomes the mainstay of Abi’s life, and when Tina propositions her, Abi’s initial surprise gives way to an unexpected and overwhelming desire …
In Truth or Dare, Kate and Suzie have always been best friends, for as long as they can remember. However, one night at the pub away from their men leads them both to startling revelations as they resurrect their old childhood game of Truth or Dare. 

And it's just received a 4-star review at KazzaK Book Reviews and Therapy, so many thanks to Karen for that.

Meanwhile, my book tour for fantasy novel The Gifting has just finished, and well done to Trix for winning the 3 ebook prize! Sadly however, nobody entered the competition to win a Kindle so even though I'm told that the tour had plenty of hits, there were few commenters and, as far as I'm aware, no buyers - so something of a failure, alas. To be honest, that was my last-ditch attempt to raise any interest in the Gathandrian Trilogy, so I'm not entirely sure where that leaves it all now ...

Very kindly, Bluewood have agreed to publish the second in the trilogy, Hallsfoot's Battle, and there's a really fantastic (pun almost deliberate ...) cover for it, but I'm beginning to wonder if it will really be worth any of our time, ah well. Something for everyone to ponder on maybe.

Anyway, turning to happier moments, it was great to have breakfast on the patio this morning in glorious sunshine. How we do love an Indian summer - though it actually now appears to be over as it's raining, sigh ...

And I made cake yesterday - Seriously Rich Chocolate Cake which, even though it looked like soup when I put it in the oven, has turned out surprisingly well, and is tasty too, hurrah.

Finally, I'm planning more Kindle publishing over the next month or so, so watch this space for a collection of Biblical fiction just in time for Christmas (arrghh, the "C" word - sorry!)

Anne Brooke
Gay Reads UK

Why Straight Women Love Gay Romance

It's a question I get asked so often that if I had a pound every time someone asked it, I'd be a rich woman by now: why do straight women read/write/love gay fiction/romance? Well, thanks to a series of very searching and inspirational questions from Geoffrey Knight, you're about to find out.

Because Why Straight Women Love Gay Romance will be published by MLR Press on 7 September, and includes an interview with me, and I'm very proud indeed to be in it. Many thanks to Geoffrey for asking me, and I'm also delighted to say that the book is endorsed by, and includes a foreword from, US bestselling author Suzanne Brockman. Great news indeed for gay romance/gay fiction writers. And, hey, what's not to like about that cover?...

Meanwhile, there are only 4 days left before the anniversary book tour of critically acclaimed fantasy novel The Gifting begins on 27 August. It runs until 7 September and during that time you can win a Kindle ereader in the competition plus a host of other goodies. So don't miss out.

It's also not long before the UK GLBTQ Fiction conference in Brighton in September, so I'm very much looking forward to that. You can find out more about it, and some of the participants including myself, at Jessewave Reviews. I really can't wait! We're off to a cabaret on the Saturday night too, so that will be great.

And I'm looking forward to publishing my two Bible stories, Little Bird and A Small Betrayal, on Kindle under the title The Betrayal of Birds. The cover's really shaping up beautifully so I can't wait to reveal it. Other book news is that literary lesbian short story The Girl in The Painting was briefly at No 71 in the Amazon UK gay & lesbian charts, plus gay thriller A Dangerous Man gained a 5-star review at Goodreads (many thanks, Ayanna) and Where You Hurt The Most gained 4 stars (thank you, Silkeeeeee - I hope I'm getting the number of Es right there!).

Turning to more erudite matters (well, sort of ...), it's good to discover that Prince Harry (ah, you can always rely on a redhead) occasionally takes his clothes off and sometimes in a room with another person in it, hey ho. Mind you, I did enjoy the fact that the online US picture (no, really, you can Google it yourself if you wish to - my loyalty as a British subject naturally prevents me from aiding and abetting you ...) helpfully puts a red star over the prince's bottom so we can be spared the experience of the royal ... um ... passageway. How very thoughtful of them. Or perhaps, as K pondered earlier today, the big red star on the behind is how you recognise the rich folks. It could well be the case.

Speaking of husbands, K has gained a HUGE raft of Husband Points this week by (a) clearing out the garage so it now looks wonderfully ordered and neat; and (b) mending my computer chair. However, I gain equally HUGE numbers of Negative Wife Points as he mended my chair on Tuesday and I only just noticed it today (Thursday) - even though I'd been sitting on it since Tuesday evening ... Ah well, I never pretended to be the most observant of women.

The weekend's cake was Carrot Cake with Mascarpone Frosting, and I have to say it was really incredibly tasty. Mmmm, will definitely be making this one again. I particularly enjoyed the addition of walnuts and banana to it. Lovely!

I'm very happy with my Russian Giant sunflowers, as there are now two of them and very glorious they look as well. My indoor gloxinia is also beginning to come into flower, and I'll be taking a photo of that as soon as it's completely out.

Finally, a big thank you to my sister-in-law and her family, D, B & H, who came for lunch on Sunday and we had a fantastic time. Lunch at The Woolpack was wonderful too and that chocolate dessert was to die for. Bliss indeed.

Anne Brooke
The Gathandrian Fantasy Trilogy
Gay Reads UK
Biblical Fiction UK
Lori Olding - Children's Author

Blog tours and a GLBT-friendly faith

Book News

Whilst it's not officially published till tomorrow, I'm happy to say you can now buy my latest gay literary short story Where You Hurt The Most at Riptide Publishing. Apparently pre-sales numbers have been strong (hurrah!) and I even have my first review from Tracy's Place. Many thanks, Tracy. Don't forget the blog tour for the book starts tomorrow, and doesn't end till 18 March, so there's plenty of time to enter the free giveaways competition. Good luck!

I'm also happy to say that gay thriller The Bones of Summer gained a 4-star review at Goodreads - many thanks, Stephanie. And, not to be outdone, biblical short story Dancing with Lions received a 5-star review at Amazon US - thank you, Melissa.

My most recent meditation poem is:




Meditation 651
Where time perfects the gift
life’s best offerings
cannot be hurried:

see how the hills
breathe out their fullest shape
over centuries

and the rivers
carve their quiet path
to the seas.


The Sunday haiku is:

Goldfinches flutter
and glow amongst the grasses:
our only sunshine.


Life News:

This wonderful image which I found on Facebook really sums up my approach to faith and homosexuality, and is especially apposite as it's a question I've been asked at point blank range this week. For anyone who's still wondering what my Christian stance is on gay and lesbian relationships (and who evidently hasn't been paying close attention to my blog or FB/Twitter posts), I'd like to reiterate that I don't worship a God who hates gay and lesbian relationships, or indeed transgender or transexual ones, and neither could I agree to worship a God who holds those views. Occasionally, God also even quite likes heterosexual people, though we do tend to act as cultural bullies more often, which does irritate Him hugely. Just so you know. Here I stand, as they say, and I can do no more.

Managed to get out on Friday and play some golf, which was a good laugh, partly because my game was such rubbish. I think they must be making the holes smaller or the balls bigger (um, as it were) - as my ability to sink the wretched little white beast was minimal, to say the least. Sigh.

Neighbours L, KM and I have also formed the Jubilee Street Party Committee for our road, and all systems are go for having a great celebratory lunch on the Sunday of Jubilee weekend, hurrah. We've got about 40 people coming so far, so all we need is to coordinate the food and pray very hard for the right weather. Wish us luck. I'm threatening to wear a tiara (ah, if only I had one ...) but I fear it might be a tad too much bling for Surrey. Though really, as an Essex girl, I don't actually think there could ever be too much bling ...

Yesterday's cake attempt was Boston Cream Pie, which was disastrous, my dears, disastrous. It took me about an hour to get the filling right and I was weeping like a crazy woman over the simmering pot - yes, you do have to heat it up whilst beating it. Heck, that sounds bad. In the end I thought it would never thicken up so I added a ton of cornflour to the pesky thing, and now it just tastes of cornflour. In addition, the chocolate topping didn't really harden up but eventually it was thick enough to pour onto the cake, and has just about stayed on it. Luckily, the taste of the chocolate overpowers everything else, but I will not be making this again. Life really is too short.

I was so fragile in the afternoon that K kindly took me to a garden centre, where I bought another wallflower, a senetti, some carnations, three dwarf dahlias and a foxglove. Have now planted or potted all these up, so the garden is once more brimming with colour.

This morning, K and I went along to church, where we twice had the angelic accompaniment of a mobile phone. Being English, we all carefully ignored it and carried on regardless. Which, if God was desperately trying to get his message across by phone, might of course have been a mistake. Ah well. There were also far too many chorus-type songs (bah, we say, bah!) for me, though really one would still be far too many. Give me a hymn and I'm happy.

And this afternoon, L & J from down the road have accompanied K and me to the Chandlers Open Garden event in Elstead. Where we also met S & K from the road as well, so all had a jolly nice tea and cake in the garden. This may all sound just too 1950s for words, but that's just the way things happen here, and very pleasant it was too.

Anne Brooke
The Gathandrian Fantasy Trilogy
Gay Reads UK
Biblical Fiction UK

Angels, Lions and Death

Book News

There's a definite religious theme in the latest book news, which is surely very appropriate for the season, hurrah. First off, biblical short story, Dancing with Lions, is being offered at a 25% discount directly from Untreed Reads until April 15th, so don't miss out on that one.

Plus four copies (four, gosh!) of my other biblical story, A Little Death, have just been purchased by Northern Ireland Libraries, so that's definitely put a smile on my face. Not to be outdone, gay romantic comedy Angels and Airheads is now a bestseller at All Romance Ebooks, and has just received a 4-star review at The Novel Approach (so many thanks for that).

And as a very special Easter treat for you, I'm giving away FIVE ecopies of my fantasy novel The Gifting until 29th April at LibraryThing. So pop across there now and add your name to the list and you'll be in with a chance of winning - good luck!

Meanwhile, I'm continuing to work on a set of interviews and articles for a variety of bloggers and review sites, so many thanks for those requests. Further details to follow ...



Life News:

I've spent the last three days at the AUA universities conference in Manchester. I enjoyed it as usual and it was really lovely to be up there with my wonderful colleague Carol C, but I'm not sure it was as good as previous conferences. I think that was probably due to a number of factors, including me still getting over being ill last week, the hugely long drive up in the rain there and back (groan ...), and possibly also the fact that we were in hotels rather than student accommodation, so it didn't have quite so much of the fun/community factor, to my mind. That said, I'm sure that once I get to grips with my notes, I'll find a thousand and one useful ideas to take away - it's just that I can't quite get my head round them at the moment.

Back home, K has planted a bed of pansies next to the sweet peas at the front, and our back garden tulips are going to be red (hurrah!) though they're not out yet. Plus we have one bluebell just out in the back, so I'm hoping there'll be more soon. We do so love bluebells.

Happy Easter, everyone!

Anne Brooke
The Gathandrian fantasy trilogy
Gay Reads UK
Biblical Fiction UK

I'm ready for my close-up, Mr DeMille - possibly ...

Book News:

Well, the truth is well and truly out. I am indeed, as the Surrey Advertiser has now showcased for all time, a redhead. I sincerely hope that their rather wonderful pic (please note my much-loved collection of fluffy pens, though sadly they couldn't quite get my snow globes in the shot) will finally stop people strangely insisting I'm a blonde or a brunette. Um, no, as is very evident ... Plus a BIG thank you to Jennifer Maxfield at the Surrey Advertiser who somehow managed to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear and produce a rather good article about gay sex and faith in The Heart's Greater Silence from my mindless ramblings this week. Thank you, Jennifer.

To add to this excitement, I've had a visit today from the very charming Sam Milletti of Milletti Films, who is keen to pitch a ten-minute film about the psychology of the writing life in general and my writing in particular as part of his degree course film assignment. We've come up with a few angles so I'll see next week if his is the one chosen.

Yesterday was our Elstead Writers group meeting which was as inspirational as usual (many thanks, all). I think I now have renewed enthusiasm for battling on with my gay fantasy novella, The Taming of The Hawk, though I suspect progress will still be slow. In the meantime, I've done the second round of edits on Angels and Airheads for Musa Publishing, and have sent them off, so am awaiting the response.

This week, biblical story Dancing with Lions was my bestselling story at Amazon US, and gay short story For One Night Only gained a 4-star review at Goodreads (many thanks, Lennis).

I've now also signed up for the upcoming UK GLBTQ Writers & Readers Conference which takes place in Brighton in September, so am very much looking forward to that. Am hoping to be involved on one of the panels, and also in the novel beginnings session, so watch this space ...

Nearer at hand in terms of timings, I'm very happy to announce that for the whole of next week I will be the Featured Author at Pants Off Reviews, and this will include reviews of my gay short stories, an interview and a fun giveaway. Do pop in and join in the fun - all are welcome!

Finally, to round off your weekend and put the zing back in your week, why not pick up a copy of warm-hearted romantic comedy Pink Champagne and Apple Juice? A classic cocktail not to be missed indeed - enjoy.

The Sunday haiku is:

A glimpse of sunshine
across the silent grasses:
one lone daffodil.

Life News:

Yesterday I finally felt well enough to crack open the champagne we were supposed to have on Valentines Day but I was too ill. Mmmm, champagne - it was lovely, thanks. I really have never met a bottle I didn't like. Bliss. To maintain the universal culinary balance, however, I must needs confess I managed to burn the muffins, alas. I was attempting to be such a Kitchen Goddess too (hmm, as if ...) but I fear the oven is hotter than the recipe anticipates. So we do still have muffins, but the burnt bits have gone in the bin and the chocolate chips appear to have sunk to the bottom and are huddling together for safety (though not warmth). Ah well. Perhaps next week's cookery attempt will prove more successful.

Speaking of being a Bad Wife (of a sort), I decided to be very noble and tidy up my computer desk which has been in a shocking state for weeks. This resulted in the unexpected discovery of the Very Vital USB cable that I accused K of losing a fortnight ago. Hmm, anyone for Humble Pie? It's definitely on the menu for me ...

Meanwhile, the bird excitement here on the estate (as it were) is mounting. A couple of days ago I saw three goldfinches on our bird feeder, and K has now also put up the two nesting boxes we've very kindly been given. We might not quite stretch to installing a webcam to view them more thoroughly, but I do hope something will turn up and move in.

And today's sermon pointer: God is never as narrow-minded or resentful as we are. Well, thank goodness for that indeed!

Anne Brooke
The Gathandrian Trilogy
Gay Reads UK
Biblical Fiction UK

Happy New Year!

Book News:

Happy new year to you, and I hope you're all having a great 2012 so far. I certainly am. There are several items of book news today so hang on to your hats. First off, I'm thrilled that literary gay short story The Heart's Greater Silence has received its first review of 5 stars at The Novel Approach, prior to publication on 6 February. Many thanks, Lisa, for that! If the review stimulates your interest (as it were), then don't forget you can preorder a copy at Riptide Publishing and thereby (a) get the book early and (b) be entered into a competition to get free books for one year - so happy shopping!

Here's a quote from Lisa's review:

"Anne Brooke has written a somber and beautiful story of a man who had everything and lost it all because he coveted two very different men. It is dark and solemn and resonates with a sense of conflict and despair that wove the ideal atmosphere. It was moving and played beautifully against the knowledge that sometimes free will and human nature simply don't leave room for happy endings."

Meanwhile, gay comedy The Hit List also gained a 4-star review at Goodreads (thank you, Fynn) and romantic comedy Pink Champagne and Apple Juice received a 5-star review also at Goodreads (thanks, Nell!). 

I'm also thrilled to say that fantasy novel The Gifting received a fascinating and lovely review from Sharon Bidwell on Facebook (thanks, Sharon!), which certainly made me think. It's great that you loved Simon the Scribe so much as he appears from reader reaction to be a "Marmite Man" - like many of my fictional heroes, I suspect. I was also fascinated by the connection to Stephen Donaldson's Thomas Covenant in the Thomas Covenant Chronicles, as he was who I had in mind when I was writing Simon. That was certainly a fantasy series that had an extremely powerful effect on me when younger, and how I do love a wounded hero ...

I couldn't let New Year go by without some sales news, hurrah! So for today and tomorrow only, you can find 25% off ALL my Dreamspinner Press books, so happy shopping to you.

And, much to my delight, gay thriller A Dangerous Man was one of the Top 2011 Picks at Top 2 Bottom Reviews. Well, gosh, and a big thank you.

Finally (well, sort of ...), I've now created a website for my biblical fiction, where you can find my bible-based short stories, the latest news, and a list of Christian links I've found useful or consider to be interesting, amongst other delights. Enjoy!

The New Year haiku is:

The year eases round

until it begins again.

Slow epiphany.

Life News:

I must say a HUGE thank you to our friends and neighbours, L & J, with whom we spent a wonderful New Year's Eve yesterday. Just a few of us for dinner, drinks and chat so perfect really. I'm afraid I was therefore too tired to make church this morning, but I suspect God can manage without me for a week or so ...

It's been a strange couple of days though - yesterday I actually baked (baked!! Whatever next?...) chocolate buns which aren't bad really, though I say it myself. Mind you, I did use a cake mix and an icing mix from the shop, so yes it's cheating but hey life's too short to get flour under my nails. That's sooo last year ... And K isn't complaining. In fact I'm having trouble keeping him away from the tin. I hope he doesn't think this is going to happen again for at least another year, ah well ...

We also attempted to have a morning at the sales on Friday, but it was rather a disaster. We couldn't find the curtains we wanted in the size we needed them in and the shop assistant told us they weren't going to make them any more (groan), I couldn't remember how to buy books from an actual bookshop where I can't click onto what I want, and then the art gallery we wanted to buy pictures from was shut. Deep sigh. I don't think I'll be doing s-commerce again for a while. Still, at least K ended up with some garden stuff he wanted and a new computer desk which looks lovely, so some joy was salvaged from the morass of gloom. As it were.

And today, we find our narcissi are starting to sprout shoots in the pot we put the seed in, so nature does work, hurrah! Is it Spring yet?...

Anne Brooke

The Gathandrian Trilogy: a fantasy series to make you think

A Little Death publication day

Books:

Lovely news today: my literary biblical short story A Little Death has just been published by Untreed Reads, and is available from all good e-stores, as they say. Here's the blurb:

When Abigail marries Nabal in the time of the rebel king David, she quickly discovers her husband's bullying ways and cruelty. Trapped in a loveless relationship but determined to fight, she finds solace in her growing friendship with servant girl Anna. Soon the two women are plotting to kill Nabal, but the increasing attacks from David threaten to destroy all their hopes for happiness.

I do hope you enjoy the story! Keeping with Untreed Reads, I was very happy to receive this quarter's royalties from them today - another nice Christmas surprise, that's for sure.

For today only, you can also find lots of FREE giveaways of gay fiction at Jessewave Reviews, though sadly my offering of all four books of the erotic Delaneys Series has already been claimed (many congratulations to the winner!). But there's plenty more left to grab, as it were, so don't miss out ... And you can still win a copy of Dating the Delaneys at Brief Encounter Reviews on 26 December, so definitely worth getting up on Boxing Day, ho ho.

Meanwhile, gay romance The Hit List found itself briefly at No 99 in the Amazon UK charts this week, so that was very nice too. It's slipped down from this dizzy height now but hey it was fun while it lasted.

And I must also announce that my literary relationship with DWB Publishing has now come to a fairly amicable end, so my children's story The Origami Nun and my spiritual novella The Prayer Seeker are once more footless and fancy-free. Another learning curve for us all indeed. I'm sure that both sides wish each other all the best with our very different endeavours.

Ending on a very positive note, I'm slowly making changes to my website, which now includes a good-size extract from fantasy novel The Gifting and also from gay thriller A Dangerous Man, the latter including erotic content. Plus there's also an Events and Activities page which I'm planning to keep updated as news comes in. Ooh, and I'm also deep in editing literary gay short story The Heart's Greater Silence for Riptide Publishing, so keep an eye out for more news on that one too. Next year I'm planning to start seriously editing the third in my fantasy series, The Executioner's Cane, as well. No rest for the wicked, they say. And they'd be right!

This week's meditations have been:


Meditation 601
There is no love
so small,
no hope too weak
that God can’t see
and use it.

So if you judge
your cause
too poor
keep faith
and you’ll not lose it.




Meditation 602
A cold night
when the bitterness
of a long winter

freezes your bones
as you wait
almost impatient

for any sign
of warmth
in this unforgiving land.

Keep on waiting,
enduring the dark.
Learn to understand.




Meditation 603
When all the great arguments
in the world
are done

the truth
is God’s greatest talent
lies in being found.

His only request
is that we simply
and truly look.


Life News:

Those vicious rumours of me actually having a life have been greatly exaggerated, I fear, but here's what I've got up to in the non-book world this week:

I have nobly defrosted the work fridge and sent to the Great Bin in the Sky the yoghurt with a 2004 sell-by date on it, yuck. And no, I didn't open it first to check if it was still okay. Lord forbid. I also popped into town to attempt to get some last minute items before the holiday sets in, and was caught in some pretty heavy rain - which required me to divest myself of my shoes and socks when I got back to the office and attempt to dry them out with the fan heater. Whilst paying due care to Health & Safety issues, naturally ... The sight of my bony feet (I really hate my feet!) lolloping round the office seemed to keep any visitors away, and I can't say I blame them.

On Tuesday we had the last of our Advent compline services, which was as bliss as ever. Heck, but I'm going to miss those - so I hope the vicar puts something else in place for us silence junkies. We seriously need it. And yesterday, I had a lovely time up in London with Jane M and Jane S-D (hello, both) and playing catch-up on a grand scale. It's been over a year since we last saw each other and I must remember not to leave it quite so long again. Mind you, I'm sure the years fly by faster as age catches up with me, hey ho.

Anne Brooke
The Thoughtful Corner