Dancing with Lions and Other Stories: short story collection

Short story collection, Dancing with Lions and Other Stories is now available at Amazon for just 99p!

Relationships, whether contemporary, fantastical or those lost in biblical history, can make or break us all. When love falls in a place you least expect it, the consequences can be life-affirming, life-destroying or even, on occasions, funny. Discover what happens when an artist falls in love with his model; when something as simple as fruit leads to passion; when marriage provides unexpected opportunities for lust or despair; and even when a dictionary encounters love. The results are guaranteed to surprise you!



Happy reading!

Anne Brooke Books

Cyber Monday sale at Untreed Reads!

For today only, you can get 40% off all my fiction at Untreed Reads!

This includes:

Thorn in the Flesh

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? 


The Girl in the Painting and Other Stories

A brand-new collection...and three new stories!

For years, Anne Brooke has wowed reading audiences with her ability to write exceptional tales in multiple genres. From science fiction to romance, horror to tales based on stories from the Bible, Anne has consistently produced some of the most intriguing and gripping works available.

For the first time, Anne's stories from Untreed Reads are collected in one volume. 

Butterfly Girl and Truth or Dare

Two great erotic short stories in one volume!

"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.

"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 menfolk leads them both to startling revelations as they resurrect their old childhood game of Truth or Dare.

Not only that, but all my Lori Olding children's fiction has a 40% discount as well:

The Origami Nun

Seven-year-old Ruth can't speak, but that doesn't mean she can't think. She knows her birthday is going to be good as her beloved great-aunt has exciting plans for her. What she doesn't expect is a magical paper nun, an encounter with a bully who may not be what she seems, or a school day to remember. Because, before her special day is over, Ruth is in for some very big surprises.

A short chapter book recommended for ages 6-9.

Queen of the Fluffy Pens

Queen of the Fluffy Pens, Queenie, is keen to move her beloved brood across their owner's kitchen to be nearer the window. Life will be wonderful there as they'll have lots of space and sunshine to enjoy. First, however, Queenie has to learn how to fly. Once she's mastered that skill, she and her two friends, Betsy and Tanya, set out on their epic journey. On the way, they encounter a very strange fly indeed, a friendly bee and a frightening hornet. They also learn something very important about the value of friendship. Can they survive their great adventure, and will their new home be all they've hoped for?

Recommended for ages 6-9.

So whatever you choose, have a great Cyber Monday and happy reading!

Anne Brooke Books
Lori Olding Children's Fiction

Omnilit Books: BIG discounts

There are currently BIG discounts on all my fiction at Omnilit Books, so don't miss out! You can choose from a range of gay and lesbian fiction, romantic fiction, erotic fiction, literary fiction, comedy, science fiction and thrillers. Happy reading!

Anne Brooke Books
Gay Reads UK
The Gathandrian Fantasy Trilogy

Free Gifts and the Wilde Side

Book News

In order to celebrate my 49th birthday on 21 June, gay spiritual fantasy The Gifting is now available for FREE from Smashwords and Omnilit Books, and will be for the foreseeable future, so do pop along and download a birthday treat from me, with my compliments. Happy reading!

I was also pleased that the book was on the front page of the Kindle Book Review during the week, so that was great.

Over at Mrs Condit Reviews, gay thriller The Bones of Summer gained a 4-star review which was lovely:

"Well, Anne Brooke has done it to me again. I read the first book in the series (Maloney's Law) where Paul Maloney, a broken man, was the main character. At the end of the book, he met Craig Robertson and even though they didn't end up together, they established a connection. This is Craig's story. And what a story it is."

And FREE gay poetry collection Falling Awake gained a 5-star review from On Top Down Under Reviews:

"It has been a very long time since I sat down with a book of poetry … While I may be no expert, I do know what I like and I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of twenty individual pieces from Wilde City Press."

Not to be outdone, gay erotic romance The Heart's Greater Silence received a 5-star review at Goodreads, and is described as: "Emotionally raw and intense and beautifully written." 

Gosh, thank you! Meanwhile, don't forget that it's Pride Month (hurrah!) and all my lesbian fiction at Untreed Reads is discounted until 30 June - so do pop along and happy reading.

Carrying on my weekend birthday celebrations, there's an interview with me as part of Wilde City Week at The Novel Approach reviews. I hope you'll have time to pop by - I can promise you a decent slice of cake and a laugh or two. Ideal for a Sunday.

Oh and recently I've had a couple of queries about what is going on in Anne's Book World and what's in the pipeline (thank you for asking, Mother, and yes the cheque's in the post, honest ...), so I've updated my Latest News section on the website if you'd like to keep up to date. Thank you.


Life News:

For those of you who've not been paying attention (perish the thought!) it was my 49th birthday on 21 June (have I said that already?...), and I had a thoroughly good time. A day out at gorgeous Wisley, chocolate and champagne, and my world was perfect, hurrah. We managed to see the sheep-eating cactus plant which only blooms once every ten years or so, which was great. Apparently it entices the sheep towards it with the smell from the flowers, and then the sheep gets trapped on the spikes at the bottom of the cactus, dies slowly and provides the plant with enough fertiliser to carry on. Ah, nature: red of tooth and claw. How I love it!

I've also been enjoying our own garden which is joyfully coming into full bloom with the warmer weather, so here are some pics of alliums near the bench & shrubbery, a sunflower (now sadly blown off in the wind this morning, sob ...), Paris heuchera, a scented peony, a Manhattan Lights lupin (my favourite lupin) and our newest lilies. Enjoy!

And, to end, the Angry Ex-Anglican (as I'm now calling myself) ponders if the House of Bishops would be more accurately described as a veritable Brood of Vipers. You decide...

Anne Brooke
Gay Reads UK
The Gifting: FREE gay spiritual fantasy
Biblical Fiction UK

Gifts, birthdays and gay marriage

Book News:

Epic gay fantasy The Gifting is now available in all formats at Smashwords and Omnilit Books (where you can also read through the first chapter) at the bargain price of only $0.99 or 65p. Here's a quick reminder of the blurb together with a couple of reviews it's garnered in its previous life:

Simon Hartstongue is a mind-reader, and branded a coward and a murderer. When his overlord and lover Ralph Tregannon turns against him, he is forced to embark on a treacherous journey to the distant and magical land of Gathandria in order to save his country and his own soul. During a series of terrifying trials, Simon must encounter the trickery of the deadly Mind Executioner and the secret dealings of those he ought to trust.

"The Gifting is a unique fantasy where mental and physical worlds merge in a flight of unrestrained imagination. Unlike much fantasy I've read lately, this book soars with hope. It's a story of redemption gained through a mystical journey through earth, air, fire and water that tests the deepest recesses of a man's soul." (Awesome Indies Reviews)

"The Gifting is merely the introduction to the Gathandrian Trilogy; it's a big world, filled with intrigues and magic, loss and redemption. It's a fantastical place where almost anything is possible, where a coward can become a hero, where the promise for more excitement and enchantment are guaranteed, and I look forward to seeing where Anne Brooke will take us next, as well as discovering what Simon's future holds." (Top2Bottom Reviews)

It's quite interesting that in the two years this book was with a small publisher, it managed to sell the grand total of 20 copies, even with being showcased by the Awesome Indies website (see above review comments) - but now I've self published it, I've sold 16 copies in the first week. Not bad going really. A lesson to ponder on, that's for sure!

Gay mystery The Bones of Summer (Maloney *2) is also featured over at the Amber Allure Blog, so do feel free to pop in for a visit at any time.

And as June is Pride Month, all my gay titles have a 25% discount at Amber Allure Press, and my lesbian titles carry a 30% discount at Untreed Reads for the whole month. Happy shopping!






Life News:

The Anglican leadership has been playing silly devils with us all again (surprise, surprise ...) over the issue of equal marriage. I was immensely proud to take part in the Equal Marriage Rally outside the House of Lords on Monday, and only wish I'd had a flag to wave during the event. Or even a jazzy umbrella like the one Peter Tatchell is holding in the picture.

So I was utterly thrilled when the bill passed through the House of Lords with such a strong majority - and not all all surprised (though deeply angered and ashamed) when of the 14 Anglican Bishops present in the House on the occasion, 9 voted against the Bill and 5 abstained (even those who'd spoken for it). However it was lovely to realise that, by the grace of God, the Lords are thankfully well able to save us from the spiritual cowardice of the Bishops.

Anyway, as a result, I wrote an open letter to the Archbishop afterwards, as he'd made some stupid, hurtful and very crass comments during his speech, a letter which I have put on my Angry Anglican blog. I doubt the Church of England is listening, but I wanted to have my say. I've also been highly amused most recently by the fact that the Church of England is now saying that it will "graciously concede defeat" and work towards supporting the Equal Marriage Bill (even though they were actually rather ignominiously defeated by the majority of opinion against them, and really have a decent amount of egg on their faces right now). But Lord preserve us!! The last thing we folk want is that mealy-mouthed bunch of bishops getting their hands on a perfectly good Bill. Please God they don't manage to mess it up as much as they messed up the Women Bishops vote. Perhaps we can somehow distract them with some other crisis - say, sex abuse and bullying in the church, for instance - while reasonable people get on with the task of bringing God's kingdom to earth? It's the only way, I fear ...

Mind you, I have been highly amused by this article on the possibility of the Archbishop setting up fertility clinics for engaged couples, if he's so keen on peopling the nation. Now that would be truly wonderful! And would at least give the wretched man something useful to do, hey ho.

Turning to happier news, I was rather startled to be greeted by my lovely neighbour, L, earlier in the week as I returned home from work - who simply couldn't wait to tell me that after weeks of thorough searching, she'd finally got THE perfect 50th birthday present for me later on this month. I whooped with joy and delight and danced round the car for a bit with her, as one does - and then asked if it could keep for a year, as actually I'm 49 this month as I'm a 1964 baby. Oh no!! Apparently it can't keep and I have traumatised the neighbours by not being old enough, alas. However, after some hysterical giggling, we have agreed that I will officially be 50 this year and 49 next - so problem solved. I can't wait to see what the present is either.

June indeed must be here at last, as the first of our roses is fully in bloom, and there are loads of buds on the others, which is hopeful. I look forward to a riot of colour and scent in the next few weeks, deer willing, of course.

Finally, yesterday's cake was Lemon Cake, which is one of the easiest recipes I have and tastes really lovely. Thank goodness I have a new electric whisk which works like a dream, hurrah.

Anne Brooke
Gay Reads UK
The Gifting: gay spiritual fantasy
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

Celebrations and snow

Some good news this week as I received the letter telling me my mammogram was clear and I don't have to go back for three years, hurrah. I don't come from a breast cancer type family, but it's still a great relief, so I do encourage all you women out there to go along if you've got the invite. At the very least, it's a trip out, eh.

Earlier on, before the snow arrived, I popped up to London after work and had a few drinks and an Indian with Jane W (hello, Jane!) - we'd missed our pre-Christmas get-together due to illness on both our parts, so it was great to catch up now.

Oh, and we've had snow (did I mention that already?) - which looks very pretty but is really rather deadly if you want to drive or walk anywhere, hey ho. I'm not a great fan of snow, and I fear there's more to come ...

To calm my snow-infested nerves, I've baked a coffee and walnut cake this week. I forgot to add my usual spoonful of mayonnaise to ensure moistness, but actually it's turned out fine, but possibly more by luck than judgement. K's certainly not complaining, anyway.

Today, I was going to go back to church for the first time since the start of December, but snow has stopped play, so instead I've started writing a new gay BDSM story tentatively called Training Thomas. I suspect that title will change later on when I've worked it out however. And always a fun thing to have church and BDSM in the same sentence. Live dangerously indeed.

Speaking of gay stories, I'm happy to announce that all my gay fiction is currently running at a 25% discount at Amber Allure Press until the end of January - do feel free to browse and see if anything takes your fancy. Um, as it were.

I'm also quietly pleased that lesbian short story The Girl in The Painting made it to No 24 in the Amazon UK short story charts this week. Goodness me.

Looking ahead to later in the year, the GLBTQ Fiction Conference 2013 now has a draft programme of events online, all of which look great fun. Can't wait for the summer! Ooh, and K has got a part in the Elstead play in April, which is An Eye For An Eye, Darling. He's playing Colin, the second detective, and rehearsals start this week, so it's all very exciting.

Finally, over at The Angry Anglican, I'm blogging this week about sex, submission and Christ - enjoy!

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

Possible signs of Spring

Book News:

I've just sent the contract for bisexual thriller Thorn in the Flesh back to Untreed Reads, so am looking forward to getting the edits started on that one.

Meanwhile, lesbian short story The Girl in The Painting was briefly at No 31 in the Amazon UK lesbian short story charts, and office comedy Not A Shred Of Evidence found itself at No 30 in the Amazon UK Business Humour charts. Well, there's a strange blending, that's for sure.

Gay thriller The Bones of Summer gained a 5-star review at Amazon US and is called "an outstanding read", and I'm also pleased to say that the 6th & final part in the gay erotic menage Delaneys series will be published on 17 March.

Finally, to add an essential dash of mayhem, mystery and magic to the start of your week, don't forget the first of my Gathandrian fantasy trilogy, The Gifting, is still available at all good online bookshops near you. One reviewer recently described it as:

"a unique fantasy where mental and physical worlds merge in a flight of unrestrained imagination. Unlike much fantasy I've read lately, this book soars with hope. It's a story of redemption gained through a mystical journey through earth, air, fire and water that tests the deepest recesses of a man's soul."

Really, what more could one ask for? Please do feel free to take a chance and pick up a copy - thank you!


Life News:

This week, I had my NHS call-up papers and have been to have my first ever mammogram. Apparently, Surrey take women up to three years before they hit fifty, and I'm one of those lucky chosen ones. Actually, it wasn't as bad as I'd expected, and the nurses were great. I should expect the results sent directly to me in a couple of weeks or so, which isn't long to wait. And, hey, it's always nice to have a trip out.

Also this week, I've been well enough to get back into playing golf on Friday with M, which was great. A tad chilly, but I was well wrapped up and thank goodness for thermals. I played some pretty hot shots too, but sadly not often enough. Ah well.

Yesterday, K and I went up to London to see the quite magnificent Seduced by Art exhibition, which I can thoroughly recommend, but hurry - as there's only a week to go before it ends. It was also great to wander around afterwards and catch up with all those fabulous works of art we've not seen for a while. Honestly, the place is a riot of riches.

Whilst there, we popped into the equally wonderful National Portrait Gallery to see the first painting of our very own Duchess of Cambridge. Hmm, not a great work of art, by a long chalk, methinks.  I can see what the artist was trying to do and it was a bold decision to have her looking out so clearly directly at the viewer, but it's as if he wasn't really looking at her at all, somehow. The picture is very tense, the smile very false and she looks as if she's about to be sick, bless her. Perhaps it was painted during the early stages of her pregnancy, however? That would explain it ...

Thank goodness then for the fabulously classic Cinema Portraits by Fred Daniels and the ever luminous work of Mario Testino to enthuse us again. Great stuff.

Meanwhile, in the garden, there are veritable signs of Spring, hurrah! The snowdrops that failed us so badly last year have succeeded this year, and are starting to appear. Several shoots are coming up, plus both pots of narcissi are definitely on their way. Just hope they all survive the cold snap we're forecast later this week.

I've also made a Lemon Yoghurt Cake yesterday so am keeping to my Lemon Theme for the year thus far. Suspect I'll change that next week though. K and I had a sneaky slice still warm from the oven and it's not half bad, though I say it myself and shouldn't.

I'm also continuing to hammer away at my beginners' keyboard lessons, and I can now play "Love Me Tender" and "Mary's Boy Child" with two hands - at the same time, well gosh! Book now for the concert of the year - or possibly book tickets to avoid it, which may well be the wiser choice. I'm enjoying it though!

Tonight, I'm trying to psych myself up to watch the increasingly bizarre Ripper Street - there's a lot of vomiting on it this evening apparently, which doesn't really have a Sunday feel to it. I think the series producer might have rather gone overboard on the "no lighting, chaps" and "let's not explain anything of what's happening to the viewers at all" approach - as most of the time, neither K nor I have a clue what's going on. Mind you, spotting the anachronisms is turning out to be a fun game - moving pictures six years before they were invented! Teddy bears before World War One! Whatever next?... Perhaps someone will pull out a mobile phone and text the solution to the police - that would sort them all out.

Finally, over at The Angry Anglican, I'm musing on the question of just how gay a bishop in the Church of England is allowed to be before they stop being a bishop ... The plot, my dears, is indeed entirely lost to the church. Sigh.

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

Book tours and honey cake

Children's fantasy book The Origami Nun has been on tour this week and there's a giveaway which lasts until 30 September, so there's still lots of time to leave a comment on the tour and be in with a chance of winning. Here is a list of the tour stops for you:

An excerpt at Reading A Little Bit of Everything

A review at The Cover Reviews

A post about Lori's favourite children's authors at Reading Away The Days

A promotion at My Devotional Thoughts

A 5-star review at My Devotional Thoughts

A post about the background story behind the Nun and my own bullying experiences (together with some really lovely and thoughtful comments)

A review at Fire and Ice Reviews


Do feel free to pop in and leave a comment, and I'd like to say a VERY big thank you to the lovely Megan at Reading Away the Days for arranging the blog tour, and to all tour hosts and participants. It's very much appreciated.

Keeping to the subject of giveaways, though of a more adult nature in this case, you have until tomorrow (23 September) to enter the giveaway at Hearts On Fire Reviews. Good luck to all entrants there!

Other items of book news this week include:

Lesbian paranormal story The Girl in The Painting is at No 17 in the Amazon UK Lesbian stories chart.

My Sunday Haiku collection made it to No 8 in the Amazon UK Haiku charts, well gosh.

And gay BDSM story Give and Take gained a lovely review at KazzaK Book Reviews and Therapy (many thanks, Karen).

Meanwhile, over at Vulpes Libris, I revisited that long hot UK summer of 1976 with a review of Judith Allnatt's A Mile of River. A book that was flawed, in my opinion, but with heartening moments of genius. If she could hang on to the genius moments, I'd certainly be interested in reading more.

For the rest of this week, I've been falling asleep in front of the TV more times than I care to remember - though in my defence, I've apparently been working up to the bad cold I currently have (groan) - and which I'm desperately trying to kick into touch before I need to go in to the University tomorrow to help with Move In Weekend. Plus it's Freshers' Week next week and I really do need to be in for that!

Speaking of work, I've managed to take on more hours, which will be great for the household budget, so I'll be working 3.5 days (or 4 shorter days depending on work schedules) from the start of October, rather than the standard 3 days. Many thanks to the boss for letting me do that.

Oh, and I've really enjoyed the latest episode on TV of the documentary Vikings. At last - I've found my people ... I always knew we'd only come across for the shopping and social life. All that pillage stuff is just bad PR, hey ho.

And today I've made Devonshire Honey Cake, and I'm really rather pleased with it. I think that's about as energetic as it gets today as I need to conserve my strength (such as it is) for tomorrow and the rest of the week. Wish me luck.

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

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

Holidays and Hallsfoot

Have taken this week off in order to get my holiday days down - as usually I get to the end of the holiday year at work and have to scrabble around to take time off. So K and I have been out and about visiting various gardens and houses, and buying yet more plants to fill the garden with late summer colour. Am also attempting to look for flowers which will take me through autumn, but there don't seem to be many around as yet, oh well. Maybe I should have got some bulbs in and planted them before now? I'm probably sadly too late for the autumn crocuses, sigh...

Anyway, my Russian Giant sunflowers are now over 6 feet tall (how do they get so much in such a small seed??) and one of them even has a flower. Result! Plus there are more mauve hibiscus flowers out now so that's very jolly. And the phlox is doing well too - now I've cut a space through the cotoneaster so it can actually see the sun ... That cheered it up no end.

Oh, and the sweetpeas have at last started to blossom, so I brought a bunch in for the dining room yesterday, and the smell is glorious.

Beyond that, I've been a wee bit down really. Saw the doctor yesterday, and we've decided to keep the same level of anti-depressants at the moment, and see how I've doing at the start of October. It makes sense for sure as, money-wise, things might be a bit clearer then.

Speaking of which, I've decided to try to self-publish more work directly to Kindle in an effort to help out with finances, but so far the experiment with Not a Shred of Evidence isn't really working. Since publishing it (though I know it's only been a week so probably way too soon to tell!), I've altered a couple of things on the Amazon landing page and fiddled around with my tags etc, so will see if that makes any difference. Beyond that, my best bet might be to choose stories which are more erotic than satirical, so I'm making preparations for that purpose. I'm hoping my next Kindle offering will be two lesbian erotic stories which I'll package under the title, The Truth about Butterflies. I still have to think about the cover though.

Plus there are a couple of Bible stories, which might do well, as Dancing with Lions doesn't do too badly, and of course there's my long-suffering novella The Prayer Seeker, but they'll be Numbers 3 and 4 on my self-publishing list. Onward and upward.

Book news for now rather than the future is that children's book The Origami Nun is now out in paperback, and you can even buy it directly from Karabeth Publishing at a 10% discount if you put the code AUG10 at check-out until TOMORROW.

Recently I've been asked about how to buy copies of my ebooks for those of you without Kindles. The good news is that you can also find much of my work on the Nook at Barnes and Noble, hurrah.

I've also finished the first round of edits on fantasy novel Hallsfoot's Battle (Gathandria *2) and returned them to Bluewood, so am looking forward to the next stage of the process. The cover's fantastic too so can't wait until I'm allowed to reveal it to you.

Meanwhile, over at Vulpes Libris Reviews, I find myself rather disappointed with Sophie Hannah's crime novel, The Other Half Lives. And she's usually such a great writer too, oh well. Hope to try something else of hers soon ...

And, goodness me, but I've joined Pinterest. Whatever next, eh! Am enjoying having fun with cover art and pics though.

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

Gay marriage, a high-handed Church and The Origami Nun

Book News:

My new children's book The Origami Nun has just been published by Karabeth Publishing under my pseudonym Lori Olding. It's in ebook version right now from Amazon UK and Amazon US, and will be out in paperback version sometime in August.

The blurb is:

Seven-year old Ruth can't speak, but she can certainly think. She knows her birthday is going to be good as her beloved great-aunt has exciting plans for her. What she doesn't expect is a magical paper nun, an encounter with a bully who may not be what she seems or a school day to remember. Because when her special day is over, Ruth is in for some very big surprises.

I hope you enjoy the read!

Other nice book news this week is that gay short story The Delaneys At Home (Delaneys *5) received a lovely 5-star review at The Novel Approach. Many thanks, Lisa. You can now also find The Delaneys At Home for sale at All Romance Ebooks. Gay comic romance The Hit List also gained a 4-star review at Goodreads, so thank you for that, Suze.

Meanwhile, Gay Pride Month continues at Untreed Reads, where you can find some of my books for sale at a 25% discount. Hurry before June ends!...

Today at Vulpes Libris you can find my review of Donna Hay's charming novel The Two Mrs Robinsons. A quirkily different book, and I do recommend it.

Here's my latest meditation poem:


Meditation 666
Hold back the four winds
and let the silence
come thundering in
until you see

there is a space
at the heart of the world
which waits for you
to find it.


Life News:

This week I've been highly frustrated and deeply saddened by the ridiculous statements coming from the Church of England supposedly speaking for all Anglicans. You can read this week's particular load of baloney here. Utter rot and nonsense, say I. Here and now, I'd like to make it perfectly clear (as indeed I have before, many times) that this straight Anglican is very much in support of all GLBTQ people and is also extremely supportive of same-sex marriage. As indeed are many other Anglicans, so the Church's statement does not in any sense of the word speak on behalf of its people. Churchman Giles Fraser, as ever, puts it so much better than I do - here's his marvellous and very wise article. You can also find out more at the Changing Attitude website, and support the cause of same-sex marriage here. May I encourage you to do so, if you haven't already. I really do feel we should stand up for the cause of justice and equality in a real and practical way in order to make our voice count. Thank you.

I've not been too well this week, and I was starting to dread another horrible catarrh session was just round the corner - but I somehow seemed to have kept it at bay with the use of some serious medication, thank the good Lord for that. Anyway, I'm feeling better now, and let's hope it stays that way. Mind you, I was at the dental hygienist today so now have very glittery teeth which are probably blinding you even from this distance. I suspect all that glitter might have caused any lurking illnesses to flee to the hills ...

We're hugely pleased that our Bowl of Beauty peony has come out and is looking exceptionally beautiful. What a joy in a dark and dismal week. So dark and dismal indeed that it's astonishing it's blossomed at all - as apparently they only come out in the sun. We probably won't see it again for a while then.

And, in the garden this week, we've spotted a male bullfinch (an increasingly rare sight in the UK, so we're thrilled) and a nuthatch. We hope they both return at some point.

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