The Sound of Your Voice by David Sullivan
ebook, 145 pages
Published 2003 by Torquere Press
http://www.thesoundofyourvoice.com
The Sound of Your Voice was one of the first novels I read at Torquere Press back in 2006 and I still remember it clearly to this day. The author's straightforward tackling of the issues between Deaf and hearing cultures, as well as the way the main characters could have misunderstandings without jeopardizing their relationship, drew me into this story, and I still remember reading through it in one afternoon, forgoing sleep to finish. The book explores the differences between the main characters honestly and respectfully, and in the end, I was rooting whole-heartedly for them and the way they changed each other. Close to DC as I am, I also had fun recognizing the landmarks mentioned!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Review: Chance Encounters, ed. M. Rode
I need to remember to cross-post these from my GoodReads account!
Chance Encounters by M. Rode (Editor)
ebook, 211 pages
Published July 2004 by Torquere Press
I still remember reading this anthology back in 2006 -- 26 short stories by many familiar Torquere authors, all about chance meetings that range from sweet to heartbreaking, across different historical periods. One of the things I loved about this was the fact that the stories were a mix of m/m and f/f.
Some favorites were:
Virtuoso By Jodi Payne: A f/f story about turned tables and defied expectations at a night club, definitely hot.
Searching For A Hero By Lorne Rodman: A m/m story about an author on vacation who runs into an old fling and realizes how much of an impact their encounter 20 years ago had on his work. Told in the present with hot little flashbacks to the past.
West Side By Jordan Price: A m/m story about a chance encounter at the laundromat that turned into something more than either party was expecting. I loved the acknowledgement of cultural differences in this one.
Mustang By Tulsa Brown: A m/m story about an author who meets book collector, and makes a surprising connection.
Lime By Kathleen Dale: A f/f story where a woman decides to visit a psychic artist on a lark and gets a far more intimate reading than she expected. No actual hooking up in this one, but the language and the reading from the psychic is beautiful.
Birds of a Feather By Vincent Diamond: I have to admit, this one traumatized me a little because a bird is injured in it, but the sex was hot (m/m) and more of an emotional connection than the majority of the stories.
A Day in New York By Gabrielle Chevalier: The last story in the anthology, and the one that stuck with me the longest -- haunting, I suppose. A m/m story set during WWII, and just so evocative of the time period. A soldier the last day before shipping off to war, and his life when he gets back, with a melancholy and hope interwoven throughout the day. I generally avoid war stories, but I loved the ending, and this was the perfect choice to cap off the anthology.
Chance Encounters by M. Rode (Editor)
ebook, 211 pages
Published July 2004 by Torquere Press
I still remember reading this anthology back in 2006 -- 26 short stories by many familiar Torquere authors, all about chance meetings that range from sweet to heartbreaking, across different historical periods. One of the things I loved about this was the fact that the stories were a mix of m/m and f/f.
Some favorites were:
Virtuoso By Jodi Payne: A f/f story about turned tables and defied expectations at a night club, definitely hot.
Searching For A Hero By Lorne Rodman: A m/m story about an author on vacation who runs into an old fling and realizes how much of an impact their encounter 20 years ago had on his work. Told in the present with hot little flashbacks to the past.
West Side By Jordan Price: A m/m story about a chance encounter at the laundromat that turned into something more than either party was expecting. I loved the acknowledgement of cultural differences in this one.
Mustang By Tulsa Brown: A m/m story about an author who meets book collector, and makes a surprising connection.
Lime By Kathleen Dale: A f/f story where a woman decides to visit a psychic artist on a lark and gets a far more intimate reading than she expected. No actual hooking up in this one, but the language and the reading from the psychic is beautiful.
Birds of a Feather By Vincent Diamond: I have to admit, this one traumatized me a little because a bird is injured in it, but the sex was hot (m/m) and more of an emotional connection than the majority of the stories.
A Day in New York By Gabrielle Chevalier: The last story in the anthology, and the one that stuck with me the longest -- haunting, I suppose. A m/m story set during WWII, and just so evocative of the time period. A soldier the last day before shipping off to war, and his life when he gets back, with a melancholy and hope interwoven throughout the day. I generally avoid war stories, but I loved the ending, and this was the perfect choice to cap off the anthology.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
House of Flying Daggers (2004)
Movie Review: House of Flying Daggers (2004)
Review by J. Rocci
Rated: PG-13
Starring: Takeshi Kaneshiro, Zhang Ziyi, Andy Lau
This review may contain spoilers!
Let me tell you, Takeshi Kaneshiro is hot like a hot thing. He was in Returner (2002), an awesome sci-fi movie that made me squee, and yeah. This film was way better than I had expected -- I was thinking Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), which made me cringe and Mr. Bay snore (literally) -- and the ending actually sat well with me, for a tragedy. I've likened it to a better version of Romeo and Juliet, where the main characters aren't fuckwits. The main actress, Zhang Ziyi, made me drool. She's apparently trained as a dancer and had never taken a martial art before filming, but ::flail:: and her with Kaneshiro? Double your fun.
The film was visually stunning, with beautiful forest scenes and a wonderful use of color. Quite a few of the scenes were filmed in the Ukraine, and it was just-- wow. I've got a thing for forests. But yes, the dialogue was well-written, the acting was amazing, the plot line was brilliant and had me guessing (it may require another watching to pick up on all the nuances, but you won't mind, believe me).
The storyline actually went through a major re-write just before filming because the actress cast as one of the main characters-- Anita Mui-- died of cervical cancer the month before she was to be filmed. So instead of re-casting, out of respect they shifted focus of the film away from her character and dedicated the film to her, listing her on the cast. Which I think was the proper thing to do (no commentary on Western film making here).
Overall, I'm glad my sister threatened me with bodily harm until I watched this movie. Definitely worth the rent. But watch it subtitled with the original Mandarin-- Kaneshiro and Zhang's voices should be listened to in all their glory.
Review by J. Rocci
Rated: PG-13
Starring: Takeshi Kaneshiro, Zhang Ziyi, Andy Lau
This review may contain spoilers!
Let me tell you, Takeshi Kaneshiro is hot like a hot thing. He was in Returner (2002), an awesome sci-fi movie that made me squee, and yeah. This film was way better than I had expected -- I was thinking Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), which made me cringe and Mr. Bay snore (literally) -- and the ending actually sat well with me, for a tragedy. I've likened it to a better version of Romeo and Juliet, where the main characters aren't fuckwits. The main actress, Zhang Ziyi, made me drool. She's apparently trained as a dancer and had never taken a martial art before filming, but ::flail:: and her with Kaneshiro? Double your fun.
The film was visually stunning, with beautiful forest scenes and a wonderful use of color. Quite a few of the scenes were filmed in the Ukraine, and it was just-- wow. I've got a thing for forests. But yes, the dialogue was well-written, the acting was amazing, the plot line was brilliant and had me guessing (it may require another watching to pick up on all the nuances, but you won't mind, believe me).
The storyline actually went through a major re-write just before filming because the actress cast as one of the main characters-- Anita Mui-- died of cervical cancer the month before she was to be filmed. So instead of re-casting, out of respect they shifted focus of the film away from her character and dedicated the film to her, listing her on the cast. Which I think was the proper thing to do (no commentary on Western film making here).
Overall, I'm glad my sister threatened me with bodily harm until I watched this movie. Definitely worth the rent. But watch it subtitled with the original Mandarin-- Kaneshiro and Zhang's voices should be listened to in all their glory.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Halloween sip coming October 15!
Keep an eye out for my new Halloween Sip, The Silver Sun of an Imaginary Day, coming October 15 from Torquere Press!
Steampunk! Werewolves! Magical beings! Historical-sounding dialogue!
!!
:P
Steampunk! Werewolves! Magical beings! Historical-sounding dialogue!
!!
:P
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Review of Emily Moreton's Going Under!
Going Under by Emily Moreton [Available at Torquere Press and Rainbow Ebooks]
Review by J. Rocci
In Going Under, Moreton explores the story of a new couple edging closer to greater intimacy, held back by mostly by the main character's fears: Connor is transsexual and Ethan is only the second man he's brought home since his transition surgery. Their story is told in reverse, from trying to take that next step, to an hour before at the club where Connor decides to invite Ethan home, to Ethan pursuing Connor for their first date, and then their first meeting.
Moreton handles Connor's fears and anxieties with an empathetic touch, delving into what it means to adjust after transitioning while still focusing on Connor and Ethan's evolving relationship. The two are equals in the relationship and Ethan is a gentleman, wooing Connor and willing to take his cues from the other man. Ethan is enthusiastic but willing to back off if Connor's uncomfortable, and doesn't make it an issue.
All said, "Going Under" is a sweet story where I found myself wrapped up in Connor's worries and touched by Ethan's caring and perseverance. I would love to read more with these two!
Author's Bio:
Emily Moreton has been writing since she was a child, though the erotic fiction didn't come until much later. She's had m/m and f/f short stories published in several anthologies, including last year's charity sip blitz. She lives in Bristol, UK, with her cat, works in the violence against women sector, and is wondering if starting a PhD was actually a good idea after all.
Emily's review of Elizabeth Coldwell's "Plumb Lucky":
http://purple-pen.dreamwidth.org/12786.html
Reviewer's Bio:
Since 2006, J. Rocci has published several romance stories with Torquere Press, ranging from contemporary to steampunk to fantasy. A voracious reader from a young age, Rocci currently has a career in research and lives near Washington D.C. with the love of her life and their furry children. She often indulges the whims of her best friend -- and Muse -- when writing, and loves giving her characters happy endings.
You can find Rocci on the web at:
http://j-rocci.dreamwidth.org/ and http://jrocci.blogspot.com/
Review by J. Rocci
In Going Under, Moreton explores the story of a new couple edging closer to greater intimacy, held back by mostly by the main character's fears: Connor is transsexual and Ethan is only the second man he's brought home since his transition surgery. Their story is told in reverse, from trying to take that next step, to an hour before at the club where Connor decides to invite Ethan home, to Ethan pursuing Connor for their first date, and then their first meeting.
Moreton handles Connor's fears and anxieties with an empathetic touch, delving into what it means to adjust after transitioning while still focusing on Connor and Ethan's evolving relationship. The two are equals in the relationship and Ethan is a gentleman, wooing Connor and willing to take his cues from the other man. Ethan is enthusiastic but willing to back off if Connor's uncomfortable, and doesn't make it an issue.
All said, "Going Under" is a sweet story where I found myself wrapped up in Connor's worries and touched by Ethan's caring and perseverance. I would love to read more with these two!
Author's Bio:
Emily Moreton has been writing since she was a child, though the erotic fiction didn't come until much later. She's had m/m and f/f short stories published in several anthologies, including last year's charity sip blitz. She lives in Bristol, UK, with her cat, works in the violence against women sector, and is wondering if starting a PhD was actually a good idea after all.
Emily's review of Elizabeth Coldwell's "Plumb Lucky":
http://purple-pen.dreamwidth.org/12786.html
Reviewer's Bio:
Since 2006, J. Rocci has published several romance stories with Torquere Press, ranging from contemporary to steampunk to fantasy. A voracious reader from a young age, Rocci currently has a career in research and lives near Washington D.C. with the love of her life and their furry children. She often indulges the whims of her best friend -- and Muse -- when writing, and loves giving her characters happy endings.
You can find Rocci on the web at:
http://j-rocci.dreamwidth.org/ and http://jrocci.blogspot.com/
Courting #5: Competition released as Charity Sip!
Courting #5: Competition is now available as part of the Torquere Press 2011 Charity Sip Blitz benefitting the It Get Better Project!
Officer Joshua Dabbs and his husband, lawyer Garrison Williams, met while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps ten years ago. Their lives are very different now than from when they first started dating: they're out of the Corps and the closet, they're married and own a house, and they're getting ready to adopt two kids through the state. Josh figures their life is pretty much perfect.
When their friends challenge them to run in the annual Marine Corps Marathon, they find themselves back in D.C. and visiting their old stomping grounds around Quantico. Garrison and Josh enter a friendly competition to see who finishes the marathon first.
Available to buy:
At Rainbow Ebooks, the new Charity Sip Blitz sponsor
Or from Torquere Press!
All author royalties go to the It Gets Better Project, and Torquere Press matches them 100%
You can also buy all 33 Charity Sips in pdf format for 15% off the full price!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)