Not a review, but something very important

....Sonoma County CA separates...
 elderly gay couple and sells all
of their worldly possessions

A friend sent me a link to a story that occurred in Sonoma County and involved a couple of 20 years who, on the injury of one of the couple, were taken from their home, placed in separate nursing homes and had all their possessions sold by the county.  And, even more heartbreakingly, the one injured died three months later never seeing his life partner again.
The entire article can be found here.

Be prepared, this is not an easy story to read, but I think it's vitally important that people know just what the hell kind of crap can befall two men who lived and loved for so long just because they're gay.

I could go on and on about this; but if I do it will be nothing more than a rant fueled by extreme anger and heartbreak... and no one needs to listen to me do that.  But at the end of the story there are links to places where the story can shared; it takes so little time, but I think that we should show that this kind of behaviour is not only held in disgust, but that people are willing to do something about it.

All I can say is that my heart mourns for Clay and Harold; two men who were together for 20 years and ended up separated for the rest of the one man's life.  Inhumane, cruel, barbaric, horrendous, terrifying... and these words just scratch the surface of my opinion of the actions taken by a group of people.

No, I'm not an American and yes, we have some laws in Canada that protect the rights of ALL people.  But I also know that the vast majority of the Christian - HA! - churches here are constantly working to destroy the basic human rights of GLBTQ people.  And their 'crime'?  They love someone of the same gender.  What the HELL does that have to do with anything?

As a Catholic I cannot even begin to support a church that does this and I find myself separating my faith in God from the religion in which I've spent my life.  In my opinion no church that is truly God's representative here on earth could possibly consider the thoughts of outright hatred, though couched in mealy-mouthed platitudes, as something that God would even begin to condone. 

Religion is a man-made construct and it takes on a life of its own that has little, if anything, to do with God's will or hopes for His children. And this is but one more instance that proves this out.

No Fear by S.J. Frost

A wonderful follow-up story to Conquest, S.J. Frost's No Fear takes us further into the lives of Jesse and Evan and of the band. We also get to know Brandon more and I have to say I totally love this guy! What a super big brother he is and he seriously needs an HEA. Will he or won't he? You'll have to read the book to find out!

Jesse and Evan's relationship continues to deepen and the emotional connection that we, the reader, get to experience is phenomenal. I really love the way that S.J. Frost writes her characters and their stories. There's no lack of hot & sweaty sex... but more, there's no shortage of love. This really is a romance that I will come back to again and again, along with its predecessor, Conquest.

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Book Info:

No Fear (Conquest #2) by S.J. Frost
Publisher: MLR Press
Genre: Romance, GLBT (M/M), Contemporary
Buy Link: http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=CONQU002
 
Summary: After Conquest's long tour, singer Jesse Alexander is ready to head home with his partner, Evan Arden. When Conquest hits the studio again, Jesse finds competition from two new bands and tensions reach a breaking point. Facing challenges unlike any he's ever known, Jesse must somehow duplicate Conquest's success and reach his ultimate goal: showing NO FEAR and announcing his love of Evan publicly.

Eternal by Jesse Fox

Jesse Fox -- Eternal here

BLURB:  Two men, one mortal, and the other immortal seek to end their lives on a night when humanity celebrates love. One haunted by the past and the other by the present. When one is saved from death, an ancient secret is revealed. A secret that tells the truth of a man who was betrayed by all he held dear. Their pain draws them together, but they are bound by something far greater.

Love survives and sometimes one lifetime is not enough.

Title: Eternal
Author: Jesse Fox
Rated: Adult; Contains Explicit Sexual Content Between Two Consenting Men
Price: FREE READ

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I *found* Jesse Fox through Dark Diva Reviews and a review that I did for her book Blood Noir here. I was totally caught up in this book and could not put it down.  It's a mystery and thriller and romance all tied up into one compelling story.  So when I found that she was offering a free story to her readers I went directly to her site (link above).  And, while it's very different from Blood Noir, this novella still has the ability to draw the reader right into it.  For a paranormal story Eternal comes across as very contemporary and, even somewhat, real.  I think it's the connection between the heroes.  All I can say is that for any fans of Jesse Fox, this is a must-read.  And for those that have never read anything by this wonderful storyteller, then I suggest a good introduction is Eternal.   And then further your acquaintance with Blood Noir.  You won't be sorry!

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Jesse Fox -- Blood Noir here
Publisher: Dark Roast Press
Genre: Erotic, GLBT (m/m), Suspense, Thriller
Length: 276 pages

Summary:  Alex Klein, professional photographer, leads a blessed life with a supportive family and longtime lover Harley Scott, a successful PI. However, everything is about to unravel. He found peace in the arms of Harley after suffering from night terrors most of his life. Now the night terrors are back and his new assignment in Seattle may be the cause.


While he struggles to control his fears, back in St. Louis, Harley unravels a secret that could destroy the life they've created together. Maggie Reynolds is a convicted murderer, former member of a violent, gang that terrorized the West Coast in the 1980's. She may also be Alex's birth mother, finally free after 25 years in prison. Positive his lover is in danger Harley heads to Seattle to save him from a mysterious stalker not beyond murder to get what she wants. Are Maggie and the stalker one and the same?

Sometimes no matter how many lies you weave the past will come back to bite you in the ass. An intricate web of blood and deception discovered, over two decades in the making, and Alex begins to question his entire identity in the wake of fear. Can he free himself from his past before it claims everyone he loves?

Stealing My Heart ~ Anthology

I would have bought this book regardless of the authors involved.  The idea behind it alone is enough for me to support the cause.  But the fact that the authors are all among my favourites and auto-buys, you better believe I have this book!
I happen to love ebooks. Yes, I'm fairly new to the world of epublishing ~ and only as a reader ~ but in the last two years or so I've managed to acquire a thousand or so ebooks. And many of these books are by authors that have become favourites of mine.  Their stories mean something to me, often powerful and always enjoyable... and I want them to be able to continue creating these books.  
Having a book stolen is terrible, but having many multiple copies being given away FREE is not only a crime, it's incredibly damaging to the epublishers and the authors. 
It's also something that raises my ire.  Damn it, I've paid for my books and I do so gladly.  For me books are not a luxury, they're part of my life and during years of fighting depression, they were a life-saver... literally.

eBook piracy is theft, plain and simple.  The thieves involved would like pretty up these thefts with a lot of high-faluting rhetoric that, when all is said and done, means nothing. By uploading and sharing ONE legally purchased ebook, these thieves are taking hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars from the authors whose heart and sweat go into bringing up stories of love, adventure, other worlds, fantasy ~ any of it.
Stealing My Heart?  Yes, the title means exactly what it sounds like.  And I, for one, am going to do what I can to support the epublishers and authors who have brought so much enjoyment to my days.

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Be it in another time, another dimension, or another world, the authors of the Stealing My Heart Anthology will take you away to a world where male/male love and passion reign.
Stephani Hecht, Jambrea Jo Jones, A.J. Llewellyn and D.J. Manly, Carol Lynne, Jaime Samms, and Serena Yates, have all contributed their talents and their time to make this exciting contribution to male/male erotic romance.

All proceeds will go to help fight illegal e-Book downloading. Thank you, and enjoy!

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Review to come