Past Shadows

A MISTICAL BOOK

 

Jardonn Smith

 

Just in time for the haunting season, MLR Press releases Past Shadows, an historical ghost anthology with three distinct stories from three diverse authors -- with one element in common -- spirits from the past will unite lovers in the story-present.

 

We're talking manlove here, male to male encounters brought on by suggestions from the dead. Sometimes a subtle whispering in the ear will do; others require shouts; some demand physical contact from the ethereal to the living flesh of a man's arm, his cheek, or parts of him where the message certainly will get through.

 

We're also talking PAST shadows, because when I said lovers in the story-present, that time could be the 18th Century of our first tale, Death's Desire by author Stevie Woods, the 19th Century of The Shade on a Fine Day by Charlie Cochrane, or the 1930's Depression of my Green River, with settings in same order of Stevie's English manor, Charlie's parish of Saint Archibald's, and my Works Progress Administration work camp.

 

Hmm... either one of our ghosts is trying to say something to me, or it's the sound of you wringing your hands. Yes, yes, it is you moaning. "Jardonn! How can I learn more about this book? Where can I read excerpts and consider whether or not these ghosts and their manloving beneficiaries deserve my investment of time and expense?"

 

Great. Now you've done it. Our gaseous smart-alecks are going to intercede. They say for me to tell you, "Fear not, faithless mortals. We charge Jardonn to present you with all you require."

 

With a mysterious pressure causing discomfort upon my testicles, I give you green links for two excerpts:

 

For Stevie's Death's Desire, and then scroll to bottom of the MLR Press page for your excerpt link.

 

For my Green River , where you'll find a picture I made related to my story. See that greenish form beside the pier? That's my mistical instigator.  

 

Ah, I am now being rewarded for presenting my useful information. Do you want to know how? I didn't think so.  

 

Through the excerpt links you will find purchasing options for paperback or e-book versions of our Past Shadows, and I also suggest you look very closely at the details and subtle messages within our incredible (in my opinion) book cover, courtesy of MLR Press's Deana Jamroz. Also deserving credit, at least for working with me, is my editor at MLR, Kris Jacen. As always, she pointed out my obvious false-assumptions while skillfully schmoozing my sensitive areas.  

 

Thank you, Kris, Deana, MLR Press (meaning mostly Laura Baumbach), Stevie and Charlie for a book of which I'm proud to be a part. 

 

Jardonn Smith

A Phoenix Rising Followup

A lengthy thread of comments on Kimberly Gardner's book evolved into discussion on more books and Proposition 8 and... well, the end result is information worthy of its own post. It began when author James Buchanan noted the success of Phoenix Rising and books of the M/M Romance genre:

JB: And they said nice girls wouldn't buy that shit...

Author Z.A. Maxfield followed with: Or write it. ;-)

JB: Yeah, but can I send your Stake President a copy of Hard Fall?

ZA: Please do!

JB: Yeah, but then I’d get a bill when he had an aneurysm and had to be rushed to the emergency room and the Relief Sisters had to go help his wife and their ½ dozen kids… sheesh we finally got the missionaries to leave us alone. The Elders were getting desperate, sending the female Elders out and they’re the rare, big guns you know (24-25 year old unmarried gals as opposed the 19 year old boys)

ZA: yep. You know, I always feed the boys but it's funny how those no on prop 8 signs seem to have kept them away as nothing else has.... Shun the non-believers...

These were references to missionaries from the Church of Latter-day Saints, or Mormons, who played a significant financial role in California's Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in the state, and the authors were asked to explain.

JB: Various lay positions in the Mormon Church. The only paid position is the Janitor, all others are “called” into service. Elders (Missionaries) are usually boys between the ages of 18-21, but if a girl hasn’t gotten married by 21 she can go on a mission…and those women are FANATICAL. The Relief Society is Women who have been called to take care of the sick and elderly in the church. They bring meals, drive elderly members to Dr’s apt’s yadda. If you simply stop going to church and stop tithing (10% required) they send the older, more experienced Missionaries out to your house with a vengeance…often bringing the Stake President with them to discuss your absence. SG finally got rid of them when the Stake President said, “Well if you really don’t like the church, you should petition to have yourself removed from the rolls.”

His answer: “That would mean I cared…” They stopped coming, even when they’re in the neighborhood, although as with ZA we always fed them. It’s like being a door to door salesman with nothing people want to buy. SG did his two years among drug addicts in Northern England…he refuses to travel anywhere in Great Britain because of that time…

OH…and Hard Fall.. next book coming out…Gay Mormon Back Country Sheriff in Utah…

ZA: I cannot wait for that book, when again?

JB: It is in formatting…so soon

End of discussion!

James Buchanan's upcoming Hard Fall is shown in column right, as is the I Do Anthology of which Z.A. Maxfield was a contributing author. The proceeds from sales of I Do go to the Lambda Legal Defense Fund in their court battle to overturn Prop. 8, and was organized by contributing author Alex Beecroft. Book cover link takes you to Amazon.com where you can learn more about the project, see a full list of authors involved and, if you wish, purchase the book.

Thank you to Z.A. and James for taking this conversation to a good place. Comments to this post are definitely encouraged.

Jardonn

Kimberly Gardner is Rising

Normally we don't ooh and ah about book awards because there are so many that only pertain to a limited audience. But this one here is a big deal, and since Kimberly Gardner is an author we can get in to (soon you'll know why) I am going to announce it here and now.

Kimberly's Phoenix Rising, published by MLR Press, made the top ten for AllRomanceEBook's The Best of 2008 Awards and we are very much impressed because out of all the thousands of titles released in 2008, both M/M and F/M, making the top ten is a major accomplishment.

If you're wondering why, here's a little excerpt from the book:

The rain had stopped and a thumbnail sliver of moon cast silvery light over the yard. From the rear of the garage the ground sloped down. About ten yards down the slope, the manicured grass gave way to a line of trees and wild growth where the shadows grew thick and heavy.

"That's Fairmount Park," Jimmy said from the bathroom doorway. "It backs up to this property so there aren't any neighbors, not unless you count the deer."

"How far does it go?"

"The park? Miles and miles. Fairmount is the largest municipal park in the country. When we were kids we weren't allowed back there. My mother was sure we'd wander off and she'd never see us again."

"But you went anyway."

"Of course we did." Jimmy laughed. "Tell a kid not to go somewhere and that's the first place he wants to go. I remember when Laton was in high school, he used to take his girlfriends back there and make out."

"How do you know?"

"I followed him a couple times. You know, the kind of stuff little brothers do."

He didn't because he didn't have any brothers, but he liked listening to Jimmy talk. Knowing these little details made him feel closer to Jimmy, like they could actually be friends. "Did he ever find out that you followed him?"

Jimmy shook his head. "Are you kidding? He would have kicked my ass if he knew."

They both laughed.

Adam let the curtain drop and stepped away from the window. "How about you. Who did you take back there when you were in high school?"

Jimmy's cheeks flushed. "I went to boarding school in New Hampshire."

"So you never snuck into the woods with anyone to make out?"

Jimmy's hesitation was just enough to tell Adam there was something here. A little thrill raced through him.

"Who was he, Jim?"

Jimmy shook his head. "I don't remember. That was a long time ago."

Adam stepped up close. Jimmy could easily have moved away but he didn't.

Adam slipped his hand inside Jimmy's open collar and stroked the warm skin. Jimmy's pulse jumped under his fingertips as Adam leaned in. "Tell me."

There was a pause. Jimmy's lips parted. He swallowed. "His name was Christopher," Jimmy whispered. "Chris Daley. He was the first boy I ever kissed."

Adam leaned closer, stopping with their lips no more than a breath apart. "You took him into the woods and kissed him?"

"He kissed me." Jimmy's lashes fluttered down.

"Show me how." He didn't know where this little game had come from or where it was going, but he liked it.

Jimmy's hands slid around Adam's waist. The man drew him close. He pressed against the hard length of Jimmy's body. Jimmy's mouth claimed his, the kiss starting slow, the contact soft and just a little tentative, the way a teenage boy might kiss.

Adam's fingers caressed the back of Jimmy's neck before sliding into the close-cropped hair. He sighed as his eyes drifted closed. But when his lips parted, Jimmy broke the kiss.

Adam opened his eyes. "What-"

"He asked me if I liked it," Jimmy said, his words slow, his tone dreamy and far away. "And I said I did. Then he put his hand on my cock."

Adam's breath caught. He could imagine it, Jimmy so young and unsure, never even kissed let alone had another boy's hand on his cock. God.

"How old were you?"

"Fifteen. We were both fifteen."

Adam slipped his hand between their bodies. With a fingertip he traced the hard length of Jimmy's cock through his pants.

"So hard," Adam murmured. "Were you hard for him, Jim?"

"Yes," Jimmy breathed, "so hard ... from the kiss, you know? And it was nothing really, just a kiss. But, God ..." Jimmy's hips pressed forward, silently asking for more contact.

Adam squeezed Jimmy's prick before sweeping his thumb over the head where a damp spot on the fabric of his pants let Adam know just how much Jimmy liked this game.

"Did he fuck you and make you come?"

"I came," Jimmy said, hips rocking against the press of Adam's hand. "He kissed me and I came in his hand."

God, it was too much. Adam laid his head on Jimmy's shoulder. They were supposed to be talking. He should be telling Jimmy why he couldn't live here, why he couldn't be Jimmy's fuckboy.

Jimmy squeezed Adam's ass, angling their bodies so their cocks bumped. "God, Adam, I want to fuck you so bad."

Adam moaned. He wanted it too. "Let's do it. I want your cock in my ass."

"Can't," Jimmy said, "no condoms or lube out here."

Adam didn't have anything on him either. Shit. Suddenly, inspiration struck.

"We'll just kiss and use our hands. Like you did with that boy all those years ago." He rubbed against Jimmy, begging with his body, cock against cock.

"Adam, I don't-"

"You going to make me beg?" Adam flicked his tongue inside Jimmy's ear. "Please, Jim, I want to hold your cock in my hand, make you come." He nipped at the pulse in Jimmy's neck. "Please, let me kiss you and come for you."

Now you stop right there, Ms. Kimberly Gardner. We know good and well Adam's little bondage fantasy will be played out, and since you obviously are a talented wordsmith we now have more than enough reason to buy the book. Apparently, many others agree, proven by the fact your Phoenix Rising rose above countless others to make the list.

On that note (the note of me being a man rising just thinking about this), Jardonn and Jasper extend to you a sincere CONGRATULATIONS and wish you much future success in your writing adventures.

Jardonn