JL Merrow

…including one of mine that isn’t even out yet!

This is just one of the books you’re in with a chance to win a copy of over on Embrace the Rainbow, which is a new website and blog set up to increase awareness and understanding of individuals who don’t fit neatly into the binary gender “boxes” society likes to impose on all of us.

There are a mind-blowing 36 free books on offer, including yer actual dead tree copies, from some of the biggest names in m/m. So go and check them out!

All you have to do for a chance to win is leave a comment here on the EtR blog saying one thing you’ve learned from the site so far (hint: you may like to read through some of the previous blog posts first!)

Good luck!

Yes, Camwolf, recent DABWAHA finalist and given an honorable mention in the Rainbow Awards 2011, is now available in dead tree format! It’s the first of my babies to hit the real, as opposed to virtual, bookshelves, and to say I’m thrilled is something of an understatement!

Here’s the blurb:

To save his lover, he must become his own worst nightmare.
Dr. Nick Sewell. Non-conformist. Werewolf. The first puts him at odds with his colleagues’ idea of how an All Saints College lecturer should behave. The second, bestowed upon him by an ex-boyfriend, puts him at odds with himself.
There’s his tendency to change into a wolf on the full moon. And his visceral attraction to Julian Lauder, a troubled young German student. Despite his determination not to act on his desire, Nick’s brutal response to seeing Julian with another man frightens them both. At first.
Then Nick learns that Julian is not only a naturally submissive werewolf, but one who has learned better how to deal with just being a werewolf. That explains the attraction, but it doesn’t make it any easier when the tables are turned, and Julian—once the student—is now teaching Nick…who still isn’t happy about conforming to the “werewolf way”.
Meanwhile, reports of a strange wolf stalking the town barely register on Nick’s radar—until Julian disappears. Accusing eyes—both wolf and human—are turned toward Nick. Even with the help of friends, hope is growing as cold as the kidnapper’s trail. Unless Nick gives free rein to the wolf’s inhuman power… 

Product Warnings

Contains hot outdoor sex, alliterative insults, allusions to abuse, and really awful sherry.  

Available here, or on Amazon.

I’m told it may also appear in actual bookshops in the US, so I’m offering an ebook of your choosing from my backlist to anyone who manages to spot a copy and send me photographic evidence!

I’m delighted today to have a guest post by a friend of mine, Dave Weaver, who’s something of an expert on Japan and is here to blog on the history of homosexuality in the country – I was fascinated to learn of close parallels with the better-known Greek system of erastes/eromenos.

Over to Dave:

Medieval Times:

Before the modern word for gays (doseiaisha or ‘same-sex-love-person’) the ancient term Nanshoku (‘male colours’) was used for male-male sex. This was originally associated with China, a country the Japanese took much of their original cultural identity from.

Living a Monastic Existence, Shinto Style

Nanshoku relationships were typical inside monasteries where an older partner (or nenja – ‘lover’ or ‘admirer’) would take on a younger acolyte (chigo) who would usually be an adolescent boy, the relationship being dissolved on manhood.

The nenja might even be asked to write a formal vow of fidelity as the affair was considered one of honour. Homosexuality went unopposed by religion and Tokugawa writers of the time were free to illustrate members of the non-Buddhist Kami tradition engaging in anal sex with each other. During this period (1603 – 1868) some Shinto Gods (such as Hachiman, Myoshin and Tenjin) were seen as guardians of male-male love.

In the Army – Do Ask, Do Tell

Elsewhere, same-sex love was adopted in the military by the warrior (Samurai) class where it was considered customary for a boy to be apprenticed to a more experienced adult. While being trained in the martial arts the boy could agree to have their relationship formalized in a ‘brotherhood contract’, making them exclusive to each other.

This system of age-structured homosexuality known as shudo (aka wakashudo) would see the older partner (the nenja) train his protégé in the skills of the warrior while both enjoyed the ‘mutually ennobling effect’ of the arrangement. These roles became defined sexually as the Nenja (older) being the active penetrating partner while the receptive wakashu (younger) would be the submissive, loyal and affectionate one.

The Baleful Influence of the Bourgeoisie

As society became more peaceful the new middle classes took up the shudo ways, coarsening and distorting them with male prostitutes (kagema) pretending to be young kabuki actors while making themselves available to play the role of wakashu for their rich clients. The old honourable traditions were either lost or subverted.

With the arrival of Christian missionaries from the West, attitudes to homosexual love began to change, and laws were passed to criminalise male/male sexual activity. Although they were later repealed, the shift to a more Western view of morality remained.

Modern Times, Modern Ways

In modern day Japan, despite new levels of tolerance especially in the cities, Japanese gay men and lesbians can still suffer discrimination and are often not “out”.

There is some legal protection for homosexual men and women, although some prefectures set the age of consent for gays higher than for those concerning heterosexual activity. The government of Tokyo has passed laws banning discrimination against gays in employment although the Diet (government assembly) has yet to include sexual orientation in Japan’s civil rights code.

Even so, some politicians are at last speaking out about their own homosexuality and gay rights in Japan seem destined to continue changing for the better.

Flowerchain Stories

Dave Weaver has just published a collection of interconnected short stories set in modern day Japan, Flowerchain Stories. A minor character in one story becomes the main character in the next, until they come full circle. I asked him what inspired him to choose the format:

I’ve always liked the idea of connected stories (Snitzler’s La Ronde is the basic template) and I wanted to show how seemingly random connections between people can influence their lives without them realizing it.

And why Japan?

I have a personal connection with Japan and am fascinated by the country. I wanted to use the collection as a showcase for the ways Japanese society is both similar and very different to ours; in their attitudes to family, friendship, work, love and sex. There are references particular to Japanese history (the bomb and the arrival of the Black Ships of Commodore Perry) and other aspects; love hotels, racist investigation of family backgrounds, sex-crimes and teen idol worship. My idea was to use these differing subjects as a backdrop and influence on the various characters as we follow a few hours and days of their individual lives.

Flowerchain Stories is available for download on Amazon Kindle now.

The celebrations of Dreamspinner’s 1000th title continue with all ebook short stories now 20% off until March 27th (anthologies next week).

As usual, I present some *cough* suggestions for your reading pleasure:

Pleasures with Rough Strife, by the way, is a Christmas historical set in 1922. I’m currently writing a sequel, set four years on. Here’s an unedited snippet:

“Heard about Tom Fisher and the lad from Grover’s farm?” Toby’s chin jutted in the air as he broke into the conversation.

“No, but I’m sure you’ll tell me,” Danny said, trying for Mam’s sake to keep his tone even.

“Mrs Fisher came home yesterday afternoon and found ‘em together. Doing unnatural things, they was. Going against God. She threw ‘em both out and they an’t been seen since. Good riddance, I say.”

Despite the hot food and the fire, an icy chill formed in Danny’s belly, sending splinters out through his veins.

“Tom Fisher were a friend of yours, weren’t he?” Toby carried on into the shocked silence. Even little Abigail sat as if turned to stone, a forkful of pheasant halfway to her mouth. “Before you got all high and mighty, like.”

***

Recent DABWAHA finalist Camwolf will be coming out in paperback ONE WEEK FROM TODAY! (I may just possibly be a little excited about this *g*)  To celebrate, I’m offering a signed copy to one lucky winner over on Stumbling Over Chaos.  Just leave a comment here to be in the draw. Good luck!

The celebrations of Dreamspinner’s 1000th title continue with all ebook novellas now 20% off until March 27th (short stories next week; anthologies the week after).

*cough* some suggestions (especially for cat-lovers):

…isn’t that great? Meet Tim Knight, ex-husband, ex-accountant, currently managing his injured brother’s mountain bike shop. In between dealing with an impossible mother, a domineering cat and a hopelessly adorable klutz of a bike mechanic…

You can follow Tim, btw, on Twitter: @mgicbeancounter 

Hard Tail will be out in ebook from Samhain Publishing on 8th May, 2012.

…and Lesbian Cops is one of them!

That was a nice surprise as I browsed through for possible reading material.

Also pleased to see Boystown by Marshall Thornton on the list – he’s an excellent writer whose books don’t get the attention they deserve.

Well, sadly Camwolf lost out in the DABWAHA awards to Heidi Cullinan’s Nowhere Ranch, but many thanks to all of you who voted.   I’m still delighted to have been a finalist in the first place.

My muse has been consoling herself by writing some flash fiction in response to a very lovely picture posted by Cryselle in her Thousand Word Thursday series, and you can see the pic and read the fic here.

It’s a tiny epilogue to an old story of mine, Angel – which is, naturally enough, about a man and, um, a demon…

Hopefully you should still be able to enjoy the flashfic even if you haven’t read Angel – and the picture is worth a click on its own! 

Blurb to Angel:

Having abandoned his childhood dream of becoming a priest, Don now tries to help people through his work as a parole officer. His latest assignment turns out to be Michael, a young man Don hasn’t seen since he took Michael to church as a child—and saw his parish priest cast Michael out of the church as a demon. Meeting Michael as an adult re-ignites the obsession Don had with the boy he couldn’t save—but can Michael be saved at all? Or is the demon with the compelling face as damned as he believes himself to be?

Yes, it’s time to start making those puppy-eyes and asking for your votes!

Camwolf is in Set 3 of Round 1 of the DABWAHA awards, and you’ll be able to vote for books in this set (a simple choice between 2 books in each case) between midnight and twelve noon on March 16th, CST.  Which I make, erm, 6am to 6pm on March 16th in British money. Something like that, anyway!

If you enjoyed Camwolf, I’d be very grateful for your vote here (during the times stated).  It’s up against Heidi Cullinan’s Nowhere Ranch, so *gulp* no pressure there… ;D