This was both an amazing book and a hard read. It is also especially timely given that the war in Iraq is just now over and troops are coming home. Plus we still have so many men and women fighting in Afghanistan. This is, above all, a story of 4 members of a Marine platoon in Iraq. Half of the men are het and the other 2 are gay. It takes place briefly at the end of their tour and the rest of the book concerns their lives once they get home. These are not men that came home and seamlessly melded back into society, in fact I am not sure anyone who has served can ever do that. Perhaps some just put on better fronts than others. Each chapter is told from the point of view of one of the Marines as well as including the pov of a young reporter and illegal alien. In other hands that could have become confusing and off putting. But once again, Sarah Black demonstrated her knowledge and love of those in pain, those who served, and those so easily tossed away by society. She had me in tears for than once.

The men return from a hard desert overseas to the heat and unforgiving landscape of the border lands of the Southwest. You can almost feel the heat beating down on you and the dust start to coat your skin as you delve into the story. Those who people this land are equally hard and hard up. From the constant tension of the border patrol looking for drug smugglers as well as “walkers” (illegals) to the desolation and poverty of a Indian reservation, it is all captured here. The people here are memorable and heartbreaking.

One of the issues I hear when reading blogs or reviews is the subject of het sex in a book advertised as m/m. Some won’t read a book if het sex is included, sometimes they aren’t even reviewed, as the feeling is that het sex does not belong in a m/m romance. Perhaps. But while this book does include sex of both the gay and straight variety, it needs to because of the sexual makeup of the Marines featured here. To include one and not the other would do a disservice to those she is depicting. One hetero relationship is the salvation of one of the Marines and is central to his story as much as the relationship of the two gay Marines. Please don’t let this deter you from reading this book.

If you pick up this book looking for your typical m/m romance you will be disappointed. It is the story of four Devil Dogs and the friends and family around them. There is romantic love here but it is not for the fainthearted. It is hard won, stressful, deep love. Love for their country, of each other, their mates…..all that is complex, excruciating, and worthwhile. And that is how I feel about this book. Drained but finally rewarded at the end.   I gave this 5 stars.

Border Roads from Loose id published in 2007: Here is the blurb  from Loose id:

Genre: LGBT Erotic ContemporaryThe road home from Iraq leads to America’s Borderlands, harsh desert lands ruled over by smugglers and drug runners. Marines cannot help but serve, standing tall in dangerous lands to protect the people and the country they love.Clayton and Luke walk the border roads together, trying to recapture a love that was almost destroyed by pride and anger. Chris finds love and salvation with a lost girl who needs a savior, and Gary comes home to find a world he does not understand, one changed beyond his recognition.The bonds of love and brotherhood, forged on the battlefields of Iraq, will be sorely tested in the Borderlands.Publisher’s Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Male/male sexual practices, violence

review

I am a fan of Astrid Amara’s books and this is no exception. What a pleasure to read a book set in the equestrian world of dressage barns and boarders by someone who knows horses and the politics of boarding. She has all the details exactly right, from the quirks of various horses to the drama of the boarders. Then on top of that she has created wonderful characters to populate that world of Serenity Stables in the Pacific Northwest. complete with renown trainer, Estevan Souza. Paul King has just inherited the above mentioned stable from his beloved Aunt Beth at just the time in his life where he has been dumped by his lover and also out of a job (his lover was also his boss). Now he has to contend with a stable losing money, a motley crew of boarders and barn help as well as a past accident that has left him with a fear of horses. Now add a mystery into the brew, stir, and you have a great story that you won’t want to put down until it is finished. Then you want it to go on because the people in these pages and the horses have come to mean something to you. I hope that she revisits this world as I would love to see how the horses, people and Serenity Stables are doing in the future.

Here it is the 18th of December and Christmas is but a few days away.  This hardly seems possible as I clearly remember it being Thanksgiving only yesterday and cooking up a storm for dinner at the farm with the family.  Now it’s Christmas and New Year’s just around the corner.  That means it is also my father’s birthday.  He was born on  December 31st.  And every year he tells us how happy he is that so many people celebrate with him.

I love that thought but it does make me think of my father growing up without a real birthday celebration of his own, something he doesn’t dwell on.  It was a different time in the 30’s in a small town in Georgia.  Celebrations, if any, were smaller in scale and maybe one special present or two were given out to the birthday boy who happened to be born New Year’s Eve.

So different from the birthday celebrations my parents threw for my sister and me as we were growing up, full of streamers, cakes, party hats and wrapped boxes.

What do children born on the holidays feel about that?  Do they feel as though all are celebrating with them or do they feel left out?  No special day just for them to celebrate the fact that they were born and have made a difference in the lives around them.  One young girl wanted to change the date of  her birth.  This is her story.

Her name was Anne Ide.  She was born December 25th in 1876 in St. Lawrence.  Her father went to the island of Samoa when she was 15 and there met Robert Louis Stevenson, author of Treasure Island.  The two men became good friends.  Anne’s father happened to mention to the author that his daughter had never had a real birthday because of the date she  was born. This is how Robert Louis Stevenson fixed that.  He wrote up a document formally deeding over to Anne his birthday instead. It said

“I, Robert Louis  Stevenson, …have attained an age when, O, we never mention it, and…have no further use for a birthday of any description…do hereby transfer to…(Miss) A. H. Ide, all and whole my rights and privileges in the 13th day of November, formerly my birthday, and ,now, hereby, henceforth the birthday of said A(nnie). H. Ide, to have, hold, exercise, and enjoy the same in the customary manner, by the sporting of fine raiments, eating of rich meats, and receipts of gifts, compliments and copies of verse according to the manner of our ancestors.”

What a joyous idea and gift for the young lady who wrote back and thanked him.  She did wonder, however, what he would do without a birthday?  Would he cease to age while she, having 2 birthdays a year, would age twice as fast?  Her charming letter brought another reply from the author.  He said that she only had 1 birthday now and that was in November 13th.  She was now one month and 12 days younger than she had been.  And as for himself?  Perhaps he would age no more or “come to pieces….at a moment’s notice…”. At any rate he did not regret giving her his birthday to a girl who had never had one. (www.vermontstory.org).

What would my father think if someone had offered him a new birthday, I wonder.  Perhaps I will remember to ask him as the family and the rest of the world are celebrating on New Year’s Eve.  I will also raise a glass to Robert Louis Stevenson and Anne Ide…for a remarkable story of kindness and friendship.  I hope I remember them on her birthday….November 13th.

Since most of us are busy getting food reading for all the Holiday celebrations, I thought I would include one I just made this week. It was so good, I am throwing into the holiday dinner rotation.  It looks so pretty and is so delicious, even the next day. Enjoy.

Flank Steak Roulade Ingredients:

2 red bell peppers, stemmed, halved lengthwise and seeded
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 leek, white and light-green parts only, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 2 1/4-to-2 1/2-pound flank steak, trimmed
1/2 pound sliced provolone cheese (about 8 slices)
For the Crust:

3/4 cup breadcrumbs
3 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons drained horseradish
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Prepare the stuffing for the steak: Preheat the broiler and place the peppers cut-side down on a foil-lined broiler pan. Broil until the skin is charred, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover with a plate and set aside until cool enough to handle. Peel the peppers with your fingers or a paring knife. If necessary, lightly rinse to remove any remaining skin and pat dry.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leek and garlic and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Let cool.

Gently pound the steak with the flat side of a mallet or heavy skillet until 1/4 inch thick. Lay out on a cutting board with the long side facing you and season with salt and pepper. Place the roasted peppers evenly over the meat, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Top with the cheese slices, then the leek mixture. Roll the meat away from you into a tight cylinder, tucking in the filling as you roll.

Make the crust: Mix the breadcrumbs, rosemary, parsley, horseradish, olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a medium bowl until moistened. Brush the steak roll with a bit of olive oil and press the breadcrumb mixture over the top and sides. Tie the roll with twine in three or four places, making sure it’s not too tight (you want the crust to stay intact).

Place the steak roll on a rack in a roasting pan and roast until the crust is golden and a thermometer inserted into the center registers 130 degrees for medium-rare, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 15 minutes. Carefully cut off the twine, then slice the roll crosswise into 1-inch pieces.

A remarkable voice was silenced yesterday after a long illness.  Whether you agreed with him  (“the greatest living essayist in the English language” – Christopher Buckley)or thought him to be  a “lying, self-serving, fat-assed, chain-smoking, drunken, opportunistic and cynical”( Alexander Cockburn), he was never boring, always thought provoking, prodding you out of your compliancy and utter certainty of things both sublime and mundane.

Here is a list of compelling quotes assembled by CBS News today:

“What can be asserted without proof can be dismissed without proof.”

“By trying to adjust to the findings that it once tried so viciously to ban and repress, religion has only succeeded in restating the same questions that undermined it in earlier epochs. What kind of designer or creator is so wasteful and capricious and approximate? What kind of designer or creator is so cruel and indifferent? And—most of all—what kind of designer or creator only chooses to “reveal” himself to semi-stupefied peasants in desert regions?” The Portable Atheist

“The person who is certain, and who claims divine warrant for his certainty, belongs now to the infancy of our species.” God Is Not Great

“What happens to the faith healer and the shaman when any poor citizen can see the full effect of drugs or surgeries, administered without ceremonies or mystifications? Roughly the same thing as happens to the rainmaker when the climatologist turns up, or to the diviner from the heavens when schoolteachers get hold of elementary telescopes.” God Is Not Great

“Religion is man-made. Even the men who made it cannot agree on what their prophets or redeemers or gurus actually said or did.” God Is Not Great

“My own view is that this planet is used as a penal colony, lunatic asylum and dumping ground by a superior civilization, to get rid of the undesirable and unfit. I can’t prove it, but you can’t disprove it either.” God Is Not Great

“Every day, the New York Times carries a motto in a box on its front page. “All the News That’s Fit to Print,” it says. It’s been saying it for decades, day in and day out. I imagine most readers of the canonical sheet have long ceased to notice this bannered and flaunted symbol of its mental furniture. I myself check every day to make sure that the bright, smug, pompous, idiotic claim is still there. Then I check to make sure that it still irritates me. If I can still exclaim, under my breath, why do they insult me and what do they take me for and what the hell is it supposed to mean unless it’s as obviously complacent and conceited and censorious as it seems to be, then at least I know I still have a pulse. You may wish to choose a more rigorous mental workout but I credit this daily infusion of annoyance with extending my lifespan.” Letters to a Young Contrarian

“I became a journalist because I did not want to rely on newspapers for information.” Love, Poverty, and War: Journeys and Essays

He did not believe in God, or Heaven, or Hell.  So I end this fittingly with a poem from Gene Weingarten, essayist and humorist of The Washington Post

Christopher Hitchens ceases to be;

A remarkable life he led.

He isn’t in heaven; he isn’t in hell-

He is simply, emphatically, dead.

 

He would have loved that.  Hitch, you will be missed.  The world is a much duller place without you.

 

Too much family.too little Egg Nog.

It’s been three years since Seth Bellski forced his boyfriend and ex-boss Lars Varga out of the closet. Since then, Seth has passed the bar and become an attorney, and Lars has started his own firm. Their sex life has gotten steamier, and everything seems perfect between them. Until the holidays arrive.

It’s bad enough that Seth’s mother and father want them over every single night of Hanukkah. And that Lars’s less-than-tolerant parents are sleeping in the room next door for the duration of Christmas, putting the kibosh on their kink. They also end up as the attorneys representing opposing sides in a divorce case, one which quickly proves to be much more than it seems.

That blurb from Loose id doesn’t begin to show how wonderful this book is.

“Miracle of the Bellskis (Bellskis, #2)
My rating:5 of 5 stars
I loved this. What a wonderful surprise to see this release. I loved the first book in the series, Carol of the Bellskis from Astrid Amara that was released last year. So this was a joyful present this December. This sequel finds partners Seth Bellski and Lars Varga happily together and getting ready for the holidays, Hanukkah and Christmas. For the first time, this will include Lars’ family, who is still not comfortable with the idea of their son being gay and his meeting live-in lover. Plus Seth’s loving and loud Bellski family has decided to migrate west and join them in Seattle-permanently.

The ensuing holiday stress brings much snark, cooking and loud arguments and of course love. Astrid Amara does this so well that when I finish one book I immediately want the next one to know what happens to her characters. These are real people with flaws who argue, laugh, make love and get stressed out. I love every minute I spend with them. And that includes Ruthie and Herman Bellski, the rest of their brood. I even warmed up to the Vargas along with Seth as the book drew to a close. It is also great to have a book that includes Hanukkah rituals as much as Christmas in the story, Seth is Jewish after all.

So definitely put this on your TBR stack, right near the top. Include the first book, Carol of the Bellskis too. It’s a win win for you. And then you will be like me, hoping that the next holiday season, finds another gift from Santa and Astrid, another Hanukkah spent with Seth and Lars and all their families.

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Amidst Hanukkah candles, Christmas lights, burned dinners and delayed court appointments, Lars and Seth’s relationship is going to need a miracle to survive the ultimate holiday challenge of too much family.

 

I am feeling conflicted about this book. It was nice. I didn’t hate it or even dislike it. I thought that the story outline was good but nothing out of the box. That ok because the same story plot in different hands can become a story that lives outside its limitations and shines. Not here. There was no huge flaws that presented themselves. So why didn’t I give it a higher rating. I think that it all comes down to simple feeling. I felt flat after reading it. No highs, no lows, nothing. I didn’t really care what happened to the characters. And that is because I didn’t believe in them.

 

Chase Anderson is a war photographer. But you never really believe that. He seems too shallow and glossy to be an adrenaline junkie who thrives in being where the action is. He has a movie star scar from the Middle East, a place “he almost didn’t come back from”. Nope. I don’t buy it. Its as though his job was picked out of a bowl with job titles in it and photographer popped up. No realistic background, no interesting character flaws, none of the idiosyncrasies that goes hand in hand with a driven character. He might as well be dishing out ice cream. (For a believable photographer, go read Sarah Black’s Sockeye Love. Now there’s a photographer to believe in.)

 

Same goes for Eric Zimmerman who has been in love with Chase Anderson since they were in college and is a hotshot software somethingorother. You know, those nebulous software genius’ who have some general job in software somewhere. They are legion in today’s stories. Again, nuh uh. Don’t think so. Then there is the mean guy partner who doesn’t want a child, a dead sister you don’t get a feeling for and an adorable baby in the NICU. So the few characters here that revolve around the main characters are just as vague and indeterminate as Chase and Eric. Bland backs up bland.

 

My recommendation is to skip this. Pickup Sockeye Love by Sarah Black or A LIe I Can Live With by Eden Winters. A Lie I Can LIve With gives you a real, wonderful, schlubby tech guy-a software guy who is a gamer and believable and a lovely story.

 

OK not so conflicted after all.

 

 

Men Under the Mistletoe http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/359194.Josh_Lanyon”>Josh Lanyon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Baby it’s Cold Outside<br/>A man receives the gift of pleasure at the hands of two expert lovers. Boyhood sweethearts get a second chance at romance. Two very proper gentlemen indulge their forbidden desires. And a Christmas tree farmer has an epiphany. It may be cold outside but these four holiday novellas will warm you up.Anthology includes:My True Love Gave to Me by Ava March, Winter Knights by Harper Fox, Lone Star by Josh Lanyon, The Christmas Proposition by K.A. Mitchell.

What a lovely smorgasbord of tales awaits you here in this Christmas anthology. Different eras, different circumstances, and enough confused lovers, mysteries and HEAs to satisfy the joy of the Holidays. I originally ordered just Lone Star by Josh Lanyon. But then I broke down and ordered the anthology as well. And that was the right way to go. Because I would have missed out on the stories by K.A. Mitchell, Harper Fox and Ava March if I hadn’t.

Of the 4 authors, Ava March was the one I was least familiar with. No longer. I loved her story and will seek out more by her. K. A. Mitchell is author of one of my favorite books, Collision Course. And she doesn’t disappoint here with her story that takes place on a Christmas tree farm. Loved this. And Josh Lanyon’s story of a ballet dancer returning home after a long absence is everything you expect from a Lanyon story. Memorable characters, memorable setting and multi-layered story
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My rating: 4 of 5 stars
T. C. Blue is a relatively new author for me and, with this book, has become a must-read author. I am such a sucker for holiday stories and here is one I will reread each Christmas season.

Here is the blurb from Torquere Press:

“Gracen loves Christmas. It’s his favorite time of the year. So much so that he works as a mall photographer for the season, taking pictures of children with Santa. There’s something about seeing all those happy families that he finds satisfying, which may be slightly odd since he’s so very alone, himself.

Working three jobs is never fun, but when Jesse takes a part time position as a greeter elf at Santa’s Workshop in the mall, he meets Gracen and realizes that maybe job number three isn’t that bad, after all. The handsome photographer appeals to him, even with all Jesse’s family issues.

Two lonely men, one Santa’s Workshop, elf costumes, curl-toed shoes and a camera. They aren’t exactly a recipe for finding that someone special… except maybe they are.”

Gracen is a wonderful character, one of many in this story. He is a successful artist who, once a year, dons another persona so he can be a store Santa workshop photographer. For a entire month, he indulges in the outfit and the happiness of the families and children he photographs. Enter Jesse, who becomes Santa’s elf as one of his 3 jobs. Overworked and complicated, everything about him calls to Gracen. There is a mystery at the center of Jesse and his sister, Jazz that makes Jesse want to keep all at a distance. But this is a story of hope and persistance and the joy of the Christmas spirit. Not sappy, no miracles just a journey of 2 people towards a relationship and a family. I loved this and so will you. I give this 4.5 stars.

So put on your elf shoes, grab a copy and settle in for a lovely read.

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The holidays always mean to me that wonderful food is shared with family and friends.  Bringing people together to remember the past season while creating new memories of the current Holidays, I love the planning and preparing each recipe we will serve.

Should it be something tried and true that everyone asks for? Or should we be bold and whip up something new? Perhaps with chilies?  And chocolate? Hmmm, I do love chocolate!

So in keeping with my holiday planning, I will be posting Holiday recipes for all to enjoy. Let me know what you think?  And Happy Holiday Eating!

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

12 Oreos – crushed
2 T melted butter
3 Squares Bakers White Chocolate, divided
2-8 oz cream cheese – softened
1/2 C sugar
1 t vanilla
2 eggs
1/4 C red raspberry preserves

Heat oven to 350. Mix cookie crumbs and butter, press into bottom of 8″ square pan. Melt 2 chocolate squares as directed on package.

Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with mixer until blended. Add metled chocolate, mix well. Add eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust

Bake 25-28 min or until center is almost set. Cool 5 minutes; spread with preserves. Melt remaining chocolate square, drizzle over cheesecake. Cool. Refrigerate for 4 hours. Cut into 18 bars

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Far superior to the movie, Pretty Woman, it references, Something Different plots the journey of Michael Maguire as he navigates his way out of the constrictive, boring life he has made for himself for years, searching for something to make him feel alive again. Temptation and perhaps his salvation pops up in the form of rent boy James Campbell, who needs saving himself.

I loved this book. It is the first I have read by S. A. Reid but won’t be the last. The author makes you feel how suffocated Michael is by his life, unhappy and repressed in all avenues, work and family. But the characters are certainly not cardboard but fully fleshed out and breathing. Michael’s wife, Frannie, cold, self involved and materialistic could have been a one-dimentional villain but instead you understand, as does Michael, the reasons behind her actions and her words. And by the end of the book, she is likable.

James Campbell is another character who could have become cliched in other hands. But from the beginning, I loved James. He’s snarky, vulnerable, prickly, kind and aware of karma. Each character reveals layers upon layers as the story unfolds. As Michael and James start to score small and then larger victories for each other and themselves, you just want to cheer along with them until you are on your feet at the end of the book, shouting “Bravo, Bravo”. And its for Michael, James and S. A. Reid for delivering such a total delight of a book into your hands.
S. A. Reid’s Blurb for Something Different:

Tired of his life’s endless grind, family man Michael Maguire allows himself one night of deviation. Desperate for something different, he seeks a prostitute in notorious Brixton Park. But Michael, searching for a girl out of PRETTY WOMAN, instead finds blue-eyed, beautiful James Campbell. Tempted and stirred in ways he never imagined, Michael embarks on a sexual adventure with a rent boy from London’s infamous Bethnal Green. And what begins as a purely sexual exchange gradually transforms into something else, as James finds himself in desperate circumstances and Michael is moved to help. Drawn increasingly to James, Michael finds himself facing up to the iniquities in his daily life. And finally he must deal with a horror that threatens to explode Michael’s safe, conventional existence

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