Saturday, March 18, 2017

March Madness Week Long Giveaway Day 6 #Giveaways






It’s Day 6 of the March Madness Week Long Giveaway! Wow! We have had so many awesome authors on this giveaway and the prizes? WHOA! They’ve all been so generous! Today’s cluster of fabulous are no different. They answered the same question: What does the genre mean to me? And they have their own giveaway. Who are the authors today? Matt Converse, Annabeth Albert, Zoe Perdita, Tracey Michael, Kris. T Bethke, Jay Northcote, LJ Harris, SJ Himes AKA Revella Hawthorne, Victoria Sue, and Liv Rancourt and Irene Preston!

If you missed the last 5 days click these links to read the posts and enter the giveaways:


So, enjoy yourselves and make sure to tune in tomorrow for the final day of the week long giveaway!









What does this genre mean to me?

I fell into this genre by virtue of subject matter of my first book. One of my goals has always been to bring diversity to the publishing world. I was thrilled to become the first author with a gay titled book at Comet Press in 2015 with Behind the Velvet Curtain. My new release Strip Shot is published by Encompass Ink, whose motto is to believe in romance and love for all. No boundaries. No hiding. 



Another goal of mine is simply to entertain. I want reading my books to be an escape for readers, a place to go for pure enjoyment, which our community needs right now. 

Contact


Giveaway: ebook of my new release Strip Shot










What does this genre mean to me?

It's hard for me to put into words what this community means to me and what this genre has come to mean in my life. For a very long time, I felt like something was broken inside me, like there was some essential part of me that didn't make any sense. Through reading and writing in this genre, I've come to accept myself more and to understand and learn more about that part of myself more every day. That this community welcomes me and reads my words is truly the best gift I could ever ask for—this is a place where I’ve truly come into my own as a person and author and I can’t thank the community enough for that. 

Contact:


Giveaway: reader’s choice ebook from my #Gaymers series or Out Of Uniform series







What does this genre means to me?

I love m/m because it normalizes queerness in the best way. Love is love is love. The people in the community are so passionate and accepting is warms my heart (which is usually cold and black from all the sarcasm). 

Contact:


Giveaway: ebook Titan on Chains (Darkvale book 1) via instafreebie









What this genre means to me?

I love the way this community steps up for people in need. Whether it be for other authors, readers, friends or strangers, I've seen people come together for a cause. It's heartwarming to be a part of the humanity that is the LGBTQ family.

Contact:


Giveaway: ebook Beyond the Grill








What does this genre mean to me?

This community gave me courage to actually step out of my shell, get involved, and ultimately, to publish my first story. I found my voice in the genre. Within this group, I found an acceptance that had been lacking in my life. And thousands of amazing stories. And tons of wonderful people. Forever friends I would not have met otherwise, friends who think and feel just as I do. I’ll always be grateful I stumbled across this diverse, wonderful, heartfelt community. 

Contact:


Giveaway: Flash fic written to winner’s prompt of choice. Can be a situation or pic prompt, or both! Winner will get fic in format of choice. Length will be up to 3k words.










What does this genre mean to me?

This community is where I found my true self. It’s a place where I was able to come out as transgender and receive nothing but support and love. It’s hard to express how much it means to me and how grateful I am to be a part of it.

Contacts:

Giveaway: Backlist ebook, reader’s choice









What does this genre mean to me?

They say it takes a village to raise a child. The same can be said for all the blood, sweat and tears that go into producing a book. Looking back now, I never imagined I'd be capable of taking the leap and going through that process. After all, I was pushing the half-century mark, am an introvert (never a good thing when it comes to signings or launch parties lol), and though I had written a few online stories (both MF and MM), I didn't think anyone would be interested in my stories enough to want to publish them.  

Then I met a few friends who changed my mind. If not for their support and encouragement, I would never have penned a short story about a man down on his luck who meets his perfect match and submitted it to a publisher for inclusion in an MM anthology. Yes the lows have been there along with the highs ever since, but through it all, never have I been made to feel more welcome. More loved. More supported. The friendships I have formed are something I know will last a lifetime. 

To everyone - readers, bloggers, reviewers, cover artists, editors, beta readers, publishers large and small as well as fellow authors and supportive friends from all walks of life. Each and every one of you are what makes this community.

Contacts:


Giveaway: $10.00 Amazon Gift Card and ebook of The Haunting of Angus Macgregor









What this genre means to me?

This community is a safe place for me to indulge my dreams, bring my fantasies to life, and to enjoy acceptance and freedom. I don’t have to hide what I enjoy. I can tell my stories to like-minded people, explore new connections and reaffirm the truth that I am not an aberration—I am exactly as I am meant to be. My career as an author helps me reach out to the world, and instead of censure or pain, I get love back. I find people who like me for who I am, who welcome the characters I birth from my imagination with open minds and hearts. My characters are in some small way part of me, and reflect my need to live to the fullest I can. Here in the m/m community, in books and chats, forums and threads, we are all equal, and we all embrace love. 

Contact:

Giveaway: Two ebooks reader’s choice (SJ Himes or Revella Hawthorne)










What does this genre mean to me?

I came to Florida from England six years ago for a chance to do something different. To belong to something. To mesh my family with your family. Nah - I'm totally lying I really wanted to visit Disneyland whenever I wanted to! Back to being serious? It’s all about the love and I picked the genre that I think embodies it the most. 


Contacts:

Giveaway: ebook of Five Minutes Longer and Alpha King









What does this genre mean to me?

Our thoughts on the genre and community...

Acceptance. One of the definitions is “favorable reception; approval; favor”. Irene and I have found those qualities in the lgbt romance community. Yeah, there are issues, conflicts based on harsh judgement or situations where trust is broken, but one of the most valuable things we’ve found is the genre's ability to rebound.

When Irene and I first published Vespers, we found bloggers, authors, and readers who were willing to help promote it. We were new(ish) to the genre, and people reached out to help us. We’ve both learned from those who were bold and honest enough to share their lives on-line. The people we’ve met have challenged us to reach higher in our writing, to do justice to our friends who’ve been so open with us.

And in the end, we both really like reading stories told from a queer perspective. Thank you for putting them out there.

Contact:

Where to find Irene

Where to find Liv

Giveaway : $10.00 Amazon gift card and ebook copy of Vespers






Giveaway

Day 6's giveaway will end on March 26th!
Be sure to enter each day's giveaway as well as this one!
Thanks!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

29 comments:

  1. My first LGBTQ-related read was romance books Heaven Sent by Jet Mykles and Fair Game by Josh Lanyon.

    ReplyDelete
  2. i love annabth albert's books so much!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I don't know exactly. It has been some time. It might have been one by Jay Northcote

    ReplyDelete
  4. Change of Heart by Mary Calmes. Loved it and haven't looked back. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. It has been years and I have read so many I do not remember which one was my first.

    ReplyDelete
  6. My first book was "Forty Two days" by Willa Okati in 2006.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Cut & Run by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux

    ReplyDelete
  8. The Last Herald-Mage trilogy by Mercedes Lackey

    ReplyDelete
  9. my first book was always by kindle alexander

    ReplyDelete
  10. Josh Lanyon's first Adrien English book.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I don't even remember anymore. I do remember that I started reading fanfic before I discovered published works.

    ReplyDelete
  12. From the Inside Out by Talya Andor

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hear of the Warrior by Donya Lynne, part of the AKM series :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thanks for the post and week. I don't remember, but probably a pulp like one by Phil Andros. But one of the earliest I do remember is Apprenticed to Pleasure (Pledged to Magic #1) by Brandon Fox. Thoroughy enjoyed it.
    TheWrote [at] aol [dot] com

    ReplyDelete
  15. Okay, that's tough. I read gay fiction before I jump into MM romance. I think one of my first gay fiction will be "Dream Boy" by James Grimsley. But first MM is "The Tin Star" by J.L. Langley, almost 9 years ago!

    ReplyDelete
  16. My first was Heaven Sent by Jet Mykles in 2007. Over time I've almost completely stopped reading MF entirely.

    ReplyDelete
  17. The Last Herald Mage trilogy by Mercedes Lackey

    ReplyDelete
  18. I don't remember which book it was, but I was hooked after reading it. colby69@verizon.net

    ReplyDelete
  19. Where You Are by J.H. Trumble and I've been hooked on the genre ever since

    ReplyDelete
  20. The Last Herald Mage books by Mercedes Lackey. I see I'm not alone with that!

    ReplyDelete
  21. My first was Maurice by EM Forster.

    ReplyDelete
  22. The first book was a short story by Stormy Glenn.

    ReplyDelete
  23. "The Catch Trap" by Marion Zimmer Bradley

    ReplyDelete
  24. In college, I read MY WORST DATE by David Leddick and one told from the POV of a gay sex worker called TRICKS (can't remember the author). My first official m/m romance (after a lot of music and hockey slashfic) was BETWEEN SINNERS AND SAINTS by Marie Sexton.

    --Trix

    ReplyDelete
  25. I honestly can't remember the first book. I started with MMF stories by Samantha Kane and progressed to MM stories. I love all types of romance stories.

    ReplyDelete