Hi everyone. If this is your first time here, Welcome. Think of this site as sex without the big bang. 
So, have you seen this article? Tj (who occasionally reviews for the site, less occasionally than I would like) forwarded it to me and I was so tickled that I had to share it with you in case you missed it. A bit of background: Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo had spoken out in favor of a Maryland ballot initiative that would legalize gay marriage. Maryland state delegate Emmett C. Burns Jr. was so incensed that he wrote the owner of the team, chiding him and telling him to control his players. Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe wrote a wonderful rebuttal of Burns’ letter. If you like Chris’s response please pass it on to your friends (and maybe a few enemies of same sex marriage). Here’s the link:
If you’re an author this will be of interest. Lambda has announced its submission guidelines for the 25th Annual Lambda Literary Awards. The submission period began September 4 and ends December 1, 2012. The eligibility criteria are outlined in the guidelines and here’s a link:
http://www.lambdaliterary.org/awards/awards-guidelines/
On the home front, Christian will be away on vacation (how dare he?) for two weeks starting tomorrow. 
He tried to make me jealous by telling me he’s going to Tuscany where I’m hoping to visit next year. 
Next week I’ll summarize the results so far of the poll on the site: Readers: How Do You Like Your M/M Romance. Thank you for voting and if you haven’t already done so it would be great if could find the time to do so.
Sometime today, and I really hate to punish you I will be posting the only interview I will ever give. As most of you know by now, Geoff Knight interviewed 32 women (including me) about their views on gay romance and why they love it. Their opinions were published by MLR Press in a book called Why Straight Women Love Gay Romances. However, with 32 interviewees, a lot of opinions didn’t make it into the book, so I thought I would share mine, with some judicious editing, (as if you didn’t already get enough of my opinions every week) 
Some of my interview won’t be included in the post because I will be expanding the topics and posting them as separate articles on the site starting this Friday. This will be another opportunity for you to kick my ass since the subjects might be considered controversial. 
Reviews this weekend: Oscar’s Soul by Missy Welsh reviewed by Cryselle; Triage by Louise Blaydon reviewed by Jeayci; You will Meet A Stranger Far From Home: wonder stories by Alex Jeffers reviewed by Sirius; By The River by Katey Hawthorne reviewed by Sammy, and Lynn squeaked in before the midnight hour tonight Another Dumb Jock by Jeff Erno. All of the reviews are linked in case you haven’t seen them.
This is your last opportunity to submit questions for my interview with Ethan Day and Geoff Knight as I will be closing the post on Tuesday. Here’s the link.
My interview with Kaje Harper will be posted on Thursday, September 20.
Free Books This Week
Above All by Jane Elliott - Manifold Press
A Road Not Taken by Jennifer Thorne – Samhain Publishing
Bombara by Mal Peters
The Celestial by Barry Brennessel – MLR Press
The Legend of the Apache Kid by Sarah Black – Dreamspinner Press
Holbrook Academy by Dean Ocean – Dreamspinner Press
Chase The Stars by Ariel Tachna – Dreamspinner Press
Reviews this Week
Andrea: Chaser by Rick Reed; It’s Simple Simon by Lee Brazil
Jeayci: Triage by Louise Blaydon
Jenre: Animal Magnetism anthology – Dreamspinner
Lady M: Legend of the Apache Kid by Sarah Black
Tj: Love in La Terraza by Ethan Day
Sirius: (Unmasked) by Andrew Q. Gordon and Anyta Sunday; If I Told You So by Timothy Woodward
Lasha: Brothers by Bond by Brenda Cothern
Feliz: Finders Keepers by Chris Quinton
Sammy: Strengthened by Fire by Andrew Grey; Three Fates by Andrew Grey, Mary Calmes and Amy Lane
Raine: Moving On by H.J. Holt
Wave: Third You Die by Scott Sherman (this week for sure); Champion: Indigo Knights 2 by Jet Mykles; Turbulence 3: Red Eye Dawn by Jordan Castillo Price
Larissa won’t be posting a review this week because she’s playing with her knights. You will have to ask her to explain. 
The boyz will be here on Friday.
Till next week, that’s a wrap.
Completely agree with you, Wave, on the Kluwe’s letter, it was brilliant (and pretty damned funny in places). Also looking forward to this week’s reviews.
I think Chris Kluwe’s letter should be framed. I laughed out loud in many places and I thanked Tj for sending it to me since I wouldn’t normally have seen it because I live in Canada.
We do have a few reviews of what I hope are wonderful books coming up this week. I’m hoping that Third You Die lives up to my expectations.
Personally I’m looking forward to Andrea’s review of Chaser by Rick Reed since I’m a huge fan.
That was a great letter. Thanks for posting the link. I love it when a man steps up (or woman)
I thought that was such an articulate answer which I hope put Mr. Burns in his place. For someone who must have been around in the 40s and 50s he should know better.
The complete and utter reason I am keeping my MD voting card is so I can vote on the gay marriage referendum and vote a-holes like Emmett Burns out of office.
Great strategy Lasha. I forgot you lived in MD and I hope that Emmett Burns lives to eat his words.
The article was awesome, have not read it before, thanks and thank you Tj
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Could you please add Anyta Sunday as coauthor of (Unmasked)? Sorry.
I added Anyta to as co-author of the book.
Tj always sends me links that he thinks I would appreciate.
So Wave, if I review less occasionally than you’d like, does that mean you’d like me to do reviews more occasionally? Wouldn’t that actually be less often? Ow, my head hurts.
That’s like trying to figure out an M.C. Escher drawing of staircases that go nowhere.
I’m glad you enjoyed Chris Kluwe’s letter. I thought it was the best thing I’ve read in a long time. I saw him on TV talking about his support for marriage equality, and he is very well spoken, as we saw in that letter.
All I know Teej is that I want you to review more often.
Does that help?
Thank you again for forwarding this article as well as the others that you send me occasionally.
Now I’ll have to watch the Vikings just to see Chris Kluwe play, which won’t be a hardship. If you can find the clip where he talked about marriage equality please forward it to me. I love the guy.
PS I have a beautiful framed print of a staircase that goes nowhere by Linda Butler called Inner Light: The Shaker Legacy. Is that the same thing?
Yeah, I did know what you meant Wave. But you know that I have to bust your chops when you use your weird Canadian math or grammour! And thank you sincerely. I’ll see what I can do about squeezing in some more reviews.
I thought perhaps other readers might enjoy seeing Chris Kluwe, so here’s a link below to his interview that I found on Towleroad:
http://www.towleroad.com/2012/09/kluweed.html
If this won’t work, let me know and I’ll see what else I can find.
Also it seems that Chris took some flack for his colorful language and has issued an edited version of his letter that is priceless:
http://blogs.twincities.com/outofbounds/2012/09/08/out-of-bounds-blog-no-8-inquisitive-kitten-pawing-at-yarn/
Your print sounds just like MC Escher. He does those complicated drawings that seem simple enough at first glance then on closer inspection you see that things interweave in impossible ways.
Tj, the second version is hysterical thank you and OMG never heard of Chris Kluwe before, but as a person he has my deepest respect for the stand he took and also actually because I want to write as well as he does when I grow up
You’re welcome Sirius. Glad you enjoyed. And I agree, Chris Kluwe is an awesome person and a very talented writer.
Teej
I broke up laughing at the revised letter which is even funnier than the original. Chris Kluwe should be a politician after his football career is over but I suspect politics would not be a big enough arena for him.
thanks so much for this Tj.
As for my picture, I absolutely love it and it’s given me so much pleasure over the years.
BTW I was able to view the interview. Thanks again.
My pleasure Wave. You may be right that Chris’ revised letter is even funnier, especially if you’ve read the original. He has a great sense of humor. I do hate it when my top hat has fallen! And one must be mindful of those lustful frolicking ostriches.
It is horribly sad when the top hats fall. But what I’m wondering is where do lustful frolicking ostriches bury their heads?
Wow, I loved that first letter. But after reading the second, I want to offer to have his babies. Lots of them. The world needs more people like him!
Thanks for sharing the linky love! 
Yes indeed Jeayci. The world would be a much better place with more Chris Kluwes in it.
Jess
But after reading the second, I want to offer to have his babies. Lots of them
I think you would have to line up.
The amount of awesome in those letters is almost unbearable. Almost.
I dare to say that writers have something to learn from Mr. Kluwe’s usage of English language.
These just have to find their way into everyday conversations:
-BEAUTIFULLY UNIQUE SPARKLEPONY
-DISAPPOINTED LEMUR FACE WITH SOLITARY TEAR TRICKLING DOWN TO CHIN
-FROLICKING OSTRICH. I repeat: FROLICKING. OSTRICH.
-UNFORTUNATELY PHALLIC HEDGE SCULPTURE.
Thank you, TJ and Wave.
Lady M
I do my best to liven things up on the site, with a lot of help from my friends i.e. Tj.
In this case Chris Kluwe had the starring role. 
I agree LadyM. I can definitely see using “Lustful Frolicking Ostrich” in my next review to describe one of the MC’s!
I may not always like my country, but at times like these I’m proud of living in Holland with a lot of open minded people. Kudos to Kluwe for writing such an awesome piece!
And I hope karma is a real bitch and returns Burns as the gayest of all gay people
Heh! The knights are cool! We reenacted the battle of Teylingen to save the lady of the rebels
We won.
And I hope karma is a real bitch and returns Burns as the gayest of all gay people
I also wish that Chris Kluwe was still around to witness it.
I’m very happy your knights won Larissa.