Wednesday, 9 December 2015

My Guest ~ Christopher Stone

Shaking The Holiday Blues Away

Released Date:December 11th
Publisher: MLRPress


BLURB
As a last resort, a gay married ex-sailor turns to a Past Life Regression therapist to help him heal his chronic holiday blues.

For most people, the Winter Holiday Season means family, fun, mistletoe, music, merriment, parties, and presents. In short, it's the happiest time of the year.

Not so for twenty-nine-year-old, ex-sailor, and gay married man, Michael Bourlard. For fifteen years, this blond and buff man has been traumatized by yearly holiday blues that last the entirety of December. Over the years, Michael has sought the help of medical doctors, psychiatrists, traditional therapists, New Age crystal and magnet therapies, hoping to shake away the holiday blues. But it has all been to no avail.

Finally, in an act of desperation, Michael turns to his last, best, hope: Dr. Minnow Saint James, America's premier Past Life Regression therapist.

But can Dr. Saint James find the origin of his patient's annual malady in a past life, or will Michael be staying in bed with the covers pulled over his head, and listening to "Eve of Destruction," while everyone else enjoys "Silent Night," yet again, when the clock strikes December 1, 2015?

ABOUT CHRISTOPHER
I love writing. I always have. My first published writing was a Letter to the Editor of TV Guide. I think I was seven or eight, at the time. In third grade at Ernie Pyle Elementary School, in Fresno, California, I wrote a one-act play that my class produced at the end of the school year. I’ve been writing ever since.

If the words I string together entertain, enlighten, or intrigue you, then I feel happy and successful. If they do not, then I’ll try even harder the next time to please.

I ache to be a better writer. But it’s a pleasant ache.

I love hearing from my readers and from visitors to my website. I consider it an honor and a privilege to personally answer every correspondence.

BIOGRAPHY
Born in Bronx, New York, and raised in Fresno, California, Christopher Stone’s early years were dominated by school, watching television and motion pictures, bicycling, skating, and reading avidly. Summers were spent swimming, and doing whatever it took to survive the oppressive San Joaquin Valley heat. But he also remembers fondly the yearly summer trips to New York, to visit family and friends—and to see Broadway shows.

Christopher left Fresno, for Hollywood, California, during his college years after being accepted into the Writers Guild of America’s Open Door Program, a two-year, scholarship, training ground for aspiring screen and television writers. As it happened, rather than a teleplay or screenwriting gig, his first professional writing job was in journalism—as the Los Angeles Editor for Stage Door, at that time, Canada’s equivalent of the U.S. entertainment trade weekly, Variety.

Christopher would later use his Writers Guild of America training to co-author and sell the original screenplay, The Living Legend, with Jon Mercedes III, to the Erin Organization, and later, and also with Mercedes, to write two seasons of The Party Game, a Canadian TV game show.

As a young freelance entertainment journalist, he contributed to many Los Angeles-based publications, among them The Advocate, for which he wrote a breezy film column, “Reeling ‘Round,” and the Los Angeles Free Press. During this time, he became a member of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle.

Christopher dipped his toes into the world of motion picture advertising and publicity, as assistant to the West Coast Director of Advertising and Publicity for Cinerama Releasing Corporation, in Beverly Hills. At the same time, he also did special advertising and publicity projects for 20th Century-Fox. Christopher went on to become an Account Executive for David Wallace & Company, a public relations firm specializing in entertainment accounts—and located on West Hollywood’s legendary Sunset Strip.

Returning to his first love, writing, Christopher became a full time freelance contributor to national consumer publications including Us, Good Housekeeping, Family Circle, McCall’s, In Cinema, and The National Enquirer, among others. Many of his stories were syndicated worldwide by the New York Times Syndication Corp.

Another important area of endeavor for Christopher Stone was Re-Creating Your Self. A Blueprint for Personal Change that he first developed for himself, the journalist went on to teach the principles and processes of Re-Creating Your Self to others – first, in private sessions, later, in workshops and seminars, and, finally, for California State University Extended Education. Eventually, one of his students suggested he write a book version.

Re-Creating Your Self was first published in hardcover by Metamorphous Press, and subsequently published in a trade paperback edition by Hay House. It has since been published in Spanish, Swedish and Hebrew language editions.

When not writing, Christopher used his longtime interest in, and study of, metaphysics, to teach meditation and psychic development classes – first in Beverly Hills, then later, in Manhattan Beach.

He went on to co-author, with Mary Sheldon, four novellas for a Japanese educational publisher, and then, also with Mary Sheldon, the highly successful The Meditation Journal trilogy of hardcover books. Subsequently, he returned to journalism, this time, contributing hundreds of print and online entertainment features, columns and reviews to magazines and websites. For eight years, Christopher was the Box-office Columnist for MatchFlick.com, a popular online motion picture site.

In his private life, Christopher Stone met David M. Stoebner on May 17, 1994, and they have been together ever since. In 2008, they were married in Los Angeles.

They share a home with their two dogs in Coastal Los Angeles County.

In 2013, Christopher’s pet project has been transforming their rarely used kitchen table area into a killer, retro 1950s Diner Nook, complete with a 1952 Seeburg Table Top jukebox, a neon diner sign, and a malt machine.

Christopher’s first novel, Frame of Reference was e and print published, in fall 2012, by MLR Press. A short story, Sweet Homo Alabama was published by MLR Press, December 19, 2012.

Stone spent much of 2013 writing Frame of Reference 2: The Dark Side of Stardom, a sequel novel to Frame of Reference, as well as, Abracadabra, and a short story, published at Halloween. But the indefatigable scribe also found time to contribute weekly reviews, columns and interviews to Queer Town Abbey.

Christopher is currently writing Going and Coming, a novel laced with metaphysical themes, and wrapped around the character of Dr. Minnow Saint James, a highly successful Past Lives Regression Therapist, and the author of a best-selling nonfiction book. Christopher hopes Going and Coming will be released Friday, January 22, 2016. It will launch a series of Dr. Minnow Saint James Metaphysical Adventures novels. As of this writing, Going and Coming is tentatively scheduled for November 2015 publication, by MLR Press. 

On a personal note, Christopher and David adopted a five-month-old Yellow Lab puppy, Sammy (Samantha Stevens), on February 6, following the sudden passing of their beloved Yellow Lab, Gracie, on January 22.

FIND CHRISTOPHER HERE

Tuesday, 8 December 2015

My Guest ~ K-lee Klein

Unbridled Hearts
Unbreak My Heart 5

Release Date: December 6
Publisher: Amber Quill Press


BLURB
Brett and JT are hosting Millie and Ray's wedding, but that's not the only love keeping this holiday season merry.

Brett and JT are having a good run. The animal shelter is working out just fine at the ranch, the four wiggling new additions to their family are thriving, and old Ray's operation seems to have been a success. Brett and JT are still in their own honeymoon phase and continue to have trouble with not ripping each other's clothes off at inappropriate times and places.

Next on the ranch's agenda is Millie and Ray's Christmas wedding and whether it's the upcoming nuptials or the holiday spirit in the air, Brett's heart just won't settle down. He has so much love for his California kid that some days he feels like that schoolboy with a crush again. He's not sure how to tame all those feelings but he knows he has to try.

EXCERPT
  “Have I ever told you I’m not a fan of hospitals?” Brett Taylor asked.

  JT Campbell kept one eye on the road as he snuck a peek at his partner. Brett was sprawled in the passenger seat, one leg hitched up, dirty cowboy boot resting against the dash and tapping in time to the country song on the radio. They hadn’t changed out of their dusty work clothes, since time management wasn’t either of their fortes, and the extra smattering of dirt and tangle of wheat in his long hair made Brett even more attractive in JT’s eyes.

  “I don’t think it’s ever come up,” JT said, his lips quirking up in an involuntary grin. That happened a lot when Brett was around.

  Brett huffed out a long sigh. He tugged his hat off, tossing it on the console between them as he threaded a hand through his hair. “Two of mama’s husbands died in them. Truth was, I didn’t care much or, you know, at all, for one of them, but the other was a stand-up guy.”
I'm sorry.” JT reached for Brett’s hand, ducking a little to bring it to his lips. He kissed it tenderly, while Brett chuckled before snatching it back. “You know Ray’s going to be okay, right?”

  “‘Course. He’s a tough old son of a gun. Just been in a little longer than he was supposed to. Mama’s the one who’s worried.”

  “Mmm hmm.”

  “Don’t sass me, kid."

  JT let out an accidental snort and it earned him a patented Brett Taylor hairy eyeball. "I think you’ve got it a little wrong. Millie’s been at the hospital every day for the last four days, taking care of Ray. She told me to look after you.”

  Brett shook his head with a scowl. He tucked his hat back on his head and dipped it low, slouching back into the leather seat, and wrestling with the seatbelt a little before crossing his arms. JT could see the sexy smirk on his lips from a mile away. "Guess I’ll just let you do that then. Wake me up when I need a potty break.”

  Eyes focused back on the road, JT didn’t hide his amusement. “Yes sir…Darlin’.”

ABOUT K-LEE
K-lee Klein has lived in one part of Western Canada or another for her entire life. She’s a doting mother of three now-grown kids, and has had characters and plots running around her head for as long as she can remember. In an attempt to avoid major writer's block, she keeps the image of muse on her leg so he can't run off too far, unfortunately it doesn't work all the time. K-lee's days consist of planning her next tattoo design for her growing collection, having a lot of baths since her muse loves the water, and fighting off an abundance of fabulous gay men, large and small who continually bounce off the walls of her skull, competing for their turns to tell their stories.

Among her favorite sub-genres to read and write are rock stars, cowboys, shifters, friends-to-lovers, and opposites-attract relationships. But to be honest, she’s open to almost anything if it involves messing around in the heads of her characters. She’s also big on series—because she has a hard time letting her characters go—and is usually working on a handful of stories in various stages of completion all at the same time.

FIND K-LEE HERE


Monday, 7 December 2015

My Guest ~ Nic Starr

The Proof Is In The Pudding


Release Date: December 4th 
Publisher: MLR Press
Cover Artist: Winterheart Designs
Length: 14,000 words





BLURB
Steve Hayes is away with a group of friends who are spending the Christmas break together. He's determined to put his two-timing ex-boyfriend in the past, and enjoy his week away.  Steve is happily surprised to find that Corey Oh, the guy he’s been admiring from afar, has been invited along too. But Steve knows there's no way someone as wonderful as Corey, who could have any man he wanted, would be interested in him.

However, thanks to a misadventure with a Christmas pudding, Steve will find that dreams can come true.

GIVEAWAY
Win an All Romance eBook valued at $10
The winner will be drawn on 21st December 2015. 
Good luck!

MESSAGE FROM NIC
Five things I love about Christmas

Thanks for having me visit today, NJ. It’s great to have a chance to talk about the holidays and my upcoming Christmas story. You see, I LOVE Christmas!

So here are five things I adore about this time of year.

ONE: Family and friends. Christmas is all about sharing the love, and most importantly all about the kids. I love spending time with my extended family, but also doing all the activities that arise this time of year with the kids. This includes baking together, decorating the Christmas tree, and end of year celebrations. We seem to have countless parties to attend. It’s busy but fun. J

TWO: Giving. The kids and I spend hours choosing the perfect gifts for all the important people in our lives. It’s not about how much we spend, but finding the present that fits the person and expresses how much we care. My daughters do the wrapping. It’s not because I hate gift wrapping, promise. *wink* We also try to participate in Christmas appeals as I think it’s important to support those not lucky enough to have a Christmas like ours.

THREE: Summer. Christmas means summer. Warm weather, swimming, barbecues. Do I need to say more?

FOUR: Food. Everything we do seems to revolve around food. Christmas Day is all about the roast turkey, glazed ham, pudding, and dozens of accompaniments. No one goes hungry. We also always seem to be entertaining or going out to dinner. Luckily I’m a foodie so love everything about entertaining - okay, so maybe not the impact on my waistline. J

FIVE: Downtime. Our longest holiday period occurs over Christmas so often it’s the time we go on family holidays – the kids get 7 weeks off school so we have to fill it somehow! Last year we went to Perth and the year before that was the Cook Islands. But even if we don’t go away, it’s great to have downtime. We go to the beach, watch movies, and I do a lot of reading. I love to catch up on the great books I’ve missed during the busy parts of the year and to read the wonderful m/m holiday stories released this time of year. There’s something extra special about our guys finding their HEA or HFN during the holiday season.

If you get a chance, you might like to read my story, The Proof is in the Pudding. It’s out now.

Happy holidays!
Nic xx

ABOUT NIC
Nic Starr lives in Australia where she tries to squeeze as much into her busy life as possible. Balancing the demands of a corporate career with raising a family and writing can be challenging but she wouldn't give it up for the world.

Always a reader, the lure of m/m romance was strong and she devoured hundreds of wonderful m/m romance books before eventually realising she had some stories of her own that needed to be told!

When not writing or reading, she loves to spend time with her family-an understanding husband and two beautiful daughters-and is often found indulging in her love of cooking and planning her dream home in the country.

FIND NIC HERE
She'd love it if you stopped by to say hi.

Sunday, 6 December 2015

My Guest ~ Charlie Cochrane

An Angel In The Window
Release date: 21 December 2012
Publisher: MLRPress


Blurb
Alexander Porterfield may be one of the rising stars of Nelson's navy, but his relationship with his first lieutenant, Tom Anderson, makes him vulnerable. To blackmail, to the exposure of their relationship—and to losing Tom, either in battle or to another ship. When sudden danger strikes—from the English rather than the French—where should a man turn?

A message from Charlie
It’s not just beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I love the way that our senses can affect our thinking. Who can see a candle shining next to some holly and not feel a warm glow of goodwill? Or look at the lights twinkling on the Christmas tree and not be transported back to childhood, feeling again that giddy sense of excitement at what the big day would bring? Funny how certain things re-awaken dormant memories. If I see shiny blue and gold paper next to each other, for some reason I’m back in primary school again, with nativity plays and homemade decorations...

But it isn’t just sight which is evocative. The other four senses affect me, too. I only have to hear “Nutrocker” or “House of the Rising Sun” and it’s Margate, early 1960’s, on holiday and getting lost in the back of beyond. I can see the scene so vividly. Same with Christmas songs. “Stop the Cavalry” is one of my favourites, although now it makes me choke up as it’s become inextricably linked in my mind with the scene in “Warhorse” where Tom Hiddleston is charging at the enemy.

The aroma of pine needles—real pine needles on a real pine tree—is for me the definitive smell of the season, but cinnamon and cloves and the turkey roasting in the oven all play their part. I suspect smell is the most evocative of senses, although I, alas, have very little sense of smell and I miss it hugely. So when I can detect a particular perfume or the odour of something gorgeous cooking, I feel very blessed.

At least I still have most of my sense of taste, so can appreciate the seasonal delights. Turkey, sage and onion stuffing, Brussels sprouts, Christmas pudding, mince pies, roasted ham—I love them all. So what’s the definitive yuletide flavour? Well, have you ever tried Black Butter (a traditional Channel Island delight)? We have a friend who, the first time she tasted it, said, “It’s like Christmas!” She was right, the apples and cider and spices making the perfect combination.

There’s one sense left. Feeling. The first thing I thought of was pine needles, which get everywhere and poke you when you’re least expecting it and in the most astonishing places. Not that pleasant, though. The scrunching of leaves under foot is much more like it, as is snow in your hands or on your face. Wrapping paper and ribbon in eager hands, the shape of parcels in stockings in the dark, that tin of Cadbury’s chocolate fingers I simply couldn’t identify in the early hours of Christmas morning when I was a child.

Please savour Christmas to the full, if you can.

Excerpt
  “I remember the Trojan well, Tom.” Alexander’s voice was hardly above a murmur. “The midshipmen were all particularly ugly.”

  “Oh, you clown, it was at Port Mahon—don’t you recall the little inn where you played whist? You should remember, given how much you won.” Tom snorted and shared the last of the wine between their glasses. “A young man came and chatted to me. Do you recollect at all?”

  “I can remember that the run of the cards was unusual that night.” Alexander frowned as if that was all he could bring to mind.

  Tom grinned. “I don’t believe you. You can, no doubt, recollect the detail of every trump you played that night but you don’t recall the fact that your lover was being seduced before your eyes.”

  Alexander looked sheepish—not an expression he often adopted. “Unfair! I wasn’t aware that your virtue was under threat. If I had been, the man in question would have felt the edge of my sword.”

  “Would he? Really?” Tom chuckled at the ridiculous thought of Alexander calling a man out for attempting to seduce his fellow officer.

  “Now you mention it, I do recall a rather striking looking young man.”

  “I thought you couldn’t have failed to notice him. He reminded me of you when we first met—all gangling awkwardness and puzzled innocence. At least until he made his proposal.”

  “What did he say to you?”

  “I could not possibly repeat it. Not even here in private. But it was completely indecent and very anatomically detailed.” Tom snorted. “In return I made an anatomically exact suggestion as to what he could do with his idea.”

  “And you say this has happened frequently?”

  “Well, only if you count as frequent one admiral as well as the chap at Mahon. Now, are we to make use of that bed or not, sir?”

  Alexander drained his glass. “And so to bed, my lord and master. I am entirely at your command.”

  “At my command? Are we to play admiral and flag lieutenant again?”

  “We’ve not played that since I was made captain.” Alexander leaned forward, tugging at Tom’s less than immaculate stock. “I’ll have to upbraid you for the slackness of uniform.”

  “You’re not allowed to. I’m the admiral, remember?” Tom pulled his captain closer, for a kiss. “You’ll do what you’re told. This jacket of yours, for instance. It needs a good brushing. Take it off.”

  “Aye aye, sir.” Alexander eased the offending item from his shoulders.

  “And that shirt needs the attention of your steward. We’ll have that off, too.”

  “If you insist.” Alexander was clearly trying hard to keep a straight face.

  “And no undershirt!” Tom feigned shock as his lover’s chest appeared, bared before him. “Your sister would be appalled, as she spent so long sewing you that flannel one.”

  “You forget, I have no sister.”

  “Sir,” Tom grinned. “You forget I have no sister, sir.”

  “Sir,” Alexander repeated, looking remarkably gormless. “I apologise for my lack of a female sibling. I shall endeavour to do better in future.”

  “It would be as well for you to do better in your duty there,” Tom nodded towards the bed.

About Charlie
Because Charlie Cochrane couldn't be trusted to do any of her jobs of choice—like managing a rugby team—she writes. Her mystery novels include the Edwardian era Cambridge Fellows series, series, and the contemporary Best Corpse for the Job. Multi-published, she has titles with Carina, Samhain, Riptide, MLR and Bold Strokes.

A member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, Mystery People and International Thriller Writers Inc, Charlie regularly appears at literary festivals and at reader and author conferences with The Deadly Dames.

Find Charlie Here

Saturday, 5 December 2015

My Guest ~ Anna Lee

A Christmas Wish

Release Date: November 19th
Publisher: Pride Publishing


Blurb
Six years after His Soldier, Ryder and Dean are happily married and getting ready for Christmas. Their five-year-old daughter, Charlotte asked Santa for a puppy. On Christmas Eve, Ryder and Dean try to make her Christmas wish come true, but will a Scrooge ruin their plans? Or will they be able to surprise Charlotte on Christmas morning?

A Christmas Kindness

Release Date: December 4th
Publisher: MLR Press

BUY LINK

Blurb
David Winters fell for a man at a Christmas masquerade party last year. The only problem? His sister and his niece needed him so instead of pursuing anything, David ran away and didn’t find out who he was. Now, his niece, Jenna wants to organize a toy charity drive at a children’s hospital which leads David to reunite with Officer Stephen Lauer. The sparks fly again and with a little Christmas kindness maybe the two of them can make a few wishes come true… including their own.  


About Anna
Anna Lee graduated from the University of California Riverside with a Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing. Living with a disability, she has overcome many challenges and puts her passion for life and love into her writing. She lives with her family and dogs and enjoys writing late into the night. When she isn’t writing, Anna enjoys spending time with her nieces and nephew or chatting with her friends about her favorite books and TV shows.

Find Anna Here
Twitter: @Annalee59

Friday, 4 December 2015

My Guest ~ Jacey Mills

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

Releasing: December 4th
Publisher: MLRPress




Blurb
Campbell's offered a chance to travel back in time. He's going to make his one true love, Devon, fall in love with him at a Christmas Party in 2015. It's been a rough decade between 2015 and 2025. There's been a bloody revolution and Campbell wants nothing more than the security of Devon. Yet, when he gets back to 2015, nothing is what Campbell remembered. Devon, in fact, is a jerk.

Akhil, the scientist who sent Campbell back in time is much nicer. As Campbell begins to find his footing in time and space, Akhil, who is funny, smart, and sexy, starts to fall in love with Campbell. Can Campbell find true love and stop the revolution?

Excerpt
  “Am I messing up the timeline?” I worried.

  Akhil looked over to reassure me and patted my left knee gently, until he seemed to catch what he was doing and then he snatched his hand back as if it was burnt. I caught his eye and grinned a little bit. He softened his posture.

  “No, I don’t think you’re messing up the timeline, not in a bad way, anyway.” He turned left at the light. “Your mother is alive and sending out soup recipes, Canada is not falling into revolution, and it certainly did no real harm for Sarah or me to have met you in 2015.”

  “I’m supposed to meet you guys as the office Christmas party tomorrow too.”

  “I have no memory of that.”

  I tugged at a hangnail. “I haven’t done that yet.”

  “Ah yes.” He sat silently for a moment. “So can you think of anything that you might have done to stop the protests? I really don’t think ushering Sarah or I around did that.”

  I thought for a moment. “Oh, I glittered a poster with Kennedy Porter.”

  He braked heavily in shock. “You did what?”

  “Akhil, you’re blocking traffic. Go.” I nagged. “Devon took me to his cell. Kennedy was there – she was the girl from down the hall from where Devon lived. We glittered a poster for a protest together.”

  “You glittered a poster together?”

  “Yep. She’s pretty artsy-craftsy for a girl who’s going to walk with an executive’s head on a stake down Wall Street, you know. Anyway, she talked about killing executives and I said it would be better to just put them in jail and Robin Hood their money.”

  We had pulled into the parking lot of my apartment. Akhil put the car into park and pushed the engine’s button to turn it off. He looked at me incredulously. “What?” I asked.

  “I am…merely still getting over the fact that you decorated a poster with Kennedy, a woman who posed covered in fake blood for Playboy, and spoke to her about Robin Hooding executives, and now there’s no protests in Canada,” he said.

  I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He pulled back, surprised. “No harm, no foul, right, Akhil?” I brightened. “Maybe I can stop the uprising and kick butt at the Christmas party.” I got out of the car and closed the door. I thought I heard Akhil mutter something to himself, but I couldn’t be sure what.

About Jacey
I'm a librarian in the great Midwest, living with my husband and two cats. Our house is divided between 1) too many books, and 2) too many computers. I've written for Torquere's short story compilations in 2015 and also have another novella available from MLR press, "Ghosts Among Us."  I love to hear from people who've read my work, so talk to me on Facebook or Twitter.



Find Jenny Here
Twitter: @JaceyMills

Thursday, 3 December 2015

MY Guest ~ Atom Yang

Red Envelope

Release date: December 4th
Publisher: MLR Press



Blurb
The Chinese New Year is a time for saying goodbye to the past and hello to the future, but Clint doesn’t want to bid farewell to his cousin’s handsome American friend, Weaver, after they share an unexpected passionate encounter.

The Lunar New Year is the biggest holiday in the Chinese calendar, a time for family reunions, and for saying goodbye to the past and hello to the future. Clint, however, doesn’t want to bid farewell to what happened after last year’s celebration, when he and his Cousin Maggie’s handsome Caucasian friend, Weaver, shared an unexpected but long-desired passionate encounter. East is East and West is West, and Weaver seems to want to keep it that way, but maybe Clint can bridge that great divide this coming New Year, and show Weaver what it means to be loved and accepted.

Message From Atom
I love a good retelling of a classic story. It’s neat to see how things are translated for different time periods, cultures, and environments. Romeo and Juliet is a favorite one, because it has all the great elements of a romance, from star-crossed lovers down to a tragic ending (I might have a different definition of romance than most readers of the genre, given my Chinese background which emphasizes fatalism, but not to worry, my stories end happily so far).

The latest movie to “reimagine,” as Hollywood likes to call it these days, the Romeo and Juliet story was Warm Bodies (2013). It involved zombies and Romeo, here named a growly “R,” falls in walking dead love with a Juliet from the wrong side of the post-apocalyptic plague named “Julie.” Although not a strict retelling, the core elements inspired the story—except there’s no tragic ending (I did say this was a Hollywood reimagining).

In my own debut story, “Red Envelope,” I’m retelling a classic Chinese tale of two separated lovers—the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl—in the form of Clint and Weaver. Again, the core elements are present, but translated into contemporary times and including both gender- and race- bending (gay men, one of Asian descent and the other of European stock). The original has a happy ending of sorts—despite being on opposite sides of a wide, impassable river—magpies, the Chinese bird of marital happiness and fidelity, form a bridge once a year for the lovers to meet. This myth is also the basis of the QiXi Festival on the seventh day of the seventh month, and ties with the “Summer Triangle” asterism (not a constellation, but a stellar pattern) when the stars Altair (symbolizing the Cowherd) and Vega (the Weaver Girl) are “connected” by Deneb (bridge of magpies), allowing them to “cross” that crazy, silver river—the Milky Way. In “Red Envelope,” Clint and Weaver find their own way, with a little help from family, to overcome obstacles keeping them apart.

So given the happy-ever-after that occurs more than once a year for our heroes, maybe I should call my story a reimagining, rather than a retelling? Or better yet, I should call “Red Envelope” my magpie, one of many I plan to let fly that will build a bridge between people so that love can flourish.

About Atom
Atom was born to Chinese immigrant parents who thought it'd be a hoot to raise him as an immigrant, too--so he grew up estranged in a familiar land, which gives him an interesting perspective. He's named after a Japanese manga (comic book) character his father loved, in case you were wondering.




Find Atom Here