Stalking the Truant Muse

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T14:23:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I really miss the 1980s. To those of you who celebrate the season, make this a Christmas to remember.

"Brotherly Love" to appear in 100 Horrors (Cruentus Libri Press)

2011-11-29T20:35:00.000-05:00

I just signed a contract for a flash fiction story to appear in 100 Horrors, a collection of 100 horror stories, 100 words each, by 100 authors. Looking forward to seeing the finished collection.

Follow: Cruentus Libri Press Twitter

Happy Thanksgiving.

2011-11-23T11:00:00.004-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to those of you in the US who celebrate this fantastic holiday.

Every year I watch this film, directed by Jodi Foster & starring Holly Hunter, Robert Downey Jr, Anne Bancroft, Charles Durning, Steve Guttenberg, Claire Danes, Cynthia Stevenson, Dylan McDermott, and Geraldine Chaplin. An amazing cast. Smart, funny writing. Skilled direction. In my book, this is a damn near perfect movie.

Dreamspinner Press - 20% off Thanksgiving Sale November 20-30, 2011

2011-11-20T17:20:00.000-05:00

Dreamspinner Press is having a 20% off sale from now until November 30. Time to stock up for the holidays...

"Zombies We Have Heard On High"

2011-11-07T14:23:00.000-05:00

"Zombies We Have Heard On High"
The Undead that Saved Christmas 2 (Rainstorm Press, 2011)

Do a little early Christmas shopping for the zombie-loving horror fans in your life.

In a postapocalyptic world infested with enraged zombies, a man risks his life to provide the perfect Christmas for his mentally challenged brother. This story is dedicated to my brother Jay and to Samantha.

Bonus: Proceeds from the sale of this book go to Hugs Foster Family Agency. - an agency that has an LGBT non-discrimination policy. (Of course.)

Available in paperback. Kindle version available from Amazon.com.

Love this website: www.sissydude.com

2011-07-09T12:23:00.000-04:00

I was wandering around the tumblr-verse and discovered the Sissydude Tumblr feed. It's a mix of vintage, camp, porn, kitsch and narration that made my gay little heart go pitter pat. The Tumblr feed is still live, but new posts are going directly to a new website (click the pic above to visit).

Read "I Know Why the Wage Slave Sings"

2011-07-06T21:55:00.000-04:00

My story "I Know Why the Wage Slave Sings" is included in this fantastic anthology edited by Shane Allison.

Here's what you're missing if you haven't ordered a copy...

When I got back to my desk, the phones were starting to ring and my cube-mate Roscoe was standing in front of his desk talking on the phone to his alcoholic father. “I told you I can’t talk about this right now,” he said, then clapped the phone shut.

“Tough times?” I asked.

“Fuckin’ parents,” he said.

“Yeah,” I said, booting up my computer and logging in to check my calendar.

Whatever. Roscoe knows I’m an orphan; he says that shit to annoy me. Not my fault his father is a blithering alcoholic who calls him about forty times a day, sobbing or raging into his cell phone. Sometimes I can hear the old guy railing and screaming. It’s almost enough to make me feel sorry for Roscoe, but the bottom line is that when your dad’s the third richest man in Virginia and a former Bush Cabinet member—that’s W, not Herbert Walker—you don’t get a lot of pity from me.

I’d do him, though.

Roscoe, not the dad.

I know you’re thinking: Shit, this is one crass motherfucker. Well, fuck you. He’s got this perfect ass, like a pair of luscious melons that ride beneath the charcoal grey of his work slacks, just bouncing there like they’re hangin’ totally free just beneath the cotton. I would rip his pants down to his ankles and slide my face into his fragrant crevice in a second if I thought he’d let me. I can imagine the smell, sweaty and a little funky, like maybe he ran to catch the shuttle from the commuter parking annex this morning, but sweet tasting and moist like expensive saltwater taffy.

Pre-order your paperback copy now.

"Siren Song" will appear in Erotica Exotica (Coming in October 2011)

2011-05-17T10:02:00.012-04:00

My supernatural short story "Siren Song" will appear in editor Richard Labonte's upcoming anthology, Erotica Exotica: Tales of Sex, Magic, and the Supernatural (Bold Strokes Books). The tentative release date is October 18, 2011 but it's available for pre-order now. You'll have your copy just in time for Halloween.

Sonnets

2011-05-14T10:02:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking about this poem by William Wordsworth:

Scorn not the Sonnet; Critic, you have frowned,

Mindless of its just honours; with this key

Shakespeare unlocked his heart; the melody

Of this small lute gave ease to Petrarch's wound;

A thousand times this pipe did Tasso sound;

With it Camöens soothed an exile's grief;

The Sonnet glittered a gay myrtle leaf

Amid the cypress with which Dante crowned

His visionary brow: a glow-worm lamp,

It cheered mild Spenser, called from Faery-land

To struggle through dark ways; and, when a damp

Fell round the path of Milton, in his hand

The Thing became a trumpet; whence he blew

soul-animating strains--alas, too few!

I've always loved a good sonnet. Though I am a really poor poet, I think there is a connection between sonnets and flash fiction. My mind keeps tugging me back to this form.

The Marriage of True Minds was a fantastical fictional riff on a famous Shakespearean sonnet. I think it worked well for the casual reader or the esoteric poetry reader, but I want to explore the sonnet form as well as the content. Stay tuned. I'll let you know how it's going.

The new cover for Hot Daddies.

2011-03-02T10:12:00.001-05:00

Here's the new (final) cover for Hot Daddies (Cleis, 2011). It's available for pre-order in paperback.

Bye Bye Baby

2011-02-28T22:06:00.000-05:00

Bye Bye, Jane. I will miss you.

Jane Russell, 1921-2011

New Covers

2011-01-25T20:26:00.000-05:00

Just got the covers for these 2011 releases. Gotta love them.

Happy Solstice

2010-12-21T11:53:00.000-05:00

Romance for the Solstice

2010-12-19T10:09:00.002-05:00

My last post raised a few eyebrows (and maybe other things), but today I'm posting something for the romantics. If you're snuggled up next to the fireplace looking for a sweet, romantic holiday read, try The White Stag, available in a variety of ebook formats from the incomparable Dreamspinner Press.

The fantastic cover art is by Paul Richmond. If you love it as much as I do, you can purchase a giclee or Christmas cards at Paul's online store.

Here's what it's about: In the aftermath of September 11, a grief-stricken Joshua finds comfort and solace in the arms of a mysterious man who also lost someone that fateful day. Jude Balder, the son of a U.S. Senator and a well-known artist in his own right, is everything Joshua has ever wanted, except for the whole “religion thing.” Joshua is a Christian, and Jude... well, Jude is something else entirely, something abstract and scary and indefinable, something that is definitely not Christian. When Joshua receives an invitation to a Solstice/Christmas party thrown by Jude and his Senator mother a couple of years later, he's faced with a quandary: Should he worry about the dangerous allure of the unknown, or will he dare take the chance to bask in Jude’s undeniable perfection?

It's a sexy, romantic story with a touch of holiday magic. I hope you enjoy it.

Looking for something to stuff in your stocking?

2010-12-11T23:59:00.003-05:00

Now available from STARbooks press, this anthology includes my story "Nicholas North." This one is guaranteed to roast your chestnuts. Available in paperback or kindle format.

Writing Flash Fiction: Take my story away before I wreck it.

2010-12-09T21:16:00.001-05:00

I've been playing with flash fiction lately. It's been an interesting exercise for me. As a writer I tend to inject a lot of detail into my storytelling and when you are working with a form that allows you 500 words to tell the whole story, it makes you more linguistically frugal.

I like the idea of limitations in writing.

Here's an unvarnished truth for you: I am a terrible poet.

But I enjoy poetry. I like to read it and I like to write it. I'm just not very good at writing it. I can't really stand unstructured, moody free verse poetry. My free verse quickly evolves into paragraphs and characters, and a story emerges. But I do like poetic forms; sonnets and sestinas are particular favorites of mine. They're like Sudoku or song lyrics, so defined that the words become critical. Make a misstep in a long, free verse poem and the other words swirl around to mask the glaring problem, but add an extra syllable to a sonnet and it's no longer a sonnet.

I write sonnets by writing down fourteen lines of story and then playing with the words to make them fit the form. Matching words to meter and rhyme without sounding stilted or pretentious is a challenge to which I can seldom do anything more than aspire. As I said, I am a terrible poet.

For the last few years I've written fiction in the same way, by throwing something down on the page and then working it over and over until I feel like I've managed to eke out all the excess.

But it hasn't always been that way. I used to spend evenings sitting in front of a blank screen cursing my lack of creativity. I tried to channel Natalie Goldberg (in Writing Down the Bones, she urges writers to "Write through the dross.") but in my heart of hearts I categorized her as a journal writer, not a fiction writer and, while I loved her and tried to do what she said, I could not really believe the process was relevant to fiction.

And then one night in 2001 or 2002 I was watching a marathon interview with Toni Morrison on C-SPAN and she said that was her process. She would just sit down and write something--anything--and then go back and work the lines, aerating the roots and straightening the rows, coaxing the blooms to life, tangling or untangling the vines. And I thought, "Well hell, maybe I need to try that." And suddenly my fiction output increased exponentially.

So my first drafts ramble and wander, carrying trunks full of excess wording, unclear phrases, and misplaced emphasis. By working with the material, editing and moving and shortening, I eventually arrive at the moment when it seems complete enough to submit. To tell the truth, recognizing that moment is sometimes as hard as the actual writing and editing.

Sometimes I wish there were someone else to read my work, someone to say, "Okay, we're done with this one. Write some more about that gardener or maybe work on the one about the hospital."

So flash fiction seems like a good way to hone my skills, to polish my craft. I mostly write the flash for myself, but on occasion I find someone who's interested in a piece of it. Pill Hill Press contracted a zombie flash story called "Z-Day" for their anthology Daily Bites of Flesh, 2011, and another zombie story for Daily Frights 2012. I've got a couple of other pieces out there floating around looking for homes, so maybe I'll have more flash fiction publication announcements soon.

I saw Six Degrees of Separation first on Broadway and then later as a movie (dozens of times). It's one my favorite works dealing with the big questions about how and why we translate experience into memory or art or stories. There is a scene in the movie where Flan Kittredge, a middle-aged art dealer, is talking about the process of painting and he has this to say:

I remembered asking my kids' second-grade teacher: 'Why are all your students geniuses? Look at the first grade - blotches of green and black. The third grade - camouflage. But your grade, the second grade, Matisses, every one. You've made my child a Matisse. Let me study with you. Let me into the second grade. What is your secret?' 'I don't have any secret. I just know when to take their drawings away from them.'

-Flan Kittredge, Six Degrees of Separation

World AIDS Day - December 1, 2010

2010-11-30T20:29:00.001-05:00

Remember & Support.

In the early 1990s I bought this ornament as a fundraiser for AIDS research and services. It's been a part of my Christmas decorating ritual every year since then. It's a beautiful glass globe--to which my photo fails to do justice--but it would be nice to be able to retire this particular ornament.

If you're looking for a way to express your feelings of hope this holiday season, consider giving to the San Francisco AIDS Foundation to support education, advocacy and services around the world.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T00:01:00.002-05:00

"You see, Eliza, all men are not confirmed old bachelors like myself and the Colonel. Most men are the marrying sort, poor devils. And you're not bad-looking; you're really quite a pleasure to look at sometimes. Not now, of course, when you've been crying, you look like the very devil; but when you're all right, and quite yourself, you're what I would call... attractive."

-Professor Henry Higgins, My Fair Lady

Stock up on Jamie's Cleis Press Titles - 20% Off

2010-11-19T20:21:00.000-05:00

Don't you love online shopping?

Cleis Press is having a great holiday sale on their entire stock. Look for my titles (Beautiful Boys, BGE 2009, BGE 2010, Best Gay Romance 2010, College Boys, Daddies, Muscle Men, Special Forces) or find something else that strikes your fancy. Cleis Press has been good to me. Show them some love and give books for the holidays. Offer good through 12/31. Special offer code: GG.

Click here to start shopping.

50 Word Review: Suburbilicious by Eric Arvin

2010-11-16T20:15:00.000-05:00

Suburbilicious: Vignettes from Jasper Lane by Eric Arvin

Review: A fun, funny novel of intertwining stories in the tradition of "Tales of the City" featuring an entertaining mix of sweet and sassy, serious and sexy. Housewives, porn stars, gym bunnies, rugby players, gay dads, teenagers and straight moms tumble through the trials and tribulations of life on Jasper Lane.

Previous book in the series: SubSurdity: Vignettes from Jasper Lane.
Buy Eric Avin's work at Dreamspinner Press.
Arvin's entertaining blog: Daventry Blue.

Doctor Who Themes 1963-2010 (All of them)

2010-11-15T18:48:00.001-05:00

This is makes me all gooey and nostalgic.

Random Guys: Lazy Sunday

2010-11-14T16:08:00.000-05:00

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

2010-11-14T13:01:00.000-05:00

Although the temperature is up around 80 F most days, the decorations are up, the sales are on and the Christmas carols are playing. I love this time of year. Just wish we'd get a little cold weather.

Cinderella's Castle lit for Christmas. Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World - November 11, 2010.

Caprica Disappears

2010-11-08T13:17:00.000-05:00

I was shocked and saddened by the sudden disappearance of Caprica, one of the most complex, rewarding shows on television. I understand Syfy could not muster the numbers needed to sustain the show despite the fact that nearly every scifi fan I know has been glued to the set. There are plans to air the last five episodes in the spring and BSG: Blood and Chrome, a war saga set in the 10th year of the Cylon War is still slated for production. Still a sad day.

Random Guys: Ecstasy in Unexpected Places

2010-11-05T08:50:00.000-04:00

Today, this is on my mind. Writing "the good parts" is always the hardest part of a story. No pun intended, I swear.

The Hostess League of America

2010-11-02T09:02:00.000-04:00

Can someone please confirm that

I have not died and gone to heaven?

Click the pic above to read Chris Sims' taste test journal at Comics Alliance.

Work in Progress: Erotica with a Twist of Noir.

2010-11-01T23:07:00.000-04:00

Working on a short story with a future noir twist. Here's an excerpt to give you an idea. This stuff is great fun. Maybe there's a novel in here somewhere.

I was sitting in the corner of Cholly’s Bar letting the cheap baijiu eat through the lining of my stomach while I watched the trio of skinny go-go boys stumbling through their tired routine on the platform above the bar. Cholly was pushing this expensive dirtside shit he’d just gotten in, but he knew my credit count so he kept pouring his cheapest lunar domestics in my glass. Yeah, Cholly wasn’t gonna drain away my last credits, but he wasn’t gonna let me go home sober either. What a guy.

Darius, the hairy stick of a boy with a strong Greek nose and delicate epicanthic folds danced over to me, giving me a better view of his filthy bare feet and his pharmaceutically powered erection. He danced a slow, sad shimmy that made me want to give him my overcoat and drag his scrawny ass out into the street for a noodle bowl. He must have seen the look in my eyes because he stood up as straight as he could manage, teetered for a minute, and then kicked my half-filled glass of hooch into my lap.

I'm always drifting towards the dark end of the pool...

Happy Halloween.

2010-10-31T00:01:00.005-04:00

Happy Halloween.

On Halloween evening I'll be holed up in my living room with the shades drawn and the lights out, dodging trick-or-treaters and watching the television adaptation of The Walking Dead on AMC. If you like the show and you haven't read the comics, you should definitely take a look. They are dark and deadly and harrowing and some of the best zombie fiction you'll find out there.

Funny. And kinda hot.

2010-10-30T19:34:00.000-04:00

Because you know who benefits when a frat boy gets all charged up around the lesbians ... the gay best friend.

Halloween Reviews of "Blood Fruit" (QueeredFiction Press)

2010-10-29T20:36:00.000-04:00

I came across a couple of nice comments and reviews of Blood Fruit (QueeredFiction Press).

Rainbow Reviews publised a detailed review of the anthology that featured this mention of my story:

"However, the stories that did hit that nerve, and successfully took them with me ~ some of those will be lingering in the back of my mind for a long long time. Deep, to-the-bone, icy-shiver creepers, and a couple of kick-to-the-gut visceral thrillers.

"Jamie Freeman's "Hollow," for example, delivered that fine blend of irresistible revulsion, provoking an actual physical reaction with it's clear-as-ice descriptions, while forcing me to keep turning the pages to see exactly how badly things would work out."

And in another comprehensive review, AlexDraven (Librarything user) described the story as "Brutal horror - Dexter meets Bret Easton Ellis ****." Four out of five stars and comparison to a personal hero (Bret Easton Ellis) is pretty great. Thanks Alex.

This is Halloween (Marilyn Manson)

2010-10-29T00:01:00.001-04:00

Most excellent.

C'mon. You knew this all along...

2010-10-28T08:26:00.000-04:00

"Rubber ducky, you're [not] the one..."

Random Guys: Daddy of the Month

2010-10-27T23:00:00.000-04:00

Just finished a story called "One Man in His Time." It's a sequel to my story "For Luck" (Daddies, Cleis Press), following the story of the fateful silver ring. Not sure what I'm talking about? Check out Daddies.

The sequel is about an aging twink who comes to terms with becoming a youngish daddy. Steve, the aforementioned youngish daddy has those Paul Newman steely blue eyes. I'll let you know if the story is picked up for publication.

In the meantime, I'll be turning my attention to a short story about cruising. The twist: characters are aboard a cruise ship in space in a future dominated by the Chinese. Wish me luck.

Are you wearing purple for remembrance?

2010-10-20T12:04:00.000-04:00

Growing up gay in this country can really suck.

But things get better.

Remember those who have not made it to adulthood

and support those who need help now.

Google Employees - "It Gets Better"

2010-10-19T22:19:00.000-04:00

Random Guys: Let the Sun Shine In

2010-10-17T13:38:00.001-04:00

Doing a bit of editing and a bit of writing this weekend and I thought I would share my current inspiration for a character named Noah. Noah's a willowy nearly-thirty with a shy disposition and a penchant for singing.

He appears in part two of my current work in progress, the novel/novella "The Ambivalent Gardener" which I am carving from a pure white block of Carrera Wordplay. Stay tuned for more.

Singing our space songs on a spiderweb sitar
Life is around you and in you
Answer for Timothy Leary, dearie
Let the sun shine
Let the sun shine in

Excellent review of "Muscle Men" (Cleis Press)

2010-10-16T18:35:00.001-04:00

I ran across this great review of Muscle Men (Cleis Press) by Chuck Forester at the Lambda Literary website.

Here's an exerpt:

The richest story was The Ambivalent Gardener and the State of Grace by Jamie Freeman. It starts with women that would put Desperate Housewives to shame, talking about a neighbor. Freeman’s attitudes and the language of the women reminded me of Tennessee Williams. It’s also a story of self-revelation as a married man with a son acknowledges his love of men. Using the word clumsy to describe part of a sex scene made it more believable, just like seeing the outline of a man’s dick in his underwear is sexier than seeing him naked. The story has a nice symmetry of broken glass on the floor in an early scene where he’s fed up with his old life and broken glass on the floor when his son tells him to pursue his new life.

Read the whole review here.

Buy the book in paperback or kindle format.

Halloween Picks: The killer, the detectives and the hopeless romantic.

2010-10-14T22:34:00.000-04:00

Don't you love Halloween? The cool fall weather (if it ever drops out of the high 80s here in Florida), the early sunsets, the horror movie marathons and horror novels stacked to the ceiling. Who could ask for more?

So here, gentle reader, are three seasonal suggestions.

For the hardcore horror enthusiast, try Blood Fruit, an anthology of gay and lesbian horror available from QueeredFiction. Buy it in paperback or kindle formats. "Hollow" is a vicious little thriller about a serial killer who will go to any lengths to keep his secret. Violent and hollow, Theo's a man to be feared.

If the violent stuff is not your cup of tea; if you're more of a Scooby Doo, Hocus-Pocus kinda person, try "66 Hours in the Devil's House." It's gay romance with a spooky, kooky air available from Dreamspinner Press.

And for the hopeless romantics, a supernatural tale of love that lives on beyond the grave. My first novella, "The Marriage of True Minds: A Ghost Story" is available in kindle format or in other eformats from Dreamspinner Press.

Hate is illogical.

2010-10-01T19:54:00.000-04:00

Here's 50 Cent urging our brothers to kill themselves:

And here's a noble response from a member of the Star Trek acting family:

Thanks Zachary. I loved you before, but now you're a hero too.

Summer's End. Back to the Words.

2010-09-30T20:47:00.000-04:00

I've been away for the summer, but I am back behind the keyboard working on a great short story about frat boys and circus performers. (Yes, somehow they are connected.) I've got a couple of other short stories in mind for the next few months including a sequel to "For Luck" (Daddies, Cleis Press).

I've got plans to expand "The Ambivalent Gardener and the State of Grace" (Muscle Men, Cleis Press) to novella or novel length.

I have some new stories coming out in the next few months, so be sure to check back or friend me on Facebook (the link is in the column to the right) for all the details.

Bearing it all.

2010-08-09T05:52:00.001-04:00

Great things come in bears, indeed.

Bonus: Justin Timberlake as Boo Boo.

Excellent review of "Muscle Men" and my story "The Ambivalent Gardener and the State of Grace."

2010-08-07T13:11:00.001-04:00

Story Excerpt:

“You know that bitch Nancy has to come out and sit on that damn porch swing every time Jericho sets foot in that yard.”

“Slut,” Wanda hissed.

“Bitch,” Sherie’s voice stretched the word out like a string of summer taffy. Bee-itch. “And why does he have to spend so damn much time out there in the yard anyway? Planting bulbs and pruning the roses and mowing the damn grass? Why doesn’t he just let me get a couple of Mexicans to come do that stuff? Maria’s brother said he’d give us a good price.”

“Maria’s Cuban,” Wanda muttered absently.

“Well, what the hell’s that supposed to mean, Wanda?”

“I don’t know, just that they’re not Mexican, they’re Cuban.”

“Wanda, what difference does it make? You are so dizzy sometimes, I swear and—god, just look at him out there, standing in the middle of the yard in those damn shiny shorts trimming that tree and putting on a muscle show for Nancy. That bitch.”

Wanda stood beside her, shaking her head and jiggling the ice in her glass, watching Jericho stretch his body taut, imagining him standing naked out on the lawn, his enormous body glistening in the sunlight, every muscle tanned and gleaming. He beckoned to her with an outstretched arm and a shiver ran down the length of her back.

“You cold, honey?”

“No, it’s just the ice,” she said, turning away from the window and sitting back at the table. She refilled her tea from the glass pitcher, condensation dripping onto the lace tablecloth.

Muscle Men (Edited by Richard Labonte, Cleis Press)

is available now.

Buy it in Paperback or Kindle format.

I woke up this morning, still not far enough into my first mug of coffee to be completely lucid, to find this great review at Out in Print Queer Book Review. Read an excerpt from the review by Jerry Wheeler, then check out the whole thing. (Thanks Jerry.)

...but it’s with Jamie Freeman’s “The Ambivalent Gardener and the State of Grace” where the book really takes off for me.

This marvelous story is a muscle-sex romp as well as a touching coming out story with some interesting girl-girl dialogue between the main character’s wife and her best friend. It not only titillates, but it has great characters and an interesting scenario.

Blood Fruit: Now Available in Kindle and eBook formats.

2010-07-30T14:11:00.002-04:00

Available now in kindle or other ebook formats. Trade Paperback coming soon.

"Hollow" by Jamie Freeman
Theo has a secret life he’s killing for…

Random Guys: Nostalgia

2010-07-28T10:46:00.000-04:00

Just because it's Wednesday.

Personal Hero: President Josiah Bartlet

2010-07-21T22:36:00.000-04:00

In Jamieland, he's still President.

Random Guys: Chained

2010-07-19T10:10:00.002-04:00

Personal Hero: Kurt Vonnegut

2010-07-15T21:15:00.000-04:00

"Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from God."

(Cat's Cradle, 1963)

Argentina: A Gay Rights Leader in the Western Hemisphere

2010-07-15T21:08:00.001-04:00

Argentina is a pioneer, offering unprecedented rights to gays and lesbians to marry, adopt children and live like other people. If only the United States would follow their lead. Congratulations Argentinos!

Random Guys: Statuary

2010-07-14T20:07:00.000-04:00

Working on a fantasy romance piece at the moment. It's slow going so I've been looking for inspiration. I like the interplay between photography and sculpture. As far as the interplay between the two guys, I'll have to give that some more thought.

Casting Glee: Who's Rachel's Daddy?

2010-07-13T20:58:00.002-04:00

John Barrowman

Sam Harris

There's been a lot of discussion about Rachel's two dads on Glee. If I cast the show, these boys would be hired in a flash. Both of them have publicly expressed an interest in the roles. Both of them are well known in the musical theater world and if McKinley High gets attacked by aliens, John's got combat experience from Doctor Who and Torchwood.

Review: Paws de Deux (Best Gay Romance 2010, Cleis)

2010-07-13T03:00:00.002-04:00

This book has been out a while, but somebody just sent me this great review at outpersonals.com. Thanks to T.R. Moss for the mention:

“Paws de Deux” by Jamie Freeman is a scrumptious bear-on-bear romance, ranging from a romantic poolside dance to Frank Sinatra to dirty sex in the field of flowers, and then sex in a secluded log cabin in front of the fire. It’s refreshing to read about such hot sex in the context of a long-term, complex relationship.

Personal Hero: Harvey Milk

2010-07-11T02:45:00.001-04:00

"Hope will never be silent."

The Battle Against Civil Rights - Still Recruiting Children

2010-07-10T10:23:00.002-04:00

Anita Bryant will reportedly be sharing her wisdom this weekend at the "Reclaiming America for Christ" youth rally in Yukon, Oklahoma. Here's a sample: "If gays are granted rights, next we'll have to give rights to prostitutes and to people who sleep with St. Bernards and to nailbiters.”

And there's this gem: "As a mother, I know that homosexuals cannot biologically reproduce children; therefore, they must recruit our children."

And in her 1978 Playboy Magazine interview, she explained the Biblical source of the pejorative term "fruits": "...they eat the forbidden fruit of the tree of life. God referred to men as trees, and because the homosexuals eat the forbidden fruit, which is male sperm."

Anita and her message should be a couple of curious footnotes along the road to full human equality. The fact that her message still resonates with the religious right is puzzling and a little sad. The fact that she is recruiting young people to her hate-based lifestyle makes me want to do something to save the children.

Fan Review: Necking (Dreampsinner Press)

2010-07-09T22:33:00.001-04:00

A nice mention in a review by prolific Goodreads reviewer Kassa:

"The majority of the 15 stories offered are decent to good (~2.5 to 3 stars or so). A couple stood out above that such as Thank you Note by Jamie Freeman about an established couple having a fling with potential and wonder how to go about dating a new person. The characters are warm, fun, and inviting exactly like the hot sex they get up to. The story is well developed and the sense of fun, adventure, and possibility comes through very well. The sex scenes are a little clinical but the characters help override that."

Available in paperback and kindle formats.

Velma and Scooby: Vampire Hunters

2010-07-09T05:02:00.002-04:00

Not sure where this came from originally, but it's fantastic.

Captain America (and Mark Twain) on being an American.

2010-07-04T00:01:00.003-04:00

Labeled an outlaw by the U.S. government, the press, and the general public for his unwillingness to accede to tyrannical legislation that he feels compromises the civil rights of U.S. citizens, Captain America talks to Peter Parker (Spider-Man's young alter ego) about what it means to be a true patriot.

_______________

"I remember the first time I really understood what it was to be an American...What it was to be a patriot."

"I was just a kid...A million years ago, it seems sometimes. Maybe twelve. I was reading Mark Twain.

And he wrote something that struck me right down to my core...something so powerful, so true, that it changed my life. I memorized it so I could repeat it to myself, over and over across the years. He wrote --

'In a republic, who is the country? Is it the government which is for the moment in the saddle? Why, the government is merely a temporary servant: it cannot be its prerogative to determine what is right and what is wrong, and decide who is a patriot and who isn't. It's function is to obey orders, not originate them.

Who, then is the country? Is it the newspaper? Is it the pulpit? Why, these are mere parts of the country, not the whole of it, they have not command, they have only their little share in the command.

In a monarchy, the king and his family are the country: In a republic it is the common voice of the people each of you, for himself, by himself and on his own responsibility, must speak.

It is a solemn and weighty responsibility, and not lightly to be flung aside at the bullying of pulpit, press, government, or the empty catchphrases of politicians.

Each must for himself alone decide what is right and what is wrong, and which course is patriotic and which isn't. You cannot shirk this and be a man.

To decide it against your convictions is to be an unqualified and inexcusable traitor, both to yourself and to your country, let men label you as they may.

If you alone of all the nation shall decide one way, and that way be the right way according to your convictions of the right, you have your duty by yourself and by your country. Hold up your head. You have nothing to be ashamed of'.'

Cap continues, "Doesn't matter what the press says. Doesn't matter what the politicians or the mobs say. Doesn't matter if the whole country decides that something wrong is something right.

This nation was founded on one principle above all else: The requirement that we stand up for what we believe, no matter the odds or the consequences.

When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move, your job is to plant yourself like a tree beside the river of truth, and tell the whole world--No you move."

Happy Independence Day.

Review: Necking

2010-07-03T20:35:00.000-04:00

A nice review of "The Thank You Note" (Necking, Dreamspinner Press) at Dear Author:

"Army (WTF with that name?!) and Roddy are long-term lovers and they decide to celebrate their 7th anniversary by bringing in a third. The story is told in three “Acts” from each of the men’s perspectives, and starts from Army’s POV, remembering with Roddy the evening before with Aidan and how Army and Roddy met at a performance of Aida. Roddy takes over and remembers how they hooked up with Aidan through Craigslist and remembers the night, and then Aidan takes over and reveals how they get back together. This is a well-crafted story. The understated tension arises from Roddy’s hard limit on the encounter of no emotional entanglement. The characters are distinguishable and fun, the relationship themes are strong and draw the personalities together in a way that you know they’re going to make it. Grade: B+"

A note: The three names (Army, Roddy and Aidan) were derived from Aida (Amneris, Rademes and Aida).

Happy Canada Day to our fine neighbors to the North.

2010-07-01T19:24:00.000-04:00

I can see why he always gets his man.

Blood Fruit - Horror Anthology Coming Soon!

2010-06-26T19:37:00.000-04:00

I've been looking at the final proofs or an anthology called "Blood Fruit." My story "Hollow" will be included in this collection. It's nice to wander from genre to genre. I love the cover art and had to share.

I'll let you know when the book is available for order.

What the fuck you got on?

2010-06-26T11:18:00.000-04:00

Love these Calvin Klein ads.

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-20T12:03:00.001-04:00

Dan Payne (star of Battlestar Galactica and Mulligans) is modeling a DILF t-shirt from the fantastic (and sorely missed) Otter Fashion. http://www.otterfashion.com/ is out of commission at the moment, but if you click the link, it'll take you to an avid fan's Facebook page. "Like" them in order to find out about their new designs, now available at various other internet outlets. This company has some fantastic T-shirts, swimwear and accessories. And the models ain't half bad either.

If you haven't seen Mulligans, it's definitely worth a viewing. The story revolves around two college buddies who come home for a vacation and end up stumbling into an emotional tangle neither of them ever expected. I won't go into a lot of detail in case you're one of those people who doesn't like to know the plot before it unfolds before you on the screen, but I will say there are some family tensions that revolve around issues of the closet and affairs of the heart. The acting, particularly from Payne, Thea Gill and Charlie David, is top notch. Charlie David (Dante's Cove) wrote the surprisingly touching, believable and bittersweet script. The movie had the potential to sway too far into melodrama, but the balance it just right, capturing both the gentle rhythms of vacations at the lake and the emotional turmoil of secrets and betrayal.

And finally, a couple of (very different) book suggestions:

Ariel Tachna's ebook Her Two Dads is a romantic two-men-and-a-baby story about a man forced to choose between the child he loves and the the man who could be the love of his life. 5% of the proceeds from teh sale of this book go to The Family Equality Council and COLAGE, organizations working to secure full civil rights for gay families. Available in ebook formats from Dreamspinner Press.

Daddies (Cleis Press, edited by Richard Labonte) is an anthology containing a full range of erotic stories about all kinds of daddies (biological and othewise). Dive in, there's something for everyone. My short story "For Luck" is included in this anthology: There are significantly less than six degrees of separation when a smalltown father and son's sexual paths cross. Who's your daddy? Available in paperback or kindle.

So Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there. (And to all the Daddies too...)

Random Guys: Fighting the Summer Heat

2010-06-16T09:48:00.001-04:00

The heat is unbearable here in the American South. The asphalt sticks to your shoes when you walk out to check the mail and you return to your house drenched in sweat. Wishing I had a pool right about now...

Happy Birthday Neil Patrick Harris.

2010-06-15T09:13:00.003-04:00

I will confess that, although I watched Doogie Howser as a kid, I really didn't fall for Neil Patrick Harris until I heard him sing the role of Toby in the 2000 Lincoln Center Concert version of Sweeney Todd. What a voice. A couple of years later, I stumbled across a studio recording of him singing the part of Charles in Sondheim's seldom heard television musical, Evening Primrose. Since then I've collected as many of his recordings as I've run across: Assassins, Batman: The Brave & The Bold (yes, it's a musical), Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (a work of genius by my hero Joss Whedon), Commentary! The Musical (another Joss Whedon production), and of course his Glee appearances (singing with Matthew Morrison - could it get any better?).

"My Eyes" from Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog:

I also saw Neil in Proof on Broadway in 2002. He played opposite Anne Heche and Len Cariou as Hal, a young grad student who discovers a groundbreaking proof that he attribues to his mentor Robert (Cariou), but which could be the work of the professor's daughter Catherine (Heche). Hal tumbles into a romantic relationship with Catherine as she grapples with the complicated world of genius, mathematics and mental illness. His performance was startling in its intensity, energetic and real. And it left me wanting to see more of his theater work.

Unrepentant. Dame Helen Mirren on the irresistible charms of the movie Caligula.

2010-06-14T21:59:00.002-04:00

AARP Magazine Interviewer: Why did you choose to star in the soft porn cult classic Caligula, in which you danced in a cone bra?

Helen Mirren: It was an irresistible mix of art and genitals.

I watched the uncut version of Gore Vidal's Caligula recently and was surprised by how explicit the movie was. It's somehow startling to see cumshots in a movie with so many Oscar winners. The depravity will probably turn most viewers away, but there are some stellar performances. In addition to Helen Mirren as Drusilla, Caligula's sister/wife, who presides over an epic Roman orgy, the film is chock full of fine actors. Peter O'Toole is wickedly insane as Tiberius and Sir John Gielgud gives a surprisingly sympathetic performance as Nerva, a conservative retainer in the royal household. Malcolm McDowell as the unsympathetic Caligula slashes through the film like a sword-wielding psychopath. The creepy Giancarlo Badessi, as Claudius, had me reaching for the remote. As a fan of Robert Graves' I Claudius and Claudius the God, I couldn't stand to watch Badessi's vacant buffoonery.

In 2005, this fake trailer for a reimagined Caligula film made the rounds at film festivals. Helen Mirren is joined by Gore Vidal, Benecio Del Toro, Milla Jovovitch, Karen Black, and Courtney Love in this amusing soft core parody.

Random Guys: When the Run Ends

2010-06-13T17:19:00.001-04:00

Necking (Dreamspinner Press) - Review

2010-05-22T01:59:00.002-04:00

Necking is now available from Dreamspinner Press in paperback or ebook formats.

Jenre at Well Read posted a positive review of the anthology. (Thank you!) Here's the bit about my story, but the whole review is defnintely worth reading:

"For those of you looking for something that isn't angsty, there were plenty of lightheared stories. I especially liked the first story in the anthology, The Thank You Note by Jamie Freeman, which looked at two men with opposite personalities and their differing reactions to having a third in their bed."

Random Hot Guys Reading. Seriously.

2010-05-21T20:16:00.001-04:00

I found this fantastic blog that collects photos of hot guys reading.

Nothing sexier than a man who reads, right?

Check out Hot Guys Reading Books.

Happy Birthday Cher.

2010-05-20T00:30:00.014-04:00

May is Zombie Awareness Month

2010-05-04T19:46:00.000-04:00

The Zombie Research Society reminds you that
May is Zombie Awareness Month.

Are you ready?

Zazzle.com offers Gay Zombie Pride T-shirts.

(Click the shirt to visit the site.)

And a movie recommendation. If you can't get tickets to the Grey Party and your neighborhood is not under seige, check out this film from writer/producer Bruce La Bruce about Otto, a German Zombie looking for love and acceptance.

There's a new hottie at Riverdale High.

2010-04-24T17:32:00.001-04:00

This is the cover of the latest Veronica comic from Archie Comics.

The venerable teen comic series has a new hottie in town.

And Kevin Keller is gay.

As a longtime fan of the series, I couldn't be more pleased.

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, So long lives this and this give life to thee.

2010-04-23T05:43:00.003-04:00

When I first read Shakespeare, I was fourteen. My freshman year in high school we read Romeo and Juliet and Julius Ceasar. Over the next four years I read Twelfth Night, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Othello, Macbeth, The Merchant of Venice, The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing and the Sonnets.

Okay, so here's the punchline: I attended a public high school in North Florida. Go figure. We read a lot of great stuff; all that great stuff we read kept me from becoming a high school dropout. My life was saved by Shakespeare and Plato and Dante and Joyce and Woolf and ... well, you get the idea.

I think as a beginner I found Shakespearean language daunting. I had not been raised on the King James Bible which certainly gives one a head start. But once I let myself drift a little, let the words unfold and the rhythm of the language seep into my soul, I was hooked. I still go back to these plays and reread scenes that made my stomach burn.

And when I'm writing, there's nobody like Shakespeare to lend a little poetic inspiration. Often when I'm plotting out a story, I use a Shakespear search engine, looking up key words and using the resulting links as a springboard into the land of the bard. It's a very postmodern way to explore Shakespeare, I admit, and I'm sure there are purists cringing and closing out my blog window as they read this, but for me it's magical.

A month ago I read an entire act of Henry V spontaneously when I was looking for a quote about battle. Last night I read a long angry passage from Julius Ceasar. As a result, I'm working on a story tentatively titled "With a Monarch's Voice Cry 'Havoc'"... You can't beat the Bard for poetic titles.

And the sonnets are as fresh and passionate as the drama. Last year I wrote a novella called The Marriage of True Minds (Dreamspinner Press). It's a romance about two GIs during WWII who meet, but never really fall out of love. The novella was my tribute to the concept of a love that "looks on tempests and is never shaken."

April 23 is (maybe) the Bard's birthday. We know when he was christened on April 26, 1564, we know when he died on April 23, 1616. A lot of people seem to think he was born on April 23 (St George's Day). As a writer and historian, I recognize the symbolic importance of dates. And so today, I choose to remember William Shakespeare and think about his influence on my writing, my heart, and my soul.

"Yeah, but the photo?" you ask. "Joseph Fiennes? C'mon."
"Poetic license," I reply. "Joseph's a hottie and we all know the Bard loved a hottie. Happy Birthday, Mr. Shakespeare."

Now Available or Coming Soon from Dreamspinner Press, STARbooks Press, and Cleis Press

2010-04-22T21:11:00.002-04:00

Coming May 10, 2010

My story "The Thank You Note" will be included in this anthology. Necking will be released in ebook formats from Dreamspinner Press.

Available for Pre-Order Now.

"66 Hours in the Devils House" will be included in this 2010 Daily Dose Collection. A story a day for the entire month of June will be delivered to your Dreamspinner ebookshelf. Some of the best authors in the industry are writing about summer hauntings and summer lovin'. Special pricing is in effect for April. The price will rise May 1 and again in June.

This story will be available in eformat at a later date for individual purchase.

If you're a fan of my story, look for the further adventures of The Five Investigators coming soon from Dreamspinner Press. Some of the boys' edgier adventures will appear in other anthologies this year including the short story "GingerChakra Pimps a Vid" in Video Boys from STARbooks. "Bookended by Beauty" (a story written for my dear friend Jonathan) will be appearing Beautiful Boys from Cleis Press. There are some more stories floating out there with editors, so hopefully I'll have more updates for you on the boys soon.

Random Guys: Guys With iPhones

2010-04-19T21:17:00.000-04:00

Disclaimer: This is not me.

This is a random hottie from Guys With iPhones.

I brought home an iPhone today and I have spent the last four hours playing with the apps and loading all kinds of useless toys. Thus far I have avoided taking nude photos of myself, but then I don't look like this guy either. What is it about boys and their iPhones that makes them want to strip down and share their bounty with the world?

I must put the toy down.

I must get back to work.

Thank you Dixie, for making me laugh, cry and fall in love.

2010-04-11T10:36:00.001-04:00

As a Southern boy, I grew up around women like Julia Sugarbaker, strong-willed Southern women with lots of opinions, fierce family loyalties and good old fasioned Southern charm. Manners are important to these women as surely as the rules of engagement are to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. You've heard all the stereotypes; some of them are true, even here in the New South.

My mother is, in her way, one of these women. She claims a Yankee lineage, but she and the women in her family relocated here during the 1950s and their historical roots extend just a few miles north of the Mason Dixon line to a plantation in the darkness of the American past.

My father's family too was filled with these women. My grandmother and her sisters with their Southern pedigree, springing from the rich soil of the Mississippi delta, were perhaps more clearly traditionally Southern, both geographically and socially.

I loved the movie Steel Magnolias (and recognized the women from my own life), but Julia Sugarbaker on the 1980s sitcom Designing Women was the Southern woman who stole my heart.

I find myself returning again and again to these women in my writing, these strong, smart, sexy women, bull-headed and tender and fierce. I am editing a novel I completed a few years ago that I am finally ready to send out into the world. It's called Jude the Unsure and features one of my favorite characters. Valor Balder is a City Councilwoman in the novel, but she goes on to become a U.S. Sentator by the time she appears in my short story "The White Stag." She embodies all those great contradictory traits of Southern womanhood and she's just a pleasure to write. She was modeled after the women in my life: my mother, my grandmothers, personal friends, women I've had the pleasure of working with and, of course, Julia Sugarbaker.

Dixie Carter has had a long and varied career. I've watched her in other television roles and movies, and I have a copy of one of her CDs loaded on my iPod (Dixie Carter sings John Wallowitch Live at the Carlyle) so I can hear her dulcet, sexy tones when I'm having a quiet cocktail or writing about life in the South. But to me, the name Dixie Carter will always be inextricably linked to the fiery soul of Julia Sugarbaker.

Thank you Dixie, for making me laugh, cry and fall in love.

Glee is back April 13.

2010-04-05T00:05:00.004-04:00

I know it makes me a total dork, but I love this show. As you may have gathered from my writing, I am a total show tune queen and this show speaks to my soul. Can't wait for the next episode.

Happy Easter, people. Eat 'em if ya got 'em.

2010-04-03T17:38:00.001-04:00

This cracks me up every single year.

(Sad but true.)

Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate it and to those of you who tag along for the candy.

Way to go, Ricky. We love ya, man.

2010-03-30T18:12:00.002-04:00

Random Guys: Drink Up, Girls

2010-03-27T09:50:00.000-04:00

His tattoo matches the chalkware lamp on my bar.

Makes me thirsty.

Publishing Updates: Threesomes and Muscles and Chimps, Oh My!

2010-03-25T00:01:00.000-04:00

I've been working hard the past couple of weeks and I've got a list of publishing updates for you.

Nathan Burgoine posted a review of I Do Two! in which he had some nice things to say about my story "Ships That Pass." This anthology is available in e-format, Kindle and paperback from amazon.com. Here's the text of the review: "Keeping the sweet in bittersweet, this genuinely moving story has more than a little heartache to it, but has such a pair of strong characters at its core that it left me charmed with its resolution. When do you give up? This story asks the question, and the answer is well worth the journey." Nice. Thanks Nathan.

Best Gay Romance 2010 is number 5 on the InsightOut Book Club bestseller list. Special Forces is currently number 24. Nice to see that people are out there buying my work.

My spooky kooky mystery "66 Hours in the Devil's House" will be published by Dreamspinner Press as part of their Midsummer's Nightmare series. Nick, Andy and Oliver (members of a long-term m/m/m relationship) are accompanied by their friend Serena, a fabulous lipstick lesbian fashion photog with an Irish setter named Stubing, as they attempt to spend 66 hours in the Devil's House. Think a sexier, grown-up version of Scooby Doo.

My short story "The Thank You Note" will be included in the Dreamspinner Press anthology Necking, due out in May 2010. So you've just had a lovely threesome. You must surely be asking yourself whether a thank you note is appropriate. What Would Miss Manners Do?

"Hallowell Holdings" is a gothic story set in the far future. Like every gothic tale, there's a family in decay, a creepy mansion, incest, murder, creepy twins, mirrors and an albino chimpanzee named Apollinaire. It's been contracted by QueeredFiction for their Queer Gothic anthology. Word from the publisher is that this book will be out in May or June 2010.

Predating the release of Tim Burton's Alice by almost a year, my short story "Alex's Adventures in the Land of Wonder China Emporium" will finally be seeing print in the Bold Strokes Press anthology Black Fire: A Celebration of Gay African-American Erotica. Did I mention that Alex is a hot black body builder? Or that the white rabbit is a skinny white tweaker who steals Alex's watch and bolts into the basement of the Land of Wonder China Emporium? Come on, you know you want to read this...

Repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell: We Can Do It!

2010-03-20T09:17:00.002-04:00

The fine people at the Open Artist Movement have come up with a new photo campaign to support the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell. Using Howard J. Miller's iconic WWII "We Can Do It!" poster as the jumping off point, they have developed a series of photos picturing well known gays and lesbians in support of the movement. Ya gotta love these.

The Original:

Reichen Lemhkuhl

Daryl Stephens

Wilson Cruz

Rachael Cantu

To see more or to buy prints, check out the OAM Website.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T00:01:00.001-04:00

Review: I Do Two!

2010-03-16T21:05:00.000-04:00

A nice review of I Do Two! from Three Dollar Bill Reviews: Here.

Random Guys: A cuppa Joe to start your day.

2010-03-13T11:15:00.000-05:00

Vote for the 2010 TLA Gaybies (Vote Early and Often)

2010-03-07T10:58:00.000-05:00

Two anthologies containing my short stories have been nominated for BEST GAY EROTICA in the race for the 2010 TLA Gaybies. TLAgay.com (formerly TLA Video) allows visitors to the site to vote in a wide ragne of categories. Winners will be announced April 15. Please vote for one of my anthologies and while you're there, cast your vote in the other categories as well. Here's the link.

"8 Beautiful Boys 8: The Follies Revisited" is in Best Gay Erotica 2010.

"Loving Calvin Panaro" is in Unmasked II.

Cover: Hard Working Men

2010-02-28T18:15:00.001-05:00

I'm loving this cover. Due out in September 2010, this gorgeous little hunk of a book will contain two of my short stories: "Their Blood Shall Be Upon Them" and "The Wages of Sin." The observant among you might note that both titles are biblical references. Well, extra points for you. These two are both from the CSA (Christian States of America) alternate history series. A little on the dark side, but not quite as brutal as "The D.C. Blues." Looking forward to this Cleis Press release, edited by Shane Allison.

Great Review of "The Marriage of True Minds" (Dreamspinner Press)

2010-02-27T11:12:00.004-05:00

Whipped Cream Erotic Reviews posted a review of "The Marriage of True Minds" yesterday that blew me away. Five Cherries -- gotta love that. And the novella is up for "Book of the Week" (Vote here 2/27 and 2/27 only).

Here's the text of the review:

Transported, whisked away, and completely caught off guard—that’s what happened when I read this story. I often avoid the combination ghost story and romance. Things get a little odd, or they’re simply tragic. Here, the author lets you know up front that the love interest died long ago. Never fear. You still get your happily-ever-after ending. This is merely a jumping off point for this heart-seizing romance.

With depth of feeling and wonderful description, the reader travels back and forth with Charlie between his old age in Florida and his youth in WWII Germany where he and Danny, both young officers, meet. The tale gently leads us into the mind of this man, a man who has tried to live his life as honorably as he could, but who has always been left with a sense of being incomplete and restless. His inability to live in the present except with Danny, who now haunts his Florida house, runs as an undercurrent to the romance, beautifully illustrated by this passage:

“I felt disconnected to the world around me as if, at least for the moment, nothing mattered outside the room. It was a rare occurrence for me, to live so intensely that my life narrowed to a single point. No past, no future, no worries, no speculations. Just Danny and me.”

Yes, the sex is hot and steamy but written with a tenderness that tugs at the heart, with desperate emotional poignancy. I felt in the moment as well, reading the WWII passages. Freeman’s portrayal of the period is rendered successfully because of the little details, what sorts of buttons have to be undone, what sorts of songs might be in a German record collection of the time. Having been forced to watch too many hours of WWII documentary, I’ll confess I’m not an avid fan of the era. Usually. But this story has nothing to do with generals and troop movements, and everything to do with conquests of the heart, a look at the conflict from a more human level, tragedy and all. Freeman demonstrates an excellent grasp of the short story medium. Some writers are more comfortable in the short form, but I would be intrigued to see what this author might do in a longer work.

Charlie and Danny’s story is one that will stay with me for a long time, most likely always. Pick an afternoon when the significant other won’t pester you, shoo the kids out of the house, and give yourself a couple of uninterrupted hours with this beautifully crafted story. Immerse yourself in it, and I promise you’ll feel uplifted and fulfilled at the end.

Thanks Phlox for the fantastic review.

Check out Whipped Cream for a wide variety of erotic romance reviews.

Happy Birthday Sean Astin

2010-02-25T22:34:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Sean. I've had a crush on you since I was fourteen.

Random Guys: Come and Knock on Our Door

2010-02-21T17:56:00.001-05:00

Working on final edits of my story "GingerChakra Pimps a Vid" which is slated to appear in the STARbooks anthology Video Boys, edited by Mickey Erlach. Nick, Andy and Oliver are the three protagonists of this story and I'll be working again with them soon on a romantic sppoky summer mystery. Stay tuned.

Random Guys: Patrick Rukai of Albania

2010-02-13T11:33:00.001-05:00

In honor of my first visitor from Albania, I'm posting this great pair of photos by Jospeh Bleu of Albanian model, Patrick Rukai. If you're not familiar with Mr. Bleu's photography, it's definitely worth a visit to his blog.

Bleu's got a stark, romantic way with black and white and an acute eye for fasion. His tall willowy models are uniformly beautiful and perfect. Check out his recent post of model Nick Gogel called New Moon Luminous.

Dark Days: The Christian States of America

2010-02-12T19:34:00.000-05:00

Over the past year I've been working on a series of alternate history stories in which gay men are intimate witnesses to the demise of the American republic and the creation of two separate states: The USA and the CSA (Christian States of America). George Bush is the evil mastermind behind the series of events that culminate in a violent division of the country, an escalation of hostilities and eventually the conduct of a Holy War. The Reds and the Blues take up arms and all hell breaks loose.

My intent was to explore the ways in which public political and criminal policies directly affect the lives of outlawed minority groups. In this case, President Bush issued a series of Executive Orders called the Levitican Code that revive the traditional death penalties associated with adultery, homosexuality, cross-dressing and rebellion against parents, community and God. As the stories evolve, the new nation is in the process of transforming from an open society to a closed autocratic theocracy.

It seems an odd choice of subject matter for Gay Erotica, but we have long been a tribe of outlaws, living out our passions at the edges of a world that has only recently (and only in some places) begun to embrace us. Cruising, bathhouses, public sex, bondage -- all of these are part of our heritage of oppression. As hot or exciting as they may be, they are also forms of political rebellion and expression.

And of course, evil sometimes wears a beautiful face.

I've sold several stories in this series to date:

"Their Blood Shall Be Upon Them" in Homo Thugs (STARbooks) & Hard Working Men (Cleis Press)
"The Wages of Sin" in Homo Thugs (STARbooks) & Hard Working Men (Cleis Press)
"The DC Blues" in Special Forces (Cleis Press)
"Brother for Brother" in College Boys (Cleis Press)

Shane Allison (poet, writer, artist, editor, Renaissance man) has been very encouraging about these titles. He urged me to consider weaving them into a novel length manuscript. I've been tossing some ideas around and working on some outlines for future stories and/or chapters. There's more of this world to come.

I just ran across this review of Special Forces by Vincent Diamond in which he spotlights "The DC Blues." Here's an excerpt of the review. Read the whole review at the Erotic Readers & Writers Association.

Another strong and unsettling story is "The DC Blues" by James Freeman. Set in the not-too-distant future in the Christian States of America, 2011, the story has references to Homeland Security, President Bush (in office again, gasp! The horror!), and occupied D.C. It's not fully explained in a neat, little package, and it's clear that Freeman wants readers to push a little to keep up. Joshua Davidson is the hero, injured in a bomb blast, captured by the Christian government, and fitted with an ID chip that will never let him go underground again. After a consensual sexual encounter with a fellow "patient," he's betrayed, and the reader is left with a creepy ending and the image of a black doctor's bag. It's a downer ending after the scenes of hot sex, but it fits the piece and the universe Freeman created.

Thanks Vincent for a great review, and for those of you who liked the Blues, check out my other CSA stories and know that there are more coming down the pike. They are dark, erotic, hot, scary, sad and sometimes hopeful. Just like life.

Working on Edits for Muscle Men (Cleis Press 2010)

2010-02-06T14:26:00.001-05:00

I've been working on edits for my story in Muscle Men (Cleis Press edited by Richard Labonte). Not too much to be done, but it's nice to read through everthing one more time before it's published. This one is about a hunky former Gator football player who later in life finally gives in to the erotic yearnings that have haunted him all his life. It's a fun story and, although it's in an erotic anthology (and has some explicit sex), it's stylistically more like my more romantic stories (My Dreamspinner writings, for instance.). This is one of the stories I have been slowly working into a longer piece, fleshing out the characters and telling the story beyond the borders of the story as it's written today. You can pre-order this lovely book today and have it appear on your doorstep in early June. Look for "The Ambivalent Gardener and the State of Grace."

So who's the guy in the jeans? Nobody in particular, but he reminds me a little of Jericho, the main character in this story.

Stumbling Around In Search of My Story

2010-02-04T22:58:00.002-05:00

I'm working on a story about a de-mobbed GI who returns to East Tennessee in 1947 to take over the family business only to be confronted by the (supernatural) echoes of his past. It's supposed to be a ghost story and I'm struggling a bit to find my way inside the character's head.

This photo made me think of him sleeing on a cot upstairs above the hardware store, breathing stale air and about to awaken from a nightmare too real to be a dream.

Stumbling, stumbling, stumbling.

A nice mention for "How Could I Not" in a review of Sindustry, Vol I.

2010-02-04T00:23:00.001-05:00

"How Could I Not" (Sindustry, Vol, 1) received a positive mention in the Dark Divas Review. Thanks Kathy.

Kathy’s Review: This story did not start at all in a manner that boded well for a romance. But a funny thing happened when Joshua got to know Ben. An emotionally telling tale is the result and I’m once again intrigued by Jamie Freeman and his adept storytelling. The journey from beginning to end takes an unexpected yet very satisfying turn.

Six More Weeks of Winter: Bring It On

2010-02-02T23:04:00.001-05:00

The official word from Punxsutawney Phil is that there's a shadow and we're all in for six more weeks of Winter. Well, living in Florida, I can't quite get enough of the cold weather. It'll be up over a hundred soon enough, so thanks Phil. I for one, will be celebrating the continuing chilly weather, laying in extra logs for the fireplace and extra marshmallows for the cocoa and smores.

Gratuitious Fox Mulder Winter shot.

"GingerChakra Pimps a Vid" to be printed in Video Boys (STARBooks Press, October 2010)

2010-01-30T16:48:00.001-05:00

Andy (known online as GingerChakra) has an online empire and a complicated homelife. When he "accidentally" posts a video of himself and his two famous boyfriends on XTube, all hell breaks loose.

Preorder your copy of Video Boys now from amazon.com.

Sometimes the Flame Flickers

2010-01-28T19:24:00.000-05:00

If those in charge of our society - politicians, corporate executives, and owners of press and television - can dominate our ideas, they will be secure in their power. They will not need soldiers patrolling the streets. We will control ourselves.

(Howard Zinn)

Among other things, you'll find that you're not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior. You're by no means alone on that score, you'll be excited and stimulated to know. Many, many men have been just as troubled morally and spiritually as you are right now. Happily, some of them kept records of their troubles. You'll learn from them - if you want to. Just as someday, if you have something to offer, someone will learn something from you. It's a beautiful reciprocal arrangement. And it isn't education. It's history. It's poetry.

(from The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger)

"Alex's Adventures in the Land of Wonder China Emporium" - Accepted for publication in Black Fire (Lethe Press)

2010-01-25T23:57:00.001-05:00

Follow the rabbit, baby.

I've been hopping back and forth between a romance novella and an erotic short story, working frantically through a headache tonight, trying to get my thoughts to pour out onto the paper in some kind of order. I was interrupted by an e-mail from one of my favorite editors (Shane Allison) telling me he's accepted my story "Alex's Adventures in the Land of Wonder China Emporium" for an upcoming anthology from Lethe Press called Black Fire. It's nice to end the night with a little good news.

Random Guys: When in Rome

2010-01-23T17:19:00.000-05:00

Today I had a visitor from my 60th country. Thanks for stopping by; these beauties are for you. These fellows are from the 2009 and 2010 Roman Priest Calendars. And yes, they're real Roman Priests. Get the 2010 Calendar now.

Muscle Men (Cleis Press) Coming in June

2010-01-20T22:36:00.000-05:00

My story "The Ambivalent Gardener and the State of Grace" about a former Gator football player who comes rather dramatically out of the closet will be included in Muscle Men, a new anthology by editor Richard Labonte coming in June from Cleis Press.

When I got the email from Richard I had just started playing with this story with the idea of expanding it to novella or novel length. It's transforming into something bigger. We'll see where that takes Jericho Thomas, former Gator football player.

Random Guys: Three's Company Too

2010-01-18T23:11:00.002-05:00

Just finishing up the edits on a story about a charming threesome. I like them so much, I may have to move on to a sequel. I'll let you know if my guys get picked up for publication. In the meantime, I hope you find this photo as inspiring as I did.