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magical realism

REVIEW: The Bear at the Bar, by J. Scott Coatsworth

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The Bear at the Bar

Title: The Bear at the Bar Author: J. Scott Coatsworth Genre: Magical Realism, Gay Romance LGBTQ+ Category: MM Gay Publisher: Self Pages: 29 Reviewer: Pat Get It On Amazon About The Book Dex is a gay Adonis. When he walks into Seattle’s Ransom bar, heads turn. He can have just about anyone he wants, and he does, every night. Until he meets a bear at the bar and everything changes. “The Bear at the Bar” is a short story originally published in 2014 in the “A Taste of Honey” anthology. The Review I met J. Scott Coatsworth in Seattle’s Ransom … Read more

ANNOUNCEMENT/GIVEAWAY: The Holiday Home Hotel, by Lou Sylvre

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The Holiday Home Hotel

QSFer Lou Sylvre has a new MM paranormal holiday book out – The Holiday Home Hotel. Daren Novak and Gunny Schuler have known each other since freshmen days at the University of Washington, where they’d started a romance Daren assumed would last. But at the start of winter break, Gunny bowed to the dictates of his lifelong religion and his overbearing father and left UW never to return. After a failed marriage, Gunny built a quiet life embracing his gay identity, and left his North Dakota home, his marriage, and his father’s business for a forestry and teaching career in … Read more

ANNOUNCEMENT/GIVEAWAY: Escape From the Holidays Collection

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Escape From the Holidays Collection

Escape from the Holidays Collection For the second year in a row, Mischief Corner Books is putting out a winter holiday collection – Escape from the Holidays – ten stories revolving around various December holidays: The end of year holidays can get overwhelming for anyone. Things to do. People to see. Last minute work obligations to take care of. Sometimes it’s just easier to escape from it all, running away from the responsibilities and expectations, or ignore the underlying disappointment from relatives who don’t see eye-to-eye with you. Because escaping the holiday grind can lead to new, unexpected paths, and … Read more

ANNOUNCEMENT: The Bear at the Bar, by J. Scott Coatsworth

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The Bear at the Bar

QSFer J. Scott Coatsworth has a new MM magical realism short out: Dex is a gay Adonis. When he walks into Seattle’s Ransom bar, heads turn. He can have just about anyone he wants, and he does, every night. Until he meets a bear at the bar and everything changes. “The Bear at the Bar” is a short story originally published in 2014 in the “A Taste of Honey” anthology. Amazon Excerpt Dex wokeup the next morning feeling thickheaded and groggy. He rubbed his eyes and turned over to find the bed next to him empty. The go-go boy from … Read more

FOR WRITERS: Magical Realism

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FOR WRITERS Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer John Marshall: Magical realism. When we include magic in our paranormal settings, do we look to the real word or do we seek something totally original? If we do choose to use real world cultural traditions, how can we both indulge in poetic licence but also be sensitive to the history of white authors sensationalizing non-western cultures in negative ways. Join the chat This is a legacy chat.

ANNOUNCEMENT/GIVEAWAY: The River City Chronicles, by J. Scott Coatsworth

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COVER-River-City

J. Scott Coatsworth has a new queer magical realism book out: A group of strangers meets at Ragazzi, an Italian restaurant, for a cooking lesson that will change them all. They quickly become intertwined in each other’s lives, and a bit of magic touches each of them. Meet Dave, the consultant who lost his partner; Matteo and Diego, the couple who run the restaurant; recently-widowed Carmelina; Marcos, a web designer getting too old for hook-ups; Ben, a trans author writing the Great American Novel; teenager Marissa, kicked out for being bi; and Sam and Brad, a May-September couple who would … Read more

Rabid Reader Recommendations — R3 Wednesdays!

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WELCOME to Rabid Reader Recommendations, or R3 WEDNESDAYS! We host this discussion the first Wednesday of every month; it’s a great opportunity to recommend and discuss works you have enjoyed in queer speculative fiction. For December R3, the theme is: Magical Realism! (Books that are pretty close to reality, but with a hint of magic.) HOW IT WORKS: The works have to be QUILTBAG Speculative Fiction. They have to be related to the theme. This is a reader discussion. Don’t recommend your own works–get someone to do it for you! Please include a Goodreads link or something comparable. You can … Read more

Announcement: Of Paradise & Purgatory, by Stephen del Mar

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Of Paradise and Purgatory

QSFer Stephen del Mar has a new MM magical realism book out: Going home can be hell, even if it’s paradise. Victor Cruz returns to the Arizona town where he grew up to bury his estranged father, and dispose of the family’s ancestral home. The plan: get in and get out. A stop at Santo Domingo’s Lady of Guadalupe chapel compels him to offer up a simple prayer, “May I do what needs to be done,” and starts a landslide of events-old friends, old loves, and who is in collusion with the murderous Cumero Cartel? “Of Paradise and Purgatory” is … Read more

For Writers: Urban Fantasy vs. Magical Realism

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Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer Therese Woodson: I’d love to talk more about Urban Fantasy – what classifies something as urban fantasy vs magical realism vs regular fantasy. This is a topic near and dear to my own heart – as I write a bit of both. I’d say urban fantasy presupposes a whole magical framework in our world, while magical realism is more subtle – almost a heightened reality. So my questions today – how do you define Urban Fantasy? How do you define Magical Realisim? And how do you think they are different from one another? Join … Read more

“Between the Lines” by J. Scott Coatsworth

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Genre: Gay Urban Fantasy Romance Length: Novella   Brad Weston is the chief of staff for a Republican California state senator, and it seems like he has everything going for him. Sam Fuller, fresh out of college, is also working for the GOP as Weston’s aid. They work hard for their party, even when they face constant homophobia, but neither really knows how bad they’re discriminated against until Weston enters an antique shop, looking for a present for his boyfriend for their anniversary. The enchanted trinket he finds exposes Weston to all the hate in the world, and the revelations … Read more