Jacob Campbell is author of five male gay books. His novels range from near-documentary treatments of sex and promiscuity in FRENCH QUARTER KNGHTS, to the unveiling of a sensitive boy’s abuse by a secret cabal of Roman Catholic priests in AMEN’S BOY. He has published an annotated bibliography for the gay reader, and a historical outline of Zen. He lives with his husband in New Orleans, Louisiana, and recently released TWO LOVES, a sequel to AMEN’S BOY which in many ways models itself upon the writing of Jean Genet.) Amen's Boy: A Fictionalized Autobiography by Jacob Campbell |
ISBN: 9781611526462 PRICE: $3.99 GENRE: Gay Erotic Romance LENGTH: 13,128 words RATING: Joey Melancon is a young social worker at a mental health center. His days are clinical routine and his weekends are monotonous -- a bottle of scotch and boring sex with a dumpy co-worker. He’s desperately lonely and wants real love in his life. Curry Deigrepont is a hot redhead doing a summer internship at the mental health center where Joey works. Curry kicks things off by leaving a note for Joey which invites lots of sexual curiosity. When they hook up, Joey begins to hope for a future together, but Curry has other plans. Can what they have found together turn into lasting love? Or will their red hot summer fizzle out when Curry’s internship ends? REVIEW |
‘Red Curry Summer’ is a bitter-sweet story that covers a lifetime of love that never died. Jacob Campbell immerses the reader in young love, poignant love, love where stolen moments under a clear sunny sky in a pine forest leave indelible memories. Love in a time when men were lonely, sex was everywhere, but romance was rationed.
Against the backdrop of an internship at the mental health centre, we meet two young professionals in their twenties. Falling for one another, they experience a summer which is hot in every respect. Attraction leads to desire, but the all-too-common scenario of outside forces pulling against love itself is ever present. Expectations of deeper love linger in an era before cell phones and social media; a time when feedback was never instant. A lover had to endure the agony of waiting, hoping, wondering. Were his feelings reciprocated? Was the bond he felt real or imagined? Maybe their ‘last’ encounter could mean just that.
Campbell relieves the tension of apprehension with the healing symbolism of the gay baths and anonymous encounters which remove the sting of loss in love. The contrast between aspiration and reality is ably drawn to show how misplaced hope or desperate longing can cause distortion in one's perceptions.
In itself, the story highlights the short, sharp fragility of some gay relationships, conveying what can happen when two men are socially pushed together then quickly torn apart by the demands of everyday life.
In an unexpected twist, an epilogue brings the story into focus a lifetime later. This is where the truth in the story makes a difference and its full impact.
Campbell's writing is real. It deserves to be read. 'Red Curry Summer' is a novella, ideal for those who enjoy the intensity of reading a short story in one sitting.
Against the backdrop of an internship at the mental health centre, we meet two young professionals in their twenties. Falling for one another, they experience a summer which is hot in every respect. Attraction leads to desire, but the all-too-common scenario of outside forces pulling against love itself is ever present. Expectations of deeper love linger in an era before cell phones and social media; a time when feedback was never instant. A lover had to endure the agony of waiting, hoping, wondering. Were his feelings reciprocated? Was the bond he felt real or imagined? Maybe their ‘last’ encounter could mean just that.
Campbell relieves the tension of apprehension with the healing symbolism of the gay baths and anonymous encounters which remove the sting of loss in love. The contrast between aspiration and reality is ably drawn to show how misplaced hope or desperate longing can cause distortion in one's perceptions.
In itself, the story highlights the short, sharp fragility of some gay relationships, conveying what can happen when two men are socially pushed together then quickly torn apart by the demands of everyday life.
In an unexpected twist, an epilogue brings the story into focus a lifetime later. This is where the truth in the story makes a difference and its full impact.
Campbell's writing is real. It deserves to be read. 'Red Curry Summer' is a novella, ideal for those who enjoy the intensity of reading a short story in one sitting.
EXCERPT
Note: may contain sexually explicit scenes of a homoerotic nature.
- I was experiencing a tumult of emotions. The touch, the warmth, the caring, all was more than I had expected. I felt as if who I was had disappeared and someone new was in my body. I felt this inner earthquake. I was shaken to my core.
“Curry, you are so tender and make me feel so happy when you touch me.”
“It’s the same for me,” Curry said. This grabbed my attention like a vice, but then he stopped talking.
I wanted to know more.
“Do you feel what I’m feeling?” I asked. “Like a tenderness and fire that is so electric, like something shooting through my nerves ... something good and special?”
“Woo hoo,” he said loudly as he let me fall from his mouth for a second, but then he continued. I was impatient to find out more how he felt because it seemed to me that my heart was totally into this.
****
I so wanted something to develop between us now, and secretly I was interested in doing what I could to derail his departure for New Orleans, or to find a way to go with him there.
“Okay then, that gives us Saturday we can go out to Red Dirt. I’ll pack a picnic and we can hunt for arrowheads and go swimming in the waterfall. It’s a great place and nobody is ever out there.”
“Red Dirt? Okay, it’s a date.”
“Okay!” He seemed animated suddenly at the thought of a picnic day. This moved me deeply. I felt he cared about me, about us.
****
I smoked a joint and rolled several for the evening and then dropped the tab of acid that was supposed to be really mellow “sunshine” and it turned out to be an ecstatic kind of experience and I felt a lot of love. A lot of feelings of grandiose magnanimous affection and caring for every creature in the world seemed to emanate from somewhere in my solar plexus. When Curry arrived I was more than ready for him. In the darkened apartment, curtains all closed, I had candles lit and the Moody blues were playing in the background his favorite song “Knights in White Satin" and the aroma of red curry and sandalwood incense filled the apartment. I had everything in the oven on warm.
"Come on in,” I said to Curry and as I shut the door behind him I threw my arms around him, and he kissed me and I kissed him. There was a moment of blissful unification that I experienced. Sunshine was rushing through my system, and I was feeling most intensely each touch, each emotion, each tiny thing as though everything were processed through some kind of life amplification system.
Curry was carrying his knapsack with his overnight stuff with him and in one hand he had a blue foil box that was gift wrapped with a red ribbon. I was very curious but I said nothing and I indicated for him to put it down on the table over in the corner by the books shelf. That's when he noticed the gift wrapped boxes for himself.
We had our dinner by candlelight and then we sat on the sofa and kissed and cuddled. There was no motion to go into the bedroom to have sex. Not yet.
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E-Book EPUB (Open eBook / Nook)
HTML (Firefox / IE / Web)
MOBI (Amazon Kindle)
PDF (Adobe Reader)
PRC (Mobipocket)
'Stranger In Translation'
by Charles Raines: A French Perspective.
Four years ago, Bazil's lover left him without so much as a note. Just like that. Never came home from work.
From that fateful day, Bazil becomes a recluse, until he meets the Swimmer, a young Olympian who will change his life forever.
This is a beautiful love story of loss, tragic circumstance, and hope.
It will leave you applauding for more.
From that fateful day, Bazil becomes a recluse, until he meets the Swimmer, a young Olympian who will change his life forever.
This is a beautiful love story of loss, tragic circumstance, and hope.
It will leave you applauding for more.
BIO.
Louis J Harris lives in Germiston, South Africa with his hubby and stepson and two damned naughty Yorkshire terriers. His first book, called Revival, was published in 2006 and introduced South Africa to her first gay literary detective. He writes thrillers and romance, lots of short stories, and heads up the editing program for gayauthors.org. He is also a member of the Professional Editor's Group of South Africa.
Louis J Harris lives in Germiston, South Africa with his hubby and stepson and two damned naughty Yorkshire terriers. His first book, called Revival, was published in 2006 and introduced South Africa to her first gay literary detective. He writes thrillers and romance, lots of short stories, and heads up the editing program for gayauthors.org. He is also a member of the Professional Editor's Group of South Africa.
Excerpt
It’s a feeling like none other. An addiction. Exhilarating. Motivating. You’ve had it ever since you first said hi to him. It’s everything about him; his smell, his erotic passion, his romantic passion and his flaws. There is a strong, bold attachment to him and you cannot imagine him going home to Catherine although he must.
Rubbing his fine, lithe body with suntan lotion, you recall that he’s just twenty, not a loser. When he’s thirty, you’ll be forty and so on. A lifetime is a short time to spend together. He’ll most likely dump you later. They all do. One cock isn’t enough for them. But, for now, you’re content with what you’ve heard. He loves you. That’s big.
‘Mom, you’re keeping time today,’ Will says. ‘Don’t forget to reset the watch after every swim. When we are done we’ll check the times against yesterday’s attempts.’
‘Fine with me. Take your time and don’t overdo it.’ Her finger is on the start button.
Ruan helps you bring the canoe forward to place it in the ocean and within a few moments you’re seated and waiting for Catherine’s go.
‘Okay, let’s do this….GO!’
The canoe thrashes and bounces through the waves trying to catch up with Will. He’s like a fish at one with the water. You’re breathless, rowing as fast as you can as he reaches the buoy and makes his turn. He’s dead on yesterday’s time. He’s going to break that record set yesterday. And then suddenly you’re flying through the air.
The moment you hit the surface your eyes are closed and you’re thrashing about. Heart pounding. You can’t scream because you’re in a lucid dream with fear all around you, but your eyes scream. Your body contracts.
Screams coming from the beach. The water is red. You know and understand it’s a shark and when you look back you see a torn, exposed tendon on your right heel. You try and swim away as quickly as you can but you’re too weak to get to shore. Too weak…and then there’s a vice clamp on your right hand and you’re staring into the jaws of the one creature most feared on this earth.
Shark.
And you remember suddenly that the birds aren’t migrating. They’re feeding off the sardines, and so are whales and sharks and Gannets and gulls.
William turns immediately and rushes towards you, arms flailing, struggling to free you from those unforgiving jaws with little thought for his own life. He hits out at the giant fishes body and misses once or twice but finally manages to punch it on the nose. It releases.
But takes your hand with it.
Will fights for your life in a sea of blood and screams towards the beach that you’ve been injured. He takes you in his grip and swims towards the beach, terrified that the shark will return, but knowing that the creature is also filled with fear now. He won’t return. Not right away.
Rubbing his fine, lithe body with suntan lotion, you recall that he’s just twenty, not a loser. When he’s thirty, you’ll be forty and so on. A lifetime is a short time to spend together. He’ll most likely dump you later. They all do. One cock isn’t enough for them. But, for now, you’re content with what you’ve heard. He loves you. That’s big.
‘Mom, you’re keeping time today,’ Will says. ‘Don’t forget to reset the watch after every swim. When we are done we’ll check the times against yesterday’s attempts.’
‘Fine with me. Take your time and don’t overdo it.’ Her finger is on the start button.
Ruan helps you bring the canoe forward to place it in the ocean and within a few moments you’re seated and waiting for Catherine’s go.
‘Okay, let’s do this….GO!’
The canoe thrashes and bounces through the waves trying to catch up with Will. He’s like a fish at one with the water. You’re breathless, rowing as fast as you can as he reaches the buoy and makes his turn. He’s dead on yesterday’s time. He’s going to break that record set yesterday. And then suddenly you’re flying through the air.
The moment you hit the surface your eyes are closed and you’re thrashing about. Heart pounding. You can’t scream because you’re in a lucid dream with fear all around you, but your eyes scream. Your body contracts.
Screams coming from the beach. The water is red. You know and understand it’s a shark and when you look back you see a torn, exposed tendon on your right heel. You try and swim away as quickly as you can but you’re too weak to get to shore. Too weak…and then there’s a vice clamp on your right hand and you’re staring into the jaws of the one creature most feared on this earth.
Shark.
And you remember suddenly that the birds aren’t migrating. They’re feeding off the sardines, and so are whales and sharks and Gannets and gulls.
William turns immediately and rushes towards you, arms flailing, struggling to free you from those unforgiving jaws with little thought for his own life. He hits out at the giant fishes body and misses once or twice but finally manages to punch it on the nose. It releases.
But takes your hand with it.
Will fights for your life in a sea of blood and screams towards the beach that you’ve been injured. He takes you in his grip and swims towards the beach, terrified that the shark will return, but knowing that the creature is also filled with fear now. He won’t return. Not right away.
Ever wanted to dice with danger? Maybe my latest kindle release will give you a flavour of what it's like. Though this m/m mystery is set in 1947, and the characters are servicemen, the events that unravel could happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime.
So, what's it about? Here's the blurb:
As a tired train trundles through post-war Germany, a motley bunch of travellers huddle in a cramped third class compartment. Realising life will never be the same again, resentment breeds when a British soldier joins them for the ride. Flanked by a male civilian who urges caution, a German sailor takes it upon himself to show open hostility. Taking stock of each other throughout the journey, the three young men aggravate and intimidate. Soon there is a score to settle. But intuition tells them they all have something in common. And the only way to resolve their differences is to follow their instincts.
As a tired train trundles through post-war Germany, a motley bunch of travellers huddle in a cramped third class compartment. Realising life will never be the same again, resentment breeds when a British soldier joins them for the ride. Flanked by a male civilian who urges caution, a German sailor takes it upon himself to show open hostility. Taking stock of each other throughout the journey, the three young men aggravate and intimidate. Soon there is a score to settle. But intuition tells them they all have something in common. And the only way to resolve their differences is to follow their instincts.
Snippets from Amazon Reviews:
5.0 out of 5 stars Delicious reveals! November 29, 2013 By Jacob Z. Campbell Amazon Verified Purchase
"The characters are unique in their function in this tale. The ambience of the varied environments or stages upon which the story is enacted are intricate, teasing, mysterious, dark and with a tinge of malevolence. This is certainly a new take, a new angle, a new perspective, on gay writing with a unique and fascinating twist."
"What a great piece of writing, Charles, you have accomplished. It was a privilege to read it!"
5.0 out of 5 stars WOW! What a ride!! January 9, 2014
By Gerry
Amazon Verified Purchase.
For a "short" story, this was better than some full-length novels I've read!! "Dicing with Danger" is packed full of action, excitement, and intrigue, and topped off with even more HEAT in the ultra-sexy characters than his last book!
As someone else mentioned, the ending completely blew me away! Icing on one incredible cake! I didn't want the story to end!!
I'm ready to buy another ticket on Mr. Raines' next hot ride. This is a writer who knows what he's doing and how to write a great and memorable story (that I have to confess I've read more than once!).
I can't wait for his next story or book -- I'd even buy a pamphlet by him!
FROM GLBT FILM AND BOOK REVIEWER,
AMOS LASSEN:
Raines, Charles. “Dicing with Danger”
Three Young Men
Amos Lassen
Every once in a while, I read a book that with the first sentence lets me know that I am in for a good read. Sometimes it just takes a sentence like Daphne DuMaurier’s “Rebecca” or a fascinating character or a beautiful description. I am not sure what it was in “Dicing with Danger” but I was immediately hooked.
As a train moves through Germany after the Second World War, we visit the third class section where passengers are cramped and uncomfortable. When a British soldier boards the train, the riders show the resentment they feel on the train. We immediately sense that something is going to happen here. One of the passengers also senses this and urges caution but a German sailor will have none of it and becomes hostile. As the ride continues the air remains thick with uneasiness and resentment. Underlying this is an atmosphere that the three share something although by outside appearances we are just not sure what that is or what is going to happen. This is where it becomes difficult to review without spoiling the read. Let it suffice to say that sex and erotica follow and the descriptions are quite bold. The characters play off of each other and soon a drama within a drama unfolds. Here one cannot guess what will happen next and there are surprises.
What Raines does here is grab our minds and then has them follow what he is saying. This is the kind of read that is best done in one sitting so as not to lose the tension that the author so tactfully sets up. This is writing in the most creative of all kinds and I realize that some of you might feel that I am being illusive, which I indeed am. I do not want to spoil one second of the read.
Raines throws a challenge to us and we dare not refuse it. If we do, we miss one of the best reading experiences that I have had this year. It is not only the characters who dice with danger, the reader does also.
5.0 out of 5 stars Charles Raines Does It Again!! December 18, 2013
By Chuck Willman
Amazon Verified Purchase.
This wonderfully written story against the backdrop at the end of WWII, has a remarkable, and clever plot packed with twists and turns and wildly suspenseful intrigue. And the ending is genius! If you're looking for a fantastic story you won't be able to put down once you start it (unless you must take a "relief" break, which this reader did -- twice), this is for you!!
Every character comes alive, making you wish you could reach out to touch, caress, or obey him. You can hear the squeal of the brakes on the train; smell the sweat on a soldier's uniform you can almost touch; and taste the salt on a body you swear has been offered to you.
Mr. Raines has become one of my favorite writers because he uses every tool in the box, and leaves you begging for more.
And I am: BEGGING FOR MORE!!
So, if YOU fancy a 'quickie', or you fancy 'Dicing With Danger', here are the product links. Why not check them out?