Erato Pride Scavenger Hunt Clues!

Original Information Post

From the list of clues below, participants must find and match which Erato authors the clues go with. Clues are from the author’s blog, website, or even their Musa Publishing sales pages. Participants must have their answers in no later than midnight July 2nd EST. 

Answers should be sent to eratopridehunt@gmail.com.

Clues:

1. My first submitted and published short story was published in Roadworks Magazine.

2. My quirky strapline is ‘No worse than any other writer and better than some…’

3. My first book, But I Never Said I Didn't Love You, began life during National Novel Writing Month in 2004.

4. On my blog, I have a poem that I wrote called “Matthew McConaughey’s Older Brother”.

5. I credit The Young Riders with sparking my earliest interests in m/m.

6. I also record audiobooks. I have three available at Audible and am working on more.

7. My writing partners for my co-authored projects are Alex Woolgrave and Lindsey Mullen.

8. One of my works features Ryan Adams, is a big kid at heart, who owns the gaming company Fantasy Arts.

List of Participating Authors and Links:

Anne Brooke l Blog

Emily G. Johnson l Blog

Jenny Urban l Website

Jules Jones l Website

Sharon Bidwell l Website

Andy Dunn l Website

A.M. Arthur l Blog

Viki Lyn l Website

Hunt over! Winners posted here! 

Alan Turing Centenary

Today we have a guest post from Erato author Jules Jones. Take it away, Jules...

Alan Turing would have been 100 today. It is, rightfully, being covered in depth by the media. In a very real sense, he created the world we live in. And not just once, but twice over. His work on code-breaking shortened the Second World War by as much as two years, may well have been an essential element in who won. His mathematical work both before and after the war is one of the main foundation stones of modern computing. His life was the stuff of legend, as was his death from cyanide, a half-eaten apple by his side.

And he was only forty one when he died.

Perhaps he'd reached the end of his creative period, and there would have been no more of the world-changing work. But we never had the chance to find out. Because Alan Turing was homosexual and unashamed, in a time when he could be and was prosecuted for it. His sentence was a choice of prison or submitting to a chemical castration "cure". His real sentence was the resulting loss of his security clearance, and thus access to much of his work. Two years later he was dead, in circumstances that were declared suicide, but could well have been an accident, or even murder.

"No man is an island... Each man's death diminishes me." The truth of Donne's words is starkly shown by Turing's life and death. We owe him so much, and are diminished by his early death.

At least now he has the recognition he deserves for his wartime work, across a network of machines that ultimately spring from his peacetime work. The last line of the official apology from the Prime Minister in 2009 says it all: "We're sorry, you deserved so much better."

Jules Jones is a materials scientist, whose publications from the day job are probably of interest to at least three people. On the "write what you know" principle, much of her erotic romance is science fiction and fantasy. Jules has had short stories published in Clean Sheets, Fishnet, Suspect Thoughts and Ultimate Gay Erotica, and several novels and novellas published by Loose Id. Her next publication will be "And If I Offered Thee A Bargain", to be published by Erato in September 2012. 

You can find Jules online at http://www.julesjones.com

Erato Pride Scavenger Hunt

Objective: To celebrate pride week, the Erato GLBT Imprint of Musa Publishing will be holding a first ever online scavenger hunt.

Rules and Guidelines:

The hunt will begin June 24th and end on July 1st.

A list of clues will be posted at 11pm EST June 24th on the Erato blog.

Participants must have their answers in no later than midnight July 2nd EST.  

Answers should be sent to eratopridehunt@gmail.com

From the list of clues given, participants must find and match which Erato authors the clues go with.

Clues will be from the author’s blog, website or even their Musa Publishing sales pages.

Prizes:

Winner will be chosen randomly from all participants who enter their answers by the deadline. Prize will be two erato ebooks of the winner's choice.

Clues Now Posted Here!

My Shameless Summer

Welcome to the Erato stop on the Shameless Summer Blog Hop!

What are you shameless about? Ask anyone who knows me, and they'll probably tell you that the word shame isn't in my vocabulary (but please, don't ask them in front of my mother, since that's not a conversation I want to have. Again.). Someone once asked me what my guilty pleasures were, and I really had to think about my answer, which turned out to be...

Nothing.

None of my pleasures, none of the things I enjoy are a source of guilt for me. I read romances, I read erotica, I watch dopey movies, I cry over animals and babies when they're especially cute. I throw myself whole-heartedly into the things that I love, roll around in it like I'm Demi Moore and my hobbies are a king-sized bed covered in hundred-dollar bills.

Okay, maybe that was taking things a bit too far. Or not, because it's probably the most accurate description I could come up with to explain why I am never ashamed to read a book with a bare-chested Highlander on the cover, or to blog about my deep and abiding obsession with Sherlock and the Avengers (seriously, stay away from my Tumblr unless you agree), or to share my passion for Erato and how proud I am to be a part of this imprint as we group and develop into a place where all types of GLBT fiction can find a home. In fact, this week, we've got two very different releases at Erato, just to show the array of romance we have!

Acting Out: Calm and Chaos

(male/male erotic romance)


When one man is the epitome of calm and the other of chaos, how will they ever admit to loving each other? Can a kiss really change everything?

Nick and Alex have made a very successful movie together. Now they need to decide whether their next project is another joint venture or they go their separate ways creatively. Then the perfect manuscript arrives, offering financial security and future opportunities.

For Nick, the film is his dream: amazing effects, wonderful script, a part every actor aspires to play, and a director everyone’s begging to work with. There’s one snag: Nick and Alex will have to get to rather personal on set.

He has to refuse even though Alex isn’t willing to take no for an answer, and sets out to talk Nick into it. Nick finally agrees, despite a nosy reporter and his brother turning against him. After all, it’s just pretence. It’s not as if he’s gay and wants to make out with his friend…not until Alex kisses him. Then life gets even more complicated and interesting.

The Wiccan Haus: An Apple Away

(Bisexual Erotic Romance)

A witch's spell great love may break

Aislinn never wants to see another doctor. Their painful and pointless treatments have done nothing to improve her rapidly deteriorating health. She hopes that the staff of Wiccan Haus can at least offer a change of scene, if not a return of a little of her former strength. She’s delighted to meet Punda, a masseuse, on her arrival and charmed by the cottage in the apple orchard where she will stay.

Dr. Hugo Peralta visits the island at the insistence of his boss. The distinguished brain surgeon is in desperate need of a respite before overwork makes him one of his own patients. He is surprised but pleased with the privacy and serenity of his cottage—across the orchard from Aislinn’s. An idyllic location on a magical island where love can blossom—if the Rowans can help the trio save Aislinn from whatever is killing her.

---

And now a contest!

Leave a comment below with some of your guilty (or not so guilty!) pleasures and your email address, and you'll be entered to win your choice of any book from Erato! Also, if we get more than ten entries, I'll pick TWO winners.

I'll be posting the winners of this blog hop and the winners of our Memorial Day Blog Hop (oops!) on June 16, so stay tuned!

Gay Pride Month at Erato!

June is Gay Pride Month and have we got plans for you! This month we'll be bringing you:

• A scavenger hunt!
• A brand new novel from Sharon Maria Bidwell!
• The very first GLBT Wiccan Haus book!
• Author interviews!
• Character interviews!
• More!

But I promise, no more exclamation marks. Okay, maybe a few more, but if they catch me abusing them like the interrobang, there might be another editorial intervention.

So what about you? Are doing anything special for Pride this year?