As if it being Friday weren’t enough…! First, A SUMMER’S DAY, an amazing anthology of twelve m/m takes on the plays and sonnets of Shakespeare, is live as of today, with all proceeds going to benefit the It Gets Better Project. Here’s an excerpt from my contribution, “Deeper Than Did Ever Plummet Sound,” in which we meet Clarence, a fading star of the London stage headlining an off-off-Broadway production of “The Tempest,” and Jaymes, his starry-eyed Ariel.
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Jaymes’ mouth twisted. Frustration? Anger? “It’s his favorite way of getting into my personal space, where he has no business being. And reminding me that I have nappy hair. And reminding me that somebody like me has no business doing Shakespeare.”
All Clarence could do was stare. “Has he actually had the gall to say that to your face?” he finally managed.
Jaymes’ tight shrug made Clarence feel hollow inside. “He’s not the first, he won’t be the last.”
“Wonderful. We have positive proof the man’s a certifiable lunatic as well as a clinging arsecrumb.” Thank God, there was a drink next to his elbow at last. He snatched it up and drained nearly half in one go. “Has he paid even one iota of attention to the London stage for the last, oh, five seasons?”
“What did you just call him?”
Ah, the smile was back. Not quite at full wattage, but enough for Clarence to warm himself at. “One of my favorite non-Shakespearean epithets.”
“Worthy of inclusion in the canon.”
Clarence laughed, trying to make it sound like less of a bark than his laughter usually did. “Perhaps I’ll slip it into a rehearsal sometime.”
“I double dog dare you.”
And if I take your dare, what will you forfeit? Christ, he’d almost asked aloud. Back to staring into his glass — a damned sight safer than looking into eyes that threatened to melt him.
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Pick up your copy at http://ow.ly/T4cS303bCa6!
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And it’s a fantastic day for UNDERTOW, too, thanks to Becky Condit at USA Today’s Happy Ever After blog, with a review that made my day, and week, and month, and is in the running for year!
And here are a few relevant buy links —
UNDERTOW (Amazon): http://ow.ly/CCig303bBdb
HARD AS STONE (Amazon): http://ow.ly/ojjI303bBoA
HARD AS STONE (Riverdale Avenue Books, 50 percent off during August with coupon code 8HAS2016): http://ow.ly/xHSL303bBDp
MANTLED IN MIST (Amazon): http://ow.ly/ANdn303bBK4
Happy reading — I’m off to stage manage at the Irish Fair of Minnesota for the weekend. If you’re out there, stop by the River Stage and say hi!
Rory Ni Coileain 