In Memoriam: Stacia Aurore Rose

I met her at my first GRL. I was sitting at the Dreamspinner Press table and her son Jeremy wheeled her up in her chair and she said, “I need something to read.” I suggested a couple. And I couldn’t help myself. I mentioned my novel, “All Alone in a Sea of Romance.” Well…. I probably did more than that. Hey! It was my first novel! She bought it….

She was the first person to buy a paperback copy of one of my books!

And over the next few days got to know each other and I found I liked her very much. We became Facebook friends. She betaed at least one of my books and helped me countless times with research. She got me a wonderful appearance on a radio show. She was so wonderful! She loved my Seasons of Love books and in fact just recently bought the paperbacks and sent them to me asking me to autograph them. September has been insane. I warned her that It might take me a while.

Now I can’t send them to her. She passed away last night in her sleep and I’ve been punched in the stomach. I can’t believe it. This hurts. It hurts bad. It seems impossible. I’ve been grieving all evening. And I can’t even imagine what her family is going through.
She was amazing. She was proof reader par excellence. She was funny. She made me laugh and cry. She was my friend. We talked once in a while on the phone and she never ceased to amaze me.

I loved her a lot.

And I can’t believe she is gone.

She went through a lot of health issues.

I can only guess that one of them is what took her from us.

I miss you already Stacia.

And I will miss you for years to come.

Rest in peace my friend.
With love,
Ben

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Bisexuality; The Newest Hot Button in MM Fiction? Why?

Apparently bisexuality has turned into a hot button topic that some authors are being terribly criticized for, even when or if it has nothing to do with the book itself. Why is this so? I mean I don’t understand most hot buttons in the first place and do all I can to avoid any topic that might go that way. But why has bisexuality turned into a subject of contention? For many years I thought I must be bisexual.

As time passed, I saw that if I was bisexual, my side that liked women sexually was a very small percentage. I am like a Kinsey 5.5 or 5.75. I think I confused how much I love women as non-sexual beings, and how much I thought that they were beautiful, meant that I might be bisexual. I came to see that wasn’t true. That if I was paralyzed below the neck and never able to be “physical” again, I would still want to be in a relationship with a man. That it was more than genitals, although that was certainly a HUGE part of it.

If you understand why this issue is a hot button, please explain. And if it is a hot button for you, please explain.

And in a world where we are spending trillions of dollars on war fair and where global warming could kill us all, what is it with hot buttons anyway? Why get so stressed? Aren’t there more important things to worry about?

Namaste,
BG “Ben” Thomas

PS: Hey! It seems everyone commented on this subject on my Facebook page and a lot of really good dialogue happened. Very exciting! To read it, CLICK HERE. I’ve made it an open page to the public so you should be able to read it!

67504198 – heart with bisexual pride flag

Don’t Miss Dreamspinner Press’s Three 99¢ Books!

I’ve been asleep or working on my newest novel with a zooming deadline and I almost missed these three books from Dreamspinner Press that are being offered for only 99¢ thru today only. So don’t miss them! First a book by Remmy Duchene and somehow I’ve not read anything by this author. I certainly think 99¢ is a good reason to try her, how about you? I’ve not read Mari Evan’s Trusting Love either, although it’s been on my Wish List forever. Not anymore! 😊 And finally there is the totally awesome Mickie B. Ashling, whose work I am simply crazy about! And I have not read this series. So guess what I am buying today?

Just check these blurbs….

TRUST AND CONTROL

2nd Edition

Wealthy real estate mogul Christophe Lafavre has everything—except any love life to speak of. Though he has a brilliant head for business, when it comes to relationships, he’s often left fumbling in the dark.

To put a stop to the whispers about his pitiful social life, Christophe takes a suggestion from a friend and goes to a club on masquerade night. There, he meets an elusive hottie who calls himself Raj, and though Christophe cannot see Raj’s face, there’s definitely a connection. Over the phone and online, Christophe and Raj get to know each other. Their conversation is easy and arousing. It’s hard for Christophe to believe the strength of the feelings he’s developing toward a man who is still essentially a stranger, but he can’t get Raj out of his head. They eventually give in to their physical longing—but still Raj refuses to show his face or divulge his identity.

When it comes, the revelation will rock Christophe’s world and redefine more than one relationship in his life.

First Edition published as If I was Your Man by Breathless Press, 2013.

Find TRUST AND CONTROL by clicking right here

TRUSTING LOVE

Laurie Stallon isn’t like other high schoolers. After suffering years of abuse at his father’s hands, he now lives in a foster care facility and finds solace volunteering at the local animal shelter. Laurie’s had to grow up fast, and even though his eighteenth birthday is still weeks away, he’s more adult than most adults he knows. When he meets Dr. Sam Davies, the new shelter veterinarian, the attraction is instant. They become friends at work, but Laurie knows Sam will never go for someone like him. No matter how Laurie tries to prove his maturity to Sam, Sam continues to reject him as too young.

Needing a distraction, Laurie goes out dancing for his birthday and finds his life in danger yet again. When Sam is called to the hospital, he realizes Laurie needs someone to care for him. Sam takes him home, and they slowly build a relationship. But more than their age difference works against them. Facing the disapproval of friends and the scars from Laurie’s past, they’ll need to put all their trust in love for a chance at a future together.

Find TRUSTING LOVE by clicking right here

FORGED IN TRUST

Bay Area Professionals

Dr. Ethan Marshall is the young medical student on call the night Tessa Duran murders her husband for abusing her twelve-year-old-son, Rino. Ethan stays in the cubicle while the rape kit is performed and is surprised when the boy resorts to prayers instead of tears.
Despite compelling evidence, Tessa is sent to jail for life. To avoid placing Rino in foster care, their parish priest agrees to raise him. Ethan is touched by Rino’s plight and visits whenever possible, but the connection is broken when the priest and young boy leave the area months later.

Raised by the Dominicans in California, Rino considers joining the order until a romance blossoms with a fellow student. After much soul-searching, he turns his back on everything familiar, and chooses his orientation over his perceived vocation. Upon graduating dental hygiene school, Rino takes a job at the office of Scott Gregory and Robin Kennedy.

Seventeen years have passed since that horrible night in the emergency room. Forty-three-year-old Ethan is now a Dominant in search of a full-time submissive. Twenty-nine-year-old Rino is adrift, longing for someone or something to help him find the serenity he’s lost along the way. As they rekindle their friendship, they realize they might be perfect for each other.

Find FORGED IN TRUST by clicking right here

I hope you don’t miss these great deals! Three books for only $2.97!

Namasté,
B.G. Thomas

Consonantal Drift Theory

A mysterious phenomenon in which certain consonants move — or drift — out of their correct lexical order. This phenomenon is responsible for most regional accents in North America.

Also referred to as R migration, this occurs when the letter R moves southwest across the continent. This effect is most prominent in the United States, where it causes New Englanders to “pahk” their “cahs” and Texans to “warsh” their clothes and own “erl” wells. The effect is particularly visible in Mexico and parts southern, where the R surplus is such that they must be rolled to use as many as possible per pronunciation.

Vorbis suggests that R migration occurs due to warmer climate. The theory that preferred climate of letters has to do with their position in the alphabet deserves consideration, if for no other reason than to explain why Canadians are always saying “eh”.

Consonantal drift appears to strike certain words more often than others — mostly in oral communication. The word ‘ask’ is a frequent victim. The word often comes out as ‘aks’ — i.e., “don’t axe me again”.

Sometimes the drift rate is so high that the consonant disappears from the word altogether, such as in ‘library’ – whose virulent form is ‘lie- berry’ with the first ‘r’ having moved on to parts unknown.

Linguists have long wondered where these missing consonants have moved on to – they’re getting a bit annoyed by having to say ‘parts unknown’ all the time. Researcher Nivek Llieno of the Finnish Institute for English Studies believes he’s found a clue: the word ‘renown’. Says Llieno, “In ‘renown’ we have one of the first documented cases of a consonant not disappearing, but showing up unexpectedly. Everywhere we look we’re seeing ‘reknown’. It’s exciting.”

Dr. Herman Shore, lexicographer emeritus at MIT and co-author of Loss of Vowel Control:A Messy Problem, disagrees. “It’s an interesting hypothesis, but it doesn’t explain Hawaii – where consonants are practically extinct. We call this the Hawaii Test.”

To meet the ‘Hawaii Test’, Dr. Shore and others believe that a grand unified theory of vowels and consonants is needed. “Until we have one theory that can explain both ‘pu’u huluhulu’ from Hawaii and ‘Wrthawrthmlml’ from Ojibwa, we’re just pissing in the wind.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nope! I didn’t come up with it, but as a writer it had me howling. I first heard the R part of this years and years ago on something like Saturday Night Live…or a comedy variety series. Looked for it for years. Then suddenly I found this version online and had to share it! I hope it gave you as much joy and laughter as it did me!

You can find the original (what has been cobbled together that is) by Clicking Right Here.

Peace! And have a hilarious day!
BG “Ben” Thomas

99¢ Books from Dreamspinner Press Are Worth a Million Bucks!

This week over at Dreamspinner Press, they’re featuring three different authors and three different books. I think they look pretty fantastic and I’ve ordered all three.

Just check these blurbs….

FRESHMAN BLUES
By Ravon Silvius

When Chris is invited to prestigious Creekville University, he discovers he is part of an experiment by the mysterious Professor Faran. There’s no other way a C student like him would have been accepted into a college where academic mastery results in unique powers like levitation or empathy. But if Faran is right, even below-average students can get special abilities and a good job after graduation. Chris just has to work hard.

Chris isn’t the only one, either. Frederick has worked for Faran for years, and Chris is intrigued by the aloof and sexy older student. But Frederick is too terrified of life after graduation to pursue romance. As they work together, Chris tries to help Frederick out of his depression, all while juggling friendship, classwork, dating, and trying to carve out a place he can belong.

But funding for the experiment is running out, and Chris has to acquire an ability—any ability—soon, or he’ll lose his opportunity at Creekville, and any chance with Frederick, for good.

Find FRESHMAN BLUES by clicking right here

MY ROOMMATE’S A JOCK? WELL, CRAP!
by Wade Kelly

The JOCK Series: Book One

It’s easy to become cynical when life never goes your way.

Cole Reid has been a social recluse since he was fifteen, when he was outed by his high school baseball team. Since then, his obsessive-compulsive behavior and sarcastic nature have driven away most of the population, and everyone else hates him because he’s gay. As he sees it, he’s bound to repulse any prospective friends, let alone boyfriends, so why bother?

By the time Cole enters college, he’s become an anal-retentive loner—but it’s not a problem until his roommate graduates and the housing department assigns Ellis Montgomery to move in with Cole. Ellis is messy, gorgeous, straight, and worst of all, a jock!

During a school year filled with frat buddies, camping expeditions, and meddling parents, Cole and Ellis develop a friendship that turns Cole’s glass-half-empty outlook on its head. There must be more to Ellis than a fun-loving jock—and maybe Cole’s reawakening libido has rekindled his hope for more than camaraderie.

Find MY ROOMMATE’S A JOCK? WELL, CRAP! by clicking right here

SUMMER SCHOOL
by Tam Ames

Jeremy Decker’s recent split with his long-distance boyfriend has left him lonely with a mountain of debt. His only practical source of extra cash is to teach summer school, even if it means teaching history—not easy for an English teacher. To support him, the school hires Lucas Van Sloan, a much-younger college history student.

Lucas, with his swimmer’s physique and optimism, not to mention his determination to get what he wants, both attracts and annoys Jeremy… and what Lucas wants is Jeremy. The heat flares between them, but when Jeremy’s ex, a high-powered attorney with plenty of experience turning things his way, shows he wants Jeremy too, it threatens to snuff out the flame of passion and new love.

Find SUMMER SCHOOL by clicking right here

I hope you don’t miss these great deals! Three books for only $2.97!

Namasté,
B.G. Thomas

FURRY FRIDAY ~~ I Love a Man With a Beard

And it’s Furry Friday and here’s my post. Didn’t forget. Just working my buns off trying to get a novel done before the deadline and it is going to be a very, very close call. Wish me luck and then answer this one question and know that I love you all.

Peace!
BG “Ben” Thomas

Now This Is Pretty Cool! Look What Dreamspinner Press is Doing Now!

Just saw this amazing new News Letter being offered from Dreamspinner Press!

Here is what they say: Sign up for the new Dreamspinner Press VIP newsletter! You’ll receive short, daily announcements with flash coupons and deeply discounted eBooks. Delivery scheduled to begin in September but I bet you’ll see a goody or two in your inbox before then!

You can bet I signed up! And you can too. Just Click Right Here and you are on your way! I wouldn’t miss this one!

Namaste!
BG “Ben” Thomas