Books to look forward to in 2009

My last list of 2008 isn't a list of favorites from what I read/reviewed. I've gone out and checked coming soon pages at all the e-publishers I haunt, to find the stories I'm looking forward to getting in 2009. These aren't all of them, not by a long shot. I chose my five based on what the pubs had on their coming soon page or what the author had on their website. So in no particular order, five e-books I'm highly anticipating in the New Year...

Dangling by Yeva Wiest, published by Lyrical Press
While the first book I read by this author was riddled with some serious editorial problems, I'm hoping that the positive response from the publisher means this latest offering - another dark comedy about the archangel Michael and his transgender lover - will be cleaner. The author has already proven she can be original. Now I'm hoping she got some strong editing to allow her voice to shine.

Immersed by Liz Craven, published by Samhain
This is the next in the series after the author's excellent Prophesied. Few series inspire me to follow after the first book, even though I adore series. But this sucked me in.

Called By Blood by Evie Byrne, published by Samhain
I loved this author's voice in her novella Dante's Inferno. This one looks to be dark and hot, always a good thing.

Object of His Desire by Ava March, published by Samhain
Yes, it's a historical, but it's also a gay historical, and the first story I read by this author was hot enough to encourage me to read more of her work.

The White Knight by Josh Lanyon, published by Loose Id
This is the prequel/sequel to Lanyon's The Dark Horse. That's all I know. That's enough.

And one book that's not coming out in e-form, but I have to include, because, well, I love this author...

Kelland by Paul G. Bens, Jr., published by Casperian Books
Though I only review e-books on my blog, I still read plenty of print books in between. If Mr. Bens had more e-books coming out, I'd be buying those, too. In the interim, I'm satisfied knowing I've got this to look forward to.

Favorite Authors of 2008

My last list of favorites for 2008 - favorite authors. I do have one more list after this, but...well, I'll save that for Wednesday.

4th Runner Up
Jo Barrett

I've read a lot of Jo Barrett's work over the past year. Her two time travel books rank among some of my favorites, but her later work has left me a little cold. I think she's got some serious talent, so I'm keeping an eye on her. Just because I haven't preferred her more recent stories doesn't mean I've given up hope.

3rd Runner Up
Amy Corwin

I have a couple more stories by Amy Corwin on my TBR pile, but the charm of the historical I already read still burns brightly, months later. There's a whimsy to her romance, and in a world starving for such light, she shines.

2nd Runner Up
Paul G. Bens, Jr.

Considering how much I loved his short story, Mr. Bens absolutely had to be on my favorite author of the year list. He wrote some of the most beautiful prose I read all year. A true talent.

1st Runner Up
Josh Lanyon

My one holdover from last year's list. He's an autobuy, and while I will admit I don't necessarily love everything he's done, he hits more than he misses. By a wide margin.

And my favorite author of 2008 is...
Frank Tuttle

Tuttle is one of my gold mine finds for this year. Both of his works with Samhain rank as some of my favorites, and his Markhat series is one I hope to read about for a long time to come. He's funny, insightful, and a vivid storyteller. You can't get much better than that.

Favorite Erotic Stories of 2008

Originally, I was going to do my five favorite erotic stories and my five favorite non-erotic stories. But then it turned out that 4 of my favorites of everything non-erotic matched my favorite novel-length stories so I decided it would be a waste of time. Which means, just my favorite erotic stories, some of which you've already seen mentioned this year...

4th Runner Up
Like a Thief in the Night by Bettie Sharpe

I've said so much already about this novella that I'm not sure what's left. Edgy, original, visceral to the core. Read it.

3rd Runner Up
Lights Out! by Amber Green

One of the more complex stories I read this past year, the first book in this series is imaginative and mesmerizing, with some spectacular turns of phrase that makes the author's voice stand out from the crowd. In compiling this list, I've only just realized that I've had the sequels to this on my TBR pile for too long. I really need to root those out and immerse myself back into this fascinating world.

2nd Runner Up
Slave to Love by Nikita Black

I consider this a complete guilty pleasure. The hero is a real bastard a good part of the time, and the set-up straight out of the cheesiest romance. But it works. Well. Very well. Mick is sinister and seductive, and the reading experience one of the most intense I had all year.

1st Runner Up
Jackson's Jewel by N.J. Walters

Another guilty pleasure. N.J. Walters is one of the most readable authors out there for me, and if I don't always believe in her plots, I do believe in her heroes a good part of the time. And her sex scenes are always right on the money for me. I've liked Jackson since he was first introduced in this series, so finally being able to read his story was a true treat.

And my favorite erotic story of 2008 was...
Mahape a ale Wal'au by Paul G. Bens

This story is the biggest reason this best of list isn't called my favorite erotic romances of the year. While it's certainly romantic at its core, it's not a traditional romance with a standard HEA. That doesn't stop it from being one of the most moving stories I've read in a very long time, though. The author shapes this short story with delicate precision, painting pictures and emotions with such vivid prose that it transcends any genre. It's as much a love affair with the scenery as it is with the Everyman Toshi. Neither suffers for the attention. The end result is an absolute gem.

Favorite Short Stories of 2008

This year, I'm breaking down the books I read and reviewed by length, mostly to give shorter works in anthologies recognition when they deserve it. The first of these are going to be short stories, which I consider anything less than 15k.

4th Runner Up

Chasing Phoenix by Christine D'Abo

When it came to the hotness factor, this story delivered in spades. It has its problems as a romance, but when it came to the erotic portions of the story, it followed through on the promise made in the excerpt...and then some.

3rd Runner Up
Flyover by Jefferson Dane

"Flyover" was hands down the best story in this particular anthology. It's not a romance but a paranormal drama with some absolutely chilling tones. It accomplishes some wonderful characterization, terrific tension, and best of all, reminds me that good authors will always stand out. Don't run out and get this anthology, though. Aspen Mountain Press released it as a standalone title earlier this year. Buy that instead.

2nd Runner Up
Spanish Lullaby by Emma Wildes

While this particular anthology leaves a lot to be desired, the final story in it, Emma Wildes' "Spanish Lullaby," proves that historical romance doesn't have to be cheated because of a short format. Her characters are warm and endearing, and the romance extremely gratifying. It's good to see she has a contract for a historical in mass market paperback to be released in the spring. I think she's more than strong enough to really make it.

1st Runner Up
The Mister Trophy by Frank Tuttle

One of my best discoveries of 2008 was Frank Tuttle and his Markhat books. "The Mister Trophy" is the second that came out with Samhain, and it is smart, funny, and rich in atmosphere. I don't know if there are more stories in the pipeline, but I sincerely hope there are. I've been greedy for this author ever since reading the first of the Markhat books. This is worth every penny and then some.

And my favorite short story of 2008 is...

Mahape a ale Wal'au by Paul G. Bens

This story is not just my favorite short story of the year. It's one of my favorite stories period. Of this year, last year, and a few more years before that. The prose is incomparable, carefully crafted to flow with the same melancholy grace as its hero. It creates both an intimate experience and a universal one, and it does so with more style than hundreds upon hundreds of other stories that came out this year. I find it incredibly ironic that this gem is currently sold by one of the publishers I always have to think twice about buying from. I've been burned more than once by sloppy editing there, and yet, this proves that talent will always rise, no matter who publishes it.

Mahape a ale Wala'au by Paul G. Bens, Jr.

TITLE: Mahape a ale Wala'au
AUTHOR: Paul G. Bens, Jr.
PUBLISHER: Torquere Press
LENGTH: Short story (roughly 10k)
GENRE: Contemporary gay erotica
COST: $2.49

Toshi is going to Hawaii for his winter holiday, and while he dreams of a fantastic escape, the reality of the young Kristopher leaves him even more…

This story is a gem. Toshi is an everyman, unremarkable in his hometown of Tokyo. He hears wondrous things about the men of Waikiki, so he decides to go off and experience them for himself. The only problem is, he’s still an everyman as he’s wandering around, appreciating the pretty, getting his bearings. When he meets a group of older men, he starts to come a little out of his shell as they appreciate his youth and differences, but it’s the young, beautiful Kristopher who has captivated Toshi. He saw Kristopher as a living statue, doing Rodin’s “The Thinker,” and watched him for hours. When Kristopher shows up at their beach, Toshi finally decides to shed his everyman status and go for it.

The prose in this is absolutely beautiful. Fluid and evocative, there’s a melancholy to the entire work that paints emotional pictures as well as visual ones. We don’t know a lot about Toshi, but by the end, you feel like you do. You understand his romantic soul – partly because the story is told in first person, but partly because of the careful description Bens uses throughout the story. There are moments when you wonder if it’s going to slip into travelogue-speak, but then Bens pulls back, offering just that right amount of detail to place you right there in Hawaii without inundating you with too many facts.

I’m not categorizing this as a romance. In my mind, this is erotica at its best. There is no HEA, which is totally me not spoiling anything because you know that in the first paragraph of the story. But it retains a romantic spirit, and for the lovers in all of us, we can just pretend that somewhere in Toshi’s world, Kristopher sees what he has done. Then you have an HEA. In the very best sense of the phrase.

Readability	9/10 – Lyrical, almost musical prose, that does more in 10k than most stories do in 80.
Hero #1	8/10 – My only complaint about this otherwise lovely everyman is that I don’t completely understand the transition after he spots Kristopher on the beach.
Hero #2	6/10 – Lovely, but ultimately we know little about him, even if that is much of the emotional appeal of this story
Entertainment value	9/10 – Everything a short story should be.
World building	10/10 – I dare anyone to say they don’t feel as if they’re right there.
TOTAL:	42/50