Saturday's Series Spotlight: DS Billings Victorian Mysteries by Olivier Bosman Part 3

Detective Sergeant John Billings is a Quaker. He sees God in everyone and takes other people's suffering to heart. He is an honest and hard working man who has risen swiftly through the ranks to become one of Scotland Yard's youngest detectives. But in his private life he struggles with the demons of loneliness, morphine addiction and homosexuality.

The Campbell Curse #3
Summary:
The year is 1892. While touring Britain with her production of Macbeth, the famous American actress, Carola LeFevre, receives an anonymous death threat . Detective Sergeant John Billings from Scotland Yard is appointed as her personal security guard. Billings is thrown into a theatrical world of gossip, intrigue and temper tantrums, but things take a darker turn when the tour heads for Edinburgh. A great tragedy befalls Miss LeFevre and Billings becomes embroiled in a horrific crime which appears to be the consequence of an ancient Scottish curse.

Blurring the line between reality and superstition, The Campbell Curse is a dark, gothic mystery which touches on our deepest fears. This is the third full length novel in the series, but can be enjoyed as a standalone story.

After receiving dangerous death threat, American actress Carola LeFevre on tour doing Macbeth is provided security in the form of Scotland Yard Detective Sergeant John Billings.  Billings finds himself in a world unfamiliar to him with the theater people but when the tour goes to Edinburgh a tragedy occurs.  Tragedy, Scottish curse, theater, and John Billings finds himself smack in the middle of it all.

Once again we have an author who obviously has tremendous respect for the past.  This respect shows in both little and big ways as we are thrown into a world of Victorian crime.  Whether its the high end, "I'm above you" actress Carola LeFevre or the common man DS John Billings or the dozens of characters in between, the attention to detail is what really makes them come alive.  Sometimes an author can spend too much time on the little nuances of the era and the story can become cluttered but this is not one of those authors.  The Campbell Curse is a lovely blend of drama, mystery, and historical accuracy that makes a very entertaining experience.

If you are expecting a lot of M/M romance than you will be disappointed, there are a few hints of it but Curse is another leg of John Billings' journey of accepting who he is but considering its 1892, he fights his inner desires but perhaps he's not too old to learn or then again maybe he is(you know me I won't give any spoilers😉).  I will say that I loved his interactions with everyone in this entry as well as his determination to discover the truth even if at times it seems he is the only one wanting to do so.

If you are wondering if The Campbell Curse can be read as a standalone, yes technically it can be as the mystery is new and there is no connection to previous cases other than John Billings and his fellow Scotland Yard detectives.  However, personally I would highly recommend reading this series in order for a couple of reasons: 1. I just don't like jumping into a series in the middle whether there is any connection between the installments or not, its just not "how I roll" and 2. in the case of DS Billings Victorian Mysteries, even though each entry is a separate case there are recurring characters and especially John Billings, watching him grow towards acceptance is an important part of the story which for me just makes each entry flow better having ridden along with him on his journey from the beginning.

So if you love historicals, mystery, character growth, and just an overall intriguing story than The Campbell Curse and the DS Billings Victorian Mysteries series as a whole is definitely worth reading.

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Saturday's Series Spotlight: DS Billings Victorian Mysteries

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Author Bio:
Born to Dutch parents and raised in Colombia and England, I am a rootless wanderer with itchy feet. I've spent the last few years living and working in The Netherlands, Czech Republic, Sudan and Bulgaria, but I have every confidence that I will now finally be able to settle down among the olive groves of Andalucia.

I'm an avid reader and film fan and I have an MA in creative writing for film and television.

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The Campbell Curse #3

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📘🎥Friday's Film Adaptation🎥📘: I am Third - the Inspiration for Brian's Song by Gale Sayers & Al Silverman

Summary:
"Gale Sayers' book I Am Third, with Al Silverman, is a stirring, painfully honest account of his struggle to become the greatest running back in history and that agonizing moment between immortality and becoming a cripple." --The New York Times Book Review

One of the most critically acclaimed of all made-for-TV movies, and one of the most watched, this was a finely told and acted story of Brian Piccolo, running back for the Chicago Bears, his lasting rivalry and friendship with fellow player Gale Sayers, and his losing battle with cancer.

Release Date: November 30, 1971(Made-for-TV)
Release Time: 74 minutes

Cast:
James Caan as Brian Piccolo
Billy Dee Williams as Gale Sayers
Jack Warden as Coach George Halas
Shelley Fabares as Joy Piccolo
Judy Pace as Linda Sayers
Bernie Casey as J.C. Caroline
David Huddleston as Ed McCaskey
Ron Feinberg as Doug Atkins
Jack Concannon as Himself
Abe Gibron as Himself
Ed O'Bradovich as Himself
Dick Butkus as Himself

Awards:
1972 Primetime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography for Entertainment Programming – For a Special or Feature Length Program Made for Television - Joseph F. Biroc (cinematographer) - Won
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Drama - Jack Warden - Won
Outstanding Single Program – Drama or Comedy - Paul Junger Witt (producer) - Won
Outstanding Writing Achievement in Drama – Adaptation - William Blinn  - Won
Outstanding Achievement in Film Editing for Entertainment Programming - For a Special or Feature Length Program Made for Television - Bud S. Isaacs - Won
Outstanding Achievement in Film Sound Editing - Marvin I. Kosberg, Harold E. Wooley, Wayne Fury, Ralph Hickey, Paul Laune, George C. Emick, Monty Pearce - Nominated
Outstanding Achievement in Film Sound Mixing - William J. Montague, Alfred E. Overton - Nominated
Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition – For a Special Program - Michel Legrand - Nominated
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama – A Single Program - Buzz Kulik - Nominated
Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role - James Caan - Nominated
Outstanding Single Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role - Billy Dee Williams - Nominated

1972 Golden Globes
Golden Globe Award for Best Miniseries or Television Film - Nominated

1973 Grammy Awards
Best Instrumental Composition - Michel Legrand - Won

Gale Sayers
Gale Sayers is a former NFL player known for his designation as the youngest person to ever be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Born in 1943 in Wichita, Kansas, he played college football at the University of Kansas before being drafted by the Chicago Bears in 1965, when he was named Rookie of the Year. He is the coauthor of I Am Third with writer Al Silverman.

Al Silverman
Al Silverman is a noted sports writer and the author of ten books and numerous essays published in Playboy, Saga, and Sport magazines. Among his publications is I Am Third, co-written with Gale Sayers, which was adapted for the 1971 television film, Brian's Song. Silverman has also worked as an editor and publisher. From 1951 to 1963, he was editor of Sport Magazine and from 1972 to 1988, he was CEO and chairman of Book of the Month Club. From 1989 to 1997, Silverman served as editor and publisher at Viking Press.

Gale Sayers

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Blog Tour: Looking Forward by Michael Bailey

Title: Looking Forward

Author: Michael Bailey

Genre: M/M Romance

Release Date: August 22, 2018

Cover Design: Jay Aheer at Simply Defined Art

Summary:
Owen Hannity was nineteen when he lost almost everyone he thought he could trust. Each loss more painful than the last.

With the unwavering support of his best friend, Andy, Owen put the pieces of his life back together. Now, more than two decades later, Owen owns and operates a successful comic shop. Despite his modicum of success, he still feels like a shell of a man, carrying the emotional scars from his past.

Without warning, Owen’s past returns. Secrets come to light. Secrets that could either destroy Owen or finally give him the strength to re-evaluate everything he thought he knew about Andy, himself, and the way in which he views the world.

To see that he is truly worthy of loving himself and finally begin…

…Looking Forward.

I shook even more as I picked up the handset and dialed the ten digits for his area code and phone number.  The call wouldn’t connect.  I feared for a moment that he had purposely given me the wrong number.  Maybe he didn’t want me calling him after all.  Then I remembered, since this was long distance, I had to dial the number one first.

I laid the receiver back into the cradle and scrubbed my hand through my hair, willing myself to calm down.  Jack wouldn’t be able to see my fear from over the phone, but there was every likelihood that he would be able to hear it.

I took the receiver out of the cradle and dialed the eleven digits.  My heart beat faster as the phone rang, and I almost chickened out and hung up.

Almost.

The other end was picked up on the fourth ring. A woman answered, clearly out of breath.  “Hello.”

I was momentarily confused.  In my head, he would answer, and we would spend my break catching up.  I had not expected someone else to answer, especially not a woman.

What if she was his girlfriend?  How would I explain myself?

“Hello?” she repeated.

He wouldn’t have given me his number if he didn’t think it would be safe for me to call.  Or at least, that’s what I reasoned.

“Is Jack in?”

“Yeah.  Hold on a sec.”

Then I heard her muffle the mouthpiece, but I was still able to hear her call his name.

Soon enough, I heard a voice that I recognized coming from the other end.  “Hello?”

“Jack?” I said, still slightly confused, and hoping that I hadn’t just caused some problem for him by calling.

“Speaking.”

“Jack, it’s Owen.”

I heard his breath catch on the other end of the phone line, and there was a second or two of delay.  Panic started to bloom.  This was a mistake.  He wouldn’t remember me.  Why would he?  I was just some kid from Toledo that he’d met in a bar weeks ago.  I’d allowed too much time to pass and had lost any chance I had, if I’d had any at all.  “Owen?”

I twisted the phone cord around my finger, an old habit I’d developed when I was nervous on the phone.  That panic came full force at his question.  He didn’t remember me.  This call was pointless.  “From Toledo,” I reminded him.

Jack chuckled.  “I remember.  I don’t meet too many Owens.”

Some of that panic eased off but didn’t dissipate entirely.  This could still go horribly wrong very quickly.  I still didn’t know what I was doing calling him.  What if that connection I had felt the night before Thanksgiving was all in my head?  I’d be the fool that had placed the call.  He’d talk about me to all his friends, tell them about this little homo that was stalking him from the other side of the state.  They’d all laugh at my expense, and I’d never know.  Or he could tell Andy, and he’d never let me forget how I’d basically come on to his straight cousin.

Yet, he had given me his number.  And those words.  I reread the napkin.  Can you feel it?

I paused, pulling in a deep breath and slowly exhaling.  I could do this.  This wasn’t a big deal if I didn’t make it one.  “No, I can’t imagine you do.  It’s not a very common name.”

“No, it’s not.  It’s very memorable.”

“I was actually named after my grandfather, if you can believe that.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.  Sort of a family tradition.  My father is named after his grandfather, and my grandfather after his.  It’s weird.”

“No, not really.  It’s actually kind of cool.  Like, legacy.  You have a connection to your family that will never go away.”

“I never thought of it like that.  I’ve honestly always hated the name.”  And wasn’t that a total bitch.  If my father ever found out that his only son was gay, he would totally disown me, and I’d still have this name.

“You shouldn’t.  It’s unique.  It sets you apart.  How many people have you known named Jack?”

I laughed.  “That’s true.  A lot.”

“Exactly my point.  In a world full of Jacks, be an Owen.”

Why did that warm my heart so much?

Who are some of your favorite authors and/or books to read when you need to relax?
Wow!!  This is both a hard and an easy question to answer because I want to be sure that I don’t leave anyone out.

I love authors like Devon McCormack and TJ Klune.  They both have the ability to write different types of stories without losing their signature voice.

As an example, I just finished TJ’s Tales from Vernia series.  Before that, I read his Bear, Otter, and the Kid Chronicles.  Two series from completely different ends of the literary spectrum, yet with a voice that is distinctly TJ.  I marvel at his ability to infuse his work with both humor and emotion, quite often at the same time.  He can quite literally have you laughing like a fool one moment then have you sobbing with the very next sentence.

Devon’s work astonishes me simply because of the depth of his characters.  Every time you start one of his books, he think you know his characters, but as you continue to read, you find these little nooks and crannies that truly define who his characters are.  Riley Hart has a similar ability, and I think that’s one of the reasons they work so well together.  Their characterizations and voices blend well.

Felice Stevens is another go-to author for me.  Her first book, Rescued, was also the very first M/M Romance I ever read.  That book will always hold a special place in my heart.

Christina Lee and Lane Hayes are similar in approach to Devon and Riley, yet their tone is slightly different.  Honestly, I would absolutely love to see them collaborate on something.  I think they would mesh extremely well.

If you were approached to have your book made into a film, who would you cast?
Now, this is not something I had actually given any thought to until now.  Physically, I think Timothee Chalamet from “Call Me By Your Name” would be perfect for David from “Looking In”  Or perhaps Tom Holland.  Is it too much to ask that Jake Gyllenhaal or Chris Hemsworth play Adam, also from “Looking In?” (Of course, both would need a sleeve of tattoos)

For “Looking Forward,” I would probably cast Ewan McGregor as Jack, Chris Pratt as Owen, and Christian Slater as Andy.

It's often asked what is your favorite part of being a writer but what is the easiest or most natural part of the creative process for you?
Getting into the heads of the MCs.  I’ve always believed that the characters an author creates are little pieces of them.  You hear all the time about a character “speaking to” an author, and I’m here to tell you, it’s absolutely true.  I think those “voices” are little parts of that author, maybe a thought, an experience, or a feeling from something that happened to that person that left such a profound impact that they remembered it on a subconscious level.  As such, I find that writing and reading in First Person makes it significantly easier to understand what a character is thinking and feeling.  It allows you as the reader or writer to put yourself into that character’s shoes and tap into that feeling or experience.  It allows you to relate to that character on a different level than we relate to people in real life, or to relive something from your own past and understand that perhaps you’re not the only one that felt the way you did.

I mean, let’s face it, how often to we really express how we feel about someone in great detail?  We may tell someone we love them on a regular basis, but does that truly encompass the depth of that emotion?  I don’t think so.  Sometimes, the words “I love you” seem too simple to truly express how we truly feel about a person.  Sometimes, those three little words leave us wishing we had other ways to express the true depth of what we feel.  I think we, as writers, understand the detail of emotion, and do our level best to explain it in such a way that the reader not only understands it, but also relates to it.

Is there any one character you've created that is most like you? If yes, who and why?
At the moment, I would have to say Owen from my latest book.  His story was something that was deeply important to me.  He and I are both products of the advent of the AIDS Crisis, and the hatred and bigotry that surrounded it.  It was a whole different world twenty-five years ago, significantly less accepting than it is today.  HIV/AIDS gave bigots even more of a reason to hate, sometimes from places that should have been our safe harbors.  It added an additional layer of fear.  But I also think it gave us strength.  We were isolated, to a large extent.  Forced to protect ourselves and find solutions to problems that no other community had faced.  Through that, we grew stronger.  We learned that we deserved to breath the same air as our heterosexual brethren.  We deserved to be able to love whomever we wanted, however we wanted.  And we learned to fight for those very rights.  Much like The Stonewall Riots, I think the AIDS Crisis was a turning point for us as a community.

If you could go anywhere (finances, time, & obligations not an issue) where would you go and why?
Super easy.  Prescott, Arizona.  I’ve been in a long-distance relationship now for about a year.  The simple answer would be, I would LOVE to shorten that distance.

Author Bio:
I'm the oldest of three, from the Glass Capital of the world, Toledo Ohio.

Don't laugh too hard.

I've dreamed of writing since I was eleven years old when I wrote a truly awful Choose-Your-Own-Adventure. It sold exactly zero copies. I think my mother may have a copy lying around somewhere. Mothers keep that kind of thing.

Through junior high and high school, I wrote a number of short stories, one actually published in the first (and only) issue of his high school's literary magazine.

Life took control shortly thereafter, as it often does, and the dream of writing was put on hold. Then, in November of 2016, I took a leap of faith, and began writing my first novel as part of the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) competition. The goal of the competition is to write a 50,000-word novel in a thirty-day period.

I failed.

However, on the advice of a friend, I "pushed through". And so, in September of 2017, my first novel was published.

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Blog Tour: Time for Love by Lynn Michaels

Title: Time for Love

Author: Lynn Michaels

Genre: M/M Romance

Release Date: August 20, 2018

Summary:
Surf and sand, beach and bar-tending, and practicing Taoism are the important things in Jeremy Ringer's life. Until a death in the family sends him across the state, and he realizes that it's not enough. By trusting the wrong people, he is pushed toward sexy police specialist, Oliver Mendosa.

Ollie Mendosa is only interested in one thing, the new police app he's developing. That is until he meets a victim of crime, surfer-boy, Jeremy Ringer. When his protective nature is brought out in full force, he can't resist the temptation of a summer fling.

Is it possible for these two men, from such different worlds, to overcome their differences and fears in order to find the love they both desire?

Ollie couldn’t stop thinking about their witness, Jeremy. The guy was too cute and entirely too laid back. “What do you think about Jeremy’s case?” he asked Walker as they walked into the precinct.

“Never going to find his car. You shouldn’t have given him false hope.”

“Yeah, I couldn’t help it.” He stuffed his phone in his pocket.

Walker stopped and looked at him, grabbing his shoulder. “What? You do like the guy? I mean like-like?”

“He’s cute.” Ollie shrugged. He wanted to play like he was calm and laid back like Jeremy, but he wasn’t. Not at all. The old saying about butterflies in the stomach seemed more like a fact than a literary description.

“I was teasing, but... Seriously, ask him out.”

Ollie huffed. “You know I can’t. At least not until we close his part of this bullshit.”

“Nah. You’re just here for the data. You’re not a detective. Ask him out.”

Ollie shook his head. He wasn’t entirely sure if he wanted dating Jeremy to be a conflict of interest or not. He hadn’t dated anyone. Not in a long time. Not really, not ever. What was he doing, anyway? “He lives too far away. I’ll be back in New York in a month. Easy.”

“That’s an excuse. If you like him. Go out with him. Hell, maybe getting laid would do you good.”

Ollie snorted. “That’s for sure.” He knew exactly how long it had been since he’d gotten any. Hookups he could do, and in New York, they’d been frequent enough. Plus, he had Corey Bishop. A good friend and in for a good fuck if they were both unattached and needing release. It was nice to have a friend he could count on, have sex with occasionally, but wouldn’t ever ask or expect more than that from them. In Jacksonville? None. Nada. Nothing. La negative. Not even Corey, since he was back in New York.

Walker bumped into his side. “Go for it.”

Ollie watched him walk away. He bit at his lip. He did want to see Jeremy again. Wanted to see those sapphire eyes, wide open, as he came apart. Wanted to hear that sweet voice, not humming or singing, but calling out. Maybe calling Ollie’s name. “Maybe I will.” Maybe they could be a fun hookup while he was in Jacksonville. At least until Jeremy went back home. Even if it was a conflict of interest, hell, Ollie never gave a damn about what anyone else said, anyway. He made his own rules.

What is the biggest influence/interest that brought you to this genre?
First was Mercedes Lackey’s The Last Herald-Mage Trilogy. That was the first time I’d ever seen someone gay in a book and he was the hero. That was my first inkling that I could write gay protagonists. Then I read Blay and Quinn from Black Dagger Brotherhood, and it was over. I was hooked.

When writing a book, what is your favorite part of the creative process (outline, plot, character names, editing, etc)?
Outlining is my favorite because that’s where most of the creation takes place. I’m a pantser in the outline process. I go with the flow and play with everything until it’s pretty thorough.

When reading a book, what genre do you find most interesting/intriguing?
I’ve been hooked on Sci-fi and Fantasy since I was a kid. So, all of that, but even more so, I love the books and stories that defy genre or twist it or combine it with something different. I’m kind of a rebel and I want to do things different. I want to read things that are different.

If you could co-author with any author, past or present, who would you choose?
Tough choice. Hemingway, because he does action like nobody else. Steven King, because he’s the master.  And maybe Jaime Reese. Her Halfway House series combines the MM Romance with mystery and detectives. Her characters are so strong, but so loving. I could probably name a lot more. I have to mention Sid Love, though. We have a co-author book planned, but we haven’t been able to get to it yet.

Have you always wanted to write or did it come to you "later in life"?
Both.  I used to get in trouble and get bad grades in elementary school for “not using time wisely.”  What I was really doing was making up stories in my head. The first story I actually wrote down was in middle school. It grew from there. I had a few Sci-fi/Fantasy stories published in online magazines back in the 2000s when that kind of thing was taking off, and it encouraged me to keep going. I wrote a lot of poetry and “song lyrics” when I was in high school. It really all started coming together over the last four or five years. 

Author Bio:
Lynn Michaels lives and writes in Tampa, Florida where the sun is hot and the Sangria is cold. When she's not writing she's kayaking, hanging with her husband, or reading by the pool. Lynn writes Male/Male romance because she believes everyone deserves a happy ending and the dynamics of male characters can be intriguing, vulnerable, and exciting. She has both contemporary and paranormal titles and has been writing since 2014. Her stories don't follow any set guidelines or ideas, but come from her heart and contain love in many forms.

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