Sindustry vol 1 is out!
Jul. 6th, 2009 09:12 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jl_merrowI know, I know, shameless plug. But I am practically bouncing off the walls with excitement, because Sindustry Vol 1 is now available to buy from Dreamspinner Press in either e-book or print version!
It's a fantastic anthology containing stories by several well-established m/m authors including (among others) Clare London, Rhianne Aile & Madeleine Urban and Bethany Brown. And one or two names you may not have seen so often, such as a certain JL Merrow... *g*
Lenore Black is a new author to me, but I particularly enjoyed her story Fun and Games about a computer geek and a rentboy.
And rentboys and other male sex workers finding love is what this anthology is all about - so what's not to like? ;D
Here's a snippet of my story,
As Beauty Does, by JL Merrow
“You know what your trouble is, mate?” Adam muttered, his voice sounding a bit funny from the necessity of keeping his face still while applying eyeliner.
Nathan shrugged, resigned. “No, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me.”
Adam finished off one eye with a flourish and turned to look at him, the half-made-up appearance reminding Nathan irresistibly of his Penguin Modern Classics edition of A Clockwork Orange. “You don’t look the part. The punters aren’t sure if you’re up for it or not.”
Nathan laughed. “Don’t you think the fact that I’m hanging around on street corners in the red light district might give them a clue?”
Adam inspected his embellished eye for a moment and then set to work on the unadorned one. “You’ve gotta remember, Nate – bugger.” He wiped off a misdrawn line with a tissue, and started again. “Your average punter – specially your average first time punter – is shitting himself that he’s going to start chatting up some bloke who then turns out to be just waiting for a bus and is mates with his kids besides. You put a bit of the old facepaint on, everyone knows where they stand.” He grinned. “Or kneel, as it might be. Wanna borrow?” He waved the eyeliner in Nathan’s direction.
“Nah, thanks anyway. Don’t think it’s really me.”
“Well, that’s the whole point, innit? Why would you want to be you?”
Nathan laughed again. “Well, cheers, mate! You really know how to make a bloke feel special!”
“Come on, mate, you know what I mean. It’s all an act, innit? Not like you’re on a bloody date.”
“Yeah, I know.” Nathan gave a one-shouldered shrug. “It’s Thursday, though. I’ve got a regular tonight. Don’t think he’d appreciate a change in the menu.”
“Yeah? Who is it? Fat Bastard, or Tall, Dark and Ugly?”
Nathan grinned. “Tall, Dark and Ugly.” He’d given the bloke that nickname himself, right at the start, but he felt a bit bad about it these days. So what if every day was a bad hair day for the bloke – least, every Thursday seemed to be, at any rate – and acne scars weren’t a good look on anyone, and neither was a broken nose, come to think of it. The bloke had something, no doubt about it. Presence, that was it. Bearing. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on him, and his thighs were lean and compactly muscled as Nathan well knew, having had occasion to hang onto them often enough. And he had the bluest eyes Nathan had ever seen outside of contact lens adverts, and God, that voice… there was a word he’d seen in a book he was reading, and if Nathan was honest he wasn’t totally sure what it meant, but it sounded just right. Mellifluous. Like those Marks and Spencers ads on the telly for their chocolate puddings, that showed the warm fudge sauce oozing out of the middle and dribbling slowly down the side. That was what the bloke’s voice was like.
It's a fantastic anthology containing stories by several well-established m/m authors including (among others) Clare London, Rhianne Aile & Madeleine Urban and Bethany Brown. And one or two names you may not have seen so often, such as a certain JL Merrow... *g*
Lenore Black is a new author to me, but I particularly enjoyed her story Fun and Games about a computer geek and a rentboy.
And rentboys and other male sex workers finding love is what this anthology is all about - so what's not to like? ;D
Here's a snippet of my story,
As Beauty Does, by JL Merrow
“You know what your trouble is, mate?” Adam muttered, his voice sounding a bit funny from the necessity of keeping his face still while applying eyeliner.
Nathan shrugged, resigned. “No, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me.”
Adam finished off one eye with a flourish and turned to look at him, the half-made-up appearance reminding Nathan irresistibly of his Penguin Modern Classics edition of A Clockwork Orange. “You don’t look the part. The punters aren’t sure if you’re up for it or not.”
Nathan laughed. “Don’t you think the fact that I’m hanging around on street corners in the red light district might give them a clue?”
Adam inspected his embellished eye for a moment and then set to work on the unadorned one. “You’ve gotta remember, Nate – bugger.” He wiped off a misdrawn line with a tissue, and started again. “Your average punter – specially your average first time punter – is shitting himself that he’s going to start chatting up some bloke who then turns out to be just waiting for a bus and is mates with his kids besides. You put a bit of the old facepaint on, everyone knows where they stand.” He grinned. “Or kneel, as it might be. Wanna borrow?” He waved the eyeliner in Nathan’s direction.
“Nah, thanks anyway. Don’t think it’s really me.”
“Well, that’s the whole point, innit? Why would you want to be you?”
Nathan laughed again. “Well, cheers, mate! You really know how to make a bloke feel special!”
“Come on, mate, you know what I mean. It’s all an act, innit? Not like you’re on a bloody date.”
“Yeah, I know.” Nathan gave a one-shouldered shrug. “It’s Thursday, though. I’ve got a regular tonight. Don’t think he’d appreciate a change in the menu.”
“Yeah? Who is it? Fat Bastard, or Tall, Dark and Ugly?”
Nathan grinned. “Tall, Dark and Ugly.” He’d given the bloke that nickname himself, right at the start, but he felt a bit bad about it these days. So what if every day was a bad hair day for the bloke – least, every Thursday seemed to be, at any rate – and acne scars weren’t a good look on anyone, and neither was a broken nose, come to think of it. The bloke had something, no doubt about it. Presence, that was it. Bearing. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on him, and his thighs were lean and compactly muscled as Nathan well knew, having had occasion to hang onto them often enough. And he had the bluest eyes Nathan had ever seen outside of contact lens adverts, and God, that voice… there was a word he’d seen in a book he was reading, and if Nathan was honest he wasn’t totally sure what it meant, but it sounded just right. Mellifluous. Like those Marks and Spencers ads on the telly for their chocolate puddings, that showed the warm fudge sauce oozing out of the middle and dribbling slowly down the side. That was what the bloke’s voice was like.
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Date: 2009-07-06 02:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-06 04:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-06 02:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-06 04:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-06 09:57 pm (UTC)For once I don't feel so bad about pimping my stuff, as there's all these great stories by other people in the anthology!
And vol 2's due out next week! So yes, there will be pimping a-plenty! ;D
no subject
Date: 2009-07-07 06:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-07-07 07:08 pm (UTC)