Where You Least Expect It, my first novel, is available from Torquere.

Still getting over a bad breakup, ex-Army computer expert Matt Halston is a bit of a recluse with a strict routine that involves working too much, playing basketball with his best friend, and letting himself be dragged to parties when he’d rather be catching up on sleep. When he meets Christian Flannery, an out-and-proud college student, he’s immediately intrigued and finds himself going out of his way to spend time getting to know Christian.

When Christian makes it obvious that he sees Matt as more than just a friend, Matt is forced to re-examine his sexuality and take an honest look at his feelings. With unintended pressures from his friends and his own confusion, Matt has a tough time working through the challenges. While Matt faces his fears of intimacy, Christian’s facing his own issues paying for school and rent on barista wages. Can these two stubborn men find a common ground or will their obstacles prove insurmountable?

And my Christmas Sip, Christmas Mistletoe, is also available

Ben Warren’s year is ending on a down note: he dumped his two-timing boyfriend, got laid off from his job, and moved home with his parents. Not sure what to do next, he spends the Christmas season working at his family’s Christmas Tree lot, a job he thought he’d left behind years before. When Nick Paine, a former high school track buddy, shows up in search of the perfect tree, Ben thinks it’s just another business transaction. Once Nick makes it obvious his interest is more personal, Ben realizes his year might end on a positive note after all.

You can also check out M. Raiya’s review of Teammates on here.

Review by M. Durango

I loved this sweet and hopeful story. We first met the protagonist, Suyai Tucker-Neyen, as a baby in Haven, but now he’s all grown up, teaching high school, and advising the LBGT student group, the Rainbow Posse. Last Dance takes place on Prom Night and when Suyai realizes none of the Rainbow Posse are dancing, he knows it’s up to him to set the example. The one challenge is, he’s dateless and — so far as he knows — is the only gay teacher at Sister City Central. Lucky for Suyai, new math teacher Trevor Ellis is more than willing to be Suyai’s partner.

The author cleverly weaves Suyai’s own search for love around the around the It Gets Better theme, letting him serve as an example to his students while navigating the adult social and dating world. The reader is subtly reminded that there’s still work to be done through the careless words by one of Suyai’s colleagues, a situation that Suyai handles with poise.

Overall, there’s a strong sense of Suyai’s world and extended family in Sister City, including a brief glimpse into Tadeo and Haven’s life. The ending was a perfect fit as it looks towards Suyai and Trevor’s future with just the right amount of romance.

About the Author

Before dawn and after dark, Lee Benoit is a writer of queer fiction, some contemporary, some speculative, some historical. During the daylight hours she is a professor of sociology & anthropology. In the old days, Lee traveled the world doing field research. Nowadays, she lives in the middle of a New England hayfield where being a two-spirit single parent provides more than enough excitement. Lee also paints watercolors, bakes wild-yeast sourdough bread, rears guinea fowl, and shares her bed with a pair of cats and an abjectly adoring hound-retriever mutt. Whenever she gets itchy feet and misses the world of research and advocacy, Lee invents a new world in her head and takes notes on what happens there.

You can read Lee’s review of KIL Kenny’s “How Does Your Garden Grow?” here: http://leebenoittales.com/blog/

and you can buy Last Dance from our sponsor, Rainbow ebooks: http://www.rainbowebooks.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4995

In 2008, Torquere Press’ fantastic authors decided to support a charity with an annual short story collection called our Charity Sip blitz. In the past three years, we’ve donated more than $13,000.00 to charitable organizations that support GLBT causes.

For 2011, Torquere’s authors have chosen the theme “Getting Better” in honor of the It Gets Better project, which helps LGBT youth understand that life as an openly queer adult is not only possible, but happening for millions of people, worldwide. More than thirty authors have written short fiction pieces and have agreed to donate all proceeds of the sales of these stories to this year’s charitable organization. Torquere Press Inc. will match the authors’ donations completely.

This year, we’re also pleased to announce that our distribution partner, Rainbow eBooks, has agreed to be the title sponsor of our Sip collection, and will be our sole distributor outside of the Torquere Books website. Please support our sponsor by visiting them at www.rainbowebooks.com

Torquere Press and our authors truly believe we can make a difference by donating to organizations that promote awareness and equality. If you’d like to help, please support the Charity Sip Blitz and enjoy some great romance today!

Available September 17, 2011 at www.torquerebooks.com and www.rainbowebooks.com

In 2008, Torquere Press’ fantastic authors decided to support a charity with an annual short story collection called our Charity Sip blitz. In the past three years, we’ve donated more than $13,000.00 to charitable organizations that support GLBT causes.

For 2011, Torquere’s authors have chosen the theme “Getting Better” in honor of the It Gets Better project, which helps LGBT youth understand that life as an openly queer adult is not only possible, but happening for millions of people, worldwide. More than thirty authors have written short fiction pieces and have agreed to donate all proceeds of the sales of these stories to this year’s charitable organization. Torquere Press Inc. will match the authors’ donations completely.
This year, we’re also pleased to announce that our distribution partner, Rainbow eBooks, has agreed to be the title sponsor of our Sip collection, and will be our sole distributor outside of the Torquere Books website. Please support our sponsor by visiting them at www.rainbowebooks.com

Torquere Press and our authors truly believe we can make a difference by donating to organizations that promote awareness and equality. If you’d like to help, please support the Charity Sip Blitz and enjoy some great romance today!

Available September 17, 2011 at www.torquerebooks.com and www.rainbowebooks.com

We’re having a reader scavenger hunt with weekly gift basket prizes and a grand prize (this year, a brand-new 3G Kindle along with a CD of stories from each participating author), plus daily prizes of gift certificates to show our appreciation to you — our readers! Check our blog, http://glbtromance.blogspot.com/ where we’ll have a number of our authors visiting the whole month. We’ll post excerpts, hang out to chat, and talk about our stories.

In addition to the grand prize of the Kindle, we’re giving away gift baskets every week! Some are silly, some are smutty, and all are fun. The themed ones are: m/m, ménage, BDSM, and lesbian plus our authors have chipped in with extra goodies.

Here’s how to play. Visit our contest page, http://www.torquerebooks.com/contest/contactmain.html, and start scavenging for the Eight Ball answers. Visit the author pages and find the graphic somewhere on their site. An online form is set up, and we’ll randomly choose a winner for the Kindle from all of the correct entries. Plus, every day, readers will have the chance to win a Torquere gift certificate and a gift basket.

Help us celebrate our eighth anniversary and ask the Eight Ball your question… Like, will I win a prize from Torquere Press?

Thanks, and have fun playing.

~

I’m glad I didn’t go with my original plans to visit New Jersey at the end of August; a hurricane would not make for a fun vacation at the beach.

On a positive note, it’s getting more summery here in the Pacific Northwest, which is helping my overall productivity, I think. Winter and spring were hellacious this year and summer really hasn’t been much better. Oh, well. Eventually I’ll get that second home in Baja.