The GAY Men in Alan's Swimming Pool

Ah.  Let me throw you a bone here, considering I found myself off the mark after reading the dust jacket of Alan Hollinghurst’s The Swimming Pool Library.  I really want to re-premise the synopsis with my not-quite-damn-near instantaneous look at the opening stages of the book.  Though this “look” gives nothing nowhere near as complex and multi-layered as the actual material.  So don’t let my speed-running summary of the book throw you off.  But hear me now as I suggest you pick the book up whenever possible.

Anyway, a gay twenty-something British aristocrat is ready to pull a routine cruise mission inside a public lavatory.  This lavatory is popular (and populated) with men filled with a thirsty compulsion for spontaneous sexual fulfillment.  And so our young aristocrat comes in on the fold with a practiced stroll.  You see, this type of environment isn’t unique to him.  However, it's a little dispiriting seeing the array of middle-aged white men available and present.  The aristocrat longs for a different, more youthful flavor.  Lucky for him he spots an Arabian boy, and proceeds to have him to himself.

Until an eighty-something elderly Lord stumbles into the lavatory with the same mission: quick sex where possible.  Unfortunate for the Lord, his expedition results in a heart attack or stroke of sorts.  Troubled by his duty to seek sex with the Arab, the aristocratic runs to assist the elderly Lord.  And he does so successfully before the two part ways.  

Later, the two encounter one other at a local swimming hole/fitness center familiar with gay men.  A friendship forms, leading the Lord to ask the young aristocrat to scribe his biography.  The Lord fears for his remaining years, and is desperate to tell his story.  He pushes and pushes for the aristocrat to take on the assignment, until the aristocrat gives in and accepts the task.  Yet, there are deeper unforeseen intentions behind the Lord’s request.  Decades of quiet, vengeful purpose hides underneath.  Suddenly caught in a trap, the aristocrat soon arrives at two choices: honor the Lord’s request to completion or choose the respect of his family instead?

Ah.  Putting the premise into my own words helps.  But I can agree to the dust jacket’s statement of the book taking readers to “dimly lit underground bars, swimming baths, and cinemas.”  That, and so much more, it did under Hollinghurst’s beauty way with prose, character, and illustrative settings.  Fearing the book would smother me in stereotypical and dusty stories frequented in gay/LGBT literature, I arrived to its conclusion surprised it did so with me savoring each motion in its journey.  And while I could sit here and delve deeper into that "savoring", I'm choosing to focus on the men who populate the book.  As that's where most of my attention and captivity found itself.  So these are my thoughts on their roles and what moved me about them.  Otherwise, I could be here all day posting about this hyper immersing read.

WARNING: There may be spoilers, so read at your own risk!

Weekend Reading: X by Sue Grafton ~ It's Going DOWN!

I hate waiting for new releases.  And I hate having to wait until my week is clear to dive into them.  Sue Grafton, undoubtedly, is an author of these cases.  I think it's clear how I'll stop EVERYTHING to get my hands on her stuff.  The second she ushers in a new Kinsey Millhone book, everything has to stop.  However, with a work schedule bracketing a block of days, and a car that just couldn't do anything without a replacement crankshaft, I suffered through the week just to wait until today.  I have ALL weekend to read the latest Kinsey Millhone hard-boiled mystery.  That's Friday, Saturday, and Sunday all with Kinsey.  With groceries in the fridge and a car that's finally fixed, I'd say nothing else even matters.  Believe THAT.  So in keeping this short, it's time to revisit my best friend and favorite fictional private-eye, Kinsey Millhone.

X by Sue Grafton:

"The betrayed spouse of a wealthy business man, a hot-tempered woman who was probably too quick to file for divorce and is still out for revenge on the husband who bedded her best friend.  She is now plotting to steal a valuable painting her ex doesn't even know he possess.

The newly ensconced elderly couple in the house next door, needy and seemingly helpless.  In fact, the neighbors from hell.

A banker's box holding a recently murdered private investigator's files.  Secretly stashed in a false bottom is a padded mailer containing personal items: a small Bible, a red-bead rosary, a child's birthday card with four one-dollar bills, a studio portrait of a little girl on her mother's lap–perhaps the child for whom the card was intended?  And falling out of one file folder, a piece of graph paper with lines of numbers–a code or cipher that, when broken, contains the names of six women.  One, a suicide according to the coroner's office, died twenty-eight years ago; a second, a woman who sued a coworker for harassment.  The only link: Ned Lowe, husband of the dead woman, the target of the lawsuit.

And a remorseless serial killer cunning enough to leave no trace of his crimes.

Once again breaking the rules, Sue Grafton wastes no time identifying this sociopath.  The test is whether Kinsey can prove her case against him before she becomes his next victim.

Sue Grafton's X: Dark and chilling and clever, but as well, infinitely wise in the matter of human misbehavior, or why we are often our own worst enemy."

A Short Night Crawl

Picture a lone truck-stop diner during an ugly storm.  You have a cook, waitress, and police officer huddled inside for shelter and to attend stranded diners.  Somewhere down the road–according to the relaying radio frequenting updates on the storm–a local motel recently found itself caught in a shooting spree.  Innocents are gunned down, and the killer is still on the loose.  Meanwhile, back at the diner, a ragged and dusty man stumbles through as the storm reaches its peak.  Suspicions arrive from those already inside.  Could he be the hotel killer?  Still, they maintain a cool head.  Asking for a cup of coffee, the diner employees serve the strange and twitchy guest.  As for the police officer , he watches the patron with a long gaze. 

All this appears strange, mysterious, and lightly-suspenseful.  But then a platoon of dead, zombified war veterans comes swimming out of the storm to attack the diner.  And out went bits of my grasp on the story.  To be fair, Night Crawlers deserve another, slower re-read within its 33 pages.  But from my initial read, I really just thought it was okay.  I would be interested in reading something lengthier from McCammon, though.

Pawing Through the Past

Pawing through the Past is feline and canine detectives, Mrs. Murphy and Tee Tucker’s, eighth cozy mystery.  This time around, their ”mother," Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen, stresses herself over her upcoming twentieth high school reunion.  The class of 1980 are trickling back to the small town of Crozet, in preparation. For them, it's time to catch up with one another, share memories, and find themselves on somebody's hit list.  And however dreadful as that appears, it’s only about as burdensome as Harry’s role on the reunion’s organization committee.  Nevertheless, with her alumni finding themselves plucked off, Harry and her pets take it upon themselves to investigate which 1980 Crozet High graduate is behind the killings.  The old saying of "the more things change, the more things stay the same" is just about right for this case.  And Brown does the “change” with a literal and almost unforeseeable twist.

As always, I enjoy this series.  It’s just a winner for the light, cozy mystery reader in me.  Still, as it regards the progression of the series and overarching character developments, not much has changed per the previous entry.  Also, while some entries are better crafted than others, Brown never lets up with her mystery’s set-up and theme.  She always gives her characters a fresh (sometimes too out there) direction...  

And Pawing through the Past played with various directions.  Some, I feel, if I list it’ll give away the entire book.  So for the sake of remaining vague, Pawing is a vengeance story told through the familiar social commenter filter (usually expressed by the animals) known in Brown’s material.  And that pushing filter couldn’t be truer here.  However, just for a brisk lap, think about what happens when you bully someone too far.  Think about how that experience sticks with and changes a person until he or she becomes consumed by it.

I really wish I could say more, but I’m biting my lip because it’ll give everything away.  There’s a twist about the culprit–and one that I suspected almost instantly.  That doesn’t change how fun, humorous, and crazy the book was, though.

GUEST POST: Apparition Atlas by Mark P. Donnelly & Daniel Diehl

Ravenswood Publishing Presents

Apparition Atlas by Mark. P. Donnelly & Daniel Diehl

Title: Apparition Atlas

Author: Daniel Diehl & Mark P. Donnelly

Genre: Paranormal/Non-Fiction/Travel

Length: 540 pages

Release Date: September 1, 2015

ISBN-13: 978-1515263166

IMPRINT: Gaia’s Essence

SYNOPSIS: Have you ever had an encounter with a ghost? Would you like proof that the deceased continue to visit the world of the living? Do you have the courage to stand face-to-face with visitors from the afterlife?

Apparition Atlas: The Ghost Hunter’s Travel Guide to Haunted America provides seekers of truth with a definitive guide to more than 200 publicly accessible, verified haunted locations in all fifty states. Introductory chapters discuss the many different types of apparitions and explain everything the novice ghost hunter needs to know to search for things that go bump in the night.

Sometimes the spirits of the dead manifest themselves by slamming doors or through blood chilling screams; other times they come as glowing orbs of ectoplasm that float through walls, and occasionally they appear in their human form–fully formed, semi-transparent and terrifyingly real. Let us take you on a journey to places where close encounters with the departed occur with frightening regularity.

Guaranteed to make you doubt everything you believe about death being the end of existence.

What is a Ghost?

       While working on our new, nonfiction book, Apparition Atlas: The Ghost Hunter’s Travel Guide to Haunted America my co-author, Mark Donnelly, and I came across this provocative quote by noted horror writer Peter Straub:

       “Considering that sooner or later everybody is going to die, people know surprisingly little about ghosts.”

       Not until the moment we saw this thought-provoking statement had we considered examining the precise nature of spirit manifestations and including the information in the book.  What we learned is both surprising and enlightening and we think it is worthwhile passing it on to our readers as an independent article.  In our book, Apparition Atlas: The Ghost Hunter’s Travel Guide to Haunted America, this short chapter precedes an examination of the tools and techniques used by ghost hunters.  Following these two explanatory chapters we lead our readers through a cornucopia of more than 200 publicly accessible – and eminently creepy - haunted houses scattered across all fifty states in the US.  But for the moment we will limit ourselves to our investigation into the nature of spirits and hauntings.  Here, then, is what we found out:  

*  *  *  *  *

       Since we are going to spend the remainder of this book talking about ghosts we should probably take just a minute to define exactly what we mean when we say ‘ghost’.  According to Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, the word ghost is defined as: ‘a disembodied soul; especially the soul of a dead person believed to be an inhabitant of the unseen world or to appear to the living in bodily likeness’.  Well, that seems like a reasonable starting point, but since there are a great number of apparitions described in the following entries, I think we need to consider the definition of the term ghost in a little greater depth.

       Paranormal research tells us that there may be many different kinds of supernatural phenomena commonly referred to as ‘ghosts’ and we must consider this fact when we read the more than two hundred stories of hauntings covered in this book.  The simple fact is, it would seem difficult for any one type of spirit to manifest itself in the dozens of different ways described in the following pages.  So let’s take a look at each of the many forms of ghostly activity and try to explain them or, if not explain them, at least categorize them by type and try to offer some possible explanations for what they are and why they behave like they do.

       Are ghosts conscious?  This question lies at the heart of our attempts to understand the appearance and activities of the manifestations we refer to as ghosts.  While it is undeniable that there are instances where those in the spirit world seem to communicate directly, and in real time, with the living, we must consider the probability that the vast majority of spirit manifestations are nothing more than reflections; echoes of energy patterns left behind by individuals that have left the world of the living.  Those instances where ghosts are reported to communicate directly with the living are notably rare.  Even those occasions where physical manifestations (ghosts that appear in more-or-less their human form) may appear to look at the living and smile or nod, or instances where disembodied voices speak, are probably nothing more than an unconscious repetition of something the individual did or said while they were alive.  The most common explanation for this particular phenomenon is to describe it as a psychic impression of a particular event, or a moment in time, which is then replayed at random intervals much like a tape loop or a clip from an old movie.  It is highly unlikely that the individuals who appear in this type of spirit manifestation are aware of the living.  In all probability they have no consciousness of any kind and are no more ‘real’ than the characters we see when we watch a movie; rather, they are simply patterns of light and dark, endlessly replaying a scene from some long-ago storyline, without having any sense of self awareness, let alone an awareness of their surroundings. 

       This ‘echo’ theory would also account for why ghosts seem to fade out over a period of years or centuries.  Consider that ghosts from the relatively recent past – say the last century or two – are fairly common but those from a thousand or two thousand years in the past are extremely rare.  The authors are, in fact, only aware of one verified haunting from the period of the Roman Empire, that being a column of roman soldiers (in full military regalia, some mounted on horses) which have been seen marching through the crypt beneath Yorkminster Cathedral in York, England.   If, indeed, this type of spirit apparition is an echo of past people and actions then, like the echo of a voice shouted toward a hillside, they will eventually fade away, becoming fainter and fainter, until they eventually disappear entirely.

       What this theory does not account for are those rare instances where ghosts - either fully formed and human in appearance or those which exist only as a disembodied voice - communicate directly with the living, conversing with them as though they were living people.  For this rare and fascinating phenomenon we have no theories to offer.  It is, however, simultaneously comforting to think that conscious life may continue after death, and also slightly unsettling to consider that at least some of the dead are capable of interacting with the world of the living.

       The most common physical phenomena attributed to those from the afterlife are actions such as slamming doors, moving small objects, turning lights on and off and other startling but generally harmless interactions with the solid world of the living.  Most such physical activities are attributed to a type of phenomenon known as a ‘poltergeist’.   Translated from the German, poltergeist literally means ‘noisy ghost’.  While some poltergeist activities can be extreme and terrifying, most of them are completely harmless, if sometimes annoying.  The dangerous kind of poltergeist activity, where furniture flies across the room and humans are beaten or bitten by unseen assailants, generally only takes place in households where there is a human female around the age of puberty.  We have no idea why teenage females seem to attract – or trigger – this type of activity, and it is not universally true, but it has been recorded as a frequent accompaniment of the poltergeist phenomenon.  No one has even made a positive link between poltergeist activity and the appearance of ghostly images in human form; they may be a completely separate phenomena which may, or may not, take place in the same location.  What is certain is that no visible ghost – that is, a ghost which has taken on its former, human form – has ever been seen to move a physical object.  This may prove nothing more than the fact that interacting with the physical world, while simultaneously manifesting a physical presence, requires more energy than a spirit can muster, but it may also be that hose things which move objects are an entirely different type of manifestation than the spirits which take on their former physical appearance. 

       In many instances the presence of ghostly activity includes sightings of glowing balls, often referred to as ‘orbs’, that flit or float through buildings or, on rare occasions, across the out-of-doors landscape in the proximity to a haunted building.  As is true with poltergeists, we are uncertain whether these orbs are directly related to ghosts or if they are some other type of activity entirely, which simply happen to take place at the same locations where ghosts may be in residence.  Similarly, we have no idea what these energy orbs are, what causes them or whether they are in any way aware of the world of the living.

       In many instances ghosts make their physical appearances in the world of the living at predictable locations in the architectural landscape.  Primary among these are stairways, doors, hallways, windows and, most disturbingly, mirrors.  There is a popular theory that these passageways, or openings, in the physical world also serve as openings into the world of the spirits.  Whether this is true, or whether it just happens that most houses tend to have a lot of doors, windows, staircases and hallways and therefore ghosts seem to be attracted to them, is open to question.  In either case, it is an interesting, and somewhat unsettling, theory.

What Does a Ghost Hunter’s Guide Look Like, Anyway?

        It’s a little difficult to explain to our readers exactly what we mean when we say that our latest nonfiction book, Apparition Atlas: Ghost Hunter’s Travel Guide to Haunted America.  The easiest explanation is that it is laid out a lot like any travel guide published by the major travel companies such as Michelin or Fodors, except for the fact that instead of describing and rating hotels, motels, B&Bs, restaurants and other tourist facilities, it guides the reader to more than 200 publicly accessible haunted houses located in all 50 states.  Like any good travel guide each site is described – both its history and current operation – and contact information is given to ease the traveler in locating, and making arrangements to visit, each particular site.  Additionally, in the same way that the people at Michelin rate restaurants and hotels by granting them anywhere from one to five crowns, we rate the ‘fear factor’ of our sites by granting them from one to five skulls. We believe that this will help prepare our readers for how likely they are to be freaked out by what they just might encounter on their travels.  To enlighten you as to just what these entries look like, here is one sample page from the more than 200 included in Apparition Atlas: The Ghost Hunter’s Travel Guide to Haunted America.

AUTHOR INFORMATION & LINKS

Daniel Diehl - Daniel Diehl has been an author, writer and investigative historian for thirty-five years. For nearly twenty years Diehl has been involved in writing for publication and documentary television production. Mr. Diehl’s work has won awards from the Houston (Texas) Film Festival, the National Trust for Historic Preservation (US) and the City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Arts Foundation. Working alone and as a part of the multi-award winning team of Daniel Diehl and Mark Donnelly, Diehl has produced work in two main categories; trade publication and television documentary scripts. His canon of work includes twenty non-fiction books (which have been translated into ten foreign languages), one previous work of fiction and scripts for more than one hundred and seventy hours of documentary television primarily for A&E Network, The History Channel, History International, Biography Channel and Discovery Network.

Mark P. Donnelly - Mark P. Donnelly is an historian, author, screenwriter, duelist, bon vivant, and constant gentleman. He has authored, co-authored or ghost written over 20 titles in several countries and has scripted and/or produced nearly 200 hours of historical television programming. He can frequently be found traveling throughout the north-eastern US giving lectures and presentations at themed events as well as teaching historical swordsmanship and western martial arts. He currently resides in central Pennsylvania where he enjoys life with his wife and family.

  

Currently Available at:

APPARITION ATLAS

AMAZON US

AMAZON UK

BARNES & NOBLE

KOBO

GOOGLE PLAY

iBOOKS

CREATESPACE

Barker's Short and Creepy

Forget about short and sweet.  How about short and terrifyingly creepy!?

How about Clive Barker’s short story, "The Forbidden"?  The story that inspired the Candyman movie.  (Which, besides Eugenio Martín's Horror Express, is probably the only horror movie that got me as a child.)

Nevertheless, color me excited to have read "The Forbidden", without searching for the Books of Blood Volume 5 anthology it originated?  I say that because of my simple interest in reading where the Candyman movie's adaptation came from, and having only a mild interest in expanding on Barker.  Well, after reading "The Forbidden", I have to go back and correct that mishap by finding the anthology for more page-turning shorts.  Clive Barker sold me with this short and, creepily sweet, introduction into his work.  A work tangled with some nicely disturbing prose that sucked me into immobility for a good forty-five minutes.

The similarities between "The Forbidden" and the Candyman movie are almost-but-not-even-closely the same.  One difference is Barker’s story takes place in England, whereas the movie surrounds Chicago ghettos.  Another is the legacy and conception of movie-Candyman comes packaged, whereas the short is up for some deep and complex self-interpretation.  However, the main protagonist and storyline set-up is much the same.  Helen is a university graduate student doing her thesis on graffiti art.  What better place to gather information for her thesis than visiting the ghettos?  A place she clearly doesn't belong.  What she finds is graffiti art referring to some unknown entity titled Candyman.  An intrigued Helen begins to inquire the shifty locals about Candyman.  And she learns how this entity appears associated with a few  murders in the area.  Eventually, her snooping bites off more than she can chew.  Before long, her searching, prying, and poking leads Candyman right to her.  And as if to become a part of his legend, he offers her death as his latest victim.

"The Forbidden" is short, but worth some examination after you’ve had your hands on it.  Underneath the horror, I got bits and pieces of reflection on what manifests (speaking mostly as a mindset) inside economically disadvantaged communities mostly forgotten by governments.  The use of community stories to created threats of danger are like the tools the impoverish use to reject unwanted outsiders. They’re a community that no longer asks for outer assistance.  And yet, they're trapped into silence by an unbeatable mindset that they aren't meant to leave (hence Candyman).

Of course there’s more and plenty other ways to see "The Forbidden."  Still, if anything, just let the story creep you the hell out as Barker's prose drags you under.

The Nora Roberts Takeover (NR Haul)

I may have slipped up somewhere–being somewhat of a promiscuous reader.  However, recently I’ve been buying Nora Roberts novels.  Part of this sudden burst of the Roberts stems from something as simple as the aesthetics of these new/re-released trade paperbacks I'm going to show you.  Call it marking, call it subliminal messages; either way they’re beautiful books with their wispy covers, deckled-edges, and French flaps.  They seem to demand for my cloudy belief in romance to try and try again not to float completely away.  Though Roberts hardly–I deeply stress "hardly"–write the kind of romance I can identify with.  I won't get into the differences and distinctions.  Otherwise, I'll lose focus of this post by moving into hotter topics.

Now it’s no question or wonder how I’m obsessed with Roberts’ J. D. Robb brand; the In Death series means the world to me if you don't know by now.  Yet, at one point during my trek through that 40+ book series, I decided I didn’t care for her Roberts writings.  You see, in the past I tried the first book in her Bride Quartet, Sign of Seven Trilogy, and Circle Trilogy series.  And neither of those three panned out beyond the first book.  In a matter-of-fact, I DNF’ed book one in the Bride Quartet series 50 pages in (the character had zero personality worth sticking around with).  At one point I also decided to pass on Roberts' romance thrillers, after a bored-out-of-my-mind tryst with Black Hills back in 2009.

So I suppose there are many variables asking me to attempt to gorge myself on Roberts.  One seems to be her aesthetically pleasing books.  Second, a need for a little romantic reading.  Third, familiarity/loyalty to Robb.  Finally, a general compulsion to provide innumerable chances for her to win me over.

Roberts does contemporary romance and romance with supernatural elements.  So I decided it was best I select books I felt had a touch of something I would find appealing in both areas.  Here's what I came up with!  (All synopsis are provided by Goodreads.)

1.  The Next Always: Book One of the Inn Boonsboro Trilogy

"The historic hotel in Boonsboro has endured war and peace, the changing of hands, and even rumored hauntings. Now it's getting a major face-lift from the Montgomery brothers and their eccentric mother. As the architect in the family, Beckett's social life consists mostly of talking shop over pizza and beer. But there's another project he's got his eye on: the girl he's been waiting to kiss since he was sixteen.

After losing her husband and returning to her hometown, Clare Brewster soon settles into her life as the mother of three young sons while running the town's bookstore. Though busy and with little time for romance, Clare is drawn across the street by Beckett's transformation of the old inn, wanting to take a closer look...at both the building and the man behind it."

2.  Key of Light: First in the Key Trilogy (READ)

"When Malory Price is issued with the above invitation she is naturally suspicious, especially as Warrior's Peak is a local mansion straight out of a Hollywood movie. But with her overdraft at crisis limit and on the verge of losing her job at a local art gallery, she has little to lose by attending the event.

Only Malory is about to get more than she bargained for. At Warrior's Peak she finds that she and two other women are the only guests of their mysterious hosts. They are told an amazing story of magic, gods and goddesses; and of three demi-goddesses who have been cast into an eternal sleep, their mortal souls placed under lock and key. And in every generation, three women are born who alone have the power to free them - if they are prepared to accept the challenge."

3.  Dark Witch: Book One of the Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy

"With indifferent parents, Iona Sheehan grew up craving devotion and acceptance. From her maternal grandmother, she learned where to find both: a land of lush forests, dazzling lakes, and centuries-old legends.

Ireland.

County Mayo, to be exact. Where her ancestors’ blood and magic have flowed through generations—and where her destiny awaits.

Iona arrives in Ireland with nothing but her Nan’s directions, an unfailingly optimistic attitude, and an innate talent with horses. Not far from the luxurious castle where she is spending a week, she finds her cousins, Branna and Connor O’Dwyer. And since family is family, they invite her into their home and their lives.

When Iona lands a job at the local stables, she meets the owner, Boyle McGrath. Cowboy, pirate, wild tribal horseman, he’s three of her biggest fantasy weaknesses all in one big, bold package."

4.  Shadow Spell: Book Two of the Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy

"With the legends and lore of Ireland running through his blood, falconer Connor O’Dwyer is proud to call County Mayo home. It’s where his sister, Branna, lives and works, where his cousin, Iona, has found true love, and where his childhood friends form a circle that can’t be broken…

A circle that is about to be stretched out of shape—by a long-awaited kiss.

Meara Quinn is Branna’s best friend, a sister in all but blood. Her and Connor’s paths cross almost daily, as Connor takes tourists on hawk walks and Meara guides them on horseback across the lush countryside. She has the eyes of a gypsy and the body of a goddess…things Connor has always taken for granted—until his brush with death propels them into a quick, hot tangle."

So that's what I got so far.  Personally, I can't wait to see how these books go.  And believe me when I say I'll be sure to post about my experience (my thoughts on Key of Light will be up soon).  Have you read any of these books?  If so, give me a ballpark view into what I'm getting myself in to.  Good.  Bad.  Indifferent.  I would like to hear it all!  Especially from the NR super readers.

Or do you have any Nora Roberts recommendations?  Actually, what's your first and favorite Nora Roberts book and why?  

Share in the comments below.