Connections [Paperback]

Kellie Lynch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 29, 2006

In Iris's first fiction anthology, 16 talented authors from around the world tell stories of boy meets boy. Ranging from historical fiction to space opera, from first kisses to years-long love, this collection contains stories of romance and erotica to tantalize and delight.

Editorial Reviews

Review

(5 stars) I keep being amazed by the quality of work that Iris Print is putting out. This isn't BL for people who want light sweetness and fluff. This is nice, graphic and not everything has a happy ending. -- Boys Next Door Reviews, October 2006

Decent, original slashy/boys love fiction is not easy to get hold of, and this anthology has a high proportion of quality stories....I would say it's a mistake to sit down and read this one cover to cover in one sitting. Better to pick it up, sample one story and savour it, and then let it lie - then the similarities and clichés will not be so obvious, and certain stories will also speak to a reader better in one mood than in another. In that respect, it's rather like a box of chocolates - delightful as an occasional treat, cloying if consumed all at once. -- Ann Somerville, Uniquely Pleasurable, October 2006

Editor Kellie Lynch has done a great job of compiling a broad range of stories to appeal to a wide audience. I look forward to Connections II (and III and IV and V and ...). -- Rebecca Buchanan, Sequential Tart, November 2006

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

"Is that bet still on?" Danny asks. "About me backing down?"

Colin pulls back and looks over at him, one eyebrow raised. "You’re not thinking of running home now, are you?"

"No," Danny says hoarsely. "I'm not backing down. Are you?" And before he can give himself time enough to think twice, before he runs out of courage to bluff, he catches hold of Colin's coat and leans in to kiss him.

There's a horrible second where he's afraid Colin won't kiss him back, where he thinks he's just made more of an ass of himself than usual--and then Colin moves, pushing Danny up against the balcony rails and kissing back hard.

–from Chance and Daring by Laylah Hunter

Product Details

• Paperback: 231 pages
• Publisher: Iris Print (September 29, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0978753151
• ISBN-13: 978-0978753153
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,146,741 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Erastes was born in Essex in 1959, and has lived in too many places to count since.

She writes gay historical fiction and short stories which have been published in over 20 anthologies. Her first novel Standish (Regency) was nominated for a Lambda award and her second, Transgressions (English Civil War) is part of the ground breaking line by Running Press and was a Lambda 2009 finalist for gay romance.

Her latest releases are Mere Mortals, a gay gothic set on the Victorian Norfolk Broads, and Muffled Drum, set during the Austro-Prussian war of 1866. Her next release is "Junction X" set in the 1960's and out November 2011.

She's the owner of Speak Its Name (www.speakitsname.com) the only place on the planet to review gay historical fiction.

Erastes is represented by Professor James Schiavone

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down!, March 2, 2007

By 

D. Kelley "Well-aged Fangirl" (California, US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Connections (Paperback)

I bought this book at a convention, thinking I'd have some good reading for the trip home. But when I opened it up, I was hooked! I stayed up until 2am that night, reading one great story after another. There are sixteen stories in this anthology, all very well-written, and in a broad range of genres. Some of them contain smut, and some of it is quite graphic, but there are several stories here that are sweet and fluffy, too (dare I say innocent?). All the stories have a heavy emphasis on romance, which is what sets this book apart from things like the "best of gay erotica" collections. Sex scenes, when they appear, take place after lots of plot and character development, and are written very tastefully.

This book's main weakness, I think, is its lack of focus. There's no theme tying the stories together, no unified style, or even any common element besides "boys' love". It was especially noticeable for me because I read the whole thing in one sitting; a casual reader who samples one or two stories at a time may not even notice. In any case, the stories are still very good, and I didn't feel the lack of focus was bad enough to knock the rating down from five stars.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read!, March 3, 2007

By 

hackthemainstream (Washington, DC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Connections (Paperback)

I picked up Connections at Katsucon last weekend, and I just wanted to drop a note to say how much I enjoyed it. I found every story enjoyable, and just as Kellie promised when she sold it to me, it was very well-rounded, with a number of different stories and styles. I'm very glad I stopped by to pick it up, and I am recommending it to everyone I know who shares my literary tastes.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved it!, August 12, 2008

By 

S. R. Longus "A.K.A. Supernova" (Fort Washington, MD.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Connections (Paperback)

I picked up this book on a recommendation at Otakon this weekend. I'm already finished reading it! OMG, it was so good, I couldn't put it down. I was saddened by the fact, when I went to check out the publisher's web page, that they had shut down. But "wow" is all I can say. Good reading. :)