Posted by Matthew Lang, on April 12th, 2012% 
I was recently given a copy of Glenn Cooper’s The Devil Will Come by a friend who works at a literary festival–it was a Speculative Fiction book, which is a genre he typically doesn’t read and one I often enjoy. Cooper’s book is centred around the Vatican and the Catholic faith, but unlike Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, the Catholics are not the villians of the piece. Indeed the heroine we follow is a young nun, who is tasked with uncovering the mysteries of a secret sect who have vowed to destroy the Catholic faith in the name of money and power, guided by the true power of astrology. Apparently, we’ve had the symbol for Pices wrong for a very long time.
Initially, the reading experience was very promising. Cooper’s text was well put together and the plot was compelling. There was a great drive and flow to the action that kept things chugging along, with enough twists and turns that were neither overtly foreshadowed nor spelt out in great detail before they became relevant to the plot, which has always been my greatest gripe when reading a mystery story. The characters too were well formed, although I still personally wonder if the device of creating a character (or characters) and writing from their perspective for the specific purpose of having them die in an attempt to heighten the emotional impact of their (usually messy) deaths is one that is worth doing. Personally I feel a bit cheated when I recognise the device. Still, the major characters were very well crafted, and I particularly enjoyed the interactions of the protagonist and her family, as well as the look back to the times of the Roman Emperor Nero and Elizabethan England.
**WARNING: THE FOLLOWING TEXT MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS**
However (and you knew there was going to be a ‘however’), I was jarred out of the book and the narrative on several occasions, and I personally felt like homosexuality was used in the book as a shorthand for the concepts of ‘evil’, ‘debauched’ or ‘lesser individuals unworthy of due process’, which I personally was unsettled by. It also made me ask if this was a deliberate plot device (given Occam’s Razor and that one of the situations involved the historical figure of Christopher Marlowe), and I was being overly sensitive, or whether this is a prime example of latent homophobia. Now as a proponent of diversity, I have to admit it is crucial to accept that there is nothing that prevents anyone in the GLBT community from being a villian, or bad, debauched or just plain evil. I am also hesitant to demand that any story where a gay character is penned as evil must be balanced by one that is not. I suppose what I object to in this particular work, is the idea that homosexuality is given a token treatment in a ‘that’s so gay’ fashion. As a successful author, it is . . . → Read More: The Ease of Offending
Posted by Matthew Lang, on March 28th, 2012% 
MLR Press is currently having an open call for Christmas and Australia Day short stories:
Australia Day:
There's more to Australia Day than hunks in swimwear…but hey, it's nice to look at
Australia Day is the Australian version of July 4, it’s when the whole of Australia drops everything and PARTIES to celebrate ALL THINGS Australia. It’s fireworks, festivals, food, beer, ferryboat races on Sydney Harbour, you name it… It’s their national day. Every city puts on the most amazing celebrations.
So here’s your chance if you’ve always wanted to write a story about Australia, help us celebrate Australia Day! Imagine the stories you can write about HOT Aussie men in iconic Aussie locations/scenarios:
- Surf Life Savers on Bondi Beach – Jackaroo horsemen in the Outback – Drag queens and HOT men at Sydney’s party of parties the Gay Mardi Gras – Lovers snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef – Romance in Melbourne, the Paris of the southern hemisphere – Opera at the Sydney Opera House – The mystical Ayers Rock and the Red Centre – Love in a hot wool-shearing shed on a sizzling Queensland – A steamy crocodile safari in Darwin
Now that you’re tantalized with the possibilities…here’s the details:
Stories should be between 5k and 40k
Any subgenre you’d like (but MUST be set in Australia around the celebration)
Due November 5, 2012
Submissions should be sent to special_submissions@mlrpress.com
Christmas Stories:
Christmas Memories (2011) by Matthew Lang
H-oohhh-H-ohhh-Holiday Time! Let’s celebrate MLR style! From the sweet to the scorching, the winter holidays have it all. Whether it’s Thanksgiving, Winter Solstice, Hanukkah, Christmas, or New Year’s Eve – no matter the holiday if it’s in the winter months, let’s celebrate it!
Stories should:
- Be set around a winter holiday between Thanksgiving (US) and New Year’s Eve – Be between 5k and 40k – Any subgenre is welcome
Deadline for submissions: August 15th, 2012
Submission should be sent to winter_holiday_subs@mlrpress.com.
Posted by Matthew Lang, on February 13th, 2012% 
God I feel like I haven’t sat down to write properly in ages. It’s probably the whole Midsumma festival thing. Having recently moved back into the inner suburbs I was not only able to make my first Midsumma appearance as an author at Hares & Hyenas‘ Word is Out festival–well okay, second counting the banQuetPress Anthology launch, but first appearance as an Official Festival Guest (capitals not optional), and also got to go to a lot of events I would otherwise have missed out on. So to all my writing, geeky, queer, Canadian and just plain awesome friends I’ve spent time with over the past month: thank you, I love you all. It’s almost sad to wind down and notice the weather changing away from the blistering hot days of sunburning intensity, but it’s also been a joy to be able to sit down and crack open my Prophecy file and start writing again. I will conquer you yet elusive second book!
Also, I have recently been asked to do a reading at the brand new, extra funky, literary bar/cafe, The Moat, as part of a Meet The Residents night hosted by SPUNC (Small Press Underground Networking Community), and Writers Victoria. It’s a free night, and an opportunity to meet fellow writers and publishers in Melbourne’s Indie Press scene, and looks like it’ll be the start of a fun night–and an awesome series of happenings at The Moat. Details below–hope you can make it!
When: Thursday 16th of February, 5 PM Where: The Moat Bar & Cafe, Basement 176 Little Lonsdale Street, Price: Free More Information Writers Victoria
Posted by Matthew Lang, on January 16th, 2012% 
Matthew Lang will be live on blog talk Radio’s Other Worlds of Romance net radio show on the 16th of January @ 11 PM(American Eastern Standard time), or the 17th of January @3 PM Australian Eastern Standard time. He’ll be reading an excerpt from The Secret of Talmor Manor, and will also be available for questions. He’ll also be giving away an ebook copy of the novel to one lucky listener. So if you’d like to hear him read live, win a book, or just ask a really embarrassing question, tune in and chat to one of the hottest young authors on the m/m scene!
Technical details: You can listen live at the the show’s website, call in to the show (see webpage) to lodge a question or head to the show’s chatroom. Basically, come hang out and immerse yourself in mystery.
Posted by Matthew Lang, on January 8th, 2012% 
It’s hard to believe, but it’s that time of the year again–the weather is starting to get hot and sweltering, and it’s looking like the heavens will bucket down on us for another wet year, but you have to make gay while the sun shines, and Midsumma is back for another season of art, culture, and just plain partying fun–and while you might find Matthew at any of the other events (except the naked camping one, as he doesn’t do that sort of camping to well), you’ll definitely find him at the following events, so grab a ticket, come on down to Hares and Hyenas and say hi.
Novel Conversations - Midsumma Premiere Event
A Word is Out favourite makes a welcome return, as we present five authors of recent Australian fiction reading a section of their choice, with an open Q&A to follow.
Authors include Andrea Goldsmith, award-winning writer of Reunion, The Prosperous Thief and Under the Knife, among others; Geoffrey Knight, author of erotic adventure novels including The Curse of the Dragon King, The Cross of Sins and Riddle of the Sands; Matthew Lang, author of modern gay gothic novel, The Secret of Talmor Manor; and Steve Dow, ex-Melbourne, now Sydney-based journalist and author, who will read from his satirical e-novel paean to Sydney, All Sorts (available from Amazonand iTunes); and speculative, genre-defying writer Kim Westwood, author of The Daughters of Moab and The Courier’s New Bicycle.
Hosted by Crusader Hillis and including a public Q&A at the end of the session.
Where: Hares & Hyenas Date: Wednesday 25 January Time: 7:30pm Price: Full $15; Conc $10; Group 6+ $12 +BF Season pass: Full $150; Concession $100 Click book for the entire Hares & Hyenas season to purchase a season ticket to attend all H&H events. Duration: 60 mins approx. Info: www.hares-hyenas.com.au
banQuet 2012 Book Launches
banQuetpress is thrilled to launch two new collections of stories, poetry and art which showcase sensual, edgy and sweat-inducing tales of GLBTIQ desire, romance and erotica. These contemporary collections are brimming with provocative queer protagonists who push all the hot buttons and shove all the boundaries of sex and sexuality!
Enjoy an evening of spoken word performances from contributors and pick up your signed copies. Bookings essential – limited capacity.
Where: Hares & Hyenas Date: Friday 3 February Time: 7pm Price: Full $15;Concession; $10 +BF Season pass: Full $150; Concession $100 Click book for the entire Hares & Hyenas season to purchase a season ticket to attend all H&H events. Duration: 90 mins approx. Info: www.banquetpress.com
Posted by Matthew Lang, on December 21st, 2011% Christmas is just around the corner, and in celebration of the festive season, I’m very happy to introduce the fantastic Charlie Cochrane, author of Wolves of the West and one I owe a great debt to for the fantastic advice she gave me when I was first starting out. She does, of course have a fantastic new story out, entitled What You Will, which is out right now, but I started by asking her what the funniest Christmas Memory she had that she’d like to share with you all.
So many to choose from. The year the younger Cochranes ate so much they had to lie on the dining room floor? The Christmas Mr C put so much sage in the stuffing it tasted like disinfectant? The year I ended up buying two lots of pressies because I’d misplaced the ones I bought earlier in the year and put “somewhere safe”? The Christmas people sat sending each other blackberry messages from settee to settee as they didn’t like what was on telly? The year I had to label all the food so it wasn’t eaten before the appointed day? Oh, hold on – that’s every year!
Aside from What You Will—which everyone should buy—what do you think is a failsafe Christmas Gift?
Boring answer – Amazon vouchers. Then everyone can get exactly what they want. More interesting answer – something linked to a particular family/friendship event. Specially made mugs with holiday pictures and catchphrases. Personalised calendars or cards. There are loads of companies producing them and they’re really cost effective.
What inspired your new story, What You Will?
Shakespeare himself. He’s got two plays – Merchant of Venice and Twelfth Night – both of which feature guys called Antonio, both of whom seem to be in love with younger men. And both the younger men are pretty ungrateful wretches. They take Antonio’s money, let him risk his neck for them, then run off with women! I’ve often wondered if the based the character on someone he knew, who’d been taken for a similar ride. Anyhow, I’ve always wanted to write a “fix it” version of the Twelfth Night story – especially after seeing the wonderful version of Twelfth Night at Chichester (Patrick Stewart as Malvolio) in which the gender complications were accentuated). When this series of stories came up, I knew my idea had found a potential home, especially when i added a bit of steampunk (another thing I’ve long fancied dabbling in).
What’s your best Christmas Recipe for dinner party success?
Best recipe is not to try anything too OTT and fiddly, especially if that a) courts disaster and b) risks you not spending enough time with your guests. They’ve come to you for your company, not to be waited on by Michel Roux, so be with them, chat with them, marinate them with wine. If . . . → Read More: Lycanthropy and Charlie Cochrane
Posted by Matthew Lang, on December 12th, 2011% So the prolific Lex Valentine is running a 30 Days of Christmas promo over at her blog, and today is day 18–and it’s just a little bit gay.
Okay, it’s a lot gay. All you have to do is leave a comment over at this post, and you could win an eBook copy of The Secret of Talmor Manor, which is very useful if you’re planning on getting a copy of Christmas Memories as a gift for a friend.
And you can also win a copy of KC Burn‘s Cop Out, or Rick R. Reed‘s Orientation.
All for a single little comment. Go now. Matthew won’t be offended if you leave his site for this. Really.
Posted by Matthew Lang, on December 6th, 2011% 
Actually, it’s been happening over at MLR Press since the 20th of November. Sometime back in July, the founder of MLR got a little lonely and decided rather than have Christmas in July, what she really wanted was a Christmas celebration at Christmas…starting in July.
“So who wants to write a Christmas story?” she asked.
A flurry of email responses later, and several months of hard work, there are now forty something stories being released, one a day, until the end of December, along with three Anthologies. Click on the image above to check out the full sized schedule, or just head over and start shopping!
Posted by Matthew Lang, on November 26th, 2011% So I’m being a very bad NaNoer. In addition to jumping around to work on other projects (i.e. those with deadlines), I’ve also taken writing time out to organise some blog posts with some fantastic authors with Christmas (or other holiday of your choice) stories being released that would make the ideal Christmas present–along with my new story of course. However, I’ve recently received confirmation that I will be branching out into a new field for me–the field on non-fiction. Want to know more? Check out the details below:
True To Myself
Genre: Non Fiction / Inspirational Publisher: Chicken Soup for the Soul (Anthology: Tough Times for Teens) Expected Release Date: 7th February 2012
Synopsis: A look back at the road to happiness, as trod by me. Anything more than this would be a spoiler.
Also look out for a more writerly focused article coming out early next year (sorry, no cover art as of yet).
Minor Character Generation Tables (Geek)
Genre: Non Fiction / Writing tool Publisher: Vignette Press (Geek Mook) Expected Release Date: Early 2012
Synopsis: Sometimes you need a character. Sometimes you need a character right now. Sometimes, you need a character right now and you have no idea how to think one up. Enter the Minor Character Generation Tables. Simply take 2D10 (that’s two ten sided dice for you non-geeks) and start rolling. Who will you create today?
Posted by Matthew Lang, on November 4th, 2011% This obviously isn’t me (i.e. I have no affiliation with Pink Petal Books), but they’re calling for submissions, and if you’re looking for GLBT publication opportunities, here’s one for you right now!
Call for Submissions for “Dangerous Places-Dangerous Men” anthology.
Pink Petal Books, a high-quality boutique publisher, is actively searching for erotic short stories between 7k-15k words for an anthology to be released in April 2012. At this time, we are looking for four to six tales for a 50k-word finished electronic and print book. Both published and unpublished authors are welcome.
Theme: Dangerous places- Dangerous men
Do you have a survivor-type story? A shipwrecked hero, a heroine stranded on a desert island with a hot rogue, or a couple who’s lost in the steamy jungles? Did your hero drop into a war zone or does he work in an extremely perilous occupation?
If you have or are currently working on a story that might be suitable, please send directly to anthologysubs@pinkpetalbooks.com
Dangerous Places-Dangerous Men Anthology Guidelines:
7k-15k word stories must have romance, and either a happily ever after or a happily for now ending. M/F, M/M, F/F and ménage accepted Heat rating: crank up the heat! All erotic heat levels accepted Submission deadline is January 15, 2012. Submit the full short story plus a blurb to anthologysubs@pinkpetalbooks.com with “Dangerous Places-Dangerous Men” in the subject line. Can’t wait to hear from you!
Publishing And Payment Information:
This anthology will be released in print and ebook format simultaneously. Approximately ninety days later each story will release as individual ebooks. Royalties are paid monthly, and our general royalty structure is 40% of the sales price for all sales from our website. For third party sales, we pay 40% of what we receive. All print books pay 10% of cover price regardless of sales outlet. For anthology sales, all authors in the anthology will split royalties equally. Individual ebook sales will receive full royalties.
For more information about our submission guidelines and publishing program, please visit our website at: http://pinkpetalbooks.com/Submissions.html. If you have any questions, please contact us at anthologysubs@pinkpetalbooks.com
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