Lots of stuff happening on Goodreads this month for me

This is sort of an exciting month at Goodreads where my books are concerned.

First of all, STRAIN has been selected as one of the Book of the Month discussion books for the Goodreads BDSM group. So if you’ve read it (or if it’s on your TBR pile) and you want to discuss with others head on over there and check it out.

Second, it’s just over a month until PLAYER VS. PLAYER comes out. As such, a couple ratings have already hit Goodreads from people who got the paperback at GRL2014 in Chicago (or Amazon.) If you’re a reviewer, PvP is available at NetGalley, and you can also pre-order at Riptide or Amazon. With all the current upheaval in gaming culture, PvP is particularly topical right now, so if you particularly have an interest in issues of misogyny and homophobia in gaming and geek culture, be sure to check it out.

Finally, the Goodreads M/M Romance group is having their annual Readers Choice awards nominations. They do this each year as an answer to the Goodreads Readers Choice awards, which invariably never see much representation of LGBT Romance. STRAIN has already received several nominations, but to make it easier for those of you who may wish to participate, I will list which categories my books might specifically fit. I’ll put it under the cut, since I’m a little shy about pimping myself but forcing myself to do it anyway:)

Best Contemporary/Mainstream - Set in modern times (post 1960) that deal with modern issues and that don’t fall into into other genres (historical, fantasy, paranormal, mystery, action/adventure, SciFi, etc…)

Eligible Books:
Saugatuck Summer
Inch by Inch
Every Inch of the Way (already nominated)
To the Very Last Inch

Best Sci-Fi/Futuristic/Post-Apocalyptic/Steampunk - Story based on impact of actual, imagined, or potential science, usually set in the future or on other planets. Might have fantasy, AU paranormal or historical elements but those are a background effect to the SciFi plot, not the main plot or character drivers for the story. Post-apocalyptic fiction is set in a world or civilization after a disaster ruins the world. Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction that typically features steam-powered machinery, especially in a setting inspired by industrialized Western civilization during the 19th century.

Eligible Books:
Strain (already nominated)
Profession

Best Athletes/Coaches - One or both MC’s are currently athletes or coaches. They may be either collegiate or professional but “weekend warriors” should not be included in this category. Books involving dancers should be nominated in the Best Performance Arts category.

Eligible Books:
Saugatuck Summer (Topher is a swimmer)

Best Military (Soldier/Armed Forces) - One or both MC’s are active duty military. Intelligence Officers, Spies, Assassins or Mercenaries should be nominated in the Best Spies category.

Eligible Books:
Strain (already nominated)

Best Performance/Visual Arts (Musicians/Dancers/Actors/Artist (any medium including tattoo artist)/Photographer/graphic designer)- One or both MC’s are currentlyinvolved in the performance or visual arts field.

Eligible Books:
Saugatuck Summer (Topher is a singer, Jace is an artist) — (already nominated)
Theme

Best BDSM - Major elements of the story include BDSM (Bondage & Discipline/Domination & Submission/Sadism & Masochism). Must be a major plot point of the book where the focus is on a relationship that is built around the BDSM lifestyle, e.g., total power exchange, domestic discipline, master/slave, Daddy/Boy, etc…

Eligible Books:
Strain
Inch by Inch
Every Inch of the Way (already nominated)
To the Very Last Inch
The Professor’s Rule: The Complete Collection (might need to double-check if this one is allowed, since parts 1 and 2 were published before the window of eligibility)
Best Coming of Age (Previously Best YA Character) - These are stories set in either high school or college where the main story line is one or both main characters transitioning into adulthood. These books can be intended for a mature audience or young adults.

Eligible Books:
Saugatuck Summer
Best Dark Theme - Stories that are tragic, deeply psychological, boundary pushing, violent & disturbing. *For purposes of this category only, a happy ending is not required*

Eligible Books:
Strain
Best Family Drama - Major plot point involves dealing with family issues, e.g., children, disapproving parents/in-laws/family members, falling in love with family members friends/exes, domestic abuse, etc…

Eligible Books:
Saugatuck Summer
Best Hurt/Comfort - Major plot line of the books is one main character helping the other main character to overcome accident, illness, adversity or tragedy.

Eligible Books:
Saugatuck Summer
Best Polyamorous (M/M/M…)- Stories where the main relationship in the book consists of more than two men. Books featuring female characters in the main relationship should not be included.

Eligible Books:
Inch by Inch
Every Inch of the Way (already nominated)
To the Very Last Inch
The Professor’s Rule: The Complete Collection (might need to double-check if this one is allowed, since parts 1 and 2 were published before the window of eligibility)
Best Slave/Dub Con/Kidnapped - Stories where the main theme is slavery, kidnapping or dubious consent. Books where the couples live a consensual master/slave relationship should be nominated in the Best BDSM category. Unlike the dark theme category, these stories must have a positive outcome ending in a HEA or HFN.

Eligible Books:
Strain (already nominated)
Best Virgins - Stories in which the virginity and loss of said virginity feature predominately in the story. The virgin character may have had a sexual relationship with a woman but never have had penetrative sex with a man.

Eligible Books:
Strain
Other

Best Anthology - Books that contain stories by either multiple authors or is a collection of short stories by one author.

Eligible Books:
The Professor’s Rule: The Complete Collection
Best Book of the Year - Nominations are open to any book that was published during the current nomination period.

Eligible Books:
Strain
Saugatuck Summer
Inch by Inch
Every Inch of the Way (already nominated)
To the Very Last Inch
Best Cover Art - When nominating a book, please include the name of the cover artist, if known.

Any of my titles published in the eligibility period, though if I had my druthers, I’d really love to see Strain get a nod for this. Kanaxa did such an amazing job.
Best Free Story - Nominees may include stories that are available online and can include fan fiction, serials & works in progress. Please confirm that the story is still currently available for free and if a serial or WIP, that it was started during the current nomination period.

Eligible Books:
The Field of Someone Else’s Dreams (may need to check eligibility for this, as it was originally published for free the year before on the M/M Romance group, but only self-published and made available for free elsewhere this year)
Best Long Story (250 pages or 100K words) - Any story, published or unpublished, is available for nomination as long as it meets the size criteria.

Eligible Books:
Strain (already nominated)
Saugatuck Summer

Best Short Story (25 pages or 15K words or less) - Any story, published or unpublished, is available for nomination as long as it meets the size criteria.

Eligible Books:
Inch by Inch
Every Inch of the Way (already nominated)
To the Very Last Inch
All-Time

Favorite All-Time M/M Author - Any M/M Romance author from any genre, any theme and any publishing date. They are not required to have published a book this year.

Favorite All-Time M/M Romance- Any M/M Romance from any genre, any theme and any publishing date either past or present.

Any of my titles are eligible, including Inertia, Acceleration, Velocity, and The Laird’s Forbidden Lover.
Favorite All-Time M/M Series - Any M/M Romance series from any genre, any theme and any publishing date either past or present.

Eligible Books:
The Impulse Trilogy
Saugatuck (This includes The Field of Someone Else’s Dreams and Saugatuck Summer, more will be forthcoming)
The Professor’s Rule: The Complete Collection