Gay Pride Month

Deviant Ark from Red Rose Publishing

In honor of Gay Pride Month I am pleased to announce “Deviant Ark” is out.  Dedicated to those fighting Prop 8 in California I wanted to show the passion, integrity, intelligence and bravery of those putting everything on the line to live as they see fit.  Without rules or restrictions for race, creed, color or sexual preference.

Imagine a unified Humanity without national boundaries and a common goal for the good of the species.  Sounds like a wonderful future–but it’s not.  All Christian based religions are rolled into a single faith, the First Church of Humanity.  The other sects of faith are morphed into The Golden Temple of Enlightenment.  The right to bear arms has been removed, only the government agencies are permitted to own and use firearms.  Earth is an exclusive paradise.  Obtainable by the average human but only if you tow the party line and uphold the laws of Humanity.  Most people off-planet have never been to Earth, they work in a caste system that rarely allows upward movement into the cream of society.  But above and beyond these troubling changes comes the very worse–the outlawing of homosexuality, BDSM and other “subversive” sexual practices or fetishes.

On the Mars Colonies a hidden group of resistance fighters are trying to overthrow the oppressive government.  They’ve named themselves the Free Mars Movement.  One cell leader is Marlene Strombollo, a lesbian living in a “lavender” marriage to a secretly gay man.  She works to restore the freedoms lost during the past 100 years.  Her lover Alice has been “outed” by a popular TV show “Who Wants a Sex Change?”.  Dragged off in front of the cameras and interrogated Alice becomes Al and Marlene is heartbroken.

In this volatile mix of politics and violence comes an unknown addition to Martian life.  A group of alien refugees, called the Ileana are fleeing their own oppressive government.  Refusing to pick a gender during the Age of Choosing they take to the stars and wind up seeking asylum on Mars.  The average Martians are disgusted by their dual gender and call them “Dualies”, treating them like second-class citizens.

Marlene finds herself attracted to one of these extraterrestrials.  C’est’a acts and talks like a woman–a woman who prefers the company of other women.  The tentative romance could possibly unite Free Mars with the Ileana people.  But will Mars erupt in civil war or will the Ileana’s home planet arrive to eradicate the perceived stain on their Emperor’s honor first?

It’s a race against the clock to expose the corruption in the Mars government, restore personal freedoms or face utter destruction.

Jen’s Tale…reviewed!

The Pagan & the Pen reviewer Karmyn Klein had this to say about “Jen’s Tale”:

Jen's Tale

 Rated:

The Review:
Christopher Newman’s book, Jen’s Tale, is quirky, funny, and sexy. There were places in this book where I laughed out loud at the main character, Jen’s, observations and actions. I became completely immersed in the story. Christopher Newman did a great job of throwing me off the scent of how it would end, as well as keeping me fully engaged and wanting to read more.
The mix of quirky romance and sexy science fiction is well balanced and a lot of fun to read. And while the science fiction and romantic elements are wonderfully detailed, the main attraction is the all-too-human voice and heart of Jen the alien. A fully developed character who will make you laugh, groan, and sniffle. While there were times when Jen’s voice became a tad bit overbearing (interruptions to the story in the form of puns), she still totally won me over. This book was a wonderful read. I definitely recommend it.
Pagan Elements: None

 
Cover (Rated 1-10): 6 The font is awful, but I appreciate that the cover shows this book is clearly a science fiction romance novel. No guesswork here!