Uncategorized | Flying With Red Haircrow Productions

25/02/2013

Published Feb. 17th -The 1st Full Length Novel by Red Haircrow: “The Agony of Joy”

“Finding the courage to face the pain of the past in order to have a future.”

Title: The Agony of Joy
By: Red Haircrow
Published: February 17, 2013
ISBN: 9781301334520
Length: 350 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, GLBTIIQ Interest
Price: $4.99 in e-book format
Available at Smashwords & soon at other online distributors
Book Trailer: The Agony of Joy

Blurb: For many survivors of child sex abuse, there is a lifelong battle for understanding and acceptance, not only from others, but also from themselves. From London to Berlin, to the frozen seas of far east Russia, this is an unforgettable journey of rebirth, revelation and redemption as two men struggle to overcome their separate past agonies and allow themselves to experience friendship and love.

Description: “Former model turned actor Adrian Lee can barely list age range ’23-29′ on his resumé anymore nor stand his life of empty social events and appearances, meaningless roles and casual partners. When he meets Alexander Skizetsky by clever arrangement of his agent, the enigmatic yet infinitely attractive Russian kindles a little light of hope in his aching heart. Yet even the beginnings of a friendship and love beyond his wildest dreams cannot assuage a life spiraling out of control.

The long estrangement from his devout Irish Catholic parents and family and the dark secrets they all share combine to drive him to the brink of despair, though Alexander is determined to stay by his side. After locking away his own memories of betrayal and loss, the Russian had decided never to love again but something in Adrian spurs the noblest intentions in his formerly jaded heart. Returning in pilgrimage to his homeland, he brings Adrian along on a journey of rebirth, revelation and redemption.”

More about the novel: Taking almost ten years to complete, The Agony of Joy, incorporates many of the author’s experiences and observations as a survivor of sexual abuse and violence. But far from being the central theme although psychological and behavioral after-effects continue for many, the novel focuses on the courage it takes, often in the face of opposition, misunderstanding and/or apathy to not allow anything or anyone to keep you imprisoned by that past, not even yourself.

One of the primary reasons the author returned to university, completing a degree in Psychology (graduation Spring 2013) was to help others in this and other regards, as well as continue personal healing.

Editorial Pre-release Reviews:

“Your story does what good fiction should do. It makes me think, makes me feel, allows me to visit different places, and connect deeply with the characters. It explores real issues that people face….”

“I love descriptive stories that enable me to travel to different places without leaving the comfort of my easy chair. I love using all my senses while reading and getting so totally immersed in a story that the sound of the phone ringing makes me jump. And I love characters so deep that I think about them during the day and dream about them at night.”

“A love story, but not a romance, definitely a gothic feel and one of the most positive portrayals of bisexuality I’ve ever come across in fiction.”

–Nancy Ferrer, Outlaw Reviews

“It is an incredible work! You have been able to channel your memories and experiences, create vivid real characters and make something so beautiful out of pain and struggle is the highest meaning of what I believe art is: transforming hurt and becoming healers.

I’ve never read anything like Agony of Joy. There has never been a story that deals with some of the personal issues you are presenting in such an open way. It is inspiring and liberating and needed.”

–Ana Christina Caelen, Sound therapist, Musician and Composer

“A well-told story…I admire your tact, and am enthralled by these characters and the world they live in.”

–M. Daniel Nickel, Entertainer and Author of The Dashing Mister R

About the Author

Both traditionally and independently published, Red Haircrow is an award-winning author of fiction and non-fiction, poet, private chef and former law enforcement officer of Native American (Chiricahua Apache/Cherokee) descent who lives in Berlin, Germany. They are also a Psychology major and operates the independent publishing label and writer cooperative Flying With Red Haircrow.

Red Haircrow has various poems, shorter works and articles published in magazines like Sword & Saga Press’ American Athenaeum, Sibling Rivalry Press’ Assaracus, Danse Macabre, and Indian Country Today. A winner in Rainbow Awards 2012 for Best LGBT Biography/Memoir: “Silence Is Multi-Colored In My World.”

Among other things, Red Haircrow enjoys photography, traveling, learning languages and cultures, and is quite active in Native American affairs, life, traditions and history.

Website: Songs of the Universal Vagabond

Red Haircrow on Twitter

Facebook Fanpage: The Redhaired Crow

Goodreads Author’s Page

Amazon Author’s Page

Redhaired Crow’s YouTube Channel

GLBT Bookshelf Page: The Journey of Red Haircrow

Other Works

Fiction:

A Lieutenant’s Love

Convenience Store Romance

Night Shift

Katrdeshtr’s Redemption

The House of Doom, Dreams and Desire

The Coat: Secrets of a Hatcheck Boy

The Angel of Berlin

The Caravaggio and the Swan

We, The Dead

Varney the Vampire: A Literary Remix

Non-Fiction:

Songs of the Universal Vagabond

Silence Is Multi-Colored In My World

“Spring in Berlin” in Suburban Fool Magazine

Poetry in Assaracus, Sibling Rivalry Press’ Literary Journal

“Big Mama’s Pears” in American Athenaeum, Sword & Saga Press

Other Book Trailers:

The Angel of Berlin

Silence Is Multi-Colored In My World

For those interested, review copies are available upon request, and the author for interviews and other promotional projects. Red Haircrow can be contacted at theredhairedcrow@gmail.com.

19/10/2012

“The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap” by Paulette Mahurin, FREE at Amazon Oct. 19-22!

THE PERSECUTION OF MILDRED DUNLAP

By Paulette Mahurin

Email: ptmahurin@sbcglobal.net

ISBN # 978-0-9771866-1-7 Price: $14.95

Published March 23, 2012

Kindle Version FREE on AMAZON October 19-22, 2012

Description: The year 1895 was filled with memorable historical events: the Dreyfus Affair divided France; Booker T. Washington gave his Atlanta address; Richard Olney, United States Secretary of State, expanded the effects of the Monroe Doctrine in settling a boundary dispute between the United Kingdom and Venezuela; and Oscar Wilde was tried and convicted for gross indecency under Britain’s recently passed law that made sex between males a criminal offense. When news of Wilde’s conviction went out over telegraphs worldwide, it threw a small Nevada town into chaos. This is the story of what happened when the lives of its citizens were impacted by the news of Oscar Wilde’s imprisonment. It is a chronicle of hatred and prejudice with all its unintended and devastating consequences, and how love and friendship bring strength and healing.

Editorial Reviews:

“Paulette Mahurin’s first novel is surefooted and unflinching in its portrayal of a singular and unique character and her compelling struggles. Compassionate and confident, Mahurin allows Mildred’s story to burn through onto the page with all its inherent outrage and tenacious, abiding love. Here is a character we can champion—flawed, striving, surviving— and fully embrace in her awkward, beautiful navigation of a world that resists her in every way.” Deb Norton, Playwrite/screenwriter of The Whole Banana

“If you need to question your values, read this book! The author captures the intolerance and hypocrisy of a 1895 Nevada town, and its transcendence in time through tolerance and understanding. The angst and pain that two women feel daily, living the ‘lie’ of their lesbian relationship, and the prejudice they must endure, is unconscionable. I
was moved to tears by their struggle in the face of the conflicted values that continue to dominate our ‘modern’ society.” –William K. Fox, PhD, Professor of Zoology

About the Author:

Paulette Mahurin, an award-winning author, is a Nurse Practitioner who lives in Ojai, California with her husband Terry and their two dogs–Max and Bella. She practices women’s health in a rural clinic and writes in her spare time. My interview with the author can be found at my review/interview site, Flying With Red Haircrow.

Links:

AMAZON.COM
AMAZON U.K.
GOODREADS
SHELFARI
FACEBOOK
BOOK’S BLOG
TWITTER
BOOK’S WEBSITE
PRESS ARTICLE: VC STAR Sept. 9, 2012 Sunday Life Section
GOOGLE PROFILE PAGE

1 Comment

25/11/2011

Guest Post By Athanasios–Predatory Ethics: Mad Gods & Commitment

Predatory Ethics dissects two very controversial and compelling topics: religion and entertainment. It shows the first is just the ancestor of the second. Its scandals and imperfections hide undiscovered conspiracies that can be so far fetched they seem fantasy. Religion, conspiracies and fantasy have long been successful topics in fiction and are still extraordinarily popular.

Religion will always be topical, any controversial subject is, i.e. Passion of the Christ, The Da Vinci Code and The Hiram Key have spawned their own industries dedicated to furthering the topics they introduced. Their debate continues crossing media with television, newspapers and magazines presenting pro and con for canonical religion and the newly rediscovered Gnosticism and Paganism.

Conspiracies have been part of conversation for centuries discussing mysterious forces behind the guts and gears of our societies. Secret groups, private corporations and shadowy cabals are held responsible for all our woes. The whispered rumors now appear in newspapers, magazines and television reports with an impressive presence in websites and online forums.

Fantasy has had a long, loyal following with the Lord of the Rings series and experienced resurgence when it hit the theatres. It is arguably the template for the entire genre of publishing and is also the topic of much media attention.

Mad Gods uses our religions’ Gods and Devils and their varied hierarchies in a contemporary setting to engage the audience. It shows religion, conspiracies, fantasy, music, television and movies are all connected and hopelessly entangled in our history and lives. It involves the reader with these popular subjects in an innovative fusion that is evident throughout the story.

Kostadino Paleologos roams through mysterious libraries all over the world, to find the mythic Repository of Alexandria, following clues in lost, forbidden texts. The clues tell of a soul wishing for redemption. Its many lives protest history’s treatment and look forward to a life more ordinary. He finds the Idammah-Gan Codex a catalogue of its lives; it is a singularly dangerous book, safely read only in daylight. He decides to raise the soul’s next incarnation Adam to reject prophesy and teach him the error of religion – the many flaws all religions have in interpreting and explaining faith. Kostadino’s actions throw all prophesies and revelations into question. The Luciferian Church conjures and sends demons to find them while the Vatican sends Templars to kill them.

Years later Kostadino and his charge finally evade the Vatican, Luciferians, Templars and Dark Nobility. They all converge on the unsuspecting rebels and conjure LUCIFER who cajoles, reasons and finally orders Adam to accept his destiny, but he refuses. With this refusal, Adam becomes every Messiah: the Templar’s Tres Majestus Hermes, Freemasonry’s Maitreya, Xian Christ, all of them.

Kostadino taught his adopted son what he learned while looking for the Repository of Alexandria. Those far-flung, dusty, old rooms were filled with almost perfect thoughts and nearly complete ethics from the geniuses of history; however, no one had found the whole truth. All came as close as their backgrounds, or culture, could bring them, but fell short. Kostadino taught him that we cannot see the truth to which every faith aspires because we are flawed. We see, hear, smell, taste and touch with inadequate tools. Even intellect is limited, unable to completely digest truth. Truth is either too large, or too small, to see and we absorb only what we can from each narrow perspective.

This saves the world from the fire, brimstone and destruction, prophesied in Biblical Revelation. ADAM is still expected to fulfill someone’s prophecy, but will deal with each, individually, as they come. He will show the followers of prophesy where their faith deviates from truth, as well as revealing how every religion mistakenly espouses their own truth above any other. Religion has faith outside reason, but loses truth in the translation, hoping that reason can explain faith. Religion strives to interpret something too vast to be understood. ADAM will show them the error of their ways. In turn, each religion will have to find their own truth, or come as close to it as they are capable. It will be a long road.