Christmas Dreams – A Gay Interest Anthology
A Review of Gay Book Publisher Dreamspinner Press' Christmas Title
Christmas Dreams, the new title from gay book publisher Dreamspinner Press, is a collection of over 30 short to novella length stories adding up to over 1200 pages of reading, which draw on various genres from gay themed speculative fiction to detective stories and a smattering of gay historical fiction too, all tied together by the big, fat bow of a Christmas time theme, centered on gay romance and relationships.
Christmas Dreams – "Christmas Luck" Is The Stand-Out Story in Gay Fiction Anthology
Released just in time for Christmas 2008, picking a favourite from Christmas Dreams really comes down to a matter of taste, but "Christmas Luck" by Bethany Brown radiated a glow on every one of its 51 pages. It tells the story of Seth, an accident prone young guy who, down on his luck and down on love, ends up in the E.R. on Christmas Eve.
But as the doctor slowly picks out splinters of wood from Seth’s back, wearing furry reindeer antlers no less, a bit of festive magic is in the works that has the two men start arranging plans for the holidays. This piece of gay fiction is a heart warming tale of attraction and compassion that fulfills everything it promises and more besides, and is a credit to Dreamspinner Press as a gay book publisher.
"Winter Love" by Andrew Gray is a close second. A speculative bit of gay fiction that has suspense, romance, supernatural forest creatures and a lot of sensuality. It is a fantasy tale of a young writer who meets an age old satyr, and the story slowly unfolds from there with a grace in narrative that is rare. The writer also manages the supernatural elements of the story with dexterity and integrity, speaking volumes about the quality of the Christmas Dreams collection.
Christmas Dreams – A Multifaceted Approach to a Gay Fiction Book
This Dreamspinner Press title also contains some interesting relationship dynamics amongst its stories. For instance, "Hang A Shining Star" by Ashlyn Kane sees a relationship develop between a teacher and a former, now adult, student develop, and it is handled with a great sensitivity and appealing humour.
"Overture" by D.G. Parker confronts the realities of being blind and trying to maintain a thriving career as well as a gay relationship, and does so with finesse in what could have otherwise been a laborious story, creating a suitably charming main character in pianist Eric, and adding to the well-rounded, thoughtful collection that is Christmas Dreams.
One other story that deserves particular mention is "Gifts Of The Season" by Jenna Hilary Sinclair which tells the story of Danny and his mother who, stranded in a snow storm, are picked up by one half of an openly gay couple, which leads Danny to admit to his mother some truths about himself and ultimately forge a better relationship with his parents, making Christmas Dreams stand out as a truly inclusive gay fiction anthology.
Christmas Dreams – A Gay Fiction Anthology With a Lot of Heart
Occasionally dark, always enjoyable, Christmas Dreams is a heart warming collection of stories designed to instill the festive spirit and have it lasting long into the New Year. And in this respect, this gay anthology is ultimately an unqualified success. It can be bought as a full collection or each story can be purchased individually from the Dreamspinner press website.
Like your gay romance books a little bit more edgy? Try Dirty Words by M Christian.
Christmas Dreams a Gay Fiction Anthology
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