Author, A. J. Llewellyn

Book three in The Seven Deadly Sins Collection of Anthologies

The seven deadly sins: lust, wrath, greed, gluttony, envy, pride and sloth.

The Sins of Winter weaves a general thread of revelation loosely tying these tales together. Acedia (a precursor to sloth), Greed and Pride, are explored in these hot m/m tales involving action, burning hot sex and out-of-this-world adventures that will warm you up…fast!
‘Toppling Pedestals’ by D.J.Manly
In ‘Toppling Pedestals’, DJ Manly deals with the sin of pride.

The thought that there was something better out there took Tristan away…then pride almost broke his heart.

Tristan, Samuel and Casey had been friends since grade one. When Casey-the doctor’s son-goes off to university, Samuel and Tristan are left behind in their small hometown. Samuel comes from a poor background and has no money for school. He takes a job in the hardware store that Tristan’s parents own.

Tristan decides to work at the store for a year before joining Casey at school. He’s expected to run the store eventually but wants to explore what’s out there first. Breaking away from the town means breaking Samuel’s heart. When tragedy brings Tristan home again, will pride stand in the way of letting Samuel know how he feels?
‘If Come’ by A.J.Llewellyn
In If Come, AJ Llewellyn deals with the ancient deadly sin of acedia.

It was once considered the ‘noonday demon’-a melancholia that is brought about by repetitive work. Writing, marriage and monkhood were the three main occupations said to induce it.

Zam Carmarthen is a mildly successful Hollywood screenwriter struggling with a debilitating depression that prevents him from completing anything he starts. When he lands an ‘If Come’ deal with a major Hollywood producer, he’s finally forced to focus on his work and not give into the strange malaise gripping him. In order to ever move ahead in the movie business, he must complete the pilot episode of his proposed TV series, Angel Inn. If his producer is able to sell the series, Zam will be a very rich man. Everything he has worked for can be his.

Paralysed by his depression, he finds unusual solace in the form of his arch nemesis, Dominic Glass-a surgeon turned super successful screenwriter…and the man who rewrote Zam’s hit screenplay for his own glory.

Can Zam overcome the depression Dominic calls acedia, which threatens to derail his whole life? Can he move on from his long time sex buddy Jason? And what about these new feelings he has for Dominic in spite of their rocky history? Will Zam get it together…or will Dominic once again walk away with all the credit for something Zam created?
‘Winter Challenge’ by Serena Yates
In Winter Challenge, Serena Yates deals with the sin of greed.

Paediatrician Noah Goldwin receives some bad news-his father has died and his greedy elder brother doesn’t only take over the family business, he wants the entire fortune for himself. So, he informs Noah that he was adopted and washes his hands of him. Noah, who never knew of his past, sets out to find his roots.

An elderly aunt, a mysterious ring and a location in the far north of Canada are his only hints…until he meets a tall, dark stranger who may have the solution to all his questions. There is only one problem-Ataro lives in a parallel dimension.

Will the two men be able to find a way to join forces? How will they defeat the power hungry enemies on Ataro’s world? And are inter-dimensional relationships even possible?

For purchase and sizzling excerpts please click this link:

http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?P_ID=1549

By A.J. Llewellyn

It is nine weeks today since I lost my beloved dog, Venus. I’ve had pets die in the past…I once had a cat stolen and the shock and worry over her were tremendous but my grief right now seems endless. I cannot believe how broken I feel and how easily I burst into tears. Everything is an effort. My two cats are loving and sweet but it is not the same. I question everything I did in my baby’s last, trying few months and while I know I did everything I could I ask myself why wasn’t it enough?

I know she is not the only dog to die but I wanted her so much. I can’t rationalize that I wanted one more day because it isn’t true. I wanted more. I troll youtube and other sites obsessively looking for a new dog to love even when I know I’m really not ready yet. I have stumbled across horrible scenes of dog abuse and have donated money to people who rescue dogs from shelters and the streets. I have applied online for several dogs…but never hear back.

I loved my dog. We spent 15 years together. My brain is a mush of jumbled thoughts and my heart awash with emotions.

Well-meaning friends ask how I am doing then when I start to tell them, they say I need to get over it, I need to pull myself together. If they don’t want to know how I am doing, why ask?

A few of my friends know exactly how I feel because they are going through it too. The news isn’t good. I am learning that grief is profound and it takes a long, long time to recover. I know they suffer in silence and for the most part I do too. I have good days and bad. I can be absolutely fine and then all of a sudden it hits me.

Often, my mind spins back to the day I found her on the freeway and how I wish I could go back and start all over again.

I want more time. 15 years was not enough. Why doesn’t God allow our companion animals to live longer?

Dogs haunt me everywhere I go. I see people walking their dogs and looking bored…or checking their text messages. I envy the time they have. I envy their dogs’ mobility. I want to scream at them. “Enjoy every second. It does not last!”

I keep running into mobile adoption units that leave me in tears. I fret over the ones from the East Valley shelter because of their high-kill rate. There was one little white dog I saw just before Christmas. I beat myself up because I wonder if the dog found a home…or…

The one dog I found recently likes to kill cats. Obviously, that won’t work. I try so hard not to dwell but it’s almost impossible. In those first dark days a friend called me and warned that the first six weeks were the hardest. She also warned that I’d have a lot of free time. That it would be a huge adjustment. She wasn’t kidding.

I was shocked to discover she was right. I had no idea how much time I invested in Venus. She was a huge part of every single day. Even at the end we walked five times a day. My entire writing schedule, my whole life revolved around her.

In the last six months when she couldn’t manage it up and down the stairs without help, it was physically difficult but she always kept a smile on her face. I will never forget how much she still wanted to be here. How she still stopped and smelled flowers on the stret tried to chase squirrels and barked at people with dogs.

I miss her capacity for joy and her funny ways. I miss her in the morning waiting at the kitchen door for cookies and her big kisses goodnight. I wake up in the middle of the night and remember…and the chain pr pain begins again.

I have tried to fill the empty spaces with work, long walks alone, long walks with other people’s dogs…I continue my volunteer efforts but it’s not enough. I drive home crying because I know she’s not there waiting for me for our next adventure outdoors.

The house feels so empty. I’ve cleaned and rearranged…it’s no use. She’s not there.

Mostly I miss holding her, talking to her, and I miss her bright, beautiful being. Her spirit was huge and my home doesn’t feel the same. I know one day I will find a new dog to love. I know my cats won’t be happy but I will feel better. I have so much dog-love to give and nowhere to put it all. Mostly, I will never forget and never stop loving the dog who taught me so much and still gives me moments of joy and yes, profound sadness.

I’ve been surprised how many people miss Venus…people who live in my building who didn’t hear the news see me at the mailbox or whatever and ask about her. They are so used to seeing us everywhere together.

Sometimes, I hear her…seriously. I heard her lapping water one time and I thought I was dreaming but the cats looked FREAKED so I know Venus was back just for a moment to let me know she is okay. I will never forget that moment…

I find it hard to talk about her but I love when people ask after her. I have five friends who all got dogs around the same time. We all became friends at the dog park and have stayed close all these years. We’ve lost them all…Last week her friend Bridey left this life and we dog parents talk about how all the dogs are together again in heaven. I like to think so…and I like to think I’ll meet my golden girl again on the rainbow bridge. I look forward to her special hugs and kisses and long walks where she feels no pain and her bark no longer sounds feeble.

I miss my girl, my bright, beautiful, best friend. I know she is in a beautiful place and free of all pain. I bet she gets all the bacon she wants, too. I will never forget her…I will never get over her. I will think of her often and thank her for choosing me to love her in the first place.

Aloha oe,

A.J.

By A.J. Llewellyn

It’s not often that I am so moved by a play that I lose sleep over it but I’ve seen Three Year Swim Club twice this week and damn it, even on second viewing this powerful, resonant work still has a hold on me. It still manages to make me cry and laugh in equal doses. Written by Lee Tonouchi and directed by the mega-talented actor, writer, director and hula master, Keo Woolford, this is a stunning and yet deceptively simple piece.

Currently in a week of previews until its mainland premiere Wednesday at the East West Players’ David Henry Hwang Theater in Little Tokyo on the edge of LA’s downtown area, this is the one play you should see this year. If you are convinced life has become too harsh for dreams…too short on ideals and inspiration…if you want to feel invigorated and re-energized come see a show that will have you dancing hula in your sleep.

In a play filled with beautiful words, there is one clear message. Never short-change yourself on your dreams, even if you learn to swim in a humble irrigation ditch.

Based on the heart-breakingly true tale of an amazing man, Soichi Sakamoto, who, by most definitions was a saint, the story is set in Maui, Hawaii in 1937. Hawaii was still a US territory and Pearl Harbor was in the distance, but war loomed, its heavy shadow as solid as a boulder on the Japanese families living in the islands.

Three Year Swim Club follows Sakamoto’s attempts to carve a future for the children of sugar cane plantation workers on the island. Destined for lives of mind-numbing, back-breaking work, he dares them to dream, to work for and achieve success in something other than sugar cane.

This is the real Coach Sakamoto…

He gives them a goal: the 1940 Olympic Games set to take place in Tokyo, Japan.

His wife thinks he’s a lunatic, the four teens who are the play’s focus think he probably is too. His lessons are so profound however, that they quickly realize everything he teaches them is not just about swimming, but life. The start to grow, and thrive, like wild, sturdy sugar cane, absorbing his kind logic and steely discipline. Like sugar cane (which I never knew is very susceptible to disease) they miraculously survive crippling elemental enemies.

When Japan invades China launching the second Sino-Japanese War, the 1940 Olympics are moved from Tokyo to Helsinki. Hearing the news on the radio, a disappointed but undaunted Coach Sakamoto pushes his pupils on.

Kick, kick, reach, pull. Kick, kick. Inhale.

This wonderful play is astonishingly engrossing and thankfully the small cast of six is just amazing. Led by the quietly commanding Blake Kushi as the great Coach Sakamoto, he is aided and abetted by four of the finest young actors I have ever seen on the Los Angeles stage.

Kelsey Chock as the mouthy yet touching Halo is a part-time cut-up, full-time scene stealer. We all grew up with a kid just like Halo. Too distracted, too full of himself…too…human.

As Keo, the most accomplished swimmer of the four, Jared Asato captures the character’s dignity in the face of his initial reluctance to swim in the ditch  –  to his short-lived joy when he qualifies for the Olympics.

Chris Takemoto-Gentile is just adorable as Bill, AKA Honolulu, who puts up with a lot of rubbishing from Halo just trying to belong. His mannerisms and posture are pitch-perfect…which brings me to the uttlerly beguiling Mapuana Makia as Fudge, the only girl in the group.

She broke my heart in a million pieces in her very effective scenes with Keo as she told him how hard it was to be a girl…how hard it was to accept her parents not wanting to send her to college because it was a waste of time...for a girl.

This is the real Fudge.

Her story has affected me deeply. I don’t want to give away too much but we all know now that the 1940 Olympics did not happen because of World War II.

Neither the coach, nor his swim club ever gave up. They kept training. And never stopped believing.

Kick, kick, reach, pull. Kick, Kick, exhale.

The cast is rounded out by Kaliko Kauahi as Mrs. Sakamoto. She is thoroughly believable as the supportive wife whose anger turns to acceptance and then total support when she realizes the Olympics are not an empty wish. Kaliko is a terrific ipo gourd drummer as well as a wonderful actress. Her rhythm on the ipo helped make this theatrical experience a total, sensory revelation.

Ultimately, all of this is due to Tonouchi’s words but also most assuredly to the sublime direction and serene hand of the Hawaiian Powerhouse, Keo Woolford.

Keo continues to stun me with his brilliance and grace. It says a lot for a man who is really starting to come into his own as a bona fide Hawaiian movie and TV star (check out his work in the TVseries Hawaii Five-O!) that he continues his passionate commitment to stories that speak to his love for his islands and their often tragic history.

Just as Coach Sakamoto taught his students to swim using traditional hula movements, I recognize Keo’s guidance and endless knowledge in this sacred art.

The set design is very good and I especially love the hapa-hoale Hawaiian songs emerging from the 1930s era radio and the vintage photos of thatched roofs and cane fields superimposed on the walls to establish the scenes.

Most of all, I will quit pining over my own imagined setbacks and look for strength in the memory of this very great teacher, his four heroic students and…

I will never look at a spoonful of sugar quite the same way again.

Aloha oe,

A.J.

For tickets and more info on Three Year Swim Club please visit: http://www.eastwestplayers.org/

By A.J. Llewellyn

This week has been a huge victory for the GLBTQ community with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals deeming California’s hated and hateful Proposition 8 to be unconstitutional.

The battle still rages, however. We have a very long way to go and nowhere is this felt more keenly than on the frontlines, right here in LA where so many gay couples were allowed to marry, as Ellen deGeneres recently joked, “for ten minutes.”

Last night, I attended another wonderful, memorable evening service at Beth Chayim Chadashim. I learned that it means “House of New Life” and considering this synagogue was the first GLBTQ one to ever open, it felt historic and right to be here. The men and women who sat in this sanctuary with me spearheaded the campaign to fight against Proposition 8 when it reared its ugly head on the ballot four years ago.

The synagogue, founded in 1972, has been the champion of so many causes. Last night, Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union of Reform Judaism, traveled from New York to speak in the midst of some of the most powerful songs I have ever heard. Performed by my secret crush, Cantor Juval Porat and guest Cantor Lance Tapper, I glimpsed the traditional Jewish music’s baton-passing to the reform movement.

Some of the songs were in Aramaic… Tradition, observance, spiritual passion all run deeply in the hearts of so many men and women who fight daily against injustice. A group of people others would prefer to disenfranchise.

I sat agog as Rabbi Jacobs proclaimed BCC as one of the most successful synagogues in the country at a time when so many are suffering.

“BCC has always promoted inclusion, not exclusion. You are becoming the home of so many people.” When I glanced down at the program in my hands and saw all the upcoming events, including a Trans and Gender Queer Text Study, I knew he was right.

Rabbi Jacobs, like so many speakers I have heard thanks to my evenings at BCC, is a powerful speaker. I was spellbound when he described how some reform movement members hated the idea of a GLBT synagogue. He has always endorsed it and said he knew that one day they would understand.

When he talked of the early days of the AIDS epidemic, tears filled my eyes as he related how many ‘countless families’ called him begging him to perform funeral rites on their deceased or dying loved ones.

“The conversation would always start with ‘I’m not one of your congregants but all the other Rabbis seem to be busy…’ ”

Rabbi Jacobs looked stricken as he related the story of a mother who called, begging him not to mention her son’s death to AIDS in his funeral service. “Please, please, don’t mention him identifying as gay,” he said, repeating her traumatized words. “The school where I work as a nurse have no idea he was gay…”

Around me, many people nodded or shook their heads. Many of them remember what it was like back then, when funeral homes refused to bury AIDS patients and hospital workers wore Haz Mat suits to treat their loved ones.

“Can you imagine how she felt?” he asked. He nodded as he looked around the packed room. “Yes, I know you do.”

As the battle for marriage equality for all finds unlikely allies and tremendous support across the country, Rabbi Jacobs said what was on many people’s minds:

How great it will be when we don’t have to label unions as gay or straight.

It is an enlightened thought. As he talked about the reform movement’s own troubles with people sometimes dismissing it as ‘Judaism lite’ I was thinking about a radio report I’d heard earlier in the day with a DJ ridiculing Robin Tyler and Diane Olson, the first lesbian couple to be married in Los Angeles, for getting divorced.

To me, it was tragic. To Bill Handel, it was a sign that all GLBT people are flaky or weird…and in his estimation, dangerous.

Sure, a few of the couples who were married in California in that tiny window of opportunity have since split. So what?

How many straight people have been married and divorced since then?

A hell of a lot more.

18,000 GLBT couples married before Proposition 8 passed the ballot. I haven’t seen the sky falling or whole towns burning as a result…have you?

In a public statement, Robin Tyler said that even the best marriages come to an end. The right to marry doesn’t guarantee gay couples would live happily ever after.

Isn’t that true of every marriage?

Inclusion, not exclusion. That’s all we are asking for.

Aloha oe,

A.J.

By A.J. Llewellyn

OUT NOW!!!

by A.J. Llewellyn | D.J. Manly |

Book eleven in the Blood Slave: Nibiru Vampire Warriors Series

Stride has wiped Zero’s mind of all memories of him, but love is stronger than death. Zero starts to remember, their passion rekindling in spite of terror and threats.

Stride might be in command of all the demonic forces in the world, but it sure doesn’t feel like it. Like any ruler, he never knows who trust…even his own sex shifter wife. Stride and Zero, the man he truly loves, are reunited but it’s no picnic in the garden of Eden…only snakes and demonic forces hell-bent on destroying Stride.

Fearing his beloved son, Akakios, will have to endure the same miserable childhood Stride did—not to mention the control of deadly, evil forces—Stride and Zero once again wind up on the run. This time, they have help in the form of the fallen angel, Étienne, to help protect their precious cargo. Realising that his own people want to take possession of Akakios, Stride must make decisions that could sacrifice his relationship with Zero…and his own life.

Reader Advisory: This book is part of a serial and is best read in sequence.

This serial contains scenes of menage and bdsm.

For an excerpt and for purchase, please click this link:

http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=1514

Is OUT NOW!!

As a kid growing up in Australia, I was a bit obsessed with bunyips. Depending on who you ask, these legendary Australian creatures are real or imaginary…to me, well…read my new book to find out what I think!

Amber Allure’s Heavy Petting PAX Anthology was released today with sparkling, pet-related stories from Christiane France, KC Kendricks, Rick R. Reed, Deirdre and Me!

My story, BUNYIP, is a contemporary, romantic comedy with a paranormal twist. Check it out!

http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/Bunyip.html

Forensic audio specialist Steve Maddox is a busy guy who has no time to date. Balancing a strenuous work schedule and time for his cat and dog, he’s ecstatic when his best friend, Silvana, organizes a gay speed dating event, bringing into his life the magnetic and handsome criminal defense attorney, Alexio Manolis.

The two men hit it off instantly, with sparks bouncing off the walls of the Petersen Automotive Museum where the event is being held. Their conversation crackles until Alexio says he has a pet—a bunyip named Norman. Steve feels a little stupid. What the heck is a bunyip? He has no time to ask, though, since he’s onto his next “date.”

Alexio, however, pursues Steve and the two men start dating. Meanwhile, Steve googles bunyips and discovers they are mythical Australian creatures of Aboriginal legend. It’s just impossible. Does this smart and sexy attorney really have an imaginary, violent pet? Or is “bunyip” slang for something else?

Alexio is tight-lipped and keeps putting off the meeting between Steve and his elusive pet. Soon Steve starts to worry when Alexio disappears into his basement all the time and has savage scratches on his body he says Norman gave him by accident.

Is Steve’s fantastic, hot new lover absolutely crackers, or does the cantankerous bunyip actually exist?

For a HOT excerpt and to buy it, baby, buy it! Please click this link:

http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/Bunyip.html

By A.J. Llewellyn

by A.J. Llewellyn | D.J. Manly |

Book ten in the Blood Slave: Nibiru Vampire Warriors Series

Stride has sent Zero back to Earth in an effort to keep him safe, but there is no safety anywhere. Evil soon follows and so must Stride…

Stride is forced to embrace his new life as Lord of the Underworld. Being in charge of some of the most evil entities the world has ever known comes at a price—the love he desires with Zero. Banishing Zero to the Earth without him, without any memory of Stride, Stride hopes for a new and peaceful life for Zero.

Honouring his destiny, Stride impregnates his sex shifter wife, Tressa who delivers his precious son, Akakios—a magnificent half demon, half vampire. Though Stride adores his child, he quickly realizes the baby isn’t safe with him. There are those who wish to control and manipulate the fast-growing boy. He sends Tressa and Akakios to Earth, hoping they can find peace and contentment. They find anything but…

Reader Advisory: This book is best read in sequence as part of a series and also contains scenes of MMM ménage and bdsm.

For an excerpt and to purchase, please click this link:http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=1477