Author, A. J. Llewellyn

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.

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 | 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

Is Out NOW!

Christmas In Flip Flops
by A. J. Llewellyn
ISBN-13: 978-1-61124-228-7 (Electronic)

It’s twelve days ’til Christmas and Devon Callahan is a dental hygienist with a very big problem…make that two. He’s been unemployed for months and now a thief’s stolen his cell phone. Tracking the guy through MobileMe, he’s got a cyber lead on his purloined phone, but he’s also hot on the trail of a mysterious new job. What’s a guy almost maxed out on his credit cards to do?

He goes to his interview and discovers he could soon be gainfully employed. The catch is he’d have to fly to sunny Waikiki within twenty-four hours to start work at Schofield Barracks, caring for the dental health of thousands of US soldiers stationed in the islands.

Devon is thrilled to be part of such an important post, but what’s his boyfriend, Manco, going to say? His movie producer lover is expecting his entire family to visit from Peru. Will Devon see the sunny side of Christmas in flip flops, or will he be feasting on dinner for one?

Gay / Contemporary / Voyeurism Heat Level: 3 Novella (28k words)

Purchase Link: http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/ChristmasFlipFlops.html

Book three in the Pearl Harbor Series OUT NOW!
Tinder and Jason are back in Honolulu, determined to face the future…but an unexpected friend from Tinder’s Hotel Street days turns their lives upside down.

Now that Jason is home, safe from his horrific mission aboard the SS Malama, he and Tinder once again return to Honolulu to help in the rebuilding of Pearl Harbor. Jason, who faces a military tribunal on the fate of the cargo ship’s lost crew members, suffers from traumatic nightmares as a result of his ordeal. Tinder, determined to nurture and protect his lover, is devastated when the truth of the crew’s capture and Jason’s dramatic escape is revealed.

Determined to face the future with renewed determination and courage, the two men also soon learn that fate has some other new surprises in store for them. In the ensuing months of WWII Honolulu, Jason and Tinder grow closer and closer in spite of hate—and help—from unexpected quarters, their abiding hearts rediscover the meaning of aloha.

Reader Advisory: This book is best read in sequence as part of a series and contains a discussion of off-screen rape and torture.

Purchase Link: http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=1433

OUT NOW!!
STAVROS

by A.J. Llewellyn

When Theo went to Mykonos in search of sun, sand, and sex, he got more than he bargained for – immortality.

Theo Scully meets the man of his dreams on the gay-friendly Greek island of Mykonos at a time when Theo, deeply depressed over a breakup, believes he will never find happiness. Haunted at night by strange dreams of hooting owls, he can find no explanation for them, until he comes to know Stavros.

One of the most hypnotic, sexiest men Theo has ever met, Stavros goes from being charming yet aloof to ever-present, joining the strange owl in Theo’s dreams. Then a series of young men are found drained of blood washed up on the island’s beaches, and Theo begins to worry when the locals whisper of striges, ancient Greek vampires.

He has to fight his own disbelief even as he becomes more involved with Stavros, who seems to fallen deeply in love with him.

Book two in the Elemental Superpowers Series – OUT NOW at http://www.total-e-bound.com/

Finn wants justice in the Water Court’s controversial murder trial – but two jurors have already been killed and now an assassin is after him and won’t give up…

Finn Garrison is a Water Mage who lives in Bermuda and teaches swimming to water-phobes, assists in the salvage of ship wrecks and rehabilitates local wildlife in his spare time. When he gets called to be a juror in a high profile Water Court trial and his life is endangered, he knows he needs help.

Ty Anglin is an experienced Water Marshal who doesn’t really want to become someone’s glorified bodyguard. When he meets Finn, he’s not only attracted to him, but also suddenly very protective. Two attempts on Finn’s life later, they are both sure there is more going on than meets the eye.

Will they be able to find out who is behind the assassinations? Was the sea monster on trial really framed? And are freshwater people really being discriminated against by their saltwater cousins?

Reader Advisory: This story contains scenes of terrifying sea creatures and delectable blancmange variations.

 For purchase and a cool, delicious excerpt please click this link: http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=1392

Back to Black is OUT NOW!!

Honolulu detective Quinn Novak has to enter another realm to find scorching-hot sex…how far does he have to travel to find true love?

Quinn Novak is a Honolulu Police Department detective working an unusual case. A string of robberies have taken place in homes tented for termites in the economically depressed town of Makaha Beach. A gang of thieves appears to be trailing pest control units, then breaking in…so Quinn is assigned watching over a particularly important dignitary’s home late one night. Quinn has a problem, however. He’s afraid of the dark.
He’s never told a soul and seems to be coping with his phobia until he spies two men breaking in and follows them, despite of the dangers of the pesticide—and the dark.
Once inside the house, he appears to enter another realm…one filled with hot men who want…him. Quinn has the most incredible threesome of his life, but then must leave the house. How the heck does he get back in? And can he? Now, suddenly, he wants to get back to black…back to the dark and the two men he left inside the house…can he ever find them again?

For HOT eXcerpt and Purchase please click this link:

http://www.extasybooks.com/back-to-black-3/