Coming Attractions

Bobbi Marolt
Rising Tide Press
1883061172

Reading Coming Attractions, Bobbi Marolt's first novel, is a pleasant way to spend an afternoon. Well known NYC newspaper columnist Helen Townsend has decided it's time to come out. Out of the emotional hiding she's been living in while recovering from the loss of her lover to cancer, and out of the "passing for straight" closet her feminine looks have allowed her. Come out in a big way.

Just as she begins to plan a major coming out show for herself and a number of broadway and motion picture stars, Helen meets Cory Chamberlain. Cory is beautiful, intelligent, enigmatic and a world renown pianist. Intensely attracted to one another, Cory and Helen become lovers. There are several obstacles on the way to the "Stars Come Out" show. Not the least of which is Cory's cold feet at participating in the show, after she is been offered the position as conductor of a Boston orchestra.

For its length, the plot seems unnecessarily complicated; consequently it sometimes lacks development or follow through of some story threads. And some of the secondary characters are difficult to keep straight (as it were). Marolt is willing to introduce a very powerful issue in the importance for gays and lesbians, particularly prominent professionals in show business, to come out. Yet she doesn't address the complexities of coming out to this reader's satisfaction. Having said that, Coming Attractions is a promising and entertaining first novel. It is interesting to have this "romance" deal with this issue in such a manner. And the ending at show night is fun and touching. Hopefully, Marolt will continue to develop her writing.

-MJ Lowe

Winged Isis

Jean Stewart
Bella Books
1931513015

Winged Isis is a fast-paced, action story with a cliffhanger ending. Beginning six months after the close of Warriors of Isis, it follows Tomyris Whitaker -- Whit to her friends -- and her partner Kali Tyler as they struggle to protect their country from invasion.

The satellite generated electro-magnetic shield between Freeland and Elysium has begun to fail. Thus the women of Freeland set about replacing the satellites. It is a race for time, as they also prepare to defend their young, prospering country from the Elysians. This is the story of Winged Isis.

The post-pandemic world that Stewart has created is a lesbian feminist cross between King's The Stand and Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. Freeland, perhaps the most interesting presentation of a feminist democratic culture in contemporary literature, is not a utopia. Views of how to implement their country's political goals vary greatly among the citizens. Power struggles are frustrating to Whit (and perhaps to the reader) as she is drawn into the complexities of governing. However, they have a ring of reality that echoes the struggles of many feminist, democratic organizations.

Stewart is also unabashed in depicting Freeland's need for a military defense. Her exploration of how this woman centric society might go about creating and implementing this amazon military is thought provoking and insightful.

Stewart's characters are complex and realistic. In their struggles to rebuild the colony of Isis and survive the threats of the Elysians, many of these woman find love and hope for a happy future. These characters grow and change over the course of the series. Winged Isis appears to be a pivotal, transition story within the series. For example: the shy, brillant Danu finds confidence and skill as a Warrior; Kali and Tor both explore their mystical strengths; while Kali and Whit anticipate the changes that their first daughter will bring to their lives.

One might wish to read the first three titles in the series (Return to Isis, Isis Rising, and Warriors of Isis, in that order) before Winged Isis. The series as a whole is unique and enjoyable reading. However, it is not absolutely necessary to read them in order. Stewart provides enough context within Winged Isis to enjoy it alone. And there is a helpful glossary and character summary at the end of the book. Winged Isis is an exciting summer read. The series overall is thought provoking and lingers in this reader's mind.

It's been five years since the third Isis story was released. Given the ending of Winged Isis, one hopes it will not be so long before the fifth novel comes our way.
-MJ Lowe

BN: Wizard of Isis is the 5th book. The second and third are still available via www.bellabooks.com

One Summer Night

Gerri Hill
Rising Tide Press
1883061318

One Summer Night is a first novel for Gerri Hill and is a promising beginning. Her romantic encounters are powerfully erotic and may prompt many readers to return to this story. However, her characterization is rather flat and the plot is thin. Some women are portrayed rather one dimensionally and Hill, however unintentionally, sometimes falls victim to using some negative stereotyping.

An educated, thirty something college instructor, Johanna Marshall suffers from the loss of her parents as a child -- despite having been raised by loving grandparents who have accepted her lesbianism without strife -- and the betrayal of (in hindsight) a clearly inappropriately matched lover. For the last several years, Jo has climbed into her ivory tower and shut the door.

Dragging herself out to watch friends play in a softball tourney, Jo is drawn to a ringer brought in to boost the team she supports. The former college ball player is the attractive, intelligent Kelly Sambino. The two women are drawn together by an almost overwhelming attraction and end up spending a tremendously charged night together. The next morning Jo awakes to find Kelly, who had a game to play in the morning, gone. Despite their backgrounds in writing and communication the two women prove to be very poor communicators. Almost annoyingly so. Jo, confused and embarrassed by the night's impulsively, does not go to the ball field. Thus adding to the miscommunication particularly since Kelly lives in another town.

After the tournament, some of Jo's friends suggest that Kelly has a reputation as a "Don Juan." Thus Jo returns to hide in her academic tower, though the memory of their passion remains. Fall semester brings a new faculty member to Jo's department and it's Kelly. Still interested in Jo, Kelly tries to court Jo as well as clarify their earlier miscommunication. Jo spends lots of energy trying to keep Kelly at arm's length but calls on her for solace when her grandfather dies suddenly. Kelly is the more likeable of this hit-and-miss couple, although her willingness to put up with Jo's passive-aggressive behavior is rather masochistic.

Perhaps more annoying is the treatment of secondary characters. One of the few short and over weight dykes (most are lean, athletic, and beautiful) is depicted as insensitive, desperate, and mean spirited with her attempts to trash Kelly to Jo in an effort to woo Jo for herself. As some of Hill's writing is quite moving, one hopes that her future novels will explore characterization and plot in a more complex manner.

-MJ Lowe

Set in Stone

Angela Brown, editor
Alyson Books
1555835805

"I'm beyond queer, queerer than queer: an authentic, genuine, pasteurized, homogenized 100% perv." says an unnamed butch, in Leslea Newman's story, "A Stone's Throw" one of 19 stories in Set in Stone, the newest anthology of lesbian erotica from Alyson press. Certainly that's what a lot of folks might think of the theme of this anthology. They would be partly correct. Angela Brown, the editor has pulled together a wonderful spectrum of tough, funny, sexy, beautiful butches as well as observations about butches, stone and otherwise, and their attractions to one another.

Join the notorious (and historically real) Anne Bonney and Mary Read on a 17th century pirate ship in "On the Spanish Main." Get caught in the different kind of raid in the restroom at the Under Club in M. Christian's "The Bang Gang." Some of the stories like Newman's and Jennifer M. Collins have butches that are very aware of their added "queerness" and expose very touching encounters of respect, affection, and desire. For you aging punkers, "Tough Broad" will create a fond memory and "The Rock" will have you looking twice at heavy construction front loaders. While other stories like "The Crashing Planes" rather painfully explore the competitive nature between some butches, particularly in regards to keeping a femme. The writers are as diverse as their stories and many are well known for their erotica like Newman and Califia.

Not all of the butches in these pages are likable; they are, however, memorable, thought provoking, and hot. Regardless of your personal view of the butch/femme dance, you'll find Set in Stone and arousing collection.

-MJ Lowe

Frosting on the Cake

Karin Kallmaker
Naiad Press
1562802666

If like myself, you are a long time Kallmaker fan, you will enjoy Frosting on the Cake, an anthology of short stories based on her novels.

Kallmaker's characters are the main reason her stories are so enjoyable. She explores a diverse range of women and portrays them as human. These women get colds, have periods, disagree with their parents and spouses, have jobs, have children, renovate homes, and so on. Not just super human beauties, they reflect the lesbians we know, are, and with whom we interact. Not surprisingly, Kallmaker uses this opportunity to examine new aspects of these familiar characters.

After ten novels, Kallmaker has lots of characters to revisit and there's a wide range of topics to consider as well. For example Cat and Jessie, of In Every Port, have been together 23 years now and as many long time couples do, they have developed a communication all their own in "Conversations."

Life has been difficult for the cross dressing conductor Nicola Frost since the ending of Paperback Romance nine years ago. Two years prior to "Key of Sea," Oscar, her much loved and charming mentor, died; and ever since Nick has been building walls to protect herself from the world. Walls that also keep her from the things she loves. Alone on an all woman cruise for an over due vacation, Nick rediscovers her love of music and, perhaps, Patricia.

We get an extra peek at favorite women like Jackie and Leah of Painted Moon, (probably my second favorite of Kallmaker's titles). In "Smudges" the artist, Leah Beck immortalizes "what it's like between women" with a very special canvas. Rayann of Touchwood (my favorite Kallmaker novel) furthers her understanding of the butch/femme dance she shares with Lou in "Satisfaction."

"Wild Things are Free" is a novella that examines the complications of miscommunication and insecurity that can still arise some five years after Sydney and Faith began their relationship in Wild Things. While "Come Here" features Judy and Dedric, Rayann's friends from Touchwood, in a classic Kallmaker romantic encounter. This is a particularly interesting story because it provides the reader with an intimate view of characters who were not primary to the novel.

Perhaps the most interesting example of Kallmaker's exploration of secondary characters appears in "Unforgettable, That's What You Are." Natalie's role in Unforgettable was rather limited. However, Kallmaker appears to know a great deal about even relatively minor characters in her books. Her understanding of the people that populate her novels adds to the richness of all her characters. Thus in this story, we learn more of Natalie, a retired Army encryption specialist who still bears the psychological scars of battle earned during her service overseas. - Kallmaker's depiction of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a very powerful. -- Natalie has returned home to court and build a future with a woman she loves.

An additional, interesting treat is included at the end of the anthology. Kallmaker takes a few pages to discuss her novels and their related stories as well as answering a few of the "frequently asked questions" about her writing.

If you've never read any of Kallmaker's novels -- which probably means you either just came out, on principle you refuse to read any "romance" novel, or have been living under a rock for much of the last decade -- pick up this anthology. It will give you a very good idea of what her stories are like. Perhaps it will help you decide which of her books you'd like to read next. And you will want to read them.

As for you non-romance readers, I urge you to reconsider. Remember that these are not the straight, traditional romance stories you're bombarded with everyday. Kallmaker's stories are well written and non-formula. They depict realistic, contemporary lesbians dealing with everyday issues, including how to love and maintain that love in a homophobic society. Kallmaker's characters are in many ways ordinary women. Ordinary women made extraordinary through their love of each other. That is the magic of Kallmaker's writing.

-MJ Lowe