-
The Weekly Readlines August 11
Quote for the Week: “I come from regular stock, and I prefer that — I prefer being around that.” – Clarence Thomas, in a documentary financed by one of his billionaire benefactors
BIG CUP: THE WEEK’S TOP STORIES
Maui has been devastated by wildfires, claiming at least 55 lives and destroying the historic town of Lahaina, once the seat of the Hawaiian kingdom.
Special Counsel Jack Smith has requested January 2 as the start date for Trump’s trial, possibly hoping to make him a convicted felon in time for Super Tuesday.
And The Band’s Robbie Robertson died at 80, having given us the most most famous and unfortunately enduring Confederate apologia ever recorded, The Night they Drove Old Dixie Down. If only it had stayed there.
LGBTQ NEWS
Milan To Resume Registering Children From Male Couples
ReutersDr. Fauci To Be Succeeded By First Openly LGBTQ Director Of NIAID
Washington Blade -
‘Dead Eyes: A Harry Hell Novella’ Now a Kindle Vella Exclusive!
Harry Hell has lived in my head for several years now, and he’s finally found a way out! Intended as a three-book series, the Harry Hell Novellas have begun as a Kindle Vella serial, with a new chapter coming out every Sunday. The first three chapters of every Vella story are free to read, then subsequent chapters are accessed with token you can purchase for the stories. CLICK ON OVER and read the first, intense beginning of Dead Eyes: A Harry Hell Novella.
About Dead Eyes:
The year is sometime in the distant future. Planet Earth remains inhabitable, but only by those on the extremes: the wealthy, in their fenced-in fortresses, and everyone else killing or being killed to survive another day. Harry Hell strides atop the have-nots, having once been an elite assassin for Control, the ultimate authority that maintains what’s left of order. He chose the harder life after his partner and lover Raul was murdered by the villainess Nectar. Since then he has lived for one reason only: to take revenge. He is determined to watch her eyes go cold as she exhales one last time and dies by his hand.
Meet Harry Hell, Crater, Echo, Nectar, the Witch Woman, and many others as they prowl the Ruins, travel in and out of the Slopes, and watch from afar as the distant, gleaming Eastward reminds them of everything they’ve lost. As much a love story as a tale of revenge, Dead Eyes begins a journey of one man, with one mission, who is prepared to destroy it all to get what he wants.
-
New Website Header
New era, new drive. This is the image I’ve used for all the new Kyle Callahan Mysteries covers. Truth in advertising: I write mysteries, thrillers, horror … and so much more.
-
The Twist Podcast #235: Defendant In Chief, Good Times in Bidentown, and the 10 Best Barbie Launches Ever
Join co-hosts Mark McNease and Rick Rose as we consider the possibility of an incarcerated President, praise the Bidenomics boom, and list the 10 best Barbie doll launches ever.
Enjoy The Twist on Libsyn, iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and TheTwistPodcast.com.
Copyright 2023 MadeMark Publishing
-
The Weekly Readlines August 4
On a personal note: The Readlines is moving to Friday mornings, as I change my production schedule. Other new content from LGBTSr.com will go out on Mondays. – Mark
Quote for the week: “The attack on our nation’s Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, was an unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy. As described in the indictment, it was fueled by lies. Lies by the defendant targeted at obstructing a bedrock function of the U.S. government: the nation’s process of collecting, counting and certifying the results of the presidential election.” – Special Counsel Jack Smith
BIG CUP: THE WEEK’S TOP STORIES
Former President Donald Trump was indicted (again). The charges are extremely serious, involving his efforts to overturn the election he lost, and may result in America having its first incarcerated Commander in Chief.
Actor Paul Reubens, aka Peewee Herman, died at 70. While it was sad, it was another one of those ‘He was 70?!’ moments I experience these days when people who are essentially my peers are exiting Planet Earth.
LGBTQ NEWS
Anti-LGBTQ Bills Drive Top Louisiana Kids’ Heart Doctor Out Of State
Shreveport TimesChicago LGBT Hall of Fame to announces 2023 inductees
Windy City Times -
Hot August Giveaway: All 6 Kyle Callahan Mysteries Free for 6 Days!
Get all 6 of my Kyle Callahan Mysteries FREE on Kindle from August 1 – 5. CLICK HERE to see all my books. New covers, new regular price, new adventures await for Kyle and the gang.
-
Mark McNease On Topic: Cowgirls and Alpha Gomers
Enjoy my weekly Substack, Mark McNease On Topic. Subscribe HERE.
Slavery as a career path
Among the most appalling things I’ve heard in 65 years was the recent “curriculum” in Florida that requires history teachers include in their discussions of slavery that some slaves learned useful skills (like how to cut themselves down from a tree?). When I was in the 6th grade, attending a private school, we had to read books every summer. One of them was called ‘To Be a Slave,’ consisting entirely of the lives of slaves described by the slaves themselves. This book would surely be banned today in many states. Slavery was ugly, brutal, vicious, murderous, and demonic (defended with biblical scripture, as we can expect). The images included in the book were searing: men and women with deep scars on their backs from being whipped. Perhaps it taught them the skill of endurance? Embroidery? Surely they learned something they could parlay into a small business after emancipation.
-
My Interview on Daniela Acitelli’s YouTube Vlogcast
-
Interview: 6 Questions for Dave Hughes, Author and Founder of Retire Fabulously
Shared from LGBTSr.com
By Mark McNease
I’m delighted to share a new interview with someone I consider a longtime friend, inspiration, and fellow go-getter. Dave Hughes started his website, RetireFabulously.com, ten years ago. We managed to connect, considering some shared demographics with LGBTSr.com. Since then we’ve had many communications and several interviews. I believe he offers some of the best advice on retiring and living in retirement, and he’s now a novelist as well. Can you say dynamo? Enjoy the latest ‘6 Questions’ interview with Dave, and hopefully he’ll inspire some readers to pursue their goals as well, whether you’re retired or not. – Mark
Congratulations on 10 years of Retire Fabulously! What’s the 411 on Dave Hughes for readers: who/what/where/why.
I enjoyed a reasonably successful career as a software engineer. That’s a broad job title, but at various times in my career, my responsibilities included writing code, customer support, training, and management. Overall, it was very enjoyable. It certainly paid better than being a jazz musician, which was my true passion (and still is). I spent the last 17½ years of my career at Intel Corporation where, in addition to my regular job, I was very active in their diversity and inclusion initiatives, primarily on behalf of LGBTQ employees.
I’m originally from Ohio. I lived in the Washington, DC suburbs for 11½ years before moving to warm, sunny Phoenix, Arizona in late 1995, at age 38. At the time, my motivations were to move to someplace where it doesn’t snow and freeze, and where the cost of living (especially real estate) was much less expensive. At the time, I wasn’t considering where I’d retire, but as it turns out, Phoenix is an excellent place to retire – at least for me.
-
The Twist Podcast #234: Slavery As a Career Path, Hodag Highlights with Alex Melli, and an Interview with Kimberlee McGeshick
Join co-hosts Mark McNease and Rick Rose as compare small town hellscapes, consider the benefits of slavery, learn about a creature called the hodag from Alex Melli, and listen to Rick’s interview with Kimberlee McGeshick.
Enjoy The Twist on Libsyn, iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and TheTwistPodcast.com.
Copyright 2023 MadeMark Publishing
-
Kyle Callahan Mysteries Get a Cover Refresh (and a New Price)
It was time to breathe some new life into my Kyle Callahan Mysteries. I love these new covers, and the eBooks are now just $2.99 on Amazon.
-
The Weekly Readlines July 19
Quote for the times: “Too many people hate the people that AIDS most affects: gay people and people of color. I do not mean dislike, or feel uncomfortable with. I mean hate. Downright hate. Down and dirty hate.” – the late Larry Kramer, true as it ever was
BIG CUP: THE WEEK’S TOP STORIES
Actors joined writers on strike, when SAG-AFTRA walked out over stalled contract negotiations.
Republicans assured defeat of the must-pass Defense bill by stuffing it with anti-women, anti-LGBTQ amendments meant to thrill the base but cripple the military. We predict the extortion will fail.
And California voters will have the chance to right a wrong by repealing Prop 8, the state’s same-sex marriage ban, with a vote in 2024. Be careful what you wish for, they could keep it.
LGBTQ NEWS
Idaho ‘Abortion Travel Ban’ Challenged By LGBT Group
FISM TVWhat’s A Tea Dance? The Fascinating History Behind These Unique Parties
GayCities -
New Video Promo for ‘Open Secrets: A Maggie Dahl Mystery,’ Audiobook Out Now, Narrated by Daniela Acitelli