Fem by Seth King

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Blurb

Peter Martin is living two lives inside one body.

Although he is openly gay, a lifetime of taunting from his family and community for being “too feminine” has still left him clad in false armor, portraying a character that is entirely fake, but keeps him safe from ridicule all the same. Stand tall, speak deeply, keep a strong handshake, never draw attention, never be “too gay.” But deep in his wildest dreams, Peter is a fabulous, flamboyant diva – he is just terrified of what it would mean for his life if he ever let his true rainbow colors shine through.

Until he meets Andre Munoz.

Andre is a traditionally masculine gay man who happens to love men like Peter, and who treasures Peter for everything he ever hated and concealed about himself. Andre is also into the “lace lifestyle,” a mysterious underground world of men who reject society’s rules and engage in sex while wearing gender-bending looks involving lingerie, fishnets, heels, and more. Peter is instantly hooked – on Andre, and on the lingerie.

Peter and Andre soon fall electrically in love, and their increasingly mind-blowing – and boundary-pushing – sex sessions come with an unexpected side effect. For the first time, Peter is embracing, exploring, and even accepting his own femininity. Glowing with all this newfound confidence, Peter soon gets a wild idea: after years of being half-alive, why not finally unleash his truest self and launch the side career of his dreams as a drag queen?

But Peter’s family is still his family, and his town is still his town. Will Andre prove to be his ultimate savior, or the catalyst of the biggest mistake of his life?

Seth King’s Fem is a love story about how in the end, the love that rules all is the love you must find for the man in the mirror – even if that man happens to be wearing sequins.

“Fem shook my world. Beautifully, breathtakingly good.” – author Angelique Jurd

“I read this book in twelve hours and still can’t stop thinking about it, over a week later. Brilliant and gorgeous.” – Kell’s Bookmark Clique

“One of those books that changes you and stays with you.” – Robert Sandlin

“The best gay love story I have ever read.” – K. Ellis

“More than just a love story…everyone should read this book.” – Quendolyn Barlow

Review 

My Rating - 5 Stars!

In typical Seth King fashion, Fem is written with transparency, honesty, and heart.

Fem's a beautiful exploration of Peter's feminine side which he's never been allowed to explore before. I love the freedom he finds when he's finally able to experiment with what he likes. Being able to discover who he really is, and what he really wants leads to a feel-good story.

At it's heart, it's a story of learning to be comfortable in one's own skin. It's also a story of regret and guilt, as well as a story of sacrifice and learning to love oneself.

Peter's relationship with his mother is heart-breaking. As a bi-polar person, his mother abused and hurt him for years. But, cue the tears when she admits that hurt people hurt people. The author provides an amazing look into mental health, reminding us to separate the illness from the person. This is an accomplished tale of understanding, empathy, and forgiveness. It's also a tale of pain, hurt, and rage.


Fem is a wonderful story of one's journey towards self-acceptance. Seth King's writing style is accomplished, with a fantastic storyline, wonderful characters, and a perfect pace. Read this book if you're looking for an amazing story of a man struggling with his feminine side.

GRL 2018 SPOTLIGHT - Seth King - Queer

In my attempt to cover some of the attending authors for this year's GRL,
I am reviewing 

Queer by Seth King!

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BLURB

Author Seth King was born in a time when homosexuality was illegal in his state, and fell in love with a male for the first time only months after it was decriminalized.

He's here, he's queer, and for the first time, this is his story.

REVIEW

My Rating - 5 Stars!

Seth King once again kills me with this extraordinarily authentic account of his life. In Queer, Seth details his journey of going from the ashamed gay kid to the out and proud queer guy that he is now. Seth manages to pack so many feels into this short, yet incredible memoir.

Seth's story gives us an up close and personal look into his life in the south, as he was targeted from a young age for being gay. Seth expertly details different experiences from his youth that will leave you gutted. 

In a short time, Seth King has easily become one of my favorite authors in his genre. His writing is unparalleled, as it's real, raw and honest. He has quickly become a master of words, using them not only to write fantastic gay fiction, but also to share his experiences with the world. And these are stories that all should read!

Seth King

Seth King is a twenty-five-year-old American author. He enjoys reading, writing, traveling, and spending time with his family.

Tremendous Tuesday - Honesty by Seth King

Amazon

Another absolute stunner by Seth King!
I am starting to think that Seth has one of the most incredible gifts of writing that the world has ever experienced.  
It Seth wrote in a more accepting genre, the world would know his name.
If you aren't familiar with his works yet, please do yourself a favor and start reading his books.  Now!

This book will leave you numb.  It will break out so many emotions and you will be left feeling drained.   But, in a good way.  

Seth takes us through the adventures of Cole, who is a southern boy with a very homophobic, religious family.   Cole never expected to find love.  Until he meets Nick.  Nick seems to be making Coles dreams come true. Well, expect that isn't going to be an easy ride for them.

Seth takes us on a journey of their love story. And what a love story it is.
First love.
First love surrounded by ignorance, shame and fear.
First love where they can only dream of being able to hold one another's hands in public. 
First love of two absolute soul-mates.

It is a romantic story.
It is an inspiring story.
It is heart-breaking.
It is thought-provoking.  
It is profound.

You will be rendered speechless.
You will find yourself swooning.
You will find yourself as angry as one can be.
You will find yourself wishing the world could be a more accepting place immediately.
You will find yourself thinking of even more ways to spread acceptance and love into the world.

Fan Friday - Daddy Issues by Seth King

Amazon

I honestly am not sure how to talk about this book, so bear with me.

I love Seth King.  He's an absolutely phenomenal writer.  He can tell a story that can't be rivaled, and he does so with every damn book he writes.

That said, I had no idea what to expect with his latest book, Daddy Issues.

I knew I would like it.  I mean, of course, I would.
But I had no idea how much I would like it.

Do NOT go into this book expecting just another good "Daddy" story like I did.
That is not what you'll find.
Don't go into it thinking you'll find a good "Daddy kink" book like I first thought.
You won't.

Instead, you will find an amazingly well-written story about 2 men and the reunion at which they fall in love.  Their love is strong, fun and very much worth every single second you will spend reading this book.

This is a story about a man falling in love with his former step-son.
The catch is - they never lived together and they never really spent any time together while they were related.
They are actually just acquaintances who know a lot of the same people.
But they have to deal with the issue of still having a relationship that in name is very taboo.

Along the way, you will laugh (a lot), smile, get frustrated, and be heart-broken.
And you won't regret one moment of that journey.

In fact, I think I might just have to re-read it very soon!

Liberty by Seth King

I recently read Liberty by Seth King.

5 Stars are not enough for this book.  It deserves 10 stars!

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Seth manages to write a story that is so loving, heart-breaking, eye-opening and tender.
And to make matters worse (for the reader's eyes and hearts), Seth's heart-felt letter at the end of the book is so raw and honest.

This book touched me on so many levels.

Seth writes about 2 boys who fall in love.  But if you are hoping for a happily-ever-after, this is not the story.

To write something similar to what the people at Pulse experienced that night was so brave.  Seth achieved to put you through some of the raw issues of that night. 
To be forced out of the closet because of a tragedy.  To watch your lover die. To finally be in an environment where you can be your true self for the first time.

And the other struggles in the book are so real and honest.  To be afraid to come out.  To be told you are wrong for being gay. For having conversion therapy forced upon you. To lose great people to suicide because of conversion therapy.

This book is definitely a must read.

And, I must say Thank You Seth for such an amazing book!