I'm in Chicago and San Francisco Libraries!

Well, not literally, but Bend in the Road is! If you live in Chicago you can find it on this page:
http://www.chipublib.org/search/details/cn/8426503/results/1/
In fact, the Chicago Library seems to be a darn good site for GLBT works. Check out this page:
http://www.chipublib.org/cplbooksmovies/poptopics/lgbthistory.php
I am very impressed.
Go, Chicago!And if you're visiting San Francisco, you can find it here:
http://sflib1.sfpl.org/search~S1/a?Barrack+Jeanne
Hooray for the city on the Bay!

A New Review for Bend in the Road

What a great way to start 2010! Wilde Oats, an online magazine/review site I had sent Bend in the Road to back in August, reviewed it in their December issue and the reviewer, Piet Bach, had some very nice things to say about it.
Quoting just a snippet of the review:
"I will confess that I’m not a great reader of “romance”, either general or specifically male/male. But it isn’t often that a book with the special qualities of this one comes to my attention, either...The details of the troupe’s arrangements, how they travelled, how they ate, how they managed sets and props and costumes, who took which roles, are fascinating and accurate."
"Barrack’s style is simple and engaging. Reading the story with a background in theatre and a cultural Jewish heritage to draw on may have biassed me in that the people and their surroundings were familiar and I found the characters deeply sympathetic."
"I would very much enjoy reading a continuation of her history, set perhaps in New York’s lower East Side in the 1890s, as her characters melt into the American pot."
Thanks so much, Piet!
A sequel is in the works for later this year.

MLR Press opens online Bookstore

MLR Press has opened the first phase of their online bookstore starting with ebooks sales. Once they have an inventory and a shipping plan in place, print books will be added to the store.
They're just up and running so if you have any problems, please let them know. As Jay Hartman of Untreed Reads says: "For those who like to see publishers and authors get the full sale of titles instead of a middleman (Untreed Reads raises its hand), this is really terrific news".
The direct link to purchase Bend in the Road is here
The link to the store is:
http://www.mlrbooks.com/books.php

A Review to Treasure for Bend in the Road

Reader reviews are like precious gems to be treasured. When the reader is also a fellow author, the review is doubly treasured. Author, Z. A. Maxfield's response to Bend in the Road was sent to me through several e-mails and she's graciously given her permission to share it. Thank you, LL, for your very kind words.

I'm reading Bend in the Road and I'm only on page 35 and I LOVE these guys! I'm right where Aryeh and Dani meet and they're uncomfortable...historicals scare me like crazy but you handle it beautifully. So lyrical and lovely.

(after finishing the first story she sent this note) Oh, my what a beautiful story Aryeh and Dani have. I just loved how sweet they were. The conflict was real and scary and it was the sweetness between them that just made everything seem so right. So few m/m writers will write a character that wants to be feminine or dress in women's clothes and yet it's so perfect, how he longs for the soft things, the feminine pretty things so he can feel beautiful with his lover. Dani really touched me and made me feel all maternal. I enjoyed it very much and now I get to embark on Yuval's story.

(after finishing the book she wrote) I wanted you to know that I finished Bend in the Road. I think Yuval's story is my favorite, because I like the musical aspect of it so much! But maybe Dani was my favorite character. Wow, what a lovely set of stories; I just didn't want it to end. I LOVED these people and would very much like to follow them to America, maybe a sequel is in the offing??? *has hopeful puppy eyes*
I think people who like to read a well researched historical will love this book. Intelligent, thoughtful people will come away from the book feeling uplifted and delighted... and maybe a little educated. It's always been my desire (and I can tell it's yours as well) to put out quality work and let the chips fall where they may.
The more books like yours, the more intelligent and well plotted and the more characters are defined and real in romantic m/m, the more legitimate and delightful the books will be. I maintain romance genre books can be great books and still be erotic and romantic as hell, and romance genre readers who say they will only read het will flock like seagulls over the picnic tables at MacDonald's to read them whatever sexual identity the main character couple is. Brava, Jeanne!
Thanks so much for a great read.
LL
Z.A. Maxfield
http://zamaxfield.com/

And thank you again for falling in love with my guys!

Fantastic Way to begin the Weekend!

Bend in the Road was reviewed by Elisa Rolle on her journal at this link and I am so thrilled with her review. Elisa is one of my favorite people and not just because of the review! :~D Her journal is a must read for anyone who wants to expand their horizons. The diversity of her entries makes for fascinating reading.
Grazie, Elisa!
Then, to top off the evening, The Sweet Flag received a FIVE cherries review from LASR/whipped Cream Reviews and is up for Best Book of the Week.
That review can be found at this link
Thank you, Cholla!

Bend in the Road - Out today!!

So, my publisher informed me that Bend in the Road went live much sooner than planned!

So, here's the nitty gritty you need to know.

BEND in the ROAD by Jeanne Barrack

ISBN# 978-1-60820-002-3 (print)
ISBN# 978-1-60820-003-0 (e-book)
Released now from ManLoveRomance Press
A dual novella erotic, m/m historical romance anthology
BEND IN THE ROAD, set in Eastern Europe in the 1880s, introduces us to two couples that find safe havens in the insular world of a traveling Yiddish theater troupe. IN THE LION'S DEN brings us Daniel Bercovich, a young man in the first throes of finding his identity. Can the man he comes to love accept a new side to him? Yuval Smolenski finds more than the inspiration for his music, he finds something everlasting in FROM STAGE TO STAGE. These Jewish men in love must deal not only with the stigma of that love but also fear the rise of anti-Semitism. Can their love survive all the forces that surround them?

Available at ARe at: http://tinyurl.com/Bend-ARe

Available at MobiPocket at: http://tinyurl.com/Bend-Mobi

Available at Barnes & Noble at: http://tinyurl.com/Bend-BN

Available at Amazon at: http://tinyurl.com/Bend-Amazon

BEND IN THE ROAD, Guidepost Two ~ Purim

The Holiday of Purim and "In the Lion's Den"
Purim offers religious Jewish children an opportunity to dress up in funny clothes and as the people who are the main characters in the holiday in a manner similiar to Halloween, a holiday not celebrated by more orthodox Jews. After all, Haloween is associated with pagan themes, but Purim -- as joyous and free wheeling as Mardi Gras -- easily fills the need for fun. In fact, one is encouraged to drink until you can't tell the difference between Haman, the villain and Mordecai, the hero. The holiday also offers religious adults an unusual chance to indulge in atypical clothing choices as discussed below.
Here's a very brief description of the background of the holiday.

The Book of Esther or the Megilla of Esther, recounts how the Jews of Persia were saved from destruction. During the reign of the King Ahasuerus, one of his advisors, Haman, attempted to destroy the Jews in revenge for being ignored by Mordecai, a Jew who refused to bow down to him. Given the king's permission, Haman draws lots (purim) to determine the day when the king's soldiers will set upon the Jewish citizens. The date falls upon the 13th of the Hebrew month of Adar.
Mordecai finds out about the decree and approaches his cousin Esther, the king's new queen, to intercede with the king. Esther, who has kept her religion a secret, fasts for three days to gain courage to come before her husband. She speaks out against Haman at a banquet for the king and Haman. Haman is hanged and Mordecai assumes his position. Because a royal decree cannot be repealed, Mordecai sends another decree to all the provinces. This one empowers the Jews to protect themselves from their enemies. They do and overcome the soldiers. The days following this struggle with their enemies (the 14th and 15th of Adar) are declared days of feasting and festivity, and today are observed as Purim.

So, how does Purim relate to my story?
"In the Lion's Den", the first story in BEND IN THE ROAD, is set during the holiday of Purim. The story was submitted for MLR's cross-dressing anthology and the celebration of Purim has long been associated with cross-dressing and other unique issues. When I researched the holiday I found that parodies and entertainment that mocked established Judaism were a widespread component of Purim observances.
I learned that written records of the Purim shpiel (Yiddish for "Purim play") could be found in Europe from the 14th century on. Purim shpiels and entertainments at weddings (as in my second story, "From Stage to Stage") were the sole source of Jewish popular pursuits for centuries. The sarcastic content of Purim plays and the spoofing, cross-dressing, and drunken revelry surrounding them offered an opportunity to explore boundary-crossing matters of gender, sexuality, authority, and relations with the gentile world in a safe setting like the traveling Yiddish theater troupe where crossdressing was common during its early days.
Although there are laws that prohibit cross-dressing, these laws would most likely not prohibit cross-dressing in a private setting or for theatrical purposes. The cross-dressing that appears in "In the Lion's Den" then, would be acceptable. How Dani, the young hero in my story feels about feminine clothing...well...
So, did I surprise you about this holiday?

Bend in the Road ~ Cover Art!

Doing the Hora of joy! My cover is ready!!!

You see before you, Aryeh Nachman from In the Lion's Den. I had to make a decision which of my four lovely lads I would feature and Aryeh sprang to mind because, after all, he's had experience. In the story, Aryeh posed for the real life Simeon Solomon. Solomon was a well known Victorian painter. He was also admittedly gay and Jewish. Oscar Wilde quite admired his work.
I also have my very first front and spine art work! I can't wait to share Aryeh and the boys with the world.

Bend in the Road ~ First Guidepost

A Guide to a Different World...
My dual novella anthology, BEND IN THE ROAD, from MLR Press takes place in a world so foreign for most readers that it might as well be set in a 'galaxy far, far away...'
So, to help prepare you for your journey, I'll be offering guide posts. Each one focuses on a different part of the world of Aryeh, Dani, Yuval and Tsvi. I hope by the time you reach your destination, you'll want to find out what happened to these four young men in their 'different world'.
The Blurb:
BEND IN THE ROAD, set in Eastern Europe in the 1880s, introduces us to two couples that find safe havens in the insular world of a traveling Yiddish theater troupe.
IN THE LION'S DEN brings us Daniel Bercovich, a young man in the first throes of finding his identity. Can the man he comes to love accept a new side to him?
Yuval Smolenski finds more than the inspiration for his music, he finds something everlasting in FROM STAGE TO STAGE. These Jewish men in love must deal not only with the stigma of that love but also fear the rise of anti-Semitism. Can their love survive all the forces that surround them?
The Titles:
IN THE LION'S DEN
I had the names for Aryeh and Dani before the title for the story. I was looking for a strong name for my older hero and came up with Aryeh very quickly. Aryeh means 'lion' in Hebrew and I've always loved the name. Daniel, for my younger man, is also one of my favorite names. It means 'G-d is my judge'. This too seemed fitting since for these men, G-d is the only judge who matters. It was only after I put the two names together and then called Aryeh 'Lionel', an English version of his name, that I realized I had the perfect title for their story from the biblical tale of the Prophet Daniel.
FROM STAGE TO STAGE
Yuval and Tsvi's story took its inspiration from several sources, primarily folk songs, popular music, liturgical music, poems and fairy tales. Yuval's name appears in the Bible in Genesis where he is known as the 'ancestor of all who play the lyre and the pipe' - a sort of patron of musicians and yes, the name does have a shared root in the word 'jubilee'.
Tsvi's name also comes from the Bible, this time from the second book of Samuel that includes the beautiful lament of King David for the deaths of Jonathan and Saul. The word used to describe Jonathan is "ha-tsvi", translated as 'the beauty', but it also is the word for "gazelle". Tsvi is a very popular name in Israel.
To some scholars, the story of the love between David and Jonathan is something more than comradely, so the name, Tsvi, fit my character perfectly. I referred to this portion of scriptures and other passages in Yuval and Tsvi's story and the names of the pivotal characters revolve around their Biblical source.
The story's title is taken from a Yiddish folk tune my mother used to sing called, "The Singer". The verse says, "The singer travels from town to town and 'from stage to stage'" - perfect for members of a traveling Yiddish theater troupe.
BEND IN THE ROAD
I found my inspiration for the anthology's title from several sources.
One of my favorite poets is Robert Frost. I've always loved a poem of his called "The Road Not Taken". It came to mind immediately because these men made choices to travel down different paths not only in their relationships, but also the decisions they made about the direction their lives would take.
At the time I wrote IN THE LION'S DEN, I had just seen "The Bubble", a gay Israeli movie and in the film there's a scene in a theater where the play "Bent" is being performed in Hebrew. "Bent" takes place during WWII and refers to the gay community during the Holocaust. I had seen this play years ago and seeing it performed again in Hebrew in the film brought back the initial impact.
And last, and perhaps the most personal, I've found many blogs sharing the gay Jewish experience and a phrase from one of those blogs stayed with me. It referred to the bend in the road not being the end of the journey.
For Aryeh, Dani, Yuval and Tsvi the bend in the road was not the end of their journey.