The
Independent Gay Writer is glad to have Cheri Rosenberg back in full
swing this issue with reviews of• Change of Pace by Radclyffe
• Justice in the Shadows by Radclyffe
• Safe Harbor by Radclyffe
A native New Yorker, Cheri Rosenberg resides in a New York City suburb with her husband, three teenagers and two canines. A dietitian by profession, Cheri enjoys good food, reading, writing, walking, swimming, and emailing her friends when she finds spare time.
A passionate supporter of gay rights, she firmly believes everyone is entitled to equal rights, regardless of sexual orientation. She has written book reviews for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender newsletters including, Independent Gay Writer, Midwest Book Review, and Just About Write.
Cheri is grateful for her family's patience and support for her new found passion—writing. Contact
  Change of Pace: Erotic Interludes by Radclyffe ISBN: 1-933110-07-4 Bold Stroke Books, 2004 Paperback/187 pages/$14.95 Review by Cheri Rosenberg Change of Pace: Erotic Interludes by Radclyffe is a wonderful collection of short stories so delightful and delicious they will tempt, tease, and thrill readers for years to come. The anthology is contemporary, yet timeless, not only about sex, but also about love, longing, lust, surprises, chance meetings, planned meetings, fulfilling wild fantasies, and trust. Radclyffe is masterful at wrapping subtle plots, inspired settings, and entertaining characters around an incredible variety of hot sex scenes. Radclyffe paints her characters using just enough brushstrokes to give the reader a whole portrait. When one lover states, “She had the hands of a magician, the mouth of a saint, and she could read me as if I were a billboard lighting up the night in Times Square” [p. 134], it’s easy to imagine how much she appreciates her lover. Full Service Station made me laugh out loud when the main character was so horny she thought, “The waitress in the diner, a friendly gem of a woman about one year older than God, made my pulse trip. Hell, even inanimate objects such as trees and fireplugs were beginning to appeal” [p. 14]. The scene became funnier as it went on but you’ll have to read the book to see what I mean. This is a mere sampling of Radclyffe’s humor which is sprinkled throughout the text. Runway Blues was great! Who hasn't fantasized about meeting a stranger at an airport after the trials and tribulations of trying to fly somewhere on a holiday weekend? Or maybe you’ve been to the Red Light District in Holland as in A Woman in the Shadows, or longed for a massage as in Four Star Accommodations, or perhaps a luxurious bath as in Hart’s Desire. If you’ve ever gone toy shopping in a sex shop, you’ll love Happy, Happy Birthday, Baby. Contemplating a piercing? You have to read Pleasure Points! All of the twenty-five stories are diversified enough to keep you interested, and are sexy enough to keep you hot. The build-up, humor, and satisfaction are evident and incredible; Radclyffe gives her readers the pay-off they long for and have come to expect. Trust me when I say that you are going to need a fan, cold shower, partner, or whatever floats your boat, to quell the fire you’ll feel while reading Change of Pace: Erotic Interludes. Three of my favorite stories are the Clinical Trials – Phase One: Calibrations, Phase Two: Video, and Phase Three: Assist Mode, but I highly recommend you read all of Radclyffe’s Change of Pace: Erotic Interludes and choose your own favorite. I am sure you will have more than one favorite in this five star collection. |
 Justice in the Shadows by RadclyffeISBN 1-933110-03-1 Bold Strokes Books September 2004 Paperback $18.99/302 pages Review by Cheri Rosenberg Justice in the Shadows, winner of a Golden Crown Literary Society Award 2005, is the fourth action-packed mystery in the Justice series following the engrossing prequels, A Matter of Trust, Shield of Justice, and In Pursuit of Justice. To her credit and her fans delight, Radclyffe has successfully produced another wonderful addition to her impressive writing résumé. She is the author of twenty-one (and counting) published novels. Her writing appears on-line, is included in anthologies, and is available in other venues. In the latest Justice book, two cops have been assassinated, a young girl is dead, and an innocent woman lies in a coma, all the result of a child pornography ring. Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) Detective Sergeant Rebecca Frye wants to find out who is behind the murders of her partner Jeff Cruz, Officer Jimmy Hogan, a young prostitute, and the attempted murder of J.T. Sloan…that is until Clark Avery, the Justice Department Investigator, pulls the plug on the investigation. Something reeks of an inside job and Rebecca Frye will not rest until justice is done; she does not intend to add the unsolved case to the dead pile. Captain Henry gives the okay for Frye to head her own secret task force to see what she can uncover. Rebecca puts together a team of unlikely candidates including her new partner, Detective William Watts, internet sleuth J.T. Sloan, and Sloan’s business associate Jason McBride. Other members of her team include rookie cop, Dellon Mitchell; young prostitute and certified informant, Sandy; and Rebecca’s lover, PPD psychiatrist Dr. Catherine Rawlings. With a great cast of characters, the reader can’t help but root for each one. Sloan’s lover, Michael Lassiter, lies in a coma after she becomes a mistaken target meant for Sloan…who will go to any lengths to avenge her attackers. Radclyffe is a master at combining intense police drama and mystery along with an in-depth look at three loving and fulfilling lesbian relationships. She keeps the reader interested, excited, and guessing; it’s hard to put the book down. As always, Radclyffe’s work has compelling narrative, enough conflict and drama to sustain the story, unforgettable characters, natural sounding and credible dialogue. In addition, her writing is a perfect example of how sex does not get in the way of the plot; the sex scenes move the plot along and add depth to her characters. The author shows us the tough exterior of Rebecca when she is commanding her team, then contrasts that with her tender side when she makes love to her soul mate, Catherine. The same can be said about the budding relationship between Mitchell and Sandy. Mitchell is a hotheaded young cop, while Sandy is a street wise, smart mouthed kid. The growth of these two characters is particularly captivating. As in all good series, several major story lines are resolved, while a few loose threads remain to keep us on edge for Justice Served, the next book in this series. I recommend Radclyffe’s Justice in the Shadows to anyone who enjoys intense crime stories with lots of intrigue, and with hot sex thrown in for good measure. If you like this kind of drama, don’t miss this five star novel by one of the most prolific and talented authors of lesbian literature. |
 Safe Harbor by Radclyffe Second Edition ISBN: 1-933110-13-9 Bold Stroke Books Paperback/2004 232 pages/$14.95 Review by Cheri Rosenberg Award-winning writer Radclyffe lists among her bestselling novels Safe Harbor, in which Reese Conlon leaves a military career to become Provincetown’s new Deputy Sheriff. Once there, she finds herself fighting homophobia, which is directed at P-Town’s local youth. While upholding the law, Reese also discovers a truth about herself when she meets and falls in love with Dr. Victoria (Tory) King. Safe Harbor has a character driven plot and presents a diverse well-defined supporting cast with each having an integral contribution to the story. The main character, Reese, is easy to fall in love with. An extremely private person, she has everyone curious to know more about her. “She’s handsome, strong, sensitive, tender, and deeply passionate. And devoted—can’t beat that,” according to her creator Radclyffe; Reese turns more than a few heads. Comparable to a knight in shining armor, she is hard-working, decent, and honest. Reese upholds the law and takes her oath “to serve and protect” very seriously. Her boss, Sheriff Nelson Parker, and other locals are in awe of this admirable woman. Sheriff Parker has a lot more than crime to deal with when he learns his daughter Brianna is gay. Radclyffe does a commendable job describing the anguish he feels as he works his way, hopefully, toward acceptance. Reese meets Dr. King while out on patrol to check on a break in at the East End Health Clinic. Tory has an “unanticipated visceral reaction” (p. 21) to the precise, professional, and truly stunning sheriff. Having endured a bad breakup and an accident that dashed her Olympic hopes to bits, Tory is leery of the gorgeous, self-assured woman, and she’s unnerved to be so taken with Reese. Trying not to fall for Reese’s charm is a daunting task—especially when Reese says things like, “I saw you this morning—kayaking out on the bay. You were so much a part of the sea that you didn’t even disturb the rhythm of the waves” (p. 31). Tory endears the reader with her professional manner while adeptly healing the sick in her care. Dr. King is a respected physician who puts others’ needs before her own. In hopes of avoiding further heartache, she adamantly tries to deny love. Can she learn to trust Reese and more importantly, can she trust her own feelings? Brianna (Bri) Parker, the sheriff’s gay daughter, is a tough, troubled, and frightened youth who becomes the target of gay bashing. Although strong, Bri is no match for her attacker. Reese helps Brianna overcome obstacles that she, and other gay teens face. Surprisingly, even the “gay Mecca” of P-town has its share of hatred. Reese helps not only Bri, but all the other gay kids in her jurisdiction in their fight against homophobia. Tory’s sister, Cath, acts as Tory’s conscience, playing devil’s advocate as she wrestles with her heart and mind. When Tory thinks, “[Reese] has no idea what she’s doing—she hasn’t a clue to the effect she has on any lesbian with a heartbeat” (p. 111), in fact, Reese has no idea what she does to straight women and men either. Cath may be a straight, married, mother of two, but she empathizes with her sister and can fully appreciate how Tory feels about Reese. Safe Harbor is a love story, a coming out story, and crime drama all rolled into one. When Reese was young, her mother, Kate, left home to be with her lover, Jean. She reconnects with her mother not knowing what to expect. Reese also deals with her father’s reaction to the news that she’s gay. Caring deeply about the author’s characters, yearning to find out what happens next, feeling like you’re a part of the action, and hating for the book to end, is what great novels are all about. Safe Harbor by Radclyffe is such a novel. From the beginning, Radclyffe uses mystery and foreshadowing to keep the reader interested, and there is never a dull moment. The fabulous setting is the perfect backdrop and makes the reader long for a trip to Provincetown, with its “Mardi Gras energy” (p. 90). A great story, memorable characters, fresh dialogue, important issues, scenic descriptions, an engaging plot, and meticulous editing makes Safe Harbor a five star novel that can be enjoyed by both a gay and straight audience. I highly recommend Safe Harbor, and anything else penned by award winning novelist Radclyffe, whose recent accolades include two 2005 Golden Crown Literary Awards for Fated Love and Justice in the Shadows. |