One Pulse Anthology from Dreamspinner Press | Dance by Jayce Ellis | Tams Review #mmromance #OnePulse #PrayForPulse #giveaway @Dreamspinners @thelawyerwrites

One Pulse

an Anthology from Dreamspinner Press

Benefiting the Orlando Pulse victims fund

Stories drive life. Sometimes life is good; sometimes life is bad. But it’s the nature of our community that in the aftermath of an act of hatred, we respond with love. Because darkness cannot exist in the presence of light. Cruelty cannot stand against compassion. Negativity will never overcome hope.

To show our support for those affected by the Orlando shooting, our authors, editors, artists, and staff have volunteered their talents to create this anthology. All proceeds will be donated to LGBT organizations in central Florida. Join us as we celebrate the triumph of love over every obstacle.
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Dance by Jayce Ellis

Roger knew letting his friend talk him into meeting for drinks at a gay nightclub was a mistake, especially when he’s knocked over in line by a man who’s all Roger’s fantasies rolled into one. Dylan wants to makes amends for their collision, but Roger can’t seem to catch a break from his bad luck.

Buy links: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | ARe 

Tam's gives this one 4 Stars...

Against his better judgement, Roger heads out to a local gay nightclub to meet up with friends. The night is a bust from the start. Between being stuck outside the club, waiting in line if the cold, and then accidentally bumping into someone followed up with being laughed at... yeah, not off to a great start. So, of course, as soon as he gets to the front of the line, said friend texts that he's leaving. Now Roger is determined to get into the club and get a damn drink. But what will he do when the guy he thought was laughing at him turns out to be someone unexpected? 

This was a sorta cute, sorta infuriating short story. I felt so bad for poor Roger. Drug out when he didn't want to go, then to find out he was ditched just as he got to the front of the line! I could so relate. There is, however, a prize at the bottom of the cracker jack box for him. Wrapped up in the perfect bow is the perfect guy, but is he really interested? You get a decent bit of backstory for Roger as he fumes in his own head, but I wanted more. Right about the time I got into the story, it was over. 

Again, it was cute and I enjoyed the read, but I am praying that the Author is planning a full novel for these two guys. 

Guest Post with Author Jayce Ellis...

Making Choices

My uncle was gay. It was one of those well-known but never talked about things. I didn’t know for sure until I was in college myself, and then I was just a little sad. Sad that he didn’t feel like it was something he could talk about, sad that he never brought someone home to meet the family, sad that he felt it was something he had to hide from his classmates and employer. What’s sadder is that now, in 2016, almost 16 years after he passed away, people are still struggling with the same issues. It seems like one of the last great taboo subjects, and events of the recent years, from the Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell, to various states’ attempts to undermine it, to the awful shooting in Orlando, have really underscored how important it is to have real, honest conversations about life, and love, and who gets to decide what is and isn’t acceptable.

In the backdrop of all this are people who just want to get through their day. Who work hard, pay bills, take care of friends and family, and, on occasion, want to go out for a little relief. Dance is really about one man’s attempt to find a little relief. It’s a situation I’m sure many people have found themselves in before — wanting something that is the polar opposite of everything you’re supposed to want, let alone have. And what do you do when what you want is staring you right in the face? Do you take it and grab it, or do you run screaming back into the safety of what’s known? It’s so easy to dissect and criticize other people’s life choices, but much harder when the decision is yours to make. The “safe” route is rarely easy for anyone.

Seriously, life is hard enough having to live and act in accordance with what you think other people want. And everyone, no matter their race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation, has to deal with some version of this in life. People have to deal with it in their work lives all the time; one would think that having a slice of heaven waiting for you at home would be a given. Sadly, that’s not the reality for far too many people in real life, so it’s nice to see and be able to make it happen in the pages of our stories. If it gives up hope or a glimpse of a positive outlook for the future, then who are we not to take hold of it?

I hope you enjoy this little slice of Roger’s life, and his decision to reach out and grab his little slice of heaven. 

Jayce Ellis has three loves: her husband and her two turtles. Hubby loves her back. The turtles she’s not so sure about, but they do love their sports (Bay Area teams FTW!). She still hasn’t figured out why she lives in Northern Virginia, where there’s weather, instead of California, where she’s from, and where it’s just…pretty. Jayce spends her days divorcing happily-married couples (or so she’s been told), and her nights talking maniacally to herself. Thankfully the recorder catches her rumblings and magically turns them into words on a screen. Painting nails is way easier when you don’t actually have to type, and with well over 500 polishes to get through, there’s a lot of painting going on.

Notwithstanding her no-good, very bad, horrible day job, Jayce seriously believes that true love conquers all. Even Maleficent said it. Sure, she was having an epic Mean Girls moment at the time, but she still said it. And she’s right. The only thing Jayce loves more than writing about true love conquering all, is hearing from readers who feel the same way. Drop her a line; she’d love to hear from you.

Facebook: Jayce Ellis, author

Website/blog: www.lawyerwritelife.com

Twitter: @thelawyerwrites

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