#vincent virga

[fated-mates]

This week, we're taking a break, and hope you get one too. In the meantime, please consider listening to our Trailblazer episode with Vincent Virga-author of Gaywyck, the first m/m gothic-about the way writing a gay romance impacted him & so many readers.

This week marks the 42nd Anniversary of the Shooting at the Ramrod Nightclub in NYC, which happened the night of Gaywyck's book launch. Today, we're thinking of the victims and survivors then, and those at Club Q in Colorado Springs.

[tako-fktsu]

Two kittens

[fahye]

your book reccomendations are always excellent, do you have any favorite queer romance authors? looking for the standard “trashy” romance vibes but with queer people if possible, thank you so much!

let's see! romance vibes but make it queer.

Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake (f/f contemp small town romance)

One Night in Hartswood by Emma Denny (m/m medieval historical, fluff and identity shenanigans in a forest)

Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner (f/f contemp 'oh shit I banged my roommate's hot mum')

basically anything by Alexis Hall but start with Boyfriend Material (m/m contemp romcom) or A Lady For A Duke (m/f regency with a trans heroine) for classic romance vibes

Teacher of the Year by M.A. Wardell (m/m contemp about a teacher and a student's dad) is extremely sweet

I can't imagine you've spent any time around my tumblr without hearing me yell READ EVERYTHING BY KJ CHARLES!! but today I will rec Any Old Diamonds (m/m historical, thief/aristocrat with HEIST SHENANIGANS)

For the Love of April French by Penny Aimes (m/f contemp with trans heroine and lots of kink) is scorching hot and heaps of fun

I have heard great things about An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera (f/f historical, SEX PACT WITH A DUCHESS) but my ordered copy hasn't arrived yet

ditto The Fiancée Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur (contemporary f/f celebrity marriage of convenience/fake dating), which I JUST got my paws on today and am excited to read

fuck it, Gaywyck by Vincent Virga was the first m/m gothic romance (1980!) and it's Truly The Most Gothic so if you like oldschool romances where the vibes are problematic but extremely delicious, check it out.

...and then read this great article by chels about Problematic Queer Books and why we need them

[power-chords]

This post is so interesting. I swear I'm not being a bitch, I'm legitimately intrigued as to how this happens. This reads like the kind of post somebody would make if they were only familiar with "romance novel" as an abstract concept. Actual romance novels employ a similar grammar of pretty codified tropes, and arguably a lot less diverse in practice. And there is abundant fanfic that expressly functions as an epic narrative on intimacy, so much so that Elizabeth Woledge proposed the "intimatopia" as a distinct form within the genre. So like, what you are asking for here is either the Brontë sisters or Vincent Virga (gay Brontë sisters) or most likely just fanfiction of a particular literary quality. Which, yes, I understand is a tall order.

[drawulan]

Recently me and my friends have been reading an American queer gothic novel Gaywick by Vincent Virga, it’s insanely good! And also it’s second part Vadriel Veil!

The heroes of Gaywick:

Donough Gaylord (!) and Robert

[bookthroneking]

January TBR: This time, something completely different

I decided to try something fun this January that I've never done before, so for a month I'm only going to read LGBTQIA+ books. I've made myself a list to choose from (it's unlikely that I'll finish all of these, but I wanted some variety), so here's my very queer January TBR list.

Sarah Waters: Tipping the Velvet Sarah Waters: Affinity Vincent Virga: Gaywyck Felice Picano: The Lure Oscar Wilde: The Picture of Dorian Gray Alison Rumfitt: Tell Me I'm Worthless Eric LaRocca: Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke Katie Daysh: Leeward Ocean Vuong: On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous Caitlín R. Kiernan: The Red Tree John Green, David Levithan: Will Grayson, Will Grayson William S. Burroughs: Naked Lunch Yvonne Heidt: Sometime Yesterday

[cosynopsis]

thank you mr vincent virga for "GAYWYCK"

Upd: but be careful, there are a lot of tw

[starly-eyed]

physically gaywyck by vincent virga is an english language novel but spiritually it's a harrowing vintage bl manga. you understand

[gellavonhamster]

monthly media recap: september 2023

read:

Angélique, the Road of Hope and The Victory of Angélique by Anne Golon - can't believe I finished this, lol. It's a pity book 14 wasn't published, but book 13 provides a conclusion to many main plotlines, so it's still a decent ending. I will always wonder if another one of my brotps was supposed to reunite in the last book, though :D For all its faults, enjoyed this series tremendously; it's the people helping and supporting each other even in the bleakest circumstances for me

Ten Thousand Stitches by Olivia Atwater - Regency Faerie Tales part two, even cuter than part one. Seriously, these books are such a delight, I need to read part three ASAP

Spēlēju, dancoju / I Played, I Sang by Rainis - girl help, my Latvian vocabulary does not include that much archaic and/or poetic language, but I did understand enough to see how beautiful it is

Gaywick by Vincent Virga - I read that one liveblogging thread/channel, so I was familiar with the plot, but it was still so interesting to see it all happen. Incredible how a book can cover so many disturbing, truly Gothic themes and still be hopeful and sweet, loved it

Vadriel Vail by Vincent Virga - Gaywick Trilogy book 2, not nearly as good as the first one. Constant timeskips, important events only told in passing, one of the MCs is a boring Gary Stu and the other disgusting. Bearable thanks to the first one's wife and characters from book 1

The Price Guide to the Occult by Leslye Walton - it's not terrible and had some interesting stuff, but still felt sort of... superficial? Most of the characters felt underdeveloped, the story often felt like an outline. I bought it mostly because it was cheap and I'm glad it was.

+ currently reading Children of Paradise (Gaywick Trilogy #3)

watched:

Apteeker Melchior / Melchior the Apothecary (2023) - a murder mystery set in medieval Tallinn. Something bugged me about the dialogue, but I mostly enjoyed the plot and the familiar setting

The Skeleton Key (2005) - Southern Gothic, a grim old house, and Hoodoo magic. Enjoyed the final plot twists and how they recontextualize a lot of stuff earlier in the movie. Was rooting for the heroine but also had to hand it to the antagonists in the end, good for them

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) - so, so charming. Impossible not to hum and move along to the songs. Marilyn Monroe, of course, is a goddess, but Jane Russell tho... gentlemen might prefer blondes but I'm no gentleman

How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) - also charming and funny, though I found it a bit less interesting than the previous one; still good though

Constantine (2005) - I frequently felt like I was missing some context. Either I'm stupid or it's just because I haven't read the comics, but shouldn't a movie adaptation be understandable even for those unfamiliar with the source? Otherwise it was ok and had Rachel Weisz in it

Rebecca (1940) - not nearly as haunting as the novel, but a good film nevertheless. Mostly I just wanted to protect the narrator :( she's so cute

also, a bit unrelated, probably, but I saw two theatre performances last month - one was a live screening of Good by the National Theatre (powerful, amazingly done, probably wouldn't have decided to see it by myself, so thanks to the friend who suggested it) and the other The Three Musketeers neo-classical ballet at the Latvian National Opera and Ballet (really nice, cool stage design, I posted a trailer here)

[dogstarblues]

okay accomplishments for today

1. ate 3 times, each time a low spoons meal

2. walked the dog

3. prepped a canvas

4. did dishes

5. listened to an audiobook and a podcast featuring Vincent Virga as a guest who wrote the first m/m romance novel in the US and one of the first where the leads got to have a happy ending

6. took care of banking stuff

7. dressed in a few outfits

8. showered

9. washed my hair

10. wore perfume and lip oil and felt good

11. did laundry

12. sat in the sun

13. did skincare, low-effort

14. watched videos on using clip studio

15. im about to start reading a book if my brain is up to it! and

16. i will play a game after im done reading the book for the night

[juliebrost]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: 2006 Forcing Nature Trees In Los Angeles George Haas Hardcover Book Used.

[mysmorgasbordoffantabulosa]

Favourite Gay Books: Gaywyck

Gaywyck by Vincent Virga

The first gay gothic romance, treads firmly in beloved territory, both honoring it and reinventing it. Classic in style, Vincent Virga creates a world as authentic as anything penned by DuMaurier, retaining the creaking ancestral mansion and mysterious and brooding master of the manor, while replacing the traditional damsel in distress with the young and handsome Robert Whyte.

Author Bio:

Vincent Virga has been called "America's foremost picture editor." He has researched, edited, and designed picture sections for more than 150 books, including Eyes of the Nation: A Visual History of the United States and the full-length photo essay The Eighties: Images of America. He is also the author of A Comfortable Corner. He is working on a third novel, Theatricals.

Where to buy:

Amazon UK | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

[fated-mates]

This week, we’re continuing our Trailblazer episodes with Vincent Virga—author of the Gaywyck trilogy, the first m/m gothic romance, and one of the first m/m romances ending with a happily ever after.

He talks about writing gay romance and about the way reading about love and happiness change readers lives. He also shares rich, wonderful stories about his vibrant life as a picture editor in publishing, about the literary set in New York City in the 70s and 80s, about writing during the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, about the times in a writer’s life when the words don’t come easily, and about the times when they can’t be stopped.

We are honored and so grateful that Vincent took the time to speak with us, and we hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did.

Today is the 41st anniversary of The Ramrod Massacre in New York City, where Vernon Kroening and Jorg Wenz were killed. Six other men were shot and injured inside the bar or on the streets near the Ramrod.

[kiraalexander]

Mirror mirror on the wall what’s the most extra novel cover of them all?

[lgbtqiahistoricalromance]

Gaywyck, the first gothic gay novel, is available through Kindle Unlimited.